Art and I exchanged our Christmas gifts last night. And it was the most anti-climactic thing you have ever seen. :)
1.Art's gift to me arrived late, which he was pretty upset about. He paid extra to make sure it would get here before Christmas, but it only arrived yesterday.
2. While we were opening gifts with his family on Christmas Day, his mom spilled the beans when she asked him where my gift was. He was really hoping to surprise me. So that didn't go the way he had hoped either.
3. We exchanged gifts sitting on the bathroom floor, because I was a sick little girl all evening and all night, so I set up camp there, and basically didn't move until about 4:00am this morning.
He was such a sweetheart about all of it. He brought both gifts in, and helped me open mine (because I was too shaky to open the box). I gave him the most pathetic smile, whispered "thank you", and then basically sent him away, because when I'm sick like that, I just want to be left alone.
And what was this amazing gift that deserved much more enthusiasm than I was able to give in that moment? An iPod. I have been wanting one for so long, and I honestly didn't think I was going to get one. He is the world's greatest husband, and I was too ill to properly appreciate his gift to me. I feel so bad about the whole thing, even though the circumstances were beyond our control.
Plus, this is two years in a row where our gift exchange has been somewhat disappointing. Last year, he bought me a coat, and I bought him some shoes, and neither fit. We both had to exchange them for different sizes.
Oh well. The point of Christmas is not to have a magical gift exchanging experience. But it would be nice if next year, everything would work out the way it's supposed to.
Other than last night, Christmas was really nice. I enjoyed having his whole family here, even if it was a little squished. Everyone slept pretty comfortably on our living room floor on Christmas Eve, and we spent all of Christmas Day in our pajamas, playing games and watching movies.
So that was Christmas 2010.
December 28, 2010
December 24, 2010
So This is Christmas
It's Christmas Eve, and Art and I are waiting for his family to come up to our place after "Midnight" Mass (it begins at 9:00 and ends at 11:00, or something like that). We already attended the Christmas Eve service at our church, then came home and wrapped the last of the presents.
Mary and Joe flew in yesterday from their respective locations across the country, and they stopped by earlier today to say hi. All of them (Mary, Joe, and Art's parents) will be spending the night at our apartment and we'll do Christmas Day together. Just in case anyone forgot, we have one bedroom. Somehow they're all supposed to fit on our living room floor. Should be interesting. :)
I just finished the puzzle that my coworker lent me. It was perfect. I judge the puzzling experience by how long it takes me to put it all together (working on it at least a few hours a day). If I can finish the puzzle in two days or less, it's too easy, and therefore, not fun. If it takes a week or more, it's too hard, and really not fun. This puzzle took me almost four days (three days if you don't count the day that I wasn't home at all). So this one was definitely fun. Plus it was a hilarious picture. I hope she enjoyed the one I lent her.
I took a belly pic today, mostly because I actually look nice right now (pretty shirt, makeup, no ponytail) and that just doesn't happen very often. Also, it's our first 3-person Christmas, so I have to have a pic of exactly how big we are today.
I'm nearly at 27 weeks, and although I ate supper just before I took this picture, I don't think it makes that much of a difference right now.
And now for the most exciting thing ever: I got my first cloth diapers in the mail yesterday!!!!! My friend Sozan (who is the most amazing friend in the whole world), bought me three diapers, partly to see how long they would take to ship (so we can supply that info for my diaper shower), and partly so that I could show people a real, tangible cloth diaper (again, for the diaper shower).
I'm so afraid that the shower will be a flop, just because I'm the only person I know who is going to use cloth diapers. I think a lot of moms are so unfamiliar with the world of cloth diapers, so they might not feel comfortable buying one for a shower gift, even though I have a registry, and even though we're going to specify on the invitation that I don't want disposable diapers, or any other baby stuff. I have had two baby showers already, so I have basically everything I need. Except cloth diapers. So my friend is planning a cloth diaper shower, and I'm crossing every finger and toe that I have.
Anyway, here is a picture of the three diapers she bought me:
The one on the left is pale yellow, the one in the middle is light gray, not black, and the one on the right is light green with polka dots.
These particular diapers are Kawaii Minky Organic Bamboo One-Size Pocket diapers. Say what?!
-Kawaii is the brand.
-Minky is what the outside of the diaper is made of (and it's so soft!!)
-Organic Bamboo is was the inside of the diaper is made of, as well as the two inserts it comes with. SUPER absorbent.
-One-Size means it has a gazillion snaps, so it can be adjusted to fit any baby, from 8lbs to 40lbs.
-Pocket means that the diaper has a sleeve, and inserts are stuffed inside the diaper (see the diaper on the left), instead of the inserts sitting on top.
Kawaii diapers aren't sold on very many cloth diapering websites, which is too bad, because not only are a they a top quality diaper, but they are a top quality diaper at an amazingly low price. I read a review on the diaper, and the mom decided to leave it on her son for 15 hours, just to see how long it would hold up. 15 hours later? No leaks. That is what cloth diapering moms call "Bulletproof." Nothing is escaping that diaper.
Anyway, I love these diapers with all of my heart, and I can see how moms become obsessed with cloth diapers. They're more work, but they're so much cooler than disposables!
So those are all my thoughts tonight. Kind of a random post for Christmas Eve, but that's what happens when you have non-traditional Christmas plans. And now it is almost midnight, so I must bring this to a close. Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a Good Night!
Mary and Joe flew in yesterday from their respective locations across the country, and they stopped by earlier today to say hi. All of them (Mary, Joe, and Art's parents) will be spending the night at our apartment and we'll do Christmas Day together. Just in case anyone forgot, we have one bedroom. Somehow they're all supposed to fit on our living room floor. Should be interesting. :)
I just finished the puzzle that my coworker lent me. It was perfect. I judge the puzzling experience by how long it takes me to put it all together (working on it at least a few hours a day). If I can finish the puzzle in two days or less, it's too easy, and therefore, not fun. If it takes a week or more, it's too hard, and really not fun. This puzzle took me almost four days (three days if you don't count the day that I wasn't home at all). So this one was definitely fun. Plus it was a hilarious picture. I hope she enjoyed the one I lent her.
I took a belly pic today, mostly because I actually look nice right now (pretty shirt, makeup, no ponytail) and that just doesn't happen very often. Also, it's our first 3-person Christmas, so I have to have a pic of exactly how big we are today.
I'm nearly at 27 weeks, and although I ate supper just before I took this picture, I don't think it makes that much of a difference right now.
And now for the most exciting thing ever: I got my first cloth diapers in the mail yesterday!!!!! My friend Sozan (who is the most amazing friend in the whole world), bought me three diapers, partly to see how long they would take to ship (so we can supply that info for my diaper shower), and partly so that I could show people a real, tangible cloth diaper (again, for the diaper shower).
I'm so afraid that the shower will be a flop, just because I'm the only person I know who is going to use cloth diapers. I think a lot of moms are so unfamiliar with the world of cloth diapers, so they might not feel comfortable buying one for a shower gift, even though I have a registry, and even though we're going to specify on the invitation that I don't want disposable diapers, or any other baby stuff. I have had two baby showers already, so I have basically everything I need. Except cloth diapers. So my friend is planning a cloth diaper shower, and I'm crossing every finger and toe that I have.
Anyway, here is a picture of the three diapers she bought me:
The one on the left is pale yellow, the one in the middle is light gray, not black, and the one on the right is light green with polka dots.
These particular diapers are Kawaii Minky Organic Bamboo One-Size Pocket diapers. Say what?!
-Kawaii is the brand.
-Minky is what the outside of the diaper is made of (and it's so soft!!)
-Organic Bamboo is was the inside of the diaper is made of, as well as the two inserts it comes with. SUPER absorbent.
-One-Size means it has a gazillion snaps, so it can be adjusted to fit any baby, from 8lbs to 40lbs.
-Pocket means that the diaper has a sleeve, and inserts are stuffed inside the diaper (see the diaper on the left), instead of the inserts sitting on top.
Kawaii diapers aren't sold on very many cloth diapering websites, which is too bad, because not only are a they a top quality diaper, but they are a top quality diaper at an amazingly low price. I read a review on the diaper, and the mom decided to leave it on her son for 15 hours, just to see how long it would hold up. 15 hours later? No leaks. That is what cloth diapering moms call "Bulletproof." Nothing is escaping that diaper.
Anyway, I love these diapers with all of my heart, and I can see how moms become obsessed with cloth diapers. They're more work, but they're so much cooler than disposables!
So those are all my thoughts tonight. Kind of a random post for Christmas Eve, but that's what happens when you have non-traditional Christmas plans. And now it is almost midnight, so I must bring this to a close. Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a Good Night!
December 21, 2010
Sleepless in Seattle. Except For the Part Where I Don't Live in Seattle
**Update: Though I was wide awake last night, I was clearly not very sharp. I made the mistake of putting up two blog posts in quick succession. So once you're done reading this one, please continue scrolling and read the [much shorter] post below. I think you'll find it quite amusing!**
It is the middle of the night, and I cannot sleep, so I decided I'm going to blog instead. In no particular order, here are all the things that are on my mind, or that I've been meaning to blog about:
1. Pregnancy/Baby - I posted on Dec.5 that I haven't had any heartburn, and that the ligament pain hadn't returned. Wouldn't you know it, the very next day I got heartburn, and it's been here ever since. Thankfully, it's not been that bad, although it is one of the things that is preventing me from sleeping right now. In my determination not to pop any antacids, I have found that avoiding spicy foods, eating smaller portions, not eating too late in the evening, and chewing gum after meals all seem to help. I've also been propping my head up at night, which usually keeps it at bay.
So why is it bothering me tonight? Because I ate spicy food. I made the most delicious Paleo lasagna (this particular version contains a bit of cayenne pepper), and we had leftovers, and I couldn't resist. Plus, I paired it with tomato soup. Talk about a recipe for disaster. Next time, I'll make the lasagna without the pepper, and maybe I'll pair it with a glass of milk instead.
Oh, and the ligament pain is here again. Last week I realized that I no longer feel large at all. In fact, I feel rather small for being 6 months pregnant. Then I wondered if that meant I was going to have a growth spurt soon. Sure enough, last Thursday I felt that familiar ache. This time it's much higher on my tummy, but thankfully, not as bad. (Last time I could barely move because I was in so much pain.) I expect it to stick around for a couple more days. Which means that by Christmas, I'll be more comfortable again.
One more thing of note: the kicks and movements are getting stronger, and I can feel them all over. I am now convinced that I'm pregnant with an octopus. There is no way there are only 4 limbs in there. On second thought, maybe an octopus crossed with a kangaroo.
2. Work - Our office closes for two weeks over the Christmas break, and those two weeks began yesterday. It's going to be really nice to have a lot of free time on my hands. A coworker and I found out that we share a mutual love of puzzling, so we exchanged puzzles last week Friday. Now we each have a new puzzle to do during our long, wonderful workless days.
One of the upsides about this break is that it doesn't matter that I'm awake right now. It's not like I have to go anywhere tomorrow morning. So if I can't sleep, it's not a big deal. Very thankful for that.
The major downside about this break is that while it's mandatory, it's also unpaid. Permanent employees will be paid for one of the two weeks. But I'm not permanent, so I don't get paid at all. However, they did inform us that we may apply for unemployment for the two weeks. So that's what I did yesterday, and that's what I'll do next Monday as well. It won't be much, but at least it's something.
If you're wondering why on earth they would not pay their employees for a two week mandatory furlough, it's because they kind of have to. The company has been struggling for a few years now, and will continue to struggle for another year or two. They have plans to get themselves out of this rut they're in, but right now it's just bad news.
I could go on about all the ways in which their employees are being kind of screwed over (forgive my language), but there's no point. It's not like anyone is being forced to stick around. We're all free to leave and seek better employment. I was preparing myself to do just that this past July, but then I peed on a stick, and my plans changed. I decided I would stay put, and you know what? I don't regret that at all. There was no point in trying to find a new job knowing I would be quitting in 7 months. And aside from the companies' financial difficulties that I have to put up with, I really like my job!
3. Nesting - I know that nesting is only supposed to happen in the few weeks right before I give birth, but why can't it happen sooner? I had time, energy, and opportunity a couple of Saturdays ago. Art was away at an all-day bachelor party (don't worry, it was with a bunch of Christian guys), so I had the apartment all to myself, and I took full advantage of that. I cleaned and cleaned, and organized and reorganized, and filled boxes, and emptied boxes, and moved boxes, and I may have moved some furniture as well please don't kill me!
It felt really good to put a little more order into our closets and bedroom, and to have fewer drawers designated to random items. I still plan on reorganizing the cupboards at some point. But I'm quite proud of all that I accomplished on that Saturday. I was also pretty sore by the time evening came around. Unfortunately, once I get going, it's hard to stop, and I may have kept going, but thankfully some friends decided to stop by. I rested, and also got to show off my sparkling clean home.
4. I finally put up our Christmas tree!
I would have put it up sooner, but "The Big Clean" had to happen first. This table is the only place we could put the tree, but it was full of stuff that used to be in a desk, and then we got rid of that desk, so the table was the only place those items could go. I ended up buying a basket to put all those items in, and that basket is right beside and below the table. I'll be sad when I put the tree away and the table once again fills with clutter, but I try not to think about that. Right now I'm just enjoying how pretty it is.
We keep the lights on during the night, which makes getting up in the morning so much easier. It's nice to wake up to this soft glow. 5:30 am doesn't seem so bad when I'm greeted by this.
There are no presents beneath it yet, but that's just because I haven't wrapped them. I think I will do that later today (hopefully after I've had some sleep!).
5. I did some Christmas baking for the first time. One of my favorite holiday traditions is making Christmas cookies with my mom. To me, there is only one Christmas cookie: molasses cookies, topped with various colors and flavors of icing, and decorated with sprinkles. Now that I live so far away from my mom, I must carry on the tradition myself. However, I made sure to involve my very good friend Sozan. What could be more fun than decorating Christmas cookies with a friend?
We set up a cookies decorating station and had ourselves a hay day.
Kudos to Sozan for really embracing her inner child. These cookies are so full of sprinkles that the sprinkles won't stay on! Every time you pick up a cookie, you end up dropping sprinkles everywhere. Which is exactly how it should be. :)
I was planning on doing more Christmas baking this week, but my husband asked me to refrain. He's trying to eat healthy for a few weeks, because he has to drop a few pounds by the middle of January. He's going on a very important trip to Crossfit competition that will hopefully gain him a ton of business, and he wants to look (and feel) his best. So I will defer the baking for a little while.
Well, it is now 3:30 am, I have been blogging for an hour and a half, and my poor husband who also can't sleep would really like me to come back to bed. I may not have to work in the morning, but he still does. So goodnight!
It is the middle of the night, and I cannot sleep, so I decided I'm going to blog instead. In no particular order, here are all the things that are on my mind, or that I've been meaning to blog about:
1. Pregnancy/Baby - I posted on Dec.5 that I haven't had any heartburn, and that the ligament pain hadn't returned. Wouldn't you know it, the very next day I got heartburn, and it's been here ever since. Thankfully, it's not been that bad, although it is one of the things that is preventing me from sleeping right now. In my determination not to pop any antacids, I have found that avoiding spicy foods, eating smaller portions, not eating too late in the evening, and chewing gum after meals all seem to help. I've also been propping my head up at night, which usually keeps it at bay.
So why is it bothering me tonight? Because I ate spicy food. I made the most delicious Paleo lasagna (this particular version contains a bit of cayenne pepper), and we had leftovers, and I couldn't resist. Plus, I paired it with tomato soup. Talk about a recipe for disaster. Next time, I'll make the lasagna without the pepper, and maybe I'll pair it with a glass of milk instead.
Oh, and the ligament pain is here again. Last week I realized that I no longer feel large at all. In fact, I feel rather small for being 6 months pregnant. Then I wondered if that meant I was going to have a growth spurt soon. Sure enough, last Thursday I felt that familiar ache. This time it's much higher on my tummy, but thankfully, not as bad. (Last time I could barely move because I was in so much pain.) I expect it to stick around for a couple more days. Which means that by Christmas, I'll be more comfortable again.
One more thing of note: the kicks and movements are getting stronger, and I can feel them all over. I am now convinced that I'm pregnant with an octopus. There is no way there are only 4 limbs in there. On second thought, maybe an octopus crossed with a kangaroo.
2. Work - Our office closes for two weeks over the Christmas break, and those two weeks began yesterday. It's going to be really nice to have a lot of free time on my hands. A coworker and I found out that we share a mutual love of puzzling, so we exchanged puzzles last week Friday. Now we each have a new puzzle to do during our long, wonderful workless days.
One of the upsides about this break is that it doesn't matter that I'm awake right now. It's not like I have to go anywhere tomorrow morning. So if I can't sleep, it's not a big deal. Very thankful for that.
The major downside about this break is that while it's mandatory, it's also unpaid. Permanent employees will be paid for one of the two weeks. But I'm not permanent, so I don't get paid at all. However, they did inform us that we may apply for unemployment for the two weeks. So that's what I did yesterday, and that's what I'll do next Monday as well. It won't be much, but at least it's something.
If you're wondering why on earth they would not pay their employees for a two week mandatory furlough, it's because they kind of have to. The company has been struggling for a few years now, and will continue to struggle for another year or two. They have plans to get themselves out of this rut they're in, but right now it's just bad news.
I could go on about all the ways in which their employees are being kind of screwed over (forgive my language), but there's no point. It's not like anyone is being forced to stick around. We're all free to leave and seek better employment. I was preparing myself to do just that this past July, but then I peed on a stick, and my plans changed. I decided I would stay put, and you know what? I don't regret that at all. There was no point in trying to find a new job knowing I would be quitting in 7 months. And aside from the companies' financial difficulties that I have to put up with, I really like my job!
3. Nesting - I know that nesting is only supposed to happen in the few weeks right before I give birth, but why can't it happen sooner? I had time, energy, and opportunity a couple of Saturdays ago. Art was away at an all-day bachelor party (don't worry, it was with a bunch of Christian guys), so I had the apartment all to myself, and I took full advantage of that. I cleaned and cleaned, and organized and reorganized, and filled boxes, and emptied boxes, and moved boxes, and I may have moved some furniture as well please don't kill me!
It felt really good to put a little more order into our closets and bedroom, and to have fewer drawers designated to random items. I still plan on reorganizing the cupboards at some point. But I'm quite proud of all that I accomplished on that Saturday. I was also pretty sore by the time evening came around. Unfortunately, once I get going, it's hard to stop, and I may have kept going, but thankfully some friends decided to stop by. I rested, and also got to show off my sparkling clean home.
4. I finally put up our Christmas tree!
I would have put it up sooner, but "The Big Clean" had to happen first. This table is the only place we could put the tree, but it was full of stuff that used to be in a desk, and then we got rid of that desk, so the table was the only place those items could go. I ended up buying a basket to put all those items in, and that basket is right beside and below the table. I'll be sad when I put the tree away and the table once again fills with clutter, but I try not to think about that. Right now I'm just enjoying how pretty it is.
We keep the lights on during the night, which makes getting up in the morning so much easier. It's nice to wake up to this soft glow. 5:30 am doesn't seem so bad when I'm greeted by this.
There are no presents beneath it yet, but that's just because I haven't wrapped them. I think I will do that later today (hopefully after I've had some sleep!).
5. I did some Christmas baking for the first time. One of my favorite holiday traditions is making Christmas cookies with my mom. To me, there is only one Christmas cookie: molasses cookies, topped with various colors and flavors of icing, and decorated with sprinkles. Now that I live so far away from my mom, I must carry on the tradition myself. However, I made sure to involve my very good friend Sozan. What could be more fun than decorating Christmas cookies with a friend?
We set up a cookies decorating station and had ourselves a hay day.
Kudos to Sozan for really embracing her inner child. These cookies are so full of sprinkles that the sprinkles won't stay on! Every time you pick up a cookie, you end up dropping sprinkles everywhere. Which is exactly how it should be. :)
I was planning on doing more Christmas baking this week, but my husband asked me to refrain. He's trying to eat healthy for a few weeks, because he has to drop a few pounds by the middle of January. He's going on a very important trip to Crossfit competition that will hopefully gain him a ton of business, and he wants to look (and feel) his best. So I will defer the baking for a little while.
Well, it is now 3:30 am, I have been blogging for an hour and a half, and my poor husband who also can't sleep would really like me to come back to bed. I may not have to work in the morning, but he still does. So goodnight!
December 20, 2010
My Husband: A Week of Faces
Many of you may have heard of the male tradition of growing facial hair for the entire month of November. It goes by many names: No Shave November, Novemburly, Movember ("mo" is Australian slang for mustache).
My husband took part in this tradition. And you know what? I kind of liked him with a full beard. Of course, he didn't let it get wild. He trimmed it as it grew, to keep it looking decent.
Then he decided to have fun with it. November is now over, but the facial hair did not go away. Oh no. He couldn't part with it that easily. He decided to shave it off slowly, in stages. Hilarious, ugly, stages. He promised me that each new beard style was only for one day, so I said okay, on one condition: that I get to photograph each new style, and post it here on my blog. What's the point of having a husband if you can't use him as blog fodder to garner a few laughs? ;)
Here are a few "Before" pictures. I don't know how well you can see his whole face, but trust me: he's got a full beard going on.
I had to use the flash on my camera, since it was too dim without it. So I went with "washed out" instead. It was the lesser of two evils.
Here he is with a couple of friends/coworkers. As you can see, they also took part in No Shave November.
The guy on the left shaved his face clean the next day. The guy in the middle is still sporting his beard. The goof handsome man on the right is my hubby dearest.
(Btw, the above pictures were all taken at Art's work Christmas banquet.)
And now, for your comedic pleasure:
Monday, Dec.6
First he went with the chin strap. Which he said made him feel like one of the Backsteet Boys. Hence the pose.
Tuesday, Dec.7
Then he went with the pointy sideburns.
Wednesday, Dec.8:
Wednesday was the best day: just a goatee. He had one of these when I first met him. And longer hair. And I actually thought he was cute!
Thursday, Dec.9
He called this one "The Nascar." He's also making a typical Art face.
Friday, Dec.10 - I didn't actually get a picture of this one. But it's the same as the beard above, only the middle strip is shaved off. I think it's known as a handlebar mustache? But I could be wrong. Basically, he looked like he should be riding a motorcycle at all times. And he kept the look through the weekend.
Monday, Dec.13
I came home from work and was greeted by this. Believe it or not, this one creeped me out the most. He tried to kiss me, but I wouldn't let him until he shaved it off. So I broke my rule about letting him have each style for one day. I will never let him have a mustache. *Shudder*
The facial hair was fun while it lasted, but I'm glad his face is back to normal. FYI, "normal" for him is actually not clean-shaven, but rather a day or two of scruff. And you know what? I really like the way he looks with a day or two of scruff. Clean shaven feels nice, but a 5 o'clock shadow suits him much better. Call me crazy....
My husband took part in this tradition. And you know what? I kind of liked him with a full beard. Of course, he didn't let it get wild. He trimmed it as it grew, to keep it looking decent.
Then he decided to have fun with it. November is now over, but the facial hair did not go away. Oh no. He couldn't part with it that easily. He decided to shave it off slowly, in stages. Hilarious, ugly, stages. He promised me that each new beard style was only for one day, so I said okay, on one condition: that I get to photograph each new style, and post it here on my blog. What's the point of having a husband if you can't use him as blog fodder to garner a few laughs? ;)
Here are a few "Before" pictures. I don't know how well you can see his whole face, but trust me: he's got a full beard going on.
I had to use the flash on my camera, since it was too dim without it. So I went with "washed out" instead. It was the lesser of two evils.
Here he is with a couple of friends/coworkers. As you can see, they also took part in No Shave November.
The guy on the left shaved his face clean the next day. The guy in the middle is still sporting his beard. The
(Btw, the above pictures were all taken at Art's work Christmas banquet.)
And now, for your comedic pleasure:
Monday, Dec.6
First he went with the chin strap. Which he said made him feel like one of the Backsteet Boys. Hence the pose.
Tuesday, Dec.7
Then he went with the pointy sideburns.
Wednesday, Dec.8:
Wednesday was the best day: just a goatee. He had one of these when I first met him. And longer hair. And I actually thought he was cute!
Thursday, Dec.9
He called this one "The Nascar." He's also making a typical Art face.
Friday, Dec.10 - I didn't actually get a picture of this one. But it's the same as the beard above, only the middle strip is shaved off. I think it's known as a handlebar mustache? But I could be wrong. Basically, he looked like he should be riding a motorcycle at all times. And he kept the look through the weekend.
Monday, Dec.13
I came home from work and was greeted by this. Believe it or not, this one creeped me out the most. He tried to kiss me, but I wouldn't let him until he shaved it off. So I broke my rule about letting him have each style for one day. I will never let him have a mustache. *Shudder*
The facial hair was fun while it lasted, but I'm glad his face is back to normal. FYI, "normal" for him is actually not clean-shaven, but rather a day or two of scruff. And you know what? I really like the way he looks with a day or two of scruff. Clean shaven feels nice, but a 5 o'clock shadow suits him much better. Call me crazy....
December 5, 2010
24 Weeks
I just scrolled through my blog, and I realized that the last baby post was when we had our 20 week ultrasound. And the last belly pic? Was at 18 weeks. Yikes! Yeah, it's very much time for an update.
Like the subject line says, I'm at 24 weeks now. Baby weighs 1.5 pounds, is 8 inches in length (from crown to rump). What to Expect When You're Expecting informs me that Baby can now taste everything I eat. In fact, Baby has more taste buds now than at birth!
His or her skin is still hanging pretty loosely, but now is when the fat starts to develop. She or he will gain 6 ounces a week! (And what is that going to do for my weight gain? I'll probably be fine, but I've already gained 17 pounds at this point, which is five pounds ahead of what they recommend. So I'm a tiny bit nervous. If I'm not careful, I could gain too much weight. It's possible! Not likely, but possible.)
Also, our little one now has eyebrows, eyelashes, and a head of hair. Apparently, there is no pigment in the hair, so right now, it's snow white. I have no doubt that by the time Baby is born, he or she will have an abundance of dark hair.
This next week, capillaries will form under the skin and fill with blood. And air sacs will begin to develop in the lungs. I think this is the point where the baby actually has a chance to survive outside the womb. A small chance, but it can happen. [Side note: I used to follow a blog written by a man whose wife has cystic fibrosis, and their daughter was delivered by c-section at 24 weeks. The little girl is now almost three years old, and is happy and healthy. Here's a link to his blog.]
Also this next week, Baby's nostrils will open up, so s/he can begin taking practice breaths. The vocal cords are working too, and the baby practices using those by have hiccups! So I guess I'll be feeling that sometime soon.
And how am I doing? Very well. I'm experiencing small symptoms, like dry skin, strange dreams, swollen ankles, nasal congestion at night, but none of these things interfere with my daily life, so I barely notice them. I notice that my grip is not as strong as it used to be. I feel like I'm dropping things all the time! (Mostly pens, keys, socks...nothing breakable).
I remember reading that my body is producing the hormone Relaxin, and the whole point of that hormone is to loosen the ligaments and joints around my pelvis. However, my body doesn't know not to apply the hormone to EVERY joint and ligament. So my grip will suffer, and also? My feet will probably expand and go up a half or whole shoe size, and will likely not return to their original size. And I'm SO EXCITED about that!!! I'm crossing my fingers that by the time I have this baby, I will be a shoe size 6, and my shoe shopping woes will be over forever!!!!!!!!
(Pre-pregnancy, I was wearing size 5 shoes, and there pretty much isn't a shoe manufacturer on this continent that makes size 5 shoes for women. They always start at size 6. Buying shoes is so frustrating. At this very moment I'm at a 5.5, and depending the on the brand/type of shoe, it feels kinda snug. So I'm wishing and hoping and thinking and praying......)
Other symptoms I'm experiencing, besides an ever-growing belly.........I don't always sleep very well. Most of this week I managed to get in a full night, but it's not consistent. Again, apparently that's normal. When I can't sleep, it's not like I'm worried about anything. And it's not like Baby is waking me up or keeping me up with kicking. The kicks are getting stronger (I think I felt something on my ribs today!), but they don't interfere with sleep.
I still don't have heartburn, but I've discovered that if I eat a large dinner, I'm very likely going to be nauseated that night. I'm really good at eating small, frequent portions throughout the day, but for some reason, I always try to cram in a big supper. I have to get used to the fact that I simply can't fit a big meal in my stomach anymore. So I'm going to try my hardest to either stretch out the consumption of my dinner, or maybe just eat two small dinners. I had a particularly bad night last Monday night, and I actually took a sick day on Tuesday because I felt so icky. I need to do better.
I haven't had any ligament pain since the beginning of November, and I'm trying to be grateful for that every day, because my midwife told me that I would probably experience it again at some point.
And, before I get to everybody's favorite part (the picture), I wanted to inform you all that I finally have honest-to-goodness baby fever! Up until a few days ago, I felt like this pregnancy was going to fast, and though I've been excited, I've also been nervous, and kind of wishing time would slow down a little bit. Before I knew I was pregnant, I informed Art that I was definitely not ready for a baby. Since seeing that positive pregnancy test, I've been doing by best to be ready, but I still didn't really feel ready. (Also, I wasn't really enjoying pregnancy until a few weeks ago, when I could finally feel the baby move.)
Then two women from my office gave birth, within a few days of each other. They brought in their newborn boys on the same day last week, and just seeing those tiny, cuddly babies made my arms ache to hold my own. I remember looking down at my belly and saying, "okay, you can come out now." Now, there is no more nervousness or unreadiness. Just pure excitement, to the point of almost being impatient.
I hope this revelation isn't shocking to anyone. I don't know if other women out there felt this way when they were pregnant. And if anyone has, but was afraid to say something, because they thought it made them a bad mom, just know that you aren't abnormal, and you are NOT a bad mom. :)
Okay, picture time!
This picture was taken today. Right after my nap. I seem to be in the habit of taking belly pics right after I wake up from a nap.
Also? Those are maternity jeans. I got four free pairs of maternity jeans from a woman at church! God bless her, they are so comfy. And they are all a bit on the big side, which is good, because that means I'll be able to wear them for a while. I'm crossing my fingers that at least two pairs will last me right until I give birth.
So there's a nice lengthy update for you. If you made it this far, go ahead and treat yourself to a spoonful of ice cream. Because that's what I'm going to do.
Like the subject line says, I'm at 24 weeks now. Baby weighs 1.5 pounds, is 8 inches in length (from crown to rump). What to Expect When You're Expecting informs me that Baby can now taste everything I eat. In fact, Baby has more taste buds now than at birth!
His or her skin is still hanging pretty loosely, but now is when the fat starts to develop. She or he will gain 6 ounces a week! (And what is that going to do for my weight gain? I'll probably be fine, but I've already gained 17 pounds at this point, which is five pounds ahead of what they recommend. So I'm a tiny bit nervous. If I'm not careful, I could gain too much weight. It's possible! Not likely, but possible.)
Also, our little one now has eyebrows, eyelashes, and a head of hair. Apparently, there is no pigment in the hair, so right now, it's snow white. I have no doubt that by the time Baby is born, he or she will have an abundance of dark hair.
This next week, capillaries will form under the skin and fill with blood. And air sacs will begin to develop in the lungs. I think this is the point where the baby actually has a chance to survive outside the womb. A small chance, but it can happen. [Side note: I used to follow a blog written by a man whose wife has cystic fibrosis, and their daughter was delivered by c-section at 24 weeks. The little girl is now almost three years old, and is happy and healthy. Here's a link to his blog.]
Also this next week, Baby's nostrils will open up, so s/he can begin taking practice breaths. The vocal cords are working too, and the baby practices using those by have hiccups! So I guess I'll be feeling that sometime soon.
And how am I doing? Very well. I'm experiencing small symptoms, like dry skin, strange dreams, swollen ankles, nasal congestion at night, but none of these things interfere with my daily life, so I barely notice them. I notice that my grip is not as strong as it used to be. I feel like I'm dropping things all the time! (Mostly pens, keys, socks...nothing breakable).
I remember reading that my body is producing the hormone Relaxin, and the whole point of that hormone is to loosen the ligaments and joints around my pelvis. However, my body doesn't know not to apply the hormone to EVERY joint and ligament. So my grip will suffer, and also? My feet will probably expand and go up a half or whole shoe size, and will likely not return to their original size. And I'm SO EXCITED about that!!! I'm crossing my fingers that by the time I have this baby, I will be a shoe size 6, and my shoe shopping woes will be over forever!!!!!!!!
(Pre-pregnancy, I was wearing size 5 shoes, and there pretty much isn't a shoe manufacturer on this continent that makes size 5 shoes for women. They always start at size 6. Buying shoes is so frustrating. At this very moment I'm at a 5.5, and depending the on the brand/type of shoe, it feels kinda snug. So I'm wishing and hoping and thinking and praying......)
Other symptoms I'm experiencing, besides an ever-growing belly.........I don't always sleep very well. Most of this week I managed to get in a full night, but it's not consistent. Again, apparently that's normal. When I can't sleep, it's not like I'm worried about anything. And it's not like Baby is waking me up or keeping me up with kicking. The kicks are getting stronger (I think I felt something on my ribs today!), but they don't interfere with sleep.
I still don't have heartburn, but I've discovered that if I eat a large dinner, I'm very likely going to be nauseated that night. I'm really good at eating small, frequent portions throughout the day, but for some reason, I always try to cram in a big supper. I have to get used to the fact that I simply can't fit a big meal in my stomach anymore. So I'm going to try my hardest to either stretch out the consumption of my dinner, or maybe just eat two small dinners. I had a particularly bad night last Monday night, and I actually took a sick day on Tuesday because I felt so icky. I need to do better.
I haven't had any ligament pain since the beginning of November, and I'm trying to be grateful for that every day, because my midwife told me that I would probably experience it again at some point.
And, before I get to everybody's favorite part (the picture), I wanted to inform you all that I finally have honest-to-goodness baby fever! Up until a few days ago, I felt like this pregnancy was going to fast, and though I've been excited, I've also been nervous, and kind of wishing time would slow down a little bit. Before I knew I was pregnant, I informed Art that I was definitely not ready for a baby. Since seeing that positive pregnancy test, I've been doing by best to be ready, but I still didn't really feel ready. (Also, I wasn't really enjoying pregnancy until a few weeks ago, when I could finally feel the baby move.)
Then two women from my office gave birth, within a few days of each other. They brought in their newborn boys on the same day last week, and just seeing those tiny, cuddly babies made my arms ache to hold my own. I remember looking down at my belly and saying, "okay, you can come out now." Now, there is no more nervousness or unreadiness. Just pure excitement, to the point of almost being impatient.
I hope this revelation isn't shocking to anyone. I don't know if other women out there felt this way when they were pregnant. And if anyone has, but was afraid to say something, because they thought it made them a bad mom, just know that you aren't abnormal, and you are NOT a bad mom. :)
Okay, picture time!
This picture was taken today. Right after my nap. I seem to be in the habit of taking belly pics right after I wake up from a nap.
Also? Those are maternity jeans. I got four free pairs of maternity jeans from a woman at church! God bless her, they are so comfy. And they are all a bit on the big side, which is good, because that means I'll be able to wear them for a while. I'm crossing my fingers that at least two pairs will last me right until I give birth.
So there's a nice lengthy update for you. If you made it this far, go ahead and treat yourself to a spoonful of ice cream. Because that's what I'm going to do.
December 1, 2010
My Birth Plan
I know this can be a very touchy and controversial subject, but if you've read my blog for a while, you know that I'm not one to always avoid controversy. This is important to me, and it's something I have been wanting to talk about on my blog for some time.
First, here are a couple of facts about my birth plan:
1. I have a midwife who is Washington State certified. She is also a naturopathic family doctor. She will see me through my entire pregnancy, the birth, and eight weeks of postpartum care. After that, we can continue to see her as our family doctor. I'm really happy about how that worked out.
2. I am planning on giving birth at a birth center, not at home, and not at the hospital.
I feel it is important that my midwife is certified. I know that she has had proper medical training, and has assisted many, many births. I can feel comfortable and safe with her, because she has the experience to know when to speak up, when to stand back, and when to make the call about my needing medical intervention. I wouldn't have the same assurance with a non-certified midwife (and there are many available in our area).
I am choosing the birth center mostly because I don't feel comfortable giving birth in our one-bedroom apartment. I think our complex is well-built, and seems pretty sound-proof, but I know there are limits to what noise can and cannot be heard. I don't want to force my neighbors to go through the hardest stages of labor with me (if I find myself yelling at times). And I don't want to have to worry about those things while I'm in transition and pushing. I want to have as few distractions as possible. However, if we lived in a house, I would probably choose a home birth.
I have been to the birth center, and I love it there. It's almost like a spa! Big comfy beds, jacuzzi tubs, soft lighting and soothing colors. It is truly a calm and relaxing place. It is also conveniently located a few blocks from the hospital, should I change my mind about pain medications, or if a medical emergency arises.
Anther thing to note: having a midwife and being at a birth center is much cheaper than having an OB-GYN and being at a hospital. At a hospital, the cost can be in the tens of thousands of dollars, even if the delivery is vaginal, drug-free, and not even attended by the doctor! Of course, if you have insurance, then the difference in cost won't affect you. And I know many insurance companies won't cover midwives. But for those who don't have insurance, the final amount on the bill matters.
Though the final cost certainly is a factor, it is not the main reason why I am choosing a natural birth. The main reason is because I feel like a natural, birth center delivery will be more relaxing than a hospital birth.
In my mind, I equate hospitals with being sick. I know that the labor and delivery wards in many hospitals don't have the same look and feel as the rest of the hospitals. But I still feel like I would be very uncomfortable in that kind of a setting. Machines all around me, bright lights, nurses coming in and out, and not being able to move around if I want to? Being continually hooked up to a monitor and/or an IV.... all these things will make me more tense and nervous.
With a natural delivery, I can labor at home for most of the time. I can light candles, put on soothing music, and I can concentrate on breathing and relaxing. I can move around if I want to, eat if I want to, and the only people with me will be those I love and trust: My husband, and a close girlfriend of mine (all three of us will be taking some sort of natural childbirth class, so they will know how to assist me during my labor).
When I finally go to the birth center, I will have the addition of the midwife, and also the jacuzzi tub. She will only check me intermittently, and if no complications arise, she will sit back and let me be me.
I want to be in the environment that makes me feel the most comfortable; one that will be peaceful and relaxing. I want to be in a place where I feel calm and safe. The birth center is that place.
I want to be in the environment that makes me feel the most comfortable; one that will be peaceful and relaxing. I want to be in a place where I feel calm and safe. The birth center is that place.
I'm not saying that I expect to have a pain-free labor. And I know that complications could arise, and I might end up at the hospital anyway. But I have a much better chance of sticking to my plan if I can relax and let my body do what it needs to do.
I trust my body's ability to give birth to this baby. And I'm preparing myself as much as possible. Arming myself with facts and knowledge, and researching (and practicing) techniques to help me manage each contraction. I am not afraid of labor, and that is huge. The more I research, the more confident I become that I can and want to do this.
Please know that this is not a judgment on anyone who has not had this type of delivery, or anyone who is not planning on this type of delivery. I know that many women would feel much more comfortable in a hospital setting. I know that for many women, a natural, out-of-hospital delivery is not an option.
Many women feel that the most relaxing, enjoyable way to give birth is with medication. And I know that many women have had positive, natural deliveries in hospitals. There are also plenty of hospitals out there that have all the comforts of a birth center, or have birth centers that are a part of the hospital.
I'm not saying that my plan is the one that every woman should go with. I'm simply telling you why I am going with this plan; why it's so important to me.
For anyone who might be interested, here are a few of the resources that I have turned to (or am planning on using):
Giving Birth Naturally is an online childbirth class that I will be taking with my friend. Since our schedules don't line up very well, she won't be able to attend the "live" childbirth class that Art and I will be attending. The online class will allow us the flexibility of setting our own schedule.
The Nurturing Touch at Birth - this book is on my wishlist. Christmas gift? *wink wink* Or I'll just buy it myself. :) Looking at the reviews, it seems like a one-stop shop for all the different techniques I can employ to get me through labor and delivery. This includes pressure points, massage, breathing, laboring positions, and so on.
The Business of Being Born - I have watched this movie several times, but I share the link with hesitation. I have mixed feelings about the film. On the one hand, I think it portrays natural birth as a positive experience, rather than being scary, horrible, or traumatic. On the other hand, I think it goes a little far in bashing hospitals and doctors. It also contains a bit of unnecessary foul language, and a fair amount of graphic nudity (as it pertains to women giving birth).
It should also be noted that the statistics aren't going to be completely accurate (as it was filmed more than two years ago). And some facts are quite specific to the city it was filmed in (New York). So if you choose to watch it, do so with all this in mind. (You can buy the DVD on the website provided, on Amazon, or rent it through Netflix.)
So there you have it. I apologize if I have offended anyone, or have somehow portrayed my plan as superior to other birth plans. This was not at all my intention. I just wanted to share the "whys" behind my personal decisions regarding childbirth.
Whatever plan a woman chooses to go with, I think it's important that she be as informed and prepared as possible, to be firm in the reasons for her choices, and to surround herself with people who will support her. With those things in place, anyone can have a truly positive and enjoyable childbirth experience.
Please know that this is not a judgment on anyone who has not had this type of delivery, or anyone who is not planning on this type of delivery. I know that many women would feel much more comfortable in a hospital setting. I know that for many women, a natural, out-of-hospital delivery is not an option.
Many women feel that the most relaxing, enjoyable way to give birth is with medication. And I know that many women have had positive, natural deliveries in hospitals. There are also plenty of hospitals out there that have all the comforts of a birth center, or have birth centers that are a part of the hospital.
I'm not saying that my plan is the one that every woman should go with. I'm simply telling you why I am going with this plan; why it's so important to me.
For anyone who might be interested, here are a few of the resources that I have turned to (or am planning on using):
Giving Birth Naturally is an online childbirth class that I will be taking with my friend. Since our schedules don't line up very well, she won't be able to attend the "live" childbirth class that Art and I will be attending. The online class will allow us the flexibility of setting our own schedule.
The Nurturing Touch at Birth - this book is on my wishlist. Christmas gift? *wink wink* Or I'll just buy it myself. :) Looking at the reviews, it seems like a one-stop shop for all the different techniques I can employ to get me through labor and delivery. This includes pressure points, massage, breathing, laboring positions, and so on.
The Business of Being Born - I have watched this movie several times, but I share the link with hesitation. I have mixed feelings about the film. On the one hand, I think it portrays natural birth as a positive experience, rather than being scary, horrible, or traumatic. On the other hand, I think it goes a little far in bashing hospitals and doctors. It also contains a bit of unnecessary foul language, and a fair amount of graphic nudity (as it pertains to women giving birth).
It should also be noted that the statistics aren't going to be completely accurate (as it was filmed more than two years ago). And some facts are quite specific to the city it was filmed in (New York). So if you choose to watch it, do so with all this in mind. (You can buy the DVD on the website provided, on Amazon, or rent it through Netflix.)
So there you have it. I apologize if I have offended anyone, or have somehow portrayed my plan as superior to other birth plans. This was not at all my intention. I just wanted to share the "whys" behind my personal decisions regarding childbirth.
Whatever plan a woman chooses to go with, I think it's important that she be as informed and prepared as possible, to be firm in the reasons for her choices, and to surround herself with people who will support her. With those things in place, anyone can have a truly positive and enjoyable childbirth experience.
November 27, 2010
Giving Thanks
Thanksgiving has officially come and gone (but hopefully the leftovers will be around for a little while longer). I must be the only blogger in the world who hasn't done a Thanksgiving post. I think I was too busy enjoying it! But as they say, better late than never. Here are just a few things I am thankful for.
1. My husband. As I am typing this, he is in the kitchen baking cookies. Yeah. Mixing ingredients like a pro and everything. My husband is sweet. He gives me many hugs and kisses every day, and is always telling me how much he loves me. He is silly, and he makes me smile and laugh. He is passionate, has big dreams and big plans, and works hard to make them happen.
It might surprise some people to hear this, but I feel like Art and I were stuck in rut for a while, and now we're finally coming out of it. During our first year of marriage, we were so happy, even though we had no money. In our second year of marriage, we both had jobs, and were in more comfortable spot money-wise, but I feel like we weren't as happy. I remember thinking, "We've only been married two years, and I'm already wondering how we get back to being more happy and in love."
It's not like our marriage was in trouble. I never felt that way. But I felt like we weren't as close. Something was missing. And now? I think we're closer, happier, and more in love than ever. And I think this baby was definitely instrumental in bringing us back to that place.
2. Which brings me to the next item on this list. I'm thankful for our baby. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I told people that I wasn't necessarily enjoying pregnancy. I have always loved this baby, and I'm not sorry that I'm pregnant. But for the most part, being pregnant isn't...fun. It's mostly a seemingly endless string of odd, random, and annoying symptoms. But that all changed when I started to feel the baby kick. Up until then, I still had a hard time believing I was pregnant.
Yeah, I peed on a stick and saw a plus sign. Yeah, I went to the doctor and their tests confirmed it. Yeah, I got to hear the heartbeat. But before I could feel the baby inside me, I wondered if I would have to wait nine months for my reward. I didn't. Those little kicks and punches and tumbles and wiggles are a constant joy, for both Art and me. It's so incredible, to know that there is life inside of me, and even more so that it's happening without my having to do anything (other than eat and breathe).
All those verses in the Bible that talk about God weaving together life in the secret place become more real when it's happening inside of you. With the exception of the ultrasound, I cannot see our child. I cannot control how fast he or she is growing. I have no say in the order the organs are made, or how many fingers and toes s/he will have (hopefully 10 of each), or who they will look like, or who they will become. God is doing it all, and I can't see any of it, but I can finally feel it. I get to be the vessel inside which God is forming His favorite creation. It is awesome and humbling.
3. I am thankful for my family. At one of the family gatherings for Canadian Thanksgiving, my relatives kept repeating how blessed we were as a family. I have a large extended family, and every one of us is a Christian. That in itself makes us rare. We're also all close. Many people expressed that we are family AND friends. So many families out there are feuding, or estranged. There is none of that with my family.
That's not to say that there aren't struggles. But I have never once dreaded a family gathering because of those certain relatives who cause tension or embarrassment. There is only joy when getting together with my relatives.
And now that I live here, I don't get to be a part of most of those gatherings. But I never feel as though I don't have family, because out here, we've created our own. There are Art's parents and his siblings, and then there are friends who have become family. It's a much smaller group than my family back in Manitoba, but it's comforting to know that we have friends who are so close, they feel like family. People we expect to be with during major holidays and celebrations, and also get together with whenever we feel like it.
This also means that our baby won't be without "uncles", "aunts", and "cousins". In the absence of an abundance of blood relatives, God has provided adopted family members as well. They started out as friends, and now they are so much closer than that.
4. I don't really have a fourth item. I could go on and on. I'm thankful for the beauty of Washington, I'm thankful to be living in America, I'm thankful for my job, and Art's job, and our apartment, and the car we just bought, and our gym....
God has been so good to us. How often I forget. Really, we should never stop being thankful. But since I'm so prone to forgetfulness, I'm glad that there is a time of year specifically set aside for us to remember God's goodness and thank Him for His blessings.
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creators here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
1. My husband. As I am typing this, he is in the kitchen baking cookies. Yeah. Mixing ingredients like a pro and everything. My husband is sweet. He gives me many hugs and kisses every day, and is always telling me how much he loves me. He is silly, and he makes me smile and laugh. He is passionate, has big dreams and big plans, and works hard to make them happen.
It might surprise some people to hear this, but I feel like Art and I were stuck in rut for a while, and now we're finally coming out of it. During our first year of marriage, we were so happy, even though we had no money. In our second year of marriage, we both had jobs, and were in more comfortable spot money-wise, but I feel like we weren't as happy. I remember thinking, "We've only been married two years, and I'm already wondering how we get back to being more happy and in love."
It's not like our marriage was in trouble. I never felt that way. But I felt like we weren't as close. Something was missing. And now? I think we're closer, happier, and more in love than ever. And I think this baby was definitely instrumental in bringing us back to that place.
2. Which brings me to the next item on this list. I'm thankful for our baby. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I told people that I wasn't necessarily enjoying pregnancy. I have always loved this baby, and I'm not sorry that I'm pregnant. But for the most part, being pregnant isn't...fun. It's mostly a seemingly endless string of odd, random, and annoying symptoms. But that all changed when I started to feel the baby kick. Up until then, I still had a hard time believing I was pregnant.
Yeah, I peed on a stick and saw a plus sign. Yeah, I went to the doctor and their tests confirmed it. Yeah, I got to hear the heartbeat. But before I could feel the baby inside me, I wondered if I would have to wait nine months for my reward. I didn't. Those little kicks and punches and tumbles and wiggles are a constant joy, for both Art and me. It's so incredible, to know that there is life inside of me, and even more so that it's happening without my having to do anything (other than eat and breathe).
All those verses in the Bible that talk about God weaving together life in the secret place become more real when it's happening inside of you. With the exception of the ultrasound, I cannot see our child. I cannot control how fast he or she is growing. I have no say in the order the organs are made, or how many fingers and toes s/he will have (hopefully 10 of each), or who they will look like, or who they will become. God is doing it all, and I can't see any of it, but I can finally feel it. I get to be the vessel inside which God is forming His favorite creation. It is awesome and humbling.
3. I am thankful for my family. At one of the family gatherings for Canadian Thanksgiving, my relatives kept repeating how blessed we were as a family. I have a large extended family, and every one of us is a Christian. That in itself makes us rare. We're also all close. Many people expressed that we are family AND friends. So many families out there are feuding, or estranged. There is none of that with my family.
That's not to say that there aren't struggles. But I have never once dreaded a family gathering because of those certain relatives who cause tension or embarrassment. There is only joy when getting together with my relatives.
And now that I live here, I don't get to be a part of most of those gatherings. But I never feel as though I don't have family, because out here, we've created our own. There are Art's parents and his siblings, and then there are friends who have become family. It's a much smaller group than my family back in Manitoba, but it's comforting to know that we have friends who are so close, they feel like family. People we expect to be with during major holidays and celebrations, and also get together with whenever we feel like it.
This also means that our baby won't be without "uncles", "aunts", and "cousins". In the absence of an abundance of blood relatives, God has provided adopted family members as well. They started out as friends, and now they are so much closer than that.
4. I don't really have a fourth item. I could go on and on. I'm thankful for the beauty of Washington, I'm thankful to be living in America, I'm thankful for my job, and Art's job, and our apartment, and the car we just bought, and our gym....
God has been so good to us. How often I forget. Really, we should never stop being thankful. But since I'm so prone to forgetfulness, I'm glad that there is a time of year specifically set aside for us to remember God's goodness and thank Him for His blessings.
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creators here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
November 22, 2010
Christmas Cards
Unlike (what seems like) the rest of the world, we have not been into the whole "sending out Christmas cards" thing. I love getting Christmas cards from others, and I like the idea of sending out our own, but I've never wanted to spend the money on it. Christmas is already expensive!
I started to change my mind after our trip to Manitoba. While we were there, we took family photos, and they turned out really nicely! Our photographer (the same woman who shot our wedding) took some of just Art and me. When I saw them, I thought that maybe this should be the year when we send Christmas cards.
And then my blogging friend Callie posted something one her blog that sealed the deal: Shutterfly is giving away 50 free Christmas cards to bloggers who blog about the promotion. You still have to pay for shipping and taxes, but I dare you to find a better deal on Christmas cards than the one from Shutterfly.
Callie also mentioned their incredible selection, and she wasn't kidding! I've only just barely poked around the site a little bit, and I'm already overwhelmed! I don't know how I can possibly choose.
[Actually, I do know how I'll choose. I'll ask Art, and he'll choose one. He will care what our Christmas cards look like.]
So thank you Callie for blogging about this deal. I'm pretty excited about it. If I can manage not to forget to actually put in my order, we'll be sending out Christmas cards for the very first time!
I started to change my mind after our trip to Manitoba. While we were there, we took family photos, and they turned out really nicely! Our photographer (the same woman who shot our wedding) took some of just Art and me. When I saw them, I thought that maybe this should be the year when we send Christmas cards.
And then my blogging friend Callie posted something one her blog that sealed the deal: Shutterfly is giving away 50 free Christmas cards to bloggers who blog about the promotion. You still have to pay for shipping and taxes, but I dare you to find a better deal on Christmas cards than the one from Shutterfly.
Callie also mentioned their incredible selection, and she wasn't kidding! I've only just barely poked around the site a little bit, and I'm already overwhelmed! I don't know how I can possibly choose.
[Actually, I do know how I'll choose. I'll ask Art, and he'll choose one. He will care what our Christmas cards look like.]
So thank you Callie for blogging about this deal. I'm pretty excited about it. If I can manage not to forget to actually put in my order, we'll be sending out Christmas cards for the very first time!
November 20, 2010
"I Want to Put a Cloud In My Mouth"
[The title of this post has nothing to do with what I'm actually going to write about. It's something a friend of mine said when we were talking about how whipped and smooth we like our mashed potatoes to be.]
Art and I returned a few hours ago from a "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage" conference. If one every comes to your area, you should go. Both Art and I commented that our faces hurt from smiling and laughing so much.
There are a million marriage books and conferences out there, and they all have great things to teach you. What's different about this one is that Mark Gungor does it with humor. He's just a funny guy! Even when he's being serious, he's funny. I also like his style of being straight-forward. He doesn't tiptoe around the issues. He did a full hour on sex, and he was almost....graphic? Not graphic. But he speaks more plainly about it than any other pastor or speaker I've ever heard.
I like pastors who are willing to tell it like it is, even at the risk of offending people. Because if it's truth, it's truth, and they're not going to soften it for the sake of those who might get upset.
So yeah, we really enjoyed it. And not only was the conference great, but it was in a beautiful location. We had to drive a couple of hours to get there, and the conference was Friday evening and Saturday morning, so we booked a hotel room with a gorgeous view. We were actually going to make a weekend out of it (stay through until Sunday), but when we heard the forecast for snow, we changed our reservations. It's kind of too bad, because we haven't really gone away, for the sake of getting away, since our honeymoon.
But with the money we would have spent on that second night, we instead went out for a really nice dinner on Friday evening. We ordered a rack of lamb. I have never had meat that tender before. It was better than steak. There's a reason it's so pricey!
The other good thing about only staying one night is that we'll get to go to church tomorrow morning, and the Thanksgiving potluck afterward. Since we've only been going to that church for a little more than a month, we still don't know people very well. I thought the potluck would be a great opportunity for that, and I didn't want to miss it. And now we won't!
Okay, let me show you some pictures from this weekend.
This was our room. I only remembered to take pictures right before we checked out, so that's why the bedding is all crumpled.
On the other side of the wall from the bed was this room!
It had a TV (there were actually two TVs in the whole suite), a fireplace, couches, and a kitchen area. Pretty sweet huh?
And this was the view from our room:
Same view, but taken from the ground, later in the day.
The conference was right down the road from where we stayed, so we could just walk there. But oh my word, was it COLD and WINDY!!!! I haven't felt that bitter icy blast since living in Manitoba. It even affected the room we stayed in. We were on the fourth floor, and when we first got to the room, we cranked up the heat as high as it would go. And we turned on the fireplace.
An hour later, we were both still wearing our coats. In our room. Thankfully, by the time the evening session of the conference was over, our room was toasty.
The wind and snow and ice followed us home though. As I'm sitting here typing this, I can hear the wind howling outside. It's unusual for this part of Washington to get this winter weather so early, and it isn't usually accompanied by arctic blasts. Thankfully, this is supposed to be short-lived. It's going to get a little warmer during the week, enough to make the roads less treacherous.
So, in summary: Mark Gungor makes people laugh while teaching them things that will enhance their marriages, we still got to have a romantic getaway, even if it was only for one night, and the weather outside is frightful, and I hope it goes away soon. Although, I do love the snow. But I don't love the wind or the ice.
Art and I returned a few hours ago from a "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage" conference. If one every comes to your area, you should go. Both Art and I commented that our faces hurt from smiling and laughing so much.
There are a million marriage books and conferences out there, and they all have great things to teach you. What's different about this one is that Mark Gungor does it with humor. He's just a funny guy! Even when he's being serious, he's funny. I also like his style of being straight-forward. He doesn't tiptoe around the issues. He did a full hour on sex, and he was almost....graphic? Not graphic. But he speaks more plainly about it than any other pastor or speaker I've ever heard.
I like pastors who are willing to tell it like it is, even at the risk of offending people. Because if it's truth, it's truth, and they're not going to soften it for the sake of those who might get upset.
So yeah, we really enjoyed it. And not only was the conference great, but it was in a beautiful location. We had to drive a couple of hours to get there, and the conference was Friday evening and Saturday morning, so we booked a hotel room with a gorgeous view. We were actually going to make a weekend out of it (stay through until Sunday), but when we heard the forecast for snow, we changed our reservations. It's kind of too bad, because we haven't really gone away, for the sake of getting away, since our honeymoon.
But with the money we would have spent on that second night, we instead went out for a really nice dinner on Friday evening. We ordered a rack of lamb. I have never had meat that tender before. It was better than steak. There's a reason it's so pricey!
The other good thing about only staying one night is that we'll get to go to church tomorrow morning, and the Thanksgiving potluck afterward. Since we've only been going to that church for a little more than a month, we still don't know people very well. I thought the potluck would be a great opportunity for that, and I didn't want to miss it. And now we won't!
Okay, let me show you some pictures from this weekend.
This was our room. I only remembered to take pictures right before we checked out, so that's why the bedding is all crumpled.
On the other side of the wall from the bed was this room!
It had a TV (there were actually two TVs in the whole suite), a fireplace, couches, and a kitchen area. Pretty sweet huh?
And this was the view from our room:
Same view, but taken from the ground, later in the day.
The conference was right down the road from where we stayed, so we could just walk there. But oh my word, was it COLD and WINDY!!!! I haven't felt that bitter icy blast since living in Manitoba. It even affected the room we stayed in. We were on the fourth floor, and when we first got to the room, we cranked up the heat as high as it would go. And we turned on the fireplace.
An hour later, we were both still wearing our coats. In our room. Thankfully, by the time the evening session of the conference was over, our room was toasty.
The wind and snow and ice followed us home though. As I'm sitting here typing this, I can hear the wind howling outside. It's unusual for this part of Washington to get this winter weather so early, and it isn't usually accompanied by arctic blasts. Thankfully, this is supposed to be short-lived. It's going to get a little warmer during the week, enough to make the roads less treacherous.
So, in summary: Mark Gungor makes people laugh while teaching them things that will enhance their marriages, we still got to have a romantic getaway, even if it was only for one night, and the weather outside is frightful, and I hope it goes away soon. Although, I do love the snow. But I don't love the wind or the ice.
November 17, 2010
Breaking News
There have been a couple of major changes around here recently. The first involves my job. I don't think I even mentioned anything about this, which is odd, because it wasn't something I had to keep secret.
There has been major restructuring where I work. Normally, the word "restructuring" is a different way of saying "downsizing" or "pink slips", but in this case, it's actually just restructuring! I won't go into the details of how it all works, but the bottom line is that it is supposed to improve communications and make processes faster, because the people at Step 1 and Step 2 and Step 3 will all be working closer together. Literally closer.
My whole department moved to the other side of the building, and the people on the other side of the building stayed there, but got shuffled around, and now we're all mixed together. It's interesting. I don't hate it as much as I thought I would. My department is used to being in our own room, where it's really quiet, so that will take some getting used to. It's louder out here, with people on the phones, people chatting between cubicles, people walking by my desk because I'm pretty close to the bathroom.
I also have a desk mate now, but at least it's someone I know, from my department. And not only is she from my department, but she's one of the more skilled and experienced from my department, so that will make training a lot easier.
For me, one of the reasons this restructuring is such a big deal is because my "job" was actually given to someone else. The duties I used to perform will now belong to another group. When I first heard this, I was worried that I would be let go, but my manager assured me that I would be doing something different. Of course, that means that right now I'm in limbo. My old job is no more, but I don't yet know how to do my new job, and since the big move, I haven't heard anything about training.
I realize that there is a lot going on, and a lot of things still need to be figured out, but I don't like feeling as though I've been left behind, like they've forgotten about me. I feel somewhat useless, but my coworkers assured me that as long as I'm learning (because I spend my days watching them do what I will eventually do), I'm not useless.
Plus, this is a great excuse for me to get an iPod! I've been wanting one for a long time, but I could never actually justify the purchase, because I've never felt as though I needed it. Now that there are so many more distractions around me, I'm going to need a way to shut it out. A fun way. Earplugs are not that fun. They don't play music.
So that's one big piece of news. Another major recent event is that we bought a car! I still can't believe that it's our car, because Art is the one who is driving it, and he's making all the arrangements with the payments and insurance and all that. But it's ours!
I don't remember if I wrote about this, but back in May, Art's car broke down. Stopped working completely. And it's so old, it's not worth fixing. So we've been borrowing Art's dad's truck since then, while looking for another vehicle to buy. Art wanted to get a jeep, but of course, we know now that we need a family-friendly vehicle. And we can't keep borrowing the truck, because we can't put a car seat in it. It's a small truck.
I don't know what year the car is, but it's a Honda Accord, and it's in pretty good condition, so I have no doubt it will last a long time. Our friend hasn't had any problems with it thus far. At some point I might actually take some pictures of it to show you!
What's really funny to me is that I'm not so much excited about the new car as I am about the fact that for a little while, we have two vehicles! We need to find a time to return the truck to Art's dad, so in the meantime, I get to DRIVE! I don't have to take the bus to work! I don't have to walk home! I can go grocery shopping without Art! This is a really big deal to me. I had no idea what I was missing. We've just gotten used to only having one vehicle. We've made it work. And we'll have to go back to that, probably in a few weeks.
But right now, I have transportational freedom and independence, and I'm going to enjoy it to the fullest.
And speaking of family vehicles and car seats (a few paragraphs back), a friend of ours gave us a car seat! His one-year-old outgrew it, and they asked us if we had one, and we didn't. So he brought it over yesterday, and I'm equal parts grateful and confused. Maybe confused isn't the right word. He explained to me how everything works, but it was a really quick explanation, and after he left, I thought to myself, "I still don't understand how to work this thing. How will I know if I've placed it in the car correctly?"
I'm totally going to look up a How-To video on YouTube.
So those are some exciting things that have been happening lately. The end!
There has been major restructuring where I work. Normally, the word "restructuring" is a different way of saying "downsizing" or "pink slips", but in this case, it's actually just restructuring! I won't go into the details of how it all works, but the bottom line is that it is supposed to improve communications and make processes faster, because the people at Step 1 and Step 2 and Step 3 will all be working closer together. Literally closer.
My whole department moved to the other side of the building, and the people on the other side of the building stayed there, but got shuffled around, and now we're all mixed together. It's interesting. I don't hate it as much as I thought I would. My department is used to being in our own room, where it's really quiet, so that will take some getting used to. It's louder out here, with people on the phones, people chatting between cubicles, people walking by my desk because I'm pretty close to the bathroom.
I also have a desk mate now, but at least it's someone I know, from my department. And not only is she from my department, but she's one of the more skilled and experienced from my department, so that will make training a lot easier.
For me, one of the reasons this restructuring is such a big deal is because my "job" was actually given to someone else. The duties I used to perform will now belong to another group. When I first heard this, I was worried that I would be let go, but my manager assured me that I would be doing something different. Of course, that means that right now I'm in limbo. My old job is no more, but I don't yet know how to do my new job, and since the big move, I haven't heard anything about training.
I realize that there is a lot going on, and a lot of things still need to be figured out, but I don't like feeling as though I've been left behind, like they've forgotten about me. I feel somewhat useless, but my coworkers assured me that as long as I'm learning (because I spend my days watching them do what I will eventually do), I'm not useless.
Plus, this is a great excuse for me to get an iPod! I've been wanting one for a long time, but I could never actually justify the purchase, because I've never felt as though I needed it. Now that there are so many more distractions around me, I'm going to need a way to shut it out. A fun way. Earplugs are not that fun. They don't play music.
So that's one big piece of news. Another major recent event is that we bought a car! I still can't believe that it's our car, because Art is the one who is driving it, and he's making all the arrangements with the payments and insurance and all that. But it's ours!
I don't remember if I wrote about this, but back in May, Art's car broke down. Stopped working completely. And it's so old, it's not worth fixing. So we've been borrowing Art's dad's truck since then, while looking for another vehicle to buy. Art wanted to get a jeep, but of course, we know now that we need a family-friendly vehicle. And we can't keep borrowing the truck, because we can't put a car seat in it. It's a small truck.
I don't know what year the car is, but it's a Honda Accord, and it's in pretty good condition, so I have no doubt it will last a long time. Our friend hasn't had any problems with it thus far. At some point I might actually take some pictures of it to show you!
What's really funny to me is that I'm not so much excited about the new car as I am about the fact that for a little while, we have two vehicles! We need to find a time to return the truck to Art's dad, so in the meantime, I get to DRIVE! I don't have to take the bus to work! I don't have to walk home! I can go grocery shopping without Art! This is a really big deal to me. I had no idea what I was missing. We've just gotten used to only having one vehicle. We've made it work. And we'll have to go back to that, probably in a few weeks.
But right now, I have transportational freedom and independence, and I'm going to enjoy it to the fullest.
And speaking of family vehicles and car seats (a few paragraphs back), a friend of ours gave us a car seat! His one-year-old outgrew it, and they asked us if we had one, and we didn't. So he brought it over yesterday, and I'm equal parts grateful and confused. Maybe confused isn't the right word. He explained to me how everything works, but it was a really quick explanation, and after he left, I thought to myself, "I still don't understand how to work this thing. How will I know if I've placed it in the car correctly?"
I'm totally going to look up a How-To video on YouTube.
So those are some exciting things that have been happening lately. The end!
November 11, 2010
Queue The Crazy Dreams!
I've heard that one of the MANY odd and unexplainable symptoms of pregnancy is strange dreams....
It all started with my being back in high school. I had to lead my younger cousin through a maze of lockers and hallways so she could locate a teacher from a higher grade. I had to hold her hand, because she was so scared of the older kids!
And then suddenly, I was on a train. I don't know where I was going.
Then we had some people at our house. They were all sitting around on couches, and we were kind of watching TV. There was a really inappropriate music video on, but for some reason, nobody changed the channel. My sister got mad at me for watching it. I tried to tell her that I was looking out the window instead, which she could see, because she was right beside me.
Then I was at the beach, and there was a huge gathering of people, mingling and eating. Everybody finished their meals at the exact same time, and started using their dishes as musical instruments. A huge party broke out, and everybody was singing and dancing.
Except my sister-in-law, who was trying to impress a guy by speaking a foreign language to him. He wasn't really interested.
Then I was back at home, trying to clean up after the people had gone home (the ones who were visiting and kind of watching TV). Art was getting impatient, because it was getting late, and he wanted me to stop cleaning and tidying and just go to bed.
When my alarm went off, I had a difficult time waking up. For some reason, I didn't feel very rested, like I had had a busy night!
It all started with my being back in high school. I had to lead my younger cousin through a maze of lockers and hallways so she could locate a teacher from a higher grade. I had to hold her hand, because she was so scared of the older kids!
And then suddenly, I was on a train. I don't know where I was going.
Then we had some people at our house. They were all sitting around on couches, and we were kind of watching TV. There was a really inappropriate music video on, but for some reason, nobody changed the channel. My sister got mad at me for watching it. I tried to tell her that I was looking out the window instead, which she could see, because she was right beside me.
Then I was at the beach, and there was a huge gathering of people, mingling and eating. Everybody finished their meals at the exact same time, and started using their dishes as musical instruments. A huge party broke out, and everybody was singing and dancing.
Except my sister-in-law, who was trying to impress a guy by speaking a foreign language to him. He wasn't really interested.
Then I was back at home, trying to clean up after the people had gone home (the ones who were visiting and kind of watching TV). Art was getting impatient, because it was getting late, and he wanted me to stop cleaning and tidying and just go to bed.
When my alarm went off, I had a difficult time waking up. For some reason, I didn't feel very rested, like I had had a busy night!
November 10, 2010
Such a Shy Baby!
We had our very first (and hopefully only) ultrasound today!
[I say "hopefully only" because I wanted to have as few ultrasounds as possible. Also, my midwife won't recommend any future ultrasounds unless I develop a complication, or there is cause for concern. So no more ultrasounds = healthy pregnancy and baby!]
What can I tell you about the baby? He/She is an expert in "assuming the position." Our baby was head down, bum up by my belly button, facing my spine; the perfect position for delivery. And boy, did Baby like it down there! We had the hardest time trying to get our Little One to turn so we could see the face!
Meanwhile, the ultrasound tech got some really good measurements of the head and spine. We saw kidneys, bladder, stomach, heartbeat, hands and feet, legs and arms, shoulders, brain.......but no face!
The ultrasound tech had me lay on my side, then she tried moving the bed so that my head was lower than my feet. Finally she let me go to the bathroom, and had me move around a bit to see if we could get the baby to move.
When she put the wand back down on my stomach, the opportunity lasted only a few seconds, but we finally got a peek at the face! The tech laughed, because the baby was folded in half, legs straight, and she said usually it's the hands nearly blocking the face, and not the feet!
The tech got a few pictures, and then Baby moved back down to where she or he started. Our baby really seems to prefer that position!
Here are some of the pictures:
[I say "hopefully only" because I wanted to have as few ultrasounds as possible. Also, my midwife won't recommend any future ultrasounds unless I develop a complication, or there is cause for concern. So no more ultrasounds = healthy pregnancy and baby!]
What can I tell you about the baby? He/She is an expert in "assuming the position." Our baby was head down, bum up by my belly button, facing my spine; the perfect position for delivery. And boy, did Baby like it down there! We had the hardest time trying to get our Little One to turn so we could see the face!
Meanwhile, the ultrasound tech got some really good measurements of the head and spine. We saw kidneys, bladder, stomach, heartbeat, hands and feet, legs and arms, shoulders, brain.......but no face!
The ultrasound tech had me lay on my side, then she tried moving the bed so that my head was lower than my feet. Finally she let me go to the bathroom, and had me move around a bit to see if we could get the baby to move.
When she put the wand back down on my stomach, the opportunity lasted only a few seconds, but we finally got a peek at the face! The tech laughed, because the baby was folded in half, legs straight, and she said usually it's the hands nearly blocking the face, and not the feet!
The tech got a few pictures, and then Baby moved back down to where she or he started. Our baby really seems to prefer that position!
Here are some of the pictures:
Here is our Little One, folded in half, and content to stay that way.
A little foot. I can't wait to kiss those tiny toesies!
And finally the face! Even when Baby did turn, the chin was tucked, so I kept praying that she or he would lift their chin so we could get a good look! This lasted only a second, but a second was all we needed.
We also got to hear the heartbeat SO clearly! At my last doctor's appointment, the baby was moving around too much, so my doctor couldn't lock onto the heartbeat long enough to time it. But with an ultrasound, you can hone in on it much better. We even got to hear how the heartbeat sounded as the tech focused on each chamber of the heart. I thought that was pretty cool.
Anyway, heartbeat is 147 bpm. Many people out there seem to think this is indicative of the gender. Care to wager a guess?
Speaking of gender, I was really hoping that I wouldn't accidentally find out the sex of our baby, and it turns out, we couldn't have known even if we wanted to! The baby made sure to keep that a secret as well. So modest. The tech said even she didn't know, and she was glad. She doesn't want to accidentally reveal those things when couples don't want to find out.
So I had nothing to worry about. Our baby is healthy, we did manage to get a brief glimpse of the face, and we'll get to have that moment at delivery when we find out if it's a little boy or a little girl.
November 4, 2010
Fat. That's All.
As of yesterday, I officially feel fat. For a while, I was feeling round-ish, and full, but in a good way. I kind of liked it.
But something about yesterday...all of sudden, my belly felt like it was stretched to capacity. I remember my sister feeling this way when she was pregnant, so I know it's possible to feel that way this early one. And yes, I'm very aware that I still have 4.5 months to go, and THEN I will know the meaning of "stretched to the limits."
I'm just saying: I officially feel fat. Big. Like there is not enough room in this world to contain me (or at least there isn't enough room in my clothes). I'm already starting to feel so uncomfortable! I hope this is somewhat temporary. Like, we're going through a growth spurt, and then it will ease up a little bit.
I find it kind of funny that other people keep saying that I'm "starting to have a bump." Starting???? I started to have a bump at 13 weeks. Maybe it's just me, but I think this is more than just a bump. I graduated from "bump" a long time ago. Of course, it doesn't help that I'm wearing sweaters all the time, and also, I know I'm still tiny, even for a pregnant woman.
But I don't feel tiny to me! In fact, I feel like my head is starting to look abnormally small sitting atop my ever-expanding torso.
Lest you be worried that I'm having self-esteem and body issues, I'm not. (Other than those horrible, ugly stretch marks that make me want to cry.) I guess the closest comparison I can make is how you feel after you've eaten a huge Thanksgiving meal. Except when you're pregnant, the feeling doesn't go away after a few hours. You can't "nap it off." And you also don't have the satisfaction of that huge Thanksgiving meal (very much looking forward to that in a few weeks, by the way).
So yeah. Fat. Big fat stomach. Big fat stomach that is probably not at all that big yet, and somehow, is actually going to get bigger, and that scares me a little.
And since I don't want to end this post on that note, here is a picture of Art and me after our Halloween costumed workout at the gym last Friday. We went as the couple from the movie Juno!
Everyone loved it. And it was all Art's idea. He's so brilliant. :)
Here's me doing a deadlift. Yes, I'm still lifting weights. That right there is 55 pounds. I didn't go any higher than 75 pounds. 55, 65, and 75 were only one rep each. If they had been more reps, I would have stopped at a lighter weight. And that weight isn't going very far off the ground. I keep the weights MUCH lighter when they are at chest height, or overhead.
I'm always very careful to assess how I'm feeling throughout my workouts, so that I don't ever reach the point where I'm not safe.
Anyway, Art and I will be away tomorrow evening and returning very late on Saturday night. It's a CrossFit thing. I don't really want to go, but I know I don't get out of the house enough, and Art has been looking forward to this for a while. Maybe it will be okay.
Well, have a good weekend!
But something about yesterday...all of sudden, my belly felt like it was stretched to capacity. I remember my sister feeling this way when she was pregnant, so I know it's possible to feel that way this early one. And yes, I'm very aware that I still have 4.5 months to go, and THEN I will know the meaning of "stretched to the limits."
I'm just saying: I officially feel fat. Big. Like there is not enough room in this world to contain me (or at least there isn't enough room in my clothes). I'm already starting to feel so uncomfortable! I hope this is somewhat temporary. Like, we're going through a growth spurt, and then it will ease up a little bit.
I find it kind of funny that other people keep saying that I'm "starting to have a bump." Starting???? I started to have a bump at 13 weeks. Maybe it's just me, but I think this is more than just a bump. I graduated from "bump" a long time ago. Of course, it doesn't help that I'm wearing sweaters all the time, and also, I know I'm still tiny, even for a pregnant woman.
But I don't feel tiny to me! In fact, I feel like my head is starting to look abnormally small sitting atop my ever-expanding torso.
Lest you be worried that I'm having self-esteem and body issues, I'm not. (Other than those horrible, ugly stretch marks that make me want to cry.) I guess the closest comparison I can make is how you feel after you've eaten a huge Thanksgiving meal. Except when you're pregnant, the feeling doesn't go away after a few hours. You can't "nap it off." And you also don't have the satisfaction of that huge Thanksgiving meal (very much looking forward to that in a few weeks, by the way).
So yeah. Fat. Big fat stomach. Big fat stomach that is probably not at all that big yet, and somehow, is actually going to get bigger, and that scares me a little.
And since I don't want to end this post on that note, here is a picture of Art and me after our Halloween costumed workout at the gym last Friday. We went as the couple from the movie Juno!
Everyone loved it. And it was all Art's idea. He's so brilliant. :)
Here's me doing a deadlift. Yes, I'm still lifting weights. That right there is 55 pounds. I didn't go any higher than 75 pounds. 55, 65, and 75 were only one rep each. If they had been more reps, I would have stopped at a lighter weight. And that weight isn't going very far off the ground. I keep the weights MUCH lighter when they are at chest height, or overhead.
I'm always very careful to assess how I'm feeling throughout my workouts, so that I don't ever reach the point where I'm not safe.
Anyway, Art and I will be away tomorrow evening and returning very late on Saturday night. It's a CrossFit thing. I don't really want to go, but I know I don't get out of the house enough, and Art has been looking forward to this for a while. Maybe it will be okay.
Well, have a good weekend!
November 1, 2010
Recipe Time!
I think I've mentioned this recipe/meal before, but this time, I took pictures of every step in the process. It's called Spicy Stuffed Eggplant.
I know what you are thinking, because I used to think the same thing: "eggplant???!!! Who on earth eats eggplant?!" Yours truly, once I tried this recipe. I've made it three times, and I. Love. It.
What you will need to cook this delicious meal:
2 large eggplants
5 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped*
2 cloves garlic, minced*
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained (or dice two or three of your own)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper*
8 oz ground beef* (or bison or pork or lamb)
1/4 cup almond flour (you can use bread crumbs, or parmesan cheese!)
2 tbsp parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Step 2:
Take your eggplants, and cut them in half lengthwise.
Step 3: Remove the pulp (I used a small paring knife and my bare hands to tear it out)
Make sure you leave about a half-inch shell, intact.
Step 4: Dice the eggplant, and set aside.
Step 5: In a pan, heat half the oil, and cook the eggplant shells cut side down, for about 5 minutes.
Once all the shells are cooked, place them in a shallow, oven-friendly pan. You do not have to grease the pan.
Step 6: Add the rest of the oil, and saute the onions and garlic for 2 minutes over medium heat.
Step 7: Add the tomatoes to the pan, along with the diced eggplant...
...and all of your spices...
...and cook over medium high heat until you have a stew-like mixture.
Step 8: In a separate pan, brown your meat.
Step 9: When the meat is fully cooked, mix the contents of the two pans together.
Step 10: Scoop the mixture into your shells, and sprinkle the almond flour/bread crumbs/parmesan cheese on top.
Step 11: Bake for 15 minutes, and when it's done, sprinkle on the parsley, and serve!
This recipe serves 4 (one stuffed shell for each person) and it's filling! And in case you're wondering, you eat the whole thing, shell and all.
*Minor tweaks:
-This recipe calls for 8 oz of meat, but I almost always cook with one pound. It gives me a better meat-to-veggie ratio. We like meat!
-Even though this is called Spicy Stuffed Eggplant, it doesn't have to be that hot. You can always cut down on the cayenne pepper to ensure that no one's mouth is one fire. Or, if you want to skip the spice but not the flavor, use cumin instead! I love cumin. I use it in a lot of my recipes, whether it's called for or not.
-I don't always use fresh onion and garlic. If I want to do a little less chopping, I just turn to my spice rack and add onion flakes and garlic powder instead.
You can find the original recipe here. If you're looking for something healthy, delicious, and a little out of the ordinary, pick up a couple of eggplants and try it out! I think you'll be delightfully surprised.
I know what you are thinking, because I used to think the same thing: "eggplant???!!! Who on earth eats eggplant?!" Yours truly, once I tried this recipe. I've made it three times, and I. Love. It.
What you will need to cook this delicious meal:
2 large eggplants
5 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped*
2 cloves garlic, minced*
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained (or dice two or three of your own)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper*
8 oz ground beef* (or bison or pork or lamb)
1/4 cup almond flour (you can use bread crumbs, or parmesan cheese!)
2 tbsp parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Step 2:
Take your eggplants, and cut them in half lengthwise.
Step 3: Remove the pulp (I used a small paring knife and my bare hands to tear it out)
Make sure you leave about a half-inch shell, intact.
Step 4: Dice the eggplant, and set aside.
Step 5: In a pan, heat half the oil, and cook the eggplant shells cut side down, for about 5 minutes.
Once all the shells are cooked, place them in a shallow, oven-friendly pan. You do not have to grease the pan.
Step 6: Add the rest of the oil, and saute the onions and garlic for 2 minutes over medium heat.
Step 7: Add the tomatoes to the pan, along with the diced eggplant...
...and all of your spices...
...and cook over medium high heat until you have a stew-like mixture.
Step 8: In a separate pan, brown your meat.
Step 9: When the meat is fully cooked, mix the contents of the two pans together.
Step 10: Scoop the mixture into your shells, and sprinkle the almond flour/bread crumbs/parmesan cheese on top.
Step 11: Bake for 15 minutes, and when it's done, sprinkle on the parsley, and serve!
This recipe serves 4 (one stuffed shell for each person) and it's filling! And in case you're wondering, you eat the whole thing, shell and all.
*Minor tweaks:
-This recipe calls for 8 oz of meat, but I almost always cook with one pound. It gives me a better meat-to-veggie ratio. We like meat!
-Even though this is called Spicy Stuffed Eggplant, it doesn't have to be that hot. You can always cut down on the cayenne pepper to ensure that no one's mouth is one fire. Or, if you want to skip the spice but not the flavor, use cumin instead! I love cumin. I use it in a lot of my recipes, whether it's called for or not.
-I don't always use fresh onion and garlic. If I want to do a little less chopping, I just turn to my spice rack and add onion flakes and garlic powder instead.
You can find the original recipe here. If you're looking for something healthy, delicious, and a little out of the ordinary, pick up a couple of eggplants and try it out! I think you'll be delightfully surprised.
October 29, 2010
Baby, Shopping, and Nuts
I can feel the baby moving.
I first figured out on Saturday that is was most definitely the baby, and not gas bubbles or anything like that. Once I knew what it felt like, I realized that I've been feeling the baby off and on for almost two weeks!
It doesn't feel like butterflies, or bubbles popping. It definitely feels like tiny little kicks and punches. I call them itty bitty thumps.
I had an appointment on Wednesday, and my midwife tried to listen to the heartbeat. She found it, but she couldn't hang onto it. We heard a lot of wooshing, and she said the baby was quite active and moving around a lot. Except I couldn't feel it all! I still don't know if there are certain times of the day that the baby likes to move, but I'm starting to feel him/her more and more every day.
I'm almost 19 weeks along (so close to halfway!), and sometimes it's still hard to believe that there's a little person inside of me! Maybe when I have my first ultrasound? Or maybe when I can see the baby moving in my tummy? Or maybe it will always seem a little surreal.
I feel like I've been doing a lot of shopping lately, but I seriously need everything I've purchased! I got myself a new purse yesterday at Target (because my other one was falling apart). I was bemoaning the fact that there is no such thing as a good purse for under $25. But yesterday I found a nice one on clearance for $17.99. I was so happy! And it's pink.
Lately I've had only black or brown purses, and when I saw this one, I had to get it. I need to live a little. Plus, I don't have enough pink in my life. I'm very happy with my purchase.
I also bought new everyday sneakers (because mine fell apart). This I had more trouble with, because I was looking for something specific. I needed to be careful what the overall material was, because winter is on its way, and it's starting to rain more. I need to make sure my feet will stay dry. I also wanted a minimum heel, and that is hard to find in a walking shoe these days.
But I found a pair online (gotta love Zappos!), spent a little bit more money in hopes that they would be a higher quality and would last longer, and crossed my fingers. It's hard to buy shoes online, because you can't try them on first to see how they'll feel. But these fit pretty nicely, so I'm going to keep them. They are also pink (mostly silver, with a bit of pink).
Also at Target yesterday? I bought a body pillow. I have been wanting one for a while, but when I went to Wal-Mart on the weekend with Art, I couldn't find one. I didn't think a body pillow was that odd an item that I couldn't find at Wal-Mart. So I decided to go looking at Target instead. Without Art, and without a vehicle.
I didn't care that body pillows are huge. I didn't care that I would be walking it home. I didn't even care if it had skulls on it. I haven't been sleeping well, and I needed a body pillow. I decided that if I found one, I would buy it and take it home, and that was that. So I found one, and it was surprisingly lightweight, and I bought it. And it's pink. :)
When I mentioned on Facebook all my recent pink purchases, someone asked me if I thought that meant something. As in, maybe I suddenly love pink because I'm having a girl? I doubt it. I've always liked pink. It's only recently that I decided to actually buy some pink things for myself. I don't think it means that I'm pregnant with a little girl. I think it means that I'M a girl.
Not that I don't think I'm having a girl. I have no idea what I'm having (besides a baby). What I'm trying to say is, I don't think this whole pink thing is in any way connected to my pregnancy.
Wanna see my latest belly pic?
Not that I don't think I'm having a girl. I have no idea what I'm having (besides a baby). What I'm trying to say is, I don't think this whole pink thing is in any way connected to my pregnancy.
Wanna see my latest belly pic?
This is me at 18 weeks. So this picture is actually a week old already. Art thinks I've grown a lot in the last week. All I know is that the baby is growing, and therefore, I am growing.
That's pretty much all I've got for now. I am going to try roasting a batch of nuts again. I tried to roast a pan of holiday spiced nuts and seeds a few weeks ago, and I burned them to a crisp. Total failure. But I need more good fats in my diet, and one way to do that is with almonds. Raw almonds kind of gross me out, but roasted almonds are good.
So here I go!
October 23, 2010
A Video to Share With You
So I said I had a bunch of pictures and videos I wanted to post, and I've noticed that I don't do very well at spacing them out. I tend to flood my blog with posts containing pictures and videos. I just have this.....need.....to do them all at once. Maybe someday I'll get better at that.
Anyway, here is the first video I wanted to show you. I took it back in July, and then I totally forgot about it. It's a video of the duplex we lived in, right before we moved out. You should know that the whole place never looked that clean. Ever. Not that it was a pig sty. But there are certain areas kind of designated to contain clutter, and I even managed to clear those up. I was very proud of myself.
I don't understand why I'm giving this long of an intro. It's just a video tour of our old place. Pretty self explanatory. I'm done typing.
(It was too large to simply upload to blogger, so I uploaded it onto YouTube instead, and then embedded it here.)
October 20, 2010
"What To Expect When You're Expecting" Didn't Tell Me About This
Here's a pregnancy symptom I totally wasn't expecting: dry eyes. And I'm kind of really bummed about it.
I have pretty bad eyesight. I have been wearing some form of corrective lenses since I was in Kindergarten. I was SO HAPPY when I finally got contacts in.....9th grade? I was one step closer to not looking like a typical nerd: short, skinny, glasses, braces, and acne.
I've been wearing contacts without trouble pretty much all day every day for years and years. And then suddenly, a few weeks ago, my eyes decided that they weren't so happy with the contacts. I thought maybe it was just a temporary thing, so I tried to wear my glasses for a few days, and give my eyes a rest.
It didn't work. After more than a week of strictly wearing my glasses, I put in my contacts this morning, and not even four hours later, my eyes are starting to get red and slightly irritated. I HATE wearing my glasses. I can't see quite as well with glasses as I do with contacts, they slide down my face all the time, which means I can't go to the gym for a workout.
So it looks like today will be another non-gym day for me. I'm going to go straight home and take care of my poor eyes. I figured that with a little planning, I can still go to the gym. I will have to bring my contact stuff with me when I plan on working out. I'll wear my glasses all day, and then put in my contacts right before the workout, and take them out right after.
So it's not like I'm totally doomed. There are easy solutions to my problem. I just really really really really don't like wearing glasses!
I have pretty bad eyesight. I have been wearing some form of corrective lenses since I was in Kindergarten. I was SO HAPPY when I finally got contacts in.....9th grade? I was one step closer to not looking like a typical nerd: short, skinny, glasses, braces, and acne.
I've been wearing contacts without trouble pretty much all day every day for years and years. And then suddenly, a few weeks ago, my eyes decided that they weren't so happy with the contacts. I thought maybe it was just a temporary thing, so I tried to wear my glasses for a few days, and give my eyes a rest.
It didn't work. After more than a week of strictly wearing my glasses, I put in my contacts this morning, and not even four hours later, my eyes are starting to get red and slightly irritated. I HATE wearing my glasses. I can't see quite as well with glasses as I do with contacts, they slide down my face all the time, which means I can't go to the gym for a workout.
So it looks like today will be another non-gym day for me. I'm going to go straight home and take care of my poor eyes. I figured that with a little planning, I can still go to the gym. I will have to bring my contact stuff with me when I plan on working out. I'll wear my glasses all day, and then put in my contacts right before the workout, and take them out right after.
So it's not like I'm totally doomed. There are easy solutions to my problem. I just really really really really don't like wearing glasses!
October 18, 2010
Mostly Baby Update, and a Few Pictures
Well, I've edited my pictures, and hopefully this week I'll find some time to put them up. Prepare to be inundated. I realized that I didn't take that many pictures during our trip, but I also have some from a few weeks back that I took for the purpose of sharing them here. You can look forward to a few videos as well.
I realized that even though I gave a pregnancy update not too long ago, I haven't actually done a baby update. At 17 weeks, our baby is about the size of my open hand (around 5 inches). He/She can suck and swallow now, can hear my voice, and can hear other noises on the outside too! But only if they are loud noises. So unless Art wants to shout at my belly (which I would prefer he didn't do), baby can't hear his/her daddy yet. The eyelids are still sealed shut, but the eyes are working, and can perceive light (except I'm always wearing several layers, so baby is still seeing mostly darkness).
Baby is also moving around now, kicking and punching and rolling, but I still can't feel it yet. I keep wondering if those little gurgles in my belly are from my food or from our little one. But I'm trying not to get too worked up, because I just don't know for sure. I can't wait for the moment when I know it's the baby!
What To Expect says that I'll start experiencing back pain, and I see that I'm right on schedule, except it's not my back. It's my hips. My hips are so sore! My body is obviously trying to make more room, and boy, can I feel it! Especially at night, when I'm trying to sleep on one side or the other.
Thank God for Facebook! I updated my status, asking any and all mothers if they had some advice for me, and someone suggested putting a pillow at my back or tummy, so that I'm sleeping at an angle. Not directly on my back or stomach, but also not directly on my hips. The advice was perfect, and I slept so much better.
I'm also thanking God that I haven't experienced any heartburn yet. I was told that I would not get through my pregnancy without having some, but so far, so good. I'm glad, because I don't want to be popping Tums left and right. You gotta be careful with antacids, because the stomach is supposed to be acidic. If you try to make it more basic, the stomach corrects it by producing more acid, which will make you pop another Tums, and thus begins a vicious cycle.
I think I'm going to start researching more natural ways of combating heartburn, so I can be prepared if and when that starts to happen, and I don't have to get stuck in that cycle.
In other news, I found a dress! Specifically, a fancy dress that I can wear at Art's work Christmas banquet. I went the banquet last year, wearing dress pants and a nice top, but I still felt so under-dressed, because so many ladies were wearing beautiful long dresses! I was determined to do the same this year. Now that I'm pregnant, my choices are much more limited, so I started my search early.
While we were in Manitoba, my mom took me to a store that is only found in Canada (which is really too bad, because their clothes are divine!), and I tried on a bunch of dresses, and I found the perfect one. It's halter (so I don't have to worry about having the straps adjusted to fit my tiny shoulders), and has a high waist and flowing material, so it will accommodate my belly quite nicely. And it's red. I am so excited! I get to buy shoes, and get my hair done....as Art likes to say, I am going to be one hot momma!
I tried on and purchased one size up, to make sure that it would fit in a couple of months. I have no idea how big I will be in two months, but I know I'll be bigger than I am now, so I wanted to play it safe. It isn't floor length as I was hoping, but it goes below my knees, and it's still gorgeous. It really is perfect. And quite expensive. So my mom paid for most of it and told me that would be my Christmas present. I chipped in for the rest.
[Side note: Art was with us on that particular shopping trip, and I thought he would be bored, but instead, he tried to find jewellery and a handbag that would match! He's such a sweetheart, and he actually has really good taste. He picked out this coat while we were in Manitoba, which I ended up buying as well, because it was such a good price.
And speaking of my husband being such a sweetheart: yesterday was such a gorgeous day that he dragged the rocking chair outside onto our deck so I could knit in the warm sunshine!
And just what was I knitting? A little cozy for the handle of our new cast iron pan! I need more iron in my diet, and cooking with cast iron is a great way to cook, so we bought one! From the little experience that we had with cast iron while house sitting, we know that the handle gets really hot.
So I quickly whipped up a solution, while rocking in our rocking chair in the warm sunshine on a Sunday afternoon. It was perfect. I can see myself doing plenty of that in the springtime, when the weather is warm again, but instead of knitting needles, I'll be holding our sweet little baby.
I'm so curious to know what our baby will look like! I've seen a few kids who have one parent who is half Filipino and one parent who is white, and they are cute! It's a great mix. But what will ours look like? I think it will be interesting, especially to see them beside their blond, fair-skinned cousins.
I'm also curious as to the gender of our baby. Not curious enough to find out before I give birth. I'm mostly wondering if I'm experiencing instincts about the gender or not. I've had two people guess the gender so far, and they guessed the same thing (but didn't know it). So now I can't tell if I'm having true instincts, or if I'm being influenced by their guesses. And no, I'm not going to tell you what they guessed. I don't want to influence your guesses either!
My first (and hopefully only) ultrasound is coming up in a few weeks. I didn't realize how normal it is these days to have a very early ultrasound done to determine the due date. But I missed my opportunity for that because I didn't have a midwife until I was past 10 weeks. Fetal development is pretty much the same for every woman for the first 8-9 weeks, but after that, each baby grows at their own pace, so an accurate due date is no longer determinable.
I wanted as few ultrasounds as possible anyway (because they're expensive), so I'll just be getting the standard 20 week ultrasound, to check the size and weight of the fetus, and see if there are any problems thus far (like, do they have all their limbs, how is the heartbeat, that type of thing). If everything looks healthy now, and if I don't develop any complications later on, I won't need another one.
**Update on dinner** The sweet potatoes were to die for! Here is the recipe I used. Do it.
The steak was okay. Hint: know your cuts of meat! I should have tenderized this one more than I did. Also, I dipped my steak in Worcestershire sauce because the flavor wasn't strong enough for my liking. Here is the recipe.
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