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!
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