Lirazel

Ten This Week

2012-01-06T08:57:00.008-06:00

1. This week has been a mixture of appreciating getting back into a routine and hating getting back into a routine. Specifically, not being able to sleep in and take my time getting ready in the morning. Hopefully next week will be better. Hopefully a certain someone will start doing better at staying asleep at night...

2. We bought a space heater for Eli as his room is by far the coldest in the house. He often wakes up cold at night and no amount of warmer pjs and sleep sacks have been able to keep him warm (while in just the next room over Daniel sleeps with just a sheet and Zachary sleeps with no covers at all). Last night was the first night with the heater and although the room was pleasantly warm and Eli's little hands were toasty, the thing is rather noisy and emits quite a bit of light. Whether the heater is to blame or it's something else, Eli did not sleep any better last night. This morning was rough. In fact, I'm still in my pjs at 10am.

3. I know you've been anxiously awaiting an update on the playset. I'm happy to report that it's coming along very well and we are on track to finish it this weekend (especially since the weather is supposed to be extremely pleasant for January).

We've been wondering if anyone else has built one of these and whether they experienced the same misunderstanding regarding the time estimate? The instructions say it'll take 4-6 hours to build. It isn't taking 4-6 hours. The above progress was achieved after 3 days of non-stop work while the sun was up. While we realize our time estimate would be longer since we bought the lumber ourselves instead of in a kit (and therefore had to sand, stain, measure, and cut it ourselves, which accounts for the first 2 days), there's no way the thing could be built in half a day by one or two guys. Our only guess is that the instructions left out a bit of clarification in the time estimate, such as "4-6 hours every day for a week" or "4-6 hours for you and your 10 closest friends" or "you and your professional build-team".

4. Zachary is trying to tell time. He looks at the (digital) clock and tells us, "it's seven four four" (7:44. That was this morning. He was trying to convince me it was time for breakfast. I wasn't sure I believed him yet). Sometimes he says, "nine seven one" (9:17. Not sure why he reverses the digits on the minutes. It can be a little confusing.) The trick now is to help him understand what those numbers mean. Oh, and teach him how to read a real clock (analog).

5. Zachary is also identifying the first letter of words he says (sounding it out and naming the sound.) It's awesome. Once in a while he freaks us out when we spell a word to each other and he knows what we said. I suspect he's using context and good guesswork, but still. (Curtis said to me, "How about a s-h-o-w?" as in, "should we let the boys watch a show" and Zachary said, "are you guys talking about a show?" Curtis and I mirrored stunned looks at each other.)

6. Daniel's screeching is getting worse. He's so frustrated that he can't tell us something, especially when his brother is picking on him. On the other hand, his sign language is improving. The speech therapist is scheduled to come to the house on Friday the 20th and I simply can't wait. (The case worker called on Monday asking if Friday the 13th would work and I had to tell her it wouldn't. I was a little surprised that the 13th was the earliest the therapist could come and was even more surprised to hear that the next available spot wasn't until a week after that! I've gotten used to seeing the pediatrician, chiropractor, dentist, etc. right away or in the next couple of days. The exception, as I think about it, is my hair dresser, who always has the next two weeks booked. Which reminds me, I had to cancel my appt. before Christmas and I haven't rescheduled, which means it'll be at least another two weeks before I can see her. Whoops.)

7. Eli is holding his head and feet up during tummy time (looks like a seal) and sometimes pulling his knees under and pushing that cute little bottom into the air. He's rolled from his back to his tummy once or twice but didn't know how he did it and hasn't been able to consistently repeat it. He's gotten very good at tracking us as we walk by and recognizing our faces when we stop to talk to him. He likes laughing at us. Curtis has gotten one giggle out of him so far. He's also cooing quite a bit and reaching for and grabbing toys. He (thankfully) takes a binky (pacifier) for sleeping but isn't terribly attached to it. He is currently napping in his crib and I really think that it's because it's warmer in there. Previously he would only nap in the Moses basket in the living room. I thought it was because he preferred the noise. Huh, imagine that, the kid likes to be warm... (Although he's woken up a couple times and needed me to come in and each time the heater was on. I think it makes too much noise when it starts up. The older boys sleep while listening to music from an iPod. Eli has a speaker-dock in his room and I think it's time we get him an iPod too. Time for a little eBay cruising this weekend.)

8. I think most of you know that I work part-time as an Area Director with AuPairCare. If you or someone you know is considering their childcare options, would you mention AuPairCare to them? I'm trying to grow my cluster here in Huntsville/Madison and surrounding areas, but if you're looking at childcare in other regions, take a moment to learn about hosting an au pair as chances are there's an Area Director is your area who would love to talk with you! You can visit AuPairCare.com for more information about hosting an au pair and you can also visit my local AuPairCare blog here: http://aupaircare-hsv.blogspot.com/. Also, if you're a local business owner I would love to partner with you! (There's even a referral bonus available for you) - contact me for more information.

9. I mentioned in my last post that's I've been reading more since we got the Kindle Fire and asked if anyone had recommendations of books to read. Then a friend on Facebook (or was it Google+?) mentioned a website called GoodReads and I was hooked. The part I like best is that it will generate recommendations for you based on what you've read and liked. Excellent! If you're on GoodReads, look me up! My user name is wjcolion. I've been adding books I've read (and a big shoutout to my sis (in law) Elizabeth who organized our bookcases, making it easy for me to find my books and so enter them in the database!) and adding title after title to the "to-read" section. The only trouble (besides there being so, so many interesting-sounding books out there and so not enough time to read them) is that most of the books are not available in Kindle format. Don't get me wrong - I love the feel of a physical book, but if it's not on the kindle then I have to physically go to the library to get it and that requires patience... That, and it's easier to hold the Kindle while nursing.

10. The boys and I enjoy going to library on Thursday afternoons. Zachary beelines for the computers while Daniel pulls books off shelves and plays with the Lego table in the corner. When it's about time to go I convince Zachary to get off the computer by letting him pick out a DVD. Daniel also gets to pick out a DVD, though he is considerably less picky in choosing one than his older brother. Anyway, earlier this week I had downloaded a book to the kindle and finished it the following day. While the book was certainly enjoyable, I was frustrated that it was done so quickly. So yesterday at the library, I walked along the shelves looking for thick books. Anything 2" or thicker I searched for on GoodReads and if the description sounded interesting, I added it to my "to-read" list. (I was able to do this while holding sleeping Eli, by the way. Two hands are generally needed to pull a book out, read the back, flip through, and determine whether it's a possible read.) I felt rather clever. That feeling soon vanished, unfortunately, when, during my next nursing session at home, I looked up those titles and discovered that not a single one was available in kindle version. Very disappointing. So now I need to either find more interesting titles that ARE in kindle version, or log onto the library website and start using their "hold" feature in anticipation of our next trip to the library.

Ten on Tuesday This Week

2011-12-28T09:15:00.008-06:00

1. We are thoroughly enjoying our Christmas break. Curtis had a four day weekend and then "worked from home" yesterday. We've watched shows, played games, put together puzzles, read books, and enjoyed not having any outside responsibilities.

2. You'd think I would have been able to get a "Ten on Tuesday" post up on Tuesday, but sitting on the computer just doesn't seem to happen when Curtis is home. So I'm getting it written on Wednesday, which, considering I was rarely posting at all, isn't that bad at all. I'm thinking that I should just aim to get something posted each week. As long as it's up somewhere between Monday and Thursday, I can still call it "Ten This Week", right?

3. We totally took advantage of the flexibility of not having anywhere to go or anyone to entertain when it came to Christmas dinner. We bought a turkey early last week and popped it in the freezer in anticipation of a traditional dinner with all the fixins. On Thursday we decided we'd have the turkey dinner on Christmas Eve so we could just enjoy our gifts on Christmas Day while munching on leftovers. We put the turkey in the fridge to start thawing. When we got it out on Saturday it was nowhere near thawed. No problem, we'll just have turkey dinner on Christmas Day after all! When we got it out on Sunday, it was still as solid as could be. Well, guess we won't be having a turkey dinner for Christmas at all! We pulled some other things out of the freezer for dinner and put the turkey back in the fridge. The plan is to have the turkey dinner for New Year's Eve. Next year, we'll either pull the turkey out of the freezer a good week before we want to roast it or we won't put it in the freezer at all. Had no idea that chest freezer would freeze the bird so deep that it would need twice as much time to thaw as the instructions recommend!

4. Zachary crawled in our bed at 4am last night feeling warmer than he usually does (which is already pretty warm!) and the thermometer this morning showed 100.6. So he's chillin' on the couch watching Franklin with his brother. What he really wants to do, though, is play the new Wii game he got for Christmas: Lego Pirates of the Caribbean. That boy is addicted to screen time.

5. We've instituted a payment system where he has to pay 5 tokens to watch a show or play a Wii game. He earns tokens by helping out around the house. It's actually working pretty well: instead of bugging me all day "can I watch a show" or "Can I play a game" he follows me around asking, "Can I help you with something?" He's getting pretty good at putting dishes away and loading the dishwasher, putting clothes in the washer, putting clothes in the dryer, emptying the dryer, sorting clothes, sweeping, vacuuming... It's amazing how many things a 4-year-old is capable of doing when he's motivated!

6. Eli's Christmas present to us was sleeping 11.5 hours straight on Christmas Eve. It was awesome. If only the other children in the house could have slept straight through the night too. It seems there's always someone up in the middle of the night for one reason or another. Eli hasn't slept straight through like that since, but that's okay. We're working on it. At least he's sleeping in his crib in his own room now. He won't nap in there - too quiet apparently. Kid seems to nap better in the middle of the living room amidst all the noise. Good thing, too, since he's got two older brothers! He naps in the Moses basket (sorry the picture is a little dark) and is actually napping there as I type. So sweet. I'll be sad when he outgrows it.

7. Remember last week I talked about our Kindle Fire and how many books I've read? Well, I've exhausted the series I had started and am a little gun-shy about choosing new books and need suggestions. Read any good books lately?

8. The boys has been saving their gift money and we are really excited to be getting a playset for the backyard! The hardware and slide arrived earlier this week and Curtis will be picking up the wood this afternoon. The plan is to stain the wood this week and build it this weekend. I'll let you know how that goes...

9. Speaking of new purchases, I fell in love with a bedding pattern at TJ Maxx and am so, so pleased it was still there when I got a chance to go back yesterday.

However, they were out of the shams and cute toss pillows and such (except one), which is really disappointing. So our bed looks like this:

(Not to mention the lack of headboard or even a bedframe...) Hey, if you're in the Huntsville area and happen to see this pattern somewhere, would you put a couple shams and toss pillows on hold for me, then come watch my kids while I go get them?? Curtis and I searched online and couldn't find it all. But even without the decorative bits, I just love the way it looks. Love it.

UPDATE: When I went back to TJ Maxx to return some other items, I dragged Curtis with me, just in case they had some of the toss pillows in stock. We ended home bringing home another quilt that I get to use as material to make pillow covers! I'm really excited 1) about a fun sewing project and 2) about having a complete, finished bed set when I'm done. Now I need to figure out what pillow forms we want. I'm hoping to have enough material to also cover the cushion on top of the cedar chest Curtis' grandparents gave us for our wedding. The current fabric is exactly the type that our cats like to sink their claws into, so it's always been covered with another fabric.

10. Lastly, how about an update on the townhouse? Our tenant of two years moved out in October. The property manager finally found new tenants who will move in on Dec. 30th. They talked us into lowering the rent but they signed a 2-year lease. There were several things that needed attending to before they could move in, so the property manager sent us some quotes. We choked and decided it would be a significant savings to drive up to Nashville and do the work ourselves. It ended up taking two trips to get everything done, but in the end we didn't spend anywhere near the hundreds of dollars we were quoted. Some of the work was fixing or installing things that we would have liked to do before we moved out but simply couldn't afford it (and the tenant didn't seem to care) and other things were just getting it ready for new tenants.

Ten on Tuesday

2011-12-20T12:50:00.005-06:00

1. Hard to believe I'm actually getting a "Ten on Tuesday" post up on a Tuesday!! Perhaps it has something to do with having 2 out of 3 boys asleep and also a willingness to suspend reality and pretend I have no other chores to do.

2. From 2:30 to 3am last night I sat on the couch crocheting in the dark, checking on Eli every so often to convince him he doesn't need a middle-of-the-night feeding anymore. He eventually caved and fell asleep. I went back to bed. but an hour later I heard him crying. I asked Curtis to "stick that binky back in" and he went and brought Eli back. I fed him and we all slept until 7:30. Curtis was late to work.

3. It is so awesome to watch Zachary play with the Little People nativity scene. He's acting out the story with the characters. Sometimes he lets his brother play too.

4. We found a buyer for our Risograph. We weren't sure we would but listed it on Craigslist anyway. Within days we got an email from the owner of a local roller rink. He said he'll sometimes print 20,000 copies of something, and his 30 pages/minute printer wasn't cutting it. So we unwrapped all the plastic wrap from the machine and turned it on to make sure it was working. That was when we discovered that all of the rubber bands inside were dried out as every single one broke while we were testing the thing. So the guy said he'd buy it if we could get all the bands replaced and verify that it's working fine. Here's the awesome part: he even said he'd take the 6 extra drums off our hands too! (a Riso can only print one ink color at a time, and to change ink colors requires having a different drum for each color.)

5. Today was "Goody Day" at Curtis' work. Employees' families are invited to come for a potluck lunch. We hadn't participated before but thought we would this year. It was fun. And now 2 out of 3 boys are sleeping, so it was totally worth it!

6. Tonight is the division Christmas party at Dynetics. Goody Day and the division party don't usually fall on the same day, but this year they do. Of course we're going. That's two meals I don't have to prepare and clean up! Someone called me hardcore for being willing to bring three little kids to Dynetics twice in one day. I don't think they realize how much easier it is to convince the boys to go somewhere in the car than it is to prepare food that they won't eat. And then clean up. No, no contest.

7. We got all of our Christmas cards addressed and stamped last night and they're set to go out today. We're 6 shy of the 100 mark this year, which is our limit. Next year may involve some paring down of The List.

8. Using our debit card rewards, Curtis and I bought ourselves a Kindle Fire shortly after Thanksgiving. In the less-than-4 weeks that we've had it I've read about 7 books. Hello, my name is Jennifer and I'm addicted to disappearing into a book for hours at a time. And my husband is an enabler.

9. Daniel doesn't seem to be on track with his speech development, so our pediatrician referred us to Early Intervention, a federally-funded program to help kids under 3 who are developmentally behind in certain areas. Last Thursday two evaluators were supposed to come to the house at 10am to determine if Daniel qualified for help. At 10:15 I called the office to verify I had written the date and time down correctly. I had. At 10:40 I called the office to ask if they were still coming. The gal said she'd call them at call me back. At 11:00 I called the office again. She told me that the evaluators had come to the house and got no answer at the door. However, they could hear the dog barking. I told her we don't have a dog. Turns out they went to our apartment. The one we moved out of over a year ago. All this simply because they didn't want to verify my address over the phone when I made the appointment. "We already have it in the system," they said, "It's the one the state sent us." Whatever.

10. Last Monday two ladies came to the house (which they found with no problem now that they had the correct address) and evaluated Daniel for any developmental delays. They asked me a lot of questions and they also played with him to see if he could perform certain tasks. They evaluated him in cognitive development, physical development (including vision and hearing), communication development, social or emotional development, and adaptive development. He passed all areas with flying colors except for communication, which was right on the cutoff. His receptive communication (how well he listens and understands) almost pulled his expressive communication (talking) up too far, but since he was just on the line, he does qualify for aid. Whew. It was weird to sit there and watch him, wanting him to perform the tasks and do what they were asking him to do because I know he's so smart, but at the same time wanting him to be unable to do the task so he would qualify. I guess I can be happy with landing right on the cutoff line. Sort of like the best of both worlds.

A hair-raising tale

2011-12-05T12:03:00.005-06:00

A day in the life...

While changing Eli I noticed a hair wrapped around one of his toes. The cute little toe was turning colors above the hair and it looked like the hair was embedded in the skin. When I couldn't get it off my first reaction was to call his doctor for advice. They couldn't see us til 2:00 - two hours away. I didn't think it should wait that long and my next thought was that I needed another adult's help, so I called my neighbor Liz. I'm so thankful to have such a wonderful neighbor! She stopped in the middle of making lunch, scooped up her son and came right over. The two of us were able to get the hair off with little difficulty. She headed back home to lunch and Zachary and Daniel came running in to say that they saw Beau (our outdoor-loving cat) catch something and take it under the patio table. We couldn't find anything under the table so I went back in to finish getting Eli dressed. The boys came back in again and it took me a few moments to realize that they were telling me they had seen Beau take his catch INSIDE the house. They had left the back door open and I had no doubt that Beau had been thrilled to bring his prize inside. Not good. Not good at all. I started looking for him and quickly eliminated rooms, until my room was left. I walked into my room, turned the corner into the bathroom and my stomach did a backflip when I saw the cat slinking into my closet, with a live rat in his mouth. A live rat. I tried to grab the cat (while holding Eli in my other arm. Was I thinking I could carry the baby and the animals outside? Or was I just trying to get them out of my closet? I don't know) and he dropped the rat. Which ran deeper into my closet. A live rat running loose in my closet. I screamed. Not a high pitched "help" scream, but a loud low noise that escaped me several times before I could get it under control. There was a live rat in the closet. Beau was not pleased that he had dropped it and quickly ran after it. As I left to set Eli down and get gloves or a bag or something, I could hear the thing squeaking. At least it wasn't running loose in my closet anymore. When I returned, Beau had dropped the thing again and fled. I now had a dead rat in my closet. I scooped it and the article of clothing it was on up into my gloved hands and carried it to the closest trashcan, then dropped the bag and the gloves into the trashbin outside. Then I washed my hands. A couple times. Ugh. I hope those boys learned why we close doors when we go out or come in! (This is not the first time Beau is responsible for creatures in our house. He once chased a lizard through the front door that I was holding open as I scolded the cat and told him to drop it. It almost crawled up my pant leg but thankfully decided against it and ran outside again. I think the rat story is worse though.)

Eating

2011-09-24T08:13:00.003-05:00

I like to eat. Did you know that? I don't miss many meals and I'm always bummed when I'm sick or something prevents me from enjoying something. I don't know if my boys enjoy eating the same way. They can be so picky sometimes that they go to bed hardly having eaten any dinner. When they reach some milestone or make some discovery that allows them to enjoy food in a new way, I get so excited for them!

When Daniel's molars started coming in I was so thrilled for him that he was going to be able to eat all sorts of foods that he couldn't eat before! I don't think it mattered to him that suddenly he could actually chew instead of gumming foods or swallowing them whole, but I couldn't be happier.

I realized in the hospital shower this morning that I couldn't wait for the nurse to bring Eli in, yes because who doesn't love snuggling a newborn, but mostly because my milk is coming in and he's going to get to eat real food! He still isn't here yet, which is about the only reason this post is happening, and when we do start nursing this morning he probably won't be excited about the milk like I am, but that's okay. I can't wait.

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

2011-09-06T13:23:00.003-05:00

I can sit at the table reading for as long as I want (well, within reason...), but as soon as I have to go to the bathroom, they're banging on the door and chanting "Mommy" in unison. When I finally open the door (and yes, I stayed in there longer than I needed to in the hopes that they would give up and go away), they were sitting side by side on the bed, absolutely as cute as can be. So hard to stay grumpy at them. This did not stop me from explaining to them how rude they had been and what behavior I expected of them next time, however. (One of the tricks of parenthood: the ability to be and look stern while not feeling the least bit upset. At times more difficult to achieve than one would think possible.)

A Story

It being a gray, drizzly day, I popped Wives and Daughters (W&D) in the DVD player and have been watching bits and pieces of it throughout the morning. After lunch Zachary wanted to play Wii (Lego Star Wars) and only needed a little reminding that the playroom was not tidy. He doesn't usually get it cleaned up well or quickly. I figured I had plenty of time to get some more laundry done etc. and watch another episode of W&D before he would be anywhere near ready. I finished the chores, turned the machines on and sat down on the couch. Our TV makes an audible "bzzzt" when we turn it on and Zachary can hear it from a mile away. He instantly appeared and asserted that he wanted to play his game. I asked him about his playroom. He (predictably) said it was clean. I heaved myself off the couch (big belly, coming through) and couldn't believe my eyes when I walked in the playroom: he had actually cleaned it up! I cannot convey to you, except to other mommies of young boys with too many toys, just exactly how amazing this accomplishment is. So of course I had to let him play. I asked if he wanted to watch a little bit of Mommy's show first but he declined. So I brought the disc into the office and will very shortly continue watching it in here. Just 'cause they've taken over the TV doesn't mean I can't enjoy my show too!

Humpty Dumpty

2011-08-27T19:55:00.008-05:00

Someone posted on Facebook recently asking how we knew that Humpty Dumpty was an egg? The rhyme does not mention what he is - we always assume he's an egg because that's what's in the picture. I learned today that "Humpty Dumpty" is not a story, but a riddle! I think we dismiss it as another silly nursery rhyme that's fun to say, but it was actually originally more than that. This image to the right shows Humpty Dumpty as a riddle, with answer, in a 1902 Mother Goose book by William Wallace Denslow. (See the article in Wikipedia for more...)

Here is how the riddle appears in Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin (first published in 1903):

"Humpty Dumpty lies in the beck,

With a white counterpane round his neck,

Forty doctors and forty wrights,

Cannot put Humpty Dumpty to rights!"

(Beck meaning "small stream or brook", Counterpane meaning "bedspread", and a wright being one who constructs or repairs something, as in "playwright")

Interestingly, the "King's horses and King's men" that we're familiar with from our modern version of Humpty Dumpty appears in this one of Nutkin's riddles:

Old Mr. B! Old Mr. B!

Hickamore, Hackamore, on the King's kitchen door;

All the King's horses, and all the King's men,

Couldn't drive Hickamore, Hackamore,

Off the King's kitchen door."

Any guesses as to the answer of that one? Scroll down:

You're thinking about it, right?

Have you made a guess yet?

A sunbeam.

If you have The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin there are several more riddles to enjoy. Before getting frustrated and Googling for the answers, I'll tell you the secret: the answers are the italicized text on the same page. You're welcome :-)

First Day of School

2011-08-21T19:28:00.000-05:00

First day of school pictures! "Okay Zachary, time to take some pictures!"

"Um...I'm not sure about that "smile", let's try something...can you show me a scary face?"

"Ooh, good scary face! Now show me a...silly face!"

"THAT is a very silly face. Now show me a sad face."

"Oh dear, you look very sad. Now show me a happy face!"

Zachary started "school" last week. To tell you the truth, it really didn't feel like a big deal. Not like it did last year. Over the summer we took advantage of a ministry our church offers to members of free Mother's Morning Out days. It's only once a week, you have to register a week ahead of time, and there's limited space, but it was a fantastic way for them to do something fun, stay cool in the heat, and I got some time to myself (granted I tended to schedule my OB appts for those mornings, but at least I didn't have to drag two little boys to very many appts!). We also did VBS at the church, we started going to to Wednesday night suppers and staying for discipleship classes, and of course we've been going to Sunday morning worship services. So dropping Zachary off for "school" didn't feel any different than dropping him off for any of the other various activities. And even though he's not in the same classroom he was in last year, it IS the same room he's in this year for a couple of the activities.

Speaking of activities, I counted up the other day and realized that we have Zachary in SEVEN different things this year!! Sunday school, AWANA, MOPS, MMO, Children's Choir/Mission Friends, and The Little Gym. Four of them at our church. Daniel is in three: Sunday school, MOPS, and The Little Gym. Crazy. When we moved to Huntsville two years ago, the boys (well, boy. D wasn't born yet) were in nothing. Then we added MOPS and MMO. We did Kindermusik for a semester, then added The Little Gym. It was very manageable with a new baby. This time, the baby is just going to have be adaptable because we've got a lot going on!

Anyway, Zachary's first and second day went well (he goes twice a week, so we've only had two days so far.) He already knew his teacher - one of his best friend's mommy. (the end of that sentence sounds terribly awkward, but I'm not sure how to reword it and frankly don't want to spend the effort on it.) Some of his friends from last year aren't in his class this year, but he still gets to see them at other times (AWANA, Children's Choir/Mission Friends, or Sunday school). It will be interesting to see if his "best friends" change this year or not. While Z is in school, Daniel has his Little Gym class one day and the other day I reserve for any appointments or errands I need to do. Those things don't usually take up the full 4 hours that Z is away, and my goal is to spend that extra time just with Daniel. It's hard to get one-on-one time with Daniel when Zachary is home, because they each want to do what the other is doing. One-on-one time with Zachary isn't as hard to do because Daniel still takes a lovely 2 - 3 hour nap in the afternoon. But time with Daniel was hard to come by this summer.

So, our 2011-2012 school year had begun. Almost everything has started up, except for MOPS which will begin 9/5 (though we have a Steering Team meeting this month, so it's almost started up for me.) We'll see how we do with so many things going on (though not nearly as many as some - we haven't even started sports yet!) or if I need to scale back on anything. I've kept my jealously guarded Tuesdays free, and I dropped organizing the playgroups for the school year, so half of my Mondays will be free too. (well, unless someone else picks that up. But even so I won't be going to the playgroups in Oct and at least part of Nov because of the new little one.) Oh, and Z's Little Gym class is in the evening, so that frees up Friday. It should be manageable. (am I trying to convince you or me...?)

Maybe with such a manageable schedule, I'll be able to blog a little more often! (ha. I think everytime I've said something of that sort I disappear (as far as this blog is concerned) for months at a time.) This is the second post in a short period of time, right? So maybe I'll be back again soon!

Car Buying Lessons

2011-08-19T18:58:00.004-05:00

This past week we bought ourselves a larger car to accommodate the new addition who will be joining our family next month. While this was not our first car buying experience, nor our first time buying a used car from a private party, we learned more things from this experience than from previous ones.

First, we learned that the least expensive and most efficient way to get money out of our online account for a large cash transaction was to wire money to a local bank and then get a cashier's check. We first tried to get the equivalent of a cashier's check - a treasurer's check - from our online-only bank, but it was going to take a week and a half for them to ship it to us! Expedited shipping would have set us back $50, which seemed a little steep. Especially when wiring the money to a local bank only cost $12. (Not including the fee to actually process the check). The online-only bank (meaning that there are no buildings with live tellers, only a 24-hr customer service line - with extremely friendly and helpful people, by the way) gives us a higher interest rate, but after this we've decided to definitely hold on to a free checking account at a local bank, just in case.

Second, we learned that buying a used car with a lien on it is a little different than buying a used car that the seller owns free and clear. When we bought the Acura, we handed them an envelope of cash (less than $3k), and they handed us a bill of sale and the title. Easy. This time, not only was the amount of $$ higher, but there was still a lien on the vehicle. Fortunately we did not learn this lesson the hard way. While still trying to figure out how to get the money out of our online account, we walked through an imaginary scenario in which the sellers took our money and bought themselves a nice entertainment system for their living room instead of paying off the lien. It turned into a nasty courtroom battle in which we weren't sure we'd get the car or not. It definitely ruined the sellers more than it ruined us, but it was a headache we could avoid. So we had the cashier's check made out to the lienholder. Fortunately the seller had no problem with this. It turned out that the lienholder was another local bank, so I met the seller there and handed the cashier's check right to the teller. I was expecting to receive an official looking document that said something to the effect of, "upon receipt of X dollars, lienholder has no further interest in vehicle" since that's what the advice I found online said I would get. All I got was a photocopy of the receipt that showed "account payoff" and a balance of $0. Good enough I guess!

Third, we learned that should a mistake be made in signing over the title, one has to go to the courthouse to get an Affidavit of Correction, then both buyer and seller must sign it in the presence of a notary (though buyer and seller don't have to sign at the same time, as long as both signatures are notarized). This one, you can guess, we are learning firsthand: the seller accidentally signed the 'buyer' line on the title. (here's the killer: he was talking about the hoops required to jump through if such a thing were to happen as he was doing it!! I kid you not! He said, "Now lemme make sure I sign the right place, because I've been through the rigmarole before when you don't..." and then he handed it to me and I almost fell out of my chair.) The guy is unable to leave his place of business during business hours, so I had the pleasure of driving to the courthouse myself to get the affidavit, and then we realized that I wouldn't be able to take the signed title home with me anyway because he couldn't get away til after 5:30 to see the notary (this was all happening before lunch). (We bought the car in Decatur, another city about 30mins away from us. A city we very rarely drive to). So I left the title and affidavit with him and he's supposed to get it notarized and in the mail to us this weekend. Hopefully we'll learn that he's a trustworthy fellow and we'll be able to title our car soon

So, lessons learned. But even with all this, we are so thankful to have found this wonderful car and have been able to save up for it so we could buy it in cash. Dave Ramsey has definitely changed the way we do things!!

April Update

2011-04-22T09:14:00.005-05:00

Wow, I haven't posted since January, and here it is April. I don't really have much time to post a long update, but I've been wanted to put one of these on here:

Maybe I'll get it into the sidebar before September, but we'll see. (That sidebar needs some serious updating - there's no picture of Daniel!! And both boys have obviously passed their birthdays, so those tickers need to be updated too.)

I think part of the reason I've dropped off updating this blog as often is because I use Facebook so much more than I used to. Most of you reading this are probably reading it as a note on FB (and so never see the sidebar anyway. Can you see the ticker earlier in this post?). I've only recently done some updating to our photo site, and the video blog is so sadly out of date I don't even know where to begin updating it. (Again, I've been posting a few videos to FB now that I have a video capable phone).

Anyway! I just stopped by to say hi! This blog is not forgotten! But if you want more regular updates, please add me as a friend on FB! Now I'm off to enjoy some sunshine outside working in the garden with Curtis!

Quiche

2011-01-24T12:44:00.002-06:00

I made two quiches for MOPS this morning (that is to say, we had MOPS this morning but I made the quiches last night).

The trick to non-soggy crusts (according to America's Test Kitchen Cookbook) is to blind-bake the crusts: put the crust in the pie pan, cover with a double layer of foil (I only used one layer), add pie weights (I emptied my coin purse, worked just as well), then bake for 25-30 minutes at 375.

While the shells are baking, lightly brown the onions and meat in a skillet and gather the rest of the ingredients. I made two different quiches: 1) ham, onion, spinach; and 2) sausage, onion, and craisins. I didn't measure the goodies, just sort of eye-balled it, but I think it was about 1/2 an onion for each quiche, and probably 1/2 cup of craisins. I have no idea how much meat was in each, I just kept cutting it up until the amount looked right! Also, cheese (shredded). We like colby-jack, but cheddar or monterey jack are good too. Even Swiss would be yummy if you're a fan of it (I'm not). If you use frozen spinach you'll need to defrost it first and be sure to squeeze the extra liquid out.

Ingredients I did measure:

1 cup of whole milk (you can use half-and-half or heavy cream or some combination thereof. I wasn't in the mood to use up my half-and-half (coffee drinker here), so I used Daniel's whole milk. He didn't mind).

3 eggs, lightly beaten.

Mix milk and eggs together, preferably in something that has a pour spout. (I love my Pyrex 4-cup measuring cup - I use it as another mixing bowl!)

The important thing is to fill the partially-baked pie shell while it's still warm so that the egg starts to cook immediately and doesn't soak through the crust. So, when the timer on the pie shell goes off, take it out of the oven (reduce the temp to 350), sprinkle a layer of cheese (cover the bottom, 1 cup? 1 1/2 cups?) and add your goodies (meat, onion, veggies, whatever). It's better if you try to even out the top so you don't have a mountain in the middle, so spread everything around. Pull out the oven shelf part way and put the pie pan on it. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the pie pan, then push the shelf in and close the door. Bake for 40-50 minutes at 350 or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. I think you're supposed to let it stand for 10 minutes before serving. Of course this is moot if you're making it a day ahead. I baked both at once. The ham/spinach quiche was done after 45 minutes but the sausage/craisin quiche took 55 minutes because I had put 1.5 cups milk in (I had more than one recipe I was following, but I think it only needed 1 cup)

Here's my little confession: Since I was taking them to MOPS in the morning and I didn't want to forget them, I covered them with foil and put them in the car before going to bed. It wasn't going to get above freezing and I figured that was as good a refrigerator, without the hassle of rearranging stuff so they'd fit in the fridge and no potential to forget them!

I'm sorry at how convoluted this recipe is, think of it more as cooking notes than a recipe ;-)

This one's a doozy

2011-01-22T11:12:00.002-06:00

I haven't been using this blog much. I miss documenting what goes on in our family. I'm constantly writing posts in my head but I'm just not making the time to type them. Or when I sit down I forget what I wanted to write about.

So, what have you been missing? Let's start with Curtis ;-) A couple weeks ago he slipped on ice in the parking lot at his work and fractured his elbow. He didn't need a cast and can still use his hand and arm a little bit, but it's out of commission for the most part. This has put an indefinite hold on a project we started on New Year's weekend: pantry makeover. Currently, we have a "walk-in pantry" in our bedroom, which the boys love, and we have several items shoved into the pantry on top of the temporarily installed shelves. It's rather inconvenient. We keep telling ourselves that when it's all done we will have an awesome pantry with more useable space, but I can' t help wondering WHEN that's going to happen.

I re-established a relationship with FlyLady in early December. I don't remember if I blogged about our falling out some time ago, but I had gotten turned off from her after emailing for help about something and receiving a rather dis-interested reply. But I needed help getting this house clean and thought I'd give her a try again. Her website doesn't work for me, but I found an iphone app that, although not endorsed by FlyLady, was obviously inspired by her zone system. So I've said goodbye to her again but have totally incorporated her system into my life. It's a work in progress and some weeks I do better than others, but I'm definitely improving. In case you're curious, the app is "Home Routines" and it cost about $4 (I think. Maybe it was $4.99). I also use "2 Do" for my regular to do list as this one does better with due dates and any repeat interval you may need. Home Routines is better for tasks that repeat every day or every week, and of course if you divide your home into zones. No other app that I've found uses the zones.

While we're on the subject of apps, my favorite grocery list app is "Shopper". Among other features I like that it allows me to enter prices for the same item at different stores, and since C and I use the same account, if I update the app on my phone, it automatically updates on his phone. So we can both add items to it as they occur to us and neither of us is without the shopping list (we share the shopping task - he does it because he enjoys it and I do it because I can go during the week when it's not crowded).

What's Zachary up to these days? He goes to Mother's Day Out twice a week and The Little Gym once a week. His favorite place to go is the library - because he can play on the computers. His brother gave him a set of folding headphones Christmas, so we keep those in my bag and he's never without his "ears" when we go to the library. We've incorporated it into our weekly routine and go every week after school. He also gets to pick out one DVD to watch when D goes down for his nap. The library rents DVDs for only a week, so as long as nothing interrupts our routine I don't have any trouble returning materials on time. But over Christmas and then again during "snow-maggedon" earlier this month we didn't make to the library every week and I wracked up some hefty fines (hefty in the library sense). So now it's a running joke with C, who takes every opportunity to feign surprise when I don't have a fine on my account. It's okay though. He borrowed some books from a different branch to help with the pantry project and then didn't get them back or renew them on time and had some fines too. (It was a family outing to get library cards for both of us, so he can check materials out on his own account. Learned my lesson when we lived in Nashville and I was the only one with a card!)

Z has also gotten very proficient with the Wii remote and Netflix. We dropped our Blockbuster online account shortly after moving when we discovered there were no Blockbuster stores within a convenient distance. I kinda hated to drop it since we had a really sweet deal, one that wasn't even available anymore (2 mailers at a time and unlimited in store exchanges). We used to go through movies so fast in Nashville. The Blockbuster store was just down the street and between the online selection and then being able to just pop in and pick something up, it was awesome. But we just weren't driving downtown to the Blockbuster here, so we cancelled our account and joined Netflix because we could stream it instantly to the tv through the Wii. The instant streaming is almost as cool as the in-store exchanges but we use it differently: we watch more tv episodes and cartoons (Z) and only get movies through the mailers. They're shipping time is faster though. Anyway, that was a long tangent. Sorry. I was talking about how Z watches his shows on Netflix. He still watches his DVDs too, though I haven't seen VeggieTales or Franklin in a long time. When we watches Netflix I let him use the controller and when one 20min show is over, he navigates to another one.

When tv time is over, Zachary works on puzzles (he's scarily good at them - got some 48 piece ones for Christmas and mastered them in short order, then received a couple 60 piece puzzles and had very little trouble with them. It's really amazing to watch him. I had a 550 piece puzzle I was working on over Christmas and once in a while he'd come over to help and was actually able to put a few pieces in!!!), reads books, and picks on his brother. He also plays a game he made up that we now call "Angry Cars". Are you familiar with Angry Birds? I have it on my phone and Z has helped me play it a few times. The boys received a set of cardboard blocks for Christmas (do you know the kind I'm talking about?) and he sets those up, puts stuffed animals and toys (these are the pigs) on the towers, then uses his cars (the pull-back-and-go kind) to knock the blocks down. It's hilarious. He can set up and knock down the blocks for hours, as long as D doesn't decide to play "Baby-zilla" and knock everything down.

Okay, let's move on to Daniel. He's 14 months old now and walking. I love watching a toddler who's learning to walk. Such a darling mix of confidence and uncertainty. Once in a while he still drops to hands and knees because he can crawl much faster than he can walk. He loves shoes but his feet are still too small for the shoes Zachary got when he started walking. I have a pair of moccasin slippers that he wears but can only walk on them when we're inside. When he starts wanting to walk outside we may just have to buy him his own pair of shoes. He's only two months apart from where Zachary was (September vs. November), but there's a such a difference in size between them!! There are several things of Z's that D will never wear because they're the wrong size at the wrong season, and we were a little concerned that D didn't have enough warm clothes that fit when the weather turned cold last fall. He's finally in 18mos sizes now, of which we have tons in both warm and cold seasons. He's also starting to learn to talk. His first understandable phrase was "uh-oh" which he's been saying for a good long while now, and now he says "peek-a-boo" as clear as you can wish for. We've been working on the sign language and he picked up "milk" pretty quickly and uses it for "milk" "more" and "eat". It's so cute to see his little hands intentionally making signs!!

D-yo (as we continue to call him even though his big brother has gotten much better at pronouncing his name) does not go to any Mother's Day Out program yet - although I sometimes wish for just a half day without kiddos once in a while, I'm totally not ready to put him in something like that yet. But he and I go to The Little Gym once a week. D loves it. It's kindof a fight to get Zachary to go to class, but Daniel LOVES it. (D's class is a parent-and-me class whereas the parents stay in the lobby or run errands during Z's class). He's got a reputation in class of being all smiles all the time and is rarely hesitant or fearful about something, though that's not to say he isn't obstinate at times. One of my favorite moments recently was when we were bouncing on the springboard. D wiggled his arms out of my hands and crawled off the board, then stuck his hands inside the springs to see how it works! (Don't worry, he didn't get his fingers pinches or anything). Then he crawled back on top, bounced a little, then crawled off again and inspected. Looks like we're raising not one, but two little engineers!

Okay, one more thing and then I'll probably be out of time. We've been planning our garden and getting excited about what our yard is going to look like come spring! We have a gardening blog (here: http://blog.organizemygarden.com/) that is not worth visiting right now, but hopefully we'll be getting better at updating it as we have more things to talk about. In fact there are a couple things that could make up a post now, so maybe I'll head over there right now since C is still on the computer (did I mention that he's going to be teaching another class at his work? He's going to teach how to program apps for the iPhone.), Z is still watching shows (it's Saturday. We're indulging him) and D is still asleep (I wasn't sure he was going to take a nap this morning, but then he yawned and that was that.)

Congrats if you made it this far! I know this was a monster post.

Ten on Tuesday

2010-11-09T13:45:00.003-06:00

I'm going to start this "Ten on Tuesday" thing and really try to stick with it so, at the very least, there will be one new post each week.
I have a paper cut on my pinky that is making typing rather difficult.
Today was our second to last Bible study for the semester. I'm sad that it's ending because I've really loved getting to know the book of Revelation a little bit more (and we only just scratched the surface), but I'm really looking forward to getting my Tuesday mornings back!! I've already decided not to attend next semester's study because I need this morning time at home.
I found a bin of clean clothes that the cats have apparently been using instead of the cat box. Eew. On the bright side: I found the source of that musty smell and am so glad to be getting rid of it!
WARNING: potty-talk ahead. While we're thrilled that Zachary has been going tinkle by himself (okay, it's just so he can have candy, but whatever works!) I'm not so thrilled to discover that when no one helps him, he takes care of his business standing up and does not put the seat up. He prefers to do this in the master bathroom. Thanks kid.
Daniel currently has 5 teeth and will have a 6th any day now.
Today is Curtis' second day of having an employee under him at work (directly! reporting TO him!). He's only been with the company a year.
We have been taking the newspaper for the first time since we got married. We only take the weekend paper and sometimes don't get to it until Tuesday or Wednesday.
We finally got some major furniture pieces out of the garage and put in their permanent locations, so it feels like we just now starting to really move in. We've been in the house since the second week of September.
I really hope I remember to make notes all week for this post next Tuesday, because it took forever to think of 10 interesting things to tell you (and I think I cheated on a couple. See #2 and #10. Don't tell me if you didn't find anything interesting in this post).

We Voted!

2010-11-02T12:49:00.005-05:00

You know what I just realized? If I took all the time I spent reading other people's blogs and spent that time writing in my own blog, I'd actually have a blog worth reading. Seems like a no-brainer, but I hadn't seen that before. So, I've turned off my phone in the middle of reading about how someone else's child celebrated their recent birthday and am going to put up a post before Z finishes his lunch.

Today is Election Day, so Daniel, Zachary, and I headed to the polls after bible study this morning. (So convenient to be already out of the house. Getting two little ones in the car is such a hassle, it's nice to get two things done at once. Not that I ever regret having two little ones, but I like to combine effort wherever possible.) Thankfully D fell asleep on the way and slept the whole time. I had the single stroller with me, so no seat for Z (can I just tell you how much I like having two different strollers?? One with two seats and one with one, depending if I anticipate Z needing a seat or not. Love it. Except for the days I forget what's going on and have the wrong stroller in the car. Oh well.) I spent a fair amount of time while driving explaining to Z what behavior I expected from him. I often forget to do this and regret it later. Toddlers and preschoolers do so much better when they know your expectations! I know this sounds like another no-brainer, but as a parent I often forget that children don't yet know what behavior is expected, especially in a new situation. And today's talk worked! Z did very well - there was no running around, no yelling, no sword-fighting (a recent favorite). I confess I did bribe him with goldfish. Those little golden crackers are my children's favorite currency (yes, D has eaten his fair share of goldfish already, and he's not even 1! Brothers like sharing is all I can say.)

We had paper ballots and Z wanted to "color" too, so I found some paper for him (not a ballot!) and we "colored" together. He told me he wrote his name and my name. I wish I could have taken a picture, but no cell phones allowed and taking pictures with my ballot right there would probably have been frowned on too.

When we left, the exit official gave Z an "I Voted" sticker too, which he loved. Later, someone posted something on Facebook about bringing your kids to the polls to educate them about the importance of voting. I'm sure it makes an impression on them, but what I started wondering about was how other parents respond when they bring their older child(ren) who may have questions about what's going on. You're not supposed to discuss the issues while in the middle of voting, but how do you respond to your child without sounding like you're indoctrinating them or trying to influence those around you who just can't help but hear your conversation? (Ignore them I suppose. Don't like that option either.) Z is at least a year, if not 2 or 3, away from really wondering what's going on at the polls and wanting to know how I'm voting and why, but I'd be curious to know how other moms and dads have handled this situation? I suppose once your kids are in school (and I mean full-time, not the 4 hours that Z does now), you vote while they're in school and the issue is completely avoided. So then who is targeted by articles talking about taking your kids to the polls? Stay at home moms with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers? Of course we're going to take them to the polls! What else are we going to do? The whole point of going during the day is to avoid the after-work rush, and I bet there are very few of us going to pay a babysitter just so we can vote without little ones hanging onto our legs and trying to push the stroller and wake up sleeping siblings.

So, that was our Election Day 2010 and now we get to complain about how our country is governed because we voted (j/k, sorta). And if there are any SAHMs and SAHDs in the area who would also like to complain but would prefer to vote without said little ones, we're home the rest of the afternoon and would love to have friends over and so be absolved of doing any housework for the rest of the day!

Don't fall over: I'm blogging again!

2010-10-27T10:00:00.002-05:00

I am sitting in the car in my driveway with the engine running, surfing the internet on the laptop because D is asleep in the back and there's not enough time to take him inside for a nap before The Little Gym, but I want him to get as much sleep as possible. I'm curious what the neighbors think.

I wouldn't have been here at all except that a potential host family I spoke with last night asked me to call this morning between 8 and noon. I agreed without thinking about how busy my morning was going to be: drop off Z at school, go to the chiropractor, The Little Gym with D, get some groceries, fit lunch in there somewhere, and pick up Z by 12:30. Crazy! So when D fell asleep I figured I could make the phone call from the car using the laptop because our router is in the front room and we can get internet from the front yard and driveway. I felt rather clever :-) Of course, the guy didn't answer the phone. All that effort to have the materials, the computer to take notes, the sleeping baby who wouldn't interrupt, and no one answers the phone! I left a message, but, honestly, how many of you return sales calls? Yeah, me either.

As it turns out, it's a good thing I came home real quick instead of heading straight to the grocery story or another errand. Apparently it's "that time of the month", early, and without warning. Ugh. Starting back up after baby is the worst. Everything's off-schedule and completely unpredictable. I guess it explains the mood swings earlier this week (Sorry C!).

You didn't really want to know about that, did you?

Let's see, what else? We're enjoying our house very much, though half the bedrooms are being used as storage and we don't have much more livable space than we had in the apartment. It'll be so nice when everything is finally in its place! As soon as we figure out where those places are... We still haven't painted everything we want to paint: the kids' bedrooms, our bathroom, and we've discovered we need to paint the wall near the eating table with something washable (can you imagine??).

If you're wondering about the outcome of my diaper stripping experiment, I was thinking I'd put it in its own post when I had something definitive, but since I'm here I might as well talk about it before I forget what's going on. So I soaked the covers in water and dish soap for 1/2 a day (because we're busy, not because I thought it needed that much time) and then rinsed about 3-4 times (so that's actually 6-8 rinses because I have that "extra rinse" option on the machine), until there were no more bubbles that I could see, then tumble dried on low. Then I didn't think about what I was doing and put all the covers in the basket on the changing table, mixing together the ones I had stripped with the ones that hadn't (it's absolutely impossible to get every single article belonging to a child clean, because they're always using/wearing/playing with at least one or 5). So now I have no idea which ones were stripped and which ones weren't. Some of them are still leaking and some of them aren't, but they weren't all leaking to begin with, so I kinda feel like I'm back to square one except I don't want to strip them all because some of them don't need it. Does your head hurt yet? I explained some of this to Curtis and we traced all the problems back to the covers/pockets I bought off Craigslist. After we had bought them we discovered that 1) we didn't get much of a discount from new 2) all the elastic was shot because 3) they had been stored in the garage. I wish we had just bought new. I probably wouldn't be having all these troubles. So, anyway, that's where I am with those. And Kate - I did get your message about CD and just haven't sat down to write a book back! ;-)

Okay, it's about time for me to head off to our class. Thanks for killing some time with me :-)

Washing Cloth Diapers

2010-10-20T09:15:00.004-05:00

I know I haven't been blogging much, and this really isn't an amazing post to convince any readers to come back, but I'm experimenting and need some place to record what's going on.

The problem: Daniel's cloth diaper covers are retaining odors and not keeping his clothes dry (it's not so much leakage around the sides as that the waterproof barrier is failing).

Probable cause: detergent buildup.

Discussion: I already use very little detergent on the covers, but I'm not sure that it's getting all rinsed out in my high efficiency (HE) front loader (FL). For those familiar with HE FLs, you know that their whole reason for existence is to use less water. This is fine in almost all circumstances, unless you're trying to wash cloth diapers (and, for the record, I'm not talking about prefolds - those I have no trouble with. It's the pockets/covers that have the problems).

Let me run through my normal wash routine real quick (again, for pockets/covers):

Cold rinse, no spin (this means they're good and wet for the next cycle = more water)
Warm wash on delicate (read somewhere that delicate cycles use more water; also, hot water not hot enough to sanitize and is harsher on materials, warm is sufficient), medium spin (no particular reason, not sure what's better), extra rinse on cold
Rinse/spin with extra rinse, cold.
If bubbles are visible, another rinse/spin with extra rinse, cold.
Tumble dry low (if sun is out I'll lay them out in the grass and am looking forward to a laundry line!!)

Steps taken to solve the problem: I add a sopping wet towel to the load to trick the machine into adding more water. I don't know if it's working or not, but it makes me feel better. I did manage to get the odors out by adding baking soda to the wash and vinegar to the rinse. Info I found online said to add 1/4 cup of each. When I went to add the baking soda, 1/4 cup looked like waaaay too much, so I only added about 1/2 of my scoop (for the math-impaired, that would be 1/8 cup). I did add the full 1/4 cup of vinegar. By the way, I love having a spot for fabric softener because it makes adding anything to the rinse so much easier!! The machine I had at the apartment didn't even have a spot for bleach, let alone fabric softener. Note: if your machine does not have these nifty compartments, you can use a Downy ball to add vinegar or fabric softener to the rinse. Haven't tried it myself, but I read that somewhere and thought I should include here.

So now the covers don't smell as soon as D takes care of business, but they're really failing in the waterproof department.

Today's experiment: stripping the diapers. The purpose of stripping is to remove detergent or urine buildup. (In my case, since my covers smell clean when they come out of the wash, I know it's not a urine buildup problem.) According to the mighty internet, there are several products on the market that can be used for this purpose. I have had success in the past with dish soap. Most CDing (cloth diapering) mommas would have said "Dawn" instead of "dish soap" in that last sentence, but I have not found any definitive explanation on why that particular brand. If you know, please fill me in! All I could glean was that you need to use plain soap, without any moisturizers or other additives because they'll just make the problem worse.

How to strip diapers: First, your diapers need to be clean, so wash them as usual first. They don't need to be dry, or even spun out, just clean. Then, wash again without any other detergent and add dish soap (just a couple drops!!) to the wash cycle, then rinse, rinse, rinse, and rinse some more until there are no more bubbles. The last time I stripped the covers, I was using a TL (the one without any extra bells and whistles) and it took 5 rinses on a medium load setting. This time, I have a HE FL. Some things I read online said not to put dish soap in your FL, especially if it's HE. Others have used it to strip diapers without any trouble. I'm actually rather torn on this one. As I type, the covers on their wash cycle, so I haven't stripped them yet. I'm thinking I shouldn't put dish soap in the washer, at least not yet. So I'm going to follow the alternative method: soak the covers in the sink with dish soap for 30-40 minutes, then throw in the machine and rinse, rinse, rinse, and rinse some more until there are no more bubbles.

In case you're wondering, whenever I say "I read online", I mean that I typed some search string into Google and clicked a few links to blogs, forums, detergent companies' websites, CD manufacturers' websites, and who know what else. I cannot tell you where I got a specific piece of information. If you're looking for answers to similar questions I hope this has helped, and if you have a tip to share, please leave a comment!! I will say that one of my favorite places to ask questions are in the forums on diaperpin.com, but I do a lot of other searches to try to get as much info as possible. Washing cloth diapers is a pretty broad topic because there are so many different brands and types of diapers, brands and types of detergent (incl. homemade), various additives (baking soda/vinegar, tea tree oil, etc.) and washing machines. So glean what you can from as many sources as you want and put together your own system that works for you.

As I said, this is where I'm recording my notes, so I'll put this post up and will hopefully make time to write a follow-up post when this experiment is done! Thanks for bearing with me :-)

It's my morning off! Kinda...

2010-08-11T09:32:00.003-05:00

Zachary has his first day of Mother's Morning Out today.

It's two days a week from 9 to 1. As Daniel and I were walking back to the car after dropping him off this morning, I was trying to figure out what was so weird about leaving Z behind. This isn't the first time I've dropped him off somewhere: he's been going to MOPS since he was 5 months old; I've dropped him off with friends for a couple hours, sometimes with D and sometimes not; but what was so strange about this morning? Then I realized that I've never left him for so many hours as part of a scheduled, weekly thing. Two days a week! Until May!

On our way home I kept thinking of so many errands I could run real quick, and I had to remind myself, over and over, that I'll have plenty of opportunities to run errands with just one kid - this isn't my only chance. Today I'm focusing on cleaning and organizing (which is why I'm blogging, obviously) without a little whirlwind coming behind me and undoing everything.

I'm excited for him: hopefully he'll make a friend or two, and on future mornings he won't find it necessary to walk behind me as soon as he catches sight of the room.

I love you, Little Bug. You amaze me every time I turn around. Have a great First (of many Firsts) Day of School.

This is why we have AAA

2010-07-28T16:00:00.003-05:00

We had an unplanned dinner out the other night. We were going to have dinner at home after running a couple errands, but when 7pm found us at a car repair place across the street from a McDonald's after waiting an hour for a towtruck, we had dinner there instead. A towtruck? Yes, we had to have the Acura towed after it overheated. (It was classic: we were driving down the road getting more and more concerned about the awful engine noises. When we stopped at a red light, the engine died and white steam billowed out from under the hood.)

Why did it overheat? We now know that the radiator wasn't quite up to snuff and a couple fans needed to be replaced (not to mention a faulty temperature gauge), but the precipitating event was letting it idle for an hour while we swept crud out of our new house before the flooring went in. The boys were asleep in the back seat, so we left the car running with the a/c on, which is our modus operandi when visiting the house since the boys usually fall asleep on the way there. The difference is that we're usually in the Escape, which has never had a problem idling for an hour.

Why were we in the Acura, then? Well, that's the car that had the carseats in it when we decided to go to the house. I had gone to a MOPS Steering Team meeting the night before and didn't want to take the Acura, so I moved the carseats over so C could take the boys to the grocery store while I was at my meeting. Why couldn't C have taken the boys in the Escape and I take the Acura? The driver's door window mechanism on the Acura had broken, so the window was stuck down. C had bought the part needed but hadn't had a chance to get it fixed before my meeting and I didn't feel comfortable parking a car with a window down in the church parking lot at night because it's in the middle of downtown and there have been unsavory characters lurking in the area. (Side note: C fixed the window all by himself (with a little help from YouTube) on Sunday morning, saving us $$!)

And that is how we found ourselves at a car repair place across the street from McDonald's on Sunday evening. After shuffling the car to another place (the first one didn't really do the type of repairs we needed), we learned that we had melted the radiator, but the engine was okay. (Which is really good, because replacing the engine would have cost us as much as we paid for the car originally!! Which, if you think about it, means we got an excellent deal on the car.) So it's now Wednesday and we've been a one car family for a few days again. The car should be fixed by this evening, and it really shouldn't need any more work beyond general maintenance for another couple years.

(So I wrote most of this post while one boy was hanging on my leg and the other one was picking on his brother. Fun!)

Chocolate Chip, of course

2010-07-27T20:44:00.007-05:00

I made cookies today. I was rummaging through our cupboards and not finding anything for a little between-meals pick-me-up, wait, let me qualify that: nothing containing chocolate, and since Daniel was still napping, I thought I'd try to get a batch of cookies in the oven before he woke up. Not only did I get the cookies in, but I got the kitchen cleaned up and the cookies back out before I heard a peep from the bedroom. That little boy took a 3 hour nap after lunch! Those three hours are the only reason I was sane when C came home from work. It was so bad this morning that I sent an email to him at 11:43am that simply read "today sucks. that is all." I wrote it on my phone during lunch while holding D with one arm because I couldn't stand his fussing any longer, snatching bites of my sandwich with the other hand in between telling Zachary that he needed to stop whining and if he would just let me finish my lunch I would be able to take care of his pressing need to pick up the tomato he had dropped on the floor for the umpteenth time. This wonderful lunch followed a morning that had gone much the same way. Which is why, at 11:43, I had only just gotten out of pj's, the laundry had not progressed, the kitchen was still a mess from the night before, the cat box reeked, and the floor was covered in toys. But then D went down for a nap that lasted three hours and by the time C came home, all my chores were done and I even had a plate of cookies waiting for him. Amazing how much I can accomplish when one child is sleeping! The other one (the older one) is pretty good at entertaining himself as long as I'm busy doing something (read: if I sit down, he's all over me, hence the reason I don't blog much.)

But back to the cookies. Since we only have one cookie sheet, I couldn't bake up all the dough at once. We probably don't need them all baked up anyway, but I didn't cut the recipe down, so after putting a few in the oven, I had a lot of dough left over. What to do? I froze it. I portioned it out, rolled it into balls, and froze it on parchment paper. Once frozen, I transferred the balls to a ziploc freezer bag and voilà! do-it-yourself break-n-bake cookie dough! I feel very clever ;-) (Gotta give credit where it's due: I had a little help from the The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook for the recipe, freezing instructions, and revised baking instructions. Love that book.)

There's a Fungus Among Us

2010-07-22T10:14:00.003-05:00

(I have been meaning to get on here and tell you about this, but every time I've sat down at the computer in the last five days, I find myself doing 20 other things that are more important and then I run out of time to blog! But this time I remembered to blog first.)

We were on vacation in California for two weeks. The kitties were taken care of during that time, so all's well on that front. However, I did leave a few dirty diapers in each of the diaper pails (because, let's face it, that's life). The couple in the 'messies' pail were fine ("fine" being relative, I suppose), but I noticed some fuzzy stuff growing in the 'wets' pail. When I dumped the contents into the washer, I discovered not only white fuzzy stuff, but pink stuff too, and a mushroom that was 8 inches long. Raise your hand if you're grossed out, but a little fascinated too... Who would've thought a mushroom would grow on urine soaked diapers?? Normally I like to take a picture of these sorts of things, but it didn't happen this time (mostly because I wanted to get the crud washed right away. Do you know how small fungus spores are and how quickly they can spread?).

I have no idea how the fungus got in the pail. Any thoughts?

We don't have any two week trips planned for any time soon, but I may need to do something a little different next time I have to leave diapers in the pail like that!

Strollers

2010-06-30T11:00:00.000-05:00

For a family who originally didn't want a stroller, we sure have gone through them! When we were expecting Zachary we noticed many, many cases where the child was being carried or walking and the stroller was a glorified shopping cart, so we decided to only use a carrier and not get a stroller. We have a Snugli that we enjoyed using and still have in the back of car. (I use it mainly for going to the library these days).
Here's Curtis carrying newborn Zachary into Babies R Us to purchase his crib (Sept. 07, Nashville)
Here's Curtis holding 11 month old Zachary while preparing dinner (August 08, Nashville) We now know, however, that to think we didn't need a stroller and could get by with just the carrier was silly! We are now on our fourth stroller in two years. Not because we wear them out, but we just can't seem to make up our minds.

This was our first stroller. A blue Graco LiteRider. (Picture taken on Balboa Island, July 2008). My mom picked it up at a second-hand store in California. We used the stroller so often during that trip to California that Curtis and I took it back to Nashville with us when it was time to go home. We used it several times and I have many pictures of Zachary in it at various events.

Stroller #2: a green Graco stroller, slightly newer than the blue one, it included such features as a one-hand fold and drink/snack holder for the parent. (Picture taken in State College, PA, July 4th, 2009). We flew back to CA at Christmas and my mom had picked up another second-hand stroller so that she'd have one when we visited. We had flown the blue one out so as to use it throughout our trip (our trips to CA always involve traveling to more than one location), but the green one was nicer, so we left the blue one (but WHERE did we leave it??) and took the green one back with us. Again, we found ourselves using it quite a bit, even after Zachary started walking.

Stroller #3: a blue Sit-n-Stand stroller by Swan. One child sits in the seat in the front and the older child has a place to sit or stand behind. When we were expecting Daniel, we picked up this Sit-n-Stand stroller on Craigslist (in Nashville). It was great: Daniel's car seat fit on the front and Zachary had a nice little spot in the back. Sometimes he liked to sit and sometimes he liked to stand. The stroller wasn't the newest version of the Sit-n-Stand, and I definitely missed the drink/snack tray on the handle. Also, the basket was impossible to get into, because of Z's seat, so I used a hook to hang my bag from the handle. It was also very long and barely fit in my Escape. But it worked great and pushed easily. However, on the trip to the Huntsville Botanical Gardens where I took the picture to the right (June 2010), I put Daniel in the stroller seat (instead of in his carseat) and discovered the rest of the stroller's shortcomings: the stroller requires a small but tedious modification to go from holding a carseat to holding a child; the seat only has a three-point harness (no shoulder straps); and the seat only reclines so far (because of the seat behind it). I also didn't really like that both children couldn't snooze at the same time. So I jumped on craigslist again...

Stroller #4: a gray and turquoise Graco DuoGlider stroller. What I like about this stroller: both boys have five-point harnesses; the rear seat fully reclines (read: baby lies flat); both boys have sun shades; the basket is accessible (and it's very large); one-hand fold; parent drink/snack tray. However, the reviews I found online said that it was a very heavy stroller and when it has two kids in it, can be very difficult to turn and nearly impossible to push on anything but flat, smooth concrete. I was a little worried about all that, until the first time I took it out. Even with both kids and a huge diaper bag, I had no trouble with pushing or turning, even on a grassy incline, and lifting it into my Escape was no more difficult than any of the other strollers we've had. So, verdict? I'm very happy with this stroller, if only it didn't smell like the inside of someone's storage unit.

The below picture was taken at Sam's Club (with my iPhone, which is why it's a little fuzzy). Zachary had fallen asleep in the car and did not want to wake up, so we pulled out the double stroller, fully reclined the rear seat for the sleeping child and put the wide-awake child in the front. It worked great! Of course, it only worked because Curtis and I were shopping together, so one of us pushed the cart and one pushed the stroller.

No telling if we'll be sticking with this one for a while or not, but the great thing about strollers is that Craigslist is littered with them and it's pretty easy to get a nice one for less than $100. (We didn't pay more than $60 for any of these.) Although it does sometimes happen that Z is walking, I'm holding Daniel, and the stroller is nothing more than a glorified shopping cart, I almost always pull it out of the car when we go somewhere. Having it allows the boys the option of riding, it's extremely convenient if they fall asleep, it's great for feeding them, and it allows me to bring my diaper bag in its entirety which I could not do otherwise as it's too heavy for me to carry for any length of time. So I've found I love having a stroller, I'm particularly pleased to have a double stroller for my boys (despite the two year age difference), and I don't care if you are laughing at me for thinking I would never need one :-)

House Update: Bricks

2010-06-29T13:39:00.003-05:00

Since the last update, the windows and doors have been put in, and the exterior has bricks!
Interior: this is the kitchen (that's the island). I'm looking forward to watching this view evolve :-)

Father's Day Shirt 2010

2010-06-21T14:36:00.005-05:00

Curtis has another Hawaiian shirt to add to his collection! I wasn't sure when I bought the fabric if I'd be able to get it done in time, but I did. It took 2 Sleeping Beautys, 1 Robin Hood, and 1 Finding Nemo (Z needed something to entertain him while I was sewing!). Unlike last year (post 1 and post 2) when I bought fabric on a whim and didn't have enough, this year I bought the specified amount of fabric, so the shirt is the right length. (Although when C tried it on it looks too long! I can't win.)
If I had read those posts from last year, I would have remembered that the pattern calls for much more fabric than I really need. Since I had so much left over, and C's shirt didn't take all week, I decided to crank out a couple more shirts:
Too cute, right? So all three of my boys have matching Hawaiian shirts! I couldn't get pictures of all three of them wearing them together, because it seemed like they were never all three wearing them at the same time! Z kept switching shirts, because he's 2.5 and it's his job to drive his parents crazy, and C was working on a painting project at one point so I made him wear an older shirt. The only one who wasn't going through the outfit changes was D, who's actually wearing his shirt again today because it's too cute. (Uncharacteristically, Z would not look at the camera; he was too busy telling his brother that I was taking pictures.)

Then I went back to the fabric store and bought just a bit more of the Hawaiian material (the last of the bolt) to make a skirt for myself as well as some jersey knit for a blouse. I got the blouse done but haven't started the skirt yet; I plan I'd like to get it done before we leave on our trip to CA. My new blouse:
Yes, that's the inside of our house :-) I'm standing in the doorway to the boys' room, and that's the kitchen island behind me. I'll get a new House Update post up soon. Speaking of our new house, another thing I'm really excited about is a dedicated place for my projects, including sewing. Because this got old real fast:

House Update: Much Progress!!

2010-06-14T20:30:00.007-05:00

I have gotten very behind on these updates, so let's get caught up!

On Monday the 7th the pipes are in place and the area is prepped for the foundation.
The foundation was poured the following day. (picture taken with phone)
On June 11th, the house started to take shape.
The next day it's really looking like a house!
Yesterday's picture:
Yes, we drove by it again today. No, I don't have a picture because I didn't dig the camera out of the diaper bag. Not too much had changed though. Can't wait to see what it'll look like tomorrow!

Need Something to Read?

2010-06-12T08:43:00.003-05:00

I would like to share a blog with you that I started following a couple months ago. It's Living Proof Ministries Blog, written by Beth Moore and her two daughters, Amanda and Melissa. If you've browsed the bible study section of the Christian book store, you've seen Beth Moore's books. I'm not going to take the time right now to tell you how incredibly wonderful Beth's bible studies are, because I have a house to clean and a project deadline looming, but if you're a blog reader, I want to encourage you to add this blog to your reader (or whatever method you use). As you know, I read my blogs (and check FB and Twitter, and read/write emails, etc.) on my phone while I'm nursing Daniel (I don't know when I'm going to get the time to do all that stuff once he's weaned...), and LPM's blog has been such an encouragement to me during those ten minute hiatuses in my day. Not only do Beth, Amanda, and Melissa write about what's going on in their ministries, they actually lead bible studies through the blog, and on top of that, they write about what's going on in their lives! I haven't participated (yet) in one of the studies, but just reading the posts has helped me keep my focus on God in the midst of all the busy-ness. So, thank you Beth, Amanda, and Melissa (and the rest of the LPM blog team!) for all the work you put into the blog, and please know that this is one stay-at-home mom who doesn't comment much (because commenting from the phone is a headache), but I won't remove your blog from my reader for the world.

Note to Self:

2010-06-03T10:42:00.000-05:00

When you're changing diapers other than at home, please don't wrap the used wipes up with the diaper just because it's convenient - you don't always remember to remove the wipes before washing the diapers. Thanks.

Legacy Update: Foundation Progress

2010-05-26T12:51:00.002-05:00

Since the boys are occupied (one is napping (THANK YOU!!) and one is playing with Fisher Price people) and I'm on the computer anyway, thought I would give you an update on the house since we took a couple more pictures.

They've started framing for the foundation:
It's always amazing to me how small the house looks when it's just an outline in the ground! Is there really enough space there for us and all our crud??

Then they dropped off mounds of gravel:

Legacy Update: Broken Ground

2010-05-25T13:34:00.000-05:00

New house update: They broke ground last week! They dug a shallow hole a little bigger than the foundation and filled it with different dirt.

Another Fantastic Craigslist Acquisition

2010-05-23T13:11:00.004-05:00

The play yard has again become useful in our house. There was a while we weren't using it, especially in this apartment, and it has been folded up, taking up space in the boys' closet just about ever since we moved it. But today it came out and has proven its worth. It continues to protect our precious belongings from the antics of a young boy, namely, our oldest son. Though he never really liked being contained within it, we found that if we fenced off the forbidden fruit and left Z on the outside, we could achieve the same protection without hindering his freedom. Fortunately, it turns out that our younger son does not have the same aversion to containment, and so the play yard provides protection for Daniel against his well-meaning but sometimes careless older brother.

A Puzzling Day

2010-05-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

Another announcement: NOT ONLY is Daniel sleeping 10-12 hours at night, but he is now taking naps and sleeping in his crib (not in the pack-n-play) in the boys' room (no longer in the office)!!

It was such a relief to move him out of our room and into the office because we no longer had to creep around as we got ready for bed. Now we're excited to be able to use the office during naptimes and in the evenings again. You don't realize how often you use a room until there's a sleeping baby in it!!

We weren't sure how it would go, putting the two boys in the same room at night, but so far (2 nights) it's been going well. Daniel goes to bed significantly earlier than Zachary, so he's usually out cold by the time we're getting Z into bed. D still wakes up at night once in a while and needs a little comfort, but so far Z has been able to sleep through it. The morning is a different story: D wakes up early and has been waking Z up too. Z does not do well being woken up early. If it continues I think I'll just insist Z go back to bed for another 10 minutes or so.

With Daniel napping in the bedroom, I decided to remove the temptation Z might have to bug him and possibly wake him up, so I moved all the toys and books out of the bedroom and into the living room:
(Do you think we have enough books? What if I told you there are TWO BOXES FULL OF BOOKS in the boys' closet? Hey, does anybody have a bookcase or two they'd like to give us?)

I had to move the futon mattress that we're stubbornly holding onto; it's now in our bedroom, where a stack of plastic storage bins used to live. They are now in the office, where the pack-n-play used to be. It is now folded up and put away (or should be by the time you're reading this...). It's like a puzzle!! Fun!! Just another joy of living with too much stuff in an apartment. I SO can't wait till we can move into our house...

Daniel Update: Solid Foods

2010-05-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

Daniel started solid foods earlier this month :-)
He's a good nurser, but has been less than enthusiastic about rice cereal. He prefers it mixed with breastmilk or formula; if I mix it with water I'm lucky to get 3 spoonfuls in before he completely refuses! Over the next few weeks we'll be starting veggies and fruits and trying some other types of cereal.

Yesterday was his 6 month birthday. Hard to believe 6 months can fly by that fast! He had his checkup and got his 6-month shots. He's doing great, right on track developmentally, and he hardly cried when he got his shots. Overall a very good appointment. And I even remembered to have the dr. fill out the sheet the church needs before Zachary can start Mother's Day Out in the fall. The only thing that went wrong was Z left his sticker in the waiting room.

Bread Ingredients

2010-05-19T11:00:00.001-05:00

We've been making homemade bread for sandwiches recently. The loaf disappears pretty quickly - our loaves aren't as long as store-bought loaves so there aren't as many slices. It's easy to forget to make a new loaf before running out. So over the weekend, I tried to make my life a little easier: after getting the ingredients in the machine, I measured out the dry ingredients for the next loaf and put them in a plastic bag with the rest of the ingredients written on the outside. I put the bag in the freezer so it'll be all ready to go when this next loaf runs out! I felt very clever. The silly part is that there are many more wet ingredients than dry ingredients, so maybe I didn't really save myself any time at all!

New House Update

2010-05-18T12:16:00.001-05:00

A progress report on our house. They have not yet broken ground on the construction. We suspect that they're waiting until a couple of other houses in the neighborhood close. There are four houses (including ours) in our neighborhood on the books for starting this month. Very exciting! Following are some images and pictures I've been meaning to share (in no particular order).

This is the plat of our lot. It's oriented correctly for North, and you can see the size of the lot and the location of the house on it. We had them put the house as close to the street as allowable so as to have as much backyard as possible.
An artist's rendering of the front elevation. We chose different colors for the bricks, fieldstone (the bottom of the columns), the shutters, and the shakes (the part above the garage and above the windows on the left), so ours will look a little different.

And our floorplan. It's 2500 square feet: 4 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths. We had them put French doors on the study and another window in the master bedroom. Oh and a service door from the garage to the side yard. Otherwise ours will look just like this.

This is our lot from the street to the back - Curtis is standing on the back corner to try to give some perspective. The house is our neighbor to the back.

The view from the back of our lot to the street. That's our black car there (the one that Curtis drives most of the time.) Sure feels like a big space, doesn't it?? We have almost a 1/3 acre and we're pretty excited about all the fruits and veggies we'll be able to grow.

Yep, we're pretty excited! We find ourselves driving by almost every day to see if there's any progress. You can be sure that there will be plenty of pictures for you throughout its construction :-)

A Mobility Mystery...

2010-05-17T16:39:00.003-05:00

Well, the long blog posts have got to go. As much as I enjoy them, I am not making the time to finish them - they sit in my drafts folder until the subject material is obsolete. So, now that I've freed myself of that burden, hopefully I'll be on here a little more often. What I can't do in quality I'll just have to make up for in quantity, right?

Today's post: an announcement! Daniel is mobile!! ...I think. The evidence:

I had left Daniel on the blanket (and on his back, if I remember correctly); when I looked again, he was not only on his tummy, facing a different direction, he was also completely off the blanket. Now, I don't know if he had help. There is evidence that Big Brother was lurking: the cowboy boots had also appeared since I last appraised the scene. (And as I was getting the camera out, Z was trying to put them on D's feet.) But I have yet to catch him in the act of actually moving from one location to another, so whether he is actually mobile remains to be seen.

Not just another Thursday

2010-04-15T12:59:00.003-05:00

I've been playing housewife today. It's kinda fun, you know, a nice change of pace. I've been putting things away, vacuuming, washing dishes, even chopping onions and potatoes for dinner! (It's my night to do dinner b/c C is working late. Once a week. This may be only the second week out of, I don't know, 10? that I'm actually making dinner instead of leaving for him when he gets back or heating up leftovers, which never counts as making dinner.) So, yeah, the living areas of our little apartment are actually bearable to be in! I'd kinda given up on this place because it's so small feeling, there doesn't seem to be "a place for everything" (as the adage goes), and I found I'd rather spend my time with the boys. Or reading. But that's another post. Or maybe just later in this post.

But I was on a mission this week: Z has a couple friends coming over in about 20 minutes and there was no way I was going to let them play in our pig sty. I feel so very accomplished! Like maybe I can actually keep it this way! It would be nice to live in a place that's a little bit welcoming to come home to. Recently I've been avoiding coming home from errands or an activity with the boys because the clutter was getting to me. I knew it was bothering me, but I couldn't seem to find the motivation to do anything about it. Like I said, there isn't a place for everything, which made it seem like a losing battle, and knowing the battle is lost before it's begun is really disheartening. Now that things are picked up though, maybe it won't be so hard to keep it this way. I have two techniques to use: 1) always do something to make the room a little bit better than it was, even just taking something out that doesn't belong. 2) If something catches my attention, take care of just that item w/o trying to clean every lampshade in the house, for example.

The other motivating factor this week was a book. I have fallen in love with the Twilight Saga. We watched the movies about 2 weeks ago, and then I took the boys to the library and couldn't resist checking out the first book. And then I was hooked. I spent an entire Friday reading Twilight and Midnight Sun. When I finished I was rather conflicted. I loved reading, but I felt really icky with myself for neglecting everything all day long. All I did was read. Then I checked out the 2nd book (New Moon) and spent Saturday afternoon, evening, until 2am reading. My theory was to finish it and then I'd be free to focus on other things. That worked for Sunday, but then Sunday night BOTH boys were up several times and I didn't get much sleep. I was so nauseous from lack of sleep by Monday morning I couldn't even drink my coffee. That's REALLY nauseous. Not much got done on Monday. I was kindof a zombie. Then Tuesday I was catching up on emails etc. from Monday (why is it that the day I'm out of it, everyone emails me??). Which left me with Wednesday and today to get things straightened up. And because I had this deadline today of friends coming over to get my house clean, I couldn't afford to check out the 3rd book (Eclipse). C promised to bring it home for me after work tomorrow. I cleared my calendar for the weekend so I can read it without guilt. And let me tell you, knowing that I have that book to look forward to made the house cleaning so much easier!! All I need now is a constant stream of books to look forward to and I bet I'll never suffer from lack of get-up-and-go again.

....

Our friends aren't here yet, so I wanted to tell you about potty training. It's still incredible to me and I'm not sure it's sunk in yet, but Z is potty trained! Nighttime, daytime, wet, messy - all trained! All it took was 6 months of indulging him when he was interested but refusing to put my heart in it because I was too exhausted and then 1 week cold-turkey from diapers to underpants, and it's done! We only had 2 nighttime accidents (both only wet), a handful of wet accidents, and a smaller handful of messy accidents. I feel like I got off really easy and it blows my mind. I still pack a change of clothes for him when we go somewhere, but he's so aware, I don't think he'll have any more accidents if they can be at all helped. The funny thing is that I wasn't planning on starting the training until after all our activities had ended (as they will next month) so we'd be home and could focus on the training. But one Friday morning he decided he didn't want diapers back on. Since we were going to be home all weekend, I figured we could give it a go. And we haven't looked back. At one point he was having trouble with going BM and I offered that he could use a diaper. He took it as a threat and became even more determined to use the potty!! Not the reaction I was expecting! So waiting until he insisted on underpants was definitely a good thing, even though I wasn't sure about the timing.

My little alarm clock is going off (why doesn't that child just NAP ALREADY???) and our friends will be here soon, so I'll talk to you again later when I get another chance :-)

Cheese Curls

2010-03-31T21:00:00.005-05:00

"Cheese curls Mommy!" This has been a constant refrain around here for the last couple days. However, he's not talking about the snack food. He's talking about these little guys:

If you don't immediately recognize them, it's probably because you don't have little kids who love VeggieTales. These are persistent little creatures who impersonate a snack food in the VeggieTales movie The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything.

But why was Zachary saying it over and over? It wasn't because he wanted to watch the movie - he wasn't pointing at the DVD cabinet and saying it (like he does with How The Grinch Stole Christmas "Grinch Daddy!"). No, he mostly said it when he was near the kitchen, and I realized he was saying it while pointing at our Easter Lily.

(No, that's not our lily. That's a picture I plucked from the internet because a picture of our lily plant would include a picture of the state of our apartment and I want you to look at the flower, not the pig sty we live in. I say it's because there's not enough space to put everything. C says it's because I put priority on playing and going on outings. ...even if he might be right, it still doesn't change the fact that there simply isn't enough closet space here)

Then, one day I was on the other side of the counter and I looked at the lily from Z's point of view. And you won't believe what I saw:

Cheese Curls!!

If I stall, maybe the baby will go back to sleep...

2010-03-26T12:53:00.007-05:00

I've been writing blog posts in my head, but can't seem to make the time to type them up blah blah blah. You don't really want to hear about that; I say it because it makes ME feel better.
--

Right after I wrote those words I was interrupted by this:

This is a 2.5 year old who's walking funny, pointing 'down there', and saying, "Yuck!" It was so yucky, in fact, that he is now in the tub while I'm sitting on his bed where I have an oblique view of the tub (his room is technically the "master", but it opens right into the living room, so we took the room down the hall), trying to write this post that's apparently going nowhere, taking breaks every 10 minutes to check on The Infant Who Will Not Nap Unless Someone Is Holding Him.

It's okay though. I don't mind. I just wish I could blog a little more often.

The most exciting thing going on in our lives at the moment is that we're THIS close to making a decision on buying a house! We've gone round and round, back and forth about whether we should rent or buy? Rent a house or apt? Buy used or new? Which community? What school district? etc. ad infinitum. (quick break....nope, baby's not asleep yet)

This is the floorplan we really like:Hopefully I'll have some blog posts in the future centered around the construction progress.

Other things going on...

My sister (in law) is getting married! The wedding is set for the end of August and C and I are both in the wedding party! I have a date with a friend this evening to try on bridesmaid dresses.

Since we'll be in PA for the wedding in August, we decided not to go there for July 4th like we did last year. And since a planned vacation is a terrible thing to waste, we're headed to CA for the Fourth instead :-) There are several family members who've never met D, and we really can't let that go on too much longer. (Speaking of D, I think he's actually asleep! I now start the stopwatch and hope it lasts longer than 30min!). It will be a whirlwind tour of CA, as usual: fly into So.Cal, spend a few days; drive through Bakersfield to Nor.Cal, spend a few days (C will fly home at that point); drive back to Bakersfield, spend a few days; finally the boys and I will fly out of LA. Yay!

I've now been the Area Director here for AuPairCare for five months. I only have three Au Pairs, but there's one on the horizon and I have a couple marketing possibilities in the next couple months that will hopefully yield a few more. I really enjoy the customer service aspect: talking with the families, spending time with the Au Pairs, answering questions, etc., but the marketing is a little harder for me. It's not as difficult as making phone calls for Cutco (another position where I enjoyed the people part), and my manager is very supportive and caring (unlike Cutco where they get so many people come and go that they just don't spend too much time with any single person)(don't get me wrong, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Cutco cutlery and cookware, I just wasn't as good at the job). I lost my train of thought...moving on!

I should probably get Z out of the tub soon, but I remembered one more thing I've been meaning to post. I took this picture before packaging it up to send for my nephew (!!) before he was born:
(There's a whole backstory, but you know what? I just tried to tell you about it, but I can't remember exactly what happened! (Let's talk about sleep deprivation and its effects on short-term memory...) Anyway, I have a drawer full of almost another blanket worth of yellow and green squares, because at some point in the construction of the blanket I forgot what hook size I was using. )

I couldn't (obviously) post the picture before the gift was received and opened, and then, you know, life got in the way, and I still hadn't posted it 3 months later. BUT it turns out that I knew what I was doing because I received this picture earlier this week:
Yep, that's my nephew (how many times can I work that into a single post?) wearing the little jacket I made for him! It was really sweet of my sister-in-law to email it to me.

I hear awake (and not particularly happy) noises coming from the direction of not-where-I-am, and so I check my stopwatch, and sure enough! 30 minutes. Almost on the dot. I guess I'm done!

This kid blows me away

2010-02-15T11:22:00.006-06:00

I'm supposed to be making lunch so it'll be ready when C gets here, so I really shouldn't be blogging, but I HAVE to share this. And I have to share it NOW.

Z likes caring for his toys the way we care for him and for D (role playing, it's pretty cool), so he wanted my help putting Dinosaur down for nap:

He tucked Dinosaur in, kissed him, and then, AND THEN: he prayed with him. Because we pray with Z before turning out the lights and closing the door (and locking it, and yes, Z locked Dinosaur in too). At least we're doing one thing right :-)

Cloth Diapers ARE NOT complicated! Really!

2010-02-02T13:02:00.002-06:00

I don't really have time to write a blog post (okay, I DO, but I should be spending the time in other ways), but I need to sit down for just a moment before attacking the next item on my list and I just HAVE to share this. It slays me! Okay, so we use cloth diapers. We chose a system that involves prefolds and covers. They're called "prefolds" because each diaper has multiple layers, unlike a flat diaper that needs to be folded into layers before using. We chose prefolds because, let's face it, it was the least expensive CD system (CD=cloth diapers). They are not the simplest system. Even though they're called prefolds, you have to fold the diaper before putting it on the child, and then you have to use something to secure it, either pins or a snappi, and then you need a waterproof (or water-resistant) cover to keep clothes dry. (Please tell me you understand the concept of "wicking"). (I'd link each of those italicized words, but I don't want to spend the time. If you'd like more definition than I gave, try http://www.diaperpin.com/dictionary.asp. For "snappi", check out http://www.snappibaby.com/products/snappidiaperfastener.html)

Here's the problem: care-givers are often confused by cloth diapers. I can even walk someone through a diaper change, step-by-step, when I drop Z off, but when I pick him up, I can expect to see some strange, less-than-effective, attempt. I usually find it humorous. I can't blame them for having trouble. So, with our new little D, I was ecstatic that our increased salary allowed for a little bit in the budget to pick up some pocket diapers. These combine a waterproof cover with a fabric layer, leaving an opening. You stuff something absorbent (like microfiber, or even a prefold diaper) in the "pocket" and the diaper is just like a disposable: pull it out of the bag, put it on the child, secure the velcro or snaps, and you're done! No folding, no pins/snappi - Easy!

THE POINT OF MY POST:
So today I went to bible study. I explained that Z is in cloth diapers, but that they're very easy, just like a disposable. And then I left, completely confident that all was well as far as Z's heiny was concerned (he barely said goodbye to me, he was so busy already, so I was also confident that he was going to enjoy himself). Fast forward a couple hours: we're back at home, I'm trying to get D out of his seat before he COMPLETELY loses it, Z is hanging on me and whining for something (you know, the usual scene) and something about the back of Z's pant waist catches my attention. I was so startled, I stopped unbuckling the car seat and pulled Z's pants down. You will not believe what I saw: THE DEAR LADIES AT CHURCH THIS MORNING HAD PUT Z'S DIAPER ON INSIDE OUT. INSIDE OUT!! How can one possibly confuse the inside of a pocket diaper with its outside?? One side is soft and comfy and the other is...the outside. The waterproof outside. And it has snaps! They had the snaps against his skin! I think I died laughing. (Which Z probably didn't appreciate "Mommy, my pants are on the ground and you're laughing so hard you're crying...")

I'll still try to have a pocket diaper on hand whenever I have to drop either boy off with someone, but I think I'll spend just a moment to pull the diaper out and explain how it works ;-)

It's better abbreviated, trust me

2010-01-21T21:32:00.003-06:00

I like telling stories, which is why I like blogging (when I get the time AND can remember what I wanted to blog about, which is rare). I have a story from today, but I don't really feel like telling it, and I've written this post over and over and keep deleting it 'cause it's just not coming out right. So I'll just summarize: SUNSHINE! PLAYGROUND! KEYSLOCKEDINTHECAR! RAIN! TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR! AAA RESCUE!
the end.

Isn't all clothing reversible??

2010-01-20T16:39:00.003-06:00

I had a chiropractic appointment this morning. It's the fourth one in a week! I'd been seeing a chiropractor regularly - once a month - in Nashville (Dr. Sanford). However, this guy (Dr. Russell) took one look at my x-ray and has me coming in three times a week for six weeks, then twice a week for five weeks, then once a week for another three weeks, before we'll be ready to only come in once a month. That's a lot of visits! C and I are really glad that I'm going to get everything fixed. On the other hand, we're wondering why the other guy (Dr. Sanford) was content to have me come in only once a month. A little disconcerting. Complacent doctors are the worst kind.

So, at the chiropractor's this morning, he (Dr. Russell) pointed out that my shirt was on backwards. I wasn't really that embarrassed, at first, until he laughed so hard. I didn't think it was very nice. I mean, obviously I have my hands too full with two little boys to be worried about which way I have my shirt on. But besides the obvious, I was rather distracted this morning while I was trying to get dressed. We were running just a little behind this morning because I didn't get up until Z came into my room at 7:20. (You remember we lock his door? Well, apparently it doesn't always latch. So even though it's LOCKED and the knob won't turn, it still pulls open because it isn't LATCHED. Rather frustrating) Did I mention that C is out of town again? He got whisked away for three days for business. So I was on my own this morning to get all three of us pottied, clothed, fed, and out the door. I was about to put my shirt on when Z came into my closet holding two pieces of glass. Broken glass. Yes, my two year old had gotten ahold of broken glass and was PLAYING WITH IT. I dropped my shirt on the floor and took care of the child. Fortunately he came away with just a little cut on his thumb, which was easily patched with a band aid (which is still on at almost 5pm, surprisingly). When I finally got back to my closet to finish throwing clothes on, I (obviously) didn't pay attention to whether my shirt was right-side-out or not (I don't throw my clothes in the hamper after wearing them just once; they go on the hanger inside out to be worn again. This is repeated until (a) laundry day or (b) the item is too stained to go into public.)

So I didn't think it was very nice of Dr. Russell to laugh so hard. I didn't bother explaining though. I'll just be sure that my shirt is on right when we go in tomorrow. Maybe it'll motivate me enough to get up on time!

On motherhood

2010-01-05T09:05:00.004-06:00

I miss blogging. I have been dying to blog! There are so many things I want to blog about! But I have so many other things to do, that blogging gets pushed back indefinitely. And everyday that I don't get here is another day's worth of topics floating around in my head, and then I just get overwhelmed, forget them all, and start over.

Laurie's post inspired me this morning. I don't have people loudly complaining (or complaining at all) when I don't blog (though sometimes I wish I did), but she inspired me nonetheless.

What I've been meaning to blog about: response to another fantastic post by Meagan Francis. I don't remember which post it was, or when she wrote it, or I'd link directly to it. I just spent the last ten minutes looking for it, which also happened to be the last ten minutes of D's nap, so now I'm trying to finish this with a squirmy baby on my lap. So far so good!

Where was I?

Meagan's post was about the responsibility that comes with motherhood. Not just parenthood, but motherhood. There's something special about Mom. And it's not just that she can feed baby and no one else can until he's been introduced to a bottle. I didn't understand or realize this until I read her post. I thought it was a parent thing and that C and I were equal partners. I would often lament/scold that I was the only one who got everything needed together when we went out. Why couldn't he remember the sippy cup of water for once? But after reading Meagan's post, I realized that it was probably unrealistic of me to expect him to take over sometimes. He's just not wired for it. It's my responsibility and privilege to remember the sippy cup.

The exclusiveness of my role as Mom was further revealed to me over the holidays while we had family visiting. They always looked to me. If there was a question regarding one of the boys, it was me they turned to, expecting me to have all the answers and tell them what to do. I remember the same thing when Z was a baby. My internal response was often, "but you (speaking to my mom or my mother-in-law) have more experience with babies, shouldn't you know what to do?" I realize now that it wasn't just about raw number of hours caring for children, it's also a question of whose children they are!

Another example: Z picked up a cold (at the dr's office, again) and kindly shared it with as many of us as he could, including his 1-month old brother. (I tell ya, there's nothing sadder than a congested infant!). As C and I were getting ready to go to sleep, we listened to D's congested breathing and C commented that I was an amazing woman. "Why? What do you mean?" I asked. He explained that I had a sleepless night ahead of me, but that I was going to do it (care for sick D). I had two simultaneous reactions. One was positive ("Yes, I AM going to take care of my baby!") and the other was negative ("You don't have work tomorrow, why do I have to be the only one who suffers?").

Yes, I am Mommy (hear me roar!). I forget sometimes, and get irritated at C (and other family), but in the end, I wouldn't trade it for anything! (Though I wouldn't have minded being able to finish this post in one sitting without infant and toddler interruptions...)

Stream of Consciousness?

2009-12-15T16:12:00.003-06:00

I'm feeling crippled. I keep thinking of blog topics, but everytime I try to start one, I start thinking about who might read it and it seems that for every topic, there's someone out there who I don't want to share with (a different someone for every topic). Is that silly? Probably. You can't imagine how difficult THIS post is, and I'm not even talking about anything! Sometimes I worry too much about what other people think of me, but other times I don't want someone to think they recognize themselves in my post and take offense. The problem is that I linked the blog to my Facebook and suddenly every one of my Facebook friends now knows when I blog. At the time I thought it was a great idea, and sharing my blog with everyone does appeal to me. I don't mind if everyone reads it. But Facebook makes an announcement, if you will, for every new post. Even if someone completely forgot that I have a blog, they're reminded as soon as I post something. Yes, I'm being absurd. And if I did to this post what I do to all my posts recently, I would delete it right now and go do something else. But now that I've written this much and started analyzing my problem I might as well keep it.

Let's change topics. It always amazes me how quickly 2 hours go by. I'm home all day without much adult conversation, so my days tend to kinda drag by, even when I have a lot to do, but these newborn diaper changes and feedings seem to come up so quickly! D will start fussing and I think to myself, "It can't possibly have been 2 hours already!" but it is. (And someone out there is thinking poorly of my time management...)

Speaking of babies, it seems to be the natural progression of things that people who have decided not to have any more kids are glad to not have to deal with everything that having a newborn entails. They enjoy holding OTHER people's babies at that point and are quite happy to hand them back when they're fussy. I, on the other hand, am in the middle of raising young'uns. But I'm not anticipating moving past this stage too quickly. I don't "get through" diaper changes and midnight feedings by dreaming of the day when I won't have to do those things anymore. I feel like I'm living these days in a sleep deprived fog, but I love it! I get to be Mommy to TWO precious, wonderful, beautiful boys! I am in NO RUSH for them to grow up. Look how much Z has grown and changed in just 2 years! (It's especially more apparent now that D is here.) But I do wonder, will I feel differently when I am at a different point in life? When my kids have their kids and I come out to visit, will I be happy to hand a crying infant back to its mother? I don't know.

Today is Day 2 of being without any help whatsoever. All our family who visited after D was born have flown home and even C has been whisked away to Maryland on a business trip. He'll come home on Friday, then his parents arrive Saturday and his sister arrives Sunday. But that's 2 1/2 days away. During the day it isn't any different, but the evenings are hard. There's nothing to break up the time! No one arriving home from work to punctuate the day. And then, of course, I have to do dinner all by myself. I enjoy baking, and I kinda like cooking, but I hate meal planning. Hate is a strong word, but perfectly appropriate. Are you familiar with Myer-Brinks personality profiles? I would link you to something about it but I don't feel like re-positioning to use the mouse. I have a sleeping baby perfectly balanced on my chest between my forearms so typing is possible but not mousing (is that a word?). Where was I? Oh right, personality profile. I'm a Feeler (as opposed to a Thinker). I make decisions based largely on how I feel about them. So when it comes to deciding what to eat, I evaluate how much I feel like eating a particular item, followed shortly by what sides might accompany it, immediately followed by how much I feel like preparing, cooking, and cleaning up after that item. I usually decide against it. And the process begins again. It seems to be beyond me to make a decision! I'm also not comfortable cooking without a recipe, so that limits me too. And so this is Day 2 of having no idea what's dinner and having no one to help me figure it out.

C, on the other hand, really enjoys cooking, doesn't have nearly the aversion to meal planning that I have, and rarely follows a recipe, let alone needing one. In our family, C is the cook, and I clean up. This actually suits us very well, as long as I help with the preparation before he gets home from work. But he won't be home until Friday and it's only Tuesday...

C finally spent his accumulated gift money, sold off his laptop, and bought a new laptop. The old one had a 17" screen and was quite heavy. This new one is much smaller and lighter. I haven't been on the desktop hardly since the laptop arrived about a week ago! I don't think I would be writing this post now on the desktop. I think our best arrangement with that desktop was when it was downstairs in the living room with the tv. Then it moved upstairs and I stopped using it as frequently, and now it's in the office, and I don't feel comfortable spending lots of time in there when Z is awake and playing out here. This new little computer also has a built-in webcam and we've already been using it quite a bit while C is on this trip. We're planning on broadcasting Christmas morning for family who aren't here too.

Christmas. Our Christmas has been pretty consistent the last 6 years: fly to S. CA and stay with C's parents, Christmas Eve party with his maternal grandparents, Christmas morning with his parents, Christmas Dinner at the house with as many family as we can invite (both his maternal and paternal relatives), then drive three hours and spend a few days with my parents and brother (our "Second Christmas"), then we all drive a few more hours to N. CA for our "Third Christmas" with my maternal grandparents. But this Christmas will be completely different. With D being so young, we didn't want to take him on a plane and risk illness before receiving any vaccines, so we're staying here for Christmas and New Year's. It will be our first Christmas not in California. At least it won't be completely without family: C's parents and sister are celebrating with us.

At this point (the end of the post), I usually reread everything at least twice, make minor and major changes, debate about publishing, finally publish the post, reread another 2-3 times, make more edits, and only really let it go when something interrupts, like C announcing dinner's ready or Z insisting I pay attention to him. I so don't feel like rereading this post! Can you tell?

The baby's crying, so this is short

2009-12-10T15:04:00.003-06:00

I have had very little computer time in the last few weeks, and blogging has not been deemed priority enough to spend my time on. But since I have a few moments (emphasis on few since someone is starting to fuss...) since I have a few moments, I wanted to say that I know this is terribly out of date! There's a belly picture from 21 weeks in the sidebar and the baby's already 3 weeks old!! So I will try to get back on soon and get everything updated. I have all manner of pictures to upload to Shutterfly and videos to upload to the video blog first, but I expect my computer time to increase a little bit, but more on that later ;)

There's something ALIVE in my tummy!

2009-11-06T10:51:00.002-06:00

Hello? ...Is anybody there? Hmm, I hear an echo... I guess it's been a while since I've been here! Well, I'm here now, so what should I talk about?

I attend a MOPS group at a large church downtown. They have an organization called Cradle Roll where older ladies mentor expecting and new moms. I let one of the MOPS organizers put my name on the list. About a week later I get a call from Linda. She starts the phone call by asking me if I need anything. Over and over she keeps asking! I don't know her, why would I accept her help? Then she says I should call her back later in the week to schedule a time to have lunch together. I'm thinking, "Lady, I don't know you, why would I call you back? If you want to arrange lunch, why not set up the date now? Why leave the ball in MY court??" Having sold Cutco I know better than to leave it to some unknown person to call me back to arrange something. They never call. Never.

Well, since Baby might arrive before mom-in-law Kim is here to help, I thought I should probably keep Linda's number so she can watch Zachary while I'm in labor. So I called her this morning to arrange to have lunch on Monday since I'll have the car. What does she do? Tells me to call her Monday morning to set it up. Come on!! Why can't we set it up now? I don't understand. I have MOPS in the morning and a dr's appt in the afternoon, having lunch out would be great, but I'd like to have it arranged! She says, "You call me Monday morning and tell me where you'd like to have lunch and what time, 'cause my schedule is completely open." She's real nice and all, but I'm a little frustrated with her lack of willingness to put something on the calendar. Oh well.

Here's a catch-22 for you: your child needs to see the dr for a checkup, because the calendar says so, but he's perfectly healthy. If you don't go, he'll miss his yearly exam. If you DO go, he'll come home sick from all the sick kids' germs on the toys in the waiting room. What do you do? You take him to the dr, because you're a "good" mom. What does it get you? A clean bill of health, followed by days of sick toddler, followed by days of sick pregnant mommy, probably to be followed by sick daddy. Yay!

We got the recommendation for the pediatrician from my OB. I really like my OB, but I'm not so sure about the pediatrician. It was just one short visit, so it's hard to say. I'll be able to form a better opinion in the next few months since we'll be seeing him a lot after the baby comes. Hopefully my first impression will be disproved.

Let's see what else can I complain about? J/k. I don't mean to sound so negative. Oh! I can talk about potty training. Z has no compunction about making our lives more complicated, so he's decided he wants to start using the potty, even though we have a new baby on the way. He's tinkled in the potty once or twice, and passed gas while sitting on it, but that's as far as we got. Now he won't sit on it, he just dances around on the step stool (playing with himself) until the parent loses patience, hauls him out of the bathroom, and puts his clothes back on. (Did I mention he likes to do all this completely in the nude?) I wouldn't mind spending the 20-30 minutes in the bathroom if he would sit on the seat and try to accomplish something, but this playing around with no serious attempt to use the potty is more than my tired, pregnant self can handle. So we haven't really gotten very far. Then the pediatrician tells me that RIGHT NOW is the best time to train. RIGHT NOW. DON'T HESITATE OR YOU'LL LOST THE OPPORTUNITY. I asked if he really meant that considering we have a baby coming so soon. He said it was unlikely that the older child would regress. That wasn't what I was getting at. I meant that was it really a good time to start potty training when the demands on our time and energy are about to increase so much? I mean, I hardly have the energy to potty train NOW, what's it going to be like when I'm 5x more sleep deprived and have another little body to take care? I won't have the 20-30 minutes to stand in the bathroom and watch Z play around. So we don't know what to do. So we haven't made a solid effort for anything.

What else is going on...? My new job is going well. I really like it. I like what I'm doing, and I like the structure and the amount of time it demands.

Hmm, there's a rumbly in my tumbly. Time for something to eat!

Typing hurts my neck

2009-10-10T16:59:00.002-05:00

I haven't been much in a blogging mood recently. I'm not sure if it's due to anything in particular, but I do know that this chair is horribly uncomfortable and prevents me spending much time on the desktop these days. We sold the two computer chairs we had because they were large and cumbersome it was easier than fitting them in the truck, leaving us with using either a dining chair or a folding chair, neither of which are tall enough, really, for the computer desk in the office. So I get on the desktop only when I have to, do only exactly the things I need to, and then I go sit on the couch or in the rocker for a while. Which reminds me, I really need to fit that slip of paper with the chiropractor recommendation on it....

Anyway, we've been in the apartment for a month now and it still looks like it did 3 days after we moved in. But we have actually been unpacking. The mess is mostly due to empty boxes, packing material, and homeless items. Most of the items we own seem to be homeless at the moment. Did all this stuff really fit in the townhouse and we had space to walk around?? It seems incredible. We're really trying to motivate ourselves to work harder than we have been. Z's been seeming to be on the verge of out-of-control a little more recently, and we've started wondering if it's because the house is in such chaos, though his room is the most orderly of the house. I don't know if the mess is getting to him, or if it's getting to me and I'm less consistent with him.

The Area Director position thing is still up in the air. Long story short, the gal who was supposed to interview me has decided to resign to spend more time with her ill mom, so they're not sure who's interviewing me, or when.

Okay, that's all that my neck and shoulders can take. Hopefully we'll get a new chair soon.

Prenatal: 32 weeks

2009-09-30T13:34:00.000-05:00

This morning we had our first prenatal visit with our new OB... [read more]

Huntsville vs. Nashville = The Same Thing

2009-09-17T16:22:00.002-05:00

Well, we've moved! We're now in our new apartment, and our beautiful townhouse is empty and ready for new residents.

The weeks leading up to the actual move weren't too stressful, in hindsight, mostly because we kept listening to each other's nonsense that there wasn't as much to pack as it looked and it wouldn't take much time, so we didn't do nearly enough packing.

The two weekends of moving were nightmares: stressful and hectic. But we got everything here. (Actually, that's not entirely true. There's a hanging storage rack, a workbench, scrap wood, and cans of paint in the townhouse garage. The cans of paint we were planning on leaving behind (they go with the house), but the other stuff we had hoped to get rid off.)

Then we had a few short days to try to unpack. They weren't quite as comfortable as those pre-moving weeks, nor as stressful as the actual move itself. We got things accomplished, but, of course, not nearly as much as would have been nice.

Now C has started work and it's just Z and me here. We're in a different place, our stuff is all in boxes (and therefore impossible to find), but it's the same as it was before all this "adventure": we're bored to tears, stuck in the ~~house~~apartment with nowhere to go, and I hate making lunch. Sure, I get work done. I've organized our bathroom and the laundry room, the kitchen's coming along, we can eat at the table and sit on the couch, and most of C's clothes are unpacked, but I don't look forward to doing that stuff. I don't wake up and think "Yay! Another day of figuring out where to stick all the stuff that was previously neatly hidden away in closets!" Have I mentioned that this apartment doesn't have enough closets? It's only 200 square feet smaller than our townhouse, and it was all closet space.

This post is sounding really negative. I don't mean it to be. I'm trying to set up what I really wanted to blog about. The point is that although I LOVE being home with Z, I don't really like being home. I'm tired of not having anywhere to go. There's a little playground near the mailboxes that we've visited a couple times, but it's been raining and the ground is soaked, so that was out today, along with even walking to the mailbox. C's work is really close, so I could drop him off on some days and get the car, but then the question is, where would we GO? I need to join a Meetup group and get involved with MOPS again. But even with those activities, it'll be just like it was in Nashville, and I wasn't entirely happy. Not that being happy is everything! I realize that. But maybe I need to shake things up... Another thing that's been in the back of my mind stems from a post I read on The Happiest Mom.

Have I mentioned my RSS reader before? I'm sure I have. It's how I keep up with all the blogs I read. I think I have around 20 now. They get downloaded to my phone and I read them when I have a moment to myself. I don't have to turn the computer on, and I can even read them when I'm out and about with Z. One of the blogs I read is The Happiest Mom. A recent post was titled "the type of mom you thought you were -vs- the type of mom you are" In the post, the author talks about discovering that she was happier as a mom when she had a job. I recommend you read the post, because it was an excellent post (as they all are) and it will help explain where I'm coming from with this post.

I sent an email this morning to just about every person in my address book with our new mailing address. One of the replies I got was from SR who is an AuPair Director (AD). She said they're looking for an AD in my area, and would I be interested? I know she's at home with her kids, which means it's a compatible position, so I told her I was interested and then asked about 5 million questions about it. I don't know if she's replied yet because my Blogger login is a different Google account than my gmail login because Good Grief you don't want to know! So after I post this, I'll log back into gmail and see what she's sent me.

But am I crazy for even thinking about it? We've just moved to a brand new area, don't know anyone here. We're still living out of boxes (and will be for the next month at the rate we're going) and have a baby due in November. How can I think of taking on the responsibilities of a JOB???

We (C and I) have learned that I'm not very good at the "self-employed" thing. I've always said that I work best under pressure. What that means is that I'm a procrastinator. I don't get things done until someone else is breathing down my neck. Occasionally that someone else is me, but only rarely (like when company's coming and I finally vacuum the cobwebs in the corners, or we're moving and I finally scrub the paint drips out of the bathroom sink). That's why I thrived at Kroll (where I worked full time for about a year and part time for another year) and floundered with Flair (the home business C and I tried to make a go of; the reason I was part time at Kroll).

So, what I want is something to look forward to doing, that I can do from home, around nap schedules (mine included!), yet has some structure, someone to report to, someone looking over my shoulder once in a while. Cutco didn't work for me, but maybe this AuPairCare opportunity will. I don't know. I'm intrigued. I want to do something. I'd love to bring in just a little extra income and relieve some pressure on the budget. I just hope I'm not getting ahead of myself and biting off more than I can chew. Well, all I've done at this point is ask for more information. We'll see what SR says, I'll talk to C, I'll probably talk to my mom about it too. But I tell ya, I'm excited at the prospect!

Townhouse vs. Apartment

2009-09-04T07:05:00.007-05:00

So we decided on an apartment in Huntsville. We already have a truck rented and were planning on moving in on Monday, but we chose the one apartment complex with an office that will be closed on Labor Day. But they were able to process our paperwork quickly enough and we signed everything yesterday. Yes, that means we're paying rent for 4 days before we actually move in, but so be it.

Moving into a smaller place really made us evaluate what's important to us in our home! This is what we currently have:

It's over 1500 square feet (although the tax record shows 1618 so that's how it's listed, but it's wrong) and we bought the place new. Because we bought it (as opposed to renting), we've been able to plant a garden, landscape the front, paint walls, etc. Because it was new, we were able to choose the flooring, the colors, have the shower heads raised, and other little things that I can't even remember now. All that goes away when we move into an apartment.

This is what we will be living in for the next year:

It's just over 1300 square feet, so actually it's not too much smaller that our current home. The most striking similarity between the two is the large, open kitchen and the great room. We like the open feeling of not having walls in the "common" living areas. We're not really big fans of hallways. Most of the apartments we walked through last Wednesday seemed so small and dark, and so much wasted space used up in hallways! This one appealed to us so much because of the openness. But we're giving up a patio. There's not even an option for a patio/balcony with the floorplan at this complex. Not sure why. Seems like it would have been easy to put a patio/balcony to the right of the solarium, under the office. We're sad to not even be able to grow tomatoes in containers. We are going to grow some herbs, since they don't need to be pollinated, but that's about all we can do.

(Speaking of tomatoes, we didn't plant any this year because we weren't sure when we were going to move, but one came up from last year. We let it grow, of course. Turns out to produce large yellow tomatoes, a variety that never produced well last year! Funny how that happens. We also have a couple lettuces and turnips that we weren't expecting, and there's a basil plant that somehow came from our neighbor's garden. Do we blame the cats?)

Another feature we're going to sorely miss is the amount of closet space. In our townhome, we have a large storage space under the stairs, two closets in the master bedroom, not to mention an entire one car garage! This apartment has very little closet space in comparison. Although all three rooms DO have walk-in closets! But we're expecting to fill most of the office closet (and some of the office) with most of the stuff from under the stairs and in the garage. I'll be able to put some things in Zachary's closet, but I do want the closets in the bedrooms to be usable, not just full of boxes and such. Because we chose an apartment with (essentially) three bedrooms, we're planning on putting everything in the apartment and not renting a storage unit. If we had chosen a two-bedroom plan, we would not have had the space to put it all in the apartment! As it is, I'm a little concerned whether it will all fit. And it may all fit just fine, but it'll feel like we're living in a storage shed! I'd really like to contain the storage to one area so we can enjoy tidiness in the rest of the apartment. We'll see how that goes. If it turns out that we need to put boxes in our room or the living room, I'm going to insist on buying fabric and turning the boxes into tables!

So these next two days we're supposed to get EVERYTHING packed up, then friends are coming over after church on Sunday to get it all in the truck, then we drive down on Monday, unload (we've hired a couple guys for 2 hours), and that's it!

Pray that we don't bite each other's heads off as the stress builds, and that Z will get some good naps these next two days, since for the last three he's only been able to snag naps in the car, poor thing.

Bloggity Blog Blog

2009-09-01T06:38:00.003-05:00

First off, a question. Would you rather read a post on a single topic, that neatly falls under a clever title, and that is, therefore, easy to comment on, or would you rather read a (longer) post that jumps around, covers multiple topics, and may or may not have a title that makes sense?

I assumed that blog posts were supposed to be on a single topic. Isn't that why there's a title bar at the top? Like reading a story. But a couple of the blogs I read regularly (particularly this one and this one) don't always post on a single topic (in fact, Julia's posts are rarely on a single topic) and they're fun to read. I find that I hardly comment anyway, so that doesn't change anything. (I don't read the comments either, but I'm a little curious as to whether commenters choose a single item to comment on or comment on multiple. As the auther of the post, I would want them to comment on EVERYTHING, but that's just silly).

So almost all of my posts were always on a single topic. If I had multiple topics to blog about, I'd write mulitple posts and space out their publishing. But that doesn't seem to be working for me anymore now that I don't get on the computer as much anymore. How long has it been since my last post? And you can imagine, I have tons of things I've been wanting to blog about! So my posts in the future may become more of the hodge podge that the last one was.

Anyway, it's closing in on 7am and that little boy is already awake. Why doesn't he sleep till 7?? You may have noticed that I haven't been calling him "LB" on here as much. I haven't been calling him Little Bug much of late. And in my twitter feed, I've found it's easier to just use his first initial, since the feed also updates my Facebook status, so my friends know who I'm talking about. So "LB" is now Z on here, and the same goes for "DH" who is now C.

Speaking of C, yesterday was his last day at Vanderbilt!! It's weird to think that he'll probably never work there again. He said Julie (his advisor) was getting nostalgic as the day wore on, but that he wasn't, lol. Two weeks from today he'll start working at his new job (his first "real world" job). In the meantime we have to pack up, move, and paint the house. Well, we don't HAVE to paint the house, but we'd like to. We're taking it off the market (I have GOT to remember to email the realtor!!) and renting it out.

Today is the fourth day in a row that I've gotten up early. Yay!! I've always loved sleeping in, but more often than not, doing so seems to kill the whole day. Getting some time to myself in the morning makes such a difference! I've started working through a Bible study book called The Busy Mom's Guide to Bible Study, so that helps motivate me to get out of bed (that, and the smell of coffee brewing, mmmm).

While I'm getting up early to study God's word, C gets up early to play computer games. Should I be comparing us like that? Probably not. I guess whatever motivates you to get up, right? 'Course, I KNOW he has headphones on and "can't" hear all that noise coming from the toddler's room, so I'll have to go rescue the poor thing soon.

Poor thing, hah! He can climb out of his crib now, without getting hurt. But he's only done it once. I knew he was awake, but wasn't ready to release him yet. Then things got quieter. I stood at the door and listened, and heard LEGOS. He doesn't usually have Legos in his crib... I peeked under the door, and sure enough! Cute little feet running around! But he hasn't done it since.

Oh! My reading experiment! It's been going okay. I still have a tendency to read at the expense of anything else. Mostly while Z's napping, which means I either have to get my work done while he's awake (which isn't always feasible) or vow to do it during the NEXT nap. I have now read 3 of Fannie Flagg's books: Welcome to the World, Baby Girl, Can't Wait to Get to Heaven, and Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. I liked the first one, didn't like the second one so much, and enjoyed the third one (but I'd already seen the movie.) But they're quick and fun to read. The two I have right now aren't due back to the library until the 19th, and I've already finished them, lol. I wanted to read them before we moved, and now I'm wondering if we still have time for me to pick up a couple more....

My crochet projects are also going well. But I can't tell you too much about them because they're gifts and although the recipients don't read this blog, you never know.

I'm in my third trimester now. The uncomfortable trimester. Baby's getting heavier, and he's so low, there's a lot of pressure down there. Sitting is comfortable, standing's not too bad, but switching between the two is hard! Especially standing up! And the tail bone pressure hasn't really gone away. I did get a support belt, and it does actually make a difference, but not as much as I would have liked. And my belly itches. Ooh does it itch!! I remember this with Z too. Somewhere in my third trimester with him, I had awful, red, itchy bumps. It was miserable. They'd actually gone away by the time he was born, but I'm not looking forward to them again! Maybe Mary Anne will have a suggestion for me today.

Speaking of today, I have a really busy schedule, which is totally unusual! I have chiropractor this morning, Mary Anne this afternoon, and then a friend and I are getting Mary Kay facials this evening. (Hey, want to guess whether Z is coming with me or not? I'll give you one guess...)

Well, the sun's up, Z's awake, and I'm getting hungry, so I guess I'm about done. I would say something about trying to post more regularly, but we're moving, so I may not post at all until we're in our new place. Am I looking forward to moving? Um, parts of it. I'm looking forward to reorganizing some things and rearranging furniture (I love rearranging furniture!), but I'm sad to move out of this (town)house (since we're moving into a 2 bedroom apartment :( ) and I'm sad to move away from our friends, our church... But it's too far to commute and there's no job here, so there's no point in dwelling on it!

Hopefully the other book is much better

2009-08-20T15:42:00.000-05:00

I have two sad things to report. The first is that I cannot be trusted with a book, and the second is that the "sequel to Pride and Prejudice" is hardly worth reading.

I spent most of today reading the book. I kept telling myself "just one chapter while my coffee brews" "just one chapter while Z is napping" "just one chapter during lunch" then I gave up justifying single chapters and told myself I'd be better off if I just finished the thing and was done with it. So I haven't gotten my chores done yet for today, which is particularly frustrating because I'm much more motivated to work in the morning, and now that it's afternoon (on a gloomy, cloudy day to boot) I'm having trouble getting anything done.

As for the book itself, it was hardly enjoyable. As per my previous post, it is not the same Elizabeth that Jane Austen conceived. Secondly, the book is far too short. For all the misunderstandings that took place, there was no reconciliation! Darcy and Elizabeth become estranged, I found myself frustrated and agitated at all the characters' (Lady Catherine, Miss Bingley, Mrs. Bennet, and others) terrible behavior, and then BOOM! they're back together, all's well, and it's the end of the book! I'm still irritated. I suppose we're supposed to imagine a fantastic reconciliation between Darcy and Elizabeth, but I'm still agitated.

If you DO decide to read this particular book (though I don't recommend it), be warned that it is not the enjoyable diversion that Jane Austen's work is!

Elizabeth Bennet

2009-08-20T10:03:00.001-05:00

Have you read Pride and Prejudice or at least seen the movie? If not, you probably won't be able to answer my question. If you HAVE, then please read on.

Can you imagine Elizabeth Bennet (married to Mr. Darcy) afraid to ask Mr. Darcy for something, then crying with joy when he readily grants it?

No, I can't either. That's just not her personality. But so begins the sequel to Pride and Prejudice. Here are the particular passages:

"But she [Elizabeth] disliked, if the truth were to be told, to be beholden to anyone, especially Mr. Darcy, for he had already given her so much that she was embarrassed to thank him further. [...] Mr. Darcy was generous in his love as well as in his gifts; and the more he showered on his wife, the less she felt able to ask for further kindnesses."

[She then asks if her mother and sister might come to Pemberely for Christmas]

"Mr. Darcy, as she had known he would be, was geniality itself. [...] Elizabeth went into Mr. Darcy's arms and nearly wept at the ease with which all this had been accomplished."

What do you think? I don't think that sounds like Elizabeth. So I will stop thinking of her as the same Elizabeth Bennet and enjoy the book anyway!

The Experiment

2009-08-19T16:30:00.002-05:00

Three things happened recently (they always come in threes, don't they?) that made me realize how much I miss reading. The first thing was when DH asked me to read a book about leadership. I found it rather frustrating as it was full of cliches and examples that I didn't understand. Perhaps if I were a business professional I wouldn't have minded the cliches, and if I were more familiar with everything and everyone in the world I would have understood the examples (the author used "real-life" people in his examples to make a point. The problem was that I didn't recognize the names and he didn't explain the example), but as someone who enjoys fiction (or historical fiction at best), I got very little enjoyment out of the book.

The second thing that happened was when a friend asked if I wanted to borrow a book she had recently finished. I declined, saying that I don't make time to read anymore. I didn't want the book to sit on my shelf, unread, when I knew another friend wanted to read it. It made me sad to turn down a book.

The third thing was a blog post by a friend who recently got a job working at Borders. She says, " I was having a hard enough time keeping up with the books I knew about; now I discover there is a whole world of books I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW EXISTED that I also want to read!" And I realized how much I miss reading.

I used to read all the time, and haven't been reading much since I quit working and starting staying home full time. While I was working, I would read during my lunch break. I took a 30 minute lunch break so as to be able to get off sooner, and I only read during that break. Thirty glorious minutes to lose myself completely in a different world. Once I started staying home full time, I found that without the 30 minute constraint, I would neglect everything else (okay, except for the baby) to read until I'd finish the book. Or if I tried to limit myself to just reading in the evening before bed, I couldn't sleep because my mind was racing. It just didn't work. And so I stopped reading.

But, like that fateful cup of coffee the other morning, I've succumbed to temptation. DH worked at home today, so while Z was napping, I snuck off to the library (I didn't really sneak out, DH knew I was leaving). I picked up two books: Pemberley by Emma Tennant (a sequel to Pride and Prejudice!!!) and Welcome to the World, Baby Girl by Fannie Flagg (author of Fried Green Tomatoes..., the movie version of which we recently watched). I'm really looking forward to both of them, but I have to learn to read in moderation so I can still keep bellies full and the house in a reasonable state of cleanliness. So it's an experiment. If I do well, I get to check out more books, or maybe even spend some Borders gift cards I've got in my wallet. The books are due Sept. 9 (Z's 2nd birthday!), so hopefully I'll be giving you an update around that time. If I'm not ignoring this blog and everything else while voraciously devouring books.

Random

2009-08-17T12:55:00.003-05:00

I have written so many blog posts in my head, but I haven't been taking the time to sit on the computer to type them up. Or, when I DO get a chance to sit on the computer for a while, I can't remember what I wanted to write about! So here's a catch-up, rather random, whatever-occurs-to-me sort of thing.

I'm back on coffee, after 6 months of being coffee-free. But I'm not drinking full-strength caffeine: of the three scoops I put in the machine, two are decaf. So that's not so bad, right? (I'm just not going to tell Mary Anne...)

Julie is taking DH and me to dinner on Saturday. She asked for suggestions, then rejected everything DH brought up saying they weren't fancy enough (!). We decided we couldn't bring Z along to such a fancy restaurant. The plan is to wear an outfit such that it's very obvious it's a pregnant belly, not just a fat one, and let that start the conversation, then we'll have a couple pictures of Z on hand to show her. She'll get to meet him the following week at the shindig she's hosting at her house for all of her ~~labrats~~ ~~employees~~ for all of the people who work in her lab.

Z climbed out of his crib again the other day. I heard the sound of legos as I walked past his room, so I looked under the door and saw cute little feet running around. But that was several days ago and he hasn't done it since. We have security measures in place to keep him contained to the upstairs if he does crawl out again though (gate at the top of the stairs, gate across the computer room, and doorknob covers on the bathroom doors and my closet). These security measures also make it possible for me to get housework done upstairs when he's awake.

DH keeps asking me what I think of the three possible job locations: Huntsville, Sylmar, and Mountain View. Problem is that I don't see the point of spending any more energy on the question than we've already spent until we get some offer letters. Why get all excited about a location, just to be disappointed by an inadequate offer letter? Or get a better offer for a different location? We already got all excited about one location, and then not a single company applied to returned the interest, so that location isn't even in the running. I only have so much energy these days, so I have to prioritize what I want to spend it on.

Which brings us back to the coffee. For some people, coffee (caffeine) keeps them awake. For others, it doesn't have much of an effect (DH claims he's one of these, though I beg to differ). For me, it energizes me. Case in point: a few days ago, while DH was off in CA for an interview, Z and I had McD's for dinner. I had a large sweet tea. I refilled the cup before we left. At 10 o'clock at night I found myself enthusiastically folding laundry and putting away clothes, after having cleaned the kitchen till it sparkled and scrubbed our bathroom till it shone. I didn't fall asleep until closer to midnight that night. (At first I thought it was the famous nesting instinct, which had me washing baby clothes at 6 am one morning while pregnant with Z, but then I remembered the sweet tea.) So the next morning I made coffee (2/3 decaf 1/3 reg) and vacuumed the downstairs, scrubbed the kitchen floor, and cleaned the other two bathrooms. And so I've decided it's not worth forgoing my beloved coffee in the morning anymore. The baby has developed past the critical stage where caffeine is scariest, and I'm actually getting my chores done these days.

Speaking of the baby, we've come to a naming impasse. One of us would like to name him Patrick. The other would like to name him Daniel. Neither of us seems willing to budge. (Actually I think a compromise would be acceptable, but nothing worthy has presented itself). The funny thing is that the person who likes Patrick (person A), hated it when we were expecting Z. It was actually person B's favorite name, but A talked B out of it. Now that we're expecting our second one, A has decided that Patrick isn't really so bad after all. But B was talked out of it so completely that B doesn't like it at all now. Besides, B claims that it "feels wrong for this baby" while Daniel "feels right". So we're stuck. I'm thinking of emailing the question to friends and family and getting their input, without identifying which one of us prefers which name. What's preventing me, however, is the fear of negative (as in, trying-to-talk-us-out-of-the-name) comments about the name I like. So I haven't done it yet.

We've pretty much decided on a middle name (I think), but are keeping quiet about it to most people, because SOMETHING has to be a surprise when he's born!

When I picked Z up from the church nursery last week (not yesterday, but the week before), the kids were being watched by two older gentlemen. One of them apologized for not knowing how to use cloth diapers and that the "fancy diaper job" I'd find was his. I'm used to people not knowing what to do. I should probably invest in some all-in-ones for this next baby. Anyway, after we got home and it was time for a diaper change, I found Z in a disposable diaper with the diaper cover over it. (The diaper cover is waterproof, since moisture would just soak through the cloth diapers into the clothing without a cover.) The guy wasn't kidding when he said he didn't know what he was doing! But I didn't think of it again until yesterday at church. The same guy apologized again and told me that he owed me for a cloth diaper. Turns out, he had thrown the cloth diaper away! In the trash! Cloth! As if it were disposable! (THIS is why there should always be a woman in the nursery! Or at least a competent father) I didn't really know what to say. I hadn't noticed because I don't count my diapers (why would I need to?). Fortunately he didn't throw the cover away! Those covers are at least $10 each. The diaper cost a little more than $2, but you can't get just one, and you have to get them online, which means you have to pay for shipping, and I don't really expect him to pay me back. Just one of the risks of using cloth in a disposable world I guess!

Remember that guy who came into our church one day and got my address? Well it didn't stop after just one letter. He called the church office asking for my phone number (they didn't give it to him, thankfully), and he's sent me three letters since (none of them with adequate postage. I should take them to the post office and ask about that...). I was considering writing back to him and asking him to stop sending invitations to me, but I haven't decided if it's worth the stamp.

DH has new laptop fever. We currently have one desktop computer (which is technically "mine") and one laptop (which was supposed to be "ours" but turned into "his" because he takes it to school). The laptop has a 17" widescreen and is rather heavy (it's like a portable desktop). Now that he's looking at a new job that will not require and may even prohibit using his personal computer for work, he's ready to get rid of the behemoth and get something smaller, lighter, and with a longer battery life. So we've been to Office Depot and Best Buy looking at the computers on display. We've configured laptops many times over on the Dell and HP websites. We've scoured the web for what good deals are coming up. I think he knows we can't afford to get one for at least a little while, but now that he's gotten started, he can't stop thinking about it. He thinks we might switch computers - the desktop would become his so he can do his programming on the 20" widescreen and I would get the small, light, portable laptop so I can keep up with whatever computer work I have without having to wait for naptime. It sounds like a good plan. But the desktop was never really "mine" after we moved here, and I know the new laptop wouldn't stay "mine" either. What bothers me about sharing a computer is that we have different organization styles, and he likes to install programs, which leaves me with a cluttered computer full of programs I don't use. We'll see. We probably do need to downsize the laptop. The thing is too hot and heavy to use on your lap, and if we sell it now we might get as much as $500 for it. I think if we DO get a small laptop, and we DO "switch" computers, I'll create two accounts on "my" laptop: one for me and one for him, so at least he can't clutter up my half.

My Mary Kay representative got herself promoted to a Directorship position, so she's giving free facials to all her current customers. I'm kindof excited! She'd love for me to bring a guest or two, and is offering free stuff for doing so. I've asked a couple friends if they'd be interested, but I'm not really sure they would be. We'll see.

Yesterday was our 6-year anniversary. How did we celebrate it? We played board games all weekend and then went over to a friends house for BBQ/bible study last night. We have a gift certificate for a restaurant ($25 gift certificate that I paid $2 for at restaurant.com), but we haven't felt motivated to use it. Is that weird? (yes, it's weird). Thing is, we went out for DH's birthday (8/10), DH ate out almost the whole time he was in CA for interviews, Z and I ate out a couple times while he was gone (although he ate at sushi and mexican restaurants and we had fast food. Not the same category of "eating out" in my book!), and then Julie's taking us out on Saturday and hosting everyone the following week, and we couldn't pass up bible study because getting together with our friends is so much fun and we don't have that many more opportunities since we're moving soon, and so we haven't felt like using up this fantastic gift certificate! It's rather funny, actually. It's good for a while yet, so maybe we'll use it when we're getting ready to move and don't want to buy any more groceries. Or maybe to celebrate getting/accepting an offer letter.

Well, this has probably turned into a long enough post to make up for my lack of recent posts. And I'm hungry. Time for a snack. Haha, you should hear Z say "snack"! He only says the first part: "sna", and he makes it so nasal, it's hilarious! He even scrunches up his nose while he says it. His vocabulary is exploding, by the way. He's adding new words every day, and just gobbles up the time I spend to teach him something new. The other day we went over the facial features: eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, over and over and over and over. Good fun. My favorite new one recently is "chee", as in "change". It means "I need a diaper change". I love that he's aware and comes TO me now!

Okay, I'm really done now :)

Health Insurance

2009-08-06T15:56:00.005-05:00

Since DH is graduating this month, his health insurance will be ending. Even though it's been paid for through the end of the month, the school is cutting it off next week, because he's technically no longer a student next week (his advisor isn't very happy about THAT, since she's the one who paid for it). So we've applied to add him to my policy.

I've had this policy since Nov. 2007, so almost 2 years. They called me today with some "medical questions from the underwriters" - questions about MY medical history, even though I've been on this policy for almost 2 years now! They were asking about 2 prescriptions I had had filled in July 2006. July 2006? That's THREE years ago! One prescription was for Valium when I had Lasik surgery, so they weren't worried about that one. The other was for a drug that's often prescriped for psychosis. I didn't know that at the time it was prescribed for me. I had been suffering from chronic headaches and finally went in to see a doctor. He immediately prescribed this nasty stuff. I took it for about three days. It made me dizzy and uncomfortable, so I threw the rest out. I've never taken it since, and I've never gone back to that doctor. (What kind of doctor prescribes medication like that to someone in her twenties FIRST THING anyway??) Two months later, a chiropractor solved my chronic headache problem without drugs. I haven't had chronic headaches like that since, but the nurse on the phone wanted to know: How long had I been having the headaches before the medication was prescribed? What is the dose of my medication now? How frequent are my headaches now? Have I ever been hospitalized for headaches? Etc.

What I don't understand is why they're asking these questions NOW. The headache problem has been gone for almost three years now, I've been on the policy for almost 2, how is this information relevant? I could understand if I were applying for a new policy, but I wasn't. As a matter of fact, the application is for MY HUSBAND. They didn't ask me a single question about his medical history.

I figure that they're going to totally mess up my policy. They may or may not add DH, but they'll drop Z (because he wasn't listed on the application because, again, it was simply an application to ADD SOMEONE), and they'll raise the premiums because of this "pre-existing headache condition". If they do, I'll call and complain, and then drop the policy as soon as the health insurance from DH's new employer kicks in. They'll think I'm dropping it because I'm dissatisfied with their service, and while I would be, they don't have to know that's not the reason I'm dropping it.

(Before I publish this though, I want to add that I would MUCH RATHER go through this than be on Obama's health care plan. A bureaucrat may decide whether to insure me or not, but I don't want bureaucrats deciding whether to approve a procedure or medication for me, thank-you-very-much.)

"Update" sounds like such a good thing!

2009-08-05T15:42:00.004-05:00

I updated my iPhone OS to version 3.0 last month and have had all manner of trouble ever since. I wish I hadn't updated!! Why don't companies release an OS version that's all ready to go instead of one that's full of bugs? I'm really frustrated.

The problems:

The update removed the restrictions I had installed to prevent the phone from connecting to the data network, since we weren't paying for the data service. This resulted in $200 worth of data downloads before I realized what was happening and reinstalled the restrictions.
OS 3.0 causes overheating problems. Result: loss of battery life. I can barely get through an entire day without needing to recharge.
Whether it's the overheating or something else, iTunes cannot read the information on my phone, which means I can't sync with my computer, which means I have no backup of the info on my phone.
Last time I tried to sync, iTunes removed all the music off my phone. It's still on my computer, but I no longer have music on my phone (although the memory indicators show that the music files are still taking up space on my computer.)
Starting this morning, my phone does not ring when someone calls it. I don't know I've received a call until the notification of new voicemail comes through. And the phone does not show that I've missed a call.

DH left for CA this afternoon (interview) and Z went down for a nap (though he's not sleeping, little booger). I decided it would be a good time to try to fix some of these problems. I stopped when I was referred to this website. Like I'm going to try to figure out what it's saying while my computer-guru husband is 2,000 miles away!! So I'm just going to make-do until hubby gets home.

On a positive note, I called AT&T Wireless Customer Service regarding the $200 worth of data downloads. I applied a combination of the "polite persistence" technique and the "playing dumb" technique and talked the bill down to $30. (What she did was sign me up for the data plan at $15/month and back-dated it to include the data usage from last month, so it's $15 for last month, $15 for this month, and it'll be $15 for each month forward unless we remove the service. Since this month is paid for, we'll keep it on and decide what to do later.) I was actually quite impressed with the quality of the customer service. She even admitted when she didn't know the answer to a question! ("So how do you know," I asked, "whether it was really my phone downloading the data?" They have no way of knowing. I could have claimed it wasn't my phone.)

Well, that boy is refusing to sleep and sounding like he'll cry himself hoarse, so I guess I better get up and go get him. Sigh. I was looking forward to a couple of hours to myself this afternoon. Oh well!

The only titles I could think of were terrible cliches

2009-07-30T10:48:00.003-05:00

It's gloomy today and has me feeling all nostalgic (or perhaps it's because I'm home again after being away)

The radio is playing the same songs we listened to when we first moved to Nashville (why don't Christian stations have more songs?), so I keep thinking about that little apartment we were in and we didn't have kids and I was looking forward to starting my first full time job.

The weather is cooler, and cloudy, and reminds me of fall and going back to school. I keep thinking about those First Day of School days.

I stand in my backyard with my pregnant belly and keep thinking about standing in that same spot with a pregnant belly two years ago (is Z really almost TWO??).

Why do we get sad about time passing? Why do we look back and long for "the way things were"? There's so much ahead to look forward to! For us, it's the end of DH's graduate journey: he will receive his doctorate on August 7. We will be leaving Nashville, as there are no job prospects here for him but plenty in other places. Though sad, we're excited about moving to a new city. And we have a new little one on the way, who is going to change our lives as completely as Z did when he arrived. So why do I keep dwelling on the past? I'm letting the lack of sunshine get to me. (This is why moving to the northwest would be so difficult for me).

Well, Z is awake and loud, so I better get him out before he destroys something or hurts himself. I bet he'll help pull me out of this funk :)

I gots me some internet

2009-07-27T19:01:00.003-05:00

I'm at my aunt and uncle's house right now because they have high speed internet and I need to check in to my flight 24 hours before the flight so I can get good seats (Southwest doesn't have assigned seating). So I'm sitting here, waiting for the minutes to count down, and I feel like I SHOULD write a blog post. Because I've been completely disconnected from the internet for almost an entire week and I have internet right now, so shouldn't I be taking full advantage of it?? So I sat here for a few minutes, trying to think of a topic, and nothing occurs to me! So you're reading a blog post about nothing. I won't blame you if you don't comment. Z and I fly home tomorrow evening (we get home close to 1 in the morning). I should have some more interesting blog posts for you after we get back in the routine.

In the meantime, you'll be glad to know that I got A seating, position 37 for my flight (that will make sense to fellow Southwest fliers) and it's a direct flight, though we do have a stop along the way. (So all that means is that we don't change planes, unlike our flight out here.)

Okay! That's all I've got! Talk to you later!

Don't I know not to talk to strangers??

2009-07-16T07:06:00.008-05:00

Last Sunday in church, an older gentlemen I had never met before came up to me after the service and said, "If you give me your name and address, I'll send you a written invitation." He had just been speaking with DH who walked away, so I assumed this guy had said something to him about asking me this. I asked him what the invitation was for and he handed me folded up wadded stack of about 3 sheets stapled together. I flipped through it and it looked like a handout/worksheet with questions that had not been filled out. I asked again what it was and he said, "Toastmasters." I told him I wasn't familiar with what that was, what is it? And he said, "Public speaking."

Now, although I had never met him before, I figured he was one of the older folks in our church - there are several I've never met or only met once. And he had just been talking to DH, so I thought HE was clued in on what was going on. For some reason, I assumed this guy had told DH he wanted my address and DH had agreed. Which is why he walked away. All was well. So I gave the guy my address. After all, we're in church, that should be a pretty safe place, right? (do you like my foreshadowing, btw?)

After I finished writing my address, I stood there holding his pen (trying to give it back) as he explained that he would be at Golden Corral (an eating/entertainment type place) on Tuesday evening at such-and-such time. Then he abruptly turned away and began speaking with two gentlemen (who I know are in our church). I stood there a moment, wondering if he was going to come back, thinking it might be rude of me to just walk away. But DH was on the other side of the sanctuary, gesturing for me to come so we could go get LB and get some lunch. So I walked away.

DH and I discussed the guy as we were walking out and it turned out that DH did NOT know he wanted my address. As a matter of fact, the guy wouldn't have spoken to DH at all had DH not said hello to him first! Upon seeing him walking down the aisle after the service, DH thought the same thing I had: an older gentleman in our church whom we hadn't met. So he said hello. The guy stopped and asked DH, "Do you know me? How do you know me?" The conversation didn't last long and then DH walked away. He had no idea that this guy apparently had a purpose in talking to me. I was rather upset. Looking back on it, I felt preyed upon. This guy had obviously come in from the outside, saw me on stage (remember I'm part of the worship team), and decided to ask for my personal information. And like the naive girl that I try not to be, I gave it to him. I felt DH should have been there to protect me. So I prayed that the guy wouldn't use my address in any strange way. (Can you imagine him showing up at my door while DH is at work and it's just LB and me at home? THAT'S why we have a peephole! They're not installed by the builder, but we paid a guy to put one in. Custom placed for my height too.)

Then yesterday an envelope arrived in the mail with this letter inside (click to enlarge):

So the guy wasn't completely off his rocker: there really IS some program going on at Golden Corral next Tuesday. But look at that handwriting. It looks like it was written by either a 10-year old or a 90-year old (or someone who had suffered a stroke perhaps). And the envelope had two stamps on it. Two stamps of 28 cents each. With no return address. I'm a little comforted that he told me the truth when he asked for my address. I'm a little disconcerted by the binder paper. But he did put quite a bit of effort into it! Even gave me HIS address. (We looked it up: within walking distance of the church). Yes, I blacked his address out. Just because I'M silly enough to give my address to strange men doesn't mean I should post HIS address on the internet for ALL the weirdos. (See how I flatter myself that I should worry about weirdos visiting my blog!)

So I think this story ends well. Nothing horrific happened. I figured out later what I SHOULD have said. As soon as he asked for my address I should have ignored the question and said something like, "I don't believe we've met. Are you a member or been attending here long?" And then if he continued to press for the address I should have gracefully declined. But at the time, I was operating under false assumptions (namely, that DH knew what was going on.) In the future I'll be prepared! And no, I'm not going to the "program". We looked up Toastmasters online. It does exist and it IS public speaking. But the list of events does not show anything at the Golden Corral next Tuesday at 6pm (perhaps he's senile and is inviting me to some event that USED to take place). Besides that, I'll be out of town, having flown out that morning for CA!

It's called a "sticky"

2009-07-13T18:01:00.004-05:00

That "post" at the top? Isn't really a post, it's called a "sticky", like a sticky note. But I figured it was the best way (besides calling and emailing, you know, those touchy-feely communication methods) to keep family and friends updated. I'm not entirely sure how many of our family and friends regularly visit my blog, but the info is here for whomever happens to stumble this way. And having it passively available is a really easy to alleviate my guilt for not calling/emailing ;)

Fireflies

2009-07-10T20:34:00.001-05:00

It's early evening the day before Fourth of July. The house is full of family who've gathered to celebrate the holiday together the following evening. Several conversations are going on, despite frequent distractions caused by the youngest family member, Zachary, who is not yet two. From his point of view, everyone is there to play with him, and he has very little concern for any conversation they may be trying to have. Grandpa Mark, on the other hand, is excited for dusk when the fireflies appear. He reminds everyone, every couple minutes or so, that the fireflies will be out soon.

It's finally getting to be twilight, and we move outside. We can see fireflies blinking in the bushes. Zachary thoroughly enjoys the freedom he's allowed in the backyard. Auntie Beth and Cameron emerge from the house with plastic containers for catching the fireflies. Grandpa Mark is content to simply watch the fireflies. He wonders aloud why there aren't any fireflies in his homestate of California. "Perhaps someone should smuggle a couple in and see if they'll make it," he suggests, not for the first time. But no one offers to lead the experiment.

The plastic containers now have some inhabitants, and Auntie Beth and Cameron are eager to show them to Zachary. "Here Zachary! Look! See inside? Here, hold out your hand. Open your hand. Now hold still. Hold still. There, see? Oh, don't touch! That's a firefly. Can you say 'firefly'? Oh there he goes! Did you see him glow? He flew away, didn't he?"

The toddler doesn't respond, but his eyes are full of delight and wonder. He stands there a minute, looking around. Spotting Auntie Beth again, he trots over to her with his hand out.

"Do you want another one? Okay, I'll catch another one for you." It doesn't take long for her to find one and put it on the outstretched hand. The little boy is mesmerized.

The evening continues in this way - Zachary finding joy and delight in watching and holding fireflies, the rest of us finding joy and delight in watching Zachary - until the darkness is thick upon us. We finally move back inside and say our goodnights, anticipating an exciting Fourth filled with food, family, and fireworks.

Updates

2009-07-08T14:48:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since my last post! Although we had internet access at my sister-in-law's house, I didn't take much computer time. We didn't keep our schedule too busy, which was nice, and I got lots of help playing with and taking care of LB! Poor DH, however, found himself spending most of the week finishing up his dissertation. We all wished that it could have been finished before the week started, but that didn't work out. The good news is that his dissertation is DONE and has been submitted to his committee!!! (If you're not familiar with the Ph.D. world, I'll just say that this is the BEGINNING OF THE END, which is an excellent thing!) So here's the timetable for his degree:

Dissertation has been submitted to the committee.
They have until July 20th (technically July 19th? not sure) to make any changes/recommendations/complaints/etc.
On July 20th DH give his DEFENSE. This means a 45 minutes presentation followed by a question and answer session that can last as long as his committee wants to grill him.
Following the defense, the committee will deliberate and then inform DH of the outcome: pass or not. Unlike with the proposal, however, it's highly unlikely that he would have been allowed to get this far and not pass, so we're not too worried.
Then the paperwork gets all turned in, I get to explain to DH's advisor that we have a son, and then DH will get his diploma in August.

So with the clock ticking down on DH's time at Vanderbilt, he's been searching for and applying for jobs. So far he's submitted applications to Google and Microsoft in WA and CA and some military contracting companies in AL and while we were visiting family in PA he applied for a positing with St. Jude Medical in Southern CA. One of the Google positins and the St. Jude position came with recommendations from friends, and so far the St. Jude possibility is the only one to respond. DH spoke with an HR representation yesterday, and will be setting up a phone interview in the next couple days. It's very exciting! First of all, we're excited simply that he's gotten a "call back". (You know, you put yourself out there and you're never really sure whether anyone will notice!). It's also very exciting because the work would require the knowledge and experience he has from BOTH of his fields (he has degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science). Finally, it's really exciting because of the location. Although CA IS more expensive in terms on cost of living, it's SO CLOSE to family. Let me help you visualize it (because I'm a visual person).

My parents and his parents are in So. CA, about 3 hours away from each other. The path between them is an L shape (to go from mine to his, you go south, then east). The job opportunity is right at the corner of the L. I'm not kidding. It's as close to halfway between them as you can get! It's more than coincidence, I'm sure.

So we're trying not to get TOO excited, because it still may not work out, but we're definitely excited.

I'm also excited for Friday morning. We have our 2nd trimester ultrasound, and hopefully we'll be able to determine the gender! I hope the baby cooperates :) It's kind of silly, but I feel like so many things hinge on knowing whether it's a girl or boy! Knowing the gender will help us pick a name, decide on whether we're sticking with Classic Pooh or switching to a more pink theme, and we need to know if LB's clothes will work or if we need to ask for girls' clothes!

Speaking of LB, that boy is getting so tall, we need to get him a new car seat! The shoulder straps are too low - they're behind his shoulders instead of above them. We were in Walmart last night and stopped in the baby section to look at the car seats. LB was noisy and pointing and full of saying "please" (in sign language) until we finally figured out what he wanted: he wanted to get in the car seats that were on display! Which turned out to be good, because then we could see if the shoulder strap slots were tall enough. We probably won't get a new one though, not on our budget! So I've found a couple on Craigslist that might work. I'm waiting for the measurement from the seat (where the child sits) to the top strap slot. We decided we need to get one before we move since we'll probably be driving across country and LB needs to have a properly fitting car seat.

So driving across country. It's kinda fun. DH and I have done it twice: from New Orleans to So. CA after we graduated from Tulane (just the two of us) and then from So. CA to here (with DH's folks and brother). This time, however, we would be traveling not only with a toddler, but two cats as well! We haven't spent much time working out all the details yet, since we don't know where we're going yet, but we do know that shipping the cats could costs as much as $1,000. It'd be nice to ship the cats and have movers come in, pack up our house and drive the truck, but we may have to do more of it ourselves, depending on what kind of help DH's new company can give us. So we'll see.

Well, back to unpacking, washing diapers, and other such things.

Prenatal #3

2009-06-26T15:38:00.002-05:00

Zachary and I met with Mary Ann this morning. We dropped Curtis off at work and made it to Mary Ann’s early for an 8:30 appointment (very proud of ourselves for getting all three out the door on time!!). We talked about...[Read More]

What NOT to do with a broken pickle jar

2009-06-25T09:40:00.003-05:00

Our garbage disposal stopped working last week. Wednesday evening, I think. Made noise, no spin. Finally, almost a week later, I started to take it apart. I couldn't get some of the screws, so it had to wait till DH got home. (So we went out to dinner, bummer ;) ). The next day, I took it into the sunshine and managed to pry out the problem. APPARENTLY, you can't put broken glass down the garbage disposal! Who knew?! </sarcasm>

I'm sorry to say that we know exactly who DIDN'T know: DH. It's also how I remember that it quit on Wednesday. See, DH broke a pickle jar that evening. LB was still strapped in his high chair, so we didn't have to worry about him, but apparently we needed to worry about me. I cut my finger on the broken jar. A real macho cut too: tried to take a chunk of skin right off the knuckle of my little finger. Left all manner of blood on the jar, on the floor, and dripping down my leg. So that put me out of commission of helping to clean up. Now, a week after its demise, we see that the pickle jar had two lessons for us: for me, being more careful when cleaning up broken glass; and for DH, DON'T PUT GLASS DOWN THE GARBAGE DISPOSAL!! IT'S A ROCK! ROCKS DON'T GO DOWN THE SINK!!!!

I think my finger's healing just fine, btw. I don't really know because I haven't taken off the bandaid since Sunday. My finger hasn't fallen off or anything, so I assume all's well.

New Blog

2009-06-24T15:31:00.001-05:00

When I was pregnant with LB I had a pregnancy website where I recorded all the goings-on of the pregnancy: prenatal visits, ultrasound, belly photos, thoughts, etc. So I have one again: baby.humphreyonline.us. I like having everything in one place. I may or may not continue with pregnancy posts here, so that site will be the best place to keep up :)

Monday Morning

2009-06-22T13:23:00.002-05:00

(This post was supposed to have been published already. Don't know why it didn't!)

We picked up this folding table and chair (two chairs, actually) for $6 at a garage sale. Love it! It’s susceptible to scissors, so we’ll have to be careful as toddlers turn to preschoolers. I was trying to catch up on dishes this morning after breakfast (our garbage disposal quit. Not happy), and so left LB to his own devices. Fortunately for the both of us, he found something productive to do. If I’d had the camera downstairs, I would have taken video: he was “reading” out loud to himself and pointing to the pictures. And when he’d finished with one book, he dropped it on the floor and started on another one. I think he got through three books before deciding to do something else (namely, hang on my leg). So precious!

Later, when sitting still was no longer appealing, he found the cats to be very entertaining. One escaped to the great outdoors while the other one (who is currently sitting on my lap, making me hot and covering my yellow shirt with black fur) found behind the tv to be a safe haven from the toddler terror.

From fabric to shirt

2009-06-22T10:20:00.003-05:00

Here is DH’s shirt! I took the picture with my phone. My phone takes terrible pictures, which is a little disappointing. Anyway, I think I did a pretty good job on this shirt! Straight lines of stitching, I even remembered to zig-zig seams (maybe someday I’ll have a serge machine). Of course, there are little mistakes, and it certainly wouldn’t win any awards (except maybe a thrift award since I eked it out of so little fabric! I even had enough for a pocket!) Speaking of the pocket, let’s take a closer look – are those FEET sticking out underneath?
There’s a hula girl in his pocket! If you scroll back up to the other picture and imagine the shirt without the pocket, you’ll see that there would have been two hula girls in the front. Yeah, not so much. So even if I’d HAD enough fabric to match the pocket, I wouldn’t have! And I couldn’t quite cover her feet because then the pocket would have been too low and might have looked funny. As it is, it’s a little too close to the sleeve. If I use this pattern again (which I probably will), I’ll put the pocket a little closer to the center front. But the vertical placement is good.

DH really likes the shirt, and declared that it is now his favorite Hawaiian shirt. He also couldn’t get over how cool it felt compared to wearing a t-shirt, and so now he understands why my dad wears Hawaiian shirts ALL THE TIME in hot Bakersfield (CA). (Well, and there’s the fact that my dad’s dad was born in Hawaii). So DH and I are now on a mission to pick up Hawaiian fabric wherever we see a good deal so I can fill his closet with them. So now I just have to figure out exactly how much yardage is perfect: 2 yards was almost too little and 2 5/8 is way more than we need.

Hawaiian shirt fabric

2009-06-19T11:29:00.001-05:00

Somewhere between moving the computers upstairs and packing up "stuff" that's now stored in the garage, I found a bag of fabric. I have lots of materials and supplies from projects started and finished as well as unfinished projects. But this bag was full of materials for a project never started! The date on the receipt was 4/27/2006. Wow. That's three years ago, and I had completely forgotten about it! Of course as soon as I saw the fabric I remembered: DH and I had been at Walmart and saw this beautiful Hawaiian fabric on the sale shelf. We absolutely couldn't resist the pattern and the price. Not having a pattern, however, (and apparently being unable to walk over to the pattern section) we guessed how much yardage we would need for a shirt and bought 2 yards.

So when I found this fabric (again), I kept it in the back of my mind and realized last week that a great use would be to make a shirt for DH for Father's Day! (My family loves handmade Hawaiian shirts. DH has two from several years ago and I can't tell you how many my dad has. California, you know?). I figured I could put it together during LB's naps while DH was at work and surprise him with it.

Well, I didn't get a chance to even begin working on it until after the wedding. We must have picked up (or my mom gave us) a pattern at some point because there was one in the bag. The only problem is that the pattern called for 2 5/8 yards. I thought maybe I could squeeze the pattern on the fabric. I folded the fabric just so for the back piece to not use any more fabric than absolutely necessary, pinned it in place, then tried laying out the rest of the pieces. Looking at the shirt front on the fabric (and needing 2 of them) and the sleeve (and needing 2 as well), I just didn't see how it could all fit. I told my mom as much (she was on the phone trying to help) and we were both severely disappointed. Since I had purchased the fabric at Walmart, I thought maybe they'd still have it and I could pick up another 1/2 yard or so.

The next day, DH stayed home to work (because his advisor was out of town), so LB and I had the car. I told DH I has "some errands" to run and off we went. We went to 3, THREE!! different Walmarts, NOT including the one we normally frequent. None of them carry fabric anymore. They've all succumbed to the reorganization that took over ours several months ago (this reminds me of the Nothing that eats up Fantasia in The Neverending Story). I was, again, severely disappointed. Although LB and I did not come home empty-handed, it was not the successful shopping trip it was supposed to be.

After lunch I decided I really needed to get fabric or I would have enough time to make the shirt before Father's Day. So I convinced DH that LB would take a long afternoon nap since he had had no nap in the morning, and I took off again. I headed to our closest JoAnn's store: 20 minutes away. They had Hawaiian fabric on 60% off! So I picked up my 2 5/8 yards and came home (and LB was still asleep, bless his heart).

That evening, after LB had gone to bed, I pulled out the (newly purchased) fabric and began laying out the pattern. Again, I folded it just so, pinned the back in place, and laid out the other pieces. Looking at the front (and needing two), it just didn't look like it was going to fit! But I knew I had enough fabric this time. So I unpinned the back, unfolded the fabric, and started with the front piece and sleeves, THEN laid out the back, collar (twice), and pocket. All the pieces fit. They fit so well, in fact, with quite a bit of fabric left over, that I had a funny feeling I didn't really need that 5/8 after all.

So, I went BACK to the fabric from 3 years ago, and realized that I liked it ten times better than the stuff I had just bought. Which gave me motivation to spend the next half hour fiddling with the pattern pieces and trying to squeeze them in. It was so close! I could feel it. I knew it would work, but I didn't want to mess up, since I couldn't get anymore of the fabric. After much deliberation (and I mean MUCH), I decided it worth ruining the surprise to have my engineer's help.

So DH came to my rescue. He understood that I had wanted to surprise him, and he assured me that he still felt very special that I was making a shirt for him (and I think he was a little flattered that I needed his help). It didn't take him but a couple minutes to see that everything would fit, if we just put this here and that there and be sure to cut this out first. And so I did. After I cut out the fronts and back, I realized that I could even get the sleeves facing the right way (I had thouht I would need to cut the sleeves out on the cross-grain), as long as the collar was cut out on the cross-grain. Very cool! I was worried about cutting out the sleeves "sideways" because the pattern would go across the sleeve instead of down (think palm trees growing sideways instead of up and down). So that made me happy. So happy, in fact, that I had to call my mom to tell her that I would be able to use the pretty fabric from three years ago after all! Even though we had talked for three hours the day before, we ended up talking for another hour and didn't get off until I'd cut out all the fabric and we'd booked my flight. (But I'll have to talk about that in a different post. Perhaps it won't be as long as these last two!)

So today I've attached the collar and started pinning the sleeves. Tomorrow I hope to finish the sleeves, which leaves all of Saturday (well, as much time as LB or DH-watching-LB will give me) to put in the buttonholes, buttons, and hem. I think it's doable!

The Wedding

2009-06-18T09:07:00.010-05:00

Julie and Scott's wedding was last weekend. It was wonderful!! They put so much thought and effort into planning and organizing it. I'm sure they had help, but it seemed like every detail had been considered. Get this: when we arrived at our hotel, there was a gift basket waiting for us with a selection of local items (candied pecans, blackberry jelly, peach wine), a DVD that was representative of the Deep South (Fried Green Tomatoes), water

bottles with the bride & groom's names and wedding date, a note explaining what was in the basket, and a folder full of brochures for attractions in the area and a schedule of events for the weekend, INCLUDING printed maps/instructions from our hotel to the different venues. Wow. And it was all coordinated: they used the same design & color scheme for their Save-the-Dates, Invitations, the note in the basket, the labels on the water bottles, the bow on the basket, the folder, and the programs at the wedding. Incredible. It was the best job of branding I've ever seen individuals do (you know, branding, like you recognize Coke anywhere because they spend so much money on branding).

The first event was the rehearsal dinner. It was at a very nice restaurant in the downtown area. We were in a private dining area. There were around 50 people at the dinner. It was mostly family and the wedding party, with only a few friends (including us), so we felt very honored to be included. The bride's mom and sister sat at our table, along with one of the groomsmen (who was one of DH's roommates) and one of the bridesmaids, who fell in love with LB. LB behaved admirably throughout the dinner. During the appetizers (which were served buffet style), DH and I refilled his plate with grapes and cheese. He didn't understand why we couldn't get him anymore when they took the appetizers away. He almost lost it, but fortunately the others at the table helped us calm him down. (Oh, dinner was at 6, but we didn't start appetizers til closer to 7, which is LB's bedtime. So we were pushing it a little.) Although "weed salad" is not my favorite (it's supposed to be "gourmet", but I'd rather have romaine or bibb), the salmon was excellent. (I'm not usually a fish lover, but I've been thoroughly enjoying it this pregnancy.) I chose creme brulee for dessert, and it was a little strange. But that's okay. LB ate most of his dinner (which consisted of a side the waitress brought just for him and then whatever appealed to him off mine and DH's plates.) The only time LB really made a scene was right during the groom's father's toast. The gal sitting next to me (the bridesmaid) had given LB a Hall's "candy" to play with. Well, during the toast, he figured out that it could unwrap AND that it was the perfect size to put in his mouth. I had to take it away. He bawled. Right during the speech. It didn't take too long to pacify him with something else though. DH and I left shortly after dessert, since it was long past LB's bedtime. Not before we got to see the bride and groom shower their attendants and mothers and other special individuals with gifts though. They were so generous! I don't know if they got great deals for buying in bulk, or if they've been saving up for this, or if their parents helped, but gave some lovely gifts that night. We were really impressed, again, with how much thought they put into everything.

The next day, LB was up at 7, even though we had had a long day on Saturday. Nevertheless, he was awake and wanted us awake too. DH had a paper he had to work on, so LB and I were on our own until lunch. We decided to go to a park. It was a nice big one, with lots of fun things to do. LB had a ball, and I enjoyed helping him and watching the other people at the playground. It was muggy hot though. Ugh. I don't like muggy hot. At least there was a breeze. We left when a storm rolled in. Got back to the hotel, and by the time we were ready to go get something for lunch, it was POURING. Big, huge raindrops, lots of wind - a sudden, southern thunderstorm. (We've been getting them here too, but they're something completely foreign in CA). We had lunch and then drove around the mall (there are two malls, one indoor and one outdoor. This was at the outdoor one). The maternity store I wanted to go to was closed, it being Sunday and all, but we took advantage of the semi-annual sale at Bath & Body Works to get some of those anti-bacterial moisturizing soaps. (I could probably write a post just about those!). Then we went to the OTHER mall, since it was on the way back to the hotel, and I got to poke through the maternity store there, just real quickly, and then I walked through Sears and found a pair of brown sandals for LB. The ones he has have no traction and he slips and falls on everything. So I was glad to replace those. Then we went back to the hotel to get ready for the evening.

The wedding was scheduled to begin at 5, with seating beginning at 4:30. We got there just > about at 5. Our timing was off because LB had falled asleep on the way back to the hotel and he was out cold. We let him sleep as long as we could and it turned out we let him sleep just a little too long. Oh well. We got there and seated in plenty of time for the ceremony. The American ceremony (what we think of as a traditional ceremony) was held in the courtyard of the historic hotel. There were probably 100 guests or so. The officiant and the groom took their places, then the five groomsmen and the five bridesmaids (all individually), then the bride arrived in an antique car (the courtyard was enclosed on three sides by the hotel and by the street on the 4th). The ceremony was performed in both English and Korean, and wasn't very long. Probably one of the shorter ceremonies many of us had attended. They didn't include any extra elements, and they didn't have customized vows. Then they both got in the antique car and drove away (around the corner, really) while the guests moved inside to the location of the Korean ceremony.

DH and I sat next to one of his fellow BMEs from Tulane (pronounced "beemee", it stands for Biomedical Engineer), so they enjoyed catching up and no one took the three seats next to me, so LB had plenty of room all to himself. Our only complaint was that the Korean ceremony took place on the floor and the guests were all in chairs, so only those in the front could see what was taking place. Oh well. The ceremony lasted about as long as the previous one though we had to wait awhile for it to start because the bride and groom had to change into traditional Korean dress.

After the Korean ceremony we all moved back into the lobby/foyer area for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. LB was fascinated by the cake, although I'm not sure he realized it was food - it was decorated in Nintendo Mario designs and even had Mario figurines (which, we found out later, the groom had had to special order from Korea!). It seemed we were "mingling" and drinking (open bar, don't worry, I didn't have any alcohol!) for a very long time before the bride and groom reappeared (back in tux and white dress) for the first dance. Then it was finally time for dinner. I don't remember what time it was by then, but, again, it was much later than LB normally has to wait for dinner! Fortunately we had brought some crackers that he'd been munching on throughout the evening.

Dinner was buffet style, mostly finger foods, and the plates were barely 6 inches in diameter. Who ever heard of 6 inch dinner plates?? Most people filled two (even 3) plates on their first pass and another one or two on a second pass. The hotel did not have a room big enough to accomodate enough tables for all the guests, so tables were spread out on the balcony, in the lobby and hallway, as well as in the ballroom (which was dominated by the dance floor and live band). DH, LB, and I found ourselves at a little 3-person table in the hallway next to two of the groomsmen (both of whom were DH's roommates at Tulane), and the wife of one of them (or was she his fiancee? We never quite got that straight.) Remember the gal at the rehearsal dinner who fell in love with LB? Well, she wasn't the least bit shy this evening either! She held him and introduced him to who knows who while we went through the buffet line, then brought him back in time to eat. He was so wound up though, that he hardly ate. Too many crackers? Perhaps. I think he mostly had fruit. Then he discovered that he could go UNDER the table and a whole new world of fun opened up. Fortunately (for us), the gal at the next table (wife? fiancee?) came to our rescue. She took LB to go get cake (was feeding him cake a good idea? Perhaps not. Were we thinking these things through? Are you kidding?) So he sat on her lab and she fed him cake, then he tried crawling under HER table. Meanwhile, DH and I enjoyed our dinner, all the while wondering where the irresponsible parents of that wild child were. Didn't they realize their child was CRAWLING UNDER TABLES, for heaven's sake? Tsk, tsk.

Then LB's girlfriend showed back up and asked to take him to the dance floor. Off they went! And DH and I enjoyed cake and conversation. When we finally mosied into the ballroom, we quickly located LB on the dancefloor, dancing away. He loved it! Dancing with someone wasn't his favorite thing, but if one of his (many) partners walked off, he ran over and dragged them back. DH took some videos I'll try to get posted on the video blog soon. So DH and I found a couple of chairs and enjoyed the "show" (are we a couple of old fuddy-duddies or what?).

The gal in the colorful dress is the BME, the gal in black & white is the bridesmaid (aka LB's girlfriend), and the bride is behind the BME, talking to LB. Isn't he cute in his little suit? Here's a view from the front:

By this time many guests had left and most of us who remained had gathered in the ballroom. So the bride and groom did the bouquet and garter tosses, and then we had toasts from the two best men (brothers of the groom, how do you choose one to be "best man" and relegate the other to just "groomsman"?), as well as the maid of honor (bride's sister), and the groom himself (who even incorporated some Korean in his speech. We were very impressed). Shortly after that it was time to go. We all gathered in the courtyard with sparklers and the bride and groom got back in the antique car and drove away (around the corner). Then we went back to the hotel.

On the way back to the hotel, LB fell SOUND asleep. Nothing could wake him up. We changed his diaper and put him in pj's and he hardly moved. The next day we were sad to be leaving. You know how it is: you anticipate an event for so long, it finally arrives and it's fun, and then it's over too quickly it seems. So we took our time packing up, drove by one of the city's attractions, and made a detour to another city in the state where DH is applying for a job.

It was such a short vacation, that I didn't have that "I'm glad to be home again!" feeling, lol. We were only gone 2 1/2 days, and it wasn't a very long drive to get there. We've been enjoying talking about everything over and over, analyzing this and that, remembering different details (the third stage of enjoying an event), etc. Writing this post was a fun way to relive the weekend, though I glossed over some details so it wouldn't be TOO long! Thanks for bearing with me :)

Feed Dogs

2009-06-11T15:35:00.002-05:00

The title is not in reference to any animals, but to sewing machine parts. Are you with me now? :)

I had a little trouble with my sewing machine this afternoon and called a sewing repair center. The guy made a few suggestions, one of which solved the problem (for now). I had called the repair center because I couldn't find any information online regarding my problem. So after I solved it, I wanted to share my experience with others who have the same machine. However, there doesn't seem to be an easily-found forum or other place to share my knowledge, so I figured I'd blog about it instead and hopefully others can find the information (if they need it) through the search engines.

About 4 years ago my mom bought me a fabulous sewing machine. I could list all its wonderful features, but I won't. It's a Bernette 80e for Bernina. I've been very happy with it. This afternoon I was sewing on buttons (not by hand!) which required dropping the feed dogs. So I dropped the feed dogs, sewed on the buttons, all was fine, until I was done and ready to put the machine away. The lever that dropped the feed dogs did not bring them back up. It moved back and forth like it's supposed to, but it felt like it wasn't attached to the mechanism anymore. I took off the faceplate and was greeted with such a collection of lint I figure that was the problem. After an application of pressurized air the feed dogs still would not come back up. So I turned to the internet.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, my internet searches were fruitless. I'm not one for making phone calls, but for some reason I decided to call a sewing repair center. I quickly located (the only) one in my city and called them up. The guy who answered wasn't immediately familiar with my particular machine, but it sounded like he'd heard of the problem before. He confirmed my fears that to fix the problem may require taking the machine apart, which meant paying someone to do it. But he had a couple suggestions first. He recommended fiddling with the reverse lever while using the handwheel, since the reverse lever is connected to the feed dogs in some way (it makes them go backwards).

After I hung up, I sat down and gave it a try. And it worked! The feed dogs came right up. Then I decided to tempt fate: I dropped the feed dogs again, and again, the lever did not bring them back up. But I was able to bring them up again just by using the machine in slow motion. So it seems that my feed dogs and lever need a little tweaking. It's something I'll have to be careful of until we have a repair budget. But at least I know how to manage the problem. And I hope my experience can be helpful to someone else.

So to summarize (and this is probably applicable to most machines, not just the Bernette 80e): if the feed dogs are stuck down, just use the machine in slow motion (i.e., use the hand wheel) to bring them back up. If that doesn't work, try fiddling with the reverse level as you continue to turn the handwheel/push the pedal slowly. If THAT doesn't work, the machine probably needs to be taken to someone who knows how to repair it.

Palatable Tap Water

2009-06-10T08:05:00.004-05:00

We're supposed to drink eight 8oz glasses of water every day, right? (Okay, there's some evidence out there that we don't need THAT much water, but the experts all agree that you can't overdose on water, as long as you don't hold it all in too long.) Now that I'm expecting, my midwife gave me a rather serious talk (scolding? not quite, but almost) on how important it is to drink plenty of water every day.

So, in theory, lots of water = good. In reality, lots of water = not so easy to accomplish. There are lots of tricks out there, but I wanted to share the one that's been most helpful to me in getting those 64ounces down: put a few slices of cucumber in your water! Be sure to scrub the cucumber first, or you can even peel it if you want to. If you put the water in the fridge with the cucumber, the longer it cools, the more cucumber flavor you'll get.

Enjoy!

Fore more great tips, check out Works For Me Wednesday at We Are That Family.

And I thought this would be a short post

2009-06-08T11:14:00.005-05:00

I realized this morning that it's been a week since I last posted. Sometimes last Monday feels like ages ago and sometimes it feels like "didn't I just take care of that yesterday??"

I think part of my problem is I write so many blog posts in my head, that I forget none of them are really here. I need a black box hardwired into my brain, so when I start thinking of something I want written down, it will record it and I can retrieve it later. Wouldn't that be helpful? A little weird, and I certainly wouldn't want it connected to the internet or anything, but I bet I could make good use of it.

Some of the topics of those posts I wrote in my head during the week were more beading (I've completed several more projects, I just need to get them up on Etsy), bargain hunting (I had a most successful hunt this past weekend, from craigslist to garage sales to thrift stores. Fun!), Little Bug (have I told you he can open door knobs now? His favorite one is the pantry. Oh, and he's starting biting. And he destroys everything he touches. We're working on "be gentle!" "be kind!" It's slow-going.), home improvement (I installed the gate I got for free all by myself. It only took 3 times longer than it should have and 4 more holes than needed, which still need to be patched), and sewing (since my machine's actually accessible since we rearranged the furniture, I've been actually using it. The quick projects, like mending, are fun, but more complicated things (like quilting. yes, quilting. why am I quilting something? because I was too cheap to buy pre-quilted fabric. No worries, I've learned my lesson) frustrate me and cause me to leave the project draped over the machine for days on end.)

This morning, in addition to getting caught back up after the weekend (weekends were not meant for doing chores. Just because it makes Monday harder is irrelevant), I'm helping DH with a paper he's working on. He gave it to his advisor (Julie) last Monday. She gave it back to him on Friday, saying that it wouldn't take him very long to make the corrections. She'd like it back by Monday (today). (Who doesn't like a boss who holds something for a week and then wants a three-day turnaround? Over a weekend? Yay!) Well, when we pulled it out and looked at it, it was so covered in red ink, I'm not sure there was any original text left.

Two things happened that caused this: first, Julie forgot what conference she wanted this submitted to (yes, that's a preposition at the end. oh well. except now it's not at the end anymore, problem solved!). She claims she didn't, but she did. And each conference has different requirements/specifications. Secondly, and partly as a result of the first, fully 1/3 of the paper needs to be cut out: it's far too long.

Usually when DH gets a paper back, I enter the corrections for him. Are you familiar with the "review" tools in Word? You turn "tracking" on, and Word tracks all the changes you make, so you or anyone else can look back over the document before "accepting" or "rejecting" the changes. It's the electronic equivalent of editing with a red pen. So I enter all the written corrections into the document on the computer, and DH goes back over them later and makes the paper all perfect (sorta, not really). But THIS time, there's more than just the usual corrections, she wants whole pages reduced to a single paragraph, entire sections moved and combined (and reduced), and these sorts of things are not DH's strong suit. As a matter of fact, writing papers really isn't his thing. So I've agreed to help him with the combining and reducing. I may not be as good at coming up with original content, but I can sure take someone else's content and make it sound good. It's kinda fun too. But it's a lot of work, and if you haven't guessed by now, it's entirely possible that the length of this post is in direct proportion to how much I'm trying to procrasinate this paper thing. Although I can't put it off too much longer, LB's only last so long (and if he takes a long one in the morning, my afternoon is shot). And I can't get up from the computer unless I want to take care of some diapers that need washing. So, back to work. Just as soon as I grab a little snack....

Beading

2009-06-01T10:00:00.002-05:00

Look what I made yesterday!

It didn’t actually take me very long. It came from a kit that had everything included! Well, except pliers and glue. Glue wasn’t a problem, but my beading pliers are in my beading box, which neither DH nor I had seen in quite a while. I spent some time in the garage (which now noticeably less tidy than it was. I can lift things down, but not back up!) and finally found in a box, along with (I couldn’t believe it) a stack of 7 maternity shirts and 1 bra. The eight items that I have been sorely missing for about the last week. I knew I hadn’t gotten rid of them but couldn’t figure for the life of me where they were! The problem was that I had forgotten there are unsealed boxes in the garage, stacked up to LOOK like they’re all sealed and done, but they’re not. There was all kinds of stuff out there that I’d been kinda wondering where it’d gone! But anyway, back to the beading.

The necklace was a lot of fun to put together. All the materials were right there, and it even had illustrated instructions! (okay, the instructions were ALL illustrations with little to no text, but that’s okay). I’m planning on putting it on Etsy. I paid (get this) $3 for the kit on Walmart clearance (wait, Walmart clearance? Is there really such a thing?? I know! Feels like something out of the Twilight Zone! But our Walmart has been reorganizing and needed to clear out some things, even whole departments, so I’ve been taking advantage of the clearance aisles that won’t last much longer.) So I just need to clear $3 (plus tax) and the rest gets reinvested in the store (where “reinvesting” means I get to buy more materials :) ) So I’m hoping someone buys it.

So remember how my beading box was hidden in the garage? I knew mostly what was in it (pliers, scissors, string and wire, other materials, a bunch of seed beads…), but I had forgotten about some things I had finished that were still in there. Look at these!

I had totally forgotten I had made these! I’m excited to put them in my jewelry box and looking forward to picking outfits solely to match the jewelry so I can wear these pieces! I could put these on Etsy too, but I originally made them for me, and they took considerably more time to make than the necklace I just finished, so I’m going to keep them for now.

Best Craigslist Story

2009-05-29T09:38:00.000-05:00

We have a ton of things listed on craigslist. Listing items is free, so why not? It can be a hassle (I'll just say fridge and leave it at that), but getting rid of unwanted items, making a little money, and not having to fill up the trash bin is great.

As I have both bought and sold through craigslist, I have plenty of stories, most of them rather unremarkable in and of themselves. Yesterday, however, I completed a transaction sparked by craigslist that now ranks as my favorite craigslist story and is one worth blogging about.

This was DH's keyboard. It's a nice bluetooth one that came with a mouse as well. We won't talk about the battery-eating mouse, which may or may not be buried somewhere in this house. The keyboard worked fine, but DH wasn't using it and decided to list it on Craigslist for $5.

A gal named Julie emailed me that she was interest in the keyboard. She even brought her laptop with her so computer-guru DH could get it set up. (We weren't able to set it up and the error that was generated makes us wonder what she's got installed on that thing, because it was a very strange error. She didn't mind that we didn't succeed though, and assured us that she had some friends she was visiting this weekend who would relish the challenge.) I remembered to show her my list of other items listed on craigslist (I spent some time on that thing and kept forgetting to show it to people when they'd show up!) and she was interested in the skillet.

This was our main skillet. It's a nice big one, with a non-stick coating and a glass lid. Although heavy, it has the second handle so I can actually lift it when full of food. We used it a lot. But then my mom restocked our kitchen with what we consider to be the highest quality cookware available (if you like low-moisture/waterless cooking). I won't get into Cutco here, but I could. Anyway, we no longer needed this skillet, so it was listed on craigslist, also for $5.

Very cool! Sell off two things to one person! I love it! So I carried the skillet out to her car while she carried her laptop and new keyboard. As she was getting another $5 out of her wallet, I noticed a Safety 1st baby gate in her back seat. The conversation went something like this:

Me: I see you have a baby gate, you must have a little one too?

Her: No, I got that at (some other online something) for $10. The lady who sold it to me said it was easy to use, but it came with software or hardware or something (she shows me a ziplock bag with screws and anchors etc. in it. That would be hardware). I just wanted a little something for my bunny and I think this is more than I need.

Me: Well I think that's about as small as baby gates come, at least height-wise.

Her: Really? Well, I'm just driving around with it. I don't even have a bunny anymore.

Me: (not about to miss this opportunity) Um, do you want to get rid of it? I've got a five right here and and another five on the counter inside - how much do you want for it?!

She was very happy to sell it to me for $10 and I was perfectly happy to trade two items we're not using for one that we kinda really sortof need a lot. And I had just been thinking the other day about finding a baby gate on craigslist! Amazing how things work out. And this is a nice one too! Retail: $40.

The best part (for me) is that the hardware means it can be mounted at the top of stairs, and it swings! (You're not supposed to put pressure-mounted gates at the top of stairs because they can be pushed over. Not good.) So now I just need DH's help in installing it.

Yep, I love craigslist.

Jar Doilies

2009-05-28T09:31:00.001-05:00

I'm going to refer you to my Twitter feed again: the other night I spent the evening watching Price & Prejudice while working on some crochet. I was making covers for the jars of strawberry jam. Giving homemade jam at Christmas is sort of a family tradition. Especially when budgets are tight. I think we've wrapped the jars in the past, and maybe last year we didn't even do that. I don't remember. But this year I've finally got my act together to crochet lid doilies. How darling is that?

Let's get in a little closer. (sorry the pic is a little blurry) I've made four of these. They're made from 4-ply cotton yarn (same stuff as the market bag). They were so easy to make! I only made four because I ran out of yarn. I think it looks Christmassy, don't you? The green ribbon makes it.

This is the one I was working on while ~~watching~~listening to Pride & Prejudice. It took me about an hour and a half. It's my very first attempt at thread crochet! I love the delicate look.
I've been intrigued with it for a while, but never took the plunge. I took LB to Walmart the other day, and couldn't resist spending a little bit of that Craigslist money on a spool of thread. (I got 1000 yards for under $4, so it's not that bad.) I am very pleased with how it came out. The pattern calls for other colors, but I was just lucky that Walmart carried the thread at all. Maybe someday I'll be able to invest in other colors of thread.

Here's a closer look at the top detail. I really like it. It's more interesting than just rounds and rounds of double crochet. (Uses less thread, too).
Somehow mine came out smaller (as in diameter) than the pattern said it would. I was actually using a bigger hook, so I'm not sure how that happened. I suppose I may have been making the stitches too tight, but I would think the bigger hook would counteract that. My other thought was that it was because of the way I made the ring in the center. (here comes the technical jargon that only other crocheters will understand) The pattern, like most patterns in the round, starts with a chain, then joined with sl st to make a ring, then x number of sc in the ring. I don't start my rounds that way any more because it leaves a hole in the center. I found this amazing website called Crochet Cabana where, among other tips such as the invisible finish, I learned how to make an adjustable ring. So no more holes in the center of MY rounds! But, if the pattern was expecting that hole to be there, it would have an impact on the diameter of the doily. DH said the only way to find out would be to cut out the center design and see if the rest of the doily fit the jar the way it's supposed to. I looked at him cross-eyed, wondered if he understand all the ramifications of such an action, and explained that ACTUALLY, the only way to find out would be to make another one, WITH the hole in the center. He thought there were too many uncontrollable variables in my proposed experimental design, but since I'm certainly not going to cut the center out of this one, he wisely dropped it.

So anyway, my first thread crochet project is a success, so I'm encouraged to continue with thread crochet :)

What to DO with all these strawberries??

2009-05-27T09:03:00.001-05:00

We have a smallish patch of strawberries in our front yard.

Where other people would put in flowers, we put in strawberries. Is that weird? I don't know, but being in a townhouse, we only have so much space. Most of the back is taken up with a vegetable garden, a monstrous rosemary plant, irises, and a peony. The strawberries were originally in just a very small part of this plot, but they quickly filled it in and we let them. We even pulled some things out to give them more room. It's not a very big plot, but those plants produce plenty of strawberries! So, what to do with all those strawberries? Why, make jam, of course!

Would you like to help? Of course you would! Let's begin. First, we wash up the jars, lids, and bands,
and put the lids in hot water until we need them.
We also put the wax on low heat to melt. DH's mom uses wax to seal the jars, in addition to the lids and bands. We have learned from personal experience that homemade treats last longer in wax sealed jars than they do in jars without wax, even though the lids and bands are SUPPOSED to seal enough. So we use wax as well. This is the "wax pot". The wax lives in this pot. It's much easier to designate a wax pot than to try to clean the thing out each time. Besides, as we open jars, we just drop the little wax circles in the pot, all ready for the next canning session.

Next we wash and hull the strawberries.

Put the strawberries straight in the Vita-Mix, ready for processing. Technically, you're not supposed to blend the fruit. You're supposed to crush it with a potato masher or other such tool. Part of the reason, according to my mom, is that blending destroys some of the natural fruit pectin. But blending is so much easier! So we blend, but not puree. So there are no chunks of strawberries in our jam (which I don't really care for anyway), but it still has seeds. (This Vita-Mix, btw, is powerful enough to blend up even the seeds! We've made fruit smoothies before that had NO SEEDS!)

The recipe says we need 6 cups of crushed strawberries. How many do we have?

Looks like we're a half cup short. Back out to the strawberry patch! (This is what's so great about growing your own stuff!!)
Yep, there are some red ones out here. Even though I picked all the ones I could find yesterday, there are red ones again today. I really should be out here every day (or every other day at the very least) picking strawberries.
I discovered yesterday that picking strawberries gives me a rash. It's not too bad and goes away fairly quickly, but it's sure uncomfortable, so I'm wearing gloves from now on.

More washing and hulling, how much goop do we have now?
Perfect! The instructions say to measure EXACT amounts, and I'd say we're doing a pretty good job!

So now we heat the crushed strawberries, add the pectin and sugar, boil the mixture, stir constantly, pour into jars, and we're done! Easy!

Okay, maybe not quite THAT easy. It goes quickly, and gets quite hot standing over the stove, so I forgot to take any pictures of the actual jam making process.

DH helped me, and we got the mixture boiled and stirred, and poured into jars without too much incident. Then DH spooned the melted wax on top, I placed the lids, he screwed on the bands, and then we left them on the counter to cool.

Aren't they beautiful? Eight little jars of strawberry-y goodness. Actually the 8th one isn't quite filled, so that's the one we got into for pbj sandwiches for lunch, then with english muffins the next morning for breakfast, and then there was something else that NEEDED jam, and that little jar is just about empty, already.

As the afternoon progressed, we heard little POPs coming from the kitchen. Such a delightful sound! (It's the lids sealing). They all sealed (well, except for the 8th one. I don't think we left it alone long enough to seal...), so they should last a good long while. I guess now it's okay to open the last one left from last year!

Camping

2009-05-26T10:29:00.009-05:00

I don't know if you've noticed or pay attention to the Twitter feed in the sidebar. In two more updates, the camping post will disappear, but it's still there for now. Four days ago, on Friday, we had planned on taking LB on his first overnight sleep-in-a-tent camping trip (car camping). Well, it being a holiday weekend we realized that by the time we were going to arrive at the campground (about 2 hrs 45 min from here), we may not get a spot as it's first come, first served. There are several campgrounds near us, but they all require 2 days advance reservation and 2 night minimum on weekends (3 on holidays). So we didn't plan far enough ahead.

BUT we couldn't just give up! So we "camped" in the living room.
It's hard to see his face in any of the pictures I took of him in the tent, but he LOVED it. He was beside himself this was all so exciting!

We had hamburgers for dinner, and then HAD to have a fire, because, after all, we ARE camping.

Is that the saddest little campfire you've ever seen. It's a very sad little campfire. The briquettes (because we didn't have little pieces of brush etc.) were a little wet, and the wood wouldn't catch. Oh well, it was fun to sit on the patio in the dusk. And LB loved staying up late.

So after we gave up on the fire it was time for bed. We spread blankets in the tent for padding and imported some pillows from upstairs. It's just a little two-man tent (great for backpacking because it's so light), but with three of us (incl. one who wiggles and squirms A LOT) it was really warm inside. DH gave up shortly (I think his excuse was that the cats needed to be fed). After a while LB started to calm down and I was able to slip out. About twenty minutes we checked on him and he was sound asleep.

So LB spent his first night in a tent all by himself! Such a big boy! And we got to sleep in our comfy bed (with my comfy pillow, mmm) - it was a win for all of us! lol.

The next morning Lb woke up raring to go. So we went on our hike (because what's camping without hiking?)
Isn't he cute in his hat, camo shorts, and boots? All ready to go!

Group shot. LB doesn't understand to look at the camera unless there's someone holding it. (Silly cats are the same way. Impossible to get good family portraits at home!) We were only out for about 45 minutes, but I wore my boots (because I like them, that's why) and we had our water. And even though it was rather warm and sticky, we were in long pants because of ticks.
About halfway through, naptime hit.
That's when we turned around and headed back to the car.

Look at that little head! That can't be comfy! DH says they're all rubber at that age, but still! So we went home. It wasn't quite the camping trip we thought it was going to be, but it was a good first time, so when we try to go to a real campground, LB will be a little familiar with the tent etc.

So one of the things that we hadn't spent enough time figuring out was cooking food while camping. We have a backpacking stove, but during the Whitney trip (last summer) it wasn't working quite right. PLUS we don't have any fuel. It's all in California. Well, I was browsing the free listings on Craigslist and came across someone trying to get rid of a gallon of white gas! For free! A gallon! DH is supposed to pick it up this afternoon. Isn't it amazing how things work out like that? I mean, it's free! We've been able to sell off a few things (through Craigslist mostly), so we'll use some of that money to pick up a Colman camping stove.

Wait, whose idea was it?

2009-05-21T21:32:00.001-05:00

"Let's handwash the knives" he says. "Okay, sure" I reply. So I've been handwashing the knives. Last night I made dinner, so he did the dishes. I was putting away the dishes this afternoon and where do you think the knives were - on the drying towel on the counter? No, they were in the dishwasher. I love my husband. I just wish I could understand him.

Blog Award

2009-05-21T08:35:00.000-05:00

Both Laurie at Maybe I'll Blog and Ehart at Hart's Heart gave me this award! I am very honored. Thank you.

Award Rules

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

15 blogs?! I don't even read 15 blogs, so here are my favorites (in no particular order):

Finslippy - A wonderful, satirical look at life and motherhood, even though "She doesn't post much, and when she does, it's just about how crazy she is" ;)

I Am Bossy - Reading Bossy makes me happy. Thank you, Bossy, for getting up at 5 every (weekday) morning so that when I eventually roll out of bed there's a little bit of happiness waiting for me in my RSS reader. You don't know how much I miss you when you don't post something (where miss equals I only spend 5 minutes sucked into an LCD screen instead of 20)

Maybe I'll Blog - Laurie helps me remember that they don't stay little: while I'm changing diapers and singing Silly Songs, she's adjusting to sending her one and only to college. Besides that, she crochets too! (AND she was my first non-family/friend reader :) )

My Husband Stole My Blog - Life with five kids (from ages 11 to 6mos) and a traveling husband leaves little time for blogging, but when she gets a chance the posts are gold. (Truly! I always take something away with me after reading what you've written!)

Hart's Heart - Another mom of five (five BOYS, that is!), Ehart's musings and scriptural interpretations always leave me thinking, even if I don't always comment on her posts :)

Say La Vee - Blackbird lives in a totally different world than I do: tall buildings, commutes, trains, and has a totally different perspective on life, making her posts little windows into a different world.

Thank you fellow bloggers for the time you put into each of your magnificent blogs. Please keep it up!

Weekend Snapshots

2009-05-17T20:12:00.003-05:00

Friday morning LB and I played at a park near Vanderbilt. (We dropped DH off and had time to kill before my chiropractic appt. but not enough time to go home). There was a middle aged man sitting on a seat in the playground, playing an instrument similar to a recorder. He played several tunes, all of them lovely, none of which I recognized. Then he got up and left. He told me (after I commented how lovely the music was) that he stops for a few minutes every day on his way to work.

That afternoon I thought we should have a picnic, since LB and I enjoyed the park so much and DH had had to go in to work. (He got out before lunch though, so not too bad). Also, it was one of the first days without rain!! (And not only without rain, but WITH sun!) So after the chiropractor, we got home, had a snack, then LB took a nap and I put together our picnic and got everything ready. After LB woke up, we were headed out the door, and (I kid you not) the moment we stepped out the door, very large raindrops began to fall. Very quickly. Well, having gone to the work to pack a picnic, I wasn't going to change my plans for a little bit of rain (little bit, hah!), so we headed to the park anyway (different park). But the covered eating area had been booked for a party. So we opened up the back hatch of our SUV and had a tailgate lunch while watching the rain fall! It was great. There was just enough room for the three of us, LB in between DH and me.

Saturday afternoon, the sun came out again, and since LB had spent much of the morning watching DVDs (it was Saturday after all), we decided to take him to (yet another) park. On the way there, a car with Alabama plates was stopped at a stop sign and waved us past. Wondering if perhaps they were lost, we rolled down the window. They were very grateful for the help and were soon on their way. We continued to the park, pulled into a spot, put the car in park, looked in the backseat, and saw the most peacefully sleeping angel face. I laughed out loud. Then we ran errands (well, DH ran errands while I stayed in the car with LB and played sudoku on my phone.) And then it started raining again.

That evening DH and I finally got the stuff listed on Craigslist that we've been meaning to get rid of. We listed 25 items, including that fridge in the garage that never seemed to work. I mentioned in the ad that I wasn't sure it worked. And because we're not sure it works and because we just want it OUT of the garage without having to pay someone to haul it, we offered it for free. Within 2 hours I had 15 emails. By the time I went to bed I had 30. Twenty-four hours later, I had over 70. (If you've never listed anything on Craiglist before, there are many times that a seller is HAPPY to get 2 emails, and hopes that ONE of them will actually show up to buy the item.) Obviously I wasn't asking enough. So even a broken fridge, as long as it's clean is worth something. Oh well. As nice as it would be to make some money off that thing, at least we can be sure that someone will take it away.

On Sunday the forecast was clear, so we played hooky from church and went to the Renaissance Festival. We got there just after 10 (when it opens) and didn't leave until 4:30 (it closes at 5). So much fun! LB enjoyed it much more than he did last year. I've uploaded the pictures to Shutterfly, and there's a video of the full-armored jousting here.

Tonight I'm responding to Craigslist emails, wondering how many of them will stand me up (two, so far), and getting ready to kick DH off Sacred as soon as I post this :)

Goin' to the chapel....

2009-05-16T09:24:00.001-05:00

We finally made our hotel reservations for two nights in Birmingham, AL. We're going to a wedding :) The first of our college buddies. No, I guess we were the first, lol, so the NEXT of our college buddies. But let's go back a bit because I feel autobiographical.

DH is a year ahead of me in school. (was?) We met when I was a junior and he was a senior in high school (different high schools). So my senior year, he was at college. That year, he roomed with Carlos (from the same town, btw), and they hung out with Matt and Scott, who were roommates. The next year (his sophomore year, my freshman year. Yes, I did sorta follow him to school. But that wasn't the only reason I chose Tulane. I majored in French (along with two other majors) and they have an excellent French program and an excellent JYA (junior year abroad) program. In fact, the French program at Tulane was recently rated 6th in the nation!)....where was I? Oh yeah, the next year, the four of them roomed together in a suite: two double rooms (DH & Carlos, Matt & Scott) connected by a bathroom. I was in a different part of campus, in a double room with no roommate because she never showed up.

The NEXT year, the four of them managed to snag an on-campus apartment (VERY hard to get as juniors!): each of them had their own (itty bitty) room, there were two bathrooms, a kitchenette, and a living room of sorts. (There were actually five bedrooms, but they didn't have the same fifth guy throughout the whole year, so that's not important). I got a spot in the newest dorms right across the street from the apts in a suite: a double room and a single room sharing a bathroom. I don't remember the name of the gal in the single, but I actually had a roommate this year. Her name was Julie and she was a year behind me. We didn't really hit it off, and she moved out for the second semester (leaving me alone in a double room, again. This didn't bother me too much, though, as I was rather accustomed to not having a roommate without the higher sticker price.)

That second semester is where you see the connection to the beginning of the post. Although she had moved out of my room, all of a sudden, we were seeing Julie again! In DH's apartment, hanging out with Scott, Carlos, and Matt. Not sure the exact connection, but somehow she became friends of our friends even though she and I weren't exactly friends (not enemies either though, just not buddies). Next thing we know, Julie and Scott were dating, and that's whose wedding we're going to next month. I think it's a fascinating story.

So we're looking forward to seeing all of them again. According to the wedding website, both Matt and Carlos are in the wedding. At first I was a little disconcerted that DH wasn't. But then I realized it's probably because he's already married and isn't there a tendency to not include married folk in the wedding party? Not that it really matters, but I felt better after realizing that.

Julie is half Korean, so, from what I understand, it's going to be a half Korean wedding. We have some other friends where she's full Korean - they actually had more than one wedding ceremony. We enjoyed looking at their pictures and hearing about the customs. I'm looking forward to seeing how Julie incorporates her heritage.

I imagine it's going to be a rather fancy affair. It's at a rather fancy hotel. The wedding invitation highly recommended the hotel for "those in need in accommodation." Um, at $139/night? Sorry, we don't have that kind of budget. We got El Cheapo for $112 for TWO nights. I guess they think their friends and family are making the big bucks now that we've been out of school for 5-6 years? Yeah, NOT US! Or perhaps since they're having the wedding and the ceremony there (and probably the wedding night too), they kinda had to recommend the hotel for guests.

So what am I going to wear? It's in the evening. Exactly how fancy is it? AND, how big am I going to be? Right now I can still fit into all my pre-pregnancy clothes, but in five weeks? I'll be 17 weeks along, and if I remember right, at 17 weeks with LB I was OUT of the pre-pregnancy stuff. I may have to go dress shopping the weekend before (bummer, right? ;) ). At least DH is easy: nice pants, dress shirt, and we'll pack a tie just in case. Oh, two dress shirts - we're invited to the rehearsal dinner. Crud, I need TWO dresses! Or one dress and one skirt/blouse. Prefer dresses though. Well, nothing I can do about it now. No point buying anything till it's a little closer!

Anybody else have now have the song "Chapel of Love" stuck in their head?

Sacred

2009-05-15T11:47:00.000-05:00

DH and I have a new addiction. It's called Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. It's a computer game. One of the things that we really enjoyed doing together in college was play computer games. Specifically, "Hack 'n Slash RPGs" (role playing games). An RPG is one in which your character "grows" as you continue the game: s/he gains skills and attributes, learns things, increases in level, etc. "Hack 'n Slash" means that you spend a good deal of time killing bad guys. Usually fantastical creatures, undead, etc. You know, fantasy. There's magic involved, and a main storyline, as well as lots of side quests. We play in the same game, on the same "team", killing creatures and accomplishing quests together. We started with Diablo II and have played many since (including Sacred I).

This current one we're actually doing a little bit differently: we're not playing together. We're each playing, but not the same game. (Does that make ANY sense?). It's actually rather liberating. When we play together we have to actually COOPERATE. "Hey I need your help over here." "Wait, let's go look at this." "Have we finished this quest yet?" "Whose turn is it to get the goodies?" And we often found ourselves rushing through the game, throwing our character headfirst into a horde of bad guys because "if I don't get some kills, he/she will get all the experience/gold!" It started to get not fun. So now that we're not playing together, all of that went away. We're going at our own pace, able to take our time, use range weapons, complete quests in any order. Much better! But since we're both playing, we can still talk about it and compare notes, as it were. "Have you completed this quest yet?" "Watch out when you go in this cave." "How many health potions did you have to use against THAT guy?"

So our routine lately has been something like this: during the day, DH is at work, I'm at home. During LB's morning nap (okay, quiet time), I try to get all my chores done. During his afternoon nap, I play Sacred. (And if LB doesn't sleep during his morning nap, he sleeps in the afternoon and I get TWO GLORIOUS HOURS to play!). (When LB is awake, of course, I spend time with him, and finish any work that's left.) Then, after dinner, LB is in bed, DH plays Sacred until his time catches up to mine, and I have two hours or so to myself. I pamper my face, paint my nails, read (well, not so much. I have a hard time falling asleep after reading in the evening), whatever strikes my fancy. It's been really nice, actually. Before Sacred, we would watch a movie after LB went to bed, and then it got late and we were overly tired when we went to bed, which made the next morning hard.

The past few evenings, however, DH has had work to do. So I've been playing Sacred while he worked (keepin' him company, you know?) Consequently, I was six hours up on him! Well, he had a deadline on Wednesday, so he stayed up all night to finish the thing, and stayed home on Wed. Which made it feel like a Saturday. So I didn't get nearly as much accomplished. It just makes the rest of the week harder. But I have my iron supplement and fluffy pillow, so now I'm Super Woman, right?

The Pillow

2009-05-14T11:08:00.000-05:00

Night One
The Good
I feel like I slept better. My neck didn't hurt this morning - the pillow actually elevated my head off the bed! SO MUCH BETTER than the pillows I'd been using. I like a fluffy pillow that holds its fluff under the weight of my head (and DH's head and often one cat).

The back support was very nice. The pillow curves at just the right spot that it nestles against my lower back. Perfect.

I felt that my knees and hips were being supported and I was very glad to not have to take the pillow with me when I turned over.

The Bad
It was folded in such a way for shipment that much of the fluff in the very center (where my head goes) was pushed away. My head is still elevated simply by the tension in the fabric, but it's rather hard and puts my ear to sleep. This caused me to wake up several times and have to change positions. Not sure how to fix it.

As mentioned in several of the Amazon reviews, the design of the pillow requires the lower arm to be under the pillow. When I'm on my right side, it's fine. Perhaps because DH is on that side and his divot leaves space for my arm (does that make sense?). However, when I'm on my left (which is the side I prefer to sleep on), my arm feels squished between the mattress and the pillow. Again, not sure what to do.

The Ambivalent
The "arms" of the pillow are narrower than standard pillows, so DH doesn't seem as alienated as when I was using standard pillows between my knees and against my back. This pillow is definitely big, but it's really the height, not the width, that's so large. It looks like there's a full-grown person hiding in my bed!

Another common complaint was the material of the cover. I have to agree that it's not as soft as our sheets and pillow cases, but I wouldn't describe it as scratchy. We'll have to see how it washes up.

The last thing that bothers me only a little bit is that the "arm" that's against my back moves away during the night. I have to reach back and pull it close again. But this could be because I don't sleep very still (just ask DH). As my belly gets bigger and I become more limited in sleeping positions, this issue may resolve itself.

So far I'm pleased and just hope I can find solutions to the other two problems and then it would be perfect.

(As for the iron supplement, it tastes like prune juice. Not too bad, though it has an aftertaste. Fortunately the dose is very small, 2 tsp, and it's taken before a meal.)

I Love You, Amazon

2009-05-13T13:28:00.003-05:00

I ordered two things from Amazon in the last week, and they both arrived today! I'm very excited about both of them, for similar reasons, come to think of it.

The first one (the one that I ordered first) is my iron supplement, Floradix. According to the results of my bloodwork, my RBC (red blood cell) was low. Not alarming, but low. Which fits with what I've been experiencing: fatigue and general lack of energy; decreased ability to concentrate; and decreased endurance during exercise. So I'm looking forward to bringing that RBC up and seeing those problems DISAPPEAR! Okay, they may not totally disappear. I AM pregnant, after all. But seeing a significant, even a minor! improvement would be great. I just hope it's easy to get down. Sometimes supplements and such aren't so pleasant.

The other item I wasn't expecting so quickly. I ordered it on Sunday, and today's only Wednesday! (I should give that merchant a high rating on Amazon.) It's something I wanted during my first pregnancy, but couldn't quite justify. This time, however, I'm ALREADY sleeping with several extra pillows, so DH decided to give me a maternity pillow for Mother's Day. I was so excited when he told me! I had dropped a couple not-so-subtle hints that THAT would make a GREAT Mom's Day gift. He said he had already pretty much decided on it before that, but the hints convinced him :) Being the smart man that he is, he didn't just order one for the sake of having it to surprise me with on Sunday. He let me pick the one I wanted, after long and careful research and deliberation. I decided to go with this one: Todays Mom Cozy Comfort Pregnancy Pillow. I wanted a U-shaped pillow because I switch sides while I'm sleeping, and I don't need to be flipping over WITH a big tummy AND a big pillow. This had better reviews than the others, and it was in our budget. I can't wait to try it! I plan on reviewing it for Amazon, so I'll be sure to tell you more about it after I've been using it for a while. So, again, I'm looking forward to higher energy levels after more restful nights. Here's to no more (okay, LESS) tossing and turning!

Of course, starting with both new items on the same day means it will be impossible to know which one solved my energy issues, if they didn't both contribute. Not a very scientific approach to trying new things. OH WELL!! Whatever makes it easier to get up in the morning and get my chores done during the day so I can play more Sacred! (What is Sacred, you ask? I haven't blogged about Sacred yet?? THAT I will have to remedy).

Ultrasound Images!

2009-05-09T12:48:00.002-05:00

I finally got the ultrasound images scanned! Here's a peek:

Click on the image or click here to see the rest :)

When I arrived at the clinic, the technician called me back to "empty my bladder and get undressed." Um, what? I don't remember having to get undressed for LB's ultrasounds. And I thought I was supposed to have a full bladder? Fortunately, Mary Anne was right there and we quickly cleared up the confusion: being an early ultrasound, the clinic thought they were performing a vaginal ultrasound. But, I'm slender enough, and just far enough along, that we were able to NOT do a vaginal one. Whew! It was lots of fun. LB didn't cause too much trouble. And since Mary Anne was there, the technician felt free to point out things and make comments that she wouldn't have otherwise. All's well. The placenta is partially covering the cervix, so I'm to expect a bit of spotting as the uterus grows, and there was also a small hemorrhage, but it was small and they weren't worried.

Afterward, Mary Anne went over the results of my bloodwork. Everything's great, but my red blood cell count is low. Nothing else was out of whack, so she recommended Floradix Iron & Herbs 17 oz. The best price I could find was on Amazon. So I ordered it and it's on its way.

Well, LB is fussing at the fence and DH has lunch ready. Gotta go!

Slow and Steady

2009-05-09T12:15:00.002-05:00

I was on my way to MOPS yesterday, driving along a two lane road with a suicide lane, going right around the speed limit, which was 40 MPH. In my rear view mirror, the car behind me was right on my bumper. I resisted the urge to slow down (you know, just to see if he'd pass in the suicide lane - wouldn't be the first time). As we neared the intersection, our side of the road adds a lane. The car moved over, passed me, then moved back over in front of me just in time for the stop sign. He turned right, I turned right. At the next intersection, he just slid through the yellow light and I had to stop. (This didn't bother me in the slightest; I needed to put lipstick on.)

Several intersections and minutes later, I was pulling into the turn lane to get on the parkway and who do you think was stopped at the red light, right in front of me? I smiled all the way to MOPS. Just goes to show ya: impatience doesn't get you there any faster!

Where'd they go?

2009-05-04T11:53:00.001-05:00

If you are reading this between now and when everything's fixed, I know my background disappeared. It's supposed to come back. Anytime now. Waiting....waiting....waiting.....

Prenatal #1

2009-05-04T11:03:00.003-05:00

I went to my first prenatal exam with a midwife on Friday. The BEST part, of course, was hearing the heartbeat. There really isn't anything quite like it! Lemme back up though.

There are two midwives in the practice - Mary Anne and Daphne. I saw Mary Anne on Friday. Heather is in training, and she's the one who conducted the exam for the most part. Mary Anne tried not to jump in too much, lol. It was certainly VERY different from a prenatal exam with an OB. For one thing, we didn't do a pelvic exam! It wasn't necessary, it's not required, there wasn't any reason to, so we didn't! We were basically in a bedroom, and we just sat and talked for almost two hours.

Another big difference is that I didn't fill out any of my own paperwork. I was very proud of myself for arriving 20 minutes early so I could get all that paperwork out of the way (you know what it's like to go to the Dr's, right?) Well, we got started right away, and Heather filled out the paperwork as we went along. So much more personal! I always wonder if the doctor really reads through all those questions they make a new patient answer. I'm not always sure they do. But midwives do! That was the bulk of the time. They did want a urine sample, and my weight. But unlike at the OB's, I weighed myself. (I think I should have taken my boots off though.)

Then we listened to the heartbeat. At first all we could hear was my heartbeat, she moved the device around, and it was taking just long enough that I was starting to get worried, when there it was! Strong and beautiful. Mary Anne commented that it was really strong and sounded more developed than just 11 weeks. I told her that LB's heartbeat had always been strong too. I grow strong babies :)

Then they drew blood. Mary Anne had more trouble than anyone who's ever drawn blood from me. And my arm is still bruised. It was probably my worst experience in blood drawing, though it wasn't really THAT bad. I'm just glad we won't have to do it again.

Okay, going back to the first part of the appointment, I did tell them about my tummy trouble. They explained that it's probably just due to the hormones slowing down the digestive system (which I had read about). The pain and bloating was most likely caused my gas. However, some women do suffer from gallbladder and appendix problems during pregnancy. Based on my descriptions it's more likely to be gallbladder than appendix, but just to be sure to rule them both out, I'm to start keeping a food diary of what I've eaten before having an episode (is episode the right word?). So one of my tasks today is to dig up a notebook or something to start keeping track. They also recommended adding papaya or papaya pills and/or acidopholus (you were right Laurie!) to my diet.

We talked about water intake. I'm supposed to drink 64 ounces of water a day. I think most days I'm lucky to get 12. And gatorade doesn't count! Bummer. They said putting cucumber, lime, or lemon in the water helps (though not all at the same time!). Do I have water next to me as I'm blogging here? No. Bad girl!

And exercise. I'm supposed to do cardio exercise 3 times a week. And chasing LB and going up and down stairs and doing housework doesn't count. (Which seems silly to me. Seems like anything that gets my heartrate up should count.) So I did some Wii exercises this morning. I have to do it when LB's asleep or all he wants to do is stand on the balance board and I can't do anything, lol. I started with yoga and just holding the pose got my heart pounding. Yoga's not supposed to be a cardio exercise, is it? Maybe I DO need to be doing more exercise...

And we're scheduled for an ultrasound on Wednesday to determine an accurate due date. Even though I know when my LMP is, because I don't know the length of my cycle (28 days? 30? 26?), the calculated due date isn't necessarily right. I've never been good at keeping track of that sort of thing and the only reason I'm sure of my LMP is because I had downloaded an app onto my phone! Otherwise I'd be guessing at that too. (terrible, I know). So, Mary Anne would like a more accurate measurement, which is an early ultrasound. Also, having the clinical data (i.e., early ultrasound) to confirm my due date will also help the care provider I choose wherever we go next - he/she will feel much more comfortable taking me on as a new patient towards the end of her 2nd trimester if it's not just my word they're relying on (did that make sense?) I'm excited to get to have an early ultrasound. We didn't do one until 18 weeks with LB (there was no reason). It'll be too early to determine the gender, but that's okay.

Let's see, what else? They encouraged me to bring LB to the appointments. It will help him understand what's going on ("there's a baby in Mommy's belly!"), though I'm never sure how much gets through! He does understand more than we think he does though, that's for sure! I'm glad they want him to come. It'll also be easier on us: DH doesn't HAVE to be home when I have an appt. (if he can't come too), and if he IS at home and decides not to come, he'll be able to get things done. So that's good.

The bottom line is that midwives are much, much more personal than an OB. We talked through all of medical history. They devoted two hours to me! And I was NOT rushed out the door when we were done, even though another patient had arrived. It was just my first appt, but they're already sad I'll be leaving before the baby's born, and told me if I don't tell them when I deliver, they'll put a hex on me! (j/k, she didn't mean it. LOL, it was one of those times when someone says something because they're comfortable and then they immediately realize it could be misinterpreted or offensive, so she was overly apologetic. I suppose, in retrospect, I'm glad she said she didn't mean it, because it would be a little creepy if someone you've never met before says, "...or I'll put a hex on you" and then they don't say whether they were kidding or not. Anyway. Where was I? Oh yeah, more personal) And they explained how they'll help me research a care provider wherever we go, they'll help me interview them over the phone, and they'll give me hard copies and a CD copy of my records. (A CD copy allows me to email my records to prospective providers). I don't know for sure, but I don't think an OB would be quite that helpful.

Stay tuned for ultrasound pictures because you KNOW I'll be posting them :)

A Very Restful Monday

2009-04-27T13:28:00.009-05:00

We kept LB up till 10 last night; he usually goes to bed between 7 and 7:30. We were with friends. We had put on a VeggieTales video and we were playing board games and having fun. So LB got to stay up late. This morning he woke up a little later than usual, but not by much: a little after 7.

Then around 9 this morning he was in need of a nap, so I put him down. He slept for four hours. I knew it was going to be a long nap! (I got to do all kinds of stuff, with the house to myself and LB asleep!) A little after 1 when I checked on him (for the tenth time it felt like) he was more or less awake. But he didn't want to get out of the crib. I switched the laundry and did some other stuff, but he still didn't want out. So I pulled the side back up and left, with the door partially closed. After a few minutes I very sneakily peeked back in.
He's sitting there, very happily sucking on binky, holding on to blankie, and playing with books. I zoomed in with the camera to get a closer shot.
He saw me! I guess I wasn't as sneaky as I thought!

He still doesn't want out though. He's still in there, talking to himself while I'm in here. On one hand I feel like I should pull him out, insist that he get dressed (it's 1 in the afternoon!!), and get some lunch. On the other hand, why should it be a fight? He wants to sit in his crib a little longer, what's wrong with that? Lunch can wait. Clothes can wait. I'm sure I can find something to do for a little while longer ;)

OB/GYN

2009-04-23T11:25:00.003-05:00

As you know from a previous post, continuing with my previous OB, Dr. Link, was out of the question. So began my search.

I began with Google searches and found a (large) list of all the OB/GYNs in the area. I randomly picked a couple and wrote down their phone numbers. I also found contact information for the OB/GYN clinic at Vanderbilt and some other clinics in the area with nice web pages. It was rather overwhelming, and I didn't entirely like the idea that I was going to end up with a doctor effectively chosen by closing my eyes and pointing at the phone book page.

I was debating about including the (financial) numbers here, because I wasn't sure it was necessary, but then I thought that if I'm going to put in the effort to blog about it, I might as well include ALL the information because I've shown up in search engine results before, and as a searcher, how helpful is a blog post on the exact topic you're searching if it's just a bunch of vague references?

(Yes, that is ONE sentence. I got skills.)

Here are our baselines: Dr. Link wants $2500 up front. That includes all the office visits and the delivery. It does not include lab work, ultrasound(s) or hospital etc. costs. The imaging place where we had LB's ultrasounds done charges $380.

I called four other offices, plus Vanderbilt.

Option 1 (Vanderbilt) is $9,000 (but that includes the hospital costs (since they ARE a hospital, you know), so it's hard to compare.). They take $500 at the first visit and $150-$200 at each visit after that.

Option 2 is $3,040: $500 at the 1st visit and $100/visit after that. They gave quotes for some of the other costs: $400 for ultrasound + reading (whatever that means) and $500 for labwork (ouch!!).

Option 3 doesn't do OB anymore, just GYN, but they gave me phone numbers to two other places (places, btw, I had found online - nice websites, but no contact info! Just a form to fill out and then THEY would email ME. Nuh-uh, I want to be in control of when I talk to these people!)

Option 4 is $3,300: $1,000 at the 1st visit and the rest due by 28 weeks. That includes one ultrasound (nice! except for wanting 1g at the 1st visit, not so nice).

Option 5 is $3,000, but has a 10% discount if a cash patient: $350 at the first visit and over $300 at each subsequent visit (yikes!).

The five options are more reasonable for our situation than Dr. Link's policy: We'd rather pay-as-we-go than put it all down and hope for a refund.

We decided that option 2 was the best (financial) choice. So I called to make an appointment. In the course of the call, I tried to verify that they were still at X location. "We don't have a location there anymore, we're only in this other city that's really far away now." (no, that's not REALLY what she said, but kinda.) Bummer. I called DH and we discussed (briefly) and decided that the 20-30 minute drive wasn't THAT bad, just because it's a place I've never been before and seems sketchy in my mind. So I made the appointment. Tuesday. At 10 am.

The day before the appointment (so that would be....Monday), a new thought occurred to us: midwives! They're not "doctors" - they don't go through the same type of schooling, so maybe they'd be less expensive.

So Monday morning I'm on the internet, looking up more phone numbers. Since the OBs were all awfully similar, we decided I only needed to call a couple to get an idea. So I picked three (randomly, for the most part), and called. .

The first one didn't answer. Her answering machine message suggested that email would be more effective. I left a message and also sent an email.

The second one didn't answer. I left a message.

The third one answered and the information she gave me almost knocked me out of my chair: $200 at the first visit, $80 at each visit after that; labwork $209, ultrasound $100 (1.5 hour drive though). Wow. Can I say that again? Wow. I made an appointment right then and there (May 1st). Okay, so it's a 30 minute drive. But it's in a MUCH nicer city than that other one. So that makes all the difference, right?

After I made the appointment, I started reading more about midwives, and subsequently home births. I had read some of this information when I was pregnant with LB, but didn't delve too deeply into it. Being a petite size, I wasn't sure I'd be able to deliver, and midwives (obviously) don't do c-sections. But for us in this situation right now, it works out so very nicely. I'm actually rather excited about learning more about midwives and home births. I kind of have a unique opportunity to try something (anything I want!) for these five months, because I'll be starting over when we move. You can be sure you'll be hearing a lot more about THIS these next months. I expect I'll be drawing lots of comparisons, not to say that one is better, but simply how they're different.

The first thing is that the exam room, besides being in someone's HOUSE, looks like this:
I'm actually quite curious about the logistics....do I lie on the bed sideways...? Does the midwife kneel on the foot of the bed...? ....

The other two midwiferies (is that the right spelling?) called back. (well, one emailed). One had similar numbers, but since I already had an appointment with this one, the decision was kinda already made (did I jump the gun on that? Was I too hasty? I just got so excited that it was SO much lower than ALL the OBs!). The other one isn't taking new patients, so THAT decision was already made too.

So, I did not find an OB to go to instead of Dr. Link. I DID find a less expensive option for my prenatals, though, and I'm really looking forward to this new experience.

P.S. On a totally different note, I put some new pictures in the side bar. The others were almost half a year old! Not that DH or I have changed that much, but LB sure has!