Two weeks ago at my 36 week appointment I was measuring ahead for the first time this pregnancy. The doctor wasn't very concerned but told me they would schedule an ultrasound with my next appointment to check Berry's growth. She added "I don't know if you realize this, but you are actually quite small." So we scheduled the 37 week check and an ultrasound.
That weekend a 3D ultrasound/prenatal massage place here in town was having an open house to celebrate opening at a new location, and they were having free five minute ultrasounds and massages. So of course I went! The lady who was doing the massage started rubbing my back and said "Wow! you're really tiny! That's definitely all baby out front!" I have to admit it surprised me to have gotten two such comments in one week. I have never considered myself to be small...just short. When we got the ultrasound we discovered that Berry is definitely head up. The bump that I have mentioned frequently sticking out right beside my belly button? That's where the tech had her wand for us to be watching Berry's face.
This week my appointment was on Tuesday at exactly 37 weeks. My doctor was on vacation so I was seeing someone new. It ended up being a crazy day! The appointment started at 2:05pm....we didn't get home until 4:00. We were in the waiting room for about half an hour before being called back for the ultrasound. The first 10 minutes or so we didn't get to see anything because we told the tech we want baby's sex to be a surprise, so she just left the big screen off. When she did turn it on she showed us that Berry has a full head of hair and then got a few very clear shots of the face. I was thrilled to see that baby has his/her daddy's chin and mouth, and that all the heartburn wasn't for nothing (if you can believe the old wives tales about heartburn and hair growth being connected. Which I personally don't ;) ) After the ultrasound we were sent back to the waiting room until the doctor was ready. Again, a 20 or 30 minute wait and then a nurse came out to get me and told me that the doctor had ordered a non-stress test for the baby. I knew this meant something was a little off, but didn't feel too worried. Spent the next 20 minutes in a recliner with monitors strapped to my belly and a little button I had to push whenever I felt Berry moving...which was often. Once that was done we were finally taken back to a room! Where we ended up waiting for another 20 minutes or so. Poor Alex was getting a bit frustrated, and I can certainly sympathize. Who wants to spend hours waiting? He felt like the nurses and doctors shouldn't have so crowded their schedules that nothing was done in a timely manner. When the doctor finally came in she seemed a bit flustered and stressed out. She sat down and pretty much said "We're confused."
Berry had weird measurements. The head was measuring about two weeks ahead, and the body about two weeks behind. Both measurements being within the two or three week error margin but the fact that they were so far off from each other had the doctor flabbergasted. She said that Berry is still breech and that sometimes that can make the head measure larger because it's not down in the pelvic bone. She also told me that I have extra fluid. But the stress test numbers were really good and from the ultrasound it is obvious that Berry is eating well and swallowing, his/her weight being estimated at about 6lbs 1oz right now. So their answer was "We have no idea what's going on, but it doesn't really look like there's anything to worry about, Things are just weird." So I'll be doing the non-stress test every week at my dr appointments and they'll just keep a close eye on things.
Because Berry is in breech position though, they went ahead and scheduled a c-section for me. If I haven't gone into labor on my own by the 29th of December I will be going in for a c-section. It seems so crazy to me that we have a definite date for when our baby will be here! I know I can't wait to meet our precious little one, and I'm not even too upset that Berry won't have his/her own birthday...(my baby sister is turning 13 on the 29th.) I'm just praying for a healthy/happy baby and will do and/or go through whatever seems necessary to reach that goal.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
A Christmas post!
It's one of my favorite times of year! I love the Christmas season. I love the family get togethers, the traditions, the seasonal drinks (egg nog, peppermint mochas, flavored coffee..can you say "Mmmm!"?) the excitement and joy of gift giving. So, I started the end of November coming up with ideas for gifts I could make. Being in the last stages of pregnancy I needed something that would keep me busy without being too physically taxing. Also, I love homemade gifts! For me its the idea of putting extra time and thought into finding and making something I think the intended recipient would really love or enjoy that makes them better. So, here are a few pictures of what I came up with and have gotten done. A couple of these are for younger sisters so "shhh" don't tell them!
I've had so much fun putting all these together! And I liked the wreath so much I bought the supplies to make one for the apartment door.
What have you been busy with this holiday season?
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| I made this wreath for Mom. She wanted one for the ranch house. |
 |
| "Bath time sundae" Bath salts, loofa, and cherry lip gloss |
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| Rather self-explanatory |
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| Cocoa stirrer. Marshmallow, chocolate, sprinkles. |
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| Cocoa stirrer with candy cane for a peppermint cocoa |
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| Homemade cocoa mix |
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| More cocoa! |
What have you been busy with this holiday season?
Monday, November 28, 2011
Baby update, and other baby thoughts
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| 33 week belly, I like this shot better than 34 weeks |
How big is baby? Baby weighs almost 5lbs and is almost 18" long.
Total weight gain: Umm, not really keeping track, except from appointment to appointment. I only gained a pound between my last two. I've probably gained ~25-30lbs total.
Maternity clothes? Yup! I just got some new jeans that I really like. All my skirts are a bit flimsy for fall and winter weather.
Sleep: I've just started having trouble sleeping in the last week or so. I have pregnancy induced carpal tunnel, so sleeping on my sides makes my shoulders hurt really bad, then my entire arm and hand of the side I'm sleeping on will go numb. I'm still getting enough sleep to function well though, so I'm not complaining!
Best moment this week: Wow, this week? Umm...I had my first comment from a stranger! Some lady saw me at the store and said "Wow, you look like you're due any day!" Haha
Gender: I'm actually getting quite impatient to know the answer to this myself. Some days I'm convinced Berry is a girl, other days I just know Berry is a boy.
Movement: Movement is rather frequent, but I have started noticing specific things causing more movement...like when Alex is talking, when there is music on -especially music with a steady beat, and when I drink cold water it seems to give Berry hiccups every time.
Belly Button in or out? Almost flat, actually.
Stretch marks? I have plenty of stretch marks...more so on my right side where Berry likes to stick his/her bum out.
What I miss: I miss sleeping on my tummy, and being able to walk straight,lol. I have been waddling since about 24 weeks and it's even more pronounced now.
What I am looking forward to: Alex's birthday! And Christmas, then meeting Berry. I'm not sick of being pregnant yet, but I'm getting impatient to meet this little person.
Milestones: Well, I passed the 34 week mark, which (I am pretty sure) is the point that if I went into preterm labor the doctor's wouldn't try to stop it, as most babies can survive at this age with little difficulty.
I don't think there is really much else going on that's pregnancy related.
I have been getting tired more often again, but that's partially due to the fact that I haven't been sleeping well.
I developed a polyp on the back of my throat from constant sinus drainage. You know the feeling of having a tiny piece of food stuck in your throat? I have that constantly. I'm getting used to it now though, and it pretty much only bothers me first thing in the morning.
I have been able to make about 9 freezer meals for us to use after the baby is here. I think it will be nice to not have to figure out what to make for dinner every now and then.
Alex is almost done with this school term! He has this week and next left, and then he is off for a month. I know it would be a bit unusual for a first time mom, but I'm hoping baby comes soon after 37 weeks. Sometime during the break would be great!
Nursery is pretty much done. I like the way it turned out and the only thing I have left is figuring out how to keep KitKat out once baby comes.
I learned that going Black Friday shopping is an entirely different experience when 34 weeks pregnant. Getting up at 4:30am wasn't bad, the crowds weren't that terrible, the walking wasn't too tiring...but then my feet started to swell, and my shoes got too tight, and I developed blisters and cuts (from my toes being squeezed together). Luckily I had a pair of flip flops in the car and was able to just switch shoes. I got overheated pretty easily though, and enjoyed the cool weather on our trips to and from the car. I also, after about 4 hours, realized that my feet weren't used to my new weight putting pressure on them for such a long period of time and they started to protest. We got home after about 8-9 hours and I collapsed on a couch and could barely move the rest of the night. I was also amazed at how ravenously hungry I got 3 or 4 times that day.
Life has been busy and I have been enjoying it. I'm really excited about the holidays because I know the busyness will make the time go faster...Berry will be here before I know it!
Monday, November 14, 2011
My pregnancy advice to me.
Does anyone else talk to themselves? If not I might just end up sounding crazy by making this public, but here goes: I talk to myself. I tend to give myself mini pep talks, or give myself advice, or carry on plain ol' conversations with myself.
Over the past few months I have had plenty of advice and/or thoughts on pregnancy. Some of it just being things that I have learned, some of it is things I wish I had figured out sooner, some things that I had decided before I ever got pregnant, and others are maybe a bit sarcastic.
~ Take it one day at a time.
~ Stop worrying so much.
~ You already knew that pregnancy could have side effects like nausea, backaches, and tiredness. You don't need to whine about it because people will likely think one of 3 things
1) "She knew what causes pregnancy. It's her own fault she's dealing with it."
2) "That much whining makes it seem like she doesn't realize what a blessing her baby is. She should be a lot happier about being pregnant"
or 3) "Drama queen."
~ You may have friends who have experienced the loss of a child or are trying to get pregnant, so it would be more considerate of you to not have constant updates on facebook about your cravings, baby movements, funny little pregnancy quotes, etc.
~ Eventually you will adjust to not being able to sleep on your tummy...eventually.
~ Pretty much anything unusual that your body does during this time is normal for pregnancy.
~ "When baby moves you'll just know that's what it is." isn't always correct, so don't stay up all night crying and worrying because you don't know for sure. The little flutterings are, in fact, the baby.
~ Really, don't worry so much.
~ Don't focus on the numbers on the scale, you've had enough problems with that in the past. If the doctor says you're doing okay, you're all good. Just make sure you and your baby are getting the nutrients and vitamins you need. You can't have a
or
for every meal!
~ Enjoy being pregnant, it does start to seem like it's going by really fast!
~ Just because you can still see your toes at 33 weeks doesn't mean you can do everything you did before getting pregnant. It's okay to take it easy every now and then.
~ When you are pregnant the fact that hubby wants a bowl of cereal could be considered a legitimate excuse for crying...but that doesn't mean you won't feel like a complete idiot later for doing so.
~ I know you love seeing and feeling the baby move, but that doesn't mean everyone else wants to be told about it or encouraged to watch for it every time.
~ Make sure the daddy feels involved, but make sure he wants to know every little detail and possibility before you overload the poor guy. (Disclaimer: My hubby has been amazing and wonderful, and though I have asked to be sure I'm not giving him info overload or bugging him by always talking about our baby, he has not once been upset or frustrated at me for my seemingly one track mind)
~ Make sure you still let your hubby know that he is also very important and special to you, and that you appreciate all the little ways he helps and spoils you. (Like that midnight run for cherry 7up, or the back massage when you forgot that you have physical limitations...)
~ I know that none of your normal clothes fit (even the elastic waistbands!) and you are already waddling when you walk, but that doesn't mean you don't look beautiful.
~ Your tummy will never be that perfectly round little tummy you've seen in pictures. By the time baby is big enough for you to look pregnant, s/he is also big enough to stick their bum out in one spot and cause you to be lopsided.
~ One more time - don't worry so much, enjoy your pregnancy!!
I think that's pretty much all for now. Do you have anything to add? What's your favorite pregnancy advice?
Over the past few months I have had plenty of advice and/or thoughts on pregnancy. Some of it just being things that I have learned, some of it is things I wish I had figured out sooner, some things that I had decided before I ever got pregnant, and others are maybe a bit sarcastic.
~ Take it one day at a time.
~ Stop worrying so much.
~ You already knew that pregnancy could have side effects like nausea, backaches, and tiredness. You don't need to whine about it because people will likely think one of 3 things
1) "She knew what causes pregnancy. It's her own fault she's dealing with it."
2) "That much whining makes it seem like she doesn't realize what a blessing her baby is. She should be a lot happier about being pregnant"
or 3) "Drama queen."
~ You may have friends who have experienced the loss of a child or are trying to get pregnant, so it would be more considerate of you to not have constant updates on facebook about your cravings, baby movements, funny little pregnancy quotes, etc.
~ Eventually you will adjust to not being able to sleep on your tummy...eventually.
~ Pretty much anything unusual that your body does during this time is normal for pregnancy.
~ "When baby moves you'll just know that's what it is." isn't always correct, so don't stay up all night crying and worrying because you don't know for sure. The little flutterings are, in fact, the baby.
~ Really, don't worry so much.
~ Don't focus on the numbers on the scale, you've had enough problems with that in the past. If the doctor says you're doing okay, you're all good. Just make sure you and your baby are getting the nutrients and vitamins you need. You can't have a
| big mac |
| cheese danish |
~ Enjoy being pregnant, it does start to seem like it's going by really fast!
~ Just because you can still see your toes at 33 weeks doesn't mean you can do everything you did before getting pregnant. It's okay to take it easy every now and then.
~ When you are pregnant the fact that hubby wants a bowl of cereal could be considered a legitimate excuse for crying...but that doesn't mean you won't feel like a complete idiot later for doing so.
~ I know you love seeing and feeling the baby move, but that doesn't mean everyone else wants to be told about it or encouraged to watch for it every time.
~ Make sure the daddy feels involved, but make sure he wants to know every little detail and possibility before you overload the poor guy. (Disclaimer: My hubby has been amazing and wonderful, and though I have asked to be sure I'm not giving him info overload or bugging him by always talking about our baby, he has not once been upset or frustrated at me for my seemingly one track mind)
~ Make sure you still let your hubby know that he is also very important and special to you, and that you appreciate all the little ways he helps and spoils you. (Like that midnight run for cherry 7up, or the back massage when you forgot that you have physical limitations...)
~ I know that none of your normal clothes fit (even the elastic waistbands!) and you are already waddling when you walk, but that doesn't mean you don't look beautiful.
~ Your tummy will never be that perfectly round little tummy you've seen in pictures. By the time baby is big enough for you to look pregnant, s/he is also big enough to stick their bum out in one spot and cause you to be lopsided.
~ One more time - don't worry so much, enjoy your pregnancy!!
I think that's pretty much all for now. Do you have anything to add? What's your favorite pregnancy advice?
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Baby update, and life.
It has been a while since I did a baby update, so I thought I might take the time this evening, just in case anyone is interested :)
How big is baby? At 29 weeks the average baby is about 15 inches long, and weighs almost 2 and a half pounds. I can say for sure that baby is getting big enough that when s/he stretches I can feel and see it.
Total weight gain: ~20lbs. I'm thankful that my doctor has specifically said that she is more concerned with health than numbers on a scale. And I passed my glucose test with flying colors! So I'm trying not to feel bad about gaining more than I wanted to...I can work on getting rid of it once baby is here.
Maternity clothes? Honestly I'm getting tired of wearing what feels like the same 5 outfits over and over. But, at least now people can actually tell I'm pregnant!
Sleep: Some nights I sleep very well, other nights I toss and turn all night. It usually helps to have the room slightly chilly.
Best moment this week: Even though it is slightly uncomfortable, I love when Berry stretches out. Basing my assumptions on the last few ultrasounds and the way my tummy gets stretched, Berry's favorite way to stretch out is with the back of his/her head on the right side of my belly button, and I can usually feel the legs (I think) all the way to under my left arm. It made Alex and I laugh the other night because my tummy looked so distorted.
Gender: is still unknown, though when talking to each other Alex and I usually say "he".
Movement: Is very regular, and tends to be more hyper and strong in the evening and around bedtime.
Belly Button in or out? Still in, barely
Stretch marks? Mhmm, and I seem to be getting more of them daily.
What I miss: Actually, I miss my long hair. I want my bangs to grow out so I can keep them out of my face, and I want to put my hair in a ponytail.
What I am looking forward to: actually meeting the baby! As far as things not concerning pregnancy, one of my best friends will be arriving tomorrow and I'm really excited about it!!
Milestones: Umm, I don't know of any major ones. I think that by this point all that's left for baby to do is layer on the fat and get a bit bigger. And s/he must be developing stronger bones because I have been drinking a lot of milk.
I still haven't really had any consistent cravings. Life cereal usually makes me pretty happy, and I no longer want pizza every other meal. The last few days I had been craving pancakes and my sweet husband made some for me this morning.
My belly is getting bigger a lot faster than it was, and I actually feel like I look pregnant sometimes, though I still forget on occasion and try to sit up too fast, which causes a weird pull in my tummy.
Pretty much my one complaint with the whole pregnancy is that the hormones seem to have caused dry patches of skin on my face that will sometimes itch like crazy. The dr prescribed cortisone, which I have been using to keep it from getting terrible, but there are still some days when I look like I have been through a war because of all the red splotchiness around and under my eyes.
In other news...
Today Alex and I took KitKat in to get him declawed. I felt so terrible! KitKat has always been an inside cat, leaving the house all of 2 times in his life. Once when he was neutered, and once when Alex and I moved him here. He was so lost and frightened and was crying the whole way to the vet. I felt like crying too, but decided that the last thing Alex needed before 8 in the morning was a scared, crying cat, and a crying, hormonal, pregnant woman in the vet's office. We get to pick KitKat up tomorrow and I am really hoping he isn't too traumatized.
Today after Alex got home from school he also helped me re-arrange the livingroom. He'll be moving his school desk out here for now, because we don't think it will work to have it stay in the baby's room. We were going to just leave it in there longer, but with my friend Christa staying here for a week in the spare room, we figured now would be a good time. (Plus, I'm just a bit impatient to feel like I have something completely ready for the baby. Because right now there isn't one thing we have fully done,lol.) Also we have a new, smaller, dining room table, and we got bar stools for the breakfast bar. I like the way it turned out!
I guess that's all for now. It had been a while since I've updated, and I was actually sort of in a writing mood tonight. Maybe someday I'll get back to writing more often...but I'm not making any promises!
How big is baby? At 29 weeks the average baby is about 15 inches long, and weighs almost 2 and a half pounds. I can say for sure that baby is getting big enough that when s/he stretches I can feel and see it.
Total weight gain: ~20lbs. I'm thankful that my doctor has specifically said that she is more concerned with health than numbers on a scale. And I passed my glucose test with flying colors! So I'm trying not to feel bad about gaining more than I wanted to...I can work on getting rid of it once baby is here.
Maternity clothes? Honestly I'm getting tired of wearing what feels like the same 5 outfits over and over. But, at least now people can actually tell I'm pregnant!
Sleep: Some nights I sleep very well, other nights I toss and turn all night. It usually helps to have the room slightly chilly.
Best moment this week: Even though it is slightly uncomfortable, I love when Berry stretches out. Basing my assumptions on the last few ultrasounds and the way my tummy gets stretched, Berry's favorite way to stretch out is with the back of his/her head on the right side of my belly button, and I can usually feel the legs (I think) all the way to under my left arm. It made Alex and I laugh the other night because my tummy looked so distorted.
Gender: is still unknown, though when talking to each other Alex and I usually say "he".
Movement: Is very regular, and tends to be more hyper and strong in the evening and around bedtime.
Belly Button in or out? Still in, barely
Stretch marks? Mhmm, and I seem to be getting more of them daily.
What I miss: Actually, I miss my long hair. I want my bangs to grow out so I can keep them out of my face, and I want to put my hair in a ponytail.
What I am looking forward to: actually meeting the baby! As far as things not concerning pregnancy, one of my best friends will be arriving tomorrow and I'm really excited about it!!
Milestones: Umm, I don't know of any major ones. I think that by this point all that's left for baby to do is layer on the fat and get a bit bigger. And s/he must be developing stronger bones because I have been drinking a lot of milk.
I still haven't really had any consistent cravings. Life cereal usually makes me pretty happy, and I no longer want pizza every other meal. The last few days I had been craving pancakes and my sweet husband made some for me this morning.
My belly is getting bigger a lot faster than it was, and I actually feel like I look pregnant sometimes, though I still forget on occasion and try to sit up too fast, which causes a weird pull in my tummy.
Pretty much my one complaint with the whole pregnancy is that the hormones seem to have caused dry patches of skin on my face that will sometimes itch like crazy. The dr prescribed cortisone, which I have been using to keep it from getting terrible, but there are still some days when I look like I have been through a war because of all the red splotchiness around and under my eyes.
 |
| 29 week belly! |
Today Alex and I took KitKat in to get him declawed. I felt so terrible! KitKat has always been an inside cat, leaving the house all of 2 times in his life. Once when he was neutered, and once when Alex and I moved him here. He was so lost and frightened and was crying the whole way to the vet. I felt like crying too, but decided that the last thing Alex needed before 8 in the morning was a scared, crying cat, and a crying, hormonal, pregnant woman in the vet's office. We get to pick KitKat up tomorrow and I am really hoping he isn't too traumatized.
Today after Alex got home from school he also helped me re-arrange the livingroom. He'll be moving his school desk out here for now, because we don't think it will work to have it stay in the baby's room. We were going to just leave it in there longer, but with my friend Christa staying here for a week in the spare room, we figured now would be a good time. (Plus, I'm just a bit impatient to feel like I have something completely ready for the baby. Because right now there isn't one thing we have fully done,lol.) Also we have a new, smaller, dining room table, and we got bar stools for the breakfast bar. I like the way it turned out!
I guess that's all for now. It had been a while since I've updated, and I was actually sort of in a writing mood tonight. Maybe someday I'll get back to writing more often...but I'm not making any promises!
Friday, October 7, 2011
A soap box...
The other day I was reading a new book and I found myself very annoyed! The time period of the book was set back near the depression and one of the couples, the parents of three little girls, owned a store. As the book progresses the wife mentions that her husband won't let her work at the store because he wants her to be home for their children, and she talks about how irritating it is for her, says she'll try wearing him down and being persuasive to change his mind. Towards the end of the book you find out that she resorted to not having sex with him until he would give in, and he started sleeping at his office. Then her dad has a stroke and they are all concerned about losing him, and the couple realizes what a silly, minor thing they had been arguing about. They both apologize....and then the husband gives in and tells the wife she can work at the store! Maybe I sound kind of silly to some of you readers, but that made me so mad! The whole underlying situation (this couple was just part of the supporting cast of characters) during the book irritated me. Not just the wife's bad attitude about agreeing to her husband's wishes, but then that the situation would end because he gave her what she wanted? It would have been a whole different thing had she approached him and talked about how she felt useless at home doing nothing while the girls where at school, and after hearing her, he agreed that a few hours a week would be okay. But that she was manipulative and disagreeable until he gave in? It upset me...a lot. And I know that that kind of thing happens a lot, even in Christian couples (as this couple was portrayed to be). But I don't think it's right that this is accepted -and even encouraged- behavior for women.
And if you can't tell by now: I am very opinionated when it comes to a wife obeying her husband. I think that she needs to obey him regardless of what he tells her to do and how she feels about it. The only exception is if he is telling her to do something that goes against biblical principles. I know that this is probably a very unpopular opinion, especially in a world where "women are equal". It is my belief that it's not wrong for the woman to talk to her husband -with a proper attitude- if she is unhappy or has doubts about a decision he has...but if she talks to him and he doesn't change his mind? End of story. She should obey him anyway. And the physical relationship between them should never, ever be used as a bargaining chip.
As for myself, I honestly don't know why it's such a difficult idea to understand and accept that the man was made and put in a position of authority over a woman. (Her father, and then her husband) To me its a relief that with most things I'm not the one that has the huge responsibility of making the final decision, and though there are times when I have to share the consequences if it was a bad decision, I feel secure in knowing that I did the right thing in obeying and supporting my husband. I haven't had any reason to regret it yet, and Alex and I have a wonderful marriage. I know that he loves me and that regardless of how his decisions may annoy me at the time (My hormonal, pregnant self asking "Why shouldn't I get to have fast food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?") I realize that he does want what's best for me and that I make his burden of responsibility that much easier by being submissive.
And if you can't tell by now: I am very opinionated when it comes to a wife obeying her husband. I think that she needs to obey him regardless of what he tells her to do and how she feels about it. The only exception is if he is telling her to do something that goes against biblical principles. I know that this is probably a very unpopular opinion, especially in a world where "women are equal". It is my belief that it's not wrong for the woman to talk to her husband -with a proper attitude- if she is unhappy or has doubts about a decision he has...but if she talks to him and he doesn't change his mind? End of story. She should obey him anyway. And the physical relationship between them should never, ever be used as a bargaining chip.
As for myself, I honestly don't know why it's such a difficult idea to understand and accept that the man was made and put in a position of authority over a woman. (Her father, and then her husband) To me its a relief that with most things I'm not the one that has the huge responsibility of making the final decision, and though there are times when I have to share the consequences if it was a bad decision, I feel secure in knowing that I did the right thing in obeying and supporting my husband. I haven't had any reason to regret it yet, and Alex and I have a wonderful marriage. I know that he loves me and that regardless of how his decisions may annoy me at the time (My hormonal, pregnant self asking "Why shouldn't I get to have fast food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?") I realize that he does want what's best for me and that I make his burden of responsibility that much easier by being submissive.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Ramblies
So when I first got a blog I used to browse through other people's writings, and quite often I would come across a blog that had the last post being a chatty update filled with everything that had been going on...and it would have a date from two years ago. I would look at it and wonder what had come up so suddenly that the person was too busy to even mention that they wouldn't be writing or updating anymore. Now I understand a little better. It doesn't have to be that something drastic happened, all it takes is a few times of thinking "I'll get to it later" and all of a sudden almost a month has passed and I haven't written anything.
Right now I'm siting on the couch munching on grapes when I really want to be eating M&Ms. I'm now 25 and a half weeks pregnant and over the next week or so I will be doing the glucose test for gestational diabetes. So I'm trying (as I have been trying) to make healthier eating choices.
Baby is very active and I love being able to feel more and more of the movement as s/he grows. Berry likes to play a game with us where s/he will be kicking my hand pretty hard or making my tummy bounce out, so I'll call Alex over and as soon as he gets close enough to watch or feel: baby stops moving. I'm also pretty certain that baby has mine and Alex's night owl tendencies.
These past few days I have had a sinus infection: fever, stuffy/runny nose, sore throat, plugged ears, headache. I was pretty miserable, and worried, but am feeling much better today.
Right now the spare room -going to be baby's room- is a huge mess! It's in an in between stage of Alex's schoolroom, a spare room for one of my favorite people (who will be visiting next month!!), and a storage room for the few baby things we have already.
I has been starting to feel a bit more like fall lately and I am so happy about that! The heat was pretty hard to handle. I do so love fall. The cooler weather, bright orange and red colors, hot tea, the upcoming holidays and family time, football season starting, and being able to bake without the house becoming way too hot. I'm looking forward to apple cider, and hoping that I won't have to have too strict of a diet during the holidays.
What do you love about fall?
Right now I'm siting on the couch munching on grapes when I really want to be eating M&Ms. I'm now 25 and a half weeks pregnant and over the next week or so I will be doing the glucose test for gestational diabetes. So I'm trying (as I have been trying) to make healthier eating choices.
Baby is very active and I love being able to feel more and more of the movement as s/he grows. Berry likes to play a game with us where s/he will be kicking my hand pretty hard or making my tummy bounce out, so I'll call Alex over and as soon as he gets close enough to watch or feel: baby stops moving. I'm also pretty certain that baby has mine and Alex's night owl tendencies.
These past few days I have had a sinus infection: fever, stuffy/runny nose, sore throat, plugged ears, headache. I was pretty miserable, and worried, but am feeling much better today.
Right now the spare room -going to be baby's room- is a huge mess! It's in an in between stage of Alex's schoolroom, a spare room for one of my favorite people (who will be visiting next month!!), and a storage room for the few baby things we have already.
I has been starting to feel a bit more like fall lately and I am so happy about that! The heat was pretty hard to handle. I do so love fall. The cooler weather, bright orange and red colors, hot tea, the upcoming holidays and family time, football season starting, and being able to bake without the house becoming way too hot. I'm looking forward to apple cider, and hoping that I won't have to have too strict of a diet during the holidays.
What do you love about fall?
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Ramblies
Busy. My life has been busy. I recently made a new page on facebook. Remember the headbands I have mentioned a few times? I'm now making them available online. Search facebook for "Sewnsations by Sadie" if you want to take a peek. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one with that name. I have been working on getting a lot more headbands made, they are time consuming but I'm getting faster! I love going to the mall and looking at what's in style right now, and I have a few ideas brewing in my head for more headband designs. I'm trying to make some that will appeal to adults more, I don't really want my designs to be considered "kids only".
I'm so new to all of this though! I don't want to update my status on my business page as if everyone wants to know everything about me, but I feel like I need a way to interact more with my fan base. Is it okay to share little blurbs about baby, or what I'm making for dinner? Does it make it seem more professional if I post it with a question about how everyone else's life is going? I feel a bit uncertain. Suggestions anyone???
I was so excited the other day! I had decided to walk to a few stores in town and go window shopping and I found two grab bags full of assorted buttons...for cheap! I bought them both -and have yet to look through them all. I already know I got some good ones: faux fur, bright colored marble discs with copper centers, flower shapes, fancy, elegant, tiny, gems...there are so many of them!
Besides sewing more often, I also suddenly have had my desire to be reading all the time return with a vengeance...and was a bit sad when I didn't find any books I had on my reading list at the library. So, I bought part of a series that is newly popular again because of having recently been made into a tv show. I have the first four books and each one is about 800 pages long. They should keep me busy for a little while.
Also over the past few weeks I'm starting to feel like I look more pregnant...sometimes. Baby has been getting bigger so I can feel him/her more often and I love it! Such a miracle! I think it makes me smile every time, and it's even more special when Alex gets to feel the movement. On Sunday Alex was able to see my tummy bounce out from a kick for the first time. Every other time it's happened he has been gone. It has also become obvious that Berry is gonna take after his/her daddy as far as sleep patterns. S/he doesn't really seem to be awake for the first half of the day -I start getting movement around noon- but loves staying up late!! I have had vigorous kicking as late as 3am. Alex and I are taking advantage of his few weeks between school terms to keep these crazy hours, soon enough we will have to be more reasonable.
Other than that? Well, I have plenty more to write about, but I think this is enough to get you started on feeling up to date. Hopefully soon I can figure out how to link my blog to my business page so that it's easier for all my readers to check out! I hope you all or having a lovely September so far!
I'm so new to all of this though! I don't want to update my status on my business page as if everyone wants to know everything about me, but I feel like I need a way to interact more with my fan base. Is it okay to share little blurbs about baby, or what I'm making for dinner? Does it make it seem more professional if I post it with a question about how everyone else's life is going? I feel a bit uncertain. Suggestions anyone???
I was so excited the other day! I had decided to walk to a few stores in town and go window shopping and I found two grab bags full of assorted buttons...for cheap! I bought them both -and have yet to look through them all. I already know I got some good ones: faux fur, bright colored marble discs with copper centers, flower shapes, fancy, elegant, tiny, gems...there are so many of them!
Besides sewing more often, I also suddenly have had my desire to be reading all the time return with a vengeance...and was a bit sad when I didn't find any books I had on my reading list at the library. So, I bought part of a series that is newly popular again because of having recently been made into a tv show. I have the first four books and each one is about 800 pages long. They should keep me busy for a little while.
Also over the past few weeks I'm starting to feel like I look more pregnant...sometimes. Baby has been getting bigger so I can feel him/her more often and I love it! Such a miracle! I think it makes me smile every time, and it's even more special when Alex gets to feel the movement. On Sunday Alex was able to see my tummy bounce out from a kick for the first time. Every other time it's happened he has been gone. It has also become obvious that Berry is gonna take after his/her daddy as far as sleep patterns. S/he doesn't really seem to be awake for the first half of the day -I start getting movement around noon- but loves staying up late!! I have had vigorous kicking as late as 3am. Alex and I are taking advantage of his few weeks between school terms to keep these crazy hours, soon enough we will have to be more reasonable.
Other than that? Well, I have plenty more to write about, but I think this is enough to get you started on feeling up to date. Hopefully soon I can figure out how to link my blog to my business page so that it's easier for all my readers to check out! I hope you all or having a lovely September so far!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Berry update! And other baby related thoughts...
How big is baby? Berry is now about 10.5oz and 7 inches long from head to rump. Not a blueberry anymore! I read that a baby bear weighs about 10.5oz when born, so Alex and I joked about shortening baby's nickname to "Bear".
Total weight gain: Not sure...at the doctor today (normal doctor, not baby doctor) I weighed about 3 more than my starting weight. So I think I've gained about 7 from my lowest weight?
Maternity clothes? Yes! I am having trouble finding maternity bottoms. I need to go buy some yoga pants or something because the same pair of capris are being worn way too often.
Sleep: I sleep rather well! Though I need more sleep than I used to, and I still occasionally take a nap.
Best moment this week: I was actually able to see movement!
Gender: is still unknown, though when talking to each other Alex and I usually say "he".
Movement: Has been so amazing! Getting very regular. Berry loves to be awake at night, and seems to sleep during the first part of the morning, and again in late afternoon. Right now s/he is actually moving around quite forcefully! Sometimes I will notice movement as late as 2am.
Belly Button in or out? Still in, but Alex has mentioned that it is getting more shallow.
Stretch marks? Mhmm
What I miss: Not much really. I love being pregnant, and I feel healthier than I did before.
What I am looking forward to: Alex getting a chance to see movement. He seems to be gone when it happens. Also looking forward to our next ultrasound, as we will be getting a face shot!
Milestones: I'm past the halfway mark!
I have read quite a bit of debate about the pros and cons of being "team green" versus finding out the baby's sex. So I just thought I would share my reasons for being team green -not finding out sex.
I think the main one is because my mom never found out her babies' sex during any of her pregnancies. I had 4 younger siblings, so I remember the excitement of waiting for my new little brother or sister to be born and then getting to meet them for the first time, and hear what name was chosen. I was only 8 when my youngest sister was born so of course I don't remember any negatives about it. Also it is getting more and more unusual to hear of pregnant women who don't find out the sex..and I like being unusual. Another reason I have is the shopping. So far I have only made 2 purchases for baby Berry. One onesie for each sex (for the homecoming outfit) and one gender neutral onesie. I have been to the baby departments and seen how adorable some of the clothes, toys, bedding, etc are. I would be broke by now if I knew what to buy. And then there is the patience factor. I am the type of person that -once I know what is going to happen, and how- thinks it should be done NOW. So I'm pretty sure that were I to know baby's sex, and see a 3D shot of facial features, and already having the names picked out...I would be far less patient when it comes down to the last few weeks of waiting. Last of all (for now) but definitely not least: I want Alex to be the one to tell me if we have a little girl or a little boy, and I think it will be more meaningful if he finds out for himself versus having a piece of paper from the ultrasound tech.
All that being said...I'm not someone who thinks everyone should try to be team green. If not knowing would stress you out, or if you would be too impatient...by all means find out! :)
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Catching up...
Last week was busy...and warm. I do not like the heat anymore! I survived though, thanks to air conditioned buildings and cheap, ice cold mountain dew at the fair.
I passed my 20 week mark with baby Berry, and I had a birthday! The day of my birthday some friends of ours took Alex and I out for dinner at Olive Garden. It was very much enjoyed, especially since I had been craving their salad and breadsticks. I had a lovely surprise during the week when a package arrived from one of my dearest friends.
I feel so spoiled!
I got to talk to my dad the other day and it seems he is still slowly improving after his stroke. I wish I were closer to be able to help, but Alex and I pray for him -and those who are there- daily.
My niece had her heart surgery, and is recovering quite well! It has been a blessing to hear of her continued victories over health problems.
And...I really can't think of much else right now. There are a few other things I was thinking of posting, bu I'm leaning towards making separate posts for that. I just wanted to get a quick update published so any readers will know I haven't simply dropped out of the blogging world.
I passed my 20 week mark with baby Berry, and I had a birthday! The day of my birthday some friends of ours took Alex and I out for dinner at Olive Garden. It was very much enjoyed, especially since I had been craving their salad and breadsticks. I had a lovely surprise during the week when a package arrived from one of my dearest friends.
I got to talk to my dad the other day and it seems he is still slowly improving after his stroke. I wish I were closer to be able to help, but Alex and I pray for him -and those who are there- daily.
My niece had her heart surgery, and is recovering quite well! It has been a blessing to hear of her continued victories over health problems.
And...I really can't think of much else right now. There are a few other things I was thinking of posting, bu I'm leaning towards making separate posts for that. I just wanted to get a quick update published so any readers will know I haven't simply dropped out of the blogging world.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Human skunk?
This past winter Alex and I thought we had some sort of problem in our furnace. We would come home from being out all day and as soon as the heater kicked on we would smell skunk. It happened a few times a month, and usually towards night. We couldn't figure out why it wasn't constant if it was in the furnace, so we just assumed that there was, in fact, a skunk living nearby.
The problem stopped for a while, it had been months since we had experienced that skunky smell...then we went on vacation. While Alex was out driving with his brother he mentioned that someone must have hit a skunk recently, because the smell was so strong. His brother promptly pointed to a nearby driver with a marijuana joint. Alex and I both learned something new: marijuana smells like skunk while being burned, and apparently our neighbor is a user.
The smells bother me even more than usual right now because I don't like the idea of baby living around them. The same neighbor is also a cigarette smoker. I have often had to shut a door that was open for fresh air because of second hand smoke. Honestly, I think I would have preferred the skunk...
Ah, the joys of apartment living.
The problem stopped for a while, it had been months since we had experienced that skunky smell...then we went on vacation. While Alex was out driving with his brother he mentioned that someone must have hit a skunk recently, because the smell was so strong. His brother promptly pointed to a nearby driver with a marijuana joint. Alex and I both learned something new: marijuana smells like skunk while being burned, and apparently our neighbor is a user.
The smells bother me even more than usual right now because I don't like the idea of baby living around them. The same neighbor is also a cigarette smoker. I have often had to shut a door that was open for fresh air because of second hand smoke. Honestly, I think I would have preferred the skunk...
Ah, the joys of apartment living.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Blessed, crazy week.
What a crazy week it has been! Wednesday my younger brother, Ivan, called Alex. He wanted to talk military. He just took his GED and ASVAB and was trying to figure out what branch he wants to join, and what job he would want. His scores on the ASVAB were high enough that he can probably have pretty much any job available. Crazy that my little brother is becoming a man.
Thursday morning I was talking to my oldest sister, Erin, and she told me that our dad was in the hospital. As we were talking, Heidi -who was the one who took Daddy to the ER- let us know that he had suffered from a minor stroke. The diagnosis at that point was that it will be a long road to recovery, but because he still had some muscle control it's more likely that he will fully recover.
Friday I talked to Ivan again and he shared that he and my other younger siblings had all heard about our dad. One of my little sisters had taken the news quite hard, but I was proud of Ivan when he also shared that he had given her a hug and let her cry and "snot on" his shirt.
Saturday I called Heidi to get updates but she was at a birthday party, she said she would call me back, but that I should check facebook. So I did. As I scrolled through the news feed and saw my sisters' updates about Daddy, I also saw something else. My older brother is now engaged!! So I called him, and caught him at mealtime. But I passed on my congratulations. When I did talk to Heidi she told me that Saturday would probably be the hardest day for our dad, as the 3rd day after the stroke is when they expect the most brain swelling. They were hopeful though! My dad was in high spirits, and despite not having mobility in his right arm, was still able to get out of bed and around a bit with the help of a walker. She also said that he will probably be moving in with her and her hubby at least for a while. He was only near family when all this happened because he was in town to visit my older sisters.
Today was set up day for our county fair. Mom (Alex's mom) is the superintendent of the goat barn, and will be showing 11 or 12 goats this year. It was a long, stressful morning...and afternoon. But we got enough done to head home.
I checked facebook this evening and saw this status from my dad: "
Thursday morning I was talking to my oldest sister, Erin, and she told me that our dad was in the hospital. As we were talking, Heidi -who was the one who took Daddy to the ER- let us know that he had suffered from a minor stroke. The diagnosis at that point was that it will be a long road to recovery, but because he still had some muscle control it's more likely that he will fully recover.
Friday I talked to Ivan again and he shared that he and my other younger siblings had all heard about our dad. One of my little sisters had taken the news quite hard, but I was proud of Ivan when he also shared that he had given her a hug and let her cry and "snot on" his shirt.
Saturday I called Heidi to get updates but she was at a birthday party, she said she would call me back, but that I should check facebook. So I did. As I scrolled through the news feed and saw my sisters' updates about Daddy, I also saw something else. My older brother is now engaged!! So I called him, and caught him at mealtime. But I passed on my congratulations. When I did talk to Heidi she told me that Saturday would probably be the hardest day for our dad, as the 3rd day after the stroke is when they expect the most brain swelling. They were hopeful though! My dad was in high spirits, and despite not having mobility in his right arm, was still able to get out of bed and around a bit with the help of a walker. She also said that he will probably be moving in with her and her hubby at least for a while. He was only near family when all this happened because he was in town to visit my older sisters.
Today was set up day for our county fair. Mom (Alex's mom) is the superintendent of the goat barn, and will be showing 11 or 12 goats this year. It was a long, stressful morning...and afternoon. But we got enough done to head home.
I checked facebook this evening and saw this status from my dad: "
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
My busy day
Today started with a dental appointment. I was only slightly nervous about it. But it ended up being worse than I expected!
A bit of back story...I had only had experience with one dentist in my life, and that wasn't until I was 15 or 16. I remember that the cleaning wasn't bad, getting my first fillings wasn't that bad, but then on my last visit the doctor had not let the novocaine set in, and had drilled on a very sensitive tooth...which later got an abscess and needed pulled. Leaving me with a fear of ever needing any sort of drilling done on my teeth.
Today they started me with x-rays. For my first experience with dental x-rays I had to bite a stick and a machine circled my head taking pictures, but this time they had to take a dozen or so still shots by putting a film attached to a metal rod in my mouth and making me bite down on it. It hurt my mouth very badly! The films were cutting into the tender skin on the roof of my mouth and under my tongue, and the lady kept saying that I have a shallow palette. I was relieved when that was finished, but then I was told I would be getting a cleaning. The initial exam didn't hurt, but when they started using the tiny drill to get rid of plaque...*shudders* It was awful. I was told that my teeth weren't that bad for not having seen a dentist in about 6 years, but I have four cavities that need filled, the pregnancy has caused some slight inflammation of the gums, and they want to pull my wisdom teeth (which are not bothering me) as soon as possible after my baby is born. Which, added to the checkup and possible second cleaning in December, makes another 3 or 4 appointments coming up. I wasn't thrilled when I heard that. Seven hours later my whole head hurt, I couldn't chew, and it hurt my jaw to talk -just from a cleaning. I'm a bit terrified.
The good part of today was that I had my 20 week ultrasound (even though I'm at 19 weeks) The ultrasound tech was very careful about not letting Alex and I see baby's private parts, she even turned the big screen off a few times, so we are still gonna be surprised by the sex. It was so neat to be able to see Berry again. S/he has gotten so much bigger! I've been feeling pretty regular movement for about a week now, so it was pretty awesome to see the baby move at the same time as I felt it. I was a bit surprised that not all of what I feel is feet kicking, some of it is just bounces. We got to see and hear the heart beating, see the brain, the spinal cord, feet, legs, hands, and arms. But when it was time to get a good shot of the face Berry had decided to take a nap face down. No amount of bumping, talking, or moving would get him/her to flip over. So the tech told us we would just use it as an excuse to get another ultrasound next month. So she had us pick out a tiny crocheted hat and we were on our way. I'm pretty excited we'll have the chance to see baby again so soon! I asked about my weight gain at my appointment following the u/s. Because of wording I'm not sure if I have gained 2 lbs back from my lowest weight, or if I have gained 2 lbs total from my starting weight. Either way I feel its a pretty good way to start. Baby is growing fine, so I'm not really worried even if I don't gain any weight.
Other than that there isn't much new. Although, this week I find that cheez-itz/cheese nips/ baked cheese crackers....whichever name you recognize them by...are amazing! My new favorite snack.
So I'll sign off with the one quick shot we got of Berry's face. Isn't s/he a cutie?
A bit of back story...I had only had experience with one dentist in my life, and that wasn't until I was 15 or 16. I remember that the cleaning wasn't bad, getting my first fillings wasn't that bad, but then on my last visit the doctor had not let the novocaine set in, and had drilled on a very sensitive tooth...which later got an abscess and needed pulled. Leaving me with a fear of ever needing any sort of drilling done on my teeth.
Today they started me with x-rays. For my first experience with dental x-rays I had to bite a stick and a machine circled my head taking pictures, but this time they had to take a dozen or so still shots by putting a film attached to a metal rod in my mouth and making me bite down on it. It hurt my mouth very badly! The films were cutting into the tender skin on the roof of my mouth and under my tongue, and the lady kept saying that I have a shallow palette. I was relieved when that was finished, but then I was told I would be getting a cleaning. The initial exam didn't hurt, but when they started using the tiny drill to get rid of plaque...*shudders* It was awful. I was told that my teeth weren't that bad for not having seen a dentist in about 6 years, but I have four cavities that need filled, the pregnancy has caused some slight inflammation of the gums, and they want to pull my wisdom teeth (which are not bothering me) as soon as possible after my baby is born. Which, added to the checkup and possible second cleaning in December, makes another 3 or 4 appointments coming up. I wasn't thrilled when I heard that. Seven hours later my whole head hurt, I couldn't chew, and it hurt my jaw to talk -just from a cleaning. I'm a bit terrified.
The good part of today was that I had my 20 week ultrasound (even though I'm at 19 weeks) The ultrasound tech was very careful about not letting Alex and I see baby's private parts, she even turned the big screen off a few times, so we are still gonna be surprised by the sex. It was so neat to be able to see Berry again. S/he has gotten so much bigger! I've been feeling pretty regular movement for about a week now, so it was pretty awesome to see the baby move at the same time as I felt it. I was a bit surprised that not all of what I feel is feet kicking, some of it is just bounces. We got to see and hear the heart beating, see the brain, the spinal cord, feet, legs, hands, and arms. But when it was time to get a good shot of the face Berry had decided to take a nap face down. No amount of bumping, talking, or moving would get him/her to flip over. So the tech told us we would just use it as an excuse to get another ultrasound next month. So she had us pick out a tiny crocheted hat and we were on our way. I'm pretty excited we'll have the chance to see baby again so soon! I asked about my weight gain at my appointment following the u/s. Because of wording I'm not sure if I have gained 2 lbs back from my lowest weight, or if I have gained 2 lbs total from my starting weight. Either way I feel its a pretty good way to start. Baby is growing fine, so I'm not really worried even if I don't gain any weight.
Other than that there isn't much new. Although, this week I find that cheez-itz/cheese nips/ baked cheese crackers....whichever name you recognize them by...are amazing! My new favorite snack.
So I'll sign off with the one quick shot we got of Berry's face. Isn't s/he a cutie?
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Three's a crowd.
In the past two weeks I have had to ask my hubby to kill three spiders. Three of them! Number one -the size of a quarter- was too many in my books and made me nervous about going in to the kitchen for a week. Number two was tiny, and wouldn't have been too bad except that my dear kitty poked and prodded the thing until it started my way. I was barefoot and defenseless! I saw number three tonight, sitting on the wall by the doorway into Alex's study room. Just waiting for me to walk by so he could attack, no doubt. Thank goodness for my fearless Alex! He can just walk up to the nasty things, tell them they are in the wrong house, and then kill them with nothing but a napkin or a tissue. (Though for my sake he put the first one through the food disposal) Ahh, the downside to summer.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Just answering a few questions.
I thought maybe it would be fun to share some of what's happening with me and baby right now. Some women fill this out for every week, but I doubt I'll end up doing that.
My 18 week bump.
Week: 18
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I started out losing weight, so even after having gained a pound, I am -6lbs since I got pregnant.
Maternity Clothes: Definitely! I had to start wearing elastic waistbands at 8 weeks, so I'm not surprised.
Stretch Marks: Haha, yep.
Sleep: I sleep fitfully. I often wake up when I try to turn over. Thankfully I've adjusted much better to not sleeping on my tummy though.
Movement: Yes! It's very exciting because Berry is starting to kick hard enough that I'm certain it's baby, not just my imagination or food settling.
Food Cravings/Aversions: Not really any major cravings. I seem to want pastries a lot, and I still crave coffee often. I seem to have an aversion to pretty much all green veggies except salad, and the stuffed pepper I was craving this week. In other words, it all varies all the time.
Gender: It's completely unknown. Alex and I sometimes refer to Berry as "he". Though I'm not sure whether I actually have any kind of intuition about it, or if I'm being influenced by the larger percentage of people who think it's a boy based on my pregnancy so far.
Belly Button - In or Out: still innie
What I miss: Deli meats, and sleeping through the night...and getting up from our sunken in couch without grunting!
What I am looking forward to: My next ultrasound!
Bit of Wisdom: Hmm, I think the best thing I am still trying to grasp is to enjoy each day of being pregnant and let myself get excited about the baby growing inside me, not wasting time and energy worrying about what could go wrong.
Best Moment of the Week: So far? Earlier today when Berry was kicking really hard and Alex was able to feel it! It was more obviously baby than last time it happened. Berry seemed to be head up and swinging feet at the bottom of my tummy.
Week: 18
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I started out losing weight, so even after having gained a pound, I am -6lbs since I got pregnant.
Maternity Clothes: Definitely! I had to start wearing elastic waistbands at 8 weeks, so I'm not surprised.
Stretch Marks: Haha, yep.
Sleep: I sleep fitfully. I often wake up when I try to turn over. Thankfully I've adjusted much better to not sleeping on my tummy though.
Movement: Yes! It's very exciting because Berry is starting to kick hard enough that I'm certain it's baby, not just my imagination or food settling.
Food Cravings/Aversions: Not really any major cravings. I seem to want pastries a lot, and I still crave coffee often. I seem to have an aversion to pretty much all green veggies except salad, and the stuffed pepper I was craving this week. In other words, it all varies all the time.
Gender: It's completely unknown. Alex and I sometimes refer to Berry as "he". Though I'm not sure whether I actually have any kind of intuition about it, or if I'm being influenced by the larger percentage of people who think it's a boy based on my pregnancy so far.
Belly Button - In or Out: still innie
What I miss: Deli meats, and sleeping through the night...and getting up from our sunken in couch without grunting!
What I am looking forward to: My next ultrasound!
Bit of Wisdom: Hmm, I think the best thing I am still trying to grasp is to enjoy each day of being pregnant and let myself get excited about the baby growing inside me, not wasting time and energy worrying about what could go wrong.
Best Moment of the Week: So far? Earlier today when Berry was kicking really hard and Alex was able to feel it! It was more obviously baby than last time it happened. Berry seemed to be head up and swinging feet at the bottom of my tummy.
Monday, August 1, 2011
I had something all typed out..
It's just been one of those days, you know? One of those days when I register on a new forum and yet every time I try to start an introduction thread I get taken back to the registration page to review my info. When I run out of bobbin thread on my sewing machine over halfway through sewing a hem onto a 20 foot long banner, when I get a long comment typed out to post on my dad's facebook status and accidentally click to go to a new page, when I have almost two paragraphs typed out for what I intended my post to be about and then bump "refresh" with the heel of my hand, and a day that I find out that I lost one of my favorite earrings sometime over the last few days...but I have no idea when or where.
And I realize that I just made myself sound like a real whiner. I just can't believe how many things have gone wrong today! I never ever want to use my blog just to vent though, so I'm going to make this post more positive...
I have realized that either being pregnant, or taking the prenatal vitamins, has made my fingernails a bit less brittle.
The terrible dry skin that makes me look like I have a disease on my face is starting to get a bit better. Yay for tropical smelling Bath and Bodyworks lotion!
Though I had over 8,000 pictures stored on the laptop that died yesterday, we may be able to save them off the hard drive. By the way Dad- if you're reading this- how would you like to share some of your computer knowledge with me when you come visit??
The new laptop my love got me for my birthday came equipped with some free game trials, including the addicting "Plants vs Zombies" and a song by Ninja Tuna...which just made me laugh.
I made zucchini bread today which tastes amazing topped with some cream cheese...and I can claim it's healthy right? Green veggie and some dairy?
The livingroom is vacuumed. Which makes me very happy!
Did I mention that the summer semester is half over now? Yay!
Also, I've been a little more certain about when I feel Berry moving. At first it was easy to think I was just imagining things. Oh, and we have the big ultrasound coming up! And if you were wondering...we still plan to be surprised by baby's sex.
I guess that's all for now. We'll see how tomorrow goes, hopefully I will get a chance to say what I was planning on, haha. Not that any of it was really life-changing.
And I realize that I just made myself sound like a real whiner. I just can't believe how many things have gone wrong today! I never ever want to use my blog just to vent though, so I'm going to make this post more positive...
I have realized that either being pregnant, or taking the prenatal vitamins, has made my fingernails a bit less brittle.
The terrible dry skin that makes me look like I have a disease on my face is starting to get a bit better. Yay for tropical smelling Bath and Bodyworks lotion!
Though I had over 8,000 pictures stored on the laptop that died yesterday, we may be able to save them off the hard drive. By the way Dad- if you're reading this- how would you like to share some of your computer knowledge with me when you come visit??
The new laptop my love got me for my birthday came equipped with some free game trials, including the addicting "Plants vs Zombies" and a song by Ninja Tuna...which just made me laugh.
I made zucchini bread today which tastes amazing topped with some cream cheese...and I can claim it's healthy right? Green veggie and some dairy?
The livingroom is vacuumed. Which makes me very happy!
Did I mention that the summer semester is half over now? Yay!
Also, I've been a little more certain about when I feel Berry moving. At first it was easy to think I was just imagining things. Oh, and we have the big ultrasound coming up! And if you were wondering...we still plan to be surprised by baby's sex.
I guess that's all for now. We'll see how tomorrow goes, hopefully I will get a chance to say what I was planning on, haha. Not that any of it was really life-changing.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Such a miracle!
This morning I was just waking up when it felt like the side of my tummy jumped a little bit. I'm sure it's probably normal for pregnant women, but it seems I am always wondering how Berry is doing, if s/he is growing properly, if everything is going well, etc. I personally think it's what causes the affliction of "baby brain". Anyway, I wanted to know if what I felt was Berry moving, so when my mom called me this morning I thought it was the perfect opportunity. After all-she has had 8 children! When I asked her she said that at first it would just feel rather like a gas bubble, but as baby gets bigger I will be more and more certain what it is. Now maybe I'm the only person to have this problem...but I'm not at all certain what "like a gas bubble" would feel like. So I texted my sister, since her baby is just over 6 months old I assumed she may have a different description. She told me that it may feel more like a muscle twitch at first. When I described what I had felt she said it sounded pretty certain it was my precious baby moving. She added that I shouldn't worry if I don't feel it again for a few days at a time. There is still plenty of room for Berry to bounce around without bumping me.
Alex surprised me by having switched classes at school, and he got home almost 2 hours early! We spent a wonderful evening together and around 9pm when a thunderstorm started, we went outside to sit on our front stoop to watch it. Thunderstorms awe me. Such a display of power and beauty! While we were sitting there I felt my tummy jumping around again, so I leaned over to Alex and told him "I think Berry is moving again! I don't think you would be able to feel it from the outside yet though." So Alex out his hand on my tummy and said "It feels like something is tapping on my hand!!" It was such an amazing moment. At this point in my pregnancy I sometimes barely even feel pregnant, and to have that experience..and for Alex to be able to share in it too. I just felt so overwhelmed, so very blessed.
Tomorrow marks week 16. In a matter of 8 Weeks Berry has gone from the size of a raspberry, to somewhere between the size of an orange and an avocado.
I haven't really been having a consistent craving...except coffee, which I haven't been drinking for almost 10 months now, so I keep resisting that one. I wanted a cherry turnover earlier this week, and ice cold coke has really kept me from avoiding soda as much as I was planning to. I think I have actually started to gain weight, I get hungry a lot more often than I had been.
I still seem to be growing slowly, though not as much as I expected. I think my bump is bigger than average by this point though. It has become a bit of an ordeal to get myself out of bed in the mornings. It'll probably become quite amusing once I get even bigger. I have finally started to get used to sleeping on my sides rather than my tummy -a huge struggle the first month.
That's all I can think of for now!
Alex surprised me by having switched classes at school, and he got home almost 2 hours early! We spent a wonderful evening together and around 9pm when a thunderstorm started, we went outside to sit on our front stoop to watch it. Thunderstorms awe me. Such a display of power and beauty! While we were sitting there I felt my tummy jumping around again, so I leaned over to Alex and told him "I think Berry is moving again! I don't think you would be able to feel it from the outside yet though." So Alex out his hand on my tummy and said "It feels like something is tapping on my hand!!" It was such an amazing moment. At this point in my pregnancy I sometimes barely even feel pregnant, and to have that experience..and for Alex to be able to share in it too. I just felt so overwhelmed, so very blessed.
Tomorrow marks week 16. In a matter of 8 Weeks Berry has gone from the size of a raspberry, to somewhere between the size of an orange and an avocado.
I haven't really been having a consistent craving...except coffee, which I haven't been drinking for almost 10 months now, so I keep resisting that one. I wanted a cherry turnover earlier this week, and ice cold coke has really kept me from avoiding soda as much as I was planning to. I think I have actually started to gain weight, I get hungry a lot more often than I had been.
I still seem to be growing slowly, though not as much as I expected. I think my bump is bigger than average by this point though. It has become a bit of an ordeal to get myself out of bed in the mornings. It'll probably become quite amusing once I get even bigger. I have finally started to get used to sleeping on my sides rather than my tummy -a huge struggle the first month.
That's all I can think of for now!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Welcome to my afternoon!
All of my headband supplies!
All the headbands that still need flowers...about 47 I believe.
Some of my materials
And, the headbands that are already done.
I'm going to spend my afternoon trying to make the stack of finished headbands increase in size. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
I keep forgetting..
One of my projects over the last few weeks was to design a little logo for a poker run an acquaintance is putting on. He and his wife are trying to raise the money to build a new animal shelter. Since the name of the event is "Hawgs for Dawgs", the request was for a cartoonish basset hound on a Harley. Call me blonde, but it wasn't until a few days after I started the project that while talking to my hubby I finally figured out that Harleys are called 'hogs'. No wonder at last year's "Bears and hogs" themed county fair it was bears and motorcycles! Haha. I wondered why I didn't see any pigs....
Anyway, here's the finished art. I was pretty happy that I actually picked up my sketching again, even if it was just for one project...and obviously cartoon isn't my strong point.
PS I don't know why it's uploading the photo so big...I told it to go small!
Anyway, here's the finished art. I was pretty happy that I actually picked up my sketching again, even if it was just for one project...and obviously cartoon isn't my strong point.
PS I don't know why it's uploading the photo so big...I told it to go small!
Monday, July 11, 2011
A little bit of everything.
So this weekend Alex and I went rafting with some friends. Last year I got a third degree burn from the sun, so we made sure I slathered sunscreen on. Apparently I didn't get enough though, I have one bright red stripe on my back, and my left knee got burnt. I guess I have very sensitive skin. The trip was fun though! I got tired out pretty fast and didn't do much rowing, I was also ravenously hungry and ended up going through one set of rapids rowing with all my might...while holding an apple in my mouth. I think the most heart stopping moment of the whole day was after we had gone through the last set of rapids, I looked behind me for Alex -who was in a single person kayak- and saw his kayak upside down! It was the longest few seconds I have ever experienced before his head popped up into view. He was just fine though, and was able to save everything that was in the kayak except for his glasses and a t-shirt.
The river we were on...not my picture
Have you ever heard of BCGs? (Boot camp glasses, aka birth control glasses) If not you should find a google image of them...because that's what Alex has had to wear the past two days. Somehow he makes them look rather trendy though! Tomorrow our goal is to have his eyes checked and get some new glasses ordered.
The other day I saw a commercial for the new lysol hands-free soap dispenser, and it kind of made me wonder: What's the point? In the commercial they show a girl sneeze and then she just puts her hand under the soap dispenser before washing her hands. I get that the idea is that you're spreading less germs...but on a soap dispenser? Even if she sneezed and then pumped her own soap, the next person to use the pump (and therefore touch her germs from the sneeze) would still wash them off with the soap in a matter of seconds, right? Maybe I'm just over thinking it.
Another thing that kind of made me laugh lately is that my facebook keeps having ads on the side that say "Need a pegnancy test?" or "Sexually active?". Gee facebook, did you miss the pregnancy announcement?
That's all for tonight. I'm still just trying to get back into the habit of writing more often. Hope all of my readers are having a wonderful summer!
Have you ever heard of BCGs? (Boot camp glasses, aka birth control glasses) If not you should find a google image of them...because that's what Alex has had to wear the past two days. Somehow he makes them look rather trendy though! Tomorrow our goal is to have his eyes checked and get some new glasses ordered.
The other day I saw a commercial for the new lysol hands-free soap dispenser, and it kind of made me wonder: What's the point? In the commercial they show a girl sneeze and then she just puts her hand under the soap dispenser before washing her hands. I get that the idea is that you're spreading less germs...but on a soap dispenser? Even if she sneezed and then pumped her own soap, the next person to use the pump (and therefore touch her germs from the sneeze) would still wash them off with the soap in a matter of seconds, right? Maybe I'm just over thinking it.
Another thing that kind of made me laugh lately is that my facebook keeps having ads on the side that say "Need a pegnancy test?" or "Sexually active?". Gee facebook, did you miss the pregnancy announcement?
That's all for tonight. I'm still just trying to get back into the habit of writing more often. Hope all of my readers are having a wonderful summer!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Ramblings
I have been so busy! It's going to be quite a summer, I can tell. Last Saturday was a lot of fun. Alex and I went to pay rent for the month and as soon as our landlord opened his door, he patted his tummy and asked me how baby is coming along. I'll admit I was rather surprised! Remember this post? Well, neither of us had told our landlord that I'm expecting yet and I was not wearing any of my shirts that said anything about Berry. I guess it's just already that obvious that I'm pregnant, though I really didn't think it was yet. After that was an openhouse at a local 3D ultrasound place, and they were offering free 5 minute previews. So, of course we went! It was pretty amazing. Berry isn't yet fully enough developed that we could see much about how s/he is going to look, but it was so much fun to see how much baby moves around! I'm looking forward to when I can feel the movement.
This week Alex's stepbrother and his wife (who is over 6 months pregnant) and kids are visiting Mom and Richard, so we have been out at the ranch quite a few times. Also Alex helped some friends of ours buck hay while I have been working on sewing projects a lot.
Yesterday we got a new oven! I am pretty excited to try it out. The one we had seemed to be cooking too hot, things would burn on the outside and not be done in the middle. It was frustrating to me to have things I've made several times suddenly not turn out right. So, someone came out and looked at the oven yesterday. He discovered that it has been cooking almost 75 degrees too hot, and that it would cost less to replace the oven than to fix it, especially since it was getting to be close to 15 years old.
Tomorrow Alex and I are going rafting with some friends. Though in all likely hood I will be doing more sitting in a raft on the river than actually helping paddle. I'm looking forward to it though!
The end of this month is vacation, I have another doctor's appointment the day after we get back, then in August I have 3 appointments (dental, establishing me as a patient with a primary care doctor, and WIC...I think) a birthday, and a week of helping with fair!
What do you have going on this summer?
This week Alex's stepbrother and his wife (who is over 6 months pregnant) and kids are visiting Mom and Richard, so we have been out at the ranch quite a few times. Also Alex helped some friends of ours buck hay while I have been working on sewing projects a lot.
Yesterday we got a new oven! I am pretty excited to try it out. The one we had seemed to be cooking too hot, things would burn on the outside and not be done in the middle. It was frustrating to me to have things I've made several times suddenly not turn out right. So, someone came out and looked at the oven yesterday. He discovered that it has been cooking almost 75 degrees too hot, and that it would cost less to replace the oven than to fix it, especially since it was getting to be close to 15 years old.
Tomorrow Alex and I are going rafting with some friends. Though in all likely hood I will be doing more sitting in a raft on the river than actually helping paddle. I'm looking forward to it though!
The end of this month is vacation, I have another doctor's appointment the day after we get back, then in August I have 3 appointments (dental, establishing me as a patient with a primary care doctor, and WIC...I think) a birthday, and a week of helping with fair!
What do you have going on this summer?
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
A drastic change! And answering a few other questions that came up.
I had been thinking about cutting my hair again, but I kept changing my mind. I very much like having long hair, but I dislike trying to figure out how to style it. I love how feminine and pretty long hair makes me feel, I dislike how sloppy I feel every time I just throw it into a ponytail again, and how warm it is in the summer when it's just sitting on my neck.
Here is my hair before (and my nine week baby belly)
So today I made a decision, kind of on a whim, and got my hair cut. The change is rather drastic! I was quite pleased that my hair was long enough to donate 10 inches to Locks of Love. I like my new hairstyle, though it will take some getting used to. It feels like I have no hair!
Also, after my last post I had someone ask me why we call the baby Berry. So here's the reason: When I found out I was pregnant it was thought that I was seven weeks along. At that stage the baby is the size of a blueberry, and at eight weeks, the size of a raspberry. So Alex and I referred to baby as "Berry". Two weeks later when we found out that I was actually at eight weeks then the nickname stuck. And so, until little Berry is born and we find out who s/he is...Berry it will remain :)
Which leads me to the other question: Are the baby names a secret? No, they aren't. Not too long after we were married Alex and I had the names Jacob Ezra and Lydia Renee picked out. Which gives us one less thing to get done before Berry comes.
So tell me, have I missed any questions that you want answered?
Here is my hair before (and my nine week baby belly)
So today I made a decision, kind of on a whim, and got my hair cut. The change is rather drastic! I was quite pleased that my hair was long enough to donate 10 inches to Locks of Love. I like my new hairstyle, though it will take some getting used to. It feels like I have no hair!
Also, after my last post I had someone ask me why we call the baby Berry. So here's the reason: When I found out I was pregnant it was thought that I was seven weeks along. At that stage the baby is the size of a blueberry, and at eight weeks, the size of a raspberry. So Alex and I referred to baby as "Berry". Two weeks later when we found out that I was actually at eight weeks then the nickname stuck. And so, until little Berry is born and we find out who s/he is...Berry it will remain :)
Which leads me to the other question: Are the baby names a secret? No, they aren't. Not too long after we were married Alex and I had the names Jacob Ezra and Lydia Renee picked out. Which gives us one less thing to get done before Berry comes.
So tell me, have I missed any questions that you want answered?
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
The whole story.
I have been meaning to write again for a few days now! It always seems to be put off til later though. So I'm finally sitting myself down to write this long overdue blogpost.
I have to admit..I have been keeping a secret: I'm pregnant! I didn't want to share the news until we made it past 12 weeks safely. Remember this post? Well, the full story is that I was experiencing symptoms that could be miscarriage, or not. The day I found out my grandma died I went in to the pregnancy care center here in town for an ultrasound. At that point I was supposed to be about 10 weeks along. In the ultrasound they only saw a gestational sack at about 6 and a half weeks, with no sign of a baby. All the signs seemed to point to a blighted ovum...also known as a failed pregnancy. I was devastated. I still had no definite answer as to whether the baby was okay or not, though not seemed more likely. It was another week before my doctor's appointment and during that time I came to terms with both possibilities (as mentioned in the post I linked to) When I did get to talk to my doctor she could tell how worried I was and went ahead and did an abdominal ultrasound before the rest of the appointment. I think I held my breath when she put the gel on my tummy. I was so anxious to know for sure, but a little bit scared what the results would be. Not 5 seconds after she put the wand on the gel she said "There's the baby!" My little berry measured at 8 weeks and 2 days with a strong heartbeat. Everything was fine!
My pregnancy symptoms have been very mild, for which I am very grateful! I was extremely tired a lot of the time for a few weeks and took multiple naps during the day, and I had very strong food aversions. I didn't get sick at all, but the idea of eating most foods made me feel a bit nauseated. My older sister is convinced I'm having a boy because all I wanted the first month was french fries, milkshakes, pizza, and chocolate milk.
I'm already showing quite a bit, though I have lost weight since being pregnant. Alex and I are both very excited! I am now 13 weeks along, and have had two more ultrasounds showing baby berry getting bigger all the time, and looking quite healthy! We announced the news to everybody last Thursday, so no more secrets! Part of the reason I have had a hard time writing is because so much of what I have been doing has something to do with Berry.
So, to answer some of the usual questions:
I am 13 weeks along today.
Due date is January 3rd, 2012
We will not be finding out the sex of baby
Yes, we have names picked out already :D
No, I haven't wanted pickles and ice cream. My cravings haven't been so much weird as they have been specific. For a while it was cherry 7up! Don't seem to have any right now though. Perhaps salad..
I have to admit..I have been keeping a secret: I'm pregnant! I didn't want to share the news until we made it past 12 weeks safely. Remember this post? Well, the full story is that I was experiencing symptoms that could be miscarriage, or not. The day I found out my grandma died I went in to the pregnancy care center here in town for an ultrasound. At that point I was supposed to be about 10 weeks along. In the ultrasound they only saw a gestational sack at about 6 and a half weeks, with no sign of a baby. All the signs seemed to point to a blighted ovum...also known as a failed pregnancy. I was devastated. I still had no definite answer as to whether the baby was okay or not, though not seemed more likely. It was another week before my doctor's appointment and during that time I came to terms with both possibilities (as mentioned in the post I linked to) When I did get to talk to my doctor she could tell how worried I was and went ahead and did an abdominal ultrasound before the rest of the appointment. I think I held my breath when she put the gel on my tummy. I was so anxious to know for sure, but a little bit scared what the results would be. Not 5 seconds after she put the wand on the gel she said "There's the baby!" My little berry measured at 8 weeks and 2 days with a strong heartbeat. Everything was fine!
My pregnancy symptoms have been very mild, for which I am very grateful! I was extremely tired a lot of the time for a few weeks and took multiple naps during the day, and I had very strong food aversions. I didn't get sick at all, but the idea of eating most foods made me feel a bit nauseated. My older sister is convinced I'm having a boy because all I wanted the first month was french fries, milkshakes, pizza, and chocolate milk.
I'm already showing quite a bit, though I have lost weight since being pregnant. Alex and I are both very excited! I am now 13 weeks along, and have had two more ultrasounds showing baby berry getting bigger all the time, and looking quite healthy! We announced the news to everybody last Thursday, so no more secrets! Part of the reason I have had a hard time writing is because so much of what I have been doing has something to do with Berry.
So, to answer some of the usual questions:
I am 13 weeks along today.
Due date is January 3rd, 2012
We will not be finding out the sex of baby
Yes, we have names picked out already :D
No, I haven't wanted pickles and ice cream. My cravings haven't been so much weird as they have been specific. For a while it was cherry 7up! Don't seem to have any right now though. Perhaps salad..
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
It's officially summer!
Yesterday was the first day of summer. And I finally believed it! With weather up in the nineties it was pretty obvious. I think that the heat may be hard for me to handle this year, I only have to be out in the sun for a few minutes and I start to radiate the heat from my skin -it's been the strangest thing. But, I was able to warm up my hubby when he got chilled indoors yesterday. Even with the heat affecting me so strongly there are so many things I love about summer!
* The sunshine
* Flowers. Mom has the most beautiful rose bushes and she lets Alex and I cut some and take them home. The light pink ones smell sooo good! And we found some irises on a friends dirt fill pile. They let us take one home and it has had two new buds bloom.
* People watching. Let's face it, many people are very strange! A concert in the park yesterday was the perfect opportunity to just sit and observe.
* Free concerts! One of the parks in my area hold a free concert every Tuesday night all summer long. They have vendors and bouncy castles set up too, so it's almost like a mini fair.
* Evening walks. much more enjoyable when I'm not getting chilled to the bone by the fall wind.
* Crickets, though annoying if you focus on the sound too long, I think they sound happy.
* Flip flops...pretty much an addiction, and awesome for showing of my toe rings.
* BBQs. Because it's just not the same to eat an indoor grilled hot dog.
I'm sure I could come up with more...but I don't want to be inside on the computer all day! What do you enjoy about summer?
* The sunshine
* Flowers. Mom has the most beautiful rose bushes and she lets Alex and I cut some and take them home. The light pink ones smell sooo good! And we found some irises on a friends dirt fill pile. They let us take one home and it has had two new buds bloom.
* People watching. Let's face it, many people are very strange! A concert in the park yesterday was the perfect opportunity to just sit and observe.
* Free concerts! One of the parks in my area hold a free concert every Tuesday night all summer long. They have vendors and bouncy castles set up too, so it's almost like a mini fair.
* Evening walks. much more enjoyable when I'm not getting chilled to the bone by the fall wind.
* Crickets, though annoying if you focus on the sound too long, I think they sound happy.
* Flip flops...pretty much an addiction, and awesome for showing of my toe rings.
* BBQs. Because it's just not the same to eat an indoor grilled hot dog.
I'm sure I could come up with more...but I don't want to be inside on the computer all day! What do you enjoy about summer?
Friday, June 17, 2011
Nine months!!
Can you believe it?
As of last Sunday Alex and I have been married for nine months! It doesn't seem like it could be that long, it's gone by so fast.
We're still newlyweds though. One of the women from our church said a few weeks ago "You two always look like the cutest little lovebirds." And the comment made me happy. I hope that we always do! I'm blessed to be able to say that Alex and I have never had an argument. I think that partially has to do with the fact that we had both been through difficult things before ever being in this stage of our life, that we don't become very easily unhappy with each other. It is so amazing to be married to someone who understand me, who shares the same faith and beliefs that I do, some of the same interests, and someone who loves me so much. Soon we will have been married a year, then two...and before we know it we will have spent more of our lifetime married than we did single. What a great future to look forward to!
As of last Sunday Alex and I have been married for nine months! It doesn't seem like it could be that long, it's gone by so fast.
We're still newlyweds though. One of the women from our church said a few weeks ago "You two always look like the cutest little lovebirds." And the comment made me happy. I hope that we always do! I'm blessed to be able to say that Alex and I have never had an argument. I think that partially has to do with the fact that we had both been through difficult things before ever being in this stage of our life, that we don't become very easily unhappy with each other. It is so amazing to be married to someone who understand me, who shares the same faith and beliefs that I do, some of the same interests, and someone who loves me so much. Soon we will have been married a year, then two...and before we know it we will have spent more of our lifetime married than we did single. What a great future to look forward to!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Sold out!
Maybe you remember me mentioning that I was making headbands? It was a few months ago. Anyway, I finally asked a hair salon near here if i could sell them from their shop, and they said yes. They sold out in just over a week! I'm so excited. It's a relatively simple way to make some extra money this summer. I really need to make a bunch more now though!! I guess I have something to keep me busy the next few days.
Summertime!
Suddenly summer is here. Up until two days ago it has been rather rainy here and not getting up past 65 degrees. Now it's quite warm and sunny, and Alex has about a month off from school! So we have been trying to fill our days with fun things. Sleeping in, fresh strawberries with my -successful- first ever attempt at making angel food cake, browsing through thrift stores, people watching, helping Grandma with home improvement projects, and an afternoon at the park today. I love the sunshine! Even though I tend to get overheated pretty quickly.
I was told this afternoon that I have been slacking in my blog writing, and my sweet husband is quite right. I've gotten in a writing slump and seem to have suddenly run out of things to say. So I'm hoping that after a few of these rambling posts I'll be able to get back in the swing of things.
Life is good right now. Alex passed spring term with flying colors. (His full report card hasn't been published yet, but I'm rather sure he has almost all -if not all- "A"s) And though he will be taking summer classes, they don't start right away, and he's taking a lighter load than the last two terms. As for me, I am happy that I finally have my driver's license. (though I've only driven by myself 3 times in the 2 months I've had it) I've actually lost a tiny bit of weight and was told that the loss is noticeable in my face. And I'm feeling happy and healthy and excited about life.
I was told this afternoon that I have been slacking in my blog writing, and my sweet husband is quite right. I've gotten in a writing slump and seem to have suddenly run out of things to say. So I'm hoping that after a few of these rambling posts I'll be able to get back in the swing of things.
Life is good right now. Alex passed spring term with flying colors. (His full report card hasn't been published yet, but I'm rather sure he has almost all -if not all- "A"s) And though he will be taking summer classes, they don't start right away, and he's taking a lighter load than the last two terms. As for me, I am happy that I finally have my driver's license. (though I've only driven by myself 3 times in the 2 months I've had it) I've actually lost a tiny bit of weight and was told that the loss is noticeable in my face. And I'm feeling happy and healthy and excited about life.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
This has been on my mind for a couple of weeks...I guess it's time for me to just sit down and actually get it written out. I have been trying to figure out the fine line between trust and fear. Fear may not be the right word... Specifically for me..the line between trusting my God to do what's best for me, and yet still keeping that knowledge that what's best for me might not be what I want, and may seem quite terrible at the time it happens. In other words, still keeping in mind that everything won't go 100% the way I want it to, even if I am still doing what God wants me to. Am I even making sense?
I have a recent example, though I don't think it's necessary to share all the specifics right now. A few weeks ago I mentioned that besides my grandma having passed away, I was dealing with some problems of my own. Health problems in fact. I knew that when I finally got answers for what was going on with me it would either be bad news and I would have to deal with it over the next few days, or weeks, maybe even months; or it would be good news, I would feel relief and happiness and go on with my life. I know that God wants what is best for me, and that may include trials. Trials to make me stronger, to discipline me, or so that I can have an empathy and compassion for other people who go through the same thing. I struggled for over a week. Of course I just wanted to get a positive answer from the doctor, I didn't want any additional struggles to face. After all, isn't losing someone I love hardship enough? I wanted good news.
But after that initial reaction I knew that I wanted what would be best for me in the long run, even if it was tough to deal with. After many tears -and a lot of time spent in prayers and reading God's Word- I was finally at a place where I felt a peace about either outcome...though I wouldn't even think about saying it was easy. When I finally had the doctor's appointment and got a definite answer, it was very sudden. I got the answer so much sooner than I expected, and it was all good news! I think that maybe I had to go through the whole waiting and uncertain period just so that I would be able to come to a place where I could trust God to do what's best for me, despite what my personal desire's may be. It has made me so much more aware of the blessings I have. I know that I didn't deserve good news just for being me, I haven't done anything to earn my health. I am so thankful every day for the gift of life, for the time with my husband, for my family. It gave me a chance to just take a step back and realize again how deeply God cares for me and how much He has given me. I may not have realized it at the time, but that He brought me through that struggle was even a blessing. Otherwise I may still be taking every day-every breath- for granted.
I have a recent example, though I don't think it's necessary to share all the specifics right now. A few weeks ago I mentioned that besides my grandma having passed away, I was dealing with some problems of my own. Health problems in fact. I knew that when I finally got answers for what was going on with me it would either be bad news and I would have to deal with it over the next few days, or weeks, maybe even months; or it would be good news, I would feel relief and happiness and go on with my life. I know that God wants what is best for me, and that may include trials. Trials to make me stronger, to discipline me, or so that I can have an empathy and compassion for other people who go through the same thing. I struggled for over a week. Of course I just wanted to get a positive answer from the doctor, I didn't want any additional struggles to face. After all, isn't losing someone I love hardship enough? I wanted good news.
But after that initial reaction I knew that I wanted what would be best for me in the long run, even if it was tough to deal with. After many tears -and a lot of time spent in prayers and reading God's Word- I was finally at a place where I felt a peace about either outcome...though I wouldn't even think about saying it was easy. When I finally had the doctor's appointment and got a definite answer, it was very sudden. I got the answer so much sooner than I expected, and it was all good news! I think that maybe I had to go through the whole waiting and uncertain period just so that I would be able to come to a place where I could trust God to do what's best for me, despite what my personal desire's may be. It has made me so much more aware of the blessings I have. I know that I didn't deserve good news just for being me, I haven't done anything to earn my health. I am so thankful every day for the gift of life, for the time with my husband, for my family. It gave me a chance to just take a step back and realize again how deeply God cares for me and how much He has given me. I may not have realized it at the time, but that He brought me through that struggle was even a blessing. Otherwise I may still be taking every day-every breath- for granted.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
I just wanted to ask..
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| "How ya doing?" |
Eventually I'm going to get back to writing a bit more thought provoking posts. I guess I'm just in a writing slump right now.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Creepy crawlies
Yesterday Alex stopped the car as we were driving to a friends house and picked a small bunch of lilacs for me. He knows how much I love the smell of fresh lilac. When he got back in the car and handed me the stem I noticed a tiny spider hanging off of it. I shuddered and very quickly handed the flowers back to him.
"Get it off please! I hate spiders!"
Alex knocked the spider and it's thread off of the flower outside the car and then handed the bunch back to me. I gingerly grabbed it and was very slowly bringing it closer to smell it when I saw another spider! This one was a big white one sitting on top of the bouquet. I practically threw the lilacs back at Alex I was in such a hurry to get rid of them.
"I don't think I can keep them, Alex! It's just too nasty" *paused to shudder* "There were two of them! Maybe there's another one on there!" *shudders again* "Thank you so much for the sweet gesture, but I can't keep them"
So Alex tossed the flowers onto the windshield and we watched them fly into the air as we started driving again. I love my husband, but I can't accept his spider infested flowers ;)
"Get it off please! I hate spiders!"
Alex knocked the spider and it's thread off of the flower outside the car and then handed the bunch back to me. I gingerly grabbed it and was very slowly bringing it closer to smell it when I saw another spider! This one was a big white one sitting on top of the bouquet. I practically threw the lilacs back at Alex I was in such a hurry to get rid of them.
"I don't think I can keep them, Alex! It's just too nasty" *paused to shudder* "There were two of them! Maybe there's another one on there!" *shudders again* "Thank you so much for the sweet gesture, but I can't keep them"
So Alex tossed the flowers onto the windshield and we watched them fly into the air as we started driving again. I love my husband, but I can't accept his spider infested flowers ;)
Friday, May 27, 2011
A simple jar
I just decided that I should get a cookie jar! Whenever I happen to make cookies they end up getting stored somewhere out of sight. "Out of sight out of mind" as the saying goes, and it seems to be quite true for Alex. Perhaps if I had a jar like this one where the cookies could be displayed he would remember them and help eat them all before they are stale.
Hmm, now I kind of want to make cookies!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Maybe.
I have a whole lot on my mind that I want to write about, but I am so tired tonight! So I'm going to try to write tomorrow...
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
My thought for the day
The Lord is my strength and song; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him.~Exodus 15:2a~
Friday, May 20, 2011
Pain and loss..
I just really don't know what I should say right now. Yesterday morning I got a call from my mom that my grandma had passed away. She had been battling liver cancer for two years, but two or three days ago she told my mom that she was tired of it, that she was ready to go.
I think I'm still kind of just in a state of shock. I don't really feel anything right now. Yesterday I cried off and on between talking to siblings and dealing with my own problems that I'm facing right now. I'm just so far away from my family and I don't feel like there's much that I can do to show my love and support right now.
But, life goes on, and time will lessen the hurt of loss.
I think I'm still kind of just in a state of shock. I don't really feel anything right now. Yesterday I cried off and on between talking to siblings and dealing with my own problems that I'm facing right now. I'm just so far away from my family and I don't feel like there's much that I can do to show my love and support right now.
But, life goes on, and time will lessen the hurt of loss.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Memories.
My husband spoils me sometimes...okay, pretty much all the time! I really don't know how I can ever be good enough for my wonderful man...but that's not what I was planning on writing about.
This evening I wasn't really hungry, I didn't want to cook anything, and I just wanted some french fries and a chocolate frosty from Wendy's. (It seems strange to have to specify a chocolate frosty...things certainly do change with time!) So, my dear man took me to Wendy's and got me just that. I told Alex that the combination of frosty and fries always brings back a memory from quite a few years ago. My older sisters and I were part of a play at a community playhouse, and after the show ended one evening our dad came to pick us up. We hadn't had dinner yet so he took us through Wendy's drive thru. I remember he ordered medium frosties, a small fry, and an original chicken sandwich. The lady who was working the drive thru turned on her speaker and said "I'm sorry, my headset wasn't working and I didn't catch any of that. Would you repeat your order please?" So my dad ordered large frosties, 2 medium fries, and a spicy chicken sandwich. All of us girls thought it was so funny that he had changed his order on every single item.
I don't know, it might not sound like such an amazing memory written down in such a way, but it was a good time, we were all laughing a lot that night on the drive home. I distinctly remember how happy I felt and the memory brings a smile to my face.
This evening I wasn't really hungry, I didn't want to cook anything, and I just wanted some french fries and a chocolate frosty from Wendy's. (It seems strange to have to specify a chocolate frosty...things certainly do change with time!) So, my dear man took me to Wendy's and got me just that. I told Alex that the combination of frosty and fries always brings back a memory from quite a few years ago. My older sisters and I were part of a play at a community playhouse, and after the show ended one evening our dad came to pick us up. We hadn't had dinner yet so he took us through Wendy's drive thru. I remember he ordered medium frosties, a small fry, and an original chicken sandwich. The lady who was working the drive thru turned on her speaker and said "I'm sorry, my headset wasn't working and I didn't catch any of that. Would you repeat your order please?" So my dad ordered large frosties, 2 medium fries, and a spicy chicken sandwich. All of us girls thought it was so funny that he had changed his order on every single item.
I don't know, it might not sound like such an amazing memory written down in such a way, but it was a good time, we were all laughing a lot that night on the drive home. I distinctly remember how happy I felt and the memory brings a smile to my face.
 |
| Now look at us, all grown up, but still laughing together! |
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Why should I worry?
I have a tendency to worry, especially lately when there are things I want to go just so, even though I have no control over them. I have found myself clinging to these verses:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)
They have been just the reminder I need that I don't need to worry about things that I can't control. I need to take my worry to God and trust Him to do what is best for me. Why should I worry when The One who knows me better than I could know myself is taking care of me?
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)
They have been just the reminder I need that I don't need to worry about things that I can't control. I need to take my worry to God and trust Him to do what is best for me. Why should I worry when The One who knows me better than I could know myself is taking care of me?
Friday, May 13, 2011
*sigh*
Blogger has been unavailable for the past few days because of them working out a few bugs, and I have now forgotten everything I had planned to write about.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
What is love?
Warning: this may come out jumbled and confusing, but it's been on my mind today...
Alex and I were talking the other day about love, and it seems to us that the concept has become misunderstood and the word is tossed around very easily. Maybe I have gotten the wrong impression, but from what I have picked up "love" is now often used in place of "lust". I don't understand how it's possible to love someone when all you know about them is how they look, I don't know how you could truly love someone and yet still insist on having what you want over what they want or what is best for them on a regular basis, I don't know how you could love someone and still do something that you know will hurt them either physically or emotionally, or how you could love someone and be willing to use them and toss them aside.
I didn't realize I had come to love Alex because I started getting butterflies in my tummy when I saw him, or because I was attracted to his smile and how he sounded when he laughed, not even when I started thinking about him all during the day and the best parts of my weeks were when he came over to hang out. I realized that what I was feeling was love when I wanted what was best for him, even if it meant I would never see him again. The idea of never seeing him again made me feel heartbroken, but I knew it would be worth it to me if I knew he was happy. I realized I loved him when I became so deeply affected by what he was feeling or how people treated him. I wanted to be able to take all the hurt and pain away even if it meant going through it myself.
I have never doubted Alex's love for me, and not because he says the words "I love you." to me every day (though I would be lying if I said that the words don't matter) I know he loves me because of how he treats me, because of his willingness to help me be the best I can be, because of the times he gives up what he wants to cater to my wants, and, yes, even because of the times when he tells me I'm being foolish or that I need to change my attitude.
I'm not saying that if it's truly love then physical appearances and emotional highs when the other person is around won't play a part. I'm not saying that if you love someone you will never hurt them, because people make mistakes and do hurtful things without realizing it. I'm not trying to say that if you love someone that you'll never get what you want because you're always catering to them. Partially because you will want what they want, and partly because if it's a mutual love they'll want what you want...thus having give and take on both sides. (That can become a whole other topic though)
I'm also not claiming to be an expert on the matter myself, but I get my information from the source that really matters, the one place that I know to be Truth. The Bible.
1Corinthians 13:1-8, and 13 sum it up rather clearly!
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails...And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
I know that some of these verses are well-known and often put on plaques and wall-hangings. But have you stopped lately to just think about what it really says?
Alex and I were talking the other day about love, and it seems to us that the concept has become misunderstood and the word is tossed around very easily. Maybe I have gotten the wrong impression, but from what I have picked up "love" is now often used in place of "lust". I don't understand how it's possible to love someone when all you know about them is how they look, I don't know how you could truly love someone and yet still insist on having what you want over what they want or what is best for them on a regular basis, I don't know how you could love someone and still do something that you know will hurt them either physically or emotionally, or how you could love someone and be willing to use them and toss them aside.
I didn't realize I had come to love Alex because I started getting butterflies in my tummy when I saw him, or because I was attracted to his smile and how he sounded when he laughed, not even when I started thinking about him all during the day and the best parts of my weeks were when he came over to hang out. I realized that what I was feeling was love when I wanted what was best for him, even if it meant I would never see him again. The idea of never seeing him again made me feel heartbroken, but I knew it would be worth it to me if I knew he was happy. I realized I loved him when I became so deeply affected by what he was feeling or how people treated him. I wanted to be able to take all the hurt and pain away even if it meant going through it myself.
I have never doubted Alex's love for me, and not because he says the words "I love you." to me every day (though I would be lying if I said that the words don't matter) I know he loves me because of how he treats me, because of his willingness to help me be the best I can be, because of the times he gives up what he wants to cater to my wants, and, yes, even because of the times when he tells me I'm being foolish or that I need to change my attitude.
I'm not saying that if it's truly love then physical appearances and emotional highs when the other person is around won't play a part. I'm not saying that if you love someone you will never hurt them, because people make mistakes and do hurtful things without realizing it. I'm not trying to say that if you love someone that you'll never get what you want because you're always catering to them. Partially because you will want what they want, and partly because if it's a mutual love they'll want what you want...thus having give and take on both sides. (That can become a whole other topic though)
I'm also not claiming to be an expert on the matter myself, but I get my information from the source that really matters, the one place that I know to be Truth. The Bible.
1Corinthians 13:1-8, and 13 sum it up rather clearly!
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails...And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
I know that some of these verses are well-known and often put on plaques and wall-hangings. But have you stopped lately to just think about what it really says?
Monday, May 9, 2011
Tomorrow...
...I will try to write a better post. But right now, I just really feel like I have nothing to say.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Wash your face!
Friday, May 6, 2011
And then there were none.
Last night I kind of wanted some chocolate, and I will ashamedly admit that I was whining just a little bit because we had none in the house. So my dear, sweet husband took me to wal-mart where we walked through the bakery, and the candy aisle, and the Easter candy clearance aisle. There wasn't really anything that I felt like I had to have. So we got milkshakes from McDonald's and sat in the parking lot watching people before heading home. Well, tonight we decided to go back and get a box of chocolates we had seen in the clearance aisle so we headed back to wally-world. We got to the Easter aisle and were surprised. It had been ransacked and left with rows of empty shelving where the chocolate had been. We had gone to pick up one kind in particular: Nutffles. Nutffles feature a choice of a whole hazelnut, peanut or almond in a creamy nut filling surrounded by a thin, crisp wafer covered in Belgian milk chocolate. Doesn't that sound amazing? Even better, they had been on sale, a pack of 24 for about $1.75. They were gone. The only choices left were marshmallow candies and gummy bunnies. Yick. Can you say "disappointed"?
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