Are you Breathing?

I found this article and thought it was really interesting and sad. What a pain to be declared dead and live to deal with the consequences!

1/2

I have made it to the half-way point in this pregnancy! In some ways it feels really nice to be this far along, and in others it seems like there is SO much longer to be pregnant! The ticker on the sidebar says that I have 140 days on each side of the mark! That seems like a really long time.

I am glad to say goodbye to nausea, gagging at every slightly weird smell, extreme exhaustion and being crazy-wife. (Aaron was glad to see her go as well! She was a nut job! I honestly got mad at him for applying for a side job! What was I thinking? I think the hormones were doing the thinking for me! He had to be on eggshells for a while there.) I hate crazy-wife. She is not me at all. I am usually really even-mannered and I don't get all emotional (at least not much). So, it is really hard for me to deal with the emotions that come with all of the pregnancy hormones.

I'm not excited to say hello to carpal tunnel syndrome, which is making typing and crocheting for the baby difficult. (But not impossible, or I think I'd go nuts!) I also don't look forward to back pain, more heartburn, or labor.

I do want to start to actually show. I still have the "is she pregnant, or gaining a few pounds?" kind of belly. I want a real pregnant belly. I want to look pregnant!

It is so fun to be able to call this baby a girl. When I feel her move, which is pretty often, she is a wiggly one, I can think "I felt her move." It is so much better than "it" or "his/her". I like it!

Oh, here is what I have made so far!

I have had ideas for a taggie blanket for a long time. I used a bunch of leftover flannel fabric from things I'd made for other people. I really like little play blankets!


A stuffed turtle. It is about 2 1/2 inches long and tall! I thought it was such a cute pattern!

When I had finished it, Belle claimed it and had been playing with it most of yesterday. Luke wants a bigger one for himself! I guess I'll get a lot of use out of this pattern! It's pretty easy!

I found the link to the pattern on Ravelry.

Mind over Money

Having been students*** for so long, we have been poor and so we came up with lots of ways to save money. I thought I'd share some of our ideas with you. These may not be original, but they help us, so I hope they can help you.

1. We purposely spend money to save money. When we do our grocery shopping, we each get a treat. It is usually under $3, but it helps us to not crave all of the sweets and things that we could be wasting money and calories on. So, we don't buy chips, candy, cookies or very many other treats. We each get to choose something we really like and we don't have to feel deprived.

(I try to go grocery shopping only twice per month. We do go in between for milk and such. Every time we go, we tend to buy things that aren't on the list. I figure that if I go less, I'll buy less extra.)

We each have an amount of money we get so spend however we want. We call it our "mad money". We've ranged from $10-$50 per month depending on how rich we felt. (And how old each of us are.) Honestly, the $50 was too much. We felt like we could do anything and not have to save up for it. A budgeting mindset is just better for us.

When we get a large amount of "extra" money, such as a tax return, we spend some of it on things we don't need. We'll go out to eat, buy something fun or some other purchase we don't really need. That way, when we use the rest to pay off some debt, we don't feel like we didn't get anything tangible out of it!

2. Wise purchases. We have a budget and we make sure to input all of our purchases on the computer. It really helps to have a program that tells you what you've done and can track past records.

We also make sure to consult each other on large purchases. We have different opinions and it helps to talk it through, since we have different things to add to the decision.

We wait to buy large purchases. This way, we can know what the options are and make a wise decision. We can also give it time, so we can realize whether we really need or want the item.

3. The computer. We use a free bill pay service from our bank and get many of our bills online. It is easier to keep track of and saves paper and money. We don't have to waste so much paper on our end or theirs. We also don't have to buy stamps. It's great! (Especially because Aaron took over the bills when we went to this system! ;) )

Sometimes we purposely use a credit card that has cash back and then we pay it off online when we get home. That way, we get the benefit of extra cash, but we don't get the debt build-up.

4. Mind over Money. I think this is the most important one for us. Whether we have money to spend or not, we try to "pretend" that we don't. If we think we have money we can spend, we spend A LOT more than if we don't feel wealthier. I spend more on groceries, clothes, gifts, and anything else I buy. On the other hand, if I either don't have money to waste (in which case it is easier to not spend) or if I can convince myself of the same, I don't spend much. It is really weird. Our monthly expenses just drop and we can live on a lot less when we don't think we can spend money.

In reality, we need to be paying off our debt, so we really never have money to waste! If I can just convince myself of that!



***Aaron just has some minor editing and printing left and he is DONE with his Masters' degree. So no more school for a while!

Pink!!

We had an ultrasound, yesterday and...It's a girl!! We are excited!

Well, Luke is more just accepting it. He really wanted a brother. He already feels outnumbered, since he counts the dog in the girl-count.

Belle just keeps saying "Us friends." She doesn't seem to care whether it's a boy or girl (frankly I don't think she has a clue about what is going on), she just wants a new friend.

Aaron and I don't agree on a name at the moment, so he keeps bringing up names we'd never use. He's really good at that.

I am excited to sew and crochet for another girl. It is a lot more fun than for a boy. There's just so much more you can do that is girlie. I think crochet, especially lends itself to more girlie stuff. Anyway, I have lots of projects in mind for a baby girl! It should be fun!

Oh yeah, she looks healthy and according to the dates based on her size, she should come early. I'm not counting on it. I just have big, late babies! (The last two were 9.5 and 9 lbs and I had to have some kind of inducing for each!)

My Little Ninja

Luke started taking karate classes, a couple of weeks ago. He is really loving it and learning a lot. I am really liking the things they are teaching as well. The rules of his karate school are:

1. Obey your parents.
2. Clean your room.
3. No fighting.

Part of advancing is to complete a chore chart. He has to practice karate, brush his teeth and clean his room. It has really helped to get him motivated to do those things.
Their room stays fairly clean most of the time, so I got him to clean the floor. The vacuum is too bulky for him, so I taught him how to use the dust buster. He was really thorough!

They also focus a lot on teaching discipline, self-defense, self-control, not being/acting like a victim, focusing on the thing you are aiming for, coordination and so many other things. It is really good for him.

(Spell check is back on!! Happy dance!)

Great Mom

Don't you just feel like mom-of-the-year when you are ignoring your child just to look up and see her weilding a knife???

I just had one of those!

Trying to make this work...

I finally got this linked button thing to work! Wow! It was really easy! I just used instructions I found on Michelle's blog Scribbit!

So, today I am thankful for the kindness of those who are willing to share the things they know with those of us a little less technologically inclined!


I wish I could be thankful for spellchecker, but it is STILL broken!! GRRR!!!

Bread!

Last night, I got to go to an activity where we were taught about bread making. The girl that taught us has worked at a local bread shop for 7 years and has made bread on her own as well. She gave us some really great tips as well as samples and recipes! She even sent us home with dough to bake at home and premade loaves! It is so yummy! It has my kids snacking on wheat bread! My white-bread-only kids! (Well, Belle is reluctant, but I think Luke's influence will get her eating it. She did the last time we had it around.)

It makes me want to be more domestic and make my own bread more. I usually only make rolls and pizza dough. Aaron has been the bread maker, but he doesn't always have time.

Homemade bread is so much better than store bought. I want to make a lot more of our bread. It is so much healthier, too!

Water Painting

Belle likes using benches and stools to reach things she wants, which makes child-proofing move up a level! The other day, she found some paint brushes and wanted to paint. I don't think she has actually ever painted before, but I didn't want to hold her back. I also didn't want the kind of mess that a 2 1/2 year old could create with paint.

I got a brilliant idea. I asked her if she wanted to paint with water. She liked the idea and spent a long time dipping her brush in water and painting with it on her paper. It was mostly mess-free and cost almost nothing as well! She loved it and I'm sure will do it again.

At some point she'll figure out that her big brother uses colors and want to join in, but maybe by then, she'll have figured out that she can only paint on paper.

Storage, Football and Chocolate

It has been a really crazy couple of days. That title could include several more things, but, I'll save them for other posts, when I have pictures to accompany them.

About a week ago, my brother-in-law called and told us about an ad in the newspaper for a job/apartment. It would be managing a storage facility and getting free rent and utilities. It sounds great, but after going and seeing the situation, we aren't so sure we want it. The apartment is only two bedrooms and is probably about the same size that we have right now. We are feeling cramped and a new baby would only add to that. The facilty is isolated and in an industrial area. There would be no yard for the kids or dog to play in and that is one of the main things we are looking for when we move, this time. They also really prefer not to have dogs there and that is a deal-breaker for us. We aren't willing to get rid of her. She is a part of our family. That has been the big news this week, but I think we are going to look elsewhere. We'd really rather have our own home.

Aaron started coaching football. This is something that I never thought would happen. He isn't really a sports fan, but he is really getting into and loving this. He is an assistant coach for the 9th grade team at the middle school where he works.

On to chocolate. Aaron had a plate of yummy homemade fudge, with marshmallows and M&Ms around it. Belle loved the M&Ms and kept wanting more. She asked for more and then said that it would make her feel better. It was the cutest thing. She is definitely a girl, if a little bit of chocolate in her mouth is like therapy!!

So, my house is a wreck and I have a ton to do. I hope I get a lot of it done, but Monday there's no school, so Aaron can help if it pours over to the weekend. We have had a busy and stressful week, so I may take it easy and not push to get everything perfect. If such a thing is possible!

Why Do I Buy Toys?

The other night, Belle was really tired and cranky. I was finishing up a dishcloth made with leftover cotton yarn. I cut off a piece and gave it to her and she became instantly happy. She loved her new little "toy". Luke wanted one as well. I cut hers and gave him some. As long as I could keep them from tying the yarn around their necks, they were perfectly content to play with yarn.

They love to play in cardboard boxes, too. Any box that they can fit into will do. They love to just sit and watch a show or get closed up in it. It is so funny!

As I look around my living room floor, I see scattered toys everywhere. I wonder why I don't just give them leftover string and boxes.

It's Sad When 35 Degrees is Warm

The ice and snow have been melting and I haven't always been wearing a coat when I go out. I love it, but it does seem like an aweful shame when just barely above freezing feels warm...

Frustration Management

Recently, I have learned something about myself. If something/someone frustrates me, all I have to do is change my thought process or just take care of the situation myself. I've learned this over many instances, but I'll share a more recent one to illustrate my point.

We live in a townhouse and when it snows, we take turns with our neighbor next door, cleaning up the snow. It works out really well, especially when the snow is really heavy and you have to shovel 5 or 6 times to keep up with it. We go out in the snow some and the neighbor does to.

The problem for me is that our neighbor hasn't figured out that if you walk all over the snow 5 or 6 times, it becomes ice that you have to really work to scrape off. Since I end up being the one to scrape in the mornings, I "get" to deal with his mess.

It was just driving me nuts. I know it isn't that big of a deal, but it really bothered me. I'd go out to clean up the snow and I'd get so mad that he had stomped all over the sidewalk with his dog and didn't take the time (that I was taking as a pregnant person) to clean up the snow first. It's so much faster and easier that way.

Anyway, I'd start shovelling and think about not even bothering to clean up his steps and path. Then I realized that I didn't want to make them think I didn't like them or something and I'd just clean it off. (I am not willing to scrape off all of the ice they have created, but I'll clean off the new snow.)

So if I just take care of the problem before I get really annoyed with it, I am fine. I don't care if I have to do the work that I think should belong to someone else. As long as the mess is taken care of I feel fine.

I think my MIL is the same. She'd rather do a adult child's laundry rather than hound her for not doing it and having it in the way. I've never understood that about her, until I began to understand it about myself.

Little Miss Independent

Belle has been on an independent streak, lately. It's cute, but sometimes infuriating. She wants to do everything that she knows how, on her own.

So, last night, I thought I'd try to use it to my advantage.

Me: Big girls use the potty by themselves.

Belle: I a little girl.

Sheesh! You can't blame a girl for trying. She's only 2 1/2, so I'm not really expecting much, yet, but I wish she at least showed a little interest in pottytraining.



Note: Still no laptop, so I have less time that I can be upstairs on the desktop, so I'm sorry if I don't make it around to all of your blogs for a while. AND, I am getting more done. It's been nice. My house is starting to look a little less lived-in!

Note #2: Is is driving anyone else nuts not to have spell checker and the rest of the controls up there?? I am so paranoid about my spelling. I'm addicted to spell check!

My Laptop Hates Me

Yesterday, I got offline and closed the laptop. Later, I needed it again, so I tried to get back online. It wouldn't let me. It thought I was a new computer and I couldn't get it to give me a proper IP address. So, Aaron came home, and got right online. This morning, it won't let me on, again! I hate not being very technologically inclined!

I think I may get more done around my house, today!

Organized Move?

We are planning to put our home up for sale in April. We want to move after school is out. We are in a college town and fairly close to campus, so if we don't sell our townhouse in the spring or summer, it will be another year, so we really need to sell, soon.

So, I want to do this well. I have been in a great organizational/purging mood so this is a great time for me to work on organizing my house with moving in mind. Since I am pregnant, now is probably the best time to work on it. I have energy and time, now. Who knows what is coming??

Anyway, here are my thoughts on the subject:

--Anything I can do now, I don't have to do when I am huge. Or have thrown in a box randomly because I couldn't get to it.

--I want to get several large, plastic tote boxes and get myself organized. I figure if I do it for now, we can just move it like it is in the box and already be organized when we get there.

--I want to start collecting boxes now, since they are really hard to come by in May. (College town, graduation and moving!)

--I also want to start purging lots of our stuff. We are still recovering from pack-ratitis, so we have a lot of junk to go through. The less useless stuff I have to move and then deal with, the better.

--We need the house to look nice for buyers, so I'll be doing three-in-one by general organization, getting ready to sell and getting ready to move!

Do any of you have anything you've done (or wished you had) when you were getting ready to move? I can take all the organizational advice you've got!

Today I am Thankful For...

--Snow Days. We have a snow day from church, today, and though I am not thankful to be missing church, I am thankful for the nice day at home with my family. We are having a relaxing day eating cookies & cream fudge, the crockpot is making yummy bean soup (thanks to Aaron) and we are just generally having a nice family day at home. I love it! If only a cleaning fairy would come clean up after the weekend together. On the bright side, I guess that makes me the cleaning fairy!

--Feeling good. Since I got over my three-day migraine, I have been feeling mostly good. I am not as tired as I have been in the first trimester and the nausea is wearing off. Yea for the second trimester of pregnancy!

--Parental advice. I called my dad when I was having the above-mentioned migraine. He has suffered from them for years. Although I can't take the medicine he swears by and going to a quiet and dark room to sleep it off is only possible when Aaron is home, I got some good advice. My dad said that the best thing to do is to not let a migraine get to it's full-blown state. If I start to feel it coming on, I should take some medicine and stop it. If it gets too strong, there is little that can be done about it. So far, that has helped a lot! I tend to let a headache get bad, waiting for it to go away on it's own before I take something. Not anymore!

Mormons for Romney??

I generally tend to be moderate as far as politics go. I've been talking to different people about the upcoming primary election, and I just get more and more frustrated.

Honestly, just like the people who wouldn't vote for Romney because he is a Mormon, there are way too many who are planning to vote for him because he is a Mormon. That is no reason to choose a president. I think that voting for someone just because they are a Republican is pretty stupid as well.

So, as I was talking in out with Aaron, (since I do a lot better after the situation than while in it) I discovered the real question:

"Would you vote for every person in your ward who wanted to run for president, just because they are a Mormon?"

I know there are several Mormons who I've met who'd make horrible leaders. I'm not saying that he would necessarily be a bad leader, I just think people should REALLY think about it before they vote and not just go with the crowd.

The Story of a Plant

A few months before we got married, I moved into what would be "our" apartment. At one point, I acquired a beautiful hanging plant. It had cute and dainty little leaves that flowed over the edge of the pot.

I realized that there was very little light coming into our apartment and so I found a spot where it could get as much light as possible. The problem with this was that it was up high and I am short. It was hard to remember to water it and hard to reach to water it. As a consequence, my lovely plant died.

I haven't been able to identify it (even with all the books and websites I've aquired while getting a horticulture degree). I think it is some kind of baby's-tears, but it isn't exactly like the others I've seen. I've looked at just about every place that sells plants to find another one and I've even bought plants that I thought were it. I've never been successful until yesterday!!!

I was about to go to the checkout at the grocery store, when I was looking down at the plants they had out on display. There it was! I can't believe that I've been searching for this lovely little plant for about 7 years and I finally found it!!!

Now I just have to keep this one alive!