Good Reads

I just joined Good Reads! My SIL told me about it while we were having a conversation about some books we'd read. It is a fun sight where you can keep track of books you've read as well as those your friends have read. You can leave or read reviews and rate books. I just started, so I know there are a lot of things I don't know about. I like it, though! If you are a member, or want to join and be my friend, let me know! I'd love to know what you think of the books you've read!

Maternity Shopping

I don't know if every pregnant woman in town has gotten to the dresses before me, or if designers just don't think pregnant women would want to wear dresses, but I just can't find them! I had the same problem when I was pregnant with Belle. There are a few, and by few I mean like one to three and in horrible styles that usually aren't the right size if they are half way acceptable. There aren't racks full of these awful dresses either, there are literally three dresses on the rack! It is driving me nuts. We have a couple more places we can check in town. It's been recommended to buy online, but I've not had a lot of luck buying clothes and shoes online. I need to be able to try it on.

While we were shopping, I saw a really funny t-shirt! It said, "Does this baby make me look fat?"

Speaking of fat, I've been really excited that I haven't been gaining the weight I did with the other kids. With each of them, I gained between 50 and 60 lbs. So far, I've kept it down. Last month, I only gained one pound!! Yay! I just hope that in this time of mega-weight-gain they call the third trimester, I can keep it up. I think it hasn't really been me, but the fact that we have been showing our house as well as cleaning and organizing to be ready to move! There are still a few more weeks until we move and then getting settled in. I always do better when I can be busy and not bored at the refrigerator!

New House

We don't get to move in until the first part of June, but we are on our way to being home owners!!! We accepted a counter-offer and we are excited about this house! I'll have to post pictures when I can take them. I feel really good about the whole deal. It is a bit small, but it really will meet our needs and we are happy about that. We may choose to sell it again in a few years when the market is better and after we've added rooms to the basement! Or, we may just love it and not want to move! (Right now, that is my hope. I don't want to sell and move again any time soon!)

I also have a possible source for boxes! That should help a ton!

Stuff

I am still alive, though, if this whole process weren't almost over, I think I'd want to at least be the pile of goo over in the corner! It has been exhausting, physically and emotionally! We sold our house and made an offer on another. They were unwilling to budge and we didn't want to max out anyway, so we are going to try for a cheaper and cuter house. It has an unfinished basement, so there is lots of potential! I think we'll enjoy it and maybe it will be a step up to a better house later. (or maybe we'll love it more than we want to move again!)

We still may need to live with relatives for a week or two. If we hurry, it'll be shorter. I wish we didn't have to move our stuff twice in a month, though!

Breastfeeding

As an advocate for breastfeeding, I was excited to see this article, this morning! It talks about a study showing that breastfeeding rates have gone way up! It is wonderful!

I wasn't able to nurse Luke for very long. It only lasted for about 1.5 months and I felt so bad afterwards. Now, I know that the situation just wasn't suited to it and I think it could have gone a lot better. I nursed Belle until she was 13 months. It was a great experience. I was able to do it even while I went to school full-time!

The benefits of breastfeeding are so awesome! I know there are illnesses that just passed her by while the rest of us were really sick. It is really neat that nature is this way.

Luke has been just fine and is really smart and happy (most of the time HA!). He was a lot more expensive to feed, that's for sure!

Offers!!

We got two offers on our house! Neither one was perfect, but we counter-offered on one of them and the other has added an addendum, so we have a bit more time to see what is going to happen with everything.

We are going to go house hunting in earnest, tonight. Before, it was more to see what was available in our price range. Now, we can decide and start thinking about making an offer. We are getting excited! It is looking like it is all going to work out and we can be moved before the baby is born!

It looks like we are going to have to decide what is the most important to us. The houses have 1-2 bathrooms, 2-4 bedrooms. Some have unfinished basements. Others have huge yards. We have always said we wanted a little house and a big yard. There is one that fits that perfectly, the question is: Do we want that small of a house, so that we can have the huge yard (that needs a ton of work)?

So, we've been trying to decide what we really want and jump on it, before someone else does.

The good thing is that we are in a buyer's market. It looks like we are going to make it through the selling part alright, and since we are at an advantage as buyers, we may just make it through that, too!

I am so glad that things like this can be led by God and that he knows what is best for us. So many times our plans have been changed because we didn't go the way He had planned for us. Now, we've been taking it slow and praying a lot that things work out the way He would have them for us!

Avenge Me!

"When you die by your own stupidity, you are already avenged!"

This was actually said in my house last night! Aaron even said I should blog about it! Ha! Let's just say it was influenced by a really dumb TV show!

We tend to have lots of conversations about stupidity in our house. Not that we are always doing the most brilliant things, but we try.

As I write this, I am revealing that we can be critical. That is a quality that I really hate about myself. I hate that I don't always listen to that little voice telling me not to talk sometimes. It is so hard not to compare and criticise, but I really do try. I just hope I'm not one of those people who others wonder what I say when they are gone. I don't want to make people feel judged!

Okay, so this post really went in a different and random direction. But, that is how my brain works. I float from one thing to another!

I hope you were able to follow!

Pets?

We went to the small zoo that we have here in town. The kids had fun and learned (I hope!) a lot!

There were plaques to explain the animals, most of which are animals that have been injured and are there since they can't be in the wild.

This was one of my favorites!

Third Trimester!!!

I have made it to the third trimester! It already feels like I've been pregnant for a long time, but at the same time, it is going by quickly. I guess since I'm trying to sell, buy and move to a new house, it makes the time go by busily!

So, we are on the way.

We are kind of settled on one name. Aaron has liked it from the beginning (he came up with it, but I have had to take a while to come around. It is a name that is very simple, and the other day, I realized that in some ways that is unique. With so many people making up their own names and spellings, it is different to be simpler. She'd also have a unique middle name. We tend to not like being trendy. Actually, if a name is on the top 10, we avoid it!

The thing that I think is funny, is that for as long as I have thought about naming children, I have loved female names that are kind of weird and male names that are more traditional. So far, we've named our boy something more weird and our girl(s) more traditional names. I

Naming can be so hard!

(Sorry for not divulging real names, we like to be careful about that kind of thing!)

Wikimedia

Did you know that Wikipedia isn't all that the people over at "Wiki" have to offer? I didn't. I guess I don't always trust what is written on Wikipedia, so I haven't investigated it, much. There are public domain pictures, a university (?), dictionary, books and all kinds of things that I haven't checked out, yet. Maybe when I get all that free time back, eh???

So, Aaron teaches history and he is always in need of pictures of historic stuff.(Great technical term, huh?) He uses the pics on his class web page, so he wants ones that are public domain or otherwise won't get him sued! Well, he told me about Wikimedia Commons. They have thousands (maybe millions??) of pictures that are available for any use you want. It is fun to have pictures of whatever you want and publish them on your blog! I love it!


(Rice Terraces in China! I've been fascinated by them for a long time!)

Lists

After tonight, we'll have had 9 showings in two weeks! I am amazed that we've had that many, but we do have a great agent! I'd recommend him to anyone! He does so much for us I feel almost like we're his only client, but I know he is really busy.

I just wanted to talk about my fascination with list-making. I am a list-maker in general, but with everything going on, I have to make lists to survive with my sanity. I have a Palm Pilot that I call my brain. I have to check it to make sure that I can do anything when I'm asked. I also keep a detailed list of all the things I need to do daily and when we are going to have a showing. I just can't keep it all in my head.

Somehow, making a list of the things I need to do makes me feel in control of the situation. I can also accomplish more in less time, since I don't have to think about all the details so much. I also love the feeling I get when I put a check mark or line through each thing I need to do. It feels like order and harmony are restored...okay, so that may be taking it too far, but I really feel organized when I have a list to follow!

Go Read This Post!

I don't know how I found Boothe's blog. I was online and it seemed to just show up on my screen, one day. She is an amazing woman who has been through a lot. I want you all to go read this post! She has put the purpose of life and suffering in such amazing terms!!

Free Rice

Have you heard of FreeRice.com? It is the coolest thing. It is a site that helps you with your vocabulary. When you get the synonyms correct, you give rice to starving people. It's fun and a bit addictive, but you don't have to feel too bad, but because you are feeding hungry people. It is done through various sponsors and the UN World Food Program.

Life, the Universe and Everything (Update Post)

I just thought I'd blog a little about what is going on. I've been so busy that I feel I've been gone from the blogging world for the most part. I've been reading posts and commenting some, but I skip a lot and I haven't been posting. I also feel that I've mostly posted about what is going on, so I don't have much new to share. So, in no particular order:

--I've been reading Jane Eyre. I was inspired by a post on My Ice Cream Diary and I have really enjoyed it. The first few chapters almost made me give up, but I didn't and it got a lot better! If you try it, just keep going. It's worth it, at least so far!

--We've had 3 showings of our house in a week. It is really encouraging! Having it on the market makes me really antsy to sell, though. I keep thinking and praying that things will work out in God's timing. I know that will be the best and we'll end up where we really need to be, but it is hard to keep that in mind. We have started to feel that we are done here and are really ready to move on.

--I've been feeling really good, lately. I get worn out easily and I don't sleep very well, but I generally have the energy I need and I feel good. The complaints I've had are easy to fix and I don't feel huge, yet. I hope the third trimester is as nice...

--The kids are great! Luke is reading really well and loves it! We are a family of readers, so it is nice to see him going that way! Belle has started to quote her favorite books. She can almost say them word for word! It is really cute.

Well, that's about it!

Two Great Weeks at Five Minutes for Mom

Five Minutes for Mom has done it again! They have a great giveaway, well several! They are giving away new things everyday!! Go check it out and see if you want to win anything they are giving away!

Why I Have No Fashion-Sense

I have never really liked shopping. I don't mind wandering around and looking at things, actually I love that. Aaron and I have spent tons of time window shopping. I just hate shopping for real. There are several factors in this. I don't like the way I look in most things. I actually have pretty good body image, but I am realistic enough to know that I am overweight. I plan on working on that, but pregnancy is not really the time to start a weight loss program! I do need to get out and exercise more, though! If the weather would just get and stay warm enough to take my kids out for walks it would be helpful!

I think more than weight is the money factor. Clothes are SO expensive! I hate to spend that kind of money on clothes when I'd rather get something fun. All three of my SILs think that clothes are fun, but I think they are just something to wear. Yes, I want to dress nicer and look better, but at the same time, I'd rather buy a game, movie or yarn! I just can't bring myself to buy clothes very often.

When this comes to shoes it is more a matter of fitting. I have REALLY wide feet. I do fine with tennis shoes, because I can wear men's shoes, but when I need a shoe that is actually designed for a woman, it is a nightmare! I just don't fit in them. Most women's' shoes are medium width. I can't even always fit into wide width. Once, we stopped at just about every shoe outlet between Utah and San Diego and I found ONE pair of shoes!! It's just insane. I think this is a huge part of why I hate to wear shoes. I'd rather just go barefoot or with Crocs than anything else!

For Sale

Well, we are officially selling our townhouse! It has been an exhausting couple of days! I hope I can get the rest I need today to catch up. I really like having a clean house, though! I'm going to have to get in better habits, so I can enjoy it more often!

I don't like how sterile everything looks. I like it to be a little "lived in", just not as much as we have been used to. I think maintenance will be easier than getting it to this point. If I just do the things that need to be done everyday, then, when we get a call for someone to view it, I mostly just need to grab the stuff that we need, but don't want to be distracting.

I'm hoping to get the kids in on the deal of keeping the house clean as well.

Speaking of housework, Aaron found this article, yesterday. It's about how many hours of house work a husband adds versus how a wife affects her husband's load! I thought it was kind of funny, in that depressing kind of way!

The Real Deal

We were going to put our house up for sale on the 1st, but a piano, a job interview and snow got in the way! So, now we are going for the 8th.

Aaron got the job!! He will be teaching AP European history and world history at one of the high schools in the same school district he works in now. He is really excited. I think it will be fun for him!

The piano is now out of the way of storing our stuff! We were given a old piano that had to be dismantled to get it out of the house. Aaron was going to try to put it back together, then decided it wasn't worth it and started taking it further apart. Long story, short, we got some movers to take it away rather than spending more money on something that wasn't guaranteed to work.

The snow is gone! (Hopefully for good, for the spring!)

So, we are already working on getting all of our "extra" stuff out that we can live without. We really want to sell so that we can start actually looking to buy. A few of the homes that I really liked are already off the market! I have decided not to look anymore, until we could actually make an offer. I have tried not to get attached, but apparently I'm not so good at that!

Picture Time=Run Away Time!

Lately, when I get out the camera, Belle thinks it is time to run away and laugh. She goes back and forth from the front door...


...to the kitchen sink and back.


If we are outside, she'll stand on our "picture rock" or run and play.


We have a lot of pictures while the kids stand on that rock.


I'll miss it, when we move.

Presenting the Baby Bump!

I figured that since I actually look pregnant, I should share some baby bump pictures with you. Here is one of my view of the bump!


And here's one from the side. I look so tired in this picture! I had a long day and did way too much. I feel good about what I got done, but my bones don't! I think today will be a lazy day, or as my DH put it a "relaxing day". I didn't sleep well because I was achy and didn't want to go downstairs for pain reliever. Okay, enough whining!


These were taken at 24 weeks, 4 days!