Sunday

Well, Ardyn's fever finally went away on Thursday night late. We stayed home Friday just in case, and because she had thrown up twice, and because she was extremely fussy and didn't want a pacifier, nipple, or anything else near her mouth. Friday ended up being especially nice, her attitude wasn't too bad, and as long as we kept her busy, she didn't fuss much unless she was hungry or tired. We went for a walk since it was 54 degrees, and walked to the cafe for a late lunch, but both Evan and I ordered food that wasn't very tasty, so we ended up eating our french fries and leaving the tenderloin and gyro wrap on out plates. We finished our walk and Ardyn napped in the stroller. Saturday I got up and got Ardyn and I dressed, fully intending to take her to see the Easter Bunny at the mall, but then we realized it was pretty cold out again, and windy, and snowing (although not sticking) and so we just took a big nap and messed around at home. I started out showered and dressed and by lunchtime I was wearing a t-shirt, no bra, my unerwear, and covered in applesauce and drool. Just how Saturday should be, eh?

Today looks to be another lazy day. Lazy being an objective word, since I have already washed diapers, jeans, cleaned the kitchen, loaded the dishwasher, let the dogs out twice, and put the baby down for her morning nap. This morning when Ardyn woke up at 6:30 I decided that this was MY day to sleep in. At 7:38am I took her to Evan, said "Here you go, it's my turn to sleep in, she needs her diaper changed, and wake me up at 9:30 when it's time for her to nurse" and then went back to bed, with earplugs in, and ocean waves on my iPod a foot from my bed. That was a nice change of pace. Of course he woke me up at 9 because she was fussy, but even a couple of extra minutes of sleep is fabulous.

Sunday and the Serger

What a WEEK! Today was day 10 of Evan being sick. I feel so bad for him, but at the same time I have to admit that I feel kinda bad for me, because doing everything myself is really getting old, and taxing. This afternoon he was feeling better for a while and I got to take a nap for almost 45 minutes while he watched Ardyn. Then he brought her in so I could feed her and we were all laying down and next thing we know, it's 6pm and we had slept for about two more hours. I really really needed that. Earlier in the day I had gotten piece of glass in my foot (It's still there) and had been walking on it from about 9am till about noon, when Ardyn finally took a nap and I had some time to try to dig it out. Which I wasn't able to do. I sat on the edge of the tub and soaked it in hot water and sea salts... hoping to work it out. It helped a bit, especially to get all the dried blood off my foot so I could see where the glass might be. I still can't see it, but I can feel it. Evan tried to get it out too, but we couldn't. So the glass lives on in my foot.

Saturday was an amazingly successful and exhausting day. I got my SERGER! YAY!!!! I ended up spending the morning calling around to check on what people kept in stock and how many different models each store carried. I called Neal's Sewing Center in Davenport, but their's ranged in price from $499-$1799, which were NOT in my price range. I don't need all that, I just need a serger. Amazingly, the best selection and prices were right her "locally" in Peru, so I called my mom and we took off. Of course while I am on the phone checking prices, Evan is laying in bed sick, holding the baby so I can make a few phone calls, and one second I look up from my phone conversation and see him playing with her, and another second I look up and see Evan missing and Ardyn lying on the bed looking all confused, and then I can hear Evan throwing up. Ugh. Horrible.

Saturday mom and I went shopping and I got the serger, I picked a $299 model Singer, which was higher than a $179 or $199 entry level model, and then when I was checking out they told me that if I came back tomorrow I could save $50 because it was going on sale tomorrow. Ugh! I talked to the ladies at Joann and they gave me the serger for $249.... which meant that I got the serger, 10 cones of thread, a thread organizer, and all kinds of other serger accessories- for the same cost as I would have got the serger itself. Good deal.

I also got really lucky and ran into bedding at target on big time sale, that will match Ardyn's "big girl room." I had been eyeballing some at JCPenney, but at like 60% off, the reversible comforter was $29.99- which wasn't bad, but I was shopping around for something similar. The room will be hot pink, bright orange, and red.... and I was disappointed because what I had found at Penney's was pretty much just pink and orange, no red. I already have red roman shades in that room (my current scrapbook room) and so I wanted to continue with that theme, especially because I have some canvas cubes and flowers that match already. So anyway, I found a reversible comforter at Target for $26.99 that was orange, pink, red, lime, turquoise, and yellow. It reverses to solid red. And some orange sheets for $13.99- which were hard to choose because there were SO many sheets there that matched. I think I will eventually go back and get another set, because all toddlers should have more than one sheet set! Otherwise you are just asking for it.

I grabbed a pink orange and white striped bath sheet on clearance, which I plan to cut in half and serge with some binding, to make two beeb sized beach towels that we can take to the Y and to Grandma's Pool this summer. It will match both her swim suit and her swim diaper set. Good deal. They had spring dresses (simple cotton t-shirt dresses with cute details and bloomers to match) for $6, and I got two of those for this summer, and mom bought one to give her for easter. I got her three little sweatshirts for next fall on clearance at Bergner's for $3, and a cute onesie on clearance that said "That's It, I'm emailing Grandma!"

It was a really nice shopping trip, Ardyn was FABULOUSLY behaved, which was a hige difference from last weekend's trip to Peru for groceries. Ugh. We went to Target, Jo-ann's, Jimmie John's, Victoria's Secret (for my sister's birthday gift) and to the bookstore... and she was great the whole day. I was trying to get myself a copy of the book "Medications and the Mother's Milk" and also "The Breastfeeding Mother's Herbal Companion", but the first book was out of stock and can't be ordered because it's apparently on short supply and looks like it's out of print. So today I got online and found a copy. It wasn't cheap, and I wish that I would have bought it back when I was buying my other pregnancy and breastfeeding books, when it was available everywhere, because I had NO IDEA how little the average healthcare professional knows about what medications are safe to take when breastfeeding. It's actually quite ridiculous. By the time my daughter was 4 months old, Dr's had already tried to prescribe me FOUR unsafe prescriptions, KNOWING that I was breastfeeding, without even considering if it was safe. For god's sakes they tried to get me to take MUSCLE RELAXANTS! Jeez. I should have bought that book long ago.

I tried to serge a bit today. I decided to use the pre-threading on the machine to do a small project, but by the time I sat down to sew, Ardyn was already waking up again. I got exactly three stitches in (literally three stitches) when the thread broke. Ugh. So I broke open the book and tried to read about adjusting the tension, presser foot height, and feed settings based on my fabric. Needless to say, I haven't sewn more yet, but Ardyn finally went to bed, so maybe I will sneak down and try to stitch something before bed. I am working on making her some valentine legwarmers that have little candy conversation hearts on them, but I might have to break down and just do them on the sewing machine or they will not be done in time for Valentine's Day.

Now we have enough diapers to wash every 2-3 days, which is AWESOME. I washed on Thursday night and then washed again this morning. Of course she was wearing the LAST diaper when the wet diapers were air drying, so I was cutting it a bit close. But when the rest of the aplix dipes arrive this week, I will certainly be able to go three to four days without washing. YEAH! So tonight I stuffed diapers, put them away, re-arranged the changing table, gave Ardyn a bath, made pizza, baked Walnut Brownies, and I think I will go start a load of her laundry and try my hand at the Serger again before bed.... but it is 10:15 so who knows how much I will actually accomplish before I give in and go to bed. Good thing I got a nap!

Ardyn's 5 Month Pics ~Taken by Mom!~

Monday. It's back. Today we got up LOTS early. So since we had to go elsewhere to take showers last night because our bathtub is clogged (and the bathroom sink is turned off because of the leak) I was already clean this morning and my straggly kinky bedhead went right back in a twist. I was ready to leave the house TWO HOURS before I have to be at work. I clipped Ardyn's nails, changed her onesie and socks and diaper again, did a load of laundry, picked up for the cleaning people, and decided to do a blog posting.

Last night Ardyn and I ran to Wal-Mart to buy some flannel and some microfiber towels (from the automotive section) so that I can sew some diaper inserts. I was pleased to again use my reusable bags at Wal-Mart.... and this time since I knew the cashier and have for years, she was praising me for using them, instead of the last cashier who was about 20 and wanted to kill me with the daggers being shot out by her eyeballs when she thought I wasn't looking. She doesn't know, however, that since I am now a mom, I have that "eyes in the back of my head thing" that I inherited from my mom. I washed everything (fabric and towels) last night, and hopefully tonight I can throw out my first prototype. Got some cool colors, greens, yellows, turquoises, and pinks.... and some baby blue and white also. Cool patterned flannels.... but I will show you with pics when I am done. Today the Loopy Do Inserts for the Knickernappies Disposanots arrived, and also the iPlay swim diaper that I bought from the mamma on Diaperswappers. Also got the shopping cart seat/cover.

Over the weekend we battled with teething again a bit, she was in good spirits on Saturday but was feverish that night and all day Sunday. She took two 3-hour naps on Saturday and then several short 45 minute naps on Sunday. Sunday she pretty much woke up fussy, drooled and chewed on everything, and was cranky. She had that low grade fever for the past 3-4 days, but Sunday it was a bit higher and it was affecting her more, so she did get a dose of Tylenol which finally brought it down and allowed her to feel better and sleep better. Even though her Tylenol had long since worn off by bedtime, she slept through the night. Poor Beeb.

Evan's mom and aunt visited on Saturday, and that afternoon Evan and I took some new pictures of Ardyn. Consider these her "5 month" pictures. I will add a few here- the rest are on Flickr. They turned out great, and it saved us about $140 at Sears. The hat was a gift from Evan's cousin Aaron and his wife Brenda for Christmas, she picked it up at a baby boutique and I loved it instantly. The teacup was a giant planter that I bought at Wal-Mart a while back (read:years) and the black fabric backdrop is just some fabric that Evan bought at Wal-Mart for me when I was on pregnant, on bed rest, and frantic that I hadn't bought any yet. We used the crib bars (side) as the backdrop and put the fabric over it and one the floor.

Today at noon I am getting my hair cut. Off. I told myself I wasn't going to do the "mom cut" thing but I am so tired of how long it takes to dry my long thick hair, and I usually just end up pulling it back, and I need a change. I don't keep my hair one way for long, and It has been long since before I got pregnant, I pretty much am ready for a change. I have my style all picked out and I am happy to be getting it done today so I can stop hemming and hawing over the decision and just have it be made. My hair grows so fast that it would be this long again in a year or so, If I wanted to grow it out again. I miss having big hair. I love to tease and spray and long straight hair just bores me after a while. So, chop chop!

Over the weekend I ordered my snap press, and the #20 Die, and some industrial Polyacetal snaps. I will add these to my mamma pads and eventually to my own cloth diapers. I also bought the poo pockets diaper patterns (The original, the side snapping, and the tiny poo pocket patterns), and hope to sew all my own diapers in the next size she wears. I also need to get my butt in gear and start making tiny poo pockets for the next baby we have. The good news is that I had an advertising agency from Chicago approach me, wanting to purchase the rights to use a photo that I took, for a large ad campaign for a Chicago bank. The picture goes to the bank this week, and they will choose which ad they want, and if they choose my picture, let's just say that I am using the money to buy a Serger for myself so that I can crank things out quickly and not do all this stitching, turning, and trimming with the Singer machine.

I love being boring.

We had the most relaxing weekend. Basically, I never left the house. I pretty much cuddled and nursed the baby, played with her, washed laundry and diapers, hand washed some dishes, made food, and read "Salem Falls" By Jodi Picoult. I also watched "Britney Spears Fall From Grace" During one of Ardyn's naps, wrote out all the bills, gave her a bath, took my own bath, and wore pajamas all weekend. It was good. It was very good. I also organized a binder to keep her daycare papers and our daycare receipts in. i was going to do a little sewing, but I really wanted to finish the book before I have to go back to the library on Wednesday. I have three of the four I checked out finished, one more Jodi Picoult book to start and finish before then. I don't think I can accomplish that (I could without a baby, no problem) but at least I only have one book to renew instead of two. Or Three. Or Four.

We are still waiting for Ardyn to poop. I know that sounds bizarre to a non-parent, but that's what your brain does. And tomorrow will be seven days without a poop. Most moms who feed formula are probably having a heart attack and worrying seriously that I am insane for not taking her right to the doctor, but at around 3-4 months of age, most breastfed babies make a switch from pooping once or twice a day, to pooping once a week or so. It's mostly due to the fact that breastmilk is constantly changing, and it is easily digested (more so than formula) so they are able to really use and digest everything in the breastmilk and have less waste. So for right now, I am not really worried about it, but I am watching for something "explosive" that is bound to happen sooner or later. Hopefully sooner. And hopefully at daycare. Ha. We did a special infant massage session last night where I did more stomach and leg massage and have been encouraging "bicycle" leg movements twice a day to help get things moving, but I don't think there is a problem as she hasn't been unusually fussy or anything.

Cloth Diapering. Is. A breeze. I can't believe how easy it is and why more people don't do it. I am loving the hemparoos inserts the best. Hemp holds MUCH more liquid than cotton or microfiber. It has a slower absorbency, but the beeb is more of a trickle pee-er.... so that isn't a big deal and hasn't affected us at all. We now have quite the Cloth Stash built up, including a tiny tush one size, 2 Bum Genius 3.0 One Sizes, 6 Snapeez Mediums, 3 Ewe Need It Mediums, 6 Medium Knickernappies Disposanots, 3 Small Happy Heineys, 1 Small Embroidered Green Acre Designs, 2 small Fuzzi Bunz, 6 Medium Fuzzi Bunz, and 4 Small Drybees. So about 34 diapers, and various inserts. The BG 3.0 inserts and doublers are very nice, she won't leak through them at night, but they are bulky. We tend to only use the BG overnight, and perhaps when we are home on the weekends. They are too bulky under her clothes. That might change once we can unsnap the onesizes from their smallest size, which tends to add bulk. The Tiny Tush seems to run a bit smaller than the BG 3.0, but we also use it mostly for overnight. Problem is the insert isn't nearly as nice so I have to double up, making it as bulky or even more than the BG 3.0 is. The Ewe Need It's are nice, but not my favorite. I think that I would be the most happy with FB's, KND's, and GAD's. I like the Snapeez a ton also. Actually she tends to wear these as much as the Fuzzi Bunz. But I try to put hemp inserts in everything, whether it be KND Hemp or Hemparoo Smalls. Washing is a breeze. Loving loving loving it.

Thanks to all the wallflowers who popped in to comment. It was so nice to have people visit! I need to write back, but haven't yet, and I wanted to get this post up as it has been a while (again) since I have posted. Oh the woes of being back to work and feeling like I have too much to do when I finally AM at home. Sometimes I just want to do nothing!

Mom and I didn't end up going to Neal's to look at Sergers this past weekend. She has a cold, and it was in the single digits and very windy.... maybe another time. Most of my communication with the outside world has been existing with a group of moms online, who all had their babies in September of 2007. We are really pretty close knit, on a first name basis and know each other's baby's by sight. I started an online photo sharing group for us, and we have to two message boards, and they are really a great group of moms. If I ever have a question, they are the first place I go. I trust their advice and experience immensely. It's really nice to have them. There are also breastfeeding and cloth diapering forums that I belong to, and then there is Diaperswappers, where addicts like me go to learn and swap/buy/sell Diapers and related items. I realized today that I haven't paid full retail price for a single diaper yet. Ahhh.... wheeling and dealing. So we are technically Recycling and Cloth Diapering all in one! YAY!

Oh, and how Could I forget to mention that on Friday night, CB and I went to LH's house and had a mini-scrapbooking night where she demo'd some Tim Holtz Techniques for us and we made collages between microscope slides. I need to upload the pictures of my finished piece. Good fun. I loved it. The coolest was that when we got there (It was freezing cold, seriously) LH opened the big doors to her shed, and we drove right inside and unloaded our supplies and stuff. Totally awesome. She also made Chili and Texas Sheetcake, and bought Tornado Sandwiches from Spaghetti Express. I learned a lot, and LH let me borrow her two Tim Holtz DVD's. I am almost through the first DVD, and I have gotten so many ideas it's insane. I am feeling like I need to own adirondack inks, alcohol inks, and a few other things.... like a good background collage stamp. And can I just say that he does a fabulous batik silk scarf dying session, that gave me goosebumps? Whew!

Can it BE Tuesday already?

Jeez! Time flies! Saturday night was my work Christmas Party, and all the photos are here. We had a nice time, but of course it was snowing and the roads were crappy and even though we had 4WD I practically drove Evan nuts with my white knuckles on the way there. I think I said "be careful" 627 times and I tried to stop but I just couldn't help but think that we are the Beeb's only parents and she needs us to be safe and to come home to her.

Sunday we had Christmas at Evan's Aunt Patti's and the pictures are here. It was a nice time. We really just chilled by the fireplace and ate lots. I ate a ton. Some of Evan's family members are vegetarians (which I am totally cool with) but we had a veggie soup and I swear that I was mentally telling myself I was full but my body was dying for meat so I just kept eating and eating. There were meatballs, but you can only eat so many meatballs without OD'ing... so I was being careful.

I finally got Ardyn (at 3 months 2 weeks old) to fit into a pair of 0-3 month jeans. Of course they are still big at the waist, so I quickly crocheted a tiny belt to match her outfit (see photo, lol) and she also wore a pair of size 1 shoes.... they are still a tiny bit big, but her newborn pair are getting too tight. She looks like such a big girl!

Yesterday was a great day at work, I got tons accomplished. I also got lotsa milk when I pumped which made me feel good and confident that my supply has fully rebounded from the stress of starting back to work and leaving Ardyn, and my stomach bug last week that nearly killed us (Evan got it on Friday night too) and from the learning curve of pumping all day long instead of nursing.

The beeb's new gig is to wake up at night. Since she never did it, when she was waking up crying, I would go in and check on her, then feed her and put her back to sleep. That worked. She was consistently waking at 6am so I just figured she was hungry and adjusting her waking time. Then she started doing it at 4:30 and I was like UGH. And she wouldn't go back to sleep in her crib, but would if she was snuggled with us. So then last night it moved to 3am and I was like "no way. You are totally not hungry" and I pumped while she cried it out for about 10 minutes and went right back to sleep. Then at 6am she was up again... so I got up, fed her, and took a 30 minute cat nap with her and Evan before we had to get up and get ready for the day.

The weather has been nice yesterday and today, probably in the 30-33 degree range, but tomorrow night anther winter front comes through bringing snow, sleet, and whatever else our way. I got to drive my car today, but looks like it will be back to 4WD on Thursday.

Everyone enjoy your week. Last night I was able to read the entire Redbook magazine after Ardyn went to bed, because I had all my bottles and pump parts washed and sterilized, as well as the entire house clean. Nice. I could have done laundry.... but.... nah! Stay Warm!

My Little Ham in the Crock-Pot of my Dreams!

Well, a nice weekend is almost over. I can't believe that it's already almost Thanksgiving! And my Birthday! And that I will be going back to work in 3 weeks. That seems SO imminent now.

Saturday was a pretty nice day, I went to my card class, toting two dishes to pass, and made my cards. It was nice, and the only strange thing was my almost choking on a chicken bone that was in some chicken tortellini soup someone had made. It made me all depressed and worried because of course I took it to the fullest I could and thought of how horrible it would be to die in someone's basement while choking on a chicken bone and leaving behind your husband and 2 month old daughter. Morbid. SO I didn't want to finish my soup but I did. To be nice and all.

Ardyn was fussy while I was gone but so glad to see me return. She just wasn't feeling well still, and I could tell because she just wanted to be held (more than usual) and didn't even want to pick up her head and look around while on my shoulder, instead, she just lay her cheek on my shoulder and relaxed, for hours and hours all afternoon and evening. She would eat, and lay on my shoulder. No fever or anything, but her tummy was upset and she was burping and farting and spitting up and having explosively poopy diapers. Poor thing.

Saturday night we all went to Josh and Lisa's as they had tons of food and wild game. Danny fried up dove, deer, and duck, and they grilled duck and deer also. They also deep fried a turkey. There were baked potatoes, beans, green bean casserole, and little weenies. And Linda made some crazy good macadamia nut cookies that I couldn't stay out of. Lisa's parents dad and his wife were also there, just back from Safari in Africa. They had lots of good stories about playing golf on the equator, and the tents they stayed in that had marble bathrooms and ceramic tile floors. Crazy!Today was spent cleaning. Picking up that is, and running the dishwasher and doing laundry. Putting laundry away. Also doing things like packing away Ardyn's first pair of tiny jeans and her little newborn hoodies. I also folded up and packed the co-sleeper, and it was all kinda melancholy. You moms know how it is. So excited to be seeing her grown and change. So sad to realize that she's not so small anymore and that she is outgrowing things already. It really makes returning to work even harder. I was excited about it, but as it gets closer I feel myself getting a little more worried. Not about Ardyn, I know she will be fine, but about me. It's been more than 3 months since I have been at work, and more than 4 months since I was full time. So even though I am not going back at full time, I feel lots of pressure to remember how to do things. I also worry about keeping up with everything, work, home, family, and even having enough quality time with Ardyn... but still being able to relax and enjoy life and hopefully even get in a few hobbies here and there. I feel like it's thinking of the impossible, and the fact that I am even attempting it is kinda scary.

I am crazy good at multitasking, but when Ardyn is my top priority, over myself, over my work, over the condition of my house, it makes it harder, because multitasking doesn't mean much when you want to make sure you are spending time with your child. Several weeks ago, when she was just starting to smile, she did most of her smiling in the morning. Giggling and smiling and making faces when she woke up each day, I found it really important to devote an hour to her each morning, and I don't mean while feeding, changing, or dressing her. I mean when all of those tasks were put aside, just spending time with her, making her laugh and enjoying every minute of it. Just she and I sitting in the glider in her bedroom. And I had a bit of panic about how in the world it would be possible for me to get up, get myself ready, get her ready, have my breastpump ready and her diaper bag ready (which I do plan on the night before) and feed her, eat breakfast myself, and get to daycare and then work... AND spend an hour with her just enjoying her. Well, I was really upset by the thought of losing that time. But as she grew more, and started smiling all day long and giggling and playing all the time instead of just in the morning, I started to relax an realize that I could still have that hour with her, and it could be before bed. Not a huge deal. But little changes like that will be the hardest on me.

So, off I go to finish up around here and grab a bite to eat. I have tiny jeans to pack away and beds to make and laundry to finish... and 10 packages to ready for the mail tomorrow (ebay sales) as well as some Tivo to maybe catch up on. Tomorrow we are going grocery shopping for our ingredients for Thanksgiving.
I will leave you with photos of Ardyn in my NEW fabulous crock pot! Evan's parents bought this for me as my birthday/Christmas present. I love love love it and it will certainly make going back to work more fun. It's programmable and has an auto-warm feature, as well as a meat probe thermometer and a hinged lid so that you can just lift and serve without looking for the safest place to sit the lid. That's always been my pet peeve, and I would feel horrible if I ever broke someone else's crock-pot lid. I have broken a lid and crock of my own, and I know that I cried.

Ardyn and Mom

I have so much that I wanted to write about tonight, but it's past my bedtime and I have spent the ENTIRE night uploading photos to Flickr because I was so behind! If you want to see new pictures, it's the place to go. For those of you who don't know, I have made Ardyn's photos all private, and only my friends and family can see them. So if you want to see them from this point forward, you will have to join Flickr (or just login if you have a yahoo account) and then I will have to add you as my friend... so shoot me a Flickr mail once you are logged in and you can see all the new pictures once I add you. There has been lots of recent activity with photos of children on flickr being stolen and posted on websites for pedophiles. Yes. Therefore Ardyn is now private.

We have photos of her being bundled up for winter, playing and laughing, being held by family members, with mom, with dad, and out and about. Plenty to check out.

Tivo shows are getting pretty good. How about The wolves surrounding Marin on Friday night? I think that it's CASH that will be hospitalized, as he walks back to Marin's cabin and tries to save her from wolves. Or perhaps his health issue causes a problem when he encounters the wolves and that's why he goes in the hospital. Speculation. Which I am good at. And How about the Tornado on Wisteria Lane? Victor being found? Lynette Crying and bloody? Whoa.

Today was pretty productive. Ardyn slept through the night in her crib last night. 8 hours. That was the first time I tried putting her in her crib to sleep. She's also been in there since 7:30 tonight when she fell asleep. Poor kid was exhausted tonight as she fought a nap all day and finally took a one hour nap. So she was awake 12 hours with only a one hour nap. Wow.

I picked up a bit around here, loaded and ran the dishwasher. Made myself cereal for breakfast, soup for lunch, and mexican rice for supper. Watched some TIVO. Spent the entire day trying to lay Ardyn down for her nap after she fell asleep 524 times only to have her wake up in 5 minutes. Talked to two friends on the phone. Checked my email. Sold 13 items on eBay. Uploaded all of Ardyn's photos from the end of October and November so far. Organized all those photos into folders on the computer. Damn Firetrucks keep going by here with lights and sirens and so far they haven't woke Ardyn up. Hope they don't.

Evan and his dad finished plastic on the windows. I took a bath. Wrote in Ardyn's baby books. Made a haircut appointment for this week and asked Evan's mom to babysit.

I also had to confront an old friend today. Someone who I have known since kindergarten showed up on my doorstep today to see the baby. Instead of letting them in, I had to ask them to leave and let them know that I never wanted to see them again. That was difficult. I felt badly but I knew that moment was coming. It's hard to see someone that you care about constantly make bad decisions. It's even harder to see those bad decisions become worse decisions. But there comes a time and a place where you realize that you can't jeopardize your family and that it becomes more stressful to be friends with someone than it does to cut those ties. I have never even broken up with a boyfriend, let alone a friend. I think that's the first time I have ever had to do that. But the line was crossed when this person hurt one of my best friends and did something that is unforgivable (not to mention illegal.) Because it's not my story to tell, I will leave it at that. Hopefully having this all over can bring some peace to all of us and I can stop worrying about how it will all play out. I tried to remain calm and just state the facts, and how I felt, and to be very clear that this was the last time we would talk. While I didn't want to hurt an old friend, I didn't really have a choice. I am proud of myself for making a decision for my family and myself and sticking to it despite being uncomfortable.

Oh and this photo is of Ardyn and I tonight, in our pajamas.

Weekend So Far.

Saturday was a BIG day! Ardyn (and in effect, me too) was up at 6am. Awake. So we got up and got dressed in layers and ready to spend the day outside. Then we woke up Evan and he got ready, and we loaded up the truck and drove to Mendota for a daycare auction. The daycare went out of business and they were auctioning off EVERYTHING. We were actually pretty excited, we planned on bidding on a PVC Fence and on some Little Tykes outdoor equipment. When we got there, it was much warmer than it had been at 8:30am when we left home... which was nice, so we were able to shed a layer. The fence wasn't in bad shape but it was cemented in at the corners. The little tykes equipment, and pretty much everything else at the auction, was in ROUGH shape. Rough. Cracked and faded plastic, all the toys and puzzles missing pieces... everything was pretty beat to hell. We were a little shocked at that. Of course they had the entire building, inside and the entire outside hayracks to sell before they even got to the fence or outdoor playthings, so we left bids on the items we were interested in and I bid on a couple of hayrack items. Things were going WAY over what most people would be willing to pay. There were lots of bid happy moms there, paying $20-$40 for a tote of crayons or pom poms or play-doh. It was kinda crazy sometimes. I did end up getting a BIG box full of art goodies. Probably almost 30 boxes of crayons, and about 10 boxes of markers, tons of boxes of chalk, unopened construction paper, unopened glue and glue sticks, that sort of thing. It was pretty cool. Glitter and pom poms and pipe cleaners. It was my one big box and that's all we brought home. The fence went for $100 more than our highest bid, and the little tykes pieces that we bid on went for double what we bid. Insanity. I came home and looked through the step 2 catalog just to refresh my memory on pricing, and sure enough, people were paying dangerously close to retail for outdoor pieces that were rough and faded. Strange.

So we went to the new super walmart in Peru for a bit, to grab some toilet paper and look around. Then we went to Arby's and grabbed lunch for the road and came home. Last night Evan made steak stir fry and we had apple pie and vanilla ice cream for dessert. My parents stopped by after eating at Cajun Connection. Evan and my parents have both been through the new captain swift bridge (the back way from Wyanet to Princeton) and say that it's really nice. It's a replicated Red Covered Bridge, like the original that is located north of Princeton. I don't know if yesterday was the first day it was open... but I intend to see it myself soon. I instantly thought about how soon it will be vandalized. There are a lot of people pissed about the use of so much money to build the bridge. The only thing I am upset about is the fact that it took them an entire year (or more?) to get the damn road open again so we could use it. I go that way ALLLL the time to Princeton, as it's right in my backyard. What a pain it's been. I can't imagine how the people who live just on the other side of the bridge feel. Jeez.

So Ardyn for some reason did NOT want to sleep last night. We put her down 5 times from 9pm till 12am, and each time she woke up again. Finally I got cranky at midnight and swaddled her and this time put her in her crib in her room instead of the co-sleeper. And she went to sleep. And slept 8 hours straight. In her Crib. For the first time ever. She naps there but has never slept there yet. So that means that I got 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Unheard of. Awesome. So while I am not taking the co-sleeper down yet, I am putting her back in her crib each night to see if this will stick. Before she was sick twice and before she had shots, she was sleeping through the night for a full week.... but then her schedule got all screwed up and she wouldn't get back on it. I hope this is a good sign!

I think I forgot to mention that at her two month appointment she weighed 10 pounds 14 ounces and was 24 inches long. Excellent. She gained 2 pounds 9 ounces in the past month. That's wonderful weight gain. Go breastmilk go!

She is now finally able to wear some 0-3 months clothes... although others are still way too big. But that brings promise that she can wear the Hanna Anderrson dress that I bought for her Christmas pictures and for pictures on Santa's lap. Cross your fingers. Of course if she gains another 2 pounds this month, it seems like she is more likely to fit the dress.

Yesterday marked the "one month" till I go back to work milestone. Whew!

Memorial Day Weekend

Well, it's been an interesting Memorial Day Weekend. Friday night Evan worked and I had my Bead Retreat Party. There were 13 people in attendance (including me) and we made the ocean treasures bracelet. It was fun and I am really glad that everyone came! I am almost to $500 in sales, and when I reach that level, I will be getting $125 in Free merchandise, SEVEN Half price items, and the May Flowers Bracelet for free. That's an ENORMOUS amount of stuff. I literally went through the catalog and the summer flier and circled everything I want and with those hostess benefits I will GET everything I want. It's insane.

So on Saturday I made an anklet and two more bracelets, because it was rainy and I was super bored. I can't believe how much it poured. We got somewhere between 2 and 3 inches of rain in this area. We need it badly, it's been so dry, but it still made for a dreary day. I did't accomplish much.

Sunday (yesterday) was a cookout at Evan's parents house and we had a great time. Everyone brought food to pass and there was SO much good food it was great. We played two games of badminton in the pool and the excercise was great, especially easy to be in the pool and be active since I was weightless. (now I know why my midwife recommends it so highly) Earlier in the day I had gone over to Anya's and helped her pick out plants to dig up from another friend's house. In the hour or two that I was outside watching and naming plants, I must have gotten sunburnt. After leaving there and picking up Evan's grandma, and going to the cookout, I didn't feel it yet, but we sat outside for about 20 minutes before I put my suit on, and by the time I put my suit on I Had dark red tan lines from my tank top. SO I proceeded with applying my SPF 30 twice for the remainder of the afternoon and although I did get burnt, at least it wasn't as bad as it could be. I was able to sleep on my sides pretty well, except that my shoulders hurt a decent amount.

After the cookout I met my parents at Veteran's Park in Sheffield. We walked through the flagstone path that is paved with flags dedicated to veterans. My Great Great Uncles, the Hortz brothers, were both killed in action and the legion is named after them in Sheffield. Their flags are positioned at the beginning of the flagstone path, right in front of their home.... which is now owned by my friend Zack. My great grandma grew up in that house and her father built it. When her brothers were killed the funeral caissons were in front of the house and the procession started right where the flags are posted today. We also have one other relative whose flag is posted there in the park.

After seeing the flags, I went to my parents and dad lit the bonfire. We sat around and chatted and Had Smores. It was nice and relaxing and I stayed there until just about midnight, then I came home and put on the Ocean Potion Aloe and went to sleep. Tonight we are having them over for supper. Nothing fancy, just food. I know I should take a shower, but my sunburn hurts and I would prefer to just get dressed as I am before I run to work and then to grab some food for tonight.

Lazy Sunday

This weekend I am an interesting mix of "bored" and "Don't make me do anything."

Friday night I did clean up around home a bit, and Saturday I did too. Cleaned off the dining room table, picked up and reorganized things in the baby room, etc. I did some laundry, rather half ass.... and I have lots more to do today, laundry and run the dishwasher and I really need to tidy up the bathroom and our bedroom. Ugh.

It's really nice outside. Not too hot. Nice breeze. Sunny. All the windows are open. Last night I went to Josh and Lisa's. Anya and Brad and Ava were there for a while, and Ryan, who was totally and completely drunk. Josh and Lisa and I just sat around the whole night in their lawn chairs in the door to the garage, watching people drive by and talking. It was relaxing.

Evan's mom called yesterday and she has ordered our baby crib and has the mattress, which will be our gift for the baby, and I am SUPER Excited to get it and get the room even closer to finished. That revelation has prompted me to order the Armoire with my first June paycheck, and then I can start organizing better than having to have things piled on top of the twin bed waiting for a home.

I have been trying to read here and there, but my head just isn't in it. Hanging out on ebay bidding on Maternity Dresses to wear this summer to work, and hopefully something to wear to my shower in August. I need to shower today but that just takes energy that I don't feel like expending. I will anyway. At least I washed my feet and my face and brushed my teeth before bed. But it isn't like I DID anything yesterday and I didn't sweat.

The dogs are on permenant living room camp out this weekend, and they are shedding terribly, at least Hadley is. We brush him but it doesn't help much! I am hosting a bead retreat party this Friday and I have to figure out how to quarantine them from Monday till Friday so all the cleaning that happens on Monday won't be un-done before the party. So far I have 11 YES RSVP's plus me..... so that is awesome. I hope that everyone does come and that we have a fun and relaxing time. I still need to finish tidying up the scrapbook room. It is loking better but I have PAPER stacked everywhere in towers. I need a good way to organize my 12x12 patterned paper, and I have found the way that I would PREFER to organize it, but the truth is I don't have ROOM to put the organizer so I just keep stacking it. Not that stacking it is productive! LOL.

Have a great Sunday and do some relaxing yourself.

Is it MONDAY tomorrow? ACK!

Where to start! I had a fairly busy weekend. Friday night I picked up around home, ran to wal-mart, caught up on Tivo... How about Grey's Anatomy? Honestly, the episode was a little lame for the "2 hour spectacular" I thought I was going to get, but I did cry a few times, so hey.... it was good. I tried to stay up and wait for Evan, but at 11:30, in the middle of a Tivo'd episode or Painkiller Jane, I was asleep on the couch after two bowls of oatmeal/granola/almond/raisin cereal. LOL.

Saturday I DESPERATELY tried to sleep in, but was wide awake for good before 9am. I picked up some more, started laundry, got the mail, and went to Jamie's to pay for Longaberger, when I discovered that she was having an open house and was making some awesome knock-off hostess cupcakes that I need to get the recipe for. I went to Wyanet Locker and got meat, and then grabbed a couple of sandwiches from the Community Club Cookout for Evan and I. Then Anya and I went to Jamie's open house for a bit and took lunch to Josh and Brad.... and then went to Piehl's in Princeton so she could pick up her new Tahoe.

Saturday evening Evan and I got a little golf in. 5 holes to be exact. After 5 holes I had to pee once, it was getting pretty windy and cool, and I did plenty of walking (although we drove) and we were hungry. I am such a crappy golfer that Evan laughed at me and probably said "Don't be such a dork" at least 15 times. I have a bad habit of chopping at the ball and being afraid that I might take a piece of grass. LOL. But we had a good time and I enjoyed using my new clubs. I finally got to use the 3 and 5 woods that I hadn't touched yet, and get a feel for some irons. Last time I golfed I think I used the driver, then the hybrid for everything in between the pitching wedge and putter. I just LOVE that hybrid!

Saturday night we grilled out at home. Today I had to work at a Women's Healthcare Expo that my employer put on. I enjoyed it. Especially the talk that my midwife gave about Waterbirth. I worked enough to be tired by the end of the day. Then after that I went and had a Urinalysis done at the hospital because I continually have this pressure like I have to pee, even when I don't have to go. Wouldn't you know that my White Blood Cell count is up again, so tomorrow I start an antibiotic to see if it will help with the pressure.

One of my favorite parts of the expo was gathering info on pregnancy and kids. I discovered that a MOPS Group is coming to Princeton (Mothers Of PreSchoolers) and grabbed a pregnancy magazine that I learned TONS from, I got great info from March of Dimes on telling the signs of premature labor.

A nice part of the day was coming home, taking off the khakis and polo shirt, and putting on comfy lounge pants and a tank top. Ahh... Then I lay on the couch and read through the info that I had gotten today. Then Evan and I cuddled up for about 15 minutes and I just relaxed. One thing that I have never figured out, is that when I am cold, he is warm, and when I am warm, he is cool. The only explanation I have is that I am the crazy one and his temperature stays perfectly steady. He's like my perfect compliment.

Tonight I ordered a pizza from Maria's.... and I was astounded at the SIZE of it. I don't mean size around, but size TALL. I ordered meat lovers with mushroom and onion. Holy Cow. There was so much meat on tha tthing it was freakin ridiculous. I had 3 pieces and some Garlic Bread with Cheese... and a coke.... and followed it up with some gas-X to be safe! LOL. Tonight I have watched TIVO'd episodes of desperate housewives, and the last two episodes of Dancing with the Stars. Can ANYONE believe that Billy Ray is still there?! Is like EVERYONE who watches Hanna Montana voting for him? It's really kinda a popularity contest like the Stupid Small Town Festival Queens that win because they get the most $$ in their jars at the local gas station and cafe.

On Saturday, the mail brought the Bouncy Seat that I got on ebay for about $28- ($9.99 plus shipping) and It was amazingly clean but I was upset because the screws to assemble it were floating and rattling around in the box. It was poorly packaged. It was in an HP computer box, so there were cutout handles on the sides and I was sick just thinking that the screws would not all be there. Luckily and amazingly, they were there. But assembling it was a total bitch. No instructions... so I got online and grabbed some, and I STILL could barely get the damn thing together... and I am a handy chick. What a pain! And then I discovered that the toys that snap into it weren't included! Argh! So I tried to call Fisher Price and order some tonight, but of course their customer service is closed on Sunday. Damn.

So that's about all. Cleaning people come tomorrow and I am totally unprepared. Surprise! ha ha. So someone needs to unload the dishwasher and reload it, and pick up the shit in the bathroom, and the dirty clothes on the floor of the bedroom, and (ugh) all the crap that I got from the Expo off the coffee table. Ick.

I think I hate Milwaukee

Well, we just completed what may have been the worst "vacation" ever. We chose to go to Milwaukee for a getaway weekend before the baby gets here, and at the recommendation of my midwife, who said I needed a break from work and life and needed to get away with my husband. Everyone that we talked to said that Milwaukee was a great place to go and that there is so much to do and see.

Now I know that I probably needed to go on a break all by myself, and just take that $500 that we've spent and drop it all on myself at a spa for a long massage, pedicure, the whole deal. Which I have never done and which if I was smart I would have just done. The guilt would have been less than it is for dropping $500 to visit Milwaukee. On the way home my husband said just that, echoing what I was thinking, and telling me that it would be worth the money if I would feel more relaxed and be better. He's probably right. But of course I just kept thinking of how we will need a stroller and a car seat and a crib and not a "spa day."

My husband and I were not impressed with Milwaukee. I personally think that I have been forever spoiled after Vancouver. I have yet to find a city that compares in it's beauty and natural habitat, and also is so clean and pleasant. People of all races and cultures mix seamlessly there and embrace and talk to each other. It's like a utopia. As soon as we got to milwaukee we noticed a type of self-segregation. For the first day I felt very very white, very very unwelcome, and very very pregnant. No one made eye contact. No one smiled. No one tried to say hello. No one held open a door. Nothing. When we went to the little shops/mall Evan held doors open for people and they were ASTONISHED and profusely thanked him. Apparently that doesn't happen here. Ever. When trying to get in and out of an elevator or go through a doorway or walk down a sidewalk, people stepped in front of me, blocked my path, and it was really starting to irritate Evan. I have never been treated this way in any other City, be it in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Utah, Oklahoma, or even St. Louis and Chicago. It was as though there was no common courtesy.

The streets were full of groups of people, always one race or another. You never saw black people walking with white people. Only one interracial couple our ENTIRE weekend. Communities were very much mexican, black, or asian. There wasn't intermixing. And it wasn't like in a city like Vancouver where Chinatown is a celebration of a heritage and is teeming with people of all races, celebrating and learning about Chinese customs.... it was like segregation. It was very uncomfortable. Growing up in my generation, I have met many people of different races and cultures and we have enjoyed differences and had lively discussions or some laughs about how we are different. But here... none of that. Frustrating. It made us both uneasy and nervous. I think me more than usual because I am pregnant.

The weather was very pleasant. The city is probably the hardest to get around than most, lots of streets run on angles to each other, and not parallel. Bizarre. The street we were staying on was full of construction just a few blocks from our hotel. We stayed at the Ambassador, which is a 1927 Art Deco Hotel that has been completely remodeled. It was a WONDERFUL place to stay, huge king bed, down comforter, 7 pillows in the room when we arrived, a pull out sofa, desk with FREE high speed internet, can lights on dimmers in the ceilings, a sink seperate from the bathroom as well as a sink IN the bathroom and a giant deep tub. It was a great place to stay, but it was very formal and stuffy. People staying there were all wearing suits and heels and it was just very formal feeling. Their restraunt was nice looking, although a bit too formal for us. They had a nice bar (very formal and swanky) and a neat little cafe. But the people there were all dressed up to the nines even to grab a drink at the bar or eat a bagel in the cafe. It was bizarre. Yet right outside the hotel was the Marquette University and some seedy businesses.... where I was afraid to walk across parking lots and hurried to get in the cars and lock the doors. Across from the hotel on Saturday night was a NAS concert (the rapper) and hoardes of kids walking to the concert and hanging outside.... and there were police and ambulances there because of fighting and violence. I was not thrilled and it really had me on edge, and I think that Evan could feel that and felt the same way. I felt so out of place.

Friday night we went to the Shops of Grand Avenue, and we weren't really impressed. We wandered through a few stores but it was just not somewhere that we really wanted to shop. Unless we wanted to buy a wig or some hats and clothes by brands like South Pole, it wasn't the best place to be. We did find a Borders where we relaxed for a while after lots of walking, and bought some Baby Einstein books (Buy 1 get one 50% off sale) Then we went to Potbellies Sandwiches (corner of Plankinton and Wisconsin) and had a great supper, sandwiches and cookies. Yum. We did walk down to the river, which was only a block away from the restraunt and right alongside Borders.

We stayed in that night, or at least I did, because I was tired.

Saturday we drove over to Lake Michigan and took a walk by Discovery Center and the Milwaukee Museum of Art. Then we drove to the Historic Third Ward. Some of which was nice and had neat little shops, but the other part of which was true to it's history as an abandoned factory and warehouse district, with boarded up doors and grimy windows (or busted out windows altogether.) Evan was worried and not too thrilled because the sidewalks were uneven or chipped and covered with concrete debris, rock, brick, and broken glass. It was difficult walking and he was worried that I would trip or fall and there was glass stuck in my tennis shoe soles. I was disappointed because I think if you are going to advertise this as the hidden jewel of Milwaukee and full of shops and art galleries, you should at least make sure the sidewalks are safe and clear. It was silly. We did eat lunch at a Milwaukee Brewery, and the food was excellent, although we waited FOREVER for a burger and a club sandwich, while 6 tables around us, who arrived after us, got their food and ate (and some even finished) before we got our orders. Most of them had Burgers too... so it was unnerving. We found a VERY cool shop called Broadway paper, and went through a couple of very overpriced art galleries, and then we went to the Milwaukee Public Market, which was very nice and clean. We bought some spices there and then headed back to the hotel for a rest (more walking!) That night we made reservations at Buco di Beppo, an Italian Family Style Restraunt that we really loved. Of course everything is served Family Style, and Evan made me feel terrible because he wanted all kinds of things that I am either not supposed to have while pregnant. So he ended up making me choose and making me feel very bad for it, and it brought tears to my eyes. Pregnancy. Ugh.

Our food was very good, and the people were super nice. It was like FINALLY we had found somewhere that we felt welcome and at home. After that we went to a Walgreens near our hotel and I was convinced that I was going to get shot. I have never clung to my husband so closely in my life. We stood in line for almost 25 minutes in Walgreens, the only white people there, and no one looked at us, smiled at us, said hello to us, nothing. There were metal detectors and a security guard at the door. That is not relaxing.

Then as we tried to get back to our hotel, there were so many patrons at the bar and restraunt of the Ambassador that there was NO PARKING. Literally. No spaces. So we drove around the block and came back and found a spot. It was so frustrating. There were people without parking passes taking up all the spaces, and here we were, peopple paying $360 for a room and not with a space to park in. Those are the kinds of things that make your vacation NOT relaxing. Milwaukee was NOT a relaxing place. The entire stay, besides the restraunt we ate at on Saturday, no one made any conversation with us except the Concierge and the Doorman at the hotel. People in Chicago are not this rude, quite the contrary. They love to strike up a conversation, have a drink with you, and open doors and excuse themselves when they bump into you. We should have just gone to Chicago.

We had bought a game set at Walgreens and stayed in our room in our Pajamas playing games of Chess until about 2am. When we woke up Sunday I was SO relieved to be on our way home. I couldn't wait to get out of Milwaukee. But first we had planned on going to the Milwaukee Zoo, I had read on their website that it happened to be free admission. Well, turns out the entire CITY showed up and Traffic was backed up for about 10 blocks in every direction from the Zoo. All roads had cars parked alongside the road and parents were walking to the zoo with kids, strollers, wagons, and coolers. It was all too much. We just needed to get the hell out of Milwaukee. On the way home we stopped in several nice little towns and made the laughing admission that we would have been happier in any of these places than we had been in Milwaukee. It has never been better to be home. I was so glad to be home that I started vacuuming, cleaning, unpacking, and organizing as soon as we got here.

Never again.

My Underwear Are Killing Me.

Blah. Today I just haven't felt myself. I slept in really long (which was AWESOME) and had a dream that I was supposed to be having sex with Patrick Dempsey but instead I was dating his brother.... who was a "little person" and although he was very nice, I was not attracted to him. Ugh. Pregnant Dreams.

Besides that, Evan took me to lunch and to do my weekend stuff at work, and then we came home. I had to take off my underwear. I swear they are making me miserable. I feel so icky when I have to wear them digging into my belly. They hurt. After going commando more than once last week, I am praying that my maternity underwear get here soon! They have been shipped via DHL, and their tracking system sucks ass. They don't even tell you WHERE they are or when they will be delivered. Stupid.

I just feel strange today, kinda tired but not enough to sleep, kinda cranky, but not enough to snap. My hips kinda hurt and my right side has sharp pains (which I also had last night) and just an altogether blah feeling. So now I am on the couch, in my pajamas at 7:18 crying over Extreme Makeover Home Edition, which is like crack for pregnant chicks. You don't want to watch, but you can't help yourself.

Last night I had a great time. Angela came "home" and took me out for a hot date to Red Lobster, her treat. I had stuffed halibut and shrimp scampi and scallops.... and veggies, salad, and garlic cheesy biscuits. I also had a strawberry smoothie that was FABULOUS. Then we walked through Target for quite a while and I added a few things to my baby registry, especially infant medicines and a few bibs. I bought a few more pieces of the layette, both for girl and boy, since we don't know what we will need. We had a small "purse incident" and then I got home and had my nightly Chamomille Tea and Evan came home and cuddled with me for a while which was so nice. I slept fabulously... clear till 11:40am. Ahhh.

Hopefully tomorrow I will start to feel back to normal. Just going to take it easy tonight!

Busy Bee

Well, the weekend has been exciting so far! Friday night my JC Penney order came and I got to try on all my shirts and wear a new one to Ava's Birthday Party. It was a great time. The food was great, and we really enjoyed watching her eat her own little winnie the pooh cake and open presents. She LOVED the bubble generator and the sand and water set was also a big hit. Anya liked the dress and everyone said "awww" when it was opened. We stayed as late as I could stay awake, which was pretty good for me. You can see all the photos from Ava's Party HERE.

Friday night when we got home after 11, I started a load of laundry and submitted all of Ava's birthday photos and many of my baby belly photos so far to the Wal-Mart photo center online so that I could pick them up in the morning. Then I gathered and packed all the scrapbooking supplies that I would need in the morning and collapsed into bed sometime after midnight, which was WAYYY Late as far as I am accustomed to (since being pregnant!)

Saturday morning I got up and got showered and ready, and loaded my things in the car. I had to run to Wal-Mart to pick up photos and toilet paper.... and then on to Lake Thunderbird for a scrapbook day. It was a nice day. It's hard for me to sit that long, and I only went from 11 till 5, with a break for a quick lunch and an afternoon snack of brownie and vanilla ice cream. At the scrapbook day I got the cover for the baby album done, and 5 pages, which included all my belly photos and all the ultrasound photos we have gathered so far. I also started on Ava's Birthday and got the first page done. I bought a new set of pastel pens (good for journaling on baby pages!) and two sets of letters in pistachio green and some green and blue combo letters... and a "eraser" of sorts that removes adhesive and pencil lines from pages and photos. When I left I had such a headache I couldn't wait to get home to my Tylenol. You can see the pages I made today HERE.

Tonight I thought I would probably lay down I was sooo tired. But instead I cleaned the scrapbook table and put away all my supplies. Then I uploaded some photos to Wal-Mart to make some wallets for my new portfolio in pink that keeps wallet photos in my purse. (got that at the scrapbook party too!) Then I picked up a small veggie pizza which I DEVOURED by myself and then I made three handmade Items for the April Coloriffic Swaporama and then packaged all of the things up along with the other Lavendar and Cream and Black things that I had to send. I addressed the package, took photos, and uploaded those to Flickr along with all the scrapbook pages that I made today. See the April Swap Package HERE.

So I have accomplished more this weekend than I expected to ever get done. And now, I don't know what else to do. Surprisingly, I am not quite ready for bed. I could probably sleep.... but maybe I need to make a cup of tea. Chamomille Tea. Yes!

Well, everyone have a nice weekend!

Tidbits

My tummy hurts. Its my own fault. For supper I had a slice of veggie pizza, chips and dip, and cookie dough ice cream. Um yeah. It seemed like a good idea when I cried at the end of Extreme Home Makeover (when I only caught 8 minutes of it) and almost cried when I saw a baby at the Christmas Eve celebration on Girls Next Door.

I loved the season premiere of the Girls Next Door. They brought in a snow machine for the mansion lawn. Bridget got a pink Vaio. My favorite part was when they bought and wrapped bunches of gifts for a family who lost everything in a fire.

This evening I took a two hour nap to get rid of my daily headache.

I made my handmade item for the Color-iffic Swap-o-rama March Swap (blue and green) and packaged it all up to send out. After I sealed the package, I was sitting here and I suddenly remembered that I had a blue bunny that I forgot to include in the package, and some blue rick rack. So I opened the package and added them.

I am currently bidding on a maternity swimsuit that I adore but I am about to pay WAY more than retail for it because it's not available anymore and the ones that you can buy now are UGLY and this one is super cute. And my OB Warned me that I will be SWIMMING and the in-laws have a pool.... and I will be super hot and super pregnant.

Friday night mom and I found baskets that fit the changing table. I also got a down alternative comforter to fit the new bed for $49 (originally $120) and a cute onesie just in case I have a girl.

Good Day.

Well, it's so far been a nice and productive weekend, even if the house is still a wreck. On Friday I went and picked up my glasses in Geneseo, then to Peru where I had an ultrasound just before lunch. The ultrasound was good, the baby looks good, heartbeat, pulsing umbilical cord, the whole deal.... but the baby was moving so much that he couldn't really get a good picture so I don't have much to "show." The specialist is releasing me to my midwife for care now, so that is good news.

After the ultrasound I went shopping for a new mattress. Lay's in Peru had the BEST Prices and a huge 40% off sale. I grabbed a Sealy Posturepedic Plush (King sized! YEE!) that was originally $1600, for $944, so with tax I came in just $11 over my tax return budget. The sales people were EXCEPTIONALLY nice. Not pushy, very informed and polite. Did you know that if you get a stain on your mattress it voids your warranty? Jeez! Nazis! So they wanted to sell me a $75 waterproof mattress pad, but I found one at Sears in the mall for $40. I can just picture my water breaking on the new bed someday, or baby spitting up all over or something like that. Even though we don't have kids, I have already had one kid pee in our bed since we've had it. So I bought a waterproof protector. My friend Anya said that when she was pregnant, she put a plastic shower curtian under her mattress pad in case her water broke in bed. Smart! So the only issue I do have, is that the bed frame was $75, over my budget, and more than I wanted to spend. So I have two weeks to find a metal king sized bed frame. If ANYONE in my area has one to get rid of, please let me know!

Friday afternoon I grabbed my Ultrasound Roast Beef (Arby's is my ultrasound tradition) and then went to Menard's to buy green and antique white spray paint to match the baby's room. I have some wall things that need painted. I also picked up the safety 1st blind cord wraps, which I have wanted for a while, but they are hard to find in a store. I got 8, that's enough to do all the roman shades and mini-blinds in the house, as well as the roman shade we plan on getting for our bedroom very shortly.

After Menard's, I ran through the mall. The plan was to pick up a new Penney's catalog, since my card came in the mail and look at the mattress pads. When I got to Penney's they had a huge maternity sale, and they had $16 t-shirts by Duo for $8, so I grabbed a turquoise one, a hot pink one, and a red one. Great deals. I also grabbed a little JC Penney Maternity Catalog. Cute Stuff in there! There weren't any waterproof mattress pads in Penney's so I walked the entire length of the mall to Sears. My feet were killing me. That was when I remembered that I keep promising myself new tennis shoes for this pregnancy, something with lots of support since my feet have been hurting already. So in Sears I bought a pair of New Balance on sale, that you don't have to tie, they are regular tennis shoes but they have this cool elastic tongue and elastic laces. White with Pink and light silver accents. They are super comfy. Before I walked back across the mall I put them on and was so much happier!

Friday night I spent 5 hours making 6 loaves of Italian Sweet Bread. I watched my TIVO'd episodes of The O.C. and Grey's Anatomy. Anya and Ava stopped by for a while.

Saturday I had my scrapbooking potluck day. It was a snowy and blustery day. I took my gondola bread and we turned it into garlic bread with cheese. I made a baby brag book for my mom to use once she has her first grandbaby. It turned out really cute. It just took a cereal box to make the covers, cardstock and coordinating paper, and 3 notebook rings. And some embellishments.

Saturday evening I put together the new glider and ottoman. They forgot to send the allen wrench! I had a set of allen wrenches that look like a swiss army knife, and was able to tighten all but two of the screws because the allen wrench I had was too large to fit into the tight space, so I hand tightened them. One of the padded armrests had the velcro sewn on backwards and had a dime sized stain on it. Otherwise it was a very nice set. I called Target and the only way to fix that is to send me an ENTIRE new glider and ottoman. For an arm pad and an allen wrench. She said the parts orders take upwards of two months. So they are sending me another glider, I take out the pieces I need and ship it back, all at target's expense.

Saturday night I finished the assembly of the Changing table that Evan had started. Then I put stuff on the shelves and in the drawers, which helped with the clutter in the nursery. Eventually I will probably unpack all the sleepers and put them in one of the drawers, and socks and stuff. The more furniture we get in there, the smaller that room looks and the more I think we might not be able to keep the twin bed up in there after all. That is kinda bothering me, but since there is no closet, I REALLY want to have room for an armoire. I don't think it will all fit and not be too cluttered without taking the twin bed out. Only time and a crib will tell me that.

Of course I was awake at 7:30 again today (ick) and couldn't get back to sleep although I tried for two hours. Evan's snoring was driving me nuts, so I just decided to get up. Now I need to clean the kitchen and do laundry but I refuse to do it alone while he sleeps. After all, I did make bread, clean the living room and the spare bedroom, and assemble the furniture. By myself. So I think cleaning needs to be a joint effort today. So until then.... I will just kill time.

February Pink and Yellow Swap

On Saturday, I was fairly productive. Okay, not really. But I did start and finish the February Pink and Yellow Swap this weekend. After a $207 trip to Wal-Mart (groceries, diapers, toiletries, swap stuff) I unloaded groceries and then watched my usual Nick and Nite Roseanne Marathon. I was in bed by 10:30, per my usual preggo schedule.

Saturday I slept till about 9, then forced myself to lay in bed and continue my dream until I drifted in and out of sleep- up until around 11am. Then Evan had a visitation/funeral to go to, so I ran around in my underwear and pajamas and altered this target mailbox and gathered and packaged my pink and yellow goodness for the Color-iffic Swap-o-rama pink and yellow swap. It all looks so small, but I have to tell you that little crap adds up fast :) Hopefully my partner will love and adore it, as well as appreciate that god things come in small packages. I was able to put most of the goodies inside the mailbox and the rest all fit alongside the mailbox in a small priority mail cube. It's all ready to go! My partner's name starts with an "m" so it made it simple for me, since I have so much "m" stuff myself!

Saturday night I got all dolled up because Evan was going to take my to LOS RANCHERITOS, the new mexican restraunt in Princeton on Route 6/Peru Street. Apparently most of the county was also going there. It was standing people and totally crammed. People were waiting in line to place orders, there was no seating, so Evan, my brilliant husband, said "get a menu and we'll order from the car." So I stepped through all the peeps waiting and grabbed a paper menu and we hi-tailed it to the car where I called and placed our order via cell phone. It was kinda funny because all the peeps waiting in line had to wait while the guy taking their orders answered the phone and took ours.

The food was great, we took it home and rented the 3rd X-men movie in On Demand (cable.) Our food was a little cool. Their chips were awesome. Evan had Enchiladas and I had my fave- Chicken Fajitas. I think that Mi Margarita's in Peru is better, but it's hard to tell unless you are eating your food fresh instead of taking it home. But overall we are super excited that they are there, and I recommend to anyone- grab a menu and call in your order. It's a constant evening madhouse there. I hope their business goes so well that they can move to a new location in town or build on so they have more dining space. Evan said that the people working there, especially the woman who appeared to be part owner, were very polite to him. That makes me smile.

Today I am supposed to be cleaning since the cleaning people come tomorrow, but so far I have sorted through the basket of bills, all the piles of mail, and balanced the checkbook (a huge undertaking that usually takes an hour-three hours.) I also packaged up my swap and addressed the box, and cleared off the coffee table and started a load of whites. Wow. Only a whole house left to go! Ugh.

Cleaning Frenzy!

Well, the weekend is over. And that sucks.
Saturday I cleaned the living room, dining room, front porch, and bedroom.
Then I proceeded to go all crazy on my closet, which hasn't been clean since these photos taken in the Spring of 2006 when I also went all crazy ass on the house. The closet looked much like the before picture in spring of '06, so that I couldn't Get in it or retrieve anything from it.

I got rid of 4 bags of clothes. Evan got rid of one bag from his closet. I packed up TWO totes of clothes for storage (as in I want to keep these) and had an assload of hangers leftover....

Sunday we went to mom and dad's for an afternoon of salad, turkey pot pie, and fabulous desserts. My mom got an awesome genealogy/family tree program for her computer for Christmas, and I installed it and watched the tutorial with her, and then we started the family tree. I showed her how to use the scanner and add multimedia and photos to each person, and we scanned marriage licenses, birth certificates, hospital bracelets, etc. It was good fun.

I sat in front of the wood burner and started a fire, and stayed toasty for a while before going home to clean the kitchen, run the dishwasher, surf the internet, send email to friends, and watch Desperate Housewives. Growing up, we didn't turn the heat on, but used the wood burning stove to heat the house. Our house is big, and was powered by REA, and we couldn't afford the power bills that would run higher than $700 a month in the winter. So on Mother's Day one year, dad and Liz and I went and picked out a wood burning stove and brought it home. My dad built a log splitter himself and we split wood all year long in preparation for the coming winter. As kids we knew how to build fires and run the wood burner. I loved the wood burner, except at about 3 in the morning when the fire was out and it was FREEZING 2 levels above in our bedrooms. Most people don't believe that ANYONE in the 80's and 90's would use a wood burner as the only source of heat for their entire house.

Happy New Year!

Sunday. No- wait. Monday!

Welcome to 2007!

Once again I prepare for bed, and a new work week. Yippee Skippy. Tonight we had Sesame Chicken Stir Fry and I worked on laundry while watching The Frighteners with Michael J Fox.

Today I cleaned, since it's the holiday, the cleaning people didn't come, and that means a 4 week stretch between cleanings. I picked up the house, and vacuumed the living room, dinind room, and kitchen, and vacuumed and mopped the bathroom. I dusted a little, did some dishes, ran the dishwasher, and washed the bedding, towels, and rugs. Evan vacuumed the spare bedroom and the office. All that's left is to vacuum our bedroom and the front porch, and that might be a tomorrow goal. I just got the sheets out of the dryer, made the bed, and took my nighttime round of pills and vitamins. I set out Cheerios, Oatmeal, and a banana to take to work for lunch this week, and put a load of good clothes in the dryer and dark clothes in the wash. I checked my email.

Today I finished the book "Good Grief" By Lolly Winston. It was okay. My next book needs to be better... I have had pretty boring reads lately.

For New Year's we went to John and Amethyst's house and had steaks and all kinds of goodies for dinner, and then we played lots of Wii (nintendo) and played Cranium and Trivial Pursuit Totally 80's. We got home after 2:30am and didn't go to bed until around 4:30am. We didn't kiss at midnight, we were playing a game and were across the room from each other. Oh well. I suppose after 10 years the novelty wears off.

I don't have alot going on this week, I'd like to just be home at night and relax, eat dinner, and maybe organize or read at home. Relax. That's the key! SOMEONE needs to clean the scrapbook/room and office soon and continue some scrapbooking projects. I need to pick up my Christmas Card Mess in there.

Today we watched the History Channel, they had an all day food marathon, starting with "American Foods" that went through the history of the hamburger and all the fast food chains that served them, and then went through Fried Chicken, the Sandwich, The Hot Dog, etc. Then there was the candy special, that went through snack food like Chips and Pretzels, and then candy and chocolates, and then pastries and bread. I had to eat a twinkie and a hostess cupcake. Yum. Then tonight there have been documentaries on Coffee, Distillaries, and Breweries. It was a fabulous thing to watch, and I am SOOO Glad we got to miss all these stupid football games! Yeah!

Thinking of crawling into bed and watching Conan O'Brien ("the Korean Missle will land in California and open up a nail salon.") and maybe hanging up some laundry.

Everyone have a great great week. Relax!

7 days and counting....

Friday night I had fun. I went with my mom and sister to 6 & 34. I had pickle Chips, Amaretto and Cokes, and smoked Marlboro lights. Nothing can lift your spirit like that. When I got home Friday night at about 11:30, I put on my pajamas, washed my face, pulled back my hair, and settled on the couch with a book when the phone rang. It was Anya.... she, Bobbi, and Anya's brother Brandon wanted to play Cranium, but Brad didn't want to, so I went over in my pajamas and we played a good game. Anya decided that she and I shouldn't be partners anymore (not fair to those who had never played) so I was Bobbi's Partner and we won. I had to Hum "I heard it through the grapevine" but Bobbi didn't know it. It was fun. I went to sleep about 1:30am and about 3:45am Evan woke me up. I could hardly talk to him I was so knocked out sleepy. My throat was dry and I Drank a whole bottle of water, went to the bathroom, and went right back to sleep.

Saturday I woke up late. Yeah! I balanced a checkbook (eeww) and then put in 3 hours at work. Then I went to Wal-Mart. Then I babysat Ava and Husband brought Dinner from 6&34. I wanted a burger, so I ordered a 6&34 Burger. It has ranch and sautéed mushrooms and onions. It was not my favorite. Usually their burgers are really really good, but this one wasn’t fabulous. I think I would stick with a regular burger next time. And my fries were cold. Darn.

I also worked at home on Christmas Cards. On Saturday night I completed the 24 that I was hand-making, and when I pulled out the list from 2004, I sent out about 50 cards, so I had to order some photo cards to mail out too. So husband helped my stuff envelopes, and he signed our names on the 24 handmade cards. It was funny because when my mom opened her Christmas card, she said “Wow! Did Evan sign all of them or just ours?” and I said “All of the handmade ones were signed by Evan” and mom said “I am impressed!” and I responded, “Sure, I slave for WEEKS making 24 highly decorative hand-made cards and Evan sits down and signs them in 10 minutes and THAT is what impresses you.” I just can’t win. So anyway, Sunday we went to brunch at Wise Guys and we dropped our Christmas Cards in the mail, and then on Sunday night I went to East Peoria with my family to see the Festival of Lights and take the drive through VFW park. It was awesome. I highly recommend that you go. It’s well worth the drive. It was fabulous. I took LOTS of pictures. Liz and I got our annual photo with Santa taken (two poses!) We had Corn dogs and Ice Cream for supper, and ate Christmas Cookies in the car.

Last night from 10pm till about 3am I spent running around the house picking up, organizing, doing dishes and laundry, preparing for cleaning people today. Ugh. I finally couldn’t stay asleep, despite the Roseanne Marathon. This morning I spent another hour and 15 minutes cleaning up around home before work. For the next 3 days, I completely plan on reading books, doing crafts, and sitting on my ass. This weekend was too busy! I also plan on watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” if it kills me. I have been thinking about it since Friday. I will hopefully have 2 more presents arrive in the mail so that I can wrap them, and I have some of mom’s presents from dad that should be arriving soon and I can wrap those. I bought husband a Resonator Guitar for Christmas, and it’s still on it’s way. Everyone else is done and wrapped. I really only shop for mom, dad, Liz, Evan, Carrie, Angela, and then I do half of the gift exchanges I am asked to participate in. So this year I did 3 out of the 6 I was asked to participate in.

Today I received a Christmas Card with 2 cents postage due, and it sent me into a panic. I thought “what if our Christmas Cards are postage due” because I never weighed them, I just put them in envelopes, addressed, and stamped them, and then dropped them in a mailbox in Princeton. I never even checked. SO if you receive your Christmas Card postage due, I pre-apologize, because I never even THOUGHT of checking them until I received one postage due today. Oh well, too late now!