A blogging break was just what I needed.
With feeling extra big early, complete with sore hips and lower back I felt almost pressured to get some stuff done, so over the weekend we strapped the furniture that needed to be strapped to the wall for safety (my contribution was, "Little to the left? Looks great honey!"), assembled the crib (again, my contribution was to hold the end to make sure it did not fall on the worker and little assistant), and then we washed laundry, a task which carried into Monday (folding carried into Tuesday and today....), and made up the crib. While it is definitely early to make the crib, it serves as a great work surface for me as it is the right height for me not to be bending over. Plus I put a throw sized quilt over it to keep it dust free, and it is our quilt, so it is not a big deal if it is not perfectly clean and ready to go when baby comes home.
So with all the 0-3 clothes washed and put away, all the blankets washed and almost put away, and the room essentially set up (just don't look in the closet), I feel much better about things, and don't feel the pressure of "how am I ever going to get this done when it is so hot and I am so uncomfortable!"
I also worked on the Thank You cards I wanted to make. It turns out I did not have enough ribbon, but will order some next week at the class, and will be able to wait for it to arrive to finish. I am actually making cards that will be enough for two small showers, baby's arrival, meals from our church, gifts from family and friends who are far flung, the baptism, and other stuff that comes up in life in general like occasions, so it is not like they all have to be done immediately...except in my head. Plus I also have some "back up" thank you cards that would be great for baby's arrival, but also up to easily a second birthday or more thanks to a great sale! (Although the thought of occasions reminds me that I wanted to make a list of card needs through the end of the year!)
So basically I may not be feeling at the top of my game, but I certainly feel on top of things! Plus, I have more reasonable expectations! Friends of mine who are not expecting or chasing littles are complaining about the heat and how it is making them feel, so what makes me think I should be superwoman?
I am also happy to report that we have finally found a method for evening family devotions! Something we have wanted to do, but have no friends who do, and did not grow up with it, so we were kind of feeling our way along without a real guide or idea of what to do! We basically get Miss Pear ready for bed, pile into our bed, and read Big Truths for Little Kids, working on memorizing the questions, then we read a Psalm and briefly say something about it - usually that we are thankful that God cares for us, protects us, or something simple the Psalm teaches us, then we move on to the bed time routine which ends in prayer. Maybe not perfect, but we feel like we are on the right track and are making progress, plus Miss Pear loves it, participates, and pays attention - that major factors of success at this point. We would like to add singing to it so that we could work on learning songs as a family, and talk about the passage more, but for now we will take what we can get!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
A small break...
My dear bloggy friends,
I cannot tell you how much your encouragement means to me! You are a source of much delight. I started blogging because I was lonely and felt disconnected over a year ago, and even though we have found many friends in our new city, you all remain very special to me.
I pray the Lord will bless you as you have blessed me.
The third trimester is so much fun with the baby moving so much! I love it! However I am feeling a bit run down, which, of course, is normal in the Southern California heat when you are not pregnant! So I am going to take a small break from blogging (not emailing, so if you comment I will see it). I just need to get a bit more rest. Plus I feel like I keep saying the same thing over and over again!
I likely return early to mid next week.
Hopefully reporting in that I feel refreshed, and that we are finally eating tomatoes from our garden!
I cannot tell you how much your encouragement means to me! You are a source of much delight. I started blogging because I was lonely and felt disconnected over a year ago, and even though we have found many friends in our new city, you all remain very special to me.
I pray the Lord will bless you as you have blessed me.
The third trimester is so much fun with the baby moving so much! I love it! However I am feeling a bit run down, which, of course, is normal in the Southern California heat when you are not pregnant! So I am going to take a small break from blogging (not emailing, so if you comment I will see it). I just need to get a bit more rest. Plus I feel like I keep saying the same thing over and over again!
I likely return early to mid next week.
Hopefully reporting in that I feel refreshed, and that we are finally eating tomatoes from our garden!
Pregnancy Weirdness
Am I the only woman who, while I am thrilled to be pregnant, find some of it weird, in an amusing kind of way?
For instance, I have hit the must RUN to the restroom only to wonder why when I get there....
But the weirdest thing has to be the swollen toes. Mine are not huge or painful, just bigger and hot, and just at night. So I started with my toes sticking out of the blankets, then it was up to the ankles, and then mid-calf, but now we are approaching the the up to the knees point. And over a month left. I am so thankful for the ceiling fan above our bed and the big window!
And the memory loss is of course always funny - usually more so to my family. The best one so far was when I was replanting my beans, again. And decided to fertilize them. While I was at it I decided to fertilize the tomatoes and cucumbers too. I COMPLETELY forgot that Mr. Pear had fertilized the tomatoes 3 weeks earlier. Needless to say, a bumper crop of almost scary proportions is on the way! We will be over run with roma, snacker, and grape tomatoes. I foresee a lot of crushed tomatoes in veggie soup in our future!
Of course, I am also very interested in what celebrities are naming their children - not that I am looking for ideas or am a celebrity watcher, just to make sure that no one steals our name! Not that it would really matter, but it would launch it to the top of the name popularity. Of course after Miss Pear was born, after her name being nice and unpopular, it zoomed to the top 10 after a couple people used it. Of course, this name watching requires almost no effort on my part because my family likes to call and tell me for fun! Not to mention my friends who email me! (Am I the only one who does this?) Although once again we have chosen a very traditional name, so I seriously doubt that it will be used! (Although the boys name we had chosen the first time was used in the Friend's finale). Although I don't think I would suddenly change this time, we are pretty committed to the name we have. But still....
For instance, I have hit the must RUN to the restroom only to wonder why when I get there....
But the weirdest thing has to be the swollen toes. Mine are not huge or painful, just bigger and hot, and just at night. So I started with my toes sticking out of the blankets, then it was up to the ankles, and then mid-calf, but now we are approaching the the up to the knees point. And over a month left. I am so thankful for the ceiling fan above our bed and the big window!
And the memory loss is of course always funny - usually more so to my family. The best one so far was when I was replanting my beans, again. And decided to fertilize them. While I was at it I decided to fertilize the tomatoes and cucumbers too. I COMPLETELY forgot that Mr. Pear had fertilized the tomatoes 3 weeks earlier. Needless to say, a bumper crop of almost scary proportions is on the way! We will be over run with roma, snacker, and grape tomatoes. I foresee a lot of crushed tomatoes in veggie soup in our future!
Of course, I am also very interested in what celebrities are naming their children - not that I am looking for ideas or am a celebrity watcher, just to make sure that no one steals our name! Not that it would really matter, but it would launch it to the top of the name popularity. Of course after Miss Pear was born, after her name being nice and unpopular, it zoomed to the top 10 after a couple people used it. Of course, this name watching requires almost no effort on my part because my family likes to call and tell me for fun! Not to mention my friends who email me! (Am I the only one who does this?) Although once again we have chosen a very traditional name, so I seriously doubt that it will be used! (Although the boys name we had chosen the first time was used in the Friend's finale). Although I don't think I would suddenly change this time, we are pretty committed to the name we have. But still....
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Squeak Squeak
According to Miss Pear we had a squeak squeak this morning - that translates into an earthquake.
And of course the news coverage blew it into a huge story without narrowing down the coverage area from "Southern California", so we called the parents to let them know we are okay...yes, the house shook and made a bit of noise. We have had worse. Miss Pear could really not have cared much less, except that she was curious about the noise.
At which point I realized that we sound like natives.....
And of course the news coverage blew it into a huge story without narrowing down the coverage area from "Southern California", so we called the parents to let them know we are okay...yes, the house shook and made a bit of noise. We have had worse. Miss Pear could really not have cared much less, except that she was curious about the noise.
At which point I realized that we sound like natives.....
Monday, July 28, 2008
Happy Monday Morning to you
Thank you for all the wonderful birthday wishes, kind words after our doctor's appointment, and tips on where to find a good toilet paper sale! (Although unfortunately our Walgreens is forever sold out of the deals. I have a Costco coupon I will check out when we are there Tuesday night, and Target and CVS are running sales close to my target price, so I might just suck it up to be done).
It was definitely a whirl wind weekend.
We spent Friday evening preparing to paint up a storm. And then when Miss Pear was in bed I worked hard cutting stuff for my thank you cards! My new cutter that I was given for my birthday works great!
The plan was hit Costco Saturday morning, but it was too hot, and it seems like Tuesday evening is a better time to go crowd-wise (I don't know about where you live, but in Southern California, unless you are there at store opening Saturdays at Costco are to be avoided, and Sundays are not even to be considered at any time, I can feel the headache coming on just contemplating the thought!) So instead we launched right into painting. We got the paint that was safe for both Miss Pear and me, so we could be in there, and everything was going wonderfully until Miss Pear banged her head on the corner of a piece of furniture - just hard enough to leave a mark and spoil the fun, not hard enough to do serious damage, except to mommy and daddy! So we spent the rest of the morning playing out of harms way and making part of the thank you cards while Mr. Pear painted.
In the afternoon Mr. Pear continued painting while Miss Pear and I made brownies, blueberry biscuits and supper. Yeah, I'm not sure what I was thinking either. (But I made two casseroles and put one in the freezer, plus there were enough leftovers for supper Sunday night, so it was a nice restorative day).
So needless to say Saturday night we were wiped out!
Sunday morning we went to church, came home for lunch and naps, and spent the rest of the day very quietly just puttering around and enjoying each other. We did a little work in the nursery, but that was more a case of wanting to see how furniture would fit that really needing to do it - curiosity is a deadly trait around here! And once the furniture was in place, first try at that, we were DONE.
It is nice to have the last of the big things done. On my must do list now are:
Plus I would like to finish the afghan. To that end I measured last night and have finished 9 and a half inches, or 3 inches this week. Not as much as the first week and a half of work, but pretty respectable considering the crazy week we had!
So our plans for this week are to
What is on your to do list this week?
It was definitely a whirl wind weekend.
We spent Friday evening preparing to paint up a storm. And then when Miss Pear was in bed I worked hard cutting stuff for my thank you cards! My new cutter that I was given for my birthday works great!
The plan was hit Costco Saturday morning, but it was too hot, and it seems like Tuesday evening is a better time to go crowd-wise (I don't know about where you live, but in Southern California, unless you are there at store opening Saturdays at Costco are to be avoided, and Sundays are not even to be considered at any time, I can feel the headache coming on just contemplating the thought!) So instead we launched right into painting. We got the paint that was safe for both Miss Pear and me, so we could be in there, and everything was going wonderfully until Miss Pear banged her head on the corner of a piece of furniture - just hard enough to leave a mark and spoil the fun, not hard enough to do serious damage, except to mommy and daddy! So we spent the rest of the morning playing out of harms way and making part of the thank you cards while Mr. Pear painted.
In the afternoon Mr. Pear continued painting while Miss Pear and I made brownies, blueberry biscuits and supper. Yeah, I'm not sure what I was thinking either. (But I made two casseroles and put one in the freezer, plus there were enough leftovers for supper Sunday night, so it was a nice restorative day).
So needless to say Saturday night we were wiped out!
Sunday morning we went to church, came home for lunch and naps, and spent the rest of the day very quietly just puttering around and enjoying each other. We did a little work in the nursery, but that was more a case of wanting to see how furniture would fit that really needing to do it - curiosity is a deadly trait around here! And once the furniture was in place, first try at that, we were DONE.
It is nice to have the last of the big things done. On my must do list now are:
- Strap baby furniture to the wall (don't ask about the time Miss Pear opened all the drawers in her dresser and tipped it. How it missed her is a mystery! It was the Lord's provision and protection!)
- Set up the crib
- Sort through the blankets
- Wash all the laundry
- Make the crib up
- Put the clothes away
- Write thank you notes for baby showers
Plus I would like to finish the afghan. To that end I measured last night and have finished 9 and a half inches, or 3 inches this week. Not as much as the first week and a half of work, but pretty respectable considering the crazy week we had!
So our plans for this week are to
- strap the furniture (we need to pick up two more sets of straps),
- shop Costco Tuesday night,
- finish the card bases and the cutting for the stamping part (don't worry, I am actually taking pictures!)
- continue to work on Miss Pear's homeschooling - we are trying to work on morning devotions, memory work, and read aloud. We are still hit and miss on these three, and never get all three on the same day. Although she now very proudly sings the Doxology at church. Any how, we view these three things as important foundations so we want to get them rolling in a more diligent manner
- continue working on the afghan
- work on baby books and brag books
- bake bread, raisin bread, banana bread and cookies
What is on your to do list this week?
Friday, July 25, 2008
Slight change of plans....
Well, not really, but I was in blissful denial.
Our C-section has been scheduled for September 10, so the little icon on the sidebar has been updated to reflect the new date. And when 9 days disappeared immediately I kind of hyperventilated, just a little bit. So needless to say, we will definitely be painting this weekend!
So there is now no need for a for fun baby pool because we know it's a girl, and we know when she will arrive, unless she decides she cannot wait of course.....
When the call arrived my to do list suddenly looked overwhelming, but then I realized two things, the only essentials on the list were to paint, organize the furniture, assemble the crib, do laundry, make up the crib, and organize the clothing. Everything else were projects that we have time on. (So what if the wrapping paper was still stored in baby's closet!) The second thing was that my MIL is arriving two weeks before, and she will roll up her sleeves and dig into the to do list with a vengeance.
Of course, one of the fun things I have planned is making my own Thank You notes, and that will just be fun! In fact, I think I should go work on that!
Our C-section has been scheduled for September 10, so the little icon on the sidebar has been updated to reflect the new date. And when 9 days disappeared immediately I kind of hyperventilated, just a little bit. So needless to say, we will definitely be painting this weekend!
So there is now no need for a for fun baby pool because we know it's a girl, and we know when she will arrive, unless she decides she cannot wait of course.....
When the call arrived my to do list suddenly looked overwhelming, but then I realized two things, the only essentials on the list were to paint, organize the furniture, assemble the crib, do laundry, make up the crib, and organize the clothing. Everything else were projects that we have time on. (So what if the wrapping paper was still stored in baby's closet!) The second thing was that my MIL is arriving two weeks before, and she will roll up her sleeves and dig into the to do list with a vengeance.
Of course, one of the fun things I have planned is making my own Thank You notes, and that will just be fun! In fact, I think I should go work on that!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Money related changes
This past weekend there were a couple articles in the local papers in Southern California that caught me by surprise. One said that economists were claiming that they have not seen these kinds of spending shifts since the 70's and another said that marketing gurus were wondering which of these changes would stick. A final article that caught my attention said that groceries in my region of the country had gone up 8.5% quarter over quarter.
So all that being said, I got to thinking.
First off, I am SO grateful that the Lord prompted me to begin shopping with coupons and sales over a year ago. It left me nicely stocked up and better prepared to deal with these increases. We have yet to increase our grocery/household budget, and all the diapers I have bought in anticipation of baby's arrival have fit into that budget (3 jumbo packs of NB, 5 jumbo packs of size 1, and 2 x 192 count boxes of size 1-2, all Pampers, plus wipes). I say this and note that my household goods are well stocked, except for toilet paper which I am watching for a sale on, and that my pantry is relatively well stocked. My freezer needs a bit of help, but I have not been to Costco yet this month for grocery shopping. (And I don't feel the need to do a huge freezer stock up before baby arrives as my MIL will be here to help, and will take over kitchen duties, when she leaves our church will bring meals every second day for two weeks, and then my mom will be here.)
Will I take a small break from CVS and my multiple store shopping for a month or two when baby arrives? Probably, but I am guessing that on most household items I could go well into November without making a purchase at this point, something I have been working hard on. The only exceptions I see are toilet paper, Kleenex, and possibly dishwasher detergent, but they are on my watch list for the rest of July and August.
The changes we have made in the past year and half in our spending habits have included:
However, we did not need experts to tell us to make these changes, we were already making them when all the talking heads started expounding on the changes we should all make!
Unfortunately I see lots of families in our area who do not have any interest in making these kinds of changes. They just make do now trusting that the markets will recover and they will be able to pay of the debt they are racking up now, if their rebate check is already gone.
So do I think that these changes are lasting for us? Definitely!
Do I think that the majority of people will stick to the changes they are making now? Probably not, especially in Southern California.
What big changes have you made in your spending habits? Do you think they will be permanent changes?
Do you think people will stick to these new spending habits overall, or just a few of us?
For great Frugal Friday ideas, head on over to Crystal's!
So all that being said, I got to thinking.
First off, I am SO grateful that the Lord prompted me to begin shopping with coupons and sales over a year ago. It left me nicely stocked up and better prepared to deal with these increases. We have yet to increase our grocery/household budget, and all the diapers I have bought in anticipation of baby's arrival have fit into that budget (3 jumbo packs of NB, 5 jumbo packs of size 1, and 2 x 192 count boxes of size 1-2, all Pampers, plus wipes). I say this and note that my household goods are well stocked, except for toilet paper which I am watching for a sale on, and that my pantry is relatively well stocked. My freezer needs a bit of help, but I have not been to Costco yet this month for grocery shopping. (And I don't feel the need to do a huge freezer stock up before baby arrives as my MIL will be here to help, and will take over kitchen duties, when she leaves our church will bring meals every second day for two weeks, and then my mom will be here.)
Will I take a small break from CVS and my multiple store shopping for a month or two when baby arrives? Probably, but I am guessing that on most household items I could go well into November without making a purchase at this point, something I have been working hard on. The only exceptions I see are toilet paper, Kleenex, and possibly dishwasher detergent, but they are on my watch list for the rest of July and August.
The changes we have made in the past year and half in our spending habits have included:
- a set grocery budget each month, and stick to it!
- getting all our household (except diapers) to fit in there each month in addition to our groceries
- rigorously shopping sales and combining coupons (including CVS)
- doing without if it is not on sale (within reason, I will still always buy milk!)
- doing without in general on some items that were not as essential as we thought
- making all our own baked goods (except for when we are sick and need a little help, but I still try to have a stash in our freezer)
- not "stretching" when we bought our new home - we bought what we could afford.
- praying more diligently about our finances
- planting a garden of what we use the most and trying to learn about canning (I am hoping to learn how to make pickles this year!)
- being cautious in how we use our water etc, including collection the water that would just go down the sink when waiting for hot water for dishes - I give our fruit trees extra water this way!
- really focusing on using what we have rather than needing new or just running out and buying what strikes my fancy because we have the money.
- making better use of our leftovers and focusing on what we are throwing out so that we know where we are being wasteful.
- sharing and borrowing non-consumable goods with my neighbor rather than buying our own.
However, we did not need experts to tell us to make these changes, we were already making them when all the talking heads started expounding on the changes we should all make!
Unfortunately I see lots of families in our area who do not have any interest in making these kinds of changes. They just make do now trusting that the markets will recover and they will be able to pay of the debt they are racking up now, if their rebate check is already gone.
So do I think that these changes are lasting for us? Definitely!
Do I think that the majority of people will stick to the changes they are making now? Probably not, especially in Southern California.
What big changes have you made in your spending habits? Do you think they will be permanent changes?
Do you think people will stick to these new spending habits overall, or just a few of us?
For great Frugal Friday ideas, head on over to Crystal's!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Happy Birthday...
...to me!
Today is my birthday, I think I am getting old (33), but I don't really care, each year has brought such special blessings my way, so I would not give up any of those years!
I am very funny about my birthday. All I really want each year is to have a quiet day enjoying my family. If we go out for supper that is fun, if we eat at home and Mr. Pear BBQ's, that is fun too. But I just want to be together.
I will never forget the year we moved into our town home. Mr. Pear had to be out of the country for his visa, and I flew home from a business trip, on my birthday, arriving home after 11PM to a dark empty home. It really changed my perspective on birthdays. I no longer care about all the hoopla. All I care about is having the people I love near me. And that is exactly what I am getting today!
I woke up to birthday greetings and cuddles. I got all my cards in bed. I am drinking my favorite coffee (in moderation of course!), and am spending the day doing only things I enjoy with Miss Pear. When Mr. Pear comes home we will go out for supper, and then enjoy a quiet rest of the evening with my two favorite people. Although I guess now I can say my three favorite people as a little one is definitely making her presence felt! Throughout the day our family will call to wish me happy birthday, and I love that. And there will be emails and calls from friends too - I love that!
So I am having the exact birthday I love!
If you are stopping by on my birthday, please leave a comment! I would love to know you popped in on this fun day! (Yeah, I am definitely high maintenance!)
Today is my birthday, I think I am getting old (33), but I don't really care, each year has brought such special blessings my way, so I would not give up any of those years!
I am very funny about my birthday. All I really want each year is to have a quiet day enjoying my family. If we go out for supper that is fun, if we eat at home and Mr. Pear BBQ's, that is fun too. But I just want to be together.
I will never forget the year we moved into our town home. Mr. Pear had to be out of the country for his visa, and I flew home from a business trip, on my birthday, arriving home after 11PM to a dark empty home. It really changed my perspective on birthdays. I no longer care about all the hoopla. All I care about is having the people I love near me. And that is exactly what I am getting today!
I woke up to birthday greetings and cuddles. I got all my cards in bed. I am drinking my favorite coffee (in moderation of course!), and am spending the day doing only things I enjoy with Miss Pear. When Mr. Pear comes home we will go out for supper, and then enjoy a quiet rest of the evening with my two favorite people. Although I guess now I can say my three favorite people as a little one is definitely making her presence felt! Throughout the day our family will call to wish me happy birthday, and I love that. And there will be emails and calls from friends too - I love that!
So I am having the exact birthday I love!
If you are stopping by on my birthday, please leave a comment! I would love to know you popped in on this fun day! (Yeah, I am definitely high maintenance!)
Geography for Hockey Fans
This may seem out of season, talking about hockey in July and all, but the NHL has a tradition where the winning team of the oldest trophy in North American sports, the Stanley Cup spends a day with each member of the team. And they can take it anywhere in the world they want - most return to their home town, and pretty much do whatever they want. (The keepers of the cup accompany the trophy, keep it safe and shiny (never mind the dings and dents, they get those out), and move it from player to player).
This turns out to be an excellent geography assignment! So far the cup has toured parts of the US and Canada, and it will spend time overseas. (The NHL boasts lots of European players).
The NHL has established the Stanley Cup's own blog which is updated with the Cup's exploits. And while large quantities of champagne and beer have been consumed from the Cup, many of the players are husbands and fathers, so the day of celebration often involves eating cereal out of the cup for breakfast (and later on ice cream) with the kids and sweet family moments.
So a map of the US and Europe, and some stickers, along with the blog, and you have yourself a geography project as you track the Cup around the world! (If you have a AAA membership be sure to get your maps there for free!)
Plus, a lot of the players focus on sharing the cup with those who helped get them there, so you have some pretty inspiring stories too!
Hockey, the Cup, and geography - works for me!
(Plus the Cup has a very long and rich history - just think of all the homeschooling lessons this one trophy can help teach!)
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
31 1/2 week Dr. Appointment
I am happy to report that our doctor's visit went very well! We are now into the every two week appointments.
The highlights were that baby is definitely still breech, and she is measuring a bit a head of schedule (thank you Mr. Pear - your family and their blue ribbon babies! My family makes nice petite things! Sorry, long standing family joke that I could not resist throwing in!). Although size of babies is a very inexact science, especially this early, and so much can change between now and then, I will not be investing in more 0-3 month clothes!
Also, my fundus height is also a bit ahead of schedule (how high the womb is) which explains the return of nausea and heart burn! But it is also the constant reminder that all is good. It also explains why I feel hugely pregnant, but I try not to grin about that too much!
The heart beat is nice and strong, and all my lab work is lovely. (Except for the part where they actually draw the blood - that part is NEVER lovely!)
I think the best news was when we talked about the pain I was having in my hips, and the doctor assured me that it was not something I just had to endure for 8-9 more weeks (this is more than just the regular pregnant aches and pains). We talked about stretches I can do, and if that does not work she will refer me to physical therapy. Just knowing that this was something we can work on made me feel so wonderful!
The summary is that baby is healthy, I am healthy, and my C-section is being scheduled.
I am happily pregnant, enjoying this sweet time with my family, and am just trusting the whole delivery to God.
And did I mention that I CANNOT WAIT to meet this baby!
The highlights were that baby is definitely still breech, and she is measuring a bit a head of schedule (thank you Mr. Pear - your family and their blue ribbon babies! My family makes nice petite things! Sorry, long standing family joke that I could not resist throwing in!). Although size of babies is a very inexact science, especially this early, and so much can change between now and then, I will not be investing in more 0-3 month clothes!
Also, my fundus height is also a bit ahead of schedule (how high the womb is) which explains the return of nausea and heart burn! But it is also the constant reminder that all is good. It also explains why I feel hugely pregnant, but I try not to grin about that too much!
The heart beat is nice and strong, and all my lab work is lovely. (Except for the part where they actually draw the blood - that part is NEVER lovely!)
I think the best news was when we talked about the pain I was having in my hips, and the doctor assured me that it was not something I just had to endure for 8-9 more weeks (this is more than just the regular pregnant aches and pains). We talked about stretches I can do, and if that does not work she will refer me to physical therapy. Just knowing that this was something we can work on made me feel so wonderful!
The summary is that baby is healthy, I am healthy, and my C-section is being scheduled.
I am happily pregnant, enjoying this sweet time with my family, and am just trusting the whole delivery to God.
And did I mention that I CANNOT WAIT to meet this baby!
Pancakes Please!
Saturday morning I sent Miss Pear upstairs to ask Mr. Pear what he would like for lunch. He was not feeling good, and I was not sure what he could eat.
Apparently Miss Pear went up the stairs and asked Daddy if he would like pancakes for lunch - he said yes. There was not time to make pancakes before nap time (I was thinking would he like sandwiches, toast, or soup the way he had been feeling!)
Saturday night, after running errands the question was again, what would you like for lunch - again Miss Pear chimed in Pancakes! We had a different plan.
So finally Sunday night we had to make pancakes before Miss Pear's one track mind exploded!
Miss Pear loves pancakes, but sometimes the whole ones are a little too big for her, but she thinks "silver dollars" are great!
So for
I thought I would share my tip for making silver dollar pancakes (the little guys) that are all the same size and very little mess!
I make my regular pancake batter (Either the Buttermilk one from Better Homes and Gardens, or the More with Less one from the Baking Mix).
I use my big griddle, even though I am making small pancakes so that I can get 7 or 8 to a batch.
To transfer the batter to the griddle I use a small ice cream scoop (instead of the soup ladle I use for regular pancakes). I use one where you can squeeze it to force the batter out, and it works great! I also rub the bottom of it against the batter bowl as I take the scoop out so that it cannot drip!
This really works well as I do not have drips all over the place, and all the pancakes are the same size so they look more like silver dollars, and cook evenly, which is important when your pancakes are so small!
Head on over to Tammy's for more great tips!
Apparently Miss Pear went up the stairs and asked Daddy if he would like pancakes for lunch - he said yes. There was not time to make pancakes before nap time (I was thinking would he like sandwiches, toast, or soup the way he had been feeling!)
Saturday night, after running errands the question was again, what would you like for lunch - again Miss Pear chimed in Pancakes! We had a different plan.
So finally Sunday night we had to make pancakes before Miss Pear's one track mind exploded!
Miss Pear loves pancakes, but sometimes the whole ones are a little too big for her, but she thinks "silver dollars" are great!
So for
I thought I would share my tip for making silver dollar pancakes (the little guys) that are all the same size and very little mess!
I make my regular pancake batter (Either the Buttermilk one from Better Homes and Gardens, or the More with Less one from the Baking Mix).
I use my big griddle, even though I am making small pancakes so that I can get 7 or 8 to a batch.
To transfer the batter to the griddle I use a small ice cream scoop (instead of the soup ladle I use for regular pancakes). I use one where you can squeeze it to force the batter out, and it works great! I also rub the bottom of it against the batter bowl as I take the scoop out so that it cannot drip!
This really works well as I do not have drips all over the place, and all the pancakes are the same size so they look more like silver dollars, and cook evenly, which is important when your pancakes are so small!
Head on over to Tammy's for more great tips!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Baby's Afghan Update #1
I figured if I updated you on the progress of my afghan for baby I would be super inspired to knit like a fiend and get it done in time! But it turns out I am making fairly good progress. Plus some of you are so sweet to me that I figured you would honestly be interested!
I posted about my advanced math here when I was trying to figure the resizing out so I would know how much wool to buy and how many stitches to cast on.
The original Honeycomb Lace pattern can be found here.
As with most free patterns it had some errors in it. And while that slowed me down tremendously at first, I got it figured out (with only one distress call). If you make this afghan, substitute the following lines for where it says lines 1-8 (starting and ending each row with 7 stitches in moss stitch of course).
After knitting for about a week and a half I have completed 6 and a half inches of the afghan, and it is approximately 35 inches wide (I will know better once more is knitted, but with the cast on problem it is a bit wider than I had anticipated...oh well, it will keep baby nice and warm.)
Regardless of the initial problems, I am very pleased with how it is knitting up and how it looks. I have figured out the markers of the pattern (so I know if I am off at all by how the stitches line up - in lines 1 and 5 the k1 in the sequence will be over the stitch that appears pearled), so that helps a lot. And the picture that accompanies the pattern does not do it justice in the least! Once I am done I will post a completed picture!
Knitting Goal: Completed in time to pack it in my hospital suitcase to use as a nursing cover in the hospital and coming home blanket if needed. (Back up plan - finished in time to be used once we pass the swaddling stage!)
I posted about my advanced math here when I was trying to figure the resizing out so I would know how much wool to buy and how many stitches to cast on.
The original Honeycomb Lace pattern can be found here.
As with most free patterns it had some errors in it. And while that slowed me down tremendously at first, I got it figured out (with only one distress call). If you make this afghan, substitute the following lines for where it says lines 1-8 (starting and ending each row with 7 stitches in moss stitch of course).
Pattern Stitch:The other problem I had was that the cast on adjustments did not work, but apparently neither would the numbers they gave me, because I did increase by a multiple of 6. I think the cast on math should be 15 + 6 x (number of times through sequence to get desired width).
Row 1: p1, *k2 together, yo, k1, yo, s1, k1, psso, p1; rep from *
Row 2: k1, *p5, k1; rep from *
Row 3: p1, *k5, p1; rep from *
Row 4: Rep Row 2
Row 5: k1, yo, s1, k1, psso, *p1, k2 together, yo, k1, yo, s1, k1, psso; rep from * ending p1, k2 together, yo, k1
Row 6: p3, *k1, p5; rep from * ending k1, p3
Row 7: k3, *p1, k5; rep from * ending p1, k3
Row 8: Rep Row 6
After knitting for about a week and a half I have completed 6 and a half inches of the afghan, and it is approximately 35 inches wide (I will know better once more is knitted, but with the cast on problem it is a bit wider than I had anticipated...oh well, it will keep baby nice and warm.)
Regardless of the initial problems, I am very pleased with how it is knitting up and how it looks. I have figured out the markers of the pattern (so I know if I am off at all by how the stitches line up - in lines 1 and 5 the k1 in the sequence will be over the stitch that appears pearled), so that helps a lot. And the picture that accompanies the pattern does not do it justice in the least! Once I am done I will post a completed picture!
Knitting Goal: Completed in time to pack it in my hospital suitcase to use as a nursing cover in the hospital and coming home blanket if needed. (Back up plan - finished in time to be used once we pass the swaddling stage!)
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Did I really just say that????
I love being a mom, and one of the things that amuses me is the things that come out of my mouth.
Tonight at supper as Miss Pear's soup was in a bowl shaped like a heart this little gem came out of my mouth, "If you are going to drink your soup, be sure to drink from the pointy end."
Yup, definitely up for mom of the year....
What do you find yourself saying and then trying not to laugh at yourself?
Tonight at supper as Miss Pear's soup was in a bowl shaped like a heart this little gem came out of my mouth, "If you are going to drink your soup, be sure to drink from the pointy end."
Yup, definitely up for mom of the year....
What do you find yourself saying and then trying not to laugh at yourself?
Hmmmm...a little to the left....
I am wondering how many times it is possible to move three pieces of furniture around. The hide a bed love seat which replaces the futon that was in baby's room arrived, (which should answer the questions of what we did with our rebate check - we made sure the grandmas had a place to sleep) and was placed in the living room. I immediately moved it, not lifting it, just gently shoved it about 6 inches. Then Mr. Pear came home and we moved it again. That was Tuesday.
Yesterday we moved the love seat, pre-existing chair and couch. Plus an end table and the toy basket.
We agreed to leave it over night to see what we think.
I think it is growing on me, but I am not sure I am done moving things around.
So how many times can we realistically move stuff around? I'm not sure, I'll let you know...
And if the living room does not win the award for most revised plans, I think the nursery might. I had it all figured out. And then I changed my mind. And then I revised me plan. And now I am not sure. It is crib placement that is the problem, on one wall I think the vent will blow on it, but on the other workable wall the morning sun will shine right on it, and in my experience kids get up with the light. So I debate and digress. The real problem is finding a place to hang our laundry to dry. We used to do that in the guest room, but we don't have a guest room anymore, it is becoming the nursery, and have I mentioned that I am REALLY excited about that?
I had been hoping to post about the hope chest finally, and the gardening project and the baby afghan, but Mr. Pear was home sick yesterday, and again today, so we will see.
Yesterday we moved the love seat, pre-existing chair and couch. Plus an end table and the toy basket.
We agreed to leave it over night to see what we think.
I think it is growing on me, but I am not sure I am done moving things around.
So how many times can we realistically move stuff around? I'm not sure, I'll let you know...
And if the living room does not win the award for most revised plans, I think the nursery might. I had it all figured out. And then I changed my mind. And then I revised me plan. And now I am not sure. It is crib placement that is the problem, on one wall I think the vent will blow on it, but on the other workable wall the morning sun will shine right on it, and in my experience kids get up with the light. So I debate and digress. The real problem is finding a place to hang our laundry to dry. We used to do that in the guest room, but we don't have a guest room anymore, it is becoming the nursery, and have I mentioned that I am REALLY excited about that?
I had been hoping to post about the hope chest finally, and the gardening project and the baby afghan, but Mr. Pear was home sick yesterday, and again today, so we will see.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
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