The Nursery: Part I

Nursery: Part I

My mom has graciously offered to paint the nursery. I should have taken a picture even before this stage when you could see the dark maroon walls and the ugliest striped wallpaper this side of the Mississippi. But you can still see thru the primer. This was before the second coat. She came back to do that Monday night and Tuesday night put “Colonial Yellow” on the walls. Then a cute little Classic Winnie the Pooh border.

cute newborn cap for summertime

the pile of goodies so far

The things I’ve been stocking up on little by little have been on sale or I’ve had coupons…or I just thought they were cute. Plus I was afraid a few things were going to go out of stock. I was right about a few of those things.

curtains

chinese prefolds

curtains and a couple pooh characters

BumGenius Cloth Diapers

And I Didn’t Even Cry

Today was the dreaded Rhogam shot.  PLUS I had to drink the orange drink for my glucola testing (for gestational diabetes). I hate giving blood and last time I had a blood test they took 7 viles. Last appointment I thought was the glucose testing and started getting teary before the doctor/nurse even came in and here it was next time. Sooo I was scared for nothing.

You have to understand. I can take vomit, poop, even blood, grossness like that, but when it comes to blood that is coming out of me by way of a needle or a needle for shots, I am very uncomfortable with that. “It’s just a little pinch…” I hate that phrase. To me, a little pinch hurts like a mother! Before you continue to judge me, maybe this or this will shed some light on my low pain tolerance.

But I was pleasantly surprised, neither hurt as much as I thought, and since I got the Rhogam in the hip, I didn’t even see it. It’s a little sore now, but I’d rather have that than one more case of Sinusitis this year.  (I’ve had 5, if you were curious). And the orange drink wasn’t as bad tasting as they said. It was like really sugary Sunkist. Sickening, but do-able.

Now if I can get past the fear of how much giving birth will hurt, I’ll be all set! 87 days to go!!

Some mild Art Success…

For some reason the images look really saturated. Imagine that they don’t…

A couple weekends ago, I took a bunch of my art to the “new” gallery downtown because there was interest in one of my paintings, “Healing”. The owner wanted to see anything I had though, so I made Jason my carry boy and we dragged in my stuff! She ended up accepting these 4 pieces and helped me price them and they will be up in the gallery soon! It was a real encouragement and since I became a member of the gallery, a real motivation to do more paintings. Jason is forcing me to do at least one a month:-) I think it will be good for me.
ALSO…I entered this painting
into the Arts Festival that 5Stones is putting on in the AU Chapel this coming weekend and ended up winning “Most Thematic” and $50! Also very encouraging for me to keep up my painting. Especially seeing that this is a new painting I did for the Red Red office and I hadn’t completed a painting since 2006 which most of the 4 above are from (2005 & 2006). I feel like it’s the kind of outlet I need and I see how God is opening doors and providing the motivation I need to continue it even after the baby comes- ESPECIALLY after the baby comes. I’m not going to let that stop me- I’ll let it inspire me and when the kid gets a little older, they can paint with me! That will be fun:-)

15 weeks or 103 days left…

15 weeks left doesn’t seem like a long time. I’ve been told it will feel like forever in the last few weeks, cause you just want to have the kid already! Minus the sciatica in my back, I’ve started to finally enjoy being an oven for the little bun. At 25 weeks the major hunger kick has happened, and I am stuffing my face full of grapes and chocolate chip cookies and sunchips and tatertots. Please don’t lecture me on health food. I’m eating enough of that- but let’s face it, that’s not what’s going to cut it at 11pm when I’m getting punched from the inside and feeling like if I don’t eat something I’ll puke. Not that grapes really cut it- but I’ve just been liking sour-ish fruits, (see Week 15).

I’m starting to plan out meals now a days, something that was a real struggle for me in the past, and 1 week of that has been a success! My mom helped me decide on like 30 meals that were easy for me to make, some I can freeze ahead of time, others that I can just use the same stuff for. It’s no food network around my house, but atleast we’re not spending cash on Subway and Wendy’s and the Rootbeer Stand like we were all the time. Plus I got most all I need for about 25 meals for $147. That’s like Jason and I can eat for almost a month for under $3 a day each. That’s almost as little as the kids in Africa. Well, not quite. Plus we’re still going to grab something to go or get take out once a week, cause that’s just what we like to do. I’ve been a coupon clipper lately though, something new for me, and am relishing in my savings:-)

Next is to pin down what I’m doing about the diaper situation. I think I have it somewhat figured out. And anyone who scoffs at my cloth diaper dreams can stuff their sorries in a sack when 3 kids later I’ve only spent around $500-800 on diapers and they’ve spent close to $6,000. Not to mention less diaper rash cream and less trash in the landfills. I don’t mind taking the extra laundering measures, and the actual changing them isn’t as time consuming as people might think. So I’m sticking to my guns on this issue!

And finally, I’m going to see how the whole make your own detergent thing works. Whether I like liquid or dry better, etc. I’m super excited about making it and making my own cleaners and things- I bought some Borax, Washing Soda, and Fels-Naptha the other day, which made me feel all old-timey. I also am stocking up on Baking Soda, Lemon Juice and Vinegar and looking into all their uses. It’s alot. And they are cheap. Makes my credit card companies really happy. Cause then I can send more money their way and not on all the other crap I buy.

The Cemetery

Last Wednesday Jason and I had a brilliant idea. We had a rare free night and it was in the upper 50’s- and partly sunny so off to the Cemetery with the dogs we went. We had never walked the lanes there together let alone with the dogs, but it wouldn’t be as muddy as Byer’s Woods. On the way to the cemetery however, I turned around while Jason was driving, and to my dismay I noticed that Spencer was doing his poop dance.

“NO!” I yelled- he looked scared- you could tell he was trying not to, but it was coming, and there was nothing his little doggie will could do to stop it. Thankfully we have a washable dog cover on our back seat, but I still had visions of 8 dog paws caked with poop and a hideious smell never to be rid of.

Then I knew what I had to do.

I had 3 plastic bags with me for while we walked, so I took one out and after trying to loosen the locked seatbelt around me, twisted my awkward, pregnant body towards the back seat and made my hand and the plastic bag Spence’s toilet.

The next 5 seconds seemed like 5 minutes- how much more poop did this dog have packed away! I was losing my balance, the smell was overpowering, there was too much warmth and too little space between the poop, the plastic bag and my hand. Not to mention the tear in the bag that was a little too close for comfort. He finally finished and I closed it up put it in yet another bag and rolled down my window. My gag reflex was surely going to do me in.

Needless to say I was in a bad mood for a while after that, but once we found a trash can on the cemetery route, I had forgtotten the warm feeling on my hand and we had a fairly pleasant experience.

Jason and I love history and names so it was fun to read all the tombstones and see when people lived, we even saw Elmore and Elizabeth France’s graves, who I had found walking there with Leah once, who happen to be first people to live in our house! It was built in 1920 and Elmore died in 1923- in our house.

Regardless of the minor stresses of the evening, I think we’ll try it again on another warm day. For now I’m going to lay here in head cold misery and use my weight in kleenex’s. And maybe cough up my other lung to make it even. Sorry, baby, for all the jolting and loud noises!

Are you Ava or Miles?

I look at this picture and the first thing I thought of was it looks like baby is peaking out between hands holding it. Then a friend of ours said the same thing. To us it’s a prayer answered. To us, it’s a sign of comfort and a sign of God being in control and protecting. Scientifically, it’s probably placenta or parts of the womb. But we choose to see something else. And what if it is something else? It makes me smile, like my kid is smiling, everytime I look at it. It’s a reminder of how God is faithful even when things are happening around us that we don’t understand or we didn’t expect. The challenges of the future seem like no big deal when I see these “hands” around this baby who looks so incredibly contented to be in those hands. It’s amazing the detail we can see with a 3-d ultrasound, I love it. Now my only question is “Baby are you our Ava or our Miles?”

In other exciting news Jason was accepted to Regent University to get his doctorate in theology. I’m so proud of him. He’s crazy for wanting more school!!! BUT, he is so smart and dedicated, I know he can do it. It’ll be awesome for him to have a PhD by the time he’s 30 probably. Maybe 31, if all goes as planned! I’m not even worried about the time he’ll have to put in or any money we’ll have to spend on that education either. Lately I’ve just felt really unburdened by all the changes and “what ifs” going on around our lives, and I’m almost completely stress free. I have my moments, but if you know me at all, you know that I LIVE stressed out. I think I almost prefer it that way for most of my life. God has just really worked on my heart to know that He’s got it taken care of, I can rely on that, and we’ll be provided for. I can’t really explain it more than that. Maybe it sounds crazy to some, but the mystery of Jesus is something I’m finding more and more comforting. The not-knowing allows me to rely more on Him and live my life! And enjoy it! And I am! Especially since I’m not puking every morning and I’m looking forward to the baby more now than I was.

9 Days and Counting

Only 9 more days and it’s picture day for baby! I’ve been getting more excited lately about the whole thing. The baby thing, that is. I’m still sick most mornings, although I was going on a 3 day-no puke streak, until this morning:-) BUT I am just getting more and more weepy just thinking about our little one. For one, I just laid in bed last night trying to get to sleep, but realizing that the weird flippy feelings in my belly weren’t the sub I ate last night. I realized it was baby doing something! It still has plenty of room to do flips and dance I guess, and I was feeling it like crazy last night. It made me just want to meet this little person so bad. And it made me think of how amazing God is. When we saw the 1st ultrasound at 6 weeks it was so tiny like a grain of rice, but we could see the heart move and hear it and I thought, how could anyone deny there is a God? How much more is that thought going to move me to tears when I see this baby at 20 weeks? It’s overwhelming. As much as I haven’t been enjoying pregnancy, as I realize I’m about half way through, I’m just ready to hug and kiss and see this little one or see “her*” sleeping on Jason’s chest on the couch, learning the in’s and out’s of napping:-) But only 149 days till I meet “him*”!!!

*I don’t know if it’s a her. I’m just tired of putting “it” and “little one” and “little person” and “baby”

Also, this picture is of a 20 week old baby in the womb. I wish ultrasound pics were going to be this clear for us!

My encounter with two good men this morning

I had to go to my family doctor for the first time in a long time- I first said what doctor I wanted to see; they asked my age. I said 24. They said, she’s a pediatrician. You’ll have to see someone else. And to not be likened to Ross from “Friends”, I said okay and they set me up with Dr.F. I thought I may have a sinus infection or something because I’ve had drainage all colors and consitencies and bloody noses and mucus and it’s been lots of fun for about 2 months now. So I gave in and went. With all the snow this morning, Jason dropped me off, but could barely get unstuck from the driveway, so Doug let me use old Red Red to drive out into the artic. To my pleasant surprise, Glen Beck’s show was on, and if that man wasn’t a Mormon, I’d probably marry him. Oh yeah, and if I wasn’t married and he wasn’t either. And if he wasn’t old. Er. Older. And when I got to the doctor’s office, even though the reception girl was a nasty cuss, Dr.F. was super nice and sympathetic and helpful! He put me on an antibiotic and told me to get some saline spray and said good job to the humidifiers in our house. I had a pleasant time. Not many can say that about a doctor’s office. However, the nasal spray concerns me. As a kid, the last thing I ever wanted was liquid up my nose, hence the many thumb n’ finger pinch to the nose before I jump into a pool or lake. I’m not going to like this one bit. However, Glen consoled me once more by sharing his wit and sarcasm about a nation full of “entitled” whiners. Funny and informative!

Anyway, the morning made the green vomit a little more bareable talking and hearing two smart, good men this morning.

Band Wagon Baby

There is some what of a baby boom going on in Ashland. Really, I think it’s just that I’m now at the stage where many of my 20-something friends (age, not number of friends I have;-)) are just at that point in their lives. I’m pretty much out of the friends getting married stage- with the exception of one in May and a dear cousin of mine in June. Other than that it just has felt like baby central in my circle of friends. Using a cliche like “there’s something in the water” comes to mind, but it almost seems true! And when this wave is over, a new one will happen about 6 months from now, and probably will stay like that until the year 2020 or so. I just hope we don’t put a small hole in the ozone layer above Ashland from all the poop filled diapers.

And being the inconsistent tree hugger that I am, I will be using these diapers to help that hole in the ozone from getting to large.

Dreams are strange things…

I’ve noticed an influx of bizzare dreams recently. Last night was no exception. The parts I can remember are as follows:

I’m in bed, it’s early morning, Jason’s still sleeping, there’s a knock at the door. My friend Mindy is there trying to get me to help her with some kind of home sales party. Then I’m pushed into a room full of people at some meeting about education. Apparently I’m familiar with the school I now find myself in, and it resembles the Ashland Middle School from what I can tell now, but I roam the hallways and stairs looking for a certain class I have to get to. It’s like a math philosophy class or something. But it’s on like the 16th floor. So I take the elevator, but I end up pushing the 40-something-th floor button and all the gravity disappears when I go that high. The air pressure hurts and I feel incredibly trapped, clostrophobic and helpless cause I’m floating at the top of the elevator ceiling, not knowing when it will stop. Sarah gets on and we try to go back down, to find ourselves in the basement- an art department of sorts. I see my elementary school art teacher, who I see just had a red wig on the whole time, and actually has a buzz hair cut. Huh. Somehow everything is flooding and there is this ugly creepy sea creature that gets loose. Someone kills it and the science classes are studying it, but it has jelly fish type stingers and my arms are stung. Then I see the royal family is coming to visit. The school hall looks more like a mall at this point and the royal family consists of teenage royals- all cousins or siblings. We get to meet them and I try to get a picture with them, they are really normal and pleasant, and I try to be as graceful as I can around them.
End of dream. So you know the next stuff I say is real.

There was also some scary old house that was haunted in there somewhere, but it’s fading from my mind. And all I had wanted was to stay in bed in my dream, and I realized that was also true when I woke up for real this morning.