Another Sweetness Photo: Softball Outing

Last night was Husby's last church softball game (league championships... won it!).

We couldn't resist a little father/son photo opportunity, what with the coordinating outfits!

Our fabulous, cheerful neighbor Abbie took these for us.

This is my favorite, of course. I hope he puts it on his desktop wallpaper at work!

Fabulous Life Update

Not gonna lie... I've been on a blog-o-vacation since last week, when we mailed in our laptop for repair. I used the time to rest, reflect on my life status, and read. Sure, I really wanted to google many questions I had (how to time contractions? movie show times for UGLY TRUTH?, Cytotec induction risks and benefits). But I used an old fashioned phone book and the library to track down my answers!

I've been off blogger since Monday, the date of our son's birth. HIS BIRTH DAY!!! I had access to the Internet, but with so many visitors, opportunities to cuddle our baby, long hours spent debating his name choice, asking questions of the pediatricians, delivery doctor, and my nurses about optimal health and wellness, feeding the baby, smiling at the baby, eating the delicious hospital pebble ice.... I was pretty much busy!

And I still am busy! I've managed to upload the best of Monday's photo memories to my facebook account. Msg me if you'd like a link to the album!

Here is a little taste of my Fabulous Life:

Meeting my son, Monday morning.

The labor and delivery were unexpectedly short, definitely NOT pain-free, and altogether more physically challenging than any other event in my life. (Even working out with Jillian and 30 Day Shred!!).

I will post my birthing story and reflections and recommendations in another post later this month. Get ready! I've got lots to share!

And here's a photo I took of my son and husband from my post-partum bed. He is less than 2 hours old. (My husband is 27 years old, in case you were wondering!)

The share the same namesake and the same love for me.

The men in my life.

Great New Find...

This purse website! Elisalou now rivals my all time favorite, Vera Bradley, for best patterns and purse designs.

How much would I love one of these?

The answer... very much.

And aren't these cute (and within my budget)?

Note to others looking for future gifts for me... you can't go wrong with little satchels like this, especially in Amy Butler fabric.

Confession: I'm a Wheel Watcher

I could say that I am a Wheel Watcher because I use the game to teach phrases and patterns of spelling when I teach ESL adults. Which is true.

Or because with pregnancy, remembering trivia for Jeopardy! has become fairly impossible.

Or because we don't have cable, and the program is up against two shows I can't stand - Deal or No Deal: 30 Minute Extra Cheesy Edition and Shouldn't-be-on-in-daylight-times-Family Guy.

But, those are just excuses. Really, I watch because...

• I love Vanna's prom dresses, however age-inappropriate they are.
• I think Pat is a huge dork, but he sure pulls off the spray tan and Hawaiian shirts.
• I usually guess the puzzle about six letters ahead of the puzzle solver.
• I think they are running out of ideas for their phrases... like for example: Around the House... Email account? Stale Potato Chips? what kind of phrases are those???
• I also know that you don't guess the typical CMD I for your letters in the bonus round. You've got to be way more clever and select less common letters, because you are guaranteed to get a bizarre puzzle to solve, and you don't want to miss the pair of Miatas for the prize!!

Confession: Ultterly Terrible at Putt Putt

We're talking BAD.

Don't waste your money bad.

So bad I usually give up and just horse around.

Or try to see the most bizarre shot I can do to jump over the water trap.

If you are competitive at a silly sport like this, I guess we can't be friends. Or at least we can't play the same round together! I'd drive you nuts, and you'd drive me nuts.

Modern Marvels: Track Your Package

I don't know how I did without sites like this one, the UPS package tracker site.

For practical purposes, its nice to know if the package will arrive on a rainy day so you can check to see if its been tucked under a mat or round the corner of your house.

If you've ordered a fabulous new dress, its also helpful to planning your wardrobe for the rest of the week based around when the new item will arrive.

Or if you are shipping a gift you know when to expect an elated phone call from a friend who loved the package.

Of course, most technology I really love isn't practical. Its fun for me in some way. Knowing that my order will arrive from a shipping point in X amount of hours is sort of like a Christmas countdown. I can think about my little (or big!!) package being scanned and loaded onto a truck that will traverse the Rocky Mountains.

Its also sort of fun to see the UPS guy. We always have the same one, and he totally knows me after this summer. We've gotten so many online purchases and gifts in the mail (baby related, my online shopping boredom related, Husby's hobby related) that he knows how to pronounce our last name correctly as well as snippets of information (how long until the baby arrives, our hometown sports teams, that I enjoy swimming and thus order swimsuits from LandsEnd.com).

Thanks, Inventor of Track Package Feature. You rock!

Recipe: Potato Soup

I prepared my first meal in quite awhile... as we've been eating out, having left overs, been enjoying some frozen pizza, and just basically not doing any cooking. Perhaps you noticed the lack of Meal Plan Mondays posts? I haven't the energy to think that far ahead, much less prepare a shopping list. Its been "whatever is in the freezer, whatever is in the pantry, whatever you can make for yourself, honey!" around my house.



I had some mashed potatoes at Ruby Tuesday recently, and since we've been experiencing downpour after rain shower, it just felt like Baked Potato Soup should come from my kitchen. Should be enjoyed by me. Should be made, even if in segments with naps in between.



Thus, the Baked Potato Soup appearance in summer. Rare occurrence around here! I also made a BLT using leftover biscuits, tomato, and bacon (duh) since Husby needs some meat with nearly every meal.



I researched a few recipes, since its summer time and hasn't been soup cooking weather for awhile. Here's one of the recipes that I sort of used, but didn't do the dill weed, and here's a whole slew of recipes for potato soup that I used for basic research purposes.



I was proud of myself for one super summertime energy saver... I used the slow cooker to bake the potatoes! I didn't even know that was possible, until a google search brought up a few results.



After giving 6 large potatoes a good scrubbing, I put them in my slow cooker for about 3 hours on high, and then a turned it off and let them rest for about two more hours. The result was a steamed potato, not unlike ones done in the microwave.



I found additional recipes that have the potatoes wrapped in foil or greased with oil, but I didn't try those. This worked out really, really well! I think if I used the low heat setting, I could leave them overnight or through most of a work day.



I have no pictures of my tasty soup, because it was gone all too quickly.

In fact, the large portion I set aside to freeze for another week was WASTED because I left the container on the counter overnight. Major bummer! I even called my chef sister and asked her to consult her chef friends about the possibility of salvaging this delicious delight. All bets were off. Boo.

Product Review: Nasal Lavage

Note: I think Nasal Lavage sounds much more pleasant than saying "Neti-potting" or "Washing Sinuses". I think any bit of French we can use to make a personal hygiene task sound prettier, the better!


Have you heard about this product?

I started to do Nasal Lavage using Sinus Rinse Nasal Wash about a year ago after a sinus infection and boredom taking allergy meds. I don't do it faithfully... more like I get on a kick and do it during fall and spring season.

Its a miracle treatment, pretty non-invasive. Def. better than having allergy meds fog up my day!

Here's a little You Tube video to demonstrate the product... because its really hard to explain. And really a weird thing to do.

Book Review: S. Kinsella's Shopaholic Ties the Knot

I'm enjoying these fluff, fun reads! Hurray for them being merely punctuated by non-fiction instruction manuals. I was really in rut there for awhile, ones free from goofy leading ladies, nasty villianesses, and hunky heroes.

Down to the review:

Characterization: Warm, familiar characters sparkle. Nothing new in terms of character development... sort of like how the characters in a sitcom don't develop much.

Plot: Clearly, about a wedding. Clearly, with Becky as the main character, mishaps occur. Delusions occur. Shopping extravaganzas occur.

Diction/Style: Quite similar narrative to her other books, Kinsella writes from Becky's point of view, which seems ultra familiar to the voice that narrates MY life.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a bit more than Confessions of a Shopaholic because I felt more sympathy/empathy towards the mess that Becky gets herself into this time. I enjoyed it more than most Meg Cabot books, but less than Kinsella's Remember Me? that I read earlier this month.

Link to a Funny Dancing Video!

I have a BFF who is a world traveler. Well, mostly she's traveled to and throughout India. She is there this summer researching for design school projects and inspiration about ways to use and re-use materials.

She is a smart girl, but perhaps more than that, she is very perceptive. When she had the opportunity to watch a kids' dance class, she brought a camera and took some footage. She was thoughtful enough to share it with the world on her blog.

I've GOT to share it with you. The kids are so cheerful and silly while they dance. Click on this link to see the movie!

You Should Try...

Fresh, grilled pineapple.


By a pineapple that smells strongly of its own scent when you smell its base.
Hack off the top.
Slice its scales off down the sides.
Don't worry about coring it... you can cut around that part after grilling.
Slice the pineapple into hamburger-sized pieces and place on the grill.
Dependign on grill temperature and amount of burn you prefer, heat the pineapple thoroughly.

Cool.
Enjoy this sweet treat!

Rummage Sale Steals

In late June, my BFF Amy came to Missouri before traveling to the East Coast and then to India. We spent time with her in her hometown of Springfield, MO. She just so happens to he the neighbor of Husby's aunt and uncle, so we visited with them as well.

On Sunday morning, we all went to Immaculate Conception Church. There was a fundraiser for the parish elementary school. Our family can't resist a good junk sale. Especially one with treasures like this!!

For a mere dollar, you could fill up a bag with as many different goodies as you chose.
















Coffee mugs as far as the eye could see.















Loads of old tellys. Did they work? Hard to say. At least one had a mysterious, missing power switch.



















Novelty books and videos, which make great gifts.



















We filled up a baby bath tub (which we actually do intend to use for our infant!) with dollar goodies, which included numerous classic country and country Christmas cassette tapes, many children's books, a grease splatter cover, a few pieces of two small juice glasses that are identical to ones my parents have, and the Dancin' Grannies exercise tape. All for one dollar!!



















I also bought a large green glass platter and two green glass bowls which match other green glass kitchenware I've procured from antique shops, auctions, and gifts. Though the platter was only $3 and the bowls $0.50.

Finally, here are two of the pieces I like best. The small Lennox bowl might be good for... jewelry? hair ties? small scoops of ice cream? And I really love the print on the plate. Maybe one day I'll have a large collection of cute, printed dessert plates to display.

Reflective Woman's Daybook

Outside my window... its a pleasant, mild July afternoon.

I am thinking... about the joyful weekend I had with my husband, our last "normal" before a weekend of Show Me State Games and Labor and Delivery. (Not sure on the order of these events!)

This week I will try to... clean the house up so when we come back with the baby, it looks hotel-quality fresh. Well, at least less lived in than it does now!

From the kitchen... I'm making some more of the Portage Parmentier. Its so delicious. I think I'll keep some in the fridge and have that instead of hospital food! Its the ultimate comfort.

I am wearing... ha! I changed into PJs for a nap today, and the slip dress is so soft and doesn't touch my belly too much I don't want to change back into "real" clothes! However, I've been wearing the heck out of my most expensive preggo outfits - the ones I really love - because who knows when/if they'll see the light of summer again!

On my iTunes... iPod is charging. Gotta get it read and fired up for my daily hour long walks and then a hospital stay.

I am reading... Julie/Julia. I want to finish before I see the movie!

I am hoping... that Husby will cave and paint my toenails for me before hospital time.

I am thankful for... supportive and thoughtful people in my life.

I am remembering... still not remembering... must have a list if I want anything to get done!

I am creating... my iTunes playlists ... I've got "calm labor" and "pumped UP labor" lists.

I am praying... for peace.

Around the house... Still need to vacuum!

One of my favorite things... grilled corn on the cob

A few plans for the rest of the week... attend Husby's softball games, go to last OB appointment, read, relax, find a pool to swim in, have a baby.

A picture thought to share with you:

Yoga Moves I've Been Dying to Do For Months!!

For very obvious anatomical reasons, I've not been able to practice yoga in the fashion I've been used to. A BFF recently started up daily yoga classes and I've since been jealous of her. I am especially jealous that she'll be able to do these abdominal exercises with ease!

All images are courtesy of Yoga Journal's website and are click-able so you can learn more about the postures.

Full Boat Pose

Happy Baby Pose (well, I've always called it Dead Bug Pose, but this seems nicer!)

Cobra Pose

Bow Pose

Upward Facing Dog

Pigeon Pose

My back, hips, and core are going to feel SO good!!

No baby news.

None.

Everyone keeps asking, which is thoughtful... but, keep those prayers for a peaceful, hope filled labor and safe delivery coming.

At the very latest, we'll head to the hospital NEXT Sunday night at 7 pm for the Cytotec treatment.

Weird thing... and a recipe.

Here's a weird thing. Last night I was whiny and hungry and a hot mess.

I pouted to Husby, "Ugh! I am so hungry and so NOT hungry at the same time."

He asked thoughtfully, "What would make you feel better?".

I considered my options and said, "Fried zucchini. I would love some of that."

Tonight we invited some neighbors over for BBQ on our patio, and guess what? They are bringing FRIED ZUCCHINI! What are the chances?

Basic recipe for fried zuccs:

• Zucchini
• Beaten eggs
• Milk
• Salt and pepper
• Fine dry bread crumbs (my parents just used flour!)
• Oil for deep frying

Slice zucchini into "coins". Mix beaten eggs with a small amount of milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. Dip zucchini in egg batter and then in crumbs/flour. Heat oil and add zucchini. Fry until golden.

I looked online, and found other alternatives... such as adding Parmesan cheese to the mixture, baking in the oven, and using Japanese panko breadcrumbs. Since our guests are bringing them over, I can't really suggest the modifications... but the next time I made it, I probably do them in the oven similarly to the Eggplant recipe I have.

Recipe: Portage Parmentier

I've been reading Julie and Julia, and am quite excited to go see the movie in two weeks because I find Meryl Streep and Amy Adams delightful actresses. I'm a quarter through the book, and I decided to give a French recipe a whirl. I am happy to announce...

I did it!!!

I made my first Julia Child MtAoC recipe!!!!

Note: This is delicious, but it tastes NOTHING like Panera's Baked Potato Soup. Or thick, white, hearty, creamy potato soups. It is lighter in shade and texture, as well as in flavor.

I still give it two thumbs up!

Julia Child's Potage Parmentier

- peeled potatoes, sliced or diced (4-5 medium potatoes)
- thinly sliced leeks (3-4 large leeks)
2 quarts (4 cups) of water
kosher salt to taste
4 T. softened butter or 4-6 T. whipping cream

After slicing the leeks, soak them in a large bowl of water for a few minutes to remove the dirt and grit. Once you have thoroughly cleaned the leeks, place them in a large pot with the potatoes, water and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 - 50 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Julia instructions are to mash the vegetables with a fork, or to run the vegetables through a food mill. She specifically says to NOT run the soup through a blender, stating that the consistency would be too similar to baby food. I do not have a food mill, but I do have different sized sieves (colanders with micro-tiny holes). I strained the soup through this, leaving some small chunks.

Now, taste the soup for seasoning, adding more salt if needed. At this point, you can set aside the soup until you are ready to serve it. When ready to serve, reheat to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the cream or butter (I used real, salted butter).

Additional notes:

Leeks aren't too scary of a vegetable. I've NEVER even considered buying them. I think they are somewhat like a celery/potato/cabbage flavored vegetable. Mild, not scary at all. But they are sure muddy! I didn't know how to cut them, so I looked it up online.

We had a bit of leftover sweet corn which I added to one of the bowls of soup. Pretty tasty!

I was really tempted to add an onion or garlic clove, but I didn't ... they would have tasted delicious in this soup, but I wanted to maintain INTEGRITY to the recipe. I never follow recipes, but today I did!

LIttle Kitchen Miracles

Things I didn't have growing up but LOVE having in my kitchen:

1. Ice Tea Maker
2. Teakettle
3. Apple Slicer/Corer
4. Melon Baller
5. Compost container for food scraps
6. Mr. Klean Magic Eraser - gets burn on goo off of skillets!
7. Furi Mincing Tool

8. I decided to think some more and add to this...
   

Note: Mom, maybe we did have these and I never helped in the kitchen enough to know!

Feeling a little emotional...

Sentimental?

Maudlin?

Sad?

Melancholy?

Nostalgic?

Wistful?

Unsettled?

Ambivalent?

I am not sure the correct word, but I know the sentiment the word describes. I am feeling a well of water flowing down my face, soothing my warm face that is flushed with emotion. My through is thick and dry, not hollow. My chest is heavy and there is an ache near my ribs.

I am spending the weekend being excited about this baby. Being excited about our new family, and anticipating the amazing weeks and months and years to follow. This is our last weekend as a duo, not a trio. Our last week of normal before we ge t a "new normal". Part of me is looking to the future with bright, shiny eyes because even though I don't typically cope well with changes or transitions, I know this transition will be a pleasant and rewarding transition. Life with will change for the better.

The other part of me hangs back into the past, thinking of how we missed this same sort of opportunity for our firstborn. We named her Ava, and she died in her 8th week of gestation and was miscarried during the middle of July - this week, 2 years ago. She could have been 1.5 years old now. Our lives would be so different, our family dynamic different, our marriage different, this pregnancy would have been experienced differently. I feel sad because we had to cut that joyful anticipation short, and instead were faced by realities of depression, isolation, and gloom.

I feel sad to think of the missed opportunities for love we had. I feel sad that the painful experience of losing our first child has made me cautious, anxious, and less aware of the resource I could benefit from - more than I've benefited from genetic counselors or fetal tests - the benefit of using God as a shelter in the storm. Its been very difficult for me to give up my anxieties and my goals for how this pregnancy should turn out.

I think its important for me to validate these feelings. I lost more than a baby - I lost a vision for a new family. I am gaining some parts of that vision for a family back, so it is normal for me to be fearful and cheerful at the same time.

Ava, still a small bundle of cells in zygote form. 8 weeks.

Baby H at the same stage of development.

Second Ultrasound for Ava, late June 2007

Perhaps the 20th ultrasound done on Baby H, mid July, 2009

Its a tough place to be in, emotionally and physically. I don't know how to express exactly what I feel, what I need, or what I want. I feel sort of like I am just riding the waves of the emotions, not really getting anywhere. Should I still be grieving during a time of anticipated job? Should I focus all positive energy towards this healthy birth and downplay the the other experiences?

I am in a tough place tonight.

Favorite Treat

Ice cream used to be a forbidden food for me. I know now that foods are inherently good or bad... they have no moral qualities to them. But it was a trigger food, so it was a bit dangerous for me.

I keep ice cream in the freezer now, which feels like living on the edge! It also saves me from the compulsion of "I have to go to DQ right now for ...." because I know I can have just a bit now, or later, or whenever. So I don't obsess. Which is a good thing!

Lately, this has been my "Later at night - I don't want to get heart burn - must take some sort of food with my Nexium - its so dang hot" treat.

Edy's Slow Churned Vanilla Bean with Nestles Mini Morsels poured on top and mixed thoroughly. This should be a flavor!

I hate those skanky chocolate flakes some ice creams do. Just give it up. They aren't chocolate. They are waxy, brown things. Ew.

I also must have some crunch to my ice cream, otherwise, its juts not worth it. That's why I keep chocolate chips in the freezer... not because I ever bake cookies. Just for treats such as this.

Close follow up to my favorite treat, when I need less substance but still the cold: Pop Ice!

Which will come first: baby or fixed laptop?

We've been having weird computer -wireless problems... it works occasionally and doesn't a bit more regularly.

We found out its a "known issue" with our make and model of laptop. Suck! In fact, the company extended the warranty because there are so many problems. Thus, we are shipping it to get it repaired, which may mean getting an entire new hard drive.

I've been backing up all the files, a REALLY tedious and dull job, and scheduling blog posts until we're back and connected to the world wide web.

Don't worry... we'll borrow a laptop for the delivery to upload photos of the new baby! Unless, of course, the computer technician makes quicker work than I do!

Cross Post: 38.5 Week Appointment and Delivery Date

I've written a more thoughtful post about the doctor appointment yesterday at Baby H's blog.

Its a little more detailed and cheerful that last night's. I was depressed after the appointment, which is no mood to do any sort of writing. Instead, I moped around, shopped for cleaning products at Lowe's (but didn't actually clean anything!), yelled at Husby, and then asked him for forgiveness.

Tonight has got to be awesome in comparison. Especially for my bathroom, which is crying out for organization and a thorough clean!

Bummer-ito.

Boo.

No baby yet.

And probably not soon.

So this is how I felt after our appointment.

Last Day Out? Thoughts and Observations

Was today the last day of me going out for my routine? Its hard to say. I've been having labor pains since Saturday night.

I treated myself to a Tall Light Blend Mocha Frap (with the chocolate drizzle and whip, despite it being low-fat). It was heavenly! Starbucks aka Fivebucks will be a luxury from now on I am sure. Not because I won't need the caffeine, but because I can't fork over five bucks all the time! I think that chapter of my life - the one that saw me running to Memorial Union to get a frap while I studied or spent time with MU friends - is closing. Goodbye, frappy Mrs. Haid. (I guess I wasn't Mrs. Haid then... I was Ms. Douglas. So I guess that curtain closed four years ago!)

However, after a particularly rigorous aqua fitness class, I'd say that my shin splints are way worse than the labor pains. So annoying and painful that I'd ask for an epidural IMMEDIATELY to relieve the pressure on my tibia. Oh yeah, and the baby's head pressure. But mostly the exercise induced fatigue!

Something I've noticed just this week is how much more friendly black women are to me while I am pregnant. More friendly than other race women. More friendly to me than when I was not not pregnant (or visibly so). Especially African American women who are older than 40. They stop me in the store to chat or take a very long time ringing up my order or providing some other form of customer service (banking or other clerk jobs). The only exceptions are L&D nurses... I've been running into them at various places in the community, too, and they've been little rays of sunshine as well.

Though its only 9 pm, I'm super exhausted. So is Husby. I hope that we turn in early and cuddle or read. Or that he suggests a back massage (giving, in this wish) and I can read more of Shopaholic and Sister.

Deal for you...

Here's another online deal, though not as universally useful as yesterday's Real Simple sale.

There is a website called Diapers.com which sells lots of infant and parenting products, usually with super fast free shipping and bulk pricing. It often has sales, has pretty good customer review sections to help you be more informed with your purchase, and offers more selection on some items than Walmart or a drugstore.

When you sign up, you get an automatic 10 percent off your first purchase when you use the code 10percent, and you also can get an additional 10 dollars off your order if you use the promotional code BETH8072. Plus the free shipping.

I think this website has pretty fair prices, but definitely leans heavily towards plastic diapers and disposable other baby goods. It was helpful for me to read the different reviews for nursing products, as well as some of the baby gear products. It does ship just as quickly as a site I find more useful - CottonBabies - so I bet there is a store in St. Louis that ships the products. For both stores, I've placed an order on one afternoon and received the parcel by the very next day.

Real Simple Mag...

Hey, I found a great deal today! Online, of course...

Real Simple magazine on sale, $5/year subscription.

Yeah, the website is chock-full-o-resources, but I love having a paper copy, too.

Oh, if you are my sister with red hair, don't order it for yourself. (Sorry blonde sister and other friends whom I wanted to order this for you, too - I could only order one subscription...)

Confession: Online Shopping is My Downfall

Or maybe its how I release nervous energy. Or maybe, since the things I've been buying have been baby/nursh/post partum related, its only nesting.

This morning's purchase... Soothies, Medela Quick Clean bags (per Abby's suggestion!), Indian Prefolds (already have the Chinese style) and Medium Bummis SWW (aleady have coves in newborn and small size, so I'm planning way ahead), Aden and Anais muslin wraps (love the one that Ann bought in dino print), Nellie's Laundry Soda, and a few random prefolds I wanted to try from this company.

I did have a few other orders placed in shopping bags scattered around the world wide web, but I saved them for later cancelled them. Maybe in a few weeks I will order this...

I know that I'll really have to curb this coming up SOON. I am going to be in charge of Haid Family Finances soon, and there just isn't a budget for Online Shopping (yet, anyway... I do have some job prospects coming up... I could maybe fund some of my wishes... ). I'm also going to try to steer us back on track with our Dave Ramsey-ultra-money-saving-plush-retirement plan... and I bet Dave would tell me to get out of the house and find a new hobby! (What do you think, Chrissy?)

Confession: I still haven't packed my hospital bag.

I think I am avoiding this because I am feeling nervous about going to the hospital. Like, Gee, it can't possibly be time because I don't have a little suitcase packed yet. Out of sight, out of mind, procrastination type thing.



I kind of know things I want to bring. Kind of.



I've read Whitney's blog; she's a girl who's been about 6 weeks ahead of me throughout pregnancy. Its been great because she freaks out about things like me, too. And is into theme-y things, like nurseries. Here's the list of recommendations she asked for for hospital bag packing and other topics. Then a few months later she forgot what she asked (SO much like me) and got another list of tips for packing.



So... is there something you'd recommend I pack that you don't think I'll think about?



PS... I already have been thinking of charging up my iPod, camera batteries, and phone...

PPS... I feel super stressed about this, this whole thing. Ah!!!

Product Review: RR Furi Froggy Chopper

My mom bought this for me for Christmas this past year, and I've used it much more than I've used the electric food chopper/processor she bought me the year before. I typically use this product to dice onions, but all herbs and veggies are fair game!

Do you think it looks like a frog?

This cutting board is Kitchen Aid. At the time I was chopping the cilantro, I'd already used the wooden one that comes with it when I chopped the chicken, and was too lazy to disinfect it!

I really like the grip of the handle and the sway of the chopper. I like the small basin the cutting board provides for chopping ease. I like that it makes food prep quick and easy. I like that it takes up minimal space in my kitchen... way less than the food processor! In fact, I often store it inside the basin of the food processor!

I have only cut myself with it once, this month actually, as I was being a bit careless and going super quick to prepare for a catered meal. The blade was so sharp that I didn't feel pain at first! I think the sharpness is an asset, though there is no real blade cover to protect oneself from the blades when you are cleaning or storing the product. So, I guess this product sounds a little dangerous, what with 2 really sharp blades, but honestly, I've cut myself nearly every time I go to chop veggies when I use a regular large knife, so this has saved me MANY band aids and lots of time!

The other negative thing I've experienced is the distance between the two blades is a perfect place for potatoes and onions to wedge into. Its difficult to get them out! I've solved this problem by cutting the veggie into a slightly different shaped chunk to prevent it from becoming lodged in between the very sharp knives.

I'd recommend this as a purchase for a gift for someone who enjoys cooking or kitchen gadgets and is low on kitchen storage. I think its pretty affordable, and you can find it online at many websites, such as this one. Stores that carry Rachael Ray kitchen products often have this.

Birth Plans

Birth Plans are documents that express the health care wishes of a mother during labor, delivery, and recovery.

They are very trendy these days, so much so that the hospital I will use actually gives a form to all clients. I felt a little surprised, because the midwife-y model books I'd been reading on birth have intimated that hospitals don't like moms to have a game plan and often coerce one into a patient-model of care.

So, I've been thinking A LOT of what I'd like my birth plan to be. As a rule, I like to have big things planned out... at least big picture planned... so I can envision what will happen, how I can react, what everything will look like, and how I can cope with changes. I know that this birth planning isn't like wedding planning. Or dinner planning. Or vacation planning.

Birth plans must be flexible and are due to revision by the health care team and by myself, if what I had planned just won't happen flawlessly due to emergency health issues or preferences I might have.

Since I haven't been in a L and D situation, its pretty tough to fill out a birth plan. I don't know exactly what I will want. Luckily, the Discovery Health Channel and numerous birthing books have given me examples of births and I feel like I have read or seen most scenarios. Back when we had our free cable trial, I DVRed Birth Day, A Baby Story, I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant, Deliver Me, and some scary emergency room birth shows. Husby made me delete them after I had spent weeks on the couch, gaping, and using words like Cytotec, meconium, and HELLP syndrome in regular conversations, as if they were common delivery words.

So... I've got two birth plans... Birth Plan A (A for All Kinds of Interventions ) and Birth Plan B (B for Bring It On, I'm Brave).

I'll share those with you sometime soon.

Nope, it hasn't been baby time.

Its been compy-at-compy-repair-shop time.

I've been disconnected from my laptop for over a day. Which wasn't horrible, or anything.

I did have some questions I wanted to ask Google, such as this one and this one and this one. I also had a few bloggy ideas I wanted to jot down and put into my saved posts bin to sort out another day...

But, it wasn't bad or anything being w/o laptop time.

Until someone texted me and asked if the baby was here because I wasn't available online for FB, email, chats, blog posts...

So, to clear it up... I am still with child.
I'd like to prove it to you, but I can't figure out how to operate the webcam. I think its messed up along with the wireless... so I'll have to take a for-realsies photo tomorrow.

Signs that I am out of preggo denial...

Well, not that I denied I was pregnant, that is weird. But I have been in denial that my pregnant self is any different than non-pregnant self. Here's something things I've done that show I'm waving the white flag and surrendering to the last 5-15 days of pregnancy...

• I just edited my underwear drawer (yes, again, I did it in the 5th month...) to fit my growing needs (haha). I am hoping to avoid the sad feeling of putting on too small a pair or thinking, "Really? Should a mom-to-be wear THAT?"

• My naps can come earlier in the day. Today, around 10:30 am. Until about 1 pm.

• Giving up trying to sleep in. Giving up trying to go to bed at a regular time. Sleep is an elusive minx.

• Bought a cheesecake. A mixed chocolate variety one. Planning to eat a piece a day.

• Realize I'm fighting a losing battle against abdomen skin disfiguration. I've been faithful with Palmer's lotions and potions, but now I see that my skin just can't grow fast enough or be elastic enough for this big baby.

• Accepted the fact that I have stretch marks forming (and two that are CLEARLY formed) on the underside of my belly, but delight in the fact that I can only see them if I am looking in a mirror that includes my lower torso. So happy they aren't on the top of the belly!

• No longer squirm when people ask inappropriate bodily function questions at inappropriate times. I say, "Yeah, I just don't feel comfortable talking to you about that." Or else I give some other extraneous detail to make THEM feel uncomfortable.

37 Week Picture... With a face, too!

I don't ordinarily post pictures of my ever-swelling abdoment because I am ultra judgemental of myself and how I judge when other people put up ridiculous photos. But I am making an exception because I like this photo - I like the color of my swimsuit against the aqua color of the water. I also like imagining I am still in that pretty pool of water with Husby and my sister.

Taken July 4, 2009

Also, I think I usually look nervous in the preggo photos that are taken of me... like... how will this look? So I am always making a scardy or anxious face. Not the case for this photo!

Fab things I've done

Here's a snippet of fab adventures you can have while 9 months pregnant... or at least the ones I've had.

- Weekly visits to the OB that include non-stress tests, blood pressure monitoring, and ultrasounds on a baby who REALLY looks like a baby, not just a bean or alien or something.

- Buy a whole cheesecake - the chocolate medley kind - and eat what you want. Put the rest in the freezer and have some to celebrate when you have a baby.

- Buy things off Craigslist for baby. They'll throw in all kinds of freebies since they want to get rid of it. Its like a yard sale coming packaged in a trash bag right to you.

- Sleep on the couch and wake up only during the interesting parts of Oprah.

- You don't have to talk or joke or be amazing with people. If you are like a zombie, you are still treated normally and doted upon.

- Someone might cheer for you when you are taking a walk around your neighborhood. Or clap. True story.

- Go buy something that fits you. I fuchsia shorts and a grape shirt, both are the Target Champion brand that wick away the massive amount of sweat I have, and cover up my new XL size. Just going to the store to get it feels like a shopping spree because it takes so much longer to walk from the car to the clothes and back again.

Book Review: Remember Me? by S. Kinsella

After reading Kinsella's Confessions of a Shopaholic, I went back to the library to check out another. Unfortunately, there were no other titles in the series, so I selected one of her stand-alone novels.

I was quite pleased with this book. I checked it out on Thursday, hoping to find a calm, funny, frivolous read to distract me from annoying contractions, my swollen extremities, and general sleep difficulties plaguing my pregnant self.

This book has a pretty familiar tune... girl with a crappy life and physical flaws in appearance wakes up from a car crash with amnesia. She wakes up with a perfect lfe and no physical flaws. She is shocked to discover she has a storybook life - hottie for a husband, a magazine style home, and an executive position. She can't remember how she attained this lifestyle, and is thus forced to solve the puzzle of her past.

I know, sounds like a made for TV movie. Well, if it were a made-for TV movie, I'd watch this one! The author's style is light and fresh and uses less predictable action to advance the plot. I preferred the main character to Kinsella's hugely famous Rebecca Bloomwood (portrayed by Amy Adams in the film). I think I'd cast the role of Lexi Smart to a mid 90s Julia Roberts or perhaps a quirkier actress, like Ann Hathaway.


This book exceeded my expectations because it also was a happy story and made me feel like a happy reader. While not a piece of prize literature, I'd give this an A for a summer beach read... considerably higher than other frivolous books I've read this summer!

How I spent the weekend...

Here's a little movie of my family's Independence Day activities.

Usually, we spend the 4th in different towns doing different activities, or we have a BBQ. We did something different this year... wehad never gone as a family to Springfield, so we did. My mom arranged it all, which was really kind of her. We stayed at an interesting resort hotel and sat in the special box seats at the town's minor league game. The weather was mild, around 80 degrees, and the rain held off until after the firework show. The best parts of the weekend were the funny jokes, the REALLY good fireworks. and swimming. The all you could eat nachos were pretty good, too!

Significant Celebrity Deaths...

I am sick of watching the drive-by media cover the death and funeral of MJ. Sorry, just not into it. I've always liked the music. Never liked his uncomfortable news stories/allegations.

I don't feel profoundly affected by his death. Yeah, my mom was his same age, so that is a little sobering. But my mom didn't have to have stage fright as a young child performer, didn't get stressed by paparazzi at child abuse trials, never did drugs, and wasn't taking sedatives to relax. So I don't feel super worried about the condition of her heart.

When I was a freshman in HS, Princess Diana died. I realize that in America, celebrities are our royalty, and I imagine that many people in LA today are reacting to his burial similarly to Diana's enormous media funeral.

I was affected by Princess Diana's tragedy. I don't know if its because her children are close to my age, that she married just after my parents wearing a gloriously enormous wedding dress, or because she was a teacher turned future queen. I was also a bit maudlin in my early years, and perhaps I am a bit more cynical.

After reading Diana's memoirs, I realize how much more in common she and I have than I do with MJ. She felt nervous in her surroundings, pressure to perform, and coped with stress by abusing food. She also tried to help everyone but rarely asked for help for herself. I think her life as a young mother is a good lesson for me to study.

BFF Travels to India Today

A place where she is welcome and will be a fine example of lovely American girls.
I will miss her, especially because she'll be gone during the delivery of Baby H, and she would have really spoiled me with all kinds of treats! I am excited for her to have such a BIG experience during the summer of her grad school years.
I hope her career will be inspired by this trip and that India will be inspired by her!

I'm praying for your safety, comfort, and experiences!

Tacky Sign Spotted in Leboanon, MO

I thought some of you would appreciate this more than me. It got a double groan from Mrs. Haid!! Def. not what I'd call the most fabulous wall art.