The Current State of...

Normally, I wouldn't dare take a picture of something "messy" in my home for all of the internet world to see. But in an effort to be a little more transparent on who I really am... just a normal housewife, some days lazy... some days motivated... most days exhausted (hey, I'm pregnant!), I figured... what the heck! And I'm not even going to be embarrassed... because it is what it is!!!

So... here we go....

The current state of... the kitchen:

Yes, I know that the faux bricks, cabinets and orange counters are HIDEOUS... but it is what it is and we don't have the money to re-do it at this point! The main thing I'm getting at here... is that I have dirty dishes on EVERY part of the counter (ok, the ones in the rack are clean). I promise, I did all of the dishes yesterday... but then the dinner dishes stacked up and then breakfast... and well, there they are! Waiting for me to grace them with my presence! If ever we decide to stay in this house forever and get the money to re-do the kitchen... I will insist on a dishwasher. I've never had one in my life... but I really think I'd like one!!

Next up...

The current state of... the dining room:

Now THIS is a nightmare!! However, if we put an hour into getting it straightened up... it probably would clean up pretty easily! Back in 2002, I bought myself this big loom. I had every intention of using it ALL of the time. Maybe starting a business from home selling things such as rag rugs, blankets, scarves, tables runners, etc. HA! As you can see... it is gathering more junk than anything! There is my sister's old crib that we need to haul back to her place, the A/C from our bedroom, a storage tote with loom items and other miscellaneous things, most of which just need to go into the basement for storage! Maybe I can talk Cory into helping me get some of this stuff taken care of this weekend and actually rearrange/organize this room! Obviously with a 56" loom taking up most of the space... we have no dining room table--but maybe some day! (And then that table would probably collect junk! haha!)

The current state of... the living room:

Other than the dog toys and some stuff on the coffee table... this is not usually how my living room looks. Especially the new furniture! However, the other day, Cory discovered that the cat had scratched the cushion on the sofa... so this is the effort of trying to keep the cat off of the furniture. It hasn't worked... our next try.... aluminum foil.

The current state of... the NEW recliner:

See the hole? Yep, I found that the day the furniture was delivered. We have since called the company (that day) and they are going to send someone out to check it out and replace it. Oi vey! Guess that little tag that said "Thoroughly Inspected by So & So..." wasn't very accurate!

The current state of... Baby's dresser:

This was my dresser when I was a baby. Back then, it was white. Years later, my mom decided to use it somewhere else and started painting it forest green. (Really, mom?) She didn't finish painting it... so it is a mix of white and green. This has been on the to-do list all summer.... but with our basement project taking up so much time (and me not really able to help)... it's gotten a slow start. Doesn't look like it will get done in time to be in the nursery (we can't keep working on it in the basement because the fumes just consume the house and we can't afford to open all of the windows/doors in this cold weather)... so perhaps it will be ready sometime this spring. I'm crossing my fingers! I'd really love to have it right now! hee hee

The current state of... my mind:

I wanted to thank those of you who left comments on yesterday's post. I am doing pretty good about things now. Your comments... and my husband... put things in a little better perspective. I am overly sensitive about my weight to begin with... and sure, my doctor(s) may not have the best bed-side manners, however... it IS important to be healthy. I am not going to deny myself the occasional cookie or ice cream... but I do need to make sure that I am not gorging myself on whatever I can get my hands on. (Let's face it, sometimes it's really tempting!!) And like Cory was telling me, I will be glad after the baby comes that I have been careful (even if it was mostly because of my doctors comments) because I won't have as much to lose. He even found this website that you can enter your pre-pregnancy weight and height... and see roughly what weight you should be at depending on how far along you are. It actually says that I am RIGHT where I need to be (115 lbs is the LOWEST end of my BMI.. 147 is the highest... so I was only like 6 lbs overweight to begin with--TAKE THAT DOCTOR GUY!). So, I am breathing a little easier about it all and I am so thankful to have the support of all of you and those around me! It means a lot! You guys ROCK!

... Now... about those dishes.....

Adding to my Insanity...

I am probably going to sound like the biggest whiner, I'm just warning you now.

If you read my post about my last appointment... you'll know that I gained a bit too much weight in a 6 week period of time. Traumatic? Yes. However, the reaction of my doctor really seemed to tip the scales on my emotions. I think I cried ALL day that day.

Since that appointment, I have been trying to eat healthier and make better choices. I have cut back BIG time on the carbs and other things that helped to not flare up my heartburn. I have made a point to eat more fruits and veggies, whole grains, chicken. Not to say that I haven't had a cookie here or there, I have to stay sane people! I have also absolutely stressed out about my next appointment... which happened to be this morning.

Before I left for the appointment, I literally ate a piece of toast, went to the bathroom a million times... and then when I got to the scale at the office... made sure my sweater and shoes were off. I didn't want any extra weight on that scale!!! Last weight: 166.5.... this weight: 165.75. I lost, what... 3/4 of a lb. in 4 weeks?? I was definitely happy about that.

So, I'm in the exam room.. and the nurse lady hands me this paper. 1800 Calorie Diet Sheet. She asks me if I'm supposed to have it. Ummmm... HOW SHOULD I KNOW? It was in my file, so I guess I'm supposed to have it(?). You.tell.me. So she left and I had that single sheet as reading material for the HOUR wait until the doctor came in.

It was the guy doctor this time... really nice... talks a little too fast for me though. It's like his brain is on warp-speed. Hard to keep up with sometimes.

Well, he did the usual measuring, checking the heart beat... then we went into his office and he talked to me about the Diabetes Screening thing I have to do next week. So I decided to ask him about the "diet sheet" while I was there and had his attention. Was there a reason they had given it to me? Is my weight gain bad?

He started going over all of my paperwork and talking fast, trying to add up mathematical figures on how much I'd gained, how many calories I should be eating... and he asked me how tall I am.

5' 3"

How much did I weigh when I started out? 153

He then proceeded to tell me that for my height, I should be around 115-120 lbs normally (ha! I bypassed that going into the 6th grade!)... and that because I was overweight to begin with, I should really only gain about 20 lbs total during pregnancy.

This is where I started to swallow a lot... you know, holding back the tears.

I have already gained 12 lbs... so I should only gain about 8 lbs more MAX. But the way he said it was, "Since you've already gained the majority of your weight, you should only gain 8 lbs in the last 3 months. And you know, the last trimester is when you should gain MOST of your weight."

*sigh*

I must add that he said that I am doing good... and that he is the "weight police" so he'd really let me have it if he thought I was out of control.... but MAN oh MAN! Talk about messing with someone's psyche!!! Who likes to go every 2-4 weeks and hear about their weight?? It's rather deflating! I mean, I obviously knew I'd gain weight with pregnancy... but I didn't expect to have that little dig about my previous weight tossed into the mix.

I know that all I can do is try to be as healthy as possible... but I guess, since I'm so sensitive, I feel like every mention of my weight - before, during, or after pregnancy - is tearing me down! Does this happen to everyone? I mean, do I really have the weight gestapo OBGYN or what? Tell me I'm not crazy!!!! I sure have been feeling like it lately......

*****

In other news... Cory decided he didn't like the girl name we (ok, I) had picked out... back to square one... but I may still try to sway his opinion!!!

Um... Yes, Please

I want to see this movie.



I'm a sucker for anything Ryan Gosling... :)

Lazy Monday

There's nothing too exciting going on today.
It's just a dreary Monday!
Dark, rainy and cold!

I have been looking at cribs.
We can't really go with anything too expensive...
but I found this one that has a "cottage" look.
I think it will work well in the room... plus.. it converts to
a toddler bed and eventually a regular bed, if we want.

source

That was all the bigger I could get the picture to load!
HAHA!

Of course, we wouldn't have girlie bedding in it.
We've registered for a neutral set.

Once Cory comes home and can look at the crib stuff,
I am hoping to get it ordered so we can get
it in here and set up!
I know we still have 3 months... but our Shower is at the
end of November and I'd like to have everything all
set up and in place before that.

Yea!!

I'm off to bake some cookies for Cory's lunches!

TAAAA DAAAA!!

Yes, TWO posts in one day! I couldn't resist!

Our new furniture has arrived! I was really nervous about the color and how it would all tie into the rest of the living room... but once we get it all positioned and such, I think it will be just fine! (I'm not going to even attempt to push, shove, or pull any furniture! I'll be patient for Cory's return from work to do it!)

That being said, please don't mind the pictures that aren't centered and the end table that is too close for comfort. These are just the "HOLY CRAP! WE HAVE NEW FURNITURE!" pictures!


It's hard to tell in the pics, but our walls are a really soft green color. It looks really nice with the brown. I'm not a huge fan of our carpet, but it is what it is! Cory stopped by on his lunch break real quick to check things out... and wasn't too keen on the pillows. I think they'll just take some getting used to. Although, we are a bit perplexed as to why we only got 2 pillows. Cory's going to double check on that.

I would have preferred something a little more funky, not quite so straight forward and plain, but it's practical and that's what's important at this point! Maybe someday I'll get my fun furniture (when we have a finished basement so Cory can keep his reclining sofas for himself). But, in the meantime, I am pleased with this result!

So! Now I'm going to settle in and recline with my feet up for awhile. Write a little snail mail... relax!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Hooray for Surprises!

I opened the mail on Wednesday to
some much needed CHEER!
(I was just having a crappy day, despite the beautiful weather!)



My good friend, Adrianne, sent some baby goodies she found on Etsy!
Let's check it out, shall we?



Burp cloths with super-soft minky fabric.
I want to rub these on my face, they're so soft!



A cutie-pie tree onsie--perfect for girl or boy!
(uh, yeah.. I didn't iron this stuff for the photo shoot)



And this matching tree burp cloth!
CUTE!

I have slowly started acquiring baby things...
and it's killing me not to be throwing them in the wash
and getting them all ready! Probably not until
after Christmas, when the shower is over and the
nursery is (hopefully) put together!

THANK YOU ADRIANNE!!!!

25.5 Weeks and Growing!

Please don't mind my saggy-butt sweatpants...
they're Cory's.

And of course, don't mind my bathroom!

Only a little over 14 weeks to go!
Crazy!!!

Visitors for a Day!

After reading a few horror stories... I mean, articles... online yesterday, my husband insists that I get a flu shot on Friday. *sigh* I am not particularly keen on the idea, however I understand his concerns, etc. There is one condition though. If I DO end up getting sick at all... Cory better prepare to give me the royal treatment! ha!

On a better note... Yesterday I had visitors! Yea!

My sister and 2 of her kids came over to hang out! The girls worked on making some Christmas ornaments for my sister's tree and little Jaxson hung out playing cars and other things to keep busy! I would post all about it... but my sister already did HERE. You can head over to her blog and see the absolutely HORRIBLE picture of me making applesauce with Jax. (Can we say... puff ball?) -groan- *Ok-she cropped me out of that one--phew!*

Have a happy Wednesday!

TO.. or.. NOT TO?

My doctor's office called last week.

They are giving flu shots on Friday.

I'm not sure if I'm going to go.

To be 100% honest, I wasn't planning on getting a flu shot at all.

I've never had one.

I'm not really "For" or "Against"... I guess I'm just indifferent.

If I get the flu, I get the flu.

However, now that I'm pregnant... I'm really not quite sure what to do.

Seems like a number of people I know who GET a flu shot, end up with the flu!

And a number of women I know who were pregnant at one point or another, never got a flu shot.

Do any of you mamas have an opinion?

Of course, I know that if I DON'T get one, my doctor is going to rail on me... but is it truly necessary?

Pumpkin Carving!!

Cory and I don't get all big into Halloween... but we decided to carve a couple of pumpkins this year! It was the first time Cory had carved a pumpkin in YEARS.

Like, he can't even remember the last time!
(but he's sure he did it when he was younger)

Last year we didn't keep our porch light on for Trick-or-Treaters... but our neighbor said that they didn't get any. We may try this year... but we aren't in a typical neighborhood, so we'll see how it goes! If we do, we definitely won't keep the pumpkins on the porch!

Christmas Project: Seat Belt Cover

I decided to try my hand at making a seat belt cover today. I had stopped by the fabric store and picked up this cute whale fleece yesterday. I didn't have a pattern or anything, but I think it turned out OK! I think I may use a different type of velcro on the next ones I make. I plan on whipping 3 more of these up to give to my sister's kids for Christmas! Don't you hate it when your seat belt cuts into your neck? Now that kids have to sit in booster seats until they're practically 13 (ok, maybe not quite that old)... I thought these little covers would be a practical gift!


I'd love to see projects you're working on!!! I've got a few other things up my sleeve, but can't post them because of peeking eyes on my blog!
Maybe after Christmas!

Get Outta Here!!!

I have mentioned before that our neighbor's rooster took a liking to our chickens a couple of months ago. He comes over every day and struts around the coop. He can't actually get to our chickens, which is good because we don't want chicks, but the girls follow him around and get as close to the fence as they can to get near him.

No big deal, right?

Not quite.

Sure, he doesn't cause harm to the chickens... however, he poops EVERYWHERE! We can't go up to feed the chickens without stepping in rooster crap. We also can't let our dog outside in the back yard either. Of course, being a dog... she wants to EAT the poop. I didn't really pay attention to this detail as I would let her run up around the coop with me, until she came into the house TWICE and threw up. *nasty*

So, we aren't quite sure what to do. We don't feed him, so we aren't encouraging him to hang out on our property... but how do you get rid of him? Cory's mom works with our neighbor and she was going to mention something to him. It kind of stinks that we can't even let our own dog out in our own yard, ya know?

Anyway, in an effort to scare the rooster, we have tried throwing sticks and pine cones at it. It will run away for awhile, but will always come back. Perhaps we'll try a Super-Soaker (I'll def have to get a video of THAT!).

Here is Cory this weekend, trying to scare the stupid thing...
(Don't worry... Cory's just throwing pine cones at him)

Homemade Applesauce...

Deeeelicious!!!

I had a hankering for some homemade applesauce last night! I have been keeping bags of Gala apples on-hand to snack on... so I grabbed some and got to work!

5 apples, peeled, cored and cut up into chunks...
1/2 c. of water...
A sprinkle of cinnamon...


Boil... (I thought for sure that 1/2 a cup of water wasn't going to be enough... but the apple juices made up for it!)


Turn back the heat to simmer until apples are tender...


I used my handy-dandy food mill and drained the water/juices into the sink... then stirred and whirred to get the apples broken down...


If you don't have a food mill... a mesh strainer and wooden spoon will work (although it's a lot more time consuming!)


My recipe calls for 1/4 - 1/2 c. of sugar... but I put a little less than 1/8 c. and it was just right for our taste buds...


And of course...


It never lasts long!! YUM!!!

Maybe next time I'll make more so I can keep some in the fridge to snack on!

Rake the Leaves! Rake the Leaves!

Cory decided that today was a good day to take care of the leaves in our yard.

I raked them into piles, he mulched them with the vacuum thingy and then dumped them at the edge of the property (after giving some to the chickens... they love peckin' through all of that leafy goodness).


Definitely a perfect day for yard work. Except for the gnats. They were out of control!

Oh yeah, and that big spider by the shed. Cory definitely killed that one... it ain't gettin' in my house for the winter! ((shudder))


Hope you're enjoying your Saturday as much as we are!
I know Weezer is just having a blast...

"ZZZZzzzzz...."

Flashback Friday #35

When I was in junior high and high school, my cousin and I were into so much music. We lived for the summers when we could attend Cornerstone Music Fest in Illinois and run around catching all of our favorite bands.

We loved this Ska band called Five Iron Frenzy (however, the ska phase faded almost as fast as it appeared!). I had never seen this video before, but happened upon it yesterday! It brought back some fun memories, so I thought I'd share for Flashback Friday!


Join in the Flashback fun over at Christopher&Tia's!

23.5 Weeks!

Last night, I was laying in bed trying to sleep. My mind was racing about all sorts of things, like it usually does if I don't read before turning off the light. Cory was asleep beside me (already!) and the dog was snoring on the floor.

Then... all of a sudden, the baby decides it's circus time... not bed time! Holy acrobatics, batman! I laid there and literally laughed out loud at how crazy the movements were. It wasn't just a little bump here and there. It was like cartwheels and jumping jacks!

I can't believe Cory didn't wake up! I'm pretty sure the whole bed was shaking with my laughter!!

Anyway, once the excitement died down... I started thinking again. Except this time, I was thinking... Holy Crap... that's a BABY INSIDE ME... MOVING!

And... I only have 4 months until I have a baby in my arms!!

And... sometimes baby's come early! It could be less than 4 months!

And... I don't have ANYTHING ready!

But then I also thought... WOW. What a blessing! I'm a mom. Right now... I am a mom. No matter that it is still growing inside of me... that baby is there and no matter what happens... I'll always be a mom. It's just incredible! I guess I haven't really let it sink in. (I think it's still sinking in).

So... here I am at 23.5 weeks.


It's funny because when I look down at myself, I don't feel very big. However, when I see a picture of myself... I feel like I look huge! But it is what it is! And I am trying really hard to eat good (since my last appointment)... and I'm praying that all continues to go well!

Next appointment... Oct. 28th. Then I'll only have 3 months left! AHH! :)

Christmas Project... Pomander

So yesterday I told you that I was working on a project with these:

The plan was to make a Pomander.
My aunt decorates with all sorts of funky things...
so I thought it'd be just perfect!

Unfortunately, it's not as great-looking as I'd hoped.

Actually, it looks pretty decent in person,
but in a picture... it looks pretty crappy!

See?


Of course, I don't have the best camera or photography skills.


I think perhaps I will need to make rosettes that are
the same size as opposed to random sizes.


A little more uniform might do the trick!
We'll see! It's not too bad for the first attempt!

Here's the tutorial I used from Betz White.
Mine aren't quite like hers... but same general idea!

It Has Begun...

I know that fall just started a couple of weeks ago... and I am definitely enjoying the cool, crisp weather and changing leaves! We've had a number of rainy days though and I don't know about you, but it just makes me want to curl up on the couch with a good book and a hot cup of chai tea latte (I should check the local cafe to see if they carry those in decaf... I really want one!). I don't feel like cleaning, doing dishes or laundry. I just want to feel cozy! I'm guilty of having these days quite often... not that I want to be lazy... but when the opportunity presents itself...... well, ya know. I do the bare minimum of cleaning, dishes and laundry and then find the rest of my day lounging around.

Hey, I can do that at this point... I don't imagine I'll be able to once the baby is here (I started my 6th month! Eeek!).

Anywho...

My mind has started drifting to things like Thanksgiving and Christmas, wanting to make plans for family gatherings (perhaps we'll have Thanksgiving here this year)... and then I realized... Oh Crap! I better get my butt in gear if I want to do some handmade gift-giving this year! I say it every year and then I wait until the last minute and feel CRAZY trying to get it all done in time!

(My nephew at Christmas last year, laying out his Curious George PJ's for everyone to see)

Last year I made PJ's for my niece and nephews... and sweater totes for a couple of cousins.

I have a couple of ideas in my head of what I want to do this year...

My nephew LOVES volkswagens... so I'm going to try to make him a vw bug pillow. TRY being the key word.

I found some clothes on sale last spring (can't beat 97 cents each!)... so I probably won't make anything for my niece this year... or if I do, it will just be something small.

Not sure what to do for my other nephew who is into all sorts of stuff... farming, cars, trucks, tractors.... *I'm drawing a blank*.

Anyway...

As I've been cleaning up my craft/guest/baby room... I have had to sort through so much fabric and wool sweaters, so I am trying to come up with projects that I can do using those items... instead of going out and buying a ton of supplies.

So today, I started a project that I think is going to turn out really cool.

Here's a peek:

I need to pick up some more supplies (just a few)... and then I'll post a picture of the completed creation! I'm actually really excited about it!

And so it begins... the season of Christmas crafting!

I would love to hear of any handmade gift suggestions or projects that you're working on! I don't know about you... but getting something handmade from someone you love is so much more special than a gift from the store (although, I won't turn those gifts down! haha!).

"Next To Me"

One of my absolute most favorite bands just released a streaming copy of one of the songs off of their new album. I was SO excited to see their Facebook post about it... I just had to share.


Next to Me by sleepingatlast

They are doing a year long project called "Yearbook" where they release a new song each month for 12 months. I haven't subscribed for it... but I'm itching to!! Until then, I will enjoy the streaming version while it lasts!

**I'm doing a little better today (as far as my post from yesterday)... I'm going to try really hard to do whats best for me and the baby!**