I love my husband

I thought, for fun, I'd put some pictures on here... because I love my Mikey.  He is such a wonderful husband.  

This was around when we first met, Oct 2006.  He had long hair. hehe

In the wal-mart he worked at, in electronics, where we met.  I think this was right around the time we got engaged, march 2007.  He cut his hair.

One of our engagement pictures

Our Wedding... Nov. 2007

Honeymoon in Rome

After his basic training graduation, Feb 2008

Sewing & Cross-Stitching

This is the first cross-stitch I've ever done.  Its a "Julia Ann Sampler".  A 13 year old girl made the pattern in 1819.  It's on 29 count linen & has this in the center & various trees & houses on the side.  I got the kit for $2 at a garage sale!  I've been working on it since the beginning of the month... the other day it took me 30 minutes just doing the cursive M & half the N.

I made this dress the past week. Its a nursing/maternity dress called "Catherine's Choice" from bakerlane.com.  The material is kind of an olive green floral velour-ish (ok, I don't know my fabrics too well) ... not cheetah print as it appears in this picture.  I've never made anything, except quilt blocks, without the help of my mom, so I was a little scared.  I only had one mishap and I fixed it, so I feel quite accomplished now.  It would have only taken 3 days to make, but I ran out of thread and I had to wait to go to fabric store.  

And, whilst at the fabric store, they had simplicity patterns for $1 each!  So I got some baby patterns, including that super cute one!

Yesterday, Michael and I went to Babies R Us to register and they were SO busy, they had a waiting list for registry scanners!  So we just looked around & made one online, but I don't know how easy people will be able to find the things that I registered for online in stores since not all stores have the same things.  Babies R Us online didn't even having diaper pins... I searched "diaper pins" and it says "did you mean diapers pink?".  So, in short, amazon registry is much more fun because amazon has everything!  Unfortunately, not everyone wants to order from amazon so I have to make a babies r us registry too.

We also found this in our cul de sac parking lot- thrown away by one of our neighbors, to be picked up by the trashman.  Our neighbors are always throwing usable things away, like our coffee table, for instance, was out in the parking lot to be thrown away & there was once a whole living room set out there (we just took a chair & ottoman from it though).  When the trash came that time, I caught a video of it chopping up the furniture... I wonder if I can find it.. it was crazy!

MMM Smoothie

Since I'm pregnant, I try to eat healthy & get all the nutrients I need (without eating too many poptarts...), which is hard since I tend to forget to eat in between meals.  But yesterday I made the most amazing smoothie!  Its really easy & really healthy!

1/4 package of silken (soft) tofu

2 whole bananas

1 to 2 cups frozen strawberries (I didn't measure, I had like half a bag left & threw them all in)

3.5 slices of pineapple (I used canned, you know, the pineapple rings)

& some of the pineapple juice

thats all!  no ice to crush, its plenty thick too!  no sugar, no ice cream or yogurt (though yogurt would be healthy too)

You can't taste the tofu at all.  I kept making smoothies before & putting plain yogurt & tofu in it, and it tasted gross so I'd have to add 1T sugar to every glass... I thought it was the tofu, but it was the yogurt!  So, probably vanilla yogurt (or any flavored yogurt) would solve that problem.  

I wear skirts quite a bit because I feel more feminine when I do, and when I don't I had 1 pair of jeans I wore all the time since they are so comfy.  I went through my clothes the other day & found 2 pairs of pants that I haven't been able to wear in like 2 years!  Now, I can't button them, but the legs fit so well (which is why I had to stop wearing them 2 years ago, cuz my legs were fat)

Pretty sure the reason I couldn't wear those pants 2 years ago is because at that time I worked at Panera 5 days a week from 5am-1pm & ate many meals there (employees got an awesome discount!).  Then I would go from work, home for 3 hours & nap, then go to ballet class at night & get home at like 8, and Michael worked close to my apartment when we were dating & so he got off at like 10 and he'd come over & I'd fall asleep & have to get up at 4 the next morning!  So, lack of sleep, bad diet, stress... hmm, but that only lasted a few months, then I quit ballet & started another job as a waitress on top of my panera hours & took 9 hours online college classes.  & I rarely ate breakfast.  I was so unhealthy...  glad that whole part of my life is over!  And, this is a really pointless entry now...

23 weeks

This is me today, at 23 weeks!  Is this picture kind of big? I think it is, and I clicked "small", oh well.  

Today I kind of rough-drafted my birth plan for fun and since we have to have the birth in a hospital birth center, I feel I need to be as prepared as possible.  I also plan to labor at home as long as possible.  Here are some highlights (lol)

• freedom to change positions, walk, go to the bathroom, do yoga, or labor in the tub as long as possible
• No IV & limited electronic fetal monitoring & vaginal exams
• freedom to be in any position, including off the bed, during 2nd stage of labor
• prefer to tear rather than have an episiotomy
• don't offer pain medication
• freedom to wear my own clothes (... maybe)
• no eye ointment, vit k, or hep b
• defer PKU test for 2 days to establish breastfeeding for more accurate results
• B/F immediately after birth
• no bottles, pacifiers, water or formula
• delay cord cutting for at least 2 hours or not at all (haven't decided about this 'lotus birth' thing)
• no bathing of baby... will rub in vernix
  
• Baby is to ALWAYS be accompanied by myself or Michael when not in my room.

We went on a tour of the hospital on Sunday, it was nice... everything is brand new (they just built the hospital in 2007).  The only thing really 'hospitalish' about the rooms are the beds (so narrow!), they had tv/dvd player/cd player in all the rooms & a jacuzzi tub in most of the bathrooms, and you can adjust the temp/lights.  I had a breakdown about a week ago over how I didn't want to go to the hospital to have the baby... but I think it will be ok.  Its better than the alternatives-  either drive an hour away to a free-standing birth center the last 2 months of pregnancy for prenatals, the last month being an appointment every week which michael wouldn't be able to take off work for, so I'd have to drive by myself!  Or pay a homebirth midwife out of pocket, like $2,000, which we can't justify (since our insurance pays 100% for the midwife in the hospital).  I'm just worried one thing will go wrong & then everything will crumble to the ground... maybe I shouldn't have such high expectations.  I should probably prepare myself for when something doesn't go the way I want it to...

I'm going to try to stop eating sugar... or at least I'm going to think about it and stop once the baby is born.  lol.  I just really don't want to be feeding my kids sugar!  And its so bad for you, but I just love it so much, its hard.  :-)  And I just bought 4 bags (1lb each) of sour patch kids from the store bec. they were on sale from christmas- 64cents a bag!!!  Who could resist such a deal?  lol

I love amazon so much!!  I have a baby registry on there, its fun.  Its amazing to me how stores convinces us of how much stuff we need for a baby, when actually you don't need very much at all!  Its pretty crazy how much stuff we have cut off our "things to buy for baby" list, like a crib and changing table... well thats actually all I can think of, but those are pretty major necessities to most people, and pretty expensive, and take up a lot of space!

Headcovering?

So, I have been studying the biblical headcovering (as mentioned in 1 cor 11) for a while now.  I even covered... for about a week, a few months ago.  Then I got lazy and quit doing it.  I don't know anyone who covers... no one at our church does, nor any church I have ever been to, for that matter.  The reason I started studying it was because I knew the Amish covered, and I have always been very intrigued by their lifestyle & dress... and knew their had to be a reason they did it.  Then I read this book (which you can download for free) and was pretty convinced.  Michael is neutral on the subject... so I don't know.  Its confusing, but I think I'm just making it confusing because I don't want to do it, but feel like I should be... you know :-/.  If for no other reason, I like it as a reminder that my husband is the head of me (and thus a reminder of my submission to him, which is hard to remember sometimes...) & God has put me under his protection.  The scripture says the glory of man is the woman and the man is the glory of Christ...  man should cover his glory to give full glory to Christ.  And, I see "hair is given for her as a covering"  but earlier in the passage it says "it is a shame for a man to pray with his head covered"... so a man should make sure he has no hair covering his head?  Not unless it means an actual covering/veil... or some people argue long hair.  It is also unsettling how it was a universal practice until recent decades.  hmm... 

Anyways, I ordered some from garlandsofgrace.com because they have really pretty ones that are convertible to headbands, so we'll see.  

Christmas Rant

When Michael and I were engaged the topic of holiday traditions came up... and he said that we didn't need to have a Christmas tree, which basically turned into this huge argument about me needing to have a Christmas tree and him saying that it was stupid and no one even knows why they put up a tree besides that its tradition.   Now I couldn't agree with him more.  My family always has a tree (and still puts it up, even if they wait until Christmas Eve to put it up & Valentines Day to take it down..).  What is the significance of the tree anyways?  

 We either buy a fake one & have to store it for 11 months a year or buy a fresh one every year.     We decorate it... who knows why?  

   We give presents to it... ok, ok, under it.  

    Put it in the most visible place of the house.  

     Sing songs to it... does anyone know "Oh, Christmas Tree"?

 Did you know the pilgrims weren't allowed to celebrate Christmas or Easter, because it isn't commanded in scripture (man made tradition is not looked upon highly in scripture).  It wasn't even a national holiday until late 1800.  Sure, remembering Christ's birth is good intentioned, but why do we remember it with a Christmas tree & presents & santa clause (at least Catholics go to mass on Christmas day!).  I'm sick of commercials on tv talking about the economy and this year we need to make sure every child has a toy for Christmas...  it just rubs me the wrong way I guess.   I won't even start on the origins of Christmas (and Easter too!!).  I think some of my strong opinions on this come from my childhood- being raise in a Christian home, but on Christmas it really was just about the presents (and we got A LOT of presents!!!).  Everyone is out to make a profit... Christmas tree farms, ornaments, outdoor Christmas lights, stores, stores, stores...  if there is anything they convince the general population of needing to make Christmas better, they'll buy it.  Because who doesn't want the best?  And those that can't afford it, or can't afford a lot of gifts for their children are made to feel inadequate so then they get credit cards to pay for it!!  materialism is rampant.  

Even if you don't agree with me, just question why you do things... anything.  So that if you decide to continue doing them, at least if someone asks you 'why?', you will have an answer.   Like, why do we use shampoo and conditioner and face wash??  because we are told we need it, which we don't... my hair is looking great after 2 weeks (I think thats how longs its been...) washing every couple days with 1T b.s. & 1T apple cider vinegar.  And, my face looks better just rinsing with water than it did when I used proactiv!

Why do we go to the hospital to have babies?  Bec. we are told we our bodies need help & we need to be relieved of the "pain" (I put that in quotes bec. pain means something is wrong... labor is not wrong) because our bodies aren't able to do what they were made by God to do... hmmmm.  Now I understand sometimes (most of the time not) emergencies happen & things can go wrong so it is a good thing that we have such advanced medical science so that a baby can be born at 6 months gestation & still survive.  

Ok, I'm done, I got way off track I think... 

It's a GIRL

We are having a girl!!! ssssooooo excited. Here are some picture from the ultrasound... we even got to have a 3d one (and we will have another one at 28 weeks) because the office where the midwife is at has the machine! And its free!! yea!!! And we have no idea about names yet- we could only decide on boys names, so I'm excited to go name hunting again! And I'm excited to start getting some clothes!!!

I spend too much time on here... seriously. Especially today because I have to post pictures everywhere! Send emails to our families, facebook, myspace, blogger... its ridiculous. Then I get side tracked and start learning about something new and next thing I know its 3 hours later! Well, I'll just turn my ADD into something positive- today I learned about:
no 'poo-ing (http://babyslime.livejournal.com/174054.html), elimination communication (or infant potty training), & http://www.thebabywearer.com

And, I started no poo! I didn't shampoo that often anyways- like 2x a week, because especially since I've been pregnant- it doesn't get oily. So, today I just washed with water & let it air dry (and when I air dry I don't brush it, bec. its wavy if I leave it alone)... I'll keep you updated on how it is going, but I'm hopeful.