Hobbit-ish Potpurri: A Whole Lot of Weekend

Howdy Humble Readers...

Well... another weekend come and gone.  It was busy, but productive.  I was able to cap off the weekend with making a family secret recipe (as in... no, it will NEVER be featured on Foodie Fridays).  Ribs with homemade bbq sauce.  I only make them once or twice a year, partly because it's a fair bit of work, and partly because I don't want it to become commonplace.  I did, however, think ahead and made a double batch of the bbq sauce, so I've got some to use on chicken  or pork chops later in the season.  Ginny had her first taste of ribs and sauce, and she lurved it!

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I think we're as ready as we're going to be.  I've packed my hospital bag and the small diaper bag.  The nursery is as close to done as we can get for right now.  It's crowded, but such is life.  I keep reminding myself that people raise children in smaller places.  I refer you to this post, from a year and a half ago, for a tour of what the nursery originally looked like. 

This is what it looks like now. 

From the doorway... change table, bookshelves, and Ginny's crib

From by the closet, Ginny's crib & the Halfling's Crib

Ginny's dresser has been moved into the closet, and the change table has been moved to where the dresser used to be.  As of tonight, Ginny sleeps under the window (please let her ignore the curtains, please let her ignore the curtains!).  The new crib came with a little dresser that will do for now to hold the Halfling's clothes. 

And speaking of clothes, this wee one had better like pink... we don't have anywhere near as much gender neutral newborn stuff as I thought we did.  I'm sure we'll make do, but I was surprised.  On the up side, when I was going through the box of newborn stuff, I found one of my nursing bras.  Yay!  I thought maybe I had thrown it in a donation bag by mistake. 

Oh, and we found out that we will get to use the family cradle again.  I had thought that it had gone back to BC this past summer, but my MIL has it and is bringing it with her next week. 

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This is the blanket that I knitted for Halfling 2.0.

It's the same as the one I made for Ginny, just different colours.  Basically a really big knitted washcloth.  I'm not an experienced knitter by any stretch.  But I'm glad to have something that I made for this little person. 

The pics don't represent the colours well... it's really a funky combo of purple, gold, green, blue, and pink.  Sounds awful, but it works!

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We have our new couch.  It's so strange sitting on a sofa that actually has some support in it.  Sadly, the couch is a little too big, so for the moment we are having to live without one of our side tables.  I have a plan for how to fix things, but it involves moving two of our bookcases which are currently bolted to the wall.  That plan will have to wait until late June or early July before it gets put in place. 

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Ginny's teething is still going strong.  Her gums are so sore, poor girl.  And I don't know if it's a teething thing or if she's finally come out of this hyper-extended growth spurt she's been on, but she's not really into napping at all.  She was super tired this afternoon after church, but just refused to go to sleep.  It makes for a long afternoon and evening with a cranky wee girl. 

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A couple of cute Ginny moments today... First, while we were at church, she and I were hanging out in the nursery/playroom while my Beloved was teaching his adult sunday school class.  I was sitting in one of the arm chairs, and for the first time ever, she crawled right up in my lap.  She never does that!  She was adamant that she had to sit with me almost the whole time.  She kept getting down to get a toy or a book, but then she would just come right back to me, and crawl up. 

And, tonight after her dinner, while my Beloved and I were still pigging out on ribs, she was having her milk and some chocolate goldfish crackers.  She started trying to dunk her goldfish into her milk, but sadly her sippy cup didn't really make that possible.  I'm not sure where she got the idea... (there may or may not have been some oreos in the house a couple of weeks ago, and I may or may not have allowed myself to have a couple with some milk, but that was a while ago, and I'm not admitting anything).  It just goes to show that little ones really do watch everything we do.

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Oh, and I promised the obligatory pregnancy pic... here you go!

Feeling Enormous!

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What was the highlight of your weekend?

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Questions & Minutia

Hey Humble Readers,

Old Man Winter has deemed that we have had enough of a break from his presence, and has come back with a bit of a bite.  After our really cold stretch (wherein Tilly the Toyota froze up completely) we had an amazingly long stretch of almost spring-like weather.  No snow and mild temps for almost a month.  Then last week the snow started again, but it was still not too terribly cold.  Now we're back to more seasonal temps for the frozen flatland... and it's been snowing pretty much consistently since Thursday.  We haven't gotten much for accumulation, but it's our normal mid winter type of snow... dusty, dry and powdery.  Apparently we've lucked out though, because Big City to the North has gotten slammed with snow.

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It's Oscar night tonight, and as usual, I'm going to be cooking up a bunch of appetizers for my Beloved and I to munch on as I drool over the dresses and (hopefully) laugh at Billy Crystal.  On the menu tonight: Baked Crab Rangoon, Creamy Chicken Puffs, Nachos, and Fresh Veggies with Hummus.  I'm ashamed to admit, this year I think I have only seen one of the major nominated films.  I've already informed my Beloved that as they come available on VOD, we will be renting!  Normally I try to see as many of the nominated pics as possible.

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My Beloved and I have a bit of a quandary before us.  It's not pressing, but we are trying to make a decision about sleeping arrangements for Ginny and the Halfling.  Of course, for the first few months, the Halfling will be in our room.  But by next fall we'll probably be looking at moving him/her in with Ginny in the nursery.  At that point, Ginny may be ready for a toddler bed.  Here's where the questions arise... should we buy Ginny a toddler bed, or should we buy the Halfling a convertible crib (one that can become a toddler bed, and eventually even a full size bed... like what we bought for Ginny)?  To buy a crib will cost a bit more now, but it may be more cost effective in the future.  A toddler bed would be cheaper at the moment, but maybe not as smart for the long term.  No matter what, the little ones will have to share a room, for at least a couple of years yet, as we aren't in the position to be looking for a new house.  Thoughts? 

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You may have noticed the new tab up there at the top, my "Massive To Do List".  It contains all the stuff I feel I need to get done before the Halfling makes his/her appearance.  One of the items on my list is to make a bunch of freezer meals for the first few weeks at home.  The thing is, most of my usual freezer meal ideas are more wintery types of food (lasagna, chili, etc).  Do any of you have any good suggestions for lighter spring/summer freezer meals? 

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Another item on my To Do list requires some help from my friends who knit.  I'm a very inexperienced knitter, and I have a problem that I need to fix.  Some of you may recall that I knitted a very basic baby blanket for Ginny before she was born.  Sadly, Ginny has pulled a couple of big snags in it, to the point where I can't let her use the blanket in her crib because I'm scared that she could hurt herself with the long loose strands.  I want to fix it if I can, but I'm just not sure how.  Experienced knitters... do you think it's possible?  And if so, how should I go about fixing it?  Or should I just give it up, and knit her a new blanket?

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Thanks in advance for all your input, Humble Readers!  I appreciate it!

Week 37: Breathing Easier & Blog Challenge Day 20: A Hobby

Hey Humble Readers...

I was a little wiped yesterday, so I missed doing my weekly update.  I can't believe I'm officially full term now.  It seems so surreal.  In a little over two weeks, we'll have our little Halfling here with us!  Amazing!

How far along? 37w1d

Maternity clothes? I couldn't fit into a pre-pregnancy pair of pants now if I wanted to.  Some t-shirts and sweaters still fit tho.  Thankfully, we are experiencing a really nice autumn now, so it's not a big deal that my winter coat doesn't fit any more.

Body Oddities? Nothing new, except for a lack of braxton hicks.  Even the round ligament pain has eased off.  A little strange.  I'm a little concerned that they're going to come back with a vengance any time.  I have finally passed my pre-pregnancy weight, by about a pound and a half. 

Sleep? Still a hit or miss situation.  Some nights are better than others.  The time change this week really threw me for a loop.

Best moment this week?  Dinner at my MIL's place.  Got to see a couple of my BILs and their wives.  We all live within a couple of hours of each other, but rarely all get together.  The guys put up Mom C's Christmas lights, and the ladies watched that "Everybody Loves Babies" documentary.  It was really cute, and we killed ourselves laughing. 

Worst moment?  Just overdoing it on Saturday.  It really hit home how limited my physical capabilities are right now.  Honestly, it worries me about being able to handle labor... I mean, I can't even do a little shopping without being in serious pain.  How am I going to push out this Halfling?

Movement?  All the time... except when I'm hooked up to the monitors for my NST.  Then I have to drink ice water, and poke at my belly repeatedly to get him/her to wake up. 

Food cravings? Like last week, no real cravings, just obsessions.  This week, all I want is a big fat cheeseburger, with lots of pickles, sauteed onions, and some sort of secret sauce.  I want a big plate of fries... with gravy and cheese.  Terrible, huh?

Rings? Off... and I think they'll be staying off now for a while.  Hope to have them back on by Christmas.  :)

Gender? Not going to find out, but I think it's a boy.  This is the first week that it has really bothered me, not knowing.  I saw some really sweet Christmas outfits, but I don't know if I need a dress or a little boy's outfit. 

Intense Dreams?  One that stands out... I was in labour, and my nurse was the nurse who taught our prenatal classes.  It seemed like a pretty normal dream, until the nurse started wearing a huge clown mask.  She's trying to coach me through the pushing, and all I can see are her eyes behind this crazy mask. 

Medical Concerns? High blood pressure (on 50mg Trandate/Lobetalol, 3 times a day), Gestational Diabetes (actually doing really well, except for the occassional low), on prescription Zan.tac for heartburn. Being induced on November 25th. 

What I miss?  Being able to go more than an hour without having to pee, being able to cook a meal without having to get my Beloved to get the pots from down low, or ingredients from up high. 

What I look forward to?  Finishing off my to do list so that I can have a few days to relax before this little person makes his/her appearance. 

Emotional State? Frustrated with the physical limitations I'm facing, but other than that I'm doing ok.

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Today's blog challenge assignment is to talk about a hobby of mine.  I honestly don't really have one currently.  I have in the past been a very avid scrapbooker, cross-stitcher, writer, and I have tried my hand at crocheting (with pathetic results).  Earlier this year, I was really into looking into our geneology.  As you have probably guessed, I have a lot of unfinished projects. 

Most recently, I took up knitting again.  I learned how to knit when I was in junior high, but let it go.  You may recall back in May or June I mentioned that I was going to knit a blanket for the Halfling.  Well, considering that it was only a baby blanket, it sure took me long enough to finish it (and technically it's not finished yet, I need to weave the little loose ends in).  I finished knitting it on the weekend, and I've been very excited to show it to you. 

Now keep in mind that this is just a very simple blanket, and I know that my tension needs work.  But I'm very proud of it, nonetheless. 

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Observations on Cleaning House

Good Evening Humble Readers...

I hope that you all have been keeping well.  I haven't been around much for the last few days, and I am woefully behind on reading and commenting.  I will attempt to get caught up in the next couple of days.

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Sunday was a restful day, for the most part.  Church, lunch, then grocery shopping.  The danger of living across the back lane from a small grocery store is that you can go for weeks without doing a 'real' grocery shop.  I only bought what we needed (ok, we didn't need the dulce de leche ice cream) and it was still ridiculously expensive.  And why is it that when you spend a chunk of money on groceries, no one follows you home to put everything away?  That should be part of the price shouldn't it?

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Monday and Tuesday were big time cleaning days.  Check out the Mission Impossible page for an update on my list.  We haven't made as much progress as I had hoped, but the house really is looking much better.  We have already made two trips to Va.lue Vil.lage with stuff we don't need anymore, and we have yet to hit the storage room and the second bedroom.  Two laundry baskets full of books, a set of dishes, an old crock pot... lots of goodies.

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Why is it that cleaning the kitchen takes the longest to do and looks like you made the least difference?  I spent all day yesterday reorganizing cupboards, cleaning behind the stove, washing walls, and it hardly looks different (until you open a cupboard anyway). 

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When I was cleaning out the kitchen cupboards, I was struck by a few thoughts.  First up, never again will I keep my tupperware containers separate from the lids.  I know it takes up a lot more room, but it will save my sanity in trying to figure out what the hell was happening in that cupboard.  I seriously had an avalanche of tupperware.  Second, why don't all companies that produce canned goods design their cans so that they stack nicely (like the soup ones do).  I am sick of tomato paste cans falling all over the place.  Lastly, when corriander seeds spill in your spice cupboard, you are going to be cleaning them up FOREVER. 

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Today, we took a break today and I took the most glorious nap.  It was wonderful.  This afternoon, I had an intake appointment with a chiropractor.  Have any of you moms had chiropractic treatments during your pregnancy?  I'm hoping that it will help with my sciatica.  The doc was really great too, altho I had my first ever 'are you sure you're old enough to be a doctor' moment.  He was a young'un!  One interesting thing he noted when doing the initial exam... he had me stand on two scales (scary!), and he had only ever seen one other patient who was 100% balanced like I was, and that it was especially surprising given my size.  Hmm, who knew?

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I dragged my Beloved to the craft store today.  I picked up a shadow box... one that I had planned on getting ages ago.  I have some things that are reminders of our angel girls (some pressed autumn leaves for Emily and a Christmas ornament for Olivia), and I have wanted to frame them nicely for ages.  I came across them again when I was reorganizing the bookshelves, and got re-motivated.  Hopefully this weekend I will be able to get it assembled. 

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At the craft store, I also picked up a ball of pretty green yarn and a pair of knitting needles.  I learned how to knit when I was in junior high, but haven't done any in decades.  I tried to teach myself how to crochet a couple of years ago and it went very badly.  I was afraid that I wouldn't really remember what I was doing with the needles, but it has come back pretty quickly.  I started knitting a baby blanket and I've gotten about a quarter of it done.  My tension needs work, and I think I dropped a stitch somewhere back near the beginning, but I'm enjoying it.  I don't know how to do anything fancy, but I really wanted to make something for the Halfling. 

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Pregnancy Update:  Not much to report.  I have had a few panicky moments over the last few days.  My symptoms really have faded away, except for the fatigue and occassional constipation and water retension.  I have caved and have ordered a doppler.  I should get it next week.  I am almost done the prometrium.  Another couple of days I think. 

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We have had a drastic switch in our weather.  Yesterday it got up to 28 degrees (that's celcius)!  And yet we know that we aren't out of the woods yet for snow.  May long weekend is coming and it always snows sometme around May Long.