NO SUGAR! BAD SUGAR!

Uggg so recently I've been dealing with some issues concerning my health during pregnancy.
I went in for my 1 hour sugar test right before Mike and I took off on our little mini vaca..
When I got home my OB's office called to tell me the results.

The cut off for a pregnant woman being in a safe zone is a reading of 130; mine was a 201.
So we skipped the 3 hr test and went straight to being diagnosed with gestational diabetes..
A couple days later I had my first appointment with the endocrinologist.

I need to mention here that I was majorly stressing out on the way to the appointment. It was one of those "WHY ME?" moments that so many of us have. Also let me note that on the way to the doctor (about an hour before being seen) I ate a half of one pop tart, and drank half of a pomegranate tea.

When I was called back to a room I was informed that my BP was up, and then attacked with a ungodly amount of questions. (another couple of things that added to my stress level that morning).
The nurse checked my sugar levels, and it was at a 178. Her reaction? "OMG, That's high!" "what did you eat?" So now I'm freaking out!! thinking I've got diabetes, my sugar is crazy, I ate the wrong things, my blood pressures up... at this point I started to get a little "hot flash" of sorts.

The nurse continued through my obvious discomfort in showing me how to give myself a shot, and explaining how the doctor might want me to do this multiple times a day... She was speeding through everything, and before I knew it I was on the verge of passing out completely..

This is where I stopped the nurse and told her "I think I'm going to pass out." she looked at me like I was crazy. "Why, are you afraid of blood.?" I told her no not normally and she just kind of ignored it at kept rambling on!! I had to stop her again and tell her, and she finally got me a cold compress, but did not stop with the info giving at all.. talk about overwhelmed!!

After I felt better I was seen by the actual doctor.. She stressed me out by letting me know the risks to the baby, and she didn't help by not giving me a food guideline to follow at all..

I filled my scripts and started my insulin the next day.. Not as bad as I though, and neither is the poking my fingers. I've been following what I thought to be a good diet, but my sugar levels are still off some days.

today I met with a nurse and a dietician at the hospital. They helped reassure me a lot, and I am now more confident that I can keep this under control.. As long as I follow my now new meal plans and keep an accurate record of my sugar readings throughout the day, my doctor should be able to adjust my insulin levels to stabilize everything.. It defiantly helped hearing someone say that it wasn't something I did wrong, or that I can control. I was sooooo stressed over all of this, and I know stress isn't good either, so I'm glad my mind is eased a little.. Plus I'm happy to report that I have managed to keep my levels in the normal ALL day today!

Crafty, thought I'd share :)

For the past two days I've been working on things for the shower. Getting gift baskets started, doing some crafts for prizes and the tables.. Some of the crafts I like so much I thought I'd share with ya'll!!

First I decided to make small prizes for one of the games that will have more than one winner. We had an excess of baby food jars (from a stash I found in my old garage rafters) and I liked the idea of the "baby theme" with them. We bought a few fragrances of bath salts, also cleaned and DE- labeled the jars. for this project I also used the following

Spray paint
ribbon
glitter
spray adhesive
printable labels                                Here is the result

Spray painted the lids, then used spray adhesive and a sprinkle of glitter

 Filled the jars, ties some bows, and customized and printed the lables

 They ended up turning out great!!

Here is something great that I discovered about the labels!! You customize them online, and then just print them, By going to www.avery.com/print (which was provided with the purchase) You can get all kinds of templates for any size label, and customize them however you want to... So I thought, what else can I use this feature for, besides just this one thing.

I needed to print out some little inserts for the invitations, with tips about the hall location. By going to the site I could use any template for labels I wanted, and print a full sheet on card stock instead of pre-cut labels.

This is what I was able to create!!

But I'm just thinking ahead, how useful this site will be for save the dates, registry information, direction inserts in any type of invite.  the sizes and possibilities are endless.



Ok last craft of the day.
For this one I needed the following
Themed sheets of scrapbook paper (got them for 50% off of 59 cents at hobby lobby)
cup cake paper cups
blank stencil sheets
free online print out of design.

I printed out the outline for 2 different flower shapes that I liked from Google Images,
Then I cut them out and traced them onto the blank stencil sheets.
I then cut the flower out of the blank and ended up with my stencils.

I labeled my stencils 1 and 2 and also marked which side needed to be up, it was a tight fit on the paper, and it all needed to be uniform.

On the back of the scrapbook paper I traced out one of each flower, and then did A LOT of cutting.

those are 2 of the many "baby" themed designs that I cut

The next steps just required me to glue (I used Elmers glue stick) the cupcake cups into the middle of each flower. 

These I will use to scatter on tables at the shower and fill with pretzels or chex mix for the guest... I for one think they are super cute.

Our windy Baby Moon!!

       Since my last post things have been happening rather rapidly. Aiden is a kicking monster now-a-days. Mike finally got to feel him kick.

Mike and I went on what some call a "baby moon" which is basically a little getaway just the two of us, to get some quality time in before all the focus is on baby. We went to the Western part of Michigan. Silver lake, Ludington area. It was a very nice trip, except we ended up being there on a weekend that wanted to torture us with cold and rain.
The First day we spent shopping and antiquing in a small town called Pentwater. We bought the baby a few things. Some stuffed animals for his room (when he ever gets one) and a book by a local author about teasing. Also visited a candy shop, and shared some shave ices together (in the car) in the rain.

             They were delicious! 

Later that afternoon we ventured up to the Little Sable Point Lighthouse in Mears MI. It was freezing and the wind was kicking, but it beat sitting in the car or in the (at this point) soaking wet tent.

Note the date on the pics is WRONG

should read 6-1-2012, but I didn't notice until to late

Later that evening around 7pm the sun came out for the first time in nearly 16 hours. and ( thank heavens) the rain stopped. We dried and cleaned everything up around the campsite (did I mention we had a tent?) and around 9 pm headed to Lake MI to watch the sunset. It was mike's first time to this lake, and the sunset was beautiful.

Lake MI sunset from Sliver Lake State Park

We spent a pretty cold night huddled together on an air mattress in our tent, and were up bright and early to get the day started. Luckily day two came with very minimal amounts of rain. 

First thing on our agenda (since it was weather permitting) was to get on a dune ride. Which Might I ass was the first time either of us have been on it, and despite the cold and the wind it was VERY fun.

We even decided that we would for sure come back when Aiden was older, and make it a point to tell him he'd already been on this ride when he was in mommies belly. 

Mac Woods Dune Rides

The rest of our amazing day was spent in the town of Ludington. This weekend happened to be the 1st annual western Michigan Lighthouse Festival. So we hit a local arts and crafts fair, and then Headed to Ludington State Park (this is where the recreation pass on our license plate worked wonders, I highly recommend getting one)

The sand dunes here were particularly neat, the road basically cut through them. and for a few miles stretch you could pull over anywhere and walk a few yards right to the lake. We definitely didn't waste this opportunity. I even go my toes in the sand.

We also took a bus ride up to see the Bis Sable Point Lighthouse (normally only open to hikers). this was also really cool. 

Western MI lighthouse festival.

Ludington State Park

The next morning we began our 4 and 1/2 hr trip home. Me sore from the air mattress, and both of us tired from the cold and wet. but we are definitely happy that we went!! It was a beautiful trip..

Baby kicks and hammers

My mom and I decided to plant the garden over the weekend. While doing so there was some hammering required to get some metal fencing to stand up for the cucumbers to grow along.

My job was to hold the tall metal stake as my mom hammered away at it, until it was far enough in the ground.

LET ME TELL YOU, Aiden does not like that noise!! It was actually the funniest thing. Mom would start hammering and Aiden would start kicking away right in the center of my stomach, mom would stop hammering, Aiden would stop kicking, and so on. It took maybe three instances in a row for me to realize that he was responding to the hammering sound. and OH MAN was he responding! This went on for a good minute or two until we got the second stake in..

It just so happens that later that night, I had showered and decided to sit out on the patio to enjoy the warm weather, that I felt him kick my hand for the first time.. I've been able to feel some pretty good kicks for a few weeks now, but never on the outside.. All that commotion must of woke him up a little bit. It was the coolest thing ever.

Mike still hasn't gotten to feel it. I think Aiden is shy. I'll feel him start to kick, and I'll tell Mike, but then he stops right away...

Oh well, at least I got to..


Had to share this story...

In other baby news, things are great. All my appointments have been great, I've gained an average of about a lb a month so I'm up to almost 5 lbs now, and going on 6 months. Which THANK GOD it's been do gradual, I did not want to be one of those women who gained 40lbs or something..  I'm measuring perfect, and next week I go in for my sugar test. I've been feeling so good though, I can't imagine my sugar being off..

Lets see.... Does anyone have an opinion on Birthing classes?? Did you take them? If so was it worth it? If not, did you wish you had? I have the option of signing up for them in a few weeks, but I'm on the fence about it. They cost 40$ and we would have to go to four 2hr classes or one 7hr class. I just can't see how watching a video and learning about the birthing process is going to better prepare me. I'm sure that's not what I'll be thinking of when the time actually comes anyways... Give me some input please :)


Also a little update about my knee injury from my previous post this month.. Knee is doing better, but still not healed. Dr. says it's extremely damaged, but we are holding off on MRI's and specialist because I am pregnant. the knee is still swollen and It's been nearly an entire month. I am not longer limping as badly, and require no brace, but it is still sore and stiff at the end of everyday, and boy is it still swollen.. I go for another follow up in two days.. We will see what they say

It's been awhile...

Well  I haven't posted anything in a couple weeks, So I figure I'd better write some things down here, before I start to forget things that have happened..

ALL ABOUT BABY:
                 Things on the baby front have been great, I've been feeling healthy, I've been on a normal sleep schedule FINALLY! I've been starting to feel him kick up a storm, but I've still yet to feel him on the outside, so mike hasn't felt it yet. My Due date moved up from the 14th to the 10th, (which happens to also be Mikes birthday) So as we stand now I am at the end of week 21 of my pregnancy.

I've only gained 4 lbs so far, and have been told that me and baby are right on track, and where we should be. My next appointment is on May 17th.

SHOPAHOLIC:
                I have been on a baby buying rampage!! My mom and I have hit up quite a few garage sales, and two mom 2 mom sales, and I've got to say I've scored quite a bit of stuff... I've actually kept an inventory, so I know what I have and how much I've spent.. So I'll share,

 Bouncer seat 8$
Pack and play 20$
giraffe chair 10$
walker 3$
swing 10$
bath helper .25cents
grooming kit 5$
sling 2$
head support 2$
bed gate 1$
kick and crawl 2$
3 crib sheets 2.75$
2 receiving blankets 2$
BULK Clothes, towels, sleep sacks 20-30$

All in all It's under 100$ and I really did get a lot of stuff.
At this rate, I've kind of got to cool it, the shower is not till August, and I'm not going to have anything left to get if I keep on buying... I did get a little Pea Pod costume for Halloween though, and I am in LOVE with it..

PARTY PLANNING MOMMA:
             My sister and I have also been thinking hard about the planning of my shower. The hall is booked, and I have the invitations already.. They are sooooo cute and I ordered them pre printed with all the info, so I don't have to fill anything out. Complete with my own little rhyme and everything! I want to post a pic, but I don't want to ruin it for when people get them in the mail.

We've got a lot of ideas in our heads for games, and decorations.. Soon here we will be finalizing our plans and start putting them into action. We did make a bunch of Tea light holders out of baby food jars for the tables that look adorable. And we also decided on a Candy theme for the dessert table, so I've been picking up different shapes and sizes of glass canisters that will house anything from Blue skittles, to Blue rock candy on a stick, and guest will be able to make a little take home bag of candy. (It's going to be cute)..

This is the concept, but blue

I've also got a binder full of anything shower related! as crafty as Kayla and I are, I know that everything is going to be just adorable!!


PUPPY PROBLEMS :(
    Not really puppy problems as much as it is my problem.. Mine and my moms dogs gave me quite an injury last week!! Cali (my dog) is a 114lb Rot/lab mix, and Ali (mom's dog) is a 98lb Rot/Shar pei mix. When they "Play" they really play. I was walking across the side yard and the two dogs were running full speed down the hill towards me. I knew they were going to take me out, what I didn't know was how HARD they would hit me, so I braced myself for the blow. What it did was pop my knee inwards and drag my feet across the ground, knocking me to the ground. They trampled me, and even hit me so hard that my shoe came off. I felt something pop or tear, not sure which, and it took a good 10mins before I could even think to attempt to get off the ground. Long story short, A visit to the ER, no broken bones, in a full length leg brace for a week, doctors appt Thursday to determine if I need to see a knee specialist. I cannot bend my leg, I cannot put my own shoes on, I can't lift my foot into my pants, I can't walk properly. I have to use my other foot, or hands to lift or bend my leg. I can't drive. It's been a week and my entire knee is still so swollen I can barley make out my knee cap..

It's frustrating, and I can't say that I've been following all the rules, (the brace is so damn painful) so I haven't been wearing it that often. And I limp around without it. Bad I know.

My main worry is that I do need a specialist and it's something that needs surgery or takes an extremely long time to heal (as some knee injuries do) What am I going to do if I can't bend my leg? I sort of need to bend to legs to push out a baby!! Few more days and I should have some news on the subject... Trying not to worry..



Well, I supposed that's all the memorable things that have happened in the last couple weeks... I'll post again soon :)

Little man has a name!

Well Mike and I have named our son... Aiden Eli Shaw will be joining us sometime this September!

I couldn't be happier about the name, and we both love it. I wanted an Irish name, and Aiden just popped out at me. As far as the Eli it's after my grandfather, whose middle name was actually Elias, but I shortened it.

Mike has heard so many stories about my grandpa Finn, and I couldn't think of a better way to show how much he meant to me. Aiden will get to learn all about his great grandfather, and thanks to my wonderful parents who saved everything, my son will get to swing in the swing that my grandpa made, and use the rocking horse he made for me as a little girl, as well as play with all the wonderful wooden train sets and toys that my grandpa made for me by hand..

There isn't enough things I can say to explain how talented my grandpa was, those of you that knew him, or have seen his work, you know exactly what I mean... It was very important for me to keep some part of my family in Aidens name. And I'm already ordering my dad around telling him he better do things for Aiden like my grandpa did for me..

And Yes this means having an Elf rock at the end of the driveway.. (This probably requires some explaining)
There was a rock at the end of my grandparents drive way. It was there for all of us grand-kids, the corner of the rock could be picked up and lifted off, and it had a little cave in it. My grandpa told us this story about how there were little elves that lived in the ditch, and when kids came over to visit, if we were good, the elves knew it and would put money in the rock for us. So EVERY TIME we came to visit, my sister and I would race to the end of the driveway, and sure enough there was change left for us by "the elves" aka grandpa.. It is one of my favorite memories..

 Aiden is going to have a wonderful childhood.. and I cannot wait for him to get here.

It's a weird kinda happy....

Well folks It's a boy!! It's so strange, I felt in ever bone in my body like it was going to be a girl.. .It's almost as if I already knew it was, but alas I was wrong.. . I'm not really upset, and I'm soooooo Happy that he's healthy and strong, but I almost feel however like I miss my little girl, even though I never really had one.

 This is probably because I've been wanting to be a mom since I was a little girl, and I have Never once pictured myself without a daughter... I guess I just didn't think I'd ever have a son. And I did the horrible thing to myself by getting my hopes so high up...

I thought though that I would be more upset than I am, but really I'm already starting to come to grips with the fact that it's a little man in there... I keep looking at his ultrasound pictures, and I love him already. Hes a cutie (even if he only is 11 oz and the size of a grapefruit)

I do know one thing, this boy is blessed, because I am going to be the best mother that I possibly can be. and he is going to be surrounded with nothing but love...

Still haven't been able to pin down a name.. I've been trying to think about it since I left the Dr's today. I had to stop thinking because I was getting frustrated by it.. When I thought it was a girl, the name came so easy to me.

I know I'll think of something just perfect... but until then, I love my little no-name.

How far along am I really??

Why is it so confusing to know how far along I am in my pregnancy? (sounds dumb) but I keep confusing myself..

Here's how.. I know that I am 18 weeks and 6 days exactly today.. I have this book called the pregnancy journal, according to my book you are 6 months pregnant at 21 weeks, so I would basically be 2 weeks away from 6 months. EXCEPT that this doesn't make since according to the actual calendar..

So then I begin looking and I notice my book is going by something called Lunar months. (HUH??) Technically your due date is 9 months and 7 days or 40 weeks away from the last normal menstrual period.  And it's split into 3 trimesters. Apparently (and this is the internet talking) it can also be split evenly in 10 lunar months, because it is 280 days long...

Why on earth make it so confusing to explain to people?? I have to laugh because I always wondered why when you asked a pregnant woman how far along she was the answer always came in weeks.. Well now I know!! Because they don't have a freaking clue what month they are in.. hahaha All I know is that in 2 weeks I'm going to be 21weeks along, which is either 5 months and a handful of days, or 6 months if we are talking Lunar.. You figure it out.

Just thought I'd share, since I posted onto my Facebook that I was almost 6 months and then it didn't make sense in my head how that could be true.. haha well in any case in 20 weeks and 1 day or less, theres going to be a new baby in this world :)

P.S. I GET TO FIND OUT WHAT BABY IS IN THE MORNING, AND I'LL BE BLOGGING ABOUT IT!!

Feeling like Steve Urkel and I don't give a damn!

If I knew wearing my pants hiked up like an old man was this comfy I would have started doing it ages ago!!

Just thinking about how ridiculous I probably look makes me smile...

The last couple of days I've noticed a significant difference in my stomach, and my clothes are becoming more and more uncomfortable to wear (even though the majority of them still fit).

I've been hanging out around the house in my most comfy YOGA pants, or a pair of sweats... While sitting in front of the computer the waist band was driving me nuts, so I yanked it up over my belly button, damn near to right under my bra line... OMG it feels soooo comfortable to wear my pants like this.. Needless to say I've pretty much been walking around with my pants hiked up ever since... (As long as I wear a longer shirt no one can tell)

Here's the kicker, I'm am thanking my lucky stars that I am short, (5'3) because all of pants pants are always way to long for me anyways (I swear they think every woman is 5'7 or something) with them hiked up suddenly all of my pants are normal length.. (Bonus)

I don't think I could handle walking around in flood pants..

Just thought I'd share since I've been laughing at myself for it today..

Other than that lets see.... I am now in week 17, The only thing I can really complain about is some major headaches.. The most current has been pounding in my head for the last three days straight.. Tylenol helps for like 20 mins and then it comes right back again.
 I've been getting restless twitchy legs when I'm trying to sleep, but a little adjusting of my position and kicking my legs around and it is manageable.
I've got 9 more days until my ultrasound reveling the sex, and man I cannot wait! originally I was supposed to find out tomorrow (which would have been great) but I had to reschedule. I want to start getting things ready, and shopping.. And for those of you that know me well, with all my "itineraries", and planning binders and OCD tendencies, it's a wonder I haven't gone crazy yet trying to plan every little detail out... LOL Like I said 9 more days!!
Although If I'm going to be honest my shower isn't until August, but I already have a planning binder, with a complete guest list, some sample games, a food list, a "mock" table setting sketch. I've got all my invites personalized and saved into my online shopping cart just waiting to be ordered, as well as all of my games for the shower ready to order at the click of a button. I've also got boxes of jars and other things that are going to be turning into DIY candle holders and things for the tables (just waiting on the sex for the color of deco). and a complete list of prize baskets and what the contents will be.. LMAO Like I said for those of you that know me, that hasn't even scratched the surface on my regular "over preparedness"



P.S. I learned a great piece of information today that I don't want to forget.. A woman should re-measure her breast size and buy a new size bra every 6 months, because breast sizes change so often. The true way to measure is to get a tape measure. Measure your bra line. (so where the band around the bottom goes) then measure the largest part of your breast. For example My bra line was 40 and the largest part of my breast is 45. Now take your bra line number (40) and subtract it from your other number (45). the number your left with is your cup size. 1=A 2=B 3=C 4=D 5=DD and so on...  Pregnancy is sure doing wonders, because I sure as heck was not a DD before...

Cocoa butter and Baby Einstein!!

      For as long as I can remember I thought it had been a well known fact that women put cocoa butter on their stomachs during pregnancy to help reduce the appearance of stretch marks.. I'm not crazy right? this is a real thing... Because now that I'm starting to show I don't want to get anymore stretchmarks on my belly so I would start using it... EXCEPT my doctor told me to avoid cocoa butter because it contains crazy amounts of caffeine and when soaked into the blood stream will be bad!! Has anyone else heard of this???
      According to the forum section on google, one woman reported being admitted into the hospital because her baby had a very erratic and sped up heartbeat, turns out the cause was slathering cocoa butter on her belly... But other people disputed and claimed this to be UN-true... My question is, if women have been doing this for Eons why now are we supposed to avoid it?? and if I can't use cocoa butter, what can I use to improve my skin elasticity? Who knew being pregnant came with so many rules...


     Next on my "What the hell" list is Baby Einstein DVD's..  My sister and I were shopping around in our local salvation army; when I ran across a collection of Baby Einstein DVD's. now my thinking was that these would be great mind stimulating things for baby to watch from his/ or her swing while mommy is busy, instead of the mind numbing junk that's on TV today... So we check some discs for scratches, and I left the store with 3 of the for 2.99, (which I thought was a great deal.) I got Baby Newton - discovering shapes, Baby Mozart- music festival, and World Animals..
        When I returned home I showed them to my mom who said "those are bad for babies" Apparently a teacher at my moms school said that something in the way the movies are played prohibits babies from learning.. She couldn't really remember what she said exactly. 

Now I defiantly don't want to do anything that is not the best for my baby, so again I did some research.. I came across an article called AFTER CONTROVERSY DISNEY ISSUES BABY EINSTEIN RECALL. intriguing right? Well the jest of the article is basically different organizations were pressuring Disney to stop marketing these products as educational as they aim to set children in front of the television set. certain people were even going as far as saying that these DVD stop children's ability to use their imagination and play. (It is kind of obvious that a child isn't necessarily "playing" if they are stuck in front of a TV) I couldn't find any evidence that these specific DVD's were harmful. If you'd like to check the article out it's http://www.businesspundit.com/after-controversy-dinsey-issues-baby-einstein-recall/ I personally would never set my child in front of a TV for hours anyways. So if they are going to watch a 1/2 hour program I would definitely rather have it be a Baby Einstein DVD than some of these horrible kids shows that are on now-a-days.

What happened to the good old days, when the only time kids watched hours of television was for Saturday morning cartoons (which are now non-existent) When if we wanted to play cops and robbers, we ran around the yard like maniacs with kids from the neighborhood instead of putting a video game in. When not playing outside on a nice day was "Punishment"... We could eat veggies straight from the garden without the fear of some chemical. Licking the spoon and bowl after making a cake was a must (that me and my sister fought over!) So many things are "hazardous" these days. I just want to raise my child to know the fun that I had... Build a fort out of sheets, pretend that the floor is made of lava, imagine that your bed is a boat and save your stuffed animals from the sharks in the water. make believe there's a "twister" on a windy day.. run around the yard barefoot after a summer rain.  Lets not fall asleep to a movie in their bedroom at night, but to a bedtime story read by me. This is the type of mother that I want to be.


P.S. I'm in week 16.... my nausea has been returning a little, and my belly is getting bigger...I've been burping alot, and getting what I think might be heartburn..  I read somewhere that my baby is the size of a light bulb.. My appointment to find out the sex has been rescheduled AGAIN.. now I'll be waiting until the 19th. I bought the baby a hat, and a shirt this week...

Fun in week 14......

Week fourteen has been pretty uneventful.. I think at this point I'm going to switch from weekly posts to every other week or so until I've got some major changes going on...

        I've been feeling pretty good, and I've been getting out of the house to do things a little more often (which has been nice)
Mike and I have went for dinner a couple of times, My mom and I went to see and movie, We all went garage saleing as a family, and I got to go out with some friends over the weekend..

       It's been really nice that some of our friends from Warren have been able to come up here and visit.. (and I love them for it) Also I ran into some good friends from around here as well, and it was great to get to see them!

       My stomach (as appears to me) is looking a little fuller, but I'm still in all of the same clothes.. (some of them are starting to get a little uncomfortable)  I've been getting this bloating (I guess you would call it) when I eat. To the point where my upper stomach gets hard as a rock, and sticks out really far, then my clothes feel tight, and its hard to breath a little.. This has been stopping me from finishing meals, and is something I will be asking my doctor about.. It was even so bad the other night while out with my mom, we had to go to the store and buy workout pants to put on instead of my jeans so I could sit through the movie.. It will last sometimes the rest of the day or night, and sometimes only a few hours and them my stomach will return to normal...
   
        Other than that there have really been no new developments... Dr's appt is being rescheduled to find out the sex of the baby... guess my doc is no longer going to be in the office that day, NICE!

Well I'm bored... Let's get crafty!!

            I've been going stir crazy lately... I really wish I had a car to go get a job... Just something part time, to keep my mind occupied... (Soon enough hopefully) Until then I've thought of a few projects I could do to keep me a little busier during the day.

            I, like many other people am addicted to pinterest.com (follow my pins) There are so many great ideas on there that I would love to make happen, the problem has always been, where am I going to find the materials?? (I hit sort of a mini jackpot here)  My area of MI is full of OLD falling down barns, rarely however do you get the opportunity to get into them and dig around.. but I found one!!

What started out to be just following the signs for a moving sale, turned into (and I wish I hadn't dressed so nice) digging through an old barn and some out buildings.. As soon as I saw the old broken things in the barn my head thought PINTEREST!! I know what I can make out of all this old stuff..

           There was A LOT of things that I wanted to take, but we were offered the opportunity to go back after the people moved out and take more (double score) so I just took a few things: - An old barn ladder, an old metal rake and bucket, some small metal parts and pieces from an old tractor (which are really heavy)...

Here's my loot !!

(PIC TO COME, it's cold today.)


Let's see what I cam make.. I have a few things in mind that I want to try, hopefully they will turn out, and I will post the results, when I'm finished!!

           Also with the turn in the weather we've had today from 80 degrees last week, to 47 degrees! (gotta love Michigan weather..) I've found a little indoor project as well... Which will allow me to get out the sketch pad again!! (I haven't drawn in forever)

 

30 days worth of "Something to do's"  

I think I'll get started on that today :) and again I will post the results!

Healthy happy life :)

 While watching Television today I came across someone discussing how they ate 35% of their diet off of foraging, (sparked my attention) after watching I realized how healthy it was, and not only that, but how I can remember doing this with my family, and that I still would enjoy doing it today.. Also, It got me thinking about gardening, and how my sister and I were constantly bare foot in the dirt with my mom or my grandma Finn, planting veggies, and picking beans and eating right out of the garden, and we loved it!! So I'm writing this Blog as a reminder; a reminder of how I am thankful that my mother shared these things with me, and of how I want to share them with my son or daughter. :)

 Now my family stuck mostly to gardening, But we always hunted for wild Asparagus, Ate some plant from the grass that my mom always called "sweeties" and always picked fruit off of trees, and gathered nuts and things from the ground to eat. I've compiled my own list, somethings which I've tried, and some that I haven't.

Forage for food (sounds medieval right?) but I used to, and still do, do this with my parents, and I think It is very important to teach my children about the benefits of eating fresh foods, also there is something way more rewarding about eating something that you found, and picked on your own. Or even something you grew and tended from a seed. (gardening will be a must in my family) And these are habits that will stick with them (hopefully for life).. Plus I could use some getting back to healthy habits, and mike couldn't hurt from starting some!! Children learn from example.


Here's a list of easy beginner things we can Forage and prepare. (easy to identify)


Stinging nettle has a flavor similar to Spinach when cooked and is rich in vitamins A, C, iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium..Soaking nettles in water or cooking will remove the stinging chemicals from the plant, which allows them to be handled and eaten without incidence of stinging..

Lamb's quarters, (which I see everywhere) Many people mistake this fast-growing annual plant for a worthless weed, but lamb’s quarters are actually edible and quite nutritious. The seeds are a healthy snack and the leaves and stems taste similar to spinach when cooked.

Clover is easy to find in the wilderness. Its seeds are edible, and its dried flower heads can be used to brew tea. You can eat its leaves raw, just immerse them in salt water first to help with digestion. I would add the raw clover leaves into a fresh garden salad..

Resembling onions in appearance and smell, wild leeks commonly emerge during springtime deep in the forests. Both their leaves and bulbs are edible and can be eaten raw, steamed, fried or baked. I have had these before, and grown them in my flower bed back before I moved to the city.. I always called them chives, they are yummy and you can just take a pair of scissors and cut off the amount that you want to use... YUMMO

Wild asparagus, (which my family goes gathering for every year already) is wonderful!! We drive along the back roads out here in Capac when its in season, and you can find it growing in ditches, just look for the past years tall stalks, search around the bottom of them, and you'll find the new asparagus sprouting up. ( my parents also have a small patch in their yard where it grows) Great boiled with butter and salt, wonderful grilled with some olive oil and salted as well!!

Wild mushrooms! Which are so tasty, and my family had also foraged for before. I need some more training to identify them however. (we were with someone who knew mushroom species).. I will def study up before feeding any to my family :) My dad knows someone who has some wooded property where they grow, So I'll have to get a "trainer" and hit the woods..

Also there are a lot of key foods that I'd like to keep handy around my house. Until recently I had no idea that any of these foods could "Cure what ales ya" but they can indeed!! and best of all, there is no fear attached, as natural solutions carry NO side affect, like any manufactures medicine would have..

Healthy health food, go to the FARMacy and not the pharmacy!!

Natural dark chocolate, can be more effective than codeine for coughs (sore throat? Here is some chocolate! I like the sound of that)

Honey!! is an antibacterial and can be applied to skin, helps with cuts and burns, instead of triple antibiotic ointment.. (who'd a thunk it?) apparently Bees make natural antibodies that can treat even more forms of bacteria than the stuff in the tube!!

Fruits of color (purple, reds, blues)--- cherries are great for pain relief  20 cherries = 1 aspirin

Mint muddled into some warm water soothes upset stomach, and reduces pain, no more chalky Pepto :)

Non salted, raw cashews - prevents tooth decay! Snack on these every so often, it's a no brain-er way to have a healthy smile..

**One last little reminder to self: I want to remember to frequent farmers markets in the community, It's something I've always dragged mike to anyway, but it's important to support local growers, and you cannot beat the farm fresh ingredients, and homemade jams, jellies, honey, and other great goods..

Is this normal??? YUM FOOD

So I have no idea when it's the "normal" time to get food cravings, but for some reason I cannot get enough salty foods... (and yes I know I need to watch my salt intake) I've been eating sooo many Spanish Olives, I bought a bag of salted peanuts, I've been LOVING me some pickles, salted sunflower seeds, salted popcorn, you name it (and put salt on it ) and I want it!!!


   Also an odd occurrence this week, I ate steak!! (so your saying, "yea and?") Well the yea and is that I hate steak!! Beef in general actually, and I'm being serious, I think maybe in 5 years of being with mike he's seen me try a bite of steak once and give the rest to him.. But for some reason, I seen them in the store and wanted them.. ( I played it off like it would be nice to cook for mike, but really I wanted it) I ended up eating 1 and a 1/2 and enjoying every second of it.. I wonder if this new development is going to stick after pregnancy??
       


Weird thing number three, (and then I'm done I swear) I'm normally a seafood freak, Shrimp, scallops, crab, sushi!! Of coarse I haven't eaten any during pregnancy, but my sister brought home some shrimp last night and cooked them for herself and my mom, let me tell you I was beyond GROSSED OUT.. (weird right) for some reason the smell of them had me thinking, why would I ever of eaten that?? All I have to say is...


Dear Child,
You are messing your mommy's taste buds up.
and I would really like to enjoy shrimp again one day.
give the smell a chance, love you <3

Wonderful week 13

Week 13 of pregnancy has brought with it LOTS of wonderful things.. We have officially been moved and living up at my parents house, and everything has been working out great.. I have stopped having stomach pains (Thank goodness) and I have actually had energy!! To top it off the weather has been wonderful everyday this week.
       
      With 5 people living in one house, Mike and I were worried about never getting time to really talk or relax with each other, but that has worked out great also. Mike leaves for work a little before 3am (and there's no cars on the road) he says the drive isn't bad at all, by the time he gets home, everyone else has left for work, so we get a few hours around the house together, before my dad gets home from work. We have gone for walks out side, and played with the dogs, sat out by the pond, taken drives into town, talked about the future (it's been awesome).. And we have not had ANY arguments, which is a big deal considering how things were before we moved. (partly has to do with the fact that my crazy pregnancy emotions have calmed down), and also I think a lot of stress has been lifted off of our shoulders  that was associated with living where we were before. It's so nice to be happy :) ALSO (and this is a big bonus) Mike hasn't been over sleeping at all, hes been wanting to stay awake and spend time with me, and he's been offering his help.. I'm honestly beginning to think that all his breathing/snoring/sleeping problems were associated with the mold in our house, and for that matter my health and mind feels greatly improved as well after getting out of there.

As far as new developments with my body this week (there have been a few) I have noticed that my stomach is getting a little tighter, even though all my clothes still fit the same. My left leg has randomly decided to start going numb (from the baby hitting a nerve) , my sleep has started to become difficult because my legs are getting all tingly and twitchy, and most random of all My gums have started bleeding when I brush my teeth. All things which the doctor said are normal.. Yes you heard correctly THE DOCTOR!! I finally got in to my new and improved OB's office... The baby is great, I'm doing great, all is really great!! It's heartbeat was a strong 140, and We will get to find out on 4/11 the sex of the baby. (as long as he or she wants to show us)

On the down side of all of our happiness, it seems that there are some people that want to create drama in our lives. What timing right, I start feeling better, and we start getting to just enjoy our newly engaged, pregnant life.. There is no need for me to explain who or what is causing the drama.. Me going into detail here will inevitably just create more of it. I would however just like to state my feelings on the matter in general... As far as my relationship, not one of us controls what the other one does. We are a family, one unit, and any decision we make is something that WE discussed and decided upon together. Us moving from Warren to Capac was what was best for both of us, it was not done with the thought of other people in mind, and was not done to hurt anyone. (which I don't get why ppl can't just be happy, we didn't move to Alaska) Mike and I do not sit around and discuss other peoples relationships, and we don't appreciate other people analyzing ours. With that said, there is not a need for people to voice their opinion of mike to me, or their opinion of me to mike. WE would not be together if what we had wasn't real, and didn't work.. and lastly, I am the one that is pregnant, and as much as I appreciate peoples opinions and offers to do things for me, I'm a girl, I've been dreaming about the day I would be a mom since when  I was a little girl.  I've been planning my baby shower in my head forever.. My idea of a baby shower, is a cute hall, decorated with balloons and other cute things, where all the females get together, eat good food, give me tips, play games ect. I do not want to have 2 showers (one for mine and his fams) I do not want all the men invited, and I do not want my shower to turn into a backyard poker party BBQ. This is not meant to offend anyone.. It's just simply how I want my baby shower.. I want mikes family to meet my family, I want us all in one place, on the same day.. Its my shower, Why am I getting people mad at me for wanting it my way?? I just think that this is such a happy time for me, I'm over the moon about being a mom, and being with mike.. I just don't get why people can't be happy and respect our wishes... I know that certain people have the best intentions at heart, but its starting to cause problems. Making it seem like I'm being a bad guy, and refusing to let ppl plan things for me, is stressing me out. I want to plan my own shower, it shouldn't cause such an uproar..


Even though there's DRAMA, it still doesn't stop the fact that week 13 has been the best yet... I hoping everyone will get over their issues, I'm hoping things will level out. But as mike told me last night, if people don't want to be happy for us, then we don't need to be around those people..

I for one could not be happier... I want to stay stress free, worry free, and drama free

First comes marriage then comes baby in a ...... Wait I think I'm doing this backwards :)

So here's a little story...
about a man named mike,
who went to sleep one night,
and woke up engaged!!

(It didn't really happen quite like that, lol but here is the story, just the same)

 
        Mike and I have talked in the past numerous times about getting married.. We know when, and where, who would be in the wedding, ect ect ect... It didn't really make sense that we weren't engaged a long time ago...
       He knows what kind of ring I want, where we would go to get it..... LMAO so pretty much we've been engaged for ever, we just never said it to each other. More recently I've been hearing, "I've got to save some money for a ring", and him telling me he wants to ask me, but he needs to think of a special way..

I'm all for special and a pretty ring, but THIS GIRL GOT IMPATIENT!!


We will have our 5 year anniversary just before the baby is born, We've lived together for 4 years, we are having a baby together.... seems kinda of obvious what was next..

I was sitting on the couch last night pondering this while mike was sleeping...... and the next thing I know I'm in the bedroom waking him up..


Here's how it went:

"mike?"
waking up a little confused.. "what?"
"well I've been thinking and.... Can we be engaged?"
Now he's a little more alert "Yeah"
"OK I'm putting it on facebook!"
Now hes really awake, "OK but I wanted to do something special!"
"well, just make something up.."
He smiled, and just to test him, I said "I'm serious I putting in for everyone to see."
"go ahead, we're engaged...." and then, he fell back to sleep... LOL

How romantic was that???


And that my friends is pretty much the jest of it...
 We did talk about it again, and by all his smiles I know he was happy about it,
 and I joked to him, he's the only man that's gotten engaged in his sleep....
 He's happy, I'm happy.... We both knew we were going to be together forever...
 The details of the down on one knee BLAH BLAH BLAH don't really matter here....

WE'RE ENGAGED!!!

I'm a Non-smoker!! (did I just say that)

Lets start this out by saying if you have never been a smoker you have NO idea how big of an accomplishment this truly is!!


I picked up my first cigarette when I was 16 years old, I want to say it was to impress a boy. It was an occasional thing for awhile, and then slowly but surly became a routine (and addiction). By the end of that first year I was a pack a day smoker :( I can't even recall how that was possible since legally I could even buy them for another 2 years.). Me and my friends would have someone get them for us, numerous packs at a time, or find someone and just ask them (which worked a lot)... regardless, it started...  For ten years I had smoked those little things, with 2 or 3 failed attempts at quitting in between... Lets just say after ten years I had a pretty strong addiction.. Pretty soon day to day activities became attached with smoking. For example, driving in the car, after eating a meal, while talking on the phone. These three were the hardest...

I found out I was pregnant on January 20th, 2012 that moment I went from smoking 20 cigarettes a day, to just 2 and a 1/2 or 3 cigarettes... I didn't and couldn't quit cold turkey. And I don't think the with-drawls would have been good for the baby (not that the smoking was). So that same night (the 20th) mike bought me my final pack of cigarettes. I took it slow, (as I was still getting numerous cravings) I would light the cigarette, take 1-3 puffs and then put it out. making one last the time that 3 would have normally. What would of lasted 1 day, ended up lasting me 5. On the 25th of January I smoked my last cigarette, and I haven't had a single one since.

I'm so proud to say that I have officially been 42 days without a cigarette..
and even though sometimes something still triggers a craving, I AM A NON SMOKER!! and I couldn't be more proud of myself...


Thank you baby, for giving mommy strength, and making her healthier :)

Meet Michael :)

Meet the daddy, for those of you that don't really know Michael, here is some info on the DADDY TO BE..

Mike and I have been together for 4 years (It'll be 5 in September) .. Even though he drives me nuts sometimes he is a great guy! He is 27 as am I, and is also going to be a first time parent.. Mike was there for me during a REALLY painful time in my life, and at times he was the only thing keeping me sane. On occasion our relationship has been strained to say the least, but we have always found a way to get back to each other. I give him a lot of credit for sticking around during all of my "issues". (those that know me, know what tragedy happened in my life, no need to re open it) He has an amazing heart, and will give our child nothing but love...  He works hard, and is very funny (if you get to know him well enough **hes very shy**)  This experience of having our first child is obviously new to both of us, and like anything new, it is taking some adjusting. No matter what is happening right now however, mike is going to be an amazing father.. (and ;) If he's not, I'm going to kick some butt!!) 

It's funny, the week before I found out I was pregnant I was sketching wedding ideas in my little notebook.. With the new discoveries "wedding bells" will be postponed, I like a good party to much to attend my own wedding reception while pregnant.  : ) Secretly however, I would love to have a ring on my finger before our little one gets here...

Names, names, names..

Okay I just want to add this short little entry... I am dying to have a little girl, and whatever little cutie (boy or girl) that I do end up with I want to put a lot of thought into their name.

So what is easier than asking for opinions on what I've come up with...

Now of coarse I've thought up more girl names than boy... (LOL I can't help it)

Lets get the short list out of the way first :

Mason
Hunter
Brady
LOL and that's it... (so far)

Here comes the girls.. Some of them are a little out there, but I've been testing them in my head and they are growing on me.. I won't tell which is my favorite

Madison
Harper
Kailyn   (side note: I just asked mike how he would spell kailyn, and he told me with a silent T.. lol ok)
Novalee
Brynne
Kayden
Skylar
Scarlet
Avalyn



Basically I want a unique first name, with a meaningful middle name, I figure for boy we can tie in something from mike and I's Grandfathers, and girl my Great Grandmothers name was Cora, and it would be beautiful as a middle name...  I also really like willow as a middle name (it reminds me of my Grandpa Finn)

OPINIONS PLEASE

I should write it all down DUH!!

It dawned on me, while sitting up late tonight, that I should be documenting my thoughts, feelings and emotions during this, my first pregnancy. I have named this blog MADE FROM LOVE, because in all the frustration and stress that is one thing I never want to forget. I am in week 12 and one week away from being out of this rocky first trimester. (fingers crossed, and wish me luck in the next one). The range of emotions I have felt thus far have been a roller coaster to say the least. Most days I feel like I need to vent, I need someone to pour my feelings out to. Since I really don't have that, I suppose this will suffice as an outlet of emotion, and story, that one day I will enjoy to look back on.
Week 6- I had been feeling horrible for about 2 weeks, Not knowing that I was pregnant, I figured it was a bad stomach flu, or some kind of intestinal infection (which I had been hospitalized for before, and should show just how much pain I was feeling) I had made up my mind that it was painful enough to be considered an emergency, and a trip to the ER was in order. I'm not really sure why but something told me "take a pregnancy test" so I sent mike to the store while I got ready for the hospital. I took the test, "positive" took another "positive", both in shock; and me even more scared about the stomach pain, we headed to the ER.  We sat there for quite awhile, me freezing in my hospital gown, grossed out by my IV, and mike sitting in the chair "not really helping the situation" (I think he just didn't know how stressed I was that something was wrong) LOOOONNNGGG story short, after a catheter, blood work, urine sample, two types of ultra sounds, and one hell of a long wait, I was finally told everything was fine. However the "Sometimes its just painful, this is your first pregnancy" answer pissed me off! I knew something wasn't right, there's a difference in pain and PAIN... The one good outcome of the trip was, I got a due date 10/14/12, only 4 days after mikes birthday, and the nice girl giving me the ultrasound, let me see the little circle with a grain of rice looking thing attached to it (my baby) and hear the amazing little heartbeat... Thanks to that girl, she wasn't supposed to show me :)

week 7- Neither Mike or I could wait to tell our families, A: because they wanted to know what I found out was making me sick, B: because we both can't keep a secret, and C: because we were both excited about it. Now I was nervous when I told my mom, not sure why, just was, but her reaction was AWESOME, I think she sang a little song about a bambino, and then asked me to name it Tristan.. Mom's a quack :) Mikes mom was just as excited.. This week I again visited the ER, this time alone after I dropped mike off at work at 4 am. The pain never went away, but I moved trying to get out of our bed and felt a stabbing almost burning, tearing pain in my right lower stomach. Scared the crap out of me!! This time they really didn't do JACK in the hospital... I got a pelvic exam, and was sent home, this is after another nurse telling me that my pain was nothing, "it's your first pregnancy" BLAH BLAH BLAH!! plus the little jerk put my IV in wrong and it was SOOO painful, and was leaking water all over my arm.. needless to say I was pissed... I just wanted answers to why I felt this way. And since I don't have insurance of my own here begins the waiting game to make an appt with a primary doctor..NOTE: I have not had morning sickness yet, but I have been extremely and chronically nauseous and boy does it suck...

Week 8- After a week of calling the hospital and trying to get my paper work in order, I finally got into an OBGYN.  Mike got a ride to work, and I went to my appt. They gave me all kinds of pamphlets and magazines. Took lots of blood, did a PAP, and an ultrasound, this time we couldn't see the baby, only a little tiny flicker like a firefly on the screen (the heart beat), but we heard a good strong heart beat.. 154 (hoping that means it's a girl) The doctor told me that the most likely answer to the pain I've been having was that the extra hormones are causing tiny clusters of cysts to form. There is nothing they can do about this, I just have to let them burst. No test were done though to confirm that this is the source of the pain, so needless to say I'm still worried about it.
This week we started cleaning out the spare room, to paint for a nursery, and we discovered mold growing on the walls and carpet in the closet... YAY :( after some investigation it was discovered that the downspout on the gutter was missing and the rain had been seeping in.. It also ruined all of our spare blankets and comforters that were stored in the closet.. NOTE: my sleeping habit have been horrible I've been staying up until the sun comes up, and am completely exhausted

Week 9 &10- CAPAC DAYS, Because of the mold, my feeling so sick, mike being gone all the time, and feeling lonely, my sister came and got me and the dog, and we headed up to moms house. What was going to be a one week stay turned into a two week stay, but I enjoyed it a lot. My pain still has not gone away, and during my time at moms I was having a lot of difficulty using the bathroom, and that made the pain 10x worse. I have not had much of an appetite, and still though no vomiting, am feeling sick almost 24/7. while I was here mike discovered that our landlord had no real intentions of taking care of the mold situation.. and I am NOT putting a child in a room, where there could be mold in the walls.. Still not feeling up to par, mike came to pick me up, and home we went.. NOTE: Started thinking of baby names, I liked Novalee, dad and mike hated it... we will see :)

Week 11- This week has been on and off. I've still be getting spells of pain daily, and the nausea is still really bad. Mike has started to really drive me crazy. I haven't done much around the house, because of the way I've been feeling, but he is not understanding or helpful at all! I think we have argued close to everyday, and I can't control my emotions, OMG I've been crying like crazy.  He makes remarks to me that piss me off, comparing me to other pregnant woman, and telling me how I should be feeling.. He doesn't understand the pain I'm in. and the fear I'm having of overdoing it through the pain and losing the baby. I think I'm becoming resentful, because I feel like he should be worried and WANT me to take it easy, and help me out. He still hasn't asked me any questions about the baby, or even tried to touch my stomach.. This REALLY bothers me.. I also overdid it one night this week.. I've felt like a hermit over the last few weeks so I went out with my family, and then some friends... By the time I got home I was sooo tired, and my stomach really hurt. Then I felt the worst pain EVER... I got a stab in that same lower right side that literally doubled me over... It was instant tears, mike helped me into bed and I made him rub my back.. It hurt so BAD... It lasted about five mins and then was gone... still very scary... NOTE: It had been decided, we are moving in with my parents for a couple months.. We can't stay in the mold, and never wanted to raise a child in the city anyways.. **Wish us luck finding a new country home.

Week 12- I've still been very frustrated with mike, he's been sleeping A LOT, and not really helping much. Plus everything and everyone seems to have been ticking me off lately... I had my 12 week appointment (or was supposed to) but they cancelled on me as I was putting my shoes on to walk out the door!! apparently the plan of insurance that the state gave me is not accepted by them... So a million phone calls later and now I'm waiting for a new doctors green light to take me on as a patient... so I'm pretty pissed about that. esp because I've still been very sick, and have been having lots of sporadic stabs in that lower side. plus have had non-stop headaches... We (with the help of my sister) started packing this week. We got a lot done (meaning me and Kayla) there's still a lot left to do.. and mike was only awake out of bed for 4 hours out of the last 24.. I could KILL him!! wheres the help?? as for now, week 12 is still underway, I've got a pounding headache, so I'm signing off. more to come.....