Plum Plump

Well it sure has been a long time since I've updated this ol' blog of mine. I've been feeling so yucky that I haven't really felt like sitting down at the computer and writing after spending full days at work sitting in front of the computer writing.  But, at 12 weeks and 4 days pregnant, I'm happy to say I'm seeing lulls in the 24/7 morning sickness (HALLELUJAH!!!). So here is the long-awaited update:

I have been completely miserable with regards to the morning sickness I've had. It's just been so unpredictable. One day I could feel pretty good (just the usual tiredness and a little nausea when I haven't eaten in a while), but then the next I could be throwing up every hour on the hour. It's been quite hard to deal with.  I know that there are different medicines that you can take that make you  feel better, but I'm a hippie at heart and don't like putting any unnatural substances in my body if I don't have to.... I'd rather deal with the sickness than know that potentially I could be hurting this little baby that's inside of me. So, I suffer willingly :)

Week 10 was by far the worst week... thankfully it was the week that I had off work, so I could stay home and be sick in my own toilet rather than the public ones at the University. It was also the week that we went for our first official prenatal doctor's appointment. To be honest I was a little nervous, as I'd never been to this particular hospital before, and I'd never met that particular doctor before etc. etc. And to make things worse we had a really hard time finding parking so I was getting a little stressed out... not good for the baby I know. But once we finally did find a parking space, and found the clinic, I was able to calm down since everyone there was really nice and welcoming though, which made things better.

The nurse that saw us was so sweet. She was great. But when it came time for her to use the doppler to try to find the baby's heartbeat she couldn't.... which I knew was ok especially this early on, but I was a little disappointed just the same. The nurse told me that my abs were to strong for her to get through, so that made me feel good.  Then we had to wait and wait and wait for the doctor, since the doctor that we had was delivering a baby via emergency c-section. So after about an hour or so of waiting, a really young doctor met with us. She asked a bunch of questions and then gave me my pap. Well OUCH!!! I know this is probably too much information for a blog, but never before did I have a pap hurt like that in my life! When she was inserting the speculum she stabbed me in my vaginal wall and it started to bleed... then she continued with the procedure and asked, "Do you normally bleed when you have a pap?". I wanted to yell "NO!!! Normally I have a doctor who actually knows what they're doing!!!", but this doctor seemed nervous and young and I was trying to be nice. Anyway, finally the REAL doctor came in and she was amazing. Very nice and reassuring. But, because of the bleeding -- which the young doctor told the older one started before she even reached my cervix (which was true because of the stabbing), and because of the fact that I only had 2 regular 28 day cycles before I got pregnant (the 4 before that were irregular... 26 days one time 31 the next etc.), and because the nurse couldn't find my heartbeat, she wanted me to go to getting a "Dating Ultrasound" done. Too say the least I was disappointed again. Again, the hippie in me didn't want to be shooting any extra sound-waves at my little tiny developing baby if I didn't have to.

Then after that was all said and done, I had to go down to get blood work done, which is never fun. So, to say the least I went home crying and crying. What a horrible day. Approximately 2 hours later I  got a call from the Ultrasound department, scheduling me in for the next day. So, after a night filled with horrible sleep and tears, I got up the next day trying to be excited about it all... which was REALLY hard because I had horrible morning sickness and I had to drink a lot of water which only ever makes me feel worse. In fact, on the way out of the house to leave for the hospital I had to turn around and run inside to be sick one more time before I left. 

So, we find our way to the ultrasound place... and they called my name and gave me one of those ugly blue gowns that you know a gazillion people have worn before (YUCK) and then tell you to go sit in the main waiting room  until they're ready for you. Well, it's not fun to have people walk up and down the hall and see you in that blue gown thinking you're sick or that something's wrong with you. So again, a rough start to a day I was trying to be optimistic at.

Well, finally they called Mitch and I back to the ultrasound room. "Here we go... " I thought to myself. We get to the room, and actually it was quite nice... all the lights were out except for the lights on the machine, which actually made it cozy. Mitch sat right beside me holding my hand, making me feel like no matter what everything was going to be ok. The Ultrasound Technician was SO sweet and friendly which made things much easier. So, up comes the gown to expose my flat belly, and I prepared myself for the cold gel.... which ended up just coming out of the warmer so it wasn't cold at all :) As soon as she put the transducer on me there appeared the little baby. The heart was beating at 176 bpm just as healthy as could be :). The technician moved it all around and took lots of pictures. Then did an internal ultrasound since the baby was still just the size of a prune. We could see the baby even more clearly, and  we even saw it moving it's little leg. Mitch was SO excited, shocked and emotional about this. Anyway, after about a half hour  of looking at our baby we finally were ready to leave the hospital. I left in a much better mood than I came in, even despite still feeling sick.

Anyway, those are the most significant things to note in this update. Until next time :)

How far along?: 12 Weeks 4 days

 
Total weight gain/loss: A little gained... back to my regular 155lbs.

 
How big is baby: The baby is now the size of a plum.

Maternity clothes?:Still no need but it's definitely getting closer... I can't wear my pants without doing the old elastic trick. I'm definitely feeling more "plum"p :)

 
Stretch Marks: Not yet. And from what I've read, they're a genetic thing in the way that if your mom had lots of stretch marks then you'll have lots.... well mom barely had any so I think I'm going to be ok.

Sleep: This is still my favourite word ever. I love sleep. It is my life saver these days.

Best moment this week: Having more and more breaks from morning sickness YAY!!! And, probably waking up this morning to Mitch rubbing my belly and saying, "I love your little bump... look it even hangs when you're laying on your side!"

 
Movement: Nope none yet.

Food cravings: Junk food... I am happy to say  I haven't caved in yet, but I've been craving pizza, a big mac and french fries from Mc. D's... and OOOOoooo Chinese food... those noodles and veggies, fried rice, egg rolls and plum sauce, and of course chicken balls with sweet and sour sauce. MmMMmMm.

Food aversions: Not really at this point... I still do better with cold foods than I do with hot foods, but that's slowly changing :)

Gender: I have no idea yet. I want a girl, Mitch wants a boy, but we'll both be happy with whatever we end up with as long as he/she is healthy. (Ditto from last week)

Labor signs: No, thank the Lord.

 

Belly Button in or out? Innie

What I miss: Feeling capable... for the last little while I've felt incapable of doing even the most menial household tasks.

What I am looking forward to: Seeing the new stroller and car seat that got delivered this morning (it's at home, and I'm at work).... and then the 2nd, and hopefully final, ultrasound appointment on October 19th.... that's when we get to find out if it's a boy or a girl, and we can finally stop calling this baby "The grape" or "The plum" etc.

 
Weekly wisdom: Continue to eat, eat, eat :)

Milestones: The bump is showing a little

Baby Blueberry Update

Well, it's been a few weeks since I've had a chance to update this blog with baby fun. So, today, during my lunch break at work I'll do it.  For the last 2 weeks the "morning sickness" or the 24/7 sickness as I like to call it, has really set in. I have been lucky in the sense that I haven't thrown up very much, but unlucky in that I feel like I could every minute of every day.

 

Poor Mitch says that I'm like a ghost that haunts the house that he lives in with Jack and Holly. He has been amazing. I am so lucky to have a husband like him. He has done the laundry, made meals, done the dishes, cleaned the floors,  gotten groceries. Wow. I sure am lucky. 

 

We both are getting more and more excited for this little sprout that growing inside of me. We have been tossing names around, and looking at clothes and nursery ideas. All of the expensive but fun parts of being soon-to-be parents. 

 

So until next week, here's the update: 

 

How far along?: 7 Weeks

 
Total weight gain/loss: A little lost... down from 155 to 152 lbs, although I don't know how since I'm exercising less and eating more. Maybe it's muscle loss.

 
How big is baby: The baby is now the size of a blueberry.

Maternity clothes?:Still no need.... but still majorly bloated. Yuck.

 
Stretch Marks: Not yet. I'm still putting lots of cream on my belly, hoping to keep them away.

Sleep: This is my favourite word ever. I love sleep. It is my life saver these days.

Best moment this week: Having a break from morning sickness so far today. On a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being not sick at all and 10 being puking like crazy) I'm about a 5 today... the lowest I've been in 2 weeks!

 
Movement: Nope none yet.

Food cravings: Um I was craving apple juice the other day... but I think that's because I was thirsty and a commercial for apple juice was on TV. And actually, Mitch went out and got me some and I love it! It settles my queezy belly :)

Food aversions: Well I think I had my first one on Monday. I lived on homemade chicken noodle soup last week, and then Monday I opened up my thermos to have my lunch, and I couldn't because one smell of it and I was ready to hurl. EWWW.  Oh yeah, and bananas.... I was working at a youth supper on Friday, and I had to hand out apples and bananas... well it was a 40 degree Celsius day and the bananas had been left out all day, and they stunk SO bad. Now, one look at a banana and I'm running to the bathroom. Gross.

Gender: I have no idea yet. I want a girl, Mitch wants a boy, but we'll both be happy with whatever we end up with as long as he/she is healthy. (Ditto from last week)

Labor signs: No, thank the Lord.

 

Belly Button in or out? Innie

What I miss: Feeling energetic and feeling like I'm not going to be sick every minute of every day.

What I am looking forward to: Again, the first OB/GYN appointment... August 17... only 3 more weeks away. And of course for the morning sickness to go away.

 
Weekly wisdom: Eat before going to bed.... eat when you get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and eat before you get out of bed in the morning.

Milestones: Our little sprout is making mommy sick.... I now have a whole new respect for the thousands of moms who have gone through morning sickness before.

The Lord Gives and The Lord Takes Away

Well, we didn't end up getting the farm house that I previously blogged about. We went and had the inspection and all things considered it went pretty well. However, there were some major issues. When I heard words like : black mold, asbestos, illegal plumbing, knob and tube wiring, and many more, I just couldn't do it. So, we're back to square one.... which we are ok with because.....

We're pregnant!!! We found out and couldn't be happier. We started trying in mid June, thinking it would take at least a few months to get pregnant, but, first time is the charm! I was lucky to find out early, at the four week mark when our baby or, "Sprout" as we affectionately call it, was just the size of a grain of rice.

We couldn't be happier. I am now 5 weeks along, my due date is March 15th, 2 days after my Mom's birthday, and 2 days before Mitch's birthday. I figure it'll come much later than that anyway, since most people say your first is always late. I found the following template on a friend's blog... check her out: The Rookie Wife. So, I stole it and will use it to track the fun of the next few months too.

How far along?: 5 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: So far, nothing... I'm a steady 155lbs.
How big is baby: The size of an appleseed now.  (S)He doubles in size every week! 
Maternity clothes?: I don't need them yet... but I'm excited to go shopping for some :) I have had a lot of pregnancy bloat though, that has made my pants a little tighter than usual. 
Stretch Marks: Not yet, and I'm trying my best not to get them.... lots of creaming up my belly.

Sleep: This is all I want to do ALL the time!!!!!! I'm exhausted. I've been taking naps every day after work. As for night time... I'm still doing ok... I do have to get up to pee more than usual though which is annoying since it takes me a little while to fall back to sleep after I do get up.

Best moment this week: Sharing the exciting news with family and close friends! It's so neat to watch their reactions.
Movement: Nope, just lots of gas haha.
Food cravings: None really. I've been trying my best to eat as healthy as possible so I'm glad I haven't had any cravings yet.
Food aversions: I have aversions to some things, mainly because of the  smells.... I was making homemade pizza the other night, and the smell of the spaghetti sauce nearly made me throw up. And at work yesterday the smell of the hallway outside of the staff room did quite a number on me too. Oh, and yummy Timothy's coffee... a guy at work made some the other day and I had to get up and close my door and open my window because I got so nauseous.

Gender: I have no idea yet. I want a girl, Mitch wants a boy, but we'll both be happy with whatever we end up with as long as he/she is healthy.

Labor signs: No, thankfully it's too soon for that!
Belly Button in or out? Innie
What I miss: I do miss a cold beer on a hot summer's day *sigh*

What I am looking forward to: Everything! Going to my first appointment at the OB/GYN, hearing the heartbeat for the first time, first ultrasound, finding out if it's a boy or girl, shopping for baby and me.... and of course bringing baby home for the first time.
Weekly wisdom: I've learned to rest when you feel tired... you are much easier to live with if you do.

Milestones: Our little sprout is making mommy sore... light period-like cramping, bloating, headaches, stabbing pain of ligaments stretching. But I know these are all good signs :)

So, Mitch and I are thrilled. But, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away.... I got a call last night from Dad saying that my great uncle, Red, passed away early yesterday evening from a heart attack. I know that he had a great life, and that he's been "living on borrowed time" for the last 25 years or so (he had a massive heart attack before, and he had a quadruple bipass, and has only had 23% usage of his heart since then), but it doesn't make it any less heartbreaking. Mom told Aunt Audey about our little Sprout last night, so that she could have a "reason" for Uncle Red's death. It's nice that there is some happy news to balance out the sad. So, Mitch and I are going to celebrate the happy news on a camping trip with the Martins, and then head to Miramichi to mourn the loss of a life on Sunday and Monday. 

Thank you Lord for your many blessings, and watch over us all through the trials and tribulations of life. Let us know that we are yours, and every day is a gift from you.

~L 

Garden Update

Me trying to add some more sheep manure to my yucky clay soil.

My first garden ever has definitely been A LOT of work to get started. After turning over the sod, and making the drills, and realizing that the soil is a hard, mucky, red clay I've spent hours - and  a lot of money - trying to get the soil enriched with nutrients, and air. Sheep manure, peat moss, compost, compost-tea.... it's never ending. I have planted all of my transplants and seeds.

 I'm happy to report, despite the less-than-marvelous soil conditions, everything is growing!!!!

-corn is thriving and I planted my pole bean seeds around each corn stock on Saturday

-peas are about 8 inches tall now and really starting to fill out

-my carrots and turnips are coming along.... I hate having to thin the little carrot sprouts out.. I feel like I'm killing them, and I get a little guilty feeling :)

-my spinach, lettuce and cabbage are all up

-beets are just showing themselves

-my onions and garlic are just taking over.... they really are shaping up and I'll be getting a good harvest from them

-potatoes are getting stronger each day.... and my compost pile has 15 potato plants growing in there that are the healthiest things. I'm going to try to keep them in their and harvest from there at the end of the summer

-and many seeds are just planted and should be sprouting up this time next week

There is something so satisfying about planting a garden and watching it actually grow. I feel like it's my therapy... even though it's a lot of work, I find it relaxing, and a great time to pray. Happy gardening everyone :)

Meet Jack - My 1 Year Old Flatcoated Retriever

The 2nd pee break on the 14 hour drive from Ottawa to Moncton, on the first day we got him.

 It's hard to believe that Jack has been with us for almost 8 whole months! He has grown so much (as you can see from these pictures). From the day we picked him up from Knightcastle in Vankleek Hill, Ontario, to watching him sleep soundly beside me on the floor as I type this now. He sure has come a LONG way! He has captured our hearts and really has made us a family. I love you Jack :)

Jack's first swim at the Enclosure in Miramichi, NB at 9 1/2 weeks. 

Jack's first trip to the Sackville Fall Fair. He loved the cows :)

Our little Jack-O-Lantern

An autumn walk on the Dobson Trail.

November on the Dobson Trail.... 4 1/2 months.

He plays hard and sleeps harder. Oh... and he's like his dad... he LOVES Mickey Mouse.

Jack loves the snow... when he gets all covered in snowballs we call him Jack Frost

Snow-shoeing is his favourite winter activity

Jack sure loves his dad. March = 7 1/2 months

An early spring trip to Richie's Wharf. 8 months.

Walking along Moncton's boardwalk beside the Petticodiac River in the rain... 10 months.

Finally back in the water. He loves the little creek in behind our subdivision... especially when he gets to chase sticks. My little Lumber Jack.

I grew up with a beautiful Golden Retriever, Abby, who lived 16 years. When it came to get another dog I knew I needed another Retriever. I love their spunk and energy. So, we got a Flatcoat. Flatcoats are definitely a lot more energy and a totally different type of dog than Goldens. They are affectionately known as the "Peter Pan" of the dog world... forever young. I love them, especially my Jack.

First Garden Ever

Well, I've started preparing for our first garden ever... yes ever. Mitch and I have both grown up with people in our family who garden (my grandfather, his dad, his brother, etc.) but neither of us have ever gardened before. But, with the price of organic foods skyrocketing, and a wonderful cold-storage/root celar  in our basement we figure this year is the year to start.  Below is a picture of our back yard.

We live in a newly developing suburb, and we don't have neighbours in the house behind us, or to the right, so the land isn't fully graded yet, which has caused troubles growing our lawn (which we planted last fall). You can see, especially in the back, beside our compost, the drainage issue we've had... every time it rains that area gets flooded, taking any grass seed with it. So... we're going to try to put some raised beds in  there so that we won't have to grow grass, and it won't look so awful. Our soil is also very very compacted, and basically a wonderful mucky clay (can you sense my sarcasm). So we're going to have to put a lot of compost, peat moss, manure, and sand in there to enrich and lighten up the soil. Which will be quite costly... but once it's there, it should help us produce a better yield.

Along the right side of the yard you can see where we've turned the soil for gardening. This space consists of 2 rectangular spaces = 7' x 32' and 4' x 14' . We also have a turned the soil in behind our garage to form a garden space  that's 21' x 10'.  The plan for now, is to grow as many vegetables in these spaces, as we can! I've started planting some seedlings and they're doing quite well. It's so satisfying to have the seeds that you have sown start to sprout up and get stronger.

I don't know how successful we will be with our first year of our garden adventure, but we're going to try our best and hopefully be able to store some of our harvest in the root cellar.

Wish us luck! We're going to need it.

Music for a Rainy Spring Day

I am on lunch break at work right now. It's pouring rain, and although it's warm outside (16 degrees), I don't feel like going anywhere. I'm cozy in my little office, listening to some rainy day music.

Craig Cardiff -->

                                                                       Photo by Kathy Roussel
I love when you serendipidously find an artist. I stumbled upon Craig Cardiff by happy accident over a year ago now. His folk-style lyrics and lulling guitar make me long to be cuddled in a warm pub somewhere, listening to him play, as the rain falls outside.  I really can't pick a favourite song by him; they're all too good.

Kate Rusby -->

She brings out my Irish/Scottish roots when listening to her lilting music. Again, I found her by happy accident. I usually listen to her while I'm baking. It's perfect for all weather but especially for a rainy day.

 JJ Heller -->

I know that JJ Heller has been gaining in popularity now, especially since "Your Hands" was featured on So You Think You Can Dance. But, I have to say, I love finding artists on my own, before they hit it big, and are played on the radio. I first found JJ Heller on YouTube back in September 2009. I feel like I want to be her when I grow up :) I love her music-- the powerful, meaningful lyrics, and her folk-y sound. And more importantly I love the reason for her music. It's Christian music that stirs your soul and makes you want to give your life to Him. I follow her blog, and love her decorating style, and craftiness. You can follow her too -- I've linked her blog "Lovely Little Things" in my Inspiration sidebar.

Anyway, those are my rainy day music suggestions. Enjoy!

Cozy and Crazy Weekend in the Kitchen

Well, this weekend we had a big spring snow-storm, which was wonderful. It allowed us to have Friday night to ourselves (we cancelled Youth Group which normally takes 4 hours of our evening). It also caused an event at work to be postponed, so I was able to have a Saturday to myself too. So, I spent a large majority of my day on Saturday, and some of Sunday in the kitchen.

I really do love baking. I'm not great at it yet, but I do enjoy it.  Mitch always makes fun of me because I get COVERED in flour and even though I wear an apron, I still manage to get various baking ingredients all over my clothes. But that's half the fun of baking.

I have mentioned before that I have been reading Nourishing Traditions, and so I used their principles, to make my own recipe for a Spelt Pie Crust which I made an apple pie with some big MacIntosh apples that we got at the Farmers' Market, and then I also did a Spelt crust peach pie with a woven top. It looked pretty good, even if I do say so myself.

I also made some buckwheat/spelt pancakes which were delicious and so light. I soaked the flour in buttermilk for a full 12 hours (like it told me to do in the book) and I really think that made all the difference. After eating some of them (with unpasteurized honey, and some fresh local maple syrup) I didn't get that heavy, bloated feeling that normally happens after eating the pancakes that I used to make from a gluten-free pancake mix.

Then I tried my hand at making some buttermilk biscuits. Now, I have been making my mom's tea biscuits for Mitch for a while now, and he LOVES them, so this was a big test... would he like buttermilk, spelt biscuits? He was as surprised as I was to say that he did.

With that same dough, I made  honey-cinnamon buns, and raspberry jam rolls.  They were SO good.

And last but not least I made the basic muffins from Nourishing Traditions, but I added, blueberries to one batch, and I added a chunk of apple and some cinnamon to another.

So, to say the least, I kind of went baking crazy this weekend. But I loved the way that the house warmed up, and got all cozy feeling. And it smelled AMAZING!

Buy the book for the recipes. They are so yummy. I think I'll go have some supper and a piece of that apple pie. Mmmm.

Don't Judge a Book By It's Cover - Nourishing Traditions

A lady from church recommended that I read this book. I asked if I could borrow hers, but she said it was so good that if she let me borrow hers she'd never get it back. Looking at the cover of the book, I really doubted it would be that good. Well, I'm barely 50 pages in and it has completely changed the way that I look at food.

Mitch and I have been trying to do what we call, the "Kings Landing Diet", for the past few years where basically we try to each as much homemade food as possible... not only for the health benefits but for the financial savings.  But we'd still eat junk food, and treat our selves every now and then. 

Reading Nourishing Traditions, has rejuvinated this "Kings Landing Diet" and taken it to a whole other level. It's full of easily understood, reasons as to why it's important to eat this way. It explains why packaged and processed foods or so bad for you in a way that I really take to... it's full of stats, and scientific studies, and is written by doctors. It's a very credible book and I want to share it with everyone! I completely understand just why my friend from church wouldn't lend me hers.

I'm really excited to try out some of the 755 recipes that are included in the book. Check out my "What's Cooking Section" over the next few days to see what scrumptious things I decide to make. I have been looking at a variety of blogs focused on and inspired from this incredible book, and it's great to know that being "weird" is ok and that there's more than just a few of us out there that see the benefits of old-fashioned cooking.

This book proves that we really shouldn't judge a book by its cover!

Tick Tick Tick...

Well, Mitch and I have been married over two and half years now, and I can feel the proverbial "biological clock" ticking away. Although I've WANTED to have a baby for a while now, I feel like I'm finally READY to be one now. 

Over the last couple of years that we have been married, we've watched our brothers start families with their wives, and felt "left out" in  a way. But due to our financial situation, my lack of stable job, and our crappy apartment in a sketchy neighbourhood we knew that we couldn't bring a child into our lives when we could barely take care of ourselves.

Then, one day, we had an older couple stay at our newly built house, (in a very safe neighbourhood), and we were discussing becoming parents. The gentleman told us, "Guys, there is never a perfect time to have a baby; there's always going to be bills to pay, and unexpected uprising in your lives, careers, etc. If you wait for that perfect time you'll never have children. Just choose a time where you hope everything will be settled, and stick to it no matter what." Well, I thought he was crazy at the time, but I realized that there didn't seem to be a teaching job available for me (lots of partial contracts but nothing stable, forever), and so Mitch and I decided that we'd start trying in Fall 2011. Obviously, that time is fast approaching, and I couldn't be more thrilled!

It's strange to think that I actually want to give up my free time, a tidy spotless house, some independence, and at least a year of my career, for this little thing that doesn't even exist yet. But I honestly can't wait to willing give up those things for a baby to love with everything in me.

Mitch is ready too. He turned 28 on St. Patrick's Day, and I asked him, "When you were a little kid, thinking about what you'd have and where you'd be in life at the age of 28, is there anything missing?" And of course he said that the only thing different than what he thought of, is that he's not a dad yet.  Oh, and don't let him know I said this, but he gets all teary-eyed whenever he sees a dad with his babies on TV.

One of our good friends in pregnant right now, and hearing about the morning sickness, the itchy skin, the mood swings, etc. just makes me more excited to go through the ups and downs along the way to mommyhood. 

I truly believe that God has put me on this wonderful planet to become a mom; to love, to teach, to discipline, and to guide my children to live as empowered, confident people. I can't wait to start this journey! 6 months and counting!

Photo Credit Goes to Melanie Keenan Photography. Check out this incredibly talented and inspiring mom at her blog at  www.melaniekeenanphotography.com