Midwife Appointment!

We had our 34 week midwife appointment today. As usual, it was a fabulous hour! We only had a few questions and we had all of them answered. Our midwife asked us some questions and we talked about breastfeeding a little more. At the end of our appointment we got to hear Baby's heartbeat; which is our favorite part! Baby was quite busy and the heart rate was bouncing between the 130s and low 150s. It was so nice and strong! Our midwife and her assistant were pleased with it. Baby is also in a great position too, already head down. Then it was time to take my blood pressure. 138/83....ya, it wasn't so great. It was just one reading, but it was enough to concern our midwife and so I am going to be monitoring it and e-mailing her every few days with my blood pressure readings. Fortunately, our friends C & M have an at home bp monitor so I will be borrowing that. I talked to my chiropractor and our dear friend Val who is also a chiropractor and will be increasing my fish oil supplements, magnesium, folic acid and vitamin C in order to be sure that my body has all the nutrients it needs so we can try to prevent this one reading from being a trend and moving towards preeclampsia. One of the pregnancy books that we have, The Whole Pregnancy Handbook by Joel Evans, MD, has a section on preeclampsia and he also lists these supplements as helpful in preventing preeclampsia. I am also sitting with my feet up and am drinking MORE water. Apparently, too little water can also cause high blood pressure readings. So, if you have a moment and can say a little prayer that my blood pressure returns to healthy readings I would certainly appreciate it. Thanks, and in case I don't have time to post again, have a wonderful, SAFE, healthy New Year's Eve!

A Cleanup Christmas

Ok, Hubby isn't sure who I am, but he begged me to stay! Not only did I get the coolest Organic Housekeeping book as a gift, but my in-laws gave me a Shark Steam Mop and hand-held steamer! Yes, I am a cleaning machine -- AND LOVING IT! I had fun, yes, fun cleaning the master bathroom tonite! I used vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, a nylon scrubbie and the steamers. That's it. The part that shocks me the most is that my bathroom has never, ever been this clean! For the same amount of time and actually less elbow grease, my bathroom is freaking sparkling! I told K that I was going to clean the other 2 bathrooms tomorrow and that I was looking forward to it. I think he walked away shaking his head, but afraid to pinch himself and end this dream! I love having a clean house, a house that is free of chemical pollution, and knowing that I am using cleaning agents that don't negatively impact the earth in their production and in the waste that runs down my drain. Repeatedly across the USA indoor air quality tests done in homes show that there is more pollution INSIDE our homes than outside. I am happy that I am finding ways to make our home a healthy home!

A little bit of Christmas

We celebrated Christmas with my family over the weekend since my little brother lives out of town. Everyone was together at the folks place and it was fun! There was snuggling with the littlest niece and rough-housing with the middle nephews and teasing with the older ones. We had a wonderful time as a family.

My mom and dad gave me the coolest book! I am only 117 pages into it, but it's certainly a keeper and one I will use for reference for many, many years to come! It's called Organic Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck; you can see it here.

One of the things that bugs me about cleaning is how many toxic chemicals we introduce into our home to get it clean. I *know* there has to be a better way to clean that doesn't use petro-chemicals or other toxins. This book has some fabulous resources! One that I just finished reading about is the "Domestic Spray Program". Using one opaque spray bottle for hydrogen peroxide (it breaks down in the light so you need a dark bottle) and another spray bottle for distilled white vinegar you have a 2 part disinfectant that does not require rinsing and that bacteria cannot build up a resistance to (thereby creating super-bugs like the antibacterial products do). First, spray vinegar on your counter tops, then follow with spray of the hydrogen peroxide. It's that easy. You can also use it on produce and things like meat juice that have spilled onto the refrig shelves and stuff in the refrigerator. NOTE*** DO NOT USE THIS ON GRANITE, MARBLE, LIMESTONE or other calcium based stone surfaces. The vinegar will pit the stone and dissolve it! Only use plain soapy water to clean those surfaces.

I have to get out and pick up some spray bottles now! This is going to be a fabulous all surface cleaner for our kitchen! If you are interested in more details about this 2-spray cleaner let me know!

Time for an edgy post!

It's been a while since I've had a meaty. slightly controversial post. It's time, don't you think?

I read an article on cnn.com on Friday about a woman who was selling "gothic kittens" on eBay. Ya, she pierced the kittens ears and according to the article, other body parts. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals raided the home on Wednesday after getting a tip that the woman was selling the pierced kittens on eBay. "It's unbelievable anybody would do this to kittens," said one of the officers. She will likely be charged with animal cruelty.

I wasn't too disturbed by this, are you? And no, it has nothing to do with the fact that I am not a big fan of cats (even though we have one). How many times have you been to the mall or the store and seen a human infant or toddler with pierced ears? I have, lots. None of those parents are charged with child abuse. Why is it worse and criminal to pierce an animal? It's not like the infant or toddler chose to get pierced. Don't get me wrong I am not against piercings, but I think it should be up to the person getting their body pierced, not mom or dad who thinks it's cute. How many parents out there impact their children's bodies because it's cute or because that's just what we do? Pierced ears, they are just the tip of the ice berg. (here's where it gets edgy)

What about parent's choosing circumcision for their sons. Why? Because that's what we've done, because Dad was? Did you know that in the US (as of 2007) only 55-65% of all newborn males were circumcised? (see, not all boys are) We're outraged at hearing about female circumcision in other countries and decry it as barbarian and inhumane, but we see no problem with cutting off a part of our newborn sons.

That disturbs me...pierced cats, not so much.

What's your favorite baby tool/gadget/thingy?

So, the final 8 weeks are upon us. I am happily soaking up each and every day of pregnancy because all too soon this stage of my life will pass and another new one will begin. If you know me, you know that I spend a lot of my time researching, discussing ideas and trying to learn things. Being pregnant with our first child has been no different! Both K and I enjoy the researching aspect of life and learning so there has been lots to learn and tons of wonderful resources available. I think I have gone through 26 books and other print resources. Most of what we have learned has challenged conventional thinking and things we thought we knew. It's been very very good for us!

Now I am feeling rather prepared, certainly it doesn't mean that I have all the answers, but I do have a broader perspective and some opinions that are based on information and facts, rather than "that's just the way it is" kind of thinking. So, it's time to shift gears. For your baby or child (or grandchild or niece or nephew) what did you find to be the most useful with an infant? I have some theories of things that we may find the most useful, but of course, Baby gets the final and most weighty vote. So, hints, tips, best products?

The Kitchen is DONE!

The incredible Hubby put up the last piece of trim on Wednesday nite! I finished up cleaning tonite. It is gorgeous! We spent less than $1100 on the whole remodel too, I am proud of that considering the size of the room and that we replaced all the flooring. Here is a quick recap of what we did:

• prime and paint the walls (originally dark purple now antique white)
• sand all the cabinets, stain and varnish (3 coats)
• make new doors and drawer fronts for all
• make a new, larger pantry cabinet
• resurface the laminate countertops and island
• install new laminate flooring, which goes into entryway too
• remove and re-install all new railing systems - 4 total, remove carpet on stairs, install oak on treads, re-carpet with cut back old carpet
• stain and varnish all new trim, baseboard, railings, crown moulding, shoe
• install all new trim
• install new light fixtures
• polish old sink & reinstall, install new faucet
• paint upstairs hallway and living room

Yep, that's all we did. And we did all of it ourselves! I am sure I am forgetting something, but that's ok. I hit the high points. The kitchen was original to the house and was just over 20 years old and it looked like it. Now, we have a modern looking Asian/contemporary kitchen that I LOVE! To see the before pics go here. Or to see the steps as we went, go to the column on the right side of my page and click on Projects...you'll see it all!

Baby Update!

I can hardly believe this, but I am in my 8th month of pregnancy already! I *love* being pregnant, I love the way this feels...I just relish every single day and am going to miss this constant connection with our child. I know when it sleeps and wakes, when it has the hiccups, and when it jabs me with an elbow! And I love every bit of it! We had our midwife appointment today; as usual it was a terriffic hour! I had some blood work done at the last appointment and that all came back fabulous, iron is great and all that kind of stuff. Baby's heartrate was in the 140s-150s and was nice and loud and steady! K and I both just grin when we hear it! My blood pressure was the highest it's ever been in my life, but still in the "ok/normal" range (128/82). We found out that baby is head down and our midwife assistant (a midwife in training) showed us how to identify what parts were where. K thought she was teasing because he couldn't tell when he was pushing on my belly where she showed him. It was cute. We chatted about preparations for the home birth and we told her we were working on the list of stuff we are supposed to gather. I think we are close to 1/2 way done. I will finish that up after Christmas. Too much to do in the next 2 weeks! Our next appointment is the week after Christmas, so they are getting close together now! I can't believe how terribly fast this is going. I fear that my maternity leave will only last the blink of an eye...sigh.....

And onto one related issue. I painted my toes tonite. I think it's the last time I will be able to reach them until after the baby gets here! It was kinda funny trying to get to them with the belly in the way. I did get them all painted, but I am sure it was entertaining to watch! Also, I had to cross one leg over the other today to get my socks on...I was so NOT happy about that and of course, that's when K walks in the room and starts to tease me! He is soooo not funny!

A new 'must have'!

It's impossible to go to a crop weekend and not come away with a list of things to add to my scrapping 'toolbox.' Mary had a book called Designing Photo Mosaics and More by Tami Potter. There are some incredible layouts and mosaic ideas in there! The ideas translate to traditional paper scrapbooking or digital. I am going to have to add this to my birthday wish list (hint, hint!) I have used this type of technique before, but usually only with one picture per page, I have never thought of combining several of them. It really is an amazing look that is complicated without being cluttered.

They are soooo sneaky!

Above, Crystal who makes Martha Stewart look like a chump! She made the diaper cake.

It's just not safe to take a nap anymore! I took a nap this afternoon and apparently that's when some scheming and such took place here at the crop house! When I woke up I went upstairs and was chatting and nibbling and was completely oblivious that there were the makings of a baby shower in the adjoining room...I didn't see anything. So Tina told me that she updated her blog and to check it out. I headed to my crop station, looked up her blog on my computer and there were pics of this place decorated for a BABY SHOWER! I turned 18 shades of red and then was corralled upstairs. Tina and Crystal spearheaded a wonderful baby shower for me and baby. It was too much fun and a complete surprise. Crystal made a super cute diaper cake! Check it out! She is sooo talented! Not only did she make the diaper cake, but also this fabulous tea-punch and a yummy fruit & yogurt parfait. Mmmmm! For more pics of the event check out Tina's blog here.

The cropping learning curve continues!

I have had a nice relaxing Saturday. Tina took some pics of me outside after lunch and we had a blast. It was pretty darn cold and windy so the photo session was a brief belly-bump photo session, and I am anxiously awaiting her editing so I can see them all! Click here for a preview!She is an amazing photographer. See her work here and book a session! I have continued to download digital content and have completed 5 digital pages. Here is my latest. I am off to try to learn more digital techniques. Hope you are having a warm, wonderful weekend.

My first digital pages!

As promised here are 2 samples of my first digital pages. There is sooo much to learn! I love it! I will post more later this weekend as I learn more techniques and how to use all the amazing tools that are built in! I am using the Storybook Creator Plus software. You can buy it and lots of fun digital content here.

A new scrappy chapter~!

I finished up the last of my traditional paper album earlier today. And, I just installed the new Storybook Creator Plus software install on my computer along with some digital paper designs and doodles and swirls! The install went well to my external hard drive and I think it's nap time already! I will wake up refreshed and ready to go and learn and explore some great new scrapbooking methods. I am really excited to be making the conversion to digital. I have a hunch that I will be pretty much using the digital methods and not doing any albums the 'old' way. Don't' get me wrong, I love the tactile experience of paper, ribbons, fibers, metal tags and embellishments. It's just that all that stuff takes up SOOOOOOOOOOOO much room, takes forever to get out, set up and get going and then put away again, and it's expensive too! Going digital means getting a computer (any computer), my external portable hard drive that has all my pics and software and sitting down. That's it. Clean up is a breeze too! Then, when I have an album complete I click on a few buttons and it's submitted for printing. It comes back to me as a coffee-table style album with my choice of covers. And, it's all cheaper than the pages I am doing now. I'm not saying "never again" for the traditional scrapbooking, but I have a hunch that my time and space will be an even more precious commodity in the very near future and the digital stuff just seems like it will fit in better for me.

As promised last nite, here are the 3 web sites Mary recommended for free digital content downloads:
http://www.scrapwow.com/
http://freedigitalscrapbooking.com/
http://www.shabbyprincess.com/

I will be a downloading queen tonite as I grab some more stuff! And, once I finish my first digital page I will post it here for all to see! Hope you are enjoying your Friday!

I am scrapbooking!

(that title was said in a sing-songy voice)
I am taking Friday off work, and am already at the Scrapbooking house with a 4 other ladies! The rest of the group will be up tomorrow and we'll all be working on our scrapbooks until Sunday! Yes, a whole weekend of friends, laughter & teasing, working on scrapbooks, learning new techniques and all away from home. That last part is the only not great thing about the weekend. I miss the Hubby so much. I am working on finishing up the last of my "old fashioned" paper album tonite and tomorrow I will venture into the new land of digital scrapbooking! I am already soooo excited I can hardly stand it! Mary shared her 3 fav web sites that have FREE digital content downloads! Ya, free stuff for my pages!

There has been some concern from people that I will just be doing things on the computer. That's only part of it. I will be editing my already digital photos as usual, but instead of printing them at ProEx, I will place them into digital scrapbook pages within some scrapbooking software I purchased from Creative Memories. I can manipulate the pages and add TONS of doo-dads and foo-foos without taking out any supplies! Then, once I get my digital album done I will be submitting it for printing. It comes back to me looking like a coffee-table book! A hard cover album with printed pages! It will actually be a lot cheaper too! There aren't any consumables to purchase! I can purchase digital content for my pages, but it will never run out! I will post an update later this weekend and post a page that I will complete too! Happy weekend everyone!!!!

WOOHOOO!!!!!

I did it! I am officially a Certified Restorer (TM) by the Restoration Industry Association!!!! I received my notification today. I am the 5th person in the state of MN who has earned it and the first female! I am also the 10th female in the WORLD who has earned this! There are around 500 people world-wide who are certified, most of them in the US. This is the news I was waiting for since I took the class in June in Washington, D.C. I did procrastinate in getting my paper done, so this is wonderful news for me! This is the highest certification in the restoration industry and is widely respected by our peer companies, insurance companies, and court systems. I am honored to be a part of such an esteemed group! My dad is also a CR so we have 2 in the family!

The instructor said that my formal restoration report was "excellent." I get to start using my designation now but I will miss the formal induction ceremony since it's the middle of March and baby will be between 2 and 4 weeks old. Did I mention that the induction ceremony is at the national convention and this year it's in Palm Springs? Ya, as great as it would be to be there and see my national peers and formally receive this among other CR's I cannot imagine traveling with such a new baby, nor can I imagine *wanting* to travel so soon after giving birth! I am just so happy! All that stressing and studying was worth it. Of course, the additional knowledge I have and the experience is beyond words.

Baby Room!

My mom is one of those talented folks who know how to put up wallpaper. And I am sooooooooooo grateful for that! Mom and dad came over to our place on Saturday to give us hand with a few things. Mom put up the wallpaper border that K and I picked out for the Baby's room. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Look at how talented my Mom is, she totally matched up the pattern and covered the switch plate cover! Dad took care of some drywall mudding for me and then helped the Hubby in the workshop with some re-organizing that he is doing. I don't like to ask my folks for help, they have done enough work on their house in the past 38 years and I feel guilty that they were here, but my gratitude is stronger than the guilt!

Then on Sunday nite, I did a little therapy for myself. I added some freehand mural-style painting to the Baby's room. I tried to coordinate it with the wallpaper border and I am pretty darn pleased with how it turned out! The animals in the jeep and the giraffe and gorilla are decals that go with the border, but the coconut tree, rocks and grasses are all my freehand painting. Once we get the furniture set in place in the room, I'll probably add more, but I want to wait so I am sure that things are not behind bookshelves and the crib. Oh, I also plan to add a little plastic hook to the tree and hang a stuffed monkey from it!