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It's Friday, I'm in LoVE! #25

Happy Happy Happy Friday!

After getting constructive last week, I have been staying that way. I got the yarn I ordered more of in the mail and finished the future-baby hoodie last night. I put pictures of it up here!

I also finished 2 more crochet projects that should have been done about a year ago!

"D" for Daniel!

Corbin's Coyote Blanket

Now I am free to finish my current projects and get them to the people who are eagerly waiting!
So today, I love me because:

1. I still has a happy!!!
2. I am filled with FAITH, JOY and LOVE because of my personal relationship with my spirituality.
3. Everytime I dread being in the middle of the 2-week wait, I get giddy with anticipation instead.
4. I didn't wash my hair today... and I don't care!
5. This is week 3 of yoga/walking everyday! WHAT!!?!

Happy weekend to you!

S. : see you at 1! :o)

Crochet Baby Hoodie by HiLLjO

Last week I started (and finished) a crochet baby hoodie for our future firstborn. I was trying to hold out until I was actually pregnant to make it, but I could no longer resist that yarn!!!

The pocket opens in the top to stash a bottle, face wipe, or biter biscuit.

Yes, yes I did buy an entire hank of additional yarn to make just this pocket...

If you LOVE this hoodie, it is based off my FREE crochet baby hoodie pattern!If you would like one made for a friend, family member, or even yourself email me!

I even make them in grownup-people sizes!

 :o)

How to No-Poo

This post is not related to weddings, being married OR trying to have a baby. Rather, it is something I think could help folks attempting to break up with their shampoo bottles. After 2 years of not using Shampoo, I have some things to say and to share about No-Poo.

Remember, the great thing about going No-Poo is that you get to find out what works for YOU by experimenting and trying different combinations of ingredients, days you wash, and days you condition.

Last year I shared that I am No-Poo. I went No-Poo for several reasons. We used to use REDKEN shampoo and it's expensive; I'm sensitive to Sulfates; Sulfates break and strip hair causing the "attenae effect" when standing in front of a light source. Since being No-Poo instead of breaking, my hair stretches 1-3" before finally snapping. It's very strong, thick and doesn't "shellaque" to my head like it did when I shampooed. It's shiny and resembles my hair when I was young, only thicker.

So let's get down to how this works. It's not easy, per se; it's an adjustment!

You will need:
16 oz. box of baking soda (buy the big box! it's cheap enough!)
1 Liter/tall bottle of Vinegar (I use apple cider [not flavored] vinegar)
Large tumbler cup (plastic won't break but needs to be replaced weekly)

To prepare to wash your hair, run as hot of shower water as your scalp can take. Rinse your hair througoughly while scrubbing your scalp lightly with your fingertips (this is how you 'clean' your hair between washings in the adjustment phase below). In your tumbler sprinkle the amount of baking soda you will use (less for short hair, more for long) with just enough shower water to make a paste. To wash my very long hair, I turn upside down to scrub the back of my head and scalp better. Once it's worked in on your scalp ONLY, rinse throughougly until you can't feel 'grains' from the soda. This is the "shampoo" part.

To "condition" take the cup and rinse it out, add about 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the cup (more if you need more) and add water. Try to concentrate the rinse on the ends of your hair. You can rinse it right away or leave it on a minute. Rinse very well! If you still smell vinegar, you need to rinse more! The reason this works is because the pH of vinegar is lower than water and leaves your hair soft and shiny. If I condition my roots, they get greasy faster so I actually don't condition more than once a month. If you have dry hair, you might need to do it more.

Now a warning: Your hair will look not-so-great for around 2 weeks after you try this. Like I said, it's an adjustment!!! The reason your hair will get so greasy at first is because it is used to being stripped of its natural oils by shampoo and rapidly producing more to replace it, causing you to shampoo again. After your hair realizes you aren't doing this anymore, it will slow oil production and look GREAT. If you have any questions about the No-Poo process at all, please email me! I have 2 years of experience with it and LOVE it. I would LOVE to help you!

TTC Adventure #2: The Two Week Wait

Here we are, damn-near smack in the middle of something people charting/trying to conceive call the "Two Week Wait" "2WW" or "hell."
All month you wait to release an egg, then the rest of the month you wait to pee on a stick. What's the big deal? It's 2 weeks right? WRONG. During this time, some women get a little--crazed. I could almost be included in that if I weren't keeping myself so darn Zen constantly and dismissing any creeping negative thoughts. Learning about fertility astrology to keep myself entertained in a proactive-feeling way helps... that and chart-staring (NOT).

"WHY WON'T THE SECRET PREGNANCY CODE IN MY BBT CHART APPEAR?!"

Symptom-charting replaces OPK's and everything seems like it could be an indicator of pregnancy. Gas? Write it down!!!
I'm only doing this during the day when I'm not home and I find myself bored. Then at home I pretty much "ground" myself like I did from Pinterest because that worked; this is, too.

Some also start testing too early with the home pregnancy tests and continue to test everyday of the 2WW. I already know I cannot do that to myself; BFN's DESTROY ME.
I also decided that "drinking 'til it's pink" is not for me, either. I did not have a margarita last night when we were out for Mexican food and Shawn had one. I didn't even ask or have a sip. It's not "good" or "bad," nor is it "easy" or "hard." It's just my choice.

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So since my parents will be out of town until the 2WW is over (and that is not conducive to a newsbreaking meeting to all potential future grandparents), I am waiting. Some days I am more patient than others... today: eh.  Hang in there with me, won't you?

I has a happy.

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Happy Monday!

I am proud of myself and have been since Saturday and Sunday, too.

For such great anticipation the next 2 weeks will be, I am so patient. And so happy. And so peaceful.

...for now.

Hee hee! Have a nice evening!

Hope

Mark this day.

It's Friday, I'm in LoVE! #24

What a fast week! I'll make this post fast, too.



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I love me today because:

1. Pictures like the one above are making me cry today... in a happy way. I can't wait to make Shawn a daddy.
2. This is week 2 that I have been walking and doing yoga; now I do both everyday!
3. I didn't even THINK about going to the hiding place to use an OPK.
4. I am happy... and I'm still waiting to bust an egg this month. Success!

Happy weekend everybody.

Constructive vs. Destructive

CAUTION: Post content briefly mentions "pee sticks" and ovulation.

The new moon came and went yesterday. This time of the month is a good time to "work in" what we have learned recently and to toss out that which does us no good.
Over the last month we have tossed out the boy baby names (sorry guys), the self-censorship that feels "safe," and the last bits of self-dishonesty I hope to incur. I also tossed out something that I haven't shared yet: OPK's. I wasn't sure what they would bring me, but I thougth they would help (or at least couldn't hurt). I thought I was being constructive.
OPK's look like home pregnancy tests (HPT's) but instead they indicate that ovulation is imminent (in 12-36 hours). Also unlike HPT's a line is not a line on OPK's: it must be a dark line to be "positive."

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After 8 days of trying these mo-fo's I have had it. These bishes [sic] are destructive to me.You'd think I was getting a negative HPT with every negative OPK. Some were darker than others, leading me down the road to the crazy-town where they wield rulers marked with millimeters and measure just what perecentage of the test line is as dark or darker than the control line. 50%? TEST AGAIN!!!
So none of that. I went home, went to my 24-packs of OPK's, and effing HID THEM from myself.

I proceeded to do yoga for almost an hour. Now that's constructive. I also went to fetch my yarn I sourced after designing future-baby a hoodie, and started the damn thing. I finished it, too. Constructive, also.

Should I get more yarn to make a pocket?

Yes. Yes, I should...



I felt guilty starting and finishing a project that I have only had on my plate for a little over a month when I have soooo many others to finish, but I had a block in my creativity from not letting myself make this. So all of you that have slippers, illustrations, and other goodies and bits coming to you: lo, I have not forgotten. Oh, no. It's just taking me FOREVAR. But one day you'll go to your mailbox and you'll be pleasantly surprised. Promise.

2012-2013 Mantras

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While I meditate and do yoga I repeat positive things to myself that are helpful throughout my day no matter what I am doing. To share (and so I remember!!!) here are some good ones:

"I am safe."
"Open my heart. As wide as it can be."
"I am love."
"Everything is as it should be."
"I am relaxed."

After taking a peek at my natal chart I realized that the "5th House" associated with children/first pregnancy... is empty. This doesn't mean I won't have children; this means I won't have to focus or try too hard... hopefully. There are signs very near the House however, that I feel are things to take into consideration while we are trying to have a baby. Based on these I am adding several new mantras to my collection:

"Take care of yourself."
"Be healthy."
"No guilt."
"Work hard."
"Do it your own unique way."

I love how they all kind of tie together; it wouldn't be hard to write a paragraph interconnecting them in some way. Do you use/have mantras?

How's ____-planning going?

All around me life is changing, moving, growing. People are getting married, moving, buying a home, waiting for their babies to be born. Our very own life is changing, too! But amidst the social discussion, I am left wanting to share with no one to oblige me.
"How's wedding planning?"
          "Did you pick a color for the kitchen?"
"Which OB are you seeing?"

None of these questions are for me. I am expected to pick one up that shoddily resembles an expression of my curiosity and pose it forth, another spectator aimlessly trying to increase the space between the clock hands before going back to my desk.

BUT, BUT, but I have NEWS, tooo!!!! Exciting NEWWWWWS!

"Yes, yes I do," I tell myself... "we're trying have a baby."
But the topic is so tip-toed around... if no one is there telling you all your reasons are wrong or that you're approaching it wrong way #2,041 of 1,000,000, they have nothing to say about this genuinely-awesome chunk of news.
I don't think they're disinterested in the fact that we are trying to have a child but I believe that they simply don't know what to ask or to say. Planned pregnancies in our social circle are not exactly an abundant occurrence either, so that adds to the weird-factor in discussions. So what do you ask someone who is trying to conceive? Anything you'd ask a newly-pregnant person.

1. Do you have any names/colors/rooms picked out for future baby?
2. Have you thought about where you'd like to have the baby?
3. Have you found any cute things to buy yet?
4. Are you trying for a boy or a girl?
5. Do you plan to find out the sex?
6. What month would the baby be born if you got pregnant this month?
7. Is life changing already in preparation?
8. What are you most excited/anticipating/scared to go through?
9. Have you picked any preferences for diapers/sleeping arrangements/daycare?
10. Are you preparing freezer meals before the baby arrives?

Obviously "How many months have you been trying?" isn't on the list; as I said, the topic is sensitive. Anything relating to infertility or difficulty should be avoided unless the other person brings up the issue. It's best to keep the questions general and positive to guage the mood of the conversation and encourage the TTC'er to share only as much as he or she is comfortable with.

Do you have any good questions to add to the list?
Leave them in the comments!

It's Friday, I'm in LoVE! #23

What a week! I think everyday being jam-packed with things made it go by fast. Amidst the routine this week was a bit of humor in the form of Mama Kitty and her cardboard home security... device. Random I know, but funny? You bet your buns.

Today I love me because:

1. I have been active for a whole week! Walking 10 minutes a day, doing Yoga every other day for 10-30 minutes is the current regimen. I feel sooo much better and more flexible again.
2. I made good Anniversary dinner with loves.
3. I found near-immediate peace after Cosmo left us.
4. I took good advice when it was hard.
5. The doulas I found are awesome ladies.
6. I make sure we're eating lots of different things to get lots of good baby-making nutrients!
7. I picked me out a good hubby. ;o)

Have a nice weekend!!!

TTC Adventure #1: Continued \\ Eat Your Peas!

Last week I mentioned we were interviewing doulas and last night a second doula, Carrie, came over. She is lovely and we like her a lot! Very knowledgable and hilarious.

After she left I made us a very healthy dinner with peas, shrimp, egg and quinoa. It is protein-rich (supportive of male fertility) and so delicous that even Shawn (who doesn't eat peas) had a second helping... and third.



You will need:

1 cup frozen green beans

3/4 cup frozen peas

1 egg

6-8 LARGE shrimp (cooked and cut into bite size pieces)

1/2 cup Quinoa (any color)

2 Tbsp Sunflower or Olive oil

Garlic, diced

Cayenne Pepper

Sea Salt

First thing, make the quinoa. I use a rice cooker for my grains: I add the two parts water to one part dry quinoa and set to "cook." After it goes on "warm" I unplug the cooker and let the grain soak up the remaining water.

While the quinoa cooks I prepare the other ingredients (I chopped the green beans in half; you can also beat the egg in a separate bowl) and get a sauté pan nice and hot over medium heat. Add about a tablespoon of oil to the pan and coat the bottom evenly. Taking care of the splatter, add the green beans and peas to the hot pan and stiry-fry for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir. Push the ingredients over to one side of the pan and pour/crack the egg into the other. Scramble as it cooks, gradually mixing egg pieces in with the peas and beans. Add the shrimp and mix in well.

When the quinoa is done, stir it once to make sure it's fluffy (if it's still liquid-y let it sit longer). If it's dry add two tablespoons oil to the pan, increase the heat one level to medium-hi and add the prepared quinoa. Stir constantly until mixed evenly and decrease heat back to medium.

Serve immediatley!

So long, Cosmo.

Yesterday the last member of Ratpack-III left us; Cosmo has passed just 26 days after Jeremy.

We knew he'd be leaving soon like so many paired-rats who lose their mates, but it wasn't even a month. He got a bit sick over the weekend and we knew he was getting close to 3 years old, but it was just so sudden that I had to tell Shawn "It never gets any easier."
Then we remembered all the things Cosmo would do: chase the ferret, chew holes in every plastic cage EVAR, and munch dried cranberries with fervor. He was one of the sweetest boy rats, always closing his eyes in bliss when we pet him.

Now we are out of rats--and boys--in the house for the first time in almost 5 years.
Let's not say goodbye; let's say hello many, many times to Cosmo's namesake:

Let the Sun shine... Let the Sunshine In...

Last month I learned something valuable that I will share at risk of sounding very young... even though I am very young.


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A month ago today I shared that someone at my work's wife is suprise-pregnant... but I didn't share that this was announced the day after my first BFN (big fat negative)... Thursday night I was devastated, disappointed, sad, and so frustrated. I managed to pull myself together before work that next morning and continue on, sunflower upon my head and the skip in my step that is Friday. After that announcement I plunged back down to the place I had been. I didn't like it; I felt involuntarily miserable and thus more miserable.
After making it through most of the day I was finally at home, sulking to myself. One of my blog-sisters, Kim, emailed me to see how I was doing and I spilled the beans. I expected her to agree, to comiserate with me, and to tell me things I wanted to hear.  She didn't; she pissed me off.

She told me that she knows how frustrating it must be for me to be going through this in light of the announcement, but that I had to be happy for them.

WHAT?! But, but... ME!!! What about MEEEE?!

Her email continued, "the more joy you can let in your heart and less stress, the easier it will be to conceive."

WELL... hmm. Yeah... Maybe there's something to this...
So I thought about it. I examined where the pissed-off was coming from: me.
She doesn't know the people I work with; she knows and likes me. She wants to help me.
So I had to re-read the email with love in my heart. It sounded different in my head the second time.
"You know," I said to myself, "you'd want people to be happy for you."
True.
"So be happy for them; they're going to experience the joy of a child. This doesn't mean you won't..."

Also True. So instead of being negatively affected by the news, I chose to be happy and go towards all the feelings that ever make me sad/uncomfortable and get up close to them. Turns out that once you make that choice, to be happy, the negative feelings simply back down and fizzle; this last month has been the most joyous of my entire life.


Thanks for pissing me off, Kim. ;o)

Married for 1 Year

Yesterday was our Anniversary! The first year went by so fast and it was so much fun.
We spent the day just being together, eating dinner at home (with defrosted wedding cake for dessert!), and going downtown where the wedding was last year.

We walked on the pedestrian bridge with the dog and got a funnel cake at the festival that was going on again this year. It was storming (our favorite weather) near us so we got to see lightning and hear rumbles as it rained on and off all day and later into the night.

• A year ago  I was saying hello to you all for the first time as a wife!
• We went camping and site seeing in South Dakota.
• Shawn flew a plane!
• I had health issues and overcame them.
• We bought a home together and moved in.
• We had many, many Mondays off where we drank margaritas.
• We adopted Peach!
• I decided to love myself.
• We made it to the halfway point for this year!
• We decided to have children.
• Filed our married taxes.
• Shawn took me away for my birthday!
• We said goodbye to another pet.
• Started preparations for having children.
• We waited to celebrate being together this long.

Thank you for sharing in our journey and our love.

It's Friday, I'm in LoVE! #22

Happy Friday!


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Today I am just so in love with... everything! Shawn and I are so happy, in love, communicating well, married for a YEAR on Sunday!!! We have so many things to be happy about and we are finding ourselves really enjoying each moment and getting caught up in them.
We are so fortunate in so many ways :o)
Hopefully in two weeks my body cooperates with me and stays on track according to the charting I've been doing and we will have yet another reason to be happy very soon.

I am in love with you, readers, for all the wonderful things you share with me in your comments. I literally get a huge grin on my face reading your thoughts and encouragement. Y'all are great.

Things I love that I learned and made and did this week:

1. Already researching doulas and making appointments to meet with them. Shannon was nice, I can't wait to meet Carrie next week!
2. I love my family and the little things we do together.
3. I love my constant search for knowledge and how Shawn is the same way. The Transit was so fun on Tuesday to share with him!
4. I have the courage to be myself all the time no matter what. Finally.
5. I am GREAT at cooking! YAY!

Well, slap me and call me observant... and foodie.

via... why would I not use a picture of a baby for this?!


 Apparently the guest recipe post I wrote for Offbeat Home was published last night! I missed it! BAHHHHH... not observant yesterday. I wrote out a recipe for Guacamole and Homemade Baked Tortilla chips and it's good!

Other posts I've contributed:
Recipes
Quinoa Pilaf
Mooseloaf

How we decided to have babies
How and When in the Now

I have decided something...

While talking to my mom yesterday we discussed that my goal for sharing our Baby Journey on my blog is to express how I feel throughout openly and honestly. I blog what I feel, what I think and what I have to say. I don't want to change that now, and I already talked about why. I promise not to share anything personal about anyone else but myself; but it's going to be the good, bad and ugly of me... so I have decided to add a 'jump break' to posts that could be TMI for family and sensitive readers. This will change the way my blog looks in feeds, readers and email subscriptions. If you want to read these posts in the future, you'll just click on the link to go to the entire post. Thank you for your support and love; it makes a world of difference!

Transit!

Yesterday was a blast! Nia is so sweet and her parents are just bursting with pride and joy. For having held two very young babies in a short time, I must say although they are tiny, they are the only thing that seems bigger to me now that I am older. Everything else has "shrunk" (like Chuck E. Cheese's) compared to how I remember it except for babies. Odd, but it makes the fear of holding them cease!

After we left the hospital we went to the viewing area for the transit. We had a superb view of the Transit of Venus through several differnent telescopes, special goggles and with the projecting contraption above. It's so amazing to know how large Venus is considering how small this dot representing the planet looks. That just shows you how large the sun truly is (and how small we are)... it's nearly unfathomable. We will never see anything as huge in our lives, even in the United States where huge reigns. A lot of people showed up at the viewing site we went to and I was glad to see so much interest surrounding this rare event.
Here's a video about it:

Did you see it?

Omaha Farmer's Market

We made it to Tuesday! Yay!
We had a lovely talk with Shannon last night and we like her quite a bit. I can't wait to meet the other 2 ladies this month and choose a doula! Today is a very exciting day as well: it is the Transit of Venus! It's not happening for over a hundred more years so make sure to take a look if you can see it where you are. Shawn and I are going to an observation area if we cannot see it from our house later. After that, the excitement continues as our friends welcomed a baby girl into the world yesterday. Her name is Nia Lorraine and she came in at a little over 9 pounds! I can't wait to meet her and hold her... you all know how I just LOVE to hold babies. There's also an old adage that you'll conceive if you hold a newborn... couldn't hurt ;o)

Yesterday I forgot to share our trip to the Omaha Farmers' Market with you! We (including Peach) went with my parents (and their dog) and had a very nice time!

Have a great Tuesday! Are you going to watch the transit? Do you have a Farmers' Market?

TTC Adventure #1: Meet some doulas.

It's only the 4th and the first month of TTC is flying by! Today we have our first appointment with a Doula after we are both home from work. Her name is Shannon and we're very excited to meet with her!

You may be wondering, "What is a doula?" Wikipedia says:

A doula (pronounced "doó la", also known as a labour coach and originating from the Ancient Greek word δούλη meaning female servant or slave) is a nonmedical person who assists a woman before, during, or after childbirth, as well as her partner and/or family by providing information, physical assistance, and emotional support. The provision of continuous support during labour by doulas, or nurses, family, or friends, is associated with improved maternal and fetal health and a variety of other benefits.

So basically she would help us along with the midwife throughout the birth if it goes as "planned" as well as if a transfer to the hospital is needed. I consider a doula invaluable to us should we end up at the hospital; they can be great at helping you maintain your emotional focus with your partner while medical interventions can be negotiated along with your needs by the midwife. At home, I think she would help to do things like get pillows, towels, etc. while Shawn would stay with me the whole time. A lot of first-time dads/non-birthing parents take mild offense to the idea of a doula because they want to be the one to support their partner and think this job is being taken away by a doula. This is not so; they actually do a lot of work so that the parents can stay together and support each other!
So we have decided a doula would be helpful for our situation and plan to meet with 3 this month.

Some information I have found helpful:

DONA International
Doula.com
Do Doulas Replace Dads?
Differences between Doulas and Midwives
Choosing a Midwife or Doula

Would you use a doula?

Smothered Chicken over Lime Cabbage

This morning I mentioned that dinner last night was really good. I want to share the recipe!

Chicken Smothered in Fajita Veggies with Lime-Cabbage
(Serves 4)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (frozen is fine)
1 bell pepper of any color
1 onion
1 jalapeno
1 clove garlic
1 tsp olive oil

3 cups shredded green cabbage
4 tsp olive oil
1 lime
salt and pepper
Avocado

Preheat the oven to 350F for the chicken. Heat a pan to medium-hi and add a tsp of olive oil. Dice the garlic and chop your veggies into strips or chunks, whichever you prefer. DON'T TOUCH YOUR EYES!!! Add the veggies to the pan and saute until the edges get brown. Place the chicken in a roasting pan, top with the veggies and place in the preheated oven to cook (about 25 minutes).

Once the chicken is almost done, start preparing the cabbage. Roll the lime around on the counter under your palm to loosen the juice; cut in half and collect the juice. In a medium mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and stir well to coat evenly. Add a pile to each plate and top with the chicken and veggies, as well as some avocado slices. YOM!

It's Friday, I'm in LoVE! #21

Good morning! It's Friday!

Yesterday was crazy! Shawn got ran off the road into a sign by someone on the way home last night. He's OK, thank goodness. Now I hear that Stacie went trying to chop off her finger...

Today I love me because:

1. Looking at my cousin Jaimie's family pictures made me BAWL. Her children (including an 8-day-old baby boy! His dad was flown back across L. Michigan from work to make it in time!) are so precious.  
2. I made GOOD dinner last night. I'm posting the recipe later!
3. We pray more (everyday now) in the way we like to, and it helps us soooo much.
4. I'm being so patient now.
5. I am so excited and have a very good outlook on our new status as an Official TTC couple.

I'm learning a lot of acronyms as we are now TTC (Try to Conceive)... I don't like them all and I certainly don't understand them all but if I ever use a weird one (I'll try not to use any) I'll explain its meaning. Thanks for coming back today after yesterday.
If you haven't commented, please do! About anything; not just the post!