Denver : Day 2

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The Saturday of our trip we woke up ready to explore. I donned a fun outfit and we headed out to Golden, CO.

The Buffalo Rose Saloon

We didn't know much about Golden until we got there but we got our first lesson just by the look of the town; it's the Old West! We walked down the main street and selected the Buffalo Rose restaurant to settle in and eat up before taking down some beer. I got, wait for it, a carnitas Cuban sandwich... YES. Pickles, whole-grain mustard, carnitas, ham, cheese; it was all there and it was SO good. I may even try to replicate it at home.

After our lunch we walked over to 13th and Ford to get in line for the Coor's tour...

It's Friday, I'm in LoVE!!! #29

Yay, Friday. The week is over! And what a week it was...

We got home at around 6AM Tuesday from the Denver vacation (more on that to come in the next few weekdays) and went right to bed after driving all night. After we woke up around 1PM or 2PM we picked Peach up from Shawn's parents'. After getting home she broke out in a rash of hives all over; usually I'm the only one with that issue! It was everywhere: in her ears, on her belly, on her face. Cool baths and snuggles made them go away that first day but Wednesday night was horrible! She started to get an absolutely puffy face and we could tell she was miserable so we went to Walgreens in the dark of night for Benadryl. Quickly we rushed back home to give her a tablet and it helped! She still wouldn't eat but she would take water. We all got back to bed and slept some more, then woke up to get ready to go to our respective jobs and crates. Then she puked.
And again.
...And again.
So I called into work and told them I'd be taking her to the vet. At our appointment the vet said it looked like a bee sting to her (her one dog reacts the same way) and she gave Peach a steroid shot to make the inflammation go away. 12 hours later she only had a half Benadryl last night before bed and she looks great! She is spry and all Peachy again, barking at bunnies and whatnot. She even went with us to hear (from the parking lot, high-class style) Cake at the Stir near our house. She sat on her blanket chewing her bone and barked at bunnies and people sitting near us... Short Skirt + Long Jacket sounded great live even if we couldn't see the band!

So today, I love me because:

1. That day I said I wanted to love Peach better? It's as if after I said that, she knew I loved her, and we've been, well, peachy ever since; she is my baby buggypug now :o)
2. I didn't drive the ones I love crazy with babycrack this month.
3. I'm getting FABULOUS at letting good things I want just make their way to me... softly.
4. I know I am unique and pretty, and I told myself that yesterday.
5. I am keeping the faith everyday.
6. I am asking for help from others, even if it is just for baby prayers/thoughts/meditations.

Have a nice weekend!

Denver : Day 1

The first day we arrived in Denver was Shawn's official birthday and we had to celebrate right: Mexican food, margaritas and Reggae.

We started out at Pinche Taqueria on York.



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It was CRAZY busy!!! And for good reasons: the small, visible kitchen was chucking out taco-truck style goodies and the wall-sized chalkboard in the rear boasted dozens of specialty tequilas you could order to taste. We ordered margaritas while we waited for a space to open up and they were great. Strong yet delicious and without a bitter sting.

After about 15 minutes we found a seat at the bar counter in the center of the main area. We sat across from each other right where the plant is on the counter in this photo.

Photo for EAT-Denver by A. Larkey

The menu was a la carte style so Shawn and I each got 2 or 3 tacos as well as an appetizer of chips with cheese dip. The chips are made in-restaurant and come in a little lunch bag! So cute.
After our thoroughly yummy dinner we ordered a shot sampler of Casa Noble tequila which tastes a lot like Earth/dirt and mint/rosemary. It was interesting and very enjoyable in the quanitity we tried.

After going back to the hotel we put Shawn's freshened mohawk up for his birthday night out on the town. We now have a tried-and-true method that takes about one-third to one-half the time it usually did before... I might blog a how-to!

We walked and took the RTD bus towards FunkyBuddha and proceeded upstairs to their patio rooftop where Bob Marley, the Wailers and many other Reggae and Rasta artists sang Shawn a quantum round of Happy Birthday.

I didn't feel well from drinking too much earlier in the day (harrrr...) and got admittedly cranky/bitchy near 1AM so we went back to our room and slept until almost noon the next day.
Looking back, it is safe to say we just scratched the very surface on Day 1; stick close by for days 2-4 coming soon!!!

It's Friday, I'm in LoVE! #28

Today is Shawn's birthday!!!
Last year at this time we had found our house and were waiting to close.

This year we have found our health and are waiting for the Universe to bring us a baby.
I wonder what next year will be like!

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This year I don't have ice cream cake... yet, but I do have a very special vacation planned for Shawn to Denver and until this moment it has been a BIG SECRET!!!
I have a mile-long list of things he can pick and choose to do and it will be so much fun! I can't wait!

Happy Birthday, Love.
BUNNNNNNNNNNNN!!! Youehmine.

Bobble Dots!

Yesterday I mentioned that the 2nd hoodie I have made for us to save is sized 8 months. I am making it with pink + gray ombre yarn and texturing it with little bobble polka dots.

I love how the variegated yarn kind of makes diagonal "stripes" across the pieces.

Mmm so cute!!! Even if we don't get lucky at baby lottery for another 2 months this would look great on a little gal in February, too. :o)

See what I did there?Yeh. Doin' well.

Better.

Sorry for the cryptic bit of sad yesterday... had a bad babycrack day.

Anyway, the more and more we crunch numbers the more we see how much easier saving money and buying baby things will be after August.

In smaller and yet smaller sizes I keep making more baby hoodies for us to save. 9-months might be too big to use in December if we got pregnant this month. I might even have the baby on my birthday if this cycle works out. So now I'm working on an 8-month sized hoodie. It's pink-to-gray ombre stripes with little "bobble" polka dots. I don't have a picture yet, but it's textured like this:

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And colored like this:


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The hood is almost done; I'll try to post pictures tomorrow.
In the meantime, Shawn is trying to figure out where we are going on vacation very soon, and I am not sharing after the Chicago-Surprise he pulled on me. He will have to just WAIT. :o)

Peace Doesn't Always Mean No Pain

Note to self: Be still.

It's Friday, I'm in LoVE! #27

I'm making it short today!

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 Today I love me because:

1. I have been very in-the-moment, especially for the last week.
2. I took a break from Offbeat Mama and hardcore charting... I like it.
3. Today is my lucky day!

Today I love me AND Shawn because:

1. Despite getting a King Sized bed after tax season, we have been sleeping in the old double size, now-guest-bed all week... Oh, bun.
2. There are no other two people who think a good time includes (in order):
   - Taking the dog for a walk
   - Coming home to make/eat dinner
   - Watching Seinfeld on the couch and having a homemade margarita
   - Having a nightcap of cereal
   - Falling asleep in a bed half the size of your own to The Wall on vinyl

Have a great weekend, everyone!

"Let's put that on the fridge..."

Remember a while back when I was mad?
I said I had an issue owning up to the fact that things I create and do are amazing and dynamic; like everytime I shared news or a creation I perceived that it was received with a "Oh, that's nice... let's put that on the fridge."

No more.
A couple of days ago I was finishing my yoga with a relaxation/meditation and tried as I did, I couldn't keep thinking about this issue of mine. This was one of those times that being just the right amount of crazy like I am really helped me: I started a conversation with myself.

"Self, why do you think people feel like that?"
"Because everyone else's news is just so legit all the time."
  "How is it more legit than yours?"
"... I guess it's not."
  "Oh. So you feel like other people don't take your news as seriously because you don't take your news as seriously?"
"...I guess that is why."
  "Well that's enough of that then, isn't it?"

Out loud: "Yes. Yes it is quite enough of that."
In my head: "All of that; including the talking to myself bit."

But really. I can go back in my memories and correct that issue I had and it seems so obvious now. The wedding was a big deal: look how many people came just for us, how many people helped to put up decorations, how many things people took charge of and did just for us.
THAT was a big deal; still is. So they must have thought so, and still do.

DUH, Hillary... just... duh.

1, 2, 3... A, B, C

I am a machine!

Since becoming obsessed with my latest pattern creation 11 days ago, I have whipped out a total of 3 baby hoodies. I have been playing with resizing my original pattern which was sized 9 months.

The peach crochet baby hoodie below is for sale! It is sized for a newborn; very tiny. 

The purple hoodie is for a couple at work and it is sized for a newborn up to 11 pounds.

If you would like a baby or even adult sized one, email me or visit my etsy store!

The free version of the pattern is here if you'd like to go it on your own.

TMI Post #1: What "trying" means to Us.

Over the weekend following the Friday post several family members showed me their love by making their best attempts at making me feel better.

"don't stress."
"just relax."
"stop trying."

However, it should be noted that "don't stress" and "just relax" has never been good fertility advice and it never will be; it actually makes the person trying to conceive stress more and relax less. Besides, it's hurtful to be told "don't feel this way" when you are allowing yourself to feel however you want... feelings aren't wrong; only what you do with them can be. It would be much more gentle to simply ask, "how are you feeling?" than to assume I'm feeling upset, stressed, or anything else! I'd love the chance to discuss my feelings by starting the conversation with that question than starting from a defensive place because the way I feel has been assumed.
And the bit about "stop trying" doesn't sound as bad as it might seem: it's meant more like, "just let it happen."  But if you knew what our definition of "trying" was in the first place this might seem (and did for a minute) like a suggestion that we shouldn't have children at all.

So if you would like me to explain what we mean by "we're trying," click the link below to continue after the jump.

It's Friday, I'm in LoVE! #26

Then only thing keeping me from writing this post entirely out of obscenities (or at least the first paragraph) is the fact that I can get drunk tonight.

Yup, the whooooore showed up.


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Firstly, please don't tell me you're sorry; I know you are and I love you, but hearing this has just been making me well up and throw shit today. Women are wired to agree and my estrogen is very high right now, so if you're sorry, then I'll be sorry and I don't want to be! Instead, leave me a comment with an activity I couldn't do if I were pregnant.

I honestly did really well this morning when I woke up to her ugly ass face. I can handle either outcome but not knowing is the WORST.

So today I love me because:

1. I'm getting drunk. All weekend.
2. I'm elbows-deep in crochet baby hoodies
3. I'm making a hoodie for the surprise-pregnant people at work. 7 weeks ago I was bitter.
4. I'm really happy for the women who got pregnant this month that I talk to on fertility websites. Really. Jealous, but genuinely happy for them.
5. I love my cats.
6. I'm going to try to love Peach better. She's just soooo damn crazy all the time.
7. I'm letting myself feel however I want today.

Have a nice weekend.

Hang in There, Baby!

No news(usually)=good news, but in my case: no blog news=no news.

Everywhere I look are 13's... I know I am doing right by myself no matter what, I just have to have faith and well,

I also found a chart that made me feel SO much better about levels of pregnancy hormone in your body based on days past ovulation (DPO). Apparently if you have no AF (Aunt Flo!) and it's not 18DPO, you're not out of the game! YAY!


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Today I had to work and I blasted through too much of today's and tomorrow's work in the first hour I was here... WOMP. So I'm keeping myself busy with music and finding positive things like the kitty picture and Lady Gaga Youtube videos. My ascendant horoscope:

"If you're either worrying about the future or feeling guilty about the past, you're not enjoying the moment!"

Only 2 months ago I didn't even know if we could try to have children. We've come a long way.

"...it's alright, a-alright
Just dance, gonna be okay, da da doo-doo-mmm
Just dance, spin that record babe, da da doo-doo-mmm
Just dance, gonna be okay, d-d-d-dance
Dance, dance, just, j-j-just dance."

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T-Minus 4 Days

I have had really good days during this 2-week wait... and today is not one of them.
I cycle between being hopeful, happy with anticipation, optimistic, and then crazy.
Take a guess at what today is...!

I am just thankful that I get out of work early today and can go home to nap. Then Shawn said he'll buy me a digital test at the store for Saturday morning. As of right now, I have no AF (Aunt Flo... guess who that is), no squinters (faint + lines on any tests), and no clue... I just have to wait.

I couldn't even "cheat" and test early; there's nothing there.
So until further notice, I'm keeping myself busy with yoga, crochet and taking cat pictures.
Enjoy.