My day didn't start out all that happy. I was behind in my work by a day and a half because I called in sick and it was Friday which gives you a bogged down feeling because you're almost at the weekend but you're not there yet. I worked on little things and got up often, which was nice because it kept my back from hurting. If I sit too long I get back pain and standing up makes my hips feel like they've splayed out (which they may have from the relaxin in my system).
Just after lunch I decided to check the news because my husband said a ruling would be made about state workers going to minimum wage. Living in California we run the risk of a budget not being passed each year and state workers can be effected by it rather than the Legislature who is supposed to pass the budget. We get tired of this argument we get annually but there is not much we can do about it. Because my husband is a state worker he was told by his boss that everyone including my husband would be making Federal minimum wage starting in July until a budget was passed. My husband and I became quite irritable over this. While we have two incomes, we've only been living on one income and putting the 2nd income in savings. This was to prepare us for when I will give up work to care for the home and family. So, his going to minimum wage wasn't going to effect us very much other than to be very inconvenient.
Joy met my eyes when I found the news article stating that the Governor couldn't force the State Controller to pay out minimum wage. For the time being my husband will make his full wage until September, at which time hopefully they will have passed the budget. I ended up spending the rest of the day in a very joyful mood. I could barely contain my happiness, which led me to realize I was very upset over the minimum wage thing.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Tired slow day
I ended up not going to work today because I was just so tired. I could barely keep my eyes open. Is this supposed to happen when you are in your 2nd trimester? I'm thinking it was because our little guy was waking me up through the night with his kicking. Oh, and then there was the neighbor playing his loud music at 4am (we share a wall!). So, I called in sick and took a rest day. Funny thing is is that I got some of my house clean. It's been bugging me for a while so I decided my goal today would be to get the kitchen floor clean and work on the laundry. That was it. Nothing more.
While not pregnant, this task takes me about 30 minutes. Not so today. I put the dishes away and then took a little nap. Then I cleared the counters and took a little nap. I took the chairs and stools out and took a little nap. I swept the floors and then got something to eat for lunch. Once I had lunch I suddenly had much more energy. I cleaned the kitchen counters, washed the floors and scrubbed the sink. Took a little break then dusted the furniture that would go back into the dining room. I also changed the table cloth but after looking at it on the table all wrinkly I just couldn't stand it and got out the iron. Yes, ironing takes a while. The table cloth took about 30 minutes to iron but it looks so pretty now. I'm glad I took the time.
So, this strange cleaning schedule has me thinking that I need to only do one big thing a day so I don't wipe myself out and that task gets done thoroughly. I always wondered why people would say "Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday, Bake on Wednesday, Brew on Thursday, Churn on Friday, Mend on Saturday, go to church on Sunday". I wondered why people couldn't just do everything in one day? In our instant gratification culture, doing everything at once and play the rest of the time makes sense. But from the viewpoint of doing your best and enjoying cleaning, only doing one major project a day is much more logical. If I sweep too fast, I don't get all the little pieces of dirt that I end up stepping on later. If I do a quick wipe down, I usually miss the drip on the wall behind the garbage can. Spiders spin their webs where I cannot see and later I put my hand through them when I go to pick up a rarely used object. And all these little things that don't seem that important build up into a very dirty house. It makes my skin crawl when I know my house has not been thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom. It's what gives me spring fever for cleaning.
If you're pregnant or have a little one you really need to pace yourself in getting the house clean. You cannot get everything done in one go. When you're pregnant you wear out easily and you're limited on the weight lifting side. When you've got a little one, they need attention too. I want to enjoy my motherhood and my home-keeping. I'll take things a little at a time and be happy with what I've done. Right now, I'll enjoy my clean kitchen floor.
While not pregnant, this task takes me about 30 minutes. Not so today. I put the dishes away and then took a little nap. Then I cleared the counters and took a little nap. I took the chairs and stools out and took a little nap. I swept the floors and then got something to eat for lunch. Once I had lunch I suddenly had much more energy. I cleaned the kitchen counters, washed the floors and scrubbed the sink. Took a little break then dusted the furniture that would go back into the dining room. I also changed the table cloth but after looking at it on the table all wrinkly I just couldn't stand it and got out the iron. Yes, ironing takes a while. The table cloth took about 30 minutes to iron but it looks so pretty now. I'm glad I took the time.
So, this strange cleaning schedule has me thinking that I need to only do one big thing a day so I don't wipe myself out and that task gets done thoroughly. I always wondered why people would say "Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday, Bake on Wednesday, Brew on Thursday, Churn on Friday, Mend on Saturday, go to church on Sunday". I wondered why people couldn't just do everything in one day? In our instant gratification culture, doing everything at once and play the rest of the time makes sense. But from the viewpoint of doing your best and enjoying cleaning, only doing one major project a day is much more logical. If I sweep too fast, I don't get all the little pieces of dirt that I end up stepping on later. If I do a quick wipe down, I usually miss the drip on the wall behind the garbage can. Spiders spin their webs where I cannot see and later I put my hand through them when I go to pick up a rarely used object. And all these little things that don't seem that important build up into a very dirty house. It makes my skin crawl when I know my house has not been thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom. It's what gives me spring fever for cleaning.
If you're pregnant or have a little one you really need to pace yourself in getting the house clean. You cannot get everything done in one go. When you're pregnant you wear out easily and you're limited on the weight lifting side. When you've got a little one, they need attention too. I want to enjoy my motherhood and my home-keeping. I'll take things a little at a time and be happy with what I've done. Right now, I'll enjoy my clean kitchen floor.
Friday, July 9, 2010
My Grandmother is so Funny!
My husband and I were dropping my mom off so my dad could take her home after the OBGYN appointment. My dad had decided while we were busy at the doctors to take my 10 year old niece and 8 year old nephew to visit my Nana (my grandmother on my dad's side) and play a few rounds of Parcheesi. We decided to also visit for a little while as we waited to go to the ultrasound. My mom was asking Nana how long it took to have each of her babies, she had 4 children.
Nana said that my Aunt Carol took the longest and that my dad (who was next in line of siblings) was a lot faster. Nana never got sick during any of her pregnancies and she said she loved being pregnant. She had also told my mom many years ago that her babies just popped out like squeezing a tube of toothpaste. We were of course skeptical because you never hear of easy child labor from the medical community. But we were quite stunned to hear that my dad took 25 minutes of labor and my Aunt Carol took 35 minutes. Can you imagine 35 minutes as a long labor? We almost died laughing. I hope I am as lucky as my grandmother.
I've been feeling the little guy kick in there. I wasn't so sure the past few days since it always felt like my heartbeat. Yet, after watching the Ultrasound and feeling the kicks the same time he would move I am now positive all that banging around in there is him. He thinks he wants space now but wait a few more weeks and he'll be quite crammed.
I love being pregnant. I could only wish people were so fortunate as I am in this pregnancy.
Nana said that my Aunt Carol took the longest and that my dad (who was next in line of siblings) was a lot faster. Nana never got sick during any of her pregnancies and she said she loved being pregnant. She had also told my mom many years ago that her babies just popped out like squeezing a tube of toothpaste. We were of course skeptical because you never hear of easy child labor from the medical community. But we were quite stunned to hear that my dad took 25 minutes of labor and my Aunt Carol took 35 minutes. Can you imagine 35 minutes as a long labor? We almost died laughing. I hope I am as lucky as my grandmother.
I've been feeling the little guy kick in there. I wasn't so sure the past few days since it always felt like my heartbeat. Yet, after watching the Ultrasound and feeling the kicks the same time he would move I am now positive all that banging around in there is him. He thinks he wants space now but wait a few more weeks and he'll be quite crammed.
I love being pregnant. I could only wish people were so fortunate as I am in this pregnancy.
Guess what we're having?
We're having a Boy! I thought it would be a girl but my husband has been dreaming of boys and said so when we were in the ultrasound. The sonographer was very sweet and she showed us everything she could, explaining as she went. The little guy was yawning, waving his hands, and bouncing around in my womb. It took a while for her to get him in a position to tell what it was that we would be having. Finally, she glimpsed the evidence and pointed it out to us. When my husband asked if she was sure (he still only saw blobs on the screen) she said while pointing to the image, "That's a leg. That's a leg. That's not a leg." Then because my husband was still having a hard time she put an arrow on the image that would be printed out for us. So, we're having a boy!
We're very excited and now I have to fill up the baby registry. I'm trying my best to figure out what we want to do clothing wise. Boys are pretty easy to dress but I'd love to make some hand sewn pieces. I think the baptismal gown will be made by me and yes he will be wearing a baby dress. It's so funny when I think of books like "Anne's House of Dreams" and Anne lamenting the fact that she had to shorten the dress for her baby boy, presumably so he could crawl. Then putting him in rompers. We don't do things the same way anymore and it seems sad. All that sewing knowledge lost. I can make him some layettes. And I can make him blankets and bibs. Maybe even a bonnet.
I'm off to figure out what it is that we would like. Thank goodness for family who are generous and have promised us several pieces.
We're very excited and now I have to fill up the baby registry. I'm trying my best to figure out what we want to do clothing wise. Boys are pretty easy to dress but I'd love to make some hand sewn pieces. I think the baptismal gown will be made by me and yes he will be wearing a baby dress. It's so funny when I think of books like "Anne's House of Dreams" and Anne lamenting the fact that she had to shorten the dress for her baby boy, presumably so he could crawl. Then putting him in rompers. We don't do things the same way anymore and it seems sad. All that sewing knowledge lost. I can make him some layettes. And I can make him blankets and bibs. Maybe even a bonnet.
I'm off to figure out what it is that we would like. Thank goodness for family who are generous and have promised us several pieces.
20 Week Appointment Today
Today is our 20 week appointment with the OBGYN and we also get to have the big anatomy ultrasound today as well. I'm pretty excited and the best part is that my husband and my mother will get to meet my OBGYN.
This will be my 2nd OBGYN during this pregnancy and when I met her last time I was very impressed. She didn't make me feel ignorant and answered all of my questions. I really love being treated like an adult. The first OBGYN was so impersonal and cold that neither I nor my husband got a good vibe from her. When we got home my husband called his sister, who works in a NICU down in Modesto, to find a new OBGYN that she would recommend. After a few phone calls we got rearranged with doctors and I'm feeling much more comfortable. I think what I really like about our OBGYN is that she just had a baby herself only a few months ago.
So, at 10:15 we'll see my OBGYN for a regular checkup. Then my husband and I will drop my mom off at my grandmother's where my dad and my niece and nephew will be playing Parcheesi with her. The hard part will come when I need to drink 16 oz of water 1 1/2 hours before the ultrasound and not go to the bathroom in the meantime. How unfair is that? It makes me a little nervous that they want me to hold my bladder that long. At 12:45pm I get to show up to fill out paperwork and then we get to see the anatomy of our baby in an ultrasound. I'm pretty excited because I think we finally determined that we will ask for what the sex of our baby will be. I know that they have the possibility of being incorrect but that is a risk we are willing to take. We can always take back items if they are wrong, and what we cannot take back we can save for our future babies.
Pregnancy has gone very well for me. I didn't have any morning sickness in my first trimester and the only thing I had a problem with was that I got really tired to the point where I was a danger to drive. I haven't had any problems food wise. Generally, I eat bland food anyways so I didn't have much of a reaction to food. The only problem I had was canned soup. One sip and I knew I couldn't eat it. I got the same feeling as when you try something too salty. We tried low sodium but it didn't matter. I think it was the preservatives in the soup.
So, here comes the doctor's appointment and I am getting very excited. :)
This will be my 2nd OBGYN during this pregnancy and when I met her last time I was very impressed. She didn't make me feel ignorant and answered all of my questions. I really love being treated like an adult. The first OBGYN was so impersonal and cold that neither I nor my husband got a good vibe from her. When we got home my husband called his sister, who works in a NICU down in Modesto, to find a new OBGYN that she would recommend. After a few phone calls we got rearranged with doctors and I'm feeling much more comfortable. I think what I really like about our OBGYN is that she just had a baby herself only a few months ago.
So, at 10:15 we'll see my OBGYN for a regular checkup. Then my husband and I will drop my mom off at my grandmother's where my dad and my niece and nephew will be playing Parcheesi with her. The hard part will come when I need to drink 16 oz of water 1 1/2 hours before the ultrasound and not go to the bathroom in the meantime. How unfair is that? It makes me a little nervous that they want me to hold my bladder that long. At 12:45pm I get to show up to fill out paperwork and then we get to see the anatomy of our baby in an ultrasound. I'm pretty excited because I think we finally determined that we will ask for what the sex of our baby will be. I know that they have the possibility of being incorrect but that is a risk we are willing to take. We can always take back items if they are wrong, and what we cannot take back we can save for our future babies.
Pregnancy has gone very well for me. I didn't have any morning sickness in my first trimester and the only thing I had a problem with was that I got really tired to the point where I was a danger to drive. I haven't had any problems food wise. Generally, I eat bland food anyways so I didn't have much of a reaction to food. The only problem I had was canned soup. One sip and I knew I couldn't eat it. I got the same feeling as when you try something too salty. We tried low sodium but it didn't matter. I think it was the preservatives in the soup.
So, here comes the doctor's appointment and I am getting very excited. :)
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Mary Garden
I've been thinking for a while that I want to make a Mary Garden, but I haven't found very many inspirational websites. There is this one by the Fish Eaters and this one that is very extensive on research. But I have the same problem for both. There is a lack of examples of what other people have done. I like pictures and I've love websites on vegetable gardening like Urban Homestead and Square Foot Gardening.
I will eventually have space to have a garden but I have no plans or inspiring examples. Any help finding good Mary Garden examples is much appreciated.
I will eventually have space to have a garden but I have no plans or inspiring examples. Any help finding good Mary Garden examples is much appreciated.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)