A Happy Day

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.  :)

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.

Perfect little modesty top

I have discovered the best little tops!  These are called t-lets and they are wonderful.  I've ordered 5 in total so far and I wear them everyday under all my dresses and any top I feel is not modest enough.  I love the coverage both front and back and the best part is that it doesn't cover my stomach.  If you've been pregnant you know you don't want more layers on your tummy in the summer.  An extra bonus is that they are perfect for the breast feeding momma.  I can't wait to try it out.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/gettisaccessories

What do you do?

I am a sleep talker.  I've been so since I was a child.  My mom used to get mad at us kids because we would all be talking at night and my mom thought we were talking to each other.  But after listening to our conversations she realized we were all sleep talkers.  My brother also would walk in his sleep so my mother put bells on all the doors so she would hear if one of us tried to leave the house while sleeping.  When I was in the military at 19 years old I was surprised to find out I murmur in my sleep with no distinguishable words.  I asked my mom and found out I had a long history of such talking.  I wasn't sure if I still had the same problem as an adult because I was abstinent and didn't sleep with anyone.  I knew I snored, especially if I wasn't on any allergy medication.  My husband recorded me one night after we got married, much to my annoyance, and let me listen to how loud I was.  I sort of sounded like my dad who snores really loudly.  I wasn't as loud as him but I was congested.  I had hoped I would stop snoring after I had septoplastic surgery which straightened out my deviated septum.  Alas, I have allergies which act much like a deviated septum.  Being pregnant I knew that allergy meds were likely out of the question but my allergies got so bad last month that I ended up getting very sick and came down with a nasty cold.  The doctors prescribed me allergy medication and I was able to recover.  I was very thankful as well as desperate when I couldn't sleep for 5 days straight because I'd stop breathing whenever I'd lay down.  It's almost been a month now that I've been on allergy medication.  I've stopped snoring but have started making noises at night with my vocal cords.  My husband is very annoyed but I can't help it.  I have no way of preventing it and no way of stopping it.  I'm hoping he will come to accept it but I have a feeling this is very very frustrating to him.  I feel bad during the day but when he tells me to stop at night I'm annoyed because I'm tired and he woke me up.   If only I didn't talk in my sleep.  I'm betting our children will talk too when they are old enough.  We'll see.

Sick Day

Today was supposed to be my first day back at work after a 13 day vacation and yet, I'm not there.  Why?  My husband and I are sick.  My husband brought home a bug on Wednesday and kindly shared it with me.  Ever since then we've both been out of commission and I haven't slept since Thursday.  What sort of a terrible cold does that to a person?  It wasn't because I was feeling sick that I couldn't sleep, I can usually sleep through that, rather it was because anytime I stopped moving around and laid down I felt like I was drowning.  So, I haven't slept and I've been very frustrated because I didn't want to go to Urgent Care because I'm pregnant and who knows what they would try to give me in the way of medication.  When I finally got through to my PCP and they gave me an appointment for this afternoon I broke down and cried.  I really hope that they can give me some relief.  Especially for my allergies which are driving me up the wall!  My guess right now is that I have severe allergies, congestion from being pregnant, a sinus infection, and bacterial conjunctivitis.  :)  Sounds like fun huh?  So in about 3 hours I find out what they can do for me.  Hopefully they will help me sleep. 

Books I love...

I don't know if there will ever be a time that I grow tired of reading the Anne of Green Gables series.  The language is beautiful, complex by today's standards, and the values are that which I hold and wish to continue to hold.  I first discovered Anne of Green Gables when PBS aired it in the late 1980's.  I remember helping my mother fold laundry while we watched the beautiful story unfold.  I was already in love with my neighbor's Victorian house and here was a movie that gave me beautiful things to look at.  I wanted red hair, I wanted granny boots, I wanted to wear dresses and pinafores.  I wanted to be the character's so badly that in my mind I invented a machine that I could give it a book and it would let me "live" the life of the character of my choosing from birth to death.  I think I got most of that idea from Star Trek: The Next Generation and their holograph machine. 

When I was in the 6th grade I decided to see if I could read the books because they were labeled for 6th grade reading levels.  I could read most of the words but I could not grasp the understanding of the books.  I felt like I was woefully behind in my ability to read and I was the best reader in my class.  I summed it up to a Canadian/England 6th grade reading level not a US 6th grade reading level.  That made me feel a little better and I was sorely disappointed in my public education. 

Eventually, I was able to read the books.  Up until that point, I had thought that Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel was a great film.  Then I noticed a sincere lack of continuity from the book to the film.  I shrugged my shoulders and figured it was what they would have done anyways no matter the protesting.  Then Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story came out and it made me downright mad.  What were they doing throwing the books away?!!  I could not understand why they wouldn't use the material they already had.  Why did they have to whole cloth fabricate a story like that and put the character names I so loved on these shallow stupid film characters.  I had been watching a lot of Masterpiece Theater by that time and I had gotten used to faithful renditions of classic novels.  Why did they have to do such horrible things?  Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning was the last straw.  I cannot watch anymore films that come from Sullivan Entertainment company.  They did fine with Anne of Green Gables and the series Road to Avonlea (though most of that came from a mesh of the books written by L.M. Montgomery), but that is it.  I am so grumpy over their blasphemy!

Aside from the terrible films that came out in their name, the books are wonderful to read.  Anytime that I am feeling low or blue or melancholy over the way our culture has turned out I turn to this series for comfort and solace.  I read them slowly, savoring the very language.  I exult in the triumphs and I cry at the tragedies.  I don't normally cry over books.  The Lord of the Rings series made me cry but only because they were over and I wanted to keep reading.  In the Anne books I become one with the characters and I cry when they have a loved one die.  The books that always make me cry are Anne of Green Gables, Anne's House of Dreams, and Rilla of Ingleside. 

Just today I finished Rilla of Ingleside again and I was so heart broken over the tragedy of World War I and the consequences of protecting that which we believe in and love.  It is mostly with that last book that I realize that war is not senseless but necessary at times.  World War I was horrible but the men who went off and fought in those wars did so to protect their way of life.  These were farmers and fisherman who had families and sweethearts.  They believed in God and Church.  They believed that it was wrong to just take and kill, that lives were at stake and their freedom was at stake.  What sort of a world would we live in now if Germany had been victorious?  Would we be under German rule still?  This was before Communism, Socialism, and Nazism took hold of Germany.  They still had the rule of Capitalism and Imperialism.  I didn't know anything about World War I until I read this last book and what I read was heartbreaking.  The author does not write in first person of the grisliness of the battlefield.  Rather she writes from the perspective of the waiting family at home who anxiously pray that they don't get a telegram telling them that their loved one has been killed or missing in action.  What did the families do at home in World War I?  I could tell you what they did in World War II and I would have confused WWI with thought and behaviors that were not consistent to an Edwardian era.  I wish there was more balance in the education of students today.  People know there was a WWI only because there was a WWII.  It makes me mad that so many know so little of our history.  The pacifist/relativist movement makes me doubly mad because they think that if we never go to war we will be left alone.  That doesn't work with bullies either in the school yard or on the battlefield.  Everyone is not right in their beliefs, someone has to be wrong.  We need to stand firm in our faith and protect the innocent from the bully. 

That being said the Anne of Green Gables series written by L.M. Montgomery is a beautiful Christian set of books that spout platitudes, maxims, and hardcore Christian beliefs.  They are worth the read and should be treasured by each generation. 

A Woman's Place is having a givaway!

Beautiful sacrifice beads anyone would want.  I'm just thrilled to post it here.  Please go take a look: http://awomansplaceis.blogspot.com/2010/05/full-of-grace-silver-sacrifice-bead-set.html

Movies watched

Recently I've been trying to watch films to find good films, both for my family and friends.  One of the best films I saw recently was Ponyo.  I know it looks weird and it's a cartoon and the title is strange.  But the great part about this film is that it doesn't bash religion at all and the morals are those we want to pass on like generosity, courage and love.  It doesn't really matter that the main characters are only 5 years old.  The only part I'm not thrilled about is the Sea Queen.  But I grew up with fantasy and that is what this film is. 

A film I'm not thrilled about is "9".  The animation is good but the film is dark and depressing.  It's also a case against humanity and that we create war.  I'm tired of these movies.  I would expect this in an adult film but it's aimed at children.  Not something I like.  Also, the characters are so flat and confusing.  Where did the main character get his knowledge if he was only created a very short time ago?  Why is everyone rebelling?  And the squashed girl syndrome is present in this film too with the girl fighter.  Why do they keep pushing women into the fighting role and the leadership role?  I find it highly annoying.  At least they talk about souls in this film rather than pretend a human doesn't have a soul.  But that you can transfer a soul to an inanimate object?  Yuck.  That is very against the order of nature.  Don't watch it. 

LAF is Back!

http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/

Hurray!  The LAF is back.  I've been following this website for a few years now and have found many great resources.  This is produced by many lovely ladies who are concerned about what the Feminist movement has done to our society and children.  I strongly urge everyone to visit this website and read the articles available.  I hope everyone enjoys their hard work as much as I have.

http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/

My soul rejoices

How wonderful the world is!  Last night I had a wonderful discussion with my dear husband that I was nervous about bringing up.  One thing we never really discussed before we got married was what we believed was good for our children.  I'm not talking about toys, but the role of a young woman or a young man.  How far should we have our children educated?  Should they all have jobs and get a career before having a family? 

I was justifiable nervous because my father raised me to be self-sufficient.  To be self-sufficient is to not be reliant on someone else.  I am finding this to be a challenge in my marriage.  I have this horrible tendency to just do things myself rather than let my husband do them, simply because he doesn't do things "my way" or he's not efficient.  Yet, men need to do things themselves.  They need to strive and work towards a goal.  If I do everything, I'm cutting his ambition off at the knees. 

I've been listening to a wonderful CD set put out by the Vision Forum Ministries called "A Wise Woman's Guide to Blessing Her Husband's Vision".  It hearkens back to a time before the Feminist movement took over and we still lived in a Patriarch society.  (I find nothing wrong with my husband being the head of our family and me being subject to his decisions.  I did very careful discernment during our courtship and engagement to find out if he would be a "good" husband.  And he is.  He would never intentionally hurt me physically, emotionally, or spiritually.  The only thing I need to fear is the ways of the Devil trying to work his way into our lives.  Thankfully, my husband is also very spiritual and loves going to Mass and confession.  His discernment is something to desire).  So far, I've listened to this CD set 4 times.  It is so enriching and everything I believe in.  It makes me want to passionately jump right into life as a homemaker. 

Now, here was the difficulty I was trying to reconcile.  I currently work outside the home.  I had a job before we got married and because I brought a car loan with me I knew we needed to pay it off before I could stay home (I would never dream of having my husband pick up my debt when I have the ability to pay it off myself).   Also, we want a 6 month cushion of savings in case my husband has to take minimum wage pay for a while due to the state budget not being past.  Which all means that I am stuck at work until about August.  I don't begrudge my husband for my need to work.  I understand the financial responsibilities that are in play right now.  We don't have a child yet, though I am pregnant, and my job is not horribly stressful, just boring and I feel like I could be doing something much more productive. 

I wasn't sure what my husbands' feelings were on how we should raise daughters if we had one or many.  In a world where everyone is supposed to have a career, this does not sit well with me.  I plan on being a homemaker for the next 50 years at least.  My college education has done little to prepare me for that.  I was able to take sewing classes, which I am so thankful for, but other than that I've got nothing.  I even tried to find cooking classes at my local college but all they had was one nutrition class which didn't teach you anything about kitchen science. 

I want to raise my daughters to be either homemakers or religious.  Both are very compatible in what you need to learn (but that really leaves out higher education and careers).  So, I hedged my way around my question until I finally got out what I wanted to know.  Did my husband think that women should work outside the home?  His answer was "No". 

Thank the Lord Almighty!  Now I can dream dreams I hadn't dared to dream!  I can homeschool my little girls and boys.  I can make my little girls dresses for church and play.  I can make my whole family costumes for reenactments of bible scenes and the lives of the saints.  I can teach my children how to cook and bake.  I can teach my children how to clean a home and make it comfortable to live in.  I can teach my children how to go to a grocery store and buy food on a budget and do meal planning.  I can teach my children how to garden and my little girls how to grow a flower garden.  I can teach my little girls how to make clothing and my little boys how to patch a hole in their jeans.  I can teach them all how to be thrifty and frugal.  My husband will teach the boys house repair skills and construction skills.  He'll teach them all about a love for Christ and how important it is to have faith and a belief in the Catholic Church (no matter how many sinners there are in it).  My husband will also teach the boys the necessity of providing for their own families.  About a need to not go into debt or file bankruptcy. 

My family will thrive and be faithful.  We will learn day by day and grow in Christ together.  Thanks be to God!

In the beginning...

What I like about blogs are the photos.  I like seeing people's families, moments, and personal disasters.  I love living through other people.  Here are some photos I took of a fantastic deal I found when a tea parlor was closing...sniff...and I spent about $200 on everything I could grab. 

I can't wait to have my own tea party.  Now, if only my husband will tell me where he hid the sugar.