Indie Mommy

Quilt Time!

2011-04-01T13:57:00.005+09:00

Thank goodness for a 1.5 week break inbetween classes.

Between the 25th and now, I was able to get half of my Moda Fandango Charming Stars Quilt done!

See the progress:
64 chain-stitch, hung from the door to try and show its massive length

Stretched out in the hallway, a better representation (with help from the bunny/kitty)Trying to see if my star's colors are balanced

As it stands now.

So I pose this question to you now: Are the colors balanced? These were all taken with my iPhone, so the colors are a bit bold/over-corrected.

Now, in conclusion, bunny/kitty cuteness.

Beaker (the bunny) was rescued via the Sacramento House Rabbit Society. I love rescuing rabbits, and he has been THE BEST bunny to date. Hangs out with the cat, very well potty trained, and hardly chews on stuff.

Updatezilla!

2011-03-12T16:03:00.007+09:00

So, to anyone who cares to read my blog...

I appologize. I've gotten caught up with life, work, homework, and...life.

I'm actually kind of sad that I didn't keep up with Nolan's month milestones... now, Its hard to remember what he did and when he did it.

So, where does that leave us? Two months worth of updates?

Let the flood of pictures begin! (Actual update will occur in the next posting!)

8 Months!

8 1/2 months! (aka cute sleepytime pics)

9 Months!

Nolan 7 Months!

2011-01-10T10:24:00.003+09:00

Words to follow!

6 Month Checkup!

2010-12-17T10:36:00.004+09:00

So,
I've been waiting to post Nolan's 6-month check-in until he's had his checkup...but It took longer than I thought!

Hmm... how many fingers old am I again?
At 6 Months old, Nolan is...

16lbs!! Holy Moley! I'm sooo glad he is up in weight!!

Sitting up unassisted!
I'm so proud of my little guy! He'll sit there for ages and play with his hands, or toys...
Oh, Hai mom!
Wow it's hard to sum up all of his milestones!! There are soooo many... he's

exploring with his hands
grabbing everything and anything that is paper (and wanting to eat it...my son the goat boy)
loving new textures
grabbing faces (especially mommies)

mmmm...tasty feet...

And wanting to eat his feet.

Design Wall Monday

2010-12-06T23:35:00.003+09:00

This weekend has been AWESOME.

I managed to finish my homework in record time, meaning I had all day Saturday to sew, and Sunday I spent pruning the rose bushes, driving around my new town finding a grocery store, and lounging on the couch sewing on my binding.

Now I have a question for you ladies...

How large to you make your stitch on YOUR binding? And what style? These quilts are for a pair of rough-housing 5-year-olds, so I wanted to make sure it would last...but it's taken me at least 3 hours just to do this one side! And its a small quilt!

I think i'm going to take it to work with me... while I'm siting around reading I can at least keep my hands busy!!

Long Overdue update!

2010-12-02T11:24:00.003+09:00

Yes, it has happened. Work, School, Thanksgiving, and BABY has all taken my wonderful free time away.... uggh.

Here is a quick iPhone picture update, since I have neither the time nor the energy to upload proper pictures...maybe next week.

First up... 3 year anniversary!

Richard and I celebrated 3 years of marriage with a much-needed trip to San Fransisco. He bought me a lovely matching pair of Black Pearl earrings and pennant... and we had dinner at "our" restaurant, Benihana.

Thanksgiving

We hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year... but the family did all the work! Rich's Mom came over and took care of the turkey.... my Mom and Aunt showed up and made biscuits, mashed potatoes & gravy, and the rest of the family brought awesome dishes!! It was an awesome gathering of both sides, and I REALLY hope we can do it again next year!

Quilting

Thanksgiving evening, Rich pulled me into my sewing room and told me that since it's a Holiday, I couldn't do homework and forced me to sew! (as if I needed a reason). I put the boarder on my twin quilts!

The REAL kicker was the following day... I was able to buy some Batting on sale at Jo-Anns. I actually was able to quilt! My first quilt, and it was harder than I thought.
Here is a sneak peek. It's not the best, but I managed. I realized after the fact that I probably would have had an easier time if I set my stitch length to something longer than my smallest setting.

Wedding

Not mine!! My sister flew in on Black Friday from England, and I got to go to her dress fitting. This was the winner! (Nobody show the husband-to-be!). She's getting Married this Friday!

And, because my post would never be complete without a picture of my adorable son...
He was being extra cute, so I just HAD to post.

Now, if you excuse me, I am about to dive head-first back into my homework, and hopefully emerge some time before the new year!!

Design Wall Monday

2010-11-15T05:45:00.006+09:00

HUZZAH! I actually have something to show for my design wall Monday!
Yes, it's return of the twin quilts. This time, THEY'RE BOTH PIECED!

I did a little fiddling with the placement of the blocks, and felt because the are twin quilts, they should at least look similar. So the lighter blocks are matched now, and I think it looks really good!

Also...
Check out my new closet organizer!! This side is my main quilting fabric- so sad, I know... a tiny stash! I asked Richard if that meant I had permission to fill it up...he said no =(
This is my flannel (left) and Wool (right) and my Go! Baby!!!! She came last week, and i've only had enough time to play with her yesterday morning!!!1!1!

This is my new sewing area =) I took my old computer desk and am using it for sewing! It actually works 100times better, because that was too large a space for my desk... I ended up just piling junk on it. Now it has a good use =)

Nolan 5 Months!

2010-11-14T13:50:00.000+09:00

Me? I'm just chillin.
Albiet late (again), Nolan is 5 Months old!! YAY!

At 5 Months, Nolan is...

Holding himself up while standing!
Crazy! Sorry no picture of it yet, but he only does it once and a while, and not for long! But when he does it's amazing to mommy!

Jumping in his exesaucer!
But mostly sleeping

He usually bounces for 30 minutes then falls asleep. Very cute.

Eating 7oz of milk a feeding!
It's amazing to mommy! I'm sad I couldn't keep up, and with how much he's eating now, it's no wonder I wasn't satisfying him!

Wearing 6 Month clothes!
This one is the best! That means he's growing a lot! I'm looking forward to getting him weighed again... but I know he's growing!
Daddy and Nolan are still celebrating the Giant's victory!!

Settling in!

2010-11-07T00:48:00.005+09:00

It's been a week since we've moved from Washington to California, and what a week it's been!!

We're 100% moved into our new house, but only 40% unpacked. We went to Ikea on Wednesday and bought about $3,000 worth of furniture for only $1200! We love getting stuff from the odds and ends/ As-Is section, and this time it was WELL worth it. Our new couch is priced for around $1,000, and we got it for $355! After we paid for the Duvet cover it made it a little closer to $500, but still... half off ain't bad!!

Right now my sewing room is the next big project... we have a storage unit we need to build (and I need to fill with more fabric!!) and my design wall will go up as well. I received the fabric for my Fandango quilt, and I am SOOO excited about starting it! But I'm not going to cut into it until my twin quilts are finished, so those are my number one priority!!

I actually had a conversation with my husband about when I can sew. I told him I must schedule a time in or else I'm going to never finish anything. He said I'm crazy for scheduling in a hobby! "It's a hobby. You're suppose to have fun, it's not a job!" he says. But I know that with working full time, school, and taking care of my (almost!) 5 month old, sewing is going to be the last thing on my to-do list and I'll NEVER get to do it!! Therefor I'm creating a schedule for myself, which I will block out 1 or 2 hours every couple days for sewing. Also, my husband dedicates one Saturday a month to his hobby, so on that Saturday we'll going to drop the baby off at any Grandma's house, and both of us will have our "me" time.

Also, unfortunately, school doesn't stop just for me to move, so I'm about 2 weeks behind on that. My professor told me he will help me out while I'm moving, and allow me to submit my assignments late, but I'm not sure how quickly everything is going to be completed!

I'm very behind on posting pictures of Nolan and especially the new house! I took lots of pictures when we first got here, so I'm going to show before/after pictures for every room that is 100% complete! So for that's only the kitchen and our "office area" so here is that.

The "office"

Actually one side of our living room, but that is how we prefer it.

Located adjacent to the kitchen.

The Kitchen
Quite Orange.
But it has all new appliances, so we love that.

It's that time!

2010-10-28T07:46:00.003+09:00

It's the 27th! That means only one thing... the winner of my Amigurumi GIVEAWAY!

The random number was...
And that was...
Congratulations!! I'm sending you an e-mail right now. No response by Monday and i'll pick a new winner!

On the road again!

2010-10-25T11:31:00.005+09:00

Come tomorrow, we'll have only 4 short days left in Washington! I'm getting a new assignment in Northern California at Beale AFB.
A U2 Dragonlady
We'll be very close to family, and we're excited about that. A little information about Beale (courtesy Wikipedia, and growing up nearby)...

Beale AFB was established in 1942 as Camp Beale and is named for Edward Fitzgerald Beale (1822–1893), an American Navy Lieutenant and a Brigadier General in the California Militia who was an explorer and frontiersman in California.
Beale is located outside of Linda- the Meth capital of Northern California, as well as rated #5 in the country for highest identity theft.
The base covers nearly 23,000 acres, and is home for approximately 4,000 military personnel. In comparison, JBLM here is 86,000 acres, and has more than 25,000 soldiers and civilian workers. Quite the difference!
My Job will be at the 9th Operations Group, in the 9th Operations Support Squadron.
Generally, there are more cows than people on base (the land is leased out to local cattle ranchers)

a Global Hawk
Fun! So, the cable/internet gets shut off on Wednesday (much to our dismay, as that is Game 1 of the Giants/Rangers World Series playoff! GO GIANTS!). The movers come Thursday, and I get on a plane Friday. VERY excited about getting my own semi-private sewing room! I'll have to share the space with Richard, seeing as he needs a place to paint his Flames of War miniatures, but I love having a space where I don't have to mess up the entire house sewing!!

Kinda bummed about moving this week, seeing as Confessions of a Fabric Addict is having an awesome giveaway, and it's always easier to comment on posts on the computer, rather than my phone. And remembering to check Blogs is much easier as well!! Everyone should go check it out!

My new project!

2010-10-22T10:20:00.005+09:00

Not too long ago, I purchased my first ever charm pack. There was a sale going on (I forget where!! eep!) if you buy $25 worth of stuff, you get a free charm pack! That was a great deal, so I jumped on it! I ordered a Fandango charm pack by Kate Spain... I loved it! Then, I won an AMAZING giveaway from I'm Just a Guy who Quilts which was a 5-piece fat quarter set of Fandango!!

Imagine my surprise while I was reading my blog feed and Moda Bake shop featured a free pattern using FANDANGO!! Well that just sealed the deal. I jumped on the internet, found a VERY great deal going on over at Burgundy Buttons and was able to purchase all the fabric I needed (minus the backing) for as little as $42 (including shipping!!) I am SOO excited, as this will be my first ever "big girl" quilt, following a pattern (to the T!! no more meddling with the pattern!)

PS! - Adrianne at Little Bluebell is having a VERY gracious giveaway! She's giving away a Bliss Fat Quarter BUNDLE! That's 40 fat quarters!! Also, please check out her amazing fabric forum Talk about Fabric!

THANK YOU!

2010-10-21T09:07:00.005+09:00

Thank You Ginny!

I got the lucky number in Ginny's Quilts' Fall into Fall giveaway, and won 3 GO! Dies!! I pre-ordered a Go! Baby from IHAN (I couldn't leave that to luck!! I HAD to have one!) And had my package arrived today!!!

Her note said that the poor lonely dies needed some "padding" ... talk about padding!!
Being someone with little/no stash to speak of, this will help immensely! The two larger sections of fabric (almost a yard each?) will be PERFECT as a border for my Twin Quilts!

I won two other giveaways, but I don't want to post them here until I have pictures =) I'm a shutterbug, and hate posting thank-yous without pictures to show-off!!

PS- There is a GREAT give-away going on at Green Fairy Quilts!!! If/When you go visit, Let her know I sent you!!!

Adventures in Baby Feeding

2010-10-20T14:32:00.002+09:00

Nolan had his 4-month well check yesterday, and it was not a great appointment. After calculating in him being 3 weeks early, he was only in the 38th percentile at 2 months. This month, he's dropped down to nearly 12%.

It's difficult to put into words how I feel about this situation. I feel like a failure. A lazy, lazy working mom who doesn't have enough time in the day to pump milk for her own son. But I know while I am somewhat lazy, I am not a bad mom.

That being said.... I feel like crap. I have not at all kept up on my milk stash....i've watched it dwindle away into nothingness, and now we are completely out. I have to consider buying formula at this point. *sigh* a sad day indeed.

I love nursing my baby... its our only connection... a wonderful mother/child bond that no one other than another nursing mother can really understand. That is why when the doctor tells me he isn't gaining enough weight...it makes me very very sad. I feel like I'm not doing my job.

So, that leaves... formula, rice cereal, and purees. Things that are normally not introduced until 6 months, I get to do now. Not super happy about it, but I just want what's good for my baby.

I took this as a new adventure: Adventure in baby feeding. Because I doubt I'll ever get enough milk supply to allow him to be exclusively breast fed ever again, I feel terribly bad about winning the "working mom's breastfeeding package". I mean... I am a working mom...and i'm desperately trying to make this work... I just feel bad. I'll still pump...he'll still get SOME breastmilk (whatever I can bring home that day) but it'll never be enough to take the guilt away.

Isn't it beautiful? That's green beans, carrots, and butternut squash. I have sweet potatoes steaming in the rice cooker as we speak (Yeah, instead of doing homework!)

Hopefully everything goes well and he starts making some real progress... Maybe i'll feel better once he isn't a tiny baby.

Oktoberfest!!

2010-10-17T14:51:00.006+09:00

Willkommen von Oktoberfest!!

This morning we took the quite long (almost 3 hour) drive to Leavenworth, Washington.
A little info about Leavenworth (courtesy Wikipedia):

"Leavenworth was officially incorporated on September 5, 1906. A small timber community, it became the headquarters of the Great North Railroad in the early 1900s. The railroad relocated to Wenatchee in the 1920s, greatly affecting Leavenworth's economy.

The city struggled until 1962, when the Project LIFE (Leavenworth Improvement For Everyone) Committee was formed to transform the city into a mock Bavarian village to revitalize its economy. Owen and Pauline Watson, owners of a business on Front Street, formed the committee after visiting Solvang, California in 1958 and thought it was an excellent idea for Leavenworth."

So yeah. Basically, the entire town was converted into a life-size German-town.

Complete with Starbucks.

We decided to go visit for Oktoberfest... not for the beer...

Ok maybe a little for the beer

Because we really haven't visited outside our little area, other than seeing the Space Needle and Pike's Market. So off we went!

The main street

The first thing we did was browse through the shops. After arriving there, we realized we forgot to bring something for Nolan to fiddle with... he's not really grabbing or holding yet, but I hate to have him just sit and stare, so we went to a little toy shop and grabbed him a stuffed animal. Of course, it had to be one of Chococat's friends - Batz Maru!

Nolan wasn't as impressed as Mommy.
Oh and that adorable hat was made for me by a fellow midwife patient at Madigan Army Hospital! She made one for hers own kid too, but it had Army on it =)

When we headed to the main event, we were crestfallen to see that it was going to be $40 to get in! We didn't feel like paying that much... till I heard a lady holler that Active-Duty Military & Family get in for FREE!! YAY!

So we came in, sat down, ate some delicious Bratwurst, and watched Alpenband, who are based out of SACRAMENTO! I cheered when I heard that!!

After much wandering around (and waiting for Rich to finish his giant stein of beer!) It was time to head home!! Everyone thought Nolan looked adorable, and I would have to agree!! He loves sitting in his Mai Tai... this was the first time I had him facing out, and he didn't fuss once!

On Holidays

2010-10-14T13:12:00.003+09:00

I'm not a huge holiday girl.

My own mother can attest to this- I was always the "bah humbug" of the family.... Sure, I would help decorate the Christmas tree (and ALWAYS participate in opening of gifts!) but for the most part I really never got into the "spirit" of holidays. Not sure why, really... I guess I never really felt a need to break out of the normal day-to-day routine.

This held very true while I was stationed overseas... Richard and I exchanged a small gift on valentines day... went out to dinner for our anniversary... for Easter we baked a Ham and invited our neighbor over, since his wife was out of the country that year, and Thanksgiving we had the Mormon Missionaries over for Turkey breast- couldn't fit an entire turkey in our oven even if we tried!!.

Christmas was as out-of-norms as it could get. My first solo Christmas was after being in South Korea for less than a month- I arrived in country on the 3rd of December. I ended up going to one of my buddies room and watching "It's a Wonderful Life" with him, since that was OUR family tradition that I was not about to end. We went to the chow hall for "Christmas Lunch" where all the single Airman were served by the Majors, Colonels, and Commanders of the various squadrons. The next year I was able to spend with Richard, and we opened our gifts over webcam, and watched my family back home open our gifts for them. I was VERY tired... we had to stay up till nearly 2 am to participate in their 11am celebration. We didn't buy a Christmas tree...we didn't have a big Christmas meal... we were just kinda "there".

Last year was no different. Richard and I couldn't go home for Christmas because I didn't have the leave to spare. We spent an extra week in California to be home with his sick Dad, so Christmas at our house was rather boring...no tree, no music... just a pregnant belly and Rich was working at the BX.

Why bring this up, you ask? Because this year it's going to be different. This year will be our first "real" holiday as a family. We'll have a "real" house, with "real" furniture, "real" decorations, and for the first time in 3 years...a real celebration. While I may have been Scrooge when It comes to holidays, Mom sure made up for it. She LOVED her traditions... and we never broke them if we could help it. She has at least 3 huge tupperwear containers full of holiday decorations, Christmas especially. Now it's my turn to start collecting (and creating!) my own holiday decorations, and traditions.

This year, all the families (minus my sister, who is stuck over in England till next year) will be meeting at my new home in California for Thanksgiving. It's going to be a pot-luck, with us providing the Turkey and the families providing the fixin's. Our new house is centrally located to meet everyone's needs... My sister-in-law's family lives nearby, so the brother and her can stop by on their way home, instead of having to drive all the way there and back. My Mother-in-law is close enough to drive there, and doesn't have to worry about cooking for all the Grandkids. It'll be great for everyone, and hopefully... the start of a NEW tradition.

The next question is... where will I find the time to start making my wonderful Thanksgiving decorations?!

Nolan 4 Months old!

2010-10-11T13:11:00.003+09:00

Albeit a bit late! Happy 101010!!

Nolan's 4 Months old!!! YAY!!

Yeah, at least he has a bigger head than I do
At 4 Months, Nolan is...

Laughing!! If you haven't already seen the great video of his adorable laugh, watch now!

Holding things!!
He's really starting to get a grip on...getting a grip! He's slowly understanding how to put objects in his mouth (binky, teething ring) but still hasn't quite gotten it down yet.

Really Mom? Enough with the giant bear already.

Sucking his thumb!
A lot! He usually starts with a binky then transitions to his thumb.

Boy, he loves that thumb.

Nursing for 4 months strong!!

Yeah, I love the boob juice.
YAY! This has to be mommy's best accomplishment. We also calculated out that even if something terrible happens to my supply, we still have enough milk in the freezer to exclusively breast feed for another 2 months - I'll make it to 6 months!! huzzah!

Mommy has been working hard getting homework done... Still quite a ways to go till I'm finished with my bachelors, but it'll be well worth the hassle!

Zero time to quilt lately, and I'm thinking i'm done quilting till we move to California. I feel bad, because all my sewing takes over the entire house, and Rich is working extra hard to keep things clean while he starts the packing process. Go house-cleaning husband!!

Blog hop and GIVEAWAY REMINDER!!

2010-10-10T03:51:00.002+09:00

First off,

Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway!

VERY low entries - as of this posting, only 37!!!

Join us as we raise awareness of SPD!

If you are just joining my blog, WELCOME! Please leave a comment below and I will be sure to follow you back ;)

Pink and Penguins top finished!

2010-10-05T00:51:00.004+09:00

YAY!

I had to stay up till 4am to get it finished, but the top is pieced! This is very exciting for me, seeing as I really haven't sewn my own quilt before from start to finish.

Off to go photograph my finished product, and also piece together my purple giraffes top!

On the design table yesterday:

And the pieced (almost finished) top! Just need to add boarders

And here is Purple/Giraffes design...unfortunately I seem to be missing a single block! Hopefully it makes its appearance soon, or I won't be sewing again until we get settled in California!

Nolan's first Laugh!!

2010-10-03T08:35:00.002+09:00

So, Nolan has been SOOO grumpy today...teething is really hitting him hard. So I was so shocked when out of no where, he started LAUGHING!

Richard's mom caught a single laugh, and he's giggled once, but NEVER like this!!!

I'm so glad we had the video camera close-by!!

An Amigurumi GIVEAWAY!

2010-10-02T09:47:00.006+09:00

Have you ever seen something that made you say "I am SOO glad I have a son/daughter/neice/nephew/grandchild so I can buy this and not feel guilty!! I WANT IT SO BAD!!"
That is how I felt when I saw my first Amigurumi.

Haven't heard of them? Well then, I would like to introduce the cutest little toys this side of the Pacific ocean: Amigurumi!! What is an amigurumi? Imagine pretty much any object, and make it adorable by adding eyes and a cute little mouth! Just doing this will make...

An adorible Amigurumi Sheep!!

Amigurumi is Japanese for "knitted stuffed toy". While they've been popular on Etsy for quite some time (Wikipedia claims they were the most popular item in '06), many people have never seen or heard of them.

So stinking cute.

Who makes these adorable & soft little baby-safe toys?? Why, Amanda over at her "Amigurimiums" Etsy Shop! All Amigurimiums are crocheted with 100% cotton yarn, and stuffed with 100% naturally antibacterial, renewable bamboo fiber. That means no added chemicals will be ingested when kiddo chews, slobbers, and sucks on it. The eyes on her little creations are safety eyes and rated for ages three and up.

But that's not all that she creates!! Amanda is actually quite talented at creating her own unique patterns, including this one-of-a-kind crocheted magnet board!
How cool is that?!

More in the market for a hand-made smartphone sweater? She makes those too!
Fits everything from a Droid to a Blackberry, and especially an iPhone!

How would you like to WIN a hand-made crocheted item?

Amanda has offered to give away a $15 credit to her store!! And you know what? I'm feeling generous right now, so I'm going to MATCH her credit! That means you get a $30 credit- which means ANYTHING in her Etsy Store for FREE! Or, hold on to your credit and wait till she adds something new and exciting ;)

The best part about Amigurumiums Etsy shop is that she will custom your order for any item! Would you rather have a blue Owl to match your decor? Easily done! Just open up a conversation thru Etsy, and she'll custom-make you an item!
Coming to an Etsy store near you!!!

Giveaway Info!!

Mandatory items:

Visit Amigurumiums Craft Blog page and add Amanda as a friend on Google Friends Connect!
Visit the Amigurumiums Etsy Shop and leave a comment here on what animal/creation you would like to see added to her inventory of cuteness!!

Post two separate comments below to enter!

Earn extra entries (optional):

Blog about this giveaway! (+4 entries!)

Follow me on Twitter and/or leave a Tweet about this giveaway!
" Enter @Indiechixor 's #Giveaway and #Win some adorable hand-made merch! http://tiny.cc/qezp9 "
(+2 entries each)

Follow me on Google Friends Connect (+1 entry)

This giveaway expires the 27th of October!!

These toys and items were reviewed by me and reflect my personal opinion. No sheep were harmed in the making of these adorable toys.

A Birthday Trip!

2010-09-22T14:24:00.003+09:00

So, Richard and I (and the cat) are taking an impromptu trip to California! The mission is dual purpose: Find a house for our big move (one month!!) and visit home for my Birthday! (the almost big 24!)

Today we were suppose to go out to dinner to celebrate as a couple, before we leave. Unfortunately, I was informed (at 1pm) that I would be staying at work till 6pm!! Well, with that, dinner was out the window because I was meeting a Craigslist chick at 8:30! Saddened, I headed home at 6 trying to figure out what to do for dinner.

When I walked in the door, our little kitchen table (aka my sewing table) was in the living room, all set up for dinner for two. I should have taken a picture of it.. it was so cute!! Rich walked in the door with Outback TO GO!!! We had Outback at home... he's so sweet!!!

I also got my birthday presents early...

Chococat is a limited edition build-a-bear!! The DS game is my favorite puzzle game, Professor Layton.. and the body wash is Love Spell!! Heaven!!

Also, Nolan's teething necklace came in the mail!!

(learn more about the benefits of amber in this link!)

SOOO I'll be out of town for a couple days! Might update our status later this week - if we find a house!

Twin Quilts!

2010-09-19T07:00:00.005+09:00

Ever wonder what a newbie quilter's house looks like when she doesn't have her own sewing room to destroy?
Yeah, kinda like that.

Poor Rich has been an awesome husband trying to clean the house, and here I am messing it up with my fabric!!

As you can see, this week(end) I decided I would start working on my twin quilts. I decided on a Illinois Roads Quilt,child size.

Thursday and Friday I cut out the squares, and today I've been sewing the blocks together.

I started by cutting my blocks - here's a close-up of the fabrics I picked up at my Grandma's house.

Then I sewed a daisy chain full of 2x3.5" squares, to make a 3.5x3.5" block.

Here's how they look on the design wall!

I'm not sure how I feel about the orange and purple, but all the fabric was free...so I'm not going to complain! Thanks Grandma =)

What's up

2010-09-14T22:13:00.002+09:00

So I've been busy with work stuff that's spilled over into my weekend, and that meant no cutting/quilting for me! I ended up relaxing all day Saturday, and working on a video project for work all day Sunday. Yesterday I finally decided on a design for my friend Christy's girls... hopefully this quilt will actually materialize, considering I forgot some fabric at my Grandma's house so I can't finish my plaid quilt! That's fine, I've been wanting to work on this one more anyways =)

Hopefully I'll have some pictures up later on this week.... crossing my fingers that I'll find the time!

Nolan 3 Months old!

2010-09-09T15:03:00.003+09:00

Today Nolan turned 3 Months old! I took so pictures of him during lunch... he's pretty much the same size as his Bear Friend!

Nana made his onesie!

At 3 Months Old, Nolan is...

11 1/2 pounds!
At his last weigh-in (Tuesday the 3rd) he was up to 11lbs, and he's been gaining about a half pound a week, so I'm going to guess he's around 11.5lbs now!

My new favorite "classic Nolan".
Smiling, Cooing, and Talking with everyone!
Now his coos and babbles are more structured, less random, and he is ALWAYS smiling! I've even caught him smiling at me while he nurses =) That has to be my favorite.
I love his side-ways smile.
Standing with little support!
Maybe this isn't anything super exciting, but he will stand up for 30-40 seconds with only you balancing him! It's amazing how strong his legs are, and he LOVES standing up!
What a goofball.

Unfortunately, he wasn't feeling to well for most the day, and by the evening he's only gotten worse. Stuffy nose, low-grade fever, and lots of discharge from his eyes. The discharge is what worries me the most, so If he isn't improving at all by the morning we're going to take him to the clinic. Poor guy =(

Here are a few more of my favorite pictures!

Weekend Recap and Lucky Me!!

2010-09-07T23:01:00.002+09:00

We spent the Weekend with my Grandmother and Grandfather, enjoying the scenery, relaxing, and eating all the food Grandma bought! Too much food!!!

I had the ~~delight~~ burden of going through Grandma's stash and lightened her load of a couple select pieces. I managed to cut out 200 4" squares for the I-Spy swap, and picked out some fabric for twin quilts I'm making for some awesome and adorable 5-year twins!

My Mom told me I'm the luckiest girl she knows.

I haven't always felt that way, but recently I'm beginning to believe it! I've won a couple giveaways recently, and feel super blessed/honored to win!!

Please stop by I'm Just a Guy Who Quilts, if you haven't seen his site yet.

Sorry for the short post and lack of pictures-- tomorrow will make up for that, as it is Nolan's 3-month birthday!!! YAY!

Design Wall Monday!

2010-09-06T14:39:00.000+09:00

A preview of what I've been working untie last two days!

I'm excited to get my I-Spy quilt started! We should get all our blocks back from the exchange by October 1st! Until then, I'm going to be cutting the sashing, and trying to finish my plaid quilt! Grandma gave me some great cream-colored flannel to use inbetween my blocks.

Design Wall....Tuesday.

2010-08-31T23:45:00.003+09:00

Because Monday was CRAZY busy. I actually finished this on Saturday, but didn't have any time Sunday night or Monday to get it posted.

I know it looks a little.....busy. But fear not, as I plan on breaking up the pieces with some light-colored solids.

I'm heading to my Grandma Shirley Scofield's house (Some of you quilters might know her?) this weekend... I plan on raiding her fabric stash for the I-Spy swap and also for a quilt I plan on making for my Sis-in-law.

I can't wait!! See you all after the Labor-day break!

My Old Navy Haul

2010-08-27T14:14:00.004+09:00

A week ago Old Navy was having a 30% off sale online. I realized I needed winter clothes for Nolan, since he came 3 weeks early, and all his clothes will still be kinda summer-y... but I wasn't about to pay full price for them.

I was actually congratulated by my husband, Richard. "Great Haul, baby!"

Active French Terry Pants for Baby
Heather Gray 3-6 M - 5.60
Jersey Active Pants for Baby
Bear Hug 3-6 M - 4.90
Striped 2-in-1 Graphic One-Piece
Blue Gray 3-6 M - 7.00
Logo Fleece Hoodies for Baby
Ink Blue 6-12 M - 8.40
Dino Sports-Graphic Tees for Baby
Tangelo 6-12 M - 4.90
Music-Graphic Tees for Baby
Heather Charco 6-12 M - 3.50
Music-Graphic Tees for Baby
Ink Blue 6-12 M - 3.50
Embellished Raglan-Sleeve Te
Heather Gray 6-12 M - 5.60
Music-Graphic Tees for Baby
Black Jack 6-12 M - 3.50
Dark Wash Bootcut Jeans for Baby
Dark Wash 6-12 M - 7.00
Loose Fit Painter Jeans for Baby
Medium Wash 6-12 M - 7.00

TOTAL:

Shipment Subtotal: 60.90
Shipping & Handling: Free
Tax: 5.30
Shipment Total: 66.20

Original Price, before 30% off and clearance: $123
That's over 50% off.

Oh yeah. Momma like.

Scrappy Quilt, Phase 2

2010-08-25T14:35:00.005+09:00

Finally to the piecing portion. I honestly thought this would be the easiest part: make a couple rows of plaid, cut 8 3/4 squares from them, happy fun time. I cut out WAAAAY too many 4 inch plaid pieces, and then got it into my head that I would be "wasting" fabric if I sewed them together then didn't use that portion.

So I came up with this:

Yes, those are meat skewers. And yes, half the blocks are already sewn in some weird Tetris-esc fashion.

In my happy little new-to-quilting world, I thought "Oh, I'll need 6 or 7 rows of squares".
That's right. ROWS. Don't ask me how or why I came up with this idea last night, but it happened. I layed out my squares, and pinned them together by ROW. Well, now I get to try and add more to the funky rows, and sew this small monstrosity together.

Here is another pic I took tonight so I knew how to cut them out when I finish sewing.

Design wall (ok, floor) Monday

2010-08-23T22:16:00.002+09:00

Step one of my scrappy quilt!!

I was SOO close to actually sewing this weekend, but realized I hadn't bought ANY 100% cotton thread. Well, at least it's an excuse to go back to the fabric store ;)

Here is about half the blocks I cut out... and unless I decide to make this quilt larger, I won't even need that many! I guess that's what I get for altering the pattern.

The Scrappy Quilt! Phase 1

2010-08-21T13:48:00.007+09:00

So, I've been dying to sew a quilt ever since I got my new sewing machine (granted, it's kinda a crap machine, but that's a post for another day).

I found a book at Jo-Anne's, and my heart melted when I found a Plaid 9-block pattern! So easy, so simple, but the pattern called for a whopping 3 types of fabric. Really?! That just won't do.

So, I decided that instead of buying fabric (and probably wasting half of it due to it being my first solo quilt) I'll make a scrappy quilt! After spending $40 at the local Good Will, I came back with a pile of plaid!

First I spent the better part of the evening separating the various arms/legs, and put them all in the wash. Once they were washed, I ironed and folded them so I could asses how much fabric I had to work with.

Not bad! Maybe I spent as much as I would have at the fabric store, but at least it'll be unique! Here are the colors up close:
I tried to find a mix of darker/"solid" prints, and lighter/contrasting prints. I think I did a pretty good job!

So, this is the original pattern. [[ I appologize for the $ $ $, but i'm not going to pay $40 for crappy scanner software. ]]

Notice how ALL the plaid is the same damn fabric?? That's ridiculous to me. Sure, the middle/large squares are cut on the bias, but still... that's a little cookie-cutter for me.

So what is my plan? First off, each block will be a different dark colored plaid piece. I've already set those aside and those will only be used for the center blocks, and maybe the side paneling.

For the larger center blocks cut on the bias, I'll be stitching together several blocks and cutting them diagonally.

So what do you think? Sound easy enough? I'm not sure how i'll do the side blocks surrounding the 9-patch, but i'll cross that bridge once i'm done cutting out the pieces for the center.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-18T22:48:00.004+09:00

Happy Saturday!

2010-08-15T12:14:00.004+09:00

Considering how much time I spend on blogger signing up for giveaways, I decided I would limit myself. I have like...5 pages open right now and I WANT to sign up for them, but then I don't get anything else accomplished.

So, its 8pm and the rest of my evening will consist of working out. I got a really cool attachment for my Wii, 2lb weights that attach to the Wii-mote and Nunchuck! Now when I work out, it'll give me a little more "oomph". Also, I bought 5lb hand weights to use while I'm sitting at the computer...I can work out my triceps. Why am I focusing so much on my arms? I have to get my arms toned up so I can max out my push-ups for the Air Force Physical Training test! I realized I was spending all my time running, and not enough time working out my upper-body.

We bought a play-gym for Nolan! He's finally starting to reach out to things, and LOVES looking in his mirror on his swing, so this is the perfect little setup for him. I LOVE the colors, he loves his little friends!

Nolan 2 Months old!

2010-08-10T13:21:00.003+09:00

My big boy is two months old!

I'm actually really sad... we had great intentions to pose him next to his bear friend every month, but of course on his 1-month birthday, we were in California and couldn't. Oh well.

At 2 Months old, Nolan is...

Putting himself to sleep at night!!
This has to be the best/most exciting one! For the last week, we've been putting him in his night-time diaper (a double-stuffed BumGenius 3.0), nursing one last time, and laying him awake in his bassinet. I'll turn the light off, get in bed, and eventually fall asleep...all without Nolan making a peep!

Babbling/Cooing!!
Not enough to call the folks about, but he is definitely becoming a vocal baby!

Smiling a TON!
Almost every day now I can get a wide-mouthed smile! He loves smiling at his friends on his chair, and when Mommy makes silly faces.

Next week he goes in for his 2-month shots.... I'm hoping he does really well and doesn't have any rough nights!

Mommy Update

So, today was the start of my "not junkfood" diet. Its not a diet at all, really...just healthy eating, as well as eating every 3 hours instead of 3 large meals. I've been exercising pretty regularly the last 2 weeks, and of course today I broke my record and didn't get to go running due to weather.

Ok, off to tend to a crying baby.

Making Friends Monday!

2010-08-09T22:39:00.006+09:00

I only have a couple minutes to post this morning, so I'll have to make it super quick... copy/paste is your friend!

Join us on our journey as we discover new blogs and gain new followers every week!
The rules are super simple but VERY important!
1. Follow the Making Friends Monday Hosts (Listed as # 1-5) as well as the Spotlight Blog of the Week (listed as #6)--They WILL follow you Back! You MUST LEAVE A COMMENT so we can follow you back!
2. Grab our Making Friends Monday button and include it in a post on your blog.
3. Link up to THAT post.
4. Start hopping and remember following back is appreciated!

Have a great day!

A ton of givaways!

2010-08-09T05:53:00.002+09:00

I love to follow up a giveaway with...more give-aways!!

The following blogs are giving away gift certificates to CSN Stores. I've never heard of CSN Stores, but I'm really glad I found out about them. They have pretty much everything, and for a great price!

The Road to Here is giving away an $80 gift certificate!
The Little Kitchen is giving away a $35 gift certificate!
Out Life in a Click is giving away a $40 gift certificate!
Survey Junkie is giving away a $35 gift certificate!

The Road to Here is also giving away a Vapur anti-bottle, which I plan on buying regardless of if I win it or not!! I am in love with the simple design and how small it folds down into!!

Family and Life in Las Vegas is giving away a $15 Gift Card for the EcoMom website, a great resource for safe, economically-conscience items!

Sunshine Praises is giving away a bag of Rockin' Green detergent, which is eco- and cloth diaper-friendly clothing detergent!

finally, A Spicy Boy, a Cat, and My Fat Ass is giving away a Brugo self-cooling mug! These things are awesome, and I'm totally getting one if I don't win!

So there you have it!! Go check out these awesome give-aways before the time is up!!!

Green Blog Give-away!! (Expires 8/15!)

2010-08-08T08:55:00.006+09:00

In honor of me joining the ranks of the Green Blog Hop ladies, I've decided to throw a give-away!

The item up for grabs... a Newborn-sized Wool Soaker!
A little information:
This soaker is 100% Wool from a recycled sweater. It has been washed using Wool Wash from Country Soaps by Marlene (who also runs an Etsy shop) with a wonderful Love Spell fragrance. It comes pre-lanolized, and completely dried prior to shipping.

The sizing is Newborn, with a 12-inch waist and 7-inch leg. The fabric has a 1-2 inch stretch, so it should be good for a baby up to 9 or 10lbs, depending on waist size.

For reference, here was my newborn at 6lbs... compared to his bear-friend.
Bear-friend is modeling your soaker!

The best part: YOU pick the color!! That's right! You can stick with white, but I am willing to dye this soaker to suit your needs. Please indicate if you would like it in Male or Female coloring- I am unsure of the exact colors available at this time.

How to win it:

Leave your email address if it's not in your profile so that I can contact you. No e-mail means I can't contact you!!

This is a mandatory requirement: Follow my blog! Click the Google "follow" button on the right, and leave a comment below letting me know you are. I'll follow you back!

For more chances to win, do the following:

- Visit And Then There Were 4, scroll down to the Networked Blogs list, add yourself and follow the first 4 ladies in the list! Comment here to let me know you did! ( +1 entry)

- Repost this give-away on any social-networking site (Facebook, Twitter, Your blog) ( +1 entry for each re-post! Make individual comments for each.)

- Post a comment and let me know what size/color combination you would be interested in buying/winning ( +1 entry)

- Post a comment and let me know if you've tried wool before! If you haven't, why not? ( +1 entry)

Green Blog Hop!

2010-08-08T03:44:00.003+09:00

So, I think i've finally established myself as a blogger worth reading, even if it is just by my family/friends.

I've also established my own "green way of doing things", most of them simple... recycling, gardening (when allowed), and cloth diapering.

So, I decided to join the Green Blog Hop, hopefully to find some new ladies to follow and see their green blogs as well as gain some readership =)

7 Weeks!

2010-08-01T00:55:00.002+09:00

Well, actually Tuesday was 7 weeks....but I've been kinda busy.

At 7 Weeks, Nolan is...
SMILING AT MOMMY!
And he melted my heart. It was yesterday, actually. We were playing, and he gave me 2 or 3 wide-mouth toothless grins!!! I can't wait till I catch one film... I think i'll be keeping my camera more accessible nowadays.

Sleeping 5 hours at night!
And boy is Mommy happy when he does!! This was my first week back to work, and on at least two occasions I only got 4 hours of sleep total. Then Thursday night I went to bed at 10pm... and he didn't wake up till 3am! It was glorious.

Mommy has some great milestones as well! I've ran a total of 8KM this week! I missed out on my last run however, as my Nike+ app didn't start my run when I wanted to. I would start a running blog, but I barely remember to update my baby blog, I'm just going to combine the two.

I am really serious about running, however. I have to be.... I'll be PT testing come January, and I need to be at the top of my game!

So, until Tuesday, farewell!

Epic California Post!

2010-07-24T09:15:00.008+09:00

California!!!

Our trip to Cali started on the 7th, and Nolan flew sooo well!! He had a lot of admirers, and slept the entire flight. We spent the first 4 days in Sacramento, hanging out with some friends and family.

First off, I'd like to present Nolan at One Month Old!!

Our good friend Christy let us hang out at her Mom's house, where we enjoyed a nice cool pool! Nolan enjoyed himself, but mostly he slept. It took me SOO long to find a hat that fit him, BTW!

Mommy and N swimming together! The water was a little cold for his liking, so he hung out in the shade for most of the day.

At 6 Weeks old, Nolan received a blessing by his Grandpa. Grandma sewed him a blessing outfit, and Great-Grandma helped sew his little booties! He looks SOOO cute in it, and I will be re-photographing him tomorrow... he needs to model it a little more ;)

Our nephew Landon got a real kick out of his baby cousin!! We couldn't stop his persistent requests to hold his "little baby cousin Nolan"... he LOVES his little cousin! This was such a great picture, N decided to ham it up!
Landon is sooo happy to hold him!
Our Niece Lexi was very curious/envious of her new cousin as well, and kept wanting to "pet" him.

Now that the picture show is over, I guess I can do the 6-week update!

At 6 weeks, Nolan is...

SMILING!
At daddy! And Mommy is very jealous. So far he's only smiled 3 times, but it is so far my favorite milestone!!

Nursing without a shield!
And Mommy is SOOO happy!!!

Holding up his head like a big-boy!
I can hold him under his arms and he can hold up his head for close to 30 seconds/ a minute!

Supporting his weight with his legs!
This was so surprising to me! He loves to lock up legs into place, and while standing him up he can actually hold his own weight for several seconds!

The post before the big one

2010-07-22T17:52:00.002+09:00

I'm not unloading our entire 2 week California Adventure yet, because.... I don't feel like doing it without pictures.

This post is to vent about...

Not sleeping.

Uggh. Seriously, I am going to be SOOO screwed on Monday when I have to go back to work....my sleep schedule is ALL kinds of messed up. Today we didn't get out of bed till 11:30!
Nolan is doing really well with his sleep schedule... but Mommy is a different story. I'm not at all tired.

Going back home

I don't wanna. Today (being 2 am) we fly home to Washington... our flight leaves around 8pm. Once we land we have to take a shuttle from SeaTac to McChord...but the last two shuttles of the day are at 10:20pm (as I recall) and Midnight. So that means if we aren't at SeaTac with our luggage by 10:20pm then we have to hang out in the terminal until midnight...with a 6-week old. UGGH. Regardless of when we get in, I either have to a) convince someone that lives on base to give us a ride home along with our 2 giant suitcases, a stroller, AND a car seat or b) take a taxi. And it'll have to be a giant-ass bus taxi to accomodate all our crap. That taxi ride will cost at least $12....and that is just getting from one side of the base to the other!!!! I might convince someone to just pick up Rich so he can go get our car.

Going back to work

I REALLY don't wanna. Monday is my first day back... I doubt I fit into my work pants, so i'll either have to buy a larger pair, or wear my maternity pants for a while until I shed the weight. The latter isn't a bad idea, but I think i'm pretty much tired of my maternity pants now....even if that means wearing my belt again. Note to self: find belt.

My biggest concern with going back to work is that of pumping at work. I plan on breasfeeding Nolan for at LEAST the first year, and that means pumping at work to make up for those lost nursing sessions. At my current shop, I have a one-person bathroom that has a chair in it already so I'm assuming that is my best bet...but the bad part is that the room is located directly outside the break room....where people love to hang out and chat while microwaving their hot pockets. I just KNOW people are going to comment on the whur-whur-whur of the pump... not that I care, but It is going to get annoying. Oh and the fact that the girls will have to go elsewhere to take care of business while I sit and pump for 15 minutes.

Getting my orders/Re-enlisting

I got my assignment notification about PCS'ing to Beale the day after Nolan arrived. I was already on Maternity leave, so I don't think it'll be a big deal...but after looking through my PCS papers I did note a lot of due dates that are long past due (i.e. do this by 3 weeks after recieving this notice, blah blah blah). This not being my first move, I know for a fact that it doesn't really matter WHEN you get your orders...you can't do diddly squat until 1 month prior to PCS'ing.

Reenlistment, however, I DO want to get done ASAP. I couldn't while on leave, which sucked, because I get a reenlistment bonus. This bonus will be used to pay off our car, and to buy a couple much-needed items that we haven't thought of yet. I'll be getting an estimated $6-7,000, and perhaps up to 8-9k depending on how long I can reenlist for...that money will be very nice for paying off the Car, and maybe even starting a college fund for Nolan.

So there you have it: everything that is on my mind...its 2am and I'm still not tired, but i'll just crawl back into bed and wait for Nolan to be hungry. Expect a really freakin huge update on Saturday, when I'm able to upload pictures and post at length about the great/awesome things my son is doing these days =)

California Update!

2010-07-11T17:45:00.004+09:00

We've been in California for 3 days! It's HOT. Way hotter than Washington's been EVER. Coincedentally, the week we chose to leave resulted in 90 degree weather in Seattle, so I guess it didn't matter where I was at.

We landed on Wednesday (7th) and proceeded to decompress. Flying with a newborn wasn't as tricky as I thought, but I'm very glad I did some research and figured out the best way to proceed.

Thursday I took the oppertunity to sleep in as much as possible, but was awoken by SCREAMING outside. Rich's mom had fallen outside and I FREAKED THE HECK OUT. I grabbed my phone and was poised and ready to call 911. Thankfully, she only bruised her legs, and managed to not break anything. Lordy... I don't want to think about how that would have turned out had we NOT been here.... she couldn't stand up on her own, and she didn't have her cell phone on her!

I felt really bad for Rich because he was shunned to the bedroom floor to make room for Nolan. Nolan still won't sleep through the night in his bassinet at home, so we knew he wouldn't make it long here at Grandma's house. So, Rich made up a small bed of pillows on the floor while mommy and baby slept in the full-size bed. Poor Rich.

Thursday was Nolan's 1-month birthday! I know I usually do his little milestone checklist, but I just did one two days prior, so there wasn't much new to add. Here he is beeing sleepy and adorible!
Friday was a looooong day. We got up at 9, and headed to Lodi to meet up with our neice Jennifer. She cut my hair (it was much needed) and we had lunch together before speeding back to Sac so Rich could meet up with a buddy and play Flames of Nerd. While he did that, Mommy and Nolan went shopping! I found a sun hat that fit his head- after going to 4 different stores! I finally found a winner at the Children's Place, and for $2 as well! The rest of our shopping trip consisted of nursing in the Zumies changing room (oh yes, I TOTALLY stood out in that store). However, I got two wife-beaters for $2 each, and a pair of shorts I hope to fit into soon. I also found a wicked deal at Lane Bryant- $25 for 5 undies, and buy 2 bras get 2 free! I was in dire need of bras (nursing or otherwise) and I essentially paid $15 a bra. w00t!

We didn't get home till close to 8o'clock, and we found our other neice Suzeanne waiting for us to come home so she could put some meat on the BBQ. We had a delicious dinner, and she got to cuddle Nolan (I seriously thought she was going to take him home) and we spent some quality family time together.

Today (Saturday) my good friend Christy let me hang out with her all day (or as I put it, babysit me) while Rich competed in an all-day FOW tournament. We went to her Mom's house and swam in the pool from 11am until 3pm! It was hot but really nice to sit by the pool to nurse rather than sit at my Mother in Law's house all day watching bad TV. During lunch Christy's husband Rik held Nolan so I could stuff my face with Bananna Pudding with 'Nilla Wafers.

After THAT swimming party, we all loaded in the van, picked up 10 pizzas, and headed to the Sacramento Moms of Multiples swim party! They had a HUGE turnout, and for once I didn't feel like an outsider...I had my own baby to show off! (even if he is only a singleton)

Christy graciously planned a get-together with some of our close friends tomorrow, and I'm super excited to get together with some old friends.

Once I got home (close to 9 o'clock) I managed to stay awake for an hour before I dozed off on the day-bed... Rich woke me up at midnight...its now 2:15 and I haven't fallen back to sleep yet. uggh. I plan on sleeping in as much as possible tomorrow.

4 Weeks!

2010-07-07T18:04:00.003+09:00

Today Nolan is 4 Weeks old, and is...

7lbs 10oz!
He's gained almost 7oz in a week! My little boy is gaining fast, and I'm going to be very nervous when he starts growing out of all his cute little outfits!!

Making eye-contact while nursing!
This evening, especially. I can't wait to see that social smile, but until then I'll be happy with a little eye-contact.

Snoring!
All the time! Right now, in fact. Grandma makes fun of him and my friends called him a "mouth breather". I think he's more like his Dad than I previously thought.

Going to California!!
We leave tomorrow!! Mommy is VERY nervous when it comes to flying. No, not scared of the actual flight...i'm the most relaxed person on board. No, I get super anxious just getting from the parking lot to my terminal. I'm the kind of person who will get to the airport 2 hours early, just to sit in the terminal for an hour and a half. Add a baby to the mix, and whoo! That is one stressed-out Mamma. But I don't let-on to my airport anxieties... I just take it all with a grain of salt and go with the punches.

I'm going to post the whole two days I actually got around to shooting this week. I down-side to having company over is that they tend to mess with your normal daily tasks, like me and taking a picture of Nolan. While we're in California I'll probably have lots of reasons to take pictures, but I won't be able to upload them for another 2 weeks... so stay tuned for a huge photo-dump!!!

Nolan's 3Week 4day-old face-palm.

Face Palm!

He is my Snuggle-saurus... but mostly my Raptor baby <3

I'm 4 weeks old today!

Sleep

2010-07-02T19:19:00.002+09:00

Sleep is a weird thing.

I've noticed that I can go long stretches without it.

Example- Yesterday I went to a concert, and we didn't get to bed till around 2:30am. I woke up once to nurse around 6am, then again at 10...and stayed up the rest of the day. Went to bed around 10:30, Rich woke me up around 12:30 to nurse, and i've been up since....it's currently 3:20am.

I don't stay up by choice- but i'm the kind of person that wakes up and stays up, unless I don't full "wake up", I just kinda stay in a dozey, sleepy state. Unfortunately, Nolan didn't want to nurse so It was forced to wake up, pump, and by the time I was done pumping Rich was snoring VERY loud, and I was up.

I'll probably manage to sleep after he eats again, so hopefully that'll be soon.

In other news, Rich's Mom is in town. She switched places with our nephew, and we'll all be flying back to California together. It was really nice to have her here....getting out of the house on Wednesday was actually very relaxing, once I got over the initial "zomg I'm going to miss my baby".

I have, however, been quite busy- Trip to the Airport, a side-trip to JoAnne's Fabrics, and picked up everything I need to make some burp cloths, got some PUL to play with, and got a great pattern for making boppy covers, shopping cart covers, and a diaper bag (but I'll most likely make shopping bags out of it instead).

Because of all this activity, I've been lacking on my photography. I think today (yeah it's now 4:30am) I'll take some shots of Nolan and his Ma... I'm sure she'll enjoy having some pictures with him.

So, he's eaten...and I'm off to bed.

3 Weeks old!!

2010-06-29T19:33:00.005+09:00

Because Nolan is now more than just an itty bitty baby, I can start doing updates on his progress and milestones!!

At 3 Weeks Nolan is...

7lbs 4oz!!!
This is awesome!!! He's gained 2 whole pounds since being discharged from the hospital- that's almost 2 pounds in 2 weeks!!

Grabbing things!
His favorite thing to grab is his binky while he's relaxing. He isn't a big binky-boy... he only takes one while falling asleep, and he always spits it out before he's sleeping. I love that he doesn't have this attachment like so many other babies!

I caught him grabbing my chest this morning (what a bad boy) but it was in a curious manner as he would grab, pull his arm back, and grab again! I love watching hi

Awake!
Ok, not a huge milestone, but it's huge for mommy! No longer do I have a eating/sleeping/pooping baby, I have a eating/awake/sleeping/pooping baby!! During the day he usually only sleeps for 2 hours (that's as long as I let him, since I'm waking him up for feedings/changings) and inbetween he's very awake and aware of his surroundings! I love it!

Starting to nurse without a nipple shield!
While this may be a little TMI for some folks, I am SOOO happy! He's getting a good latch without it, and can usually nurse for a couple minutes before he gets frustrated.

I swear, that damn shield is the messiest thing ever. I'm constantly losing them (I now have a grand total of 4!!), always washing them, and leaking all over myself while we nurse. When I stop to burp him he kicks it off me, and by the time he's done eating i'm covered in milk and he is too.

Had his first tub-bath!!
All day today he's been peeing on himself during changings, so I figured it was time for a real bath instead of wipe-downs. Richard got the honor of bathing him so I could take pictures, but he was kinda overwhelmed because he's never bathed an infant before! So my picture-taking was cut short so I could help...and i'm not sad because I wanted to get in on the action =)

Mere seconds before this picture was taken, he managed to pee all over the kitchen and onto the oven. What a dirty little boy >=D

My favorite picture! He did really well...

...Until Rich put him down and then he didn't feel very secure on his back and started wailing. Once Mom jumped in and held him, he was happy baby again!

One clean and happy boy! And a proud Mama.

Super Sunday!

2010-06-28T12:55:00.003+09:00

More pictures! Not much going on these last couple days- mostly working on homework, playing with our little son, and playing a lot of WoW. Yes, I'm a nerd....but i've had to go without WoW for close to 3 months due to work and school, so now that I don't have to work I am enjoying my free time =)

Seattle!

2010-06-26T19:34:00.009+09:00

So, I'm already starting to slip...I didn't take any pictures today!! In my defense, I was TOTALLY wiped after a long day in Seattle, so I napped most the day, and also managed to get another class finished up (yay!). That leaves only one class to finish... two assignments... and I'm DONE with school till October.

Biggest Event- Nolan is a strong boy!! (There really wasn't any sound worth listening to so I turned it way down)

So, our nephew Jake arrived Wednesday from California... he's enjoying his summer vacation by getting out of the house for a while (he's home-schooled). Since he's visiting, I figured it was a great excuse for Rich and I to FINALLY get and do the touristy stuff in Seattle. Sure, we've been to Seattle enough for non-reasons...concerts, buying a car, stuff like that... but I hadn't been to the space needle! So away we went.

The morning of: Daddy and Nolan napping! I joined them afterward and we slept in till noon!!!

So we actually didn't leave till ~2pm, but that was perfect because the days are sooo long, we were able to be there during the warmest part of the day (it got to a blistering 77 degrees!). The sun was shining enough to warrant going and buying some sunscreen!

Our first stop was the Space Needle!

The View from up top! Gorgeous view of Seattle and Mt. Rainier

I kinda had to twist Rich's arm to come up top with us...he visited here a couple years ago and didn't really want to spend the money to go up again- what a party-pooper! Well, in the end we all headed up, and I got to take a bunch of pictures, and cross off "visit Space Needle" from my bucket list. I carried Nolan in my awesome sling I got off Etsy, and as such had to endure old ladies telling me how "Oh those slings were recalled!!! YOU ARE GOING TO KILL YOUR BABY!" ... or something like that.

After heading down, we walked to Pike's Place Market. We missed all the fish flingers, and all the shops were closed (it was close to 6 by the time we got there) but eventually found a really great Hawaiian/Japanese restaurant, where Jake had his first taste of Japanese, and I had my first experience of nursing in public. The bathroom was NOT an option, so I put on my Udder-Cover, and he nursed like a champ! I think we both did awesome, and It was a lot easier than I had thought, despite the cramped conditions. Best part? No one said anything or gave me the side-eye =)

Dad's Day!!

2010-06-22T10:06:00.011+09:00

I feel kinda bad... all my wonderful Father's Day plans for Richard either A) Fell through B) Laziness got the best of me.

However, Nolan surprised me by writing a very cute card for his fathers (At 12 days old no less!) Dad loved this, and boasted to all his family which called about how smart his son is.

I did take Rich out to dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory, we just have a tradition of going out several days before the actual event, to avoid crowds. So Friday was our dinner-date, a re-visit from our first date which included going shooting, then having dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory!

I have been busily attempting to finish my homework so I can get at least a half-good grade in my classes... this is proving difficult, seeing as how I want to spend every waking second cuddling my little boy! School sucks, and I am a terrible student... I do well in class, I just have zero patience to finish out an entire class, especially when they last 11 weeks! That is much too long.

And now, Pictures!!
One week, 3 days! I know it should be pictures of him and daddy, but daddy felt bad that there were no shots of us together. Isn't he kind? I look like crap!

One week, 4 days old! Being terribly adorable!

Ok, before you kill me: The cat jumped on me for all of 1 minute...and that's actually the closest she's been to the baby so far! Also, he's sitting inside a boppy, so the lap-top isn't actually sitting on him...it's on the boppy. BUT. It makes for a nice 'multi-tasking' shot, which is really all i've been doing since we came home from the hospital!

His last day as a 1-week old! Today he had his 2-week well check! He is still 18 1/2 inches long, and is now weighing 6lbs 4oz!! He's put on 4oz in one week!

Naps are fun!

2010-06-19T06:38:00.003+09:00

We take them all the time =)

I have to say, being on maternity leave while Rich isn't working has to be the best thing in the whole world...and once my school is finished, it'll be all the sweeter.

Apparently I've been a bit too eager to get out and be a mom, because I have been in so much pain the last two days it isn't funny! Between doctors appointments, shopping, and cleaning the house, I apparently over did it. So, today Rich took Nolan out and left Mommy to have some alone time! I didn't really do anything special- finished up some homework, took a cat-nap in the recliner with the cat, and did more homework. But it was a welcome break =)

Now... more pictures! Did I mention i'm attempting to take a picture every day? I have an online friend that did this with her daughter and I think it's a great idea!! And Rich is even reminding me on those days where I forget.

Cloth-Diapering Success!

2010-06-16T12:32:00.002+09:00

Rich has been awesome about using the KissaLuvs, and I tried my first pre-fold...he made an angry, runny poo and it didn't run out! I did the "angel-wing" fold and am very proud of myself =)

Here are pics!

KL0's...and he's 6lbs today and one week old!

And here he is sportin' a Thirstie's Duo wrap.

I know it's only one day, but I have a feeling we are going to do well!

Yellow belly

2010-06-15T09:27:00.012+09:00

The first day and a half home were pretty awesome. I found out I'll be going to Beale AFB, CA in November, and we were able to go get my RIP the next day!

Nolan's first well-baby appointment was Saturday, and I was pretty sure we going to get some bad news regarding jaundice. Before we were discharged he was only 2 points below 20, which was the maximum level allowed. The results at 4-days old showed he was up to 22 points....which meant another night at the hospital. Rich couldn't stay (annoying, considering it was just me in the room) but he stayed until 10pm and came back the next day around 8:30. It was a long and boring night, but I'm glad they caught it and he looks much better now.

This is his Elton John face

And now, A photo-breakdown for every day he has been born

Birthday Baby's First Bath

2 Days old

3 Days old, napping with Grandma

4 Days old, being a little angel

5 Days old, home from the hospital and much pinker!

6 Days old, enjoying his swing that our niece gave us!

First things first!

2010-06-15T05:26:00.006+09:00

I have a lovely baby =)

It has been a whirlwind of activity this whole week! But, let me begin at the beginning.

Monday the 7th of June I went in for a scheduled growth ultrasound to see how little Nolan was sizing with my gestational diabetes. This crazy-long appointment...the sonographer was being trained to do a late-pregnancy growth scan for the first time, so everything was done at least 3 times. By the time we finished, I was a little concerned... on the screen it shows estimated gestational age, and even though I was 37w 1d, all the sizes were showing 35 or 36. I chalked it up to newbie tech, but low and behold my mother's intuition held true and was called back for more scans. The senior sonographer checked the blood flow of his umbilical cord, and I was sent back to the waiting room once again.

Next thing I know, my Midwife was walking in and telling me that he was sizing in the 8th percentile, the blood flow in the umbilical cord was "less than pleasing", so I will be induced. Today. Right now, in fact. You don't even get to go home first.

Um.... ok? Fun.

To labor and delivery I went, and proceeded to e-mail all my professors, call my boss, and most importantly...my Mom. I got checked, and was already at 3cm, and 65% effaced, so there was no need to have Cervadil. At this point, it was close to 5:00 and I was starving (I had a light lunch). I begged the Midwife to let me have some dinner first, considering I wouldn't be eating again till the baby was there. She agreed (I love her) and Rich left to go home and gather up phone chargers, pillows, and a lot of snacks. I was told that Labor and Delivery just got hit with 2 C-Sections, and there were 7 woman all currently in active labor, so they would be delaying my pitocin until they got their nursing staff in order... good news for Mom, who was driving to the airport and was convinced that I would have him before she got there (ha!).

At 7:10pm they started the pitocin; a slow drip. By 10pm it was knocked up to 18, and at midnight it was full force...but I wasn't feeling it. I managed to sleep around 3 or 4 hours until the sun came up. They checked me at 6am, I was at 4cm, so they broke my water. Once my water broke, then came the contractions. From 6am till 9am I managed to labor through the contractions. I got checked and was already at 6cm- and was ready for my epidural. I got my epi at 9:30, and by 11 I was at 9cm... apparently I just needed to relax and let my body do it's thing!

By 12:20 I was +2 station, and at 1:15 I started pushing...25minutes later, at 1:39 my little 5lb 15oz Nolan arrived! He was sunny-side up till 4 pushes out, flipped, and I was finally able to get him out. He was 18 1/2 inches long, and had the cone head from hell!

More pictures, then a breakdown of our next adventure in the next post!

A to-do list? On a sunday?

2010-05-31T01:52:00.001+09:00

I hate being a "grownup" ... whatever happened to lounging around, watching cartoons and eating more than I should?

Today's Todo list:

#1- Homework. A lot of it. (must finish before little N decides to come early)

#2- Dishes. I really wanted to wait for DH to do them, but he's gone all day!

#3- Put away the bottles I finished washing/sterilizing (where do I put them, anyways??)

#4- Finish cleaning up the nursery (a never-ending task)

#5- Not score terrible on my breakfast blood-sugar numbers (this should be higher on the list, but w/e)

#6- Finish sewing the other 25 wipes that I couldn't get done yesterday...then proceed to close all 40 o_0

I'm not going to mention the state of chaos the living room is in, but that is ALL DH's mess, and i'm not touching it.

It's not nesting, because I DON'T WANT TO DO IT. *pout*

One month to go!

2010-05-28T15:35:00.002+09:00

So, I'm down to 29 days until little Nolan is due to make his apperance! As of today, he is head-down and fully in my pelvis!

I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes last week, so that may change the rules a little when it comes to his birthday...if they find he is sizing large, or is having difficulties with his heartrate, there is a real possibility that I can be induced!

While most pregnant ladies cherish the idea of an early delivery, I on the other hand, want him to stay in for as long as possible. This is mainly for very selfish reasons, those being the 3 bachelores classes I'm taking currently. My last class ends 4 days before my due date, and that is a huge deal to me!! Thankfully, my university offers a 1-week extention for medical issues, so at least I have that going for me :)

I'm going to try my best to update here more as the weeks progress, I just have a difficult time finding enough hours in the day to get anything extra curricular accomplished!!!!

We have seedlings!

2010-02-22T04:40:00.004+09:00

I'm super excited! The first tray I planted on Thursday has officially germinated! I'm shocked how quickly they shot up!

Basically how I set my trays up were 18 pods of 3 different types of boarder plants (planting about 3-4 seeds per pod) then on my second tray I planted 5 different types of main flower bed-type flowers, 12 pods each. My goal is for a thick boarder with those 3 different types of flowers, then a nice spaced out and pretty.

Yay for progress!

My Garden Project!

2010-02-19T14:17:00.011+09:00

So, I decided once we got this house that we MUST put a garden in the front porch area. I love the idea of a spring covered in flowers, which is commonplace at my Mom's house.

Our housing office has a strict rule against Perennials, which is a bummer because I LOVE so many bulbs and gorgeous perennials... but thats ok, i'm up for the challenge.

After much research, I figured out the best annuals that would survive in our region, mostly hardy or half-hardy, wet weather-loving flowers. Several of them will self-seed, so that's a great bonus...technically they aren't perennials!

Here is what I have to work with...

It isn't much, but its nothing to scoff at.

Imagine it over-flowing with gorgeous flowers...I can't wait!! A boarder wraps around from the left of the property around the side, but no one sees the right side, so I won't even bother planting on that side!

It's full sun until around 9am, partial sun till 10-11, then shade from 12-onward! Very nice,
considering most my plants are heat-sensitive!

I also need to find more friends for Tanuki-Kun...in Japan, its good luck to have a Tanuki in your garden our outside your raman shop!

My lone Begonia plant needs some friends...

I'll keep an update on my seedlings as they progress!
Here is what they look like now:

How do you put 18 weeks worth of updates into one post?

2010-02-14T10:20:00.008+09:00

I'm curious why I've been so gun shy on posting. I've wanted to, but at the same time I feel like if I post anything, somethings going to go bad.

My last post was October... actually, the day we got our bed set up and our house moved into... and thats when I found out I was pregnant. Usually, I would be thrilled to post every weeks worth of happiness and pictures....but for some reason, I can't bring myself to do it.

I'm 21 weeks pregnant today... such a huge milestone. We're having a little boy in June, and his name is going to be Nolan Vincent... Vincent is honoring Richard's father after a long struggle with many types of cancer who passed away in November.

I'm still a hard-working Air Force girl thats getting a bachelors...Rich is working hard keeping the house in order and selling all his old highschool junk to make way for the baby. We're planning a trip to Japan that will be wonderful, and then we're having our baby showers April 17th in Oroville and April 18th in Sacramento. April 18th just so happens to be Richard's big 30th birthday, which he is none to pleased about!

That pretty much sums it up... now for pictures?
11 Weeks
15 Weeks
18 Weeks

20 Weeks

House! Stuff! YAY!

2009-10-07T14:04:00.008+09:00

We've been moved into our house for almost 3 weeks, and we got our TMO today! For all non-military types, TMO is your House Hold Goods, or "All our stuff that was in Korea".

So far we have a Bird, a Cat, and our stuff. We are very content! Here are pictures, in all their glory. I'll begin with the beginning...

New House! We bought about $1300 worth of Ikea furniture...Which looks pretty snazzy, IMO.

Which looks pretty snazzy, IMO. Meet Mango, our Sun Conure. We adopted him from a
lady that didn't have the time to love him, so we are for her.
This is Duchess, the drinker of water and sleeping on shoulders kitty. We loves her!

Mango (below) loves to dive-bomb Duchess, and try and carry her off "Like a Pterodactyl" as Richard notes.

Affor-mentioned Shoulder Kitty

Pets aside, we also had our TMO delivered today. After the movers brought the boxes in, our living room looked like this:

Upon unpacking, messiness ensues.

Somehow, we survive.

Anywho, there's your nice photo-update. Now that I have my computer back I'll be able to upload more often!

Back in the states

2009-09-06T08:50:00.004+09:00

I landed Thursday in the Seattle/Tacoma airport, and am very happy to be back on US soil! First thing I did was go buy a phone (an iPhone, of course). I miss my Mac, but this phone is good enough to take the edge off. First thing I did was go buy a bike, and I also saw the housing office, and we may be able to get a house as soon as next week! I really hope so, because the sooner a house is ready the sooner Rich can go back to Cali to stay with his dad.

Today the weathers been really off and on rainy, so I have no ambition to take my bike out! 4 day weekends are usually really awesome, but not so much when you don't have a car, and don't know anyone.

Anywho, thought I would update anyone who cared to listen. Rich will hopefully be here soon!

The child we once knew

2009-06-29T10:02:00.002+09:00

The last 4 days have been hard.

We lost the child we once knew, and we are coming to terms with that.

Every day it gets a little easier, but it seems to hurt a little more.

I'm trying to not be bitter at all the wonderful people around me who are blessed with healthy pregnancies and wonderful little babies...but its hard.

I'll continue to get by, but my soul will never be complete...there will always be a gap where my child used to be.

Week 11

2009-06-19T18:55:00.002+09:00

What happened to weeks 9 and 10?? Well, I've been sick through most of them.

So sick, in fact, that today I went to the ER and demanded IV fluids because I knew I haven't been getting enough food (like... I almost never eat anything all day its been so bad). It hasn't been morning sickness, its actually because of the antibiotics they gave me for a bad base of Strep Throat.

I finished off the round of drugs, but still the nausea remained... until today. Its was SO nice to not worry about being sick while I ate (for the first time in nearly two weeks) a sandwich. Just something that simple brought so much joy!

Well, I made the mistake of eating a little TOO much, but who can eat too many blackberries? DELICIOUS DELICIOUS blackberries... I feel so happy right now because I haven't been eating ANY fruit or veggies... and I felt so scared and protective over the little critter in my tummy. I actually lost 5 or 7 pounds over the last 2 weeks, which happened to my sister in law as well. If you look at week 8's belly compared to now, you can tell I actually lost some weight.

Anywho, hopefully with my anti-nausea medicine, I'll be able to continue to thrive and won't have any more eating issues.

Only 78 more days left till I leave Korea.... very excited about that. If anyone cares, I'm registered at BabiesRUs.com, with the name Brittainy Barnes (duh) or Registry # 59326316. Don't feel obligated to get anything, just a nice FYI =)

Anywho, since i'm finally in chipper spirits, I figured I would post. And update a pic!

Week 8!

2009-05-31T15:17:00.003+09:00

No news is good news, and the good news is no symptoms!! =D

I've been blessed to have no real issues, which is nice because i've been SOO busy with work...and wow. Yeah, I started playing WoW Again but its going to stop lol if I can't keep up with school.

Anywho, thought I would post this weeks pic, if anyone cares.

Week 7!

2009-05-23T04:40:00.002+09:00

So, a lot has happened since I posted last.

Firstly, Richard is home, and for good this time!
Secondly, we lost our assignment to Spangdahlem. I guess they didn't want to change around my RNLTD (the day I arrive overseas) so now we're getting stationed at McChord. Not terrible, so maybe we can head to Germany some other time.
Thirdly, our VW Passat back home got totaled... Richard's nephew borrowed it for Senior Prom, ran a red light, and got T-Boned by a mustang. It went flying through a light-post, and into a tree. In the pictures the light-post is actually sitting on top of the car cos it got ripped out from the roots... so now we get to take our $2,000 insurance pay-off and put it on a cheaper car so we can buy two... Until Rich gets his own new car again, he gets to drive his old Mustang.
Fourthly... I'm finally starting to show! Thats the most exciting part, and kinda out-weighs all the other bad stuff. I'm super excited about showing off my belly! My first sonogram is June 25th, so I have to wait another 33 days =( I don't really want to wait that long!

I started my first two classes at Colorado Technical University... my transcripts came through, so I got credited for 15 Butte College classes and also Basic/Tech school. That was 52 units all together!! That took an entire year off my learning!! I'll be graduating in 2011 with a Bachelor's in Information Technology! And with the right timing, i'll have it in time for me to seperate, and get a good, well-paid job that doesn't include wearing ABU's.

Well, i'm going to try and go back to bed...we went and saw "Angels and Demons", fell asleep at 12:40, and woke up at 2am COVERED in mosquitoe bites!! I couldn't fall asleep after that, but I'm feeling sleepy again....I just hope I don't get bit up. Apparently mosquitoes are attracted to pregnant ladies because Richard didn't get a single bite, and I got like 15. -_- not fair!

5 Weeks Pregnant!

2009-05-08T19:06:00.003+09:00

So, one week has passed! Much of it without a lot of hub-bub, except for A LOT of crying on my part. I'm dealing with Rich being in California still, crap at work, and the house STILL not being clean.

My 5th week symptoms are (excuse me in advanced for TMI)
*Bigger Breasts
*Super Emotional
*Excess Peeing
*Swollen feet/ankles

Thankfully I haven't and *knock on wood* won't have any type of nausea/queasiness. My mom went through all three of her pregnancies without any kind of nausa, so hopefully I luck out as well.

My biggest issues right now are 1) Getting all my out processing rolling (since the Air Force still things I'm leaving in December) 2) Staying Healthy!! I plan on doing anything/everything I can on Monday, but I can't do anything without the 'magical paper' that is my form 422. That little piece of tree-bits will tell the MPF that I am indeed pregnant, and I can start changing ALL my paperwork to reflect my new DEROS. Easier said than done.

Staying healthy... is easier, a little. I'm eating quite well right now, and walking 3 miles every day (to work and home). I've only forgotten to take my Vitamins twice, and I really think they've been keeping me from the morning sickness.

I've been reading non-stop about all things babies, including names (I have some picked out already for girl/boy, but Rich still has yet to be convinced) and also started my birth plan. I can't really get to detailed regarding the birth plan, because I still have to talk to my NEW doctor when I get in Germany. I HAVE done a fair amount of research on the hospital I'll be attending, and have some really good vibes going. Click here to see the website

Other than that, i'm just biding my time until Richard returns on the 13th. We get to attend a long "first appointment" which is where we will get the nutrition lesson, and plan out all our future appointments. Very exciting stuff, and my (tenative) first sonogram will be on or around the 15th of June! I can't wait.

I started a project (mostly to keep me occupied) which involves weekly belly pictures, then putting it into Flash so I can eventually make a .gif of my belly progression. This won't be very entertaining until about half-way through the pregnancy, but gives me something to kill time.
I also need to work on my cross-stitching, which will proove to be hours of entertainment while relaxing after work. I pretty much plan on coming home and having a relaxing evening without sitting on the computer for extended periods of time (thats because I can lay on the bed with the laptop! yay loophole!)

Ok enough for now~~ And yes that is week 5 belly...kinda embaressing, since its all just fat =(

After the shock

2009-05-01T20:14:00.003+09:00

I've had a good 5 or 6 hours to calm down after the initial news that I'm finally pregnant... Its just seems to be getting nicer as the hours go on. Richard seemed both pleased and shocked, he kept saying "wow." every 10 mins or so. That made me smile.

I'm feeling really tired, which makes sence now. Ever since I came home, I've been going to bed at 8:30 or 9pm, and waking up at 6:30am. Its a weird cycle, but I don't mind since starting Monday i'll be back at work, awake at 5:40. The only plus side to Rich not being here is that I don't have to worry about waking him up in the morning!

I actually managed to get some semblence of house work down in he intermeaning time... I picked up the living room, did a load of laundry, and prepaired all the veggies I bought yesterday. I cut and chopped some lettuce and celery, washed the mini-carrots, and made some cucumber salad dressing... I'm anxious to see how it turned out.

Next door is a resteraunt that serves salad with something that tasts like cucumber, so I've started experimenting to see if I can find the right mix of ingredients. From scouring the internet, I've managed to find that it has

Cucumbers (duh)

Milk

Lemon

Yogurt or Mayonaise (I opted for fat-free plane yogurt...much heathier! and less... mayo tasting)

Chopped Parsley/other random spices. I feel like this may have killed my flavor..I should have added it after tasting it, but i'll live. I'm letting it set overnight and then i'll have it with my lunch salad. I may have to go eat dinner next door and compair flavors.

I also put together some bunny gates...after having my ethernet cord chewed by a rabbit, and then the power cord to my digital picture frame, i've had quite enough of my bunny and his chewing habbits.

I'm heading to bed... my doctor's appointment isn't until Tuesday, so I get to wait it out until then. I'll probably pre-occupy myself with a lot of internet reading.

WOW. Just wow. Pregnant!

2009-05-01T15:55:00.003+09:00

I barely had enough time to get home from leave, unpack my bags, and edit a whole 20 pictures...
and then I found out I'm pregnant.

The initial shock has worn off in the past hour, and i'm less gitty and more focused. I hated that I had to tell Richard via webcam, since he'll be in California for another 3 weeks to get his old mustang ready for shipping (and its a good thing he's doing it extra early now!).

I figured something was up when I got off the 12-hour plane ride with swollen feet...then got on the 2-hour bus home from the airport and they were LARGER. I've taken that same trip twice now, and never got swollen feet...but now it makes sense.

I'm so excited, and nervous, and happy, and euphoric. But i'm so sad I don't have rich to snuggle with and enjoy it all... its kinda putting a damper on my great news!! I can't wait for him to come home so we can sit and be together again....

Anywho, I still plan on posting a summery of events from our Japan trip, but i'll be doing it on my website instead. www.britnrich.com

Anywho, off to go make the house neat... It's a HUGE mess, after having my niece over we pretty much took everything not necissary from the office and stuffed it in the bedroom...needless to say its a complete hazard area. I told Rich I had to schedual in a good 3 hours of "freak out" time, because even though the this is the best news ever...i'm still scared and excited.

Yay!

Japan

2009-04-16T02:14:00.002+09:00

Hello all!

Just wanted to post a quick message before I tottered off to bed.

We've been enjoying outselves here in Japan! Its been a whirlwind of activity, travelling, a lot of money spending, and hopefully soon....family visiting!

We're currently at Atsugi NAS, leaving for Yokota AFB so we can catch a hop to Seattle, so we can stay in Cali with the family for a week and a couple days.

Wish me luck!

Cherry Blossom Season

2009-04-02T01:58:00.004+09:00

Only 2 days to go till I head off to Japan! Richard's (and I guess mine too...but since she's 6 years older its a bit strange to call her niece) niece Suzanne and her son Landon have been here for the last 4 days and we've had a good time so far. The only downside is our poor Korean plumbing can't handle all the bodies, so it keeps getting backed up... NOT fun when you have a pregnant lady going pee every 4 hours (Suzanne). Also, the 4 year-old LOVES to wake up at 6:30 and sing...he's quite a character.

Right now i'm having fun freaking out, making sure I know where we're going, how to get there, and how much it'll cost. The best news of the day was that our Landlord is letting us skip out on the rent for the month, and we can pay it when we get back. VERY nice, since I make enough in one paycheck to cover two months rent, and also since our tickets for the Japanese Rail line will cost us around $800. But, that covers us for two straight weeks of train and bus rides, so we know exsactly how much transportation will be costing us.

The title in this lovely blog is referring to the best time to go see the Cherry Blossoms in Osaka and Kyoto, which is where we will be staying the first 3 days of our trip. It's such a big deal that they have people who take daily reports on how far into bloom the trees are (Perfect for people like me who freak out if the trees will still be in bloom when we arrive there). Heres the link if your interested.

I'm very excited about leaving, which is why its 2am and I still can't sleep... I keep thinking that I'm going to miss something amazing while I'm there, and then think about it forever and be sad that I couldn't go. Maybe after typing this up i'll be able to sleep...but then again, maybe not.

DIY: Soft Box

2009-03-23T17:00:00.005+09:00

Variation on a very familiar theme: A Softbox! This is made for taking pictures, and having nice soft diffused light to make the model (or item) have even, non-harsh lighting.

I'm going to post the finished product here, and link on my flickr page.
(I'm much better at doing this stuff in Photoshop rather than blogs).

This is what I made, and here is the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/indiechixor/3378015711/

The idea was from here

Spring

2009-03-22T18:00:00.001+09:00

Was going to update, but got distracted by sleep =P

I got today (monday) off thanks to our nice new Commander, who decided that 3 straight weeks of 12-hour shifts was enough for us and we deserved a day off!!

I thank him for it =)

We're currently getting ready for our niece Suzanne to show up, so it involves a lot of cleaning! I really should be studying my CDC's, but Yah... not happening.

Life!

2009-03-06T16:12:00.004+09:00

Just a quick update, while I have the time for one. Richard and I are both gearing up and getting excited about going on mid-tour! I'll be taking a month of leave, and Richard's neice Suzanne and great-nephew Landon will be stopping over to tour Korea with Rich, then we'll all be heading to Japan!! We're both super excited, and I can't wait to get this month over with.

Heres a couple new pics of the bunnies, and some morning shots I took.

New Addition!

2009-02-28T23:26:00.004+09:00

Richard and I took a trip into the city today, and bought a new Camera!!

=D I know, the title is deceptive. But i'm super excited, mostly because of how great a deal we got on it.

1 Canon 40D
1 Sigma Zoom 28-70mm 1:2.8-4 lense
1 Esse Light Tripod
1 MC-UV Filter
1 Extra Battery
8gig 120x CF memory card
Camera Bag
and Cleaning Kit.....

$964.18

OR

1,542,000 Korean Won.

God bless Korea.

Originally, I was planning on buying a lesser-quality camera, but since the guy was giving us such a great deal, we couldn't pass up the oppertunity. The one I bought sells for around $1200 in the states, with a lesser-quality lense. I bought a better one in the package deal this guy was throwing at us. It was about $40 more expensive than it should have been, because we could only pull out 900,000W from the ATM, so we charged the rest onto our card, and the charge for that was an extra 54,000W. not cool.

OH! I started a flickr account too. You can access it here.

Still Trying

2009-02-16T09:38:00.002+09:00

I've been wanting to update, but the internet has been continuously deteriorating, to the point where several hours its unusable! I blame the buildings new router they put in... it went down, then after 2 days of no internet, they got a new one.. I think there's something wrong with the proxy, because every couple hours it'll block almost every website....its rather infuriating.

So its been 4 months since Rich and I started trying, and still nothing. I've been gradually accepting it, the first 2 months were the worst. I decided that if nothing comes from this month of trying, I'm going to stop obsessing about it and just let it happen...everyones been saying that from the get-go, but I was too focused to listen. *sigh* its a bit un-heartening when everyone around you that you know is getting pregnant, and I feel like the only one who can't do it.

Past that, everything is going good here in Korea-land. Valentines day was nice, rich made me Biscuites and Gravy, then we went to Seoul and had Sushi =) It was really nice, and to top it off we had the missionaries over for dinner last night. These are two of the nicest boys i've met, and I'm sad because one of them is transferring to a new stake tomorrow, and the other is going home in 6 weeks. They requested hamburgers, so we made them a nice BBQ style spread! They really liked it, and were most excited about seeing the Lay's potato chips! I guess I'm not used to Americans no having access to the Commisary, because they just have the local Korean shops to shop at for dinner.

I promised Rich I would make pancakes this mornining, but he fell back asleep so I thought I would update here.

New Years Revelations!

2009-01-16T00:40:00.003+09:00

That's right folks, revelations and resolutions!

I stayed true to my word when I said I wasn't going to post untill after New Years...not by choice, however... mostly because It's been hard to stay connected to the internet for a long enough time to post anything!

For Christmas we spent the majority of our time on the Webcams with family back home... Richard's family finally figured out how his webcam worked (along with Skype) so they all pilied into his old room and said their repective holiday greetings on Christmas eve. I stayed up till about 3am so I could "spend" Christmas morning with my family, in our old fasion ways. My sister kept her laptop on the familyroom table and positioned it so I could see everyone open their gifts (though I was often forgot about and had to keep yelling till she heard me over the comotion and she turned me to the newest present opener!)

My christmas gifts were amazing... mom and dad went all out and bought us a VERY nice photo printer, along with a cool digital movie recorder, that keeps an hour of recording time. The only thing I have to figure out is how I can transfer that info while we're out and about if we wanted to record more than an hour! I guess I'll figure that out later.

But, heres a preview!! This is our rabbit we adopted, Ricecake, and the strange thing he likes to do with his water-bottle....we call him the "upside-down rabbit"

Anywho, after the christmas comotion, we BOTH came down with the "Korean Winter Flu" as I call it, as everyone here gets sick =P I was first, with a nasty chest cold/bad cough, but it pretty much stopped there. Rich got it after (of course he blames me for giving it to him) with a sinus infection, and his poor face is cracked and red from blowing his nose so much!

This week isn't helping my on-going ailment (though I've now shifted from coughing to the sniffles) with working 12-hour shifts, and having to walk to work every day in the cold... waking up at 3am to make it to work by 4:30am isn't helping either.

Richard is starting another round of school on base at the UMUC, and I've been teaching myself German. Because THATS RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO SPANGDAHLEM! We're both very excited about it, and think its our blessing for enduring a second year here.... though I kinda wish we were still going to Eilson.

Happy Holiday!

2008-12-16T22:03:00.006+09:00

Hello All!

Life has been good to Richard and I! We're enjoying our Holiday time and looking forward to our first Christmas together (last year I left just in time to miss it). We had a blast at my Squadron Christmas Party, and you can find pictures posted here.

Still trying, but enjoying spending our time together getting to know each other better. We miss everyone, and encourage you pass along our blog if you think anyone we may know is missing out!

Unfortunatly I don't have much to update, I'm working like crazy, and Rich is doing a lot to keep the house in a functional manner... I belive I would go hungry If he wasn't here to cook for me ;)

Merry Christmas to all, and we probably won't update till after New Years!

Thanksgiving Blessings!

2008-11-28T19:56:00.002+09:00

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to have a 4-day weekend for Thanksgiving!! Richard and I had the missionaries over for dinner, and I believe the appreciated the home-cooked meal. One of them said that was the first time he had crescent rolls in 20+ months!

Then today (friday) I got to web-cam with the family back home, which is nice since our Vonage phone is not working and I haven't been able to chat with the family for a while. I heard the greatest news: my brother Erik and his wife Amanda are pregnant! Awesome for them!!

Other than that, Rich and I have been amusing ourselves playing WoW (nerd nerd nerd)

Oh baby!

2008-11-21T20:08:00.004+09:00

I am very excited to report that we are now officially "trying" to conceive! This is the best thing to come fold since we first started discussing children. Now its just a waiting game, and also a planning game. Now i'll be able to go in and pick out outfits and cute one-sies without Korean women asking "baby soon?!" lol. Now we're going to start seriously look at baby names, and are always taking suggestions =)

In other news, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary and enjoyed some flavor of back home, Outback Steakhouse! There are actually two or three in Seoul, which is surprising to some.

Small update, mostly because we've been busy and are going to be very busy in the upcoming weeks, with the holidays and such.

The initial post!

2008-11-13T19:08:00.002+09:00

And boy, is it a biggy.

I will take this time to first promote our Website (its less a website, and more a place of pictures)
www.BritnRich.com . If you haven't looked at it I suggest you go browse through! I know eventually I'll integrate words and pictures together to live in harmony...

So my life as it is right now:

Richard is currently visiting his family back in the states, as his father just got finished with surgery to remove a large mass of Cancer from his brain. My prayers are with them all!
Our first wedding anniversary is next week! November the 20th...this goes along with my parents, which is the 14th (26 years!!), and Richard's parents (the 19th).
We are currently planning on conceiving our first child in late December/Early January!! This is hoping that all goes well ;)
I am always busy with work, and Richard is attending the University of Maryland, majoring in History. He's going to the campus on base, and doing very well!

aaand thats enough for a list. You can call those "hot topics", and I guess If you're in a hurry you can stop reading here!

Richard and I have been in the "planning" stage of childbearing for a couple months now, going back to when he first arrived on penn back in January. Our first big decision was to drop my follow-on (the base i'm suppost to go to after Korea).
I was suppose to go to Eilson, Alaska...and for those who don't know Alaska well, Eilson is up in the northern area right in the middle, near Fairbanks and in the town of North Pole. I lived there when i was 3 and 4 years old, and remember a bit of it...mostly the cold, and the moose. Richard thought that It would be nice to have a chance of going to maybe Germany or Italy, and I had to agree that those were better choices, travel-wise. So, it happened. I extended my tour here another year, and Eilson went out the window.
We had talked about kids, and thought that we should wait till we finished our next base, and settle down in the states. Well, that stuck for only a month, and I decided that that was TOO long to wait to have kids. So, we lowered it to waiting till we got to our next base, and see how that worked out. I was afraid we were going to get a base that wasn't child-friendly, and pushed it forward even further! Call my baby-crazy i guess!!
But, Richard took it to heart and after talking about it for several months, we both agreed that leaving Korea pregnant was the best thing to do. We would have time to move in, set up shop, and settle in while I had free Maternity leave, and didn't have to work. The only caveat to this plan is that we won't find out where we're going until February, so we still have some waiting to do until we can start house-hunting/job-hunting (for Rich). This part of the plan is what is driving me nutso!
While part of me keeps saying to wait till we get to our next base, my whole heart is dedicated to having a child now, and not wait another WHOLE year. I just have to be content with not having any control over when we leave, where I go, or how I get there....but that is the life I chose when I joined the military!!
What really keeps me going is how excited Richard is about becoming a father. We talk about it all the time, we have books and baby-name books, and he constantly says that he's so happy to talk about this stuff with me! I know with all my heart I couldn't have found a better partner to share my life with!

In the end, life right now is very interesting... once Richard gets back from the states, we will continue our planning for what is to come, keeping in our minds all the possibilities of what could change/go wrong, but smile through it all and keep a positive outlook on life.
What I need right now is a distraction, to keep me from thinking/talking about babies!