Great Article, From Parents Magazine?!

I am not usually a fan of Parents magazine.  

I mean, nothing against them, I just prefer to spend my money on subscriptions to magazines like Mothering, Kiwi , or The Green Parent- something that fits my parenting style and outlook a whole lot better.
 

 For some reason, I have been getting Parents magazine for quite a while now (perhaps as a baby gift someone purchased a subscription for us and forgot to let us know?)- it's okay, has some good tips for general parenting "stuff" now and then, usually a neat recipe or two.  But, on the whole, I'm usually dissappointed in what it's pages hold.  

HOWEVER- this most recent issue contained a nice surprise!  I was so pleased to see this kind of information in a place- like Parents- that will give it a lot of public attention , that I decided to share it here.  

{Just as a side note, one of my favorite "safe" places to find plastic "stuff" is The Soft Landing- check it out the next time you're in need of a new item.  At the very least it will give you a name brand or specific item to look for when you're at the store.}

Hopefully a lot more companies will begin to take note soon- and if not, hopefully more people will become better educated (myself included!) and be better able to keep their families safer.

 

How to Keep Your Family Safe from Toxic Chemicals

BPA ... Phthalates... You know they can be dangerous for your family, but you may not know all the ways they enter your body, or -- most important -- how you can limit your exposure. Parents investigates.

By Virginia Sole-Smith

Amy Ellings thought she knew what to expect last year when she agreed to donate blood for a study that would measure the levels of chemicals in her body. It focused on pregnant women in their second trimester in order to gauge what kind of chemical "body burden" they might be passing on to their developing baby. It sounded a little sci-fi, but Ellings, of Olympia, Washington, knew she led a healthy lifestyle: "I'm a public-health nutritionist, so I was interested to see the results, but I figured everything would be normal."

Not quite.

Two months after she gave birth to baby Nick, Ellings learned that her blood samples had contained 12 different chemicals known as endocrine disruptors, which can interfere with the body's ability to produce hormones. Two of these chemicals, bisphenol A (BPA) and diethyl phthalate (DEP), were at levels higher than those found in 90 percent of American adults. "I was blown away," says Ellings. She wondered whether she'd been exposed to these chemicals because she'd grown up in a small industrial town. But BPA and DEP break down quickly, which means her blood test revealed only what her body had accumulated within the previous three days. "I was shocked to learn what my unborn baby and I were exposed to," she says.

You might think Ellings is an isolated case, but biomonitoring studies show that these endocrine-disrupting chemicals (or EDCs) are now found in virtually all of us. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified detectable levels of BPA, for instance, in 93 percent of people tested, and phthalates like DEP in at least 75 percent of the population. "These chemicals weren't in most consumer goods as recently as 40 years ago," says Parents advisor Philip J. Landrigan, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York City, and director of its Children's Environmental Health Center. "Now they're in our bodies, and we don't understand all the ways they could impact our health because no previous generation of humans has ever been exposed to them."

What we do know: As the environmental exposures and chemical burden on our bodies has risen, so have rates of diseases, particularly those that impact kids, including asthma, childhood cancers, autism, and ADHD. Hormones, and chemicals that mimic them, may play a key role in the evolution of these health problems because they work as chemical messengers, traveling through the bloodstream to affect the development of tissues and organs, as well as influencing body processes like metabolism and reproduction. "There is no more dangerous time for this toxic exposure to occur than during pregnancy and early childhood, when organ systems are still in development," notes Andrew Weil, M.D., founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona.

But nobody knows what level of toxic exposure might trigger a particular disease. Even though many EDCs break down quickly, their levels are constantly increasing in our body because we encounter them every day -- in our food, beauty products, and even from the furniture in our own home.

The New Pollution

EDC exposure works like this: You go shopping and stock up on canned goods, baby formula, cleaning supplies, and shampoo, all of which may either contain BPA, DEP, or other endocrine disruptors or absorb them via their EDC-containing cans and packages. Then you eat, breathe, and in some cases, rub these chemicals directly on your skin. Once they're in your body, you release small doses into our waterways every time you urinate. And when you're finished with the products, you send the leftovers or their containers to break down in a landfill, allowing them to circulate further in the environment.

EDCs do their damage early on, causing small changes to a fetus's developing cells that may have a ripple effect throughout that child's life. "We used to think that the placenta protected a fetus from these kinds of exposures, but studies have shown that phthalates and other endocrine disruptors cross the placenta barrier," says Dr. Landrigan. The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit advocacy organization, released a biomonitoring report last year that detected more than 200 environmental toxins in the cord blood of newborn babies. Fetuses accumulate these chemicals in higher concentrations than their moms do because their immature liver and kidneys can't excrete them as well as adult organs can. Although Ellings says that 7-month-old Nick is happy and healthy, it's too soon to know whether his early chemical exposures will lead to future problems.

These are three of the most common EDCs and the specific ways you and your family are exposed.

Bisphenol A (BPA)

Bisphenol A (BPA), pronounced [bis-FEEN-al A]  

What it is: An industrial chemical that is used to make some types of epoxy resins (which hold things together) as well as polycarbonate plastic, a hard, shatterproof plastic used in some food-storage containers

Where it is: The linings of metal food containers and drink cans and some aluminum water bottles; any food containers, baby bottles, or other plastics that are labeled #7; CD cases; eyeglasses; dental composites and sealants

The risks: "Since the 1930s we've known that BPA can mimic the effects of estrogen in the body," says Richard Denison, Ph.D., a senior scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund. Studies on lab animals have found that early exposures to BPA can predispose them to develop prostate and breast cancers later in life; it may also lower fertility by impairing normal development of eggs and sperm. Researchers at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reported in March that 2-year-old girls who had been exposed to higher prenatal levels of BPA displayed more aggression and hyperactivity, while other research has suggested links between BPA and increasing asthma rates and cardiovascular problems.

Phthalates

Phthalates, pronounced [THA-lāts]  

What they are: Chemicals, including diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), added to vinyl and other plastics to increase flexibility and to personal-care products to keep their fragrances

Where they are: Anything vinyl; most soaps, lotions, and hair products, especially those with "fragrance" or "parfum" in their ingredients -- all of which may off-gas or degrade, releasing phthalate particles into household dust. Phthalates were banned for use in products for kids under 3 by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, but they're still lurking in many other plastic toys, and any baby products made before the ban.

The risks: "Exposure to phthalates is associated with reduced testosterone levels in kids and adults," notes Tracey Woodruff, Ph.D., director of the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment at the University of California, San Francisco. Researchers at the University of Rochester have found that prenatal phthalate exposure correlated with subtle signs of feminization (like undescended testicles) in baby boys and less masculine behavior as the boys got older. In April, a study at Mount Sinai's Children's Environmental Health Center also found that children exposed to phthalates in the womb were more likely to exhibit symptoms of ADHD between the ages of 4 and 9.

Flame Retardants

What they are: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are used in products to lower the risk and inhibit the spread of fire.

Where they are: On electronics, furniture, carpets, children's pajamas, and other household items that are required to meet flame-retardant safety standards. As these materials age, they release PBDEs into household dust, which we then breathe in. The CDC estimates that 97 percent of Americans have detectable levels of PBDEs in their body. PBDEs are now banned in several states, so manufacturers will be phasing them out of consumer goods over the next few years.

The risks: PBDEs don't break down as quickly as most other endocrine disruptors, so they persist in the environment and in the body for years. Women with higher levels of PBDEs may be half as likely to conceive as women with lower levels, according to a recent study from University of California, Berkeley. Children who had higher concentrations of PBDEs in their umbilical-cord blood at birth scored lower on mental and physical development tests between ages 1 and 6, according to research from the Columbia University Center for Children's Environmental Health.

How We Got There

Why are such potentially dangerous chemicals allowed in so many household products in the first place? "You can't put a new car on the market without extensive crash testing first, but there aren't any similar precautions in place for chemicals," explains Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence Canada and coauthor of Slow Death by Rubber Duck. When used as industrial chemicals, EDCs are regulated by the much-maligned Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, which doesn't require that they be tested or proven safe before being used. Instead, it's up to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to show that a chemical is unsafe -- that it poses an "unreasonable risk" -- before it can regulate or ban that chemical. "The bar is set so high that the EPA can essentially never meet it, and therefore dangerous chemicals are in all sorts of products," says Dr. Denison. Congress's original rationale for giving a pass to industrial chemicals like BPA, he explains, is that they weren't designed to be biologically active or get into our body in the same way pesticides or drugs would, and wouldn't pose the same risks. "Now we know that was naive. We should presume these chemicals could be a problem until their producers can prove otherwise," he says.

Some canned-goods manufacturers, such as General Mills (which makes Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes) and Heinz, are responding to consumer concerns. They're reformulating some of their products to be BPA-free or are planning to line their cans with safer chemicals (which they haven't yet identified). But public-health officials worry that until better procedures are in place to regulate claims like "BPA-free," consumers can't be assured seeing this term on a label means a product is safe. (Experts predict the next hallmark of safety may be products marketed as "EA-free," for estrogenic activity.) "At this point it's still better to choose items that are BPA-free," says Dr. Woodruff.

Meanwhile, some experts continue to believe that the EDC levels found in biomonitoring studies are too low to be a cause for concern. "It's the amount of any given chemical, not its presence or absence, that determines its potential for harm," says Carl Winter, Ph.D., a toxicologist and director of the FoodSafe Program at the University of California, Davis, as well as the scientific spokesperson for a trade group called the Institute of Food Technologists. Still, consider a 2005 study conducted at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh, which found that mice exposed to BPA in utero at a level of just 25 parts per trillion experienced double the amount of milk-duct growth as mice with no BPA exposure. That alone would lead you to believe that even the tiniest amount could affect your body.

"Finding any synthetic chemical in a person's body should be a big red flag that we need to really study that chemical," says Gina Solomon, M.D., a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council. The American Medical Association issued a statement last fall calling for the government to increase regulation of EDCs in consumer products. And certain EDCs are banned in multiple states and cities, including Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Washington, and Wisconsin, Chicago, and New York's Suffolk County. Suffolk County, for instance, issues a $500 fine to stores that sell baby bottles or sippy cups that are made with BPA.

In April, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA) introduced Senate and House versions of the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010, which would overhaul the Toxic Substances Control Act. Under this new law, manufacturers would have to demonstrate that new chemicals are safe before they can put them on the market, and all existing chemicals would have to be assessed for safety over the next five to 15 years. The Obama administration has signaled that it will support the bill. And in April, a panel that advises the president on cancer issued a 200-plus-page report calling for all levels of government "to protect every American from needless disease through rigorous regulation of environmental pollutants," including BPA. "We expect the chemical industry to fight reform tooth and nail, but there's broad bipartisan support for more regulation because nobody in his right mind supports exposing kids to toxins," says Smith.

Making a Difference

With EDC exposure so ubiquitous, you may wonder if you can keep your family safe. "The good news is that it's completely doable to make small changes that have real benefits," says Dr. Woodruff. For example, many of these chemicals pile up in household dust, so dusting, wet mopping, and vacuuming frequently can reduce your family's exposure, especially if your child is crawling and at that stage where he's putting everything in his mouth. (See "Safer Swaps," below, for more simple substitutions.) "Since many of the EDCs have a short half-life, they can be quickly flushed out of your body once the exposure is removed," explains Smith. Which is exactly what we want to hear as we wait for chemical-policy reform and for scientists to understand the full scope of these daily yet preventable EDC exposures. As Amy Ellings says, "You shouldn't have to worry every time you shop for your family."

Safer Swaps 

Whether you make one, some, or all, your family's health will benefit -- and fast.

Phthalates

Instead of: Personal-care products that list "fragrance" as an ingredient  

Try: Fragrance-free shampoo, moisturizer, and other staples. Burt's Bees, California Baby, and Earth Mama Angel Baby are three phthalate-free brands. Find safer products by checking their ratings in the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database at cosmeticsdatabase.com.

Instead of: Heavily fragranced cleaning products  

Try: A spray bottle filled with a solution of half vinegar, half water. Or use Clorox, Seventh Generation, or Method, cleaning-product brands that are free of phthalates and most other EDCs.

Instead of: Buying new toys without knowing what they may contain  

Try: Seeing whether their test results are listed on healthystuff.org, an online database of more than 5,000 products run by the Ecology Center, a Michigan environmental nonprofit.

BPA

Instead of: A water bottle that's made of plastic or aluminum (which may be lined with BPA) Try: Stainless steel

Instead of: Canned goods 

Try: Soups or tomatoes that are packaged in glass jars; fresh or frozen produce; dried beans

Instead of: Liquid formula in metal cans 

Try: Powdered formula in cardboard or plastic. If you must use liquid, choose concentrate in glass or plastic.

Instead of: Microwaving in plastic or pouring hot liquids into BPA-containing bottles or containers Try: Transferring your leftovers to a glass or ceramic bowl before you heat them up, heating baby formula in BPA-free bottles or by putting the bottle in a bowl of warm water.

Instead of: Using any plastic, especially baby bottles and other children's products, labeled #7 (polycarbonate) or #3 (PVC)  

Try:Remembering this mantra: "4, 5, 1, and 2 -- all the rest are bad for you." Look for a product labeled BPA-free and find out why it's safer. WeilBaby bottles, for instance, are made with Tritan (a copolyester that is also free of phthalates) and manufactured in the U.S. on equipment that makes only BPA-free products. BornFree Eco-Friendly Baby Bottles are made from polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), a plastic that does not contain BPA, PVC, or phthalates, and can be returned to the manufacturer for recycling. Lifewithoutplastic.com has more ideas for affordable, nonplastic food-storage containers, bottles, and children's goods. When you do use plastic of any kind, don't put it in the dishwasher.

PBDEs

Instead of: Carpets, curtains, and furniture that have been treated with flame retardants  

Try: Naturally fire-resistant wool, hemp, and cotton. (With furniture, and other big purchases, before you buy always ask the manufacturer whether it uses a chemical coating.)

Take Action for Tougher Chemical Laws 

Check out these Web resources to get involved.

Join the MomsRising "Safer Chemicals" campaign: momsrising.org/environmentalhealth.

Through the Environmental Defense Fund, send a letter to your Congressperson, letting him or her know that tougher chemical regulation is important to you: edf.org/chemicalsafety.

Stay up-to-date on pending legislation with the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition: saferchemicals.org.

Learn more about the research of the Washington Toxics Coalition, which conducted Amy Ellings's test: watoxics.org/publications/earliestexposures.

~Originally published in the August 2010 issue of Parents magazine.

Hold My Heart

I just heard this song for the first time today, from one of my favorite bands- Tenth Avenue North- and thought I'd share it here.

It reminded me of exactly how I felt so often when we were going through the infertility and adoption processes, before we found out we were pregnant with Regan.

I'm so thankful that God is merciful and that He will always give us the strength we need to make it through any struggle we face in this life.

It really touched my heart, and made me think of a very special friend who's going through some of that same journey right now.

Love you, Chrissy.

Oh, What a Night!

We thought we were going to be having a baby there for a minute!

:)

Last night was definitely exciting, to say the least!

I'd been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions all day, so I took it pretty easy- let the daycare baby play at my feet while I sat in the easy chair to knit.

We don't have our birthing pool yet, so I really wasn't keen to go into labor- not to mention the bedroom and kitchen (which our bedroom opens off of) were a total mess still.
Remodeling does take it's toll! And, since we're planning a home birth, I really wanted my environment put together and cleaned up!

So, Pete got home from work yesterday afternoon, the daycare kids headed off home for the weekend, and we headed to town to pick up a few last minute things for the bedroom.

First, we went to supper.
It was good food, but it got pretty hard to concentrate on eating when what had been mild contractions started getting more frequent, and less mild.

*CONTENT WARNING: To those who may be squeamish about correct bodily terms being used, or about any further description of what started happening body-wise for me, stop reading now! :D




I had been feeling a lot of movement (at the time I thought maybe it was the baby kindly head-butting or kicking me) against my cervix throughout the day, but by the time we were at the restaurant that "movement" became serious!
I could tell things were starting to feel "softer"- quite often the contractions would cause some sharp pain in that area- nothing that lasted more than a second or two, but definitely getting my attention!

We proceeded to Lowe's to pick up our blinds, curtain rod, door knobs, and various other items, and were planning on making a quick stop at the grocery store after that to pick up a few things for the week to come.

By the time we were ready to check out though, we thought better of stopping anywhere else. Pete wanted to get as much done that evening as he could, and I needed to be on my way to an all day conference the next day at 7:00 a.m., then head to our last baby shower that evening. So, we headed for home- he was going to work, and I was going to head to bed.

The contractions kept up on the way home- not too frequent, just enough to keep me aware of them in the back of my mind. We got home, and I sat down for a few minutes to check some things on the computer before I headed to bed.

It was then that I noticed the contractions seemed to be getting rather regular- about every 15-20 min. or so.

Hmmmm, I thought. Okay, maybe I'll wait up a while and see what's going on here. I started browsing through our information to figure out how to tell the difference between false/pre-labor and the start of early/actual labor. I read that getting up and walking helps to figure this out- if it's false/pre-labor the contractions should lessen or go away. If it's early/actual labor, they would most likely increase in strength, length, and frequency. So, I started to walk.

They increased in frequency.

By this time I'll admit, I was (just slightly!) freaking out!

I'm not ready to have this baby tonight!- I don't have my birthing pool yet!- the house is still a mess!- were a few of the things going through my mind at this point.

Pete was GREAT throughout this! :D

He stayed so calm and cool for me- and convinced me to call our moms for advice as to what to do next.
(I was hesistant to call the midwife yet for some reason- I think I was in denial or something!)

So, we called- the grandmas-to-be were excited, but both strongly suggested we call the midwife (duh!). :)

So, I went ahead and called the midwife. She's such a sweet lady, and so calm (I probably would be too, after delivering nearly 700 babies in my career!!!), and she let me tell her all about the day's progression and what was happening now.

She really gave me a shot of confidence when she told me that I was describing what I was going through very well (especially since I felt so flustered at this point, I was really worried that I wasn't going to be able to be clear about the day and what was happening). She said that from everything I was describing that yes, these were real contractions. She said (again, from what I described of the day) that the baby had dropped into the birthing position, which can cause regular contractions like that. I mentioned that I didn't have the birthing pool yet, and wouldn't be able to pick it up for a couple of days. She suggested taking some herbs that, if it truly wasn't time to go into full labor yet, should help slow and possibly stop the contractions. She said to try that, try to get some sleep, and call her back right away if I couldn't sleep through the contractions or if they began to get really close together. She also explained how to time the contractions, which I had been trying to do, but didn't feel like I knew what I was doing!

So, that's what we did. I took the herbs and continued to putter about the house to see what would happen, while Pete kept track of the timing. We kept track for over an hour, and found out right away that they were already only about 4 min. apart, on average, and were getting longer and stronger!

We called our friends and family that wanted to know when labor started (so they could plan to be here soon after the baby was born), letting them know that yes, we were having real contractions, and that they were really close together, but not to come just yet- we were still waiting to see if they would continue.

By about 1:00 a.m. the herbs had taken effect, and the contractions were slowing and fading. I crawled into bed to see if they would stay at bay and if I could get some sleep, while Pete stayed up to finish the bedroom (this was quite the wake up call for both of us, to say the least, that we needed to get things ready ASAP!).

I slept well, and didn't get up again until 5:00 a.m. when I had another couple contractions. Pete came to bed shortly after that, and we both decided it would be wisest to skip my conference today and take it easy.

So, we slept in, called the midwife back and updated her, called the family & friends and updated them, and have been spending the day at home- Pete's finishing the trim in the bedroom as I type, and I've been puttering here and there, gathering things together for the birth in one place.

I'm headed to the baby shower this evening (as long as things stay calm!), and when I get back we'll be moving into our new bedroom!

:D

So, we're nearly there- in more ways than one!

The midwife said this morning that, after a session of contractions/early labor like that, it could still be a few weeks before she's ready to come for real, but often it's a sign that things are moving right along and it won't be a lot longer.

So, here's to the next hours/days/weeks!
We're excited to see what happens
(and to get that birthing pool here!)!

:D

9 Months

8 Months

WIP Wednesday: Our/ the Baby's Bedroom,... and I'm Crazy

"Work in Progress" Wednesday applies to any work in progress, right?

I thought as much!

;)

So, since I feel like we've been running around like chickens with no heads since last week's WIP, my WIP for this week is our/ the baby's room!

We have made great progress, actually.
(Well, considering my energy level has plummeted since the 8th month started, and since most of what was accumulating in said room needed a great deal of sorting through, and since we had to first organize the basement enough to get said "stuff" moved down there...)

So, here are the latest update pics- we're hoping that tonight, after bible study, we'll be able to get the huge, fire-proof filing cabinet and the bed moved out, as well as finish getting the rest of the small "stuff" (that has been breeding and multiplying in the depths of said room's closet!!!) put away (or thrown away- whichever works!).

So, without further ado, here 'tis:

And, "Where," you may ask, "did the 'office' that previously occupied this room go?"

Well, to the basement, of course!

(What, not everyone has a basement office?!)

While my flame sputtered and died (died cold, I might add) at 11 pm last night, hubby's was still going strong.

And what did the wonderful man go and do?

Moved all of the office furniture (desks, chairs, etc.), plus computer and all 4 Rubbermaid totes of misc. office "stuff" to the basement, and proceeded to put it all together into a very nicely workable space!!!

Behold!...
(Just please pardon the vacuums and cluttered couch- we're working on it people!)

All by his 'lil 'ol self!

*Sigh!... Oh what a wonderful, wonderful man!

:D

It certainly was a welcome surprise to wake up to a kitchen that didn't hold any Rubbermaids ready to explode with "stuff" this morning.

I was giddy, I tell you, purely giddy.

;)

And, in further developments, yes, I am a crazy person.

Certifiably.

Why?
(Ha! As if those of you who know me well actually asked why- you just grinned and agreed right along with me, I know you did!!!)

Well, because my brain is going a million miles an hour with WIPs to come- WIPs that I'm sure I'll not get to (maybe, with luck, I'll get to a few of them?) until well into this time next year.

Like various knitting projects, for example.

With the weather getting cooler, convention coming, and FALL beginning to stir in the air my knitting "itch" is starting again.

Sadly, the knitting pretty much got dumped into the yarn trunk over the summer (and spring?).

I just wasn't in the mood- or was far too nauseous to focus on it.

But now, I'm feeling the urge begin to stir- like some of these mamas.

My problem is that, at the moment, I have no time.

I have the desire, to knit, to sew, to blog, to get a start on handmade Christmas gifts, to... to... do lots of stuff!

But no time.

I actually caught myself thinking, "Well, that's okay, I'll have six weeks off after the baby's born..."

HA!
(It's okay, you can laugh at me too.)

I'm not really crazy, I know those six weeks will fly by in no time- and that I probably won't get a single thing accomplished during that time other than learn to nurse and "mother" my baby.

But, (sigh) you can't blame a girl for the desire, right?

Anyway, here's some of what's on my "To Read/ Do" list:




As well as the handmade Christmas presents I have in mind from this site, and this site.

And this project.

And, on a sort of unrelated note, may I just say that I love DwellStudio's baby stuff.

I wish Target had more, more, more of it!!!

We Interupt This Program For An "Awwwww!" Moment

Today, I went "grocery" shopping.

I needed a second kitchen rug, and of course I wanted one to match the one I already have, so I stopped at Target.

I love Target.

It's a dangerous place for me to shop though. I spend too much money there.

And, today, they were having their "end of the season, lots of cute stuff on clearance (or at least on sale)" sale.

Uh oh.

So, you guessed it, I bought stuff.

Stuff that I really didn't "need" persay, but that will come in oh-so-handy!

It's stuff I can use. You know?

Like, an incredibly cute baby outfit...

It wasn't "technically" on sale, but it's SO STINKIN' ADORABLE!!!

I had to buy it for my baby girl.
(Boy, are we in for a shocker if it's really a boy that's just been hiding away in there!) ;)

Unfortunately, I couldn't find this particular dress in the newborn size, so this is a 3 month size. The shoes are "newborn", so she probably won't actually be able to wear this outfit together, but STILL- way, way too cute to pass up!

Plus, the maternity clothes I picked up to wear for convention were on sale (well, okay, most of them), the cute new bag wasn't (but it will work so well for a "convention" bag this year and can double later on as a small diaper bag!), and the other two cutie-pie tops I bought for the baby were too.

So, please, I beg you, don't think less of me.

I just couldn't help myself.

I blame the gestational related hormones- they're ruling my brain these days.

WIP Wednesday: More Napkins, and Wipes

The napkin project continues.

It hasn't been completed yet- but I'm getting there. I guess that's why they call it "Work In Progress", right?

Truth is, I've been busy with other things- like getting a start (finally!!!) on our bedroom remodel project, freezing the abundance of tomatoes from the garden (oh dear- once again we've planted waaay too much- soon it'll be the squash, zucchini, cukes, and who knows what else!), and just plain trying to "keep up" with daily life in general- who knew the end of pregnancy could be so t i r i n g?

:)

Anyway, here are the first set of napkins that I did get finished.

My daycare boys will appreciate the vehicle theme we've got going on here.
(A lot of trains, planes, trucks, etc. make their way through this house every week.)


I also decided to take the extra wipes pieces I had left over from the sets we're getting made for the shop and sew them up.

I'll either keep them for Regan, or we'll send them out to our tester mamas who might be interested.
(If you are interested in trying them out- or any of the other products we'll be featuring- let me know in the comments!)

So, here they are.

Not quite done yet either, but, hey- I'm worn out these days!

;)

Bring on the Remodeling!!!

Ahhhh!!!
(A very BIG sigh of relief.)

Finally, finally, finally our 2008 taxes are done.
(Yes. I did just say "2008".)

I think I've mentioned before that we filed for an extension this year due to various reasons.
The main reason being that we are just not organized people, and are both prone to procrastination.

Ugh. (Blushing of embarassment.)

Anyway, getting the tax thing done has been our biggest road block to getting a start on remodeling our bedroom.

And, I have been stressing out not being able to do my pregnant-mama nesting thing to get my (and the baby's) space ready because of it!

But now, all will soon be right (or right-er) with the world!

:D

Tonight folks, yes- I said TONIGHT- the clearing of the bedroom (currently in use as an office/spare room/catch-all room) begins!

YAYYY!!!!!!!!!!!
(Can you hear me screaming of joy all the way through the computer???)

The window is ordered (yes, we're going down to the wall studs here, people!) and will be arriving in about two weeks.

Just enough time (keep those fingers- and toes!- crossed) to get the rest of the room cleared, "demo-ed", and new sub-flooring (?) & drywall in!

It should all come together nicely (she says while knocking on wood).

I'll do my best to post pictures as we make our way through this project.
(I am so excited! I can hardly focus- at last, one room that will be just how I'd like it, pretty, and my very own just-so little sanctuary!!!)

Would you like to see what we're starting with?
*On one condition- you must not judge! I promise (promise, promise, promise) the way this room currently stands is NOT indicitive of the rest of our home!*


Gulp.



Ok.




Here it is.

(This was a second doorway that was originally in this room when we moved into the house. It led into the bathroom. I guess in case you had to get up in the middle of the night to use the "facilities"? A short cut? There was also a second doorway for the bathroom itself. It was a maze of doorways. A plethora of doorways. So, we took it out. Notice that we weren't able to "cover it up" before the plaster started to fall apart?)

(The only window in the room. Poor thing. It's a nice, sunny, south window, but it's literally falling out of the side of our house. Pete and I hold our breath any time we need to open it. And, I make him do it- that way, if it does fall completely out, I have time to run and hide before the "aftermath". The entire lower right corner of the window- sash and all- comes away from the side of the house. Seriously, it's not even attached anymore. It's not good. Not good at all.)

(More plaster that has avalanched it's way off the wall at various times throughout this past year.)

(And, the closet. I will never understand the construction of some of these old homes. The biggest bedroom in the house, and it holds the smallest closet in the entire house. Ridiculous.)

(And, no over-head light. You see, the wiring in our cozy old home was, apparently, all "hand-done". Meaning, in our attic- when my dear husband went up there to add some wiring to the dining room ceiling in order to install an actual light (can you imagine?!- sorry, a little sarcasm there- apparently all previous owners enjoyed the dimness of lamp light throughout the house), he found that all of the wiring, for our entire house, was electrical taped together.
I am not exaggerating.
So, when the wiring to the light fixture "blew" in this room last year sometime, we didn't even bother trying to fix it- it's going to take a total re-haul.)

So, that's that.

At least, for now...

Wish us luck!

:)

Distracted

Oh, thank goodness for Fridays. :)

They're my favorite day of the week really. The end of the work-week, with two days of non-work (at least, ideally) ahead of me.

I have to admit, as much as I love the little ones I teach and care for (and I do!), I am feeling very relieved to see the end of Friday this week.

I've been so distracted with our life this week, that I feel sort of torn in two directions- caring for our home/preparing for baby/taking care of the "Murphy's Law" situations/trying to keep up on the housework as my energy level starts to fade, and caring for/teaching/really being here and present for the kids I care for.

I feel, in a word, DISTRACTED.

I'm not sure if it's nesting, hormones, or what, but my mind goes 90 miles an hour while my now third trimester belly, body, and poor swollen feet seem to only be able to go about 45. :)
Plus, my mind seems like it's going in a million different directions- I get all these ideas for things I want to do/get done, and I just can't keep up.

For example, last night- as I was waiting for my pictures to be developed- roaming the Wal-Mart aisles, I found myself in the baby section (DANGEROUS!!!).

As I looked at the bedding and blankets I remembered one of my favorite baby gifts we've been given so far- homemade cloth wipes. They are so cute! I decided to buy what I needed to make some too- I had originally planned on using baby washcloths sewn together (which would work just fine too), but the washcloths I bought are not, shall we say, "cute". So, yet another idea was "born" that we'll see if I'll be able to accomplish.

Anyway, I am glad it's Friday today, and that the weekend is fast approaching.

I need some time to focus a little closer to "home". :)

Help! We're Being Attacked!!!

By "Murphy" and his/her "law".

SIGH.

Current list:

-Dryer is dead. Price to fix it is almost what a new one will cost. Hmmm, perhaps we should price clotheslines?

-Printer is possessed by demons. We've given up the fight against them. Do not have the extra cash to buy a new one right now. Headed to the library on a regular basis these days to pay 10 cents a page for copying and printing.

-Taxes (that we had to file an extension on) are due at the end of the month, and we still haven't had the chance to get started. Darn to morning sickness, crazy work schedules, and appliances breaking down!

-The bedroom remodel project is still un-started. Darn to the same things listed above!


So, any extra peace and tranquility vibes you've got laying around would be much appreciated if you sent them our way! :)

(10 weeks- or less?- to go today!!!)
:)

We're Back!

And, we have been for quite a while, but with everything going on in "real" life, I haven't had (or made?) the time to pop in here and say hi. :)

We've had two baby showers in the last two weeks (Yay! We're getting a good start on what we need for babykins.), and with school starting again next week I'm back to my full time daycare schedule here at home again.

The "nesting" instinct is growing a little stronger by the day (a very frustrating thing with not having the time I'd like to devote to organization/preparation projects, or the energy- I'm starting to feel the third trimester fatigue), and I'm working hard to keep myself calm and not stress out (ha!) over the fact that we still haven't been able to get started on our room remodeling project. BUT, we are creeping closer to starting it- my wonderful hubby is, in fact, going after work today to look at windows- so it will get done (it will, it will, it will...). :)

We're now right around 7 1/2 months along- yay! I feel so unprepared for her birth, let me tell you! Excited, but slightly terrified. :) Pete says he's feeling pretty much the same way- and we try to console ourselves by telling each other that we'd make for some pretty poor parents if we weren't afraid of somehow messing it up! ;)

So, without further ado, here's the 7 month picture:
(please pardon the pained expression- that morning sun was fierce!)

Yes, the poor, poor garden. It's been a strange year for gardens here in our corner of Iowa. Lots of cool temps and lots and lots of rain. So, the weeds love it (the ever-growing belly doesn't- bending to pull weeds is not a plesant or easy task!), and the flowers, well, they're green and leafy, but the blooms are fairly minimal this year (at least, they have been in our gardens).

My mental "To Do List" is growing too- between now and when I start my several week maternity leave I'd really like to accomplish the following:

* Finish organizing the house. It's a small two bedroom, growing smaller by the day! I'm going to feel so much more peaceful once everything has a place, and everything is in it's place.

* Get the master bedroom completely remodeled, and all of our "stuff" in it. This includes all of the baby's "stuff"- at least the absolute necessities- since she'll be bunking in with us for quite a while (her room is next on the remodle list). By the time this project is done I hope to have a peaceful and pretty room to snuggle into with my brand new girl. :)

* Get all of the puppy's paperwork and "things" together for her move to her new home.
(*sniff, sniff. Yes, we're saying goodbye to our little Ceiba. She's a sweet little dog, but like I said, this house seems to be shrinking around us- and two dogs plus a baby, I do believe, would be just too much.)
Thankfully she's going to my sister and her hubby, so she's not really leaving us, just becoming a farther-away part of our family.

* READ, READ, READ! Pete and I have two main books that we're trying to get through before the baby's born- "Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way" and "Birth Outside the Box" in order to prepare ourselves for the labor, birth, and those first few weeks with a brand new baby.

Mixed in with all of this are several more days of Preschool Playgroup that I'll be teaching here at home, as well as daycare Monday through Friday, working on designs and products for Mama and Nonni, and the (sometimes never ending) task of getting the produce out of the garden as it ripens and doing... something... with it.

So, like I said, I'm doing my best NOT to panic! ;) Somehow, it will all come together, and in the end the things that may end up falling to the wayside will end up being the things that really, truly, didn't matter that much in the first place.

Here's to being productive these next 8 or 10 weeks! :)

6 Months And "The One"

Well, we are now into our sixth month!
Looking back on all our previous losses it seems almost unreal to be this far along.
Things are going so well, and much more quickly than I anticipated!

I think I may be starting to enter that "nesting stage" I've heard so much about.
I'm chomping at the bit to get our master bedroom finished (it needs a complete re-do, from walls to flooring), so we can move into it (baby will be sharing a room with us for the first few months), thus giving us room to finish her actual bedroom (it also needs a complete re-do; floors, walls, everything).

The frustrating thing is, I can't do a thing on either of those projects- it's all hubby's domain.
I am doing my part in trying to get all of the non-essentials moved to the basement (whew- which is a whole 'nother organizational disaster area) so he can get started, but when it comes to the actual labor of working on the rooms- I'm benched.

So, I've been doing my darndest to get the rest of my "nest" organized.
I've gone basket crazy I think- our house came as a true blank slate- not even any built-in storage space (you know, a linen closet would be divine- come to think of it, an actual full-size closet itself would be wonderful- all of ours seem to have been built out of whatever nook or cranny was left), so baskets have become my friends.
The idea is to, in the end (I'm hoping by my due date!), have a house that looks calm and comfortable inside, where everything has a home of its own.

We'll see how that goes.

In other news, I do believe we have found "The One" when it comes to the name we've chosen for the baby.
I will add the disclaimer that this could possibly change when she's born- you never know, we could have a miraculous flash of enlightenment and find that some other name we'd never considered works better-
but baring that, this little one's name will be...

(Any of you out there who may find this name distasteful in any way, please keep your comments to yourself.
We're not asking for opinions, just sharing with you.) :)

As for a middle name, we like the idea of our first girl sharing mine (Kail- pronounced "Kyle"), and our first boy sharing Pete's (Roy).
Both are family names that have a lot of significance for us, and we're excited to share them with the next generation! :)

And, in still further news (not baby-related), our Etsy shop is finally up and running!
Woo-hoo!
My mom and I have been slowly working on this little project of ours,
Mama & Nonni Handmades,
since the first part of the year- and finally we're seeing progress! :)

There's a clickable link on the left side of the blog, if anyone is interested in checking our little shop out.

That's all for now, I guess.

Happy (belated) 4th of July!

The 5 Month Picture

Well, I am learning that, with a growing belly out in front of me, it's even more important to straighten those sholders when a picture is being taken! Otherwise, I end up looking a bit slouchy and lumpy. But, oh well! :) As my hubby says, "Wear it with pride!"

Don't mind those weeds in the background- you see, during my two weeks of "couch-rest" it became quite cool and rainy- the flowers and plants like it, and so do the weeds. My plan was to finish the weeding today, but guess what- it's raining. :P

So far everything's going great. We've ended up with about five more ultrasounds than we'd originally intended, but on the plus side the last one gave us a sweet picture of the baby's face. :) I'm still working on Pete to get them scanned into the computer to share with everyone.
(The printer/copier/scanner and I have a long running animosity towards one another. It would be best if I'm not even in the room when said scanning occurs.)

As far as "pregnancy stuff" goes, I haven't really had any "cravings" per say. I still can't stand the taste of ground turkey, which was my main staple of protein before pregnancy, so that can cause the need for a little creativity once in awhile. I've been eating a little more beef, but I can still tell that it's much harder on my system to digest. Makes me reeeeeaaaalllllllly sleepy. On the plus side though, I may have discovered a difference in how organic vs. non-organic beef affects me- yesterday we had organic beef burgers at a friend's house, and I was kind of tired that afternoon, but no stomach cramping or any of the other yucky symptoms I usually get when eating beef. They were yummy, too!
(And, the tiredness could very well have been attributed to the nice long walk we all went on before gospel meeting- I need to get back to some semblance of an exercise routine again!)

I will admit, when it comes to the food thing, I get hankerings every now and then for decidedly unhealthy food. For example, I've come to have quite a fondness for Casey's pizza (one of the gas station chains in our parts). I can't explain it- these things just happen. And also, yesterday the burgers reminded me of my favorite little burger joint in Ames, B-Bop's! Terribly greasy and fattening, completely unhealthy, and yet the best burgers and fries in Iowa! Next time I visit that neck of the woods I'm headed there. Just once. Because I miss it so. ;)

Other than all that, this pregnancy is going extremely well. Even though we've had so many misscariages in the past I'm, very thankfully, not classified as a "high risk" pregnancy. It's so nice, after all that we've been through in the last 4 years, to just be able to sit back and enjoy the ride so-to-speak. I'm learing to deal with the fact that pregnancy isn't exactly as I expected it to be (ha- my body now has a mind of its own- completely and totally and there's nothing I can do about it!), but that's okay. Our baby girl is healthy and strong, and always a week bigger than they're expecting. :) So, we're doing just fine.

Attention, Attention! Announcing...

Just Look At All the Love!

Okay, first off, here are some (ahem!...extremely blurry) pictures of Baby.

This first one was taken just around two or so weeks ago.

A tiny, blurry blob, but with a strong heartbeat!

Next, we have Baby, just about two weeks later-
even though there's still a lot of blurriness going on, LOOK how much he/she's changed!

This is a side view (unfortunately, my new-to-me printer/copier/scanner and I do not get along, so taking pictures of a picture was the best I could do here.)- you can see Baby's leg and foot, and his/her little fist up in the air (kind of near the nose area).

Baby was really kicking and wiggling, which was a thrill to see.

And now, the love begins! (Well, the love from others that is.)

Right off the bat a great friend gave me her maternity clothes!
How great is that, really? :)

She also found the cutest little coat for Baby- it will be October when this little one arrives, you know- we will definitely be needing a coat.

I love the teddy bear ears.

One of the future grandmas got in on the action too- a sweet frame for Baby's "first portrait" (the ultrasound pictures now have a proud place to be displayed),

And the tiniest little booties I think I've ever seen!
I'm telling you, I hope these fit, cause it looked to me like this kid is going to have big feet!

But, the party's not over yet!

Today the sweetest care package showed up at my door-
my very bestest sister in law sent the following:

Operating Instructions for me ;),

A very important book for Pete!,

Some tea for relaxation,

Bubble bath bound to turn an overtired and cranky baby (or wait, is that mommy...) into a sweet and smiling one (complete with bubble wand- I love it),

Some great organic soft yarn to make... something... for baby-kins,

And, my personal favorite, an Anti-Nausea Music Prescription cd!
I can't wait to hear it. :)

A little bird has also told me that the other grandma-to-be has a care package
consisting of some very needed just-beginning-maternity clothing
(since, ahem, even though Baby isn't "showing" yet, I'm not quite fitting into my regular clothes right now)
for special meetings (thank you!!!) and a baby outfit on the way,
AND that one of the grandpas-to-be found some mysterious, cute, "something" that is to be
"for the baby's room".

So, this little one is already getting spoiled. :)

As for me, I'm (knock on wood!!!) ever so slowly starting to feel a little better every few days.
I'm hoping that by special meeting time I'm going to be (at least mostly) back to "normal"-
although I have a sneaking suspicion that "normal" is going to become something different than it ever was before.

And, I have to say, we're looking forward to that. :)