I Repurposed it from SCRATCH!!!

I am so excited to tell you about my latest creations. I hadn't sewn single thing in like a year and suddenly I had this urge to sew...I think I told you about it a few months ago. Well, one of the things I made was a purse from fabric and a pattern I bought a couple of years ago. It turned out cute. Unfortunately I didn't take a photo of it and right now I am on a time schedule so that won't be making it to this post. Anyhow...I was at my pottery class and one of the ladies asked me if it was some name brand of purse. Flattered and ever so humbly I told her I made it myself. That is when everyone started oohing and ahhing. The teacher looked at it and said if it was just a little deeper it would make a great "grocery bag". What a good idea. So the next week I headed off to the 50 cent sale at Village Thrift. I walked away with $5 worth of 50 cent denim jeans. I couldn't wait to get started. The next day while the kids were sleeping I started cutting out the pattern from the jeans. It took one pair for each bag. I decided I wanted to line the bags so I went through my boxes of old fabric (anyone who sews has quite a stash) and found fabrics I could use for the lining. When I run out of my stuff I will probably buy the $1 a yard stuff from Walmart. I hadn't had the chance to sew them together because I just had a baby so finally today I got to sewing. I am so excited about the results. The bags are sturdy, deep, roomy and stylish to boot. You can't beat that. Unlike many reusable grocery bags mine have a flat bottom, I think it makes a big difference. They are a little bulkier than some of the reusables I have seen but it isn't anything I can't deal with. And they could be used for other things (i.e. library books, lunch, diaper bag, extra deep purse). And the best part is....they cost about a $1 each to make. If you have old jeans lying around it could be even cheaper. I also saved the rest of the cut up jeans for future projects (stay tuned for those). Here are some pics.


I am actually thinking about making these and selling them. What do you think???? Would you buy something like this? How much would you spend per bag? How many do you think you would need to accommodate your groceries?


Oh, in case you notice the pins on the bag with the colorful inside...my needle broke on my sewing machine and I have to buy a new one but I wanted to post the bag so...there.

Have a great day.

Check Out This Page!

I read about this in my Mother Earth News magazine. It is a very cool web-site that people post instructions for everything. Check it OUT.

Free Stuff is DANGEROUS...

Yes, you read correctly. Several other bloggers have "free" days where they list different freebies on the web. I LOVE it. Each week I wait for the posts so I can divulge in FREE stuff. I have learned it can be dangerous. The first time I got a hint of this was when I received a free coffee sample. It was some new Folgers Gourmet vanilla biscotti coffee - YUMMY. It was so delicious that after I drank what I wanted while it was hot, I put it in the fridge to drink as iced coffee later. I quickly tucked the coupon they sent with the sample in my wallet so I could purchase more. About a week later I received a sample of the new Tide Pure Essentials in While Lilac scent and Bounce dryer sheets in the same scent. OH MY GOODNESS - it smell so good. I used it about two weeks ago and Jude's pajamas still smelled like it last night. I don't think I have EVER bought Tide in my life because I think it is too expensive. Now, I really want it. Jake told me I'd have to get a job if I want to fit it into the budget. Ha.

Since I have been out of commission healing from the surgery I really have got backed up on my magazine reading. Yesterday I decided while I was nursing I would turn the Food Network off and catch up on my misc. reading. One of the magazines I get in the mail is Domino. I got it for free. I was so excited to get free magazines. Well...Domino is pretty much a magazine FULL of very VERY cool stuff. It is really a magazine of advertisements. As I was flipping through I started saying, oh - I NEED (ahem...want) that, oh and this is so cool and that would make a great gift and when we buy a house we will need that - oh I need to start a scrapbook of what we will need in our new house...... I started getting out of control so I threw the magazine in the garbage. It was for the best.

So, free stuff is dangerous but I can't stop. I am addicted.

Here are some links if you are interested.....Amy (Freebie Friday's) & Heather (Nifty-Thrifty Thursdays).

This is not a sponsored post....I linked them for free!

In a Perfect World....

I would go to sleep at 11 P.M. and get up at 6 A.M. With seven hours of deep, comfortable, uninterrupted sleep. Ahhh....wouldn't that be heaven!? I think it would. But, alas, I have three children -as you know, one is a newborn. I am getting plenty of sleep but it is interrupted and those interruptions extend my sleeping time, which cuts into the rest of my day. Because I am up late at night I have been sleeping later. I usually wake up to one of my children asking for something or crawling over me or the two of them fighting with each other. That isn't a fun way to wake up. I am a morning person. I am one of those annoying morning people that wakes up in a good mood. I try to be sensitive to the non morning folks around, so not to be too irritating.

Things are going well with the baby. I can't believe she is going to be 4 weeks old already. She is growing but still so small. Her 0-3 month clothes are still too big. Isn't that crazy. She is really long and skinny. She is a very good baby. Very sweet. And yes, she looks so much like Jude did when he was a baby. The other kids are doing great with her. One day I did catch Elise trying to poke her in the eye with a pencil. Luckily I caught her just in the nick of time and had quite a lengthy talk with her about not hurting her baby sister. I think she was still trying to figure out if she is real. Since then she has been better around her.

My wound is still healing. I went to the doctor yesterday and she said it is almost completely healed and I can start getting back to normal. Whew.... I am allowed to drive again. Thank GOD. It was making me crazy not being able to drive. I just need that option so I can get back into the swing of things. I have been trying to get a few things done. It has been challenging. Not because I can't handle three kids but mostly because I am nursing. I breastfeed because I feel like it is the best thing for my babies and because it is cheaper BUT....it takes a lot of time. I am not very good at sitting still and doing nothing. So, breastfeeding is tough for me. And Avery likes to eat - a lot (and often). By time I feed Avery several times and the other kids (who are grazers and ALWAYS hungry), get them dressed and do a load of laundry or two - my day is shot. One day this week I didn't get a shower until Jake got home -yikes. But yesterday I got myself dressed, hair done, make-up on - all three kids bathed, dressed, fed and out the door by 10 A.M. I felt like I really accomplished something. Crazy isn't it.

Today I have a little list of things I want to do - take clothes to Goodwill, finishes getting Elise's next size clothes out, sort Jude's old stuff to give to my sister, put all the laundry away, do a little "school" lesson with the kids (we are attempting to do homeschool preschool) and get a shower and all that. One day we are going to buy a house and move again...I am trying to declutter as much as I can to prepare for that day. I've gotten rid of most of my maternity clothes and the baby boy stuff. I do have a large box of stuff to take to sell to one of those resale shops. Hopefully they give me a lot of money for them.

Okay, enough rambling....I have stuff to do. See ya.

Wordless Wednesday....Me? I wasn't eating anything!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

As Requested....Lots of New Pictures!!!

Avery's first trip to the Zoo. She slept the whole time.

Oh yeah...you try to get 4 kids to look and smile at the same time.Jude & Elise playing house. They were calling the doll Avery. And yes, Jude is wearing his Woody costume.

Elise being silly.

Jude with his orange hair he got when we went to RIOT on the River.

Elise with crazy static hair.

Elise checking out the penguins.

Jude & Indy (posing of course) in a covered wagon.

Monkle Ivan (that is what Elise calls him) entertaining the kids (or the kids entertaining him...ha ha).

Jude flying away.

Avery Sleeping...

Avery...

Avery... (she had been crying because I put a hat on her head!)

And Another Avery....

Reichen eating blueberry pancakes...

In the News....

I have one minute and I am going to tell you two things I heard on the news today.

1. Nine different pizza delivery people were robbed in Akron over the past week. Yes...I said nine. This city is out of control. Five were robbed just this week-end. I also heard someone delivering chinese food was robbed too.

2. There is this crazy story about a woman being killed by her pet camel. Here is the link.

K...gotta run.

PK...

It stands for Promise Keepers. PK is the male version of Women of Faith (which I never wrote the post I was planning to about Women of Faith....add that to my "to write" list). Jake went to the Promise Keepers conference this past week-end. It was in Cincinnati so he stayed overnight. In fact, he left Friday morning and came home Saturday evening. It wasn't bad at all. I think I handled having 3 kids and an open wound just fine on my own. I did drive (I am still not "allowed" to drive). I wasn't planning to drive but it was only an hour after Jake left and I started getting the itch. My plan was to take the kids to the library but we ended up having lunch at the park. It is only a few blocks away so I think it was okay. Although, I don't plan on driving anymore until I am allowed. I satisfied the rebel in me but now I just keep thinking about healing and getting this crap over with. This morning I was wondering to myself....If I had just stayed in bed for a week after the surgery, would I be better now? Probably. I am dumb, I guess. Anyhoo...this post is supposed to be about Promise Keepers. Back to that.... I remember the first time I heard about Promise Keepers. I don't remember exactly who was telling me about it but they were saying my old youth Pastor and his buddies were going to this Promise Keepers conference. I asked what that was and the person said it is some Christian thing for men where they learn that they are the leaders of their families - that women should stay home and take care of the kids. We were most likely sitting in a bar when this conversation occurred. I remember feeling outraged at the idea. Women staying at home - can you believe such a thing? After all I was going to college to get a degree that would ensure I would NEVER be one of those pathetic women. So, for several years after that conversation I had a bad attitude about PK. I'd see the bumper stickers and laugh out loud. Silly me.

Later on in life, after many failed relationships I decided I should try to meet a nice Christian boy. I knew it would probably require getting involved in Church -which I was okay with. I had always enjoyed Church and I was a Christian - I had just strayed for the moment. At the time I was working 2-3 jobs and I thought I didn't have time to go to Church. But, one day I was sitting at the front desk at Safe Landing and I saw this case worker pull in drive. I had never seen him before but the first thing I noticed on his car was a PK sticker. At that moment I thought...oh here comes my next boyfriend. He was very handsome, so that added to my interest. He worked for CSB and had one of his girls staying at the shelter. That was cool because it meant I would be seeing more of him. We chatted, smiled, even flirted a little but then he was gone. Well, later that evening his girl freaked out and ended up leaving the Shelter so....well, that meant I wouldn't be seeing Mr. PK/CSB anymore. Bummer. A couple of months later, as luck would have it, one of my other jobs sent me to CSB to do a summer program with the kids that lived on the campus. Crazy enough, the only case worker I saw the whole time was that guy. Anyhoo...I forget how he got my number but he did and he called me. We ended up going out one time. I asked him what his favorite movie was and he said "When Harry Met Sally" I laughed and told him he didn't have to try to impress me. He looked very offended and told me he wasn't - that was his favorite movie. Ha. We made plans to get together again but never did. Later, he got fired from CSB for dating a clients mom or something. So....my PK story continues.

Less than a year later, I met Jake. He had been to PK before but he didn't have a sticker or anything. I probably didn't even know until after we got married. Either way, he went last year and we had a really bad year. I could have cared less if he went this year or not....to be honest. I felt like he came back feeling defeated and that caused a few problems. And it is expensive, money is tight and well, that was an issue too. He said he wasn't going to go but obviously it was meant for him to be there because it all worked out. He came home and had several revelations. It seemed to be the spiritual recharge that he needed. So that is good. I am happy about it. Of course you all know what a great guy he is...sometimes I think he just needs to believe it.

Well, that is my LONG story about Promise Keepers and how I ended up with my Promise Keeper.

Wordless Wednesday....Something Attacked the Basil

Wordless Wednesday

So, I Might Not Be Wonder Woman After All....A Graphic (yet entertaining) & Personal Story About Me.

I am going to tell you a very personal story about my c-section healing process. It involves gross stuff like bodily functions & fluids. Perhaps if you have a weak stomach or have some sort of adversity to TMI then stop reading here. But I must warn you...you will miss an almost funny story.

As I have mentioned before, I had a c-section. I have had c-sections for all my children and I haven't minded one bit. I was not one of those women that felt cheated or less than womanly because I had a c-section. I wasn't planning to do anything without meds in the first place and after witnessing my sister - her legs spread eagle with runway lights glaring on her privates a mere 6 days before my due date with Jude - I was more than thrilled when they said I needed to have a c-section. I know, some of you may not understand but that was me. My recovery after my first section was okay. I think I recovered fairly quick but I did have some pain to deal with. With Elise - man it was cake. If you remember I posted a picture of me hiking with Elise in a sling only 10 days after I had her. No problem. Well, this time has been slightly different.

Let me begin by saying my surgery was long. Because I have a lot of scar tissue it took an hour just to get the baby out...then they had to sew me back up. It took a while and I was grouchy by the end. Mainly I was thirsty and hungry because I wasn't allowed to eat for at least 12 hours before the surgery. Because I chose to eat dinner at a normal hour - not midnight - it ended up being almost 20 hours without food. I was starving. So, I get to the recovery room, drink a gallon of water, order food and immediately feel sick afterwords. I regained myself after chasing everyone out of the room because I was sure I would barf and felt okay after that. EXCEPT, I did not have control of my pain meds. They had put something in with my spinal block that administered Morphine for 12 hours. Let me tell you - 12 hours of Morphine is too much for me. I wasn't allowed to get out of bed for the next 12 hours. I had to have an IV and a catheter. I was ready to get up and walk around but I was stuck in bed - doped up. At one pointed I was actually seeing shiny colors on the bathroom door. Cool, eh????

Finally the next morning they let me get up and walk around. I only took half of the pain meds I was allowed and felt great. The nurses looked at me like I was crazy for passing up the drugs but honestly I was feeling good. I got dressed on Sunday - in real clothes. I had one nurse walk in and ask if I was the patient....you gotta love that. Well, my point is that it sure looked like I was on a short road to recovery. Yeah....

Then I came home....

I got home on Monday and everything was fine. Tuesday I went with the kids to tot time. It was a short walk and I didn't do anything but stand around and show off Avery. I came home and took a nap. Easy enough. I wake up from my nap and go to the bathroom (I warned you). When I stood up blood gushed everywhere. It looked like a murder scene in my bathroom. The blood was coming from my incision. In case you were wondering - uh, that isn't normal. In fact, the plan is your incision is intact and never leaks a fluid even before you leave the hospital. So, mine is bleeding. I yelled to ask Jude to get his dad. Jake came upstairs and looked at the mess. I told him I think we were going to have to go back to the hospital. He said, Okay let's call the doctor - I'll go get the phone. So...he calls her and explains what has happened. In the mean time I send Jude down to get my mom - I thought she could have murder scene clean up duty. She gets up there and probably was freaking out a little but remained calm. She starts cleaning. At this point I have disrobed from the waist down and was walking around with a wash cloth on my incision. Jake comes back and hands me the phone - the doctor wanted to talk to me. So, I take the phone in one hand, wash cloth in the other and begin to talk. The kids are running around my bedroom trying to look at "mommy's boo boo". I ask my mom to take them out and Elise starts throwing a fit. At that point my mom is explaining to Elise that she is going to spank her butt if she didn't cooperate (all while the doc is on the phone and I am holding onto my wash cloth). I am saying, "where did Jake go????" He had totally disappeared. Did he get sick? Did he pass out? No....he needed to go poop and had went to the basement bathroom to do his business. WHAT????? How can he poop at a time like this? I don't know. So, the doctor tells me I could go to the emergency room or if I felt comfortable I could wait until Thursday (she isn't in Wednesday's) and come to see her. Thinking of the insurance gap (ER care is not cheap) and the fact that I really wasn't that concerned (not sure why, looking back) I opted for going to see her on Thursday. For the time being she gave me some simple instructions about caring for my gaping wound and that was that. I sent Jake off to CVS to buy some supplies. The bleeding dramatically slowed down and the incision wasn't looking infected or anything. On Thursday I called and made an appointment. After a few minutes went by I decided I was just being neurotic and called to cancel the appointment. Why??? Who knows. By Monday I was annoyed with the incision still being open and still bleeding so I went to see the Doc. She is concerned because it is open still but on the large scale of things it isn't that bad- although she did mention she wished I would have kept my Thursday appointment and then pointed out that most normal people would have gone to the ER. But....for now she (the doctor) has ordered a visiting nurse to come out and pack my wound (sounds so graphic doesn't it???) once a day (twice today) until next Monday. Then I have to go see her again. They said it may take 2-3 weeks to get this healed up. ARGGGHHHHH. I hate not being invincible. The good thing is....she said the open incision was NOT my fault. I guess I had bled from the c-section on the inside and the blood was trapped so it had to get out somehow. It would have happened even if I had been laying in bed all day long. But for now I am supposed to be taking it easy, taking regular pain meds and getting lots of rest. None of those things come naturally to me. I get antsy real easy. So say a little prayer that I heal quickly (and properly). In the mean time I will keep you updated.

Visitors...

We've had a lot of visitors over the last 10 days. It has been nice. This week-end was pretty quiet. Although I got a myspace message and I think one of my friends did want to come and visit but I didn't listen to her message on my phone (sorry I hadn't charged the battery - I am going to listen to it as soon as I am done typing this....). So that was a bummer to miss her. We really did a whole lot of nothing this week-end. The kids were with Nana & Poppy so we had all this free time. We were talking about it and laughing because now we find it unbelievably easy with just one kid but when we just had Jude we thought it was so difficult. Ha ha ha haha. Only if we knew then what we know now. Perhaps we would have enjoyed it more. Anyhoo......

Last night we got a call from Jake's cousin Emma. Remember the Amish cousin? Well, she had told me she was going to be coming up on July 10th but I never heard from her. I was disappointed but didn't really think about it since. I told Jake I just wasn't cool enough for his Amish relatives. But, last night she called and said they would be in the area. How exciting. She wasn't sure what time she would be around but she said she would call. So, this morning at 8 A.M. the phone rings. It was Sarah Ann (Emma's sister). She said they were in Cuyahoga Falls already. Yikes....I was still in bed. I needed to shower and get ready and bath the baby and clean up the house a little and make something to drink and on and on my list went. Jake was already at work. Before the panic set in she told me they were going to go to Marcs & the Village Thrift (it is 50 cent Monday) and then they were going to stop by but first they needed directions to the Village Thrift. Whew...they showed up around 10:30. It was nice. Sarah Ann & Emma came in but the other ladies didn't want to since they didn't know me. When they found out I have a 10 day old baby they came right in. It was just a short visit. We talked about birthing babies, c-sections, getting your tubes tied, picking peaches and canning corn. Kind of a strange mix of conversation with the Amish girls. Really they are not much different than me. Right before they left the one lady said she had just learned the song "Hey There Delilah". I told her it was about me and we all had a laugh. Either way...I thought it was cool that I had Amish visitors so I wanted to tell ya'll about it. Have a good one.

Back to Blogging....

Oh what a week. If you have ever had a baby you know that the week after you give birth you have a dramatic drop in your hormone levels and it can be....well, interesting. This week has indeed been interesting. I'll spare you the details - although they are probably quite entertaining, I think it is too soon. Ha.

The baby is great. She has proven to quite a good baby so far. She is already on somewhat of a schedule. Elise did the same thing almost immediately. She has only been waking up once a night to eat. It is so nice. I could have 2 or 3 babies at a time if they were all this easy. She is already growing - which makes me so sad, since I know she is my last baby. Also - probably a hormone thing.

We have had lots of help. My mom was here for most of the week. On Thursday she took Jude & Elise and went to Tennessee. I didn't really want the kids to go away because I didn't want them to feel like I was trading them in and I wanted to make sure they adjusted to having a baby around. BUT...they really wanted to go, my mom wanted to go and did I mention I am a little hormonal???? As soon as they left I wanted them to come back but.... They will be home on Monday and they are having fun with Nana & Poppy. Elise won't even talk to me on the phone. Before he left, Jude told me he would miss his baby sister but I think he has already forgotten about her because he hasn't mentioned her! Both Jude and Elise were doing just fine with the baby around. Elise wasn't as bad as I thought she would be. She only poked Avery in the eye once. She asked to hold her a few times and when she played with her dolls she now calls them "baby sister". Isn't that cute. I think Jude thinks Avery is a little boring still. He keeps asking when she will be able to walk and talk. Oh, and did I tell you??? He doesn't call her Avery. He calls her Skye. Elise goes back and forth. Jude wanted us to name her Skye all along so that is what he calls her. I think it is cute.

Other than my mom helping out - Jake has been home from work. He is going to start going back for a few hours at time next week. I still need him a little because I CAN'T DRIVE! It drives me crazy. The kids will be back on Monday and it will be just us for a couple of days, then Linda (Jake's mom) is coming to stay for a few days. I should be good to go by then. I've had a few "complications" in the healing process this time so I am a little slower than I think I was with Elise at this point. Maybe I just don't remember clearly. Either way, people have been bringing meals over to us. Most of the people are from our church and a few from our old church. It has been sooooo nice not to have to think about dinner - it just shows up. And everything has been absolutely delicious. It is a good thing it is only for two weeks otherwise I may never loose the baby weight. Last night the dinner included cake. Before I cut into it I thought....I hope this cake is strawberry or cherry chip - what are the chances....It was!!! I ate a huge piece. That isn't good for the girly figure.

More Avery Pics....

I know you have all been patiently waiting for more pictures. Here are some from the hospital. It is amazing how much she changes every single day. I will post more later this week and hopefully I will get to sit down and tell you a little about the past four days. Until then....enjoy the pics.

Wordless Wednesday...Happy BIRTH day Avery Skye!!!

For more Wordless Wednesday GO HERE...

I bet you want to the know the details.

Since Delilah is in the hospital I thought I would do a blog-jacking. You'll have to go to the Launch (which is my blog) for the baby details.


Jake

Yes I am Blogging on Delivery Day....

Did you expect anything less???? Well, the day is here. I am a little nervous and a little excited. We still aren't set on a name but that is okay. We will come up with something. I got a ton of emails yesterday, that I just got to read. It is so nice to hear from all of you and to know that we are in your thoughts and prayers.

I have to leave in 45 minutes and I need to do a few more things so I will have to chat with you all later. Stay tuned for the details....

My Tan is Fading...

I had a nice tan. I had been taking the kids to the wading pool several times a week and I was turning nice and golden. It was the first time I've had a real tan in years. Unfortunately, the weather has gone nuts. It is the end of July and it has been in the 60's & 70's. I am FREEZING. I know, pregnant lady's are supposed to be hot but I am cold. The Tot Time theme for the day is Water Day. The kids are supposed to wear their bathing suits but I think it is too cold. I want to go to get out of the house for a little while (well...and I have perfect attendance ha ha ha) but it is so cold. I was hoping for some 90 degree days this week. Bummer, eh?

On another note...we have narrowed the baby name field down to 4 names (first & middle combo's). We aren't set on any one in particular since they are all so good. Don't worry - no Meadow, Lola or Lyric. However if left to me I think I would probably use Lyric for at least a middle name. I LOVE it. Either way, we may end up drawing out of a hat. Who knows. By the way - my Dad suggested the combo of mine and Jake's choices - Meadow Taite...get it?

Two Days???? Yikes!

Wow, the reality of having another baby is very real today. Last night when I woke up to go the bathroom I thought, "man, when the baby wakes up I won't be able to go right back to bed...I'll have to feed her."

I wish I could say I have been busy making preparations this week but I have actually been reading the new Harry Potter book. I finished it yesterday - it was almost 800 pages. It is a "kids" book but it isn't that easy of a read. If you don't pay attention to every sentence and even word you may miss an important detail. It was not my favorite of her 7 books but it was indeed very good. Jake listed the book on half.com last night and it already sold. Sorry if you wanted to borrow it.

Other than that I will say I have seriously slowed down. I am exhausted. Everything I do depletes my energy. Which really stinks because I had big plans for this week. Jake has been picking up the slack and was doing some scrubbing yesterday. Wasn't that nice of him?

I've been "working" on a little business adventure. Well, I have been planning and making some things to sell. I know everyone has been saying for a while I should sell stuff and I know I should. This fall I plan to do a craft show or two. I have lots of different stuff. Pottery, cards, purses, etc.... I think I need to pick one thing and go with it. I don't know. Once I get the "new" project going I will post about it. In fact, I think I am going to go work on it now so I will talk to you more tomorrow! See you then!

$5 for a Funnel Cake....Are you kidding me???

Last week-end Jude went to the Italian festival with the neighbors for dessert. When they got back, Patty (the neighbor) told me about all the stuff they ate. She said they bought a funnel cake. I LOVE funnel cakes. Yummmmmm. What isn't to love about fried dough and powdered sugar. She said they cost $5!!! I can't believe it. I told her when I was a kid my mom would make funnel cakes on occasion. It started me thinking that I could make them myself...if I only had a recipe. A couple of nights later, Jude was asking what we were going to have for snack. I decided it would be a good day to try my hand at funnel cake making. I quickly found a recipe on-line and whipped up a fabulous batch. I, however, don't have a funnel (who doesn't own a funnel???) so I had to compromise a little and used a gravy thingy to just pour the batter into the hot oil. The results were absolutely delish!!! The recipe makes a lot of funnel cakes so I sent a few over to the neighbors who were excited to have free funnel cakes. I ate two whole ones. Yes....I am only admitting that because I am pregnant AND to warn anyone else - it isn't a good idea. I didn't sleep at all that night. My stomach was so upset. I was sooooo full.

Two days later, Jude asked me if I was going to pottery class that evening. I told him I was. He sounded disappointed. I thought it was sweet...he was going to miss his mommy. I said, "Why? Are you going to miss me?" He said, "No, I wanted you to make funnel cakes again." Isn't that something? Anyhoo....here is the recipe. I think I made 7 funnel cakes and total it cost me less than $5.

YUMMY Funnel Cakes

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix salt, baking powder, and half of the flour. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream eggs, sugar and milk. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth. Continue to add remaining flour, but use only enough to achieve desired consistency. Batter will be thin enough to run through a funnel.
3. In an eight inch skillet, heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Put your finger over the bottom opening of the funnel, and fill the funnel with a generous 1/2 cup of the batter. Hold the funnel close to the surface of the oil, and release the batter into the oil while making a circular motion. Fry until golden brown. Use tongs and wide spatula to turn the cake over carefully. Fry the second side one minute. Drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with sifted confectioners' sugar or cinnamon sugar.

Picking a Baby Name...

Are you tired of hearing about baby names - or our lack there of???? Well, I am starting to get a little nervous. Jake has a "list" on his blog. I could stomach maybe one of the names on his list. The rest make me want to look at him and say "Do you know me at all?????" Yes, I know probably a little too hormonal. I actually picked out a name that is on the top 20 of names from last year. I am serious. It is a great name and we have liked it for some time. I thought we were semi-settled on the name. Last night just as I was about to fall asleep Jake says....."I am not sure about that name". WHAT!? Jake really wanted the name Amelia - which I originally suggested but I am just not sure about it. I wanted Eva but Jake won't budge on it. He wanted to compromise and go with Ava but it is #5 on the Social Security list. It is way too popular. The baby is going to be here in 8 - only 8- days. Yikes....

Am I Naive???

I put the kids down for "quiet time"/nap time and decided I was going to take a nap myself. I needed something to drink so I had to walk downstairs to get that. I decided I would carry the laundry down since I was walking down stairs anyhow. When I got to the kitchen I looked at the floor and noticed it was extremely dirty so I grabbed a broom and swept it real quick. Then I got my drink and carried the laundry to the basement. Since I was in the basement I decided I should go ahead and start the laundry, which meant I would have to sort it all out. After I got the first load in I started back upstairs and walked passed the computer. That is how I ended up here typing this post.

I've been thinking a lot about having this baby and how life is going to change. Not that anyone has let me think for one minute things would be the same. It is amazing how many people, some almost complete strangers say things like - "your life is really going to change when you have three." Well, DUH. Do I think it is something I won't be able to handle? No way. I am not naive. In fact, I look forward to enjoying this baby in a way I wasn't able to enjoy my other babies. When I had Jude and Elise we worked as Respite Houseparents. I think we got two weeks off with both births but as soon as that two weeks was up we got kids. Two at a time. I am not sure that people know what life was really like (unless you have done a similar job or spent time with us while we were doing the job). Some of the kids were fantastic. Easy and even helpful but others...oh the stories I have to tell. So, two weeks after I had Jude and Elise we were thrown right back in - we didn't have only one child or two children we had three or four and a dog. Trust me troubled children and a dog have to be worse than a newborn baby. We had to run the kids to appointments, cook balanced meals, entertain the kids, deal with case workers and write up detailed reports about it all. Granted we only kept the job until Elise was 5 months old but PULEEZE do not think I am naive. I know what babies are like. Elise spoiled us but man Jude did not. He cried all the time but we made it through. I am praying this baby is pleasant and sleeps like Elise did. If she doesn't I think I can handle it. It isn't like I have had a good nights sleep for the last 4 months anyhow. I am used to being up. Not that I like it or would even choose it but I have lived with it and I think I am fine. Do I sound smug or mean? I guess I just feel like people are waiting for me to fail or be miserable. Maybe I am just too hormonal or whatever right now. It is just what I was thinking about while sorting my laundry. Maybe next time I will give you my commentary about why I don't want to name the baby something popular or why I choose to use cloth diapers on occasion. Until then....have a great day!

Baby Countdown....

You may have noticed my baby countdown skipped a day. That is because my c-section has been moved up one day. I just thought you might want to know.

Not for the Squeamish.....

In the past I have talked about what should and shouldn't be discussed on a blog. Some of you may think I shouldn't talk about this topic on my PUBLIC blog. I hope I don't offend you but if I do - hey...I am pretty much 9 months pregnant and I think that gives me some liberty. Right? Well, today I had to go to visit my OB-GYN. Yes, the gynecologist. When I went to the Women of Faith conference a few weeks back, the comedian, Anita Renfro talked some about being pregnant and going to the doctor. It was hysterical. Mostly because what she said was soooo true. One thing she talked about your weight when you are pregnant. I've done great this time but I have still been concerned. I actually lost a pound this week. But, I have found myself picking out clothing that I think would weigh lighter. On my last appointment I wore a very lightweight dress. Today I gave up and just wore my jeans...and still lost a pound. So that is good. Anita said when she was pregnant, in the beginning she was proud of her weight by the end she was wearing a newspaper and flip flops to save a pound or two. Ha ha. That is what I had been doing - well not with a newspaper. Then she talked about peeing in the cup. For those of you that have never been pregnant - you have to pee in a cup each time you go to visit the OB. I assume they are checking for infections. Either way, the cup is small. I am not kidding. It isn't really that much bigger than a dixie cup. I am not exaggerating. Now, I have this BIG belly - it is difficult for me to sit, let alone bend over while sitting. Add to that I very full bladder that has an almost full grown newborn sitting on it and give me a "large" dixie up to catch my pee. I miss every time. I am lucky to catch alittle. I can't tell where the cup is and God only knows I can't see down there. They should just give up pregos a catch pan. It would be so much easier.

After peeing in the cup, my appointments usually go the same. I go back to the room, the nurse takes my blood pressure and listens to the baby's heartbeat. Then the doc comes in, measures my belly and asks how I am feeling. Occasionally they throw you for a loop and they hand you the paper towel thingy - it isn't even a gown - it really is just an extra large paper towel you lay on your lap. They don't warn you an appointment ahead of time that you are going to have an "exam". One time when I was pregnant with Jude, they sprang an "exam" on me. I wanted to make sure I was "fresh". BTW...Jake was with me when this happened. I saw these wipe things on the counter. They were individually wrapped and I think they are called Mamo-wipes. I took one, opened it up and proceeded to wipe "down there". But I didn't wipe long.....it burned like something else. I mean BURNED. I practically screamed. Jake was rolling on the ground laughing because it thought the whole thing was funny anyhow, then when it burned, well.....he couldn't stand it. Come to find out those wipes are to remove your underarm deodorant for a breast exam (they check your pits too). I had an impromptu "exam" today. I asked Jake if I should use a Mamo-wipe. We just laughed. I didn't use one, in case you were wondering. Anyhow....I disrobed from the waist down (yeah....any where is my waist again?). I put the paper towel on my lap and waited. Then the office manager, who is also pregnant came in to talk to me. My butt crack was hanging out. How can I avoid it? I am sitting on the tissue paper covering the table, it is sticking to my butt. I have the paper towel on my lap - it doesn't fit all the way around and she is talking to me for like TWENTY MINUTES!!!!! I am not lying. I kept pulling my shirt down and turning to the side but all modesty has left the building. I even apologized for my butt crack hanging out....what else was I supposed to say. We talked about baby names, c-section dates, throwing up, pants that won't stay up and all sorts of stuff. The thing is, the way the room is set up my backside is to the door. She was standing in the doorway and I twisted a little to talk with her. So, she had view of ol' whitey the whole time. Lovely. By time the doctor gets in the room, I was ready to go pee again...I thought I would have to put my pants back on and go to the bathroom but luckily she came in just as I was taking that thought seriously. Then I have to do the whole lay down, feet in the stir-ups and skooch down thing with paper sticking to my butt. Isn't pregnancy beautiful!? In the end I am not dilated at all, not even beginning to efface and she couldn't even reach my uterus because I am carrying so high. I don't think the baby will be here early. Bummer. Well, I guess - we still don't have a name.

Thursday Thirteen...Concerts I've Attended

When I was younger I used to go to see live bands every week. Eventually I got a job at Blossom (outdoor amphitheater) and worked there for like 4 or 5 summers. It was so fun. I got into shows for free, got to meet some famous people and met other people who had connections and got free tickets to other venues. It was GREAT!!! I also worked at a restaurant with this guy who went on to work for a radio station. He hooked me up a few times. Either way, I have seen quite a selection of bands. Here is a sliver of my list.....

1. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

2. The Cleveland Orchestra

3. Cypress Hill, Eryakah Badu, Brand New Heavies, George Clinton & Outkast (Smokin' Grooves)

4. Jimmy Buffett

5. Red Hot Chili Peppers

6. Beastie Boys

7. Chicago

8. Mary Chapin Carpenter

9. Pearl Jam

10. Peter Gabriel

11. Hole

12. Eminem

13. Sting

Man....this list doesn't even do the diversity of my concerts justice. Maybe I will do another list another day!

For more Thursday Thirteen GO HERE!!!!

Wordless Wednesday....Play

For More Wordless Wednesday GO HERE!

Contest.....

I am a little late getting this up but Stephanie over at Adventures in Babywearing is sponsoring a giveaway. You have to sign up by tomorrow and link to her post about the contest. GO HERE to see it. The prize is this cool baby wearing thingy called the Podonbutai. It looks cool and I want to win it! So there. Sign up and maybe you can win one and give it to me. Ha ha ha. Oh...you also can purchase one at All Natural Mommies. There is some other cool stuff on that site as well. Check it out.

Bringing Home Baby....

Yes, I know I am a posting fool today. Yesterday I cleaned like a mad woman - did all the laundry, mopped, dusted, scrubbed and went to the pool. Today I can relax and really I am just waiting for the pool to open so I can take the kids.

So, for those of you that have children you know what it is like to prepare for a new baby. For those of you that have more than one child know preparing for the second and any subsequent children can be quite different. With Jude I wanted everything shiny new and the best we could afford of everything. We had two nice showers and received a ton of stuff. I did get a few hand-me-down clothes but for the most part everything was new. Months before Jude's arrival I had everything washed in the special baby laundry detergent and organized neatly in the closet and drawers. With Elise it was slightly different. We had the basic items so we didn't have to buy them again. I had lost (a long story) our umbrella stroller so we did buy a new and much nicer one of those. My sister had Indy when I had Jude so she gave me all of Indy's old clothing. Elise was set in the wardrobe department. Yes, she did get a couple of new quilts and some new clothing but it was so different. Not that I care about second hand stuff....I don't care as long as it still looks good. But everything was was different with Elise.

Now we have #3 (we still don't have a name and apparently aren't ever going to agree on anything - can you believe Jake shot Lyric down today?) coming along. I feel so unprepared. I did get out the Indy/Elise hand-me-downs and washed them. I hung a few things up (in the basement) and the other stuff went back into a plastic bin since we haven't decided on a dresser yet. I did get the car seat out and took a look at it. It really is looking ratty. The fabric is faded and there is even a hole in the cover. So, the next time I went to Walmart I looked at the carseats. I thought maybe I would buy a new one. After looking at the prices I decided I would keep the one we had but I decided to make a new cover! I went home and immediately started disassembling the one on the old car seat. It was a chore. There are a lot of little parts sewn together. Next I went back to WalMart and purchased some inexpensive fabric. I spent $15 total and in the end it I have about half the fabric left over so I could have saved a few more bucks. It took me a while - like 5 hours - to sew the silly thing but I am happy with the results. The fabric pattern isn't my first choice but I wanted something fairly cheap and it had to match navy blue (the color of the base). I did look on line and people are selling these covers for $50-$100! Whew...that is almost as bad as buying a new one! I did see a pattern for a car seat cover that looked a little easier but it did not include the hood thingy...as you can see mine does!

So....here are the results! (Drum Roll Please......)

Well, this is what it used to look like when it was brand new. That is Jude.

And this is the car seat with Elise in it....ya know to be fair.

And here is the car seat now....No baby yet but you can see my cat, Molly (isn't that a good name for a baby??? Jake says no to that one too.)And here is another view....

Here are some pics for you.....

Me. Jude waiting for the parade to begin.
Watching the 4th of July Parade.

Elise kept her candy in her front pocket. It never got very full because she kept eating it!Watching....
I took this picture while I was driving.
Jake playing at the playground.
My little climbers.
And my little dare devil.
Isn't she cute????

I'm a Rockin' Girl Blogger....

Yesterday I was checking out Stephanie's Stop the Ride and I saw she picked me as a Rockin' Girl Blogger!!!! Wasn't that nice of her?? Now I get the chance to name 5 more women as Rockin' Girl Bloggers. If I name you you have to keep this thing going....

1. Amy at Which Describes How You're Feeling. Amy is a single mother, year round teacher, new vegetarian and a very fun girl. I know Amy through my sister. They were room-mates in college.

2. Justiene at Life. Justiene is my young, wild and crazy friend. She likes to blog about what is going on in her life....she always has some sort of drama! She likes to line dance, ride ATV's and quilt. Funny....she is from Akron - not your typical activities for a city girl.

3. Jacki at This is Me: take it or leave it. Jacki is another one of my young, single mom friends. She works as a dispatcher for a local police department, heads a non-profit and has a serious Harry Potter addiction. She said she is going to start blogging all the time but.....she only posts about once a week. Needless to say, she always has something interesting to say.

4. Steph at Adventures in Baby Wearing. Well, I checked and she has already been picked as a Rockin' Girl Blogger but I don't care I am picking her again. She is cool. She talks about (obviously) baby wearing, nursing, products and "mom" hair - among other things. She always has some sort of crazy meme (prego belly pics, nursing baby pics, tattoo pics, etc.....). Check her out.

5. Okay....last but not least. Ya'll know I am a bona-fide RULE BREAKER. Applehead left a comment on Stephanie's blog complaining that the Rockin' Girl Blogger thing is sexist. So...I would like to name him as my last Rockin' Girl Blogger. No he isn't a women, homosexual or gender confused but I do think he keeps in touch with his feminine side. Besides he sings opera and sometimes signs off on his blog with a TTFN (ta ta for now????). So...Applehead you are my Rockin' Girl Blogger #5.

There you go and girls...wear your label proudly...you ROCK!

This is me....

This is a picture of me from last night's Rockin' on the River (a CF thing). From the angle my belly doesn't look THAT big but my face sure looks puffy. I definitely look prego!

Kids...

Jude it so cute. He is at the age where he wonders about all sorts of stuff. Last week, after a doctors appointment, he asked me how the baby magically got in my belly. Very curious...isn't he? I told him God put it there. I overheard him telling someone that later.

Yesterday Jude was saying he wants us to name the baby Skye. He is stuck on that name. I keep telling him no but he told me that is the only name on his "list". Ha. HE has a list. Well, later he told me he has four names on his "list". I think that is more than we have....no, we haven't picked a name yet. It is stressing me a little bit but I am sure when she gets here we will find a name for her!

I've had two crazy dreams lately. I dreamed I went somewhere with my friends and on the way home they decided to take me to Virginia. I kept saying I needed to get home but they didn't want to drop me off. I couldn't call Jake because my cell phone battery was dead (ha ha ha....it always is). So....I did what any kidnapped girl would do...I started choking the driver, who pulled over but this police officer saw the whole thing and arrested me for attempted murder. I tried to explain to him that I was pregnant and they were kidnapping me but they told him they were my friends and I wasn't being kidnapped. Hmmmm....I wonder what all that means.

Then last night I dreamed that I had the baby but I didn't get to see her right away. I left the hospital and came back the next day. When the nurse brought her to me she was HUGE. The nurse said she weighed 25 lbs at birth! Yikes. She looked like Elise with long blond hair. In my dream I looked at Jake and told him her 0-3 month clothes weren't going to fit her. Elise doesn't even weigh 25 lbs yet! I wonder where my mind gets this stuff!?

Happy Fourth of July....a day late!!!

Wow, what a busy day we had yesterday. We started the day off by having breakfast with our friends. It is our second year getting together for breakfast so I guess it is now a tradition. After eating blueberry pancakes we rushed off to the parade. We were a little worried it would rain but luckily it held off. I hate to say that when we really need rain so badly but who wants rain on a parade??? The kids liked parade. There was a lot of candy. Elise thought she had to eat every single piece of candy as she got it. Needless to say she was full of tootsie rolls by time we left. Jude on the other hand wanted to save his for later but Elise and the other kids kept eating it. In the end, he had plenty left!

After the parade, we had a picnic to attend with some other friends. I made the mistake of wearing a white t-shirt to the breakfast/parade (I was attempting to be patriotic) and by time the parade was over I had blueberries, dirt, tootsie rolls and who knows what else on parts of the shirt that I can't even see.... So, I talked Jake into stopping by Target and bought a cute little sweater thingy to go over my mess. I hate buying maternity clothing this late in the game but I haven't really bought that many so I can justify a clearance rack purchase.

We finally made it to the picnic. Everyone was starving. Good thing because there was a TON of food there. It was very good. Besides the food, there were many people there that we haven't seen in a long time. Many....well, all of them were from our old church. I haven't commented on the old church in a long time because the last time I went on my little rant about how I was feeling it ended up being the subject of a sermon. I did go a little overboard but I think what certain people failed to realize it that I was talking about myself and how I was feeling. I admitted I was in a very bad place. I wanted (very badly) for someone to tell me I was wrong - that people weren't "shunning" us. For the most part, they weren't. I think many people didn't realize or felt a little awkward....probably afraid of what I would say to them. But there are people who still don't talk to us. That is okay. I only wish them the best. I am so past all that drama! So....back to the picnic. It felt good to see old friends and not feel like an outsider. And....the hostess went all out (as always) which made it so nice.

After the picnic we went home, took naps, then woke up and heading back to the breakfast friends home to have dinner. We were all wiped out by bedtime. We didn't go to the fireworks because they were so late. We might try to catch some this week-end.

What Day is Today?????

Yes, I had to stop and really think about it. Tuesday, right? Well, I haven't had the time to sit down lately. When I do get a chance to check out the computer I have been checking my email, reading blogs and that is about it. Sorry.

Lets see if I can remember everything I have been doing.... Well, not last week-end but the week-end before I went to the Women of Faith conference in Cleveland. It was my second year attending. This year I was so lucky to have free tickets in a private suite. It was so nice because the suite had it's own bathroom - perfect for any pregnant woman! I also got to go to the pre-conference, which was Beth Moore. She did such a great job and I actually learned something. Maybe I will share some of it someday. Going to the conference is fun to just hang out with other women and relax a little. While I was gone, Jake and the kids went to West Virginia and Jake helped build a deck. They left Thursday evening and came back Sunday. That meant I was home alone two nights that I wasn't at the conference. I was a little scared but I did get to shampoo the carpet and on Saturday evening I went to bed at 7:30 P.M. I woke up at 6:30 A.M. Eleven straight hours of sleep. Ahhhh.... I can't remember but I am sure I did have to get up and go to the bathroom at least 5 times but still....eleven hours!

Last week was full of the typical kid stuff - going to the wading pool and tot time. My parents came to visit for a couple of days. I got to take a nap. I told my mom I was going to set my alarm for a half hour but when it went off I shut it off and went back to sleep - I woke up 2.5 hours later. While they were visiting we went shopping, ate a lot and mostly stayed inside because it was extremely hot out and we actually turned on the air conditioning. They left on Thursday morning. Jake had Thursday & Friday off. We went to the wading pool, tot time and man....I have been sleeping like a champ (during the day, at least). I am having some problems sleeping at night - probably why I am so tired during the day.

The week-end just flew by. Friday evening we had the Looman clan over for S'Mores. It is always crazy when we get all the kids together. Saturday, two of our old friends from Safe Landing and their families came over for dinner. Afterwords we walked to the park. Elise is such a daredevil. She was climbing on these monkey bar things and feel off. Luckily she didn't get hurt. It looked scary, though. While we were at the park, we ran into this guy that was a man from my past. We never dated but we had this weird thing....he liked me but I acted weird, then I thought about liking him but by then he had a girlfriend....yada yada yada. Either way, while all of this was going on, my friends at work knew (including Jake, who I was not yet dating). The guy had came to my work once and Jake said to the secretary, "she likes that dork!". Ha ha. She was one of the friends that was at the park with us. So, when we see the guy we all had a good chuckle. We talked to him. In fact, Jake and I see him all the time - he only lives a few streets away. He married the other girl and they have a little boy Elise's age. Either way, it was so nice to see the old gang. We used to spend 40 hours a week together and now we see each other about once a year.

On Sunday we went to church and they had a bunch of people over for lunch. After they left the kids and I took our afternoon naps. When we woke up we promptly left to have dinner at the Looman's house. Wow...what a busy day week.

People have been asking about the house situation that I mentioned in passing a few weeks ago. I don't know what is going on yet but I will let you know when all the details get worked out.