Clean house = Happy home!

Lately I've been lacking motivation. Lets face it, so many changes, inconsistent schedules, inconsistent income, new pets, sick pets, pregnancy, hormones, new marriage, etc etc etc...how would anyone keep their home clean under those circumstances. Considering I can be a bit O.C.D. about things having a place and putting and finding them in their place--I am holding up well.

Today I finally tacked a few things I've been piling in corners. Lots of clean folded clothes finally found their new homes in my re-organized dresser and closet. All the windows and mirrors have now been wiped down, oh yeah, and I dusted. Bobby cleaned the kitchen, started a roast, made lunch and ice tea and vacuumed the carpet in the house. Elvis' cage is gleaming (which makes her "woo hoo" over and over) and the things that are left to complete have been compartmentalized for easy access later.

I'm breathing easy and feeling great and the weekend has just started. I think I might even be able to relax this weekend. Get to a few art projects and work on Oliver's baby book (which I'm doing digitally). I'm thinking about making a painting, perhaps finishing my never-ending collage.

This evening I spent time with good friends Sara and Katie. They brought a Eddie (the bird) for Elvis, Abby the lab for Sasha, and a Jayhawk baby onesie--it doesn't get any better than that. If only I could get my husband to go on a walk with me.

On the baby end, I am really uncomfortable. The next couple months are going to drag as I get bigger and more uncomfortable. This horrible heat has been wiping me out so I'm glad today is cooler. I'm ready to meet this kid, for more reasons than one, but just to not be pregnant--sounds good to me.

Happy Saturday--Happy day--Life is good.

Kitty Update!

I took Hop to the Vet this morning.

I so wish I had taken a before picture, because it is hard to think that she was ever as swollen as she was. They shaved the spot and cut it open and drained a decent amount of puss out of it. She is almost back to her normal jawline--just very bloody. They want the gash to stay open for the next four days so she can continue to drain. It is driving me crazy and it's only been a few hours. Her neck is covered with blood. She keeps scratching it. The Vet said to let her scratch, it will help keep it open but I can't take it. We have an oral antibiotic and pain meds for the next four days.

Julian the cat broke his tail and I had to make him a cone to keep him from chewing on the skin, if she keeps scratching like she is I'll be forced to cone-head her up too. How sad would we be with two cone-headed cats running around. We're looking pretty pitiful already.

Final diagnosis, she must have been bitten or scraped and had an abscess that got infected. We'll get her all fixed up, and hopefully I'll keep my cool. I'm a pretty hormonal Mommy these days.

Freaking out!!!

Today we noticed that my kitten Hopper has a huge lump on her neck. It looks like the size a large walnut and is in her lower jaw. She wouldn't let me open her mouth and has been very inactive. I'm trying to get a hold of the vet to find out costs to get her looked at...but in the meantime I'm freaking out. I'm going to be a wreck until we know what it is. It just appeared overnight and I can find nothing on-line that can offer and consolation. My sweet baby. It is going to be a long night.

The Most Amazing Pet in the World!!!

Every once in a while a person finds the perfect pet for them! I had a poodle all growing up that followed me every where I went, was incredibly loyal only to me. I have that in this silly cat. She is amazing and I just thought a little Hopper tribute were necessary. As my husband says--she can do no wrong. She is just a love.

Words to focus on!

Aside from family, my focus lately has seemed strangely off. Yes, this could be blamed on upcoming significant changes that are about to take place in my life. In the very near future we have a BIG change coming our way, but it is rather a few other upcoming changes that have me bowled over. I can't think of how many times I've moved to a new place and said "I hope I stay here atleast a couple years!" Let me tell you--since the age of 18 I have never lived any one place for more than a whole year...and well, I've only done that twice. Rather I tend to roll with the punches quite easily and I hate to admit it but I've moved 14 times in 7 years.

Our focus is about to shift to our growing family and after some of the upcoming changes take place i need to buckle down on some concepts I've struggled to grasp over the last 7 adult years! I love words and went straight for my favorite place: the dictionary to supplement and rather push home a few ideas. All in all they come down to one great idea, I think a little consistency would do all of us some good!

We need to focus on our growing family, our health, and our financial freedom and perhaps a little study of these words and concepts is just the ticket. Let the focus begin. In the meantime--look forward to some upcoming changes--after all they may be it for awhile. We kept everyone on their toes long enough, now it is time for reliability!

sim⋅plic⋅i⋅ty

1.	the state, quality, or an instance of being simple.

2.	freedom from complexity, intricacy, or division into parts: an organism of great simplicity.

3.	absence of luxury, pretentiousness, ornament, etc.; plainness: a life of simplicity.

4.	freedom from deceit or guile; sincerity; artlessness; naturalness: a simplicity of manner.

rou⋅tine

1.	a customary or regular course of procedure.

2.	commonplace tasks, chores, or duties as must be done regularly or at specified intervals; typical or everyday activity: the routine of an office.

3.	regular, unvarying, habitual, unimaginative, or rote procedure.

pa⋅tience

1.	the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.

2.	an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay: to have patience with a slow learner.

3.	quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence: to work with patience.

con⋅tent⋅ment

1.	the state of being contented; satisfaction; ease of mind.

2.	Archaic. the act of making contentedly satisfied.

sta⋅bil⋅i⋅ty

1.	the state or quality of being stable.

2.	firmness in position.

3.	continuance without change; permanence.

26 weeks sono pictures and updates

Oliver and I had his 26 week check-up today and I come bearing photos. I so wish I could freeze frame the photos myself. I'll see the perfect profiles and the perfect photo ops and I'm always slightly disappointed with the ones I'm handed as I leave the room. It just doesn't do justice to how amazing the ultrasound experience actually is.First, his foot. Cuteness!

Just a sweet little profile. You can see his hand and arm in the center (saying hi) haha.
Another profile to check-out.

It was amazing today to see he is a bit thicker and more baby-like than last time. Two weeks from my third trimester, I now start going in every 2 weeks! We are due to set-up our pre-admission appointment with labor and delivery and I am also due for a glucose test to check for gestational diabetes and a rogam (sp!) shot for my negative blood factor.

On the baby end...The placental lake they were monitoring is now gone! Oliver weighs a little more than 2 lbs (estimate from measurements) and my Doctor says that due to all the amniotic fluid--he will likely be a big baby--surprise surprise. She was delicate in saying that although he is currently in the 50% on weight he will likely be very big! He was healthy and active and my blood pressure was amazing. They said better than a non-pregnant healthy persons blood pressure--95/60!

His head is down low (in position more or less), his bum is at the top left of my belly and side and his feet are up high on the right--which would explain my ribs hurting on the right side all the time! Three months to go! How crazy.

bobby's project

I'm nearly 7 months pregnant. How crazy is that? 26 weeks...so 6 1/2 months. I've been moaning for weeks about my body changing and how strange it is to see pictures of myself from before and for my flat belly to seem so foreign. I just really miss my body and I have two months of getting huge to go. Finally after enough "I think I'm getting fat" comments while roaming in my bathing suit today Bobby made me stop so he could take some pictures. I have to say I'm feeling a bit better. I don't know if pregnant can = sexy...but I think I'm doing ok. I'm ready to start pumping myself up because I'm only getting bigger.

Below: Bobbby's photos (with the aside of my bird's eye views) and a little belly love to share.

Final conclusion: Pregnancy can = healthy.

Sunday Fun-day!

I set the boys (Jack and Julian) to art today. After running through the sprinkler and wearing themselves and me out I decided I put them to work on getting the boy's room decorated. I pulled out a blank canvas, squirted lines of paint on it and watched them smooth the paint out. I added bits of glaze that would give it some dimension, build up the surface a bit. I then showed them out to work in relief by scraping the paint away to show the white underneath. I helped a little in getting the surface covered but they had so much fun and really wanted to learn how to do everything. The final piece is their doing and will look awesome on the boys wall!

A rare photo-op. Thanks Jack.

below: Jack armed with the camera and evidence that I'm really doing quite well. I'm all belly--so far--which is a relief!

sigh.

In breaking from the traditional information prescribed blog I would normally write I find instead today that my mood is shifted into a dream-like state. I am at an un-easy place and while I lack motivation today I am pushing to complete tasks that will certainly bring me relief and peace of mind tomorrow. I suppose that is what these days are about. Doing things that don't seem appealing and knowing that in doing just what I lack the desire to do I am opening a vessel for the clarity to move on the next day from the distaste of today.

Some days my pregnancy seems a blur of confusion. I feel clear minded about what is to come in that I know it will be life changing, cliche, eventful, and notable to my existence, but some days it seems so surreal I am silenced by the uncertainty of tomorrow and patient for its unraveling. At this point He is but a diamond in the sand [were the sand my life or the lives of many]. I am lost in the meaning of life and embracing it all the same. I wonder how long I can go like this. Living without understanding meaning and yet I know this little diamond will provide a bit of meaning. To be lost in and of itself has taken on new clarity and I find it is the very thing I am not lost at. I am a master of disaster, an emblem of struggle and while still no better at handling it, I no longer find enough pity in my heart to whine about my misery. I find my misery insufferable and what is left is only anger. To get out of this just may show the full meaning of life. To be bogged down by these monetary strangulation's clouds my mind with nasty emotions and I ache for a solution I have yet to find.

As each day toward meeting Oliver nears I know simplicity is my friend and perhaps a purging of old habits may be necessity. I will find that clarity. I know a person can only go on in confusion for so long and then something profound will move their existence. My husband and I both look forward to a bit of simplicity. We'll leave the complications to defining our big new love that is yet to engulf us both and in the meantime I will try to breathe in and out each day, remind myself of the hormones streaming through my core, and cut myself some slack. In the meantime I'll work hard on the cloudy days to make the sun shine brighter when it comes.

To me the meaning of life is not in god. I believe in spirituality and of course prayer is vital to my maintaining hope, having somewhere to share my thoughts, my dreams, but my search does not end in an all encompassing god. Perhaps I will find meaning in life in becoming a Mom. I have always thought that to be my meaning in life and I feel certain I am already a better person for following my own dreams. Big lessons to be learned as I struggle not to meet others expectations and find peace in my own--maybe even find peace in defining my own. I know one thing is for sure--I look forward to meeting this person. To come is a whole new life and I can only define myself to him through my own standards. Soon. So soon.

25 weeks

It is crazy to think that in 10 short weeks I could be having a child at any time. Really the goal is always 38 weeks, but what a strange thing. Oliver is getting really strong and can be visibly seen moving from across the room.

My newest ailment--unbearable muscle cramps in my calves at night that lead to just as unbearable sore calve muscles the following day. I feel like I've run marathon after marathon. Fortunately the trick has been to warm up and cool down the muscles before sleep and when I wake back up. I've used my Melaleauca brand icy hot. It is wonderful! The last day--although still sore--has been a reprieve from my previous few days of excrutiating pain while walking (and remember I'm a waitress).

Other than that--money is beyond tight and we're trying to manage the stress and keep things in perspective.

Check-out the big belly (And the new maternity dress my Mom got me :))

D.R.E.A.M

One of the most prevalent parts of my life has been in my constant tendencies toward dreaming. I day dream, I night-dream, I dream in the car, while I do chores, as I read books, I can easily find myself lost in a fantasy and often don't mind mundane and repetitive tasks if they allow me the escape of a long dream. This is something I want to pass to my children. As I decorate the boys room for Oliver's upcoming arrival I am focused on creating a magical place. A woodland full of nature and the things that inspire clearity in the mind. I hope most of all for my boys--that their imaginations allow them the joy I've had in my ability to dream with such clearity and with such hope.

Above, the first four letters (I'm doing the M tomorrow after I go to the river) of the word dream. It will hang on the boys wall. The photos are not quite in proportion because the D is the largest letter by far. I made the letters with twine and driftwood from the river and the bits of brush are from the yard. The green bushy plant dries a dark redish brown and will look wonderful against the peanut butter brown walls. I will post a final when they are hung but that may be awhile until I get to painting. Until then I was so full of inspiration after doing the first four that I couldn't wait to show them off.

Borrowing from nature and respecting the budget...sounds like the very definition of a dream to me!

Favorites from the day

Project Time!

We've had a busy day and I feel quite accomplished going into dinner this evening. Currently Julian is napping, Bobby is heating up our pizza and I'm doing some photo blogging before chaos erupts again.

After Julian and I went to the farmer's market this morning we came home to Bobby making breakfast. We went to Grandpa Jim's and checked on the birds, purchased a water hose, and came straight home for some yard work. Julian played in the sprinkler while I tackled a daunting task.

Weeks ago my dad delivered five breeder units from their house for me to renovate into bookshelves. I've since decided that while three would be for basement storage the two that are in the best shape are to be painted and will be used to store the boy's clothing in their bedroom. The dresser drawers never get closed when they're opened, often the clean clothes stay piled on top, and well soon--with a baby--we'll need easier access to maintaining our laundry. The problem was, aside from the bird wire fronts that would need to be removed, there was twenty years of bird damage and dust, old bird-seed and dirt gathered on the shelves. Before we can paint them we have to clean the snot out of all of them. I tackled the two head-on and am quite impressed with my progress (so was Bobby). And a rarity in our home--there are actually pictures of me from today (I'm usually the one behind the lense). I look like a boat, but am thankful for some capturing of the day from my hubby.

Amy's Bridal Shower

Thanks to Amy's sister Linda I was able to go to Algonquin Illinois for a weekend of Bridal Shower fun to celebrate Amy's upcoming nuptials. The Bridal Shower was wonderful and Amy's niece Jesse pulled off an impressive Garden themed day! The food was amazing, the decorations were impressive, and the bride was well--perfect! (I'm not in the least biased of course)! :)