tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83670731103540998162024-03-14T13:49:08.935-05:00see alli scrapallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-58510010644171047032017-04-07T18:38:00.001-05:002017-04-07T18:39:13.063-05:00Ten Years Ago, We Got Engaged<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
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What I'm sure you are all dying to know is <strong>how'd he do it?</strong><br />
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Let me back up to Friday. Friday we went down to Houston to celebrate Good Friday at Cirque du Soleil's <em>Corteo</em> with my parents. It was fantastic, by the way. We bought tickets for that months and months ago, acknowledging that the following day would mark a year and a half since our first date, but we didn't really care. I didn't think it'd make any difference whether we spent it in Houston or Austin. But, as the date got closer, I kept asking Henry what he wanted to do for our semi-anniversary and he said he'd like to do something in Austin. That made it easier on me because I was scheduled to work and driving back on Saturday would mean I wouldn't have to find someone to take my shift.<br />
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So, that's what we did. We drove back to Austin on Saturday morning, and I went to work at 1. After I got off work at 6 we were both hungry and I was craving Madam Mam's fried rice, so we went there and got some. Now that I think about it, he kept trying to persuade me to cook something at my apartment instead of going out, and I wonder if I messed up part of his surprise...hmm. I'll have to ask. Anyway, it was getting close to 8 o'clock by the time we left the restaurant and here I was still in my work clothes. I began to wonder if we were really going to do anything special at all, or if we'd just go watch a movie or something.<br />
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Then we got back to my apartment and he told me to wait in the living room while he did something in my bedroom. A few minutes passed and he told me to go look. There sitting on my desk were purple hydrangeas and a card. The card was sooo sweet! It said all of these mushy things that I'll spare you on and then at the very end it said, "Put something nice on I want to take you somewhere special...."<br />
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So after some hemming and hawing over what to wear, because believe it or not it was like 34° F outside and really rainy! he took me down to the car and blindfolded me (my idea because I wanted to add to the surprise as much as possible) and took me to the secret location. It was so funny because even after multiple turns somehow I still figured out that we were on Congress, so then he tried to mix me up by driving in circles through parking lots and through neighborhoods. Even after all this, I still guessed that we were on Congress and I was right!<br />
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Anyway, once we arrived at the place and got out of the car I tried to walk along with my blindfold on, but because I was afraid of tripping over something, I was walking at tortoise speed. Henry picked me up and carried me on his back to the place and when we got up there he put me down and told me I could open my eyes. I did and I saw a park bench and not much else because I was blind! Henry had forgotten my glasses in the car!<br />
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So he said, "Be right back," and ran back to the car. Then of course when he tried to put them on me he missed and put the arms in my ears. It was so cute.<br />
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Once I could see again I was still a little disoriented and I think I asked him where we were. Then I turned around and I could see the buildings of St. Edward's University, the place where we had our first date. We were at the top of a hill that had a great view of downtown Austin. It was pretty. I just couldn't enjoy it too much because it was so dang cold!<br />
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I think we were standing there for all of 30 seconds when he dropped down on one knee (onto the wet ground! what a trooper!) and asked if I'd marry him. I said yes, he asked which finger he was supposed to put the ring on, we hugged and then I ran back to the car. haha. Now he likes to tell people that I ran away with his ring when they ask if I said yes.<br />
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It was sweet and simple and definitely memorable! Henry was kind of upset about the weather and things not going quite like he'd planned. He asked me, "what does that say about our relationship?" My reply: "It can weather any storm." </div>
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allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-16781352328319007942014-12-17T21:30:00.000-06:002015-01-19T21:40:35.453-06:00E's Birth - Part Two<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Originally written on October 9, 2014. </span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our E boy is 2 weeks old today, so I think it's definitely time to finish up his birth story. Is it just me or is it long?! I have been working on it for over a week. Everything seems to be moving in slow motion...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">They took me back to the L&D room, I changed into a hospital gown, and they hooked me up to the monitors. Not much else happened before Henry arrived. It seemed to me like he got there really fast considering it was late in the afternoon. I was surprised and thankful he arrived so quickly. He caught me up on Elle's whereabouts; we were taking dinner to some of our friends that night and they offered to keep Elle until Henry's mom could come from San Antonio. She also arrived much quicker than I expected. Tender mercies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The nurse did all of the fun stuff they do to get you set up at the hospital: insert an IV (took 2 tries because my first vein blew), ask a bunch of medical hx questions, initial your life away, etc. Shortly after 6 PM, Dr. Loar came in and introduced herself while we were midway through this process. She seemed eager to get the show on the road. She asked me if I had a birth plan. Ha! I'd jotted down some wishes in my planner minutes before: primarily, I wanted to do it without an epidural, and I wanted to let the cord finish pulsing before clamping. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At 6:25 she did an internal check and broke my water. I couldn't believe it when she said I was 8 cm dilated and 100% effaced! I'd progressed 3 cm since my doctor's appointment 3 hrs earlier! I asked Dr. Loar about the baby's station, and she told me he was super low. She said I should be fine without the epidural and could probably push the baby out in "two pushes" (wrong, but that's ok).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There was lots and lots of amniotic fluid. Every time I'd shift in the bed, more would gush out. I stayed on the bed for a little while without much else happening. In fact, the nurse was still rushing to complete the intake paperwork after my water was broken, and I was still comfortably answering her litany of questions. But almost as soon as she left the room to gather whatever instruments they round up for delivery, my contractions got REAL. They were INTENSE, but also shorter than I remember them being when I was on pitocin with Elle. 30-40 secs in duration with a rest in between. I was so, so grateful they weren't any longer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So at this point laboring becomes a blur. Details get fuzzy when you feel like your bottom is going to fall out. But... I labored in the bathroom. I labored in a chair. I labored with a Breathe Right strip strapped to my face because I went into this party congested. I labored with a ladybug massager vibrating on my lower back and Henry at my side. He did a good job again of helping me keep my breathing as steady and as calm as it could be given the circumstances.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I also had "Hypnosis for Birth-Empowering Yourself" blasting in my earbuds. This is something I wanted to try this go round, and my friend gave me the CD at my baby shower. Let me tell you, I was NOT hypnotized during his birth, but the woman on the CD had a soothing voice and maybe the affirmations helped me stay somewhat calm? I used the affirmations of "surrender," "once a contraction is over it'll never come again," "every contraction brings me closer to meeting my baby," and "my body is doing the work it needs to do." More power to you if this really, really works for you, but I'm not 100% sold. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One other new thing I tried this labor was having Henry sway my thighs from side to side during the contraction. It's also difficult to say if this was super helpful, but I think in the beginning it felt like a way to counteract the pressure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Around 7:50 I climbed up on the bed between contractions because I felt like I might be transitioning (read: I was having crazy painful contractions and starting to feel like I couldn't take many more). Basically, I wanted the doctor or nurse to check me and tell me I was ready to push. Dr. Loar came in with surprising speed and said I was 9 3/4 with the slightest lip on the cervix. She then said words that killed me: "You'll probably be ready to push in 15-20 minutes." Nooo! I did not want to endure those contractions for another 15-20 minutes; I wanted a way to fight back right then! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Luckily for me, it didn't take that long. Ten minutes later I had the urge to push, and it was STRONG. I don't remember feeling that way with Elle. With her birth, I just got to the transition stage where I felt like maybe I really, really needed that epidural after all, and then the nurse told me I was fully dilated and could push. This time they told me I could push with the contraction or between contractions if I felt the urge. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">Dr. Loar returned. She told me to take a deep breath and hold it in while I pushed. It took a couple tries because holy pain! But eventually I calmed down enough to coordinate my breathing and my pushing. </span><span style="color: #222222;">Within 20 minutes, </span><span style="color: #222222;">what felt like </span><i style="color: #222222;">several</i><span style="color: #222222;"> rings of fire, </span><span style="color: #222222;">an estimated 8-10 pushes (really I have no idea how many times I pushed because I just did what needed to be done to get.him.OUT), and screeching from me, our little E was born </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="color: #222222;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="color: #222222;"></a>at 8:18 pm<span style="color: #222222;">. He weighed 7 lbs 7 oz, a full pound and 3 oz more than his sister. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">E didn't cry right away. He also had an EKG on our last day in the hospital because his resting heart rate was low. I'd say he's a pretty mellow little guy. Thankfully he has checked out to be healthy in every way. It just takes a little effort to get a rise out of him. ;) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After they got some good cries out of him, I was able to hold him skin-to-skin and breastfeed him. It wasn't exactly a butterflies and rainbows bonding moment for me because...stitches (ouch). After that was done though, then the real bonding could begin. My first thoughts about E were that he looked like Elle did at a week old but with no eyelashes or eyebrows! (Upon later inspection, they're just very blonde. He does have hair.) and his nose might be bigger. He is a handsome little guy with the softest skin. I forgot how deliciously soft baby skin is. I could rub his head all day, but I probably shouldn't. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Henry cut the cord this time. We didn't talk about if he'd do it or not, but he said he felt pressured by the hospital staff. I have no recollection of that whatsoever. Must've been distracted...it probably didn't help that I felt super shaky after the delivery. I felt so shaky for so long after the delivery that I was worried something was wrong, but no one seemed concerned. Adrenaline I guess? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Right after E was born, I wrote, "I forgot how crazy that whole 'birth without pain meds' thing is. Wow, our bodies are amazing. I also can't believe I have a SON! And he's on the outside now. Phew! Not gonna lie, I was pretty uncomfortable the last week or two. Glad the pregnancy is done." </span><br />
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And just like that, our lives are changed forever. We love our little boy so much.</span></div>
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allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-70624369483137776032014-12-12T22:41:00.000-06:002015-01-19T21:44:22.444-06:00E's Birth - Part One<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<i><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">So. It's been awhile. I had a baby 2 1/2 months ago. He's a precious, snuggly baby boy. I'll be ordering a printed copy of my pregnancy journal soon, so tonight I sat down to finally edit the birth story I pieced together in the middle of the night in those early weeks at home. I love reading birth stories, so I thought I'd share. First draft completed on October 6th.</span></i><br />
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Henry and I both had our suspicions that we'd have the baby before the end of the week (September 27th). Henry actually told his supervisor he needed to have his performance appraisal completed by Thursday (the day E was born) because he felt so strongly that he wouldn't be at work on Friday. It had been 10 days since my last appointment when they'd declared me still 3 cm dilated, and judging by a couple successions of good, steady contractions, I was pretty sure I was more dilated. My guess was that I was probably at a 5 based on how I progressed with Elle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Normally I have free time on Thursday mornings because my SIL watches Elle for a few hours, but on the Thursday E was born, she and her kids were sick with a stomach bug. We decided we definitely didn't want to risk catching that, so Elle stayed with me that day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On Wednesday night I'd been disappointed that I wouldn't have the chance to get a pedicure before my doctor's appointment (my feet were really gross and I wanted some R&R!), but things turned out for the best because I got something better: one last morning running errands with my girl as an only child. Looking back, I wouldn't trade that experience. We went to Ulta where she unzipped kits and caboodles and eyed the nail polish colors, and I quickly picked up more foundation. Then we walked around JCPenney just to get Shopkick points. She enjoyed seeing all the mannequins, touching some of the kiddo-sized ones. She made more than one salesperson smile by loudly and excitedly declaring "they're naked!" as we walked by the mannequins in bras and panties. She thought it was so cool that their underwear matched. And she loved looking at all of the character costumes in their children's department. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We went to Target after. She was perfectly well-behaved even when we had to cut our walk down the toy aisle short, and I wouldn't bend down to pick up large toys from lower shelves. She charmed me that morning, and since I've felt a bit disconnected from her following E's birth, I'm relying on that memory to let me know that things will be ok again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My OB appt was scheduled for 3 o'clock that afternoon, and Henry planned to come home at 2 o'clock to watch Elle. Elle and I had lunch at home and passed the time until Henry arrived by reading books and doing some low energy (for me) activities. I remember parking myself on the floor of her room, feeling like a beached whale, as she made "lily pads" by spreading blankets, lots and lots of blankets, around her room. Whatever to keep her occupied at that point.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I tried to catch 10 mins of shut eye before leaving for my appointment, but I wouldn't exactly call it "beneficial rest." Off I went, grabbing my hospital bags as I headed out the door, just at the off chance of induction.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My doctor came in to examine me around 3:30 PM. She said I was 5 cm dilated and asked if I was having contractions. I said yes, that I'd just started tracking them for the last 35 minutes, but they seemed to be 5-10 minutes apart. She asked if the contractions were painful. I said no, but they were just uncomfortable enough to make me take notice. At that point we must've discussed the option of going to the hospital for observation. At first she left it open to me, but then what I clearly remember her saying next is "where do you live?" "South Austin." "Ok, I do care. I don't want you going home. From how comfortable you are, I don't think you're in active labor now, but I think you'd likely go into labor tonight." She then explained that she'd call over to the hospital to arrange for my arrival. She gave me the choice of 1. being observed overnight to see what my body would do on its own & being induced the next morning if I wasn't progressing or 2. getting induced that evening. You will note that both options involved going straight to the hospital.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">I told Dr. M that I didn't like the idea of just hanging out at the hospital overnight because I was afraid of a terrible night's sleep and food deprivation wherein nothing would happen and the next morning I'd be starving and exhausted at the start of induction. I will always say no to that, <span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">so option 2 it was! She explained that she was about to go off her hospital shift, so Dr. Loar would be the one to deliver our baby. She asked where Henry was and then said that nothing had to be done until he got there; I was just to go over to the hospital when I was ready. She then asked if I was ready to have the baby, and I think I said "I guess so!" I felt very anxious about the whole thing. This time I didn't have the luxury of leaving and going about my business with a day to prepare and mull it over. I worried I was making the wrong decision. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Dr. Meritt told me she'd see me and baby the next morning and left me in the exam room. I immediately texted and then called Henry. He asked me to call two friends from church to see if either of them could watch Elle. (Like I mentioned before, Henry's sister's family was sick, so we really wanted to find someone else to take her if we could.) After getting no answer from either friend nor my parents, I started to freak out. I called Henry back, crying. He said not to worry, that he'd figure something out, and he suggested I get something to eat before checking in at the hospital. Wise man. With everything running through my mind at that moment I wouldn't have thought to do that. I was just going to have the granola bar I packed in my hospital bag, but getting an actual meal seemed like a much better plan. I went through the drive-thru at PTerry's and ordered a cheeseburger and a cup of ice water, which I ate in the women's center parking lot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Sitting there eating in the quiet helped me calm down and make peace with what was about to happen. I gave myself permission to dilate, and the contractions came. They weren't terribly strong, just slightly uncomfortable still, but they consistently came for that hour or so that I sat in my car. I called and left a voicemail for Henry letting him know I felt a lot better after eating and having time to process, and then I finally reached my dad. He said he'd call the main number at my mom's office to fill her in. I started to feel at peace. I remember even being a little amused at the thought of eating my "last meal" in the parking lot, having a nice conversation on the phone with my dad during contractions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">If I remember correctly, it was around 5 o'clock when I finally went into the hospital, calmly carrying in all of my bags. I thought I must look a little odd walking into labor and delivery by myself. It did feel odd walking up to three different desks and announcing that my doctor had sent me over to be induced. I finally got back far enough to meet my nurse, Leah, who said, "So you're the one who's 5cm?!" Yep, that's me.</span></div>
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</div>allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-26261340983047451122014-04-26T22:23:00.000-05:002014-04-26T22:24:14.226-05:00Mighty FineIt seems like almost every time we visit Mighty Fine Burgers and Fries something interesting happens. When we lived near the North Austin location, we'd randomly see church friends there all the time. Now that we're patrons of the South Austin location, we haven't seen any church friends there, but...one of the first times we ate there an old lady told us that we were good parents (so nice!), and the last time we ate there a middle-aged woman gave us five dollars for our "angel girl." Henry and I joked that we were finally capitalizing on Elle's cuteness.<br />
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Tonight there was a group of 12 year old boys that stood in line in front of us and then sat at the table in front of ours. I'm pretty sure the birthday boy took a picture of me with his cell phone (and then played it off by saying he was trying to get a selfie of his friends when I said, "did you just take a picture of me??") because later he turned and yelled "you're a hottie!" in our general direction. I can only guess that the message was intended for me and not my toddler or husband, so thanks, kid. I was feeling particularly bulbous and unattractive today. Mama's still got it at 4 months pregnant.<br />
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The cherry on top: I'd be willing to bet that the birthday boy goes to the same church as us (different congregation, same building or a different congregation in our stake). My Mormon-dar immediately went off when I saw the parents, while chatting in line the mom told me they have six kids, and Henry overheard a friend of the parents talking about the Barton Creek ward. That'd be fun to cross paths in the hall.allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-3879933406035179472014-04-20T17:01:00.001-05:002014-08-01T22:03:19.646-05:00Because of HimHi there. I felt obligated to come out of blog hiding to write what has now become <a href="http://scrappinalli.blogspot.com/2013/03/happy-easter.html">my 5th annual Easter post.</a> This year has been no different from recent Easters past in that it has awakened my spirit.<br />
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But this year, unlike previous years, one thing helped me along. My church launched an <a href="http://easter.mormon.org/">Easter website</a>, which included a video and the hashtag #BecauseofHim (that's probably redundant to write out hashtag and then put a hashtag, but oh well). All week long I have seen friends sharing it on social media, and I have been blessed because of this campaign. Scrolling through facebook and instagram today, I've felt immense gratitude for Jesus Christ, and I've spent a little more time than usual thinking about the things that are possible because of Him. <br />
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I love my Savior. I am so thankful for the knowledge and the accompanying feelings I have deep within that he died for my sins so that I may have eternal life. I am so thankful to know that when I feel alone in my struggles that He knows my pain. His sacrifice was not only to save me from my sins but also to strengthen and sanctify me. He stands with an outstretched arm ever-ready to extend grace when I feel worthy of none. Because of Him, all things are possible. Because of Him, there is no end. Because of Him, there is everlasting joy.<br />
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Watch the #BecauseofHim video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S3TI4bYerU#t=125">here.</a> allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-72825835079388745452013-04-11T08:15:00.002-05:002013-04-11T08:17:12.983-05:00Banana Oat Pancakes<div>
I love cold cereal and milk. I think I could eat some variation of cereal + milk everyday for breakfast for the rest of my life and be happy, but sometimes special occasions call for special breakfast. This past weekend the special occasion was <a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference?lang=eng">General Conference</a>, and the special breakfast was these banana oat pancakes. Delicious. The perfect combination of soft and chewy.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7JCZIwDGQjA/UWMm5svgiuI/AAAAAAAABJs/9aqPNQc535A/s1600/banana+oat+pancakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7JCZIwDGQjA/UWMm5svgiuI/AAAAAAAABJs/9aqPNQc535A/s640/banana+oat+pancakes.jpg" width="454" /></a></div>
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<b>Banana Oat Pancakes </b></h3>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*<span style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted from </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dropping-Acid-Reflux-Diet-Cookbook/dp/0982708319"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dropping Acid: The Reflux Cookbook and Cure</span></a></div>
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2 Tbsp brown sugar</div>
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1/4 cup all-purpose flour</div>
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1/4 cup whole wheat flour (or another 1/4 C all-purpose)</div>
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1/2 cup steel cut oats</div>
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1 tsp baking powder</div>
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1/2 tsp salt</div>
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1/8 tsp nutmeg</div>
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2 large eggs</div>
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2 bananas, mashed</div>
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2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt or non-fat sour cream</div>
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1/4 cup milk (add more if your batter seems too thick)</div>
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1 Tbsp butter for griddle</div>
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<b><u>Directions</u></b></div>
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1. Mix brown sugar, flours, oats, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a bowl.</div>
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2. Whisk in the eggs, bananas, and yogurt/sour cream.</div>
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3. Add in milk incrementally until the batter moves in the bowl but isn't runny.</div>
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4. Preheat a non-stick pan or griddle and grease with butter.</div>
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5. Using a ladle, pour some batter onto the pan/griddle.</div>
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6. Flip pancake when the underside is golden brown.<br />
7. Cook opposite side until golden brown and no longer wet on edges.</div>
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8. Serve warm.<br />
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Top with fruit, syrup, or eat them plain like we did. Even Elle devoured these, and she's been rather picky lately. We might need to have these for breakfast again soon.</div>
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allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-89397838360449588322013-04-08T10:00:00.000-05:002013-04-08T10:03:36.252-05:00Car Activities for a One-Year Old(Alternately titled: How to Not Go Completely Insane on a Twelve Hour Roadtrip with a Baby)<br />
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My first piece of advice would be to leave close to bedtime and drive through the night.<br />
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That wasn't an option with this trip, and even though my baby took several good naps (more than she would at home), being in the car <i>alllll</i> day was (surprise!) not all that fun.<br />
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A few days before we left I decided I'd get started on the <a href="http://engagingtoddleractivities.wordpress.com/2010/02/15/1-year-olds-busy-box/">busy box</a> I picked for the Pinterest challenge, but then I quickly realized that I didn't have the time or materials to make most of the things on that particular list before our trip... I did have pipe cleaners and a puffs container though, so I put them together for "Pipe Cleaners in a Bottle."<br />
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If Elle could give an award for best roadtrip "toy" I'm sure she'd pick the pipe cleaners, hands down. She liked pulling them out, putting them back in, and bending them. She loved handing them to me so that I could hang them off of my glasses/nose/ears and would giggle up a storm while grabbing them back.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAgBp32deNI/UWBFUGgxHuI/AAAAAAAABHk/fNmMGy1rdCA/s1600/car+pipe+cleaners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAgBp32deNI/UWBFUGgxHuI/AAAAAAAABHk/fNmMGy1rdCA/s400/car+pipe+cleaners.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6WiFn5l17uY/UWIzohqxTPI/AAAAAAAABH0/DN3UYn7gmrU/s1600/car+pipe+cleaners+out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6WiFn5l17uY/UWIzohqxTPI/AAAAAAAABH0/DN3UYn7gmrU/s400/car+pipe+cleaners+out.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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So I give an A+ to "Pipe Cleaners in a Bottle." Cheap, very low effort, virtually indestructible, and my brother's cats thoroughly enjoyed batting them around. The only cons I can think of are the sharp ends (I twisted those over and didn't have any problems), and once we took them out of the car, our pipe cleaners seemed to spread to every corner of the house.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wdMqeGogofc/UWI1gnT_3MI/AAAAAAAABIE/w8aZUIRx-ZE/s1600/textures+quiet+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wdMqeGogofc/UWI1gnT_3MI/AAAAAAAABIE/w8aZUIRx-ZE/s400/textures+quiet+book.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
I also made a <a href="http://engagingtoddleractivities.wordpress.com/2010/03/19/homemade-toys-texture-cards/">texture book</a> to bring along in the car. This requires considerably more effort than "Pipe Cleaners in a Bottle," but if you have some supplies on hand it's not difficult to throw together.<br />
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Step 1. Gather up materials with different textures.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vcqMQXGN5zs/UWI01Utm6oI/AAAAAAAABH8/mmcPvVsoRHg/s1600/IMG_3860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vcqMQXGN5zs/UWI01Utm6oI/AAAAAAAABH8/mmcPvVsoRHg/s640/IMG_3860.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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I already had all of these things at home, but the possibilities are endless as far as what you put on the pages.<br />
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Step 2. Cut pages out of old cereal/snack boxes.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VK-AX8B1fiU/UWI2K1E9uAI/AAAAAAAABIU/IIj2t9vQP6Q/s1600/IMG_3863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VK-AX8B1fiU/UWI2K1E9uAI/AAAAAAAABIU/IIj2t9vQP6Q/s320/IMG_3863.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I used my Cricut machine to get the scalloped edges and then glued scrapbook paper on the fronts.<br />
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Step 3. Glue your objects on to the pages. Use the strongest glue possible if you have a destructo baby like mine.<br />
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Step 4. Hole punch the top of the pages.<br />
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Step 5. Tie together with string. Voila! <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zhSNVfWQy-8/UWI9AJE1H4I/AAAAAAAABIo/X1J09bFwavo/s1600/car+destructo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zhSNVfWQy-8/UWI9AJE1H4I/AAAAAAAABIo/X1J09bFwavo/s320/car+destructo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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You may have guessed from the note in Step 3 that my baby girl set out to destroy this texture book. She made quick work of ripping off the fuzzy pompoms, the bubble wrap, and even a couple of the shiny hearts. I hot glued everything except for the foam stickers, and the only page that is still completely intact is the one with the fabric flowers. Maybe superglue would've been better. At the time, I was just happy that it held her interest for more than 5 minutes. <br />
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Other tried and true activities:<br />
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*Stuffed animals<br />
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*Blocks<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JRHhA5RI5cw/UWI9zT9t1FI/AAAAAAAABI8/4sJxeSbEBBg/s1600/car+blocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JRHhA5RI5cw/UWI9zT9t1FI/AAAAAAAABI8/4sJxeSbEBBg/s400/car+blocks.jpg" width="276" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M7bPLESRNM8/UWLPhrJlDiI/AAAAAAAABJc/iAaKTMoStVw/s1600/car+blocks+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M7bPLESRNM8/UWLPhrJlDiI/AAAAAAAABJc/iAaKTMoStVw/s400/car+blocks+2.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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*Books<br />
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*Food, glorious food<br />
*My wallet<br />
*And when things got a little ugly that last hour and she couldn't be consoled, I gave her my glasses...even though I can't see without them. She went from screaming to asleep within a few minute's time. Worth it. ;)<br />
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allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-69440101563921372332013-04-03T14:01:00.000-05:002013-04-05T10:41:04.635-05:00Pinterest Challenge Wrap-Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uMmohJCK0oA/US_BHwSUCWI/AAAAAAAABDs/2ceFFk5k4Uo/s1600/PinChallenge_scrappinalli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uMmohJCK0oA/US_BHwSUCWI/AAAAAAAABDs/2ceFFk5k4Uo/s320/PinChallenge_scrappinalli.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Confession: I just finished the Pinterest Challenge moments ago...but I started a few days after everyone else, so it's totally okay. Honestly, I forgot about my last task, which was <a href="http://bugger-dixonline.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-add-pinterest-pin-it-button-to.html">adding a "Pin It" button</a> to my blog. <br />
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I wrote about the Grilled Malibu Chicken and gave a glimpse of the tab-top curtain and busy box <a href="http://scrappinalli.blogspot.com/2013/03/pinterest-challenge-update.html">here</a>. I'm still planning to write separately about the busy box and our roadtrip, but realistically, I'm never going to write about the curtains, so here are some pictures of that. ;)<br />
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Definitely my most successful sewing project to date, and it was super simple thanks to my friend Audrei and her amazing "sewing computer." <br />
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That leaves the <a href="http://www.fineandfeathered.com/blog/2011/10/diy-criss-cross-headband.html">scarf headband</a> and the<a href="http://www.perrysplate.com/2013/02/nutty-cinnamon-chocolate-truffle-squares.html"> truffle squares</a>. <br />
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I tried the criss-cross headband with scarves/fabric belts that I already had. The material was too slippery and the criss-cross protruded from my head more than I wanted. I think this would've worked better with something with more stretch that would lay flatter. <br />
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This story has a happy ending though because while enjoying a cold Spring Break in Arkansas with my family, I happened upon a fabric headband I liked in a little boutique. And it was a handmade, fair trade item benefiting an Indonesian woman. Win-win? I think so.<br />
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I made the truffle squares on Good Friday, and they were yummy. I was sad to go into the kitchen this morning and see that Henry ate the last one. If you like chocolate and nuts, I'd recommend this dessert.<br />
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I made a few changes (as I'm inclined to do). For one, I only used chopped almonds for my "dough" because I didn't have any pecans. For two, I used agave nectar instead of honey/syrup. For three, I added a layer of melted peanut butter between the nut mixture and the top layer of chocolate. This was a great decision because it held the nutty mixture together better, and it made the bars taste a lot more like Reese's peanut butter cups. <br />
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Now that this challenge is over, I'm thinking about what I can work on next. I want to make a wreath for spring...not sure what else yet. What will you work on?allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-92014650477904805892013-04-02T14:45:00.000-05:002013-04-02T14:45:04.520-05:00You Are My Sunshine 1st Birthday Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy April, friends! March pretty much tried to kill me with various
ailments (tonsillitis, food poisoning, allergies, aches and pains), so
I'm happy to be moving on to a fresh month. And look what I finally have
to show you! I had way, way
too much fun planning this party. I'm excited to share some of the pictures with you. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xvWi3IJ4cXw/UUI4ETGqFHI/AAAAAAAABFo/gsy_F2E2L6U/s1600/you+are+my+sunshine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xvWi3IJ4cXw/UUI4ETGqFHI/AAAAAAAABFo/gsy_F2E2L6U/s1600/you+are+my+sunshine.jpg" /></a> <img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HHE9Jr6Ka5c/UUI3n7nTVYI/AAAAAAAABEo/f2SfXT0uSuY/s640/cupcakes.jpg" width="484" /></div>
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I told my husband I wanted the frosting to look like clouds, and well, my husband is awesome. He definitely delivered.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hrAvoGpf920/UUI3sPTu9cI/AAAAAAAABE4/5qCZ7764QL4/s1600/gold+tassle+garland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="508" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hrAvoGpf920/UUI3sPTu9cI/AAAAAAAABE4/5qCZ7764QL4/s640/gold+tassle+garland.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thetomkatstudio.com/howtomaketasselgarland/">Tissue Paper Tassel Garland </a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tXuOh3jLmQM/UUI4DqaLFeI/AAAAAAAABFg/p65-EqT-BHI/s1600/sun+sammies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tXuOh3jLmQM/UUI4DqaLFeI/AAAAAAAABFg/p65-EqT-BHI/s640/sun+sammies.jpg" width="444" /></a></div>
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Suns from the "Create a Critter" Cricut cartridge</div>
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Banner from the "Something to Celebrate" Cricut cartridge</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d9A3EOy1rys/UUI36okI1pI/AAAAAAAABFI/pm7vrwAwh3I/s1600/homemade+party+hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d9A3EOy1rys/UUI36okI1pI/AAAAAAAABFI/pm7vrwAwh3I/s640/homemade+party+hat.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://ohhappyday.com/2011/02/party-hats-diy-template/">Party Hat Template</a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--QEC2lYj9bE/UUI4B9kvASI/AAAAAAAABFY/5ybyhcqcf-I/s1600/mason+jar+confetti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--QEC2lYj9bE/UUI4B9kvASI/AAAAAAAABFY/5ybyhcqcf-I/s640/mason+jar+confetti.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HKZHip3_w0w/UUI30woTr_I/AAAAAAAABFA/L61ZSMXZ2Xc/s1600/pink+sherbert+punch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HKZHip3_w0w/UUI30woTr_I/AAAAAAAABFA/L61ZSMXZ2Xc/s640/pink+sherbert+punch.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oOvnR3GDKuI/UUI39oWOjRI/AAAAAAAABFQ/XLMHdT4pi3s/s1600/striped+straws+in+mason+jar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oOvnR3GDKuI/UUI39oWOjRI/AAAAAAAABFQ/XLMHdT4pi3s/s640/striped+straws+in+mason+jar.jpg" width="390" /></a></div>
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Now I'll give a little run-down of the party. We sang "Happy Birthday" and let Elle have at her smash cake, of course. I loved how she daintily picked off slices of mango before tasting the icing. She is definitely my girl. She needed a little assistance to actually break into the cake.</div>
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We kept our guest list small to cut down on the cost for food and party supplies, so we had mostly family and a few close friends in attendance. The result was an intimate gathering of people who have been in Elle's life since she was just a few days old. Since the birthday girl couldn't quite make a wish of her own, I asked everyone to record a birthday wish for her in a journal. I hope to make a tradition of filling this book with birthday wishes each year. </div>
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Another fun thing we did was ask the guests to bring an object to represent an occupation Elle might choose in the future. We got this idea from some friends in our old ward. Apparently it's a Bulgarian tradition to sit your one year old in the middle of a circle of objects and predict their future based on what they choose. Sounded fun to me!</div>
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Based on the objects, her choices were veterinarian, paleontologist, dentist, engineer, starlet, teacher, chef, artist, or ophthalmologist. The outcome was clear: she went straight for the calculator (representative of engineering). We did the test a second time to see what her second choice would be, and she went for the protractor (Dad had sneaked in two objects for engineering). Only time will tell if the test is right...</div>
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The next day I realized that I'd forgotten to put the party hat on Elle even once during the party, so naturally I had to remedy that ASAP. I put her in the brand new dress she received for her birthday, fed her cake, which worked out perfectly because we had A LOT of leftover cake to eat up, and played with the confetti. I'm pretty sure it was one of the most exciting weekends of her life. ;)</div>
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If anyone's interested, I created a <a href="http://pinterest.com/allisor/ls-1st-bday-supplies/">Pinterest board</a> to keep track of many of my online supply purchases and recipes (without a visual of what I'd purchased, my head would start spinning). I did what I consider to be extensive comparison shopping when it came to things like striped paper straws, baking cups, etc. and I found <a href="http://shoptomkat.com/">The TomKat Studio</a> to have the best prices. My order also arrived super quick! Can't beat that. </div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tXuOh3jLmQM/UUI4DqaLFeI/AAAAAAAABFc/3xJwMxKTw8E/s1600/sun+sammies.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a>allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-3386736938832278822013-03-29T14:21:00.001-05:002013-03-29T14:21:47.095-05:00Happy Easter!It's become something of <a href="http://scrappinalli.blogspot.com/2011/04/easter-eggs.html">a tradition</a> <a href="http://scrappinalli.blogspot.com/2009/04/sunday-will-come.html">for me</a> to <a href="http://scrappinalli.blogspot.com/2012/04/thoughts-on-good-friday.html">post on Good Friday</a>, so here I am. =) As a kid, my brother, sixteen years my senior, had the day off from work, and I had the day off from school. Good Friday meant a free day to run around <a href="http://www.sixflagshouston.com/">Six Flags AstroWorld </a>with him and thousands of Christian music-loving teenagers. We weren't there for the concerts. Easter was totally about the Easter Bunny bringing goodies, dying eggs, and hunting for them in the yard (or as adults, in the house...elbowing siblings and spouses out of the way to get to those money-filled plastic eggs). <br />
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I still love those traditions, but now Easter has a much deeper spiritual impact on me. It's amazing to me how I can be going along ho-hum in my faith or even feeling distant from God, and Easter comes along and renews my spirit. Just like that, I remember the reason I do the things I do. I remember how deeply grateful I am for my Savior. His Atonement and Resurrection are what matter. They are <i>the gospel</i>, and the gospel is exciting.<br />
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This week I've had the opportunity to learn (well, I guess I should say
I'm still learning) the ASL translation to some of my favorite Easter
hymns (<a href="http://www.lds.org/music/library/hymns/christ-the-lord-is-risen-today?lang=eng">Christ the Lord is Risen Today</a>, <a href="http://www.lds.org/music/library/hymns/he-is-risen?lang=eng">He is Risen,</a> and <a href="http://www.lds.org/music/library/hymns/i-know-that-my-redeemer-lives?lang=eng">I Know That My Redeemer Lives</a>). Their lyrics convey the joy I feel at Easter.<br />
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I hope all of you enjoy your Easter weekend! I think I'll take some time away from my reading in Psalms to read about the empty tomb. I also have plans to decorate a few eggs, make the dessert from my Pinterest Challenge, and take my girl to her first Easter egg hunt/petting zoo. I'm so excited about that last one! allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-67578264757098645552013-03-13T11:53:00.002-05:002013-03-13T12:39:05.513-05:00Pinterest Challenge Update I'm happy to report that I will complete all six of my Pinterest Challenge projects by April. I've been working away on each of them. Here's my progress so far.<br />
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1. <a href="http://www.perrysplate.com/2010/10/grilled-malibu-chicken.html">Grilled Malibu Chicken.</a> We made it and LOVED it. Everything I hoped for and more. This recipe will definitely be added to our menu board rotation.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r09V0JO8YHQ/UUCtZIdZQBI/AAAAAAAABEE/80v8RY8BDO8/s1600/grilled+malibu+chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r09V0JO8YHQ/UUCtZIdZQBI/AAAAAAAABEE/80v8RY8BDO8/s1600/grilled+malibu+chicken.jpg" /></a></div>
The only modification we made was pureeing pineapple for the sauce instead of using pineapple juice. Yum, yum, yum. We also used fancy Stubb's hickory smoked BBQ sauce. That certainly didn't hurt.<br />
<br />
2. <a href="http://www.simplesimonandco.com/2012/10/tab-top-curtain-tutorial.html">Tab-Top Curtain</a>. I think I'll do an individual post about this project, but here's a sneak peek.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7mOsZTbBZYw/UUCtZcVLhNI/AAAAAAAABEQ/alty5V1QR6g/s1600/easy+tab+top+curtain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7mOsZTbBZYw/UUCtZcVLhNI/AAAAAAAABEQ/alty5V1QR6g/s640/easy+tab+top+curtain.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7mOsZTbBZYw/UUCtZcVLhNI/AAAAAAAABEQ/alty5V1QR6g/s1600/easy+tab+top+curtain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a> <br />
I'm so happy with the way they turned out.<br />
<br />
3. <a href="http://engagingtoddleractivities.wordpress.com/2010/02/15/1-year-olds-busy-box/">One Year Old Busy Box</a>. This one is still a work in progress, and it'll get it's own post too (especially since my baby just woke up from her nap...), but here's what I've made so far:<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--LbnXg73JYk/UUCvA-J8IgI/AAAAAAAABEU/ejnrfU6ltAE/s1600/textures+quiet+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--LbnXg73JYk/UUCvA-J8IgI/AAAAAAAABEU/ejnrfU6ltAE/s640/textures+quiet+book.jpg" width="494" /></a></div>
allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-48251359433203728862013-02-28T15:10:00.002-06:002013-02-28T15:10:28.392-06:00Pinterest Challenge<center>
<a href="http://www.everyday-reading.com/2013/02/sisters-share-it-all-pinterest-challenge.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Sisters Share It All: Pinterest Challenge" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzVC9YPsotA/USLazZZSUAI/AAAAAAAAMkY/zp6Y8XMMhHU/s1600/pinterest+challenge+button.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
I don't know about you, but <a href="http://pinterest.com/allisor/">I love me some Pinterest.</a> I think it's one of the greatest inventions of our time* and only wish it were around in my wedding planning days. That's okay though. Now I get to use it to visualize fun things like baby birthday parties and dream home decor. And I use it all of the time for cooking and baking. All of the time.<br />
<br />
Sometimes I get on Pinterest though and pin things that look appealing to make or do "someday" and that day never rolls around because I forget about the idea. That's part of the reason I've decided to participate in the Sisters Share It All Pinterest Challenge.<br />
<br />
If you want to participate, it's simple: choose six things on Pinterest that you want to try between now and April, create a blog post, and link up by clicking the button above.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uMmohJCK0oA/US_BHwSUCWI/AAAAAAAABDs/2ceFFk5k4Uo/s1600/PinChallenge_scrappinalli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uMmohJCK0oA/US_BHwSUCWI/AAAAAAAABDs/2ceFFk5k4Uo/s640/PinChallenge_scrappinalli.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Here's what I plan to work on:<br />
1. <a href="http://engagingtoddleractivities.wordpress.com/2010/02/15/1-year-olds-busy-box/">A one year old's busy box</a>. Keeping my baby occupied for three hours at church is kind of rough these days. I'm hoping this will give her little hands something to do. She'll also be going on her first out of state road trip soon, so I need things we can play with in the car for twelve freakin' hours.<br />
2. <a href="http://www.perrysplate.com/2013/02/nutty-cinnamon-chocolate-truffle-squares.html">Nutty Cinnamon Chocolate Truffle Squares</a>. I've tried several main dishes from <a href="http://www.perrysplate.com/">Perry's Plate</a> that I've loved, but never a dessert. This one sounds yummy.<br />
3. <a href="http://www.fineandfeathered.com/blog/2011/10/diy-criss-cross-headband.html">DIY headbands.</a> I've been wanting a scarf-like head wrap for awhile, and I just recently came across this. Looks very simple, and it doesn't require sewing, which is perfect for me.<br />
4. <a href="http://bugger-dixonline.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-add-pinterest-pin-it-button-to.html">Add a "Pin It" button to blog pictures. </a><br />
5. <a href="http://www.simplesimonandco.com/2012/10/tab-top-curtain-tutorial.html">Tab-Top Curtain Tutorial. </a>We really need a better curtain for our master bath, and this looks like the perfect tutorial to walk me through how to make my own.<br />
6. <a href="http://www.perrysplate.com/2010/10/grilled-malibu-chicken.html">Grilled Malibu Chicken. </a>It seems like this might be a BYU thing? I don't know since I didn't go to college there; I do know that I love chicken and pineapple.<br />
<br />
*The only thing better than Pinterest is a collection of <a href="http://www.dailydawdle.com/2012/11/16-hilarious-pinterest-fails-nailed-it.html">Pinterest Fails</a>. And by better I mean funnier.allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-27768314803619213262013-02-13T22:03:00.000-06:002013-02-28T15:17:13.150-06:00The Arrival of Our Little LoveIn just a few days my baby girl will turn ONE. I cannot even wrap my brain around how fast this last year went by, but I guess that's what happens when you have kids. At least that's what people tell me.<br />
<br />
Since tomorrow is Valentine's Day and we're rapidly approaching the momentous first birthday, I thought I'd share the story of her birth, which I wrote around a week postpartum. <br />
<br />
Be warned: labor and delivery was the most intensely natural thing I have ever done, and I didn't spare any details. If you get squeamish at the mention of bodily fluids, you may not want to read. I'm in favor of keeping it real.<br />
<br />
Now, let's continue. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p3gULChkZWU/US_JROQPJdI/AAAAAAAABD0/TVG9BqgUwVY/s1600/hops-mom-lena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p3gULChkZWU/US_JROQPJdI/AAAAAAAABD0/TVG9BqgUwVY/s320/hops-mom-lena.jpg" width="320" /></a>It all started with my 39 week OB appointment on Wednesday the 15th. I
went in that morning by myself, and Dr. Meritt did an internal exam. I
was 7 cm dilated that morning, but I still wasn't having any labor
signs. I was continuing to lose quite a bit of my mucous plug, but
that'd been happening for weeks. I wasn't having contractions nor had my
water broken, though I was so worried it might happen at any moment and
I wouldn't be ready! Dr. Meritt said her comfort level with me walking
around so dilated was quickly diminishing. She asked if I'd be willing
to be induced later that afternoon or on Thursday. I asked if we could
wait until Friday (I don't really know what difference I thought another
day would make, except maybe I thought I'd be able to get my free
continuing education hours at work that day??). She said she wouldn't be
at the hospital on Friday, so I consented to inducing on Thursday
morning.<br />
<br />
I wrote this email to Cristy after my appointment:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div>
Hi Cristy,</div>
<div>
I
had a doctor's appointment this morning and I'm 7 cm now...my
doctor wants to induce me tomorrow morning! She said she's concerned
about an ascending infection since so much of my amniotic sac is
exposed, so I'm going to do it. I'm nervous...but it's good to know this
is my last day at work so that I can tie up loose ends. </div>
<div>
She
said unless I object, they'll give me a small dose of pitocin and then
she'll come to check on me and break my water. What do you think about
that?</div>
<div>
Did I mention I'm nervous?? haha</div>
<div>
Love,</div>
alli</blockquote>
Cristy
responded saying personally she'd wait until fully dilated to have her
water broken because she perceives less risk of c-section that way. When
I talked to her later, she said she hoped that her email hadn't scared
me; she wished she had just said, basically, "trust your doctor," which
is what I did. =)<br />
<br />
I went to work at Overton after my
doctor's appointment, but didn't see students. Instead I spent the day
sending A LOT of emails and making phone calls to cancel my drop-in
therapy session for the next morning. I visited the PPCD room and told
Sarah, the PPCD teacher, about my appointment, and I also said goodbye
to two of my first graders. I hadn't intended to do so, but one of the
first grader's teachers stopped by my office and told me his father
passed away over the weekend. I wanted to stop by and give him a hug and
let him know I was going to have my baby the next morning, so I did. I
filled out an SSI questionnaire for a student to potentially receive
disability payments. I entered ARD paperwork for this week's ARDs and
talked to Alia, the Sp.Ed. resource teacher, about a transfer student. I
got two new students the week that I left that I never even met. I
wonder how different my caseload will be when I return from maternity
leave! Alia and Ms. Hart, the bilingual PPCD teacher, chatted with me
about baby stuff and Sp.Ed. stuff, and they also gave me a few presents
(clothes and some crocheted hats/blankets). We have gotten SO many
handmade hats, shoes, and blankets. It's amazing! I left work around 4
o'clock that afternoon knowing I wouldn't be returning for nine weeks.<br />
<br />
I
was really nervous about the induction as I left Dr. Meritt's office,
but as the day went on, I felt more at peace with it. It was a relief to
no longer be playing the waiting game. I knew exactly when my maternity
leave would start and had a full day to calmly prepare to really leave.
I no longer had to run through hypothetical scenarios in my head (i.e.,
"if I go into labor on Tuesday or Thursday, call the drop-in student's
mom to cancel, call the bus dispatcher to cancel pick-up, etc."). Henry
and I had time to go back through our hospital bags, to reconsider what
we were taking and organize them better. I was able to go into the
hospital well rested and fed, two things that were really important to
me. I'm glad things went the way they did. Looking back it's actually a
little difficult to remember what I was so nervous about. I think it was
letting go of my wish for things to happen naturally and the unknown of
how I'd handle labor & delivery.<br />
<br />
That night I
showered and posted news of the induction on facebook: "Looks like
tomorrow will be baby's birthday. I'm going to be induced in the
morning! Prayers are appreciated." So many friends responded wishing us
well and letting us know they were praying for a safe delivery. That
meant <i>so much</i> to me. Feeling that love and support brought me to tears that night, and I'm actually tearing up now thinking about it.<br />
<br />
I
dried my hair, and then we drove the Baker kids to the church for
mutual. I felt tired, and on the way I had some uncomfortable
contractions that didn't last. I stopped by Activity Days once we got to
the church and gave Hilary her thank you note. Reagan, one of
the Primary kids, said my baby bump looked so big. haha. I hadn't
stayed for Primary since the end of January, so I guess it'd been a
while since she'd seen me. Henry and I went by Madam Mam's on the way
home, and I ate chicken fried rice for my last pregnancy dinner. =) We
spent the remainder of the evening in bed reading through the Childbirth
Prep booklet we got from our class. We practiced the breathing and
relaxation techniques together. I read a few more things in the <i>Ina May's Guide to Childbirth</i>
book just as a review and to psych myself up. I'm so glad we practiced
because we really hadn't before that night. Henry said afterwards that
he'd recommend that all husbands go over that with their wives before
the big day. Henry really surprised me with how great of a coach he
turned out to be. He gave me a blessing of comfort, and then we went to
bed.<br />
<br />
We were supposed to get to the hospital by 6:30
the next morning, so we got up around 5:45. Even with all of our
preparation the night before, we were still running late. I got dressed
and put my hair up. I'm trying to remember if I put on any makeup that
morning...haha. I think I just moisturized and put on some powder. Henry
made me a flax waffle with apple butter on top, and then I drank part
of a fruit smoothie. Henry was distracted, probably because of nerves,
and I actually had to tell him it was time to leave for the hospital.
Thankfully we live right around the corner, so even though we left our
apartment at 6:30, we were still only about five minutes late.<br />
<br />
We
sat down in the registration waiting room for only a minute or two
before a nice woman named Mary came to check us in. We presented our IDs
and insurance cards and initialed away on consent forms. Mary commented
that we seemed really calm, and I did feel calm. I wasn't thinking too
much about what was about to happen.<br />
<br />
Another hospital
worker came and escorted us up to Labor and Delivery. Things were busy,
busy at the nurses' station as they were about to change shifts. The
nurse who took us back to our room said I looked familiar. I told her
that we'd been there last Thursday/Friday with our false alarm. She said
she thought she'd seen me at her child's school, and I told her I do
work for the school district. At that point I <i>was</i> starting to get nervous though so I didn't continue that conversation. <br />
<br />
We
had an RN and an RN in training (or maybe just a new hire), Danette and
Amber, tending to us in our L&D room. I loved Danette. She was an
awesome nurse, which I'd guess is why she was training someone else.
Things took a little longer than I expected to get started because she'd
explain everything to Amber, but that was okay. Henry and I were just
chilling in the room while they quietly talked to one another. We
actually had time to look over the breastfeeding powerpoint notes before
things got started, which I was really happy about. Henry got the music
on my iPhone set up. Amber placed my IV on the first try, and they ran
some sugar water (at least I think that's what it was). They also
monitored baby's heart rate and my contractions for awhile. I was having
fairly strong contractions on my own--some I felt, some I didn't--about
10 minutes apart. They checked me and I was still about 7 cm dilated.<br />
<br />
A
little before 8 AM they started the pitocin. I'm not sure what the
numbers meant, but I think they told me they started at 2 with the
pitocin. The contractions picked up, but were manageable to breathe
through just with the deep inhale/exhale. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Meritt
arrived to break my water, so it's hard to say how much of my labor
contractions were due to the pitocin or if it was really the breaking of
waters that did it. I guess that's neither here nor there. I expected
it to hurt or at least be uncomfortable when she broke my water, but it
didn't. I barely felt the puncture; I just felt lots of warm, gushing
fluid afterward. <br />
<br />
The nurses left the room, and the
contractions picked up quickly both in intensity and frequency. I told
Henry I didn't want to continue to lie on the hospital bed. My butt was
getting sore, and I wanted to try some of the different laboring
positions. I didn't end up moving around too much because the
contractions were so strong. I got in the rocking chair and did much of
my laboring sitting upright. I also tried to stand up with Henry's
support, but I quickly returned to sitting because I didn't feel safe
when the contractions came. Henry was right there close to me the whole
time. I had my headphones in with my relaxation music playing (mostly
Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Paul Cardall piano, Primary lullaby songs, and
Enya) the whole time, but Henry would turn the volume down when I wasn't
having a contraction so that I could hear him. They came about three
minutes apart, and it took all of my focus to get through them without
freaking out. Henry made sure I was looking him in the eyes, I held his
hand tightly, my music was turned up loud, and we did the breathing
hee-hee-hee-who's together. My lower back hurt with the contractions so
he also massaged me there. Despite his superb coaching I still started
to freak out a time or two. I think at some point the nurses came in and
increased the pitocin to 4, but that's the highest it got. The
contractions rushed over my entire body. It was really intense, but
thankfully they did not last for more than a minute.<br />
<br />
I
started to think with each contraction that I wasn't sure how many more
times I could stand to breathe through the pain, and I voiced this to
Henry. The next time Danette came in he asked her about the possibility
of an epidural, and she suggested she check my dilation. I got back on
the bed when I wasn't having a contraction. She said I was fully dilated
at that point, so I could start pushing with the contraction. I think I
started feeling the urge to push while in the chair. It felt like
really low pressure, like I needed to have a BM. Danette told me that it
would feel much better to be able to push with each contraction and
that could not have been more true. The contractions continued to be
intense, but now I felt like I had a way to fight through them. I really
have no idea how long I was in this transition/pushing stage or
laboring for that matter; I just know I felt such relief to actually be
able to do something. Danette called Dr. Meritt's office and told her
she needed to come over to the hospital (her office is right across the
street). A little while later she came into the room with the surgical
tech person. It took a few tries to coordinate my breathing with the
pushing, but I got it down and started pushing with all my might with
each contraction. I imagined the top of my uterus pushing the baby
farther down each time, and between contractions, I said positive
affirmations like, "I can do this! <br />
I <i>am </i>doing it!" I tried to keep telling myself positive things throughout the entire process, and I think it helped.<br />
<br />
Pretty
soon Dr. Meritt told me she could see Elle's head . She and the
surgical tech were pouring on lots of olive oil, and Dr. M was
supporting my perineum. It felt like she was stretching it out. With
each push I let out a low, guttural sound. I remember feeling the
burning sensation when the baby was crowning, and I think that's when
Dr. M told me to stop pushing. I was able to pause--I think Henry had me
do candle blows--but somehow I ended up with a second degree tear
anyway. I don't know when that happened, and the truth is, I don't
really care. I would've done anything at that point to get Miss Elle
out! And just moments later, I pushed and of course she did come out!<br />
<br />
She
was placed on my stomach immediately (sometime during the pushing
stage, Henry did a great job of reminding the staff of my wishes for
skin-to-skin contact and to let the cord pulsate before clamping). The
umbilical cord was shorter than I expected, so she couldn't reach all
the way up to my chest. Holding my daughter for the first time was
amazing. She let out a good cry. She was a perfectly healthy, slippery
little thing with her arms flailing around. I don't remember, but Henry
said the first words from my mouth were, "She's beautiful!" Then I
remember thinking, "Oh my gosh, she's a real baby!" Until I actually saw
her it was difficult to imagine her as a real, living, breathing tiny
human, but the moment I did, reality hit me. She was beautiful. <i>Is </i>beautiful. She will be forever and always. Henry and I are in love.allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-27722412631607078532013-01-05T10:53:00.000-06:002013-01-05T10:53:01.299-06:002012 Year in Review Infographic2012 was the year of the infographic, right? Seems like it to me. The design nerd in me is a big fan, and when New Year's Eve rolled around and I still hadn't checked off "write end of year letter" from my to-do list, I decided that an infographic was the <i>perfect</i> way to go. It may have helped that <a href="http://www.merricksart.com/2012/12/merry-christmas.html">Merrick</a> recently reminded me of <a href="http://www.amandajanejonesblog.com/2012/01/remember-my-year-in-review-giveaway.html">this letterpress card</a> I pinned a long time ago.<br />
<br />
This is our third year to send out an end of year card to friends and
family (second year to send them via email to save money), and if I do
say so myself, this is the best yet. Definitely blows last year's out of
the water, but that's not saying much since I threw it together while
sick and very pregnant.<br />
<br />
I'm glad I went with the infographic. It was much less daunting than the thought of sitting down and trying to write an essay about the whole year. And I <i>looove </i>the way it looks. And since I subconsciously used the color scheme of Elle's* baby book, I can print it, and it will fit right in. =)<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4MZz4UlL_wc/UOdKgqyhS5I/AAAAAAAABDI/6gRqvIB0jl4/s1600/blog+2012+yr+in+review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4MZz4UlL_wc/UOdKgqyhS5I/AAAAAAAABDI/6gRqvIB0jl4/s640/blog+2012+yr+in+review.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jqjnu2hhu7k/UOcG89HZcJI/AAAAAAAABC4/m3ze3kayGZM/s1600/blog+2012+photo+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jqjnu2hhu7k/UOcG89HZcJI/AAAAAAAABC4/m3ze3kayGZM/s640/blog+2012+photo+collage.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
<u>Source List</u><br />
1. Fonts (in order of appearance): Perpetua Titling MT, Sail, Pigeon, Quaver Sans, Mensch, Piron V2, Homestead, Pea Bethany's Doodles, Pea Igna's Doodles, Pea Bhea Script (Many of these can be downloaded for free <a href="http://www.losttype.com/browse/">here</a> or <a href="http://kevinandamanda.com/fonts/fontsforpeas/">here</a>.)<br />
2. <a href="http://www.irocksowhat.com/2012/11/free-photoshop-arrows-and-tutorial-on.html">Arrows</a>--this includes a tutorial on how to add brushes to Photoshop that I wish I'd read years ago. I love when people share their talents for free.<br />
3. Graphics: I just googled what I wanted + silhouette and found them (baby silhouette, house silhouette, cruise ship silhouette).<br />
4. I pieced together my own photo template using <a href="http://paisleepress.com/2009/11/wall-art-diy-project-no-1/">Paislee Press's DIY Project No. 1</a>.<br />
<br />
*I've decided that Elle will be my daughter's nickname on the blog for privacy's sake. Also, watermarks. I don't like them, but the reality is there are weirdos out there who steal pictures and pretend they're their own. I wouldn't blame them. Look at my baby. Hello, cuteness overload. But I'm going to do what I can to prevent stealing.allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-85080059647894419062013-01-03T15:19:00.002-06:002013-01-04T09:06:34.730-06:00Hello, 2013!Anyone reading this?<br />
<br />
I know it has been <i>ages</i> since I've updated this blog. It hasn't been a priority, and I won't say that it will be this year either because real life > the Internet. I'm constantly having to remind myself to step away from the computer, put down the phone (and now I have a Kindle, so I have to put that down too) to engage in real life. And oftentimes I still end up spending too much time on the computer, so it's just better to not hold myself to any expectations at all for <i>see alli scrap. </i>(I'm not saying blogging is bad. I love reading blogs, and I'm Mormon; journaling is what we do. I have a private journal where I record the personal details of our lives. It's just too hard for me to keep any consistency with this second blog.)<br />
<br />
That said, I do want to keep the site up and running so that I can post from time to time. Today I'm back because I <i>cannot resist</i> the urge to talk about my goals for the New Year and the progress I've made on my <a href="http://scrappinalli.blogspot.com/2011/01/101-in-1001.html">101 in 1001 list</a>. When I was in school, I was one of those kids who could not wait to get my school supplies and plan my back to school outfit. Although (let's be honest) I didn't want to surrender my freedom, I did love the excitement of a new school year. The beginning of the new year feels <i>exciting</i> to me too. It's the chance at a fresh start.<br />
<br />
I've been participating in Lara Casey's brilliant <a href="http://laracasey.com/blog/2012/12/27/goal-setting-making-things-happen-in-2013-part-1/">step-by-step goal setting series</a> over the last few days. Lara inspires me to make things happen. I'm working on part 3 right now, which is deciding what you will say YES and NO to in 2013. Seems like the perfect opportunity to review my 101 goals and reflect on what needs to change. Hard to believe it's been <i>two years</i> since I wrote them!<br />
<br />
Here are few things I've accomplished:*<br />
1. Went on a cruise<br />
2. Visited National Parks in Puerto Rico and on St. John!<br />
3. Sang in a choir. I was actually part of the angel chorus in a Christmas pageant last December.<br />
4. I've made huge strides domestically. I cook and clean A LOT more than I did at the end of 2010.<br />
5. Thanks to a Groupon I saw a movie at a drive-in theater this summer!<br />
6. I saw <i>Wicked </i>last year around this time.<br />
7. Since our baby was born in February, we've used our Netflix account a ton.<br />
8. I flossed every day for a month. I think I deserve a cookie. <br />
9. Sent a letter to my in-laws who are serving a mission in Russia. They come home at the end of next month!<br />
10. I made a family letter for 2011 and 2012. I just finished 2012's today, and I'm so pleased with how it turned out. I'll post it here later.<br />
11. We saved for a down payment on a house and then actually purchased one! I didn't think that would happen before my 30th birthday, but life is full of surprises.<br />
12. We opened a mutual fund.<br />
13. We're still saving $100/month for a dream vacation using Smarty Pig.<br />
14. I've read more than 10 nonfiction books. The classic novel goal isn't going so well.<br />
15. I funded three Kiva projects.<br />
16. We adopted a family for Christmas last year. Loved it.<br />
<br />
Progress:<br />
1. I'm working on following FlyLady's daily tasks this month. This one has been challenging because I usually go out of town at least one weekend per month.<br />
2. I only need to make it to the temple 4 more times to meet my goal.<br />
3. I've been to the Family History Center once.<br />
4. I'm writing down things I'm grateful for this month.<br />
5. 100% visiting teaching last month (for the first time in a very long time). <br />
6. Working on video recording (and later transcribing) 5 memories from my dad. I interviewed him when I was home for Christmas, so I've got about 12 minutes of recorded conversation so far.<br />
7. I'm working on a google doc of important addresses. <br />
8. I'm creeping along in the Old Testament at a snail's pace. I'm in first Chronicles now. By the way, my blog friend Rachel read all of the standard works in 2012, meaning the entire Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price. That blows my mind. She is a rock star.<br />
<br />
Things I still really want to do two years later:<br />
1. Go camping.<br />
2. Have professional photos taken this year of our famil<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">y. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">3. Review A<span style="font-size: x-small;">SL.</span></span> </span><br />
4. Go to the temple more.<br />
5. Clean out Google Reader (again).<br />
6.Volunteer at Capital Area Food Bank.<br />
7. Go to Enchanted Rock/swim in Hamilton Pool.<br />
8. See a Jack Johnson concert (probably not going to happen by September).<br />
9. Eat more fruits and veggies.<br />
10. Finish the Old Testament. <br />
<br />
Then there are other things I want to work on--primarily related to my marriage, parenthood, and my new home--that were seriously overlooked the first go round. That's why I'm going through the Making Things Happen steps. Do you have any goals for 2013? I love to read what everyone wants to accomplish. Share yours!<br />
<br />
<br />
*I've updated the original 101 in 1001 list if you want a breakdown of every little thing.allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-426353646873461582012-06-22T10:52:00.001-05:002012-06-22T10:53:34.703-05:00Quinoa Fruit SaladIt seems like once you go public with a goal, the universe makes every attempt to thwart your efforts. Just as I expected, I wasn't anywhere close to weekday veg during my week in Houston. For one, I had no control over the boxed lunch options at my continuing ed conference. Secondly, I ate out a bunch with my parents. This week I'm doing a little better, but I've eaten quite a bit of organic, grass-fed beef we got on sale at Sprouts a few weeks ago. I'm okay with that.<br />
<br />
Over the last two weeks I did discover a new vegetarian side dish that I love. The recipe comes from a diabetic cooking magazine my mom has. Unfortunately I took a picture of it with my phone, and now I can't remember or see the name of the source...<br />
<br />
Here's what you'll need: <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3qh7rGRyJhE/T-SScvCb1JI/AAAAAAAABB8/8C8tb64osBQ/s1600/quinoa-fruit-salad-ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3qh7rGRyJhE/T-SScvCb1JI/AAAAAAAABB8/8C8tb64osBQ/s400/quinoa-fruit-salad-ingredients.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Notes:<br />
*I substituted agave nectar for the honey because that's what I had in my pantry.<br />
*I chose a Granny Smith apple.<br />
*I just bought mixed nuts from the bulk section instead of walnuts and chopped them in my food processor.<br />
*I omitted celery because I think it's gross.<br />
*I recommend adding a little more Greek yogurt than the recipe calls for to make sure everything is nice and coated. <br />
*Definitely let it chill in the fridge before eating. It will taste so much better.<br />
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I've now made this twice, once at my parents' house and once at my own house. Initially I thought it could pass as a dessert, but now I'm reconsidering. Maybe if you paired it with some Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla? Jury's still out. But I do think it would make a very refreshing side for a summer picnic or potluck. Yum.</div>allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-63010803136867865252012-06-20T14:49:00.000-05:002012-06-22T10:33:20.113-05:00Some Things You Take for GrantedHave you ever tried to help someone create and email a Word document over the phone who does not have the following concepts:<br />
<br />
-Windows toolbar (he thinks once you click on a new window the other ones disappear. If he could see my screen right now, he would be in for the shock of his life.)<br />
-saving a file and remembering the location of that file<br />
-figuring out the name of said file<br />
-searching for a file<br />
-how
to "Save As" a second time to strategically place the file on the
desktop--never could get him through the steps necessary to do that
one...unfortunately he has the older version of Word on his computer... <br />
-copying and pasting<br />
-the difference between a program on your computer and an Internet website<br />
-how to attach a file to an email<br />
<br />
etc., etc., etc.<br />
SO FRUSTRATING<br />
lol if it wasn't for my dad...<br />
who honestly has impressive skills for someone born in 1930...<br />
<br />
Thankfully we inserted and formatted the majority of the pictures and text while I was with him in person.<br />
And fingers crossed that I don't get a phone call to troubleshoot printer problems...allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-20819542643273352332012-06-08T15:12:00.000-05:002013-01-04T09:06:47.834-06:00Vegetarian RecipesOnce upon a time, I decided to institute <a href="http://scrappinalli.blogspot.com/search/label/meatless%20monday">Meatless Monday</a> in my life. And I was committed to it for quite a while. Sure, I'd skip and have a meal with meat on a Monday here and there (usually due to poor planning), but I'd try to have a makeup veggie meal later in the week when that would happen. I felt like I was doing a great job of decreasing my meat intake. It turned out that once I decided to eat vegetarian on one day of the week that I was more inclined to have meatless meals other days of the week too.<br />
<br />
Then I got pregnant and became super lax about my Meatless Monday observance. Then I was the first time mom of a newborn just trying to survive, and well, I scarfed down what I could when I could. Not that everything I ate was bad, but I let a lot of junk food back into my diet.<br />
<br />
Anyway, now I'm trying to get back on track. My goal for the summer is to be a "weekday vegetarian" (a term I heard in this <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/graham_hill_weekday_vegetarian.html">TED Talk</a>). I'm giving myself some time to ease into it. This week I've had only 3-4 meals containing meat, and with a little more planning and preparation, I think I can be up to full weekday veg in two weeks. (I would say next week, but I'm going to be at my parents' house...) <br />
<br />
Since better meal planning is the key to eating better, I'm also working on a meal planning visual system to use at home. I hope this will help to eliminate the dreaded question of "what do you want for dinner?" When that happens a lot of times we'll just end up picking up fast food.<br />
<br />
So, step 1 of developing my meal planning system is gathering recipes that we like. I thought I'd share a few we've tried recently.<br />
<h1 itemprop="name">
<a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/rice_cheddar_spinach_pie.html">Rice, Cheddar & Spinach Pie</a></h1>
<h1 itemprop="name">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">We made this for dinner, and hubs and I both really liked it. I
really liked the brown rice and egg combo. Kept it from being too eggy.
We threw in some mushrooms and garnished with feta cheese. </span></span></h1>
<h1 itemprop="name">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></h1>
<h1>
<a href="http://theeverydayveggie.com/?p=971">Black Bean and Brown Rice Burgers</a></h1>
<h1>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Super yummy. Would definitely make again. Hubs liked them too, which
hasn't been true of other black bean burger recipes we've tried. </span></span></h1>
<h1>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></h1>
<h1 class="entry-title">
<a href="http://naturallyella.com/2012/03/11/baked-hummus-and-spinach-dip/">Baked Hummus and Spinach Dip</a></h1>
<h1 class="entry-title">
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Such a yummy dip with baby carrots. I added a little extra garlic, curry
powder, and turmeric. I also chopped the spinach a little longer than I
think the author intended. This would be perfect for St. Patrick's Day
bc it is BRIGHT green! </span></h1>
<h1 class="entry-title">
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> </span></h1>
<h1 itemprop="name">
<a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/oatmeal_rhubarb_porridge.html">Oatmeal-Rhubarb Porridge</a></h1>
<h1 itemprop="name">
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">I made this for brunch this morning, and I thought it was decent. It was my first time to ever try rhubarb (I bought some frozen at Sprouts a couple months ago and wanted to use it)...</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I kind of liked the tangy kick with the oatmeal.</span></span></h1>
allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-81581249418579884822012-04-06T10:39:00.004-05:002012-04-06T11:42:49.194-05:00Thoughts on a Good Friday<div style="text-align: left;"><i>Oy. I've been debating all week whether I should post this or not, but ultimately I am because 1. it might help someone and 2. it's my story of hope and faith and so it deserves to be told. It's just hard for me to post something so personal on here. Makes me anxious. So if you feel inclined to leave a positive comment, please do. =)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who <a class="footnote" href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/2?lang=eng#" id="footnote63" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=2-ne&chapterUri=2&noteID=24a&lang=eng" style="color: black;">knoweth</a> all things. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2 Nephi 2:24</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">One year ago this week, I took my first positive pregnancy test. I was surprised and excited by the news. </span><span style="font-size: small;">After months and months of disappointment, it meant that my body was working like it should. I couldn't believe it. </span><span style="font-size: small;">And three days later it all ended. That was exactly a year ago today. If I hadn't taken that test I wouldn't have suspected anything abnormal was happening to my body, but...instead, I sat at my desk, moments after reality began to sink in, and "The World Spins Madly On" began to play on the Pandora station I was listening to. It was too fitting, cruel, heartbreaking. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last Mother's Day was really hard. I went to church and took the carnation, dangit (actually it was chocolate in my ward; must've been a Relief Society directive), but I wasn't happy about it. At all. My heart was aching.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now, if the story ended there, it might be quite depressing, but as you know it does not. It's my belief, by the way, that no story has to end <i>there, </i>at that low spot, unless you choose for it to. No story has to end there because God is loving and merciful. As <a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/10/sunday-will-come?lang=eng">Elder Wirthlin said</a>, "</span>We will all have our Fridays. No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Even though I had no idea what the future held, I could see that Heavenly Father was gently leading me to my Sunday. He taught me things I needed to know about faith and hope. He guided me to read and hear things that helped me tremendously. He gave me role models like <a href="http://www.lds.org/ensign/2001/11/are-we-not-all-mothers?lang=eng">Sheri Dew</a> and <a href="http://www.lds.org/ensign/1989/02/just-the-two-of-us-for-now?lang=eng">Ardeth G. Kapp</a> and <a href="http://www.natthefatrat.com/2011/05/mothers-day-manifesto.html">Natalie Holbrook</a>. One day I was reading in <a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/philip/4?lang=eng">Philippians</a> when this verse struck me: </span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.</span></div></blockquote>That was exactly how I felt: abased and abounding, full yet hungry. <br />
<br />
Then, at the end of June, I found out I was pregnant again. This time for keeps.<br />
<br />
So what are my thoughts on this Good Friday? Life is beautiful, but only because the gospel of Jesus Christ makes it so. Because of His Atonement and Resurrection, we are eternal beings. As I'm sitting here holding my daughter, watching as she gives me the most adorable smile I have ever seen!, I realize that. You and I are eternal. My role as a mother is eternal. Without beginning nor end. During our trials, time slows. We grieve, we desire, and hopefully we grow. But then miraculously, when the blessings come--and they will come--we see with new eyes. The hardship was but a small moment.<br />
<br />
She was well worth the heartache. She was worth the wait and then some.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6jC0oLYgCD4/T38cTUEJ0-I/AAAAAAAAA4I/9giTzPpuxQI/s1600/bluebonnets.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6jC0oLYgCD4/T38cTUEJ0-I/AAAAAAAAA4I/9giTzPpuxQI/s640/bluebonnets.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get over your hill and see</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> what you find there with grace in your heart and flowers in your hair</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</td></tr>
</tbody></table>allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-15308098095014640932012-04-04T21:38:00.001-05:002012-04-06T11:52:35.600-05:00First Glimpses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-64_gS9PCzSw/T38fRUDY6EI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/lMlLTdTvhPA/s1600/first-glimpses-light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-64_gS9PCzSw/T38fRUDY6EI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/lMlLTdTvhPA/s400/first-glimpses-light.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-enK2-xWH3dE/T30FNknL1EI/AAAAAAAAA34/EqqLPlbv1WI/s1600/first-glimpses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-78198536284078672062012-03-22T22:56:00.001-05:002012-03-22T22:57:47.970-05:00Austin Maternity ShootI always knew I wanted to take maternity pictures. I wanted to document this special time in our lives, our transition from a family of two to three, with some nice photographs. So I asked my nephew Shannon to help us out. He's not a professional photographer (he is a <a href="http://vimeo.com/user866042">filmmaker</a>), but he agreed to do it because he loves his aunt. I think we still owe him dinner.<br />
<br />
It was an exhausting day for me--temple attendance that morning, rushing to a friend's baby shower in the early afternoon, and <i>then</i> getting ready and walking all over creation for this shoot--but I am as pleased as punch with how the photos turned out. I'm so glad we did it. Thank you, Shannon.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OcKO1tz6IYs/T2v0DdeGFgI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/W0uanzMbqnE/s1600/maternityshoot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OcKO1tz6IYs/T2v0DdeGFgI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/W0uanzMbqnE/s400/maternityshoot.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-74527299028874980322012-03-17T03:05:00.003-05:002012-03-17T16:06:03.931-05:00My Pregnancy in Photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-668PREeh_ZM/T2RFdwHhvVI/AAAAAAAAA1U/gWUaBVmstyk/s1600/pregnancy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-668PREeh_ZM/T2RFdwHhvVI/AAAAAAAAA1U/gWUaBVmstyk/s400/pregnancy.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The text says:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">"For the most part, being pregnant was not what I expected. Your dad and I both braced ourselves for the hypothetical “worst”--lots of vomiting, over the top emotions--but the truth is, I think I make an excellent pregnant person. Yes, nausea was my daily companion throughout the first trimester, but I didn’t actually throw up until 12 weeks, & then it was only a few times. Instead of having crazy mood swings, I felt happy and confident. I count those as huge blessings! Most importantly, you & I stayed healthy. It seemed like it took me forever to actually “show.” As proof of that, I didn’t officially announce my pregnancy at work until I was 6 months pregnant! Even though people continually told me that I looked “so small,” I gained an appropriate amount of weight, & my doctors were never concerned with your size. That was probably the weirdest part of pregnancy for me: having so many people comment on my changing body. I attribute feeling & looking good for so long to lots of walking, both in my daily activities at work & weekly modified workouts at the gym. My favorite part of pregnancy, the thing I miss most, is feeling your kicks and wiggles, but I don’t miss you pushing against my ribs or my bladder."</div></blockquote>For the record, I did tell my boss right away at 3 months so that she could plan for my maternity leave. However, I did <strike>hide</strike> fail to mention my pregnancy to the principal and assistant principal at one of my schools until Thanksgiving! There just didn't seem to be a good time to bring it up before then... <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div></blockquote>allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-89039337699541758342012-03-16T15:39:00.003-05:002012-03-17T03:18:43.551-05:00Baby on the WayWell, my baby girl is a month old today! I can't believe it! Now that I'm on maternity leave I spend almost all of my time at home. It's weird. It's been a bigger adjustment than I anticipated, but I am getting used to this slower season in my life.<br />
<br />
Being at home has allowed me to get back to my design roots. This week I started working on creating my daughter's baby book. I'd like to start blogging here again, so I'll be sharing pages from her book as I complete them to tell our story.<br />
<br />
My first page goes back to the beginning, to when we first found out we had a little one on the way. =)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-68xitHG0qvI/T2OmEb4XHjI/AAAAAAAAA1M/bS2YwvyC2wk/s1600/babyontheway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-68xitHG0qvI/T2OmEb4XHjI/AAAAAAAAA1M/bS2YwvyC2wk/s400/babyontheway.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The text at the bottom says,</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Those early weeks of pregnancy were filled with worry for me. One of my pregnancy hormone levels was low, so I took supplements daily and had my blood drawn weekly throughout the first trimester. On June 29th, my doctor requested an ultrasound to make sure you looked healthy. That afternoon I wrote this in my journal:<br />
'The ultrasound made me feel MUCH better! The nurse and doctor said the baby is measuring about 6 weeks. We could see its little heartbeat flickering on the screen. It was amazing. The nurse said its heartbeat is 114, which is a little low, but since I'm only 6 weeks, its heartbeat is probably very new. I got my first baby picture too! I'm so excited that this is really real. I'm ridiculously happy that everything seems okay. I just hope the little guy or gal continues to grow!'”</div></blockquote>allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-67604382203716272262011-11-23T19:54:00.002-06:002011-11-23T19:57:41.433-06:00thankfulFour months since my last entry? Obviously I am not a "professional" blogger. <br />
<br />
Most of the time this blog has to take a backseat to other more important things...such as focusing my energy on growing a baby and trying to stay afloat with my workload. <br />
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Yep! I'm pregnant. I'm 27 weeks already, which I can't believe. I finally have a pretty legit baby bump, and everything seems to be going very smoothly. Now that I'm not experiencing nausea or awful headaches, I don't feel like I have anything to complain about. In fact, I feel very blessed. We hoped and prayed for this child to join our family, so the thought of having her in our lives couldn't be any sweeter. I haven't been so happy in quite some time. <br />
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As for the second reason for my sparse posting, well, my job is my job. When you work in the schools, you cram a year's worth of work into nine months. It's a crazy business. Challenging and exhausting, that's for sure. Just yesterday I achieved something huge though: I caught up on ALL of my Medicaid billing. I don't think I'd been up to date on that since August 2010. It's a big deal to me to not have that looming over my head anymore. Here I am on Thanksgiving break, and I am actually relaxing and doing fun things!!! It's a good feeling.allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367073110354099816.post-87131992108068512912011-07-25T17:50:00.001-05:002011-07-25T17:50:46.192-05:0026A little over a week ago I celebrated another birthday. I wasn't very excited in the months preceding this one, but I've eased into my new age. I just remind myself that I'm not as old as Henry and never will be. ;)<br />
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The first event of my special day was birthday lunch at the flagship Whole Foods. I had some great "comfort food," Whole Foods style: chicken casserole, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and wheatberries. Oh yeah, and I drank this delicious, monster blood orange Italian soda. (Not all at once though; I rationed it throughout my birthday weekend.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k7pGK-WBndE/Ti3lwFW3CdI/AAAAAAAAAwk/AJbAfnabo4U/s1600/wholefoodss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k7pGK-WBndE/Ti3lwFW3CdI/AAAAAAAAAwk/AJbAfnabo4U/s400/wholefoodss.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I</i><i>t was so hot up there on that patio, but I don't think you can tell by the picture.</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>That night Henry and I had dinner at Chez Zee for the first time. To be honest, I chose this restaurant based on a Yelp recommendation of their fried pickles, and we were pretty disappointed. The pickles were sliced so thinly that they were just like eating pickle-flavored potato chips. Salty and sad. The entrees were pretty good, but it was hard to recover from the dissatisfaction of the appetizer.<br />
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Afterwards we went to Ulta, Old Navy, and another Whole Foods store for some light shopping. It was a low-key day to be sure, but that's what I wanted. Last year I had a dinner party with lots of friends, and it was a lot of fun. This year I wasn't feeling up to the fanfare.<br />
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Late that night my parents arrived at our apartment ready for good food and family time. The next day we had TacoDeli tacos for breakfast, and then Mom, Henry, and I went shopping at DSW and Target. Later that afternoon we met my niece and nephews and their significant others for an early dinner at Trudy's (Mmm, stuffed avocado), and then we saw <i>Midnight in Paris</i> at the Violet Crown. Cute movie that the whole family (especially my dad!) liked at a hip, artsy downtown theater. <br />
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On Sunday we cut into my cake. It was exactly what I wanted: lemon chiffon with strawberry/lemon filling.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C4Y4zJmioAg/Ti3sPMSrM5I/AAAAAAAAAwo/y8bCCEOZoyQ/s1600/cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C4Y4zJmioAg/Ti3sPMSrM5I/AAAAAAAAAwo/y8bCCEOZoyQ/s640/cake.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Courtesy of Kerbey Lane Bakery</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pQXHOYHvlMY/Ti3sQpI4G6I/AAAAAAAAAws/7gIFhOn3Wi4/s1600/cake2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pQXHOYHvlMY/Ti3sQpI4G6I/AAAAAAAAAws/7gIFhOn3Wi4/s400/cake2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Henry and I added the citrusy slices to the top ourselves. Got the idea <a href="http://www.apollinas.com/?p=820">here</a> (via <a href="http://www.designmom.com/">Design Mom</a>). </span></i></div><br />
It was a good birthday. Twenty-six isn't so bad.allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11565430642036054950noreply@blogger.com2