Hello Organic Salad!

Dear Tom Thumb,

Thanks for the overpriced Organic Spring Mix we've been buying.  We don't need you anymore, pricey greens.  We grow our own.

still pregnant

Hello, me here... still pregnant.  Just thought I'd let you know.  Really want to go into labor...  I am trying to be calm and rational about it, but don't think I am succeeding.  Come on, Baby!!  Had a little bit of a meltdown this morning...  But what is a pregnant woman without some hormonal meltdowns?? 

nothing to say

folks, i've got nothing to say.  As of 10:00 p.m. this evening, I am not in labor.  I have had some false alarms... some wishful thinking... and my OB thinks I am well on my way, but officially, I am not in labor.  I am 38 weeks, 1 day... and would really, really, really, like to go into labor ASAP.  Like, as in tonight/tomorrow... Faustino has this weekend, next week, and next weekend off.  I feel the crunch to maximize his time off... so, prayers, light candles, cross fingers, really, anything.  The hospital won't let my OB induce me before 39 weeks... and I really don't want to wait until then.  Nor do I really want to be induced...

So I will leave you with 10 random things from this pregnancy:

1. I have loved peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.   Loved them.
2. I have made iced tea nearly everyday of my pregnancy.  Very often I drink the entire pitcher.
3. I have gained 41 lbs. thus far (and I thought that not working in Catering would spare me from this!!)
4. I have had false labor, but never did when I was pregnant with Ethan
5. I had morning sickness in my first trimester, but never with Ethan
6. This pregnancy has made my body feel more tired and achy, even though I wore heels everyday with Ethan's pregnancy   
7. I actually feel like I "prepared" for this pregnancy in terms of washing things, nesting, a to-do list, etc.
8. This baby moves more than Ethan but doesn't kick as strongly
9. My "heartburn" stomach pain, whatever it was that drove me crazy with Ethan's pregnancy wasn't nearly as severe this time
10. Lately, I have had an obsession with doing laundry.  An I-could-go-into-labor-and-everything-must-be-clean kind of obsession.  I am scared that I will have a load that doesn't get transferred and it will mildew.  I haven't let Ethan wear any cloth diapers for the last week because I wouldn't be able to do a load start to finish of his dirty ones and it would send me over the edge in the hospital to worry about them.  Strange, no??   

p.s.  i wrote this at 10 on Thursday evening... fell asleep {that is really early for me!!} and then woke up at 2:45 a.m. and decided to post it... today I feel great... I keep telling Savannah Happy Birthday - positive thinking, right??

by the way...

this is the only shirt I have that is long enough to cover my belly.  Well, actually, I have 3 other t-shirt type shirts that are WORN OUT and should be BURNED because it wouldn't be fair to Good Will to have them donated... yet I wear them anyway... perhaps I will donate.  Or continue my fashion faux paus...





{excuse the photo quality... I took it with the computer}

chop sticks & pink eye

Ethan has been a little under the weather.  On Tuesday he had the worst allergies... with allergy eyes. Puffy.  Itchy.  And then it became full blown pink eye on Thursday morning.  {Was it always pink eye?  Did it become pink eye because he couldn't keep his hands out of his eyes??}  We missed music.  We missed school.  My child has been cranky... {I have also been giving him benadryl which i hear can make kids cranky}  Anyway, life has been a peach.  What can I say?

And have I mentioned that I have a wonderful mother-in-law?  Really, I do.  She has been a complete dream during this pregnancy... she comes over to help me out.  She gave my sticky, messing, dirty toddler a bath last night because I didn't feel up to it.  Last weekend she helped me clean {remember the false labor??} And I never ask her, she just sees that I could use a little help and pitches in...  Anyway, last night, after she got off work she stopped by and we went to get something to eat.  Which was great because we needed an excuse to get out of the house {above paragraph = cabin fever} so we went to Tokyo Cafe.  And Ethan learned how to use chopsticks on gerber stars.  So so so cute.  And I said - "Gosh, I wish I had my camera" and my mother in law said "Take a picture of him, with those eyes?" and I said "good point..."  Therefore, no photos.  Plus my camera is packed.  I don't think I really learned how to use chopsticks until college.  I can remember being on a date for sushi, eating with the "beginner chopsticks" you know, the ones with the rubber band.  Ethan didn't master chopsticks, but he is well on his way... but you wouldn't know because I didn't take a photo.

So I leave you with a picture from last year at this time - mid April.  Wasn't Ethan much chubbier then??  He is such a little boy now... sigh.   They grow up too quickly.   




And by the way, I am still pregnant.  12 more hours until I can officially go into labor because my husband will be in the same city that I am in.  One week {on April 23rd} that it would be the very most convenient for me to go into labor.

Any bets on when it will be??  I am due on May 5th, but Ethan was 10 days early {and a big baby at 8.5 lbs. considering that I am not quite 5'2"}

false labor

not so fun.  Friday was very uncomfortable.  I had lots of contractions.  Contractions that got so bad that I packed a bag complete with cell phone chargers and toiletries.  I really thought it was time.  Before this whole episode, I thought, "why on earth do people get confused about when they are actually in labor with their second baby??" 

Let me tell you, those stupid contractions feel like the big event. 

With that being said, it might turn into the big event.  And I know that of all weeks to have a baby, this one isn't a convenient one.  So, if you are the praying type, can you just say a little prayer that this baby wants to stay inside a little bit longer.  Like, until the 19th?  The 18th wouldn't be terrible... but the 19th would be better... and I am not trying to be greedy, but the 21st or beyond would be the best.  So just keep your fingers crossed, or light candles... whatever you could do would be great.  I will bide my time laying on the couch.  Catching up on tivo'd Days of Our Lives...   Watching Sesame Street... drinking lots of water.

let's go fly a kite

This past week we went to the Botanic Gardens to fly Ethan's "boat.kite." that was in his Easter basket.  He says it like it is two complete sentences... so cute.

The weather was beautiful.






From this picture, you would think my husband was the all-star kite flyer.  And he was... but the wind was spotty... and the kite was a little awkward.  And really... it was more like this for the bulk of the kite flying time:

how does your garden grow

Faustino has been working very hard on the garden... and I have been watching and helping where I can.  {Sort of.}  Doesn't it look nice??








I did work on my herbs (no worry of stray cat poop and toxoplasmosis in their preferred sleeping spot - eww!) and trimmed down my oregano a week ago.  Looks like they need trimming again.  Would you believe that all of these came back from last year??  And the rosemary has been here for years now, maybe 5 or so... and the mint has come back for 3 years now... new addition:  cilantro.  And I am thinking about chives and dill.  Any other good suggestions?  From left to right: cilantro, parsley, oregano, thyme {fighting to grow back}, sage, and tarragon.  Basil is in the garden by the tomatoes.  It is supposed to be an organic gardening thing to grow your basil and tomatoes together.  But black thumb Stephanie wouldn't know first hand. :)

In fact, while I was dating Faustino, he bought me a basil plant and planted it.  And it died.  And I really thought he might break up with me.  It was like some weird test or something.  Surely it didn't surprise him... green things and me haven't had a good track record.  I am working on it.  The herbs are mine.  I cleared out the space for them, planted them, helped them live through last years ridiculously hot summer and here we are again.



and these little guys are green beans, sunflowers, and corn.  Won't corn be awesome??  It is at my mother-in-law's request.  And in the back of the yard we have a melon patch with watermelons and cantaloupes {by all the not so beautiful brush that forms a buffer from the alley - because if we cleared it and cut the hackberry trees down, what would our buffer be??}  Although, a compost bin rather than pile would be nice... but it is strategically placed in front of the gate to the alley... Don't you wish that you had an alley like ours??




And my neighbor has these... and I secretly want to steal them to make a pretty floral arrangement in the house...



Now, go plant something!

Easter 2010

We had a very nice, laid back, casual Easter.  Low key discovery of Easter basket and goodies in the morning... a small Egg hunt... Church and then yummy burgers at my sister-in-law's with a pre-lunch egg hunt for Ethan and his cousin.  Oh - and the Easter Bunny brought Ethan a guitar.  I feel that this is the beginning of an expensive hobby.









Proud of his eggs


Ethan belting out Twinkle Twinkle

Saturday Night Pizza

My little helper helped with our homemade pizza (homemade dough, homemade sauce, homemade italian sausage, caramelized onions, mozzarella and artichoke hearts) mmmm.....

Little fingers poking at the crust


Finished product


and cleanup.

it's the little things

Two little things from the past week to be thankful for: 

1.  Our neighbor lets us put our overflow trash and recyclables in his bins.  Really, this is a wonderful thing.  Especially if you overslept through your alarm last trash day and missed it.  It is also nice around holidays.  Or when company comes.  Or when I decide to purge things.

2.  Our bathroom sink hot water decided to come back.  Previously, it was just a little trickle of hot water that took ten minutes to heat up.  (Sadly, not too dissimilar to our kitchen sink)  And then, for no apparent reason, it got better.  Now, it it isn't back 100%... but maybe 50 or 60%.  And I can live with that.  Really, that might have made my whole week.

Also, Joley, thank you for the orange pledge suggestion.  I pledged my floors, even though the bottle says not to... and it was such pure bliss...

So much more to do still... I want to be done by the end of the coming week, and cook next weekend.  Then, I want to do nothing while Faustino is out of town (please, Lord, do not let me go into labor with my husband out of town) and then I can have the baby after he gets home and takes call.  Monday the 19th is what I am shooting for (or later) so could you all just say little prayers that God thinks my little plan is okay?  Thanks.  (I am due May 5th, but don't think I will make it - have you seen me??  Plus Ethan was 10 days early, and he was 8.5 lbs.)

More later... gotta cook my homemade pizza.  Mmm....

Happy Easter! 

ethan's friends

seriously, how cute is this??  It is his class photo... all girls and ethan.  He doesn't want their baby dolls...they don't want his tractors.  Perfect, no?



I printed him a copy of this photo and he carries it everywhere.  Seriously.  Sweet little boy.  Loves all the girls in his class.

Thank you, Sabrina, for the great photos and for saving me from shelling out $$ for the same thing without digital negatives!  I think we will be insisting on this every year!! And kudos to you Emerson for not trusting creepy photographers you don't know!

And UCC, please, no more snow days/holidays/teacher in-services/etc.  I want my kiddo in school 2 days a week, every week.  My child cries to go to school.  Summer time is going to kick my tush.