lately

things i've done in the last week or 2 (sometimes more than once... or twice)

-turned on the kitchen sink water to fill it up or rinse out a dish, walked out of the room to do something else, and then heard the water still running later, realizing it's been on for a... long time...

-put a pot (empty) on the stove, turned it to high, and then turned on the kitchen sink water to let it start warming up to put hot water in the warmed pot... only to turn off the water, leave to get dressed, and when i'm walking out the door smell a burning smell- the empty pot still burning away on the stove.

-forgotten to flush the toilet (lovely). unfortunately damon discovered this. haha

-forgotten my church shoes up in the apartment right by the door (i stay in flip flops till the last possible second).  forgotten my church shoes on the floorboard in front of me in the car when we get out of the car to go into church, only to realize once we get inside and have to turn around & head back to the car.  forgotten my church shoes in my hotel room when going to the temple for kristi's sealing, and having to have my parents bring them later on for pictures- meanwhile having to wear flip flops into the temple.  (i'd like to point out that i forgot my own wedding shoes on the day we got married too, and didn't have them at the temple, so most of our pictures i'm barefoot and the full 1'3'' shorter than damon)

-forgotten things that were told to me minutes before, making me the obnoxious person that asks the same question at least a dozen times. and then 5 more the next day.  i wish i could think of a good example, but i can't remember that kind of stuff. trust me, this happens every day.

post edit: i have to include what damon thinks is the most disgusting thing ever, but that i love so much- the pickles and milk combo. pickles are definitely the most cliche pregnancy need, but i need them all the time!  i discovered one night during a movie that pickles with milk is heavenly- the sour pickles make the milk taste as sweet as ice cream! try it, i promise, the milk is so sweet, mmmmm... i even have this in bed on occasion, and have considered leaving half the glass of milk and one pickle on my nightstand for a midnight snack when i wake up (you wake up hungry-STARVING- in the middle of the night) but damon though that was going too far.

15 weeks

today.

trimester: 2!

gender: still hoping boy (ok, the obvious health aspect must be set aside as a given). the hb was 153 at 8 weeks and 150 at 14. so who knows.

advances: baby is practicing breathing by sucking in amniotic fluid, which helps the lungs develop. he is 4 inches long (crown to rump) and 2 1/2 hounces- about the size of an apple. baby can move all joints and limbs, and even though eyelids are still shut, can sense light through me!

looks like:

symptoms: so far pretty good. i've had a stuffy nose lately, which actually has a term: rhinitis of pregnancy. it's due to increased estrogen and blood, messin' with my nasal cavities and mucus makers. also lower back pain, especially after i sit or lay too long, i look like a little old hunched (literally bent half) over lady when i stand. as for food, i am not starving all the time yet, in the last couple of weeks i've gotten over food aversion though, and i don't feel nauseous anymore except if i wake up in the middle of the night or in the morning- i'm starving immediately, which is why i keep crackers on my bedside table.

movement: no, sometimes i trick myself into thinking i feel something, but i always decide it's my own heart beat, which i've always felt really strong in my stomach. but i can hear movements on my doppler- when the baby kicks or swooshes around in there, it throws a lovely loud noise into my headphones.

and here it is (note i've had half a dr. pepper (a reward for grocery shopping- which is really stressful to me now without damon- picking all that food, planning meals, lugging it up to our apartment alone...) and all the chicken/rice leftovers for last night that could have fed 2 people a full meal). the day usually starts out smaller than this, and i've only gained a pound total, according to my doctor's scale.

things i'm supposed to be doing

grocery shopping (i'm still making a list. i did find a recipe for kneader's poppy seed dressing, so i feel good now)


calling the stupid insurance stuff. they are ignoring me. meanwhile i am 15 weeks pregnant and as of next week uninsured. awesome. our #1 option at this point: an unassisted childbirth.  i warn you that youtubing 'unassisted childbirth' can have less than appealing results. 


editing pictures. there are a few thousands. catherine's are at the top of the list since she's trying to release her ep and that's somewhat dependent on having some album art/promo shots, followed by a wedding and engagement session. my goal is to get all of them done in 3 days. we'll see how that goes.


calling about some random bills that i got that apparently weren't sent to my insurance. i was pretty annoyed when i found out all that they had drawn blood for last month. besides a normal prenatal panel, they drew 3 more vials: gonorrhea, hiv, and hepatitis. for serious? i paid for (though hopefully my insurance will have actually covered all this and i just got a premature 'bill') them to tell me i don't have an std? uh, yeah, i kinda figured that when i you know, saved myself for marriage, as did my husband? sheesh, what a waste. note to self, always find out what your blood is being drawn for. dumb on my part. 




well, instead, i am filling a shopping cart at bn.com. my dad is leaving the company after like a decade and i gotta work that employee discount while i can. my picks?


  Ina May's Guide to Childbirth


  Hypnobirthing: the Mongan Method


  Mastering the Art of French Cooking


ok, so unassisted is probably not my preferred way (though i may not have a choice if i'm uninsured, haha) but natural definitely is. i have my reasons and don't diss on those who had epi's and c-sections, i'm just not a huge fan of all the intervention on the part of hospitals and doctors on something that women have been doing for a gajillion years. i'd like to have the say in how my child enters this world, so we'll see how that goes.  


i watched Ratatouille one night in provo last week, and loved it so much, i decided i needed to learn french cooking. that and the julie and julia movie. 


i'm starving. i think i'll eat some hamburger helper without the hamburger. 


until next time, peace out, and in the meantime, wear your seatbelts.

i don't mind your odd behavior
it's the very thing i love
if you were an ice cream flavor
you would be my favorite one
my imagination sees you
like a painting by van goh
starry nights and bright sunflowers
follow you where you may go

oh
i've loved you from the start
in every single way
and more each passing day
you
are brighter than the stars
believe me when i say
it's not about your scars
it's all about your heart

you're a butterfly held captive
small and safe in your cocoon
go on you can take your time
time is set to heal all wounds

oh
i've loved you from the start
in every single way
and more each passing day
you are brighter than the stars
believe me when i say
it's not about your scars
it's all about your heart

like a lock without a key
like a mystery without a clue
there is no me
if i cannot have you

oh
i've loved you from the start
in every single way
and more each passing day

you
are brighter than the stars
believe me when i say
it's not about your scars
it's all about your heart.

all about your heart



-mindy gledhill

i LOVE this song, ever since it came out on stephanie nielsen's youtube church video, i've been patiently waiting (months, i tell you!) for this album to drop so i could get this song. and hopefully others as soon as my itunes decides to quit throwing a fit and freezing everytime i start it.

want to fall in love?
listen to this.






or this.

(sorry for such a bad video, i had to record it with my phone pointing towards the speakers, and at the same time be pressing the kid so hard in one exact spot cause he likes to hide under my own heartbeat and make things difficult. )

what do you need to work on?

I love this video. It hurts and amazes me every time I watch it.
I've been back and forth almost a week deciding whether or not to put it on the blog, but I love it and know that everyone everywhere has somebody they need to forgive, something in the past they need to let go of, an opportunity to be the best person and example you can be, and an opportunity to "be a vessel" for a power higher than ourselves to work through.

i NEED

sushi. i want a caterpillar roll so SO bad right now. or a dragon roll. i'm graving sushi like it's going out of style. especially those eel varieties. i may break the 'rule' and eat some in utah- i don't trust iowa sushi, plus i don't know of any, and there are good enough upscale sushi places in utah that i can feel good about it.  (don't get your panties in a wad, japanese women eat raw fish their whole lives and their babies come out healthy and punky)

the magherita pizza from the Bell Tower Hostel in Xi'an, China. best magherita pizza i've found to date. maybe cause i was wanting something familiar, but nothing here has come close to that dang pizza. or any of them in china, for that matter. maybe i'll bite the bullet and get the good mozzarella and basil leaves and make my own.

energy. isn't it supposed to be coming back by now? i'm glad Damon finally has stuff to do during the day cause all i've been doing is lay in bed or on the couch. its exhausting. i haven't gotten anything unpacked really, put up any of our dozens of picture frames, finished sanding the table to get ready to paint... ugh. i'm tired just writing about it. Damon has done everything around here, cleaning and unpacking and laying out the frames on the floor hoping that will inspire me to make arrangements... poor guy.

i'm spending most of my days looking at baby things online and restaurant menus. online. cheesecake factory, pizzeria 712, places in des moines. i want so much food, but when i eat food i feel sick. right now i'm gauging how sick a box of kraft mac will make me feel afterwards.

but the reward, i can't wait. it's hard seeing new babies around and not wanting to wait another ALMOST 28 MORE WEEKS!

i'll try to update the blog more, especially since most of my days are spent sitting/laying in front of the laptop alone. should be conducive to productivity. mostly i just read blogs and watch episodes of "16 and pregnant" and "teen mom". if those babies can do it, i can.