Thankful Tuesday

• My tulips are almost blooming! I absolutely adore tulips, so this is always a favorite time of year for me. I was so disappointed a couple of years ago when a spring hail storm destroyed all of my tulips after they'd only been out for one day. Hopefully this year I'll get to enjoy them longer!
  
  
• Taxes are done, e-filed, and accepted. That's always such a relief. I am so thankful for the software programs that make it as painless as possible. Unfortunately software programs can't substitute for a brain that's fully functional. I messed up and only caught it today after already submitting them. So now I have to file amended returns for both federal & state. And those have to be printed & mailed, so I'll finish them tomorrow, since the mail has already come today. I'm still thankful that they're (mostly) done, and that I caught my mistake before getting too excited over getting money back (and more importantly, before I was late and owed penalties or anything).
  
  
• I made L some banana buttermilk muffins over the weekend. They're low-fat, and low-cholesterol too if I remember correctly, made with half whole-wheat flour. He LOVED them. I may have to see if I can continue to nudge the percentage of whole-wheat flour up and see if/when he complains. He might not ever; he loves whole-wheat. And I love that I can bake treats for him that are much healthier for him than typical bakery items.

Making My Home A Haven

I missed joining in last week when Tammy first took over Making Your Home a Haven, but this week she's talking about getting to bed on time.

Not that that's something I ever struggle with. (snort.)

Since writing that post a few weeks ago, I'm doing better as I pay attention to the time and don't let myself get distracted in the evening. Recognizing that in order to be in bed ready to sleep by 10:30, I need to back everything else up and think about how long it takes me to get ready for bed, how long to wrap up whatever I'm doing, etc. I try to really start thinking about heading towards bed at 9:30, and 10:00 is my absolute get-myself-moving deadline.

And it works. Amazingly enough. I've managed to wake up shortly after 7:00 without an alarm almost every day - weekends included. I seem to need significantly more sleep currently so I'm going to gradually see if I can nudge that wakeup time earlier without it demanding a bedtime any earlier than 9:30; anything earlier than that just doesn't work well if I want to spend any time with L in the evening.

I think the pregnancy is not only causing me to need more sleep, but also to have a shift in the timing for my energy levels - used to be that I was much more productive in the late afternoon/evening. Now, I find that I have better luck tackling stuff earlier because after about 5:00 I'm exhausted, both physically and mentally. This is also motivation for me to get out of bed and start working in the morning - I got lots done last Saturday before noon and I think most of the credit goes to the fact that I got up at 7:15 and got right into my morning routine.

And now, on that note, it's definitely time for me to get to bed!

Monday night/Tuesday morning update:
Was in bed by 10:30, although not really ready to sleep until 10:45 or so. I did sleep as well as I ever do now, and woke up without the alarm at 6:50. Got up immediately too, thanks to my need to visit the bathroom which keeps me from lazing about in bed too long.

Tuesday night/Wednesday morning update:
In bed on time, and although I didn't sleep well I still woke up before the alarm at 6:45.

Wednesday night/Thursday morning update:
Yeah, not in bed on time at all. More like 11:30 - I made a phone call when I should have been making my way to bed and then I talked for much too long. Then I compounded this by reading for another half hour before finally heading to bed. Still woke up at 6:30 though somehow. (Somehow in this case was definitely due to the shrinking bladder space)

Memory Verse

Acts 4:12, New International Version

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

Weekly Menu Plan

Sunday - Out for a big lunch, so we'll just have leftovers or sandwiches for dinner.

Monday - Beef, mushroom and barley soup. With sourdough bread.

Tuesday - Homemade pizza (or that turkey tart I never have made yet).

Wednesday - Bacon pasta with lots of fresh mushrooms.

Thursday - Black bean soup, if it's cold enough, or black bean quesadillas if the temperature is too high for soup.

Friday - Leftovers/sandwiches/scrounge.

Week Twenty-Six

This was probably my favorite week of pregnancy so far. I felt pretty good, I had enough energy to get stuff done, and I managed to not feel like a complete slacker at work (like I have since, oh, November.) My productivity at work this last week probably eclipsed December and January combined.

I still can't really believe that I'm ending the second trimester. I feel like I had a 5-month first trimester and a 1-month second.

This week also brought my first Braxton-Hicks contraction! And it sure was a lot of fun, what with instantaneously doubling me over wondering what on earth was going on. Then when it ended I realized what it was.

I think I've been forgetting to mention one fabulous thing I've been experiencing just about every day (multiple times a day really) since I don't remember when exactly. Heartburn. Major, flaming, searing heartburn. From eating anything. Or nothing sometimes.

I've noticed that the baby has some definite preferences. Specifically, he does NOT like me sleeping on my left side. Or even attempting to sleep on my left side. Or curling up on that side, as if I might be thinking about possibly trying to sleep. He will KICK KICK KICK if I'm on my left side. When I'm on my right, he has gentler kicks. On my left side, he gets progressively firmer with them, and more frequent. Then when I finally give up and roll over, he quits. He's won, so no more need to kick (or punch, or elbow, or whatever it is exactly he's doing). The nice thing is that it's an easy way to let L feel some baby movement - stretch out on that side, relax, and within 5 minutes he'll make his presence known. Apparently he hasn't read the baby books and websites that state that lying on my left side is best for him.

The biggest news from the week though has to be that I'm registered finally (much to the relief of L's family). Babies 'R Us, Target, and Amazon even. Lots & lots of stuff it seems like. It was ... kinda fun? But exhausting still, and I am so not a shopper, that even registering is too much in many ways.

Thankful Tuesday

• We've made good progress on L's office. And by we, I mean 90% of it is L, if not 95%. It has to be cleared out enough to make room for me to move my desk & file cabinet & book case in to join him. Then we'll be able to set up the baby's room in what was my office.
  
  
• Plans for a last-trip-before-baby are being finalized and I am really looking forward to it. We're headed for Texas! I need to figure out some more specifics (minor little things like where we'll stay and such) but what I've spent more time on is looking at places to eat. I've already warned L that I plan to eat my weight in Tex-Mex, so he'd better be prepared. And then I'll eat his weight in Blue Bell ice cream.
  
  
• I'm registered! I went to a couple of stores yesterday with my mother-in-law and spent forever, but I'm registered. Still need to straighten up the registries a bit (finding items cheaper at the second store so I want to get them off the first store's list etc), but I'm mostly done with that. And a good thing because L's family was about to riot if I didn't get the info to them.

Week Twenty-Five

Pretty much the same as last week. Although I've been forgetting to mention the horrific HEARTBURN that I'm experiencing every single day, and have been for several weeks. It doesn't seem to matter what I eat, how much I eat, or when I eat. I will get heartburn.

I bought maternity clothes this week. Haven't worn them yet, but I've got two pairs of pants that I can wear to work (black and brown; the brown isn't a shade I'd usually pick since I like more of a true khaki, but I can't be that picky), and six shirts. One of the shirts is 3/4 length sleeves so I won't want to wear it once it's full summer, but it was on major clearance so I bought it anyway. I'd like to get a few more shirts that will be ok for work, and for our upcoming trip. That's my real wardrobe concern right now - that I have enough clothes to get me through this vacation without demanding a visit to a laundromat. Hopefully I'll cobble together enough items to manage it.

I've also started to really think about what all I need to get done at work before I leave, which might seem a little early, but considering how fast time is flying by, probably not. Especially since I hope to stop working at least one week before my due date, and preferably two or three. We'll see if I can manage that...

My View on the NT Use of the OT

NT Use of the OT -- Test Your View!

Single Meaning, Multiple Contexts and Referents view You seem to be most closely aligned with the Single Meaning, Multiple Contexts and Referents view, a view defended by Darrell L. Bock in the book “Three Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament” (edited by Kenneth Berding and Jonathan Lunde, Nov. 2008). This view affirms the singular nature of the meanings intended by the OT and NT authors when OT texts are cited in the NT. In spite of this essential unity in meaning, however, the words of the OT authors frequently take on new dimensions of significance and are found to apply appropriately to new referents and new situations as God’s purposes unfold in the larger canonical context. Often, these referents were not in the minds of the OT authors when they penned their texts. For more info, see the book, or attend a special session devoted to the topic at the ETS Annual Meeting in Providence, RI (Nov. 2008); Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Darrell L. Bock, and Peter Enns will all present their views.

Fun quizzes, surveys & blog quizzes by

I will be completely honest. I've got what I think is fairly good Bible knowledge, although my knowledge of theology is quite scanty (which is why I'm working to strengthen it). That might explain why I'm not completely sure what this is saying precisely, and whether or not it correctly reflects my view on the NT use of the OT. I'm feeling somewhat ignorant right now.

Thankful Tuesday

• That I have a slew of PTO days still available. I used one yesterday and I think I'm going to use another one tomorrow. I am so glad I've been stockpiling them for years.
  
  
• L moved the dresser and one bookcase as I continue to work on my closet. They both fit perfectly.
  
  
• The weather has been absolutely beautiful here lately. I'm enjoying being able to open the windows and get fresh air in the house.

This might be a sign that I'm nesting.

This weekend I was supposed to work on our taxes. I didn't. Instead I tore into my closet and have purged and cleaned and rearranged like I finally had some real energy. Oh, wait, I did finally have some real energy. I had to intentionally pace myself since I knew my energy level was higher than what my back could actually take (and I should have paced myself more carefully).
Let me first explain. My closet is HUGE. It extends the length of the master bedroom which is generously sized. Hanging rod all down the long side, and wrapped around the corner. The shorter side has 3 long shelves and a dresser.

The closet is so big it became a problem - I'd kept it fairly organized until our big bathroom remodel last year. During that undertaking, the closet that was in the bathroom (L's closet) had to be emptied, along with all the bathroom items. Everything got shoved into my closet. Once the remodel was completed, L had a closet again, but it was much tinier than before, so some things had to remain in my closet. And then I just couldn't deal with it so I ignored it. And what was bad became much much worse.

Until I finally couldn't take it anymore. I had to rearrange things to make room for the bookcase from my office; it's the best place to put it and once it's tidied there will be plenty of room. And then I just got on a roll. I went through every drawer in the dresser and purged. I went through my lingerie cabinet and purged (oh, how I purged there. I had some really ratty undies that should have been tossed ages ago). I found lots of random things that had been tossed in there and now are going into the trash or on to Goodwill if they're usable.

I've got the space cleared for the bookcase. Now I just have to empty the bookcase so L can move it. I even cleared additional space so the dresser can shift down and an additional bookcase can take that spot. Yes, we have a lot of bookcases in our house, because we have a lot of books. I am so thrilled with this.

It's not completely done; I've got to sort the luggage and figure out a better way to store it. First though I need to figure out how much luggage we really need. There are several pieces that I don't think we'll ever use, but I'll see what L thinks first. Then one of those shelves has some items that can probably be purged. It's mostly language books (as in, French/German/Italian/Spanish/ASL) but surely I can acknowledge that at this point in my life, I am not using them and am not going to be using them. Well, most of them anyway. That's going to be hard.

I'll try and get a picture of the new-and-improved closet once I get the luggage stowed. Currently it's spread out in groups - duffle bags / garment bags / rolling suitcases / totes, etc.

Memory Verse

Psalm 107:8-9, English Standard Version

Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!

For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

Weekly Menu Plan

Sunday -Turkey tart. It's a new recipe for me from the cookbook Great Pies and Tarts. It sounds fantastic, but we'll see how I do at making tart dough.

Monday - Some sort of beef dish in the crock pot. Probably with mashed potatoes or egg noodles and a green veggie of some sort. I'm leaning towards mushroom round steak, although round steak Italiano also sounds good. Really, I must be too hungry right now because there are several least other recipes that sound really tasty. I'll have to ask L if he wants mushrooms or not, or a tomato vs. cream sauce. That'll help narrow it down to which one to choose, because I am just going back & forth on what I want.

Tuesday - Lentil sloppy joes. I actually really hate sloppy joes, but L loves them, so I'm going to see if a meatless version appeals to me more.

Wednesday - Most likely we'll go out to eat as we've got family in town.

Thursday - Sausage, potato, and green bean skillet. We had it last week and I loved it so much I want it again right away. That NEVER happens.

Friday - Pizza!

Week Twenty-Four

Yeah, so, a little vomiting again, brought on by a coughing fit while eating dinner. Unfortunately dinner was black bean burritos with chipotle and lots of salsa, which didn't exactly feel all that great on the return.

The baby has been very active most days, although he's been fairly quiet today. L even got to feel him moving the other night when I first went to bed.

Even with the vomiting, this has probably been one of the best pregnancy weeks I've had. I've felt pretty well overall, I've gotten lots done at work which feels good (I had been accomplishing so little I was embarrassed). Next week I hope to focus on my house more.

I do feel significantly bigger lately. I was up 4 pounds at my doctor's appointment this week, so I'm now only down 15 since my week 8 visit. I don't really notice my stomach in the morning or during most of the day, but in the evening I feel like I'm bloated or something and that I'm enormous. And rolling over in bed has become a challenge some times; it's just so awkward and my lower back hurts so much it makes it more difficult.

I just typed above that he's been fairly quiet today and he decided to prove me wrong and is now letting me know he's here and won't be talked about that way. So I stand corrected. He's been very active every day this week.

Blog Personality Type

I found a website that claimed it would analyze the personality type of my blog. Of course I had to try it. It says that my blog is:

ESFP - The Performers

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

The enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.

This is especially funny to me because in real life, I'm an INTJ. So apparently I blog exactly the opposite of how I am in person?

On Night-Owl-ness and Self-Discipline

What I find very frustrating about myself is that I am so naturally a night-owl, and I'm trying desperately to turn myself into an early-bird. My goal used to be to get up for work at 5:15, and have time to read the Bible and pray in addition to getting ready for work. Then leave for work at 6:30 so I'm at work shortly after 7:00 (or in the parking lot at least; it's another 10 minutes minimum to walk from my car through the parking area into the building and finally make it to my desk. 15 minutes if I've chosen my shoes poorly that morning).

This worked well enough, but the weekends just kill me - I so easily slip back into staying up too late, and I can't get up in the morning, so on Saturday and Sunday I sleep in, then I'm not tired to go to bed, then I stay up way too late on Sunday and Monday I really can't get up on time.

Let's not even talk about how Sunday and Monday night football or baseball games mess with my schedule. If for no other reason than evening sports on TV, I wish I was in the Pacific or Mountain time zone instead of Eastern.

And none of this even takes into account what happened when morning sickness struck with a vengeance and I so quickly had to shift my work schedule to accommodate the daily vomiting sessions. I'm doing much better with that, but I haven't been able to get back to my previous schedule. Hence the "used to be" above. I haven't thrown up in the morning in a couple of weeks, but I haven't been able to get back to getting up before 7:30 at the earliest!

Self-discipline has never been one of my strengths and I think this is just one aspect of it. And I'm about to the point of making it a priority to work on this; I've got to get better control over myself and stop slipping into the bad habit of staying up too late because it just messes up my entire week.

Thankful Tuesday

• We had such nice weather over the weekend that we were able to open up the windows & doors and get lots of fresh air into the house. I always love that after a winter where things are closed up tight.
  
  
• L is very accommodating - I was desperately wanting steak for dinner last night and he took me out without any real need to persuade him.
  
  
• I'm feeling so much better. It's amazing.

Getting Ready

I've begun making a list of what all I'd like to accomplish before the baby arrives this summer. I've started with the essentials, as in absolutely, positively, must be done. All that's on that list is buy and install a car seat, and pack a bag for the hospital. And in order to accomplish the second item, a third item: create a list of items to include in the bag. So far that list has camera, batteries, and battery charger. I've got the essentials! I tried to make this list the things that 100% had to happen; I mean, we can't bring the baby home without a car seat, and we'll have a family revolt if we don't get pictures from the hospital.

My list of things that sure would be nice to accomplish is much longer. Unrealistically long, but still. It includes some things that really ought to be done, or else we'll be scrambling to do them after the baby is here (such as setting up the baby's room), and some things that just would be convenient (like getting thank you cards/stamps/addresses ready to make sending them out much easier). I'm debating splitting this list even further; maybe into "B" or "C" priority. B priority items would be things like the nursery. It really does need to be done. C priority would be things like the thank you notes; it'd be great to set up in advance, but it's not the end of the world if it doesn't happen.

I hope to get my list finished this week (the creating it part; then I'll get to start working on it), and I'll post it then. And yes, this is inspired in part by Crystal's Preparing for Baby: Master To Do List.

Weekly Menu Plan

Sunday - I have lots of veggies in the fridge that I need to get cooked, so it'll probably be a strange assortment of whatever we can find. Definitely not my usual Sunday sort of meal.

Monday - Red beans & rice. Since it got booted off the menu last week (L ended up having a work event & some other stuff going on & I'm not going to make it if he won't be around to enjoy it).

Tuesday - Baked spaghetti, and I plan to freeze half of it to see how well it works, and if it works well, I'll probably make it again before the baby arrives so it'll be ready in the freezer.

Wednesday - Lentil soup if it's cool enough, pizza if it's not. The temperature can only be so high before L declares that it's too hot for soup.

Thursday - Black bean burrito bake.

Friday - Leftovers/sandwiches/scrounge.

Week Twenty-Three

NO VOMITING!!! At all! Slight queasiness, but nothing too bad, and nothing came up so I don't even care about the queasiness.

L hasn't been able to feel the baby move again and he's very jealous when I report lots of movement. The baby definitely has some routine to his movement - when I first come home from work (perhaps he like the extra space my yoga pants allows?), and when I first get into bed are reliably time he'll move a lot.

I called the hospital this week because they have a doula program, and if you want to use a doula, you have to go through their program. I guess the good thing is their program is about half the price of independent doulas I'd found in the area online, although I'm curious to see the match they make. Fortunately if I don't feel comfortable with the doula match after our introductory get-to-know-you session , I can call the coordinator and try again.

I also signed up for childbirth & newborn care classes (4 weeks of classes one night a week), a natural labor class (just one class) and breastfeeding basics (one class). L is NOT looking forward to any of these.

I've got more energy this week, which is nice, although it seems like if I try to do too much the energy I had is quickly depleted. But if I pace myself I can actually do more than collapse on the couch as soon as I get home from work, and I don't have to spend all evening there, only managing to get up when I finally stagger off to bed.

Choosing Wisely

1. Is this causing me to desire for something that I do not have?
2. Is it making me discontent with my current situation?
3. And, even tougher, is this drawing towards me or away from my Heavenly Father?

I want this to be my guide in choosing the things that I will read. And watch. And think about.....

Thanks to Joy for her great post where I found these questions! http://sahmissionary.blogspot.com/2008/12/guard-your-heart.html

Thankful Tuesday

• March is here and for whatever reason the baby's arrival is suddenly seeming much much closer. Which is so exciting.
  
  
• My new contacts are so much better than my old ones.
  
  
• It may sound really strange to say it, but I love Lent.
  
  
• I haven't thrown up in a little over a week. I'm almost afraid to type this, because a part of me thinks I'm going to jinx myself and within 30 minutes of it being posted I'll be hanging over the toilet again. But... I think maybe I really am over the morning sickness.

Making My Home A Haven

Trying to continue the habit...

Priorities. I'm really having to focus on them now. I always knew they were important, and I had my own priorities (kitchen & bathroom cleanliness was very high. Washing windows was very low). But as I continue to deal with very low energy and stamina, I'm having to focus even more sharply on the top priorities for our home.

1. Food. As in, that we have food to eat in the house and that as much as possible/necessary, I (or L) cook healthy & satisfying dinners.
   
   
2. Clothes. That are clean and wearable. Fortunately we have a washer & dryer in the house and that makes it much easier to keep up with this.
   
   
3. A clean-enough kitchen. Clean-enough means it's sanitary first of all. And then it also means that we have space and clean dishes/utensils with which to prepare and eat our meals. It may mean that things are not as tidy as normal, and that the pantry or cupboards are a mess. And that's ok right now.
   
   
4. A clean-enough bathroom. Again, it's gotta be sanitary so we're not making ourselves sick. When I spent most days throwing up, a very very clean toilet was a super high priority, and even though I'm not vomiting quite so much now (hallelujah!) I still need the toilet to be very clean. Clean sinks and countertops too, because that is a major pet peeve of mine. Lower priority than normal are clean mirrors. Spots aren't hurting anything right now, so if it's a choice between cleaning the toilet & cleaning the mirrors, I'm going with the toilet every time.
   
   
5. A made bed. This is just a personal thing, but it makes me feel so much happier when our bed is made; every time I see into the room I smile. Yes, this can be easily ignored and the house won't fall to pieces. But the emotional satisfaction it gives me is worth it on all but the very worst days.
   
   
6. Caught-up mail. I didn't do so well on this in November and December. I was late on some bills for the first time in my life, so I realize now that I've got to keep from letting the mail pile up endlessly. Once a week is good enough, but once a month isn't.
   
   
7. A baked treat for L. No, this isn't an essential. But it can be fairly simple, and it makes him feel so loved and treasured that I make it a high priority for myself. Banana bread (especially Tammy's banana pineapple bread) isn't that hard, but it absolutely delights him - both when I first make it, and every day when he gets a piece. He would much prefer me to spend some of my limited energy on this then on many other household tasks, and I need to remember to prioritize what he especially values.
   
   
8. Quick decluttering patrols. Not truly decluttering as in getting rid of stuff we've had for awhile, but more of a daily/weekly pick-up of things that just seem to sprout throughout the house. Neither of us are particularly neat by nature, so it seems that all flat surfaces quickly grow piles of stuff - magazines, junk mail, plates, glasses, etc. I've noticed that just a few minutes a couple of times a day can really make a huge difference in the amount of this kind of stuff around the house, and that makes the house look much tidier and less neglected. Plus it makes me happier not having so much random stuff strewn everywhere.

If I can only focus on these items, no, my house won't be perfect, but it'll be functional and we can manage at that level until I can accomplish more.

Memory Verse

Colossians 2:8, English Standard Version.

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

I think the NIV sticks in my head a little better, so I may have to go with it:

Colossians 2:8, New International Version.

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

February Books

Marshall H. Klaus, John H. Kennell & Phyllis H. Klaus - The Doula Book: How a Trained Labor Companion Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth

Robert Jordan - The Fires of Heaven

Olive A. Fredrickson with Ben East - The Silence of the North

Ellie Mathews - The Linden Tree

Karen Harper - The Tidal Poole

Samantha Glen and Mary Pesaresi - Search and Rescue

Robert Jordan - The Shadow Rising

Joachim Fest - Inside Hitler's Bunker: The Last Days of the Third Reich

Janet Taylor Lisle - Black Duck

Margaret Visser - Much Depends on Dinner

Donna Leon - Quietly in Their Sleep

Tim Stark - Heirloom: Notes from an Accidental Tomato Farmer

Robert Jordan - The Dragon Reborn

Jan Burke - The Messenger: A Novel

Marian Hale - Dark Water Rising

Jeremy Schapp - Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler’s Olympics

Robert Jordan - The Great Hunt

Brian Raftery - Don’t Stop Believin': How Karaoke Conquered the World and Changed My Life

Stephen Booth - Blood on the Tongue: A Crime Novel

Johanna Reiss - The Journey Back

Justin Catanoso - My Cousin the Saint: A Search for Faith, Family, and Miracles

Robert Jordan - The Eye of the World

Dave Crenshaw - The Myth of Multitasking: How “Doing It All” Gets Nothing Done