Crazy preggo dreams

One thing not often talked about with pregnancy is unusual dreams. All blame can be pointed at our nutso hormones raging out of control. They make us say, crave, do and dream some pretty strange stuff. These dreams can be sad or scary where you see your husband, baby or yourself die. They can be happy dreams where you see yourself holding your baby for the first time or finding out the sex of the baby (which is probably one of the biggest highlights of pregnancy). And then there's the type of dreams I have...crazy, off the wall, make no sense, head scratching dreams about nothing real or true in any way.

Case in point, my dream from 2 nights ago. Every night before laying down I turn on our baby monitor so I can hear David if he wakes up crying in the night. On this particular night I must have fallen asleep quickly and this was the last thing on my mind. In my ridiculous dream David was yelling at me for wasting so much money on electricity in the house. His big point in the argument was the baby monitor. He said he'd done the math and the baby monitor running overnight was costing us $2 in electricity every single night. He argued that we have a small apartment and I should be able to hear little David if he's crying about something....and if he's not crying hard enough for me to hear him then it wasn't that important in the first place so I shouldn't worry about it. "At $2 a night it's costing us $60 a month just to run that stupid baby monitor!" He spouts. Even in my dreams my pregnancy hormones get the best of me and I starting sobbing at this point. I was pretty torn up thinking I wouldn't know when David needed me. When he finished his rant, I tried to respond, but I just ended up sobbing and blubbering like an idiot about something that had to do with macaroni and cheese.

At that point, I woke up. I tried to roll over in my sleep and was having a hard time heaving my giant belly over me. I got stuck on my back and woke up because it was so uncomfortable. I felt somewhat like a beached whale. Kinda wish I could have finished the dream though. I don't know how exactly that argument would have ended. He was throwing out some very valid points...but then again, I had played the tears card. That one usually trumps everything. Who knows.

I cleaned WHAT?!?!?

At the risk of you pointing and laughing next time you see me, I have to share my latest "what the heck were you thinking?" moment.

So I'm getting ready for a shower and I realize it is nasty dirty (like it often is) because I had once again been putting off cleaning it (like I often do). Yep, you've heard this story before....I am completely disgusted and won't take a shower until I have cleaned it. I'm ridiculous, I know. Once it's all shiny and clean I jump in and take my shower. Half way through I completely freeze in my place and flip out when I realize what I'm doing...I'm using my body wash to clean my body wash bottle!!! What the heck?!? What kind of nut job cleans their soap bottles?!?? Obviously, me. Yeeeah...it was so super important and needed to be done. What a waste of tasty smelling body wash. I can't believe me sometimes. Apparently, the clean shower walls and tub weren't enough and I just had to take it one step further. I'm a little embarrassed at my own ridiculousness.

Thanks for listening...you can laugh now.

I like you, Esther, but I'm tired.

I signed up for a really awesome Beth Moore Bible study at our church. We are into our 3rd week now and I'm really loving it. She has brought out things in this story that I just didn't notice or think about before. Beth has a way of bringing home and making it really applicable which is something I think a lot of studies lack. It's quite an adventure and I know I'll look back at the end and say "Wow! I learned a whole lot in only 9 weeks!".

....BUT that being said, this study 5 days a week and look at the "homework" thing is sort of difficult. It's not that the material is that hard. I love it once I get into it. It's not that this takes a long time - each day's work could be done in 30 minutes or so depending on how much you dwell on it. It's not that I don't have the time - I am just being lazy lately and not making the time for much of anything. It's much easier to accomplish things (especially serious and focused things) while David is down for a nap. *Enter my big dilemma here* I am so stinking tired from being 9 months pregnant and chasing a toddler all day that I want nothing more than to just nap with him! I know I should be responsible and get things done, but I'm tired. I love this study but every day I seem to push it off for a couple of Zzz's. Now, I have the best husband in the world and he helps me get a few alone time minutes later in the evening so I can do what I really need to do. So really it all works out in the end, but every day I feel a little bad when I abandon my girl Esther for my pillow.

Perhaps someday my life won't revolve around what I can accomplish in a one hour nap slot. Maybe someday, when I've quit chasing screaming toddlers, I will have the privilege of "alone" time. Perhaps then, when I've finished having babies and I'm not pregnant, I can make it through a whole day without needing a nap myself. Ahh, someday. Right now, I really don't know what to make of such a life. It sounds great in theory, but I'm pretty sure if I had it I'd be bored. For right now I'm just going to hang in there, give myself some credit and cut myself some slack. Right now, Zzzzzzzz........

To be honest....

...and not get myself in trouble for internet plagiarism I should mention that NONE of the recipes for cleaning products, soaps or detergents listed in this section of my blog are mine. I simply Googled "homemade cleaning products" or the name of the cleaner I was trying to find and these recipes are what I found. I have and do use most of them in my home (some I haven't had a chance to try yet), but I am not the one who came up with the recipe.

Laundry Soap

Please note that this recipe is not my own. It was taken from: http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm.

1/3 bar Fels Naptha bar soap (I use 1 bar)
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup washing soda
You will also need a bucket - about 2 gallon size to mix and store it all in.

Grate the bar soap and put in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and warm over medium heat until the soap melts, stirring often. Add the washing soda and borax and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Add your soap mixture and stir. Add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let sit for 24 hours to gel before use. Use 1/2 cup per load of laundry.

Toilet bowl cleaner

Mix 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar, pour into basin and let it set for a few minutes. Scrub with brush and rinse. A mixture of borax (2 parts) and lemon juice (one part) will also work.

Removing stickers off walls

I haven't had the "privilege" of sticker artwork on the walls yet, but I've heard several moms claim that this works wonders. It's always worth a shot! I've read online that it doesn't matter how old the sticker is. It may require more time or a second application, but it will still work.

How to do it:
Sponge white vinegar over the sticker several times, and wait 15 minutes, then rub off the stickers. This also works for price tags (stickers) on tools, etc.

All-purpose cleaner

I use the vinegar and water mixture right now, but I've heard great things about the first recipe too. The first is better for actually cleaning grease and grime; the second is a great disinfectant on already clean countertops.

Mix 3 cups hot water and 1/4 cup white vinegar with 2 teaspoons Borax in a spray bottle until borax is dissolved. Add 1/4 teaspoon liquid dish soap and shake gently to avoid excessive bubbles.

~OR~

Mix equal parts vinegar and water in spray bottle and use.

Treating coffee and tea stains

Stains in cups can be removed by applying vinegar to a sponge and wiping. To clean a teakettle or coffee maker, add 2 cups water and 1/4 cup vinegar; bring to a boil or run coffee maker. Let cool, wipe with a clean cloth and rinse thoroughly with water. For a coffee maker, run several pots of just water.

Bathroom mold cleaner

I used this overnight last night and couldn't believe how great it worked! David has a frog shaped plastic cover over the spout in his bathtub. It saves tons of bumps and bruises from him slipping and bonking his face while playing, but it has a lip underneath it that holds water after every bath. Standing water = mold. There is just no getting around it. It was pretty nasty before I realized it didn't have a way to drain so I once again took to Google to find a cheap and "green" way to clean it up. I filled a little bowl and set the frog in to soak. You are supposed to leave this mixture sit for only an hour then wipe it up, but I forgot about it and left it overnight. This morning I took a toothbrush to the bathroom intent on scrubbing poor Froggie til he was clean but this worked so well that all I had to do was wipe it off. The mold peeled away completely and Froggie looks brand spanking new again. Who knew?

Are you ready for the recipe? It's shockingly simple.

Mix one part hydrogen peroxide (3%) with two parts water in a spray bottle and spray on areas with mold. Wait at least one hour before rinsing or using shower.

Dishwasher detergent

We've recently stopped buying cleaning products and such altogether. With the help of Google, I've searched out a list of recipes to make our own cleaners at home. This saves tons of money, is healthier around my family and kids and I always have the ingredients on hand so there is no running out! And best of all....they work!!!!

This dishwasher detergent is one of my most recent finds and I'm loving it. It cleans very well and leaves even the glassware looking sparkly. Yay! At the price that I bought the ingredients, it costs about 6 cents per load of dishes. This is saving me loads of money considering the last soap we had cost 18 cents per load.

Now for the recipe...

1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup baking soda
1 package of lemon-lime kool-aid (for citric acid)

Mix in an old resealable container. I have a peanut butter jar and that works great. Use 2 tablespoons of mixture per load - 1 Tbsp. in the closed detergent container and 1 Tbsp. in the open one.


After thought: After I posted this originally, I got to thinking and realized that I forgot to mention that I also use plain white vinegar in the rinse aid compartment. It's a great sub for Jet-Dry or similar product and leaves things extra sparkly!

I'm ready

Soooo....I haven't been on in a while. We've been busy prepping for the new baby, recovering from surgery and trying to keep up with life in general. It's been exhausting, exciting, chaotic and busy...but then when isn't life all of those things? I've been working my tail off to accomplish so many things. I feel like I've done a lot, but then I look around and see a lot more still to do. Oh well. It'll happen. I think if I had to sum up the way I feel in the last week or so into one sentence I would say "I'm ready".

I'm ready for this baby to come. I have prepped the boys' room (and then rearranged twice more). I have all of Max's clothes washed and ready to wear, the carseat is in the van and my bag is packed for the hospital. We have plans made for David to be taken care of when we go to the hospital. Literally, all we are missing is our baby! Come on, Max!

I'm ready to not be pregnant anymore. Yes, it sounds a bit like the first one, but this time I'm talking about me. I am tired of not sleeping at night anymore. I'm sick of peeing every 45 minutes. I can't stand that everything either has a nasty strong smell, upsets my stomach or is craved at 4am. I really don't want to go to anymore prenatal appts. I like my midwife and all, but I can't wait to not see her anymore. I also can't wait for strangers to stop staring at me waddle, giving looks of pity and then saying "You're overdue aren't you?". NO! I have weeks to go still! Shut up! You're not helping! Grr. ...I'm also very tired of being cranky for no apparent reason and snapping at my poor hubby. Pretty sure he could do without that one too. :)

I'm ready for David to feel better and get back on his feet. Not only am I pregnant and nesting and preparing the house for a new baby, but I'm still nursing David back to health as well. He's definitely turning a corner, but it's been a long road and quite frankly I'm a little weary. In the last 5 weeks he's sprained both ankles, gone through surgery on his nose and then fought a nasty infection as a result of surgery. I sort of can't remember when he was up on his feet and feeling strong and healthy. I miss his help more than anything. We have such a great balance of household duties and it's a little overwhelming to do it all myself. *deep breath* We'll be ok.

Welcome to Curiosity Corner...

...Where we'll look at the latest thing David has done out of sheer curiosity. Sometimes I think it overwhelms him. He seems to lack the ability to control it.

Soooo...I was making cupcakes and had a box of toothpicks on the countertop so I could check them when they were done. David was still down for a nap when I finished so I didn't worry about cleaning anything up. I was more concerned with making use of my kid-free time so I laid down for a little nap. David went to get the little man when he woke up and they played quietly while I napped. Mere seconds after I finally woke up I heard a crash and then a funny "tink. tink." type sound. I walked into the kitchen and found David in the corner with the majority of my 800 count box of toothpicks on the floor. He was picking up handfuls and sprinkling them on the floor like it was raining toothpicks or something. Notice how he grins at Daddy when he comes to find out what's going on. :) He's so cute I can't even be upset.

"If I have to pull this van over, I'm throwing your rock in the trash!"

...Yep, I said it. I'm not necessarily proud of it either. I sorta sounded like my mom.

We had to run some errands today. One of them was to drop something off at our friends house. This friend has loads of rocks right outside her door because she's awesome like that. Her landscaping is full of stepping stones and small rocks. David has apparently decided that he likes rocks a whole lot. He found a particularly eye-catching gray rock that he absolutely would not leave in the walkway. It was just too special. I tried to talk him out of it, but he insisted on getting in the van with it to come home. There was just no way out of it and honestly, I was tired and just didn't feel like the fight. It was much bigger than his mouth and didn't pose a choking hazard so he got to hold it all the way home. However, about half the way home he discovered the neato noise it made when scraped against his teeth. "Bite, bite, bite." He shrieked. Oh, nice. My child likes to bite rocks. That's not weird or anything.

Now, we live only about 7-8 minutes away from our friends, but it seemed like forever with the wretched noise of teeth meeting rocks coming from the backseat. I gave him a warning to stop or it would be taken away. He chose to ignore me. At the stoplight, I tried to take it back, but I couldn't reach it from the driver's seat. Enter the threat here. Before I knew it, that awful mom phrase was flying out of my mouth..."If I have to pull this van over...". I was horrified with myself. Who am I now? Seriously! David has recently learned the concept of "trash" and the fact that nothing comes back once it's in the trash. This was the only thing I could think of that would really devastate him. It worked. He panicked a bit then handed it over. He got it back after we got home and he got a lecture.

I woke up with a mission to make him cry at least once today. I feel my mom mission is now complete. :)

Pregnancy report!

I had yet another prenatal appt today. Everything is fabulous. I am not dilated at all which is good for 5 weeks out. We want that to wait a bit longer. My blood pressure and Max's heartbeat were perfectly normal. I am also measuring just right for 35 weeks. I have gained a very healthy 20 pounds now (but that was with a winter coat and boots on). Really not much to report, but that's how I like it! I rather enjoy my uneventful and boring pregnancies. :)

Saving green by being green..

So about 6 months ago I felt a really strong need to re-evaluate how I was doing things in my house and for my family. I realized that I was making choices day in and day out that were costing us unnecessary money and weren't the healthiest choice for the environment or our family.

By this point, I was already making my own laundry soap, but I decided to step it up a notch and make the rest of our household cleaners too. I started with my bathroom and all-purpose counter top type cleaner first. Once we had some of that down, I made the money saving switch to cloth diapers and wipes for David. We have that whole situation under control now so I recently moved on to making my own dishwasher detergent. It's amazing the money you can save when you try! I also feel better now knowing exactly what is in my cleaning products. There are no excess or harsh chemicals near my child or in the air we breathe. This makes my mommy heart so happy.

As a stay-at-home mom, I am grateful every day for the privilege of being here with my child every moment of the day. My husband makes sacrifices so I don't have to. I feel though that it is my responsibility to make good use of the money that he works so hard to bring home. I need to be a good steward of our finances. This means making sound decisions at the grocery store and around the house. I looked around today and felt so much better about saying that I was doing just that.

Not to brag, but I'm kind of awesome. :)

Doing phenomenal!

We are now 1 week out from David's surgery and he's doing fantastic. We had a rough 3 days and nights right after the surgery, but now all is well and he's able to sleep at night again. It was never all that painful - most of the time he described it as sore - but it was very uncomfortable not being able to breath normally. The inside of his nose was very swollen and he was on strict orders not to blow so it was packed with blood clots and drainage from surgery. There wasn't much he could do about it so it just made him miserable. He's now able to breathe through both nostrils and can sleep laying flat in bed. He no longer needs 3 pillows to prop himself up. Yay! What a milestone! Last night, I got up with little David in the middle of the night and realized that, for the first time in our whole entire marriage, David wasn't snoring. It was awesome...for me at least! He sounds much more comfortable when he's sleeping now, but honestly the best part for me is the lack of snoring! :)

We were very nervous going into Thursday, but now we are very glad we stuck it out and did the surgery. It has helped so much already and he isn't even 100% healed! We had some bumps in the road and some rough, sleepless nights, but it was worth it. Thank you, everyone, for all your prayers!

Today's the day

David is going in for surgery (septoplasty) in exactly 3 hours. Yikes. It was great to think about, but now that it's here it's a little nerve wrecking and a little much to handle. BUT we are fully trusting that the outcome is in the Lord's hands. We know there is a chance that it might not fully resolve the issues he's having. We know that there are risks of irreversable side effects and damage. Like with any type of surgery, there are also risks that come from being under general anesthesia. We are resting in the peace that comes from knowing the Lord is in control. He will be by David's side and guiding the doctor's hands for every second of that 90 minute surgery. If you think of us today, send up a prayer. It's going to be a long day and an even longer week as he recovers.

My verse for today:
"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

Belly pictures!

Only 7 weeks to go until Max arrives! These pictures were taken yesterday when I was 33 weeks exactly. I can't believe that belly!!!

Welcome, Twenty-Ten!

2010 is finally here! We were blessed at the last minute by David not having to work. I was under the impression that he was going to, but he worked it out and got today off. Then we were blessed again by friends who made last minute plans with us for ringing in the new year and they didn't mind us bringing our kiddo (pretty sure they might regret that now! - keep reading.)

So here goes...we were supposed to get together around 8pm-ish to let the kids play for a while before we laid them down for bed. Our friends are awesome and have a house with lots of extra bedrooms and each kiddo was going to have their own room to sleep in so they didn't disturb each other. After the wee ones were down, it was going to be game playing, chatting, fun time for us moms and dads. Yeah, sounds like a good plan right? Sure. The kids got there and were super excited to see each other. They played for a while and then it was time to face the challenge of bedtime. We all started the process at the same time, but after 20 or 30 minutes both my mommy friends were back to the party and my kid is still screaming. Great. There is always one in every crowd, but why did he have to be mine??? I gave up on putting him to bed and let David try. Sometimes Daddy can accomplish things that Mommy can't....but not tonight. My little stinker, er I mean, my adorable little angel decided he wasn't leaving the party for anything. Sleep was just not going to happen.

Yeah, I'm annoyed at this point. I'll say it. Why do the other moms and dads get kid-free time and I'm stuck with him in my lap all night. Most of the time he was being good though and wasn't' literally in my lap. He did just run around and play with trucks most of the night. Can't complain too much I guess. He was well behaved. He was just kind of a downer at first - then he got downright impressive. 10pm passed and he was still up...then 10:30....and 11:00.....and he was still going strong at 11:45 when we turned on the TV for the countdown. What the heck. He's 18 months. He should be passed out cold right now! Instead here he is in the middle of the living room dancing and trying to get the rest of us to bust a move with him. We figured if he could hold out this long then he deserved a little celebration too. He got a sippy cup of juice so he could have a little "Cheers!" moment with us. He didn't really get the concept, but he liked the juice. :)

Shortly after midnight the dads took off for some male bonding time. They didn't come back into the house until just after 1am. They stopped in their tracks when they saw that he was STILL AWAKE.....AND DANCING!! What the heck?!? This kid's got some serious party stamina. At this point he was very tired and near the crash point we packed it up and got out of there. He lasted - not kidding - about 1 mile in the car before he was asleep. What a stinker!