tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34149077985598977502024-03-13T14:43:24.447-04:00Cartwheels & WindmillsCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.comBlogger457125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-2304768841973438612015-12-14T22:10:00.000-05:002015-12-14T22:11:03.390-05:00Thoughts on Burnout and Blogging31 posts. That's how many are sitting unfinished in my 'drafts' folder. What happened to blogging? Not just me blogging, but everyone else? I still read my faves, but I often feel like I can't measure up. The posts are unfinished because I'm a perfectionist, I guess. I wrote 90% of a post about a trip to Costco back in August and never posted it. Why is that? And now is it even relevant?<br />
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I'm not in this to earn followers (that number has been stagnant for years), make money, sell the craft-du-jour on Etsy, or even try to get freelance writing jobs. But I do love keeping up with my friends' lives (IRL or not; at this point that line has blurred anyway).<br />
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My last post was September 25. Here are some biggies since then:<br />
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1. Our 6th anniversary on October 3.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We went to an Indian restaurant and feasted like rajas.</td></tr>
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2. Audrey started solid foods right after her half birthday.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet potatoes, yum!</td></tr>
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3. Halloween, 2015.<br />
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4. I did a 'selfie scavenger hunt' on my lunch breaks at work, walking around the city. I only needed 10 to complete it (and get my entry for a drawing, which I did not win), but I ended up finding all 25.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm missing a few here, but close enough.</td></tr>
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5. We had a big November snow.<br />
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6. My parents came for a visit for Thanksgiving, and I took time off work for the first time since I started working there. (No wonder I'm burnt out, seriously.)<br />
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7. The girls saw Santa.<br />
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8. And I got a new profile pic for Facebook.<br />
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And then I realized I haven't left the state of Indiana in the entirety of 2015 and got a little bummed out. Maybe this weekend I will drive the half hour to Ohio (there's literally nothing over the border by maybe a farm, but . . . adventure?). I also don't even want to look at my 2015 Resolutions/to-do list; probably will be a big bummer as well.<br />
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But at least I have cute kids.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-25129790362210872732015-09-25T21:44:00.000-04:002015-09-25T21:47:38.955-04:00Highs and LowsLifelifelife. Infrequent blogging. Blahblahblah.<br />
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How about some recent highs and lows so you know the low-down? And the high-ups?<br />
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<b>High:</b> I have been walking during my lunch breaks most days. The weather has been bee-yoo-ti-fullll here, as we finally got some semblance of summer. I walk around the concourse at our minor league baseball stadium along with all the other sneaker-sporting office workers doing the same.<br />
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<b>Low:</b> 3-year-olds, amirite? I just can't even with this one. She's going through some definite three-nagerdom right now.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's still pretty cute, though. I think I'll keep her.</td></tr>
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<b>High:</b> Audrey is a dream baby. We moved her to her crib a few weeks back (which is upstairs while our master is downstairs), and it's like it wasn't even a thing to her. She's very close to crawling, and already does a creep-type thing. If I walk away for a few minutes, she's usually not all that close to where I left her. Childproofing may need to be a thing here again soon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's so happy!</td></tr>
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<b>Low:</b> I got suuuuper sick 2 weekends ago. It was a stomach bug thing that lasted about a day and a half (and no, I didn't even miss any work because that's just how I roll it seems). We had to miss out on going to the free day at the art museum. I guess there's always next year...<br />
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<b>High:</b> I had my first-ever review at work (I guess it's only annually around here?), and I got a raise! Hooray me. Insert "you like me, you really like me" meme here. There were some also some other long-term goals that my boss seems to be on board with that came up in that meeting. Like, things that could help my work/family balance actually be, well, balanced.<br />
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<b>Low:</b> My husband's courseload this semester is rough. We barely see each other because he's studying all the time. I also have to do Thursday nights all on my own since he has class until 9. (The Thursday thing was going to be a low, but those nights are going pretty well.) Our anniversary is next week so hopefully that will be a nice time to actually, y'know, talk to each other. If I wasn't nursing a baby, I was going to suggest a night at an <a href="http://www.amishacres.com/">(Amish!) inn</a> about an hour away. Maybe next year. We're going to an indoor trampoline park instead (thanks, Groupon!). And then dinner or such.<br />
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<b>High:</b> Hubs got promoted to Lieutenant Commander last weekend! And I finally got to pin it on him (he had been at sea for his previous promotions). Another raise, too. :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No more "railroad tracks" for this one!</td></tr>
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And that's a wrap.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Thank you to Ana <a href="http://timeflieswhenyourehavingbabies.blogspot.com/2015/09/highs-and-lows.html">for the blog-spiration</a>.</span>Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-6321648128389891962015-08-31T22:22:00.001-04:002015-08-31T22:22:32.546-04:00Rambling Life Update PostWhen I started this blog 5 years ago, I promised I'd never start a post with "It's been a while." So hello. I am here. Sometimes. Let's get on with it.<br />
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:: This little one turned 4 months old half a month ago. She finally got to see the doc last week, and she is 14lbs, 11oz. She has rolled belly to back once (maybe twice), but now consistently rolls back to belly and basically hangs out like this during all waking hours:<br />
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Then she cries when she gets tired of it because she can't remember how to roll out of it. Sigh.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt2"></a></div>
:: B has re-started school, and Cora has re-started daycare/preschool. She was wayyy more excited than this picture shows. (And I was trying to hold Audrey, who was spitting up as I was taking this pic with my other hand. Always an adventure.)<br />
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Cora is now in the Pioneers class. She has now asked both me and B what classes we are in. B is in the "Engineers" and I'm in the "Brokers." Whatever works, right?<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt3"></a></div>
:: Since Cora's daycare is for 18mo+, that means we had to figure out what to do with Audrey. Someone I met through online Catholic blogging circles stepped up. She's a homeschooling mom of 4, her husband is an attorney (and helped us write up a Childcare Agreement), she's crunchy enough to be willing to use cloth diapers for us, and her sister is a Sister.<br />
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Maybe you figured it out? Audrey is now in the care of Amelia at <a href="http://www.onecatholicmama.com/">One Catholic Mama</a> for 4 days a week! I think she likes it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt4"></a></div>
:: Our church directory pic came in. No apologies for this being a picture of a picture.<br />
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Yes, Audrey slept through the whole thing.<br />
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:: I got my hair cut super short and everyone likes it but me. We got headshots done at work last week, and I wish I'd just left it long. Sigh. But new LinkedIn pic will be coming anyway because my current one has been photo-shopped (by me) to death.<br />
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Okay but really.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a GOOD hair day. It's gone downhill since.</td></tr>
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:: I made an ad for a charity event/auction's program. I'm pretty impressed with myself. My company has contracted most of our big ads out with an agency, but occasionally these little dinky things come along and usually have a quick turnaround time (I had one day's notice on this). It's exciting to me, though!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(I swear it had a top line in the high res version.)</td></tr>
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:: Frugal win: I downloaded the McDonald's app and I'm getting a free sandwich. See for yourself.<br />
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I'll leave you with a another cute kid pic.<br />
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Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-30682301053400478682015-07-18T22:42:00.002-04:002015-07-18T22:42:24.249-04:00Thoughts On a 3-Year GapRight before I had Audrey, my mother-in-law kept telling me that Cora would look so old to me after the baby arrived. "She'll look like she's ten!" she kept repeating.<br />
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Well . . . <b>that didn't happen. Three year-old Cora still looked like a three-year-old to me.</b> (Both B and I thought she felt incredibly HEAVY after lifting an 8 pound baby for a few days, however.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting for the first time. Obviously Audrey is LOVING it.</td></tr>
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I thought about why my MIL's prediction didn't pan out for us and realized that her first 3 kids were all 2 years apart or slightly less.<br />
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Yep, she has the stair-step. Most of my friends have the 2-year stair-step. The one I didn't think I wanted but then envied when it took us longer than we thought it would to conceive another child. After observing Cora and other friends' children, I came to the conclusion that somewhere between 2.25 years and 2.75, our little ones transform from "baby" to "kid." So Cora was already transformed and didn't need a new baby to push her that way.<br />
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While I think any age gap between siblings has its blessings and challenges, I think the 3-year one has had some definite benefits for us.<br />
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<li>Only one kid in diapers. Less dollars on disposables, less laundry loads of cloth diapers.</li>
<li>The big kid can dress herself. This is just really nice.</li>
<li>She can fetch me things from other rooms and follow multi-step directions</li>
<li>Cora can play unsupervised around baby. I'll admit this took a little work since in the early days she wanted to push Audrey in the swing or get up in her face, but now I can easily step out of the room and take a shower or clean something.</li>
<li>We're not having dinnertime picky-eating battles or bedtime battles any more. Last summer was rife with these, and now we have different battles, but the overall routine of the day seems to go pretty smoothly (although my husband may disagree a bit since he's been the one home with them while I'm at work!)</li>
<li>On a personal level, it was good for me to not be nursing or pregnant for a stretch. I was able to focus on my physical fitness (and mental health) and knock out some goals (like running a 5K in <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/05/race-recap-frontier-run-n-fun-5k.html">26 minutes</a>!)</li>
<li>And the best benefit so far: Cora will clean up spit-up!! Audrey has a pretty classic case of infant reflux, so sometimes she just spits up while sitting in her swing or whatever. Cora is very caring and will holler, "She spit up!" so I tell her to get a rag (which we keep everywhere now!) and clean her up. And she does!! Commence lots of lavish praise for my big helper.</li>
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I'll obviously take whatever gaps God gives me when it comes to children (I have <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2011/02/from-epiphany-epiphany-to-valentines.html">miscarried before</a> and know the pain that comes from planning one thing and reality being completely different), and I don't think there is a right or wrong number of years, but so far, <b>I am liking this 3-year gap.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I unintentionally wrote a list of 7, so we'll call it 7 Quick Takes for this week! <a href="http://thisaintthelyceum.org/sqt-crowd-sourced-questions-for-a-mamas-weary-mind/">Linking up</a> with Kelly at This Ain't the Lyceum</span></div>
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Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-6183555903858552762015-07-06T21:50:00.002-04:002015-07-06T21:50:18.683-04:002015 Resolutions: Mid-Year Check-InI made me <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2015/01/2015-resolutionsto-dos.html">some resolutions</a> (slash to-do list) way, way back 6 months ago. Let's see how they're panning out.<br />
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<b>1. Have baby, name the baby!</b><br />
Done, and done! I had said in January that naming was harder than birthing, but I got a stubborn one who had to be induced at nearly 2 weeks late. Named in about an hour after birth, little Audrey Francine has been a pretty awesome baby so far.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HT8ZhwP8oP4/VZXxK8iC2qI/AAAAAAAAELw/rVaXrC8ewcw/s1600/DSC_0515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HT8ZhwP8oP4/VZXxK8iC2qI/AAAAAAAAELw/rVaXrC8ewcw/s640/DSC_0515.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>2. Still be pumping at work a year from today.</b><br />
As much as I was dreading pumping, I'm doing great! And I don't dread it. I got my routine down and my supply is doing beautifully. I can pump out her full 4oz. feeding in less than 15 minutes usually (and in my first morning session, it's more like 6oz.) It's too early to say, but I think I'll make it the year.<br />
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<b>3. Decorate Cora's room.</b><br />
Done! The only thing missing is the curtains that I haven't made yet. B has contributed, too. Her room runs really hot in the summer and he bought these tinting decal sticker thingies for the window that have really helped!<br />
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<b>4. Read 12 books.</b><br />
Well, I thought I wasn't on track because my book club read the same book for 6 months (which did not help light any fires under my bum), but actually I've finished exactly 6!<br />
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My book list so far, and I'm currently reading another two:<br />
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1. <i>Drop Dead Healthy</i> by A.J. Jacobs<br />
2. <i>The Beginner's Photography Guide</i> by Chris Gatcum<br />
3. <i>Marriage: Illustrated with Crappy Pictures</i> by Amber Dusick<br />
4. <i>Shopaholic to the Stars</i> by Sophie Kinsella<br />
5. <i>Bébé Day by Day: 100 Keys to French Parenting</i> by Pamela Druckerman<br />
6. <i>Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World</i> by Joanna Weaver<br />
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And yeah, 2 of those (numbers 3 and 5) are sorta what I call "throwaway books" that I read in like a day. Totally counting them.<br />
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<b>5. Run ONE race.</b><br />
I have gone running once so far since giving birth (one mile, and it was S L O W), so I'm sorta on track! I think my goal is to run the River City Rat Race in October.<br />
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<b>6. Host 4 dinners at our house.</b><br />
We've had one. And does Cora's birthday party count? Or hosting Book Club? (Things to ponder.) My sister and her family and my parents are coming in town this week and we're having a baptism party, so I think I'll count that somehow as another.<br />
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<b>7. Learn how to use my fancy camera.</b><br />
I read the photography book, sorta figured it out but still haven't invested the time or energy to do everything on manual. But I do know my other settings pretty well and have gotten decent shots.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-taYnFVKTDCY/VZspMj0GYfI/AAAAAAAAEMY/ypyds4PQKgM/s1600/DSC_0213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-taYnFVKTDCY/VZspMj0GYfI/AAAAAAAAEMY/ypyds4PQKgM/s640/DSC_0213.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken a few months back while Cora ate a snack and I messed around with manual settings.</td></tr>
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<b>8. Get that blasted passport already.</b><br />
Still need a push on this. Maybe we just need to plan a trip to Canada so I get it done.<br />
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<b>Basement Update:</b><br />
And this was on last year's list, but it keeps evolving, so I thought I'd share. I had the goal to clean/fix up the basement back in 2014.<br />
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Before everything, here was what we were working with:<br />
<img height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fcTxfRLoSLw/U7SSOplzlpI/AAAAAAAADpY/n3Sg19QpKQU/s640/P1080020.JPG" width="640" /><br />
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<img height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_4gq6xfizf4/U7SSORxPQLI/AAAAAAAADpc/HpnziUCljtQ/s640/P1080021.JPG" width="640" /><br />
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Yikes.<br />
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Mid-year check-in (a year ago from now) it looked like this:<br />
<img height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y88YZPLdFyU/U73o_xVipvI/AAAAAAAADp0/oNfcmHKenu0/s640/2014-07-09+20.44.23.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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<img height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-13f3iw1Gz_s/U73pAEgo5kI/AAAAAAAADpw/FM2VMVu4BXM/s640/2014-07-09+20.45.25.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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Nice, right? Except then life happened.<br />
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End of the year, it looked like this:<br />
<img height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-By7osZEkA6k/VKS8iOgldPI/AAAAAAAADzY/PtLK3hspSrI/s640/2014-12-31%2B21.40.18.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tRNyg5M_1-w/VZsu822OBdI/AAAAAAAAENA/eiuNl6_DgJU/s1600/2014-12-31%2B21.40.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tRNyg5M_1-w/VZsu822OBdI/AAAAAAAAENA/eiuNl6_DgJU/s640/2014-12-31%2B21.40.51.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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And now, thanks to my wonderful husband, it looks like this!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gJJAdXdOfwo/VZsuB-BC_mI/AAAAAAAAEMo/Rc_Le9s3du8/s1600/2015-07-06%2B21.08.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gJJAdXdOfwo/VZsuB-BC_mI/AAAAAAAAEMo/Rc_Le9s3du8/s640/2015-07-06%2B21.08.00.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-731WV_qpzj8/VZsuCG9YGbI/AAAAAAAAEM8/gNdD5farvSE/s1600/2015-07-06%2B21.08.22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-731WV_qpzj8/VZsuCG9YGbI/AAAAAAAAEM8/gNdD5farvSE/s640/2015-07-06%2B21.08.22.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had no idea we had beanbag chairs until I took this picture. Where did they come from?<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6iqWq50riyc/VZsuCPuM-CI/AAAAAAAAEM4/W_Vgr0RqBpw/s1600/2015-07-06%2B21.08.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6iqWq50riyc/VZsuCPuM-CI/AAAAAAAAEM4/W_Vgr0RqBpw/s640/2015-07-06%2B21.08.44.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, B's homework table is still there. And the beach chairs stay . . . We'll get a couch eventually.</td></tr>
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So those are my goal updates. I think I have a good chance of hitting them all within the next 6 months. <b>How are you doing with your goals?</b>Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-52042005875047626032015-06-23T22:08:00.002-04:002015-06-23T22:08:28.406-04:005 Faves: Birthday Freebies (That Are Actually Free)Have I ever mentioned that I'm a freebie-hunter? (Um, most likely.) A motto from my days in AmeriCorps was, "If it's free, it's for me!"<br />
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So of course I sign up for the inbox freebies from every company under the sun. I have a 'spam' email account set up specifically for all this junk. My birthday was the beginning of this month, and here are my top 5 birthday freebies that DON'T require you to make a purchase. Just walk in and receive!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oddrXmcec6E/VYoDhEOgulI/AAAAAAAAELU/hQtsGAF39B0/s1600/birthday%2Bfreebies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oddrXmcec6E/VYoDhEOgulI/AAAAAAAAELU/hQtsGAF39B0/s400/birthday%2Bfreebies.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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ProTip: Don't let them guilt you into buying extras. That's what the other 364 days of the year are for. Just go by yourself (or with your twin?), leave the wallet in the car, and enjoy!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Firehouse Subs</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x0vnh_XN4IE/VYnsXQBnPBI/AAAAAAAAEK4/kPDJw5scv6w/s1600/2015-06-01%2B13.34.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x0vnh_XN4IE/VYnsXQBnPBI/AAAAAAAAEK4/kPDJw5scv6w/s400/2015-06-01%2B13.34.41.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: left;">This is the only one that doesn't require a coupon, but it's the only one you HAVE to do on your actual birthday. Just walk in and show your ID, and get a free sub! Hooray!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Baskin Robbins</b></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">Free ice cream. Cone or a cup (I always go cone.) Yum! Sign up for the </span><a href="https://www.baskinrobbins.com/content/baskinrobbins/en.html#" style="text-align: left;">Birthday Club here</a><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Noodles & Co.</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xSKmCGQIsxg/VYnsXZn3bjI/AAAAAAAAELA/T7bAf6DE6t4/s1600/2015-06-09%2B13.46.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xSKmCGQIsxg/VYnsXZn3bjI/AAAAAAAAELA/T7bAf6DE6t4/s400/2015-06-09%2B13.46.52.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I decided on Pad Thai with shrimp this year, but I highly recommend the Mac & Cheese!</td></tr>
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I hadn't heard of this place before we moved to Indiana, but turns out it's an actual chain, and it's quickly becoming a favorite of mine. And it's probably one of my fave birthday freebies because it's a free meal (up to $9 worth!) that easily feeds me for TWO meals. Join <a href="http://www.noodles.com/noodlegram/">the EClub here</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>IHOP</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kgFqrPYK124/VYnsXct1BYI/AAAAAAAAELI/eOiv0CVLE6A/s1600/2015-06-03%2B09.12.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kgFqrPYK124/VYnsXct1BYI/AAAAAAAAELI/eOiv0CVLE6A/s400/2015-06-03%2B09.12.27.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Free Rooty Tooty Fresh n' Fruity pancakes. I learned from my stingy husband that the best way to do this is as a to-go order. Feel free to tip if you want, but I didn't. You can even check this one out early since they send you the same offer just for signing up! Join </span><a href="http://www.ihop.com/pancake-revolution" style="text-align: left;">the eClub here</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>CVS</b></span></div>
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Okay, this one is a little wonky, but bear with me. It's not good enough to just sign up for CVS ExtraCare. You have to sign up for the CVS Beauty Club as well. But once you do, you get a birthday coupon in your email for $3 off $3 for anything in the store. I usually buy candy, but this year I did popsicles. In the interest of full disclosure, I usually do pay a few cents toward my purchase on this deal. 50 cents for this year, but I think that's been my biggest. Join the <a href="http://www.cvs.com/extracare-cvs/beauty-club/join">ExtraCare Beauty Club here</a>.</div>
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<b>Honorable mentions: </b><br />
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<li><b style="text-align: center;">Culver's </b><span style="text-align: center;">- free sundae (wasn't sure how large this chain was since I had never seen it before we moved north, but looks like it's in about 22 states now!). Sign up for </span><a href="http://www.culvers.com/connect/join-the-club/" style="text-align: center;">the eClub here</a><span style="text-align: center;">. </span></li>
<li><b style="text-align: center;">Starbucks - </b><span style="text-align: center;">free drink; have to register a gift card online, so it technically costs money. Register </span><a href="https://www.starbucks.com/account/create/register" style="text-align: center;">a card here</a><span style="text-align: center;">.</span></li>
<li><b style="text-align: center;">Moe's - </b><span style="text-align: center;">free entree requires drink purchase ($2.15 here incl. tax), but I love Moe's and that giant burrito served me 2 meals. Join the </span><a href="http://www.moes.com/connect/eworld/" style="text-align: center;">Moe's eWorld here</a><span style="text-align: center;">.</span></li>
</ul>
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Linking up with #5Faves at <a href="http://callherhappy.com/5faves-easy-weeknight-recipes/">Call Her Happy</a></div>
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Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-31358020378988238222015-06-12T22:15:00.001-04:002015-06-12T22:17:59.593-04:00Camel Rides, Fat People Crying, and a New Belly Button (7QT)<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt1"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt1" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 1 ---</a></strong></div>
Baby Audrey is 8 weeks old! Read her <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-birth-of-audrey-francine.html">birth story</a> if you're into that sorta thing.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zupaoFrN0rQ/VXrRm4ZE7aI/AAAAAAAAEJc/8ZmJZjelKVE/s1600/2015-06-07%2B11.15.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zupaoFrN0rQ/VXrRm4ZE7aI/AAAAAAAAEJc/8ZmJZjelKVE/s640/2015-06-07%2B11.15.55.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So...the blog has been quiet other than the [video] <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2015/06/a-house-tour.html">House Tour</a> I posted earlier this week. Enjoy these quick(ish) takes of how I spent my 2 months of maternity leave.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt2"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt2" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 2 ---</a></strong></div>
My husband did his annual "2-weeker" for the Navy Reserves back in May. That's in quotes because it actually was 19 days. I remained with both kids at home and only lost my ish a few times. I spent Memorial Day weekend at my in-laws' house to regain my sanity. (I basically just nursed baby, slept, and watched Netflix while my MIL handled Cora. It was <i>glorious</i>.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rIg7e1AE8pU/VXuLR7yhGOI/AAAAAAAAEKE/IsgjV0FPqUw/s1600/2015-06-01%2B18.00.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rIg7e1AE8pU/VXuLR7yhGOI/AAAAAAAAEKE/IsgjV0FPqUw/s640/2015-06-01%2B18.00.45.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy and his Purple Ladies</td></tr>
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B visited Pompeii during his time in Italy. His thoughts: "It's like going to the zoo, except if all the animals were dead."<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt3"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt3" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 3 ---</a></strong></div>
In other big news, Cora had surgery this past Wednesday. She has had an umbilical hernia since birth that never closed (and never will--it should have closed by 2 years old), and that's something that apparently is better to get fixed now before she starts school. My kid now has an innie belly button, but it still looks a little weird to us. :-/<br />
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The idea of surgery freaked me out since I've actually never done one. Even my wisdom teeth were taken out under just local anesthetic (it really wasn't bad!). So her surgery was probably harder for me than it was for her. It was a quick procedure and we were home for dinner that night. She's doing fine, and you would never even know it happened except that she's refusing to bend over sometimes. But for the most part, she's back to her semi-obnoxious 'threenager' ways.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt4"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt4" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 4 ---</a></strong></div>
I go back to work on Tuesday. I like my job, and boy do I neeeeeed a break from the 3-year-old, but I'll miss my little peanut. I was somehow handed the World's Easiest Baby. Seriously. She even sleeps for an 8-hour stretch at night right now. (I'm currently waiting for the other shoe to drop because this must be some sort of dream.)<br />
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B will be a stay-at-home dad this summer, and I'm hoping he can bring everyone for lunch some time. Food Truck Thursday picnic?<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt5"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt5" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 5 ---</a></strong></div>
This past weekend our town hosted a [very] small Arab Fest, and I dragged B and the girls so they could get in touch with their heritage. (I'm half-Lebanese.) Cora rode a camel and made a bracelet and I ate kibbe.<br />
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<strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt6" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 6 ---</a></strong></div>
One of my favorite summer shows is <i>Extreme Weight Loss</i> on ABC. B has dubbed this one (and all weight loss shows) as "Fat People Crying." Have I ever mentioned that B has a type of blunt honesty about him? It's not always endearing. But on the topic of weight loss, check out <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rebeccafrech/2015/06/i-dont-really-care-what-my-husband-thinks.html">this awesome article </a>at Patheos by Rebecca Frech on her weight loss and why she's ticked that people keep asking her what her husband thinks about it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt7"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt7" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 7 ---</a></strong></div>
I celebrated my 31st birthday last week on the 1st! It was the day after B got back from Italy. Our original plan was to hit up a baseball game here, but it was too cold! (A June birthday should never be 'too cold' on this continent, but it was.) I did however to my annual birthday freebie spree, and I will be sharing my favorites with you soon. Here's a preview to tide you over.<br />
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For more Quick Takes, visit <a href="http://thisaintthelyceum.org/">This Ain't the Lyceum</a></div>
Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-40280009794811121562015-06-10T10:22:00.003-04:002015-06-10T10:22:23.682-04:00A House TourI realize that we bought this house almost 2 years ago, and I never did a tour here on the blog. I was originally going to do it all in pictures, but how about a video instead? If you came to my house for the first time and wanted to see it, this is the tour I would give. Enjoy!<br />
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I'll leave you with a chalk drawing I did of the house yesterday.</center>
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How did I do?<br />
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For more posts about our house check out this <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2013/11/house-updates.html">House Updates</a> one (you can see the former kitchen light fixtures and how the dining room used to look in that one) and the rest of them <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/search/label/house">here</a>.</center>
Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-34876173730874195612015-05-27T22:50:00.001-04:002015-05-27T22:54:34.677-04:00the Birth of Audrey FrancineWhen people ask me how long my labor was with Cora, it's an easy answer. 21 hours. Start to finish. Second babies are supposed to come quicker, right? Right.<br />
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Except, not right. Now I'm not sure whether to say I was in labor for 7 hours or 13 days. THIRTEEN DAYS. Let that one sink in. I know this is supposed to be 'the birth story,' but I feel we need to separate this into two parts: the twelve days before, and then the actual birth. If you don't want to hear about all the crap leading up to it (which was a huge emotional roller coaster) and just want the nitty-gritty of my time at the hospital, then click this for <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-birth-of-audrey-francine.html#part2">Part 2</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="part1"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#part1" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">Part 1</a></strong></div>
April 2, 2015, the day before my due date. Also, Holy Thursday. I woke up with contractions. Pretty mild, and I never really know if they're BH contractions or not, but they were timeable to about 10 minutes apart and 30 seconds or less in length. I decided to go into work and timed them with an app on my phone.<br />
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They went on all day, time-able the entire time, but never picking up strength or duration. We had set everything in place and my MIL was on her way. I came home from working the whole day and we took a walk to see if it would help. We skipped Holy Thursday services and eventually I went to bed. And then fell asleep. Now I don't know a ton about birth, but if you can sleep through contractions, then it's not go-to-the-hospital time.<br />
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I woke up the next morning sorta nauseous and having the same type of contractions. I decided not to go to work, hoping that something might start happening. Around 9:30am, it all just stopped. Since my MIL was there and Cora's daycare was closed for Good Friday anyway, we sent MIL off with her while B and I went to walk around the grocery store to see if we could get something to start.<br />
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Nada. I was mad I wasted a day of PTO and still kinda wish I had just gone in late. Oh, hindsight.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gxXZWXiPXpE/VV0yI8eAxpI/AAAAAAAAEHM/67CVJ9Z1mrg/s1600/2015-04-03%2B17.47.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gxXZWXiPXpE/VV0yI8eAxpI/AAAAAAAAEHM/67CVJ9Z1mrg/s640/2015-04-03%2B17.47.16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking around the neighborhood with my "Easter egg" belly on my due date.</td></tr>
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Saturday morning, I woke up and went to Zumba class. I felt amazing. Everyone was giving me all kinds of old wives' tales. If you're feeling great, then birth is nigh. And also if you're too tired to do anything else <i>but</i> give birth, then it is nigh. Well, it's all hogwash.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zumba didn't work.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot sauce also didn't work.</td></tr>
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For the following week and a half, I had contractions daily. Weak ones, strong ones, time-able, not so time-able, whatever. I deleted the app on my phone and basically ignored them unless I couldn't. I went to Zumba on the Tuesday after my due date (4 days late), and the baby was kicking me so hard that I had to stop a few times. (Pretty sure she was also doing Zumba.) But then, when it was time to sleep that night, I slept.<br />
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I had a Non-Stress test with a nurse practitioner on the following Friday, at 41 weeks. Everything was fine, but I was still holding around 1cm. Cora had her spring show at daycare that night, which I had hoped to make one way or another. I did, and it was adorable.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sV3dQt-MmAM/VV0yLqO5wDI/AAAAAAAAEHg/gAALmRgEDiQ/s1600/P1050250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sV3dQt-MmAM/VV0yLqO5wDI/AAAAAAAAEHg/gAALmRgEDiQ/s640/P1050250.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's in the purple stripes</td></tr>
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Right after Cora's class performed, B immediately left for his Reserves weekend in Indianapolis. He spent his weekend in a secured room, no phones allowed, so he walked outside once an hour to check for any news. Nothin'. My parents had come into town as planned on their way to Chicago, and Mom and I hung out, shopped, and made some freezer meals.<br />
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I had been hoping to hold out until exactly 42 weeks for induction, but we had a snag.<br />
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The blasted military. Still haunting us even years after my husband left Active Duty. As a Reservist, life usually goes as planned, one weekend a month and two weeks a year penciled in on the calendar and generally unchanged. Well, this one was even on the books, too. Two Reserve weekends in April, the second one being a plane ride away. A weekend for a training that he needed to do for his two-weeker the following month. We hadn't worried about it because second babies come earlier, right? Except, not right. And because our baby was holding out on actually being born, it was a weekend that would essentially choose her birth date.<br />
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I hated the idea of induction. Truly, truly hated it. I didn't get much sympathy, since both the birthing women and the doctors in this town seem to love the idea. My doctor generally induces at 41 weeks, but she said she'd let me go to 42 if I wanted. But at 42 weeks B wouldn't be there. So, minus 2 days, and that's what we had. The day before he left, April 15. I kept praying baby would decide to come before that, but she was a stubborn one.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="part2"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#part2" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">Part 2</a></strong></div>
April 15, 2015. 41 weeks, 5 days. We woke up bright and early to arrive at the hospital at 6am like we were instructed. B's aunt came over to take care of Cora who was still passed out asleep in bed.<br />
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We walked into the hospital and checked in at the desk. It almost felt like I was going in to make a deposit at the bank, not birth a child. My nurse was great, and we had the IV stuff in by 7am. It was a pitocin-only induction, thankfully. I decided to not immediately get the epidural, just to see what my tolerance was.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P7mb7AZuDUY/VVlHXjL8SNI/AAAAAAAAEGI/Y098ZRbOcbE/s1600/DSC_0267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P7mb7AZuDUY/VVlHXjL8SNI/AAAAAAAAEGI/Y098ZRbOcbE/s640/DSC_0267.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready to get this show on the road!</td></tr>
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My neighbor is a night nurse at a different hospital but has a good relationship with where I was at, so she came by after her shift was over. She was probably more excited than the two of us about the impending birth of our baby, and I'll admit her joyful attitude was annoying me. I'll blame the pitocin. And the fact that I'd been hoping every day for the past two weeks was baby day. She got mad at B because he wasn't helping me enough (poor guy literally did not know how to help--we never took a class on natural birth or anything). She got me set up on a ball to see if it would help. Turns out I hated it. I mostly just paced around with the IV pole and went to the bathroom a lot. We also discussed our name list a bit further and nixed a few more off (we walked in with 11 combinations of acceptable names!). After a bit, I realized that I was scared of every contraction and totally not trusting my own body. I mean, those pitocin contractions HURT. BAD.<br />
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I'm not really sure why I was scared. Yes, it was painful, but I think I was just psyching myself out. Also feeling like my crotch was about to split in two, and I just plain didn't like that. I had some tearing with Cora's birth that I think I never fully healed from, so that was just adding an extra layer on top of everything.<br />
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So around 11am, I asked for the epidural. I was pretty sure it would come to that anyway, so I didn't feel defeated. The nurse checked me around noon when the epidural went in and I was around 5cm.<br />
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Remembering my epidural from my first birth, I started settling in for a longer haul. I messed around on my phone and turned on the tv while propped up on one side. It hadn't completely taken on the other side after a half hour, so they propped me up on the other side. About 10 minutes after that, I felt something wet. I told B to call the nurse because I wasn't sure if my water had broken or not.<br />
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Sure enough, it had. Nurse checked me again and said I would be pushing soon. I was at 9.5cm! The epidural totally relaxed my body to just open up. Crazy.<br />
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They weren't going to call my doctor for my delivery because she had delivered a baby in the middle of the night, and it's pretty common to just have another doctor from my practice step in if they're on call. However, the timing was perfect and my doctor had shown up to do a postpartum check on another mom. She came in to help me get started on pushing and see where I was at.<br />
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I pushed for about an hour, with most of that time being just me and B and the nurse. This was so different than my previous experience when it felt like there were 20 people in the room for the entire duration. After making some good progress for an hour, my doc came back in and within a few more pushes, baby was out!!<br />
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She didn't cry immediately, and both B and I looked at each other thinking something might be wrong. But no one was freaking out and the baby-nurse sucked the goop out and there was a cry. A cry that we could easily tune out because it was so much quieter and lower in frequency than our first baby's. And luckily for us, it has stayed that way! (We have even watched some videos of Cora as a baby to compare because we were starting to think we were delusional.)<br />
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I could tell right away that she was shorter and heavier than Cora, and I was correct. It took a little bit of time to name her, but I basically gave her the first name of Audrey, and then I asked B what her middle name was. He picked Francine, and I thought it was perfect.<br />
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And our little Audrey Francine <i>is </i>the most perfect addition to our family.<br />
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Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-61793850168884102532015-04-28T21:29:00.000-04:002015-04-28T21:29:46.102-04:005 Favorites: Free PrintablesI'll be back with the birth story for Miss Audrey later, but the tl;dr version is: 41+5, induction, epidural, standard delivery. Overall, it was good, and we're doing good.<br />
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I yanked this one out of my posts drafts that I hadn't gotten around to. A themed 5 Favorites. I do love me some free printables.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Recipe card</b></span></div>
And by 'card,' I mean an entire sheet of paper that goes in a sheet protector in my recipe binder. I love that these are editable pdf's so you can copy/paste and don't even have to wade through rushed handwriting.<br />
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This <a href="http://www.domestifluff.com/downloads/domestifluff-recipe-page-form.pdf">one from DomestiFluff</a> is what I used 5 years ago for my sister's bridal shower cookbook.<br />
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<a href="http://freeprintablesonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Vintage-Branded-Recipe-Pages-Thumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://freeprintablesonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Vintage-Branded-Recipe-Pages-Thumbnail.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
I think <a href="http://freeprintablesonline.com/2014/09/vintage-branded-recipe-pages-us-letter-size/">this one here</a> can actually hold more text on it for those longer recipes.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Notes for the babysitter</b></span></div>
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You can find all sorts of these all over Pinterest, but I found 3 faves.</div>
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<a href="http://kidtokid.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Babysitting-Checklist-1100x1423.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://kidtokid.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Babysitting-Checklist-1100x1423.jpg" height="400" width="308" /></a></div>
The one shown is <a href="http://kidtokid.com/babysitting-checklist/">from here</a>. Another nice one is <a href="http://www.njmomsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/babysitter-notes.pdf">over here</a>. And lastly, <a href="http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/babysitternotes.pdf">this one</a>. Oh wait, there's also <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1NvV7kliiBRR0JOcmNKb2NjNUU/edit">this adorable one</a> that is specifically for infants. So. Many. Options.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Yearly kid's birthday interview</b></span></div>
Also an editable pdf, which I started this year at age 3. I'm sure my daughter's answers changed the next day, but I tucked what I got into her baby book anyway.<br />
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<a href="http://www.lansdownelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/elise-birthday-interview-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.lansdownelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/elise-birthday-interview-3.jpg" height="400" width="308" /></a></div>
There's also a blue/green version, and both can be found <a href="http://www.lansdownelife.com/2012/06/kids-birthday-interview-questionnaire.html">right here</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Anything from Kendra at CatholicAllYear</b></span></div>
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Especially these lovelies:<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g_6WdcP59zc/U8Win4eSJ-I/AAAAAAAAc3Y/cwG1Hsj9zX4/s1600/Grace+Before+Meals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g_6WdcP59zc/U8Win4eSJ-I/AAAAAAAAc3Y/cwG1Hsj9zX4/s1600/Grace+Before+Meals.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JJ8j3xNaZ8k/VQo6qlRx9kI/AAAAAAAB8rQ/foWg3fqcQCg/s1600/solemnities.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JJ8j3xNaZ8k/VQo6qlRx9kI/AAAAAAAB8rQ/foWg3fqcQCg/s1600/solemnities.jpg" height="400" width="320" /></a></div>
I highly recommend reading the <a href="http://www.catholicallyear.com/2015/03/solemnities-are-not-for-being-solemn.html">blog post</a> that goes along with the Solemnities one, as well as her <a href="http://www.catholicallyear.com/2013/10/baby-steps-to-living-liturgical-year-as.html">10 Baby Steps to Living the Liturgical Year</a> post. Both are full of win.<br />
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For all of Kendra's printables, check out her <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/kendratierney/printable-prayers/">Pinterest board</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5.</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Handwriting practice sheets</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vA1HqwU_dVQ/VT1U1N6PwnI/AAAAAAAAEEI/OawyrgKDz-4/s1600/handwriting%2Bpractice%2Bexample.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vA1HqwU_dVQ/VT1U1N6PwnI/AAAAAAAAEEI/OawyrgKDz-4/s1600/handwriting%2Bpractice%2Bexample.png" height="308" width="400" /></a></div>
Full confession: if it weren't for Cora's daycare, I would have never known about this one. But to watch your 3-year-old write her name? Jaw-droppingly awesome.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bqGeRbU_r-A/VUAzH2S-LyI/AAAAAAAAEEw/PgWdE1RX58o/s1600/2015-03-30%2B18.13.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bqGeRbU_r-A/VUAzH2S-LyI/AAAAAAAAEEw/PgWdE1RX58o/s1600/2015-03-30%2B18.13.31.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was all her, no help.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Fully customizable and free at <a href="http://handwritingpractice.net/handwriting/index.html">handwritingpractice.net</a><br />
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<br />
For some other awesome free printables that may or may not fit your life, check out <a href="http://freeprintablesonline.com/">freeprintablesonline.com</a> and <a href="http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/free-printables-from-30days/">Thirty Handmade Days</a> and <a href="http://www.reallifeathome.com/category/all-printables/">Real Life at Home</a><br />
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Linking this one up with <a href="http://callherhappy.com/">Call Her Happy</a>'s 5 Faves, hosted this week at <a href="http://www.efficientmomma.com/2015/04/28/5-crunchy-mothers-day-gift-ideas/">Efficient Momma</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Audrey Francine</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QjoCEXqVSMc/VTZbxSLFF7I/AAAAAAAAEDY/OlS0vIqHlb8/s1600/2015-04-20%2B13.43.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QjoCEXqVSMc/VTZbxSLFF7I/AAAAAAAAEDY/OlS0vIqHlb8/s1600/2015-04-20%2B13.43.30.jpg" height="458" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"> Born April 15</span></div>
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2:15pm</div>
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8 lbs 4 oz</div>
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20¼ in</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0hLTyBFOsnA/VTZcFFYEtCI/AAAAAAAAEDw/yuhMtXDg8l0/s1600/DSC_0307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0hLTyBFOsnA/VTZcFFYEtCI/AAAAAAAAEDw/yuhMtXDg8l0/s1600/DSC_0307.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5kuM7BW6hgc/VTZb84tHGtI/AAAAAAAAEDo/3_IMYN92gfo/s1600/DSC_0380%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5kuM7BW6hgc/VTZb84tHGtI/AAAAAAAAEDo/3_IMYN92gfo/s1600/DSC_0380%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-148376453375438432015-04-08T22:37:00.001-04:002015-04-08T22:37:48.035-04:00Digital NestingI never actually 'nested' before my oldest was born. Not because she came too early or anything like that, but I just plain didn't feel like it. We got stuff done because we had to get it done (like putting the crib together), but not because I got any actual 'itch' to do it.<br />
<br />
This time around, it's been mostly the same, minus one episode where I decided to vacuum out my car. To be fair, it was filthy.<br />
<br />
Now that I'm 5 days overdue, my nesting (or lack thereof) has taken on an interesting form. Digital nesting. It's kind of dumb because I know I can get this kind of stuff done during a midnight nursing session after baby comes, but I want it done NOW.<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/aSb7qf5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/aSb7qf5.png" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I have four email addresses. FOUR. (Not including my work one.) Three with gmail, one at Yahoo. They each had their own purpose, although I might be able to phase one out. (But letting go of a primary email address that goes back almost 10 years is HARD. Like, way harder than it should be. That's literally a third of my life kinda hard.) As of 2 days ago, one gmail address had been forwarding to its own Yahoo folder, and the other 2 were just sitting out there not being checked much. I started hating how Yahoo's organization was (and it seems to keep changing), so I've decided to dump them all into one gmail account. Sounded easy enough, but I'm finding out it's a lot harder than I though, thanks to a million security features on gmail's end that I don't always know how to fix.<br />
<br />
I'm also trying to fix commenting on this blog and when I comment on other Blogger-hosted blogs. It wasn't playing nice with a Yahoo email address any more, and everything I got was coming from no-reply email addresses and my comments on other blogs were bouncing. What a headache! I might even put CommentLuv on this site and fix some other issues I've neglected to touch.<br />
<br />
Once I get the email situation under control, my plan is to back up some pictures to our external hard drive (and probably the cloud as well) and try to get my Documents folder under control. I promise I'm much more organized at work!<br />
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And who writes a post almost a week overdue without a bump pic? Notmesaidtheflea.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QY9GPjJ9FJw/VSXlTQC9vjI/AAAAAAAAEB8/1BNad1txdjQ/s1600/2015-04-07%2B19.34.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QY9GPjJ9FJw/VSXlTQC9vjI/AAAAAAAAEB8/1BNad1txdjQ/s1600/2015-04-07%2B19.34.12.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">that face when you realize that you're more pregnant than you have ever been before<br />(40 weeks, 4 days, post-Zumba class)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Have you ever done a big digital cleanup? Or nested in an unconventional way?</b>Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-47935696748911832642015-04-04T22:59:00.000-04:002015-04-04T22:59:00.664-04:00Preparations for Baby #2Yesterday was my due date, which obviously came and went with no squishy baby to show for it. Normal? Of course.<br />
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While I'm not sure if I've technically "nested" (except the day I decided to vacuum out my car perhaps), we have done some stuff to prepare for our newest family member.<br />
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<b>1. Getting the nursery ready</b> (even though we won't use it for a few months)<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hTrKEnk4sZA/VSCXKBwcopI/AAAAAAAAD_4/2PeZp9p7Cag/s1600/DSC_0252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hTrKEnk4sZA/VSCXKBwcopI/AAAAAAAAD_4/2PeZp9p7Cag/s1600/DSC_0252.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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Cora is staying in her room, and our office has turned into a nursery/office for now. We'll get the desk out of there when the need arises.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mbg6whZ3Aag/VSCXJbUeUsI/AAAAAAAAD_w/eGf8g_9XLqg/s1600/DSC_0253%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mbg6whZ3Aag/VSCXJbUeUsI/AAAAAAAAD_w/eGf8g_9XLqg/s1600/DSC_0253%2B(2).JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The empty space in the center bottom is where her name will go!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JyG7xV6tLOM/VSCXItzycAI/AAAAAAAAD_o/lXUTIBzTMZM/s1600/DSC_0259%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JyG7xV6tLOM/VSCXItzycAI/AAAAAAAAD_o/lXUTIBzTMZM/s1600/DSC_0259%2B(2).JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>2. Getting Cora's room decorated</b><br />
I had been meaning to do this since, um, August, when I repainted her room and decided on a coral and navy blue color scheme. So it was about time, but I knew we would switch some furniture out and rearrange so I let it sit.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KTOL72NhZXo/VSCYXE8ffRI/AAAAAAAAEAE/KfIIE_Jd-J8/s1600/DSC_0241%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KTOL72NhZXo/VSCYXE8ffRI/AAAAAAAAEAE/KfIIE_Jd-J8/s1600/DSC_0241%2B(2).JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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I made the 'artwork' with some art canvases covered in fabric. Then I cut shapes out of some other fabric and used fabric glue to attach. Easy project (although my stapler was not very good, and I ended up bringing home my work stapler to finish it. A staple gun is the best option, but the staples in ours were too big and stuck out too far.)<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BPdIFUHBpGs/VSCZJ1anKMI/AAAAAAAAEAQ/mg2J75wmSL0/s1600/2015-03-31%2B07.35.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BPdIFUHBpGs/VSCZJ1anKMI/AAAAAAAAEAQ/mg2J75wmSL0/s1600/2015-03-31%2B07.35.44.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-theDvywIbvk/VSCYWw3p-1I/AAAAAAAAEAA/LFtZQ4iboLg/s1600/DSC_0250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-theDvywIbvk/VSCYWw3p-1I/AAAAAAAAEAA/LFtZQ4iboLg/s1600/DSC_0250.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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I think I still want to add some navy blue curtains to the window, and then we'll call it mostly done.<br />
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<b>3. Buying new pajama pants</b><br />
When I was pregnant with Cora, I had a short "pregnancy vs. x" series on the blog, with topics like <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2011/08/pregnancy-vs-habitat-for-humanity.html">Pregnancy vs. Habitat for Humanity</a> and <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2011/10/pregnancy-vs-music-festival.html">Pregnancy vs. A Music Festival</a>. Well, this time around, pregnancy didn't stand in my way much. However, if I had to pick something to remember, it would be "Pregnancy vs. Pajama Pants."<br />
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I have ripped--the the point of needing to throw out--not just one, but TWO of my favorite pairs of pajama pants. They're the Old Navy lightweight cotton ones that I've had for YEARS, and they were the only pjs that still fit on my expanding bottom. The first pair didn't make it through the second trimester due to my own clumsiness in trying to put them on and stepping my foot right into the crotch part. On Wednesday, my second pair broke (also in the crotch) when I was cleaning up the house and squatting down to pick stuff up. I went to Old Navy on Friday and bought another pair (a size up, ugh). I even tried them on, which I don't recommend to any 40-weeks pregnant lady, like ever.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/Xd3wWqf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/Xd3wWqf.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My newest pair. May they last as long as the old ones.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>4. "Practicing" labor</b><br />
Ugh. We thought I was in labor the day before I was due. Steady contractions all day long, but they were very mild. They never got more intense. I went to work the whole day and timed them with an app on my phone. Everyone was excited for me and was hoping to hear good news soon. My mother-in-law drove up to stay with us, expecting that she would be taking care of Cora while we were at the hospital. But it never progressed to anything more than mild contractions.<br />
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I slept a bit, then woke up a bit nauseous on Friday morning (my due date) and decided not to go into work. Then it all just stopped. No more contractions, no more labor. I guess I ended up taking a "mental health day." I was mad. I felt like I was letting everyone down. And I was tired of getting texts from anyone and everyone about 'how was I doing, do you need anything?' (I think a lot of this was due to lack of sleep. Although I still don't want the bothersome texts.) I got hit by the one-two punch of prodromal labor, and I'm not a fan.<br />
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<b>5. Looking at pretty nursing-friendly dresses online</b><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/k31iDFm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/k31iDFm.jpg" height="400" width="245" /></a></div>
Isn't this gorgeous? I still can't figure out if it's my size (it's a one-off listing on Ebay), and I have no desire to jump through the hoops for a return, so I'm refraining. But darnit, it's so pretty.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/fqc76B9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/fqc76B9.png" height="400" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BE3JDVE/">dress on Amazon</a> is also on my list.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>6. Zumba and cartwheels</b><br />
I think I've started to become a legend at Zumba, what with showing up the day after my due date for class. But I had so much energy this morning, and probably sweat harder than I had in the past 2 months.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b345R99HgXg/VSCgq8uACsI/AAAAAAAAEAg/MNG0_QytzX0/s1600/2015-04-04%2B11.09.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b345R99HgXg/VSCgq8uACsI/AAAAAAAAEAg/MNG0_QytzX0/s1600/2015-04-04%2B11.09.26.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">40 weeks, 1 day, after sweating it out at Zumba Toning class!</td></tr>
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I also did 2 cartwheels after the Tuesday class (during week 39), and it, uh, kinda hurt. As evidenced in this video:<br />
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Well, that's pretty much all the preparations we have made (aside from a half-packed hospital bag). Baby can come out now if she wants!</center>
Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-89833047466762245412015-03-27T17:54:00.001-04:002015-03-27T17:54:20.591-04:00A Shower for Every BabyI'll be honest, when a friend of mine asked if she could throw me a baby shower for our upcoming #2, I hesitated. Even though last fall I had attended a beautiful shower thrown by the same friend for another pal's #4, I still wasn't sure if anyone I knew would want to come.<br />
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It seemed odd. I didn't need any "big stuff," or really anything at all. But my friend reminded me that the shower isn't about the stuff, it's about the baby and the mommy and her support network. Really, this was going to be a bit of a 'blessingway' (minus the power circle and the hippy-dippy henna belly crap; not my style).<br />
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I trusted her, and we had a nice intimate shower (I probably would call it a "sprinkle") a few weeks ago. My husband's mother, aunts, and grandmother came. My neighbors and some friends showed up. All in all, about 10 people. My mom and sister were there in spirit.<br />
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There were just a few food items and super-yummy cupcakes.<br />
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There were introductions and some good advice from the older women (and a bit of good-natured ribbing about me reading so many parenting books and trying to find evidence-based methods--have I mentioned I majored in Child & Family Development and have no clue how to parent?).<br />
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Onesies were decorated. A few faves include some "Little Sister" onesies and "Mom's Little Peach" (hey, I <i>am</i> from Georgia, after all).<br />
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There were also gifts, but not the crazy explosion from my shower for #1. I received some small items like bibs, but for the most part I got diapers, both disposable and some new cloth. Cora even got a "Coolest Big Sis" shirt.<br />
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We also made bracelets/anklets (or a keychain in my case) with 3 cords, based on the verse from Ecclesiastes 4:12:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Where one alone may be overcome, two together can resist. A three-ply cord is not easily broken.</i></blockquote>
I think the premise is to wear/have it until the baby comes and pray for the baby and birth every time you see it.<br />
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At the end, my friend prayed over me and handed out a sheet with some intentions on it for everyone to take home and keep in their prayers. I'm sure her freestyle prayer made the older Catholic ladies a bit uncomfortable, but due to my Bible Belt upbringing, I'm more than happy to make them squirm. (And hey, it's Lent! Get uncomfortable.)<br />
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Only five days later, my work threw a baby shower for me and another girl who is due in July. Our office hasn't had anyone pregnant in at least 7 years, so that one was awesome, too, in its own special way.<br />
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I definitely think we should support our friends in their subsequent pregnancies, not just their first. The shower really is about the baby and mama, not about the gifts. A simple non-Pinterest-worthy diapers & wipes party with some flowers, food, and festivities would probably be appreciated by any pregnant mama, whether it's her first, second, or even eighth child on the way.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got to take that pink hydrangea home, and I amazingly haven't killed it yet.</td></tr>
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<b>What are your thoughts on having a shower (or just a 'sprinkle') for every pregnancy? Tacky or sweet?</b>Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-30020991409335134612015-03-21T13:20:00.000-04:002015-03-21T13:20:07.921-04:00I Can't Have a Baby Right Now -- My Schedule is Already Full (7QT)<div style="text-align: center;">
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<i>I wrote most of this last night, but B forced me to go to bed before I could hit "publish." He's a good man, but he'll never understand blogging.</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt1"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt1" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 1 ---</a></strong></div>
It's all there in the title. While most women are trying everything under the sun to naturally induce labor by this point, I'm actually avoiding some of that stuff. No castor oil for me (never never, yuck).<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt2"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt2" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 2 ---</a></strong></div>
First of all, I'm sick. Cora got some type of plague this past weekend and missed daycare in favor of sleeping all day on Monday and Tuesday, and then it hit me bad enough that I skipped out on Tuesday Zumba class. I'm still congested and should probably be sleeping instead of blogging right now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jTWLeyJu3nA/VQzBnlkzmJI/AAAAAAAAD88/-lVgHpTzUpw/s1600/2015-03-16%2B19.09.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jTWLeyJu3nA/VQzBnlkzmJI/AAAAAAAAD88/-lVgHpTzUpw/s1600/2015-03-16%2B19.09.42.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was lying on one couch, her on another. We sure know how to party.</td></tr>
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Of course everyone at the daycare thought Cora's absence meant baby sister had come, especially since when B dropped her off on Wednesday morning, she kept telling everyone she has a sister. A sister named Daisy. Girlfriend is convinced her sister's name will be Daisy Duck.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt3"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt3" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 3 ---</a></strong></div>
We took Cora to an Easter egg hunt at her daycare this morning. They did a great job and even read <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Story-Easter-Patricia-Pingry/dp/082496649X/">The Story of Easter</a></i> before the kids got to go on the hunt. For tomorrow, I won a photo session from B's very talented cousin, so I guess we'll be doing some [very] last-minute maternity and family photos (what to wear?).<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt4"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt4" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 4 ---</a></strong></div>
If the baby comes in the next week, it messes up my maternity leave a bit, making me have to go back to work while B does his Reserve commitment in Italy the last 2 weeks of May. I'd have to find a sitter just for that short term since he'll be staying at home for half the summer (as far as we know right now).<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt5"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt5" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 5 ---</a></strong></div>
This is the dumbest thing ever, but ever since I knew my due date was April 3, I never even considered having a March baby. April Fool's day baby? Yes. (This has been a very popular date in both my work and family baby pools, too.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt6"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt6" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 6 ---</a></strong></div>
Aside from babies, who is playing the March Madness brackets? We have a tourney going at work that I'm pretty sure I won't win, but it's the first time I ever put money down on sports. I also filled out a women's bracket because I technically know more about that than the men's stuff. Notre Dame women all the way!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xGJvMJz03fg/VQzfGNP29sI/AAAAAAAAD9Y/iLh7f97ESU4/s1600/2015-03-13%2B13.15.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xGJvMJz03fg/VQzfGNP29sI/AAAAAAAAD9Y/iLh7f97ESU4/s1600/2015-03-13%2B13.15.08.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Georgia Lady Dogs didn't qualify for the tourney for the first time in YEARS, then our coach retired, but at least I have an awesome co-worker who made this dress for baby!!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt7"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt7" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 7 ---</a></strong></div>
My sister gave me a TON of hand-me-downs for baby. Reason #197,489 she can't come yet is this mess:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tSkFwQLHz_s/VQzdovJx2JI/AAAAAAAAD9M/nwNmzDFPfAs/s1600/2015-03-20%2B22.05.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tSkFwQLHz_s/VQzdovJx2JI/AAAAAAAAD9M/nwNmzDFPfAs/s1600/2015-03-20%2B22.05.09.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 'pre-sort' pic is over on Instagram. It is scary.</td></tr>
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My sister had twins a year ago, and between this and the clothes that multiplied, I'm a bit overwhelmed. Blessed, but overwhelmed.<br />
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For more Quick Takes, visit <a href="http://thisaintthelyceum.org/">This Ain't the Lyceum</a></div>
Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-38877688762789321582015-03-06T21:43:00.001-05:002015-03-06T21:43:24.103-05:00How to Do Laundry Only Once a Week (7QT)When I hear that some people do laundry <i>every single day</i>, you should see the odd sideways glance I give them. Actually, no, you shouldn't. I'm probably a jerk. I don't care how many kids you have, once a day is too flippin' much. Our family, with 2 working parents and a fully(!) potty-trained 3-year-old girl does laundry on Saturday. And only Saturday. (I will admit when I stayed home full-time, we did laundry on Tuesday AND Saturday. But we could have gotten away with just Saturday.)<br />
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<i>Side note:</i> Cloth diapers don't count as laundry, so none of this applies to those loads. Also, if you have an infant under 6 months old, I wouldn't even attempt any of this. Carry on.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt1"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt1" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 1 ---</a></strong></div>
Know that you'll be doing more than one load on laundry day. The most I've done in one day is 4 loads. (But I think that actually included diapers, so maybe only 3.)<br />
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B and I have one very full basket, Cora's basket is half-full or a bit more. (Kids' clothes are small!) For us, that's usually 2 full loads on laundry day.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt2"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt2" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 2 ---</a></strong></div>
<b>Have only 1 child.</b> Don't know what you'll do with the rest of them. Ship 'em off to somewhere sunny and let them run around naked, I suppose.<br />
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*I'm pretty sure I can maintain this once a week thing with 2 kids (after the 6-month window). Time will tell. After 2 kids, maybe we'll bump it up to twice a week.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt3"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt3" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 3 ---</a></strong></div>
<b>Live somewhere so cold that you're inside all winter. </b>Make sure that winter lasts at least 9 months.<br />
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Read: no mud stains to sort out. Snowsuits and coats don't get washed until June, of course.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">None of this is laundry.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt4"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt4" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 4 ---</a></strong></div>
<b>Have LOTS of clothes.</b> Too many clothes, actually. Especially underwear and workout clothes. Your drawers need to be full of drawers--enough undies for everyone in your family to be able to go 2 weeks if it came down to it.<br />
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[I say this, but I'll also claim that I only have enough maternity office clothes to last me about one week right now. And yet we still make it work.]<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt5"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt5" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 5 ---</a></strong></div>
<b>Get a HE (High-Efficiency) washer.</b> Our top-loader HE fits an entire basket full of clothes in it. Make sure you have a dryer with similar capacity. I don't know why top-loading HE's aren't more popular--they're only a bit more expensive than the old-school kind. This puppy has probably paid for itself in the 4.5 years we've had it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt6"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt6" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 6 ---</a></strong></div>
<b>DO NOT separate your colors.</b> No. Just don't. Segregation is over, didn't ya hear? It's unnecessary. Separate your laundry by how it needs to be washed. Which, for us, is 2 things: hot water/high heat dry; or delicate/cold water/low heat dry (or hung). If you're afraid of your colors running, maybe try a color catcher thing. But I don't use 'em. (We also don't use bleach or fabric softener, so no need to separate towels or whites or do any of that nonsense.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 'hot wash' (don't-care clothes) are in the washer and the 'delicates' are standing by</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt7"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt7" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 7 ---</a></strong></div>
<b>Lower your standards.</b> This is probably the most important step. Bed sheets get washed once a month. Maybe. When's the last time that bath towel was washed? Meh, keep on using it unless I have some spare space in the 'hot wash' load. The only thing I really make sure gets washed are washrags and kitchen towels, because ain't nobody got time for salmonella. And Shout totally works on weeks-old stains.<br />
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On that note, don't pre-wash anything unless you got it second-hand. This tip <i>especially</i> applies to brand-new baby clothes. Because if you don't take the tags off and baby never wears it, you can totally re-gift it.<br />
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<br />Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-76845342303613308712015-02-28T13:57:00.001-05:002015-02-28T13:57:24.223-05:007QT: 35 Weeks and Scatter-brained<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt1"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt1" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 1 ---</a></strong></div>
I've felt the urge to blog for the past 2 weeks, but after staring at a computer all day at work, I just can't bring myself to type something up. Sigh. I've also been going through some type of sluggish/manic cycle, where I go hours or days too tired to get anything done and then get a wave of energy and knock a bunch of stuff out in the course of a few hours. Is this a pregnancy thing? I'm blaming it, regardless.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt2"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt2" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 2 ---</a></strong></div>
Speaking of that, I bought some stuff to make some adorable baby headbands and bows that I saw on Pinterest. I'm of course excited to do it . . . I just have to muster up the energy this weekend to bang a few out. Even Cora is excited about this, so I guess I should just suck it up buttercup. (Cora can't really help too much since it's pretty much all hot-glue-gun work.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lifeunfluffed.com/make-ridiculously-easy-bows/">Life Unfluffed's tutorial</a> for these puppies</td></tr>
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I could probably pin cute hairbows and headbands all day long. I never really did like the ones we put on Cora as a baby (the crochet headbands were just too big for her little head).<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt3"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt3" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 3 ---</a></strong></div>
Another 'manic' thing I've been doing when the energy hits is some freezer meal prepping. I had never really done much of this until my book club friends had a freezer meal swap night back in November. We each made 3 of the same dinner and brought it, then went home with 3 different meals. We also talked about strategies and favorite recipes that night. One gal brought copies of her favorite freezer meal recipes (I think they're from a book), and I've been using some of those, along with <a href="http://www.iamthatlady.com/aldi-freezer-cooking-meal-plan/">this Aldi freezer meal plan</a> from the blogosphere.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eju1c_RBIEI/VPINmOzD7kI/AAAAAAAAD7U/L1vREewi6GE/s1600/2015-02-28%2B13.46.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eju1c_RBIEI/VPINmOzD7kI/AAAAAAAAD7U/L1vREewi6GE/s1600/2015-02-28%2B13.46.20.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's not much to some people, but that's 4 meals: baked ravioli, mac & cheese, Souvlaki chicken, and alfredo sauce</td></tr>
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I'm not sure if these will make it to "new baby" time, but with both of us working, freezer meals really are awesome. B just pulled out the bag of <a href="http://www.between3sisters.com/2012/09/make-ahead-meals-quesadilla-casserole_12.html">Quesadilla Casserole</a> filling Thursday night (we just assemble it the night of, unlike that recipe I linked), and last night I made a double of the Alfredo sauce from the Aldi plan (one to eat now, one to freeze). We still have enough of the casserole left for at least another dinner.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt4"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt4" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 4 ---</a></strong></div>
I had a 2014 resolution to kick Cora's picky eating habits. It never happened.<br />
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<b>But then.</b><br />
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But then she turned 3 about a month ago. And guess what--someone's picky little tot learned the benefit of 'cause and effect.' I know, I know, I'm not supposed to use sugary foods and desserts to get her to eat her dinner (says all the scientists and child nutrition experts). But goshdarnit, it works!<br />
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She also responds to a bribe for her beloved cottage cheese, so all is not lost?<br />
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We enjoyed some (fake...microwaved) s'mores for dessert Wednesday night, because I was craving one and she'd eaten all her fish and some veggies.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt5"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt5" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 5 ---</a></strong></div>
My hometown in Georgia got some snow this week, and I have a lot of friends with school-age kids and even more friends (and family members) who are teachers. Everyone was so jazzed about the snow and school cancellations.<br />
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Then Thursday, we had a bit of snow here, and I heard the DJ on the radio say, "Yeah, there's some snow, but amazingly no delays or cancellations today." I'm pretty sure every parent in this city breathed a collective sigh of relief that morning, since they cancel/delay school a lot here.<br />
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And that's the difference between Georgia and Indiana. (Not saying one is better than the other, although I wouldn't mind just getting a few inches of snow once a year and being giddy about it . . .)<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt6"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt6" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 6 ---</a></strong></div>
So Lent started last week. For accountability's sake, here are my Lenten resolutions:<br />
<ol>
<li>Go to Stations of the Cross at least once. (Yeah, I haven't been in YEARS and don't even remember what happens at this.)</li>
<li>Floss my teeth every night. (Sounds odd, but so does giving up chocolate, right?)</li>
<li>Read/pray the daily devo from <a href="http://blessedisshe.net/devotions/">Blessed Is She</a>. They come straight to my email, and I'm really liking these!</li>
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If you want to join the Lenten bandwagon, I found out about this cool website/Twitter account called <a href="http://www.whattogiveupforlent.com/">What to Give Up</a> that gives you a new challenge each day of Lent. I told B he should do it, but not sure if he will.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Fri, Feb 27 - Set a reminder so you go to bed an hour earlier than usual. <a href="http://t.co/7e2zn5SfmR">http://t.co/7e2zn5SfmR</a><br />
— WhatToGiveUpForLent (@WhatToGiveUp) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhatToGiveUp/status/571037304761950209">February 26, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750" name="qt7"></a><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3414907798559897750#qt7" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 7 ---</a></strong></div>
Next week I'm going to hang out with awesome people for a day! I'll be attending a Catholic Women's Blogging Conference on the campus of Notre Dame. I'm probably nuts for doing this at 36 weeks, but oh well. I'm a bit intimidated, since I don't live and breathe blogging, nor have plans to ever make any money from it, but hopefully I'll learn something and chat it up with homegirls like <a href="http://www.camppatton.com/">Grace</a> and <a href="http://www.aknottedlife.com/">Bonnie</a> and <a href="http://fumblingtowardgrace.com/">Sarah</a>. (I've actually had dinner with Sarah before, so I'm excited to see her again!)<br />
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For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at <a href="http://thisaintthelyceum.org/">This Ain't the Lyceum</a></div>
Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-23364347614052990312015-02-09T22:01:00.001-05:002015-02-09T22:01:07.546-05:00Cora's 3rd Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As of 2 weeks ago, I am the proud momma of a 3-year-old!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TzZH2D715YU/VNbMYVA5kVI/AAAAAAAAD40/Nxwc1lZlAK0/s1600/3%2Byear%2Bchair%2B-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TzZH2D715YU/VNbMYVA5kVI/AAAAAAAAD40/Nxwc1lZlAK0/s1600/3%2Byear%2Bchair%2B-2.JPG" height="640" width="457" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obligatory yearly chair-with-elephant photo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gv2ZNz85ZbI/VNbOKQmwknI/AAAAAAAAD5k/fxgBHs3npc0/s1600/Cora%2B3%2Byear%2Bcollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gv2ZNz85ZbI/VNbOKQmwknI/AAAAAAAAD5k/fxgBHs3npc0/s1600/Cora%2B3%2Byear%2Bcollage.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Semi-obligatory comparison photo collage<br />
(I would also like to point out that the chair was never in the same place for each of these)</td></tr>
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Of course we had a party. It was Minnie-Mouse themed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mT89ODda9Zg/VNbMhayBQpI/AAAAAAAAD5Q/tIQ1AHLqT9g/s1600/DSC_0091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mT89ODda9Zg/VNbMhayBQpI/AAAAAAAAD5Q/tIQ1AHLqT9g/s1600/DSC_0091.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dollar Tree helium balloons for life</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BKkDVvbKliQ/VNbMccaPgAI/AAAAAAAAD5A/E8Qtq6qiftw/s1600/DSC_0086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BKkDVvbKliQ/VNbMccaPgAI/AAAAAAAAD5A/E8Qtq6qiftw/s1600/DSC_0086.JPG" height="458" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not enough characters to do alliteration like last year, but I just made it work</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o0BPr10iuU0/VNbMXAWSf0I/AAAAAAAAD4o/jE_38QnLCR4/s1600/DSC_0068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o0BPr10iuU0/VNbMXAWSf0I/AAAAAAAAD4o/jE_38QnLCR4/s1600/DSC_0068.JPG" height="640" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pensive birthday girl</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1LbYZxNcJ5c/VNbMYAfCOdI/AAAAAAAAD4w/fYr-IpO2jmI/s1600/DSC_0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1LbYZxNcJ5c/VNbMYAfCOdI/AAAAAAAAD4w/fYr-IpO2jmI/s1600/DSC_0082.JPG" height="456" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bow-shaped cake (and a mom/baker who needs to invest in a real cakeboard)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fNLKdekKuKw/VNbMeQoVVTI/AAAAAAAAD5I/5jeGGZaBfSo/s1600/DSC_0111%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fNLKdekKuKw/VNbMeQoVVTI/AAAAAAAAD5I/5jeGGZaBfSo/s1600/DSC_0111%2B(2).JPG" height="456" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She managed to blow out exactly ZERO candles and Mom and Dad had to step in to help</td></tr>
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We also did a 'pin the ring on Minnie' game that I found at Party City. We only had a few kids there (we use her birthday as an excuse to have wine and invite B's aunts and uncles over/one of her besties was sick), and I didn't get any pictures of the kids playing it. But she got a princess dress-up kit, and that was a hit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LgGdrjlsIrY/VNbPhZtJLgI/AAAAAAAAD5w/VdaETNOINjA/s1600/DSC_0157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LgGdrjlsIrY/VNbPhZtJLgI/AAAAAAAAD5w/VdaETNOINjA/s1600/DSC_0157.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See? Even her grandma was excited</td></tr>
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I decided that 3 years old was a great time to start yearly interviews, and I ended up asking her these questions about once a day for a few days because she basically answered with whatever was in front of her face the first time around. </div>
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<b>Height:</b> 38 ¾" (85th percentile)</div>
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<b>Weight:</b> 36 lbs. (90th percentile)</div>
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<b>Nicknames:</b> Honeybunch<br />
<b>What is your favorite color?</b> Purple (based on what she wears, it's pink, but she said purple)<br />
<b>What is your favorite animal?</b> butterfly<br />
<b>What is your favorite book?</b> the Jasmine one<br />
<b>What is your favorite TV show/movie?</b> Minnie<br />
<b>What is your favorite song?</b> Twinkle Twinkle Little Star<br />
<b>What is your favorite food?</b> cottage cheese<br />
<b>What is your favorite drink?</b> milk<br />
<b>What is your favorite breakfast food?</b> oatmeal<br />
<b>What is your favorite snack?</b> graham crackers<br />
<b>What is your favorite outfit?</b> heart dress (it's really just a tunic)<br />
<b>What is your favorite game?</b> the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hello-Kitty-Picnic-Park-Game/dp/B0051T3GYM">Hello Kitty one</a> (she just got it for her birthday)<br />
<b>Who is your best friend?</b> changes between Londyn and Izzy (both daycare friends)<br />
<b>What is your favorite thing to do?</b> "ummmm... I don't know"<br />
<b>What is your favorite thing to do outside?</b> swing<br />
<b>What is your favorite holiday?</b> Christmas (she's still not quite sure what a holiday is)<br />
<b>What do you like to take to bed with you at night?</b> soft kitty<br />
<b>Where is your favorite place to go?</b> daycare, Grandma's house<br />
<b>What do you want to be when you grow up?</b> a doctor<br />
<b>What did you do on your birthday?</b> had a party, blew the candles on the cake<br />
<b>What is your favorite prayer? </b>Thankful Heart (from VeggieTales, but her daycare modified it into a grace before meals)<br />
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At her daycare a few weeks back, they had asked all the kids in her class what they want to be when they grow up. Then they taped it on their locker. Her answer has changed since then, thankfully . . .<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2EzOLzl5WsE/VNlwUZveKJI/AAAAAAAAD6A/B5wnVQAkkYc/s1600/2015-02-07%2B11.51.47.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2EzOLzl5WsE/VNlwUZveKJI/AAAAAAAAD6A/B5wnVQAkkYc/s1600/2015-02-07%2B11.51.47.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Aaand one more picture of the birthday girl, for posterity's sake:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2F91HYXdg0o/VNlzyQgPmXI/AAAAAAAAD6M/FEsGZ1gF1SE/s1600/2015-02-07%2B11.52.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2F91HYXdg0o/VNlzyQgPmXI/AAAAAAAAD6M/FEsGZ1gF1SE/s1600/2015-02-07%2B11.52.05.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saying "cheese" while eating 'toasty cheese'</td></tr>
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Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-66343991317897127282015-01-29T22:08:00.001-05:002015-01-29T22:08:09.060-05:00My Pregnancy Exercise Regimen (and other updates)First of all, thank you all for your kind words and concern after my last post. They never called me after the 3-hour test, so as far as I know (a week later), I do NOT have gestational diabetes. Hooray! I had an appointment today and totally forgot to even ask, but it wasn't brought up.<br />
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However, I did bring up my exercise regimen, which has differed from the last time around. Amazingly, I'm working out MORE this time, even though I'm working full-time and have a kid underfoot. Last time, I had a part-time gig twice a week and could hit the free gym on base pretty much any time outside of that. I happily pay for a 'single parent' Y membership now, and it kinda forces me to use it or I feel guilty about paying.<br />
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With Cora's pregnancy, I did the elliptical. That's pretty much it. I would go when I could watch my favorite shows on cable on the gym's machines since we don't subscribe at home. I even did the elliptical on my due date. I still remember that workout vividly. I remember trying to picture what kind of birth I would have and how much my activity in pregnancy would help my delivery, recovery, and weight loss.<br />
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I did have a good <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2012/02/birth-of-cora-elizabeth.html">birth with Cora</a>, and the weight came off pretty easily. I'm hoping for mostly the same this time, but the elliptical kinda bores me now. I also haven't gone running since the Thanksgiving race. This might have more to do with the weather--I hate running in the cold!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zVNfCJeaGJs/VMrqWEGCx1I/AAAAAAAAD4U/0Qoaa_QZjmA/s1600/DSC_0104%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zVNfCJeaGJs/VMrqWEGCx1I/AAAAAAAAD4U/0Qoaa_QZjmA/s1600/DSC_0104%2B(2).JPG" height="640" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belly pic time: 30 weeks, 1 day</td></tr>
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I have maintained a goal of working out at least once a week this time around, with a solid attempt for two times a week. I found that going at 5am before work was just not working for me, so I'm now trying to hit Zumba or Zumba Toning class twice a week because I really do love it! The Zumba we do at my gym is so different from the first time I tried it (way back in 2010--you can <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2010/08/50-zumba.html">read about that here</a>). It's such a party in there! And we do a lot of current songs and not so much the stock Zumba songs. The instructor pulls her routines off YouTube. You can see a similar version of the one we do to "Uptown Funk" in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djkoXh4axAo">this video</a>.<br />
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While I am having a blast, I got word from the nurse practitioner today that I'm probably letting my heart rate get too high since I am actually having some slight contractions during it (just a tightening at the base of my belly, but pretty sure that's a contraction?). Ugh. Darned if you do, darned if you don't, right? I do the low impact moves, but I think I'm just having too much fun in there. I might get a heart rate monitor to see if I can keep it below 140, or I might just march in place or step-touch more often from here on out.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/4c/88/66/4c8866978fd5743032f0a48dbe33e6be.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/4c/88/66/4c8866978fd5743032f0a48dbe33e6be.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what comes up when you search "pregnant Zumba." I chortled.</td></tr>
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Aside from exercise and my occasional doomsday vibes, this pregnancy is actually going quite well on paper. I've already gained more weight than I did the entire time with Cora, but I'm within the normal realm. (I still hate thinking about how I'm the heaviest I've been in my entire life and I still will probably add another 10 lbs to that!) I'm sleeping well, the baby is kicking a lot, and she got the hiccups for the first time last night when I went to bed. I had almost totally forgotten that was a thing.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-37943390870944774692015-01-20T21:23:00.000-05:002015-01-20T21:23:25.465-05:00When There Is No Pregnancy GlowI'm sitting here in the first hour of my fast on the night before my 3-hour glucose test. After failing the 1-hour just as fantastically as I did in my pregnancy with Cora, I also found out that I have pregnancy-induced anemia this time around. In addition, I've basically convinced myself I'm going to fail tomorrow and get the official Gestational Diabetes diagnosis within the next few days.<br />
<br />
But I'm definitely welcoming GD if that's the worst of my troubles. See, for most of this pregnancy, I have had a 'sinking ship' kinda feeling. With Cora, all of my worries melted away after we got a heartbeat at the 10-week ultrasound. This time, it took until the 20-week one and some signs of movement before I started to feel at peace. I actually felt movement 'late' for a 2nd pregnancy, so I wasn't sure what was going on before that ultrasound (turns out, anterior placenta). I had about 9 weeks of optimism, and now I'm back to the doomsday vibes.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xpAg3FbA7TQ/VL8KoUaPn4I/AAAAAAAAD3g/TO_YFc_9gLQ/s1600/DSC_0125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xpAg3FbA7TQ/VL8KoUaPn4I/AAAAAAAAD3g/TO_YFc_9gLQ/s1600/DSC_0125.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This snowman didn't even last a day. <br />This picture is single-handedly keeping my hopes up for a good winter.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Maybe I just hear too much. I'm in a few faith-sharing FB groups, which obviously include prayer intentions. Every other day, I can't help but clicking on the "trigger-warning" posts: infant death, stillborn babies, dads with terminal cancer, anencephaly diagnoses, the list goes on and on and on. I click because I want to send up a prayer for these friends of friends of friends, but I probably need to just lay off the bookface for a month or so. (The rest of my feed is a mostly-happy mixed bag of quotes and pictures of friends' kids, which I do enjoy.) I should probably default to my bloglovin' feed vs. my Facebook, since most blog posts lift my spirits.<br />
<br />
I also feel like I've been so distant from my kid in her final days of undivided attention. Some of it is just natural, as B is the one who takes her and picks her up from daycare most days. My husband has been especially wonderful with Cora, even though she has hit the 'threenager' stage big-time (her birthday is next week). She has started waking in the middle of the night for various reasons (last night was "I want my mommmmyyyy!"), and he is the one who deals with it. What a rock star.<br />
<br />
I'm not really sure where I was going with this post (do thoughts on a page really need to go anywhere? that's so American, isn't it?). But I'm tired and sorta sick (hello, phlegmy cough that I can't take anything for right now). The baby is kicking, which I know is a good sign and has quelled my fears in the past. Maybe I'll wake up tomorrow and feel amazing again. Lord knows I want to.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-apdBMVZ2xOk/VL8M8Q7Jn4I/AAAAAAAAD3s/1JTMu63OZmg/s1600/DSC_0114.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-apdBMVZ2xOk/VL8M8Q7Jn4I/AAAAAAAAD3s/1JTMu63OZmg/s1600/DSC_0114.JPG" height="640" width="456" /></a></div>
<br />Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-59791149966370123692015-01-13T20:47:00.002-05:002015-01-13T20:47:22.340-05:005 FavesI've been squee-ing about a few things lately (except for the fact that I'm pretty sure I've never actually squee-d in my life). Here are some of them.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>The Book With No Pictures</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>by B.J. Novak</b></div>
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<b><br />
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<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400873472l/20821299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400873472l/20821299.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>
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If you have a child roundabouts the ages of 3, 4, or 5, get a hold of this book somehow and be ready for adorable belly laughs. Cora is in love with it, and has been asking to read "Booboobutt" every night. (Read it, you'll understand.)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Vests</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PSw7L9yT_n4/VLSD8Yk5EhI/AAAAAAAAD3I/8zvH9goeFqI/s1600/2014-11-20%2B18.23.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PSw7L9yT_n4/VLSD8Yk5EhI/AAAAAAAAD3I/8zvH9goeFqI/s1600/2014-11-20%2B18.23.56.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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Where have these been all my life? Or at least the past 2 winters I've lived here in Snowtown, USA? I can't zip them any more, but I throw one of these puppies on immediately when I get home and my arms are happy and my core is happy and momma is happy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"Wood of the Cradle"</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hymnary.org/page/fetch/G32011/281/low" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.hymnary.org/page/fetch/G32011/281/low" height="400" width="275" /></a></div>
Yeah, yeah, Christmas season is over, I know. But we sang this a few times at church during the season (perfect communion song, no?), and I just loved it. Not sure if I've just never heard it before, or if I've just never paid attention. And now it's stuck in my head.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>fruit and veggie muffins for my picky toddler</b></span></div>
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These <a href="http://www.superhealthykids.com/power-packed-fruit-and-veggie-muffin-for-picky-eaters/">Fruity & Veggie Muffins</a> have been a big hit around here, at least with the little one. This is the second time we've made them (and frozen half the batch to use later). Cora even helped me make them, telling me how she doesn't like broccoli during it. (My response: "That's okay, you don't have to like everything.") But of course Little Miss Picky scarfed them down once they became actual muffins.<br />
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<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>this photography book</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://res.cloudinary.com/dorling-kindersley/image/upload/c_pad,h_578,w_470/v1/DK/072022c36a5147cabdf8855cc59b0ed9/37269a72589f4faa811c777cf5018256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://res.cloudinary.com/dorling-kindersley/image/upload/c_pad,h_578,w_470/v1/DK/072022c36a5147cabdf8855cc59b0ed9/37269a72589f4faa811c777cf5018256.jpg" height="320" width="260" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
My BIL knew I was getting a DSLR camera for Christmas, so he got me this book as an accompaniment. It's fabulous! (I had been trying to learn some stuff from schmucks on YouTube, which was seriously hit-or-miss. Mostly miss.) I still have a loooong way to go, but now I've at least <i>heard</i> of metering patterns and figured out how to change my white balance. Also, it's a photography book that includes lots of pictures and tells you the settings used to achieve them. Thank God.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://callherhappy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/5-favorites1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://callherhappy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/5-favorites1.jpg" height="45" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://callherhappy.com/5faves-makeup-tips/">Linking up with Jenna's #5Faves</a></td></tr>
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Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-72701221541377315722015-01-11T21:54:00.004-05:002015-01-11T21:54:53.760-05:002015 Resolutions/To-DosWe're now 11 days into January, so I guess I've had enough time to reflect and decide on my goals for the entire year, right? Right. Here goes.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T6qXB-GI_Ng/VLM2q-5CJ5I/AAAAAAAAD24/l5WJTS8MHcU/s1600/2014-12-29%2B16.35.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T6qXB-GI_Ng/VLM2q-5CJ5I/AAAAAAAAD24/l5WJTS8MHcU/s1600/2014-12-29%2B16.35.32.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>1. Have baby, name the baby!</b><br />
The second part is seeming harder than the first at this point. I've had a boy name picked out for over 10 years now, but girls' names are hard.<br />
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<b>2. Still be pumping at work a year from today.</b><br />
I'm kinda dreading pumping again (even though I have my own office with an actual door), but I know it's best. And cheaper. That's really the main reason.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Decorate Cora's room.</b><br />
I re-painted it back in August and never got any decorations back on the wall! I think I want to add some curtains, too.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Read 12 books.</b><br />
This is pseudo-ambitious, but I do get lunch breaks at work.<br />
<br />
<b>5. Run ONE race.</b><br />
This sounds lame since I did 6 this past year, but I feel like it took me forever to recover from giving birth last time. I really didn't start running until Cora was almost a year old. So if I can just get out there and do one 5K, I'll call it a success.<br />
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<b>6. Host 4 dinners at our house.</b><br />
One is already scheduled!<br />
<br />
<b>7. Learn how to use my fancy camera.</b><br />
I have the fancy contraption, even an extra lens, the manual, and even a book about photography I got for Christmas. Now I just need to add it all together and stop shooting in Auto.<br />
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<b>8. Get that blasted passport already.</b><br />
This is a leftover resolution from last year. And get one for Cora, because you never know if your weekend may have you driving to Ontario, right? (I just realized right this moment that the new baby will also need a passport for that, and ugh, have you ever seen a tiny baby's passport photo? It's so awkward.)<br />
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<br />
So there ya have it, my 'big' goal list for 2015. Feel free to leave me some book/dinner/name suggestions in the comments.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-39822582998138126772015-01-04T20:55:00.000-05:002015-01-04T20:55:03.242-05:0012 in 2014Already did my resolution/to-do list recap, so how about a yearly photo recap to top it off?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9cZTum01x30/VJe11rrRmHI/AAAAAAAALzE/NTWwuPHeMZg/s1600/12%2Bin%2B2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9cZTum01x30/VJe11rrRmHI/AAAAAAAALzE/NTWwuPHeMZg/s1600/12%2Bin%2B2014.jpg" height="218" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much goodness <a href="http://www.houseunseen.com/2014/12/12-in-2014-link-up.html">at House Unseen</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Some older recaps:<br />
<a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/01/13-in-13.html">13 pics in 2013</a><br />
<a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2012/12/12-in-12.html">12 in 2012</a> (this and 2011 are more question-based)<br />
<a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2011/12/11-in-11.html">11 in 2011</a><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>JANUARY</b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
This little munchkin <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/01/my-2-year-old.html">turned the big 0-2</a>!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PPZ9qgEVzWg/VKmKKen1e8I/AAAAAAAADzo/PhcfK2RGA0E/s1600/P1020590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PPZ9qgEVzWg/VKmKKen1e8I/AAAAAAAADzo/PhcfK2RGA0E/s1600/P1020590.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>FEBRUARY</b></span></div>
I could cry and whine reminiscing about the <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/02/thank-god-for-crabapple-tree.html">winter-to-end-all-winters</a>, but instead here is a picture of me sledding for the first time ever. Cora and I both had a blast with this new experience.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bKyJU1ewYdY/VKmLSt6Tb_I/AAAAAAAADzw/eWzCyR8mnbo/s1600/IMG_0137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bKyJU1ewYdY/VKmLSt6Tb_I/AAAAAAAADzw/eWzCyR8mnbo/s1600/IMG_0137.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>MARCH</b></span></div>
We went to <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/03/fun-times-in-louisville.html">Louisville</a> and saw the HOT sign on at Krispy Kreme.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ezRVk1tnzhI/VKmNNG_aIYI/AAAAAAAAD0A/leCIwRi4FG4/s1600/P1080241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ezRVk1tnzhI/VKmNNG_aIYI/AAAAAAAAD0A/leCIwRi4FG4/s1600/P1080241.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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We also decided that jockey fashion is rather becoming on us.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JofnTFe1O_s/VKmNM1QFp4I/AAAAAAAADz8/vanhI2ub3PY/s1600/P1080210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JofnTFe1O_s/VKmNM1QFp4I/AAAAAAAADz8/vanhI2ub3PY/s1600/P1080210.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>APRIL</b></span></div>
Easter, <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/04/conjunctivitis-and-holy-week.html">pinkeye</a>, and somebody's first trip to the dentist.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DJXB5fYIswg/VKmO6kOfc9I/AAAAAAAAD0Q/g8vXw7UZ16c/s1600/photo%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DJXB5fYIswg/VKmO6kOfc9I/AAAAAAAAD0Q/g8vXw7UZ16c/s1600/photo%2B2.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>MAY</b></span></div>
So much goodness in May--husband's birthday, a <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/05/race-recap-frontier-run-n-fun-5k.html">5K PR</a> (and I won a gift card!), and the <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/05/my-sotg-cocktail-recipe.html">SOTG cocktail</a> I made that I'm still drooling over.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i_KWXfimryY/VKmZYcg6bhI/AAAAAAAAD0g/FGiSQVzNlgI/s1600/2014-05-12%2B14.10.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i_KWXfimryY/VKmZYcg6bhI/AAAAAAAAD0g/FGiSQVzNlgI/s1600/2014-05-12%2B14.10.04.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>JUNE</b></span></div>
<a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/06/30-and-wordy.html">I turned 30!</a> B left for his <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/06/7qt-big-girl-beds-toddler-hugs-wine-cake.html#qt1">2-week AT</a> in Italy. We <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/06/7qt-big-girl-beds-toddler-hugs-wine-cake.html#qt5">hosted some visiting friends</a> during his absence. I drove on my own [plus tot] to Georgia and celebrated the twin nieces' baptism. Cora got up-close-and-personal with Bill the Lion.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GXwoamCV-zk/VKmiuft_GyI/AAAAAAAAD0w/ZgcMsao913o/s1600/2014-06-24%2B09.56.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GXwoamCV-zk/VKmiuft_GyI/AAAAAAAAD0w/ZgcMsao913o/s1600/2014-06-24%2B09.56.54.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>JULY</b></span></div>
B and I climbed Stone Mountain, then celebrated my long-time friend's wedding in GA. We spent a lot of time <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/07/7-quick-takes-from-lake.html#qt4">at a lake</a> in Michigan, I <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/07/i-pick-things-up-and-put-them-down.html">started weight-lifting</a>, found out I was pregnant, then went to my first NASCAR race.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sipLdvfv-N4/VKmtSFEJIeI/AAAAAAAAD1A/a-v0dkdwp_M/s1600/P1030795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sipLdvfv-N4/VKmtSFEJIeI/AAAAAAAAD1A/a-v0dkdwp_M/s1600/P1030795.JPG" height="458" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>AUGUST</b></span></div>
<a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/08/re-joining-rat-race.html">I got a job!</a> We had lots of 'little moments,' including various types of flying discs. B played <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/08/ultimate.html">Ultimate</a> on a summer league and we had a family disc golf outing.<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>SEPTEMBER</b></span></div>
I officially <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/09/7-quick-takes-working-for-weekend.html#qt4">started work</a>, and Cora took to <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/09/7-quick-takes-working-for-weekend.html#qt2">daycare/preschool</a> like a fish to water. We got good news of a heartbeat at baby #2's first appointment.<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>OCTOBER</b></span></div>
I <a href="http://instagram.com/p/uYc8sUKZjm/">designed an ad</a> that ran in the local paper, Cora refused to wear her hand-me-down Halloween costume to the point where we ended up at Wal-Mart on the day before to pick a new one <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/11/my-life-exhausts-me-but-at-least-my.html#qt6">(Minnie Mouse)</a>. We celebrated 5 years of marriage with a date to a local dinner theatre production.<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>NOVEMBER</b></span></div>
We found out the sex of the baby and had a <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-gender-reveal.html">Thanksgiving gender reveal</a>. My parents came to town, and we got one of the few halfway-decent family pics of the year.<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>DECEMBER</b></span></div>
I <a href="http://instagram.com/p/ww2qKSqZhC/">passed my licensing exam</a> to become a bona fide real estate broker, <a href="http://instagram.com/p/wjTVL3KZpT">Christmas</a> <a href="http://instagram.com/p/whsp9VqZjq">happened</a>, and I got a fancy camera that I'm still learning how to use.<br />
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And that was 2014 in a nutshell of a blog post.<br />
<br />Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-49287206280564795682014-12-31T22:59:00.002-05:002015-01-02T15:09:32.883-05:002014 Resolutions RecapI had a fitting 14 resolutions for 2014. I did a check-in about halfway through the year, which <a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/07/2014-resolutions-check-in.html">you can read here</a>. Or you can skip that noise and see how I fared overall.<br />
<br />
<b>1. Organize the basement.</b> Make it functional. Make it awesome.<br />
<br />
Well, it WAS organized back in July when I did my last update. It's kind of a mess again, but looking at the before picture makes me realize that we're still better off now, even though we still need a blasted shelf.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fcTxfRLoSLw/U7SSOplzlpI/AAAAAAAADpY/n3Sg19QpKQU/s1600/P1080020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fcTxfRLoSLw/U7SSOplzlpI/AAAAAAAADpY/n3Sg19QpKQU/s1600/P1080020.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long time ago</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y88YZPLdFyU/U73o_xVipvI/AAAAAAAADp0/oNfcmHKenu0/s1600/2014-07-09+20.44.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y88YZPLdFyU/U73o_xVipvI/AAAAAAAADp0/oNfcmHKenu0/s1600/2014-07-09+20.44.23.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mid-year check-in</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-By7osZEkA6k/VKS8iOgldPI/AAAAAAAADzY/PtLK3hspSrI/s1600/2014-12-31%2B21.40.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-By7osZEkA6k/VKS8iOgldPI/AAAAAAAADzY/PtLK3hspSrI/s1600/2014-12-31%2B21.40.18.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Current state. Trampoline and bassinet were gifts/hand-me-downs from people,<br />
and the high chair will be back in the kitchen by this time next year.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>2. Start a toy rotation for Cora.</b> Maybe once a month swap stuff out.<br />
<br />
Did this for a while, with reminders in my phone and all, then stopped, mostly due to laziness. Purposely stopped when she began daycare full-time because there's no real need for it any more. I still should probably donate a bunch of toys we have in the basement.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Weekly Family Meetings!</b><br />
<br />
Still going strong. Still in the bathroom. We keep changing the days of it due to B's class schedule, but hopefully something will work this semester.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Potty train Cora.</b><br />
<br />
Fully daytime potty-trained! Even for naps, which is good because it's all-or-nothing for her daycare class. Night-time is still diapers, even though she whines about it. (We tried 3 nights in undies when she started resisting, and only the first night was dry. Another time...)<br />
<br />
<b>5. Use time outs for Cora.</b><br />
<br />
I KNOW she does these at daycare. She does them here, too, sitting on the stairs, but we generally have to stand somewhere nearby or she'll just get up and run away. Ugh.<br />
<br />
<b>6. Conquer Cora's picky eating.</b><br />
<br />
Nope. I don't even know what to do here any more, and I'm too tired to worry about it at this point. So she just gets her cottage cheese/yogurt/peanut butter bagel (seriously, that's all she'll eat at dinner), and we have a lot less screaming and tears and we can all eat dinner in peace.<br />
<br />
<b>7. Get new passport.</b><br />
<br />
Argh. Has not been done.<br />
<br />
<b>8. Make a home management binder. </b>Not sure if I want it as detailed as the one I read about in Organized Simplicity, but there should be some type of manual on running this house if I fall into a hole.<br />
<br />
It's currently a few documents that sit in an online file. I have no idea how to manage a home that I only spend about 3 waking hours in per day<br />
<br />
<b>9. Keep up with the budget on YNAB.</b> (I just bought this thing!) And in effect, tithe more.<br />
<br />
Yep! I LOVE this budgeting program! And I do feel like we tithed more. Now that I'm pretty sure our income is steady, we'll be tithing automatically online each week.<br />
<br />
<b>10. Read 7 books. </b>And actually finish them.<br />
<ol>
<li><i>Unplanned</i> by Abby Johnson</li>
<li><i>Pope Awesome</i> by Cari Donaldson</li>
<li><i>Girl At the End of the World</i> by Elizabeth Esther</li>
<li><i>Strange Gods</i> by Elizabeth Scalia</li>
<li><i>Something Other Than God</i> by Jennifer Fulwiler</li>
<li><i>New Rules of Lifting for Women</i> by Lou Schuler (my first textbook-style read this year, and it went pretty quickly)</li>
<li><i>Saint John Paul the Great: His Five Loves</i> by Jason Evert</li>
<li><i>These Beautiful Bones</i> by Emily Stimpson</li>
<li><i>My Sisters the Saints</i> by Colleen Carroll Campbll</li>
<li><i>Modern Real Estate Practice </i>(19th ed.) -- I read this entire textbook, so I'm counting it!</li>
<li><i>A Year of Biblical Womanhood</i> by Rachel Held Evans</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
I had already read 7 by my mid-year check-in so I upped it to 12. I didn't hit that number, but I didn't know then that I'd be reading an entire real estate textbook and trying to pass a licensing exam. Curveballs and whatnot.<br />
<br />
<b>UPDATE:</b> Thanks to <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a>, I realized I had left a few off!<br />
<br />
12. <i>Deep Dish</i> by Mary Kay Andrews<br />
13. <i>1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12</i> by Thomas W. Phelan<br />
<br />
<b>11. Learn 5 new dinner recipes.</b><br />
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-crock-pot-sweet-and-sour-meatballs-161449">Sweet & Sour Meatballs</a> in the crockpot (we love these!)</li>
<li>ATK Cooking School Hearty Vegetable Lasagna (this was a "labor of love" and was way too involved)</li>
<li>Gouda/Cheddar Mac n' Cheese (from Betty Crocker) -- my fave! just made it again the other week</li>
<li><a href="http://www.thecountrycook.net/2011/06/spasagna.html">Spasagna</a> (B was not a fan, but I liked it. Especially because it fed me for 4 days and I didn't have to wonder what was for dinner when I got home.)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.thebusybudgetingmama.com/2012/06/crock-pot-chicken-and-dumplings/">Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings</a></li>
</ol>
There were probably more, but that's what I remember. B did a really good job with cooking this year, too, learning recipes from our ATK Cooking School book! He definitely has more "chef-like" tendencies than I do.<br />
<br />
<b>12. Get pregnant.</b> (!!)<br />
<br />
Hooray.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6qvUVeW6398/VKS4MsiONKI/AAAAAAAADzM/JaELFTolj3c/s1600/2014-12-04%2B20.43.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6qvUVeW6398/VKS4MsiONKI/AAAAAAAADzM/JaELFTolj3c/s1600/2014-12-04%2B20.43.45.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
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And thank you for the prayers. I had a lot of anxieties through the first half of this pregnancy and am finally feeling more at peace now.<br />
<br />
<b>13. Make 2 friends in this town. </b>Like, actual friends that give me their phone numbers and call me to hang out.<br />
<br />
I think I can safely say I made about 5 new friends! And I also have co-workers that I go to lunch with sometimes, which is nice.<br />
<br />
<b>14. Run 2 races.</b> Setting the bar low . . .<br />
<br />
I ran 6! Even 2 while pregnant. Go, me!<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/03/race-recap-5-kilt-run.html">5-Kilt</a></li>
<li><a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/05/race-recap-frontier-run-n-fun-5k.html">Frontier Run n' Fun</a></li>
<li><a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/05/race-recap-nun-run-5k.html">Nun Run</a></li>
<li><a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/07/race-recap-matthew-25-5k.html">Matthew 25 5K</a></li>
<li>St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish Miracle Miles (never did a recap on this one, sorry)</li>
<li><a href="http://windmillers.blogspot.com/2014/12/race-recap-gallopping-gobbler-4-mile.html">Galloping Gobbler</a></li>
</ol>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0zP7wpXdIbA/U30-OxZuhRI/AAAAAAAADa4/ontVRU2G0XE/s1600/20140517_114542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0zP7wpXdIbA/U30-OxZuhRI/AAAAAAAADa4/ontVRU2G0XE/s1600/20140517_114542.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite victory picture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It looks like I hit about 10 out of 14. Not too shabby. For someone who has barely blogged in a while, I sure have a lot more to say in regards to the new year and the old year and maybe some plans for next year. And I have 4 days off, so hey, maybe I'll actually take the time to write it all down.</div>
Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414907798559897750.post-12708934011900645082014-12-14T22:04:00.000-05:002014-12-14T22:04:49.684-05:00Race Recap: Gallopping Gobbler 4-MileMy first Thanksgiving Day race! (And possibly my last?) It was cold. Like, under 30°F. I ran a race last March in this type of weather, but I wasn't pregnant then. Or trying to keep my mother warm.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-koptg8o-QD4/VI5BQe_IQtI/AAAAAAAADyI/I9BEggcKs4U/s1600/P1040351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-koptg8o-QD4/VI5BQe_IQtI/AAAAAAAADyI/I9BEggcKs4U/s1600/P1040351.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Oh, have I mentioned how awesome my mom is? I figured I would be going to this race solo, but my mom was in town for the holiday and wanted to support me. She didn't run or walk it, and I wasn't even going to suggest it to her. I did loan her a pair of fleece-lined leggings, since her Georgia version of 'winter attire' was quite lacking. Mom luckily got to stay inside a warm building for most of the time I was running.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j0anlSFm6QQ/VI5BM3muxQI/AAAAAAAADxo/hHfoq8C8ypA/s1600/P1040327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j0anlSFm6QQ/VI5BM3muxQI/AAAAAAAADxo/hHfoq8C8ypA/s1600/P1040327.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only picture you can even tell I was pregnant. (I could tell because I the blue shorts I had wanted to wear don't fit over my fat butt any more!) A day shy of 21 weeks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As for the race event, it was . . . eh. It was so bare-bones. "Packet" pick-up consisted of your bib and a t-shirt that didn't even have the year on it (very possibly re-used from last year). But I did get to pick between pink and gray. There was organization to the race, but it kinda felt like the guy in charge just isn't interested any more. (He didn't cash my check for nearly a month, so I was starting to think it got lost in the mail.) The post-race food consisted of a long line with only a bottle of water and some nasty "corn cake" (think rice cake but Indiana-style) sample. Blech. I think all the fastest people got bagels and fruit or something, but I guess they ran out for all of us 'slow' people. (Um, I still finished in the top half! Color me unimpressed.)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T1uWhrwXdfE/VI5BM7DHc9I/AAAAAAAADxs/2f-g1QAcHrg/s1600/P1040325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T1uWhrwXdfE/VI5BM7DHc9I/AAAAAAAADxs/2f-g1QAcHrg/s1600/P1040325.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, how pregnancy changes things. <br />I definitely would have been in the next corral up a year ago.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The course, however, was beautiful. We ran about a mile down a street, and then turned into a large cemetery. There were about 5,000 people doing this race (both the 4-mile and 15K races started shared a start and the first 3 miles), so you could see a whole train of people snaking through gentle rolling hills of the cemetery. It was mostly quiet, even though I had my music playlist running. I felt pretty good the whole time, minus some tightness in the bottom right of my baby bump. I couldn't figure out if it was round ligament pain or a stitch-in-the-side. Could have been both, honestly. I just put some pressure on it and mostly ran through it except for one small part of a hill in mile 3.<br />
<br />
Fun race story: I overheard a conversation from two 20-something gals behind me. One was saying how she and another buddy come to this cemetery and run all the time. "Yeah, it's beautiful. And there's never anyone here." I turned back and threw in my 2 cents, "Except for all the dead people."<br />
<br />
Nary a chuckle. C'mon, that totally deserved a chuckle.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_cxFCm0f_4/VI5BPmSvy9I/AAAAAAAADyA/GxTALXbADvQ/s1600/P1040350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_cxFCm0f_4/VI5BPmSvy9I/AAAAAAAADyA/GxTALXbADvQ/s1600/P1040350.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About to cross that finish line!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My final stats for this one:<br />
Chip time: <a href="http://my-finish.com/results.php?timer_id=8&race_id=325201401&bib_number=4406#.VI5H-zHF_Cp">42:48</a><br />
Age Group Place: <a href="http://my-finish.com/fullResults.php?race_name=gobbler&bib_number=4406&filter_method=age">50 out of 135</a><br />
Overall: 1192 out of 2495<br />
<br />
The website put my pace based on the gun time, which is stupid, so I looked it up on <a href="http://whatsmypace.com/">whatsmypace.com</a> (love that site!), and it was 10:42/mi. Not great, but not shabby.<br />
<br />
While I was happy to run this race, I was probably even more happy to finish it. Winter running is not my cup of tea. At all. (I don't even like tea, so is anything really my cup of tea?) If I do another Thanksgiving Day race, it most likely won't be this one. I think I would have been happier at a smaller race and a shorter distance.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11753603934212387119noreply@blogger.com1