I don't understand how 3 1/2 to 4 tablespoons of cornstarch results in a wiggly, kind of runny banana cream pie. It could be that I just am not waiting long enough and it hasn't cooled and settled entirely...but I am pretty sure it is just runny. Ugh.
I have potato soup on the go for supper, which is an excellent usage for left over mashed potatoes, bacon (though I didn't have any to add this time around) and even things like sour cream or cream cheese. I added a little cream cheese to my soup, to help it be rich and creamy. It was also because I had it in my fridge and needed to get rid of it! It's also perfect for yet another rainy day. Comfort food? FTW! It hasn't stopped raining since Saturday and by this point I'll be surprised when it does. =(
I have been having some sore muscles in my calves today. I have no idea what this is from as my physical activity is restricted to my basement apartment hallway, and the stairs up to the laundry. My only possible suspicion is that when I am sitting at m desk I cross my legs. Whatever the cause, I have found a use for my broken phone - a massager! It had to be good for something...
Another thing I noticed is that on my right side, right beneath my ribs I get this stiff pain and sometimes an ache. When I move my ribs different ways it hurts. When I press on it, it feels almost as firm as my ribs. Any ideas as to what this could be? I am clueless...I think that your kidney and gall bladder are located there. I have read different things from complaints by pregnant women. Usually preggers have this complaint near 30 weeks though.
On a more positive note, last night I was trying to feel the baby before I fell asleep. I must have had my thumb in the perfect position because I could feel and hear its little heart beat just a going. Very exciting, I've never felt its heart beat before (though I have heard it - at 10 weeks!). I know it wasn't my heartbeat because I had been feeling it minutes before. I am about 12 1/2 weeks, and though women usually don't feel anything until the 14th week some women can feel the baby as early as the 9th week! Crazy! I don't feel anything unless I am pressing down, skin to skin. Sometimes the baby is sleeping or quiet, and other times I feel a lot of activity. I find I get the best results when laying down on my tummy.
I wonder if there are any other good tactics for getting a result. My grandmother on the husbands side says that drinking cold water will make the baby move. What have you heard?
Monday, July 12, 2010
Monday Blog Hop!
Questions:
1. What do your normally eat for breakfast?
I can't do greasy foods in the morning usually, especially being pregnant. My typical breakfast is toast with strawberry jam or peanut butter and honey. I also usually eat some yogurt, just the good regular percentage of milk fat. i can't stand low fat dairy anything. I hate peach yogurt though, who thinks of these flavours anyways?
2. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
I have most recently acquired a little purple beast. It's a 1997 toyota corolla, and she's my baby. I bought her used for under 2 grand: she's clean as a whistle, fast as a rocket and has lower kms than your grandma. (haha, I am in a weird mood this morning). On a more serious note I am not rich enough to buy a new vehicle outright, and I do not believe in leases or monthly payments. I always stick with Toyotas because they are indestructible, sound and live forever. Not to mention just darn cute and little - yay for low gas mileage!
3. Have you ever met a famous person(s)?
I'm not sure about this one... I have met a lot of famous figure skaters like Jeff Buttle, Kurt Browning, Steven Cousins. Mostly Canadian skaters...
4. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? I always get stuck between peanut butter chocolate and cotton candy (gross, I know). I also love rolo and cookies and cream. Give me any kind of ice cream really, I'm pregnant!
5. Which TV Channel do you watch the most?
I think it's something between slice, tlc, hgtv and cosmo. I like TLC for birth, baby, say yes to the dress kind of shows. Slice for millionaire matchmaker when I am particularily bored. TLC for what not to wear and some home shows. I also like W - Love it or List it. To be honest I am not much of a TV person. It's my last resort.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Banana Pudding
Why is every recipe online for 'Banana Pudding' a recipe which includes vanilla wafers, sweetened condensed milk or whipped cream and sliced bananas? It actually sounds rather repulsive to me. From what I understand it's some kind of Southern (United States) recipe.
What I have actually been looking for is a recipe to make homemade banana cream pie, with a graham wafer crust, banana pudding and whipped cream on top. No sliced bananas here.
The first recipe I attempted had no milk in it, just pureed bananas and corn starch and some sugar. I really should have thought about it and figured out that it wouldn't be delicious. So my poor husband choked through a piece of nasty pureed, custardy bananas. I also thought it would be a good idea to put some melted chocolate on top. Well me, being a little bit dense today (apparently) melted mint chocolate on top...DISGUSTING. What a disgusting combination. Yuck!
Maybe I will try again tomorrow.
On a positive note, thanks for clicking my ads! I am almost at 50.00 already! Woohoo!
What I have actually been looking for is a recipe to make homemade banana cream pie, with a graham wafer crust, banana pudding and whipped cream on top. No sliced bananas here.
The first recipe I attempted had no milk in it, just pureed bananas and corn starch and some sugar. I really should have thought about it and figured out that it wouldn't be delicious. So my poor husband choked through a piece of nasty pureed, custardy bananas. I also thought it would be a good idea to put some melted chocolate on top. Well me, being a little bit dense today (apparently) melted mint chocolate on top...DISGUSTING. What a disgusting combination. Yuck!
Maybe I will try again tomorrow.
On a positive note, thanks for clicking my ads! I am almost at 50.00 already! Woohoo!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Futureshop is the devil
Well today sucked basically.
It was our 6-months-of-being-married-versary and it started out by my husband informing me that he had accidently put the computer chair leg on my blackberry. I had a blackberry curve, it was about a year old. I was a little rough on it I guess, a couple of scratches here and there but it worked perfectly. Until today. The entire screen cracked from left to right. We also believe that it short circuited when we tried to put the battery back in and start it up as the battery smells like burning and the battery connectors on the back also had a burn mark on the one side. We do not believe this was related to the crack in the screen, as it was a surface crack.
Now I won't get into the legalities of who left the blackberry to charge on the floor...as that will start an arguement. I will say that I usually leave it to charge on my husbands side of the desk, which irritates him and so he usually puts it on the floor. However, he doesn't usually subsequently put his chair on it... Anyways, my phone was done. I have been paying into a "Product Exchange Plan" with Future Shop (which is where I purchased the phone over a year ago). I did not realise that this plan was a contract that I had somehow signed into for three years as the trusty Future Shop employee never explain such to me at the time. This is beside the point of why FS really means f-ng sh-. (Pardon me!)
Apparently the PEP (product exchange program) does not cover any physical damage. We drove to three different FS stores, and spoke with representatives of the PEP on the phone from 12pm until 5:00pm today. Representatives on the phone told us that provided the physical damage was not related to the technical problem with the phone then the product could be exchanged and I was eligable for a new phone. FS store representatives and general managers told us that the 'people' they sent the phone away to would see the cracked screen and state this as the cause of the phones untimely death and then they would have to pay out of pocket for the phone.
Do I care? No.
So essentially I have been paying 10 dollars a month, which is at least 150.00 dollars worth by this point, for nothing. The only thing that was offered to me was to buy a new blackberry for 220.00 and continue with two more years in my plan. Well, why would I do that when I can get a phone for free?
My concluding statement is:
Future Shop is a scam. Do not get their product exchange plan because they do not actually exchange any products. It is a rip off, it is misinformative and it will screw you over.
Needless to say, my husband and I will not be making any further purchases at Future Shop. And neither should you!
It was our 6-months-of-being-married-versary and it started out by my husband informing me that he had accidently put the computer chair leg on my blackberry. I had a blackberry curve, it was about a year old. I was a little rough on it I guess, a couple of scratches here and there but it worked perfectly. Until today. The entire screen cracked from left to right. We also believe that it short circuited when we tried to put the battery back in and start it up as the battery smells like burning and the battery connectors on the back also had a burn mark on the one side. We do not believe this was related to the crack in the screen, as it was a surface crack.
Now I won't get into the legalities of who left the blackberry to charge on the floor...as that will start an arguement. I will say that I usually leave it to charge on my husbands side of the desk, which irritates him and so he usually puts it on the floor. However, he doesn't usually subsequently put his chair on it... Anyways, my phone was done. I have been paying into a "Product Exchange Plan" with Future Shop (which is where I purchased the phone over a year ago). I did not realise that this plan was a contract that I had somehow signed into for three years as the trusty Future Shop employee never explain such to me at the time. This is beside the point of why FS really means f-ng sh-. (Pardon me!)
Apparently the PEP (product exchange program) does not cover any physical damage. We drove to three different FS stores, and spoke with representatives of the PEP on the phone from 12pm until 5:00pm today. Representatives on the phone told us that provided the physical damage was not related to the technical problem with the phone then the product could be exchanged and I was eligable for a new phone. FS store representatives and general managers told us that the 'people' they sent the phone away to would see the cracked screen and state this as the cause of the phones untimely death and then they would have to pay out of pocket for the phone.
Do I care? No.
So essentially I have been paying 10 dollars a month, which is at least 150.00 dollars worth by this point, for nothing. The only thing that was offered to me was to buy a new blackberry for 220.00 and continue with two more years in my plan. Well, why would I do that when I can get a phone for free?
My concluding statement is:
Future Shop is a scam. Do not get their product exchange plan because they do not actually exchange any products. It is a rip off, it is misinformative and it will screw you over.
Needless to say, my husband and I will not be making any further purchases at Future Shop. And neither should you!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Differences I've noticed
I sleep a ridiculous amount these days. I usually go to bed around 10pm and sleep until at least 8:30am. If I get up at 8:30am then I can make it through the day with no naps. But if I choose to sleep longer, even as little as another half an hour I feel sluggish. And I have to nap, or continue sleeping for another hour or two before I feel good.
I used to get restless leg syndrome if I didn't go for walks or do something active during the day. I find now that I usually have no desire to go for walks (I suppose it doesn't help that it is either much too hot for a walk, or much to cold and wet) and that even if I don't do much all day I don't get RLS. I have also noticed that if I do have to go out, driving around and running errands it just exhausts me.
I wonder if I have gotten used to being at home (I have been unemployed for about half the month of june and all of july so far, aside from freelance writing) or if it's the pregnancy. Some days I still feel restless and need to get out of the house.
I have an active kind of personality so that is normal for me. Other days I find I have no desire for this and other days it is just as strong if not stronger than pre-pregnancy.
Another thing that drives me crazy is sound. I've been having a lot of headaches and my husband jokes about how I am like a grandmother because I mute commercials but I honestly can't stand them.
One thing that drives my husband crazy is I usually have no desire to finish my meals or snacks. Even tea (before 3pm) I get about halfway through and have to dump out. I do not enjoy wasting food, so I usually put it in a container and enjoy it later. Maybe because I am not puking my body is being selective.
I don't find that I have to pee frequently because, well, I always have to pee frequently - pregnant or not. I have a tendency to drink too much water. I am the notorious, annoying passenger on a roadtrip who stops to go to the bathroom and downs an entire bottle of water before getting back in the vehicle.
These are all pretty general differences I've noticed in myself. They vary from day to day...some days I pee less, eat more etc. But as a general rule of thumb, this is the way it is.
I used to get restless leg syndrome if I didn't go for walks or do something active during the day. I find now that I usually have no desire to go for walks (I suppose it doesn't help that it is either much too hot for a walk, or much to cold and wet) and that even if I don't do much all day I don't get RLS. I have also noticed that if I do have to go out, driving around and running errands it just exhausts me.
I wonder if I have gotten used to being at home (I have been unemployed for about half the month of june and all of july so far, aside from freelance writing) or if it's the pregnancy. Some days I still feel restless and need to get out of the house.
I have an active kind of personality so that is normal for me. Other days I find I have no desire for this and other days it is just as strong if not stronger than pre-pregnancy.
Another thing that drives me crazy is sound. I've been having a lot of headaches and my husband jokes about how I am like a grandmother because I mute commercials but I honestly can't stand them.
One thing that drives my husband crazy is I usually have no desire to finish my meals or snacks. Even tea (before 3pm) I get about halfway through and have to dump out. I do not enjoy wasting food, so I usually put it in a container and enjoy it later. Maybe because I am not puking my body is being selective.
I don't find that I have to pee frequently because, well, I always have to pee frequently - pregnant or not. I have a tendency to drink too much water. I am the notorious, annoying passenger on a roadtrip who stops to go to the bathroom and downs an entire bottle of water before getting back in the vehicle.
These are all pretty general differences I've noticed in myself. They vary from day to day...some days I pee less, eat more etc. But as a general rule of thumb, this is the way it is.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Nursing Dreams
I went to my first La Leche League meeting yesterday. It was smaller than I expected, but it was good. We met outside at a park and I definately got a good burn.
In the last week I've had two different dreams about nursing. The first dream went something like this: I went into labour, had my baby within a couple of hours and then was trying to nurse. It was a pretty realistic dream, other than the labour being virtually painless and being fast - oh and I think I decided to have my baby. The nursing part was so realistic I could feel everything and was convinced it was actually happening. Most of my dream was just about sitting there nursing. When I woke up I had a little panic because I was confused, where was my baby? And then I realised I was still pregnant.
Last night or maybe early this morning, I had a dream about trying to nurse my niece. She is three now but in my dream I think she was one and a half or two. My sister said it would be good practice, but I was having trouble getting her latched on. Infact, it hurt. She seemed to be getting impatient and there wasn't much milk coming out. Then my sister came over and said I was doing it wrong. She repositioned me and it was much more comfortable and I had lots of milk. I remember wanting to practice before the baby came.
Weird. I don't really have anxieties about breastfeeding but my dreams would say the contrary. I am nervous it will hurt, that I won't be able to get my baby to latch properly (and that's why it will hurt) and that I won't have enough milk supply. I know the solution to all of these things!
The next thing I am going to be dreaming about is trying to nurse in a baby carrier or wrap and having my baby fall out or something absurd. Either that or being told off for publicly breastfeeding.
In the last week I've had two different dreams about nursing. The first dream went something like this: I went into labour, had my baby within a couple of hours and then was trying to nurse. It was a pretty realistic dream, other than the labour being virtually painless and being fast - oh and I think I decided to have my baby. The nursing part was so realistic I could feel everything and was convinced it was actually happening. Most of my dream was just about sitting there nursing. When I woke up I had a little panic because I was confused, where was my baby? And then I realised I was still pregnant.
Last night or maybe early this morning, I had a dream about trying to nurse my niece. She is three now but in my dream I think she was one and a half or two. My sister said it would be good practice, but I was having trouble getting her latched on. Infact, it hurt. She seemed to be getting impatient and there wasn't much milk coming out. Then my sister came over and said I was doing it wrong. She repositioned me and it was much more comfortable and I had lots of milk. I remember wanting to practice before the baby came.
Weird. I don't really have anxieties about breastfeeding but my dreams would say the contrary. I am nervous it will hurt, that I won't be able to get my baby to latch properly (and that's why it will hurt) and that I won't have enough milk supply. I know the solution to all of these things!
The next thing I am going to be dreaming about is trying to nurse in a baby carrier or wrap and having my baby fall out or something absurd. Either that or being told off for publicly breastfeeding.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Green Mom Blog Hop
The Rules:
* MANDATORY: Create a new Green Mom Blog Hop blog post on your blog
* Include the Green Mom Blog Hop button by copying and pasting the code above
* Add your blog name to the MckLinky below.
* Mandatory: Follow Going Green with Noah AND Tales of the Wife, the hostesses of the blog listed in the first two slots. We’d LOVE if you put our blog button on your blog!
* Try to follow at least three additional blogs. This is not mandatory, but it will help ensure that everyone who signs up gets a few new followers!
* Follow as many other blogs as you want. The more you follow, the more that will follow you back! Which means that if someone follows you, it is common courtesy to follow back!
* The weekly Green Mom Blog Hop MckLinky opens every Tuesday night.
* The MckLinky will be open to add your blog until 9:00 p.m. CST Wednesday night. You then have all week long to visit blogs and return follows!
* There is a new list every week. The link you enter one week will not carry over to the next week's MckLinky. Please link up again each week to join in the fun!
What is ok during pregnancy?
I love tea. My husband and I are tea fanatics. Before I got pregnant I drank anywhere from four to six and onward cups a day. Well, now if I even think about tea past 3pm I will undoubtedly be wide awake all night. My body will sleep but my head will be dashing from subject to subject like a three year old whose diet consists of nothing but sugar. I may sleep but I wake up feeling just as tired as I went to bed.
What is with that? Before I was pregnant I could drink four cups a day and not feel a thing. I am not a coffee drinker by nature (I think it tastes nasty) but even the tolerably coffee experiences I have had don't leave me buzzed. Well, except for a grande caramel macchiato but I think there's a reason for that.
Our bodies must absorb differently during pregnancy...Fifty years ago when my husbands grandmother was having children she was told that she could eat and drink anything. Consequently she drank heavily enough that my husbands father had symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome (mainly large head and small hands). Twenty years after that my husband's Aunts were told the reverse; that everything affects the baby and to avoid all alcohol, smoking and to be very careful about what they ate.
Another twenty years later what are we being told? I have been told not to smoke, which is fine because it is not a habit I practice. I have been told that I can drink - in sensible amounts. A glass of wine is fine but getting smashed is not. I have been told to avoid hot dogs and any processed meats. If allergies run in the family I should avoid nuts or anything that caused allergy symptoms. More importantly I have been told that my body will naturally filter out (to a degree) things that can potentially harm my baby.
What have you been told?
What is with that? Before I was pregnant I could drink four cups a day and not feel a thing. I am not a coffee drinker by nature (I think it tastes nasty) but even the tolerably coffee experiences I have had don't leave me buzzed. Well, except for a grande caramel macchiato but I think there's a reason for that.
Our bodies must absorb differently during pregnancy...Fifty years ago when my husbands grandmother was having children she was told that she could eat and drink anything. Consequently she drank heavily enough that my husbands father had symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome (mainly large head and small hands). Twenty years after that my husband's Aunts were told the reverse; that everything affects the baby and to avoid all alcohol, smoking and to be very careful about what they ate.
Another twenty years later what are we being told? I have been told not to smoke, which is fine because it is not a habit I practice. I have been told that I can drink - in sensible amounts. A glass of wine is fine but getting smashed is not. I have been told to avoid hot dogs and any processed meats. If allergies run in the family I should avoid nuts or anything that caused allergy symptoms. More importantly I have been told that my body will naturally filter out (to a degree) things that can potentially harm my baby.
What have you been told?
Monday, July 5, 2010
The Hormone Monster
I know I am still in the first trimester, but I am feeling a little confused. The Hormone Monster is in full force these days. I woke up feeling off, spent some time following other momblogs this morning and looked for work. By then it was around 11am, and I was feeling awful, and depressed to boot. My head was pounding, I felt like I had three hours of sleep. So, I went back to bed for a nap. I woke up at 1:15pm. That was a good two hour nap, the best part was I didn't even wake up feeling tired. I felt way better, which is odd because I had a good 8 hour sleep the night before.
My question is, why do I have this impression that pregnancy is a peaceful, happy period of 9 months? I remember my sister in this peaceful serenity during her pregnancies. Am I not embracing it? Does it get better after the first trimester? Is it different based on what you're having? I know that my sister had different symptoms with her boys than with her girl. I haven't been puking, so I don't really have an excuse other than raging hormones. But bad skin, hormones, lack of sleep and wanting sleep...bloating, gasiness, feeling upset because none of my clothes fit, sore breasts - need I go on - will these pass?
I certainly hope so. What are your experiences of pregnancy? Did you find a difference between what the sex of your baby was?
My question is, why do I have this impression that pregnancy is a peaceful, happy period of 9 months? I remember my sister in this peaceful serenity during her pregnancies. Am I not embracing it? Does it get better after the first trimester? Is it different based on what you're having? I know that my sister had different symptoms with her boys than with her girl. I haven't been puking, so I don't really have an excuse other than raging hormones. But bad skin, hormones, lack of sleep and wanting sleep...bloating, gasiness, feeling upset because none of my clothes fit, sore breasts - need I go on - will these pass?
I certainly hope so. What are your experiences of pregnancy? Did you find a difference between what the sex of your baby was?
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Poor Husband
My husband and I had an interesting argument earlier today. It began with him not eating lunch (we had a late, large pancake breakfast) and rummaging in the snack drawer. He chose the half empty bag of salt and vinegar chips, which he had bought for my cravings this past weekend. He then proceeded to sit down on the couch next to me, and eat them in front of me. I felt there was an injustice happening, "But you didn't eat lunch! That's not healthy! You need to take care of your body." My stomach suddenly felt empty even though I had just eaten lunch. The first attempt didn't work, he just kept eating. Crunch...crackle, crunch crunch. I was getting madder by the second. Then I tried "Why don't you eat the leftovers in the fridge that are from dinner on Friday night?" More crackling and crunching, "Well that was your dinner...And you slobbered all over it."
If there was a thermometer beside my head it would have exploded (like they do in cartoons). I was livid! He makes out with me all the time, since when is slobber an issue? "Well I slobbered all over those chips!" Aha! Got him! "Yup. I did, mhmm!! I licked every finger and then I put them back in the bag! Now hows that for disgusting? Don't you want to stop eating them now?" I was secretly gloating in my good argument, thinking I'd won my case. To my dismay he responded, "Naw." and just kept on eating them.
Finally I looked at him, probably with crazy eyes, you know, similar to an addict in withdrawal, and shouted "I just want some chips! Gimme some!!!!!" He looked at me, cocked a brow and calmly passed the chips over to me. An immediate feeling of calm swept over me as I grabbed a handful of chips.
And there it was. As soon as that ugly hormonal monster reared its head, it was put to sleep. I didn't care he hadn't eaten lunch, or that I would have to face the leftovers later. Nothing mattered. I think the best part was, after eating a couple I was totally turned off by them and didn't even care if he ate the rest of the bag.
If there was a thermometer beside my head it would have exploded (like they do in cartoons). I was livid! He makes out with me all the time, since when is slobber an issue? "Well I slobbered all over those chips!" Aha! Got him! "Yup. I did, mhmm!! I licked every finger and then I put them back in the bag! Now hows that for disgusting? Don't you want to stop eating them now?" I was secretly gloating in my good argument, thinking I'd won my case. To my dismay he responded, "Naw." and just kept on eating them.
Finally I looked at him, probably with crazy eyes, you know, similar to an addict in withdrawal, and shouted "I just want some chips! Gimme some!!!!!" He looked at me, cocked a brow and calmly passed the chips over to me. An immediate feeling of calm swept over me as I grabbed a handful of chips.
And there it was. As soon as that ugly hormonal monster reared its head, it was put to sleep. I didn't care he hadn't eaten lunch, or that I would have to face the leftovers later. Nothing mattered. I think the best part was, after eating a couple I was totally turned off by them and didn't even care if he ate the rest of the bag.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Embracing the Pregnancy
When discussing with my husband what I should write next about I asked him, "What are some things we have experienced so far?" His reply; "Moodiness!". Very.funny... However it's true, I would even venture to say that not only have I been more moody but so has he!
As a young married couple the stress of an unexpected pregnancy could be devastating. The stress of being a young married couple is stressful enough! We don't own a house...I think the only things we actually have to our name that are worth something is a laptop, a 50" TV (remember, my husband is a nerd) and two Toyotoa's (bought used of course!!). But in retrospect I think we have done well - not to say we haven't had our moments of stress, fear and uncertainty. My husband and I have the attitude that all things happen for a reason, and the best thing we can do is to embrace the changes and surprises that God gives us. This has been a comfort when those questions of, "How are we going to afford all the needs of a baby?" pop up.
Lucky for us, the natural way of having and raising a child means that first year will save us around three thousand dollars (which is the cost alone of formula and diapers for one year). This doesn't include the reducton of costs like the increased visits to the doctors for formula fed babies or the cost of setting up a baby room (we are going to co-sleep as my husband says "You can co-sleep - i'm just going to sleep!" and He's right!).
For $9 I have also made my own nursing pads, two receiving blankets and a bib. I guess being resourceful helps!
One of the biggest and hardest decisions for an unexpected pregnancy is when the mother is going back to work. For us we knew that when we had kids I would be staying home with them. It wasn't even an option to have someone else raise our children. I think the most helpful thing for me has been finding a job that I started while pregnant, which I can carry through pregnancy and after birth. Being a WAHM (working at home mother) is empowering - and helpful for the budget! To my surprise it was a lot easier than I had expected. Getting into a working rhythm at home can be tricky, so starting before the baby comes helps build structure.
If you're expecting a surprise baby be resourceful! You don't have to spend a lot of money to have a happy baby. How are you embracing your pregnancy?
As a young married couple the stress of an unexpected pregnancy could be devastating. The stress of being a young married couple is stressful enough! We don't own a house...I think the only things we actually have to our name that are worth something is a laptop, a 50" TV (remember, my husband is a nerd) and two Toyotoa's (bought used of course!!). But in retrospect I think we have done well - not to say we haven't had our moments of stress, fear and uncertainty. My husband and I have the attitude that all things happen for a reason, and the best thing we can do is to embrace the changes and surprises that God gives us. This has been a comfort when those questions of, "How are we going to afford all the needs of a baby?" pop up.
Lucky for us, the natural way of having and raising a child means that first year will save us around three thousand dollars (which is the cost alone of formula and diapers for one year). This doesn't include the reducton of costs like the increased visits to the doctors for formula fed babies or the cost of setting up a baby room (we are going to co-sleep as my husband says "You can co-sleep - i'm just going to sleep!" and He's right!).
For $9 I have also made my own nursing pads, two receiving blankets and a bib. I guess being resourceful helps!One of the biggest and hardest decisions for an unexpected pregnancy is when the mother is going back to work. For us we knew that when we had kids I would be staying home with them. It wasn't even an option to have someone else raise our children. I think the most helpful thing for me has been finding a job that I started while pregnant, which I can carry through pregnancy and after birth. Being a WAHM (working at home mother) is empowering - and helpful for the budget! To my surprise it was a lot easier than I had expected. Getting into a working rhythm at home can be tricky, so starting before the baby comes helps build structure.
If you're expecting a surprise baby be resourceful! You don't have to spend a lot of money to have a happy baby. How are you embracing your pregnancy?
Friday, July 2, 2010
The Beginning
As this is the beginning of the blog I decided it would only be appropriate to make the first entry about how this journey started.
In the first week of May my husband and I had been living in Alberta for a month. We had just moved into our first Alberta apartment, a basement with adequate light and fairly new construction. I was working as an interior design assistant with a company called Hot Mama Design, and we had joked about how it would only be appropriate if I was pregnant (my boss has two children). It was then that I began to feel...differently. My nose became hypersensitive, I could smell things I never knew I would be able to smell. Like the smell of smoke from two years ago when there were junkies living in our apartment. Or the smell of sausage my husband so graciously cooked for dinner, before I had even entered the front door (to his dismay I thought it was disgusting). I found foods I had once loved to be revolting. My size 2 jeans wouldn't zip up...infact none of my jeans felt comfortable zipped up. I was as bloated as a whale. I felt hot randomly, one moment I would be fine and the next I would be sweltering! This was particularily out of character as I am always freezing. I also would randomly feel pains similar to cramps, but somehow different. It hadn't really occured to me until Hot Mama (my boss) joked that I was pregnant. She lovingly pressured me into taking a test, and so I bought a double pack pregnancy test.
I waited a couple of days, and took one around the 6th of May. Negative. My symptoms kept on, and by May 10th I couldn't wait any longer. I paced impatiently for a minute, determined not to look at it until I had waited for the correct amount of time. I tried to think about what we would do if we were pregnant. And then I caved. I ran back to the bathroom, flipped the test upside and stared. The horizontal line came up clear and dark, I remember feeling a mix of releif and disappointment. With a million thoughts running through my mind I stood there staring at the test and to my amazement a faint red line appeared vertically. I blinked, said "What?!" gave a little shriek and ran down the hall and back up it again.
Within minutes I flew down to Hot Mama's house, showed her the test and asked a million questions about the accuracy and what that strange little line meant. She assured me that if it had showed up there was no way it would be wrong. There was nothing left to do but wait until the 15th to see if a period came or not.
Well, it didn't come. And that was that, Eric and I were going to have a baby just after our one year anniversary.
And that was how this all began.
In the first week of May my husband and I had been living in Alberta for a month. We had just moved into our first Alberta apartment, a basement with adequate light and fairly new construction. I was working as an interior design assistant with a company called Hot Mama Design, and we had joked about how it would only be appropriate if I was pregnant (my boss has two children). It was then that I began to feel...differently. My nose became hypersensitive, I could smell things I never knew I would be able to smell. Like the smell of smoke from two years ago when there were junkies living in our apartment. Or the smell of sausage my husband so graciously cooked for dinner, before I had even entered the front door (to his dismay I thought it was disgusting). I found foods I had once loved to be revolting. My size 2 jeans wouldn't zip up...infact none of my jeans felt comfortable zipped up. I was as bloated as a whale. I felt hot randomly, one moment I would be fine and the next I would be sweltering! This was particularily out of character as I am always freezing. I also would randomly feel pains similar to cramps, but somehow different. It hadn't really occured to me until Hot Mama (my boss) joked that I was pregnant. She lovingly pressured me into taking a test, and so I bought a double pack pregnancy test.
I waited a couple of days, and took one around the 6th of May. Negative. My symptoms kept on, and by May 10th I couldn't wait any longer. I paced impatiently for a minute, determined not to look at it until I had waited for the correct amount of time. I tried to think about what we would do if we were pregnant. And then I caved. I ran back to the bathroom, flipped the test upside and stared. The horizontal line came up clear and dark, I remember feeling a mix of releif and disappointment. With a million thoughts running through my mind I stood there staring at the test and to my amazement a faint red line appeared vertically. I blinked, said "What?!" gave a little shriek and ran down the hall and back up it again.
Within minutes I flew down to Hot Mama's house, showed her the test and asked a million questions about the accuracy and what that strange little line meant. She assured me that if it had showed up there was no way it would be wrong. There was nothing left to do but wait until the 15th to see if a period came or not.
Well, it didn't come. And that was that, Eric and I were going to have a baby just after our one year anniversary.
And that was how this all began.
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