Baby Pom Pom

While we don't have any expectations of naming this child "Baby Pom Pom" as Amelia would probably prefer, we have not come up with a better way to refer to the child currently residing in my stomach. So "Baby Pom Pom" it is--thanks Amelia.

My 18 week ultrasound went off this week without a hitch. Things looked great according to the technician, although Amelia was less than impressed with the whole experience. She was actually quite worried about me and whether or not I was in pain and/or okay. She kept laying her hand on my arm and saying in a very quiet and concerned voice, "Mommy, are you okay? Mommy does it hurt?". We got a couple of good pictures from the tech, although I am too lazy to head to my mom's with them to scan, so I opted to take a picture of a picture--which not surprisingly didn't turn out great. But, what can I say, this is the SECOND child after all. (This is kind of a joke of mine since the second child always gets the shaft. Spoken like a true second child, of course).

And if you are wondering about the baby's gender, well so are we! We opted not to find out what we are having. Originally we both thought it was a girl, but Jason thinks he might have seen "something" on the ultrasound "down by the legs". I saw nothing of the sort, but am planning on reviewing the video of the ultrasound when time allows.....

I still think its a girl.

We've been diligently working on a theme for a gender neutral nursery and I think we have some good ideas--its just a matter of making them all work together. Oh, and that room is an absolute disaster area currently. I missed out on doing a true nursery for Amelia given our move to a Chicago apartment when she was a mere 6 weeks old. I am feeling the need to get it just right.

And the names! We're having a heck of a time coming up with a couple of each gender we are okay with. We are still in the brainstorming phase, so if you know of a good one, please pass it along!

I'm also up 9 lbs. so far. I am not sure where this puts me compared to last time, but I will take it, I guess. (Do I have a choice?). I have significantly decreased my anti-nausea meds, but have not been able to go off of them completely.

Hopefully I will be adding some photos of my ever expanding mid-section soon!

Hooray for Applique!

I've been wanting to try appliqueing for awhile now, but have been too chicken up until I spotted this post on Chasing Cheerios a few weeks ago (as you can see, I changed it a bit). I found some inexpensive bags at the fabric store (I had a coupon!) and used some of my mom's scraps. I am SO pleased at the way Amelia's new library bag turned out! She loves it too!

Amelia even picked the fabric for hers. Did I mention it took me about 10 minutes and involved NO SEWING??

In fact, it was so easy, that I've already ventured into my next applique project. Stay tuned!

101 things: 6 month update

I think you will notice a lot more pink this time (which will hopefully translate to bold print soon)! I feel good about where I am and where I am going with my list. I think my friend, Erin, who dove right into hers helped motivate me a bit!

101 Things to do in 1001 Days
Official Start Date: January 16, 2009
Official End Date: October 14, 2011
Official Progress Report: 11 items completed, 14 items started, 90 items to go
(Anything that has been completed is marked in bold, items in progress are pink)

Learning Things
1. learn to Knit
2. Learn to sew on my new sewing machine
3. take a pottery class
4. take a yoga class
5. learn to make a scrabble tile pendants
6. knit Amelia a hat
7. make a painting for Amelia's room

Travel Things

8. Bet $20 on red in Vegas

9. Dress up and go somewhere fabulous for New Year's Eve (preferably out of town)

10. Take Amelia to Disneyworld (2/09)
11. Go to the Grand Canyon
12. Visit family in TX
13. Visit family in KC
14. Visit family in Spokane (7/09)
15. Take Amelia to the beach(7/09)
16. Take a family vacation to Chicago
17. Take Jason to Spa Shiki for a couple's spa day

Sport Things
18. Bike the entire Katy Trail
19. Attend a family member's school sporting event
20. Attend a local high school softball game
21. Run 5, 5K races (2/5) (St. Patrick's Day 7K 3/2009), (Hazelwood PTA Scholarship Run/Walk 5/2009)

For Other People Things
22. Send a 'just because' care package to someone
23. Pay for the car behind me in the drive thru lane
24. Give my parents an outstanding anniversary gift
25. Donate $5 to charity for every item not completed by day 1001
26. Get over my fear and donate blood again (anyone want to come hold my hand?)
27. Continue to support platoons by sending monthly care packages until the end of the war (I changed this to in-progress since it is ongoing).

28. Make a blanket to donate to the Linus Project
29. Write a love letter to Jason
30. Write a love letter to Amelia
31. Inspire someone else to do a 101 things list (Hooray for Erin! 7/09)
32. Send someone flowers for no reason
33. Make Jason an amazing breakfast in bed
34. Plan and execute a fancy picnic for Jason and Amelia

Finance Things
35. Build up a 9 month emergency fund (in progress, but still have a ways to go)
36. Change our retirement contributions to be more aggressive (3/2009)
37. Become debt free except for our mortgage (car and student loans)
38. Max out my Roth IRA one year (Hoping this will be the year).
39. Get a living will made
40. Rollover retirement money from state job

Organization Things
41. Organize laundry room closet
42. Combine favorite recipes and compile into printed book
43. Print out and organize 2006 photos
44. Print out and organize 2007 photos
45. Print out and organize 2008 photos
46. Print out and organize 2009 photos
47. Add captions to 2006 photos
48. Add captions to 2007 photos
49. Add captions to 2008 photos
50. Add captions to 2009 photos
51. Bring Amelia's baby book up to date
52. Organize basement so that everything fits on two shelving units
53. Replace bathroom carpet with ceramic tile
54. Repaint Amelia's bathroom
55. Have a garage sale (CF Yard Sale-5/09

Food and Drink Things

56. Host a fondue party
57. Host a dinner party (minimum 6 people)
58. Visit 5 new restaurants (2/5) (The Vine 3/09), (El Scorcho 4/09).
59. Try out the Melting Pot

For Me Things
60. Contact my favorite teacher to thank her for her influence on my life
61. Identify 100 things that make me happy
62. Have a second baby (Should be marking this off 12/09).
63. Send a secret to postsecret.com
64. Read 100 books (11/100)
65. Attend Easter vigil
66. Attend Stations of the Cross during Lent
67. Apply to graduate school (1/09)
68. Take the GRE (2/09)
69. Go one week without logging in to Facebook
70. Give up TV for one week
71. Eat only at home for an entire month
72. Have my body checked by a dermatologiest
73. Get a manicure
74. Get a pedicure
75. Get a massage
76. Get a facial
77. Have 2006 blog entries made into a book
78. Have 2007 blog entries made into a book
79. Have 2008 blog entries made into a book
80. Have 2009 blog entries made into a book
81. Bring tree skirt project up to date
82. Finish an entire Sudoku book cover to cover
83. See all 5 Best Picture nominees either in theater or DVD (1/5)
84. See a local high school play
85. See Mason Jennings live again
86. See a Second City show in Chicago
87. Go to see a movie solo
88. Hand the camera over and get more pictures of Amelia and I together
89. Pick up trash around a local park we frequent
90. Finish a certain "craft project" I started in college (it was meant to be a Christmas present for someone who reads this blog)

Amelia Things
91. Start a garden with Amelia and grow flowers and/or vegetables (4/09)
92. Build Amelia a dollhouse (first step is done, hoping to have it completed by Christmas).
93. Take Amelia camping
94. Introduce Amelia to the fun of a photo booth (6/09)
95. Play in the rain with Amelia
96. Fly a kite with Amelia
97. Get Amelia a passport (6/09)
98. Decorate a gingerbread house with Amelia
99. Catch lightning bugs with Amelia.

100. Make a doll for Amelia

101. Work on the next 101 things to do! (3 ideas so far!)

Harvest time!

We have been really benefitting from our garden in the last few weeks. Before we left for vacation, we picked the few things that were ready including a couple of zucchini, some carrots, peas, and green beans. Jason grilled it up with what was leftover onions we wanted to use before our departure.

When we got back in town, there were some veggies waiting for us! A couple more carrots, some cucumbers, a couple more squash, and our first tomato (we were thrilled they waited for our return to be ready!) .

Since then, I've stopped photographing the food we've retrieved from the garden--mostly because I didn't think that 37 pictures of tomatoes and carrots would not interest my readers too much. We've been fortunate enough to be able to pick at least one or two things everyday (sometimes more!). The tomatoes are coming in nicely (the yellow variety are the best!) and so are the cucumbers. We even planted another round of a few veggies in some spots. We are trying to take careful notes for next year so we can have an even more productive garden.

Home Entertainment

Amelia's theater that she set up solely by herself. She worked quickly and silently, despite my questions. (I didn't understand her vision until she was all finished).

Here she is watching the "Curious George play".

Farewell to Diapers

Well, the title is not exactly accurate, I suppose. We are actually bidding farewell to Pull-Ups. Amelia has been out of diapers since February, but still in Pull-ups at night time. She has been waking up dry about 95% of the time for the past month so we decided to give sleeping in big girl undies a try. Success! We are one week in with no accidents! (wood knocking here).

Hooray for NO MORE DIAPERS (or Pull-Ups) in our house!

Well, at least for a couple more months.....

Cut From the Same Cloth

At first glance, these cloth napkins probably don't look too exciting to you. But, guess what, I made them!! Yep, take a closer look at my beautiful sewing! (On second thought, don't look too close).

Still probably not that excited, right? I don't blame you, but if you could see the condition of the cloth napkins we've been using, maybe you would feel the excitement I do. My mom made them for Amelia's 2nd birthday party to match the Barnyard Bash theme (they are cow print and red bandana fabric). After the party we pretty much swore off all paper napkins and paper towels. I would say we go through about 4 rolls of paper towels a year now and we never use them as napkins.

Needless to say after one year of solid use it was time for some replacements. The process is slow going, though, since I've decided to sew the edges instead of just cutting them with pinking shears like our last set in hopes that they will hold up better. So, 5 napkins down and about 35 more to go! At least it is good practice for figuring out my new sewing machine and conquering yet another task on my 101 things list!

Spokane: Day 5

It's just your luck that day 5 of Spokane was extremely uneventful. Jason and I headed out in the morning to track down this amazing cinnamon chip bread that I had gobbled down all week at my aunt and uncles' house. I thought the least I could do was to replace their loaf! (Although I had a few more pieces before our official departure).

Later, GG and I hit up the Spokane Joann Fabric Store and bought several items for some future craft and sewing projects. Then, Jason, Amelia and I decided to stay home and take it easy (ie, nap) while my aunt, uncle, and mom went antiquing around the city.

Upon their arrival home, they were almost empty handed. My uncle graciously bought Amelia the next deck of Brain Quest cards (we are on the third deck now and I cannot recommend it enough!). He got an amazing deal at Goodwill--a unopened, brand new package of age 6-7 cards was only $1.60!! They are usually around $10-12 at the store. They also bought a vinyl record so that my mom could demonstrate to my aunt how to make a vinyl record bowl.

Sadly, this became the highlight of the evening. You would think there was something great like brownies baking in the oven.....

But, no, it was just this old thing.....

And even though I forgot to take a picture of this specific bowl when it was done, it was similar to the one below.

After dinner, my aunt and uncle had the idea to take a little walk with Amelia to feed the ducks near their house. And once the word got out, the ducks were everywhere!

It was the perfect end to a really fun trip. I am thrilled to be able to cross a few items off of my 101 things list! I love seeing different parts of the country and instead of being satisfied after a vacation, I always feel a strong urge to plan my next journey! Sadly, we don't have anything in the works except possibly a trip to Chicago (I haven't visited since we moved back to St. Louis!). Next summer the Fey Reunion will be taking place in Texas, so we at least have that to look forward to!

Spokane: Day 4

(In case you were wondering, I am about done with the vacation updates. We are in the final stretch people!)

Day 4 in Spokane was definitely my favorite day--possibly of the whole vacation! There was a lot of back and forth discussion about what we should do and we finally decided to return to Idaho--this time to a place called Sandpoint. I feel so lucky to have family that knew about this little gem because it was so beautiful and I know I would have never found it without them!

Coeur D'Alene was nice, but this place was even better! The hills were more mountain-like, the beach less crowded, and the weather warm with a slight breeze. Again, Amelia immensely enjoyed her beach time. She spent several hours swimming, digging, and playing with some other children that were visiting the beach too. Luckily, Idaho beaches do not have coral sand (which Jason seems to be allergic to), so everyone was happy. We had a little picnic lunch and then it was beach time for everyone!

Again, it is hard to get the beauty of this place on film, but it was truly breathtaking!

The older folks chatting it up.

Everyone LOVES the beach!

As if the beach wasn't enough, my aunt and uncle took us to a ski lift to the top of nearby Schweitzer Mountain. On the way up to the ski lift, we spotted a moose crossing the road just ahead of us. Apparently this is extremely rare and was a pretty cool occurrence. Amelia had lots of questions about where he was going and where his family was.

I have never been to a ski resort before (other than Hidden Valley and I'm pretty sure that doesn't count), so I was pretty taken with the atmosphere. I think I am one of the few people that would enjoy a ski resort more in the summer than the winter since I don't really like to be cold. There were cute restaurants with amazing views and some nice shops. Not to mention, lots of hiking trails, tennis courts, and even a life-sized chess game!

The view from the parking lot of the resort.

Here is the ski lift that we took up to the top.

Heading up, Jason and I were extremely nervous (the lifts are pretty open and Amelia is one squirmy little kid). I originally thought she might not want to ride, but she LOVED it! I was brave enough at one point to turn around and snap a picture of my aunt, uncle, and mom.

We made it to the top! The view was worth the anxiety attack! The lake you can see in the picture is where we had just enjoyed our time at the beach.

The view from the top with the ski lift.

We walked a bit on top of the mountain and from one angle could see the Canadian Rockies. They were only about 40 miles away if I remember correctly.

Amelia could have cared less about the Canadian Rockies, but was completely taken by the flowers available for picking instead.

Heading back down, one heck of a view!

This time, Amelia requested to ride with me and GG. I, again, snuck a picture of those riders behind me. It seemed much less scary heading back down.

The view after I was safely back on the ground. Getting on and off was the hardest part since the lift never actually stops and you kind of have to jump on and off.

Once at the bottom, we checked out some of the shops while Amelia danced to the piped in music that filled the resort.

After that, it was rock climbing with Uncle Jerry.

It was a fantastic day and I fully support my aunt's desire to move to Sandpoint down the road. I guarantee we will visit often if they do!

Spokane: Day 3

In case I haven't made it perfectly clear, my Uncle Jerry is into trains. BIG TIME. In fact, he can no longer talk anyone into joining him on a visit to the Museum of Transportation when he visits St. Louis. He can talk for hours about them and all of their intricate parts. He takes several train rides each year, often by himself because even my Aunt Margy refuses to join him at times. Not surprisingly, in Spokane, he volunteers at a place that restores and houses trains. He volunteers in the library/information center--I feel for those innocent people looking for an answer to a simple train question....

Also not surprisingly, on our visit our west, we found ourselves visiting said center. Well, some of us visited, most everyone else hung out in the shade and chatted while Uncle Jerry showed me, Jason, Amelia, and another uncle around.

Inside a caboose--I fear that Uncle Jerry has already lost Amelia in his explanations.

I did actually learn something during the visit and thought this sign was funny.

Amelia and Jason trying out a piece of equipment who's name I cannot recall. Uncle Jerry would be most disappointed!

After a relatively short, but informative stop with the trains, we headed to Idaho. It was only about 40 minutes away to the beautiful town of Coeur D'Alene. I had a hard time capturing its beauty, but with the water, beach, and hills its really lovely.

During lunch, as you may expect the wait to prepare food for 10 people was a bit long and little Miss Amelia started to get antsy. Aunt Sue, who apparently is an origami expert, whipped up this crane for Amelia in about 4 minutes!

After lunch and some antique shopping (which Amelia surprisingly enjoyed even if Jason and i were chasing her around to ensure she didn't break anything), we prepared for some beach time.

The water was COLD! Amelia didn't mind though. She was in heaven on the beach!

She was pretty impressed that instead of shells, there were pine cones galore in the sand. Her sandcastle consisted of sticks and pine cones (which apparently I missed the picture of). Interestingly, I have pictures of my brother, Derek, and I from 20ish years ago building similar castles with pine needles, cones, and sticks! The beach experience in the Northwest is definitely different!

After arriving back home, Uncle Jerry brought out his special train puzzle to show Amelia. He was literally explaining parts to her that I had never heard of before. She was mostly just impressed that the puzzle was longer than she was!