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Weekly Chat Thread Sept 30-Oct 6

post #1 of 33
Thread Starter 

Hey all!  I know we have had monthly chat threads in the past, but they have been ending up way down the list of threads and forgotten about!  So, I thought that maybe a weekly chat would stay closer to the top of the list of threads and would get more traffic!  The basic purpose of this thread is to chat about anything you don't want to start a specific thread for!  About anything, pregnancy related or not!!!  :)  Wanna share about a yummy dinner you cooked? Some family frustrations? Fears? Triumphs? Have something to tell us about your prenatal appointment this week? Let's talk about it!!! :)  Feel free to also respond to/comment on others' posts. Let's use this to really get to know each other!


Edited by jodieanneanton - 9/30/12 at 5:41pm
post #2 of 33
Thread Starter 

So, this weekend, the kids, DH and I went to the Swiss Festival near Amish Country in Ohio.  We go to this event every year.  Lots of good food, a parade, games and polka!  We all had a wonderful time.  One thing we did differently this year is we stayed overnight so we didn't have to drive home over an hour late in the evening.  So, this morning when we woke up, we swam in the hotel pool (this felt WONDERFUL).  Then we went to a nearby Swiss Restaurant called Chalet in the Valley.  They have a pretty popular Sunday Buffet Lunch.  And it was the first time in AGES I was able to eat and then have seconds!  Woot woot!  Now that is the cause of some celebration!  :)  I felt like doing a little dance.

 

Once we came home, I made some homemade applesauce and I can't wait to try it!!!  That will be my midnight snack tonight! Yum! 

 

Hope y'all had a good weekend!

post #3 of 33

Ooh, I like this idea of a weekly chat thread and getting to know everybody better! 

 

Jodie, sounds like you had a great weekend. The best part sounds like the eating. :) I feel like in the past week my eating is getting back to much more like normal again, and it's so nice. Vegetables are no longer the bane of my existence (though still not interested in salad in the least), and when I eat I actually feel good, rather than just less queasy, and when I'm hungry, it's not as desperate. I can once again sleep through the night without having to eat! thumbsup.gif

 

Also been feeling much more energetic in the past week (I'm at 14.5 weeks now, so not surprised it took this long), and like I'm remembering what it's like to notice being in my body again. Today I went to a prenatal yoga class for the first time, and it was amazing. Small group, really nice ladies, great instructor, felt very safe and welcoming and good for me. And I can feel it in all of my muscles tonight! Has anyone else tried a prenatal yoga class?

 

And how is everybody else doing? smile.gif

post #4 of 33

Urgh, I still have a cold.  But it's going away, and I should be feeling human again in a day or so.  This weekend was spent watching DH do some minor kitchen repairs/renos (sealing up the kitchen window and putting a new, wider sill on it so I can put plants there) and hanging out with DD. 

 

The weather here is persistently sunny so that's kind of nice, but on the other hand we haven't had any rain in, like, 3 months and all the places where I walk my dog are really stinky because OTHER people walk their dogs there and there's dog pee that hasn't been washed away in 3 months... and well, there are some up sides to having a very stuffy nose!

 

My sister is coming for Thanksgiving (Canadian) next weekend with her 2 little ones, which will be fun.  My DD can practice being a big sister.  In the meantime, I will procrastinate on cleaning the house until about Thursday, when I will panic and run to my neighbour's place and beg her to do it for me (she's a professional cleaner, does the whole place in about 2 hours.)  I might get all the laundry done though, I'm pretty on the ball there since I couldn't get in the kitchen this weekend and I had no energy to leave the house much, so aside from reading 4 or 5 books and watching bad movies, laundry was how I entertained myself.  Yes, I suck.  This is why I need another baby - DD is pretty self-entertaining now so I need someone who still thinks that doing stuff with Mummy is AWESOME even if it's laundry.  (I get a bit of this as a post-partum doula, it's amazing how entertained most babies are by lying on a bed while you fold laundry and talk to them.  But that doesn't get MY laundry done, as well.)

post #5 of 33

I think I'm coming down with a cold!  I thought it was just allergies, but it's persisting longer and moving into my throat.  Last time around, my only really pregnancy affliction was " rhinitis of pregnancy" i.e. a constantly stuffy nose with no cause.  This is not that (too much sneezing), but I'd forgotten about the stuffiness, and am not looking forward to it!

 

Pretty good weekend here though, DP was out of town for work from Thursday until Saturday afternoon, so DS and I had a busy Saturday to ourselves.  We went to the first swimming class of the season, and I think we both enjoyed it.  The second half of the class was in the warm pool, and I think I may be fighting DP to attend more classes in the future (it's usually the thing they do together).  Then we played on the playground outside the rec centre for a while and then headed home.  Jack played with his train set for a while, and I made lunch and spaghetti sauce for the freezer.  After lucnch, it was becoming apparent that he was not ready for nap time, we decided to take the dog to the leash-free park to play with some other dogs (and then DS got to have another turn at 'his' park).  Nap time followed and I managed to get a chance to make soup and get some laundry and cleaning done before DP got home.

 

Sunday we went apple picking.  I think I could easily eat fresh apples all day long.  We also got some pumpkins, so now I have to start thinking about decorating (not my strong suit)!

 

Good weekend overall, minus the crappy sleeping due to the nose thing. 

post #6 of 33

We've been stuck inside for weeks due to the wildfires around us. I've had to turn the AC on because of the smoke in the air. Both kids would wake up hacking like a pack-a-day smoker. But, I've gotten some things done around the house that have been neglected.

 

I've been happy with the increased energy! Last weekend, I had a friend over and we picked some apples from our tree and made a few batches of applesauce. I have enough for 3 more batches on the counter and 2 full trees, so I may need to make some freezer pies and some apple jam. I need to get the plums off of the plum trees before the birds eat them. First year they have produced fruit!  I didn't even know they were fruit trees since they were here when we moved in. I think the part that I find the most exciting is the baby food options next year. :)

 

I was so tired over the summer that I slept most weekends away. The last 2 weekends, the couch hasn't swallowed me whole and I've been able to get some things done. Yesterday, I dusted off my sewing machine and finally fixed my daughter's swim cover-up that she had torn in July. (She stacks her ripped stuff up on my chair for me to fix and the pile has gotten quite large). I also actually got back to one of my sewing projects which WAS supposed to be a birthday gift for our former neighbor's little girl in August. It's a dress for her American doll girl and I started in May. It's in white since she just took her first communion. It's also white because I had scrap fabric. :) I put one of the sleeves on finally and I'll gather and pin the other one on tonight. It's nice to feel "almost" normal, again. 

post #7 of 33

Oh boy it's gonna be a crazy week for me! I am super excited about this week though...

 

Today I am going back to the college I graduated from this past May (Champlain College in Burlington, VT) because they are having an internship and part-time job fair with over 70 local employers. There will be a lot of graphic design companies since this is what Champlain is known for (their graphic design program is one of the best in the country!), and even though a lot of them are looking for interns, which I could never do because we can't afford for me to drive 35 minutes everyday and not get paid for it (besides, like my mom says, I have a bachelors degree and I'm worth something!), I am keeping my fingers crossed that there may be a few looking to fill part-time or freelance positions. I really need to do something, I have gotten super stir crazy since the kids went back to school. I need a job!! LOL!!

 

Then on Wednesday we have our midwives appointment. I have been a little stressed out about it because I know I need to say something to the head midwife. The last time I was there, she sort of bit my head off about food, which made no sense to me because I am a healthy person and a pretty big health nut, although I am sure I was taking it personally, I need to clear the air with her because she will be at the birth and I do NOT want anything to be lingering there once this baby comes. 

 

And on Thursday we have our ultrasound!! Yay!! My mom is coming to town, MIL and I are going to meet her for lunch then meet up with DP at the hospital for the US. I am so excited to finally find out what is in my belly! It is interesting too, DP has suddenly decided that we are having a girl. He said he got a strong feeling about two weeks ago that it's definitely a girl.... hmmmm, we will see!

 

Jodie it sounds like a great mini-vaca! We have been talking about running away for one night, but it seems the closer we get to the holidays the less likely it is to happen. I told DP that he really needs to be prepared for no alone time for him and I for at least 5-7 months, but I am not sure he really gets it. It's pretty easy to find a place to bring my boys, but they're much, much older! Oh, the learning curve for the newbie! LOL!

 

chocolatechip I'm so glade you're finally coming out of weezy land! It is a fabulous day when you suddenly are able to feel normal, if only for a few hours at first, it is the steps in the right direction! No worries, you will be full of energy and fluttering around in no time.

post #8 of 33
Thread Starter 

chocolatechip-  I am glad you like your yoga class.  I did an at home prenatal yoga dvd when I was preggo with DD1 and it was ok.  I wonder if a class would be better...  But, it's hard for me to find a good time with homeschooling, lining up childcare for the two I have and such, so I don't know.  I might try another prenatal yoga dvd to see if I like it better.  The stretching does feel goooooood! :D

 

spughy- I hope you get some rain soon!  We had a drought all summer long and it finally started raining about 2 weeks ago and didn't stop for about a week.  We needed it!  But, now the grass needs cutting, lol.  I hope your cold goes away soon.  (And, I wish I had a neighbor who was a professional cleaner, but I also think I would feel the need to clean before she came over! lol)

 

nearlyelated- I went apple picking weekend before last and FINALLY got around to making that applesauce last night.  Turned out soooo good.  But, really, it's hard to screw up applesauce, so I can't take any credit.   I hope you feel better, too!  Maybe that soup you made will help.

 

Melany- Wildfires?!?! Oh, my!  How scary.  How close are they to you? Are there evacuations nearby?  Fresh plums and apples sound sooo good!!! :D I am jealous of your fruit trees.  DH and I are looking for a home on a large (5+ acres) lot so we can grow our own food.  I have dreams about my future fruit orchard... Sitting under/near the trees, cool breeze on a hot day, lemonade in my hand, reading a good book....  I also have a similar dream about the same scenario under an old willow tree.  I am thinking the younger self can be with the fruit trees so that my willow tree can have time to grow 'old'. The retired Jodie (retired from raising and schooling my future herd of children...lol) will be sitting under the willow tree... We'll add happy voices of the grandchildren playing on the swingset their grandpa built for their parents in the background. Anyway... back to reality... I, too, struggle with sewing while in early pregnancy.  Glad the energy is back for you!

 

babytoes- Sounds like a busy week!  I am thinking that you clearing the air with that midwife is a good thing.  You are right about not wanting those negative vibes around during birth!  I am sure it will go well and you have nothing to worry about!  Have fun at the u/s... how exciting!  And also, good luck at the job fair.  I hope you find something that works for you!

 

AFM-  Not much to report.  Just a boring lady today.  Hoping to get some cutting out of fabric done for my girls' halloween costumes!  They are going as Dorothy(DD1) and the scarecrow (DD2) from the wizard of oz.  I'll post pics when I complete the costumes!

post #9 of 33

Jodi: We are in Central Washington, about 2 hours east of Seattle. There have been wildfires going on since August and the smoke is really bad some days. They are saying that some of the fires will be here until it snows. We have 1.5 acres with some fruit trees, free range chickens and turkeys. We didn't do a garden this year, and I miss it! My husband had the chickens in what used to be our garden while he built the permanent coop. But, at least we have a  CSA. Next year, I get my garden back since we won't be going on any trips with a new baby and we are not getting any more chickens. :)

post #10 of 33

The weather has been cooler in the mornings, which is wonderful. Too bad it is still getting into the high 80s later in the day. I AM READY FOR FALL!
Did not sleep good last night and then DS woke up at 6 (he usually sleeps til 7:30), so I am a zombie today. 
I started crocheting a cowl for myself. I haven't made myself anything ever, so it feels good to focus on myself a little bit :) 
On Saturday I am going to a birth fair. I know that there will be speakers, but I don't know what else will be going on. I am very excited!!

post #11 of 33

Hi all. It's been awhile since I've posted, so I've made sure that I caught up on everyone. I'm glad to hear that everyone is beginning to feel better, despite early colds and hacking fire coughs. I'm on the upswing as well. My appetite is back, although I too have an aversion to salads which is sad considering my CSA is still giving me a lot of salad mix & cabbage (just doesn't sound good right now). I've been secretly wishing that I could trade in the majority of my veggie share for more fruit, but that's just not going to happen. So, I'm doing the best that I can. We finally broke down and got a new mattress last week because I just wasn't sleeping on our old one and have moved into the guest room. So much better, although I'm still waking with some insomnia at night. I'd like to have a little more energy to start working out again, but I know that it will come.

 

Other news.... we have a midwife appointment in a week and then the big u/s next Thursday. I'm really excited. We haven't totally decided if we're finding out or now, but either way it will be good to see that little bean again. 

 

Also, is anyone else struggling with maternity pants?? I know this is strange, but it's driving me crazy!! I'm between sizes and just can't find anything but yoga pants that fits. Which is fine, but I really am a jeans & t-shirt girl. Uggh. Maybe I just need to gain more weight so I can fit into the bigger size a little better.

 

I guess I shouldn't complain too much as I know these things are minor. Hope everyone is having a good day.

post #12 of 33

Melany, I can't imagine what the air is like out where you are. I live in Seattle, and West Seattle at that, where we often get good breezes in from the west. But we still had a week when I didn't want to go outside or open the windows because the air was so smoky! I have a very mild asthma, so that makes smoky air worse, but still. It was *not* pleasant. So I sympathize with you, even though I know what you're going through must be so very much worse!

 

Spughy, I love the idea of having someone around who thinks "doing stuff with Mummy is AWESOME even if it's laundry." Is that really why we have kids? ;)  (I wouldn't no myself, having not had one yet!)

 

nearlyelated, I hope you feel better soon, and that you get more time in the pool. I've heard from a lot of pregnant women that swimming feels great!

 

babytoes, how was the job fair? And good luck tomorrow - it will be good to clear the air!

 

jodie, the actual physical part of the yoga class was fantastic, and made my body feel great (sore, but great smile.gif), and I slept like a log that night. So it might be worth trying a DVD again. But I do also have to say that the community part of the class also probably made it that much better. The instructor/owner was super friendly, and has had two kids herself, so knows what being pregnant is like. And she very much intentionally makes the class a place for people to get to know each other better. So, for example, we all went around and introduced ourselves before we started (small class - 8 people), and as part of that she wanted us to check in and say how we were feeling, and if there was anything we might like to talk about to bring it up, because other people might have been wondering about the same thing, or also wanting to talk about something similar. So people talked about different things, and the woman who's been struggling with gestational diabetes was able to talk about it and get a lot of encouragement from everyone. It just felt very supportive, and like it was supporting not just our bodies and our minds but also our connections with other people. Which personally, I loved. But I have no idea how common that context is, since this is the only prenatal yoga class I've ever been to!

 

maydaymom, I have had the exact same problem with salads! I didn't really want vegetables much at all for the first 12 weeks, which was unfortunate because I normally love vegetables, and my husband and I are also signed up for a CSA. And of course it's salad greens season. He rallied with his salad intake, but we still had things go bad in the fridge, which isn't normally a problem. greensad.gif And now I'm starting to be more excited about vegetables in general again, but *still* not salads (fortunately, we're getting out of that season), and I still find myself more picky than usual. So we haven't signed up for a winter CSA share, but at least we have a year-round farmers market that we can still buy good food at, and it will be less likely to go bad. I hear you about the fruit too - I ate TONS of fruit when I wasn't eating many vegetables, and it still tastes so good! Oh, and on another note, I was really surprised at how easily I found maternity jeans. Normally I hate (with a passion) shopping for pants, because they never fit right. Apparently my booty is built more for maternity jeans, because the very first pair I tried on fit great. smile.gif Good luck with your search!

post #13 of 33

Jodieanneanton - I do *tidy* before Bailey comes to clean - just makes it easier for her to get to stuff.  But I don't sweep or vacuum or anything, and it's a good way to get everyone else to pick their crap up. "OK everyone Bailey's coming tomorrow morning and she needs to see the stairs to vacuum them!!!!" and bang DH and DD spring into action and cart all their stuff away to its hidey-holes.  They don't do that when it's ME doing the cleaning.

 

Melany - I think we can see your smoke, some days.  It's been pretty hazy here off and on.  I grew up in a very fire-prone area and I know how bad forest fire smoke can be.

 

maydaymom10 - I got a pile of hand-me-down maternity pants and they fit ok in the hips but I need to hem them all because they're from friends who are 6" taller than me!  And have I gotten around to that yet? No, of course not!  And I have a big sewing project I need to finish before I can start - our couch cushions are falling apart and it's more important we all have a place to put our bums than I have more than yoga pants and capris to wear.  Apparently.  I did buy myself a pair of nice leggings last week though (and then promptly splashed antipasto all over them within an hour of putting them on...)

 

I meant to write more but DD is pestering me for dinner, so I'd better get on that.  Later!

post #14 of 33
I'm still really tired these days, I need a nap or else I'm zonked. I'm hoping this eases up soon. My 18 mo DD is growing and changing all the time, it's so amazing to watch. There's not to report in my life, it's pretty hum drum but I like it that way. I'm still undecided where and with whom I want to give birth. We're going to be moving in a couple of months so I'll decide after that. My daughter was born at home unassisted, and it went beautifully. Not sure how we'll feel this time, though. I'm excIted about actually looking pregnant which I'm now almost there and also feeling the LO more, my favorite thing about being pregnant.
post #15 of 33

Spughy: I can't believe you're seeing it in BC! It's been clear for the last day and a half. The kids actually had soccer practice tonight for the first time in 3 weeks tonight. 

post #16 of 33

The air's really clear here too - it finally *looks* like autumn.  Crystal-clear skies, and I can see details in the Olympic Mts across the strait.  Its nice.  It's cooler, too - yesterday was chilly enough I actually needed a jacket!  But I think it's supposed to warm up this weekend, because everyone LOVES cooking a turkey for hours on hot days! irked.gif

 

I have a brutal headache this morning.  I'm not sure what it's from but I suspect my eyesight is going a bit wonky and I should probably be wearing my glasses more.  I don't like wearing them though because then I SEE how much dust is around the house and all my wrinkles when I look in the mirror.  Glasses, I have learned, lead to self-castigation and much more housework than I enjoy.  But I guess they're better than wicked headaches...

post #17 of 33

Hi ladies!

 

I just wanted to give a quick update about the job fair I went to. Can I start with, oh my God how fabulous (saying it with a Tim Gunn voice is fun!)!! I had such a great time getting out and talking to people in my field, I had a lot of excellent feedback about my portfolio (which is awesome since I paid over $300 for a custom designed one..), and my resume. I ended up talking to one woman for over 25 minutes, and we really hit it off immediately. She took my resume and business card and I hope she gets in touch with me. I also found out there is another one going on at UVM later this month with many different employers, so I am going to check that one out too. Overall, a fantastic experience and it really boosted my confidence, and that was much needed since I feel like I have gotten stale over the past few months.

 

Today is the midwives, I think I am going to get to my appointment a touch early, and talk to the head midwife alone. I pretty much have a game plan for what I am going to say, and hopefully everything will be totally okay after that. 

post #18 of 33

That sounds great, Babytoes!  I hope the MW visit goes well.smile.gif
 

post #19 of 33
Thread Starter 

Awesome about the job fair, babytoes!  Let us know about the midwife appt!!! :)

post #20 of 33

spughy, I had to laugh a little (sorry) about your story of spilling antipasto all over your new leggings. I am often a little bit clumsy in my life, and I just feel like I have gotten so much more so recently! Yesterday I knocked the spoon out of my ice cream (oh, delicious ice cream) into my lap not once but twice, and later did pretty much the same thing with something else I was eating. Maybe I just need to wear an apron at all times when I'm around food. :P

 

babytoes, I'm so glad the job fair went well! I hope the midwife appointment is just as satisfying!

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