From the Archives

Dan & I finally broke down and bought a new printer this week after our old one bit the dust back in January. Suprisingly (to me), nearly all of the new printers now come with the copy/scan feature, so I decided to try out the scanning feature this morning. I'm so excited about this! I've always wanted to be able to scan in old photographs so we can have digital copies -- and now we're in business. Here are a few photos I scanned in this morning from the old Carroll archives:

Dad, me & Kelsey - Christmas '86 (I think)

A proud Momma & me all ready for church

So apparently this new-found love for food isn't so new afterall.

My sweet Great Grandma Huisman & me - she was a precious lady.

That's all for now! Now I'm off to the pool to try and survive this crazy humidity and heat. I think the heat index is supposed to reach 105* today - yuck!

We Bought a Crib!

After much looking (probably a little too much - way too may options), we finally made a decision yesterday and purchased this crib. I love it! It's ordered now, so we'll just have to wait for it to come in sometime in the next couple of weeks. I can't wait to see this all put together in what will soon be the baby's room...I just can't believe I'll actually have a baby to put in this in 3 months! Thanks for the advice on choosing a crib - we eventually settled on buying new for this as we were able to find some good deals, but I have become a regular browser of Craigslist and hope to make some of our other purchases there.

Also, when I was home a few weeks ago, Mom & I were able to pick out some fabric to make all of the various accessories for the room (bumper pad, curtains, etc.). Mom is going to be making a quilt, and Grandma Ann is going to help me with the rest...I'm so lucky to have such talented family! Here are the pieces, with the exception of another green fabric that didn't make it in the picture:

And finally, the glasses photo that should have gone with the last post from our trip to see "Up" in 3-D:

Learning to Relax

I mentioned awhile back that adjusting to being home everyday has been a bit more of a challenge than I originally anticipated. The idea sounds great when you're used to having 45+ hours of your week scheduled for you, but in reality I was a bit overwhelmed by the total lack of structure. I feel the need to be as productive as possible, but at the same time I want to make the most of the window of time I have to rest. Finding that balance has been a bit tricky.

I feel like this week has gone much better than last as I continue to try and sort this out. Monday started off a bit differently than expected, which perhaps caused me to rest a little more than I would have otherwise. Dan woke up early Monday morning to go work out like usual, but instead of hopping out of bed like he normally does, he nearly collapsed when his feet hit the floor. The night before we had been at a church picnic when he heard some strange popping noises in his ankle during a game of football. If you know Dan, you know he doesn't do much half-way -- particularly when it comes to sports. So while he did stop momentarily to assess the pain, he quickly jumped back into the game and finished, thinking he just needed to stretch it out. Well, Monday morning seemed to indicate otherwise, so he crawled back into bed (which NEVER happens) and we both enjoyed a nice morning to sleep in a bit.

I had already planned to have a friend over for lunch, along with her adorable 2-year-old daughter, so I spent the morning getting ready for that and tending to a gimpy husband who would occasionally get up from the couch and hobble around on a wooden baseball bat he used as a crutch. After a delightful lunch, Dan determined that he needed to "stretch it out" some, and so we took advantage of his sick-day and went to see the new Disney movie "Up." And since we were able to catch the matinee, we even splurged and saw it in 3-D. We loved the movie (I cried through it! And that is NOT because I'm pregnant), and it was so fun to just do something rather spontaneous like that. We forgot to take a picture in our glasses, but you can just imagine :-)

Tuesday Dan headed back to work - albeit with a limp - and was able to take some x-rays and determined that everything is fine (the benefits of working in the medical field). I had another friend over for lunch and enjoyed a nice afternoon nap, some laps at the pool, and babysat for some friends that evening. Yesterday I slept in, did laundry, went to visit another friend, and had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon (everything's great, by the way! we're rolling right along). Dan gets off early on Wednesdays, so he was able to come with me to the appointment, then we had the whole evening to just hang out.

All in all, I finally feel like I'm starting to find that balance I've been looking for - almost a month after my lay-off. I'm able to read some of the books that have been on my list for sometime, I'm able to actually keep my house picked up (most days) and keep up with the laundry, and I'm able to prepare dinner before 7pm. I'm getting things done, but I'm also realizing that they don't all have to get done in one day. It sounds like a silly thing to have to learn, but I'm thankful for the time to figure it out now...since it will all soon change once this baby arrives!

$16 + tip

Something Dan and I have done since even before we were married has been to cut his hair at home, saving a little extra cash on monthly haircuts. I can't say I'm great at it, but I have gotten it down enough that I'm comfortable with it. Although, I am frequently reminded of the first time Dan convinced me that I could do it and I took off an entire sideburn and a nice big chunk out of the back. I've since learned the importance of the razor guard :)

Anyway, Dan estimates that a typical haircut for him runs around $16 + tip (because he's much too cheap to go to anything beyond Great Clips). So our deal has always been that if I give him a haircut, I get to choose how to spend that money. This translates nicely into a Mexican meal! This time, I chose a new top from Motherhood Maternity as I am starting to feel a little short in the wardrobe department.

The before shot:

Waiting for his stylist

The money-saving tools

Me worried about snipping a bit too much...How do you feel about a bowl cut?
The finished product:

So now I'm curious...what are some random ways that you save money?

Growing....

I've been so bad about adding pictures lately, I thought I'd just do a quick post to catch everyone up on my pregnancy growth. Baby J and I are both growing rather quickly these days, and my toes will soon disappear beneath this expanding belly of mine! I'm still feeling great, although I am starting to feel the effects of the added weight and circumference I guess you could say. Who knew tying your shoes could be such a chore! Anyway, the pictures say more than I need to, so here you go...

12 weeks:

14 weeks:

17 weeks:

20 weeks (I kind of wish I had this background for all of my belly pics!):

21 weeks:

22 weeks:

24 weeks (last Wednesday):

In looking back through these, I'm beginning to think I should wait and take these right before I crawl into bed...I look half asleep in most of them. Regardless, you can certainly see the progress!

Dan & I are getting more excited each day and are beginning to get our home and lives a little more ready for the new addition. We went and registered this weekend, which was quite the experience, and now have our spare room cleaned out and ready for it's make-over. I think furniture is the next step, but that just seems a bit overwhelming right now. Why are there so many options for a simple baby crib?! If anyone has any advice on making that selection, I'm all ears.

Blogger's Block

I'm experiencing a bit of blogger's block, not exactly due to lack of material but rather because of the excess I've been storing up. Or something like that. I'm still trying to figure out this "spare time" thing without the structure of a daily job to go to, and how exactly to spend the time in a productive manner. Lots to think about, but I suppose I'll write about that later.


In the meantime, I was tagged awhile back by my friend Amanda and asked to post 6 unimportant things that make me happy. So in a very unimportant order...here you go:

{Rules: name/link to the person who tagged you and share your unimportant things! really easy!}


1. My rainbow flip-flops; the best sandals I've ever owned.

2. My bread machine. I don't use it as often as I should, but I love the results when I do!

3. My eye drops. These may actually fit into an "important" category, because if I'm caught without them and allergies attack, it's not pretty.

4. Clorox wipes. I hate a messy bathroom, so these are a quick fix between deep cleaning. And they make me feel a little better about the time lapse between deep cleanings :)

5. My dishwasher! Having lived without one for the first 2 1/2 years of marraige, this was quite possibly the biggest luxury I gained in our move. I'm amazed every time I use it - seriously.

6. My straightening iron. My only hope for friz-free hair.


So what's you're favorite unimportant "thing"? Now it's your turn to share!