So, I've had my first successful experience with freecycling. This is a term I was unfamiliar with until just recently - somebody had mentioned that they had acquired a table through Freecycle. I was intrigued (particularly about the name, a combination of two awesome things, "Free" and "Recycle"), so I looked it up.
The main idea behind Freecycle is the saying, "one man's trash is another man's treasure." You can almost think of it like the "free" section off of craigslist. Freecycle networks are set up locally, either by city (or county where we are), and you join as a member to be able to see/make "OFFER" or "WANTED" posts on your local freecycle site. The idea of it is really simple. A member who has something that she/he doesn't need anymore (it can be anything, really, because you never know what can be of value to someone else... clothing, furniture, even cardboard boxes) will make an offer post to the local site, and waits for others to reply if they want it. In many cases (depending on the item), the giver will be bombarded with replies, and will have to choose a recipient. After that, the giver and receiver set up a pick up time, and the rest is history! Repeat! Everything must be free on Freecycle.
Not only does this save a lot of perfectly used items from going to the landfill, but, quoting from the Freecycle website, "members of The Freecycle Network help instill a sense of generosity of spirit as they strengthen local community ties and promote environmental sustainability and reuse." Yes, you could just bring your unused items to a thrift store, but with Freecycle, you can truly feel this sense of helping out your community, one member at a time!
I think Freecycle is such a simple and wonderful way to de-clutter and even find treasures of your own, all while saving garbage from the landfill. Brilliant!
Join your local Freecycle group!
31 August 2012
30 August 2012
Him: Yessss, Master(s)!
I suppose I don't have to sit on the edge of my chair anymore. I have been for the last three weeks; wondering, thinking, pondering, just wanting to know!
If you don't know what I'm talking about, I will explain. As I am currently serving in a Navy Personnel Exchange position here in the US, I have been keen to take any unique opportunities that I can. One of these has been to enroll myself into the US Naval War College. Now, I of course cannot just up and leave my work for classes, but they have a Distance Learning section in which I have applied for the Fleet Seminar Program. Applications were due 30 June 2012. I submitted mine and [im]patiently waited for an answer. Took them long enough! I was getting nervous. Thus, I was accepted.
What is this degree then, you ask? Right now, I haven't been fullly accepted into the Graduate Degree Program, which offers a Master of Arts Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. I first have to complete one of the three elective courses before being offered eligibility. That means work hard and... keep working hard.
This is an opportunity of a life time and I can't believe I actually got accepted. The weird, or odd part about this that I have an undergraduate degree in Mathematics, and now I will be working towards a Master of Arts Degree. What a change, but I look forward to this as I know it is going to help me greatly.
-Another great day
If you don't know what I'm talking about, I will explain. As I am currently serving in a Navy Personnel Exchange position here in the US, I have been keen to take any unique opportunities that I can. One of these has been to enroll myself into the US Naval War College. Now, I of course cannot just up and leave my work for classes, but they have a Distance Learning section in which I have applied for the Fleet Seminar Program. Applications were due 30 June 2012. I submitted mine and [im]patiently waited for an answer. Took them long enough! I was getting nervous. Thus, I was accepted.
What is this degree then, you ask? Right now, I haven't been fullly accepted into the Graduate Degree Program, which offers a Master of Arts Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. I first have to complete one of the three elective courses before being offered eligibility. That means work hard and... keep working hard.
This is an opportunity of a life time and I can't believe I actually got accepted. The weird, or odd part about this that I have an undergraduate degree in Mathematics, and now I will be working towards a Master of Arts Degree. What a change, but I look forward to this as I know it is going to help me greatly.
-Another great day
28 August 2012
Her: Late bloomers... literally.
One of my attempts of beautifying our garden this year was planting morning glories and sunflowers along the side of the garden that faced the road. I've always thought morning glories were so pretty, and so special because they only bloom in the morning. My mom would always have a crop growing, so I picked up the idea from her. Plus, sunflowers are always so happy looking!
So, the seeds for each all sprouted and started to grow magnificently. I would carefully train the morning glory vines to grow up the side of the lattice fence of our garden. Soon, the sunflowers reached over 6 ft tall and bloomed in several colours. The sunflowers certainly flourished. One stalk even had 10 heads on it! I've saved a few heads so we'll have seeds for next year.
The morning glories, on the other hand, just would not bloom. However, the vines and leaves grew like crazy. We had trouble keeping the vines off of the sunflowers, actually, and they grew so thick and strong that it ended up being a bit of a mess with the sunflowers. The morning glory vines almost choked out the sunflowers! It required a bit of maintenance, and there was still no sign of any flowers... until about a week ago. Now we have beautiful morning blooms of deep purple and royal blue, spotting the fence with colour.
Now, why did they wait all summer to bloom? My guess is that it was the heat which prevented the vines from producing flowers. (I think the heat also made our marigolds grow 4 ft tall... unless I planted mammoth marigold seeds?!) We've had a pretty hot summer down here, but the last few weeks have been manageable, and at least 5 degrees cooler. What a difference a few degrees makes, not only for Canadians stuck in hot Maryland summers, but for morning glory blooms as well.
Look at the pretty flowers! :)
So, the seeds for each all sprouted and started to grow magnificently. I would carefully train the morning glory vines to grow up the side of the lattice fence of our garden. Soon, the sunflowers reached over 6 ft tall and bloomed in several colours. The sunflowers certainly flourished. One stalk even had 10 heads on it! I've saved a few heads so we'll have seeds for next year.
The morning glories, on the other hand, just would not bloom. However, the vines and leaves grew like crazy. We had trouble keeping the vines off of the sunflowers, actually, and they grew so thick and strong that it ended up being a bit of a mess with the sunflowers. The morning glory vines almost choked out the sunflowers! It required a bit of maintenance, and there was still no sign of any flowers... until about a week ago. Now we have beautiful morning blooms of deep purple and royal blue, spotting the fence with colour.
Now, why did they wait all summer to bloom? My guess is that it was the heat which prevented the vines from producing flowers. (I think the heat also made our marigolds grow 4 ft tall... unless I planted mammoth marigold seeds?!) We've had a pretty hot summer down here, but the last few weeks have been manageable, and at least 5 degrees cooler. What a difference a few degrees makes, not only for Canadians stuck in hot Maryland summers, but for morning glory blooms as well.
Look at the pretty flowers! :)
27 August 2012
Him: Duh-iaper?
Fact: Babies will make a mess all over you, don't think you can avoid it!
Fact: It smells, it's messy, it's going to be fun!
SNAP!
Yes, the diapers will be a-flyin', or hopefully they will be well secured on baby when the time comes. And on that note, this what I wanted to talk about. Mommy has already talked about this, but I wanted to have a go at what I think of the topic as well: Cloth versus Disposable diapers.
We will be using cloth diapers, if it isn't already obvious enough. For what reasons? I believe that from our point of view the biggest benefit of the cloth diaper is the enormous amount of waste you prevent. Other perks include them costing significantly less, and another great one is that baby will love the fact that it's not a crappy piece of rubber/plastic scratching up against baby's back side. That means less rash and more happy baby! And we want a happy baby at all times.
One of the things we have been debating is getting a diaper service to clean the diapers or not. Yes, it would be much easier to just have to change baby and then toss those dirty suckers in a bucket and have someone else clean them, but then again we aren't unable to do it ourselves. It's just washing, nothing special.
Which brings up another key point. Our washing machine, well not really ours, is not the greatest on the land. So, do we buy a new washer, or get a service? We will still need a washing machine in the future, thus I don't think it is a waste of money to buy a new one while we are here. And it would be nice to have our very own and not have to worry when the current one doesn't quite do its job right.
I think that baby will be happier with some nice clean diapers, washed by mommy and daddy no less, up against them.
And more spending ensues!
-Another great day
Fact: It smells, it's messy, it's going to be fun!
SNAP!
Yes, the diapers will be a-flyin', or hopefully they will be well secured on baby when the time comes. And on that note, this what I wanted to talk about. Mommy has already talked about this, but I wanted to have a go at what I think of the topic as well: Cloth versus Disposable diapers.
We will be using cloth diapers, if it isn't already obvious enough. For what reasons? I believe that from our point of view the biggest benefit of the cloth diaper is the enormous amount of waste you prevent. Other perks include them costing significantly less, and another great one is that baby will love the fact that it's not a crappy piece of rubber/plastic scratching up against baby's back side. That means less rash and more happy baby! And we want a happy baby at all times.
One of the things we have been debating is getting a diaper service to clean the diapers or not. Yes, it would be much easier to just have to change baby and then toss those dirty suckers in a bucket and have someone else clean them, but then again we aren't unable to do it ourselves. It's just washing, nothing special.
Which brings up another key point. Our washing machine, well not really ours, is not the greatest on the land. So, do we buy a new washer, or get a service? We will still need a washing machine in the future, thus I don't think it is a waste of money to buy a new one while we are here. And it would be nice to have our very own and not have to worry when the current one doesn't quite do its job right.
I think that baby will be happier with some nice clean diapers, washed by mommy and daddy no less, up against them.
And more spending ensues!
-Another great day
24 August 2012
Her: Green Baby (Part 3) - Cloth diapering con't
My husband and I went to a cloth diapering session earlier in the week, and wow, did it ever get us motivated and excited! We learned all about the different types of cloth diapering systems out there, which are several:
- Prefold with (a snappi and) waterproof cover. This is essentially a somewhat quilted rectangle of cotton that gets folded into thirds (prefold) that you can either lay in a waterproof cover or secure it on the baby with a snappi or pin. (I finally found out what a snappi was!) Close alternative: Using a fitted prefold (i.e. prefold with snaps or velcro) instead of a snappi/pin.
- All in One. This is a complete one-unit cloth diaper that has the soakers attached to the waterproof diaper cover. Very much like a cloth version of a disposable. We were told that these don't dry very fast because of the extra bulk.
- Pocket Diaper. This is like an all in one, except that the soakers are removable and sit in a pocket between the waterproof cover and inner lining.
- Hybrid. This is the idea of putting a flushable disposable liner in a waterproof cover. In this case, the cover may have tabs or a shell to keep the liner in place. Hybrid means that you could opt to use a prefold in place of the disposable liner, which then makes this like the first type.
To my husband and I, the prefold with the waterproof cover is the no brainer winner. It just makes the most sense in terms of how much laundry you need to do, and the amount of covers you will need. Yes, the pocket diapers are more convenient, but the whole thing can only be used once before needing to be washed, whereas the waterproof covers of the prefold system can be wiped and then reused over again if not heavily soiled. Not only is the prefold-cover system the most green, but is also the most economical. However, one problem we might run into is the fact that apparently, prefolds become "stiff and crunchy" when line dried. Yum! We'll have to figure out a method to reach the desired softness without only using the dryer (fluff then hang, or hang then fluff?)
We're getting ready to sew our own diaper covers. We've already bought the waterproof fabric, and we can't wait to get started. Next up for debate is whether we buy or sew the prefolds themselves... we'll see!
One thing that was extremely helpful from the diapering class was the suggestion to spend the extra money on GOOD detergent, particularly designed for cloth diapers, to get the best washing results and keep the stink out. The instructor only used cold water, but with good detergent, and never had a staining problem. Wow! This gives us confidence that we can do the same, and that cloth diapering isn't as hard as it seems after all.
Gearing up to wash lots of poopy diapers!
23 August 2012
Him: Showering of Baby
I know this is a little after the fact, but two weekends ago my parents held a baby shower for us, and what a baby shower it was. To start, I need to say an enormous THANK YOU to those that helped set-up, organise, and make everything happen. I will not name any names, but if you are one of those people reading this, you know who you are.
First off, I already wrote about how long the trip was, thus I will explain to you the rest of how the weekend went.
Of course, things don't always go as well as you want and plans have to change and we are no different. Mom and dad and a few others had planned to go and decorate the hall on Saturday afternoon but, of course, a last minute change in the schedule happened and the Firemen's Ball was to be had on Saturday night. Two sides to this, the good being that we all get to relax together for the whole day, the bad being that everything will be much more rushed for Sunday morning.
Time passed quickly. We swam and talked and enjoyed the nice weather. That evening, our time was spent actually opening up a few gifts: the ones from those that said they could not attend. Boy, had we ever got a lot of stuff already! We opened about six gifts, and already had a numver of outfits, some picture frames, money, and blanket! I was getting nervous for the amount of people that would be attending the next day and couldn't fathom how many more there would be.
A good night rest and a fresh start to Sunday. We went to Church and then not long after we headed to the hall. Just to compare orders of magnitude, the night before we had six gifts from six people, now there were nearly a hundred and fifty people sitting in front of us. Needless to say, the stage was not where we sat, as it was already occupied.
As there were so many people there, we tried our best to say hello to everyone and to thank them personally by going from table to table. Half way through the thanking we attempted to open a few gifts. I believe we got through five and then started to go around again as some people were starting to leave already.
The Special Guest
There was rumour of a special guest arriving sometime in the afternoon. Thus, without disappointment, down came the stairs, none other than Zwiebel! Yes, that is my dog and that is her name, Onion. Don't mess with my Onion though or her 105 lbs of Rottweiller will not be impressed. She came bearing gifts on a cute little handsewn backpack. Inside, as I was explained, were gifts coming from all the different dogs that I have had over the years. We had little handmade doggy-bears, which came from Barkley, Molson, Jake, and Jessie. And a huge, turtle shaped, blanket from Turtles. What an awesome idea, my mom had sewn all of these and they were just wonderful. The blanket was more of a mat to lay baby on the floor to play on, and it was simply beautiful.
After that, most people were leaving and we hadn't opened any other gifts yet! It was decided that we head home and open the rest on the couch. It only took both vehicles to fit everything, along with the left over food from the luncheon. A few hours later, we had everything opened up and accounted for. Such wonderful and amazing gifts. Couldn't have dreamed for more, there was so much stuff!
The only issue we were concerned about was getting all of this stuff through the border on the way back home, but we didn't have any issues as we told the border agent what all the stuff packed to the roof in the truck was and she smilled and told us to have a good trip home.
-Another great day
First off, I already wrote about how long the trip was, thus I will explain to you the rest of how the weekend went.
Of course, things don't always go as well as you want and plans have to change and we are no different. Mom and dad and a few others had planned to go and decorate the hall on Saturday afternoon but, of course, a last minute change in the schedule happened and the Firemen's Ball was to be had on Saturday night. Two sides to this, the good being that we all get to relax together for the whole day, the bad being that everything will be much more rushed for Sunday morning.
Time passed quickly. We swam and talked and enjoyed the nice weather. That evening, our time was spent actually opening up a few gifts: the ones from those that said they could not attend. Boy, had we ever got a lot of stuff already! We opened about six gifts, and already had a numver of outfits, some picture frames, money, and blanket! I was getting nervous for the amount of people that would be attending the next day and couldn't fathom how many more there would be.
A good night rest and a fresh start to Sunday. We went to Church and then not long after we headed to the hall. Just to compare orders of magnitude, the night before we had six gifts from six people, now there were nearly a hundred and fifty people sitting in front of us. Needless to say, the stage was not where we sat, as it was already occupied.
As there were so many people there, we tried our best to say hello to everyone and to thank them personally by going from table to table. Half way through the thanking we attempted to open a few gifts. I believe we got through five and then started to go around again as some people were starting to leave already.
The Special Guest
There was rumour of a special guest arriving sometime in the afternoon. Thus, without disappointment, down came the stairs, none other than Zwiebel! Yes, that is my dog and that is her name, Onion. Don't mess with my Onion though or her 105 lbs of Rottweiller will not be impressed. She came bearing gifts on a cute little handsewn backpack. Inside, as I was explained, were gifts coming from all the different dogs that I have had over the years. We had little handmade doggy-bears, which came from Barkley, Molson, Jake, and Jessie. And a huge, turtle shaped, blanket from Turtles. What an awesome idea, my mom had sewn all of these and they were just wonderful. The blanket was more of a mat to lay baby on the floor to play on, and it was simply beautiful.
After that, most people were leaving and we hadn't opened any other gifts yet! It was decided that we head home and open the rest on the couch. It only took both vehicles to fit everything, along with the left over food from the luncheon. A few hours later, we had everything opened up and accounted for. Such wonderful and amazing gifts. Couldn't have dreamed for more, there was so much stuff!
The only issue we were concerned about was getting all of this stuff through the border on the way back home, but we didn't have any issues as we told the border agent what all the stuff packed to the roof in the truck was and she smilled and told us to have a good trip home.
-Another great day
21 August 2012
Her: Green Baby (Part 2): The big "nappies" debate - plastic or cloth?!
I wanted to start this blog by saying that in fact, this topic isn't a debate for my husband and I - we are 100% on the side of cloth (that is, at least pre-baby). For me, this is a no brainer because of the sheer amount of waste that disposable diapers create. Can you even fathom how big a pile of 6000 dirty disposable diapers looks like? Because this is how many diapers a baby will go through (on average) from birth to being potty trained. (Okay, if a dirty disposable is approximately 15 cm cubed, then 6000 would take up 90 000 cm cubed, or 90 m cubed. That's one big pile of smelly plastic on your driveway... and spilling over onto your neighbour's. And multiply that by how many children born every year worldwide... YIKES! Mountains and mountains of dirty disposables, which won't decompose for 500 years. Those 1970s disposables are still fully intact today. You can see why this argument is enough for me to run for the cloth diapers).
Did you know that about 60% of a disposable diaper is derived from crude oil? Cloth diapering, then, is one way to release yourself from the world's harmful addiction to oil.
Okay, cloth diapering cuts on the waste, but what about cost? Joy and Rebecca of "The eco-nomical baby guide" estimate $900 for the cheapest disposables (approximately $0.11-0.19) for 6000 diapers, while only $200 for cloth, including supplies and washing expenses. One, however, has to keep in mind that their estimate for washing expenses (only $50 for 2.5 years), is calculated based on using cold wash in a front loader, and only hanging to dry. That might be a little unrealistic for most, so I would say tack on another $100-200 there. Still, in the end, cloth ends up being cheaper than disposable.
But what about the "yuck" factor? Who wants to wash dirty diapers? I know this is probably the factor that throws most parents towards disposables. For me, it can't be worse than what you're already dealing with as a parent... being puked/peed/pooed on!
Obviously, we will be loving the convenience of disposables while travelling, which will be a must. Like I had said before, it's really hard to be perfectly green, 100% of the time, but any amount counts, as far as I'm concerned!
Gooooo cloth!
Did you know that about 60% of a disposable diaper is derived from crude oil? Cloth diapering, then, is one way to release yourself from the world's harmful addiction to oil.
Okay, cloth diapering cuts on the waste, but what about cost? Joy and Rebecca of "The eco-nomical baby guide" estimate $900 for the cheapest disposables (approximately $0.11-0.19) for 6000 diapers, while only $200 for cloth, including supplies and washing expenses. One, however, has to keep in mind that their estimate for washing expenses (only $50 for 2.5 years), is calculated based on using cold wash in a front loader, and only hanging to dry. That might be a little unrealistic for most, so I would say tack on another $100-200 there. Still, in the end, cloth ends up being cheaper than disposable.
But what about the "yuck" factor? Who wants to wash dirty diapers? I know this is probably the factor that throws most parents towards disposables. For me, it can't be worse than what you're already dealing with as a parent... being puked/peed/pooed on!
Obviously, we will be loving the convenience of disposables while travelling, which will be a must. Like I had said before, it's really hard to be perfectly green, 100% of the time, but any amount counts, as far as I'm concerned!
Gooooo cloth!
20 August 2012
Him: Baby Brain (Patience)
Less than two months to go! Mommy's tummy is starting to move and squirm and contort into the oddest shapes. If you read her earlier post, you would have learned that she's having a grand old time being forgetful, indecisive, tired, and just plain duhhhhh.
On my side, however, things have been also a bit different. I'm sure her baby brain hasn't helped in my quest to be ever so patient with her, but I am trying my hardest to be the best. Some days just aren't as good as others; the fuses just aren't as long and slow sometimes. There are a few things we can't agree on and it has been picking at the both of us for a number of weeks now. I know we will come to a common ground, yet getting there has been a very difficult and treacherous. Things sometimes get a little vocal. Yet, we will get there, no matter what.
The other side of the coin is that I've been much more alert and reactive to when I see she needs help in something. This has not happened a whole lot, or I'm sure it is not even noticeable to her, yet I feel a lot different when it comes to her asking of me for something. Not that I didn't help before, though much less I'm sure, my brain seems to have kicked in to tell me that she needs more help righ now and in the future. I've most noticed this at night, when we both are tired and not wanting to move anymore, I still have some energy left to help her out if she needs something. She's obviously a little more awkward than before with that big lump in front of her and I want to do the most to keep her comfortable.
Getting anxious for the little one to arrive! Can't wait to say hi and be a dad of course.
-Another great day
On my side, however, things have been also a bit different. I'm sure her baby brain hasn't helped in my quest to be ever so patient with her, but I am trying my hardest to be the best. Some days just aren't as good as others; the fuses just aren't as long and slow sometimes. There are a few things we can't agree on and it has been picking at the both of us for a number of weeks now. I know we will come to a common ground, yet getting there has been a very difficult and treacherous. Things sometimes get a little vocal. Yet, we will get there, no matter what.
The other side of the coin is that I've been much more alert and reactive to when I see she needs help in something. This has not happened a whole lot, or I'm sure it is not even noticeable to her, yet I feel a lot different when it comes to her asking of me for something. Not that I didn't help before, though much less I'm sure, my brain seems to have kicked in to tell me that she needs more help righ now and in the future. I've most noticed this at night, when we both are tired and not wanting to move anymore, I still have some energy left to help her out if she needs something. She's obviously a little more awkward than before with that big lump in front of her and I want to do the most to keep her comfortable.
Getting anxious for the little one to arrive! Can't wait to say hi and be a dad of course.
-Another great day
17 August 2012
Her: Parent musings
Just the other day, a picture of me as a 3-year-old sent by my parents really got me choked up. With just weeks to go before the arrival of baby, making the big step of becoming a parent has really been on my mind. Am I ready? Will I know what to do? I am a true believer that one's parental instincts (i.e. hormones!!) will kick in once baby is born, but right now, it is a little overwhelming and worrisome (will I be one of those who just doesn't have a parental instinct?) I know that most first-time parents think of these things, and everything does turn out in the end. YouTuber ShayCarl's advice for parenting sets me at ease, because it's simple and is aligned with my values: 1) Do everything that you can do to ensure that your children know that you love them unconditionally, and 2) With regards to parenting situations, do your best with the knowledge you have at the time, and don't worry about it in hindsight.
New parenting fears aside, the reason I got choked up at that picture of me as a 3-year-old has to do with the fact that for the first time, I looked at that picture through the eyes of my parents. I like to think that I tried my best to make sure my parents knew how much I appreciated everything they did when I was growing up. However, like all children, of course there were times when things they did for us went unnoticed, unappreciated, and even unwanted. I guess it really is true that you don't really truly appreciate what your parents did for you until you become a parent yourself. So, THANK YOU so much, Mom and Dad! I can only hope to be as good of a parent as you both are.
On the other side of things, even though my husband and I will of course be consumed with the precious miracle of life we have created, I believe that we must look forward into the longterm as well. What I mean by this has to do with the saying that "children are only borrowed." I believe my husband and I should always have in mind that we will raise our children to grow up and lead their own lives - in other words, we need to be able to let go of them so that they can go forth and flourish in the world. Our children, no matter how many we have, will always be a part of our lives, yes, but they will not BE our lives. What came first was the love and joy of the relationship between my husband and I. Thus, this relationship needs to be nourished even through the tough days and nights of parenting. This nourishing is crucial because once we have an empty nest, we are left with each other. I don't want to neglect our relationship over the parenting/welfare of our children. Having this in mind will make the separation easier, when the time comes.
Ready or not, here we go!
New parenting fears aside, the reason I got choked up at that picture of me as a 3-year-old has to do with the fact that for the first time, I looked at that picture through the eyes of my parents. I like to think that I tried my best to make sure my parents knew how much I appreciated everything they did when I was growing up. However, like all children, of course there were times when things they did for us went unnoticed, unappreciated, and even unwanted. I guess it really is true that you don't really truly appreciate what your parents did for you until you become a parent yourself. So, THANK YOU so much, Mom and Dad! I can only hope to be as good of a parent as you both are.
On the other side of things, even though my husband and I will of course be consumed with the precious miracle of life we have created, I believe that we must look forward into the longterm as well. What I mean by this has to do with the saying that "children are only borrowed." I believe my husband and I should always have in mind that we will raise our children to grow up and lead their own lives - in other words, we need to be able to let go of them so that they can go forth and flourish in the world. Our children, no matter how many we have, will always be a part of our lives, yes, but they will not BE our lives. What came first was the love and joy of the relationship between my husband and I. Thus, this relationship needs to be nourished even through the tough days and nights of parenting. This nourishing is crucial because once we have an empty nest, we are left with each other. I don't want to neglect our relationship over the parenting/welfare of our children. Having this in mind will make the separation easier, when the time comes.
Ready or not, here we go!
16 August 2012
Him: Travelling
Once again, a weekend spent travelling a huge amount for a very short stay.
Our trek began last Friday morning. It was a sombre day, making it perfect for driving as I didn't need to worry about having the sun in my face at one point or another. The drive is usually quite long, being near a thousand kilometres. As before, we were ready for anything between nine and eleven hours on the road. This time, however, was going to be different! We were driving for three and mommy made sure that we were aware of that. Yes, with baby on the way, we did need to stop much more frequent to ensure bladders did not explode. I had been expecting this and wasn't in any extra rush to get home from the lost time stopping for the bathroom. In all, the trip up would have been probably near the ten hour mark if it hadn't been for construction. We lost about two hours just sitting in traffic.
The trip up: Thirteen hours.
We had a wonderful weekend, filled with the meeting of tons of friends and family. I won't go into too much detail of the events of the weekend, as that will be explained all on its own. It ended as quickly as it began, and Monday morning we began our trek home.
The trip down: Eleven hours.
Coming back seemed to take much less time. Though it started out as if it were going to take a lot longer. I seemed to have drank too much in the morning and needed to stop three times in the span of a couple of hours! But that quickly ended and we made our way back to the states. We did not stop for dinner, as we had on the way up, which I suppose took off a bit of time.
All that travelling and such a short span of time in between. Still completely worth it. Got to see some friends, family, and enjoy some genuine quiet time. I've never really hated travelling, be it flying, or driving. If the destination is worth it, I will be there!
-Another great day
Our trek began last Friday morning. It was a sombre day, making it perfect for driving as I didn't need to worry about having the sun in my face at one point or another. The drive is usually quite long, being near a thousand kilometres. As before, we were ready for anything between nine and eleven hours on the road. This time, however, was going to be different! We were driving for three and mommy made sure that we were aware of that. Yes, with baby on the way, we did need to stop much more frequent to ensure bladders did not explode. I had been expecting this and wasn't in any extra rush to get home from the lost time stopping for the bathroom. In all, the trip up would have been probably near the ten hour mark if it hadn't been for construction. We lost about two hours just sitting in traffic.
The trip up: Thirteen hours.
We had a wonderful weekend, filled with the meeting of tons of friends and family. I won't go into too much detail of the events of the weekend, as that will be explained all on its own. It ended as quickly as it began, and Monday morning we began our trek home.
The trip down: Eleven hours.
Coming back seemed to take much less time. Though it started out as if it were going to take a lot longer. I seemed to have drank too much in the morning and needed to stop three times in the span of a couple of hours! But that quickly ended and we made our way back to the states. We did not stop for dinner, as we had on the way up, which I suppose took off a bit of time.
All that travelling and such a short span of time in between. Still completely worth it. Got to see some friends, family, and enjoy some genuine quiet time. I've never really hated travelling, be it flying, or driving. If the destination is worth it, I will be there!
-Another great day
14 August 2012
Her: I'm an Aunt!
For just over a week now, my husband and I are uncle and aunt to a beautiful niece! I think our uncle/aunt senses kicked in at the same time, because early on the day she was born, before we were told anything, we both independently had the feeling that this was the day. Sure enough, when we decided to call and find out, she was on her way!
Both of us were so proud when we did get the final call from my brother. I think we jumped up and down a little and then had to run over to the neighbours and tell them. Baby news is just one of those things that especially gets spread like wildfire - everyone who is related or close to the new parents are just so proud they can't help themselves but exclaim it to the world!
I don't think I'll ever forget that call from my brother. You could just hear the joy in the way he talked about both his wife and new daughter. It certainly gave us a taste of the reality that our baby will be here soon too!
I know that the distance doesn't help, but I really hope that the two cousins will be able to form a close bond as they will be only a few months apart. We will certainly make an effort to for that to happen! Even though we've seen several pictures of her (which I've caught myself gazing lovingly at a few times), meeting our niece for the first time will be so special, even though it won't be for a few months. What a wonderful thing to look forward to!
Both of us were so proud when we did get the final call from my brother. I think we jumped up and down a little and then had to run over to the neighbours and tell them. Baby news is just one of those things that especially gets spread like wildfire - everyone who is related or close to the new parents are just so proud they can't help themselves but exclaim it to the world!
I don't think I'll ever forget that call from my brother. You could just hear the joy in the way he talked about both his wife and new daughter. It certainly gave us a taste of the reality that our baby will be here soon too!
I know that the distance doesn't help, but I really hope that the two cousins will be able to form a close bond as they will be only a few months apart. We will certainly make an effort to for that to happen! Even though we've seen several pictures of her (which I've caught myself gazing lovingly at a few times), meeting our niece for the first time will be so special, even though it won't be for a few months. What a wonderful thing to look forward to!
13 August 2012
Him: Let the spending begin
Oh boy, it has actually started. Suppose we couldn't wait forever to start buying baby things; you have to start somewhere.
It isn't hard to spend a lot of money these days, and from the comfort of your couch no less! Ordered our stroller and crib. By ordered, I mean we went online and purchased it through Amazon. Will most likely purchase a lot of items through amazon as their prices are very reasonable and in most cases cheaper than at the store, but the best part about it all is that it gets delivered to your door!
As an Amazon Prime member, I get to enjoy the luxury of having free two-day shipping of all my items! Now, they don't have everything prime eligible, but for the most part they have what you need and it is here within a couple of days, if not earlier!
With the crib and stroller ordered, it has now burst the bubble of confusion: when do we start buying? Now we have one thing, we need others, and more, and more! Not going to buy a whole lot yet, of course, since my parents are having a baby shower for us and I am sure that we will get one or two things out of that, which is always amazing.
We will most likely film the putting together of the crib, as well as the stroller, so I hope to have video of that to be able to post in the near future. The nursery video is already up, and if you've missed it you can find it on my Youtube channel!
-Another great day
It isn't hard to spend a lot of money these days, and from the comfort of your couch no less! Ordered our stroller and crib. By ordered, I mean we went online and purchased it through Amazon. Will most likely purchase a lot of items through amazon as their prices are very reasonable and in most cases cheaper than at the store, but the best part about it all is that it gets delivered to your door!
As an Amazon Prime member, I get to enjoy the luxury of having free two-day shipping of all my items! Now, they don't have everything prime eligible, but for the most part they have what you need and it is here within a couple of days, if not earlier!
With the crib and stroller ordered, it has now burst the bubble of confusion: when do we start buying? Now we have one thing, we need others, and more, and more! Not going to buy a whole lot yet, of course, since my parents are having a baby shower for us and I am sure that we will get one or two things out of that, which is always amazing.
We will most likely film the putting together of the crib, as well as the stroller, so I hope to have video of that to be able to post in the near future. The nursery video is already up, and if you've missed it you can find it on my Youtube channel!
-Another great day
10 August 2012
Him: Olympics
More of a rant than a blog, but I needed somewhere to vent some frustrations about this years Olympic Games.
I've never been a huge fan of the Olympics, but have always enjoyed watching events and cheering on the athletes, be they Canadian or not. Of course I am super excited to see the Canadians excel, if another country has outstanding athletes I will cheer for them as well. Such is the case for China and their divers, good for them!
I want to point out though that only watching for a few days, on NBC of course, as I am living in the US. What about the other countries! Seems that every second I watch it is of the US teams doing their thing. Yes, I did get to see some Canadians, and Brits, and Aussies, but only because they were competing at the same time as the US. Yes, I agree that the US should focus on their athletes since they want to show support and pride, but there are other events and people to see too! I would love to see events that don't involve the US sometimes. Yes the US are in the top three, and they are doing great, but they aren't the only ones winning medals.
It's nothing horrible, but I seemed to have spend the better part of two hours the last night watching US athletes perform in preliminary matches instead of seeing a medal match that doesn't have any US athletes in it.
In all, I am enjoying the Games, and I hope that all athletes enjoy their time and push themselves to the limits for their country, just wish I could see more of the Games as a whole and less of the US only parts.
-Another great day
I've never been a huge fan of the Olympics, but have always enjoyed watching events and cheering on the athletes, be they Canadian or not. Of course I am super excited to see the Canadians excel, if another country has outstanding athletes I will cheer for them as well. Such is the case for China and their divers, good for them!
I want to point out though that only watching for a few days, on NBC of course, as I am living in the US. What about the other countries! Seems that every second I watch it is of the US teams doing their thing. Yes, I did get to see some Canadians, and Brits, and Aussies, but only because they were competing at the same time as the US. Yes, I agree that the US should focus on their athletes since they want to show support and pride, but there are other events and people to see too! I would love to see events that don't involve the US sometimes. Yes the US are in the top three, and they are doing great, but they aren't the only ones winning medals.
It's nothing horrible, but I seemed to have spend the better part of two hours the last night watching US athletes perform in preliminary matches instead of seeing a medal match that doesn't have any US athletes in it.
In all, I am enjoying the Games, and I hope that all athletes enjoy their time and push themselves to the limits for their country, just wish I could see more of the Games as a whole and less of the US only parts.
-Another great day
09 August 2012
Her: Baby brain! Duhhhhhh
I didn't think that this would be a problem for me, but depending on the day, I've been plagued with bad baby brain. For those of you who don't know, it is common for pregnant women to get, in the nicest words, forgetful due to the raging pregnancy hormones. In fact, MRI studies have shown that in the third trimester, the brains of pregnant women actually decrease in size, only to return after birth (thankfully)!
For me, it's been a little more than forgetfulness. Depending on how tired I am, I have trouble following conversations, putting together sentences, and just plain missing chunks of what's going around me. (I've come up with some really winning sentences lately, wow). What a blow, since these things are not my strengths even when I'm not pregnant! There have been several instances where I ask questions that have just been asked, or am completely unaware of things that happen or words that are said right in front of my face. And the weirdest thing is that I will be totally convinced that these things didn't happen or were not said! Let's just say it's been slightly frustrating for those around me at times. Maybe I should carry around a recording device so that I can instantly replay what's been said, haha!
I guess my body is just throwing everything it has into the creation of the new life inside me, which is the most important of all. I will gratefully take the blow to the brain all for the growth and health of our baby. People around me will just have to get used to a less eloquent, less perceptive Lisa for the next little while (not like these were my strengths in the first place, haha)! Patience please!
For me, it's been a little more than forgetfulness. Depending on how tired I am, I have trouble following conversations, putting together sentences, and just plain missing chunks of what's going around me. (I've come up with some really winning sentences lately, wow). What a blow, since these things are not my strengths even when I'm not pregnant! There have been several instances where I ask questions that have just been asked, or am completely unaware of things that happen or words that are said right in front of my face. And the weirdest thing is that I will be totally convinced that these things didn't happen or were not said! Let's just say it's been slightly frustrating for those around me at times. Maybe I should carry around a recording device so that I can instantly replay what's been said, haha!
I guess my body is just throwing everything it has into the creation of the new life inside me, which is the most important of all. I will gratefully take the blow to the brain all for the growth and health of our baby. People around me will just have to get used to a less eloquent, less perceptive Lisa for the next little while (not like these were my strengths in the first place, haha)! Patience please!
07 August 2012
Her: Update on the canning front
As I sit here writing this blog, I'm waiting for the pressure to go down in my pressure cooker so I can take out my 25 jars (totalling 14 pints) of various apple preserves (applebutter and applesauce from the trees in our yard). It was a bit of work peeling and coring those apples (the standing caused my ankles to swell), but it will be well worth it down the road when we want to feed some applesauce to our baby. We know what's in it, plus it's naturally organic! Yay for DIY baby food!
Other than our apple preserves, we've done 6 quarts of peaches, 5 pints of zucchini marmalade (with zucchini from our garden), and 3 quarts of pickles (also with cucs and dill from our garden) recently. I'm kinda in a canning mood these days, so I'll probably do some more spaghetti sauce, soups, pumpkin butter, and chili soon, plus way more pickles. I really do enjoy the whole process, but I think we're going to run out of room in our pantry soon (haha)! We've got to do some rearranging, but this is not a bad reason to do so.
I just took the lid off of the canner. Is it weird that the sound of sealing lids is music to my ears?
Yay for canning season!
(From the left, zucchini marmalade, applebutter, pickles, applesauce, and peaches).
Other than our apple preserves, we've done 6 quarts of peaches, 5 pints of zucchini marmalade (with zucchini from our garden), and 3 quarts of pickles (also with cucs and dill from our garden) recently. I'm kinda in a canning mood these days, so I'll probably do some more spaghetti sauce, soups, pumpkin butter, and chili soon, plus way more pickles. I really do enjoy the whole process, but I think we're going to run out of room in our pantry soon (haha)! We've got to do some rearranging, but this is not a bad reason to do so.
I just took the lid off of the canner. Is it weird that the sound of sealing lids is music to my ears?
Yay for canning season!
(From the left, zucchini marmalade, applebutter, pickles, applesauce, and peaches).
06 August 2012
Him: Feng shui
It seems we are always moving things around in the house. Put this piece of furniture in that room, move that picture over there, let's make this room do this!
I suppose it is all about getting settled in and feeling good about where you are. Thus far, all the moving and re-arranging has been very healthy and the whole house feels much more comfortable. Each room has its own feel and purpose and we are starting to use the empty spaces to our advantage.
This past weekend was the nursery. It has been completely emptied out save for the rug on the floor and the blinds on the windows. We went out to the hardware store and chose the paint that we wanted. We washed down the room and prepped for paint! Saturday consisted of painting, painting again, taping, painting again, and tearing off all the tape! If you want to see the process, just check out the video.
So now we want to put some decals on the walls. It seems these will be the easiest thing to do since they are removeable! Stick it on, you don't like it, pull it off. Can't complain one bit. And lastly, we went to the fabric store and picked up some nice print for curtains. They will be made this week and all that we will need are curtain rods.
We'll turn this house into our home before we know it! Then we'll be moving out again and starting all over in another house.
-Another great day
I suppose it is all about getting settled in and feeling good about where you are. Thus far, all the moving and re-arranging has been very healthy and the whole house feels much more comfortable. Each room has its own feel and purpose and we are starting to use the empty spaces to our advantage.
This past weekend was the nursery. It has been completely emptied out save for the rug on the floor and the blinds on the windows. We went out to the hardware store and chose the paint that we wanted. We washed down the room and prepped for paint! Saturday consisted of painting, painting again, taping, painting again, and tearing off all the tape! If you want to see the process, just check out the video.
So now we want to put some decals on the walls. It seems these will be the easiest thing to do since they are removeable! Stick it on, you don't like it, pull it off. Can't complain one bit. And lastly, we went to the fabric store and picked up some nice print for curtains. They will be made this week and all that we will need are curtain rods.
We'll turn this house into our home before we know it! Then we'll be moving out again and starting all over in another house.
-Another great day
03 August 2012
Him: Crossfit/Healthy Living
I just read an overwhelmingly hate oriented blog about how some people have problems with Crossfit. Of course, with anything that is doing well in this world, there needs to be haters. To even prove that point, within the comments, someone posted about how the blogger may even get to meet Justin Beiber with the popularity they get from their blog - One popularity hate relating to another.
Everyone has their opinion(s) and they are most certainly entitled to it. However, if you are going to have an opinion, you may want to have more than one side of the story before you go charging into battle.
I am a 'crossfitter' and I must say that Crossfit is not a workout for everyone. It is not a specialised regime that is guaranteed to get you into shape and be the best at <insert activity here>. Crossfit is a workout for the all around - all encompassing. You will get out exactly what you put in. Just like any other workout, if you try hard you will have results, if you only do it for the sake of going through the motions, you won't see any results. Crossfit does not focus on any one aspect of fitness, thus why it is called 'cross'-fit.
I find that a large number of people that want to be fit do not want to put in the effort to reach that goal. Or, their goals are so fantastical that they can never be acheived. Yes there are shortfalls to Crossfit, but there are also shortfalls to P90X, Tapout, Shape, Weight Watchers, etc.
Getting 'in shape' is not something that can happen overnight. And to some, it is a long and difficult journey. For one thing, you don't need to follow some workout regime that you need to pay into. One prime example that I know of is ShayCarl. He documented his journey from a 280 pound, thirty-two year old father of four, to a 175 lb running a full marathon in a year. Yes the family is a little different, but he was able to do it, with the help of his family and friends.
Exercise is a large part of being fit, but you always have to remember that eating well and leading a balanced life are a must as well. You can run all you want on that treadmill, but those four cheeseburgers and large drinks per day are not going to just melt off your hips. Nor will that nagging boss and the twenty hours of overtime that you did last week help your stress level and sleeping habits.
Everything has to fit. Crossfit, right now, has a lot of hype surrounding it. The Crossfit Games, claim to have the Fittest Man/Woman on Earth. Nothing wrong with claiming that, these people focus their workouts for the events at these Games. They are not saying they are better than every Olympic athelete, they are simply trying to be the best all around, tested in their own ways.
Being healthy is a way of life and it demands a lot of attention. If you are not willing to put in the effort then you will not get the results. Yes, people will hate, and haters are always the most vocal because it is easy to pick out faults and criticise them than it is to see the good and praise.
I will say that personally I tried Crossfit about six years ago and did about 2 workouts and said to myself they were crazy. I had nor the time or the energy to keep up with it. Now, a few years later, a few years older, I have come back to it. Both myself and my wife are enjoying the workouts. I read a lot about them, learned how to do them by either scaling weights, lowering the amount of repetitions/sets, or just taking a day off when I am tired.
Any <named workout> programme has its shortcomings. But you make of it what you will. If you become dedicated enough to your mental/physical health, you will learn exactly what your body needs. You will not only be doing Crossfit, but also something else to supplement it as most people do. Just don't be afraid to try something new, and most importantly get all the facts before you make a decision.
-Another great day
Everyone has their opinion(s) and they are most certainly entitled to it. However, if you are going to have an opinion, you may want to have more than one side of the story before you go charging into battle.
I am a 'crossfitter' and I must say that Crossfit is not a workout for everyone. It is not a specialised regime that is guaranteed to get you into shape and be the best at <insert activity here>. Crossfit is a workout for the all around - all encompassing. You will get out exactly what you put in. Just like any other workout, if you try hard you will have results, if you only do it for the sake of going through the motions, you won't see any results. Crossfit does not focus on any one aspect of fitness, thus why it is called 'cross'-fit.
I find that a large number of people that want to be fit do not want to put in the effort to reach that goal. Or, their goals are so fantastical that they can never be acheived. Yes there are shortfalls to Crossfit, but there are also shortfalls to P90X, Tapout, Shape, Weight Watchers, etc.
Getting 'in shape' is not something that can happen overnight. And to some, it is a long and difficult journey. For one thing, you don't need to follow some workout regime that you need to pay into. One prime example that I know of is ShayCarl. He documented his journey from a 280 pound, thirty-two year old father of four, to a 175 lb running a full marathon in a year. Yes the family is a little different, but he was able to do it, with the help of his family and friends.
Exercise is a large part of being fit, but you always have to remember that eating well and leading a balanced life are a must as well. You can run all you want on that treadmill, but those four cheeseburgers and large drinks per day are not going to just melt off your hips. Nor will that nagging boss and the twenty hours of overtime that you did last week help your stress level and sleeping habits.
Everything has to fit. Crossfit, right now, has a lot of hype surrounding it. The Crossfit Games, claim to have the Fittest Man/Woman on Earth. Nothing wrong with claiming that, these people focus their workouts for the events at these Games. They are not saying they are better than every Olympic athelete, they are simply trying to be the best all around, tested in their own ways.
Being healthy is a way of life and it demands a lot of attention. If you are not willing to put in the effort then you will not get the results. Yes, people will hate, and haters are always the most vocal because it is easy to pick out faults and criticise them than it is to see the good and praise.
I will say that personally I tried Crossfit about six years ago and did about 2 workouts and said to myself they were crazy. I had nor the time or the energy to keep up with it. Now, a few years later, a few years older, I have come back to it. Both myself and my wife are enjoying the workouts. I read a lot about them, learned how to do them by either scaling weights, lowering the amount of repetitions/sets, or just taking a day off when I am tired.
Any <named workout> programme has its shortcomings. But you make of it what you will. If you become dedicated enough to your mental/physical health, you will learn exactly what your body needs. You will not only be doing Crossfit, but also something else to supplement it as most people do. Just don't be afraid to try something new, and most importantly get all the facts before you make a decision.
-Another great day
02 August 2012
Her: Pregnant and clumsy
Today has just been one of those days where everything I do or touch seems to go awry. What a mess of a day! First, I screw up a recipe (so much for experimenting). Next, I make a few blunders in my current sewing project. Repairing a hole by hand turned into folding and sewing over with the sewing machine, which turned into taking out the seam entirely, cutting, resizing, and sewing the seam back together. That was my last resort before completely redoing a section. After that fiasco, I proceeded to trim excess fabric off. In doing so, I succeeded in cutting right through the good side of my project! Ack!
I decided it would probably be a good idea to take a break from sewing, so I proceeded to wash some dishes, only to cut myself on the blade of the food processor. And (it's not over yet) as I went to open a bandaid to cover my cut, it ripped in half! Goodness! I better not pick up anything glass today, because know I'm probably bound to drop it (just ask my husband). I know these are just small details in the scheme of things, and not really that bad in the end, but it's just funny how things like this can all accumulate on one day.
I'm not sure whether I just wasn't paying enough attention today or what, but I think I will attribute this clumsiness of mine today to the pregnancy. In fact, this is a common occurrence, according to "What to Expect When You're Expecting," which states that the extra clumsiness is caused by loosening joints, water retention, loss in concentration (yup, got that one), and change in centre of gravity. At least I have an excuse these past 7 months for my clumsiness, but I can't say the same for all the glass I've broken before that... hehe!
Steering clear of glassware...
I decided it would probably be a good idea to take a break from sewing, so I proceeded to wash some dishes, only to cut myself on the blade of the food processor. And (it's not over yet) as I went to open a bandaid to cover my cut, it ripped in half! Goodness! I better not pick up anything glass today, because know I'm probably bound to drop it (just ask my husband). I know these are just small details in the scheme of things, and not really that bad in the end, but it's just funny how things like this can all accumulate on one day.
I'm not sure whether I just wasn't paying enough attention today or what, but I think I will attribute this clumsiness of mine today to the pregnancy. In fact, this is a common occurrence, according to "What to Expect When You're Expecting," which states that the extra clumsiness is caused by loosening joints, water retention, loss in concentration (yup, got that one), and change in centre of gravity. At least I have an excuse these past 7 months for my clumsiness, but I can't say the same for all the glass I've broken before that... hehe!
Steering clear of glassware...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)