The Cottage on the Hill

It was the same with Bubby...heartburn and BAD heartburn during pregnancy. Like the tale goes, he came out with a full head of hair. So, I'm counting on my daughter being a fuzz-head, too. Consequently, I pretty much have to sleep sitting up. One thing that's different this pregnancy is that I can't sleep in my bed. With Bubby, I was so comfy in my bed. With this pregnancy, if I stay in bed in any position for more than 2 hours (and you know preggy women can only sleep on their sides) then my back and hips stiffen up so bad, I can barely move and the pain is pretty bad, too. So, I've been curling up on my couch. My couch is this not-so-pretty thing that we bought at Big Lots when we got married. It was cheap, small (we lived in a trailer) and kinda had that Adirondack theme I was going for at the time. My taste has changed since then. Over the years, it's been barfed on (by dog and child), peed on (by dog), chewed on (by dog), food spilled (by all of us), b...

Earth Day is approaching. While I'm certainly not one to acknowledge "mother earth," I do appreciate God's creation. I also don't buy into global warming, especially since it's been well below normal in temperatures for the past MONTH! However, I do believe in conservation and taking care of this beautiful planet that God gave us. While the Garden of Eden is no more, God intended for us to be good stewards of His creation. So, from April 1st until Earth Day (or as I'll call it "Stewardship of God's Creation Day), I'm going to be working on and posting about being more green.

Today was tough. I woke up with a dizzy spell and had to take twice the dosage of medication for it because it would not cease. Of course, the medication makes me very sleepy, so I was just short of nodding off all day long. On top of that, being sleepy and unmotivated left me moody and feeling completely unaccomplished. Also, my abdomen feels like it can't stretch anymore. I really dislike when there are things to do and my body fails me and I can't do them. I know, I know...I'm in my 3rd trimester...it's to be expected. But it still stinks!

Doc's orders...no more cake, ice cream, pies and cookies. I'm gaining weight too fast. I've gained 25 lbs this pregnancy, a good portion of them just recently. But, when my tummy is rumbling and keeping me awake at 3 am, and when a bowl of cereal or two eggs with toast just doesn't fill me up, I have to eat SOMETHING! My SIL thinks I'm just prone to weight gain in the latter part of my pregnancy. Still, it's forced me to take a look at my eating habits and to go cold-turkey on those little preggy splurges. I'd rather prevent extra pounds for the next 11 weeks than have to spend the rest of the year working them off! My doctor also told me to stop picking up and carrying Bubby. Yeah, that's about as possible as holding my breath for 10 minutes and not passing out. He's still too short to get into his carseat by himself, or manage some stairs, or walk for long periods of time. I swear my little girl is laying transverse right now. OW!! Tomorro...

An indoor sandbox! This is in the basement (which we are in the process of cleaning out and redoing, so pardon the appearance). When I get computer time, Bubby gets to play with his sandbox and he LOVES it! It's a great way to pass time during the long winters we have here.

5 am - wake up and see hubby off to work, get dressed and ready for the day, Bible reading, start some chores. 6 or 6:30 am - continue with chores or if I'm extra tired from my pregnancy, go back to bed until Bubby wakes up. 7 am- Bubby usually wakes up, breakfast, get him ready for the day 7:30 am - Bubby helps with morning chores and watches a video while I do chores he can't help with. Sometime before 11 am - Playroom time for Bubby and I go online 11 am - LUNCH and lunch clean-up. Between lunch clean-up and nap time - some schooling for Bubby, playtime with Bubby, book or educational video before naptime (depending on how many chores I need to get done as to whether he watches a video or not) 1:30 or 2 pm - nap time and I either nap if I need to or continue with chores or a project. After nap, but before dinner is a quick snack, learning playtime with Bubby, clean-up, and then he gets a video while I make dinner. (Yes, I know it seems like he watches a lot of videos, but I ...

Woah, Shan, you gave me some great ideas! To be completely honest, I avoid washable wipes and often grab a disposable diaper rather than a cloth one because my son still has mushy poos that stain rather badly even with immediately clean-up and soaking and washing. Also, if he does poo in a cloth diaper, I use the disposable wipes to scoop out the poo because the poo will not plunk into the toilet. I tried shaking the diaper into the toilet once only to have it finally dislodge and go flying. Although, I could forgo the disposable wipes and use paper towels to scoop out the poo. I wonder if in the long run paper towels are cheaper than disposable wipes? I read that breast milk can get rid of cradle cap! My son still has a touch of it. It was never bad, so I never bothered with it. So, when my daughter is born and my milk comes in (and if I'm making enough, of course) I'm going to extract my milk and do some treatments on Bubby. Bubby will be 2 tomorrow!! I can't bel...

No Greater Joy magazine has a recipe for home-made baby wipes. I'd rather just use a wet washcloth (though I do use disposable wipes) than make these, but a point is brought up. I read somewhere, not sure where, that we Americans need to drastically reduce our children's exposures to chemicals and parabens because of increasing health concerns and cancer risks. The article said to stop using the ever-popular baby lotions on our infants' skin! Thankfully, Bubby had great skin as a baby and didn't need lotions. Now, he just thinks lotions are fun. But, now I'm thinking about all those lotions I rub into my skin for winter and preggy itchiness. Am I doing myself and my unborn daughter any favors? I'm really getting tempted to look into natural alternatives to popular products. I also have a renewed interest in reducing plastics in my house, buying natural-fibered clothing (thanks bethgem!), and eliminating most processed foods. Some may think I've gone o...

I'm in my third trimester now! I can't believe I've only got 13 weeks left, and that's if I don't go early again! In the grand scheme of things, that's not very long. It's really beginning to show, too. I spent most of today in the nursery cleaning, sorting, and putting the cradle together. Bubby spent a portion of the time climbing in and out of the cradle, tossing clothes in the air like confetti and resting his weary body on my lap. (He's got a cold and has been fighting an off-and-on fever all day.) Hubby came home from helping a gentleman prune an apple tree and he found me sitting on the nursery floor in my apron surrounded by neatly folded cloth diapers. He asked what I was up to and I said, "Cleaning and nesting" as I gestured toward the fully erected cradle. He just smiled and chuckled a little. I love the 3rd trimester. It's the only trimester I feel I deserve to rest in and let the days go by at my own pace. In the firs...

My ambitious side wants to plan a big garden. I even began ordering various new plants to put in. Then reality hit. There's no way at 8 months pregnant am I going to be able to do landscaping and hauling involved with putting in new plants. I can plant a small veggie garden, but that's it. So, I kind of felt down. After all, dirt may not be good for my fingernails, but it's certainly good for my over all well-being. So, I decided that while May will probably be spent resting my preggy mass and preparing for the baby and June will be spent in birthing and recovery, I do have the rest of the summer to (when time allows) putter about the yard and prepare it for next year and plan very carefully where I'd like to put various plants. I want blueberries, more raspeberries, bush cherries, rugosas, lingonberries, more rhubarb and a better strawberry patch. Now, I feel better.

That the amount of food a toddler wastes and refuses could probably feed a small third world country! All joking aside, it does bother me that my son can be so wasteful. I try to eliminate waste, but accidents still happen. I am so turning into the "starving people in China" mom. In other news, my dad has pneumonia. My mom's sick, too, but being pregnant I can't go over to give her a hand with anything. It's driving me up the wall! Well, I've got a TON of chores to do today, so I better go.

I'm glad I have to wait for the bookcases and closet because my mind keeps changing. I've drafted the living room on graph paper and I'm having a hard time placing everything desirably. I'm kind of stuck in some areas in that hubby says he wants his chair to remain where it is and for the TV to remain where it is. I also want to draft the master bedroom. I think I'll go do that now. I'm suffering from allergies of some sort (no idea what I'm allergic to) so I just want to rest. Especially since I spent the morning grocery shopping.

Finally! A nice day has arrived! It's sunny and pleasant. I was able to talk the dog for a "driveway walk" this morning and even though it was only 24 degrees F, I could actually feel a hint of spring warmth in the air flow. By the way, a "driveway walk" is when I hook my dog up to her leash and backpack and just walk the driveway and upper edge of my property. Bubby was still sound asleep, so I obviously couldn't take him with me, so I stayed close to the house so I could listen for him. Baby monitors are great for this, too. I can't walk in my yard yet because it's still snow and ice covered. Dog whispering is in full swing. I was only half-baking it before, but my dog was walking all over me. Things are much better now. This morning was the first time I took her for a walk without her pulling and fighting me. She actually walked behind and to the left of me just like Cesar Millan says is best! Candy at www.keepingthehome.com has a great...

March is in full Lion swing here. It's so gloomy outside I have to turn lights on indoors. It's pouring rain, but barely above freezing. The wind is blowing hard, too. Bubby and I will be cozied up inside today. I'm not sure what I have, but I'm ill, that's for certain. My sinuses feel dry and tickly and my throat is coated with "goo." I have a cough and I'm REALLY tired. Bubby has a cough, but seems well otherwise. A big down is that a lovely lady in my family is having a miscarriage right now. Her 4th. She is in my constant prayers today.

The ones at Big Lots were just way too cheaply built. They're fine for DVD's, paperbacks or CD's, but not for big, thick hardcovers (gotta love that Barnes and Noble discount table!). My dad graciously offered to build me the bookcases AND my closet. In return, I'm making him a suit of clothes for re-enacting. So, I better dust off my sewing machine. Now, it's just waiting. We have to wait until around mid-late April before we can build the bookcases and closet. It's just too cold out now to work outside or in the garage. Speaking of sewing, I have to sew some things for the baby's cradle. I guess it's time to start dusting off my sewing machine. First, though, I need to finish the scarf I'm knitting. That should be done soon.

Just like with Santa, we're not "talking up" the Easter Bunny. If someone else mentions it to Bubby, then we just smile politely and teach Bubby to be polite back. However, we are doing baskets and an egg hunt for Bubby this year. Here's what the baskets will have: Hubby: a few of his favorite treats and perhaps a DVD Me: I'm filling my basket with seed packets!! Bubby: crafts and stickers and little things from the Dollar Store. His birthday is coming up...he doesn't need more toys and we don't like him to eat candy except on occassion. Dog: rubber doggy toy set and a treat I'm going to run to Big Lots today and take a look at their bookcases again. I was there a while ago and saw 24" wide, 6 foot tall bookcases, but they were that cheapy material. But, the bookcases I want in the catalog are just a better version of that cheapy material at a MUCH higher price. So, I'm going to decide between the cheapy Big Lots ones or seeing about ha...

Better: My "game plan" is working! Hubby's totally in on it too and appreciating the results. As soon as Bubby starts whining/crying/tantrum throwing, I or hubby take him by the hand and lead him to his room and shut the door. (The room is toddler-proofed.) He can fuss in there, but it usually only lasts a minute and then he's fine. When we open the door, we have our happy-go-lucky son back! I've tried various methods from many different sources, but once again, following my God-given parental instincts WORKS! I've also learned a few things about toddlers and food. I've been giving Bubby too big portion sizes and it overwhelms him. Also, I've realized that his little tastebuds are maturing and different tastes and textures are too much for him. I have noticed that he prefers simple foods and whole foods. Some of them may be a little crazy, like dill pickles (that's a lot of flavor!) but to him it's just one...dill pickle. This is he...

The shelf system won't work. After wasting a part of the afternoon trying to figure out how to make things work, I came to the conclusion that I just need to be happy with what I have for the time being. When the time comes, I'll appreciate the bookcases all that much more, or things'll change and I'll want something else. After all, the books are to be moved to the upstairs hallway when we add up. It'll be a beautiful library area up there. But that's not what is stressing me out. I'm stressed because my son has seemed to hit what the mainstream calls "terrible twos." He's almost two and he's been really whiny, fussy, picky and throwing tantrums. It's so bad that it's causing some problems. The only one I'll discuss online is it seems to be affecting my pregnancy and general well-being. I'm overly exhausted and my stomach tends to feel more tight and crampy the more stressed I get. So, what's a mother to do? I...