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Craftin' Up Weekend

Last Thursday I started a new afghan for our little bun (fingers crossed that it really is a little girl. . .there is always that little seed of doubt when it comes to gender prediction!).  I went to my favorite yarn supplier and stocked up on some super soft Rowan DK yarn.  Here take a look at my STASH-OLA.  I walked out with 45 skeins (yes, they're all in that bag!) of the purdiest yarn you ever did saw.  And the killer part?  I still have to buy more....so sorry wallet!  Anyhoo, I've been crocheting like a madwoman, and I've finished 8 briar patch squares like the one shown.  Lately I find myself eager for the evening hours when the little ones are asleep so that I can crochet away. 

Next weekend good pal Cassie is throwing a birthday party for her little girl Kylee, and today while the family was napping away, I whipped out these little t-shirts.  The three shirts read:  "I'm Sassy,"  "I'm a Ham," and "I'm Spunky."  And the backside of each tee reads, "Just Like My Mommy."  To add to the fun, I made this this shirt for Ms. Sassie Cassie herself.  I hope she likes them.

Yesterday, while at the mall, I was browsing through A Pea in the Pod and saw a line of t-shirts that read "Due in June (or one's respective due date)."  And can you believe that they were selling them for seventy something dollars?  Um, no thanks. 

Since I was already busy crafting up all these tees, I made one up for myself. You can view my budget version of A Pea's, I suppose.  I am quite the happy camper knowing that my tee cost a mere $10!  Yay for bargains!

Well before I leave, I thought I'd leave you with my profile 19 week photo. Just yesterday I tried to put on a pair of my khaki cords, and, um, they were a TIGHT (In fact, they were so tight that I couldn't feel my lower extremities for about three hours.....alright not that tight). I find this rather funny because I just wore them just a few days before and I was still able to breathe. Ah, such is the way with pregnancy.

P.S. I just added my pregnancy photos to the sidebar. You can also click HERE to view them. Isn't it crazy what a difference two weeks makes?

XX ....or XY?

Today was my highly anticipated 18 week appointment, and all morning I found myself focusing on...on...on pretty much nothing. Anyway, the morning hours passed, and finally at noon I flew out of my office and into sprinkles of rain. Lovely. I managed to battle my way through the wet weather and weaved between traffic to make it to my appointment on time. Hank met me there, and together we went to the appointment.

The technician took fastidious measurements of our little bun, and I eagerly watched the sonogram monitor for little "extra bits" that would reveal that a rascal, wayward "Y" chromosome had invaded my body. For those who have never had a sonogram, let me tell you that you need a trained eye to determine body part A from body part B. In the mass expanse of blackness, the technician pointed out the heart, the bladder, the stomach (which by the way all looked virtually identical).

Technician: "Oh I'll take about 8 - 10 minutes of measurements, and then we can play around," she said.
Me: Um, can't you just go straight the crotch?

10 minutes later

The technician then prints out these photos of our wee one. I smile. Hank smiles. It's official. We've just met our third child for the very first time. Nothing can ever justly describe this moment because it's so magical, so special. I feel my heart fill with excitement and love for this new little being to be.

Technician: "Okay so did you guys want to find out what it is?"
Me: "Yes." (I look towards Hank) "Yes, we do."
Technician: "This little guy keeps moving around....." (she giggles)
Me: Little guy? Did she just say little guy?
Technician: "Wow! He's bouncing around like crazy....."
Me: *sigh*

She continues to poke and prod at my belly in attempts to awaken our little bun (who had apparently fallen asleep during this time of excitement).

Technician: "You know, this is a tough call. I see a little protrusion....."
Me: Protrusion? As in a PENIS?
Technician: (sigh) "Sometimes these little protrusions are 'engorged labias' and sometimes, they're, well, they're penises. So, um, I'm not going to determine what this little guy is."

Another 10 minutes pass

I was absolutely crushed with the "no results" results, and I was frustrated as I knew I would have to wait another month before I would have another sonogram. When the doctor entered the room for my check-up, Hank (my hero) managed to convince the doctor "to take another peek" at our little bun.

So it was back to the sonogram room. We follow the same procedure, and my doctor looks for evidence of girl or boy. And lord almighty! he was able to DETERMINE THE SEX OF OUR BABY.

Yep! Here are THE RESULTS!! Is that what you predicted?

I'm thrilled beyond belief, and I think all your girlie vibes worked. So thank you, thank you!! He he! (Oh yeah, and I guess Hank did do good with the "XX" thing...so kudos to him!). Anyway, before I close this post, I'll leave you with a FEW MORE PHOTOS of our baby. Isn't she purdy?

Boy? Girl? Tune in Tomorrow!

While Alison and Henry scootered about the front yard today, I sat down with my crochet needle and whipped up these little guys.  The pink one (the first one) came out a wee bit smaller than the blue.  Despite my rusty crochet hands, they were pretty easy to make, though now that I look at the photograph, they look more like mushrooms than cupcakes.  Oh well!  I think if I do a better job shaping them up, they'll look more cupcake-y.  Of course, it doesn't help that my two babes tossed them around like beanbags!

Last week was surprise galore as I received this little munchkin from Yvonne.  Isn't she cute?  I was thinking that I should sleep with  her under my pillow so that the girlie vibes would rub off on me.  I just had to show front and rear view as the little heart-clad bum is too sweet to ignore. 

Another Dutch blogger, Marieke, sent me an adorable postcard when she found out that I was pregnant.  You can see it HERE.  She even made me a cheat sheet with translations so that I could enjoy the humor.  I thought I'd let you guys take a peek....and form your own translations.  He he!

Yesterday Ms. Hope sent me a cute little note with a "How to Have a Relaxing Pregnancy" article.  How thoughtful! It's on my nightstand for tonight's reading.

And take a looksee at this motherload of goodies from the lovable Giao.  I ordered one of her fabulous scarves, and sneaky gnome slyly added a box full of treasures for me to covet (as a tagback gift.....not necessary, but certainly so much appreciated!)  I've already used the bath tarts and lip balm (not pictured), and I must say that I've been in heaven.
 

Tomorrow is my 18 (almost 1/2 there!!!) week appointment, and hopefully I will be able to find out the answer to the ultimate question:  BOY?!  OR GIRL?!  What do you predict? Stay tuned for tomorrow's post! 

Access Denied & I Hate Nlabyby

There's one thing true about me, and that is this.  If I'm not busy selling goods on eBay, I'm most likely making capricious buys, splurging on bits and bobs, and pretending that I'm some princess in need of self-pampering.  I'm a highly competitive person.  And.  I love shopping (who doesn't?).  Combine the excitement of heart-pounding auction madness with the thrill of a good bargain, and you have eBay.  The perfect marketplace.

I started selling on eBay 5 years ago right after Alison was born and when money was especially tight.  I started out small by selling knick knacks from around the house (i.e. samples from Clinique's Bonus Days (yes, people actually bought those), clothes, college books, etc).   Due to brisk sales, my confidence rose, and I started selling BIG.   That first year of selling I sold two couches, an arm chair, our butcher block dining room table, our refrigerator.  Heck!  I even sold our CAR (for $750 more than the price suggested in our handy Kelly Blue Book).  I made a pretty hefty return, and as a result we were able to buy more furniture and our beautiful armoire.

Now where was I?  Oh yeah.  It seems that as of late I've been stricken with eBay fever again, and I'm trolling auctions, looking for things to buy.  Just yesterday, in fact, I found a grand auction.  Just so you can see why I got so excited, here is what the  tagline said:

"300 + Vintage Greeting Cards from 1950s"

It was 11 a.m., and I clicked on the auction page.  I watched as hundreds of gorgeous cards danced on my screen, and I scrolled down to the nitty gritty: 

Current Bid:  $36.75
Auction End Time:  11:35 a.m.

Oh sweet Jesus I had found a bargain!  The seller had stellar marks.  The shipping costs were decent.  And better yet, no one had bid on this auction for three days.  THREE DAYS.  Oh I was in heaven.  This baby was mine.

There was one glitch though. Um, I was at work.

And WORK + EBAY = recipe for disaster.

I decided to risk getting caught, and opened up a spreadsheet on my Mac.  This was my decoy page,  I decided.  I would use it to mask the auction page, and for the next 33 minutes I toggled between eBay and this (blank) spreadsheet.  Everytime someone walked into my office I simply clicked on the spreadsheet (cleverly titled, "Wednesday") and voilá!  Instant worker bee.

17 Week Belly

Aren't long weekends the best?  Yesterday I spent the morning leisurely strolling through the Long Beach Antique Market with my mom and good pal, Amanda.  After the soggy rain, it was nice to be greeted with warm, spring-like weather.  Most of my cash went to purchasing some fab finds:  vintage children's books (my FAVE thing to collect), wrapping paper from the 1950s, a grab bag of vintage papers, ads, magazines (for $5), and (most exciting of all) five cigar boxes for a couple bucks a pop.  Kathleen, have you been to this market?  If you haven't...it's a must see -- I know how crafty you are with those cigar boxes!  Here, take a gander will you?

The weekend also brought me some goodies from kind friends.  First off, the ever fabulous JustJENN sent me two mixed cds that kick arse!  Her self-designed cd covers are so crisp, clean, and confident, and perhaps the best part of the covers are her quirky quips.  Hank and I spent a good while laughing hysterically over some of her quotes.  Here's a peek at her creations. As I type this, I'm rockin' out to J. Ge¡ls Band, The Sm¡ths, The Beaut¡ful South, and perhaps my alltime fave:  Depeche M•de!  Oh yeah!  Now if I could just get my hands on an i•Pod!

We also had more Christmas celebrations with friends. Amiga Amanda bestowed upon us oh-my-gosh-this-is-great gifts:  the Se¡nfeld DVD (first two seasons), Apple Lip Balm from Spain (for lil' ol me), toys for the kids, and  clothes (a to-die-for cute outfit, and a package of onsies) for......for the BUN.  Now mind you, I am well aware of this heart-beatin' bean in my belly, but *gulp* actually seeing real-life gifts for him/her has made this whole baby's-on-its-way business all oh so real!

Today was spent lounging around Heritage Park with dear pals, Lark and Brent (they make having three kids look so easy peasy) and their three kids.  Since we were in Hawai'i and they trekking through France and Switzerland (yes! with three kids!  I told you they were amazing) during the holidays, we were able to catch up on the holidays.  They brought us a trove of yums: Parisian tea, chocolate truffles, Swiss chocolate bars etc.  Oh yum!

And now, for those who have been asking for it.  Here are my 17 (4 mos, 1 week) week belly pics!  I can't believe the bun is almost 1/2 way done!  Okay, so here's the picture.  Not much to see yet, but here it is in all its belly glory!
Click for larger version Do you like my new belt?  Just bought it for $13.00 -- a bargain I tell ya! 

Oh, and before I forget, be sure to check out two shops.  Crafty gal, Erika, just gave her site a facelift ...check out her goods.  And of course the beloved Kathleen has launched her gorgeously crafted site as well.  Congrats to both!

P.S.  Being pregnant with friends is fun too.  Best pal, Sassie Cassie, is pregnant too.  She's a mere 29 days ahead of me.  There must be something in the water at work, cuz there are a load of pregnant gals there too.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Oh the weather has been so yucky out here in SoCal. Have you been able to stay dry JustJenn? How 'bout you, Kathleen? And you, Mip Mup? We've had five solid days of pure, unrelenting rain, and I have to admit that I'm feeling a bit soggy about it all!

Today I was driving by the nature park nearby and I noticed that the lake was completely FLOODED over.....the grass was oversaturated, giving the ducks a larger area to swim. It was quite hilarious to watch them swimming around on grassy patches! Later in the day, I saw city trucks out there frantically pumping the water out to the street. The spectator fun was over, I suppose. (I also have to say that being hit by a tumbleweed in the WalMart parking lot was quite unexpected...yes folks, a TUMBLEWEED! I've never seen one up close and personal before until today.)

We've returned to our daily routine, and it's hard to believe that just two weeks ago we were sitting on a sunny Hawaiian beach! This morning I uploaded our vacation photos onto Shutter*fly, and then continued to spend a wad o' cash buying them all. I found half a dozen photos of Allie and Henry that I'm blowing up to 8 x 10" to hang as a collection of black and white photos. I'm excited to get them, and I'll be sure to post the collection in my album soon.

Speaking of albums, I've uploaded some of my favorites onto my BABES album. Go on, take a peek! Last posting I was excited to have new people peek at the album, and to reiterate, EVERYONE is invited to poke around. Just e-mail me for the user name and password!

Last week I was super touched to receive cards from Kathleen, JustJenn, and sweet Ani. Thanks a bunch! So sweet of you all to be so happy about my little BUN. And Jenn, I just have to post your card here because you are quite the talented gal! You need to sell those stamps! And HELLO, can you say A + penmanship?

Well folks, I think I'll close here. Short but sweet!

I'm Baaaack!

Today was the last day of my 6 week vacation -- BAH! Work resumes tomorrow, and the Monday doldrums will return, I'm sure. The best part of this trimester, though, is that January is full of conferences, February is short and sweet (not to mention several holidays in a row), and March will fly by as the last weeks of the trimester always tend to do. We're still kinda on Hawai'i time -- waking up at 11 a.m. the past few days. So dreamy! Tomorrow will be rough, but soon enough life will return to its normal routine and rhythym (hopefully!).

Returning to Hawai'i was most amazing as I feel renewed in energy and spirit. Spending time with dear Hank and my two babes 24/7 brought us closer together. Time at work and school attributes to a sometimes rushed daily life, and this family vacation definitely restored the sanctity (and sanity!) of our little family. Our trip to sunny HI also let us visit with extended family -- I feel renewed on the family front as well. Being one of the few members born on the mainland, I always feel a sense of personal history in Hawai'i (after all, my family has been on the islands since the 1800s!).

While I was vacationing, I missed blogging and all of you, dear readers. Whenever something funny or blog-worthy happened, I felt the urge to type them up for all to share. I guess those stories will unfold with time. Returning home, I was overwhelmed by the gracious greetings and thoughtful notes awaiting me. I enjoyed receiving the cards and goodies from you all: HelloYvetty, Yvonne, Sweet Peas, Hope, Marilyn, Alexis, Ani, and JustJenn. I must say that this internet thing has sure brought some new friends into my life. And for that, I'm eternally grateful!

Dear readers, I also have a bit of EXCITING news to share with you all. Hank and I are expecting our THIRD baby....our due date is June 30th. I've been waiting anxiously to share the news with all of you. I kinda let it leak out to some of you earlier, but now that we're past the first trimester, I thought I'd share it with you all! We've already had a few ultrasounds, and just the other day we heard its heartbeat for the first time. Next month we get to find out the gender (please WISH hard for a GIRL!).

My belly has grown, but I have yet to wear maternity clothes. Yay! Last night I doodled this post's illustration to sum up how I feel about my dear, sweet husband. He has always made me feel so pampered, loved, and beautiful, even during pregnancy. During my pregnancy with Henry, I yearned to sleep on my stomach (my preferred sleeping position). Hank went out and had someone cut out a hole in a foam mattress to allow for my burgeoning belly to hang comfortably. I have to say, that is the darn sweetest thing anyone has done!

Now that you know my secret, and after I've done a bit of reflecting, doesn't this post and this post make sense? I was riding an emotional rollercoaster fued by pure progesterone! Not a fun ride, I tell ya!

Before I close, I'd also like to thank sweet Giao for sending me such a wonderfully thoughtful collage waaaaay back when. The collage (and yummy treats!) lifted my spirits, and they also made me feel so special! And also a big hug and thanks to JustJenn for that special, handcrafted card (scroll down to Nov. 20th). The card brought a good laugh and a happy smile to my face. Both of your thoughtfulness came when I was feeling low, and I am so grateful for that! :)

Well my friends, I've rambled a bit too much. I think I'll close here, but before I do, I thought I'd leave you with a picture of the FINISHED apron (this one went to my MIL) worn my moi (do I look pregnant?). I'll snap a pic of the one for my mom later. Now, get Gifty-ing! :)

P.S. I'm having trouble getting my right column to show up -- it gets smooshed onto the WAAAY bottom left column. I only see this in internet explorer, but not other browers. What shows up on your screen? And what browser are you using? Thanks so much!