Pray for Steven Curtis Chapman and his family, as they mourn the tragic death of their 5 year old little girl. (click to see news story)

You can also visit the Steven Curtis Chapman website for links to a blog with some sweet moments with Maria.

26 week check-up

Mommy's BP: good
Mommy's weight: 158 lbs.
Baby's HB: 145 bpm
"He's definitely growing like he should!" Dr. M's comment after measuring fundal height.
Still waiting for the results of the Gestational Diabetes screening, but so far, so good!

4 weeks til the next appt, after that they will be every 2 weeks until he decides he is ready to come out.

100 days...

until the little guy is expected to make his appearance.
That doesn't sound like much time in the grand scheme of things.
He's a kicker... I wonder if that means he'll be a hyper boy. Given the nature of boys in our family, and girls for that matter, I would assume so. Thankfully his big sister is not a priss, even though she does like dressing girly in her flowered skirts and pastels.

It's National Scrapbook Month

Carolyn, over at Scrapping Servant, is hosting a blog party to celebrate. (See the button or her link in my sidebar.)
Now, personally, I enjoy scrapbooking, but am WAY behind. embarassingly behind. So this little blog party might just motivate me to get a few pages done. I have enough papers and embellishments to do some basic layouts, so I really have no excuse. They may not win an award from Creating Keepsakes, but something has got to be better than leaving my pics on the hard drive.

Anyone care to join me in dusting off their supplies and getting scrap happy? How about if we set small goals...

1) make a list of 10 pages to complete (or whatever # is achievable for you)
2) find pics in storage (online or printed stacks, whatever is your "pile up" of choice and organize them. If they are not printed, get them printed.
3) Design and create at least one layout a week for the rest of the month... the list of 10 will give us something to keep working toward.

Baby steps, people, baby steps...

Let me know if you are going to play along! And jump on over to Carolyn's to see what giveaways are going on for the par-tay!

four friends

two of us have known each other since high school.
the other two met in middle school, i think.
i was in the flag corps, they actually played instruments in the band.

we've been through a lot together, when we were near and now that we're spread out.
our friendship is a true blessing.

maternal instincts (warning, might be tmi if you aren't a woman, or one who has ever been pregnant)

It's funny how when you're pregnant, your body knows exactly what to do and when. Apparently mine has decided that it's time to start producing food, or the precursors to feed, for the little one, even though he won't be born for a while yet, Lord willing. I guess holding a rooting 3 month old in your arms (or being in the same room) does that. ;)

Some of our good friends came over tonight. They included two of my college roommates, the hubby and adorable daughters of one of them and another friend from college. I am so thankful that God has given me friends with whom to walk through life with, even from a distance at times.

Bear enjoyed playing with Caroline, and doted on baby Kimberly. She wanted to help put her paci in her mouth, and she even "held" her on the couch, with the support of a big pillow and myself. I love seeing her tender heart come out with the little ones. Though she was not an angel every second (and even showed some of her toddler temper at times), and did not want to share every little thing the whole time we had visitors, she did pretty well overall. I hope she is as gentle and patient with her little brother when he arrives.

Bear claimed the rose I received from our waiter at lunch today.
(All the mommies were given roses.) We enjoyed our time with my parents, sister and niece.

Mother's Day 2008-
25 weeks 4 days pregnant with our Baby Boy!

By the time I remembered to take a Mother's Day picure WITH my little girl,
she was ready to climb into the bathtub. Oh, well.

Happy
Mothers'
Day!

Wishing lots of love to all of you Moms with kids to chase at home, Moms in waiting, and Moms whose nests are now empty!
******

Look what I got in the mail today:

There was a special offer in American Baby magazine for free Itsy Bitsy Yoga DVD's to the first 100 responders. Well, I wasn't in the first 100, but I then got an e-mail from the company saying if I sent them a check for 4.95 s/h, they would send me the dvd otherwise free. So I dropped the check in the mail to New England a little over a week ago, and the DVD arrived today.

I can't wait to try it out with our little guy when he arrives in a couple of months. They have a toddler book or program, too, which I could see Bear getting into, since she does like to copy me (and climb all over me) if/when I actually do my prenatal yoga exercises.

Review to come after baby is born...

adventures in gardening, continued...

about 3 weeks ago, i decided to humor the hoa and send in my approval request for the big garden pots in my yard. i haven't heard anything back, so i am assuming no news is good news. i added basil to the herb pot last week, transplanted green bean sprouts into one pot, and today i planted 2 varieties of cherry tomatoes, some beefsteak tomato seeds, a red pepper plant, and some green pepper seeds. It's probably too much for the small space, I don't know. But I think I had too many coffee grounds and not enough dirt in the pots way back when I first planted seeds, so I have added potting soil since then. Well, hubby poured the soil into the pots for me. Anyway, hopefully at some point this summer we will have two or three types of home-grown veggies. Bear eats cherry tomatoes like candy, so I figure it's worth a shot if I can get them to grow again. (I am not exaggerating, either. She still loves them. While her toddler pickiness has manifested itself in other ways, toe-toes are still yummy to her.)

hubby worked on the lawn for 2 1/2 hours today. yes, you read that correctly. no, our yard did not grow overnight. he mowed, trimmed the weeds, roughed up some patches where the grass was spindly at best with the mantis, used the spade to rough up some really bare patches a little more deeply, spread 120 pounds of lime, fertilizer, spot seeded, and put a little left over soil over the seeds by the sidewalk... we're hoping tonight's expected rain doesn't wash all the seed away. He's heading out for a ride on the road, the wind blowing over his protective helmet instead of through his freshly chopped hair (trimmed by yours truly). I think he deserves the break.

Hope this Saturday finds you well!

Did you know...

...today is Military Spouse Appreciation day?
Thank all the military wives you know for their personal sacrifices AND their husband's.

Thanks to Patti from w@h for sharing this bit of trivia!

****
Steph, I am so proud of you and Ashley for your sacrifices that you make together to serve our country!

We came home from Memphis today, and of course the addict had to see what's new in my flowerbed. Yes, almost immediately.....

"Gold Glow" rose bush

(5/9)

...not bad for $5 at Wal-mart. There are at least 3 more buds in addition to the bloom. In the first photo, I believe the blanketflower (gaillardia) seeds I planted have resulted in what I hope will be one plant (the thing growing to the left). The Blue Girl Rose is running behind this one. It doesn't get the sun quite as early in the day. No buds on that one yet, but the leaves are coming in. I read that it doesn't tolerate the extreme heat quite as much, but hopefully the spot I chose for it is not too shady!

I baked tilapia and sauteed yellow squash for dinner tonight. I love sales on fresh seafood at Publix! If my dishes would just do themselves, I would be a very happy girl. We went for a walk with Bear, who asked for the stroller, but around the halfway point decided she wanted to run free. She only wiped out on the sidewalk a couple of times.

Wordless Wednesday

TP Tuesday
5/6/08
24 w 6 days

10 1/2 sheets.

This is definitely not an exact science. I know I am bigger than I was, but whether Tech Mom's TP is smaller than mine, or the rest of my belly has started filling out somehow without increasing my widest point, who knows... I mean, my belly button seems to be flattening out and I am beginning to wonder if I will develop an outie this time around. Anyway, I hadn't played the TP tuesday game in a while, so I thought I would measure with TP today. Hubby helped me. My pants sure feel tighter and are fitting tighter, and I feel lots of movement going on in there, so everything is good.

Happy Birthday, Hubby!

He's officially out of his 20's. Maybe Tech Mom can post about the adventures of having a baby 7 weeks ahead of her due date, since she hasn't posted in ages. (not so subtle hint.) We went to a cookout with some friends from his work (and a couple of my blogging buddies, the co-workers wives) last night. This morning I actually made him eggs and toast for breakfast and Hannah and I gave him his cards and gifts. One of which we ended up returning, but my feelings are not hurt. It was more of a symbolic gift, as I didn't want to just say "here, go buy this." So Bear and I found something somewhat similar to what we knew hubby wanted and bought it anyway. Shockingly, it didn't quite work, but since hubby has my "approval", he has found a couple of contender's for his motorcycle jacket birthday gift picked out online. (I do have to say that Bear was smitten by the Kayak's and bikes at the store where we found the jacket that didn't quite work. It was adorable.)

This afternoon, our next door neighbor's had a cookout for their son's 1sst birthday, and this evening another neighbor and friend had a cookout for her 30th birthday, which is actually tomorrow. Hubby didn't seem to mind having the spotlight off him.

5 minutes for Mom has another contest/giveaway going on... and there's a photo contest. I have posted this lots of places, possibly even on here already... but this photo reflects a little bit of what motherhood means to me right now.
My sis in law, Caslon, took this one with my camera. Bear already loves to kiss her baby brother. She also likes to lift my shirt up to "feed" him dinner rolls or milk from her sippy cup. It's pretty sweet. I'm amazed by how much she seems to "get" about the "baby in mommy's belly." Watching her grow from an only child into a big sister is going to be an adventure around here!

Coming Soon: Allybug Bowtique

Do you like hair bows and clippies? Does your dear daughter actually wear them for more than 30 seconds without pulling them out? Are you obsessed with finding the perfect accessory for your child's every outfit? Than you have to check out Allybug Boutique. Our friend Becky (whose hubby was a groomsman in our wedding) is a SAHM mom to two adorable little girls. She's taken her creativity from being a Kindergarten teacher and applied it to making hair bows and clippies for her daughters. Now she is sharing her creations with the public on her photobucket site, and soon she'll have an online store.

Check it out!

another gardening tip

• Buy summer bulbs as the stores are running out and chopping their prices. I did this last year, and grew beautiful asiatic lilies. I found a pack of 5 stargazer bulbs for 2.50 at Wal-mart yesterday. That's half off. ONE stem of stargazer lilies at a florist can go for $6. That's without any roots or chance for return on investment! They were starting to sprout in their bag, but I planted them today by the mailbox and we'll see what happens.Some people say bulbs are a lot of work, and they don't like waiting for them to come up. To me, they are worth it because they save money in the long run (especially if they are perennials), and I don't mind waiting to watch them grow. (Though I am kind of jealous of all the pretty annuals my neighbor planted in her bed and am thinking I still have a long way to go to catch up to the cost of hubby's bike. j/k. sort of.) By planting all 5 bulbs, maybe I'll have some to spare to bring inside.
• Try to plant immediately before rain showers. Then you don't HAVE to water right away (though it doesn't hurt).
  

Do as I say, not as I do....

If I applied my advice for yardwork to inside chores (the not doing everything at once, do things little by little, etc...)...

I would be in much better emotional state any time visitors are about to come over.

I must admit, getting sympathy for being pregnant and having a toddler is a nice break.

Things I've learned about "gardening" (flowerbeds)

• Starting flowers from seeds is low-cost but also low return on investment. If you want instant gratification, spend a little extra on plants. If you do start from seed, opt for bigger plants and be sure to use better potting soil to increase your odds that the seedlings won't shrivel up and die. Once they get to be a couple of inches tall, transplant them where you want them. Also, check seed-depth instructions on your packets. Don't smother them in too much dirt and mulch.
  
• Bulbs/rhizomes/tubers do not fall under the previous generalization about return on investment... even though they do cost more than seed packets. But don't just stick bulbs into poor soil, and plant them at the appropriate depths. Buy a cheap bag of potting soil and/or compost and mix a couple of cups in with the existing dirt. This year my daffodils planted in previous years returned. It looks like my gladioli, calla lilies, and asiatic lilies are well on their way to coming back. (Hopefully they will bloom), I did plant some acidanthera bulbs because I couldn't help myself. Day lilies are also pretty fool proof... the builder planted some 5 years ago, and they are still thriving. I did thin them out last fall.
  
• Don't try to tackle it all in one day. You'll end up tired, sore, and frustrated or bitter. Do a little at a time.
• Plant a base bed of perennials and add extra color with annuals. Otherwise, you may have to spend all day tackling the planting of annuals. Or, if you just absolutely prefer annuals, do a little at a time.... the mailbox bed, a row or two in main flowerbed, etc.. Some bulbs are technically annuals and need to be lifted out of the ground before it gets too cold, but in some areas you can get away with leaving bulbs in the ground. Ask around or check online to see if the bulbs you like can be grown as perennials where you live. If you want to save trouble, don't mess with the bulbs that HAVE to be lifted in your growing zone.
  
• Also try to plant things that bloom at different times of the growing season. I'm still working on this one.
  
• When/If hubby complains about the cost of mulch, nicely tell him to get over it. It's protecting the investment you've put into your plants. Plants need good soil and protection. You wouldn't refuse to feed your children if they were whithering away, and though plants don't have souls, they need water and nutrition, too. Though if you have to choose between tending to your kids or your flowers, please let the flowers die. At the same time, too much mulch CAN smother the roots of trees and plants... so don't go overboard.
  
• Follow watering, sunlight and feeding guidelines for plants. A plethora of info is available online.... that's where I get most of my info. I also pick my parents' and in-laws brains from time to time, but not everyone will get the info they need by doing that.
  
• Before you put a layer of fresh mulch down, sprinkle some fresh compost or potting soil on top of the old mulch. If you are really ambitious, grab a hand cultivator (rake) and mix the old mulch and the new soil together to help stimulate breakdown of the old mulch.
• Use a wooden toothpick to mark where you have planted seeds in your yard or flowerbed, if applicable.
• Fertilize using miracle grow or the generic equivalent according to package recommendations or what the plant tag recommends.
• If you have toddlers, you might want to check to see if plants are poisonous before planting them. For example, lantana is a pretty and drought resistent flowering shrub thing, but its berries are poisonous. And berries ARE tempting.
• If someone offers you plants from their yard, take them. Odds are they will just throw them out if you don't take them, as many plants need to be thinned out at least every couple of years. Even if you don't LOVE them, they will grow on you as you think about the money saved by not spending it at the store (and hopefully knowing who gave them to you will also be a good thing). My Mom planted one variety of sedum about 2 weeks after Bear was born. When we went to Gramma's farm last Memorial Day, she gave me some hastas, black-eyed susans, and another variety of sedum. A neighbor gave me some iris rhizomes that she dug up this spring; I'm hoping at least some of then take to their new home.
• Let your kids help. Bear calls bulbs "onions", and I let her drop them into holes. I also let her scoop dirt into the holes. Yes, it's messy, but that's clean-up is what hoses and bathtubs are for. Teach them how to water plants. Odds are, they will water everything but what you want them to, like rain gutter trays and rocks, but at least they will be occupied while YOU water. (Give them their own small watering can that they can hold/carry.) Teach them what flowers they can pick and what ones they cannot, and tell them why. This Spring, I had tulips and pansies in bloom. Pansies rebloom shortly after being picked. Tulips do not. While we did have some casualities of toddler curiousity, we also had a toddler who identified tulip leaves in the garden center because she listened to Mommy tell her the names of the green things that were poking through the ground. Praise them for what they do right- for not stepping on the flowers, for being nice to the flowers that don't want to be picked, etc... And I still have a few tulips that have not whithered away or been picked yet.
  
• Don't try to tackle everything in one day. Pull old weeds and plants on one day, add dirt/soil on another day, plant new plants shortly after (within a couple of weeks), and mulch within a week or so after that. If you are building a new bed from scratch, after you have killed the grass and weeds and given the weed killer (whether organic or not) time to "fade" so you don't poison the plants you want to keep, it's actually better to till up the old dirt and add in some new dirt, then let them sit and "stew" before planting so the soil pH levels out.
• Be generous with mulch... it keeps weeds down and water in. As your bed is established, you won't have to add so much. The finer to medium mulches compost themselves, adding to the soil over time, but the thicker chipped mulches get ugly and don't break down as well. We prefer a medium colored mulch to the blackest mulch... fading is less noticeable.
  
• To spruce up the look of your beds after the mulch fades, try raking lightly with a hand cultivator/rake so the faded mulch gets turned over. Be careful not to rake out your flowers in the process.
• If a plant doesn't sem to be thriving where you put it, move it before it starts to struggle. I planted 2 columbine flowers a couple of weeks ago. One took well and has lalready doubled in size, the other has stayed about the same size as it was when I bought it. I noticed it was getting less sun, so I moved it to a bare spot that needs color.
  

A good friend spent ALL day yesterday doing yard improvement. Her flowerbed is going to look great (I saw it after sunset, but I am sure it will look great). But I hate that she was sooo exhausted and ready to swear off gardening when I saw her last night. I often tend my garden while Bear naps.... because though there are times I want her to "help", there are times she does get on my nerves being underfoot. I do think if I tried to do everything in one day, it would drive me to need Prozac again. By spreading things out, I enjoy the process more. Especially when things start to bloom.

I should be doing dishes, but I don't want to wake up the rest of my family, so hopefully someone will find this post helpful. Really, I should be sleeping... now maybe I will be able to get some sleep... after I pee again.