here i am

The Natural Mommy Bids Farewell to Blogger

2007-07-25T23:33:00.000-04:00

Oh, I just couldn't wait to tell you this:

I have my very own, professionally designed, personal spot on the web!

www.thenaturalmommy.com

It's not completely set up. I am writing a novel to explain myself and the name I chose for my domain. Hopefully it will be done by Friday. It's not like I have unlimited amounts of time during the day to sit on the computer and spill my heart! (At least not in novel form).

I have officially transferred all my Blogger blogs to the new site. This will be *sniff* my last Blogger post. It's been an incredible three-year journey; I am so excited to be taking this next step! I have lots of fun plans and goals for my new site.

My very first post tomorrow on my new site (that wasn't transferred) will be a hilarious Olivia Story, so be sure to add www.thenaturalmommy.com to your bookmarks and readers! You don't want to miss it!

And be especially sure to check the site on Friday, when I will announce the winner of the Car-Back-Massager-Thingy Giveaway!

Overcoming Demons

2007-07-24T23:18:00.000-04:00

I recently started reading Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis and it has opened my eyes to the spiritual world around me. The Bible and pastors may speak of demons in this world, but somehow it didn't sink in until I picked up this book (and I'm only on chapter three!).

In this book, Lewis tells of a correspondance between two demons (a junior and a senior officer, if it could be compared to M*A*S*H terms (of which we are currently in the middle of a marathon)). The senior demon is giving advice to the junior demon (his nephew) on how to successfully turn his subject away from the Enemy (God). These demonic tips so far seem to center on controlling the subject's thoughts and keeping certain thoughts from him.

And here I thought I controlled my own thoughts.

Did you ever get the idea you should do something; a strong conviction, perhaps from the Holy Spirit? But then another voice inside your head offers all the possible negative results - the awkwardness, the inconvenience, the possible rejection. And so you end up dismissing the original idea because, well, it was just a thought, right? And "it's the thought that counts."

Recently, I have met a Chinese mother here at the apartment complex. She has a little boy, just a few months older than Benjamin, and an older girl in second grade. She lives right across from the playground, so she tends to come visit us when she sees us there playing. Up until recently, it's been a nice, shallow relationship. I couldn't even remember her name.

Then came the Voices.

"You should invite her over."
"You should invite her to MOPS."
"You should invite her to the library on Tuesdays (Story Time)."

"Oh, but you can hardly understand what she's saying through her accent."
"Would she even fit in the car with all the carseats?"
"You're really too busy, what with two small children, all those dishes and loads of laundry."
"The apartment is a mess! It would be too embarrassing to have her over."

So I idled in my indecision. Until she forced me to choose a side. She invited me over "sometime" and told me which apartment she lived in.

So I made up my mind at that point, right?

Nope.

"Sure! Sometime..."

And left it at that.

That night, I decided I would go visit her. The very next morning. I would dress the children, feed Olivia her breakfast, wash and hang the laundry, and head out the door! Yes, I was nervous. Yes, I still heard those voices. The demon voices seemed to come in a bit clearer than the heavenly ones. Why is that?

And then morning came. With screaming. Lots of screaming. Olivia was upset at the world. I was getting more and more irritated with every whine and whimper. I couldn't put Benjamin down. I couldn't get anything accomplished. The children were naked. The laundry was done, but wet in a basket. Hanging it would require kicking a toddler off my shin and putting Fussy Baby down so he could morph into Screaming Baby.

Wow, were my demons working overtime! I wavered back and forth. Should I go? Is it worth it? It's getting so late! Finally, it was noon. The sun was shining; it was a beautiful day. The children were clothed, fed, dry-diapered. Still not happy, but maybe, just maybe that sunshine will do the trick...

And we left the apartment.

The scales started to tip. The demon voices faded away. The screaming stopped. We were on our way.

It wasn't awkward. I understood her. She understood me. She seemed to happy to see us. I enjoyed seeing her. Olivia loved being there. Benjamin... well, he was indifferent, but what did you expect?

We're going to the park on Tuesday.

I overcame my demons.

And then, on Sunday, I heard a sermon on the good Samaritan. Have you ever wondered about the priest and the Levite who crossed on the other side of the road? Have you spent much time at all pondering their circumstances? For the first time, I pictured the road as a bustling Michigan Avenue. And I heard the demons inside their heads.

"You really don't have time for him."
"Look at all these other people; let them help him."
"You can help him on your way back, if you have time."
"He'll just use your money to buy drugs and alcohol."

What are your demons telling you?

Can you overcome them?

*Hint* Prayer helps. A lot.

Car-Back-Massager-Thingy Giveaway!! EDITED AGAIN

2007-07-24T09:57:00.000-04:00

SO SORRY ABOUT NOT POSTING THIS YESTERDAY! My internet was down for 24 HOURS. I was so sad.

So here it is:

Your very own car-back-massager-thingy!

All you have to do to be entered in the contest is to tell me in the comments that you want my car-back-massager-thingy! Only one comment per person, duplicates will be deleted. The drawing will be this Friday at (around) 3pm (right in the middle of naptime) AT MY NEW SITE www.thenaturalmommy.com (it will be up and running (crosses fingers)). International comments also welcome! I'll spring for the extra in shipping because it's that cool that you're commenting on my blog!

For more freebies, check out this site!

*Whew!* I got online three minutes ago, saw that the entries for the bloggy giveaways would be closed at 9 CST and my heart skipped a couple beats! But then I realized that wasn't my time zone and I had exactly three minutes to get this up and running!
*Heavy Sigh*

EDIT: Those reading this on Facebook must comment at the actual blog site: bethibaby.blogspot.com.

*Note the change in the site name. On Friday, make sure you go www.thenaturalmommy.com to find the winning commenter!

Last Minute Decision

2007-07-22T18:33:00.000-04:00

'Cause that's the way I operate.

I have decided to participate in the Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Giveaway! Friday, July 27, I will be giving away something. Something very exciting! Something that has only been used a handful of times! Something that I was planning on FreeCycling, but this is a way cooler way to get rid of it!

What is it, you ask?

Come back tomorrow to find out.

Bwa-ha-ha.

Two New Words

2007-07-20T12:39:00.000-04:00

I can now say "no" and "boog".

Translation: "Nose" and "booger".

Frugal Fridays: Free CD

2007-07-20T08:45:00.000-04:00

Prior to yesterday, I had never heard of Monk & Neagle. And when I did for the first time, I thought maybe they were a children's group, like The Wiggles. But the blog said "Free CD" so I clicked the link anyway, because I have children, and they like free stuff, too. To my surprise and pleasure, they are a pretty good-sounding Christian duo (not a children's group, but good for children, too!).

But the point of this post isn't to necessarily advertise their abilities (because I don't know enough about music to do so). It is because I wanted to share with you today this frugal tip:

FREE STUFF ROCKS.

So go here and get your free CD.

Hmm... come to think of it, the last CD I got was free, too. Man, I'm good at this frugal stuff. And my music collection is stale.

Go here for more frugal tips!

Guess What I Just Did!

2007-07-19T15:06:00.000-04:00

I rolled over. Yup, all by myself! I AM THE MAN! So proud... Must brag... So excited! What's next? Crawling? SO ready for that.

That's what I would say if I end up with The Mommy's personality. Let's try The Daddy's...

Finally! I have accomplished my goal! 360 degrees of mobility at my fingertips! I worked so hard on this project, and almost didn't make it on time. I'm pretty sure all the other babies my age have already rolled over. This is embarrassing. Let's not talk about it... Besides, now I have to study for my next big test... crawling.

New Domain Name Options

2007-07-19T14:18:00.000-04:00

Click here for the original post and options presented there and in the comments that follow.

In response to Paul's comment that dashes don't tend to work well in website names, I give you these new options:

BethAndBabies.com
This one comes from Ashley and is a play off the original "Bethibaby."
Downside: Josh feels excluded. I tried to convince him he's one of the babies...
CrazyPinecones.com
This originates from some person who told me my last name means "Pinecone" in German. They were wrong. But it's fun to pretend!

Let me know which you think will make it in the Blogging world - or if you have some more ideas!

Sidenote: Paul, I think saughccher.com might be even harder for a person to remember than here-we-are.com. Points for almost spelling it right yourself, though!

Wipe Your Feet

2007-07-19T10:50:00.000-04:00

So I was playing outside on the balcony with my new tea set and water (my favoritest toy of all because of its mess potential). The balcony floor boards were all wet - I don't know how that happened. I came inside to get a refill (somehow my water disappeared the more I poured it). Mommy said to wipe my feet. Then, as if I didn't understand, she went over to the mat by the door and wiped her feet off.

But I understood exactly what she meant.

So I took off my shoes, wiped my feet, put my shoes back on, and then went to the kitchen for my water refill.

Input Requested: My Own Domain

2007-07-18T14:58:00.000-04:00

I think I've outgrown "Bethibaby". And, personally, I'm sick of the look of this template and nothing else Blogger offers makes me happy.

So I'm looking into buying (leasing, renting, whatever) my own domain name and using WordPress and Ashley to make my blog more personalized, original, and attractive.

Bethibaby.com is not an option. Like I said, I've outgrown it.

HereIAm.everything is taken. So is Here-I-Am and HereWeAre.

The only option I can find is Here-We-Are.net.

Is that memorable enough? Will I lose anyone in the transfer? Any other creative suggestions for domain names?

Works For Me: Grilled Cheese

2007-07-18T12:52:00.000-04:00

Now, grilled cheese is usually one of the quicker and easier lunch meals, but it's just not quick or easy enough for me.

So this is what I do:

I grill it in advance. My toddler only eats half a sandwich at a time. So I make two full sandwiches (as much as my griddle will hold). I put one and a half sandwiches in the fridge and they will be the easiest, literally 15-second lunches for the next three days. No cooking, no cutting, no slicing, no cleaning griddles. Just put her half sandwich on a plate and nuke it for 15 seconds. Older children might object because it just isn't the same as a fresh-off-the-stove crispy grilled cheese. But my toddler doesn't mind, so it works for me!

Two Year Check-Up Edited

2007-07-18T10:44:00.000-04:00

Olivia had her two year check-up last week. She's 28 pounds (rough guestimate; she was jumping on the scale) and 33 inches tall (again, not exact; hard to measure a moving object). According to those measurements, she is in the 50th percentile - as she has been all her life.

Then the doctor asked me how her vocabulary is coming along. "Is she talking a lot?"

Umm...

The doctor rephrases, "Does she have at least a 20 word vocabulary?"

Uhh... Sure!

Josh says I should have been more honest with the doctor.

However, I maintain I told the truth. Let's count: diddy (kitty), turtle, baby, bye-bye, hi, more, ter (water), ver (covers), derse (nurse), doo (two), dwee (three), dez (dessert), der-tis (there it is (does that count as three?)), piwoah (pillow), tee (tree), daddy, geen (green), boo (blue), buh (bug), toe (toad), bee (berry)...

Hey! That's 21! Surely she didn't mean 20 words that just anybody could understand without a translator. How unrealistic.

Then the doctor asked how Olivia was at following directions.

Well... she doesn't always obey... Oh! You mean *can* she follow directions? Oh, yes, when she wants to.

And can she follow two-step instructions? For example, "Go get the stool, and then stand on it."

At this, I had to laugh. "If we tell her to, she'll go get the stool, stand on it, get the turtle food, open it, and feed the turtle, then put the lid back on."

And does she imitate okay?

Obviously, the doctor didn't read my Onion story!

**Picture courtesy of Joanna

You Know What Hurts?

2007-07-17T17:09:00.000-04:00

Teeth. Teeth hurt. Well, technically, the gums hurt. Specifically, when the teeth are puncturing the gums as they push their way up.

I can't sleep. I can't be put down. Eating is my only comfort, so I must do it constantly. If I can't eat, then I must suffice by chewing on my own fist.

Growing up is hard!

Lost Puppy Edited

2007-07-16T19:19:00.000-04:00

I know I don't have near enough readers to warrant this, but I just can't NOT do it.

If any of you are in or near Franklin, TN, be on the lookout for this adorable female beagle puppy. Her owners are really good friends of mine. They were passing through Tennessee on their way to Atlanta, where they live, when Jera (the puppy) ran off. This dog is like their baby and I can't imagine what they are going through.

If you don't live near Franklin, then just pray with me that Jera finds her way home!

**Picture courtesy of Joanna

Note To Self

2007-07-13T15:11:00.000-04:00

After a toddler gets a shot...

It is not the actual wound that hurts.

It is not the memory of the needle piercing her flesh.

It is the Band-Aid.

She will continue to whimper, cry, and extract pity and remorse from all around her (especially the Cruelest of Cruel One who held her firm while the Ugly, Mean Nurse Lady made her bleed) until the Band-Aid is removed. Then she will look down at her finger, look up at you, smile, and run off to play.

Onion

2007-07-12T13:31:00.000-04:00

Olivia came into the kitchen while I was cutting up an onion in preparation for dinner. She pointed and made a noise that sounded an awful lot like "onion". I said, "Yes, it's an onion. I'm cutting the onion for dinner."

She disappeared for a bit and came back into the kitchen. This time she had her plastic onion with her. She held it up to me and made the "onion" noise again. "Yes!" I said, a little more enthusiastically this time. "Onion! Mommy is cutting an onion for dinner."

She disappeared again and came back a third time. In her hands, she held her plastic onion and her blue plastic knife. Making the "onion" noise, she drew the knife back and forth against the onion.

These are the moments that melt a mommy's heart.

Why?

2007-07-11T13:26:00.000-04:00

I found her watching Veggie Tales this way the other day. Why...?

God Provides

2007-07-10T13:40:00.000-04:00

In my Budget post, I told the world we were surviving on $13,000 a year (before taxes).

That is no longer true.

*Can hardly contain the excitement of the upcoming announcement*

Josh won a $15,000 scholarship! Part will go to pay tuition bills at the start of each upcoming semester. The other (much larger) part will increase our monthly income from $1300 to $2050!

But all that extra money is merely an optical illusion. Don't let it fool you. Observe the following new additions and adjustments to our budget which suck up our money.

Rent increases - $40 more every month
We can now afford to get health insurance for myself - $200 every month
We may no longer be eligible for foodstamps - $250 every month for groceries
Our tithe increases - $75 more every month.

So of our additional $750, our monthly income will really only increase $185.

AND scholarships do not get taxed, BUT the part that we use as income must be called such on tax forms and thus will be taxed all at once in April.

*Ouch*

HOWEVER, when I think what we would have done without this money; when I think of how we signed our lease renewal months ago knowing rent would go up and having absolutely no clue how were were going to afford an extra $40 every month, I realize that God provides.

And in His infinite wisdom, He knew it would take an extra $750 in our paycheck to give us that $40.

How to Write a Title When Blogger Doesn't Want You To

2007-07-09T21:27:00.000-04:00

You could do as Joanna suggested and fix it in Preview mode (but I haven't tried this yet).

OR

You could hover your cursor in the top half area of the Title text box until the mouse arrow turns into the insert cursor.

Don't thank me; thank him.

Big Smiles

2007-07-09T13:40:00.000-04:00

Benjamin has the most beautiful smile - and he smiles so easily! I could wake him up at midnight to change his diaper and he just looks up and me and grins!

2007-07-08T20:44:00.000-04:00

What If...

(Yep, Internet/computer still broken... no title)

So today I read a forwarded email that warned me that microwaving food in plastic containers will give me cancer. Not wanting cancer, I checked its validity on snopes.com. *Whew* I'm safe. Snopes has declared this email "Urban legend" material.

Which got me thinking...

What if I started an email rumor that Snopes.com was a sham and we can't trust anything they say?

2007-07-07T14:38:00.000-04:00

Is anyone else in Blogger world unable to type in the Title box? Is my computer virus-ridden or is my internet that broken? So, anyway, the title of this post was supposed to be:

Speaking of Freedom...

(Happy 4th, by the way)

I've received many inquiries for an update on the laundry situation. (See the original post, management's reply, and my rebuttal if such things amuse you. There's also Matthew's take on it and my letters to the Anonymouseses if you're really bored.)

I am happy to announce that I have heard nothing from Management since my Rebuttal. I have also noticed a significant increase in the amount of laundry my neighbors hang out to dry.

I am their inspiration. (Ignore the verses... it was the chorus I was going for there).

Hard To Believe I've Only Known Her Two Years

2007-07-03T19:43:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Olivia's second birthday! It was a day filled with smiles and frosting and playgrounds. Observe the photographic evidence that my little girl is growing up entirely too fast:

To start the day, Olivia and I made a Golden Birthday Girl crown for her to wear so that everyone would know it was her birthday. She even wore it in Wal-Mart and was quite popular.

After dinner we ate special birthday cupcakes (a mommy first!). We were running short on time, so Olivia frosted her own. Yeah, see that finger? It's going straight to the mouth. And once she realized what frosting was, there was no turning back.

After cupcakes, we went to the park and Olivia enjoyed the slide.

And she swung on the swing like a big girl.

And she tried to climb up the slide.

And she loved on her little brother.

And little brother went down the slide.

It was a beautiful, yummy, exhausting celebration of the miracle of life.

In Anticipation of Things That Have Already Come and Gone

2007-07-02T23:30:00.000-04:00

Watch tomorrow for pictures of the glorious celebration of my firstborn's second anniversary here on earth.

(Don't think too big; there were no clowns and no pony rides)

$10.48 of Unbudgeted Toddler Expense

2007-06-30T13:29:00.000-04:00

She broke Larry Boy and the Rumor Weed.

One of the ways we get by without much money is to rent all our movies from the library. We rent three Veggie Tales every week.

It doesn't save much money, however, when she breaks one of said Veggie Tales in half. So I went to Amazon.com and ordered a "Like New" replacement.

Shhh... don't tell the library. I figure this way is cheaper than the replacement fee.

Milestone

2007-06-29T13:18:00.000-04:00

He grabs things! Usually just his shirt. He's rather proud of his belly and likes to show it off.

To My Amish Playmates

2007-06-29T13:04:00.000-04:00

To those of you who have expressed your desire to play my Frugal Amish Game by making your own laundry detergent, I present to you this recent post by the inventor of said detergent.

I have not noticed the buildup on anything except the diapers (it made them waterproof - not a good quality in diapers!). So I am now exclusively using regular detergent on them, but still using the homemade detergent on my clothes. This is what I think I will do: When I start to notice the buildup, I will start alternating, one wash with regular detergent, the next with homemade. Both clean the clothes fine; one just happens to leave soap residue behind due to the hardness of the water and the kind of soap used. I figure the regular detergent will wash away the homemade degergent's residue.

I wish I could find a kind of soap that doesn't cause buildup. What do the Tide manufacturers use?

So I will still be saving money, just not as much.

P.S. Supposedly, if you have soft water, you're fine. Anybody out there use homemade detergent with soft water?

A Powerful, Accidental Prayer

2007-06-27T14:07:00.000-04:00

This morning, for the first time in weeks, I devoted some time to the Word. As I was finishing, I closed my Bible and something fell out. When I reached down to pick it up, I recognized it as the bookmark given to me on Mother's Day by my church. On it was a list of ways to pray for my children and for myself as their mother. One prayer hit me particularly hard:

And today, Lord, remind me to take the time to understand my children's perspectives before I speak. Remind me to be more playful with them.

You see, I call myself a Stay At Home Mom (SAHM), but in reality, recently, I've been more of a Stay At Home Housekeeper (SAH...H?). I do the laundry and dishes; I make and then clean up lunch; I cart the kids to and from different activities. But I don't play with them.

So that was my prayer this morning. Completely by accident, too. If that bookmark hadn't fallen out of my Bible, I would have merely prayed for the ability to accomplish more today than I did yesterday - to get the laundry off the couch!

And, apparently, the Lord had been waiting for this. Let me first explain that the past week and a half has been a very exhausting, frustrating time as Olivia and I adjust from vacation back into normalcy. In many ways, I feel as though we are starting from scratch with discipline and obedience. We have had more fights than smiles. However, today I had a fantastic time with Olivia. We played with blocks, she fed me dinner (over, and over, and over again, too), we counted, we colored, and she hugged me. Those who know Olivia know that she doesn't give those out freely.

And so I was blessed through a powerful, accidental prayer.

How to Survive on a Grad Student's Stipend

2007-06-25T15:13:00.000-04:00

It seems a lot of the mommy blogs have this theme in common: living frugally. Typically, when I get into a conversation on saving money, the same solutions are offered to me. They are:

Stop eating out.
Stop going out.

And then the person who gives me these tips exclaims something along the lines of: "I have saved so much money by avoiding Starbucks!"

*Giggle*

No offense to anyone who has saved money this way; please, understand I am glad you have conquered your addiction and see a new priority in your budget. However... we don't eat out and we don't go out. The last movie we saw in the theater was The Da Vinci Code and my in-laws paid for it! When we eat out, it's either because my mom is here or it's ice cream at Ollie's (and that's once a month if we're lucky!). So I had to get creative when we moved and decided I would not get a job and thus would have to survive on a $13,000 graduate student stipend.

So without further ado, here is my own personal survival story:

Step One: Come to peace with the fact that your husband is still a student. After voicing your opinion and your desire, let him make the final decision. Then be still and know that God will provide.

Step Two: Make it a game before you lose your mind entirely. I call it the Frugal Amish Game. The point of the game is to survive on less than you ever thought possible through creative solutions. And I'm winning!

Here are some things I've discovered that help me play my Game:

We use cloth diapers. The average cost to use disposable diapers for three years is $2000. And then another $2000 for the next child. The average cost to use cloth diapers for three years is $700. And the next child is free. Since I am a mother of two, that's $3300 I'm saving every year. And then, of course, add in the environmental reasons, and I'm completely convinced. We also use cloth wipes and make our own wipe solution. I love going right past the diaper aisle in Wal-Mart and thumbing my nose at The Man. When you only have $170 each month to spend on household cleaners, toiletries, gas, and emergencies, being able to skip this aisle gives me great satisfaction and I get to move ahead two spaces in my Game.
We don't use a dryer. We live in an apartment that does not have washer and dryer hookups. This used to cost us over $10/week in quarters just on the washing machine downstairs alone. I just couldn't afford to double that for the luxury of a dryer. I have two wooden clothes racks permanently set up in our living room with a fan blowing on them at all times. Recently, I also purchased some clothesline and affixed it to the railing of our balcony because sunny days are here again and that means softer and faster drying clothes! To save us over $50/month more, my husband also (possibly illegally) hooked up our own washing machine in our apartment to the plumbing beneath our kitchen sink. I kept waiting for the water bill to go up, but guess what? It went down. I don't understand it either, but hey, I'll accept it. I was also afraid that the maintenance men would tell on us, but so far they have only expressed how impressed they are with my husband's ingenuity.
While on the topic of diapers and laundry, the next logical play in my Game would have to be.... Make your own laundry detergent. This idea and recipe was completely stolen from this site. It's easy and it's ridiculously cheap and it's extremely effective, and it's even good for cloth diapers (and just about every store bought detergent contains something that shouldn't be used in washing cloth diapers). The cost comparison here follows as this: If you use Tide, you are spending approximately $0.50 per load. With this recipe, I spend less than $0.01 per load. And it lasts forever! I only have to use one tablespoon per load. My original batch has lasted me about two weeks so far (doing 1-2 loads per day) and it's still half-full. And it was only 2 1/2 cups of powder to begin with! I still have an almost full box of washing soda and borax in my closet! *Sigh* Another aisle I get to walk right by in Wal-Mart. *Moves ahead two spaces* (Confession: I still use Downy fabric softener. It's a smell from my childhood that I'm not sure I'll be able to give up! Plus, you use so little of it and my great big bottle will last so long... We'll see how the budget works and if it gets to stay.)
Speaking of budgets - Must have one! Not just one in your mind where you know you shouldn't spend "too much". I tried this method and failed miserably. Then I learned to use Excel. Oh, this was exciting! This program actually adds up your expenses for you, if you program it right! Then my rocket scientist husband comes home and I exclaim to him my recent discoveries about Excel and he gives a very bemused smile as he comes over to see what I've accomplished. Here is a copy of our budget for your perusal. The non-bill section is what we have to work on the most. The "Other" expenses so far have gone towards parking tickets and library fees, and has been reserved for an oil change in the month to come. The "Eating Out" fund is there just in case we actually behave ourselves (financially) all month and then we get to treat ourselves to ice cream! More times than not, it goes to the Wal-Mart fund. Keeping Wal-Mart expenses under $80 is the most difficult thing I have ever done. You might be tempted to quit at this point, but this budget is actually the highlight of my Frugal Amish Game. In a culture where you rarely see actual money, I desperately needed a tangible way of knowing if I was keeping our family afloat. Seeing the "Accumulation" category grow each month gives me an intense feeling of satisfaction I never felt back in my pre-budget days. Two more notes: The "Extra Income" category is for any Pampered Chef work I've done and the "Savings" goes towards Josh's tuition fees this May, August, and December. Just in case you thought we were going on a cruise.
Here's where it got hard for me. You may have noticed on our budget that there is no section for groceries. Not long after we moved here and started receiving our new paychecks, we realized we didn't have the money for food. One day I was at the local Medicaid office to see if Olivia qualified. The caseworker then told me that we not only qualified for Olivia, but myself as well (because I was pregnant), and we also qualified for over $300 a month in foodstamps. I took the paper home to show Josh and we discussed our possibilities. Let me interject here that this was during time when Josh was deciding whether to continue his schooling at Purdue or to apply for the job in Alabama. For me, the choice was easy: Foodstamps or an engineer's salary? Why take money from the government when you are perfectly capable of making it yourself? However, this is when I learned Step One (see above). My husband has a wonderful view of the future for our family, while I only see the here and now. He decided to pursue his dream job, which requires a PhD. We both agreed that getting his schooling over quickly was better than drawing it out over a decade while also working full-time. This way, he has more time with his family and his grades will be better, hopefully enabling him to get that dream job in the future. And so, we signed on the dotted line.

But I was determined not to take advantage of this opportunity. My cart would not contain merely pop, chips, and Ho-Ho's. I will take the money, but I will spend it on healthful produce. I will bake my desserts instead of buying them. I will make my food from scratch whenever possible. I will save the government as much money as I possibly can so that when we get off foodstamps, they can take the money we didn't spend and give it to others who need it. To date, we have accumulated over $900 of unspent foodstamp money.
Lastly, in playing my Frugal Amish Game, the most important rule of all is to never take off your Kingdom Goggles. This is a phrase I picked up from our old Bible study leader in Indianapolis. One night, he passed around a pair of colorful swimming goggles and told us that we must see the world through God's eyes if we are to resist the worldly temptations that surround us. We must see what will pass away and what will remain of our efforts here on earth. When I put on my Kingdom Goggles in Wal-Mart, I am able to walk past the Little Debbie aisle. I am able to resist the gadgets I never knew I needed until I saw them on display. I am able to see what is needed for nourishment and resist everything else. Yes, we have desserts, but the homemade kind that are cheaper, healthier, and I value them more when I realize the effort that goes into making them! When I put on my Kingdom Goggles, I see the materialism of the culture around me as a trial I must overcome that will test my faith, develop perseverance, and ultimately lead to maturity and completeness, not lacking anything. My Kingdom Goggles also help me to see what James means when he says,
"The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business." (Chapter 1:9-11)
When I feel ashamed at not having the material possessions that this world values so much (a house! a dryer! a bigger "Eating Out" budget! a puppy!), I meditate on this scripture and realize my high position. I rely on God for everything. I know where my blessings come from. I am not fooled into thinking I can provide for myself. I just do what I can with what God gives me. If I were a rich man (Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum) I would have to realize everything I thought I possessed in this world, including my proud, self-made attitude, could disappear at any moment and I would be left with nothing but God's grace and provision. I would first have to realize the low position I truly held, where nothing is my own, but God's; then I could take pride in that. Maybe someday I will have to deal with that half of the verse. Right now I just focus on the first half.

So there you go. I've just bared my financial soul to you. What do you say? Do you want to play my Frugal Amish Game? Being married to a graduate student is not a prerequisite. You don't even have to be struggling financially. Just think what you could do for God's Kingdom with the money you save!

Vacation Pictures

2007-06-21T15:29:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I officially dropped off the face of the earth a couple weeks ago. I went to Missouri. (Teehee).

But I didn't really take any pictures until we left for Colorado. Yes, we were practically world travelers. We drove to O'Hare, flew to Missouri, relaxed for a week, drove to Colorado, relaxed for a week, flew back to O'Hare, spent four days with my family, drove back to Indiana.

And the in-flight movie was always Veggie Tales.

So here is our very own sequential image, stereophonic, multimedia event:

Olivia amused herself during the long drive by trying to figure out sunglasses.

I amused myself with lotion. (Not my leg, by the way)

Ah, hotel rooms.

We're in Denver! We celebrate at the City Park.

Weeeeeeeeeeeee!

But we didn't stay in Denver - oh no. That would be cheating.
Our cabin was out in the middle of nowhere

But this isn't it. This is an old abandoned ski lodge - er, I mean mining building.
We thought it was a ski lodge at first and made up some pretty fantastic stories about its untimely demise due to a tragic avalanche.

Here's our cabin. Can you find it?

So what does one do for fun out in the middle of nowhere? One takes the rental Sport Utility Vehicle out for a spin to see what it can do!

It couldn't do this. (Ignore Noah... he's just acting out to get attention.)

But it could do this!

And what does a toddler do in Colorado?

She climbs mountains!

She struts her stuff down the streets of Breckinridge.

She expirements with different... styles... in the Garden of the Gods.

She rides an Olympic bobsled.

And what does an infant do in Colorado?

He climbs mountains... via the Maya Wrap.

He spends a lot of time in a carseat.

He poses for pictures.

He sleeps.

And what do the parents do in Colorado?

They enjoy the peace of quiet of wide open spaces (while the children sleep in their carseats).

But mostly, they take pictures.

Another Cell Pic

2007-06-15T18:39:00.001-04:00

Olivia's sleeping in the room where the computer is; so ironically, I'm not able to Blog during the time when I would be most free to do so. Luckily for you, I just happen to have this adorable picture of Olivia driving the rental car on the cell phone. Enjoy and continue to wait eagerly for more!

Multimedia message

2007-06-15T17:26:00.001-04:00

We have thumb-sucker!

Why the Multimedia Messages?

2007-06-14T12:41:00.000-04:00

So on the trip back from Colorado, I was bored and noticed we had cell phone reception for the first time in a week. So I figured out how to blog pictures from my cell phone. Hence the last two Benjamin pictures. Oh, and the reason I never blogged pictures before I left for Missouri and Colorado (where I've been the past two weeks) was because as we were heading out the door, my pictures were still uploading onto my photo hosting site. Yep, that's DAYS we're talkin' 'bout. Not the "hours" my previous post promised. *Trying really hard not to hate my internet*

Well, I'm in Illinois at my mom's now, who has a really good internet connection, so maybe if I think about it, I'll upload our vacation pictures here and blog some about it.

Let me just wet your appetite for these awesome pictures:
They include white water rafting (but I have to wait for Josh's dad to burn the CD and mail it to us), mountains, hiking, hiking up mountains, fording rivers Oregon-Trail-style, and marmots.

Multimedia message

2007-06-14T12:21:00.001-04:00

So big!

Multimedia message

2007-06-12T23:21:00.001-04:00

Biiiiiiiiiiiig Baby, Big Baby, Big Baby

2007-05-29T17:59:00.000-04:00

Oh yeah, Big Baby! (Big Baby #1, #1 Big Baby!)

I apologize. Only the Zapfs will laugh at that. But I had to put it in!

Benjamin had his two month appointment today and he is in the 90th percentile in all three categories! (Head, height, and weight). His head is 16", up 2" since birth. His height is 24 1/2", up 4 1/4" since birth. His weight is 13lb 10oz, up 6lb 13oz since birth! The doctor said it is very rare to have a baby be so perfectly proportionate. My big, perfect baby!

He also got three shots today. I suffered a minor broken heart. But we will survive.

Pictures to come! I just have to upload them online first, since Picasa refuses to work with me, as does the picture upload tool on Blogger. So it may be a few hours. I took lots of pictures this month.

Dear Anonymi

2007-05-24T11:06:00.000-04:00

First of all, I haven't taken the time to make sure, but I think the Noah-flattering comment came from Michigan. :-)

Second, Anonymi (for that is the plural of anonymous, I'm pretty sure…), ya'll are making my head hurt. And yes, I'm breaking out the southern accent I earned when I spent the summer in Atlanta five years ago. Can you at least call yourselves Anon 1, Anon 2, etc? Also, I'm curious, do I know you? Are you keeping anonymous so that you can speak more freely because you are afraid our friendship might be affected? Or are you a guest to my site from some other means. I would like to know how many of my readers only know me through my blog.

Third, I've been wondering the same thing as Anonymous as to how Noah's interpretation applies to me and how I should respond. How have I been sinned against? Is forcing me to take down my clothesline (of which my lease says nothing) a sin? It would make my life a lot more inconvenient. Is making my life more inconvenient so that others can have their overly anal preferences concerning apartment "sightliness" catered to?

One thing is for sure. I have not been approached by any neighbor concerning my clothesline. I have not been approached by any management concerning my clothesline. A letter was left on my doorstep - a letter that was addressed, "Dear All Residents." And that letter did not clearly state that anyone was offended. "It has been brought to our attention that you have been hanging inappropriate items such as laundry." And that line alone makes it more a matter of rule-breaking than neighborly complaining. My husband and I were discussing this last night and were wondering – how do we show the love of Christ by non-resistance when we have yet to be approached? No one would see His example through our surrendering of our rights. So far everyone involved in this discussion (save "Theological Crap Guy") has at least agreed that the Matthew 5 passage should have the end effect of us showing love to our enemies. My "enemy" won't see the love of Christ because there was never a confrontation between us. Should I go to the office and ask if anyone was offended and if so, could I have their name so we could discuss this further? Or, since the correspondence concerning laundry seems to have dropped after my last letter, should I not press the issue?

We (my husband and I) also want to know, how far do you take Matthew 5? If an enemy asks for your child, do you say, "Sure, and take the other one, too!" And while I have had days where I would be tempted, it would break me completely to do this! What if an enemy asks for your kidney? Do you say, "Absolutely; take both! And the liver!" How far are we supposed to go to live out those words? And I'd like to hear from you not only theologically, but personally. How far would you go to live out Matthew 5?

As for my opinion on Noah vs. Joanna/Jeremy/Anon1, I honestly think you all have your points. I do believe that Jesus' overall message was to show love. But what I think Noah is getting at is very similar to Romans 12:20 which says, "On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." And this verse comes after many others which urge us not take revenge. So what I think Noah might be saying is not to seek the end result of "heap[ing] burning coals" on anyone's head, but that in walking the extra mile and giving all the clothes on your back, you cannot avoid the guilt that your enemy will feel in knowing they have robbed you and treated you wrongly. And that uneasy, guilty feeling you have given your enemy will hopefully be enough for them to realize they are not living as they should be (thus Noah's point on giving them the chance to make a choice to live right).

But how does this apply to my clothesline? There never was and most likely never will be a face-to-face confrontation where I could use Jesus' strategy of showing love to an overly anal neighbor (if there even is one) which would lead to the guilt that is necessary for change.

Put yourself in my shoes. You have no money for a dryer. You have four people dirtying clothes, towels, diapers (yes, we use cloth diapers), and more each and every day. If you hang the laundry inside, it takes 24 or more hours to dry, which restricts you to a mere one load a day, leading to a serious back-up – especially if you are, for whatever reason, unable to do a load one day. Not to mention if anyone spits up or has a diaper leak during naptime and sheets have to be washed as well! Hanging laundry inside also leads to other inconveniences such as toddlers taking socks off the rack and hiding them various places, and the missing half of our living room the racks take up. Hanging laundry outside dries faster, takes stains out of diapers, and gives us back our living room.

What would you do?

(And if this sounds disjointed, blame the toddler who was climbing on my lap and keyboard during the writing of this post!)

Matthew 5 on Laundry

2007-05-22T12:52:00.000-04:00

My brother-in-law, Noah, has a very interesting response to Joanna's comment on Dear Anonymous. In that comment Joanna suggested that as a follower of Jesus Christ, I should be willing to turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, and take down my unsightly laundry from where I am storing it on my balcony. So enjoy this twist on an old classic and let me know what you think!

A little background on Noah: He is a youth pastor from Ohio, so I think he deserves a little credibility on scripture interpretation.

Perhaps a little better understanding of the Matthew 5 passage is in order. To really understand what Jesus is trying to tell us, we need to know a little cultural background. When this was written, a slap on the face was meant to be degrading. It was something that a master would do to his slave, not to hurt him, but rather to say "I'm better than you." Also, the "slap" is most likely referring to a back hand slap. So, if you can visualize it, if someone backhand slaps you with their right hand, on your right cheek, and you then turn your other cheek to them, it is no longer possible for them to slap you again Or at the very least it would have to be a very awkward slap if you think about it. So really, by turning your cheek you're not inviting them to slap you again.but you are forcing them to make a decision. They can either punch you, or just walk away.and again, if you remember what a slap back then meant, most likely they will walk away because the original intent wasn't to hurt you, but to humiliate you.

Also, during the time of Jesus, typical clothing included a tunic and a robe. Other than that they were pretty much naked. So if someone tries to take your tunic, and you give them your cloak as well, you will then be naked. In our society, if we are naked, we feel shame, but during the time of Jesus, the one who saw someone else naked felt the shame because they were seeing what they shouldn't see. So really, instead of just giving up your cloak, you are pointing out to them the shame they are bringing upon themselves by their actions, and most likely, their response will be to not take anything from you.

Finally, during this time a Roman soldier could force a Jewish citizen to walk and carry their belongings for 1 mile, but no more. If you decide to walk with them an extra mile, they are the ones who begin to feel uneasy because if their superior officer sees them having you walk more than one mile with them, they could be disciplined and the result will probably be that they won't ever ask you to carry their belongings again for fear that you'll try to walk that extra mile with them again.

So I believe, when we understand all of that, Jesus isn't telling us that we need to be push-over Christians. What He is doing is showing us ways in which we can creatively stand up for ourselves in the face of injustices, without turning to violence or sin.

Dear Anonymous

2007-05-15T15:39:00.000-04:00

Since there is a bit of a pause between the correspondence of the apartment management and myself (it's been busy - I haven't given them my latest letter yet), I decided to post my reply to an anonymous commenter from the last post. In order to fully understand this reply, please see his/her comment here.

And, Anonymous, please know that I did enjoy your comment and coming up with this post. If we all agreed with each other, the concept of blogs would never have gotten off the ground. So with that in mind, please don't take offense to the following:

Anonymous –

Thank you for adding some dimension to this little discussion. You've made my day, or at least my children's naptime, at little more interesting.

Yes, someone must have a problem with my laundry, be it a neighbor or management themselves. And yes, that is the origin of this whole ordeal. And yes, I might have lost sight of that amidst the fun I have had with my letters.

However...

I would like to think I have more of a right as to how I do my laundry than a passerby with overly strong opinions. And if they cannot prove to me that I signed a lease restricting my laundry rights, then I see no reason to stop.

I agree whole-heartedly with Jes and would like to you take a deep breath and realize that you own your lawn and your house. Your neighbors own theirs. You are responsible for yours; and they for theirs. You cannot make the whole world align with your preferences, so rather than to keep trying and end up with an ulcer, I'd like you to just let go, relax, and understand that others have their own lives, their own reasons, and their own preferences. One neighbor parking a company truck in his own driveway and another using his ingenuity to fix his own car in his own yard is no reason to be irritated. Yards were not invented to merely look pretty. They serve whatever purpose the owner of the land chooses for them. And believe it or not, driveways were invented to park cars, vans, and even company trucks.

So please don't be disturbed by my "blatant disregard for the feelings of [my] neighbors". I care for my neighbors and I respect their opinions. But I will not bend over backwards to satisfy them. I have my own preferences, too, you know. I would rather they not store propane tanks so close to me and my family. And I would prefer they not smoke so close to said propane tanks. Especially on windy days when their secondhand smoke flows downwind onto my balcony, into my apartment, and yes, even onto my freshly laundered clothes on the line.

Nuh Uh (In the Mature Voice of a 7th Grader)

2007-05-11T15:20:00.000-04:00

May 11, 2007

Dear [Community Manager],

I appreciate the time you took to research those quotes from my lease. However, I must say that though I honestly do not want to be seen as difficult, I do not see how the points you laid out in your last letter apply to me.

Your first point, from The Good Neighbor Commitment, stated that I am not allowed to use my balcony for storage. Hanging laundry out to dry for a few hours hardly constitutes storage. I hope that if this truly is your concern, you have also addressed fellow residents that are keeping bikes and grills on their balcony. [Surely propane tanks are more hazardous than laundry.]*

Your second point, from my lease, informed me that I am to keep my balcony in a "clean and sanitary condition." I assure you; I am. I sweep the floorboards when bird seed accumulates from the birdfeeder on the balcony above mine. I do not let unused items sit on my balcony for long periods of time. I have even been known to Windex the sliding glass door from time to time. If you are concerned that the laundry I hang out to dry is not clean or sanitary, allow me to put your mind at ease – it is.

As for the laundry room in my apartment building, I did not mean to suggest I was unhappy with its location. It is conveniently close and I am grateful that you provide it. I thank you for addressing the unsatisfactory nature of the dryer and the cleanliness of the room so quickly and, in the future, I will notify you of such requests more promptly. Your swift attention to my needs is what makes this apartment so enjoyable for my family.

Thank you for your reconsideration.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Zapf

* I so badly wanted to replace that sentence with this:

[On the matter of grills, I am sure you are familiar with the Indiana law that protects apartment residents from the dangers of propane tanks. It states that all propane tanks must be stored ten feet from the apartment complex. Surely you are addressing that matter separately, so I will get back to the topic at hand.]

But I was strong and I resisted. I need to withhold something for a Plan C, after all.

"Storing" My Dirty, Unsanitary Laundry on the Balcony

2007-05-10T18:51:00.000-04:00

May 10, 2007

Dear Elizabeth Zapf,

Thank you for your letter regarding hanging laundry on your balcony. I appreciate that you took the time to respond.

Attached, please find copies of all applicable pages in your lease and addenda where it mentions balcony decor. On The Good Neighbor Commitment: "I will not use common areas or patios/balconies for storage." On your lease: pg 2, number 6, letter B: "Resident shall keep the Apartment Home, including all balconies, patios, and other areas reserved for Resident's private use, in a clean and sanitary condition."

In regards to your building's dryer not working, we have called for service on the dryer and Jetz laundry will be up to fix it within the next few days. As far as the placement of the washer/dryer provided, there is not another significant space in any building throughout the community where these can be located. Please feel free to use our community laundry facility located by the pool as it does have more light. I apologize that the light has been out and the floor has been dirty. Our maintenance team does the best they can for such a large community - so we appreciate it when residents let us know if they have a service request. We also have a cleaning team that comes through once a week to clean our community. We called them today and informed them that we have a resident complaints about the cleanliness of the laundry rooms. In the future, please call us if there is a service request or complaint.

Again, thank you for taking the time to respond to my notice. If you should have any other questions or concerns or would like to speak with me further, please call the office. Thanks!

Thank you for your continued residency!

[Community Manager]

Our "Unsightly" Attempts to Save Money

2007-05-08T13:28:00.000-04:00

May 8, 2007

Dear [Community Manager],

I received your note concerning the "unsightly" appearance of my clothesline and I have a few questions, comments, and suggestions. Thank you for your time in considering the following.

First of all, while I appreciate and respect your aesthetic opinion of my balcony, I cannot find in my lease where my balcony décor is restricted. If you could show me where that is located I would gladly have a more in-depth conversation with you about what is and is not considered "unsightly". I do understand that nobody wants to see our socks. I have always taken pains to make sure larger objects such as towels or sheets are on the line closest to the courtyard so as to block the view of smaller more personal items.

Second, in response to the washer and dryer you have provided for my use, I have several comments and even some complaints. We live on a very tight budget where every penny counts. Spending $1.25 to dry a load of laundry would cost us over $60 every month. That is 6,000 more pennies that we can afford on a dryer. The ironic part is that even if we did spend the money on the provided dryer, the clothes would not be dry. Even after 60 minutes on the hottest cycle, they would still need to be hung out to finish drying. My biggest complaint about the provided washer and dryer, though, is actually the room in which they are kept. In my ten months of enjoying this apartment, I have never once seen that floor swept. It is the equivalent to an unkempt basement. In fact, the last time I went down there, the light bulb had burnt out and I had to operate in the dark. Most times when I visit the laundry room I have to take my toddler with me as she can not be left unattended. I have to make her either stand outside the laundry room or sit on top of the dryer to avoid her picking up something unsafe or simply becoming dirty from being in that room.

I recognize that there is an in-between option of hanging my clothes on drying racks inside my apartment. I have been doing this all winter, while eagerly anticipating the arrival of the spring sun for many reasons. Drying laundry outside decreases a drying time of over 24 hours down to 3 hours. The wind and sun soften the laundry. The sun bleaches out stains (and I have a toddler; I have stains!). But also, the drying racks take up a good portion of our living room. Hanging the laundry outside helps us appreciate our spacious floorplan.

Lastly, I have a question about the "hazard" you mentioned a clothesline could be in your note. My husband and I have tried and we cannot come up with an example to prove your point. If my clothesline is, indeed, a hazard, then we would like to work with you to come up with a solution that would allow us to safely continue to dry our clothes. I do not wish to put others or ourselves at risk – not even for softer, drier, cleaner laundry.

Thank you again for considering the above. I look forward to hearing a response from you.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Zapf

Can Forwards Really Bring Down Gas Prices?

2007-05-03T23:19:00.000-04:00

If you've gotten the forward that states boycotting all gas stations on May 15th will cost the oil companies $3 billion, then hopefully you scratched your head like I did and went, "Wait, no?".

This blog sums up my reaction perfectly. I don't know the author. I just googled "No gas on May 15th" and it was the first to come up. I especially liked the response of the 6th commentor. Let's all boycott Shell. They seem to be the most expensive around here, anyway.

What are your reactions to this forward? Do you plan on boycotting all gas stations on the 15th of May? Or do you plan on not driving at all on the 15th of May? What can we, the pitiful blue-collar working people of this country do to prevent gas prices from reaching $4/gallon (which I heard is in our near future)?

Again With the Downy Ball...

2007-05-01T15:33:00.000-04:00

Yep. That's chex. Not any easier than popcorn to remove, either.

Quick Pics

2007-04-26T14:16:00.000-04:00

Must... post... pictures... before children wake up and I slump over in an exhausted, unconscious heap of ponytailed hair and unbrushed teeth...

This was Olivia after waking up from her nap and while watching Veggie Tales.
I have no clue why she preferred to watch Veggies like this.

Benjamin will sleep anywhere. Actually, he's a lot more alert now and doesn't sleep as much. He's learned to prefer human contact to his bouncy seat. Part of me is sad because this means much less productivity. Part of me is glad because this means I'm forced to hold my baby boy more.

I walked into our bedroom one day and found Olivia like this. She had used her step stool to climb up on the changing table, get a diaper, and then change her baby doll.

Benjamin has a belly button! And it's an innie. We've got one of each now.
And that's Olivia's foot.

I didn't do it. Olivia has a slight obsession with socks. I'm just impressed that they match.

Just a cute Benjamin picture.
And that's Olivia's foot.

Cuteness in a diaper.

Cuteness in a bouncer.

I apologize for the crick in your neck.
I must have missed this one when I was rotating the original batch and I don't have the time to go back, rotate, re-upload, then re-post.

Maybe you could turn your monitor?

And why don't I have time? Because of messes like this.
All around the apartment.

Well, at least she's well-read.

But, then, how do you explain the coasters she likes to throw around the living room like Frisbees?

I can explain it alright...

Josh taught her that.

Awww... I wonder what he's thinking about?

"Mommy, wow! I'm a big girl now!"

Yes... that's great, dear... now potty train already.

Because seriously... this is the reason for the ponytailed hair and unbrushed teeth.

I Won - Here's Livi

2007-04-26T08:57:00.000-04:00

I was looking through my drafts and found this post dated October 12, 2006. I have no clue what I won or why Noah didn't help me. I'm sure I was going to explain that last picture and quite possibly add more. Oh well, I can't now for the same reason I probably didn't then: Olivia is needing attention. :-P

So, Noah, I won without your pathetic help. But here's pictures anyway.

She went into her room and shut the door. So naturally, I was curious.
This is what I found. How cute!

My Own Rain ... Child

2007-04-17T12:07:00.000-04:00

I recently rented Rain Man from the library and have since enjoyed watching and chuckling at Olivia in her little routines*. Both grandmas who helped out with Olivia in the first couple weeks after Benjamin was born can attest to her strict adherence to her bedtime ritual. (She needs her blanket; she doesn't care if it's 80 degrees in her room. It's always been there and thus must always continue to be there!)

Well, here's another Rain Man moment from our lives:
A while back, I started the Chronicles of Narnia (back when I only had a toddler and a bump in my belly, thus more time to do frivolous things like read books and, oh, I don't know... blog?) Any-who, I started with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, like any good Lewis fan would. Olivia would see me reading it, and at times even fetch it for me when she felt it would be a good time to read. In short, she became attached to it. Well, time passed and I finished that book. I moved on to The Horse and His Boy. But when Olivia found out that I had replaced The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (henceforth to be called TLTW&TW for my own sanity), she didn't quite understand why. I began to notice that where ever I set down The Horse and His Boy, it was soon to be replaced by TLTW&TW. I'd put it next to the rocking chair to read while we rocked, on the end table next to the couch, on my night stand - she would find it and replace it with TLTW&TW. I just laughed it off.

And then I started Prince Caspian.

Same thing.

I am now on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I actually started it before Benjamin was born and I'm sure I haven't picked it up since. It's been in the pocket on the side of the rocking chair for a few weeks now, untouched. Well, Olivia found it today. "Ooooh," she said. And she took it over to the bookshelf, put it back, pulled out TLTW&TW, and placed that in the pocket instead.

*She is not autistic, autistic savant, or idiot savant. She just has her... preferences... :-)

She Shares

2007-04-13T08:46:00.000-04:00

Evidently, I did something right?

Post-Partum Praises

2007-04-12T22:08:00.000-04:00

I can bend over and breathe at the same time.
My bladder now has a capacity larger than a dixie cup.
I can eat a full meal WITH tomato sauce and not have to wash it down with a handful of Tums.
I get a whole new wardrobe! (I was so sick of maternity clothes; especially since towards the end there, I could only fit into maybe two outfits.)
I can lean over the dinner plate!
I have a lap. (Olivia appreciate this most, I'm sure. She used to just slide right off!)
Laying on my stomach never felt so good!

Benjamin Update

2007-04-11T18:19:00.000-04:00

March 29 - 8lb 13oz
April 3 - 8lb 8oz
April 11 - 9lb 5oz

I think we're going to have a chunky monkey!

Of Course

2007-04-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

My first time taking both the kids out all by myself today. And it's raining.

More Easter Pictures

2007-04-10T20:04:00.000-04:00

Olivia's Easter dress - this was the only pose we could get out of her. She was too excited to stand still.

Olivia put Benjamin's tie on. Can you tell she's not used to seeing many ties around our home? She thought it was a bracelet.

Benjamin's Easter outfit - what a stud!

This was the great Easter egg hunt. We have a great video of it, too, but neither Google Video nor YouTube want to upload it. Write nasty letters to them.

Easter Family Portrait

2007-04-10T11:52:00.000-04:00

Olivia wouldn't take her hand out of her mouth until Josh started playfully smacking it away. She thought that was hilarious; thus the cute grin. Benjamin slept through most of the day, including this picture. Oh, and you can't tell because I'm sitting down, but those ARE NOT maternity clothes; and the pants DO NOT have an elastic waistband. I couldn't breathe, but I was in NORMAL clothes.

My Genius Little Mute

2007-04-09T23:30:00.000-04:00

Background information: She's 21 months. She has a vocabulary of maybe 10 words.

Actual, true, honest-to-goodness story: Olivia noticed I had gathered all our movies to return to the library. "Ooooh," she says, as she begins to throw them all to the floor one by one. Great, I think, she's become attached to movies that don't belong to us. But then, she finds the case she's looking for and opens it up. It is the Veggie Tales that we had watched after naptime today. To my utter astonishment, it is empty. She rushes over to the DVD player, takes out that DVD, and puts it in the case. She then returns to the upturned pile of library rentals, restacks them, and puts them in the diaper bag.

Twenty-Three

2007-04-08T22:40:00.000-04:00

Guess what that number means. Go on. Why should I be blogging about twenty-three? Why is it important, exciting, significant?

I got weighed on Thursday.

In one week, I had lost twenty-three pounds.

Benjamin Pictures!

2007-04-03T17:28:00.000-04:00

You'd be surprised how many things in a hospital can entertain a toddler. Sorry for the crookedness of the shot, I was holding a newborn at the same time. But you were looking for Benjamin pictures, weren't you?

Here is Daddy, Benjamin, and big sister Olivia. I wish there was sound, you'd be able to hear her say, "Baby!"

Here is Daddy changing a diaper. I had yet to change a diaper at this point.

Here is Benjamin, a whopping 24 hours old at this point and ready to go home! Let's compare him with his sister at this age (Technically, she was 48 hours when she went home, but close enough):

She was a bit more tense, wouldn't you say? This is a perfect comparison of their personality differences.

Such a doting older sister.

She demands that she be able to hold little brother. We just have one rule: Don't touch his face.

Hmm... maybe we should have made a rule about covering his face with blankets?

And one last picture of our adorable little man.

The Timeline

2007-04-01T20:51:00.000-04:00

This was me at 8-9 cm dilated, probably around 4:45-5:00pm. The common reaction to this picture is: "You sure don't look like you're in labor!" To which I respond, "I wasn't having a contraction when it was taken!" That was one benefit to not being induced. I actually experienced the God-given breaks inbetween contractions where I was able to relax and play dolls with Olivia. She thought her baby was in labor, too, and kept putting her in bed with me.

Here's the timeline: I had called Josh after putting Olivia down for her nap at 1pm, he caught the 2:00 bus, and was home by 2:15. We watched an episode or two of M*A*S*H and waited for the contractions to get closer than 5 minutes apart. They never did, but I had a feeling I should at least get checked out at the hospital, even if they did end up sending me home. So we packed the suitcase and called the people who were to be taking care of Olivia and warned them this might be it and to stay close to their phone. At around 3pm, we woke up Olivia, got her ready to go, and were on the road to the hospital by 3:30. We arrived at the hospital at around 4 and were admitted and I was in the bed by 4:30. Olivia's babysitter didn't arrive until around 5.

At 5:55, Benjamin David Zapf was born.

I highly recommend raspberry leaf tea. And prayer!

Benjamin David Zapf

2007-03-31T17:40:00.000-04:00

We were released from the hospital at 5:55pm yesterday and waited just that long to fill out the birth certificate information. We are so decisive like that. The middle name comes from Josh's dad, which we thought made sense due to the fact Benjamin was born on his grandpa's birthday. And it sounds good together, don't you agree?

But before I move on from the name, let's get one thing straight. His name is Benjamin. Not Ben. Not Benny. Not Benji. So far, we haven't come across a nickname that sounds anywhere as good as the original whole first name. If we do, we'll let you know. But for now, the only acceptable name is Benjamin. :-) That was the reason we delayed so long in finally putting his name in ink.

Benjamin is his sister's opposite. He is so calm and quiet. He sleeps most of his young life away, including at night so I'm not complaining. But I know that can't last forever; I'm just enjoying it while I can. Olivia is loving her baby brother. She comes and sits on the couch next to whoever is holding him and points to her lap so that you know it is her turn now. But she requires constant supervision as she loves to poke him in his soft spot on his head, as well as his eyes and, well, face in general. She loves his little hands. Since she is not allowed to poke his face, she uses his hands to do so instead.

Josh is the doting father. I think I may have only changed two or three diapers so far. What a blessing he is! And he is playing with Olivia as well to make sure she doesn't feel left out, which she doesn't seem to be so far. He is so adoring when it comes to his little boy. He enjoys putting him in BLUE clothes that have SPORTS on them instead of frills and ribbons.

Josh's mom is here helping out and I'm sure I would be nothing but a frazzled ball of nerves if she weren't. She feeds Olivia and cleans up her messes, she does the laundry and grocery shopping... I'm pretty sure I could get her to clean the bathroom before she leaves, too... ;-)

And as for me, I'm doing well. Recovery from childbirth is a slow process, but as surrounded as I am with love and help, I'm sure I'll be good to go in no time. I can't get over how blessed I am to have two beautiful and healthy children. God has blessed this whole event down to the smallest detail.

And with that, I leave you with pictures! I don't know how often I post, but I'm sure you'll be waiting with baited breath for more to come in the future.

Sorry, I've been waiting for a day now for the pictures to upload to Picasa. When they finally do, I'll put them up. Sorry again.

baby's here!!

2007-03-29T22:57:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all, Ashley here! Beth asked me to let all her readers know that her baby arrived safe and sound this evening. Here is what I posted in my own blog about it:

I am SOOO happy to announce to the whole blogging world that the newest little Zapf was born today at 5:55pm! He was delivered completely naturally, so kudos to Beth!! Beth is tired, but doing well. Her new son is 8 lbs and 13 ounces, and 20 1/4 inches long. Beth reports that he has dark eyes and hair, and he has the most quiet and content personality (especially compared to his older sister!). Olivia is completely the doting sister, and (so far) isn’t jealous at all! Beth told me that before she would ask Olivia where “baby brother” was, and Olivia would point to Beth’s tummy. After the baby was born today, Beth asked Olivia, “Where’s baby brother?” Olivia then pointed to the baby! Such a smart girl!

As soon as I get a picture, I will post it here! Oh, and as soon as Beth tells me the name they’ve decided, I will inform you of that too. :-)

A special message to Joel from Beth: you'll have to come visit her in the hospital so call her!

Still Here

2007-03-29T08:38:00.000-04:00

Turns out I got some sleep last night. Praise the Lord, because I don't know too many labors that pause for a good eight hours so that the mommy can sleep. Okay, so there were a few contractions during the night, and they started back up regularly at 6:45. But overall? My God is gracious and my baby already knows his nights and days. A genius, I tell you - just like his daddy.

Contractions

2007-03-28T19:05:00.000-04:00

So anyone who's talked to me much the past couple weeks knows I've been getting Braxton Hicks contractions pretty regularly. Braxton Hicks don't hurt; they just make my uterus hard as a ball. It's more amusing than anything.

Well, something's changing. They hurt now. So much so that I have to sit down.

Every 8-12 minutes.

Everyone Else is Doing It...

2007-03-28T16:00:00.000-04:00

Whoops, forgot to blog yesterday. Bet you thought I had a baby. Nope! So here's something for you to read while you wait... and wait... and wait some more.

The Five Love Languages

My primary love language is probably
Physical Touch
with a secondary love language being
Words of Affirmation.

Complete set of results

Physical Touch:		11
Words of Affirmation:		9
Receiving Gifts:		7
Quality Time:		2
Acts of Service:		1

Information

Unhappiness in relationships, according to Dr. Gary Chapman, is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. Sometimes we don't understand our partner's requirements, or even our own. We all have a "love tank" that needs to be filled in order for us to express love to others, but there are different means by which our tank can be filled, and there are different ways that we can express love to others.

Take the quiz

Now I tag Jes and Joel (because he hasn't blogged anything significant in awhile...)

Am I Missing Something?

2007-03-26T15:45:00.000-04:00

I was a week early and completely unprepared with Olivia.

Yet I can't help but wonder if God has given me this extra time before Baby Boy so I could learn/realize/prepare something I haven't yet figured out.

It's beginning to feel surreal. I was prepared for labor last Wednesday, but the anxiety I felt while approaching that due date has only decreased each day that has passed since. I don't spend much time imagining him in my arms anymore. I don't contemplate the 2 a.m. feedings anymore. I quit rehearsing in my head how nap schedules will work with two children. I stopped planning the difference between changing boy diapers and changing girl diapers. Not to mention all the imaginary labor pains I interpreted every ache and twinge to be. The more I think on such things, the slower the time passes. I think this belly might just be permanent.

This is not pre-post-partum depression. I DO long for my baby boy to be in my arms. I just can't figure out why he's not here yet. What am I missing, God? Why am I not ready yet?

Little Thief

2007-03-25T17:01:00.001-04:00


Caught in action.

My Celebrity Look-alikes

2007-03-25T14:30:00.001-04:00

My cool celebrity look-alike collage from MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.

When Toddlers Do Laundry

2007-03-24T17:34:00.001-04:00

P3170026
Originally uploaded by thezapfs.

I was getting ready to throw a load in the washer this morning when I noticed my Downy ball rattled a bit more than usual.

Look closely. Yep, that's popcorn. In my Downy ball.
And it's not easy to get out, either.

I love life with a toddler!

Change Is Good!

2007-03-23T10:57:00.000-04:00

So I had my first ever 40 week prenatal appointment today. I only got to 39 with Olivia. And I made an appointment for next week. A 41 week prenatal appointment. What do you think? Will I have to cancel? I told the doctor today that I'd prefer to go to 42 weeks rather than get induced. He said that would be fine and that means if I make it to next week, they'll give me a nonstress test. Then I'll have another appointment three days later and a final one at 42 weeks. Then they schedule the induction.

But that really has nothing to do with change, or why Change Is Good.

The change is the extra centimeter that I dilated over this past week! I'm up to THREE centimeters! Something's happening! Question is, will it happen fast enough to beat the two week deadline that modern science has put on my pregnancy.

Is My Child the Only One...

2007-03-23T08:08:00.000-04:00

... who regularly turns blueberry pancakes into face paint?

Some people wonder at our anal-retentiveness that we insist our 20 month old eats naked. Let this be proof that we have ample reason. There might have been perhaps 6-8 blueberries in that pancake. She found them all.

(By the way, that is her Eating Smock which she eats in when it's too cold to eat naked. It's one of my old T-shirts and now is covered with spaghetti, chocolate, and blueberry stains.)

Pockets

2007-03-22T17:27:00.000-04:00

Olivia found her pockets.
And then began spinning.
And then fell down.

How Do You Teach Sharing?

2007-03-22T08:38:00.000-04:00

It seems there are two ways a parent can attempt teach her child to share.

While playing with the child, the child comes to take all of the parent's toys, leaving the parent with nothing. The parent can refuse to give all her toys away, thus giving the child a real-world example of when to share and teaching the child that she cannot have everything she wants and must share with others.

Or...
While playing with the child, the child comes to take all of the parent's toys, leaving the parent with nothing. The parent can freely give the toys to the child, showing by example what sharing looks like.

Which way would teach a 20 month old the correct concept of sharing? I feel that in #1, I am teaching her selfishness, but in #2 I am teaching her that she can get her way everytime.

In case you couldn't tell, there was an instance recently where I had to decide which path to take. Olivia and I were playing with dixie cups. She loves the fact that they stack into each other. But she wouldn't let me have any. (I wanted to try speed stacking)

She kept trying to take them away from me and I attempted to teach her to share using method #1. This resulted in a half an hour temper of tantrums as she kept trying to come and sneak my cups away from me.

Then I came to the realization that there are two possible ways to teach sharing and that I might possibly be teaching selfishness with this technique. So I switched over to method #2. But I only gave her half of my cups. I told her, "I'm going to share my cups with you." "Would you like me to share my cups?" Well, she gladly took what I was sharing, and then screamed for the rest. She even tried bartering. She came up with a book and offered it to me. Then tried to take my cups. She brought me my tea (it was luke warm and half-empty, don't go calling DCFS). While I was thanking her, she tried to take my cups.

So there I am, sitting on the couch, holding my remaining three dixie cups (along with a book and a mug of half-empty tea), and praying to God for direction and wisdom.

Oh, and Olivia is screaming and crying throughout this whole process.

And then I switched whole-heartedly over to method #2. I asked, "Would you like me to share my cups?" And then I gave her my last three cups. And she smiled. Her collection was complete. (Humming the song from the Little Mermaid now...). And I'm left there wondering if I did the right thing.

I come over here to blog my dilemna and Olivia calls out to me. She wants to share her cups with me! She would give me half her stack and then take them back one at a time to stack into her one big pile. Then she would give me half again and repeat the process. Each time she gave me some of her cups, I would exclaim, "Thank you! You're sharing with me!" Eventually, everytime she gave me half her cups, she would stop and applaud herself for her good deeds.

So I don't know if it was one method in particular or a combination of all of them, but I think we might have learned something here today...

Happy Due Date To Me

2007-03-21T17:07:00.000-04:00

That would be the song my mother-in-law just sang to me over the phone.* Creative, isn't she?

So today is it. According to the ultrasound predictions, I should be giving birth any moment now.

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

Yeah, still pregnant.

But don't you worry about me. Or that baby (who is actively hiccuping as I type this). I'm actually very pleased that he's behaving the way he is. He's acting like Josh already. How blessed I would be to have a son like my husband! Josh was a week late, by the way. Only, when his mom went in for her appointment a month before her due date, her doctor told her he would be coming any day. So instead of only being a week late, it seemed more like he was a month late. So, as I'm pretty sure I don't have a month left, I'm think I'll be okay.

Well, that said, you can rest easy. (And I know from the amount of phone calls I've received today, some of you are more anxious than I am!) I don't have a baby yet. I'll let you know when he comes. :-) Or you can just suspect when I stop blogging that I've most likely had my baby.

*She, of course, substituted "You" for "Me".

Anger Management

2007-03-20T09:44:00.000-04:00

So I've been trying to post pictures for the past couple days and Blogger won't let me. Not through Picasa and not through the normal upload process. Anyone else having this trouble? Until I figure it out (or you do for me) you'll just have to put up with written posts. Like this one:

Olivia has progressed from unbridled rage to a form of anger management. Only, we're not sure how healthy her particular form of "anger management" really is.

See, she bites things.

And not just a playful nibble. In the middle of a tantrum, she will look around for a suitable object (amazing that she does this in the heat of the moment), most of the time it's in her hands or she's wearing it. Occasionally, it's the couch. Then she grips it with her little teeth and growls like a rabid little animal while shaking her head back and forth ferociously. Most times she'll test out a couple things before finding her preferred biting object. It's so humorous to see her running around the room biting things.

But we need to work on not laughing because this is most likely something that should not be encouraged. Especially when the suitable biting-object is her own finger.

Who Needs Words?

2007-03-17T15:31:00.000-04:00

Olivia doesn't. Let's count the words she can and does say:

Tur-toe (turtle)
Pup-pay (puppy)
Bee-bee (baby)
Mo-ah? (more)
Do (We haven't figured out yet if this is "do" or "you". It's always been used as a command when she wants us to do something.)

(Note the distinct absense of the typical "Mama, Dada, and No".)

Everything else is pretty much just sounds. Our favorite is "Widgeh-widgeh-widgeh-widget".

But don't you dare assume that she's slow in any regards! She's managed to get along just fine with other ways of communicating. Mainly pointing and dragging us around the apartment until we come across what it is she wants.

Other accomplishments that I'm rather proud of her for:

Putting together a complex geometric puzzle without mistake (and this puzzle includes pentagons and hexagons (which I get confused when I try to put the puzzle together)).
Taking out DVDs from their case, opening up the DVD player, taking out the DVD in there and replacing it with VeggieTales.
She helps unload the dishwasher and knows where every utensil goes (which of the three drawers, or up on a hook!).
She dusts!
Before she goes to bed each night, she takes her two baby dolls, puts them on their own shelf, covers them with their own blanket, and places a book on them for them to read - should they have troubles falling asleep.
She knows where "Baby Brother" is. (The trick is, will she understand when he's on the outside that he's the same "Baby Brother" that was on the inside?)
I could go on and on.

The point is: You can read all the guidelines and listen to all the critics and become a nervous wreck because your child isn't doing things exactly like their children are OR you can trust that your child will develop into her own person at her own time. Thank the Lord I have such a beautifully unique child! How boring would life be if she were exactly the same as everyone else's child?

I Give Up

2007-03-16T15:08:00.000-04:00

There is no point what-so-ever in trying to compare different pregnancies, labors, or children. God has taught me this before my second child has even been born. Isn't He nice like that?

With Olivia, I felt no contractions until my water broke and had her five and a half hours later (who knows how much faster that would have gone if I would have know that being upright and moving is much more productive to labor than simply laying on my back watching Sponge Bob Square Pants). With this baby, I've been feeling regular Braxton Hicks contractions for the past two weeks and haven't dilated since week 37. Yep, I'm still at 2cm. The only difference is that the head is now in a -1 position as opposed to the -2 it's been for the past 2 weeks. That means it's a little further down. Not exactly what I've come to expect from my weekly doctor appointments that I had with Olivia where I progressed by 2cm each week.

So I'm left with no predictions. No way of controlling this process. You think maybe that's why God gave the "gift" of childbirth to women instead of men? I think we tend to try to organize and control our lives a lot more than men do. And childbirth (right alongside child-rearing!) is the opposite of "control" unless you want to do the whole induction/epidural combo. Which, as I already explained in a previous post, I don't want this time.

So I put it in God's hands. Here You go.

I've also decided to try Raspberry Tea. Even though it's not *supposed to* cause labor to start, it has been proven in some studies to make your contractions more efficient. I was drinking this while pregnant with Olivia and I didn't even know the benefits! I was just more of a stickler about caffiene and this was my favorite flavor herbal tea.

Terrible Twos

2007-03-09T14:46:00.000-05:00

I have decided I want nothing to do with the Terrible Twos.

You mothers of children aged two and older are laughing at me right now.

Let me explain myself:
I've come to the conclusion that I do not want to use or hear the phrase "Terrible Twos" in reference to my daughter. What is there to benefit from labeling a child as "Terrible" for an entire year of her life? I should not make her actions seem worse than they are by using that phrase. Also, I cannot make her actions acceptable simply by using that phrase. And I should be building my daughter up in the eyes of others, not tearing her down. I am proud of her. Quirks and all. Bathtub poopies and all.

Disobedience is a frustration to parents. As are temper tantrums. But there is a reason for them. My daughter is learning how to live with boundaries. She is learning what to do with her free will within the guidelines we have set up for her. It must be a frustration to her during this time in her life. She is realizing her independence and her responsibilities all at the same time and is trying desperately to figure out how to mesh them together and still keep everyone around her happy, including herself.

Labelling this stage of her life as "Terrible" puts a bad taste in my mouth and mind before she even has a chance to disobey. How unfair to her. This is a wonderful stage of discovery and learning. Conversely, it can also be tempting to let disobedience slide when you have a ready excuse such as the "Terrible Twos". This is also unfair to her as she needs stability. Right is right and wrong is wrong, no matter what age you are.

Becoming a parent has given me so much more appreciation for the ultimate patience and love of God. I'm 24 years old and I am still trying to mesh together my free will and my responsibilities. And He has yet to call me "Terrible."

Bah. Nothing. Nothing At All.

2007-03-09T14:04:00.000-05:00

So I went to the doctor again today. Nobody wins. Nobody guessed that I would be exactly the same as I was the week before. No changes what-so-ever. 2cm and 80% effaced. And I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions all week. I didn't get those at all with Olivia, so I was convinced that I must be progressing faster this time. Nope.

But God is in control and He knows best. So I'll just trust that He's got a reason for this delay of progress.*

So any takers on next week? Will I still be pregnant next week? If so, how far along? I will be 39 weeks next time I go in, which is when I was induced and had Olivia last time.

*For those of you not following this story closely: With Olivia, I progressed by 2cm every week from 36 weeks until I reached 5 cm and then was induced at 39 weeks.

Oh, and you people guessing times that the baby will be born, be sure you put an a.m. or p.m. so I know how nice (or mean) you're being.

Is My Child the Only One...

2007-03-08T19:04:00.000-05:00

Who sees the bathtub as one big toilet?!

Okay, I know it's normal for the occasional poopy to slip out during bathtime, but my child has an unusually high percentage rate. I'd say at least 75% of the time. That's 3 out of every 4 baths that have to be repeated. I have to hold the squirmy child in a towel while the Daddy (bless his heart) cleans out the tub, cleans off the tub mat, cleans off the drain stopper. (He used to have to clean off ever single letter of the alphabet as well, but we stopped giving her toys until she's old enough to control her colon).

So if you ever stay with us, rest assured, our tub IS very clean. It gets cleaned out very well just about every other day. I know some hotels that aren't that clean.

My Own March Madness

2007-03-07T20:54:00.000-05:00

Ok, I've seen all you and your basketball pools and what-not. Well, here's something that interests me far more.

Let's see who can guess the closest on the following:
1) How dilated will I be on Friday?
2) What day will Baby Boy be born on?
3) What time will Baby Boy be born?
4) How much will he weigh?
5) How long will he be?
And the bonus question: What name will we ultimately decide on?

And because I have no prizes to give out and no way to organize it, this will be a free pool! What a great value! Of course, if anyone wants to organize it for me, I'd appreciate it greatly... *cough* JEREMY *cough*. I think the prize last time was one glorious goldfish! Who won that, anyway? Was said goldfish actually ever delivered? If so, is he still alive? If not, is he still alive?

Okay, leave lots of comments because that's how I validate my existance.

2 cm & 80%

2007-03-02T15:01:00.000-05:00

So I'm a bit behind in one category and a bit ahead in the other. (Considering with Olivia at 37 weeks, I was 3cm and 75%.) But congratulations to Ashley!! Tell me what you want and I'll cook it for you next time you come over. Oh, and I'm officially declaring a tie between Ashley and Jes, since Jes wanted to choose 2 cm, but Ashley beat her to it, so she went with 2.5, even though she knew they didn't measure in half centimeters. So you can both come on over - just tell me by the Monday before what you want so I can shop for it. :-)

But I'm excited. He almost didn't check my cervix because the nurse asked if I was having contractions or any other sign of labor and I said "no," like I always do. And when she told me he might not check me until next week then, I said, "Oh, but I was 3 cm dilated at this point in my last pregnancy. I didn't feel the contractions until they broke my water - and at that point I was around 7cm." Her eyes got a little bigger and she decided maybe the doctor should check me after all. Hehe.

But the reason I'm excited is because that means this pregnancy is turning out to be very similar to Olivia's (which, as mentioned above, was rather painless until the intervention). And since I've decided to do this labor with as few interventions as possible, maybe this one will be even more painless. The doctor told me to call if I did start having contractions and they were five minutes apart, but then he looked at me and said, "Or if your water breaks, which seems might be more likely." He said if that happens, to simply call on the way to the hospital. I told him I still had a few hours in between water-breakage and birth last time, but he told me they go quicker the second (and third, forth, so on) time.

So my hope and prayer? That since I'm letting my body (and God, of course) do things the way He intended, maybe my water won't break until I'm fully dilated and ready to push. And maybe I won't feel contractions until then either. And since this is my second baby, maybe the pushing stage will go much more quickly (read: less painfully) and I won't be as tempted to get the epidural.

Why don't I just get induced and get the epidural? Because induction is not a natural thing and could have dangerous side effects leading to emergency C-sections (also not a very natural thing and a major surgery). And induction leads to more painful and more intense contractions. During labor you are supposed to have at least 60 seconds in between contractions. Because of the pitocin, my contractions came three at a time with less than half a minute in between each set of three. And why do I not want an epidural? Because 1) It's rather boring to just lay there in bed because you can't move your legs and 2) my body wasn't made to give birth laying down flat on my back. That leads to more complications that could (and did, in my case) make for a longer and more painful recovery. I decided this time that I would rather go through a couple hours of intense pain than a couple weeks less intense, but still debilitating pain. And because there has been research done that proves a link between breastfeeding problems and epidurals. And because epidurals involve sticking a needle in your spine.

I'm glad this pregnancy is following so closely to Olivia's because I have some idea of what to expect. With Olivia, when they told me I was dilated, I thought I would give birth at any moment. Instead, it took a few weeks. Now I know more about how my body works. I'm still praying for a March 9th delivery (have I explained that? It's Josh's first day of spring break), but I'm okay with whatever God deems best.

So what do you think I'll be at next Friday?

Baby Zapf NEEDS You!

2007-03-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

So... the database... something something... broken... something something... the old Zapf baby voting site is down. And it is unclear at this time whether or not the results will ever be recovered.

So go here to the new site and PLEASE VOTE AGAIN! The baby could come at any time now! (Or we could have another month). Help us name our child!

I Don't Nest

2007-02-28T22:44:00.000-05:00

So the "nesting instinct" is this supposed universal response to clean and prepare everything for the arrival of your unborn child. It's supposed to get more intense as the birth draws nearer.

Yeah, I get lazier as the birth draws nearer. I just sit here and think about how extremely difficult it would be to get up right now. To even lean forward. You're lucky I'm not on the couch with my feet on the coffee table. That is my preferred position for the 9th month and it was when I was pregnant with Olivia, too. Ok, so now that I take the time to look back (thank goodness for Blogger), I see that I did go a bit crazy with the laundry aspect of preparing for baby. But that's it. and since most of it has been used already and therefore is already washed, and the few boy clothes we have gotten have already been washed... there's nothing else to do but sit here and blog about how I don't nest.

Actually, though, besides the lack of nesting, I experience an additional decrease in the desire to do things I've normally been doing for months now. For example: it is my responsibility to clean up the dinner dishes. Josh cleans the spaghetti off of the floor, cabinets, high chair, and tray; and then I clean up the dishes. Well, I put away the leftovers... aaaaand sat down at the computer with the chair as reclined as it can get while still allowing me to reach the keyboard.

And cleaning the bathroom every week? It's every other week now. Even if we have company coming over. I'll take a square of toilet paper and get all the dust and towel-lint off the back of the toilet and the corners of the tub and call it a day. Of course, I was chastised by Josh when he caught me standing on the side of the tub cleaning the tiles one Saturday and was told to let him do that from now on (that was going to be a post in and of itself called "How to Get Your Husband to Clean the Bathroom for You" and was going to include the following steps: 1) Get pregnant, 2) Wait 9 months 3) Let him catch you standing in precarious positions on slippery surfaces with the dizzying smell of Lysol drifting out of the toilet bowl).

Okay, well... now that you know the truth about the ninth month, or mine anyway, I'm going to hoist myself up to take care of the dishes because even though the intrinsic reward of satisfaction in a job well done doesn't motivate me enough, the extrinsic punishment of all the bugs that will gather does.

Pick a Number Between 1 and 10

2007-02-28T07:59:00.000-05:00

So I've broken down my last month of pregnancy with Olivia so that I can convince myself there will be some sort of predictability with this one.

At 36 weeks, I was 1 cm dilated.
At 37 weeks, I was 3 cm dilated, 75% effaced, and her head was at -1.
At 38 weeks, I was 5 cm dilated, 90% effaced, and we forgot the head-number-thingy.
At 39 weeks, I was 5-6 cm dilated, 90% effaced, and I went in the next day to be induced.

So here I am, 2 years later, at 37 weeks again. On Friday, I go to the doctor. Josh says I'll be 1 cm. I want to say I'll be 7, but I'm pretty sure I'll be setting myself up for disappointment, so I'm going to guess 3cm and play it safe. Anyone else want to play? Just pick a number between 1 and 10. The winner gets... dinner at our place the next time you come visit. :-P

Help with Leather Stains

2007-02-27T20:33:00.000-05:00

So during Olivia's bath tonight, she successfully doused the Daddy's pants with buckets-full of water. After several minutes, he realized his black leather wallet was in the pocket which was most wet. So he responsibly took it out and wiped it dry on the belly of my shirt (that I was wearing). I now have black leather-stained streaks on my nice light pink shirt. Any advice on how to take those out? :-)

Double Standard

2007-02-21T21:38:00.000-05:00

They wouldn't have taken away Jack Bauer's sword....

A Zapf Dozen

2007-02-21T10:45:00.000-05:00

It's not a normal dozen. It's not a baker's dozen. It's a Zapf dozen. Yep. I made blueberry muffins from scratch. Followed the recipe religiously*. Whereas the recipe said the yield would be a full dozen (that's 12), mine was a Zapf dozen (10).

*Reading this online recipe, which differs slightly from the one in the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook I have in my cupboard, I wonder if the fact I didn't thaw the blueberries and that I used whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose white had something to do with the 2 missing muffins?

Shameless Promoting of Pampered Chef Products Under the Guise of a Really Good Recipe

2007-02-20T22:45:00.000-05:00

I made this for dinner tonight - to the delight of ALL... well, Olivia was distracted all through dinner... found out later she had really needed a diaper change, so her opinion doesn't count. This was my first attempt at pasta where the sauce didn't come out of a jar - go me!

The Pampered Chef ®
Smoky Chicken Fettuccini
Recipe

6 slices bacon
1/2 cup diced onion
6 large cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated smoked Provolone cheese
8 ounces uncooked fettuccini noodles, broken in half
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

1. Bring water to a boil in (8-qt.) Stockpot. Meanwhile, cut bacon into 1/2-inch pieces using Santoku Knife. Cook bacon in (12-in.) Skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from Skillet; drain on paper towels. Drain grease from Skillet (do not wipe out).

2. Dice onion using Chef’s Knife. Thinly slice garlic using Ultimate Mandoline fitted with thin slicing blade. Coarsely chop bell pepper using Food Chopper. Coarsely grate cheese using Deluxe Cheese Grater; set aside. Add onion, garlic and bell pepper to Skillet. Cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove Skillet from heat; set aside.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions (see Cook’s Tip). Add peas to Stockpot; carefully drain pasta and peas using Drainer. Add pasta and peas to Skillet. Add bacon, cheese, chicken, half and half, black pepper and salt; toss well to coat. Cook and stir over medium heat until sauce is slightly thickened and mixture is hot. Sprinkle with parsley; serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 370, Total Fat 13 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 75 mg, Carbohydrate 36 g, Protein 26 g, Sodium 380 mg, Fiber 3 g

Cook's Tip: A simple way to adjust the consistency of pasta sauce that is too thick is to remove about 1 cup of pasta cooking water using the Nylon Ladle before draining the pasta. Stir a small amount into the sauce as needed.

Smoked Provolone cheese is smoked over applewood for a full-bodied, smoky flavor. Plain Provolone cheese can be substituted for the smoked Provolone cheese, if desired.

© The Pampered Chef, Ltd., 2001

And the Award for Best V-Day Gift Goes to...

2007-02-16T19:21:00.000-05:00

My very own Joshua Jeremy.

I HAVE to tell you what Josh did for ME for V-Day. :-) I have the best husband ever. He listens and cares and loves me SO MUCH!

Recently (for the past 6 months) I've been telling him my love language is gifts. Problem: We're broke. So I decided love notes count as gifts. So for this V-Day, Josh got me TEN presents! (HA! I win!) He typed up ten reasons why he loves me, cut them out, and taped them up all over the apartment.

*Sigh*

Now, whenever I look in the mirror, I'm reminded that he loves me because I'm intelligent. Whenever I look at our wedding picture, he tells me I'm beautiful. Whenever I'm cooking over the stove, I hear him say how grateful he is that I take care of him. When I'm doing dishes, I read about his appreciation for my hard work. When I glance at his many diplomas and awards, I see that he has recognized my encouragement and support. When I reminisce over our high school dance photos, he confides that I'm his best friend. When I put Olivia down in her crib, I am called a wonderful loving mother. When I open my Bible for devotions, I am admired for my love of God. When I walk into the living room, he calls me sensitive and caring. When I turn on the lamp (how clever is this?) he reveals his love for my bright, cheerful nature.

Those notes are still up. They will probably be up until we leave this apartment. Just like the "I Take Car" post-it from our last apartment. I feel neglectful that I hadn't posted about this until now, but I had to wait until a day when I hadn't already posted twice because I wanted to make sure you read it!

Suspicious Behavior

2007-02-16T15:13:00.000-05:00

So I was checking my email/reading some blogs today and I noticed that Olivia was being very quiet. Too quiet. Hmmm... Is she dropping things in the toilet? Dragging our dirty laundry all over the apartment? Has she figured out a way to get the turtle out of his Rubbermaid home?

Nope, she was laying on the couch right behind me, totally engrossed in book. How adorable!

My V-Day Dinner

2007-02-15T22:43:00.000-05:00

So you know that our Valentine's Day started out with the wonderful opportunity to sleep in, followed by some delicious blueberry pancakes. Then we took Josh to school and Olivia and I had to hustle to get everything ready for when he came back home.

We headed to Kroger's and picked up two packages of cream cheese, one 8 oz container of sour cream, some bubbly grape juice, and laundry detergent. Sound like the ingredients to a very romantic evening, no? Hey, the laundry doesn't stop - not even for holidays. And the rest of the ingredients (sans fizzy drink) were for my first ever attempt at cheesecake! I had asked Josh what dessert he wanted for V-Day, expecting something like heart shaped cookies. But no, that's not the way guys think. My guy thinks of cheesecake. And the recipe I had found called for the cake to cool in the oven for 5 hours! And when I asked him which meal he would choose for his V-Day celebration, he choose Chicken and Sausage Paella (which takes 4 hours to cook, plus prep time!) And by the time we got home, it was noon! OH, and did I mention Olivia had a doctor's appointment at 1:00? But then I realized I had not received a reminder call, and that was strange. Since the weather had been rather blizzard-y, I thought maybe I had better call to make sure everything was still running on time over at the health clinic. The recorded voice informed me that there was too much snow to deal with sick people today and that I needed to reschedule.

Whew.

So I start on the cheesecake. The crust went rather well, just graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. I can do that. Olivia helped make the crumbs. But hers were the crumbs that fell on the floor as she ate the remaining crackers. She wasn't really much help, but she had fun. I started on the filling. That's when I realized something wasn't quite right. I was using my largest mixing bowl and it was filled to the brim with my cheese mixture. I'm not very good at measuring volumes in my head, but I did think to myself more than once, "I think this might be a bit much for a 9 inch pan." Sure enough, when I went to pour it in, I filled it up with half still left in the bowl. So I quickly made another crust and filled another 9 inch pan. Yep, that's right. for this family of three, I made TWO cheesecakes. And I put them in the oven and set the timer for an hour like the recipe instructed.

But then I got to thinking. Two pans... with half the mixture in each... wouldn't that require half the time? So I kept going back and checking the progress. I started noticing cracks in the edge of the cakes, so I opened the door, took a picture and sent it to my friend, Jes, whose mother is a renowned cheesecake expert (or so I hear ;-)) and she said, 1) Something's wrong if they're cracking but 2) they're not done yet and 3) you shouldn't be opening the oven door! Crap. Ugh. Whoops! So I kept watching (through the window) and when they started to turn a little more of a golden color (by that time, they had cracks that rivalled the Grand Canyon) I turned off the oven, opened the door, and let them cool for the suggested time of 5 hours.

I put Olivia down for her nap, only an hour and a half late, went back to the kitchen and was met with this:

What a mess! There was not a square foot left to make the Paella! The breakfast dishes were still sitting dirty on the stove and I had even expanded the mess to the dining room table! Oh, and yes, that's our washing machine drainage hose leading into our garbage disposal. Did I not mention I was doing laundry while making cheesecake? Such a multi-tasker. So I unloaded the dishwasher, loaded the dishwasher, ran the dishwasher, thanked the Lord I have a dishwasher, and then got started on the paella.

When that was all done, I dared another look at my cheesecake attempts. This is what I saw:

I have never seen the Cheesecake Factory ever serve anything remotely close to this monstrosity.

I had to pick Josh up from school right before dinner because the buses weren't running (Yep, but he still went to school - now that's dedication!). On the way home, I broached the subject of my gift to him. I told him I had made him something (I had not told him I was actually going to attempt cheesecake. This was to be my present and a complete surprise). I told him it was something I'd never made before. And that... it wasn't going to look right. And that he was supposed to just force a smile and tell me, "It looks great, honey" when he saw it. He laughed and agreed. We got home, he basically sprinted inside to the fridge, and fulfilled his oath (after a brief laugh) and told me my cheesecake looked wonderful. Sigh. Even sounds good when you *know* it's fake.

So this was our Valentine's dinner:
Main course: Chicken and Sausage Paella

Dessert: Salvaged Cheesecake

It really did taste like normal cheesecake (thank you, God!). And once it was cut up, you could hardly tell it used to look like this:

I'm Losing Her...

2007-02-15T08:31:00.000-05:00

I'm losing my baby girl.

I always knew she was her Daddy's girl. They have a special bond I could never duplicate. She sees me all day; I'm old news. I'm big and immobile; the Daddy can get down on his hands and knees and play. I do most the disciplining since I'm with her most. All these things contribute to her preference for the Daddy over me. Except at night. She has always pushed the Daddy away and wanted me to put her to bed. This is partly why I never encouraged weaning. I always said I'd let her decide when she was ready to stop. I loved being the Chosen One for one small part of the day. Yet, in the back of my head, I knew this time was coming...

The past two nights, my baby girl has pushed me away and clung to the Daddy at bedtime. We've tried this before - thinking it would be good preparation for when the new baby boy comes. She has always gone willingly to the rocking chair with the Daddy, but then, upon discovering it wasn't playtime, would scream and cry for the Mommy. Which made my heart swell. The past two nights, she has not. My heart has deflated. She has successfully gone to sleep with the Daddy. I am no longer the Chosen One.

I always knew they grew up too fast, but this is ridiculous. She's not even two yet and I want my baby girl back.

The Disgruntled Bundle

2007-02-14T20:30:00.000-05:00

After the first snow storm, we had to wait a week or so until the weather finally warmed up (above 20 degrees) enough to see what Olivia thought of the snow. I already had a sneaking suspicion that she wouldn't like it. The first day it snowed, she would cry at the sight of it. Since then, Josh had taught her that it was called "snow" and that one should be excited, not afraid, about it. So she would point to it out the window and squeal. But if we got too close...

Well, we decided it was time to get close. After all, GMOM had bought her a lovely snow suit for Christmas, and Josh had talked me into buying an inflatable toddler sled that currently had only seen use zooming around on our carpet with all sorts of different stuffed animals and dolls in tow.

So we started the bundling process:

Olivia was okay with it at first. She likes getting dressed up. Plus, she had her juice sippy. That makes all things better.

By the time we got to this point, though, she had run out of juice and was getting rather hot. Please note the scarf - personally knitted just for Olivia by her Auntie Sassa. (I have gotten compliments on it whenever I go out, Sassa!) And also, note the Wal-Mart bags on her feet. Why buy boots until we know for sure she likes the snow, right?

Yeah, she didn't like the snow. She would just scream and cry in that sled while Josh pulled her along. So I came up with the brilliant idea of going to get the baby doll and taking the baby doll for a sled ride to show just how safe it was. As soon as I put the baby doll in the sled, though, Olivia rushed over and immediately rescued her. We tried putting Olivia back in the sled, and it worked this time, now that she had her baby doll to cling to. She still never once smiled. But she had stopped screaming.

Look, I'm having fun...

Josh is having fun...

Joel is having fun...

Olivia is crying.

So we go back inside. We take off all the many outer layers of warm, protective clothing...

And Olivia promptly climbs back onto the sled, without her dolly; and with a huge grin, demands that Josh take her for a ride around the safe confines of the apartment.

She's So Blue-Hoo-Hoo*

2007-02-14T10:26:00.000-05:00

Due to the recent blizzard:

Josh didn't have to catch the 6:48 bus this morning and we were able to sleep in until *gasp* 8:30 because Olivia didn't get up until *gasp* 9:00!!

So what did we do with our free morning of no class? Josh made blueberry pancakes! And Olivia set the table:

Olivia loved the pancakes:

Ok, so she really just loved the blueberries:

But our free morning is over and Josh has finished digging our car out with the popcorn bowl, so it is time to take him to school (he can't get any studying done here; wonder why?), and then pick up the final ingredients to his v-day present. :-)

*That's from VeggieTales; for the uneducated among us.

Truffles!

2007-02-10T15:58:00.000-05:00

I was going to save this for a Valentine's gift to Josh, but he got impatient and I had to make them early. :-) To be fair, Josh helped out a lot with the rolling and coating and general messiness of this project. Don't they look yummy? Yeah, they're gone now.

Olivia Learns Personal Hygiene

2007-02-10T15:31:00.000-05:00

It is not uncommon anymore to find Olivia walking around with Q-tips sticking straight out of both her ears. I would have a cute picture of such, except I said to her, "Oh, baby, you only need one!"* And she promptly put them both (very used-looking) back in the bathroom drawer. I'll be ready with the camera next time...

*I know it's unwise to let toddlers walk around with things sticking out of her ears. I'm familiar with the nothing-bigger-than-your-elbow rule. I do tell her not to do this - it's just so cute and she also does manage to get quite a bit of wax out.

NOT What a Pregnant Mom Needs to Read...

2007-02-01T13:50:00.000-05:00

So I was checking out the world news today and found something that made the prospect of childbirth scarier than it already is.

Check out this baby!

Meet the Basketball

2007-01-29T21:53:00.000-05:00

To Register? And Vote!

2007-01-27T22:52:00.000-05:00

What is acceptable in today's culture? Do I get a second baby shower? I don't need any big things. We have the crib, the pack n' play, the car seat, the stroller, the toys, the bouncer, etc. What we don't have are baby boy clothes. I've heard it's acceptable to have a second shower when you have a baby of a different gender, which is our case. Well, in all honesty, we had a good Christmas and Old Navy had a great after-Christmas sale. So our baby boy will definately be well-clothed for the first three months at least. So I guess what we'd need more than clothing is diapering necesities. I haven't spoke much of it since we started last January, but we use cloth diapers. It has saved us a ton of money, and it is so much better for the environment. But speaking of money, we started when Olivia was six months old - so we have nothing for newborns. Well, culturally acceptable or not, I registered at a few online cloth diapering stores for newborn supplies. And Ashley took the time to teach me how to add those links to my sidebar. So I thought I'd explain what they were and why they were there. If you find it culturally unacceptable, then ignore them. I promise I won't be offended and will love you anyways. Especially if you were one who gave us baby boy clothes at Christmas. :-)

And on a different note: Jeremy has FINALLY gotten the old voting website up and running. This baby boy needs a name, people - and he needs YOU to choose it for him because his mother can't make up her mind. Keep in mind these factors:
1) I like multi-syllable names - preferrablly three syllables, but I can live with two.
2) I like names that are not in the top 10.
3) I like names that are easily spelled. He's going to spend his entire life spelling out his last name - give him an easy first name!

Olivia Plays the Piano

2007-01-27T19:17:00.001-05:00


Olivia loved staying at Gammy and PopPop's house over Christmas break. One of the things she loved the most was the piano in the living room. She would climb up on the bench and just start playing... making sure to hit all the keys, of course.

Get to Know the Homemaker in Me!

2007-01-24T19:58:00.000-05:00

Stolen from Onward and Upward

Aprons – Y/N? If Y, what does your favorite look like?
I have two - my Pampered Chef apron which is denim, and a white apron with my name painted on in big green letters with daisies decorating the letters. Larissa made if for me as a wedding present. By the way, Larissa, was that washable paint? I've never washed it for fear of ruining it, but it's getting kind of gross...

Baking – Favorite thing to bake
Cookies! Chocolate chip, peanut butter blossoms, buried cherries, sugar, ginger, snickerdoodles... is there a bad cookie?

Clothesline – Y/N?
We wouldn't have a yard to put it in. We have two drying racks that are constantly in use (we don't use the coin operated dryer to save a $1.25/day).

Donuts – Have you ever made them?
I'm sure any donut I attempted could never measure up to a melt-in-your-mouth-fresh-from-the-conveyor-belt Krispy Kreme, so why bother.

Every day – One homemaking thing you do every day
Sweep the kitchen floor - after every meal! Such is the life of the mother of a toddler.

Freezer – Do you have a separate deep freeze?
We barely have room for our appliances as is! But I would love one.

Garbage Disposal – Y/N?
Couldn't survive without it!

Handbook – What is your favorite homemaking resource?
The only one I have is Crystal's blog - Biblical Womanhood.

Ironing – Love it or hate it? Or hate it but love the results?
Since we line dry everything, I just give wrinkles clothes a really good shake and they usually dry so that we don't need the iron. I'm also not sure where the iron ended up with the last move...

Junk drawer – Y/N? Where is it?
We used to have one in the kitchen, but this apartment doesn't have enough drawers (only three!) So the contents of the junk drawer got put in a small tupperware bin and resides in the storage closet within easy grasp.

Kitchen – Color and decorating scheme
Color? Your typical apartment kitchen - cheap fake wood cabinets and cupboards with white walls and linoleum floor. Is there any other kind?

Love – What is your favorite part of homemaking?
The feeling of accomplishment when the day is done, the house is clean, and the people I love are well-fed and happy.

Mop – Y/N?
Once a week.

Nylons – Wash by hand or in the washing machine?
I rarely wear them, but when I do I usually throw them in the washing machine

Oven – Do you use the window or open the oven to check?
I always look through the window first, but decide that doesn't give me a good enough view, so I open the door.

Pizza – What do you put on yours?
Meatlovers - I'm so healthy.

Quiet – What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
I'm an AIM addict. It's my social interaction time. When Olivia's awake, though, I only get one or two words typed before I'm pulled away. Naptime is usually spent entirely in front of the computer.

Recipe card box – Y/N? What does it look like?
One of those cheap >$1 plastic index card holders from Wal-Mart. But more often now, I use cookbooks and I have a menu that lists all my favorite meals and the pages where I can find them - sorted into meat categories (i.e. chicken, pork, beef, etc.).

Style of house – What style is your house?
Apartment on the second floor. We get the heat from the downstairs neighbors and the noise from the upstairs neighbors. It's a two bedroom recently equipped with a washer hookup ;-). It's 965 sq. ft. with one bathroom.

Tablecloths and napkins – Y/N?
I'd love cloth napkins! But right now we just have placemats.

Under the kitchen sink – Organized or toxic wasteland?
It's organized - except for the conch shell and random vase it's all cleaners.

Vacuum – How many times per week?
About 2 times, maybe more depending on how messy Olivia is.

Wash – How many loads of laundry do you do per week?
I do one per day, sometimes two. Rarely any on Sunday - It's the Sabboth! :-) (More like, the family's all here and I don't feel like doing it).

X’s – Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?
I should more often - I'd get more done!

Yard – Y/N? Who does what?
No yard to speak of. We do have a balcony. We split the resonsibilities... we both do nothing.

Zzz’s – What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?
Either a load of diapers so they can hang dry and be ready for morning or the dishes if I've waited til the last minute (heaven forbid!)

I tag Jes! :-D

My Husband Loves Me (and This Apartment) So Much...

2007-01-24T08:02:00.000-05:00

In an effort to persuade me not to move, Josh has illegally* installed our washing machine.

This is our dining room before the washer. It's a little messy because Olivia was awake, so my apologies. I have found it's impossible to keep the floor picked up until she is asleep Oh, and Josh left the milk out. The kitchen is to the left, I was taking the picture from the living room. Oh, there's Olivia's head! Can you find it?

This is the view from under the sink. The 1x4 board had to be attached to the back of the cupboard, and the metal tubing was all his work as well. (The board is there for the tubing to be attached to). He says this was the hardest part, purely because of the lack of elbow room while he had to manuever all this.

Here is the only damage he had to incur. He says it's fixable, but he most likely won't bother with it when we move out. I say, they should pay him for his efforts, and when we leave, they can up the rent, advertising their one and only apartment with a washer hook-up. Those are the hot and cold water pipes, by the way.

The hot and cold water pipes then run the length of the cupboards. He has since attached them more securely with brackets.

And this is our new laundry room/dining room/reptile room. It's a little bit of a tight squeeze for now, but we plan on eventually moving the reptile bit into Olivia's room, but that requires rearranging her furniture. For once, we're thankful we have such a tiny table! Oh, and I forgot to point out that there is a drainage hose going along the back of the counter (you can just barely see the beginning of it - it's black). At first, Josh had cut it so that it went to the first of the double sinks. But then, we found out that sink doesn't drain fast enough. I found this out one morning when Olivia was being particularly clingy and fussy. She would NOT let me leave her room. She would yell at me, pull me back in, and then shut the door. When I finally escaped, I went to the kitchen to check the new washing machine set-up and found a quarter of an inch of water covering everything; it had even gotten into the cupboards. So I cleaned it up, and when the washer drained again, I realized the problem, and had to hold the hose so that it would spray into the other sink, where the garbage disposal is. That sink drained much faster. Josh had to buy a 79 cent adapter to connect that hose to another hose to make it long enough to go to the other sink. He still hasn't trimmed it down, so it's about 2 feet too long and gets in the way a bit when I am rinsing off the dishes. But it drains! Whoo hoo! I have a washing machine again!

So it looks like we will not be moving to a townhouse. But I've come to the realization that I really do like our one floor apartment. I just wish it were on the bottom floor and that no one lived above us. But I like that I always know what Olivia is up to, and I'm always just a split second away. I like that I don't have to go up and down stairs to go to the bathroom or put things away. And now our apartment is cheaper, since we don't have to pay $40 in quarters each month for laundry. Although, we'll see how much the water bill goes up next month.

*We honestly believe we are actually not doing anything "illegal." We have read nowhere that tells us we can't install a washer. But we also didn't ask permission for fear of being told "no."

here i am

The Natural Mommy Bids Farewell to Blogger

Overcoming Demons

Car-Back-Massager-Thingy Giveaway!! *EDITED* *AGAIN*

Last Minute Decision

Two New Words

Frugal Fridays: Free CD

Guess What I Just Did!

New Domain Name Options

Wipe Your Feet

Input Requested: My Own Domain

Works For Me: Grilled Cheese

Two Year Check-Up *Edited*

You Know What Hurts?

Lost Puppy *Edited*

Note To Self

Onion

Why?

God Provides

How to Write a Title When Blogger Doesn't Want You To

Big Smiles

Hard To Believe I've Only Known Her Two Years

In Anticipation of Things That Have Already Come and Gone

$10.48 of Unbudgeted Toddler Expense

Milestone

To My Amish Playmates

A Powerful, Accidental Prayer

How to Survive on a Grad Student's Stipend

Vacation Pictures

Another Cell Pic

Multimedia message

Why the Multimedia Messages?

Multimedia message

Multimedia message

Biiiiiiiiiiiig Baby, Big Baby, Big Baby

Dear Anonymi

Matthew 5 on Laundry

Dear Anonymous

Nuh Uh (In the Mature Voice of a 7th Grader)

"Storing" My Dirty, Unsanitary Laundry on the Balcony

Our "Unsightly" Attempts to Save Money

Can Forwards Really Bring Down Gas Prices?

Again With the Downy Ball...

Quick Pics

I Won - Here's Livi

My Own Rain ... Child

She Shares

Post-Partum Praises

Benjamin Update

Of Course

More Easter Pictures

Easter Family Portrait

My Genius Little Mute

Twenty-Three

Benjamin Pictures!

The Timeline

Benjamin David Zapf

baby's here!!

Still Here

Contractions

Everyone Else is Doing It...

The Five Love Languages

Complete set of results

Information

Am I Missing Something?

Little Thief

My Celebrity Look-alikes

When Toddlers Do Laundry

Change Is Good!

Is My Child the Only One...

Pockets

How Do You Teach Sharing?

Happy Due Date To Me

Anger Management

Who Needs Words?

I Give Up

Terrible Twos

Bah. Nothing. Nothing At All.

Is My Child the Only One...

My Own March Madness

Car-Back-Massager-Thingy Giveaway!! EDITED AGAIN

Two Year Check-Up Edited

Lost Puppy Edited