Showered with more love...

While in Michigan last weekend, my family threw me a wonderful baby shower! Friends, aunts, great aunts, cousins, neighbors, everyone was there...THANK YOU!

Here are some photos...

Kelsey, Abigail Marie holding baby Abigail Marie (yes, it's true...we have the same name, and I'm pretty sure it was totally after me, even though her mom's first name is Marie too. :), and Kelly


Cousin Julie, second cousin (is that how it works?) Lucy, and Aunt Alta...


Nieces Lydia, Haleigh, and Alyssa...


My mom, niece Emma, and niece Lizzie...


And now for an up-to-date belly shot... (please ignore my facial expression and just look at the belly)...

Home...for a day...

This morning I flew home to Tucson...it's actually quite hard to believe right now that I woke up in Michigan this morning...wow, long day.
And tomorrow, we'll be moving out of our house so that our renters can move in. Along with that means that Ryan Alfred (our housemate) will be moving out and getting a place of his own. I'm sad that our time of having a housemate has come to an end. Ryan Green is playing banjo right now and Ryan Alfred on guitar...a great jam session happening in the dining room...I'm going to miss their regular impromptu musical gatherings at about this hour most evenings that fill our home and make it feel so cozy.

In other news, I had my first international reusable sandwich bag sale today!! Someone from France placed an order on my etsy site! The only problem, is that I never expected to get an international order, so I didn't have an international shipping rate...and well, they paid the usual $2 shipping, but I'm pretty sure it is going to cost more than that to send. Oh well. It's fun to know someone in Nice, France will be snacking out of a little house creation.

And...on Thursday Jana and Libby arrive for Thanksgiving!! Can't wait to have you both here!

Boston Baby Shower Photos!

Here are some photos from my shower last weekend!

SURPRISE!


Ryan talking with Peter, Claire, and Ellen...dear friends we met while street performing at Fanieul Hall.


Kids at play!


Ryanhood burpcloths (and onesies!)...


Charlene!



THANK YOU!!!

A day with the fam...

After the movie last night, I spent the night at Nichole's...and then spent the full day over at her house with the kids today. Such a treat! Here's a little photo collage of our day...(Alyssa was there too, but napping during the photo shoot)...
Lydia cutting out letters to iron on to a t-shirt...

Roger drawing...

Lizzie chasing after everyone...

Emma frosting cupcakes...

And, Emma posing in front of the "Thankful" banner we made together...

So thankful for a day with family!

In Michigan...and New Moon!

Last night (or this morning rather) at 12:01am, I attended my first midnight movie showing ever! And I'm not just talking movie at the movie theater...I mean like movie anywhere, even at home, starting that late at night. I'm pretty much guaranteed to fall asleep during a movie even if it starts at 10pm usually. But, somehow I never even had a "long blink" throughout the entire movie. I went with my sister and my two oldest nieces, Lydia and Alyssa. And, of course we had to make shirts for the event...


As one might expect, the theater was packed over an hour ahead of time with people waiting in line to get seats together as soon as the doors opened...the photo is a very small fraction of the zig-zagging line...


And, as also might be expected the theater was 98% filled with female middle school, high school and college students. Which, was quite entertaining. Any scene that had Jacob or Edward shirtless provoked lots of yelling and cheering. I can honestly say I've never had a movie experience quite like it. A great night...thanks girls!

a long way from home...

Last night after our show in Connecticut, we drove 30 minutes for a spontaneous visit to see our friend Branco from Uganda! He is the one who started Bitone Home for Children. He's currently living in the US on a Fulbright Scholarship getting his masters in music composition, and then will return to Uganda in May of 2011 to work with the kiddos (that we simply adore!).

Branco and Ryan on the couch in Uganda (with Stephen and Roscoe on the bench)...


Branco and Ryan in Connecticut last night!

Lovely Day!

The weather here has been GORGEOUS! We are catching the beautiful tail end of autumn.
Photos from our walk home from church yesterday...






After church, we had plans to go over to our friends' place for lunch, when lo and behold an entire condo of friends were waiting there to surprise us with a baby shower! It was so nice to see soo many people from various walks of life here (and Kolleen and Doug who drove up from Connecticut!)...we felt super loved!! Thanks to all of you who were there "showering" us and our little one with your love! I can't wait to introduce our babe to all of you, our family here, next time we visit! (I got carried away with mingling and didn't take photos during the shower...soon I'll get some from others who did and post them...but for now here is one!). :)

Ryan, me, Charlene (our Godchild), Liz, Martha, Orla, and Will (the organizers of the shower!)

Cozy day...

We had big plans of waking up early and going to the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art) in Boston today. The family we are staying with has a membership, and they always have great exhibits. BUT, it's raining out, and the fire place is lit...so staying cozy inside is the plan for now instead. Although, I do have plans for a walk with a friend in a little bit...however I think we are going to change it up and sip some warm coffee somewhere indoors instead. For now...a little rest and hibernation before the show this evening.

A couple of things that have me laughing right now:

1.) Ryan, Cam, and Stace all on their Macs in a row...(clearly Stace is looking at something quite interesting)...


2.) Our friends that we are staying with, their neighbors wifi name is "steal me and get herpes"! It makes me laugh everytime I go to get online and see that.

Miracle!

Today I had the fun experience of spending time with Miracle, a friend from Albion that I didn't know very well in college. But, through facebook had learned she moved to Boston and we've been in touch since then (via wall posts). We, along with her 2 year old daughter, Elsa, went to the New England Aquarium, which by the way is a very cool place for kids! You can hold the starfish & crabs, watch the seals get their teeth brushed, etc...very cool. Then, we went back to her house and had lunch and spent more time chatting. It was fun to talk and see how much in common we have now, and also relate with one another's experiences of moving across the country (in opposite directions...she moved from Berkeley, CA to Boston and I from Boston to Tucson, AZ). AND, she's due with their second baby just 3 days after me. :)

The lady of the hour...

Tonight I had dinner with MO! Mo and I were roommates during the year Ryan and I started dating and got engaged. And now, SHE is getting married next month! I'm sad that we aren't going to be able to make it to D.C. for her wedding, but so glad I got to have dinner with her and her fiance, Carson, tonight. I had my camera with me and intended to take a photo tonight, but forgot, so instead...here's a photo of Mo in our apartment in Boston from 5 years ago!


p.s. Just to clear up any confusion on the knitting swatch I showed in my last post...the yarn is actually orange, even though it looks pink in the photo. We are waiting to find out the gender. :) Exciting news on the baby front though...we've been feeling lots and lots of kicks the past couple of days! I'm actually excited about going to bed at night because I know as soon as I lay down the little one will wake up, and I just love being able to feel the movement inside of me.

Oh Boston...

Just before I left the house, Ryan A. (our housemate) asked if I would mind if he set up his studio in our living room for while we were gone. Of course I didn't mind...and I was so glad I didn't so that I could get a glimpse of how he transformed it...the picture really doesn't do it justice.


Yesterday morning I got on the plane to fly to Boston!!! Although Ryan has been here a lot in the past few months, I've missed out on all of those trips due to my arm swelling, needing to drive the van, etc.
After everyone had boarded the plane yesterday and was comfortably seated just waiting to take off, the pilot came on and said, "There has been a question of my sobriety so we are going to have to wait until they can get someone here to give me a breathalyzer test, depending on the outcome of the test, this may delay your flight today." Huh? Was he really lacking confidence that he'd be able to pass his breathalyzer test?? It was quite humorous to me that it was the pilot himself telling us all of this information. Turns out he (as well as all of the flight attendants) passed the test and we were able to fly out to Boston.

And, so glad I was able to get here, because this is what I had waiting for me at 'home' in Cambridge...good company and a yummy candlelight dinner by the woodstove.


I spent part of the flight sleeping, part reading...and part KNITTING! I've been a crocheter in the past, but to be honest, crocheting doesn't always have the same cute patterns available as knitting. And well, there is a really cute pattern for knitting diaper covers that I want to try to make! For all of you knitters out there...feel free to join me as I learn some new knitting skills and knit some wool diaper covers! Ravelry has a lot of free patterns for diaper covers, or there is also one for $6 called the Vanilla Soaker that is uber cute.

Here's my start at just making a gauge swatch...


Some may wonder, "Why use wool?" when making diaper covers...
Here's some fun facts on wool that I got from another blog...

Why do we use wool? When we were making the decision to cloth diaper, it was very clear to me that if I was going to commit to it, I would need to "go all the way" -- using only natural fibers. I have known lots of cloth-diapering mamas who can't stand wool covers and really love their PUL and other synthetic ones. But for me, that's just it. They're synthetic. Since I only wear natural fibers, and since my children only wear natural fibers, it never made sense to me to put something synthetic in the diaper area. Wool diaper covers do take a bit of extra work -- handwashing -- but they are breathable and most often very soft. It really is the wonder fiber -- soft and amazingly absorbent. Wool can absorb 35% of its own weight before feeling damp. Once a wool diaper cover is broken in, I find that we never get any leaks at all. It's also naturally antibacterial, and breathable -- unlike the synthetic fibers used in other types of diaper covers, or even disposable diapers.
Isn't it scratchy, irritating, or hot? The types of wool generally used for diaper covers are not as scratchy as some commercial wools. The owner of Green Mountain Diapers says that she used to consider herself to be allergic to wool before she encountered "diaper wool". My children -- even James, who had many allergies and sensitivities as a baby, and the horrible eczema to go with them -- have never had problems with irritation or sensitivity to their diaper covers. Also, the actual cotton diaper is between them and the majority of the cover. Wool is definitely an insulating fiber. However, it's breathable, and so less hot than other diapering options. We haven't noticed our babies being particularly sweaty!
Are they a pain to clean? No. In the rare occasion that poop gets on them, I just take care of it right away (or as soon as possible), rinsing it and using a bit of mild olive-oil bar soap on the spot. Otherwise, we wash (and re-lanolize) them about once a month. Because of wool's antibacterial properties, they really don't get stinky! Here are the washing instructions I have been using for many years.

Life around the house...

Here are some random photos from life at home over the last couple of weeks...

Ryan is definitely ready for kids! :)


Happy 11th Birthday Rachel!


I caught a glimpse of my belly in the mirror...and had to take a photo!


I leave for Boston tomorrow where I'll meet up with Ryan (he flew to Arkansas yesterday for a show). So excited to be back in 'our town'!

baby green...

Here are our most recent ultra sound pictures! The babe was 10 ounces and looking healthy. :)
profile...

sweet little feet...

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus!

My sister asked me to email her this recipe, and then I thought...why don't I just blog it? So, here it is for all of you...my favorite hummus recipe!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
1 - 15oz can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 - 3.5oz jar of roasted red bell peppers, drained
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1.5 T Tahini
1/2 T olive oil
3 T lemon juice
1/2 t. curry powder
1/4 t. cumin
1/4 t. coriander
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

1. Drain garbanzo beans, reserving 1/8 C liquid

2. Place garbanzo beans, reserved liquid, and remaining ingredients in food processor (or blender). Process 2 minutes or until very smooth. Cover and chill for 2 hours. Serve with pita wedges or tortilla chips!

It's official...

Our baby loves Ryanhood music! Last night I felt it kick for the first time while Ryanhood was playing a house concert. :)

chuckles...

I feel like there are so many little things that happen everyday that I find to be totally funny. A friend of mine often leaves little anecdotes of fun things her daughter says, and I love it, so I thought I'd share some things I've heard others say that have made me laugh over the past few days.

Yesterday I was working at the Tucson Botanical Gardens as a job coach in the cafe. I brought out an order to a mom and her 2 year old son. About 10 minutes later I came back to check and see how everything was, and the son started to say something, but then decided to whisper something in his mom's ear instead. I waited around since I could tell he was still wanting to say something to me. After whispering to his mom, his mom said, "I don't know, why don't you ask her?"
The boy then asked me, "Do you know what the word scrumptious means?"
I told him that indeed I did know what the word scrumptious meant.
He then replied with, "Because this food is scrumptious!"
My favorite part of this story is that he first felt the need to check in with his mom to know if my vocabulary was as large as his to know what the meaning of the word "scrumptious".

Last night we had our first Centering Class at The Birth Center! It is a free 10 session class covering all sorts of issues about pregnancy, child birth, breast feeding, parenting, etc. There were about 10 mothers (and their partners) there last night, all due within a month of each other. The topic for the night was "pregnancy discomforts". My favorite was when we were talking about how a lot of us are having really vivid (and sometimes bizarre) dreams right now. One woman said, "I had a dream the other night that I birthed a litter of kittens." Then, another woman about jumped out of her chair and said, "ME TOO!". Followed by another woman saying, "I just had a dream where I was nursing a kitten." It was so great...thankfully there have been no birthing or nursing of kittens in my dreams (yet).

Vaccinated!

After much debate about whether or not to get the H1N1 vaccine, I decided I was for it. The thought of getting H1N1 and it affecting our baby while knowing there was something I could've done to prevent it just didn't feel right for me personally. My getting the vaccine was in effort to protect our family.

The problem since I made this decision though has been that the vaccine just hasn't been widely available, at least not in the injection form which is recommended for pregnant women. Ryan heard a 2-second clip on NPR the other day though advertising a HUGE vaccination clinic consisting of 6,000 H1N1 vaccines (5,100 injection and 900 nasal spray) at Tucson Electric Park (our minor league baseball stadium) to be held today from 1-7pm. We went this afternoon, waited in line for 1.5 hours while sipping FREE bottles of cold water, looking at lots of cute kids and many cute pregnant mamas...and walked out vaccinated...all for free...Thanks Pima County! :)

Having a baby in America...

Last night I, along with a few other friends, took 6 Bhutanese women to Target to register for their baby shower which we are throwing for them on November 14th (sadly, I won't be in town for the shower).

Bhutan is located just south of China, nestled between Nepal and Myanmar (Burma). A quick history of the country (this may or may not be totally accurate as it is coming from my memory of what I was told last night, and well, I'm not one for recalling history all too well...especially when a language barrier is involved). The Bhutanese refugees were originally mostly from Nepal. However just a little over 100 years ago, they were kicked out of Nepal and told to go to Bhutan (why this is, was a little unclear in translation, but I think it had to do with what 'tribe' or 'religion' they were). Then, just 17 years ago, Bhutan chased these people out of their country at gun point claiming they were Nepalese and not Bhutanese. So, they were forced to return to Nepal, and though Nepal at one point was their "home country" they were made to live in refugee camps. The refugee women I met last night had all lived in the camp for the past 17 years before coming to Tucson anywhere from 2 months to 1 year ago.

I don't think the ridiculousness of how many unnecessary items Americans buy could have been seen better than at Target last night. I was downright embarrassed at times explaining what little gadgets and comfort items are for. For example: diaper bags. Why do you need to buy a special bag to put diapers, a change of clothes, bottles, etc. in? Can't we just use a bag we have at home already? Or, a potty training seat...with decorative frog toilet seat covers nonetheless? How about the leashes we put on children to make sure they don't run away in the mall? Or, special hooded towels that come in smaller sizes? They definitely couldn't understand why Americans often use cribs and why people would have their baby sleep in a separate room than them. Or the need for baby monitors, as if they will ever be far from their babies. Though, I must admit that a lot of these little comfort items we have are cute...and some I'm even looking forward to myself, it was a good reality check of needs versus wants.

I think a lot of these women are rightfully scared of having a baby in America. One woman I talked to had two children before moving here, both at home with the help of her mother-in-law. The thought of being in a hospital is beyond frightening. Fortunately one of my friends that was with us at Target is a Labor and Delivery nurse at UMC, where many of these girls will deliver, so she is going to meet with them and go over what it is like to have a baby in the hospital and hopefully prepare them as much as she can before they deliver. It would be great too if she is working and can be their nurse when they deliver.

If you are in Tucson and have any baby items that are in good condition but you no longer want, please let me know and I can pick them up and pass them onto these women, I know they'd really appreciate it! Or, if you want to buy something off of their registry, you can look them up by "VI" "CH" as the first name initials and last name initials.