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.

Lights are on...

..candy is in hand, but where are the kiddies??
As I was driving home from the craft fair this afternoon, looking forward to a much needed nap, I started to feel a little tinge of guilt about leaving all of the lights off in the house and hiding inside while the kids go from door-to-door trick-or-treating. It's a day of a community, when neighbors actually get to meet one another and come over, if for no other reason, than for free candy! So, I decided my nap could wait, and I went and bought an 8-pack of Twix candybars. We've never been home before on Halloween, so I wasn't sure what the turn out would be and if I'd need a lot or a little...and I knew I didn't want to house a ton of leftover candy, so my little 8-pack is keeping the guilt at bay. So far, I haven't had a single costumed kid to oohh and ahhh over.

Craft Boutique!

A friend of mine is hosting a craft boutique at her house this weekend, and I am one of the "vendors" selling my crafts (mainly sandwich/snack bags and coasters). Tonight was the first night (it's also tomorrow and Sunday), and it was a fun evening. Several friends and family members came, so it became more about socializing, and a little less about "making sales" which I like since I'm not much of a sales person...although, sales were good too...I think that comes hand in hand with having friends and family members there perhaps. I'm going to spend a little bit of time tonight making a few more things. If you live in Tucson and would like to come, just give me a call and I'll give you the address. :)

WARNING: strong opinions may follow

I'm a little confused as of late.
I thought one of America's slogans was "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness".
Why is it then that I don't feel like I have the right to any of those three things when I am denied affordable health care time and time again?
I am denied because I'm of 'child-bearing age'.
Or, even harder off, because I'm pregnant now.
Somehow that makes me feel like I do not have the right to life.
I'm not allowed life with health care while between the ages of 18 and 35.
I'm not allowed to procreate and bring forth new life.
I'm not allowed to live as healthy of a life as I possibly can.
And, what liberty is there in stressing over whether or not to go to the doctor because I'm not sure I will be able to afford it?
Not getting the meds we need because we definitely can't afford them?
Not having the freedom to take care of myself and my family?
Perhaps one may reply that I should then get a "real job" as so many like to phrase it.
Do you even know how hard we work?
How many hours a day I put in on the road and off the road?
And does that even matter, I was told I had the "pursuit of happiness". Can't we pursue our dreams, where we feel God has directed us?
Or, does it really all have to come at a cost? A cost that is literally so high I don't think we can afford it. We can't afford it financially, but moreso, we can't afford it because we know that God has more for us.

Now, many of you may be thinking, "I thought you had health insurance?"
We do.
Up until recently, I was paying for $431/month for just ME to have health insurance. Why so high? Because I'm of "child-bearing age". But, its not like we could have kids once we started our insurance plan with them, no, we had to have a "6 month waiting period before conception" first to make sure that we had put enough money into their company to cover the costs of having the baby. Why not just get a savings account instead? Well, what if we go in a car accident, or diagnosed with something serious? I don't think our "baby fund" would have been able to cover the costs of those things. But, now I'm starting to wonder if the insurance company would have covered it anyway. In the past 2 months, I've received over $1000 (after my insurance company denied them) in lab bills from my pregnancy, I have yet to receive any of my ultra sound bills.
Fortunately however, I was able to get insurance through a state-run program called AHCCS recently, and all of those bills I've been able to re-direct and have covered 100%. I don't think I've had this good of health insurance since I was under my parents' plan in high school. I feel like I can go to the doctor, get the "recommended" lab work for pregnancy, take prenatal vitamins, etc. My plan is for pregnant women, and will come to an end two months after the babe is born, but the baby will be covered for the first year of life. After my two months, and the baby's year, or search for health care we can afford will resume once again.
I'm just one person, with one story...there are 47 million others living all around us struggling to get health care they can afford.

Week 18!

It's hard to believe I'm almost to the "1/2 way" point of this pregnancy! Even though it's been hard at times (morning sickness, liver acting up, migraines, etc)...I'm loving it. It's just so amazing to learn how the human body works and actually can create new life! I'm constantly amazed at how one day I'll tell Ryan, "I think I have allergies", and the next day we'll read online that during this week of pregnancy I will likely experience a lot of stuffiness due to increased mucus in the body, etc. I feel like that has happened numerous times in regards to various things, however "my pregnancy brain" is causing me to forget all other examples right now. I don't necessarily think you have to be pregnant yourself to experience this, for my friends who have adopted, I'm sure the process of learning about your baby's growth and development, has given you a similar appreciation of the miraculousness of life!

Now for some much requested belly photos...
10 weeks:


13 weeks:


17 weeks:


My belly from my perspective (why I think I'm so huge!):


My belly from Elisha's perspective (our friend's son):

In the oven...

...is Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes and I can't wait until the timer goes off in 20 minutes. I know this might sound like an early promotion for something I've never even had before, but I've been licking the spoon that I used for stirring, and I already know they are going to be a smashing hit. :)

As for the Vegetable Beef Soup I bought all of the fancy root vegetables for, it was alright, but not worth blogging the recipe. Part of it could have been the fault of the cook, as I did try to spice it up a little with my own additional seasoning. I'm still on the hunt for a great traditional Vegetable Beef Soup recipe...feel free to share if you have a winner!

Thanks, but no thanks

Why is it that as soon as people ask my due date, they then reply with, "Oh, does that make your baby a(n) _____________ (insert astrological sign here)"? Followed by some sort of head nod that means they now fully know what our child's personality, interests, where they will go (if they go) to college, and profession will be. Arghhh...this has become a major pet peeve for me.

It is my request for people to allow our child to show you who they are. I know several people born within the same astrological sign whom all have different personalities, interests, etc. I don't believe that an astrological sign, day of the week, phase of the moon, or certain Chinese year will determine who our child is. I believe that the love they receive, the freedom to grow they are given, and and whom God has created them to be...will all factor in to who our child is. Please feel free to participate in giving them love and the freedom to explore.

Home!

We are back home, and though the weather is hot compared to what we've been experiencing as "fall weather" everywhere else, it is nice to be here. I recently read "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan, and was totally angered by our food industry, but also super motivated to eat a larger variety of vegetables, as well as meat that has been plant fed instead of grain fed. My goal is to try to buy a new green leafy veggie a week and find a recipe that calls for it. Today however, I got carried away with new root veggies after finding a recipe for Vegetable Beef Soup. If it comes out well, I'll share the recipe here later in the week. :)

(parsnip, rutabaga, celery root, and parsnip)

In preparation for coming home, I decided to make a list of all the things I love about Tucson. I'm so often dreaming of living everywhere else that I too often forget to remember what I love about Tucson, and new things I'm looking forward to exploring here. And, above all of that, it doesn't matter where I live, as long as I have Ryan at my side.

In no particular order, what I love and am looking forward to about Tucson:
-great walking and hiking trails
-the Rillito bike path
-going to the White Mountains to celebrate our belated anniversary
-using the clothesline year-round
-Birth Center classes to look forward to! (p.s. I got to the hear baby's heartbeat for the first time today!!)
-cheap movie theater
-The Tucson Botanical Gardens (and the great Cafe there)
-Bookman's trade!
-Friends/Family
-Running and lifting partner
-F5 Game Nights
-Mountain Movers Small Group
-Winter is when all of the good weather outdoor fun begins in Tucson!
-"Here and There Africa"...a new project I'm helping out with at church

Right now sunlight is pouring into the house and I'm listening to Ryan G. and roommate Ryan write music...totally loving it.

Sunriver

Our day off in Sunriver was absolutely wonderful! Cameron went into Bend for the day to hang out with some people he had met at the show, which gave Ryan and I had a day all to ourselves. We spent the day riding (our) bikes around the 35 miles of bike trail throughout Sunriver...along the river, into "town" to go to the grocery store, surrounded by deer...it was lots of great quality time and felt like a little honeymoon in the midst of a 7-week tour.



We spent the evening playing cards next to the fireplace, and then making a hearty dinner (Shepard's Pie) with brownies for dessert. The guys watched the documentary, Tyson, and I suppose I did too, although I also got a nice nap in for part of it. :) The movie was interesting--very sad--I don't know that I'd recommend it, but it did give an interesting background on why Mike Tyson decided to go into fighting.

Today we are driving into San Francisco. It's quite rainy, and I hear it will only get worse as we drive further into the city. But, that's okay...we have good friends waiting for us there...and a warm place to stay. :)

M'oregon...

Last night Ryanhood played a show in Bend, OR at this great non-profit bookstore that sells books, crafts, and art about and by people from Africa. I loved it. So did they. We might be moving. Just kidding. (refer to previous post.)

Right next to Bend, OR though is this amazing national forest with the town of Sunriver. And, it just so happens that one of our friend's parents has a vacation home that they rent out here...and they are letting us stay in it for free! When I went to check us in at the rental agency office they confirmed us for 2 nights, and I (being the strict tour manager I am), said, "No, we actually can only stay one night, we'll be checking out on Monday." But then we got to the house...and I became weak and decided to not stay two nights would simply be crazy...so I called the office, and we are back to our original "reservation" of 2 nights. Our day off was going to be in San Francisco, but instead it will be in Sunriver. There are bikes in the garage and 35 miles of bike trail that we are about to go explore. This is more than a little gift, and we had no idea what a treat it would be...Thanks Katie and Steve (and Mr. and Mrs. Dobson!!).

Just for some snapshots of the house:
(We love the fireplace, and have had it lit whenever we are in or near the living room.) Please also note the gorgeous tree with red and orange leaves outside the window...oh, I love fall!


Ryan making breakfast...


More tomorrow on today's adventures! :)

Oh-regon...I think I love you!

I seem to have many love affairs with cities we travel to. I immediately start to picture what it would be like to live there...and then next thing, I am talking as if we are moving next week. Ryan is patient with me in this regard...he even seems to get a chuckle out of it, for example we were at this great bookstore/venue last night and I said, "I could spend A LOT of time here"...and his next question was, "Are we moving here?". "Maybe".

We spent this past weekend in Portland. Before we even got there, I was pretty sure I was in love with it. I just had this envision of it being a big city/small town feel filled with earth-loving, friendly urbanite hippies who love good food, public transportation, riding bicycles, original music, and don't wear make-up. And, that is exactly what I experienced there...I loved it! It's not far from the ocean. They have an incredible Farmer's Market that even has fresh meats for sale (my new kick is to try to find more free-range grass fed meat to buy). Part of the public transportation system is totally free! And, if you'd rather, you can walk almost anywhere. The streets are numbered or in alphabetical order, so there is no getting lost for me when I go out running. And, they have Powell's Book Store. For those of you in Tucson, it's like Bookman's, but on steroids. It is 4 floors and covers an entire city block...it's awesome.

We stayed with Ryan's friend from childhood, Samir, who is doing his med-school residency in Portland. He made Turkish coffee to go with breakfast. I love that he owns this "Turkish Coffee Set"...although I'm convinced it might really be a child's tea set and some one fooled him. :)


The Farmer's Market...



And, our friends Mira and Eric who live there met us for some delicious coffee and hot cocoa! Thanks for taking time for the visit...soo great to see you!!