tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69412253679611489872024-03-05T18:03:07.015-08:00The Chemist's ChroniclesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger115125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941225367961148987.post-24705861420669298162015-08-23T17:31:00.003-07:002015-08-23T17:31:24.814-07:00June 2014I'm still plugging away, plodding very slowly actually, at recapping
the past 15 months. It takes me weeks to build up the motivation, then
10 minutes to throw together the post.<br />
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Basically, June
was quite similar to May. We were tired zombies but BB was a cute cute
cutie!! If I had not been so dang sick from the mastitis, and so
incredibly tired-hemorrhaging is a beast to recover from-things would
have been perfect! Yes, it's like I just can't resist throwing in a plea
for sympathy. I'll probably do that up to about the year posts and then
I'll get over it :) Even with my health problems things were pretty
amazing with out little BB. Owen was just a few months into working at
Qzzr so his work schedule was crazy but BB and I would go on walks over
at the parkway in the morning before it got too hot (so like crack of
dawn) and at Wheeler Farm in the afternoon. I have to laugh because I
would walk for about an hour, and the distance I would go I can now
easily walk in like 10-15 minutes. Yikes, recovery is rough. By about
the end of June BB started getting on a good schedule and we had a good
routine. I think BB slept about 18 hours a day and I might have been up
there pretty close to that. I'm out visiting Lauren and baby Charlie
right now (post soon to come) and it's so funny to see how Charlie makes
a little peep and it freaks her out-I was so totally like that. BB
never cried and if he even fussed it was like the world was coming to an
end I would get so worked up. For the month of June BB was still
sleeping in our room, getting up about twice a night, napping great
during the day, we discovered the amazing swing-that is the best
investment you can make, and ran the vacuum for hours at a time :) I
don't know if I mention this in the past post but BB for like the first
month would peep out of all of his diapers (bc his idiot parents did not
tighten them enough). So we were changing him into different pj gowns
like 5 times a day. If he ever even got a drop of spit up on his shirt
(he was not a spitty baby much) we also changed his clothes. My older
sisters would just look at me in disbelief and just say, just wait a few
months, you are not going to change over that amount of spit up then.
There were a few terrible explosions (one on the green couch on a towel
comes to mind) but my neighbor introduced me to oxiclean and all was
well. Today Charlie had an explosion and now there is a mass washing of
bedding going on-we had our share of those. I suppose we had very clean
sheets :) <br />
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BB's nursery. Thanks to Fred and Kristy for the wallpaper! :) Scraping all the texture off those walls really paid off. :)<br />
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I so loved the Kissy Kissy outfits, they are soooo soft :)<br />
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We were such tired zombies. In fact, I barely even remember the first several months of BB's life!<br />
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I'm pretty sure this was the day BB met Shirley, Johnna, and Mckenzie. As previously mentioned, that was the first shower I took while home alone with the beebster bc he spit up all over me :)<br />
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This was the party that Elissa told me about burping BB :), love this outfit <br />
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The day BB met Pud. He was sleeping with his arms out like this for a long time :)<br />
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BB wore these pjs from Tina B. forever bc I loved them so much! Eventually they turned little shorts. This blanket is from Elissa's mom's store.<br />
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BB and Gideon :) I think Gideon was about two weeks old. These two are 6 weeks apart and, naturally, will be best friends for life. :) BB also loves Jamo-kneeling above-he calls him Ben Ben. :)<br />
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Tiny baby owl hat from Elissa :)<br />
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This is prob the first pic (one of only a few for the first several months) of me and BB, I should have taken more!<br />
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One of my first outings with BB was to babysit these guys for like an hour. He was prob 6-7 weeksish. I was so overwhelmed trying to feed him that I did not see Xanadoo writing all over Erika's checkbooks :)<br />
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I love tub photos :)<br />
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Loved this onesie from Katelin-she helped host a nautical baby shower.<br />
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He has had the most amazing cowlick from the day he was born.<br />
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I did not realize (I'm writing this in Aug 2015) that we started TV (see Ipad in the background) sooooo early!!!! Aaaaahhhhh, BB is doomed!!!!!!!!!!!! We are loser parents sometimes. :) He used to like nursery rhymes on youtube during tummy time. This is also his "once, when I was a little girl" (quote from O's grandpa) dress. I always laugh that he had this purple sleeping gown-it was actually for boys I'll have you know. It was super soft material so he wore it all the time. Plus, I love those gowns, so easy to change them.<br />
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Oh my word he's such a jolly baby!!!<br />
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Prob my first (and only) selfie. This was BB's first time looking in the mirror. He loved it, but ever since he has had very little interest in mirrors. (I thought babies loved them?). I suppose he is too busy to be vain. :) (It's hard to write comments without my emojis these days, this should have a smile with the tears coming out).<br />
PS this has become my uniform. This summer I even have a tan line where my exercise pants end. My sisters and I have been laughing about it all summer-the terrible uniform of my black pirate t shirt and pants, but seriously, I need to spruce it up. If I'm going to get such great use out of it I should step it up and go to lulu lemon! <br />
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BB loves to be outside. I used to sit in the porch with him outside when he was fussy and he just loved looking at the trees. When O would come home from work sometimes we would sit outside and eat dinner (on the front porch, weird of us but the back yard is tooooo sunny, I have umbrellas this year though) and it was just quite theraputic for us tired zombies. I would look around the neighborhood which looked just the way it had before I had BB and think how crazy that everyone was just living their normal life and this wild thing-having a baby-had happened to us. It was quite comforting to think that one day you feel totally normal about it all :)<br />
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Trying on his blessing outfit-have you ever seen anything so adorable!?!?!? Erika was holding him and he promptly burst into the biggest crocodile tears after I took this-I have no idea why, but its funny because he has this thing about crying really dramatically whenever Erika is around. :)<br />
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We went to church! I thought I better get back to the primary piano. I got sick again with mastitis though and other than this week, the blessing week, and one or two other weeks BB did not go back for a long time-well, he started going the third hour to YM with O. We would rotate who stayed home the first hour, then O would stay home the second hour, then take him to YM. Actually, I think last Sunday was his first time going to the three hour block after this (that would be Aug 2015)!<br />
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Tummy Time! We seriously lived on my bed, good thing its at least a king, for the first 6 months of BB's life. We hadn't had the main floor painted, did not have furniture on the main floor (other than the kitchen table and the green loveseat), and, the basement has yet to be redone. It was a lovely room to hang out in but I'm sure loving the living room these days :) glad we got that all finished!<br />
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Loved this outfit!! I got this for him at our Girls Vegas Trip before he was born :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941225367961148987.post-23392269002952673032015-07-30T13:25:00.001-07:002015-07-30T13:25:18.662-07:00Benny Has Arrived! Month 1Benny is here! I started this post when Benny was born and just wrote a few notes each week. Now, 15 months later, I'm trying to get back into blogging so I can organize all of BB's photos. So I'm now going to very roughly recap months 0-15.<br />
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Born: May 2, 6 pm ish <br />
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For several weeks after coming home I was sooooo upset that I (a) had not taken many pictures in the hospital (though fortunately other people took a few, which proves that people came to see me even if I was sailing so smoothly on pain killers I can hardly remember), (b) did not straight away put up a picture and an announcement on facebook, and (c) I did not ever get to go to the hospital cafeteria, order pizza, or get a celebratory Dr P. or D.C. Sadness (a) is actually real, sadness (b) is very much ridiculous (don't worry, we eventually put up an announcement on facebook :) ), and sadness (c) demonstrates that I was quite extraordinarily obtuse going into this whole thing. <br />
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So, onto fabulous BB!<br />Sunday evening: we arrived home. We could not get Benny to eat (all he wanted to do was sleep) and we were petrified!!!! We ran around like crazy people all night long, called the doctor at about 3 a.m. (he told us to.... give him a bottle :). That never occurred to us! Also, I have no idea why it did not occur to me to call Liz who was no doubt home baking cupcakes or something wild, night owl that she is. Why though does the hospital make you feel like giving a baby a bottle will ruin them for breastfeeding forever? All in all, worst experience yet has got to be the first evening home-killer scary!<br />
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Monday morning: we race to the pediatrician. Dr F. thinks O and I are the most high strung parents in the world and tells us to take a nap. :) At least we got slurpees, a breast pump, and wingers sticky chicken finger salad on the way home. Benny slept all day and my pain killers were so effective I thought perhaps this was all going to be fine. hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha<br />
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Monday afternoon: Elissa came over with encouragement and helpful tips on breastfeeding. I was all jazzed and ready to go, but quickly became panic-stricken when things went downhill that night. We returned to the bottle. (Should have stuck with that bottle. There's always next time I suppose.)<br />
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Tuesday: We were loving those tiny bottles :) However, we decided to once again try the breastfeeding thing. Amazingly enough, my neighbor (did not know her super well at the time) texts to ask how things are going and lets me know she is a lactation specialist. We enlisted her help immediately and would never have gotten back on track without it! (though now looking back perhaps I would have been better off staying off track...) She came over several times over the next two weeks to help us out. (people-on the internet just kept saying, if you are having problems breastfeeding, don't give up, just keep trying! This is soooooo not helpful)<br />
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After about two weeks I looked like an 80 year old ex-playboy bunny (I had this super saggy stomach and the most ginormous bosom imaginable). It would have been hilarious had it not been so (a) incredibly painful, (b) awful looking (dressing a large chest "modestly" = uniboob), and (c) downright depressing. I'm going to need some serious plastic surgery to repair me to a normal looking human. Now, 15 months later and post breastfeeding, I can barely contain the skin that hangs down to my belly button. My sisters laughed when I told them swimwear is simply indecent on me these days. Jokes on them as two of them have just had kids. In short, I do not relate to those people who post all these articles about how amazing and proud people are of their real post baby bodies. One eyebrow goes up and the other goes down when I see those articles.<br />
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Week 1-2: At first I was holding BB at night while he slept. Consequently I got rather little sleep myself. Then I had my first taste of mastitis on Mother's day (about a week I think) (I'm sure I'll do an entire post on poor me and mastitis). We also tried to put BB to bed in a pink little bassinet we borrowed from Boo (O felt awfully bad for BB in that pink little thing). At about week 2 BB started sleeping in a bouncy/wiggle chair in between O and me in bed (good thing we have king bed, still very uncomfortable though!). At about week 6-7 we busted out the swing (should have started with that!). He loved the swing and slept there (we just turned on white noise and it would take 2-5 minutes to fall asleep) until about months 3.5. By then he started getting tall so we moved to the pack and play in our room. For about the first 4 months BB slept in our room and we kept the bathroom light on so we could just peek over at him and make sure he was OK all night long. Looking back, I'm not surprised we were (and still are) such exhausted zombies. :) Week 2-7 BB woke up about 2:30 am and 6 am. He would sleep one long 6 hourish stretch at night starting at about 8 or 9 pm. Then he would eat about every 3 hours during the day. At month 2ish the pediatrician told us to just do a cry it out. It took one night, BB cried for about an hour (I sat in the bathroom and let the water run I was so distraught!) and after that slept great. However, with the constant mastitis I started having to get him up to eat at night. At month 6 I stopped breastfeeding and we did the cry it out for a night again. We then had a few weeks of good sleeping on BB's part. Then were hit with the flu and nonstop colds/ear infections/teething/who knows what else for months 7-10 and BB generally got up once a night. :( (at about a year we did the cry it out again, fortunately it only ever takes one night of about 1-2 hours of off and on crying, and BB has been sleeping through the night since ever since. He goes to bed at 6:30 and gets up at 6:30-rather hellaciously early. Lets just say no one calls me angel of the morning.)<br />
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Back to week 2:<br />
We got two week pics and I could not even stand up for more than 15 minutes at a time during the session. O was on his phone with some work thing and the photographer had to keep moving BB bc I had collapsed in the corner. I'm sure he thought we were weirdos. <br />
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At this point I could not think of any songs to sing BB except for twinkle twinkle little star, She'll be coming round the mountain (I read a funny article about how dads don't help much in the labor and delivery stage except sitting around singing that song so it was stuck in my mind), and then all sorts of cowboy sort of songs, like someone's in the kitchen with Dina, I've been working on the railroad, etc. Once I heard O singing the ABCs to him and I thought, "thats a goodie" and added that to the repetoire, along with Baa Baa black sheep (the song we always sing when he goes to bed). Finally, BB started watching youtube nursery rhymes at a few months old and I learned all the normal songs (albeit with a few grammer errors and an accent) to sing. <br />
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I wrote a quick note to myself that I love the newborn stage!! I must have been on drugs. :) I do however feel sad that I missed BB's first couple of weeks when he was soooo teeny tiny and sleepy. I barely remember them. I was so exhausted from hemorrhaging I guess. I also wrote that when he sleeps I miss him and want to pick him up and hold him up. I still feel that way. :) My tiny tyrant. :)<br />
<br />Week 3-mastitis again. I have no emojis on my computer to express the terribleness of mastitis so this will have to sufice. :(<br />
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Memorial Day: First smile. He was wearing a onesie with a little fish sewn on it (from Lauren and Theresa Dahle) and it took about 10 smiles to believe it was real!<br />
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About 4 weeks: at a family bbq-Benny was fussy and I could not figure out why. Elissa picks him up and gets a bunch of burps out. For some reason, I had never burped him. That seemed to help his fussiness. :) Also at week 4 BB spit up on me one day, majorly. Shirley, Johnna, and Mackenzie were coming down to see BB and so I was forced to take the first shower while home alone with BB. That was great! BB loves the sound of the water so after that I would sit him in his blue bouncy chair while I showered or had a bath every day. Nice to have a few minutes of self time!<br />
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After 4 weeks of hanging out in bed (thank heavens for my mom-how do
you have kids without one!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!) I sort of rejoined the world
of the living and took BB on a few painfully slow walks at the parkway. I
seriously did hang out in my bed all day. I would go down the
stairs-all 4 of them- once each evening and gather up all my snacks and a
huge cup of water for the next day and then would hardly get out of bed
at all-baffling that this was real. I would not believe it if I had not
written this while it was happening! Luckily for me, BB, named Po at
the time, was a super sleeper.<br />
Though there were a sprinkling of
goodish days, I felt pretty much awful for the first year. For the
first 5 months I could only wash my hair every other week! Having kids
is quite the killer experience. 15 months later I still look at people
with more than one child and just blink... blink..... blink.... in
amazement! <br />
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BB's umbilical cord finally came off. He loves the tub! We have very few activities so we did a bath every day.<br />
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Week 5 1/2: Started crying (had not done much of that before). It turns out he was tired and he HATES being rocked or held when he is tired. My mom said this was just like Jordan. When he is tired he we would just put him down in his bed and he was so much happier. Ever since discovering this BB has been a pretty happy lad, on the worst days he cried about 10 min (spaced throughout the day). Even better, one day Erika was getting ready to show her house and we rushed over to help her get it ready. I was vacuuming and he felt right asleep. Vacuum turned off and he woke back up. Turns out, BB loves the vacuum! We started running the vacuum at our house for hours at a time. It was quite brilliant that we could turn it on and he would fall right asleep, but a bit of a pain to have it on forever. I tried sound machines and recordings but nothing was like the real thing. Extra good thing that my mom has the same vacuum in Idaho. Whenever he would wake up at night, we would just turn on the vacuum and he'd go back to sleep. At some point I ended up weaning him off it but it was probably at like month 8 or 9. :)<br />
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Week 6: Benny got a name! I think it took us 6 weeks. For all that time we just called him Po :)<br />
BB's schedule at this point is eat (takes about 45 minutes bc he is a lazy man eater and falls asleep while eating), read nursery rhymes for 15-20 minutes, then sleep until 3-3.5 hours from when he last started eating. Most of the time he lounges around with one knee propped up, opens his mouth, closes his eyes, and I feel like a little satyr, fanning him with palm fronds. We've taken to calling him T.T. (Tiny Tyrant) bc we run around and do everything he wants while he sits in his chair and glares at us. Sometimes he looks at us like "I'm going to sleep but don't you dare think of relaxing".<br />
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Week 6.5: I felt like I had a real turning point here. I started figuring out BB's schedule which helped quite a lot. This was also when BB started cooing and really came out as a social butterfly. He may look like my doppelganger but he is O to a T in some things!<br />
At this point I actually started thinking one day (not one day soon but just one day) I might actually recover. that thought turned out to be premature :)<br />
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hospital pic<br />
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hospital pic, they gave us that cute hat :)<br />
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first pic<br />
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hospital visitors<br />
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ride home from hospital. So tiny!! We forgot to get him dressed so they just let us take home the hospital t shirt. We were loser parents at the beginning :)<br />
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We went home and put him straight into the crib. I don't think he got in there again for about 5 months :)<br />
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first time wearing an outfit. Mother's day dinner. The was also the first baby outfit I got for BB, from my mom for Christmas.<br />
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pink bassinet.<br />
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burbing him, such a funny face :)<br />
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my mom would get him dressed when she came over. He was so tiny it was hard to get his little limbs into clothes!<br />
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This is the funniest face ever :)<br />
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Pud made me this blanket<br />
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Same outfit, just one Sunday later. What a different a week makes!!<br />
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cutest face!!<br />
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we were always soooo tired! I'm so glad the newborn phase is over!<br />
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love this face!<br />
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visit from the Grandparents<br />
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the swing-such a lifesaver!<br />
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tiny little baby!<br />
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first bath! On memorial day after building the garden box in the back yard.<br />
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first smile! Memorial day<br />
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tummy time<br />
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I loved all of these little outfits <br />
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T.T. look.<br />
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hospital<br />
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hospital, good thing I took my everywear capelet to the hospital, its the only thing I used!<br />
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Teensy baby!<br />
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prob the only pic of me and BB the first month :)<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941225367961148987.post-8806755933081067322015-04-06T19:17:00.000-07:002015-04-06T19:17:04.649-07:00Newborn photo shoot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We had BB's newborn photos taken at fotofly when he was about 2 weeks old. The photographer was so wonderful! (Especially nice since O was on the phone most of it with a work issue and I could barely stand up I was so worn out by the end!) I wish I had taken my elastic off my wrist but other than that the photos turned out wonderfully. :)<br />
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This was our announcement photo<br />
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The photographer was very into these little bowl/Moses pictures. BB was too tall for the boat thing so he looks rather uncomfortable and I'm not much of a hipster so I prefer the traditional photos anyway. I should have just told the photographer not to work so hard on these but we got plenty others that I love anyways :) <br />
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I must admit this one is pretty sweet though :)<br />
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I told the photographer I liked the ones where the baby is squishing their cheeks up with the hands and they look like sleepy little puppies. This was not exactly what I was talking about, but they turned out really funny and cute :)<br />
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We love our little bunny!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941225367961148987.post-55559755518144688152015-03-29T20:01:00.000-07:002015-03-29T20:01:25.000-07:00The HospitalI would have happily stayed in the hospital forever :)<br />
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On our way to the hospital. Basically, I never took any prego photos. Bad time to start when you are in labor. I was too uncomfortable to bother getting ready. :(<br />
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I was very much half dead here<br />
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This was the reason for no FB photos. You see all those pics of lovely people in the hospital with their hair done and all-here is the reality. And this was actually the next day!<br />
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The hospital put this little hat on his cone head :)<br />
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I brought my everywear capelet to the hospital (that blue fuzzy blanket). I totally forgot until I saw these pics but I'm now recalling what a stellar move that was. I love that thing :)<br />
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We should have kept with the binkie. Advice to all new parents: keep the binkie! And don't you love the blanket?!? Prince George has the same one. :) Thanks Lauren and Erika!<br />
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We have a huge family and were so lucky that so many of them were able to come visit us in the hospital! The hospital send me a card after and one nurse said we must be very loved if the constant stream of visitors was anything to go by :)<br />
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I was on lots of pain meds (and they super work on me!) so I could barely remember any of this so I'm glad we got pics of some visitors! Just FYI: O's Iphone camera appears to have a ding in it :( good thing he has a new phone!<br />
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If you have a newborn baby I hope you know Elissa. She is not scared of them. She still gives me lots of advice!<br />
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O was quite the host extrodinaire! He ran around fetching drinks and snacks for everyone. :)<br />
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These two had a baby girl just 4 weeks later!<br />
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And these two had a baby boy just 6 weeks later! <br />
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O super loved this chicken broth. He even took a pic so he could order it online. :) It was probably the only thing I ate the whole time I was there.<br />
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Boo-I do not know where you and Ava are but I assume you were there somewhere :)<br />
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So tiny in his car seat! I'm sure we brought clothes for him but apparently we did not put them on. <br />
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On our way home<br />
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Just the sweetest :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXMw59o7-4yo9GPtc0Q6Vu89go_Mu6Ee4UhaG9lHi-gTPp0kQv__XdHmG3eTFkEbBCbRzlTNS12436VJaNMygihwfv9wylHsEK24qWr5bWhtkJMCMy990AYgF2Q13T9hvJZmM4EYYP5w/s1600/IMG_0545.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941225367961148987.post-88466523607682438232015-03-25T20:41:00.002-07:002015-03-29T19:54:23.470-07:00Baby B's Birth StoryBaby B's birth story<br />
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I never thought I would write up a birth story because a) it is a lot of info (though I loved reading other people's experiences before I had B) and b) because I was positive it would go something like this: arrive at hospital, get epidural, watch a movie, push three times, get baby, the end (thanks Boo for the false idea here). Things turned out quite different than I had imagined and, as I am already forgetting most of the details, I thought I would write them up to remember (though perhaps forgetting is not such a bad idea :) ).<br />
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About 2 1/2 weeks before my due date I was dilated to a 3. My doc told me I would likely not make it to graduation which was the Friday (a week before my due date)) and that she did not expect to see me at my next appt (the following Monday). She also told me to go straight to labor and delivery if I started having regular contractions, even if they were not painful. (Up to this point I had been having lots of braxton hicks contractions but they were not painful, only annoying.) This news put me on high alert. I went home and cleaned my house up, went grocery shopping-thinking this was my last chance to stock up for the next few days (hahahhahahahahaha, if only I realized then that the recovery is not a matter of days...) and took a nap. Well, not overly surprising, I did not have a baby that night, or the next, or the next. Though I did continue to wash my sheets every single day (I wanted to have all the laundry done before I left) and O continued to eat the food (mostly chips and crackers) that I bought every day that was to be for after this baby came. :) Well I made it to the next Monday appt. Thursday I was happy to find myself at the commencement ceremony, however, I was also feeling a little worn out from being on high alert thinking this baby was coming any second. By that evening I thought-I got to wear my cap and gown, the baby can come now and I will not be overly sad about missing graduation tomorrow. Then I heard that Cafe Rio was catering our family graduation party (four BYU graduates in the family that weekend) and I realized I had better wait until Friday afternoon. :)<br />
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Friday morning-went to graduation, and it was all I could have hoped for :) glad I made it and glad I made it to the Cafe Rio party-so fabulous!<br />
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Saturday morning-woke up to extremely regular contractions! what perfect timing! :) after about three hours of regular contractions (not painful, just present) we went to labor and delivery. I was thinking "this cannot be labor, it does not hurt", however, things were consistent. After an hour in the hospital guess what, I was not in labor. The nurses looked so sad for me, they wanted to know if I wanted to walk the halls for a bit. Me, not sad one bit, I was happy to have another few days. I was still not uncomfortable enough to want to face labor and delivery :) and I was not due until the following Wednesday anyways. We went out to Chick-fil-a and I made O swear not to tell anyone about our false alarm trip. (of course I told everyone about an hour later, I was so mad at myself for going to the hospital! I was triply mad when I found out that those false alarm trips are rather costly! O of course told me not to be crazy :) ). I did decide then and there that I was not going back to labor and delivery until I was scheduled for an induction or I was practically dead-I was not about to have another false alarm.<br />
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Sunday: The final milestone. The April Birthday dinner! I had finally convinced everyone to go in with me on my fav chicken cordon blue for our birthday dinner and I sooooooo did not want to miss it! I made it and it was every bit as fabulous as I could have imagined! I was mortified at church however when everyone kept saying, no baby yet! in either a slightly accusatory or so pitying way that I told O I was absolutely not going back until the baby arrived. I kept thinking-It is not even my due date yet, stop harassing me!<br />
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Monday: went to doc (she was surprised to see me yet again). She told me an induction would be scheduled for a week from Wed (so one week from my due date) if I did not go into labor by then and started trying to convince me that this was a good idea. I was like "I'm all for being induced, not a problem for moi" I cannot imagine why she would think that I would go a week over my due date and then not want to be induced. She also told me she thought I would go into labor before then. Again, I'm not sure why everyone was so hopeful for me to go into labor naturally, I have zip problems with being induced, in fact, planning the thing seemed like a good idea to me. You can arrive ready.<br />
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Tuesday: O tells me he "cannot take it anymore" (yes, that is correct, he cannot take it) and that he could not be on high alert any longer and he was just going to plan on the baby coming on a scheduled induction the following week. I was thinking a)"you cannot take it?!" and b)"I don't think you can plan these things."<br />
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Wednesday: due date, no baby, so tired of doing laundry and cleaning and grocery shopping that I have by now given up. Also, starting to feel really really really depressed for myself because I had suddenly developed major stretch marks. Because I never had any until about a week before my due date I thought I was out of the woods. Instead, I started realizing I was ruined forever. <br />
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Thursday: Went to E's and we all helped her assemble her mini trampoline (twice in fact, as the first time we put some pieces together incorrectly and did not catch it until we tried putting the pads over the springs, that made for some really frustrated people :) ) and then dinner at O's bro's house.<br />
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Thursday night: for some reason could not sleep all night and was feeling more and more depressed about those stretch marks.<br />
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Friday morning: woke up around 5ish feeling uncomfortable. Took a bath around 6. O was timing the contractions but as they were mild I was not about to consider them labor. 9 am: they were pretty consistent and more painful than the braxton hicks things I'd felt previously, however, still not painful enough to not talk through etc. O suggests we go to hospital, I said no way. Instead, we went to the non-stress test we had scheduled. I thought sneakily that perhaps they could tell us there if I was in labor so that I could avoid a second false alarm. We went to the test and they suggested we go downstairs to see if it was labor-they could not tell us for sure :(<br />
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Friday around 10: entered labor and delivery, again, I was feeling like a complete idiot. We went to a room, they checked, guess what-I was in labor after all! I was at a 6. They acted very happy for me.<br />
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We walk down the hall and get a room. Meet the nurse, check again, 7. I decide I want some water (I had not eaten or had anything to drink much because I had felt nauseous that morning) and to take a bath and watch some project runway on my ipad before I get the epidural.<br />
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It is now Jan 2014-approx 8 months later. Sadly, though I wrote up the rest of the story in extremely gory detail, it appears not to have saved. I'm going to speed write the rest of the details below-ignore any grammar and punctuation problems. :)<br />
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So, we got all checked in and I hung out in the bath watching project runway for a few hours. Things seemed to be going quite all right! The nurses and my doc were rather surprised that I was doing just fine sans epidural, which left me delighted, thinking that perhaps I would actually survive. By about 1:00 I started feeling a bit ill so I got out of the bath and threw up a few times-it turns out you should not drink loads of water, epidural or no. By this time I was at a 9 and I called for the epidural. I am no fan of pain and there was no way I was about to push without being properly medicated. I have heard horror stories of epidurals but mine was no big deal, the doc came in, poked in a little needle, and was done. I think it took like 2 minutes and I was not having a prob with the contractions so there was no prob sitting still. He did tell me that since I had already gone so far without one he would do a light epidural. Therefore, I could still move my legs just fine, a relief as I have heard countless times from K that no epidural is soooo nice bc as soon as you have the baby you can get up and zip around. (I have no idea where you would zip around to though.) As soon as I got the epidural I did think "now O is not even going to feel sorry for me"! Probably the worst thought ever. I assure you, I never again want things to go so badly that everyone feels sorry for me. Ten min later I was at a ten, then they had me hang out and do a rest and descend thing for an hour and O zipped out to the car to get our bags and things.<br />
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At 3:00 I started pushing. I could feel the contractions just fine but never had the sense that I needed to push, however, when a contraction would come I would think, "I'm going to have a giant Dr Pepper in a few min, huzzah"! Or, "I'm going to have pizza, yay"! And then O would hand me my blue raspberry (my favorite) ice chips. After about 30 min, the nurse says, "I can see the head"! So I kept on, wondering when they would call in the doc. After about an hour some puzzlement began to set in. O asked about how much longer the nurse estimated and she said perhaps an hour. AN HOUR?!?!?! I thought they were seeing the head! Plus, who has ever heard of someone pushing for two hours?!?!?! Sadly, it's actually very common. So while my Dr P and pizza floated off into the distance, they brought in a mirror to bring reality much closer. The only purpose of the mirror is to depress you completely-a head, maybe, if my child is the size of a mouse. I took one look and knew absolutely that I was going to have a c-section! We pushed away for another hour. I was no longer wishing for Dr. P, just waiting for the hemorrhoids to pop out before my very eyes. The third hour my doc came in. While my lovely labor assistants, the nurse and O, had been quite nicely encouraging, my doc was a bit more like a football coach and I quickly stopped worrying about the damage being done to my nether regions and pushed like you cannot imagine (not much good as I was rather exhausted already). At some point around 3 hours, they started worrying about the baby's heartbeat and they told me I had two more pushes before they would use forceps. I think they asked me about forceps vs a c-section but I was so brutally exhausted and positive that I was dying that I'm sure I practically screamed my acquiescence to the forceps. I actually truly did scream when the forceps were employed. I actually started thinking, "oh no, I am that woman Preston told me about!!" Preston had told me that when Liz was having her first baby there was a lady next door that went natural and was screaming and it really scarred them just hearing it. It was one of the main reasons I was never in a million years going to not get an epidural.<br />
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So, there I was, screaming away for two seconds, and then it was over. O says baby B was screaming before he was even all the way out, shocking as he is actually quite calm. :) Baby B was born around 6 pm-ish, weighed about 7 lbs and 15 oz, and was about 21 inches (that is actually a complete guess) long (I will check for the official time and weight and all for the next post). I'm a bit hazy on the details of what happened next (combination of exhaustion, pain-forceps are unsurprisingly damaging, and drugs) but O assures me I held baby B for a few minutes. After that I mostly remember lots of people buzzing around (NICU people stopped by bc of B's heart but turns out there were no probs, yay!!!!, the doc trying to sew me back together, a new anaesthesiologist dropping by and numbing me soooooo completely that I was nothing but a floating head, repair work commenced once again, being wheeled upstairs on a stretcher, floating head depressed beyond measure that I had been soooooo numbed that I was clearly not getting up any time in the foreseeable future, O disappearing with the baby that I had yet to really actually see to the nursery, feeling desperately thirsty, floating head very embarrassed that I could not aid the two nurses in lugging my body off the stretcher and onto the bed (I was well and truly numb), feeling shocked that things had gone so poorly, feeling very worried that I was terribly damaged (a line my friend once said "she looked like hamburger down there" kept haunting me), basically wondering how I was ever going to recuperate, and relieved beyond belief that it was all over. Hahahahahahahahahahahaha. Why does no one tell you how absolutely horrific the recovery is?!?!?!?! Oh yes, because they want to trick people into having kids. :)<br />
<br />
A few minutes in my room and nurse one notices I'm still bleeding a lot. Nurses 2 and 3 come in and give me 4 types of drugs to start clotting. Then they start punching my stomach, and I am being entirely serious. For the first time, I am sort of glad I'm just a floating head. I cannot see much but I do have ears and it is somewhat alarming when they say they need a bigger scale to weigh all the blood. I start thinking "TMI peeps, I'm sitting right here". Docs 1 and 2 come in, with 2 being a somewhat large guy who begins aggressively 'kneading' my stomach, to put it rather mildly, while asking me if I need more morphine. "No, I'm just a floating head", I respond. By this time I'm shaking uncontrollably, which makes it very hard to get my blood pressure, and I keep apologizing while they try both arms and both legs and different cuffs etc. They tell me, not a problem, I'm just going into shock from blood loss. Well, to me that seemed like a problem, and hearing that you have lost enough blood to send you into shock is likely to send you into double shock. There I am, nudy me, bc who knows where my gown went, and though they
keep trying to nicely drape a little washcloth over my bosom it keeps
sliding off while they pound my stomach. If I had not been so worried
about dying I'm sure I would have been horrifically mortified. However, my thoughts were otherwise occupied. I actually thought "oh no, I cannot die, I have told O too many times that it would serve him right if I died in labor (only bc he had been so insensitive and said "women have kids all the time, no big deal" more than once), plus, I cannot leave O with a brand new baby all alone!!!" So, while I'm wondering if I'm dying (I've always had a dramatic bend I suppose), Doc 1, the lady in charge, gets a sterile gown brought up from surgery and puts her arm inside me up to the elbow! If that is not enough to make you scream nothing will. Every 5 seconds people are asking me if I'm in pain etc but I'm still just a floating head from my 2nd epidural (which clearly saved my life because there is noooooooo way you can survive hemorrhaging without one) and on morphine and cannot feel a thing. At some point I decide I'm not going to die, in fact, I had a definite feeling that things will be OK. Into this scene walks O, the nurses rush him out and tell him that he is going to see some alarming things and then bring him back in, trailed by the baby in the rolling container cart. I cannot imagine the sight but I'm sure it was not nice.<br />
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Next they decide to send me back downstairs to see if they can stop the bleeding while they prep me for surgery. Nurses come in and ask if they can take the baby back to the nursery and promise they will take such good care of him etc while I'm gone. "Can we take the baby?" I almost laughed at that-I don't even have arms to hold the washcloth over my chestal region, I'm shaking insanely, bleeding all over (at least in my mind, bc I actually could not see anything from my vantage point), dying of thirst, on my way to surgery, ya, that would be lovely if you would take the baby. At this point in my life I had no experience with newborns at all and would likely have sent the baby to the experts in the nursery regardless of hemorrhaging! So, we wheel back downstairs, I once again wonder if I should be alarmed but I had the strongest feeling ever that things were going to be fine bc people were praying for me, (and it turns out people were and things were :) ). Down in labor and delivery it was more of the same old, pounding on my stomach, shaking violently, trying to take blood pressure, poking me with needles, morphine galore, at least, that's what I'm guessing, because I was well and truly spent by this point in the evening. At some point things calmed down enough that they decided against surgery and to monitor the situation instead.<br />
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As things slowed down, O took himself off to the cafeteria for a nice meal. It had been hours, he informed me, since he had eaten. I wish you could see the face I'm making right now, I'm raising my eyebrows extraordinarily high while saying pleasantly "oh really". They still would not let me have anything to eat or drink in case we needed to go to surgery. And it had actually been hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours since I had eaten! (Actually, O got me a little blue ice chip drink right when things slowed down but then the nurse caught it and banned all beverages for the rest of the night before I got more than a mouthful or two!)<br />
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Monitoring is painful: it involved every 15 minutes (for the next several hours) stomach "massaging". I'm using that term loosely. :) For the few hours I was numb but at some point I started FEELING! Not pleasant. I must have snapped mentally because I remember at one point O passed out on a chair and me just whimpering (or screaming or something) in pain as two nurses pummeled my stomach and one nurse said "just squeeze my hand as hard as you can", and I did. The assistant at my dentist used to always say that when they were going to give a shot, however, being generally mentally sound, I never found that necessary. I did see a pediatric dentist for quite a while :) which explains the nice assistants.<br />
<br />
So we hung out in labor and delivery all night, while I was tortured and O hallucinated. At one point there was a call for a c-section and a bunch of people came rushing into the room all gowned up. Scared me to death! Yes, all I need now is a c-section! Panic-stricken, I panted out, "not me, not me!" and they immediately apologized and rushed back out. Then an hour or so later O jumped up screaming where are they, where are they, while rushing out into the hall. Which left me, strapped to the bed, trying to quietly scream to him to get back in here. All I could think was "he is not wearing shoes"! At some other point O went off and brought the baby downstairs, bc he'd woken up to me softly sobbing away that this was terrible and how could I ever do this again and I did not even know what the baby looked like. That, actually, was just an exhausted person rambling, not, in fact, a plea to get the baby. Particularly when he showed me the baby for 5 min, then fell back asleep and left me and the baby wondering what in the world we were supposed to do next! Even worse, a nurse came in and was like "what is the baby doing down here? He is not supposed to leave his floor! How did he get here!" etc. So off the baby went. Around 5 or 6 am we finally were cleared to go back upstairs.<br />
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We got to our room and the nurse asked is she could do anything for us. Oddly enough, when we got to the room the first time I thought "I guess they save the super nice nurses for labor and delivery and you get the more business-like nurses in recovery". Well, it turned out the recovery nurses were sooooo nice and wonderful. I requested water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! O asked for a hospital gown. It turns out, he had brought his hospital bag without anything in it. I don't know why he brought it at all in fact. He was not sure when we left the house if it was the real deal and so did not bother packing (other than his bag that is). He figured he would just run home (we only live 10 min from the hospital) and get his stuff if needed. I totally considered not packing myself and had the same thought, that I could just send O home, so I don't blame him. However, it is beyond strange to bring an empty bag. Sooo, he needed a gown to sleep in. After laughing, the nurse brought him one and we passed out.<br />
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It is also beyond strange to me that at this point I had barely thought about the baby. They told me he was in great health, no probs, and I was like, sounds great. No worries at all. I think if it had been my second or third kid I would have been focused on him/worried about him THE WHOLE TIME!!!! :) But up to this point it was a bit surreal, the idea of having a baby, because I had not really seen him yet.<br />
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The next time I woke up it was to one of the docs sitting in a chair staring at me. That was disconcerting. I went back to sleep only to wake up again to another doc hovering above me, staring intently. I must say, the staff is very attentive at IMC. :) I kept trying to reassure the docs that I was awesome, totally great. What else was I going to say?? Plus, I was on a lot of pain meds and they have a profound effect on me. :) Looking back, my number one piece of advice to everyone: say you are terrible and you don't know if you will live. They might let you stay a few extra days in the hospital. I totally should have thrown my optimism out the window and stayed!<br />
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Later that morning they brought the baby in to meet me. I was still entirely drained and they were going to help me figure out breastfeeding (which is a nightmare for a first time parent) and I could not sit up or anything. I asked O (sitting covered in blankets on the couch) to hand me a pillow and he just threw it over. I'm sure the nurses thought he was the biggest loser in husbandville (not helped by the fact that he remained lounging on the couch throughout the entire tutorial) but actually he did not dare leave the safety of his covers due to his hospital gown not covering much. :) <br />
<br />
The rest of the hospital stay was pretty routine. It was about 24 hours later before they took the catheter out and had me try to get up (yikes, that was awful). Some people tell me how great the hospital food is but I don't think I ate a thing other than chicken broth, I felt terrible. I tried feeding BB every now and then but mostly just sat in a daze or slept. I was pretty much horrified by the whole experience and I kept asking O if my stomach was super bruised and thinking "perhaps I should not have gotten the epidural-did that ruin things, did I make one decision that ruined everything!??!". Basically, I obsessed over what went wrong for like a month. Truth is, childbirth is just pretty awful. It is a major killer in fact. Perhaps if you do not go in expecting to have an easy experience you will not be so let down. :) The second truth is, you actually have to worry about the recovery (which takes months) much more than the labor and delivery. So, don't stress about L&D, it is rather out of your control, and have no expectations for it. Instead, focus all of you energy on planning out your recuperation.<br />
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We did have lots of family visitors which was fun. O ran around and got lots of drinks and chicken broth for everyone. :) I'm glad that I did not plan to have O go home to get my bag because he never even made it out to the car again. It turns out, I needed him around for everything! I could not stand on my own or anything at all. I never left my room (I wish I had at least gone down to see the nursery or cafeteria) but needed him to haul me off the bed and to the bathroom. More importantly, I needed him to hold BB and hand him to me every now and then and to move my tray and hand me water and stuff. He was rather handy to have around. :) Sadly, he accidentally burned my magic bean bag up in the microwave. But it turned out to be kind of funny as when he tried to pull it out of the microwave beans spilled everywhere and he was frantically trying to clean it up as a nurse that had come in several times on him messing around in the drink room came by. :) I pretty much used nothing in my hospital bag, though I did use my
everywear capelet as you will see in pics to come :). Every time nurses
would come in O and I would try to soak in all of their knowledge on
child care. :) O learned several ways to swaddle from different nurses
and had to teach me when we got home. :) BB was super easy going but
when he did cry we were completely at a loss as to what to do. I just
laugh at how clueless we were back then. :) Basically, we learned very
little and when we came home were constantly on the phone to my sisters
or anyone in the world who would give us any advice. :)<br />
<br />
We did not have a name for BB in the hospital. We had gone with about three choices but honestly, the stress of having a child left me in no shape to make a huge decision! Never again will I go to the hospital without a name solidly determined! Also, never again will I leave the hospital without a name on the birth certificate! Because it took us weeks to determine a name (that was the last thing on our minds for the first few weeks, we were so busy just keeping BB alive!) we ended up having to go to the birth certificate office which was a giant pain! More on the name to follow. :) <br />
<br />
We did not take enough pics of our sweet BB at the hospital so word to future parents-pictures, pictures, pictures! Fortunately, my parents came a few times and my dad took pics of many visitors with his camera. O also snapped a few of some other visitors and between them we got a some good ones. :)<br />
<br />
The craziest thing about all of this, now that I have had BB in my life for months, is that I was not just obsessed with BB from the minute I got him. :) I was worried about how I was going to take care of him and suddenly overcome with the knowledge that I knew absolutely nothing about infants, but in the hospital I did not really know him yet. He is such a sweetie and is just the love of our lives! He totally rules our household and hearts now :) I mentioned earlier that this experience would have been very different if this was our second or third or some other child, not our first. It is just funny how you really cannot explain how much you will fall in love with a baby until you become a parent. :) Then, I was sending BB off to the nursery without a second thought. Now, I can barely even leave BB with O on Saturday afternoon without an entire page of instructions and 5 phone calls an hour. :)<br />
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enough of this epic post. Pics to follow!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941225367961148987.post-87446552928720359382015-02-23T20:40:00.001-08:002015-02-23T20:40:20.933-08:00Pregnancy, Labor, and Delivery in PicturesI'm trying frantically to get caught up on the blog (rather extremely unsuccessfully). Here is the pregnancy, labor, delivery, and recovery in pictures (the post about the birth story was just sooooo long!).<br />
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(the story would probably be better if the pics were a smidge better-just enough to speak for themselves-but I will have to interpret :). ) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWk6DbfYPVZF8Ff_FLrXERVxmzED0zBN3DO6dSj8MfnBJpsMf7_YXZ6y3VQfaz0z9zAajwgai6K0vWBSKpsseaZtmKvZMXIQxcFHEb_fI3JcdMAR2aRjrkKOjABvt8CCW0iSOFMaRTHs/s1600/photo+1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWk6DbfYPVZF8Ff_FLrXERVxmzED0zBN3DO6dSj8MfnBJpsMf7_YXZ6y3VQfaz0z9zAajwgai6K0vWBSKpsseaZtmKvZMXIQxcFHEb_fI3JcdMAR2aRjrkKOjABvt8CCW0iSOFMaRTHs/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
Pregnancy: 40 weeks of feeling like this. (left side: (in case you cannot interpret) you are just beginning the long descent (or fall) down into Hades, where you apparently must travel to retrieve your tiny person.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkKotLzyeg7GDAx3yg7uxTx7Oh-K6PurNxiJJRxmrt2m2vgTZTlji3WJbdGgHcJ73ey2BFZBUpQtB8aaAWTfxkEOilU6vsI5gsbBCYElI2v-Faq3HMYEL61fqosVmhWFxCblqVvBSv18/s1600/photo+2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkKotLzyeg7GDAx3yg7uxTx7Oh-K6PurNxiJJRxmrt2m2vgTZTlji3WJbdGgHcJ73ey2BFZBUpQtB8aaAWTfxkEOilU6vsI5gsbBCYElI2v-Faq3HMYEL61fqosVmhWFxCblqVvBSv18/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
Sciatica: it is like being electrocuted or shocked with a cattle prod every time you bend over (which is all the time), or lie down. Left side, in case you cannot tell, those are legs in the air as the person tumbles downward.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGaUd1CqQ4Vt_HkjCE-LqjzUsJDjzAiTjsMk9Un4VahsliJNaIfkn_hKAkiygh-PKpxyMQabXBDe6jy1fWOaKHi1WFbZQ9moVV2oFQiOBZK8wcn94X9BmQkVkk15BkNY_cTGUo7uklsc/s1600/photo+3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGaUd1CqQ4Vt_HkjCE-LqjzUsJDjzAiTjsMk9Un4VahsliJNaIfkn_hKAkiygh-PKpxyMQabXBDe6jy1fWOaKHi1WFbZQ9moVV2oFQiOBZK8wcn94X9BmQkVkk15BkNY_cTGUo7uklsc/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
so the long trek to Hades ends with a fall off the cliff onto razor sharp stalagmites (actually they are little spears disguised as stalagmites to lure carefree travelers to take the jump). Imagine the little points are embedded into the body-that is what my mind conjured up but, sans artistic talents, you have to make-believe a bit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizaNB1qFcJ0SNr3KaH8PBQCayTlTHREB35UsCzNvkT98hgSJAMEKJmyIhc48xsccgTncDqXYeOICPZaHsub9ggfJ2TsZWNksJDV9ja9trLbb1nj3O_MbUd1mOgyIGOAIXtxmHaIeptq1M/s1600/photo+5.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizaNB1qFcJ0SNr3KaH8PBQCayTlTHREB35UsCzNvkT98hgSJAMEKJmyIhc48xsccgTncDqXYeOICPZaHsub9ggfJ2TsZWNksJDV9ja9trLbb1nj3O_MbUd1mOgyIGOAIXtxmHaIeptq1M/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
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Isn't it hilarious when you get a SUPER STONG epidural AFTER you give birth? I bet the nurses heaving the dead weight off the stretcher onto the bed thought so. hahahahahahahaha!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK9Xc_fMMaI5fVxNfszIPo9fqCDfSHAArqYuRBDtBVxJy7jsFP2L9uyre9tUhOe0CmkdFQl13K4se2cQVGhg3ZzJPj8dh1og8mGepxE9HTs05Q8JnL1uztmqzsA-JDyYfihJnQU2o0vTE/s1600/photo+4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK9Xc_fMMaI5fVxNfszIPo9fqCDfSHAArqYuRBDtBVxJy7jsFP2L9uyre9tUhOe0CmkdFQl13K4se2cQVGhg3ZzJPj8dh1og8mGepxE9HTs05Q8JnL1uztmqzsA-JDyYfihJnQU2o0vTE/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a> <br />
You cannot leave Hades until you have endured physical violence against your personage. (In other words, hemorrahaging is treated rather aggresively.) At least the major epidural came in handy :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GscrrPDsbZrIiO3FF8FZXwTnDXLtU6haL7qGGg8G-Qm3Siok72-ZjeDrx_w8dY8lrudSOvgE9psvLKzBjA4XsmPPJOJuOjY1qoUa8MVkT46MHY3-FQ-KaJi7jhdABaRtO9cQTgY0ckQ/s1600/photo+3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GscrrPDsbZrIiO3FF8FZXwTnDXLtU6haL7qGGg8G-Qm3Siok72-ZjeDrx_w8dY8lrudSOvgE9psvLKzBjA4XsmPPJOJuOjY1qoUa8MVkT46MHY3-FQ-KaJi7jhdABaRtO9cQTgY0ckQ/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
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24 hours later you will have to get out of bed. ps-those are shark infested waters. It turns out, the simplest daily routines become horrifically monumental!<br />
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Still climbing (9.5 months later). (Actually today was surprisingly good so maybe I am getting close to the surface.)<br />
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a) that is a table, b) when O asks this-it might be me that turns into a man-eating shark :)<br />
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The End.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941225367961148987.post-12065713518292369332015-02-18T19:53:00.001-08:002015-03-24T19:33:56.145-07:00Graduation: the day I never thought would come<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Nwan-VSLDvcXQymz5tXzgUvKNEmV3-OKktL_TcDfOnKug7RnRTTe0HhFaQmBAsU5CyzTX_cj6gCBL5FaEOTH9Hy1bQXISfsBIPHpPvYI_yQroM0wSakDBikMmQKyyCKNCnpXNKJibZI/s1600/-64.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Nwan-VSLDvcXQymz5tXzgUvKNEmV3-OKktL_TcDfOnKug7RnRTTe0HhFaQmBAsU5CyzTX_cj6gCBL5FaEOTH9Hy1bQXISfsBIPHpPvYI_yQroM0wSakDBikMmQKyyCKNCnpXNKJibZI/s1600/-64.jpg" /></a><br />
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I finally graduated from BYU! (About time, I was only there from 2003-2013, then teaching in 2014). I'm soooooo glad I made it to walk in graduation (thank you Baby B for holding out), it was a highlight for sure!!<br />
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Commencement:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqj2UPPthgIS2wLpodZZZ0rAn8MdyylPei9YqTcaH9m01ieJgIsmYAoGyoS1Br2TNEvKp7msBDV6DB8Uo-ccUqf6RjE5w0nj6gmKmEv5rZvB-j2VdhxzkTRTZUHxpUHigvIj-jE0DH48c/s1600/-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqj2UPPthgIS2wLpodZZZ0rAn8MdyylPei9YqTcaH9m01ieJgIsmYAoGyoS1Br2TNEvKp7msBDV6DB8Uo-ccUqf6RjE5w0nj6gmKmEv5rZvB-j2VdhxzkTRTZUHxpUHigvIj-jE0DH48c/s1600/-1.jpg" /></a> <br />
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I look ginormous here<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQ8X6qN8ydW3-lP4L7ienRbGtC1_GNQ92gw5-YE-DM19WmyOer5BgwcqNnkKznt5fRuaauiQqcndPdgxa93DJXyPTN4NwBg9P4507NJcuG8Zsy9Ip_EJOl2TcY5L8HU-CmwcrBy2FF9U/s1600/-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQ8X6qN8ydW3-lP4L7ienRbGtC1_GNQ92gw5-YE-DM19WmyOer5BgwcqNnkKznt5fRuaauiQqcndPdgxa93DJXyPTN4NwBg9P4507NJcuG8Zsy9Ip_EJOl2TcY5L8HU-CmwcrBy2FF9U/s1600/-2.jpg" /></a><br />
Maryam and I worked in the same lab for 5 years. Here we are lining up for Commencement.<br />
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Mike graduated the same day! Here he is lining up for Commencement.<br />
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Here I am on the FRONT ROW!!! at commencement :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9w1ZTVVWeIZlRNY62pG_GiTUiSlWSQkZXIWXnyi3ZJhrdn4uGA8yqFTQVxuzq6lohKd_y6E2QtzzSYpILclat2BmzyFiqzyrOrCxggFE4fn84FJq8i4Cfd_MU7juYqutJI_WXsv2epYI/s1600/-21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9w1ZTVVWeIZlRNY62pG_GiTUiSlWSQkZXIWXnyi3ZJhrdn4uGA8yqFTQVxuzq6lohKd_y6E2QtzzSYpILclat2BmzyFiqzyrOrCxggFE4fn84FJq8i4Cfd_MU7juYqutJI_WXsv2epYI/s1600/-21.jpg" /></a><br />
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Good grief my hair looked amazing! (I say that because since I have had Baby B-9.5 months ago-my hair has been sooooooo terrible and I have enormous baggies under my eyes. I have aged approx 30 years overnight!<br />
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Though I have a few regrets, a) a bit sad, or more like horrifically devestated, that I did not get a soft cap, b) no colorful robe, and c) graduation was lacking bagpipes and was held in the Wilk where I have eaten lunch just about every day for ten years, wearing a robe and hood was truly charming. :)<br />
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The Ph.D graduates got to walk in first (yes, I felt spectacularly cool, yes, I am a nerd) and when we walked across the stage had a paragraph about us read (spectacularly cool moment number 2). Here is my paragraph-O helped me write it up :)<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Rebecca Elizabeth “Betsy” Olsen</span>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Betsy’s research has focused on nano
materials. In particular, she has synthesized and characterized high surface
area stabilized nano titania supports of controlled pore diameters. She
has dispersed platinum onto these supports using industrially viable processes.
Titania is used in many applications such as photocatalysis and as a support
material for noble metals in a number of oxidative synthesis and
pollution-control reactions. Stabilized titanias produced in Betsy’s work
demonstrated equivalent or higher thermal stability and surface area than
previously reported in scientific literature. Betsy has enjoyed teaching
chemistry at BYU this semester and hopes to open a candy store one day. She and
her husband are expecting their first child, a baby boy, any day. </span><br />
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The Dean read the paragraph and he even added in that he would love to come to my candy store-I nearly died of delight right there on the stage-and then my adviser hooded me. Despite the lack of bagpipes, there was plenty of pomp and circumstance and I loved every minute of it all! (OK, to be honest, I had a hard time sitting in my chair as they read through the undergrad names, I really wondered if I was going to pass out. But, I was 39 weeks pregnant so you have to give me a break!)<br />
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Here is a play by play so you can all remember every moment with me! <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIq85YhIeTOOgUyr-XDDreGS_3GpU2Wxnr9Tj7uECdy_HSlNM94jbnEKJJJIjFYceictRtCzY8Ohg26PM5RSeTEvdVyJjiow-lf7lJ3Jtt1WijgZ5MWPcBs2cklW0mIha6Cshkuv5o9rY/s1600/-37.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIq85YhIeTOOgUyr-XDDreGS_3GpU2Wxnr9Tj7uECdy_HSlNM94jbnEKJJJIjFYceictRtCzY8Ohg26PM5RSeTEvdVyJjiow-lf7lJ3Jtt1WijgZ5MWPcBs2cklW0mIha6Cshkuv5o9rY/s1600/-37.jpg" /></a><br />
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My wonderful family came down to celebrate. We also had several other graduates in the family that day and all celebrated together with a Cafe Rio catered luncheon at Jed and Kathy's condo.<br />
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O's parents came down from Idaho!<br />
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My niece on O's side. She is at BYU this year!<br />
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Me and my advisor. I worked in Brian Woodfield's lab for many wonderful years :)<br />
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We should win a prize for being the biggest BYU fans ever! All family members (with the exception of M who is presently a BYU undergrad) graduated from BYU!<br />
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L was off to Mike's graduation so we missed her in the BYU siblings pic :)<br />
<br />
I sooooo love graduation. One of the best parts about being faculty is that I can dress up in robes and go twice a year! However, if I really start going twice a year I could see myself making a move to get a soft cap. :) And next time, I will choose a school with extremely flamboyantly colored robes!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941225367961148987.post-21063504881684559562014-06-27T18:00:00.000-07:002014-06-27T18:00:29.020-07:00House RenovationsOK-so I started this post, then stopped and resumed several times. It is now June 26-several months after all my renovations :), and I'm thinking about getting back into blogging so I've finished this post up willy-nilly and am moving on :) <br />
<br />
April something:<br />
I've been thinking about blogging (for quite some time now) but it is so hard to recap an entire year that I keep putting it off (and instead I repeatedly look at all of your blogs, which most of you are needing to update as well- I have nothing to read!).<br />
<br />
So, rather than update, I will just start with today. Maybe I'll get around to posting about the last few months, but maybe some months all you can do is survive.<br />
<br />
So, today:<br />
<br />
My kitchen is a bit of a mess (don't worry boo, you can still paint your cabinets :) )<br />
<br />
I am supposedly "nesting" (apparently that happens to prego people, and I am one of those). I guess so if "nesting" is this:<br />
K says: your kitchen is 80s, white cabinets would be better.<br />
Me: OK, I will get white cabinets<br />
Painters: We will not bother giving you a bid, it is exorbitant to paint cabinets<br />
Aunt P: It is super easy to paint your cabinets<br />
Me: I am a super do it yourselfer (note to self, you have never actually done anything yourself other than rotate your sprinkler heads after F showed you how-that was apparently overly empowering and misleading). This is going to be so fun, I will get in touch with my artistic side! (I have no artistic side)<br />
Lots of people: are you getting the nursery together?<br />
Me: I thought babies slept in pack and plays in the corner (not trying to be weird, I actually thought (and still sort of suspect) that this is reality)<br />
K and sisters: (horrified) No, you must have a nursery, and a crib, etc.<br />
Me: OK, I will get a nursery<br />
Family: while you are painting nursery, paint the whole house (seems reasonable)<br />
Painters: it will be 1 billion dollars to do all of your projects<br />
Me: I think I will sit in my bathtub in my beautiful bathroom and forget about the rest of my crummy house for the next three hours<br />
Me: I am a super do it yourselfer, who needs painters? I am going to home depot!<br />
3 hours later: I have removed all cabinet doors, and started scraping texture off the walls of the soon to be nursery, feeling a bit manic. Made the following note to self: do not tell anyone what you are doing, don't let anyone come over for the next several weeks, bc they will for sure panic, and that will incite panic in you.<br />
O: comes home from work, looks around, goes downstairs to his chair and does not move for the rest of the night.<br />
<br />
So, that was the start of some lovely projects :)<br />
<br />
I have now got things under control a bit. Here is a basic how to in case you want to paint your cabinets etc:<br />
<br />
Day 1: removed doors<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZ6gV2ZB1HDL8jdxwmXlsy9gec2voOPKu6neFvvWQiB2v81Vp4cIEk1CeRRO5RmLJw1fVwbbT5Zesogh8TABdAWyGB3ZyN-T9_als5_Ob2Q8qyNPjRI75dJ3YPzRhyIyOZG164QEB4g4/s1600/IMG_1157.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZ6gV2ZB1HDL8jdxwmXlsy9gec2voOPKu6neFvvWQiB2v81Vp4cIEk1CeRRO5RmLJw1fVwbbT5Zesogh8TABdAWyGB3ZyN-T9_als5_Ob2Q8qyNPjRI75dJ3YPzRhyIyOZG164QEB4g4/s1600/IMG_1157.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a> <br />
Day 2: sand doors (it turns out, sand paper matters, use 100 or 120 for the first sanding). I sanded by hand and that was not bad-it did not take too long.<br />
Day 3: lady at paint store says sanding is 80% of the job. I go straight home and re-sand. I then dust off doors, clean with crud-cutter, and lay out all doors in main floor. (O actually was persuaded to lay out all the doors for me, which was absolutely the best thing in the world bc I cannot bend over and straighten up much on account of my sciatic nerve problem)<br />
Day 4: primer coat 1 on the back of doors. I used Benjamin Moore Advance primer (pricey, about $50 a gallon, but it is supposed to be the best and has no fumes-important as I am expecting) After priming one door I thought 1. "oh no, what have I done, this looks terrible!" and 2. "I am going to die, this is going to take too long, I better paint faster" (not smart. faster = even worse painting, and I was not too great when going slow).<br />
Day 5: primer coat 1 on the front of door. Noticing there are lines everywhere. It turns out-brushes matter. Get the correct brushes! (naive me was considering just using those black foam 97 cent brushes, ya, not a good idea. I also just pulled out some random little roller brush I had, again, not a good idea. Went to home depot and got the not Good, not Better, but Best roller brush, the one listed for smooth surfaces, this was much better for the next coats). Also, it turns out that you will see brush strokes with primer, no stress. <br />
Day 6: primer coat 2 on the back of doors. This time I wised up and had Dance Moms going on my ipad so I would not rush through the job.<br />
Day 7: need to prime 2 coat on front of doors. Panicking because painting in the grooves is really hard. Wondering if I have made a major mistake in doing this project (actually, I wondered that rather regularly...) Watched youtube videos all morning, felt empowered, wisely chose to only paint half the doors (what's the rush, I had to keep reminding myself)<br />
Day 8: Finished priming 2nd coat on the front of doors. Doing much better, way less dribbling going on. Still, slightly concerned about my abilities to actually paint these doors without them looking extremely craft-projecty. Again, wondering if I have made a serious mistake.<br />
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Day 9: look into spraying cabinet doors. Idea was quickly discarded as internet mentions this is not something for a beginner to attempt.<br />
Day 10: painter over for upstairs project offers to take doors away to be sprayed and fill in knot holes while at it<br />
Day 11: bid is quite inexpensive for spraying doors, decide to do it <br />
Day 12: sanded doors with 220 grit sandpaper to remove some of the dribbles (and noticed all the shocking sloppy parts where I dribbled everywhere. It was confirmed to me that sending the doors off was a very good idea).<br />
Day 13: sent doors off, happiness :)<br />
**don't panic if you are doing this yourself-I only painted an hour or two each day, you could make it a marathon and do it much faster <br />
<br />
So: at this point it has been about 2 1/2 weeks, (I had some days in between where I did nothing, or other projects). With the primer I used, I could do a coat every 8-12 hours (so front, then flip and do back about 8-12 hours later), so I could have done this considerably faster. Also, if you have two people working on the project, it would go much faster. I also found out from the lady at the paint store and the painter at my house that I only needed to do one coat of primer-at least with my doors and the primer I used, so all in all, I could rather easily have done all of this in 2-3 days had I been more organized, focused, and not doing so many projects at once :)<br />
<br />
Meanwhile:<br />
<br />
while this was going on, I was also working on a few other projects:<br />
cabinet boxes:<br />
Day 1: sanded, again, even though this is supposed to be a super major part of the process, it was actually really fast and not a big deal. Cleaned cabinet boxes with crud-cutter. (this stuff is pretty good!)<br />
Day 2: wondering if I should remove the hinges from the door (F thought I was insane for even questioning this, however, there was a little wiggle room on where I could rescrew them so it seemed like a valid question in my mind. Of course, I followed F's advice and removed them in the end. LOVE my cordless drill :) )<br />
Day 3. Taping off: I spent 3 hours taping! And I did not even have to be careful because my walls and trim will be painted after I paint the cabinets-so I really only had to protect the floor and counter tops, but it still took forever!<br />
Day 4: spent 2 more hours taping! (I did run out of painters tape, so I had to switch to regular masking tape, which I then ran out of, then had to switch to using duct tape to tape the brown paper stuff to the floor-that added about 20 min I'm sure, duct tape is hard to tear. PS: O's car was in the shop so he took mine that day which is why I could hardly run over to home depot to get more tape)<br />
Day 4: decided I would have to move some things out of cupboards (I did not want paint dribbling on my china. Stacked stuff willy nilly all over the floor and table) (sigh, so typical of me, I should approach things in a more organized fashion). <br />
Day 4: yes, same day-started priming. Primed for 3 hours, only about 1/3 of cabinet boxes. Ate nothing but cheetos and string cheese and a few broccoli florets (no car and I'd taped all the appliances shut) a tad depressed, I collapsed on my bed and played sudoku for 2 hours.<br />
Day 5: primed 1/3 more, much more efficient this time<br />
Day 6: finished priming, very efficient. Painter sees it and OKs it! (It was here that I found out I did not need to do another coat of primer, I was so enthused, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, only 2 coats of paint, I can do that easy!!)<br />
<br />
Now: I have been sitting around, for days on end (2 1/2 days actually), with my kitchen all taped closed, waiting for the painter to drop off the paint!! I'm getting a tad bit antsy to get painting so I can get into things again. (also, everytime I turn around Owen is getting into the microwave etc, which I then continuously retape.... this cannot go on!)<br />
-again, if you were going for speed, you could do this part in 1-2 days, also while you are painting the doors<br />
<br />
Days 7-9: painted cabinet boxes. Did three coats of paint (the painter kept giving me all these pointers and telling me I had to do the third coat), did a light sanding between each coat, also, wipe with tacky cloth after each sanding<br />
Day 10: hung doors with K and F- in case you ever do this yourself, leave the hinges in the cabinets, I put them all in a bowl and that made it a bit harder bc each one had to be adjusted as they got all mixed up!<br />
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before:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTUFtL6xQ8eX0DKJYPuAn6LIwsk45zmLzIqm4SHlvwuESgP8LEFZ9b1VeW0HFvbvMmtSRN7CirUTKRLajzpzbrAV8ixmQp6VxV_t14iTbiYyURndDlFw56sL7p5YXyXdxrZpj8cQlefo/s1600/IMG_0373.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTUFtL6xQ8eX0DKJYPuAn6LIwsk45zmLzIqm4SHlvwuESgP8LEFZ9b1VeW0HFvbvMmtSRN7CirUTKRLajzpzbrAV8ixmQp6VxV_t14iTbiYyURndDlFw56sL7p5YXyXdxrZpj8cQlefo/s1600/IMG_0373.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a> <br />
after: (just wainting on knobs)<br />
<br />
Day like 40: ordered knobs, then they came in the day I went into labor (I picked up writing this post about three weeks after I had Benny) and I have yet to pick them up (I did eventually pick them up, about 6 weeks after I had Benny). I'm excited to get them all on though, (By the time I finish this post I bet I will have them up and can include a pic) (It is now 8 weeks and I am hoping to get J to come by and help me put them up tomorrow) :).<br />
<br />
<br />
Third project: Nursery<br />
Ok, just picking up this blog post about a month and a half after I started writing it :). Therefore, there will be less details here as I can hardly remember what I did.<br />
First we scraped the horrendous texture off the walls-that is back breaking labor but only took about 1-2 hours per wall.<br />
before:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyKfVwwDDNa5GI5CkdIEVq9F4mjbSN6miBFjS_WdMYZx3kPc82GeT7nj9BlmH8LQq0XbZ1OVea81ciNCHj4pFZijZHnUBU2iShEusxiK_DipFM6KOuICOQWH321g87Y3fgXXXpqSXJpjE/s1600/IMG_0161.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyKfVwwDDNa5GI5CkdIEVq9F4mjbSN6miBFjS_WdMYZx3kPc82GeT7nj9BlmH8LQq0XbZ1OVea81ciNCHj4pFZijZHnUBU2iShEusxiK_DipFM6KOuICOQWH321g87Y3fgXXXpqSXJpjE/s1600/IMG_0161.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
(you cannot tell but the painting was awful and the texture was beyond words!) <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJICtYplLcPIWpVxeFzTV8eefXU_nzS5-r0kAWfoUtyVPJK5K7vG5TzQjDFu7bCLDvppslP9NP_1KFvW5TYL0ge9Owy5Sx06SXiNTlonecJhwu_39Mh60RUJnla6gRoQLiViXkADl60Y/s1600/IMG_1169.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJICtYplLcPIWpVxeFzTV8eefXU_nzS5-r0kAWfoUtyVPJK5K7vG5TzQjDFu7bCLDvppslP9NP_1KFvW5TYL0ge9Owy5Sx06SXiNTlonecJhwu_39Mh60RUJnla6gRoQLiViXkADl60Y/s1600/IMG_1169.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
some texture removed<br />
<br />
Next the painter painted the ceiling and trim and primed the walls<br />
finally
we (meaning K and F) hung the wallpaper. O and I figured out how to do
it well enough that we hung two strips at the end :) It turns out F is a
master wallpaper-er and K is pretty awesome at smoothing out bubbles
and getting things lined up. Now that I have been involved in papering a
small room, I find myself all agog when I think of the bedroom I grew
up in (papered with very high ceilings and all sorts of angles!).<br />
Finally
K finished it off with some decorating. We got a crib (and now that i
have a three week old babe I find that my initial thoughts, that babies
don't sleep in cribs-is quite correct) (and still ocrrect 8 weeks later
:) )and are using a rug, dresser, and rocking chair from M's old nursery
(17 years later and they are still great pieces). Then we found these
very fun shelving/drawer units at IKEA. Before the baby came K and I
discovered how fun IKEA is!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJICtYplLcPIWpVxeFzTV8eefXU_nzS5-r0kAWfoUtyVPJK5K7vG5TzQjDFu7bCLDvppslP9NP_1KFvW5TYL0ge9Owy5Sx06SXiNTlonecJhwu_39Mh60RUJnla6gRoQLiViXkADl60Y/s1600/IMG_1169.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhndRQy_b13HNY-8woYieX4tXhBuFFu3N4uvyGkAJrjLBI7QQbLoVB9FvjsWDRiktIhdCyC24toN2qwu5yKAIsoZq3v1bbZe95-3-kfufP6eoKNq3wfKHKqp0Pq8oSi1WCZFhPuodI4hjE/s1600/IMG_0370.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhndRQy_b13HNY-8woYieX4tXhBuFFu3N4uvyGkAJrjLBI7QQbLoVB9FvjsWDRiktIhdCyC24toN2qwu5yKAIsoZq3v1bbZe95-3-kfufP6eoKNq3wfKHKqp0Pq8oSi1WCZFhPuodI4hjE/s1600/IMG_0370.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSmBRNl-wwxdyuaSeckbXBSF3l5mP3EhB4fSwoGCzmAtGdlujRcX1E4q7NHr4h0LIqR8KtplEbeVVqxM10kbTS_CWzmx4Gd_sRM-ZtKYL5eBNvg2w4ZI9e__VhYXvKE4NODCkhnC0xrU/s1600/IMG_0368.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSmBRNl-wwxdyuaSeckbXBSF3l5mP3EhB4fSwoGCzmAtGdlujRcX1E4q7NHr4h0LIqR8KtplEbeVVqxM10kbTS_CWzmx4Gd_sRM-ZtKYL5eBNvg2w4ZI9e__VhYXvKE4NODCkhnC0xrU/s1600/IMG_0368.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBl9gfHs8g6Vroht2UFK3q03ngfCOsi86ZrSLkmFH7nFc1PneFqktj2tpBWgGXoEMHUn5QZlTZ97XDZTTJNXzgkVYxtJAQ8EikgYSQ6BA48m1HRxrB_pfXldZQ9GxbAzrr6ho6TgUc2E/s1600/IMG_0369.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBl9gfHs8g6Vroht2UFK3q03ngfCOsi86ZrSLkmFH7nFc1PneFqktj2tpBWgGXoEMHUn5QZlTZ97XDZTTJNXzgkVYxtJAQ8EikgYSQ6BA48m1HRxrB_pfXldZQ9GxbAzrr6ho6TgUc2E/s1600/IMG_0369.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a> <br />
<br />
<br />
Next projects:<br />
today we purchased all the materials for a garden box and flowers for pots. Time to get moving on the yard again. Done-F came and built it with O and O filled it all up with dirt, here it is! (I plan to eventually have 3 of them, remove the grass between and put in stepping stones, get an elephant or rabbit topiary to put in the center box, and perhaps create and arch or fence from espalier fruit trees (perhaps more likely I will be moving by the time I get around to all of that, for now I will settle with just getting the sprinklers running properly).<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrF2rGasatKsv-jDett0Y_iahcOsHe9ykASI9aaH8ytSwj8CtPCHEU1J1FNVvOb2CQcymBxdVKjsUFBfSU-0bwM5Fq2hLnoWE2amWx_CdDCbrHCl0bIw_WJZN83VrDI6jQvnJIKsopjSs/s1600/IMG_0379.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrF2rGasatKsv-jDett0Y_iahcOsHe9ykASI9aaH8ytSwj8CtPCHEU1J1FNVvOb2CQcymBxdVKjsUFBfSU-0bwM5Fq2hLnoWE2amWx_CdDCbrHCl0bIw_WJZN83VrDI6jQvnJIKsopjSs/s1600/IMG_0379.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
still waiting for the rest of the little round tops to come in <br />
<br />
<br />
We hope to get the main floor, and hall painted before the baby blessing-we have finally selected the kitchen paint color and will hopefully finalize the main room color soon! Finally done! J found an awesome painter and M found a great color for the front room (she spent hours pouring over paint books, houzz, and every traditional home magazine ever published). The end result: Benjamin Moore white dove (semi-gloss) for trim and beadboard throughout house, same but flat finish for ceilings, same but eggshell finish for walls in kitchen and hall, same but semi-gloss for kitchen cabinets, and Benjamin Moore Morning Dew in eggshell for living room walls. Yes, the whole white dove thing might sound like it was easy-but we tested over 50 paint samples to come up with this scheme!!<br />
Basically, the whole house looks new! We are thrilled with the progress and are moving on to the fireplace and mantle next!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxam4Qk_2FR8ZPd8IJXTx8vrPy6qGvv8J9v5Li4m-r9Oeg4JDY2Z7CNyP8q1Z6T90Qqn_lFvBg3p8VxEDvmbaOri6Ja3mvFZS8efnML2Hm7aFS5EdtsS20MqTdCK8425GehIkge05nvQ4/s1600/IMG_0122.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxam4Qk_2FR8ZPd8IJXTx8vrPy6qGvv8J9v5Li4m-r9Oeg4JDY2Z7CNyP8q1Z6T90Qqn_lFvBg3p8VxEDvmbaOri6Ja3mvFZS8efnML2Hm7aFS5EdtsS20MqTdCK8425GehIkge05nvQ4/s1600/IMG_0122.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
when we first moved in and ripped the whole place apart<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6BqsA70uXTAJ_OKdidmrH5_fkLuWQ3bpcaIufNxrqoV4LscMRQ6vxcWZKRcDDL8P_vrHrcrGYBzmUXjdMzmAXDE0YFjb8c_mH1v-rkQ38usX_tKfP796YAR-RsEgsjXUvhHZMOy0lok/s1600/IMG_0152.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6BqsA70uXTAJ_OKdidmrH5_fkLuWQ3bpcaIufNxrqoV4LscMRQ6vxcWZKRcDDL8P_vrHrcrGYBzmUXjdMzmAXDE0YFjb8c_mH1v-rkQ38usX_tKfP796YAR-RsEgsjXUvhHZMOy0lok/s1600/IMG_0152.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a> <br />
drywalled to cover the terrible texture <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqs-btJS0TCF8rqAIRoeYyHpmkZSOZCJa5Lkt7ApNkU67ybJhSVWihzkKBKeUyByOhmcEsyjleD3ltbDPkOF_T7rTXV_KgnoTyuPPoUCroZXs_gJetkrsOJQvwRnoSwzCMg_AkfWsI_ko/s1600/IMG_0133.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqs-btJS0TCF8rqAIRoeYyHpmkZSOZCJa5Lkt7ApNkU67ybJhSVWihzkKBKeUyByOhmcEsyjleD3ltbDPkOF_T7rTXV_KgnoTyuPPoUCroZXs_gJetkrsOJQvwRnoSwzCMg_AkfWsI_ko/s1600/IMG_0133.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
before we added the bead board and the new trim<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoZDLO7YbWzwUBP1JYtAJj5ngcZ8ZfhmvbvjdjaA19hInLgjSK8iUEZ2fSWnO9glxTK7MZc3WgEipXIKochkOuCzy9_XClQ8Og3ytOl_-1TA7VBB0oeXlLYaUKKX1OkXMQEi8lJlaXCk/s1600/IMG_0375.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoZDLO7YbWzwUBP1JYtAJj5ngcZ8ZfhmvbvjdjaA19hInLgjSK8iUEZ2fSWnO9glxTK7MZc3WgEipXIKochkOuCzy9_XClQ8Og3ytOl_-1TA7VBB0oeXlLYaUKKX1OkXMQEi8lJlaXCk/s1600/IMG_0375.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a> <br />
all painted (I will have to take the photos in some better light so you can see the front room color and the bead board better) <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoZDLO7YbWzwUBP1JYtAJj5ngcZ8ZfhmvbvjdjaA19hInLgjSK8iUEZ2fSWnO9glxTK7MZc3WgEipXIKochkOuCzy9_XClQ8Og3ytOl_-1TA7VBB0oeXlLYaUKKX1OkXMQEi8lJlaXCk/s1600/IMG_0375.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpeUAoChEiUTVyWP85OrfMp3Lz1cmtcuklW8VL1VpocwjMWIgOfy8zO_paL5GhpBVNXTTYpKndr1-O4v9uj7jmFipPmu6ia7iC8YbFsgL9qh65wMIew7eoPZAHSnhqDX2uci8C125s9E/s1600/IMG_0378.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpeUAoChEiUTVyWP85OrfMp3Lz1cmtcuklW8VL1VpocwjMWIgOfy8zO_paL5GhpBVNXTTYpKndr1-O4v9uj7jmFipPmu6ia7iC8YbFsgL9qh65wMIew7eoPZAHSnhqDX2uci8C125s9E/s1600/IMG_0378.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMen81ntZKJULfy0s0yezjuJvemRqVrCSh4Jn-ilKt4NKBP9MrL3YG2I5zZWAUyew97RGJaupHrYYEfLUgMoy5T2v7k4NlQBBcHsDHTB8kJlEImExpKt-KScJSaeChwBHUJqd1ow6dXls/s1600/IMG_0172.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMen81ntZKJULfy0s0yezjuJvemRqVrCSh4Jn-ilKt4NKBP9MrL3YG2I5zZWAUyew97RGJaupHrYYEfLUgMoy5T2v7k4NlQBBcHsDHTB8kJlEImExpKt-KScJSaeChwBHUJqd1ow6dXls/s1600/IMG_0172.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
Hallway before <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMen81ntZKJULfy0s0yezjuJvemRqVrCSh4Jn-ilKt4NKBP9MrL3YG2I5zZWAUyew97RGJaupHrYYEfLUgMoy5T2v7k4NlQBBcHsDHTB8kJlEImExpKt-KScJSaeChwBHUJqd1ow6dXls/s1600/IMG_0172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0E6oSDvv50OvHkI9hmZ0HwtHqdNmrjY1dVIMFMG9njz-TuyT5AvuZtOdS2YViDlR-tyf8DNc0Z3nRBOlnKxA8m6kOuMDrUCOXyknM5rbc8gbUnF2WTYfRsB3BGuX0Q-VSiQ8_b3eQcs/s1600/IMG_0386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0E6oSDvv50OvHkI9hmZ0HwtHqdNmrjY1dVIMFMG9njz-TuyT5AvuZtOdS2YViDlR-tyf8DNc0Z3nRBOlnKxA8m6kOuMDrUCOXyknM5rbc8gbUnF2WTYfRsB3BGuX0Q-VSiQ8_b3eQcs/s1600/IMG_0386.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErC4dO6beCnYFg-6Uvsfmr2yx5OnlRgmVtKsnscF6vrXHMnv47k2hD93tdmI0ZGRs-sdelsSHN-uhnNefALvEY3t0Z7N9ljlKGPZp9mTqh6RySZjVeSZtFTFJACPzpDJXpfwy18kTeFU/s1600/IMG_0372.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErC4dO6beCnYFg-6Uvsfmr2yx5OnlRgmVtKsnscF6vrXHMnv47k2hD93tdmI0ZGRs-sdelsSHN-uhnNefALvEY3t0Z7N9ljlKGPZp9mTqh6RySZjVeSZtFTFJACPzpDJXpfwy18kTeFU/s1600/IMG_0372.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a> <br />
hallway painted <br />
<br />
And just for fun since I'm downloading photos-here is the changes to the front yard we have made-first removed the grass and made larger planting beds. Last summer we planted a few things and they are starting to grow! We need to add a few trees and some bushes etc so I'll update the yard at the end of the summer.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MrQ56j0xiC5RgD6EPL4qLZ4zqb4zT4k4uNB2hqQ5sFxc_iSOXXISf9vRyL3T_Ey6RnlfA6M-8AUgZTysUaHZ51jpJ-rCNpinhqHCrI64KXRDAZyNAsZMZrTbzlCxa-rYHT4c-66DRKQ/s1600/IMG_0147.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MrQ56j0xiC5RgD6EPL4qLZ4zqb4zT4k4uNB2hqQ5sFxc_iSOXXISf9vRyL3T_Ey6RnlfA6M-8AUgZTysUaHZ51jpJ-rCNpinhqHCrI64KXRDAZyNAsZMZrTbzlCxa-rYHT4c-66DRKQ/s1600/IMG_0147.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
first moved in <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZ-88GxSrb6r7OG8m3iskBCqwdGOxo_rtxyJVMkvZ7L5HVH09CC9zzzCzRdZwDa4xRcQITM9GoyvXsu38weENc96ch6aHwSNSQyDVLQhgd5HA_ZO6_DwFSyAx6pvggxmEI4Kk9ynbcK4/s1600/IMG_0382.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZ-88GxSrb6r7OG8m3iskBCqwdGOxo_rtxyJVMkvZ7L5HVH09CC9zzzCzRdZwDa4xRcQITM9GoyvXsu38weENc96ch6aHwSNSQyDVLQhgd5HA_ZO6_DwFSyAx6pvggxmEI4Kk9ynbcK4/s1600/IMG_0382.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a> <br />
now<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hEqkHudsRFkcr07m9-rVZ6k-o8K8H4hqej09_rSuSMMLMe2OqSzrgvExEQ8ky_OsTkrpYzjyKqAJVnZeUP3TRBCag75LsJxHVKe3Rbcjfn_tNf4DpsJboq3pqn-kbKkdbHznCaqdp-E/s1600/IMG_0874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hEqkHudsRFkcr07m9-rVZ6k-o8K8H4hqej09_rSuSMMLMe2OqSzrgvExEQ8ky_OsTkrpYzjyKqAJVnZeUP3TRBCag75LsJxHVKe3Rbcjfn_tNf4DpsJboq3pqn-kbKkdbHznCaqdp-E/s1600/IMG_0874.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
grass removed<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ycYgqV1ZPPa8so04uiTk4j_4Nsb9GXLUUTaf1SFXGd85kP4zKGwGuMrMwO2YhcPTbJVedn6OBRsChHQBkPjY8GMVX3nQfB2bwc49eHC4padDPaejzzLCEOx2-phOOHN5199aka8gT_8/s1600/IMG_0876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ycYgqV1ZPPa8so04uiTk4j_4Nsb9GXLUUTaf1SFXGd85kP4zKGwGuMrMwO2YhcPTbJVedn6OBRsChHQBkPjY8GMVX3nQfB2bwc49eHC4padDPaejzzLCEOx2-phOOHN5199aka8gT_8/s1600/IMG_0876.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
grass removed<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZ-88GxSrb6r7OG8m3iskBCqwdGOxo_rtxyJVMkvZ7L5HVH09CC9zzzCzRdZwDa4xRcQITM9GoyvXsu38weENc96ch6aHwSNSQyDVLQhgd5HA_ZO6_DwFSyAx6pvggxmEI4Kk9ynbcK4/s1600/IMG_0382.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUg_GfU1yL5hO5WA3pMsgOKNdFOqFGRsmBVlOxwVf6KYCLywI1ciPo4Q_q8jKIiI1kMyEAc57CZJf9E9BsJs3EfC1SJJdcCof-3U-LwqPucm-S5QxZmaWBSH5HgRrlGK1d9yYyfs_d4s/s1600/IMG_0384.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUg_GfU1yL5hO5WA3pMsgOKNdFOqFGRsmBVlOxwVf6KYCLywI1ciPo4Q_q8jKIiI1kMyEAc57CZJf9E9BsJs3EfC1SJJdcCof-3U-LwqPucm-S5QxZmaWBSH5HgRrlGK1d9yYyfs_d4s/s1600/IMG_0384.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
plants are starting to fill in!<br />
<br />
And here is the fabulous bedroom and bathroom that we did last year.<br />
The mural that inspired it all: <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvhdTkm8NcvBoFvdiyMPrzftT0ehjYdv2NO8tYVDru6GHSRKKC_fUmDX6HTOyqlWJX9nH5zInEIJI6VWwpRXd2XoWQk2dr8MhJ1eSkMYTJs_XYfXM77597YxN1JH9ZTmMCgLOQAhaX-I/s1600/IMG_0243.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvhdTkm8NcvBoFvdiyMPrzftT0ehjYdv2NO8tYVDru6GHSRKKC_fUmDX6HTOyqlWJX9nH5zInEIJI6VWwpRXd2XoWQk2dr8MhJ1eSkMYTJs_XYfXM77597YxN1JH9ZTmMCgLOQAhaX-I/s1600/IMG_0243.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCN4oLEX0Yw_MLfhXH5XF-b6RhLw-Kt4C2bUbr5tGZZ1VaL519dookeaBhxItzI7Xcm1cZswQGuv5u8KVU8pImtK-v2774t_rRQYaqfy0iO4v5dcBfANX5oBkK7sWNpKsx5Ve2R86elks/s1600/IMG_0662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCN4oLEX0Yw_MLfhXH5XF-b6RhLw-Kt4C2bUbr5tGZZ1VaL519dookeaBhxItzI7Xcm1cZswQGuv5u8KVU8pImtK-v2774t_rRQYaqfy0iO4v5dcBfANX5oBkK7sWNpKsx5Ve2R86elks/s1600/IMG_0662.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
We have added the trim and painted but still need to finish up with some dressers etc <br />
<br />
I left K in charge and we came back to the most fabulous little space ever!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPBD_bcQdNqXsPt51eZmJXBg5Ca0DD3nLgiQ7vsLOppPcdLRmCKIzAQ4XWPCBiRMi9lrihlEI4LMBA8syFF8m76i2-OUrQZQS-YM-B71vMPwr6_HHhQEeguz3weWA36E8PzLQ5S1oEZ0/s1600/IMG_0169.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPBD_bcQdNqXsPt51eZmJXBg5Ca0DD3nLgiQ7vsLOppPcdLRmCKIzAQ4XWPCBiRMi9lrihlEI4LMBA8syFF8m76i2-OUrQZQS-YM-B71vMPwr6_HHhQEeguz3weWA36E8PzLQ5S1oEZ0/s1600/IMG_0169.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
before: <br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvj3xQk8Mqb9jxEKRhYTZIsWdxX0hVyRRTyie6gRkFLPucEREdi0x3-mexnvzz9jZGpv0L0bPRJvRsT9oHYCCNbRidsuVQhQ8zyltM3u1zfuBLNb7PqNmEtMxdPnMOoqOIux7UbQepdQ/s1600/IMG_0244.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvj3xQk8Mqb9jxEKRhYTZIsWdxX0hVyRRTyie6gRkFLPucEREdi0x3-mexnvzz9jZGpv0L0bPRJvRsT9oHYCCNbRidsuVQhQ8zyltM3u1zfuBLNb7PqNmEtMxdPnMOoqOIux7UbQepdQ/s1600/IMG_0244.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
now:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lkp7VGzUiT9CIFCVLiUx61Td2PNyvKS7NDxyRai02HhmFOb45TlmvcmvDtZIaC_bcc1WSMoShbzHeKBWMhMoN-Xo0ZR8PeT9u_cvmG_9Dbs4PZ1X6qgl9wRjGTsBIDJxlVOllWB5k2A/s1600/IMG_0246.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lkp7VGzUiT9CIFCVLiUx61Td2PNyvKS7NDxyRai02HhmFOb45TlmvcmvDtZIaC_bcc1WSMoShbzHeKBWMhMoN-Xo0ZR8PeT9u_cvmG_9Dbs4PZ1X6qgl9wRjGTsBIDJxlVOllWB5k2A/s1600/IMG_0246.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJ-DFkXTCXJFQzGrVikQTgFuRo357tFFzLfmo87IAOoh95y4h78wmzeetpYk8Nt6_EEeYN61o1hP2lH84Bcgd5r5l1X50DA70up2ab68s4IGaFIsyq73zQvnDY0_sjFGuboJTkO5jqxc/s1600/IMG_0245.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJ-DFkXTCXJFQzGrVikQTgFuRo357tFFzLfmo87IAOoh95y4h78wmzeetpYk8Nt6_EEeYN61o1hP2lH84Bcgd5r5l1X50DA70up2ab68s4IGaFIsyq73zQvnDY0_sjFGuboJTkO5jqxc/s1600/IMG_0245.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXi1B4Poh514I82CNEeipwmWw0q5y9xCGaUaxHJrLZVnQZRKgSek6QLOZwiOjY5hybLEyXRmAnDhc_NDXwKBTWElQTZ1LGtLvWwL-tSSKrFn7uar771mG2sjCZINCNO4YN6D_NlCTkQ4/s1600/IMG_0192.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXi1B4Poh514I82CNEeipwmWw0q5y9xCGaUaxHJrLZVnQZRKgSek6QLOZwiOjY5hybLEyXRmAnDhc_NDXwKBTWElQTZ1LGtLvWwL-tSSKrFn7uar771mG2sjCZINCNO4YN6D_NlCTkQ4/s1600/IMG_0192.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXi1B4Poh514I82CNEeipwmWw0q5y9xCGaUaxHJrLZVnQZRKgSek6QLOZwiOjY5hybLEyXRmAnDhc_NDXwKBTWElQTZ1LGtLvWwL-tSSKrFn7uar771mG2sjCZINCNO4YN6D_NlCTkQ4/s1600/IMG_0192.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXi1B4Poh514I82CNEeipwmWw0q5y9xCGaUaxHJrLZVnQZRKgSek6QLOZwiOjY5hybLEyXRmAnDhc_NDXwKBTWElQTZ1LGtLvWwL-tSSKrFn7uar771mG2sjCZINCNO4YN6D_NlCTkQ4/s1600/IMG_0192.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
in progress:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXi1B4Poh514I82CNEeipwmWw0q5y9xCGaUaxHJrLZVnQZRKgSek6QLOZwiOjY5hybLEyXRmAnDhc_NDXwKBTWElQTZ1LGtLvWwL-tSSKrFn7uar771mG2sjCZINCNO4YN6D_NlCTkQ4/s1600/IMG_0192.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>
<br />
And you have finally reached the end of this disjointed post (forgive the errors, I did not even have the heart to spell check)!<br />
Next up... Benny!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941225367961148987.post-12510526919248717452013-03-19T21:03:00.001-07:002013-03-19T21:03:53.923-07:00Phys-i-cali fitToday I ate 5 jelly beans and then E told me to try turkey burgers...<br />
<br />
So O and I have started an insane fitness challenge-we get daily points for doing things like eating fruits and veggies, not eating treats, not eating after 9 pm, drinking water, exercising, and all sorts of other horridly difficult things. We add up our points and our weight loss weekly and submit them to the grand master. The challenge goes on for 8 weeks after which an ultimate winner will be named. Lets just say, I am not sure O or I will be taking home the prize.<br />
<br />
E told me about this all last Sunday and I thought I had better join in bc I have been on a bit of a downward spiral as far as health consciousness goes. I came home and told O he would have to do it to support me :) O reads all the rules and says "OK, sounds good", then gets to the part about points for weight loss and says "no way! If anything I need to gain weight!" He then proceeds to step onto our scale (which I had just stepped off, after discovering myself to be even larger than my extreme large days when I had to fly home from Italy with my pants not only unbuttoned but also burst-not bursting but past tense-at several seams) and started screaming hysterically about how he has never been so huge, he used to be such a thin mint in high school, why had I not mentioned it, etc. Suffice it to say, he signed up with alacrity. (and O has been making comments all week like, "my face is so round now" and "I worked my butt off today!-wait, I guess that is not really true")<br />
<br />
Day 1 started off with O pondering where to buy squeezable veggies (he pretty much exclusively eats things in tubes-gogurts, those apple sauce squeeze packs, and fruit cups) and me realizing I had not had actual "fruit" in about 6 months (after E clarified that fruit snacks for some reason don't count). We ended up racing through Costco, then racing home to eat all of these fruit and veggies (and Arby's that we had to pick up bc our time was sooo limited) before 9:00. Days 2-5 were pretty good, with O racing home every night at 8:40, followed by us shoveling in food as fast as physically possible (I'm not sure the stop eating at 9:00 is working out so well). Our exercise (which along with scissors is a word I cannot spell) consisted primarily of walking in place while watching TV (who needs a walking machine) but hey-when you are starting at the bottom, you don't have to go very far to make slight improvements! (ps: I do have my recent leg surg as an excuse, I did have a golf ball removed from my thigh after all)<br />
<br />
Day 6 started off marvelously with a snickers candy bar, laffy taffys, mentos, and anything else nice I could get my mitts on. We get one free candy day and I was taking it to the extreme. Plus, I was skiing so I thought it was justified. Day 7 I decided to forgo the 5 points I would get from not eating sweets. Determined to live it up, I drank nothing but diet coke and sprite all day long and sadly, at 9:00 pm, realized I had to drink 64 oz of H2O. That is quite a lot of H2O and I'm not sure I will make that mistake again. I downed 3 water bottles, laid on the bed quite ill, and finally hobbled over to the scale to weigh in. Imagine my horror to see that I had actually gained 3 lbs! I slung myself back on the bed for another hour in dismay. I was relieved to find that, once relieved of all that water (and most of my clothing) I had lost 1 lb.<br />
<br />
O hopped on the scale and started screaming hysterically (once again, I think Sunday nights might be a bit emotional for some time) that he had gained weight. He had to remove every stitch of clothing to just maintain his weight. (he was somewhat comforted when L told him perhaps he had gained muscle, which weighs quite a lot).<br />
<br />
So we ended week 1 thinking that perhaps we will take things a little slow-week 1, just try to do the basic challenges, week 2, probably the same. Around week 3 we may try to go the next step and cut the 4-5 daily muffin ration down to just 1. No need to be too extreme.<br />
<br />
This has all been building up to tonight-the RS bday party dinner.<br />
<br />
There I was, sitting at my table, trying to make polite conversation with a few ladies I had never spoken with, and when they all started nibbling at the jelly beans sprinkled all over the table, I thoughtlessly joined in. I had a lovely dinner, talked for about 30 more min and suddenly, looking at those colorful jellybeans, which, by the way, I don't even like, it hits me, I ATE SUGAR!!!!!!!!!! I WASTED MY FREE TREAT DAY ON 5 JELLY BEANS!!!!!!!!!! I was so upset I could barely focus and had to leave. I called E on my way home, hoping she would say, "oh, it is fine, that does not count" and instead she says "well this can just be your free point day" (so, since I had already had those dumb beans I ate a fruit snack and a snickers ice cream bar, a fun size one I might add). Then, when I confessed that (bc I ate them really fast while on the phone) she said, "you should sign up for this food program, they send you healthy foods like turkey burgers". At first I am like "oh doesn't that sound nice, I'll be sure to consider it" while inside I'm thinking "E is insane, did she just hear me when I said I just ate a snickers candy bar? I am not ready for turkey burgers", eventually I ask "are turkey burgers even good?" and she says, no lie "they are an acquired taste, but I like them now, I eat them plain, I don't even have a bun". Yes I am dead serious. Well gee, starting a few months ago when I go to Mcdonalds I get my cheeseburgers without cheese in an attempt to be healthy but I have never thought about getting it without the bun. (on a side note every time we go, which is not exactly infrequent, O says "what do you want" and I say "a hamburger" and O says "no cheese huh? you don't like cheese?" and I say "I like cheese, I am just trying to cut down on the fat/calories". We have this conversation like once a week, word for word, it is so bizarre. Next time I think I'll just order the cheeseburger.)<br />
<br />
well, after tonight's breakdown I am getting back in the saddle. O and I are going to get serious about seriously getting in shape :) <br />
<br />
I am, however, not ready for the turkey burger-ask me again on week 4. <br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941225367961148987.post-2267381618860597532012-12-26T18:28:00.001-08:002012-12-26T18:28:57.669-08:00Week 52 Triple Chocolate Cookies!Well, I made it all the way to week 52. There were a few misses in there, its been a crazy year with moving several times, renovations, teaching, etc. However I'm glad to be finishing strong!<br />
<br />
This week we made triple chocolate cookies. My fam had a progressive dinner to travel round to see everyone's Christmas decor so I made these for dessert. It was wonderful to be finished before Christmas as I have been sick and slogging around very slowly all day.<br />
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Pic is coming soon I hope (it is on my new iphone which is way smarter than me and I need M or O to figure out how to get it into my email)<br />
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<br />
I am not a real chocolate fan so I'm not the best one to trust. To me these cookies were too rich-I could only eat 1/2 a cookie over the course of several hours (but maybe that is a good thing...). My reviewers however said they were divine! Everyone loved them. Some even made them into ice cream sandwiches with peppermint ice cream.<br />
<br />
Check out the recipe and other reviewers!<br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941225367961148987.post-63921649102044986342012-12-19T22:19:00.000-08:002012-12-19T22:19:15.740-08:00Almond BiscottiThis week we made biscotti<br />
<br />
here it is!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmNwVV1-rhTjr_X6lIcS7ci1L5rWo9X2svLmeDVvZGbLmZxtkYpikqgRvJZoPNNXJFfKevVDJmhuSb3JpBTdg1mYhWUaYw5eiP6wB1JuQ4y7bqJGJEPxNnEmReSdqi8UdmiX8_2dcxLo/s1600/-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmNwVV1-rhTjr_X6lIcS7ci1L5rWo9X2svLmeDVvZGbLmZxtkYpikqgRvJZoPNNXJFfKevVDJmhuSb3JpBTdg1mYhWUaYw5eiP6wB1JuQ4y7bqJGJEPxNnEmReSdqi8UdmiX8_2dcxLo/s1600/-2.jpg" /></a></div>
(I don't know why I even bother with the photos, they don't do me justice...)<br />
<br />
I have just pulled it out of the oven so I'll hold off on reviewing it until tomorrow (they are supposed to sit for an hour before eating). However I must say, mine were not getting crispy in the oven (I even cooked them an extra 10 min) and when I ate one it was quite soft and lacking the usual biscotti crunch so hopefully that hour will do wonders for them!<br />
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<br />
All in all, this would be great if you are making an ice cream roll thing. Otherwise, I'm not so sure, it was a bit like eating very very sugary packing peanuts (the cream part very sugary, the cake part very strange texture, but a texture that would support ice cream nicely).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-djGRpVpr01r_2MIREZdhI_OJs-oquQYLn7djjCaDKcMh2Le5YxsVusYK6VYc4cIZM3k9_gOhEKFc1noEMbcN13k1IDsKbI-8U-7TievU2Xiz_u5l8GgucKX1BJFb3UPSDTHiDBbtbKg/s1600/-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-djGRpVpr01r_2MIREZdhI_OJs-oquQYLn7djjCaDKcMh2Le5YxsVusYK6VYc4cIZM3k9_gOhEKFc1noEMbcN13k1IDsKbI-8U-7TievU2Xiz_u5l8GgucKX1BJFb3UPSDTHiDBbtbKg/s1600/-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Here is my photo. My food photographer says she does the best she can with what I give her and her camera phone. (I hope she gets a new and improved camera phone for Chrimbo so that my photos will start looking more like this...)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHjPhnZHPVVoHIN1ObkWtu2bLIn56ybo_uhriYQf7mgfOfaRv3EhXbKAD4mVLYtf1SfTU7JB-9sd-3PJEpSHjTJFAgseW_zh9yNwbgeYqq1nqNIA-gfGAw-xXozwn4k1yjfkMJtYAxZ0/s1600/Cropped+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHjPhnZHPVVoHIN1ObkWtu2bLIn56ybo_uhriYQf7mgfOfaRv3EhXbKAD4mVLYtf1SfTU7JB-9sd-3PJEpSHjTJFAgseW_zh9yNwbgeYqq1nqNIA-gfGAw-xXozwn4k1yjfkMJtYAxZ0/s320/Cropped+2.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
(perhaps I just need them to be bigger photos for starters)<br />
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Also, I suppose I should thank my little baking minion L and my food tasting staff M, L, and K for getting me through this week!<br />
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See other reviews and the recipe here:<br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941225367961148987.post-52664490840245327012012-12-07T10:11:00.001-08:002012-12-07T10:11:16.883-08:00Large Danish BreadI'm a little late with this week's post but I'll put some pics up tonight.<br />
We made a large danish bread. I actually made them into little indivual ones and used a lemon curd instead of a cherry filling. They were great!<br />
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see the recipe here:<br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941225367961148987.post-86514748612150676962012-11-28T20:16:00.002-08:002012-11-28T20:16:39.614-08:00The Best Buttermilk BiscuitsThis week was my week to host. I was reading through all the recipes trying to decide which to go for and M said she was just dying for biscuits and gravy (odd as I don't think any of us have ever had them much). I was first leaning towards the ciabatta bread (which I make all the time and it is fabulous!), then I thought about the cheese puffs (which sounded interesting), the chocolate chip cookies are a regular so I almost went with those (such as nice staple), and I could not get the coffee cake muffins off my radar either. In the end, I went with M's choice and chose the best buttermilk biscuits. Biscuits had the advantage of not being sweet and with Thanksgiving just done I thought we might all need a break from desserts this week :)<br />
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The dough was great so right from the beginning I was excited. I like that they use a ton of buttermilk powder to get in the flavoring. They baked up nice and non-lopsided as I followed the directions to cut them out without wiggling the cutter. I was not convinced about the baking upside down but I did it anyways. They looked pretty good but in the end, my mom's oven (a- she MUST get new ovens ASAP, they are messing up my baked goods, and b-I have to cook at my mom's presently as my house is under massive renovations, some by choice, some not y choice at all!) so back to the ovens-the oven totally burned the bottom of the biscuits!!! That was terrible. However, myself and my panel of 4 reviewers all agreed these are still the best buttermilk biscuits we have had. I will certainly try these again, next I'll double pan them (place two cookie sheets together, a great trick L learned at her Pen Court Class).<br />
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Here is the only pic I have courtesy of Mad (I'll get one of just the biscuits tomorrow-it is on M's phone). The pic looks pretty awful (not to offend you M, it is just the gravy did not photograph so well) so check out the wonderful bakers in my club (who also are great food photographers) for better visuals and their reviews! (I don't have the links yet so just look back at my old posts to see their blogs)<br />
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(yes, this looks so appetizing. additionally, it sure looks like a biscuit)<br />
<br />
Recipe:<br />
3 3/4 c flour<br />
1/2 c powdered buttermilk (this allows lots of buttermilk flavor, as you can only add so much liquid)<br />
2 Tbsp sugar<br />
4 tsp baking powder<br />
1 1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
12 Tbsp unsalted butter cut into pieces and chilled (no wonder these are good)<br />
4 Tbsp shortening cut into pieces and chilled<br />
1 1/4 c whole milk (and I actually followed the recipe and did not use skim here as my mom is always getting after me for switching things!)<br />
<br />
1. Heat oven to 450 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper<br />
2. Pulse dry ingredients with butter and shortening to resemble coarse meal, about 15 pulses<br />
3. Transfer to a large bowl and mix in milk until dough forms using a spatula. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until uniform, about 30 seconds. Roll into a 10-inch round, 1 inch thick.<br />
4. Using a floured 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter (or top of a cup if you are like me) stamp out 12 biscuits. Arrange the biscuits upside down on the baking sheet (I had to use two baking sheets). Don't wiggle the cutter, just stamp right down, otherwise you will get lopsided biscuits :)<br />
5. Bake 5 min at 450 then turn oven down to 400 and rotate pan. Cook another 12-15 min or until golden. (Again, I would recommend double panning these so the bottoms don't burn)<br />
6. Serve warm! <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941225367961148987.post-80067184518522201222012-11-14T20:36:00.000-08:002012-11-14T20:36:30.947-08:00Pumpkin Spice CheesecakeThis week we made pumpkin spice cheesecake.<br />
<br />
We tried the pumpkin cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory and compared it to this recipe and the results... 6 out of 6 reviewers said this recipe was as good as or better than the Cheesecake Factory!!!!! Very shocking, I must say! They actually tasted really similar and the texture of ours was just as great!<br />
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<br />
Another shock-O actually tried this baked item (as in he had one tsp full....) he said "I love it, it is the spirit of Halloween on a plate" So, take that how you will. And his review is in addition to the 6 above :) <br />
<br />
I myself LOVE cheesecake. This was a little too reminiscent of pumpkin pie for me (which I really don't care for) but it was still pretty decent. I think a plain cheesecake would have been even better.<br />
<br />
When I removed this from the oven I thought it was a total flop, the top looked strange and the whole thing looked a little wobbly. However, the hours and hours and hours it required to sit were apparently important-it came together just fine in the end. I really liked the crust-I used all the spices and it was great. I also loved that the recipe was super easy-it took forever to cook, then sit on the counter, then sit in the fridge, but it was actually a simple recipe and only had a few ingredients which was nice.<br />
My mom loved this so much she wanted to freeze it and take it to Thanksgiving, however, we ate it too fast for that, I guess I'll have to make it again!<br />
<br />
TOTAL SUCCESS! You'll want to try this one for sure!<br />
see Amanda's blog for the recipe: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l/PAQEHDO4T/www.girlplusfood.net/2012/11/bake-52-spiced-pumpkin-cheesecake.html" style="color: #3b5998; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.girlplusfood.net/<wbr></wbr>2012/11/bake-52-spiced-<wbr></wbr>pumpkin-cheesecake.html</a><br />
<br />
and ps: Amanda said it was even better the next day-I did not try mine until day 2 but maybe it needs time to sit.<br />
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check out other reviews here:<br />
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<br />
This week we made apple dumplings. I am not a fan of cooked fruit so I was not sure about these. However, they were met with rave reviews! I used less apple than called for (2 apples for 6 dumplings, and I think it would be even better with 2 apples for 8 dumplings, or maybe no apples at all...) and they turned out pretty fabulous. I loved that we used refrigerator rolls, they were so fast and easy! My family loved them, several told me they would not have minded a bit more apple. One thing I would change-I should have reduced the apple cider syrup more, mine was still very thin.<br />
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This is a recipe to try, perfect for fall!<br />
see the recipe and other reviews here:<br />
<br />
inlinkz codes for week 44! Happy Halloween!...
Amanda Tatton 1:36am Oct 31
inlinkz codes for week 44! Happy Halloween!
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941225367961148987.post-72137460452314305502012-10-24T15:37:00.002-07:002012-10-24T15:37:57.636-07:00Creme CaramelThis week we made Creme Caramel.<br />
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(I'll add the photo tonight)<br />
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It seemed impressive but was really easy put together-fast too! I must have cooked my caramel too long, most of it stuck to the ramekin. Other than that I had mixed reviews. From the reviewers who like custard: it was fabulous! From the reviewers who do not like custard: it had a weird texture. (I'm in this group, custard is just creepy to me...)<br />
overall: if you like custard this recipe is easy and has a great flavor! <br />
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<br />
I love scones, I make them all the time. I have made a few of the recipes in this book, this was not a keeper for me. It was a little too oaty tasting (we toasted the oats and that certainly enhanced the oat flavor). They were not terrible, I just prefer them without the oatmeal I think. However, I must confess, I did not have whole milk or cream so I used all skim milk, that might have been a problem. All in all, my taste testers said they were fine but not to make them a second time.<br />
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Visualize Picture Here (my ipad has the photos, it is dead, we are in the middle of a major move, I will find my charger tomorrow and get the photos uploaded!!!) (and they are really cute, I cut the cake into squares and piped a swirl of the frosting on top of each one)<br />
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I was a little skeptical but in the end, I had rave reviews. In fact, everyone asked for the recipe-this was surprising because I have tons of great recipes that no one ever asks for! Based on my experience with the pumpkin bread I went ahead and doubled the spices (so that is the recipe I'm now reporting)<br />
I also had rave rave rave reviews on the cream cheese frosting. In fact, I'm not sure that there was anything special about the cake but everyone loved the frosting. It was less dense than normal cream cheese frosting, not too sweet, and I totally loved it! (Not too surprising as I love most cream cheese frosting.) I would absolutely recommend this frosting recipe to go with the cake! <br />
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All in all, I was totally but wonderfully shocked by the reception of the cake. Everyone loved it, it was gone in a few minutes, even my 5 year old niece who only eats cinnamon toast crunch and eggs sunny side up (not exaggerating) asked to save a piece for her lunch the next day. An added bonus, this recipe is super easy and fast! And one last piece of evidence, O ate some and said it was a 7.8 on a scale of 1 to 10 (I don't think he has ever rated anything above a 1.5)<br />
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Pumpkin Sheet Cake:
2 c flour<br />
4 tsp cinnamon<br />
2 tsp baking powder<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1/2 tsp allspice<br />
1/2 tsp ground ginger<br />
1 2/3 c sugar<br />
1 c vegetable oil<br />
4 large eggs<br />
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree<br />
4 c cream cheese frosting (I only used 2 cups) <br />
<br />
-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Whisk dry ingredients together.<br />
-Beat sugar, oil, and eggs together on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 min. Reduce speed to low and add pumpkin until combined, then add in flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.<br />
-Scrape into pan and bake 30-35 min or until toothpick comes out with a few crumbs. Let cool in pan for 2 hours.<br />
-Frost and serve<br />
<br />
Cream Cheese Frosting <br />
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese softened<br />
10 Tbsp unsalted butter cut into chunks and softened<br />
2 Tbsp sour cream<br />
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
2 c confectioners' sugar<br />
<br />
-beat cream cheese, butter, sour cream, vanilla, and salt on high speed until smooth, 2-3 min.<br />
-Reduce speed to low and slowly beat in sugar, beat until light and fluffy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejCvVV657nVK_loYw8Jgu49CdkryZdLpzc7Hvlc3XUGLre_U4bnp-8psSEZltZYjcF548_AKKvOGsWpXodjCjJIPTO7hDkH_77at1xs8XmSKbJjStCBYQzvLxM3HlSDgz2B3rIQkNac4/s1600/-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejCvVV657nVK_loYw8Jgu49CdkryZdLpzc7Hvlc3XUGLre_U4bnp-8psSEZltZYjcF548_AKKvOGsWpXodjCjJIPTO7hDkH_77at1xs8XmSKbJjStCBYQzvLxM3HlSDgz2B3rIQkNac4/s1600/-3.jpg" /></a></div>
If it had chocolate chips, I think it might be perfect!<br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941225367961148987.post-75432920214816027332012-09-19T21:07:00.000-07:002012-09-19T21:07:10.169-07:00French Toast!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWycnBEvzmwDNmsJzs5bQjBbUjLNYCHc_5RIIkVbLGQjT49tDM-gUBari-pYqqEsoaecnQvngbGmiYWZDd_JUHrUSsbC2HlfuXUHwIJdkdSdNNTs7YSRtNZ5o1A11603rqz9lgZPP6_ow/s1600/-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>This week we made french toast. The recipe was for a make ahead french toast that sits in the pan for 8 hours than you bake it. I was a wee bit nervous this would make for soggy bread (which is something I direly dislike). When I read a few reviews this morning my fears were all confirmed. I got home from work and stoically mixed up the egg/milk/cinnamon stuff and thought-well perhaps if I don't let it sit (which I did not have time to do anyways) it will be OK. If not-well, I halved the recipe so it was not a terrible waste. L was over (actually she did the mixing whilst I stood around deliberating) and she said-"Just make it like regular french toast". So, I did. We had very low expectations. I love french toast, but restaurant french toast is always better. I started getting into it though and made some white syrup (next time I'll go with buttermilk syrup as this was a bit rich), breakfast potatoes, and O made his microwave bacon. All in all it was.... fabulous! It was as good as if not better than in a restaurant!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWycnBEvzmwDNmsJzs5bQjBbUjLNYCHc_5RIIkVbLGQjT49tDM-gUBari-pYqqEsoaecnQvngbGmiYWZDd_JUHrUSsbC2HlfuXUHwIJdkdSdNNTs7YSRtNZ5o1A11603rqz9lgZPP6_ow/s1600/-9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWycnBEvzmwDNmsJzs5bQjBbUjLNYCHc_5RIIkVbLGQjT49tDM-gUBari-pYqqEsoaecnQvngbGmiYWZDd_JUHrUSsbC2HlfuXUHwIJdkdSdNNTs7YSRtNZ5o1A11603rqz9lgZPP6_ow/s1600/-9.jpg" /></a><br />
L (who ALWAYS orders french toast) confirmed this. O not only ate it, he ate several pieces and said it was "extremely tasty" (I don't think he has ever said that before, but then, he also complimented his bacon a bunch so maybe he was in an ebullient mood).<br />
<br />
All in all-with the modifications, which were somewhat extreme, this was an incredible french toast recipe! The secret must lie in both the bread and the batter. The dry french bread (I did not toast it, just used a loaf of french bread that was a few days old) was perfect-not soggy, and the egg mix had a nice amount of sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.<br />
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I will use this recipe again!<br />
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I am a pizza lover! I make pizza at least once a week, have tried a hundred different recipes. and this is a good one. Its also fast and easy!<br />
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(I should have taken it more from the side so you could check out the awesome deep dish crust!)<br />
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<br />
I have made this recipe a few times before and so I made a few modifications-not as much oil, less cheese. My main recommendation is make their sauce-it is hands down the best sauce I have tried (but I add a few Tbsp of sugar and some red pepper flakes).<br />
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My other two tasters loved it. O actually ate it (he generally goes for pizza) and L said, while not as good as the regular pizza recipe in the book, it was great.<br />
Check out the recipe and other reviews!
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The results were mixed.<br />
First off, it was an easy recipe, and I literally made granola bars!<br />
However, I'm not sure Nature Valley should be worried...<br />
I thought they were a little burned (but that might have been my own fault), a little dry (I was 1/4 cup short on the honey), a little boring (I only had half the needed amount of nuts), and a little overly sweet (now that was not my fault). But, they were not terrible, I might try them again with (a) the proper ingredients and (b) some additional things like maybe craisins!<br />
Totally mixed reviews though-my sister said they almost killed there they were so sweet, O thought they were horrid (typical), my cousin was quite interested, and a new taste panel-my two older brothers totally loved them! They might be my new testers, they ate almost the entire pan and thought they were wonderful. Who would have guessed!<br />
<br />
check out the recipe and other reviews!<br />
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check out what everyone else thought and get the recipe here:<br />
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They were a huge hit, everyone loved them (even me and I normally am not into cooked fruit!)<br />
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Success-They were quick, they were easy, they were delish-I would recommend these to everyone.<br />
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