Thanksgiving Weekend

For Thanksgiving we headed up to see my brother, sister-in-law and niece for Thanksgiving. They outside of Sheridan, Wyoming or about 10 miles from Montana. It took us 10 hours to get there and I was worried about how Mikayla would do on such a long car trip. She did great - I don't care what anyone says but a portable DVD player saved us.

Mikayla's cousin is 7 and they had tons of fun playing together. It was almost like being on vacation - I could sit and read a book while they ran off and played!





My brother has two wonderful dogs. One is an English Mastiff who weighs at least 150 pounds and is taller than Mikayla. He is taller than the table.

I was using my brother's digital camera and thought I would take some good 7 month pregnant photos since they other ones did not turn out.

Man - I am getting big.

"f mom is showing her belly - I have to too!!"

Pictures - 7 Months

Here is my 7 month pregnant pictures. We REALLY need a new digital camera. I hope you get the idea! I will try to take some better pictures this week during the day.

Isn't see a cutie!!!

Mikayla and Daddy relaxing on the couch.

Let's see how much I have grown!

5 Months

21 Weeks (5 months and 1 week)

6 months

25 Weeks (6.5 months

7 Months

So far I have gained 26 pounds. My only complaint is I feel huge and my belly is getting big and I still have 3 months to go! My back pain is bearable but always there. I still cannot walk more than a few blocks at a time until my back really starts to hurt. I can also tell my belly is getting big because at work we have a work table and I really have to reach to get a pen in the middle of the table (go up on my toes!).

Misc. Stuff

Mikayla and her big kid bed
Mikayla is in her big kid bed. We have the box spring and mattress sitting on the floor. The first night she did great. Then the second night she woke up crying around 2am. I went into her room and she was laying on her back at the other end of the bed crying. I really don't know why. I asked if she had a bad dream and she said yes, but she might have been saying yes because I asked. Then last night she did fall out of the bed and woke me up again crying. Her room is very small and we still have her crib in it just in case she wants to sleep in her crib. But ever since we put the bed in there she has not even mentioned it. I think I will move the crib out tonight (I hope I can get it through the door without taking the crib apart) and put the crib mattress next to her bed in case she falls out again.

Secretarial Help
I am trying to start up a secretarial business where I word process documents (letters, resumes, spreadheets, etc..) from home. I dream of making between $2000 and $2500 a month so I don't have to work full time and I could daycare out of the picture. We will see if I can develop it that far. Wish me luck.

House
People have asked for an update on our house. Well my secret plan did not work since it is still not under contract. We have a couple that is still interested in buying it but they are trying to get numbers from contractors to see if it will work. During late October and into early November hunting is a VERY big thing in Gunnison. Therefore the town shuts down, so this couple has had some delays in getting the numbers. I did run into the husband the other day and he said they are still very interested. So keep your figures crossed.

Trailer
Does anyone want a 1969 trailer that needs work for only $7000? We have been trying to sell this trailer for a few months but have had no luck. Joe thinks it is in much better shape than it is but it could use a new kitchen and new flooring in the kitchen and bathroom. We did put new carpet in the rest of the trailer. I just want it sold.

7 Months Pregnant
I have finally hit 28 weeks!!! Hey - third trimester here I come. I have 12 more weeks to go to hit 40 weeks but if this baby comes early like Mikayla I have 10 weeks to go - that does seem scare even though I am so ready to have this little baby but she still needs time to cook! She is very busy rolling around, kicking much harder, and just plain active - of course I have noticed it more because she is most active in the middle of the night and I have been awake lately with Mikayla in the middle of the night. I am getting bigger and bigger every day. I look at my belly and think I was this big when Mikayla was born - I am sure that is not true but I look huge! I will get pictures this weekend. I am glad that most of it is my belly.

Pumpkin Receipes

This past weekend I made these yuumy and super moist pumpkin muffins, I didn't even realize that they were vegan until I got to the end I was wondering about the eggs. I went back to the receipe and then realized it was vegan.



Pumpkin MuffinsIngredients

1/4 cup margarine

1 cup brown sugar (or white sugar plus 1 tablespoon molasses)

1/2 cup applesauce

2 cups pureed pumpkin or squash (I used 2 cans of pumpkin instead of measuring out 2 cups)

1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg (I also added cloves and all spice)

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:Preheat oven to 350 and grease muffin tin. (This recipe makes 12 muffins.)

Cream together margarine and vegan sugar.

Add applesauce, pumpkin, and spice.

Mix well and add flour and soda.

Fill muffin tins and bake for about 20-25 minutes.

The muffins don't rise much, so don't be shy about piling the batter in.These muffins are great warm, but keep for days. Most people don't believe me when I tell them these muffins are vegan, because they cook up so light and fluffy. Also, people are shocked to find they are made with 100% whole wheat flour.





I also made a pumpkin cheesecake that was super yummy. This receipe made one pie, plus a smaller one.



Pumkpin Cheesecake

I had trouble getting the indregiants to list first since the webpage is split in 2. The website is joyofcooking.com.

When making cheesecakes make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature so they blend together to create a smooth texture. Cold cheese is harder to beat and you can end up with graininess. Judging when a cheesecake is fully baked always presents a challenge. They are very deceptive as they do need to be removed from the oven when the center is still wobbly and wet looking. Cracking can also be a problem. As a cheesecake bakes its moisture evaporates. If too much moisture is lost (when overcooked), or if it evaporates too quickly (oven temperature too hot) cracking will occur. So be sure to follow your recipe's instructions. Also, to prevent cracking, shortly after you remove the cheesecake from the oven, run a sharp knife around the inside edge of the cheesecake. Once the cheesecake has completely cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. This allows the cake to set, flavors to meld, and produces a creamier texture.

You can use canned pure pumpkin in this recipe or make your own pumpkin puree. Fortunately there are excellent brands of canned pumpkin on the market which match the quality of homemade. But if you want to make your own puree, use the smaller pumpkin varieties like Sugar Pie, Baby Bear or Cheese Pumpkin (approximately 5-7 lbs., 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 kg.). To make the puree, cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise, remove seeds and stringy fibers, and place cut-side down on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) for approximately 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours (depending on size) or until easily pierced with a knife. Scoop out the pulp and puree in a food processor until smooth. Can strain through cheesecloth to extract all the liquid. Cool before using..

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or spray with a non stick spray) an 8 inch (20 cm) spring form pan.
For Crust: In a medium sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, finely ground ginger snap cookies, sugar, and melted butter. Press the mixture onto the bottom of the prepared spring form pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the cheesecake filling.
For Cheesecake: In a separate bowl, stir to combine the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), on low speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth (about 2 minutes). Gradually add the sugar mixture and beat until creamy and smooth (1 to 2 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (about 30 seconds) after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree.
Pour the filling over the chilled ginger crust and place the spring form pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Place a cake pan, filled halfway with hot water, on the bottom shelf of your oven to moisten the air. Bake the cheesecake for 30 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees C (165 degrees C) and continue to bake the cheesecake for another 10 - 20 minutes, or until the edges of the cheesecake are puffed but the center is still wet and jiggles when you gently shake the pan.

Meanwhile whisk together the sour cream, vanilla extract and sugar. Pour the sour cream mixture over the top of the baked cheesecake and rotate the pan slightly to evenly distribute the topping. Return the cheesecake to the oven and bake about 8 minutes to set the topping. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Loosen the cake from the pan by running a sharp knife around the inside edge (this will help prevent the cake from cracking). Then place a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the pan so the cheesecake will cool slowly. When completely cooled, cover and refrigerate at least eight hours, preferably overnight, before serving.
Serves 10-12 people.


Crust: (I used a store bought graham cracker crust)
1 cup (100 grams) graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cups (50 grams) finely ground ginger cookies, homemade or store bought
1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated white sugar
4 - 5 tablespoons (56 - 60 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake:
2/3 cup (145 grams) light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound (454 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup pure pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)
Topping:
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

Mikayla's Birth Story - Hospital Birth With Meds

Kirsten over at GreenStyleMom is looking for birth stories. So here is Mikayla's birth story.

In wee early morning hours on May 6, 2005 I woke up with an intense pain in my back, but I just rolled over and fell back to sleep. This went on until about 4am when I really woke and started to wonder why does my back hurt so bad? I realized that I must be in labor but I am only 37 1/2 weeks so it is probably Braxton Hixs. The pain in my back was pretty bad so I got up and took a bath. I have heard that sometimes a bath will help. Well it didn't and I was still in denial so when 7am rolled around I took a shower and got ready for work. Hubby and I headed to work thinking since I was so early the contractions will stop.

At work I was attempting to concentrate and get some work done but it was hard. The contractions were coming about every 5 minutes or so. I called the doctor and he said that the only way know for sure was to come in and he would examine me. I went to the doctors about 2:30pm and he said, yup you are in labor and have already dilated 3 cm.

Hubby and I headed home - and of course the nesting set it. I HAD to clean the house because I did not want to come home with a brand new baby and a dirty house. I took another bath around 6:30 or so in order to ease the pain of the contractions. The doctor called while I was in the tub and wanted to see how I was doing. He asked me to head to the hospital at 7:30 to get checked out and see how far along I was. By the time I got out of tub I was ready for an epidural, the contractions were getting stronger and I had been in labor since 4am and I was over it!

At the hospital they did the worse thing in the world for a woman in labor they made me sit in a bed and not move for over 30 minutes while they hooked me up to monitor my contractions. They also examined me and found out that I had only progressed to 4 cm since 2:30 that afternoon. The nurse was very nice but she would not give me drugs and she sent me home. She said to come back when the contractions got worse or if I saw any blood.

Joe and I headed home about 8pm or so. We grabbed a quick bit at McDonald's and went home to relax. The nurse actually gave me a sleeping pill to help me relax a bit because she knew I had been up since 4am. What was she thinking???? I was having horrible contractions every 2-3 minutes - Did she really think I could sleep??? At 9pm I went to the bathroom and there was a very small amount of blood and I felt the contractions and really sky-rocketed so we headed back to the hospital.

Once we arrived back at the hospital I promptly went to the bathroom and threw up and the nurse was so excited. She new that I was in the transition stage, just where she wanted me. She made me get back into that bed and go through the whole monitoring of the contractions again. I asked for the epidural again and she said she work on getting that for me. But she had to get my doctor and the epidural doctor to the hospital first. During this time I was watching the clock with every contraction. I would have about 15 seconds of peace, then 30 seconds of horrible shivering, then the contraction and then the process would start all over again.

At this point it is more Hubby's memory than mine - my doctor arrived before then epidural doctor (funny because my doctor lives 30 minutes from the hospital and the other doctor was only a few minutes away from the hospital). My doctor was getting very upset and yelling at the epidural doctor because if I did not get that epidural in they I was going to have this baby with nothing.

Finally they got the epidural in. It took a few tries. The first time they tried to have me sit up, Mikayla's heart rate dropped and they had me lay back down. Second time they were able to get it in and I finally started to relax and enjoy this. Before I knew it, it was time to push.

I noticed that they were watching Mikayla's heart rate pretty close but were not saying anything about it. While I was pushing the doctor was using a manual vacuum on Mikayla's head to help her out. Hubby had one job during the pushing stage. To put his hands on my belly and when he felt me having a contraction to tell me to push. I just had the epidural and I could not feel anything. Hubby was too busy laughing and joking with the doctor to do his job. But after 20 minutes of pushing, Mikayla arrived at 12:17am on May 7, 2005. She had the cord wrapped around her neck once and that is why her heart rate had dropped during labor. The doctor did say that she was so low in the birth canal that if he was really worried about her he would have just reached up and grabbed her (ouch!)

Mikayla weighed in at 5 pounds 3 ounces and 18.5 inches long. She had a head of black hair which eventually either fell out or turned to her current dirty blond almost brown hair.

We stayed a total of 2 nights in the hospital and we loved our night nurse that helped deliver Mikayla. After we headed home and begin the journey of parents.

As most of you know our second little girl is due on February 8th and I will post that birth story when she is born.

Whole Wheat Bread - Take 2

I tried to make wheat bread again and this time I took my mom's advice and used half wheat flour and half white flour (maybe a little more wheat than white). Well it rose but not as much as it should have. I have tried it yet but I am pretty sure it is going to be pretty hard - but not as hard as last time. I think I am going to give up - at least until we decide to move to a lower elevation. I will continue to spend the money on healthy bread.

One way I am going to try and save money is to do one egg dish for dinner every week (quich or eggs for dinner) and one meatless dish. Last night I made lasagna with my own sauce and I did not put any meat in it. I am planning the quiche for Wednesday night. So I am starting to meal plan a little bit. I also made some yummy pumkpin muffins - well they turned into pumpkin bread because I don't have a muffin tin. Mikayla helped me make them and she had a blast. She kept saying I want muffin man mommy. I found a vegan receipe and it already replaced the oil with applesauce, no eggs and it called for whole wheat flour. It is super yummy and the bread is so moist. I will post the receipe once I get home from work tonight.

I hope that next week at the grocery store I will only need to buy produce, one bag of chips (our down fall I know!!) milk, yogurt, cheese, bread.

No More NaBloPoMo

I tried but it did not happen. I have missed 2 days of blogging so I am no longer doing the NaBloPoMo - oh well. I am been busy and I normally don't blog too much on the weekends.

I am 27 weeks pregnant, this coming Friday I will be 28 weeks and 7 months months pregnant and I am already getting the nesting instincts. I wish Mikayla was already in her new room and the babies room was all set up or we were more in the middle of the process than we are. I am working on getting Mikayla a twin bed. I was going to buy one on Friday but a co-worker said her mom might have one - so I am waiting to hear from here. I was ready to buy Mikayla a new dresser and another co-worker said she might have one so I am waiting on that. I would rather not spend money so I just have to wait. It is also getting much harder to put Mikayla in her crib with my big belly getting in way! We also have to get carpet and her new room painted - that is something I will probably work on this coming week.

I am been busy buying cloth diapers for the baby - I have purchased about 12 all in ones and the average price since they are used is $6 to $7. Brand new these diapers would be $10-$20. I just have to wait for them to arrive.

Every few months we go through the same thing - trying to get Mikayla's bangs to grow out. We want her hair to be all one length (like moms) but we give up when she can't see and she refuses the "pretties" in her hair. I noticed today that she was looking up to look under her bangs - but i have to stand tough! She is getting better at wearing the pretties longer because she realizes that she can't see without them.

That is our update for our house!

Stuff

This is what I was worried about when I committed to blog every day for the month of November - what do I say - it is not like I lead an exciting life. Well this is what you get - diapers and weight!!

I have been busy buying All in One Cloth Diapers for the new baby. I found a called http://www.clothdiaper.com/ where I can purchase All In One (no cover needed) for Preemie (4-7 pounds) for $9.00 or $8.00 if I order 12 or more and size newborn (6-10 pounds) for $10.00 or $9.00. But I have been trying to buy them used, to save money and to recycle someone elses. Don't worry they are clean. I have been on http://www.diaperswappers.com/ where (if I look hard enough) I can buy ones for under $10.00. But some of those mamas must have spent over$20.00 per diaper to be selling a used diaper for $15 plus!!

Next question is what time of day do you weigh yourself? I normally weigh myself first thing in the morning, naked so that I am at my absolute lowest but then at the same time I know I will naturally gain a few pounds by the end of the day. What are you opinions on this???

It is after 5pm so that means time to go home and see the family!

Favorite TV Show

I am having trouble to think of something so I thought I would ask what are you favorite TV shows that you have to watch every week.

For me I have to watch The Biggest Loser on Tuesday night and ER on Thursday nights. I am also getting into Life but with a 2 1/2 year old it is so hard to get into a new TV show and the only 9pm TV show that I can stay up late enough for is ER. It is a good thing I don't live on the east coast where TV shows start at 8pm instead of 7pm.

What are you favorite TV shows?

Easy Ways to Start Being a Little More Green

Everywhere you look now days you hear about global warming. A very basic explanation of global warming is that we are putting way too much pollution into the atmosphere and the pollution has no place to go. The pollution is trapped due to our atmosphere. This creates a barrier and it allows the suns rays to come into the atmosphere and then the pollution traps the suns rays instead of allowing them back out. This in turn leads to the temperature of the earth to rise.

1 - Turn down thermostat or better yet purchase a programmable thermostat and sit it at 55 when you are not there.

2 - Unplug appliances. Your TV can draw up 6% of excess energy when it is not turned on. I know that a lot of lamps and appliances are hard to unplug because the plugs are hidden but unplug what you can. We have a space heater in our bedroom and that is only plugged in when it is in use. I also unplug my microwave and dishwasher when not in use. Also don’t leave you cell phone charger plugged in when not in use.

3 - Go Green in Your Home - When the regular light bulbs burn out replace them with compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs. You will not notice a difference in the type of light. I notice that when I first turn one on it is not as bright as a regular light bulb would be but if I wait just a couple of minutes it is a bright as the regular ones. The CFL light bulbs last 12 times as long as regular light bulbs and they use 1/5 the energy.

4 - Stop using paper towels - all they do is create waste. Pick up a bunch of dish towels and wash cloths from Wal-mart and use those or make your own. It took a little while to get out of the habit of always reaching for a paper towel but now I never use paper towels. I use my dish rags for napkins at the dinner table, to clean my kitchen, clean up spills and messes, cover things in the microwave and for all of my general house cleaning. Whatever I would use a paper towel for I now use my kitchen rages. Hey if you are adventurous you can even give up toilet paper and use rags instead - but not me - I will have to stick with toilet. Also buy recycled toilet paper and paper towels to help the environment.

5 - Stop using plastic bags. Stock up on the cloth shopping bags and when ever you go into a store grab your own. I am pretty good about using my own cloth bags in the grocery store but I have to get better about using them when I go into other stores. You can find some cheap ones at your local grocery store now.

6 - Drive Less - Whenever you can walk, ride your bike, carpool or just combine all of your errands into one big one.

7 - Recycle - Recycling one pound of material equals one pound less of carbon or pollution going into the air. Recycling is easy. Check out your local recycling center to first see what you can recycle. I have two trash cans that sit next to each other. One is for recyclables (glass - green, clean and brown, plastics numbers 1 and 2, newspapers, magazines, tin cans and aluminum cans), then once a week I take the trash can to the recycle center. Other items you can recycle - your old sneakers. Ask at your local footwear store if you can donate old sneakers and then they will send them to third world countries. My local store offers me a 10% discount off a new pair if I bring in an old pair. You can also take them to any Niketown or Nike Factory Store or mail them to Nike.

These are just some small ways to help everyone live a little more green without changing much. Check out the following blogs for much more information. I am no expert and there is A LOT more that I can do. But if we all take small steps leading to larger ones we will make the earth a better place for our children.

http://green-mommy.com/
http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/
http://greenstylemom.blogspot.com/
http://www.greensahm.com/

Sagging Breasts NOT do to Breast Feeding????

I am pretty bored at work today in reality I just don't feel like working. I am reading articles on MSN and came across this one. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21599854/ Go ahead and take a couple of minutes to read it.


Now - Can you believe it - they are blaming sagging breasts on smoking not on nursing. I am sorry but I have to say something. Before Mikayla was born I was a solid A, then I got pregnant and I eventually made it to a size B while pregnant and a C while I was nursing. I only nursed for 3 months and I have never in my life smoke a cigarette. After nursing Mikayla I went down to an A minus and even at that small they were sagging. Come on people - nursing does lead to sagging breasts. When ever I see a hot model on TV with great boobs I normally make the comment - you can tell she has never had a kid!!

HELP - How to Make Wheat Bread

This weekend I decided to make my own whole wheat bread and I had one big problem. It did not rise. When I put the yeast into the warm water I made sure the water was at the correct temperature (115ish), I added a little bit of sugar (1/2 teaspoon), and I let it sit there to make sure it was bubbling and active. It might have risen a bit the first time but it never doubled in size. I kept waiting and I was hoping it would go but it never did.

Next question - I did finally bake it so what do I do with brick whole wheat bread - since I don't want to waste it - any ideas?

I need advise on how to make whole wheat yeast bread - also, please remember I live at 7700 feet.

Also I am pretty sure I have made white yeast bread and have not had this problem, the problem only occurs when I use whole wheat. Another I did not do was knead the bread for 20 minutes.

Saving Money on Food

Thanks for everyone's comments on how to save money on food. I do plan on making my own bread this week. I also know that I do spend a lot of money on prepacked processed foods, yogurt drinks for Mikayla, rice mixes, pasta mixes etc... I also buy a lot of processed lunch entrees for my lunches during the week. I am trying to stop buying as many of these and taking more sandwiches because I am tried of the Lien Cusines lunch entrees and I know they cost a lot. As to a meal plan it is a great idea but Joe is the cook in the family and he is not a meal planner. He likes to look in the fridge and pantry and come up with something to eat.

I should try to plan one meatless meal a week and one egg meal a week. I do love quiche. As for the beans - not gonna happen. I really don't like beans that much. I will eat them but not on a regular basis.

Jen you mentioned the fat - don't worry I still eat probably too much, olive oil, cheese, junk food. I get plenty of fat in my diet - trust me!! I do eliminate it where I can, skim milk, low fat turkey and beef, etc...

This week I made a grocery list before I went to the store and I did pretty darn good about sticking to it but I was still shocked when it came to $153 without any meat products. I took stock of the pantry before I went. I did need dog food and that was $30 and I bought some eye cream and that was $13 but even with those purchases I was over $100 and I was hoping the bill would come in less than $100 - and the dogs do need food.

If you come up with any more ideas let me know.

Clean House

I grew up in a very clean house. It was always picked up, Mom and Dad would clean the house every Saturday morning. The dinner dishes were done right after dinner - no dishes were left to the next morning. This "groomed" me to be a clean person as well. I have always enjoyed a clean house but I would also let the dinner dishes wait until the next day to be done, especially since Joe and I tend to eat late. After I had Mikayla, well maybe a few months before, I turned from a clean person to an anally clean person. I pick up the house every day after work, I would vacuum the house a few times a week (this is needed with 2 hair dogs), and wipe down the house. Then on Saturday I go through and clean the bathrooms, sweep and mop the floors (we have no carpet except for a couple of rugs), clean up the kitchen, etc... Now that I am six months pregnant and my back bothers me a lot I have slowed down. I don't vacuum the floors during the week, I still pick up, and today I even said - I am not sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor this weekend - who cares! Did I really say that? Yep - it looks fine.

If you were to come to my house it looks clean, but it is the deep cleaning I hate and don't bother with much. As I am writing this I see a huge cobweb in the window sill but it can sit there, I should clean out my cabinets because they are pretty dirty, and the fridge only gets cleaned when it starts to smell.

Normally I clean up the kitchen after dinner because Joe cooks dinner. Last night I did part of it, planning on finishing it today. I took a bath and while I was in there Joe cleaned up the whole kitchen. He said he has noticed that I have slowed down on things lately. Oh well - at least it got done and I have a more relaxed Saturday.

Well - I am off to my massage. My sister got me this as a birthday present and I am going to enjoy it!

What are you anal about?

Happy Halloween

Last night Mikayla went trick or treating for the first time. She dressed up as a pumpkin. She had lots of fun and was pretty darn cute when she would whisper "trick or treat" and then "thank you". The big thing here is to go down town to all of the shops on Main Street. Mikayla did not like the scary customs, she would whine and say noooo and try to get away. I thought it was odd because she has never seen anything scare and we have never addressed it. It was a natural reaction. Here are the pictures you have been waiting for.

The pumpkin all ready to go trick or treating.

Isn't she too cute!!

Look at that smile!!!

Trick and Treating!!

The Trick and Treaters on Main Street - Look at all of them.

We actually had trick or treaters at our house for the first time in three years. We live down a dark dirt road (about 200 yards) off of the main street. Last night trick or treaters ventured down the driveway with there flashlights. I was so impressed, they got some of Mikayla's candy - just don't tell her!

NaBloPoMo and Pregnant Lady Pictures

I have no idea why I signed up to do this but I did so I am. I signed up for the NaBloPoMo. Basically it means that I will be blogging everyday for the month of November. I am really trying to increase my traffic and blog in a more consistent basis. I will be posting pics tonight (If I get all of the bills paid) and let you know how Halloween went last night. Leave me some comments if there is anything you want me to blog about.

My sister cam into visit this week and she is 18 weeks pregnant. Needless to say Mom had to have these pictures. Enjoy - Don't I look just like my younger but yet so much taller sister!!

ABC's of Me

Kristin tagged me for the ABC's of me - so here goes!!

A - Anne is my middle name and Mikayla's too.
B - Books - I love them. I am always reading.
C - Colorado - I moved to Colorado 10 years ago and I really don't want to leave. I love the fact that both of my kids will be born here.
D - I have 2 big dogs. Teo is about 90 pounds, a Chocolate Lab mix and Skyler is about 60 pounds a German Shepard Mix. Both are sweet as can be!
E - Exercise - I am always watching my weight and that means exercising!
F - Fun - Who does not want to have fun!
G - Giggle - the only thing next to giant that I can think of right now that starts with G.
H - Hawaii - This is where Joe and I went on our honeymoon and I want to go back. We went to Kauai and the Big Island.
I - Illinois - I was born in Illinois.
J - Joe - the name of my hubby.
K - Kansas - Why can I only match states for these letter??? I moved to Kansas when I was five years old.
L - Loser as in the Biggest Loser - One of my favorite TV shows. I HAVE to watch this every Tuesday night.
M - Mountain Biking. I love mountain biking. I am not great but I can keep up. Before Mikayla was born Joe and I would go out all of the time. Now that I am mama and now that I am pregnant the mountain bike rides are few and far between.
N - Nap - I wish I had more time for naps, instead of just Saturday and Sunday.
O - O - my last name starts with O.
P - Pee - I am doing A LOT of that now. Every hour at least. I tell Mikayla I am going to the bathroom and she says "Mommy, you just went." How is that for a 2 year old!!
Q - Quilt - I wish I could but no machine - at least that is my excuse. My mom made Mikayla a beautiful baby quilt when she was born.
R - Running - I like to run in order to lose weight. But while I was running a lot I would get bored easily. Now that I am not running I miss it. It is also a great way to burn calories!!
S - Stay at Home Mom - I am not but I would love to make it happen - at least part time anyway. I want to see Mikayla and number 2 more.
T - Tiffany is my first name.
U - Umbrella - I don't know one of these.
V - Very, Victor - what else starts with V - It is 3:30 and my brain is shutting down for the day - too bad I have to work until 5pm.
W - Work - My current job title is Legal Assistant - fancy name for Legal Secretary which I don't like.
X - X-Ray - My mom is an X-ray tech.
Y - Yoga - Yoga is what help me lose the baby weight the first time. I am no longer going to a yoga class due to money but I sure do miss it.
Z - Ziegenhorn is my maiden name.

Wow - that is everything. I had trouble with some of these. I should have done this first thing in the morning. Jen, Melissa, and Tigerlily you are tagged.

Budget and Money

I need some help. What are your suggestions about saving money when it comes to food? It seems as if I spend over $500 a month for food for a family of 3 - does this sound right??? I have tried coupons but it seems as if I only save a couple of dollars a week using coupons, I do much better when I watch the store sells. I have also the The Grocery Game but this too does not save me a ton on money. It also comes out on Sunday and I like to have my grocery shopping done by Saturday afternoon.

One area that I spend a lot of money in the grocery store is fresh produce. Mikayla loves fresh fruit, apples, peaches, strawberries, melons whatever. I also like to bring fruit to snack on during the day. We also spend money on good whole wheat bread (it needs to have whole grains in it, not enriched wheat flour - which is the same as white flour), extra lean ground turkey, organic milk. I only buy these things because I think they are worth it. The extra lean ground turkey because we don't eat ground beef and don't need that extra fat in out diet. The organic milk is for Mikayla, she does not need to be drinking the hormones that are found in regular milk. If I could afford organic produce all of the time we would be eating that, but I really can't afford that grocery bill.

What are your ideas to save money on groceries.? Also the nearest Sam's Club or Costco is 3 hours away so stocking up there will cost more than it is worth when you figure in gas.

6 Months Pregnant

I am now six months pregnant and I cannot believe how big I am and no it is not twins. I was never this big with Mikayla. I am wearing clothes now that I was not wearing until I was eight or nine months pregnant with Mikayla. Even though I am bigger than I was with Mikayla I have only gained about 21 pounds. Wow that sounds like a lot and a few weeks ago I did gain a bunch all at once but it has slowed down again. I am hoping to only gain a total of 30 pounds but I will probably gain more. I also love the fact that my boobs have gone from an A to a C. The last time I was a C I was nursing Mikayla.

In general I feel good. I am still peeing a lot but there have been a few nights that I have slept through the whole night without getting up to pee. I gave up running about a month ago and I am also slowing down on my walks and they are shorter now. I am still trying to do my weight routine because that does not bother me too much. My back is still a bother but I can deal with it most of the time.

I am getting excited to see this little girl growing inside of me. I wish I was at the end of my pregnancy now because I just want to hold this little girl in my hands. But I will be there soon enough, I have 16 weeks left, or if this baby is like Mikayla (which I am hoping for) 13 weeks left.

My sister is coming in next weekend and she is around 17 or 18 weeks pregnant. Everyone is telling me how big she is so we will see. She probably won't like this but we will take a couple of pictures of our bellies and post them for everyone to see!!

Baby Name - Weather

What a blog title huh. Now for the baby name - What does everything think of the name River Anne for a little girl? I really love that name and so does Joe. But Joe says that to name a kid River is being irresponsible - I don't think so - to me it is the first name that I really truly love so far in this hard job of finding a name for the baby.

Now onto weather - it is getting cold. We had snow again this weekend, but only about one inch on Sunday morning. I also start posting how cold it is on the exceptionally cold days. I was shocked this morning that it was 10 degrees!! It is only mid October - it is going to be a cold winter? Last winter was pretty warm so I guess we are do for it but I am not ready for those
-25 days.

First Snow of Winter

Yesterday it snowed off an on all day long but nothing stuck. Then last night it snowed and we woke up to 2 inches of the pretty white stuff everywhere. I thought by now (11:30am) most of the snow would be gone but it is sticking to the grass and roofs everywhere. It is so pretty outside. I love most seasons in Colorado. The only season I really don't is Spring - but in Gunnison Spring is not too bad in Crested Butte (1,000 feet difference) it sucks. In CB it is getting warmer and the grass is starting to show, so you decided you want to go for a hike until you find out that there is too much snow and mud to go hiking. I don't mind winter here except I wish it only lasted 2 months instead of five.

What did you wake up to this morning? - Oh Joe called me on his way to work this morning and not only did he have to deal with icy roads but he had to deal with horses. The horses down the street from us got out and were causing trouble running up and down the road - only in a small town in Colorado - normally it is just the cows that get out and cause trouble.

What is your favorite season?

House is No Longer Under Contract.

The deal on the house fell through. I know that they had until October 19th to pull out but we were just hoping that it would go through. The couple was scared off by the inspection report and I feel as if Dr. Death gave the inspection. He saw the worst possible thing in everything and then he had the nerve to put "reasonable" price estimates to everything which made all the things that need to be done to the house seem that much worse. He estimated a new roof, windows and heating would be over $80,000. We already have estimates for all of those things that show $30,000. He also hated the crawl space, because things are old. Well it is an old house it was moved to its current location in the 1950's.

We were pretty upset about the whole thing and we started second guessing ourselves. But yesterday someone came by to look at the house and she made us feel sooo much better. She understands old houses and the fact that if it is not broken don’t fix it or fix it when you have the money for it. I would love to have $30,000 to put into the house before we sell it but we don’t. She understands old windows, old heating, old plumbing in the crawl space.

I really want to sell the house because we cannot afford it. I am trying to get on Joe to get a better job making more money. Now that the house is no longer under contract I am worried about paying bills next month and my maternity leave in February. If we could get the trailer sold that will help out and I won’t be as stressed out about finances. But I have to keep remembering the secret - The house will be under contract by October 31st and the trailer will be in the process of being sold by October 31st - hey it is only the middle of the month.

If you know of any way to make "real" money on line let me know. I am already doing some surveys but they don’t may a whole lot and I am also trying to get rid of stuff on ebay. I need to list a bunch more but my stuff is not moving very quickly.

Finally Monday was my birthday and we found out all about this on Sunday - what a great birthday huh!!! Joe actually did make me a birthday cake. I have been after him since I have known him (9 years) to make me a cake and he always responds that he does not bake, he cooks. I have told him it is easy, buy the box, add the eggs, water, oil whatever else it calls for, mix it up, put it in a cake pan and bake it. Well he did on Monday and it was excellent. He used vanilla pudding for frosting his he could not find any frosting and you know what - it was much better with the pudding for frosting instead of regular frosting. I will have to remember that for the next time I bake a cake.

Saving Money = Being Green

We had our home inspected on Saturday (more about that in another blog). I know that I need to conserve energy (electric and gas) and I thought I was doing pretty good but I was overlooking to key areas. I had our refrigerator set way too cold (33 degrees) and the hot water heater was set way to high. So save your electric and gas bills and therefore use less energy and therefore be more green by turning up your refrigerator, freezer and turning down your hot water. It is also a good idea to put a blanket on your hot water heater - I still need to do that.

Ebay

Well since I decided not to have a garage sale I am trying to get rid of stuff of ebay. So here are the links to everything that I have listed at this time. Most of it is books. But you are looking for infant girl clothes (sizes 0-12 months) PLEASE let me know and I will let you know what I have.

Thanks for looking.

Mixed Book of 20 fiction books, 2 DVD and 4 VHS tapes
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300161353781&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=020

The Islamist Challenge - Nonfiction Book
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300161521863&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=020


Auschwitz - Non Fiction Book
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300161524114&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=020


Your Baby and Child from Birth to Age 5 - Parenting Book
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300161525781&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=020


Lot of 4 Educational Books - Great for a Teacher, Printed by Phi Delta Kappa
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300161529146&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=020


Comparative Politics - Collage Textbook
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300161531424&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=020


The First 3 Years of Life - Parenting Book
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300161532117&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=020


Nine Months Strong - Pregnancy Fitness Book
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300161532638&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=020

Stay at Home Mom

This weekend Joe went out of town so it was just Mikayla and I all day Saturday, Sunday and Monday and I took Tuesday off because we don't have our regular babysitter. We had a great weekend!!

On Saturday she played happily by herself which gave me a chance to clean the house. Then we did the regular Saturday chores, grocery shopping, recycling, farmers market, etc... By the time we got home we were both exhausted. Mikayla feel asleep on the way home and I passed out on the couch!

On Sunday we headed up to Crested Butte to visit Jen and Solas. We had a wonderful lunch, walked around town and then visited the farmers market in Crested Butte.

Monday was our big day. We headed to Montrose for some shopping. I was so excited because they got a new JC Penny's. I know that JC Penny has a maternity section so I would only drive 1 hour to get new maternity clothes instead of over 2 hours to Grand Junction. Well we get to the brand new JC Penny and they do NOT have a maternity section. So I did the best I could, I did find 2 pairs of pants and a couple of shirts, they should last at least another month or so until I need to go shopping again. Mikayla did score on clothes. We headed to Super Walmart and did not buy much. Mikayla did show me a couple of rugs she wanted and a new bedspread. I told she has to wait until we buy her a twin bed in the next few months before we buy a new bedspread. We had lunch and then headed back to Gunnison.

Tuesday was just spent running errands, visiting dad at work (twice) and playing at the park. I really enjoyed being a stay at home mom. We had a blast.

Cloth Diapers For Sell - See Post Below For Pictures and Updates on the Family

I am going to keep this post on top so that everyone can see my cloth diapers for sell. Please see the next post for pictures and updates.

I have some of Mikayla's old cloth diapers that I would love to sell. I tried Ebay but they have taken used cloth diapers off of their list of items to be sold. So please take a look - if you would like to purchase some please send an email to oconnellhouse@msn.com or leave a comment with your email address.

Shipping on everything will be $3.00 for the first diaper and $1.00 for each additional diaper.

Kissaluvs Size 1 - 10-25 pounds. You will need a cover with Kissaluvs. Price $5.00 and they normally retail for $11.50 each. If you buy all 3 the price is only $12.00.

Kissaluvs Size 2 -20- 40 pounds. $5.00 per diaper or all 4 for $17.00.

EZ Gerber Diapers - Size 20-30 pounds. All in one. These are older diapers but they work just fine and they also come with a diaper double attached inside. Price $3.00 each or all 4 for $10.00.

Snug to fit - Size - all sizes (they have multiple snaps to adjust to all sizes). They have an attached insert but they will need a diaper cover. Price $3.00 each or both for $5.00.

Training Pants. Size 2T. They were barley used. I ended up potty training Mikayla with her wearing nothing. I have a total of 6 to sell. $1.00 each or all six for $4.00.

Diaper Covers. These are a bit older but work just fine. I have a total of six to sell. $1.00 each or all six for $5.00.

Prefolded flat cloth diapers. Price $0.50 each or all 4 for $1.50.

Reducing our Carbon Impact

A few months ago I mentioned that people are trying to reduce their carbon emmissions by 90%. Here is where I first blogged about it. Jen picked up the challenge is August and so it got me to start thinking that I need to start working on this again. I am not going to try and reduce my emmissions by 90% but I will try to reduce them by 50%. I am also using my summer bills to help me and summer is when our utility bills are the lowest. Hey if I can keep my utility bills as low as in the summer that would be wonderful - but we all know that is not going to happen. So here are my October Goals.

Gas - Car - The average 3 person family uses 125 gallons of gas per month. I do not want to use more than 62.5 gallons this month. We have some trips planned so we will see how good we do. I need to buy a new bike tube so I can start riding my bike to work again.

Electricity - This summer we average a usage of 14.5 per day. I have no idea if that is kwh or what. I would like to keep our usage for the month of October at 14.5 or less. Since it is getting colder it is harder to dry clothes outside and we use more electricty to heat the house. I need to turn more lights off and buy more CF light bulbs to replace the regular ones.

Natural Gas - House - Our usage this summer was 1.509 per day (again I have no idea what the number means but it shows me a starting point.) For the month of October I am planning on keeping my usage to the same or less. Ways to do this - Wash all clothes in warm water - not hot (I tried using cold water but my clothes were not as clean. We need to keep the doors shut in the evening to keep the house warmer, and use the heat less.

Consumer Goods - The avearge American spends $10,000 per year on new consumer goods. A 50% reduction would be $5,000. So our goal for this month to reduce would be to only spend $417. That does not seem to high. But I will be keeping track.

These are my starting points - so we will see how well we do.

Pictures and What Not

Here is a post that is a little bit of everything. Below is a picture of me 21 weeks pregnant. I ran a 5K race this weekend and I think that will be the last of the 5Ks. Even though I felt great during the race lately whenever I run I feel pressure in my lower belly and I swear this kid loves to jump on my bladder. I will be sitting at my desk feeling just fine and then I feel pressure on my bladder and I have to pee. I think that this baby is sitting lower than Mikayla was so I feel the pressure more.

And since we were talking a picture on my belly Mikayla wanted us to take a picture of her belly.

I did manage to get her to smile for some pictures but the smiles were pretty odd - close mouth and eyes shut - oh well we will work on getting her cute smile on the camera. I know I have said this before but I love being a mom. She was in such a good mood tonight. We all took a walk after work and she rode in her stoller, ran with Daddy and had a blast. Tonight after her bath she cuddled with Daddy on the couch on it only took about 5 minutes until she feel asleep. Daddy is now working on falling asleep on the couch as well.

Mikayla likes to sit on Teo.





A couple of weeks ago we drove to Crested Butte via Ohio Pass so that we could see the Aspens changing. We might have been a week or so early and it was rainy the whole time but we did get some could pictures.

Our house is almost under contract. A young couple from Crested Butte would love to put the hosue under contract but they are trying to get out of their current contract due to other issues. So keep your hopes up that they can get out of their current contract and we can get this house sold. I keep telling myself the house WILL be under contract by October 31st and we will have sold the trailer by October 31st! Also I WILL be able to work 4 ten hour days at work.

Pictures - Just for Fun!!

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy.

Joe made spaghetti for dinner the other night and Mikayla love it. She loved slurping it up, just like Daddy.

A friend is storing his canoe at our house so we get to use it whenever we want to. Here is a picture of Daddy and Mikayla going down the stream behind out house.

A friend of ours has two pigs and Mikayla got to go play with them the other day. Here piggy, piggy, piggy

Pictures of the Little One

Here is a picture of the little on. You can see face and hand.

Here is another shot of the face and hand.

Ultrasound Done - And it is a???

We had the ultrasound done and we are having a girl*. I threw in the * because we only got one shot and it was not a great one and each time they kept going back to make sure it was a girl, the little had her legs crossed, then she was sitting on her legs, - while crossed. So I am planning on a girl but hey it could be a boy.

Mikayla had lots of fun looking at her baby sister. When we got in the car to leave Mikayla asked, "Where is my baby sister?" How cute is that!!! I said in my tummy. She was pretty confused. That night she asked again about her baby sister and I said in my tummy. Then Mikayla said her baby sister is coming. I said yes, in February.

I am going to try and upload some ultrasound pictures tonight - but we will see since we have dial up at home.

The Secret

Joe is reading a book called The Secret. The basic idea behind it that if you believe in something it will come true. So I have been saying these sayings the past few days and hoping they will come true.

1 - Our house will be under contract by October 31, 2007

2 - Joe will find a better paying job, soon - such as in the next month.

3 - We will have sold our trailer but December, 2007.

4 - I will be able to work 4 ten hour work days (More time with Mikayla, less money for daycare and less time spent with the office manager from hell!)

Those are my items that need to come true - what are yours?

Pictures Finally!!

Here are a bunch of radom pictures I have been promising you forever.



Joe likes to take Mikayla to the lake on his afternoons with her. She actually asks to go to the lake with him before he even says anything. The lake days are almost over for the year.




I don't have many pictures of our New Jersey trip in July-August. One day we went to the science museum and it sits acorss the river from New York City. We had great views at lunch time.

As you know from my previous post about our New Jersey trip . This is a picture of Joe and Mikayla waiting for a flight in the Denver airport. Mikayla had her first Mcdonald's lunch ever, 2 chicken nuggets, a few french fries and orange soda.

Here I am 5 months pregnant. Isn't this a cute picture!!

18 Weeks Pregnant

I am now 18 weeks pregnant or in the middle of my fifth month. Wow - at first the weeks dragged by but now the pregnancy is flying by. We had a doctor's appointment last and and even Mikayla got to come along. Baby is doing just fine - heart is pumping away at 140 beats per minute. I thought I was leaking a little fluid so the doctor hooked me up to the ultrasound (everything is fine - not leaking amniotic fluid) and we got to see the little critter moving around. We are having our ultrasound on September 18th and right now we are not going to find out what the baby is but at the same time I want to know - and if I don't find out it will get harder and harder!! Oh well we will see.

Random Posting

I really want to get better at posting on a more regular basis but it seems as it I don't have much to say or I say the same old thing so this is a random posting of my thoughts at the end of a long and boring work day. That brings me to the first one:
1 - I am bored at work!!! The attorneys do not give me enough work to do - I really enjoy my job when I am busy from 8am to 5pm and I still have a pile on my desk for the next day - they are paying me to work 8 hours and I would love to produce 8 hours of work for them. I have gotten tired of asking for work because I would be doing it every day. The last few days have been really slow and today the two main attorneys that I work with were gone all day. So hopefully I will be busy tomorrow - but who knows. I only billed out about 2 hours worth of work in an 8 hour day - ugh!!

2 - Mikayla is pretty much potty trained. We put a diaper on her at night and that is it. She goes potty at home, in daycare and at every store we go to and she can even hold it when she says she has to go and I still have to drive two blocks to the store, park the car and walk as fast as her little legs will go while be distracted by the horsy to the potty at the back of the store!

3 - I took last week off from working out hard all I did was some easy walking. I think I really needed the break because I jumped back in full force this week. I even went home at lunch for an awesome cardio and strength training workout - it was great.

4 - I have not been riding my bike to work as much and it is a good because it rains almost every afternoon around 5pm.

5 - Fall is coming to Colorado. The trees are slowly starting to turn and the windows have condensation on them in the morning - I am not ready for winter but I do love an indian summer in Colorado.

6 - I am in the middle of my fifth month of pregnancy and getting big. I have gained 12 pounds and I hope not to gain another 20 which would put me at gaining over 30 pounds. I am still exercising so hopefully I won't gain another 30, but boy is my belly getting big. I am having a hard to waiting to feel the baby start moving and it should be anytime now - but I want to feel it move now!!

7 - Does anyone have any name suggestions for a boy or a girl. We like Julieanne Marie or Miller Joseph but we are not attached to those names so we are looking for any and all ideas.

I think that is it for now and now I only have 10 minutes left of work.

Bye!