Update

Yesterday was the first day of our 30th week of pregnancy. I am so happy that we are getting close, but I'm also having allot of anxiety about the whole "birth thing". I will not dwell on this... I'll just say that I am very glad that there are good drugs, and I love that I will be giving birth in one of the best hospitals in the world.
This new trimester has, like the first two, been very challenging, but allot more fun. Our little Simone is very active all the time! She does different kinds of activities at different times of the day.
In the morning she does this funny scratching thing. It tickles, which is really strange.
In the afternoon and evening she gives the strongest kicks and punches. Jeremiah has been able to feel her kicking, but nobody else has had their hand on my belly at the right time.
At night she likes to dance. She kicks softly, but really fast and she throws her head back and to the side. I think she will like to dance like her daddy when she is older :).
I always respected the fact that she was her own little person, even when I couldn't feel her, but now that I can feel her I am getting a real idea of her personality it is really striking how much I know about her... she likes Vivaldi!
I hope to be able to download some picture soon. I have been taking "belly" photos every month, so hopefully I can post some so you can all see the growth. For now I''ll just say that my belly has gotten huge the last two weeks!

christmas time is here

I didn't think it would come, but it did! I figured that since we had decided and indeed completed our move within 3 weeks, and that we are still unpacking from this move that we would have to forgo the usual Christmas decorations. This was very sad to me, considering I usually start pestering my housemates for a Christmas tree the week before Thanksgiving. This year I thought I should be a big girl and not whine about a tree or lights or cinnamon scented candles... I would only get out our creche this year. But... do you know what my husband did this last Saturday? He woke up and said "lets go get you your tree today". I was soooo happy! Now, last years Christmas tree buying trip was far from ideal. It took hours, it cost lots more than it should have, and there was a lot of... colorful... language. Jer did not have fun. I did not have fun. We came home with a very expensive tree and bad moods. This year, however, we arrived at The Home Depot picked up the first tree that we came across and it was perfect, proceeded to the checkout counter, paid, had the tree tied to the top of our car, and were on our way home in less than 15 minutes. I spent the rest of the weekend decorating the tree, putting out the scented candles, addressing Christmas cards, and making a place for the creche. Now I have to get some lights for the porch.

Life is good, and festive :)

I Got An A :)

I had to take all the 6-7 month blood tests last week. For some reason I was really nervous about the glucose test well... I have been getting nervous about allot of things that I have no reason to be nervous about. I just got the results and I have "very good looking blood", says my doc. Well, that is a relief.

We Made It

Well, the move went very well considering we only had a week to plan it, and it happened on a holiday weekend. I even learned two good things.
1) The Home Depot has the very best box prices.
2) Hiring movers through uhaul is a great thing. The movers were very nice and did a great job (though they were 2 hours late).
So... we are now getting used to our new surroundings. There is lots of nice shopping near us and gas is much cheaper. Also, I am very happy that we are so much closer to our friends. We have had a few people "drop by" already. They have been able to find parking and everything!

Moving. Yay!

So, in case you haven't yet heard... we will be moving at the end of the month. I am very excited! Our new apartment is so much closer to most of our friends, and our church. It also has many fun amenities such as a play ground, 2 swimming pools and a kiddie pool, round the clock security patrol, a dishwasher, and best of all central air!
We have been kinda' half looking for a three bedroom place for a few weeks, we were beginning to think that the only areas that had three bedroom apartments were in bad neighborhoods, but this is in a very nice area of the city of Lakewood. In fact, the whole city of Lakewood is very nice.
Jer and I are so happy that we will have a nursery to bring Simone home to. We feel so blessed that we were able to find a new home well in advance of her due date. I already have quite the "bump" and trying to carry boxes with a belly any bigger would be quite challenging (my arms aren't that long).

Hello Again

Well, it has been a crazy few months. I have had a very hard time, and although I am feeling much better, I continue to have a really bad morning sickness. I have tried every kind of morning sickness treatment, so if you need a review of any particular one let me know ;). I have also been tired and very dizzy. Sorry, I have not been posting partly because I don't want this blog to turn into a big whine fest, so this paragraph is the only time I will mention my being so sick.

Jer and I were happy to find out that we are having a girl (We would of been equally happy, of course, if we were having a boy, but girls are so much fun to shop for). We have had names picked out for years so its been nice to call our baby Simone Marie, instead of just "baby". So... Simone Marie Davis is due to be born on or around March 9th. Wow, that is a scary thought... scary and exciting!

Please Pray!

Our little friend is in trouble.

Two Months Down

Well, It has been an exciting 2 months.

The first month was very easy. The only real symptoms of pregnancy I had were that I was very tired, and that my mid section swelled. I was surprised at how tired I was. Taking a shower was enough to make me need to take a nap. On days that I went to work I had to be in bed at around 7pm. Also, I was surprised at how much by body shape changed. I had to buy maternity pants and bras by week 4! I didn't expect that to happen till I was a few months pregnant not a few weeks.

Month 2 has been a bit more challenging. As you know, if you are a person who has depended on me in any way, I have been very sick. I have been late to work almost every day, I have not made it to many commitments, and I have totally flaked on any social engagements. I have felt so bad about all of this, and more than a little helpless. I know that I will feel like this for a few more weeks and that knowledge is getting me through it. So far I have tried many traditional ways to help morning sickness like extra sleep, fruit in heavy syrup, crackers, and exercise. I have also tried some new fancy products including Ginger Chews, Preggy Pops, Happy Mama Spray, Mother to Be Tea, and Mama Bee Body Oil. Most of them work to put a dent in the nausea for a little while. I think the tea and exercise have been the best things so far, although the Preggy Pops are really tasty.

Another thing that I have been feeling is a lot of anxiety. I find myself worrying all of the time. My poor husband has to comfort me and reassure a bawling me all the time. It must be getting old, but he is so wonderful that he doesn't show his frustration. I love him so much.

One really cool thing about the last week is that I have been able to feel something growing inside my body. It is really strange, and I laugh because it reminds my of the princess and the pea. When I lay down on my stomach I can feel a bubble that must be my baby. How cool is that!

Well, that's about it. My feelings, and anxiety for the first two months. Please continue to pray.

Mommy Called the Doctor and the Doctor Said...

I'm fine, unless I have other more scary symptoms like bleeding or really bad shoulder pain.

Thanks everyone for your advice and prayers. BTW- I love advice and prayers. Please keep them coming.

Questions

Okay, so I tried some these ginger candies that a good friend gave me, and my body promptly rejected them. I am totally bummed because I usually really like ginger flavor things. I'm finding that my body doesn't like allot of things that my mouth does. So, I have some questions...

1) Have any of you tried Preggy Pops, Sea Bond or any of the other things that have bought add. space in magazines?

2) Can anyone recommend a vegetarian cookbook that has good tasting, fast recipes? I seem to have much less trouble with veg. meals than meaty ones.

3) Now this question is not on the subject of morning sickness. It is something that I have been worrying about since Friday... Has anyone experienced an ache in the lower abdominal area, not like cramps, but more like what you get when you have had the flu? I have had a persistent ache that is starting to scare me. I can't go to the doctor till after the first of next month but I can call him... should I?

Thanks for listening, or... listening with your heart while your eyes read this post.

As Of 7/16/08

Life around here has been more than a little crazy.

Jer has been working 15 hour days for the last week, and will continue to work that way for another week. He is preparing for the big retreat that his organization puts on once a year that starts next Wednesday. He will be out of town next Wednesday through Monday.

I thought I might escape the ickiness that is morning sickness, but no luck, it kicked in with a vengeance last Friday. I have been very tired and quite sick since. Other than that I have been working more than I usually do, which is great. I was taking a class at Santa Monica College but I had to drop out. I really thought that I could handle the schedule, and I could until I found out that I was pregnant, and that mom will have to have another round of chemo.

Mom has to have more chemo. She has not yet had an appointment with her Dr., but he was pretty sure that some spots on her liver (that she has had for years) are in need of some attention. She has a great outlook about things. I'm glad that she had a few days to be happy about the baby before she found out about the treatment. She will meet with her Dr. in a couple of weeks, after she takes some more tests. I'll be sure to post the results.

If You Haven't Heard Yet...

Were gonna' have a baby!!!

We found out on the 4th of July. We are very happy, as you can see in the picture taken that morning.

My Lemonade Tastes Like Selfish: A Rant

Okay, so I (like everybody else) have been really freaking out about gas prices lately. This morning the gas station around the corner was selling a gallon of regular for $4.70, and while I realize that in a month I will look at this post and wish that a gallon of regular was only $4.70, this morning it gave me a little shock.

So... on this mornings newscast the weather girl on the local news said "well gas prices are bad at least its making traffic good". She said this while looking down at her blackberry. I think she was sending a text message while on the air. Wow. She is right, traffic has been much lighter the last couple of weeks, but how insensitive! Allot of people have to drive across town to get to work. In Los Angeles the bus system is a joke. The buses only run to parts of town, and leave huge areas that are not covered. The "subway", and train systems are very expensive for the average person. So if you have to commute from the west side of LA to Pasadena you are out of luck.

I wonder how many people will lose their jobs because they just can't get to them.

This Time, Two Years Ago: Part 3

Exactly this time. It was a great and crazy day.

This Time, Two Years Ago: Part 2

I was finishing up making our wedding cake, filling baggies of bird friendly rice, setting tables, and getting ready for our rehearsal, and rehearsal dinner.

This Time, Two Years Ago

It's hard to believe that it was two years ago that I, and 4 other girls, got up at 3am to go to the Flower Mart and get my wedding flowers.

Super Yummy!

Okay, so I really like Martha Stewart's online recipes. They are always really easy to understand, and I always know that if I just follow the directions the recipe will turn out just the way it should. Although I have used the online recipes for years, I had never purchased any of her books... until now. I am now the happy owner of this book. I love it. Very few of the recipes take longer than 30 minutes to make, the pictures are lovely, and they are mostly 4 serving recipes. How great is that!






Tonight I made "Tortilla Soup". I adjusted the recipe for the things I had in my pantry, and fridge so it's not really the same as the one in the cookbook (so I don't have a problem posting it)


1 lb. chicken, sliced, or cubed
4 c. Low sodium chicken stock
1/3 c. cilantro, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 T. olive oil
4 tortillas (I used wheat flour tortillas)

Method:
Heat oven to 400. Brush tortillas, on both sides, and then slice into 1/4 in. sliced. Spread tortilla slices on an baking sheet. Cook until golden brown, and crispy. OR use corn chips :)

Saute chicken in a hot skillet (I used Pam and a non-stick skillet), till chicken is completely cooked. Remove from heat, set aside.
Bring heat chicken stock, bell pepper, and cilantro to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes.
Add chicken and continue to simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes.

Serve with hot sauce, green onion, and sour cream. Oh, cheese is good too.

Water Water Everywhere

I gave Jer a 10 gallon fish tank for his birthday. We have been having fun filling it with fish and decorations, but keep falling in love with fish that are a little too big for our tank... so this weekend we got a 30 gallon tank. It is much nicer. We now have to figure out what to do with our 10 gal. tank, and the 2 gal. tank that we got the other day, oh, and the beta in the 1 gal. tank... we went kinda' crazy at Petco.

Here are some pictures. The water has not had time to clear up so it looks a little green.

A Very Nice Mother's Day

April 2008

Please Pray

Please pray for baby Jacob Marlow, and his parents Joy and Joel. Little Jacob died in his sleep yesterday. He was premature, but was healthy other than that. Here is a link to their family blog.

Diet Update

Oh no! I have had a bad couple of days. Jeremiah returned from his trip and had a birthday, so I blame him for it. I will restart the diet tomorrow.

So Far So Good

Well, day 5 of my new diet, and I'm still doing everything I should. It has been really easy, actually. So...cool.

I'm really excited (and I've already had a cup of coffee, so I'm typing words with the letters all out of order) because Jer is coming home tomorrow! He has been visiting the east coast on business since Monday morning. I miss him sooooo much, but I have managed to only cry once all week. I'm proud of myself. I owe this small feat to the fact that I have been spending so much time with my extended family. I spend that day with jer's sister and our niece, when I get home I'm with my parents. I'm never alone, unless I want to be. Jer's mom called to see how I was holding up (that's when I cried), and to just talk. How sweet is that! I'm so lucky that my family is so wonderful.

The Prints The Thing

Well, I haven't been able to go to church since I wrote the post about my dress so I don't know how Sharon will like the dress, but I have a picture of another dress that I made for all you you to see...

I have learned two important lessons from making this dress 1. a bold print covers a multitude of sewing flaws 2. I need to go on a diet, big time.

I'm really embarrassed about the second point. I didn't realize I looked that bad. Instead of dwelling on that too much I am choosing to start my diet today. Actually we, everyone in my household that is, are all going to start the "Zone" diet. I have heard good things about this diet, and the safe healthy way it teaches you to eat and live. I am also going to try to get moving more. I have a gym membership, but I'm not sure I'm going to keep it ($$). I think I will try to take more walks for now and retry the gym option when it gets cold again.

I'm putting this all in print as a kind of accountability thing, by the way. So feel free to ask or nag if you want. I'm thinking I should post some kind of progress report too, that will mean getting out the scale-yuck. I promise I won't get too obsessed though.

To be continued...

10:37 And All Is Well

I'm so excited about my new mania! My very good friend Katie lent me a sewing machine a few weeks ago, and I have been teaching myself to sew. So far I have made some napkins, a pair of cozy pants for Jer (see picture), and a dress. I plan to wear the dress to church on Sunday, but I am a bit nervous because Sharon will see it if I do. Sharon, if you haven't met her, is passionate about sewing, and very good at it. Well good isn't the word... more like amazing. She is very kind to me, but I know that is it is wrong she will let me know, and I will feel bad :(. I will post with the result on Monday.

And Now... A very cozy Jeremiah.

I Love People

People make for some really fun stories, this is one of the silliest I've read about in a while.

Books Books Books

1) One book that changed your life.

Holiness for Housewives: And Other Working Women by Dom Hubert Van Zeller

2) One book that you have read more than once.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Growing up I read this every summer. I suppose it changed my life too.
I read most books more than once though. This was a very hard question to answer.

3) One book you would want on a desert island.

Building Outrigger Sailing Canoes by Gary Dierking

4) Two books that made you laugh.

1. The Art of Civilized Conversation: A Guide to Expressing Yourself with Style and Grace by Margaret Shepherd

2. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
Okay, I know it’s strange, but it really did. I have always wanted to be an organ and tissue donor the book has set my mind at ease in a way. I understand (in a very graphic way) what will happen to my body, or not happen, after I die depending on the choices I make. I like that, especially because I’m not 100% sure what my soul will be up to.

5) One book that made you cry.

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
An amazing book, VERY sad.

6) One book you wish you'd written.

I don’t know.

7) One book you wish had never been written.

Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King
I agree with Jen, but since she already said it… I’ve gone with this fluff. It gave me nightmares and made me depressed for weeks.

8) Two books you are currently reading.

America the Last Best Hope by Bill Bennett

Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian

9) One book you've been meaning to read.

The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage by Laura Schlessinger

***
For the 1-2-3 meme, the directions are:
1) Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2) Open the book to page 123.
3) Find the fifth sentence.
4) Post the next three sentences.
5) Tag five people.

Haruki Murakami’s Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman:

I laughed, but her expression was serious. I pictured myself trekking around the Greek isles, picking up spare change drawing portraits, enjoying the occasional free beer. Not such a bad idea, I concluded.

Tagged: Tanya, Nikki, Erin, Mom, Lynn.

We Have Been Tagged!

I just found out, and I am so excited! I want to really think... so I will wait to post till I have.

For now, Here are some tomatoes...

Mommy Needs a Real Baby

Aren't they cute!

I'm really not trying to be mean here, but...

This is just soooo strange.

I'm sorry.

Winter Beauties

This is why I love Los Angeles. So many beautiful flowers in the middle of the Winter!!!

A Lovely Time

Saturday was our nieces first birthday party. Her parents threw a very girlie party full of pretty pink and butterflies. So sweet.


Scarlett enjoying her birthday cake.

Mommy and Scarlett. Aren't they beautiful!

Uncle J and Scarlett. Jer looks so great with a baby on his knee ;).

Still Sick

Jeremiah and I have been fighting a bad cold for the last two weeks. We had been feeling better, but seem to have relapsed. I have been the biggest flake because of this darn cold.

Happy New Year