Missing Items Alert!

Anytime I would lose something my mom would ask, "When was the last time you remember seeing it?"  The last time I remember seeing them was about a week ago at church.  But today at church they were no where to be found.  It's official, my ankles are missing.  People tell me they'll be back after the baby comes.  Let's hope so!  I didn't realize I had any vanity about my ankles until now.  I guess this is good for me.

    

This past Monday I decided to strike out on my own and make a maternity skirt. I used a pattern and bought all the materials, found my size, cut out the pattern, sewed it up all by myself! Not a bit of help from anyone! I was so proud. Unfortunately, I measured my current waist size (this is a maternity skirt after all!) rather than my pre-pregnancy waist, which resulted in a skirt several times too big. I was laughing and laughing when I tried it on the first time because Walt and I could both have fit in it (though we didn't try). My sewing teacher showed me how to take it in, which wasn't so hard actually, and after subtracting about 4 inches on each side, it fits perfectly! I'm wearing it right now, and it's so fun to feel creative, even if I did follow a pattern. The maternity dress I'm making should be done this next week, and then I'll have three things to wear to church. Woohoo!

We started attending childbirth classes this week, taught by the doula my aunt used for her two boys. It is just a 4 week course, but already I've learned so much. At the end she showed us a video of multiple women doing natural childbirth, and I cried. It did NOT look fun. I was trying so hard to contain myself because no one else in the class was crying, and it was a small room with only 4 couples. I think I fought it back pretty well in the end, but it sure made me think twice about what I'm getting myself into. I'm feeling fine about it now, though, and I'm still committed to going natural. The more I learn the more prepared I feel and the calmer I get, even if hearing some of the stories can be kind of unsettling at first. I can take it! My body was made for this! Our doula also brought the fresh placenta from a birth she'd helped with that morning. "No one else wanted the placenta! Can you believe it?!" she said. I said, "Should I want my placenta?" It was very cool to see the one she brought, but I have no desire to keep my own. Although someone was just telling me that they saw a childbirth book from the 70's with a recipe for placenta casserole.....

Easter Formula

According to my survey, only one person knew how to calculate when Easter will be, and they didn't share it with me, so I looked it up! It's actually quite simple, though a calendar with lunar cycles is required. I personally don't memorize the cycles of the moon.

First, find the Spring Equinox (either the 20th or 21st of March, typically). Then find the first full moon after the Spring Equinox (this will be Passover). The following Sunday will be Easter.

EXAMPLE: This year, the Spring Equinox is March 20th. The next full moon falls on April 9th. So the following Sunday, April 11th, is Easter. Ah ha! Not so hard after all.

This week we attended our last required adoption seminar. That's one part of the process that is complete, and now we have several more steps to take which will include two more rounds of interviews and two home visits. I need to buy a carbon monoxide detector, so if anyone knows of a good one, please pass on the information!

At this week's prenatal appointment my doctor suggested that before I eat anything I should ask myself, "Would I feed this to a newborn baby?" Dang. So I've decided to limit myself to two dessert a day, one helping each. Pathetic, I know. The good thing is that for the first 4 months of my pregnancy I hardly ate any dessert - just didn't want it. That was then. This is now. Did anyone else get a mean sweet tooth when they were pregnant?

Nesting

In the past week we've given away my home organ and sold my car, Sam. Not to mention a trip to DI, giving away a file cabinet, sorting duplicate books out of our bookcases, cleaning out our sock and underwear drawers, organizing my cross-stitch floss, clearing off my night stand, trimming my plants......this nesting instinct has hit hard! I find myself constantly looking around and into cupboards and drawers for the next project. If this is a symptom of pregnancy, well I'm not complaining! It feels great.

As far as the Easter Sunday survey, after 31 Easters, I still have not taken the time to learn how to calculate when Easter Sunday will be. If you know, please tell me! It'd be more fun to find it out from you than to look it up!