Monday, 16 April 2012

  • the last few days

    So, my husband had to have his appendix removed on Thursday.  It was a miserable couple of days waiting for him to get out of the hospital.  He had a rather high fever coming out the surgery, and a few bouts of pain from the surgery.  He's doing a lot better now, and taking the week off of work--but these past few days have been exhausting for us both!  I'm already tired from being pregnant, and now both of us are kind of just feeling uncomfortable.  Trying to move around and get things done without killing ourselves!  My feet get so swollen now, but I can't put them up on my husband's lap because of his incisions!! 

    Poor guy.  I felt so bad for him.  It was so hard to be in the hospital--and they didn't discharge us until Saturday night.  Apparently, they were watching to see if his fever would spike again or not.  I had a couple of meltdowns in the hospital room--but I think that spurred the staff on to help us get discharged as soon as they can!  Haha, I like the power of being pregnant, that's not going to last too much longer!

     

    I'm looking at baby stuff at Ikea.  I sooo wish we had one nearby.  The only close Ikeas I can think of are in Philly or Baltimore.  I'd love to get some of their baby furniture.  This totally doesn't match our bedroom, but I love it: 

    This isn't baby, but it's the design we have for our dressers, I think it could hold most of her clothes and accessories:

    Agh, I'm getting the nesting bug, because I look at Ikea, and that's just how I want my house to look!  I'd love to have a real wardrobe instead of the plastic canvas clothes hanger we have.  We don't have a lot of closet space, surprisingly, since my husband's navy gear kind of took over the clothes closet.  And I have this strong desire to just spend a day at Ikea and buy a ton of storage units that all match and put everything in neat little spaces...I like to have a minimalist-but-lived-in look, and looking around the house, it just kind of looks like a back room at a thrift store...grrrr...

     

    So much to do and so little time...and so little energy to even get it done!

     

Thursday, 05 April 2012

  • one more month...

    I've got one more month until this baby is born.  I'm really starting to feel it, I'm slowing down.  My feet hurt if I walk too long, but my back hurts if I sit or lie down too long!  So I end up just feeling restless all the time.  Plus, I've been feeling really anti-social.  I don't really want to go out as much as I used to.  I used to like taking a walk, going out to the shops.  But now I'm just like...meh...who wants to take a walk with a huge belly >.<

    I've been keeping up with my bellydance class though, so I -am- getting some exercise!

    Yesterday we took a tour of the L&D floor at the hospital.  We saw one of the rooms, and what the hall looked like.  Plus, it was nice for my husband to see how to get in, what elevator to take etc.  The nurses seemed nice, and I've been told that all the L&D nurses are very good and competent.  The room actually looked kind of normal, not like "hospital-y" at all.  There's a big bath tub with a shower head I can use if I need some calming water, and enough room to walk around or lie down.  I've been burning some cds that I think I'd like to listen to while I'm in labor--I've got Native American flute music, and I'll probably bring some of my more calming classical music or some Enya or something.  I haven't really begun to think about clothing etc yet.  I'm thinking I'll probably just use the hospital clothes until after I have the baby and go home.  No sense getting my own clothes all messed up! 

    Anyway, the tour was really helpful.  The lady kind of guided us through how the whole process will go, what will happen when the baby is actually born etc.  I can't say I'm super excited to go through the birthing process, but in a way I am looking forward to it.  I get to have my baby at the end of it ^_^

    She doesn't kick as much as she used to, now she just kind of turns around and pushes on me.  I think she is running out of room!  It can be pretty uncomfortable actually, especially if I'm sitting in church where I'm not really getting up and down a lot.  Although I'm fortunate to go to a church where they do a lot of the standing up and sitting down thing, because I'd get uncomfortable really fast if I had to just sit and listen to people talking for an hour or more.

    Yesterday for my birthday I bought myself a CD--haha, yeah, I still buy those things.  I got an album by Adiemus--an ensemble who kind of does this weird, tribal-orchestral sounding music.  It's kind of hard to get used to. It almost sounds African, but they sing in syllables that don't really mean anything, but it sounds kind of like Latin or Japanese.  It's very uplifting, spiritual music.  I don't know, I was in the mood for it.  It's fun to dance to as well! 

    Although I buy some music on the internet, there's just nothing like having a physical CD in your hands.  Plus you get all the pictures and information along with the disc.  A few months ago, my netbook got a virus and I still haven't got it fixed, so all my downloaded music is in limbo.  I really hope I can take it to a shop and have it recovered, because I'm super mad about potentially losing all that music.  It's on my iPod, but I can't transfer the music on the device to my desktop.  Why, Apple?  Why?!  I used to think Apple was all cool, but it's so device specific, you can't just treat it like a USB drive and transport music from computer to computer.  Digital music is such a pain.  From now on, I'm going to physically back up any music from the internet.

    Anyway, that's the end of my rant...

    Agh, can this baby please come?!  I'm just so eager to meet her and see what she looks like.  It's so amazing to think about this little person you've created and how they are their own person, and going to develop and grow their own likes and dislikes.  We're so excited to have a daughter ^_^

    Anyway, I guess I'll get going and do something productive...

Monday, 05 March 2012

  • a good movie

    So my husband and I went to see Studio Ghibli's newest film The Secret World of Arrietty.  I love almost anything put out by this studio.  The story is a quiet, ambient, but lushly detailed children's tale of little people who inhabit the basement of an old house in the country and their interactions with the people in the house, namely a young boy who is suffering from a heart disease.  The film portrayed their lives in such a fascinating way, you couldn't help but be enchanted by it.  The dub was smooth and not distracting in the least.  I enjoyed listening to the voices.  Miyazaki, my favorite animation director wrote the screenplay.  It is not as fantastical as his other stories, but it has his unique touch and artistic poignancy.  I also loved the music, and was particularly captivated by the theme song, sung by Cecile Corbel.  For some strange reason, Celtic-style music sounds amazing with Japanese.

     

     

    This film had none of the frenzied action, melodramatic plot twists, or farts-and-burps type humor of your typical cartoon for kids.  That's why I love Ghibli.  They put out quality entertainment for kids without the flashy annoyances that we so often associate with kids' movies.  I wish more parents would show their kids these movies...  When my daughter is old enough to watch movies I will definitely be showing her this film!

     

    Sooo, now it's off to get ready--I was an adult and made muffins for a church potluck.  They are whole grain pumpkin muffins, and I hope they are ok, they taste a little...grainy.  Anyway, I like them well enough.

Thursday, 23 February 2012

  • some fun stuff

    So, I joined a 6 week bellydance class at my local yoga studio.  I have been wanting to learn how to bellydance for a while now--having only experienced it through instructional videos (and there's only so much you can learn through those).  It's been so great so far!  It really makes a difference having a live instructor and doing it in a group where you have to coordinate your movements with everyone.  The style I'm learning is Tribal style, which is slightly different than what I learned in the videos I have at home.  I actually prefer the Tribal style though.  It's very strong and earthy compared to the more flashy, floaty Egyptian hollywood style that most people associate with bellydance.

    So far the class has been so good.  I don't feel over burdened because of my pregnancy.  In fact, it's such a good way for me to affirm my pregnant self and just enjoy the beauty of music and movement.  The movements, while challenging, feel natural and good.  I find myself doing hip circles throughout the day just because they are a great way to relax.  It's amazing, because the dance is how a woman's body should move--maybe that's why it feels so natural.  It's not a style of dance that's so focused on performing for people's pleasure.  It's dancing for yourself and for the fun of it.  I've been listening to a lot more music that "goes" with bellydance, like Latin and gypsy fusion, and even branched out into some Bollywood songs!  They are actually really fun to dance to.  I've watched videos where people will bellydance to gothic metal, which is pretty sweet.  I've danced to Loreena McKennitt's medieval-sounding music just in my own home as a workout.  Somehow, the style of music doesn't really matter.

    I never grew up going to dance class and never was a huge dancer--but somehow recently, I've discovered there is a little dancer inside me wanting to get out...I hope to continue letting my inhibitions go and just dance for the pure joy of it.

Thursday, 19 January 2012

  • politics...ugh

    I feel like this year I've been more involved with the political process than I have ever been.  I've actually been reading the news and watching the debate videos for the Republican candidates.  I've always been on the more conservative side of things, maybe more Libertarian, but I am so disgusted with the Republican party.  Ugh.  I just can't stand them--it's like a cult that's been taken over by religious fundamentalists and warmongers.  I was interested in voting for Jon Huntsman though.  He seemed to stand out from the rest of the candidates (none of which I would trust as a president as they are in my opinion unelectable).  I liked Jon Huntsman's more moderate views, he seemed to know foreign policy, he was classy, and had no creepy skeletons in his closet.  And then he dropped out.  Ugh.  Now, I've started taking a look at Ron Paul.  I really, really like him.  I've had such interest in politics because of him.  He talks in ways that I, a political ignoramus, can understand, and he seems to really care about the common American people.  I can't trust the other candidates to really care for us, for our jobs, for our economy.  They just are puppets of the political system, changing what they think, saying one thing and doing another; they just care about money in their pockets.  Ron Paul seems different.  He has a consistent record in his political career.  He's never voted to increase the debt or his own salary.  Even though he says some "crazy" sounding things, he seems really honest and seems to know how he is going to accomplish his ideas.  Some people think he's too idealistic, but I think that's what we need in our country today!!!  Ideals...we need new ideas, not just doing the same things over and over again and putting our country into the garbage can.

    I also love that he's got a heart for the military and veterans.  He is not for just bombing countries and being the world's police.  He has stated over and over again how we need to get the troops out and get out of wars that we have no business waging.  For a conservative to say that is refreshing. Also, he's been a doctor in the civilian world and in the military.  I think a President should have military experience.  I just do.  As the wife of a military man, these things are important to me!  The fact that he was a gynecologist for a long time is important.  He understands health care and the system, he knows how it works and how it needs to be fixed.  Also, just that he had a job before becoming involved in politics is a good thing too.  He's not a career politician.  He actually seems to have a plan to set our economy right.  These are just a few of the reasons why I am voting for him in the primary, and hopefully at the election!

    It's weird that I'm so suddenly interested in politics.  I don't usually understand politicians and things, but I'm trying to become more informed and do my research.  This year should certainly be interesting!