24 weeks and counting...

As I'm typing this a bouncing baby girl is disco dancing in my belly. Some days she's quiet and then there are days like this that make me remember that I am growing another human being in there. How amazing is that?  Sometimes it's easy to forget that you have a little creature inside you, well apart from the constant hunger, thirst, need to go tinkle... If I allow myself to slow down and just think about it, it is quite amazing.  Most the time I feel like a content cat, streached out enjoying some sun rays but other times I kinda feel like a "red shirt" from the "Aliens" movie just waiting for some scary monster to burst from my stomach!

In other news, my wonderful love bug daughter has caught one whollup of a cold. Poor baby is coughing and her nose is dripping like a facet. I'll have to keep a close eye on it because this is her first "coughy" cold. Not much I can do though but give her plenty of fluids.

Perfectly Painted Piggies

Little purple piggies on a warm summers day. :)

Now you might ask, "How in the world did you paint your 15 month olds toes nails so neatly?"

And I would answer...

Strap her down in her high chair and distract her by her favorite lunch!
HAHA! :)

Happy Easter. :)

Happy Easter everyone.

I hope that this day finds you well and you're spending it with people that you love.

For Easter this year we are going to have a simple picnic by the lake with our daughter.

We made tea eggs last night and enjoyed them with breakfast.


Tea Egg Recipe:

Put eggs in a pot, cover with water.
Add 1 cup Soy Sauce
Add 2 family sized tea bags
Add 1 stick cinnamon
Add 5 or 6 pieces of Cloves
Add 6 Star Anise.

Bring to a slow boil, boil for 20 mins.
Take eggs out carefully not to burn yourself and using a spoon "crack" the shell all over.
Put back in pot.
Turn burner down to simmer and simmer for 4 hours.

Turn off burner, let it cool down. When cool, put in fridge over night.
The next day (or the day after that) put back on the stove and reheat slowly until warm.
Basically the longer you let them "soak" the more delicious they will be and the prettier the design will be on the egg!

Under cool running water, peel and enjoy!

Shining my sink and other things like that...

So in my quest to keep a healthy, happy, clean home, I'm back at it again, shining my sink. I know I've mentioned flylady.com before right?

Well if I haven't and if you're a perpetual procrastinator like I am when it comes to cleaning, check it out! It's like a 12 step program for lazy housewives.

Step one of the program is no matter what, keep your sink shiny and clean. Not only is this a pro-health tip since the sink is the dirtiest area in your home (even more so than your TOILET yuck!) but it really does help motivate you to keep other areas of your home tidy too! Amazing!

Another amazing thing I have to help me clean, and you can see some of it there ont he back of my sink is this product called Babyganics! http://www.babyganics.com/

This line of products is my 'miracle' cleaning stuff. Its totally all natural and safe for babies, pets (pregnant adults too!) I just love it. I always get the Lavender smelling kind when I can find it. It's actually the only natural cleaning product that I have that does what it advertises that it's going to do and does it well! You know how you can get some kinda all natural window wash or something and it leaves the window all smudgy etc? Well this stuff cleans it crystal clear! I love it! Even their dish washing powder has been amazing. (I've had some bad luck in that department with other natural stuff.) Plus their prices are pretty reasonable! Anyways, I'll shut up now but if you can grab some of this stuff sometime, do it! Give it a try!

Now that my sink is clean and my counter tops AND the floors in there, my next project today is vacuuming the floors in the living area, up the stairs and then tackling the fish aquariums. Oh le sigh... the fish aquariums. DH and I used to be so dedicated to these poor fish but now with life in the way, these aquariums have slid to the back burner.

Well no more, today Nemo gets a tank cleaning!






And if you're wondering what our dear daughter thinks about this...well let's just say she takes a more relaxed approach to cleaning.

I am a woman.

I am woman.
I am made up of skin, flesh and bone.
My eyes have witnessed many things.
I am a daughter.
I am a wife.
I am a mother.







My skin is not perfect.
My toes are crooked.

My lips have spoken uncountable words and kissed away uncountable sorrows.
My elbows rough, a testament to my work.
One billion freckles reside upon my skin.




My stomach always more fluffy than flat houses the future hopes of the world.
My hands sometimes so cracked and dry from washing are strong, loving and care worn.

My heart beats for those I love.
My passion burns deeply and is eternal.



My hair is hardly ever perfect.
I only wear makeup once and awhile.

Dinner is sometimes ordered out.

Sometimes I don't get to the laundry until it's piled up.
Sometimes my kitchen floor is not sparkling clean.






Sometimes I'm not the perfect daughter.
Sometimes I'm not the perfect wife.
Sometimes I'm not the perfect mother.

But I am a woman.
and I am strong.




I am the voice of the world.
I am the womb of the world.
I am the caretaker of my blessed children.
I am the loving spouse to my husband.
I am a daughter to my mother.
I am the rock that our house is founded upon.
Like millions of women before me.
I am strong.

The ugly truth...

Pregnancy is absolutely murdering my complexion this time around. Long gone are the days of my crystal ivory skin smoothly draped across my high cheek bones. Now I'm left with a 5 mile long forehead pocked with more pimples than your average 15 year old boy.

My poor face is so red and blotchy that my color auto correct software on my image program casted an eerie blue tint to my photograph.

Nothing I do has helped. I've tried all natural approaching, washing my face more...washing it less, I've tried different bottles and jars, different lotions and liquids masks and muds.

I suppose I should just accept the fact that my skin isn't what it used to be and just pray that after I have this baby that it clears up and goes back to normal.

Most pregnant women worry about stretch marks, gaining weight and what not. This pregnant woman is praying that her face isn't scared for life. LOL

(Yes I'm being over dramatic!)

Oh skin...why have you forsaken me!

It's a GIRL!

Think pink folks because we are having another princess!

We are so excited! Daddy was a little sad at first but now he's totally on board. How couldn't he be? He already adores our current daughter.

So now we are in preparation mode.

I ordered a fabulous double stroller today. Well i hope it lives up to its reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/Britax-USA-U281772-B-Ready-Stroller/dp/B003OBYTHM

Thing is complex as something dreamed up at NASA I think! LOL
Anyways, it arrives here this week, I'll most certainly show you guys my review once I experience it.

The other thing we are working on is our current daughters room. We need to upgrade hers so that we can re-claim the crib for our new one coming. We are going to pick up a bed at IKEA called KURA, its so cute. :) Here is a photo to show what we plan on doing, only in colors more suitable to our pallets. :)


So all in all, exciting times around here!