Where did I go?

Yes, I have been a little MIA in life here lately.  But I have a really good reason.  At this point this little reason is about the size of a blueberry and is due in October.  Yes, that's right, our round table will be adding another nut! 
Pregnancy number two is so different.  I have been tired out of my mind and getting sicker by the day.  The bare minimum is pretty much the status quo for my daily life.  My kiddo may be watching a little bit more TV and I may be taking naps in my bed with him just so he will nap longer for me. The first time around I wanted fresh fruit all the time, this time I want beef, beef, and more beef.  Which is so crazy since I usually only eat about 4 servings of meat a week. 
I would like to share, for those who don't know, where my family's journey began.
I went in for an exam in April 2010 and a cyst that was around 7cm was found on my left ovary. The Dr. wanted to wait and see what it was like in May and when I returned it was over 9cm. I had surgery to have it removed and my new Dr. (the other got fired at that point for several reasons – but mostly her inability to act like she gave a crap about me) found that I did not have a right ovary or fallopian tube and that my left fallopian tube seemed blocked. I went thru a horrible procedure to find that yes indeed my left and only fallopian tube was 100% blocked. As I was laying on the table the Radiologist who did the test told me that I would not be able to have children naturally and then turned and left the room. Spencer and I were crushed but we picked up the pieces of this unimaginable situation and decided to go forward to In Vitro Fertilization. We completed the preliminary tests and all of the paperwork.
We waited for the first visit but two weeks before I began to feel very different. I took a pregnancy test thinking I was ruling it out, only to find (twice) that it was positive. We were excited and terrified at the same time. There was a good risk that it was ectopic or another cyst. Tests and the ultrasound gave us the confirmation that God can create miracles when we cannot create our own. Our beautiful son Coen was born in June 2011. He is the only proof I need of God’s love and that in Him all things are possible.

In April 2012 I began to have some problems that seemed all too familiar. I went into my Dr. on 5-1-12 and told him I thought the cyst was back. He did not seem to think that was the case but sent me for an ultrasound. It was confirmed, I had a 4.53cm cyst but not to worry it would probably resolve itself and to come back in 2 months.
I returned on 7-3-12 with hope but knowing the truth deep down. My cyst had grown to over 9cm. I was devastated. Since I only have one ovary we decided to try another option to try to shrink it. To do everything we could to save the ovary and the possibility of any harm but to no avail. I began to have so much pain that it was getting difficult to pick up my sweet Coen. I went back in on 7-31-12 to find it had not gotten any smaller; it had grown to 9.73cm and was possibly causing some harm to my fallopian tube. It has to come out.
I knew that my Dr. will do everything he can to protect my ovary, my possibility to grow our family, my life, but very little gave me comfort to know that in a moment my ability to have any more children could be taken away.And I know there are many ways to add to a family. But for the moment I was being selfish and I admit it. I also know that God has always had a plan for me, for my family; and I needed to trust in nothing but that. So on the morning of 8-13-12 I went into the hospital and put my life and my fertility in my Dr. and Lord’s hands. I was scared.
Though the Dr. had to do a great deal of work in there, my ovary was saved!  My fallopian tube remain the same, blocked.  But we knew we had to just put our faith in God's hands.
On 2-10-13 I took the test that confirmed it.  Went into the Dr. for the blood test to confirm.  So then I set out to plan the perfect reveal for the hubs.  It was craft time for Coen and me!  How great that it was Valentine's week!  We finger painted in red and cut out hearts.  Then I had him make hand prints. This is what the hand print looked like.

It was a great surprise!  We did the same thing with both of our parents and it was great!

So here we are!  So will I be posting more regularly now?  Yeah, who knows.  But I will share the journey of going from one kid to two with honesty and humor!

Today, choose love!
Kristin

Easy DIY Highchair Cover

So you remember taking precious time picking out the perfect highchair?  And if you were like me after 6 months of breastfeeding you loved the idea of some meals not seated at the cafe de Mama!  This sweet picture below is the first bite of rice cereal my son ate.  Look at how sweet he is and how cute that chair is.  So what's the problem here?  That stupid set of chair covers and straps are not washing machine washable.  WHERE were my brain cells when I picked this out and why didn't they read that?  Oh yeah I was growing a human being and so my brain was way more needed in that area, so for at least 18 months I was as close to brain dead on many levels.  Some call it pregnancy brain, some call it mommy brain.  I personally call it unfair and just another blow you don't really know you have coming from the miracle of growing/raising a child!  But I digress, I will have to do another post about all the stuff I had no idea was going to happen to me cuz nobody had the balls to tell me (yeah you know who you are and I will pay you back for it).



Look at how pristine this chair is!

Anyway, after many attempts to keep this sucker clean without being able to put it in my magnificent washing machine (I have a serious crush on my washer and dryer - they are so special to me - we might need a moment here) I had to come up with another option and here it is. My T-shirt Highchair Cover! It is so awesome to me because I have about 5 of them so when one is gross off it goes and into the washer!  It is wonderful because it covers more than just the cloth areas but some of the hard to clean parts as well.  It is saving me time and money!  Two things this penny pincher loves!

Can you imagine the amount of cleaning it would have taken!
 

Here is one of my covers - not cute but does the job and keeps things much cleaner!

 

It may be dirty but better the cover than the chair!


So here is the how to.  First, I find that an extra large T-shirt works best for pretty much any chair.  You know you or your significant other (there has to be a better term - lets make one - your Siggy - yep I like it - you may use it - I am good at sharing!) have about 10 T-shirt you got in some event, sport, school, or buying disaster that needs a new use - here it is!

Put the T-shirt on the chair like shown below - no it will not fit without a few modifications.





 

Go to the back of the chair and find the middle of the bottom of the shirt.

 

 

Cut up the shirt like shown leaving about 6 inches from the collar. (That is my Gracie - she likes to hide from the kid and seems to think the highchair can save her!)

 

Now you can see how the shirt can cover most all of the fabric ( if you wanted to get fancy and really cover it you could cut some of the extra off the back or side to "patch" the head hole but it generally stays pretty clean - your call). 

Yes, this is the hubs college shirt from his freshman year in soccer and yes he was good, but more importantly he was a hottie!

 

 

Okay now where the straps are you will pinch the fabric. If you want to make this all symmetrical you could measure and all that jazz but come on it is going to be covered in all sorts of pureed mess so go easy on yourself!

 

 

Cut a hole large enough to get the strap through but not too large so that much food can get thru.

 

 

See so easy! Repeat for all straps, including if you have a 5 point harness.

 

 

Finished product! Now you can turn it inside out or whatever but why not enjoy those charity walk t-shirts a little more before you have to make them into rags.

 

 

This is what the kid was doing while I was finishing this. What you cannot see is the poor dog running away because said kid came at her outta nowhere with a headbutt. My kid loves to headbutt - so proud.

 

P.S.  That is a PVC free clear shower curtain that we use under the highchair to keep the floor clean.  It works like a dream!  We have 2 so when one is gross we throw it in the washer and put the other down.  Otherwise you can just spot clean it!  It is great for food messes as well as crafts!

Happy making parenting life easier crafting!

Pinterest successes and maybe a little failure



Okay by now you have probably figured out that I am fairly obsessed with Pinterest.  I probably spend way too much time pinning things I will more than likely never do but hey we can all dream right? Well today in honor of the fact that my kid is sleeping like it is only a suggestion, I thought I would share a few easy recipes and other items you can do with little to no sleep with success!

Okay, lets get this out of the way.  Yes, I give my kid sugar.  Yes, I give him sugar at breakfast sometimes.  I enjoyed sugar as a kid and grew up fine.  Moderation is the key with anything in life and we should all get to enjoy sweets now and then!  Phew I feel better. On with the show! 

Cinnamon Roll Waffles rock my face off!

Source: healthymealpins.com via Kristin on Pinterest

    So here is how mine turned out:

So good I could lick my monitor a little! They are crispy on the outside but not hard like they are from the oven, and so soft and good on the inside!  I obviously put 4 in at time because I used the generic original ones.

 

And here is my son enjoying them! He ate two of the four!

 

Next up Quinoa! Okay if you are like me you were saying, "what is this quin-oo-wa stuff and why do I want to eat it?"  Well first let me help you with how it is said, because it took me forever to get it right.  It is pronounced "keen-wah"  and it is stupid easy to work with and delicious.  With that said be careful when measuring and pouring - these little suckers want to run everywhere and if you spill them you will be finding them for potentially years.

So I thought I would start out simple and found this recipe on Pinterest (have I mentioned my love affair yet) but adapted it just a smidge.



Source: whatsfordinner-momwhatsfordinner.blogspot.com via Kristin on Pinterest

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa - adapted from Mom What's for Dinner

1 cup quinoa, well rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped
2 cups  shredded cheddar cheese

Add quinoa, broth and broccoli to a large pot.

Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the quinoa is tender (tiny taste test).  Add the cheese - in my world I do not ever measure cheese - I add until I am happy about the cheesiness! Let it melt into the other goodness and enjoy!

The hubs was very skeptical about quinoa but liked this so much he finished what was left in the pot!  Just think of the possibilities with this recipe!  I am thinking next time quinoa, diced onions, and chicken broth - then add diced Italian style tomatoes and mozzarella (by the way I was so sure there was a "t" in mozzarella - dang it spelling is hard!).

Okay and for one non food item - DIY bows

 

Source: bhg.com via Kristin on Pinterest

Used this to make a nice bow for my Christmas wreath and it turned out great! I used pens instead of dowels - on hand - no cost!!!
Finished product:

And just for fun one Pinterest item I tried and failed.
I made this and it was not addicting and the caramel topping got really watery and pretty gross. This was what someone else said,  "Also known as Apple Crack Dip because it's THAT addicting!"  It was however, not too shabby when I went at it with the immersion blender and then it was pretty decent but looked NOTHING like this!

Source: fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com via Kristin on Pinterest

So that is a little taste of my Pinterest trials.
Please post your Pinterest success and failures!
Oh and if you have any good quinoa recipes please share with the class!

Brighteners

There are just those days. Days when you are pretty sure a gloomy rain cloud is following you around a la Eeyore. Ya gotta get outta that funk and fast!

One day when I was in a particularly dumpy day, I had an idea to write a list of things that make me feel better. I call them Brighteners. They just brighten your day. They can be whatever makes you smile, laugh, or feel better. Some people like a little retail therapy - some not so much - I'm a penny pincher so I will not be seen at the Coach store anytime soon. For others it is volunteering. Even just the thought of helping others less fortunate can make you feel better.

So what is on my list? Well these are some of the things I came up with. I am sure there are many more and some may not even make sense to anyone but me, but hey that's why it’s my list!!!

·      Making lists - yes I am that person - judge all you want - it soothes me!

·      Organizing - chucking stuff, putting stuff away - it clears my mind - ahh so Zen.

·      Pinterest - okay this is more an addiction but it's like dreaming with virtual Post-its. 

·      Crafts - creating something feels so good! All the better if it is recycled from stuff lying around!

Shameless plug for my company - Musing Tree Creations

·      Exercise - yeah I hate to exercise but I love to dance, take a walk, and play with my dog and kiddo - it all counts!

·      Dive into another obsession - Dave Matthews Band. So this might mean some light Internet stalking, listening to their music, watching their concerts, anything DMB works for me!!!

·      Pampering - okay I cannot afford the spa (see penny pincher note above) so I like to do mini home spa stuff. A foot scrub, a microdermabrasion at home - you can get those handheld dealies and a little of my fav. face scrub St. Ives Apricot Scrub - works wonders and so much cheaper than the real deal! In essence, whatever makes you feel fabulous and pampered. I like to think of the episode of The Middle when Frankie put the pad over her eyes like an eye mask, lit a candle, and relaxed in the car dealership bathroom!

·      Give! - give your money, time, stuff you want to pass on, a hug, a nice note, whatever makes your soul smile! This can be a whole other list in and of itself. - Ohhh perhaps a post for another day!

·       Dog time - Oh my sweet Gracie. Just cuddling with her on the couch makes me so much happier. She doesn't judge me - even when I am eating my 8th cookie of the day. She doesn't demand things of me other than a little food and love. Done and done my friend!  And since my son was born we don't always get the time we need. This has resulted in her trying to chew her toe off, and me making her wear the sock of shame but it is all in love! Time, just her and me - so precious! 

·      Cuddles with my sweet Coen - cuddles with a wiggly 1 1/2 year old are somewhat fleeting. You gotta soak them in when you can and if that doesn’t make me feel good - time to check my pulse!

·      Reading - if you have kids you know this is a luxury! At this point I am excited if I get through a page in a magazine. A chapter in a book would be bliss!

·      Nap - what more do I need to say people?

·      Sing - I love to crank up the music and sing at the top of my lungs like I am The Next Top American Voice Idol! Am I any good? Eh. I can sing but I am not winning any awards. I like to think I can sing Christmas music and Country songs pretty good but that might just be in my head. I have not yet been booed by my son or the dog so... yeah I am pretty good!

·      Date night with my husband! - yeah it doesn't happen often enough but even looking forward to it just does something to make me turn my mood around!

I could probably go on but that is more than enough! I hope you have been inspired to write your own list. Post it somewhere you will look at it often and put a little bit more of those things in your day! It could spread - hopefully like Nutella and not like a fungus! I encourage you to share your brighteners with me!!!!