Swaddler vs Swaddler

Tonight hubby and I finished our final pre-natal/baby class. And he had the nerve to try and show me up in the diaper changing and baby swaddling demonstrations!!! Too bad for him me he can't show me up in breast feeding!!!

Tonights class was all about after the baby is born; I found this the most interesting class as it was the one I was most anxious to learn more about --aside from breast feeding and the stats that go with it, but that is kind of in a class of its own I think.

We had a nurse who was HILLARIOUS....well, Allen and I with our humor found her funny. I noticed some of the more 'stuffy' people in class didn't crack a smile. We were on the topic of birth plans and she let it slip that the nurses all talk about the woman who comes in with a novel of a birth plan -- she meant it in the nicest way possible though, saying that this is the woman who usually ends up with everything the exact opposite of how she 'planned' for it to go and they feel bad for her. But, listening to her tell this was hillarious - at least to Allen and I! If she is our nurse when I go into labor, I am going to tell her I have a 5 page birth plan I'd like her to review!
Other things that were quite comical were listening to her explain how it looks after your son has had a circumcision - her word was 'angry'! I will leave it at that. Oh....and her demonstration of treating the circumcision with vaseline was to do the 'Dairy Queen Dolop' on it ;)

So, in closing, maybe I am even more terrified now of caring for a newborn....and if it is a boy, lord help me ;) My husband, on the other hand, seems to think he is a pro and he hasn't even had his own baby yet! Time will tell how this plays out!

Silent Sunday in the Snow

Bad Kitty...

Cribs are for Kids.....ok, well, for Babies.

Maggies been rather tempermental today as it was her and Mossy's turn for their annual vet visits. Appearantly, aside from all her vocal feedback to us about just how she really felt about the vet, she also is now disobeying all house rules she knows....case in point, sleeping in the baby's crib! Geshhh!

And Exhibit B is Mossy....and 80# hound dog that has to sit on Daddy's lap at the vet because he is just that scared to be there! Geshhhhh again!

Crockpot Shredded Beef Tacos

Here is a super easy weeknight dinner I came up with the other night. It can cok in your crock pot all day while you are at work, and when you come home, it requires only 10-15 minutes of prep time! Enjoy!

*Note, this is a very accomodating recipe depending on your family size - this is why my measurments are vague -- chose what works for your family!

Shredded Beef Tacos

Ingredients

(1) Beef Round Roast (the one w/o a lot of fat throughout it!)
(1) package of your favorite mexican or taco seasoning
1.5 cups beef broth
Package of Soft Flour Tortillas or Hard Taco Shells...whichever your family prefers
Package of Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream

Directions

Place your roast in your crock pot. Pour in your beef broth. Sprinkle in your taco seasoning over the roast and into the broth. Cover and set your crock pot to cook on low for 8 hours.

When the roast is done, take two forks and shred it. Sprinkle some cheese in and then put the lid back on to keep warm while you toast your shells :)

Heat your soft tacos on an ungreased skillet over med-high heat, about 10 seconds per side. Or, heat your hard taco shells according to package directions.

Fill with shredded beef, cheese and sour cream....or again, whatever suits your family's fancy! You can use lettuce, chopped tomatos, onions, peppers....the possiblities are endless!

Enjoy!

Blog Feature for the Orchard

There is a cool website for young farmers called the 'National Young Farmers' Coalition'

We were lucky enough to be a featured farmer on their blog today for our orchard!

Things That Make My Day!

Today is a milestone -- I turned 29....for the first time ;) ha!

Hubby bought me roses....

And the horses had a grand old time in the snow, rolling and running around like nuts....ok, well at least Apollo was running around like a nut! And that made my day!

Keepin' It Real...

Is it wrong that I wear my Muck Boots into work?

It is winter time in NE Ohio and I still have to dress nice for work - i.e. dress shoes and snow don't mix. And wet socks and pants bottoms make for a crabby day.

And these boots keep my feet nice and toasty and my pants bottoms dry. Heck, when I walk the dogs in the morning, I don't even bother putting on socks -- even when it is single digits out.

But I glanced at them today sitting in the corner of my office at work, freshly caked with shavings and mud or manure or both or god knows what and thought 'Wonder what people think when they see me walking in wearing these?' and then I thought, 'Gosh, I really don't care!'

Then I thought, well maybe I could have ran them under the outdoor water spicket so they didn't look so gross sitting in my office. Hubby wanted to know if my office smells like manure? I don't *think* it does....but that is one of those smells I have become 'accustomed' too! So I guess I am waiting for someone to tell me.

And even when they do, I will still wear these boots into work as long as it is snowing here in Ohio!

P.S. Mom ... don't be mortified.

Marinara Torture

Why do I torture myself? Ever since I have been pregnant, I can't handle marinara sauce :( It lights me up like the Fourth of July -- which is sad....because I love pizza and pastas with my homemade marinara. And I love the pizzas at Giant Eagle's lunch counter!

I went in today to pick up a quick lunch with the intentions of NOT getting one of their pizzas. But nothing else looked appetizing. So I caved. I got the pizza. And now I got Fourth of July fireworks going off in my throat!

I sure hope marinara becomes more enjoyable for me again once this baby arrives!

And yes, I took my Pepcid AND Tums :(

Sneak Peek: Maternity Photo Shoot!

Today we had a 'photo shoot' :)

It's a milestone in our life, so why not, right?!

The photographer, Aubrey Adair Photography, just sent me these three photos as a sneak peek from the shoot!

I am SO excited now to see the rest!

Edited to add: For those who found this blog post googling winter photo maternity shoot type terms, you can see more photos here!

Prenatal Take 1

So last night was our first Prenatal Class. I don't think I ever mentioned, but it was supposed to be last week, however, it was a pretty bad snowstorm and Allen had told me to call before we left to make sure it wasn't canceled. I said "Nah, they'd call if it was". Well, after a white-knuckled drive and almost getting slammed into by some idiot who seemed to miss the fact he was driving in a snow storm, we made it to the hospital to see a sign that said 'Prenatal Classes canceled due to weather'...and then I realized I forgot my cell phone at home....which had two missed calls from the course instructor telling me the class was canceled :0 Whoops! Allen was fit to be tied to say the least ;)

So last night, w/o the snowstorm, we trekked it out for our first class. Of course they start with an ice breaker about who you are, when you are due, why you are here etc etc. In typical Allen response, he stated he was taking these classes "because I wanted him too!" *sigh* He acted like he knew everything already. "You learn all this in high school health class, Allison". Oh really, we did?

So naturally, a few times, I saw him staring off into space and resting his hands in his face. My husband is very 'fidgety'. Asking him to sit at a table for 2 hours and stare at power point screens while some lady talks about the woes of labor is a big feat for him! I will admit, this weeks class was a little 'dry'. They kinda covered stuff I already knew -- like the pains I will feel when my ligaments stretch -- been there done that two weeks ago ;)

However, towards the end of the class, they started to demonstrate, with props, how the baby comes down through your pelvis, into the birth canal etc etc. This may have caught a tad more of Allen's attention, in a mortified way ;) Oh maybe it was the groans under my breath that caught him. Next week we get into the 'meat & potato's' of labor - should prove for a tad more interesting class!

As we were walking out to the car, Allen said "Ask me anything. I know you think I wasn't paying attention".

Ok, so I ask "What do you do if I start having pain and contractions at home?"

"Rub your feet" (ok, not quite the right answer, but I will take it)

"What do you do while I am in labor at the hospital?"

"Tell you what a good job you are doing." (What a text book answer!)

"And what do you do if I want people to leave the room?"

"Tell them all to GET OUT!" (alrighty then!)

Well, I guess he's got that covered! Now what does he do when it is 10 minutes before the horses need fed and I am about to deliver the baby!?

The Mini's

Romeo & Daisy

God I love that pony! Isn't he so furry and handsome!

Another Blast

Another round of snowstorms started last night and has been pretty much non-stop since. I attempted to make it in to work this morning, but it was a whiteout and my car was all over. I am just not down with that :) And luckily, my boss understands. So I was able to work from home.

'Can I PLEASE go out and play in the snow?'

And then there is this nutcase, The Farm Manager, Savannah, who has a lovely warm house in the garage for her, yet she sits in an empty wood crate on the patio.

Prego Perks

Call me crazy but I think I am swelling! I am Shamu; retaining water!?

See those red lines on my wrist? Those are from my hairband. My point? My hairband never used to be uncomfortable on my wrist nor did it leave lines. Now it does. And it is uncomfortable.

This must be another pergo perk - swelling...retaining water...whatever you wanna call it.

And I think I could make a mint if I patent all my crazy idea's for prego ladies! Like, tying a string to my car door so once I get into my car, I don't have to make noises and strain myself to lean over to grab the car door closed. Don't be jealous I came up with this idea first :) I am sure it would be as successful at the idea for Post-It Notes :)

I tied strings to my laundry baskets so I can drag them from room to room and up the stairs when hubby isn't around to carry them :) It's working out pretty well if I do say so myself. And the dogs hate it! They run behind the baskets as I pull them barking like mad. I know, crazy dogs!

Baby Shower!

Today was our Baby Shower!

My Grandparents and I

Allen & I

My In-Law's & I

Allen & I with my parents

My Sisters & Brother with me

Baby + Cat =

Whose had to 'baby friendly' their cat?

I have been trying to work with the dogs and cat to ready them for a small alien entering our home screaming it's head off. The dogs willing sniff, look and take cover somewhere else. The cat - not so much.

She comes full speed ahead, claws barred, ready to mess someone up! I have been working with her daily to help acclimate her to what she is about to embark on daily, but I am looking for others suggestions and tips on what they may have done to help ready their cat for a baby in the home!

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Sad, Heartbreaking, Poor Horses

Ok, my heart is just breaking :( I receive so many emails for horses needing homes :( And what hurts even more is the reasons these horses need homes and the almost certain futures I know many of them will face. Here are two I received recently that break me. I took out names of horses and parts of the emails....but you'll get the drift.

----
First Email:

I have a wonderful horse named --- whom I rescued back in 2005 and have been working with as much as possible ever since. However, my husband and I are moving to [out of state] and there is just no way we can afford to take him with us. I have tried selling him but haven't had much luck since he is still a work in progress. When I rescued him, you couldn't even touch him. To keep him from going to a meat market I bought him for 800 an started working with him with a friend of this lady's that helped me for several months. Later I hired a trainer for him that worked on him daily starting with desensitization all the way to riding him. I have seen dramatic improvements in him but I will say that he must be worked with daily in order to stay ridable. He is now very calm horse and he absolutely LOVES kids, but he is still skiddish when it comes to anything involving a saddle or bridle. He is a VERY smart horse and knows that if he pushes his weight around he will often get his way, so he'll need a stubborn owner.

Anywho, I was hoping I could ... talk to you about giving --- to you. I have a feeling that if I leave him where he is he will end up at a meat facility the first month board isn't paid. We are moving in early February and would like him to be out of his current barn by the end of January if at all possible. I believe that to the right person he will make an amazing partner and it truly breaks my heart to leave him behind, but I really don't have any other options

This email pulls so badly at my heart strings because this horse reminds me so much of my Apollo. And this owner is right; this horse NEEDS to find the RIGHT person otherwise, if it is lucky enough to end up with someone instead of on a trailer destined to be meat, if it isn't the right person, it will continue to find itself in these sad, sad situations. ;( And what also kills me is, the way I read this, it sounds to me that when they have to move, they move. And the horse stays behind. And the owner knows full well what will most likely happen to this horse. This owner has had this horse for 5 years!!!! How can you just walk away; turn your back. I am sure they don't want to and I am sure they probably wouldn't chose this if they could, but still??? How can you just walk away like you never knew this horse, let alone for 5 years? How can you just ABANDON IT???? To me, it is the same as moving and leaving your dog or cat locked up in your old, abandoned house!?

--------------------
Second Email:

I am in a very tough situation in needing to find a new home for my horse. She had a bad accident in her stall almost 4 weeks ago. She got cast at some point at night and kicked through the wall. Her legs had some major trauma to them and the right hind leg is still trying to recover since an infection has set in. I have had major vet bills and from all of this I am unable to afford to keep her and don't have the help, time, or experience to deal with the condition of her leg. She needs her leg to have special care with antibitiocs, dressing, and wrapping for a couple of months. Let me know if your facility would be able to help with her rehab or know of someone that can help, since I am no longer able to support her.

This email kills me. Someone took on the responsibility of owning a horse, and then when the horse got hurt and racked up medical bills, the owner bails. Most people DON'T have the time or experience (or money) to care for medical issues, but you LEARN. You MAKE the time. This horse has given it's all, I am sure, to this person, and now, when this horse needs it's owner most, the owner deserts it. HEARTBREAKING. And if I had to bet, once the owner washes their hands of this horse, somewhere down the line, maybe soon, maybe later, this owner will get another horse. And if the horse comes up lame, can't be ridden, or has any other issue, they will do the same thing - pawn it off on someone else.

Classes

Tonight hubby and I go to our first of 4 Pre-Natal classes at the hospital. He is nervous :) I am 'interested'. I want to take in as much as I can. I visited my good friend last night who had her third child a week ago today. She does everything with such ease; like an old pro. I am freaking out thinking how will I ever remember all this. How will I know how much to feed and when.

Don't laugh, but then I thought back to when I first entertained the notion of owning my own horse and I freaked out thinking how could I possibly know how to correctly feed this beast!? Now, it is just second nature. So, I assume it will be the same for a child, but when you dive in head first for the first time, it can be scary.

So, stay tuned for the verdict. Will the class go smooth? Will hubby be the one to make audible grossed out noises without realizing it? Will he pass out? Will he cause me to be half of the immature couple snickering at the ridiculous videos of women in lingerie giving birth and nursing? My money's on the immature, snickering couple ;) ha!

Living with my Husband, Vol. 1

This is a bag of waffles.

This is a bag of waffles my husband opened....and rather than put them in a ziplock bag, like we always do...he zip-tied them!?

This is called, Living with my Husband.

Project: Nursery - Furniture

We aren't finished in the nursery, I still need to find curtains, a crib skirt and some other misc. things, but for now, we moved in the large furniture once the paint was dry and hubby mopped up the floor!

So, who can say they have a Wooden Rocking 'Cow'!? This comes courtesy of my mom and sister, Mallory! They found it at a yard sale and said since we already have real horses, a rocking horse just wouldn't do!

I love this piece :) My dad found it at an auction for us. It is an antique dresser.

And then, a view of the room from the other direction. You can see some of the crib, the rocker and my 'score of a changing table'! I say this because it is a Pottery Barn changing table that had to have cost at least $550+ brand new. I found it for sale on Craig's List for $100, offered $50 and the rest is history!

To Be Continued..... :)

A New Year

A New Year's Rainbow for a New Year!

Welcome 2011

*Photo taken 1.1.11

Project: Nursery

New Year - New Things....many new things to come in 2011!

I am not one much for new year's resolutions, reminiscing on the year past or making a big deal out of a change of date ;) So, with that being said, cheers to 2011....let's roll it out with

Project: Nursery!

Here is hubby and his audience patching the walls a couple weeks back.

*Note all our sample paint patches on the wall....I had a hard time deciding on a color!

Today is the big day. Sanding, priming and painting. The goal is to have it done today so we can set up the crib and move in the furniture tomorrow.


To Be Continued..........

And now, presenting the new color :) ............

Hubby just finished up now with a second coat (not pictured) and so hopefully, tomorrow morning, I will get the floor washed and then we'll move in the furniture!

I am very happy with the way the colors turned out. The ceiling fan we put up has a tinted globe so it gives the room more of a calming glow, rather than bright light, which I think will work well!