Preparing for Baby

As promised, I am posting photos of our baby's nursery. We do not know the gender of the baby even though we tried to find out...it is modest. We went with a gender neutral nursery set. I knew we were not planning on painting the walls so I wanted bright colors. I left some spaces on the wall for future photos of our baby with his/her grandparents and cousins. I plan on purchasing letters for his/her name to place on the wall too. I want to give a lot of credit to Tim for preparing the nursery. He was handyman-in-chief!

If you know me at all, you know that I like to have things prepared and ready. Unfortunately, it comes from a controlling place, but what I have learned in preparation for the baby is that I really have very little control and will not have control for a very long time...or that's what people are telling me.

I am in my 33rd week of pregnancy and feel quite good. Turns out, no matter how good you actually feel, things can be going on inside your body that are not so good. I won't bother you with the details, but there is a good possibility that I will be going on bed rest and if that does not improve things, we will be meeting our lil' bundle sooner than expected.

Thank goodness for the Internet. I did almost all of my shopping for the nursery and beyond from the comfort of my own couch. I have always been a big believer in the Internet gods, but more so than ever. First of all, shop around. I saved $150 from the most expensive retailer to where I actually bought my nursery set (bedding, valances, etc).

Then, the car seat shop around saved me about $30 dollars from retailer to retailer. You must use the promo codes for discounts and free shipping. My plug of the day is diapers.com. I ordered my car seat and stroller at 6PM on a Monday and it was at my door step by Tuesday noon with free shipping.

This weekend was filled with even more preparation. I made a mammoth trip to Target to stock up on all items, household and baby, that I felt I would need for the next couple of months. It is true that I am within driving distance to several Targets and I do plan on doing some Target shopping after the baby arrives, but I like a stocked house.

I have been trying not to overdo my nesting and tire myself out. I have a grand plan, but remember, the plan doesn't always work out for reasons out of my control...UGH. Next on my to-do list is prepare some foods. I am going to make several casseroles, lasagna, and dishes so we can just pull something from the freezer and eat. We are happy with sandwiches on a weekly basis and I know that cooking will not come to an end once the baby arrives, but I know that this will comfort me in the early days of our new family. I should probably stock up on some take-out menus too!

Because You Asked For It...

Living away from friends and family means that they get to always envision you as you have always been. Well, I am a larger version of myself these days. With about two and a half months left until our baby arrives, I am posting a photo of my larger self because people have asked me to do it. This is the first "belly shot" that I have taken for the sole purpose of documenting the ever-growing middle section.

We've been busy making changes to our house to prepare for the baby's arrival. The office is now a nursery. The bedrooms have been switched around to make room for the stuff that was once in the office. We are crossing off the TO-DO list that we never really had a reason to finish. For example, we put off washing windows and now, the windows are done. I have put off backing up the photos on my computer, but now, that is done.

We have some names picked out, but we are still looking for one more boy name. We want to have two picked out and when we look at the baby, we'll choose from the two names. We do, however, have two girl names picked out. You can give suggestions for boy names if you would like!

Midwestern Movie: 500 Days of Summer

Before the hectic schedule of school starts and the official ending of summer happens, I was able to squeeze in one last summer movie. Thank goodness. I could not have chosen a better movie, 500 Days of Summer.

It is the story of Tom and Summer who meet and have a story told within 500 days. Normally, I do not love romantic comedy type movies, but I would not lump this film within the romantic comedy genre. There are definitely funny parts to this story about finding love, enjoying love, and losing love, but the emotions in 500 Days of Summer are so much more genuine than the generic romantic comedy.

If you have ever been in a relationship, on either end of the break-up spectrum, you can appreciate each of the characters. There are no bad guys in the end. Just two people who experience a relationship very differently.

Along with a unique viewpoint, the director utilizes an amazing soundtrack. The Smiths. Hall and Oates, and The Doves. Of course, I love a movie with karaoke and love a movie even more if they sing interesting karaoke like The Pixies. Find a theater and go to 500 Days of Summer.

MIdwestern Movie: Julie and Julia

I have just returned from a Sunday matinee with my friend Laura. We saw Julie and Julia which is based on the book Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell. I have read this book and I thought the movie was great. It may not have been exactly as the book, but I thought it was even better.

The best part of the movie was Meryl Streep playing the gregarious Julia Child. Because the movie was also based on the Julia Child autobiography, My Life in France, the movie shared more about Julia child than the Powell book.

It is no surprise that Meryl Streep's story line of Julia Child was so entertaining. I could have watched an entire movie all about Julia Child and her life in Paris and beyond. I have always loved to cook, but the movie inspires me to cook more interesting meals and desserts. More than when I read Julie Powell's book, the movie makes it all look so easy, but we know that it is not.

Midwestern Recipe: Fruit Streusel Muffins

I don't have a picture for these muffins because I have already put them away and I cannot be bothered to take them back out for a picture. However, they are delicious and a yummy treat if you ever host a brunch or a special breakfast. My friend Cheryl gave me this recipe and I love the versatility of the flavors. Today, I used blueberries, but you could use sliced strawberries or raspberries. Your choice!

Muffin Batter:
1-1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1-1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 cup blueberries (or fruit of your choice)

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tbsp. butter, melted

Combine the first four ingredients; make a well in the center. Combine the egg, milk, butter and extract. Add to the dry ingredients. Stir until moistened. Fold in fruit. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups - 3/4 full. Sprinkle with topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

Clutter

I have been under some delusion that I do not have clutter in my house. What I have come to fully understand this afternoon is that I have well-hidden clutter. Behind closed drawers. Behind closed closets. Behind closed cabinets. I have often boosted about my lack of "stuff" with our four moves in nine years, but I found out in my office/soon-to-be-nursery that I need to throw away some "stuff".

Each spring and fall, I go through the clothes and purge myself of the wardrobe that was. However, I have not followed such a strict regimen when it comes to computer accessories, manuals, and general office supplies. If it were not for the arrival of our first born, who knows how long the hodge podge of office items would have stayed hidden in the drawers and cabinets?!

Then, there is the scrapbooking materials. I do not even know where to start with this collection. I think I have a plan. I will move it all downstairs into a waiting cabinet piece that we used when we had small apartment kitchens. It sits empty now and will soon house the scrapbooking items.

It is a process and I just wish there were some clutter fairy who could pop into my room and whisk it all away. I think a trip to Target for multiple size rubbermaids is in my future for all of those computer accessories. I have this feeling that Tim will think we MIGHT need them someday.

You Betcha, I'm From North Dakota

I went to a wedding on Saturday night. It was a very nice event. The kind of wedding where women wear a different dress to the ceremony and a more formal dress to the reception. I wore the same dress to both the wedding and the party.

Our table assignment was table 7. We sat next to a nice couple in their fifties and a couple with three young boys. The talk was small at first, but it went wide open when they found out that I was from North Dakota. Being from North Dakota and living in Philadelphia is either a conversation starter or stopper...depending on the audience.

The older man said to me, "You are the first and only person that I have ever met from North Dakota". I get that a lot. He made the mistake that most people make who are not from either North Dakota or Minnesota and said "South Dakota" a couple of times when he really meant the more northern Dakota.

The topics of North Dakotan conversation ranged from the weather to my thick accent. He asked me to pronounce a few words, most with long vowel sounds. Because this man was so friendly and not at all condescending like many people who want me to say things with that "funny Fargo movie accent", I played a long with it.

I always like it when the east coasters say, " you are not from around here, are you?" Is it that obvious? Is it the accent or could it be something else? Could it be that I wear the same dress to the wedding and the reception? Could it be that I have a more laid back sensibility about me.