And baby makes three!

With so many of our friends and family far from us, I am resurrecting the blog to let everyone be present for this HUGE adventure Kenny and I are embarking on! I had planned on being super organized and keeping a photo diary in the same outfit throughout the whole pregnancy.  However I'm not nearly organized or together enough to do anything like that; not to mention that the thought of doing anything beyond sleeping the first 12 weeks was laughable.  I've stolen this little information set up from another blog, Little baby garvin;  and good golly her little baby girl is freaking adorable. Anyway, lets get started:

Due date: February 6, 2014
"Plan for birth": water birth at Treasure Valley Midwives

                                                                   12 Weeks

                                                                 17 Weeks, 1 Day


How far along? 17 weeks, 5 days
Total weight gain: 5 lbs
Maternity Clothes? Lucky for me, dresses are my most constant item of clothing, easy to slide over the belly.  Some jeans require the rubberband trick, but some still button right up.  The only thing I've had to buy is a couple t-shirts in medium and some maternity leggings.
Stretch marks? nope
Sleep? Only one early morning trip to the bathroom each night.
Best moment this week? Paid off the car! Meaning we can now get started on getting Kenny a car that gets better gas mileage then 10 miles to the gallon.
Miss anything? Sushi, riding the motorcycle, abs :).
Movement: I think I'm feeling something, little tight, deep muscle squeezes.
Food cravings: Cheerios and ice cold milk.  Unfortunately after going vegan for a couple months my body established itself as somewhat lactose intolerant.
Anything causing queasiness? only when I eat foods that I know my body hasn't liked from before I was pregnant and if I don't eat right when I wake up.  My sensitive stomach has a heightened level of sensitivity.
Started showing? I think so, but most of the time when I tell people I'm four months along, they react with telling me that I seem way too small.  I'm ready for a real belly!
Gender: Kenny and I will be flipping a coin in three weeks to decide if we will be finding out the gender or not.
Looking forward to: Checking things off of our to do list! Worrying is like a hobby for me and having a to do list makes me feel super in control, clearly I'm going to have to work on this issue.

A Tribute to My Valentine

I know its a little late, 5 days late to be exact, but I've never been too punctual or good with dates. I'm the girl that has talked to a family member on their birthday, blathering on and on about a gift for a different family member to commemorate a different holiday, only to hang up the phone and remember that it was their birthday. And technically we didn't celebrate Valentine's Day until the 15th anyway, 4 days late is basically on time.

I would like to celebrate this ridiculous holiday, that I believe is the cheesiest, silliest holiday (and therefore should be celebrated in that manner) by writing a tribute to my Valentine. Showing the world why he has been my Valentine for 10 years and counting. I hope you enjoy the

10 reasons why he is my Valentine:

(speaking of which, I was thinking of this while I was in the shower where I do most of my "big" thinking and would like to just add an eleventh reason: He lets me have the hot water. Whether this is a survival skill he has mastered or a way he shows me his love, I'll let you be the judge.)

1. My husband leans a bit more to the Republic side of things; he is a gun-toting, small government-believing, tea party-leaning man. Luckily for me he has enough bleeding heart liberal in him to allow us to watch a Michael Moore documentary. As if that weren't enough, he then politely and intelligently will debate politics, religion and hot-button issues with me. Then he tells me I'm spicy, even though all he's ever wanted was somebody that is sweet. I take this as a huge compliment.

2. He let me get these:

And the couch they're sitting on.

And the house that we live in.

And those pesky kitties that won't sit still for the camera.

He lets me get my way a lot.

3. He said I believe in you. I will wade through the stress and the struggle of making your bakery a reality and a success. I stand with you.

4. His hands can sharpen a knife to factory sharpness, steam milk better than any other barista to date, massage away stress and melt away headaches. They have giant palms and calluses from golf and music; they are perfect.

5. He has started hanging up his towel.

This is a big one.

I have a man that will not only listen to me, but will try his hardest to make my life easier, even if it means fighting his natural instinct to throw it on the floor.

6. When I fall apart because I put far too much pressure on myself, he makes me take a day off, he forces me to sit and read a book, or take a nap or watch mindless tv. He is my place of rest and comfort.

7. He encourages my friendships. When we first got married my greatest friend came to visit from Sacramento, he offered to sleep on the couch so that we could have a sleepover like we had done anytime we had spent the night together. (Just a quick note, she slept in the guest room)

8. He makes me laugh. Life is hard, find someone that makes you laugh. Enough said.

9. As much as he says I broaden his horizons, he has broadened mine. I have learned who Jimmy Hendrix is, what an exhaust does on a motorcycle, and that sometimes you need to take time to relax. He understands my need for constant change and difference and works with it, not an easy task.

10. "I still love you" written on my windshield when we were 16, shown to me daily in his simple, loyal and loving presence.

Winter Weather Woes

My idea of prefect weather is a little different than others. The phrase "not cold" has never been a sign of my comfort, "it's hot" is more like it. You see, not being cold is not enough for me, I want to feel the heat of the sun. That feeling when you're skin starts to tighten a little bit because of the heat and sunlight? Heaven.

Weird that I now live in Caldwell, Idaho. Idaho, desert country. Cold, desert country. Cold, windy desert country. Cold, windy desert country in which winter is not a mere blip on the weather forecast, but an actual season that lasts for months and months and months. You see Redding really ruined my vision of the world. I have long been under the impression that winter was December and January, maybe part of February. In Redding I washed my car, in shorts, in February. It was glorious.

Which leads me to my next point. Please do not judge my hermit like behavior. I can not leave my house unless absolutely necessary. When I stand on my driveway and can slide down it because of the ice, that's a sign that the world is too dangerous to venture into. I'm a hermit because its safe.

While I am keeping myself safe inside, my husband is a people person. Long hours spent curled up with a book are not his style. I have always prided myself on my independence and ability to spend time on my own, but I actually test my patience with myself every winter, its not healthy to spend so much time in one's own head. With the help of my loving husband I'm breaking the cycle in 2011. So icy roads, whistling winds, numb toes, I'm tackling you this winter. Armed with scarves, gloves, boots, leggings, I will see the world again. The battle for the social life begins. Just promise that when I venture out into this frigid scene to see you, you'll have a blanket all ready for me to snuggle up into.

Lots to say

I haven't blogged in over a month... a month. I am now the worlds worst blogger. I don't even really have time to blog right now. I'm making dinner. Greek chicken, veggies, mmmm... January. Actually Greek chicken is delicious, however no matter how hard I try, I can never get it to the same level of amazing as Kim Platt, mother-in-law extraordinaire. But I keep trucking along, hoping that one day I will happen upon the perfect mix of lemon, oregano and garlic. Since I don't have much time, I'll make this short and sweet. There is a lot on my mind, a lot that I would like to write about, so enjoy your preview of the upcoming blogs:

The Stirring

Idaho

Women on television

10 year anniversary

Christmas

New Year

Food

Passion

Books

Cookies

They may not come out in that order, you may not see them at all for that matter, but they are what is currently on my mind; that's what blogging is after all right? Telling the cyber world what is on my mind? Let's hope so!

Updates

Today I went to the computer to watch an episode of Parenthood, a fantastically wonderful show about real families with dysfunction and all that makes me want nothing more than a great big weathered wooden table, outside to host giant family dinners at (definitely how they should be marketing the show), instead I got "lost" for three hours with my new favorite friend, The Pioneer Woman. That's right folks, I am now an official blogging geek, obviously due to the lack of updates at my own personal blog, I myself can not be considered a blogger, but oh these other woman that I would love nothing more than to cook and talk with, they are bloggers, Ree and Deb over at Smitten Kitchen are topping my list. I blame them for my lack of blogging. You see I come to the computer to work on my blog, work on the bakery's website, the bakery's facebook, anything that can be considered productive, instead I'm swept up in a cowboy love story, or Jacob's adorable baby curls. You're welcome to visit their blogs and complain to them about how they've stolen me from my own blogging community, I'm sure the four of you would really get to them.

Either way, I'm back, armed with to do lists that stretch out into the next four years, I'm ready to get down to business. First things first, I haven't left my house since I got into it on Sunday at 4. Pause. I know its shameful. But, I was putting away laundry and making soup, and tuna melts, and cookies, and more cookies and more cookies, until finally I had reached a total of 34 dozen. I sure love this bakery business. I do. I repeat it because people may hear me complain from time to time about the progress of the bakery, I don't want you to doubt the love and appreciation I feel for the bakery. Its just that I'm stubborn, and bull-headed, and a know-it-all, what can I say I'm the oldest of seven and "got every strong trait my parents had," so when people told me that it would be hard, that the bakery would take time to grow, when people repeated statistics like, most small businesses don't post a profit for two years, I chose to not believe any of them, I knew better. If anyone would like to call and tell me "I told you so" I'm expecting it. Don't get me wrong, it's not that the bakery is doing well, it is. The thing that's driving me crazy is the cookie club.

Oh the cookie club. First, coming up with 36 cookies, tasting 36 cookies, okay, that wasn't really the challenging part, six months later, done! Second it was the shipping, costs were going to be exponentially higher than I had anticipated, solved that, if it fits it ships! Third, packaging. Packaging, and this is where the trouble begins and is stuck. First choice, tins, too expensive, Second choice, plastic containers with wonderful shrink wrap bands to promote freshness. Found! Right price! Yay! Can I get a sample before I buy 400 of these lovely containers? Can I?... Perhaps my powers of persuasion have been over estimated. Finally after searching for two months, I have found some packages, I have received some samples, I have discovered that they are too small... Back to the drawing board. Needless to say, that second batch of cookie club samples we're sending out, look for them in 2011... hopefully :).

Other things that have happened since I've been gone? We got snow, a lot of snow, a lot of snow in one day, as in 8 inches, overnight. I love the snow, for one whole solid day, if I don't have to leave my house. At this point I'm just counting down until May, June to be safe. My other half? My POLAR opposite. He had a call of duty battle, outside, from 9 at night until 2 in the morning, to celebrate the below freezing temperatures... and to mock my security blanket that I have not been without since the temperatures dropped to below 50. We also celebrated what is quickly becoming my most favorite holiday. This year's Thanksgiving was slightly different than last year's. For one I didn't cook, I also wasn't getting ready to make dessert for 300 people. In other words this year was far too calm, so I made a second thanksgiving for Kenny and I because my mother has instilled in me the crazy desire to make Thanksgiving every year. I'm planning on next year's Thanksgiving being huge, 20-30 people! I can't wait!

I didn't realize how much joy Thanksgiving brought me. I have never been a huge present person, I feel as though most of us have plenty of stuff and rarely need anything else, which isn't to say I don't enjoy the small, well thought-out gift, I just prefer not to buy into the Christmas hype of big presents for everyone!! However I do adore the noise and chaos and general merriment that comes with getting giant groups of people together and feeding them, Thanksgiving is my calling! I know it was a long post, congratulations on getting through it, I promise not to leave you loyal readers for such extended periods of time again.

Homemaking

When Kenny and I were at the ripe old age of eighteen and beginning to seriously discuss getting married, his wonderful mother said something that shocked me to my core. Kim mentioned that Kenny would want to find a job that would be income enough to support us so that I could stay home and be a wife and mother. Psshh! I was appalled, I didn't need a man to take care of me, I could pull my own weight and take care of whatever needed to be done at home just fine. You see, I come from homes where strong women reign. We work, we clean, we cook, we do it all... we try to do it all. My mom works, my step-mom works, I will work. And for a long time, work has been wonderful, I love to be busy, love to be working and "being productive." My dad is a big believer in becoming a productive member of society, it's ingrained in me.

Only, now, work may not be what I wanted. I've noticed this past year and a half, a big change crashing down on my idea of ideal. The art of homemaking is a job in and of itself. How many people sew, knit, can, garden, cook, clean? I'll be honest, the only thing on that list that I can do well is cook, but I can learn to do the others. I've decided that Kim was right, homemaking is my calling. To knit scarves and mitten for my family to wear, keep and clean an inviting home for them to retire to at the days end, make them food in the garden and then prepare it, these are my new ideal.

However, putting away that workaholic self won't be easy and to be honest, would be denying a large part of myself. Which is where the bakery comes in. Kenny and I have big dreams for the bakery, we want it to turn into a small company, as in four employees small. I need to have work, need to have that making money successful part of my life, I'm just looking forward to the options in homemaking that it will open up for me. New goal for the bakery? 1000 cookie of the month club members. Big giant number yes, but a number that we could still do in our own little bakery (with an oven and mixer upgrade). As the bakery starts to pick up, therefore allowing me to be home more often, hopefully in January, be on the lookout for new adventures in what homemaking means for our little home.

Too much time vs. too little

As some of you may be aware... I like to be busy. I thrive on the constant scurrying from one place to the next, late, always, always late (my apologies to the punctual people... and my many employers). Kenny is not this way. Kenny needs downtime, he likes schedules and order. Ah the delight of the opposite. This is a good thing, he calms me, centers me, slows me down. I'm not sure if I have the opposite effect on him; for some reason pulling someone along doesn't sound as nice as centering someone else.

Recently I have come to realize that time is something that can be harnessed and controlled, not something that I am constantly running after. Thanks to my incredible boss, and future gardner, I have been granted a SET SCHEDULE. For those of you not in the restaurant industry, this is amazing and rather unheard of. However with this schedule comes the ability to plan my own life. Alas, here I sit, "wasting" time; checking out food blogs, facebook, wedding photographers, cute overload and people.com (please withhold your judgement) with plenty of "to dos" on my list. The problem is that I know I have today off, and tomorrow, and next week, SAME THING WILL HAPPEN! Time management has never been my strong suit.

Here's the thing, I started a bakery. I live in a house that isn't quite decorated to my exact liking. Halloween is around that corner and my tutu hasn't been created. My p90x dvds have not been used for a month. The fridge has nothing in it. We got the movie channels. My carpets are in desperate need of a deep cleaning. To top it all off, fall/winter has hit Idaho, meaning I do not want to leave my house, at all. Which leaves me trying to find a balance between Kenny's relaxed spirit and my mad dashing self that collapses after a week. In other words, the option of having time leads me to feel like I have less of it than ever before.