Emskyrooney

Of course, my "Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Year-G" entry had to be about Gabby, aka Gabriella Spunklemeier Wiener Walters LeBaron... That's her official name. Journaling reads: You are, by far, the silliest dachshund I've ever known, and I've known quite a few! You make crazy faces, silly noises, and talk to us as though you're convinced that I understand what you're saying. You hate baths but love the sprinkler, have a serious Napoleon Complex, can go from cuddly to growling in a matter of seconds, and stick your tongue out while you're sleeping.. and I wouldn't have it any other way...

Here's the weekly update! "Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — his lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now ( about as much as a turnip ), and he's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. He can move his joints, and his sweat glands are starting to develop." When I read this to Paul he said "Cool, so he's not a shark baby anymore and now he can start kicking you..." Um, yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking... Right...

So far today, instead of cleaning the house as I'd planned (have to get it cleaned before my baby bro comes to visit on Tuesday as he hasn't seen our new house yet!) I baked. Recently I've been eating a bagel for lunch a couple of days a week as I can grab one on my way into work and I've been alternating between Dunkin' Donuts and Finagle a Bagel, neither of which really satisfies my craving for a really delicious bagel (after all, this is Boston, not NYC- it's known for baked beans , not bagels.. ) So I've been toying with the idea of baking my own bagels... Last night while perusing Tastespotting (my fave website!) I came across someone who had made their own bagels using the recipe from the King Arthur's Flour website which is full of information on how to make a simple bagel. I looked in the cabinet and we had most of the ingredients necessary so I thought I'd give it a whirl. And I have to say, all in all it was pretty easy. There were a few s...

One of my favorite websites that I can spend hours looking at is Tastespotting . People submit gorgeous photos of recipes that they've made and each photo links back to that person's blog which usually has more photos, the recipe itself, and other information. It's a seriosuly addictive website, especially when you're hungry and always leaves me feeling inspired to get into our kitchen and make something fabulous. A few weeks ago Tastespotting closed up shop for some sort of legal reasons and a new website called Food Gawker was started as an homage to Tastespotting. It's basically the same as Tastespotting, I haven't figured out what the differences are quite yet.. Well now Tastespotting is back, Food Gawker is sticking around, and both sites are fabulous! Seriously, if you're interested in cooking, baking, eating, great photography, and/or drooling on your keyboard you have to check these sites out..... Yum... Now to figure out what I'm going to make...

So today I braved the crowds at the Old Navy Summer Sale looking for some maternity pants... Turns out that the Old Navy near us does not have a maternity section, however I did find a few pairs of maternity pants in the clearance racks so perhaps they had a maternity section but got rid of it? I picked up two pairs of khakis in different colors, just finished hemming those. Also grabbed a pair of lightweight "roll-up" pants that convert from regular length to capri length. Since I'm feeling lazy I'll probably just wear them at capri length so I don't have to do any more hemming. I've got them on right now and I have to admit that they're 100 times more comfy than the capris I was wearing earlier today- the ones that don't button anymore.. I also picked up a few things for the baby which was the first time I've bought any clothing for him but I just couldn't resist (and it was all on sale- yay!) I got him a super cute short-sleeved body su...

Well I just broke down and purchased my first items of maternity clothing. They were on deep discount at babycenter.com so hopefully they'll be nice! Since the baby is due in December I figured I'd mostly be able to make it through the summer improvising with elastic skirts and belly bands but that I'd definitely need some cooler weather clothing (hopefully I won't need to buy a maternity winter coat!) So here's what I purchased: Smoky Quartz During and After Two-Piece Nursing Top, Originally $92, on sale for $27.60. I thought this top looked comfy and dressy enough to wear to work and for special events if necessary with a pair of black pants or a skirt. Plus I can wear it after the baby is born for nursing. It also comes with a black tank to wear under it which I can wear with other things too. Supima 3/4 Sleeve Deep Placket Top in Royal Blue, Originally $58, now $28.99 Should be good for fall and winter weather... Bamboo Mock Turtleneck Top (in Black), Ori...

I've been meaning to buy a few Bella Bands which are useful when you're not quite ready for maternity wear but not fitting into your regular clothes anymore. Basically they're knit tubes (not unlike a tube top) that you wear around your waist. You can use them to cover the gap between the waist of your pants and your too-short tops or you can pull them down over the top of your pants to camouflage the fact that you can no longer button your pants. You can also use them after pregnancy while breastfeeding to cover your stomach and back so they're not exposed when you hike up your shirt to feed the baby. I decided to try and sew some of my own Belly Bands this weekend instead of spending money on them however this morning I woke up and the capris that fit me last week (at least I could zip them and tie the drawstring which hid the fact that the button was undone) barely even zipped. I'd already worn my one elastic waist skirt (something else to make this weekend!...

Since we found out that we're having a boy I've been slowly getting more used to the idea of having a son first. Everyone I know who has had a boy first has said that it's absolutely the best, and of course I know that I will love him more than anything no matter what... So I've decided to start an official list of reasons why it's so great to have a boy first. 1. Boys love their mommies more than anything- they don't call them "Momma's Boys" without a reason! 2. Boys don't dress in skanky clothes when they're teenagers. You might have to make them cut their hair or pull their shorts up but they're not going to head out of the house in mini-skirts and belly shirts. (not that a girl would EVER be allowed to do that in our house!) 3. Having a boy first means that if we do have a daughter later she'll have a big brother to protect her. 4. A boy is someone who will carry on the family name (which at this point is at risk of dying ...

Here are two of my current favorites on You Tube. First up, "The Mom Song."... I'm sure in a just a few years I'll sound just like this! And my second favorite which is a bit more inspirational: Hope you enjoy!

Here's a digital scrapbook page I did of Gabby playing with the sprinkler which is currently her FAVORITE activity (besides eating, of course!)... Journaling says: "for a dog who absolutely despises having a bath and who refuses to go outside when it's raining because you hate having wet feet you sure do love playing with the sprinkler. as soon as daddy walks towards the faucet you start going nuts, running in circles and barking until the sprinkler comes to life. then you charge at it and attack it over and over again, biting at the water, until you're completely drenched and exhausted, but very very happy."

Here's my "F" page for my Encylopedia of an Ordinary Year Project!

I am now 16 weeks and a few days pregnant... Here's the Week 16 update! Hopefully I don't double my weight in the next few weeks too! So far I'm still feeling pretty good! I'm not quite as exhausted as I was in the first trimester (although I'm still going to bed a lot earlier than I used to!) but it's definitely getting harder to get comfortable in bed at night. "Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length . Right now, he's about the size of an avocado : 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too." I also think I've felt the baby move a few times- sort of a fluttery feeling. I can't wait until it's kicking enough for Paul to feel!

31 years ago my parents got married... They like to argue over whether they planned the wedding or whether they simply eloped but either way it was definitely casual! Here's a picture of them at what I've been told was their "reception." That was then, and this is now: Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! I love you both!

There's nothing quite like skipping from Week 10 to Week 15 in the blink of an eye! Friday was my 15 week mark so here's the baby update! "Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long , crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's (HE's!) busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam." Haven't tried the flashlight trick yet although the dogs always enjoy chasing the flashlight beam so perhaps the dogs and the baby can start to bond by playing together!

Had to take a moment to say Happy Father's Day to my wonderful Dad! Thank you for being such a wonderful father and for showing me what it means to be a great parent! I love you!

Yesterday I got an email from the manager of the Shutterfly Gallery where people who have used Shutterfly to create photo albums or other projects can post their work. I used Shutterfly to create my own wedding album by purchasing the rights to our photos and then using my digital scrapbooking supplies to create the album. I had copies made for our parents and printed the album out in a smaller size for the members of our wedding party. The gallery manager liked my book so much that she wanted to feature it for a few days on the homepage of the Gallery as well as in the weddings section... I'm very flattered to have my book featured as I really love the way it turned out and still look at it frequently. I also posted an album that I made for my parents' 30th wedding anniversary so I thought I'd post slideshows of both here on my blog for all to see! (Hopefully the slideshows won't slow down the page too much- let me know if they don't work out the way I hope!)...

It seems as though almost every day in one of my pregnancy books or online somewhere I come across yet another Old Wive's Tale or myth about pregnancy. Today I read that if you don't drink enough water your amniotic fluid will get dirty and your baby will be sitting around in filthy water. This one isn't true- although the baby IS sitting around in amniotic fluid as well as the baby's own urine- but urine is sterile so I don't think that really qualifies as filth! Another myth I heard recently is that women who have really bad morning sickness have girls, and women who don't have bad morning sickness have boys. Now if this myth was based solely on my experience I'd have to say that's true- I've had only an occasional bout of nausea and we're having a boy- myth proved!!! Except that my best friend and my cousin both had boys and lots of morning sickness... So the myth will remain a myth... Here's another: if a pregnant woman raises her arms o...

A few weeks ago I was pretty sure I knew exactly how I wanted to decorate the nursery. Of course, that was when I thought we were having a girl... Years ago I stumbled across an adorable flannel print on a remnant table somewhere- I snapped up several yards for $10 or so, figuring that some day I'd find a use for it. When I found out I was pregnant I immediately ran upstairs to my fabric stash and pulled it out. I decided to do aqua/robin's egg blue walls with vintage prints and the flannel fabric as my inspiration. I figured I would just add more pink or blue depending on whether the baby ended up being a boy or a girl. We're using the crib I had as a baby and some other pieces of furniture we're acquiring via Craig's List and Mom and Dad's attic so I thought I'd paint everything a creamy white so that it all matches. I envisioned a very soothing and tranquil nursery. Now that I know that we're having a boy however my vision has changed a bit. I still ...

For those of you not up on blog slang a "Meme" is a game where you share stuff about yourself. Most of you have probably done the email type where someone sends out a list of questions, you answer them and send the list back to the person who sent it to you along with sending it to other people. The questions are things like "Do you have any tattoos?" and "Croutons or Salad Dressing?" Stuff like that... So in the past week or so a Meme has been going around the blogosphere where you answer a list of questions and then type your answers into the search field on Flickr. You then pick one picture from the first page of search results for each answer and use Mosaic Maker (or Flickr Mosaic if you have an upgraded account) to make a mosaic of the photos that come up. I thought it would be a fun one to do so here goes! The questions: 1. What is your first name? Emily 2. What is your favorite food? Peanut Butter 3. What high school did you go to? George ...

Yesterday Paul went with me to the ob/gyn for our very first ultrasound appointment. At 9 weeks and 6 days pregnant we were expecting to see something that looked a lot like a shrimp and to hear the baby's heartbeat. We definitely got more than we expected! The ultrasound technician did an internal ultrasound, which is basically a "magic wand" that she sticks inside your "lady parts" to see the baby. Apparently it gives a much clearer picture of the baby and since a "magic wand" in my "lady parts" was how I got into this whole thing in the first place I was ok with it (sorry if that's too much information for anyone reading this- Mom, Grandma, but that's what I was thinking while lying on the exam table and I'm keeping this blog real...) As the first blurry pictures appeared on the screen the technician said "This baby isn't the right size for being almost 10 weeks." My initial thought was "Oh crap, it's sma...

For a couple of years now Paul and I have been talking about getting me a new car. I was lucky enough that my father gave me his old car when he got a new one and so I've never had a car payment until now. And while the Passat has been great, very reliable, and fairly practical, we knew that when we started our family I'd be upgrading to something with a little more room. This weekend Paul wanted to go and look at a car that he'd seen online at the dealership where he bought his car... They were having a fantastic Memorial Day sale and so we went to check it out. I didn't think we'd end up buying a car on Saturday but the next thing I knew I was filling out paperwork and getting approved for a loan! Last night we picked up my new ride- it's a Pontiac Torrent (which apparently no one has ever heard of but which gets great reviews and is super safe). I love it!!! It's not too fancy but has enough bells and whistles to keep me happy. Here are some pics of...

Here's the 10 week babycenter.com update: "Your baby is now officially considered a "fetus." It looks a little like a medium sized shrimp, measuring 1.25 to 1.68 inches from crown to rump, and weighing a little less than two-tenths of an ounce. The most critical part of your baby's development is behind you. But other developmental processes, such as those affecting behavior and intelligence, will continue throughout pregnancy. You still probably don't look pregnant, but you may not be fitting into your regular clothes. The fatigue, moodiness, and morning sickness associated with the first trimester of pregnancy is likely still present, but these symptoms shouldn't last too much longer." And here's my update: I don't look pregnant, although I do look like my pants are too tight and will probably be wearing a lot of elastic waisted skirts in the next couple of months- thank goodness it's summer! I'm still exhausted and am going to be...