Crazy days of Christmas...

It's only Tuesday but I feel like it's so much further in the week.  Danny and I went to Target to get the some of the last of Joey's Christmas presents last night.  She's been asking for a new piggy bank since she broke her old one, so we found her a cute on.  The only thing that we want to get for her still is an easel and they have one just her size at IKEA for $15 so I think we're going to try and get that this week.  I got Danny some little surprises for Christmas day and I've been really good and I haven't tried to open my present yet.  I may actually make it until Christmas.
I had my obGyn appointment today.  They say that I am indeed pregnant and I have an ultra sound appointment set for next Wednesday to get a more accurate due date since I'm not positive of which Friday of two possible to use to get the accurate measurement.  So, we'll have a for sure due date next week.  Then my next obGyn appointment will be in January so that I can get what I need to sign up for WIC again.  Which I am totally stoked to do again, especially since I found an office here in West Haven that I can go to instead of having to fight with downtown New Haven traffic.
Danny and I are still trying to figure out what to do about our plans for Colorado.  Right now I think we're still thinking that we're going to move in May or June barring any medical complications on my part, I think.  I think one of our biggest fears at this point is whether or not we'll be able to get health care in time for the birth.  Particularly since I'm not so much a fan or going for a VBAC and a C-Section is rather costly.

Crazy day...

So today has been a mad rush.  I've been cleaning and sewing and all kinds of madness.  I finished sewing Joey's dress or so I thought.  Turns out the measurements that I took of her have changed in two days.  She's somehow skinnier now than she was when I measured her.  Ugh.  Now I gotta fix it somehow.  I think I'm gonna try to do some thick straps or something.  Maybe if I turn the heat up on the iron it'll shrink the elastic some more and it'll hold up.  I also got cracking on my Christmas dress and got it half cut out and I need to finish up the cutting out tomorrow.
I really need to get cracking on finishing up my Christmas presents.  Danny and I keep saying that we're going to do it and we never get to it.
I am super excited for the Holidays coming up.  Our Christmas plans start tomorrow.  Joey and I are gonna be making up some sugar cookies with a friend and her little one.  So exciting, and then on Saturday we're all going to watch a fun little Christmas movie with another friend.  Then on Sunday we have a church potluck and then early family Christmas with Danny's folks and his sister and brother-in-law.  I've got all the little presents done for Sunday but I do still need to finish my dress and finish up the big presents.
Ok, I need to go clean up dinner and stuff.  Tootles!

Manic Monday

I got a lot accomplished today.  I made frozen breakfast burritos for those mornings when I forget to eat before running out the door.  I sorted through all of Joey's clothes and made two whole garbage bags full of clothes that don't fit her anymore that I plan to get to Salvation Army at some point.  I put all of our clean laundry away too and even found enough quarters for one more load of laundry.  I made pasta and meatballs for dinner in the crock pot.  I had some other things planned but Joey started going a little nuts towards the end of the night and I kinda lost my steam and now I don't feel good.  I was going to try and get a shower tonight but I think I'm going to put it of until morning.
Danny got my Christmas present in the mail today but won't let me see it or know what it is.  I kinda want to go hunting for it.  I know it's around here somewhere.  But I'd like to have something to open on Christmas too.  I guess I'll just have to try to be patient (not my strong suit).

Wintery wonderful snacks...

Today I made took my second crack at homemade marshmallows.  I DID IT!  I actually made marshmallows.  I even made them in holiday shapes and saved the scraps to float in hot chocolate.  Which of course prompted me to make some yummy hot chocolate.  Joey's still working on getting those last yummy drops out of her big girl mug.  I love making things from scratch.  It's especially nice when my treats are met with such enthusiasm from the family.
My goal for tomorrow is to make some homemade frozen burritos.  I'm going to make some lunch/dinner style ones as well as some breakfast burritos.  I got the idea from a friends blog Twinkling Along.  I bought some large tortillas at Sam's today and I'm soaking some beans right now.  I'm going to blend some up with some queso dip for easy spreading.  I may even try to make some meatball pizza style burritos, just for some variety.  Today, I totally forgot to eat before jetting off to work, and I do it far too often.  I need to eat real food in the morning so I'm not raging with hunger when I get home.
I'm also working on knitting myself a new scarf for the season and I want to figure out how to knit gloves or mittens and slippers.  I've got some lovely thin yarns that will make great mittens for myself and Joey, I just have to figure it out.  It's the thumb hole that really baffles me but I just must figure it out.    I want so much to be able to make mittens and slippers for my little one.  I have some lovely vinyl that will make great bottoms for the slippers so she's not slipping and sliding all over the floor.  I also want to make a pair for my little sister but I need to get the figuring done first.
But Joey and I finished making ornaments for her to give as gifts to all the family.  I let her paint them herself and she had such a blast.  I think she might even still have a few bits of paint hanging out on her hands from it but a thorough scrub down in on the agenda for her for tomorrow. Ok, I'm off, I got started on her Christmas dress today too.  The skirt I'm using is longer than I remember, I make even be able to use a little to trim up the black wrap dress that I'm planning on making for myself for Christmas.

update on my to do list

I finished my Turkey Soup and I canned what we won't eat in the next couple of days
I did two loads of laundry ( I know this wasn't on my list but anyhow)
I stewed and canned one of my three pumpkins and then I ran out of mason jars (the other two will have to wait)
I'm baking pumpkin cake right now
I did kind of wuss out on dinner though (I let Joey chose and she almost always choses hot dogs) so we're having hotdogs for dinner.
The living room is uncleaned and unvacuumed.
I didn't even try to get back to the christmas ornaments I'm making but I may try to get on that after Joey's in bed.
I think that I was rather productive, now I just have to try and find time in the rest of the week to get the other things on my list done.  But at least the house is warm and full of yummy food smells.

Craziness

So this week has been crazy. Joey's been in rare form. Nice one minute and a raving terror the next. We've officially decided to get rid of our kitty, Walfredo. She's a lovely kitty and I'm sure she'd be better behaved if she weren't being tortured during all waking hours. As soon as Joey's asleep, the kitty is all snuggles and cuddles. So if you're in the area and you're looking for a kitty, look no further.

We finally put up and decorated our christmas tree. It's absolute insanity. Joey is fascinated with it which was adorable until she started plugging and unplugging it and shoving it and breaking ornaments. And of course the kitty tried to climb it and keeps stealing the low ornaments (she carries them off and hides 'her' toys under our bed). I'm convinced she thinks she's a dog.

We made an advent wreath this year at with some of the other folks at our church. It was great fun. Joey got to glitter the pine cones and I got to be crafty and had fun making bows. It's so nice to have. And, the base, candle holders, pine cones candles and bows are re-usable so I can use them again next year as long I get more pine garland. It smells so nice too. It works out really nicely for us too since real trees are so expensive every year and the artificial ones are getting more and more realistic every year. We have a nice one but I think in a couple of years we'll be able to get one that really looks real. But with pets and children, I just think that real ones are a little unrealistic sometimes. But it is nice to have at least a little bit of something real and pine around.

I'm currently trying to figure out if canning broccoli would be a total bad idea. I never see broccoli canned in the stores but I have a bunch of broccoli that I bought in bulk and I am running out of ways to utilize it before it goes bad. I think I'm going to try and can it either today or tomorrow. I already froze 1/3 of the 2 lbs that I bought. And I cooked up or used another 1/3 of it but I still have 1/3 left to use up.

I'm still working on getting around to making up Christmas cards. I've found a few different different places with nice cards but I took some pictures that I liked and then they turned out all blurry when I tried to fix them up a bit. Maybe I'll just take some of our pictures from the past year and turn them black and white and go that route. Ugh, so undecided. Maybe I'm just over thinking it.

I did finally figure out something that I might like to go back to school for. I've been working on our church's quarterly newsletter at work and I've really been enjoying doing the layout and editing work. I'm now thinking that maybe I'd like to do either graphic design or english. I'm not sure what I'll decide on, but I probably won't actually decide until I find a school out in CO that I like and such of course. I love both writing and design so it's kinda a tough choice.

Well, I think that's all that's been going on with me for a past few days. So, tootles.