Back at it.

So, I've been going crazy for about a month or so.  We moved at the beginning of last month and it was a whirlwind.  Things just never seemed to fall into place after we moved.  It's just been a mess and I didn't fall back in to my schedule for a while and Joey had a vacation which threw things off more and then I took on way too many things for Easter and I got sick on top of all that.  My goodness, it's been insane.
I've finally been feeling better that past day or so and I'm determined to get back to things.  I've been really lazy (and lucky) up until now, baby food has been on sale or clearance every time I went to the store and haven't made much until now.  But I just can't be lazy anymore, baby food won't be on sale forever but it did help me stock up on baby food jars and the like so making my own is a touch easier now.
This morning I made three types of baby food for my little one.  Today made roasted grapes, roasted grapes with peaches, and apples with peas and spinach.  And it's so much easier now that Norah's bigger because I don't have to strain everything after it's pureed. On my cooking list for the day (after the baby food of course) is some ham (in the crock pot now) some lentils for baby, and homemade English muffins for my hubby.
I have some pictures of our new apartment and all the things that I've been making:

living room curtains

office curtains that coordinate with the living room

that painting that I've been working on for the kitchen for what seems like forever

On to my next thing on my schedule for the day, my meal planning:
Monday: Crock Pot 'baked' Ham with Spinach salad
Tuesday: baked fish Tacos
Wednesday: whole wheat Spaghetti & meatballs (baby food version too)
Thursday: Spinach and Ham Quiche (using Monday's leftovers)
Friday: Veggie Ravioli Florentine (spinach bechamel sauce)
Saturday: Nothing planned, it's my Grandfather's Memorial service and I may bring something but I'm not planning on doing any cooking that day.
Sunday: Mac and cheese and tuna salad or egg salad

Well, that's it for me today.  Here are some pics from Easter:

Moving on Down

So, Danny and I got our official moving date.  We're to be in our new apartment by Saturday!!!  And the woman down there now should be out by tomorrow.  Our landlord was shocked by the upkeep on our place.  He was sure that he was going to have to replace the floor (it's a cheap laminate tile floor made to look like parquet tiles) but we've done enough that he's not even charging us an increase in our security deposit for the more expensive place.  Woo Hoo!  It's nice to be appreciated.
I've gotten a good chunk of our knick nacks, fancy dishware (what little we have) and books packed up.  I've once again run out of boxes.  I really thought just moving downstairs would be simpler but I'm honestly amazed at how much stuff we truly have.  I'm thinking of giving away a good chunk of books again and clearing out the pantry and donating stuff to the food bank here.  I already have a request in for more boxes from my father-in-law since the kitchen he runs often has good boxes left around that are great for moving (it's free and it's recycling). Danny's also going to go to the local liquor store and get some wine boxes (again free & recycling).
Danny and I are debating getting a Kitchen Aid mixer since the company is apparently discontinuing some colors since they have them marked down 50% off both on Amazon.com and at Target.  I've always wanted one but I could never justify spending $300 on a kitchen item (I spent less for out kitchen table/bench set).   And it appears that no one gets rid of one if they have one, I have been trolling craigslist for one for years to no avail.  But half off is pretty  reasonable, I think.
I don't know what's reasonable to expect for my cooking ability with moving and all but I've tried to plan my meals for the week anyhow.  I stupidly packed up my dried beans already and misplaced them in my many kitchen boxes so we're going meat heavy & quit and easy this week.  Here it goes:

Monday: Pot Roast w/ potatoes & carrots (in the crock-pot)
Tuesday: Crock-pot pulled pork tacos
Wednesday: Baked Tilapia w/ Thai rice & broccoli
Thursday: Crock-pot chicken Soup (I found the cutest little whole chickens on clearance at Target)
Friday: Corned Beef & Cabbage(in the crock-pot)
Saturday: Ordered out Pizza (It's moving Day after all)
Sunday: Chicken Nuggets w/ tater tots & salad

And for those of you not counting that's 5 out of 7 days worth of meals in the crock-pot. And you can bet that if I knew how to make baked fish or nuggets in there, they'd be crock-pot meals too. :-) well, the baby woke up so I'm off.

It's Monday again

It happens every week yet it's refreshing every single time.  A new week has so many possibilities.
Our baby girl is on the verge of crawling and she's so determined.  I'm so proud of her.  She's managed to propel herself forward a couple of times but mostly she spins around and scoots backwards.  She's also pushed herself up to sitting a few times but she can't coordinate her arms to push herself all the way vertical yet.  She gets so frustrated when she gets stuck somewhere and she makes the cutest little roaring sound.  She sounds like a little tiger cub.  I love it.
Joey's getting more independent.  She's started lying about almost anything it seems.  Danny and I have been trying to teach her what it means to tell the truth and why it's so important.  We have our ups and downs with it.  Sometimes it gets really difficult but she's such a sweet girl.  She was sick the other day and for her bedtime prayers she prayed that none of her friends at school get sick.  And even though Danny and I have been teaching her about God and the Bible, it amazes me how much she gets it.  Faith like a child is really so clear when you see it in actuality everyday.  I struggle with trusting in God but she has no doubts.
Joey, Norah and I have been having regular family dance parties in the living room lately.  It's super fun.  Joey's bopping all over and Norah sings along (sings ahhhhhhh ahh ahh) and sometimes Joey lets me dance with her but mostly she tells me that she needs to do her own moves but then I dance with Norah and she just giggles through it all.  I love my girls.

Here's my meal plan of dinners for the week:
Monday: Barbequed ribs & green beans
Tuesday: Mac & Cheese w/ vegetable soup
Wednesday: Crock pot baked beans w/ biscuits & coleslaw
Thursday: Curry Chicken w/ stir-fry veg & rice
Friday: Chickpeas & Couscous w/dried cranberries & herb goat cheese
Saturday: Our 5th Anniversary & Date Night
Sunday: Breakfast for dinner (Eggs & Cinnamon Rolls)

I'll also be making egg salad today for lunches throughout the week and Veggie sticks for quick snacks.  Norah's been blazing through her baby food and she's tried just about all the basic food that I use on a regular basis and once I'm done clearing all the foods I can, I'll be making my own baby food from our regular meals with a simple baby food grinder.  I've already been making my own with some of the meals that have no questionable ingredients.  I've got a few more food to get through: broccoli, tomatoes, beef, pork, and dairy.  She no longer breaks out when I have processed dairy (cheese, yogurt, etc.) but when I have straight milk, it still seems to bother her little tummy.  :-( So, I'm still on soy milk for now but I'm going to see how she does with some baby yogurt herself this week.  If that goes well, I'll be making my own whole milk yogurt in large batches again.
Well, I'm off...Today is Norah's 6 month well visit and I'm excited to see how much she's grown.  And I need to talk to the doctor about sleep training possibilities.  She's still so petite that I just want to make sure there's no medical reason for her to be up every three hours all night long.  This momma needs some sleep

Meal Plan Monday

I just discovered Jericho on Netflix.  Love that series!  I'm watching it while Norah naps and Jolene and Danny are on a Daddy daughter date at IKEA for the free breakfast this weekend.  Gotta love that!  I'm trying to get my planning stuff done while they're out too.
So, meal planning is up first.  I read an interesting blog the other day.  The writer just rotated snacks and breakfast and lunch was just leftovers and sandwiches and she only planned dinners and she made two weeks of plans and then just rotated them back in so that she was only meal planning once a month and they would have the same dinner twice a month, which helps to reduce waste and overstocking refrigerators by cutting down on the minor ingredients that are needed to be kept when you only need a bit of something.  It also streamlines purchasing and you can plan around sales and you're only buying a fraction more to double the meals and I'm really excited to give it a try for next month.  I've already done my purchasing for this month.  I'm also trying to cut down on our meat based meals.  It's getting so expensive and there are great alternatives and it gets the family eating more vegetables.  But I'm happy to streamline  my life a little bit more each week and make life go smoother along the way.  So, here's my meal plan for the week.

Monday: Butternut Squash Soup & fresh baked bread

Tuesday: Bean Enchiladas

Wednesday: Mac & Cheese

Thursday: Chicken Stir Fry

Friday: Frittatta

Saturday: Corned Beef & Cabbage

Sunday: Chickpea Salad

And that's all for me for today.  Norah's been trying to type with me so I think that's all I can really get to without a slew of typos anyhow.  Tootles

Week 2 of Life on a schedule

 So, I'm back with an adjusted schedule this week.  I'm trying to think ahead and plan accordingly.  I think I'm doing o.k. at it but I've got some serious adjusting to do. 
I created schedules for myself in college just to get everything done but doing it for a household of four is so much more intense.  I don't know what I was thinking to try and do all that I have to do off the cuff.  No wonder I was constantly stressed out and never getting anything done. Below is my meal plan for the week and I've got blogging planned into my schedule so that I have something to keep me accountable. 
To throw another log on the fire, Danny and I are moving at the end of the month.  We're moving a whole one floor down in our building.  The apartment below has an additional 50-70 sq feet of living space as well as a back porch, clothesline and a front porch that Danny has claimed as his man cave. 
 

Monday 2.6
b: cereal & bananas
l: Italian sandwich
(Pick up Joey from school)
s: strawberries
d: tuna pasta salad

Tuesday 2.7
b: eggs & cinnamon rolls
l: mac& cheese with peas
s: oranges
d: chicken stir-fry & rice

Wednesday 2.8
b: oatmeal & blueberries
l: soup
s: crackers
d: coconut curry shrimp & rice

Thursday 2.9
b: yogurt & toast
l: nutella sandwich & celery sticks
s: apples
d: Sheppard’s pie

Friday 2.10 (rent)
b: cereal & raisins
l: leftovers
s: carrot sticks
d: church valentine’s dinner (side dish)

Saturday 2.11
b: pancakes
l: nuggets & sweet potato fries
s: oranges
d: barbeque chicken & baked beans

Sunday 2.12
b: oatmeal & mango
l: pb&j with apples
s: carrot sticks
d: ravioli with green beans

 And in other news, I finally got around to making my own dishwasher detergent yesterday.  AMAZING STUFF.  So cool.  Glad to have done it.  Way cheaper than buying it and so easy to make and I think my dishes are genuinely cleaner than with the store bought stuff. Yay for DIY!

Daily Schedule day 4

So, things have been going sort of according to schedule.  I think I need to add in some more flexibility for baby crankiness.  I've missed one thing on my list everyday.  I'm not quite sure how to remedy that.  I've been looking into different daily schedules from different blog and the like but I haven't found one that I like.  I made myself a little checklist that I put up on my fridge with my schedule of stuff.  It's next to my grocery notepad. I like to see things checked off on a list; it makes me feel good. 
I'm thinking that I may need to do a little research into my day and figure out where I can trim the fat and fit in some new things. 
Today on my agenda: waiting for my Peapod.com order (I had enough coupons to more than cover the cost of shipping), then depending on if everything come in that order: making homemade pop-tarts, making play dough, updating my meal plan, vacuuming, making lunch and dinner, planning our big shopping trip for Saturday or Sunday and getting both girls bathed. 
Wow, that's a long list when I write it all out.  But today is project day with Joey, and some of those home made pop-tarts are going to be her Valentine's gifts for her schoolmates.  Fun right, they're going to be fun to make and eat and way better than candies, I think.  And most of her old play dough is all dried up and it's one of her favorite things to play with so it's time. 

Day 1 of Life on a Schedule

So far, my schedule seems to be making life easier. (I know Shocking right?) Anyway, I'm nearly done with my checklist and it's only 2.30.  Yay me! And I've even found time to do some things that weren't on my list. 
Part of my schedule is that Monday's is meal planning day for the week.  Here's what my meal plan looks like so far:

Monday 1.30
b: eggs & cinnamon rolls
l: soup
d: mac&cheese w/ beets

Tuesday 1.31
b: oatmeal
l: Pb&j w/ peaches
d: tilapia & Thai rice with broccoli

Wednesday 2.1
b: cereal
l: soup
d: hot dogs & sauerkraut

Thursday 2.2
b: oatmeal
l: leftover hot dogs & carrot sticks
d: chicken nuggets & s.p. fries

Friday 2.3
b: cereal
l: soup
d: sweet potato &black bean tacos

Saturday 2.4
b: apple pancakes
l: food out while shopping
d: hanging with the Family

Sunday 2.5
b: cereal
l: lunch with people
d: meatloaf & mashed potatoes

Monday 2.6
b: oatmeal
l: leftovers
d: barbeque ribs & broccoli

Not too shabby right?  I'm proud of it, I've been in a bit of a cooking rut lately.  I've been so overwhelmed with life that I have really been slacking off.  I'm glad that I finally feel like I'm getting back on track. 

...In other news, that home-made cleaner that I put up the recipe for, I tried it out today in the kitchen and the bathroom and it works great.  My only complaint is that if you use it to clean the range, the next time you cook, it smells a little funny.  But otherwise it makes the house smell lovely!

Nesting Monday.

Wow, I feel like I've accomplished so much today.  Joey and I had a relaxing morning and a busy one all at the same time.  I woke up bright and early (it's becoming a habit, not of my own choosing).  I checked my email, ate breakfast and did some other random internet browsing before waking the hubs for school. 
Then I just hung out with him for a bit before Joey woke up, which didn't take long.  Got her changed and fed.  Danny left for school and I had Joey clean up her toys and she got a movie reward (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs).  I must say, I am a sucker for movies where the dorky guy gets the girl. 
Then she and I did some coloring and she helped me scoured the bathroom.  I cleaned the kitchen and scoured the sink & other surfaces while she had a snack.  Then I made lunch.  Wow, that's a lot off of my list for the day.  I am determined to get cracking on the sewing stage of Norah's baby quilt.  I've got all the pieces cut and my first seams pinned and ready to go. 
I've also got to get my meal plan together for the week.  So here we go...

Monday
breakfast: cereal & oranges
lunch: cheese tortellini with grape tomatoes
dinner: meatloaf and mashed potatoes

Tuesday
breakfast: leftover pancakes
lunch: pb&j and apples
dinner: slow cooker kielbasa & sauerkraut

Wednesday
breakfast: cereal & bananas
lunch: leftovers
dinner: chicken nuggets & green beans

Thursday
breakfast: oatmeal & apples
lunch: nutella sandwiches
dinner: fish tacos

Friday
breakfast: cereal & oranges
lunch: leftovers
dinner: pasta & italian sausage

Saturday
breakfast: pancakes
lunch: pb&j and veggies
dinner: roast chicken & veggies

Sunday
breakfast: oatmeal at church
lunch: party in south windsor
dinner: leftovers

Feeling Better

So, I know my last post was a little *RARR*.  Sorry for that!

Feeling better today.  I've still got a whole lot on my plate to work out and it certainly is not an easy process but I'm working my way through all the steps.  It seems like there's way more work involved than I had thought, but that's ok.  I'm taking things step by step (at least for the time being).  I'm making phone call after phone call and it's oh so fun being on hold and fighting through red tape. 

But our food stamps came in for the month and at least now I have food in the house.  So, on to my weekly meal plan. 

Tuesday
breakfast: bagels & oranges
lunch: sandwiches & tomatoes w/hummus
dinner: Frozen pizza & sauteed squash

Wednesday
breakfast: cereal and bananas
lunch: hot dogs & chili
dinner: pasta salad

Thursday
breakfast: oatmeal & apples
lunch: pb&j and tortilla chips
dinner: Sam's club combo

Friday
breakfast: cereal & bananas
lunch: chicken nuggets & salad
dinner: bean burritos

Saturday
breakfast: pancakes
lunch: kielbasa & sauerkraut
dinner: potato salad

Sunday
breakfast: oatmeal at church
lunch: church snacks & leftovers
dinner: roast chicken & green beans

Monday
breakfast: eggs & oranges
lunch: nutella sandwiches & veggie sticks
dinner: meatloaf & mashed potatoes

Tuesday
breakfast: cereal & bananas
lunch: leftovers
dinner: chicken stir fry

Yay for one more thing off my to-do list.  Now to my next task for the day.  I'm going to try and finish cutting my pieces for Norah's baby blanket today.
Yesterday we had an ultra-sound appointment to get those last vital pics of our little one before she gets here.  She's growing right on schedule.  Everything was perfect!  We even got some awesome profile face shots too.  Looks like this little one will have that trademark 'Palmquist' chin.  Not really shocked on that one.  I've heard that a cleft chin is one of those genetic markers that if either parents have it, it's guaranteed to be passed on.  She also appears to have a nose a bit more like Danny's and his dad's and less like mine or Lisa's (like joey has).  I'm excited to see her little face! 
And when I was talking to my midwife this time around, I finally got a referral to a neurologist about my leg and neck spasms.  It's only taken 4 years and two pregnancies to finally get someone to hear me that it's not just a weird pregnancy symptom.  But YAY!!  The lovely nurses even helped me find a GP that is not only taking new patients but also takes my insurance.  I've been needing one.  I love my midwives group!! They are awesome!

Easter Monday

Alrighty, the Holiday is over and it was lovely!  I love Easter.  Such a wonderful time.
The fasting of Lent always leaves me feeling refreshed, once it's all over.  Danny and I still haven't plugged the cable in yet and  I think we're going to see what we can do about leaving it that way.  At least during the day.
Joey's been much more well behaved without it.  Plus now she can't just turn it on when we're not looking and she actually has to do her chores to get a reward of a movie.  And to be honest, movies are much better for us as a household.  First off, no commercials.  Secondly, they're not nearly as annoying as some of the shows. Thirdly, we try to keep educational or at least musical movies around (she and I just adore musicals).  Lastly, it's helpful to be able to put on something with a definite end point and that holds her attention for most of the time.
We're watching the WIZARD OF OZ right now.  Joey requested it.
I still need to get the Sound of Music on DVD, I love that one.  It's on my list but I just haven't gotten to the 'wants' section of my list, I got a bit of the way through our 'needs' list and then we ran out of money.  Our tax refund didn't go as far as we'd hoped this year.  Danny is going to try and find work once the semester is over, 3 weeks and counting.
So, I've made some progress on our to do list for the day.  Danny did some laundry while he was up late last night which was a huge help!  I made oatmeal apple pancakes for breakfast.  I organized some of the remaining laundry.  I still have a bit left to go.  I need to change the sheets, I need to make up the meal plan for the week, I am hoping my sewing machine shows up in time for me to do something during Joey's nap, I need to make dinner, I need to clean the living room, and I am hosting care group tonight while Danny's off doing school work.

So, first thing's first,  MEAL PLAN:

Monday
breakfast: apple oatmeal pancakes
lunch: leftovers
dinner: mac & cheese & peas

Tuesday
breakfast: oatmeal & oranges
lunch: pb&j and milk
dinner: chicken tikka masala & rice noodles

Wednesday
breakfast: cereal & berries
lunch: ramen & beets
dinner: chicken nuggets & mashed potatoes

Thursday
breakfast: leftover pancakes
lunch: egg salad sandwiches & apples
dinner: pasta/asperagus/tomatoes/capers

Friday
breakfast: oatmeal & raisins
lunch: Sam's Club combo
dinner: grilled cheese & tomato soup

Saturday
breakfast: cereal & oranges
lunch: nutella sandwiches & veggie sticks
dinner: roast chicken & sweet potatoes

Sunday
breakfast: leftover frozen pancakes
lunch: snacks at church and pb&j
dinner:  leftover chicken & potato salad

Crazy Monday

So, it's Holy Week and Danny's 30th Birthday week.  AHHHH!!! Can we say, crazy combo?  His party is tomorrow and I have so much to do but I sit here blogging because I don't know where to begin so I thought, if I need to write things out to clear my head, I might as well put them here for all the world to see.
On my to do list for today & tomorrow: cut up all the cheese for my homemade ham(made in the slow cooker overnight lst night), cheese and cracker platter; put away all the clean laundry(joey helps with this one); clean & vacuum the living room; make lunch & dinner; adjust my meal plan since I forgot to take into account the hubby's party last week when I made it; figure out what joey wants to get danny for his birthday; do dishes; get danny's present wrapped before he gets home and tears into it before I can(major fail on this one); organize joey's room more;  see if I can get into her closet and find her Easter sweater that fell somewhere(Could not find it in there)); try and make some progress on my craft projects(just to get it out of my head); print out my Target coupons(tmrw); get all the paper supplies for Danny's party; get Joey and I showered and clean(tonight); fill the pinata for the party; try not to forget about the to do list in favor of nesting projects.
Pretty exhausting right?!
It's not a lot of stuff especially since I do have Joey around to help with some of the things on my list and she's a really good helper.  And I know that I can do it.  I KNOW I CAN!  I just have to keep moving & I need a soundtrack to modivate me(add that to the to do list).  Now to start with my meal planning.

Monday
breakfast: eggs and ham
lunch: pb&j and oranges
dinner: shrimp lo mein

Tuesday
breakfast: berries and yogurt
lunch: Target coupon for the marketplace while getting party supplies
dinner: PARTY TIME

Wednesday
breakfast: cereal & bananas
lunch: leftovers
dinner: Leftover party food

Thursday
breakfast: oatmeal & raisins
lunch: cheese ravioli & peas
dinner: hotdogs & beans

Friday
breakfast: cereal & oranges
lunch: Sam's Club combos
dinner: grilled cheese & tomato soup

Saturday
breakfast: bagels & berries @ Easter Egg Hunt Outreach
lunch: nutella sandwiches & oranges @ EEHO
dinner: chicken tikka masala & rice noodles

Sunday
breakfast: cereal & bananas @ church
lunch: Church Easter Potluck
dinner: leftovers

OK, meal plan done, Joey's working on a card for Danny and I've found a playlist(at least for the time being).  3 down, 20 more to go!! Here's to progress(fingers crossed)!

UPDATE: I got most of that done before 2pm.  I think I shall reward myself with extended craft time. Woot Woot!

Meal Planning and To Do list

So, I've been slacking on my meal planning, I really need to stay on top of this.  I have been more diligent on creating checklists to keep myself on task though.  I'm starting to get ideas for some frozen meals for when baby comes.  So much to do.
I've been trying to figure out organizational things for the apartment. Today I ordered some drawer organizers.  I figured that I'm just not going to find the time or tools to make them myself.  I've also been peeking at car organizers at Target but I'm pretty sure that I could make one myself for way cheaper.  It's essentially just a apron with a bunch of pockets in different sizes and elastic or velcro closures.  I have all that I need already to make something like that.  The only thing that I think I will surely need to purchase is the soft, leek-proof trash container for the car.  I haven't figured out how to make one leek-proof myself yet.  :-/
I finished up the sketching of my painting that I'm working on last night.  I'm hoping to get started on the painting sometime this week but I don't know when I'll find the time.  I think it might be better to get started on the car organizer today since I can clean up the fabric and stuff easier than I can the paint.
So, my to do list for the day: start a project (just one), do dishes, make a meal plan, do two loads of laundry, vacuum, a nap.  Not a long list but my brother's also coming over later to hang out a bit so a short list is better I think.

Meal Plan:

Thursday
breakfast: cereal and bananas
lunch: leftovers
dinner: frozen pizza

Friday
breakfast: eggs & oranges
lunch: sam's club combo
dinner: chicken stir-fry

Saturday
breakfast: fruit pancakes
lunch: mac & cheese & peas
dinner: hotdogs & baked beans

Sunday
breakfast: eggs & yogurt w/ berries
lunch: cheese ravioli & baby carrots
dinner: grilled cheese & tomato soup

Monday
breakfast: leftover pancakes
lunch: leftovers
dinner: chicken tikka masala & rice noodles

Tuesday
breakfast: eggs & oranges
lunch: egg salad sandwiches/ pb&j & celery sticks
dinner: cheese tortellini & sauce

Wedensday
breakfast: cereal & bananas
lunch: leftovers
dinner: balsamic glazed chicken & potato salad

Dreams...

I have so many dreams and I always get distracted by life and wind up off course.  I want to be a writer.  I have a book that I've been writing for 14 years and have never gotten past Chapter 6.  I have plenty of other book ideas that I have never gotten past the idea stage.  I have had poetry of mine published, yet I don't write anymore.  I love to sing and would love to sing with the worship team at church but I'm already doing too many things.  I want to go back to school and get a degree but I ran out of money the last go 'round.  I long to be a person that lives off the land and grows her own food and raises her own livestock and needs very little financial income to thrive but I've never owned any land. 
It's so hard to start something that you've already stopped once.  I never had intentions of giving up on my dreams.  And my dreams are very much alive.  I need to find a way to follow my dreams and still make life happen.  Because one can not spend life dreaming dreams for the future but if I never make any headway or keep plugging away, my dreams will never come to fruition. 

Rainy Productive Day

Danny's napping and Joey and I are waiting for the IKEA delivery men to bring her new big girl bed and my new dresser.  It's been a really productive day.
I went to work while Danny took Joey to Barnes & Noble for story time.  They came back and picked me up and Danny jaunted off to school for some advising for his new semester and to get some schoolwork done.  He finished up at the school early and was feeling productive so he ventured to IKEA alone to pick out Joey's big girl bed & accessories and our new dresser.  Joey and I cleaned up the apartment while he was away.  I made lunch and dinner according to my meal plan (that I made up yesterday, I've been slacking lately).
Danny came home and we started making space for Joey's bed and now he's off napping while I wait for the delivery men.  I'm hoping they'll be nice to the pregnant lady and bring everything all the way up.  Last delivery guys came when only Danny was home and they took one look at the stairs and told Danny he was on his own.  Joey was only maybe 9 months old at the time which made that game super fun for Danny.  I'm hoping they'll take pity on me and my inability to lift any of it (which is why we opted for delivery instead of renting a van in the first place).  Then I get the fun of putting it all together tonight.  I'm rather impatient and I'm confident that I won't be able to wait until tomorrow to put it all together.  I've got all my tools ready and raring to go.  If only I could find my hammer (just in case).  Sometimes those pegs just don't want to go in right away.  But I've got my multi-screwdriver and my allen wrench set.
I love building stuff.  If only I still had the back strength for carpentry work. *sigh* I'll post pictures as soon as I get things in order.  I may be able to build my new toys tonight but I doubt that I'll get the tornado that will no doubt ensue cleaned up by tonight too.
I'm just so excited to have things all organized by the time baby comes.  I've got a dresser for my two little ones to share, an extra dresser for he newest little in our closet for those mid-night changes while we're still using the co-sleeper in our room.  I'll soon have a dresser for Danny and I that will fit our things and not be held together by duct tape.  (WooHoo!) And we're getting a nice twin low loft bed for Joey, and it can be used as a bunk bed if we have another girl (we find out on Tuesday).  Then all I have to do is find everything it's place and fine tune all the minor details and we'll be all set.  Sure we'll need a highchair at some point but I know my mom has one in storage somewhere and there are other things that I need but nothing major.
I'm still trying to find a love seat that will fit up our stairs via craigslist.org, but I'm not having much luck. *sigh again* I don't know what we'll do when people want to come over and meet new baby. I have spent the past month trolling Craigslist trying to find a nice double stroller for cheap but I don't think I want to go out and buy one full price with Joey as big as she is.  I just can't justify it, we've got two strollers and a couple of baby wraps and I think that's plenty.  I've been stalking Craigslist to be honest, I've been trying to find all the things that I've been wanting to buy anyway, used for cheaper but to no avail and now I'm getting to the point where if I don't get it done soon, I won't have enough time to get the rest of things ready.  I still want to make the newest little a baby blanket of his/her own. And I need to start finding clothes if we find out we're having a boy. Wow, ok I'm gong to stop rambling now before I totally overwhelm myself with my to do list.
So, anyway having a really productive week and especially a productive day. Woo Hoo!

Sunny Sunday

Sometimes, having the extra energy from not waiting tables anymore, is so nice.  As stressful as it is when folks don't show up, I was refreshed by having other people step up and help out today and fill in those gaps.  I am able to love people more the less I'm working in a direct serving role.  My job at the church is totally a serving role but I'm not being inundated by people wanting more from me with no regard for what it does to me.  I am surrounded by people who love me and want me to succeed.
And now that I'm taking the time to step back and allowing myself to take some space when I need it, I'm seeing more people's willingness to be involved whereas before I would've just done myself and then been irritated that no one wanted to step up.  I'm seeing now that if I want to have others help out, I need to express my limits and just do it all myself.  But as I'm doing this, I'm seeing more people step up and volunteer.  It's been really helpful to my view of Christian community.
Then, I got home and took a nap while Joey napped.  After that, Danny got home from is adventures this afternoon, and we had a quick PB&J dinner and were off to the grocery store.  I was able to really focus on what I was buying and got things that I really needed.  Lately, I've been finding myself one or two key ingredients short of a recipe(UGH).  But today, I had a very specific list and Danny hung out in the Starbucks and studied while Joey and I shopped.  I got all the fixin's for bean burritos,  chicken tikka masala, grilled cheese and tomato soup, spagettios(sp.) were Joey's request for the week and some other little leftover makeover meals.  Yay me! I feel like I'm getting my brain in order.  I even got a laundry bag so that I can do laundry again and actually get the laundry down the stairs without Danny's help.  So that's my little victory for the day, a successful shopping trip.  Woo Hoo!

days go on, meal plans change

So, yesterday I did a crap ton of cleaning.  I cleaned out all the toys under the couch, I swept and vacuumed.  I did three loads of laundry, I'd have done more but I ran out of quarters.  I cleaned out the vacuum and learned how to fix it when it gets clogged.  I cleaned Joey's room and cleaned what I could of our room in spite of the mountain of laundry still in need of washing.  Then I hosted Care Group this week.  Which mad me super happy.  I've been wanting to host a care group for a while but it's never quite been the right time.  I'd love to host more regularly but with Danny's class schedule it might not be the best idea to start that just yet.
I love that I finally had the energy to get the house clean.  Clean spaces make me smile.  Second trimester, I think I love you the best!  Danny and I went out to this really awesome little Mexican Diner here in West Haven.  The food was So good.  I've had better Chicken Mole but not for as cheap as it was there.  Even at that, it was only slightly better.  And the homemade sauces were so fresh and yummy.  Danny, of course, was in heaven because the staff spoke Spanish.  Joey was being a bit of a trouble maker and we had to leave quicker than planned.  The food was so yummy.  Danny says that he might even want to have his family birthday dinner there.
I don't know what had Joey so worked up today but she just wouldn't go down for her nap.  She's been in her bed either chatting or yelling for me to come get her since 2 and it's nearly 4:30 now and she just quieted down maybe 10 minutes ago.  I can't let her sleep too late or she won't go to bed on time tonight.  Ugh.  The sucky thing is that when she's yelling for me, I can't even really go into the kitchen or the bathroom without the yelling getting louder.
So, I've had to put off making dinner.  I'm thinking that I'm going to have to switch up my dinner plans because of it.  I was planning on Chicken Tikka Masala but I can't exactly go whipping up the sauce without using the blender and waking my little sleeper.  Grr.  I don't know what to make now.  I have a meal plan for the week but maybe I'll have to tweek it a little.  But what to swap out is the question.  Oh well.  Off to my planning.