tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87147794445958576552024-02-19T16:58:40.737-08:00Jennylou's ProjectsJennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-70061607359453105672013-06-11T16:53:00.001-07:002013-06-11T16:53:58.707-07:00Back at it<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div> Nursing school was rough at times, especially year two. Many tears were shed during the first semester of year two by me. But, I made it. Coffee was a big vice during that semester. Then this last semester food was my friend. Oh, and I added dairy, soy and corn back to my diet. Which means I gained some weight back. I was wearing a 16-18, but I'm firmly in the 18 again. Hopefully by summers end I will be back in that 16. I would like to look like this again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVv2yFzhi976qBW4-wSF_sxQwv3TS4s9yvroOY6fVp9cNTvwNp1WApU2KIsJ0h3smyLvlqjxOby4eWuKGl2_DHNnAShOBY_adND1MlGBwINu4_5He16lHqNxMqaZR9WLUxr84RGwOQefM/s640/blogger-image--1343428170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVv2yFzhi976qBW4-wSF_sxQwv3TS4s9yvroOY6fVp9cNTvwNp1WApU2KIsJ0h3smyLvlqjxOby4eWuKGl2_DHNnAShOBY_adND1MlGBwINu4_5He16lHqNxMqaZR9WLUxr84RGwOQefM/s640/blogger-image--1343428170.jpg"></a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Instead of like this:</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWJifeszKuwhMizCGg9CoMiuccy3ghg9vdO07QGA8bwlk1M_Ulb6fDvILo-rsK734GD50pujTqRHN4LTjaDEEJj6vMl4LK0TnVoxg8BiMcEArP4P2jWe88xA-HBz3Z-Cb9qEq5DWs94Y/s640/blogger-image--678444152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; "><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWJifeszKuwhMizCGg9CoMiuccy3ghg9vdO07QGA8bwlk1M_Ulb6fDvILo-rsK734GD50pujTqRHN4LTjaDEEJj6vMl4LK0TnVoxg8BiMcEArP4P2jWe88xA-HBz3Z-Cb9qEq5DWs94Y/s640/blogger-image--678444152.jpg" style="max-width: 90%; "></a></span>Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-77432237488279447892013-06-10T06:59:00.000-07:002013-06-10T06:59:40.451-07:00Wrapping it up!Well, it's official, I graduated from nursing school. :) Now I wait to get my ATT number so that I can take my NCLEX. For now, I enjoy my kids and plan my upcoming vacation. :)<br />
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My sister and her husband came in for my graduation, which was great. She took some great shots of us, I only have a few though. We left the two youngest with a sitter and hit Cedar Point after graduation and it was a lot of fun.<br />
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This is Nora and I at my pinning ceremony:<br />
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Becky, Nora and I at graduation:<br />
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And me marching in at graduation:<br />
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Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-84606130947229441622012-08-23T06:40:00.001-07:002012-08-23T06:40:17.767-07:00But, I can't afford to eat this way!You can! And it'll be better for you, or your baby and maybe both.<br />
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We have a family of five. On paper, in the Midwest, we are not destitute. Out household income is more than our average for our city. But, we are in a small urban, and we have many poor people. The thing that makes us feel like we're living paycheck is gas. And when it goes up, our pocketbook feels it. After paying for gas for the truck (an f-150 that commutes 80 miles per day), gas for my van (yay for getting a clinical site that is less than a mile from my house this semester, especially since I have to go the day before and then two days in a row!) and utilities, my cheap pay as you go phone, Internet/cable (most reimbursed by dh's job and that we can't just cut), school supplies, clothes (very minimal, we adore hand me downs!), meds for DH (30-80 per month, depending on I he needs his as needed med or not), copays, deductibles, household expenses, childcare and car maintenance, well often the only expense that can be cut is the grocery bill. I can coupon with the best of them, but most things I can coupon I can't eat!<br />
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So, what are my tricks? Buy in season produce. Buy from the side of the road by the local farm as this is cheapest, IMO! Try a farmer's market. Know your prices - keep a notebook if needed. For instance, in my area, Walmart has watermelons for $4.99 Giant Eagle for $5.99. Fenik's has them for $3.99 (when I was there last - this is a farm and prices may fluctuate), the stand in front of Wukie's furniture has them for $2.99. Can you guess where I've been getting watermelons? If you know your prices, you'll know whether a sale is good or not.<br />
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Another trick is to buy gift cards from Giant Eagle to places you are going to need something from (Home Depot, Walmart, etc) to earn fuelperks. They were running $.20 off per gallon for every $50 in gift cards, but I don't know if that is still going on. It's a great way to save on gas, but I need to get better at it! I do know what a good deal is, so I attempt to get those items there, which helps with fuelperks. I also am picky on meats and will only buy from Giant Eagle, Convenient or Fligner's. Fligner's is my favorite, but is the furthest, so we go there and stock up. They are pink slime free and I think all meats come from Ohio.<br />
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If you get WIC, if you shop at Giant Eagle, you'll get those fuelperks as well. When we were on WIC, even with my limited diet, the older two still needed milk and cereal and Rice Chex are covered! And as a breastfeeding mom you get a voucher for fresh fruits and veggies!<br />
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Check out grocery stores that you normally snub your nose at. Aldi's has a rep for a lot of heavily processed convenience food, but their fresh produce is good and cheap! Also, they often get organic foods in and organic foods tend to be more allergy friendly (not for every allergy, but I have found some that work with our list!).<br />
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Prepare to cook from scratch. Convenience foods just cost more.Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-21870151430122213742012-08-23T06:15:00.001-07:002012-08-23T06:15:42.361-07:00Wheat is a definite issue for me, now what?The next question you'll be asking is, is it wheat or gluten?<br />
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If its gluten, you'll need to watch things like oatmeal, which you can buy gf. You'll also need to avoid things like white vinegar.<br />
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And, if it's gluten and you're ready to add dairy back, you need to find gf dairy products, which I learned from a friend who has a daughter with celiac. The next time we retry dairy, it'll be with gf dairy, which, like everything else gf, will probably be more expensive. I'll address the expense soon as well. We're not destitute, but free my husband drives 80 miles a day in his f-150, the amount of cash left to play with after bills is not as much as I'd like!Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-12781427741621544172012-08-23T05:37:00.001-07:002012-08-23T05:37:45.645-07:00What about oil?Safflower and sunflower oils are the most allergen friendly, start with those.<br />
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When you start adding in oils, be careful as many contain ingredient without telling you. Olive oil can have corn. So, how to test olive oil? Put it in the refrigerator, if it hardens, it's the good stuff, if not, you have a cheap knock off. Now, you may not have a reaction, but if you do, you wouldn't want to eliminate all olive oils if it's only because you ate the Walmart brand olive oil.Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-83535941061791637162012-08-23T05:30:00.001-07:002012-08-23T05:30:16.953-07:00So what can I eat for breakfast with no dairy, eggs or grains?First, focus on what you can have and not what you can't have. It'll make things easier!<br />
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Things I made then, and still often make:<br />
Hash browns (grate potatoes and season, I like Cajun and salt for seasoning).<br />
Leftovers! Remember, it doesn't have to be true breakfast foods.<br />
Fruit.<br />
Rice chex with rice milk.<br />
Dice or sliced potatoes.<br />
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Truly, if you can get out of the mindset of breakfast foods, you'll soon get in a rhythm and be fine. :)Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-78183591477647560992012-08-22T19:52:00.000-07:002012-08-22T19:52:10.070-07:00Total Elimination DietI've mentioned before that my youngest daughter has several food allergies. Many might be wondering how I figured it out when she was so young without allergy testing. Most docs, her ped included, feel that testing under two isn't really necessary. But, around four weeks old, I eliminated dairy and soy from my diet. A few weeks later, I added peanuts. Then wheat. Finally, I searched the internet and pulled bits and pieces from a wide variety of sources to figure out how to do this thing called a TED (Total Elimination Diet).<br />
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I was just months away from sitting my IBCLC boards, so it was important to me that I do this and not resort to formula, even when the ped GI NP suggested that I do a formula trial. Instead, I did it my way. <br />
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The foods that I ate were the following:<br />
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Chicken, turkey, salmon<br />
Potatoes and rice<br />
Vegetables and fruits (minus citrus, berries, peas, tomatoes and corn).<br />
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People often ask me, "how long do you have to do that?". Whether you're a breastfeeding mom trying to sort out her babies food allergies or you're a person suffering that's trying to get to the root cause of some digestive issues, the answer is until you are at a clean baseline. For us, that was about three and a half weeks. Her skin rash finally went away and the blood in her stool cleared. She still had some cradle cap, but it had improved and I needed to eat something different.<br />
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There wasn't really a set order of foods that I went with, but whatever you eat, make sure that you allow your body enough time to react. If you're adding back dairy, understand that the protein builds up in your system, so you might not have a reaction right away (especially if you're a breastfeeding mom looking for reactions in your baby) and you might need to give it more than a few days. Most foods, having a few days in your system and you'll figure out if it's an issue for you or not.<br />
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At this point Charlotte and I are dairy, soy, corn, wheat and all artificial stuff (dyes, flavors, sugars) free. I've lost about 95 pounds this way and eat when I'm hungry, not worrying about what it is. I feel great compared to what I felt like before. I really think that I likely had some colitis issues, which would explain why I'm no longer anemic/border line anemic like I have been for my entire adult life. My father also has colitis (among multiple other digestive issues) and it makes sense from the familial side of it as well.<br />
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In future posts about this subject, I will post some recipes of things that we eat. As an IBCLC now, I tend to get all the allergy questions. I answer multiple facebook questions per month about this issue and my sister is trying to figure out some of her digestive issues and is doing her own TED, so I thought this would be a good post to write. I know when I was searching, I had to pull from multiple areas because I couldn't find one that had all the information that I was looking for. My hope is that other breastfeeding moms, or even those suffering digestive issues that are trying to repair their guts will find this post and future posts to be helpful. Maybe I'll even post some pictures of our foods. :)Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-16310568729514105982012-08-08T18:41:00.001-07:002012-08-08T18:41:16.199-07:00Weight lossI was looking at a post from May 2011 about losing 52 pounds and in awe of the pants I was wearing then. I still wear them as fat pants occasionally, but really, they're way too big. I'm down I think about 90 pounds, but I threw out the old scale in the move, so I don't know exactly. I do know that last I checked the scale hadn't moved much, but the inches since we moved and I started walking (and running) have also come off.<br />
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On Sunday, I even ran (a very slow) 5k, I'm so proud that I did it, running the whole way!<br />
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And here is a pic of that day.<br />
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And one of me in a size 12 dress. Don't get too excited about that size folks, it's cut perfect for my hips! I'll be wearing that to my 15 year high school reunion this weekend. <br />
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I've come a long was since I made that post in May 2011, but even further since 90 pounds ago!<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5REks761jMtOlGGnKk1upSD1hlhCTadp3-RSfVDmABYgfhHFn093gouysoas6aX5jvvOOMHo0WFkGGlDRDo-gERRQ3X3hXQDnYzMqWMaHhtOp1dEetIyjul8I1bE5uBRmpZo_tURGLQ/s640/blogger-image-208780561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5REks761jMtOlGGnKk1upSD1hlhCTadp3-RSfVDmABYgfhHFn093gouysoas6aX5jvvOOMHo0WFkGGlDRDo-gERRQ3X3hXQDnYzMqWMaHhtOp1dEetIyjul8I1bE5uBRmpZo_tURGLQ/s640/blogger-image-208780561.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2JN28EickFmbVHcYW2ts8juIDTjeLhyphenhyphenBmT8ZlOTnrgMpxeBneByNddxw5KyB2XzeCeMKx2jPbmmoOJcphjYZVsoYo4uMQasiLif7D7US7-QcFpuOkA6L6DTB04077iEWH0C2QgxzpfY/s640/blogger-image--1178876115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2JN28EickFmbVHcYW2ts8juIDTjeLhyphenhyphenBmT8ZlOTnrgMpxeBneByNddxw5KyB2XzeCeMKx2jPbmmoOJcphjYZVsoYo4uMQasiLif7D7US7-QcFpuOkA6L6DTB04077iEWH0C2QgxzpfY/s640/blogger-image--1178876115.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvaWYKfsOksR1lIEnV3xDhSx4snJ6vY07ToP3ai2F0ulGEHoz7MGguU3vnvy3VLS2qwNFa4IGz6luCS0RFAoG9OPIAO6F0OhBtAbHFoUeEaa2yCxZ7A8-ECOHixcyrWdVWz_OzjBuBDc/s640/blogger-image-1518452593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvaWYKfsOksR1lIEnV3xDhSx4snJ6vY07ToP3ai2F0ulGEHoz7MGguU3vnvy3VLS2qwNFa4IGz6luCS0RFAoG9OPIAO6F0OhBtAbHFoUeEaa2yCxZ7A8-ECOHixcyrWdVWz_OzjBuBDc/s640/blogger-image-1518452593.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFet2GEp77NJ_tnZJsyMgN8hueUKOhL1TTZZ8kKYB2HlO47oLK3hblMSWejUMsIzLuUA9SlZOGcx15L_oaEsHyIwSg5MXaXxlSbjtCn-0U_ZnyGQf8Gbf_SOGeM3AYqU6YmNjld4SedQ/s640/blogger-image--1854602535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFet2GEp77NJ_tnZJsyMgN8hueUKOhL1TTZZ8kKYB2HlO47oLK3hblMSWejUMsIzLuUA9SlZOGcx15L_oaEsHyIwSg5MXaXxlSbjtCn-0U_ZnyGQf8Gbf_SOGeM3AYqU6YmNjld4SedQ/s640/blogger-image--1854602535.jpg" /></a></div>Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-4516717225901154452012-08-08T18:29:00.001-07:002012-08-08T18:29:51.209-07:00I made a quilt!A lap quilt for Nora, for her birthday on Friday.<br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDc2ZQOMpjpo_vqenQ-Yc2AW7CLintvapct5ymRD1_Z-imhIBwG5wULaLjUWZMcWpoyZzTYD_zd31tqUpwiCfPSO01CtMJq4ntc06rPSOyn6SqQaY8nyF_AzzR6cgt7vQlV3vcvsCUh4w/s640/blogger-image--12928258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDc2ZQOMpjpo_vqenQ-Yc2AW7CLintvapct5ymRD1_Z-imhIBwG5wULaLjUWZMcWpoyZzTYD_zd31tqUpwiCfPSO01CtMJq4ntc06rPSOyn6SqQaY8nyF_AzzR6cgt7vQlV3vcvsCUh4w/s640/blogger-image--12928258.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAftXbU0ueiwaXxwd9pwmdF2P97Ph20Dd_5sHoOd0J4xWmdeExOU6QO5wFlVHcomFM4DfIwW-xm-bWxRxgEuSBOzMumT_I1W3cXtjgvzsUBkssxqKOQ2007m-olZT5ij6a_gi0EmtAIOs/s640/blogger-image-1744874338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAftXbU0ueiwaXxwd9pwmdF2P97Ph20Dd_5sHoOd0J4xWmdeExOU6QO5wFlVHcomFM4DfIwW-xm-bWxRxgEuSBOzMumT_I1W3cXtjgvzsUBkssxqKOQ2007m-olZT5ij6a_gi0EmtAIOs/s640/blogger-image-1744874338.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVbDRNoIeyVpHTUiRM4D0i1G0m76o-KpmOROskRDyXjknYoPDROtpZFR5kuYbfxEpN04kP2kq2B6GIraYMu6cYL5tBWCVQcxrnz8qTx4GoDOmW1YNzYcpAvxvEt9lxxEpmifMjc6naHs/s640/blogger-image--1811071679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVbDRNoIeyVpHTUiRM4D0i1G0m76o-KpmOROskRDyXjknYoPDROtpZFR5kuYbfxEpN04kP2kq2B6GIraYMu6cYL5tBWCVQcxrnz8qTx4GoDOmW1YNzYcpAvxvEt9lxxEpmifMjc6naHs/s640/blogger-image--1811071679.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JAxyFaNrTM2VclCSGkxTchtSKP7uXhv9mdcfeR8eqTtM2U964TQ91EEwMUQ2P3-E4v8MFpQZ9vEqfnnOf-d8KiEE3NaxnS-flXEb8feMlaR740ZwV6gbqjIG0PVUCdNIRUCtxq_wMLI/s640/blogger-image-1253886075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JAxyFaNrTM2VclCSGkxTchtSKP7uXhv9mdcfeR8eqTtM2U964TQ91EEwMUQ2P3-E4v8MFpQZ9vEqfnnOf-d8KiEE3NaxnS-flXEb8feMlaR740ZwV6gbqjIG0PVUCdNIRUCtxq_wMLI/s640/blogger-image-1253886075.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GvF9Qiz1ndEJNkivFs0xnrcJt_EM20lL6t84kM60c1J5HDByo5bw_sY_hK9RqfwpnYtPMPOTn43HdWKyTKKs2SD3Hex7dMu61bi6B4SbngxtcrdOjGZ-6hGgTYSoibu9wi3Z7FA63Xs/s640/blogger-image--1423250406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GvF9Qiz1ndEJNkivFs0xnrcJt_EM20lL6t84kM60c1J5HDByo5bw_sY_hK9RqfwpnYtPMPOTn43HdWKyTKKs2SD3Hex7dMu61bi6B4SbngxtcrdOjGZ-6hGgTYSoibu9wi3Z7FA63Xs/s640/blogger-image--1423250406.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_Cyj5bQ09f22ENTiBZTd2C_1_lPdRkxnRBbca9ZiR9-b3RSyS5PpG4j7PsMLHw5d_1eu6fZKAbJeDkcD6CtC7taivQ5iyoozdRcF1NLrXSwfJhyphenhyphenHg4vYVRnl8shy7GAxVc9XmWROM_M/s640/blogger-image--564255500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_Cyj5bQ09f22ENTiBZTd2C_1_lPdRkxnRBbca9ZiR9-b3RSyS5PpG4j7PsMLHw5d_1eu6fZKAbJeDkcD6CtC7taivQ5iyoozdRcF1NLrXSwfJhyphenhyphenHg4vYVRnl8shy7GAxVc9XmWROM_M/s640/blogger-image--564255500.jpg" /></a></div>Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-46236484968282417232012-07-30T11:36:00.001-07:002012-07-30T11:39:18.607-07:00A little projectI took this from the playroom portion of the attic and put it in the unfinished area that is to be my office/craft room. It will be baby steps finishing it. I ditched those cabinets and just kept the drawers and top. Makes the playroom more open too!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfYMggiLRw5npxh8u_bgs4HcBMcSgvseAsvjHirRM0s8LhWtYacMLZFCgpVyxikSEuMn42oGuzfjCK1irwsHtpz-kUjN3pTa_ETkZYMa1Ofg3kBCnHVimf1XJtc9SRN71DOJgJQAfqmU/s640/blogger-image--2027763138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfYMggiLRw5npxh8u_bgs4HcBMcSgvseAsvjHirRM0s8LhWtYacMLZFCgpVyxikSEuMn42oGuzfjCK1irwsHtpz-kUjN3pTa_ETkZYMa1Ofg3kBCnHVimf1XJtc9SRN71DOJgJQAfqmU/s320/blogger-image--2027763138.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSqoxDq4T9PSa2OmIS2q0UZPBdUGcfWDUID7yWp0i-zzLfoCGJ-RQbmqJZKvX-ah0PjMv4LFB9x-IdMw0JNV2JLoMj_iWht8y2L_6wwEHQd7XoSoRM1hCZDkGoBrnhdHJk5t2yMsi494/s640/blogger-image--1410512149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSqoxDq4T9PSa2OmIS2q0UZPBdUGcfWDUID7yWp0i-zzLfoCGJ-RQbmqJZKvX-ah0PjMv4LFB9x-IdMw0JNV2JLoMj_iWht8y2L_6wwEHQd7XoSoRM1hCZDkGoBrnhdHJk5t2yMsi494/s320/blogger-image--1410512149.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">after</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-15726939631357594622012-07-26T07:56:00.002-07:002012-07-26T07:56:21.763-07:00A little break from school.I have a small break, just finished my Gero class on Tuesday and we don't go back until Aug 27th (which is the same day the kids start back). I'm excited to have a few weeks where I can work on some things. Of course, I have to send the kids to the sitter to get much of anything done because they're evil. No, they're not evil, they are just kids, who run behind you and dirty as quickly as you try to clean and organize.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCO2Tt24u5ynkKzb_JhoPtCcKYB1qEruaq5o5WIhz1IAwUCSxwfkeXrs-Lg86isNrxG8J9oAsH9-wBMM2uECS-wLCIiDp-N8j8VpOXern57axd-48MN7lCSuaKtC-__K556yz8oEqxdr4/s1600/DSCN3003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCO2Tt24u5ynkKzb_JhoPtCcKYB1qEruaq5o5WIhz1IAwUCSxwfkeXrs-Lg86isNrxG8J9oAsH9-wBMM2uECS-wLCIiDp-N8j8VpOXern57axd-48MN7lCSuaKtC-__K556yz8oEqxdr4/s320/DSCN3003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen paint color on the one part I've finished.</td></tr>
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I've gotten rid of a ton of kid's clothes and I keep finding more to get rid of. It feels good to purge some stuff. :) <br />
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Yesterday I cleaned my room that the kids had managed to destroy. Then I cleaned their rooms, vacuuming and all. And then I locked Josh's door so he can't get in it. And wished I could do the same thing with Nora and Charlotte's room. I also took all the toys on that floor to the attic. My goal for the weekend is to get the attic bars up and to get a half door made to separate the two areas. The one area will eventually be storage/my craft space/office. The other half will be all play room. I'm thinking the toys from the living room are about to become very scarce as well, which makes me happy. It's not that I dislike them, I dislike them all over the floor, discarded and forgotten. <br />
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I made a new rule today that I read on the internet, it is "if you're in the same room as I am when I'm working, you need to work as well". The crayon (yes, Josh) on the door to the basement was cleaned off, as well as smudge prints and Josh also started cleaning off the back door. I'm thinking this is the best rule ever. :)<br />
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I will leave you with a picture. Just because I know you'll want at least one.<br />
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I am going to be sewing some things soon, a bridal shower gift, some kitchen curtains for my house and I'm going to be working on my quilt again. But, I also need to finish up the kitchen painting. I feel like we're finally starting to get somewhere though. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5XeCT0tr9XnXoGtipK6ISNyHtG5dY_VpbH0Jonrh97P_WYJlrwDu7KCSWOV1tysYkQ_x_9ltZI6kIlCyOH4agPHNzcuWpu0pwwss4nc94ULCBtJEStwJ9UCTHx0f-CnG6dQ68G12ZrMo/s1600/IMG_0178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5XeCT0tr9XnXoGtipK6ISNyHtG5dY_VpbH0Jonrh97P_WYJlrwDu7KCSWOV1tysYkQ_x_9ltZI6kIlCyOH4agPHNzcuWpu0pwwss4nc94ULCBtJEStwJ9UCTHx0f-CnG6dQ68G12ZrMo/s320/IMG_0178.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sean, Nora and Josh swimming at a party last weekend.</td></tr>
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<br />Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-32222241907791178332012-07-22T14:55:00.002-07:002012-07-22T14:55:29.782-07:00A few projects that have happened at the new houseWe started off with refinishing floors in the dining room and living room for our first project. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwR6Hw7NQAtiBzJHzBGMWm1A09NHv1YAW8xof5IBrajreiVFrdIC1vszbXbc-aE9iMgmNrIL8CplwE2kjTtcKMDctGPrIH1rsWMVKdPkmIDLUOgLzDhS1-mRWCdJAwli6eYWC1bn3caE/s1600/DSCN2930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwR6Hw7NQAtiBzJHzBGMWm1A09NHv1YAW8xof5IBrajreiVFrdIC1vszbXbc-aE9iMgmNrIL8CplwE2kjTtcKMDctGPrIH1rsWMVKdPkmIDLUOgLzDhS1-mRWCdJAwli6eYWC1bn3caE/s320/DSCN2930.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before - you can see what the area rug had been hiding</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOX4_b3K0VsOAV7xMZSoCNwMY0jP7w6tRHpyiUGJaSIhM0X7zv211tCu7I0d5_zzSDQVWOb5X_fkVdDi-Wa67dNWZQWeopuoAFyFzmb37Vq0JMJtK4KpvV-2hLwa5JgMeLdh9VBoytcCE/s1600/052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOX4_b3K0VsOAV7xMZSoCNwMY0jP7w6tRHpyiUGJaSIhM0X7zv211tCu7I0d5_zzSDQVWOb5X_fkVdDi-Wa67dNWZQWeopuoAFyFzmb37Vq0JMJtK4KpvV-2hLwa5JgMeLdh9VBoytcCE/s320/052.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">During - Sean hard at work</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJZ8tRB5z6ty80nqrqFd0luFcIW0oxtbZt5PWi3mt9vfLIxbaoxYOcBB9446_g9zFYPWK_uM_2a_5zP3jDnoWoFQKE-6uJEkjV2qCvD_BIQxnN15SRkY7boJZQr4Y9KfVoIPtC5_JkvM/s1600/044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJZ8tRB5z6ty80nqrqFd0luFcIW0oxtbZt5PWi3mt9vfLIxbaoxYOcBB9446_g9zFYPWK_uM_2a_5zP3jDnoWoFQKE-6uJEkjV2qCvD_BIQxnN15SRkY7boJZQr4Y9KfVoIPtC5_JkvM/s320/044.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">during</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvHWTe1LAeMMRssCO0xNGmsogZo6jAObVmD6PrdvVNJaBcl87s1zOLUvtAIhMdOe6swgqqnXkSwprgOYhUpsGncpNJMeWTPBLmPBBjKpnfJnS_Nq2ySOPGjLYb3yjW7ESIj9ui31okU8/s320/DSCN3006.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After living room with a preview of the new paint color (the grayish color). Yes, you can see the different kinds of flooring used (yeah, we know, kind of odd, it threw us for a loop too), but we just haven't bought an area rug to go over that area yet, but once we do, you won't even know it. :) The dining room you'll see because (in my opinion) area rugs and small children who throw food on the floor at every meal) do not mix unless you have a dog waiting for the scraps. ;) When the kids pass that stage in their lives, we'll happily buy another area rug for under the dining room table. :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-49448381783031508692012-07-22T14:42:00.002-07:002012-07-22T14:42:27.881-07:00Yes, it's been a long time...again.My only excuse is being incredibly busy. If you want to skip all the writing, jump down for photos. :)<br />
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I'm almost done with my summer semester. This class wasn't too bad, just lots of paperwork. It was really a waste of a class. They should have let me take OB for the full ten weeks. :) I enjoyed OB, but that was a crazy five weeks of busy, busy, busy! It was around 10 chapters a week of practice tests, paperwork and a test each week (two the last week, with the final!). I missed an A by a few points and was disappointed, but I also didn't read any of the chapters fully. I skimmed, I dug around when taking practice tests, etc, but I didn't truly read, because I didn't have time.<br />
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Because you know, I have three kids. :) Nora finished Kindergarten and is super excited to start First Grade in the fall. We took out her uniforms and tried everything on. We officially have one pair of plaid pants that fit, two plaid jumpers and one pair of navy shorts. We have a ton of white shirts that fit and that will be soaked in oxyclean starting this week for the knit ones (the cotton ones are mainly perfect, probably because I didn't want to iron all the time so I used the knit ones more often, especially for the ones not under the jumpers, lol). Her one blue sweater vest still fits as does her one blue sweater. Children's Place has a super cute sweater that I would have totally paid the $20 for but it's short sleeves! What the heck is up with that? We need it for fall, winter and spring and we need it with full sleeves! We'll need more tights as she outgrew almost all of hers. I'll look around for those on sale, last year I found them at Walmart for like $1 per pair. I also need at least one pair of blue pants and another jumper or two. I will look at the school's resale shop for the jumpers as they're $5 there, instead of $40 from schoolbelles. I picked her up some super cute headbands that I think she'll actually leave in her hair at Children's Place for her birthday next month. Yes, I know, I'm a totally cool mom buying school hair accessories for a birthday. /sarcasm. I'm also a student, which translates to poor. ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXIgJmpFT9jjik9KrMLkKFYogcDXQBjBvfRG1oCKmtm6LBGrsdrOA6vBdkE3Z9dinYebc47iccF8v0dFQ0HqmLsQX7sBGlTVvr2OZYx4pvZ7D-0tF42KBVc-EXEgecd0CjYDzh-j2r-s/s1600/DSCN3075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXIgJmpFT9jjik9KrMLkKFYogcDXQBjBvfRG1oCKmtm6LBGrsdrOA6vBdkE3Z9dinYebc47iccF8v0dFQ0HqmLsQX7sBGlTVvr2OZYx4pvZ7D-0tF42KBVc-EXEgecd0CjYDzh-j2r-s/s320/DSCN3075.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nora's Kindergarten Graduation - 2012</td></tr>
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Josh is quickly nearing four and I've officially taken all 3's out of his closet and drawers. My little man finally went through a growth spurt and is hopefully taller this year, since he wasn't even 50% last year for height. He frustrates me and causes me to melt all within a few minutes, daily. I hope four is better for us, I remember it being a better age for Nora, so I'm hoping it will be for Josh too. Three has certainly been frustrating for me. We're heading back to the Neurologist, she mentioned that he was sensory seeking when he walked on his tip toes last year and now we see even more signs of that. On the plus side, his vocabulary has totally taken off. :) It's still sometimes difficult to understand him, but he's making great strides all the time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josh - Lakeview Park July 4th 2012</td></tr>
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Charlotte is almost 18 months and still my little allergy baby. We recently did a dairy trial and it failed miserably. I will miss you cheese, oh how I will miss you. She babbles often and is starting to say more and more words. She's very laid back and is always taking things in. I know the next six months are going to be awesome, it's one of my favorite ages as they start piecing their world together!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORkgagnZUPLIgSGAXbXYmirDMmgHBpeif7a73bOzicdZxJWFreF3kOeybtaDZrL757HiRnlewtzlwahs7OAcm854uD2ZbHNZkxEj5lz1KCC2HBiAbRYqUJv4rIONBMfZNyIix1ESMDEY/s1600/IMG_0095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORkgagnZUPLIgSGAXbXYmirDMmgHBpeif7a73bOzicdZxJWFreF3kOeybtaDZrL757HiRnlewtzlwahs7OAcm854uD2ZbHNZkxEj5lz1KCC2HBiAbRYqUJv4rIONBMfZNyIix1ESMDEY/s320/IMG_0095.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlotte - Lakeview Park July 4th 2012</td></tr>
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Sean's job is going well, next month it will be one year. It's been such a blessing for him to work for a stable company, you know, that gives health benefits and such!<br />
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As for me, I'm busy with school and kids. Additionally, I'm also training for my first 5k. I never thought that I would enjoy running (okay, slow jog), but I do. The first mile I have to convince myself to keep going and then it's like I hit a sweet spot. I put Josh to sleep, get Nora settled and then leave the baby with Sean and run. <br />
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And where do I run? In my great new neighborhood. You see, we moved in May. Which is another reason I've been busy. I'm busy trying to finish unpacking and creating ways to keep my son from escaping the house. He is a houdini! And painting. We still have to paint the basement and finish the kitchen and LR/DR combo (DR only needs rolled for a last coat but I had run out of rollers and LR just needs some cut and I'm too short to do it, lol). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBf2sbos1tkUQbhyphenhyphenr2z0z1W3sgI-9oQWq3kAvXig61d1O7XIHhykx2oL9hcWZB2YA9-C3z2XAQvPBCy6dGzPrzsG8YFw9rFn80SzLNnswUaT5KKZVkSgJSeuzozjrw-LkGFp7ossIlDk/s1600/DSCN2764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBf2sbos1tkUQbhyphenhyphenr2z0z1W3sgI-9oQWq3kAvXig61d1O7XIHhykx2oL9hcWZB2YA9-C3z2XAQvPBCy6dGzPrzsG8YFw9rFn80SzLNnswUaT5KKZVkSgJSeuzozjrw-LkGFp7ossIlDk/s200/DSCN2764.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side view of new house</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front view of new house</td></tr>
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Becky and Alan, as well as my mom were all here over the 4th of July. It was great. ;) She has a lot of pictures of the visit on her blog too (which is on my sidebar).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sean, Nora and Charlotte at the Grafton 4th of July Parade</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the kids loving on Aunt Becky</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGaqDLif04cNrTwsxtKc7QihTvTotPi6H1KIYRRSCtct1GVCJPWNYJVoCYSSDPvymdkOAyR_QhPLUK7EJ5CyJ0ozQtU1P8FCRYc_V_fHbpIh3l3T2ezydtNId6lRXKlVULUokta25EG0/s1600/IMG_0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGaqDLif04cNrTwsxtKc7QihTvTotPi6H1KIYRRSCtct1GVCJPWNYJVoCYSSDPvymdkOAyR_QhPLUK7EJ5CyJ0ozQtU1P8FCRYc_V_fHbpIh3l3T2ezydtNId6lRXKlVULUokta25EG0/s320/IMG_0023.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nora and I at the end of the night before we left Cedar Point</td></tr>
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I have a tracker on here and am surprised to find that I get daily visitors, despite only posting once this year (this will make twice) and a handful of times this year. Weirdness.Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-50899889602204406842012-03-22T17:11:00.001-07:002012-03-22T17:11:39.797-07:00There&apos;s an app for thatBlogger has an app. That should make it easier to post.<br />
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School has me busy. The kids are great. Nora is wrapping up kindergarten and looking forward to 1st grade. Josh is in his first year of preschool, and has gone from 13 words to about 45. He has been blurting new ones out often these days. Charlotte turned a year. I'm going to throw her a late party, soon. She is babbling and being her usual charming self.<br />
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Weather has been fantastic! Windows open all day and night. :)<br />
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With photos I leave to prep for clinical tomorrow, and hopefully to study if I finish early enough.<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3tBwHhsd8VhtIkECYhBK7fncrggGZQeBagpayG4SPRgoCGPP7Fh06zQaVc0wJl0_EJcnyIQorGm0Gc8u9UN9okOpEh2-F-xjIWcJZOI6kc0dtAO484uSlcT3Ue2dn_DISaKZv5pysMg/s640/blogger-image--449268028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3tBwHhsd8VhtIkECYhBK7fncrggGZQeBagpayG4SPRgoCGPP7Fh06zQaVc0wJl0_EJcnyIQorGm0Gc8u9UN9okOpEh2-F-xjIWcJZOI6kc0dtAO484uSlcT3Ue2dn_DISaKZv5pysMg/s640/blogger-image--449268028.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtcF9trAaON6UPbDC97_5J8ssn2taOz_YkfPT18T8Q-joMkWS9Oco1HSY1jw_nHJ73f81Q15_rJYBO34IWuO9Rc19eFzDPTEsrc6LZK_SgqTOBk9nnK86Ogbt-vDEPQD1jYo_sBgW5f0/s640/blogger-image-925313630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtcF9trAaON6UPbDC97_5J8ssn2taOz_YkfPT18T8Q-joMkWS9Oco1HSY1jw_nHJ73f81Q15_rJYBO34IWuO9Rc19eFzDPTEsrc6LZK_SgqTOBk9nnK86Ogbt-vDEPQD1jYo_sBgW5f0/s640/blogger-image-925313630.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2m6jBMtigHYNxUlFNfhr4YvC-sszO3CDjLie1B4ziU-DWbXexLxRieIcWSbbNRGskGeG3-ZkOEZDrFZL3YKoLziatbhMOdQSu0mrj2GDE8xlAK1doZwwizOCdpzFkJQeG7b8WTfHAOQ/s640/blogger-image--849357846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2m6jBMtigHYNxUlFNfhr4YvC-sszO3CDjLie1B4ziU-DWbXexLxRieIcWSbbNRGskGeG3-ZkOEZDrFZL3YKoLziatbhMOdQSu0mrj2GDE8xlAK1doZwwizOCdpzFkJQeG7b8WTfHAOQ/s640/blogger-image--849357846.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxV8T0B1cuHKeDz1oKNnuAKFovzhdktN06lvxQ84upIrmKKAoEipO6oVJxjf3F32lgV9BXeyGRi8MUOarfONx3aNpbKf6r3KH7xYIizizxlK6VZHO-in3ybxrW-7l0mzjZdPp76D5kUg/s640/blogger-image-1062770447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxV8T0B1cuHKeDz1oKNnuAKFovzhdktN06lvxQ84upIrmKKAoEipO6oVJxjf3F32lgV9BXeyGRi8MUOarfONx3aNpbKf6r3KH7xYIizizxlK6VZHO-in3ybxrW-7l0mzjZdPp76D5kUg/s640/blogger-image-1062770447.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpU2Huk3_16a9tNckQ4YXs_dcliBjKM8DV-02g3GN5p8vGUEKSyc71rsvMY_UVt88Yzhbdtyp47OX6bBBbEF9ckHNYzuyKVrHHMpZ0eOaOeYsDKd0vzrUkdf-xtxw05JWmrCD7x56JP8/s640/blogger-image-1118074119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpU2Huk3_16a9tNckQ4YXs_dcliBjKM8DV-02g3GN5p8vGUEKSyc71rsvMY_UVt88Yzhbdtyp47OX6bBBbEF9ckHNYzuyKVrHHMpZ0eOaOeYsDKd0vzrUkdf-xtxw05JWmrCD7x56JP8/s640/blogger-image-1118074119.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mv83QyI5XWIZhm-pkDq1o8bJitPz15I6JB7pitq9B45v9gHQ0FFdCFcRTiiPSDEndT5WBUrB-sAFeOvnrtgd9R-qffGA5OWRUgZcyjI1I0_6XbnlWqrHneF86kuK90j6KkTXIs3XvcM/s640/blogger-image-1691116403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mv83QyI5XWIZhm-pkDq1o8bJitPz15I6JB7pitq9B45v9gHQ0FFdCFcRTiiPSDEndT5WBUrB-sAFeOvnrtgd9R-qffGA5OWRUgZcyjI1I0_6XbnlWqrHneF86kuK90j6KkTXIs3XvcM/s640/blogger-image-1691116403.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_1NkHRaA9UaF-KrEEv5EwMvEdyrDlFFUjk6uTKXCqALrLlwH-Tae40taYlKNHaZcMtRIcNfXwPpsmPX9hgB2lwc_F1ohYE5Zncgcop5IsUr5DljgLV2jGgw39IrH5Tt6xgY88pZPYmg/s640/blogger-image-140075878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_1NkHRaA9UaF-KrEEv5EwMvEdyrDlFFUjk6uTKXCqALrLlwH-Tae40taYlKNHaZcMtRIcNfXwPpsmPX9hgB2lwc_F1ohYE5Zncgcop5IsUr5DljgLV2jGgw39IrH5Tt6xgY88pZPYmg/s640/blogger-image-140075878.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvszTv00v_Rpr9uIINQvf55MFlRbQBVEiDE7n_rYkveXlUszrWPy5PMFgKlMXLwBiLeK9G7QPWU7pbbTfPa-eiTAcwm0nJJPhyphenhyphenXtN0_PlKBoUwkRr_ZxstZEOv_kvlrGXJYFv4zQ_b38/s640/blogger-image--1522932792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvszTv00v_Rpr9uIINQvf55MFlRbQBVEiDE7n_rYkveXlUszrWPy5PMFgKlMXLwBiLeK9G7QPWU7pbbTfPa-eiTAcwm0nJJPhyphenhyphenXtN0_PlKBoUwkRr_ZxstZEOv_kvlrGXJYFv4zQ_b38/s640/blogger-image--1522932792.jpg" /></a></div>Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-76810695780190367102011-11-02T10:56:00.000-07:002011-11-02T11:15:12.619-07:00Long time since I postedI'm just so busy! Nursing school is super time consuming. The other night I was sitting on the couch and my husband looked at me and asked "where is your book?". I did get it out a few minutes later. :) He's very used to watching tv and asking me a question about it and me being like, "huh?" because I'm really not watching. But, we're spending time together, right? ;) I'm passing both classes and am looking forward to Thanksgiving break. A whole four days with no classes, woohoo! Actually, five for me, since I don't have classes on Wednesdays anyways. :)<br /><br />The kids are all doing great!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6051/6306749976_34327ceb35.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6051/6306749976_34327ceb35.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Nora is in Kindergarten and learning so much. She suddenly seems very old to me.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6216/6306228217_89ec391927.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6216/6306228217_89ec391927.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6060/6306752988_a68728941d.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6060/6306752988_a68728941d.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Josh also seems much older to me, I still think of him as like an 18 month old. The other day he was walking away from me and I realized that he's BIG.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6113/6288858190_00ba306b6c.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6113/6288858190_00ba306b6c.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6047/6288853096_7c0e04a9bf.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6047/6288853096_7c0e04a9bf.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Charlotte is almost nine months old and a sweetie! <br /><br />I'm still avoiding dairy, soy, corn, wheat, peanuts and all artificial stuffs (sugars/colors/flavors). She does well on this diet, and I do too! I'm down almost 90 pounds and am about to say adios to Lane Bryant! :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6092/6306717426_c0135b198b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6092/6306717426_c0135b198b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6108/6306713070_894e13d9b4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6108/6306713070_894e13d9b4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4630096930_d3ebe0a4f5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4630096930_d3ebe0a4f5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Sean's still loving his new job. :) He seems to be doing well at it, which is a big plus. His company is having a party in December. They provide hotel rooms too, sounds swanky, though we'll be skipping the hotel room on account of the nursling. ;)<br /><br />I took my IBCLC exam over the summer and results just came out last week. I'm proud to now call myself and IBCLC.<br /><br />Random pics of the kids and some of me currently and before.Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-24805914695554719792011-05-25T18:12:00.001-07:002011-05-25T18:18:33.527-07:00More weight loss picsSo, I'm down a bit more, official weigh in will be Friday, but tentatively, it looks like 60 pounds down. The pink shirt that I'm wearing today is loose and baggy, it used to be tight and very unflattering. The arms used to cut into my arms and leave marks, due to the elastic in them. I'm not sure that it looks like that much of a difference in the photos, but I notice that my pants are getting looser. Obviously, I'm wearing jeans in the first photo and pants in the second, I probably should have worn the same thing. ;)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWL0ZCF9WAyTwVSYSfs1bzGxZ3YovJ08NtYN0zSOVu_7Xg7A9ikjwHJozFITM79kooKfKhkg8DAl4v-COLYOukriu1s4gDmS0x23fWeYXWigL8bqqJy8NOzh4zNfoiv8bvo4VwTlMzv8o/s1600/may+11+during+photo.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWL0ZCF9WAyTwVSYSfs1bzGxZ3YovJ08NtYN0zSOVu_7Xg7A9ikjwHJozFITM79kooKfKhkg8DAl4v-COLYOukriu1s4gDmS0x23fWeYXWigL8bqqJy8NOzh4zNfoiv8bvo4VwTlMzv8o/s320/may+11+during+photo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610826719765598946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuqxU1nt2UwPQe8rAL2neEC9GEsEXGNt_xXWNIW8LuLttLQUabfqQaPvl05YtLZJc88Giu3Xz56Kdb-di8kQNAXpXLQTM-jsQNidb2fc8UoYDqSLw0Qxh1k2yYbZoTjpFfNwbyYzhDgM/s1600/side+by+side+52511.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuqxU1nt2UwPQe8rAL2neEC9GEsEXGNt_xXWNIW8LuLttLQUabfqQaPvl05YtLZJc88Giu3Xz56Kdb-di8kQNAXpXLQTM-jsQNidb2fc8UoYDqSLw0Qxh1k2yYbZoTjpFfNwbyYzhDgM/s320/side+by+side+52511.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610826568285341634" border="0" /></a>Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-76219377453479596922011-05-13T15:03:00.000-07:002011-05-13T15:29:22.122-07:00Weight lossDue to some allergies that Charlotte has, I've eliminated a lot of food from my diet. It started with just dairy and soy, expanded to wheat and finally to peanuts. And then the big whammy - the TED (total elimination diet) - where I ate chicken, veggies (minus peas) and fruit (minus berries). I did dairy/soy from about the time Charlie was about a month. I did the TED for about three weeks, and last week added beef and tomatoes back. It has been challenging. The upside is that the weight just falls right off. I'm 52 pounds down since I delivered. Here are a few photos I've pulled together.<br /><br />I wasn't pregnant here, this was summer 2009, at my top weight. I was, however, one pound from this weight while pregnant.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfxsLLGw73Lj6yl8nk4lbJFZA0-7fP6OdipDErsYYhANsoqAmfqXecxL4pK7i2L4O-tCjUHXvv2YoFLJkajNQvLdlDGZayKHI7kkBBPGz38B0PQ7I6BUsM-1gzB4C7aRMgVYvS5txqJY/s1600/metcalf+family+reunion+pic.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfxsLLGw73Lj6yl8nk4lbJFZA0-7fP6OdipDErsYYhANsoqAmfqXecxL4pK7i2L4O-tCjUHXvv2YoFLJkajNQvLdlDGZayKHI7kkBBPGz38B0PQ7I6BUsM-1gzB4C7aRMgVYvS5txqJY/s320/metcalf+family+reunion+pic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606326155938178530" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Then in the spring of 2010, I went and lost some weight. I think it was roughly about 10-15 pounds more than today.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKXxA1hA8fY84pXWJpPRDA1n0bN7yvbROU6anGqjPihwOn9hT8266IOgTL0GTrAiv6y6-sUSaEC8CjfDG6mTNItGGDlAY_AXmmhGGw5QbIDoA-YPmtHCZWLjYICWe_YJ3qBchBxVgIw4/s1600/DSCN0983.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKXxA1hA8fY84pXWJpPRDA1n0bN7yvbROU6anGqjPihwOn9hT8266IOgTL0GTrAiv6y6-sUSaEC8CjfDG6mTNItGGDlAY_AXmmhGGw5QbIDoA-YPmtHCZWLjYICWe_YJ3qBchBxVgIw4/s320/DSCN0983.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606326150848101682" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Around Christmas, please remember I was pregnant - due 2/2, so pretty far along. But, I put it in so you can see my legs and my arms on the other picture, the sleeves kept bunching up as they'd gotten too tight on my arms.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemy9CimRaNfjrbEJeIhGA8AI8WYPrOr7y8BAyi6OB4clWqNj3HYJWDAbrGFyZweWneQVlxuYuf9LUCwqN9CEUzll9fsDz8f9dsn60YdCMKjkjKGFOAm_GDGUqGBo9ZvYLaeoWo6nELy8/s1600/Christmas+2010+b.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemy9CimRaNfjrbEJeIhGA8AI8WYPrOr7y8BAyi6OB4clWqNj3HYJWDAbrGFyZweWneQVlxuYuf9LUCwqN9CEUzll9fsDz8f9dsn60YdCMKjkjKGFOAm_GDGUqGBo9ZvYLaeoWo6nELy8/s320/Christmas+2010+b.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606330986732996738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvImF7Bo1E72CZ_oDq3Xa8nqi3rwBKHy07MPNgJHIgmPOR80WU9HbN6MQKQRFenSGXWUz2DzYniBw4GJ308SSTSBRU3Qy7LbHF-BU8fbWOj2a9Z2ySPl-a7DHFKDISy2SNLO3DKhiBFAU/s1600/christmas+2010.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvImF7Bo1E72CZ_oDq3Xa8nqi3rwBKHy07MPNgJHIgmPOR80WU9HbN6MQKQRFenSGXWUz2DzYniBw4GJ308SSTSBRU3Qy7LbHF-BU8fbWOj2a9Z2ySPl-a7DHFKDISy2SNLO3DKhiBFAU/s320/christmas+2010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606330979470902690" border="0" /></a><br />Wednesday:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUTiCCFE2raIsQBdUp9I8Ugn9OqZXHf9gdXbGgy5POLRx33M0-RP0gvCmQpacJzC_ZTVmsvLI1-huLJXK5fS_fnsacLI70T5VLi9nEf5IzErhMqLN114h8ZRATKmgSWR7QATwwMIZxWQ/s1600/may+11+during+photo.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUTiCCFE2raIsQBdUp9I8Ugn9OqZXHf9gdXbGgy5POLRx33M0-RP0gvCmQpacJzC_ZTVmsvLI1-huLJXK5fS_fnsacLI70T5VLi9nEf5IzErhMqLN114h8ZRATKmgSWR7QATwwMIZxWQ/s320/may+11+during+photo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606326162536434866" border="0" /></a>Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-55112390559364063412011-04-03T17:12:00.000-07:002011-04-03T17:42:06.118-07:00Bedroom progress<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiI8euElu9Qre7Hst5Cp3uzRpsRYdb6RjK3K3MxHK1uctpdCiiZcc1MCckmrfEHt-uiasNkOJEX4WJRDDWsqHzQ_mkmSMzbCRGUuV-KZ4uYg0hpC2L3nBrTT0fy41l-Pr3-5I-kvf5gI4/s1600/wood.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiI8euElu9Qre7Hst5Cp3uzRpsRYdb6RjK3K3MxHK1uctpdCiiZcc1MCckmrfEHt-uiasNkOJEX4WJRDDWsqHzQ_mkmSMzbCRGUuV-KZ4uYg0hpC2L3nBrTT0fy41l-Pr3-5I-kvf5gI4/s320/wood.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591517521526985266" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In an effort to get Josh and Nora into the front bedroom, we are doing some freshening up. The room needs new curtains as we've never had more than sheers up (and they've since pulled them down). There are two twin beds, but no headboards for them. So, we went to Home Depot yesterday and bought the wood for these beds, designed by Ana White:<br />http://www.ana-white.com/2010/07/furniture-plans-twin-storage-headboard.html We're not doing the headboards for now, just the base of the bed. The plain is to paint them white.<br /><br />In addition to curtains, I'm thinking new bedding is in order. I wanted some stripes for each of them, like this: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/room/rom/romsha/romshabsb/?cm_type=lnav, but can't find exactly what I want that isn't super expensive. So, now I'm thinking perhaps a solid color with some throw pillows and different sheets to differentiate between the two. For instance, Josh loves Mickey and Nora is still very much a Dora gal. But, she's also outgrowing Dora, so I wouldn't want to get her Dora bedding (though, she does have some handed down from a cousin). I like to buy bedding that can be used again and again, simply by changing things up. Sort of like this: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/room/rom/romsha/romshaicn/?cm_type=lnav So, any cute bedrooms that you've seen lately that is for siblings of different genders?Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-27916520372643648162011-04-03T16:54:00.001-07:002011-04-03T17:11:57.361-07:00Busy, busy over here!Charlotte is growing quickly, she'll be 8 weeks tomorrow! She has had some issues with things in my milk, so I'm off dairy, soy and wheat. Because she is still having issues, I'm thinking that a TED is in my future. On the bright side, I've lost a bunch of weight since the birth and am now wearing jeans that I bought last spring when I was losing weight and never quite fit into. That said, I eat a lot of eggs and eggs are a no-go on the TED, so I'm going to have to make up some meal plans for things that I can eat! It's all worth it though - to see her not breaking out in rashes and having other issues.<br /><br />Josh is like a little man now! He just looks so big. He's still my happy guy. :) He has an appointment with a neurologist this month, as his speech therapist says he has signs of apraxia. And he does, as I've researched it and can totally see where she's coming from. Since we started with Help Me Grow, he's gone from three words to 11 (in a year). While to some that might not seem like a lot, Apraxia is where the neurons in the brain misfire to the mouth and his words come out jumbled. Thankfully, we've always used signs with out kiddos from a young age (milk is always the first sign) and thus, even with his limited words, he's still able to communicate fairly well with us. I am pleased to note that he's attempting words more and doing less pointing and grunting. Josh will start preschool in the fall. Our district contracts with a preschool that is able to deal with kids that have special needs. I'm hopeful that Josh makes great strides, so that he can eventually not have to worry about extra help, but for now am thankful that it exists!<br /><br />Nora has kindergarten screening next week! My little baby is ready to start school! She is going to be attending our parish school, which is where she's at now for preschool. We chose this for a few reasons. One is that she misses our districts cut off, by nine days and they're cheap and won't let anyone in, one person (whom I trust) told me her daughter missed the cutoff by a week and was not let in because she wasn't tall enough. The other reason is that even if they would let her in, I hate their kindergarten schedule. It's either M, W and every other Friday or T, TH and every other Friday. Now, it's all day, but I know that I'd be all sorts of lost every Friday, lol. We need a lot of consistency (because of the next update) and thus, the parish school is perfect for us. Plus, the parish school ranks two grade levels above their peers in the state. In addition, she knows everyone there.<br /><br />So, why do we need consistency? I've officially been offered a seat in the fall nursing program! I'm super excited, but a bit nervous as well. I know that it's going to be a very intense two years. To that end, if you have a way that you keep track of the entire family and all the events going on in a way that will be easy for everyone to access - please post and let me know! We have Dr appts, schooling (three different schools next year), the sitter, DHs work, my clinicals, lab and lecture, plus running the house, my volunteering, birthday parties, holiday parties, family obligations, etc, etc! Clearly, we need something that will organize us! I'd love for it to have a digital component - an email to both DH and I every single day on the activities that day would be awesome. But, part of me also thinks we need something colorful for the fridge (where we are both likely to see it daily). Maybe a combination of both. Maybe a monthly fridge calendar AND daily reminders? If there's an app for the daily emails, let me know! I'm sitting for my IBCLC Boards in July this year! :)<br /><br />Sean just got a raise (well, it is effective April 1, so we'll see it next pay)! Woot! I'm so happy for him and proud of his success!<br /><br />Next up...a project :).Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-87020127953954620372011-02-26T14:44:00.000-08:002011-02-26T15:45:33.961-08:00party of five....It's been awhile, like the end of December of 2010. I suppose I should start my 2011 posting, ahem.<br /><br />For starters, our family became a party of five...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ23oA_hVxPT9ZKJtBpWnXBIdGFQS4nTshDniHPJyae-SVXdEJtKy-TUEUp2zf2V3fiW4gajglyv3RJIfj35E1YHiKiJD-rQoDdqwhMV08woGW0Tu8PMwsCbr9PfAn2iSl4vQx7sx9-m0/s1600/party+of+five.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ23oA_hVxPT9ZKJtBpWnXBIdGFQS4nTshDniHPJyae-SVXdEJtKy-TUEUp2zf2V3fiW4gajglyv3RJIfj35E1YHiKiJD-rQoDdqwhMV08woGW0Tu8PMwsCbr9PfAn2iSl4vQx7sx9-m0/s320/party+of+five.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578134964671316098" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And for the birth story....<br />On Saturday, February 5th I woke up with contractions. They became as close as 7 minutes apart. Sean, I fear, called his sister too early and when she arrived, they sort of fizzled out to every 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, etc. Completely random and not at all in any pattern at that point. Totally not her fault, it just stalled me out. She stayed the night thinking it would happen overnight. But, alas, it didn't. She went home the next morning and we putzed around the house. Contractions were about 15-20 minutes apart all day. It was cold that day, so we just stayed in. We even skipped mass on account of the contractions.<br /><br />So, that Sunday was Super Bowl Sunday. Pittsburgh Steelers versus Greenbay Packers. We're Cleveland Browns fans, so we naturally turned in to cheer for the Packers. ;) Around 9:30 pm, I noticed that my contractions were starting to pick back up. When the game ended, my contractions were about every 8-10 minutes apart. I decided to take a shower, knowing that if it was the real deal, the shower would not slow these contractions down. So, I hopped in the shower and the shower did not slow my contractions down. The shower felt great though! After showering, I decided I would go to bed - thinking I'd be awake early in the morning. When I laid down, I noticed the contractions were coming every five minutes. After three contractions, I jumped out of bed because it was too much to be laying down. I continued timing my contractions and around 11:45 I called the midwives answering service to page the midwife on call. The person who answered the call told me that Erin would be calling me back shortly. The contractions were coming even quicker at this point and Sean asked me if he should call his sister, I told him yes. By midnight, contractions were one on top of another. Sean called his sister who said she was on her way. Despite the fact that my midwife still hadn't returned my call, I went outside to be ready for his sister. She arrived around 12:10 am. I would say that I jumped into the truck, but between contractions and being hugely pregnant, I'm sure it actually took me a few minutes just to get into the truck. Sean drove quickly to the hospital, briefly stopping at the two red lights before running them (one was a right turn, so not as bad as the left turn he ran). I could not sit in the truck so instead I sort of kneeled. Sean said if the window would have been down, I'd have probably jumped out.<br /><br />Thankfully, the hospital installed an entrance with an elevator directly to the OB unit when they remodeled, so we went directly to the OB unit and didn't have to make our way through the ER or any other part of the hospital - which was a very good thing. We made our way to the third floor and we started walking towards the nursing desk. But, every time I had a contraction, we'd stop and I'd hang on to the rail on the wall. We got halfway to the desk when a nurse came and found us. And then another nurse, Marianne, came out of triage to see who was in labor in the hall. She left a stable, only 4 cm dilated patient in triage and came to help Hannah (who was in her first week of night shift!). Marianne sort of took the lead, getting me in a gown and on the bed to be checked. I was 8 cm dilated. Marianne asked what I was feeling. Between loud groans, I told her pain from the contractions and pressure. Boy, did that get some movement. Right away, she was on the phone with the midwife, Erin (who was on her way due to the patient in triage). Erin informed her that I was a VBAC, which seemed to freak out both Marianne and Hannah until I informed them that I'd already had two VBACs since my c/s. One of them went to the OR to find out how soon the c/s would be over to see if the house Dr would be available to catch the baby.<br /><br />And then, despite Marianne's urging me to blow through the pushes and my best efforts to do so(haha!), 18 minutes after I arrived at the hospital, at 12:38 am, our baby girl, Charlotte Jane (nn Charlie) arrived after just a few pushes. Marianne got to catch her first baby and Hannah got to see exactly what happens when you're short staffed, the house Dr is doing a surgery and no other person is around to handle an imminent delivery. At that point, Marianne and Hannah began to do things like start an IV (just in case of a hemorrhage to push pit), draw blood and ask general intake questions.<br /><br />Erin, the midwife, arrived about ten minutes later, just in time to deliver the placenta. She also ordered the pit for me at that point because I was losing too much blood. I had a second degree tear (right on that old, unneeded episiotomy site), so she stitched me up. Erin had never returned my page, but I learned that she got a blank page and called back the patient in triage thinking it was her again. They had problems the next morning with the answering service when they called every midwife but the one that was on call (they do 7am to 7pm). Erin felt horrible because she felt like she could have prevented me from tearing. She said that she hardly ever has to do any repairs because she prevents nearly all of them.<br /><br />Here's the proud papa, who started calling people to let them know Charlie was here.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNwHFk7CbQpHhWbo29f2ZFmW9CBXebZ1G1K69S4RJ_E9JOQqMWEL7V3VznsFCr8o9GhN-4izIzrrI4ab0k0g7z9aWV5-ocN2PChlppasD_cXOPnaN_Qm8p-1lQ0Nw-qJ1Od3QTICD-x0/s1600/proud+papa.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNwHFk7CbQpHhWbo29f2ZFmW9CBXebZ1G1K69S4RJ_E9JOQqMWEL7V3VznsFCr8o9GhN-4izIzrrI4ab0k0g7z9aWV5-ocN2PChlppasD_cXOPnaN_Qm8p-1lQ0Nw-qJ1Od3QTICD-x0/s320/proud+papa.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578147203228746226" border="0" /></a><br />When he called his sister, she thought he was calling just to let her know that we had arrived. She was shocked that he was calling to say we'd had a GIRL!<br /><br />She was 8 pounds, 2 ounces at birth. She dropped five ounces after 24 hours, but rebounded by an ounce in the next 24 hours. My milk came in quickly, I've nursed long enough now that my body remembers exactly what to do. ;) Here's Charlie, all cleaned up and sleeping:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4R1Pgru0Tag1JERuZ9eRjY9-i7ZpqlqqTiNfIEEAsOTSQ2I0xmb0WqW_DNFl8lBglgw77x81RiW5TKL0EAfZ6BSzpsbZLC82Uao4frYXIYEv4-V6yJaH6SNfjub7lmeZ2psVJiXVseY/s1600/brand+new.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4R1Pgru0Tag1JERuZ9eRjY9-i7ZpqlqqTiNfIEEAsOTSQ2I0xmb0WqW_DNFl8lBglgw77x81RiW5TKL0EAfZ6BSzpsbZLC82Uao4frYXIYEv4-V6yJaH6SNfjub7lmeZ2psVJiXVseY/s320/brand+new.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578147557374727858" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As of breastfeeding support group Wednesday night, she was 9 pounds, 6 ounces - at 16 days old. Yes, she met and way exceeded the goal of back to birth weight by two weeks old. She's a nursing champ! So far, she has a sweet disposition, just like her older brother Josh. :)Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-91144089261564779732010-12-31T07:01:00.001-08:002010-12-31T07:30:41.184-08:00A quick year in review - projectsI've seen a number of these types of posts floating around and I thought that I would go ahead and compile my own. I've been busy with school and with a lactation mentorship, so my sewing was scattered and not at all regular.<br /><br />Pink, black and white apron. Became part of my sister's Christmas gift. :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8105tGRZMERCqJvVTAp6ASpoEgWKug6eiH5HCJVMuK3UBEiyAVwzQz0yKFPubF-n7RQwSRKFfwAqYiKFM6FqbbWDugqkrERse04b4LPNfQX5twaapnhmW5SqFs2oHuwtjWkCuxZ4HTto/s1600/pink+black+and+white+apron2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8105tGRZMERCqJvVTAp6ASpoEgWKug6eiH5HCJVMuK3UBEiyAVwzQz0yKFPubF-n7RQwSRKFfwAqYiKFM6FqbbWDugqkrERse04b4LPNfQX5twaapnhmW5SqFs2oHuwtjWkCuxZ4HTto/s320/pink+black+and+white+apron2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556864494744707954" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Black, red and white apron. I think this is my favorite apron from the whole year. And it sold. :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-accxtBrak1mEv0HpuwnJjBtUZoehgpJ0Cx_NqfuW6cdJv2_Qvi-vHVcJvomYo3vCjOzQu7kKLEoxL15d4CsVzND_AIZnJHV_foIQ-5BNtCYtKA2VCI-tZcIgniI82IIHf5FnD848TuU/s1600/red+and+black+apron.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-accxtBrak1mEv0HpuwnJjBtUZoehgpJ0Cx_NqfuW6cdJv2_Qvi-vHVcJvomYo3vCjOzQu7kKLEoxL15d4CsVzND_AIZnJHV_foIQ-5BNtCYtKA2VCI-tZcIgniI82IIHf5FnD848TuU/s320/red+and+black+apron.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556865584437401746" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Steeler apron #1 - My sister snagged this one from me for a gift. Hopefully the gift recipient likes it. She's a huge Steeler's fan, so she just might. ;)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyy9EPi3PGjK8mh6ZkR9J0wwYshRyRwLaFimcQ7Bqj25j46DfS3miMXKUOMMloKv6wJugLbB70RVEK5iMubgdwZZIVw8gCn1nxdcjO8-OQZhoZRPapTBiW6TV1Ak3Y7czlg0KOkATH4hc/s1600/steeler+apron2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyy9EPi3PGjK8mh6ZkR9J0wwYshRyRwLaFimcQ7Bqj25j46DfS3miMXKUOMMloKv6wJugLbB70RVEK5iMubgdwZZIVw8gCn1nxdcjO8-OQZhoZRPapTBiW6TV1Ak3Y7czlg0KOkATH4hc/s320/steeler+apron2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556865579919444946" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Steeler's apron number 2. This one will be on it's way soon to the intended gift recipient. I'm just bad with the mail.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5ECLJVf-LbiGK4j9Fi7JtWx2OplDt_v8CHsIAy2yVcz34iyQaVFUoeF1DvuRGqNvUINvnlTkYXCk3l-gca56SVIilKEGOT78OF4v4-rbRiKtUNDR9dXwwgWSpOBpEsGbXZ6hO34twk0/s1600/steeler+apron.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5ECLJVf-LbiGK4j9Fi7JtWx2OplDt_v8CHsIAy2yVcz34iyQaVFUoeF1DvuRGqNvUINvnlTkYXCk3l-gca56SVIilKEGOT78OF4v4-rbRiKtUNDR9dXwwgWSpOBpEsGbXZ6hO34twk0/s320/steeler+apron.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556865578834162082" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Another of my faves. It didn't sell, so I kept this one for myself. Because we all need a cute apron (or eight). ;)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVy2GmPUZyikN29nzqqGJYWHIt9Gwej-3n_ko6VshgnU9mmkoeC9pH8e9O5HEKeI3gaySwNtn7ODmGF-T6PNIhTHYFXy9iijrkSNpUFAyLu9DpQpK-Eh7jBcbvuxnGvWsC83CLMB6tD3U/s1600/floral+pink+and+turquise.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVy2GmPUZyikN29nzqqGJYWHIt9Gwej-3n_ko6VshgnU9mmkoeC9pH8e9O5HEKeI3gaySwNtn7ODmGF-T6PNIhTHYFXy9iijrkSNpUFAyLu9DpQpK-Eh7jBcbvuxnGvWsC83CLMB6tD3U/s320/floral+pink+and+turquise.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556864494068605810" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Apron for the Christmas flirty apron swap.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBi5-bYVHqKIv1qFvKdP2gy-P-DvrKFZbjxh4DNyi-jeOmp_jy0Q9yJrw2Y5Ohowe01M1sH3sXRoVnbkjGM_GJizqquzDxYgL6zasclzlkCx-2LASLRK_vnuTAri6Mv0hD5HblNCfGuM/s1600/DSCN1508.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBi5-bYVHqKIv1qFvKdP2gy-P-DvrKFZbjxh4DNyi-jeOmp_jy0Q9yJrw2Y5Ohowe01M1sH3sXRoVnbkjGM_GJizqquzDxYgL6zasclzlkCx-2LASLRK_vnuTAri6Mv0hD5HblNCfGuM/s320/DSCN1508.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556864488218550130" border="0" /></a><br /><br />One of two identical aprons. One went to my mom for Christmas, the other one is still here. I'll keep it on hand for a quick gift.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnKvQb6ol7wM1033eYBZAc5Ixhav4pTMJw57QTgqu4zAVsjhV7WQAYAUYTeM5rml88pKq_qiUqzvk6s2wdag2DWL_AvIpEfGGa_AJ5DkQW74Im5Sm6bqLnyWyDX276SXUWxGobNP4sIc/s1600/brown+floral+apron.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnKvQb6ol7wM1033eYBZAc5Ixhav4pTMJw57QTgqu4zAVsjhV7WQAYAUYTeM5rml88pKq_qiUqzvk6s2wdag2DWL_AvIpEfGGa_AJ5DkQW74Im5Sm6bqLnyWyDX276SXUWxGobNP4sIc/s320/brown+floral+apron.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556864490606457778" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The couch recover. I've since washed the cushion covers and as predicted, they shrunk, so they fit much better. It's slightly concerning that I prepped the fabric and it still shrinks every single time in the wash because I don't know how long they'll last at this rate. After all, I've got young kids, making washing often necessary!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSA_7y99RgPriWQ95GNXdorGQVZkK0nTjqJ5grKt8pBSpjUWGHhJf7XMm7zTpUHtV2ZXJ6cTOz0ljSZruu9cCMKqaIQsf_tmQgAGVOi_KOnEqO_UELannfjB8fAWvKnJylKYLVIbONUu4/s1600/recovered+couch.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSA_7y99RgPriWQ95GNXdorGQVZkK0nTjqJ5grKt8pBSpjUWGHhJf7XMm7zTpUHtV2ZXJ6cTOz0ljSZruu9cCMKqaIQsf_tmQgAGVOi_KOnEqO_UELannfjB8fAWvKnJylKYLVIbONUu4/s320/recovered+couch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556864489046815490" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I did start and not finish a number of crochet projects. I need to get back into that - as I'd like to make the newest little one on the way a blanket. Plus, I'm teaching myself to knit. So far, I like it, but I can see me tossing it to the side because right now I'm just practicing - not really making anything. I could make so much more with crocheting and the time spent. I have a scarf for DD almost done but ran out of yarn, went to a different JoAnn's and they were out of that color, so I need to go back and get some of that yarn yet. Also, I made a cowl for my sister for Christmas. I didn't take a picture of it, but <a href="http://casacaudill.typepad.com/casacaudill/">my sister</a> snapped one of her husband in it. It's very warm and fluffy.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5081/5307464759_d7217a25f2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5081/5307464759_d7217a25f2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />All in all, a light year in terms of craftiness. Maybe 2011 will be better. I'm almost hoping it won't - as I'm hoping to finally start nursing clinicals in the fall. But, maybe I'll have some time between now and then, you know, despite being about to welcome another newborn home. :)Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-33156792609361475792010-11-29T07:51:00.002-08:002010-11-29T08:27:37.204-08:00Christmas sewing....I had a whole post written about various Christmas sewing that I'm undertaking, but alas, a spool of cotton yarn fell off the back of my desk and knocked the plug out of my computer. I don't feel like writing the post completely over, so let's just say that I have lots of Christmas sewing to do - both to sell and for gifts.<br /><br />And here's where I started - with a swap apron. I still have to buy the tuck ins, since I've been sick this weekend and haven't ventured out since Friday. I also don't recommend sewing while having a sinus headache, because you'll likely end up like me, with her seam ripper the next day. Ooops.<br /><br />And, I also discovered that my coat rack works wonders for taking pics of aprons (not perfect, but the best I could do - and no, the houndstooth is not in the apron, that's my daughter's "fancy coat"), since when I put the apron on to take a self photo, I realized that my big baby belly just got in the way, lol.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0b3BTfVwYdt0oDiDGAElSwnNqZhPH_arGjkjgwaCrcNm22nqUskdk07c4xoV10c880AxDvPm_H2erQiBXwPRr6e9ZA74psgk9rULhRUCYOgB1NmdND9QoT4zeUPCrB45PtcshMtvepdA/s1600/DSCN1508.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0b3BTfVwYdt0oDiDGAElSwnNqZhPH_arGjkjgwaCrcNm22nqUskdk07c4xoV10c880AxDvPm_H2erQiBXwPRr6e9ZA74psgk9rULhRUCYOgB1NmdND9QoT4zeUPCrB45PtcshMtvepdA/s320/DSCN1508.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545006259973055106" border="0" /></a>Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-2837791646661279232010-11-28T05:22:00.000-08:002010-11-28T05:29:34.401-08:00Christmas decoratingWe're hosting Christmas this year, including for my lovely sister, BIL and my mom. Because they'll be venturing from California and Montana, we're busy here prepping the house. General organizing has been happening since October. It's amazing how quickly I've filled up tubs and tubs of kids clothes (out of season, too small), bags of Goodwill donations and yet, we could probably still fill dozens more totes and bags! We have some time before they arrive, so we'll continue to purge stuff out of our house - it's good for when they come to visit, but it's also good nesting for me. Speaking of nesting, this baby is due in just about 8 weeks. Not sure how that happened!<br /><br />Oh, back to Christmas decorating. Yesterday I brought up all the decorations and the tree from the basement. Very tiring for a pregnant woman! I then set the tree up, scratched my arms up arranging the lights and branches (yes, we use a fake tree) and then set about decorating. The pictures aren't the greatest, as they're taken by my itouch, but I didn't feel like bringing out the camera. I'm sure I will at some point. And, I didn't take a picture of all the decorations evidently, I was too tired.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZAgtTsCEJTX8TccJe4PDHthp_IYaQH1EUHsw747bCC8MVBKH6SsR8UwWL2wePSvnNOJA58K-QG6LLjHNB9YYltf6xKP78WJNogLmQsBgcp95JC4f1oQlUFpLfgKu3SRHyN8ajHyBHR0/s1600/tree.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZAgtTsCEJTX8TccJe4PDHthp_IYaQH1EUHsw747bCC8MVBKH6SsR8UwWL2wePSvnNOJA58K-QG6LLjHNB9YYltf6xKP78WJNogLmQsBgcp95JC4f1oQlUFpLfgKu3SRHyN8ajHyBHR0/s320/tree.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544591789934305442" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtjd0y9H2xXwC29Y51ITWV_6BP-V3YLMoJaV7A_NoGUUZfCZj6lZxiN5R937pF5wsDUPgOG-Gtl-tzckyJdXZv7jBYJDydAdhUjnsvcgoMbPphFHdrBpG70UOhI0ZheRqQUk_cQ0QzrE/s1600/tree+closeup+kids+ornaments.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtjd0y9H2xXwC29Y51ITWV_6BP-V3YLMoJaV7A_NoGUUZfCZj6lZxiN5R937pF5wsDUPgOG-Gtl-tzckyJdXZv7jBYJDydAdhUjnsvcgoMbPphFHdrBpG70UOhI0ZheRqQUk_cQ0QzrE/s320/tree+closeup+kids+ornaments.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544591795919204338" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgb8U49Wd_odba4Iqe2cOb3JbmBBsU4jXWR5po_M-J5nzUX3OqNafDnmXRv5t0KyqEASVttEwRwNZNNZ0mPBpTOzfLFDuEv263oRTGf32ybO_JMdkKDitnHJloRJ9mh08EMPk3C-YWRK4/s1600/santa+on+tv.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgb8U49Wd_odba4Iqe2cOb3JbmBBsU4jXWR5po_M-J5nzUX3OqNafDnmXRv5t0KyqEASVttEwRwNZNNZ0mPBpTOzfLFDuEv263oRTGf32ybO_JMdkKDitnHJloRJ9mh08EMPk3C-YWRK4/s320/santa+on+tv.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544591933506442274" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQcB49K30Yrt7V2m7XTQx94X6giDCRsulBfvS6fGILJAuZaysIbKIba0t3Pn8hWU3b-JlopvcJUHrcT6wYeLhqRgDWij70vcR1fhPIJTLgqyWI26eOg8X6Po5SCkXvQHyhG_rZRnjO-Q/s1600/star.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQcB49K30Yrt7V2m7XTQx94X6giDCRsulBfvS6fGILJAuZaysIbKIba0t3Pn8hWU3b-JlopvcJUHrcT6wYeLhqRgDWij70vcR1fhPIJTLgqyWI26eOg8X6Po5SCkXvQHyhG_rZRnjO-Q/s320/star.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544591929681127010" border="0" /></a>Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-1007905099851642812010-11-28T05:01:00.000-08:002010-11-28T05:21:50.936-08:00Finally finished those couch cushions...It took way longer than I anticipated. Not because they took a long time, but because it took me a long time to get motivated. In the end they came out okay, not the best, but certainly better than what they were. The cushions look a little big, compared to the cover itself - but, the cover has been washed about five times since I made it, and has shrunk a bit each time. I expect the same thing to happen to the cushions over time, so I purposely made them a bit big to start with. This couch takes a beating, with a two and a four year old being the primary beaters, so it is good that the fabric washes up so nicely. Now we just have to hope that it stops shrinking! The couch is so comfortable and even though it's our main couch, one day when we can afford to buy a new couch, this couch will be kept for a basement rec room couch - it's that comfortable, I just won't be able to part with it until it falls apart. Since it was built well, I'm hoping that day is a long, long way off.<br /><br />Without further ado, here is the couch today vs what it started as:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_ik1X0YtZZIlLObP5EkHBPuz8AVLH-qZ5e9CffF4JxHaxrxlO231oxtvbmSymN7x5beoM6osoKjSJu73oIGQ3i3UNJlYI5Hkf9Q2RjDZro_5ioPhym0sNtHe0W8qTQuLLQfWWKJixdA/s1600/recovered+couch.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_ik1X0YtZZIlLObP5EkHBPuz8AVLH-qZ5e9CffF4JxHaxrxlO231oxtvbmSymN7x5beoM6osoKjSJu73oIGQ3i3UNJlYI5Hkf9Q2RjDZro_5ioPhym0sNtHe0W8qTQuLLQfWWKJixdA/s320/recovered+couch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544588929115006546" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFeYEmc-wUbiEc6pN_koAEuSQMh_APt55NIbBZh5SC_WpzHBd9T-bZzQuJiNBa7NS6e5WiKU1nx_t7Jeiai2n14lZ-xOt250DpSQF-LZnLC21rJRVC_oBTtru1mE_pD6dvC-w3qO0tG0/s1600/DSCN1048.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFeYEmc-wUbiEc6pN_koAEuSQMh_APt55NIbBZh5SC_WpzHBd9T-bZzQuJiNBa7NS6e5WiKU1nx_t7Jeiai2n14lZ-xOt250DpSQF-LZnLC21rJRVC_oBTtru1mE_pD6dvC-w3qO0tG0/s320/DSCN1048.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544589540054788818" border="0" /></a><br /><br />For more before pictures, and to see just how bad it was, <a href="http://jennylousprojects.blogspot.com/2010/06/so-theres-party-going-on.html">see this post</a>. At some point, I'll probably add a pleat around the bottom like it had before, since as it shrinks, it rides up a bit, but for now, I'm going to leave it as it. ;)Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714779444595857655.post-21317751195028279132010-10-04T16:58:00.000-07:002010-10-04T17:00:28.115-07:00The weather is cooling down....And I'm thinking Halloween! I'm going to be more ambitious than normal and attempt to make Nora's entire costume this year. Last year she went as Little Red Riding Hood. I made the cape and her apron, but the rest was just things that I pulled from her closet. Still, I got lots of compliments on her apron, so I'm going to attempt to go all out this year. I want to be super mom this year. ;)Jennylou's Projectshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053464167167767219noreply@blogger.com1