Merry Christmas!

Luke 2:1-20
¹Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.

²This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

³And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.

⁴Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,

⁵in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

⁶While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.

⁷And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

⁹And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;

¹¹for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

¹²"This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

¹³And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

¹⁵When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."

¹⁶So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.

¹⁷When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.

¹⁸And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.

¹⁹But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

²⁰The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

Isaiah 9:6
⁶ For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Who doesn't love free stuff??

Especially when that free stuff makes your life cheaper, faster, and easier???

Go here to enter to win the $5 dollar dinner mom cookbook!

Stretching

I found this blog through my suggested blogs on Google Reader... This one was especially poignant...

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2009/12/pains-of-true-christmas.html

yay!

He felt her last night! Kyle finally got to feel our baby girl kick and move last night! So fun for me to have him finally experience that too! He was pretty excited too!!

25 weeks pregnant

Please ignore my chubby face and that fact that my butt is currently the same size as my belly, and just look at the belly. Thanks.
Can't wait for this little girl to get here so I can start to really exercise and lose this weight!!! Plus I want to hold her in my arms!

PS. Did you see on the side bar? 26 weeks today! wheeeee!

Diapers

Wow! two posts in one day?! I should really pace myself, I might pull something!

In all seriousness though.

I am pretty sure that I want to do cloth diapers. I think Kyle is on board with it too. He has never really dealt with diapers, so I don't think he really knows what to expect either way.

But I don't know what brand/kind/design to go with!

We have this fabulous place practically down the street from us called Tiny Tots, they are a diaper service. They will drop off fresh diapers for you weekly and take away the dirty ones (kind of fabulous if you ask me), my mom had it when my brother was born and it was pretty nice not to have to wash all those diapers. But it is expensive and the diapers are the baby burp cloth style diapers. Not that there is anything wrong with those, because they work just fine! I was just thinking that I wanted to get ones that have an insert or something like that, and that we could wash ourselves, since I really don't think it is going to be that big of a hassle (I don't think).

SO, Tiny Tots also has a boutique where you can go and buy other cloth diaper styles. But I don't know what to get! and that's where you all come in!

For those of you who have looked into cloth diapers, and/or are using them, which brands/styles stood out to you? Why or why not?

Thanks for all of your help ladies! I really appreciate it!

PS. Expect more posts like these as we get closer to D-Day... This having a baby stuff is confusing!

6 months

I am 6 months pregnant today!


wow.


It is such a crazy feeling! To know that I have a little baby growing inside of me, and that in 3 months (give or take) she will be here and in my arms!
I know I haven't posted any belly pictures yet, that's because I don't have any! I am planning on taking some this weekend and will hopefully be able to show you my growing belly after that.
Oh! I started feeling her move this last week! That's crazy too! All of a sudden a little touch here, a bump there... Really surreal!

The nursery is starting to come together a bit. We really don't have much yet, but we have cleaned out all of the "extra" stuff that doesn't need to be in there and so that helps. I have also started arranging the furniture that we do have so that it is positioned where I want it. I got the Borsgard cradle from my mom, the one that my siblings and I all slept in when we were first born, and set it up in the nursery. Right now it is where I think the crib will go, when the baby is born the cradle will go in our room, but for now it can be a place holder. ^_^ Besides, it really makes the room look more like a nursery than a spare room!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving my friends and I will hopefully update you again before too long!

Pachabel Rant

If you haven't seen this I highly recommend you watch this! Pachabel Rant by Rob Paravonian. There are a couple of spots that might not be kiddo friendly so, watch it first before you share it with your kids too.




and yes, I walked down the aisle to Pachabel's Cannon in D. I love this piece ^_^

Doula

Hi Ladies,

I have a question for you all, I guess guys could answer this too if they read this blog and have input, but it is mostly geared toward women...

Did you use a Doula when you gave birth?

What was your reasoning behind using or not using a Doula?

This is something that I have been pondering lately, and even more recently because I just found out that my sister in law's boyfriend's mom is a doula and in training to become a midwife (but not for another couple years)... So if I had someone that I could easily pick, rather than having to research Doula's in the area, it would be easier, but I really don't know if we need or want one.

So again, the questions are:
Did you use a Doula when you gave birth?
and
What was your reasoning behind using or not using a Doula?


I have lots of other baby related questions too (mostly surrounding labor and what needs to be done) but those can wait for another day...

It is...

...no longer ambiguous.

It has pronouns!
It has a gender!

And It is a GIRL!
The little cross in the middle of the picture, if you go to the right of that, those are HER feet, and to the left is HER bum, with nothing in between, we are having a GIRL!

SO so so sooooo excited for the little dresses and bows! Kyle is too! Maybe not for the dresses and bows, but for the fact that we are going to have a sweet little girl!


oh, and just because it is almost Halloween, our little princess decided to get dressed up too...

A little creepy... That's her head to the right if you can't tell... sort of looks like an alien or something.

Pumpkin time!

When going to the Pumpkin patch it is always best to take the back roads...

...because then you see things like old water towers against a gorgeous blue sky!

Not yet... But I will soon!

Love pumpkin patches! It was actually pretty warm today! I was surprised!

At the Pumpkin Patch you can find lots of corn stalks!

and dried Indian corn...

And baskets of little pumpkins!

and bins of multi colored squashes!

and Mini pumpkins with cute names like We-B-Little!

and HUGE piles of pumpkins!

My Pumpkin chariot driver!

Picking the perfect Sugar Pie pumpkins...

Almost done...

Our bounty! Not the white ones, just the ones in the wheelbarrow... ^_^
Did you know that if you go to the Pumpkin patch the week before Halloween that they put the pumpkins on sale for buy one get one? I got more than twice as many pumpkins than I was planning on! Yay for sales!!!

If you look really closely at the woman in white, you will see that in her Baby Bjorn she has a pumpkin instead of a baby...

A Letter

Dear Blankety-blank Squirrels,
Just because I fill in the holes that you dig up in my yard, does not mean that I am trying to help you bury whatever it is you are digging for, I am trying to protect my just barely starting to grow lawn! It's a hint... Take it!

PS. Any one have a BB gun I can borrow? I am about ready to start sitting out there in my lawn chair with my gun across my knees waiting for any furry little trespassers!



Dang squirrels....

SLO bound!!!

Hey all you SLO-ites (-ians?) ....erm... people! ^_^

Kyle and I are going to be in SLO this weekend! I can't tell you how excited I am to come back and visit and see everyone and go everywhere (well, almost everywhere, we can't go to all the places I have on my list, it is very extensive! Splash, Firestone's, Montana De Oro...)

Kyle is working the Job Fair at Cal Poly for Apple on Thursday, so we come down Wednesday night, and after he is done just after lunch we are free to do what we want! yay! We will be there until Sunday, so excited to worship at Grace again! I have missed the fellowship there, although we are getting some great fellowship at our new church now!

Hey Penny! Want to try your Baby Gender Ring Trick thingy on me?? I am up for it if you are! and the cool thing is that we get the Gender ultrasound about a week later, so we will find out really quick if you are right or not... Kyle is a skeptic, but I think it sounds fun!

We might be going to the CP homecoming game (Saturday night?) so if anyone wants to come along, that could be fun! I want to go to Pismo or Avila too, even if it is super chilly! I miss those beaches!

I would love to see all of you! But I know that it just isn't feasible, and I will probably have to settle to seeing most of you at church on Sunday but if any of you are available and want to get together we would love it! *coughcoughBadgerscoughcough*

I will be antsy until we pull into SLO... See you Soon!!!

smokey

Good news first...
I found and bought a glider rocker and ottoman for only $75 on Craigslist!!!!! This was the only thing on my **Must have for the nursery** list, the ottoman was key, I can fall asleep in one of those rocking a baby to sleep so easy!!!

Bad news...
I forgot to ask if it came from a smoking home... it did... so now I am trying to get out all the smoky icky cigarette smell. I have already doused it with Febreze,
but in case that doesn't work...

Do you have any idea's/tips for getting cigarette smells out of the cushions? They are removable (if that makes any difference) except for the one on the ottoman.

Also, this is the first piece of baby furniture we bought! wheee!!!

Win a $30 gc to Jewelry by Artwark

Go here
http://www.sandierpastures.com/giveaway/fall-into-fashion-a-jewelry-by-artwark-giveaway.html
to find out more about this jewelry give-away.

This jewelry is soooo beautiful!

You really need to go here and look at all of her things, beautiful, trendy, and kind of vintage too...
Etsy site is here http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5762558

Here are some of my favorites....

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24980354

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30740928

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30579933


Good luck to you if you enter... I hope I win one!!!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30416300

Guess what???

We are going to be parents!

I am about 12 weeks along right now (according to baby's size) and due March 17th, although I am a bit skeptical about that since they tell me something different every time we go see the doctor...

We wanted to wait until the first ultrasound to tell people (other than immediate family) just to make sure the baby was okay... so that is why we are only telling now... Personally I think the due date is the first week of April, but size wise, the doctor says earlier (never mind the fact that we are pretty dang sure on conception date because we track my temperature). So for now we go with what the doctor says and we will see who's right!

We are beyond excited!

Got to see the baby for the first time today at the 1st trimester ultrasound (that's the picture above). I was so excited that we got a really clear picture right off the bat, as soon as the doctor turned on the ultrasound I knew exactly where the head was and could make out the little feet and hands!!!! It was so amazing when they switched it over to the 3D picture, so clear! Baby is already camera shy, turned it's back to us real quick when we switched to 3D! Baby also was moving, a lot! Not even 3 months and they are going to be a kicker (I am wondering if they will want to take Tae Kwon Do like Daddy did)!

I haven't had too much pregnancy symptoms, some nausea, no throwing up though (a blessing and a curse), tiredness, highly hormonal... you know, the usual. But so far I have felt really good! I hope it continues!

Sew sew

I really really need want a new sewing machine. I can't really spend more than $200. I am looking for something that is simple to operate and adjust. I know how to sew and can do complicated things, but don't really do anything more complicated than simple garments and hemming and a little bit of quilt piecing. I want it to sew well and smooth (which probably just about any new machine will) and not need a lot of attention. Something that will last me for quite a few years... currently I have a hand-me-down Brother that's okay, but I have never learned really how to adjust it right... I am thinking of switching to a Singer, but really have no clue how to tell what is good or not. Any help is appreciated!

Still Alive

Hi my bloggy friends!

I know, I know, it has been entirely too long since my last post, yikes! I just checked, over a month! oops! In my defense, I was in the midst of packing, and then moving, and then unpacking (which is still in progress by the way...blech)

Anyway, we are settled here in the Bay Area, family comes over all the time! I love it!!! I have missed my sister, who is also my Best Friend, my bigger than me little brother who is working on hauling over the back yard (landlords said we could do whatever we wanted!!). I am getting even closer to my sisters in law because I actually get to see them on a regular basis! I have seen multiple old friends who I haven't seen in entirely too long.

Our little duplex is almost put together, I wish I could show you pictures, but the camera cable is still MIA. I have painted a couple (big) pieces of furniture and they turned out sooooooo pretty! I really like the colors, which is good, because I really didn't want to have to repaint them just yet!

Since I am home all day I hope that I will start being able to get crafty again, Kyle takes the car to work, so I am stranded (sort of) here all day. I have quilt squares that I have been cutting out, just to cut them out, a dress pattern that Kristen posted that I want to make because apparently it looks good on everybody and I really want a cute summer dress!

I will try to get on and post pictures sooner than another month from now. Hey! Maybe since I am home all day I will blog more... although, if all I do is stay at home, I won't have much to blog about... unless I do some back blogging... that could work! we will see... stay tuned!




PS. so it looks like I am a big fan of parentheses and ellipses today.

2 years...

...have flown by.


It seems like only yesterday we were barely dating and so very very young!
This picture is from my Jr. College graduation... (we had been dating for only a year!)

And then just after I graduated from Cal Poly you asked me to marry you and I said yes!


And then a mere six months later (and 2 years ago today) we became Man and Wife, linked together forever in our love and God.

It has been such a fun ride, and I love looking back and seeing just how much we have grown in our relationship, our walks with God, and in ourselves.

I love you Babe! Here's looking forward to the new adventure we are beginning!

PS. We have been together as a couple for over 6 years now!

Master's Degree

Did I mention that my husband graduated with his Masters Degree in Computer Science?



There were doves that flew out and over the crowd after the "Big" ceremony in the football stadium. This is the best picture I got of them...
The Computer Science graduates (at least the ones that participated in the departmental ceremony) Can you find Kyle?


I am so proud of you Babe!!!!
Love you and all your quirkiness!

5 boxes

We have decided (meaning I suggested it would be a really good idea and Kyle figured he would go along) that we are going to pack 5 boxes minimum each day for the next 1.5 weeks. If we do that we will be more than ready when the movers come to load up our truck and we will be able to get everything out of here and have a wonderfully empty apartment to clean for a week before we officially move out on July 5. We got 9 done last night in about a half an hour (just books, DVD's, video games, and CD's so it went quick). I would say we would be packing all weekend, but we have a wedding to go to, that Kyle is in, so no luck there, will just have to pack extra hard before and after to make up for it!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

So, Kyle has his thesis defense in the morning (prayer would be appreciated, it starts at 10) then a final from 7-10PM (what kind of a horrible time for a test is that?!?!) and then graduation on Saturday with both of our families coming out!! Wow, 8 years after he graduated from High School (He graduated when he was 16, little smarty pants!) he is graduating from college with his Masters Degree. Two years after we got married we will finally be done with school and we will move forward with our life...

That moving includes literal moving, from our life here that we have come to love in SLO back to the Bay Area where our families are. We move in 3 weeks, crazy! Between graduation, moving, a wedding Kyle is Best Man in, and packing, there is just so much going on in the next 3 weeks. The stress definitely piles up on me, I have been trying to slowly begin to pack things up and because Kyle has had so much work to do for his thesis it has pretty much been all me. Can I just say... Packing sucks!!!! I do know that this is going to be one of the easiest moves of our lives, still only the two of us, moving out of a two bedroom apartment, easy, right? in a sense... but it still is no fun.

::okay, apparently this is turning into a poor Carrie post, please disregard my whining; I will try to be a bit more upbeat now::

So, we are super excited to be moving back near family! We will be about 10 minutes from my family and about 30 minutes from Kyle's family. My brother's school is about 1 mile from us, so he can come over and hang out after school! ...when school is back in session that is...

Searching for a new church will be a bummer, we have really come to love Grace!!! Kyle's parent's, and my parent's churches are both 30 minutes away from us, and we have really loved being in the same community as our church here, so we are going to look for something as close to our new home as possible. The nice thing though is that we know the area already, and know the names of some churches that are good in the area, so it won't be too hard (I don't think...)

I can't wait until I get to decorate my new home! I have all these wonderful ideas in my head, we will see how many of them translate well... Lindsey and Lisa have some amazing eyes for simple and chic! I love their style! I want them to come and help me garage sale and flea market and make my home look fabulous! I already have some great ideas for painting a couple pieces that I have. Someday I will have brand new couches and a dining room table with matching chairs and a "real" bed frame and matching bedroom furniture, but until then, I will dream and plan... ^_^

Miracle Miles For Kids

Next Saturday, May 30, I will be participating in the Miracle Miles for Kids 10K Walk/Run (it will probably be more of a walk for me...) along with my good friend Cassie.

The Family Care Network of the Central Coast works to provide much needed services such as Therapeutic Foster Care; Family Support Services; Prevention and Early Intervention Services; Transitional Housing Services; and Community-Linked Services, the agency works in collaboration with the community to strengthen and preserve families and individuals.

All proceeds earned through pledges at the event will help support direct services that benefit the community's youth and families!

* $100 buys school supplies and clothing.
* $500 helps a youth join a sports team or purchase a musical instrument.
* $1,000 helps furnish an apartment for an older teen about to transition from foster care to adult independence.

I have never participated before but I am so excited to do it this year! If you want to support me and help raise money for this organization and cause, you can go here it is my personal pledge page. I am trying to earn $100. Thanks so much!


and if you think about it, you might want to pray for me the day of the race that I don't die!! ^_^

marrow

I just got a call from the National Marrow Donor program. I signed up when I was 18 at my community college, they were having a donor drive and it was about 6 months after 9/11 and I was trying to do all I could for my country. I haven't heard anything from them since... but apparently I am a potential match for someone! This is all kind of sudden, exciting and scary all at the same time. I give blood all the time, just about as often as I am eligible, but marrow is just so much more daunting, they stick big needles in you for that one!!! Maybe my nurse-y friends can soothe my rattled nerves? Emily? Lindsey? is it as bad as I am making it out to be?

I won't know for 1-2 months if I am an exact match, so there is definitely time to get calm about this, and it may be that I am not a good match for this person anyway...

Wow. I never really thought that they would call me. But if I can help, I am glad to do it. This is one of those things where I feel that if you are eligible to do it, you should be signed up and doing all you can, ie. donating blood every 8 weeks... That's just my personal stance on it, although I understand if you are terrified of needles.... that would just suck! (haha! vampire pun!!! sorry. I will stop now.) *stepping off of my soapbox now*

Pray for this person that they will find a match, and that I might be a match for them, and if I am that it would all go smoothly.

::EDIT::
This post just brought back to mind one of my favorite Rascal Flatts songs, Skin (sarabeth). Makes me cry just about anytime I hear it!!!

Rebecca's Shop

One of my dear friend's sister (who is becoming a dear friend as well) has a sweet blog called Traveling Light that is so sweet with pictures of her and her husband and families. Her name is Rebecca and she has just started her own little Etsy shop called Rebecca's Shop where she is selling sweet pendants, frames, magnets and notepads.
The reason I am telling you this is because she is having a giveaway right now where you can win a necklace and a frame in honor of SUMMER!!! coming! So go! Now! check out her blog and store follow the directions and maybe you could win (but I hope I do...)

NEEDED...

A local pickup truck to borrow for a couple of hours...

Do you have a truck we can borrow? We have a loveseat we want to get (it's FREEE!!!!!!) but the owners can't move it for us, and all we have is a little bitty Honda Civic....

Please let me know!
Thanks....
Hugs and Kisses!!

~Carrie~

PS. A minivan with removable bench seats might work too...

Taylor the Latte Boy

One of my favorite Singers/Actresses Kristen Chenoweth, singing one of my favorite songs. I recently rediscovered it, and it makes me smile every time that I listen to it. Hope you enjoy it too!



Here are the lyrics too, in case you want them... ^_^

There's a boy who works at Starbucks
Who is very inspirational.
He is very inspirational because of many things.

I come in at 8:11, and he smiles and says, "How are you?"
When he smiles and says, "How are you?"
I could swear my heart grows wings!

So today at 8:11
I decided I should meet him
I decided I should meet him
In a proper formal way.

So today at 8:11 when he smiled and said "How are you?"
I said "Fine, and my name’s Kristin"
And he softly answered, "Hey."
And I said "My name is Kristen, and thank you for the extra foam…"

And he said his name was Taylor,
Which provides the inspiration for this poem:

Taylor the latte boy,
Bring me java, bring me joy!
Oh Taylor the latte boy,
I love him, I love him, I love him…

So I’d like to get my nerve up
To recite my poem musical.
He would like the fact it’s musical
Because he plays guitar.
So today at 8:11, Taylor told me he was playing
In a band down in the village in the basement of a bar.

And he smoothly flipped the lever to prepare my double latte,
But for me he made it triple! And he didn’t think I knew
But I saw him flip the lever, and for me he made it triple,
And I knew that triple latte meant that Taylor loved me too!
I said, "What time are you playing? And thank you for the extra skim…"
He said, "Keep the $3.55," because this triple latte was on him.

Taylor the latte boy,
Bring me java, bring me joy!
Oh Taylor the latte boy,
I love him, I love him, I love him…

I used to be the kind of girl who'd run when love rushed toward her.
But finally a voice whispered "Love can be yours, if you step up to the counter, and order."

Taylor, the latte boy
Bring me java, bring me joy
Oh Taylor the latte boy
I love him, I love him, I love him.

So many years my heart has waited,
Who’d have thought that love could be so caffeinated?
Taylor, the latte boy,
I love him, I love him, I love him.
I love him, I love him, I love him.

Why?

Why was I totally stupid and didn't take a shower as soon as I got home from hiking in Poison-Oak-infested Montana de Oro?

Why did I brush aside the knowledge that I am massively allergic to Poison Oak and should not touch anything until I had showered off and thrown my clothes in the laundry?

Why did I choose to sit on the couch for 45 minutes and eat and watch TV before cleaning up?

Why did I then sit on that couch after my shower probably transferring all the nasty oils back onto my body?

Why didn't I think of all of this before climbing into bed last night and probably transferring those nasty oils into my bed and all over me again?!?!?!?!?!

Why did I take a nap on said potentially infested couch?

Why did I not realize all of this until just a while ago when my arm started itching?

Which then of course set off itching on other places on my body, which gets me even more paranoid that I am covered in the nastiness....

Off to do laundry and hopefully get rid of the rest of it....


PS. I am still itchy...

Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious, Granny Smith....

...notice a trend?

We (and by we I mean Kyle) are going to be working with them. Well, One in particular.

Yup, that one.

We just accepted a job offer from them and after Kyle graduates in June we will be moving up to Cupertino so that he can begin working for Apple Inc.

It is a little bit of a bittersweet thing for us.

We have come to love San Luis Obispo county dearly, our relationship has grown here, we have had our first years of married life here, and we have gained some sweet friends.

But it also feels like we are finally "growing up" by moving, leaving behind the view of us that we are young college students, but rather we are a young couple just starting out in a career and life.

It will also be nice to be back in the Bay Area where we both grew up, me in Los Gatos and Kyle in Morgan Hill, and where our families both still live.

It will be nice to have old friends nearby again and to have family nearby when we start a family.

I will treasure these last few months we have here though, and it is nice to know that it will only be a 3 hour drive away!!!

Anyone want....

A coffee table or a mini trampoline???




I just posted them on Craigslist
Here http://slo.craigslist.org/fuo/1095330378.html
and here http://slo.craigslist.org/spo/1095336676.html
but if you are interested let me know and I will put you at the top of the list!


:::EDIT::: The coffee table is no longer available.

Selective Hearing

So, I am sitting in the office, Kyle is at the desk next to mine (no more than 3 feet away) looking on the internet for ways to fix our car, and I am perusing facebook. I start to speak...

"I have a goal, I want to lose at least 10 pounds before Josh and Jennie's wedding in June so I can buy and wear a sexy dress"

At the word's "Sexy Dress" Kyle's head pops up.

"Huh?"

"Were you listening to me at all?"

"Yeah"

"All you heard was 'wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah Sexy Dress ' huh?"

"Maybe..."

Oh men...