It’s been quiet around here.

The past few days have been just horrible.  I know that sounds dramatic but I have been sick with the worst cold I have ever had, and drama has rolled itself up nicely and made a home there.  It’s like layers upon layers of sickness in my body.  It started with aches in every joint, then head congestion and the following evening, pink eye.  How gross do I feel, being a 26 year old with pink eye?  It’s like the grade school illness.  By the next morning it was practically gone but we went to Urgent Care to get checked out just in case…only there to find I had an ear infection as well.

Yesterday I lost my voice.  My eyes started looking bad again so at 10 last night Ant called the triage department and the nurse urged us to go to the birthing center for drops.  So we went, I changed into the lovely gown and had the straps placed around my belly to monitor the baby.  We hung out in that room for about an hour until they directed us to the ER for meds.

Oh my gosh, by this time it was 11:30 and I still had a few more hours to sit in the waiting room with flaming red, itchy eyes.  When we were finally called back, we got about the most self-assured physician’s assistant that could have been working last night.  He looks me over and asks me, “So what do you want?  Other than to get better?”

I didn’t answer him.

“Because you’re going to get better.”

Oh, some hope!  Just give me those drops everyone’s been telling me I’m going to get.

“All I can give you for your eyes is time.”  And then he went on to explain how basically I have the same cold in my eye that has been in my head and chest and it will clear up in five to seven days.

In my head I’m hearing “everything’s hopeless.”  My eyes had already cleared up once, then gotten worse.  I thought I was on the upswing the day before and then everything plummeted down again.  And now this guy seems to be getting a kick out of denying me the one thing I was clinging to for relief.  So I cried.  I really bawled.  And I tried to explain, “I just want to be better by Christmas!!” but all my tiny raspy voice could muster was “Juh-better-Chri-mahh…”

It was just miserable.

And then the guy agreed to write me a prescription for eye drops, with the guarantee that they won’t really do anything to help my eyes.  Well.  Thank.  You.

I won’t comment on my status now, because I don’t want to jinx things again.  I’ve started taking some cold medicine, which I’ve always stayed away from during pregnancy.  Everyone is so cautious about what’s okay to take, especially being almost full-term.  I’ve been sick a lot of this pregnancy and I’ve just let it run its course each time.  But I think I need some help with this one.  Heading into day six of this layered infection and I am so ready for it to leave me alone.

I had high hopes for this week before Christmas.  I wanted to plan lunch and shopping dates with girlfriends, take Ella out for some Christmas events around town, do some baking…now I think I’ve finally surrendered to the fact that the holidays this year just aren’t the same.  I’ve tried like mad to make them feel the way I always anticipate but with diet restrictions and unending colds, it’s just not feeling right.  It makes me so sad!  Who knew my holiday happiness was deeply based in hot cocoa and cider and baked goodies?  It’s where I store my holiday joy.

Anyway, I didn’t mean for this to turn into a long complaint.  All I can hope is that I am cleared up by Christmas Eve so I can spend those couple days with family.

On a positive note, I have fabric for Ella’s Christmas skirt here in front of me and I’m working on matching headpieces for she and I to wear at Christmas Mass.  I’ve got all of our gifts stashed down the hall so I know a giant wrapping session awaits, which is a task I love.  There are still Christmas movies waiting for their yearly viewing.

I wish I could have this weekend back.  But something seems determined to make me slow down this year and look at Christmas differently.  So I am going to try and do just that.

I know I’ve already got what’s most important around me.  I just need to get my health back on track.

*Up there, how I feel.  Giant head, bulging eyes, and a big red nose.  And Ant looking at me, startled.

Two of my favorites

There are so so many things I am thankful for this year.

Family, friends, their happiness and health.

Opportunities.

You.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

And may we remember to count our blessings throughout the year.

Now onto those pies!  (Maybe just a little slice?)

Hello down there,

from just up here.

This morning I sat at our big white table with the curtains drawn.  The early glow from the backyard made the table shine and the warm tea in my mug glisten.  I’ve been sipping from this particular green mug for a while now, the one that reminds me of Christmas, as a quiet way of ushering in the holiday season.  I want to embrace every little act and speck of beauty of these days.  They just feel magical.

These are my favorite senses right now:

Sight: Ella and Ant building castles on the floor.  They both put their all into creating the tallest, most interesting building together.  Every castle turns out better than the last.

Sound:  The click that sounds as the heater turns on.

Smell:  The heater’s warm air.  It takes me back to the top of my parents’ stairs, sitting on the first step right next to the vent.  I am watching the gold tinsel on my childhood Christmas tree dance in the warm gusts of air.  That’s at the top of my memory bank.

Taste:  The hot cocoa I sipped and shared with Ella Faye last night.  The fact it is semi-forbidden made its sweetness even sweeter.

Touch: The dip between Ella’s tiny toes and the ball of her foot.  I steal a rub there as often as I can.  It reminds me of when we would massage the center of her newborn feet and her even tinier toes would splay apart in response.  I’ve noticed Ant stealing a rub at bedtime too.

What’s leaving a mark on your senses as the weather cools down?

via vol25

Most weeks, for one reason or another, Wednesday turns out to be my hardest day of the week.  This Wednesday, though, this day, was so good.

I woke up from a dream in which I’d just opened my own event planning business (one of my dream jobs, and literally too I guess).  Ant said I’d been grinning in my sleep.
I woke up to rain and grey skies and the promise I’d made to myself that I’d get to have an espresso this morning.
I also woke up to a few sales in the shop.

Ella finally made friends with the talking/singing/crawling Pooh bear in the plush pile by her bed and served him “cake pies” and tea while I searched Martha‘s site for Halloween crafts.

Then, in honor of the rain and 70-something temperature, I pulled on my tights and Ella slipped on her boots and we headed out to get Halloween supplies.
I finally bought some Martha “glit-ter.”  I’d been wanting to for so long.
(I love the way it’s not just glitter.  It’s “glit-ter.”  Has anyone else noticed?)
I painted pumpkins black while the little napped.

When Ant came home, we ran to the post to ship off some caps and went to the farmer’s market for our weekly stock-up.  Ella and I have a date with a gigantic watermelon in the morning.

It really was a nice day.  Maybe Wednesdays aren’t that bad after all.

Now onto the next…here’s to Thursday!

It’s a really great way to get to know someone just a tad bit better, don’t you think?

So I am taking a deep breath and sharing 10 funny habits/guilty pleasures…

1.  (Taking this one from Elsie’s list because I thought it was hilarious – and a relief – that I’m not the only one to do it.)  Whenever I try on an outfit in a dressing room and I think I like it but can’t decide on my own, I snap a picture and send it to Ant.  Even if I have a girlfriend with me on the shopping trip.  I guess I figure, he’s the only one I really want to look good for anyway, so why not go straight to the source?  I have a million photos like these on my phone.

3.  I love love love the smell of children’s books.  I cannot resist opening one up, sticking my nose to the spine, and sucking in a big heavy whiff.  It’s what heaven must smell like.

4.  I think I may have mild OCD.  I have a routine of walking around the house every night before bed, checking certain things to make sure they’re in place, etc.  I’ve gotten a lot better about it over the years.  I used to have to repeat things in my head a second time so that everything felt even to me.
I still have a small irritation with/fear of things in odd numbers.

5.  It takes me an average of three days to text anyone back.  Also, I mostly rely on emails and texts to communicate with friends when we’re apart, rather than talking on the phone.  I have always felt uncomfortable on the phone.

This is a text between Ant and his brother.  I think it’s hysterical.

6.  Without fail, I always forget to put the wet laundry into the dryer.  Also, I hang dry almost every piece of clothing I own.

7.  When I play Canasta, I hold out for as long as I can and try to collect the gigantic pile of cards that has accumulated over the course of the game.

8.  (When I ate Oreos) I only ever ate three a day because that is the serving size stated on the box.  I still remember – three Oreos is 11% of your daily fat.

9.  I only drink a little bit of coffee at a time.  I don’t know if it’s the heat or that I just drink it so slow,  but if I make an espresso at home, I can only drink about half before it is too much.  I put the rest in a sealed glass and stick it in the fridge for the next morning.  I make a Starbucks coffee last about three days.  Is that gross?

10.  Sometimes a great giddiness will come over me out of nowhere that makes me freeze where I am and do a sort of long inner-squeal.  This used to happen a lot in high school.  Every time I would close the bathroom stall I would let out the squeal.  After I had Ella Faye it started happening again, and it would trigger my…motherly instincts.  Anyway, I think it is something to do with endorphins.

And because I don’t want to end on that note…

11.  My friend’s mother refers to Ant and I as her daughter’s “hippie friends.”  And we like it.

Well, have I scared you off?

I recommend doing this activity – it’s fun to realize and embrace the quirks that you’re made up of.

Doing this post reminded me of my favorite Dr. Seuss quote:

“Today you are you, that is truer than true.
There is no one alive who is youer than you.”

Now it’s your turn!  What makes you you?

Here’s to a good week!!

Hope it’s off to a wonderful start!

]]> http://katyverga.com/2010/09/27/bellies/feed/ 0 http://katyverga.com/2010/09/17/ding-dong-its-date-night/ http://katyverga.com/2010/09/17/ding-dong-its-date-night/#comments Sat, 18 Sep 2010 05:22:21 +0000 Katy http://katyverga.com/?p=1819 Tonight I went on a date with my husband.

We went to our never-disappointing standby, LGO.  (Never-disappointing, except for that time my friend found a silverfish in her iced tea, but we choose not to focus on that little let-down.)  We ordered our favorite salads, pizza, and tonight, instead of walking next door to pick up cookies for dessert, we chose one of a plated variety from the restaurant.  This alone was exciting.  We don’t buy desserts too often.

(Dessert to us equals a homemade chocolate chip cookie chunked off the everlasting frozen log in the freezer at 10:30pm.  In bed.)

So our waitress ran down the list of desserts and left us to decide.  I’d seen this Ding-Dong-esque mound float past me minutes earlier and that’s what we settled on.

Intrigue.

Here is “The Old Timer.”

It’s two layers of devil’s food cake with a chocolate shell and that signature loopy line across the top.  Don’t those loops just bring you comfort?  It’s even got cream in the center.

So it looks kind of hokey, but it was really good!  Very rich and very filling, although we did manage to finish it.

Then we went next door and bought a cookie anyway.

Happy weekending to you and yours!

And stay tuned!  I’m planning to share some exciting news in the next few days!!

She still looks like my tiny baby here

Today was one of those days where we stayed in our jammies all morning.

We had seconds on cereal for breakfast.

We read a lot of books.

We had a diaper stand-off between a stubborn mommy and an equally stubborn daughter.  It lasted way too long.

We took an afternoon shower and relaxed in the swing.

…a little too much relaxing.

This 5 minute power-nap may be what led to a short naptime this afternoon.

Today was the sort of day for a surprise treat from a husband on his way home from work.

(Did you know Pumpkin Spice is back?!)

It was the sort of day for coffee in the afternoon.

Then one little munchkin went across the street to play and one tired mommy sat down to work (and have some grown-up fun).

Some of my favorite things

Tonight I got so much sewing done, I can’t believe my eyes.  I made a lot of progress on three freckled girls.  They’re just waiting for buttons and some stuffin’ lovin’.

Tonight seems like the kind of night to watch the Back to the Future sequel in bed with a snack and a backrub.

We’ll see how much of that I can swing.

‘Night.

(image via A Beautiful Mess)

I’ve recently started enjoying the posts by Elsie over at A Beautiful Mess.  Last week she detailed an idea of setting four simple goals for yourself to achieve before the new year.  It’s a refreshing twist on goals, though, because to play along, you must choose goals that are activity-oriented and not result-oriented.  Doesn’t that sound like a way to make goals more attainable?  And enjoyable?  Find out all the details here!

So…I’m jumping in.  Lately I’ve been finding myself in that familiar stagnant rut I’ve paved for myself.  Especially on these muggy summer days, when the heat gets me down and I refuse to go outside.  I’ll be posting as I make headway on my simple goals and then do a big post before the new year, when all should be accomplished.  Here’s what I’m going for:

1. Craft something every day.

This can be anything I make with my hands.  Crochet, knit, sew, make clothes for my girls, I suppose it could even be putting in extra effort when I decorate cupcakes!  A plus – if I set aside time to craft something every day, that means I am setting aside time for myself every day.

2. Drink four (full) glasses of water every day.

I know, you are supposed to drink something like eight per day, but four is a nice step up for me to start with.  And I tend to cheat, and fill my glass half full with ice and then feel good when I finish a glass.  Hence the emphasis on full.

3. Work to make our home more inspired and beautiful.

I don’t know if it’s nesting kicking in, or if I am finally just ready to conquer, but I have been feeling so antsy to get this house more organized.  Bring in the hutches and shelving!  Print the pictures, hang the frames that have been collecting dust!  This spans from purchasing new furniture pieces to simply adding those little touches here and there.  It’s one of those long-term goals!  A plus – This is one I know Ant will be excited to work toward too.  The boy has great taste.  I know we already share the same ideas for our home, and it will be fun to work toward it together!

4. Get my Etsy shops stocked and running.

This may be the goal nearest and dearest to me.  Ant and I have been a part of Etsy for about four years, and we made a nice little savings from our screenprinting venture.  But then things just got too busy and now I’ve refocused on homemade goods for little ones.  My plush doll collection and crochet hats have slowly been building and I’ve got a hefty stock of each just laying about the house, waiting to be styled and photographed all cute.  The photos are my halting point.  I think I’m dealing with a lingering case of lizard brain.  Maybe a fear that my crafts won’t be as accepted as I hope?  It’s time to find out.  Besides, what am I going to do with an army of plush dolls and 30 little hats?  I not making them for myself, I’m making them for any and all.

So that’s it!  Want to play along?  List a goal or two (or three or four) in the comments, or leave a link to your blog.  (Or even better, make “start a blog” one of your goals!!  I know a couple of you girls out there that are toying with it…ahem!)

Now on to Tuesday!  Good night!