So cheap it should be illegal. Or Tide should be illegal.
These 3 ingredients can usually be found at Publix and/or Walmart.
Buy a 5gal bucket with a lid from Home Depot.
Fill with 3gal of hot water (bathtub works for this).
Boil 5 cups of water on the stove in a large pot. Add an entire chopped up Fels-naptha soap bar to the pot and stir until dissolved (I just use a knife and slice into small shredded pieces. Ps. This concoction likes to boil over the pot, rapidly. If this happens, dont panic! Just turn the temp down and after everything is finished your stove top is ready to be scrubbed with a nice smelling new cleaner you made, and spilled all over it).
Pour into the 5gal bucket once dissolved.
Add 1 cup of Borax (powder) and 1/2 cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (powder) to the bucket of water. Stir. And let sit over night.
It gels up, and then before using, you get to stick your arms into the bucket and squish the gel between your fingers until the entire bucket is mixed and able to be poured into your favorite Tide container. We use a 1/2 cup per load of wash, or a capful from my Tide bottle. We keep the bucket in the garage with the lid on it and refill our smaller bottle as needed.
You will have leftover Borax and soda for the next several times you make a batch of detergent, making this the cheapest stuff ever. Enjoy saving money :)
People cloth diaper their babies for many reasons and I get asked all the time why we do it. It was never something I considered until after our Baby Shower Diaper Supply ran out and we began buying our own disposables and then I really started looking into it when Sunny was one and I got pregnant- I was buying 2 sizes of Pampers which was eating into my personal shopping money. After I decided that we could only save so much money letting Sunny just be naked and pee as she pleased outside, I started to cloth diaper her. So we do it for that and that only- to save money. I dont care about the environment (sorry!) or the harmful chemicals in disposables (really? What about all the chemicals in EVERYTHING else, every single toy and baby equipment we all own.....?). And there really isnt a huge cost when it comes to washing and drying these suckers either. We make our own laundry detergent, wash on the smallest load, and hang dry the diaps outside. We're in Florida! The sun does the work for me...
Ok, so the point of that paragraph is... Why do you want to cloth diaper your baby?
Everything I learned about cloth diapers... I learned from Brooke. Or trial and error. Or online, which is difficult since there are a LOT of diff types of cloth diapers, and everyone online likes to speak in a weird cloth diaper code (lots of acronyms).
I'd suggest joining http://www.babycenter.com/ and then joining some of their groups about cloth diapering. There is one subtlety titled, Cloth Diapering. Its a good place to start. And then there are groups about each brand, about selling used diapers (this is huge! Buying these expensive diapers used is not weird, its totally acceptable and done!), and about.... pictures with your baby IN the cloth diapers, whatever. There is a lot of info there. This is where I discovered that women on these boards have 60-100 cloth diapers and are gonna probably be on a new reality tv series soon if they dont start controlling their obsession.
After some research, Jenalee & I started using gDiapers. They looked super cool but had 3 pieces you had to rig together, almost each diaper change. Sure Jason and I figured it out, but forget letting the grandparents do it- too much work. & Jena and I both came to the same conclusion- these diapers leaked, making disposables look so desirable that she quit and I sold mine.
After more research I zeroed in on my favs so far. They were the least amount of pieces- 1!- and have amazing reviews. They also have a new design on the outer part which makes them super cute. They are the Bum Genius brand and we bought the 4.0 All-In-One Elementals (see how confusing this is, there are SOOOOO many names for these things).
Makes it only 1 piece and easy. Each diaper change you get a new diaper, just like disposables. Thats easy to remember, right? I guess the downfall to that is that you need at least as many diapers as you change each day. Sunny's old enough that she only does about 6 changes a day and we currently have 10 BGs (bumgenius). We will get more as... we get more money, lol. They are one of the most expensive (I got ours on sale at http://www.cottonbabies.com/, free shipping, for $19ea) but I know what I'm paying for now- the assurance that they wont leak! That I wont lay awake at night and wonder if I should let Sunny fuss back to sleep if she wakes up or check that her jammies arent soaking in pee! Its nice to have peace of mind, especially in the middle of the night concerning your baby. We're also paying for convenience and the fact that our parents can cloth diaper our baby without a big drama.
I mainly cloth Sunny while we are at home. But if we leave the house I grab one and bring it with us, even though I also have back-up disposables in the car. Plus wipes. And we have a cute 'wetbag' I bought on ETSY to throw in any wet/dirty cloth diapers to take back home to wash.
Then the washing part... Its not exciting, its not that fun. But its worth it. If Sunny has a dirty diaper, immediately after changing we dump it into the toilet then into a bucket, with a lid, that sits next to the toilet. There is nothing in the bucket (sometimes people have a 'wet' bucket that they think may be cleaner? Its filled with water, detergent, vinegar, anything you want- but it sounds messier to me). After the diaper bucket is full, you run out of cloth diapers, or its been 2-3 days, we wash. I toss everything in the bucket into the wash with some vinegar, or nothing if I forget, and do a rinse cycle. Smallest load and hottest water. That finishes in about 10 minutes- then I pour in the detergent that I make myself, and do a whole cycle, with the same small load and hot water. Then I hang to dry. And in the meantime, if all of the diapers are washing/drying, we have to use disposables! So... I need more cloth diapers. I sometimes time it so that I only do half as many diapers in the wash so I always have some clean/ some washing/drying. But I really do just need more diapers.
Watch the youtube video here on the EXACT diaper Sunny wears- same colors, same snaps, same All-In-Ones. It clears up exactly what to do and how easy they are:
You can grow up to be whatever you want to be.
I know when I was younger, the people who told me this phrase (teachers, guidance counselors, my parents) had good intentions, but not realistic intentions.
I for one will not be telling my kids they should be whatever they want to be. Of course I believe they could be anything, but thats besides the point. My daughter can be a teacher if she wants and my son can get a Phd in French Poetry. But what no one tells you when you're 17 is that there isnt a need for more teachers by the time you finish school and to use a degree like French Poetry you'll have to move. To France.
My useless degree in Business Management (& Education now!) is what sparks this blog post. I wish someone had sat me down and said how important it would be in my near future for more pharmacists or IT techs. That majoring in those subjects would "guarantee" I'd have a job, or jobs to choose from even, and not a job I'd have to move to Miami or New York to find, but one I could find in any town I preferred to live in.
So, as I said. I wont be telling my children to be whatever they want. Yes, they CAN be whatever they want, but to have more control over your life, your job, your happiness, you SHOULD be what the market needs you to be.... Just a thought.
It's been a good evening. After Sunny whined and cried for "snack!" and denied my offering of yummy oranges, I demanded we leave the house. We walked to our neighbors for a beer and to socialize our 1 yr old with their just-turned-two year old.
If Sunny's not being pushed down by her, hit, or having things thrown at her, this little girl is smothering her with hugs, trying to hold her hand and drag her around like she's her baby, or feed her with various play utensils. There is no happy medium so Sunny is always on guard. Its her BFF, though. Talks about her all the time.
She taught Sunny how to grab at things and hold them fiercely to her chest while announcing "MINE!" Its the worst. Which is what I thought until we got home for dinner. I made amazing Thanksgiving dinner in Feb: a fresh stuffed turkey breast with squash and peas. And Sunnylee ate it all. I'm talking bite after bite after bite of peas. Really, that could've been all she had and I would be happy, just like any mother. There was the other stuff she ate so I was just happy-happy. In perspective, Sunny screams "Mine!" But she also eats peas and eats most meals well, whereas the neighbor kid had mac n cheese. I saw before we left.
Print this out or write it down and prepare for the beginning of a beautiful addiction. For those who dont live in a town with a Starbucks on every other corner, this Frappuccino will fullfil your craving. FYI, even when your toddler is begging for a sip, I'd reccomend not giving her one even though you think the coffee flavor will immediately turn her off. It does the opposite in fact. Makes her scream with delight. And sign for "more". I aso dont recommend discovering this treat when you're 8mo pregnant. There's no predicting how many I will drink before Baby Glig #2 pops out.
*Give yourself time to prepare these, since the choc syrup needs to cool and the coffee ice cubes need to freeze.
For the coffee ice:
3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups warm strong coffee
For the chocolate syrup:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ounce milk chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frappes:
1 cup reduced-fat milk
Whipped cream, for topping
Directions
Make the coffee ice: Stir the sugar into the coffee until dissolved, then let cool. Pour into a 16-cube ice-cube tray and freeze until solid, about 3 hours.
Make the chocolate syrup: Combine the sugar and cocoa powder in a saucepan and slowly whisk in 2/3 cup hot water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking, until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 5 minutes; do not boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate, honey and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cool.
Make the frappes: Puree 8 coffee ice cubes, 1/2 cup milk, 1/3 to 1/2 cup chocolate syrup and 1 cup plain ice in a blender until smooth. Pour into 2 glasses, then repeat to make 2 more drinks. Top with whipped cream and more chocolate syrup.
Its possible that I will fall asleep before finishing this post.
We had a rather busy weekend, like most weekends in the Glig's January/February schedule. Jason went to the Keys with my brothers for a bachelor weekend for Matt. We attended a Superbowl party and Jason golfed with my brother Robert this morning, Monday. I had a baby appointment followed by shopping and socializing with the girlies Friday, a 2 year old party Saturday, and Okeechobee plus play dates with Sunny's friend Beau up through today.
When the Gligs got home to Sebastian, it was all business though- major cleaning. I did everything at my level- counter tops, surfaces, kitchen, etc. whereas Jason did the floors and picking up. I am unable to bend over and clean/pick up Legos and tea cups and stuffed animals. Too much pressure and effort at this point in the pregnancy.
We had all the windows and doors open in the house. The wind was blowing at hurricane force, knocking things over inside and out- it blew one of my fav pieces of art off the shelf in Sunny's playroom which crashed to the floor and glass shattered everywhere. I would've been more upset, but the quickness in which Jason came running to our 'rescue' made up for it. I was impressed with his concern. I predicted a "What was that?!" from him but instead got a dash to check on our safety. I shut all the windows/doors at that point, noting the temp from 82* inside, an increase from when we first got home! I couldnt stand the heat or wind any longer. I put the thermostat on 75* and went on with our afternoon in peace, the wind howling outside unable to get in finally.
Jason did some computer work and then we sat on our deck and talked about life until dinner arrived. Yes, it was delivered. Home made, fresh from the oven, from our neighbors. It is the first meal in our meal exchange 'program' that we have going on right now with them. We made them a Thai curry 2 Mondays ago and this was our first time having one of their meals. Remember, he is a chef on John's Island, a club so exclusive that his mother cant even eat there. We are pretty lucky. Ok, so he made a lamb ragu, is what he called it. I call it (not to his face!)Hamburger Helper, but classy of course. No powdered cheese. The lamb must've taken ages to make, but whatever- it was amazing. I think Sunnylee ate more than I did! She can scarf down some pasta....
We are 34 weeks this week with Baby Glig #2, or 8 months. As of my next appointment next week I will be seeing the Dr weekly until the babe arrives. Its gone by quick, really. I had been sick since 30 weeks, just getting over that last week and I'm not exaggerating, it was at least 14 days. Now sleepiness has crept in, just like the 1st trimester. I am tired by 11a! I drag along behind Sunny until her nap time when I can finally rest, too. Then drag behind her until her daddy comes home. The baby is ready, I believe, trying its hardest to kick out. I was reading a magazine in bed the other night and the baby kicked it right off my stomach. I dont recall this much power (and moving so often) with my first pregnancy, although it must've been similar.
We are finalizing plans with what we're gonna do with Sunny when its go time. The plan is to not plan anything until it happens and whoever is not working and available will take Sunny for the delivery time. I need to mention this to my brothers so they know.... Mom and dad will want to be at the hospital for the delivery, but after that they will take Sunny for a couple nights until we get home again. That's the 'plan'.
I did something this week. Productive. Something to check off the list of tasks I've been needing to accomplish. I ordered wedding photos AND put them into my frames that I've had sitting out, blank, for at least 5mo (I didnt get too crazy, I havent ordered any other wedding photos, just these 5, lol). But how nice right? Now I can almost start buying picture frames again since I put myself on a ban, No Buying Frames until I filled up the ones I have.
Cuz this scenario has been existing in our home since we bought it in April:
And this:
But I did order the photos for the frames above my bed (2nd photo). They're just not in it yet.
We've "let" Sunny go the past few weeks and I am happily typing away this morning to say that we are getting back to normal, back to where we want to be.
She is a good eater & a good napper, but this toddler thing had come out of her and she changed. Every 10 minutes (or each time she finished her snack) she was at the pantry or refrigerator needing another. Begging, stamping her feet, pulling my hand to the door. Sometimes it worked, she got raisens. Other times I said "No" and she'd throw herself around, real tears, toss anything in her hands... Then she'd straightened up and grabbed my hand with big eyes and try and pull me towards the panty... *sigh
Then her naps were the issue. She learned a new cry & liked to test it out for 20min+ at naptime. It did wonders, kept her out in the house with her parents, it pushed her naps back in the day to almost non existant (scary!) and it even got her rocked to sleep followed by a pleasant nap in mommies bed.
All these things had to stop. She wasnt sitting at her highchair and eating meals anymore, she was too full from crackers so she'd throw her dinner around then scream until she got down and was able to sit in daddies lap. She was waking before 7a. That is just wrong in this house. We have a "Do not disturb until 7a sharp!" rule here and she is breaking it!
So... we did this:
-stuffed her with breakfast, when she is most hungry
-a smoothie gets her "through" until lunchtime
-no snacks until dinner!
--- This is difficult, as Jason is usually home by 3 and she looooves to manipulate between us, or basically go to her daddy for anything she wants. But its a rule now, so in order to keep her mind off snacks, we cant be so lazy and hang out inside. We go outside for bikerides, wagon pulls to the park, deck time where she plays in her sandbox, etc etc. You should see her put down her dinner now! Stuffing it in her mouth long after Jason and I have finished. Its nice to have a hungry child with an appetite! Nothings worse than sitting down to a meal, not hungry. I feel like throwing food around then, too....
Naps:
Pushed it back farther in the day (it used to start anywhere from 10a-1130. Yesterday I managed to make her last until 1230. She started whining for her Lambies then). She slept for 2 1/2 hours. Also pushed her bedtime back a half hour to 730p. I will push her nap back even farther until its at 130 or 2p. I think. To make sure she's extra tired and whatnot....
As I type this it is 730a; she's woken up consistantly at 645a for weeks. It worked. A+ for our parenting skills this week.
During the last 8 days I managed to bang out a few updates on FB about my current sickly status. Only today, day 8, no exaggerating, have I begun the day with a sense of hope instead of hopelessness.
Being pregnant is hard on your body. Being pregnant and chasing a 1 year old is even harder. Being pregnant, nursing a sick 1 year old for a few sleepless nights/days, then instantly catching the sickness yourself for EIGHT DAYS is the worst. Jason said I was pretty funny during that time. And to quote Bee Movie, "if I didnt laugh, I'd cry"...
My phone conversations with Jenalee usually started with "I dont know why we're still talking about this"-- it was just rediculous how many phone calls began with how sick I still was. Longest and worst cold EVER. That turned into a sinus infection, in case anyone needed the details. I am on the mend, antibiotics are doing their job so now I can finally do mine.
A very quick thanks to my husby for vacuuming around me while I was splayed across the recliner, with Sunnylee hot on his heels for attention. And for coming home early from work most of those days & moving his schedule around when I was at my worst. Very thankful :)
The new baby--- I am 32 weeks along, 8 months officially. We are all guessing that this time around it is a boy, what with all the movement thats been going on in there and my recent sickliness- I blame the baby. Just today I began going through Sunny's old things to locate everything newborn. I have 2 stacks of newborn girl clothes ready to go, and another stack of neutral newborn clothes in case we have a little boy. I found lots of baby teethers and rattles that I cleaned and I have a pile of linens to be washed no matter what the baby is. Its getting exciting; I told Jason that on March 1 we'll officially "get ready for baby"- get things down from the attic, set up the carseat, etc. But I couldnt help pulling out the tiny clothes today with Sunnylee....
I've received a pot, accompanied with a matching lid & a metal holder/handles thingy, for our wedding. It sits under our kitchen table on a little shelf made just for it (not likely as we got the table first). It is a gold/brown color thats hard to describe, doesnt match a thing, and I'm not sure it was made in this century. It never had a job, anything to do, or any real use to me. Until now.
Jason entertained a couple of our neighbors tonight who enjoyed beers out on the finished deck (photos of the deck to follow soon). Beers turned into an offer to stay for dinner since I'd made a tortilla soup that was ready, & as soups go, overfilling the pot (no, this is not where The Pot got its use, its a different pot).
As we ate, our neighbor, The Hawaiian as we call him, told a story about how his brother was in a co-op with his neighbors. They had a pot, it was large and never previously used, made of clay or was pottery-ish, I dont know. They came up with this idea between a few families that whoever had The Pot in their possession was in charge of making a meal large enough for their family and for another, that filled The Pot. They'd then let the family know ahead of time they were making a meal and then drop off The Pot full of whatever and be on their way. One family didnt have to cook that day. The Hawaiian said it wasnt ever planned too much, not every Saturday or anything, not even a weekly event. Just a random night. The family that dropped it off didnt stay and eat, it wasnt like that (and this is why Jason isnt sold on the idea! He thought it was a social thing, apparently the only reason for him to do anything).
So, what makes me jump so fast at dinner tonight to The Pot that I have, The Pot that I want to immediately begin passing back and forth with the Hawaiian family, is that the Hawaiian is a chef in the number three country club in the nation, in Vero Beach. A club so exclusive I doubt his own mother could eat there. Of course I want to eat something he makes in this pot! I own the pot, its in my house, so Jason & I are the first to try it out.
Ps. It is intimidating feeding The Hawaiian. When I asked him what his plans were for dinner, trying to upload some of my soup onto him since I'm not a fan of leftovers or wastage (& I'm nice, he looked hungry, and I wanted company for me and Jase for dinner), I know full well that he's had a better meal, that my foodnetwork.com recipe of Santa Fe Tortilla soup is somehow not up to his standards and missing something key, and that he could make it better. But I still have fed him on more than one occasion and he is always grateful and praises whatever it is. Even offers me nice tips that are helpful and not condescending in the least bit. He doesnt have a Gordon Ramsey bone in his body.
Pps. Some of you may know have put this together that this Hawaiian is the same guy who drops off the delicious bread in our mailbox on a weekly basis. We informed him tonight, after receiving at least 8 loaves of bread last fall/this winter, that when we get his bread, we dont cook for days. Its toast in the morning, bread and cheese for lunch, and brushcetta for dinners. I specifically go out the next morning and buy the best mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil and eat bruschetta like a crazy craving pregnant lady... I predict a loaf this very week.
I was doing some math and thought... if Jason only works about 6 hours in a reg workday, and Sunny keeps up these 3 hour naps she's taking, and Jason comes home and has daddy time with his daughter for another 3 hours.... it adds up to a nice little number that I'm smiling about.
Two things that these 2 women did today that make me mad (now that I'm a mom):
-hoisting around a 40lb nine month old in Target who is chopping down Cheetos. If you didnt know, 9mo olds should weigh less than half that and Cheetos are the devil. Not good for adults, def not made for babies (clearly).
-a middle aged (and I'm assuming single and jobless by appearance and time of day) lady thinking that our nice playground across the street with children's slides and swings in it is an appropriate place for taking her dogS off-leash to... ya know, do their business. This is where babies learning to walk, put leaves in their mouths, and roll around in the grass. It is not a dog park.
can't I meet cool moms & dads at the park like I did today, all the time? This little family of 6 was from Sweden on holiday and leaving Sunday. Boo.
They had 1 1/2 year old twin girls as well. Perfect family to chat with and play with. So frustrating that all I meet are... not. I've had so many first dates with moms who had potential, until we met and the kids are wearing _______, eating ________, and throwing tantrums so awful I shield Sunny's eyes (she's a self-taught tantrum thrower as it is, she doesnt need inspiration).
Jason & I went to the river this afternoon for a walk along the water with Sunnylee in her stroller. It was exactly what I needed after a morning of scrubbing the floors on my hands and knees, making laundry soap, sewing, learning another language... and other housewifey things. We entertained ourselves without food and/or drinks! Amazing! Then we met the Swedish family at the park after our walk and passed the afternoon away exactly how I wish most afternoons would unfold. I didnt even dread the return to the homestead since the only thing waiting for me there was turning the oven to 375* and throwing in a Sam's pizza. Yum. If only I'd had my credit card on me for the driveby RedBox so I couldve rented Twilight... hmm. Thinking of sending Jase there after pizza. Or now.
I've realized I've been slacking with photos and videos. Its a new year, I'm ready now. Not actually right now, since I dont have a picture of our glorious afternoon, but I'll be ready in the morning. I'll go charge my cameras and upload pics. I bet I even have xmas pictures somewhere....
Planted pansies in my hanging pots sitting on our new deck, in the sunshine.
Long shower.
Blew hair dry.
Put on makeup.
Commenced to eat my moms homemade cornbread and black eyed peas.
Feeling normal now.
I plan on feeding Sunnylee the very same meal when she wakes, followed by an afternoon spent at our tiki bar on the water we like to frequent. I am looking forward to a real Corona with 2 limes. Today. & then sushi tonight in Vero. All things that make me happy on the first day of 2011.
Sunny sometimes wakes up periodically throughout the night, usually after 4a, and we let her shuffle around and cry a little until she goes back to sleep. But when its cold like it has been here in Florida, we lay awake and wonder aloud if she's cold, too. We have the heater on and she is layered up with a singlet, socks, and her warmest feety jammies- and still she's cold.
We cant be the only parents who worry that their kids are cold, and rightfully so- Jason usually goes and gets her and they sleep the rest of the morning, warm, under our comforter, & on the recliner.
I found it originally on Halo's website under Sleep Sacks for Early Walkers. It would've been over $36 to order one there. On amazon.com it is $20 (with shipping) and will be here by Friday. Not that we will really need it Friday night; I think we will use it during the really cold nights. It is basically a blanket worn over the pajamas. The reason this is needed is because Sunny has never kept a blanket on. She is too young to pull one over herself. We also put her in her crib awake each night, but sleepy. She sometimes stands and moves around before nodding off, thus throwing off any blankets. I creep in there before bed to cover her once for the night... & that must get thrown off about 4a.
Send out New Years cards instead of a holiday card. I think this will be the new "in" thing to do. And I have a few unique ideas. And I'm sick of the same 'ole Christmas poses, you know what they are: I saw a lot of yours this year.
Save my pennies each month for a bigger Christmas tree. Jason totally got the upper hand this season with the tree height decisions and next year its my turn. No less than 8 feet to make up for 2010's slack.
Not get pregnant.
Run a half-marathon with my dad. This has many goals in mind, including the actual distance would be a first- plus the Gligs are planning an Aussie Christmas down unduh and I want to be able to wear a tank top and shorts (in their dead of summer) and, I know this is pushing it, a bikini.
Find a decent Christmas parade. Sebastians was dismal.com/letdown for me and Sunny, and even Jason couldnt finish a drink in the amount of time the parade lasted. Boooooo. I've heard Vero's is nice.
Finish learning German before we actually go there in June. I've got many many hours to log in, I'm loving it, but finishing is key.
Thats all I can think of right now. I just ran every month through my mind and it is insane the amount of things we have to accomplish this year. I keep repeating this each year, but it really will be our most eventful year to date.
I'll be 28 this year, celebrating our 2 year anniversary of being married, applying for Jasons permanent residency (he's conditional at the moment. On condition that I sign, as his wife, that he is aloud to stay, hehehe), applying for a real-persons mortgage at a bank (thats a long story....), oh, I forgot- have Baby Glig #2 somewhere in there, then host Jasons parents at our place for awhile, then follow them to Germany!, train for half-marathon in between all this, celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary (this will be the only year or it will just be too many anniversaries for us)... Jason turns 33 or something up-there like that, and we'll conclude our busy 2011 in Oz. See, told ya it was a lot. VERY hopeful and excited for 2011. Lets do it!
Not being sick (which we never are, but I do not take this for granted).
Cleaning day (equalling a pleasently smelling house thats also nice to look at).
Babies kicking inside me.
A wagon ride.
Mail.
Etsy.com
Traveling the world.
A good photo, usually with Sunny in it.
Meme & Papa.
Weekly Skyping with the Original Glig(orov)s.
Gardening.
Sewing projects.
Online poker (can you guess who's favorites these items belong to?)
Lambie.
Three Lambies.
My weekly meal plan & the results (a new dinner every night!)
Coffee & GMA
A tan (this was hard to remember since its so cold right now and I'm really liking Uggs over a tan).
Running (also hard to remember).
18 holes of golf.
Evo. & Bluetooth. I decided yesterday that I need to wean myself off things (aftermath of Christmas). Mmmm but I love my Evo.
Popcorn and butter at the theater.
Getting my hair done.
Bathtime.
Learning another language.
Most things in my life make me happy. I love my life.
& like Brooke told me to, go make your own list. Its refreshing.
I had my first doctor's appointment in Jupiter this week. Once, I was looking forward to delivering Baby Glig #2 fifteen minutes away from my house, in Vero Beach. Now I am back to driving over an hour, like we did with Sunnylee. Upsides: same Drs who delivered Sunny and a hospital that has the most amazing delivery suites.... Ahh.... cant wait.
We are 26 weeks along in this pregnancy, about 6 1/2 months and depending on where you look, in the 3rd trimester apparently, though I think I'll announce that at 28 weeks. Seems more appropriate. Baby is kicking often and other than extreme allergies, I am doing fine.
Our family has been nice and busy, making December fly by. There have been Christmas parties, parades, a moms meeting, Dr & hair appointments (both equally important), & Aussies visiting to pass the time. Jason and Sunny and I had a great week entertaining his mates from Sydney. I mostly enjoyed all the dining out we did. I realized today we didnt take one photo of the entire week... dissapointing!
The short version of our Christmas letter this year is that we found someone foolish enough to give us a mortgage and we moved to Sebastian Florida, everyone is fine and/or pregnant, we had a great summer where it was too hot to even think about going outside, there was a wedding, nothing tragic that we couldn’t expertly deal with occurred since last Christmas, & we are not yet rich and will be less so after the 25th. For those of you with stamina, a more detailed account follows:
In January we traveled to Australia where Sunnylee met our friends and family for the first time. In April we bought our first home. We have a guest bedroom (& grass to mow and carpet to vacuum) so feel free to visit anytime. In September, twenty five friends and family members from the US, Australia, and Germany all traveled to Maui for a Very Gligorov Wedding. Jason and I said vows to stay together ‘til the bitter end. It was gold.
Jason is still at his job; it appears that his bosses love him! And since his job directly involves beer, I don’t see the two parting ways any time soon. Thank goodness for that, my paycheck has been quite small since, well, since I met Jason is really when it all started... He’s taken up golf with a Tiger-like fervor, hasn’t lost to anyone in table tennis since moving here, and I quote him, “I continued my career as a father.” That’s gonna be a long stressful career. But most fulfilling.
I’ve returned to my job, which is baby-maker. It doesn’t offer too many benefits: in fact, insurance is out of the question. Its temporary, I only have through March. But seriously, the pregnancy’s been a breeze thankfully, or maybe I just have other things on my mind, like “I haven’t heard Sunny for a bit…Are the baby gates up?” We’ve kept the gender a surprise like the first time, loving the reactions of others. Oh, and we do it for an easier time during labor, its life’s only surprise … & tradition. But really to ^#&@ off our friends. Yes, I just used salty language in our Baby Jesus’ Birthday letter.
Sunny can already say about 500 words, six of which are in English. Maybe she’s learning German faster than I am? Since we don’t have a dog it’s also fun to teach her sign language. She can sign you right off the farm, as animals are her obsession currently. Her other interests include eating while staying in size 6 month clothing for over a year (I think she’s doing Pilates in her crib) and training to be a metal detector by finding all the screws her daddy leaves laying about the deck construction going on out our back door. She’s managed to keep us fearful in 2010 by falling face first out of her wagon onto the road, keeping one fever at 105 for a few days, and most recently, jumping into the [full of water] bathtub when bath time was clearly over. At Thanksgiving dinner this year, when it was my turn to give thanks, I said, “We are thankful that Sunny’s nose is slightly bigger or it never would’ve stuck above the surface for air that night.”
Love from us: Jason, Abby, Sunnylee, Baby Glig #2, Rudolph, Dancer, Prancer, etc . . .
P.S. If a yearly review of the Gligorovs just isn’t good enough, visit www.thegliglife.com
