36 Weeks

Little Eddie could come as early as a week from today and be considered "on time." Crazy.

Last week my belly was protruding to about the 13" mark and this week it is only a little bigger.

~36 weeks:
I know my weight gain has slowed because between my last doctor's appointments (which were two weeks apart) I'd only gained 1 pound. So maybe I won't be getting much bigger...here's hoping!

My feet have gotten used to being swollen and fat, so now my hands are taking the toll. Every morning when I wake up, my fingers really hurt and are feel quite swollen. (I've always had pudgy fingers so it isn't totally obvious that they are swollen.) I have to make sure to fall asleep with my wrists in a straight position (as opposed to curled up under my chin or something) or I'll really pay for it the next morning.

The middle finger knuckle on my left hand is particularly bad...it feels like what I imagine arthritis would feel like. Luckily the pain goes away after I've been up for a while...but then the tips of my fingers on my right hand go numb and get all tingly. It is very annoying, especially while trying to do something (like cooking or writing thank you notes for baby shower gifts) that requires feeling in my hands!

The doctor said it is normal since water retention can occur around the tendons in my hands and arms. He suggested that I buy a bowler's wristlet thing to wear while I'm sleeping. I wore one on each hand last night but it almost made my left hand feel worse. Hopefully it'll work tonight. (To be honest, I'm not sure I wore it correctly...I think I'll reverse it tonight and see if that helps.) I'm not sure how much more of this I can take...and I still have another 1-6 weeks of being pregnant!

(I'm sure you're all thinking, "why don't you just not do anything and relax so your hands don't hurt?" Well, I'm one of those people who has to constantly be doing something...lest I go stir-crazy. So that's not an option. And yes, I realize I'll need to just relax and sleep as much as possible when Eddie comes to recover from the birth. During our last birthing class the teacher urged us moms-to-be to take at least the first two weeks and just stay in bed with the baby as much as possible, even though we'll have a "high" from the birth and want to get a bunch of stuf done. Dave turned and just stared at me--like he was trying to emblazon her words on me. It made me laugh, but I know she's right. But until then...)

Three Border Collies

Davis is such a dog-loving community. Almost everyone we know has a dog and the city has several dog parks. The best one is called Toad Hallow and it is about 2 acres of grass and trees. We love taking our dogs there because there is plenty of room for them to chase after the frisbee or tennis ball. Plus, there are always tons of cute dogs to pet and really nice people to talk to.

I've given up trying to walk all three dogs at once since Emmy is an intense puller (even with her "gentle leader" thing on). And I feel too guilty walking only one or two at a time--whoever has to stay home barks and cries. So I usually just take them to the dog park in the evenings or wait until it is really late (like 11pm so we don't bother anyone) and take them to the park next to our house for some ball-throwing.

Emmy, Potatoes, Ruby, and their border collie friend at the park, Baxter:I'm not sure of the logistics of taking my two dogs and a baby to the dog park in the coming months. Walking even two dogs while pushing a stroller seems tricky...and when the dogs are herders it seems like it'll be a tangled mess. Ruby, being a "Mama's girl" and a border collie, always walks in a crescent around me on walks. This herding behavior is innate so there's really no point fighting it. My arms get a good work out on our walks because I'm constantly moving the leash back and forth between my hands so I don't get tangled up. So how am I supposed to do that with a stroller? I guess I'll figure it out when the time comes...otherwise I'll have to put Eddie in a carrier or Kelty pack we bought (talk about an upper body work out!).

Anyway...Emmy is getting along with other dogs so well these days. She is very dominant and wasn't used to being around other dogs at all when Edward first adopted her. Although she still nips Ruby on occasion, generally they get along very well. There are definitely no more fights that I have to worry about.

Ruby and Emmy snoozing together on the futon:My dogs are adjusting quite well to having their cousin in the house. They love to run along the fence monitoring all the people going to/from the park ("border" patrol...get it?) and follow me around the house. Ruby is such a "Mama's girl" so she is acting a little more possessive of me and my stuff now that someone else is in the house. I caught her laying on top of my stinky shoes the other day and it made me laugh so much! I know dogs love anything that smells like their owners...like dirty clothes...but shoes? That doesn't even look comfortable.
Since Potatoes is the most relaxed and submissive dog ever, he's not phased at all with Emmy around...except that you can tell how much he loves her.

Seriously, who wouldn't love this little pup?

This is Why I Have Two Ovens

I made 7 loaves (5 batches) of zucchini bread last night. Over the last two weeks, Dave has brought me lots of little green and yellow zucchini squash from our garden that we planted on Easter at his parents' house. His mom loves snap peas and zucchini so we planted LOTS for her. She wanted two rows of zucchini--one yellow and one green. So now there are more fruits than anyone knows what to do with.

I've pawned three loaves off on my mom (who is here with me for a few days) to take home for herself and for a neighbor. The other pre-sliced and bagged loaves will remain in our freezer as part of the "post baby food stash."

I could have actually used a third oven since I could only fit 2 loaf pans in each oven at a time...but that's a little insane. =)

Mexican Casseroles: One of My Favorites

A few days ago I made a bunch of Mexican casseroles for the freezer. These are one of my favorite casseroles--they have cheese, beans, and tomatoey sauce...what's not to love?

Here's the how-to in case you're interested. It is so simple you're going to wonder why I bothered adding all the pictures. The reason is because many people don't really read (they just look at pictures and skim the text)...and I was bored.

1. Make some Spanish rice. Just mix cooked rice and marinara sauce together. I use my dad's marinara sauce but you can use whatever sauce you have on hand (marinara, pasta, etc.).
2. Brown up some ground meat. I normally just use ground beef and add taco seasoning. But this time I used the Chipotle pork sausage we decided we didn't like all that much as breakfast sausage. Whatever you use, just make sure you brown it heavily for the best flavor. Grey ground beef is yucky.
3. Put a layer of rice on the bottom of each casserole pan and sprinkle it with cheese.4. Then spread out the meat.
5. Then schmear it with refried beans. Normally I made my own refried beans but I didn't have the energy so I used giant cans of it from the store. Top with cheese, lots of cheese.
6. Wrap 'em up for the freezer. Most people would say something like "keeps for 1 month in the freezer." Fooey. I've had some of these in the freezer for like 6 months or longer and they still tasted great.

I used some disposable tin containers from the Dollar Store that come with a piece of cardboard for the lid (basically a take-out container). Those boards can't go in the oven, but I've found that they are great for stacking casseroles in the freezer. So here's how I used them:

Put a piece of foil over the dish and press it down on top of the food so it won't get freezer burn (no air = no freezer burn).Then lay the cardboard on top of that.
Seal the edges of the container with the foil that is hanging out and curl up the edges of the container around the foil and the board.

Then I labeled them with directions so anyone in my house can heat one up without having to ask me.
Super yummy, super easy. Go make some!

Independence Day 2009

Here's what Dave and I have done (mostly together) over the past several 4th of July's:

2008: I was on a two week soils class trip and saw fireworks while camping near the horse barns at the Marysville, CA fairgrounds. Dave stayed home in Davis with the dogs but didn't see any fireworks. This was the only time in the last 6 years that we weren't together on July 4th. 2007: We celebrated with a huge family/friends gathering at Dave's papa's coast house in Gualala and then watched the fireworks from the ocean cliffs below. The fireworks were launched from behind the grocery store his family owns but won't ever happen again because a bunch of bird lovers at the Sea Ranch have claimed that the noise caused some birds to permanently flee their nests.

2006: We were on our honeymoon in Aswan, Egypt, staying at a rundown resort on Elephantine Island. This place was supposed to be "4 star" but only the views were (everything about this resort screamed 1970s and it was being rennovated at the time...but even the pool was closed while we were there!) It was so hot that the guide made us go back to the hotel for most of the day to avoid the heat. So we only toured for a few hours in the morning and then again later that night.

Bored with the tv shows in our room we ventured out on the island to look at the feluccas sailing by and the ancient stone temples built into the hills across the river. I remember we ordered dinner in our room that night--Dave had a burger and I had tikka chicken. Strange, the little things that you remember years later.2005: We saw the fireworks on the warf in Point Arena, CA with our nephew, Bear.

2004: We were staying in Amsterdam on our post-college Europe trip with a bunch of our friends. That night we took the train to a beach and played frisbee until we almost missed the return train back to the city.2003: We got to see fireworks, drive-by style all across the bay area as we drove to SFO to pick up our friend, Prav, from his flight.
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2009: This year we made a bunch of different types of food--shrimp skewars, veggie skewars, jalapeno poppers wrapped in bacon, grilled corn, and steak. Holy crap, it was so good! Most people think of burgers, hot dogs, and potato salad as standard 4th fare. We wanted lots of veggies, I wanted shrimp, and Dave wanted steak. This way we had it all! (Eating for two rocks!)

Dave's grilled corn is so yummy--he heats it for a while wrapped in foil with butter and then takes it out for a few minutes to char for flavor.

The best shrimp marinade of the three (the other two aren't worth mentioning) was Firecracker Shrimp from The Pioneer Woman website (my latest blog-obsession)--one part Shiracha red chili sauce, one part olive oil, a dash of sugar, and some minced garlic. Holy moly these were amazing. But next time we'll skewar them with pineapple chunks in between each shrimp.I saw the recipe for these poppers on The Pioneer Woman and just had to try them. They were soooooooooo good. We were thinking they'd be even better with some bleu cheese mixed into the cream cheese and put as the topping on sliders. (I'll try it and let you know.)
We finished dinner just in time to bike a few blocks away to a grassy spot near a business park to see the fireworks. The business park is across from a field of tomatoes so there was nothing in the way of our view. It has been 5 months since I rode my bike (the cardiologist said to avoid it) and it was strange to feel my belly hit my legs as I peddled.

For dessert I made festive red, white, and blue shortcakes--mini cakes layered with strawberries and blueberries and topped with freshly whipped cream.
Happy 4th everyone!
Oh, and I can't believe that at next year's fireworks show we'll have our 11 month old son with us. Weird.

Just Another Workaholic Weekend

This weekend was the perfect end to a great week. Tuesday was my last day of working in the lab until January. My 6 month leave is partly due to the baby and partly because there just isn’t much money for funding right now. The California budget is a mess and the money for all those bond issues that our thespian governor supposedly reinstated (he put a stop work order on them several months ago) hasn’t actually become available yet. My department is mostly funded through the state and without that money we’re all pretty much screwed. (So I guess I’m having this baby at the perfect time!)

Anyway, I got to spend Wednesday and Thursday taking care of little things around the house—sorting all the gifts from the baby shower, shortening the bumpers to fit the used crib I bought, cleaning the house (I dusted EVERY horizontal surface in the house…except in the bathrooms but that’s just because I haven’t cleaned those yet), napping, cooking.

Dave’s Thursday meeting was short so he got home relatively early (~10pm) and even helped me with the dusting before we went to bed!

Friday morning before it was too hot outside he finished installing the flagstone walkway in the front yard. Edward and I had started it about 2 weeks ago. While he did that I installed a bunch of mini sprinklers along it so my to-be-planted groundcover between the stones will get adequate water. I want everything on automatic timed irrigation so I won’t have to worry about watering the plants once Eddie arrives. I didn’t take any pictures of the path yet but I will soon.

Saturday Dave started and finished the flagstone paths in the BBQ yard. Then we spent too long in the HOT garden shed installing an attic shelf thing I ordered a while ago. We didn’t look at the directions correctly (read: the directions and pictures suck) and had to redo most of it. Dave refused to climb back through the massive honeysuckle vine to get in the tiny, nasty space between the shed and the fence (there are TONS of spiders and webs back there and there’s only about a foot of room) to unscrew and re-screw the shelf support from the outside of the building. He did it the first time and I agreed to do it the second time around…if I could fit. I barely fit. This shelf was sort of a pain to install but it gives us an extra 25 square feet or storage space that would otherwise be wasted above the bikes, rototillers, and lawn mower.

That night we cooked up a variety of foods and got to see the fireworks—more on that in another post.

Today we spent the day reorganizing the garage/workshop. Our table saw was sitting against a wall and Dave had to haul it out every time he wanted to use it. It has a fence on it and an extension so it is huge, too. He’s been wanting to reorganize the toolboxes around his workbenches for a while, too. So we basically moved all the big stuff out onto the driveway, swept, and put it all back inside. We got rid of the ghetto mini fridge my dad gave us by posting it for free on Craigslist (it was really inefficient and ugly and we got a new one recently that is cute enough to go inside the house). That freed up a bunch of room next to the deep freeze for one of his cabinets. From there the room really opened up. We could practically park a car in there—imagine that, a car in the garage! Haha, our garage is definitely a workshop.

My friend Kristin, her boyfriend, Caesar, and their rambunctious puppy, Dante, decided to pop by for a visit this evening. There was a lot of licking, peeing, barking, nipping, and ball-chasing (with the dogs, obviously). Emmy is super dominant but she did so well with little Dante! Potatoes got lots of kisses from him and Ruby generally tried to keep her distance. (Anyone between her and her mama is bound to be growled at!) I kept telling Kristin not to get too close to me and Dave because we were SO dirty from working in the shop all day that I felt like we’d get her dirty!

After much-needed showers Dave and I watched an episode of Friends while snarfing down our beef stroganoff dinner. I'm really going to miss these weekends of working on the house with just Dave and the dogs around. Things are going to be wonderful once little Eddie is here, but I'll always have fond memories of just us love birds building (and rebuilding, I'm sure Dave would say!) our love nest.

Master Welder

During the baby shower, my dad stayed home at cut up all the steel for our shade structure. (Trust me, he was much happier doing that instead of going to the shower.)

My parents' house doesn't have AC (or heat). No heat is okay in the winter because we have a bunch of space heaters for the bedrooms and oil heaters for the bigger rooms. But no AC when you're pregnant and it is 105F outside is nothing short of brutal. It was painful, literally. My feet were killing me since the heat made the swelling worse and I was sweating constantly (even with a fan blowing straight on me).

Part of the discomfort is my fault since I cannot force myself to just lay down with my feet up and relax. I can do it for about an hour and then I get bored and have to get up and do something. So I washed dishes (which is difficult since I can't reach over the sink to the faucet anymore), dusted, and made the beds.

It had to have been like 115F in the garage, though. Dave and my dad spent all Sunday out there making the posts for the shade structure. (Dave was happy as a clam out there, amazingly.) Before it got too hot, I suggested that they turn on the portable swamp cooler to at least cool their legs (they did). They wore long-sleeved shirts while welding to avoid burning their arms from flying specks of molten flux. Ouf...they were dripping with sweat and were black from all the metal dust.

Dave did all the welding and he did a really good job. My dad was super impressed. The biggest compliment you can get from my dad is "that's really nice...it looks like something I could have done." Hahaha, Dave always beams when my dad says that about his work.
I had planned on doing some of the welding myself but my dad wouldn't let me because of the metal oxide fumes. Welding is something you can do sitting down and I REALLY wanted to help (plus I haven't welded in a few years and wanted to get back into it). But I was banished to the house. I did go out a few times to take them cool drinks and to take some pictures, though.
The structure is made of 3"x3" box tubing with 6" square bases welded to the bottom, which will then be bolted down to the concrete bases around the patio. Flat metal pieces are welded to the top of each 10' tall post (yes, that's very tall!) to hold 4"x6" lumber over the top.

To get the square base plates perfectly aligned on the bottom of each post, they rigged up a post-holder in the rafters to suspend the post over the plates. It was nifty and worked really well.We might hang shade cloth or some lattice stuff up there to give us more shade. I will plant some grape vines at the base of some posts...but those will take a few seasons to grow up to the top and provide shade.

Grapes are great for shade structures because they are winter deciduous (they lose their leaves in winter). So in the summer you get shade from the leaves and in the winter you get sun.

The metal and wood will be painted a light brown color. We were going to use redwood lumber for the top but it is really expensive...so cheap Doug Fir and a coat of paint will do just fine. (It is so tall and purposefully out of your eye line that I doubt we'll even notice it after a while.)

When I tried to get a permit for the shade structure the city planner told me that I can't because our house is "completely non-conforming." Great. The developer cheated on the set backs when he got the plans approved. For a single storey house you must have a total of 12' on the sides of your house (so 6' on each side or 5' and 7'). Our house has maybe 8' total between the two sides. The planner suggested that I just build it anyway, without a permit, since we're not planning on selling the house. Once we sell the house we'll be required to take it down...but that won't be for a long time since we'll just rent the house out when we move to Gualala.

This is a Google Maps picture from about 2 years before we bought the house. Our house is the one on the left...you can see the fence lines and the next door neighbor's house. Set backs? What setbacks? Our house is basically sitting on the fence on both sides. You can also see our three triangular-shaped yards. It is a weird layout but we actually really like it.
Our only other option is to apply for a variance but the minimum cost for that is $1200. No way, Jose.