30 weeks and counting!

Hey Everyone! Yes we are still alive...just busy trying to get things ready for baby, and Charlie has been doing alot of traveling lately. BOOO!that's my feeling..lol The crib is ready and we have stuff to bring baby home....I am ready for this sweet thing to be out of my belly and in my arms. They say you will miss the movement inside of you, however, its a chance I am willing to make.. : ) I am still meauring 3 weeks ahead of schedule so I am hoping that means we are going to have this child early! Woot woot...no worries I am not holding my breath..hahaha just praying that I will. I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving as we will be in Pennsylvania visiting my Grandma Judy. It should be lovely. : ) Talk to you all soon....I hope.

Remembering when your sick...

Oh Man! So this week I got a major sinus infection..Totally bites! Being pregnant I am not sure what I can or can't take and I'll be the first to say no to any medication..knowing the consequences it could have on my baby. Well, after spending 2 days feeling like I was dying..can't breat,sleep, and everything hurt! (We wont talk about coughing and sneezing while pregnant) I went to see my nutritionalist who gave me an aromatherapy treatment and oil and a herb that has near kicked my old. Last night was the first night I was able to sleep comfortably and not wake my poor husband with my tossing and turning. I highly recommend Theives oil. You can get it on Amazon. Its a bit pricey but so worth it. I put it on my neck before bed and used it in a difuser. IT opens your passage ways and kills the bad bacteria/viruses in your nose! Its wonderful and it isn't harming the baby. (even better) My nutritionlist also reminded me of Chicken soup! (how could I forget!) The important properties that chicken soup has besides being yummy and a comfort food (for me anyways) is very healing. When you take a chicken (whole;with bone) and boil it making your own stock is very important. The minerals and vitamins you get from the chicken stock helps fight off colds and builds your immune system! So if your not feeling good make a pot of old fashion chicken soup! You'll be feeling better before you know it!! All I do is boil a whole chicken then add all kinds of veggies. Don't forget the garlic! and let it boil together...then enjoy!! adding noodles or rice is ok but your body is trying to heal and if it has to break down a carb it has to focus on breaking that down too.

Being Prego...

Oh the joys of being pregnant!! I am now 24 weeks..woot woot! The baby moves ALOT...especially at night. All well, the good thing Charlie can now feel the baby all the time! And the baby responds to his touch; which is sooooo cool! Being pregnant for me has been up and down.The first trimester was miserable so we dont talk about it. OK maybe a little...I had morning sickness all day. I tried to do what everyone told me to try and nothing really worked other than just waiting it out. At week 20 I'd say I started feeling much better! (there is hope see) My energy is up..dont be fooled by that statement I still need a midafternoon nap, and the sickness is gone.Yeah! I have not had any cravings where I just had to have ______. I have had different "seasons" of bizzare things like: orange juice and coke. I still can't really take any of my vitmans but the doctor says my levels are exellent so Im not gonna worry. 2 more weeks and we get another check-up to make sure baby is ok. We are counting down the days till our bundle of joy can come home! And we still have ALOT of things to do before the arrival of baby...so with that said I need to go and organize the closet upstairs. : )

South Dakota

A Good Book for all Girlfriends

Hey Everyone, This past weekend we got to stop in and see some of my favorite girlfriends! It was so nice to see them and made me miss them ALOT!! Anyways, Lindsay recommend a book for me to read its called "The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy or Everything YOur Doctor Won't Tell You"....its fantastic! The book "What to Expect When You Are expecting" is good but this is better...let's be honest we all want to be told straight up what our bodies are like during pregnancy or what to expect. Well The Girlfriends Guide is all about that. I should buy a huge box of them and anyone who is expeting should read this book and then pass it to her closest girlfriends. Its a fun relaitable book. :) So go check it out! Its great!

Back at it...Getting caught up!

Hey Everyone, I noticed it has been quite awhile since I have written and there is alot to catch up on. My mind has been spinning with a ton of thoughts,questions,and a good "Ashley" sermon or two. I thought the only way to get everything organized was to start blogging and I have decided that I will blog once a week at the least. I work part time for crying out loud! Whether it is a recipe or a thought I shall post it. Since, I last wrote Charlie and I have been on our honeymoon, a vacation,added another kitty, and got pregnant. Yes you read right. Charlie and I are expecting the end of January. We are both very excited and can't wait till the baby is here. Since we have to wait we are enjoying the different stages of pregnancy. I am 21 weeks now and our favorite thing right now is feeling the baby move around. It is an amazing feeling...(most of the time) lol So, I guess that is our biggest news...on the small news front we have a new kitty that joined our home the beginning of the Summer. His name is Zeus and he is a little orange striped kitty that loves to chase his tail, eat and catch large bugs, and yell when Zoey takes off. They (the cats bring great entertainment to our lives) We are still adjusting to living so far from family and friends. Don't get me wrong we have friends up here but there is nothing like your best girlfriend living 20min away and now she lives 2 hours away. It has taking some getting used to but we are slowly trying. We like routine so if its not on the schedule we dont tend to jump up and go somewhere. Charlie and I have signed up once again for volleyball. A good excuse to get out and get some fun exercise. I do mean fun...lol Planet Fitness just doesn't cut the "fun" exercise part.We also decided, actually, we were forced to cancel all volleyball back home. Our team kind of disbanned and we couldn't find replacements. Its for the best I think. Being as far along as I am it wouldnt be wise. (so we tell ourselves...) Let's see what else...Charlie is doing wonderful at his job he loves it. We have traveled to Cancun for our honeymoon; which was FANTASTIC! I wont bore you with the details...I'll post pitures. :) We also took a trip in August to Grand Rapids, SD with my in laws. We drove out there with the motorycles and got to see alot of the cool sights out there..(It was bike week; need I say more.) Right now...we are canning our mini harvest and/or whatever veggies and fruit we can get. So far, we have salsa,tomato sauce, and applesauce.Yummy! We are also tryig to figure out freezer meals for when the baby comes...but thats not for awhile.. I love preparing and storing for our little family..maybe its nesting kicking..I dont know but I love it... I guess thats it for now. I shall post some pictures of our Spring and Summer and then you shall be caught up. We aren't that exciting....

Homemade toothpaste success!!

Bennonite Toothpaste!! Well we are 2 weeks into our homemade toothpaste and we are loving it. It is fantastic!! We also have given alot of our toothpaste to friends and family who are enjoying it as well. It is more refreshing and healthier for you then traditional toothpaste! It looks nasty but our breath and teeath are fresher and whiter. Below is the recipe... : ) Bennonite Toothpaste: Take a handful of cinnamon sticks 1/4c whole cloves 1/4c stevia leaves 3c. water Put all of this in a pan and bowl for 30min. (Your house will smell amazing!) After that has boiled for awhile strain it. Either strain it in a cheese cloth or a paper towel. I didnt have cheese cloth so the next best thing is a papertowl. You just want the liquid. After that is done you will need: 1T Celtic sea salt 1T baking soda Dissolve into above liquid. (it is ok if its to salty..next time use less salt.) To thicken your toothpaste you need bennonite clay. You can find this at any health food store. Usually in their bulk food area. You will need 1/2 lb. I recommended buying extra just in case you need extra. You add enough to make it thick. Put your toothpaste in a jar or a plastic container. You can not have your toothpaste touch any metal. The clay will absorb the metal and thast would be terrible to brush your teeth with. If you have any questions just ask. : )