the giraffe life

Our family expanded earlier this week! Ahh still in shock that I have a baby! She is happy and healthy though and I'm recovering fine :) I chose to have her at a birth center and it was perfect. A relatively short labor and then I delivered her in a giant bathtub. I would definitely have a water birth again! Pushing was the hardest part and crowning was painful for me (though I'd already forgotten how bad it hurt when they put her on my chest) but I'm glad I did it drug free because I could feel everything and giving birth is an incredible feeling. Plus I was super proud of myself afterwards, haha! We love her so much. Just soaking in every minute.   I'm not sure I want to post her name and have it searchable on the blog, so check out  this list - her name is number 8 .  And to think, last November we thought we couldn't have children. Feeling sooo grateful! :) Oh and please excuse my absence around the web these past few weeks . . honestly, I probabl...

Some of our baby's first gifts! Sarah commented that she wondered about weird stuff during pregnancy, so here are some of my experiences, as of 20 weeks . .  Food  - I am so HUNGRY. My ramped up appetite was actually one of my first symptoms that made me think,  maybe this isn't just killer PMS . From about week 6 to 13, I felt off (dizzy or weak) much of the time unless I'd JUST eaten. My food aversions were simple: anything sweet (including fruit, candy, and chocolate - very difficult to explain at Easter parties when it was too early to reveal our good news) and Chinese food.  In fact, I mostly lived on carbs and cheese (plus eggs, as long as someone else was preparing them). Vegetables had to be cooked just right but then I could stomach a small portion. By about 14-15 weeks, I could handle most foods (Chinese is still out) and I've learned to eat immediately if I feel hunger coming on. Nosebleeds - I usually get a minor nosebleed or two every winter...

Yes, it's crazy - I'm pregnant. Ahhh! I was feeling off the last week of February. Mr. G and I agreed I'd take a pregnancy test on Saturday morning (our work schedules don't mesh any more so we're only both home and awake at the same time on weekends). I saw that second pink line and immediately sank to floor, head in my heads. It was such a shock! Mr. G was surprised (and I think a little overwhelmed too though he'd never admit it) - he drove to the store for another brand of test, and all told I took 5 that morning. Ha!  We just stared at all those positive tests and each other. Then we moved on to elation + surprise. :) a bump! I still kind of can't believe it. It's hard to wrap your head around! I've toyed with the idea that perhaps our infertility diagnosis was inaccurate but it doesn't really matter. Sometime this fall, we'll have a baby! (I'm officially due November 1st, but not holding my breath.) The first trimeste...

I tried on my first pair of Clarks about eight years ago and fell in love immediately. The fit and comfort can't be beat! Since then I've gone through three identical pairs of sneakers (most recent pair is on the left) and a couple pairs of dress shoes . But my current pair of sneakers had certainly seen better days so I trekked to the mall for a new pair. And was bluntly informed by the salesperson that style had been discontinued two years ago! Oh, the horror.  So began my quest for a suitable replacement. But hunting down a pair of black, slip-on sneakers was harder than I thought. The last place I tried was Nordstorm and of course, there they were! Not exactly the same look, but close enough, and more importantly, super comfy. Why am I worrying about sneakers in February? Because I'm not a huge fan of boots. I mean, I'll wear them when it's necessary (outdoors in the winter) but you won't catch me wearing boots for fun or style. And if I have to w...

2015! It feels like a good, round number for some reason. I'm excited to share my goals for this year - a couple familiar carry overs and some new ones. Financial   • Save $300 per pay - Continued from last year . And to make it easier, I'm having it automatically deducted from my paychecks.  Personal   • Attend more than 67 yoga classes - Super random number, right? Last year I attended about 67 yoga classes (can't be 100% sure because I didn't start keeping track until late July) so I just want to beat my previous record. I'm going to use this daily goal calendar  - black Xs on days I do any kind of exercise (probably a walk), purple Xs for yoga, and left blank for no exercise. This method is quick and very visual so I think it'll work for me.  from the make29 shop • Read 52 books - A book a week (or so). Aiming for 50 books pushes me to make reading a priority without pressuring me to choose short books to inflate my numbers. So I just ...

I don't think it's a secret that Mr. G and I would like to expand our family - it's made appearances in both my 2014 goals post and my bucket list post. But I guess the secret is - we've been trying for a while with no luck.  So Mr. G and I had some tests done and the doctor broke the news to us last week that for us, becoming pregnant naturally is extremely unlikely. We are infertile. We're devastated. How could there be no kids in our future? Mr. G's doctor wants us to wait 6 months, then repeat the testing. If the results are poor again, then we'll be referred to another doctor to start talking about IVF (fertility drugs alone won't work in our situation). Unfortunately, IVF is a complex, costly procedure not covered by insurance. We could afford one round (about $12,000), but what if it's not successful? Adoption is just as complicated and even more expensive (about $25,000). So many what ifs. While we haven't given up completely...

I was the sickest I've been in a long time last week. (I'm sure you don't want any gruesome details, ha!) And I felt guilty about neglecting my blog by not posting. Kinda like that week in September when I was too busy . But feeling guilty is no good. It's not productive or beneficial. So in the future, I'm going to stop worrying about having a post twice a week on set days, or even once a week. I still plan to post on Mondays, but I'm going to embrace a willy-nilly posting schedule if that's what the week calls for :) In other news, our TV company gave us a free preview of some premium channels to entice us to add them to our basic package. Which has turned quite a few nights and weekends into movie marathons. It's just so easy to find something you want to see when you can browse through hundreds of instant options.  The result? A few cool movies, lots of laughing together, and far, far less reading than normal.  And to wrap up this disjointe...

Yesterday was Election Day here in the US, which meant a day off from work for me. (Side note: It's amazing what a day off in the middle of the week can do for you! I went to a doctor's appointment, participated in a mid-day yoga class, voted, cooked a big casserole for the week's lunches and still had time to relax.)  Do you vote? I know it's required in some countries, but not here. linking up for wordless Wednesday

I was thinking just the other day about how much more I seem to be reading in 2014 as compared to years past. I track all my reading on goodreads , which has a handy stats feature that shows I've read 19,790 pages this year, the most of any year recorded there. And then I remembered - this is the first time in my adult life that I've only been working one job, and I finished school in April. Combine the two, and that means more free time and zero required reading! I'll enjoy it while I have it :)  Letters from Rifka by Karen Hesse - Rifka is a young Russian girl in 1919 whose family is on their way to America to escape anti-Semitism. Of course they face a whole string of troubles along the way.  Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson - I'll admit I picked this up because it was sitting next to Letters from Rifka and the cover caught my eye. Lonnie's parents passed away four years ago in a fire, and this is the story of him finding his voice through poetr...

Just as the title says, this is my bucket list. I wrote about the beginnings of this list a little over a year ago (I'll blame finishing it on all the dying plants around here).  Not in any particular order, except my marriage and a (future) child are at the tippy-top, importance-wise! Nurture my marriage Have a child (I think I want 2, but it's hard to predict without having any; hubby votes for 1 or 2 as well) Complete 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training (and depending on how that goes, possibly become an instructor?) Go on a cruise Hike part of the Appalachian Trail (a guided tour probably) Pay off all debt ( car loan and mortgage) Go whale watching Vacation with extended family Write a book Get a passport and  . .  Travel outside the US Do a handstand  without a wall Save for retirement (and retire!) Go snorkeling in the ocean (I tried it briefly in a giant tank at Disney World ) Of course, I've already accomplished some things that would'...

I've been making an effort to take more walks (regardless of weather!) since Sarah's Walking Challenge last December. In January, I shared photos from a winter walk  and I continued with a summer version in June . Here's the autumn set to round out the year. Fall is a great time for walking because the temperatures are usually comfortable and there's no snow or ice (well - til December, but I consider that winter). Despite being mid-afternoon, everything was still damp from a rain shower earlier in the day because the sun never really came out.  Leaves have been changing colors and falling for a few weeks now, making pretty scenery on the trees and the ground.  But there's still a good amount of green left to go. I love these purple-pink leaves. Beautiful!  I have a soft spot for the yellow ones  too. This is also the time of year when we watch lots of birds migrate to warmer locales. Goodbye orioles, robins, hummingbirds! I espe...

Last garden update of 2014 - crazy!  The strawberries have completely covered the bottom edge of the left garden bed. I'm hoping that means an even better harvest next year.  Very little still growing, food wise - just the beans and my volunteer tomato. But the flowers continue to fare exceptionally well, the marigolds and zinnias in particular. (This is my first year growing marigolds from seed. I usually just buy plants, and they always do well, maybe doubling or so in size. But this bush blows my mind.)  The black eyed Susans out front are dead and shriveled, though I can't bring myself to cut them down just yet. I'll probably wait another week or two to start the cold weather prep. How's your garden? 

I'm still working on cleaning out the spare bedroom. Though no one consistently uses the room, we have a dresser in there because it matches the bed. Many of the drawers have gradually been filled over the years and now I'm trying to clean them out . . And I came across two bags of old cards and letters. (I have another bag that I'm currently filling, which made me forget about these two.) I reread them and stirred up lots of good memories. Some went in the trash because they were just plain cards that someone had signed their name to, but I kept all the special ones with a message inside. So I thought - I'll put them in an empty plastic box so they can be stacked neatly in the closet.  The only problem is that the containers don't hold nearly as much as I thought they would! I don't think I could possibly toss any more - so tomorrow I'm off to buy another container. Do you save cards?

Elise mentioned this article on Slow Reading last Friday. It's about groups of people who meet weekly to read silently together in the same room for an hour, with cell phones off, and no interruptions. (It also reported some surprising stats - only 76% of Americans read at least one book in 2013.) I like the premise of this group's meeting - carving time out of everyday living for reading. Plus there would be a ton of people there to get book recommendations from. But I'm used to reading at home. Where basically only my cats and a full refrigerator distract me from my book. But reading in a public cafe? Or even in a large room with other people reading? I think I'd spend a lot of time thinking about how much I like that woman's sweater, and if I know that guy from somewhere or if he just has a familiar-looking face.  I'm also not the best reading companion. I read the whole of Me Before You yesterday and the only reason I didn't stop once to babble...

In my profession and among friends, I often feel my less-than-packed schedule is considered odd. Ask me Monday morning what I did over the weekend, and my answer is usually - I relaxed. Which is true! I sleep as late as Capone lets me, read a lot, cook for family dinner and our weekday lunches, and clean a bit. Then come the walks with Mr. G, unaccounted for hours of leisure, and more reading.  Strange maybe, but it suits me.  And over the past ten days, I've been reminded of just how much I love (and thrive in) my relaxed schedule.  It all started about two weeks ago when my husband was reassigned at work. (You may remember that he worked night shift .) His new position should be temporary, but with it comes longer, daytime hours and a nightmarish rush hour commute. To compensate for his reduced time at home, I volunteered to take on some of his work around the house.  But that was short-lived because we then had (unexpectedly) a week full of extremely late ...

We unexpectedly adopted another feline friend last week. It all started when Mr. G dropped  Capone  off at the vet (to have a tooth removed) and commented on a cute kitten riding around on the vet's shoulders. As it turns out, the kitten was abandoned in a parking lot, picked up a few parasites and some burns, and then was dropped off at the vet's office. She was waiting for a good home.  Mr. G and I discussed it at length, but really it came down to this - we wanted to help, and we were in the position to do it. So we brought her home. She's been a joy. Very affectionate and curious. Keeping us entertained with all her antics. We love her already. So why the name Monkey? Several things . . she likes to climb (just on people so far), she greets us with a little squeaking noise that reminds me of monkeys, and her favorite blanket is covered with - you guessed it - monkeys.  I'd love to hear how you name pets. 

On a recent walk through the woods, one portion of the path was badly overgrown. The smart thing to do would have been to turn around and go back the way I came. Unfortunately, I didn't do the smart thing. I just continued walking, brushing vines out of my way as I went.  A little while later, at home, my face starting itching. Must be a bug bite, I thought. Until I looked in the bathroom mirror and realized I had a rash that looked an awful lot like poison ivy . Spoiler alert: it was poison ivy.  Bummer.  Thankfully the internet was here to save me with all kinds of recommendations (and provide me with frightening photographs - never google pictures of rashes).  I started out with some home based remedies (aloe and honey both reduced the itching), but eventually I branched out to the heavy hitters - medicated scrub and calamine lotion.  It took about a week, but everything cleared up, and my face and arms look normal again. Plus I can now identi...

Sometimes I get caught in an internet rabbit hole - clicking on one thing leads to another, and another, and another. When I finally look up, I find out two hours have gone by and it's time to start dinner. Usually that means whatever I was reading or watching was worthwhile and held my interest. Over the weekend, one of those rabbit hole sessions led me to  Why We Sleep Together .  Our bed covered with the quilt my mom and I made for Mr. G A fascinating article! It talks about how people (and sometimes animals) sleep together for a variety of reasons, some logical, some not so much (a fear of witches).  Personally, I share my bed with a kitty or two every night, and occasionally my husband too. During the work week, I sleep during a fairly normal time:  9pm - 5:30am, but Mr. G works overnight, so he sleeps from 8am - 4pm. Which means we don't sleep together at least five nights a week. Sometimes on the weekends we'll have a commitment that requires Mr. G to ...

Yoga doesn't really require any special gear - just comfy clothes and a mat. So I've been getting by just fine with track pants (the plastic-y, swoosh-y sounding kind) and tank tops. But as the weather warmed up, I switched to my workout capris and found my track pants had been holding me back. I can stretch further when my clothing is elastic and fitted. So I splurged on "real" yoga pants . (I also bought a plain black pair, but those don't make for a very exciting photo opportunity.) Oops - off-center photo - I put the camera on a ten second timer and hoped for the best. :) Splurged on anything lately?

We are flying to California today! Woo!  My laptop will be taking a vacation too, so I (probably) won't be posting or commenting much for the next ten days or so. But I'll be sharing some pictures via  my instagram page  (also visible on the right hand side of my blog) if you're interested. :) Dottie helping us unpack last summer