7 Quick Takes

--- 1 ---

This has been a good, but tough week. We made it safely to Colorado on Sunday and rested Monday. Tuesday my mom and I went into "town" for a trip to JoAnn's, Target and in search of a maternity bathing suit (she takes water aerobics classes at her local pool and wants me to join her!)

Well, we got some great fabric at JoAnn's to make a few nursing covers (we made our first today!), baby blankets and some embellished burp rags, found a bathing suit and got what we needed at Target, but came back to a sick baby and a shell-shocked husband.

Lloyd has, unfortunately, had a bit of a stomach flu thing for the last three days. Tuesday he vomited five (five!) times (three times before we got home!) and went to bed with only a bit of water and three Saltine crackers in his system, the only thing he'd been able to keep down all day. Wednesday he seemed to be doing better (no puking) but after his afternoon nap T. broke down and gave him some milk (which he asked for 27 times an hour but which we'd been keeping from him since he became sick) and he quickly went downhill for the rest of the day with bad stomach issues. He slept fine, woke up well on Thursday but within ten minutes threw up again and also threw up at breakfast. Uggh. No other puking throughout the day but things seemed to have taken a turn, ahem, South. Luckily, he has not had a fever and seems to be keeping food down better (namely some oatmeal, a few bites of veggies and meat from dinner, etc.) but he is still not even close to normal. We've been spending lots of time cuddling and reading books and watching movies (when not following him around with a towel). We just got the movie "Cars" in via Netflix today and began to watch it this evening with him (though he fell asleep about ten minutes in). Since he LOVES any and all things car-related, I'm excited for him to watch it tomorrow if he still wants some couch/snuggle time.

We'll see how he feels tomorrow - please keep him in your prayers!

--- 2 ---

No positive news yet on the job front. The Oregon job decision has been delayed until after tax season, though he is still in the running, while another job he had interviewed for in Omaha (where his parent's live) we found out today is not going to happen either (they're just not going to hire anyone, let alone T.). So we are still in limbo. T. did have a good lead/referall this week on a job in California and has sent his resume there and we are hoping to talk to someone soon, but no news yet. Today he sent out 11 more resumes.

It's been a bit discouraging.

Meanwhile, we are just praying that our landlords finally lease the townhouse to someone else now that it is empty and easily showable.

--- 3 ---

Lloyd's got a few new words.

Owl.

Buckle.

Bubble.

And he is getting pretty good at Poppa and Nana while we've been here in Colorado!

--- 4 ---

This week has also been a bit harder on me in terms of comfort level for the pregnancy. The long car ride might have affected my circulation a bit more than I anticipated so I've had a bit more pain and I just can't seem to sleep well. Which in turn affects my mood and with Lloyd sick it has just been a tough week for everyone.

--- 5 ---

We found a nice church where we attended Ash Wednesday mass. It was lovely, and very nice to be in a smaller church again. Ours in Santa Monica was quite a large parish; this one we went to was quite small. It was refreshing.

--- 6 ---

We had some great sourdough, buttermilk pancakes on Fat/Shrove Tuesday! I took pictures and plan on posting the recipe, but when I came back from our errands (when I was planning on doing blogging and uploading my camera) I was inundated with a sick, sad baby instead . . . so recipe coming soon! This is my mom's favorite pancake recipe and I can't wait to share it!

--- 7 ---

While here I've been re-reading Nourishing Traditions (a copy I bought my mom for her birthday last year!) and have convinced her to get rid of a few questionable items still in her pantry . . . and it has inspired me to try a few new items when I have a new pantry and larder to refill once we settle down again!

I'm participating again this week in 7 Quick Takes Friday hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary. Go visit her to read her 7 Quick Takes along with the other participants!

Daybook

For Today, February 23, 2009

Outside my Window... it is gray and rainy. The clouds are coming down the mountains, here at my parent's house, and it might even snow!

I am thinking... that I am thankful that we are here safe and sound and the last few days are completed. We'd been busy completing our packing, the movers came on Friday and were there for HOURS and Hours, Saturday we cleaned the townhouse all day and had a walk through with our landlords, and yesterday, Sunday, we woke up early (3:30am) and finished packing up the car and got on the road at 10 minutes to 5am. We drove from Santa Monica, through five states, and drove into my parent' driveway in Western Colorado last night in time for a late supper around 7pm.

It was wonderful today to just rest and recuperate from the past few days.

From the school room... The school room is packed, but we did bring a small box of Lloyd's favorite books, puzzles and toys along with us. Haven't gotten it out yet, though, because he has been enjoying playing with "Nana's" toy box - the contents of which are new to him again since he last saw them at Christmas!

I am thankful... that we are out of our house and out of Southern California. Now we can focus on this growing baby, T.'s classes and job search and loving each other as a family.

Of course, now that we are out of California, we heard today about a potential opportunity there! :) If it worked out, we'd be headed back! :) (But probably not to Southern California, this would be more central/northern-ish)

From the kitchen... Mom and I made some Elk & Vegetable Stew and some sourdough focaccia is rising for dinner tonight. I'm working on thinking about some Lenten meals for Wednesday and Friday . . . My parents are non-denominational Christians (not Catholic) so beginning the season of Lent with them will be (hmmm . . . what's the right word? different? Awkward?) a new, thought and discussion-provoking experience for all of us.

I am creating... a list of ideas in my head for a trip to JoAnn's later this week with mom. She wants to do a few baby crafts while we're here! Thinking of whipping up a few nursing covers, swaddling blankets and burp rags.

I am wearing... Jeans a black V-neck sweater, "diamond" studs and a low ponytail. Also brought out my Bella Band once again to help with support on this heavy tummy of mine.

I am reading... my Google Reader bloglines, and the last two issues of Better Homes & Gardens here at mom's! I'm working on a Lenten reading list and thinking of picking up a copy of Journey to Easter: Spiritual Reflections for the Lenten Season in the next few days. I'm also re-reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.

I am hearing. . . quiet. Naptime.

Around the house... Well, we're at my parent's house! We are living out of suitcases and a few small boxes, but enjoying this time with them!

One of my favorite things... that I need to do more often is PreNatal Yoga. My lower back has really been hurting these past few days with the move and the cleaning and the long, extended car ride and I need to re-stretch everything back out. Maybe this afternoon.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ...

• Hopefully, HOPEFULLY, finding out which state we'll be moving to.
• And then, once that is done, setting up an appointment for me with a doctor there.
• Lent begins, and I'm re-reading my posts, prayers and links from last year to get my head and heart in line with the season, which I've basically forgotten due to the rest of the stress we've been going through.
• Research and find a nearby Catholic church to attend Ash Wednesday services with T. and Lloyd
• Craft time with my mom
• RELAX!!!!
  

Here is a picture thought I am sharing . . .for the beginning of Lent this week.



Please go check out Peggy's blog for other daybooks!

Have a great week!

Questions to ask your Maternity Provider

While packing to move this week I came across an old tablet of yellow, lined paper. Flipping through it before I tossed it out, I found a list of questions that I'd compiled over two years ago when I was preparing for the birth of my firstborn, Lloyd. Most of these questions are focused on striving for a natural, un-medicated birth in a hospital setting (which I achieved during my first pregnancy and am planning for for my second!) and are great to have on hand to ask your OB/Gyn or Midwife. Some of these questions are more appropriate when interviewing a potential doctor, while others might be better broached later in your doctor/patient relationship and even to both your doctor and the hospital you'll be laboring at when on your hospital visit. I leave it up to your discernment.

Rather than packing up the list in a box and moving it, to be found who knows when in the future, and rather than throwing it away outright, I decided to quickly copy the list on my blog (before throwing it away! :) in the hopes that it helps both me and my readers in the future!

I started with a statement:
(This is where you realize how much of a Type A personality I am at times)

My philosophy is that pregnancy and birth are normal, natural events and I want a natural, non-invasive pregnancy and birth, unless medically necessary. Keeping that in mind,

• What percentage of your patient's babies do you deliver yourself?
• How should I contact you in case of emergency?
• What about for just normal questions?
• Do you involve residents/interns/midwives in your practice? What role would they play in my care?
• What's your standard schedule for appointments?
• What percentage of your patients write birth plans? What advice do you have if we decide to write one?
• Do the majority of women you care for have medicated or non-medicated births?
• Do you encourage couples to attempt un-medicated deliveries?
• What methods of non-pharmacological pain relief do you tend to use/recommend most often?
• Do you routinely use electronic fetal monitoring during labor? Can we request intermittent? (Intermittent options include a hand-held doppler and a fetoscope)
• Would I be required to have an IV? If so, why?
  
• What percentage of women in your care receive epidurals?
• What percentage of women in your care receive episiotomies?
• Do you maintain a time limit for labor? If so, when does it start? (i.e. once the water breaks, once admitted to the hospital, etc.)
  
• Will I labor and deliver in the same room? Recover?
• Can I eat at will during labor?
• Will my baby be able to remain with me after the birth? Can my husband stay in my room?
• Do you provide breastfeeding support?
• How often will I see you post-partum?
• Do you have a 24-hour anesthesiologist and pediatric coverage should either be necessary?
• What is your nurse to patient ratios?
• Do you also employ CNM's? (Certified Nurse Midwives)
• Do you encourage / have experience with doulas during labor and birth? Do you have any to recommend?
  
• What are the routine policies for laboring women?
• How many people may be with me in a normal delivery?
• What are your routine newborn care policies? (This is important to know to decide if you want to decline any in advance, both to your doctor and in your birth plan, including routine Vitamin K shots, eye drops, Hepatitis B vaccinations, etc.)
  
• Can I request any special processes to occur after birth? (i.e. a LeBoyer bath for the newborn, saving the placenta, saving cord blood, etc.)
  
• Do you have showers/tubs/whirlpool baths available for laboring women? If not in every room, in how many? Does this service cost more? Can I request it upon admittance?
• How long do women usually stay after a vaginal birth? Are shorter or longer stays acceptable? How about for Cesarean section?
• Do I need a pediatrician lined up for my newborn prior to being released from the hospital? (This is a new one I added after what we encountered with the birth of our son Lloyd; they would not release him until they had a pediatrician listed on his record! Since he came on a Thursday and over two weeks early, we had to quickly find and get approval from a pediatrician in my town that our insurance would cover on Friday before their offices closed. Yikes! Luckily, I don't think they checked up on it to confirm with the pediatrician' office, so you might be able to wing it, but just wanted to warn you so that you are prepared for this possibility!)
  

Unfortunately, since this note is over two years old, I don't have any specific references to cite, other than that I culled most of these questions from various books and websites that focus on natural birth. Some may be found in the books linked on my LibraryThing list in the right column . . . .

Do you have any other suggested questions to add?

Packing Up and Cleaning out - meal planning for moving!

We have a moving date!

Well, two actually, it'll be confirmed this Thursday by the moving company, but we are going to be moving by the end of the week! The movers* will be coming either this Friday afternoon or Saturday morning so we'll be on our way by the end of the weekend!

*Yeah, I know, you're hiring movers and you don't have a job? I know. But, after pricing out how much it would cost us to rent a truck and move ourselves (via UHaul, Budget and Penske), plus the additional cost in gas, liability insurance, etc. (not to mention the actual physical aspect of moving, especially when one of us can not lift heavy things right now so we'd probably have to hire a few guys for a few hundred bucks to help us with our furniture, etc.) and working with the moving company who moved us last time, we found that we'd almost be saving money, or at the very least breaking even, by going with them again (we had a great experience last time and I'm working with the same guy again). Not only do they disassemble and reassemble all furniture for us at the pick-up and delivery, but we get a month of storage free (which is helpful considering we're not yet certain where we are moving to, nor have an address yet for delivery) and it covers liability insurance and all gas, tolls, etc. All we have to do is be packed and ready to go (otherwise they charge you for packing materials, which is where the price gets hefty). We bought boxes ourselves at UHaul and have been busy packing, so we ought to be ready!

In the meantime, I've been trying to get the last good out of our pantry and freezer before we leave. I've made a batch of "The Works" Oatmeal Bar cookies, though this time I added a 1/2 cup of peanut butter and omitted the cranberries. YUM! With the amount of nutrients these have in them, from the oats, whole grain, molasses and peanut butter, these are like an energy bar, but taste like a cookie! I figure that we'll eat some while we're home and they'll be an easy, packable treat on the road. Plus, it finished up the last dregs of two canisters of oatmeal (old-fashioned and instant, which we keep around for camping) along with the last remnants of one jar of peanut butter, a jar of coconut oil, the rest of a few bags of brown sugar, chocolate chips and the last few drops of molasses I had on hand. It also got me to a place where my frugal mind felt comfortable throwing away the last cup or so of flour at the bottom of my bag. Plus I baked them in a disposable pan I had around, so need to do dishes, or wait to pack my pans. Not bad for a cookie!

We also lunched today on the last of a bag of lentils, cooked up in my last pint of frozen chicken stock plus additional water, onions and garlic, with some browned kielbasa on top that I found hidden in the back of my freezer this morning. We have leftover lentils (it was about 1-1/2 to 2 cups dried that I cooked up) for a cold lentil, snap pea and shrimp salad for dinner tonight (mixed up with the last half of a bottle of Newman's Own Italian Salad dressing that has been in my fridge forever.) YUM!

I have one breakfast worth of granola (though now that the oatmeal is gone, we might have to buy a carton of yogurt for it, or just eat it with milk) left over and one breakfast worth of bacon and eggs. I also have one "batch" of pastry dough in my freezer so I might either make a quiche with the eggs and bacon instead, or make a free-form berry tart with it with the 1-1/2 cups or so of frozen mixed berries I have left over (blender has already been packed, so smoothies are no longer an option!). That might work well for a breakfast too . . . maybe topped with the rest of that yogurt I have to buy for the granola? :)

Other than that I have about half of a bag of chicken "hot" wings left over from Costco, which makes for easy lunches or snacks and a skirt steak which I think we'll grill tomorrow night and then have for lunch leftovers on Thursday as quesadillas to finish up our whole wheat tortillas and some cheese.

If we finish all that up, we are looking good! There are a few things that I know we're not going to be able to eat in time, three bags of frozen broccoli, a bag of frozen pearl onions (I buy these for ONE recipe that I make from time to time, Boeuf Bourguignon, which I am not making this week), a few bags of frozen, pureed pumpkin that I'd processed this past fall to make these muffins, but I'm hoping that I can give it away to neighbors (my next door neighbor's kids love those muffins and I've shared the recipe with her), friends and the foodbank (the frozen veggies are unopened) in the meantime.

We also still have basics . . . cheese, peanut butter and jelly, bread and tortillas, canned salmon, etc. so we can whip up something easy pretty quickly, and we are bringing an ice-chest with us on our trip so some of the basic condiments we have left over we'll be bringing for sandwiches on the road (along with my sourdough starters, of course), but I'm feeling better knowing that we have given it our all to finish up what God has provided before we leave!

We don't yet know where they'll be delivering our items, but at least we're headed in the right direction! Thank you for all of your prayers and please keep us in your thoughts!

Daybook

For Today, February 16, 2009

Outside my Window... it is gray and rainy. I hear the raindrops on the roof and feel cozy indoors.

I am thinking... about sewing some nursing dresses. You know, whenever we get to wherever it is we're going and I can unpack my sewing machine and after I make a few things for the new baby. Really, I'm just thinking about it.

Right now, I'm trying to figure out how easy it might be to use this style of nursing top/dress (i.e. a double layer top or pull up top with an empire waist style hem) and incorporate it on a pretty spring/summer cotton dress like this or this or, especially, this dress. I'm mentally changing patterns in my head.

I just love Lilly Pulitzer. I can't afford it, but I like being inspired by it.

From the school room... We haven't done anything new lately. Still coloring, reading, playing with lacing beads. Lately, with all the packing we've been doing, the poor guy has been surviving on raisins, crackers, Baby Signing Time videos and the occasional viewing of one of his newest favorites (and his daddy's favorite) movies, Shrek.

I am thankful... that we had a few very promising showings yesterday. I'm hoping to have good news on the re-leasing front within a few days!

From the kitchen... Still finishing up everything out of the freezer. And it still looks full. We have a flank steak, some chicken wings and a 1/3 bag of frozen shrimp to finish on the protein side of things. Meals have been a bit varied, but we've also had a hard time committing to making meals after a full day of packing and entertaining Lloyd when we're both exhausted. Valentine's Day dinner was a romantic rendition provided by the local Pizza Hut. And we both appreciated it very much!

Tonight, we're celebrating with two New York Steaks I had in the freezer (from a family pack I had bought on sale a few weeks back!) and roasted red potatoes (our planned Valentine's dinner! :)

I am creating... A happy, kicking baby boy! And can you believe it? We're in the third trimester!

I am wearing... Jeans a black V-neck sweater, "diamond" studs and a low ponytail. Also brought out my Bella Band once again to help with support on this heavy tummy of mine.

I am reading... my Google Reader bloglines, and recently enjoyed this article from the current issue of Cookie magazine about meal planning, and about how sometimes it is easiest to just "plan till Wednesday." After reading the tome that is East of Eden, I haven't decided on a new book yet, nor have I had the time to dedicate to it!

I am hearing. . . ummmm . . . Shrek.

Around the house... We are making progress with the packing - have almost everything that is non-priority downstairs packed up (wine glasses, extraneous mugs . . . you're on my list today!) and are working on the closets upstairs. My side of the closet is done (the remainder we'll be packing to bring with us and/or packing day-of in a wardrobe box) and planning on beginning on Lloyd's closet, aka "upstairs storage" later this morning.

One of my favorite things... lately is ice cream. Especially mint chocolate chip.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ...

• Hopefully, HOPEFULLY, finding out which state we'll be moving to.
• And then, once that is done, finalizing our moving contract and moving date (we're thinking sometime between this Thursday and early next week), finalizing health insurance for Lloyd and T. and setting up an appointment for me with a doctor there.
• One last doctor's appointment here before we go
• Andrea and Blake move to MI TOMORROW! :(
• More packing. More cleaning. More stress.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing . . .

The Sacred Heart of Jesus.

I've been contemplating and praying to completely trust in His love and guidance the last few days. . . .


Please go check out Peggy's blog for other daybooks!

Have a great week!

The Long and Short of it

Sorry for the brief hiatus - and not much time to write now, but here's the gist of what is going on around these parts:

• Mom arrived (and has since left) safely last weekend and we found THE DRESS for Andrea! It is gorgeous . . . and though I have pictures of her trying it on, I can't post them now for fear of her fiance seeing them.
• Mom also spoiled me by taking me on a shopping trip to our local maternity store. Got some nice new spring shirts. I'm wearing one now! :) We also picked out some clothes for "the boys" to wear to Andrea's wedding. Size 3T and 3-6 months. They are going to be cute!
• Speaking of Andrea and Blake, they are packing up this weekend and moving to Michigan early this next week! Phew!
• T. flew out early, early on Monday and back late Wednesday for an interview in Omaha. Seems promising, but no news yet . . .
• No news about the OR job either. Fingers crossed we'll have details early this week
• In the meantime, we're packing. Though we haven't finalized a lease with someone yet (we have three people very interested, but no one has bit the bullet and signed a lease!) for this place, we are getting ready to go . . . somewhere. We are hoping to have me safely entrenched and moved in to a place by mid-March (about six weeks from our due date!) Lloyd came a little over two weeks early, so we can't be too careful.
• Which means that I've been researching doctors and hospitals and doulas (oh My!) in three potential locations. My head is spinning.
• Also researching insurance. Since I was already pregnant, no individual insurer will insure me so I have to stay on our HMO via Cobra. Which also means that I have to go through the insurance company's website to find potential doctors that they will cover out of state. It is a bit crazy. For T. and Lloyd, we will probably get coverage via ehealthinsurance.com and then switch me and the new baby over to it (or to his potential work coverage, whenever he gets a job and coverage) later. It's cheaper than using Cobra for all of us (which was astronomical).
• Haven't started a new book yet, but I have been enjoying reading from my old copy of The Best American Essays of 2003. Top two favorites include "Lavender" by Andre Aciman and "The Reporter's Kitchen" by Jane Kramer. I like reading these essays because first, they are relatively short (normally no more than forty pages or so) and so I can complete them in one or two sittings during naptime, or before bed, and second because it gets me back into the creative non-fiction writing frame of mind. Which I love. It also reminds me and inspires me to write often and write better.
• Still working on cleaning out the freezer and pantry. These next few meals are all freezer meals. Finished up the arborio rice, finishing up the potatoes tonight, finished the pancake mix and a lot of the baking supplies; my primary goal is just to use up the meat in the freezer. If we don't finish a bag or two of frozen broccoli, or those bags of pureed pumpkin, well, it wasn't for lack of effort!
• So far, in the course of our packing, we have donated three or four large boxes of stuff to the Salvation army, four to six large garbage bags of clothes and shoes, a mattress and over 100 pounds of food to the local Food Bank (mostly our "emergency" supplies of rice and beans. With having to pay per pound to move them, it didn't make sense to spend over $70 to move rice and beans that cost us less to buy them. At least it is going to a good cause.)
• We might be out of the townhouse as early as mid week. Isn't that crazy? So we are packing like mad.

Alright. Have to buckle down and back to packing! More soon!

Please keep us in your prayers!

Nourishing Chocolate Treats

When I saw last week that Kimi Harris' newest carnival was all about chocolate, I knew that I had to join in.

Packing up boxes to move who knows where? Not important. Six months pregnant and all my cookbooks packed up? Not a hindrance. Husband decides to go on a diet one week before carnival begins? No biggie. Already packed up half of my kitchen and almost all of my pantry? No worries!

Why? Because I simply culled my archives and found my favorite go-to chocolate recipes, which I've already augmented to make more nourishing, and am excited to share them here in one succinct post!

I did, of course, sit down with a few nibbles of dark chocolate while I wrote this, just to get in the proper frame of mind. :)

Got a hankering for something sweet for breakfast? Try my Whole Wheat Chocolate Cranberry Chunk Muffins.

Want something special to make for your sweetie for Valentines Day? Try the Flourless Chocolate Brownies (gluten-free too!)

Want a fast and easy treat that is good for you too? "The Works" Oatmeal Cookie Bar is my idea of heaven. Plus, it's great to make short notice because you don't have to make individual cookies!

What are your favorite chocolate treats? Need more ideas? Go visit the other participants at Nourishing Gourmet's Chocolate Carnival!

Sourdough Success!

So lately I've been enjoying my forays into sourdough . . . making pancakes, rolls, biscuits, and bread.

But I haven't yet successfully made what I've been trying to make for a while, that most elusive of sourdough forms, the boule.

I've tried, mind you, I've tried. I've carefully floured dish towel after dish towel, laid them in various size bowls to mimic a banneton (which I don't have but would make a lovely gift . . .hint. hint.) with various quantities of formed dough to raise. Only to have, when it is time to bake, problems arise. The towel sticks to the warm, risen dough so when I finally, ever so carefully, try to peel it off, it pulls on the risen dough and, quite successfully, deflates it. I've chosen too wide of a bowl so that the bread rises out rather than up. I've tried various processes to flip the dough onto a board, thus deflating it's carefully sought out rise.

I've ended up with round loaves, sure, but round more like a coin than a lovely boule. It's been a bit trying!

But today, I have found success! EUREKA!!

During my forays through the web I came across this tutorial and decided to try both the recipe and the method. And lo and behold, it works!

I used 1 cup of white starter that I'd fed a few hours earlier, and one cup of whole wheat and two cups of unbleached all purpose flour to create the dough. With insight from another website I read, rather than keeping my hands and dough dry with flour while kneading, I instead used cold water on clean hands and kneaded with wet hands on a wet surface (my kitchen table, nothing exciting). If the dough began to stick a bit, I'd wet my hands again and I only put in just enough flour to create a soft dough, just slightly more distinct than a batter, and a much more slack, wetter dough than I would normally create.

Once the dough rested and rose (it did not double in size, probably more like only a third or so), I formed it and set it in a make-shift banetton using a small/medium size stainless steel bowl lined with a heavily floured dish towel (I really worked the flour into the towel, using the back of a spoon). I put it in the fridge and forgot about it. Went to bed. Dealt with a sick, teething child the next day and didn't bake the bread until the next evening, about 24 hours later.

I pre-heated the oven and my baking stone at 500 degrees Farhenheit for about an hour. Once preheated, I took my dough out of the fridge (no more than five minutes before it was baked. It was not at room temperature), inverted the bowl onto a piece of parchment paper on the back of a baking sheet - the formed dough came right out! I think due to the cold, it slightly dried out and shrunk away from the edges, which made it not stick to the towel! Genius! I was a little wary of whether or not it would rise - it hadn't risen at all, to my eye, since it was formed, but I slashed it and then quickly jiggled the parchment paper onto the stone and closed the oven. Set the timer for 25 minutes and walked away.

At 25 minutes I peeked in, and lo and behold, I had a boule! I rotated the bread and baked it for 7 more minutes and took it out and allowed it to cool on a baking rack overnight.

The result of this process? A tall, airy boule with great, crunchy crust and huge air bubbles throughout the crumb. JUST WHAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE!

Next time I might utilize the steaming method, and/or paint on an egg/milk wash prior to baking (to get that shinier crust) but I will be using this method again! It was so easy, I could bake the formed bread at my leisure (within about a day of making it) and it was so successful! I will be trying this method with other recipes and larger quantities of dough to make bigger boules. This recipe quantity made the perfect amount for dinner for four to six.

Enjoy!

7 Quick Takes

--- 1 ---

We bought some new shoes for Lloyd this week. And can I tell you how ridiculous the price for good quality children's shoes are?

His last shoes were a size seven wide. He is now about an eight, though we bought an 8.5W just to give us some more time. Somehow that meant that we went from thinking we were going to order this shoe to ordering this shoe. Same brand, same style. The difference?

2/3s of an inch and $10.

Luckily, we've tended to pretty much keep him in one pair of shoes at a time (this would probably be a lot more difficult if I had girls!), sometimes two in the summer (a sneaker and a sandle) so we get a LOT of use out of each pair - we bought his current pair in September I think, so he's gotten a full four months of wearing them every single day, but still. Over $50 for a toddler's shoes? Good grief.

And don't think I haven't tried finding cheaper shoes. He has freakishly wide feet and I can't seem to squeeze them into most of the shoes I can find at Target or other places. I just have found that this brand and style work best for him right now.

By the way, don't you just love zappos.com?

--- 2 ---

We are going wedding dress shopping for Andrea this weekend! I'm super excited! My sister, Julia, is flying in this afternoon and my mom is coming tonight! We are hitting the stores tomorrow!

I am so excited for Andrea and Blake! Excited for their engagement, their wedding planning, their wedding and their life together!

What doesn't excite me? Somehow, for some reason, BOTH of my sisters are getting/got married within about a three month time frame after me giving birth. Which means that, for the second time, I will have to guesstimate a size to order a bridesmaid dress when I'm about eight months pregnant, will worry about finangling some form of undergarment (probably by MacGyvering two or more undergarments, and maybe duct tape) that will somehow suck in excess baby belly, allow me to sit down, not be visible through the dress, and allow me to breast feed AND will worry that I will ruin all of her wedding pictures by having extra fat arms/face/belly and a huge breastfeeding-induced rack that will dominate all pictures. Awesome.

I think I'm going to special order this video in advance. And maybe this one.

--- 3 ---

Lloyd's got another new word.

Berry. (pronounced Ba-wie)

Super cute. Somehow my kid goes from pickle to berry. What happened to dog?

Oh, and the cutest, cutest thing? He called peas "berries" earlier this week at dinner. When I was little, I called them "green corn." Somehow this sort of thing must run in the genes!

--- 4 ---

I must refer back to the AWESOME comments I received about my cloth diapering post earlier this week! If you haven't read the post and comments, please do so, and if you haven't commented - there is still time! There is no deadline! I would love more information and opinions . . . share away!!

Thank you Lenetta for your amazing comment, advice, links, and just everything! You're the best! And a big thanks to Michele also for the great diapers.com coupon code along with her great advice!

--- 5 ---

I just finished re-reading East of Eden and, *sigh*, I just love it. It is such a good book. I wish it was longer.

My favorite passage this time around. Truly makes one think.

Timshel. Thou mayest.

--- 6 ---

So the whole second-child baby shower thing gets some people into a tizzy. Some feel that it is uncouth and greedy and that one should only have one shower for their firstborn (which I had), others believe that it is polite only under certain circumstances (different fathers, different genders, wide age gap between the two, etc.) and others believe that every baby should be celebrated with a shower.

Frankly, with everything going on right now (including, but not limited to, not knowing where I'll be living in a month) I don't think I'm going to worry about the etiquette of a second baby shower because I don't think I'll be having one anyway. This baby will be celebrated no matter what and I look forward to throwing or attending some sort of a family and friend barbecue after his birth introducing him as the newest member of our family.

BUT some very thoughtful friends and family have been asking what we need as they would like to give some form of gift to celebrate this upcoming joyous birth. I've been thinking hard about this (because we already have the basics - a crib, an infant car seat, quite a few clothes passed down from Lloyd, etc.) but there are a few things that would be helpful, not only to me but to any mother! My list is below . . . anything else to add?

• A Moby Wrap (I have a Hotsling from Lloyd, which I loved and will still use, but it's not great for wearing for a long time, like a hike or traveling through an airport for hours (it always hurt my shoulder after a while) and I think the Moby might be perfect for me.)
• A Nursing Cover (though I've been thinking about making my own!)
• A new Boppy slipcover (actually, now that I think of it, I never had a slipcover with it last time because I didn't like any of the ones I'd found! :) I like this one though, and would seriously consider this personalized one - in solid blue please - if I knew what we were going to name him for sure!)
  
• Cloth diapers, or a gift certificate to a place where I can purchase cloth diapers
• Assistance with the purchase of a double stroller (our big ticket item this time around - and unfortunately the two that I love the most and am deciding between are not exactly what you'd call inexpensive. But we use our stroller almost daily, especially with being a one-vehicle family, so . . . it's worth it to me.)
• Some new, soft baby blankets
  
• Casseroles for the freezer
• Gift certificate for a cleaning service
• Children's Books for our library

Any other ideas? What could you not live without after your first, second, or subsequent pregnancy?

--- 7 ---

This is my friend Steve's facebook profile picture. Every time I see it, it makes me laugh. I am such a nerd.


I'm participating again this week in 7 Quick Takes Friday hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary. Go visit her to read her 7 Quick Takes along with the other participants!

My little hometown is on cnn.com!

Why?

Because a volcano is about to erupt all over it. Again.

And, by the way, Jim Spellman, writer for CNN, you didn't have tea at Louise's. It's Louie's. It's an institution in Kenai. Get your facts straight.

Daybook - February 1, 2009

For Today, February 2, 2009

Here is a picture thought I am sharing . . . today at 26-1/2 weeks!

Outside my Window... it is sunny and quiet. We just got back from a walk to the park and a stop off for a special lunch at The Counter.

My order today? 1/3 lb. beef burger on a whole wheat bun with horseradish cheddar cheese, tomato slices, dill pickles, mixed greens and pepperoncini with buttermilk ranch dressing and Dijon mustard. YUM. Plus I added a few of their crispy fried onion strings on top. I know. Are you hungry now?

I am thinking... that I'm a bit tired of uncertainty.

From the school room... Lloyd is reading, reading, reading. We go through all of his books about five times a day. Reading, identifying objects and learning new words. He's also renewed his love for coloring, matching lids to jars and lacing beads.

I am thankful... that T.'s interview went well and that he returned safe and sound (no news yet, though) and that he is continuing to find new places to send his resume.

From the kitchen... Grilled steak, risotto and asparagus for dinner tonight. Yum! Haven't really been menu planning posting lately, but have been steadily working through our pantry and freezer. We still have more than I'd like left, but I'm being creative. Tonight is a special treat with new, non-freezer meat! The risotto is a cleaning out the pantry and freezer item, though . . . using up both arborio rice and homemade chicken stock. It's rough, I know, but someone has to to do it!

I am creating... A happy, kicking baby boy!

I am wearing... Jeans and bare feet (was wearing leopard print flats earlier) with a black, non-maternity t-shirt (though it is extra long). Oh yeah, there's a picture above for reference! :)

I am reading... We've packed up our bookshelves but left a few out for interim reading and reference. My choices include Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI, a few pregnancy and breastfeeding books, 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving and East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Those last three are probably three of my all time favorite books. Currently re-reading East of Eden and loving it. I read it about every year and a half to two years (come to think of it, I read it last time I was pregnant too) and love it more and get more out of it with each read. This is the third or fourth time I've read it.

Though I have to admit that I did watch the movie version of East of Eden this past weekend while T. was out of town. I was less than impressed. Yes, the acting by James Dean was good, but the movie only focused on a small, small part of the book - and so much of the depth of the characters (which you learn from reading the book and learning their history and struggles) was lost. Not recommended. I admit, it would be ridiculously hard to put this book to a movie - it would have to be a week-long saga - BUT, read the book!!

I am hearing. . . Trevor typing away at the computer upstairs working on another cover letter.

Around the house... Half of our stuff is boxed downstairs, nothing upstairs. We're still showing it every few days so can't completely wreck the place. :) We've boxed up all of our books, cookbooks, games, most of our DVDs, and all non-essential kitchen and pantry items (pie and cake pans, extra cookie sheets, martini glasses, vases, mortar and pestle, pasta maker, immersion blender, extra utensils like turkey basters and knife sharpeners . . . the stuff I don't anticipate needing in the - hopefully - short time before we move).

One of my favorite things... the peace felt after prayer. Learning to leave it up to the Lord. And reminding myself that I have to keep doing just that! That is the hard thing.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ...

• Continuing to post our townhouse for lease a few times per week on Craigslist,


• Taking in a day at the beach with this gorgeous weather we're having,


• Thinking about taking Denny's up on their free Grand Slam offer tomorrow morning (I mean, why not?),
  
• Mom & Dad's Anniversary is tomorrow!, and


• MAYBE shopping for a wedding dress for my sister Andrea this weekend with my mom and other sister flying in for the grand event! Plans still TBD - but it is looking like we might have guests this weekend!


• Plus more reading, more playing, more resting, and more ice cream!

Have a great week!

The Great Cloth Diaper Decision

Okay, so I've spent the last two hours researching cloth diapers online. For about the third time in a month. Exciting, I know. And I've got a lot of my questions answered, but I am still mystified by the whole process (keep reading - I have a few questions I've love to have answered via comments below! :).

I grew up in cloth diapers (mainly because I had very sensitive skin and couldn't handle the disposables made at the time) and so did both of my sisters. However, I've been using disposable diapers the entire time with my little guy. Lately I've been considering switching over to cloth diapers with the new baby (and any subsequent baby). Why?

Convenience, is probably the top priority. Now, I know that many will counter that disposables are actually more convenient, which there are some truths to, but as a home-body, I'd rather run an extra two loads of wash throughout the week and never have to worry about running out of diapers rather than making a special trip to Target to get them. I don't want to have to worry about watching sales or cutting coupons for diapers and I don't want to worry about running out.

Which I tend to do now.

Expense is another item. Disposable diapers are expensive. I've tried them all, from Costco and Target store brands to try to save money (which were both too short and too bulky (Costco) or he always peed through in the night (Target) to Pampers (which are probably my favorite, but the most expensive). Hate Huggies, love Luv's (second to Pampers but worth buying to save the cost of Pampers. The only thing I don't love about Luv's is the strong perfumey scent) but still, even shopping at Target (where I find diapers the least expensive in my area - unfortunately I don't have a WalMart or discount grocery store in the driveable area to shop and price-check) and buying the largest box that they carry (approx. 70 diapers/box at his current size) to save on the per-diaper price, we're still talking $16-20+ every two weeks.

And let me tell you about the times when they DIDN'T have the size I needed in stock. Anywhere. That is a bit distressing. Or how about when I don't have the opportunity to get to Target or forget to make a special trip there and have to buy diapers at a drug store or grocery store closer to home. Talk about sticker shock!

I have heard great things about diapers.com but haven't used them yet. I see they have both disposable and cloth diapers on there!

So, if you figure that I (currently) buy the largest box available of a second-tier diaper brand at an estimated $17/box and it takes two weeks maximum to go through a box (sometimes less), and my little guy is almost two years old, I guesstimate (factoring in more expensive diapers at various times and more frequent diaper turnover when he was smaller) that we've spent over $1000 dollars on diapers since his birth. Yikes.

Frankly, I'd rather not have "diapers" be a line-item on my monthly budget.

And, of course, there's the environmental issue - but that has been hashed out in other, better written posts and articles by other people. You've probably already heard it, it makes sense for the most part, so I'm just moving on . . .

Which brings me to this post. I want YOU to help ME! If you are a regular reader and commenter, if you read, but have never commented, if you came across this post via a Google search, whatever, and if you have an opinion, please let me know!

For those who use cloth diapers:

Do you use a combination of different varieties? All in One's, fitted with a cover, pre-folds with a cover, contour with a cover? Do you find this to be difficult for your husband and/or anyone else who might be changing your child? Do you use specific varieties at specific times? I.e. when out of the house versus staying at home? Night-time?

What is the difference between a pocket diaper and an all-in-one? It seems like you might use an insert in either of them. Is the term basically interchangeable?

Can you interchange an insert with a pre-fold? Do you prefer hemp, bamboo, cotton, fleece? Do you need one or the other for different reasons?

What are your favorite brands and why?

Have you ever used a diaper service? I found one locally (in LA, if we're still here) but it looks like they still use pre-folds only. And it didn't look as though we'd be saving any substantial money by using them . . . what is your experience?

How many of what types do you keep in rotation? How often do you wash (i.e. loads per week)?

Any other comments or suggestions?

So far, I'm thinking we'll get a few All-in-One's, especially to use when out and about or at night time, and probably a few more fitted or pre-fold diapers with covers to use primarily at home. When traveling more than one night or in locations where access to washing mashines is limited (like our family cabin, camping trips, etc.) we'll probably still use disposables, but I'm hoping to not rely on them for normal use! So far, from reading reviews and knowing how we live, here are my favorites:

My current favorite All-in-One's:

• Bum Genius
• Mommy's Touch
• Haute Pockets

My current favorite other options

• Thirstie's Fitted Diapers
• Kissaluv's Fitted Diapers
• I've been considering picking up a few of the countour-style or old-fashioned style pre-folds to use with Snappi's inside of a cover for emergencies
• Mommy's Touch Diaper Cover (specifically because it can be snapped to all various sizes, rather than having to buy covers by size)
• Thirstie's Diaper Cover (these you would have to buy by size, but come highly recommended - I figure we might only need four or five per size Small and Medium)
• Kushies Flushable Liners - because I am still haunted by the memory of my mom dunking dirty diapers in the toilet with her bare hands. Gross. This is probably one of the reasons why I didn't consider cloth diapering from the get go. The drama. The trauma.
• Diaper Sprayer - for the same reason as above.

Keep in mind, I haven't bought or tried any of the above. If you have and would like to comment on how much you love/hate something, let me know!! This is just what I'm thinking we might use so far . . .

Big thanks to Michele who wrote this great post that I keep referring back to and a huge thanks in advance to anyone who comments! I appreciate your help!