Got the cart, now where's the horse?

I have to confess my first cart before the horse purchases. I am borderline embarassed to admit this...but I bought a diaper bag and maternity jeans over the weekend! I was at Marshalls on Saturday and found an adorable diaper bag that was only $13, and my friend K (who is a total shopping enabler) supported my buying it. I said, "It's pink, so I'd better have a girl!" and she said, "You're the mom - you can carry whatever you want!" This is why it's a bad idea for us to go shopping together.

Then we went to Old Navy where I found a pair of maternity jeans in my size on the clearance rack. They were 50% off because they are an online exclusive, and I would get an extra 20% off because of a sale they were having. So they were $15! Who can pass that up? So...I bought them. Told myself it was a sign that they had one pair and they were my size. At the register, the cashier happened to be K's cousin and she says, "You know these are maternity jeans. And they're non-returnable." Me (feeling like a lunatic): "Uh huh."

I promptly took both things home and hid them in the back of my closet. I think maybe I was just feeling optimistic because I am pretty sure I ovulated that day and managed to get in some sexy time with the husband. I really hope it pays off!

In other weekend news, I spent all day yesterday finishing our Christmas tree and putting up decorations. My hubby put up the outdoor lights Saturday. And I even got out the plexiglass panels to winterize our front screened-in porch last night! It was a cold, tedious job but at least we don't have snow blowing onto the porch anymore.

I even tried my hand at baking - which, if you recall from my "I'm a Terrible Housewife" post, is not something I typically do. My friend's mom used to make these awesome little pastries called kolaches (I've seen various spellings) that have jam in them, so I found a pretty simple recipe and tried it out. Here are some of the better results (on the left) and the ones that didn't stick together on the right:

They weren't great. They were pretty bland and didn't stay together very well. I think I'm going to look for another recipe or see if my friend can get me her mom's.

So all in all, a very busy and productive weekend!

Inappropriate/Awkward Comments - Weekend Edition

Friday at dinner with my husband's family
My husband is saying how he'd like to join the Y or find a hobby because he "never has anything to do when he gets off work."

My brother-in-law (husband of my pregnant SIL, who both know we are TTC): "Maybe you should just go home and have lots of sex and get your wife pregnant like me."

Um...really? He said it in a joking way, but it was so not funny. I changed the topic quickly and made a note to make him feel super awkward in public sometime in the near future.

Saturday Incident #1
The hubby and I are discussing the family vacation next June that his mom has started planning, and I tell him how I hope to be pregnant then, and how I want to 1-not be miserable and fat on vacation on the beach, and 2-may not be able to fly depending on how far along I would be.
"Why?" he asks. I say, "There's some medical reason you can't fly later in your pregnancy. Blood clots or something maybe?" (I haven't exactly researched the reasons at this point.)

Fast forward to sitting at the in-laws' house Saturday night. My MIL is talking about vacation, and my hubby says, "(MillerTime) doesn't want to fly."
MIL: "Why?"
Hubby: "She might get blood clots."
MIL: questioning look at her son like he's lost his mind
Me: *death stare at the hubs* "Nope, actually I would much rather fly. I hate riding in the car."

And also on Saturday
Me: "Does anywhere around here have smoothies? I really want a smoothie." (We are in a new community since we moved - a much smaller one.)

BIL (yep, same one): "Tim Horton's has good ones now. Maybe you're pregnant. (pregnant SIL) always wants smoothies."

Me: dies a little inside - "Anyone want to go to Tim Horton's with me?"

Add those ridiculous instances to the fact that I was badgered by another friend last week until I confessed we are TTC, and then a former co-worker (who I like well enough, just not close enough to share really personal things) flat-out asked if we are trying.

Ugh. Come on miracle baby. I need you this month or I'm going to need to start throat punching people.


Quick edit to include a pic of the black mantel as promised, and our almost done family room (need new fireplace doors, new curtains and new windows, but overall it is looking good!)

November already?

How about a post about... nothing? That's pretty much what I've got going on. Nothing new in TTC news - I am waiting to ovulate and hoping it happens sooner rather than later as it did last month. On the plus side, after some more issues with my husband "finishing," we did some research into an anti-depressant he takes for anxiety and found out the top side effects are sexual ones! So for the time being he is cutting his pills in half and we'll see what happens (so far we're 1 for 1 - yay!).

So many of my girls from my message board have gotten their positive tests the past couple of weeks - I would love to join them soon!

I feel like progress on our house is crawling along. We've gotten estimates on windows, tree trimming, water softeners... now we're just trying to prioritize the projects. I finally found a dining room set that I like and got it ordered last night, but it won't be here until mid-December! Which kind of puts a kink in my plan to have my sister-in-law's baby shower the first week of Dec. We don't have many places to sit, lol. There is also more painting to do but I am having a hard time picking a color for our front room/dining room because everything is open and connected.

We have been able to beat the cold nights with a fire in the fireplace already! The mantel is getting painted black whenever I get around to buying that paint - hopefully this weekend. I can't wait to put our stockings up there! I'm such a dork. (And don't worry - I love Christmas but am not one of the crazies who already have my tree up.)

"Oh the weather outside is frightful/but the fire is so delightful/and since we've no place to go..."
Oh wait. Scratch that. I don't want snow yet! If it snowed one day a year - Christmas - I would be a happy girl. But unfortunately that's not how it works in Ohio. *sigh*

Stepping Back

I am trying to take the opportunity of cycle #3 coming to an end to take a deep breath and stop obsessing over getting pregnant. In all reality this may only last about a week, but I welcome the breaks I take from temping every morning and feeling the need to obsessively check my chart first thing every day. I wake up every morning and try to remember to thank God for the blessings I have in my life and remind myself that things could be a lot worse.

On my Trying to Get Pregnant message board we usual have a Thankful Thursday, but I need a good reminder sometimes, so I'm having a Thankful Monday:

• I am thankful for my best friend. She lives 3 hours away and we don't see each other nearly enough, but I love her for her support and understanding. Nothing is TMI, and we always "get" each other.
• I am thankful for my husband. Between our new house and TTC, we have been arguing more than usual, but I try to bite my tongue and apologize when I know I should. He made an awesome beef stew for dinner last night - so I am also always thankful for his cooking!
• I am thankful for my cat :o) She is a total spaz and her fur is everywhere, and usually I won't let her sleep with us because she can't stay still. But last night she cozied up with us in bed and I didn't have the heart to kick her out. I only woke up to her tail in my face once!
• I am thankful for my family. My parents are always there for me, and I don't know what I would do without them.

So there's my warm and fuzzy post to take the edge off the last one. Not much else to report in my life - still working on the house. Immediate projects in the queue:

• paint the back of the bathroom door
• get my husband to finish our downstairs bathroom
• clean the gutters yet again so our basement doesn't flood (someday we will need to get gutter guards)
• get an estimate on windows tomorrow
• buy a water softener because the one in the basement doesn't work and our water is terrible
• find a dining room table (found one, just not sure if it's big enough)
• paint the front room and dining room (what color? not sure)
• start hanging pictures and things on the walls!

We want to have a housewarming party and I was aiming for Nov. 13, but we'll see how that goes. Hopefully this week goes quickly because I am already tired!