Same Guy or Twin brother who is a Marine?

My Husband, the Native

Spear fishing is a delicate sport. So delicate in fact one must not wear pants.

Rules for Friends of Pregnant Women

1. Never stop me on my way to the bathroom to chat or ask innane questions, or rather, just don't stop me at all.
2. Never keep me waiting for food. In fact it might be good to keep a snack on hand as an offering if it comes to that.
3. Never lean on me, prop your feet on me, or (this only happens to short people) put your elbow on my head to indicate how short i am.
4. Never say (i don't care what kind of voice or intention is behind it) "Look at how big you're getting."
5. Never tell me how much weight you, your friend, your mother, her friend, or anyone you knew or heard of put on when they were pregnant.
6. Never imply or outright say that I am being whiny if i am telling you how uncomfortable I am, how I have a hard time sleeping, how sitting for long periods is uncomfortable etc. Especially if you've never been pregnant before.
7. Never do that "good natured, slightly condescending chuckle and head shake" to try to indicate to those around me as if trying to say, "pregnant women are so silly." Just because I am pregnant and prone to doing abnormal things does not mean I am a 2 year old or blind.
8. Never, EVER, EVER draw attention to my chubbier arms, thighs, or butt. Even if you mean it in a "good" way (yes i know i didn't have much of an ass before and "it's a miracle" but i don't want to hear about it).
9. DO NOT tell me what I can and can't eat or do. I have read the same if not more books, articles, and reports on pregnancy and all the current research. AND even if you see me eatting tuna, a package of smoked salmon, an entire package of cookies, sushi, beef carpaccio, drinking coffee, standing on my head, lifting something heavy DO NOT, I REPEAT NOT ASK ME WHAT I'M DOING! IT'S MY BABY AND MY BODY AND SHORT OF DOWNING SHOTS OF TEQUILA AND SMOKING PACKS OF CIGARETTES IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!!!
10. If i offer to let you feel the baby move don't act all weird about the belly. If you'd rather not touch it say so, but don't pretend i have lice. Also if i push your hand into my belly slightly harder don't tell me i'm gunna hurt the baby, it's in a sack of water under several inches of fat and flesh.
11. Don't tell me horror stories about birth. I do not want to hear about dying babies or mommies. I do not want to hear ANYTHING about how i've decided to give birth in a birthing center instead of a hospital unless it's supportive and kind.

The "Nesting Instinct" is no myth

I'm am feeling a profound urge to organize everything.

Part of me wants to buy that house just so i can fulfill this odd need to put baby clothes in a drawer and books on a shelf.

"Hey Richard, is this your coat?"

pregnancy hormones, feeling desparate, and a change in the wind

I had a small breakdown yesterday and left work around noon for fear of completely losing it. Fortunately, I did get all my work done before leaving.

Ben had taken the day off to work on his dad's house and was over there so I drove straight from work to there and cried on him until we were both thoroughly soaked. Then he made me a sandwich and plopped me in front of the big screen tv to watch comedy central.

After a bit we went out and laid in the grass under the crab apple tree and talked about our future. Sometimes it just doesn't feel like we have much of one.

The job that Ben and Dad are working on may not be finished until as late as August which will only leave a month and a little bit to work on the Little House before the wee one is born. Which would mean we would have no place to live when the baby was born. or at least continue to live with my folks which i don't see as an option.

While we were laying out under the crab apple tree, Ben's dad came home and joined us.

He mentioned something interesting... that the people up the hill from him were sub-dividing their property and that they're selling the tiny little gingerbread house on the hill.

We walked up and looked at it. It was so adorable and pretty well protected in a grove of oaks...

So now we're thinking of buying a house after all...

Sigh. We can't make up our minds... we're breaking commitments... we're feeling trapped...

yeesh. How does anyone ever start out?

My Retro Baby

Friday. I get home from work. Two large boxes are sitting on the chopping block in the kitchen addressed to "Libby Jones and Ben Matthew." They are from New England and the return address is none i recognize.

Turns out my bestest friend, Kirstin and her Mom plotted to send me Kirstin's and her brother's old baby clothes. The first thing i pulled out of the box is the cutest Peter Rabbit snow suit from like 1982.

Last Wednesday my Mom's friend Brooke came by and brought her son's old baby clothes, swing, johnny-jump-up, etc, etc...

This Sunday Ben and I are driving down to Virginia to gather more baby stuffs from my Aunt Mary.

This kid already owns more stuff than Ben and I put together. If all goes well we'll only have to buy diapers.

Death Predictor

http://evil.berzerker.net/death_predictions.php

This Website has told me:

"Libby Jones: At age 59, you will die lonely and alone from morbid obesity. "

*is that not the perfect thing to tell a young pregnant woman who is already paranoid about never getting her old body or life back?*

What happens when you swallow a watermelon seed

Life Cycle of a Dragonfly

While fishing down at Frog Hollow yesterday Ben, my cousin Charlie and his wife Sandra and I all got to witness something totally incredible.

We watched a dragonfly emerge from the hardened shell of it's nymph form. Uncurl it's wings and it's long tail, dry off in the sun. Unfold it's wings and take off on it's first flight in it's new body.

Although it makes complete sense, I had no idea that dragonflies started out as beetly creatures (nymphs, just like butterflies, moths and others). The whole process took about three or four hours and during it's transformation it turned from bright green to a sort of transparenty yellow and brown/black where the bracts of the tail and outter armor met.

It was really, really, cool.

Fourth grade science project here I come!!!


We also saw a 5 ft long blacksnake who i named Johnny Sprockets and a big old box turtle named Too Step. Ahh nature! (Oh and Ben caught the biggest fish so far of the season, a large mouth bass).

Easy Soaker Pattern

I was digging through some things this weekend looking for good yarn to make soakers and I found this great pattern that my mother made up. It's a simple, easy Soaker pattern. So, if anyone feels so inclined, I would owe you greatly if you wanted to knit a pair or two of soakers for the wee one.

(for those of you who don't know: Soakers are for babies who wear cloth diapers. They are like woolen underpants that go over the cloth diaper to help hold it in place and to act as another layer of protection against leaks)

Pattern:

You will need: 1pair size 7 needles. 1 yarn needle. 2-3 ounces of wool yarn (Worsted weight or about .5 cm in diameter)

Size: Infant to 6mos. (7mos. to Toddler)

Cast on 30 (40) stitches. Work in K1P1 (knit one purl one) ribbing for three rows.

Fourth row: *K1P1 YO (yarn over: pass yarn over needle one time, forming another stitch). p2 tog (purl two stitches together), repeat from * to end of row. Work in K1P1 ribbing for three more rows. This makes a row of holes for the drawstring.

For the next 3 (4.5) inches work in stockinette stitch (knit one row, purl one row.)

Leg openings and crotch: *K1 slip next stitch with yarn in front. Repeat from * to end of row. Rpeat this row for next 4.5 (5.5) inches. This forms a double panel of fabric that is somewhat narrower than the rest of the garment.

Work in stockinette stitch for antoher 3 (4.5) inches. Work in K1P1 ribbing for three rows. Next row *K1P1 YO P2 tog. Repeat from # to end of row. Work in K1P1 ribbing for three more rows. Bind off in K1P1 ribbing.


Thread a yarn needle with a length of yarn. Sew up sides form top of ribbing to beginning of crotch panel. Weave ends in and clip off excess. Thread drawstring through the holes in the ribbing. (You can make a drawstring from braided or twisted yarn).

Tada!! You have Soakers!

horrible photos

This is my incredibly handsome Husband looking like someone just dragged his fuzzy ass out of the woods and slapped some amish guys clothes on him. Nonetheless he's a cutie and a half ... Don't be fooled by that psycho-stare he's got going on.







These are the horrible photos (mostly cause i'm making awful faces) of me and my cousin Sarah. She is 28 weeks and I am 19 weeks. Notice how determined I am to avoid maternity clothes for as long as possible.