10-ish more weeks to go...

I'm now past the halfway mark, and about two-thirds of the way. Being that this is my second baby, I can actually say that each pregnancy IS different. For women out there who are just beginning their journey, you might find this enlightening; for those who have gone through that wonderful journey, feel free to laugh along. As I watch my daughter play with her dollhouse, I can't help but think back on what's great and/or funny about being pregnant.

1. You can blame EVERYTHING on hormones. From morning sickness, to heartburn, to fatigue, to that occasional meltdown, to clumsiness, and everything else. Yup... hormones.

2. People are drawn to you and everyone asks how you're doing. Even strangers have the urge to touch your belly like they can make a wish and it'll be granted. If you are one of these people, please please please... ask first, or you're gonna find out what's worse than taking a mama bear's cub.

3. After the first trimester (assuming you're over the nausea) you can eat and eat and eat, and no one will get mad at your for being a pig. You can have your own bizarre concoction and no one will give you the stink eye. Or steal your food for that matter.

4. Oh, the naps. I love the naps. Need I say more?

5. You're not really hogging the couch. You're just trying to get comfortable. Go ahead, put your feet up. Ask for some pillows and a nice tall glass of orange juice.

6. Other moms tend to "share" their experiences and advice. Just remember, not all pregnancies are the same. People will tell you what you should (or should not) do. I say check with your doctor.

7. If I believed those old wives' tales, I would be stinky (as I'm not supposed to take baths), the baby will get tangled in the umbilical cord, I can't wear a lei, and I should've had 4 kids by now (ring test). The Chinese gender predictor didn't work for me either. Thank goodness for ultrasounds and the amnio.

8. It's the strangest feeling in the world, your baby moving inside of you. But it is also the most amazing thing in the universe. It's also fun watching your tummy move and play "guess which part of baby."

9. You know what unconditional love really is. The bond between mother and child starts even before the baby is born.

That's all for now. I'm sure there are lots of other things that are great/funny about being pregnant, but I'm getting hungry. You do not want to see a hungry pregnant woman.

I can barely see my toes

I have taken a long ass break from this blog so I guess now is a good time for a new post. I'm still here, folks :) I felt like I went on sabbatical, only I really didn't.

Well, let's see... what have I been up to in the last months? Since my last post I was given a new task at work, something very new to me. I knew it would be another responsibility, like I don't have a hundred other tasks but I really do enjoy learning new things. I did sew a couple of projects that I just didn't get to post. I did a nursing wrap and a jewelry pouch as last minute Mother's Day gifts and I think they turned out really nice.After the Atlanta trip last July (part of my work), I took a week-long staycation. That's right, I stayed home and did nothing (not even sew... yikes!). Well, we were supposed to go to WA state but plans changed.

So we found out at the end of July that we're gonna have Baby #2 :) We're very, very ecstatic! And our girl is very excited about being a big sister. We decided to keep it a secret until after the first trimester and my girl was very good at keeping it hush-hush. Baby is now 20 weeks (halfway there), and moving a lot. All tests are normal and everything's good so far.

Here's a pic a took at work. Yup, that's the carpet in my office. Makes me feel like I have to take off my shoes, or play mini golf. Eh... I have to lean a bit now to see my shoes. When I stand straight, all I see is tummy. Because of our lil bun in the oven, I've been inspired to think of new things to sew. I will try to post them here. I'm sure these baby projects will be fun.

LOL A.M.

This vid was posted by a friend on fb. It cracked me up this morning and I thought it was worth sharing.

I gotta say, this man is talented.

All I need is a little patience...

Nope. I wasn't listening to Guns N Roses.

Did you ever have to remove embroidery from a shirt? That's what's keeping me sew busy lately. The embroidery itself was quite simple, nothing fancy, but in script font. I used a seam ripper and small scissors at first and it seemed like it was taking too long to remove one letter. Plus my right hand was starting to ache (not good when I'm already experiencing symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome). A quick tap on the keyboard and I watched a few vids showing how to "erase" the stitch with the special razor. Not the kind you use for giving someone a buzz cut but simply put, an embroidery razor/eraser. They're not cheap at all. So should I get one? Is the juice worth the squeeze, as my former boss would say?

Enter the x-acto knife (actually it was the Fiskars brand). Thank goodness for this wonderful little gadget. I used it to break the stitches on the back side and then used the seam ripper the pull the threads off. This $2 wonder helped, tremendously. It saved me a lil bit of time and not as painful on the hands. This "unsewing" experience sure tested my patience. Sure, it took a while for me to finish but I did it... blurry vision, hurting hands and all. I'd rather be sewing something but this is just one of those things I'll have to chalk up to experience.

i came, i saw, iPod

I happen to be one of those eligible for the iPod Nano replacement. I actually had mine for a few years now but since having an iPhone, it just started collecting dust. Come to think of it, I didn't know why I kept it. Eh. So I went through the process of signing up and waiting (and waiting) for the package for returning it. Why bother you ask? Why not? Who knows, I might actually use it. Mind you, Apple was very specific about how you're supposed to pack it. I searched online for folks who have received the replacement unit and found out that some of them actually received the exact same model (a 1st gen for a 1st gen). Then I thought, if I get the same thing maybe I can trade it in? It was probably worth $20. But when I got home from work today, this is what I got:

It turns out Apple started sending the 6th gen iPod nano as the replacement unit. I guess sometimes it pays not to be first in line. Cute, no? Will I use it? I dunno... it looks good for working out. If I can just get myself to actually work out. Hah!

Ho Ho Ho

Today is the first day of my Christmas break. And I did promise myself that I would go back into sewing as soon as I have time. Well I MADE time. I've missed sewing a lot more than I realized so I was pretty determined to finish this little project.

I want to thank my daughter and Hello Kitty for being my Santa hat models. One thing that I found a little difficult in this project is sewing the fur. Maybe next time I'll hand sew it. I think it turned out okay considering I was just winging it hoping it would actually look like Santa's hat. I like the little bell I attached. Well, I have a few more projects lined up. Maybe I can finish a couple more before the year ends.

Enjoy the holidays folks!

I know, I know...

It's been ages since I last posted. The last half of the year has been such a whirlwind that part of me wishes it to end already. I have all these fabric and patterns and projects all piling up in my little sewing corner (that hubby set up for me) but I just don't have the time. Now that my daughter's in school, we also have to make time for her school activities. But I'm looking forward to the Christmas break (and I'm glad my work still gives this to us). I have a lot of projects lined up. I'm not trying to be ambitious or anything but I think it's about time I push myself to do more.