pinterest wednesdays.

[love the quilt, perhaps an easy-first-quilt for me, cute doorknobs-turned-coat rack, fun coat of turquoise paint on book rack, love the wood bedside table clusters]

So I thought I would share with you my favorite pinterest items on some wednesdays. And it's my goal to actually set aside time to be able to make/do/enjoy some of these seemingly endless wonderful ideas.

I did make these in real life:

(next time I will take pictures of these creations, although I am pretty sure pinterest's pictures will look more delectable)

 buttermilk whole wheat pancakes,  cream cheese cresent rolls,  oreo cheesecake

Haha...sense a theme?! That's embarrasing. I will branch out next time, I promise.

I would love to see your favorites- made in real life too!

oh...such kindness.

[a surprise on my doorstep]

People amaze me. I cannot believe how incredibly sweet our family, friends, co-workers, and blog-friends are. I feel so loved. I came home to find this sweet little cluster of books sitting on my doorstep from one of my idaho girlfriends congratulating me for being pregnant. And if that wasn't thoughtful enough, they happen to be the next two books that were on my amazon- to-buy-when-pregnant list. And now I get to read them! So sweet. And I am so incredibly touched by how supportive all of you, my blog-friends, are with your well wishes and uplifting comments. And the sweet congratulatory emails, hugs at work, or asking how I am doing on the phone...it means the world to me. It makes me feel like matt and I are not alone in this we have a TON of support, even if we do live all the way out in idaho. So thank you!! 

And on the book topic, I have way too many books that I want to read... but there is so much great information out there.

:: want to have time to read ::

-child proofing your dog by brain kilcommons (or dogs in our case)

-belly laughs by jenny mccarthy

-baby bargains by denise and alan fields

-love and logic magic for early childhood by jim and charles fay

:: would like to buy & read ::

-montesorri at home: birth to three by paula polk lillard

-happiest baby on the block by harvey karp

-think:straight talk for women in a dumbed down world by lisa bloom

:: currently reading ::

-the birth house by ami mckay (amazing book)

-100,001 baby names by lesley bolton

-eating well while you're expecting

-what to expect when you're expecting

-oh yeah, and a TON of nursing school books that are just not quite as much fun.

any recommendations?!

[seven weeks]

[my stomach-saver these days]

I'm 7 weeks pregnant! And I had my first bout of "morning sickness" folks. Unfortunately it was at work around 3 am. No, it wasn't the putrid smells of ulcers, oozing blood from body parts, nor the poor souls vomiting that set me off (this time)... it was the smell of a microwave dinner wafting through the emergency room. Oh good lord, I had to run outside quick and compose myself. I believe this could be just the start of my uneasy stomach. Perhaps instead of worrying about people's comments like "ohhhh...you don't have morning sickness, that's not a good sign!" I should have just enjoyed it.

If I stick to ultra-bland items 24-7, literally eating those little animal crackers all the time I have been able to keep my stomach settled. Definitely no big meals- the bloating is outrageous. And I have never been so excited to poop, let me tell you. Constipation is no laughing matter. I feel like I need all the space I can get in my abdomen for that ever-so-enlarging uterus. And I can't even call the spud a fetus yet, so I know I have a ways to go.

However, each time I feel like I'm really going to lose it I have a smile on my face and laugh. It's really happening. I'm pregnant. Hell yeah.

And on another empowering note... I love hearing birth stories. Whether it's from women at work, family, friends, or blogs. They are fantastically inspiring. So if you haven't seen already I would encourage you to go and check out the birth story over on figs & feathers: how luciana was born. Amazing. Then to check out her new motherhood experience look at: dear baby, I'm not perfect.

exercise & food prego style.

[waldo anyone?! tour de fat last weekend. I had just enough energy to bike around town in the parade, go to farmer's market, then go take a nap- not too shabby!]

Is it too early to be getting prenatal massages?! I am all about them, even at 6.5 weeks. I had my first one on monday...a treat to myself, in honor of starting school up this week. A de-stressor, that can't be bad right?! I wouldn't say it was any different from a regular massage, but I have heard that there are certain massage techniques that should not be done if you are pregnant, and the length of the massage, so its good for the masseuse to know that. I do feel like a brand new person though, just amazing. I hope I can do these monthly.

I also bought my very first yoga mat and have tried out "crunch yoga mama" on the watch-instantly portion of netflix. It's great! I will be attending a prenatal yoga class next week at the Y. My masseuse recommended it for stretching out my tense muscles that will really help with pregnancy. I have heard tons about it on blogs...and quite honestly I have been looking forward to having an excuse to start up yoga as a true beginner.

Also I am easing into aqua fit- a free water exercise class at the university that I go to. I'm excited! I have gone to the water classes before and loved it. Probably at the Y it would be older ladies, but at the college it's all people like me. Super fun.

Then just eating healthy... it's been easy so far because I don't crave anything. I usually operate my daily meals on what I am craving- which can be unhealthy (ie. fries, its a weakness). But now without cravings so far...I just eat healthy snacks all day long. If I get an empty stomach its not fun- I feel like I am going to loose it, and I start to freak out and find some type of food fast. So I try not to let that happen. But this will all change I am sure week to week...

[cramping & 6 weeks pregnant]

[us bottling matt's first batch of home-brew... today...homegrown suds anyone?!]

So it's kind of funny...in my time working in an emergency room there have been tons of women/girls who have come in for cramping/abdominal pain while pregnant. I always would laugh to myself and think...what do they expect?! They're growing a human in their belly.... no kidding they have abdominal pain.

Now I have the cramping....and I'm freaking out. I want it checked out! It's not that I am unable to cope with the pain, want a solution, or want pain medication...it's fear. It's fear that there might be something wrong. Usually your body gives you little clues that things aren't super great, and you should listen to it. So with the cramping I am concerned that perhaps there is no baby growing...and that would be a bummer. I have to continually tell myself to let nature take its course...don't stress, it will all work itself out one way or another. So that's what I am doing....sans wine or motrin... my usual go-to-cramp-solver.

But yay! I'm 6 weeks pregnant!! That's something worth celebrating....with a nice cold glass of...water. Oh yeah, and helping matt bottle his beer!

pregnancy update...

So.... I guess there is no subtle way to put this....

I'm pregnant! or...we're pregnant... or... I have a little spud growing of our very own. We made it ourselves. It's fantastic and unbelievable actually. So this is how it all went down... a week ago...

 When I was out in california helping my mom in the hospital I noticed I had a little upset stomach feeling and mainly heart burn...which I never get. I joked around that I am either pregnant or exhausted from an emotionally draining week. I just assumed it was the latter which was understandable- and pushed it out of my mind. After all... we had stopped "trying" to get pregnant (remember this silliness?!). Anyways, came back home to Idaho...enjoyed a few days with Matt...just talked about really soaking up these last few weeks of summer. On sunday we went to an amazing beer festival- in which I had entirely too much to drink (sorry spud)....still didn't even think I could be pregnant, I just felt like normal lindsey with a buzz. I had a few days of cramps...but what do I know?! I wasn't puking. Then tuesday I thought what the hell... this is when my period was supposed to be here, if I had a normal cycle (which I don't do normal- remember these posts?!)...so why not just do a pregnancy test for the fun of it?! It was the first time I really thought prego thoughts this whole month! I was really proud of myself. And here I was ruining that streak.

 So tuesday morning... august 9th... I took a pregnancy test while matt was at work. It was one of those fancy ones...with a digital screen and all...and it read pregnant. Ha. Seriously?! I tilted it in all directions...thinking a little "not" would be hiding, like it usually does. But no. This time it said just pregnant. I was in shock...with a big smile on my face.  I really was hoping for a pregnant result matt would have been home, but he wasn't so now I just had what felt like countless minutes to just think about it, giddiness and all...and wait. It was only about 20 minutes until I could tell him... he noticed I was acting weird right away and I walked him into the bathroom...and showed him the result. He was in shock also...but laughing and joking. Are we really ready for this?! Well, we better be. We have 9 months to figure it out.

It didn't really feel "real" even after multiple pregnancy tests. I read some of my prego books I had packed away high up on my bookshelf, we went and played disc golf...and we talked lots about how this is really happening. But we couldn't really tell people until maybe a few days?! a week?! I wanted to make sure I didn't have my period that first week. I know I can't prevent a miscarriage...if it happens, it happens, but this positive pregnancy test feels so good after so many negative ones, this excitement was worth it already. But we also don't want to jump the gun, maybe jinx ourselves?! Is that crazy? Feels crazy.

Anyways, a few days later of lots of conversations, lots of re-confirmed positive prego tests, appointments made, signing up for the daycare waiting list, making plans...we called our parents, then our siblings, then our friends. We didn't want facebook to know before our loved ones. It was a blast. To hear the excitement in the voices that mimicked ours was exhilarating and unforgetable. This made it more real. We are having a baby!

So now I have lists being made, lots of ideas to post about, and would love all of your input and advice for planning this new addition to our life. Stress-free & happy.... it's now our time to be planning for our homegrown spud. How exciting is that?!

end of summer BBQ

Our summer is coming to an end...in one week we will be in classes. It's exciting...in that we are just getting on with it. This will be my last year of college ever. I will be a nurse after these two semesters. Yay!! And Matt will be one more year closer to becoming a construction manager. Careers that we will love, it's exciting for sure. However, this summer has been amazing. So we started off the day with a float down the boise river, then had a BBQ with our Idaho friends to enjoy the last days of summer.

We made a DIY bean bag toss (aka corn hole or sports toss). We've been so busy this week we forgot to take pictures of the steps along the way. But it was super fun to make our own, and save money.

Matt used a sheet of plywood and a 2x4. The finished boards are 2 feet x 3 feet with a 6" hole. Matt and his wood-working skills put together this sweet set, I was quite impressed. I sewed bean bags out of some left over canvas I had on hand, then filled them each with 2 cups of pinto beans. The bags were cut at 7"x7", then with the seams they measure about 6"x6". I made 4 bags of the flower print, and 4 bags of the stripes. I thought the white background print would get dirty quick...and I was right! Next time, I will actually go out and buy more appropriate fabric. Oh well! We painted a white bulls-eye around the hole, and matt polyurethaned the top twice with sanding in between. It was a quick project...about 1 night to build it, 1 hour to make the bean bags, and 1 hour to paint/urethane. It was about $20 to make our set, with some supplies on hand.

The sports toss was a blast to play! Then we had amazing BBQ chicken and pork under our string lights. It was a great night spent with friends. 

my new hairstyle!

Haha... I did it! I cut my hair pretty darn short and darkened it. I love it, matt loves it...and it's refreshing!! I feel like it's a new start, for what I don't know. I have been blond all of my life...at first natural blond then supplemented blond. So this was a huge shock. However, my hairstylist did a fantastic job. We are easing into the brown, right now its a very natural dark dirty blonde. I don't think I will have a root issue any longer. Yay!!

It looks a little darker in real life, and the back is darker. But it also makes me look a shade more tan. Kind of fun... but man, I hate taking pictures of myself. Why are they always so very awkward?!

 This will be my usual, I am sure... bobby pinned. This will be great for work, for I can't put it in a pony tail. The back is about 1" long. Ha. How great is that?!

a bump book...

[here]

ok...this is simply adorable. a picture book following each week of pregnancy. of course she is a photographer & blogger....but what a great idea!

[mama mia's maternity book by hanna mac]

new fall hairstyle...

Thanks to my new pinterest friend....I have found some inspirational pictures for my new hairstyle. I am getting rid of the blond. It's a huge step for me! I just want a color a little easier- lower maintenance- a little more natural. My hair should blond-up by itself in the sun too, so we will see. I may not like it, but I'm going to try it out. I'll let you know after Wednesday what I think, if I don't wimp out. 

This is what I am going for...but a touch longer and no bangs.

[here]

This was my last haircut in June, which I loved...and not too far from the new one (of course minus the seductive look the lady above has for some weird reason).

out in california

[here]

Yes... I am still around. However, I am in a different state (physical & mental). I am away in california taking care of my mom in the hospital. I feel a little like the right side of this puzzle....but I will be returning to the blog world soon...hopefully with my mom back to good health & the world feeling like it's in one cohesive piece again. It will be oh so very nice.