Prego-Jeans

This weekend I bought my first (and hopefully only) pair of pregnancy jeans. The little one is growing and my jeans aren't cutting it any more. So, here is a picture of them and of the belly at about 16 weeks! What you can't see is taht the top of these are made up of a spandex type material that will expand with baby. They should last until I am due.

I am impressed by the quality and selection of maternity clothes, and the prices. These jeans were less than my last regular pair!

Delightfully tagged

1) One book that changed your life. Well, it is a book of poetry, but I think that it should still count: George Herbert's Complete English Poems. Herbert's poems open up so much beauty in traditional Western Spirituality. His poems are easy to understand and I began writing poems and very moving.

2) One book that you have read more than once. Lewis's Mere Christianity



3) One book you would want on a desert island. St. Ephraim the Syrian's collection of spiritual psalters. These prayers are soul cleansing.



4) Two books that made you laugh. The Harry Potter series. The best light reading in a very long time.

5) One book that made you cry. I don't cry very easily... hmm. Mostly I cry when I listen to Dr. Laura tell a story about some heroic act or a happy marriage. (I know I cheated.. its not a book.)

6) One book you wish you'd written. A Jane Austen novel. I wish that I had her insight into human affairs and acute observation skills.

7) One book you wish had never been written. Most books by Virginia Woolf. Very depressing and has kind of a fondness for suicide that is dangerous.



8) Two books you are currently reading. The Mill and the Floss by George Eliot, and St. Ephraim the Syrian's collection of spiritual psalters.



9) One book you've been meaning to read. Any of Bethany's recommendations.

I can't do the Meme as I am at work. If I wrote down anyhting from our reports, I could get fired. :)



Now: Tag five people. Tagged: Bethany Jean

Everyone else that I know has already been tagged.

In love :)

Yes, I am very much in love with the second trimester! I feel like I am five years old. I have energy! I want to do things and go places! I get giddy about eating yummy foods (strawberries, frozen yogurt, Trader Joe's sharp cheeses) and beautiful, sunny California days. If this is what the next couple of months will be like, I would like more of them! In about two weeks, I have gone from feeling sick, tired and generally blah, to happy and feeling like I have more energy than I can manage. Well, I will enjoy it while it lasts, and take the opportunity to get some things done before it goes away.

One of my favorite things lately has been to plan trips. In April (after Pascha- the Orthodox Easter on April 27th- read the Wikipedia article for more info on why it is different from the Western March 23rd date if you want), I will drive up to Northern CA to see my family for a few days. I have made it a tradition of taking off the week after Pascha for vacation.

Next, for Memorial Day Weekend, Nathan and I took off an extra day and will stay in a B&B up in Julian, CA. Julian is a little mountain town famous for apples and local arts. It is very quaint in the best sort of way and Nathan spent a lot of time there when he was growing up.

I also like thinking about fun day trips for the weekends. If anyone has any suggestions for the LA/Orange Co. area, let me know. Preferably something outdoors. :)

Lesson Learned

Nathan should not do our taxes. Things fly out of his mouth that probably shouldn't and he begins to talk about forming a country of our own. :)

Lenten Ideas

For the Eastern Christian Church, Lent begins very soon. Usually, I would know the kind of fasting and additional spiritual excercises to take on because the Church prescribes a fast and gives some boundaries for an appropriate rule. This year, I am not quite sure what to do. I have asked this question of my priest, but he has given me some guidelines, and not a rule necessarily. I was wondering what other people have found as appropriate rules during the Great Fast for times of life like I am in right now.

Should I go meatless and trust God, or is it more important that I get the nutrients in meat for the baby's sake? Beans and rice are a full protein and the Western Rite fast does not remove dairy products, so I won't have to worry about getting enough calcium. I remember Kelly saying that she would make simple meals, instead of trying to cook something fancy for dinner. Simplifying life is defnitely in the Lenten spirit.

My priest has said not to reduce the quantity of food, as is also the Lenten practice. Is there any other way to get similar spiritual benefits that would come with the quantity reduction?

Also, Fr. recommended giving up something outside of food, such as watching movies or going out to dinner. Any ideas here? Maybe the internet when I am not at work. That is an area that I indulge in.

I certainly plan on doing some spring cleanng this Lenten season, cleaning out the home while cleaning out the heart. Cleaning is so healing and so human. We have a lot of extra things around the house- clothes, dvd's, odds and ends, various appliances that we don't necessarily use. I loved Bethany and Evan's "Two Tunic Day" last year, where they went through their house finding things that they didn't need ( the second tunic) and invited their friends over to pick out what they need. So, if anyone needs anything in particular, I will keep the blog updated.

Fun new visual baby tracker

I added another baby tracker. It is on the right side of the page, a little way down.

The picture should change to reflect what the baby looks like (approximately) as the months go by. The website where I got it from also has the tracker for multiples. It is funny to see more than one baby in there because they keep floating into one another.

Living for the Weekend

Well, it is not the best way to live, but it is how things are going right now. I am looking forward to this weekend more than I have looked forward in a long time. This weekend I have no work to do for work, and no work to do for Church. I have some housekeeping activities planned (i.e. laundry, tidying up, etc...), but it truly amazes me how much I want to do those things. I want to have a clean(er) house and everything in good order.

I am also looking forward to this weekend to spend some quality time with Nathan. We both need that very much. We are going to take a walk in Bolsa Chica State Beach (see picture above), and have a quiet breakfast on Main Street in Seal Beach. Bolsa Chica has a nature preserve and FREE parking. I was introduced to the area by my good friend Laurel. Having breakfast in Seal Beach is almost a Saturday ritual, as we are very fond of an Irish pub there called O'Malley's (Some people may have been there with us, as we also enjoy their lunch and dinner selections :) ). It will be lovely.

Then, this Sunday can truly be a day of rest. Church in the morning and noon time, and a nap in the afternoon. I need to be sure to take my naps while I can, as my great-grandma (Nana) pointed out to me today- "The baby is much easier to take care of when it is inside, than when it is out."

So, here is wishing everyone a happy, relaxing weekend.