I had to!

I am sad that Hostess -- a company that played a big part in my childhood memories and, as it turns out, plays a big part in my children's lives, too (my son, Bubba, who is Autistic will only eat Wonderbread) -- is closing up shop, but I have to say...I'm a Little Debbie fan! So yes, I had a tiny bit of fun with their logo and Photoshop. All I'm trying to say is when one door closes, another one opens. Right? LOL.

An Extra-Ordinary View: Pride Begins at Home

An Extra-Ordinary View: Pride Begins at Home: As a mom, I try my best to make sure that the twinks are not only proud of who they are as individuals, but also of the special bond they sh...

Bubba turned 7 & we celebrated with much cake!

This year, because of budget constraints, we decided to do Bubba's birthday low key, so a simple barbecue with family and a few friends was the plan. Of course, Mommy guilt at not giving my sweet boy - a boy who for the most part is excellently behaved, always does well in school and never asks for a thing - kicked in full gear. To try and soothe that guilt I figured I could, at the very least, give him an awesome birthday cake. Bubba, being who he is, can never settle on one thing, so he came up with 2 cake themes he would love to have -- a Minecraft themed cake and a Mario themed cake. I hit the internet to see if others had attempted these types of cake and I was not disappointed. There were tons. And they all usually involved fondant. Ruh-roh.

I am pretty good in the desserts department with cakes being something I pride myself on doing very well, however fondant is one medium I've never really forayed into. I did cut out some fondant stars to put on Bubba's Angry Birds themed cake last year, but these cakes would involve a lot more work and a lot more fondant. I started to go with making simple cupcakes and printing out Mario/Minecraft cupcake picks just to do this easier, but then I got a 40% off coupon from Michael's. which sells fondant. I figured if I could try my hand at something new for almost half price, why not?

I set out to do my work after the kids were put to bed. Thank goodness because there was much swearing going on. Prior to beginning, I looked up as many fondant tutorials as I could online. Thank you YouTube because I received my best instruction from a YouTube channel called Feast of Fiction. They take recipes from fictional works such as books, movies, video games and create them in real life. God bless them for even having a  beautiful Minecraft cake tutorial!

So here are the pictures of my creations. They look very amateur but I am happy with how they turned out for an amateur. A friend, who is skilled with fondant creations, told me that I did a great job for a first timer, and that practice makes perfect. (I'm taking that as permission to make many cakes!) Bubba was thrilled. His eyes lit up at every creation and his exclamation of "Awesome!" made me forget that I didn't get the seams just right or that my cut out shapes looked wonky. One thing that would be better for all cake makers is if someone could create a tastier fondant. The cakes themselves were delicious, but the fondant remained left behind on the plates. When the kids asked "Do we have to eat this?" I told them no, that it was gift wrapping for the cake.

I am looking forward to getting better at this. October is a huge birthday month in our family so opportunity awaits!

This was my first fondant creation. The large square cake is a replica of the Minecraft cake featured in the game. The little green squares are milk chocolate cupcakes Creepers, also from the game. The faces were cut out of sugar paper.

I'm proud of this cake. I went with a Mario Kart theme. It's a marble cake (butter and milk chocolate), frosted with vanilla buttercreme and then covered in fondant. I know my limitations so instead of trying to craft a Mario and kart out of fondant, I opted to buy one. This actually worked out well because now Bubba had a cake he could eat and play with afterwards!

Korean Food! Jajangmyun tutorial!

Photo by http://flickr.com/photos/jaspark/

I was not a super adventurous eater growing up (I am now!) so, as a child, there were only a few Korean foods I would eat. Jajangmyun is one I would and could eat as often as I was allowed. It's tasty, filling, not spicy and oh so comforting!

Fast forward many years after I have moved out on my own and didn't have my Korean mom to cook good Korean food for me any more. Sure, there are noodle places around where I could probably get a good jajangmyun but with kids who are even less adventurous eaters than I was as a child, there was no way I was taking my family there to eat. So it dawned on me. Why not try my hand at making it at home? I did and, you know what? It was delicious! So for you out there who'd love to try this dish of awesomeness, here is my picture tutorial for making jajangmyun.

You'll need:

1/2 pound pork, any kind, diced.

1 cup of any of these veggies, small dice(use all or just a few, up to you): Korean radish, Korean (white) sweet potato, white potato, carrot, zucchini

2 cups of flavorful (aka not Vidalia) onion, small dice

1 cup of Korean-style black bean paste (called "chunjang")

1 tbsp. white sugar

2-3 tbsp. potato starch

olive or vegetable oil

1 package of thick wheat noodles, jajang myun style

Directions:

In a wok or large skillet, heat 2 tbsp. of oil. 

Add diced pork and fry on medium high heat until crispy. Scoop pork onto a paper towel to drain, reserving about 2 tbsp. of rendered pork fat in the skillet. Set both aside.

In a small sauce pan or skillet, add 1 tbsp. of oil and the 1 cup of black bean paste. Sauté, over low heat, for about 2-3 minutes. Spoon out the black bean sauce into a bowl, leaving the oil (if any) behind. Set aside. 

Take the skillet with the pork fat and place over medium heat. Add all the diced vegetables. Sauté until the onions start to sweat and turn opaque. Add the pork.

Add water until all the vegetables and pork are covered by about 1/2 inch of water. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil, uncovered. Reduce heat and allow to simmer until the hardest vegetable is done, about 15-20 minutes.

While vegetables are cooking, bring a large pot of water to boil. You may or may not salt your water. Up to you. Do not add noodles until your vegetables are done! Boil for about 4-5 minutes. Taste for doneness.

Add black bean paste to the vegetables and mix well until dissolved.

Add sugar and mix in well.

In a small bowl, mix equal parts of potato starch with water. Pour into the black bean mixture while stirring constantly and swiftly as potato starch thickens fast. Remove from heat and set aside.

Drain your noodles and place into a bowl. Top with jajang sauce. If you'd like, garnish with julienned cucumber and slice boiled egg.

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Now, for pictures!^^

Sauté diced pork in 2 tbsp. of oil until brown and slightly crispy. You can use lean pork but my Mother says a little fat is good for flavor. Plus you'll need the fat for later. Oh, and you can season the pork if you'd like, however, most Koreans will leave it as is.

Scoop pork onto a paper towel to drain. Reserve about 2 tbsp. of the rendered fat in the pan. Set aside.

Get ready to do some chopping! Dice your veggies. I chose Korean radish, Spanish onion and Korean (white) sweet potato/yam. 1 cup of each will do. *Note: Using zucchini is pretty much a mainstay, however, I forgot to pick one up! =)

Man that was a lot of chopping! Oh, and I added carrot.

This is chunjang, Korean-style fermented black bean paste. I'm aware of what it looks like but it has so much good flavor!

In a small saucepan or skillet, heat 1 tbsp. of oil and add the black bean paste. Saute over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Remove to a bowl with a spoon, leaving the oil behind (if any).

Reheat the skillet with the pork fat. Add your veggies. Sauté until the onions start to sweat and turn opaque. Add the cooked pork.

Cover with water until veggies are submerged with about 1/2 inch head space. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let cook (uncovered) until your hardest veggie is done.

While the veggies simmer, get your noodles. This is them in the package.

This is them out of the package. If you look closely you can see they are packaged in bunches. Two bunches = 1 serving. Boil as you would spaghetti, in salted water, however do NOT boil the noodles until your sauce is nearly complete. These noodles only take about 4-5 minutes to cook. If you cook them too long, they get mushy. If you cook them too early and let them sit, they get sticky. Do not boil and toss them with any oil to prevent sticking. To do so will keep the delicious jajang sauce from clinging to the noodles.

Back to the veggies! After they are done cooking, add the cooked black bean paste and mix until dissolved. Then add the sugar. In a small bowl, prepare your potato starch and then add per my directions above. *Note - Why potato starch instead of corn starch? Potato starch thickens quicker and with less needed as opposed to corn starch. That being said, you can totally use corn starch.

This is your finished sauce.

Drain noodles, place in a bowl, top with jajang sauce. You may garnish with julienned cucumbers and slice boiled egg but I was feeling lazy so no garnish! Eat and enjoy!

The sauce is what really makes the jajangmyun, in my opinion. So feel free to have this on rice or your choice of pasta if you cannot find the necessary noodles. I have heard of people using dark meat chicken (like the thighs) when making this instead of pork, so give that a try as well. As always, recipes are guidelines so I do encourage tasting constantly and consistently to see if the flavor is right for you.

Goose turns 3! And an eggless cake recipe. =)

A tumultuous pregnancy it was,
Still I never regretted a step
I was even looking forward to natural labor
(I must have fallen and hit my head.)
With vigor vim and pep.

On April 29 did he arrive
The second son to our clan Haynes
Blessed with his Mommy's drop dead good looks (Shut up.)
And Daddy's perspicacious brains.

Here today Goose now stands a preschooler
Displaying unique character and personality so bold
While Mom and Dad look on with sentimental eyes
At their baby, just turned 3 years old.

Alas, how sad that time flows so fast!
I have both dismay and joy where my heart is.
So I need you to stop reading and get to work
(Especially you science inclined types)
Mama needs a time machine-- go build me a Tardis!

Happy Birthday, Goose *MUAH*

~*~

So I took my 95 y.o. neighbor grocery shopping with me yesterday, and helping her caused me to forget all the stuff I needed to bake my son a nice cake...like EGGS. I totally didn't feel like running out again so instead, I Googled "eggless cake recipes" and found one that was great! This eggless vanilla cake came out a little denser than your traditional cakes, however it has just the right amount of sweetness and my kids loved it. I had a half a can of chocolate frosting left over from my birthday a couple weeks ago and tons of M&Ms leftover from the boys' Easter baskets so voila! Instant birthday cake. My big little 3 year old loved it and both boys (and Daddy) ate it up happily.

How Do You Break Up with a Friend?

How do you break up with a friend, especially when that friend was such an important part of your life at one point? I know, why would anyone want to end a friendship with someone who was once so valued to them? Well, the truth is, people change and the friendships that once fit like a glove are no longer comfortable.

I'm not talking about getting rid of a friend over a petty disagreement, but suppose you and this person, with whom you were once so close, evolved into living different lifestyles that just don't jive? What if you are no longer the religious ambivalent you used to be but now have devoted your life to Jesus? Or suppose you've gone from your "live and let live" outlook to a stricter moral code that bristles around your hedonistic pal? Suppose you have given up your addictions, whatever they may have been, but your friend still has those monkeys chained to his or her back?

It may seem like friendships in these scenarios should be easy to walk away from but that's not always the case. That person with whom you don't see eye-to-eye with at this moment may have been someone whose support once saved your life.  You may have known that person since childhood and watched each other grow up and even experienced some of your life defining moments together. Even if you two stand at opposite ends of the spectrum now, how do you walk away from that kind of history?

Do you just fade away? Don't answer the e-mails? Stop returning phone calls? Always find an excuse not to make that lunch or dinner date? Or do you overtly "dump" them by unfriending them from Facebook or not issuing them their perpetual invitation to "that social function" you have every year? Maybe the old fashion way is best: a Dear John letter or one-on-one chat where you break up over coffee.  Any way you choose, it's going to hurt. It's going to hurt you for having to do it and it's going to hurt them as well, even if they don't recognize what's happening right away. However,  if it's for the best then you have to take comfort that you are doing the right thing for yourself. And for them, because it's not fair to be a phony supporter when your heart is really not in it.

It may not be as horrifying of an experience as you think it could turn out to be and, in the end, you, the dumper,  may be the one who's surprised by the state of your relationship and not the dumpee. I have a few friends that I wanted to break up with but I'm not as brave as I like to think I am so I've chosen to simply fade away. To my surprise, or maybe it's my dismay, I'm not as missed as I thought I'd be because, in truth, I don't think some of these friends have even realized I've gone. Maybe I am actually the dumpee.

Autism Awareness Day - Are You a Parent in Denial?

Today, I am participating in "Light It Up Blue" for Autism Awareness Day. I do it to help give a voice to the 1 in 88 who have been and will be diagnosed as being on the spectrum because more attention needs to be given to this issue. I also do it for my son, Bubba, who is on the spectrum himself.

Almost everyone has heard of Autism, however, there is still a big stigma that comes with the diagnosis. The belief that Autistic kids all fit in one mold, that there is one general type of manifestation of the disorder causes those who don't know to stereotype and misjudge these angels and that often leads to discrimination.  Sadly, it's that fear of discrimination that causes many parents and caregivers to not seek out the help they need for their children. That's what this blog is about today. No one wants to accept or even admit that their child may have Autism or any other disorder, but I'm here to tell you that it's not the end of the world, that you don't have to be afraid of accepting the diagnosis and all that comes with it.

No one knows their child better than their mother and father, and when my precious Bubba didn't speak when he should, wouldn't call me Mommy and cried and screeched at certain sights and sounds, I knew in my heart that something was wrong. Instead of listening to the voice in my head, I chose to suppress it and make excuses and reach out and grab a hold of all the reasons others gave me for his odd behavior.

"He'll outgrow it."
"All children develop at their own pace...just give him time."
"He's just sensitive."
"Do you want him to be sick? Just let him be."

And I did just that, I let him be. But as he got older, there were signs that couldn't be ignored. We took him to the county and had Child Find evaluate them. In a  single, 15 minute session, they determined that he was functioning normally, but that the error was with me, that I chose to keep him at home and homeschool him instead of putting him in school with his peers. So I accepted that diagnosis, enrolled him in school and waited for the issues I'd notice to clear up. Not the case. Instead, things pointing towards Autism became more clear. He would not socialize, he would not participate with groups, he would not make eye contact with others. Again, I tried to rationalize and accept what offerings of hope people were giving me.

"He probably just doesn't like the other kids."
"I was the same way, Bubba's just a loner."
"Do you want him to be sick? Just let him be."

It took his wonderful preschool teacher, Ms. Judi, sitting my husband and me down and telling us, "Look...there is a problem." Hearing her voice everything that was in my heart, her listing all the issues I had noticed, all the issues that weren't being resolved with time as I believed would happen, broke down my wall of defiance and I decided that the only way I could help my son was to accept that he needed help. My decision to switch from defensive to proactive is what, I believe, was the turning point in Bubba's life and his future. With her help and the help of his other teachers and counselors, I managed to get the county to do a full assessment and get him the help he needed to become a better him. With the establishment of his IEP, the start of occupational, speech and behavioral therapy, we were able to unlock his potential and create an environment for him to thrive. My only regret is not accepting earlier what I knew in my heart to be true because, as wonderfully as he is doing now, I wonder where he could be if I had moved sooner.

This is why I implore parents and caregivers to take note of that feeling in your heart that tells you something isn't right. Don't squash it down, don't listen to the advice of others who may be saying what you want to hear in their efforts to make you feel better. Listen to yourself. When you don't and you choose to ignore the signs that your child may need more than you can give, you are only delaying the inevitable and making things harder for you all. This is the reason I feel that Autism awareness is so important! We need to teach those who don't know about the disorder the facts so we can remove the stigma that comes with the diagnosis. Shame and fear keep parents and caregivers from seeking out help, because we worry about the prejudice and judgements that come with the diagnosis. If only those who do misjudge would learn that Autistic children, even the non-verbal, have the ability to communicate if the proper method is taught, and that they love and feel just as much as a neurotypical child. Or if they could see that with the proper therapies and early intevention that many children on the Autism spectrum can grow and go on to live totally independant lives, working, playing and raising families of their own. Or if they could understand that being Autistic does not always mean mentally disabled as some of the children on the spectrum are highly intelligent and are capable of intellectual thoughts and actions. A diagnosis doesn't have to be the end of the world. It can be the beginning of a new world of possibilities for your child if you are willing to seek the help.

I admit, there are times when I do feel down about Bubba because I worry. I worry about how he'll feel when the children start to notice and make mention of his tics and quirks and how he'll react if they point them out or make fun of him. I worry about how he'll do when it's time for me to let him be more independant, when he gets to the age where he'll need to, want to, venture out more without me around. I worry about how he'll feel when he is old enough to understand that he has Autism Spectrum Disorder, and what that'll do to his self esteem. I worry! But I know I'd worry just as much if he were a neurotypical child.

Some words of advice to those who do decide to seek help: Go with your gut. Don't just accept what you are told. According to the first set of Child Find "experts" that saw Bubba, he was completely "normal". According to the well-known child developmental specialist that saw Bubba this past Fall, he was simply ADHD, not Autistic. In both instances, although I was momentarily elated by the diagnoses and eagerly grabbed them and waved them around, my gut instinct kicked in and I sought futher answers. Bubba is now classified as "ADHD with Autistic traits", and I think I've finally found a diagnosis I'm happy with, so I can stop looking and work on helping my son work with his designation.

Has his diagnosis been the end of the world? No. Is it hard? At times. But I am so proud of Bubba and all the strides he's made that sometimes I think my heart might burst. I love him just as much as I love Goose, my neurotypical child, and it has never even crossed my mind to feel otherwise. I love Bubba's personality and I can't imagine him acting any other way, and I think I would mourn the loss if he did. Besides, the diagnosis does not define our relationship. I am his Momma, and my duty is to be his best supporter and I will be forever. No diagnosis will ever change that for me, and it shouldn't for you either.

The Top 10 Things Not to Say to a Woman Who Has Suffered Pregnancy Loss

About a month ago, I happily announced my pregnancy on this blog. I also announced it on Facebook, Twitter, to countless friends, family, "kinda knows" and even strangers. I was excited! Some probably think that was an unwise decision, and they are right because, unfortunately, I ended up miscarrying at almost 3 months along. I knew this was a possibility before I made the announcement because I have a history of miscarriages, but  my line of thinking was that if the unthinkable should happen, at least my friends and family and others who care could help me get through it. There are some flaws to this thinking, however, that comes in the form of people, who in their effort to comfort you, really don't know the "right" things to say to someone in my situation.

Are there "right" things to say to someone who has experienced the loss of their child, either due to miscarriage or stillbirth? Maybe not really, but there are definitely some wrong things to say. I took to a wonderful miscarriage and pregnancy loss forum I belong to and asked the ladies to post some of the things that were said to them in the name of comfort that really stood out as the wrong thing to say at the time. Below is the list I compiled from our experiences. The list is actually much, much longer than this, but I picked out ten of the ones that we all seemed to get told in common.  Please keep in mind, many of us are not ungrateful for the efforts people make to comfort us. In fact, many of us choose to keep quiet about our hurt feelings because we know that the speaker meant well  and was just trying to ease our pain.  This list was not written to be snarky, but to give insight. Please take it as such.

The Top 10 Things Not to Say to a Woman Who Has Suffered Pregnancy Loss

#1: "The baby was probably sick, so it's probably better this way. You wouldn't have wanted a sick baby."

Yes! Yes we would have! Of course we all want a healthy baby free of health issues, but if we were destined to have a child with disabilities or illnesses, we wouldn't love it any less, or wish for different. We'd welcome the child and love him or her with all our hearts and be grateful for the chance.

#2: "It's in a better place" or "God must have needed another angel".

This is tricky. Yes, most of us who are Christian appreciate the fact that our child is with Our Father, however, at this moment in time we are feeling a little selfish and we really want our baby with us. Plus, for Christians like me, I don't want to believe that my loving God gave me the miracle of a baby only to take it away from me and cause me such pain and grief.

#3: "Well, at least you know you can get pregnant!"

Yes...but how does that ease the worry about whether I can ever stay pregnant? Or carry out a healthy birth?

#4: "At least you already have children" or "You already have # children, so you should feel blessed" or "You already have # children, isn't that enough?"

All those statements imply that I'm greedy, that I don't appreciate the living children I have, that I don't deserve to mourn losing a baby because I'm already a mother.  They don't ease the pain but they actually bring on feelings of guilt that I'm mourning my dead one when I should be feeling blessed and satisfied with my living one(s).

#5: To those who have had miscarriages early in pregnancy , ectopic pregnancies, or blighted ovums: "It wasn't a real baby yet" or "At least you didn't have a chance to get attached".

For most women, the love starts as soon as they see a positive pregnancy test. Your brain starts thinking and planning, your imagination about your child is immense. So why wouldn't I feel attached or feel a loss or feel that my baby was "real"?

#6 "It'll happen if it's meant to be" or "Maybe it's not in God's plan for you to have children".

Our bodies were meant to have babies but, sadly, sometimes there is a glitch. God created us to procreate and populate the earth, so how could it not be in His plan? He blessed the hands of those who found methods to cure infertility! To say these words you are pretty much saying that I'm not in God's plan, and that hurts.

#7 "You are too young to have children anyway" or "You were probably too old to be trying to have children".

I shouldn't have to explain this one. Pointing out my age does not ease my grief.

#8 "You can always try again!" or "You're young, you have plenty of time to try again".

True, we can, but we're not baking a cake, we were holding onto a life that we thought was precious. It's not like something we could just do-over, we lost something substantial to us and telling us to "get back on the horse" offers little in the way of comfort. Besides, unless we are really close, you might not know that we've tried for ages to get pregnant to finally have a success, so trying again may not be as easy as you make it sound. 

#9 "I know how you feel. I felt the same way when my Mother/Grandmother/Cat died".

No, no you didn't. Loss of a relative or family pet or even a spouse is extremely hard and painful, but it's a different pain than the loss of a child. Not saying that you didn't hurt as badly, but they are different types of grief and they cannot be compared.

Finally #10: "Life goes on" or "You have to move forward" or "Don't dwell on the sorrow".

I loved this baby from day one. I gave it life and a future and a place in my family and in my heart immediately. I cannot just forget it. It was and will always be a part of me. I will eventually move forward in my own time, but the sorrow will be there forever.

By the way, this list applies to the expectant fathers as well. They are usually suffering this loss as much as their partners.

So, you might ask, what is the right thing to say? Maybe it's not the right thing, but the safest thing to say?

"I'm so sorry."

Knowing that you are genuinely sorry for our loss is comfort enough. Feel free to add "I'll pray for you" or "If you want to talk, I'm here to listen" but "I'm sorry" is kind enough.  Sometimes, as humans, we feel that we have to go all out to show our sincerity and caring, but at times of grief I think less is more. When we need more, we'll reach out for more, and if you can handle it, be there to be a shoulder to cry on or a sounding board to whom we can simply talk through our grief.  We appreciate and feel comfort in just knowing that you are there.^^

What Happened to "Help Your Fellow Man"?

My husband donates blood as often as he's allowed. He's the precious blood type of O- that is coveted. Since he donates often, he regularly gets newsletters mailed to him from the Red Cross with updates, the latest location nearest to us that is collecting, and other Red Cross news. One just came in the mail, not ten minutes ago, and I decided to flip through it. Imagine my disappointment to find that the Red Cross had implemented a rewards system in the beginning of this year to encourage people to donate blood and platelets.

Am I the only one who feels badly about this? I don't think doing the greater good and helping mankind should be contingent on what prizes one can redeem their efforts for. It's not the Red Cross I'm upset with for creating this system, it's the fact that we humans have gotten so selfish that so many of us will not even consider doing something for nothing. When I posted this on Facebook, a friend replied "Some people need encouragement to help them to build up the courage to do it". I reject that answer because out of all the reasons to get over their fear or apprehension to donate blood, such as saving lives, it takes the prospect of a prize to spring them into action?

It is really disheartening to hear and read so much "ME! ME! ME!" propaganda. Many don't seem to be concerned with the state of the world and how we all need to come together to keep from falling apart. It's about one's own personal convenience, everyone else's inconvenience be damned, and the line of thinking that is becoming all too common: "This benefits me how?"

Granted, I understand that there are some times when we have to be selfish for our own good. You can't just lend money to every one in need, or go without a necessity to help someone else, but when it comes to something that we are freely able to give, is it right to essentially hold it hostage for remuneration?

Back & My Announcement =)

Okay, starting a blog right before my busiest time of year family- and duty-wise wasn't the best idea I've had. I was all set to sit down and write 1-2 blogs a week but BAM! Christmastime and all the parties, events, cookie making, etc...that went with it came along. January was a bit better but then on came all the illnesses that got passed around the house. It is now February and I think I can breathe again. And blog again. Hopefully, I didn't just jinx myself.

The holidays were great this year. Both my boys were at the age when Christmas finally had meaning to them. Especially to my oldest. I loved being able to explain to him the true reason for the season, to let him know that it was more than a time for him to get gifts. All the celebrations we had, including the family ones, were surprisingly drama free. Best of all, I got everything on my list that I wanted - an imported Japanese teacup and teapot and an immersion blender. (Be prepared for cooking blogs in the future!)

Now, on to my big announcement. I'm pregnant! This was not planned, as I've given away all my baby things because I was that sure the factory was closed, but as a dear and wise friend pointed out "If you're not preventing, you're trying"! I had my first baby at 31 and my second at 35, and now, God willing, this one will arrive when I'm 38. I'm only 6 weeks along, so it's still early. Some people have questioned my reason for sharing my pregnancy so early in it's stage, especially after my history of many miscarriages. The main reason was shock...I was just so surprised that I kept letting it slip out! The second is if I do end up having a miscarriage, at least I know I will have people who will help me through it. I am reserving my excitement as much as I can until I see a viable fetus on a sonogram. I'm on baby aspirin and progesterone and all I can do is pray that everything is A-OK. Meanwhile, I'm experiencing morning sickness like I never had with my previous pregnancies, sore nipples, crazy dreams and fatigue, so instead of cursing all that, I'm accepting those as signs of a healthy pregnancy.

So I have been given a lot to blog about in the future. I plan to squeeze every bit of entertainment and life out of all my current situations as they evolve, so hopefully there will be good material somewhere in there. Time shall tell, no? LOL.