"Nesting" project

My mom has been asking me when I was going to make curtains for the living room for about 3 years now. Yes, our living room has been pretty neglected. But my due date approaches, which means the day my mom flies in approaches, plus my "nesting" energy kicked in, I got myself to work, finally. Thanks to the world of internet, I found an instruction on how to make hidden tab-top curtains and thanks to the perfect timing of JoAnn's sale, I got clearance fabric at 1/2 off price with additional 10% off. I cleared out all of the red suede fabric they got in the clearance section, but it gave me enough to make 5 panels (only 2 are shown here), 4 good size pillows, and some left to make bindings for coordinated pillows.

As a result, our living room looks from this:

To now this:

Woohoo!!

Because the fabric is so heavy, I didn't do lining, which saved me time. But because of the thickness of the fabric, it keeps our room warm. I'm sure the color adds the effect too, but, I'm just happy about how it turned out. Too much red? Maybe. But I like it. I'd love to replace those blinds to bamboo shades, but that's another time.

Happy pregnancy

It hurts so bad to type because of carpal tunnel, but I wanted to write.

I'm so grateful for this happy pregnancy. I have been happy and healthy throughout, mostly. I didn't know being pregnant can be a happy thing till this one. I was so sick with last one that I don't even remember much about or I didn't want to remember what it was like to be pregnant. I just survived. Because I was so sick, my mind was sick too. But I remember wishing for a happy pregnancy, which I thought it would never happen to me. I wanted to be able to be a normal pregnant woman, but I was giving up on it. I didn't think I could survive another pregnancy. But I felt so strong that I have to bring out one more child to this world. I prayed, pondered, debated...I wanted to be absolutely sure before I headed to the rough road. Then, it happened. I was rough at first, but with much help of medicines and J's sweet daily prayers, I have been actually enjoy being pregnant. My dream came true! And I'm now 34 weeks, as due date approaches and feeling somewhat nesting (I have been busy cleaning and organizing), I wanted to keep a record of what I feel now.

I am grateful that I am able to bear my own children. What a blessing that is.
I am grateful that we are blessed with 2 healthy children.
I am grateful that I can drink water and actually enjoy the taste.
I am grateful that I can eat and don't have to throw up. I have been gaining 1 lb/week.
I am grateful that people around me are happy for me and my pregnancy. It is so wonderful to know it is okay to feel happy being pregnant, not feeling sorry or shamed being pregnant because of coming up maternity leave.
I am grateful that I have been able to function as a wife and a mother while I'm pregnant. I was so afraid first. I was not sure if I would have been able to survive, because I was really sick at the beginning. But I am able to cook and bake the things my family love and enjoy.
I'm grateful that I can be home with my children and take care of them and myself.
I'm grateful that I can enjoy being pregnant, even when it hurts so bad to get kicked and stretched from inside. I can feel a life inside of me. I can feel the strong bones. I can feel his hiccups.
I am grateful that I am a woman and I am a mother. What a beautiful thing I am blessed with.
I'm grateful for my family and their love, especially my husband's understanding and support.

I am really looking forward to meeting with this little guy. I wonder how he looks and what kind of personality he has. We are all excited for him. What a beautiful thing. A loving family.
I am so lucky.

Look at my belly!

Is not what exactly what I said. Well, I intended to take a picture of me being 33 weeks pregnant, thinking "Hmm, I don't think I have taken any belly picture this pregnancy...." It's amazing how things get relaxed as you have more kids. It's number 3. I don't count days, I know the due date. We haven't come up with name yet, but we have some ideas. I haven't washed baby clothes yet, but they are at least sorted to sizes (I just did it last night!).

So this is our first shot of me with big belly. I love this pink sweater my mom sent to me.
What a sweet mommy and daughter picture!

Then, Daddy said "Well, that one didn't really show your belly. Let's try more."

And, this is what was captured....

"Look at my belly!!"

Yap, I can see your belly, my princess.

Halloween

I did not have much energy to make costumes for kids this year, but luckily they came up with easy ones for me. One is play dress-up dress and the other is pajamas! With a few added accessories...done!

Our Princess Belle at Halloween Party

J as Batman

Day of Halloween
Batman pulling a wagon with sleepy princess in.

Kids went out trick-or-treating with Daddy while Mommy sat on the porch handing out candies to other trick-or-treaters. Obviously, Daddy was not pulling the wagon quick enough for Batman, so he decided to take over. Between Batman running and pulling the wagon faster, and the princess's charm, they got A LOT of candies in a little over hour of trick-or-treating. I guess those college girls in this neighborhood loved them so much that kids were getting handful of candies at a time. House role here? Kids get to eat 1 candy a day. Me? I'm enjoying all the chocolate they got!! Um, I mean, it's called Mommy Tax, right?

Kids' Birthday Party - yes, it was almost a month ago!

It's about time to update. Something about being pregnant and easily get tired, things are a little slower here...
Kids had fun time with their cousins, aunts and uncles, grandma and papa, and grandma-great for their birthday party. Papa (my father-in-law)'s birthday is a day before M's (she missed it by a little over an hour), so we celebrate 3 of them all together.

Here is J's request - Fire truck cake
It looks like Disney's old motion picture ones as it leans/slides/or is about to collapse....

And, of course, I had to make a princess castle for our little princess...

They were well eaten. Kids got a lot of toys. I was able to complete my mission (i.e. decorating 2 cakes). It was a good birthday. Oh, I'm so glad this number 3 is not an October birthday kid. Making 2 cakes in one day is enough work for me!

The first visit from Tooth Fairy - my 100th post!

Tooth Fairy came to our house for the first time this morning. "How did she get in our house?" J asked. I said, "I don't know. What do you think?" He said, "Well, Tooth Fairy has a magic wand, so she can come in." Actually, more concern for him was Tooth Fairy NOT taking his tooth this time...

J went to a dentist yesterday for his first dental procedure. He had a cavity. Yes, a cavity, a big hole, in his baby tooth. I felt like a bad mother...but, that's another story. So, my dear husband took a day off and took J to a city 1 hour away from here for his dentist appointment, where they removed a tooth, cap another one, and drilled and filled another - total 3 tooth fixed in over an hour!

J didn't cry and he was very proud of it. He asked Daddy, "Daddy did you hear that I didn't cry?" Daddy was a bit confusingly said, "You mean, I didn't hear you crying? No, I didn't hear anything. You didn't cry, did you? What a big boy!"

Another thing he was proud was his little treasure box that his tooth in. So, here is where his concern comes from. Usually, Tooth Fairy takes a tooth and leaves some money, But also, usually, those teeth are the ones come off naturally, not taken out by a dentist, in J's book. So, this was a very special tooth for him. He wanted Tooth Fairy to come and leave him some money, but he did not want her to take his this special tooth away. He debated for a long time, and also worried about it for a long time before he went to bed.

When the morning came, J found that Tooth Fairy was nice enough not to take his tooth and left him some money - 41cents - a quarter, a dime, a nickel, and a penny. He was so excited and so happy! His very first visit from Tooth Fairy went pretty good - she gave him what he wanted, both tooth and money. Tooth Fairy is "a very nice person," he says. Yes, she is, isn't she?

"You are the best mom ever!"

As I was coating marinated chicken pieces with mashed potato flakes and bread crumbs, J came into the kitchen and watched what I was doing. He wanted to smell everything I was using, the chicken marinade, the seasoning salt, etc. Then he said, "Mom, you are the best mom ever!" Honestly, I was tired (maybe possibly something to do with pregnancy), and tired of making meals everyday. But J changed that whole thing. He was jumping up and down and hooraying over the dinner to come, praising me how good of a job I was doing coating the chicken and placing them on a baking sheet, and loving the smelling coming out of the oven. He even found a shape of a heart in one of those chicken wings, and wanted to save it for his friend (It was Audry, for those who know who she is). He gave me a big hug while I was cleaning up the kitchen, and the big smile and a thumb up for the delicious dinner according to him. He thanked me many times. I think that comes from his Daddy, who treats his wife like a princess.
I am such a lucky girl.