Friday, October 17, 2014

Looking Back: My Syptoms

2014

January 29 (11 DPO) - strong headache in the morning and afternoon, sharp cramps
January 30 (12 DPO)- strong headache in the morning and afternoon, sharp cramps
January 31 (13 DPO)- strong headache in the morning and afternoon, sharp cramps

February 1 (14 DPO, + FRER in AM) - headache off and on throughout the day, sharp cramps, sleeplessness
February 2 (15 DPO, + FRER in AM, + 1-2 weeks digital in PM) - unbearable headache in the evening, some nausea, sharp cramp, sleeplessness
February 3 - nausea and headache off and on throughout the day, sleeplessness
February 4 - nausea and headache off and on throughout the day, cold chills during the evening, sleeplessness
February 5 - headache throughout the day, sleeplessness
February 6 - headache throughout the day, sleeplessness
February 7 - mild cramping, sleeplessness
February 8 - headache during the evening, sleeplessness
February 9  (22 DPO, 2-3 weeks digital in PM) - mild cramping, sleeplessness
February10 - sleeplessness
February 11 - sleeplessness
February 12 - sharp pain in left abdomen above hip
February 13 - sleeplessness
February 14 -  nausea, headache and sleeplessness
February 15 - sleeplessness
February 16 - sleeplessness
February 17 - nausea, sleeplessness
February 18 - nausea, sleeplessness
February 19 - nausea, sleeplessness
February 20 - nausea, sleeplessness
February 21 - nausea, sleeplessness
February 22 - nausea, sleeplessness
February 23 - nausea, sleeplessness
February 24 - nausea, sleeplessness, cold
February 25 - nausea, sleeplessness, cold
February 26 - nausea, sleeplessness, sneezing, congestion, runny nose, coughing
February 27 - nausea, sleeplessness, sneezing, congestion, runny nose, coughing, fever
February 28 - nausea, sleeplessness, sneezing, congestion, runny nose

March 1 - nausea, sleeplessness, congestion, runny nose
March 2 - nausea, sleeplessness, congestion, runny nose
March 3 - nausea, sleeplessness, runny nose
March 4
March 5
March 6March 7
March 8
March 9
March 10
March 11
March 12
March 13
March 14
March 15
March 16
March 17
March 18March 19
March 20
March 21
March 22
March 23
March 24
March 25
March 26
March 27
March 28
March 29
March 30
March 31

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Little Changes

I'm so intrigued by everything I read. I can't believe that next wk, baby will be over 2 inches and by the end of the follow wk, it will be 3 inches! It's so miraculous how quickly they can double in size and now that I'm getting further along, baby grows faster. Last night, I noticed I have a "crevice/line" low near my underwear where my belly/uterus is sticking out. I am loving watching these changes to my body each wk, even if I do so mostly alone. I hope you other ladies are in awe the same way as I about the amazing thing our bodies can do and the miracle growing inside us.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

10 Weeks

How far along?   10 Weeks + 5 Days

Baby's Development:  ll vital organs have formed and are beginning to function.  Baby M is already growing tiny nails on fingers and toes as well as tiny buds for teeth

Total weight gain/loss:  Still around 131, so down about 4 lbs from my pre-preg weight of 135

Maternity clothes?   Nothing new, other than the 4 outfits from my mom.  I officially have 2 pair of workpants that fit, so I guess I'll break out the only 2 maxi skirts I have.  I think my maternity pants will fit soon, but I'm not quite ready for them.  I'll give them another "test fit" at the beginning of April


Sleep:  Still 100% non-existent, which doesn't make sense because I'm completely exhausted all. the. time

Best moment this week:  We got out of the house a little over the weekend, which was nice. We watched all 3 UK games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  On Friday, we met E, K, C & M at LaRosa's to watch and told them the news.  It was so awkward telling them, but then again, it was kind of obvious when I ordered water.  Saturday night, D, J and T came over and we ordered UFC 171 on PPV.  I was up the latest I've been able to stay awake in 6 weeks but there were some really good fights

Cravings:  Still none.  The only things I've felt like I could eat every day (not sure if it's even considered a "craving," rather, something that's tolerable) are flaming hot cheet-os and BBQ Grippo chips. Nothing sounds good, but I'm still doing okay at eating.  I'm managing to eat about as much as usual, so I think my weight loss has to do with the fact that I've been more cautious about what I eat (ie I've been eating more fresh fruit and vegetables, like grapes and cheese cubes, raw carrots with no dip, and berries for snacks) and the fact that I haven't been eating many sweets.  Candy and baked good pretty much gross me out still

Queasy/Sick and Symptoms:   I've had a rough couple days since my last update.  After feeling miserably sick Wednesday and missing work, I decided to schedule an appt. with the doctor to see if he could prescribe me something to take as needed for my nausea.  He gave me Zofran and so far, I've only taken 2 pills.  I'm trying to only take it if I absolutely need to, but the 2 days I took it, I could tell a huge difference and it very quickly settles my stomach a bit.  I have 18 pills left and am praying I don't need to use them all because my sickness soon starts to minimize.  To me, there is no other ailment worse than feeling sick all day

Gender:  Won't know for a while

Happy or Moody:  Happy, in a sleepy sort of way

Belly Button in or out?  In

Stretch marks?  No new ones
 

Wedding rings on or off?  On with zero swelling


What I miss:  Having energy and not feeling like I'm being lazy, due to feeling awful
 

What I am looking forward to:  Warm weather.  Over the past couple weeks, we had 2 days in the 60s, then it went right back to the 20s and 30s.  I'm looking forward to feeling better and it being warm so I can hopefully start going for walks and sitting outside without freezing to get some fresh air
 

Milestones or Progress:  Early last week, I went to a consignment sale with my mom.  I was able to buy a used stroller (the one we planned to buy for $180) for $40 in orange instead of lime green.  It's clearly been used, but still in good shape.  We plan to give it a good wipe down soon and wash the material liner parts to get it nice in clean.  I also got 5 madela bottles and 10 madela BM storage bottles, a microwavable bottle sterilizer that will also easily fit pump parts, a blue/green glow worm baby and a baby bath.  I still need to pay my mom back since it was chaos when we checked out and easier to pay without splitting everything up.

Monday, March 10, 2014

9 Weeks

How far along?   9 Weeks + 4 Days

Baby's Development:  Baby's heart is finishing dividing into 4 chambers and the embryonic tail is completely gone.  Organs, muscles and nerves are starting to work and baby has developed all facial components.  Baby M is already a boy or a girl, though the sex organs won't be visible for several more weeks. Now, baby is ready for rapid weight gain.

Total weight gain/loss:  Around 131 the 2 times I weighed myself the past week, so down about 4 lbs from my pre-preg weight of 135

Maternity clothes?   I still haven't purchased a single thing, but this morning my mom surprised me with a new pair if capri tights and black/gray striped top from Kohls.  Both are cute and I'll see how they fit later this week, even though I probably won't be wearing them for awhile.  At this point, the only other thing I would like is perhaps a pair of jeans, maybe 1 pair of shorts, 1-2 solid tank tops and  1-2 solid color t-shirts (probably from Target).  I think I have enough current shirts I can wear for awhile and at the end of last year, I bought 3 striped dresses so I have a feeling I may be wearing them each weekly once it warms up 


Sleep:  Still 100% non-existent :( I can breathe better finally, but still haven't been sleeping

Best moment this week:  I was able to relax and didn't do too much this past week.  I feel completely exhausted all the time and am ready to lay down as soon as I get home from work.  However, it was nice to spend the majority of the weekend resting, though we did get out of the house a little each day

Cravings:  None yet and I still have no appetite.  Still forcing myself to eat each bite everyday.... on Saturday though, I managed to eat a breakfast combo from iHop and surprisingly, nothing was greasy.  I had to eggs over medium, hashbrowns, 2 pieces of bacon, 2 pieces of toast and a small bowl of fruit.  I was able to eat the whole meal in 2 settings, so that's good.  Also, I devoured a "chiil burrito deluxe" from Skyline yesterday for dinner.  This is probably the greasiest and most unhealthy thing I have eaten in 6 weeks.  Immediately after eating, I laid down to rest for over an hour and was able to keep everything down

Queasy/Sick and Symptoms:   My nausea is still in full force and still much worse in the late afternoon and evening, or anytime my stomach gets the least bit empty.  I'm hoping and praying that it only lasts a few more short weeks and that it's banished by 12 weeks, or 14 at the latest

Gender:  Won't know for a while

Happy or Moody:  Still happy

Belly Button in or out?  In

Stretch marks?  No new ones
 

Wedding rings on or off?  On with zero swelling


What I miss:  Feeling normal and not queasy all day
 

What I am looking forward to:  My sickness being gone and having a distinguished baby bump. I think I am looking kind of pudgy below my belly button, likely because my uterus is the size of a grapefruit already
 

Milestones or Progress: On Friday, after going to Target and BRU again and doing some research online, I think we've decided on the carseat we want to buy and the pack and play we want.  We also picked out a stroller, in the off chance that we are not able to find one used in great shape at a good price.  Long ago, we decided to stick to the orange/lime green/turquoise color scheme.  These are our favorite colors, the color of our main floor at home and also gender-neutral.  Though nothing is exactly as "set," they all work together and I'll try to share pictures soon of what we are thinking

Monday, March 3, 2014

8 Weeks


How far along?   8 Weeks + 4 Days

Baby's Development:  Fingers and toes are now budding from the arms and legs, which have distinguished knees and elbows.  Data suggests the heartbeat should be around 150 at this point.  However, on Thursday, baby's heartbeat was 166....which I hope is a good thing

Total weight gain/loss:  Still around 129, so down about 5 lbs

Maternity clothes?   Nothing new, other than the pre-loved clothes my mom gave me over the weekend. She got them from a co-worker and has been holding them back to give to me.  Thankfully, she was about my size so the 3 pair of dress pants + 3 dressy tops will come in very handy.  I'm sure once I'm able to eat again, I'll fit into them before I know it


Sleep:  Still 100% non-existent :(  Though the humidifier is helping me breathe, it's not helping me sleep

Best moment this week:  Going to our 1st ultrasound last Thursday.  I was so sick and actually called to cancel my appointment and re-schedule, but they had no openings until something crazy like March 7th.  C convinced me to come home and rest, then said he would drive me back to the hospital and go into work late.  Well, once we got to the office we didn't wait long at all before going back and it was the coolest thing ever.  Of course when I saw our baby on the screen, my heart was pounding until she turned the sound on and we heard the heartbeat and saw it too.  Everything after that moment was completely amazing and the coolest thing I've ever seen.  They had a giant flatscreen so we could see everything very easily.  The tech took tons of measurements and pictures, but only gave us 2 to keep.  The heartbeat was 166 BPM, which seems to be strong.  She didn't say anything bad about a high heart rate being a bad thing, so I'm assuming it is good.  Baby also measured 7 weeks + 6 days at the time of my appointment, which is exactly on track since I was in fact 7 weeks + 6 days. Baby was also 3 cm, so already over an inch in size.  We also saw the yolk sac and the fetal pole, which I knew exactly what those things were  The only thing she pointed out was that I have a cyst appx. 3 cm on my right ovary.  She took lots of pictures and measurements of this and I'm sure my doctor will talk to me about it when I meet with her (hopefully) next week.  I haven't had any major cramping or pain, or ANY bleeding whatsoever, so hopefully it dissolves on its own and nothing comes from it. 

Cravings:  None yet and I still have no appetite.  Pretty much everyday, literally nothing sounds good and I have to force myself to eat the little that I do. I'm very much so looking forward to this part of pregnancy to pass so I can get back to eating and enjoying food in abundance again

Queasy/Sick and Symptoms:   My nausea has not died down at all and this past week, it intensified at night around the time I take my vitamin.  I'm not sure what the cause of that is, but it's miserable laying in bed feeling so queasy.  I've been laying flat on my back thinking it might help settle my stomach, but it doesn't.  My allergies/sinus that started early last week turned into a nightmare by the end of the week.  That being said,  I ended up having to miss work on Friday, which I hate doing.  I was so miserable and sleep deprived....and sneezey, congested and had a awful headache.  It went downhill quick. Thankfully though, I feel a bit better today after resting almost the entire weekend.  C dusted and vacuumed the entire house and bought me a cool-mist humidifier, which seems to be helping with my allergies/sinus and breathing/congestion problems.  We also have a HVAC appt. scheduled for this Thursday to instal a humidifier on our furnace and to switch to a better, longer-lasting filter.  Ah, I'm so lucky to be in the 20% that develops severe allergies.  I'm just glad it does seem to be related to the dogs or dander because there's not a chance they are going anywhere anytime soon

Gender:  Won't know for a while

Happy or Moody:  Still overly happy about the news, despite my physical state

Belly Button in or out?  In

Stretch marks?  No new ones
 

Wedding rings on or off?  On with zero swelling


What I miss: Having an appetite, the least bit of energy and being able to BREATHE out my nose
 

What I am looking forward to:  Actually taking pictures to see my progress... Every week, I keep saying I'm going to, but I've felt so miserable it's the last thing I want to do while at home
 

Milestones or Progress: We told our parents and C's grandparents the news on Friday and Saturday.   To do this, I made bird nests in glass jars and we put a picture of our ultrasound inside eggs for them to crack.  It turned out pretty cute and all were surprised and happy.  Late Friday night, we met C's grandparents at Beef O'Bradys.  We got there early and gave the glass jars to our server to bring to the table with our drinks.  She set them down in front of us both to look less suspicious, but obviously we didn't open one of the eggs because we told them to open theirs first.  On Saturday afternoon, we had lunch at my mom's.  Just before my brother left to pick up pizza and breadsticks, we have my nephew come inside with the jar and he told my mom he found it while playing in the backyard.  My mom was confused and skeptical to open it, but she did and I'm pretty sure she's glad she did.  Saturday night, we had reservations at Montgomery Inn for "all you can eat" ribs (which I unfortunately was unable to partake in).  We got there early as well and had the server bring out the glass jar to his grandma and she cracked the egg.  Even though C's grandma didn't realize what the picture was at first, she is completely ecstatic and called several times yesterday alone to tell him how happy she is and how we had the best idea to tell them. We're pretty convinced lucky grandbaby # 15 is already their favorite, and he/she is still in utero






Monday, February 24, 2014

7 Weeks

How far along?  7 Weeks + 5 Days

Baby's Development:  Baby is rapidly growing and will triple in size this week.  Basic facial features such as ears and eyes are becoming more developed and the tiny heart is starting to pump blood.  Arms, legs and feet are also beginning to bud.

Total weight gain/loss:  I was 129 on Sunday, so down about 5 lbs.

Maternity clothes?   Bought a cute maternity tank from Old Navy, which I'll hopefully take pictures in periodically.  I got a Medium, thinking it might fit through the whole pregnancy.  Still having the same issue with my pants, but here's to hoping I can make them work a couple months


Sleep:  Still 100% non-existent.  I took Unisom with B6 the past 2 nights and I think it's helped a touch, but I still haven't had any deep, uninterrupted sleep. I also took a 1/2 pill yesterday at work with B6 since the combo is supposed to help nausea.

Best moment this week:  Sadly, nothing monumental happened within the past week. My mom got a new SUV which we saw on Sunday - it's pretty sweet and very spacious.  Over the weekend, I spent a lot of time getting some much needed rest and did a couple things around the house.


Cravings:  None yet.... I don't have a much of an appetite and nothing sounds good, but I've been eating fairly well still.  Most of the time, I have to force myself  because my stomach feels completely icky.  I haven't had any caffeine or soda (except for 2 small sips) in almost a month and it hasn't affected me really, probably because I didn't drink much to begin with.

Queasy/Sick and Symptoms:   My nausea is still full-force.  I've been trying to eat every 2 hours or so, despite the fact that I don't want to eat at all.  I bought some protein shakes and plan to TRY to drink 1/2 each day, since they're loaded with vitamins and high in calories.  Most of the day though, I feel completely queasy and as soon as I get home, I climb into bed or on the couch until it's bedtime. It's not that I'm trying to be lazy, but I feel so bad I don't want to do anything and need to save my energy to get through the workweek. On top of my nausea, I've got a cold or something, complete with a stuffy nose, congestion and coughing.  I'm praying I can shake this over the next day or two because I'm pretty sure there's not much medicine that's safe to take.

Gender:  Won't know for a while

Happy or Moody:  Still happy about the news, despite my physical state

Belly Button in or out?  Completely in

Stretch marks?  No new ones
 

Wedding rings on or off?  On with zero swelling


What I miss: Having an appetite.  I used to love food.  But now...not so much.  All the things I used to love completely repulse me now and I feel like I can't eat as much. I used to inhale a footlong sub, but now I can barely stomach a 6-inch.



What I am looking forward to:  Actually using my chalkboard.  It's finished and looks good...I've just felt so bad I haven't felt like writing anything or taking any pictures.



Milestones or Progress: Over the weekend, I stained the laundry room cabinets and the doors are now on.  It looks so much nicer and hides all the clutter.  Now we need to finish the countertop and C plans to build shoe storage.  Looking forward to completing this project so we're one step closer to having an organized house, especially since the laundry room is a high-traffic area off our kitchen and connected to the garage.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

5 Weeks

On Wednesday, I made a call to the nurse at my doctor's office.  She gave me several suggestions to help with my nausea and headaches that haven't subsided in a whole week.   She confirmed this is a very common symptom in the 1st trimester and noted I could be getting dehydrated by the end of the day or it could be a low blood sugar issue. One thing she recommended is that I eat something literally every 1.5 hours or so, preferably something with protein (small snacks she suggested were: a hard-boiled egg, a handful of nuts, string cheese, yogurt, 2 peanut butter crackers).  She also suggested I try drinking Sprite, ginger ale or some tea and noted that lemon, peppermint and ginger tend to help with upset stomachs - sometimes warm, sometimes cold and even suggested to freeze each of these in ice cube trays and suck on the ice cube, so maybe I'll give that a try. She also gave me the "okay" to keep taking Tylonel, but in moderation of course and only if I need it and recommended I try a Benadryl with or without a Tylonel before bed.  She was confident that Benadryl is super safe and has been on the market for many years and it helps with many things in pregnancy, so I will give that a try too.  I'm hoping to pick up some vitamin b6 to take 2x's a day as she recommended to see if that lessens my nausea.  It takes 3 days to see any kind of improvement, so I would like to stop somewhere tonight to pick some up, along with some tea perhaps.


How far along?  I'll be given a definite date in 1.5 weeks by my doctor, but according to LMP (1/3/14) I am 5 weeks.  According to O (1/18/14) I am only 3 weeks.  Usually, the doctor uses LMP even if you know the date of conception so for now, we'll go with 5 weeks

Baby's Development:  The embryo is dividing into 3 layers of cells this week - the top layer will become the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord, nerves and backbone), the middle layer will develop into the circulatory system and the bottom layer is where the lungs, intestines, thyroid and other major internal organs will develop

Total weight gain/loss:  I am currently  ~136 lbs.   I've gained none so far, although I gained appx. 6 unrelated lbs within the past 6-9 months

Maternity clothes?   Nada, but I'll have to figure something out soon in the wardrobe department. I only have 3 pair of work pants I can comfortably fit into as it is and the others, I've been using the "hair-tie-through-the-button-hole" method for months to get some more life out of them, but I'm not sure how much longer this will fly.  My shirt covers the top, so who cares?


Sleep:  Has been 100% non-existent since I found out the news

Best moment this week:  Scheduling the 1st Appointment and hearing C sound excited about it


Cravings:  None.... I love food and nothing sounds overly appealing.  I've been eating really well, but I'm waiting for the day when I make or order something, then as soon as it's in front of me, I'm completely disgusted and can't eat it

Queasy/Sick and Symptoms:  Headaches off and on for almost a week now and I've been nauseous pretty much continuously since Sunday, which I'm hoping my nerves are just contributing to.  Maybe it'll subside in another day or so?  I haven't actually thrown up yet and I'm trying to stay hydrated and suck on candies to help


Gender:  No idea and I can happily say I have no preference

Happy or Moody:  Happy of course

Belly Button in or out?  Completely in and I like it that way


Stretch marks?  None, except for some light old ones I've always had on my hips



Wedding rings on or off?  On.....I have zero swelling and thankfully, they're a tad loose



What I miss:  Not much has changed yet, other than feeling exhausted from not sleeping.... so I'll say sleep


What I am looking forward to:  Crafting the announcement idea I came up with to tell our parents

Milestones or Progress:  I finally got around to buying the remaining supplies needed to make my chalkboard I plan to hang upstairs in the future nursery or on the main floor

Now I need to get around to the photo thing......I'm promising myself to take my 1st picture next week

Friday, January 31, 2014

Early Dining Room Design

After we moved into our new house just over a year ago, I knew that our old dining furniture just wasn't going to work.  As much as I loved the pieces, the antique look felt out of place in our house, not to mention the whole set didn't fit into our new dining room since it was much smaller and enclosed.  The buffet table was too long and too deep and the only place we could find for it was in the family room.  Weird, right?  Anyway, after being listed for numerous months on craigslist, a middle-aged couple contacted me and scheduled a time to come look at the set and surprisingly, they took it home that evening.  I owned the set 3 years and sold it for either the price I paid for it, or $100 less. WIN.

After the room sat empty for nearly a month, we decided to purchase this set.  I was leaning towards wanting a medium-wood "farm house" style table - something rustic and cozy, that could withstand many years of use.  Unfortunately, this wasn't C's style - he is more a fan of clean lines, dark wood and mission style pieces.

Here is our new set, which we purchased from Morris Home Furnishings in Florence, KY.  Over a year ago, we saw a dark wood set with "crackled" glass inserts which we loved, but after searching online and all local stores, it appeared it was no longer manufactured and we settled on this.

Keep in mind the room has not yet been painted, and I'm not sure I will keep orange as the primary accent color, as it's going to be prominent in other areas of our home.  I do know I want to keep the room simple and clean, with pops of color.  Also, we're debating purchasing 2 more chairs so the table seats 8.  It comes with 2 large leaves and realistically, it can seat 10 comfortably.  I don't think our dining room can handle that though!

  
Ahhhhh... I don't think orange shag ever looked so good!  It took me nearly a year to convince myself to buy THIS rug and since the room was small, an 8x10 was too large and covered nearly all the exposed carpet, so we decided to give the 5x8 a try and I think it works.  If we decide to switch things up, I know it will work well somewhere else in the house.


I know it's pretty basic, but what do you think so far?

Monday, January 27, 2014

The Perfect Anytime Gift : Man Bouquet ?

To get started, I thought I would start posting some of my craft and DIY projects.  Pinterest is great for so many things - tips and tricks, recipes, etc. but my favorite is the endless DIY and craft projects.  Some of them may be unrealistic (I mean, who honestly has time to spend an extra hour a day cutting your kids' sandwiches into a dinosaur shapes with snacks to go with the lunch theme?), but many of them can be achieved!

Over the past couple months, I've seen lots of people posting various DIY gift ideas, one of which is the idea of a "Man Bouquet." When it comes to what items to include in your "Bouquet," the possibilities are endless. I'm going to show you my quick version of the bouquet and walk you through the process.

This is a great gift for Valentine's Day, Birthdays, Anniversaries or "just because."  I gave my "Bouquet" to my husband for his Birthday last April.  Here are a few photos of my completed Man Bouquet, which was made in one evening after work.



      "Man Bouquet" Material List:
  • Container (some easy ideas include a basket, box, pot, mug, bucket or anything else you can think of.  I chose to use a beer bucket I had on hand)
  • Styrofoam base (I used a sphere shape, but you can purchase Styrofoam in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit inside your container)
  • Material to cover your base (I chose to cover my Styrofoam ball in tissue paper, but you could use anything really - tissue paper, wrapping paper, newspaper, Easter grass, etc)
  • Goodies for the bouquet (the possibilities are endless, but I chose to use some lottery tickets, Cracker Jacks (got a 3-pack at Kroger), some PB crackers,  Slim Jim sticks and printed a photo that correlated with the MMA tickets I got us for that weekend)
  • Wooden skewers to use as "stems" to attach the goodies to the base
  • Glue gun and/or packaging tape to adhere your goodies to the wooden skewers

"Man Bouquet" Instructions:

1) Choose a container to hold your bouquet.  I chose to use a metal beer bucket we had on hand

2) Cover your base and place your base inside your container.   I used a 1/2  Styrofoam ball, which fit snugly in my bucket. My ball was purchased at Hobby Lobby using a 40% off coupon, making it around $3.50. To cover my base, I used some tissue paper I had on hand

3) Lay out your goodies to put on the "stems" - I've seen some use cigarettes, cigars, single serve alcohol bottles, candy and packs of gum.  Since we don't smoke and have an overabundance of candy and alcohol already, I decided to keep it simple with snacks and lottery tickets

4) Once you have your goodies together, you need to attach them to the stems, which I recommend using wooden skewers (the kind you use in cooking to make kabobs).  I used wood skewers in 2 different sizes to do this because I had them on hand and thought some dimension would look pleasing.

5) Adhere your goodies to the stems.  To do this, I then used both packaging tape and a glue gun

6)  Arrange your stems and insert them into your base.  You can arrange things symmetrically, or randomly place them in the foam ball.

You're finished! 


Here are some other versions of the "Man Bouquet," from which I got my inspiration.  They can all be found on my PINTEREST PAGE  linking you to the original sources










Have you made any "Man Bouquets" that were a hit?  Do you have any other ideas for goodies to include in your "Bouquet?"  I'd love to see and hear them!

Friday, November 22, 2013

Baby Names - Hot or Not?

I wouldn't say that I'm OVERLY interested in names, but I have always been curious about what people are naming their kids nowadays.  Some people actually get OBSESSED with names and it's a hobby.  For me, I just like to check the list each year to see what new names are added.

Each year, lists are published which show the most popular names so I thought I would share the most popular names so far in 2013.  I used a variety of sources and according to BabyCenter, one of the most popular pregnancy/baby sites, here are the Top 20 names (in order) :
  1. Liam - Emma
  2. Noah - Olivia
  3. Ethan - Sophia
  4. Mason - Ava
  5. Jacob - Isabella
  6. Jack - Mia
  7. Lica - Emily
  8. Jackson - Charlotte
  9. Logan - Amelia
  10. Aiden - Abigail
  11. Benjamen - Ella
  12. James - Lilly
  13. William - Madison
  14. Oliver - Chloe
  15. Elijah - Avery
  16. Alexander - Harper
  17. Michael - Sophia
  18. Jayden - Hannah
  19. Luke - Addison
  20. Daniel - Grace
Now, let's do a recap of 2012.  Some 2013 names are on the list, however, others have obviously moved down the rank and are no longer in the Top 20 today
  1. Liam - Emma
  2. Ethan - Olivia
  3. Noah - Sophia
  4. Mason - Ava
  5. Jacob - Isabella
  6. Jack - Mia
  7. Aiden - Ella
  8. Logan - Emily
  9. Jackson - Lily
  10. Lucas - Chloe
  11. Jayden - Madison
  12. William - Abigail
  13. Benjamin - Amelia
  14. Ryan - Charlotte
  15. James - Avery
  16. Michael - Harper
  17. Alexander - Addison
  18. Elijah - Sofia
  19. Matthew - Grace
  20. Daniel - Hannah
Looking at another source, the tally is a bit different, but many of the same names have similar ranks:



I know everyone has their own taste with names, but I would probably have a nameless child if  a) it came down to resorting to the Top 3 Baby Names due to lack of creativity or b) I had to make up a name.  I cannot believe some names people choose for their children that they will be stuck with forever.   I don't know what is worse - having a super trendy name that tells everyone you were born between 2005-2010 because there were ten million "Olivia's" OR having a completely made-up name that sounds like you drew syllables from a hat.   When someone had the bright idea to name their kid Aiden, it evolved.  Jayden? Cayden? Brayden? Zaden? Javen? Raven? Maven? Crayzen?   You may have not heard of all those, but trust me....they are already out there or are coming soon to a town near you.
IF I were forced to, I would be much more likely to choose a classic name, even if it happens to be popular at the time.  I don't think you can go wrong with biblical or more traditional names because you won't see Matthew, Mark, Luke or John hiding in the corner because of their made up name....it will be little baby Crayzen Elixir all because his mom wanted to name her son something "different."  Yeah, it sounds "different" alright.
Here are some popular biblical and more classic names to consider:
  • Aaron - Abigail
  • Adam - Anna
  • Alexander - Maria
  • Benjamin - Hannah
  • Daniel - Catherine
  • Eli - Elizabeth
  • Ethan - Isabel
  • Jacob - Naomi
  • Jared - Mary
  • Joshua - Leah
  • George - Julia
  • Matthew - Katherine
  • Nathan - Rachel
  • Noah - Rebecca
  • Samuel - Sarah
  • Zachary - Jane
I'm not a huge fan of the many of the above names for first names, but nearly all of them would make excellent middle names.
How about you?  What do you think will be popular in the upcoming year?
I am SO thankful that the couple names I have in mind are not in the top 20.  In scrolling down the entire Top 50 lists, I do see my favorite boy name (which I cannot disclose) towards the bottom and hopeful it will not move up the ranks too much.  The primary girl name I like (probably for a middle name) isn't on the list at all so here's to them both not becoming trendy and popular within the next couple years!