Answering Your Questions

In my new role as a pregnant lady I've discovered that there is an inevitable list of questions that people ask once they find out you're pregnant.

Such as (in order of popularity) ...

When are you due?
November 26. Yes, this is one day before Conservative Hubby and I celebrate our second anniversary. He is hoping for a November 27 birth, thinking it will get him out of anniversary celebrations forever because the baby's birthday will take precedence. Every woman who knows him has quickly assured him this is not nor ever will be the case, but he may still be in denial about this fact.

The due date means, sadly, that our families have to put a hold on our annual tradition of spending Thanksgiving in Georgia. (Conservative Hubby pouted about this and didn't understand at first why we couldn't just go anyway. Um ... hello? I'd rather not give birth en route to the lake, thankyouverymuch.)

How far along are you?
If they don't ask the question above, people usually ask this one. As of yesterday, I am at 18 weeks. That means I just entered month 5. It's hard to believe it has already been that long. We're almost halfway there!

(Conservative Hubby is excited to reach the halfway point if for no other reason than he's annoyed he has to do all the lifting and mowing around the house now ... Little does he know that when the bambino comes his honey-do list is only going to get longer.)

How are you feeling?
It's so kind how many people ask right away how I am doing. I am grateful to say that I am feeling really well and have for the entire pregnancy. Due to some terrific genes (thanks, Mom!), I made it through the entire first trimester without a hint of morning sickness. As long as I ate a bit right away when I got up and munched on a little snack frequently throughout each day, I was fine.

Of course, I've had the general weird feelings that come when your body undergoes such massive changes, and I'd had my share of days when I felt foggy and beset by pregnancy brain. But I escaped without morning sickness or the major mood swings that I've heard others have to deal with, so hooray for that.

My biggest challenge has been a lack of energy and being incredibly tired. For someone who is on the go as much as I am and who isn't very good at just sitting down and relaxing, this has taken some getting used to. I've had to take it easy as much as I can while still working, commuting, doing a bit of freelancing, doing all this darn Elks work I got suckered into, keeping the house clean, and so on.

That's meant that the things that have gotten neglected are cooking, blogging, responding to personal emails, and other leisurely pursuits. (Conservative Hubby would undoubtedly add himself to the list of things that have been neglected, but I would argue with that--he's been even busier than I have been lately!)

Are you showing?
Of course I get this one from people who aren't standing in front of me, although the people who are standing in front of me to date have usually said something to the effect of, "Wow, I can't even tell you're pregnant!

And it's true, that baby has been darn slow to let the world know he/she is in there. People who have known our news have probably seen a hint of a belly in the past couple of weeks, and the really astute even a few weeks before that. But the average person who didn't already know our news would not have been the wiser until the past week or so. In fact, most of the people I work with besides the women right in my office do not yet know we're expecting (or at least have been keeping their suspicions to themselves if they have wondered anything).

It is going to be a bit harder not to notice now though, because in the past week or so the bump, small as it may be, has made itself known.

Still, it's just a little one.

Are you going to find out if you're having a boy or girl?
Yep! I would've been OK knowing or not knowing, but Conservative Hubby is dying to find out. He has gotten into the habit of saying "he" when referring to the baby, although one night he did slip up and say "she," which his friends took to be a sign that we are having a girl.

Some people have asked if I have an inkling what we're having, as I guess some women get a feeling one way or the other. The answer there is: I don't have a clue. No premonitions. No strong sense that it's one or the other. I even took some of those wacky quizzes based on old wive's tales about what signs or symptoms might predict what you're having. The result: It's too close to tell. See? Not even the old wive's tales can help on this one.

We've both said we'll be happy either way, but let's be honest. Conservative Hubby wants a boy. (And knows if we have a girl he's doomed because she'll have him wrapped around her little fingers.)

Our sonogram appointment is July 12, so hopefully after that we'll have some exciting news to share with you. I'll probably make you guess first though.

Have you had any weird cravings or food aversions?
Nope, not really. No wacky food combinations or strange dinner choices.

Right when I got pregnant (before I even knew for sure), I was eating spinach like a fiend. My body's way of telling me I needed more folic acid, I guess. Lately I've been eating more beef than ever (big juicy burgers and steaks, which aren't something I usually eat much of). I guess now I'm needing more protein.

I have been eating more salty things than usual (think an occasional bite of potato chips, but nothing excessive) and I certainly haven't shunned fried foods when an occasional opportunity arises to have a bit (French fries, fried pickles, fried cheese? don't mind if I do).

Still, I haven't gone overboard with anything or done anything as crazy as consume an entire pint of ice cream or a whole bag of chips in one sitting.

Probably the craziest thing is that for the first couple of months I completely lost my sweet tooth.


I know you don't believe me, but I'm serious. I didn't have any interest in pies or cookies or any sweets (even dark chocolate). The only thing I would enjoy would be a bite or two of ice cream on occasion.

That's slowly coming back, but even now I haven't been into baking at all because sweet treats just haven't sounded all that appealing. Strange, isn't it?

Do you have names picked out yet?
Yes on that one, too, but I'm going to go ahead and not share them with you here. Once we know what we're having, I might fill you in on the final name choice. Maybe. Or maybe not.

But I will tell you the name Conservative Hubby picked out if we have a girl: Brontosaurus Viper.

Yes, you read that right. If we have a girl he picked the name Brontosaurus Viper. Bronto or BV for short. Don't ask me where it came from. He says it would ensure that his little girl was never messed with. I actually think that would ensure she would be messed with. Forever. Needless to say, we will NOT be naming our child Brontosaurus Viper. No way, no how.

What does Butter think?
Absolutely nothing. As far as I know, Butter is oblivious to the little creature growing in my belly, that is undoubtedly going to turn his world upside down.


He's looked at me with boredom when I've moved more slowly getting ready for work in the morning. He has capitalized on the extra time I've spend sitting or lying down in recent months (more belly rubbing for Butter!). He's appreciated the extra walks he's gotten on the weekend, which have become one my preferred forms of exercise.

And he's looked on with curiosity as I've tackled the rather daunting task of cleaning out the office so it can become the baby's room.

But other than that, he doesn't have a clue.


So there you have it ... the most popular questions I've gotten recently about the little one. What questions do you still have that I didn't answer?

Working in the Garden (Part 2)

Remember the garden I told you about?

I have a little secret: It's not the only garden I'm in charge of this summer. I'm also taking care of a little raised-bed garden at an elementary school, which is part of a grant-funded school garden project I started last fall.

The problem is, school isn't in session over the summer. So I don't have any elementary students to help me keep things going. Instead, I just bop on over to the elementary school once or twice a week to weed and water and (hopefully soon) to harvest, too.Things are going along pretty well so far.


As long as I remember to bring my gardening clothes to work, that is. I learned the hard way gardening in dress clothes in the heat of the summer is not fun. Just sayin'.

Working in the Garden (Part 1)

You're probably thinking that I must not be gardening at all this summer.

You're probably wondering if pregnancy has slowed me down so much that I haven't even done any planting, and that's why you haven't seen the frequent garden updates that undoubtedly sustained you through the past couple of summers. (You did spend every waking minute waiting for my next post about plants, didn't you?)

But if you're thinking this sort of thing, I must correct you.

The truth of the matter is, I'm gardening more than I ever have before. It's just that most of my gardening isn't happening in L-Town and it isn't happening on evenings and weekends.

Yep, now it's part of my job.

The giant garden you're seeing here is 20-plus plots that are roughly 2ox20 feet. (They're roughly that because guess who divided them up? Yep, me. So they're rough.)

No, I'm not gardening this entire giant garden. It's our LLCC community garden, which is located right behind the Workforce Development building I work in (that's the building with blue you see here).

But I do have a plot in the garden and am in charge of overseeing the whole darn thing. So the person who divided up all the plots and assigned them to willing gardeners and purchased all the plants? That's me. And the person who sets up the sprinklers and keeps the walkways relatively weed-free and sprays the (nontoxic but frightfully smelly) Liquid Fence that keeps the deer and rabbits away? That's me, too.

And when I have a bit of time, I try to keep an eye on my own plot, which you see here. That's been a bit tough lately, with the rain and the other garden to-dos. But I did manage to put down a layer of wet cardboard and some straw in my plot recently in the hopes it might keep the insane weeds and grass that have overtaken our garden at bay.

And though things are progressing much more slowly than in my fertile little front-yard garden at home has in past summers, there are finally some tomatoes making an appearance. There are flowers on the (tiny) zucchini and cucumber plants.

Things are growing. Yahoo!

CSA Loot

In this edition of CSA Loot, the counter is completely overtaken by fresh greens and other treats of the vegetable variety. ... And Julie realizes that perhaps having an entire CSA share for a family of 2.3 isn't a good idea, particularly when 1 of the 2.3 refuses to eat most of the loot and when the other 1.3 still isn't quite up to her/their usual appetite.

(Butter was not counted in the 2.3 because he refuses to touch vegetables, too. Sometimes he's so much like his father it's scary.)

Key Lime Pie

Key limes are hard to come by in this part of the country.

So when a little bag of them showed up at Kroger, I couldn't resist snagging it. I had to make Conservative Hubby a key lime pie, of course. It's one of his favorites.


This pie was the first thing I'd baked in months ... possibly since I made those "we're pregnant cookies" to announce the big news to Conservative Family.

And it was also one of the first sweet things (aside from the occasional bite of ice cream) I ate in months, because for some strange reason when I got pregnant I lost my sweet tooth.

Who would've thought that could happen to me, of all people?

CSA Loot

Last fall I signed up for a CSA membership for PrairiErth Farm, an organic family farm located near L-Town.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically, members pay upfront to "invest" in the farm for a year. Then, in return for their investment, members receive a weekly "share" of in-season vegetables. If the farm has a rough harvest of something, you might not get much. But if the farm has a particularly good season, you'll be eating organic vegetables a-plenty. It's a great way to support local family farms, to get exceptionally fresh produce, and to ensure you know exactly where your food is coming from.

I was incredibly excited to snag the last spot in the CSA for L-Town, because memberships like that are hard to come by in central Illinois.


After months of updates from the farm and (somewhat) patient waiting, the deliveries started at the beginning of May and will run through October. Our first couple of weeks, not surprisingly, have been all about the greens--lettuce mix, kale, chard, spinach, that sort of thing. And a lot of it.

We had more great greens this week--all of the above, plus some tarragon and chives.

And, better yet, the big bouquet of incredibly fragrant, incredibly lovely flowers you saw above.

Can't beat that!

Just Some News

I have something I've been meaning to tell you for a couple of weeks now. But I've been waiting for just the right moment to mention it, for just the right way to share the news with you.

Only I've grown tired of waiting for that perfect opportunity, so I'm going to go ahead and tell you the way I know best.

Through photos of things I have baked.

It worked when we broke the news to Conservative Family, so I imagine it will work for you too, right?

A Front-Yard Addition

No, I did not purchase a dog statue to liven up the front-yard garden beds.

This is our goofy pooch. I did not tell him to sit here or stay for an extended period of time. He did that all on his own. I swear he knows when I have my camera out and does everything he can to make it on the blog.

And it usually works.

Wishing You a Happy Mother's Day

As you probably know, today is Mother's Day. (If you didn't know this already, hurry! It's not too late to call your mother and let her know you're thinking of her.)

Although I think many holidays are manufactured by the greeting card industry in order to increase their profits, I think Mother's Day and Father's Day are particularly important. Parents deserve our love and appreciation every day, but sometimes life gets busy and we forget to show and tell them just how much they mean to us.

And so today is the perfect day to tell your mother (or favorite aunt or grandmother or friend who is a mother) how important they are to you.

I hope that my mother knows already just how wonderful she is and how much I admire her and how I hope that I can be even half as good of a mother as she has been to me.

But, Mom, because those words went unsaid when we spoke on the phone a few minutes ago, now you have them in writing, accompanied by some photos of the flowers I planted this afternoon. Consider this an extra Mother's Day gift to you, along with the one we already sent.

And these well wishes and admiration also apply to Conservative Mom. And to all of you grandmothers out there (Grandma Phyllis and Grandma Barb, plus Conservative Hubby's lovely grandmothers ... and Grandma Collins, who's celebrating Mother's Day in heaven this year with her honey).

Happy Mother's Day!

A Cheerful Little Pot

Come on, look at this precious little pot. Doesn't it make you smile? How can it not?

This pot resides on the bookshelves in the living room where the little yellow dog used to sit.

I love this single succulent. Particularly its shape and its color. But even more so, I love the birds perched on the pot.

Butter isn't nearly as interested in them as he was in yellow dog, though.

A New Centerpiece

I needed something new for our table. I just wasn't sure what.

Then I found this pretty pot and decided to fill it with a couple of varieties of succulents. Now our table makes me smile every time I look at it.

Succulents are an instant mood booster, I think. And no, there isn't some succulent industry association paying me to say these things. I'm just a plant lover.

A Spring Update

Lately I've been a bit disillusioned with the decor in our house. It's fine, it's just tired. I blame my sudden interest in changing things up on the fact that it's spring. A time of fresh blooms and new things.

The thing is, I'm on a budget and a bit strapped for time, so I didn't want to make any major overhauls right now.

Instead I wanted a simple, cheerful change. I found it while wandering around Lowe's yesterday: Succulents.

(Yes, those precious little plants I was so obsessed with when visiting My Sister in California.)

This is the first of them, which I carefully placed in the little yellow dog that had previously been sitting on the bookshelf in the living room. Now it's on the windowsill above the kitchen sink.

So, sadly, Butter can't bark at it and lick its nose (which he really did do on occasion). But now I can enjoy it every time I'm at the sink.

Easter, Revisited

A week later, I'm finally getting around to an annual Easter tradition: Sharing photos of our fabulous dinner at Q and MB's farmhouse.

First, it's necessary to set the mood with the decor.

Because it's Easter, naturally the setting involves tulips and bunny rabbits.

Egg-shaped dishes and carrot napkin rings.

Lovely centerpieces.

Even the food itself looked like decorative objects. From the butter mold.

To the stunning cauliflower. (I normally don't even eat cauliflower, but isn't this beautiful? It was tasty, too.)

I wish I could tell you I took photos of all the fabulous food--including what may have been the most gorgeous ham ever, sweet potatoes and cheesy mashed potatoes, delicious side dishes galore, I could go on ... But I didn't. I got too distracted eating all that food. Really, can you blame me?

I did, however, remember my camera once the desserts came out.

They were, as usual, stunning and decadent and over the top.

So much so that we wondered yet again why we ate so much of the main course.

(Oh yes, I remember why: Because it was fabulous too.)

The one thing my photos fail to convey is that we had wonderful company to go along with the fine food and drink. This, you will just have to take my word on. Because, as usual, it was wonderful.

And, like two years ago when we celebrated Kid Sister and T-Bear's engagement, this year we also had some good things to celebrate. These good things I will share with you later. Just because I can.

Decorating Eggs

We may not be kids anymore, but Kid Sister and I decided we weren't too old to decorate Easter eggs.


And so last night, while the boys watched the NBA playoffs and stood around the bar in the basement, we commandeered half of the bar for egg decorating.


I have to admit, we were a bit rusty, as neither of us had decorated eggs in years.


But we decided to get a bit creative anyway.

Our finished eggs weren't masterpieces, by any means. But they're festive enough. And it was fun.


I hope your Easter is full of fun and faith and time with friends and family. And perhaps an Easter egg hunt, too.

Tiptoeing Through the Tulips

Unlike their friends the daffodils, the tulips in the front yard don't think it's absolutely necessary to be among the first flowers to bloom each spring.


Sure, they're excited to make an appearance and to open toward the warm April sun. But they're going to wait until they're good and ready to do so.


Good and ready happened to be, for the most part, last week.

This also happened to be when the rain showers and thunderstorms and tornado warnings settled in. So today was my first opportunity to snap some photos of the trembling tulips as they danced in the breeze.


Most of the tulips in our front yard were planted long before we arrived in our house. They were a pleasant surprise our first spring.

This year, however, I supplemented those tulips with a few bulbs of my own.


Once they bloomed, I realized just how different these bulbs are from the ones that came before.


A little variety is kind of nice, isn't it?


Butter thinks so too.