Weeks 29-30

HELLO 2013!!!

Welp, we didnt die. Although I like to think that some secret super heroes saved us from the end of the world instead of the Mayans being wrong. Either way- we all made it to 2013! The year of the snake, my last full year of being in my 20's, the year we meet Mr. Holden Stephens Mikulin!!!!! I cannot believe I am going to meet my baby boy so soon!!! I love him so much already!

We took it pretty easy for New Years this year. As much as we would've loved to have gone to Fredericksburge (I have no idea how to spell that) again to visit the wineries and get wine-wasted or out and about with our crazy friends.....neither really work with our "situation". Which is just fine. So we hung out with my Dad, Sister, her boyfriend, and my dad's neighbors. It was a cold and rainy night but we hung out by my Dad's fire pit, blew up fireworks, and SOME people (cough*Mark*cough) drank a lil too much. I really enjoyed myself though!

We were thinking about New Year's Resolutions and both of us were "I want to be a good parent" but thats not really a resolution....thats a fact, yo. So instead we both decided to just be more health and Earth conscience. We like to eat healthy, but we have our days where we love us some JUNK food. Like, embarrassingly junky food. So we decided to be better about eating local and organic, and aware of our carbon footprint. This includes me starting to make our own bread! I have made 2 batches thus far and the 2nd batch of my honey whole wheat bread is getting really good! Im pretty happy with it.

 I also made my own laundry detergent the other day that should cost us pennies per load! Here's how I did it:

Mix 1 cup Borax and 1 cup Arm N Hammer Baking  WASHING SODA! 

Cut 1 bar of Fels Naptha into smaller pieces and grate it up in a food processor. 

Get 4 cups of water to almost boiling and add the grated soap. Turn down the heat immediately to medium. Melt the soap (should take about 10-15 minutes) completely, then add the borax/washing soda mixture. Mix until completely dissolved and you cant feel any grit on the bottom of the pan. 

Pour into 2 quart jars, add water until it reaches the shoulder of the jars and FLIP over! 

Let the jars sit for 4 hours.....boring....

After the 4 hours, scrape everything out of the jar one at a time, blend it up with an emulsifier,  and once it reaches "mayonnaise" consistency, return to jar! 

It should be a perfect fit! 

To use, just scoop out 1 tablespoon and run it under the water in the washer. Since everything is dissolved completely, there should be no residue on the clothes. I hear this is the best detergent out there so Im excited to be able to use it for the next ~300 loads! YAY!!!

January is going to be such a crazy but awesome month. 11:11 has 3 events this month! We have a show at the Beauty Ballroom on the 19th, my baby shower on the 20th, and a wedding on the 26th! Super excited! Im also excited that there wont be much to do in Feb as Im sure I will NOT want to do a single damn thing except lay in bed and wait for lil man to get here. Except be spoiled on Valentines day. That'll be nice. I cant wait to post pics of my baby shower! Until then, heres updated bump pics and FAQs. 

Note- I start my 32nd week manana so for the most part, my posts are about a week or so behind. Sorry. 

Theres a dang baby in there! 

How far along? 30 weeks 

Maternity clothes? Look at that picture. Duh. 
Stretch marks? None on my belly, just a few on my thighs and chest area.
Sleep: Some CRAZY dreams but other than that, its all good in the hood.
Best moment this week: Ringing in 2013! 
Miss Anything? Champagne, Wine, Beer, COFFEE, jumping on trampolines, goat cheese, putting on my shoes....pretty much everything I cant do or have!
Movement: Oh for sure. I feel like he is only hanging out on my right side because thats the rib he likes to kick and I almost never feel anything on my left side. 
Food cravings: KALE, green smoothies,  my homemade bread, and veggies!!
Anything making you queasy or sick: I havent thrown up once this pregnancy, I dont think Ill start now. Knock on wood.
Gender: Un nino. 
Labor Signs: Not really at all. 
Symptoms: Heartburn has gotten a touch better, swollen ankles have subsided, I am just 1st trimester tired all over again.
Belly Button in or out? Getting pretty flat. Mark is fascinated.
Wedding rings on or off? Wedding ring is still on but I am wearing my engagement ring around my neck these days. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Genuinely happy.
Looking forward to: My baby shower! And seeing my Grandma next week!!!!!!!!!!

Alrighty, well, thats that.
Lots'o'love,
Susannah, Mark, and Holden