I improvised a pie based on a key lime pie recipe.  My friends helped us eat it and they demanded that I write down the recipe to remember.  Sadly I don’t have a picture because it was devoured too fast!

Dreamsicle Pie
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup clementine juice
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 2 limes
zest from all the clementines that you squeezed

Combine all the above ingredients in a bowl.  I think it would have stirred smoother if I had blended the sour cream and condensed milk before adding the juice.  Pour the filling into a pre-made graham cracker crust.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until you see tiny pinhole bubbles burst on the surface.  (Don’t brown it!)  Remove and cool completely.  Let chill in the fridge, preferably overnight.  Slice and serve with whipped cream.

My dear sister has optimistically invited me to choreograph some parts of the spring musical.  Optimistic because:
A. work is scheduling me for 4 shifts per week, and because we are short-staffed we often work overtime (like yesterday) and
B. my dancing skills have waned a bit since becoming pregnant.  Or should I say, all skills that involve movement have waned.  Including standing up from couches.  My co-worker saw me struggling to get comfortable in my chair during the 7th hour of Monday’s hospital orientation.  “When are you due?” he whispered.  “End of May,” I replied.  He ticked the months off his fingers, “Wow, you have a long way to go!”  Yes.  Yes I do.  Thank you for pointing that out for me. Now help me cross my legs.

So with her dear students in mind I summoned all my energy to get to the gym this morning.  Yes, after a 16 hour day with only a 30 minute lunch break, a fitful night’s sleep while on call, and waking up with a scratchy throat I exercised.  Because I only blog when I can brag about my awesomeness. (For example, I haven’t been sick since January 2009.  I hope this throat scratch blows over).

I like going to the gym because I can spend longer exercising and stretching than I do when I stay home.  The elliptical is also the only form of aerobics I can do without severe leg pain.  I still have bad aches in my gracilis every time I take a step.  But for some reason running on an elliptical is completely painless.  When I got home I stretched a little more.  Molly joined in.

I’m so glad it’s February.  Good stuff happens:
Superbowl parties (I hate football but love the food and friends)
Oscar parties
My birthday
Valentine’s Day
And it’s a short month, so it’s over before you know it!

I’m now six months pregnant.  Egads.  I feel pretty good except the fitful sleeping, the constant belly poking by the kid, and tearing of my abdominal muscles.  Otherwise no health problems.  I continue to outgrow my clothes and struggle finding comfortable things to wear to work and church. 

I’m knitting like a fiend lately.  I have two projects going for myself, I finished Ben’s hat, and I have my eyes on a sweater vest pattern for our little boy.  That’s on top of my spinning that I’m still working on.  I’m resisting going to the yarn store as long as possible.

I was on call all weekend and it sucked.  I get so anxious.  I was sure that I would be called in twice, once for a patient in the ICU that the docs told me on Saturday they would want to dialyze on Sunday, and once for one of our regulars who hadn’t been in for over a week and a half.  That was on top of our normal flow of emergencies, who often come in Sunday evenings.  It seemed like a sure thing so I was a bundle of nerves all weekend, watching my pager nervously.  Never called me.  Weird.  Instead of being glad that I didn’t have to work I’m exhausted from worrying about it.  I really need to get this call mind-set in better control. 

Today was my day off.  Laundry, dishes, grocery shopping, and knitting.  Exciting stuff.  I guess I don’t have much else to say.  Just checking in to say hi, I suppose.

I finished my first skein of handspun yarn using my wheel.  It’s so much fun to spin!  I just used the book that came with my wheel to teach me how to spin and ply the yarn together.  I started to work on that beautiful blue roving in the background, you can see my first bobbin is already almost full.  I can’t decide if I want to to ply the blue yarn, making it lofty and strong, or leave it single ply so I have more length to knit. 
(How awesome is it that my new craft space gets natural sunlight in through the little egress window?)

I’m so happy Burn Notice is back on the air.  It’s like a fantastic, juicy cheeseburger and fries.  Utter junk yet so delicious.

I’m finally making some good progress on Ben’s Norwegian hat. I’m moving my craft space into the basement.  My former room will be the new nursery.  We threw out the 1977 couches and got a new sectional.  I love it so much!  I set up my craft table behind it and it’s become my favorite place.  I have my laptop, my knitting, a snack, and a good show playing on our franken-dvr.  

It’s been a rough week at work.  We’re ramping up to start two new hospital contracts.  Extra training sessions everywhere, staff shortages, and on top of that a lot of acute patients at our regular hospital.  I’m the only one from our morning shift who is home yet.  The others who started at 6 had to take over evening shift as well.  I only got to go home because I’m on call, so in the event that I get called back I won’t be completely exhausted from working 17 hours.  I don’t think things will calm down until at least mid-February.

I'll leave the hike pictures to Ben.

Here’s a requisite pooch shot.  Thanks for the Bellaband tip, Ant.  I found a BeBand at Target by the same makers and I’m in my old jeans again.  This will help hold my scrubs up too!

November 18, 2009 – I vacuumed a floor.

(Written at 12 weeks, early November 2009)

I am so so relieved to have had the ultrasound.  It’s scary how I really have no perception that there is a little human inside of me, with bones and tissue and an APPENDIX, for crying out loud.  How alien.  I swore this was a molar or ectopic pregnancy.  How could it be so easy?  How can I feel so normal? 

(9 week pregnant self feel free to stab future self for saying this.  Does she REMEMBER sitting at home, not being able to do anything but nap under a quilt, not even browse the internet?  And how she threw up a single saltine, and on another morning just water???) 

But really.  From all the stories and “common symptoms” I read, I’ve had it fairly easy.  Way to go, genepool.  I knew these hips meant I would be a baby-making rockstar.