finished ian's blanket on this past sunday. ian went again for his synagis. he was such a good boy...didn't really cry until later tonight when i tried to put him to bed. howled like no tomorrow. :P

merii kurisumasu! shinnen omedatou!



finished tsutomu's hat this morning! :P i think it's a little small. dpns are interesting to use. used the hat knitted in the round pattern from the knit stitch (the knitting experience, book 1) by sally melville.



it was worth it going to daly city. i saw so much love for ian from his grandpa and his auntie. too cute...it brought tears to my eyes to see the "dad" that dave always talked about...the really great side of his dad. he really cares about ian so much. i'm glad things are going so well. sometimes distance does make the heart grow fonder and the birth of a child can really bring new life to something that has been stagnant for so long. prayers do make a big difference.

crochet a hamster.

*in japanese*

http://www1.chironoworks.com/beryl/



crochet chart

http://www1.chironoworks.com/beryl/html/amikiso.html



this is the cutest pattern



http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter04/PATTtempting.html



i want these books:

http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/tg/listmania/list-browse/-/ZROL3U5R8YE1/qid=1103144105/sr=5-3/ref=sr_5_2_3/250-8166426-5976246



check out tricoquelicot- she's back!

http://tricoquelicot.com/



using the

http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/wwwjdic.html (jim breen's j-e dictionary)



手編み = teami

"hand knitting"

編み物 = amimono

"knitting"



linkage

http://yarntomato.com/iheartwool/join.php

http://knitting.brilliant-disguise.org/

http://www.knitblog.com/home.htm

http://www.google.com/search?q=%E7%B7%A8%E3%81%BF%E7%89%A9&hl=en&lr=&sa=N&tab=iw

http://ucgi.coconino.jp/zakka/

http://hml.s3.xrea.com/

http://www.geocities.jp/xxtomoxxyouxx/

http://pastel.oheya.jp/

http://park1.wakwak.com/~lucifer/

http://www.prettybook.com/

http://amigurumi.bossa.org/

http://www.onatoko.com/index.asp

http://amigurumi.jp/index.html

http://www.style-arena.jp/english/index.htm

http://www.din.or.jp/~liar/

no sew blankets!

http://www.exploringwomanhood.com/homelife/ideas/pom-jan03.htm



working on 4 knitting projects:



still on my son's blanket

a hat for my son

a scarf for my husband

a hat for my friend tsutomu.

haven't updated the lj and my blog in a while. motherhood :) and just too damned lazy to turn on the computer. oh and how my husband just loves ROME, the game not the city...although it would be nice to visit rome too.



thanksgiving was great...we cooked, we talked, we ate...and we passed out. i ate so much that i thought that i would explode. i made my pumpkin pies. yah.



ian has been smiling, cooing and gurgling. it's so cute...we have it on video. yeup.



email has been finally checked.



and motherhood...the whole advice of letting the baby "cry-it-out" ...is debated by dr.sears!

click here: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/5/T051200.asp#T051205



i found this article mentioned in the preemies community! in fact, read the whole article! it's very informative.

today boo-boo had his second round of synagis. he had a tiny head cold in the last few days before this injection, but the saline drops and cold air humidifier are doing well for his nose.

not much on the homefront.

happy turkey day folks! :D

november 16th, 2004 is prematurity awareness day...



http://www.marchofdimes.com/clicktosavebabies/



please sign the petition to support the march of dimes.

finished my mom's biggy print "flip" hat.

...trying to catch up with computer time...



can't sleep cuz baby keeps me up, so sleeping schedule is screwed up. :P



been teaching my friend c how to knit. baby blanket almost ready. knitted the sugarcubed scarf and will post pic. finished my mom's hat.



check out yarn harlot's patented roll brim hat approach and the rest of her blog as well!

honoring all the veterans. thank you all for putting your lives on the line for our country and preserving freedom.



thank you great grandpa, andres. thank you, daddy.



happy birthday to my brother jason!!

synagis. its the vaccine they give preemies to help innoculate them from RSV. ian had that shot today. poor muffin cried, but afterwards was a happy baby. lucky me!! :)

boo-boo had his first wellbaby appointment/immunizations:

good news he's 10 lbs and 4 oz. :D bad news he had to have shots! :( dave took time off from work and had to hold boo-boo down for the shots. sooo sad to have ian cry so much. i had to comfort him and carry him to the car.

boo-boo also has to have a synagis shot on wednesday at 10am. :P poor baby.

dressing like hawaiian tourist. happy halloween.

november 16th, 2004 is prematurity awareness day...



http://www.marchofdimes.com/clicktosavebabies/



please sign the petition to support the march of dimes.

yahoo,



knitting pattern programs!



http://knitting.about.com/library/weekly/aa071397.htm

miniature sweaters o_O



:) whee!



http://www.mini-mum.com/pages/miniknitting.html



also seen at minako's little stitches blog :D

http://www.edit.ne.jp/~minako/blogger/archives/e/cat_miniature.html

oooh cooking and baking blog...



http://www.leitesculinaria.com/index.html

feeling clique-y:



http://www.pixydust.net/lilmama/

http://boogaj.typepad.com/knitting_blogs/

http://knittingkitty.blogspot.com/



will be adding project percentage bars from anna knits

OoOo neat.



http://www.messstudio.com/con/

I am Progressive Girl Click on the picture below to read more: Take the 'What Kind of Girl Are You?' quiz at CookingToHookup.com

cute japanese crochet:



http://www.otama.tv/index/index.asp

http://amigurumi.bossa.org/



found at the knittingpretty community in livejournal.

i'm just amazed at how fast babies grow, ian is getting pretty big!



his blankie getting big too! :O almost there!



i've just had the best yogurt ever, brown cow chocolate (yes, chocolate) yogurt. i like their strawberry too! whole milk yogurt with a cream top. yum! i got it at PW Market near my home. And oh gosh, the best store bought pudding is kozy shack real chocolate pudding! and their rice and tapioca puddings are absolutely tasty too!:)

there is something about japanese knitting books that got me into knitting again.



looks like i'm not the only one... ;)



http://knit.tangognat.com/

http://chiescrochetandknitting.blogspot.com/

http://www.purlwise.com/2004/08/japanese_shortr.html

http://www.dears.net/knits/?cat=1

http://www.gusset.net/kip/archives/cat_resources.html

http://hkknitter.blogs.com/home/

http://www.redlipstick.net/blog/archives/2004_04_01_index.html

http://www.gratefulcad.com/stellasblog.html

http://www.loobylu.com/archives/000207.html



knitting magazine:



interweave press



knitting store:



knit happens

wow, boo-boo has been home for about two weeks :) i am now officially a mommy-type person and dave is officially a daddy-type of person. all three of us went on our first family outing last evening to babies r' us. gift cards are sooo cool. thanks gil and erin and family. :D

japanese patterns:



http://otsukaya.co.jp/TedukuriTop.htm

http://okadaya.co.jp/hobby/resipi/

http://www.rakuten.co.jp/gosyo/461397/



i want these books that sugar cubed has:

Let's Knit! For Boys & Girls (japanese)



Girly Knit (japanese)



dollies:



http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/%7Eeq5k-mgry/my_doll_e.htm

http://stores.ebay.com/Kittys-Oriental-Craft-Shop

http://www006.upp.so-net.ne.jp/soramame/news.htm

boo-boo just had his first pediatrician's visit.

gained weight 5 lbs. 8oz.

got longer 19.5 inches!

Yay!!

*happy dance*

boo, still have to supplement breastfeeding with formula...good formula though. good start with comfort proteins.

i don't see why i am stressing out about my milk supply...and i mean stress. :P

at kellymom.com...

What is normal when it comes to pumping output and changes in pumping output?

Most moms who are nursing full-time are able to pump around 1/2 to 2 ounces total (for both breasts) per pumping session. Moms who pump more milk per session may have an oversupply of milk, or may respond better than average to the pump, or may have been able to increase pump output with practice. Many moms think that they should be able to pump 4-8 ounces per pumping session, but even 4 ounces is an unusually large pumping output.

- http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/pumping_decrease.html

and reading about other moms going through the same thing...

la leche league.org working and breastfeeding forum - pumping issues

i spoke with one of our hospital's lactation consultants and she recommended that i drink mother's milk tea and the new mom's support group. i have to go find that tea and maybe visit the support group some time soon.

ian came home today!! Yay!!!!

o'connor has asked that we spend the night at the hospital, so they can monitor the baby and us. oh my gosh i'm soo happy i get to spend the night with my tiny little one.

our son amazes us with the growth in the last two weeks...



gaining weight and learning how to breastfeed.



he's also eating a lot.



we're also learning parenting skills too.

boo-boo has been gaining weight :) yay!!

he is now 4 lbs and 14 oz.

1 pound = 16 oz.

he is officially two ounces away from being 5 lbs in weight! :)

two days ago, he was 4 lbs. and 7.5 oz.

before that, 4 lbs. and 6.5 oz.

yay, baby!! :D

downgraded my webpage to the silver package of 9.95 on addr.com. working on boo-boo's webpage to show family and friends. need to be a friend or a family member to get a password to see it. :P

breastfeeding stuff:

http://www.breastfeeding.com/
http://www.lalecheleague.org/

changed the lilypie counter from expecting to first birthday. so cute!



found some other cute online baby things:



http://www.godels.com/babymood/

http://usr-bin-mom.com/index.php (where i got the pregnancy script)



will be updating!



the cutest family blog...whee!

http://www.godels.com/familyblog/

finally found out the gender of the baby!

I am going to be the proud mama of a baby boy! :) this widdle guy is due on october 1st. he's not here just yet!

x-posted in my lj

*note* 08/25/04

**ahem** at the time that i was typing out this entry, i had not realized i was going through contractions. being naive at the time, i had thought that i was going through gas pains brought on by something that i had eaten or drank the night before. i was experiencing front to back cramps i.e. lower abdomen and lower back.

silly me was thinking i was constipated for the first time, so i had been drinking more water and eating fiber bits trying to overcome the "gas" pains. i was doing this on the computer at the time and then getting up to go to the bathroom with no result. i had tried to go back to sleep, but the pain was excruciating. i kept getting up and walking back and forth. i did this all by myself for 3 hrs. i even told my husband i was constipated -- no one the wiser, except for my sister who was getting ready for work who caught me walking down the hallway in pain. she told me to lay down and got my sleeping husband to wake up to the words...at about 6-ish am.

"Wife...contractions...call Dr. C...take her to the hospital!"

He woke up in disbelief, called my OB,and then drove me to the hospital pronto. IT was 7am already. We went to emergency and then the hospital admitted me right away into Labor and Delivery. I was already at 4 cm dilated and having contractions at 2-3 mins apart. the staff had to put me into a delivery room right away, since the baby decided that he wanted to join us sooner than OCT. 1!!! It was a complete jaw-dropping fact for us and everyone we knew! We had fetal and contraction monitors strapped to my belly. Then, the great nurses of L&D with Dr. C had decided to put me on IV and give me antibiotics and something to slow down the contractions from their short intervals to longer ones. When the contractions ebbed down from 2-3 minutes to 4-5, Dr. C then came to rupture my bag of water and let nature take its course. Of course, I asked for pain medication and that lovely epidural. :) i was most comfortable and enjoyed some short naps. My husband always my hero and my strength supported me the entire time helping me with my breathing.

5-6 cm dilated at about 12 pm...then 9-10 finally at 3pm.

And then the labor ensued...my sister and my mother arrived just in time...

our son, our little boo-boo, was brought into the world at 4 lbs 6 1/2 oz 4pm exactly on 08.21.2004. he was a preemie. so adorable and a fighter, Ian cried in protest as the staff worked on him and me. and we all cried in joy as i held him in my arms.

as of now, we have been visiting boo-boo in the NICU and he is getting stronger day by day...he is growing and maturing.

To everyone who came to visit us at the hospital, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

I thank most of all my sister, Jer who helped me follow the signs and the birth and my wonderful husband, dave for his perseverance and patience, and the Almighty for giving us the gift of Ian.

And to my boo-boo, my little angel: keep doing what you are doing, because daddy and i want you home.

HUGS to all and best wishes.

note to self:

apology first hand.

i have been in a up and down mood as of late. POoOoo!



why am i online??



after waking up from a nightmare of sorts, i can't sleep...so i am lurking online at about 3:36 am pst.



working on my blog finally and commenting on lj simultaneously. wanting to work on my webpage, but being too lazy, since by the time i finish on what i want...it'll be dawn so that's moot. my husband is knocked out as well as everyone in the entire house, so there's silence. dave is amazing at the the fact that he can sleep at the drop of hat and i have to struggle to get comfortable, which now in my state is virtually impossible.



along with the sleeplessness, i am also excited and anxious about seeing my baby again in a ultrasound...and hopefully finding out if the wee muffin is a girl or a boy. that will happen about 230pm later today. i will keep posted on that, if anyone wants to know! :)



anyhoo, i should try to get some sleep, while it is still cool.



noted in my lj as well.

would love to have an internet connection on my other computer at home...the computer that has adobe photoshop...



webpage is screaming for a redux.



bleah i feel like crap right now. it sucks.



baby shopping is hard, since we have to be budgety and stuff.

updated me and the world:



dave and i moved into the other big room of the house we are renting from my parents.



i turned 32 on monday, august 9th.



our cute little pumpkin is due very soon. 50 more days. Planning is somewhat fun.



my friend c is now a roomie of ours.



i am on livejournal and gmail reading b/a fanfics and commenting on people's journals.



i'm on yahoo groups. in fact a lot of them...mostly b/a related, cute, craft, and anime communities.

time and time again...



i need to make my own body butter!



http://www.handmadebeauty.com/index.asp

http://www.mangobutter.com/index.asp

http://www.moonglowcandles.com/index.htm



i was thinking about a shea butter base...hmmm...

should i attempt to do this?



making the perfect pie crust from the new homemaker.

chocolate cravings:



http://www.pastrywiz.com/chocolate/

http://www.pastrywiz.com/dailyrecipes/recipes/477.htm

http://www.leonidas-chocolate.com/index.html

http://www.godiva.com/welcome.asp

http://www.gumbopages.com/links/food.html

http://www.swissmaster.com/secrets/secrets.htm

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/recipes/mocha_flan.html

http://www.doublerainbow.com/

http://www.travellady.com/Issues/January03/IsThereAnythingBetterThanGodivaChocolate.htm

http://www.chocophile.com/index.php/chocophile/mission/

cuzin's page:



rope-burn.net/phoenix.

http://www.geocities.com/lukebuffy/

cute shirts :)



39elle found in lucky mag.

baked snickerdoodles, cuz my bro was craving cookies in the middle of the night. silly guy.



here's the recipe:



betty crocker's snickerdoodles.



i had 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup) and luckily some shortening for this recipe, although i like using 2 sticks of butter for more buttery flavor.

What's Your Outlook on Life?
brought to you by Quizilla

adjusted the EDD of our baby from 09.29.2004 to 10.01.2004 on both counters.

cuzin's blog

http://revealed.teknikz.net/

http://www.dzinelab29.com/

http://subtlefemme.net

went to my ob appt today. he took my blood pressure and check for my baby's heartbeat. :) i said my baby is going to be a good-sized one. i'm soo glad. gained another pound.  also, went to the hospital to do some lab work: another anemia test and glucose test. the glucose drink wasn't too bad, being carbonated - reminded me of orange soda, made me a little queasy, but it was tolerable.

make t-shirts:

http://cafepress.com

 

show geek pride:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/

 

 

fontage:

http://www.bvfonts.com/

http://www.dafont.com/en/

 

http://support.shades-of-me.com/index.html - support the fight against cancer.

i've added my knitting needle conversion chart here .:)

i slip into consciousness..i often wonder when you walk out of a great dream into your true reality, why does it sucks so bad one day...

..and other days, it's the delight of your life.



sometimes, petty things turn to big things, when they should really be knocked out and left for dead...it divides families and friends...one word one thought...



i really wish it wasn't that way...



it makes me want to crawl back into bed and not wake up from that great dream, but that's not living is it?



living is changing those bad things into good things...working to achieve the best. i'd rather not walk around with a dark storm cloud over my head and transform my true reality into something i can be proud of.



i can't be afraid...



my unborn child won't let me forget as i look at my burgeoning belly and feel the little movements inside. there's life and there's living.

awww...



the cute and funny kitty cat collection!



its like rate my kitten!

oohh pastry and baking stuff...



fancy flours

pastry items



baked brownies today!

i have found the cutest baby counter.





uh i am totally trying to finish my baby's blanket :P

congratulations. you are the kiss my ass happy
bunny. You don't care about anyone or anything.
You must be so proud



which happy bunny are you?
brought to you by Quizilla




Pirates of the Caribbean!



What movie Do you Belong in?(many different outcomes!)
brought to you by Quizilla



happy 4th of july...



my geekness:

http://www.alleycatscratch.com/lotr/

http://www.moviecostumes.com/

http://www.costumegallery.com/courtyard.htm

http://www.sensibility.com/



watched titanic again a couple of days ago...i realized that i still love that movie...even though its been years since i last saw it. lol



http://www.geocities.com/titaniccostumesfanlisting/

http://www.virtual-innocence.com/go-on/

took my mom out to buca di beppo to celebrate her freedom a.k.a. retirement. food is so kick ass there. gosh i love it there...:) margherita pizza...yum!



baby has been kicking me in the ribs in last few days...active little tyke! can't WAIT to meet you! ^_^

yumfood

top secret recipes

fanny farmer

i baked butter cookies today. :P





manga i like

You are interchangeable.

Fun, free, and into everything, you've got every
eventuality covered and every opportunity just
has to be taken. Every fiber is wonderful, and
every day is a new beginning. You are good at
so many things, it's amazing, but you can
easily lose your place and forget to show up.
They have row counters for people like you!



What kind of knitting needles are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

making leta -pregnancy story blog from fray.com.



knitting blogs from japan:



pinku

lord of the rings' name generators:



the barrow-downs, i am known to be:



According to the Red Book of Westmarch,

In Middle-earth, Michelle Heng was a

Springle-Ring-Dancing Noldor



Elven Name Possibilities for Michelle Heng

The root name suitable for feminine and masculine is:

Halladal

Another masculine version is:

Halladalion

More feminine versions are:

Halladaliel

Halladalien

Halladalwen



Hobbit lad name for Michelle Heng

Doderic Banks from Yale

Hobbit lass name for Michelle Heng

Primula Banks from Yale



Dwarven Name for Michelle Heng

Gorin Lightningplate

This name is for both genders.



Orkish Name for Michelle Heng

Bפrrat the Cruel

This name is for both genders.



** NEW ** Adnaic name for Michelle Heng ** NEW **

Haiyadub



the elvish name generator @chriswetherell.com



Tári Falassion



elf name generator@ www.meduseld.btinternet.co.uk



Sindarin: Estelwen (Hope-maiden),

Quenya: Sindënís (Grey woman) &

Nickname (Sindarin/Quenya): Talagan/Tyalangan (Harp player)

vecpix - different kinds of graphic tutorials

palmier cookies...



cookie recipes

festival foods - palmier cookies

martha stewart's palmier



for convenience, you can buy sheets of puff pastry at your local supermarket or if you feel like a challenge, make your own. i think i plan to buy it.







another chef's blog:

chocolate and zucchini

i like granny smith apples...especially with caramel sauce. forgive me, i've been going through so many cravings in the last few days.



caramel sauce and caramel candies:





food network - caramel sauce

baking911.com - candy_caramels

googlized - making caramel sauce



burned my finger and made toffee instead :P



lengua de gato is a filipino biscuit like cookie...not a real cat's tongue.



need a filipino cookbook like this one



filipino recipes link

unknown brushes

DMB - dodo's message board



i'm going to attempt to vector a pic...i don't know of whom just yet.



jade's vector tutorial



i really should take up drawing again and fill up my deviantart.com page. >_<;;



portrait artist



the rasterbator - interesting name, useful purpose...making small pics bigger!

in my kitchen

local kine recipes

alohaworld's ono recipes



speaking of ono-licious...



malasadas-hawaiian donuts

filhos-portugese donuts

beignets-french donuts



googlized- malasadas recipes

oso ono

WAIMAKA'S MALASADAS



MALASADAS (A PUNAHOU RECIPE)

adding a knitting needle conversion chart on here.



mending a hole in a knitting thingy!



once upon a pattern- how to mend knitting



or have someone else do it.



knit alteration

handmake your own lotions and potions:



handmade beauty

make your own cosmetics

essential wholesale

majestic mountain sage

cranberry lane

brambleberry

lavender lane

the chemistry store

sunburst bottle company

soapcrafters

mabel white

ponte verda soap shoppe

sweetcakes

sks bottle

filipino comfort food...



ya gotta have it! filipino recipes

filipino desserts

filipino.com.au-pastillas

far east travelonline.co.uk-filipino recipes

the radical chef

manong ken's carinderia

lutong bahay

on my plate




Cheese Test: What type of cheese are you?





pastry chef blog



chez karine

googlized- pastry chef blog

ah, summer's kinda here. :)



found this cute little thing:



sumo in your pants- a pocket sumo wrestler.



and something else useful:



the wayback machine- caches and archives webpages and surf the world wide web the way it was.

The Classic IQ Test by tickle.com



Congratulations, Michelle!

Your IQ score is 118

This number is the result of a formula based on how many questions you answered correctly on Tickle's Classic IQ test. Your IQ score is scientifically accurate; to read more about the science behind our IQ test, click here.



During the test, you answered four different types of questions — mathematical, visual-spatial, linguistic and logical. We analyzed how you did on those questions, which reveals the way your brain uniquely works.



We also compared your answers with others who have taken the test, and according to the sorts of questions you got correct, we can tell your Intellectual Type is an Insightful Linguist.

This means you are highly intelligent and have the natural fluency of a writer and the visual and spatial strengths of an artist. Those skills contribute to your creative and expressive mind.

pcstitch...do you want to make your own cross-stitch patterns? ah, come on i know you do. :)



good news...get crafty is back up! yay! :)



baby news:



went to see the OB with my hubby. he heard the baby's strong little heartbeat. he said, "aww, how cute!"



lost a pound, but not a big deal...



everything going along nicely.

Which Buff Girl Are You? Find out @ She's Crafty

what to do with almost 2 lbs. of bittersweet chocolate:



google-bittersweet chocolate recipes

i need to learn how to crochet!! :O



inspiration:

knotty boy's dreadlock hats

croshaydesign





london beanie

rasta hat pattern

What happens when you try to be Japanese? by hideto
Your Name
Your Age
Your Japanese Name	Umi (Sea)
Your New Style	Neo-Japanese Punk
Your Favourite Singer	Gackt
You end up becoming..	A Jpop star!
Cash flow?	$707,587,080
You die..	From eating too much rice.
Created with the ORIGINAL MemeGen!

thinking about redesigning tanpopo. blogger now has comments.

rowan has new site with deconstructed sweaters and things like that:

r2



ice cream from japan shown in mainichi news:

ice cream,via

boingboing.net.

baby names!!



girl:



arielle millie- lioness of God; mild strength



boy:



isaiah leon- salvation by God; lion



uh, i see a theme here... lol

pierrot yarn and super eggplant and little stitches and habu textiles

began knitting again lol



working on this pattern from lionbrand.com



diagonal baby blanket in their homespun yarn in hepplewhite. i won this yarn on ebay not too long ago. its really soft.

aww kitty sleeping...all stretched out...haha!

interesting

went to my ob's office...heard the baby's heart beat for the first time. Dr. Cordero said that it was a healthy strong heartbeat. i was and still am excited by that little heartbeat. everything so far looks okay.

ah, monday morning..up early lol..for me not being a morning person. i have my first obstetrician appointment at 9am. woke up early with my husband and had a simple breakfast a.k.a. cereal and milk. lol



but enough about me...now for the fun stuff.



a few days ago, my hubby sent me this cute pictures of obento boxes. obento are lunches. japanese mothers love presentation and take pride in making lunches such as these, especially for their children.



hello kitty

doremon

panda

anpanman

keroppi

hamutaro

powerpuff girls



these pictures are from: cute bento

enjoy.

bleah its been pretty close to about 100 degrees F here in san jose, ca. bleah. we went out to dinner last night for dave's sister melissa's 21st birthday at the mayflower restaurant in milpitas. added a weather pixie just for fun.



and now baby news:



the peanut has been aggressively moving these past few weeks. i feel the baby's movement even more now. it's kinda like the lil' one is pulling somersaults.

just went web browsing....



getcrafty is gone and now is supernaturale.com :P but the old glitter board is still up...for now...



and craftster.org is gone too? o_o



what a dilemma.

About 16 wks or so pregnant right now. feeling poopy and next feeling happy. ah mood swings.





i'm feeling very ZORO right now.




You're Zoro!

First mate to the Straw Hat crew doesn't mean much,
but you have the power and charisma to make
them obey. Mostly. When they aren't arguing
with you. You take loyalty and promises very
seriously, and you enjoy a good challenge. More
level headed than your captain, you still are
single-minded and get into fights pretty often.
Fortunately you've got three swords and you
know how to use them! Banzai!



Hey! Which One Piece Character are You?
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Which One Piece Character are You?
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and sometimes...



i'm like this...




You are Schroeder!



Which Peanuts Character are You?
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gripe of the month:



medical insurance...not having it sucks. having to depend on the government to provide medi-cal and finding out you made just a smidge too much income...



i'm all for universal health care, when it eventually comes to pass. hopefully...*crosses fingers* if it helps someone less fortunate than me to get the health care that they deserve.



i know all about the pros and cons, but i'm mostly for the pros. college students don't have medical insurance...they need that help. most college students can't afford the plans unless they are still covered by the parents insurance...or they have to be working to get the insurance or to make enough to pay for insurance if they don't have any.



many colleges don't have on-campus health clinics, although the colleges i have been to have had those. For example, CCSF, DeAnza, and the major universities. i've gotten a eye exam and glasses prescription for about 10.00 at CCSF, when eye exams cost an arm and a leg to pay for if you went outside. some colleges have student centers where they can provide information where students can get no-cost or low-cost medical care. i would suggest taking the help as much as possible.



my husband and i were students. we suffered for a long time wondering about our eyes and our bodies. we spent days hoping that we wouldn't get a cold or anything that would require medical attention. but, it's funny that when you did have insurance you didn't get sick and then be amazed how sick you get when you don't have the insurance. i thank the lord at least that my husband now has medical insurance provided for by the company that he works for.now, that he has a family on the way...now was the time.



don't wait to get a job to get insurance. try at least to take advantage of those no-cost, low-cost clinics if you need the help.

i'm officially 14 wks now.



people say pregnancy is pretty abstract, because you can't see what's going on inside the womb..until you have the first ultrasound.



...today dave and i went to o'connor hospital and we went for the ultrasound. we saw our lil' peanut wiggling around upside down, his heart beating, and moving his arms. there's life. perfect and beautiful.



...how profound is that...seeing your child for the first time.



..will post my baby's first photo soon!

had an appt to see the prenatal counselor at my obstetrician's office today. she advised me about my diet, which i definitely needed help on. and, also...gave me a whole bunch of literature to read...plus parenting videos as well. we also scheduled my first ultrasound and my first OB appt.

Officially 12 weeks into my pregnancy and the end of my first trimester. three months and 6 more to go! i've been so hungry it's not funny. went to motherhood maternity and bought some things. it's totally amazing how your body can change in three months.



other stuff:



being watching blue's clues on DVD a lot lately.



what has steve been up to since he went to college (aka adulthood):



cool guy that he is...check out his webpage.steve's web page.

my belly is getting bigger everyday. i weighed myself...my weight will be undisclosed. scales and weighing in enemies of sanity! o__O stretch marks!! ARGGH...belly balm from motherhood. bought 2 jars from motherhood maternity online. will be used religiously. think i will slather some on.

i am reading What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg & Sandee Hathaway, B.S.N. My sister gave this to me, plus the Organizer.

i have getting used to the idea of pregnancy. being tired and nauseated, i feel good too. i'm 2 months along now. haven't been knitting lately, but looking into baby knitting patterns. I have some time to make a baby blanket.

just found out that dave and i are pregnant! :O :D

just got the newest interweave knits magazine. want the newest family circle easy knitting. they have this coolest knitted hat pattern.



recieved the latest ROWAN magazine this week.



finished my long homespun scarf. it is knit in stockinette and garter stitches. i'm going to add the fringes today and then press it.



recieved the labrador a few days ago. nice. its a lot smaller than i thought it would be, but that's okay. hopefully i can find a substitute for the karabella clouds used in the martha stewart scarf pattern. hopefully.

homemade knitting needlesby quidnunc.org and homemade knitting needlesby the adcock family, handsewn knitting needle case to hold those needles ,and a hat pattern to work on.



japanese link on homemade stuff:



{homemade, handmade} + {knit, knitting}



neat tip i learned from the adcock family's homemade knitting needles:



if you have a broken tipped wooden knitting needle and it is not too damaged, sand it down with sandpaper, using the rough grit to shape the tip (or pencil sharpener for smaller needles, like my US sz. 8 )and then the fine grit to smooth it down (or if you don't have sandpaper just lying around, like me, use emery board nail files in rough grit to shape, fine grit to smooth), and then use wax paper to smooth the wood down and give it a shine. you may notice that the needle that is being refinished maybe slightly shorter and have a duller tip than its original shape; you can always work the other needle to match if you want a perfect set or just leave as is.



good to know. ^_^

purchased 3 sk. labrador in #1058 snow from fuzzy galore to make the scarf shown in martha stewart living feb. 2003 issue. apparently, the original yarn used in this project was karabella clouds in natural, but that yarn is somewhat no longer available...as is the mohair accent in sunbeam paris in aqua. so it has made me search far and wide for either yarn. the sunbeam paris mohair yarn i was very fortunate to find on ebay, in two colors: amethyst and medium blue. ^_^ lucky me.



on ebay, so far everyone has been great! here is my list of sellers that i have purchased yarn or knitting items from:



tbretclark (yarn)

knititems (yarn)

overtherainbowdesigns (knitting needles)

browneyedsuzy (yarn)

yarnela (yarn)



searching for thick-thin merino wool yarn?



i will post up my list of what i found online so far in this post once i get my notes. :)

last night, my friend c and i made okonomiyaki and baked cream puffs...pictures coming soon!





on the knitting end, finally, here is a picture of my nephew wearing the rowan mini beanie in big wool merry berry...







and here is the picture of my niece modeling the paperbag hat in the doorway of our messy bedroom! the yarn i used was caron perfect match in slate blue, which matches caron's sayelle in williamsburg blue.







i am on the search for different types of thick-thin variegated merino wool! LOL

on the knitting end, amy's valley cafe has animated demos on how to knit. i like her method of using the continental method rather than the english method like i do now. you can read about the differences of the two knitting techniques in an article by fuzzy galore. fuzzy galore also sells some really nice yarns. i am going to probably purchase some of their labrador thick and thin merino yarn or the iceland bulky merino in the near future.

glamour magazine's february '04 issue has the best fudge brownie recipe on the planet! i made this recipe today...and wow, it was so rich and yummy... the downer is that you have to buy the issue to get the recipe, because it's not online.



*forgot to mention*



went grocery shopping and found something interesting in my local supermarket!



100% dried pasteurized egg whites! from DEB-EL Foods Corporation. Just add warm water and use like you would regular eggs. i'm not too fond of separating eggs, especially when whites are higher in ratio to yolks. needless to say i picked this item up! :) i also like to use the refrigerated egg whites sometimes, when i can find them.

buca di beppo is one of the best italian restaurants i've ever eaten in...and the portions are just HUGE! please check out the menu, invite all your friends and family, and mangiare! afterwards, take a walk in ghiradelli square and have a sundae at the soda fountain!



did this last night for a friend's birthday...it was the best!



doing a google search for a french macaroons recipe.

want to make french macaroons...and i'm not talking about the coconut kind either!



here are some recipes i am thinking about:



the perfect chocolate macaroon

food network-jaques torres

macaron creoles

sarah moulton-gourmet magazine

i have been craving chocolate...wouldn't it be nice to smell like it too?



chocolate perfume can be found here:



scharffenberger



hampton court



serendipity 3- click on shopping section



demeter brownie cologne



comptoir sud pacifique- amour de cacao



found at sephora:

tartine et chocolat by givenchy

thierry mugler's angel

fresh's fleurs de chocolat

philosophy products :)



custom make your own chocolate perfume!



organic perfume oils:



organic style's fragrance



googlized-chocolate perfume oil





email me if there are other chocolate perfumes i missed!

knitter's review has its best (and worst) of 2003 .



i think i'm going to check out this Beaverslide Dry Goods Worsted-Weight Mohair/Wool Yarn reviewed by knitter's review.

got my shipment of lion brand homespun in winter white (not sure seller on ebay said there was no label). nice yarn though. the seller is knitplace.



artlist-THE DOG..big nostril puppies and kitties!





japanese font-astic!

maniackers



went to ikea....bought some furniture...ate dinner there...



had the manager's special...swedish meatballs...and yum, the daim torte!!



decided to knit a long fringed scarf from the homespun.

last night went to michael's...hubby bought me lion brand knitting needles sz. 35, stitch markers, a row counter, a weaving needle, and 3 stitch holders. then we went out for sushi :P

Congratulations! You're Elrond!



Which Lord of the Rings character and personality problem are you?
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LOL this is scary, but kinda true. Umm at least...I'm an ELF. o_O




What Finding Nemo Character are You?
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yeah and this can be true too. somewhat............ ^_^;; i'm kinda like dory too. forgetful and a little ditzy......sometimes...heehee.

took this quiz today.




Elvish



To which race of Middle Earth do you belong?
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too cute



-e-michael.jp!



reminds me of THE DOG and THE CAT by artlist!



real simple magazine

quidnunc

heartstringsfiberarts

soapboxgirls

stepintomythimble

figandplum

ebay is a cool place for yarn. :)



i won this interesting feather-like type of yarn called bernat boa in peacock, from the ebay store in the attic craft supplies. the colors of this yarn are shades of turquoise.

i have been working on a knitted hat for myself and finished it. i have been practicing the rib stitch on some of my leftover yarn and decided to make a hat using the rib stitch and the stockinette stitch. it fits snugly on my head. it could still use some work since the tension is kinda screwy.

first monday of the new year! :P i added more links to tanpopo. my mom wants a hat just like my bro. lol



to make for my kitty:



cat craft toys!

happy new year's everyone! :) i've added more links to tanpopo's list of links.