Vegetables

Nice, huh? Like that title line, do ya?

So my loving and caring husband has been reading his Father-to-be book, which gives him advice on what is going on with our pregnancy. It's got cute little sections that say "Brownie Points" and "In the Dog House" so he knows what to and what NOT to do and say.

As much as I love and adore my hunny, he is really getting on my case about eating vegetables. I can't say I've been much of a fan of the veges lately, but he read in his lovely book that I need to eat my share of vegetables. I think tonight he might just shove them down my throat at dinner (which HE actually has all planned out for a change).

So, in my rebuttle, I try to tell him there are veges in chocolate, and my colored Spree candies... the red is for tomatoes, the green for broccoli, and so on... he doesn't buy it!

So if you have any decent vegetable recipes, please share them with me!!

In other news, I am doing well. I haven't been "sick" although I wanted to be a few times. The nausea is tolerable, it just comes every now and then. What I don't understand is the no-warning famished feeling I get when all of a sudden I'm starving and have to eat like NOW but there is nothing to eat. I don't just get hungry, I feel like I haven't eaten in days! It blows me away because I feel like I am eating all the time as it is. I'm really am trying to watch what I eat, and eat as balanced as I can. I currently am really digging apples, pinneapple, and any fruit. I like that it is crunchy, sweet, juicy and satisfying. See, vegetables could never stack up to my fruit....

So please help me! If you have a good Vege recipe to share, please email me at roxntom@new.rr.com I do have a super yummy Rachel Ray Vege Stoup recipe, but it's getting too nice out for soup these days.

One last thing--- THANK YOU SO MUCH for your support, well-wishes, congrats, and all the nice things you all have said. We really are thrilled and so happy. Thanks again SO much for being our family and friends!!

***Hugs -N- Kisses***

PS - don't forget those recipes!!! I know, I really scattered my thoughts about this posting. nice example of pregnancy-brain, huh?

Miracles

We've all heard the saying, "Miracles happen" right? You never think a miracle will ever happen to you, they always happen to other people, and it is amazing to hear the stories. When a miracle actually does happen to you, you are beside yourself in total awe of our amazing God.

Most of you know our story.... Tom's battle with melanoma skin cancer (currently 2 1/2 yrs cancer free - yeah!!), and the fact that we had to deposit our assets, between his surgery and chemo, to ensure a family some day. And you've heard about my battle with PCOS, and the three tries we've done of artificial insemination with 1 miscarriage (Dec 06). All of this is the reason I started my business with The Pampered Chef, to save money so we could go forward with InVitro fertilization (IVF). We hadn't told anyone this, but we did have an appt scheduled for Oct 18th last year to go see Dr. Sherban in Gurnee, IL... but when I lost my KC job on Oct 17th, that put a huge damper on our plans.

This just killed me, after everything we've been thru and now it seems another road block. I can't even begin to express the emotional rollercoaster we've been on. I am really good at holding things back from people so that all they see is the happy-Roxanne-things-are-fine exterior. As many times as people would give baby-making advice, I have to admit-- it got old....heard it once, heard it a thousand times.... "once you stop trying, it will happen." Well, sorry to bust your bubble folks, it's not that easy, and no, I do not believe in that myth. If you have never dealt with infertility, and cancer, I'm sorry, but you just couldn't possibly know what it is like. We all know the definitions of the words "sympathize" and "empathize". We thank all of you for your love and support through our difficulties, and we know we have the most amazing, caring and loving family and friends. We are so greatful God has blessed us with each of you.

So I'll just cut to the chase here.... you probably have a clue what I am getting at. As I said in the beginning of this post, "When a miracle actually does happen to you, you are beside yourself in total awe of our amazing God." Yes, people, WE ARE PREGNANT!!!!!!!!! This gift of life is totally, and utterly, 100-million-percent GOD's work. We did not do IVF, I was not giving myself fertility shots, it is a complete miracle!

We all know "how" this happens, but here is my little personal theory on WHY:

I finally accepted the fact that this wasn't going to be easy. I accepted what we've been through and the fact that if we were ready to pay thousands upon thousands of dollars and go through the physical and emotional rollercoaster. That having a child was worth it and definately something we both so badly want, to share our love and our life together. I accepted it wasn't going to be easy, and I was at peace with us, with God, with our little situation. Acceptance.

So if you are trying, and someone says to you "If you stop trying, it will happen." You don't have to believe it. My theory when it is right with you and God, it will happen. He is the one making the calls, not you or I. And that's the truth. Have faith. We did, and now we get to share this miracle with the world! World, I hope you are ready for another SCHWANDT!!!!!

We are 9 1/2 weeks along, as of today. The Dr said Baby is healthy, and everything looks really good. We have nothing to worry about. This baby IS GOING TO COME! Est Due Date is December 25, 2008. I can't think of a better due date - Jesus' Birthday - for our little miracle. :)

They're gone... :(

Our baby bunnies have left the nest. The last I spotted all 5 of them together was yesterday right after work. By the time Tom came home around 1:30am, he could only find 2 and they were on their way travelling thru the flower bed and off to find their siblings and mommy.

So this morning I got up, went out to check, and sure enough.... THEY ARE GONE! Waaaa! Wawawaaaaa!! It's so sad to see them all grown up in a matter of two weeks, and moved on to live their little bunny lives.

Everyone thinks we're crazy to have let that go on in the garden. I keep hearing, "oh, they'll be back eating your flowers". But I really don't think so. Mumma bunny never ate the flowers. We'd see her eating bird seed and grass. Mumma and the babies were so sweet. I do hope to see them bouncing through the yard some time.

Sweetness

We had a beautiful day this Saturday. With temps in the 70's, we got all the plastic off the windows and opened every single window. What a refreshment to have a warm breeze sweep through the house! The cats loved every minute of it, too. I wasn't quick enough to capture a pic of Buffy in the window sill right outside the bird feeder (she saw me peeking in on her). But I did get the cutest picture of a sweet little baby bunny! Somehow my tulip leaves knew just where to fall to give the little guys coverage from the sun.

I'm going to be so sad when their little family leaves. If they decide to come back, hopefully it's for a Hello, and not to eat my flowers....!

A Fight!

Guess what I did this morning... I broke up a wildlife fight in my backyard!

Every morning, I look out the back window to see if I can spot Mumma Bunny in the yard somewhere. I caught her movement in the garden when she hopped. Then I looked up the dog run fence, and saw what she was hopping for... the mean old crow was sitting on top of the fence right above her baby bunnies!! AHHH!! So I ran out my side door, got an eye on him, and yelled "CROW! Get OUT!" He flew away to the tree tops, but I was furious, so I got more plastic bags and tied them to the very top of the fence where he was and poofed them up like balloons. Poor Mumma Bunny trying to protect her babies. I told her I was there to help, and she just hung out in the garden watching me out the corner of her eye.

Does anyone know how to make a scarecrow? I think I need one. Maybe I'll check out marthastewart.com, she's gotta have something like that on her website!

Baby Bunnies Update

We've been watching these cute little guys all week. Baby bunnies grow so fast! They are really becoming too cute and I have this overpowering urge to pet them. Somehow, I manage to control my urge because we've seen Mumma Bunny around the yard constantly the past 4 or 5 days. She's always somewhere nearby and she doesn't startle very easily. It's not been easy, but we've managed to distract Theo from "looking for bunnies". He has chased her thru the fence a couple of times, but she comes right back. As for that mean old crow, he's still scoping out the place, but keeps his distance.

See Mumma Bunny!

What a cute little thumper that baby bunny has on him, huh?! So precious. These little guys just squirm and squirm around getting cozy with eachother. In other baby animal news, Mr. & Mrs. Robinson (robins--birds) came back again this year and built their nest under the shelter of the roof overhang, on top of our patio spot light (which is broken). We saw Mrs. Robinson up there in her nest a couple times, then saw her sitting over on the fence looking quite plump. Not sure if she's layed her eggs yet, but we haven't seen her around lately. I hope The Robinson's didn't scare away from Mumma Bunny hanging in the yard all day. We'll see... Last year we had a cookout get-together and the baby Robinson's all decided to leave the nest that afternoon. It was amazing to watch.

Other than our baby animals in the backyard excitement, the Schwandt household is holding up. We keep wishing on winning that lottery so we don't have to go to work... Oh, and Tom had quite the experience at work the other night. The car wouldn't start (to go home), so he and his car-pool buddy from Oshkosh, hitched a ride with one of the other guys home that night (1am). After talking to his car guru buddy, we figured it was the started, because they tried to jump it with no luck. So the next night at work, Tom and some guys went out and lifted the car up from the front with a forklift and one of them went under their to tap on something to advance the starter thingy (real technical here people...). Then the car started right up! Anyways, we have to get a new starter, cuz that problem could happen again...and you are not seeing this girl dealing with that. Anyways, I just had to laugh at the whole forklift thing. I can just see these guys at work and someone had the brilliant idea. Well... it worked at least! hahaa!

This weekend I'm planning to go get dirt and flowers to plant my pots by the door and hanging baskets along the fence. The new perennial garden we put in last year is starting to come up, so I'm excited to see everything bloom this year and even more next year. I'll take more pics as things come up, but for now here is one of my tulip varieties. I also have bright yellow and bright red, but this mix color is my favorite :)

Baby Bunnies!

As I was washing some dishes today, I looked outside and saw my tulips are starting to bloom. Already one of my hyacinth bloomed last week, so you can imagnie my exictment to see 100 tulips blooming! I seriously planted only about 20 bulbs 3 years ago, and now I have huge crops of 10+ tulips per planting. Pretty cool.

So while I'm out there admiring, I decide to check out what else is peeking thru. I see my Iris's are about ready to peek up, as well my huge Wal-Mart special Lilly that bloomed with over 20 heads last year (started out as 3). That same year, 2 years ago, I had also bought some Oriental Lilly's from a local grower, paying about $20 each, I was sorrily dissapointed last year when they hardly bloomed more than 5 heads. So as I notice those two I had planted peeking thru the mulch, I scanned over and to my amazement, look at what I found....

BABY BUNNIES!!!!

At first I didn't know exactly what they were. As I had run outside to admire my tulips, I saw a huge crow leave the yard, and he had actually been in the grass near my flower bed, which I initially thought was freaky. Now I know WHY. Bastard! As soon as I saw this little moving nest of animals, I ran in the house seraching for my camera and yelling to Tom with excitement that I had "found a nest of babies in my flower bed, and they look like puppies or something!"

Tom took one look and said BUNNIES. Sure enough, look at their ears. So we have a nest of wild baby bunnies and a jerk-ass crow towering above. I snapped some pics, making sure to use my zoom and not get too close, and ran back in the house to get my phone. I called my vet, my very trusted resource, and learned that Mama will only come twice a day to her babies, we should not touch the nest (of course), and that wild bunnies are illegal to keep as pets and are much different than domesticated bunnies as house pets. I asked about this mean ol' crow flying from the tree tops and power lines. She said to tie plastic bags to our fence which surrounds the flower bed. (this is the chain link fence to the dog run). She said it won't deter Mama bunny, but hopefully it will deter the crow from flying near. I went out and tied up three plastic bags, and I just about want to tie them up all along our wooden fence in the back yard as a warning to KEEP OUT! At any rate, here are the rest of the pics I took...

The vet also said the babies will mature in about 3 weeks and start hopping away. Besides that crow, our other challenge is Theo. We have to really watch him in the backyard now. Usually we say encouraging words to him to get him out there to do his business. Those encouraging words are usually "Look! Bunnies! Go get 'em!" Yeah, not going to be saying that for the next month!

A New Life

New lives are brought into this world everyday. Babies are born.

We rejoice at the birth of Macie Lynn Vyse. She is the first born child to my dear friend Jenny, and her husband, Brandon. Macie graced us with her precious little face on Tuesday, April 29th. The happy family is now home and doing well. I had a chance to visit them this weekend, and I couldn't be happier for them. You can see so much love in their eyes, in ever careful touch, every bouncing step, and every breathe they take.

CONGRATULATIONS JENNY & BRANDON!

MACIE LYNN VYSE

I look forward to watching Macie grow and learn so many things. New lives are born everyday, and we rejoice in their love.

Birthdays. . .

They are inevitable; they are fun; they are exciting; they are everywhere.

This is a busy time of year for our friend's & family's children's birthdays. I take enjoyment watching these kids grow from the moment they are born, to their first birthday and, this year, to their 10th. This past weekend, my friend Sarah and her husband Adam came 'home' from their home in northern Minnesota with their daughter, Katie, to celebrate her 1st birthday milestone (1 on May 7th). Sarah is the older sister of my very dear friend, Julia. The three of us are all about a year and a half apart, so we've grown very close throughout the past 12 or more years; this family is like my 2nd family and I love them dearly. Julia's daughter, Brooke, recently turned 1 yr old on March 27th, so she and her cousin Katie are a mere weeks apart in age. It's so exciting to watch these little girls grow and play together.

Although the weather was a little grim and damp, we had a fabulous time chatting, playing and catching up on times with everyone. Of course I brought my camera to catch the action, and boy was it some action! Katie had a blast digging into the cake, she could hardly wait for seconds. Her frosting face and little hands packed full of cake proved her enjoyment of the special first birthday moment. Brooke, I think, really got a kick out of watching her cousin make a frosting mess of herself. Brooke prefered to keep it a tad cleaner than Katie. Perhaps, setting an elder-cousin example for the younger cousin. :)

After being cleaned up from cake, we proceeded indoors for some present opening. I also got some other cute shots of my goddaughter, Natalie, who turned 5 on March 15th, and her older brother Taylor, who turned 10 on May 1st. (Nat and Tate are both Julia's kids).

Brooke Alexis, 1

Natalie Paige, 5

Taylor Jordan, 10

with Josh Stevens (Julia's fiance)

I had a fun time Saturday at the birthday party, and I look forward to many more birthdays with these kids. As I said in the beginning, Birthdays are inevitable. We all have them, so we should all ENJOY them! :)