The blanket!

So here's what I've been working on the past couple weeks! Sorry for the picture quality... they're with our new camera, but I didn't bother taking it off auto. ;)

And a couple close-ups to show the texture:

General pattern is a real simple cluster -- sc 1, dc 2 in next hole, sk 1, sc 1, dc 2 in next hole, sk 1... etc. That creates a nice puffy pattern that I've never worked with before but that I really like!

I'm probably... 1/4 of the way done? Maybe 1/3? So quite a bit more left, and I definitely need to buy a few more skeins of yarn...

Newest addition to the Fox family

Finally, after years and years of bothering him, we gained a new addition to the family!





Shiny, ain't she! My level of excitement went through the ROOF when it was delivered to me at work early last week, but I didn't have a lot of time to play with it. Only a couple days before we got it, Matt and I bought Nikon D5100 for Dummies, and I have yet to get through more than a few pages. Matt, on the other hand, stayed home sick on Wednesday and Friday, so he had tons of time to read the book.

(1) He read a book. From cover to cover.

(2) This great imbalance of power and know-how of his is a little frustrating. ;)

But I can't be too upset by it, because he has been like this the past week:





Anyway, even despite how he was feeling, we still had a chance to try out the camera!



[caption id="attachment_1195" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Tora, our neighbor's dog. :)"][/caption]



[caption id="attachment_1209" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="I'm not, you know, a picture person..."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1208" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="A couple of awesome neighbors. :)"][/caption]

And my favorite... which is actually Matt's! Took him forever to get it, but once he did... it turned out amazing. First try, too. :) See what I mean about that imbalance of power?



Ends up it's GREAT for food photography, too, even using the kit lens and with the addition of a macro lens.

[caption id="attachment_1205" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Yesterday's lunch: "What do we have in the fridge?" pasta!"][/caption]



The last one is actually something I'll be talking about later... so keep an eye out tomorrow for a new recipe. :)

Trying something different.

Y'all know that I track my dailies like this:

BBT: [temperature] @ [time taken]
CM: [what's it look like?]
CP: [how does it feel?]
Sex: [did we do it?]
Meds: [what am I taking?]
??: [how do I feel?]

This month, I'm going to abstain from entering any symptoms (like breast tenderness, nausea, and so forth), both here and on my FF chart, and chalk everything up to an impending visit from AF. Most of the symptoms that I had the past two months were like all others, save for a difference here or there, like last month's headaches.

I'm going to keep temping, keep recording my cervical stuff, and continue with the prenatals, but I'm hoping that not obsessing over every symptom -- especially since every symptom can be so ambiguous -- will at least help me mentally.

In other news, I just received my camera kit at work, and I am DYING to leave so I can go home and try it out!! :)

The baby that's making my ovaries cry.

Okay, there are quite a few babies I can think of that fit my subject line (most of those babies, their mamas read this blog! :D), but the most recent baby-to-make-my-ovaries-cry is the one I mentioned yesterday.

DH, you are NOT helping!

I love my husband. I really do. But when I say he's baby-crazy, I mean... he is baby-crazy. There's no exaggeration here.

It's rubbing off on me, I'll definitely admit that, but there are some times when it's apparent how baby-crazy he is. Our first cycle trying, he'd kiss my belly and talk to the "embryo" and generally make a fuss whenever something with babies would surround us.

This probably isn't helped by his coworkers, two of whom have recently celebrated their wives' births (and both of whom now have sons!). DH forwarded a few photos of one of his coworkers' son about an hour ago -- he's absolutely adorable, by the way! -- and quickly followed that up with:

GET PREGNANT!!!!!!!  I WANT A LITTLE BUNDLE OF JOY IN THE HOUSE TO STARE AT!!!!

It made me LOL, I won't lie, but man! I'm trying here! It's been like this for a while, so I'm not at all surprised. But I have a feeling it's going to be a bigger letdown (at least for him) if I'm not pregnant this cycle. He was so optimistic that it'd work the first cycle, then this one, and he'll probably do the same next month.

I'm trying to keep it sane over here. But man, he makes it difficult sometimes. ;)

Cheese makes you fat? How about... too much food, too little exercise makes you fat?

Dieting aficionados, celebrate! There's yet another food you can strike off your "allowed foods" list, and you'll find yourself dropping pounds instantly!

... yeah, it's just about as stupid as it sounds. There's no "quick fix", no instant cure, no real way to drop weight unless you be careful what you eat and get off your butt once in a while. So when I see or hear about these ads that accuse one food in particular as the culprit for our nation's weight problems, my skin prickles a bit.

Not to say that cheese (and other dairy, for that matter) can't be bad for your health; after all, your typical cheeses are 70% fat, mainly saturated, which increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes if eaten in excess. They also contain a whole helluva lot of cholesterol and sodium. When you take into account that the average American eats upwards of 33 pounds of cheese per year and consider what a single serving of cheese actually looks like (1.5 ounces, or about the size of a 9-volt battery, of natural, hard cheese like cheddar, Swiss, or Parmesan), you can only imagine the toll it's having on our health.

We could all stand to eat a little less cheese, sure. But we can also stand to eat a little less food overall and to instead balance that shitty food with more healthy food. While many Americans have strange thoughts on what kind of eating and what kind of food is "healthy", though -- a question that grows more and more complicated as we "discover" new fad diets, designate new deadly foods, and convert foodstuffs (and sometimes non-foodstuffs...) into processed "food" products -- I prefer the rather easy way Michael Pollan puts healthy eating:

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

It sounds simple, it really does. And in some way, it really is. And and... if you were to take that quote and apply it to the billboards above, sure! That means a lot less cheese as, after all, cheese isn't a plant.

(... not always, at least.)

But to say that a particular food is what's causing our nation's obesity epidemic is myopic at best and reckless at worst. A study performed by the Women’s Health Initiative, which spanned a total of five years (the start of the trial in 1993 and its conclusion in 1998, with a mean follow-up analysis of 8.1 years), that proved a low-fat diet, even low in saturated fat, had very little effect on the reduction of diseases, including coronary heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. You're still eating the crap, just the less-fatty versions of it!

Unfortunately, there was no study performed as to the low-fat diet's effect on weight, but other studies that have been conducted reveal that low-fat diets simply don't cut the mustard (or, erm... low-fat cottage cheese) and are difficult to maintain when compared to other diets.

So what does all of this mean? If cheese isn't causing our obesity, what is?

Let's break down Michael Pollan's quote:

• "Eat food." Simple enough; food is readily abundant in several parts of the United States and other countries. It typically isn't difficult to obtain some sort of nourishment through food.

• "Not too much." I should probably add here, "And not too much crap", but that's pretty much implied. Now this is where the rubber starts to meet the road. It's been coined the Standard American Diet, or its appropriately-abbreviated "SAD": A diet high in animal fats, unhealthy fats, and processed foods (and in excess of all three!) while low in dietary fiber, complex carbohydrates, and plant-based foods. It's been noted that the typical American diet consists of 50% simple carbohydrates, 15% animal proteins, and 35% fats. And where are we getting all this terrible food? In 2004, the average American ate about 3/4 of its restaurant meals from fast-food joints, and those meals typically consisted of a hamburger, French fries, or poultry... with 1/3 of the meals complimented with a carbonated beverage. Caloric consumption has grown by nearly a quarter between 1970 and 2008, and about 10% of those calories are from high-fructose corn syrup! If one were to take away the bad stuff we were eating and cut down on what we ate overall (after all, "not too much"!), it would contribute greatly to a better lifestyle and better overall health.

• "Mostly plants." This is where I think the billboard actually has it right. While it's unfair to say that one food (in this case, cheese) is the cause of all our weight and health problems, there is something to be said about the source of those billboards: PCRM, or the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, advocates for a mainly plant-based diet in general and encourages vegan diets in specific as the sponsors of the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart diet. As a vegetarian, it's obvious that I would be okay with and maybe even back an organization that is devoted to more healthy, plant-based diet, and studies have consistently shown that vegetarian and vegan diets are better for our overall health (provided those diets don't subsist on processed veg*n foods). I'm not saying that everyone needs to go veg*n (despite how awesome it would be if everyone did, haha), but others should take a page out of a veg*n cookbook and give a lower animal-based diet a look and a try.

A more plant-based diet isn't necessarily difficult, but it does involve a changed mindset. It means treating your steak as a side and your veggies as a main course, feeling the munchies come on and reaching for ants on a log instead of a Twinkie, and finding alternatives to your otherwise meat-laden dinners.

So go on and eat that cheese if you want... just be sure it's sparingly, balanced with a bunch of veggies, and managed with exercise (like I said, get off that butt) to keep your body -- and your waistline! -- in check. ;)

Holy shit. And AWW!

Go figure, a couple days after asking y'all the difference between different types of CM, I get textbook EWCM. Like... seriously, you guys. By the fucking book.

Dentist appointment in a couple hours. Then we're gettin' it on, yo.

Oh, and DH just sent me this email:

Thank You by Led Zeppelin just started playing on Pandora :)  I heart U!

Is it weird that my eyes are welling up a little bit? :)

(In case you didn't know, Thank You was our first dance song at our wedding.)

Awwww! Now mine are, too!! <3

If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you.
When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me.

Kind woman, I give you my all, Kind woman, nothing more.

Little drops of rain whisper of the pain, tears of loves lost in the days gone by.
My love is strong, with you there is no wrong,
together we shall go until we die. My, my, my.
An inspiration is what you are to me, inspiration, look... see.

And so today, my world it smiles, your hand in mine, we walk the miles,
Thanks to you it will be done, for you to me are the only one.
Happiness, no more be sad, happiness....I'm glad.
If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you.
When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me.

NASA Goddard encourages and celebrates different faiths.

[caption id="attachment_1154" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="@NASAGoddard"][/caption]

On the first of every month, my husband's employer (NASA Goddard) sends out an email with activities and events going on at the Center, including a list of all the celebrations for that month. One would absolutely expect nationally-recognized holidays to be on there, as well as Christian ones as they're the religious majority.

Surprisingly, though, and this was pointed out to me by Matt when he started working there... they include all faiths! Baha'i, Islam, Hindu, smaller sects of Christianity, Judaism, Humanism, and even Paganism/Wicca! It always shocks me to see a Sabbat there.

Below is the section of the email sent to all NASA Goddard employees this morning with the holidays for the month of February, including some links at the bottom with additional information and a diversity calendar:

February 1

Columbia Disaster (United States) Commemorates the day in 2003 when NASA lost astronauts Anderson, Brown, Chawla, Clark, Husband, McCool, and Ramon during landing. NASA continues to honor the fallen heroes of the STS-107 crew and their dedication to the spirit of exploration and discovery.

February 2 

Groundhog Day (United States) Legend holds that if the groundhog comes out of its hole and sees its shadow, it will go back in and six more weeks of winter and a bad growing season will follow. If it’s cloudy, the groundhog will see no shadow, winter will soon be over, and crops will be good.

February 2 

Candlemas (Christian) Celebrates the presentation of the baby Jesus, the Christians’ Savior, in the Temple of Jerusalem 40 days after his birth. This religious holiday originated with the ancient Jewish custom that required mothers to present their first male child in the temple. As a Jewish mother, Mary would have presented Jesus on February 2. The day is associated with light and purification. The holiday takes its name from the custom of blessing the church's supply of candles for the year on this date.

February 2 

Imbolc  (Pagan and Wiccan) A celebration of light and the coming of spring; one of the “Greater Sabbats” during the Wiccan year. Imbolc, which, like all Pagan and Wiccan holidays, begins at sundown on the day before, is a celebration of fire and light and the return of life.

February 4

Mawlid al-Nabi (Islamic)  Commemorates the prophet Muhammad’s birthday circa 570. Begins at sundown the previous day.

February 8

Tu B’Shevat (Jewish) Israel’s New Year Celebration for trees, similar to National Arbor Day in the U.S. Jews around the world also observe this holiday. Begins at sundown the previous day.

February 12

Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday (United States)  This day commemorates the birth of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), one of the greatest presidents of the United States, who changed the course of history by preserving the American Union during the Civil War, thereby preserving American democracy. In the process of saving the Union, Lincoln issued the historic Emancipation Proclamation, which paved the way for the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ending slavery in the United States. Lincoln's eloquence and conviction are reflected in such historic speeches as the Gettysburg Address, given at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania during the Civil War, when he declared that "this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth." On this day, wreath-laying ceremonies are held at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in Hodgenville, Kentucky, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and at Lincoln's tomb in Springfield, Illinois.

February 12

Darwin Day (Humanist)  A week to promote both an understanding among people of all religions and living according to the principles of fellowship, equality, and justice.

February 13

Brotherhood/Sisterhood Week (Christian, Jewish)  A week to promote both an understanding among people of all religions and living according to the principles of fellowship, equality, and justice.

February 14

Race Relations Day (United States) A holiday designated by some churches to encourage understanding among all races.

February 14

Valentine’s Day (United States) Recognizes the possible execution date around 270 AD of one of two Christian martyrs named Valentine. Legend says that one secretly performed marriages between young people in opposition to the Roman Emperor’s ban on marriage; another had the power to patch up lovers’ quarrels. Since the Middle Ages, this day has been dedicated to romantic love.

February 15

Susan B. Anthony Day (United States) Honors one of the first woman’s rights advocates, working especially for equal suffrage. She was born on this day in 1820.

February 20

Maha Shivaratri (Shiva’s Night) (Hindu) Honors the Lord Shiva, who, on this night, danced the Tandav, believed to be a dance of creation, preservation, and destruction. This festival honors Shiva who, along with Vishnu and Krishna, is one of the most important deities in Hinduism. It is observed in the spring and is celebrated with fasting, prayer, and meditation

February 20

Great Lent begins (Coptic Orthodox Christian) Also known as the Great Fast, this begins the Lenten season for the Coptic Orthodox Christians, who follow the Julian calendar. It begins with a one-week preparatory fast, followed by a 40-day fast commemorating Christ’s fasting on the mountain. The fast of Great Lent, which includes Sundays, officially ends on the Saturday before Holy Week, known as Lazarus Saturday, although fasting continues during Holy Week (Pascha). During this time, no animal products, such as meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs, or butter, are allowed. Moreover, no food or drink may be taken between sunrise and sunset.

February 21

President’s Day (United States) A federal holiday that celebrates the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln, born February 12, 1809, and George Washington, born February 22, 1732. Present usage often regards this as a day to honor all former U.S. presidents, although the Federal holiday is still Washington’s birthday.

February 21

Mardi Gras (United States) or Fat Tuesday is a boisterous celebration held annually on Shrove Tuesday, the day before the season of Lent begins in the Western Christian liturgical calendar. The actual date varies from year to year since it depends on the date of Easter. Mardi Gras is the culmination of a long carnival season which begins on January 6, the Twelfth Night of Christmas (Epiphany). The custom was brought to the United States by the French who had paraded a fat ox through Paris.

February 21

International Mother Language Day (United Nations) This day was proclaimed by UNESCO on November 17, 1999 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and to celebrate the nearly six thousand languages spoken in the world today. It is observed on February 21 in international recognition of Language Martyrs’ Day in Bangladesh.

February 22

Ash Wednesday (Christian) The first day of Lent, a period of penance and self-examination. The ceremony that gives this day its name includes a priest marking the foreheads of penitents in the sign of the cross as a reminder that they were but ashes and dust. Dietary restrictions apply on all Fridays during Lent.

February 22

George Washington’s Birthday (United States) The birthday of George Washington (1732-1799), hero of the Revolutionary War, president of the Constitutional Convention, and first president of the United States of America, is observed on this day. When the Second Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia in May 1775, Washington, one of the Virginia delegates, was elected Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. He became a prime mover in the steps leading to the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia in 1787. When the new Constitution was ratified, the Electoral College unanimously elected Washington President. Celebrated for the first time in the late eighteenth century when George Washington was still president, Washington's Birthday became an official Federal holiday in 1885. The Uniform Holidays Bill of 1968, which took effect in 1971, moved the holiday from February 22 to the third Monday in February. Since state governments are not obliged to adopt Federal holidays and can determine their own legal holidays, some states, such as Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Texas, renamed their state holiday "Presidents' Day," while other states, including Connecticut, Illinois, and Missouri, chose to observe two separate holidays to commemorate the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

February 26

Ayyam-i-Ha (Baha'i) Intercalary Days The days from February 26 to March 1 adjust the Baha'i year, which consists of 19 months with 19 days each month, to the solar calendar. These days are observed with gift-giving and special acts of charity. A time of rejoicing, generosity and welcoming neighbors in preparation for the period of fasting from March 2–20.

February 27

Great Lent begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)  Also known as Clean Monday in Greece and Green Monday in Cyprus, this begins the Lenten season based on the Julian calendar followed by Eastern Orthodox Christians. Eastern Orthodox Lent, known as Great Lent, includes Sundays and officially ends on Lazarus Saturday, the day before Palm Sunday, although fasting continues during Holy Week. While many people no longer fast for forty days, most people observe the fast strictly for the two weeks preceding Easter

We invite you to visit the Web sites used to compile this calendar for additional information. There you will find a wealth of information on days that are recognized throughout the world. Please find the sources listed below:

http://www.diversityresources.com/rc/index.php?key=LTaqtAOLBkCP

http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/

http://www.diversitycalendar.com/Home.html