Brought to you by India

Do you ever do searches on google just because you feel like browsing the web? When you really want to have important, interesting things to look up and find, but nothing happens to be on your list at the time, so you start doing random searches until the perfectly important and interesting search suggests itself?


Well, I freely admit to doing that sometimes. The other day, for example. It was when I was in the midst of my preggo "blahs." Naturally, I did a search on "things to do while pregnant," since that was the most pressing thing I could think of at that moment. (Not that I really needed suggestions of things to do, especially not ones you'd get from your standard whattoexpect.com article. They all say pretty much the same thing: go for walks, buy some cute maternity clothes, get a haircut, take one last baby-free vacation, try yoga, enjoy your sleep while you can.)


Sure enough, my search turned up the standard, expected results from your standard, expected websites. And then I happened across this article from parentingnation.in. I didn't realize that I was clicking on an Indian webpage at the time--usually nationality doesn't make much difference in an article's content, unless it's not in English. This one was in English, all right...with a few twists! Allow me to share a few gems from India with you!


{Before I go on, please let me explain that I am wholly supportive of people who are trying their best to learn English. I promise I'm not making fun of this writer or other ESL speakers--I just find the ways they use the English language, especially in writing, to be very amusing sometimes. I actually think the ideas behind this author's words are quite good and intelligent, as far as standard pregnancy articles go. And I'm sure if I wrote an article in a new language, my own work would be as full of funny misusages, which would probaby give a native speaker a good laugh as well!}


Shopping: "Shopping is one of the very favorite activities of women. She gets excited by hearing to go for shopping." {lol!}


Change your outlook: "You might become demoralize from your outlook as during pregnancy you gain some weight, your stomach gets enlarge...You should not get unconfident as all women have to face such situation during pregnancy {read: suck it up!}....You should try to look yourself confident by keeping yourself up-to-date...Select your dressing such that it give you confident look." {Next time I go shopping, I'll have that phrase in my head--"select your dressing..."}


Arrange small trip or picnic: "During your pregnancy, in the second trimester of pregnancy, you can arrange small trip or a one day picnic to your nearby place. Take advice of your doctor for traveling..Don’t forget to take all your medicine first. When you go outside it will give you more fun and you can enjoy it. Take some good friends together. Take some good snaps to attach in your scrap book. Do not arrange any trip or picnic during the last weeks of your pregnancy."


{The best for last...}


Exercise: "It will give you fresh feeling. During early morning, you can feel more fresh air and it will make your mood fine." {I laughed out loud at that one!!}


I hope you giggled a little bit, too! Again, I really do admire this person's courage at writing in a new language...but you have to admit, it is at least a little bit funny! :)


Well, my time for blogging is up. I haven't decided if I'm going to write a blog post every Sunday as well, so we'll see when we get to it! Ta!

Catching up

Hello, blog world. It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry for neglecting you. Lots has been going on in the Bailey house. Noah turned one, and his birthday party was fabulous! It was a hectic, crazy experience putting together his party (of course), but it was well worth it!

On Tuesday this last week we had our 20 week ultrasound. Baby #2 is a girl!!!! I think we are going to name her Bethany. We are so excited!

I can't believe that I am already halfway through this pregnancy! Baby looks perfectly healthy, and my body feels great! Despite our good fortune, though, I must admit that I've got a mild case of the pregnancy "blahs."  I've gotten myself mentally geared up for labor by reviewing my Hypnobirthing book and watching one or two birth documentaries on Netflix. I've planned out how we will change the setup of Noah's room to accomodate his little sister. I made a "days to delivery" countdown on our Google homepage. I've even picked out the clothes I want to buy to wear while in the hospital after delivery (see below). Doesn't that look SO comfy?

{Robe: $45 from Gap, Nursing cami: $17 from Old Navy, Yoga pants: $22 from Old Navy, Long sleeve t-shirt: $5 from Old Navy, Jersey Lounge pants: $15 from Old Navy, Slippers: $23 from swell.com}

It's all I can do to keep myself from packing a hospital bag! Can't I just hit fast forward for the next 20 weeks? Of course, I can't. However, I think I've found a way to make it feel like I can! But first, a confession:

I have been frightfully lazy at home lately! It's mostly because I've been so darn busy running between doctor's appointments and birthdays and shopping and helping with my brother's Eagle Scout project and going to book discussions over the last week. Our family is NOT used to having a busy schedule at all right now! Life is usually fairly quiet and easy-going in our house. So when we are busy with lots of external, going-out things, I tend to feel entitled to spend the rest of my time doing absolutely nothing. This wouldn't be a problem if the end of the busy-ness corresponded with the end of my do-nothingness. Most often, though, this is very much not the case. Usually I continue in my lazy, lounging ways for a while longer, until I get really, very sick of it.

This is just what has happened this week. And thus it is that a case of the pregnancy blahs was born in our house. As I was thinking about how very "blah" I felt about waiting for 20 more weeks for this baby to be born, something clicked. I realized that when I was motivated to do lots of fun/healthy/ productive things--like going on walks, doing some yoga, drinking smoothies, reading, and keeping the house (semi) clean and presentable, days and weeks tend to go a lot faster. DUH!

Being the amazing listmaker/planner that I am (note: planning is one thing while carrying it out is something entirely different--I'm only claiming skills in the planning area!), I thought it would be fun to try and motivate myself to stay busy by writing down all the things I want to do before Baby Bethany arrives, assigning a rough date for when I wanted to do them, and putting them in a special Google calendar. Genius!

Here are some of the things I put on my little calendar:

July: Make a ribbon-tag softie and a play mat for Bethany

August: Take nice family pictures, make Bethany's bedding, and go camping for a weekend with just Tyler.

September: Go to my favorite semi-annual consignment sale and buy lots of cute girl clothes for super cheap prices! Also, buy this pattern for a front/back baby carrier and make it.

October: Sew Bethany's Christmas stocking, stock up the freezer with lots of casseroles and soups, and get a manicure and pedicure!

First week of November: Wash and fold all of Bethany's blankets and clothes.

Second week of November: Stay calm. Try not to panic. Kill time by re-reading all the Harry Potter books.

Third-Fourth week of November: It's showtime!

Along with these fun activities, I've also made goals to go walking and do some yoga three times each week, eat healthy, drink raspberry leaf tea, and write a blog post every day. I think this will keep me pretty busy! :)

Well, that's my plan for alleviating my pregnancy blahs. Do you have any ideas to add to the list? 

Until tomorrow-

Sarah