The Penguin Nursery...Finding Inspiration to Begin

Here's the current state of the nursery...really in need of decision making and work. :)

I'm not a big fan of the real cartoony looking penguins for the nursery.  I love all penguins, and even the cartoon ones, but I wanted more real life penguins for the nursery.  So finding decorations that fit the design intent has proved to be time consuming.  Lots of internet searches...but etsy.com has proved to be extremely helpful for finding ideas.

So today, I bit the bullet and finally made a decision.  I know, a double toggle light switch plate doesn't seem like a huge step, but it is!  It's my inspiration to begin the nursery and start laying out what I want to do.  I am excited about my purchase and can't wait to see what the plate looks like in person and hope it works out.  If not, I'm only out ten bucks, so no big deal.  I also found someone on Etsy that has single plate designs that is willing to make double toggle designs, but I found out this information after I bought the plate switch on eBay.

I found several real life wall murals, but I'm not sure how well they would fit in the nursery, so I searched more for black and white penguin penguins or outlines of penguins.  Some of the ones I am considering are below:

This first one could be centered over the crib with a wall painted grey (bottom) and blue (top) separated by ice/iceberg. 

 The second one could be on the left side of the crib as if the penguins are peaking over into Baby's A crib.  Not sure of the color scheme.  Maybe a light arctic blue over the entire wall.

The third choice could have the two penguins on either side of the crib with their heads peaking/looking in at the crib.  I think the walls would be painted a light sky blue.

Just some thoughts, but I want to draw it out on paper before I make any decisions.  There's dimensions and layouts to consider since the crib will sit on the wall with the door, which means the wall is shorter. 

Here's the wall, with the crib in it's approximate location.

Week 22



22 W 6 D

 I swear just a week and a half ago, my bump wasn't that obvious...I could still wear longer, looser shirts and those that didn't know I was pregnant didn't have a clue I was.  But now, I have definitely been ask by several people if I was and how far along I was.  It's like all of a sudden Baby A said he was here and wanted the world to know!
It feels like time is flying by now and before we know it, Baby A will be here.  There feels like there is so much to do and not enough time!  I want to attend a breastfeeding class and a birthing class, and it seems like time is running out!  But I know it's not, and I am enjoying every minute of this pregnancy.


How far along?: 22 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Papaya and about to be a Papaya.

Weight gain?: Status quo this week.  Total weight gain is 16 lbs.
Stretch marks?: Not yet.
Maternity clothes?: Using a lot more of the maternity tops and longer shirts that I currently own.
Sleep?: As usual, no issues sleeping, and I can still sleep on my stomach. 
Best moment this week?: Feeling Baby A move more this week!  I also had my windshield replaced after the large crack that formed from the rock hitting it last week.  Also, we took in a beagle puppy who was in need of a home.  How can you say no to this face?  He's 6 weeks old and apparently still trying to wean - he kept checking our other dogs for milk.  But he's learning - already walking up the porch stairs and can use the doggie door with no issues.  He's also good about going inside his kennel to sleep, and he goes to the bathroom outside immediately when we release him from the kennel.
Worst moment this week?: Work was crazy this week, but really, nothing was bad this week.  I did start peeling where I got too much sun the past weekend.  My shoulders are very itchy from all the skin peeling.
Food cravings?: Loving seafood.  Grilled salmon - yum.
Symptoms?: Nothing really.
Exercise?: Walked 8 miles, played tennis twice this week, and worked out two days this week.  Loving this spring weather.
Movement?: Baby A must be on AJ's sleep schedule.  I feel him at 10 PM when I go to bed, and then I don't feel him again until 7AM.  I definitely feel his kicking more, and I have been surprised by being kicked on the outside by Baby A.
Belly button?: Still in limbo between innie and outie
What I miss?: Nothing really.  I am truly loving being pregnant.
Labor signs?: Nope!  Too early.
Purchases: I looked online for penguin wall murals and decals, but I can't make a decision.  I also went to Lowe's to find inspiration, but all I came back with was a few paint cards that I really wasn't thrilled about.  Right now, you can't even get into the nursery because the furniture is everywhere - disorganized.
What I'm looking forward to?: Mother's day is tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to the bike ride with mom, dad and my sister.

Week 21

So sore this morning, and not due to doing anything physical related...I went to the Beaufort Air Show with my parents and AJ for a belated birthday celebration.  Well, the weather was gorgeous - blue skies with no clouds in sight with temperatures hovering around 80 degrees Fahrenheit.  However, I forgot to bring sunscreen.  So my shoulders and back are RED.  I rarely, if ever, sunburn, but when my shoulders haven't seen sun since last August, they're rather white and need protection if I'm going to be in the sun for 5+ hours!  My arms and legs picked up a nice tan, but that's due to me playing tennis and walking at the park after work...they picked up a tan slowly. :)  So I'm slathering on the aloe and using vinegar to take out the heat. 

The air show was great, though, and it's the only one I have ever been to that I enjoyed it from start to finish.  If you get the chance to go, I'd definitely recommend it.  Of course, the Blue Angels' performance is remarkable, and the main draw of the air show...besides the funnel cakes. :)  Or maybe that's just me...

How far along?: 21 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Banana and about to be a Papaya.

Weight gain?: Biggest gain ever in a week...2lbs this week, though the baby's weight gain is definitely quickening...at least according to What to Expect When You're Expecting.  Total weight gain is 16 lbs.
Stretch marks?: I thought I had one, but then I noticed it was just that my stomach hair is darkening in a line straight down through my belly button.
Maternity clothes?: Definitely adding in more of the maternity tops - it just seems like my stomach popped out more this week.
Sleep?: I just hope that my sleep continues to be this great for as long as possible.  Still sleeping on my stomach.
Best moment this week?: The air show was awesome!  Picking up the nursery furniture on Monday was unexpected...I didn't think AJ would be ready to go pick it up so quickly.  Luckily, we have wonderful neighbors who were up at 10PM to help AJ unload the furniture.  Now to pick out a paint color for the nursery and to assemble the furniture.
Worst moment this week?: Having a rock fly up and put a nice crack in my windshield!  I need to file a report with the insurance company so I can get it replaced, but I keep forgetting.  The crack keeps growing, too. :(
Food cravings?: I wanted a chocolate cake...so I bought one from Kroger's and the cake was dried out and there was not enough icing.  I swear the icing was 1/16" thick (or less).  Come on!  I love the sugary icing and a moist cake.  The cake was thrown out and my craving for it disappeared. 
Symptoms?: Not sure if it's allergies or a symptom of pregnancy, but I have extra snot and boogers.  Disgusting  I know.  I had it in the first trimester, and from what I read, it's a symptom.  I've talked to some other ladies that are around my due date, and they say the same thing.
Exercise?: Walked 8 miles, played tennis, and worked out two days this week.  Loving this spring weather.
Movement?: Baby A must wake up around 7AM because I usually feel his kicks every day around this time.  There are a few occasions where I can put my hand on my stomach and feel it, but it's only if I hold my hand there when I first start noticing the kicking.  Sometimes I press on my stomach to encourage Baby A to kick back, but he's stubborn and does what he wants. :)  That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.  Looking forward to being able to feel his kicks more and hoping AJ will be able to feel the movement shortly.
Belly button?: Working on being an outie...wondering when it will pop out or fully be flush.
What I miss?: Nothing really
Labor signs?: Nope!  Too early.
Purchases: My mom bought some outfits from a local shop in Beaufort, and I'm waiting to see what they look like!  Other than that, I'm waiting to paint the nursery before I start buying stuff to decorate.  I have started working on the registry, which is quite overwhelming...
What I'm looking forward to?: In two weeks, I have another ultrasound, so I am excited for that.  Mother's day is in a week, so I'm hoping we can get in a bike ride or something outdoorsy.

Baby A, Kick the Dog

Okay, so I wouldn't encourage anyone to really kick a dog, but I am definitely looking forward to my dogs laying on my lap sound asleep and being kicked by the baby.  How will they react?  Just thinking about the situation makes me laugh.  Will they get mad and try to bite back or will they just look at me with those puppy dog eyes and go back to sleep...or leave me for AJ?

Well, today, I would officially say I am one day closer to laughing at my confused dogs after being kicked by my stomach, aka Baby A.  I thought on Sunday I felt a kick on the outside, but since it was higher than what I had been feeling (inside), I wasn't expecting to feel or notice anything.  I was in shock and disbelief, so I chose to believe it was a figment of my imagination.  I swear I felt the kicking on Monday while at work, but again, I wasn't prepared for it.  Tuesday night, I felt thumping on my stomach as I was going to sleep, but my hands were nowhere near my stomach to feel it.

But today, I definitely felt several kicks.  In fact, when I thought I felt the first one, I pushed back...all over. :)  I was hoping to tick Baby A off so he would continue to kick.  It worked!  I felt it several times, but I had to basically cover my entire stomach with my hands and arms.  It was a funny sight for AJ to see when he came home.  He wondered what the heck I was doing and why I had a weird expression on my face.  Unfortunately, AJ didn't get to feel the kicks...still too inconsistent and feeling them is a rare occurrence.  Feeling the kicks on the outside was definitely the highlight of my day...I felt like eating a whole chocolate bar to get him all excited and kicking, but I restrained myself.

And you might be asking...Baby A?  What's the "A" stand for.  Well, if I knew, I'd probably tell you.  We do know his first name will be Willis; it's a family name, and it's important to AJ that we pass on the name.  AJ also wanted the same middle initial, but not the same middle name.  We have tossed around several "A" names, but have not finalized anything.  The baby will be called by his middle name, so until we have a name, I will refer to him as Baby A.

Week 20

Wow!  What a week.  We had the anatomy scan on Monday, AJ made the first baby purchase (out of both of us), and I went shopping for nursery furniture with the grandmothers-to-be! 

AJ and I had to keep moving furniture around in the room that will soon be the nursery.  Well, I pointed which direction the full size bed should be moved, and AJ moved it.  Then I took measurements, found out the configuration wouldn't work and had AJ move the furniture again.  It appears we have a set up that will work, and we began looking at nursery furniture online and using my copy of Baby Bargains to cross check ratings/quality.  With furniture in mind, I went shopping with both of our moms.  It was a wonderful trip, and I think we scored some awesome deals.

Hopefully we'll start working on the nursery soon, especially since we can pick up the furniture anytime after this Monday.  We thought we would have more time since most manufacturers wait for orders before making the furniture.

How far along?: 20 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Cantaloupe and about to be a Banana.

Weight gain?: Last week I didn't get to weigh in since I was out of town, so this Saturday when I did my weigh in, I had gained 2lbs.  Total gain is 14 lbs. 
Stretch marks?: I looked this morning, and I have not found any. 
Maternity clothes?: Wearing them and loving them!  I can still wear most of my work shirts, but I have added in longer shirts that are quite comfortable to wear.
Sleep?: Aside from Monday night, when I drank caffeine for the anatomy scan, sleep is great.  I think eliminating caffeinated drinks out of my daily routine has greatly improved my sleep.  I can still sleep on my stomach.  The worst part is when I want to sleep on my back, but it is recommended I don't do so at this stage in the pregnancy.  Best moment this week?: The anatomy scan was the highlight of my (and AJ's) week!  It was awesome to see the baby and see him being so energetic. 
Worst moment this week?: Not sleeping well on Monday made Tuesday difficult.
Food cravings?: Bring on the seafood!!!
Symptoms?: None that I noticed this week.  Though I will say that last week, I failed to mention how ticklish my feet are now.  I haven't been ticklish since highschool, so it was weird to receive a pedicure, and it tickling so much!  I hope it goes away, I like being immune to tickling.
Exercise?: I officially have a tennis/racquetball tan!  I noticed the tan lines earlier this week, and I am loving being outside and moving around.  In addition to keeping up with tennis, I've been walking the dogs every other day (since they need to build their stamina back up), and continuing to lift weights every other day.
Movement?: Definitely.  I can feel the movement on the outside, but I can tell when he's active!
Belly button?: On the verge of an outie.  AJ even noticed this week.  I think his comment was "your belly button looks weird."  Why yes it does! It's half in/half flush.
What I miss?: Nothing really
Labor signs?: Nope!  Too early.
Purchases: AJ bought a green John Deere onesie and booties!  In addition, we bought some nursery furniture, but most of it was a gift from the future grandparents!  (Thanks again).  The grandmothers-to-be also bought the baby an outfit - my mom got him OshKosh Overalls and a white collared onesie and AJ's mom bought a set of Clemson onesies and a Clemson baseball hat.  Can't wait to dress him up on football Saturday's in his Clemson gear!
What I'm looking forward to?: I am going to the Beaufort Air show next weekend with my parents and AJ as a belated birthday celebration.  It's the only airshow I have ever enjoyed - it features the Blue Angels.  I am also looking forward to eating a funnel cake at the airshow. :)

Anatomy Scan!

We were originally scheduled to have the anatomy scan on April 19th, but due to a surgery that came up at the last minute, the doctor's office had to reschedule the appointment.  At first I was disappointed because I figured the appointment would be later, but it turns out they had an opening on Monday at a reasonable time! So much excitement...

As suggested, I had my first caffeinated beverage in over 16 weeks.  It worked because the baby was jumping all over the place!  The baby was moving so much it was hard for the ultrasound technician to take good still shots.  The baby started with the head on my left side and within a minute was flipped around with the head on my right side - reminds me how I use to sleep when I was younger!

Baby Bowers turns out to be a boy!  We are more than excited, and it's crazy to think that all of my gender dreams from the first trimester were correct!  It's amazing what our bodies and subconscious know.  He showed us his goods and then promptly crossed his legs and turned his back towards us.  We had a great view of his spine.

He was kicking, squirming, flipping, grabbing toes, putting his hands up near his head.  He seems to react to caffeine like I do - hyper.  He'd probably do the same if he had too much sugar - like a box of nerds and a couple handfuls of gummy bears. :)  It was awesome to see him bouncing and moving around.  He had a strong heartbeat of 145 BPM.  All is well, and we are happy to have a healthy baby.

I must say, though, on Tuesday, I severely regretted drinking the Diet Pepsi – not out of guilt, but due to the caffeine keeping me up and messing up my sleep.  Even when I drank caffeinated beverages, I would stop by noon so that it would wear off before bed time.  This was not the case on Monday, and I struggled to fall asleep and stay asleep.  I think giving up caffeine is the key reason why I have been sleeping so well during this pregnancy – that and my awesome bladder, which means I don’t wake up in the middle of the night to go pee.









Week 19

19 W 6 D

Since I'm posting on Sunday, I am technically 20 weeks along, which means I am halfway through the pregnancy!  So far, so good. 
How far along?: 19 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Mango and about to be a Cantaloupe.

Weight gain?: Not sure since I was out of town when I do my weekly weigh in.
Stretch marks?: None that I have noticed, but not like I'm looking for any.
Maternity clothes?: Except for some hiking shorts, all of my pants/shorts are maternity wear with most of them being the below the belly style since I love those the best.  Shirts are still fine.
Sleep?: I love sleep, and there's still no issues of sleeping as a result of pregnancy.  I can still sleep on my stomach.
Best moment this week?: My sister's wedding was pretty awesome. The food was marvelous, and I definitely ate plenty.  If you are ever in Charleston, you need to check out the Swamp Fox on King Street.  I had to have seconds of everything!
Worst moment this week?: It was a great week, nothing terrible sticks out, which is good!
Food cravings?: Seafood - shrimp especially.  I fulfilled the craving the most I could this weekend - whenever there was an option of shrimp, I chose it.  I even ordered grits because it came with shrimp, but I didn't eat the grits - YUCK!
Symptoms?: None that I noticed this week.

Exercise?: I'm finally back to a normal routine!  I played tennis 3 times last week, and I worked out with weights 3 times.  Feels great to be outside in the sunshine, too!
Gender?: We hope to find out this week.
Movement?: I feel movement everyday, sometimes a few times a day, other days, I feel it a lot.  I think the baby likes chocolate cake - every time I eat it, some time afterwards, I can definitely feel movement.
Belly button?: I'd say it's half flush with my stomach, and half in.  So soon it will be an outie.
What I miss?: An ice cold beer would be nice...didn't help that my brother would tease me with his Bud Lights at the wedding reception.  The beer felt ice cold when he put it on my back...
Labor signs?: too early!
What I'm looking forward to?: Going to the anatomy scan and seeing the baby again - hopefully finding out the gender.  I also want to start laying out and buying the nursery furniture.

Week 18

I spent most of yesterday making truffles for my sister's wedding, getting my dressed steamed, and shopping with my mom, which why I am a day late updating my weekly progress, again.

Mom and I looked at dresses for the rehearsal dinner, at maternity clothes, and at two baby stores.  Wow, talk about an overwhelming day!  There is so much to look at and research - I picked up the most recent copy of Baby Bargains, which seems to be helpful on rating the different brands and when to spend the big bucks and when to skip the high dollar items. 
In other news, I am done with the PE Exam (I hope).  The exam was brutal, but I gave it my all and hope (and feel) that it is enough to pass.  There were some questions that I could quickly answer, others that I knew exactly what to do and what equations to use, others that I had to read several times before I could gather my sense to begin to work the problem, and others which made me think "HOLY CRAP! What did I get into?!"  Fortunately, there wasn't too many of those "holy crap" questions, but I still had to make an educated guess, and I hated not knowing what to do.  There were other questions that I thought I knew how to work the problem, but when it came down to the answer I had and the answers I could choose from, there were none even remotely close.  Oh well, it's behind me for now, and I'll hopefully know the results in 12 weeks.

How far along?: 18 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Sweet Potato and about to be a Mango.

Weight gain?: 1 lb gain this week for a total of 12 lbs. 
Stretch marks?: No
Maternity clothes?: I continue to wear the "toddler jeans." every day.  For shorts, I can still wear my hiking shorts since they fit low.  Part of the shopping on Saturday included getting new maternity clothes - shorts and shirts.  Mom was good at picking out clothes I would like - though there was one tank that she gave me that has me wondering what she was thinking!  Overall, very good day (thanks Mom).
Sleep?: Still sleeping without any issues.  It seems I am back to my pre pregnancy routine of going to bed at 10PM and feeling well rested that getting up at 4AM is no problem - I actually wake up at 3:30AM.  Dreams are still CRAZY! But quite entertaining.
Best moment this week?: Being done with the PE...and shopping with mom.
Worst moment this week?: Taking the PE exam....haha, it was difficult, but really, I had a good week so I had to pick something that was bad...right?
Food cravings?: Nothing really. 

Symptoms?: None that I noticed this week.
Exercise?: I walked the dogs once for 30 minutes.  Now that the PE is over, I hope to resume my normal work out routine.
Gender?: Hopefully we'll know April 19th!!

Movement?: Definitely more often!  Though only I can feel it, not AJ.
Belly button?: Oh wow, it's on the verge of being an outie!
What I miss?: Seafood!  I eat my limit every week, but all I want is more!
Labor signs?: too early!
What I'm looking forward to?: I am looking forward to my sister's wedding - less than one week!  It's in beautiful downtown Charleston at the Francis Marion, so it should be quite the affair.
I also started compiling my "To Do" List now that I have free time, so I am eager to get it started.  So much to do, and so much time now. :) 

Dear Baby,

Tomorrow marks an important milestone in my professional and educational career; this is the second such milestone you were a part of, which is awesome.  You were technically just a few days old when I walked across the stage to receive my diploma for my Masters - little did I know you were growing inside of me!  I use to daydream while in my Methods of Materials class about having my Masters and PE - oh how I thought the day would never come.  Of course, timing is everything, and I am glad to have it behind me before you enter this world so that I can focus all of my time on you and AJ.  So tomorrow is a very important day for both of us - it's not just my future, but yours, too that will benefit.

While I love the moments when I can feel you (it takes my breath away), I ask that you refrain from bringing me such joy for just 8 hours of your precious life.  Every time you move, aka "flutter kick" as I call it, I want to stop what I am doing and enjoy the moment because I know in the coming months, those kicks will push on my bladder, and it won't be as pleasant and remarkable as it is now.  I have no time to stop and enjoy these moments tomorrow, not until 5PM.  In return, I promise not to eat anything that appears to make you excited, such as chocolate ganache cake!  Do we have a deal?

I have enjoyed our journey thus far, and it will only be better after tomorrow because I can take time to read about your growth, research the products I will need for your well being, and I can enjoy all those precious kicks.  I look forward to seeing you in just over a week, and I hope you're awake, happy, and full of movement...and not to modest.

So until the end of the exam tomorrow, take long naps and avoid the stress I am going through.  I promise not to put too much of a strain on you - I'll leave that to the brain.

Love,

Mom

Week 17

17 w 6 d

17 w 6 d

So I'm a day late updating the blog, but it's due to the great study effort I had yesterday.  From 7AM to 3:30 PM and from 7:30 PM to 10:00PM, I was working hard on the PE exam.  I took one sample exam, and if it's anything like the real exam I take on Friday, I should kick its butt!  I missed a few problems here and there, but part of it was due to simple math errors (Sta 76+00 - 73+00 = 100...uh, no Diana, it's 300).  I had the concept of the entire problem right, but the 100' threw off the answer.  I blame it on being so brain dead from studying, which is why I will not study on Thursday - I will just relax.  The only break I took was going out to dinner to celebrate some birthdays with my family.  My sister turns the BIG THREE OH this coming Friday and I'll be 28 just a few short weeks after her. 

This past week, I did make a quick visit back to the OB to give a tube of blood for alphfetoprotein (AFP) aka, the triple screen or quad screen.  Apparently, it's some sort of genetic testing and is generally used to detect neural tube defects.  Not like I knew any of this before giving blood, but the doctor said all he needed from me was a little blood, so I signed up!  I use to donate a pint every 8 weeks, so what's a small test tube?!  Here's more information: AFP; I'm not worried about anything, I just gave blood because it was easy, and if further testing were needed, this test would show it...supposedly...at least from what I read!

How far along?: 17 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Onion and about to be a Sweet Potato.

Weight gain?: No gain last week means gain this week! 2lbs for a total of 11 lbs. I'm seeing numbers I have never seen before...it's crazy, but if the baby needs it, I'll gain it.  I think the baby has been generous and let some of the weight go to my boobs.  I have a one inch scar on my chest that I swear was laying flat on my chest, but now it appears to be part of my boob...who knows, I'll probably search my beach photos to see if I can find the scar and compare to what I see now. :) 
Stretch marks?: No
Maternity clothes?: Just pants, aka toddler jeans.  I call them toddler jeans because they have the elastic waist band and no button or zipper - reminds me of what little kids wear.  They are super comfortable and I can tuck my shirt in and wear a belt - two positives! Okay, three if you count comfort.  Other than that, no additional maternity clothes needed - shirts are still long enough.
Sleep?: Still sleeping on my stomach and sleeping very well.  I love sleep - I swear I'm getting the best sleep ever!  I also have crazy, crazy dreams.  So many random people in my dreams doing random things.  It makes me want to laugh so hard.  I did have one bad dream where a relative was passing away, but I made myself wake up (I was actually crying in my sleep).  In my dream, I was telling myself to wake up!  And I did, then went promptly back to sleep and had a better dream.
Best moment this week?: Seeing my sister this weekend!  It's always good when I get to see my sister or brother, and esp. when food is involved.
Worst moment this week?: Realizing that one of my study guides/practice problem books for the PE exam is MISSING 48 pages.  It's being replaced for free, but I had to pay $30 to ship it quickly to me so it's here before Friday.  Ugh, talk about cutting it close and stressing me out. :(
Food cravings?: Frozen Pizzas.  Tostinos pepperoni pizza FTW. 

Symptoms?: Itchy boobs - could that be a sign of growth?!?! :)
Exercise?: Just call me a slacker!  I exercised three times this week - two nights of weights and one night of racquetball.
Gender?: Hopefully we'll know April 19th!!

Movement?: I felt movement everyday!  It's awesome.  After eating a little bit of chocolate cake on Saturday, I definitely felt kicking.  The baby likes chocolate, so I should eat more, right?  I mean, it's a sign from the baby...
Belly button?: Definitely becoming a shallower innnie.
What I miss?: Nothing that I can think of right now.
Labor signs?: too early!
What I'm looking forward to?: I am ready to be done with studying, so I am looking forward to taking the PE on Friday and having my life back.  Related to that, I can't wait to clean my house!  It's such a mess, and I want to organize things and get rid of a bunch a stuff to goodwill.  I want to clean out the guest room in preparation of turning it into a nursery.  I also want to bake an cook - can't wait to make the truffles for my sister's wedding!  I just want FREEDOM from studying.