I misplaced my green thumb.

How is the garden going?  Well... 

I wonder if I can only have so much fertility success at once.  Like, in order to get uterus success, I had to trade in my green thumb.

80% of the seedlings I planted did not come up for various reasons... weird mold in my potting soil, garden gnomes with a bad sense of humor, or I somehow pissed off Demeter.

The 20% that did sprout (which were pretty much only the ones in the rehydrated coconut-husk pellets), just STOPPED growing after getting out their cotyledons.  They were supposed to continue to grow, and then I'd plan them deeper, and once they grew some more, I'd plant them even deeper.  To some I added extra lighting, some got light fertilization, some had normal growing conditions.  Nothing. 

Never fear!  

Our Stormy is a Lady Now

As of today, Stormy has been in heat for a full month!

Both the vet and the breeder have said we can't bring her outdoors for walks or to the dog park until a week after she stops bleeding, but so far there is no end in sight.  The poor pup is getting neurotic from the lack of doggy socialization, and diapers make her cry.

Really, it needs to stop.  I was told to expect 19 days of isolation, not 40.  How am I supposed to tell if her brand new seizure thing is caused by a heat, if it never ends? 

Even though she hates the diapers, she is kind of cute in them, and I am getting lots of baby practice.

Her sits are so awkward.

In the photo she's sitting on a carpet sample we brought home... flopped it on the floor, and she immediately knew it was a prime sitting spot.  Bet the flooring store is glad we kept that diaper on.

Yep, 2 years after moving in (has it really been that long?!) we're finally painting and changing the carpet in the guest rooms and baby room, and will finish the much-needed house renovations.  More on that in another post, of course.

In any case, I had no idea that a puppy's first heat could be so very long.  If it's still going on tomorrow, I'm calling the vet about it AGAIN.  Mint.com has started to alert me that our veterinary bills have been unusually high.

Post-April-Fools Placation

Okay, since I pranked you guys with the hammerhead shark ultrasound on April Fool's Day, it is only fair for me to give you a real view of the little bean.

A week ago we had our nuchal translucency scan, which measures some markers for genetic defects and whatnot (no worries, the results were great).  It was amazing to see how much the baby moves around in there though, I had no idea!  I can't wait to be able to start feeling it move, but have 2-7 weeks before that should happen.

It flailed, and wiggled, and waved. 

The ultrasound tech's description was a nice touch.

Our little spawn is beginning to look like daddy already... see the goatee and growing horns? 

D'aww.

That's it for today... I'm off to pick up my extra-spicy Thai soup cold cure.

Looking for Natural Cold Remedies

Alright people, this is the situation.  I have a cold.  I can't take medications for it, or any herbs "more than dietary amounts."  Hit me with your ideas!


This is what I'm trying so far.

• Lots of steamy teas to sip and inhale, including ingredients like:  chai, fresh peppermint, fresh ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice
• Raw garlic
• Super spicy foods... will definitely get some Thai food tomorrow! 
• Vitamin C rich foods
• Chewing crunchy things like apples 
• Keeping super hydrated
• Warm or cold washcloths over the sinuses
• Brief hot steamy showers
• Pressing the vibrating head of an electric toothbrush to my sinuses on my forehead and cheeks to loosen stuff up while having face under hot shower water... sometimes this is magical.
• Rocking the vomer bone in the nose... used to work temporarily for me, but now just makes me sore for some reason.
• Blowing the nose with a relaxed jaw (prevents mucus from being forced backward)
• Sleep whenever one nostril clears.  (I can't sleep and breathe through my mouth at the same time, so I was up until 5am.)  Use lots of pillows in an attempt to improve drainage.
• Bumped up the asthma meds slightly for the impending movement of the cold from head to chest.

Things I can't use.

• My trusty turmeric-honey-pepper remedy!  It only works in "much higher than dietary amounts," so I'm not gonna risk it.  In medicinal doses it can cause uterine stimulation, stimulates menstrual flow.  It can also slow blood clotting, and nosebleeds have been a problem.
• Neti pot.  No matter how many times/ways I have tried this thing, I just end up feeling like I have water in my ears/sinuses for 3 days afterward.  Doing it during a cold has been a one-way track toward a sinus infection.  It is obvious that my sinuses are a treacherous labyrinth that trap neti pot liquid.
• Any medications.  Sure, I'm in the second trimester by now, but I'm paranoid and won't use anything unless it's Tylenol to reduce a fever that's too high (and even then, Tylenol is associated with ADHD, so it's emergency-only).

Got any ideas?  Foods?  Safe herbs?  Yoga poses?  Anything?
I am all ears.  And stuffy sinuses.  And achy head, achy body, and sleepless.

I have a feeling that once the cold is over, I'll realize that the morning sickness and exhaustion of the first trimester have lifted, and I'll feel freaking amazing. 

Edit:  Well, that was a short cold.   2 days of tingly throat and feeling it about to come on, then 2 days of actual cold, then 5 days of a mild cough that didn't even count as being sick, and that didn't give me asthma.  Whoa.  It usually lasts 2 weeks... I have never had a 2-day cold!  And I've never had an asthma-free cold.  I guess 4 meals in a row of super hot thai food did the trick?  Or being pregnant gives me superpowers.