Since all the posts older than 1 year old have been deleted, I guess I should replace my change-of-blog-address on here, especially since I am still linked with this screen name on various people's blogs.

If you wonder where I've been for the last couple years, I've been at my new pleo name: aprilstarr. Also my new real name ... well, new when I first signed up for it a couple years ago. Previously, April Smelser, now April Starr. Though I still consider myself a Smelser, and do consider myself random. Perhaps just not TOTALLY random.

I have a new screen name, at last!

aprilstarr

Well, I've been tagged. I think I'm one of the last people I know to get tagged, so I'm not going to tag anyone else ... you've probably been tagged already! But I'll play along, so here are 6 weird things about me:

1. I am often afraid someone is going to slit my throat. If I ever get really scared, watching a suspenseful movie, or even sometimes just uncomfortable in a situation, I find myself covering my neck with my hands. I have to cover my neck to deal with the "open neck feeling". Yeah, weird, I know, but this is supposed to be 6 weird things about me...

2. I sometimes find myself saying in my head "34, 35, 36..." (or other numbers) because I've been counting my steps, or the yellow stripes in the middle of the road. (Just in case you're worried, counting yellow stripes only happens when I'm not driving.)

3. I hate socks. My feet are always cold as a result (just ask Tim), but its better than wearing socks.

4. I don't care for maple syrup. Of course, I eat it whenever it's served, but I prefer jelly on a rolled up pancake ... like a crepe. I guess this is a weird thing because I like almost every kind of food, but not maple syrup, though I don't know why. I mean, its so sugary, what's not to like?

5. When I'm feeling stressed or emotional I do strange things in my sleep, such as talking in my sleep, looking for plates of food in the covers, standing on my knees and reaching out for people who aren't there, or waking up afraid someone is going to cut me open.

6. I cannot STAND the sound of touching raw wood, but the only way to overcome the terrible cringes it gives me, is to continue stroking the wood until it makes no noise... and I'm not going to elaborate on this at all, because no one ever understands it anyway. :)

Weird enough? I think so.

Well, actually I'm 18 weeks now, but I've been meaning to post this week, because I've been feeling soooooo much better! What a lovely feeling! The sun is shining! The windows are open! I'm feeling good! Perhaps I have been feeling better because of the "17" in "17 weeks". As you know, if you know my husband well, 17 is a very significant number to Tim. Here I am (sporting a increasingly large belly) feeling good at 17 weeks.

I've decided to make a quilt for Sprout. Since we're not planning to find out if Sprout's a boy or a girl, I'm making it in light yellows and greens ... pretty gender neutral. I've never made a quilt before and the instructions I have are rather ... sketchy ... for the particular quilt I want to make. Then again, when it comes to sewing, I'm not very good at following instructions so maybe it'll be ok ... aaah! At least I know people who know how to quilt. Putting the pieces together looks times consuming but straight-forward. The part I'm worried about is the end of the directions: "Layer, quilt, and bind raw edges with remaining fabric..." Wait! Could you elaborate a little more on the "quilt" command in that sentence! I quilted a pillow top once, but I don't remember how I did it...

I feel like doing spring cleaning! My energy level is still not 100%, but hopefully I'll be able to get a lot done before the lemons rot. I was reading an interesting book called "Feather Your Nest" written by a eco-friendly woman persuading feminists that household work is actually very fulfilling. Very interesting, though I'm no feminist, and using Windex or bleach doesn't really bother me that much, but still she had lots and lots of excellent tips on cleaning, well, everything! I even found out how to get wax out of my tablecloth ... good thing too, I was considering getting rid of it. She had some very neat ideas about cleaning with lemons (such as cutting a lemon in half and dipping it in salt as an abrasive) that would leave your place smelling all nice and fresh. Using entire lemons to clean, though, just seemed wasteful, until I was in the grocery store and found a container of reduced produce lemons for 99 cents. There must be 20 lemons in there! So now I can find out whether her tips actually work without having to feel too bad if its a flop ... as long as I do it before the lemons really go bad.

Thank you everyone for your kind well wishes! I've been feeling increasingly better for a while now. I still have down times, but they are *much* less intense, and becoming fewer and farther between. Oh so nice to feel oh so good!

*singing*
I feeeeeeeeel good,
duh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh
I knew knew that I would now!
duh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh
I feeeeeeeeel ni-ice,
like sugar and spice!
duh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh
So good!
dun dunSo nice!
dunI gotta you!

Wonderful news in our extended family... Jody is going to have a wee little one as well! Sooooooooooooooo excited!!!!!!!

In other news, I do believe I felt the baby move last night! Tim and I were just starting to watch a movie and I felt this fluttering/slight poking in the baby-area. It happened again a few minutes later. Wow! Little Sprout's getting bigger and bigger!

Wednesday I have my next appointment. We'll be able to find out if Sprout's a boy or girl ... but I think we're not going to find out and we'll let ourselves be surprised.

I am really hoping that I'll be feeling better soon. I keep thinking the end of all this icky part is in sight, but it just keeps coming! I really need to be getting more done, and get a job for the next few months, but right now I spend most of my time between the bed and the bathroom and the couch. :( Tim has been so sweet and sympathetic, but I feel awful for not getting more done. I woke up the other day determined to get things accomplished, and so I went right to work - only to find myself running to the bathroom, then crawling into bed and feeling pretty horrid all day afterward. Very aggravating. But!! I am out of my first trimester ... not by much, but I am ... and from what I hear/read I should be feeling better soon and back to being able to get stuff done! Huzzah!!!

By the way, hot and sour soup is no longer a craving. In fact, it hasn't been for quite some time. I've had many other various cravings between then and now ... currently, it's pickles. Dill pickle spears to be exact. My sweet hubby just brought home two jars (I eat them a jar at a time...) and my mouth is watering. :)