YOUTH SUMMIT TO EMPOWER KIDS

Small group discussions.

A presentation on physical health by a youth. I could only get in 1/4 of the room...it was packed!

Last Thursday the Washington County Commission on Children and Families Youth Advisory Council hosted the 5th annual youth summit open to all middle and high schools in Washington County. I have organized this event each year and it's an amazing program that reaches thousands of young people in our community. I do all the planning and organizing and the youth advisory council hosts the event by welcoming students, introducing speakers, explaining sessions, etc. Having students on stage empowers other students to step up and be involved. There were about 350 students and adult advisors present at the event. This years project focus areas are Mental Wellness, Physical Wellness, and Social Wellness. During the day students hear from speakers on each of the focus areas. This year we invited 2 mental health specialists working with schools, an ex-pro football player Alex Molden (8 years in the NFL), a youth activist for healthy lifestyles, and a relationships specialist with a domestic violence resource center. After each presentation students along with adult mentors from the community discussed how each focus area looks in their school and ways they can get involved in addressing them. After lunch student teams started to develop an action plan for a project. So many meaningful and powerful conversations came from that session. Each team can apply for up to $800 to fund their project. All projects are developed and implemented by students. This programs gives students the opportunity to develop leadership skills and empowers them to become involved. Projects will take place from January until the end of May and then all students along with community members will be invited back to a culmination event where students take the center stage and share the work they did in their school to create positive change.

SICK MAMA

So I went almost 36 weeks without vomiting once and then last night my vomit-free pregnancy came to an end. I tried to stop it but there was nothing I could do. Not sure why but I have been so incredibly sick to my stomach the past week. I have an upset stomach and pain in my upper stomach and chest (which is now where my stomach and lungs and everything else is thanks to some little girl who keeps pushing everything up). It could be a stomach bug or it could just be that my little baby girl is taking up so much room that everything is squished.

On a happier note she is super active! I feel her little feet and hands push up on my ribs and out on the sides of my belly. What a neat feeling. I will miss it when she's out but I will so happy to be able to hold her in my arms instead of in my belly.

See you soon baby Zucchini! I love you!

CHICCO CARSEAT & STROLLER

I love, love, love our new carseat and stroller! Damien and I stopped by Segals Children's Store yesterday since we were in the area and they had one in stock- only ONE! I was quite annoyed since we were down there two weeks ago and they assured us they were sold out but had some on order. When we learned they had one in stock I asked why I was not called since my name was put on a "call when in" list. She said, "oh I thought you only wanted the carseat." I said no that is why I asked about both the carseat and stroller- obviously I wanted them both! I was so worried when they told me they wouldn't arrive until November sometime. Oh well the important part is that we now them.

After bringing it home I couldn't just let my beautiful new purchase sit in the box so I pulled it out and assembled it. Damien was the one who actually pulled it out of the box but that was the extend of his help. He tried for about 30 seconds to open the stroller without success and realizing that he had no clue as to what he was doing and any further pulling on it might result in me crying over a broken stroller he promtly left the room. I told him if we brought it back to the store saying it was broken they might ask who put it together. If we told them Damien they would most likely laugh and say that wasn't a manufactors defect but a man not reading instruction defect. He laughed and agreed. I pulled out the instruction manual and one piece at a time assembled it. It is even more awesome and beautiful than I remember it looking at the store!

Our Gdiapers came in the mail yesterday too! Wow that was a big day for us and for the baby. I am very excited about our new diaper system. I ordered two more diaper covers so now we have 4- Orange, Pink, Green, and Cream colored. We also have 30 cloth diaper inserts and 50 disposable/flushable inserts. We are set for baby! The only thing I need to purchase is a diaper pail for the dirty cloth inserts.

I think the essentials are now covered so with one month left to go we are ready!

ALICIA SILVERSTONE IN PORTLAND

This morning Misty sent me a text saying that Alicia Silverstone was going to be at Powell's Bookstore publicizing her new book "The Kind Diet". I was interested in attending because she would be talking about being an advocate for animals, being vegan, the environment impact of being vegan, and the health benefits of being vegan and eating healthy. However our childbirth was scheduled for the same time. Damien and I love taking the childbirth classes and were super bummed that it was cancelled last week so this week we were very much looking forward to it. We got ready and drove all the way down fighting rush hour traffic. Took us an hour but we made it there with 15 minutes to spare. We were literally walking through the door when the midwife called us to say that one of the moms just called and is labor. Bummer for us but exciting for her. So Damien and I went to Sweet Pea Baking Company our favorite vegan restaurant in Portland (well not really a restaurant but bakery...yum. with some foodstuff items). After he ate vegan chili and I ate a bagel with tofu "cream cheese" we went to Powell's and walked in just 1 minute before she started to speak. There were a lot of people who attended, not sure if they were there to hear what she was saying or just to see "a celebrity". However since it's Portland I would guess the majority were there as we were to hear her talk about her book at the message. It was fun and really exciting that she is promoting veganism. Always exciting to hear people promoting eating healthy and treating animals with the respect and kindness they deserve.

34 WEEK BELLY

WOW BELLY! 34 weeks, measuring 34cm and have gain 20lbs (gulp). I have been so hungry lately and she has kicked the growing thing in over drive. The books say that the baby is growing at the fastest rate now that ever before and let me tell you this is so true! My tummy is heavy and skin is tight. Starting this week I started experiencing some light lower back pain and some aching in my lower abdomen. My midwives said it sounds like the baby is just preparing for her big day.

Today I was at a meeting with 10 people and 3 of us were pregnant! At my work right now there are 6 of us that are pregnant. My sister and neighbor are both pregnant. Someone from another group I work with is also pregnant. My sorority sister and someone who attends meetings I do for a program at work both just gave birth two weeks ago. Babies are everywhere! I love it!

Our little baby girl must be practicing her aerobics in my belly because her arms and legs push out to the side of my belly and she moves all around what feels like all the time now!

So my sweetie Damien and I have literally gained the same amount of weight this pregnancy. The only good part is that after I give birth I will lose a significant amount of it right away :) We have each gained 20lbs! It's normal though for partners to gain sympothy weight as the mama puts on baby weight. In a few short weeks we will have to work together to lose the weight. Some good our gym memberships are doing us... $65 a month for nothing since we obviously aren't using them. I am guessing that after the birth we will both be going a lot more!

INSULATING THE ATTIC

Damien tried to give me a hug when he was done. Like that was going to happen, he was filthy!

Damien in the attic blowing insulation in.

My dad feeding the hopper with insulation.

Last winter our house was the only one in the neighborhood and I wouldn't be surprised if not the entire town that didn't have any snow on the roof. With the foot of snow and ice outside we were forced to keep the heat up and if you know me you know I am not a fan of the heat. Damien always makes fun of me saying we live in an igloo. I don't mind, I get over heated so easily so it's nice to keep it cool. Plus this is why I live in Oregon and not Arizona. Well with the heat and lack of insulation the heat went straight through the roof and melted the snow. This led to a massive heat bill and 4 big snow avalanches that piled snow almost 3 feet high all around the house. So this year we decided to insulate the attic before the snow came. We spent 8 hours straight (minus a quick 20 minute lunch break) insulating the attic one cool October saturday. Damien climbed into the attic with his face mask on and blew in 15-18 inches of insulation across the entire attic. My dad and I were on the ground feeding the hopper. We used 63 bags of insulation! I had to make 5 trips to Home Depot to get enough. The nice thing is now our house is much warmer! Thanks Damien and Dad for helping.

A POEM FOR SUNNY

A blast from the past. I just came across this poem from my co-workers for my 22nd birthday. Hope you enjoy! It is so funny because it's so true!

Thank you for the party folks my birthday was such fun I know my friends will all come back when I have another one

The cake you baked was special I never thought that a no-egg, no-milk, no-butter, chocolate-free, fat-free, sugar-free, date and pumpkin cake would taste just like one just bought

Pink icing made from beetroot-colored-Tofu on the top and beeswax smoke-less candles that you made at a workshop

I'm glad you made the fairy bread from organic, yeast-free rye and sprinkled it with poppy seeds, sesame and sunflower...to fortify

The chickpea dip, falafel balls, the celery sticks with hummus and what about the babaganouse
that was real adventurous

Yes, I do appreciate all the hot food you prepared from non-genetic-engineered soy it shows you really care

Like the not-dogs and not-sausage rolls with the not-tomato-sauce and I loved the home-grown veggie pizza with soy cheese of course

I'm forgetting the most fun part was the games we got to play they took you ages to prepare but they really made the day

Like bob for locally-grown organic apples bought from a neighbor down the street and pin the tail back on the dog (that had it cut off in a laboratory experiement) that was really neat

Sight-impared person's bluff and the free range egg and spoon race musical chairs played by Tony O'Connor and my favorite... Tug of peace

Pass the parcel wrapped with unbleached recylced paper, grown on the west side of a hill by a tree released from it's vertical home to serve humanity by a group of landcare volunteers who formed a circle around the tree, mediated and chanted for four days before placing it gently back onto the earth from which it had first sprung as a sapling and from where its mother and father had gone on before to serve as recylced toilet paper and toothpicks respectively.

And instead of taking their prizes my friends and I agreed that we'd donate to a charity for children who are in need

And I'm really glad you said 'no presents' I really have so much just you and my husband and parents is birthday presents enough

My friends went home exhausted from all the fun they'd had with their little calico bags full of geletin-free sweets that made them glad

So thank you for the party folks my birthday planning crew I know I'll always remember it,
The day that I turned twenty-two!!

YOU KNOW YOU'RE FROM OREGON WHEN...

-Your children learned to walk in Birkenstocks or Keens.
-You throw an aluminum can in the trash and feel guilty.
-You complain about Californians as you sell your house to one for twice as much as you originally paid.
-You only honk your horn if collision is imminent and never for anything else.
-You consider something a "hill" (not a mountain) if it doesn't have snow on it or has not recently erupted, regardless of its altitude.
-You consider "etiquette" a foreign word.
-Most of your friends are from California.
-You find a wallet with $500 and give it back to the owner.
-You used to live somewhere else but won't admit it publicly.
-You've ever ordered a half caff/decaf, nonfat mocha grande with sugar-free cranberry whip (or you know what it is).
-You know a bride & groom that registered at REI.
-If someone ran your car off the highway, you might drown.
-You'd be miffed if the store was out of your favorite brand of water.
-Every day is casual Friday.
-Hear the word "ferry" and think of boats and long waits.
-Know at least eight people who work for Intel or Nike, or used to work for Tektronix.
-You think skiing always means being covered from head to toe, in snow or water.
-Know that Boring is a town and not just a state of mind.
-Have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain.
-You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit under a raincoat.
-You return from a California vacation depressed because "all the grass was dead."
-Remember the date, severity, time of day, where you were, and how long you were out of power and phone service for every winter weather event in the last five years.
-You can experience all 4 seasons in one day
-You can drive from the mountain to the coast in less than 2 hours

NESTING

Others keep telling me I am "nesting" however I think it's just the same silly Sunny who finds great satisfaction and joy from cleaning and organizing. For the past week I have had a major urge though to sort and clean. All I have to say is dang the house and yard looks so good!

The following is a list of tasks I completed over the past two days:
-Sorted and organized the pantry, fridge, and freezer and threw aways old and expired food
-Washed the shelves and drawers in the fridge
-Removed the ugly "ball" bushes in the front of the house
-Pulled all the fallen branches from the back yard to the front so they can be brought to the dump
-Installed the compost bin in the backyard
-Mowed the front and backyard
-Sanitized the kitchen
-Scrubbed the toilets and sink
-Swept kitchen, both bathrooms, and entryway
-Vacuumed the house
-Pulled the halloween decorations down from the attic
-Put the keepsake boxes up in the attic
-Organized the living room shelf and book basket
-Washed laundry
-Stored yard furniture in the garage
-Swept off back patio
-Shook out house rugs

32 WEEK BABY BELLY

32 weeks down and mama and baby are doing exceptionally well. I am measuring at 29cm (a little on the small side but healthy) and have gained 17 pounds. Around 30 weeks I was feeling sick and not reacting well to food but as always (thankfully) it passed and I am feeling great! The baby belly is definitely growing at a faster rate now. Seems like there was little change outwardly and then around week 26 she appeared for the world to see!

For the past week baby zucchini has become so incredibly active! At first it was just a little fluttering and rolling around as though she was a free girl swimming in a massive swimming pool of water. Now that she is much larger and her space is tighter she is pushing out and I think often what I am feeling pushing out is an arm or leg or butt, as though her swimming pool has now become a small bathtub giving just enough to lay down but now move. Her movements are so strong that I catch my belly moving out of the corner of my eye and am in aw as I think about her and how soon she will be here. Good sign that she is growing and getting stronger.

Since the cooler weather has started to set in and all my maternity clothes are suitable for warmer weather that means one thing...shopping! I tried to fit in my non-maternity clothes and ya right there is no way I could sit all day in pants without elastic bands. Damien and I went shopping for cooler weather clothes. Hard to purchase clothes since I am already at the start of the 8th month but I do need pants. Damien and I went to Ross and I got 2 pairs of dressy black work pants and a pair of sexy dark blue jeans (that Damien says I am not allowed to wear out of the house...lol he is so cute!). We went to Ross since they have very cute clothes and at a great price! I am so excited to have clothes that fit well and look cute.