I've had my fair share of crappy kitchen gadgets in my time, but being someone who loves to cook and takes a certain pride in making things from scratch I've learned that spending a little extra on a good product goes a long way.

I recently moved into a new apartment and needed a peeler so while standing in the isle at Target I debated between the funky colored no brand ones for $1 or the more expensive kitchen aid peeler for $8. Kitchen aid has a really good reputation and I love the older can opener I have from them so I bit the bullet and got the expensive one.

check it out, looks pretty nice huh? Well it's not. I was so disappointed. Although you could probably kill someone with how sharp it is, it didn't cut through the peels of my potatoes, cucumbers, carrots nuthin' not cool.

SO I remembered Mommy on Hold and her blog about genuine customer feedback, I decided to give it a try. I wrote Kitchen aid a very polite letter telling them how disappointed I was because I really trusted their brand, and threw in a bit about how I was in the market for a stand mixer and was worried about their slipping quality.

A few weeks later I got an email from them with a link to a webpage full of peelers. They said they were very sorry about my experience and told me to pick any one I wanted from the site and it would be shipped to me for free! Cool!

So naturally I picked the fanciest looking one and it did not disappoint, I love it. It works great and I'm sure I wouldn't have gotten the same response from the $1 peeler company. 

Thank you Mommy on Hold!

This pregnancy has been chock full of turmoil. From the day we conceived I felt pregnant. My stomach was sensitive, I felt bloated and full all the time, morning sickness, heart burn, swollen ankles etc etc.

I prayed that I wouldn't be diagnosed with gestational diabetes, I was.

I prayed I wouldn't need insulin, I did

I prayed for a VBAC or at least a trial of labor, I didn't get it.

Yesterday (October 27th 2014) I had a routine OB appointment and my feet and ankles looked like they belonged to Fred Flintstone, my blood pressure was up, and I had protein in my urine. All warning signs of preeclampsia.

The verdict was in, my c-section was scheduled for the very next morning and I had to be at the hospital at 6 am. The baby was being evicted.

It was time to officially mourn the loss of my vaginal birth, and process the fact that I will never know what it's like to work with God and nature and bring a child into this world the way a female body is designed to. I cried the whole way home and tried to accept the fact that I needed this help and that without modern medical advances, I would be one of those many women who died in child birth.

I spent the day getting everything ready and trying to be positive. I went to bed early and arrived at the hospital right on time.

It didn't get real until I went into the OR and had the spinal block. It took a lot of will power not to cry on my Dr.'s shoulder as he held me up while I breathed through the pain.

Once I was laying down I could feel my body physically freaking out, I was panicking and I felt claustrophobic, and everything in my body told me to run. 

I got nauseous and threw up 3 times, which while you are strapped down is no picnic and makes the claustrophobia even worse, I can honestly say it was the worst experience of my life and I found myself thinking it might be better to miss the birth of my own child so I could be put to sleep instead.

I wont have an opportunity to experience that "perfect" birth moment because if I can prevent it, I will never get pregnant again, but I have to say that I am exceedingly grateful for the medical advances that allowed my two beautiful girls to be born safely, and that allowed me to to be here to raise them. Violet is the definition of serenity. She has an old soul that seems to know me and looks right into me. The calm after the storm. My family, my home and my heart are now full, and I couldn't be more humbled by these blessings.

Well this pregnancy is almost over. I'm 36 weeks now and I'm feeling it! the baby dropped and I'm feeling all "hippy" and officially have the waddle going on. I can't walk or lay or one side for too long without my hips hurting either. Her name will be Violet Rivers Boxold. Violet because Zoey picked purple, and Rivers for Scott's Memere, that was her maiden name.

We also finally moved! I wish we could have done it earlier cuz I have no energy to do anything and feel basically useless, but it'll be so nice to bring the baby home here and have some privacy.

Zoey has been amazing during this move and is adjusting really well. She loves her new room and has no more trouble sleeping than she did before (knock on wood) She did mention that she missed Grammy and Grampy's house once, and that she didn't like it here, but then when we aren't home she keeps asking to go to "the brick house" a little home sickness is to be expected.

Once I get this place in order I'll have to post some pictures. It is a very cool apartment and we'll hopefully be staying here until we can buy a house.

Because I got tagged by the awesome punkybreester

Now it’s your turn to show us your favorite pictures of yourself that make you feel beautiful and amazing (because you all are)

borbor

neffnee-kadiwwo

carolineandco

littlelouandtwo

This pregnancy is so different from my last one. It's really black and white.

Last time I was working through most of it, and generally I felt fine and had a decent amount of energy considering. I had a few complications but I stayed positive and didn't get sick too often. I also felt a sort of communication with the baby. It was like she was telling what she liked and didn't like to eat. There was a lot of potatoes and they always made me feel great. I had a spinach and tuna salad with lemon juice and balsamic vinegar EVERYDAY for lunch and Ezekiel bread with peanut butter most mornings for breakfast. I lost weight in the beginning and ended up giving birth at the same weight I was the first day I walked into the Dr.'s office.

THIS TIME... however is not quite the same. I'm listening but this baby isn't telling me squat. What should I eat today baby? .... "cricket cricket" What am I craving? nothing. Every time I eat something other than potato chips and ginger my stomach is in knots. It seems like the very day I got pregnant I couldn't wear my regular pants. Any pressure on my gut is not just unpleasant but painful sometimes. I can't open my mouth too wide or even sneeze without gagging, I can't see (never mind smell) food garbage without running to the bathroom to puke and I wont talk about what happens to the food that does stay down. And I AM SO. TIRED. ALL THE TIME! but worse than that I also can't sleep at night.. how does that make sense? I went to bed last night at 9 cuz I was exhausted but then woke up at midnight and tossed and turned for hours before giving up.