Every now and then I just have to burst out what I'm really feeling on my blog. I'm glad everyone else can relate and that it comes across as honesty and not a pity party. Sometimes in blog land it comes across like everyone lives a very great version of the life I'm trying to figure out and I get disappointed that I'm at the back of the class. But, once again you guys are so very encouraging and it's great to hear that other people feel some of the same things and work through them too. There's more to say about it, it's not someting that just gets figured out over night, but I'll get there some other time.
We had a super weekend that I'll write about after the kids go to bed, but it was a good one. During the weekend I really realized how quickly Brooklyn is growing up which is amazing to me. I got to see Belle being big and little all at the same time, which does a heart good to remember that 2 doesn't last forever, but it's cute while it's here, (most of the time). And we did a lot of things out of routine which was such a sweet break! We're going to try and do something "new" each Saturday that Nick has off, so we don't feel so caught in a rut.
Well I'm off to play Mr. Potatoe Head and plan crafts for a week of VBS! I am so glad that is what Belle wants to do today because it's 30 degrees today, before humidex I think!
Monday, June 18, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
A Continuation.
It's not that I don't like being a mom. It's not even that I don't like keeping my house clean. It's not even that I'm bothered by the fact that I had to virtually give up a life of freedom. The thing I'm not getting any joy out of is the Stay At Home Mom lifestyle. I've spent so much of my life driven by getting an "A" on an assignment. All of my jobs have had deadlines and projects. You finish one thing, you move onto the next and you only see the first thing again if you made a mistake. So driven by accomplishment, by ticking things off the proverbial 'to do' list once and for all.
How bizarre to now re-write my to do list everynight with the same items? How does one feel they are moving forward when it's just going around in a circle? The rest of the world moves forward but at our house we're stuck on replay, and rightly so. Routine is what keeps the kids calm, it allows them to thrive as they understand what is predictable. It's a very important part of being a parent, to do the same thing over and over again.
In my SAHM lifestyle I am often Stuck At Home which doesn't really jive with my personality. I like to be out and with people. Even if being "with" them is only walking beside them in Old Navy. But I live in a small town, with no bus system sometimes it's actually impossible to get out and go somewhere. There are several activities to do in town for moms and tots, but then arises the final stitch in my robe. I'm a mommy introvert. I have no desire to go to the local mom's group and compare stats. I know it's just the beginning and after the first awkward conversations you find true friends, but, well you other introverts understand.
I think someone told me that the biggest struggle in becoming a parent is remembering to be yourself as well. To feed yourself-emotionally, physically, spiritually. I think my struggle is better defined by trying to do that within my current lifestyle. People are always telling me to take a bath, read a book, make Nick stay at home while I go out. The truth of the matter is I can't do the things that feed me and make me happy while being a mom. Don't for a second think I'm saying I'm not happy and I'll never be until my kids are growing up. I'm just trying to figure out the evolution of being a contented me before kids to being a contented me with kids.
How bizarre to now re-write my to do list everynight with the same items? How does one feel they are moving forward when it's just going around in a circle? The rest of the world moves forward but at our house we're stuck on replay, and rightly so. Routine is what keeps the kids calm, it allows them to thrive as they understand what is predictable. It's a very important part of being a parent, to do the same thing over and over again.
In my SAHM lifestyle I am often Stuck At Home which doesn't really jive with my personality. I like to be out and with people. Even if being "with" them is only walking beside them in Old Navy. But I live in a small town, with no bus system sometimes it's actually impossible to get out and go somewhere. There are several activities to do in town for moms and tots, but then arises the final stitch in my robe. I'm a mommy introvert. I have no desire to go to the local mom's group and compare stats. I know it's just the beginning and after the first awkward conversations you find true friends, but, well you other introverts understand.
I think someone told me that the biggest struggle in becoming a parent is remembering to be yourself as well. To feed yourself-emotionally, physically, spiritually. I think my struggle is better defined by trying to do that within my current lifestyle. People are always telling me to take a bath, read a book, make Nick stay at home while I go out. The truth of the matter is I can't do the things that feed me and make me happy while being a mom. Don't for a second think I'm saying I'm not happy and I'll never be until my kids are growing up. I'm just trying to figure out the evolution of being a contented me before kids to being a contented me with kids.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
There seems to come a point in mat leave where women start to get edgey, panicky, upset, disgruntled, even angry. This point in mat leave could be called the end, when it comes time for them to think about heading back to work.
How can I leave my baby in someone else's care? How can I trust someone else to do as good a job raising my child as I can? How am I going to work and keep up with my housework? Why can't the Government just pay me forever to raise children, especially if they're going to keep claiming it is the 'hardest job on earth'?
After a year of being there for almost everything, for the big firsts and the long sleepless nights. After making it through colds and flues, after trying new foods and dressing baby in a zillion outfits for their 'photo shoots' throughout the day. After learning their cries and their giggles, after becoming convinced that you are the ONLY person on earth who could love them thismuch, (except for maybe daddy, maybe). After all you've been through in the last 12 months how can you be expected to go back to work?.
I expect this moment comes up in almost every mat leave because it's the topic of countless blog posts. Followed inevitably by the post wherein one wonders if they can make money blogging.....
I still have two months of mat leave left and you wont be finding a post like this penned by me.
Stay At Home Mommyhood is just not agreeing with me. I am really not finding any joy in it. The days are just long. Long and boring. I get up, I change a few bums, I dress a few people, I make three different breakfasts. I run around the house chasing a toddler whom I cannot understand 50% of the time doing things in 30 second spurts while leaving a mess behind. Another round of changing bums. Another three meals to prepare. More chasing. Then nap time. Glorious listening to 20 minutes of "mom can I get up now" and then finally giving in and walking up the stairs to collect the toddler, hoping the baby hasn't awakened, only to have toddler fall asleep as I'm halfway up the stairs. Then more bums to change. Another three meals to prepare for dinner. Collect wits to be cordial to honey, make sure he has dinner. More chasing until bed time. A bath wherein I become the wettest even though I was never in the tub. Dragging of exhausted children through their bedtime routine, (cuz if you miss something there will be WW3), only to have exhasted child cry because "I'm just not tired, no bed now!". Then go downstairs, clean up after the toddler, do the dishes, try to accomplish more than any human should try and make themself do. Fall into bed exhausted. Don't forget honey, you wouldn't want to neglect him. Then falling asleep to the to do list still rambling around in your head and just as you drift off the alarm rings cuz it's time to get up and do it all again.
It is stressful. It's impossible not to compare myself to Mme X whose house is always clean, who jumped on the Maternal Feminism bandwagon and is wearing it just like a commercial. It's hard to not look at other children and wonder if I'm doing a good enough job. Should she know her ABC's yet?? Will she be the dumb kid when she gets to preschool, cuz if she is it's totally my fault. It's hard to believe that being at home all day facilitating a toddler and a newborn is worthy of being called work. It's hard to find the motivation to clean dishes that will be dirty again after the next meal, to do laundry that will need to be done again, to pick up toys over and over and over and over.
I guess a lot of women really look forward to doing those things everyday, all day, for the rest of their lives. I'm just not seeing the joy in it right now.
Perhaps it's just another thing to add to the list of things I beat myself up about, I don't know. I just know it's a struggle. It's a struggle to know that tomorrow is going to be another day full of dishes and laundry. Crying and arguing, exhaustion and responsibilities.
I guess I'm the only one, maybe I'm just not selfless enough. But this is my current struggle.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Dreams
I am not the kind of person who remembers my dreams often. I do remember more of them when I'm pregnant and they're all crazy. I have had two dreams in 2007 from which I arose convinced they were Gospel truth.
After I found out I was pregnant I had a scary dream. We had fast forwarded to October. It was Brooklyn's first birthday and there were 4 other babies at our house! Four. As in we had quads. There were three boys and a girl. Should this dream have been prophetic I would have had 6 children. I would have had 6 children under the age of 3. I would have had 6 children and 4 of them would have been NEWBORNS. Luckily we've all seen the ultrasound and there's only one baby in there.
I'm interpreting this dream to mean there's a 75% chance we're having a boy this time around.
I had another dream in January. In this dream it was my birthday and Nick and I had gone out for dinner and a movie. Nick had bought me a lottery ticket as my gift. After the movie we stopped at a gas station to see the latest lotto numbers and my ticket had won! The dream continued as we bought a HUGE piece of land just outside of Georgetown on which we built the house of our dreams on one side. Our friends Angela and Rory built their dream house on the opposite side of the lot and in the middle we built a third building. In that building there was a basement for Rory's computer business and the top floor was the best scrapbooking room/guest house I have ever seen. (Although I might be a bit biased since I would have designed and decorated it).
I told Nick about the dream and I thought he had forgotten about it. I think about it often when I'm having a bad day. Then today he came home from work with some flowers, a card and two lottery tickets. One of them for this Friday's Lotto 649 and the other a scratch and win. I scratched it right away. I won $6.00.
I can feel it, this is my year!
After I found out I was pregnant I had a scary dream. We had fast forwarded to October. It was Brooklyn's first birthday and there were 4 other babies at our house! Four. As in we had quads. There were three boys and a girl. Should this dream have been prophetic I would have had 6 children. I would have had 6 children under the age of 3. I would have had 6 children and 4 of them would have been NEWBORNS. Luckily we've all seen the ultrasound and there's only one baby in there.
I'm interpreting this dream to mean there's a 75% chance we're having a boy this time around.
I had another dream in January. In this dream it was my birthday and Nick and I had gone out for dinner and a movie. Nick had bought me a lottery ticket as my gift. After the movie we stopped at a gas station to see the latest lotto numbers and my ticket had won! The dream continued as we bought a HUGE piece of land just outside of Georgetown on which we built the house of our dreams on one side. Our friends Angela and Rory built their dream house on the opposite side of the lot and in the middle we built a third building. In that building there was a basement for Rory's computer business and the top floor was the best scrapbooking room/guest house I have ever seen. (Although I might be a bit biased since I would have designed and decorated it).
I told Nick about the dream and I thought he had forgotten about it. I think about it often when I'm having a bad day. Then today he came home from work with some flowers, a card and two lottery tickets. One of them for this Friday's Lotto 649 and the other a scratch and win. I scratched it right away. I won $6.00.
I can feel it, this is my year!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Ten reasons why I need a better camera.
This post is really
about the Scrapbooking Workshop we made in the garage. The garage itself is quite small though and with the lack of zoomage on my camera I could not get a good shot of the finished product. The actual workshop is about 75% of the garage space and in the last 25% there is our deep freeze, Nick's tools and a weight bench. The idea is that Nick can pull the weight bench up onto the floor when the room is not in use or set up for a scrapbooking function.
(Picture 1: Garage full of stuff as we started)
(Picture 2: Garage as Nick laid the sub floor, which he did all by himself!)
We decided to do the room as inexpensively as we could due to the fact that we do not own our house. Originally we were going to put a wall across to create two spaces and an entrance through the garage instead of everyone coming through the house. We decided instead to do a "wall" of curtains. We were also going to put in some extra outlets, but decided to just run an extension cord to a power bar. So we patched up the walls as best we could without ripping out drywall, laid a sub floor, put laminate as our flooring, painted the walls, added shelving across the width of the room on 
one end and curtained off both ends.
(Picture 3&4 : My best attempts at showing the workshop. The shots are taken while standing in the 25% of the garage not workshop space. It's much bigger than it looks.)
The room will hold 8 scrappers quite comfortably which to me is a great sized group. I have a bit of inventory in there, but not too much yet. I made a few bulletin boards to display info on and am really quite happy with how it has turned out.
So far just me and my local Angela have been enjoying it but I hope the slower summer months will bring some more people and some more business. It's been a bit slow, my fingers are crossed that I can pick the business part up soon, I have so much to learn about home business!
about the Scrapbooking Workshop we made in the garage. The garage itself is quite small though and with the lack of zoomage on my camera I could not get a good shot of the finished product. The actual workshop is about 75% of the garage space and in the last 25% there is our deep freeze, Nick's tools and a weight bench. The idea is that Nick can pull the weight bench up onto the floor when the room is not in use or set up for a scrapbooking function.(Picture 1: Garage full of stuff as we started)
(Picture 2: Garage as Nick laid the sub floor, which he did all by himself!)
We decided to do the room as inexpensively as we could due to the fact that we do not own our house. Originally we were going to put a wall across to create two spaces and an entrance through the garage instead of everyone coming through the house. We decided instead to do a "wall" of curtains. We were also going to put in some extra outlets, but decided to just run an extension cord to a power bar. So we patched up the walls as best we could without ripping out drywall, laid a sub floor, put laminate as our flooring, painted the walls, added shelving across the width of the room on 
one end and curtained off both ends.(Picture 3&4 : My best attempts at showing the workshop. The shots are taken while standing in the 25% of the garage not workshop space. It's much bigger than it looks.)
The room will hold 8 scrappers quite comfortably which to me is a great sized group. I have a bit of inventory in there, but not too much yet. I made a few bulletin boards to display info on and am really quite happy with how it has turned out.
So far just me and my local Angela have been enjoying it but I hope the slower summer months will bring some more people and some more business. It's been a bit slow, my fingers are crossed that I can pick the business part up soon, I have so much to learn about home business!
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Did I grow up in Alaska?
Thanks so much for all of your help with my plants. It's nice to know that they aren't all just weeds. I wouldn't have had any idea where to begin planting new things and what not. I am going to do a bit of work on them, getting rid of the obvious weeds and we'll see what we get by summer's end. Thanks so much Michelle for letting me know the actual names cuz now I can check them out online!
I'm beginning to think that I must have grown up in Alaska because I have absolutely no idea how to enjoy summer. I know it isn't true, but I have completely lost my frame of summer reference for some reason.
I don't like to eat heavy foods in the summer, but all the foods I know how to cook are comfort foods for winter. I know so little about fresh vegetables and fruits. I know that we BBQ'd all the time growing up but I have no idea how to operate a BBQ or how to plan a menu around BBQ foods. I used to enjoy all things summer sports wise: football, ultimate, waterskiing, etc. I have completely lost all my sports skills and would much rather wear sweats to the beach than a bathing suit!
I know my girls love being outside, our Ontario Place pictures are evidence of that, but I really do forget how to enjoy summer!
I do still remember how much I love the summer rains. The ones that come up quickly in the middle of the day and leave just as quickly. As well as the thunderstorms that finally break the day's heat and humidity at 10:00pm and then we can go to sleep. Those are my favorite parts of summer, or at least they were. And they will be again when my kids are grown up enough to sit still to watch an entire movie, or color with more than one crayon on read the words in a book.
When you have kids you have to enjoy summer outside, but I'm not sure chasing a tricycle is fun. It is the first five minutes, but five hours later it's a bit tedious!
Here's hoping I learn to love that Cali lifestyle! What's your favorite summer activity?
I'm beginning to think that I must have grown up in Alaska because I have absolutely no idea how to enjoy summer. I know it isn't true, but I have completely lost my frame of summer reference for some reason.
I don't like to eat heavy foods in the summer, but all the foods I know how to cook are comfort foods for winter. I know so little about fresh vegetables and fruits. I know that we BBQ'd all the time growing up but I have no idea how to operate a BBQ or how to plan a menu around BBQ foods. I used to enjoy all things summer sports wise: football, ultimate, waterskiing, etc. I have completely lost all my sports skills and would much rather wear sweats to the beach than a bathing suit!
I know my girls love being outside, our Ontario Place pictures are evidence of that, but I really do forget how to enjoy summer!
I do still remember how much I love the summer rains. The ones that come up quickly in the middle of the day and leave just as quickly. As well as the thunderstorms that finally break the day's heat and humidity at 10:00pm and then we can go to sleep. Those are my favorite parts of summer, or at least they were. And they will be again when my kids are grown up enough to sit still to watch an entire movie, or color with more than one crayon on read the words in a book.
When you have kids you have to enjoy summer outside, but I'm not sure chasing a tricycle is fun. It is the first five minutes, but five hours later it's a bit tedious!
Here's hoping I learn to love that Cali lifestyle! What's your favorite summer activity?
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Garden Illiterate
I'm not sure if anyone can lend me any advice, but these are the "plants" in my garden box. I did not plant them and I am really not a gardener so I have no idea if any of these "plants" are actually plants or just all weeds. Anyone have any wisdom for me?
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
A Family Day
On Saturday we spent the day as a family. We got up early to go garage sale-ing. We are on the look out for some children's furniture as bunk beds will no longer work for when our girls start sharing a room. We didn't find any, but I spent $10 and got a tricycle, 6 summer outfits, a movie and a stuffed Sully (all for the girls!). I love me a good garage sale day.We came home and hit a slight bump in the road as obviously we had over planned our day and not gone to bed early enough the night before. The result, missing swimming lessons. We regrouped and got back on track to take the girls to Ontario Place for the day.
Ontario Place is down on the lake shore. It was a lot cooler down there than in the city. It's a water/amusement park which is a tonne of fun for the teens. It was a youth group trip that we were tagging along for in case more youth showed up during the day and needed a ride home and just to be there in case we were needed. Most of the day was just for us.We found an awesome building full of activities for kids Isabella's age and she ran around there for about an hour and a half while Brooklyn had a nap. Then we hit the splash park which I thought Belle would be afraid of as it was just a bunch of shower like things. She loved it. (I'll post more pics on her blog). She got her face painted for the first time, went down her first big girl waterslide and started her journey of educational
activities these sorts of places are filled with.It was a super great day, the perks of being a youth pastor's family!
Heart of Worship
On Saturday night we took the girls to their first rock concert. We saw Starfield and Hillsong United at the Molson Amphitheatre. I am still in shivers at how cool it is that I live in a country where a Christian band plays the same theatre as Metallica.
I knew of Starfield before the concert, but not Hillsong United. Nick assured me I knew their songs, but I sure didn't recognize anything they played. The fun part was that they're a worship band so you can catch on so easily. It was uber awesome to be in a "room" of 13,000 youth worshiping in the middle of Toronto. The sound was deafening and it wasn't even the band that was loud. It was all these voices of all races and ethnicities of teenagers and the people dedicated to teenagers worshiping God.
After Starfield had done their set the speaker that travels with Hillside United came out to give away some free stuff and what not. He made a comment that he was so excited because tonight he saw the future of the church. I'm sure he said that at every concert which only adds to the awesomeness of the comment. He said he saw the future of the church in the youth in the room and they are a mobile and passionate future.
And I got weapy.
While Starfield was singing I had Isabella standing on the seat in front of me and she was clapping along with the crowd, and cheering 'yoo hoo' at the appropriate times. She got totally caught up in the worship with everyone else doing her little singing voice that is sounds when she doesn't even know the words. At one point she even had both of her arms up in the air, stretched to heaven, worshipping. Sure she's 2 and in that copy cat stage, but that's how we all start worshipping authentically. First we copy those around us and then we find our own voice.
My back started to ache and Nick took Isabella and put her on his shoulders. I guess you could stay she was still worshipping, head banging counts right? She knows how to do the fist thing with the head bob, she has not yet grasped the horns. I think she clapped and screamed and called 'Encore' as loudly as the crowd around us.
A mobile and passionate generation. That is the future of the church.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
A Product Rave!
Yesterday I watched Oprah and it was her Favorite Things for Summer show. Usually I watch and wish I could have been in the audience wishing I was rich enough to just buy everything I ever wanted. But yesterday's show was so great because all of the stuff she gave away was affordable! I mean the beach cover up from Old Navy, I'm an Old Navy regular! I started to think what I would put in my beach bag and a really great post idea emerged. I'm not getting to that right now cuz it's just been a bit of an insane day. However, I wanted to rave about this product from Creative Memories. It wouldn't go in the beach bag but rather at home on the wall to display pictures from my adventures and other summer memorbilia!
It's a little hard to see in this picture cuz it's small but you can check out all the deets here on June 1st! It's a great beveled, weathered frame that houses a magnetic fabric covered memorbilia board. It comes with magnets and a ribbon along the bottom with matching clothes pegs to display things. This will definitely be what my husband is getting me for my birthday. I'll just have to let him know.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
You never let me down!
There has been a lot going on here in our little neck of the woods, a lot of events that would seem to be happenstance, but when I take time to reflect I can see how they all work together. It would be a really long story to tell you how we went from completely freaking out when I thought I was pregnant in December to being completely joyful as we began to share the news of Baby #3. I know that most people who stop by here are quite busy so I'll tell just the Reader's Digest version for now.
I found out I was pregnant while we are dealing with that flu that our whole household came down with and shared with some friends as well. When I first started throwing up I thought to myself, 'oy I can't be pregnant!' and when everyone else started puking as well I was sure I was out of the woods. The flu passed and we were all back to our normal selves but things were still a little off for me so I bit the bullet and picked up a HPT. If you've never had a surprise pregnancy it's hard to describe what happens when you see that little line. It's a good thing there's a toilet in the bathroom cuz I needed to sit down right away.
I shared the news with Nick and we decided to just take some time to deal with the shock. If you had stopped by our house in the week after we found out you would have found us both sitting on the couch lost deep in thought trying to figure out when and how this happened. We have been using contraception and really doing our best to make sure we didn't conceive another child until we were ready.
Although it was quite the shock Ialso felt a tremendous amount of peace. Not peace in the sense that I let go of all worry and doubt, but peace in the sense that somehow it's all going to work out. I asked Nick if it would be okay if we didn't tell anyone until the end of the first trimester. I was a little worried about miscarrying and I was feeling rather fragile in my abilities to handle an expanding family. Nick was worried about what other people would say/think and wasn't feeling strong enough to handle any 'What were you thinking?!' sort of remarks.
So we kept it between ourselves for the last 14 weeks and it has been so good for us. Instead of looking to other people for support and encouragement we've had each other and that is super great.
Ofcourse no one who left a comment let me down. Thanks to everyone for their encouraging 'Congratulations'. I know that I hear them and there's still some apprehension in accepting them, I still kinda wonder if it's going to be all right, so I imagine there are other congratulators who imagine the same thing and I like that I have people to share the journey of relying on God and working through things like this with.
And of course 'Anonymous' you never let me down either. I waited to share this news until I wouldn't be affected by your negativity. It's so funny that I anticipated your comment and knowing myself waited until it wouldn't phase me in the least! I know that I don't need to justify myself or my life to you, but I would just like to state for the record that I have never been on welfare in my adult life and we are not leaving outside of our means now.
Since both of our girls seem to have thought that due dates were ridiculous, I've decided I don't have one for this pregnancy. Ofcourse my doctor and I know differently and will use it to assess when this pregnancy ends. I look forward to announcing the arrival of our bundle in the middle of the Christmas rush! (Sometime in the first half of December).
I found out I was pregnant while we are dealing with that flu that our whole household came down with and shared with some friends as well. When I first started throwing up I thought to myself, 'oy I can't be pregnant!' and when everyone else started puking as well I was sure I was out of the woods. The flu passed and we were all back to our normal selves but things were still a little off for me so I bit the bullet and picked up a HPT. If you've never had a surprise pregnancy it's hard to describe what happens when you see that little line. It's a good thing there's a toilet in the bathroom cuz I needed to sit down right away.
I shared the news with Nick and we decided to just take some time to deal with the shock. If you had stopped by our house in the week after we found out you would have found us both sitting on the couch lost deep in thought trying to figure out when and how this happened. We have been using contraception and really doing our best to make sure we didn't conceive another child until we were ready.
Although it was quite the shock Ialso felt a tremendous amount of peace. Not peace in the sense that I let go of all worry and doubt, but peace in the sense that somehow it's all going to work out. I asked Nick if it would be okay if we didn't tell anyone until the end of the first trimester. I was a little worried about miscarrying and I was feeling rather fragile in my abilities to handle an expanding family. Nick was worried about what other people would say/think and wasn't feeling strong enough to handle any 'What were you thinking?!' sort of remarks.
So we kept it between ourselves for the last 14 weeks and it has been so good for us. Instead of looking to other people for support and encouragement we've had each other and that is super great.
Ofcourse no one who left a comment let me down. Thanks to everyone for their encouraging 'Congratulations'. I know that I hear them and there's still some apprehension in accepting them, I still kinda wonder if it's going to be all right, so I imagine there are other congratulators who imagine the same thing and I like that I have people to share the journey of relying on God and working through things like this with.
And of course 'Anonymous' you never let me down either. I waited to share this news until I wouldn't be affected by your negativity. It's so funny that I anticipated your comment and knowing myself waited until it wouldn't phase me in the least! I know that I don't need to justify myself or my life to you, but I would just like to state for the record that I have never been on welfare in my adult life and we are not leaving outside of our means now.
Since both of our girls seem to have thought that due dates were ridiculous, I've decided I don't have one for this pregnancy. Ofcourse my doctor and I know differently and will use it to assess when this pregnancy ends. I look forward to announcing the arrival of our bundle in the middle of the Christmas rush! (Sometime in the first half of December).
Monday, May 28, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
Outta Here!
This weekend Nick is away in Ottawa. I am trying hard to be angry at that because I really need a break from mommyhood, but I can't be angry at all. Nick works so very hard, way too many hours. Even though his work isn't physically draining it takes a lot out of him emotionally which in my opinion is harder work.
This weekend he is working with this guy , and even though it's technically work it's a total break for him. I know that he'll come home having slept way too few hours and not get a break before he's back into the swing of things here, but he'll look a little rejuvenated and his spirit will be lifted. I am excited that he got to go away as it really is an unexpected opportunity.
While he's gone I had plans to do a zillion things. Things accomplished thus far, 3. I am just so exhausted! Isabella decided not to wear her diaper to her nap, and leave me a nice present on the floor. Not to mention that it's been 30 degrees before humidex here since he left. Tonight the heat broke, (and I was hoping for thundershowers, but got none), but it's only 12 degrees right now. So good.
I think I'll head off to try and get some more of those zillion things done, or eat ice cream.
This weekend he is working with this guy , and even though it's technically work it's a total break for him. I know that he'll come home having slept way too few hours and not get a break before he's back into the swing of things here, but he'll look a little rejuvenated and his spirit will be lifted. I am excited that he got to go away as it really is an unexpected opportunity.
While he's gone I had plans to do a zillion things. Things accomplished thus far, 3. I am just so exhausted! Isabella decided not to wear her diaper to her nap, and leave me a nice present on the floor. Not to mention that it's been 30 degrees before humidex here since he left. Tonight the heat broke, (and I was hoping for thundershowers, but got none), but it's only 12 degrees right now. So good.
I think I'll head off to try and get some more of those zillion things done, or eat ice cream.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
New Occupant
A long time ago, we began a tank journey. I can't recall when I actually started writing posts about it, but this is one of them. It has been quite the journey for us. Our friend Jeff has been helping us through the process and he's such a trooper because it's hard to schedule things with Nick! We are so thankful for him. Last week it was decided things were finally ready! They took some water in to be tested. Apparently there was a dead fish in our tank, which is confusing cuz there haven't been any fish in our tank dead or alive. The fish store guy said there might be something dead in our conch shell. So out it came. Then Nick and Jeff took out water and refilled it a few times and left it a couple days. The water was retested and there is still a level of something, (I think nitrates), that is too high, but we can't find a cause for it as there hasn't been anything alive in there. So Nick and Jeff went out and bought our target fish and put them in there. We're going to wait and watch them for a month and as long as they're okay we'll be adding the fun fish next month!
Our target fish are Battle Sharks. These guys are medium sized. You can see one clearly on the right hand side. Target fish grow to a certain size and all the other fish in the tank will not grow any bigger than the target fish. This means we don't have to worry about our fish outgrowing our tank.
The sharks are a really light grey so it was hard to get a good picture of them as our tank is open on all sides. If there was a background in here you could see them really well, but there's not. There are three sharks in there now.
The sharks are swimming around and getting used to their home. They're a bit skittish right now so they dart away from you when you get close to the glass. It's really fun to have something alive in there finally!
Our target fish are Battle Sharks. These guys are medium sized. You can see one clearly on the right hand side. Target fish grow to a certain size and all the other fish in the tank will not grow any bigger than the target fish. This means we don't have to worry about our fish outgrowing our tank.
The sharks are a really light grey so it was hard to get a good picture of them as our tank is open on all sides. If there was a background in here you could see them really well, but there's not. There are three sharks in there now.
The sharks are swimming around and getting used to their home. They're a bit skittish right now so they dart away from you when you get close to the glass. It's really fun to have something alive in there finally!Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
Made of Moments
Isabella is at this stage where she needs an afternoon nap, but she doesn't like to go to bed in the middle of the day. I make her stay in her room for 2 hours in the afternoon. Sometimes she trashes her room for the entire 2 hours but usually she plays for a bit and then crawls into bed and falls asleep. The other day I went to go and see if she was ready to get out of bed, I found her like this. A girl after my own heart as I really was a bookworm growing up. If she's still asleep at the 2 hour mark I take her baby gate out of her doorway so she can come downstairs when she wakes up. She came down after this nap all disoriented with the book. She didn't say a word just handed it to me and then she walked away. I wonder what that girl dreams?
I have a serious lack of pictures of Brooklyn as of lately. I must get some because she is now sitting on her own, belly crawling faster than I can keep up with and doing this weird back crawling thing that I really need pictures to describe. This is a picture of her the day she cut her two bottom teeth. I think that's what I looked like too.Sunday, May 13, 2007
Not Quite.....
Last week I forgot to wash Isabella's swim suit in time for her to go to lessons. I remembered that she had been given this adorable suit at her baby shower, and pulled it out for her to wear. She will not be able to wear it again. It's a great suit, but my girl doesn't have enough ghetto in her booty. It's a good thing they were swimming with life jackets as the strap that goes through her legs kept the bottoms on. The legs fit great on her thighs, but the back didn't come up high enough and it sagged like she should be carry around a few extra pounds back there. It was so cute, but her other suit suits her so much better.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
It's about time.
This week it was Monday, then I blinked and found it was Saturday. I literally have no idea where the week went. I have lots of weeks that go quickly, but it has been a long time since I lost 5 days. I am not a fan of that feeling. It really bugs me when I think about all the things that are not tucked in my memory bank, or written about somewhere. I wonder how many things I just didn't notice were happening. It's truly bizarre.
Brooklyn cut her first teeth about a week and a half ago. She is getting so big and she is so fun. She is much quieter than Isabella. I think Brooklyn is going to be a bit of an introvert. She is still social and likes to hang out but she is content to just be in the room with you. She is almost sitting on her own, she gets it and then discovers her toes again and head dives into the floor. She is almost crawling, she's rocking and then just falls over her arms instead of moving them forward. She is adorable and getting more so everyday. I took her in for belated 6 month pictures on Saturday and it was a great time.
Isabella is talking a blue streak 24/7. It's fun but man is it loud. She is also potty trained but if she should happen to be wearing a Pull Up she'll go in there as opposed to taking a break to pee in the toilet. We've put the potty top on the actual toilet now so I don't have to rinse poop off of anything. I like it, a lot. Belle truly amazes me everyday in the things she's picking up. She's also in love. In love with our friend Rory. She asks for him at least once an hour and will not be happy until we tell her we're going to see him later in the day or I let her pretend to talk to him on the phone. He was over last night and when I took her up to bed she said a general good night to everyone, and then a special good night to Rory. I can't get over this infatuation.
Nick finished his course and I think he got a high enough mark to not have to go to school ever. again. I like that. He has been working on the workshop in the garage in his spare time and it's going good. Crop nights are set to begin May 18th! It's been quite impressive to watch Nick do this project as it's his first handyman type project. He's helped a lot of other people with their projects, but he's never led one before. The floor looks fabulous, we're just painting and then we'll be laying laminate and then I get to take over to decorate it!
What else have we been up to? Just the usual day to day stuff but man has it been going by fast. I am at a loss for where the days go. I really would like to slow things down a bit. I like being busy and I like having a tonne of things on my plate but this is a different kind of busyness. I don't know that I can explain it any better than to just say it's different.
Brooklyn cut her first teeth about a week and a half ago. She is getting so big and she is so fun. She is much quieter than Isabella. I think Brooklyn is going to be a bit of an introvert. She is still social and likes to hang out but she is content to just be in the room with you. She is almost sitting on her own, she gets it and then discovers her toes again and head dives into the floor. She is almost crawling, she's rocking and then just falls over her arms instead of moving them forward. She is adorable and getting more so everyday. I took her in for belated 6 month pictures on Saturday and it was a great time.
Isabella is talking a blue streak 24/7. It's fun but man is it loud. She is also potty trained but if she should happen to be wearing a Pull Up she'll go in there as opposed to taking a break to pee in the toilet. We've put the potty top on the actual toilet now so I don't have to rinse poop off of anything. I like it, a lot. Belle truly amazes me everyday in the things she's picking up. She's also in love. In love with our friend Rory. She asks for him at least once an hour and will not be happy until we tell her we're going to see him later in the day or I let her pretend to talk to him on the phone. He was over last night and when I took her up to bed she said a general good night to everyone, and then a special good night to Rory. I can't get over this infatuation.
Nick finished his course and I think he got a high enough mark to not have to go to school ever. again. I like that. He has been working on the workshop in the garage in his spare time and it's going good. Crop nights are set to begin May 18th! It's been quite impressive to watch Nick do this project as it's his first handyman type project. He's helped a lot of other people with their projects, but he's never led one before. The floor looks fabulous, we're just painting and then we'll be laying laminate and then I get to take over to decorate it!
What else have we been up to? Just the usual day to day stuff but man has it been going by fast. I am at a loss for where the days go. I really would like to slow things down a bit. I like being busy and I like having a tonne of things on my plate but this is a different kind of busyness. I don't know that I can explain it any better than to just say it's different.
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