Saturday, August 30, 2008

A Way of Distraction

The other day, I was left to myself to find a way not to be lonely and bored. Sitting alone, knowing you are lonely only leaves room for self pity so I left the house in search of distraction. I always seem to find my place in the same place. The Library, Second Cup and then Boomerang Kids.

This time around, I only had to go and pick up a book so I didn't spend too much time looking around. I just found my book, looked to see if they had any used ones on sale that I would enjoy and then left. My next stop was the coffee shop.

I ordered a strawberry lemonade (which I love) and a cinnamon bun (which wasn't wonderful) and I sat down in the air conditioning and read my book.

I was reading a book called Sister of my Heart by a woman named Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. She is an Indian author and her story deals with an Indian family. I love reading books that deal with other cultures and traditions. Not only does it capture my attention, but I feel I am also learning something from it. The story drew me into the lives of the two main characters in such a real way that I did find myself in tears a few times near the end of the story. It is a beautifully written book and although it isn't the happiest ending, it still ends nicely. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves books regarding other cultures. I plan on finding more books written by her since I enjoyed this one so much.

Once I felt that I had finished with my stay at the coffee shop, I headed to the second hand kids store across the street. It is one of the few stores that actually has decent prices and it is all for kids stuff. I have managed to buy a few outfits from there each under $4. That's pretty amazing in Canada. I didn't spend long there because I had been about a week ago and really wasn't in the mood to shop. So, I hopped into my car and drove very slowly to the doctors. Once parked, I walked very slowly until i found a bench and I sat down for an hour and read some more. Books are a great way to escape. I think you have to be careful when you choose to let one suck you in because it can steal you away from more important things.

And so, I didn't succumb to self pity. Instead I picked up a good book and found some nice places to read it. It was a very pleasant day.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Meeting the OB

So, I'm 39 weeks and 2 days and I finally met my OB today.

He seems amazing. I wish I could have had him for my doctor the whole time. He spoke to me about my birth plan and really liked my attitude and he shared some interesting facts with me.

1) I should be telling people my due date is the 10th of September because the average timing for a first baby is 8 days late
2) Pain is a word that one should not use to describe labour because in Canada we only have to reactions to it and they are both bad. We should look at labour in a positive way and use it to our benefit. Believe it or not, I totally get what he was saying and agree 100%.
3) (I like this one the most) Apparently, red heads labour quicker than others. So, I might just happen to fit into the trends that have been noticed and have a faster labour than most... we shall see. He told me not to hold him to that but that is what he and his colleagues have found.

Matty is happy and sounding healthy. He is NOT fully engaged. The other doctor was mistaken but he is beginning to lower himself into the pelvis... one step back. Oh well, I just have to hang in there a little while longer. And hey, if I DO go into labour any time this weekend I will definitely get my OB since he is on duty the whole weekend. Oh, wouldn't that be nice!!!

A Successful New Recipe

Yesterday I was in the mood to do very little. However, I still had a husband coming home from a long days work and knew I should get dinner started. I didn't realize how labour intensive this meal was going to turn out to be but once we both tasted it, we agreed it was worth it. And, in the end, I felt better that I had accomplished SOMETHING during the day.

I didn't think to take a picture of the meal... It probably wouldn't have looked the prettiest anyways because I'm not terribly good at that sort of thing. So here is a picture of the cookbook I used (Grace, you should recognize it).


The name of the dish is "Tiny Meatballs with Tomato Sauce (p. 66)". Obviously it is exactly what they have named it. I made a few changes to the recipe because I don't like lamb so I used beef and I didn't have shallots so I used green onions. I also made the meatballs bigger than they said but they were a bit crumbly so I will make them smaller the next time. Something that made this recipe so good was that it used fruit. Lemon juice and orange rind as well as fresh mint in the meatballs and you make you own tomato sauce.

I served it over rice, had a fresh bun with it ( I also made the buns but not the same day) and prepared a green salad.

Once Dave and I bit into it we both agreed on how good it was and my hard work was not in vain. I really would have been a crank if it didn't turn out. As it was, Dave was walking on egg shells when he first got home. Poor guy. Sorry my love.

Most of the meals I am making (or have made) this week are from this cookbook. They are nice looking dishes without being too complicated. I bought this cookbook for Grace and Justin's wedding and when I visited, I was looking through it and became lustful of it. So, when I came home, I went on a search for another copy. Months later, I found a copy.

If anyone is interested in the actual recipe, let me know and I will type it out. I don't want to type it all out if no one really cares to see it :)

As for my day today... I have made pizza crust and a pizza for dinner tonight ( I am really loving the bread maker these days) and I visited with Ness and her friend Kate (with her month old baby Luka who is so cute) and I will be heading to the library in a few minutes to get one of the books I ordered and then off to the doctors (Run on sentence, I know). I will actually meet my OB today so that should be good. He might be able to inform me of what the approximate size of my son might be. Then, I will relax and read my book. My back has been terribly sore the past few days so I will likely lie nicely on the couch or the bed with a nice drink and escape into the world of my book (I might post about the book later because I am REALLY enjoying it).

That's it for now.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Feeling Weary

I woke up this morning and just felt sad. Not because of any given situation so much as I am tired. I want to meet this baby. I want to be out of the house or have something to do so I am not just sitting here asking Matthew ( as I have been doing several times this morning alone) to please come out.

I woke and thought I should sing a verse of a psalm I think greets the day well:

"This is the Day the Lord has made.
Let us be glad and sing.
Hosanna Lord, O give success. O Lord, Salvation bring."

I had hoped it would give my day a good beginning. Unfortunately, the tears have begun and they continue to fall.

Then, another psalm came to mind and I sang the verse that fit.

" Lord let my prayer prevail.
To answer it make speed.
My spirit quite doth fail.
Hide not thy face in need.
Lest I be like to those that do in darkness sit
or him that downward goes to share the dreadful pit."


The Lord is good to put these verses into my mind. I am so thankful that we sing Gods word in church. He plants them in my mind when I need them. I understand why we are to read and read and read scripture. This is how he speaks to us.

My tears are still coming and I am still feeling so helpless. "Lord, bring this baby today." His timing is perfect and I do have to remember that this should be a joyful time. I WILL meet my baby and not in a terribly long time. He will come into this world but he just might end up needing a little help. I'm just feeling impatient and tired and lonely during the day. I can't sit comfortably, stand comfortably, lie comfortably... even breathing is hard at times.

Ness is going to join me on an outing to the dollar store later. I just need to get out. God willing I can be distracted for the next while until God decides Matty is ready to come. I even got on my hands and knees yesterday and scrubbed the floors of my apartment in hopes that he would come. It made me contract a few times but then they subsided and he remains very cozy in his little residence.

Please pray that I can rely on God for his timing.

People look and me and say: Wow, you're ready to explode" and boy do I ever know that. I feel like I couldn't possibly grow anymore or gain any more stretch marks yet I continue to find I have fewer and fewer clothes I can put on in the morning. I am actually resorting to wearing Dave's shirts because they actually cover my big belly. Sure makes you feel beautiful ( ha!).

Anyways, off to be distracted by my best friend and her sewing projects.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Things In my Hospital Bag

I started packing for the hospital several weeks ago. They say you should be packed and ready to go by 37 weeks and so I was. I like to be prepared.

Here are the things in MY bag:

*hot water bottle (could be helpful with a sore back)
*slippers (for pacing up and down the hallways)
*a loose shirt to labour in
*a loose dress to labour in since I have no nightie or housecoat
*a loose pair of clothes to leave the hospital in (joggers...)
*bathing suit (I hope I can labour in a pool)
*towel
*sweater
*pajamas
*nursing bra (x2)
*nursing pads
*sanitary pads
*headband and elastic
*cloth (for what they call the burning ring of fire)
*deodorant
*toothbrush and toothpaste
*body wash
*Tylenol
*shampoo and conditioner
*moisturizer
*pillow
*camera/video recorder
*medical records
*MP3 player
*book
*lip balm

I have also packed the diaper bag with some things for Matty.

*some wipes and diapers (I'm pretty sure the hospital provides this while I'm there though)
*booties
*socks
*hat
*2 sleepers (one specifically for coming home)
*sweater
*Vaseline (for the baby's bum and the initial poos that are apparently horribly sticky and black)
*several receiving blanket
*breastfeeding canvas
*soother (although I hope not to use it)

And finally, I have a bag of snacks that is partially packed. It contains:

*Gatorade (apparently great for labouring with an epidural since you can't eat)
*trail mix
*granola bars
*mints
*banana muffins ( haven't yet been packed since they are in the freezer)

Can anyone think of anything else I should have? I'm sure I haven't thought of everything.

Monday, August 25, 2008

A Cottage Weekend and Another Monday

This weekend was a very lovely time. Many of the young adults from church went to the Prince's cottage and enjoyed a VERY relaxing weekend. We swam in the lake (so nice and made me feel so light), games, snacks, food and little sleep.

Driving down Friday, I went with my sister and two of her four children. We made it there with few issues on where we were going and settled in right away. There was a game played (outburst) and we women won by a very LONG shot. Then, by 1:00 we were off to bed.

After a terrible sleep on my part, I woke on Saturday to pancakes and bacon. YUM! Then, I went back to bed. I slept for another two hours before I was ready to open my eyes and face the day. A swim followed and it was gorgeous. The water was cold enough to refresh but warm enough to brave and get in. Lunch, dinner and more games and then we had a fire. We made some smores (believe it or not I did not over do it. I had two and was ready to go inside because of the bugs). Then, we watched a movie. It was not the best choice but there were parts that were certainly laugh out loud. Then the women folk went to bed. The men stayed up and played a game a came to bed a few hours later.

Sunday, we all woke at various times and ate various foods. It was the men who all awoke after the women. Some swam, some relaxed on the couches and some sat out on the screened in porch. A game was played and snacks were served.
Here's Isaiah beginning to climb Mount Matty.

Oh, He's getting closer to the top.

He's made it to the top of Mount Matty!!!

There were so many snacks that no one wanted lunch. We left at around 2:20 and got home in time to have a bite to eat and a bit of a relaxation time and then it was off to church. An early bed time was also in place. Dave and I were both in bed and ready to sleep at 9:30. Very odd for Dave especially. I had my regular wake ups but still managed to sleep quite well.

Today is laundry day. I've stripped the bed, made the bed, washed a bunch of laundry and will be doing an overall tidy today. Matty is still happy in the womb and shows no signs of coming soon. 39 weeks tomorrow and counting. He keeps getting bigger and I keep getting more uncomfortable. Oh well, the longest he can stay in there is another 3 weeks. Lets hope he decides to come sooner than that.

Friday, August 22, 2008

My Handmade Projects

(please forgive the very bad layout of this post. I can't seem to get the program to put the pictures closer together without changing where all the writing is.)

I have days where nothing will satisfy me except to create something. Unfortunately, it isn't quenched by creating a delicious meal. It's usually got to be an artistic creation using my fingers and hands. Here are some of the projects I have done up to now or am working on at this very moment.

My very first project was one with a needle and thread. They're Christmas tree ornaments. These were given as gifts to many people last year. I tried selling them at a craft fair too. Unfortunately, they didn't sell.









Next is my mobile. It is not meant for children since it is highly dangerous with the sharp wire. They are made from old cards, tin foil and glue.











Next, I started knitting baby blankets. This one is using two different wools and the basket weave. It is my most recent finished project and will be a Matty blanket.










Here are my favourites. They will be gifts for my nieces and nephews this Christmas. They are stuffed animals made from socks or gloves. My favourite of all of them is the blue and white dog.










A friend of mine, Elaine, taught me how to make a special border on a project. So I wouldn't forget, I practiced it with cotton yarn and have begun making another baby blanket for someone who is expecting a baby girl in November.









And last but most exciting for me, a baby sweater. I have never knit anything other than straight lines. I've made baby blankets, big blankets, scarves... but, something with pieces I have not yet done. So, this is the beginning of my baby sweater. It is meant to fit a 1 year old. I hope I am successful.







I also enjoy creating scrap pages and doing origami but I didn't bother taking picture of any of those projects. I CAN'T draw or paint or invent truly beautiful display pieces but I do enjoy the projects that I have come up with (or copied) for gifts. I always feel so satisfied when a project is finished successfully. I hope to have a picture of the sweater when it is finished. I'll be sure to post it.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Perfect Timing

Here is a prayer I found in a book that was given to me for Matthew's baby shower. The book is called, Powerful Prayers for your Baby. I thought it fit exactly how I am feeling these days, even though Matty isn't late, it still is hard to wait.

Dear Lord, I’m counting the days and the pounds and the centimeters and the Braxton Hicks and the new folded sleepers- but the real countdown never comes. When will it come, Lord? Every morning I wake up praying that this is the day. I’m counting the bumps (Baby must have fourteen elbows). I’m counting the last time I saw my toes.

Everyone tells me, “baby will come when he’s ready.” But I’m ready, Lord. My restless mind wanders through your word. You say,… “warn those who are idle” (baby’s been quiet lately), “encourage the timid” (is he afraid to face the world?), “help the weak” (maybe he’s just not strong enough yet), “be patient with everyone” (even babies who are late?) (1 Thess. 5:14).

Okay, Lord. I know the apostle Paul didn’t have babies in mind. But he might have if he’d ever been pregnant.

Let me hear from you today (I’m so pregnant). Your word says that a wise woman doesn’t fret but waits on Your timing with patience (Ps. 3:8). Help me, Lord, to stop counting. Help me to be at ease and to give You time to work.

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (Ps. 27:13).

Lord, I’ll wait for you. Give me grace to wait. Renew my strength in these days (Isaiah 40:31). I’m confident in Your goodness, and I know I’ll see it soon (Ps. 27:13)

Oh, let it be soon! Amen

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

He's Engaged!

No, no one is getting married. Just, my little Matty's head is finally engaged. Apparently, a babies head should engage in the pelvis at around 37 or 38 weeks but it can occur sooner. It appears my boy is right on time. Unfortunately, it means nothing regarding the start of labour. Some babies don't even engage until labour begins... too bad. I came right home from my doctors appoitment to research the meaning of an engaged head only to find it's not really a big deal. It does mean, however, that my pelvis isn't a funny shape.

The baby center (http://www.babycentre.co.uk) says there are some reasons for an un-engaged head:

If you are very sporty and have well-toned abdominal muscles this may mean that your tummy is held in tighter, which changes the angle of the baby's body and presenting part to the pelvic brim. In this position it is harder for your baby to engage in the pelvis. To encourage your baby's head to engage you need to relax your tummy muscles and "dangle your belly" out at the front.

• If you spend a lot of time sitting down at work, in a car, or in soft easy chairs to watch TV, your baby is likely to be lying in a posterior position - that is with its back to your back. In this position it is harder for your baby to enter your pelvis. This baby position is not the best position for an efficient labour, partly because the presenting part remains high for so long. Take care to sit leaning forward whenever you sit down, with your knees below your hips, which will help your baby turn its back towards your front and to move down. A kneeling chair is ideal for this.

• If you have had several babies before, your tummy muscles may be loose, which makes it easy for the baby to move and change position a lot. Sometimes your baby may not lie up and down (longitudinal), but across your tummy (transverse) or at an angle (oblique). Positions like these make it less likely that your baby will engage in the pelvis before the start of labour.

• Your baby may be a large one, in which case it may not descend into the pelvis until contractions start.

• The shape of your pelvis may also be relevant. Sometimes the pelvic inlet is narrow. In these cases it may take a long time for the baby's presenting part to enter the pelvis, but once it is in, birth is usually rapid, because the pelvic outlet in these cases tends to be roomy.

An engaged baby really does feel different. It's harder to bend over (which was already interesting) and walking feels a bit odd and you really feel pulled down even more than before. Don't even mention the urges to pee... that much stronger.

Anyways, my daily prayer is that God would send Matthew into the world safely the very day I pray it if it is his will. It wasn't his will yesterday but maybe it will be today? :)

Friday, August 15, 2008

Blessings

In life, at least in mine, I have found that although I have known many people and made many acquaintances, God has blessed me with only a few people who are truly bosom friends as Anne Shirley would say. People who love me for me and who pray for me, laugh with me, comfort me, help grow me. They're people who are in my life every day, encouraging me and helping me see how great God is. I felt that it would be fitting to introduce them to you briefly since they're likely to be mentioned quite often in my posts.

Let me begin with my husband, Dave.

He is my treasure from God. He is so amazing. I could never have imagined myself with a man as wonderful as him. He helps lead me, he provides for me and has made it possible for me to be a homemaker and a mom. We are both so excited to begin the journey as parents together. We laugh together, we play together and we enjoy each other in every way. We confide in one another. We share our fears and troubles as well as just simply talking about our days. It is a comfort to me just knowing he is lying down beside me in bed. He is so loving and wonderful that I have to remind myself that God is always to come first, and then my husband. I look forward to growing old with my Dave.

Next, my sister, Johannah (Jo). I don't know how many people are as blessed as I am to have a sister who they can call their best friend. My sister has always been that to me. We rarely ever fought, we enjoy each others company and we always make each other laugh. We used to share a bed because we liked being near to one another. We would talk before going to sleep (my sister had a way of getting me to talk so that she could fall asleep) or we would even play very imaginative games that she usually made up ('draw the person and guess who it is' or 'guess what I'm writing on your back'). She made me go for adventures and I am thankful she did because I used to be a bit of a lazy bones. She made sure I got my activities in. Now, she and I confide in each other with our struggles and our sins. We may live in different places but never far enough away that we can't still have sleep overs and wonderful fellowship time with each other.
This is her beautiful family. From left to right we have: Caelah (most disappointed that I am not having a baby girl), Elijah ( who loves his thumb and his ears), Jo and Aidan ( a beautiful couple), Gabriel (whose favourite word at the moment is 'NO!') and last but not least, Isaiah ( a very contented little baby). This family is like home to Dave and I. When we want to do something but don't know what, we go to the Van Dyk's. If I want a snuggle, I grab any one of their 4 children and they all give a good snuggle or 'nuggle' as Gabriel would say. God has blessed Jo with such a wonderful family that has in turn blessed Dave and I.

Then there is Vanessa or Ness.
God sent this amazing woman to me in university. I was about to live out my career as a university student the same way I did with high school: go, learn, get home as fast as possible; just finish and move on with life. Then along came Vanessa. She brought back joy to my life as a student, Christian woman and showed me friendship that I had been so long without. She taught me, without knowing it, how to let people into my heart again. If you don't, do you truly love? She brought me out of a very deep and lonely pit and I praise God for her. Since then, she and I have been the best of friends. We laugh together, shop together, cry together and confess our difficulties to one another. And, she lives in the apartment above me. If I'm bored or lonely I just have to walk up the stairs and I am alwasy welcomed with a big smile.
From left to right: Cory (Vanessa's husband and my brother in law), Vanessa, Dave and Me.
Here's my nephew Henry(Vanessa and Cory's first). I stole the picture from his grandmas blog. I hope you don't mind Nikki.

I also have Grace.
She and I grew up together and were the closest of cousins. We played together and as we grew in our faith, we shared our struggles and disappointments. The Lord really used her in my life during the really rough years of high school. We both seemed to be struggling with life as a Christian in a school where people didn't seem to know you existed... or if they knew you were there, they tended to take advantage of you rather than truly care about you. She was a constant comfort to me with encouraging words and loving comments. Even now, though we are far apart, we are able to talk and share.

Finally, Karin.
From left to right: Karin, Vanessa, Me and Jo ( Karin is pregnant in this picture but at this point her baby, Elyssa is actually 9 months old now).

Here's Elyssa.Many of the clothes you see, Karin made herself.

Karin is one of those friends who is always there. She has a good answer for all your struggles and questions and always seems prepared. She is always up for an outing (Upper Canada village, Montreal or just a hang out day) and she always seems to know how to get places. She's never lost. She makes me feel comfortable when she is around. Like... nothing bad could happen because if I felt worried or uptight, I could just turn to her and talk and it would all go away. She is incredibly considerate and always seems to know when her, performing a simple task, will make your day.

As I type up all of these words about these friends and their families that God has blessed me with, it seems like I have the most friends in the world. Who would need more? These people who are listed are some of the greatest blessings to me. To the world, they might think I have so few friends and that would make me unpopular. I have come to see, over many years of struggle and loneliness that even being blessed with one person is enough. And here God has given me FIVE amazing people and their families. God is the only one that we need but I am thankful that he has put these amazing people in my life. They will be in my life until I am no longer living and even then, they will be with me. I look forward to seeing who else God might bring into my life.

Thank you, Lord, for your many blessings.

Back To Reality

We are back from our wonderful get-away where we had beautiful weather and a wonderful, relaxing time to real life (really terrible weather and work- I'm typing this while rain and chunks of HAIL are smashing to the ground and making quite the sound and I've just finished cleaning half the house).

This is the rain. It's a blurry picture because my camera isn't very good AND the rain is coming down REALLY hard.

Here you can see the hail. It's the round white stuff all over the wood.

Calabogie had perfect weather. It was sunny and warm and not a single drop of rain. We spent the majority of our vacation doing nothing and that's the way we wanted it. It is so nice to see my husband sitting or lying down relaxing or napping. Something he rarely does. He was so relaxed and happy and so was I.

This is the Dickson Manor where we stayed. It is fairly new and thus looks it. I was standing in the golf course when I took this picture.

This is our quaint little balcony. We enjoyed some reading on it.


This was the view from our balcony. A nice little pond with an island.

The activities that we did enjoy were swimming (this feels wonderful on my big pregnant body), the hot tub (which my husband really enjoys) , reading in various locations and a walk to the lake.

This is the lake that you can swim in. There is a beach a little farther down but we didn't go to the beach.

Some may be thinking, "You went away and you didn't do anything?" but try and imagine mountain biking, playing tennis or even a hike in the hills while you weigh a lot more than normal and you are front heavy. Dave and I would both enjoy going back again. Maybe the next time I wont have such a large belly. The mountain biking sounded like a lot of fun.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

A Pre- Baby Getaway

Dave and I have been wanting to go away on a romantic few days for quite some times. We threw around the ideas and the dates but they never seemed to come together. First it was Kingston and I think it was suppose to happen last month. Then it was a nice camping trip but the weather has been so bad... Dave's type of work always means last minute changes.

On Sunday, we were speaking to a friend and she mentioned that she had stayed at a resort in Calabogie. I've never been there and neither has Dave but she was raving about how wonderful it is. So, yesterday I set to work on finding prices and availability and last minute, booked us a room for two nights. The room has a king sized bed and we even got a room with a balcony. apparently it looks out onto a forest or a lake. Sounds nice to me.

Here is a picture of a standard room without the balcony.

Here is the floor plan to the one with the balcony. I think it's the same exact room but with a balcony that we can comfortably sit on and even eat on.

We leave today at some point. The check in time is at 4:00 and Dave had to go and fix a problem at work before we can leave. So, once he gets home, I think we will set out on our romantic getaway. Take a bit of a tour around Calabogie, go swimming in the indoor pool, lounge in the outdoor hot tub, eat... I can't wait.

Today I was having more contractions. I actually came home after getting my allergy shot and had to lie down. I fell asleep and when I woke to the phone ringing the cramps were gone. I'm actually hoping the baby doesn't come until we are home again. I really want to go and enjoy myself without worrying that we will have to rush back into Ottawa to have our babe. I have a feeling he isn't ready to come out yet anyways.

I'll be sure to take many pictures and tell you all about it when we're back. Friday we both have appointments we have to be home for so it works out that we go during the week. It's cheaper too!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Do I Have To?

I don't know about any of you but when I am in my house, doing my house work there are always a few things that I just never want to do. I've thought about it and it's not because I don't like doing them... I just always put off doing them. It's like my brain and body are resisting like these few jobs are going to wear me right out. Unfortunately, its these little jobs that tend to make a difference between a nice clean and tidy home versus just clean but not nice and tidy.

The first of these jobs is making our bed. My entire childhood up until marriage I always made my bed. I woke up, made my bed and then began my day. It was never a big deal and I never even thought about it. I just did it. Now, I look at the unmade bed and think, "Is it really necessary?"


Next are the dishes. I used to dread washing the dishes. Suddenly, I really don't mind washing them, it's putting them away. They can sit in the dish rack, nice and clean, for days until I can no longer pile ANYTHING else on top.


Then we have sweeping. For some strange reason, the idea of pushing the broom around to collect dust and crumbs really makes me moan. I look at the broom, I glance and the floor and usually say, " I'll do it tomorrow, it doesn't look that bad right now." Of course, by t he time it does get done, it was in desperate need of it several days ago.

Finally, we have the laundry. I have no problems washing clothes. That's easy. I absolutely hate to fold them and put them away, however. I try not to use our dryer since it's expensive so our clothes can sit on the drying rack for several days before I get a move on and take them down.

All of these tasks are small and take very little time yet for some odd reason I tend to push them aside for as long as I possibly can thus never fully relaxing. The silly things we do.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Saturday

I got a lot accomplished this Saturday. It was a nice and busy day. The kind that makes me feel like I have actually done what I should be doing while I am a home maker. Let's see if i can remember all that I accomplished or did two days ago.

My day began with waking up and eating breakfast. I then set to work immediately on making treats for my sisters birthday party. She requested that we all make a sweet and savory hors d'oeuvre that we have always wanted to make. Seeing as how I am not so much a foody yet , I didn't have any idea what to make. Online I hopped and found what I thought was the perfect savory food: cheese biscuits with ham. They were suppose to be circular but I had a flower cookie cutter and thought that it would be so cute to have little flower sandwiches so thats what I did.
This is the dough rolled and being cut.
I then lay them out on a baking sheet to bake for a short time.
This is them nice and golden brown once they were fully baked.
Then I spread honey mustard and a piece of black forest ham inside and placed them on my flower plate.

It's rare that I enjoy cooking as much as I did making these little biscuit sandwiches. I also made my sweet recipe which was called Peanut Fingers. Made of a yummy peanut butter cookie base, chocolate melted on top and then a peanut butter icing drizzled on top. They were a success as well.

Once my baking was complete, I set to work on the task I have been wanting to do but dreading at the same time; the dreaded hall closet. Here are some of my before pictures of the absolute disaster that awaited me.
As you can see we have boxes, shoes, coats...
If I was looking for a pair of shoes, I often only found one.
And anything I wanted out of the way was just thrown into any available space.

So, I set to work. I began by taking everything I could find and literally chucking it out into the hallway. Once the closet was empty, I dusted all the shelves and vacuumed the miserable carpet that is inside. Once that was complete, I place all of the shoes together on the shelves and even managed to get rid of some of the shoes that I never wear. I arranged all our jackets on hangers and put all out winter attire into a hanging basket thing. Now we should be able find our mitts and hats when it gets cold. A lot of what was in the closet was only in there because I wanted to get rid of them. So, they are now in the hallway in respective boxes to be given away or thrown out.

Here is the finished product:
Here are our jackets and winter things and a nice decorative garland from our wedding (I didnt know what else to do with it).
Here are the shoes all paired up and even with their like colours.

And here we have where all the junk was piled. Now it's the home of our vacuum.

I have to admit that this task took me a very LONG time. It was a complete disaster and I really hope i never let it get that bad again. Once it was done, i was sneezing up a storm from all the dust had been around and was very happy to have a shower. Then, it was off the my sisters house to celebrate her birthday with her girlfriends.

It was a beautiful evening. We sat outside in a screened in porch with yummy food and candle light and pillows. We listened to music and simply enjoyed being together. It was a really nice birthday.

Here are the peanut butter fingers that I made along with some of the other delicious food.

Here are some cookies that Elaine made that you could put a candle behind and it was like stained glass.

After several hours, it was time to call it a night and we all made our way home thus ending a very busy but beautiful and productive Saturday. Happy Birthday Jo!!!

Saturday, August 9, 2008

A Late Night Project And A Dreary Day

Dave did several wonderful thing for me the other night. First, we went out together to take a look at strollers. His parents have offered to buy us a stroller so we wanted to make sure we chose the perfect one. Now, they bought BOB strollers for the other two children who had babies but I really wanted something that would still be good for when we have two children (Lord willing). So, Karin told me about a stroller called the Phil and Ted.

The great thing about this stroller is that it is a single stroller and it is great for jogging and the front wheel swivels... it's light, it folds nicely and it's thin. Once you have a second child, you can buy an attachment for a second child. Your newborn can go into the stroller without a carseat while your older child has three different places their seat can attach to the stroller. It looks like a fabulous stroller and we look forward to using it.

After that, we went to Dave's job to pick up his trailer and pick up all his tools. Once we finished that, we went and got a drink from Bridgehead. Dave got a coffee and I got one of their new ice drinks, a mochaccino crush. It's similar to a cappuccino ice from Tim Hortons but much better and made from real coffee. I really enjoyed it even though I normally HATE coffee.

We arrived home at around 9:15 pm and Dave helped me change our room around for the baby. We had the crib set up right in with because Dave wanted to keep one of his desks. While we were talking the night before, we decided that it would be good for the baby to be away from us so that if he sees us, he wont really wake up and fuss. So, Dave quickly took apart his drafting table and helped me move the crib around and make our new "baby room". Now, just moving the bed wasn't enough for me. I wanted to move everything around. Dave was heading out for a drink with his brother so while he was out I was using the energy given to me by the caffeine to move dressers and what not. It was a very heavy task but I felt it was very rewarding.

Once this was complete, it was around 11:30. I got into bed and didn't fall asleep until 2:30 am. It turns out moving all of that furniture didn't do the trick of using up all of the caffeine energy. I then woke up at around 4:30 to pee and slept through my 7:15 am alarm. I was awake for the day at 7:30. Needless to say, I was pooped.

I went with Dave for the morning to St. Laurent shopping center to wait for his truck to get fixed. While we were there I was in non stop pain in my stomach. It was like period cramps except they didn't stop. It was just a constant pain. I tried to ignore it until I spoke to Dave's mom who told me I should call the nurse and see what they said. The nurse told me to call Triage and they asked me to come in. So, after waiting from 10:00-2:45, we went to the hospital to find out if Matty and I were OK. We waited 30 minutes for a room, then we waited another 20 minutes for the nurse to come in the room. Then I was put on the monitor to see if I was having contractions and how Matthews heart rate was for another 20 minutes. When they came back in, it showed that I had had 2 contractions but very spread out and that Matty was very happy. The nurse was ready to let us go but the doctor had to see me first. We waited forever for the doctor, he finally came and told me that he thought it was odd to have constant pain and he would like to take a look inside to see if there were any cuts or anything. he didn't show up again for an hour. Meanwhile, I was still in pain but Matthew was just fine. When the clock said 6:15 we decided we were just going to leave. I got dressed and as we stood to leave the nurse came in and said the doctor was coming. He did come about 2 minutes later and we asked him if there really was anything to worry about since the baby was happy... 10 minutes later he let us leave. He just warned me to come back if I saw any blood.

So, on the day where I had very little sleep and had intended on baking and cleaning and napping, I was playing a waiting game with my husband from 10 am until 6:30 pm. We both felt like the day was pretty terrible but we were happy that we got to spend it together. Every cloud has a silver lining, right?

I woke up this morning after not having woke up all night (sweet! I was obviously tired) and the pain is gone. I am thinking I did a little too much the other night and my body wasn't too impressed. Hopefully the next time it wont be a false alarm and we will have a real labour and a baby to follow.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Doctors

Growing up, I always had a fear of doctors. Not the person so much as the knowledge the person had. You see, I didn't like going to the doctors because I was always afraid they were going to tell me that there was something wrong with my health. Now, I never went to the doctors unless I was sick so of course a doctor is going to tell me there is something wrong. My fear rested more in the idea that he/she might tell me I was going to die of some strange ailment. I see now that my fear was quite ridiculous because if I were sick, the doctor would likely be able to give me help.

I experienced this just yesterday at my 36 week appointment. I explained to the doctor the pain that I was experiencing. She told me that I would just have to hang in there and that ti might last right up until the baby is delivered. I was not too pleased with this diagnosis but what could I do. My doctor then went to her supervisor to explain things and ask for some advice. Her supervisor came in, talked to me and said, and these are her exact words: " Well, we can do something about THAT!" with a big smile on her face. She the proceeded to write me a prescription which I went to pick up right away. Already, not even a full day after, I am feeling so much better. If I had remained afraid of the doctor and said nothing, I would still be in pain.

That same visit, I had to meet with the nurse first. She weighed me ( I lost two pounds) and took my blood pressure. After that, she asked me when I was due. When I told her September first she looked and me and said, " I think you might have it even earlier than that." How exciting! Now, the nurse isn't God and can't chose the date of my baby's birth but she noticed how low I am carrying and I guess in her experience it means the baby will come a bit early. Matthews head is in a good position but I was told he was not yet engaged. I can't wait to meet with the OB next week.

Anyways, all this to say that I am no longer afraid of doctors. God has blessed many people with the ability to practice medicine and so we are blessed through their knowledge and skill.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Things To Do Before Matty Comes

No matter how clean a house is, when you know a precious baby will be coming home to live in it, you seem to find a million things that NEED to be done before you feel the house is ready for it's arrival. A while ago I wrote out a list of things that I felt needed to be done and since then I have accomplished some of them. Others, I want to accomplish but have to wait until my body will allow me too.

Here's my list. The items in a different colour are the ones that I have already finished.

1. Clean the hall closet
2. scrub bedroom carpet
3. pack hospital bag
4. tidy my desk
5. clean the kitchen drawers
6. clean the car
7. buy a car seat
8. clean the windows
9. put the crib together
10. wash new dishes
11. drop off give away bags to second hand store
12. clean the laundry room (Dave's job)
13. disinfect the garbage can in the kitchen
14. take bottles to beer store (Dave's job)
15. Organize corner kitchen cupboard
16. clean the fridge
17. hang pictures
18. do some baking and cooking to freeze

As you can see, I have managed to do some things and others have been started but can't be completed just yet. some of them I really don't want to do alone. You know how you can feel motivated a little more when you have a friend or family member over? Maybe that's just me wanting an excuse. When true nesting comes into play, excuses will not be needed.

Anyways, I think it is time I try to have a nap. Sleep comes easily to me during the day.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Farewell For Now

For the past week, a friend of mine, Helen, has been in town visiting all her Canadian friends. I met her about 4 years ago when she came to the University of Ottawa to study for 6 months. Since then, she has been back three times but not always long enough for a visit. This time around, I was fortunate to see her 4 times. The final time was yesterday. I invited some old and new friends over to my place and we had a farewell lunch for Helen before I drove her to her bus.

Initially I was really worried because it looked like no one was planning on coming. No replies or negative replies. Thankfully, however, Helen made some further invites that I was unaware of and our turn out was very successful. I kept it simple and bought the lasagnas, made a broccoli salad, cut up some baguette and offered pop and water. Dave was out of town from Saturday to Sunday evening so doing it alone meant keeping it simple.

In this picture we have everyone who was there except Vanessa and Cory who were busy with baby Henry ( Cory) or taking one of the pictures (Vanessa).

Here are all the women folk. Somehow we ended up separated by gender and all the women were at one end of the room and the men on the other.

It was a really nice gathering. I hadn't seen some of these friends for a long time. Others had never been over to visit before. It was just a really nice afternoon. Although I was tired and in pain afterward, it was a worth while experience. Especially to be able to bring all these people together for one last gathering before Helen left to return to Europe.