1 week till D-day

Okay, we are actually only 5 days until the official due date and I sure look the part. I am ready and not ready all at once. Physically I am definitely ready to have this baby out. Mentally I am still happy being just me and not having this little bundle here yet although I am certainly looking forward to meeting him/her.

Here is a picture of todays project. I have 13 more cut out and am in the process of sewing together.


A picture from yesterday showing what a great spotter piglet and I can be. Very jealous of the guys with such great conditions...next year.


And a pic of the feet just because they look like overstuffed sausages.

Day by Day

Nothing too exciting going on in my world. Just getting bigger and bigger. Today is day 9 on the count down of last days of work.

This past weekend the painting crew - ie Andy, Todd, Keith and Sandra finished off the large sections of painting the shop. Now there is just little touch-ups and putting tread back on stairs, etc to do. I didn't do anything but mix paint but was so hot and tired that I barely had energy to even feel guilty.

Sunday evening was capped off with this beautiful view from our back patio.



And because someone wants to see this big belly of mine - a warped side view taken after admiring that beautiful sunset.

Car Seat

Wednesday night Andy & I went shopping for the one neccessity we need in order to bring the piglet home.....yes, there are other needs such as clothes and diapers but they won't let you drive home from the hospital without a proper car seat....so off to the big city we went.

After pulling several different models off the wall, adjust the handles, pulling them in and out of the bases, comparing weights, handle comfort, padding in the seat, etc, etc....we settled on this one.



Strangely enough it is actually the same colour combo as the jogging stroller I have already picked up...something I didn't realize until I got home. Red and black...good for a boy or a girl...

Baby bump photos

Andy and I had a photo session on July 26 to take some photos of what the belly looks like at -7 weeks from due date. It is funny looking at them today, only a week later and it seems like the belly has ballooned since then but then I think the belly looks way smaller in the photos then in real life from what I remember it looking like a week ago so it probably isn't really that much bigger.

I have a whole selection of fun photos from that day. Some with Andy, some without, some of just the belly....I think it is going to be tough to choose the one photo to have blown up as there are several that I like. Here are some of my favs though.

This weekend we went to the lake. Three full days of relaxation. Pure bliss for this waddling girl. We spent Saturday working on choosing baby names. Actually came up with some names we both like - might be getting somewhere. The rest of the weekend we did next to nothing...a boat ride...sitting in the sun...sitting in the shade....going for a swim...man life was tough. Christine and Carson also joined us on Sunday which was so nice as we barely see each other anymore.

Etsy Finds Friday

Ele-friend by
Stephanie Hanson


Train Pants by Stitchgirl52

Fantasy Fat Quarter Swap

Yeah, I just received my fabric swap in the mail. This lovely package arrived just as I was starting to worry that perhaps it wasn't coming. I can't believe the amazing fabrics my partner chose for me. I love every one of them - which I have to admit I was a bit worried about. I can sometime be a bit on the picky side. There were lots of fun little extras in the package too - and a small pack of cookies just when I needed them most.

See what I got!

Thank you Iva.

Now what to do with them.....

Baby Booties

Last night I decided to whip up a little something in case we get the call that Brad and Leese have taken their trip to the hospital. I have been wanting to try making these booties for the longest time and have printed off numerous patterns to try. This pattern seemed the simplest and most straight forward so I figured it was a good place to start. I had picked up a suede jacket at a second hand shop a while back for the grand sum of $1 with these booties in mind.

I am now eager to make a whole bunch more using the suede for the sole and playing around with different fabrics for the top pieces. I think piglet will have to have a pair of all suedes as well. If I get the time I will make a new pair - with revisions - for Brad and Leese's little one and piglet can have the trial pair. I also have to figure out how to upsize the pattern so I can make bigger ones. This pattern says it is good for 0-6 months but I thought some 6-12 month ones would be good as long as the sole is non-slip. Especially for just around the house as indoor slippers that don't slip off :)

Shop in progress

This past weekend was satisfying and enjoyable but extremely tiring. We have started the process of painting the shop. We had hoped that with a large work party we would get it done in a weekend (as we had the house) but alas that was not the case. It looks like it is going to take a whole weekend again of painting to finish it up. The upside is that we can see how great it is going to look when done. A huge improvement upon the dreary grey it was.

I spent the weekend preparing meals, mixing paint (we had to darken the paint - good lesson to learn - always paint a large chunk before ordering up an entire house worth of paint - we added 1.5 cups of black stain to every gallon of green stain) and painting what I could manage. Emotionally I was a bucket of guilt - going between feeling like I wasn't working hard enough and doing my share to feeling like I shouldn't be doing any of the painting as it could be hurting piglet. Grrrrr... don't like it at all....but piglet has been kicking up a storm the last two days so I can't have done too much damage...I think...I hope..poor kid...such a naughty momma.

So here are some before and afters...what do you think?


The Dreary Grey


Bold and Beautiful Green

I am in the process of prime and painting the shutters to go on the upper windows - they will be cloud white - very cute - just loving it!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Keith, Sandra, Krista, Darren, Carla and Todd for all the numerous hard hours of painting you put in..I only hope I can repay it someday.

Renting Mother Nature

Rent Mother Nature
This is one of those funny little things that you stumble upon in life and think...what a brilliant idea. There is increasingly becoming the need for farmers to become creative in the way they sell their items in order to be even slightly profitable...or even to be able to keep their farms going. Many are sharing memberships to their farms and each member gets a share in the produce but this is only good for farms that have an array of products or huge memberships for a single type crop.
Around here it seems the best option is to sell at the farmers market and perhaps farm gate sales but you also have a huge increase in insurance costs if someone is buying anything from you and if anyone is stepping on your property. You have to sell a fair amount in order to make it worth while.
Organic products are increasing in demand but the time and cost to become certified are not the easiest.
This is a great idea in that it expands the market - it is a gift item rather then a take home to be consumed item. It is value added in that the actual food item is worth only a portion of the total package. And it is fun and different. If it came from a Canadian company I think everyone would be getting something from them for their next Christmas or Birthday present.

Tarts, tarts and more tarts

Saturday morning was an assembly line of tart making. 125 lemon with fresh raspberries and 125 pumpkin to be exact. Made and delivered by 1 pm for a Saturday evening outdoor wedding.

Three double batches of lemon filling (the type you would find in a lemon meringue pie - yummy). Each tart had 3 fresh raspberries to top them off.

Boxes of lemon tarts ready to go.

Pumpkin tarts cooling down, more ready to go in the background and empty tarts waiting in boxes to be filled.

After deliverying tarts Andy and I went up to Honeymoon Bay to relax for the remainder of the weekend......ahhhh bliss.

Weekend projects

This weekend the boys decided to remove the chimney and work on finishing the siding on the shop so we would be ready for painting weekend. They had a little incident with a chimney that ran away from them and ended up landing an inch - no joking - away from Todd's 1960's chevelle which he had just insured that very morning. I was inside the shop when the crash occurred.

And this is what I was doing.....shutter making in progress. I have cut all the boards to make shutters for 6 windows on the shop. We are going to pre-paint then so we can throw them up after we paint the shop. Very exciting! I also cut some of the scraps into bird houses as we went to Andy's grandparents wedding anniversary party last night and needed a little something to take with us. I'll have to take a pic of one of the birdhouses sometime soon.

Piglet's change table

I stumbled across this change table at a second hand shop. I was going to buy one of those nice change tables that look like a dresser after the little one graduates from diapers but when I saw this little gem my mind went to...hmmm...$30 dollars and a little paint job or $380 and it still might not match the bedframe quite right. So what does someone like me do..you guessed it...and I think with a little paint she looks quite nice.

The before shot


And the after

Mosquitos are swell

Or should I say when one is pregnant and gets bitten by a mosquito one swells. This is a tame version what my mosquito bites looked like on my feet after our trip to the lake on the long weekend. I don't recall every reacting to mosquito bites. Yes, they get itchy and red but never do they swell up. The picture shows one at a "normal" reaction size and one at about the size the others were the day before - although they also went a white tone rather then red as in the photo. My other foot had about 3 or 4 or these beauties. Isn't being pregnant an experience!

Picnic Blanket and a Bag

This past weekend I realized that we are coming up on lake times once again...next weekend to be exact. And.....I still was sitting with this beautiful piece of fabric I brought back from Hawaii. So, I went for a visit to our fabric store and picked up some great water resistant fabric for the bottom.

I decided I might as well make it atleast something useful beyond just a square of material to sit on..so I put pockets in each corner. It quite often is a little breezy at the lake so whan I am reading a book or magazine I can slide it into the pocket when I get up to go get a drink or snack or .....visit the washroom one more time ;) The pockets will also be great for throwing the bathroom key in or a bottle of sunscreen or a snack to protect from the crows.

Picture looks a little funny as I draped it over a chair to take a quick shot but I'm sure you get the idea.


I also put on some little ties to make it easy to roll and carry.


Last night I decided to make a pillowcase bag. I had seen this on Martha Stewart's website and thought it might be fun. Wasn't difficult to do at all and is a fun use for an old pillowcase. Should be good for throwing craft projects in for the lake.

My first Swap

Well I have completed my side of my first ever swap. This one was for four fat quarters with misc additional items thrown in the package. I now eagerly await my parcel to arrive in the mail with whatever fabrics my partner has chosen for me. Hopefully she likes the items I chose for her....and hopefully I like what I receive. I'll post a pic of the package that arrives once I get it.

This is what I sent...Robin, if you clicked on my site you better close your eyes now.

Ouch....little feet....and a graphic warning ;)

As I write this, piglet, bless his/her little soul, has chosen to amuse him/herself by repeatedly kicking/pushing me in the ribs. Gotta love him/her, not sure quite what he/she has wedged in there but darn if it doesn't make sitting at my desk uncomfortable. Good thing I still find all the movement amusing or it might be annoying.

As per Mom's request here is a picture of the current Big Mumma belly..Now at 6 months, 1 week....hence the graphic warning...tee..hee..


Thought I'd post a couple of pics of completed and updated baby projects.

First there is the completed palm tree with bassinet set up and full of freshly cleaned plush toys....don't think piglet needs any more stuffies.


Then an updated picture of the window area. I added another curtain as I didn't like the way it looked before. I then altered the bakers rack I had left over from Canadian Cart Concept days. Currently I am storing piglet's book collection on it...they will obviously have to be moved once someone starts moving on one's own but until then it looks cute. I think I have this desire to have a huge library of books for piglet. I have this massive wish list at Amazon full of little kids books. Kind of silly really as we have this great library in Mill Bay so why spend a ton on books. The collection I have so far is from my own childhood plus books I have found at second hand shops, garage sales, etc. I have noticed I tend to stay away from 'name brand' books (doing the same with clothes, decor, etc) - trying not to have much Disney, Blues Clues, Dora and other such known characters - I figure it kind of kills imagination and pulls kids into commercialism far too soon. Most of the books are full of beautiful illustrations and I try to keep with stories that are of the teaching manner, whether it be a value/moral or a how to do something or a history lesson. Can you tell I was a bookworm growing up :)


How about a picture of all the baby clothes I have been laundering. This pile doesn't count all the newborn to 6 month cloths already stacked in the closet. Putting more shelving in the closet is on the to do list now so that I can actually go through all the clothes and figure out what I may need. Looks like I have more then enough sleepers and onesies to keep me going for a while though.


Lastly is the sewing projects. First pic is of burp cloths that are completed. Second pic is of burp cloths that need to be pressed and final edge sewing done.



Well that's enough for now. More completed projects coming soon...

Life update

A pictureless post but then I guess I have been too busy doing things that I keep forgetting to take pictures for others to see.

On the baby front I have completed the palm tree - looks pretty good for a non-painter. I have cleaned up the bassinet and washed the bedding - thinking I might paint the legs to freshen it up a little. The quilt is almost complete. I have sewn all the front pieces together and picked up some binding so now I just have to sew the binding on and it will be done. I am part way through sewing together burp cloths - although I keep finding more fabric to make more burp cloths - still haven't found a 'suggested' amount of cloths to have on hand which makes it difficult to know when to stop ;) I think this afternoon I am going to go choose some flannel fabric to make some receiving blankets and wipes. After them I will have to start on diapers.

Garden wise - I planted up the majority of the veggie garden - just the periodic addition of lettuce, carrots, radish, etc to keep season long supply going. Found holes throughout the garden beds for the 4 boxes of dahlias I was given - I'll have to keep them cut back or I'll have a huge mess in the garden...teehee.. I planted one hanging basket..just cause you have to have atleast one hanging basket. This year it is hanging next to the arbour leading to the veggie garden. I also planted some nice trailing annuals in all the planters on the back patio, garage door planters and front entrance planters. I did a big harvest of herbs this past weekend - hopefully they will dry well as they currently are spread all over the livingroom.

We went for a sail with the Porter's this past weekend. I do enjoy going out with them a couple times a year but I can say that I don't think I would ever become a big sailor. Much rather be in a speedboat with a destination in mind...luckily Andy is of the same mind.

Anything else.....oh yes, I made myself a pillowtop shirt..I was hoping it would make a great maternity top throughout the hot summer but I have a feeling it is only going to last another week or two. It will be a cute top for next summer though.

Well, I think that is all for now.

Jumbo Shrimp with Sorrel Pesto Pasta

MMMMMmmmmmm good.

Last night I decided to use a little of my garden goodness. Raided the herb bed and stripped down my sorrel plant to make a fresh pesto. So here it goes.

2 cups sorrel leaves, washed and minced
1 Tbsp fresh crushed garlic
2 Tbsp orange juice (or use lemon for an ultra lemony flavour)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (or other hard cheese)
1/4 cup toasted pinenuts (or other nut)
1/2 tsp sea salt

Mix above ingredients together in bowl you are going to use to serve the pasta in. This size batch will coat roughly a 4 person serving of pasta.

Boil water and cook desired pasta - I used a whole grain rotini as this pesto can stand up to the stronger flavour of a whole wheat pasta. Add raw prepped jumbo shrimp to pasta roughly 3 minutes before pasta is completed cooking. Drain and toss with pesto. Voila! Serve with fresh bread & butter and veggies & dip for a quick and easy summertime dinner.

Getting to know your friends

Thought it would be fun to post my answers to this email sent to me on-line. Fun to look back at it in a couple years to see how things have changed

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:38
2. Diamonds or pearls? diamonds
3. What was the last movie you saw? twister
4. Where is the most beautiful place you've ever been? so many...so hard to choose....maybe the swiss mountains
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? oatmeal with yogurt, fruit, nuts and seeds
6. What is your favorite food? usually burritos....right now salty and sweet foods
7. What food do you dislike? liver
8. What is your favorite CD lately? don't have one - I keep flipping radio stations (classical, rock and country have all been featured this week alone)
9. What kind of car do you drive? sunfire
10. Favorite sandwich? bacon, tomato and pickle
11. What characteristics do you despise? lying
12. Favorite item of clothing? jeans
13. If you could go anywhere in the world for a vacation, where would you go? Peru
14. What color is your bathroom? off white and pink - yuck
15. Favorite brand of clothing? cheap ;)
16. Where would/will you retire? probably live on vancouver island and travel to different destinations
17. What was your most memorable birthday? 30 - I was totally surprised
18. Favorite sport to watch? Watch on TV or in real life? Live hockey
19. Furthest place you are sending this? Merritt
20. Who do you expect to send this back to you? dunno
21. Person you expect to send it back first? dunno
22. Favorite saying? no worries
23. When is your birthday? may 17
24. Are you a morning person or a night person? night
25. What is your shoe size? 7
26. Pets? chickens
27. What did you want to be when you were little? which age? marine biologist - 13
28. What are you today? secretary
29. What is your favorite candy? reese's peanut butter cups.......oh dear, now I will have to go get some after work....darn
30. What is your favorite flower? casablanca lily or maybe a pure red amaryllis
31. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? August 30 - the first day of "retirement"
32. What are you listening to right now? Iceberg radio - Pop galore station (currently playing Madonna - Forbes top earner in the female singer category - girl's still got it!)
33. What was the last thing you ate? ginger biscotti and chocolate milk (afternoon sweet craving)
34. Do you wish on stars? sometimes
35. Do you believe in Angels? not in the physical sense
36. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? yellow
37. Pet peeves? self-centered people
38. Favorite Television show? CSI
39. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Rupert
40. Do you like the person who sent this to you? yup
41. Favorite soft drink? root beer
43. Hair Color? brown
44. Favorite restaurant? super casual - Kim Wah's, nicer - The Grapevine
45. Siblings? yes
46. What was your favorite toy as a child? My Little Pony's and Barbies
47. Summer or Winter? summer
48. Hugs or kisses? hugs
49. Chocolate or vanilla? chocolate
50. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? yes
51. When was the last time you cried? a couple of weeks I think
52. What is under your bed? box of wrapping supplies (paper, ribbon, cards, stickers, bags, etc)
53. Who is the friend you've had the longest? Kathryn
54. What did you do last night for dinner? homemade chicken burgers and mccain oven fries with lots of ketchup and a lemon tart for dessert - too much
55. Favorite smell? my hubby
56. What are you most afraid of? losing my hubby
57. How many keys on your key ring? about 5 i think......got the man's truck today - only 3 on that ring
58. How many years at your current job? 3 years, 2 months
59. Favorite day of the week? saturday
60. How many towns have you lived? victoria, shawnigan, apsley, vancouver (east and kits), cowichan bay, cobble hill
61. Do you make friends easily? not really....kind of shy.....silly really...have to come out of that for piglet's sake
62. How many folks will you send this to? just a couple

Front view

Some pictures of our newly installed front garden. We have never liked the shape of the front bed, not only did it suck for mowing but it just didn't look right. So a couple weekend's ago we decided enough was enough and reshaped, planted and bark mulched. It looks so much better.

Shaping the bed also known as turf tossing (Before)

After

Before

After

Before

After

Boy toys

I thought I'd show a couple of the recent projects worked on from the view of how handy some of the "boy toys" have been. Definately saved on time by having the big truck and tractor around.


Fencing materials - all in one load

Hedge trees - all 50 of them

Moving the trees the easy way

Baby names and obsess much!

Okay, so there is the extremely difficult task of choosing a name for our child. We of course need a girl and a boy name. Preferably two of each just in case the baby pops out and doesn't suit the name we chose at all.

Then there is the difficulty of Andy wanting a 'normal' name and I want a not too common name. For some reason my darling husband thinks I can't chose a 'normal' name. It's not like I want to name my child Apple or Poppy or Phineas or something far out like that, I just don't want my child to be one of four children in the same class with the same name. I want my child to have a name similar to what my name is like. Different enough that you don't know a lot of other's with the same name but not so unusally that people are asking what your name is again and how do you spell it because it sounds so unusual that people don't know how to even begin to spell it or alternatively see it spelled and don't kow how to pronounce it.

I also want to have a boys name that is a strong name - no wussy girly names - a name that is going to suit him if he choses a high powered career but perhaps can be shortened to something more casual for friends and family or more casual type career. Something like his father - Andrew - but goes by Andy.

For a girl I want something feminine and girly but also could be used for a high powered career if she goes that route. The name I am pushing for right now goes that route but Andy wants to divide it into two names. My issue is that it creates too casual a name and too common a name. For whatever the reason the name I chose out of the blue, it's very pretty nickname is in the top 20 names in BC for 2007 - not good! But if we kept with the long form it isn't nearly as common and there are some other options for nicknames - not quite so cute but certainly less common.

Oh bother........who knew one could get so worked up about something. Mind you on the other hand I have discovered that the short form for the boys name we keep tossing about and I was worrying about being too common actually doesn't even hit the lists for the last couple of years. We might just be in luck with that one. Maybe it can just be a boy and then the problem is solved.

I printed out the stats listing for 2007 and 2008 and have crossed out all names that were used 50 or more times. This included adding up things like Jaden, Jaiden and Jayden as I figure you pronounce them the same way so they are basically the same name. Perhaps from this listing we can find a name that we both like but isn't too common or atleast keep from choosing a name that we thought was unique and turns out to be common as anything. Darn all these people that are using names I have had in the back of my head for years.

Am I obsessing much or what?

Laundry

Just for fun. I pic of the beginnings of making my way through the piles of babies clothes making there ways to me. Thought I'd get a jump on the laundering and have everything clean ahead of time. Now I just need some shelving to put it on :)

Window view

A couple of pics of the changes I made to the window in piglets room.

Mobile hanging

New curtains

Close up of sea creature curtain hangers

Fabric for baby quilt

How about a picture to go with the previously talked about baby quilt. I didn't want a "babyish" quilt so went with some great tropical themed prints and mixed in some complimentary patterns to make what I think will be a great unisex quilt that should become a lap quilt latter on if it hasn't been destroyed. The cream coloured background is actually the fabric for the other side.

Palm tree

As promised I have remembered to bring in my camera and cord and am going to upload some of the many little projects on the go or recently completed.

So first up is the moon and palm tree project for piglets wall. Though not quite finished the pictures show what it will look like fairly accurately.
Drawing the moon

Painting of the moon

Palm tree half finished

Baby projects

Wednesday night was a night of fun shopping. I went to the fabric store and chose fabrics for a baby quilt for piglet. Five great new fabrics to add to one that I had brought back from Hawaii with me. The Hawaiian piece is a dark blue with white/yellow plumerias on it. New fabrics I picked up include #1 - multi colour stripe, #2 - yellow leaf like design, #3 - goldfish on dark blue, #4 - parrots in tropical forest and #5 multicolor dragonflies on black. I will post pic at later date when I remember to bring camera and cord with me to work.

I also picked up a cream coloured rosebud fleece for the other side of quilt. Bindig is still to be determined.

Added a green leaf flannel to go with a Hibiscus print on black cotton that I picked up in Hawaii for a couple more burp cloths.

Guess I have some sewing to do.

First attempts for cookbook

Okay, so I have started playing around with recipes with the cookbook in mind. So far I have a grilled pineapple salad with a spicy sauce that has possibilities as well as a rhubarb sticky bun that was commented on at Mother's Day brunch. Both will obviously require making again with any changes to improve further and ingredient measurements written down more accurately.

I have made several other items that though they were good were not worthy of a cookbook with my name to it.

Still haven't figured out a format so it is hard to focus on what type of recipes to be playing with. I was just thinking right now that maybe something about fruits and veggies in a new way.

In other news I have had to find a new person to take over my pregnancy care as my regular doctor has chosen to discontinue deliveries. Luckily I was able to get in with the midwifery group in Duncan, which is slightly ironic as I had originally thought I would go with a midwife but then chose to stay with my regular doctor for the consistancy factor. Sometimes life just takes you to something you wanted anyways. I have to say I am extremely comfortable with this change - far more so then the suggested new doctor options.

Ultrasound went great. Apparently nothing showed up to worry about. New due date is September 12. Triple screen tests came back - low risk - which is a sigh of relief - not that we had reason to be concerned but it is good to know that we are at only 1% chance of these birth defects.

Little Piglet / Jefferson / whateveryournamewillbe is kicking a lot these days. Can't wait until Andy can feel it. He is starting to really become comfortable with the whole idea. Even said hello to our little guy the other day. It sure makes a world of difference for me. Just makes me feel like yes everything will be alright.

Now if only this darned cold would go away!

Challenge myself

Okay, so I have been doing a lot of thinking about what I will do when I am home with the little one. There will be only so much housework and yardwork that one can do and one has to have something that doesn't seem like working on one's home all the time. Something that is my own. Something creative and hopefully productive.

So here it is. I am going to write a cookbook. Sound crazy. Maybe a little, after all what do I know about writing a book. But here is what I do know. #1 - I like to cook. #2 - People tell me I am a good cook. #3 - I like to try new recipes all the time (there are times when Andy will ask if we can have something normal like spaghetti with meat and tomato sauce because I have made him so many new dishes that he wants something familiar) #4 - I like to change the recipe to my taste after trying it a time or two and therefore creating a Sonja recipe.

How I will be challenged - in more ways then I can even imagine. Learning about writing and producing a book. Creativity in my cooking. Keeping records of what did/didn't work, how to improve a recipe, etc, etc. Keeping on track so this doesn't become a ten year or never to be completed project ;)

I am thinking I need to come up with format first so I then have a way to organize recipes as they are created. Do I go from appies through dessert or spring through winter or specialize in a type of food like veggies or pasta. Oh my! HHHmmmmm, my Rustic Rhubarb pie might just have to be the first recipe to enter it's way into the book. Perhaps something like West Coast backyard....recipes using home grown and locally sourced food items....

Lots to think about.

Java Jolt

Mmmmmm...coffee......you got to know I am feeling better as I can now enjoy a cup of coffee again. Not that I should be...it would be better for piglet if I didn't but we all have our little things. I am not having more then two cups a day so I guess I am doing okay. I really need to make sure I have lots of calcium rich foods and then it's all good....right?!?

Can you sense the worried, guilty, am I hurting my baby thing in the background. That's me the worrywort. I know I need to eat more veggies and last night I even managed to make it multi-salad night for dinner - just what the body ordered. Cucumber salad, carrot salad (made with yogurt again - yummy)and two different pasta salads - one cheese/ham with veggies, the other chicken peanut with veggies. It is so nice to actually feel some desire to create a meal again and not just what is quick and easy and minimal effort.

This past Saturday I went with a group of girlfriends to have lunch and our tea leaves read. It was what I would call an interesting experience. For some reason my reading included my being sad, that everything was going to be okay and not to worry. For a while there it had me a little worried but she also said that I had lost my "pixie like self" and needed to re-find it. It was an afternoon of contemplation about how I had been feeling for months...even prior to getting pregnant and strangely enough she was right. So believe it or not I had the best Sunday in absolute eons. I just felt good, physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. It was the "get over it" moment I had been needing without even realizing it. Happiness comes from within and I have been wallowing in something negative that's for sure.

Sunday Mom and I went to the baby show in Sidney. It was such a fun day. Tons of fun little gifts to be had from lots of different stores, etc. I found out there is a store in Victoria that specializes in cloth diapers so I will be making a trip in there to figure out which kind I am going to use. Seems like there are all kinds of options depending on what you like so that is exciting. I also found a company that has bamboo onesies - they are so soft that I actually bought one. Believe it or not that is the first new item I have purchased for the baby since the piggy bank that I bought to tell Andy we were pregnant with. I also got the name of a store that carries all kinds of the baby wraps that are really good for people with back problems - like me - so I'll have to make a trip in there.

Last night I got a phone call that was exciting - apparently my good energy really came out on Sunday as I won the stroller that Island Child Magazine had as their door prize. Crazy! They are dropping it off on wednesday.

Perhaps this Pixie is starting to perk up :)

The start of something better

I think...knock on wood... that I am coming out of the worst of the morning sickness. I barely throw up now. First thing in the morning is still rough and my first couple of hours of the day aren't completely normal but the afternoons are getting better. I don't have to run to shove food in my face to keep from heaving. My stomach will actually growl telling me to eat before making me feel sick - heaven.

I even had enough interest in dinner last night to make two salads. I discovered that mixing mayo and yogurt actually makes carrot salad taste even better and it is lower in fat then normal carrot salad - yum! Dinner last night was much better then what Andy has referred to as "the pasta diet". Hopefully it is just the start.

Tummy has popped out. Had to go buy some new clothes to wear as my jeans were too tight. So funny poking at the belly, it seems so huge when you consider the baby is only slightly larger then my fist but nature is a funny thing. It's kind of nice to look pregnant only cause it makes it feel a little more real then just feeling crappy all the time.

Andy is positive the baby is a boy. I don't have a feeling either way although I hope it is a boy for Andy's sake. A little guy to follow him around and try to do everything that daddy does would be so cute and I think Andy would connect more with a little boy then a girl but most importantly I am just hoping for a happy and healthy baby. So my focus is to stay calm and happy and to try and eat as healthy as possible, stay away from what they tell you to stay away from. Oh and convince myself that sleeping on my side is comfortable. I tell you - first I lose sleeping on my belly now I have to stop sleeping on my back and that is when I can actually get to sleep and stay sleeping.

My goodness, can I complain much! Now that I have purged I feel much better. Change is a wonderful thing isn't it?

Ultrasound

So yesterday I got to go to have an ultrasound. Earlier then normal due to some bleeding but right now the joy of getting to see our little one on screen far outways the concern and worries I had over over the weekend.

There is officially a baby inside there. Just one for the record. And surprisingly enough it turns out we are 2 weeks less pregnant then we thought. That should move our due date to around September 18 (Trish and Albie should get a kick out of that). I guess names like Marina and Poet are no longer valid names as remembrance for where the little one came to be. Perhaps Mary, Chris, Joy or Noel might be more appropriate. Oh well, we have 6 months to figure it out.

Week 12

So time seems to go fast yet also extremely slow right now. Every day seems to drag on forever. I know that it is mainly due to feeling so tired and never knowing when I am going to feel sick again. I thought I had it all under control but now I get hit at all hours of the day with varying degrees. Some days it is just the cough and gag as I call it, others it is a full out run to the washroom. I know we are getting close to this coming to an end and I am fully living into it. Feeling good and full of energy - soon....very soon. Until then I will continue with the crackers and gingerale.