Colour my week silver

Erica over at Recycled Fashion hosts a weekly round up of fashion items in a specific colour. This week the colour is silver. And I actually have a picture to contribute:

I wore these strappy silver Fioni shoes to my brother's wedding in June. They look cute, but my feet were a little too wide for them, and the heels are way too stiletto for me to walk comfortably in. But they looked awesome! And it was for a good cause!

If you want to take part, head over to this week's Colour My Week post.

Fender bender

So I realized that my description of my week left out something. The fender bender.

Wednesday I had my cellphone plugged in at work because I tend to drain it right to dead. And it always starts beeping at an inopportune time, like when I am headed out the door to work. So it was plugged in. And I remembered this as I was getting in my car to go home. I figured I better grab it because (a) I don't want to leave my expensive phone somewhere overnight, and (b) I don't have a home phone anymore, so if someone needed to reach me, I need my cell.

So I needed to go get it. But it's not that simple because the parking garage is on the next block up from my work. So I figured I would drive to the back door and dash up. No problem. I just need to go around the block and up to the building.

I was waiting at the light to turn, and BAM. The chick behind me didn't stop until her bumper hit mine. Amazingly, there is only a tiny scratch on my bumper. This is the second fender bender I have had in this car where there was no real damage. Thank goodness, especially since I just shelled out way to much money in repairs this week.

Thursday I was a bit sore. I knew I would be. I didn't see the accident coming, so I wasn't tensed up, but I was standing on the clutch, so that leg was tense, and got quite the jolt. But nothing a hot shower didn't fix.

Daybook entry Nov 25

FOR TODAY - Thursday Nov 25, 2010


Outside my window... it is grey and dreary. It was freezing rain this morning, but I think it's back to normal rain. Not pleasant though.

I am thinking... that I have an exam next week, and I am woefully under-prepared.

I am thankful for... being able to take the day off when my son has doctor appointments. Yes, they count as vacation days, but I still get them.

From the kitchen... I hear the printer and ladies walking in hight heels.

I am wearing... long grey sweater, black tights and awesome black boots with buckles. And my glasses cause my left eye seems to have changed shape a bit so my contacts no longer sit comfortably.
I am creating... little coordinated piles out of my licorice candy. Sorting them by type, then eating one out of each pile. Obviously, I am extremely busy.

I am going... to crack down and do some studying this weekend. I need to pass my exam because I don't want to have to redo it, and pay for it.

I am reading... City of Ice by John Farrow. Borrowed from my sister a while ago, and only just getting to it now.

I am hoping... to be able to get some sleep this weekend so I stop feeling like a zombie.

I am hearing... the usual sounds of work.

Around the house... there is probably chaos. I will see when I get home.

One of my favorite things... is hot chocolate. There is a coffee shop next door that makes it with steamed milk instead of water. So yummy. But I find it hard to justify spending $3 on a cup when there are free packets of hot chocolate mix in the kitchen.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Magoo has a doctor appointment tomorrow. I have a potluck to go to on Saturday, and we are going as a family to an outdoor Nativity tour thingy Saturday evening. Sunday I have a cards and board games social which should be lots of fun.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Yummy hot chocolate. Picture from Flikr

Join the daybook fun by visiting the Simple Woman's Daybook blog to get the question list. Fill it out and link up!

Is the week over yet?

This week has felt so long. Or maybe I have just been super tired. I feel like I am dragging myself around all week. And it's only Thursday. Ugh. But it's been busy so far:

Monday:
- Nothing special happened. Just a regular day.
- Magoo did not sleep well that night, so neither did I.

Tuesday:
- Took my car in for repairs. I had taken it in last Friday because the front corner was making bad clunking noises whenever I hit a bump. Which is often. Gotta love potholes. I had to take it back in Tuesday because the parts needed to be ordered in. Which parts? Control arm for the clunking corner and ALL 4 sway bars. Ugh. There goes $1200. Which uber-sucks because I only had $140 in my car repair fund. So much for having my credit card paid off.
- Magoo slept even worse that night. Two tantrums during the night.

Wednesday:
- Had our hearing at the tenant board about the length of time it took to repair our bathroom. It was 3 months from the day it started leaking to the day they patched and painted. Way too long in my opinion. The result was favourable for us, and confidential. But we'll still be moving at the end of our lease. I'm counting the days, and it's still over 100.
- Magoo slept better last night. Although he woke up at one point and was freaking out. Rolling around in his bed, yelling and crying, and didn't want to be picked up. Lasted about 5 minutes. Then I picked him up, gave him a drink, and he went right back to sleep.

Today is a regular day. Except that I'm exhausted. But I don't work tomorrow since Magoo has a doctor's appointment, and it always takes forever. And I have Monday off too for his pediatrician appointment, which I don't think will go great since there is still no food chewing going on. At 18 months, he should be eating normal food. Or at least chewing some finger foods. But no, super smooth is still the only way he'll eat. So frustrating.

Here's hoping I can get some sleep this weekend though.

Christmas shopping

I am so excited to be almost done Christmas shopping. I bang out most of it over the weekend. The only people I have left are my brother and my husband. My brother is likely getting tools, but I didn't want to give him the same items as my brother-in-law, so I will wait for next weekend's sales to finish him up I think. And I thought I knew what I was getting my husband, it was even on sale this past weekend, but he decided he really didn't want that item. So now I am back to trying to find something.

I have a self-imposed deadline of Dec 1 to finish all my shopping. I refuse to go into crazy mall crowds in December. I am not a fan of crowds, and I just don't need to deal with that. We'll see how it goes. With only two people left, it shouldn't be too difficult.

Kid Book Review: Machines go to work

I'm not sure I can give a good review of Machines go to work by William Low. My son didn't even read through it once.

I don't think it had to do with the book content so much as the fact that it had a plastic cover on it. So he just wanted to play with that. And since I didn't want it pulling at it, it ended up going back to the library unread.

I did flip through it, and noticed that while it is classified as a lift-the-flap, the flaps are actually full-sized pages. It's more like a centrefold on every other page. With real paper pages.

I don't think the book would survive my son's handling.

Kid Book Review: Dads

Another lift-the-flap book we're read recently is Dads by David Bedford. This is a really cute book with large half-page flaps. It tells how dads can do different, and funny, things.

My son enjoyed it, especially the page with the monkey in colourful pants. I personally liked the lion sleeping page.

I did find the flaps were too big. They were a little difficult to open and close. Especially since the pages are paper, not boards, so I was concerned about rippage. But no rips were made. Probably because my son didn't want to lift the flaps himself, and while he would sit and read the book, he wouldn't pick it out of the pile himself.

Book Review: Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things

Well I only just talked about it on Wednesday, but I finished it already. I debated leaving my review for a while since I'm not sure I have a lot more to say, but I figured I would post it anyway.

Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy Frost and Gail Steketee is all about hoarding, people who hoard, and the psychology behind it. The book is very interesting. It is filled with stories about specific hoarders the authors have met. It not only describes their hoarding, but also the type of hoarder they are, and some of the psychology and reasons behind the hoarding.

Each chapter is about a specific type of hoarding, and I didn't realize that there were so many different types. The most tragic chapter is about children hoarders. It is very sad.

Overall, the book is easy to read. It is very conversational, yet still describe the psychology aspect very well. It really highlights the lack of research into hoarding. Even though it has been around for a VERY long time, there really isn't much known about the causes for it.

I would definitely recommend the book to anyone who knows a hoarder, is a hoarder, or just likes watching the hoarding shows on tv.

100 posts!

I have reached 100 posts! It took almost 4 months exactly.
That is more than I expected to reach before wandering away and forgetting about my blog. I am definitely having a blast writing my posts, and am so glad that I have been sticking with it.

Thanks to all my readers!
Here's to 100 more, in less than 4 months maybe.

Kid Book Review: National Geographic Little Kids and Chirp

National Geographic Little Kids is not really a book, it's a magazine. I decided to pick it up when we were in Chapters doing some Christmas shopping. My son loves animals, so I thought he'd enjoy it. I was right. We read 3 times in a row when we first got home.

The magazine is published every other month. This is the Nov/Dec edition. It features Ermines, and migrating animals. There are pictures of animals, with little short blurbs. There are a few pages with simple games and puzzles.

I was a little underwhelmed at how short it is, considering that it cost $6. An annual subscription costs about $25 in Canada. Cheaper in the US since it is an American publication.



I have been trying find a Canadian publication aimed at toddlers, but haven't really found much. There is Chirp, which is aimed at ages 3-6. But it is pretty pricey. At least in my opinion.

This publication looks cute. And it is a bit longer, but I think it is definitely a little too complicated for really young kids.

I think that based on the costs, we will just stick with library books. Or maybe an occasional edition of a regular National Geographic magazine. Same pictures, but a lot more volume.

Daybook entry Nov 18

FOR TODAY - Nov 18
Outside my window... is the same view as last time since I'm at work. But now the weather is grey, wind and cold.

I am thinking... that I wish I had some chocolate. One of my co-workers has a box of Hallowe'en chocolate in his office, and keeps putting out little amounts. He seems to think he needs to ration it for us. He's probably right.

I am thankful for... owing warm winter clothing, even if I can't remember to bring it. I can afford it, and don't have to spend the winter freezing.

From the kitchen... there is an electrician working on our lights.

I am wearing... dark blue velvet-y pants, blue tank top, blue t-shirt and a white sweater. Apparently it's a blue day. And yes, I find it cold enough to need 3 shirts. Our air/heating situation at work is having issues. One hour it is sweating hot, the next is jacket cold.

I am creating... some of my monthly reports. Nothing very exciting, but it needs to be done every month.

I am going... to the bank in about an hour. And I am wishing I had remembered to find my mittens. It is that cold out that my 2 block walk to the bank needs mittens.

I am reading... Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy O. Frost

I am hoping... that the repairs my car needs will not be too expensive. I am taking it to my mechanic tomorrow to have a clunking noise in the front corner checked out.

I am hearing... lots of banging from the electrician.

One of my favorite things... is being snuggled in bed under the covers. Waking up, hearing silence, and getting to stay in bed for a few minutes is always awesome. I can't wait until my son is (hopefully) willing to join me for a few minutes instead of demanding I get up right away and get him food. He has gotten to the point where he gets out of bed and comes to get me instead of just sitting in bed screaming until I come to him.

A few plans for the rest of the week:
- taking my car in for repairs tomorrow
- dinner at my sister's tomorrow evening. My mom is down visiting, so it should be fun
- Saturday I am taking my son to the mall for a storytime reading for Playhouse Disney's Travelling Birthday Bonanza.
- Sunday I am going to a jewellry and fashion show with my women's social group. I probably wouldn't buy anything, but I always have fun with the ladies.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Not my bed, but it still looks comfy

This post was inspired by the Simple Woman's Daybook blog. If you'd like to take part, check out the instructions by clicking the link.

Kid Book Review: Where is Maisy?

Where is Maisy? by Lucy Cousins is the first Maisy book we have read. It will not be the last. My son really liked it.

This is another lift-the-flap book, which are becoming huge hits in my house.

Our favourite page is the alligator in the boat. Which apparently makes a "rawr" noise. According to my son, who will go right to that page and open the flap and rawr repeatedly.

Very cute. Now to decide which Maisy book we should read next...

Whatcha Reading Wednesday

Inspired by a new weekly post at Unexplained X2, here is a peek at what I am reading. Obviously, there will be a review when I'm done.

I am reading Stuff by Randy Frost and Gail Steketee. It is all about hoarding. I love the show Hoarders and Buried Alive, so when I saw this on the new book list at the library, I jumped on the wait list.

The book is filled with stories about hoarders who have participated in the author's research and interviews. The stories are very detailed, and really delve into the reasons behind each person's hoarding. The search of a reason for hoarding is the central theme in the book.

I am about half way through the book now. And with my craft all finished, I'm sure I'll fly through the rest of it, since I do most of my reading on my lunch hour.

Kid Book Review: No potty! Yes, potty!

We have a potty, but haven't really tried very hard to start potty training. My son seems to know what it is. He enjoys sitting on it with his diaper on, and will sit with it off, but not for any length of time. We wanted him to get used to it before we really started any training. Part of our preparation has been potty books. I have been trying to bring home a book about potty training every once in a while.

No potty! Yes, potty! by Emily Bolam is our first potty book. It is aimed at boys, and is about a little boy who is learning who should use the potty.

A spoiler: animals aren't usually potty users. But they look cute in the book.

My son doesn't really seem interested in this book. We looked through it once or twice, but he has never picked it out of the pile. That's a shame, because I think it's cute.

There is a matching book that is aimed at girls. Definitely a neat idea to have co-ordinating stories with a main character that kids can identify with.

Woven newspaper bag

Based on a post I saw on a crafting forum, I decided to try making a woven newspaper tote bag. It looked relatively easy, and it actually was. I am pretty proud of my purse. All it took was a few newspapers, a roll of clear packing tape, and most of my lunch hour for just over 2 weeks (a little under 10 hours total I would guess). Definitely worth doing. I am already trying to decide how to improve it. Maybe get the weave a little tighter. Make the straps one continuous band to add strength. Maybe try using solid colour construction paper, or cool patterned wallpaper. So many options...

Next time I will take pictures as I do it, so I can write up how-to instructions.

Here are my pictures:

Book Review: Post Secret

This is actually a review of 4 books at the same time. I read the Post Secret blog every Monday since it is updated every Sunday. I think it's a really neat idea, and the artwork and secrets are incredible. Everything from the mundate to the unbelievable.

There are several Post Secret books out, and I recently read 4 of the 5. The ones I read were PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God, My Secret: A PostSecret Book, The Secret Lives of Men and Women: A PostSecret Book and A Lifetime of Secrets: A PostSecret Book. I read them straight through. Couldn't put them down.

They amaze me, entertain me, and make me very thankful for my life, all at the same time. Definitely worth checking out.

Kid Book Review: Peter Rabbit Sleepy Time

Since my son has recently developed a huge interest in lift-the-flap books, I have been borrowing quite a few from our local library, and trying to keep track of which ones he seems to like.

Peter Rabbit Sleepy Time by Beatrix Potter has been a huge hit! Each page has a flap within a flap, which is a neat idea. You open the first flap to see who is going to sleep, and then you use the second flap to cover them with a blanket.

My son really enjoys covering up the sleeping animals. He wants me to open the first flap, and then he holds the second flap and looks at me in anticipation, and gets very happy when I read "Cover him/her up." He then flips his flap and smooths it down over the animal. Very cute! And very fun!

My only complaint is that there are so few pages. I wish for just a few more. But other than that, this is an awesome book. And would probably make a great bedtime story, if my son liked reading at bedtime.

Book Giveaway

I love books, hence the book reviews. And I found a book giveaway for Canadians.

Well I didn't find it, Listen to Lena! had it listed. I love this blog, especially her current holiday giveaways. So many!

Anyway, the giveaway runs from today , Nov 15 until Dec 17. There is a different prize every day, and you need to enter every day for that prize. All details are at Booklounge.ca. Super easy, no purchase necessary. All you need is email and a mailing address in Canada, excluding Quebec.

Kid Book Review: Dear Zoo

I thought I would add a few reviews of kids' books. Since I seem to be reading a lot more of them than adult books lately. I love that my son loves books!

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell is a big hit with my son. I may just buy this one for him since there is always a waiting list at the library.

My son loves lift-the-flap books, and this is one of his favourites. The story is sweet and fun, and the animals are adorable. His favourite page is the one pictured on the cover: the lion in the cage crate.

This page is obviously well loved by many kids, because the bars of the cage are held on with tape. An often-read library book in deed!

Definitely a great book for kids!

Family Christmas

Yesterday was my family Christmas. Yes, Christmas on Nov 13. It is really early, but it means that everyone can attend. The hall we always use is available, and all 50ish people can come. My family is big. Big as in I don't really know everyone who comes.

It was lots of fun! I went with my son and niece and nephew. My sister, brother-in-law and husband all had to work, so it was me and 3 kids. I actually found it easier to travel with 3 instead of just 1. They entertain each other, and don't just scream and cry. And people are really nice when you stop for a break and herd 3 children into a Tim Hortons.

Our Christmas takes the form of a big potluck. Then Santa visits and every child gets a gift. Then the adults do an exchange. We each bring one gift, and then pick one off the table. I don't have a good track record at getting good gifts. There was the plug-in travel mug (don't drink coffee), wine (don't drink wine), and this year I got a crochetted doll toilet roll cover. I am sure one of the great-aunts worked really hard on it though.

My son was not sure about Santa. But he thoroughly enjoys his wooden animal knob puzzle.


Definitely lots of fun. And it's nice that it is not during the very hectic late December Christmas season. But it just doesn't feel Christmas-y without snow. Not that I'm complaining. It was gorgeous out yesterday!

Daybook entry Nov 12

FOR TODAY - Nov 12 - Half way through the month already!!



Outside my window... is a parking lot (I'm at work). The sun is shining, and it's beautiful out.


I am thinking... about my family Christmas tomorrow. And looking forward to the end of the day, the start of the weekend.


I am thankful for... the good health of my son. Relatively, since he wasn't able to get his immunizations today because he has an ear infection. But that is minor compared to some children's ailments.


From the kitchen... there is nothing going on there.


I am wearing... blue jeans and a purple t-shirt. Gotta love casual Fridays!


I am creating... a woven newspaper tote bag on my lunch hours. Will post pictures when I am done. Should only take another day or two.


I am going... to my family Christmas tomorrow. It seems so early!


I am reading... Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy O. Frost


I am hoping... to have fun tomorrow.


I am hearing... people on their phones. And the photocopier.


Around the house... are lots and lots of toys.


One of my favorite things... is relaxing with a good book.


A few plans for the rest of the week: already listed above. Family Christmas. Sunday my son has a playdate. I have to do schoolwork at some point.


Here is picture for thought I am sharing... no picture. I can't seem to get the link to grab HTML code on Flikr to work. And I don't want to "steal" someone's picture. So no pic.
 
This post was inspired by the Simple Woman's Daybook blog. If you'd like to take part, check out the instructions by clicking the link.

Playing with my design

In case you read my blog by visiting it, as opposed to using a reader, yes, I've been playing. I can't decide a colour scheme or design that I like. So I keep playing. Isn't the internet fun?

Anyone have any comments or thoughts on a design for me?

We remember

Thank you to all the soldiers who have fought for our country and given us the life we live now.
I appreciate it.

Words are not adequate, which is why we have a moment of silence.
Let us not forget.

Daily routine

Speaking of routine... I was trying to catch up reading the blogs I follow (too busy for a day or two and the list becomes 118 posts!) and one was about the routine of a stay-at-home-mom over at Bored Mommy. In that spirit, I though I'd post my daily routine. Because it's basically the same every day too.

6 am - get up for my screaming son. Stumble to the kitchen and try to convince him to eat food, and not just drink milk. Turn the tv on and doze for a few minutes trying to wake up. Or sometimes I try to shower quickly.

6:20 - Get dressed. Wrangle socks and a sweater/coat on my son.

6:30 - Leave to get my husband from work.

7:10 - Get home. Eat breakfast. Make lunch. Get ready for work. This last step also involves brushing my son's teeth as I don't get any time alone in the bathroom.

7:45 - Leave for work.

Dum dum dum...

5:00 - Leave work for home.

5:30-6:00 - Get home, depending on traffic.

6:00-6:30 - Eat supper. Attempt to feed my son (doesn't usually succeed.)

6:30-7:30 - Play with my son. Bath if I think of it.

7:30 - Wrangle socks and a sweater/coat on my son.

7:50 - Leave to take my husband to work.

8:15 - Get home and put son to bed. If I'm lucky, he fell asleep in the car and doesn't wake up. Otherwise, put screaming son to bed.

8:15-10:00 - Me time? Mostly involves cleaning up, dishes, vacuuming if needed, sometimes a few moments to myself to play on the computer when I really should be doing schoolwork. Shower if I didn't get to it in the morning.

10:00 - Bedtime.

11:00 - Get screaming son. Drink and back to bed.

4:00-5:00 - Get screaming son. Try to convince him to go back to sleep. Usually he will fall asleep on me but wakes up when I try to put him down. Repeat until I am ready to lose my mind. Then fall back into bed to get that last hour of sleep.

And I wonder why I always feel tired, am behind in my schoolwork, and don't feel like I get any time to myself. The joys of motherhood.

Oh hello there

It would appear that it's hard to remember to write when I don't have a list I am following every day. That and everything seems to be super crazy lately. I guess I need to add blogging to my daily to-do list. Maybe then I'll remember. If only because because I love checking things off my to-do list. Makes me feel so important.

-eat breakfast ... check
-get dressed ... check
-brush teeth ... check ... wait that was my son's teeth ... now check
- go to work ... check

See all the important things on my list already?

My son is a year and a half!

Wow, I can't believe my son is a year and a half already. For sentimental reasons, I looked up his birth story that I had written not long after he was born. Shall I share? My original story is in italics, with some new comments added in regular font.

I woke up at 4 am on May 6 to go to the bathroom. I was half way out of bed when my water broke and gushed all over the bed and floor. I ran to the bathroom to try to contain the mess, and ended up leaving a trail all the way there, lol. Once I was in the bathroom, I yelled for my DH to wake up. I had to yell quite a few times because he had been out for a few drinks with his friend, and had just gone to bed. I remember making him shower before we left because all I could smell was alcohol and I didn't want the hospital to think he was drunk.


Once he got up he got the phone for me and I called my mom. She lives 6 hours away, and was planning to come for the delivery, and to help for the first week. After that my DH called the hospital to see if I had to come in right away because I wasn't having any contractions, but I remember being told to go in if my water broke. They said I should take a shower and try to nap for a bit, but that I should come in by 6 am.

I had my shower and laid down on the couch while my DH got things ready. He had to pack my bag since I hadn't done that yet, and get some stuff for himself. He also had to call his friend to come switch vehicles with us since he doesn't know how to drive my manual car. During this time my contractions started, but they weren't very strong.

We got to the hospital and got a bed in the maternity triage area where I would stay until it was time to go to the delivery room. At our hospital you stay in the delivery room with the baby until you are discharged. You also have a dedicated nurse that stays with you until the baby is born.

They moved me to the delivery room after about three hours because my contractions were stronger and I was having 2 every ten minutes or so. I was only about 3 cm dilated, but I was getting sick with every round of contractions. They wanted to give me Gravol to help stop the vomitting, and I needed to be in the delivery room for monitoring before they would do it.

I was hooked up to an IV and was given a Gravol and Morphine shot. It didn't really help with the vomiting or pain, it just made me really sleepy. My mom arrived after an eventful journey (she went to 2 other hospitals before finding the right one).

Skipped the whole labour part here, lol. I don't remember much of it, mostly falling asleep between contractions. Which was tricky since I was sitting up in a rocking chair for most of it since that was the only position where I didn't throw up with each contraction.

My labour then progressed until I reached 9 cm dilated, and then it plateaued. I stayed at 9 cm until 6 pm. The nurse then strongly suggested I get an epidural so I could sleep and hopefully finish dilating. My mom and DH both strongly agreed, and I ended up getting one. I was very against having an epidural, but I was pretty exhausted so I couldn't really fight it. I just wanted to sleep for a while, so they gave me a little epidural. I could still feel the contractions, but the edge was gone.

I slept for quite a while, and woke up as the epidural was wearing off. I was fully dilated and definitely ready to push.

A few good pushes and my DH saw the baby's head. And then it stayed like that. The baby was facing the wrong way, and was stuck. The OB on call came to see me and suggested waiting to see if the baby would turn on its own. A few more visits, and finally at midnight he decided it was not going to happen, so he would try forceps, and if that didn't work, an immediate c-section. I have no idea how long I was pushing, but it was a while. Long enough that everyone was surprised that I still had any strength to keep trying.

I was given another, much stronger, epidural so I felt nothing from my waist down, and was taken to the surgery room. My DH came with me to hold my hand. It took just a few minutes for the forceps to work. My son was born at 1:33 am on May 7.

My mom gave the baby a few kisses and went home to our place to sleep. My DH stayed with me and the baby.

My son was a good weight (7 lb 9.5 oz) but was very jaundiced because they put a scalp monitor on him when they realized he was stuck. He nursed a few hours after his birth, and took to it like a champ.

The rest of the night passed slowly. My son wanted to be held the whole time, I was exhausted and still pretty numb, and my DH was constantly falling asleep in his chair. It was definitely amazing though.

We were discharged at noon the next day (May 8). I was in quite a bit of pain because I had a lot of stitches from the forceps (I asked how many and was told "just enough", sounds like more than a few) so I was glad that both my mom and DH were there to do basically everything for the first week.


It was definitely an experience. And one that I am proud to say I could repeat, I just don't really want to, lol.

Almost a year and a half

My son will be a year and a half tomorrow. It's hard to believe time has flown by so quickly. I thought I'd take a moment to think about on my pregnancy and how it went. It was not easy.

I knew I was pregnant within the first week. I remember going to a Cirque du Soleil (awesome!) performance with a friend and telling her I felt off, and that I suspected I was pregnant. It was two weeks from the time I could test. And I definitely was: I saw the "Yes" line almost before I finished peeing. There was no mistaking the test result. (Topic for another post: is it really so common to misread a pregnancy test result?)

Since my boyfriend was gone for a month visiting his family, I had a friend go with me to have the blood test to confirm I was pregnant. I have always been terrified of needles and having blood taken. I got through it, and received the results that I was definitely pregnant. Since I didn't have a family doctor, I was sent to the pregnancy clinic at the hospital where a nurse would be working with me until I needed to be assigned to an OB.

My first round of blood tests was thankfully after my boyfriend returned, so he came with me for it. It was definitely unpleasant. I didn't see how many vials were taken, but he did, and he said there were about 10!

The first time we got to hear the heartbeat was awesome. Very cool sounding. Especially since it took a bit to find it due to where the baby was sitting. My first ultra sound went smooth, and was also very cool. I was told that my placenta was a little low, so they would be monitoring that.

Did I mention the morning sickness yet? That encompassed almost my entire existence for the first 4 months. I threw up at most smells. The smell of meat, the smell of greasy food, the smell of the garbage in the kitchen if it wasn't taken out every day. I could only eat fruits and veggies. I had serious cravings for cucumbers (ate at least 1 a day) and bell peppers. Due to my eating problems, I actually lost weight the first few months.

My morning sickness finally subsided. And I started getting random shooting pains down my legs and cramps in my side. I was told that they were fairly common, and nothing to be concerned about. My calves cramped all the time. My boyfriend used to rub them every night to help me fall asleep, and I still woke up most nights and had to stretch them out.

So this continued... I started putting on weight at a good pace, not too much and not too little... Then came the kidney stone. Yes, that's right, I got a kidney stone. Ended up spending the majority of 3 days in the hospital right after Christmas. Got some crazy strong pain meds that made me very loopy. Apparently it is better for the baby to be stoned with you than the stress of mom being in excruciating pain. Good to know. I learned that my boyfriend is very good support when I'm sick. He will hold my head, wash my puke bowl, and look after me. But he won't force me to the hospital if I keep saying I don't need to go, even when I can't stand from the pain. Which I apparently did, I don't really remember, that night is pretty foggy from pain.

But I made it through and passed the stone. Apparently it is pretty common for pregnant women to get them. Something about the extreme hormonal and physical changes happening in your body... Not something I want to repeat again. And as a precursor, I agree with people who say child labour is less painful than kidney stones!

After that episode, things settled down and went fairly smoothly. Baby grew at a good rate. I learned the feeling of him moving turned my stomach and made me nauseus. Not so great. He decided to spend most of his time with his head down, his feet jammed under my ribs with his back out. He loved his back rubs! And definitely slept on his side, and didn't like if I tried to roll over. He chose our sleep position on the nights he let me sleep.

I put on quite a bit of weight in the last few months. Left work 2 weeks before my due date. Had a baby shower on May 2, and was so uncomfortable for the whole 3 hour drive there and back. Everyone thought I was just whinig and complaining. But then I went into labour on May 6. Birth story coming tomorrow.

Blog colloboration I'd like to see

I read a lot of blogs. They seem to be split into distinct types: personal finance, kid blogs, or random life blogs.

Three of the personal finance blogs I follow frequently have a reader question/scenario that the author addresses. I think these are great posts. And other followers often have great advice in the comments section. I have found myself wishing that I could see the opinions of all 3 bloggers on the same situation. I think it would really highlight each of their points-of-view, and offer quite a complete picture.

The three personal finance blogs I'm talking about are: Gail Vaz-Oxlade, Get Rich Slowly, and The Simple Dollar. I'd definitely recommend you check them out if you don't already follow.

Cross-stitch project update?

I put a question mark because I feel compelled to give an update, but it's pretty disappointing. I haven't updated since Sept 27, and it's mostly due to the fact that I haven't worked on it since then. So my update is: no progress.

At this rate, it will take decades to do this project.

Book review: Debt-free Forever

I have one word to describe Debt-free forever : take control of your money and your life by Gail Vaz-Oxlade: amazing! Gail is a Canadian financial guru. I wrote about her previously when I said that we were going to try her budget jars idea.

This book is really meant to be a step-by-step workbook about how to get your financials in order. If you have ever seen her show, this is what the couples go through, and includes the steps you don't see in the show.

I have read through it once, and my husband and I are going to sit down this weekend and work our way through it. I am excited about it, especially since I have previewed what the steps are. They aren't easy! But will definitely be worth doing.

I would highly recommend the book to everyone! I'm sure anyone could benefit from it, whether you have a mountain of debt or not. Definitely a top pick! And if you have to be frugal and borrow it from the library, it's worth the wait. I was hold number 74, and had to wait almost 2 months, but I'm glad I finally got my hands on it.

Challenge is over

It feels weird to say the 30 days of truth challenge is over. It has definitely been a journey over the last month. I've enjoyed it, and learned a lot about myself that I probably knew, but just never acknowledged.

I think the natural question is where to go from here?

I have already created a page with some ideas for future posts. But for now, I will bask in the glory of writing every day for a month, and go treat myself to some of my son's Hallowe'en candy. Yum!