on slowing down, planning ahead, pregnancy and baby!

The house is quiet, it is raining outside, the kids are fast asleep and Winslow is at work. 

I am listening to music, planning ahead to the next couple of months, editing photos and putting my feet up. It is moments like these, where I feel so at ease, for as much as I am a social girl, I do love my quiet evenings to myself. 

We just returned from a lovely, albeit, whirlwind trip to Ottawa for Thanksgiving. The drive there and back is long, and on the way home, it seemed ever so long. We pulled into our drive at 1 am and collapsed in bed, weary and bleary eyed, totally exhausted. 

The next morning was full speed ahead. School for Noah, a field trip for Katia and a prenatal appointment for me. I'm not sure how we all did it, but it was an early bedtime for all that night, 

And now, after another busy day of Scout volunteering, a birthday party that Noah attended and a photo session for me, I am enjoying the peace and quiet of being home. I am declaring that tomorrow morning we do not have to go anywhere or do anything. I am craving an at home morning of jammies, baking and movies. We need a chance to slow down and be at home. 

...

I've been catching myself, multiple times a day, thinking ahead to the next few months. I am excited for Halloween (mostly for the kids), but truthfully, my thoughts are skipping ahead to the months of November and December. For me, those two months bring so much joy and magic to our family, and because we'll be having a little babe join us at some point in there, I want to get a head start on my plans for the holidays. 

In November we have some things to look forward to. A visit with my mom (I will be bringing her over) and Katia's 4th birthday (a Mermaid birthday). In December, we have our favourite traditions, such as Advent, the Nutcracker, cutting down a tree and more. In between all that, I want to get our Christmas cards done, make a few gifts, bake treats, get my shopping done and sent in the mail ... oh my! And a baby fits in there somewhere. 

...

I feel bad for not recording much about my pregnancy with this little one. I think for the first few months, our life was full of so many changes, that my mind was focused on getting us all through our move. When we found out that I was pregnant, we were right in the middle of selling our house in Whitehorse, getting the final word of our transfer, doing a house hunting trip to the East Coast and more. It was easier for me to place my focus on those things, than the pregnancy. It also helped that for the most part, I felt pretty well. 

But now, we are at 30+ weeks and there is no denying that I am very pregnant. My thoughts constantly go to our babe. Who is in there? What will they look like? When will he or she make it's appearance? 

We decided that we would not find out the gender for this baby and I so excited for our big surprise on delivery day! With Noah an Katia, we found out who they were, and that was really special too. I remember planning for them and calling them by name, when they were in me. It was a special way of connecting with them and I wouldn't have had it any other way. But this time, we wanted to experience the surprise of finding out on the big day. I have my feelings that it is a girl, but you never know. 

While we don't have too much to do to get ready for the baby, I do have a few things that I would like to do before he/she comes. A few things I want to do:

~ I need to fill out the baby book that I bought (in Whitehorse!) for the babe. 

~ buy a car seat and find a stroller. 

~ dig out all our gender neutral newborn outfits and find a way to organize them (baby will be sharing a space with Katia .. who doesn't sleep in her room anyways.... yes, it's complicated).

~ find a coming home outfit. I think I want to splurge and get something from here.

~ do some major freezer meal making. So far on my list is: chicken curry, squash lasagna, soups (coconut carrot), meat sauce for spaghetti, and some baking. I hope I can get much of this done in November. 

~ pack a hospital bag. 

And a few details of where we are now in the pregnancy. 

Baby is kicking up a storm (as I type this out). We went to our prenatal appointment this week and heard a loud and strong heart beat, it was of course, a beautiful sound! My sleeping is getting more and more uncomfortable. I find it hard to get into a position that works for us (the baby and I) and just last night, I got up 3 times to go pee! And I swear I didn't drink all that much in the evening. 

I've gained more weight than I care to announce, and really should be more conscious of how much and what I eat ... but sometimes, all I want is treats! I'm trying hard to remind myself that healthy eating is better for both baby and I, so having snacks like cut up veggies, is something I try to do more often.
But you know what? As much as I may seem a little more blaise about this time around, I am really truly relishing these days of pregnancy. No, I don't feel or look amazing, but I am honoured and blessed to be where I am right now. I am experiencing life's truest and most amazing miracle, and I want to remember that.
Chances are very good, that this will be our last addition to the family. So I think it is important to slow down and savour some of this time. Babe will be here, before we know it!

xox

my life, right now ... in a blog post

It's been such a long time since I've been in this space. It's not because I haven't wanted to be, but we were just on the road for 20 days and internet was hard to come by (for long enough periods of time to publish a post).
We are now settled (or settling, I should say) in our new home in Kentville, NS. It's been a long journey to get here, and I wrote out some posts on our actual trip, but for now, I want to fast forward to present day and share what is happening in our lives right now.
This morning I woke up, and finally had that feeling of being settled and at ease. The first few days of moving into our house were chaos. Dirty clothes and bed sheets, no hooked up washer, a crazy kitchen that was piled high with stacks of this and that, boxes and more boxes everywhere. But this morning was different. After days of organizing, sorting and moving things around, this morning I felt as though I could wake up and not have to get to work right away. With CBC 2 Morning playing in the background (I haven't had this in 2 years), I made pancakes and oatmeal, and things just kind of felt normal and good for the first time in a long time. We still have a ton of work to do and lots to sort through, but I am glad that things are beginning to feel normal after everything.
I have so much to share and I'm not sure where to start. I want to talk about my pregnancy, poor baby number 3, who barely gets any mention. . I also want to share more about my dreams, hopes and goals for my photography and art. I want to talk about all the cool things that this new place has to offer. So many ideas, so many thoughts ... how do I begin.

...

In pregnancy news, I am now 21 weeks along and am feeling fairly good. I've been tired by the end of the day, and often find myself in bed by 9pm with the kids, which is probably a good thing. Moving is a lot of work, and even though I wasn't lifting heavy things, I have made so many trips up and down stairs, from one room to another, moving piles of this and that around, organizing cupboards and shelves. I need my sleep by the end of the day.
In terms of how big I am getting, I definitely have a tummy to show, and I wear a lot of maternity skirts and t-shirts. I don't feel all that great about how I look (funny how that happens by the third baby), but I am trying to enjoy and embrace my baby bump.
When we were at 18 weeks, we had our mid way ultrasound in Whitehorse, and had the chance to see our babe on the monitor. We made a decision not to find out the gender of this babe (although I strongly think it's a girl), and we are excited for the surprise of finding out on the birth day.
In baby development news, I now feel quite a bit of movement through out the day, mostly at night time, when I have the chance to slow down.
When I get a chance, I will post a recent photo of my bump.

...

Lately I've been feeling all sorts of frustrations about my photography, and while that may not sound like a good thing, it actually is. Frustrations, for me, indicate that I have a strong yearning for more and to do more. For a long time, I feel that my work became routine, safe and expected.
While I love shooting families, babies and people, I wasn't allowing myself to reach out and try new things, or to open up my mind to other ideas.

This past summer, I was introduced to so much more when I attended Land and See. I walked away with a renewed energy and desire to do more, but right now, doing more is kind of hard.
With our move and trip across the country, with our children who need our attention, with having to start all over again in a new part of the country, I feel like I have such a long list to tackle and all kinds of pressures to deal with (self imposed).
I know what I need to do and I'm thankful that I have Winslow on board to help with it all  (thank God for all of his support). I will tackle each goal, one by one. I will continue on this path of learning and improving, and I will breathe positivity into what I do.

Some personal and professional photography goals:

~ Revamp my website. Change the layout, change out the old pictures, breathe new life into it.
~ Possibly get a new logo.
~ Take photo days, where I go out for a few hours (no kids allowed), and shoot to my heart's desire.
~ Build friendships with other photographers. Learn from them, share with them. Build a community.
~ Take chances. Take leaps. Try new things.
~ Study other photographers, artists, painters, whoever! What is it that draws me to their work? Develop those ideas into my own work.

...

And finally, our new home.
After 5 years in the North, we are actually now living on the East Coast, in a very interesting little part of the province. There is much to explore here, and I am quite eager to get out there and see it all. There seem to be a ton of fruit farms which offer all kinds of U-Pick options, little petting zoo farms, farmers markets, and a ton of yummy restaurants. Don't even get me started on what the Valley has to offer in the Fall. Squee!!! Hay rides, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, fall colours. Oh yes! And you better believe that I'll be all over the Fall blog posts at that point.
We plan to head over the to coast on Winslow's next set of days off, and we hope to time it right so that we can find some tidal pools. I know the kids will just love looking for neat rocks and treasures.

...

And so there you have it. My life, somewhat wrapped up in a blog post. There is more to say, more to share. All will come in good time.
xox

these moments

In just weeks, our time here in Beaver Creek, and the Yukon, will be wrapped up into one precious and beautiful package of memories, that I will slip away into my heart.
While talking to a dear friend over the phone the other night, the conversation came up about what I would miss most about our time here. I started to think, and immediately wanted  to slow down and just feel the simplicity of our life here. Simplicity is what I will miss most about here.
The simplicity of going for nature walks, all on our own, just steps from our home.
Being able to walk to the school, the park, the pool, the library, the post office ... all in just a short 5 minute walk.
The time that I have to make food. To make bread, from scratch. To make and can jam in an evening. To make healthy (and creative) dinners from what we have on hand.
This, I think, will be one of the most important lessons that I take from Beaver Creek. To remember not to load ourselves up with commitments, activities and busyness. To slow down and continue our simple way of living.

...

On our way home from the park the other day, Katia grabbed for Noah's hand and they ran all the way home together like this. It was hard for me to catch up, but when I did, Noah turned to me and told me that by holding Katia's hand, she would keep on walking and wouldn't get so tired.
I have been reflecting lately, on this amazing and strong friendship that these two have together. They are getting older, and in turn, seem to be getting along better than ever. They make up games together, go on adventures, and just basically live their days together, but so closely.
I really believe that our time here in Beaver Creek, has really helped to strengthen their relationship. Neither kids go off for long periods of time apart, or spend much time with anyone else, and while at times I wished desperately for them to have more options, more friends, more activities, so that they could live somewhat more individual lives, I now see that their bond is the way it is because of all this family time that we have had together. It's been a true gift.


...

Thoughts on this pregnancy:

I am now 15 weeks along and am finally feeling more normal and like myself (although the hormones came out full force this week- sorry hubby).
At the beginning of the pregnancy, I was having terrible headaches and nausea. I would feel dizzy and needed to lie down often through out the day. I am happy to report that I am now feeling much more energetic, and able to do physical activities. I went to aquafit this week and went for multiple walks, which feel so good. I still do get tired, and find that I like to go to bed early and even catch a nap if possible.
This week I've had CRAZY pregnancy dreams, that are so far fetched, yet very realistic and vivid. I always wonder what they mean.
The kids are super excited for this wee babe to come along and so are we, but still, I get very nervous about how something could go wrong, and how devastated we would all be, if God forbid! I know it's not good to think like this, but it's just my honest feelings.
Food cravings: none, but I wasn't able to drink coffee for the first 12 weeks due to the smell- it was way too strong for me and I had a big time aversion to it, now, I am able to have a cup every now and then, which is nice when I am feeling tired in the afternoon.

...

Today is Canada Day, and we have some very excited little ones on our hands. We are hoping for a short break in the rain (even though the land so desperately needs it), so that we can proceed with our small town parade and bbq :)
*update - the rain held off, and the kids had the parade :)

...

Thank you so much for all the kind words of congratulations on our special news.
It means so much to us.

xox

it's official

\

I suppose it's not really official until you tell the online world your news.
And so, without further adieu, we are excited to announce that we will be welcoming another sweet little soul into our family, late December. Yes, a Christmas baby.
I feel like I've been walking around with my own personal little secret for the past few months, but now that I am at the 14 week mark, I am ready to share the news with everyone else.
It's been a busy, exciting, overwhelming past few months, what with our house sale, house hunting trip, transfer and of course, pregnancy. But we are thrilled and happy to be having a wee babe join our family. We are all filled with excitement and anticipation.
Some fun facts, for anyone taking notes, we have a little reoccurring pattern that seems to happen in our family. Whenever we buy a new house, we also happen to be expecting a baby too (Hamilton, Whitehorse and now Kentville). Also, this baby will be born in Nova Scotia, which means that we have had a baby in each of our 3 posting provinces/territory (Ontario, Yukon and now Nova Scotia).
And so, here we go (once again!). We are truly thankful and blessed for this little one growing in my tummy ... and for anyone wanting to know, we will not be finding out the gender this time.
xox

katia's birth

It was Sunday morning at about 1am. Winslow was working the night shift and I had Noah in bed sleeping next to me. I had had a busy Saturday trying to keep active so that maybe labour would come on it's own. I had been out for a walk with Noah and had been pulling him in his sled. I had taken a nice long hot bath with "come on baby" essential oils in it given to me by my friend Tammi. I was feeling good as I went to sleep and then woke up at 1am with some mild discomfort. I decided to try and sleep it off.

Up at 3am...back to sleep. At 4 am I decided to call Winslow at work. I wasn't quite sure if this was "it", but regardless, I needed him to start packing it in for the night and come home.

At about 5:30 Winslow came in the door. A bit panicked Winslow asked how far my contractions were apart, I told him to go and rest because it was just the beginning and things could take a long time still.

In the morning I gave my friend Vanessa a call as she had earlier offered to take Noah for me so I could have some alone time. I told her what was going on and she was over so quickly to pick up Noah. It was so kind of her. As she was making her way over (she lives quite close), I got Noah dressed and packed up. It was a bit sad for me to say goodbye to him and I think he knew that something was going on because he really wanted to stay with me. But Vanessa so kindly swept him up and cuddled him and walked out the door with him. As she did I was looking at him being carried away and he looked liked my little baby.

The rest of the morning was spent just fiddling around. I was in pain with my contractions but they weren't close enough. I tried to drink lots of water and sort of ignore the pain. I spent a lot of time sitting on the edge of my couch with my upper body leaning over the coffee table. By 1:30pm I had to wake up Winslow as the contractions were getting stronger and closer and I needed some company and support. I was feeling resentful and tired and lonely as Winslow slept away. In all reality he had just worked 12 hrs over night and had been up all day before, so it wasn't his fault and I needed him to be rested.

Once Winslow was awake we spent the next few hours timing my contractions and tidying up the house. I knew that we would have some friends spend the night at our house to take care of Noah, so it was important (of course) that all the beds have fresh sheets on them. We folded laundry between contractions and just hung out. It was kind of nice to be able to work through the early part of labour just the two of us in the comfort of our home.

At about 4pm the contractions were getting to be pretty strong and close. We decided to get ourselves ready for the hospital because we knew the car ride over wouldn’t be fun if I were any further along. Where we live is pretty close to the hospital, about a 10 minute drive, so we started the car and Winslow got my bag and the camera packed into the car. Off we went.
We were admitted in and got to our room. Here in Whitehorse we are very lucky to have a wonderful birthing unit at the hospital. Everyone gets their own private room to labour, deliver and stay in after the birth. Each room has a bathroom with shower, so you can stay in the room and not have to leave. The lighting is also very nice in there, dimmed lights and large windows that let in lots of natural light. This is so important as any woman who has given birth before would know, because strong artificial lights can really affect a labouring woman's mood and concentration.

Shortly after getting into our room, a nurse came to check me to see how far I was along. She said I was about 3-4 cms, so I felt pretty good about that, as I knew things were starting to move along. At this point also, Leanne, my dear friend and amazing doula showed up. She walked in the room with such a big smile on her face and such a positive attitude, it made it feel more "real" once she arrived.

The next few hours were spent labouring in our room. I spent much of the time standing with the assistance of Leanne and Winslow. I really didn't want to sit or lay down at all because I wanted gravity to pull the baby down and every time I would lay down I would have worse back pain than when standing. With each contraction Leanne and Winslow helped me stand up. They said that I had them each in a headlock and was hanging off of them with all my weight. Poor things! Leanne reminded me sway my hips and to breathe deep breaths. She also reminded me to make deep moaning noises when I would exhale to help with the pain and pressure. All of these techniques really helped me manage the pain and more importantly helped me focus and stay present.

I had done quite a bit of reading on natural labour leading up to my due date and I had a few things in mind as I went into it. The most important thing to me was that I wanted to stay focussed and to not panic. With Noah's birth, things had spiraled out of control and I didn't have the techniques or support to help me stay mentally present. For Katia's birth, I'm happy to say that panic did not set in and I stayed present the whole time. The biggest thing I did to achieve this was by working through each contraction individually. I never started to think about the next one, I just stayed focussed on what was happening at that very moment. This really helped me a great deal, I found.

The rest of the labour was spent standing up with Winslow's and Leanne's help, and by standing in the shower. The hot water from the shower was a great relief. At one point some laughing gas (the same type used in a dentist office) was offered to me and I decided to use it. It was just the thing to help take the edge off. I was moving along pretty quickly and I remember at one point thinking, "I'm actually doing this without an epidural. I'm gonna make it without one!" I was very surprised by this.

By 10pm I was fully dilated and effaced, so I was able to start pushing. We had arrived at the hospital around 4:30 pm and by 10pm I was ready to push. At this time my doctor, Dr. Avery, came in. He may have popped in before a few times, but this time he came in with his scrubs on and said it was time to start pushing. I would say for me, the pushing part was the hardest part of my whole labour experience. I had to get up on the bed and lay back, which I didn't like too much but Dr. Avery brought out the squatting bar and had me alternating between laying back and using the squatting bar. For those that don't know what a squatting bar is, see here.

The pushing took from beginning to end 3 hrs and it was long and exhausting. For me it seemed to take forever to end and to be honest, it hurt quite a bit. At one point my doctor brought out the mirror so I could see how things were progressing. Some people might think that's a bit too much, but it kind of gave me the incentive to keep going. And as soon as baby started to crown, I gave one more push and there she was. Her whole little body right there placed on my tummy, loud cries (from Katia) and all. It was surreal. All that hard work and there she was, finally. Katia was born at 1am.

After she was born she stayed on my tummy, skin to skin for a good 2 hrs. During the first hour, my doctor and the nurses stayed there to make sure that the placenta was delivered. Dr. Avery allowed for the cord to stop pulsing before Winslow got to cut it. Katia's heartbeat was checked while she remained on my tummy. Almost instantly she began to root around for my breast, and began to feed right away. She was born with an appetite!

A few more things had to happen before we were left to ourselves. Dr. Avery had to give me some stitches, which seemed to take for ever and was quite uncomfortable. He also showed us the placenta and explained a bit about it. After that we were given a few hours to ourselves and at about 3am the nurse came in to weigh Katia and give her a vitamin K shot. At this time I had my shower (oh I was sore) and got my bed cleaned.

I spent the next day and night in the hospital and it was nice to rest up and recuperate there. Winslow came by with Noah to meet his baby sister the morning after she was born, which was very special. The very first thing he said to her when he saw her was "tickle tickle", because leading up to her birth we had read many books about babies and what types of "games" can be played with them. It was so sweet to see his reaction to her. We had picked up a new Thomas the Train for him to open at the hospital which made him very happy.

We also had a few visitors come to see us that day. Sarah our good friend came by with a book for Noah, my friend Vanessa came by to see how we were, as did the Minister from my church Beverly. Leanne also came back to visit and she stayed with me the second night in the hospital. I felt so bad having her stay as I knew she was exhausted and hadn't had much sleep. Still, she stayed and helped me out through our second night and her company and help was very much appreciated.

And that is it, the story of Katia's birth. If you are still reading this, thank you for bearing with me. It's taken me almost a week to write this out and it was important for me to do this, as I know that it is something I will want to look back on someday. It so hard to believe how fast time goes by. Katia is already one week old now, when I will be posting this. I wish I could just put the "pause" button on and soak it all in. I'm trying hard to be present and live in the now.

xox

40 weeks and waiting

Oh hello there!

It's a lovely Wednesday afternoon here and I'm just popping by to say that there is still no baby.

I am patiently waiting for her to come and while waiting, I've been working on some Christmas crafting and gift buying. I really wanted to be finished my gift making and buying before the babe comes, so that all I have to do is enjoy the season and not head out into the cold weather to do silly/busy/stressful holiday errands. I am happy to report that I am almost done :O)

As for the beeb, well, I am 39 weeks and 4 days along. The baby has "dropped" and I now measure 36 cm as opposed to the 38 cm that I was a few weeks ago. I am getting contractions here and there, with a few painful ones in there. I have lots of pressure and have been feeling nauseous, which are all labour signs for me.

So that's it from here. I promise to sign in once she is born and to give an update of how we are doing. Oh and then I will reveal her name too. We are pretty certain on her name, but we also have 2 back up names in case she just doesn't look like what we have in mind.

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Take care dear friends and again, please send prayer, good wishes, good vibes my way for an easy delivery.

xox

woe is me ... just kidding

Warning, this post is brought to you by a tired and grumpy pregnant lady. Just warning you.

It a chilly Saturday here in the Yukon. -30 c. Yes, it is that cold.

Hubby is off for the next 4 days and I am so thankful for it. I am so at the end of this pregnancy journey and I have decided that I am officially finished and want no more of it. Now, if only baby could just get the memo on this one.

I am tired, big, have puffy feet and a puffy face, my legs and thighs are sore, and so is my back. I am emotional. I'm agitated, impatient, weepy and anxious. But then on the other side of it all, I am excited with anticipation and am eagerly waiting for her to come.

This morning I went to the Yukon's biggest Christmas craft fair. Last year I was selling my goods at it, this year I got to go in early with the seniors and immobile. I had a few people look at me when I was in the line with seemingly judgemental looks and tell me, this line up is for seniors and the immobile you know. So, by the time I had heard it again and again, I shot a look back at the last lady who thought she'd inform me and I said, "I'm 39 weeks pregnant and have a toddler...I think I qualify to get in a few minutes early". I'm telling you, don't upset the pregnant lady. She will either bite you or start crying or both.

Oh and before going to the craft fair this morning, as I was having a 6 minute shower, look what my darling adorable sweet little Noah did. Yes, I came downstairs to find him covered in yoghurt and rubbing it into the carpet. I was slightly mad but at the same time, I must have found some humour in it because I started to take his picture. I did make him clean it up though, just out of principle.

It's been getting darker and darker here. This shouldn't come as a surprise to me, seeing as how far North we live, but I have to admit it doesn't have the same romance as it seemed to have last year. Last year it was all new to us, so I was excited to see how dark and cozy it could get. Now I just start to get annoyed as soon as dusk approaches (4:30 pm) because I have a busy toddler who I still have to entertain for a few more hours, even if it's pitch black outside. Sorry....the grumpy pregnant lady has come out again. The only romantic thing to come of all the darkness is that I now have a very good excuse to have candles lit at every meal. (Here are some pics of our sushi night. Noah LOVES sushi!)

Okay so that is my update. I'm sure you are super glad that you stopped by today- ya right!

Hopefully the next time you hear from me, there will be an itty bitty, teeny tiny babe nestled up to me and I will be in post-pregnancy bliss. Send fast labour wishes, prayers, thoughts my way.

xox

a random evening post

Oh I so need tonight. Tonight is a blessing. Tonight Noah has decided to fall asleep at 7:30 (so unheard of) and Winslow is working a night shift. What does this all mean? It means a night to myself. No noise. No t.v. No working hard to get my toddler to fall asleep ... a break ... the first one all day.

I am tired these days. I'm not sure why I'm stating this. It shouldn't come as a surprise to myself, but for some reason I seem to forget that I am 37 weeks pregnant and that I just can't physically do everything that I'd like to. When I look at pictures of myself that have been taken over the last week I don't even recognize myself. I look exhausted and puffy and huge. I'm not saying any of this in a bad way. It is what it is. I just seem to forget that I am very much pregnant and that sitting down every once in a while might do me some good. I'm not enjoying these last few weeks I must say. I know that I am very blessed to be pregnant and I want our little baby to stay in for as long as she needs to, but I must say it, I am tired of being pregnant.

Moving on. Tonight the snow is falling. We've been waiting for a good snow fall for a quite a while now. Winslow was saying that he was hoping for snow so that the outside would seem lighter and brighter. It's so lovely when it's clear and sunny and white outside. I'm hoping to go out and get some pretty pictures tomorrow. I went out on my front porch this evening to snap a few pictures of the snow and lights. I specifically wanted blurry bokeh pictures. Oh yes, I love bokeh and this season is upon us.

I am getting into the Christmas mood dear friends. The other day I snuck out of the house while Noah and Winslow were napping and I went down to Main Street to do a bit of window shopping. I picked up a little something from one of the shops on Main Street. It was exciting to see all the Christmas stuff put out in our little local shops. Our decorations will go up this weekend, just after Remembrance Day (Nov.11) a day to remember the fallen who have served our country.

And so that is it. A bit of a random post I must say. Hope you are all cozy in your homes. Good night.

xox

easy does it monday

Happy Monday dear friends.

Our weekend was a simple one. One that included some crafting, lots of rest, some household cleaning, cooking, going for walks, church, visits with friends and movie watching. It was easy and slow and just what we all needed.

On Friday night I had been experiencing some serious cramping and contractions and had myself fooled into believing that baby could be coming soon, but obviously we had no such luck and I am still very much pregnant. I am starting to grow impatient and really want her to come, but on the other hand I am trying to remind myself that this time before she comes is a gift and I need to use it wisely.

Speaking of using my time wisely, I have been trying to tackle my holiday gift giving list and decide on what I am going to make/give this year to friends and family. The Christmas cards are nearly finished (although they won't be sent out for a while still) and I am trying to figure out what to work on in terms of crafting and homemade gift giving. It may seem early to some, but since I am due with our lil one at the end of the month, I really only have a few more weeks to tackle some of these ideas of mine.... hmmm....so maybe it's not such a bad thing that she wait bit.

We went for a walk yesterday, Winslow, Noah and I. Now that I am 37 weeks along, I am no longer at risk for having to leave the Yukon if I go into labour, so I'm starting to pick up my walking again. It was cold outside and because of the daylight savings time, the sun was starting to go down at about 3:30, so it felt even more cold with less sunlight. Never the less, we bundled up and hit the trails behind out house. Noah was all cozy in his covered Chariot stroller while wearing his snowsuit. I on the other hand was a bit cold as my jacket will not zip up over my big belly anymore! Lately I've been wearing this woolen zip up sweater with a big scarf and then my winter coat over top undone. I'll be happy when I can fit into my winter coat once again.

On our walk we saw all kinds of things and then at the end this sweet little dog ran over to say "hi" to us. We have all kinds of friendly (and well taken care of I should add) dogs in our neighbourhood. People are just a bit more lenient about letting them roam a bit and that's okay by me because I like dogs quite a lot. I managed to snap a pic of the friendly dog that came to say hi to us.

And so that is it for now. I hope the start to your week is easy. Be back soon dear friends.

xox

weekend plans

Happy weekend friends. I hope yours is one that is relaxing and fulfilling.

This evening I have been feeling some major contractions going on ... could this be the beginning of labour or will it be a false alarm? Only time can tell, but I'll be sure to let you know either way.

If I'm not in labour this weekend then I have plans to attend a craft show (the first one of the season for me!), have coffee with my girlfriends, sew, bake some ginger bread (because tis' the season) and go for some walks. Oh and If I'm feeling up for it I'll also do my best to attend church on Sunday.

Enjoy your Saturday and Sunday!

xox

ps. have I shown you that "this is the life" sign before? I got it this past summer at LL Bean Home when we were in Maine. It was one of my souvenirs from our summer trip down East. It now hangs in our kitchen and covers our thermostat. I quite like it.

36 week update

36 Week Update

:: How far along: 36 weeks today!


:: Total weight gain: 39 pounds

:: How big is baby: could be 6 pounds already!


:: Maternity clothes: I alternate between black yoga pants and my one pair of mat jeans that fit. I really didn't want to spend too much on mat clothes and although I could throw on a dress, I live in the North and have been on relative bed rest the past week, so a dress really isn't all that practical. I live in my Tyme Maternity T-Shirts and like to throw a cardigan over the top. Scarves are my go to accessory.

:: Stretch marks: yes, unfortunately and lots of dry skin


:: Sleep: I've been trying to get as much sleep as I can and am trying to go to bed more early. This means turning off the computer, turning on my sound therapy machine (ocean waves lull me to sleep) and I banish Noah and Winslow to a different room. I've been having relatively uninterrupted sleeps and am trying to rest up in case our little girl comes anyday.

:: Best moment this week: getting to walk around. I had been on bedrest for over a week and was starting to go a bit batty. I went out with my friends Leanne and Jeff (we brought Noah) and went for a little walk around the neighbourhood. The fresh air made me feel alive again!

:: Food cravings: chocolate, ice cream, frozen things (smoothies).


:: Labour signs: I was admitted to the hospital on Tue Oct 18th with signs of early labour. They had to give me medication to bring the contractions down and then put me on bed rest for a week. Luckily all labour signs have stopped now and if she were to come now, she would have a very good chance at being a healthy weight with her lungs developed.


:: Belly button: flat!


:: What I miss: being able to go for walks (on my own) and being able to get comfortable when I am sleeping. It's so hard to get myself up out of bed!


:: What I'm looking forward to: her arrival! I can't wait to hold her and smell her and kiss her little head and fingers and toes!!!!

:: Milestone: making it to 36 weeks. Prior to this date, if I had gone into labour (which I was on the cusp of doing) , I would've had to been flown down South to BC to wait it out. We don't have a NICU here in Whitehorse, so the risk of having to leave the territory was really real. Now that we are at 36 weeks, if she were to come now, she would be developed much more and we could most likely safely deliver her here in Whitehorse (which is what we want, we love the hospital here, love the staff at the hospital, love our doctor and have so much support here).

And that it is my friends! One more week under the belt. I'm thinking that after 37 weeks I might start picking up my daily walks (around the neighbourhood) once again. I want my body to be in a bit better shape for when I deliver. I also plan on focussing on getting my sleep now, as we all know that once she arrives, this mama will be one exhausted (but happy) mama!

xox

ps. My friend Carol-Ann had her baby last week. I'm going to include a picture I took of baby Emma! It's quite fitting for Halloween I think.

And the picture of me? Winslow took it in our backyard and YES we do have that much snow! See why I am in the Christmas mood already?

the waiting game

Hello there!
I've been on "bed rest" for about a week now and am starting to get a bit tired of it. I went to the Dr. this week and he said he'd like me to continue on it for a bit longer, so that the lil one can grow bigger and stronger and not come out too early. And while that all makes perfect sense to me and I don't want a premature baby, I just have to say that I really and truly feel that we (the baby and I) are fine and that labour isn't immanent. But alas, I will air on the side of caution and continue to take it easy. Well, as easy as one can take it when they have a 2 year old running the house. Thank goodness for visits from friends is all I can say!

So to keep myself busy I've been doing a few little things such as hand crafting and letter writing (Christmas cards to be exact) and photo editing in my spare time. If our little Miss does decide to come early I want all my cards to be ready to be mailed out and all my client's photos to be done so that I don't have to worry about them after the birth.

In terms of hand crafting I've been working on a few Christmas tree ornaments, some pins and a little finger puppet for Noah's stocking. I plan on making a few more little finger puppets and want to sew a little bag for them to go into. I'm so thankful to have something to keep my hands busy!

And other than that, I've been spending WAY too much time online and watching TV. I feel like a sloth, a yucky old, lazy old sloth! Today I think, (with help from my friend Leanne) I will take a short easy stroll through the woods behind my house. I need some fresh air and a change of scenery and I need to stretch my legs!

And that's about it from here. How about you? Are you all ready for Halloween? We are as ready as we will get, minus carving the frozen pumpkins that are sitting on our front porch. To be very honest with you, if it weren't for my little guy, I don't think I'd be doing much for Halloween at all. When it's below zero outside with snow on the ground and it get's dark so early, I just want to skip ahead to Christmas and say farewell to autumn. But for my little guy's sake, we'll put on a happy face, dress up, hand out candy and then go trick'or'treating at our neighbour's homes. Just for him :O)

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods

xox

ps. hope you don't mind the weird juxtaposition of Halloween and Christmasy pictures. If you look at the picture with the pumpkins you can see that yes, there really is snow outside.