6 months

What ... it's been 6 months? What? When? Amélie is already destined to be taller than me, growing a steay inch per month. Joy. I better get all my spankings in before she's 5 ... ;-) I watch anxiously for signs of teeth ... or any tooth for that matter. I'm sure I've begun to hallucinate because I was SO positive I saw the tooth the other day ... and now it's gone. Amélie is not too interested in crawling but is thrilled as can be if you offer to hold her on her feet. She loves looking you in the eye and will squeal in delight. She's also a copy cat so ... you know ... don't do whatever lol. She likes to chill and watch TV sometimes you know ... like House ... Fringe .... Pocoyo and Rolie Polie Olie. She weighs only 14 lbs 9 ounces, but I guess that makes her a tall skinny girl. WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I wish I was tall sometimes sigh. I know before I know it she'll be older and talking back so I cheris the time now. that's she younger I mean, she's been talking back since day 1. :-) She loves people and adores playing with kids, so long as when she's done she can go back to her momomomomomomom. The greatest achievement ... being able to sit up in the shopping cart ... no more CARRIER WOOT WOOT.

Prop 8 in California

As I watched the Election last night I actually assumed that Prop 8, passing the ban on gay marriages, would not pass. This morning I am stunned to find out that it looks like it will. What is WRONG with people? Don't they remember when a black person couldn't marry a white person because it was socially unacceptable? I'm so sad for all those gays and lesbians (or is it just gays ....) who are only looking for equality. Hopefully it won't last long and I can't imagine it will. As I've said a hundred thousand times I'm sure .... with every new generation being born, change is bound to happen. We are being raised more liberal and always searching for equality. Just like the midwives in Saskatchewan. They are going to stay no matter how hard people fight against it.

Perspectives

As a first time mom, who had a ... let's call it interesting labour and delivery, I find myself a little more protective of Amelie than I thought I would be. Okay, lol, that's a total lie and I knew I would be a crazy mama bear :-) Luckily, and gratefully (is that how that's spelled?) everyone has ... okay, most people have given the space required for me to adjust and relax. As all you moms out there know, it's a big change. And ... I'm totally lying about how hard Amelie is, she's a sweetie pie (she has her moments of diva attitude, but don't we all?) I think the biggest adjustment was dealing with everything that happened immediately after she was born. It was incredibly overwhelming and traumatic.

A lot of people had hurt feelings because of things we said or did, or even perhaps things we still do. I suppose I'm a little surprised (I'm so not that surprised ... I'm not exactly classified as cute and cuddly) that anyone took offense. Most of the people that took offense are moms themselves and although I understand everyone's experience is different, surely most emotions are similar. I find that I don't exactly embrace large events and get a bit nervous if I have a lot of time to think about it, luckily ... Amélie is a cool cucumber and can handle my nerotic behavior with ease. It's also been a blessing that nobody has pushed the separation issue with us.

It is true that the very first time you leave your baby with someone else ... you're a wreck. I was only gone 90 minutes (to get my nails done) and I was very nervous. I've been able to take it one step at a time without being rushed. I've been to the movies with Tanya and been able to run errands, mostly stress free. Of course, I will always be worried, aren't all moms? I've been able to calmly watch other people handle Amelie and never been pressured to give her to someone for them to hold. I've been extremely lucky, that most people will either, ask if I need them to hold her or wait until I ask them. For that, I'm grateful (again ... is that a word?) it's made things a lot easier on me, Amelie and Corey.

I might even be able to leave Amélie with someone other than Corey and go to a movie. All in due time ;-) You know ... I don't know why I called this perspectives ....

4 months old!

It kinda sucks that all her smiley pictures are blurry, but I'll take what I can get.

This is Amelie practicing for *Showgirls* lol

Watching TV

It seems that every month I'm more and more surprised by how much she grows. She rolled over for the first time today. From front to back and I was very excited. Let's see.... accomplishments ... well, she can pull herself to stand if you give her your hands, she giggles, and sits in a high chair. Sleeps through the night. HOORAY .... and is seriously long. She's doing very well, grabs toys and we are investing in an exersaucer although I'm starting to think i won't need it for very long. Oh well :-)

Camping at Weyakwin

It was interesting to say the least. I highly enjoyed seeing all the aunts and uncles and cousins and spending time with Dad and Dawn, but I don't think I really got the meaning of it lol. Amelie decided to start teething that weekend and so it ended up with a lot of walking and soothing. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't all like that, she always had smiles for everyone. She's pretty easy to please actually ... well most of the time. We slept in a tent with a heater, but it only really worked on our last night, which should have been great, except we all came home with colds.

On the upside, we saw everyone and Corey got his boat working. We've also made plans for next year with a toddler. I'm excited and planning on planting my butt on the beach or in the boat. Amelie can come with us, or she can stay with Grandma and Grandpa lol. All in all, I suppose it wasn't that bad. I didn't realize how frustrating it would be to be away from the things I normally use to keep my baby a happy baby. She likes the water ... but not cold water lol. Sigh. now I know ... I should have packed the kitchen sink ... ;-)

Corey's Boat

The Boat. Yup. There it is. Corey's GREAT buy .... at least it floats. It's a work in progress, but he got a good *deal* It obviously needs help but once the motor is fixed we should be ready to go boating :-)

3 months already?

I can hardly believe it's been 3 months, but I can. I can honestly say that I've been blessed with a GREAT baby, but I yearn to sleep 8 hours straight ... even just once. Amelie is such a snuggler that in the morning we can snuggle in bed while she nurses and we usually fall back asleep. She laughs and grins, and talks and talks and talks. Honestly, I don't know where she gets it from ....

She now weighs 12 lbs 5 ounces and is 23 1/4 inches. That's 1 1/2 inches taller than at week 5 for those of you who are curious. Yah .... she's gonna be tall. I was also told that she's acting more like a 4 month old ... she can hold her own head and pull herself up (with our help of course) and she loves to jump on your lap and sing (courtesy of her memere) Now I have to listen to her *sing* to her mobile at night lol.

Right now she's going through a growth spurt (which leaves me up all night) and she's broken out into a rash (a heat rash/ a bit of exzema) Other than that, she's happy, healthy and adorable ;-)

10 weeks old

I can hardly believe how fast time is going - yet it seems to be going SO slowly. Of course, it's hard to tell what's really happening because my days and nights are mashed together and I never know what day it is. It's not uncommon for me to refer to the day as friday when it's actually tuesday.

Amelie has grown so much already, but I still think she's little. She is QUITE the chatter box and once she gets started it's hard to get a word in. She has BIG smiles, but not really laughing yet. She likes to shriek and is extremely dramatic about everything. Seriously, I don't know where she gets that from. Probably Corey. Amelie has also learned to catch things that are hanging over her, but she has a problem coordinating the *letting go* part and gets upset (hence the dramatics begin) She does not like to be on her tummy, unless it's in her bed or on one of us. She'd much rather sit up or stand up (assisted of course). She also has this hilarious look that actually reminds me of mom. I'll get a picture of it and post it. It's a look like she's calling your bull crap.

Amelie loves her bath time and it's also a fun time for me - since I can coordinate it with MY shower time. She can be crying her little head off and I turn the shower on ... and it's blissfully quiet. Although, it is VERY rare that I have to try something different to quiet her. I can count on one hand the nights I got ZERO sleep. She's also starting to go to bed at a decent time - 9-11 pm and sleeps anywhere from 2-6 hours at a time. Yeah!! This is great for two reasons. 1. I can pump for the days I am out (like my upcoming golf game day with the girls) 2. I can sleep

She's also not a normally shy kiddo and likes people - except when there are too many hands on her. She doesn't like to be handled and passed around. And to be honest, I don't like it when she's handled and passed around. It's also getting a lot easier to pack her around, even though she's heavy as heck ;-). So be ready for visits, we hate staying home.

Tamind the Wild Jesse James

As I was walking down the road not that long ago, I noticed my 3 year old bay gelding in the cattle shelter. I called out to him, finding it strange that he wasn't with Tinky (we didn't name him). J.J. came out and neighed to me, but when he started to walk, I felt my heart sink. He wasn't putting any weight on his right hind leg. Damn. Not feeling like wrangling a horse with a baby in my arms, I went into the house and called my neighbour - Tanya. She would know what to do. She came over and after putting my sleeping baby to bed - we went outside and we called him over. Seeing as to how he's not broke yet - he eagerly came up to us (grin) We haltered him and got a good look at it - I felt a bit useless because it's been a while since I've done anything with my horses - but Tanya - luckily - had it under control. After establishing the damage we went inside and I called mom to come watch Amelie so that I could help clean and tend to the wound.

Once mom got there we went back outside, haltered J.J. - who's never been properly halter broke but acted like he's been halter broke - and really assessed the damage. We decided to get some things from Tanya's house. Before leaving though Tanya wanted to give him some medication - which went rather unceremoniously, then we whisked over and were back in a jiffy. We ran cold water over his leg. I might add that he also stood tied as if he'd been tied his whole life. Of course, this is his 2nd injury - last year he had a horrible looking gash on his shoulder - which Tanya also helped me with - so this wasn't exactly new. After Tanya had cleaned it all up, we turned him loose in the upper pen.

Yesterday - Tanya told me that J.J. was out. I peered at her curiously, then realized she meant he'd escaped into the larger paddock. I just laughed and we went back outside and called him back up. He - of course being the wild horse that he is - immediately came to see us. After cleaning his leg again, Tanya gave him some more meds - which this time he did not appreciate. Today is his last day for meds and hopefully it goes well. I wonder if I just get on him one day if he'll just act like he's been broke his whole life :-)

Sleep Deprivation VS Sleep Deprivation

Everyone has always and still always says that when you have a baby you can say goodbye to sleeping. I'm still undecided whether I got more sleep before Amelie was born ... or after. While pregnant, especially in the last two months, I was so stressed ... I could sleep two or three hours and then Amelie would wake me up, kicking ... or ... I suffered from restless leg syndrome. Do you know how to get rid of that? YOU CAN'T! ;-) I would walk and walk and stretch ... and need I remind everyone I gained a few pounds so it was never easy. (My knees suffered a lot) Luckily I went on mat leave early and I SO needed it. I slept during the day.

Then Amelie was born - and the sleep deprivation started while in labor thank you very much. I still remember watching Lisa and Corey trying to doze lol. I kept glaring at them, but it was dark so I don't think they noticed (hunh - shrug) Now that Amelie is here ... I still don't sleep, but it's SO ingrained in my mind that when she goes for a 4-5 hour sleep ... I can't. I toss and turn and ... clean and try a billion things ... then just as I'm falling asleep ... she wakes up and doesn't go back for a nap for .... the day ,.... or ... the night lol. THANKFULLY, she's usually pretty cool with just vegging in the living room watching Nanny 911, Star Trek Voyager ... or ... Shrek the Third (we've seen it at least 10 times in June). We get into some great discussions about how she's going to raised and where her time-out corner should be. (she suggested her swing) Of course, NOW I'm awake and we start to play - she usually quits after twenty minutes and either falls asleep on the floor or demands to be fed - or carried around so she can inspect the house. Ya'll think I'm kidding, but she likes to look around at things. I know I'll regret saying this, but I can't wait until she can walk. Yup.

Amelie doesn't have a schedule either. Her schedule is whatever she wants and for those of you who have successfully put your babies on a schedule ... you must be baby whisperers. Amelie just blinks at me like ... maman ... I'm going to take your need to have everything planned and EAT it. (nod) But I've been told it gets better. Once she gets older then I can get my revenge, as my parents did to me ;-) We'll see who's sleep deprived THEN!

Breastfeeding 101

How to breastfeed 101

1. Get your baby and get comfy
2. Give her the breast
3. Relax as she drinks while watching some television or somethin'
4. Check to see why she's making gurgling and choking sounds.
5. Be careful when you take her off to check her out ... probably going to get squirted with milk here.
6. Rub her back a bit and sit her up to help her out.
7. Take off your shirt, your bra, probably your pants and place a towel on the chair - these will most likely be soaked in milk.
9. Get a breastpad and some receiving blankets.
10. Start over
11. Burp your baby
12. Clean up the mess as she throws up everything she just ate - since it poured in her mouth she'll probably puke ;-)
13. Start over if she wants to.
14. Save yourself from constantly doing laundry and invest in a nipple shield. It also helps you from getting chomped on and really helps them learn to latch. :-D


Things I can do while breastfeeding :-D

Talk on the phone
Talk to company
Walk around
Type lol ... with BOTH hands (proud smile)
Sleep or at least nap
Put clothes away
Change the channel on the TV
Get iced tea out of the fridge from a jug that you have to squeeze a little button
Open a bottle of sprite
Eat

hmmm ... I guess mom's are pretty talented.

Postpartum Depression

I thought I'd write about a serious issue before getting on to some of the more fun parts of being a new mom. I do believe that every first time mom gets the blues, some more than others. Although I had told myself I would not get them, by the time I was in my 8th month of pregnancy I was already getting the blues. I was simply overwhelmed, as I'm sure most first time mom's are. I was SO sick of people calling to see if the baby had been born, especially people who *suddenly* had to be a part of our life. I know that everybody cared and still does, but I don't think everyone realized to what extent it was affecting me. Of course it never helps that my hormones were so out of whack that everything including the dog's drool made me upset.
Maybe nobody else has felt this way, but I know I have. As my sister gets ready for her wedding, it's so hard not to just take over *because I know what's best*. I'm glad I can restrain myself and I hope I can when she has her babies too. I hate to break it to those who've thought they could BOND with me when I became a mom ... if you didn't bond before, you ain't bonding now. While I was in the hospital, I was absolutely furious at the visitors who didn't call (except Grandma and Grandpa Gareau) - who felt they just needed to show their support - and the lack of privacy when I needed it. It made a delicate relationship even more fragile - and I'm not talking about mine and Corey's. Although I was desperately glad for Corey's support, what I needed most from people, was my privacy and I didn't get it because ... they felt they knew what I needed ... and to be honest, I think that hurt more than anything. Nobody ... will ever know me more than I will know myself. I wish I had been believed when I said I wanted no visitors ... I wish I had believed myself too - except for those I explicitly phoned to come and see me. In the hospital ... I had the worst birthday of my life so far. By the time we left the hospital, I craved sleep and solitude ... I got some sleep between incessant phone calls, and no solitude. I got plenty of offers of help ... with Amelie, but none to clean or cook for me. I was getting worse and trying to hold it together.

I can honestly tell you all, that I did not feel like a happy new mom. In fact, I felt like a babysitter because everyone knew what was best and would say stupid things like *oh you do everything by the book* and *that's not normal* or my favorite *she's part of OUR family you know we have every right to see her* ... I'm sorry, but she is a part of Mine and Corey's family ... and everyone else is our extension. Our family comes first, and our family was suffering because I was so unhappy, in turn making Corey unhappy and he certainly didn't understand what was wrong with me. In retrospect, I wish someone had taken him aside and pointed out that he needed to show support, even if he didn't agree with my protectiveness. I so needed to bond with Amelie and I felt like no one cared. Luckily for me, I had Tanya and I am so grateful that God made her my neighbor because she knew exactly what I was going through. She'd had many of the same issues that I'd had. She'd been plucked from her home in Alberta and set in a strange setting with a new family and then found herself with a new baby where everyone critisized and commented. I called her so many times during the first week or two, needing to talk about my feelings.

I'm also thankful that my sister Gayle would call and ask to come visit, then when she got here, she'd make something to eat. She even drove out here JUST to make me something to eat and that meant so much, because then I could just take care of the baby and try to learn to become a mom without interference. I've learned so much in the past two months and one thing is ... to appreciate the help ... and sleep when I can ;) There's no way to battle postpartum blues when you're crabby that's for sure.

I do thank everyone for their support and thoughts because I know I didn't appreciate any of it at the time. For those of you who've respected our privacy thank you so much, and although now I'm a bit easier going with Amelie, it's always safer to call first because as you all know ... with a baby things can change in a hurry. I'm so grateful for my mom who could just take Amelie and play with her so I could spend some time with Maddie - who usually had to be convinced to spend time with me lol. Silly Maddie. I know it was the hardest on her to stay away because she just wanted to take care of us, and although she didn't always ... she did her best. And thanks Memere and mom for cleaning the house before we got home, I'm sure the house appreciated it and is wondering when you'll be back :-)

so I hope nobody takes offense to this, I've revised it because some people did. I just want to make sure that everybody understands why I may have and may still be a little on the recluse side. Just be patient and let me be a new mom ... I won't have my firstborn as a baby forever and I want to cherish those smiles and giggles for a while before sharing them. Feel free to call and chat, and if you want to visit - make an appointment (jk) It's just better for everyone if you call ahead - it's easier to walk around topless when you're breastfeeding ... just so you know. :-D

Update

Hi everyone! I know it's been a long time, so I thought I'd do some updating real quick.



Amélie was born on May 5th, 2008 weighing 7 lbs 13 ounces. She was born at 6:24 AM and was 21.5 inches long, after 20 hours of labor. Everything went great and it was a natural and unmedicated birth. About an hour after she was born it was apparent she was turning a tad on the purply side so we went to the hospital where she was put on oxygen. While there, she was unable to breastfeed for 24-28 hours so she was connected to an IV and we had to stay in the hospital for a week. To be honest, anything after she established breastfeeding was a crock of crap, but let's not get into that quite yet. I'd like to just enjoy my baby girl :-)



Amélie now weighs over 9lbs and is over 22 inches long. She is 7 weeks old and smiles a lot and is very cuddly, like her daddy. She's a great baby, especially if I can stay away from Jellybeans lol and rootbear. I never had cravings like I have now tee hee. She has so much personality ... kind of like mine though (yes be warned she likes it her way) and eats ... whenever the hell she wants lol. She mostly sleeps anywhere from 2-4 hours in a row and is starting to get a set schedule, but we aren't holding our breaths. She used to sleep in her bassinet, then slept with mommy in the big bed and is now in her own room in her crib.



I can't believe how quickly she's growing and I'm always surprised when I have to put her clothes that are too small away and pull out new ones. She's growing up so fast, but I can't help but be excited for her to be 6 months old :-)

Amelie's birth story ~ the edited/soft version

Amelie was born on May 5th, 2008 @ 6:24 AM.

It was My 4th when I went into labour, believe it or not I thought it was kinda funny. Trust me ... it didn’t last too long, but surprisingly through my whole labour I did keep my sense of humor ... mostly. By the time Lisa, our doula, got there, it was 6:00 pm. Seriously ... I thought she would NEVER get there and I was definitely in active labour. We had decided I would labour at home as long as possible. So, ... it didn’t look like I was going to have a 6 hour labour lol. Meh. I can shrug it off now, but ... at the time there was no shrugging. Labour continued on, making me wonder why women ever had children, why men were so annoying ... why Corey kept trying to rub my back after I threatened to kill him at LEAST twice ... I also pondered Lisa’s sanity at being a doula. She must be insane to deal with women like me all the time. They kept lying to me to keep my spirits up too. Almost done. Almost done. Right. I totally believed them every time too. POFFFFFT. Lisa kept making me move around. I hated her at this point, but I knew she was right. I again wondered at her sanity, but she kept at it and Corey kept at it and I seriously had no choice but to keep at it lol. I remember asking JellyBean for a time out and I did get a few. Finally, my water broke – okay I broke it with a push around 3 ish (I know you’re all dying to know about this lol) And I mean 3 am on May 5th by the way. Corey kept telling me I was doing great so I figured I was. And then I had to push and push I did. I didn’t get those on TV urges and I seriously could not hold my breath and push. Who DOES That anyways? I would have passed out for sure lol. It took 2 hours and 20 minutes, some very cool positions, Lisa and Corey telling me ONE more push (again .... they were lying) and FINALLY Amelie was born. If you ask Corey to tell you the story of Amelie being born, it’s very hilarious lol. I remember looking down and seeing my BEAUTIFUL little girl, and immediately feeling smug that I was right. Mom’s always know and now I know what my mom means when she says she ALWAYS knows.
We went to the hospital after a quick bath and cuddle and Amelie got the little extra help she needed with oxygen. She was put on antibiotics (turns out she didn’t need them) and and an IV. There was nothing scarier than seeing your little angel being poked and prodded, but she’s a fighter and she did great. 24 hours later, she got jaundice ... joy ... FINALLY, after the inquisition of nurses, doctors, strangers ... and after the ridiculously long and pointless stay in the hospital we FINALLY got to take our little miracle home, where she was born. I am very upset by our treatment in the hospital, but when I look at my baby girl I know one thing for sure. They can never take away the most amazing birth story ever. And they can NEVER, ever take away how special she is to us. And no matter what they accuse us of, Amelie will always know the truth, and that we did the best thing for her. God gave us instincts and I used mine. The best thing I did was have her at home, then bring her to the hospital. Now when I look at her, sleeping in bed as if she’s sunbathing, I think about how she’s everything we’ve ever wanted. A homebirth, a healthy and happy baby ... and so far ... daddy’s little girl and mommy’s little angel.

JellyBean guesses

Hey everybody if you want to guess JellyBean's stats head over to JellyBean's website and make a guess!! :-D You have until April 18th then we'll see who wins :-)

32 week checkup

Well ... that was fun :-) Other than the stunning 10 lbs weight gain lol. I have to admit I was stunned. I had been under a lot of stress, wasn't eating, nor sleeping and I thought for sure I wouldn't gain more than a few pounds. Boy was I surprised lol. Oh well. JellyBean is facing down, butt towards my belly button and legs out to my right side, kicking and elbowing and kneeing and ... all that stuff. I'm thinking ... 7 lbs ... 7lbs 10 ounces I think. Heartbeat is 132 so for all those people who are making guesses ... that may help, and JellyBean is carrying very low, ... trust me lol.

Other than that, the renovations are coming along :-) Check out the pictures on facebook ;-) tee hee.

The LIST :-)

Finally, the list everyone's been asking for. http://jellybeanbabylist.blogspot.com/
The link will also be on the side ... where it says links ... lol ... and will be updated/changed regularly.

7 months

Only 10 weeks to go!! Hooray!! Although it looks like JellyBean is actually a basket ball ... I'm pretty sure he/she isn't. I have already gotten to my 130 lbs goal tee hee. So I decided to CHANGE it to ... 140 lbs. A nice round number.

JellyBean has turned head down and is lying very low in my body lol. Sometimes I think JellyBean is trying to escape! This has prompted quite a few people to guess that JellyBean will be born before my due date. I don't know. I have no guess for that ... but I don't think I'll be super late ;-).

I am very tired and a very tiny amount of patience for things. It doesn't take much for me to get frustrated, but luckily I am easily placated with a tomato sandwhich, goodie rings, strawberries and lemon water. Yes ... I realize these are all strange to eat in combination, but you're just going to have to trust me when I say it's very good. We are very excited for JellyBean and can't WAIT to meet our little baby Linfitt.

Oubliette

Now ... if anyone isn't familiar with what an oubliette is ... it's a deep, dark whole where mean people would put bad people to forget about them. These days, we call it prison, but ... there are also the though oubliettes, which float around aimlessly and prey on innocent people like me. I seem to be forgetting where I put a lot of things, which has led me to believe ... I have an oubliette floating in my house.

It wouldn't be so bad if I was only forgetting where I put something .... it's that I'm forgetting where I put something and that I can't even remember what I'm looking for lol. So you see ... sometimes it takes a while for me to find something, luckily it's usually in a pretty obvious place and someone else usually finds it for me. The more popular items for me to lose are my cell phone, my work keys, my car keys and my cup of water or my banana. Corey has taken to simply putting everything in my work bag (minus the water) and then he knows where it is when I start to look for it.

It's also come to the point where I will eat something and forget I ate it ... or do something ... then try to do it again. I guess I get a lot of walking done as I try to remember things :-) Hopefully my memory comes back once JellyBean is born or this ... could be a bit of a problem. I might need to invest in a beeper for my baby lol. (just kidding)

Advice

I know there are a lot of pregnant people out there who feel the same way I do. Especially first time moms. Now ... I know my dreams probably seem unrealistic to a lot of people. Corey and I want a natural birth with zero interference. Corey and I also want a healthy baby with a great birthing experience. I don't know why so many people are adamant that THAT is impossible. Believe it or not ... it is a realistic dream. It will take determination, heart and a the right support. Corey and I have hired a doula, her name is Lisa and this is her website. http://www.birthrhythm.com/ You can read up on doula's on your own time.

I am SO sick of hearing that ... I don't know what I'm in for. My experiences in the hospital (2 of my 3 miscarriages) were horrible. If they are anything like what my birth experience is going to be like, I'd rather stay home. The labor itself wasn't so bad, but I will admit I did ask for pain medication and I am SICK AND TIRED and ready to snap at the next person that says I'll need an epidural because of this. There is a WORLD of difference between laboring for a baby you will be taking home ... and laboring ... only to go home empty handed and broken hearted.

I am dreading the hospital. I don't want to be controlled and I do not want strangers touching me in any way shape or form. Although I am prepared to need help and I am prepared to accept help, I am not prepared to deal with any rudeness, or lack of respect while I am there. I firmly, very firmly believe, that birth is a private miracle that the hospital is PRIVILEGED to host. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that there have been so many advances in medicine because there is always the what ifs. I know there are great nurses and bad nurses. I know they've seen a lot of labor and usually have good advice, and if they are suggesting a position or possibly helping me breathe ... I hardly think I'll be annoyed ;-) On the other hand, if they start trying to push an epidural or criticising... I might lose my cool.

I AM nervous about childbirth and labor and I DON'T need to hear horror stories. If you have a story about how you dealt with nosy nurses or if you have a story about how wonderful the nurses were I'd LOVE to hear it ... but I don't just want to hear how great they were I want to know WHY they were great. I want to know if I ask them to leave the room, if they will. I want to know how they deal with people who don't want certain procedures until absolutely necessary, such as an IV, although I know an IV can be a great way for hydration, let's just say I would rather not at the time. I want to know how many nurses are there during delivery. I know these questions can be asked at the hospital, but I want to hear the truth from people who have experienced it. And when someone tells me that I'll hardly notice how many people are there ... let me tell you ... I have NEVER forgotten how many people invaded my privacy during my miscarriages and I will NEVER forget how disrespected I felt. If I had to compare it to something I would compare it to rape.

I have decided to stay away from negative influences or people who are having a bad time of things. I don't need the extra stress or tension and prefer to surround myself with supportive and positive people. I know this all seems rude, ignorant and ... arrogant but if you take a minute to look at it from my point of you I think you'll understand why I feel the way I do. I want to be as relaxed and confident as possible going into this experience because it is the most important thing I am going to do for my baby. No matter what the outcome, natural, medicated or C-section ... it's very important to me to feel as if it was Mine and Corey's labor experience and that everyone else was just there to help when we needed it.

Since I don't want to get off on the wrong foot with the nurses there, they are the ones who will be monumental in my experience, I am VERY open to hearing advice on how to word things so they aren't insulted or angry. I am VERY excited to hear of anyone who has good things to say and even if you had a bad experience I don't mind hearing about it and how you would have changed it. I don't want to hear ... how you ABSOLUTELY needed the epidural ... I want to hear how you were treated every step of the way. Is it too much to ask for ... to be respected during one of the most natural and amazing experiences of a person's life? I know things won't be perfect and I'm not refusing any type of help that I may need if absolutely necessary to save my baby. I am not willing to get a procedure just to speed things up. So please, if anyone has a good story ... I really could use the cheering up. In the end, it's in God's hands, but he gave me a mind, strength and a heart for a reason.

6 months :-)

6 months FINALLY. Honestly ... is it May yet? I know. I shouldn't complain and ... I feel a tiny bit bad about complaining, but I can't help it. It's like I've been pregnant for 2 years ... SERIOUSLY. This month has definitely shown some growth ... outwards and ... sideways. JellyBean is lying transverse currently ... how do I know this ... because of the punches and kicks I get on either side of my stomach right now. I'm a bit relieved that the rib kicks have stopped, but I hope JellyBean turns the right way in time for delivery.

I'd like to point out that I am carrying low ... not high. I had a debate about this with some ... family members ... ;-) I compared my picture to OTHER people and have decided, whether y'all like it or not ... that I'm carrying low. I will compromise to ... in the middle. I have developped what might be called a craving for cucumbers and tomato sandwhiches. I've always liked them, but ... last night I had to wake up at 2 AM to have a tomato sandwhich. It was ... SO good, just so you know.

Although I have heard of this ... nesting phase thing ... obviously nesting has never been implanted in me. Well possibly in spurts or when I'm ... ready to deliver it might kick in. Now that we've finished renovating the new office, I look at the old office in dismay. It will eventually be the baby's room, by far the most important, but I get started in there and ... wander somewhere to hide after about 30 seconds. Or I get distracted by pictures. Or I get hungry ... Or I need to pee. There is endless possibilities really. Corey said he doesn't mind right now because he'd like to pay off some of the office renovations before starting on the baby's room and this gives him a little break. (He's not allowed to touch the papers in the office so he can't help. That and he gets distracted as easily as I do right now ;-)

On the work side of things, I seem to get spurts of ambition and spurts of ... non ambition if that's a word. I honestly miss the repeating work of numbers and calculations. I LOVE my preschool class, don't get me wrong ... but I don't thing event coordinator is my strong point. I'm pretty sure it's not. Yup ... definitely not. Obviously ... since I should be coordinating something right now and instead I'm here ... sigh.

The Sugar Drink

Simple. Right. Drink this juice and wait and see how your blood handles it. Okay. I can do that. Other than it's a pain in my butt to sit at the hospital for an hour when I could be working. I was supposed to do it last week, but I didn't get around to it until yesterday. This ... is how it went.

I got to the hospital around one o'clock. Very unconcerned and feeling pretty positive about the whole thing. It was just a routine test after all. I put my paper in the little metal basket and had a seat. About two minutes later a nurse called me back and had me drink this super sugary orange pop. It was very carbonated. I mean seriously. Did I drink this as a kid? So feeling very hyper within seconds and a little lightheaded from gulping it down lol ... she told me I had to sit in the waiting room. No walking, eating ... drinking ... or chewing. So ... I sat.

Within about twenty minutes, I was dizzy and hot. very hot. So I took off my jacket and my boots. I know. Strange. Within another twenty minutes I was ready to throw up. I stood up and went to find a nurse, only to need to sit down. I sat there and told her I needed to lie down immediately. She called for another nurse who attempted to take me to a bed. I say attempted because we never made it ;-). I decided to lie down on the floor. Once on the floor I felt a lot better I have to admit. Within a few minutes I was up and in the room, lying down. I felt a whole lot better, although vibrating because of the sugar and JellyBean was on a sugar high too. Great.

When she came to take my blood I was doing better, but still very uncomfortable. I was told to stay until I felt better. Well ... I decided I felt better. I got my jacket and boots back on and left to go outside feeling very depressed that I had gestational diabetes. I was SO bummed and sad and blamed myself for eating chocolate. SIGH. I called the doctor and asked that he call me with the results on my cell phone tomorrow because I wouldn't be home. Sure thing. The receptionist even sounded bummed for me when I told her what had happened. The other receptionist passed on the message that I should walk and stay in the fresh air for a bit, try to keep walking so my blood works the sugar out a bit quicker.

The whole day I walked and walked and got fresh air trying to burn off that extra sugar. Finally, about the time we needed to get to my niece's birthday I was starting to feel decent. Luckily Corey was with me all afternoon so that if I felt like I needed to walk he could walk with me. We shopped for office furniture (that's another story lol) We went to the birthday and by about eight o'clock I was feeling very tired. On a downward spiral actually I think.

We were leaving and I talked to Deanna who mentioned that sometimes when you're really sick it means your body is handling the sugar properly. I felt a glimmer of hope. I went out to the car to wait for Corey and saw I had a message. I checked to see who it was. THE DOCTOR had called. I panicked. He called quite late in the evening. Something must be wrong. I checked my messages and grinned! I had a GREAT result! I shouldn't worry and if I had questions to call him back. I ... was SO relieved! Corey looked over at me and guessed the result. We were both very happy, well ... he was just because I told him if we had to get rid of all the sugar in the house he was going to have to suck it up. lol.

It was an interesting experience to say the least. PHEW. Glad it's over with lol.

Early mornings

You know, at first (yesterday) I complained about having to wake up at 5 am to be able to drop Corey off at work at 6:30 am, but ... it's kinda peaceful being at work early. No distractions, nobody asking me irrelevant questions, no students asking to go to the gym ... it's nice. Of course, I don't mind working in the half dark and definitely don't mind the quiet. Other people, like my husband, would lose their minds. I seem to always find something to do in the morning and in the afternoon all I want to do is sleep. Probably because JellyBean is usually napping.

I have also decided that for the amount of coffee I have had during my life time. An extra large, Café Mocha twice a week, is hardly going to damage my unborn child. You all have to remember that chocolate also has caffeine in it and although I'm not a big fan of chocolate, in fact I'm really sick of it, I think I've gotten an addiction. It's pretty bad when you buy chocolates for your husband ... and then eat them. Corey has to cleverly hide his chocolates in places like the freezer. I hate frozen chocolate (unless it's a fudgesicle) (realizes she forgot she even had fudgesicles). Also, if caffeine doesn't give us a baby with ADD, just having us as parents is bound to be recipe for a chaotic child, of course, every once in a while God gives parents children that are complete opposite of them. I'd like to see that happen. Corey and I are similar, but we are also very opposite lol.

On the work side of things, I'm really liking my preschool job. In fact, I really don't want to leave, and although I know the principal was kidding when he said come back in September. It's really tempting ... even in January ... but ... probably not until April. Sigh. Little does he know ... when I go back to work is when we will probably start trying again lol and it WOULD be nice to finish a year. I've been at the school for three years now and I haven't finished a year yet. The first year as a teacher, I missed the last week because of a miscarriage. The second year (last year) I missed the last 4 months because I was helping out in Bellevue ... THIS year lol ... I am missing the last TWO months because of JellyBean. I guess when I come back it'll be the first year I finish ... and I didn't even start it. (meh)

Other than that, I have to say that Corey and I can't WAIT for May. Does it seem that long for anyone else? when you or your wives were pregnant ... did it take forever? I swear I've been pregnant almost 2 years now and technically I have, but I can tell you now if JellyBean decides to take 2 weeks after the due date ... we will be having a discussion about rudeness. Either way ... I can't wait! Only 3 and a half more months!

24 weeks!

Finally, 24 weeks! YEAH! I have gained a good weight (120 lbs so far) and although the nurse, the doctor and Corey tease me all the time about it ... I ... love it because it's all in the RIGHT places. Okay a little bit has drifted to my bum, but that's just for better cushioning you know. So I had a good Christmas! The heartbeat is still really great and JellyBean is right on schedule. Not like that matters right? Unless we have reason to believe that something isn't right, there will be no 20 week ultrasound. It's usually used to verify heart condition and we've already had two (one at 9.5 weeks and the other at 12.5 weeks). The heart was developing very well in those ultrasounds and therefore there is no reason to assume something is wrong. I am very happy, but disappointed lol. I REALLY wanted to peek at whether the baby was a girl or a boy. I guess it'll be a surprise. Sigh.

Now that I am 5.5 months pregnant, things are starting to feel better too. I know ... almost into the third trimester before I started feeling energetic again, but oh well. Another picture will come up when I'm 6 months pregnant! For now ... I will enjoy my belly and little JellyBean to myself :-D

The Car Starter

I got a remote car starter for Christmas! Yes. I am thrilled and it works from inside the school, THRU the walls. Trust me ... that's amazing. It also works from our house thru our quansit doors, which is far by the way. I ... am very happy. I have to remind myself not to start my car with it for fun because ... it's a very addicting thing.

I never guessed what it was. Corey had it wrapped under the tree for nearly a month before Christmas and I shook that box so many times. It felt like paper. FINALLY, Christmas came and I tore into it like a kid in a candy store and stared at the box. YES!! I love you honey!! Hugs and kisses and I opened the box and ... was incredibly confused. I pulled out the key chains and looked at him.
"Honey ... where's ... the other part?" I asked him, concerned he hadn't looked at it first.
"In your car," He replied easily, trying on his Oilers bunny hug. I blinked at him a moment, then laughed.
"No really, Corey, look," As if to prove a point I showed him the box. He took out one of the keys and pressed a button. I saw lights flash and I went to the window, followed by my brother who was staying overnight with his new WII system. We looked at each other.
"Wow ..." We were in awe.
"When did you have time to do that?" Devon asked, "And ... when is it going to blow up?" Corey rolled his eyes. His repairing or ... putting together skills need some improvement and he knows it.
"I had it installed that day I didn't bring you lunch until 3:00," Corey seemed completely unaware of our concern. He tried on his new oilers hat, "Don't they know that one size fits all, doesn't actually fit all?" He smiled though, "But ... it fits my head."
"Honey, you are almost always late for lunch," I pointed out, then remembered a day in particular that he said he had to WAIT in line to get my present and I gaspd, "That was a MONTH ago!"
"Yup," He seemed quite proud of himself. He nearly died that night. AS those of you remember how cold it was in December and I trudged down to the quansit every morning to start my car. Devon thought this was hilarious and started laughing and making fun of me, "Didn't you see the little antenna?" Corey asked me.
"Antenna?" I repeated.
"I thought you'd see it for sure," He pressed another button and the car shut off. I swiped the key chain from him with a huff and put them away. He grinned, "Thanks for the hat and bunnyhug."
"I got you plenty of presents you big bully," I didn't really mean it, but he did nearly have an unfortunate accident. I hardly remember anything else he gave me, other than my pro choice horse boots, which my poor boy horse is going to be stuck wearing during training season this year.

GRIN What a silly husband.

5 months!

Officially 5 months pregnant, almost 5 1/2 by the time I post this. Sooooorrrry for not having internet out in the middle of nowhere down a valley.

I know, it's cute isn't it. (ignores the comments saying anyting otherwise) I had decided to try on my bikini from mexico, it's not even a year old and I found that my bottoms fit real good, but my top ... well ... it barely covered what it needed to cover. :-D I also noted my belly button ... is almost all the way popped out. Nothing I do, keeps it in, therefore I've convinced myself it's always been that way. JellyBean likes to push right at my bellybutton and people keep telling me I'm carrying high. Let me tell you where I'm carrying ... (rolls eyes) JellyBean thinks it's a game to push on my bladder and kick up at my ribs. I'm still thinking it's a little salamander. I'm always amazed at how JellyBean can be in two places at once. The most hilarious thing is when JellyBean is rolling or turning (I don't know if the difference matters) My WHOLE belly moves with the shift. It's kind of gross, but even the cat likes to put her paw on it and sniff the movement. I'm pretty sure Molly thinks I'm carrying a HUGE rat around.

During the past few weeks, I've also realized ... that I am probably the only person in the universe that is excited for labor and delivery. lol. I mean ... I'm not excited about the whole idea ... YEESH! give me a break. Corey and I are just SO excited to meet JellyBean. Because of that, we are sure JellyBean is going to hang out forever and take hours and hours to deliver. Ugh. Either way, I'll be happy to meet him or her.

JellyBean is by far going to be my best birthday present ever. Only 4 months to go!!!!

Morning Ritual

I thought I'd write a little story about how long it takes me to get to work in the mornings now that JellyBean tags along.



I used to wake up at 7:30 but after being almost late five days straight, I changed it to 6:30 am. So the alarm sometimes gets to ring, but not lately, even with the body pillow. JellyBean is usually up first. I roll out of bed with a sense of style and trip over the clothes I've left on the floor as I try to make my way quietly to the bedroom door. By the time I get there, I usually have sworn a couple times and looked over to see if that woke Corey up. Usually doesn't. I try to ... sneak the door open, but if you've been to our house there isn't a door IN the house that does anything quietly. Then I trip on Odie as I step out into the hallway. He casually gets up and follows me to the outside door to be put outside. Maggie is a morning dog and is very bouncy when I let her out. Then I literally toss Molly outside because she won't go out willingly. Cats.



I get myself a bowl of cereal and start the shower. Yes ... I eat my cereal in the shower. Deal with it. By this time it's at least near 6:45. I usually shower for about 15-20 minutes, but now that the braces are in it sometimes drags on and on. FINALLY somewhere between 7:00 and 7:30 (really anytime in there) I get out of the shower and trod into the bedroom. No longer caring if I wake Corey up. I warn him I'm turning the light on ... usually after it's already on and then proceed to get dressed. See ... the caring thing to do would be to pick out my clothes the night before but ... NAH. So then, I go between the dryer and the bedroom at least twice, finally dressed I make my lunch.

Lunch is made! Yeah! Grab my coat and put my boots on and go outside. Realize I forgot my lunch, my bag and my keys, I go back inside. Outside again I go to the quansit and literally squeeze myself inbetween the shrinking space that is there to start my car. Once started, I put my things inside and try to open the doors. A futile attempt, but one that must be made so that I can say that I tried. Then I go back up the hill to the house and stomp over to Corey, who by this time already knows what I'm coming to tell him. Grumbling he gets dressed. By now I'm in a pretty cheery mood (if I didn't fall on the way back up the hill and if I didn't have to stop breathing in order to squeeze into the quansit). I realize that I left my phone in the house so I grab that ... and the REST of my lunch that I somehow forgot to pack into my bag and follow Corey back down to the quansit.

Finally, the doors are open and I kiss him goodbye and leave the yard. I still manage to make the 40 minute drive at a decent calm speed and sometimes make it there before 8 on a good day. It's interesting anyways. lol.

Halfway there!!

Finally halfway done! I am SO excited and so is Corey. JellyBean is definitely kicking and squirming and takes up that entire bump in the picture there ... and probably some of my butt ;-). We had our doctor's app't and JellyBean was kicking or punching the doppler and pushing up against the measuring tape. Making it known that she/he is there. JellyBean is growing like a weed and my hope to have a nice, quiet and calm baby is starting to fade away. I have a little hockey lover in there. One who likes loud music and really loves to play with people's hands. I can't wait to meet you Jelly Bean and neither can your papa!

In other news, Christmas is ALMOST here!!! Corey has had my present tauntingly under the tree for a while now. Anyone who knows me, knows I like to be informed and so Christmas usually wreaks havoc on my self control. I haven't peeked yet, nor have I peeked in my stocking, which is also filled up. I have Corey's presents under the tree and he doesn't even care ... or does he? Either way, it'll be a good Christmas either way. I could get socks and panties (which I really need) and still be thrilled. JellyBean is the best present ever. I could do without the stuffy nose, but at least my back isn't sore anymore. LOVE the body Pillow! My new best friend.

J. J.

Yesterday, my 2 1/2 year old colt, J.J was gelded. I've been trying to get this done for quite a while now and finally we were able to coordinate everything to work out for yesterday.

JJ knew something was up the moment we threw hay over the fence (by we I mean Corey), but he came up like a good colt anyways with his good buddy Tinky. For those who have met JJ, he is the most calm, quiet, polite colt ever. He is very careful and follows perfectly whether you halter him or not ... or ... at least he used to.

I went to work the next morning, completely pleased that he would be gelded under the careful supervision of my neighbour and good friend Tanya, who coordinated the whole event. Secretly I just didn't want JJ to hate me. (lol) When I came home our yard was plowed even better than before, which I thought GREAT! Then I saw Tinky's head poking out of the barn and remembered JJ. I left Corey to fend for himself against the quansit doors and trod on over to the corrals. I called for JJ and Tinky came out happy as can be. JJ ... did not bound out anywhere. He more like ... stumbled out of the barn, and if a horse could glare ... he glared.

I felt horrible, but my curiosity got the best of me and I convinced him I wasn't the one who ... cut him. He was easily convinced with a kind word and a reassuring pat he was my best friend again. I gave him a hug and then peered under to take a look. It was very nicely done and I told JJ so. I don't think he cared really. He followed me back the way I had come and acted like his normal self, other than a bit of shivering and ah ... I can't really blame him.

Once inside the house, I called Tanya to check on how he did and find out if I could feed and water him. Apparently, JJ was a booger to catch. He was being a pest, which I had to admit ... I probably also would have done if two people were trying to catch me and cut my-. Anyways, once he was caught, he was a gentlemen. He took the shot of sedative very well and laid down perfectly. The vet commented he was very large and when I was told this ... I had to laugh. Tanya and I used to laugh about him all the time. For what he lacked in height ... he made up for in ... well ... other places. Once it was all said and done he didn't want to stand up (do you really blame him) Finally he did and stumbled behind Tanya back to the corrals where she and the vet watched him for a bit and played with our dog Odie.

We went outside and fed JJ (we as in Corey) and he seemed even better than before after some food and water. This morning I went to turn him out and felt a little bad, so I kept him up for one more day. After all ... he did have major surgery (snigger). A surgery which I will undoubtedly threaten Corey with during labor and deliver of our little JellyBean. Maybe I should ask the vet to come out again?

18 weeks!!!

18 weeks!! Hooray!!! There are some bared belly pics on facebook for those who want to look. I managed to convince myself to put them up, they are pretty amazing. I can't believe how fast everything is going (secretly I'm very happy) Corey and I are SO excited to meet JellyBean. JellyBean is a little mover too! Especially at night, which is quite normal apparently. I have found some nice maternity pants, cheap but nice and some bras too! Thank god ... I thought it was just me but my chest is definitely expanding. Luckily, not at the rate my belly is. There is a great debate over how big I`ve gotten. Some people say I'm HUGE already, and others are really looking hard to find it. I guess JellyBean is already playing games with everyone :-). My ribs are already sore and so is my lower back so I am booking massages, but I'd really prefer a nice ... gentle ... massage lol. Corey needs something a little tougher ... so I guess so different massage therapists would be nice.

In other news, I had a fight with our Quansit, but neither of us is ready to talk about it.

Not a Gambler

Corey bought a new game for our PS2 called High Roller's Casino. I bought a new game called Final Fantasy X, figured it was appropriate after I played Final Fantasy X-2 already. My game doesn't work, so instead of watching TV, I thought I'd try Corey'S game out. I've officially decided ... I'mnot a gambler. There are all sorts of games, including slots in this game and I ... suck at them lol. Seriously ... I finally won a game of Omaha Poker and I'm still not sure how I did it. Either way, I didn't play very long. I went to my computer and started fiddling around, then into the soon to be new office where I tidied up a bit more and contemplated my next job (stripping the wallpaper) anyone wanna help???

The baby bump

I love my baby bump. It's gotten quite hard now and the baby's movements are easier to see. Corey and I have compared the baby movements to fishing or when jigging for Walleye. Sometimes you get a little nibble, and every once in a while you get a big BITE! And that's EXACTLY what it feels like :-D I know that's a weird way to describe it, but it fits.

Apart from baby news, I'm a sucker for my puppies. Odie is SUCH a baby with his big brown eyes and shivering. He only shivers when you're watching though. I let them in last night and he and Maggie just vegged out, sprawled in various parts of the house. They are pretty pampered pooches. Winter is harder on them this year. Maggie is getting arthritis in her hip and Odie is living through his first winter. Although they love it outside, they don't really care for the cold. Molly and Miloh pretty much just do what they want. Miloh owns the quansit and keeps the mice out, so we keep him with cat food and a warm place to sleep. Molly goes to the bathroom outside and sleeps inside. She doesn't have anything to chase in the house because she's already eaten all the mice there lol.

In other news, Corey is rarely around. It's hunting season in case you didn't know and I will soon be making fun of ... er ... posting some of his ... prey .... on the blog site. :-D

16 weeks and moving!

Well, JellyBean is already starting to assert it's babyself inside me. Especially when I toss and turn in bed. Although I can't distinguish, foot/arm/head/ or any body part at all, it's a startling feeling when you're laying there and you think you have an alien trying to crawl out of your stomach. And ... it's only going to get better!! :-D. We heard JellyBean's heartbeat on monday again, a good 160 beats per minute and I even gained 4 lbs!! We are looking for about 30 lbs so that after the baby I can try and stay around 110 ish. I'm only 99 1/2 now because I'm very physically active and I have a high metabolism. Healthy as a horse though!! I don't think I'll have a big baby, but WHO knows. I'm hoping (crossing fingers) for a 6lbs 10 ounces baby. Something smaller for the first one lol.

Corey doesn't like it when I eat out, so know I'm eating stuff from our school cantines, subs, salads and fruit. I have been craving cold milk .... mmmmmmm. I had my first craving last night. I wanted fish and ceasar salad! too funny, but fish is very healthy and I'm not sure I get any of it's nutrients in my prenatal vitamin, so I will double check.

Love Corinne and JellyBean!!

14 weeks

I do have a picture of my growing belly, but my computer and I are not speaking to each other right now. I will post the picture later. :-) As for everything else ... first of all, for those of you who didn't suffer from morning sickness or barely had any ... BOOO to you! Although, despite the nausea I am still very happy. Corey is too and is getting very used to me suddenly getting up and bolting to the bathroom. He doesn't even blink anymore and he stopped following me a while back lol ;-). Yeah for Diclectin, which allows me to function at work.

we saw an ultrasound of the baby on the 26th to make sure things were still good and Corey got to see our little baby having hiccups. JellyBean's hiccups make me nauseous .... there isn't much that JellyBean can do that WON'T make me nauseous. I sleep at least 12 hours a day if not more. If I don't have a nap I am super grumpy. And if I don't eat every hour ... I get dizzy and nauseous. YEAH for food!

The only cravings has been popsicles and fudgesickles (due to my morning/day/night sickness) I need to drink a lot of water during the day, which in turn sends me to the bathroom at least once an hour ... sometimes more if I drink juice.

I've now run out of pants to comfortably fit me, but am too stubborn to go and buy new ones ... anyone have some I can borrow? I have a pair of overalls from Mimi, THANKS! I wear them a lot already lol.

I will post the picture up soon!!

Finally Pregnant

This is the first picture of baby Linfitt, taken on October 4th, 2007. JellyBean is 9 weeks and 3 days in this picture and we are currently 12 weeks pregnant. We are due on May 5th, 2008 for our FIRST child, but sadly this is our fourth pregnancy. (in case you didn't know) JellyBean is doing well and I heard the baby's heart beat on monday.

For those of you who know what I've been through, that was the most amazing sound in the whole universe. There is nothing to compare it too. We are thrilled, but still very cautious.

I am very nauseous which is why I had to go off work for 3 weeks. We actually thought we were having a miscarriage and SURPRISE, there was a baby there. The heart is strong and everything looks real good. I'm starting to feel slightly better, but cautious 0ptimism is always good.

I still remember the shock of the news and how badly I was shaking after I was told and couldn't believe it was for real until ... well ... I still don't believe it's real. I know I soon will!!!

LOVE Corinne and JellyBean and extremely proud papa to be Corey

14 preschool kids and no help

I ... AM ... exhausted. As the kids poured out of the school buses and into the school, I began to help untangle the preschool ones. Slowly, but surely, I realized that ... little Anthony wasn't at school, therefore ... neither would his mom be at school. GASP. I slowly looked back at the smiling little angelic faces that were falling over each other trying to find their *inside shoes* I thought , this won't be SO bad at all ... last year it happened I had 10 kids by myself ... but ... last year ... they were four year olds, this year I have a lot of three year olds. So ... by the end of the day I had chased after most of them, brought everyone to the bathroom at least twice because I can't leave ANY child unsupervised AND had at least two kids have little tantrums. So ... I guess it wasn't too bad ... BUT I'm tired and although I love my job ... I could use a break and go home but Noooooo I have to stay and answer the phone ... lol .... well ... hopefully, nobody will call. :-D

Corinne

First Day of School

WEll ... today isn't the first day of school, but ... it's the first week for the preschool kids. I have 16 little ones in my class. 12 - 3 year olds and 4-4 year olds. It's plenty fun and I love it. Anyways, just a tiny update for now. More later!!

Facebook

Well ... I'm kinda getting the hang of it... SLOWLY but surely! For all you new folks visiting the blog WELCOME!!! Yes ... as you all suspected from when I was in high school and younger, I'm a strange grown up too. BUT ... although my imagination runs rampant and often uncontrolled, I'm quite focused ... most of the time and pretty level headed ... often enough :-)

Once again ... WELCOME

Mexico!!!

Don't be jealous. This ... is Mexico. Ahh the warm breeze, the hot sun ...cool water. Yes, an addiction. Corey and I are already booked for next year. This is our beautiful, all inclusive resort. The Palladium. Isn't gorgeous. I took this from thepath to the pool. Mmmm ..... I can't wait to go back!!!

Maddie's Sunset

Here is a picture of Maddie fishing with Corey and I. She caught a fish. This pictures is a bit old I think she was ... four ... when it was taken, but it's one of my favorites!! You know what this means. HOORAY I am uploading pictures finally!!!

Janelle's Kitties

My cousin Janelle, (Hi Janelle) brought her three kitties to my house yesterday. I wasn't there, but apparently it went all good. I got home, went looking for them and was incredibly disappointed. Just as I trotted by the hedges (yes ... trotted) I heard growling. I was concerned that perhaps my hedges were angry I hadn't trimmed them ... ever ... but I peered through the green brush and saw little eyes glaring back at me. AH HA! I could only make out one cat, a black one. I'm not sure what that one's name is. I decided to leave the growling kitty hedge alone for now. Especially with Odie bounding around beside me and trying his best to distract me from said kitty hedge.

I tossed Odie's ball for him and started back to the house. I could hear Milo so I pat him for a while then spotted a LARGE tabby at. I mean ... plump ... furry and very friendly. He is a bit intimidating and even MILO went ALL The way around the house to avoid him. I think this is very funny because Milo is known for his point A to point B in the quickest possible manner trecks. I discovered JACK. Super friendly and quite hilarious. I petted him for a while and tried to carry him, but gave up because he's not as easy to hold as Molly and he was busy squirming to get away (didn't help me hold him)

Later he decided to chase fireflies and got close to the house so Corey let him in for the night. He is so silly. He would walk around and then rest ... walk around ... hiss a bit at no one in particular ... and then rest. He came with me in the office and ... guarded? The door.He is quite large and every time he tried to be cute and cuddly, usually something fell over. We were definitely entertained for the evening.

Anyways, my next mission is to tame the hissing hedges. I'll keep you up to date.

Love Corinne

Star Trek Voyager

Hmmm .... umhmm ... yup .... I knew it was going to happen. It was inevitable. Just like my dad fell in love with Star Trek ... we.. we all knew I loved it but I seem to have rediscovered the awesomeness of Star Trek. I find it very amusing because I can't chat to anyone about my giddiness. Even when I barricade ... well half close the door to my ... writing room, it seems that no one takes my little writings seriously. Granted it's mostly fanfiction and little rambles such as this one, but they entertain me at great lengths. And they are a wonderful distraction from real life laundry piles ... *hmph* I love my imagination.

Watchin Captain Janeway makes me giggle. Her facial expressions are so ... ahem ... subtle. I don't understand why she hasn't jumped on her First Officer (could just be me but he's pretty hunky) and I definitely don't get why 7 of 9 wears a catsuit ... Who ... wears a catsuit? I don't ... Tom Paris is a kid in the wrong century. He'd love it here and now. I recently thought of what it would be like and I realized I wouldn't like it unless they were the officers there. Somehow ... I doubt my feelings would be the same if I was thrust 70 years away from my family. I probably wouldn't think her so amusing. Come to think of it ... why doesn't she ever cry? She's AWAY from family and her fiancé dumped her for another woman. WHAT? I know ... Oh well ... it's all reruns and I know how it ends. So depressing. Paramount loves making things end in such a boring way. Anyways ta ta

Love Corinne

So you think you can dance?

I love this show. It's awesome. My two favorite couples are Lacey and Kameron and Pasha and ... the girl ... he dances with ... who's name escapes me at the moment. I only wish I could dance like that. So does Corey ... wish I could dance like that.

(JK) So in about a week I am getting my molds taken of my teeth, a month later is the results and what the plan is then possibly braces ... well ... definitely braces. Like I really needed to look ANY younger ... right?? I've now become a dental floss freak. I have floss all the time. I floss ... nearly religiously. It's a citrus floss, quite nice actually.

In other Linfitt news, it's nearly berry time. I am SO going to the other farm to pick rasperries this weekend. Mmm .... raspberries .... Anyways, that's an update for now!!

Corinne

Ah Crap

I'm so sorry. I realize I have been blog spazzing ... sigh ... I have a very short memory. Someone should call me and remind me to put photos up. Let's see ... quick update ... HEY I'm getting braces ... yup ... it's to alleviate the pressure that's causing me ear aches. Try that one on for size. NO we are not pregnant and are NOT planning on it ... we are ... preventing it if you must know so please, have a heart ... and quit asking.

Ooh I've joined facebook and have no idea how to use it so if someone wants to enlighten me ...

Also, we've finally sold TOUGH Hooray !!!

Oopsies

Wow ... just realized I haven't updated in a while ...hmmm ... tomorrow I will update from the farm with PICTURES... I promise ... :-D

Steele

Today is a sad day. One of our horses, baby Steele, had to be put down today. He had septic arthritis last year and we hoped he could winter it off, but he didn't. He is only 2 years old. He is jet black and so tiny because he didn't grow. He was very wild when Rodger got him and he trained him so good and I made him into a sweetheart. I will miss you very much Steele. You will be so much better in Horse Heaven. You can run around and not be in anymore pain. Big Hugs.
Love Corinne and Maggie

Update

Finally!! A REAL update.

So in no particular order here's what we've been up to.

WE went to Mexico!!! YEAH! It was awesome. We went to Puerto Vallarta for a well deserved vacation. The flight was ... tolerable. We want to go again so if you want to go LET us know. We did some fishing, I caught some fish, regular sized, nothing super sized. Corey burnt like a hot potato, and his skin peeled so he looks like he has weird pigmentation. We went swimming, touring and lots of walking.

We have also complete renovations on our bathroom, after a timely water main break. It's ... so beautiful. Kudos to Dawn for picking out awesome bathroom and kitchen colors. Our kitchen is currently being renovated as well. Midas (shrug)

The race to keep water out of the basement is also on. I dug a moat around the house (yes it was extremely difficult and I even got a blister on my hand) and had a great waterfall thing going. Then it froze and I have to rechannel everything.

I am also officially done my dental work. All of it, except the braces of course. I had five extractions, one was in Saskatoon at the oral surgeon's. I had three small fillings and a root canal. Today was the root canal so my nose feels tingly.

ALSO, I know there's a lot to update. We have a new dog. I'm sure I've mentioned this. His name is Other dog (ODIE) for short. He's a pure golden lab and he's my other baby. He and Maggie are such snugglers!! He is SOOOO cute. He's going to be 2 soon but he's just so LOVING. EVEN Molly loves him a bunch.

Pictures soon, I promise. I just hafta find time to sort, scan and post.

Anyways, that should bring you all up to speed. TALK SOON!!

News

I promise I will update properly very soon!!!!!!!!

The NEW (ish) house

The house is coming along great. I will post some pictures and updates this week!!!

Wisdom

Today is the big day. Extraction day. At least that's what day I think it is, of course it could be root canal day but I hope it's extraction day because I TOLD everyone it was extraction day. Anyways, I have much wisdom and Corey, well he has one. I am getting two molars pulled today, two on Valentine's Day and possibly another one, two weeks after that. And for sure a root canal and possibly another one lol. I know, it's crazy, but THEN to top it all off I have to go and have oral surgery on a wisdom tooth that is growing sideways and is under another tooth. It's a really neat x-ray picture anyways. And THEN I will be getting, possibly, BRACES!!!! HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!

WOOOOOOOOO (sponge bob)

So have you seen the snow? Of course you have, what a silly question. So we had to SHOVE our door open (stupid eastern wind) and then CRAWL over the drifts and then CLIMB back down on the other side ... okay more like WEEEEEE. Then I had to try and find the bale to FEED the horse ... then ... I needed to locate the horse to feed. AHA found him behind the 8 foot snow drift in front of the barn. Perfect. Luckily Tough was hungry enough to leap through the snow and come to me instead. After this, I realized Corey was trying to dig us a path (looked more like a creepy tunnel for luge or something), so I trotted or more like dug myself a path towards the quansit. We had left the doors open (note to self: Do not leave door open) So we now have a neat replica of a scene in the Day After Tomorrow. I found my dog, turned out she was the small bear cub leaping through the snow chasing after nothing in particular. Maggie loves to play in the snow. I found the cat, Miloh is doing okay after his accident, but I cuddled him a bit anyways and pointed out they had no more straw, so my loving husband gave them more and the animals are happy now.

FINALLY (wink wink) our neighbor Tanya came with the tractor but she couldn't make BIG piles because she needed more diesel and WE do not have diesel. So we had a makeshift road which resulted in us being able to go to work (bummer) but when I got home today she had cleared the whole yard and it's SO COOL.

Luckily Corey had the foresight to get movies and stuff because we were stuck in the house for 2 WHOLE days together. Yah, we love each other a lot and luckily because we might have throttled each other. THESE are the movies we watched : The Wicker man (stupid man, stupid stupid man) Crank, (okay this one was really funny), The covenant (It was OKAY I suppose), The Devil wears Prada (I liked this one!!!)The Night listener (it was weird) and many more that I just can't remember right now. Anyways, enough for now and LOVE YOU ALL LOTS.

Don't forget to email us once in a while!!

Christmas!!!

I had a pretty awesome Christmas. This is what I got!!

Video camera (from Corey) it's really awesome and let's me take snapshots too.
New Lead shank (from Corey) It's nice and long so I don't have to drag under the horses feet.
hockey skates and pink stick (from Corey)
t-shirt, socks and sweater (from Patricia) I love it.
earrings (from Cory and Gayle) I needed them for overnights.
PS2 game, Thrillville (from Corey) It's REALLY addicting lol
lots of little things in the stocking from various people.

I had a great Christmas, despite the rough year. Love you all!!

The New Year

It's finally 2007. I am utterly relieved. I can only hope this year goes better. Corey and I have decided to give ourselves a time out from all the heartbreak and false hope of trying for a baby. I know that some of you think we are just giving up, but we know what we are doing. My body needs to recuperate as well as my mental state. We are going to take the year to relax and enjoy each other.

We're also thinking of a trip. I think it would be nice. A driving trip of course because I hate flying. Not a flier. Hate flying. Talk to you all soon.

Wizards of Winter

http://www.trans-siberian.com/multimedia/index.shtml


Find the link for Wizards of Winter. You'll love it!!!

December 18th

There are only 7 more sleeps until Christmas Day. WOO HOO!!!! And ... THAT means only 13 more sleeps until January 1st, 2007!! Even BETTER.

I can't stress out enough how anxious I am to be starting a new year. A new beginning right? Anyways, just a note.

Time is flying

It is ... already December 13th. Holy crap. Time is flying. Next week is my little preschoolers Christmas concert HOORAY! Only 12 days until Christmas. I'm almost done shopping too. I can't wait until NEXT year. I bet it'll be GOOD. Anyways, the pig story is coming soon.

The most hurtful thing

*Pout* I'm tired. Not just a little tired, but pretty much nearing exhaustion. I'm surviving ... so maybe exhaustion is a little exaggerated, but I am tired. Anyways, recently, people have begun to comment on how I MUST be pregnant if I'm SO tired.

Right. Like working three jobs has NOTHING to do with it. The Christmas season has NOTHING to do with it. This YEAR in general hasn't been DEPRESSING enough to make me THAT tired. NOOOOOOO. Not to mention the cold REALLY boosts a person's spirits (please make note of sarcastic tone of voice). I can't BELIEVE it. Devon was tired the other day ... how come nobody asked HIM if he was pregnant????? HUNH???

So ... to those of you with nothing better to do than make the pregnant comments, refrain. REFRAIN! I can not be held accountable for the hurtful thing I will say in reply when I am running on this low an amount of energy. Please be aware that we've had a difficult year and as HA HA as it is to you it's actually more like a ... stab in the heart so let's all talk about Christmas instead. In fact ... you can even comment on how my house isn't even decorated yet. Anyways.

Love Corinne

PS Somebody remind me to put the PIG story up here soon. That will make a few people giggle for sure.

The DEER

This is Corey with two deer. I am not sure which is which because ... I'm afraid they look almost the same to me. BELOW is a picture of Corey and HIS deer. Hope that clarifies that for anyone. ALSO for those of you wanting to get into Corinne's site, you need a password, and for those wanting to get into Corey's site, I need one job less in order to accomplish that feat so you'll have to wait a bit.

The Wonderful Art of Multitasking

Yes. It is an art. One which I am very, very good at if I do say so myself. I have three jobs and they all seem to just ... mold into one important one. I get a lot of stuff done during the day and although I am really tired at the end of it, it's great. It really keeps my mind off the negative things in life because I only want to have time for the positive things.

I don't mind the changing of my scenery throughout the day and I love the various tasks I am given. I can also do many things at the same time, such as typing a letter up and whipping through some payroll forms WHILE listening to my supervisor give me more work. I can also teach my class, clean my classroom, fix things, work on the next weeks schedule all at the same time. My favorite it CAP ... I can catch up on anything else, while waiting for interns to call me back or while writing their reports.

I seem to be a tad hard to get a hold of lately, through no fault of my own, so be prepared to leave a message and wait a ridiculously long time for a response. OR you could just call my cell phone and ... probably have to leave a message there too. Anyways, that's my update. I will have a COREY update probably tomorrow or the day after or Saturday.

New Job

I am now currently working THREE jobs. YUP. THREE. I am a multitasker. From 8:30 until 12:00 I am in Prince Albert, teaching my little munchkins in preschool. From 1:00 until 5:00 I am in Bellevue working for the DSF as administrative secretary. From 5:00 until 9:00 I am working for PAC. That's a monday to friday kind of deal. On weekends I am working CAP at various locations. If you need to get a hold of me, you'll have to phone my cell OR phone my various work locations to try and find me lol. I will ALWAYS have my cell phone. If you don't know my cell phone then you'll have to try and catch me EARLY in themorning at home, or LATE at night. GRIN

Only 2 months until Christmas!!!

Only 2 months until Christmas. If you don't know how much I love Christmas ... then why are you reading this blog because you obviously don't know me. I am SO excited for Christmas. No matter what is happening around me, I can just relax, mellow out and have a good time. It's the one time in the year that I can just stroll through the mall and listen to Christmas music. Everyone is so busy rushing round getting presents and I just don't care about presents ... don't get me wrong I love giving them and getting them, but still, it's not about that for me. For those of you who hate Christmas ... go to Hawaii.

Here's a cutie picture of Dustin and Samantha. I find they both look like their parents. They are cousins in case anyone is wondering. They were born 5 days apart in August. They are SO Cute. I wish Dustin would have been looking at the camera though. Oh well. :D

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Mary Jean. She is 52 years old today. By the way ... in case you don't know who that is. It's Corey's mom.

Please don't ask.

Please don't ask. It's really simple. When we are pregnant and we want you to know, believe it or not, we will tell you. I am so exhausted and frustrated at people asking me that. We've had a super rough year and it's not even over yet. Perhaps if I give background, people won't ask if I'm pregnant yet and will instead ask about my work, or my horses or ... I don't know ... my sex life.

In case you weren't aware ... Corey and I lost a baby in June 2006. It was the hardest time I have ever had in my entire life. That being said, I am tough and have survived. I speak openly and bitterly on that subject. I never understood what a loss was and thought it would be different somehow. I love my husband more because of how he helped me through it and please respect us. Corey is the best husband in the world and despite his ... habits and hobbies (you all know what I mean) I love him to death.

We have also recently lost another baby this October 2006 and no I am not ready to talk about that one, but I am much more at peace about it. I do not want to hear your opinion on why I may have miscarried. I do not want to talk about when we are going to try again. And do NOT guess about when we are pregnant or not, at least not to my face, behind my back I don't care.

If you are a pregnant woman or a woman with a new baby, please understand that I am THRILLED about your happiness. I honestly am, but I may not respond that way. If anyone wants to say ... oh well try again ... please try to hold back.

If you have been through a miscarriage and have the slightest idea what could possibly be going through my mind, then feel free to email me or talk to me. I just don't want to talk about upcoming possible pregnancies. I will ... on the other hand ... talk about the decor in our nursery. I am a very optimistic person and here is my theory.

1 out of every 4-5 pregnancies ends in a miscarriage. Sometimes even 1 out of every 2-3. I have 4 sisters. If I have to be the 1 out of every 4-5 then okay. I would never want my sisters to deal with what I had to deal with. It hurts, it's hard and it's not my idea of fun.

On a more positive note, and I will only say this once, the third time's the charm right? (IF I didn't get that analogy right, someone please let me know lol)

Love Corinne

Moose Hunting

Corey went moose hunting and he got a moose. Go figure. But anyways here's a picture of it.

Logan James Christopher Steadman

Son of Jodi and Damon Steadman
Born at 1:14 pm on October 5th, 2006
8 lbs 7.5 ounces

Welcome to the world Logan!!!

Stupid Cold

ARGH! A stupid cold. I hate colds, they make my nose burn and itch and i have to BLOW it all the time. And I sniffle, and I annoy myself more than anything. At least my appetite hasn't suffered yet, although it is rather lazy. At least Christmas is almost here. *sniffle* Coughing hurts, swallowing hurt, mostly everything is sore and hurting. Hopefully Corey doesn't get it while he's moose hunting.

Dustin Denis Joseph Gareau

Here is my cute little 2nd cousin. He was born August 3rd, early in the morning. He has quite the smile on him already. I haven't met him in person yet. His name is Dustin. He is my cousin Ryan and cousin-in-law Dorothy's first son.

Close to Home

Corey got his first Speckle Belly goose, by the way that's not it. You can see it right in the middle, with the speckled belly :-) I could watch Corey hunting from the comfort of my living room.

Neighbours

We have the best neighbours in the whole universe. We lived next door to them for 18 months before really getting to know them though. It's been almost a year ... sometime in Jan or February. I still remember calling and asking if they could plow our yard and Tanya came to do it. I was in total astonishment that she and not her husband came. I am no longer astonished. Recently, we've had problems with our well, and they gave us very good recommendations. We've also had to fix our little truck, which Leo and Corey did. They even helped me mow the lawn!!! Tanya is always helping me with the horses and their kids are so well behaved. In case we don't say it enough THANKS!!! *BIG HUGS*

Sommerfeldt and Gruber Wedding

It was pouring rain, in case no one noticed, but despite the weather it was a pretty cute ceremony. I have to say in all honesty the bride has such a cute personality. The ceremony was short and sweet and my honey looked dashing as a groomsman. The bridesmaids looked good and the bride was gorgeous!! Here are some wedding pictures

Goose Season is open

hi ya'all, here's a picture of Corey with his catch of the day. Opening Day for goose ... obviously. I have more if anyone wants to see them, just email me and I'll send them your way!!

Oops

Hi everyone, sorry about the delay. Lots has happened in the past few months. Summer was rough. Promise to be better about updating the blog.