June 2009

So. My daughter. Yup. Wow. What a character. Seriously. I never realized how dumb I look or how often I do certain things. So. Funny. She now says the famous *no* as well as sings *fait dodo* even though most of the words are ... dodododododododo. She likes to say *don't*, *sit*, *there*, among some other funny words. She can undress herself and likes to pick her own clothes. She can put her shoes on, WHILE standing ... as long as I help slide them on. She is a little copy cat. She is an awesome baby. In other news, we have a camper. More on that later. Lol

Looking cool in her sunglasses

SIT Maggie

In the night garden must be on

Here is the link to the photos from 1 year and up. enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=132206&id=543155419&l=3602dca114

Work ....

So it's june. I find that I'm not as enthusiastic as I was at the beginning of the month. The school (or school board) or whoever makes these decisions has decided to make my position (preschool teacher) one that only a teacher can apply for. I ... am not a certified teacher. I am taking ECE (early childhood education) which in case you don't know is ... everything about children ages 0-12 or something (I just started give me a break lol). So. I'm pissed. I'm hurt and I feel completely betrayed. I don't know how they can do this ... and I don't understand their reasoning and I feel like I wasn't good enough. I KNOW I was good enough though. I worked REALLY hard and had good reviews :-(. I'm not the only one unhappy by this decision. All I can do is wait ... ... anyone have a full time job for me?

Update ~ May 13th, 2009

Okay in case I missed anything :-)

I have recently been to the orthodontist and was told that June 23rd was the day I was getting my braces off. Now this day hasn't changed but after getting two heavy wires, two green chains and a mouth full of elastics I'm having my doubts. I guess we will soon see. In the meantime, lets all cross our fingers!

In Amélie news, she is now talking. She says Yes, dodo (she also sings), nananes, maman, daddy, c'est doux and tanks (thanks) She also says *ide* outside. There are other sounds she makes that are obvious but not actual words, for example, all done ... it's a hard one to miss haha. We are teaching her tout fini but she just laughs. She has also peed on the potty twice, and on the floor ... at least 3 times. She loves being outside and gets rather insulted if you don't bring her with you. She's had a tumble down the stairs after a huge miscommunication on mine and Corey's part :-( , but she's okay. Luckily, and we thank God every minute and double check that door religiously, she fell with her arms bracing the way. She only fell part way before Corey caught her. On the upside to this, and there's an upside to most things, she's not willing to go near the stairs anymore. Phew! Any parent knows the scariest thing in the world is the thought of your baby being hurt.

In more other news, I'm taking a new course! Early Childhood Education ... in french! WOot! I'm taking it by correspondance. So far ... not much haha.

The next few weeks are crazy busy around here. Gayle's wedding, Valois grad and field trips and school events like there's no tomorrow. Sigh, July is JUST around the corner.

Gayle's Shower and Stagette

Gayle opening presents
Mary Kay makeup lesson

May 9th was Gayle's shower and her Stagette. It was a blast. We started off with some Mary Kay facials and some hilarious attempts at putting on makeup. Thank God for Jennifer LOL otherwise some of us would look like Mimi off Drew Carey. Then after a quick bite of pizza we had the bridal shower. Some fun games including hang bride and hang groom, as well as pictionary and a beautiful (ahem) fill in the blanks love story. Once we had calmed down and put things away, we literally tossed things into Gayle's house and drove to Saskatoon. A check in and an elevator ride later we were in our hotel room. We ate supper at Tomas the cook. It was great and our waitress was soooo funny :-) We then went to the bar (Long branch) and had a fantastic time!!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=124948&id=543155419&l=c9d6c20d3d

Amélie's first birthday ~ May 5th, 2009

New camping chair with cup (bottle) holder
So sweet! Reading the cards too (takes after her daddy there haha)

Mmmmm Backyardigans birthday carrot cake

Talking with adults

Wagon from Maman and daddy

Thanks to everyone who could make it and to those who tried :-) It was a lot of fun! Amélie had a blast and got great new things. She loves everything, but her couch is taking a beating lol. She had a Backyardigan carrot cake because we couldn't find In the night Garden. Corey had set up monkey golf and horsehoes and there were a few games that went on. The BBQ was yummy and we hope everyone had fun. Below is a link to the pictures for those of you without facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=123944&id=543155419&l=f97774b924

Landscaping

New path oooooh

working on the new pathway


A little tractor help to level things out



Before Picture

Corey took on a landscaping project this April/May and I have to say it turned out very nicely. With some much appreciated help from our neighbours it was done just in time for Amélie's birthday party. :-D Hooray for great neighbours!! I, of course, lent my supervising skills .... it's what I do best ;-) Here is a link to more pictures

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=123102&id=543155419&l=536d37d008

11 months ... could it be??

Let's go somewhere! I found my shoe!!

Eating cookies and visiting with mémère


Busted while trying to print something hahaha

Reading one of her new french books.

Has it been 11 months? Wow. It has. Amélie has grown so quickly and is such a little person I can hardly believe she was ever a newborn. Although our nights are no longer sleepless ... Amelie has a tendency to wake up once or twice here and there. I have to admit to not minding the night time wake ups ... it's a wonderful reminder that she's still breathing. I think every parent fears that one morning their baby won't wake up. She now has a little mouth of razor sharp chompers - 7 total, and one on the way I think. Or so the cranky, biting baby says :-0. She walks like she's been doing it since she was born ... I swear she thinks she has too. I miss her spongebob walking (with her arms up in the air) lol, but her little swagger is cute too! She doesn't run very well, but that sure doesn't stop her from trying and she is very, very sneaky. There isn't much we can do to block any doorways (short of an actual door), she always seems to climb, crawl or wiggle out. She enjoys walking from the kitchen to her bedroom, to the porch to the living room ... multiple times during the day. Amelie is also very helpful with laundry - most days. She eats mostly what we eat and I look forward to the no formula days ... YAY!

As for work, I'm back lol. Have been since January. Corey on the other hand was in a bit of a fight at the jail and is now off for a couple weeks, maybe longer. He's okay. The hospital has seriously only confirmed their complete incompetence and I simply have no trust in our very own health care providers. Instances of blood to blood contact - no matter how slight can be very traumatic and dramatically change a life in a second, but there is a cocktail that you can take that kills everything (including Hep C), but it MUST be taken within 2 hours of the contact. Corey waited for 5 hours ... despite having told them he'd had blood to blood contact. Are you as impressed as me? Now some of you are saying ... well there are other emergencies. From what I understand ... heart meds have to be given within 30 minutes ... that still leaves 90 ... am I not doing the math correctly? And how long does it take to give a drink to someone? PLUS Corey watched them having coffee ... soooooooo .... yah. Anyways, turns out the inmates blood tests were all negative ... PHEW! and lucky for the hospital ... although Corey did complain, and write a report and they are implementing a policy for correctional officers. YAY Corey! lol

10 months and walking!!

Relaxing with dad on the couch :-)

Looking for trouble

Her caterpillar from her Uncle Leo
She loves it!

I can hardly believe she is already walking, but then again ... she is a mover. Now that she's figured it out, Amélie wants to walk everywhere ... including the tub lol. She has quite a few teeth and says some words too. Her first official word was *up* and now she says fais dodo, dad, maman, ohhhh c'est beau ... and a couple other ones :-)

My marriage

1. When was your "engagement" anniversary: March 1st, 2004
2. When is your "marriage" anniversary: April 9th, 2005
3. How long have you known your spouse: 7 years
4. How long did you date before you were engaged: 2 years
5. Where did you meet your spouse for the first time: 4R dance in Prince Albert, the last day of college for me :-)
6. What is your spouse’s full name: William Robert Corey Linfitt
7. Do you have any children yet: Yes
8. How many: 1 - Amélie
9. Do you have any house pets: 1 cat - Molly
10. Do you own a house or rent: Own!
11. Do you live in the country or town/city: country
12. What is one of your favorite activities together: watching movies - camping
13. Do you have a favorite vacation spot: Mexico lol ... and Weyakwin I suppose
14. How many siblings (including in-laws): 1 brother, 6 sisters
15. What church do you attend: St louis Church Roman Catholic
16. Is this the church you were married in: No
17. What town is your current address: St. Louis
18. Do you work or stay at home: Work
19. Where did you honeymoon: We drove through the states - Notably Salt Lake City, Vegas and Disneyland ... then up through California, BC and the mountains ... then home.
20. Leave a piece of marriage advice: Talk about it ... then forget it.

9 months old

Cheese! Sitting in the crib after naptime :-)

Her first Mr. Potato head ... er ... without the accessories ... she actually quite enjoyed it

Oops - Update

OMG ... I have not updated in a while ... shoot :-)

Okay so ... here is a *survol* of recent events.

Christmas was as usual, very busy. Ridiculously busy actually, and Amélie was sick - boo! And we had our good friend and neighbor not doing so well :-( He ended up passing away on February January 2nd ... We miss him very dearly.

I've started back at work - full time and yes I DO miss my baby girl, but it just isn't that easy to afford being a stay at home mom. I don't know how people do it ... no seriously ... how do you do it? On the bright side ... I only need ... 600 hours before I can go on mat leave again! lol. NOT that we are trying. Surprisingly enough - I'm fine with one right now. Besides ... it's like I have 2 (rollin' my eyes)

Corey has finally fixed his sled as well and he is loving being on parental leave *cough cough*. I'm also getting a lot better at curling and .... I can't think of anything else lol.

Amélie has 5 teeth and is trying to walk. Should be anyday actually. She is hilarious ... seriously a chatter box and she can say *up* and she can spit very well *thanks Corey for teaching her that*

More to come later :-)

links to pictures

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=52875&l=950cf&id=543155419

this link SHOuLD allow all non-facebook people to see Amelie's pictures! I'll be printing some up soon to give away at christmas. If there's one that you want to make sure I print, let me know :-) Also let me know if this link doesn't work .... and save it, because the pictures get updated on a regular basis :-)

Harry the Tree

As we do every year, we scoured the area (well one area) for the PERFECT tree (one that would do) and cut it down (Chainsaw) and carried it home (OMG) This is Harry's story.

We planned to go on December 7th, but we were both sick (Corey and I) so we didn't. On December 8th (lol) sometime in the afternoon, after our naps (again Corey and I) lol, we bundled up, Amelie too, and got in the truck. Okay so first we had to find my boots, which Corey found as well as our toques, mittens and other various farm clothing. Corey had scouted a tree location near South Branch House.

*Okay honey, go look over the edge and see which way you want to go ..." He told me. So I went to the edge and peered each way. On one side (left) was a tiny, little tree, on the right ... another tree ... I looked back at him and decided to the right. I could see the tops of more around the corner.

Going down was fairly easy, Amelie and I slid down on our bums. We had fun actually - er except for the rock - but Amelie still thought it was fun. We walked for what seemed like MILES - seriously. Carrying a 17 lb baby is tough lol. Plus we were bulky and slippery - and a little cold.

Corey was SO picky and every tree we suggested wasn't good enough. Finally, you could tell he was getting annoyed lol. Amelie and I and Corey picked a tree. Corey cut it down - pouting the whole time because it wasn't as good as RODGER'S Tree last year. Awwwwwwwwwwww. To be honest, Corey said our tree looks like it's having a bad hair year *hence the name Harry* I think it's BEAUTIFUL.

We turned around and looked at the mountain we had to scale to get back up. Needless to say ... it was hilarious, interesting and I can't see us going to get our tree there next year lol. I'll post a picture soon

Babylegs !!!!

I have discovered this wonderful invention called babylegs. They are little leg warmers for little babies ... AND for older kids too. Most little girls we know are getting some, and future babies on the way ... are also getting some *FYI* lol. I also recently discovered a few different kinds, so I have ordered some and intend on testing to see which ones are the BEST. I love Amelie's though, they are SO cute, come in tons of designs, are superbly warm, stretchy, comfy, and keep her warm when I run out of pants - Hey ... it takes a lot of baby clothes to make 1 full load. I'm not doing half a load lol. I have Watermelon, tickled pink and rainbow :-) I'm VERY excited to get my new shipment and do some testing :-)

7 months old

Amélie is 7 months 6 days today.

These pics were taken on Dec. 1st. And yes ... she knows what a camera is and how it works and that she is supposed to smile :-)

She never ceases to surprise us, nor make us stop laughing. Even at her crankiest moments, she's a comedian.

Amélie is not interested in crawling ... well maybe she's interested, but she is quite content to sit on the floor and play with what's in front of her. Usually a drum that sings, a Xylophone and her teething ring. She has tried to crawl a couple of times, but got distracted along the way so ... sigh ... oh well lol. Actually, better for me :-D I can still leave the stairs open to get that nice warm air AND Harry the Tree is not in danger (for now)

For those who haven't seen her in a while and are worried she'll play shy - let me reassure you ... not to worry. Once she senses that maman and papa are okay with you, she'll be bouncing on your lap and pulling your hair and/or glasses in no time. She also talks a lot, so be prepared with something to reply. She gets upset if you just smile or laugh at her lol. You actually have to talk back, then she'll just keep goin'. She even gestures with her hands - she has SUCH a personality. She has this thing about putting her fingers in her mouth, so ... be warned ... she's investigating your teeth. If you are or recently were sick or are coming down with something, PLEASE REFRAIN lol.

Speaking of teeth, Amelie has ONE. Yup ... one sharp little devil. And yes I am still breastfeeding ;-) She is very well behaved that way. She eats most of her vegetables and all her fruits - something about mixed vegetables she doesn't like lol. And .... her favorites so far are sweet potatoes, carrots and blueberries. mmmmmmm. She can also feed herself with a spoon. She's actually better at it than if I try to help her. She has a sippy cup of water that she likes too but prefers to drink out of a big girl cup or better yet, a bottle (as in a water bottle lol)

What else, what else ... OH she weighs 16 lbs 11 ounces now and is 26 inches. Yah, the Dr's office screwed up somewhere along the weigh (get it WAY LMAO), but the health nurse triple checked lol. She's NOT shrinkin'. Her head is 44 cm. She has lots of brains. So .... yah ... I think that's up to date. :-) Cheese!!!

My husband

Sigh .... I love my husband.

There are a lot of things I don't like about him ...

1. his hunting addiction - it cuts into his adoration of me (pout) ;-)
2. his nasty morning breath - seriously ... gross
3. the way he drives - he usually scouts for deer while we're going somewhere
4. the way he dilly dallies - I have to tell him at least an hour before we leave that I want to leave
5. how he copies what I say - I'm not kidding he drives me bonkers when I'm talking and he just repeats me or tries to talk at the same time. ARGH!!

There are a lot of things I do like about him though.

1. his hunting addiction - it DOES keep me fed all year - well moose season does ... usually
2. his nasty morning breath - reminds me he's still alive
3. the way he drives - at least he won't hit the deer ....
4. the way he dilly dallies - although usually annoying, sometimes it's cute
5. how he copies what I say - I know he's paying attention lol

My favorite thing about Corey is that at the end of the day, no matter what happened, or how many times we *discussed* something, he always says he loves me and refuses to let me stay mad. He reminds me that he's always listening, but sometimes he needs to process things first. He tells me no matter what crazy thing I do (y'all know I do weird things) he supports me 100%. He thinks about my feelings ... not always first, but they do come to mind and that's important lol.

And he's a great daddy to his baby girl. So he spends most of their time together watching hockey and explaining to her the statistics of his crappy team, and how they should trade that crappy player and I'm pretty sure her 2nd word will be *#&$ or @#$(@#$&( (I say 2nd word because Corey insists her first word was mom).

So even if I'm furious and stomping around the house. Even if I'm complaining and venting about my husband. Saying he's mean and inconsiderate and all those things. Just smile and nod and agree (I wouldn't recommend disagreeing ;-) because chances are ... at the end of the day ... I'll change my mind. :-D

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.