The baking exchange went off without a hitch, and I took home a lovely 7 dozen treats. I also kept a dozen of my cookies for us, so we have 8 different kinds of Christmas baking. There are about 3 we really enjoy, and the others I just might have to pawn off on unsuspecting guests. Who knows, they may love it - different tastes for different folks!
Tonight we're having a girls' movie night, and are watching either An Affair to Remember or Home Alone, depending on our mood at the time. I'm looking forward to it!
Jer's work Christmas party was last night, and it was a bit... odd, but not bad per se. We didn't eat dinner, since they were providing one. We showed up at 6pm. There was nothing planned from then until 7pm, and from 7-8 was 'casino nite', if a casino only lets you play blackjack. And that by increments of one 'fake thousand' at a time. It was 8pm before dinner was ready. At 9pm we took off, just before the hypnotist. We picked up Cade from the sitter and had a great rest of the night at home. Yay for home!
Oh, and it's -35 degrees outside right now. Yowch. I think I'll be staying indoors this weekend!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Heather's belly
I did a pregnant photo shoot for my friend Heather yesterday, she's expecting in a few months and wanted some photos to remember her fatness by. This is my second maternity photo shoot, and I was happy to get a few good shots for her. This one is definitely my favorite.
Oops!
We left the water on this winter, and the plastic timer that was holding the water back broke. It sprayed all over the lawn and my car for awhile before we caught it - hello icicles!
Cade got a picture with Santa this year, but he's not smiling particularly - he spent most of his time with Santa staring at him and grabbing his beard. But I'm happy with how the picture turned out, regardless.
This past Thursday was a night at Original Joe's and a screening of the new twilight movie for Jos' birthday. We had a fabulous dinner (guacamole is great on a burger) and spent the last part of the evening laughing at the movie: it was a great girls' night, and Cade got to stay home with his dad, so it worked out well for everyone!
This week will be a girls' brunch with the kids, a Stella & Dot Jewelry Party, a baking exchange, and a movie night - probably Home Alone. Bring on the fun!
Cade got a picture with Santa this year, but he's not smiling particularly - he spent most of his time with Santa staring at him and grabbing his beard. But I'm happy with how the picture turned out, regardless.
This past Thursday was a night at Original Joe's and a screening of the new twilight movie for Jos' birthday. We had a fabulous dinner (guacamole is great on a burger) and spent the last part of the evening laughing at the movie: it was a great girls' night, and Cade got to stay home with his dad, so it worked out well for everyone!
This week will be a girls' brunch with the kids, a Stella & Dot Jewelry Party, a baking exchange, and a movie night - probably Home Alone. Bring on the fun!
Monday, November 30, 2009
the centerpiece
I just realized that it's been a very long time since I blogged. Let's see what's been new in the past few weeks...
The ladies' Christmas Tea went off really well. The dessert was great, the speaker funny, and the company superb. Plus, I looked amazing. Gotta love it when that happens. My tree turned out ok, lots of papercraft / kids craft stuff, so it was more 'cute' than anticipated. But it worked, and was a nice change from all the elegant trees around it. I'm still really happy with my centrepiece. And now that I mention the centerpiece, bah humbug. Because I forgot to pick it up this evening when I took down the tree and brought it home. I guess I'll just have to go back tomorrow.
I strung multicolored lights across the railing of our front deck, and am quite happy with the festive air it adds to the drive-by factor. I like it. We'll get around to putting up the Christmas tree one evening this week, and then we'll be all decked out (we don't have boughs of holly, though) for Christmas. Bravo.
Cade got his 6 month shots today, and took them incredibly well. He had two shots and only cried for one of them, for a minute or so. He then went back to being his happy self. He's such a fabulous little kid. We stayed in town after the shots to get some Christmas and birthday shopping done. I also bought new ink for our photo printer ($45, ouch!) and foam corners for our sharp coffee table, since Cade has already had one unfortunate bump to the head in our living room.
I'm heading out Thursday night to see Twilight with the girls for Jos' birthday, and we're going to eat out dinner as well - I always love girls' night out. Can't wait!
The ladies' Christmas Tea went off really well. The dessert was great, the speaker funny, and the company superb. Plus, I looked amazing. Gotta love it when that happens. My tree turned out ok, lots of papercraft / kids craft stuff, so it was more 'cute' than anticipated. But it worked, and was a nice change from all the elegant trees around it. I'm still really happy with my centrepiece. And now that I mention the centerpiece, bah humbug. Because I forgot to pick it up this evening when I took down the tree and brought it home. I guess I'll just have to go back tomorrow.
I strung multicolored lights across the railing of our front deck, and am quite happy with the festive air it adds to the drive-by factor. I like it. We'll get around to putting up the Christmas tree one evening this week, and then we'll be all decked out (we don't have boughs of holly, though) for Christmas. Bravo.
Cade got his 6 month shots today, and took them incredibly well. He had two shots and only cried for one of them, for a minute or so. He then went back to being his happy self. He's such a fabulous little kid. We stayed in town after the shots to get some Christmas and birthday shopping done. I also bought new ink for our photo printer ($45, ouch!) and foam corners for our sharp coffee table, since Cade has already had one unfortunate bump to the head in our living room.
I'm heading out Thursday night to see Twilight with the girls for Jos' birthday, and we're going to eat out dinner as well - I always love girls' night out. Can't wait!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Guacamole gives great garlic breath
Cade has just fallen asleep in the jolly jumper. Again. I sort of feel bad for the poor kid, bobbing up and down in his sleep. At the same time, I also wish I had a video camera handy, since it's pretty fabulous at the same time.
Mom & dad were up last weekend, and we had a great & relaxing visit. A lot of reading got done, we fixed the dining room chair I hadn't felt good enough about fixing on my own, and Mom and I did some shopping. The 'rents also loved playing with Cade - he's chatty and interactive now, and a real pleasure to have around.
I'm decorating a tree for a Ladies' Christmas Tea production at our work, and have finally decided on a theme: the Starter Christmas. As in, first Christmas tree, dirt poor, and making all your own cheesy decorations. I'm going to cut some out of styrofoam, make some salt-dough ones to paint, and dig up Dad's spraypainted walnuts. It should be good. I'd like to do a berry garland - does anyone know which kind of berries to use for something like that? I'm assuming they have to be dried. Maybe Craisins?
I went to see Where the Wild Things Are with Meg and Jos this past Wednesday, and was quite disappointed. The overall feel of the movie was rather helpless and frightened, and I didn't get that feeling from the book. I also wish that the monsters (who were very well done) had 'monster' voices instead of standard human ones. It kept throwing me off!
I'm off to eat some dinner and get Cade ready - we're heading off to Clairmont this evening to see Craig & Ruthie's presentation (or whatever it is) on their move to Rwanda coming up. Should be exciting!
And Cade is awake. Gotta run!
Mom & dad were up last weekend, and we had a great & relaxing visit. A lot of reading got done, we fixed the dining room chair I hadn't felt good enough about fixing on my own, and Mom and I did some shopping. The 'rents also loved playing with Cade - he's chatty and interactive now, and a real pleasure to have around.
I'm decorating a tree for a Ladies' Christmas Tea production at our work, and have finally decided on a theme: the Starter Christmas. As in, first Christmas tree, dirt poor, and making all your own cheesy decorations. I'm going to cut some out of styrofoam, make some salt-dough ones to paint, and dig up Dad's spraypainted walnuts. It should be good. I'd like to do a berry garland - does anyone know which kind of berries to use for something like that? I'm assuming they have to be dried. Maybe Craisins?
I went to see Where the Wild Things Are with Meg and Jos this past Wednesday, and was quite disappointed. The overall feel of the movie was rather helpless and frightened, and I didn't get that feeling from the book. I also wish that the monsters (who were very well done) had 'monster' voices instead of standard human ones. It kept throwing me off!
I'm off to eat some dinner and get Cade ready - we're heading off to Clairmont this evening to see Craig & Ruthie's presentation (or whatever it is) on their move to Rwanda coming up. Should be exciting!
And Cade is awake. Gotta run!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The white dress
I finally ordered some prints for my modelling gig at Edmonton Fashion Week. Thought I'd share them with you. Pictures courtesy of Studio-e.ca
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Survivor Party
Since my last blog post I have:
- had a Survivor party for my birthday. It was fabulous, the best party I've had in the last several years. Everyone was so involved, and watching the videos afterwards was a hoot. Great food too. Thanks for hosing, Britt!
- Skipped out on dinner with friends. Jer was home sick last weekend, and so wanted to stay home in case he had swine flu. No congregating for at least a week!
- Helped Joss paint her living room. I had to leave when it wasn't complete, and I can't wait to see it! She did a beachy/sandy white with some teal accent walls, and I can't wait to see how her living room looks now. Hooray for painting!
- Hung out with Britt and Eva. Eva was up visiting, and we had a grand ol' visit together. Eva also watched Cade twice: once when shopping for my party, and once during the party. I'm sad to see her go!
- went to a halloween carnival. I went sans costume and shocked everyone since I'm a costume queen. So I went home, put on my Incredibles suit, grabbed Cade and suited him up, and headed back.
- Saw Megan's new place. She's renting a bachelor suite in the basement of a home, and she put it together splendidly. It's so cozy - I'll definitely have to visit again. She also lent me a couple of seasons of Gilmore Girls to watch over the next few months, so that's just peachy as well
- taken photos for the church directory. Every year they do a print version of people's names/addresses/phone numbers with a photo of each family beside it. Guess who the photo taker is? I've only shot about 60 families, so definitely not everyone, but at least there will be a good bunch of names with pictures alongside
- tried eating a black olive. I was not a fan.
- had a Survivor party for my birthday. It was fabulous, the best party I've had in the last several years. Everyone was so involved, and watching the videos afterwards was a hoot. Great food too. Thanks for hosing, Britt!
- Skipped out on dinner with friends. Jer was home sick last weekend, and so wanted to stay home in case he had swine flu. No congregating for at least a week!
- Helped Joss paint her living room. I had to leave when it wasn't complete, and I can't wait to see it! She did a beachy/sandy white with some teal accent walls, and I can't wait to see how her living room looks now. Hooray for painting!
- Hung out with Britt and Eva. Eva was up visiting, and we had a grand ol' visit together. Eva also watched Cade twice: once when shopping for my party, and once during the party. I'm sad to see her go!
- went to a halloween carnival. I went sans costume and shocked everyone since I'm a costume queen. So I went home, put on my Incredibles suit, grabbed Cade and suited him up, and headed back.
- Saw Megan's new place. She's renting a bachelor suite in the basement of a home, and she put it together splendidly. It's so cozy - I'll definitely have to visit again. She also lent me a couple of seasons of Gilmore Girls to watch over the next few months, so that's just peachy as well
- taken photos for the church directory. Every year they do a print version of people's names/addresses/phone numbers with a photo of each family beside it. Guess who the photo taker is? I've only shot about 60 families, so definitely not everyone, but at least there will be a good bunch of names with pictures alongside
- tried eating a black olive. I was not a fan.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
How time flies
It's already been a week since I blogged, and I have no new photos - so I thought I'd post an old one. Since the last blog post we've had cousin Kate up to visit, which was lovely - she got to see her nephew once more before she headed up to the great white north. I can't wait for Kate to get her own place so we can have fun with furniture setup and arrangement - she's buying all new stuff since she's led a transient life thus far and everything she owns fits in the back of her station wagon.
I was over at Joss' on Tuesday, and she painted Jill's dresser the most scrumptious sea blue color and added crystal knobs. It looks great, and I can't wait to see the decals she's adding. We were going to watch a movie, but ended up gabbing for the whole visit.
I hired a sitter yesterday for 4 hours during the day so I could have a big block of time to clean our house (cheaper than hiring cleaners). It feels absolutely lovely to have that all taken care of for another while, instead of the lick-and-a-promise it usually gets. It's very relaxing.
Today was shopping with Joss and Britt for my coming up birthday party, and I managed to find Cade a really cute (and affordable) snowsuit at Winners, while Jos found some really fabulous Christmas decorations there. I had several things that tempted me, but I've spent my spending money for the month. Aah, self-discipline is so difficult!
Jer is coming down with something, so he's already off to bed for the night. And the past few nights Cade has gone to bed around 7:30pm. I really like how it gives me some time in the evening to get a few things done!
Next jobs: finishing off a newsletter design, clearing out the dishwasher, sewing a battery pack for J, and trying out a salsa recipe - I've got to use up those garden tomatoes before they go bad!
I was over at Joss' on Tuesday, and she painted Jill's dresser the most scrumptious sea blue color and added crystal knobs. It looks great, and I can't wait to see the decals she's adding. We were going to watch a movie, but ended up gabbing for the whole visit.
I hired a sitter yesterday for 4 hours during the day so I could have a big block of time to clean our house (cheaper than hiring cleaners). It feels absolutely lovely to have that all taken care of for another while, instead of the lick-and-a-promise it usually gets. It's very relaxing.
Today was shopping with Joss and Britt for my coming up birthday party, and I managed to find Cade a really cute (and affordable) snowsuit at Winners, while Jos found some really fabulous Christmas decorations there. I had several things that tempted me, but I've spent my spending money for the month. Aah, self-discipline is so difficult!
Jer is coming down with something, so he's already off to bed for the night. And the past few nights Cade has gone to bed around 7:30pm. I really like how it gives me some time in the evening to get a few things done!
Next jobs: finishing off a newsletter design, clearing out the dishwasher, sewing a battery pack for J, and trying out a salsa recipe - I've got to use up those garden tomatoes before they go bad!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Cade and Dad game
The past few weeks seem to have flown by. Here are the highlights from my calendar:
- Girls' Movie night at Jessica's. Britt, Joss, and Heather game too. We watched Stardust and chowed down on pizza, veggies, and brownies, and had a grand old time
- Dentist appointments. I had my teeth cleaned, which I love - my teeth always feel so smooth and amazing after. I had one cavity to fill, so I went back this morning to get the filling put in. They didn't need to use a rubber dam to block off my mouth, but just squished mouth-tampons on either side of my teeth to soak up anything that might go awry. I'm not sure if it was more or less comfortable than the old way of doing things. Either way my jaw is a bit sore from holding my mouth open for so long.
- My car is all spiffed up. I went in for a type C maintenance, which entails an oil change and tire pressure fixing, as well as break checks and who knows what else. My dear car drives a bit smoother now, which is lovely. I filled 'er up and washed 'er at the same time, so my car is now a dream on wheels. Fabulous.
- Hair cut. My hair was getting too shaggy for even the shaggy-cool factor, so I got a trim today. I'm not sure what I think yet, but it isn't amazing enough for me to go back to that hair dresser again.
- Hung out with Colleen. She has 3 kids and was babysitting 2 more. We had a good time and a good visit, but it was a bit of a nuthouse sometimes. I was glad to get back to the peace and quiet of just Cade. We're going for dinner there in a week or two. Sounds fun!
- Thanksgiving. Erika drove up for the weekend, since Chuck is off on a road trip with the guys. It was great to have her here, and she was a major help with turkey dinner. We even made pies for dessert. And home-made piecrust, which I haven't done often. Everyone can ooh and aah now!
- My birthday (the big two-nine, first time around). Erika was here for my birthday, which was fun. It was the birthday of books, since I got 3 JK Rowling books and 2 Stephenie Meyer books as presents. Not that I'm complaining - I love reading a good escapist novel. The birthday party is still to come, next week. Here we come, Survivor madness. Make sure you aren't voted off the island!
Anyway, dinner is ready and Cade needs a little lovin'. Ciao for now!
- Girls' Movie night at Jessica's. Britt, Joss, and Heather game too. We watched Stardust and chowed down on pizza, veggies, and brownies, and had a grand old time
- Dentist appointments. I had my teeth cleaned, which I love - my teeth always feel so smooth and amazing after. I had one cavity to fill, so I went back this morning to get the filling put in. They didn't need to use a rubber dam to block off my mouth, but just squished mouth-tampons on either side of my teeth to soak up anything that might go awry. I'm not sure if it was more or less comfortable than the old way of doing things. Either way my jaw is a bit sore from holding my mouth open for so long.
- My car is all spiffed up. I went in for a type C maintenance, which entails an oil change and tire pressure fixing, as well as break checks and who knows what else. My dear car drives a bit smoother now, which is lovely. I filled 'er up and washed 'er at the same time, so my car is now a dream on wheels. Fabulous.
- Hair cut. My hair was getting too shaggy for even the shaggy-cool factor, so I got a trim today. I'm not sure what I think yet, but it isn't amazing enough for me to go back to that hair dresser again.
- Hung out with Colleen. She has 3 kids and was babysitting 2 more. We had a good time and a good visit, but it was a bit of a nuthouse sometimes. I was glad to get back to the peace and quiet of just Cade. We're going for dinner there in a week or two. Sounds fun!
- Thanksgiving. Erika drove up for the weekend, since Chuck is off on a road trip with the guys. It was great to have her here, and she was a major help with turkey dinner. We even made pies for dessert. And home-made piecrust, which I haven't done often. Everyone can ooh and aah now!
- My birthday (the big two-nine, first time around). Erika was here for my birthday, which was fun. It was the birthday of books, since I got 3 JK Rowling books and 2 Stephenie Meyer books as presents. Not that I'm complaining - I love reading a good escapist novel. The birthday party is still to come, next week. Here we come, Survivor madness. Make sure you aren't voted off the island!
Anyway, dinner is ready and Cade needs a little lovin'. Ciao for now!
Friday, October 2, 2009
I'm an aunt!
Cade and I had a good time in Edmonton last week. We drove down Monday, and spent Tuesday during the day on hair, makeup, and modelling rehearsals (thanks Sheleena, for watching Cade!). In the evening I tried out my first modelling gig, I got to catwalk 3 outfits for a local designer. It was all official-feeling, with photographers at the end of the runway, people staring from all sides... Erika came to watch me. It was way more scary than I'd thought: I'd assumed I'd just saunter around and out, but was nervous and spent most of it trying to remember how to walk and pose 'properly'. Aah well, it was fun for something new to try.
Thursday we did a photoshoot with Sheleena to capture her very pregnant belly, and Friday night I headed over to Maria's to spend the next few nights there. It all worked out pretty well, and we even managed to see my new niece Monday morning before we left, although she wasn't due for another two weeks.
This week at home has been mostly catching up: getting the mounds of laundry done (everything and its cat was dirty from our trip), cleaning up, and getting back to more regular sleep schedules. That last one is still a work in progress.
I'll be off shortly to buy Cade a red sleeper and me some tights and a shirt: tonight is Pixar night at youth group, and everyone dresses up as their favorite Pixar character. I'm definitely going with Cade as the Incredibles. He can be Jak-Jak, though he doesn't have enough hair for that sweet little mohawk.
Tomorrow night is girls' movie night at Jessica's, which should be fun too. Lots to look forward to. Oh, and my birthday is only a week and a half away. Yay me!
Thursday we did a photoshoot with Sheleena to capture her very pregnant belly, and Friday night I headed over to Maria's to spend the next few nights there. It all worked out pretty well, and we even managed to see my new niece Monday morning before we left, although she wasn't due for another two weeks.
This week at home has been mostly catching up: getting the mounds of laundry done (everything and its cat was dirty from our trip), cleaning up, and getting back to more regular sleep schedules. That last one is still a work in progress.
I'll be off shortly to buy Cade a red sleeper and me some tights and a shirt: tonight is Pixar night at youth group, and everyone dresses up as their favorite Pixar character. I'm definitely going with Cade as the Incredibles. He can be Jak-Jak, though he doesn't have enough hair for that sweet little mohawk.
Tomorrow night is girls' movie night at Jessica's, which should be fun too. Lots to look forward to. Oh, and my birthday is only a week and a half away. Yay me!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Playing together
To start off, Cade and I are no longer sick, though I'm still taking meds for a nasty ear infection that's about 90% gone. I got a new cold this past Tuesday, but it was thankfully short-lived, and we'll hopefully have a good stretch of health for the next while now.
This past week both Cousin Kate and Cade's great grandparents (Nana and GGF) came to visit. It was a full house, but everyone was thrilled to meet and play with Cade, and I was very pleased with having some family visit.
I'm heading out tomorrow for Edmonton with Cade, we're spending a week there: several days with Jesse and Sheleena, plus a few at Maria's new place (can't wait to see it)! Tuesday I've been asked to model in a fashion show for Edmonton Fashion week, so come out at 7:30 to the Transalta Arts Barns if you want to check it out. Sunday evening is Sheleena's baby shower, and she's down to about 3 weeks 'til the due date. I'm looking forward to meeting Cade's cousin!
Anyway, I'm off to nap - it's a long drive tomorrow, and I've got a little munchkin to take care of as well.
Much love!
This past week both Cousin Kate and Cade's great grandparents (Nana and GGF) came to visit. It was a full house, but everyone was thrilled to meet and play with Cade, and I was very pleased with having some family visit.
I'm heading out tomorrow for Edmonton with Cade, we're spending a week there: several days with Jesse and Sheleena, plus a few at Maria's new place (can't wait to see it)! Tuesday I've been asked to model in a fashion show for Edmonton Fashion week, so come out at 7:30 to the Transalta Arts Barns if you want to check it out. Sunday evening is Sheleena's baby shower, and she's down to about 3 weeks 'til the due date. I'm looking forward to meeting Cade's cousin!
Anyway, I'm off to nap - it's a long drive tomorrow, and I've got a little munchkin to take care of as well.
Much love!
Friday, September 11, 2009
A note from Cade (he likes to type)
c bhujip;'frscf[poil nyn
nnnnnnnnnnnnnn
n hnbn vx,mn. om b b.....
zn nk mn
ny n7
n
c NB 3
(he's best with the N, the spacebar, and the back button)
Monday, September 7, 2009
Zonked out on the nursing pillow
Cade and I are still sick - Cade is down to a bit of a cough and a sometimes-runny nose, not so bad. I just developed a whopper of an ear infection and had to go to the doctor for a prescription this morning - I didn't get any sleep last night due to the pain. Lovely. But I've got antibiotics now, so hopefully it will clear up soon!
Because we've been sick, I haven't been doing anything worth blogging about. I've been trying to keep up with the dishes and laundry, and that's about all I've had energy for besides watching Cade. Oh, and a few computer-design projects.
I made a set of logos for our church, so they picked one and now I'm working on a bulletin redesign/reorganization, which I should really finish up tomorrow.
I'm also working on revamping/removing load time and adding more content for http:///www.boulianne.net/skate/ which has been a pretty fun project. The site currently there doesn't have a ton of content, but we have tons more parks to add - all in good time. I'm changing it to CSS/html and streamlining the whole thing - though the flash design was fun, I lost the files and it was a ton of work to make the details screen for each park, so I never got very far with content. I'll post to let you know when the new site is fully populated with all the parks we have info and photos for.
Anyway, I'm off to see if I can sleep. You can't get better without it!
Because we've been sick, I haven't been doing anything worth blogging about. I've been trying to keep up with the dishes and laundry, and that's about all I've had energy for besides watching Cade. Oh, and a few computer-design projects.
I made a set of logos for our church, so they picked one and now I'm working on a bulletin redesign/reorganization, which I should really finish up tomorrow.
I'm also working on revamping/removing load time and adding more content for http:///www.boulianne.net/skate/ which has been a pretty fun project. The site currently there doesn't have a ton of content, but we have tons more parks to add - all in good time. I'm changing it to CSS/html and streamlining the whole thing - though the flash design was fun, I lost the files and it was a ton of work to make the details screen for each park, so I never got very far with content. I'll post to let you know when the new site is fully populated with all the parks we have info and photos for.
Anyway, I'm off to see if I can sleep. You can't get better without it!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Machinery - the accordion guy
The past few weeks have been busy, busy. Since my last post(s), I've had lunch with Heather (who is pregnant, about 12 weeks now - congratulations!), worked on the church library for 2 afternoons, and caught a pretty good concert at the Gaiety theatre. It was one of those 15 bands, 15 bucks, 2 nights-type deals, so we went for the second night and caught several bands, but the best were definitely Machinery and John Reuben - there were a few other good ones, but these were the ones who knew how to work the crowd. And there were a few not-so-good ones that were obviously starting out and were just glad to play to an audience. Which is good, too - for them, if not as much for the audience. That was Friday night. I was already starting to feel a little bit sick.
Saturday afternoon Amy came to visit, and stayed until Tuesday. We went to some garage sales together, watched several movies, played with Cade, took naps, walked around town, cooked dinners, and played board games. By the time she left Tuesday, I was sporting a fever, had gone through 3 boxes of kleenex, and was starting to cough. Lovely.
Tuesday night Cade woke up and cried about once an hour, which meant I was getting up about once an hour to comfort or feed him. By wednesday during the day he had a fever and stuffy sinuses, just like his mom. It's going to be a fun rest of the week!
Saturday afternoon Amy came to visit, and stayed until Tuesday. We went to some garage sales together, watched several movies, played with Cade, took naps, walked around town, cooked dinners, and played board games. By the time she left Tuesday, I was sporting a fever, had gone through 3 boxes of kleenex, and was starting to cough. Lovely.
Tuesday night Cade woke up and cried about once an hour, which meant I was getting up about once an hour to comfort or feed him. By wednesday during the day he had a fever and stuffy sinuses, just like his mom. It's going to be a fun rest of the week!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Cade's Room
Cade's room is finally painted, and J and I are both really happy with the result! This has been a long process to get ready, since I've been wanting to paint that room since it was my office, so I'm glad it turned out so well. I bought paint Tuesday, prepped (filled, sanded, washed, taped) on Wednesday, painted the first coats Thursday, the second coats Friday, and taped and painted the stripes and trim Saturday. The room was all back together and looking fabulous by 12am Sunday morning. And tonight will be Cade's first night sleeping in his new room - we had to get the worst of the fresh paint fumes out first. Hooray for having one upstairs room exactly the way we want it!
Our family with Jasper the Bear
We went camping just outside of Jasper the weekend before last, in William Switzer national park. We met up with my parents and sibs, and had a grand ol' time. We didn't pack the weekend too full, but did find time for a guided nature walk, a little tramp around Kelly's Bathtub (a small, warm-for-the-mountains) lake, and a trip to Miette Hot Springs. Cade was really good at the hot springs, and maintained a neutral expression for a half hour while being trucked around in the warm water. The hot springs were great, since it was an outdoor pool - we could enjoy the beauty of the mountains while soaking in some nice warm water.
We tented. It worked out pretty well, actually. The first night was cold, so the next morning Jeremie went out and bought a sleeping bag to zip together with mine, and the next night was wonderfully warm. We bundled Cade up in a winter bear suit, complete with ears and tails, and he was also snug and cozy while he slept. I'm sure glad we didn't see any real bears, though! They have a reportedly can be rather vicious.
We all took turns making one meal for the group while camping, which was nice. It meant that we got to make pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs, and didn't have to worry about the other meals. I wholeheartedly support doing that again.
The only down point in our weekend was that Grandma Jetty and Grandpa Bill decided they couldn't make it, too. They are in their 80s and I definitely understand why they couldn't drive for so long, but it was sad not to see them there!
In other news, I called my optometrist and they should have my new glasses shipped to me this week or next. I'm so excited!
We tented. It worked out pretty well, actually. The first night was cold, so the next morning Jeremie went out and bought a sleeping bag to zip together with mine, and the next night was wonderfully warm. We bundled Cade up in a winter bear suit, complete with ears and tails, and he was also snug and cozy while he slept. I'm sure glad we didn't see any real bears, though! They have a reportedly can be rather vicious.
We all took turns making one meal for the group while camping, which was nice. It meant that we got to make pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs, and didn't have to worry about the other meals. I wholeheartedly support doing that again.
The only down point in our weekend was that Grandma Jetty and Grandpa Bill decided they couldn't make it, too. They are in their 80s and I definitely understand why they couldn't drive for so long, but it was sad not to see them there!
In other news, I called my optometrist and they should have my new glasses shipped to me this week or next. I'm so excited!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Jeremie at the beach
Jeremie, Cade and I headed out last night to check out some local sights. We walked around Pipestone Creek, then hit up Saskatoon Island Provincial Park on the way home. The creek had an amazing amount of good skipping rocks, and Jeremie got a few good skips in. I didn't try it, using Cade as my excuse - it's hard to skip rocks while wearing a baby. But I'm pretty bad at rock skipping, too, so it wasn't a huge loss.
Saskatoon Island Park had a ton of new playground equipment, a kids' bmx track, a few beach volleyball courts, and some nice picnic spots - I can see us going back there sometime for an afternoon outing. Maybe with Maria, next time she comes up, since she's such a volleyball girl.
Today also happens to be Cade's 3-month birthday, so we're going in to get his 3-month checkup done. He's growing well and is a pretty contented baby. We're happy to have him around!
We're looking forward to camping in Jasper this weekend with my family - it'll be great to see them all, and I'm sure they'll love to see how Cade is growing up. It'll be the first time that Grandma Jetty and Grandpa Bill (now great-grandparents) get to see him, so that's pretty exciting too. We'll have to see how tenting with a baby goes. I'm glad that the forecast is for sun and highs of around 22, lows of around 10. The days won't be too hot for Cade, we'll see if the nights are too cool.
I'm going to try to finish off the apron for Maria today, I'll post a picture when I do!
Saskatoon Island Park had a ton of new playground equipment, a kids' bmx track, a few beach volleyball courts, and some nice picnic spots - I can see us going back there sometime for an afternoon outing. Maybe with Maria, next time she comes up, since she's such a volleyball girl.
Today also happens to be Cade's 3-month birthday, so we're going in to get his 3-month checkup done. He's growing well and is a pretty contented baby. We're happy to have him around!
We're looking forward to camping in Jasper this weekend with my family - it'll be great to see them all, and I'm sure they'll love to see how Cade is growing up. It'll be the first time that Grandma Jetty and Grandpa Bill (now great-grandparents) get to see him, so that's pretty exciting too. We'll have to see how tenting with a baby goes. I'm glad that the forecast is for sun and highs of around 22, lows of around 10. The days won't be too hot for Cade, we'll see if the nights are too cool.
I'm going to try to finish off the apron for Maria today, I'll post a picture when I do!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Cade's room
I'm hoping to paint Cade's room in August, and am at the paint-color-picking now. It's always such a conundrum!
Cade smiles a lot now-a-days
I wrote a lovely long letter to Aunt Tena, and it was so nice and newsy that I thought I'd post some bits of it here!
Things are going really well here. Jeremie’s work has cut back to more regular hours for the next bit, so he’s often home by 6:30 or 7pm instead of 10-11pm, which is a nice treat. It lets both Cade and I see him more, as well as letting him get a bit more downtime.
Cade is growing like a weed: he is at about 15 lbs and 24 inches, at 2 ½ months old. It’s great to know that he’s eating well and growing like children should. He now ‘talks’ to us a lot, smiles a lot, and enjoys being propped up so he can see the world. He’s a wiggly boy, always ready to try something new and fun. He really is enjoying playing in his exosaucer, as he can sit up on his own in it, and turn around to see whatever he wants to see. We do have a bit of a routine by now: Cade falls asleep around midnight (trying earlier doesn’t work, but I don’t mind), feeds around 5am and 8am (and sometimes once more), and we get up somewhere between 9 and 11am, depending on how tired I am. He’s awake until after lunch, and takes about an hours’ nap then. We go out or get things done around the house in the afternoon, and take a nap around 5pm. We nap until 6 or 7, usually when Jeremie gets home. Then it’s dinner time, and Cade is awake until bedtime. He’s mostly a content baby, and likes to play on his own for half-hour stints before he needs some company, so I am able to get a bit of this and that done around the house between caring for him. He likes going places, and so we go shopping together or visit friends several times a week.
I took over as the church librarian this past April, as the past librarian felt like she needed a break and was looking for someone new. I’ve had a lot of fun rearranging the library and updating the displays, and ordering new products – fiction books, bible CDs, some Christian movies, and children’s materials as well as the more traditional bible study materials. Jeremie watched Cade for me last night for a few hours while I went over to the church to put books away and add some new materials to the shelves. I always love to add new and great things for people to check out!
I’ve also been sewing a bit more than usual lately, and am now starting on some fun aprons for Maria and I.
I still also have fun designing some graphics for the fronts of t-shirts, and have been making a few more of those lately as well (check out my new Twilight shop on cafepress :). I’ve found that I can nurse Cade at the computer by propping him up on my nursing pillow and the desk. We both like it, since I don’t get so bored and he gets to stay with me longer while I work. I’ll have to enjoy this while it lasts, because once he starts crawling I don’t think he’ll just want to sit with Mom anymore!
My garden is doing really well, and I can no longer find the rows in my potato and kale patches – we had a good several days with rain last week, and the garden sure appreciated it! It’s not often that we get a lot of rain in a row, so we’re thankful that we did.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Cade's Mobile
I finished Cade's mobile and hung it in his room - I'm so glad to have all the little pieces and tools cleared out of the living room. The clutter made me feel claustrophobic, and it was there for a week or so since it took me awhile to find enough time to finish it. It just wasn't the kind of project I could pick up for five minutes between Cade-needs.
That being said, I'm quite happy with how it turned out. It looks a bit better in person than in the photo, due to the weird flash-shadows on the wall. Hooray for having it done!
The first dance
This past little while has been busy, but good! We spent this past weekend staying with Jesse & Sheleena in Edmonton: Mom & Dad B were there too, so we got the full family together, which was great! We all attended Jill Sparling's wedding, and were glad that the event went off so well - almost wtihout a hitch! The couple looks really happy together, and I was very impressed with their print materials - invitations, programs, photos on the favor boxes, guest book, and seating chart - Nice font, well laid-out and printed. It added that extra touch of class. I also loved that the reception was in the penthouse ballroom of a hotel downtown - it means that we got a fabulous view of the city as a backdrop for the event.
I did some glasses shopping while in E-town, and ended ordering with a pair of ridiculously expensive frames (at 40% off, or I wouldn't have gotten them at all) that were still at the point where I debated them for quite awhile before deciding to buy them. But I didn't find anything else that I liked half so well. I'll get them in a month or so, and will be sure to post photos!
While in E-town, the family went for a swim at Mill Woods Wave Pool - except for J, who was off skating the new park with Nick. Cade had his first swimming experience, and seemed to be okay with it - not a lot of smiles, but no complaining either - kind of like how he acts in the bath. Hopefully he'll get to like swimming more and more, since I love it so much - I'd like to keep going as our family grows.
There are several movies I'd like to see, and it's hard to choose what to see first. I hear the Star Trek movie is amazing, and I'm also looking forward to the new Harry Potter show. And I also want to see 17 Again, though that one probably on a cheap day or matinee or something of the sort.
I made barbecued chicken last night, for the first time ever, and fell in love with it. I often am not a big fan of chicken, just because it's so bland. But with this marinade.. mmm, mmm good. Check it out here: http://www.boulianne.net/recipes/?id=111
We're almost completely out of fresh groceries. That's on my to-do list for Friday, when I go into town to get Cade his 2-month shots. It's the first set, we'll have to see how it goes!
I'm also looking forward to camping in Jasper in August with the Snip side of the fam. Can't wait!
I did some glasses shopping while in E-town, and ended ordering with a pair of ridiculously expensive frames (at 40% off, or I wouldn't have gotten them at all) that were still at the point where I debated them for quite awhile before deciding to buy them. But I didn't find anything else that I liked half so well. I'll get them in a month or so, and will be sure to post photos!
While in E-town, the family went for a swim at Mill Woods Wave Pool - except for J, who was off skating the new park with Nick. Cade had his first swimming experience, and seemed to be okay with it - not a lot of smiles, but no complaining either - kind of like how he acts in the bath. Hopefully he'll get to like swimming more and more, since I love it so much - I'd like to keep going as our family grows.
There are several movies I'd like to see, and it's hard to choose what to see first. I hear the Star Trek movie is amazing, and I'm also looking forward to the new Harry Potter show. And I also want to see 17 Again, though that one probably on a cheap day or matinee or something of the sort.
I made barbecued chicken last night, for the first time ever, and fell in love with it. I often am not a big fan of chicken, just because it's so bland. But with this marinade.. mmm, mmm good. Check it out here: http://www.boulianne.net/recipes/?id=111
We're almost completely out of fresh groceries. That's on my to-do list for Friday, when I go into town to get Cade his 2-month shots. It's the first set, we'll have to see how it goes!
I'm also looking forward to camping in Jasper in August with the Snip side of the fam. Can't wait!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Fireworks and the weeks ahead
We've had another couple of busy weeks. It seems that's just the way of life! This past week I met with a lady from USC about an education savings plan for Cade (we haven't decided for sure yet, but it looks good to me), spent an afternoon at Jana's with Tim and Owen, went for an evening visit at Heather & Dan's, caught their garage sale the next day (great prices!), spent several hours in the church library adding about 40 new items to the collection, and even found time to read Cade his first books - I chose "Hand, Hand, Fingers Thumb", Dr Seuss' Alphabet book, and "There's a Wocket in my Pocket". I also finished seam-ripping some old upholstery and brought it in to get new stuff sewn together (my sewing machine won't do that thickness), and designed a random label for a pop bottle. When I look back on it now, it looks like I had a productive week, even if it didn't feel like it!
In the kidlet realm, Cade has been really gassy. It's nothing new, but I just found out recently that it's not normal for babies to wake up in the middle of the night from gas. I'm suspecting milk products are the cause, and so I've stopped eating & drinking them. It's difficult though, since I like dairy and it's in almost everything! There's some yogurt sitting in my fridge now that I won't get a chance to drink. I'll be trying soy and rice milk next week, but it sounds dreadful. I'll let you know how that goes. It's still growing like a weed. He's about 9.5 weeks old now. And last week, at 2 months he weighed in at 14.5 lbs - a big baby. And he's tall, too. More like Jack Sprat than his wife!
I snuck out for the fireworks on June 31st, and at midnight on Canada day got a lovely fireworks display to watch over Muskoseepi Park. I had to call around to several friends to find someone going, since Jeremie wasn't feeling up to it (more on that later), but found a group of people to go with - Shawn and Justin had brought their new digital SLRs and Darren brought his video camera, so we were a picture-ey bunch! We hung out afterwards for awhile too until the traffic cleared out - it was good to have a bit of a photo romp again, and a bit of time to relax and hang out.
As far as Jeremie goes, this past week he worked the weekend, 'til midnight Monday-Wednesday, 'til 3am Thursday, then worked Friday afternoon. He finally got home to relax Friday evening and we rented a few movies - I really enjoyed Inkheart - and headed to bed on time. He was up that night with the flu, and has been sick all weekend. He's getting a bit better now, but it's still pretty rotten - work 3 weeks more or less straight, then get sick, then have to work again. Blech.
This coming weekend we'll be visiting Jesse & Sheleena, and Mom & Dad B should be there as well - I'm sure they're looking forward to seeing their grandson again! We're also going to Jill & Jeremy's wedding, and really looking forward to that. Hooray for happy couples!
Anyway, Cade nodded off after his gassy-fussy period, so I'm off to get a few things done before he wakes up!
In the kidlet realm, Cade has been really gassy. It's nothing new, but I just found out recently that it's not normal for babies to wake up in the middle of the night from gas. I'm suspecting milk products are the cause, and so I've stopped eating & drinking them. It's difficult though, since I like dairy and it's in almost everything! There's some yogurt sitting in my fridge now that I won't get a chance to drink. I'll be trying soy and rice milk next week, but it sounds dreadful. I'll let you know how that goes. It's still growing like a weed. He's about 9.5 weeks old now. And last week, at 2 months he weighed in at 14.5 lbs - a big baby. And he's tall, too. More like Jack Sprat than his wife!
I snuck out for the fireworks on June 31st, and at midnight on Canada day got a lovely fireworks display to watch over Muskoseepi Park. I had to call around to several friends to find someone going, since Jeremie wasn't feeling up to it (more on that later), but found a group of people to go with - Shawn and Justin had brought their new digital SLRs and Darren brought his video camera, so we were a picture-ey bunch! We hung out afterwards for awhile too until the traffic cleared out - it was good to have a bit of a photo romp again, and a bit of time to relax and hang out.
As far as Jeremie goes, this past week he worked the weekend, 'til midnight Monday-Wednesday, 'til 3am Thursday, then worked Friday afternoon. He finally got home to relax Friday evening and we rented a few movies - I really enjoyed Inkheart - and headed to bed on time. He was up that night with the flu, and has been sick all weekend. He's getting a bit better now, but it's still pretty rotten - work 3 weeks more or less straight, then get sick, then have to work again. Blech.
This coming weekend we'll be visiting Jesse & Sheleena, and Mom & Dad B should be there as well - I'm sure they're looking forward to seeing their grandson again! We're also going to Jill & Jeremy's wedding, and really looking forward to that. Hooray for happy couples!
Anyway, Cade nodded off after his gassy-fussy period, so I'm off to get a few things done before he wakes up!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The family walk in the river bottom
We've started taking Cade out and about - the picture here is from a walk in the Simonette riverbottom. It was a lovely cloudy evening, and the only thing I can complain about is the mosquitoes. They were huge and way too common!
Cade is 8 weeks old tomorrow, and is starting to grow up! He's getting a nice bit of baby pudge, and now speaks to us in goos and gahs when we're with him. He's also become quite the smile pro, and makes my mostly unsentimental heart turn over with a few of them. He's also outgrown all his 0-3 month clothes, and is working hard on outgrowing the 6 month ones. It doesn't help that he has a huge cloth diaper butt, but c'est la vie!
Jeremie just spent 2 weeks away from home for work: the 15th to the 19th in Edson fixing some tools, then off to Houston from the 21st to the 27th for some extra training on fixing more tools. He's going to be a fixing pro soon! He brought me back a metal sherrif's badge for my dressup collection, and I'm quite enamored with it. Jer is very glad to be back home with Cade and myself, but didn't get much of a chance to relax since he had to work part of Sunday as well as attending church and having dinner at Justin and Bobbi's. He's going somewhere tonight (I forget where), so I really hope he doesn't have to work overtime tomorrow (Canada day). He could really use a day off.
I decided after the first week of Jeremie being gone that I didn't really feel like having another week at home alone with Cade, so after I dropped Jeremie off at the airport that sunday morning, I headed on the drive to Edmonton. It was a much different drive than usual, being that I usually drive straight through with a stop or two to pee and pick up some fast food. I can usually do the trip in 5 hours, my house to Erika's, in good weather. This time it took me 9 hours, due to a few naps and a feeding time for Cade. But we made it, safe and sound! The week was a pleasant whirlwind of activity: I managed to visit with Jesse and Sheleena, Jenna, Chuck and Erika, Maria, Melissa, and Coralie and Mike. I stayed at an extra room at Maria's place, and it worked out really well. Cade had the privilege of sleeping in a drawer. We did some fabric shopping, took a browse through Finesse furniture store (love some of their stuff!), tried to reupholster some chair cushions (the darn sewing machine wouldn't go through as many layers of thick material as we needed it to), and cooked a few fun meals. I definitely enjoyed the week, and Cade liked going out as much as we did.
Yesterday Noni came over to return a few of my jewelry display items that I'd lent her for her jewelry sale on chautauqua day, and we had a lovely chat. Chanelle, Cai, and Spyla stopped over to borrow some crazy dressup clothes for their photoshoot - they hired Dara, a professional photographer, to take shots of them for an hour as a birthday treat. I can't wait to see the pictures!
Cade is 8 weeks old tomorrow, and is starting to grow up! He's getting a nice bit of baby pudge, and now speaks to us in goos and gahs when we're with him. He's also become quite the smile pro, and makes my mostly unsentimental heart turn over with a few of them. He's also outgrown all his 0-3 month clothes, and is working hard on outgrowing the 6 month ones. It doesn't help that he has a huge cloth diaper butt, but c'est la vie!
Jeremie just spent 2 weeks away from home for work: the 15th to the 19th in Edson fixing some tools, then off to Houston from the 21st to the 27th for some extra training on fixing more tools. He's going to be a fixing pro soon! He brought me back a metal sherrif's badge for my dressup collection, and I'm quite enamored with it. Jer is very glad to be back home with Cade and myself, but didn't get much of a chance to relax since he had to work part of Sunday as well as attending church and having dinner at Justin and Bobbi's. He's going somewhere tonight (I forget where), so I really hope he doesn't have to work overtime tomorrow (Canada day). He could really use a day off.
I decided after the first week of Jeremie being gone that I didn't really feel like having another week at home alone with Cade, so after I dropped Jeremie off at the airport that sunday morning, I headed on the drive to Edmonton. It was a much different drive than usual, being that I usually drive straight through with a stop or two to pee and pick up some fast food. I can usually do the trip in 5 hours, my house to Erika's, in good weather. This time it took me 9 hours, due to a few naps and a feeding time for Cade. But we made it, safe and sound! The week was a pleasant whirlwind of activity: I managed to visit with Jesse and Sheleena, Jenna, Chuck and Erika, Maria, Melissa, and Coralie and Mike. I stayed at an extra room at Maria's place, and it worked out really well. Cade had the privilege of sleeping in a drawer. We did some fabric shopping, took a browse through Finesse furniture store (love some of their stuff!), tried to reupholster some chair cushions (the darn sewing machine wouldn't go through as many layers of thick material as we needed it to), and cooked a few fun meals. I definitely enjoyed the week, and Cade liked going out as much as we did.
Yesterday Noni came over to return a few of my jewelry display items that I'd lent her for her jewelry sale on chautauqua day, and we had a lovely chat. Chanelle, Cai, and Spyla stopped over to borrow some crazy dressup clothes for their photoshoot - they hired Dara, a professional photographer, to take shots of them for an hour as a birthday treat. I can't wait to see the pictures!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
rambo cade
The past few weeks have been full, but not overly busy, and not dull. I've gone to the church library a few times to restock the shelves, but haven't had a chance to stay and put out the new (donated) materials yet. It's harder to find a solid block of time now that Cade has made his entrance.
The photo to the right is from a little photoshoot Cade and I had at home this morning. I wanted to get a photo of him laying on a skateboard, as suggested by Kate, but it was just too tricky. I'd found a dark gray shirt to lay over the grip tape so he wouldn't get scratched, but he just fussed when I tried to position him on the board. His legs kept falling off, and he didn't want to face me. So nix that idea. But we still had fun with the ghetto bandanna I made, as well as a few with Jeremie's mini-skateboard and a few more traditional 'naked baby' photos. The ligting wasn't that great though. We might have to try again some other day.
Cade is chilling with me right now, laying on his nursing pillow between me and the keyboard. He needed some face time, and I wanted to type for a bit. It seems to be working out well.
Jeremie got sent out to work in Edson for a few days, so Cade and I were home alone last night. I missed Jeremie most when I went to bed. I seem to have gotten used to his breathing & warmth, and now the bed feels empty without him. He'll be gone next week for awhile too, for some training in the states. We'll have to see how single-parenthood goes.
I'm now on to my next craft for Cade's room. Previously I had made the crib bedding and modded his dresser and change table. Now I'm on to a mobile. I bought some embroidery hoops, spray paint, fishing line, paper lanterns, and some black/dark gray craft flowers from Michaels. I'm hoping to drill some holes, measure some line, and get it all put together sometime this week. We'll see how it goes - I'll be sure to post a picture of it when it's done!
The photo to the right is from a little photoshoot Cade and I had at home this morning. I wanted to get a photo of him laying on a skateboard, as suggested by Kate, but it was just too tricky. I'd found a dark gray shirt to lay over the grip tape so he wouldn't get scratched, but he just fussed when I tried to position him on the board. His legs kept falling off, and he didn't want to face me. So nix that idea. But we still had fun with the ghetto bandanna I made, as well as a few with Jeremie's mini-skateboard and a few more traditional 'naked baby' photos. The ligting wasn't that great though. We might have to try again some other day.
Cade is chilling with me right now, laying on his nursing pillow between me and the keyboard. He needed some face time, and I wanted to type for a bit. It seems to be working out well.
Jeremie got sent out to work in Edson for a few days, so Cade and I were home alone last night. I missed Jeremie most when I went to bed. I seem to have gotten used to his breathing & warmth, and now the bed feels empty without him. He'll be gone next week for awhile too, for some training in the states. We'll have to see how single-parenthood goes.
I'm now on to my next craft for Cade's room. Previously I had made the crib bedding and modded his dresser and change table. Now I'm on to a mobile. I bought some embroidery hoops, spray paint, fishing line, paper lanterns, and some black/dark gray craft flowers from Michaels. I'm hoping to drill some holes, measure some line, and get it all put together sometime this week. We'll see how it goes - I'll be sure to post a picture of it when it's done!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Cade and Mom take pictures
Jeremie got home from a skatepark meeting last night, just after I was finished feeding Cade. He was heading out to skate, so Cade and I joined him with the Baby Bjorn. I know you're not supposed to put babies facing outward when they're so young, but he likes to look around.. it worked out pretty well, since I've got some good clevage going on right now and he could rest his head there so it didn't bob around too much. I also took some skate photos, of course. I was going to try skateboarding, but figured I should give it a little bit of a break - I don't want to think about keeping up with tending Cade while I've got something broken or incredibly sore. I do tend to fall poorly when I skate, so it's something to keep in mind.
Jeremie and I are lending Cade out for the evening, and heading out for a drive in the country and an anniversary dinner - our 4th was last week. My, my, how time flies. It'll be nice to get out of the house a bit more, since my schedule currently is 90% either eating or sleeping, feeding or calming Cade. It's a full-time job and a half! This will be the first time leaving Cade with a sitter other than our parents, which seems about right - we've had him for a whole month without sharing at all ;)
The family visit last week was fabulous, we had a really good time and even managed to get a few family photos before Mom & Dad left, so we have some nicer photos of us all - which is good, because to date most of the photos of myself and Cade involved the hospital room we were in when he was born.
Jeremie and I are lending Cade out for the evening, and heading out for a drive in the country and an anniversary dinner - our 4th was last week. My, my, how time flies. It'll be nice to get out of the house a bit more, since my schedule currently is 90% either eating or sleeping, feeding or calming Cade. It's a full-time job and a half! This will be the first time leaving Cade with a sitter other than our parents, which seems about right - we've had him for a whole month without sharing at all ;)
The family visit last week was fabulous, we had a really good time and even managed to get a few family photos before Mom & Dad left, so we have some nicer photos of us all - which is good, because to date most of the photos of myself and Cade involved the hospital room we were in when he was born.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Stompede fun
Cade and I have been having a good week. Mom came on Sunday, and Dad and Maria joined us Friday morning. Mom's been a dream, helping with housework, baby tending, yardwork and gardening. I've gotten a chance to sleep more than I would have otherwise, as well as getting things done.
There was a baby shower for Cade on Tuesday night, and I was blown away at how many people came to wish us well. The showering us with baby clothes didn't hurt either. The shower was put together by Joselyn and Britt, and they did a wonderful job - fun games, great snacks (you should have seen the cake!), and a little bit of serious advice to round out the evening.
Last night Jer suggested we hit up the Stompede fair, so Dad, Maria and I joined him on a trip to the Midway. Mom volunteered to watch Cade, so we got a chance to go on some rides. I was quite thrilled with this, since it's been quite a few years since I've gone on any rides. Maria bought mini-donuts, I took horrible pictures with my old camera, and we had a blast in general. Jeremie was happy with his LED fan that he bought, so things were pretty great all around.
Today will be photo day, maybe some games in the evening, then everyone heads out early tomorrow morning. I'll miss the help, but it will be nice to be the three of us again, at the same time.
There was a baby shower for Cade on Tuesday night, and I was blown away at how many people came to wish us well. The showering us with baby clothes didn't hurt either. The shower was put together by Joselyn and Britt, and they did a wonderful job - fun games, great snacks (you should have seen the cake!), and a little bit of serious advice to round out the evening.
Last night Jer suggested we hit up the Stompede fair, so Dad, Maria and I joined him on a trip to the Midway. Mom volunteered to watch Cade, so we got a chance to go on some rides. I was quite thrilled with this, since it's been quite a few years since I've gone on any rides. Maria bought mini-donuts, I took horrible pictures with my old camera, and we had a blast in general. Jeremie was happy with his LED fan that he bought, so things were pretty great all around.
Today will be photo day, maybe some games in the evening, then everyone heads out early tomorrow morning. I'll miss the help, but it will be nice to be the three of us again, at the same time.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Cade and grandmama
Grandmama (Mom to me) and Grandpapa (Dad) were here this weekend to visit Cade, along with Uncle Jesse and Aunt Sheleena. We were really glad to see the family again, and had a good time catching up and enjoying baby-ness. Mom spent her weekend either cooking for us all, or holding Cade. She just couldn't get enough of him! I didn't mind at all, since it gave me a break - I only had to feed him and pass him off. I think he might have gotten a bit spoiled over the weekend though, since he seems to want to be held more now. Funny kid.
We managed to get in the traditional family game of bocce ball, as well as several rounds of Dice and one of the Farming Game. I feel a bit bad to say I cleaned up at both Dice and Farmer, and perhaps I should have tried less to win, so that our guests could. I'm a bit too competitive for my own good!
And, as lovely as it was to see the family, it was also nice to have the day to myself to do a few chores, finish off a book, and nap without feeling like I'm missing out on what else is going on. I think it will be just about right to have this week to ourselves, then have a week with my family next week. I need a bit of a break between.
I hadn't realized how much time a baby takes up when you go out, but definitely noticed it this evening - I went to the library, got the mail, and returned a movie in about 20 minutes. There was no prep, no diaper-bag checking, no car-seat buckling or baby settling. Just get up and go! I might find myself doing evening shopping more often as Cade gets older, so that I can just leave him with Jeremie.
We've now hit the start of the baby gifts: Mom B made Cade a blanket to play on, Nana B made him a quilt, Maria sent an awesome onesie and soother holder, Jesse and Sheleena got him a toy, Jenna got him a really cute sleeper, Nick gave him a teddy, his first hot wheels car, and some much-needed diapers... the list just seems to go on. It's been really nice though, we're thankful for all the wonderful people who have been so willing to share with us! Next week Tuesday is Cade's shower at church, which I'm starting to look forward to - it gives me another chance to show the little munchkin off!
No non-baby news today. Maybe another time :)
We managed to get in the traditional family game of bocce ball, as well as several rounds of Dice and one of the Farming Game. I feel a bit bad to say I cleaned up at both Dice and Farmer, and perhaps I should have tried less to win, so that our guests could. I'm a bit too competitive for my own good!
And, as lovely as it was to see the family, it was also nice to have the day to myself to do a few chores, finish off a book, and nap without feeling like I'm missing out on what else is going on. I think it will be just about right to have this week to ourselves, then have a week with my family next week. I need a bit of a break between.
I hadn't realized how much time a baby takes up when you go out, but definitely noticed it this evening - I went to the library, got the mail, and returned a movie in about 20 minutes. There was no prep, no diaper-bag checking, no car-seat buckling or baby settling. Just get up and go! I might find myself doing evening shopping more often as Cade gets older, so that I can just leave him with Jeremie.
We've now hit the start of the baby gifts: Mom B made Cade a blanket to play on, Nana B made him a quilt, Maria sent an awesome onesie and soother holder, Jesse and Sheleena got him a toy, Jenna got him a really cute sleeper, Nick gave him a teddy, his first hot wheels car, and some much-needed diapers... the list just seems to go on. It's been really nice though, we're thankful for all the wonderful people who have been so willing to share with us! Next week Tuesday is Cade's shower at church, which I'm starting to look forward to - it gives me another chance to show the little munchkin off!
No non-baby news today. Maybe another time :)
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Cade's first picnic
My life has become baby stuff. It's funny how fast that happened. But between feeding every 2-4 hours, plus catching up on my sleep, that's about all I have time for.
Britt's been really great lately, helping out and being great company. Today she and her sister Hayley brought Jovi over to our back yard for a picnic lunch with Cade. It was good to hang out with a few adults, as well as getting out of the house and getting some sun. I had a chance to try out the bug screen for Cade's car seat we were given, and it works great! Note the picnic-ish blanket on Cade. We were totally prepared!
This weekend is looking to be a good one: Jeremie's parents are flying in for the weekend, so they'll be here Friday afternoon and stay until Monday afternoon. It will be great to see them, and they're quite excited to meet Cade. Plus Mom is doing all the grocery shopping and cooking, so I won't be worn out - I'm hugely thankful for that. Jesse and Sheleena will also be by for a few days this weekend. I'm sure we'll end up talking kids a lot of the weekend, especially since Sheleena is pregnant!
Heather and Dan are getting married on Saturday, so Jeremie and I are going to sneak away for the wedding service at least, which will be good. They're great together, and I'm really happy for them.
My mom and dad are currently arranging to be here for the last week of May to help out as well. I love getting to see so much of our family!
Britt's been really great lately, helping out and being great company. Today she and her sister Hayley brought Jovi over to our back yard for a picnic lunch with Cade. It was good to hang out with a few adults, as well as getting out of the house and getting some sun. I had a chance to try out the bug screen for Cade's car seat we were given, and it works great! Note the picnic-ish blanket on Cade. We were totally prepared!
This weekend is looking to be a good one: Jeremie's parents are flying in for the weekend, so they'll be here Friday afternoon and stay until Monday afternoon. It will be great to see them, and they're quite excited to meet Cade. Plus Mom is doing all the grocery shopping and cooking, so I won't be worn out - I'm hugely thankful for that. Jesse and Sheleena will also be by for a few days this weekend. I'm sure we'll end up talking kids a lot of the weekend, especially since Sheleena is pregnant!
Heather and Dan are getting married on Saturday, so Jeremie and I are going to sneak away for the wedding service at least, which will be good. They're great together, and I'm really happy for them.
My mom and dad are currently arranging to be here for the last week of May to help out as well. I love getting to see so much of our family!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
The usual position
The induction finally took on Tuesday evening. I managed the contractions at home until about 10pm, when I decided that morphine wasn't an option anymore, and we went in to the hospital. Baby Cade Daniel arrived at 4:30pm the next day, after 2 1/2 hours of pushing. I was exhausted, my eyes were almost swollen shut, and I'd burst some blood vessels in my face. Not a pretty sight. But it was worth it to hear Jeremie's triumphant 'It's a boy!' and know that the work was done, and we had the newest addition to our family. He weighed in at 8lbs, 6 oz, and was 9 days overdue. And, incidentally, was born on Hanson day, as my sister pointed out to me. Sweet.
The only disappointment was that if he'd come a few weeks earlier, I could have gone to check out all the garage sales today - once a year, Sexsmith has a town garage sale day where everyone who wants to sells all their junk. It's fabulous. But, c'est la vie. There's always next year.
We arrived home at about 6:30pm Friday evening, and were happy to be back. We stopped by the comedy night/pie social at church for a minute, but it was just over, so we stayed for a few minutes to show Cade off, then headed home to pack it in for the night.
Being pregnant, and finally not again, has made me thankful for many things. Hugging my husband face-on is one of the top few. At the hospital I was supremely greatful for showers, for Jeremie to help out when I didn't feel like getting out of bed, for the horrifically huge maxi-pads the hospital provides, and for every meal arriving on a tray. Convenience at its best. On arriving home I was thrilled with my own shower (it has everything I need, right there!), sleeping with an un-plasticized pillow, and today when we tidied up all the detrius that had accumulated throughout the hospital time. I always feel so much better with a tidy home. A bit of dirt here and there I can live with, but clutter just isn't right!
I talked to my dad on the phone yesterday, and he was already planning on building a soapbox derby car with Cade and making a trip to the states to compete. He's oldskool. I think this being a grandpa is really going to agree with him!
We've gotten so many wonderful congratulations, comments, offers of help, and gifts. Especially on Facebook. I knew when I posted a few baby photos that I was asking for it... reams of comments. All lovely, of course. But we've had so many people offer congratulations and want to see a picture or two that I couldn't resist. I'm sure I'll be filling up a set in my Flickr account with more photos of our baby than anyone other than family wants to see. It's a great way to keep all the long-distance family updated, though!
Cade is sleeping beautifully right now, so I think I'll take advantage of this moment to eat some dinner and see if I can catch a few winks before the long night begins. Last night was our first night at home, and I got collectively maybe 1/2 an hour of sleep in bed and an hour or two on the couch. Naps just aren't cutting it any more. So... here's to hopes of more sleep tonight!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Today, oh, today
We were asked to call the hospital today at 7:30am. We did, and they said they had room for me and we should come at 8. We made it around 8:15, being that we had to wake up fully and drive in to town, and played the usual paperwork rigamarole. Once we got to the maternity ward, we were let into triage and set up with a room. They gave me prostoglandin (a hormone that starts labor), then J and I chilled out in the ward for a couple of hours while they monitored contractions and the baby's heart beat. We got sent home until something happened.
I took a shower and a nap this afternoon and did some laundry, while Jeremie's been working on one of his projects down in the robot room. He's taking the LCD monitor off of an old broken mini-DVD player we have to make a portable mini-monitor. We'll see how it turns out!
I've been noticing contractions since about 5:45, but we have to time them for an hour to see if they're consistent, and how far apart they are, and how long they're for. If they keep coming, we get to go back to the hospital for the evening. If they go away, we get to go into the hospital tomorrow morning again for more drugs.
So at the moment I'm surfing online, with the computer clock open on my second monitor so I can note down contraction times and durations. And eating some yummy leftovers. Mmm, leftovers.
I took a shower and a nap this afternoon and did some laundry, while Jeremie's been working on one of his projects down in the robot room. He's taking the LCD monitor off of an old broken mini-DVD player we have to make a portable mini-monitor. We'll see how it turns out!
I've been noticing contractions since about 5:45, but we have to time them for an hour to see if they're consistent, and how far apart they are, and how long they're for. If they keep coming, we get to go back to the hospital for the evening. If they go away, we get to go into the hospital tomorrow morning again for more drugs.
So at the moment I'm surfing online, with the computer clock open on my second monitor so I can note down contraction times and durations. And eating some yummy leftovers. Mmm, leftovers.
Monday, May 4, 2009
And that's how it goes
The big day is coming soon. Very soon.
We've got to call the hospital tomorrow morning to see if they're too busy to take us, and if they're not we go in and I get some drugs injected into me to make the baby come. If they are too busy, we'll try to go in the day after instead. We're a week overdue as of today, and they don't want the baby getting too big before it comes out. And then, after some pain, hard work, an IV or two, and who knows what else, we'll have a family larger by one! We're both looking forward to having the baby. And so, to celebrate...
We're planning on going out for dinner at the Keg (oh, how I love a good steak), then on to the movie theatre to catch a flick. I'm torn between 17 Again, a quite possibly cheesy chick flick about this guy who wishes to go back to highschool to change his life.. and it happens. Or the Wolverine X-men movie, which Jeremie would probably like more, but I probably won't enjoy as much. He's said he'll see either, for me, but now I have to decide how selfish I want to be. Though I'm guessing that it just depends on when dinner is over as to which one we end up going to.
Jeremie is off at hte skatepark right now, and I still want to get the church key from Shawn and catalog a few books before dinner, since I don't think I'll have another chance to put them away this week.
It's weird to think that next Sunday will be my first Mother's Day where I'm a mom. Aah, how life changes.
We've got to call the hospital tomorrow morning to see if they're too busy to take us, and if they're not we go in and I get some drugs injected into me to make the baby come. If they are too busy, we'll try to go in the day after instead. We're a week overdue as of today, and they don't want the baby getting too big before it comes out. And then, after some pain, hard work, an IV or two, and who knows what else, we'll have a family larger by one! We're both looking forward to having the baby. And so, to celebrate...
We're planning on going out for dinner at the Keg (oh, how I love a good steak), then on to the movie theatre to catch a flick. I'm torn between 17 Again, a quite possibly cheesy chick flick about this guy who wishes to go back to highschool to change his life.. and it happens. Or the Wolverine X-men movie, which Jeremie would probably like more, but I probably won't enjoy as much. He's said he'll see either, for me, but now I have to decide how selfish I want to be. Though I'm guessing that it just depends on when dinner is over as to which one we end up going to.
Jeremie is off at hte skatepark right now, and I still want to get the church key from Shawn and catalog a few books before dinner, since I don't think I'll have another chance to put them away this week.
It's weird to think that next Sunday will be my first Mother's Day where I'm a mom. Aah, how life changes.
the book drop
I just wanted to make a quick list of books I've read lately that I've enjoyed. It will help me remember the new authors/books, and maybe give you an idea/some inspiration for something to read! Please note the synopses are borrowed from random places on the internet - no writing credit to me!
Black - Ted Dekker
- Fleeing his assailants through deserted alleyways, Thomas Hunter narrowly escapes to the roof of a building. Then a silent bullet from the night clips his head...and his world goes black. From the blackness comes an amazing reality of another world-a world where evil is contained. A world where Thomas Hunter is in love with a beautiful woman. Then he remembers the dream of the chase as he reaches to touch the blood on his head. Where does the dream end and reality begin?
The Host - Stephenie Meyer
- Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed. When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.
The Moneylender of Toulouse - Alan Gordon
- Theophilos, court jester and secret agent, traveling to the French city of Toulouse in the year 1204. His assignment: convince the bishop to retire so the guild can put in his place someone more sympathetic to the increasingly embattled organization. The complication: when Theophilos arrives on the scene, he discovers that the bishop has been having some trouble with a local moneylender, who soon turns up dead. Now, in order to save the guild, Theophilos must solve the murder.
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow - Jessica Day George
- Blessed—or cursed—with an ability to understand animals, the Lass (as she’s known to her family) has always been an oddball. And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn’t hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servents. Only a grueling journey on the backs of the four winds will reveal the truth: the bear is really a prince who’s been enchanted by a troll queen, and the Lass must come up with a way to free him before he’s forced to marry a troll princess.
Trickster's Choice - Tamora Pierce
- Aly, a strong and resourceful young woman who masters the arts of swordplay and knightly warfare in the magical medieval country of Tortall, masters a delicious sense of humor, which serves her well when she is chosen by the trickster god Kyprioth to serve as his secret agent and a slave for a year in the embattled Copper Isles. There the dark-skinned natives, or raka, have been conquered and crushed by the laurin, light-skinned people from the mainland. The burning raka resentment is fueled by prophecies of a twice royal queen who will free them, aided by the "wise one, the cunning one, the strong one, the warrior, and the crows."
Mystic and Rider - Sharon Shinn
- Gillengaria abounds in magic, yet its mystics, the carriers of magic, aren't well regarded. Tolerated in the North by royal order, in the South they're feared, even hated. Lately it appears that organized riders are attacking and murdering mystics. To verify and assess the situation, King Baryn dispatches fire mystic Senneth to the South. With her are foremost King's Rider Tayse; Baryn's shape-changing mystic daughter, Kirra; Kirra's mystic servant, Donnal; scrappy street-urchin-turned-Rider Justin, whose only lost fight was with Tayse; and orphaned Cammon, found serving ale in a tavern, who Senneth suspects is a mystic.
Hatbox Letters - Beth Powning* (must read, this is fabulous)
- In this beautiful and deeply moving novel, a young widow struggles to come to terms with her solitary life in the rambling Victorian house she shared until recently with her husband and children in semi-rural New Brunswick.It is in this house, surrounded by heirloom gardens and the gentle sounds of a river, that Kate Harding, 52, faces her second winter since the untimely death of her husband. Her children, now grown, are living away, and Kate is truly on her own. In her living room are several hatboxes filled with letters and other ghostly ephemera, recently brought by her sister from the attic of their grandparents’ 18th-century Connecticut house. Their sweet mustiness tinges the air and makes Kate dream of her childhood and of her beloved grandparents. She remembers the sense of permanence and refuge that she felt in their apple-scented world, as well as, more recently, with her husband. As she begins to read the hatbox letters, she discovers that what to a child seemed a serene and blissful marriage was in fact founded on a tragic event. As Kate’s eyes clear to the truth of the past, a new tragedy unfolds, and her own house, filled with the shared detritus of marriage and motherhood, becomes the refuge where Kate can connect the strands of her unravelled life.
That's all I can remember for now. Happy reading!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
getting some air
The last couple of sunday afternoons we've been hanging out outside. For example, this past Sunday Jeremie was at the skatepark, and I hauled my bulky self over to take photos of his death-defying stunts. Or, at least, they're death-defying to me, since I'd surely break something trying to get this much air, let alone doing a grab at the same time. Scary stuff! We then headed off to the parking lot at the civic centre, where a bunch of our friends head for a few hours of street hockey. I brought my semi-comfortable lawn chair and played spectator for the afternoon. It was good to get some sun and fresh air, and fun to chat with the other girls who came. Skyla was drawing 'tattoos' on our feet with a gel-tipped marker, and I must say that I liked tehm quite a lot.
Tuesday was thrift shopping with Britt, we headed out in the afternoon to $2 Tuesday at the salvation army. I bought several pieces of clothing for the fabric alone - I'm on this apron kick. I haven't sewn any yet, but I've started drawing out ideas on this cute little template I made in Illustrator. I think it would be fun to make a bunch of wacky/creative (and a few prettier for the more normal people) aprons and see how they sell at the farmer's market or some craft show. I'll post pictures if I ever do get around to making them. So if you have a crazy idea, let me know!
I spent another afternoon at the church this past week, adding about 30 books to our collection. I'm glad to see that we have some donations and new items for people to check out - there were even a few that I'd like to check out for myself. I also bought a comedy DVD from the Bananas gang - I saw them in Edmonton once and laughed my head off. So good. Hopefully the DVD is as well!
Last night I went to our local movie store to rent some DVDs. Their older titles rent at 3 for $7 for 4 nights, and I felt like watching some that I hadn't seen in awhile. I watched My Girl last night, Shallow Hal this morning, and still have Stardust left over, which I'm quite looking forward to watching.
I haven't gottten that far on our digital photo album for 2008 - I've got maybe 1/4 of the year done. But I'm not planning on ordering it until I have my next months' spending money anyway, so it's no big rush.
I just received a confirmation from Amazon that my order is being shipped - the latest Jason Mraz album (I hope it's good), the new Tinted Windows album (just came out, I can't wait to get it), and a book - The Host, by Stephenie Meyer. I've read that book before, and quite enjoy it. It was also on sale :)
The baby room is ready, I just bought a nursing pajama for wearing around while we have company over the next month or so, and there's only 2 days left 'til the due date. I'm trying not to be impatient, but we're both ready for our new one to arrive. Our bags are packed and ready, the car seat is installed, and there's really nothing more left to do. We even cleared out all the recycling that's been stacking up in the basement to make more room for our guests. Can't wait!
Tuesday was thrift shopping with Britt, we headed out in the afternoon to $2 Tuesday at the salvation army. I bought several pieces of clothing for the fabric alone - I'm on this apron kick. I haven't sewn any yet, but I've started drawing out ideas on this cute little template I made in Illustrator. I think it would be fun to make a bunch of wacky/creative (and a few prettier for the more normal people) aprons and see how they sell at the farmer's market or some craft show. I'll post pictures if I ever do get around to making them. So if you have a crazy idea, let me know!
I spent another afternoon at the church this past week, adding about 30 books to our collection. I'm glad to see that we have some donations and new items for people to check out - there were even a few that I'd like to check out for myself. I also bought a comedy DVD from the Bananas gang - I saw them in Edmonton once and laughed my head off. So good. Hopefully the DVD is as well!
Last night I went to our local movie store to rent some DVDs. Their older titles rent at 3 for $7 for 4 nights, and I felt like watching some that I hadn't seen in awhile. I watched My Girl last night, Shallow Hal this morning, and still have Stardust left over, which I'm quite looking forward to watching.
I haven't gottten that far on our digital photo album for 2008 - I've got maybe 1/4 of the year done. But I'm not planning on ordering it until I have my next months' spending money anyway, so it's no big rush.
I just received a confirmation from Amazon that my order is being shipped - the latest Jason Mraz album (I hope it's good), the new Tinted Windows album (just came out, I can't wait to get it), and a book - The Host, by Stephenie Meyer. I've read that book before, and quite enjoy it. It was also on sale :)
The baby room is ready, I just bought a nursing pajama for wearing around while we have company over the next month or so, and there's only 2 days left 'til the due date. I'm trying not to be impatient, but we're both ready for our new one to arrive. Our bags are packed and ready, the car seat is installed, and there's really nothing more left to do. We even cleared out all the recycling that's been stacking up in the basement to make more room for our guests. Can't wait!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
This one's for you
Shelley, here are all three paintings together, as requested by the always-fabulous you!
Baby news: we're at 38 weeks and a few days, so less than 2 weeks left! The ultrasound last week went well, and it looks like everything's how it should be, which is great. The doctor said that if, for some reason, baby is late, we'd probably induce about 1 week after the due date. So the longest we'll have is 3 weeks until baby is here, and life changes forever... or so I hear.
I spent a lovely half hour this afternoon on a walk with Robyn, who I bumped into halfway through. I ended up at the skatepark, and took some video of Jeremie doing his thing. He just bought a new complete (deck, wheels, bearings, trucks, the whole bit) and so wasn't landing as many tricks as he wanted to, but I'm sure the new board will be worn in & ready to rock in no time.
I'm also happy to say that I'm finishing off my print photo albums this evening, and will never again have to do more than add a few items that are given to me. From now on, we're going digital all the way. Next project: making a digital 2008 album and sending it off to the printer's.
Ciao!
Baby news: we're at 38 weeks and a few days, so less than 2 weeks left! The ultrasound last week went well, and it looks like everything's how it should be, which is great. The doctor said that if, for some reason, baby is late, we'd probably induce about 1 week after the due date. So the longest we'll have is 3 weeks until baby is here, and life changes forever... or so I hear.
I spent a lovely half hour this afternoon on a walk with Robyn, who I bumped into halfway through. I ended up at the skatepark, and took some video of Jeremie doing his thing. He just bought a new complete (deck, wheels, bearings, trucks, the whole bit) and so wasn't landing as many tricks as he wanted to, but I'm sure the new board will be worn in & ready to rock in no time.
I'm also happy to say that I'm finishing off my print photo albums this evening, and will never again have to do more than add a few items that are given to me. From now on, we're going digital all the way. Next project: making a digital 2008 album and sending it off to the printer's.
Ciao!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Web Design
I finished the Dueck Brothers website awhile back, and finally got signoff on it. It's officially done. I am happy to say that it turned out fairly well. Most important is that the Duecks love their new site. I created a skin for a CMS called Dot Net Nuke (pain in the butt, after using the software I'm not a big fan), then rewrote/reformatted all the content, added a flash gallery, and just made everything a lot more cohesive. Seems to work fine in Firefox 2 & IE6. Check it out at http://www.dueckbrothers.com/
No matter how often I say that I'm not going to do any more design work for awhile, another little contract always seems to pop up. It seems like spring is working her wiles on me, and sending creativity breezes my way. Just can't say no!
I took a couple of hours 2 weeks ago to evaluate a friend's website and make suggestions for him to implement, so that wasn't a lot of work. I've also been asked how much it would cost for 3 t-shirt mockups / 1 final design for the town fair coming up. It sounds like kind of a fun job, so I've given them a quote. We'll see where it goes from there. I really was trying to stop working though, especially since it's almost to the point where baby could arrive any day and I won't have much design time. Not getting jobs done on time = bad.
Question of the day: why do people still make websites where you have to choose Flash or HTML? You're duplicating your content, which leads to content differences and errors. You're forcing your users to think, instead of just using the website intuitively. You're wasting homepage real estate! Forcing users to choose is such a designer's-way-out option! Grr.
You need options? Run some stats on the browsers surfing your site, and choose either all flash or all HTML, based on your users. Better yet, integrate both: just make sure the navigation isn't flash if you've got a lot of old-browser nonsense going on. You could also do a browser/bandwidth-detect to decide which site to send them to if you absolutely must have the two separate options. Invisible is best! Let people use your website without thinking so hard, and let the code do the work.
Rant over.
Almost.
My other pet peeve of the day: a design company who makes a website and does a shoddy job. Our town spent some dough to get this website, and it's not living up to the task. The WYSIWYG editor control (word-type-editor) isn't saving changes and frustrates the users who have to update the site. They don't get consistent support or timely answers to their emails in response to problems they're having. And to top it off, the site is visually ugly, has poor navigation, lacks content organization in a bad way, and could really do with a ton of UI changes. It looks like a poorly-customized frontend template to me. Joomla backend - at least they did that right! Many bah-humbugs go out to the design company.
Poor websites are just something that gets me up in arms. Can we ban them? Or at least start a TV Show like the home makeover ones. Introducing... *insert drumroll here* Extreme Website Makeover! Watch us peel away those ugly layers of bloated code, heavy graphics, and poor UI. We'll start with surgery, then stitch it all back together and leave it with a gloss not topped by any wax on the market today!
Life and Dick VanDyke
The photo to the right is the final painting in the set of 3 that I've been meaning to do for several years. It's now complete, with Dick VanDyke, Audrey Hepburn, and Sean Connery. I'm quite pleased with the way this one turned out. Now one more wall in our house looks a bit less bare! So huzzah for that.
The baby and I are still doing well: we're nearing the end of the 36th week now. At my doctor's appointment this week my stomach was apparently measuring a bit small, so I've got an ultrasound scheduled for next Tuesday afternoon. I'm not too worried though, since baby is moving around a lot and seems to be fine otherwise.
In library news, I seem to be putting in a lot of hours, but it doesn't really feel like work. The shelves have now been re-ordered, due to the help of three lovely ladies, and are labeled, with room on each shelf for new books. We have a few display shelves to show off our newer items, and the music and DVDs are all out and organized to a T. It makes me quite happy. Maybe I'll take pictures sometime. I'm also pleased to note that of the bulk of the books and items I purchased awhile back have been circulating. It's a relief, since this is my first time doing anything like this and I'm not 100% sure what people want.
Jeremie's job isn't stressing him out quite as much these past couple of days. Why might that be? There's an overtime ban, so he gets off around 5:30pm every night. I can definitely see how the extra time off is helping him out. The week before he worked 6 days, and often until 10 or 11pm - so we're quite thankful that he has some more time to chillax, get things done, and have a bit of space.
In novel news, I've also been reading up a storm - I've read about 6 or 7 novels by Ted Dekker, really enjoyed The Host by Stephenie Meyer, tried out some of the Yada Yada novels, was quite impressed with a novel by Sharon Shinn. I think I'll try to track down a few more of her books. I'm also embarking on a 'read my way through the authors in our library' quest. One book per author, just to get a feel for them. And if I don't like the book, I'm not going to force myself to read all the way through it. We'll see how it goes!
The baby and I are still doing well: we're nearing the end of the 36th week now. At my doctor's appointment this week my stomach was apparently measuring a bit small, so I've got an ultrasound scheduled for next Tuesday afternoon. I'm not too worried though, since baby is moving around a lot and seems to be fine otherwise.
In library news, I seem to be putting in a lot of hours, but it doesn't really feel like work. The shelves have now been re-ordered, due to the help of three lovely ladies, and are labeled, with room on each shelf for new books. We have a few display shelves to show off our newer items, and the music and DVDs are all out and organized to a T. It makes me quite happy. Maybe I'll take pictures sometime. I'm also pleased to note that of the bulk of the books and items I purchased awhile back have been circulating. It's a relief, since this is my first time doing anything like this and I'm not 100% sure what people want.
Jeremie's job isn't stressing him out quite as much these past couple of days. Why might that be? There's an overtime ban, so he gets off around 5:30pm every night. I can definitely see how the extra time off is helping him out. The week before he worked 6 days, and often until 10 or 11pm - so we're quite thankful that he has some more time to chillax, get things done, and have a bit of space.
In novel news, I've also been reading up a storm - I've read about 6 or 7 novels by Ted Dekker, really enjoyed The Host by Stephenie Meyer, tried out some of the Yada Yada novels, was quite impressed with a novel by Sharon Shinn. I think I'll try to track down a few more of her books. I'm also embarking on a 'read my way through the authors in our library' quest. One book per author, just to get a feel for them. And if I don't like the book, I'm not going to force myself to read all the way through it. We'll see how it goes!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
the big belly
I seem to have been falling behind in my blogging. Which is funny, because I thought that not having a job would give me a lot more time to do things like this. I've found that I can fill up as much time as I have, regardless to how much there is. I'm taking a break from swimming laps today due to a busy week - and starting to get too tired doing all the everyday things I normally do. So all I have planned for today is some cataloging/shelving at the church library, and making some dinner. We'll see where my fancy runs for this evening.
On the baby front, the doctor says the measurements of my belly are 'average' and everything seems to be going well - especially since I don't have many complaints. I'm not too waterlogged, my back doesn't ache much, I can still tie my shoes, I'm not feeling sick... all good things, as far as I'm concerned! Monday marked the 34 weeks milestone, so there's a bit less than a month and a half left until baby is born. This week has been the week of sewing crib bedding, and I'm almost done - I just have to sew ties on to the bumper pad to keep it attached to the side of the crib. I've tried to do an item per day this week to divvy out the work, so I feel like I've been sewing all week. And crawling on the floor to cut out the fabric (the table's too small) was a bit tricky at this stage of fatness, since I find it hard to breathe when I'm bending over. Good thing I didn't wait until next month to do the sewing!
This week has been a bit hard on Jeremie, since one of his co-worker friends got laid off the other day, due to the oil industry downturn. It's been happening a lot lately here - the place Jeremie worked at up until January has laid off 2/3 of its staff. The company he's working for has laid off several people this week, which creates an atmosphere of anxiety. I heard from a friend over lunch yesterday that her boyfriend's company has been laying off people every wednesday since January. Talk about not wanting to go in to work! We feel very blessed to have a job for J that's fairly secure (as much as these things ever are), since he's working in a division that's still getting new jobs and has enough work to keep him employed. At the same time, it's a hard climate to live in all the time, and all the people getting laid off stresses Jeremie out - mostly for the sake of all the people without jobs.
My trip to Edmonton a couple of weeks ago went well. I managed to see 90% of the friends I wanted to catch up with, and got to visit with the family in the city as well - Maria, Erika, Jenna, Jesse and Sheleena. It was great to have a chance to do that before we start visiting with baby in-tow, which is sure to change the dynamics. I also spent a lot of money - mostly on eating out with friends, buying some different maternity clothes (shopping here is the pits), and some stuff for the baby - like a car seat, and some diaper accoutrements, since we're doing cloth. I think my favorite meal while there was at Chianti's. They do the best home-made pasta ever. I'll have to try it at home sometime!
Anyway, I'm getting tired again. Time for a nap!
On the baby front, the doctor says the measurements of my belly are 'average' and everything seems to be going well - especially since I don't have many complaints. I'm not too waterlogged, my back doesn't ache much, I can still tie my shoes, I'm not feeling sick... all good things, as far as I'm concerned! Monday marked the 34 weeks milestone, so there's a bit less than a month and a half left until baby is born. This week has been the week of sewing crib bedding, and I'm almost done - I just have to sew ties on to the bumper pad to keep it attached to the side of the crib. I've tried to do an item per day this week to divvy out the work, so I feel like I've been sewing all week. And crawling on the floor to cut out the fabric (the table's too small) was a bit tricky at this stage of fatness, since I find it hard to breathe when I'm bending over. Good thing I didn't wait until next month to do the sewing!
This week has been a bit hard on Jeremie, since one of his co-worker friends got laid off the other day, due to the oil industry downturn. It's been happening a lot lately here - the place Jeremie worked at up until January has laid off 2/3 of its staff. The company he's working for has laid off several people this week, which creates an atmosphere of anxiety. I heard from a friend over lunch yesterday that her boyfriend's company has been laying off people every wednesday since January. Talk about not wanting to go in to work! We feel very blessed to have a job for J that's fairly secure (as much as these things ever are), since he's working in a division that's still getting new jobs and has enough work to keep him employed. At the same time, it's a hard climate to live in all the time, and all the people getting laid off stresses Jeremie out - mostly for the sake of all the people without jobs.
My trip to Edmonton a couple of weeks ago went well. I managed to see 90% of the friends I wanted to catch up with, and got to visit with the family in the city as well - Maria, Erika, Jenna, Jesse and Sheleena. It was great to have a chance to do that before we start visiting with baby in-tow, which is sure to change the dynamics. I also spent a lot of money - mostly on eating out with friends, buying some different maternity clothes (shopping here is the pits), and some stuff for the baby - like a car seat, and some diaper accoutrements, since we're doing cloth. I think my favorite meal while there was at Chianti's. They do the best home-made pasta ever. I'll have to try it at home sometime!
Anyway, I'm getting tired again. Time for a nap!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
I'm off!
I've decided to take a little trip to the big city, just like Madeline did. I'll be visiting and catching up with several lovely individuals I haven't been able to see in way too long, and so I'm quite looking forward to the whole thing! That is, if my car will start. Apparently it was cold out last night, and the cord to my block heater is broken. Bah.
On the trip schedule is coffee, shopping, visiting Alby and her new baby, some sister time, and whatever else happens to happen. I think I'll also be looking for some fabulous baby stuff and clothes for myself, since all the shirts that were just a bit snug are now too snug to wear. I never mind an excuse to shop, but staying on budget might prove a bit of a challenge if I fall in love with too many things!
The photo is from our 'nerd bowling' youth group event a couple of weeks ago. Everyone dressed up as nerdily as they could and headed out to a 5-pin lane that reminds me of the '60s. Our 'team' didn't really try very hard, but we did find out that if you bowl two balls in quick succession, they only count as one roll. Three is iffy - it works sometimes, and sometimes not. Oh, and I also got a strike with an under-the-left-leg shot. A total fluke.
In other fun-ness, I received the shipment of books for the church library! I'm still quite excited about the project, and have found that it's quite peaceful to take an hour and shelve/catalog some books. I'm also looking forward to going through all the really old stuff and culling some of what isn't used to make more shelf space, which will lead to a better display of the titles we do keep. And room for more fresh materials! I'm trying to keep in mind that my agenda isn't the only one, and that we have to be careful of other people's needs and opinions as well. Hopefully that will continue to happen.
I'm also happy to say that I should start receiving mat leave benefits this week or next, which should help out the money situation. J and I made a budget (exciting, no?) last week and we both feel better about our finances now, as we can keep track of our own spending and know about how much we can spend on certain things. Like groceries. We also gave ourselves a spending allowance, for whatever we want/need that month, which I look forward to. So far I've spent some of my March allowance on a new scanner (the old one just went bust), some books, and a smashing pair of earrings (dangly ones with the pendant from this neckace) from a jewelry party I went to last night by Stella & Dot. Joselyn also made her Black Bean Dip to Die For. I love that stuff.
I'm off to track down some tunes for the road trip. Wish me luck!
On the trip schedule is coffee, shopping, visiting Alby and her new baby, some sister time, and whatever else happens to happen. I think I'll also be looking for some fabulous baby stuff and clothes for myself, since all the shirts that were just a bit snug are now too snug to wear. I never mind an excuse to shop, but staying on budget might prove a bit of a challenge if I fall in love with too many things!
The photo is from our 'nerd bowling' youth group event a couple of weeks ago. Everyone dressed up as nerdily as they could and headed out to a 5-pin lane that reminds me of the '60s. Our 'team' didn't really try very hard, but we did find out that if you bowl two balls in quick succession, they only count as one roll. Three is iffy - it works sometimes, and sometimes not. Oh, and I also got a strike with an under-the-left-leg shot. A total fluke.
In other fun-ness, I received the shipment of books for the church library! I'm still quite excited about the project, and have found that it's quite peaceful to take an hour and shelve/catalog some books. I'm also looking forward to going through all the really old stuff and culling some of what isn't used to make more shelf space, which will lead to a better display of the titles we do keep. And room for more fresh materials! I'm trying to keep in mind that my agenda isn't the only one, and that we have to be careful of other people's needs and opinions as well. Hopefully that will continue to happen.
I'm also happy to say that I should start receiving mat leave benefits this week or next, which should help out the money situation. J and I made a budget (exciting, no?) last week and we both feel better about our finances now, as we can keep track of our own spending and know about how much we can spend on certain things. Like groceries. We also gave ourselves a spending allowance, for whatever we want/need that month, which I look forward to. So far I've spent some of my March allowance on a new scanner (the old one just went bust), some books, and a smashing pair of earrings (dangly ones with the pendant from this neckace) from a jewelry party I went to last night by Stella & Dot. Joselyn also made her Black Bean Dip to Die For. I love that stuff.
I'm off to track down some tunes for the road trip. Wish me luck!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
my evening
I've been meaning to sort out and albumize my photos since the last time I did so, which was about early 2001. Thankfully most of my 2005+ photos are digital, but that still means I have a good 4 years' worth of photos to sort and add to albums. I spent this evening sorting. Hopefully it won't take too many more evenings to get them all in albums!
30 weeks
I'm officially looking more pregnant every week. I don't really notice so much, except when I look at pictures. Which is good, I think. And my belly-button, which has always been cavernous and would need some serious spelunking to find the bottom of, is almost an outie now. How strange is that?
In other news, I am officially the head librarian of our church library. In celebration of that, I ordered a schwack of books on CD, DVDs, and books. They come in 2-4 weeks, if the shipping times are correct. It should be exciting! Now I'm trying to track down some shelf-sign holders to list what's on a shelf. For example, fiction. Or Children's books. They'd been taping labels onto the shelves thus far, which seems rather time-consuming since they're not easily moveable as the books move. I would also like to get a customer-usable barcode-scanning system set up, so I'll have to research and test a bunch of those to find the right ones. Fun, fun!
I didn't go swimming this past week, so I'll definitely have to go a couple of times next week. No exercise makes Jill a tired girl!
In other news, I am officially the head librarian of our church library. In celebration of that, I ordered a schwack of books on CD, DVDs, and books. They come in 2-4 weeks, if the shipping times are correct. It should be exciting! Now I'm trying to track down some shelf-sign holders to list what's on a shelf. For example, fiction. Or Children's books. They'd been taping labels onto the shelves thus far, which seems rather time-consuming since they're not easily moveable as the books move. I would also like to get a customer-usable barcode-scanning system set up, so I'll have to research and test a bunch of those to find the right ones. Fun, fun!
I didn't go swimming this past week, so I'll definitely have to go a couple of times next week. No exercise makes Jill a tired girl!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A lack of employment
The week and a bit I've had off from work so far has been fairly fabulous. I've gotten lots of things done at home, had time for friends and errands, and even helped Amy buy some new living room storage furniture and get some ideas for organizing! Friday night was the Fast Food Formal (see photo to the right) with youth, where we dressed up fancy and ate at McDonald's. Saturday J and I attended the Love and Respect video conference, which was a great way to have a few new things to discuss about how we can grow in our marriage. It's so grown-up of us, no? But to balance that out, I totally forgot about the bowling party we were supposed to go to Sunday after church. And we really wanted to go! But instead we had a gang of guys over for lunch, and then Robyn came over to play the Farming game with me. It was a good day!
I just read Peony in Love by Lisa See last night, and definitely enjoyed it. It was reccomended to me by Joss, and I must agree that it was worth reading! The novel is set in China during the dynastic period where the mongols took over. It's about a young girl who falls in love on sight, talks to her special someone in a shady pagoda a few times, then pines her way to death to avoid a matchmaking marriage. Turns out she was supposed to marry the guy she was mooning over. Oops. The second and third 'acts' of the novel are her journey through the Chinese afterlife, where she wanders the world until she discovers her purpose: to help lover-boy have a happy life and marriage. Crazy, no? Next novel up: the hunger games, by Suzanne Collins.
As far as the baby goes, I continue to get fatter, which is pretty normal. We're waiting to decorate the baby room until after it's born, but will start moving some furniture in in a few weeks so that I can start sewing the crib bedding and other such homey tasks. I'm also starting to have to wiggle my way in and out of chairs and such, which is pretty amusing.
I'm heading off to swim some laps with Joss and Jill, and maybe Britt. Have a splendid rest of your day!
I just read Peony in Love by Lisa See last night, and definitely enjoyed it. It was reccomended to me by Joss, and I must agree that it was worth reading! The novel is set in China during the dynastic period where the mongols took over. It's about a young girl who falls in love on sight, talks to her special someone in a shady pagoda a few times, then pines her way to death to avoid a matchmaking marriage. Turns out she was supposed to marry the guy she was mooning over. Oops. The second and third 'acts' of the novel are her journey through the Chinese afterlife, where she wanders the world until she discovers her purpose: to help lover-boy have a happy life and marriage. Crazy, no? Next novel up: the hunger games, by Suzanne Collins.
As far as the baby goes, I continue to get fatter, which is pretty normal. We're waiting to decorate the baby room until after it's born, but will start moving some furniture in in a few weeks so that I can start sewing the crib bedding and other such homey tasks. I'm also starting to have to wiggle my way in and out of chairs and such, which is pretty amusing.
I'm heading off to swim some laps with Joss and Jill, and maybe Britt. Have a splendid rest of your day!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
So. Last weekend was the youth lockin at the church - they stayed all night, and I joined them around 7am for a morning breakfast. I had a good time cooking & chatting. This week the youth are off snowboarding (not such a good idea when pregnant & exhausted, so I'm out), but next week is Fast Food Formal night. I'm looking forward to it, though I'm not sure what to wear - none of my formal clothes fit right now!
I had a doctor's appointment yesterday. We went through the usual - blood pressure, weight, baby's heart beat, belly measuring. Sometimes it seems silly to get a checkup when that's all that happens, but I guess it's better safe than sorry.
And I only have 1 day of work left! All the walking/standing was just getting too tiring for me, so I gave my notice for the end of January, instead of the originally-planned February. I'm looking forward to the time off, and am already planning some lane-swimming dates with friends, some scrapbooking, coffee time, and the usual house-projects. I'm hoping that I'll have enough time that I'll be inspired to paint. I'd like to do one of Dick VanDyke to finish off my actors set in the living room, and would also like to figure out what to put on the walls in the baby room - I might paint something for that as well.
The photo to the right is of Heather and Dan - they asked me to take some engagement photos for them. We had a great time romping around town in the cold, and ended up with a few shots we're really happy with. Hooray for that! You never know if you'll be happy with the finished product, so it's always a relief when I am!
I also created a photobook for our year of 2007 using myPublisher.com, and am really impressed with the printing quality and ease of the software. I'm hoping to do years 2005-2008, each in its own book, over the next year. I'd do them sooner, but it's a bit pricey. No pricier than printing out all the photos and scrapbooking them, but still not particularly cheap.
And J is home on Tuesday evening, late-late! I'm quite excited, and it'll be great to be together again.
I had a doctor's appointment yesterday. We went through the usual - blood pressure, weight, baby's heart beat, belly measuring. Sometimes it seems silly to get a checkup when that's all that happens, but I guess it's better safe than sorry.
And I only have 1 day of work left! All the walking/standing was just getting too tiring for me, so I gave my notice for the end of January, instead of the originally-planned February. I'm looking forward to the time off, and am already planning some lane-swimming dates with friends, some scrapbooking, coffee time, and the usual house-projects. I'm hoping that I'll have enough time that I'll be inspired to paint. I'd like to do one of Dick VanDyke to finish off my actors set in the living room, and would also like to figure out what to put on the walls in the baby room - I might paint something for that as well.
The photo to the right is of Heather and Dan - they asked me to take some engagement photos for them. We had a great time romping around town in the cold, and ended up with a few shots we're really happy with. Hooray for that! You never know if you'll be happy with the finished product, so it's always a relief when I am!
I also created a photobook for our year of 2007 using myPublisher.com, and am really impressed with the printing quality and ease of the software. I'm hoping to do years 2005-2008, each in its own book, over the next year. I'd do them sooner, but it's a bit pricey. No pricier than printing out all the photos and scrapbooking them, but still not particularly cheap.
And J is home on Tuesday evening, late-late! I'm quite excited, and it'll be great to be together again.
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