Puffy

Being slightly advanced in age to be starting a family (I said slightly), I’m surrounded by a lot of women who have gone through this pregnancy process before me. I appreciate being able to hear their experiences and I really feel I’ve learned a lot from these women.

There’s always one story that you hear a lot of, the delivery. Every women needs to tell their story (and I love hearing them), I find it so interesting how different they all are. Since I’ve been pregnant I’ve had some women stop mid story, concerned that I don’t want to hear how long they were in labour, or how much tearing there was or all the other hard parts about delivering a baby. But really, not one of these stories bothers me. Every women is different, my labour won’t be the same as anyone else’s so I can handle their difficult stories, there is one story however that I don’t handle well. One that freaks me out and makes me incredibly nervous every time I hear women talk about it. It leaves me hoping beyond hope that I’ll be the exception but I think today that hope slipped away.

A little background… I have always been really self-conscious about the size of my feet. They’re large and wide and buying shoes is not fun. The same goes for my hands, I need very large size rings because I have these large fingers.

To tie the two together (though you probably know where I’m going with this)... So many women talk about how much their hands and feet would swell during pregnancy. These are the stories I worry about. My feet and hands are big enough, I don’t need them to be any bigger and how will I wear shoes if they get any fatter? I don’t want to stop wearing my rings and I want to have normal feet!

Today, I’m hoping it’s just because I’m a little warm but my rings sure are tight! I’ve actually removed them for a bit. It’s much too early for the swelling to start but this early sign has sure got me concerned. At least my shoes feel the same today.

Sigh, here’s hoping for no more swelling.
L

15 Books in 15 Minutes

Two posts in one day! I know!

My Friend Kirsten posted this note on Facebook and I thought it was a fun one so I'm posting it here as well.

The instructions are to come up with 15 books in no more than 15 mintues that have stuck with you, for better for for worse. Here is my list, feel free to post your own.

1. The Life of Pi – Yann Martel
2. Wicked – Gregory Maguire
3. The Chosen – Chaim Potok
4. The Chronicles of Narnia series – C.S. Lewis
5. Mirror Mirror – Gregory Maguire
6. The Book of Lights – Chaim Potok
7. Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolken
8. Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Dafoe – They’ve turned this into a tv show that I haven’t seen but have heard it’s awful
9. Z for Zachariah – Robert C. O’Brien – We read this book in grade 6 and I’ve never forgotten it.
10. Bridge to Terebithia – Katherine Paterson – I re-read this book a couple of years ago and I was sitting downtown on my lunch break crying at the end… felt foolish but it’s such a lovely book.
11. Make Way for Ducklings – Robert McCloskey – For some reason this book has always stuck with me, I have hardly any childhood memories because my memory is so awful yet I very clearly remember Mr. Harker reading this book to us in 1st grade. I actually found it and bought it last year at Chapters and discovered that it’s kind of a boring book but I’m excited to read it to Catie one day anyway and share those memories (I tried to read it to my Sunbeams one Sunday and they were all really bored by it).
12. The Baby-Sitters Club & Sweet Valley High – Ann M. Martin / Francine Pascal – I read these a lot when I was in my tween years, we had all of them and I loved them.
13. Gerald’s Game – Stephen King – What a horrible, horrible book that I wish I’d never read. It was this one that convinced me that I never needed to read another Stephen King book and I’m sad it’s stuck with me forever.
14. Tuck Everlasting – Natalie Babbitt – Interesting that so many of the book that made it on this list were ready in elementary school
15. The Gift of the Magi – O. Henry – I know it’s not technically a book but a short story but it’s always stuck with me

I'd love to read your list as I'm always looking for more books to read.
L

Writers Block

I realize all has been quite around here for a while but I seem to be suffering from a serious case of writer’s block. Nothing inspires me, nothing seems blog worthy.

As an effort to end the block I’m pressing through and dedicating yet another post to the cupcake. I have this weakness for cupcakes, they’re so yummy and pretty and fun to make and they always brighten my day. I’m pretty sure my like has turned into an obsession. I just added another cupcake blog to my Google Reader which brings the total cupcake blogs up to 6. That’s 6 blogs dedicated entirely to cupcakes that I follow, it’s a bit much. I’ll just convince me that I don’t need to follow another when I get inspired with something that looks incredible, like these Peanut Butter Brownie Cups, let’s see if I get around to making these in time to take them to the lake.
L

Results

I've got to say, I thought the poll would be a lot more helpful.

I had expected a clear winner and an obvious loser but you loved them all equally. That meant the decision really was up to me. So I thought about it all week and Mud Puddle Pink is in the mail on its way to me as we speak.

I'm excited to receive it and see just how cute it is, thanks for the input.
L

Smile Turned Upside Down

Today was one of those days where for no reason I was exceptionally grouchy.

Every little thing drove me crazy, I could hardly stand the Safeway lady, I missed my lunch time nap, it was busy at work and the list of complaints could go on and on. There wasn't actually anything terrible abnormal about the day, just one of those days.

I found a cure. Dinner made for me (and quick too), a carmel chocolate brownie cake with ice cream and one of the best episodes of Malcolm in the Middle I've ever seen (I'd never seen the introduct of Lionel Herkabe and it was magical).

So next time you're feeling low eat some dinner, dessert and laugh at the genious of Malcolm.
L

A Photo for my Mother

I'm not a big fan of "belly pictures" they make me uncomfortable but I am a big fan of my new cute maternity clothes. I was telling Mom about all the cute things I have and she wanted to see so I thought I'd post a picture of one of my cute outfits. The skirt was a real deal and was only $16, the top wasn't such a great deal but it was cute enough to justify the price.

L

A Poll

Brad and I have been having such a fun time looking at baby things, we bought the most adorable socks yesterday and we got a diaper bag but there's been one exception to this shopping rule. Crib Bedding.

We've been really lucky and we're getting a lot of hand-me-down items so there's going to be very little that we actually need to buy. Since this is the case I want to get some really cute crib bedding. I want to make this hand-me-down crib feel like mine and I think it's worth spending the money to get something I love.

Here's the problem though, in my recent shopping I have found two types of bedding. The one type is cutesy baby animals or Winnie-the-Poo or something similar which is not what I want at all and the other type is exactly what I want but $400. The solution is going to be to buy something on-line so I started searching. It wasn't long before I was completely overwhelmed. Everything is starting to run together and they all look the same to me. I have managed to narrow it down to four choices (though it's likely I'll find some new ones to add to the list) and thought I'd get some opinions. Vote on the right hand side for which bedding you like the most.

(keep in mind that in the photos they go completely overboard with their decorating and use the pattern everywhere, I only want the bedskirt, the bumper pads, the sheet and the comforter)
L

1. Gillian

2. Mud Puddle Pink

3. Argyle Stripe

4. Bananafish Bubblegum

Unexpected

I love when your expectations are exceeded, I think sometimes in order to achieve that I purposely set the bar low in preparation, last night was definitely no exception.

This softball season has gone relatively well, before last night we'd won 3 games and lost 3 and we'd generally felt good about our performance, and then I saw on the schedule which team we'd be playing next. The team had won all 6 of their games and in those 6 had only given up a total of 43 runs (to put it in perspective we've given up 123).

I was very prepared for us to be absolutely clobbered. I made sure I was clear on the mercy rule (if the other team gets 20 runs ahead the score freezes and you just play for fun) and in the weekly email to the team I was very open about how much better this team seemed than us and that we should be prepared to lose but still have a good time.

My team completely surprised me… our defensive fielding was much better than it has been, our runners were aggressive and paying attention so that going into the 7th inning (our last) we were last at bat and only two runs away from winning the game. Sadly it was not to be and the score ended at 14 to 13 for them but we scored 13 runs and nearly won against the best team in our league! I'm so proud of our little team for stepping up.

I think that part of our success came from the lack of pressure. We all knew we were going to lose so we could just play and not really care about the score. It felt good to make the other team sweat and everyone had an awesome time.

I've really enjoyed this season of softball and even though I've been demoted to scorekeeper I'm still loving every week. I'm sad we won't be in Calgary to play next year but heads up Lethbridge, we'll be looking for a team down there come the spring.
L

These are a few of my Favorite Things (right now) – 2nd Edition

1. Malcolm in the Middle Reruns
2. Mandarin Oranges in June (they're not just for Christmas anymore)
3. Hot Fudge Cheesecake
4. Dessert of any kind
5. Maternity clothes
6. Settlers of Catan
7. Softball
8. Only one more month of living dishwasher free
9. Mangoes
10. Here Come the Newlyweds
11. Sarah Slean's album the Baroness Redecorates

Accepted

It's official, Brad's been accepted to the University of Lethbridge!

We were never worried, his grades are awesome but it feels so good to know for absolute sure.

Last year around this time we were nervously waiting to see if he'd get accepted into the UofC Engineering program. We waited, and waited, and waited so long we came up with a back-up plan. By the time he got accepted into the program (two weeks before the start of classes) our back-up plan had become our new preferred plan and he started getting ready for a Finance degree instead.

This has turned out to be such a wonderful decision. He loves his classes and managed to get pretty darn close to straight A's (that one B+ ruined everything). His GPA is high, and rather than struggling to make it through he's in the top of all his classes.

We're excited to see what Lethbridge, Finance and Catie bring to our life and I'm so proud of my super smart husband!
L

Here Come the Newlyweds – Season 2

Brad and I were thrilled to discover that this reality show was getting second season. In general we are not fans of this type of show but this one is different. A bunch of newlyweds compete for money and get voted off the show but the difference is none of them are whores, they mostly all like each other, there are no dramatic fights and they do fun things together.

For example, the other day the men wore boxer shorts, were blindfolded and then their wives had to direct them to their clothes. The fastest man to get dressed got immunity. Only they were in a room full of junk and the wives would just make them run into lamps and boxes and it was hilarious and good natured and everyone laughed and had a good time.

This season it seems they're trying to liven the show up just a little bit so there was of course a challenge involving bugs. They had set up this kitchen and coated it in cockroaches and grasshoppers. The couples each took their turn going into the room, scooping up as many bugs as possible (using only their hands) and depositing them back in a jar outside for 30 seconds. The couple with the most bugs got immunity for the week.

Here's when I come to a point in the rambly post.

The first couple gets up to go and they know they're in trouble, the husband is beefy and tattooed but the wife is very afraid of bugs. The get the start signal and run into the room where the husband immediately starts scooping up bugs while his wife freaks out in the corner, just as she's saying she can't touch them, she can't do this her husband says probably the most loving words she's ever heard… Just get the door. So their system went, they'd run into the room, he'd gather the bugs, she'd open the door so he could deposit them in the jar. I was so impressed that he was never once impatient with her or upset that she wouldn't help. He understood her limitations and appreciated the help she could offer. If that's not love I don't know what is.

So there's my marriage lesson for the day learned from TV. Appreciate each other's strengths and weaknesses and sometimes be satisfied that all your spouse can do is "open the door".
L

(and speaking of bugs, don't check out Andrew's post on spiders, it is worse than you think it will be!)

Personal Space

I knew it would happen eventually but I just didn't expect it to be so soon…

Last night at softball I headed over to the other teams bench to perform my pre-game captain duties. We tossed a coin, discussed start time and I informed them that as I'm almost 6 months pregnant I'll have a pinch runner.

Pretty immediately a woman's hand shot out and she actually rubbed my belly! When her teammate gave her a hard time she stated, "I'm a mother, I'm allowed too." She then proceeded to give me a second rub. I was in shock!

I know I've given you no proof of this but I really don't look pregnant enough for people to touch me like that! I just barely started to wear maternity clothes.

Prior to the incident I've given a little thought as to how I would handle moments just like this and was fully prepared to make the rubber feel as awkward and as uncomfortable as I would but when it came down to it I was in too much shock to say anything at all. I just looked down a little bewildered and then wandered back to my bench.

I'll have to do a little more preparation for the next time, belly rubs from complete strangers are not okay! Being a mother does not change that.
L

Making the Switch

One of the best parts about being pregnant? The maternity clothes. Sure, they're expensive but they're all so comfortable! All clothes should be designed this way, are your pants a little tight? Just loosen the expandable waist. There's no more wondering, does this make me look fat? Because it all makes you look fat, and it's not fat it's pregnant so it doesn't matter. The $20 dress pants I found yesterday are just icing on the cake.

I can already tell that it will be a sad day when it's time to retire these comfy clothes and return to the binding, uncompromising waistbands of regular sizes.
L

How High the Moon

Not too long ago Brad and I had an opportunity to see Sarah Slean in concert and it was one of our favorites. Everything about the show was perfect, we were amazed at how incredible she sounds live and we were entranced the entire show.

When we hear she was coming back again so soon we jumped at the chance to go. The concert was wonderful, her personality was vibrant, she was fun and her voice was clear and beautiful as usual. The music selection was lovely and the concert was very casual with just her and a piano. She sang a little Madonna, Leonard Cohen and even some Dolly Parton, yet something about his concert was slightly less magical for me.

It could have been the lack of any sort of backing band, maybe it was the location or perhaps it was the constant pain in my ribs from this growing baby. Maybe my expectations were too high or it could be that the second time just isn't the same as seeing her for the first time. Whatever the reason I'm still glad we went but I had been looking forward to the amazed wonder I felt the first time.

I was lucky enough to meet up with my electronic friends and immensely enjoyed conversing with them in real life. As we were leaving Jenny said, "Nice to meet you!" And it seemed like the oddest statement, I'd forgotten that this was the first meeting for us. I look forward to lots of face time in Lethbridge and spending real time together.
L

The Disabled List

This last (very quiet week) may be foreshadowing as to what will happen when I'm no longer chained to my desk and working; this is something I've been expecting as I only seem to blog from work. It's highly likely that when I stop working to go on mat leave (only 46 more work days!) then the blog will cease to exist. I'll try to do a little better and I think a proper office in our new place will be helpful with that goal. It's hard to focus while you're lying on the couch with a laptop balanced so carefully, a game of Settlers underway.

So why haven't I been at work you ask?

As I've mentioned before Brad and I formed a softball team again this year and we've been having such a great time, we have a fun team and besides one crummy week we've loved every game. On more than one occasion when I mention that I'm playing softball and I'm nearly 6 months pregnant the general reaction is surprise. My philosophy has been, when it hurts I'll stop. When I start to develop unusual muscle pain then I'll quit but until then you'd better believe I'm playing, this only comes around once a year after all.

The one thing that I did not count on was that the pain wouldn't be gradual, that it would smack me like a ton of bricks and leave me motionless on the couch for two days. I stood up from the bench to head out to the field and thought, "Oh WOW! That does not feel good!" Apparently my baby, and my muscles were ANGRY and they were going to make sure I knew it.

So your pelvis muscles, you know what you use them for (I'm real clear on it now)? You use them for everything! Lifting your leg to walk, lifting it higher yet to put on pants (lets not talk about the unfortunate time I put them on backwards and had to do the whole thing over), rolling over in bed, getting up off the couch, slightly re-adjusting to get more comfortable and possibly worst of all, getting into the car… all of them were painful in a way I've never felt before.

Thursday consisted of a tearful, emotional phone call to the Mom (why do you always cry more when you talk to your mom?), Brad waiting on me hand and foot and as little movement as possible.

Even now on Monday, 5 days later I'm still in pain.

So I'm officially benched. I just became the official score keeper / umpire. I refuse to give up entirely and will still bat, I'll just have a pinch runner. At least I made it through 3 1/2 games out of 9.
L