Almost too embarrassing to admit ...

I'm going to admit to something I tell very few people. Don't judge me - we all have secrets.
Here's mine.
I like prunes! (not the stewed kind - that's just gross)
I know. It's embarrassing. I blame it on my mother who gave us prunes as a treat. I do the same with my son. He cannot get enough prunes. In fact, if I buy them I hide them or else he would eat them non-stop. And we all know what would happen.
But here's the problem. The grocery store by my house, the one where we do most of our shopping, is a very popular place. I often bump into friends or family. And I have gotten to know several of the cashiers.
And I know that people cart snoop. I'll admit - I do it. It's fascinating to see what people put in their carts. So, I always make a point of buying non-embarrassing items. Feminine products are purchased at the drug store. Cans of tuna are buried at the bottom of my cart.
And I would never think to purchase prunes.
Luckily today I went to bulk barn while Mike and Matt were in another store.
I looked around the store, noticed no one familiar and seized my opportunity. I went to the gigantic prune bin at the back of the store and started scooping. I was interrupted by a man in his early 50's laughing at me. Seriously. Laughing.
"Ha ha ha. I knew I forgot something," he said, pointing at the prunes. At first I thought he was serious. Then he kept laughing. And added "what does a young on like you need with prunes?"
I had no answer.
He walked away. I almost died. Who says stuff like that? Really. And, then I found it hysterical. And could not stop giggling. I should have worn a disguise.
When we got in the van I told Mike the story. He hates prunes, and he thinks that the fact we buy them is really weird - and gross. I asked him if he would be embarrassed buying prunes at the store. Apparently not. As long as he doesn't have to eat them he has no problem buying them.
I think Mikey just got himself a new job.

My funny Boy and My Pumpkin Picture

Tonight in the van:
Matt: Mommy I have a new name for you
Me: What is it?
Matt: SuperMommy
Me: I love that name. You can always call me that.
Matt: You're my best friend, SuperMommy!

I love this child.

Later in the van we were playing with a glow ball thing from when Matt was a baby. It's about the size of a soccer ball.

Me: That was yours when you were a baby. Now this will be a toy for the new baby.
Matt: This is for the baby?
Me: Yes
Matt (horrified): You want me to stick this in your tummy????

--------------

And this is what I did on Thursday at work (I'm on the far right). Like the boa? I had no complaints. It could be worse; I could have been wearing the costume in the middle.

The Highs and Lows of Pumpkins and Doctors

Today I was standing on the train platform with my brother-in-law (who has been car-less this week) and I told him I had a feeling it was going to be a weird day.
Boy was I right.
My day started with an early morning meeting about our intranet for which I am the webmaster - stop laughing. It's true. So, I basically sat in a meeting where our consultants and one of our IT people tried to explain to me the difference in analytical software while I looked at my manager and occasionally nodded and acted like I understood.
And then the meeting was interrupted by my cell phone ringing. It was security - telling me that the day's entertainment had arrived. Ohhhh boy!
Want to know how I spent my morning? I escorted a strolling pumpkin around my office. Together with one of my colleagues, I donned black clothing, an orange boa, hundreds of pieces of halloween candy and went to every.single.desk in my office handing out candy and Hallowe'en cheer. This involved not only walking up and down floors in our building but walking through the underground path to another building and handing out candy to a much less receptive, yet still eager for chocolate group.
It was quite a day!
The good news is that I put a lot of faces to names.
When you're in a company of about 400 people you often hear people's names or see them on e-mail, but you don't know who they are. So, it was fun. Plus, walking around with candy makes you instantly popular.
But, there were a few things I observed today.
1) When random strangers see a pumpkin strolling in the lobby of a famous Toronto Hotel (the Royal York) they don't look twice. However when they see 2 women wearing orange boas and carrying candy they take a second look.
2) When a pumpkin mascot talks to random strangers in coffee shops, they talk back. We stood in line waiting for coffee for about 5 minutes, and our mascot struck up a conversation with the man behind her in line. He had a completely serious discussion with her about how using compost material to grow pumpkins they get huge. He told a story about a 250 lb pumpkin. The best response ever was when she said "clearly I was not grown in compost." (maybe you had to be there)
3) There are a shocking number of people who do not say thank you when given candy.
4) There are just as many people who are willing to give you money for candy even when you aren't asking.
5) Women dressed as pumpkins can say things to senior staff that most people could never get away with.

All in all, my day was hysterical. Pictures to come ... tomorrow.

And, once our pumpkin left I checked my messages. I received an urgent message from my OB's receptionist asking if I could possibly come for my appointment today instead of tomorrow due to scheduling issues.
Of course I did.
One of the perks of handing out halloween candy was that I was allowed to eat as much as I wanted. I had weighed myself this morning. I then got weighed at the OB's office (where the scale weighs me about half a pound less than my home scale.) I weighed 2.5 lbs more than I did several hours before.
Holy cow!
Anyway, the appointment went well. I heard the heartbeat. We decided that I was going to have a c-section for sure. I was told I need to eat more red meat. All is good. Well, except that the OB thinks I'm at risk for pre-natal depression so I have to go to a life cycles stages clinic (or something like that - it's a nice way to say psychiatrist) because she feels that my exhasution and anxiety is more depression related than hormone related.
I thought I was pretty upbeat today. But, apparently she's worried. I think it was maybe my obsessive questions about birth and the what ifs and if she could please put on my file no forceps. But, she also said she wants me to meet the staff before I have my baby because I will meet with them for post-partum depression while I'm still in the hospital (probably).
Anyway - this isn't something to be worried about. I think we're being pro-active here. I also think I have a doctor who sees through my "life is great" facade and that's probably good.
But, I'm also not willing to let depression take over.
Too bad I can't run. Because running was the one thing that allowed me to chase any sad feelings away.
But, the good news is that I got my ultrasound requisition.Three weeks till I know the gender. I Can't wait!!!!

Dinner At My House

Anyone curious about dinner tonight?
No? Well you should be.
Mike is eating some sort of spicy Vietnamese Beef stir fry thing and mashed potatoes and rice. All purchased from the takeout counter at the grocery store.
Matthew is eating a candy apple.
At least part of it is healthy. He is very sticky and covered in red candy goo. I doubt he'll eat anything else. It's a huge candy apple. Again, there is some nutritional content.
And me?
Nothing.
I'm trying not to look at the food in front of me. I'm debating making some soup, but I think that may just kill me.
Is there such a thing as "evening sickness". Can I take diclectin at night? I'm asking my ob on Friday.
Thank God tomorrow is crock pot Thursday. If it weren't for my sister I don't think I would eat healthy any night at all.

Transformers

Optimus Prime


We have had a blissful couple of Treehouse free evenings this week because as a family we decided to watch the Transformers movie.
I have to admit, I was a little skeptical when Mike picked it up. I mean, I knew he would love it for himself (since he played with transformers as a kid), but I wasn't sure if it would be too scary for Matthew.
The thing is, Matt is rather obsessed with Transformers these days and sleeps with his Optimus Prime Truck, so I figured we would turn it on and hope for the best. If it got scary we would turn it off.
I was shocked because it was actually a really funny, enjoyable and not too scary movie. I'm not sure I would recommend this to all parents of little kids. In fact this is not a movie I would let my Sound of Music loving nieces watch, but
since Matt knew about Transformers already, to me it was okay.
What I liked about it was that one of the key things about the good guys (the Autobots) is that they do not hurt humans. They say this many, many times. So, Matt knew they were nice to people.
And, throughout the movie you get a sense that things will turn out well. Really, Matt kept saying "I'm not scared. The good guys will save the day."
Not to ruin for anyone, but yes, of course the good guys save the day.
There were some touch and go moments like when Matthew's favourite character, Bumblebee, almost died twice. We kept having to say "Bumblebee is okay" and thank goodness Bumblebee was okay. I'm not sure I could have explained the whole idea of sacrificing himself for the greater cause. Besides, by the end I really liked Bumblebee too.
And, the movie is FUNNY! When the Transformers start talking using the English they learned on the Internet it's pretty funny.
Okay, so maybe this isn't everyone's taste in movies, but I loved it! And so did Matt. And, really, a 2-day reprieve from Max and Ruby, Timothy and Little Bear is sooooo worth it!

Bumblebee the Car ...

Bumblebee The Transformer

Best. Diet. Ever!

As anyone whose read my blog very long knows, I worry a lot about weight.
I've tried lots of diets, done weight watchers, you name it. And yet I still struggle with weight. I'm kind of used to it. It's something that's been an issue my entire life.
When I was pregnant with my son I could not stop eating. I was constantly hungry. And, I ate all the time.
This time round things are a little different. I've noticed something very odd about my eating habits - I'm hungry from 10 am -2 pm.
If I don't eat then it's quite possible I will not eat the rest of the day. I didn't plan this. In fact, it's rather inconvenient because 5 out of 7 days I am at work and I either have to bring my lunch and plan ahead or I spend a lot of money on food.
Regardless, my food intake is bizarre. I usually eat a piece of toast when I get up, and then I start eating again at 10. I usually have some cheese or yogurt. Then sometimes a bagel. And, then I have lunch. I try to make it kind of big (like a cobb salad from Lettuce Eatery - YUM!) because I'll be done for the day. If I have soup at night it's a milestone.

Honestly, I've always thought people who say "I'm just not hungry" were lying. My sister is often quite content with a bowl of peas for lunch. Seriously. And then a healthy dinner. She's very thin. And, she'll tell me that she's not hungry. My mom will say "I forgot to eat lunch" and I've always kind of thought that was a little weird. For me forgetting meals has never been something I would do.
It's like following Weight Watchers when they say to stop eating when your stomach is full. I never followed that advice because honestly, in my mind that is a LOT of food.

And now, suddenly, I get it. It's like something has triggered my brain to realize when my stomach is full. I've been trying to get this trigger for the last 29 years. And suddenly it happened.

Part of me thinks this is a pregnancy thing. Part of me hopes it isn't. My mom said that maybe it's a mindset that I've been working on developing. Or, perhaps I'm so worried about gaining 87 lbs in this pregnancy, like my last, that I'm subconsciously monitoring my food intake.

Whatever. It works for me. I haven't gained much yet. And, I'm hoping this sticks. Now - and after.

Not Exactly a Blind Date ...

But, I have to admit that getting ready on Saturday morning I sort of felt that way when I was getting us all ready to meet some people we'd never met in person. You see, on Saturday we had lunch with Sci-Fi Dad, Multi-Tasking Mommy and their adorable daughter.
Okay, so it all started over a mutual love of Lonestar/Cheesecake Factory, and when Sci-fi dad alerted me to the fact that his Lonestar has Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake - I was in. And, besides, how could I turn the opportunity to meet a couple of bloggers who I kind of felt like I already knew.
Here's the thing. I was nervous. I knew Mike would be shy, and I also knew Matthew may or may not behave. But, I shouldn't have been.
It was a LOT of fun. Okay, well, once we actually found each other (after a "you just walked past the restaurant" phone call) it went really well.
I stopped stressing about Matt after a couple minutes, and had a really good time. It was cool to meet people that you feel you would like - and then actually do. And, it was neat to have a conversation about blogging with people who share a similar philosophy.
Anyway, hope you guys had as much fun as we did. And, our art work staircase is even more adorned with artwork :) (except for the pumpkin which we weren't allowed to hang because we have to show everyone.)

--------

And just a little Matt story because it was HILARIOUS.
Yesterday Rosie was annoying Matt and he decided to push her away by gently kicking her. Even though it was gentle, kicking the cat is a definite no-no and I told him so. And then I said let's think of other ways we can get Rosie to move.
"We can lift her."
Sure.
"We can talk to her."
sure.
"we can dress like ghosts and scare her." And with that he put a red blanket over his head and proceeded to try to scare the cat. She thought it was a game and climbed the ghost. I couldn't stop laughing, and Matt looked at me completely seriously and said "I guess Rosie's pretty brave."

True.

Sisters ...

Yesterday I rode home on the train with a friend of mine. More specifically she was a friend of my sister's and she lives next door to my parents.
We know each other kind of well, in the sense that we've been neighbours and we had a lot of similar friends, and so when we see each other on the train there is usually stuff to chat about. In our case yesterday we were talking about work.
She was mentioning how she got her job and then referred her sister who now works with her. They've worked together in the past, and get along really well. And, it just seemed natural. As she got talking about her sister and the topic of mine came into the conversation it just seemed totally natural that our sisters were so involved in our lives.
Then last night I had my sister's girls over for a few hours. They were eating a bowl of Fruit Loops together - Paige would ask for a specific colour and Kyla would hand it to her. It was such a natural act. It wasn't thought out. They weren't trying to be "good" - they were watching tv and sharing a treat.
Natural.
And, it got me wondering how on earth you foster relationships like this.
I will say I'm incredibly lucky to have a sister like I do. And, I think at some point we made a decision, somewhat unconscious, that we were going to choose to be sisters and friends. (and this decision I would say, was made when we were no longer sharing a bathroom!).
But, I think it is more than that.
I've been observing different sets of siblings. Some get along really really well. Some can't stand each other.
One of my friends would tell you that she avoids her sister as much as possible - even though she loves her she just doesn't like her.
Is it parenting? Maybe. I think my parents, specifically my mom, played a role in it - she learned when to referee and when to step back and let us go at it. But now that we have a second baby coming I'm wondering what I can do - or if I can do anything. And, if it's different for boys that girls.
Now - please say you know what movie the picture above is from.
If you don't - here's another clue ...
And, though I know the family loves it when Becky and I do a little rendition of the song "sisters" at Christmas each year, I'm pretty sure that's not why we like each other.

But, since you're already singing along to the song (you are, aren't you) here are the lyrics ...

Sisters
Sisters
There were never such devoted sisters

Never had to have a chaperone "No, sir"
I'm there to keep my eye on her

Caring
Sharing
Every little thing that we are wearing

When a certain gentleman arrived from Rome
She wore the dress and I stayed home

All kinds of weather
We stick together
The same in the rain or sun
Two diff'rent faces
But in tight places
We think and we act as one

Those who've
Seen us
Know that not a thing could come between us

Many men have tried to split us up but no one can
Lord help the mister
Who comes between me and my sister
And Lord help the sister
Who comes between me and my man

Love & Hate Thursday

I stole this idea from Janet, but I'm sure she won't mind!!

Hate: That my day at work absolutely sucked the big one today

Love: That I didn't cry (even though I wanted to). The 3:30 pm Twix and pep talk helped!

Hate: That the Gap jacket I bought was ridiculously over priced

Love: That I'm returning it because my friend Kerry came up with the PERFECT replacement coat that is fantastic

Hate: That tomorrow is Thursday when it should really be Friday

Love: That at least it's not Monday

Hate: That I'm feeling all tense from everything and my neck and shoulders hurt

Love: That I found a place where I can get massage across the street from work - and I got one today - and it's covered by benefits

Hate: This freaking pregnancy heartburn

Love: That it signals the end of Nausea - and that Tums fixes everything

Hate: That I'm missing America's Next Top Model Tonight

Love: That it's because I'm spending quality time with my nieces instead - and eating popcorn (and I'm taping it)

So .... What are yours? I'm curious!

---------------

And, a little snippet from last night's sleepover with the cousins.
After popcorn and teeth brushing we sent the kids to bed. Despite the fact that Matt has 3 beds in his bedroom, they opted to all share one bed.
My older niece fell asleep very quickly. Like in about 10 minutes. Matt and my 2-year old niece were still chatting and giggling for a long time.

When it got quiet I went upstairs to check on them. There they were, curled up together, reading a book with a flashlight.

"what are you doing?" I asked.
"Reading!" they both replied.
So, I told Matt it is time to put the book away and they needed to go to sleep.
He looked at me completely seriously and said "but Mommy, Paige can't read yet so I need to read so she can sleep." It kind of melted my heart and so I said 5 more minutes. And then I peaked in.
Sure enough, he really was teaching Paige to "read."
He was explaining to her how to count all the pictures on the page and then say what they are ("see, 1,2,3,4 umbrellas") and then Paige would copy him.
It was adorable.

I have a feeling that as they get older Paige and Matt are going to be pretty good friends.

In the end I had to bring Matt to my bed because there was no way Paige was going to sleep when she could chat with Matt. When I split them they both fell asleep in minutes.

Christmas Is Coming

There are many things that Mike and I agree on - where we want to live, our goals in life, our finances, childcare options for our son, etc.
These are all good things to agree on - a strong basis for a lasting marriage.
There's just one issue that stands between us at this time of the year - Christmas.
Mike is a bit of a scrooge. I love the holiday. I'm already to start brewing apple cider; I'm debating where we will put the Christmas tree. And the other day Matthew pulled out his Christmas CD and INSISTS we play it in the car. All.The.Time!
This issue has been like an elephant in the room. Neither Mike nor I will bring it up because it could cause a fight. But the truth is I'm delighted by the Christmas excitement, and Mike hates it. We were doing really well avoiding the issue until this morning.
We are in the car. It's 7:10 am. Mike is cranky. Matthew wants the Christmas music. I turn it on, and, HORROR OF HORRORS, I started to sing along. And clap. And get Matt going. And, really, as much as Mike hates the constant Christmas tunes in the van what puts him over the edge is when I sing along.
I don't think it's my voice. It's more my enthusiasm. And the fact that I have most of the words memorized. And the fact that if I don't know a verse I kind of mumble along and pretend.
In fairness, this love of Christmas comes to me honestly.
Growing up my mom was quite happy to have Christmas in July. We'd turn on White Christmas and play our Bing Crosby records. I don't think we ever had a turkey, but I'm pretty sure we baked Christmas cookies. My mom has always believed in celebrating, and so why not have a little Christmas in July. It's not like we exchanged gifts or actually set up the tree.
So, to me, starting the Christmas tunes in October seems pretty natural. I don't start with the holiday decorations until at least the weekend after Halloween. Though this year I do feel we need to go for a little extra oomph since we are in a house. (okay, last year too, but we had just moved).
Not to mention that I started Christmas shopping this weekend and have already started bugging Mike about what we are getting people, gifts for daycare providers, etc etc.

But, while we are on topic of winter ...
I've been on the hunt for a maternity winter coat.
Here - take a look at the one I bought
I like it - a lot.
Here's the issue. It was expensive. I will maybe wear it for 2 seasons tops, and I can't really justify the amount I spent. More specifically, I can't justify that I got it at Gap Canada for $60 more than they are selling it in Gap USA - even though our dollar is AT PAR.
Why did I buy it? Well, because I panicked. I have no jacket and it's cold outside - or will be - and no maternity stores are carrying winter coats. And they didn't have many. So I bought it.
And now I regret it.
I went and checked out Old Navy. Sure they have nice coats online, but not in the store. And, since we're in Canada I can't order from their site. I won't get started on the frustration.
I'm trying to get Mike to go to Buffalo. My rationale - the $60 we would save on the coat would more than compensate for a delicious dinner at Cheesecake Factory. And, I'm pregnant. And want Cheesecake. I'm just apparently not good at arm twisting. And our dollar in ON PAR.
Ummmm
Anyone up for a road trip? Cheesecake is on me!

Sleepover for kitty cats

Rosie Rose Petal, our beloved kitten, is about 5 months now which meant one thing - time to get her spayed.
It wasn't hard to tell this was necessary. She started marking spots in the house and getting a little crazy - so we made an appointment to bring her in. The problem was explaining this to Matthew. Not only was I not quite ready to explain why cats get spayed, I was also a little hesitant to tell Matt that the cat would be in the hospital overnight.
So, in order to avoid a difficult conversation I told him that Rosie was going to have a sleepover with all of her cat friends. I thought I was pretty smart until he asked to go and see the other cats who would be at the sleepover. Luckily the staff played a long and were very helpful.
We didn't think it through too too well because the question when we went to pick her up was why had they cut her stomach open and then taped it closed.
When he has sleepovers with Kyla they just have popcorn and movies (what, no surgery?)
Just wait till I try to explain to him how this baby got in my tummy ... should be interesting!

Healthy Stuff

Lately I've been thinking a lot about what I'm eating. This isn't a new thing for me. I'm always concerned about what I eat, how it will affect my weight, etc.
My latest food thoughts are more about health than calories, but they are still plaguing me a fair bit. I'm trying to balance not overdoing it with making sure that the food I eat has nutritional value. Though following Weight Watchers was great, there are some things you can do. Like, you can eat food with zero nutritional value that won't make you gain weight (think jello), so now I'm trying to eat less of that stuff and more vegetables and beans and all of that.
And I started reading about eating while pregnant. One of the things that almost all of the websites out there tell you is that you should eat healthy stuff because what your child gets in utero is what they will enjoy outside of the womb.
I was even given similar advice from my doctor.
I think they are out to lunch.
Let's look at Matthew for example.
When I was pregnant with him I ate like crap. I bemoaned my weight gain for a good couple years. Poor me gained 80 lbs. Poor me.
Why did I gain that much weight? Because I ate enough for 6. And, I don't mean I ate enough beans and veggies for 6. Nope. I ate multiple servings of poutine. I ate entire pizzas. I could have entered competitive eating contest because I could eat so much.
And very rarely was it healthy.
Sure I had some juice and the occasional salad with my meal, but it was all about the junk food.
Based on the food I consumed, according to what I'm reading, Matt should be a certified french fry eater.
He's not.
For some reason he's really really healthy. His favourite food is tomatoes. If I ask him what he wants for dinner he has been known to request yogurt and cous cous. He declines cookies preferring apples. He loves brocolli. And, oh yeah, if we take him to the food court for lunch or dinner (we're classy!) he walks right past the hamburger places to go to Cultures for salad.
This is all him.
Sure we encourage him to make healthy choices. But, we often have chips in the house. We allow him candy. We've gone to restaurants and ordered him fries for dinner (until we realized he really likes the salad).
All of this leads me to wonder what on earth will happen with this next child. Though I do eat some junk I'm limiting myself way more. First of all, at this point I am not craving junk food that much. When I go to the food court I more often than not grab a salad. McDonald's isn't even a consideration. Last night we had pizza and after a piece and a half I was full. I'm not really eating chocolate (even the halloween candy) and I've completely cut out pork products cause they make me sick.
I'm with Matt - cous cous and yogurt sounds about right.
So, it will be interesting to see the food preference of baby #2. Will he/she follow Matt on his healthy quest - or prefer french fries and ice cream????

Crock Pot Thursday

Want to know what I came home to tonight?
This.

Or more specifically this.

That's right - an incredibly delicious, hot, healthy and prepared for me crock pot dinner courtesy of my sister.
It's not secret that the past few weeks have been a little bit hard with this pregnancy. Between exhaustion and nausea (which, thankfully, is leading to heartburn which I can totally manage) I've kind of had it.
And, my sister, being the amazing person she is, decided to help out by making dinner once a week. She told me to pick whichever night is the worst for me and that's when I got dinner. And, yes, by Thursday I'm ready to throw in the towel.
By Thursday (lately) Mike has kind of had it with trying to figure out what my finicky stomach may enjoy. Though, admittedly I was responsible for meals this week.
The point is, today I came home from work, changed into my pj's and enjoyed being taken care of by my big sis. It was a nice feeling.
Oh, and dinner was super yummy too!
Anyone care to do dishes??? Just kidding.

Election Fun

Infectious Laughter beat me to the punch on this one because I was just about to write about the election!
I'm not sure if everyone would know this about me, but I love elections. I love politics. I wouldn't want to be a politician, but I find politics fascinating. When 9pm came last night I was glued to the tv to see who would win.
For me the most interesting race was definitely Don Valley West - or the John Tory vs. Kathleen Wynne riding. That is my former riding. It's quite the riding. You have a huge mix of people because you have Flemingdon Park which is low income, high immigrant population and you also have Don Mills which is more affluent. And, any candidate who wants to win in that riding has to appeal to all sorts of people.
I have to admit I like John Tory. I don't agree with his entire platform, but I like him. However, he was running against one of my favourite politicians. The one great thing about living where we lived was Kathleen Wynne. Seriously. She was involved in the riding - all of it. She was big on creating programs as much for low income as higher income.
When you combine the fact that people really love her and that she high profile together with the fact that she's the education minister and John Tory handed her an election issue to run with I was really really curious how he would pull off the win. And he didn't.
I feel bad for him.
But, dude, pick a different riding.
As for our riding? I went Liberal. Why? Because I actually knew what the Liberal candidate stood for. I was pretty surprised that Conservative in our area got elected. But, either was a good choice for us, so I'm happy with it.
But, mostly I have to say I'm glad McGuinty won. What I liked about his campaign was that it wasn't all negative. I hate campaigns where candidates rely on attack ads to win an election. I truly believe that if your platform is good and if you stand for what you believe in that is enough. Of course you have to go into debates and display your opponents shortcomings. But, being positive is what it's about for me.
But, finally, I watched the speeches at the end. Of all of them, Howard Hampton's was my favourite. He was so sincere and appreciative of the people who helped him out. I loved when he pointed out a former teacher of his and thanked his family. When they did a shot of all the people in the room I was impressed. People were moved to tears. It wasn't about the correct political posturing for Hampton. It was about being a genuine person. And I was impressed. Not impressed enough that I'd want him to be the Premier, but still impressed.
And, I think we're coming up to a Federal Election soon ... I can't wait!

Sometimes ...

Sometimes people say things they don't mean.
I do it all the time. I want to say one thing, and it comes out wrong. Or, I want to convey a message and so I try to soften the blow by making it jokey.
Sometimes my messages aren't taken as they are intended.
And sometimes I take things the wrong way.
This happened to me a little more than a week ago. Someone made a comment about babies and weddings. And the topic of breastfeeding came into the mix. I took it the wrong way. I was really hurt by it. And that's okay. What wasn't okay was when I aired my complaints on my blog. Yes, it's my blog, and yes I can say what I want. But, by taking it to my blog instead of just confronting the person who hurt me I was wrong.
Sometimes a friendship weathers stuff.
Like hurt feelings and anger and a fight being brought to a public forum.
And sometimes friends realize that taking a couple minutes to clear the air and understand where the other was coming from solves a lot more problems than ruining a friendship. I'm not going to rehash the argument - that's not fair. I took the post down for a reason. But, I will say this, what I read into an e-mail about breastfeeding was not intended. Period.
Sometimes someone is just worth forgiving and forgetting an argument for - and I think we can both agree about that right now.

Thanksgiving Grace ... with a twist

Last night Matthew and I had dinner at my parents house. My aunt and uncle were also joining for dinner. I should mention that my uncle is a minister.
Anyway, as we normally do when we sat down for dinner we told Matthew it was time to say grace. We have a traditional poem/family grace that we all say - and Matt loves to say it.
So we sit down, bow our heads and as we all start with "Come our Jesus ..." Matthew shouts at the top of his lungs "Happy Birthday to You" and sings it all the way through.
Yes ... my child and his religious tendencies.
It was pretty hilarious.
My aunt and uncle have a really good sense of humour and didn't think anything of it. In fact, I think they were laughing as much or more than I was.
I'm telling you - this child loves being the centre of attention.

----

And, on the whole potty training front, Matt is now obsessed with changing his underwear. At least 2 or 3 times a day he takes his underwear off, brings it to me, and says he needs a clean pair. I explained to him the other day that we change underwear every day regardless of whether it looks dirty (i.e. not just when he has an accident). Now he wants to change it all the time.

Ahhhh ... Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving has been great. Sure there have been a couple temper tantrums, a couple of emergency trips to the grocery store and a cat that has taken a liking to eating my toes ... but other than that it's been great.
Yesterday we had Thanksgiving with Mike's parents. They came in from Peterborough. Normally I make the Thanksgiving turkey, but since it's been a long 2 weeks, Mike decided to take on the task himself. And holy cow did he ever!
He chose the turkey. He did the potatoes. He made brocolli and cheese sauce. He even made his own gravy and cranberries!!!! I was truly amazed. I knew the man could cook, but I have to admit that I sort of doubted he could pull it all off.
In fact, I took Matthew out for the morning and Mike even cleaned the house. I came home to shiny floors and turkey in the oven.
Not only did I get out of cooking and cleaning, I even had a chance to sneak a nap in while Matt watched tv. It was wonderful. It almost made me want to be pregnant every Thanksgiving! (that is a joke - hear me - a joke!)
When my in-laws came over they brought dessert (pumpkin pie of course) and then after the meal the clean up was done while I watched Wheel of Fortune. Yes ... it was a good evening.
Today we decided to take it a little bit easy. We did a little cleaning and had some lunch. And then I realized something.
Today, for the first time in 3 months I haven't felt nauseous once. And, energy! It just suddenly came to me. Instead of wanting to have a nap Matt and I decided to go buy some Halloween decorations and make our home Halloweeny. What's going on??? It's fantastic. I missed my energy and my appetite.
Maybe I needed rest. Maybe my body is saying goodbye to the 1st trimester. Maybe Mike bought a magic turkey. Who knows. Who cares? Life is good.

So - Things are Good!

I went to my first ob appointment today. And thankfully everything is fine, normal even.
I have to admit that since last week I've been doubting everything. Sure I've been feeling like crap and trying to remind myself that morning sickness = pregnant and no more bleeding is a good thing, but when you're not at the baby kicking stage yet there's nothing to really gauge it by.

So, I was looking forward to today's appointment. And all was well.

Mike joined me because I didn't want to go to the first appointment on my own. There are reasons for this. First of all, last time I had a midwife, and there was just a little office we'd driven past. This is part of a hospital and there was an ultrasound to follow (and blood tests as it turned out) and I suck at directions. I would have been wandering for ages.

It was also nice to have him at the appointment.

So, here are some of the good things. One aspect I've been debating and discussed with my family doctor, was the c-section option. So I brought this up and my ob was totally on board. She said given the reasons (a dislocated tailbone for starters) that she is supportive. The only thing she asked is that I wait to make a decision on this until closer to the due date because my mind may change. She made it abundantly clear that I can make the decision anytime or change my mind anytime, but that she just wants me to decide based on this pregnancy. I thought that was awesome. It put my mind at ease - and I love that I have options. LOVE. She's pretty cool.

We also discussed my weight and my concerns. I have only gained 6 lbs, so she wasn't worried but she said that if I feel I'm gaining too much then she'll refer me to a dietitian. I like that idea.

And then we went for an ultrasound. It was a good experience. I have a healthy, growing baby and all the signs are normal. The neck size is fine, the arms and legs and head are there and the heart beat was 153 bpm. So normal. So wonderfully wonderfully normal. I feel like a weight has been lifted. I feel like I can actually trust now that things will be fine. I know I have to believe it, but I needed to hear that heartbeat again. It was a beautiful noise.

I'm NOT food!

Yesterday at daycare another little boy bit Matthew.
Matt was totally fine. And, I wasn't concerned in the least because Matthew has done his share of biting.
In the car on the way home I asked him about it. He told me who bit him and he showed me the teeth marks. When we went through the biting stage (and it recurs whenever he's upset about something) I was given lots of advice. Many people suggested biting him back. I never did. But, to me this was the perfect learning opportunity, and I explained that that is how we feel when he bites.
I think he understood.
Who knows.
But, then I was curious about his response.
Mike asked if he cried.
"Nope."
So, I asked him what he said.
"I told him 'I'M NOT FOOD' and then played with someone else."
Smart! I guess when you've bitten lots of kids you know exactly how to respond.
Of course, one of the things you could do is make an apology card. Right, Kerry? For all of you crafty people, or people who just like crafty things, you have to check out my friend Kerry's blog. Not only is she an incredibly lovely person but she is also amazing at making cards. Inspired much? Matthew cannot stop talking about her son "Wiley" (Riley). It's really cute.
For instance, "Mommy, we should tell Wiley that I'm riding a big boy bike now because he prolly does too." or "Mommy, can my webkinz be friends with Wiley's webkinz??"

-------------

And ...

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! At least all the Canadians.
Today I have my first ob appointment and an ultrasound, which I'm hoping is less stressful than last week! Wish me luck. I'm a little nervous about it.

DeLurk, my friends, DeLurk!

Who knew ... it's delurking day! I found out from Ali and MTM! (In other words, all the cool people knew about it!)
If you're reading, I'd love to know. Leave a comment :) I like to know you are out there. Feedback is great. And appreciated.
And, while I'm on the topic, to everyone who has been so super sensitive and kind and helpful this past week when I've been going through some crappy health ... THANKS! I haven't really been replying because I've been sleeping. But, you make a girl feel loved.
Seriously.
Thanks!

PS I keep meaning to post about how my son got the coolest gift of a webkin, and I'm fully addicted to the webkins site. Who knew "Go Fish" was soooo addictive.