Monday, June 30, 2008

Our New Crib

Staying on a baby-shopping roll here, I stopped by E-Children on my lunch break (amaaazing kids store in the Exchange District) and left a deposit on our crib. It's on sale now, and the sale is only valid on in-stock merchandise - and they only had two left in the espresso finish.

So it's a done deal! It's in stock and sitting there with our name on it :)

I love this crib. After you've looked at a few and easily discerned the difference between a low, mid, and high-end crib - you can't imagine using anything but a very well-built crib for your baby. And this is a very well-built crib. It feels SO safe and sturdy, has some really great features, and manages to do it all with very clean lines and hidden metal hardware.

And the sale price put it in line with the regular price of a mid-range crib, which we were totally happy with. (Geez, babies are expensive! Especially if you actually care about keeping them safe... hehe)

The funniest part of today's adventure was that a few of my co-workers decided to tag along... They were just *slightly* out of place - and absolutely in awe of all the baby STUFF in the store. When I finished leaving the deposit, I found them all sprawled out in the glider section and had to coax them to return to the office.

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Sunday, June 29, 2008

Try

The current state of my heart, in the form of the current song in my head (compliments of the lovely and talented Nelly Furtado).

All I know
Is everything is not as it's sold
But the more I grow the less I know
And I have lived so many lives
Though I'm not old
And the more I see, the less I grow
The fewer the seeds, the more I sow

Then I see you standing there
Wanting more from me
And all I can do is try
Then I see you standing there
Wanting more from me
And all I can do is try

I wish I hadn't seen all of the realness
And all the real people are really not real at all
The more I learn, the more I learn
The more I cry, the more I cry
As I say goodbye to the way of life
I thought I had designed for me

Then I see you standing there
Wanting more from me
And all I can do is try
Then I see you standing there
I'm all I'll ever be
And all I can do is try

All of the moments that already passed
We'll try to go back and make them last
All of the things we want each other to be
We never will be
And that's wonderful, and that's life
And that's you, baby
This is me, baby
And we are free

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Monday Time-Waster

Anyone else out there hooked on 'So You Think You Can Dance'? It's just so much fun. I haven't picked my favourite dancers yet for this season, but here's a peek at a few of my favourite performances so far (a perfect time-waster for those of you who - like me - are stuck working tomorrow... you're welcome):







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Saturday, June 28, 2008

Bonus Day

Last night, Em and Paul came to hang out. We had planned on checking out the Jazz Festival, but it was raining - so we went to go see 'Get Smart' instead. Not really the same as the Jazz Festival... But we all really liked it. Brainless summer movie, PLUS it was about spies. What can you really complain about there? :)

And then I had an unexpected pleasant surprise in the form of some sushi-related food poisoning. It wasn't so pleasant for Geoff, the recipient of the food poisoning (thank goodness I'm off raw fish!). He had to leave work early last night - about 15 minutes into his 12 hour night shift - and felt pretty awful.

But it also meant that he was home (and awake) today, and could join me on my planned baby shopping adventure. And that was great news for both of us, because it really feels like we've been dealing with opposite work schedules for a while now. It was a Bonus Day :)

Here's what we accomplished:

We looked at dressers / change tables, but didn't find anything we were happy with. Too picky, I suppose. But we also know that we have lots of time to find the perfect piece.

We browsed through a bunch of glider options and I found one that I fell absolutely head-over-heels in love with... The catch is that it was more than double what we'd budgeted for that purchase. Oops. Not too sure yet what we're going to do about that. (It's the Syncro, here).

Sears had all their baby stuff on ridiculous sale this week - including 20% off their organic Piccolo Bambino stuff - so I bought a hooded towel, a couple of washcloths, and a blanket. All pretty ivory organic cotton with bears. Awww.



We test drove a hundred thousand different strollers and travel systems, and found one that we like - but I wanted to do some online research and safety checks before we committed to anything. This is the one we're leaning towards right now.


And Costco had diapers and wipes on sale, so we now officially own both. Crazy.

After all of that, we headed back home so that Geoff could have a nap, and I went for a walk down Academy. Decaf coffee beans from Cornelia Bean. Organic whole grain pasta from Stephen & Andrew's. And another visit to 9 Boutique (I love it there sooo much) - where I found two great new maternity tops that should help get me through my millions of client meetings scheduled for the next three weeks. And one of them was only $9.99! We won't talk about how much the other one was. Let's just say that Lindsay's Shopping Math kicked in, and we were happy with the average :)

And now, Lindsay is enjoying a quiet Saturday night in. I took myself out for ice cream (mmm) and I'm alternating between reading a lovely new book and watching a So You Think You Can Dance rerun. Kind of perfect, actually. I'm not sure when I turned into this person, being all-consumed with baby stuff and loving a Long Weekend totally devoid of plans. But I'm pretty okay with it.

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Friday, June 27, 2008

Friday Smile

This Baby is crazy. I cannot describe to you how many times in a day I need to pause and collect myself after feeling like I've been attacked internally. It's mostly just lots of wiggling and moving around, with an occasional Big Kick that will totally catch me off guard.

I've decided that it's because my Baby dances like Elaine on Seinfeld. Just smaller. And in my belly. It's *exactly* what it feels like.

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Thursday, June 26, 2008

Grin and Bare It

So I have three happy things to share about my upcoming birthday:
1. July 5 falls on a Saturday this year. Sweet!
2. Geoff is going to be off that weekend. Woohoo!
3. It's festival weekend at Falcon. Four words for you: FIREWORKS ON THE BEACH!

I am sooo excited. Like, almost-worthy-of-a-Friday-Smile excited.

In anticipation of this auspicious occasion, because I really have no big Long Weekend plans to look forward to, and because I'm a total nerd - I have already started mental-packing while pretending to pay attention in meetings (oh, shut up, you know you do it too). And I'm realizing that I have no idea what to wear on the beach.

I just don't know if I'm a pregnant-bikini kind of girl. Does that make other people uncomfortable? Do I care?

Tomorrow is Friday. And I'm lazy. So why don't you all solve my problem for me? :)

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Random Joy

Got an email the other day to let me know that there's a spot open for me at a new Prenatal Yoga class at Moksha, starting July 22. Woohoo! It's not a full course - they created this new condensed class because there were so many people having babies before they made it off the waiting list - but I'll be going on Tuesday and Thursday nights for three weeks. I'm verrry excited.

*

Actually made it to band practice last night, which might not sound like that big of a deal - but it was the highlight of my week so far. It's just one of those things in my life that makes me happy. It's partially the music and partially the people. I left there feeling like I'd been hugged. And actually, I had been. Many, many times. From people who love me unconditionally and have showered me with happy hugs, sad hugs, and every other kind of hug over the years.

*

Tried a new recipe for dinner last night, and it was amaaaaazing.

Skillet Lemon Chicken with Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus (about 1 lb/500 g)
1 lb (500 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp (1 mL) dried thyme
1 cup (250 mL) sodium-reduced chicken stock
2 tbsp (25 mL) lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch
1 tsp (5 mL) grated lemon rind

Cut asparagus on diagonal into 1-inch (2.5 cm) lengths. Set aside.

Cut chicken into 1-1/2 inch (4 cm) cubes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In large skillet, heat half of the oil over medium-high heat. Brown chicken, about 5 minutes. Add remaining oil to pan. Fry onion, garlic and thyme, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 3 minutes.

Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan. Add asparagus and chicken stock. Cover and simmer until asparagus is tender-crisp, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together lemon juice, cornstarch and lemon rind. Add to pan and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute.

Serves 4.

I served it with organic brown rice, but I think it would have been good with pasta too. You could probably swap the broccoli for the asparagus, but why the heck would you pass up an opportunity to eat asparagus? :)

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Wednesday, June 25, 2008

A Little Bit Lost

I thought I'd feel better if I spent a day taking care of my mom. I really can't tell if spending time here is making it better or worse (for me or for my family).

There weren't any surprises. She's sick. I knew that she'd be sick. I just didn't expect to feel this helpless, or so utterly useless. There's nothing at all that I can do to fix this - or even to make it easier.

I was determined to spend a good part of today in the kitchen, ensuring they have some good food on hand for those in-between moments when she's able to eat a little bit. But she's too queasy to handle the smell of cooking right now. Good job, Lindsay. This first round of chemo is definitely the 'learning round.' Next time, I'll cook at home and then bring it here when it's finished. The things no one tells you... :)

It's all okay. I'm just feeling kind of discouraged. There's no manual for this. I had a good cry in the shower this morning - I think just because I don't have a hot clue what to do in this crazy, foreign situation. (And I'm supposed to be the cheerleader here!)

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Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Apparently, I'm Dying Or Something

Is it just me, or is this article (which appeared in my Inbox today) incredibly depressing?

They may as well have said: if it sounds fun, don't do it!

I thought I'd cheer myself up by linking to the article that was sure to be chock-full of fun things that I *can* do... But that list was FOUR ACTIVITIES LONG. Sigh.

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Tricky

So a funny thing happened to me yesterday... I started getting some mild chemo symptoms.

Some of you know that I was on a chemo drug to treat my arthritis in high school and university. I don't pretend to understand what it's like to go through chemotherapy for cancer - what I had to do was not even comparable - but I do understand what some of the side effects could feel like, in a milder form, because I lived with them every single weekend for four years of my life.

I haven't felt those symptoms in a long, long time. But yesterday, I started to feel a little queasy and my mouth started tasting really gross and metallic - something I can't really describe to you unless you've been on a medication that does that. This morning, I felt the same, plus I had a couple of sores inside my mouth, and I just kind of generally feel achy. Super creepy stuff. I know that it's entirely psychological. It's absolutely amazing to me how powerful our minds can be.

My mom is doing okay. Her REAL symptoms started to kick in last night, and it's more like how we expected chemo to be.

I'm heading out there tonight after work and hanging out with her all day tomorrow... I think I'll feel better about this whole thing once I'm close enough see her for myself and to contribute something tangible: hugs and smoothies and The Office on DVD :)

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Monday, June 23, 2008

Five Months

Argh. I'm getting seriously fed up with all the books and websites that count weeks and months of pregnancy differently. According to *most* of them, I'm living in Month Five right now - and any way you slice it, I'm officially more than halfway done. Now there's a bittersweet revelation.

I feel like I've been doing a lousy job of documenting this pregnancy (at least compared to what I imagine *good* moms probably do), so I am officially introducing my monthly pregnancy update.

How I'm Feeling:
Worried. Happy. Excited. Nervous. Healthy. Hungry. More energetic. Emotional. POOR :)

New Stuff Last Month:
- Our first glimpse of Baby in an ultrasound
- Feeling the first little flutter-kicks
- Screening test results (negative!)
- Outgrowing my last pair of non-maternity jeans
- Watching my upper stomach start to expand... and expand...
- Starting to feel less fat and more pregnant

What's On Mommy's Mind:
It was so amazing to finally see you this month, and to experience some signs that you're really in there and that you're happy and healthy. I wish you could see your Daddy's face whenever he hears your heartbeat at our doctor's appointments... We're both so excited to welcome you into our little family soon. Daddy has started visiting with you almost every night, pressing his ear up against my tummy so he can hear your heartbeat and all the kicking going on in there - and there's lots of it!

We started shopping for you this month. I hope you like Classic Pooh, because we went a little crazy with it. It's been so fun to start collecting baby things - everything is so small and so soft. When I've had a bad day, your Daddy sometimes picks up one of the receiving blankets we have and just presses it into my hand... It makes me smile every single time. We've made most of the decisions about what your nursery will look like, now it's just a matter of cleaning out all of your Daddy's toys from in there and putting it all together. I think that the most fun thing for me to pick out for you so far has been hunting for a rocking chair. I know that you and I will spend many, many hours sitting there together.

You have no idea how much we love you already, and how excited we are that you're coming. We can't wait for our little family to become three people. You are so wanted, so anticipated, and so loved.

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First Round Knock-Out

And Round One goes to... Lindsay's Mom! I just heard from my parents, who are back at home after a day of chemo that went absolutely according to plan. I cried a few happy tears at work while I was on my cell phone with them, but my fellow Cocooners are all getting used to that by now :)

My mom has a headache, but she feels pretty good so far. That's no guarantee of how the next 48 hours will go (or what will happen with subsequent treatments), but - for today, in this moment - it's some very welcome good news. God is so good, and I've been dwelling on that promise all day about how he'll never allow anything to happen to us that's too much for us to handle. I'll be heading out there after work tomorrow to spend Tuesday night and all day Wednesday with my mom, and we're planning to experiment with some super-healthy smoothie recipes.

For those of you keeping score... I think this makes it Lindsay's Mom - 5, Breast Cancer - 0. (I told you not to mess with my mom.)

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First Chemo Today

My family had a great, relaxing weekend together at the lake, but yesterday felt a little bit overshadowed by what we all knew was coming today: my Mom's first chemo treatment. As I fell asleep last night, I couldn't help but wonder if today was going to be one of Those Days that changes everything.

I woke up with this song in my head today, and I know that it's for my Mom.

You can listen to the song here. Just ignore the stupid pictures that some random internet person put with it :)

-

Can't Give Up Now (Mary Mary)

There will be mountains that I will have to climb
And there will be battles that I will have to fight
But victory or defeat, it's up to me to decide
But how can I expect to win if I never try

I just can't give up now
I've come too far from where I started from
Nobody told me the road would be easy
and I don't believe he brought me this far to leave me

Never said there wouldn't be trials
Never said I wouldn't fall
Never said that everything would go the way I want it to go
But when my back is against the wall
And I feel all hope is gone,
I'll just lift my head up to the sky
And say help me to be strong

I just can't give up now
I've come too far from where I started from
Nobody told me the road would be easy
and I don't believe he brought me this far to leave me

No you didn't bring me out here to leave me lonely
Even when I can't see clearly
I know that you are with me (so I can't)

I just can't give up now
I've come too far from where I started from
Nobody told me the road would be easy
and I don't believe he brought me this far to leave me

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Cousins!



Hannah posted this picture yesterday, and it was too adorable not to share. We (obviously) took this picture at her grad earlier this month - and she wanted to be sure to capture a 'first photo' with her brand-new cousin :)

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Monday Secret



I really felt like I understood this one... I agree. And it's also why I don't really wear contacts anymore, and why I won't go back to blonde. I'm convinced that it's worked wonders for my career. It makes me really sad sometimes.

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Friday, June 20, 2008

Three Days and Counting

I honestly can't decide if this time in our lives has been dragging slowly or flying by, but we are now officially three days away from my mom starting chemo.

This weekend, a fair representation of my family is planning to spend lots and lots of time just hanging out at Falcon Lake together. I'm really looking forward to it. I just feel like it's really important for us to share this time together, because *more* changes are coming for our family, and - through it all - we're a team. Thanks for all of you who prayed me back to health this week. It means so much that I'm healthy enough to be able to join my family at the lake this weekend, without fear of getting my mom sick and compromising her treatment plan.

I've been doing so much reading about chemotherapy in general and my mom's treatment plan in particular, so I think I'm about as mentally prepared as I can be. The emotional preparation is another question entirely... And I don't think that we'll know about that until we get there.

A few of you have been wondering/asking, and - yes - they've guaranteed that my mom will lose her hair during treatment. We're expecting that to happen somewhere around the three-week mark. You can join us in praying that she has a nicely-shaped head :)

This morning's new worry was about how much could go wrong in administering the chemo - making sure that my mom gets the correct drugs in the correct dosages. On the way to work today, Geoff very patiently walked me through hospital procedures to assure me that every single drug that goes to every single patient - even something as simple as a Tylenol or a Gravol pill - gets checked a minimum of five times before it actually goes to the patient. Thanks, Babe :)

My mom is doing okay. Lots of recovery left to do from her mangled surgery on Monday, but they're still confident that they'll be able to use the port by Monday. And (if you can believe it) my parents were rear-ended yesterday, so please pray that they won't have a big Autopac headache to deal with, and that they will both escape any whiplash or other injuries that accident might have caused.

And so it begins.

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Thursday, June 19, 2008

Happy and Healthy

So I made my grand return to the office yesterday somewhat apprehensively, but I managed to fight my way through the day (in all fairness, I got off to a late start, but still, I was pretty proud of myself). I had absolutely no energy last night, but I'm back today - and feeling human again. Thanks for your concern. I was begging for death on Monday and Tuesday... I honestly don't remember the last time I felt so miserable.

Just got back from our Week 20 doctor's appointment. The results from the screening test were back, and Baby shows absolutely no risk factors for down's syndrome, spina bifida, or any of those other kind of scary diseases. Not that we wouldn't love this baby to death regardless, but... It was still very happy news. The ultrasound results from last week weren't back yet (boo), but I've been assured that the delay in results is a good thing - he always hears back right away if there was anything questionable.

Other than that, Baby's heart was beating away, and we heard lots of scratching sounds indicating that Baby is still behaving like a little acrobatic monkey in there. I'm glad that I'm still only feeling occasional flutters so far :)

I've been worrying about so many things lately... I'm not feeling very consistent movement. I've been having absolutely zero pregnancy symptoms over the last couple of weeks. I'm not showing anywhere close to as much as my sister (I know better than to play comparison games, but you'd imagine that a full-blood relative a week ahead of you during their first pregnancy would be a decent indicator) - but she looks adorable and pregnant, and I still look chubby. And I've seriously only gained one pound so far (don't hate me, you know I'll be a hippopotamus by the end of this just like all of you). All of these things combined to make me more than just a little bit nervous about how Baby is doing in there.

I'm starting to think that these monthly appointments are more about reassuring me than actually doing 'real' medical stuff.

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Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Not Quite Dead Yet

So I'm going to go out on a limb here and declare that I made some progress today - progress that was earned by sitting on our couch like a lump, watching TV, taking some naps, drinking some tea, and... No, wait. That was all.

This morning, I figured I was just as sick as yesterday. By noon, I revised that number to 10% better. Tonight, I'm thinking I'm maybe halfway back to healthy. Woohoo! Still a little feverish (but not shaky anymore), still dealing with a sore and scratchy throat (but my voice is back), still blowing my nose every fourteen seconds (but I've had a few brief intervals where I could actually breathe a little bit), still coughing (but no longer feeling like those coughing fits will fracture my ribs), still dealing with a sinus headache and congestion (but the pain's backed down from that totally mind-numbing misery).

In short, I think that I'll live to see tomorrow. Whether tomorrow includes making an appearance at the office or not is yet to be determined.

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The One Where I Add More Pictures

I posted a *few* more trip pictures on Facebook tonight...

You can check them out here:
Lindsay & Geoff's BC Trip - June 08

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Monday, June 16, 2008

Feeling A Little Overwhelmed

Our trip to BC proved that when it rains, it pours - at least weather-wise. Since we returned home almost a week ago, we're learning that the same is true for life in general.

I'm not really sure what my problem is. I just have this near-constant feeling of being overwhelmed. I'm making a conscious effort to focus less on my to-do lists and more on just living life, but it's hard. Every time I walk from the car to the house, I see flowerbeds that haven't been touched. Then I open the back door and I see the ten little projects I'd meant to do inside. Then I walk upstairs and see the suitcases I haven't unpacked yet... You get the picture. And that's just at home.

This week's new little drama is health-related. I'm sick. Like honest-to-goodness, don't-want-to-get-out-of-bed, whiny-and-miserable sick. In case you haven't figured this out about me already, I'm lousy at being sick. My doctor was great today and assured me that I'd done the right thing by coming in and seeing him - and doing a few tests to rule out anything treatable - but it's a nasty viral infection, and it just needs to run its course (drug free). And I'm panicking about it. I feel like I *should* be at work. And I know that I'm on an aggressive timeline for recovery, because my mom is scheduled to start chemo a week from today - and unless I'm healthy, I can't be *anywhere* near her.

Today was especially hard. I didn't accomplish ANYTHING, other than a trip to the doctor and keeping myself full of fluids and within arms reach of Kleenex at all times (and lots of that was accomplished with Geoff's help).

And while I was feeling so bad, my day was nothing like my parents' day. They spent today at HSC getting her port installed so that she can start chemo next week. It was supposed to be a very simple day surgery... It ended up being very full of complications, and while the port is in and she's resting at home - there was nothing okay about it. I want so badly to be able to see them, to bring over dinner, to do SOMETHING - but I'm stuck here at a distance nursing this blasted cold/flu/the plague/whatever this is. It made me cry. Kind of a lot.

I'm trying every day to remember that - while so much of what's going on right now can be classified as 'something to get through' - this is LIFE. All of it. And I want so much to experience this, rather than simply survive it. This is the stuff that makes us who we are.

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Words of Wisdom?

Any words of wisdom for a pregnant girl who's home sick today with the cold of the century (and can't take good drugs)? So far, I've found some very minor relief through my own concoction of boiling water + lemon juice + honey. Not really the same as triple-dosing on some really good cold/flu pills and sleeping the day away :)

I'm counting down the minutes until my doctor's office opens at 9 am, but trying not to *expect* him to be useful...

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Thursday, June 12, 2008

Meeting Baby

So yesterday was a gong show... An hour before my ultrasound appointment, I was in a meeting and frantically trying to consume the recommended amount of liquid to fill up my bladder. I've heard horror stories from other moms-to-be, and seriously - ugh! By the time Geoff picked me up and we got to St B, I was bitchy and miserable due to the fact that I was drowning internally.

We went to Information, and they sent us up to the Ultrasound department. All fine and good, except that the Ultrasound department had never heard of me. The got the Fetal Assessment department on the phone, and apparently had some better luck with that receptionist, because they sent me down there. Nothing like a leisurely stroll to the other side of the hospital with a miserably full bladder... I was not a happy camper.

And I was even less happy when the chick in Fetal Assessment took my health card, and realized that I was not in her book either. She asked if I minded waiting while she tried to figure it out, and I said it was no problem - except that I was dealing with an uncomfortably full bladder. She then informed me that they preferred empty bladder ultrasounds. I worked on deciding whether to laugh or cry while I bee-lined it too the bathroom.

When I got back to the desk, I found out that I *was* supposed to be in Ultrasound - but for some reason that we will never understand, they had my maiden name on file and not my married name. And then the receptionist from Fetal Assessment - very apologetically - slid two large cups full of water across the counter to me.

I guzzled the water on my way up to Ultrasound, and after a brief wait, they got me in to a room and started the test. The irony of all ironies is that - after spending ten minutes trying to get a good picture - the ultrasound tech suggested trying it on an empty bladder. My poor, poor body.

The ultrasound itself took nearly an hour and a half, because they sent me for a walk twice in hopes of calming the baby down or moving it into a better position. Turns out we have quite the little monkey on our hands. The tech laughed and told us that she'd rarely seen such an active baby. I literally watched it doing flips in there, and I don't think that any part of that child stayed still for longer than a second or two. I was thanking my lucky stars that I can't feel any of that movement yet... When Geoff came in at the end and the tech was showing him the head and the face, Baby reached up and scratched its ear - and it looked exactly like a wave. Hilarious.

We headed from St B straight out to visit with my parents, and it was so nice to see my mom especially. After dinner and few hours together, it was back to the Big City - and straight to bed after such a big, jetlagged, adventure-filled day.

But the night's adventures weren't quite over yet. Just before I drifted off to sleep, I felt it. It was a little bit fluttery, and a little bit rumbly, but absolutely unmistakable. There's a baby in there!

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

The One Where We Finally Return Home

So despite yesterday's adventures, we made it home - safe and sound - compliments of a somewhat sleepy Aaron & Caitlin (thanks again, you two!).

Our flight was nearly 2 hours late departing Abbotsford due to weather in Toronto (the plane we were supposed to be boarding was late getting to the airport because it flew a Toronto - Winnipeg - Calgary - Abbotsford path). That obviously meant that we missed our connecting flight in Calgary, which we knew before we left Abbotsford, and they booked us onto a later flight and gave us a meal voucher to use in Calgary.

For the record, the last airport in the world that you want to get stuck at is Abbotsford - they're the *other* airport that is completely devoid of Starbucks. Or anything even remotely entertaining. Geoff had his stupid headphones in and was listening to music, and I was cranky because my iPod battery died. I kept on trying to say things to him, and he'd just gesture to his headphones and mouth that he couldn't hear me. Um, no $*^@. My intention is that you would take them out, and then proceed to communicate with me. I love him to pieces, but my darling husband nearly died in the Abbotsford airport after we replayed that little scene about 10 times in 45 minutes. I guess Baby really does need her coffee... Poor Geoff :)

Our new flight was scheduled to arrive in Winnipeg at 11.35... But when we arrived in Calgary, we saw that it had also been delayed by half an hour, and then we lost nearly half an hour in the air due to wind. We finally arrived in Winnipeg just before 12.30. By the time we collected our luggage and arrived at home, it was well after 01.00. Ugh.

We're home, but we're TIRED. Thank goodness my 8 am meeting was cancelled for today!

I'm only at work until 14.00, and then Geoff's coming to pick me up for our very first ultrasound at St B. I'm so excited to 'meet' our baby!

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Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The One Where I Shamelessly Beg For Votes

So here are the lastest, up to the minute results from ManitobaChristianOnline.com's 'Quest for the Best' contest this morning:

Choose your favorite song.
% Options:
25 Love's the Revolution
23 You Are Worthy
17 Hosanna
10 Give Him Praise
7 Mighty To Save
6 Fill Me Up
6 Rain Down
4 Lord Most High
3 The Happy Song

What's the problem with this? My worship team - singing 'You Are Worthy' is sitting in a *very* close second place.

What are you still doing reading my blog? Go vote :)

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Monday, June 09, 2008

The One With The Great Flood

At least, I *imagine* that this is how Noah's whole situation may have gotten started. Holy cow, can it ever rain a lot here!

After another fun double-date with Jason & Amy last night (we saw Iron Man again, and it was awesome again), we spent a quiet day at home with Geoff's parents on Monday. We got some packing done, ran a few errands, Geoff and I made dinner for them, and then we spent a few hours with his sister Carole & Ray and a few of their kids. It was a great day until I decided I'd like to end it by crashing in front of the TV for half an hour and Geoff found a show about cars that he insisted he had to watch... Sigh. Not *quite* what I'd had in mind. But it put me to sleep pretty effectively :)

Tomorrow promises to be quiet... Geoff's mom is taking us to a local shop for tea and scones in the morning, and we need to be at the airport by 14.30. We'll be back home in Winnipeg by bedtime (and I'm back at work at 08.00 on Wednesday).

I'm feeling pretty stuffed up and on the verge of sick - and praying that I'll stay healthy at least until the plane lands. I hadn't fully considered the implications of a sinus cold + flying + a pregnancy that means I can't take any type of drug that would actually help this situation. Ugh. And so I pray.

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Monday Secret



I totally do this too. Oh, and my brother? When he's in a particularly obnoxious mood, he'll hang onto the remote and then mute the television when he sense a punchline coming. If you think you've experienced annoying behaviour - you have no idea :)

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Sunday, June 08, 2008

The One Where Lindsay Finally Uploads Some Pictures!


Geoff attempts to keep David entertained while we wait for Hannah's graduation ceremony to begin...


...by drawing pictures of Transformers - a shared love.


The finished product (with David's own special touches), very proudly displayed.


Pretty self explanatory, I think.


Hannah's dad, Al, walks her in for the ceremony.


Mandatory 'official' pic with the principal and superintendent.


David cheers on his big sister.


Geoff and I with Hannah.


The kids: Libby, Hannah, Ruth, and David.


The whole family: Geoff's sister Joanne, Ruth, Hannah, Libby, Al, and David.


The next day, picking up Hannah after her hair and makeup were complete.


She insisted on stopping in at Wendy's on the way to her pictures, and we needed to document the adventure.


(Note the very classy grad hoodie over top of the gorgeous gown!)


Hannah with her 'date' for the evening.


The Twin Sandwich, a mandatory pose. Apparently, I was the mayo? That's what I was told, anyway.


Geoff and I with Ruth and Libby.


Cute couple, maybe just a tiny bit old for a high school graduation? hehe

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The One Where We Choose The Long Way Around

This morning, we joined Al & Joanne and their family at their church picnic in the park. It was fun to sit outside in the sunshine and sing a bunch of old familiar songs. We left just as the three-legged races were getting started, and their kids were right in there helping out - it was so great to see.

There were lots of sad hugs - these visits always seem so short - but I'm sure we'll be back as soon as we're brave enough to fly with a baby. Hannah is considering YWAM in New Zealand in January, and she was so sad when she realized she might be gone already when we come back with the baby. Kind of strange to join a family at this point, when my nieces and nephews are so close to grown up and starting to leave.

We drove home the pretty way - through Cache Creek and Hope - which added an extra hour and a half but was totally worth it for the views (made much more enjoyable because I wasn't the one driving!). And now we're 'home' again in Abbotsford, but off to Langley soon to catch a movie with Jason & Amy. I know, I know. We're so busy and fabulous. It's hard to stay put when we have so many people to see and our time with them is so limited, it's tempting to just keep going at a ridiculous pace. Tomorrow should be pretty quiet, then we fly back on Tuesday afternoon / evening.

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The One Where We Survive High School Graduation

There is a very good reason why high school only lasts until you are 17 or 18. It's so that you still have the stamina to survive the celebration when you graduate. Gaah. I'm not that old, but I'm certainly too old for this.

We spent the better part of Friday playing chaffeur to Miss Hannah. I'm not complaining - it was very cool to get to be a part of her big day. After a slow start to our morning, we took her to pick up her corsage and then to her hair appointment. While she was getting all prettied up, we met Joanne and Marilyn for lunch - they'd been decorating at the hall all morning - and then went back to pick up Hannah and bring her to her pictures at the park. Then it was a quick trip back to Al & Joanne's to get changed and cleaned up, and then back downtown for the dinner at 5 pm.

The dinner was really nice. It was a pretty big crowd for only 29 graduates, but it made all the speeches and everything so personal - and they had the whole hall done up to match their Hollywood Red Carpet theme. It was a fun day, but it was a LONG day. By the time we got back to Al & Joanne's, I was pretty much cooked.

There was no mistaking Hannah's grand return to the house around 9 am on Saturday after a night of parties and paintball. It's absolutely part of her charm, but that girl is LOUD... She was determined to stay awake, so a group of us loaded up and headed into downtown Kamloops to check out their Farmers Market and a bunch of the shops on the main shopping street. By the time we were done lunch, Hannah was done, and it became a rush to get her back home and into bed.

The afternoon was pretty quiet. I spent some time with Joanne and Ruth, then went on a walk to the grocery store with Marilyn and Geoff. There was a little bit of drama in the afternoon when David begged Geoff to buy him more Transformers toys and Geoff - much to my surprise and delight - said no. Unfortunately, it wasn't a straight no. It was an 'Auntie Lindsay will get mad if I do' kind of no. We'll work on that. My displeasure at being used in such a manner was not very subtle :)

The whole family enjoyed a barbecue together before Joanne left for work (she is also a nurse). Then after a walk with Al, David, Geoff, Marilyn, and the dog, we all crowded into the rec room to watch a movie that Libby had picked out.

There is also a reason why pregnant young couples don't give birth to kids who are 17, 15, 15, and 8. They come into the world so that we can be eased into the whole parenthood thing. Al was laughing these evil 'just you wait' laughs at us the entire visit, as if he knows something that we haven't quite figured out yet... I suppose that's what family is for.

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The One Where I Get Some More News From Home

I got an email from my mom yesterday that sounded so much better, and you could hear all kinds of hope in her voice again. It sounds like the medical system really heard her voice her desire to get started on chemo as soon as possible - and so they are doing everything they can to rush through the requisite tests and preparation in the next two weeks or so. I'm so glad. The waiting is so hard.

I also had another email in my inbox, this one from my mom's sister. Their children are adopted and they'd been working to track down the birth mom of the older two boys. They just learned that she was killed in a car accident in January. Please keep their family in your prayers - they are so special to me, and I know that they are grieving this loss in their family. The world is so hard to understand sometimes.

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Thursday, June 05, 2008

The One Where I Get Some News From Home

Geoff, Marilyn, and I made it to Kamloops in good time this morning (after a pitstop at Starbucks... baby *loves* half-caf coffee). We met Hannah for lunch, then headed over to Al & Joanne's in the afternoon. We paused for tea before a whirlwind dinner, then it was off to the church for Hannah's graduation. Pictures to follow :)

I knew that my mom had her oncology appointment this morning while we were on the road, so I found a phone once we arrived and called home for an update. Whew. I definitely underestimated the effect that would have on me. I'm so happy to be out here with my *other* family, but I knew that today would be the one day it would be tough to not be at home. I just really needed to hug my mom.

It wasn't bad news, it was just disappointing news. The oncologist wants to do a bunch of additional tests before they start chemo treatments, and there will be a bit of a wait before they can do day surgery to install her port (a kind of central line to feed the drugs through at her appointments). On top of that, they've decided to go with three-week cycles of chemo instead of two-week cycles.

All of this adds up to mean that there is absolutely no chance of my mom being finished treatment before the babies come. And while I was technically prepared to hear that... I can't help but wonder how many times a person's heart can break before it scars. I'm not really sure who cried more on the phone. We made plans to see my parents the first day that we're back, but it's not really good enough for me tonight. Fortunately, I had family here to hug me when I couldn't be quite as strong as I was trying to be. God is good.

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The One Where We Gorge Ourselves On Laughter (and food)

I went on hair strike yesterday. I didn't care. This is getting ridiculous. WHY OH WHY did I let Kevyn cut in bangs again right before I headed to this dastardly climate?!

After a quiet day hanging out at Alan & Marilyn's, Geoff and I headed into Vancouver in the evening to meet up with Jason & Amy for dinner. It was such a good time. I can't really explain it, but there are just a few people in the world who a person can meet and instantly connect with. I feel like I've been friends with them forever, and we've spent only a few hours in each other's company - spread out over years.

The food was great, the dessert was on the house (compliments of Miss Amy's connections), and I commented on the way home that the muscles in my face all ached from laughing so much. These friends are running a somewhat-less-than-subtle campaign to get us to move out here - and I'll admit that time with them almost makes it a little tempting... Almost.

Winnipeg is home. But we'll always be back to visit out here. I just need to get my hands on the secret hair products I *know* all the beautiful people in Vancouver must use.

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The One Where We Roadtrip It Out To Kamloops

That's it, really. We leave for Kamloops in an hour or so, to take part in Hannah's high school graduation extravaganza.

I'll find a computer and catch you up on the last couple of days from there. Patience is a virtue, my friends.

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Wednesday, June 04, 2008

A Brief Moment in Time

You know that feeling when you put on an article of clothing and you just feel GOOD in it? I honestly forgot what that felt like. I had my very first one of those since I got pregnant, and it happened in a Gap store in downtown Seattle yesterday.

The dress itself is really nothing special. But I put it on and I felt like a GIRL. I'm not too proud (or too scared of sounding superficial) to admit that I teared up in that fitting room. Then I went scurrying out of the fitting room and into the store to find Geoff and confirm my suspicion that I did, in fact, look like a pregnant version of ME - rather than Lindsay in the frumpy disguise of maternity clothes (you can see her if you squint). I felt pretty. It was a good moment, and one that I'll be clinging to for a while.

Of course, the dress (that I hadn't exactly budgeted for) came home with me. But the jeans I'd found were on sale for less than half price - hooray for Shopping Math!

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The One Where We Single-Handedly Saved the Crashing US Economy

Yesterday was another early start, so that Rob & Vicky could leave for work - at least somewhat on time :)

Geoff and I packed up, I resisted the urge to grab a Starbucks from the location IN THEIR CONDO BUILDING (can you imagine?!), and we hit the open road, bound for Seattle. Okay, okay. If we're being honest, I made it about 20 km before we stopped at another Starbucks. But whatever.

We made some time for touristy stuff in Seattle. We wandered around Pike Place Market in the afternoon, where we visited the first-ever Starbucks location (I heard angels singing, I swear) and I got to see guys throwing fish (which thrilled me WAY too much). I also hugged the golden pig and checked out the wall of gum wads - though I was careful not to get too close. Geoff was a wonderful gentleman and even kept most of the pigeons away from me, though he took a wing to the shoulder for his efforts.

I took a few Seattle pictures of our marketplace adventures, but they're currently stuck on my phone... Stay tuned.

As we'd expected, it was a BIG shopping day, and we came home with a bunch of maternity clothes (hooray for countries that still sell Gap Maternity!), a baby sling that I love, some tiny newborn baby sleepers, and - are you ready for this - a trunk full of Classic Pooh nursery stuff.

I had it in my head that I wanted a very cool, modern, non-babyish baby room. And Geoff had his heart absolutely set on calm colours and Classic Pooh. How can you argue that?! We found some great deals on the crib set, and a matching snuggle blanket, simple flannel blankets, extra crib sheet, and the most adorable mobile ever.

We knew we'd owe a bunch at the border. When we got there, the Customs guy punched it all in, and apparently the computer wasn't calculating anything for Manitoba PST. He shrugged and congratulated us on the baby - and only charged us the 6% GST. Yay!

So while it may have been a good day for the American economy, I don't think we brought Manitoba any closer to a rapid transit system. Sorry, Gary Doer.

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The One About Visiting Friends & Family

I think that the last time I posted, we were just about to leave to go see Ray & Carole and kids. We did, and much to our surprise and delight - ALL of the kids were home. It was so nice to visit with them, and they very patiently sat through the stack of wedding and Greece pictures that we'd lugged along.

The next morning (Monday), Geoff and I were up early to pack and take off for Vancouver. We spent the day looking at Ikea baby furniture and hunting down the one and only H&M location in BC that sells H&M Mama, their maternity line. We found it without a problem, but I was a little disappointed. I found *some* stuff, but it was less H&M and more Mama - if you've shopped for maternity clothing before, I'm sure you know what I mean. I get that I'm BIG, but is it so very difficult for things to be cute? I end up trying on literally everything they have in these tiny little maternity departments in hopes that SOMETHING will look like ME - just with a little more tummy room.

In the late afternoon, we meandered over to Rob & Vicky's new condo - where we feasted on an amazing dinner and visited until I started to fall asleep on the couch :)

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Sunday, June 01, 2008

The One That's Mostly About Our Flight

It feels like a return to the scene of the crime in some ways. Because of the events of last spring, a trip to see Geoff's family will always be a trip back to where he proposed - and that's kind of cool.

Our flights yesterday were pretty uneventful. Oh, except that we were greeted onto the flight by an ex-boyfriend of mine who works for WestJet (oops). Minor detail. We were seated in the window and centre seats, with a grumpy middle-aged woman in the aisle seat who looked like she wanted to take my head off when I asked to get out and use the washroom. Seriously. If only she knew what kind of willpower it had taken for me to hold it in and only use the washroom ONCE between Winnipeg and Calgary. Calgary was only a crew change, not a flight change, and we had time to walk around outside in the terminal before reboarding... Much to my *delight*, the same woman was continuing on to Abbotsford with us. And 45 minutes into that flight, I needed to use the washroom again. Sheesh. Her life must be so sad, walking around with a permascowl and being that rude to pregnant strangers.

Geoff's sinus / flu thing he'd been dealing with all week in Winnipeg didn't particularly help him to enjoy our trip - and after an emotional greeting from Marilyn (Geoff's mom) in the airport, our first stop was a walk-in clinic. He's feeling probably 80% better today, and we're hoping that he'll be himself again by tomorrow...

And that's that! We didn't do much last night, and today's been pretty quiet so far. We went to church with Marilyn this morning (held in an alternate location, because they attend the Abbotsford church where the floor collapsed during a Starfield concert last month). Then it was home for lunch, and a nap for everyone. We're heading out to see Geoff's sister Carole and her family in a little while. Everyone here is so happy that we came, it makes it worth any inconvenience of being away from home. Marilyn is going out of her way to use my diet as an excuse to experiment with organic ingredients, and seems to be having a lot of fun with it - which is so amazing to me, because I was a little worried that I'd be a ridiculous inconvenience here.

And then we're on the road for a couple of days starting tomorrow... We're planning to spend the day in Vancouver, then meeting up with our friends Rob & Vicky for dinner - and a sleepover at their new condo. Rob & Vicky got married on May Long Weekend last year, one of the weddings we were out here to attend (Geoff was the best man). They were in Winnipeg for our wedding last September (Rob was Geoff's best man), but we haven't seen them since then. They're expecting their first baby a week before we are, so I have NO CLUE what we're going to talk about... :)

On Tuesday morning, we'll head out from their place and take a daytrip to Seattle - my first time there, so I'm kind of excited.

And now you're all caught up!

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