Even with The Boy gone for a week, I've managed to be incredibly busy. No real surprise there, because I've always been a busy person. But between appointments and work and yoga and aggressive clients and even more aggressive deadlines and just normal life stuff - this week has absolutely flown by. Oh, yeah. I also baked cookies, so I could bring in a bunch of homemade chocolate chip cookies (and milk!) for our creative team today. It was just that kind of day :)
Getting into yoga again has been really good for me. I can tell that it's helping loosen things up, and it's doing so much to let me take full, deep breaths again. On top of that, it's forced Lindsay Time - and maybe more importantly, it's Lindsay & Baby Time. I'm starting to feel more and more connected to Baby, and it's really cool.
It was a tough week. But it was a good week.
And suddenly, it's Thursday and I'm contemplating a book and my favourite cozy pyjamas and an early night... First thing on Saturday, I'm off to the lake until Sunday night - and then I'll get to see Geoff. Yay!
So it's official: Geoff and I are going to know the sex of our baby when we go for a private ultrasound next Thursday, August 7.
It was a multi-faceted decision. We both knew almost as soon as we found out we were expecting that we wanted to know the baby's sex ahead of time. We're not really surprise people... Heck, Geoff gave me my last birthday present at least six weeks ahead of time because he just couldn't stand it anymore. And just ask my mom about all the stories where I was playing hide-and-seek as a child and popped out of my hiding place as the 'seeker' approached, just so that I wouldn't be surprised when they came around the corner. When our ultrasound was scheduled for St B, we were both a little disappointed (because they have a policy not to discuss the baby's gender there). So it's curiosity on Geoff's part and an obsessive need to plan on my part.
On top of that, we weren't able to get any pictures from my first ultrasound, and that's been incredibly sad for me. (Surprised that was such a big deal for Lindsay? Me too! I blame all the hormones.)
This means that you have a mere 9 days to guess whether Baby is a Baby Boy or a Baby Girl. The poll is anonymous, but I encourage you to add some comments if you're brave enough to stand my ridicule when you're proven wrong :)
I'm feeling a little sad this evening, and I'm fully aware that it's lame. But Geoff left this afternoon for a week of volunteer camp nursing (I know - how cute is that?!). And I really hate it when he doesn't come home, especially now that Baby's in the picture. It would help if he was able to call or email while he's away, but that's not really possible. It just feels like part of our family is missing. Probably because part of our family *is* missing.
I know that it's not that big of a deal - I'll see him on Sunday night. But for now... I'm just feeling a little bit sad. And I think that's perfectly okay.
PS - My talk at the Running Room tonight went great :)
Hey, sexy blog-reading mamas... Should my belly button be popping out by now? I keep on reading that it *should* have happened by the middle/end of my second trimester... And while I'm fully aware that - when you're pregnant - normal is whatever you are, I'm curious about when it happened for other people. Thanks!
So I'm the featured guest speaker at the Running Room tonight. Each week, they bring in an expert to talk to their 'Learn to Run' clinic class about a different topic - and apparently I'm the 'expert' on active living with a chronic disease. (I know, I know - I laughed when I found out too.)
My plan is to share my story about growing up with arthritis, living with fibromyalgia, and participating in Joints in Motion. From there, I can definitely pull out a few principles that could apply to anyone - diseased or not.
I'm not really feeling *too* nervous about it, except that I have absolutely no idea what kinds of people will be at this clinic. And whenever I get up to speak and share my story with a bunch of strangers, I'm scared that it will come across as 'oh, look at the poor sick girl' and not 'hey, I can do that too' - which is definitely more what I'm going for. That, and my not-so-secret agenda to get some of these folks to consider signing up for Joints in Motion.
Anyway. Please send some positive energy in my general direction around 6 pm this evening. It's proving to be a long Monday, and I think I'll need it :)
So I think I set a record for most friends visited with last night. It certainly wasn't planned that way... Ah, the joys of being a twentysomething.
I had previously planned to meet up with Erin for coffee on Friday evening.
Then sometime in the early afternoon, Kari-Ann called me up at work and (let's face it) demanded some Lindsay time - she was coming into Winnipeg with Scarlett as a kind of last-minute thing, and I haven't seen them in way too long. It turned out that Anja was free for a millisecond as well, so we made plans to meet up at Anja & Kyle's new place after work but before we all headed out for our 'real' evening plans.
Then just as work was winding down for the day, Chuck informed me that (a) a bunch of people from work had decided to go for a drink down the street, and (b) my attendance was not optional.
I think I deserve a medal or something for making all of that work! I headed straight from work to the King's Head to Anja's to Starbucks. It was fun to quickly catch up with so many friends - and all of these 'dates' were looong overdue. I came home feeling tired and refreshed all at the same time. It was a long week! But I daresay, it was a good one.
PS - I could not resist lifting a Scarlett picture to share... She is too cute for words, so I really had no other choice :)
So something pretty strange happened yesterday. I showed up early for my yoga class - and so did a couple of other women in the class. We ended up spending 10 or 15 minutes talking and getting to know each other... And - here's the strange part - I actually really enjoyed spending some time with these pregnant women.
Out of the eight women in the class, six are pregnant with their first child (the other two have a toddler at home already). Everyone' s between 25 and 35, and having a healthy, happy pregnancy experience - otherwise, their doctors would not be allowing them to sign up for a prenatal exercise class. Everyone is due between the end of August and the end of November. Most are relatively newly married. So we are seriously all in the same boat.
It was really fascinating to me. At 'home' in Niverville, I feel so old to be having my first baby. At 'home' in Winnipeg, I feel way too young - and my friends aren't even really considering families yet. But here, I found a peer group - and a place where I feel wonderfully, deliciously NORMAL.
Visualize for just a moment... A room full of pregnant women sitting on colourful mats, talking animatedly about how they felt at their first ultrasound, how hard it is to find a cute diaper bag, and how their husband is acting like it doesn't matter but secretly hoping that the baby will be a boy. Everyone's shape and size is completely different, but everyone has that undeniable pregnant glow. It was really beautiful.
Yesterday morning, Geoff and I woke up a little early and went to Cora's for breakfast. Yum. It was such a good start to a weary Wednesday.
After breakfast, I met the (kinda) new Executive Director of The Arthritis Society - Carol. It's always fun to spend time in that office full of people who like me a lot. I got to visit with Chris - the Joints in Motion coordinator - and lots of others before I sat down with Carol and heard all about what the Manitoba/Nunavut division is planning for this year. It's all pretty cool stuff. And they had *lots* of ideas about where I can help out. Now it's just up to me to figure out what I'll have time for this next year... I said yes to one of those opportunities already: revitalizing the Arthritis Self-Management Program and figuring out how to market it more effectively to get people to sign up (and volunteer to teach). I'm kind of excited about it.
After work, Em dropped in for dinner and then we headed out to go see Darcie at Tiber River for pedicures (my birthday present - thanks Em!). I was kind of freaking out about being away from home/work that long with the sheer volume of deadlines I'm looking at right now, but it was such a good thing. I needed to just sit around for three hours and be pampered.
Of course, I came directly home and worked for another two or three hours... But those are just details, right? :)
And today's been another crazy day... Not that noteworthy, because I'm not expecting work to slow down at all until September (seriously). But I've actually been at my desk for around half of the day today, which is making me feel significantly less crazy. I feel like I've accomplished a lot. I love that feeling. Geoff came and met me for lunch, which was a nice break. And then tonight is yoga again (which will hopefully help to loosen up the muscles that are tight from the aftermath of Tuesday's class... hehe).
So I almost chickened out of my first prenatal yoga class tonight. I must say, I think I'm losing my adventurous spirit just a little. Blame it on my age, my tired and hormonal pregnant state, the fact that my life seems to be an adventure in general right now - I just wasn't feeling awesome about the idea of going and hanging out with a bunch of strangers, doing something that I haven't done in a long, long time and I'm not particularly good at.
Don't get me wrong. I really enjoy yoga. But I'm not naturally good at anything even remotely physical, and so doing that in front of a bunch of people... Uncomfortable. Especially for this Type A personality who believes strongly that if you can't win, you shouldn't bother trying because it's not worth doing.
Anyway. I went. And I am SO glad that I did. It was super-fun, and I left feeling (a) like I'd gotten some exercise, (b) like my muscles and joints were looser than they'd been in a while, (c) like I'd accomplished my very first 'pregnant thing' that really made me feel connected with Baby, and (d) like I'd relaxed and spent some Lindsay Time.
I'm kind of excited to do it all over again on Thursday :)
PS - An official shout out to Danae, for the awesome tip about Joe yoga pants / shorts from Superstore. They were $14 and they are sooo comfortable. They stretch, and the top band easily folds to fit underneath a pregnant belly - without falling down, which is always a bonus.
I woke up on Saturday morning, feeling like someone was kicking me in the stomach. Maybe because that's precisely what was happening. Which may have been adorable, except that it was 06.23 am. Ugh. By around 07.05, I'd given up on getting back to sleep - the assault hadn't let up at all - and so I realized that I was up for the day and I jumped in the shower and headed for Niverville.
I spent the morning making jam with my mom and - surprise, surprise - my dad. It was great, because my mom could work on stirring at the table while the two 'healthy' ones did most of the running around. We just had to keep a verrry close eye on my dad, who was apparently hell-bent on 'improving' the jam-making process we've perfected over years and years and years of successful jam-making. Sigh. BOYS. Anyway. In the space of a few short hours, we had turned four large baskets of strawberries into several dozen containers full of jam, and a few more of sliced strawberries that will be made into smoothie-style goodness during the long, cold Manitoba winter. Jessica arrived just in time to have us fill her containers with finished jam (you'll have to teach me your trick, hehe). After that, it was definitely naptime for me, my mom, and Baby.
Later that night, back at home, I was lying in bed and reading a book when I had another strange mama-to-be moment. I felt Baby beginning another assault, but only a millisecond before I *saw* it. My stomach was bubbling and moving around like something was trying to escape. I couldn't stop giggling at it. I think that Geoff and I just sat and watched my stomach for at least a half-hour. I suppose that Baby must have been napping all day while I was hard at work, and Saturday night was party time.
Sigh. Baby will figure out soon enough that Mama isn't much of a Saturday night partier anymore. Or a morning person :)
I really liked this secret this week... I was just so happy for the person who wrote it and sent it in. I totally related to the feeling of believing that a job was good enough, that I was happy enough, that my life was fulfilling enough - and not really realizing until I'd left that job (and that relationship, but that's not really the point here) that life held so much more potential. In fact, I've eradicated the word 'enough' from my vocabulary. It involves a life full of more risks than I've ever taken before. But you know what? I've never been happier :)
I used to feel so alone in the city. All those gazillions of people and then me, and on the outside. Because how do you meet a new person? I was very stumped by this for many years. And then I realized, you just say, 'Hi.' They may ignore you. Or you may marry them. And that possibility is worth that one word. - Augusten Burroughs, Author
So remember my frustration about trying to figure out how far along I am? Geoff and I went to my Week 24 appointment today... Only to discover that (based on the ultrasound we did in June), Week 24 might not be Week 24... Based on the ultrasound results, the due date *may* be closer to November 10. Then again, it might just be that Baby's a little on the small side. In any case, it makes no difference - as long as the estimated date from the ultrasound is within two weeks of the estimated date from our calculations (ie. my shoddy, no-good birth control pill packs), they'll keep the calculated due date as the *official* due date. So, we're still planning around November 3 - but I think that solidifies my decision about working all the way to October 10 (Thanksgiving) instead of throwing in the towel any earlier.
Other than that, Baby is perfect. Lots of kicking and moving around, and a heart rate that seems to be holding steady at 150. The only hint of a complication is that Baby was in a breech position during the Week 19 ultrasound. Blech. Not *great* news, but if that's our only potential worry - that's awesome. (And my midwife mother-in-law tells me not to worry about it at all until Week 36.)
How I'm Feeling: Hungry. Happy. Achy (just a little). Excited. Optimistic. Definitely pregnant.
New Stuff Last Month: - Ultrasound results (perfect!) - Incessant kicking, sometimes enough to make me jump - My first stretch marks - Able to feel some kicking from the outside - My first stretch marks - Achy calves, hips, and lower back - Starting to look obviously pregnant to friends and strangers alike
What's On Mommy's Mind: Well. You are quite the feisty little monkey, aren't you? You've made me laugh out loud so many times this month with your furious kicking - and what I can only assume must be karate chops. It makes us wonder what kind of a kid you're going to be... And I guess that, in a couple of months, we'll know. I think it's pretty much guaranteed that our life is going to become *much* more interesting :)
It's still so exciting to hear your heart beating, and to feel you moving around in there. We heard your heartbeat at the doctor's office again today, and I still get a lump in my throat every single time. This month, I went to go spend a day with your Grandma when she was sick, and she got to feel you kick for the first time. You made her so happy. I know that the whole family is just as excited to meet you as we are. I don't know how we'll be able to keep them from spoiling you - especially your Grandpa. He acts pretty tough, but I know that you're going to turn him into mush.
Your room still looks the same - full of your Daddy's 'toys' - except for the addition of a comfy white glider chair. Your baby blanket is draped over one of the arms, along with a little Tigger from your mobile. It's just waiting for you.
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.
Pssst! Click on the 'Month By Month' link below to view past updates.
So I'm seriously digging Kate Spade right now. I've always loved her bags and accessories, but the baby bags? Ridiculous. They are absolutely adorable - and making me believe that I could tote one of these around for a year or two, no problem.
A couple of sexy baby bags that I've been coveting...
So what do the moms out there think... What piece of baby bag wisdom do you wish you'd known before you bought yours? What did you end up choosing, and would you make the same decision next time?
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA... Batman!
Geoff and I took in the advance screening of 'The Dark Knight' last night (thanks for getting us the passes, babe!) and it was glorious. All the hype you've been hearing about how great this movie is, how it's more a film than a superhero movie, how Heath Ledger is deserving of an Oscar nomination, how it's a contender for one of the best movies of the year? It's all true.
Christian Bale was good again as Batman, and the rest of the cast was solid. But Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart totally stole the show. When one of them was on the screen, you literally can't look away.
So go and see it. Maybe don't take your kids - it's pretty dark and moderately violent (though they don't show anything on screen and let your imagination fill in the blanks, which is waaay creepier, in my opinion). But you don't want to miss this one, and it's going to be better in theatres.
Happy sigh. I married a good man. I just had to pause in my day and share that Geoff came home from his night shift this morning with a half-caf caramel macchiato in hand for his still-sleeping wife. So, really, how could today be anything less than a good day?
And it gets even better... Somehow, we have managed to schedule *two* consecutive date nights this week. Tonight, we're headed to go check out the advance screening of the new Batman movie. And tomorrow, he made reservations for yummy, carb-laden Italian food before we go and enjoy Ballet in the Park.
Even after 27 years of life on this planet, it never ceases to amaze me how life manages to create its own balance. This is such a hard week for me. But I got to enjoy some great Lindsay Time on Monday night, a few wonderful hours with my friend Kristen yesterday - and now two evenings to reconnect with my husband before I figure out my weekend schedule of family/chemo time. But I have so many people who are doing so much in little ways to take care of me. Kind of makes you realize that everything is going to be okay.
So my mom has her second round of chemo today, starting in about 15 minutes.
I'm feeling so many things about this right now, heightened I'm sure by the fact that I was up way too late last night, unable to sleep because of all the thoughts occupying my brain.
I know that each round of chemo brings us closer to healing, and the end of this whole mess. After this week, she's done 2 out of 6 treatments - and that's awesome. But I hate seeing her sick like she was the last time. I hate knowing that she's spending the day in the hospital, having her veins pumped full of poison. And I hate knowing that this all means that I'm losing my mom again for a little while.
It was *so* nice to have her back and feeling like herself again last week, because that was the first time I'd felt that in months. I'm scared that every treatment will steal her away from us for a little bit longer, while her body gets more and more worn down. I miss her so much during her chemo sick days, even when I'm right beside her.
I'm so hesitant to even say that, because I know that we're lucky. I'm lucky to have my mom here with us, and I'm lucky that they caught this cancer early enough to ensure a great prognosis. I know that there's nothing more that she wants in the world than to be past all this and just enjoying her life and her family again. She loves being our mom, and I know that when she needs to 'go away' during her very sickest days, she misses us too.
These are my honest feelings today, tears and all. Take them or leave them. And maybe I'll be strong again tomorrow :)
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you. Isaiah 26.3
Failure's hard, but success is far more dangerous. If you're successful at the wrong thing, the mix of praise and money and opportunity can lock you in forever. - Po Bronson, Author
I've received this email forward before, but not since I got pregnant... My mother-in-law sent this to me - along with a wish that if we do have a boy, it's a boy like Geoff (who apparently played very nicely and quietly). I've been hearing a lot of girl guesses lately, but I guess we'll see!
-
You find out interesting things when you have sons, like...
1. A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq ft house 4 inches deep.
2. If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.
3. A 3-year old boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.
4. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 ft room.
5. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.
6. The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.
7. When you hear the toilet flush and the two words 'uh oh' - it's already too late.
8. Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.
9. A six-year old boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36-year old man says they can only do it in the movies.
10. Certain Lego pieces will pass through the digestive tract of a 4-year old boy.
11. Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.
12. Super glue is forever.
13. No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool, you still can't walk on water.
14. Pool filters do not like Jell-O.
15. VCR's do not eject PB & J sandwiches.
16. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.
17. Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.
18. You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.
19. Always look in the oven before you turn it on. Plastic toys do not like ovens.
20. The fire department in Austin , TX has a 5-minute response time.
21. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.
22. It will, however, make cats dizzy.
23. Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.
24. 80% of women will pass this on to almost all of their friends, with or without kids.
25. 80% of men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid.
So I wasn't going to update my baby-ness until at least the end of this week or the beginning of next week... But my stomach has grown so much in the last three weeks, it was way too funny not to share. I know that I have lots of expanding left to do, but I'm definitely starting to feel for-real pregnant :)
So I've had July 11 marked on my calendar for a while. When the day came, I treated it like any normal day - even though I knew it was different. It was the day the iPhone came to Canada. And still, on July 14, I haven't made up my mind.
I deliberately kept my old phone and my old expired Rogers contract for almost an extra year, so that I'd be ready to go when the iPhone came. But I hadn't counted on Baby. Cool toys are cool, but can I justify the $200 minimum start-up cost - and a more expensive monthly plan - when we have so much baby stuff to buy?
This all sounds very responsible, but the 'pro' column ('it's SO COOL' is at the top) is putting up a pretty good fight. Rest assured, I'm compiling a pretty compelling argument that includes my need to sync with all things Mac and the likelihood that I'll be doing some freelance while I'm on mat leave.
I'm so conflicted... I know. I need real problems :)
Geoff and I spent our Sunday at the lake with my parents. The end of my mom's first chemo cycle was awesome... I don't know how to say this without sounding strange - but this past week, I felt like I kind of had my mom back. And that time was so special to me. Missing that day at the lake was not even an option for me, because I wanted to soak up some more of that 'normal' time before the next round of chemo happens this week.
*
The Boy scooped up two passes for the advance screening of the new Batman movie this Wednesday. I'm *so* excited...
*
I visited Cafe Kohler and had brunch with my Aunt Verna on Saturday morning, which was ridiculously long overdue (both time with her and the cafe's verrry yummy food). It was also her first-ever visit to our house - which is shameful, I know. Bad Lindsay.
She brought these gorgeous roses as a housewarming gift - yellow with orange-tipped petals. They are the epitome of happy :)
*
In anticipation of my prenatal yoga class that starts next week (yay!), I used some birthday gift money and treated myself to a pretty new yoga mat and bag. Thanks, Mom & Dad!
Cocoon is on the hunt for a versatile multi-tasker to support our agency team. You have a passion for branding and a desire to break into the agency world that will help grow this entry-level position into a Project or Account Management career with Cocoon. You want to learn the ropes, and you're excited to jump into any task. Some of those tasks will include helping our project and account management team on a daily basis and making our clients feel welcome, while staying on top of reception duties, general office tidiness, and keeping our supplies stocked. You love working with people (even us creative types), and you're never afraid to try something new. We'll like you even more if you have some related education or experience, and either proofreading or accounting skills to throw into the mix.
At Cocoon, we hire people who are passionate about what they do and always strive to do it better. To fit in here, you'll have a great sense of humour and what can only be described as an obsession with branding. The words 'good enough' do not exist in your vocabulary, and best in the market doesn't cut it for you - you want to always push yourself toward becoming the best in the world at what you do. We play hard, and we work harder (the thing is, we don't really consider it work).
If this position overview described you with an accuracy that makes you a little bit uncomfortable, send your resume and salary expectations to work@cocoonbranding.com by Monday, July 21. No phone calls, please. We'll judge you for being needy.
This week has been busy, working to find my groove in my new position at Cocoon. It gets trickier, because I'm still hanging onto pieces of my old position while it's being transitioned to other team members. And while I'm learning / creating this new position, I'm simultaneously trying to train someone to take it all on while I'm on mat leave.
I have such mixed feelings about it, because I seriously *love* what I'm working on now... That obviously makes me happy (who wouldn't love to do something they enjoy all day, every day?). I've worked my @$$ off for 8 years in this crazy industry to be where I am today. But I'm a little bit apprehensive because I'll be taking a year off starting this fall - and who knows what I'll be coming back to.
I'm trying *so* hard to just enjoy it while I have it, and que cera cera. I want this baby. And I want to spend the next year of my life being a stay-at-home-mom.
So many thoughts and feelings about this birthday... I'm not really sure where to start.
I had a *great* party on Friday night. There were 18 of us at Miyabi for dinner on Friday - four hours of sushi and cupcakes and people who I love, with lots and lots of conversation and laughter. I had so much fun. It was an interesting assortment of people from all different phases and areas of my life - and that's really one of my favourite things about being a real grown-up. It made me so happy to watch each of my friends getting to know some of my other friends, and discovering they had more in common than just thinking I'm awesome - hehe.
On Saturday morning (my actual birthday), Geoff and I headed out to Falcon Lake to spend the weekend with my parents. We spent a lazy afternoon on the beach in some gorgeous Manitoba summer weather, and maintained that pace through the rest of the day - glorious! I broke out my new maternity bathing suit, which kind of made me feel like a circus tent, but whatever. I must admit, it was incredibly comfortable. The day ended with a trip out on the boat to watch the fireworks from the middle of the lake. Close to the end of the fireworks display, it got a little competition from the thunder and lightning starting up in the distance. The first raindrops fell just as we were getting back to the car. It was absolutely perfect.
This morning, we were treated to a little surprise that pretty much guaranteed that today was a day that would be different. My mom came and woke me up just before 9 am and told me that she'd started to lose her hair. Sure enough, she reached up - and when we pulled her hand away, a chunk of hair in her fingers. When my dad got back from fishing, she asked him to shave her head. Even though the doctors had told her she'd likely keep her hair for a couple of weeks still, she'd insisted on packing the clippers and a headscarf just in case. It was a little emotional... But within 10 minutes or so, the deed was done - and the four of us were all sitting around and enjoying a morning cup of coffee.
I don't really have words for how proud I am of my mom today. In so many ways, we all understand that the hair loss means that the chemo is doing its work to make my mom healthy and cancer-free. But it's still hard. It's really hard. And my mom is the bravest, strongest person I know - no question. She handled the day with so much grace. She cried the least out of all of us. She just put on a little bit of make-up and a baseball cap, and we all headed out to the Show & Shine that was set up in the middle of town (where the girls promptly became bored, and went to the bakery for hot chocolate and cinnamon buns instead).
She has a very nice head, by the way. She's absolutely gorgeous without her hair.
This birthday was so much about people, and about taking the time to really appreciate all the good in my life. I am so very blessed. And 27 is pretty much guaranteed to be an adventure :)
Awww... So my coworkers just presented me with my birthday card from all of them. It's one of the talking cards from The Office - this one with a Michael Scott-ism about reverse psychology:
Reverse psychology is an awesome tool, I don't know if you guys know about it, but basically you can make someone think the opposite of what you believe, and that tricks them into doing something stupid. Works like a charm.
Which lead me to locate this website, full of amazing quotes from The Office. Perfect for wasting time on a beautiful Friday afternoon. Which I can't do, because I'm beyond swamped. But I'm so happy that YOU can all enjoy them :)
I managed to read FOUR books in the last THREE WEEKS. That never happens anymore. - Love The One You're With (Emily Giffin) - Raising Baby Green (Alan Greene) - The Happiest Baby On The Block (Harvey Karp) - Chasing Harry Winston (Lauren Weisberger)
And even better, they were all GOOD. If you aren't already reading Emily Giffin, please do yourself a favour and start. Just pick up the first book - Something Borrowed - and work your way through 'em all :)
*
My co-worker Jason's girlfriend - Ashley - stopped by with Vanilla Bean Frappuccinos from Starbucks for the whole gang this afternoon. Mmm...
*
Tomorrow is Friday, which makes tomorrow my birthday party, which makes Saturday my birthday, which makes Saturday & Sunday our weekend at the lake. I am so in the mood for anything that brings JOY and FRIENDS and LAUGHTER into my world right now - I am so excited.
*
Baby has learned a new trick. This morning when I was getting ready for work, Baby was kicking away furiously - including a little moves I hadn't felt before. They were some pretty serious kicks! I felt like I was getting body-slammed from the inside. This child cracks me up... Geoff called right in the middle of The Attack, and I could hardly stop giggling for long enough to tell him what was going on. I don't know how I'll be a good parent - I think I'll just be busy laughing at everything Baby says or does.
Geoff and I hadn't really discussed it at all since Saturday, then we were sitting at The Forks on Canada Day and he suddenly turned to me and announced that we needed to just do it. And so we did. Geoff went to go buy it and bring it home while I was at work yesterday.
Not a typical 'baby room chair' at all, but we love it. It just felt like the right fit for our home and our family - and it's seriously the most comfortable glider ever. It's perfect.
When I got home from Girls Night with Emily, it was all set up in the man cave - with the green Classic Pooh snuggle blanket I bought on our Seattle trip draped over one arm and a little stuffed knit Tigger sitting on the seat. Awww... It made me *so* happy, all I could do was to just sit there quietly for a while and rock.
(PS - Does anyone else remember a cartoon called 'Eek the Cat'? I remember it being at least mildly amusing, and I don't think it lasted very long.)
We started out in Niverville, where we had brunch and visited with my parents. It was pretty impromptu - ie we planned it after the stores were already closed for the holiday last night - but we managed to put together a spread of bagels, fresh fruit, sausage, eggs, orange juice, and coffee. Yum. It was nice to spend some time with them, and it was even nicer to see firsthand that my mom is doing much better than she had been doing last week. Still not back to her full momliness (yeah, I just made that up), but I could see glimpses. And for now, that was all I needed to be encouraged that this too shall pass.
From there, we went to the Royal Canadian Mint - where they were celebrating Canada Day in a BIG way. There were free tours and activities, stickers, face painting, tattoos, mascots, balloons, and all kinds of things to do. I discovered that my weight in gold is around $3.2 million, which I was pretty happy with (hehe).
And then it was off to George & Lara's, where the gang had been playing ultimate frisbee in the park. We showed up right close to the end of the game (darn...) but just in time for a barbecue and a couple of hours of hanging out in their backyard being generally amused and entertained by their ridiculously adorable 13-month-old, Zyra.
All this should have constituted a full day, but we headed from George & Lara's to The Forks - along with approximately 50% of Winnipeg's total population, judging by the crowds. We visited Sugar Mountain, got some frozen yogurt, walked around and checked out the skate park and a band or two, had some fries at Sal's on the bridge, and then met up with Aaron & Cait for the fireworks. A good time was had by all - I think. Either Baby *loved* the fireworks, or it thought we were under attack... Either way, the first big bang seemed to wake Baby up, and I got thoroughly kicked through much of the rest of the display.
It was nice to spend all day with Geoff - our schedules don't always line up so neatly. Any holiday of mine that's also a holiday for him is totally a Bonus Day, and something we never take for granted.
And it's back to work tomorrow... Though it's now just a three-day week - and a three-day week that ends with my birthday. It doesn't get much better than that, if you ask me :)
Sharing the journey that has taken me from being a single girl in the advertising agency world to a married mommy running my own freelance writing and consulting business (and every random adventure in between).
THINGS I LOVE: Thunderstorms, power ballads, princess camping, exploring new cities, Jon Stewart, greatest hits CDs, clever ads, packing for a trip, George Clooney, impractical footwear, movies about spies, Starbucks, reading an entire book in one sitting, a house full of friends, movies about spies, buying presents, a perfect French manicure, warm modernist architecture, getting flowers for no reason, being faux brunette, Mary Poppins, making lists on Post-It notes, decorating for Christmas, having a brilliant middle-of-the-night 'aha!' idea and then actually remembering it in the morning / THINGS I HATE: People who whine, wearing sweats in public, 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner, birds, American tourists in foreign countries, taking down the Christmas tree, poems that rhyme, the misuse of semicolons, being lied to, unpacking after a trip, being closed-minded, naming your kid something common but then spelling it stupidly, cowboys, overly cautious drivers, fake curse words, ridiculously long surnames, strangers who start awkward conversations with you in places you can't readily escape
