First grade!

Yes, my little 2006 Aries baby started grade one on Thursday!
She got on the bus. Same driver as last year. Too bad she didn't get off that same bus at 2:30. I almost went into heart failure! The school put her on a different bus because her file has the wrong address!! WHAT? ?? 
We live on ******* STREET and there's a road with the same name but in AVENUE form in town. I've lost count how many people get our address confused. 
Thankfully while I was on the phone with the school (thank you cell phone), another bus arrived and she was on that one!!! 


Yesterday she was on the right bus and we watched for the other one (from the day before) and it didn't stop where it did the day before. Rianne told the driver where her stop was (smart girl) so he stopped specifically for her. 


According to her she loves grade one though. We'll see how that carries out through the year when she realizes that more is going to be asked of her in the reading and writing department.

First day of grade one.

Reward Chart Chaos

This is going to be a long one. Better go get your tea or coffee and come back, relax and read.

Since September, Rianne's behaviour/attitude has been on a decline. I don't know for sure if it's because she's in school and not under my thumb or if it it's because she's acting out since Autumn arrived on the scene. None the less something has to be done about it because she's only 6 and if something isn't done NOW then she's going to be one of those out of control teenagers that I shake my head at at the mall or walking over street.
This morning was the last straw. Yup, the camel's back was broken between 7:50 and 8:00 this morning at the bus stop. She would not listen to me when I kept telling her to get out of the mud and puddles with her sneakers. She was insistent on following her friend around and said friend has no regard for clean footwear or clothing and said 6 year old friend arrived at the bus stop wearing blue eye shadow and red lipstick!! I digress ... I have to make Rianne realize that I am the boss and I expect her to listen and obey me. Especially out in public like that. She was walking all over me this morning. I came home and decided to come up with something to help me help her change her attitude.
What was my plan?
Well I spent the morning in her room cleaning it out. I bagged up almost all of her toys and took them to the basement. I still have to go through them all and sort them into "lots" and then she will be able to earn a "lot" back as a reward at the end of the week. Whatever isn't earned back by a certain date this Summer will be sold at a yard sale.

Too harsh? 

I don't know. I have to take drastic measures like this to get the point across that I am serious and her behaviour isn't going to be tolerated anymore. If this is what it takes than I'd say it's been successful. Only time will tell. After she got home, noticed her toys were gone and I explained the chart she went to the basement and saw all her toys bagged up and she cried her little heart out but you know what?? She came upstairs and her attitude was different. She said she was sorry for not listening at the bus stop this morning (huge improvement) and then she has been well mannered and calm ever since. We talked more about the chart and shw asked if she could put the stickers on it. I said "yes" .. when she earns them she can be the one to put them on the chart.
I am not expecting miracles and I know that some weeks she won't have enough stickers on the chart to get a reward but that's the point of this experiment. To get her to realize that her actions have consequences. Eventually she will realize that  when she's good she will get to go 'shopping' in the basement for one of her long lose beloved toys.

The chart work officially starts on Monday so she has tomorrow and the weekend to practice and we'll see how it progresses from there.

Aleva Baby!

Yes, this is yet another eczema post. Why? Because it's a huge part of my life having a baby dealing with it.
I found an amazing moisturizer that deserves some recognition. It's called Aleva Naturals:

It is seriously the only thing that has worked and I have bought A LOT of creams and oils over the last few months. Apparently there's an entire line of Aleva Naturals products but I only noticed the cream and since it actually works I will be stocking up on more of it this weekend. Between the lotion and the increased humidity I think I am getting on top of the rash finally. She still scratches at it when she's tired though and that's understandable since her eczema is immune related and your immune system weakens when you're tired hence the itching.

Just wanted to add the widget for Swagbucks!

My 1st born is 6!

SIX!!!
When did THAT happen? Seems like just yesterday she was a newborn.
She didn't want a party with her classmates. She wanted to go to Cape Breton and have a party at Nanny's house. It was a small party but she was still spoiled! 

My Little Butterball

Yes, this is regarding Autumn. 
She had her 6 month check-up this morning and when the doctor walked into the room and say autumn laying on the exam table wearing nothing but a diaper she gasped and said " wow aren't you nice and healthy" ... then she picked her up to put her on the scale and she weighed in at a whopping 23 lbs !!! She is 27 inches long and very healthy. 
Her eczema isn't a concern. Apparently it can flare up with teething so she has a long road ahead of her since she on has her bottom two teeth at the moment

 They're in better now than they were in this picture. It's about a month old. I love babies when they have just their 2 bottom teeth. Adorable!! 

It's hard to believe she's 6 months old now. Well 6 1/2 months now. Time is flying by faster than I care to admit. She a good baby though. She's mellow and has a good nature. Only cries if she's over tired or has a gas bubble.  She's a little treasure and a complete blessing.

I take her picture on the 30th of every month. Here she is @ 6 months of age:

 

Eczema

Autumn has been diagnosed with eczema. It's only on her face so that's enough to be thankful for. She would be even more miserable if it was covering more of her little body. 
I didn't want to have to fill the Rx for the steroid cream but the OTC and off the shelf creams weren't working so it was my last resort. Tomorrow is the last day of the 10 day application cycle and it's not completely gone and she gets flares off and on through the day so I don't know what's going to happen in the future. It's keeping it well hydrated that's half the battle. 

She's still her pleasant little self though. Bless her heart. Full of laughs and smiles all the time. She is a blessing in my life.

The Thrifty Thrifter

I am passionate about thrift store shopping. It must be my "old age" but I would much rather go there than the mall. Especially for children's clothes since they outgrow them in the blink of an eye. 
We went thrifting last weekend and again this afternoon. It was my escape time from the kids as Jon kept them with him in the  truck while I went through the bins. It was my own personal utopia. As sad as it sounds ... it doesn't take much to make me happy. Give me $20 and drop me off at a thrift store for an hour or so and I'm good to go!

I prefer Frenchy's as far as thrift stores go. I've been shopping at various locations between Cheticamp and Truro for many years. Since moving to Pictou County and living close to New Glasgow I go to Louie's Good Used Clothing on Sundays. Why Sunday? Because there's nothing else to do on that day since a lot of stores are closed. I don't have much luck there finding baby girl stuff there though. It's 90% baby boy items in their one and only baby bin. I'll have to try Frenchy's next time since Autumn is rapidly outgrowing her wardrobe.
I bought Rianne some shirts today. I can always find her something there. Mostly tops since she is so fussy when it comes to pants. She will only wear leggings!
I bought Rianne three tops and bought Autumn 2 pair of sleepers and a bunting bag (since she has already outgrown the one I bought at Frenchy's for her before she was born) and only spent $11. I would have paid more than that for ONE item!!

50 Rules for Dads of Daughters (by: Michael Mitchell)

I happened upon this on a blog and thought it was brilliant and I wanted to add it to mine. I give full credit to the original author Michael Mitchell and you can follow his blog "Life to Her Years" for more great tips.
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1. Love her mom. Treat her mother with respect, honor, and a big heaping spoonful of public displays of affection. When she grows up, the odds are good she’ll fall in love with and marry someone who treats her much like you treated her mother. Good or bad, that’s just the way it is. I’d prefer good.
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2. Always be there. Quality time doesn’t happen without quantity time. Hang out together for no other reason than just to be in each other’s presence. Be genuinely interested in the things that interest her. She needs her dad to be involved in her life at every stage. Don’t just sit idly by while she add years to her… add life to her years.
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3. Save the day. She’ll grow up looking for a hero. It might as well be you. She’ll need you to come through for her over and over again throughout her life. Rise to the occasion. Red cape and blue tights optional.
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4. Savor every moment you have together. Today she’s crawling around the house in diapers, tomorrow you’re handing her the keys to the car, and before you know it, you’re walking her down the aisle. Some day soon, hanging out with her old man won’t be the bees knees anymore. Life happens pretty fast. You better cherish it while you can.
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5. Pray for her. Regularly. Passionately. Continually.
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6. Buy her a glove and teach her to throw a baseball. Make her proud to throw like a girl… a girl with a wicked slider.
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7. She will fight with her mother. Choose sides wisely.
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8. Go ahead. Buy her those pearls.
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9. Of course you look silly playing peek-a-boo. You should play anyway.
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10. Enjoy the wonder of bath time.
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11. There will come a day when she asks for a puppy. Don’t over think it. At least one time in her life, just say, “Yes.”
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 12. It’s never too early to start teaching her about money. She will still probably suck you dry as a teenager… and on her wedding day.
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13. Make pancakes in the shape of her age for breakfast on her birthday. In a pinch, donuts with pink sprinkles and a candle will suffice.
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14. Buy her a pair of Chucks as soon as she starts walking. She won’t always want to wear matching shoes with her old man.
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15.  Dance with her. Start when she’s a little girl or even when she’s a baby. Don’t wait ‘til her wedding day.
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16.  Take her fishing. She will probably squirm more than the worm on your hook. That’s OK.
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17. Learn to say no. She may pitch a fit today, but someday you’ll both be glad you stuck to your guns.
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18. Tell her she’s beautiful. Say it over and over again. Someday an animated movie or “beauty” magazine will try to convince her otherwise.
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19. Teach her to change a flat. A tire without air need not be a major panic inducing event in her life. She’ll still call you crying the first time it happens.
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20. Take her camping. Immerse her in the great outdoors. Watch her eyes fill with wonder the first time she sees the beauty of wide open spaces. Leave the iPod at home.
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21. Let her hold the wheel. She will always remember when daddy let her drive.
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22. She’s as smart as any boy. Make sure she knows that.
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23. When she learns to give kisses, she will want to plant them all over your face. Encourage this practice.
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24.  Knowing how to eat sunflower seeds correctly will not help her get into a good college. Teach her anyway.
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25. Letting her ride on your shoulders is pure magic. Do it now while you have a strong back and she’s still tiny.
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26. It is in her nature to make music. It’s up to you to introduce her to the joy of socks on a wooden floor.
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27. If there’s a splash park near your home, take her there often. She will be drawn to the water like a duck to a puddle.
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28. She will eagerly await your return home from work in the evenings. Don’t be late.
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29.  If her mom enrolls her in swim lessons, make sure you get in the pool too. Don’t be intimidated if there are no other dads there. It’s their loss.
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30. Never miss her birthday. In ten years she won’t remember the present you gave her. She will remember if you weren’t there.
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31. Teach her to roller skate. Watch her confidence soar.
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32. Let her roll around in the grass. It’s good for her soul. It’s not bad for yours either.
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33. Take her swimsuit shopping. Don’t be afraid to veto some of her choices, but resist the urge to buy her full-body beach pajamas.
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34. Somewhere between the time she turns three and her sixth birthday, the odds are good that she will ask you to marry her. Let her down gently.
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35. She’ll probably want to crawl in bed with you after a nightmare. This is a good thing.
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36. Few things in life are more comforting to a crying little girl than her father’s hand. Never forget this.
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37.  Introduce her to the swings at your local park. She’ll squeal for you to push her higher and faster. Her definition of “higher and faster” is probably not the same as yours. Keep that in mind.
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38. When she’s a bit older, your definition of higher and faster will be a lot closer to hers. When that day comes, go ahead… give it all you’ve got.
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39. Holding her upside down by the legs while she giggles and screams uncontrollably is great for your biceps. WARNING: She has no concept of muscle fatigue.
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40. She might ask you to buy her a pony on her birthday. Unless you live on a farm, do not buy her a pony on her birthday. It’s OK to rent one though.
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41. Take it easy on the presents for her birthday and Christmas. Instead, give her the gift of experiences you can share together.
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42. Let her know she can always come home. No matter what.
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43. Remember, just like a butterfly, she too will spread her wings and fly some day. Enjoy her caterpillar years.
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44. Write her a handwritten letter every year on her birthday. Give them to her when she goes off to college, becomes a mother herself, or when you think she needs them most.
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45.  Learn to trust her. Gradually give her more freedom as she gets older. She will rise to the expectations you set for her.
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46. When in doubt, trust your heart. She already does.
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 47. When your teenage daughter is upset, learning when to engage and when to back off will add years to YOUR life. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
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48. Ice cream covers over a multitude of sins. Know her favorite flavor.
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49. This day is coming soon. There’s nothing you can do to be ready for it. The sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be.
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50. Today she’s walking down the driveway to get on the school bus. Tomorrow she’s going off to college. Don’t blink.

I will be coming back to this post at a later date to add pictures :)

Happy New Year!

Well .. it's 2012 and it isn't even a week into the year and the sickies are still hanging around the house but thankfully Rianne is better so I'll deal with what is dealt to me as long as the kids are healthy. I am on antibiotics and on the mend so it's all good. Jon is still battling whatever has invaded his body too so I hope the entire family is better soon!
I am still playing with my blog template and learning my way around so it may change several more times before I am happy with it. I don't think anyone actually reads it anyway so I guess I am telling myself that it may be changing :)

Rianne news: As mentioned above, she's all healthy again .. thankfully! She had one bout with Diarrhea when we were at moms place over Christmas and she was in a pullup for a morning but it was sorted out and she was fine after that. I am blaming her waffle intake for it though. She consumed way too many of Nanny's homemade waffles when she got to the house. She went back to school on Tuesday after a long 3 weeks off. The first week was due to illness and the next 2 weeks was the scheduled Christmas break. She must have played too hard at school yesterday because she went upstairs and got very quiet yesterday afternoon. Turns out she was asleep in bed!! I thought she was getting sick again but no .. she was legitimately tired.


Autumn News: She is perfectly healthy and hasn't caught anyone sickness. A small miracle in itself considering I co-sleep with her. She was in her Jolly Jumper for the first time yesterday evening and she loved it! She looked so cute in it too. Well here ... look for yourself:

She has the musical mat too so she was stepping on it making noise :)

Right now she is in the process of waking up from her morning nap so I might have to cut this blog entry short in order to feed her. She is sucking on her thumb which is a habit she outgrows so I won't have to resort to finding ways to make her stop.

The Three Esses

Sniffle

Sneeze

Sanitize

The story of my life the last week or so! If it's not Rianne, it's me and presently it's the BOTH of us which makes me want to buy stock in Kleenex and Purell. This is going to make for one humdinger of a Christmas!

Thankfully Autumn has escaped the sickies. She had a few sniffles last week but they were from her 2-month shots most likely. I am extra vigilant with the hand washing and sanitizing now .. when it's too late!! Never fails huh? 

So from our family to yours .. Sneezings Greeting :)

'Twas a week before Christmas ...

It's hard to fathom that Christmas is only 6 sleeps away! 

This year all Rianne is really asking for is a purple Doodle Bear yes .. very color specific and the only one at Walmart is pink .. make that WAS pink. When we went looking for it because it was our only option at the time .. it was gone! We checked Superstore and Zellers without luck. Luckily Jon was going to Ontario a few days later and he managed to find one at Sears (after looking at Toys R Us and a few other stores). I am happy she is able to get what she asked "Santa" for this year. She didn't get what she asked for last year because all the stores were sold out of the Barbie Fashion Fairytale horse and carriage. We hunted high and low for that one!

Autumn news: She received her 2 month shots last week and she is tipping the scale at a whopping 13.5 lbs and she is 24 inches long. My little chunky monkey :)

She is such a happy go lucky baby. A complete polar opposite of her sister. 

She's growing like a bad weed! Smiling and laughing already and no it isn't always gas! 

Let me tell you ... the Fisher Price 3 in 1 Swing is a lifesaver. She absolutely loves it which is funny because the previous three babies to experience it absolutely hated the thing. 

Rianne news: She has been suffering with viral gastroenteritis for the last 3 weeks or so. Horrible diarrhea to the point where she's been wearing Goodnites pullups due to her 'accidents' and she's been vomiting and now she is suffering with a bad head cold and a barking seal like cough. It finally looks as though she's on the mend thankfully. It it looming close to Christmas and I didn't want her sickness to ruin it for her because we are traveling to Cape Breton on the 25th to visit with "Nanny" (my mother) where she will be spoiled to the ends of the Earth. 

So it's the week before Christmas. All the gifts are bought but not wrapped and I am in the process of making up the goodie boxes for everyone. They consist of peppermint bark, red velvet cake balls and chocolate chip cookies. I'm not sure if I'll add something else chocolate covered to the box. I was thinking of the chocolate dipped pretzels but I always have a hard time finding the big pretzel sticks so we shall see ... if I find them I'll make them and if not .. well the people will be s.o.l .. :)

If I don't update my blog before the 25th .. I hope everyone reading (not many of you I know) have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends :)

Welcome to the crazy World Autumn Alexis!

On Thursday September 29th I went to the hospital for another routine BPP (bio physical profile) ultrasound and monitoring. It was being done weekly starting the week before because I had Gestational Diabetes. Everything looked great until they took my blood pressure. It was higher than normal. It had been creeping up little by little and I guess last week was the last straw because my OB said I was staying and being induced. He wasn't happy with the direction my pressure was going and it was better to deliver now than wait. 
I sat around waiting to be admitted and have a blood draw and then they let me go home for lunch and grab my bags (that were already packed and waiting). I called my mom and told her the news and since she was planning on coming up on the weekend anyway she decided to come a day earlier .. thankfully! She would be here to get Rianne on and off the bus on Friday.

I got back to the hospital a little after 1 PM and was taken to my Labor/Delivery room where I sat around bored, doing nothing until 10 PM. My OB arrived at that time to insert the Prostin Gel to ripen my cervix and get it ready for delivery. Five minutes after I got the gel I started having some contractions. Nothing serious but they were regular so I was progressing. I had to stay in bed hooked up to the monitor for an hour after getting the gel and then I was unhooked and I could do whatever I wanted. I took a warm bath and relaxed a bit. I was given a shot of Morphine and Gravol to help take the edge off to see if I would sleep. Yeah, that didn't work well at all. I contracted throughout the night and got through them by rocking back and forth in bed or swaying if I was standing.

Around 8:30 AM on Friday (September 30th) the nurse came to start the Oxytocin IV and my OB broke my water. Things progressed pretty fast after. Contractions were coming on fast and strong. I was checked and was 3-4 CMs dilated about an hour after starting the drip. I was breathing through the contractions, the baby's heart rate would go down and go back up when the contraction was over. The nurse couldn't understand why there would be pressure on the baby's head already. Ummm maybe because she was entering the birth canal ALREADY!! 
The medical staff were warned several times that I deliver fast due to my experience with Rianne but they were still meandering around the room. One nurse was teaching a St. FX nursing student how to get things ready and so forth. I was checked again and I was 8-9 CMs and the pressure was causing my body to push on its own. That's when they took me seriously. Nothing like a last minute frenzy to keep them on their toes. The OB arrived back in my room, I was pushing, the nurses were frantically getting the doctors tray ready as well as the baby warmer and whatever else they thought they had plenty of time left to accomplish.
I think I only pushed a few times. I was given a mask for Nitrous Oxide which in my opinion didn't do anything for me at all. I was beyond laughing gas at that point anyway. 


Autumn Alexis was born at 10:03 AM and is perfectly healthy with a head of dark hair

As you can see on the scale she weighed 7 lbs 9 oz and she measured 18.5 inches long. Ten fingers, 10 toes and 1 anal opening. Funny story ... Jon asked the nurse if she had an opening when they were tending to her in the warmer cleaning her off. The nurse looked at him like he had two heads and then he explained to her that Rianne had an imperforate anus and that's why he asked. She sympathized and checked right away to confirm she was okay. 


After delivery I had to get one stitch, they gave me an ice pack for the swelling and I was able to hold and nurse Autumn. Not that I was producing much of anything at that point but it was a great bonding experience. One that I missed out on with Rianne. 


I took a bath later on and got freshened up while Jon held Autumn and then I was taken to another room where Autumn was in with me. My responsibility immediately after delivery. Again, something I missed out on with Rianne since she was in the NICU. So this is what it was like to have a perfectly healthy baby. Amazing!! 
She had to get several heel pokes to keep an eye on her blood sugar which was all normal. I felt bad that she had to go through that. Such tiny little feet to be poked at so much. 


The next day (Saturday) we were allowed to go home. One day early, because apparently they keep you for 2 days after a vaginal delivery. I asked to leave though because we were both fine and I hate hospitals. My OB said we could leave but had to return the next day (Sunday) for a weight check and blood work. 


Even though my labor and delivery were similar both times with regards to how fast it progressed and there was no epidural both times. My experience at the Aberdeen Hospital was 10 times more positive than at the hospital where I delivered Rianne. It makes me wish I we were living here back in 2006. I would recommend my OB to anyone. I was told he was fantastic but now I know that for myself.


Autumn is breast feeding like a champ and thriving. She nurses a lot but she's a growing baby and she's helping me burn calories in the meantime. Bonus! She's been a wonderful addition to our little family and I feel blessed that she is healthy and happy. 
Rianne still refuses to hold her because she's squirmy :) I was hoping to get a picture of her holding her baby sister by now but this is the best we have for now.

23 More days (or less)

As I sit here sniffling in the glory of my head cold I thought I'd take the time to update my blog. I have been neglecting it lately .. well, since June!

Summer was decent. Rianne and I went home for a week in July for Gathering Week and had a good time. Took in some festivities, visited with friends and family. The weather was terrible most days so we didn't get to the beach unfortunately. 

Since I failed my Gestation Diabetes test in June I have been poking my finger several times a day and haven't been allowed to eat anything fun and tasty. Now, on top of the finger pokes I have to add belly shots to the mix. Three times a day as it's getting progressively worse as the pregnancy gets further along. The good news is that my blood pressure is staying decent. I can deal with the GD and the needles and everything because as long as the pressure is good I'm happy!! 
The baby isn't getting too big as a result of the GD so that's good. As long as the baby is happy, I'm happy and the OB is happy. No talk of induction (yet) so we'll see what my next appointment brings. I'll be 37 weeks (full term) this Saturday!! I'll be holding Autumn Alexis in a matter of 3 weeks or less. Very exciting!! 

I had a baby shower at the end of August and was blessed to get many beautiful gifts. Autumn's room is all ready for her. All she has to do is get here and be healthy and happy. 

In The Past Week ..

What started out as a fairly boring week turned interesting by Friday. 
Friday morning was Rianne's orientation at school from 9-11 AM. She visited 4 different classrooms, did activities and then went on a short bus ride. It was her very first time on a bus and she really enjoyed it. 
There will be 66 kids starting grade Primary in September. I think there are 3 classes because that's a lot to stuff into 2 rooms. Her teacher(s) are going to have their hands full without a doubt! 

After the school event I went to get my Diabetes (Gestational) test done at the lab. Arrived there before Noon and had to take a number and wait. Number came up, I had to register and go wait for my number to come up again to go into the back to the phlebotomist (aka: vampire). No blood was taken initially. I had to drink that lovely sweet orange drink and then wait for an hour!! By the time my blood was taken and I got home I had a killer headache that didn't go away until the next morning. It was terrible!

By 4PM on Friday my phone was ringing and it was my doctor telling me I failed the test and she wasn't going to bother testing any further. Normally when you fail the 1-hour test they'll make you do the 3-hour one. Given my family history and my own personal history with gestational diabetes she felt I was a hopeless case I guess. 
Now I am waiting for the Diabetes Clinic to call me so I can go in and pick up my monitor. Then the finger pricking begins. I bought myself a notebook at the dollar store yesterday so I can record my food and glucose numbers. I controlled it last time with my diet and didn't need medication so I am fairly confident I can do the same this time. Writing down everything I eat keeps me honest and accountable. 

I was good over the weekend and didn't have anything sweet to eat even though it was offered and accessible. Here's to engaging what little willpower I possess! 

It's a GIRL

I had an ultrasound in the fetal assessment dept. at the IWK in Halifax last week (7th floor). It was done because I am over 35 and because Rianne had defects. 
According to the doctors (two of them) who performed the scan, everything looks good. Two of the three defects Rianne had cannot be detected on ultrasound though. We do know this one has a normal three vessel umbilical cord.
Rianne was so impressed with the pictures on the monitors, talking the entire time about how cute and adorable the baby is. 
We did find out the gender, just because we could (and wanted to). It was something we wanted with Rianne too but hospitals don't tell you .. no matter how bad you want to know! We were also given 2 pictures, something we didn't get with Rianne and something I desperately wanted as a keepsake. 


I was going to refrain from buying anything pink (just in case) but temptation won last weekend and I bought some sleepers. Not a huge investment though. I am looking forward to October and I hope the Summer months fly by :)

Elvis & Icons

On Saturday I was lucky enough to go to Antigonish to see a concert at the Keating Millennium Centre at the St. F.X. Campus. 
Front row seats made the experience even better. What a show!! 
"Rock Island Line" opened the show. They're a Johnny Cash tribute band and I really enjoyed it. First song was "Ring of Fire" and from there they went through a gamete of songs that included "A Boy Named Sue" "One Piece At A Time" "Folsom Prison Blues" ... just to name a few. 
The second act was Jesse Collins and he did a tribute to John Lennon. I'm not a Lennon fan so it was just ok for me. 
Finally it was time for Elvis to come on stage. I was giddy as a school girl because I've always been an Elvis fan.
What a performance!! It was phenomenal to say the least. The authentic jumpsuits, the scarves given out as he sang "Love Me Tender" then the teddy bears thrown into the crowd during the famous self explanatory song. Not only did he have the look, but he had the voice as well. Absolutely incredible! 
I was in awe of the entire performance and can now say I am a fan of Thane Dunn & the Cadillac Kings. I can't wait until they return to the area next year because you can bet I'll be there, hopefully in the front row again!

Prenatal Paradise

Yesterday I had an appointment. I was 18w3d (dating from my initial ultrasound in February).
My blood pressure was good (118/70) but I did gain 15 lbs in the last 3 months. My Dr. suggested I make an appointment with the dietitian at the practice but I didn't because that would mean even more appointments that Jon would have to get off work for in order to take me to. I know what I should be eating to not gain weight, I've just been neglecting to .. so now I have to get back on track in that department and hopefully I won't add much weight to my body by my June 7th appointment. 
The baby is measuring 20 weeks. That's about a week and a half ahead so I hope it slows down too! Ouch!! 

I discussed the litter box with the Doctor and she said it was off limits to pregnant women. I knew that, so Jon has been doing the scooping for months now. I just wanted the info verified to make sure the hype I've been reading online wasn't exaggerated. 

Vitamin D: There was a study reported the other night on the news stating that mothers who lack Vitamin D increase the risk of their babies catching RSV. I brought this information up ay my appointment as well and she told me to increase my milk consumption and to start taking a prenatal vitamin PLUS take 4 tablets of the 1 mg Folic Acid instead of just taking my prescribed 5 mg. That figures, because I just got my prescription filled a week or two ago! 

The next appointment that is baby related is in Halifax @ the IWK. It's an ultrasound to look for defects (apparently they don't do that here) and we'll also get to find out the gender as well as get pictures. Then we will go out and buy something pink or blue :)

~Freak Out~

We've gotten used to the idea now but it really came as a huge shock in the beginning. Totally and completely unexpected was an understatement. 

The source of our ~freak out~ as seen in early February. The story is rather funny now that I can laugh about it. I had been feeling 'off' for a bit and Jon asked me if I needed any fixings to go with supper and he'd pick it up on his way home from work. 
Jokingly I told him "sour cream and a pee stick" .. well I didn't think he'd actually buy one but since he did, I used it after supper and darn near fell off the throne! 
I came down the stairs and threw it at him (I was aiming for a gentle toss but I think I put too much energy into the toss). So he sat there on the couch with a blank on his face, that matched mine!! 
The rest is history. 
I went for prenatal blood work and had an appointment with a nurse practitioner where I hat to take another test and that was positive too ... to my disbelief. 

Now here I sit .. 4 months pregnant and due in October. Un-freaking-believable!

We were not planning on having another child. Rianne is starting school in September and I was going to get a part time job to help with finances. We have nothing except a stroller and we only held onto that because I didn't get around to selling it yet. It got banged up and broken on the bus when it was shipped from Edmonton to New Glasgow so I didn't think it would be worth much. I'm so glad we held onto it. Now to knock off the rest on the list of baby needs .. this may take a while! 

Starting a new week in the puke bucket

Waking up at 5 AM because your child is crying for someone to sleep with her isn't ideal. Having that child throwing up at 5:10 AM is sad. We thought she was sick because of her crying. Wrong!! She was crying because she was sick. Poor thing :(
I went into her bed with her. Everyone knows that mommies are supposed to help their children feel better. Well she kept throwing up in the puke bucket I got for her from downstairs. Then by 5:30 she was wanting to come down and watch cartoons. 
Sooooo I've been up with her since 5 AM and she can't even keep water down. She's been laying on the couch all morning, the puke bucket beside her with a damp cloth to wipe her face afterward :(
Whatever tummy bug that is invading her ... I hope it leaves soon. Jon said if she goes all day throwing up her water then we'll have to bring her to the hospital for fear she'll dehydrate. 
Definitely not how I wanted to spend my day at all. Poor little munchkin :(


I'll sit here on the couch with her and drink my tea. Eventually I'll get dressed and get started with the housework but I'm in no hurry. She is my priority today. 

*****

The vomiting ended around 8 AM but then it progressed to diarrhea in the afternoon. That's equally as disgusting but hopefully she will be 100% by tomorrow.
She's eating and drinking so that's a non-issue with her thankfully.