Running the Race

Baa Baa Black Sheep

2008-10-28T19:02:00.001-06:00

I've moved...

2007-05-18T15:36:00.000-06:00

just in case you haven't noticed!

I'm here now!

Well

2007-03-20T16:59:00.000-06:00

it's time for something new!

Check it out! It's a work in progress!

a new favorite

2007-03-18T20:41:00.000-06:00

We took this one today using the remote control on our camera.
It's not perfect but it is perfectly us right now!

Race Against Time

2007-03-15T18:50:00.000-06:00

My mom loaned me a book in February. It's called Race Against Time by Stephen Lewis. This book is heart-breaking & gut-wrenching. It's about the AIDS pandemic in Africa. Stephen Lewis is a Canadian who is also the United Nations' Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. I have never felt so sick reading a book before. I have never read a book that has fired me up so much. I have never read a book that has changed me the way this book has. I think everyone should read this book. When I started reading this book, I didn't know what our church was up to. Seriously, this was God, working in me, starting something. This weekend, our church is renting out the Crowfoot Cineplex Odeon - the entire theatre for a campaign called Compassion in Action. We will be listening to a message from U2's Bono and Bill Hybels, the Senior Pastor at Willowcreek Church in Illinois, on this crisis in Africa. Talk about timing. Our church is doing something very cool regarding this afterwards. They've pledged $50,000 towards this crisis, which really is what this situation is. But instead of directly giving this money, they are using it as seed money, giving it to the small groups in our church, who are going to use it to spread the word in creative ways and use the money to make more money, like an investment. I feel humbled to be a part of this, yet also excited. What can we do? What will happen? I can't wait to find out. If you happen to be around this weekend, you are absolutely welcome to come to the theater and hear this message. The word desperately needs to be spread. I will keep you informed as to what happens with this campaign. I am excited to see what God will do.

Sorry...

2007-03-14T08:47:00.000-06:00

it's been so long since I last updated. Helayna's started teething so we've had some rather long nights and fussy days.
We've also been hanging out with friends lately and it's been so good (especially for mommy)! I'll update again soon!

This is

2007-03-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

the face I wake up to every morning (and several times during the night last night)!! Isn't she CUTE?!?!

And today I heard her first laugh! Music to my ears!

one more...

2007-03-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

Here's another one I just finished up! It was done before but I didn't like it so I took it apart and re-did some of it. I'm glad I did - I like it much better now! When I started this layout I thought it would look awesome with blue and purple papers (because of her shirt), well, can you believe I didn't have a single sheet of purple patterned paper in my stash?! Yah, it's definitely not my favorite color but I would have liked just one sheet this time! Oh well. The pink works, I think and I even managed to restrain from going and buying some purple paper, cuz we all know I wouldn't have left the store with just one sheet of paper! LOL! (Inspired by a layout done by Joanna Bolick)
The journaling is about how fast I feel Helayna is growing up already! Sigh... I suppose this will be how I always feel, huh?!

Some layouts

2007-03-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

Whew, I'm finally going to post some of the layouts I've been working on. YAY! It's so nice to finally be scrapping again. And I have to say, it sure is fun scrapping a little girl!

A layout about my sister, Melinda and how much I miss her right now and wish she lived closer.
Super easy/quick one about being a family of 3 now.
This is an 8x8 layout for Helayna's album - I used almost a whole package of HS fuzzy rub-ons!
This one's about the day Helayna got her first vaccines - it was a very rough day - journaling is under the patterned paper on the LH side.
Thanks so much for looking!

Just a few things...

2007-03-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

Oy! There's so much I want to say, so much I've been putting off writing on my blog. Time is flying by so quickly.

First, I have to say a big thank you for all the compliments I get on my blog. Thank you for reading and caring and sharing with me! Thank you for praising my photos and layouts and my little girl! It means so much to me.

I've had some people ask me about my photos so I thought I'd answer the questions here. I have a Canon Digital Rebel XT. I LOVE this camera so much. It has been one of the best things I ever spent money on. I almost always shoot with my 50 mm f1.4 USM lens. It was a birthday present last year (the lens) and next to the camera, was one of the best gifts I have ever received. I almost never use my flash. I love to shoot with natural light so when I take photos of Helayna I open all the blinds up and place her close to the window (usually at a 45 degree angle to the window) and make sure the sun isn't shining directly on her (which doesn't usually happen because our place is quite dark). My white backdrop is actually 2 towels I purchased at Wal-Mart for super cheap. I like them because they are absorbant (I usually have a change pad under the towel as well though) and they are soft and they were CHEAP! They won't work forever because she'll get too big but for now they do. Plus you can also fold them up and lay her on top (well, not so much any more but I could when she was a newborn). My black backdrop is actually a really thick black curtain that I, once again, bought at Wal-Mart. It's not very wide (I need another one) but it's long so when I did those maternity photos, I actually just tacked it into the ceiling. My set-up is so hilarious. Seriously, it is not fancy at all but it works. I had this AWESOME, HUGE black piece of fabric that I used to use but when we moved, I put it in a black garbage bag (I was pregnant, I wasn't thinking, ok?!) and well, black garbage bags get put out with the rest of the black garbage bags. I'm still choked about that. I paid way too much money for it... Anyway, those are what I use for my backdrops. I used to just throw them on the couch and lay Helayna on the couch but she's getting too big and too squirmy for that now so in the last photos, I put a pillow down on the floor and put the backdrop on top and then laid her down. If we had carpet, I'd just lay it down on the carpet.
A few other tips (and I'm by no means a pro, this is just what I do - I am always open for suggestions or tips though!!!).
I always do photos when she is happiest - after she's slept and fed (and when the light is good) so usually after her morning nap. She LOVES being on her tummy (she didn't used to but we've been practicing) and I love how she looks when she's on her tummy so that's why I have so many shots of her like that. She usually only lasts about 5-10 minutes though before she's done (and that's on a good day) so I shoot as fast as I can and get as many as I can.
I recently discovered the continuous mode on my camera and I LOVE it. You just press the button down and it snaps a way and often the photos in the middle are the best because there's no camera shake from pressing the button down. Normally in those 5 minutes I shoot any where from 40-80 photos (man, I LOVE digital). I delete after I upload to my computer unless they are really bad and I can tell on the camera's screen. Some times they look good but once I upload they are blurry so they aren't so good after all.
When I'm shooting photos of her, I set the focal point (not sure if you can adjust this on point and shoot cameras) so that it focuses on one of her eyes because I want her eyes to be in focus (unless I'm doing something else and I then I focus on that - like her toes or something).
I use the rules of thirds as much as possible (not always, sometimes I forget). I love photos that are off centre - I think this is one of the ways to really improve your photography. Don't put your subject right in the middle of the photo - that's what every one does. Change the angle - turn your camera a little bit side ways. Get up on a chair or lay on the floor. Seriously. These things have improved my photography so much. I've heard so many really amazing photographers say those things so I listened and it makes a real difference. It's not always possible and sometimes the centre is the best place but it makes such a difference just to try new things. Some times I forget and Jonathan reminds me and I'm so glad he does because the photos turn out so much better.
Don't be afraid of taking bad photos. Look at these:

But I also got a few really good ones that day and that's what matters, right?! Besides these tell such a great story and help me remember the day and how it all went.
I also have Jonathan help me some times. He isn't always here but when he is, it makes such a difference. Believe me, those little numbers don't stay up long when our little squirmy worm gets a moving.
If anyone ever wants me to do a photo shoot for them, I'd absolutely LOVE to. I love taking photos. It's one of my favorite things to do. I'd love to learn more and be a better photographer and heck, maybe even make money doing it some day (not that it would be a lot but still).
Oh and I always shoot with my camera in the manual mode. I never used to but I started to teach myself (read those manuals) and I'm so glad I did because I think it makes such a difference.
I'm sure there are more things I do but that's all I can think of right now (man, I thought my brain was fried when I was pregnant. HA! It's the sleepless nights that are killin' me now). And honestly, just keep on taking those photos because it won't matter how 'bad' they are in 25 years from now. Your kids or spouse or friends or whoever will just be so happy that you have them. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE looking back at photos of me when I was little. I know my mom wishes she had more and better ones but I LOVE the ones she does have. There are so many memories there. Gosh, this is why I scrapbook. To remember. Because time goes by so quickly. And already my girl is 4 months old and there is so much I forget.

Happy Birthday, Darrin!

2007-03-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

Today is my brother's 30th birthday! Man, I can't believe how time flies by!
I hope you have an awesome day, Darrin!
His girlfriend, Kelsey (pictured above) has some very cool surprises planned for him! I hope he enjoys them!

At 4 months Helayna...

2007-02-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

•is starting to sit in her Bumbo chair
•loves being sung to (her favorites include, You Are My Sunshine, Jesus Loves Me & Skidamarinkydinkydink)
•loves to talk and talk, especially in the morning
•loves her bath time - we were doing it on the kitchen table in a baby tub but have had to move to the bathroom because she splashes soooo much
•is starting to get this adorable little squeal when she's excited, almost a laugh
•smiles and smiles and smiles
•is getting blonde hair (it sometimes looks red in photos but it's really not red at all)
•is wearing size 2 diapers
•loves to suck on her top lip and when she does she makes this big sucking sound - it is hilarious!
•loves to play with her floor gym
•loves looking in mirrors
•is a very loud sleeper - she's always grunting and moaning in her sleep!
•is starting to get interested in books - YAY!
•no longer has that newborn cry
•is definitely a screamer and will let you know when she is unhappy!
•is usually up twice during the night - long gone are the nights she slept through!
•is quite chubby - her cheeks, legs and arms are so chubby and CUTE!
•is a head-turner - we ALWAYS have people stopping us telling us how cute she is and how much they love her hair!
•is a morning baby, that's when she's happiest
•is out of all of her 0-3 months clothes and wearing 3-6 months stuff now.
•has more than doubled her birth weight (she's getting weighed again on Thurs. so I'll post her official weight then)
•loves to be outside
•gets overstimulated very easily - she doesn't like when people are all in her face
•loves when her mommy and daddy talk to her - this usually gets her smiling big time
•is easily startled by loud, unfamiliar sounds
•still is not napping that well
•constantly has her hands (sometimes both at the same time) in her mouth
•is getting better at being in her car seat - some times she screams but some times she'll just chatter away or stare out the window.
•loves when mommy or daddy sit in the back seat of the car with her (another one of those things I said I'd never do - yah, right!)
•is very sensitive (yep, just like her mommy)
•still kind-of gets swaddled at night, she usually starts out that way but quickly gets her arms free
•hates getting dressed and will scream every time
•still spits-up a lot (which the dr. said is acid reflux - not very fun!)
•loves to be in her Baby Bjorn when we are out and about (she will scream if we try to take her any where in her car seat - she wants to see what's going on)
•loves, loves, loves kisses
•will suck on anything that gets near her mouth (toys, fingers, clothes, etc).
•is the CUTEST little girl in the whole world! Gosh, I am so in love with her! I can't believe she's mine! And yes, every single day her hair cracks me up - there is no controlling it!

Because...

2007-02-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

I just can't get enough of this cute girl, I have to share some more photos!

She's 4 months old today. I can't believe it. Where is the time going?!?!?! I'll do a 4 month update soon!

Something else I've been doing...

2007-02-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

that's just for fun! Here's my first ever digital layout! It's super simple but I had fun doing it. I have a whole new admiration for those digital scrapbookers! WOW!

The paper and title are from a free kit at 2Peas by Rhonna Farrer and the polariod template is from a kit at 2Peas by Kate Teague! Let me know what you think.

Just for fun!

2007-02-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

My sister emailed me this list and I thought it would be fun to post on my blog! If you have time, play along and let me know what your answers are!

1. What time did you get up this morning? Well, I was first up at 4:30am, then 6:30am and then finally at 7:30am.

2. Diamonds or pearls? diamonds

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? It’s been so long I can’t remember.

4. What is your favourite TV show? Never watch TV

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Plain yogurt with 1/2 an apple, a handful of almonds, ground flax and cinnamon (it almost tastes like apple pie). In the summer the apple gets replaced with peaches, nectaries, berries, etc.

6. Favourite cuisine? Definitely Thai

7. What is your middle name? Crystal

8. What food do you dislike? onions

9. What is your favourite CD at the moment? Jeremy Camp’s Carried Me

10. What kind of car do you drive? Toyota Corolla

11. Favourite sandwich? Yesterday I had a really yummy roast beef sandwich with tomato, avocado and cheddar cheese!

12. What characteristic do you despise? Arrogance

13. Favourite item of clothing? Lately it’s been my brown fleece pants and my down jacket – so warm and comfy!

14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation? Thailand

15. What colour is your bathroom? burgundy

16. Favourite brand of clothing? I have lots of stuff from Old Navy and Jacob.

17. Where would you retire to? Hmmmm, haven’t ever thought about that.

18. What was your most recent memorable birthday? A couple years ago Jonathan had a party for me, complete with a get-to-know-Heather quiz and all. It was so fun!

19. Furthest place you are sending this? Back to Poland

20. How many do you think will send this back? It really doesn’t matter to me.

24. Who will have the craziest answers? Not too sure.

22. Favourite saying? Seriously?! (not necessarily my fav. but one I say a lot!)

23. When is your birthday? July 2, 1978

24. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night person

25. What is your shoe size? 8

26. Pets? None

27. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? A friend just told me she saw my name in the March Creating Keepsakes magazine under the “loved these pages too” section – that made my day!

28. What did you want to be when you were little? I can’t remember that far back!

29. How are you today? Pretty good. Helayna slept a bit longer last night so I did too!

30. What is your favourite candy? I’m not a big candy person, I’d take ice cream though!

31.What is your favourite flower? I love so many – gerbera daisies, roses, tulips, daffodils.

32. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward ? Ha! It’s all just a blur right now.

33.What church do you attend? Rockpointe Church

34. What is your full name? Heather Crystal Moll

35. What are you listening to right now? My girl chattering away – my fav. sound in the whole world

36. What was the last thing you ate? Gluten-free bread with almond butter and banana.

37. Do you wish on stars? nope

38. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be? Chocolate brown

39. How is the weather right now? -1 and sunny!

40. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My mom.

41. Favourite soft drink? Does iced tea count?

42. Favourite restaurant? Chili Club Thai House

43. Hair colour? Brown

44. Favourite day of the year? I love Thanksgiving.

45. What was your favourite toy as a child? I think I spent a lot of time playing with my Cabbage Patch doll.

46. Summer or winter? Definitely summer.

47. Hugs or kisses? Hugs

48. Chocolate or Vanilla? Ever since I got pregnant, I’m all about chocolate!

49. Do you want your friends to email you back? For sure, I’d love to hear their answers.

50. When was the last time you cried? A couple days ago.

51. What is under your bed? Table hockey games

52. Who is the friend you have had the longest ? My sisters.

53. What did you do last night? Picked up an amazing Valentine’s day package from my mom, got some photos developed, gave Helayna a bath, put her to sleep and then went to bed.

54. Favourite smell? Freshly cleaned sheets

55. What are you afraid of? Losing Jonathan or Helayna.

56. Plain, buttered, or salted Popcorn? A little butter with salt, or salt & vinegar or dill pickle flavouring.

57. How many keys on your key ring? 2 – car and house keys.

58. How many years at your current job? 3 1/2 months and it’s the hardest job I’ve ever had but also the best job.

59. Favourite day of the week? Saturday morning because Jonathan usually lets me go back to sleep after I feed Helayna!

60. How many towns have you lived in? 5, I think.

61. Do you make friends easily? Hmmmm, not always.

62. How many people will you be sending this to? Not sure.

so much fun!

2007-02-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

(The storyboard is from Erica Hernandez Designs.)

Indulging...

2007-02-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

in a cup of double fudge hot chocolate with real whip cream (the way my mom used to make it with pure vanilla and icing sugar) while Jonathan is out with Helayna. I just finished up a layout that's been sitting here for a month, listening to one of my favorite CDs on repeat. It's been a long time since I've been able to just sit... and enjoy... sigh...

Never before have I ever…

2007-02-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

•Cried so much
•Been so exhausted
•Worried so much
•Been so hungry yet felt so sick
•Smiled so often
•Been so proud
•Cared so much
•Been so overwhelmed
•Smelled like puke so much
•Changed so many diapers
•Laughed so hard
•Slept so little
•Given so many kisses and hugs
•Been so frazzled
•Worked so hard
•Been so disorganized
•Listened to so much crying
•Tried so hard
•Felt so many emotions all at the same time
•Been so sore
•Given so much of myself
•Taken so many photos
•Forgotten so much
•Been so content
•Had my heart melt so often
•Loved so much
All because of this little girl and I wouldn't trade a minute of it for anything.

Photo Share

2007-02-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share some of my favorite photos from the past few weeks. I never seem to get around to doing a post about the photos when I want to so I figured I'd just include them all in one post. ENJOY!
She was hanging on for dear life to Jonathan's hair - totally hilarious!
It is getting so hard to take photos of her on her tummy - she moves so quickly and loves to be on her tummy!
My big girl! She looks so grown up to me in this outfit!
In the pool with daddy!
Gotta love the drool! LOL!
I love those eyes!
One from the photo shoot I did of Meadow - her eyes and eyelashes are so stunning!
One of Rachel and Marc's wedding cakes
After our walk today! This is totally life right now - lots of spit-up!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-02-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

A Weekend of Firsts!

2007-02-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

Helayna attended her first wedding this past weekend. Her auntie Rachel (Jonathan's sister) and Uncle Marc got married in Banff. It was a beautiful wedding and gorgeous day! She was quite the trooper and did really well during the ceremony and pictures (slept during both). Even though the day wasn't about her, she sure got a lot of attention! Here she is with her Grandma and aunties (Jonathan's mom and sisters).
She also got to stay at the Banff Springs Hotel (which was also a first for her mommy and daddy), thanks to some very generous family and friends. It was incredible!!!!!!! And she went swimming for the first time too!
It was an amazing weekend for all of us!

3 months old

2007-02-08T14:36:00.000-07:00

I know this is a bit late but I still wanted to post it so I have these details written down somewhere!!!
At 3 months, Helayna:
•weighs 13 lbs.
•loves to stare at pictures, mirrors, her floor gym and bug, and faces (especially mommy's).
•is smiling like crazy (and starting to get a little bit of a giggle)!!!!! •loves to talk (it is my favorite sound in the whole world - and I realize that may change when she learns the word 'no').
•gets red eyebrows and rubs her eyes when she's tired.
•is the spit-up queen (I give up on wearing nice clothes - I smell like puke all the time).
•hates her car seat (and will scream from the minute you put her in it until you take her out = so not fun for mommy).
•sucks on her hands a lot (and anything else that she can get close to her mouth - our fingers, shirts, toys, etc.).
•has a different hair-do every day (and is turning blonde).
•still has blue eyes (we'll see if they stay).
•loves spending time with her grandparents.
•still cries/screams a lot (when will that newborn cry go away?).
•loves kisses (and gets plenty of them).
•has completely thrown any sort of routine out the window (although I'm desperately trying to get her back into one for my own sanity).
•sometimes sleeps through the night (although lately those nights are few and far between).
•still hates taking her vitamin D (but loves Tylenol).
•takes forever to fall asleep (we're talking 45 minutes minimum here).
•loves bath time (and splashes up a storm in the tub).
•is finally going in her Baby Bjorn (but only if she can face out).
•still sleeps swaddled at night.
•will sit in the swing for a little while (as long as the music is playing).
•loves tummy time.
•can roll from her tummy to her back.
•is holding her head up on her own.
•is starting to grab at things.
•has a very strong neck.
•loves to lay and kick up a storm.
•can pull a handful of mommy's hair out in a quick second.
•still isn't very interested in standing on those legs of hers.
•hates getting dressed (and screams her head off every time she has to).
•loves to be naked (if she's warm).
•is completely and totally loved by her parents.

Happy Birthday, Melinda!

2007-02-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry this post is a day late!

We hope the year ahead is filled with new adventures, special memories and wonderful surprises!!!
We love and miss you and wish we were there to celebrate!

I had...

2007-02-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

lots of fun with my cousin, Meadow, even if she did suck on my hand, try to steal my soother, poke me and pull my hair!

Spending time

2007-02-02T17:39:00.000-07:00

playing with cousin, Meadow!

Be back soon!

growth spurt

2007-01-21T14:44:00.000-07:00

Helayna's growing. She's going through a major growth spurt. The last 5 days she's been eating like crazy. She hasn't been sleeping long periods at night any more. Last night was a tough night. She's hungry all the time it seems. I'm exhausted. I was getting used to the longer periods of sleep I was getting at night. Sigh. I suppose it's time though, she's almost 3 months old. She's cuter than ever too. She's talking so much now. It is so stinkin' adorable! She loves to suck on her hands (when she can get them into her mouth) and stare at herself in the mirror. The smiles melt my heart (still).
Jonathan has already won the husband-of-the-year award. He let me sleep until 11am this morning. He also got up at 6:30am and took her so I didn't have to. Every little bit of sleep helps and he's been so generous to me. He is such an awesome dad. I absolutely LOVE watching him play with Helayna.
We are so blessed.
This photo is for Sue. The dress fits her - isn't it cute?!?!?! She wore it to church last night. THANK YOU!

My beautiful friend!

2007-01-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to be able to take some maternity photos of my friend, Shelley! She's 28 weeks along and is simply radiant! I had so much fun taking these photos and just wanted to share! TFL!

p.s. Isn't her shirt adorable?! It says, "let it show".

so very strong...

2007-01-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I cannot get over how strong Helayna is! Today she was on her tummy and she rolled onto her back because she was pushing so hard with those arms of hers. I was amazed! Gosh, I just love this little girl soooooo much!

Grow

2007-01-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

After reading about the 'one little word' challenge by Ali Edwards, I decided to pick a word for myself for 2007. It took me a while to come up with it but my word for the year is 'GROW'. There are so many areas in my life that I want to grow in and it's been on my mind since having Helayna. She's growing like crazy already and I feel like I need to grow too. I want to be a good example for her. I want my words and actions to teach her but that means I have some work to do. So it seemed like an appropriate word - both of us experiencing growth together this year.
I did a layout to remind myself that I want to take this seriously. I've done some journaling on the back of the layout about some of my goals for the year.
I went a little rub-on happy on this layout. Hehehe! I have enough, figured I need to start using them. I'm not sure if I'm really crazy about what I created but it's done and there are too many other layouts to do! I'm seriously re-evaluating my whole style. I spend way too long on layouts and just don't have the time any more - not to mention all the hoards of photos I now have! HA!
The chipboard letters for the word 'grow' are Maya Road, painted green and then I put Basic Grey rub-ons on them. The word 'stronger', "2007" and the flowers are Maya Road rub-ons. The while swirly rub-ons are Fontworks. The 'H' is All My Memories chipboard and the circle is cut from a Sonnets transparency. TFL!!!

Speaking of growing, Helayna is growing like a weed! She's now 11 lbs. 12 oz. She's getting close to doubling her birth weight. I've had to put almost all of her 0-3 months clothes away now. She's moving into her 3-6 months stuff. I can't believe it.

Helayna's First Trip to the Mountains!

2007-01-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

Our friend Robyn is visiting us from Boston right now so we took her out to Lake Louise to go snowshoeing today. It was Helayna's first time in the mountains too. It was REALLY cold (-26C) so Daddy and Helayna took a little walk outside and then hung out in the Chateau Lake Louise while Robyn and I snowshoed. It was AWESOME! We had such a good time and Helayna was SO good! I know this will be the first of many trips we take with her to the mountains!

Flying Baby

2007-01-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

There's this little game that Jonathan likes to play with Helayna. It totally cracks me up. He flies her around our place making airplane noises. Her eyes get really big and she just stares at everything as she flies by. It is so cute!

I just love that she is becoming more interested in her surroundings and now wants to do things instead of just being held all the time. The smiles and coos are my absolute favorite right now. She is such a wonderful little girl!

Finally scrapping again!

2007-01-07T16:23:00.000-07:00

My sister and I scrapbooked on Friday night. It's been a long time for me but it felt good to do it again!
Here's what I created: The letters are her initials - h.l.m. - it's kinda hard to read. One of the first photos we took of our girl! TFL!

Me and My Girl!

2007-01-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

I am so in love with this girl. Sometimes it just takes my breath away and I get all teary-eyed when I think about how much I love her. She brings so much joy to my life. I never understood when people talked about the amazing love a mother has for her child but now I do. I can't explain it. Every day it just gets stronger. It's true, the love you have for your own child is so different than any other kind of love. I am so glad she is in our lives - sleepless nights, crying, spit-up, diapers and all.

Guess who's in town?

2007-01-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

It's all fun and games when Grandma and Grandpa are in town! :) We're having a great time!

Our Announcements

2007-01-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

They were going to be much more elaborate with vellum and ribbon and eyelets. I'm glad I changed my mind on that because we've sent out over 80 so far. GULP! That's just to family and close friends. There are so many more I want to send out but I think I just have to accept the fact that not every single person I know is going to get one and that's okay.
The frame is one of Rhonna Farrer's from 2Peas. The fonts are Autumn Leaves Afternoon Delight and Century Gothic. And yes, I did take that photo myself. It's easy when you have such an adorable subject! :)

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

from our family to yours! May the year ahead be willed with wonderful surprises!

An amazing Christmas!

2006-12-30T22:39:00.000-07:00

We had such a wonderful time with our families this Christmas. It was so good to spend time with them. We were all completely spoiled - our car was bursting when we got back to Calgary and we even left stuff with both of our families!!! Helayna was such a joy - she is growing and changing so much! She is so much happier and loves to lay and kick and smile and talk. It is so awesome to watch!

She slept through most of the Christmas celebrations but I was okay with that! I know next year will be a very different story!
We thoroughly enjoyed watching Meadow though. She was so cute in her little Christmas dress. She got a sleigh for Christmas from my parents. I'm sure she will have lots of fun with it!
And Helayna celebrated a big birthday while we were away - 2 months old! She is growing like crazy. She's getting lots of rolls and folds and is just so adorable!

We unpacked all of our stuff tonight. I love unpacking - it's like Christmas all over again going through all our gifts. Wow, we were SPOILED rotten! I got a new set of dishes - white square ones - I've been eyeing them for years and am so happy to have them. I also got a new winter coat - a puffy black down one - totally wasn't expecting it but really, really wanted one. I also got a new tripod and reflector - can't wait to do another photo shoot. I also got some new clothes, pajamas, a rice cooker, scrapbooking stuff, an adorable pink water bottle, a movie, CD, and lots of other goodies!
Helayna was spoiled rotten too! She has some cute new clothes, shoes and toys. She also got some beautiful books, a jolly jumper and a Bumbo chair. She can sit up in it fairly well too!
We are happy to be back home again after being away for a week. It will be nice to sleep in our own bed again. Our little pumpkin got a cold while we were gone so she's fighting that - not feeling so great. I feel so bad for her - she's all stuffed up and congested. She's sleeping lots so hopefully she'll fight it off quickly. I just wish I could make it go away.
I hope everyone had a great Christmas! It's hard to believe it's almost 2007 already!

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

May you find joy in the small miracles this Christmas!

2006-12-21T22:14:00.000-07:00

We're off tomorrow to spend some time with our families for the holidays! I am really looking forward to Helayna's first Christmas. And I know we are both looking forward to some R & R at the grandparents' houses!

8 weeks

2006-12-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

Today our little girl is 8 weeks old!
In the last week she's started doing this: which totally melts this mommy's heart! She's also started to find her voice. She's been cooing up a storm and it is the most adorable sound I have ever heard! Oh my gosh, it is just so sweet! She's been so much happier lately. It's been so nice. She's happy to just lay and kick and wave her arms.

We also enjoyed a visit from my sister, Melinda and her husband, Tyler.
They are living in Poland right now where Tyler is attending medical school so this was their first time meeting Helayna. It was awesome to see them with her and have them here. They cooked so many meals for us, cleaned our bathroom, helped us with Christmas shopping and did lots of holding! It was wonderful.

Now I'm busy wrapping presents while Daddy's giving Helayna a bath! It's hard to believe Christmas is almost here!

Our Weekend Photo Shoot

2006-12-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

We attempted a photo shoot with Helayna this weekend.
We got a lot of this:
and this:
but there we also got this:
and this:
I think it was worth it but then again, that's not my arm up there! ;)

My first dress!

2006-12-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

Mommy dressed me up in my very first dress for church the other night. I even wore my first pair of tights. Don't I look cute, even if I am a little annoyed?!?!

Look at how strong I am!

2006-12-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

It amazes everyone how strong she is! She just loves to have her head back peering at the world! And most times she loves tummy time.
I can't believe how big she looks in this photo! 7 weeks now!

finally!

2006-12-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I have a couple minutes to post. Of course the night after I posted about Helayna sleeping longer, she was up all night for the next 3 nights!!! And we've yet to see one of those 5-6 hour stretches again. Oh well, last night I got a 4 hour stretch of sleep and it was AWESOME!
She's also started smiling at us and it is SO awesome!!! Wow, that makes my day and all the sleepless nights so worth it!

Our week away was awesome! We spent some time with my parents.

We also hung out with my sister and her little girl!

Then we headed over to my in-laws.

And Helayna met some of her great-grandparents too.

We also had 2 showers and were thoroughly spoiled! It was such a good time! We hope to do it again in the new year.

Okay, she's crying, better run!

6 weeks old!

2006-12-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

At 6 weeks old Helayna is:
• starting to sleep much longer at night - going 5-6 hours between her last feed before bed and her first night feed (which means mommy is getting 4 hour stretches of sleep!!! YAY!)
• very alert and aware - she spends hours staring at lights and faces - she especially loves to look at her mommy and daddy.
• colicky! FUN!!! Yah, right. She spends hours fussing and crying every evening, which can be very stressful.
• starting to develop her voice - making noises and grunts that are so adorable.
• likes to lay on the floor in the bathroom while mommy takes a shower, just listening to the sound of the water running.
• sleeping in her playpen every night.
• spoiled rotten by her grandparents!
• still loves to be held.
• growing like crazy - just look at those cheeks!
• nicknamed pumpkin, monkey, munchkin and turkey!
• a spitting image of her dad at this age.
• pretty in pink!

Hi!

2006-12-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

We're back! We had a great week! I'll update more when I have free hands!

We're off

2006-11-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

for the week! Helayna and I are going to spend some time with my sister Naomi and Meadow and both sets of grandparents. Hopefully Jonathan will get some sleep while we are gone!
Here's a little photo to put you in the holiday mood! Have a great week!

Wow!

2006-11-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

I am so overwhelmed by all of your encouragement and advice. Thank you all so much! I have read and re-read your comments and cried and cried. I wish I could give each one of you a big hug and thank you in person.
We are doing better. I am doing better. We've had a few rough nights but Helayna is so much happier during the day. She has been much more herself this week and that has been so nice.
The breastfeeding is going much better. From the beginning it's been going well. The problem was not so much with the actual feeding as with how I was feeling about the feeding. It's hard to be the sole source of nourishment and know that it is all up to me and will be for a long time. I was so overwhelmed by that fact. But tonight we tried a bottle. Daddy gave it to her and she took it SO well. It was such a relief for me.
We are also enjoying a visit from Grandma this weekend. We went shopping today and were both spoiled rotten! I finally have some clothes that fit me! YAY! And we found some very cute outfits for Helayna too! Shopping for girls is so much fun!
I also realized this week that I had a lot of expectations. I thought my baby would be this certain way and things would be just so and when they haven't gone that way, I've been disappointed and overwhelmed and that's been hard for me. I had to let go and realize that it's okay. Helayna is my daughter and she is beautiful and special just the way she is and I wouldn't change her for anything. I just had to let go of some expectations. I also realized that some times you just have to do what works, even if it means doing something you never thought you would do or even said you would never do - like going for drives to get your babe to sleep. Yah, all those things I saw others do and said I would never do?!?! I'm doing some of them now because I have to, they work. I'm eating my words now. And it's okay, I'm not a bad parent because I'm doing those things. I'm accepting that.
It's been a month of so many changes. Yes, she's a month old already. Today is her birthday! And every day it gets easier. We learn more about each other every day. And I love what Marina wrote in her comment on my last post: She doesn't judge you. You are perfect in her eyes even when you are exhausted. It's true. Helayna doesn't judge me. What a relief.

Sleep...

2006-11-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

or maybe this post would be better titled "Lack of Sleep". Wow, I am exhausted. I feel better than I did the first week Helayna was born and much better than I did when we were in the hospital but still, I am so wiped. Sleep has become a major issue in our house. Helayna is not a good sleeper, I've decided. She would much rather be awake, screaming and overtired than fall asleep on her own. This is a problem. She wants to be held almost all the time. I don't want to hold her all of the time. I know that might sound mean but I can't hold her all the time. There are other things to do and I also want her to learn to fall asleep on her own, without one of us holding her. For the most part, she sleeps well in the playpen at night but during the day is a different story. She will not sleep in the playpen during the day for more than 15-20 minutes. She is a cat napper. I'm not sure how a newborn can be a cat napper but she is. She takes these short naps throughout the day instead of a couple long naps. I can't get anything done. It's stressing me out. She will take one long nap around lunch time that usually lasts 2-3 hours (if I'm lucky) but other than that, it's all about the cat naps. And the last 2 nights, she's been awake during the night for over an hour AFTER her feeding. We've tried so many things and nothing seems to work. I don't really know what to do with this little monkey. She will sleep in the car, that's one place she will sleep but I really don't want to get into the habit of having to drive her around to get her to sleep especially now that winter is here. I'm hoping that as we continue to train her, this part of our lives will get easier. I don't know how much longer I can go on 1 1/2 hours of sleep at a time. Well, I mean, if I add up the hours, I usually get 4 hours per night and maybe 1/2 - 1 hour during the day.
Another thing I'm struggling with is breastfeeding. She has not been feeding well the past 2 days. She'll nurse for about 5-10 minutes and then she's not interested but if I put her down, she wants to eat. What is up with that?!?! She's never been a long feeder, most feeds usually last 20 minutes but the 5 minutes is not working. And I refuse to feed her every hour, as she seems to want. I'm not doing the strict schedule feedings but I'm also not doing on-demand feeding either. She has to wait at least 2 hours before I will feed her again. Her normal routine is 3-3 1/2 hours so this is a change. And I don't think it's a growth spurt either because she'll happily sleep for 2-3 hours if she's had a good feed. I'm almost ready to throw in the towel with the breastfeeding. My sister warned me when I first had her that this would happen. She said I would probably reach a point where I'd want to give up but it's normal, most women go through this. And she encouraged me to push through this time and keep going. So I am but I feel so demanded of, like never before. I'm so exhausted and I feel like I've lost a huge part of my independance. I so wasn't ready for all of these changes and challenges. But at the same time, it's not like you can prepare for them either. It happens and I know I'm not alone. But truthfully, I keep wondering, "how in the world do people do this more than once?!?! Why do people have more than 1 child?!?!" I started pumping this week because my mom is coming this weekend and she said she'd babysit so Jonathan and I can go out for dinner. Maybe pumping will help. Maybe I can get Jonathan to give her one bottle in the middle of the night so I can sleep a bit longer.
She's also super gassy - has been since we went to the hospital. This weekend I decided to give up dairy. Jonathan is lactose intolerant and was as a baby so maybe that's what's causing it. We've tried gas relief drops & gripe water - sometimes they help, other times they don't. She does prefer to sleep on her tummy or sitting up so I know she's in pain (that and the look on her face some times).
And this girl has a set of lungs on her. She can SCREAM when she wants to.
I don't mean to be a downer but I also want to be real. I want to have this written down so that I can look back and remember this time and see that I got through it okay.
So if you have a moment, please send some encouragement my way. Tell me that I'm not alone. Remind me that it gets easier (I pray it does).

Somebody

2006-11-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

is getting some cheeks!

My girl...

2006-11-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

loves to sleep with her hands free and up beside her head. It totally cracks me up!

Our Pumpkin

2006-11-15T22:16:00.000-07:00

is 3 weeks old today! WOW! It's hard to believe. The first 2 weeks felt like they passed so slowly and now she's 3 weeks old.
And just in case you thought she was always happy, here's a photo for you! Ha! We see this face quite frequently!
On Monday, we ditched the cradle. She was not enjoying sleeping in it. So I borrowed a playpen from a friend and she's doing much better in that. Jonathan brought the crib home yesterday so we can finish sanding it here and then get painting it. Yah, that was one of my projects to do in the 3 weeks I had off before she arrived! ;) Someone was just in a hurry to get here though so it didn't get done in those 2 days off I had. Hopefully by Christmas we'll have it finished and she'll be in it.
Today we had a great day! She slept so good last night and then we headed off to where I used to work and my boss' wife (and dear friend) watched Helayna for a few hours so I could sleep. It was SOOOOO awesome! I had such a good sleep, not having to worry about Helayna waking up, listening to every squeak and grunt. I was so spoiled!
Only a week and a day until Grandma comes for another visit! We can't wait!

This Little Cutie...

2006-11-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

was up until 4:15am this morning! She just did not want to sleep. We put her down at 10:30, she slept beautifully until her next feeding at midnight and then was wide awake and not very happy until 4am. So this mommy is tired today. Thankfully, Jonathan has let me take 3 naps today! YAY!

I also wanted to say that I have been so overwhelmed by all of the support we have received since having Helayna. We haven't made a meal since we had her and we STILL have people bringing us meals. Our fridge is literally overflowing with food. It is so awesome. I think one of the things that I have appreciated the most are the meals and food. I can't imagine trying to come up with meal ideas right now and then try to find the time and energy to cook. I wish I would have known how appreciated the meals are before I had Helayna because I would have been bringing meals to all of my friends when they had babies. But now that I realize this, from now on, ALL of my friends are going to be getting a meal or two from me when they have a baby (and I have at least 3 friends having babes this spring).

I think our little bear is going through a growth spurt right now. She's been eating every 2 hours today and eating LOTS. She usually eats every 3 hours so this is a change. She's officially grown out of 4 of her newborn sleepers and has moved into 0-3 month stuff. When they weighed her at the hospital she was up to 7 1/2 lbs. She must be getting some good food! ;)

Every day is getting a little bit easier for me. I'm still completely exhausted but I'm adjusting and learning when my best times of day are. Yep, I'm still not a morning person. I feel my best from supper time on so I spend most of the day napping when Helayna naps and plan to do so for a while longer. It's hard to do when there are so many things piling up around the house but I know it's only for a short time and I need the sleep.

Hopefully this week will be less eventful than last and I'll be able to keep on updating. Thanks again for all of your support and concern!

Small Victories

2006-11-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

Helayna slept in her cradle last night. It was so amazing. I knew she could do it and I am so proud of her! I felt a million times better this morning because I actually slept soundly.

Now if only we could get her clock switched around a bit. Her awake/fussy time is some time between the hours of 11pm - 3 am. Last night it was from 11pm - 1:30am. It was hard not to bring her into bed with us but I persisted and finally she slept in her cradle. Any tips on how to get her to sleep earlier? She's usually wide awake at 11pm and I think that's why she gets so fussy because we want her to sleep and she doesn't want to.

Just for fun!

2006-11-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

Helayna decided to spend her 2 week birthday in the new Alberta Children's Hospital! What fun for Mommy and Daddy! ;)
Sigh, it has been a long week! Last Sunday evening Helayna just wasn't feeling her usual self and continued to get worse on Monday and Tuesday - not feeding well, really fussy, throwing up, and then she had this very hard distended belly. So I called the Early Start line (a hotline for parents with newborns) and they sent me to my family doctor who immediately sent us to the hospital. We spent Tuesday evening in the emergency department where Helayna was thoroughly poked and prodded and very unhappy. She had all sorts of tests done, blood drawn, x-rays taken, and they even attempted a lumbar puncture (a spinal tap to rule out meningitis) which was unsuccessful that night. Because some of the results were coming back a bit worrisome, she was admitted that night and we spent the next 3 days in the hospital waiting for test results. She was put on anti-biotics on Tuesday night via IV and then had even more tests done the next day. They also managed to do a successful lumbar puncture. It was SO hard to watch her go through everything. I had to leave the room every time they did something to her, I just couldn't watch.
The final test results came back last night after midnight and everything was negative so it looks like she had a virus and that is what caused the fever, vomiting and general discomfort. I'm so glad it wasn't anything more serious. I'm also very thankful that we had such amazing care. The hospital has only been open for 6 weeks and it is AMAZING! The staff was really good and even though there was a lot of waiting, we felt very confident in the care she received.

So thank you for your prayers and support. She is doing so much better and is back to her old self. We've learnt a lot about each other in the past few days and are continuing to grow together. I just hope we have a restful weekend - I thought I was tired before we went to the hospital! ;)

Weekend Visit

2006-11-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

It was SOOOO nice to have my mom, my sister Naomi, and niece Meadow visit this weekend! It was just so good to see them all! They both totally spoiled Helayna with presents and Naomi did our dishes, laundry, cleaned the bathroom, and brought dinner with her! What a treat it was to have those things done! My mom and Jonathan made a delicious breakfast of waffles this morning and we all enjoyed chatting, sharing and holding babies!!!!

Here are some photos!
cousins! Check out the size difference! Helayna looks a little shocked in the photo and her fuzzy hair just cracks me up! She's starting to be awake for longer periods of time and her eyes are focusing more each day!

with Auntie Naomi! She couldn't get over how small Helayna is and that Meadow was once that size!

Grandma in her glory!

A visit from Grandpa!

2006-11-03T21:13:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Krueger came for a visit yesterday and today and boy, do I sure like when he holds me!!!! He's so warm and cozy!
Mommy had a long day today. I was fussy last night and I refuse to sleep in my cradle. I HATE that thing, I'd rather be in bed with mommy and daddy but they want me to sleep in my cradle. Daddy's still at work and has to go back into work tomorrow. We sure miss him when he's gone so much. I wish he could stay home with me every day too (and so does mommy!). But tomorrow Grandma Krueger and Auntie Naomi and Meadow are coming to visit. I can't wait to meet my Auntie Naomi and my cousin Meadow!
Well, it's time to eat! Better go!

Another One!

2006-11-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

Here's one!

2006-10-31T21:19:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems like I can get one to load so here's a photo of Helayna just after her first bath! She LOVED having her hair washed!!!!

Little update!

2006-10-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to post some photos but of course I'm not able to - blogger isn't cooperating so I'll just do an update for now instead.
We're doing well. It's been an overwhelming and exhausting week but we're adjusting to having this sweet girl in our life. It's hard to believe she'll be a week old already tomorrow.
She's such a blessing, has a very sweet disposition and is eating like a champ.
I'm trying to sleep as much as I can when she sleeps so I've been neglecting so many things. If you've emailed me and I haven't gotten back to you, my apologies. Once things get into more of a routine and I start to feel somewhat human again, I promise to respond. I'm trying to enjoy every moment with Helayna because already it's going to fast.
It's amazing how much your life changes in that instant when your child is born. It's a beautiful, amazing, crazy, difficult thing. I keep on reminding myself that I'm not alone. So many have done this before and go on to do it again (although I must say, right now, I'm SO at the stage where we're only having one!!!!). And it's true, they really are SO worth it!

Some photos!

2006-10-27T18:08:00.000-06:00

Less than an hour old!

With mommy and daddy!

2 days old!

She's here!!!!

2006-10-27T10:44:00.000-06:00

Helayna Lorraine was born October 25th at 8:33am. She weighs 6lbs. 6oz. and is 19 inches long. She came early and quickly (my water broke at 11pm, contractions started at midnight, we got to the hospital at 6:30am and she was born at 8:33am). We are all doing really well and couldn't have asked for a better experience. The staff at the hospital was amazing. Our doula was priceless. Jonathan was so encouraging and helpful (as usual) and he is one VERY proud daddy. She is absolutely beautiful and we are so thrilled she is here!
And of course I can't get photos to load! :( :( :( I promise I will try again later today though!

2006-10-24T12:49:00.000-06:00

So here are a couple of the 38 layouts I've been working on.

Just having fun scrapping! TFL!!!

Still here!

2006-10-23T18:01:00.000-06:00

Enjoying my first 'official' day off! Got to sleep in and thoroughly enjoyed that! I've been busy burning photos to CD and I am *almost* finished! YAY!!!!!
Spent the weekend with my family and it was so good. Meadow was baptized on Sunday and it was such a precious and special time.
Took a few photos but am working on editing them right now.
Here's one I took on Saturday of the happy little girl! Isn't that smile gorgeous?! And I LOVE that dimple!
I taught my last class for a while at the LSS on Saturday. It went well, I think. I'm going to miss teaching. I've really been enjoying it lately! But I'll be back at it soon, I'm sure.
Other than that, just working on crossing things off my list!

And the winner is...

2006-10-20T11:33:00.000-06:00

SmileyCarrie!!!!! So far I've done 38 layouts. I was cruising along until I hit 25 and then I just wasn't into it. Plus I've been making TONNES of thank-you cards lately and doing classes for the store so I just haven't had time. I'm hoping with some time off now though, that I'll get some more done!
Thanks for playing along!
Carrie - send me an email (it's under my profile) and I'll send the stamps off to you shortly!

Another Little Update

2006-10-18T12:48:00.000-06:00

Wow, I am just loving all the guesses you guys are giving me! Too fun! Some of them are just crackin' me up! I love it! And I'm so glad so many of you are playing along! YAY!

Well, tomorrow is my last day of work. It's hard to believe it's that time already. I've been trying to finish up all that last minute stuff at work and get things organized for when I leave but in all honesty, things are gonna be just fine without me. The girl taking over for me is awesome and I'm completely confident that she will do very well. That's been a big relief for me.

I've been doing fairly well. Monday was a rough day. I was not feeling well at all - no appetite, upset stomach, nausea, headache, difficulty breathing - stuff like that. I was concerned. You know, first time doing all this so I was wondering what in the world was happening. However, when I woke up on Tuesday I felt much, much better.

I'm getting quite uncomfortable. Sitting is the absolute worst for me, especially in the car. It's crazy. It feels like the baby is going to push right through my ribs and it's so hard to breathe. Last night, I couldn't decide whether to stand, sit, walk, or lie down. Nothing was feeling comfortable. So I did a bit of all those things and felt a bit better. I was trying to scrapbook but was getting rather uncomfortable so I didn't get as much done as I would have liked but I guess that's just par for the course.

Seriously though, I can't complain. I really do feel great besides these minor things. I'm still swimming and it feels SO good. I love being in the water, taking the weight off and I'm so happy that I'm still able to go and enjoy doing that.

We have purchased everything we need, I think. I'm so happy and relieved about that. Diapers, wipes, nursing stuff, baby clothes, etc. My plan next week is to get our room organized and ready for baby. We're picking up the cradle from my sister this weekend and then we'll rearrange our room as baby will be sleeping in our room - that's what happens when you have a 1 bedroom place. We haven't been able to decorate a nursery but that's okay. I know there will be lots of years to decorate rooms for our kids when they get older.

I have another dr's appointment tomorrow. Everything is just trucking along. Last week she told me that the baby has dropped and the head is engaged. Yep, can definitey tell that the baby has dropped. That would explain the 3-4 bathroom trips per night! All preparation for the sleepless nights to come!

We're taking our prenatal childbirth class at the end of this month so I'm sure we'll get more information then. We have our big meeting with our doula tomorrow night to go over our birth plan and stuff like that. I'm trying to be flexible as I have no idea what will happen so I don't want to be too rigid.

I still have to pack my bag. I have a list of what to bring but would love any tips on what to bring, what not to bring, what you wish you had or what was a waste? Any tips would be awesome!

Now, just playing the waiting game! When will this little one arrive?!

It's time!

2006-10-17T18:00:00.000-06:00

For another RAK!
These unused Making Memories Philadelphia lowercase foam stamps are up for grabs!
This time, I'm going to pick the person who guesses how many layouts (or closest to) I've completed in my 100 layout challenge. Back in September, I challenged myself to complete 100 layouts before buying anything new, aside from my allowance for Scrapfest. So far, I'm doing not too bad. I'll leave it open until Thursday at midnight (MST) and post the name on Friday morning.
So, how many do you think I've done?!

I was just

2006-10-15T16:53:00.000-06:00

folding some baby clothes, trying to decide what to take to the hospital and was suddenly overcome with emotion. I'm going to be a mom. My little babe is going to be wearing these clothes. I am going to have a child to love and hold and my husband is going to be a dad. It almost took my breath away. There were tears in my eyes. I can't wait. I am so excited. This moment caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting it. It was a gentle reminder from God that everything will be okay. This is such a good thing. He will and is taking care of all my worries and anxieties.
I can't wait to meet you little one. You are loved more than you will ever know already.

Finally

2006-10-12T21:47:00.000-06:00

starting on burning those photos to CD. Man, I love photos. I love looking at them and remembering and just savoring.
Here's another one Jonathan's sister took this weekend. I used the urban acid action from this site and I love it!!!
I had another doctor's appointment today and it went well. The baby is head down (YAY!) and has dropped now so that is very good news. Everything else is fine. I was very happy with my weight today. I thought for sure it would be way higher after Thanksgiving weekend but I was pleasantly surprised! Other than that, every thing is going well - heartrates, blood pressure, measurements are all good and that makes me so happy.
Just a quick post to share some good news and a photo! TFL!

One More Month

2006-10-11T16:04:00.000-06:00

until my due date. Wow. So hard to believe. I do realize it could be more or less than a month but still, it probably won't be more than six weeks. That is crazy. I'll be holding my little one in about one month. I'll be a mom and Jonathan will be a dad. Wow.
Things are going well. I'm still swimming 3x per week and am thoroughly enjoying that. It feels so good to be in the water and not have any weight on my feet or back. I'm so glad I've had such a healthy pregnancy. It really is a blessing to me.
The baby is still moving lots which is so cool and this little one now gets the hiccups all the time. It's pretty funny but I kinda feel bad because I hate getting the hiccups, they hurt, so I wish I could make them go away for babe because they seem so strong when they come.
Five more days of work left. That is so hard to believe. I'm looking forward to the break though. So much to do before baby comes.
Other than that we are busy, busy, busy. Lots of people to visit with before baby comes, some courses to take, Meadow's baptism, another photo shoot, a cousin coming to town, ya know, stuff like that. It's all good though.
It means we have a full and good life.

So many things to be grateful for...

2006-10-09T15:14:00.000-06:00

1. warm, sunny fall days
2. spending time with family
3. amazingly delicious food
4. this precious little girl and her sweet laughter
5. my health
6. a wonderfully supportive group of friends
7. sleeping in on a day off
8. moments like this

A little baby gift!

2006-10-05T19:20:00.000-06:00

Check out what baby got the other day!
Good friends of ours, Scott and Alanna, surprised us with these little Edmonton Eskimos shoes the other day. Scott and Alanna headed to Sri Lanka yesterday for a year with Samaritan's Purse to do some relief work so they gave us a baby gift a little bit early. So incredibly sweet! Jonathan is a huge Edmonton Eskimos fan and Scott's a big Saskatchewan Roughriders fan so they've spent many, many hours watching games together, bugging each other, and just talking about football. Scott really wanted to buy us a Roughriders pair but he knew the baby would never wear them! So, boy or girl, this baby is definitely gonna be raised watching the Esks play! And I'm sure this isn't the last piece of Eskimos gear that this babe will be wearing!

2006-10-02T11:16:00.000-06:00

I've been listening to Paul Brandt's "I Still Do" on repeat for weeks now. I just LOVE this song - so romantic and so honest. I love it.
Here are the lyrics:

It's in the way you move me
The way you look right through me
Still brings me down to my knees
Every time you smile
And after all this time love
It's still hard to get enough
From the very first time I thought you were the one
Who'd make all of my dreams come true

I still do
I'm still amazed every time that we kiss
I still do
I'm never gonna stop feeling like this
Like the first time that I fell for you
I still do

They all might say we're crazy
Sometimes I think we may be
When I think about the way we
Live like life's a dare
I'd lay my life down for you
I'd do anything to prove it's true
I'd lay my life down for you

I'd do anything to prove it's true

So I decided that my last day of work will be October 19th. Wow, that is coming up quick. I was originally going to make it October 26th but I am finding it harder and harder to be at work. I find sitting one of the most uncomfortable positions for me right now. My legs ache, my belly pushes so hard on my diaphragm that it's hard to breathe, my back gets sore, my butt hurts and I feel rather unproductive so I'm going to take off a week earlier than planned. Plus I sat down on Saturday and made a list of all the things I want to do before baby arrives. YIKES!!!! It's a long one. Hopefully I'll be able to focus and get it all done. And the new girl I'm training to take over for me is just awesome. I think she's gonna do a better job than I do (not that I want to sound like I'm tooting my own horn). She's caught on really quickly, has a great personality and fits in great so that's taken a big load off my shoulders. So that means only 10 1/2 days of work left. I only work Monday - Thursday and next Monday is a holiday. WOW! That is just crazy to me.

I've been having lots of mixed emotions lately. I think it comes with the whole pregnancy thing. Part of me is filled with sheer excitement at the thought of our little one arriving, part of me is filled with sheer panic. I'm worried about labour, worried about what to actually do when the baby comes, worried about bfeeding, worried that I won't be able to handle the sleepless nights and crying. But then excited to meet the babe that has been growing inside of me, excited to add to our family and see Jonathan become a daddy, excited to be a mom, excited to experience this new love. So many emotions right now.

This past weekend was good. I had a great lunch with Mary and Rhonda on Friday - such good company and good food and so inspiring. I'm so thankful I have met so many amazing people because of scrapbooking.

Friday night I finished up my next class sample and prepped for a class on Saturday. The class on Saturday went well. The ladies were great and their layouts turned out so well. I always leave classes feeling inspired. It's funny - I wasn't expecting that when I first started teaching but it's happened. I love the way people interpret things and the little things they teach me and seeing their photos and hearing the stories behind those photos. It's so cool.

Saturday night we had some friends over that we went backpacking with in August and looked through photos. It was great to see them again. However, I realized that I'm missing 1/2 of our photos from that trip. I have no idea where they are. Um, yah, a little panic set in there. I need to find them. I've printed some of them so I know they are there, I'm just not sure where. I also realized that I have (please don't egg me) over 2000 photos on our computer and I've only burned about 250 of those to CD. So one of those projects to do before baby comes is organizing and burning ALL of those photos onto CD because I have this feeling that the number might just quadruple when baby arrives. ;)

Sunday, after church, I spent the afternoon making cards. I've been wanting to get a bunch of thank-you cards made before the baby comes so that's what I worked on. I got 15 done and it felt so good - used up some 'older' supplies and was so happy to clean up my stash a little.

So that's what's been up with me. We have lots of plans again this week - lots of friends who want to hang out before baby comes, another class on Friday night, and then we'll be heading up to see both of our families for Thanksgiving this weekend.

So please forgive me if I'm not updating the blog as much as I should be. It doesn't mean I've gone into labour and had the baby! I'm just SO crazy busy right now.

32 weeks

2006-09-30T17:30:00.000-06:00

Mary did a photo shoot for me 2 weeks ago. It was AWESOME - not just having her take amazing photos but hanging out together. I love those times so much!
Here are some of the photos she took.

Now it feels like in the last 2 weeks I've grown A LOT! I'm still measuring a bit small but growing steadily so that's good. It's so hard to believe my due date is just 6 weeks away! I'm not ready yet!!!!!!
p.s. As for a color on the crib, we're leaning towards a dark stain. We don't have a nursery. Our place is just a tiny one bedroom so baby will be sleeping in our room for now so I'm not doing any decorating. :( But hopefully next spring/summer that will change. Jonathan likes cherry wood but I don't like the red as much.

5 Weird Things about Me

2006-09-29T17:44:00.000-06:00

Okay, so totally procrastinated on this one! Life has been so insanely busy lately. Whew! I'm wiped. We're doing well though - just lots on the go and lots on the go until my due date. We're either gone or totally booked every weekend now until my due date. Um, crazy?!?! Yah, I think so.
I had to spend some time thinking about this one so that took some time too but here's the list.

1. I can eat dill pickles like nobody's business - 7, 8, 9 at a time, no problem! Just the other week I ate an entire jar of pickled carrots in one sitting. Yah, I like me some pickles. (I must admit though for the first 6 months of my pregnancy, I couldn't even stomach the thought of eating them but that's ended now).
2. I can't eat wheat, rye, barley or oats. I'm gluten intolerant but I've recently read that for most people it turns into an allergy so I've been extremely careful lately. It really does suck some days but I get horrible headaches that last for days and have major stomach issues so it's not worth it to eat it. So yep, that means no bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, pies, canned soup, licorice, certain yogurts and ice creams, and much, much more. However, thankfully, there are lots of companies that make gluten-free products and I've found some bakeries that I can get stuff from too. I rarely do though because it is SO expensive.
3. I can't stand using public washrooms. They gross me out so bad. I do use them because I have a bladder the size of a small walnut, I swear, and I just wouldn't be able to go out if I didn't but seriously, GROSS me right out. I also hate touching door handles, shopping carts, and any thing like that. YUCK!! The second I get home, I have to wash my hands.
4. When I scrapbook, I measure everything. I never used to but now I do. It's crazy. I measure to the millimeter. Everything has to be measured, balanced, and in its place. The ruler on the my trimmer is wearing off from measuring so much.
5. I can't stand when my glasses are dirty. It drives me crazy. I hate going out in the rain with my glasses on because I can't stand getting waterspots on them. I'll often take my glasses off if it's raining just so they don't get wet - even if I'm just walking from the car to a store. The minute they are dirty, it bugs me. I can't stop thinking about it and staring at the dirty spot. I've even taken my glasses off when they get dirty just so I don't have to look through them.

There ya have it - some strange things about me!

Our Crib

2006-09-26T11:33:00.000-06:00

Here it is. It just needs to be sanded and stained. Isn't it GORGEOUS?!?!?! My grandpa did such an amazing job! I absolutely LOVE it! If you have any color suggestions, I'd love to hear!!!!

Oh and I'm not ignoring the 'tags' I've received. I just haven't had time to sit and think about the list. I promise to answer soon!

2006-09-25T14:29:00.000-06:00

Why is it that weekends just seem to fly by so quickly?!?!?! Honestly, it always seems like Monday is here before I know it and I'm back at work wishing it was still the weekend.
I had an AWESOME weekend! I was up in Edmonton and area for the weekend. I spent some time on Friday with my great aunt and uncle, who so generously put me up for the weekend. They are 2 of the kindest, sweetest people I have ever met - so full of energy and life and joy. I love being with them.
On Saturday, I was at Scrapfest. I met up with a bunch of online friends and it was SO cool. I first met up with Caroline and Melissa. I've known both of these girls for a while now through scrapbooking and was SO happy to finally meet them both. They are even sweeter, funnier, and nicer than I imagined them to be, if that is possible.
I also met Mona, who I know from my time on the DT at Scraptivity
and Lea, who also hangs out at Scraptivity. They are both so nice and sweet. I met Melissa Chapman as well but didn't get a photo on my camera. I think she got one so I'll have to get her to email it to me. And I met Jayme too - she was part of the brains behind the whole show - she is a sweetie!
I also managed to meet up with my friend, Theresa, who just happens to be one of the owners of the store I teach at in Calgary, Scrapbooker's Bliss. We took one of Ali Edwards' classes together. I'm so glad I got to sit beside her and she helped me through all my mess and confusion. Ya know for someone who teaches classes, I have a hard time following directions! LOL! Thankfully, I managed to save my project before ruining it completely.
Speaking of Ali, she is AMAZING - so real, inspiring and down-to-earth. She's just like she is on her blog except funnier - she has an awesome sense of humor. Her class was so inspiring. She is so inspiring. I just wanted to sit there forever and soak it all in. The class was called: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, Always and we made a little mini-book with the Making Memories 4x4 mini-books. They are very cool. I hope to finish it up in the next little bit and then I'll post it for you all to see.
I think the highlight of my weekend, while there were many, this one just might take the cake, was meeting Melissa. We've been emailing back and forth for a while now and she is just so awesome! We have lots in common and to me, just kinda seemed to click. Meeting up in person, in Edmonton of all places, was so, so, so good. I WISH we lived closer. I know we would hang out lots. She's totally full of life and energy and dang, is she ever funny! (have you noticed a trend here, I'm thinking I really like funny people!) She is also incredibly generous. She did a maternity shoot for me and I'm so excited to see the photos!
I also spent some time at the Fontwerks booth. Holy cow, those girls ROCK (and so do those stamps)! Kate, Kah-Mei and Melissa are a hoot yet still so darn nice and funny and sincere. When I started the 100 layout challenge, I gave myself permission to go shopping at Scrapfest with the money I had made from teaching classes in September. I know it might sound kinda like cheating but I knew that if FW was gonna be there, I was gonna be shopping. It's not always easy to find their stamps around here so I stocked up. I am SO excited to get scrapping now - some yummy new goodies and a dose of Ali and I'm ready to go!
Whew! Sunday was my Grandma's 80th birthday. I'm so glad I was able to be there for the celebration. She is a beautiful lady, both inside and out. She's like a rock yet so humble and patient and caring. I love her dearly and am so glad she is my Grandma!
And after what felt like a pretty long drive home on Sunday, I got to see my husband, who was away for a week! Ahhhhhh, so very good to have him home again. He surprised me by cleaning the entire place and doing laundry before I came home. I just love him so much!

Just in case you were wondering...

2006-09-21T10:48:00.000-06:00

DRAEM does not spell DREAM and those Heidi Swapp iron-ons do NOT come off clothing very easily. *$%*&^ pregnancy brain!

Other things I've learnt this week:
1. Many, many people do NOT know the difference between a yield sign and a merge sign. There IS a difference, people.
2. Hazelnut steamed milk is a very good thing.
3. One of the best ways to brighten someone's day is to send them some mail. One of the best ways to brighten my day is to get something in the mail.
4. 100 layouts is a LOT of layouts.
5. An unexpected phone call and visit from my dad is a real blessing.
6. No matter how many warm wheat bags I go to bed with, they still don't make up for my husband.
7. Doctors can make big mistakes. My health and the health of my child are worth fighting for.
8. It's okay to cry. Sometimes it even makes you feel better.
9. There is nothing like spending some time with a good friend.

Recipe Share

2006-09-18T11:58:00.000-06:00

Just thought I would share 2 of my favorite fall recipes.

Slow Cooker Lasagne

8 lasagne noodles, broken into bite-size pieces
3 L boiling water
2 tsp. cooking oil (optional)
2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef

3/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 x 14oz canned tomatoes, with juice, broken up
5 1/2 oz. tomato paste
1 cup creamed cottage cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. dried whole oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. dried sweet basil
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Cook lasagne noodle pieces in boiling water, cooking oil and salt in large pot for 14-16 minutes until tender but firm. Drain.
Scramble-fry ground beef in non-stick frying pan until browned. Drain well. Turn into 3 1/2 quart (3.5L) slow cooker.
Add remaining 12 ingredients. Stir well. Add lasagne noodle pieces. Stir. Cover. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours or on high for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. Makes 10 cups.

Sweet & Spicy Lentil Chili

2 tbsp. butter
1 stalk (1/2 cup) celery, chopped
1 small (1/3 cup) onion, chopped
1 small (1/2 cup) green pepper, chopped
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 cup dried lentils
1 cup water
1 – 28 oz. cans beef broth
1 – 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes with jalapenos
1 small (3cups) winter squash, peeled, cut into 1-in. pieces
1 small (2 cups) sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1-in. pieces
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
Sour cream
Cilantro

Melt butter in saucepan, until sizzling. Add celery, onion, green pepper & garlic.
Cook over medium-high heat until onion is softened (3-4 minutes). Add all remaining ingredients. Continue cooking until mixture comes to a boil (7-10 minutes).
Reduce heat to low. Cover. Cook until lentils are tender, about 1 hour.

ENJOY!

It must be the weather...

2006-09-16T17:39:00.000-06:00

combined with these crazy hormones but I have been rather domestic today and that really is not like me - just ask DH. I woke up, had breakfast, put Slow Cooker Lasagna in the crock pot for dinner, cleaned the bathroom, did a bunch of laundry, went grocery shopping (bought ingredients for Sweet and Spicy Lentil Chili) and now I have Peach Crisp in the oven and am about to start doing some ironing. Seriously, this is SO unlike me but I said to DH this morning that it must be the weather that is putting me in the mood to cook. That's one thing I love about when the weather turns cooler - yummy soups, stews and slow cooker recipes.
Tomorrow morning Jonathan flies to Virginia for a week for work. I'm going to miss him so much, especially since we've barely seen each other this week. He's been putting in so many hours at work and even had to work today. I'm sure the week will fly by and he'll be back before I know it. I've got lots of plans for the week so that will help. And I'm really glad he's not going away any later in my pregnancy.
I hope you are having a fantastic weekend!

Look who

2006-09-16T10:57:00.000-06:00

I got to hang out with yesterday!!! Naomi and Meadow! We met in Red Deer for lunch and some shopping! Meadow was such a little trooper. We kept on disrupting her naps hauling her in and out of the car and in and out of stores. Poor little girl! I hope she slept all the way home for Naomi. And the weather was SO GROSS!!! It was cold and pouring rain so that made getting in and out of places that much more trying. But it was so good to hang out. She's grown so much in the past 6 weeks since I last saw her. I wish we lived closer. I hope once my baby arrives, we can meet up in Red Deer even more. It's almost exactly half way between where we both live.
And now I'm even more excited for my little one to arrive!

Weekend Getaway

2006-09-12T19:31:00.000-06:00

So we spent this past weekend in Jasper with our friends, Mark and Krista. It had been a year since we'd last seen them and it was SO good to connect again. Jonathan has known Mark for a long time now (before I was in the picture). He is a great guy and an awesome friend to Jonathan but I have to say, I'm a bit partial to Krista - she is AMAZING - beautiful, funny, caring, and so sweet. I'm so glad they have each other - they are such a great couple.
We went hiking on Saturday up to Bald Hills which happens to start at Maligne Lake and ends with a view of the lake. It was a 10km hike return with about 450m elevation gain. It was a great hike, not too long but dang, the elevation was brutal on me. I am having a bit of a hard time accepting limitations but I realized when we got to the top that I need to be careful and not overdo it. I came very close but was okay and am really, really glad I went. The weather was awesome but the sky was very smokey from the forest fires burning in BC and Montana. We could smell the smoke as soon as we opened the car doors when we arrived.
The rest of our time was spent hanging out at our little cabin, going out for dinner and coffee and a little walk around the cabin grounds that night. Of course, the weekend went by way too fast.
And with the way the next 2 months look, this was probably our last little trip away to the mountains before baby arrives.

Busy, busy, busy!

2006-09-12T09:34:00.000-06:00

Whew! Life has been rather busy lately. It's all good though! We spent the weekend in Jasper with some friends and had an awesome time! I will update with photos soon! Work has been crazy - lots to do in the next few weeks. It's hard to believe I only have 6-7 weeks of work left. The girl who is replacing me started last week so it's all seeming VERY real now.
Baby is doing well - still growing like crazy and super active.
I'll update more soon!

RAK winners!

2006-09-07T11:02:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone who played along! I hope you will continue to play along in the future too!

The winners are:

Anita
Dale Anne
Lea

If you can please email me your addresses, I will get your RAK out to you by the end of the week. To email me, click on the "View Complete Profile" link right beside my photo on the top RH corner of my blog and then click "Email".

A Present

2006-09-06T21:21:00.000-06:00

Look what Daddy bought baby!!!! He even got the matching stroller!
I was shocked and thrilled! I definitely wasn't expecting him to pick that up - means the world to me. This makes everything seem so much more real now. :)

Ode to Summer

2006-09-06T09:56:00.000-06:00

Since summer is coming to an end, I thought I'd share some of my favorite things about summer. I'm going to miss it! Winter always comes far too soon in my opinion.

1. the longer days
2. fresh fruit - peaches, cherries, nectarines, blueberries, raspberries, plums, pears, I love them all!
3. hot weather
4. fresh herbs growing on my patio
5. wearing capris
6. thunderstorms with refreshing rain
7. ice cold drinks
8. eating dinner outside
9. going for ICE CREAM!!!!!!
10. warm walks down by the river
11. tank tops and tees (no jackets!)
12. hiking in the mountains
13. fresh veggies from the Farmer's Market - beans, baby potatoes, beets, carrots, peas, corn on the cob, garden lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers
14. sitting out on the patio at a restaurant
15. sandels and flip-flops
16. that cool, refreshing breeze at night
17. green grass, green leaves, green plants
18. the hot summer sun
19. blooming flowers
20. the smell of fresh cut grass
21. my first tomato plants - so many delicious tomatos this year!
22. late evening runs
23. summer sunsets
24. driving with the windows down
25. waking up to the birds chirping in the morning

Just read...

2006-09-03T18:27:00.000-06:00

THIS and had to share. Powerful stuff. It really hit home for me.

RAK time!

2006-09-03T16:16:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I've been doing lots of cleaning/purging lately and I've started to tackle my scrapping stuff. Last night I was going through some of it and was so overwhelmed by how much stuff I have!!!! So between now and when the baby is born, I'm doing to do some random RAKs through my blog. I'll always post what I'm giving away so you can decide if you want/need that particular item and I'll try to include a photo when I do it too. However, this time, since my camera is at work, I'm not going to include a photo. Sorry! Then I'll do a random draw and mail it out to the lucky recipient.
Anyway, this time, I've giving away ribbon and blossoms - a random selection of each from my stash - so between now and Wednesday night, post a comment here if you would like to be included in the draw and I'll pick 3 winners to send this RAK to.
Thanks for playing!
Happy Labour Day Weekend!

So...

2006-09-01T15:48:00.000-06:00

I was going to share some of what I've been working on lately but unfortunately I think I left my camera at work. I'm really hoping it's there because I have no idea where it is right now. I remember taking it there and don't remember bringing it home so I'm assuming that's where it is.
Instead, I'm gonna share a couple layouts I did for HOF. I know that was months ago but I just haven't gotten around to posting them. However, now seems like a perfect opportunity.
Jonathan and his parents. I took this photo last fall when we were in Banff. I handcut the title and leaves and then popped up some of the leaves for some dimension.
This layout is all about a game we play with Jonathan's family. It gets rather competitive but is lots of fun.
I hope you have a fantastic long weekend!

the photos

2006-08-28T13:21:00.000-06:00

YAY! I got some photos to upload!
One of DH and I. We don't have many photos of the 2 of us together since I've been expecting so this one was nice to get!

And Mom took this one too - just showing off my cute new tank and jeans she bought me. The tank says "coming this fall' - totally LOVE it!

Happy Weekend!

2006-08-28T09:26:00.000-06:00

We had such an awesome weekend! My mom came down on Thursday night and stayed until Saturday afternoon. It was SOOOOO good to spend some time with her and do lots of shopping. Check out my mom's blog for details on what we did. She forgot to mention how she completely SPOILED us! My mom is seriously the most generous person I know. I love her dearly!

She also took a couple photos for us which, of course, I can't seem to upload so I'll try again later.

I hope you all had a great weekend too!

28 weeks

2006-08-23T11:13:00.000-06:00

I can't believe I'm in my third trimester already! This summer has really flown by. Before I know it, baby will be here and my life will be so different. I'm thoroughly enjoying being pregnant. I absolutely LOVE feeling the baby move, even when it's 3am and I can't fall asleep because he/she is kicking SO hard. I love feeling the different parts of the baby, 'oh, there's a foot or a hand or an elbow and there's the back and the head.' It just blows me away still. I'm starting to get more uncomfortable now. I've got such sore legs in the afternoon and at night and have been getting lots of leg cramps but am doing lots of stretching and making myself get up during the day and walk around so the blood is flowing. I was trying to put off getting one of those body pillows but I think I might have to cave and buy one. It's hard to get comfy at night and I still have a few months to go!
Swimming is going really well. It's so much easier on my body than running but I miss running like crazy and hope to get back into it once baby is here. I'm craving a good run!
Anyway, here are some photos Jonathan took of me this weekend.

Thanks for peeking!

DOH!

2006-08-21T09:59:00.000-06:00

Okay, I've been trying for 2 days now to upload some photos of me that Jonathan took but am having no luck. I promise to keep trying but wanted you to know that I haven't forgotten!
Happy Monday!

What I've Been Up To...

2006-08-19T13:38:00.000-06:00

First I want to say a very heartfelt thank-you for all of the very caring, supportive and kind words you posted regarding Jonathan's uncle. It means the world to me. When I read them, I just sat and cried, overwhelmed by the support of friends, many of whom I have never met, yet who still care about us and love us through the hard times. Thank you for caring and loving and being here for me. BIG HUGS to all of you!!!

Second, I just wanted to share some layouts I've been working on. I finally took some time to sit down and scrapbook JUST FOR ME yesterday! It was wonderful! It's been a long time since I've had a good chunk of time to create and I needed it. It's like therapy and I've been needing some time alone to just create and be free to express myself. I wish I had 10 more days!

So here's what I've been up to.
One of the photos I took of my sister when I did a photo shoot for her in June. LOVE the new KI Memories!
This is a shameless scraplift of Ali Edwards from her new book. I haven't scraplifted a layout in AGES but I loved this one so I did it!
Another one of my sweet niece, Meadow, using Scenic Route (one of the layouts I sent in for the DT contest).
A layout of our backpacking trip. I printed the journaling on a transparency but left the bottom free so you can lift up the transparency and see the whole photo.
I can't remember if I've shared this one or not. Just a simple layout about my sister becoming a Mom. Doesn't she look amazing?!?! I used some Fontwerks paper but cut out all the bits of color in between the circles because I just wanted the circles to show. Love how it turned out!
A 2-pager!!! LOL! Haven't done one of those in AGES but I really wanted to scrap these photos and use up some of my Basic Grey! I've been hoarding that stuff and I'm not sure why!
Remember those Deja Views Open Windows from a few years ago?!?! I used one on this layout (the inside black frame). I knew I was hanging onto those for a reason! LOL!

Whew, so that's some of what I've been doing! I decided yesterday to challenge myself to doing 100 layouts before I buy any new stuff. YIKES!!!! I really want to do it. I have SO much stuff and I need to widdle down my stash before baby comes (and I get to buy fun baby stuff!!!! ;) ). So far, I've done about 10 layouts. Only 90 to go! I better get scrapping!

Let me know if you have any questions! And thank so much for looking!

Darling Meadow

2006-08-16T21:46:00.000-06:00

That she most definitely is!

2006-08-15T13:01:00.000-06:00

Well, I've been meaning to update for a while now but just haven't been sure what to say. We spent the weekend with Jonathan's family. Friday night was a viewing for his uncle and then Saturday morning was the funeral. It was tough, not so much for me, although I will dearly miss his uncle, but for his family. There were so many times where I just wished I had the ability to take their pain away, to bring his uncle back, to make their family complete again. But I can't. Nobody can and it hurts. It's not fair that those kids had to lose their dad and it's not fair that his wife is now alone, a single parent, so much to face on her own. And I know that the hardest times are still ahead. I just pray that as family, we can surround them with loving arms and give them the support and help they need.
And it just blew me away that in the midst of their pain, they wanted to know more about the baby. How's the baby doing? When will he/she arrive? We can't wait to meet your little one. We need some life in this family. Blew. Me. Away.
Life is so crazy like that. Life and death. That cycle. It's made me reflective, as I'm sure it makes most people stop and reflect and reprioritize. It's caused me to think about what's important and who I am and what my life means.
It's also made me so tired. And Jonathan too. I've never seen him so wiped out before, ever. He gave the eulogy for his uncle. It was amazing, so beautiful. He has such a gift and I am so proud of him (as were many others). I think it was hard on him and now his body is exhausted, emotionally drained.
I've been very fortunate in my life to not have to experience any one close to me die. Sometimes it makes me scared of the future but I try not to live or dwell there. I try to take it one day at a time.
However, I think it is time to reprioritize my life.

Some highlights

2006-08-09T14:49:00.000-06:00

Our trip was so incredible. I wish I could convey in words how much this trip meant to me. It was exactly the break I needed.
We had really good weather, which made me happy. I admit, I'm a fair-weather camper! It was a bit cloudy/rainy/cool/windy the first day but after that we had spectacular weather.
Some of the highlights from our trip...
Definitely the helicopter ride! I could seriously get used to this!
The view from the helicopter on the first day. It was amazing! Things look so different from the air.
This little waterfall, which the 4 of us, who took the helicopter in, hiked to on the first day. It was so relaxing!
Waking up to the world covered in frost on the first morning. So maybe the cold wasn't the best part (I had a miserable sleep because I was freezing) but it sure looked incredible, especially once I warmed up a little! It got down to below zero that night - YIKES!
And it wasn't just the beautiful frost but the mist floating on the lake too! Breathtaking!
Getting to know this amazing girl, Rachel. She's from Australia and she works with Jonathan. What a delightful woman! She is so positive and full of energy and laughs! We have plans for a photo slideshow of our trip and a Lord of the Rings marathon one day! Can't wait! We're both bringing Jiffy Pop and going to make that stuff pop no matter what! ;)
The view from the hike on our first full day. We were up on 'the Nub' looking back at Lake Magog, Sunburst Lake and Mt. Assiniboine. We walked past 3 of the most incredible lakes to get to this view. I cannot get enough of that beautiful turquoise colour!
Hanging out with these amazing people for 4 days. Everyone got along so well. We laughed so hard on so many occassions. We shared stories over dinner and while hiking down the trails. I loved getting to know each person a little bit more.
This man, my father-in-law. He just never stops with the jokes. It was awesome to see him so relaxed and having such a good time. We all laughed constantly at his jokes all weekend long!
The sunset on our second night there. Mt. Assiniboine was just glowing.

It was a fantastic trip! I am so glad we all went. And I'm really glad I only had to carry my 40lb pack 2.5km instead of 28km. I wish it would have lasted longer!

Sad news.

2006-08-08T09:48:00.000-06:00

We found out last night after returning from our backpacking trip that Jonathan's Uncle Trevor passed away on Sunday night. He was 44, far too young. He had been sick since March and had been through test after test after test, spending weeks in the hospital, but was never diagnosed. Now it's too late.
If you think of it, please say a prayer for the family, his wife and their 2 kids, ages 16 and 14.

Gonna Miss..

2006-08-07T19:51:00.000-06:00

waking up to this view every day! We just got back from our trip to Mt. Assiniboine. It was spectacular! We had such an amazing time!

More later...

so busy

2006-08-02T12:59:00.000-06:00

Life has been rather hectic lately. My sister, Melinda, and her husband, Tyler, arrived last week for a visit with us. They just returned from a year in Taiwan and are heading to Poland in the fall for 4 years so I was trying hard to savor this visit.
Aren't they cute together?!?! I'm so happy they have each other.

Then on Saturday we headed up to my parents' for a visit, had dinner with the WHOLE family, which was so awesome. However, I am totally bummed that we didn't take a family photo.

On Sunday I had a baby shower for my sister and Meadow. It went well. I think everyone had a good time. I only took 2 photos though. Guess that's what happens when you are the one in charge! LOL! She was totally spoiled, got SO many cute outfits and blankets and toys and stuff.
Here's one of the photos I took of my grandma, my mom, my sister and Meadow. Doesn't my sister look amazing?!?! Meadow is 4 weeks old and she's back in her pre-pregnancy clothes. EEKS! I hope I can do the same but I'm not holding out.

This weekend we're going backpacking to Mt. Assiniboine, looking forward to it but have so much to do before we go. We bought all the food last night so tonight I'll be cooking and packing. Jonathan and a few friends are going to be hiking the 28km to the campground. His dad, a friend and I are going to be taking the helicopter in. I was tempted to do the hike but Jonathan talked me out of it and I'm kinda glad he did. We'll be there for 4 days. I'm hoping we get good weather and I'm able to get some sleep in the tent! That and some good photos! I'm looking forward to the ride in - this will be my second time in a helicopter. The first time was amazing! I feel rather spoiled getting to take it in again. I wonder what baby will think of it.

Which brings me to the topic of baby. The movements are getting SO strong now. And I'm starting to be able to tell which body part it is hitting my belly. It's very cool. I have one more doctor's appointment with my regular doctor and then I get referred to a low-risk OB clinic. It's hard to believe that time is here already. Just over 3 months to go. And I'm growing, too much it feels like some days. I started swimming last week, which has been really good, except that I need new goggles and a new swimsuit. I tried some suits on last night. Sheesh, I thought swimsuit shopping was depressing enough before I got pregnant. Last night I was ready to sit down in the change room and have a good cry. I hope I find something soon that isn't too expensive because I'm seriously busting out of what I have now and it's so old that it's falling apart too.

The running has stopped for now. I was pretty down about that. I always wanted to run through my entire pregnancy but it's just too painful. I end up get stabbing abdominal pain for about 3-4 hours after I run and end up doubled over in pain. Yah, not so cool. So I'm putting that on hold right now. I may try again in a week or so and see what happens.

Wishing everyone a wonderful long weekend!