This is my favourite picture, he's just so sweet!
Just born!
Peanut & Lady "Bug"
Friday, April 29, 2011
Please help me welcome....
my littlest nephew, Griffin! (I have 2 other nephews in California) Welcome to the family, you have no idea how proud your parents are already and how much we all love you. I forgot my camera when I went to visit, so these are some of Jay's pictures. I hope he doesn't mind! We'll see you again soon lil man.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Birthin From Within - Birthing Again
This weekend Joel and I attended the second part of the Birthin From Within prenatal classes we took last year to prepare for Mika. The series was called Birthin Again and although we used a different provider, the course was excellent. We went for 2 hours Friday night and from 10am - 4pm Saturday. The course wasn't focused on teaching us about what to expect but rather to reflect on our past experience, to draw strengths and weakness we had personally, to share with our partners his strengths and weaknesses, to really think about what we are planning for this labor and delivery, to think about our plans for Mika during L&D, to consider plans for Mika if something unexpected happens and I end up with a c-section for example, to think about how we can already start preparing Mika, etc. The class (similar to the last one) is focused on having a spiritual connection with your body and drawing from your inner strengths to cope during labor. If you know Joel, you can imagine how much he didn't enjoy this class... sharing feelings, sitting around talking about emotions, well it just isn't Joel's idea of a good weekend. BUT he went for me and similar to last class drove me crazy acting like he didn't care or using humor to avoid the seriousness of the situation. I can only hope he was actually listening to me when I shared his strengths and weaknesses from last time. I hope he will be the same supportive, calming influence he was last time. I hope he will show me his unconditional love again and can understand me the same as before. I also hope he recognizes my needs postpartum and is more in tune once we get home. I am feeling mentally ready for this baby now and only have 4 more days of work! yay!
This weekend, besides being Easter is also the weekend of painting!! I am VERY excited to have a professional painter come in and paint our home. Joel and I went yesterday and picked up a very light color and a nice grey for our bathroom. I have purchased new bathroom decor and am looking forward to having an adult bathroom.
We had the realtor visit on Friday and although I wasn't super excited about what he said, none of it was surprising either. It was exactly what Joel and I thought, which means the plan is extended into next year. I am happy as it leaves us lots of time to clean up, organize and prepare for putting our house for sale. Oh and I shouldn't be pregnant so of course that would make things easier too.
Since we will be at the house for another year Joel has decided to add his deck and start the landscaping. He will do this project while home during his 2 weeks off.
This is life for now, enjoy ~
This weekend, besides being Easter is also the weekend of painting!! I am VERY excited to have a professional painter come in and paint our home. Joel and I went yesterday and picked up a very light color and a nice grey for our bathroom. I have purchased new bathroom decor and am looking forward to having an adult bathroom.
We had the realtor visit on Friday and although I wasn't super excited about what he said, none of it was surprising either. It was exactly what Joel and I thought, which means the plan is extended into next year. I am happy as it leaves us lots of time to clean up, organize and prepare for putting our house for sale. Oh and I shouldn't be pregnant so of course that would make things easier too.
Since we will be at the house for another year Joel has decided to add his deck and start the landscaping. He will do this project while home during his 2 weeks off.
This is life for now, enjoy ~
Sunday, April 17, 2011
A New Light
so this post was supposed to come out on Thursday or Friday, but I was having computer trouble so here it is....
Have you ever woke up and instantly felt better? Nothing about the situation had changed, and yet for some reason whether it be a good sleep, a talk with your best friend, or just waking up with a new attitude has made the situation instantly better? I had a long talk with my best friend and hubby yesterday and expressed a lot of what I was feeling. I feel like we have a plan and are finally on the same page. I felt heard, I felt loved, I felt accepted and I felt understood. It was the first time since he has been home. We talked about him being away and how that will work. How our family dynamic will change. How it changes and will continue to change when he comes home. We talked about the pros and cons of him working away. We talked about what we both want out of the experience. Miners, similar to other trades where one half of the team leaves for a period of time have a very high divorce rate which scares me. I wanted my fears heard. I needed reassurance. I wanted to make sure we make time for each other even though his time home will be short. I want to feel like a priority. I wanted to make sure he understood that although he can not see his kids for 4 weeks at a time, I only see the kids for 4 weeks at a time, and would love to have just one night with him. It is hard as we both come from 2 experiences while he is away, but we need to understand each other and make sure both of our needs are met. Of course this will be easier when I am not working as we will have the day to also fit in time together.
It looks like Joel's schedule might be 2 weeks on leaving Tuesday then 2 weeks home before a 4 week shift away. If this is the case (he should know today), he will be home May 3 - 17 then not home again until June 14. Since my due date is June 15, this could work out really well or not.... Being only a few hours away is one thing, but if labor starts when he has already entered the mine it adds a significant amount of time to his travel. It means calling the company, having them radio to him, pack up his tools and put them in the job box, he has to travel out of the mine, enter the dry to shower and change, head back to camp to grab whatever he needs, and then be on the road. Assuming San Gold/Cementation radios right away, it probably adds at least an hour to his trip. We are attending a birthing again class this weekend where we will address fears. Of course this will be one of my biggest. Not that Joel will miss the birth, because I'm confident he can make it to the hospital in time for actual delivery, but Joel was a huge support and calming influence on me during my last labour. I know my birthing experience would have been completely different had he not been there. I was able to deliver "naturally" and that will be my goal this time. I just hope Joel only misses the early labor and makes it in time for active labor.
I do have other fears about labor and delivery, but I'll address those in class. It is tonight for 2 hours, then tomorrow all day. I'm looking forward to it, even if Joel is not.
Well, better get back to work so for now, enjoy ~
Have you ever woke up and instantly felt better? Nothing about the situation had changed, and yet for some reason whether it be a good sleep, a talk with your best friend, or just waking up with a new attitude has made the situation instantly better? I had a long talk with my best friend and hubby yesterday and expressed a lot of what I was feeling. I feel like we have a plan and are finally on the same page. I felt heard, I felt loved, I felt accepted and I felt understood. It was the first time since he has been home. We talked about him being away and how that will work. How our family dynamic will change. How it changes and will continue to change when he comes home. We talked about the pros and cons of him working away. We talked about what we both want out of the experience. Miners, similar to other trades where one half of the team leaves for a period of time have a very high divorce rate which scares me. I wanted my fears heard. I needed reassurance. I wanted to make sure we make time for each other even though his time home will be short. I want to feel like a priority. I wanted to make sure he understood that although he can not see his kids for 4 weeks at a time, I only see the kids for 4 weeks at a time, and would love to have just one night with him. It is hard as we both come from 2 experiences while he is away, but we need to understand each other and make sure both of our needs are met. Of course this will be easier when I am not working as we will have the day to also fit in time together.
It looks like Joel's schedule might be 2 weeks on leaving Tuesday then 2 weeks home before a 4 week shift away. If this is the case (he should know today), he will be home May 3 - 17 then not home again until June 14. Since my due date is June 15, this could work out really well or not.... Being only a few hours away is one thing, but if labor starts when he has already entered the mine it adds a significant amount of time to his travel. It means calling the company, having them radio to him, pack up his tools and put them in the job box, he has to travel out of the mine, enter the dry to shower and change, head back to camp to grab whatever he needs, and then be on the road. Assuming San Gold/Cementation radios right away, it probably adds at least an hour to his trip. We are attending a birthing again class this weekend where we will address fears. Of course this will be one of my biggest. Not that Joel will miss the birth, because I'm confident he can make it to the hospital in time for actual delivery, but Joel was a huge support and calming influence on me during my last labour. I know my birthing experience would have been completely different had he not been there. I was able to deliver "naturally" and that will be my goal this time. I just hope Joel only misses the early labor and makes it in time for active labor.
I do have other fears about labor and delivery, but I'll address those in class. It is tonight for 2 hours, then tomorrow all day. I'm looking forward to it, even if Joel is not.
Well, better get back to work so for now, enjoy ~
Thursday, April 14, 2011
One Week
I am hoping taking some time off before the baby comes will make me feel like myself again. I'm feeling torn in a million directions. I feel demand on myself and I'm not sure if I'm putting it on or if it is actual expectations. I am hormonal and unbalanced. I just need time to myself, time with peanut and sleep. I am very much counting down this week and looking forward to Good Friday which promises to be a Good Friday!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Dreaming...
I have been day dreaming a lot lately .... about our future .... about Bug .... about labor .... about being prepared .... about Mika .... about home .... about renovations .... about open houses .... about Joel's new position .... about being alone for 4 weeks with the kids .... about my event coordinator interview .... about daycare .... about returning to work .... about not returning to work .... about my new niece or nephew .... about budgeting .... about taxes .... about summer camping and other plans .... about making all my appointments .... and the list goes on ....
I'm feeling a little forgotten about these days which could be in part to my hormone levels, and could be in part to reality vs. perception. I'm not really ready to express it more than this, but as I dream about my future, I wonder where I even fit into it. I wonder if feelings/attitudes change or if it is just over sensitivity. I wonder if I am too demanding on both others and myself. I wonder if I have unrealistic expectations. I wonder if these expectations will ever be met or changed. I sometimes hate dreaming......
I'm feeling a little forgotten about these days which could be in part to my hormone levels, and could be in part to reality vs. perception. I'm not really ready to express it more than this, but as I dream about my future, I wonder where I even fit into it. I wonder if feelings/attitudes change or if it is just over sensitivity. I wonder if I am too demanding on both others and myself. I wonder if I have unrealistic expectations. I wonder if these expectations will ever be met or changed. I sometimes hate dreaming......
Friday, April 8, 2011
It's the little things
Having Joel home means having a house that is closer to completion in terms of renovations, but it also means there is more "stuff" out. What do I mean? Well for example Joel often leaves his dresser drawers open after he pulls out clothes for the day, or will leave his orange juice cup from the morning on the counter, or his closet door open. These little things could drive a person crazy.... or better said these little things could drive ME crazy. I know they are little things, things I shouldn't worry about... I have bigger things to focus on, to care about and yet I still find myself wondering how many times I will have to ask him to close his closet before it actual ever gets done. Or if I will spend everyday just closing it myself to save the trouble.......
But in positive renovation news, I have a pantry that is 95% complete! It needs a handle on the door (the one that came with the door did not meet Joel's standards) and shelving in the back of the closet, but then it will be done! I can't wait to organize it and clean up the other shelving unit that we had in our kitchen for storage.
Joel also managed to complete the ceiling tile in the basement which means once there are baseboards, that room will be completely done. Baseboards, in typical Hayward fashion are not installed until you are putting the house for sale, so maybe I will get them next year......
Joel is already planning his next renovation project which is causing me to wonder what our long term plans are, but I guess we'll deal with that after the summer. The back landscaping needs to be dealt with before we can sell, adding a deck, leveling out the yard and re pouring the back walkway so he will start that once it has dried up a bit.
Baseboards upstairs are being installed by my parents - thanks guys! My mom even made dinner for us yesterday while they worked.
Joel has 2 more weeks at home but I think he is starting to get anxious to return to work already.
In baby news, I am waiting patiently for my little niece or nephew....
In personal baby news, I have hit 30 weeks! This scares me to death as I feel unprepared and yet I know I am. (in terms of things, the room, etc. I am organized and prepared, it is more of a mental unprepared thing) I guess it is just different than with Mika, since I now am so focused on her I have a hard time focusing on this pregnancy/baby the same way. I remember my first pregnancy going so slowly and this one has flown by! I read today that 34 weeks for a second pregnancy is usually considered full term and not uncommon. To think that in as short as 4 weeks, I could have a newborn panics me so I prefer to think of 10 weeks...... I only have 2 weeks left of work as of yesterday which I know will help me mentally prepare for this baby and make me feel more at ease.
Joel's schedule is still a little unknown but it looks like he will be away for our due date. He will only be a 2.5 hour drive away so I am not worried. (although my midwife is) I will call Joel when I start labor and he will drive in. If things are progressing fast, he will just meet me at the hospital. In all reality he will make it home before I even leave the house. Or in an ideal world this is what will happen. My parents are on Mika standby, but if I need to go to the hospital before Joel gets there I have asked my mom to come with me so I am not by myself. Of course if I go into labor on a Friday or Saturday it makes more sense to call Martin and Barb to see if they can watch Mika, but that's up to Bug.
Having Joel home means I get some nights off, or at least help during them. It also means I have at least one morning a week to sleep in since Joel will take her downstairs to play. I am growing everyday and ready to stop... I am feeling huge. Especially when it means carrying Mika for an extended period of time or playing with her on the floor.
Mika has a mind of her own these days (like she didn't before - ha!) and only wants to eat what Joel and I are eating. This makes it easier in some ways and harder in others. Some things I'm just not prepared to share with her yet... Joel and I eat a lot of spicy food and I'm not sure my little peanut could handle the same level of spice we like to cook with. She runs wherever she wants to go and is too stubborn to listen to the word "no". (even though she clearly understands the word and the meaning)
Well that's what's happening in our life right now, enjoy ~
But in positive renovation news, I have a pantry that is 95% complete! It needs a handle on the door (the one that came with the door did not meet Joel's standards) and shelving in the back of the closet, but then it will be done! I can't wait to organize it and clean up the other shelving unit that we had in our kitchen for storage.
Joel also managed to complete the ceiling tile in the basement which means once there are baseboards, that room will be completely done. Baseboards, in typical Hayward fashion are not installed until you are putting the house for sale, so maybe I will get them next year......
Joel is already planning his next renovation project which is causing me to wonder what our long term plans are, but I guess we'll deal with that after the summer. The back landscaping needs to be dealt with before we can sell, adding a deck, leveling out the yard and re pouring the back walkway so he will start that once it has dried up a bit.
Baseboards upstairs are being installed by my parents - thanks guys! My mom even made dinner for us yesterday while they worked.
Joel has 2 more weeks at home but I think he is starting to get anxious to return to work already.
In baby news, I am waiting patiently for my little niece or nephew....
In personal baby news, I have hit 30 weeks! This scares me to death as I feel unprepared and yet I know I am. (in terms of things, the room, etc. I am organized and prepared, it is more of a mental unprepared thing) I guess it is just different than with Mika, since I now am so focused on her I have a hard time focusing on this pregnancy/baby the same way. I remember my first pregnancy going so slowly and this one has flown by! I read today that 34 weeks for a second pregnancy is usually considered full term and not uncommon. To think that in as short as 4 weeks, I could have a newborn panics me so I prefer to think of 10 weeks...... I only have 2 weeks left of work as of yesterday which I know will help me mentally prepare for this baby and make me feel more at ease.
Joel's schedule is still a little unknown but it looks like he will be away for our due date. He will only be a 2.5 hour drive away so I am not worried. (although my midwife is) I will call Joel when I start labor and he will drive in. If things are progressing fast, he will just meet me at the hospital. In all reality he will make it home before I even leave the house. Or in an ideal world this is what will happen. My parents are on Mika standby, but if I need to go to the hospital before Joel gets there I have asked my mom to come with me so I am not by myself. Of course if I go into labor on a Friday or Saturday it makes more sense to call Martin and Barb to see if they can watch Mika, but that's up to Bug.
Having Joel home means I get some nights off, or at least help during them. It also means I have at least one morning a week to sleep in since Joel will take her downstairs to play. I am growing everyday and ready to stop... I am feeling huge. Especially when it means carrying Mika for an extended period of time or playing with her on the floor.
Mika has a mind of her own these days (like she didn't before - ha!) and only wants to eat what Joel and I are eating. This makes it easier in some ways and harder in others. Some things I'm just not prepared to share with her yet... Joel and I eat a lot of spicy food and I'm not sure my little peanut could handle the same level of spice we like to cook with. She runs wherever she wants to go and is too stubborn to listen to the word "no". (even though she clearly understands the word and the meaning)
Well that's what's happening in our life right now, enjoy ~
Monday, April 4, 2011
Mika's Birthday Party
This past Saturday we celebrated Mika's first birthday with friends and family at my parents condo. Although it was a little crowded (and therefore hot!), I think everyone enjoyed playing with the birthday girl and visiting.
We had a friend bake Mika's cake in a sesame street theme....
It turned out beautifully and exactly what I wanted, which would have been hard to do considering my only instructions were "The party is Sesame Street themed, let's go with something that fits that." It was a chocolate bottom layer (3 layers of chocolate with buttercream in between) and the top was a white confetti cake, again three layers with buttercream in between - yummy!!
I had Mika is one outfit up to and including supper, then changed her into a Tinkerbell Fairy outfit I had picked up in the states so she could open her presents like a princess. After that was PJ time and the family started to head home with loot bag in hand... a picture cookie of Mika's one year pictures.
These pictures are from Barb's camera, I will upload the ones from my grandma's soon.... Enjoy ~
We had a friend bake Mika's cake in a sesame street theme....
It turned out beautifully and exactly what I wanted, which would have been hard to do considering my only instructions were "The party is Sesame Street themed, let's go with something that fits that." It was a chocolate bottom layer (3 layers of chocolate with buttercream in between) and the top was a white confetti cake, again three layers with buttercream in between - yummy!!
I had Mika is one outfit up to and including supper, then changed her into a Tinkerbell Fairy outfit I had picked up in the states so she could open her presents like a princess. After that was PJ time and the family started to head home with loot bag in hand... a picture cookie of Mika's one year pictures.
 |
| Mommy helping opening my first present |
 |
| All these new toys and I loved this bucket |
 |
| New drum set from my cousins Ang and Megan |
 |
| Daddy showuing me how a toy works |
 |
| Before opening presents, I chatted with Great Grandma Jean and showed her my new shoes |
 |
| Getting ready for dinner with my party hat and bib on |
These pictures are from Barb's camera, I will upload the ones from my grandma's soon.... Enjoy ~
Friday, April 1, 2011
Home Depot
My husband made a trip yesterday to Home Depot and picked up the finishing details for all of our half finished projects. I am looking forward to coming home today and seeing his progress. I dropped Mika off at daycare this morning so Joel would have the entire day to get some things done around the house. His main goal today is the pantry - priming, painting and installing the floor. In between paint coats while he is waiting for it to dry, he is going to install the small section of ceiling tile in the basement. If he has any extra time, he is going to clean up the backyard and install plugs into his new tool shelving unit in the basement. Saturday we have Mika's 1st birthday party, but Sunday he will be back at renovations installing shelving and the door on the pantry. He said he might work a bit on Saturday morning while I do a few errands. I finally feel like we are nearing the end of these renovations which makes me very happy. I'd love to be in the house for a little while where it is all complete and we are not waiting to finish something...... But that would likely mean the house would be up for sale!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)