I too can dress like a slob

I am jumping on the SAJ bandwagon again because it is just so much fun. She has a fun post and Flickr pool that requests that you admit to the internet that you dress like a slob. Now truth be told I don't really think she dresses like a slob. And for most of the time, I do not either.

I will admit only to dressing like one while being at home or in my backyard. When I go out I try, for the most part, to not look too slobish. I come from a family where both Grandmothers never wore pants. I myself only owned two or three pair up until J was born. I wore dresses and skirts always. Now, I miss my little dresses and cute skirts but really they just aren't practical when you have a baby around. Although I do imagine I will wear more with Apple than I ever wore with J. Somehow playing hockey in my sundress just didn't work out right. But I think we will be having tea parties more often than playing hockey so I will probobly get away with a few more skirts and a lot less pants.

Without further adieu, here is my "I dress like a slob" photos. Taken by the junior photographer in the family, J.

**disclaimer: Please remember that I am not even four weeks post baby and truly not in the best shape of my life. I should also add that after having some belly shots taken J was telling me how to pose and be sure to put my hand on my belly, while he was taking my picture. Too cute.

Playdate

Today we are having our first playdate with new friends from J's school. If it weren't for this Mom introducing herself to me, I probobly would still not know anybody (yes, I am that shy). Her son is in J's class and they get along great.

So, today in a few minutes we will be heading over to their place to hang out. The funniest thing is that they live in the same model house as we do, just a few years older. It will be neat to see how they have it decorated and stuff.

Is is really Fall?

It sure doesn't feel like it. For many reasons. First being that we are expecting a record high temperature today at 30C (85F) if that doesn't make you feel like summer, I am not sure what would. The second being that with all the visits and the new Baby, I feel like Summer should just keep on keeping on. But, alas, the evening temperatures and the Fall colours are making it all seem a little more real than I would like. Our nights are pretty chilly, the pool is no longer in use because it gets too cold (unless you are a polar bear) much to J's dismay. And the leaves on the trees are starting to turn into their beautiful Fall colours of red, yellows and pale greens. Even the sky is back to a pale blue instead of the deep summer blue we have been enjoying.

I guess I just have to admit that it is time to let go of Summer. Now if only I could fit into my favourite Fall clothes, I would be as happy as a clam.

Our time of visiting is coming to an end. With the wonderful surprise visit from Eldest Sister and Baby Neice, it was a busy five days. Dinners, dinners, lunches and more dinners. Shopping included in there too. The time was too short, but just perfect at the same time. How could I complain with a visit that wasn't planned? I really can't. And... to top it off she had another surprise for us... she is expecting another baby! That will make number four in their household and the end of the baby road (or so they say) for them. But, we are all thrilled and Hubby and I only dream that we could have a few more. We will have to see what time brings us and whether or not I want any more drugs to take over my body.

And another sad truth is that the extended visit with Baby Sister is now coming to an end as well. She only intended to stay a week really, but almost two months later she is packing her car and heading back South. Hmm... just in time to lead the Geese on their migration to warmer climes. Makes you wonder. We have been blessed to have her here for the two months that she has been here, but with a new contract starting and the fact that she misses her own bed and friends of course we will graciously let her go back to Charlotte with a promise that she will return for the holidays.

J has had a lot going on too. School is going well, although he still doesn't like going to the other side of the fence, but we are working on it every day. Both he and I have made some new friends at the school yard so it is working out well for both of us. With Halloween approaching, the stores are also stocked with costumes. I love having costumes around for dress up play, but this year imagine our delight when we stumbled upon one of the last few Darth Vader costumes left on the rack. J was over the moon. And it was much cheaper in price than the one we were going to order online. Every day is Darth Vader day around here.

And our little Apple. She is growing like a weed already. She is well over the 10lb mark, if not even 11lbs now, we will find out for sure tomorrow. She still has the snarfles at night, which we are also having checked out tomorrow, just to be sure that it is just a little cold from J and not anything bigger, but I hope it stops soon as the snarfle, snarfle that goes on all night long keeps me awake and wondering if she can breath alright.

I just had to post a photo of her in her "Juicy" trackpants (she has the jacket too!). My girlfriend, who likes to spoil my kids, made this purchase for little Apple before she even made her appearance. I love it to bits, but have to admit that I am a little jealous I don't have a matching suit. Funny enough, at the Beach in July I wanted to pick up a "Juicy" for me, but they only had flannel ones and I wanted the velour. If I had only picked up the flannel one we could have been matching Mom and Daughter. When she gets older and sees her baby photos in the "Juicy" and wonder why she isn't wearing couture anymore, I will be sure to tell her to visit her 'Auntie' and put in her requests for future birthdays.

And that about sums up the week. Well, I am sure I can find lots more to write about as I had about 100 posts floating in my head last week, but it is all I have time for as Apple is waking up and it is almost time to pick up J from school.

Filler Post

Oh what a week!

I have not had time to blog at all, but our week has been very full.

I had a wonderful visit with some girlfriends.

And surprise of all surprises, my eldest Sister made a surprise visit with her youngest from Regina.

Lots of fun was had, photos were taken. Baby Apple is doing well and J is adapting better each day.

Will write a proper post later.

Oh yes, and welcome to Fall.

Ahh Redemption

I WAS NOT LATE! Not today and not last week.

Apparently they let the kids out early. As a rule. As much as 8 minutes.

Today I was the first Mom to arrive, and J was the first child allowed to go to his Mom. He still wasn't thrilled about being there, but he seems alright and I think I made up for things because I was there on time today.

Phew. It wasn't me.

Will Not Be Late.

We dropped J off at school again this morning, for the first official day for the rest of his life. From now on he goes every. single. day.

Last night he was really sad, he said he was nervous because there was going to be lots of other kids at school today. I reminded him that there were more kids in Duffer Doo than there would be in his class today. It didn't matter, he was nervous. In all there were 17 kids today, only 7 of them boys. I got to meet two of the Moms (hooray for me, I met some other Moms!! I never do that) who were as concerned for their sons that there were less boys than girls. J pointed that out last week that there weren't enough boys to hang around with. Hopefully today he will meet a few more.

Again, J would not leave us at the fence. It will take him some time to get over being left inside the gate. Hubby thinks we should just drop him tomorrow and leave, but after seeing the tears well up in his eyes as the kid beside him was bawling, I know that he is not quite ready. Maybe by next week he will be. I think he will have to get to know a few more of the kids before he will be ready to just be dropped off. As long as he isn't still doing this when the weather is cold and snowy all will be good.

I set the alarm on my stove. I will not be late. Tempt me all you want clocks on the tv, but I will be on time. I may even head out extra early to go for a little walk. A walk you say? Yes, I am feeling better this week for sure and would like to get my land legs back. I still feel like I am on a boat when I walk, kind of like sea legs. So, actually walking a little farther might be good for them.

I will not be late.

What a Week!

*Photo of her third day, a tradition with all our kids (me and my Sisters) we all take photos on day three.

We have had the busiest week in a very long time. Not only are we experiencing so many firsts both with J and his new Sister but we are experiencing the emotional highs and lows of having had Opa here for two whole weeks and then all of a sudden he is gone home. Well, I guess it wasn't all of a sudden, we knew he would be leaving on Friday, but it doesn't ever sink in until he leaves.

Baby Girl is absolutely wonderful. I though J was a great baby, but I am amazed at how much better Baby Girl is. Her sleep patterns are pretty good, I have only really had one bad night so far. And she is sleeping in the bassinet, something J never did. She dozes on and off all morning, spends the afternoons awake and goes back to sleep for the night. Pretty great, I think. Car rides have been very easy. Her first shopping trip was to the shoe store for J's running shoes, but she has now been to the grocery store, Starbucks, and Indigo. She has had a playdate at my Sister's and today walked J to school. Not bad for a first week.

J continues to be wonderful with her. We had a few bad moments but that was mostly due to Opa leaving and him thinking that Mommy could play hockey the minute after the Baby arriving. I had to explain that, although I am doing really great I can't do sports yet (my legs just don't have all of their stregnth back yet). J insists on holding her at least once every day and one day when he forgot he was in tears at bedtime because he didn't get to hold her that day. I try to make sure he gets his chance at some point when she is wide awake.
And today was the first official day of school for J. He has a staggered entry so he went today, then not again until Monday, when he will go every single day for the rest of his childhood, minus the summers of course. I was doing great. Until... the teacher led him to the playstructure and he stopped, looked back and said, "I will wait right here." about fifty times. I knew right then that he was scared. He has never liked the idea of being locked out. If I am on one side of a baby gate and he is on the other, he will freak out. So I knew he wasn't doing to well, I could see his lip starting to tremble and that was it, the tears started rolling down my cheeks. So, I had to call out to him that it was OK, he could wait wherever he wanted. So he came back to the fence and talked to me until they went in. Where again, I could see the fear on his little face that and turned and called out, "Wait right there Mommy.". I cried all the way home.

As I was getting ready to leave and pick him up, Hubby called. I thought I had lots of time, apparently I was wrong. I was almost at the schoolyard when the other parents were walking back with their kids, so I picked up the pace as did my Mom who came with me. Well, there he was waiting by the wall for me. In all the times he was in Duffer Doo, not once did he have to wait for me. I was always the first or second Mom to be there. Now, his teacher probobly thinks I am always going to be late, and it broke my heart that I wasn't there when he came out. He won't talk about his first day, he won't tell us what he did, only that he had to leave his indoor shoes in the classroom. I hope I didn't traumatize him and for sure, I won't be late again. Ever.

Photos of Baby Girl

Here is our Baby Girl, whom J has nicknamed 'Apple'. He actually wanted to call her that, but I didn't think Gwyneth would like us using her baby's name, so we told him he could use it as her nickname and it has stuck all summer long.
J is such a proud big brother. He asked to hold her last night and how on earth could I say no? It has been a wonderful day and a half with our newest family member. In the end everything worked out perfectly, as it should and we are just so thrilled to have her here with us.

Baby is here!

I know you are all anxiously awaiting the news! Can you believe it? I sure can't.

Not long after I posted yesterday my water broke, contractions started and six hours later our Baby Girl made her entrance.

She weighed in at 9lbs 8oz and 21inches long. She is healthy and happy and sleeping so soundly right now.

Thank you all for your prayers.

Photos to follow... shortly.

I have held the tears

So far. The appointment this morning wasn't quite as encouraging as I was hoping. Although my midwife was able to reach the cervix, the baby still hadn't quite dropped enough to break the water and get things going. So we are starting to make the next approach plans.

One last ditch effort with a little Castor Oil, just in case (I should add that the cervix is almost fully dialated, as in 8cm) it decides to work this time. Nothing happening yet and that was a few hours ago.

On of the midwives has much larger hands than my midwife so she may stop by later and see if she can break the water (I am so hoping for this). But, she has a birth to attend to first.

I will have an ultrasound tomorrow, after we meet J's teacher, to make sure all is well with the baby (they do this when you are late, not usually until 10 days past, but we need to do it tomorrow) because...

... if nothing happens we will be induced on Thursday. ACK! Send me prayers folks, I really, really, really don't want to be induced.

I have no idea what to call this post

The post about nothing. We just sit here and wait... no signs except a sore back and oh so much pressure on my joints. Tomorrow morning we see the midwife and decide what to do. All I know is that if she (the baby) hasn't dropped enough by tomorrow I might just cry a river. A very huge river.

Thank you all for stopping by and checking on me, I can't wait until I actually have some news to share.

And Still

No Baby.

But, we are having fun with Opa, pictures will follow when I have time to update.