I don't really have any SPECIFIC to write about today so just thought I'd fill you in with some general details from the week/weekend:
It was SUCH a nice weekend here so we decided it was a good time before the snow arrives to put up our Christmas lights. Of course, Jamie needed help because he's afraid of heights and refuses to get up on the roof so he went and picked up Chris to help us out. It was so funny...Jamie was freaking out at Chris half the time when he was climbing back and forth on the ladder. He'd be like "Ok Chris man, you're making me nervous. Hang on! I gotta get the ladder steady...." etc. And then Jamie actually climbed about 2 steps on the ladder and wanted me to take a picture of his great feat of bravery...he he :) See, I could have gotten up there myself but I was forbidden due to my off-balance pregnant state. Oh well, the hardest part is done now. Just gotta get the garland and lights around our railing and garage door and we'll be done. Yay! All together now: "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....everywhere you go!". We'll post pics of the finished product, hopefully soon.
Had Olivia on Sunday. She was a really good baby for me. She was born in March and so will be a year old when our new baby will be born. I reminded Jamie that this time next year we'll have our own little one PERMANENTLY! Kinda scary when I think of it but exciting too. Christmas will be even better then and it's already great!
Forgot to fill you in on details on my latest ultrasound results. I went to my midwife appointment last Wednesday and she told me the report stills shows "inconclusive". They speculate that there are 3-vessels now but they still couldn't achieve a good visual image. Here's the thing, as the midwife explained, there's absolutely nothing I can do about it either way besides just hope that all is well with the baby. Most of the time a problem with the cord is never detected with ultrasound and they only discover it at the birth. And then, for the most part, there are no problems with the baby otherwise. Everything else with the baby looks great - strong heart, all its fingers and toes, anatomically looks fine...so they have no reason to test further unless I insisted upon another ultrasound later in the pregnancy. I think, though, that I'll just let it rest and not worry unless another issue arises.
Wednesday I'm chopping my hair! Yes, I am! It's really long now (about half way down my back at least). Longer than it's been for a while but it's so super heavy and out of control. Reminds me of when I was a kid and granny used to tell me she could turn me upside-down and use me as a mop. So cruel! Anyways, it's gotta be done....something, not sure yet but I'll keep ya posted. I'm hoping the weight off my skull will help relieve the bloody headaches I've been getting over and over again every day. Can't hurt, that's for sure.
And I think that's all for now. Gonna go pick up my sister for lunch and go shopping at Costco. "Christmas, Christmas....Hip Hooray! Santa Claus is on his way, Santa Claus is on his way..." (I know, I know...stop with the singing already...that one's on the Smurf album...he he)
Bye for now
Myrna
Monday, November 27, 2006
Thursday, November 23, 2006
I've Heard it All
I'm sure any of you ladies out there who have been or who are prego have, like me, heard every old wives tale you can possibly imagine. You've had everyone comment on the size and shape of your belly. You've been groped (I, believe it or not, don't mind this much, of course depending on the person), you've been commented upon about your "condition" as if you're now inflicted with some sort of serious disease. You've been told all manner of silly advice about morning sickness, weight gain, stretch marks. You've been told the horror stories of labour and delivery. And the list goes on and on.
The least intrusive of all, possibly the most silly in its predictors, but just plain fun as we've ALL been there trying to place our bets: Is it a boy or is it a girl?
Hmmm....let's take a look at some of the methods of determining sex I've heard so far:
1. Heartrate: I've been told a heartrate less than 140 beats per minute, it's a boy. More than 140 beats per minute, it's a girl. I was keeping this in mind at my midwife appointment yesterday. And guess what the baby's heart rate was? Precisely 140 beats per minute....so what does that mean I wonder? lol :)
2. Shape of the infamous baby belly: If you're carrying high, it's a girl. Low and out front, it's a boy. According to Canadian Living.com this "myth" was startied in English folklore based on the fact that a girl requires more love and protection and therefore needs to be closer. A boy, on the other hand, needs more independence and stays further away from it's mother. Bah! Here's what doesn't make sense....the uterus doesn't even rise above the bellybutton at all until about 21 weeks or so. And so it's not until the very end that the baby could even possibly be "up high". Whatever!
3. How Active is the baby? So far my baby feels quite active, kicking me from the inside out, playing soccer with my bladder, rolling around, and all that good stuff. Feels very fascinating at this point. What I've been told? According to this, I must be having a BOY, of course. Boys are supposed to be more boistrous and sporty, girls more subdued and quiet. Ha! These people have obviously never met my very "subdued and quiet" nieces...Double HA!!
4. Dreams: Whatever the sex of the baby in your dreams, that's what you're having. In all of my baby dreams, it's a girl.
5. Cravings: Sweets: Girl; Salt: Boy. I've always craved sweets, particularly chocolate. This has not changed in the least during my pregnancy. Salt is yucky. Yup, must be a girl.
6. Morning Sickness: If you have morning sickness then you're having a girl. If you do not have morning sickness, it's a boy. Believe it or not there was a study done on this by swedish researchers and it was discovered that 56% of women with severe morning sickness actually ended up having baby girls. I've not been sick at all - well, one incident after lunch when I thought for 5 minutes or so that I might die - but otherwise, nothing. Still don't think I'll be painting the nursery blue on a percentage rating of only 6% above the 50/50.
7. The Ring Thing: You know the one where you suspend your wedding ring or a needle over your belly and the pendulum/circle swing indicates the sex? I think it's a girl for the circle, boy if it swings back and forth. I was convinced this one actually worked until Steph had a boy despite the needle clearly stating girl. So disappointing! But I've never had this work on me anyways, I get a different result every time someone does it.
8. Chinese Conception Chart: Apparantly this chart was developed way back in the 13th century by a scientist and it's reputed for being very highly accurate in China. I'm thinking we may possibly be in the wrong continent for this one. But it did actually work when I calculated for my sister's 3 kids - all girls! According to my chart, it's a boy!
9. Beauty or the Beast: If you lose your looks during pregnancy then you're having a girl because she's stealing your beauty. If you look great during your pregnancy then it's a boy because he apparantly doesn't need to be beautiful....? Nobody has commented about my facial appearance so far being either good or bad. They probably know better than to possibly try and tell me I look like crap. People have commented about my face shape "changing" but they've never explained if they feel it's because I'm having a boy or a girl.
10. Weight Gain: Not on me...on the hubby. If the husband gains weight, (yes, he has...Jamie's been a very "sympathetic" husband during this pregnancy - I swear he has WAY more cravings than I do..he he) it's a girl. If no weight gain, it's a boy.
11. Full Moon?: I've heard people talk about the moon cycles and how if it was a full moon during conception then it's a boy and if it's a half-moon, it's a girl. But I've never paid enough attention to know the full details of this "predictor" and I honestly had other other things on my mind "during" (if you know what I mean) than what the moon phases were.
12. Ovulation: The only one that may actually have some scientific origin. The closer to ovulation that you conceive then the greater the chances of having a boy. That's because the "male" sperm have a tendency to swim faster and therefore find the egg more quickly. If the egg is still a little far away then the male sperm tire and die off leaving the patient "female" sperm for fertilization a couple of days later.
Lucky #13: Mothers Intuition: According to one online study, about 71% of expectant mothers who had no previous medical indication of the sex of their child, guessed accurately about the sex of their baby simply according to how they felt. My feelings so far? Girl. Although when talking about the baby I almost always say, "He".
I found this test online http://www.childbirth.org/articles/boyorgirl.html According to the quiz, I have a 60% chance of having a boy.
I guess it really is going to be a surprise.
What predictors have you heard? Any of them "work" for you?
The least intrusive of all, possibly the most silly in its predictors, but just plain fun as we've ALL been there trying to place our bets: Is it a boy or is it a girl?
Hmmm....let's take a look at some of the methods of determining sex I've heard so far:
1. Heartrate: I've been told a heartrate less than 140 beats per minute, it's a boy. More than 140 beats per minute, it's a girl. I was keeping this in mind at my midwife appointment yesterday. And guess what the baby's heart rate was? Precisely 140 beats per minute....so what does that mean I wonder? lol :)
2. Shape of the infamous baby belly: If you're carrying high, it's a girl. Low and out front, it's a boy. According to Canadian Living.com this "myth" was startied in English folklore based on the fact that a girl requires more love and protection and therefore needs to be closer. A boy, on the other hand, needs more independence and stays further away from it's mother. Bah! Here's what doesn't make sense....the uterus doesn't even rise above the bellybutton at all until about 21 weeks or so. And so it's not until the very end that the baby could even possibly be "up high". Whatever!
3. How Active is the baby? So far my baby feels quite active, kicking me from the inside out, playing soccer with my bladder, rolling around, and all that good stuff. Feels very fascinating at this point. What I've been told? According to this, I must be having a BOY, of course. Boys are supposed to be more boistrous and sporty, girls more subdued and quiet. Ha! These people have obviously never met my very "subdued and quiet" nieces...Double HA!!
4. Dreams: Whatever the sex of the baby in your dreams, that's what you're having. In all of my baby dreams, it's a girl.
5. Cravings: Sweets: Girl; Salt: Boy. I've always craved sweets, particularly chocolate. This has not changed in the least during my pregnancy. Salt is yucky. Yup, must be a girl.
6. Morning Sickness: If you have morning sickness then you're having a girl. If you do not have morning sickness, it's a boy. Believe it or not there was a study done on this by swedish researchers and it was discovered that 56% of women with severe morning sickness actually ended up having baby girls. I've not been sick at all - well, one incident after lunch when I thought for 5 minutes or so that I might die - but otherwise, nothing. Still don't think I'll be painting the nursery blue on a percentage rating of only 6% above the 50/50.
7. The Ring Thing: You know the one where you suspend your wedding ring or a needle over your belly and the pendulum/circle swing indicates the sex? I think it's a girl for the circle, boy if it swings back and forth. I was convinced this one actually worked until Steph had a boy despite the needle clearly stating girl. So disappointing! But I've never had this work on me anyways, I get a different result every time someone does it.
8. Chinese Conception Chart: Apparantly this chart was developed way back in the 13th century by a scientist and it's reputed for being very highly accurate in China. I'm thinking we may possibly be in the wrong continent for this one. But it did actually work when I calculated for my sister's 3 kids - all girls! According to my chart, it's a boy!
9. Beauty or the Beast: If you lose your looks during pregnancy then you're having a girl because she's stealing your beauty. If you look great during your pregnancy then it's a boy because he apparantly doesn't need to be beautiful....? Nobody has commented about my facial appearance so far being either good or bad. They probably know better than to possibly try and tell me I look like crap. People have commented about my face shape "changing" but they've never explained if they feel it's because I'm having a boy or a girl.
10. Weight Gain: Not on me...on the hubby. If the husband gains weight, (yes, he has...Jamie's been a very "sympathetic" husband during this pregnancy - I swear he has WAY more cravings than I do..he he) it's a girl. If no weight gain, it's a boy.
11. Full Moon?: I've heard people talk about the moon cycles and how if it was a full moon during conception then it's a boy and if it's a half-moon, it's a girl. But I've never paid enough attention to know the full details of this "predictor" and I honestly had other other things on my mind "during" (if you know what I mean) than what the moon phases were.
12. Ovulation: The only one that may actually have some scientific origin. The closer to ovulation that you conceive then the greater the chances of having a boy. That's because the "male" sperm have a tendency to swim faster and therefore find the egg more quickly. If the egg is still a little far away then the male sperm tire and die off leaving the patient "female" sperm for fertilization a couple of days later.
Lucky #13: Mothers Intuition: According to one online study, about 71% of expectant mothers who had no previous medical indication of the sex of their child, guessed accurately about the sex of their baby simply according to how they felt. My feelings so far? Girl. Although when talking about the baby I almost always say, "He".
I found this test online http://www.childbirth.org/articles/boyorgirl.html According to the quiz, I have a 60% chance of having a boy.
I guess it really is going to be a surprise.
What predictors have you heard? Any of them "work" for you?
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
All her bags are packed...she's GONE!
It's a sad morning for me, Jennifers flight should have just taken off to head home to Newfoundland.
Yes, I'm really really super happy that she's gone home. She's starting a new life. A good life. She's headed to where her heart has been all along.
So just let me explain what I'm sad about:
It's about not seeing a friend you've seen almost every day for the past several years and never getting tired of them because they just bring a certain type of joy and laughter whenever they walk into a room; it's about not having my "girls" (Christa AND Jen) at work anymore with me and now it's depressing to even think of coming here ever morning; it's about missing my scrapbooking buddy, my movie buddy, my "girl-talk" (aka bitchin') buddy; it's about not having one of your best friends to share in one of the most memorable times in your life (the birth of my baby-to-be); it's about the type of real companionship that many people never get to experience in their lifetimes (I am so blessed to have several great girlfriends I feel this way about); it's about all those memories; it's simply about missing her!
Last night was rough having to say "goodbye". I tried to prepare my mind all day that it was just a "see ya later", that I could pretend it was sorta like she was taking an extended vacation and I would see her again really soon. We went to Jen's house, ate supper, sat around chatting, etc. and then it was time to leave. Jen walked Jamie and I to the door and we hugged, I totally kept it together and then she says, "Ok good, we have to fight the tears" and with that statement I just couldn't hold it in any longer. I just started to cry SO much. Jamie say his goodbye and left at this point, we hugged again, and I was out the door. I cried most of the way home. Thought I was fine until Jamie said something about me being upset and then I started to cry again. Ugh! You wouldn't know but I was never going to talk to her or see her again. And I'm usually not this emotional at all (I'm sure prego hormones aren't helping) so I'm not even sure what to do with myself.
So anyways, I just hope all goes okay with the flight home for Jenny and that she settles into her new job with ease, that she enjoys this new time close to her family in Newfoundland. Hopefully it won't be long before Chris gets to join her after they sell the house and get everything "up here" straightened away. I really do wish her all the very best and even though I miss her, I'm glad she's made this decision.
And besides, starting this afternoon, she's really only a phone-call away...right?
Yes, I'm really really super happy that she's gone home. She's starting a new life. A good life. She's headed to where her heart has been all along.
So just let me explain what I'm sad about:
It's about not seeing a friend you've seen almost every day for the past several years and never getting tired of them because they just bring a certain type of joy and laughter whenever they walk into a room; it's about not having my "girls" (Christa AND Jen) at work anymore with me and now it's depressing to even think of coming here ever morning; it's about missing my scrapbooking buddy, my movie buddy, my "girl-talk" (aka bitchin') buddy; it's about not having one of your best friends to share in one of the most memorable times in your life (the birth of my baby-to-be); it's about the type of real companionship that many people never get to experience in their lifetimes (I am so blessed to have several great girlfriends I feel this way about); it's about all those memories; it's simply about missing her!
Last night was rough having to say "goodbye". I tried to prepare my mind all day that it was just a "see ya later", that I could pretend it was sorta like she was taking an extended vacation and I would see her again really soon. We went to Jen's house, ate supper, sat around chatting, etc. and then it was time to leave. Jen walked Jamie and I to the door and we hugged, I totally kept it together and then she says, "Ok good, we have to fight the tears" and with that statement I just couldn't hold it in any longer. I just started to cry SO much. Jamie say his goodbye and left at this point, we hugged again, and I was out the door. I cried most of the way home. Thought I was fine until Jamie said something about me being upset and then I started to cry again. Ugh! You wouldn't know but I was never going to talk to her or see her again. And I'm usually not this emotional at all (I'm sure prego hormones aren't helping) so I'm not even sure what to do with myself.
So anyways, I just hope all goes okay with the flight home for Jenny and that she settles into her new job with ease, that she enjoys this new time close to her family in Newfoundland. Hopefully it won't be long before Chris gets to join her after they sell the house and get everything "up here" straightened away. I really do wish her all the very best and even though I miss her, I'm glad she's made this decision.
And besides, starting this afternoon, she's really only a phone-call away...right?
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Dollaramma Drama
Forgot to tell you about this little incident that happened to me a couple of weeks ago when I visited one of the dollar stores here in Brampton.
Warning: If you're queasy, uneasy, or easily grossed out, you may not want to continue reading.
I get off work earlier than Jamie and we were meeting each other to drive away in our new SUV. So while waiting for him I decided to go to the dollar store and scout out the scrappin supplies and shop for Operation Christmas Child.
Jamie called, I was checking out and I told him I would be just a couple of minutes. As I'm leaving, about to walk through the out door, an older lady is coming through the IN door. Suddenly, she trips on the ledge just inside the door, falls forward into the little porch area, and hits her head on the sharp STEEL facing of the second door entering the main store. OUCH! She immediately gets up on her knees and puts her hand to her upper left forehead. I say "Are you ok?" and then crouch down next to her.
I tell the cashier she needs to call 911...she's looking at me like I'm a dummy and so I raise my voice for emphasis, "YOU NEED TO CALL 911!". Cashier girl still dilly-dallies, probably worried about the impatient customers in line, and instead calls for her manager.
I look back at the lady and she pulls her hand away from her forehead. She's wondering if she's bleeding. Of course she is! Majorly bleeding! Blood has been oozing through her fingers and now it's dripping down her arm and onto her coat. I look at her forehead (this is a gross part for those of you who didn't listen to my previous warning) and there's a gash from her left temple going above her eye and ending mid-hairline. The skin is broken and peeled back exposing the white bone underneath. Poor little spanish lady...all she can say in English at this point..."Oh MY GOD! Oh MY GOD!"...she keeps talking to me pointing to the place where she tripped, "No good! Oh MY GOD, I trip...no good" and I nod at say "I know...it's ok." I grab for the new facecloths I just purchased and help her hold them to her head. Now there's blood on my hands too.
Manager shows up in between here - keep in mind this is really only a minute passing - and she sees I'm serious about the 911 thing as this lady is really hurt. She's talking to the operator, telling what happened, telling her the woman's age (66), asking me if she had been unconscious at any point, etc. She hangs up. She gets me another cloth and latex gloves - too late for the gloves I'm afraid...what's a girl to do? Say, "Sorry lady, no gloves, can't help you"...I coudn't! In that moment, it didn't even cross my mind.
The lady who's hurt says "My husband" and I assumed he must have been parking and coming behind her. He was. He walks in the door - a full 4 ft. of him, I'm almost as tall as he is and I'm kneeling down. But he's MAD as a bull...I'm looking at him in complete amazement as he throws down his hat, starts yelling at his wife in spanish, then saying in English, "I don't believe this!". I get that he's frustrated...maybe she's super clumsy or something...I can tell she's trying to explain but not making much of an impact on his lack of concern. And that's when I said, "No sir, you don't understand. She tripped, it's not her fault." That's when she shows him the laceration, he suddenly shuts up and becomes loving husband and helps her hold her hand to her head. He doesn't say much else but the occasional translation to me of what she's trying to say, asking if she's okay, I can tell he's feeling really bad about his prior outburst - he should be.
I'm just kneeling and waiting, telling her "It's ok", asking if she feels okay, if she feels sick, reminding her to keep pressure on her head and then I hear the sirens. Thank God! The ambulance was fast!
EMT's ask me what happened, ask if she had passed out at any time, if she's had any seizure activity - nothing. They ask her husband about her medical history. I ask them if they need me for anything further. We're all in a tiny porch and there must be nothing worse for EMT's trying to do their work to help someone while being crowded by unimportant spectators. They tell me I can go. The Dollaramma lady takes my name and number just in case. The spanish lady pulls at my jacket tail and keeps saying, "Thank you! Thank you!" I give her a quick hug and send out a little prayer. She's in good hands now.
I walk away. I'm worried the rest of the night about this lady but I leave her in Gods hands knowing he's the best caretaker there is.
I'm reminded that God uses us all sometimes when we are available for him. I wasn't even planning to go to this specific dollar store but there I was. I've been in similar situations as this. Blood/medical stuff doesn't bother me. God knows this. Maybe this is how he uses me from time to time - to help a little old lady with her head cut open in the dollar store. Maybe it's insignifant in the broad scheme of things but I still feel good. I hope Spanish lady feels good too.
Warning: If you're queasy, uneasy, or easily grossed out, you may not want to continue reading.
I get off work earlier than Jamie and we were meeting each other to drive away in our new SUV. So while waiting for him I decided to go to the dollar store and scout out the scrappin supplies and shop for Operation Christmas Child.
Jamie called, I was checking out and I told him I would be just a couple of minutes. As I'm leaving, about to walk through the out door, an older lady is coming through the IN door. Suddenly, she trips on the ledge just inside the door, falls forward into the little porch area, and hits her head on the sharp STEEL facing of the second door entering the main store. OUCH! She immediately gets up on her knees and puts her hand to her upper left forehead. I say "Are you ok?" and then crouch down next to her.
I tell the cashier she needs to call 911...she's looking at me like I'm a dummy and so I raise my voice for emphasis, "YOU NEED TO CALL 911!". Cashier girl still dilly-dallies, probably worried about the impatient customers in line, and instead calls for her manager.
I look back at the lady and she pulls her hand away from her forehead. She's wondering if she's bleeding. Of course she is! Majorly bleeding! Blood has been oozing through her fingers and now it's dripping down her arm and onto her coat. I look at her forehead (this is a gross part for those of you who didn't listen to my previous warning) and there's a gash from her left temple going above her eye and ending mid-hairline. The skin is broken and peeled back exposing the white bone underneath. Poor little spanish lady...all she can say in English at this point..."Oh MY GOD! Oh MY GOD!"...she keeps talking to me pointing to the place where she tripped, "No good! Oh MY GOD, I trip...no good" and I nod at say "I know...it's ok." I grab for the new facecloths I just purchased and help her hold them to her head. Now there's blood on my hands too.
Manager shows up in between here - keep in mind this is really only a minute passing - and she sees I'm serious about the 911 thing as this lady is really hurt. She's talking to the operator, telling what happened, telling her the woman's age (66), asking me if she had been unconscious at any point, etc. She hangs up. She gets me another cloth and latex gloves - too late for the gloves I'm afraid...what's a girl to do? Say, "Sorry lady, no gloves, can't help you"...I coudn't! In that moment, it didn't even cross my mind.
The lady who's hurt says "My husband" and I assumed he must have been parking and coming behind her. He was. He walks in the door - a full 4 ft. of him, I'm almost as tall as he is and I'm kneeling down. But he's MAD as a bull...I'm looking at him in complete amazement as he throws down his hat, starts yelling at his wife in spanish, then saying in English, "I don't believe this!". I get that he's frustrated...maybe she's super clumsy or something...I can tell she's trying to explain but not making much of an impact on his lack of concern. And that's when I said, "No sir, you don't understand. She tripped, it's not her fault." That's when she shows him the laceration, he suddenly shuts up and becomes loving husband and helps her hold her hand to her head. He doesn't say much else but the occasional translation to me of what she's trying to say, asking if she's okay, I can tell he's feeling really bad about his prior outburst - he should be.
I'm just kneeling and waiting, telling her "It's ok", asking if she feels okay, if she feels sick, reminding her to keep pressure on her head and then I hear the sirens. Thank God! The ambulance was fast!
EMT's ask me what happened, ask if she had passed out at any time, if she's had any seizure activity - nothing. They ask her husband about her medical history. I ask them if they need me for anything further. We're all in a tiny porch and there must be nothing worse for EMT's trying to do their work to help someone while being crowded by unimportant spectators. They tell me I can go. The Dollaramma lady takes my name and number just in case. The spanish lady pulls at my jacket tail and keeps saying, "Thank you! Thank you!" I give her a quick hug and send out a little prayer. She's in good hands now.
I walk away. I'm worried the rest of the night about this lady but I leave her in Gods hands knowing he's the best caretaker there is.
I'm reminded that God uses us all sometimes when we are available for him. I wasn't even planning to go to this specific dollar store but there I was. I've been in similar situations as this. Blood/medical stuff doesn't bother me. God knows this. Maybe this is how he uses me from time to time - to help a little old lady with her head cut open in the dollar store. Maybe it's insignifant in the broad scheme of things but I still feel good. I hope Spanish lady feels good too.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Baby Steps
We're gradually getting closer and closer to having the house organized for when baby arrives. I really hope this "nesting" thing lasts long enough to get everything done (what are the chances?) Small things off the very long checklist include:
- Cleaned out my "scrapbook room" which will become the nursery.
- Picked up paint chips from Home Depot to decide on nursery colours. Will post my ideas for the nursery later.
- Moved all of my scrapbook things to the guest bedroom.
- Decided the guest bedroom was too crammed and then moved the scrapbook table and supplies to the basement.
- Organized all of the boxes that were scattered in our unfinished basement. Darren's things are under the stairs, Christmas things in the "hallway" next to the stairs, my bins of craft stuff, camping supplies, and partylite boxes squeezed in between wherever.
- Jamie shopvaced the entire concrete basement floor (Boy, what a LOT of dust...yuck!)
- Cleaned out my closet (a while back) and now have the guest bedroom closet FULL of clothes I need to sort through to either a) give away or b) keep and hope to fit into after the baby arrives.
- Installed blinds in the baby-to-be bedroom.
- Cleaned out the downstairs hall closet, put away summer shoes, and organized the junk that had accumulated on the shelf in said closet.
- Finally bought mats for the front hallway.
- Bought and mailed the fabric to my mom for her to design and sew the baby's crib quilt and curtains.
Still remaining on the list to try and complete in the very near future:
- Choose colours and paint baby room (possibly complete with a mural inspired by my creative friend, Daphne, who just did her son's room with lots of superheros...check out her blog from my main page).
- Get rid of the computer from OUR bedroom (I hate having the computer in the master bedroom) and finally move it into the guest bedroom.
- Sort all of that clothes.
- Wash baby clothes I've already accumulated from my sister and sister-in-law.
- Set up TV in the basement so I can scrapbook and enjoy my favourite shows all at the same time.
- Change around our bedroom because I'm really bored of the current furniture placement.
- Sew dark lining in the drapes in our bedroom to keep the light out at 6am.
And then comes Christmas and a whole new To-Do List.
And then comes the baby and nothing on MY To-Do list will ever be done!
Wish me luck!
P.S. Have to go for a follow-up ultrasound tomorrow morning. They need to confirm something they couldn't quite see with the umbilical cord the first time around (they speculate the baby may have a 2-vessel cord, supposed to be 3-vessels, but results not yet conclusive). Won't get results until Nov 22nd but I'll keep you posted. Keep me and wee babe in your thoughts and prayers please.
- Cleaned out my "scrapbook room" which will become the nursery.
- Picked up paint chips from Home Depot to decide on nursery colours. Will post my ideas for the nursery later.
- Moved all of my scrapbook things to the guest bedroom.
- Decided the guest bedroom was too crammed and then moved the scrapbook table and supplies to the basement.
- Organized all of the boxes that were scattered in our unfinished basement. Darren's things are under the stairs, Christmas things in the "hallway" next to the stairs, my bins of craft stuff, camping supplies, and partylite boxes squeezed in between wherever.
- Jamie shopvaced the entire concrete basement floor (Boy, what a LOT of dust...yuck!)
- Cleaned out my closet (a while back) and now have the guest bedroom closet FULL of clothes I need to sort through to either a) give away or b) keep and hope to fit into after the baby arrives.
- Installed blinds in the baby-to-be bedroom.
- Cleaned out the downstairs hall closet, put away summer shoes, and organized the junk that had accumulated on the shelf in said closet.
- Finally bought mats for the front hallway.
- Bought and mailed the fabric to my mom for her to design and sew the baby's crib quilt and curtains.
Still remaining on the list to try and complete in the very near future:
- Choose colours and paint baby room (possibly complete with a mural inspired by my creative friend, Daphne, who just did her son's room with lots of superheros...check out her blog from my main page).
- Get rid of the computer from OUR bedroom (I hate having the computer in the master bedroom) and finally move it into the guest bedroom.
- Sort all of that clothes.
- Wash baby clothes I've already accumulated from my sister and sister-in-law.
- Set up TV in the basement so I can scrapbook and enjoy my favourite shows all at the same time.
- Change around our bedroom because I'm really bored of the current furniture placement.
- Sew dark lining in the drapes in our bedroom to keep the light out at 6am.
And then comes Christmas and a whole new To-Do List.
And then comes the baby and nothing on MY To-Do list will ever be done!
Wish me luck!
P.S. Have to go for a follow-up ultrasound tomorrow morning. They need to confirm something they couldn't quite see with the umbilical cord the first time around (they speculate the baby may have a 2-vessel cord, supposed to be 3-vessels, but results not yet conclusive). Won't get results until Nov 22nd but I'll keep you posted. Keep me and wee babe in your thoughts and prayers please.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Operation Christmas Child
With Christmas just around the corner comes the time of the year for Operation Christmas Child. Christa already mentioned briefly in her blog but I'm going to give you the details. This is my fourth year organizing involvement in this project here at my work and I love it! It really is a wonderful charity, it is simple, inexpensive, AND a very tangible way to get involved and help kids all around the world who have been greatly affected by war, famine, poverty, and disease. Many of these kids have never received ANYTHING, many of them don't even have family, and my heart goes out to them. Sometimes it's hard to know what to do to help but I believe this is a start...
Here's the letter I sent out to my coworkers:
Hello Everyone,
I've just checked the official countdown website http://home.valornet.com/sabruf2/countchr.html and we are now, believe it or not,
80 Days until Christmas Day! *(It's now actually only 44 Days til Christmas...wow!!)*
And now is the time of year to send my email regarding Operation Christmas Child a.k.a Shoebox gifts.
Many of you already know how this works. Operation Christmas Child is a project founded by the Samaritans Purse, a non-denominational christian organization founded in 1970 to provide emergency and international relief to victims of war, poverty, disease, and famine. The "shoebox gifts" began over 13 years ago with an emphasis on giving to children. The project involves filling a shoebox with new items to be sent to needy children all over the world. Here's the general outline once again with a few minor changes this year:
1. Come see me for your brochure complete with instructions and Boy/Girl label which you will need to stick to your box when you are done. *For you, visit the website for info http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/occ/ *
2. Find a Shoebox (or any box) - or many people last year used small plastic shoebox sized totes or photo boxes you can find at the dollar store or Walmart.
3. Boy or Girl - Is your gift for a boy or a girl? Choose an age (2 - 4 years, 5 - 9, or 10 -14).
4. Begin Collecting Items to fill your Shoebox. This is the fun part! Your neighbourhood dollar store is probably your best place to shop.
Items can include:
- Toys (Doll, ball, yo yo, slinky, cars, etc.)
- Toiletry items (comb, toothbrush/paste, washclothes, soap bar inside a plastic bag, etc.)
- School Supplies (pens, pencils, crayons, writing pads, colouring books, etc.)
- Candy (Last year, you could include gum, this year they have changed it to include HARD INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED CANDY ONLY)
- Others (socks, tshirts, hair clips, sunglasses, hats, etc.)
Remember DO NOT include:
- Liquids (these can freeze or spill)
- Food items (candy mentioned above is okay but chocolate, for example, can melt)
- Breakables (ceramic figurines, glass cups, mirrors)
- Used Items
- Harmful or "Scary" Items (war figures, toy guns, sharp objects)
5. Pack your Box. You can wrap your shoebox in Christmas paper if you wish. Make sure you wrap the lid separately. You may also include a photo of yourself or your family or a letter to "your" child. When you are done, stick your Boy/Girl label on top of the box, check off the appropriate age, and secure the box with an elastic band or two.
6. $7 Shipping/Handling Cost PER box: Please keep in mind these boxes are travelling to all corners of the world and the organization needs this money to send your gifts. This means a packaged shoebox will cost you approximately $17-$22 in TOTAL. Your dollar store items will cost you between $10 - $15 plus your shipping fee of $7.
6. Drop off - at my work, everyone brings them to me and I drop them off. *For you,
Visit the website http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/occ/dropoff_locations/ for the location nearest you.
MORE OPTIONS:
1. You can make a cash donation to the organization. Remember that any amount over $10 is tax deductible.
2. Other gifts: Samaritans Purse also provides many other services for needy families around the world. There's a catalog (or see online) where you can purchase items such as Mosquito Nets ($9), Hot Meals for a week and a half ($10), Family Survival Kit including bottled water, blankets, cooking items ($65), Medical Supplies ($100), etc.
I have been asked "How do you know this organization is legit?", "How do you know where the money goes?". These are very valid questions and I've asked them myself. I have done quite a bit of research about the "Samaritan's Purse" organization and I am very confident that our donations and shoebox gifts are indeed reaching all over the world to children in need. If you would like to research for yourself, financial statements, auditors reports, etc. are all listed online at http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/occ/. You can also visit me for a video (from last year) or a new DVD (en route to me) to see gifts being delivered. It's amazing to watch the children so thrilled by such a small shoebox filled with items most of us take for granted. *This video is also available to watch online*
Thank you so much in advance for your participation. Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions or concerns.
Sincerely
Myrna Hynes
Just something to keep in mind. Christmas is a time of giving and I believe that God greatly blesses us for the work we do to help those in need. For this and any other involvements you have in your church, school, community, or business - THANK YOU!
Here's the letter I sent out to my coworkers:
Hello Everyone,
I've just checked the official countdown website http://home.valornet.com/sabruf2/countchr.html and we are now, believe it or not,
80 Days until Christmas Day! *(It's now actually only 44 Days til Christmas...wow!!)*
And now is the time of year to send my email regarding Operation Christmas Child a.k.a Shoebox gifts.
Many of you already know how this works. Operation Christmas Child is a project founded by the Samaritans Purse, a non-denominational christian organization founded in 1970 to provide emergency and international relief to victims of war, poverty, disease, and famine. The "shoebox gifts" began over 13 years ago with an emphasis on giving to children. The project involves filling a shoebox with new items to be sent to needy children all over the world. Here's the general outline once again with a few minor changes this year:
1. Come see me for your brochure complete with instructions and Boy/Girl label which you will need to stick to your box when you are done. *For you, visit the website for info http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/occ/ *
2. Find a Shoebox (or any box) - or many people last year used small plastic shoebox sized totes or photo boxes you can find at the dollar store or Walmart.
3. Boy or Girl - Is your gift for a boy or a girl? Choose an age (2 - 4 years, 5 - 9, or 10 -14).
4. Begin Collecting Items to fill your Shoebox. This is the fun part! Your neighbourhood dollar store is probably your best place to shop.
Items can include:
- Toys (Doll, ball, yo yo, slinky, cars, etc.)
- Toiletry items (comb, toothbrush/paste, washclothes, soap bar inside a plastic bag, etc.)
- School Supplies (pens, pencils, crayons, writing pads, colouring books, etc.)
- Candy (Last year, you could include gum, this year they have changed it to include HARD INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED CANDY ONLY)
- Others (socks, tshirts, hair clips, sunglasses, hats, etc.)
Remember DO NOT include:
- Liquids (these can freeze or spill)
- Food items (candy mentioned above is okay but chocolate, for example, can melt)
- Breakables (ceramic figurines, glass cups, mirrors)
- Used Items
- Harmful or "Scary" Items (war figures, toy guns, sharp objects)
5. Pack your Box. You can wrap your shoebox in Christmas paper if you wish. Make sure you wrap the lid separately. You may also include a photo of yourself or your family or a letter to "your" child. When you are done, stick your Boy/Girl label on top of the box, check off the appropriate age, and secure the box with an elastic band or two.
6. $7 Shipping/Handling Cost PER box: Please keep in mind these boxes are travelling to all corners of the world and the organization needs this money to send your gifts. This means a packaged shoebox will cost you approximately $17-$22 in TOTAL. Your dollar store items will cost you between $10 - $15 plus your shipping fee of $7.
6. Drop off - at my work, everyone brings them to me and I drop them off. *For you,
Visit the website http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/occ/dropoff_locations/ for the location nearest you.
MORE OPTIONS:
1. You can make a cash donation to the organization. Remember that any amount over $10 is tax deductible.
2. Other gifts: Samaritans Purse also provides many other services for needy families around the world. There's a catalog (or see online) where you can purchase items such as Mosquito Nets ($9), Hot Meals for a week and a half ($10), Family Survival Kit including bottled water, blankets, cooking items ($65), Medical Supplies ($100), etc.
I have been asked "How do you know this organization is legit?", "How do you know where the money goes?". These are very valid questions and I've asked them myself. I have done quite a bit of research about the "Samaritan's Purse" organization and I am very confident that our donations and shoebox gifts are indeed reaching all over the world to children in need. If you would like to research for yourself, financial statements, auditors reports, etc. are all listed online at http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/occ/. You can also visit me for a video (from last year) or a new DVD (en route to me) to see gifts being delivered. It's amazing to watch the children so thrilled by such a small shoebox filled with items most of us take for granted. *This video is also available to watch online*
Thank you so much in advance for your participation. Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions or concerns.
Sincerely
Myrna Hynes
Just something to keep in mind. Christmas is a time of giving and I believe that God greatly blesses us for the work we do to help those in need. For this and any other involvements you have in your church, school, community, or business - THANK YOU!
Monday, November 06, 2006
Saturday, November 04, 2006
A Couple o' Things
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Here is the latest and greatest picture of me at 20 weeks 5 days prego...standing at the top of our stairs, still in pj's at 2pm on a saturday afternoon, trying to tell Jamie how to operate our digital, boobs hangin' quite heavy, and baby growing and kicking and squirming (that's the fun part!).
So far, I have to say pregnancy has been quite good to me. I feel great other than not sleeping so well a lot of the time and feeling slightly tired. But otherwise, in the past 4 weeks, I've only had puffy swollen feet a little bit, heartburn once, crampy "period" achiness for an hour or so, and the occasional but seldom bout of emotional outbursts consisting of tears, impatience, anger, sometimes all of the above. Maybe I'm not doing so good after all...lol :)
In other news, JENNIFER IS LEAVING US!! Yup, she got a call on Thursday with the good news of a position at the bank back home in Newfoundland. She's very excited. I'm very excited for her. She and Chris both really want to move back and I don't blame them. This is a great opportunity and Jenny, I wish you all the best! On the flip side of that happiness is me feeling completely devestated - I'm very sad and depressed at the idea of not having Jennifer around. I work with her, see her on the weekends, scrapbook with her, talk to her about everything. It's crazy to think of her being so far away and I will miss her immensely! (I will stop now in avoidance of teary outburst as mentioned above).
And thirdly, we got a new SUV - lease was up on our old Escape so we got another one just yesterday. Jamie is SO excited. I think he took a picture of every single angle (inside and out) to email his father. Here "she" is:
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Have a great weekend everyone!
Myrna
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