Week 34, Gone in a Flash!

Well, I am really behind on my blog right now, as I have been super busy lately. This week I will post both week 34 and 35, but separately as they are both way too long to read through in a single reading. So here is week 34 in a nutshell! :)

The first thing that really kept my mind busy was the closing of my little family's favourite bakery and deli, Angelo's. It has been a staple to Londoners since 1957, and is often seen as an iconic London fixture, one for tourists to visit, and also for families to frequent for their regular shopping trips. Chris and I have been going ever since we moved to London, as it is only a 'hop, skip and a jump' away from our home, and needless to say, it was one of our favourite things about where we live. No matter if it was just us looking for lunch, or if we had special guests coming over for a visit, we knew Angelo's would always have something perfect in store for us. We also loved how they were starting to expand their business by bringing in fresh produce! We were so excited about being able to do some "one-stop shopping", as now we were able to get our breads, meats, dairy and fruits and veggies! Somedays we would just pop by to pick up some fresh buns (the curly ones were my favourite), or a nice soft pretzel, or if the baby had a sweet tooth hankering, I'd pick up some delicious chocolate cookies. When I heard they were closing all of the locations, my heart sank. I had never felt this kind of sadness associated with a store before, because to me Angelo's wasn't just a store. It was a place where all the locals gathered to take time to relax, chat, and just enjoy the aromas of dough baking in a warm oven. It really made you feel like you were a part of something bigger than just yourself, almost like you were family. When I went in during one of their last days, I started to cry as I checked out. I explained to the lady that I was hormonal due to being pregnant, but that I was so disappointed that I would never be able to share my love of Angelo's with my baby. She looked at me with swollen red eyes and reached out to touch my belly. She asked when I was due, and when I said December, she said she hoped they would be able to reopen, and if they did by the time the baby was born, to go and see her, and she'd make the baby a cake. I was so touched by her kindness, but sad because you could tell she'd been crying all day. So many people had tears in their eyes while they bought their last loaf of bread, or last batch of Grandma's Butter Tarts. I truly hope that Angelo's will be able to open again, as they really do have the whole city behind them. I would love to be able to share such a wonderful, historical and local experience with my child and show him/her that family can exist in all different forms.

 The next unfortunate and stressful thing that happened was the return of my back pain, accompanied with one sided swelling of my right leg and foot. My mom was over and we were sitting on the floor playing with some puppies she is currently fostering. Normally I like sitting on the floor, as I find sitting cross legged to be way more comfortable then sitting in a chair. When I tried standing up, my back gave out and locked up on me. I could not get off the floor! Anytime I tried straightening it, it would seize and the pain would shoot through my body. Now, I am very familiar with back pain, as my dad has suffered with chronic back pain since I was born, and what I was experiencing was very much like his 'episodes'. The key is move slowly and on your own, without anyone helping you up, as only you can tell when it's going to flair up again. It took me a long while to move from the floor to the couch, and even longer to get from the couch to standing, but I was determined to get up because I had a prenatal class that evening that was to cover the birthing process (it seemed important at the time). ;) Luckily, it eased up enough that I could walk, but the pain lasted for a few days. Needless to say, I did not really join the group on the mats (our pretend hospital beds) at our prenatal class, instead I pretended to stay in the "car" which was actually the chairs in the room. I am very glad I got to go to that class through! I did visit my doctor, as I was quite concerned about the back pain and one sided swelling, and was told to watch for any chest pain or increased pain in the swollen areas. If I did notice anything, I was to go to the hospital, but luckily the back pain went away, though the swelling is still hanging around.

Another thing keeping me (and the pets) busy is squirrel watching. In our area, the squirrels are very numerous and love entertaining us with acrobatic shows. We all sit quietly on the floor by the back patio door and watch the squirrels quarrel over who gets first dibs on things left on our deck. There is this rather feisty squirrel who thinks he rules the roost and chases all the other squirrels away whenever they get too close. I am not going to lie, I really did sit on the floor for almost 2 hours with my dog and two cats watching the squirrels chatter and sprint around, fighting over cereal and apple slices.

Thankfully my squirrel watching has not been useless! Through my intense detective work, I have now been able to deduce who or what has been destroying our garbage, spreading it all over our deck and yard... The culprit? It is Mr. Chitter, our bossy little squirrel. He is so bold, he even came up to the garbage bags against the door and squeezed between them and the glass windows while my cats batted on the door. I love the nerve of this guy!

As of 34 weeks, Muppet weighs as much as a cantaloupe and is almost 18 inches long. His/her fat layers are continuing to pile on so when it's born, it will have the cute chubby skin that everyone loves to pinch. :) Muppet is continuing to move around a lot, and seems to be sure of it's footing now, as it's kicks really seem to be directed to certain places on purpose these days. Ya, I'm talking about my ribs and bladder. :) 

My book choice for week 34 is 'Red is Best' by Kathy Stinson. This book was also one of my favourites growing up, and I feel it really is a perfect read right now because of the cold weather that is quickly approaching. This book is all about a young child named Kelly and her love of the colour red, and how everything is always better when it is red.  I love how it deals with such a simple subject, but shows how parents and children can clash when we have to deal with everyone having their own ideas while managing the battle between imagination and common sense. Truly, you cannot reason with a child. :) I remember loving the simple illustrations, the easy storyline and the brilliant message of a child's logic in an adult's world, "I like red," Kelly says, "because red is best." 

"My Mom doesn't understand about red. 

I like my red stockings best. 

My Mom says, 'Wear these. Your white stockings look good with that dress.'

But I can jump higher in my red stockings. I like my red stockings best."

=^..^=