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."

=^..^=

24 Weeks Pregnant And A New Family Addition!

Our week began pretty busy, as we went into Toronto to go to the FanExpo and the Harry Potter Exhibition at the Ontario Science Centre. We started our morning a little slow, as we couldn't decide what "nerd-ery" to do first, Harry Potter, or SciFi fun. We decided to go to FanExpo first, as some friends were already there, but to our dismay, when we got there, the event had reached full capacity and they weren't letting anyone in until people started leaving. We paid our $15 for parking, because I still had hopes that the line would move, but after seeing how far the line went back, I admitted defeat and had a little cry. I'm so glad I wasn't all dressed up in some cosplay outfit, as that would have been the saddest sight to see. After talking with some friends, I felt better about not getting in, as it was apparently very packed and unorganized this year and I imagine Little Muppet would have started to get impatient standing in lines all day. To make our parking "worth" it, we went and had an ice tea across the street, and then headed back to the car so we could go to the Harry Potter Exhibit.

The Harry Potter Exhibition was held at the Ontario Science Centre, and neither Chris nor I (nor Muppet for that matter), had ever been there, so we were really excited! The exhibit started off with us being ushered into a room with the Sorting Hat who sorted some of the audience into their Hogwart's House. I sadly did not get to be sorted by the hat, as I felt I had to let the children in the audience go first... self sacrifice, I tell ya! ;) We then got to walk through the front doors of Hogwart's into the world of Harry Potter!


The exhibit was amazing! On display were tons of costumes, props, set pieces and more from the actual Harry Potter films! We got to walk through the Gryffindor dormitory which had the actual beds and clothing of the main characters in it, pull mandrakes from their pots which  made them scream, sit on Hagrid's chair in his hut, toss a Quidditch ball through the hoop (while being reminded we had to use only one hand, as the other would be holding onto a broom), and see all the magical creatures like Buckbeak or Dobby. They had the graveyard set up with Dementors, the halls were covered with posters of Bellatrix Lestrange and other wanted Death Eaters, and there was even the costume worn by "He Who Cannot Be Named". I truly could not believe how much they had brought with them from the movie sets! Mostly though, I really wanted to pet the Monster Book of Monsters... It was so cute! :D

After the exhibit, we decided to tour the rest of the Centre and we had a blast! Chris was hilarious trying to steer his Moon Buggy, and I loved playing the steel drums. The Ontario Science Centre is a lot of fun, and I can definitely see us going back again, especially after the reaction I got from Little Muppet! As soon as we entered the Space section of the Centre, Muppet started to do intense kicks and punches. It truly is going to out-geek us in the future. We may have to start saving up for astronaut school soon...Maybe we'll be lucky and Muppet will marry a rich alien... ;)

Here is a little, slightly embarrassing, video of me attempting to play the steel drums. Enjoy! (Muppet, be warned...this is only one of the MANY times your parents will embarrass you! Please know we do it with love.)

In other news, we have a new addition to the family! Her name is Edie! She was born on September 1 and she is absolutely adorable! Chris and I are hoping she'll provide us with a little practice before our little one arrives, as well as show us a preview of what is to come. She is going to be a wonderful cousin for our Muppet and it will be so fun to see them grow up together! We are very happy for Chris' sister and her husband and know they are going to be great parents for this petite lady. I cannot wait to spoil her! :) Congrats you two!! To read more about Edie's start in the world, go to hunniebunniebabies.blogspot.com. 

We recently went for our latest prenatal the other day and I talked to my doctor about some new fun symptoms I'm having. Ankle and leg swelling! Weee! I actually bought some support knee high stockings, and when I wear them to work with my back support belt I kind of feel like a hip granny. I can't believe the number this little monkey is doing on my body! My ankles were so swollen that they completely disappeared! That coupled with my back pain and horrific heartburn is really getting to be a bit too much. The doctor recommended I work less on my feet, so I'm going to have to talk to my boss. Like the doctor said, it'll only get worse from here! 

We got to hear Muppet's heartbeat again which was super clear this time. The heartbeat was 160 (for those keeping track). Chris said it reminded him of the Popcorn song. For those not familiar with this song, watch the Muppet's version with the Swedish Chef! 

As of week 24, Muppet is the size of an eggplant (which is also one of my favourite colours). I am also already a soccer mom, as my uterus is now about the size of a soccer ball! That is crazy, but I do love soccer...:)  Muppet is taller than two juice boxes stacked on top of each other and as heavy as four of them! At 24 weeks, Muppet's lungs are getting ready for breathing their first lungful of air, and it's nostrils are starting to open so it can take little practice breaths with the amniotic fluid. So far, I have gained 9 pounds in this pregnancy, which I admit at first made me want to cry a little. But I know that I have to think of it as" growing baby" weight, not "too much pizza and chips" weight.

Little Muppet has begun kicking me up higher now, and I think it can hear the cats, because whenever they are laying on my stomach purring, Muppet kicks right at them! It's pretty darn cute! I'm curious to see how the pets will react to this little person being in their space. I think Nobi will love Muppet and we'll have to watch for accidental smothering, as Nobi is a cuddler...Neko on the other hand...well, she's very protective and quick to react, so we'll have to see what she does. I'm pretty sure Sawyer will just sit on the poor child, as he loves being a "lap" dog. Ah, family! :)

=^..^=

Busy Like A Bee At 23 Weeks!

This past week has been very busy for us, as we had Pawlooza (a doggy festival), work and a full day of pickling! It was hectic, but we really did have a lot of fun and it was neat to think that in a way, Little Muppet was there to experience these things with us.

We went to Pawlooza bright and early on Saturday morning, as I had to work later on in the afternoon and we knew we couldn't disappoint Sawyer by missing this special puppy day. And what a day it was! The place was packed with animal charities and rescues, animal treats and toys, a pet physic, pet first aid demonstrations, dog competitions like dock diving and agility and let's not forget the crazy amount of dogs towing their owners behind them! http://www.pawlooza.com

Sawyer's favourite thing (besides sniffing dog bums) is swimming, and this year they had fenced in part of a body of water so the dogs could run, play and swim freely without dragging their people into the muddy water. He swam and fetched all sorts of toys that had been provided for the dog's entertainment. He was basically in heaven. We stayed there most of  our visit, as it's impossible to drag him away from any body of water (even if it's a puddle the size of a tennis ball). He came home very tuckered out, but blissfully happy. He cannot wait for next year! 

Chris filmed a little video of Sawyer swimming with his 4 legged friends with his iPhone, so click on the link to watch the fun! www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3Qw0aWahjg  (He likes to chase the ball, but has yet to learn to bring it back to us.)

The next big project was making homemade dill pickles (my mother is famous for them!). I have been looking forward to making them for quite some time as there really isn't anything more satisfying then creating something wonderful from scratch. You really feel like you have accomplished something important...even though to some it's, well...just a jar of pickles. One of my favourite childhood memories is opening that first jar of pickles on Thanksgiving Day, and I want the tradition to continue on in my little family, so I knew it was time to do the whole process...not just eat the first pickle. :) 

Our pickle quest did not start off too smoothly, as finding pickling cucumbers is getting to be more and more difficult. Apparently there was some crazy cucumber disease a few years back, and it's been hard for the farms to grow decent crops. Another reason may also be that pickling and canning is becoming a thing of the past, as people of my generation seem to be quite content just buying their goods at the grocery store. Sadly in this day and age, no one has the time to make their own food, and it really does feel like canning is becoming a lost art. I am determined to keep it going as I think it's important to get back to basics when you can, and really feel and appreciate the work that goes into everyday things, as well as support local farmers and businesses. I already am looking forward to apple picking this fall and making homemade apple sauce and pies! Yum!

We finally found a farm that had pickling cukes, though they warned us that people had been picking earlier that morning, and we might not have any luck. Thankfully our persistent rummaging talents (thanks to shopping at second hand stores) paid off. We were dirty, our hands sore and Muppet was dizzy from the constant bending and squatting I was doing, but we had cucumbers! We had to visit another farm to find dill (which is also hard to find), and managed to pick a few more cucumbers there as well. By the end of all that picking, my back really started to hurt and I couldn't wait to sit down and peel garlic. We stopped by the grocery store, got some pickling salt, garlic and vinegar and then we were off for a long evening of playing tetris with pickles and oven hot glass jars. We managed to get 20 jars done that night, and my mother did another 20 jars the next evening. I am so excited for Thanksgiving, it's crazy!

At the one farm, we were amazed to see so many different vegetables growing around us. They had a billion different kinds of peppers: red, green, black, yellow, hot, sweet...The list goes on and on, just like their fields. One field we couldn't pass up was full of beautiful tomato plants. We decided to might as well get a half bushel of tomatoes, as they simply smelled too intoxicating to leave behind. As we picked the tomatoes, my mom grabbed one and took a bite. It looked delicious! I then remembered that I happened to have a package of salt and pepper in my purse, so I also picked up a tomato, dusted it off on my shift, and sprinkled it with seasonings. I took a big bite and it just exploded! It was so fresh and tasted so...real. There is something about food that comes right out of the ground that just feels so right to me. I hope that one day I will be able to plant my own little garden so that my child will be able to enjoy all the wonders of nature right at home. 

After all that craziness, the back pain just intensified to the point that we went out to buy me a supportive maternity belt. I have never needed to buy a back belt before, so I wasn't sure what to look for, but the lovely girl at Cheeky Monkey steered me towards a product called the "BellySling". It not only helps ease back pain, but also helps reduce groin pain, hemorrhoids, and varicose veins while letting you feel like you can go about your daily activities without discomfort. It was designed by an 84 year old Canadian registered nurse who felt the need to design a supportive garment for pregnant women after working with children and mothers for years. I'm just starting to use it, so I'll let everyone know how it goes! *fingers crossed*

 http://www.cheekymonkey.ca/BellySling.htm

Update! I absolutely love my Bellysling! It has provided me with great support that makes working on my feet so much easier and less painful. I find my posture has improved, and the weight of my ever-growing tummy does not put as much stress on my back, which is great because I know I'll only be getting bigger! ;) I definitely recommend this belt to anyone who is looking for good, solid back and stomach support during their pregnancy. Also, the fact that this belt comes with a little hot/cold pack that inserts into the belt for added pampering is a huge plus! Thank you Bellysling! :D http://www.bellysling.com/

At 23 Weeks, Muppet weighs about the weight of a large mango. Loud noises outside my tummy are now becoming familiar to the baby which is good because Sawyer barks loudly. I've been playing music for the baby, as well as reading it Winnie the Pooh and have been encouraging my kitties to lay on top of my tummy while purring, as I know how comforting that sound can be. I've also been watching it kick and move around, as it is so active these days! I am even feeling it move while I walk around at work. It still seems the most active at night, and I have woken up to little jabs a few times around 1 or 2 am. It's not going to like it's 8:30pm bedtime when it's older. :) I've been craving pie and cake lately. In fact, I wanted cake so badly one night, Chris drove around until we found a place that had some (though I told him I'd be satisfied with a discounted birthday cake at the grocery store...he insisted I only needed one slice, not a whole cake).

I'm really starting to get antsy with not having things done around the house, as I must really be nesting now. I hate having unfinished projects, and I really want to have everything in order before the little one comes. I also want to do it now when I can still move around without bumping into everything. Oh well, things will come together! :)   

Oh, here is a little clip of Muppet moving about! My tummy, as you can see, has become very fuzzy. :)



=^..^=