Momentary Hiatus...

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to put it out there that we're visiting the farm until tonight... Kurt has a soccer game to win in Saskatoon - so we'll head back after he's done work in the barn. ;) Today he's a farrowing assistant. Neat, huh?

It was sure warm to sleep last night, but had cooled off by morning - praise our God! :)

Talk to you soon! I'll try to attach a picture to show the "view" - hope it takes!

Blog Rearranging

I had a few people (including Kurt, who likes to check the baby's progress) request that I move the baby-development meter to the top 'cause it is "such a pain" to scroll all the way to the bottom. (See mom, I do listen to you... chuckle!)

I also found one on another baby-site that was more detailed (counting up and down), so I changed it as well as moved it... so - for now - the editing is done.

Only 84 days to go - wow! Can't wait to meet our little "Baby Einstein"!

And the Child Groweth...

At our prenatal appointment on Wednesday the doctor told me that although I am only 27 weeks, I was measuring 29 (according to the symph-fundal height). He then paused, looked at Kurt, then me, and said, "This is going to be a big baby." That would be the maiden-side genetics coming out, I suppose. I was nearly 9lbs and both my brothers were over that...

Gulp.

That said, I'm so thankful that the Lord is allowing this little one to grow steadily and strongly... today at the hairdressers I felt the baby do what felt like a somersault - my stomach visibly shook even under the hairdresser cape! :) Strange sensation - but with every movement I'm filled with joy and amazement that there really is a baby in there!

I found a cartoon that fits how I'm feeling today in this heat: Made me laugh out loud and thought I'd share it...


Happy +29 (35 with the humidity) July 21st, everyone! Stay hydrated and keep your ankles up!

Guess

... how many people today told me, "You're huge!"?


FOUR!

Four people that I worked with, or didn't work with, or who I was taking care of told me I was huge. Completely unsolicited.

Yeesh.

A few of them went on to add likewise comforting statements such as, "Wow - by the time three more months go by you're going to be so big!"

I think I like being pregnant - so far - but for pete's sake... I don't feel that massive!

Excuse me while I go digest the chocolate mousse I just ate. ;-D

Heh.

A page addition...

Check out the neat-o time-ticker at the very bottom of this page... very cool for counting down the wait until baby arrives!

Yellow Jacket : 1 - Oscar : 0

Kurt was out doing yard work last night and turned around to find Oscar shaking his head like crazy. I guess a yellow jacket decided to take on the Bull Mastiff... poor puppy. These pictures were taken last night - I thought maybe we should change his name to Rocky Balboa. :-D He's kinda funny looking with one good eye and the other swollen... lets just say he is now perfecting his "not impressed" look.

For anyone who is concerned - the swelling has gone down a little today - but we're keeping an eye (ha! good pun!) on the injury to make sure nothing worse happens. For anyone who also follows Life Out Loud - and my post yesterday - perhaps this is judgement on Oscar for eating Morning and Evening. (lol!) Kidding - sorry Oscar!

"Number 8 is Number 1!"

So, soccer was enjoyable last night. Although Kurt didn't score a goal, Tauro FC (his team) won 7:1, and the bugs weren't too bad. He also had "a great back-pass"... which, I'm sorry to say, I didn't see.

But when I got home and realized I had taken 56 pictures (!!) I wonder how I possibly missed it!
Not all of the pictures were of Kurt... but the majority were. I also took pictures of my friend's husbands: Ben K., Sheldon M. and Patrick G... who was anxiously waiting for a call notifying him that his wife had gone into labor - no such call came during the game - hopefully today guys - still thinking of you and praying for you! (Maybe I'll see you at work tonight!)

Here are some pictures of my most-favorite player ever in action... I love you sweetheart!

I'm back!

I was amazed at how many people the counter has counted since my last post. Thanks for reading, everyone... especially since I haven't posted for a while!

Kurt got back into town late Friday night, we went out for a quick bite to Boston Pizza (never too late for a Beef Dip!) and early Saturday morning we were up, packing, and headed to the farm to drop off Oscar - eat lunch with my folks and then head to Lloydminster.

My cousin, Tasha, and her husband and two kids fed and entertained us for that evening (thanks again, guys!) and Sunday morning (after a WalMart pit-stop) we headed for Edmonton for the big games!

The results: Mexicans are crazy-type fans! Especially when they win (over New Zealand)... and Canadian fans didn't do too poorly - although we lost (to Congo). :) It also poured - but Sheldon got great seats and being just under the overhang of the stadium, we were out of the rain... chilly but not wet! The funny part was that FIFA won't let umbrellas in the stadium - so they had confiscated ours before we went in... only they weren't ours - they were Tasha's... and we never got them back. (lol) (So another trip to good-old WalMart to replace them... chuckle). The picture below is the Canadian team during the national anthem. (Which we all stood and sang.) The stadium actually had about 30,000 people there - they were just all on our side because the cameras were on the other side of the stadium... so the people who sold the tickets wanted to fill our side first.... the other side had lots - just not as many as our side!

It was a great time with friends... and then we all headed out to one friend's grandparents house to crash for the night - after snacks and games. Not wanting to set up our tent in the rain, we slept in the house - while our brave friends all slept outside by the pond... Kudos to all of you! :) But I was happy to wake up warm and dry... :)

Monday morning Kurt and I hit Ikea (thank you Sweden) where we weren't able to find a change table, but Kurt got Swedish chocolate (almost as satisfying) and I got a couple of candles... I picked up a few things at Old Navy Maternity... we had lunch at the Olive Garden - and then back to Llloyd to pick up the crib - a nice crib that will be a pleasure to accessorize. :) The picture below is from the game - black and white so it doesn't look so wet and cold. ;)

After reluctantly turning down my cousin's offer of roast-beef supper, we then drove all the way to the farm to pick up our dog (having a roast-pork supper with mom and dad), and then all the way home.

I don't even want to describe what my ankles looked like that night. :) Suffice to say: I've never had pitting edema ever, but Monday night it was at least 2+ (my nursing friends will know what that means). What it means is that when I pressed down on the skin, it stayed down, and didn't pop back up for a LONG time. Ugh.

So Tuesday and today were gallons of water (I'm not exaggerating) and cranberry juice... reduced salt... and mucho-elevation. I think my feet are getting better... but maybe it is just wishful thinking. :)

To answer Jaime's question in my earlier post: I've not started yet with the scrapbook... but I'm better organized in thought than I was before I left. I have the time line complete and just need to have the time to spread out somewhere and get started. My friend, Crystal, gave me the idea of digital scrap booking... and I suppose that is an option if I need for later.

Anyway, tonight I'm going to watch Kurt play soccer - hopefully the bugs won't be too bad - and maybe I'll take a few pictures. Maybe.

I have to post something, after all! :)

Oh - by the way - here is a profile picture (finally) for those who wanted a clear view of how the belly is doing. Kurt took it yesterday. It never fails to amaze me how tired I'm looking these days (even in the picture at the game with Kurt). It's like my eyes have forgotten to smile, or something. :)

Please Pray

Hi everyone,
I found this link on my friend Melissa's blog this morning... I've spent some time reading and tears are welling up feeling for this mom. Maybe it is just because I can identify with her heartbreak over this sick child... and mine isn't even born yet! Pictured is a little girl named Olivia - "Livie" for short... and I copied it from her mom's blog. What a sweetie, huh?
If you trace her blog back to the start - before her little girl was sick (pre-March 2006) - she is so much like me... and I'm sure like others. Excited for a happy marriage, a house, and a beautiful daughter that she and her husband had struggled to conceive...
But her little girl isn't doing so well right now... leukemia is wreaking havoc. Mom is also a Christian (attached to the CJ Mahoney Sovereign Grace Churches according to Melissa). If you can - spend a little time reading and getting to know this family - and please pray. Not only that God would heal this child... but that her mom and dad would be able to bear up under this trial and glorify God, no matter the results.
Mom updates the blog quite regularly... and since Livie has been in the hospital for 118 days straight... that is quite the feat. Here is the link

"Good morning ankles!"

I've been feeling mightily frustrated with the world of blogging. I put up these wonderful, exciting posts (perhaps I think too highly of them... lol) and the the pictures all disappear. I'm trying to decide if it is worth the effort to reload them - because I have now figured out what I did in the first place... long story.... but lots of effort to redo something - when the majority of people who will look, have looked already. Any thoughts on this? If you missed the pictures, let me know - I'll put them back up. But as it sits, I'll probably just leave it alone.

On another note: after 3+ days of swelling, faithful pressure-stocking wearing, and foot elevation, I've woken up to once again see my ankle bones. What a wonderful feeling! I'm sure by tonight they will be engulfed by fluid again... but I'll spend some time enjoying them today before that happens.

The Life Out Loud blog is also my new interest: I've been spending lots of time reading, checking and replying to it - and the lovely ladies who post there. Check it out - lots of personality to be enjoyed, and the Lord is honored... I'm humbled to be part of it. :)

I've made a firm decision: sort-of. I've told a few people of my desire to effectively scrapbook Kurt and my first 4 years together (funny how nicely it rounds out for anniversary and baby arrival). I have a couple of days off, and Kurt is on the road again... I'm contemplating getting started on that. Yikes! Once I'm started, it is easy... it is the gearing up to organize that is hard. This morning I made a list (monthly) with year divisions October 2003-October 2007 and I'm filling in events that I remember (read: have pictures of) beside them to have an idea of what kind of stuff would have to be in this album - the number of pages for each event/adventure/normal daily activity... I still have some pictures from the old 35mm... but the rest of the digital pictures would have to be sent to Costco or Walmart for development then picked up - plus we're on a budget (who's idea was this to get pregnant???) and I don't want to get too overboard - but I do have most of my materials (paper, stickers, pens... if they still work)... Ugh! Do you see why I'm waffling? And yet, if I don't get started soon - it might not happen until after the baby comes - and taking my mom's example... I might not remember the particular details of our honeymoon when my first child is 24 years old! (Mom, that wasn't a shot - really... lol!)

And, as mentioned above, the love of my life is taking a short road trip again. When he gets back - probably late Friday night - we'll turn around and head to Alberta again to watch some under-20 World Cup action - I'm pretty excited about that... as long as I don't think about what my ankles are going to do on the way there, or during the games. (Edmonton is about 5 hours away.) Right now, the forecast for Edmonton on Sunday is only 21 (that is 70 for my American friends) with clouds, but the low is 8 degrees (46)... so that isn't too bad. If it sticks. Thinking about us on Sunday? Check out the current Edmonton conditions (you might have to refresh so it is up-to-date) and you can either laugh or pray for me. :)

We're also going to take the time in Lloydminster to get together with my cousin and her husband and two kids on Saturday night - she's giving me a crib - I'm sure that will make the baby real if only for the reason that we should prepare the room to put the crib in! :) Very exciting!

Speaking of baby, I read the most hillarious article the other day about views of pregnancy. We've all seen the Hollywood version of pregnancy - the "Yummy Mommy" so to speak: see the paralells with the rest of us here. I laughed out loud and passed it onto a girlfriend of mine who is expecting soon... thought others might find it humerous as well.

This was a mess of randomness... but I wanted to put it out there that I'm still alive - blogging and thinking. Happy July 5th - keep your ankles elevated!

First Supper on the Deck!

We picked up the patio set that I've been eyeing at WalMart today... all I can say is that it is awesome. Kurt's parents also thought so when they stopped by today - (nice to see you Mom & Dad M!)

We're pretty much done working on our backyard... and for that I praise God - considering we've been working on it for over a year. It never ceases to amaze me that He gives His children such simple gifts and allows us to enjoy them - but truly believing that "every good and perfect gift is from above" - we did enjoy it tonight and are thankful! Here are some pictures of the yard, the furniture - and - of course - Oscar. :)

Oh - and I put out a "bio" post to the Life Out Loud blog tonight if you would like to check it out. Just follow the link!

A New Blog!

Hi Everyone,
A great group of godly women (couldn't say "girls" because that would have been too much alliteration - even for me!) have started a blog to encourage each other and the general population of Christian women to keep on pursuing God by loving Jesus Christ. They've been kind enough to invite me to join them... so I'll be posting there, too. :)
I find it so amazing that there are women from all over the world, from every walk and phase of life all joyfully bowing to the same wonderful Master... He truly is amazing!
Please check it out here - let me know what you think... feel free to let them know, too. :)
Blessings!

The Dump

Guess what? My sweetie took me to the dump for the first time today. The city dump. Yes - I had mixed feelings about this adventure as well... but for the pure enjoyment of his company I thought "What the heck?" The trip was for the purpose of continuing the yard work in the front - all that old sod/dirt is being hauled away - and since we can dump "organic" material without a fee at the dump - the dump is the closest place we can legally put it.

Kurt had loaded most of it up yesterday, so that was short job to get the truck ready. It was super-warm today... so after leaving Oscar in the house most of the day (due to church and a BBQ at Cortens - see Julie's blog here), we packed him up, rolled down the windows of the truck and headed out. He gets crazy-excited whenever we say "car ride?" ... so there was no doubt about his anticipation. :)

When we first got near the place, I thought the scent was my imagination. Surely a dump can't actually smell that yucky when we're nowhere near it! But it wasn't just in my head! Ick. I won't venture to describe it - but it was not pleasant. The smell of the place along with the heat wasn't the greatest combination for this pregnant girl... but I'm still smiling - if cringing a little. (lol)
The guy at the gate played a little "Canada Day" mind game with Kurt - telling him it would be $35 bucks to dump the dirt... but then laughed and waved us through. Kurt was mightily relieved since he hadn't brought his wallet. :)

Oscar and I baked in the truck and Kurt did a quick unload. I just held my breath when I took the pictures. :) And that was it. Adventure over