~ A Very Merry Christmas 2013~

The Christmas season just flew by. It came quickly and ended even faster!

It was a wonderful time spent with friends, and family, eating way too much food, being very spoiled, making lots of memories and just being together.

The trend of being super busy still continues so I'm just now finding time to write a few words about this great season.

This year, we spent Christmas Eve with hubby's family. We made the traditional pyrogies which everyone has come to look forward to! It was a bit difficult to get good pictures between my ever increasing slow movement and Audrey never stopping for a moment. Thankfully my SIL took over the camera for a bit so we have some pictures to documents the fun! (Thanks, L!)

This is before Audrey realized how FUN opening presents is!

Cousin L & Uncle D

Checking out what Grandpa got

Sneaking chocolate
(don't mind her black eye from daycare)

Little Elf!

Now she gets it!

Our best attempt at a family photo

Reading with Uncle C

We were all very spoiled! Audrey has lots of new books to read, some puzzles & toys and a few new clothes! We are all looking forward to attending the Calgary Folk Festival in the summer with C&L! I've never been before and it sounds like so much fun! Even Baby Boy received a few gifts!!

Christmas Day morning was lots of fun! Due to the late night before, Audrey slept in till 8:30am!!

We took our traditional Christmas morning picture in front of the tree, wearing our new PJs that we got from Santa's elves the night before.

It took Audrey a few minutes to get into opening her stocking and she seemed the most interested in an orange! Personally, the stockings are one of my favourite parts of Christmas morning! We had to take a break for breakfast after opening stockings since it took so long! Hubby made my requested waffles with whipping cream. Yum!!

After we properly fueled up, we opened the rest of the gifts. Audrey was quite interested in the camera set up on the tripod and wanted a picture taken of her new indoor shoes, with pandas on them!

Panda overload!

Her new Cabbage Patch baby from Santa!!

 Santa brought Audrey a Cabbage Patch baby which I thought would be perfect to help prepare her for her new baby brother. She LOVES it! She immediately wanted to feed her and carry her everywhere she went. I was not expecting that reaction at all so I was pleasantly surprised! She calls her "Dolly".

Feeding Dolly

Milo was surprisingly on Santa's good list this year and received a new toy! Audrey loves swinging it around and making him jump for it!

The middle of the day consisted of cleaning up and getting ready for Christmas dinner with my family. We hosted it this year for the first time. It definitely makes me appreciate all the years that others have hosted Christmas dinner since it's a lot of work! Thankfully hubby did most of the food prep while I got the house presentable and dealt with all the other non-food related prep.

Once everyone arrived, we feasted on hubby's hard work! The food was so good and I was seriously stuffed afterwards! I could barely move! My stomach just can't handle big meals anymore!

Audrey & Daddy
(& Dolly!)

Audrey & Mommy
(& Dolly!)

Pro gift opener!

Cousin Emma

Keeping everyone entertained!

Enjoying Great- Auntie S's Trifle!

Loving her older cousins

One crazy family! 

The girls

We made the boys take a photo too!

Mom & Daughters

Our lil' family

It was such a great night (again we were spoiled!) and it was nice that we could put Audrey to bed (she was exhausted) and not have to leave the party. I'm also grateful that everyone pitched in to clean up after since I was exhausted after 2 long days of festivities!

I'm so thankful that our families live close enough that we can celebrate Christmas with everyone each year. It might be a bit more hectic now that we have a little one but it's so fun and I love it!

Now for 2014!! I can't wait to see what this year brings!

Happy New Year!! 

~Baby N#2: 32 Weeks~

How big is Baby N?

Squash

Baby, while still has lots to grow, is getting ready for his arrival. He is likely in the head-down position, although there is enough time for him to flip around if he isn't. At my last midwife appointment, he appeared to be head down, although not "engaged." 

What I'm Wearing?

Comfort wins these days! I'm finding all pants quite restricting so I've been wearing more leggings and dresses. I'm a bit disappointed in my Joe jeans that I paid a fortune on since I don't find them as flattering around the waist now due to the thicker, lower band that cuts into the middle of my belly. The zipper also sticks out so it looks like I have this weird bump at the bottom of my belly. I'm sure it's not obvious to others but it drives me crazy!

Aversions or Cravings?

Nothing unusual.

How I'm feeling?

Now that I'm off for Christmas, I'm feeling better stress-wise. Everything came together and I'm enjoying the time with family and friends.

Physically, my cold is almost completely gone so that's a relief. I didn't feel so well on Monday however which put a damper on my first day off with Audrey alone in a long time. Thankfully she was a trooper and just played contently while I rested for a portion of the day. I'm not sure if I felt sick from pregnancy or a touch of the flu.

Work has been crazy busy the last couple of weeks, hence my major absence from blogging! It likely won't slow down in the New Year so just think of it as preparation for when I have zero time as a mom of two! Eeek!! Thanks to everyone who has "checked in" to make sure I am still alive! I've definitely been missing reading all your blogs!

Movement?

Still very active in there, especially at night. The hiccups were pretty intense the other day- I kind of felt bad for him!

Belly Button?

Getting so close to popping! 

Sleep?

Thankfully I have the best hubby who gets up early with Audrey so I've been able to sleep in most days. I need to make sure I get my sleep these days since I can't function very well on only 5-6 hours anymore.

Workouts?

# 1
- prenatal yoga DVD

I've been busy getting ready for Christmas and decided I wasn't going to stress about my lack of workouts this week. Some things just take priority temporarily and that's ok.

What I'm Excited for? 

Christmas Eve with hubby's family! They have a great pyrogy making tradition that is lots of fun and even better to eat!
Christmas Morning! I can't wait to see Audrey's face when she wakes up!
Christmas Dinner! We are hosting my family for Christmas this year. I'm so lucky to have a great chef for a husband and he loves to entertain!
Possibly painting the nursery in the next week?
Spending quality time with my lil' family.

What I Miss? 

Wine! My in-laws finished our wine kit that we started in the late spring (and completely forgot about!) so we have 2.5 cases of this delicious white wine that I can't drink :( Only a couple more months though.

Highlights?

Having our best friends over for dinner that we haven't seen in ages!
Spending quality time with hubby and Audrey, not really doing anything too exciting, which is often the best thing!
Attending a Centering Session held by my midwives. It's nice to be involved with a group of other women due the same time as me, especially since we aren't doing prenatal classes this time around. It was great to meet other women, discuss our pregnancies and talk about our experiences. Baby also got a check-up and everything looks good!

Baby Purchases & Projects?

Hubby and I took advantage of another toddler-free afternoon and organized the basement so that we can actually get the office furniture down there!  I felt overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that has to be done but hubby reassured me that it will all come together. I know he is right but that to-do list just seems dauntingly long and complicated.

One of my co-workers gifted me some cute baby boy clothes! Apparently she has similar taste as me- a lot of stripes!

Somewhat nursery related- we decided to convert Audrey's crib into a toddler bed, by removing the side rail, to see if she is ready for a bed. She has been sleeping a few times on a mattress on the floor at Grandma & Grandpa's without issue so we thought we would give it a try. She LOVES it! She loves that she can crawl into bed herself or sit on the side of her bed. I was mostly worried about nap time- climbing in and out of bed and it hasn't really been an issue. She wakes up in the morning and just sits in bed chatting away and doesn't even attempt to get up until we go in to get her. I'm sure this will change (especially now that I have shared this) but so far so good! Looks like we won't have to get another crib for the baby after all.

Weekly Belly Pic

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

~Baby N#2: 31 Weeks~

How big is Baby N?

Pineapple

Baby's five senses are fully developed. He is going through major brain & nerve development. His eyes now react to light.

It's crazy to think that a baby the size of a pineapple is inside me, and still has awhile to grow!

Weight Gain? 

As of last week, I'm up 16 pounds. Let's hope that Christmas doesn't get the better of me!

What I'm Wearing?

I'm starting to grow out of things and I'm gravitating towards my comfiest outfits for work each day. I received my Pink Blush order yesterday, finally! Unfortunately, the one tunic I was super excited for doesn't fit that well but it's also for nursing so I'm sure I will be able to wear it once the big belly is gone. A bit disappointing but that's what happens when you order online. The other items fit and I'm excited to wear them.

Aversions or Cravings?

Not really. I had a slight craving for Menchie's frozen yogurt but it's far too cold to indulge in that right now.

How I'm feeling?

Physically I feel pretty good. I had an adjustment last week so my hips are feeling better. I did catch Audrey's cold so that has been lingering for the last week.

Work has been insanely busy which is causing me some stress. I'm taking some time off over the holidays so I have a lot of work to do in the next couple of days. I'm also realizing how much closer I am to maternity leave and how much work I have to do before February! I still haven't decided when to start my maternity leave so I need to make a decision on that ASAP!

Movement?

It's a regular circus act in there! The hiccups are quite frequent and strong! Lots of sticking out of limbs and bum. He also responds when Audrey yells near my belly or sometimes pats it a little too hard! I keep trying to get her to feel him kick but she doesn't understand or have the patience to just sit there. 

Belly Button?

It's half popped! Still only obvious with my bare belly. It's so weird to see since it didn't pop with Audrey.

Sleep?

Other than waking up every couple of nights (or sometimes multiple times in one night) for awful foot and calf cramps, sleep has been pretty good.

Workouts?

# 4
- Prenatal Yoga DVD x2
- Tracy Anderson Pregnancy Project DVD- Month 7 (favourite DVD so far since I'm not a fan of all the leg work being on the ground in the previous months)
- Denise Austin Third Trimester Toning workout

Although working out is getting tougher with my increasingly big belly, it feels good to move. I just need to keep at it since I feel much better both mentally and physically once I've gotten a workout in.

What I'm Excited for? 

Christmas!!
Time off with my family!
Finally decorating the nursery!

What I Miss? 

Having some Christmas "cheer." The bartender at my Christmas party did make a special "pregnant lady" drink that was delicious and almost as good as a real drink!  I'm making up for it by eating more chocolate though!

Highlights?

Meeting with the interior designer for the nursery.
Shopping with my sister- it's been awhile since we've had some one-on-one time.
Having a mostly child-free weekend, even though I missed Audrey terribly, being very productive around the house.

Baby Purchases & Projects?

Finally, we have made some progress in this area! We met with the interior designer who helped us pick out the nursery wall colours and gave us some tips on how to arrange the furniture and deal with a few challenges that the room presents. She reassured me that my colour choices weren't going to clash with the rest of the house and we won't have to rip out carpet! Big relief there!

We also managed to organize a big part of the basement so that when we can arrange some brother-in-law help we can move the big furniture from the office/nursery into the basement. It's still a complete mess down there but at least we've put the carpet down which was a two person job.

I also may have bought a few more baby clothes... I need to resist the urge to buy anything else until I have somewhere to put everything!

Weekly Belly Pic

~Baby N#2: 30 Weeks~

How big is Baby N?

Cucumber

Baby's skin is getting smoother and his brain is getting wrinklier. He is strong enough to grasp a finger. Sometimes it feels like he is trying to grasp my insides!!

Weight Gain? 

Oops- I forgot to weigh myself today so I'll have to do it at the clinic before my midwife appointment and update later. 

What I'm Wearing?

Same as last week- a whole lot of warm clothes! I should take a picture of me all bundled up to and from work- it's quite the sight! There is no way I would have survived this winter without my pregnancy jacket! My new Sorel boots have been keeping my toes toasty warm, even if I feel like a duck when I wear them!

Aversions or Cravings?

Craving sweets!! All the Christmas baking around me and chocolates is not good! I also have a weird craving for Menchie's but it's too cold to eat frozen yogurt!

How I'm feeling?

Overall I am slowing down. I'm sure part of it is the weather and needing to be extra cautious out there so I don't slip. I find I can't be on my feet for too long or else they and my back get sore.

I've been getting a fair number of leg cramps in the middle of the night. The other night I was in tears because it hurt so badly and I couldn't get it to go away. I know it's a common pregnancy symptom but it's a super annoying one!

Thanks to my plague-carrying toddler, I am sick again. It's inevitable since she insists on drinking from my water bottle or sharing my food or coughing in my face. I feel like my head is going to explode. Hopefully it's short lived since I don't have time to be sick!

Movement?

There has been lots of movement this week, a lot of which can be seen from the outside. I'm pretty sure the other night he was trying to flip around. I think he was laying transverse and trying to move head down. Creepy yet neat feeling! I'm interested to find out what position he is actually in at my midwife appointment today. Not that it really matters too much at this point.

Belly Button?

The top part is sticking out ever so slightly. You can only tell when you look at my bare belly so it's not sticking out through my shirt, yet.

Sleep?

Would be fine if I didn't wake up with a leg cramp every night! Still only need to get up once for the bathroom.

Workouts?

# 2
- prenatal yoga class- last class was last week :( I might try to do some drop in in the new year when classes start up again but that depends on hubby's availability and if there is room for drop ins. I really enjoyed the class so hopefully it works out.
- prenatal yoga DVD

As I suspected, going away in November really got me out of the habit of working out regularly and I've been finding it increasingly harder to get back into the routine. Part of it is I have so much to do in the evenings that by the time Audrey is in bed I only have 1 or 2 hours to get everything done. I'm noticing that my hips aren't too happy right now and overall my body just aches so I really need to make sure I get at least 3 workouts in a week.

What I'm Excited for? 

Midwife appointment today- hearing the heart beat and finding out my blood work and GD results.
My work Christmas party this weekend.
Getting some decorating tips for the nursery this weekend (see below).
Getting together with my sister for some long overdue one-on-one time to do some shopping!

What I Miss? 

Taking drugs when sick!! Not that I am a big pill popper but it would be nice to take some cold and sinus medicine right now!

Highlights?

Audrey learning to say "Baby Brother"
Feeling baby move around like an acrobat, even if it is weird!

Baby Purchases & Projects?

Hubby made the executive decision to hire an interior designer for a consultation on the nursery. She is coming by this weekend to look at the room and give us some tips on how to choose the right colour(s) for the space. Hubby and I seem to have different ideas on what we envisioned for the nursery so hopefully she can help us make those ideas come together. We still won't be painting or doing anything major until after Christmas but hopefully we can find the colours so when we do have time to paint we can get right to it.

I already have a Pinterest board full of ideas for decorating and furnishing the nursery so we don't really need help there- just time to get it all. Like I mentioned before, I don't want to buy a bunch of stuff until we have room to store it, meaning the room is painted, so the first step is painting the room. After we clear it out, of course!

The basement also needs to be re-organized, again. Hubby had to move everything around to dig out the Christmas stuff so there is crap everywhere down there. Maybe Friday night we will find some energy (and time) to go down there and organize since it is a 2 person job.

Just thinking about all this stuff is stressing me out again! 

Weekly Belly Pic

~Weekend Recap~

Le sigh- another weekend gone by too fast. I do feel like this one was somewhat productive so that's good news.

Friday after work, Audrey and I braved the bitter cold, something like -28C, to do some Christmas shopping. I can only do a little bit at a time with her so looks like I will be doing lots of shorter shopping excursions, which aren't really my favourite, especially at this time of the year. We crossed a few items off our list and played at the kids area for a bit.

Saturday morning I was dragged out of bed by the smell (if I could smell!) of waffles and Audrey telling me to "g'up!" Audrey has learned a few new phrases this week- "g'up" (get up) being one of them and "sit down," said very forcefully! It's hilarious and I don't mind listening to her, even if she is a bit bossy! She kills me with her little attitude!!

She also has become very attached to this huge dog! It was a shower gift from a good friend and has sat in the corner of her room up until recently. Now she insists on dragging/carrying it everywhere in the house, putting it on your lap for story time and telling it to "sit down!" I've even caught her dragging it into her crib for nap or bed time!

We decorated the tree which is a bit different from decorating a fake tree. We had to add hooks onto almost all of our decorations since sliding them on to the branches didn't work so well. A lot of our decorations are quite heavy so they have to sit close to the trunk or else they will tip the tree over! Audrey enjoyed the process, even if she did get a bit frustrated when the ornaments wouldn't stay on. She also liked playing with each ornament rather than putting it on the tree! Between her and the cat I hope we don't have too many broken ornaments this year!

Hubby had a boys' Christmas luncheon to go to so Audrey and I hibernated at home. She was supposed to have a nap in the afternoon but she just chatted away to her dog and read some stories instead. We had to go pick up Hubby on our way to another Christmas party so it made for an interesting afternoon. Let's just say she was less than cooperative in changing into her party dress- I finally gave up! As I hoped, she fell asleep almost as soon as we got into the car so it's a good thing that party was at the other end of town so she had a decent nap after all. Little drama queen!

We had a great time at the Christmas party- catching up with old friends, seeing all the little ones and how much they have grown and enjoying a delicious turkey dinner. I had a hard time tearing myself away at 9pm! We sure party hard!

Sunday we all slept in until 8am which never happens anymore- at least for Audrey!! We spent the morning doing a Christmas craft (no pictures yet), and decorating the gingerbread cookies that we made last weekend. I'm glad I didn't have an elaborate craft planned since it's a bit tough to get a 21 month old to understand what you want her to do but she had fun making a mess with the paint afterwards!

She loved decorating the cookies, especially once she realized how good the icing is. Looks like she inherited my sweet tooth!

Don't worry- no one but Audrey will eat the cookies that she contaminated decorated!

Hubby had to attend a family friend's memorial service (it was during Audrey's nap time and we didn't think it was appropriate to bring a cranky toddler to this event) so I baked and cleaned while Audrey napped. I tried working on more photo books but technology isn't my friend so I wasted a bunch of time since the photos didn't upload! So frustrating!

When hubby got home, I rushed out to Costco to pick up some photos. We did manage to order some Christmas cards so hopefully we will get them in the mail this week. Hubby is busy working on our Christmas letter. Yes, we are those people that do a Christmas letter!

I also stopped to look for some winter boots. I found this pair:

Sorel 

I tried on a few other pairs and they were either uncomfortable or just hideous! I'm still trying to decide if I should keep these since they rub a tiny bit on my one ankle but they are definitely warm! I never thought the day would come that I would willingly buy Sorel boots!

That pretty much wraps up my weekend! Only two more weekends left until Christmas, which we are hosting this year. So much to do, so little time!!

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet?
Do you send out Christmas cards? 
Are you hosting Christmas dinner?

~Is Winter over yet?~

This super cold snap can go away right about now!! Chinook, where are you???

I think it's time to invest in some ugly warm winter boots that aren't Uggs. I love my Uggs but they are not good on the ice and I can't risk a fall right now. Any recommendations? These Sorels look warm.

Sorel

It looks like this weekend will be spent hibernating as much as possible since it's just too darn cold to be venturing out. Good thing we have lots of indoor projects to work on like finally decorating the tree, more Christmas baking, and possibly some crafting? All projects will be done with Christmas music blasting!!

It's been awhile since I've posted some outfits between being away and being sick. The bump has definitely grown!!

Dizzy Stripes

Puffed Sleeves

Ruby Red

Short Boots

 I bought these boots in Phoenix and I'm not sure I love them on me. I think they hit at the wrong part of my leg. I've gotten lots of compliments on them so maybe it's just me!

Houndstooth & Boots

I'm amazed this non-maternity dress fits!

Happy weekend!

~Three Things Thursday~

1. Big huge thank you to my Christmas blogger swap partner, Holly, for the cutest and most appropriate Christmas ornament considering that we have our first real Christmas tree this year! I don't think our Christmas tree is quite a "Charlie Brown" tree but it's definitely not perfect like a fake pre-lit tree! Can't wait to add it to our tree this weekend when we finally get around to decorating it!

The snow globe is adorable and Audrey loves shaking it to watch the snow fall!

Thanks Leigh and Lindsey for organizing this great blogger swap!

2. I don't say it enough, but I seriously have the best husband ever. He knows I've been stressed and he never complains about all the things on his plate. He brought me home flowers the other night, during a blizzard, just to cheer me up! Love that guy!

3. How did this little baby get soooo big? She loves her hair clips, but often just wants to hold them rather than wear them in her hair! She has a mind of her own that's for sure!

I caught her playing a game on Daddy's phone the other day and had to sneak a few pictures. She is so grown up!

She fills my heart up so much!