Kiernan's First Christmas....and he was not amused...

Yes, my dear boy experienced his first Christmas and boy oh boy was he excited. So excited that he stayed up till 5 a.m. to welcome Santa! Unfortunately, I had to stay up with him. Sigh.

So, to return the love I decided to dress him up in a fine series of fashionable "My First Christmas" Wear.

Outfit #1 was a chic overall outfit in white velvet. Bruno would be jealous...


Kiernan was less impressed.

Outfit #2 was a social commentary on new mothers lack of sleep. A nice cotton onesie which said "All Mommy wants for Christmas is a silent night." Although I thought it was appropriate, little K decided to protest its value...

Outfit #3 was the classic Santa outfit. Kiernan was sorely lacking in the "belly like a bowl full of jelly" department but he did fill his diaper with a spinach like poo!

Finally, Outfit #4 was a lovely reindeer embroidered ensemble - complete with reindeer on the body, feet and yes, the butt of the outfit. Little K was a little afraid of this one although I did try and comfort him...

Belly Button Watch Over :(....

Sadly, Belly Button Watch 2009 is now over. On the upside - Kiernan is now here. Sure, 5 weeks early (not by our choice, the doctor seemed to think that having such high blood pressure was a risk to me...or something) - but here none the less.

This blog posting will fill you in on the labour experience - or at least my labour experience. I will not sugar coat anything. Though this could because I did it without any pain killers. Again, not by my choice, the doctor seemed to think that 9.5 cm was too late for an epidural. Phhhhhtttt I say!!!!

So here I am at the beginning of labour. They call this Stage One. I call this "Am I in labour yet?" and "can I get a tv Im bored..." This stage is dominated by mild contractions which are totally deal-able - unless they are right after the other - which mine were. I was mostly irritated but didnt show it here...



Stage Two of labour was more intense and was dominated by contractions which, quite frankly, hurt. Of course my body decided back labour was a good way to go, so my poor husband Rob had to massage my back for a good six hours or so. Thank gawd for good husbands!!! I also spent a lot of time bonding with Eggbert. Who is eggbert you ask? He was my inflatable exercise ball in the shape of an egg. I loved him (and sat on him) so much I had to name him. I wanted Robbie to take a pic of him but they took him away before we had the chance to have a proper goodbye. Needless to say there are no pics from Stage Two but we did take (earlier on) a picture of the belly to prove that my belly button did not pop in time for Kiernan's arrival. Pooey!



Stage Three of labour was...how do I put this...hell. This is when you go from 7 to about 10 cms dialated and the baby descends down. Oh, and you push it out. I THOUGHT I WOULD LOSE MY MIND! I did manage to squeek out "epidural" but was denied as it was already time to push. There are DEFINITELY no pictures of this stage as Rob was too busy having his skin pulled off of his arm and then pushing my leg up around my ears so that I could get the baby out. Oh, and I may have told him off at this point too. Woops. Sorry hon. But, after 30 min of unbelievable pain and 20 minutes of pushing - my little man was here! As you can see - he was filled with joy at his arrival...



But my belly was now fully deflated...



And I was fully exhausted...and silly looking...


Now, to summarize, the top ten things I learned from labour:

1. Dont expect anything. Nothing you could possibly plan for or expect will actually happen. Oh, except for having a baby at the end of it.
2. Get an eggbert. You may not use it but if you do - he will be your best friend.
3. Epidural - sign up for one when you get a positive pregnancy test.
4. Pack your bag at six months of pregnancy. Just in case. Otherwise your husband will have to go back and forth to the house, twice a day, and pay twice the parking expense!
5. When the doctor or nurse says you will feel "pressure" what they mean is "PAIN".
6. You dont get to decide when to push. Oh no. Your body decides for you.
7. Put on lots of deodorant - you are bound to sweat about 10 gallons once hard labour hits.
8. They call it "hard labour" because you think you will LOSE YOUR MIND. Luckily its temporary.
9. Grannie panties - they are a must post labour!
10. Epidural - SIGN UP FOR ONE WHEN YOU GET A POSITIVE PREGNANCY TEST!!!!

Belly Button Watch - 33 Weeks

Despite my best efforts to eat everything within sight - we still have an innie :(


And Nilla is just disgusted with me...

Belly Button Watch 2009 (and please god NOT 2010!!!!)

I have always found the pregnant belly fascinating....at least until I got one. One aspect that has particularly enthralled me is when a woman's belly button "pops." For those new to this whole baby belly thang - it is when the abdomen stretches so much, due to baby size, that the belly button goes from an "innie" to an "outie."

The websites say that this happens around the 20th week. This may be true - if you are size 2. For the rest of us it seems to happen later.

So now I begin Belly Button Watch 2009!!!! If we go into 2010 I may have to give myself a c-section, or recruit Rob.

So here we are - week 32 (eight months for the rest of ya) - belly button is still an innie...

Ode to my Pregnancy

Sing along now - using the tune "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks.

'Cause I've got a baby in low places
Where the urine flows
And the womb chases, my period away.

Holy Cow Where Did My Waist Go??

I went to bed on Saturday. All was normal.

I woke up on Sunday and KAPLOW - there was a belly there! A significant sized belly! So we took photos (of course). Note my faithful, if gassy, side kick in the photo. SHE hasnt gained any weight. Sigh.

1 pregnant lady + boredom + cell phone = priceless

A new benefit to pregnancy....

I have discovered a new benefit to pregnancy. Aside from not holding my stomach in all the time, not lifting heavy objectives, napping, eating nummy food and generally being considered a vessel of god.

It is called - Expectant Mother Parking!!!

I finally got to take part in this wonderful thing. The advantage - shorter distance to run to the bathroom...again. We only parked there for two minutes, but it was still worth it.

The Belly and The Steak

That time again - belly photo time!

Here is me, shortly after waking up (shocking I know) at 17 weeks preggers. Or 4.5 months for the non-week people.



Now for the steak -doesnt it look gooooooooooooooooood? Ok, Ok, we ate it and forgot to take a pic of it. But it was good!!

Pregnancy from my perspective....and Keeping Up With Karen!!

I though I would share my view of pregnancy - from my perspective. Ha ha? *Cough, cough*

Note that the grey bump is my belly. NOT my boobs. You will also note that I simply cannot see my feet anymore :( Thus, I have used this as an excuse to get a professional pedicure.


Now, for keeping up with Karen. Not to be outdone by the domestic goddess in Medicine Hat - I have taken a photo of the FAB dinner I am preparing for Robbie tonight. This is a balsamic vinegar and herb marinade. Mmmmmmmmmmm. Will take photos of the final meal once completed.

As for gardening, for the first time in years I have managed to keep some herbs alive! Unfortunately, I keep forgetting they are there so I have yet to use them in cooking :(


These are my other pretties...


Of course, Jake ALWAYS has to help!

Not just fat - Pregnant Too!

Yup - Im getting bigger by the day. Pretty soon Rob will have to use a crane to move me!

Luckily there is a baby in there and its not just due to my love of chips!

Weigh In Wednesday's

Woops. Knew I forgot to do something!!!!

Will restart next week when Im back into the work out regime and diet. What can I say - travelling is hard on the body! But Beirut is a beautiful place!!!

Woahhhhhhhhhh Wednesday

No weigh in today. But this is a smart decision. Really!! I have had a wee touch of the flu (understatement, BIG understatement) and figure that between my bodies purging of all things evil AND being dehydrated AND not eating solid food....its going to be out of wack. So why put myself through any false hope I say!

Next week though, definitely next week.

In the interim - a little amusement related to weight loss and exercise.

We Are Going to Hell!!!!

The house has been up for sale for six months now. We heard, through the grapevine, that if you bury a statue of St. Joseph in your front yard (facing the street) - it will help your house sell faster.

So, yesterday, my dear 'hooked up with God' friend Kimberley took me to Church and I purchased a St. Joseph statue. God did not strike me down for visiting his house....so, so far so good!

Came home that evening and I had Rob start the process of burying dear St. Jo. Three reasons for this. One, I am a heathen and have not been baptised - so I didnt want to curse the effort.Two, Rob is Catholic AND baptised! Three, his baptismal name is....thats right....Joseph!!!

Step One: Send Joseph Robert out in the cold to bond with St. Jo.

Step Two: Assess the frozen ground...

Step Three: Go inside to warm up and make husband do all the work...

Step Four: Say goodbye to St. Jo and wish him luck...



Step Five: Bury the Saint.....


Step Six: Hope house sells!!!!

Weigh in Wednesday

Well, today hasnt started out well. I forgot my lap top battery in Ottawa and the house computer doesnt have Word or Excel. Sigh.

But I weighed myself and FINALLY some evidence of the work I have done. Three pounds baby! WOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!



Total weight loss to date: 6 pounds. Four more and Im at the ten pound mark (and will reward myself with a pedicure!)

New Carpet!!!

In the never ending search to sell this house we replaced the carpet.





Old carpet
<-------

NEW CARPET!!!!

NEW CARPET!!!

WTF!?!?!? Weigh In Wednesday

Worked out hard this week. And yet, I gained a pound. No excuses. I tried. I failed. But again, this will not stop me from continuing to try!!! Nope, I feel stronger, can run longer and look leaner (Look but apparently dont weigh....).

Things I learned this week:

1. Overwhelming stress still makes me eat. Darnitall.

2. Having a workout partner cannot be beat. Meeting my sister for a run once a week is truly a blessing. And the bootcamp ladies that give me a hard time when I dont show up on Tuesdays and Thursday nights - well - I couldnt do without them (though I could have done without the 80+ pushups last night!!!)

3. Did I mention #1??

Weighing in Wednesday Part Three!!!

Its official. Aunty Flo is an evil evil thing. I weighed myself this week and voila - the weight I supposedly gained plus the 3 pounds I originally lost - all gone. YAY! However, this means that I didnt lose any additional weight. Boo! Add to this mucho work stress for the last two weeks and a good dose of frustration.

However, I will not let this get me down!!! Those three pounds are gone. I feel strong. I feel leaner. And I even joined a weight loss competition at the gym for good measure! Results will be measured at the end of March and the winner gets a prize pack. Im determined to try and win. *Cough* *Cough*

So, focusing on the positive - what has worked for me in terms of sticking with it....

1. Bootcamp class: Yes, its hard. Yes, it hurts. But most importantly it is a wonderfully supportive group of women that keep me coming back (if I dont, they give me a hard time!) and support me when Im ready to give up. Plus, they are older than me and kick my butt so its a matter of pride!!

2. Friends: I am reporting to a friend, via email, my daily food intake plus exercise of the day. Also reporting to her, and two other friends, weekly weight loss. The fear of shame and wanting to do well - plus their invaluable support - keeps me going.

3. Robbie: Yep, I even recruited the husband to keep me going. Had to make him a special deal - but he is in and doing a wonderful job of encouraging me. And not giving me a hard time when I dont succeed on the level of the weight loss commericals on tv!! Damn Jenny Craig! Damn Weight Watchers! But back to Rob....he has been a wonderful hubbie. Always is!

Music of the week to keep me motivated on the treadmill:

Hot N Cold by Katy Perry: Fun and catchy tune!

Jai Ho on the Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack: Its Indian dance pop with some latino infused in. LOVE IT!

Hope to report greater progess next week!!!

Weighing in Wednesday!

2nd Weigh in for this process.

Result? Not good. My three pounds came back. I have reflected on the past week and have determined that the exercise level was good. Worked out four days last week. The food was....well .... pretty good. Oh except, for that burger from the Works . And damn it was good! But I saved up for it- I swear!

I have come up with a list of reasons why the weight may have come back...

1. Aunty Flo. Hey, she was saving up for 49 days and decided to come this week. Thats a lot of bloating my friends, a LOT of bloating!

2. Okay I snacked too much Sunday and Monday. Feb. blahs. It sucks. Any suggestions as to how to distract myself? Anyone?

Two Fold Purpose....

This blog will now have a two fold purpose. Travel blog and of course, weight loss blog.

It comes as no surprise that I am at my highest weight for a while. Not good. That and I am continually inspired by the amazing weight loss success of my friends - 25 pounds, 15 pounds and another 25 pounds amongst three wonderful ladies. And let us not forget all those friends who are losing baby weight!

Im pretty physically active and have been making a point of working out for health reasons for a long time. That does not mean, however, that I have been any good at stopping the food from launching out of the cupboard and fridge and into my gaping mouth.

In order to kick start my efforts in 2009 I bought a treadmill and started to monitor what I eat again. First week's weight loss - 3 pounds. Im hoping for two pounds this week which would take me to 5 pounds. Half way to my first goal.

Reward for my first goal: Ummmm, still working on that one.

Things that seemed to work for me this past week:

1. Eating every two to three hours.
2. This awesome protein splash drink
3. Working out five days a week.
4. Stopping eating after dinner.

Best musical choices for running this week:

For getting into a groove and cruising along: Las Ketchup Song!

For inspiration: Pocket Full of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield. I don't know why.

I will try and keep this up and use the blog as my own personal accountability mechanism. Then, one day, I can look a little more like this again...(sure I am VERY 1990s and young looking - but I was also two sizes smaller!!)

Too cute - had to share!

My Nilla being abused by my dear Jake...

Observations from Mexico: Part Four

1. Time to Go Home: Am sitting at the airport (aeropuerto for you spanish speakers) waiting to board a plane. A delayed plane due to a snowstorm in Toronto. Unfortunately they didnt allow us to wait on the beach. Am glad to go home as I miss my furry babies and am sick of buffet food. But I will miss the sun! And napping of course.

2. Duty Free is Still Dangerous: Two bottles of Agavero and one silver ring later and I am suitably out of cash.

3. Starbucks here I come!First stop in TO - Starbucks baby!!! Im in need of a venti mild blend with milk. Yummy yum yum yum!

Observations from Mexico: Part Three

1. Last day depression: And tomorrow we go home. I have been trying to convince Rob that we should immigrate to Mexico and set up a poutine shack for drunk Canadians. No luck. Although he seems tempted! I think the lack of access to hockey games is holding him back though.

2. Six days in and yep, I still hate rude people: My momma taught me well. After six days with exposure to strangers from the U.S., Canada, Europe and Latin America) and their ways of dealing with staff, and I am on manners patrol. A simple please and thank you goes a long way my friends. And anyone serving you deserves that at the very least!!!

Observations from Mexico: Part Two

Day Five in Mexico and a few more observations...

1. Xel-ha: A must see for those who come to Cancun. It is a huge ecological water park with logs of animals (dolphins, manitis, sting rays and of course, the ever present iguana).

We spent the afternoon there yesterday where I happily snorkeled most of the day away. I even came across a stingray - which I promptly named Mr. Stingray - swimming along the bottom of the ocean. I followed him for a while until he decided that I had made him uncomfortable enough that he turned around and began to chase me. Guess my future as a stalker is looking grim.

2. Finding the Perfect Drink: It seems to me that at all inclusives the challenge is to find the perfect drink. Here, it is a tie between the mudslide (99% al-ki-hol, 1% chocolate) and the margarita (99% al-ki-hol and 1% lime).

3. Speaking of alcohol: I have discovered that the game 'asshole' is still oodles of fun. Especially when you add alcohol!

4. Speaking of alcohol part deux: Oh how I have sinned. For almost a full year I have given up diet coke in all its form (diet pepsi, diet coke, coke zero) and for the past few months I have given up pork and beef (thanks Oprah!). One night of al-ki-hol and games of asshole and my belly is filled with a burger and diet coke. Sigh. Off to hell I go.

Observations from Mexico: Part One

I have decided to use this blog for what it was originally intended for - my travel observations. Unfortunately, I usually create such brilliance on my work trips and then run out of time to do anything more than send them in an email. Luckily, this time I am on vacation in beautiful Cancun, Mexico. So....here goes....

1. Jessica is to plan all of my future vacations: Jess chose the Grand Princess Riviera and my god it is a beautiful resort. Modern, clean rooms, good food and amazingly lovely grounds. And let us not forget the fantastic service!! Yep. Jessis officially promoted from best friend to best travel agent.
2. I am a news junky: I have been here three days with no newspaper or CNN. Out of desperation, I have begun to watch Fox news where I have learned the words for what will cause the world to end (at least according to Bill O'Reilly) - Barack Obama.

3. I am still a mosquito magnet: I have as of yet to actually SEE a mosquito, but they sure do find me! My legs are positively a feast, a buffet of blood for the little buggers. Stage One was noticing the red splotches on my legs. Stage two is when they swell and look like pimples. Now we are into the scratching stage which should lead shortly into scabbing over. Sexy.

4. All inclusives are made for more than 2 people: We are here with two other couples. Totally the way to go I say! Rob and I tend to run out of conversation by tday two and so we end up resorting to arguing over card game rules. Six people works much better - much more to talk about.l

5. I like this place: As I sit here in the sun drinking a yummy Mango daquiri - me thinks I want to come back next year. Who is in???