I am done with x-mas

Why do the holidays bring out the craziness in everyone?
Without the details, let's just say this x-mas is one for the books...
Drama, drama and more drama

Why can't we all just be friends?

Since when did texting or email become the only form of communication....why not pick up a phone and have a conversation? Confront one another and duke it out...hug and make up and move on.

Life is too short.

Period

Next year, I am boycotting x-mas...is anyone joining me?

My computer has bit the bullet

Thanks to a certain little 5 year old and a glass of water (who put that next to my computer anyways....Tim?????) my computer has expired to the PC graveyard. At first I was upset...I just had my computer fixed (all 100 viruses gone...don't ask). I also start teaching online again in February....I loved my HP 17 inch screen, beast of a computer.

But.....I have been eyeing up hubby's nice MacBook. You know, the one I bought him 2 years ago when he came home from the first day of his MBA classes and said a Dell PC would JUST NOT DO. "everyone has a MacBook" said Tim.....

What are you 20? I never knew peer pressure still existed at 35?

So.....weigh in.. PC or MAC?

Speaking of weighing in...

138 lbs this AM after my back workout...sweet!

My size 4's are fitting again. I feel like my body is responding well to the clean eating and regular training again. The running is picking up, I managed a 4 miler last night thanks to a good show on TLC (Obese and Pregnant) which kept me distracted. The goal this week is to again fend off any temptations as we have a bunch of friends in town and alot of wine sitting in the counter!

weekly weigh in

142.2..


Nice to see the numbers going down, and while I would love for these last 10 pounds to melt off..I am a huge advocate for losing weight using a maintainable lifestyle. That being said...I have cleaned up my eating and portion sizes big time. The kitchen scale and tupperware containers are in full effect. Me and Tilapia are bonding.


I even did the Christmas baking (thanks Kami for your recipes!) and I had Tim and Cole taste them all...not even a nibble from me! Have you ever noticed that self control really feels good?

Workout wise, I managed 2 weight training sessions and 3 runs so far this week. I will do another weight training workout tonight after Tim is off and then a cardio session on the weekend at some point. I find if I plan and schedule it with Tim then it gets done.

Next weeks weigh in will be on Christmas Day....

Dear Santa:

My only request this holiday season is that you suddenly give me an adversity to chocolate and treats of any kind...alcohol excluded (yes I will pump and dump this Christmas day...no judgement please Santa)

Enjoy the weekend!

Who's on your "freebie" list?

In light of Tiger's indiscretions...I was wondering whether any of those women would have shown up on his "freebie" list. You know..the list you're allowed to fantasize about but never act upon.







Would a hostess and waitress and "lady of the night" be worthy of Tigers "list"? Obviously his beautiful model trophy wife did not quite make the cut...



So I ask Tim who would be on his "list"...I was pretty sure it would be an actress or victoria secret supermodel...the typical male fantasy. While I consider myself attractive enough and give me a few months and this bod will be back in fighting form...I am more known for my intelligence. So while I was expecting hubby to include this on his list

He shocks me by saying he would include this gal

Who??

She's the NBC anchor for the Today Show..Natalie Morales

Ha! Nice work Tim, brains and beauty...I like it!

Unfortunately, while he may be smart (who knows!) I am going for strictly looks on my list

Who's on your list?

Random thoughts by Cheryl..

1. Today Cole has a playdate after school. The mom (bless her, she is awesome and so are her kids) is trying to make my life easy by picking him up at school, giving him lunch, playtime with her kids and then driving him home at 3:30.

PANIC

I have never NOT picked Cole up...I am a control freak...what if she forgets him? What if she has an accident?

Breathe..all you veteran mommies out there, reassure me...he will be fine right?

2. Lots of people are wondering how we're doing. The twins are 4 weeks old today! They are growing nicely and have fit right into our little lifestyle perfectly. Tim and I are great too. No, we have no help. People visit and that works for me. If Cole was younger, if the boys get fussier, then yes I will welcome some help. For now, I have a hubby who is home all day, a 5 yr old in school for half the day, and I function really well on minimal sleep and coffee. Don't get me wrong...we're tired...but not exhausted. Seeing these faces makes my day...

Mr. Luke...very serious...we call him Button (as in Benjamin Button) since we think he looks kinda like an old man in a baby body...cute for now...not so cute in 30 years!. Hey Luke, those bags under the eyes may disappear if you would sleep for more than 3 hours a shot!

Mr. Kyle. Started off as my little runt, small and fighting to breathe and a BAD eater. He's done a 360 and is heavier then big brother..Struggles with gas from 9-10 at night...every night. Painful to watch and any tips out there to help relieve this is greatly appreciated!

3. The boys are fraternal twins...2 separate eggs, 2 separate sacs...they look NOTHING alike...right? Why are soooo many people having trouble telling them apart? Yes, that includes family members.....

4. It's bloody cold here...the kind of cold that prevents you from going outside. If I could choose to have a baby, it would NOT be a November baby.....I am stuck inside for 5 more months...at the least. This time last year we were vacationing here

Freeport, Bahamas

I actually checked for a seat sale to someplace warm after x-mas....I am seriously dilusional..I agree.

Send me a random thought...dilusional or not.

weekly weigh in

Down a pound...whoo hoo...143.

I managed 2 runs, 2 plyometric/cardio circuits and 2 weight training sessions this week.

When on earth can I fit this in you ask?

The boys nap in the AM while Cole is at school. If I have the urge I get it done then..if not I take an hour in the evening while Tim spends time with the boys...it's MY time...and I choose to workout.

My next step?
I am joining Good Life Fitness Gym....it's close by and I like heading out of the house now and then. There are just some exercises I cannot do at home.

As for the diet?
I have sworn off any treats for a few months....yes that means no christmas baking. Please do not bring me any..(you know who you are!)

This also means I am not baking any....sorry Tim. My belly is more important than your sweet tooth right now.

Bad news in all this is my carpal tunnel is OUT OF CONTROL. It was only in my right hand and now the left hand is suffering too. Lucky for me I function very well on non REM sleep....I lay awake amazed at how queit the house is and how lucky I am that the twins sleep so well...and yet I am WIDE AWAKE....

Before I try any physio I am going to bite my tongue and head back to Hot Yoga. There is a pose they SWEAR cures carpal tunnel...I used to think "as if" .....too granola for me. I am willing to TRY ANYTHING right about now.

Doing up snaps on a sleeper should not take 5 minutes....

My hands should not fall asleep while I feed the boys...

I am way too independent (and strong) to have to ask Tim to open a jar for me!

To Buy or Not to Buy..

As you know, I was chosen to be an Olympic Torch Bearer for the Cross Canada Relay. I signed up to run between here and Brandon (2 hours from Winnipeg)....hoping I would get some remote stretch on the highway, late at night, where Tim could come and cheer me on....



Tim...and only Tim would come....




Instead I got this leg...

You see, this is the major bridge that connects downtown to an area across the river...it's the HEART of the city. To boot, I'm running my leg at 6:05pm....

Tim is thrilled, and part of me (like 90%) wishes he had been chosen to do this...considering it's been a dream of his since the late 80's and all...Tim could handle being in the spotlight, he's not shy whatsoever..

Me, I'm not one for public attention. The thought of people lined up to watch this event freaks me right out and GOD FORBID the news cameras are there (99% likely given the location and time). Even more scary is the potential for an interview.

Them: Why did you want to do this?

Me: My husband bullied me into applying...

Not the best "feel good" Olympic story. I can see it now..

UNGRATEFUL MOM OF THREE RUNS THE MOST LUCRATIVE PART OF THE WINNIPEG RELAY....

My whole fear of publicity is making me dread this once in a lifetime opportunity...

You see, when they called to tell me I was chosen, they said they admired what I had written on my application....you know...the part about kids and community involvement....

Pardon? Was I asleep when I wrote that? What on earth would I know about kids and community, we had just moved into this area and Cole was still at home, we had no community involvement...

And finally, there is the whole "buy your torch" debate. I can buy the actual torch I'll be carrying for a mere $350 cdn. When you add in the stand (you know, to make sure it actually can be displayed and not simply leaning up against a wall) for $70, I am investing $420 into a piece of Olympic history that only Tim will admire most days....

Maybe if this had come in the summer, when I was working, but it's Christmas...and Christmas on one income is a bit Scrooge like! There is no room for a $420 piece of metal with a few rings on it.

(cute tracksuit though! Mine just arrived and it could fit 3 of me....)

Or is there room for $420 worth of memories and pictures that I will look back on one day and admire.

Am I being ungrateful? Tim would give his right arm (he's a south paw so it wouldn't be so bad) to have been a part of this and here I am complaining about the location and time. I need to shape up my attitude here and consider this experience a gift...a gift to myself, to my family for years to come.

So the question is to buy or not to buy....

Would you?

Weekly Weigh In

Down 2 pounds to 144.2, tried on my size 6 jeans and they fit..I have clothes to wear again!

This week was just trying to get back into a steady groove of eating every 2-3 hours. My issue is that I forget to eat. I don't get stomach pains or feel lightheaded. I simply forget...not a good plan when you are trying to lose weight...you must eat to lose weight!

Prepping food makes a huge difference for me so I spent yesterday afternoon doing just that:

cutting up chicken (4 to 6 oz portions)
boiling eggs...I eat about 6 egg whites a day..easily..I should have my own farm here!
making a huge bowl of salad (extra spinach thrown in for iron!)
boiling and mashing sweet potatoes and placing in 1/2 cup tupperware servings
cutting up fruit and veggies and placing in ziplocs (1 cup portions)
Portioning out almonds for snack (12 almonds...I know it's very type A of me)
Filling up 4 litres of water

Can you tell I'm a visualizer. If I see 4 litres of water in the fridge, I will drink it all....

Try prepping and portioning out your food this week and see if it makes life a bit easier for you in terms of your eating plan.

As for exercise, I managed a 2 mile run on Monday, leg training Tues and shoulders yesterday. Today is cardio, not quite sure if I'll run or dance (I have a GREAT dance DVD, high impact cardio and so much fun..great for those with dance background)

Needing some new cardio tunes? Download this:

• Morning after dark -Timberland and Nelly Furtado

For those losing weight with me, I hope you had some movement in your clothes or on the scale this week. Enjoy the weekend....have you put your tree up yet?

NO pets allowed...

I love pets..trust me

I just don't want any....

We had a fish, it lived well over a year.. we have not replaced him...the fish tank is nicely stored away...

Plants die in my house...need I say more??

The issue then becomes reinforcing our no pets allowed rule for visitors

Case in point:

Friend: "We want to come see the babies!! "

Me: For sure, come on by!!

Friend: "We will bring OUR new addition....a puppy, Cole will LOVE it!"

Me: ????????

Tim and I decided when we were married that we would not have pets...children would be enough work for us....and we had jobs/lifestyles that were truly unfair to any pet (unless of course the pet could go without food for 14 hours a day and did not need to be walked or played with)

We have encountered a few episodes of people bringing pets to our home and then being offended when we insist the dog stay in the garage for the visit.

Rude?

Maybe to the dog owner, but it's also rude to bring a dog to a house where you are unsure of the rules. Allergies could be present, a fear of dogs, you never know. Best to clarify before an uncomfortable confrontation results

So I am once again faced with the doggy debate...how to politely accept a visit....minus the furry addition!

PRE-POST workout snacks....MAKE THIS ONE

Often when I'm on the go I like to take protein bars with me. Detour Bars from Costco are my favorite as they contain minimal sugar and the carbs are pretty equal to the protein content.

BUT, nothing beats homemade snacks, so I put this one together

2 cups rolled oats (I use Rogers Porridge Oats with Oat Bran, Wheat Bran and Flaxseed, from Sobeys)
1/2 cup natural peanut butter - NATURAL ONLY, I use the Kraft brand.
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup raisins
4 scoops vanilla protein powder (whatever you have in your house, just make sure your protein powder is low in sugar (like o or 1) and carbs (under 4) and at least 20g protein per scoop

Place all in a large bowl and use your hands to mix up into a dough
Line baking pan (I use a square glass pan) with wax paper
Press dough into the pan
Freeze for 30 minutes
Remove and cut, should yield about 8-12 squares at 200 calories a pop, a perfect snack!

Having these in the fridge removes any temptation for an unhealthy snack like store bought granola bars, or even yogurt (high sugar). You can put them in ziplocs and tote them for after the gym, grocery shopping etc,

Taste tested and approved by the 5 year old in the house!

Enjoy!

Losing the baby weight

2 days after delivery my uncle (you know...the one with the toilet incident a while back) asked me why I still had a belly if I had already had the babies....

Pardon?

I was still in the hospital and had I not been experiencing such joy over the twins I likely would have freaked and said some nasty words....instead, I kindly told him it takes a while for the uterus to contract back, yada yada yada.....but it got me thinking...do some men (and maybe some women) expect us to quickly return to our pre-pregnancy shape? If it took 9 months to put on, why are we not allowed at least 9 months to shed it? I really don't care that Heidi Klum had to be "runway ready" 2 months post delivery..

BUT...I also need to be "runway ready" by April. My brother is getting married and I am a bridesmaid.

Having been through a pregnancy, I am fully aware that it takes time to lose the weight but even harder to achieve is muscle tone and tightness of the skin. While I'm in no hurry, I have been feeling good enough to return to the treadmill, my favorite piece of cardio equipment. Today I also said hello to my home gym...light weights of course.

So my next venture in this land of blogging is to document my quest to shred. Thank you to my brother and fiance for setting a time frame for me! Oh and thanks for having me try on a dress today, with full breasts and 15 extra pounds on me.

The scale number is not so much a concern for me. I like muscle. We get so caught up in the numbers and I am willing to bet most of us feel some sort of anxiety or rush as we step on a weight scale.

I started out the IVF process at 130 pounds and a size 2-4. I gained almost 50 pounds with these twins........yup that would place me at 180 pounds!!!!! Today, 12 days after delivery I weigh in at 146.2....and a size 8. I plan on weighing in every friday and giving a recap of the week (ie: food, cardio and weights, ups and downs)

Anyone have a few pounds to shed and want to join me in this journey?

twins photo shoot

7 days old

Slept the entire session and now I am paying for it.....11pm and 2 wide awake babies!

Sneak peek of some shots at

http://karenhunterblog.com/

ps: the crochet hats were purchased by the photographer at this great website www.etsy.com

recovery.....much better this time

When I had Cole I swore I would NEVER have a vaginal birth again. He did quite the number on me...and then some. Over an hour of surgery after the birth was required to "piece" me back together as the doctor put it.


Nice.

For those who have yet to have kids, I'm sorry, too much info. But reality is.... birthing can be excrutiatingly painful.


For those with kids, you know what I'm talkin about right! First child, small canal, big baby = Ouch.


Good news is I was able to recover...after about a month of sitting on a hemmroid donut. Nothing like toting around an object that looks like a whoopi cushion.


So the first request to my doctor was that I did not want 100 stitches again. He assured me that a 2nd child, smaller babies and right positioning would all lead to a great delivery and minimal recovery. Wow, doctors ARE generally right!

Hearing the words "no stitches" was music to my ears. The doctor on call who delivered the twins even thanked me for such a speedy delivery and clean up (I guess she had a late night dinner date or something). The next day the nurses would read my chart and ask "really? not a single stitch?"

Trust me...Cole MORE than paved a nice highway for them. Complete with shoulders and all

So to my dear Cole, Mommy THANKS YOU. While I was not happy at the time....I now appreciate what we had to go through to ensure the journey into this world for your brothers was fast and simple.

Being able to walk, sit, stand, climb stairs 100 times a day with babies in my arms this week has been one of life's simples pleasures for me.

D-Day...the delivery

I got the call monday morning to come in for induction at noon.

Relief.....although I was not giddy with excitement over the actual delivery, I could no longer take the pain my body was feeling. I was having to use wheelchairs at the store, I was limping and wincing every time I turned or took a step. IT WAS TIME


One last set of photos (since you all encouraged to get the full extent of the belly!) and we were off!

Rear shot...you can sense my discomfort given from the back things are relatively under control... side profile...all I can say is I walked in and the nurses knew I was carrying twins...it was THAT obvious I guess...

I was induced at 1pm, labored until 5cm and then had an epidural at 4pm. They broke Baby A's water at 6pm and by 11 I was ready for the OR. Twins are delivered in an OR and not a birthing room just in case a c-section is required or other issues pop up needing a dedicated group of docs and nurses.

Tim did a count, there were 16 people in the room. Many medical and nursing students interested in seeing a multiple vaginal birth. Wow, I am honored.....

11:10 I started pushing Baby A

11:26 Luke arrived, no issues, bundled up and given to me for about 10 seconds

11:30: Quick top up on the epidural and a few ice chips and they broke Baby B's waters and vacuumed him down a bit into the canal.

11:36 Kyle is born, checked over and is sounding like he has some breathing issues. He was whisked away to the NICU for observation but met me back in recovery 30 minutes later. Supposedly the second baby on twin deliveries seems to suffer more with breathing and mucous issues.

A quick clean up (no stitches...yay!!) and I was shipped to recovery at midnight. I was in recovery for about 2 hours, starving and dehydrated, I was able to have some toast and juice while they pumped a litre of saline into me.

I looked over and saw this precious sight...

Remember that moment when it's silent and you have time to really take in what just happened, one day the baby is in your belly and the next day she/he is here, on earth with you....all yours. It's overwhelming and amazing all in one. A miracle we actually get to experience.

My d-day turned out to be just that....delightful.

we're home!

We are finally home!

Luke Timothy McQueen was born Nov 16th at 11:30pm weighing 6lbs 7oz

Kyle Kenneth McQueen came at 11:36pm weighing 6lbs 3 oz.

Details on the event to follow in another post!

Tomorrow is the day...

The day we've been longing for for so long is now staring us right in the face. The hospital will call me tomorrow to say "come on down". I am hoping it's after Cole comes home from school...would make life easier...but maybe that's a bit much to ask.

I talked to some friends today, one in particular really stays with me. My good friend who went through IVF with me...I was successful and she was not...I long for her to be pregnant and experience all of the joys of motherhood. I truly admire her sincerity and continuous love and support for me throughout my pregnancy. I told her it was ok to be mad, upset, whatever she needed to feel because I know she is truly happy for Tim and I. When we were trying for so many years for another baby and many friends were on their 2nd and 3rd pregnancies, I remember the love and jealousy I often felt. It's natural to WANT, to YEARN....

I thought about our IVF journey and how it feels like it was just yesterday. The needles, the ultrasounds, the highs and lows of how many eggs are viable. It was overwhelming and it created a newfound respect for anyone who must endure that process more than once. Modern medicine has come so far, yet it still has a ways to go.....infertility should be treatable.

I thought about the ultrasound at 7 weeks that showed 2 sacs...and then finding out we were having twin boys. I remember being so scared of bed rest or early labour....none of which thankfully came to light. I watched my belly move today and felt sad that this stage of my life (the child rearing stage) is likely ending tomorrow.

Are we scared? Heck yes...giving birth to one child was tough and now I will push 2 babies out? It's been pretty quiet around the house today as Tim and I both stare at each other and wonder how the day will go.

I remember our family of 3 as it is right now...close, fun, committed to eachother....and I look so forward to our family of 5...

Thank you to everyone who has shared this journey with me. I truly appreciate each and every one of you.

Get some rest for me tonight..

Projects for hubby = grumpy hubby

Ok so even though I have been nesting, alot of my nesting has been happily performed (ha!) by my hubby. At first he was more than cooperative, all it took was watching me wince with every step. But then he turned a bit grumpy...maybe it was my list of items I needed.....


Rona for a new area rug (in which Tim & Cole wheeled me around in a wheelchair laughing..not so funny to me but we did get great service!


Costco for groceries (and snacks). Now they have those motorized scooters to ride but I'm not quite there yet.

And finally, today...it all began with a simple coat hook idea from Tim. "We need a few coat hooks at the back door in the mud room for the kids". Fantastic idea I thought as I personally am tired of hanging up Cole's jacket every day!



I did a few searches on line for some ideas and after a few stores (Walmart, Urban Barn and Rona to be exact) Tim and I collaboratively came up with this...







Each frame has magnetic tape which will hold magnets with the boys names....stay tuned for the boys names! Below each frame is a clip from Urban Barn, meant for hanging bags, coats, whatever you want. The project turned out great...and hubby pushed through to complete it for me...smiles (ha!) and all.

nearing the end...

Remember the last few weeks of pregnancy? It's been 5 years since I was pregnant and I've forgotten how completely uncomfortable one can get these last few weeks. Here is my list of what I miss most...

• Walking without wincing
• Seeing my feet, I'm thinking they need another pedicure...want the docs to have cute feet to look at!
• Showering without having to sit down!
• Shaving my legs easily...
• Sleeping on my stomach (I know it's bad for me but it was my position of choice)
• Shopping at Lululemon (actually any store would do besides Motherhood Maternity)
• Using my right hand (the doc said the carpal tunnel MAY go away on delivery....pardon?, I'm having 2 babies...I NEED the use of 2 hands)

Do any of these items ring a bell? I'm sure in 5 years they will each be a distant memory...

None of my issues relate to my actual body...I have really enjoyed watching my belly grow this time. Maybe it comes with maturity, maybe it's the fact that I will likely not grow a belly again. Either way, I'm proud of myself for focussing on the babies these past 9 months and letting my body do what it needed to do. It's almost time to get this body back into fighting form... almost...for now...I will rest.

T-minus 6 days

The countdown has begun

6. On friday my doctor said I would be induced Nov 24th. That would be 38.5 weeks....

5. Baby B decided to shift from breach into head down at some point in the past few days and all has changed

4. Yesterdays ultrasound showed both babies are head down, great news!

3. Not so great news is the extreme pain I have in my right hand and arm. I thought it was carpal tunnel but turns out baby B is sitting on a nerve which is causing my numbness. If I get 3 hours a night sleep I am lucky at this point

2. The doc took one look at me and my swollen hand today and said I was looking "very pregnant".

1. The doc "got things going" with an internal exam and submitted the induction form for Monday Nov 16th, 6 days from today.

I am ready to blast off into into the crazy world of multiples and extremely excited at the thought of being a mom again...

Oh, and also to get the feeling back in my hand again....seriously...

Enough nesting, let's workout!

Let's induce on the 24th instead of the 16th..what's another week?

Ahhhh....precious words to my ears after a sleepless night and a sudden case of carpal tunnel in my right arm. My doctor is fantastic and he has been a huge advocate for me during my pregnancy to try and carry these babies as long as possible. I trust him, and therefore I will continue to grow these munchkins another 2 weeks and grin and bare it.

Complaining was something I swore I would not do when I got pregnant. We tried for so long and the IVF journey so emotionally and physically taxing. I haven't done much complaining, I have really enjoyed this pregnancy, maybe it's the anticipation that's driving me crazy, or maybe it's simply the final few weeks where pregnancy is just NOT FUN AND CUTE anymore....can I get a hands up for those in agreement?

I have not lost focus of the main goal. I want these boys to avoid an intensive care unit stay. I want their lungs and all other systems to be fully developed. For those reasons I will push through any discomfort I am having.....

I cannot sort another picture, watch another show or cook another meal for the freezer, I have nested enough this week. Let's workout! Treadmill walking always seems to help lift my energy and relieve some discomfort. It's been a while since I have given a treadmill routine... try this one out... you can modify (I did not go higher than a 4 incline).

Step 1: 10 minute walking warm up
Step 2: Increase the incline to 10. Keep waking. For every minute and a half (90 seconds) drop the incline. Pick a speed (4.0 to 4.2 mph) that will push you a bit. This should take 25 minutes
Step 3: Keeping your incline, do this 3 minute rotation until you pass 40 minutes
1 min jog at 6.0mph, 30 second run at 7.0mph, 1 min jog at 6.0mph, 30 second walk at 4.0mph

Cool down for 10 min and stretch!

Have a great weekend!

Happy Birthday Little Man

Remember when 5 years seemed soooo long? Like when you were 11 and wanted to drive or when you were 13 and wanted a taste of beer (well... at least I wanted one..) Even when I got married at 25 to when I had Cole at 30, life seemed to go in slow motion. There was travelling, studying, working long hours at the office.

And then I woke up yesterday and my boy was 5 years old. Getting himself ready for school, singing happy birthday to himself. Excited about his birthday dinner with family.

I cried.

Sure there may be some hormonal issues running through me right now, but don't you just wish you could pause life once in a while...make time stand still and really enjoy the moment. I spent the morning nesting...sorting pictures, laughing and crying as I looked through each of his birthdays.....

2nd birthday

3rd birthday

4th birthday


5th birthday

Sushi was the special request, california rolls to be exact, and a BOLT cake. Quite the pallet this boy has.

Time is going way too fast for me. I want as much time as possible with Cole yet I know that each year, my time with him will decrease. School, friends, activities will take priority over chilling with mom and dad.

As we anticipate the major changes that will occur in the next few weeks, I want my little man to know how very special each and every day is with him. He gave me the BEST present ever...he made me a mommy.

Happy Birthday Cole!

Kicking it into overdrive

On friday, my doctor said he will likely induce me the week of Nov 15th...that way we can go home with our babies as they will be almost 38 weeks. This sent me into panic mode and I had Tim set up the stroller and car seats...take a look, I think we need a turning signal for this stroller!

As I continue to slow down to a crawl (literally some days I resort to this child like behaviour to relieve some pressure) we were determined to not lose focus of our little man turning 5 on November 3rd! We had his party on Oct 24th...bowling was the activity of choice and he insists we do it every year now.

For Halloween we were told to expect 500 kids on our street. Lucky for us we know a candy wholesaler and manged to get 1000 pieces of candy for $100. Believe it or not, ALL THE CANDY WAS GONE by 8:30pm (and no, it was not consumed by me!) My 2 kids (Cole and my big kid at heart Tim) headed out as snake eyes (GI Joe for those who are clueless like me) and Darth Vader.

My sister came over to help me out and made this fantastic snack called Snake Bites (thanks to Normal to Natalie). It was fun to make and tasty to eat....if you could get past the actual look of it!

We used roasted chicken insted of lunch meat and low fat cheese and a low fat crescent roll. It was a great night, full of sugar highs and fantastic costumes.

Happy Halloween!

Ultrasound day

2 weeks ago these babies weighed 4.5 pounds each.

Today, baby A (which is head down..yay!) is 5.5 pounds and baby B (which is again breach....nay!) is 6 pounds.
Both are measuring perfect sizes and the ultrasound tech was laughing as she told me I have 2 full size babies in me, tracking exactly how singletons do.

My reaction? Relief! My biggest fear having twins was going into premature labour andor having small babies....I have passed these milestones and the next few weeks are merely for weight gain. I would love to come home with these boys without any intensive care unit stay.

But what is a post from me without some type of venting!

We were at Costco on Sunday and as we tried to pull into an Expectant Mothers parking stall, some sneaky lady pulled in before us....she gets out of the car and lo and behold she is at least 60 and clearly NOT pregnant nor does she have a young child with her. Tim was livid, the parking lot was full and we had to park pretty far away. It's not the walk that bothered me, it's the fact that this lady clearly ignored the sign. The handicap stall was also open, how come she did not park there? If I were to pull into a handicap stall, chances are someone would say something to me. Would you have said something to this lady?

Confession: We like to go to Costco on Sundays around lunch time and Tim and Cole feed off of the free snacks. Last weekend there were crab rolls, protein bars, yogurt drinks, quesadillas and crackers and dip. Bad mommy? Please tell me you do this too!

Help is coming!

When we found out we were having twins, a friend of mine suggested I contact the Family Centre here in Winnipeg. Supposedly they provide help for families in need.....

Are we a family in need?

According to them, YES we are! Having a child at home (even part time) a hubby who works full time (even from home) and parents that live a decent jaunt away (even 30 minutes) is considered worthy of help...IF you are having multiples.

Knowing my friends experience with this centre was fantastic, I was willing to pursue...I am not one to leave my kids with just anyone. I made out a long list of questions, mostly related to qualifications of the staff.

This morning I met with the director of the program and filled out some paper work....Based on our monthly income the cost will run us $25 a day to have help here for 8 hours! That is about the same cost as having your child in a daycare with 15 other kids...cheap! The contract will run 6 months (whether I get 5 days a week or less is to be determined) and will start in January, which is perfect as Tim is off a few weeks in December. Now for the best part...

The worker is here to do baby only stuff....cleaning the kids rooms, kids laundry, help with feeding, changing, nap time and most of all ENSURING THE MOTHER GETS HER REST.....those were the directors words...not mine. I can walk Cole to school and have the worker stay with the twins. I can run errands, get in a workout, take a shower...whatever I need were the words she used.

Score!

There is a bit of guilt in me as I do have help available from my mother-in-law and my own mom...BUT I am much better at directing someone who is non-related to me. I can show her what I want and expect and not be judged (even if it is constructive criticism)! Hopefully our families can visit us and just enjoy the kids and help in other ways (ah hem....weekends and any night shift takers out there?)

A big thanks to my friend who pointed me in this direction. We've been coasting by in "la la" land here, not fully realizing the extent of work 2 babies will require. I feel like I have the start of a plan now...and it feels right.

H1N1..are you vaccinating?

Too much conflicting info is out there regarding the H1N1 shot and who should get it.

I am at a loss. Tim, Cole and I have never even had the flu shot... and I'm scared.

What is your plan? Are you getting you and your kids vaccinated when the shot is available?

I'm usually a good decision maker but in this case, I can't seem to feel comfortable with either option.

34 week pics...oy vey!

Ok, for those of you who have insisted on a recent belly shot, here you go..just know this is VERY out of my comfort zone...Considering I will likely deliver in 2-3 weeks, I think this will be my last belly shot post.

Rear view.

Side view....

Trust me, discomfort level is 10/10 these days. I am winding down, really trying to rest and put my feet up and enjoy the babies moving inside.....it's the MOST amazing feeling, my belly never stops moving and strangers sitting next to me have even commented as the movements are so obvious.

Today was full of more bloodwork, seems as though the infectious disease doctor is not satisfied that my last round of tests came back negative. He wants to ensure I have no virus before I deliver. Trumping the ID doctor has been fun, you get extra attention when they can't seem to figure you out!

Girl time!

A few weeks ago my hubby went on a 4-day "guys" trip to Minneapolis for the Viking/Green Bay game.. Last hoorah before babies arrive.



Hummm.....last hoorah eh? How come us gals never need a last hurrah...? Not that a wild weekend of drinking, staying up late and watching football would be my first choice at 8 months pregnant...but still, I felt like I needed my own last hoorah.



As though she read my mind, a phone call came from Kami...can I fly in and visit you? Let's have a girls weekend! YES!! YES!! YES!!!



I booked the pedicures, rested up for the endless shopping I knew we would do, and scanned the movie section for chick flicks, only a fellow girlfriend would appreciate. I'm happy to say all of the above was accomplished!



So as I write this, Kami has ventured back to Regina (sniff sniff) and is back home with her awesome family (Thanks Jay for taking time off for Kami to come visit me!). I am left a bit lighter in the wallet from shopping ...and a bit heavier in the belly from Starbucks latte's, sushi and The Keg dinner... but FULL of happiness that I had some girl time with such a great friend.



I'm hoping Kami will do a post on her shopping extravaganza...the girl can shop!!!!!! I enjoyed spending HER money...and seeing how fantastic she looks in every outfit she bought. Kami helped me buy a few accessories for the house including some wall art and towels. We all know my aversion to decorating...



While men may need weekly, monthly "guys" nights out....I honestly feel perfectly refreshed & rejuvenated now that I had one weekend with my gal...kid free, hubby free....schedule free...

4.5 lbs

4.5 lbs is the weight of each baby per my U/S today. Things are looking great.

As for the anonymous comment on my last post about U/S being "bad", grain of salt my friends. To each his own. The risk we take when we blog publicly. I love seeing that my babies are growing and doing well and ultrasounds give me that reassurance.

A HUGE thanks to all of my friends who have been so sweet and supportive, wanting to know how I'm doing, droping off meals, motivating me to keep these babies inside me and rest as much as possible. Also, many, many of you have been so kind to tell me I look great for carrying twins....you all make up for the few people who have told me my belly is MASSIVE and that I'm "really getting big" whisper, stare....

My personal opinion is that women have the toughest gig carrying a baby. Your body is NOT your own anymore, you grow in odd ways, some carry small, others carry big. Some gain 20 lbs, others 60lbs. It would be nice if we could simply celebrate pregnancy in general and not worry so much about size and weight.

To those who are concerned about my "growth" I say this:

I have gained 30 pounds to date, OMG 30 pounds, how dare I gain that much? Well there is more to come as the doc wants another 15 pounds from me. I eat alot...always have, but I eat well with the occasional "treat". I also walk Cole to and from school each day which totals 4km and I weight train 3-4 days a week. YES my belly measures a full term belly at 40cm (it should at this stage!) and YES I waddle and step slowly and cautiously due to the enormous pressure of 9 pounds of baby alone on my cervix. And YES, I likely have 4 more weeks to grow EVEN BIGGER, so let's just get used to it and try and filter any thoughts that include the words "big, huge, massive, gigantic, ready to pop etc.."

OK?

Oh, and for those who are assuming I will have a c-section (many people have asked me if I have booked my c-section) ..not so fast I say!. Both babies are head down now (thanks baby B for turning for me!) which means a vaginal birth can happen! I am not against C-Sections at all, if required but I'm certainly not " too posh to push! "

Back in 2 weeks for another U/S. We are in the home stretch.

4D babies!

A. The boys were not cooperating today...all I wanted was a few good close ups and all I got were limbs and bums and pee pees, and the occasional head shot...blurred by another baby's limbs, bum, cords, sac..you name it!

B. After 1.5 hours of trying to get a good 4D picture of them we gave up

C. I am back at baby moon "free of charge" next week in hopes of getting better pictures (the U/S techs felt bad)

We did manage a sleeper

And a yawner...

Cute nonetheless....

Here's hoping for success next week, although I will see them in person in less than 2 months....maybe this is a lesson in patience.

Maternity pics - Sneak Peek!

Yes I know, lots of pictures have been taken these past few weeks...Maybe because this is likely the last pregnancy and I want to capture it.

So I turned up on the photographers blog.... have a peek! She took some creative pictures and we truly had a great time!

http://karenhunterblog.com/


Cheryl

My version of nesting...

Isn't this about the time when "nesting" starts to occur in pregnancy?


With only 6 weeks to go (or so) I should be starting the nesting process......no?


Do we have the cribs set up? No


Do we even have 1 crib set up? Nope

Do we have 2 car seats and a stroller so we can at least bring these boys home with us? No...and No

What is wrong with me? I should be shopping, cleaning, prepping meals to freeze, getting organized for the hospital, isn't that normal nesting stuff?


My version of nesting has been this....

Purchasing a 58 inch plasma TV...... for all of the TV we will be watching in the next year!!! HA!

Next on my nesting list? A 32 inch plasma for my home gym. Did you know finding one with a built-in DVD player is very tough work! This will be for all the working out I'll be doing in the first few months after delivery....double HA!

Also on my list is an area rug for Cole's play area (any suggestions?) as well as getting a few more pictures hung up and figuring out our steam shower in the basement bath (for all of the nice loooooong showers I will be having in a few months.....triple HA!)

See? Totally absurd and will likely bite me in the butt in a few weeks...mobility these days is slowing down....I keep saying I need to put my feet up....I can only imagine what another 4 weeks of growth will do to me!

I am done work as of the end of the week, I'll be off until February so I am making a promise in the next 2 weeks to get everything set up! No more excuses!

Kami, by the time you come out to visit I WILL have both nursery rooms ready to go, all cute and neat....with pictures to post!

Sneak Peek!

Last weekend a friend of ours (who just quit her day job to do photography professionally!)met us at this fantastic Corn Maze just outside the city for a photo shoot. She was scouting locations and I had not done professional shots of my "boys" in years! When she asked to take our picture, I was eager to say YES!

I did get a few of just me too...no worries....we will see how those turn out! Touch and go if ya know what I mean when you're sporting heels and a belly in 30 degree weather (gosh I hope she can photoshop pit stains out!!). Anyways, thought I would share a sneak peak of 2 pics....the rest should arrive in a few weeks. We were there for 2 hours, MANY photos were taken...it'll be neat to see how many are useable, thank god for digital.

Here's Cole.....we had a good laugh as the night before he tripped on the stairs of our deck (note to self: make sure his towel is not longer than he is!) and he cut the inside of his top lip...poor monkey had a tough time smiling but pulled through (maybe it was my ice cream bribe?)

And, here we are in a fantastic farmers field. I'm sure no one minded us tramping through the crop (it was already cut, no damage done!)

I think my friend has a great career ahead of her.......

Pool, Pool and more Pool

We are having the BEST September weather, it feels like July around here.

Today, Cole and I ventured to the zoo....after 1 hour we looked at eachother and decided to head home and swim...it's hot, the animals were all hibernating in the shade and I was tired of toting this belly around in the heat.

The pool makes me feel boyant....like I have no belly! I have been swimming laps most days. Cole tells me (as he sits and eats his popsicle!) what stroke to do for 10 laps at a time...for some reason he insists on the butterfly stroke. I kindly told him that mommy needs some better ab muscles to do any more than 1 lap at a time for that stroke. I have been managing to get in 100 laps...with lots of breaks.

The pool was a huge deciding factor for Tim and I when we bought the house. I grew up with an inground pool. Weekends were spent creating obstacle courses in the pool, having friends come over, or just lounging the day away.... All of this on top of the competitive swim practices I endured 5 days a week. Split ends, faded hair coloring and itchy skin were clear signs that we LIVED in chlorine and loved it!

Tim played water polo growing up and loved to swim, but he did not have a pool. Instead he had a nicely grassed back yard! He loved having grass to cut and a lawn to kick around a soccer ball or play catch in.

This house has NO grass in the backyard. Pool and stamped concrete. BUT the pool is a salt water pool and I can attest that there is minimal maintenance required. A water sample once a week determines if we need to adjust the salt (ie: throw a bag of pool salt in the water). It took Tim 15 minutes to vacuum the pool, and this was after 3 weeks of swimming.

Cole has made huge progress with his swimming this summer and we've been able to take the water wings off and watch him doggy paddle his way across the shallow end. Zipping down the slide and doing cannonballs off the diving board are routine now...I can even relax poolside with a book while he swims...can you imagine the luxury I will be taking advantage of over the next few weeks!!!! Weather dude...keep it nice outside...for me!

It's a personal choice, but I truly believe we purchased the best home for our little family....I will likely have these twins in the water next summer...I just may need to grow another arm to manage everyone!

New ultrasound pics

My mommy went to the Fetal Assessment clinic and all she brought back was a few pics of some feet!

Can you see it??? I turned the pic upside down for a better shot!!!

Maybe baby B will "pose" for us...

Nope, another foot.....I did see alot of heart, bladder, pee pee, kidneys, brain, spine...etc... and a few face shots but there was NO cooperation today...I should have warned these boys about the photo shoot....

Good news is I have another one in a few weeks....

Even better news is that each baby is measuring perfectly and each one is weighing 3 pounds.

The best news is that Cole came in with me (Tim was on a conference call all morning) and the look on Cole's face when he watched the babies moving was priceless. He was sitting next to me holding my hand, kissing my face, and asking the ultrasound tech ALOT of questions. Afterwards we went for pancakes....it was a great morning.

I feel relieved today, as the due date draws closer and the unknown awaits us, I find my anxieties mounting...my struggle with infertility has made me cautious, you will not find me giddy with excitement right now, I just want everything to be OK....

So far, everything looks just fine. I may sleep well tonight.

Potty Talk

Nope, Cole is fully potty trained, no worries...this is ADULT related!

Something happened this weekend that made me start to think about how different we (meaning Tim and I, not all encompassing..) live then how my parents and uncle live. While at first I was FUMING over the event, once I settled down, had a chuckle and moved on, I realized that the behaviour, while competely irrational and weird on my uncle's part, was not "intentional". He is who is is......all 78 years of him.

An uncle who is 78 you ask?

Yes, my mom has 2 brothers who are 14 and 15 years older than her.... you could call it an "oops" on my grandparents part, but I call it a blessing...their "mistake" turned out to be their only girl, the only one who went to college and became a professional, and the only one, who at the end of their lives., sacrificed every free moment she had to take care of them.

By the time my mom was a teenager, my uncle was almost 30, married with 5 kids. He was a railway worker, barely making ends meet, while my grandpa worked as a blacksmith and my grandma washed floors at Eatons Department store for 25 cents a day...can you imagine?????

My mom on the other hand became a teacher, married a CA and thrived financially and socially. We were spoiled in terms of always getting new school clothes, friday night "treat nights" at the local pizza place, family trips, first cars....very different lifestyle from my uncle and his kids.

So onto the "event" . Over the past few weeks, my parents main floor toilet was on the fritz...my uncle wanted to try fixing the 25-year old toilet and they let him try. No luck. Tim, Cole and I were over last week and noticed the toilet was STILL not in use. A few excuses flew around like" I'm renovating this bath soon so no need to replace it yet" . This is where I start to see some major generational differences.

Tim and I:

• Just replace the toilet! You can pick one up for $150 at Homedepot
• Tim will install it for you, he is handy like that!

My Parents:

• No
• We will replace it when we redo the flooring in this room
• It still works, you just need to do this, this and that...10 minutes later you can flush!

I pulled my dad aside later that night and told him that a main floor bath should be in working condition. It's the bath most people use, visitors use, and at 64 years old, you have the money to put in a temporary toilet, even if you renovate and no longer need it (there are 4 other baths in the house with old toilets that could certainly benfit from this!)

So while they were in Ottawa this past weekend, Tim and I installed a new toilet for them. We were replacing one of ours with a fancy dual flush (thanks MB hydro for the efficiency credit!) so we took our 6 year old toilet over and 20 minutes later the "beast" was replaced. A quick trip to our secret dumpster and all evidence was gone!

Now here is where I REALLY get peeved....

I called my uncle to inform him that we replaced the toilet, in case he went over to the house and noticed..I was expecting a simple "oh good, I tried to fix it but it was obviously broken"

NOPE

This is what I got....

"Why would you do that! I just put in a new part for that toilet!"

So I offered to reimburse him for the part, my apologies, I had no idea....

"That is NOT the point Cheryl, your father could have used that part on another toilet"

But Uncle, that part did not work in that toilet, so chances are it will not work in the other 4 exact same toilets...

"Where is the old toilet"

In the dumpster Uncle

"Which dumpster? I am going to get that part"

ARE YOU FRICKIN KIDDING ME??????

I pretty much hung up the phone, I think shock and confusion had set in, the anger and irritation came later..I called my dad to explain and ask him about the cost of the "part".

3 dollars.

My uncle was willing to get into a dumpster and remove a $3 part from a 25 -year old toilet.......

I am not sure whether to laugh or cry. Is his generation THAT afraid of throwing away $3? Is my generation too quick to throw away $3? We spent more than $3 in gas getting from our house to my parents. Tim spent more that $20 on parts and his time on a saturday afternoon lifting and trashing a 60 pound monster.

Was a simple thank you not in order?

Help me bridge the generational gap here...I feel like common sense and has been "flushed down the toilet" this time.

Meet the teacher day!

Today was meet the teacher at Cole's school!

Many people told me to bring tissue.....I was preparing for some emotional, heart wrenching experience..

No tears were shed though....only laughter and pride. Why would I be sad? My boy has made it to kindergarden! I have done my job staying at home these past 5 years...spending all of my free time playing, teaching, conforting, exposing and most of loving him.....he is ready to go to school. For me, I can't shed tears over such a great moment in his little life so far. It makes me happy to see this little red headed munchkin at 6 months....

Get himself dressed and ready, smiles and all at almost 5 years old

His teacher secretly "tested" him by asking various questions, Tim and I were sitting close by (pretenting to read the school newsletter we were told to read) but with one ear snooping, we were able to hear the following:

Teacher: Cole can you count to 10?

Cole: yes, in english, french or spanish?

Teacher: Oh, english is fine.

Cole: Ok, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10...I can keep going if you want me to...

Teacher: Ok!

Cole:11,12,etc.....51, 52

Teacher: Ok, that's enough!

I think he passed the counting test....ask him to print and you get a whole other story!!

Smile and hugs and a "see you Tuesday Miss Dearing" and we were off! Very uneventful....

I sure hope this excitement for school carries through until he's finished university......I know dream on....I just want it to last as long as it can.....

29 week pics

A few special requests for the massively growing belly.....so here you go!


Rear shot...a bit "expanded" but if carrying boys means carrying it all out front, I have lived up to that old wives tale!







Side shot...my 27 inch waist has grown to 37 inches!!! Good lord!!! My belly button is begging for mercy....





No news on my "issues" down below. I see the ID department at the hospital again this week. I feel like a patient on that show "house". While the doctors are quite intrigued, I am more concerned about my impending delivery and what could potentially get passed onto these babies. Well they have 9 weeks to figure things out... let's hope the medical system can speed things up for me!

I'm getting ID'd

Well life never seems to get dull around here. I am being ID'd..


ID = Infectious disease


Turns out my "issue" from my last post has become a larger pain in the you know what than I expected.

A trip to emergency last night and 4 different doctors "investigating" the issue turned up nothing but confusion... It was just like Grey's Anatomy. Students hovering around learning....the resident doctor, the chief resident AND the OBGYN on call all fascinated by my "issue"

I should say "issues" as it is now 3 separate cases down there.

So, they chose to discharge me instead of admitting me and I just got the phone call from the Infectious disease department to schedule an appointment for tomorrow. They are treating it as urgent (yay!) but there are many what ifs....

See.... a lump has popped up and the word "biopsy" was thrown around last night... funny, it was so casual for them to say, yet I was freaking out at the thought of a needle going in there!!

I was sent home with some Tylenol 3's and after a quick soak in the tub, I managed a glorious 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. The first full night in almost a month.

Today I am limited to sitting and shifting. Frozen Maxi Pads are stacked in the freezer (the docs loved that idea! Thanks to the birthing unit in Calgary for that lovely tip! It truly helps anytime soreness down there comes about!)

The good news is the babies are just fine! The monitor showed them having their usual party in my belly and heart rates were perfect. Tim and Cole are waiting on me hand and foot and my mother in law dropped off some fresh veggies and cookies.... so far so good. This may be my wake up call to slow right down...sometimes I need a direct hit in a very uncomfortable way for me to slow down!

I will keep you posted! Let's hope this is just some crazy hormonal pregnancy experience that I can laugh at one day!

Pain in the you know what!

Back when we started IVF, I wrote a post about all the issues with pregnancy, including one about a friend who had a vein pop out "down below".

Well......

I guess my smooth sailing pregnancy has suddenly turned to OMG painful pregnancy. Can I take a moment to just vent....

My whole right side is numb, thanks to "the vein" that has decided to pop out of the you know what. Supposedly it happens when alot of pressure is building up down there.......NOT FUN. When my friend purchased herself a little harness for her vein off of the internet, I chuckled a bit.....well now the laugh is on ME! Harness here I come!

My belly is pushing straight out......I cannot even touch my belly button region, it's like nails on a chalkboard uncomfortable.

I have had a cold/nasal congestion for 3 weeks now. The first week I slept 2 hours a night. Finally the doc gave me some Nasonex and it helped after another week of sleepless nights. Last night I finally managed 6 hours of straight sleep, it felt like heaven, until I stood up to walk...and the vein started to rub. Good Lord! Me and Epson salt baths are one.....I am sooooo clean. I look like a prune from all the time I am spending in the tub. Cole has even moved his toys into the bathroom to play while I veg out in the tub 3 times a day. Good times....

I am having a garage sale on Saturday. My neighbors are helping me and so is my mom. Tim wants NOTHING to do with a garage sale and will move more stuff over to the new house with Cole (that way Cole is not aware of what is being sold!!) Problem is, my mom thinks I should not just "give away" my stuff. She thinks that if I do not get a good price for something then I should keep the junk, store it and then try and sell it again next summer....her attachment to stuff is mind blowing....that is a post in itself. I want her help, but she is judging and lecturing more than she is helping.....

I have hit the 2 digit numbers for time remaning on this pregnancy. Yay!!! This also means I still have 98 days (technically only 80 since these munchkins are coming out at 38 weeks)... 98 days to deal with this skin, vein, overall irritation flowing through my entire body. Booooo...

So I'm saying a little prayer for myself this week......a little favor to rid me of this vein...make it crawl back to where it came from...it's not right, it's making me grumpy...I want to be blissfully pregnant.....

I know, back to reality Cheryl. It is what it is....just deal with it. Thanks for listening....venting always makes me less grumpy..

My horrible disgusting habit....

For those of you who have known me for years will know about my filthy habit...one that I have tried to shake over the years..with no luck..until now maybe?

Nail Biting

I know it's gross. BUT I CANNOT STOP.

Flashbacks to my many many issues related to nail biting....here are only a few.

When I was young I would bite them down so far they would bleed. My mom would put that awful tasting nail polish on them in hopes of putting an end to the terrible chomping sound she had to endure. Guess what? That stuff, although it tasted awful, was no match against the urge to bite....

Years passed of constant hand smacking from my parents every time a nail would go into my mouth. In private or public, they tried to shame me into quitting....stubborn teenager that I was could care less... smack away, I will just bite them while you are asleep!!!

Fast forward to my twenties. We move to Calgary, I transfer to a new office. Stress and endless hours sitting at my computer lead to fingers hitting my mouth mindlessly at all hours. The result? A trip at 10:30pm to my dentist friend to deal with an infection related to some bacteria I must have picked up on my fingers and then shoved into my mouth.

Gross...I know...

Jump ahead another few years and I am 7 months pregnant with Cole. In my crazy pregnancy mind I decided to get some gel nails put on (not the first time...) but this time I was determined to KEEP them on. Gel nails would last all of one week with me and then I would chomp them down too....It's as though I would pay $100 for the thrill of the bite...sick, I know!

Gels were too much work - I couldn't do up my buttons fast enough, they were IN THE WAY OF LIFE.

One night I am putting away the laundry (in a rush as usual..) and I shoved my clothes into the dresser and caught my nail on the little edge inside the drawer. The result? The gel nail tore right back with my own nail...I pushed it down, got a bandaid and headed out for dinner with my folks. 3 hours later my arm was red and tingling....I was in a panic and off we went to emergency at 11pm. 5 hours later I was on antibiotics and a week later I was at the nail salon getting the poor girl to drill away the gel nail ever so carefully.

So today, as I am doing some squats at the gym, I notice my pinky nail.....there is some growth to the nail, an actual white nail emerging...trying to say "give me a bloody chance!". I started to think....I have been so busy these days with packing and moving that my hands have been nowhere near my mouth....could this be a turnaround point in breaking my habit after all these years?

I would love to have little nails, get a manicure now and then and finally ditch the site of me gnawing on a part of the body that lately we are sanitizing by the hour!!

Tools ladies...have you broken the nail biting habit or any other bad habit? How? What works, what doesn't? By the time these babies come, maybe I could have some nicely manicured hands to admire during labor!

New house means new decor....ugh

Give me a set of financial statements and I can analyze them to death, balance them at the speed of light and provide useful feedback and guidance for my clients on what to do.

Give me a new house to paint and decorate and I am LOST. Completely and utterly in no man's land...begging for a lifeline to help me find my way out.

When I moved into the condo with Tim after our wedding, we had NO money, so decor was mostly IKEA, wedding gifts and cheap picture frames. Tim's idea of decor was placing a Mountain Dew frisbee on a hook on the wall..... yeah that came down pretty quickly..

House #2. We moved onto Glenbrook after 2 years in the condo. 1000 square feet to 1700 square feet meant more rooms to decorate. I was slowly realizing that decor takes money, and CA students make NO money. I would watch Trading Spaces for ideas and I even tried a checkerboard type paint design in one of the bedrooms and a suede like paint in another room (it was 2002, give me some slack!)

House #3. Off to Calgary we went and found a home pretty much complete EXCEPT for the finishings...I flew out and in 4 hours we had chosen paint, counter tops, flooring, fixtures etc... I honestly did not care and just went all neutral. Blah blah bland..My cousin graciously gave me a beautiful house warming gift with some color in to help me...she also helped me shop for some decor in our 4th home (thank you Laura, if you lived here you would be booked for some shopping nesxt week!)

House #4. Current home in Winnipeg. Our time in Calgary proved profitable and the first thing I did when we moved back was hire a designer to come and choose my paint and show me where to hang my art etc... I told you I am a complete failure at this stuff... He was well worth the money (although he did show up to the house in a BMW and then took his shoes off and the toes had big holes in them....so odd...) He gave me ideas of what to buy for my empty walls and in 3 years I managed to buy NOTHING...... we renovated the bathroom and the walls are bare. Our bedroom walls are bare...a cozy, peaceful sanctuary it is NOT!

House #5. Ok more space to decorate. I am in a panic......I kid you not! I HATE making decisions like this. I have hired a new designer...she seems to have appropriate dress attire from what I have seen, hopefully no holey socks...Tim has hired a painter (thank god!) and he is meeting us tonight. A quick call to the designer and she is meeting me tomorrow! Double thank you....

Baby steps right? Paint first, decor next...I need suggestions...any favorite stores, great finds, tips on how to decorate? I am really trying to make this house feel like a home...we want to stay put for longer than 3 years..

SOLD!

We sold the house last night!!!

The crappy low ball offer folk came back with a great deal..and a fast possession date of Sept 4th so we are starting to move this weekend. Cole and I will spend today starting to pack light stuff and organize the rest, I need to sneak in a garage sale soon to purge some stuff!

I have tried over the years to embrace real estate and the "game" you need to play. No luck though. I realized last night that I truly HATE negotiating. We ended up $4k below our asking price and they ended up $25k above what they initially wanted to pay. Why could we have not just laid it all out on day one and avoided the back and forth? Tim on the other hand LOVES the "game" he thrives on it...likes the risk of the buyers walking away.....stressing his wife out!! Why is it he is always right though? If he left buying and selling homes to me we would never make any money, I would take the first offer just to avoid any conflict!

In the end, it was obvious that this family loved and wanted our home and that makes me feel A OK...I even threw in my front load washer and dryer in the deal... partly because they wanted them..but mostly because it means that I...

GET NEW ONES!!!

So where to even start looking for new front loads? You guys!

Let me know what to get. I had the Whirlpool Duets and they had mold issues if I did not leave the door open on the washer between loads. NO THANKS...

House #5 in 9 years of marriage...I can only imagine how many more "games" I will have to endure in my lifetime.

The proud owners of 2 homes

Yes, the sale of our house has yet to happen. Watch our money fly out the window as we pay for 2 homes....We have another showing tomorrow, fantastic..maybe this couple will bring a reasonable offer to the table instead of the junk that was presented to us last week.

Note to buyers: if you are trying to buy a $350k home, you need to cough up more than a $1000 deposit. Show some sincere interest! Also, do not try and low ball by $25k and ask that our awesome front load washer and dryers be thrown in...and finally, making an offer conditional to the sale of your home.. which happens to be in the crime ridden area of the city is not helping your situation. WE WERE INSULTED.

Moving on..

We did pick up the keys to our new shack! Not sure how the whole "move" will take place...I took my non-maternity clothes over today and some baby stuff for the boys. At this pace we should be living there by Christmas (kidding...I have an late September deadline!)

A few shots of the new pad. For those on facebook, I posted a full album of several rooms.

Salt water pool

Kitchen

Cole's dinosaur room is amazing..the mural is beautiful and I'm so happy I did not have to have someone in my house painting for hours on end!

Basement bath...steam shower and infinity jacuzzi..like I'll have time to enjoy those but my guests can!

Overall we are thrilled, considering we saw the house for 15 minutes and decided to buy it...

A few things need to get done in terms of paint, a new deck and maybe some new kitchen counters...that may be pushing it. We wanted more space and this has about 3000 square feet of it. I do not see us moving for a long time....thank goodness.

25 week pictures

Heading into 25 weeks!! I am feeling the "bulge" and loving it!

Rear shot...

Wait for it.... alot happens in 4 weeks with these 2 boys!!! Side shot...

Thank goodness Lululemon's stretch! Only 13 weeks to go now.....time to slooooow down says the doctor, which is exactly what I've been doing. I walk 6-8 km 3 times a week (thanks Mandy for joining me!) and I swim most days. The gym consists of light weights and lots of good ole fashion lunges!

No complaints! This has been a fantastic trimester, time to say adios to it and hit the home stretch!

Mmmmmmmmuffins!

These muffins are delicious, and have no sugar or butter in them. Try a batch and it will make you realize how unhealthy the muffins are at restaurants and coffee shops. If you need some flavor, top the muffin with some sugar free jam or natural almond butter!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups egg whites• 1½ cups oats or 1 cup instant oatmeal or 1½ cups quick oatmeal• ½ cup whole wheat flour • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce• 1 cup 1% cottage cheese• ½ cup whey protein powder • 1½ tsp baking powder• 25 almonds• 1 tbsp vanilla extract• ⅛ tsp or pinch of salt• 1 cup strawberries (see below for variations)

INSTRUCTIONS:Pre-heat oven to 350˚F. Pour ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Mix in fruit by hand, if desired, or include in the blender. Pour into regular-sized stick-free muffin cups. Cook until toothpick comes out clean (about 20 minutes).

NUTRIENTS PER MUFFIN:Calories: 120, Total Fat: 2 g, Sat. Fat: 0 g, Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 5 mg, Sodium: 125 mg, Total Carbs: 17 g, Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugars: 3 g; Protein: 9 g; Iron: 1.20 mg

FOR CHOCOLATE BANANA MUFFINS:Substitute ½ cup sliced banana for the strawberries. Add 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder. Use chocolate flavored whey protein powder. Add ½ to 1 tsp banana extract for extra banana flavor.

FOR BLUEBERRY MUFFINS:Substitute 1 cup blueberries for the strawberries and 222 g unsweetened blueberry applesauce for the regular unsweetened applesauce.

FOR APPLE CINNAMON MUFFINS:Substitute ⅔ cup diced apple for the strawberries. Add cinnamon.

I have a batch in the oven. Enjoy!

A Piece of History

The anticipation was killing him.....hubby that is...


Yesterday was THE DAY!


Tim is a closet war junkie, and star trek junkie....and an anything sci-fi related junkie. Instead of watching endless hockey games or the sports recaps on TSN, I am required to live with the occasional Star Trek episode and History Channel war documentary. I can live with that.


So when our local newspaper advertised that the Lancaster was landing right here in our city...well Tim was giddy, planning the outing.. entering it into his blackberry... very nerd like, I love it.


Now if you are like me, you're asking...What is the Lancaster???? Let me enlighten...


"This historic Avro Lancaster belonging to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum is one of only two flyable Lancasters left in the world. It is a famous WW II bomber aircraft"


Yeah.....ok. sounds neat! I agreed to go with him and Cole. We would go see it land and then head out for lunch....(food is more my style!). How many people would really want to see this thing anyways? Who knew that many many many many many people are in love with histry like Tim is. Old, young, men, women, I swear all of Winnipeg crammed into that museum to see this thing land. Note my irritation, I was peeved that I had to stand for an hour, and then find out the plane was LATE by an hour. Luckily Tim entertained Cole by making a mock Lancaster....he's talented in the airplane "craft" department..




Finally at 3pm this plan landed. I admit, it was quite the sight. Not just the actual plane but the way some people were acting.

"down at the front" was being yelled alot by people standing in the back. When I tried to squeeze into a better spot so Cole could see, I was "told" by a lady that she had been here for 3 hours and would appreciate it if I would move out of her way. Good ole friendly Manitoba!!! So myself and a nice older lady had a chat at the back of the room as her hubby (decked out in full air force gear) watched intently with his pals.

Put Tim in a mall for 4 hours and he would LOSE HIS MIND. Put him in an airplane museum, waiting in line for 2 of the 4 hours and you get a patient, photo snapping, happy man. So so very odd.

So here are some shots, the Lancaster in all of it's glory.

Once it landed, we waited another hour to see it up close and personal....while in line, we befriended a man with a deluxe looking camera, exchanged emails and he sent us this photo...
Tres cool no? We were waiting for the hangar door to open....it feels very vintage, pretty, like being back in time...it was hard not to think of all the people who lost their lives flying these planes. 25 flight missions and you could go home. The average pilot saw 12 missions.

I usually space out when the History Channel comes on...maybe next time I will pay more attention..