Last day of 2006!

Hard to believe that 2006 is just about over.

Yesterday I was reading back in our journal (the pen-and-paper variety) that we write in on a daily basis and its amazing how fast this year has gone and how much P has changed in that time. I'm glad we keep that journal! Actually, we got the idea from my parents who have been keeping one almost as long as they have been married! Its fun to go back in time and read what a typical day was like when I was younger.

Our big plans for today? Vacuum and wash the floors. I'm also doing a load of towels laundry and I cleaned out the fridge this morning. This evening, Shaun's parents are coming over to play cards with us for a bit. No one is going to attempt to stay awake until Midnight, although I suspect I will be up at approximately that time to pee.

Only 4 FULL days until Ms. Kathryn is here. WOW!

Post Christmas

WOW.

Its been a GREAT Christmas! We've seen lots of family, eaten lots of food, and exchanged lots of gifts.

Christmas with my parents was fun, but went so fast! I am glad we were able to spend a few days with them before the event to really enjoy their company.

Christmas with Shaun's parents was also a ton of fun and Patrick was really REALLY good at both events.

I think the highlight for me was Christmas morning, when Shaun, Patrick and I exchanged gifts by the tree, in our PJs, just us three. I really enjoyed watching Patrick get interested in his stocking gifts and play with his 'big stuff' - he got a tent/tunnel set and the fisher price little people ABC zoo.

I am also thrilled that Shaun liked his gift from me! I had a great time researching and putting it together for him. I think he's 'played' with all the bits already!

Patrick was thoroughly spoiled, recieving a LOT of gifts! He got some clothes (YAY!) including boxer briefs!, a potty, step stools so he can reach the bathroom sinks, and new toys. His current favourite? A ball-popper from Auntie Boo.

I was also thoroughly spoiled this year from all fronts. Highlights include: Christmas 'ice' ornament with colourful lighting from below, crocs, software to create cards and calendars, webcam, and serving plates.

Even Kathryn got gifts! She got a white-noise machine, a stuffed elephant and bear-doll, and a hand-made blanket.

An extraspecialgift we recieved was a DVD collection of P's pictures from birth to now, set to music and presented in a slide show from Shaun's sister. When we played it, we both cried -- it was so touching. Thank you Boo!

Today Shaun and I are going to hit the boxing day sales. We're not looking for anything in particular, but I still need a few odds and ends before K's birth.

p wants me to play! More later.

I hope EVERYONE had a FANTASTIC Christmas with friends and family!

Christmas Morning

I was the first one up today, at 6 a.m. After the millionth time of getting up, walking around, getting a drink, getting back into bed and trying to get comfy for my 'nap', I'd had enough. I had a nice, long, very very hot shower to get all the stiffness out of my hips and back, and then came down here. I put the tree on, and surfed a bit. I contemplated breakfast but decided to wait for P.

Shaun has JUST gotten up, and he's making us coffee. YAY!!

We'll wait until 7:30 at the earliest to wake up Mr. P! I can't wait for him to see his gifts! We've got his tunnel/tents set up so he'll see them as soon as he comes down the stairs.

Update later!

Kathryn's Nursery

Here they are! Pictures of Kathryn's room. I finally packed the hospital bag and cleared off her change table. I think her room turned out nicely! Her closet is a bit of a mess though... eventually it will be better :)

If I had to go back and do it over, I think I'd choose a slightly less dramatic YELLOW. Otherwise, i love it.

1 thing is missing - my dad is still working on the rug hooking for over her crib. that likely won't appear until mid-late January and I will attempt to post another picture - no promises!! :) Enjoy!

Oh and do check out her mobile.... its P's old mobile minus the dangly parts. I hung the stars from P's fan in his new room and I butchered another mobile I got for 50 cents at a garage sale for Kathryn's mobile to better fit the theme of her room. She's got a giraffe, rabbit and pig instead.

Christmas!

Shaun, Patrick and I attended our first family Christmas celebration yesterday. We had a great time!

I had been aprehensive about going - being this huge and all - but Patrick was in TERRIFIC spirits and that helped a lot! He even had a little nap to perk him back up again while we were opening presents.

Speaking of presents, Patrick was spoiled! He got:
Denim overalls, long sleved navy shirt & penguin stuffy - Uncle Abe & Barb
Stuffed Nemo toy & little people tub boat - Cousins Tara & Domonique
HUGE stuffed puppy and long sleved orange 'tractor' shirt - Karen, Leo, Jennifer & Diana
Gap sweater-jacket and hand knit hat - Auntie Brenda, Uncle Cal, Brody & Anthony
Collector's addition John Deer metal tractor & first-reader board book - Great G&G.

Even Kathryn got gifts! Auntie Brenda knit her a winter hat with a pink pom-pom on top and great grandma knit her a sweater and hat set that will co-ordinate well with Shaun's green sleeper - so she'll likely wear it home from the hospital. (The sleeper is the one that Shaun himself wore home from the hospital! Patrick wore it home too - and we've made it a tradition. Hopefully our kids will be able to use it for THEIR kids too!)

Shaun and I were spoiled with a few gifts of our own, too! And I had a nice time handing out all the ornaments (and boxes!) I had made.

I finished off all the thank-you cards this morning, and put them in the envelopes that are going out with the 2007 letter after Kathryn is born. You know me... I always have my TY cards done in less than 3 days!

It was so nice to see everyone! This particular branch of the family generally only sees each other at Christmas time.

An obsession gone wrong...

My child is OBSESSED with switches and buttons. He loves to 'help' you turn on the light, flush the toilet, press a button. Until today, this obsession was a bit annoying at times, but also very cute and harmless.

We all had a nap today - Shaun was home early and after lunch, we all went to separate beds (Shaun is snoring due to his sinus cold). We all slept! I even slept 2 consecutive hours instead of 1 - a nice change. Everyone was still asleep when I got up, so I decided to have a nice hot shower to get rid of the stiffness.

I got in the shower, and immediately knew something was wrong. The water was NOT hot at all. I figured in my half-awake state, I'd put the cold on more than I usually do. I reached through the icy spray and turned the cold down. The water became warmish, but not HOT as I expected and seemed to get cooler with ever passing second. By now my hair was wet, so I was comitted. I raced through the shampoo, conditioner, washing my face and turned off the now very cold water.

Shivering, I dried off, very angry that what was supposed to be a nice thing for me had turned out so badly.

Then I remembered.

Rewind to this morning: Shaun is at work. Patrick and I are doing laundry. Ok, I'm doing laundry and Patrick is making a nusance of himself as usual in the laundry room. Vaguely, I remember scolding him for touching something on the hotwater tank....a switch that he's tried to move MANY times... that he'd never actually moved before.... that today I hadn't checked to see if it moved. ARGH!! MY KID TURNED OFF THE HOT WATER TANK!!! and in my state of sleepiness due to pregnancy induced carpal tunnel and insomnia.... I didn't check.

I wrapped the towel around me and raced downstairs and flicked the switch back to where it should be. Nothing happened. I waited. Nothing happened. I went back upstaris and woke up Shaun saying he needed to call to have someone reset the pilot light on the hotwater tank.

In Shaun's half-awake blurry-eyed state, he went downstairs to see for himself.... and found the instructions on how to re-set the appliance if it ever should be turned off. Following the instructions, he got the tank purring again.

Of course now, I'm totally dry and ticked and although I know I could finish up my nice HOT shower in about an hour, I figure there is no point. Shaun suggested a hot bath later tonight, but since I feel like a whale in the tub I won't be doing that either.

Holiday Eating Tips

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving calorie laden brownies, puddings and shortbread, chips, dips that thicken your hips. Indulge yourself, put a few in your handbag for later.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? It's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories. Stick some in your pockets, it keeps

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

*~* Baby Snyder has arrived! *~*

Safe and sound on Wednesday December 11th, at approximately 8:30 p.m.!

Details pending, but mom and babe are doing well!

Thanks to Sara for calling Sally to find out!

*~*~*UPDATE: Friday December 15th *~*~*

Its a boy! And what a boy! Caleb Lowell James was born weighing a whopping 11 lbs! And Char did it the natural way -- way to go Char!!!

He is 22 inches long and has the cutest chubbiest cheeks :)

Here's a pic!

*~* update *~*

Just so no one is wondering, I haven't heard anything new. I may get my sister to call Sally to see what she knows. As soon as I hear anything, I will post it! So keep checking!

*~*~*~*~* ohhh exciting!!! *~*~*~*~*

I was talking to Charlene this morning. She had an OB appointment at 11 and she said she would email me and tell me how it went.

Its almost 5. No email!! I bet she was admitted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YIPPIE!!

Pregnancy carpal tunnel is kicking my @$$

And I'm very VERY tired of it.

Of course I expect parts of pregnancy to be uncomfortable -- afterall, my body is going through a HUGE change, but this is stupid.

I can't remember the last time I had a GOOD nights sleep. I wake up every 2 hours or so because of the pain in my fingers, wrist, arm, shoulder and back. Sometimes it takes me over 30 minutes to get it to 'wake up' to the point where it isn't tingly and painful. Often, it begins again as soon as I lie down, despite many attempts to get it to go away. I wear braces on both hands/wrists. I've been sleeping in the spare room so I can have my arms out straight or hanging off the bed - which used to work. Now nothing seems to work. Even waking up my arm by sitting up and letting it hang doesn't work - I actually have to consciously move the muscles isometrically to encourage the blood to flow.

During the day, it continues to be a bother, however because I am awake, I can catch it right when it starts, drop my arms, and wait for the circulation & sensation to return. While typing this I've had to stop about 7 times for 5-10 seconds each time. This may not seem like a lot, but it is really wearing on me.

While making apple crisps with dead apples last night, it took FOREVER to peal the apples because I had to keep taking breaks. Even washing dishes by hand requires me to be super quick or take breaks. Often while driving, I have to switch arms to let the other rest -- and I don't even go that far. When Shaun and I watch TV at night, I have to have my arms a certain way in my lap or dangling off the side of the bed, or they fall asleep, and even now, these things are starting to not work.

As far as I know, there is nothing I can do for this. I've been watching my salt intake and drinking lots of fluids. Beyond that, I have no idea. I see my NP today, and I am hoping she'll have answers.

I'm getting really emotional and grumpy due to this. I miss good sleep! I'm not sure how much more I can handle. Right now I just want to cry -- I gave up getting any sleep at about 5, had my shower at 5:45 and now I'm sitting here alone. At least if I was getting up with Kathryn, it would be a GOOD reason. I am so glad that Shaun is on vacation soon -- then it won't matter if I have a crappy sleep because I can nap during the day. He has 4 more shifts, and then he is off until January 2nd.

I'm 36 weeks, 6 days today, and I'm +24 lbs. And Ifeel like crap.

P's Christmas Photo

I'm sweaty, but its done! Perhaps I should have waited until a day when Shaun was home -- probably would have been MUCH easier, but it is done and when we go to get groceries in a few minutes I can get them printed, and wrapped!

For those who read this blog and are getting a picture (LISA/SARA) try to be surprised anyway. HAHA!!

ITS DONE!

Yippie!

I just printed out the LAST page for my grandfather's calendar. Now I can take it to be bound, then punch holes in it and put re-inforcements on the holes, wrap it and VIOLA! YAY!!

The last piece of my christmas wrapping.

I'm not as pleased with the calendar this year as I normally am. I think it was a time constraint thing. The pictures are lovely AND lots of them were donated from extended family members so I have at least 1 picture of EVERYONE in it this year. YAY!!

I also printed out Kathryn's first ultrasound pics since I couldn't find the originals :( THANK GOODNESS we scanned them into the computer!!!!

Mommy & Patrick

I thought I would share these pictures with you. Shaun took them last night.

new snowsuit

Here it is!! Its a little big in the torso & arms, but at least the legs are the right length now!! Besides, he'll grow :)

Top 10 List for People Who Aren't the Pregnant Couple

Found this on Babycenter! LOVE IT!!

1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you a jerk.

2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase "my baby".

3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in #2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it.

4) The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5) Likewise, no women wants to hear comments on her weight- ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "You look fabulous!".

6) By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes.

7) There is a reason that tickets to L&D are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL (mother-in-law) or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents.

8) Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out". If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.

9) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.

10) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.

Whats worse than a wet cat?

A wet toddler!!

Patrick is obsessed with water so there should have been no surprise when he 'fell' into a puddle at school today. I think he was shocked by the COLDNESS of the water! He came home wearing daycare clothes and I will pack him a spare set to keep there from now on.

Of course this brought to our attention that his snowsuit is NOT waterproof.... so we're going to go to SAAN after naps to get him a new one. He'd already grown out of this one, although I was secretly hoping it would last. Oh well.

Winter Wonderland

We've got snow!

And Shaun used the snowblower for the first time today! I was hoping to get pics, but I was dealing with Mr. P so I didn't get a chance.

We also have decorated (except for the tree) our house. Its looking quite festive in here, but I need to get some more green garland and red bows to dress up a few more things. Probably do that later.

In other news, Mr. P had a nap-free day yesterday. We put him down to nap at his regular nap time, but he did not sleep. Since he had pulled this the other day with Shaun, we got him up for a bit to finish tiring him out but he just didn't tire.... all in all he was up for 11 hours straight!!!!! ACK! I am not sure I'm ready to lose nap time!! Should be interesting to see what he does today. If he has decided he doesn't need a nap, that is fine! Instead, he will get 'rest' time where he is in his room, with a small light on, in his crib with books and toys.... because mommy still needs a rest time. *sigh* I thought kids needed afternoon naps until 2.5 years!! I guess Patrick forgot to read that part of his manual.

We're just about on our way out the door to pick him up and go to the post office.