Anything and Everything.

To get caught up, you can read Part 1 and Part 2 My Journey to Parenthood Part 3  Well, finally, nine days after my estimated due date of November 11, I was having contractions. They began at ten am Saturday morning, and were intense on and off all day long. And night. And into the next morning. They were not regular, but enough to catch my breath and occupy my thoughts. They kept me awake, and hubs on occasion, when they were too painful to deal with alone. But as much as they commanded my attention, they hadn't slipped into that nice easy pattern the Labour & Delivery nurses wanted. Sunday we timed them as we were seeing that glorious rhythm - every nine to ten minutes, roughly forty-five seconds long. According to our labour cheat sheet - we were in labour. Yahoo. Finally. We walked; we rested; we checked in with the hospital. Because the contractions were not close enough together, if we came in for an assessment, we'd just be sent home. Not what we wanted ...

Part 1  is here, in case you missed the lead up. :) My Journey to Parenthood Part 2 I drove to hubbie's work, and called him on the way telling him in tears he needed to meet me outside. Poor guy thought I'd been hurt or in some kind of minor accident, but I couldn't wait until the end of the day to tell him. I pulled up and before I could even say hi I was waving around the positive pregnancy test. He was so happy, he cried. Not 100% believing the pregnancy test, I called the OBs office to book some blood work ASAP, and she faxed over a rec to the lab. Relief settled over me when I got the confirmation call back the next day - we were pregnant! Freshly pregnant. My HCG levels were very low. Another blood test a week later and our HCG levels had risen nicely. It was really hard to sit tight and not share this with anyone. Really hard. We'd been waiting for so long, we wanted to shout it from the rooftops. As luck would have it, we got a three-way call from...

Seventeen years ago, after three years of wedded bliss, hubs and I thought it was the right time to start building a family. After a year of trying, we were unsuccessful. Another year passed by and still no pregnancy. We hadn't told anyone we were trying, because there's nothing quite like everyone asking  all the time when would we get pregnant. We were already asked often enough without announcing our intentions! After another six months of trying, we bit the bullet and I booked an appointment with my doctor. Having dealt with ovarian cysts since I was sixteen, I suspected something was up. That appointment with my family doctor yielded no surprises, but I now had a consultation with an OB. Always one to be prepared for that appointment - six months down the line - I read everything I could. The best book I read was called Taking Charge of Your Fertility . I joined an online group on Fertility Friend and connected with dozens of people going through similar problems. My l...

It's been quite the week. I'm mentally exhausted. I have a blog post coming about feeling invisible because I've been battling that. Then today I got two pieces of terrible news, one only slightly worse than the first. Cancer claimed an amazing guy today. :( However, in his spirit, I'm trying to stay positive. But it's so damn hard. This one is for you, Colin.  For Parent-Teacher interviews. Since I don't work at the school my eldest child attends, it's nice to be able to sit down with them and discuss my child. It's also a blessing to hear he's a good kid. :) For walks to the park, to escape the stress and embrace the playfulness as a family. Our second night, the snow started and it was wonderful to stand under the shelter and watch it fall. For book club. Attended my first ever event, and it was just the librarian and I, but still really awesome. We discussed Terry Fallis' Poles Apart at length for over and hour. I took away s...

A quiet week in comparison to some, but still there is lots to be thankful for. For baking my Family Famous Chocolate Chip muffins. I've altered the recipe so much over the years, it's hardly recognizable. It's a healthy muffin made with no sugar (applesauce instead), whole wheat flour and flax seed. My kids eat them up, and I'm happy with the good stuff they're ingesting.  For an evening at the park. We spent the day adding kms to our PokeWalks, battling in gyms (for the record I suck so bad, I still need 36 revives to help my fainted pokemons), and collecting pokestops. After a nice supper, we headed over to the park and played, climbing and running and swinging. The temperatures outside are still unbelievably warm (today was  +8C) so we need to make the most of what we get.  For finishing up my first book for Book Club at our local library branch. I'm so excited to have finished and I get to share my opinions and thoughts with others. I'm stoked....

Okay - readers of my blog & my lovely followers on social media. I've written two blurbs for an upcoming novella but I can't decide which one to choose, if any - maybe I need to go back to the drawing board? Here are the choices: Blurb 1 All Aurora wants is a happy-ever-after with Nate. But a teeny-tiny problem stands in her way. She’s terrified of vehicles, and fights daily with staying clean from a prescription drug abuse problem. Plus, her and Nate broke up. Upon learning of his planned retirement, she believes it’s all because of her.   Nate can’t leave his love for her, and she’s refuses to let it happen. She needs to conquer her fears, and push herself harder than ever before. In order to succeed, she needs to believe in herself. Of her body and her mind. It’s a scary battle between determination and terror. And she has nine weeks.   Stepping out of her comfort zone, she enlists help from the one man she trusts implicitly.   Lucas has a speci...

It's been a fun and busy week, but there's always something to be thankful for. This week I'm thankful for the following, in no particular order: How my brother and youngest child texted back and forth discussing breakfast foods. It was really amazing to watch the interactions from one side anyway. I hope my kids have a life long relationship with my baby brother.  For amazing Twitter interactions this week. It's nice to make 'friends' over social media, especially when you've got something in common.  For four mornings out of five with no disagreements over who gets to toast their waffles first, or who's going to use the bathroom first. If you're a parent, you understand what I'm talking about. An 80% happy morning start is win-win for us all.  My favourite black pants. There is nothing special about them; they're a black velvet type material that fit really well. Everything goes with them, and when I wear them, I feel super confide...