Happy 3rd Anniversary!

Yesterday we celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary! We've come a long way from our first apartment where we had an inverted cardboard box as a side table! We have survived living in tiny 500 square feet bachelor apartments, survived the whole issue of wanting to live on opposite ends of the country (this was a HUGE issue as Rob wanted to settle down in Vancouver, and I wanted to live in Montreal...how we ever settled on Ottawa is beyond me!), survived me being a morning person and him being a night owl, survived Rob wanting to lead a healthy lifestyle, and me LOVING everything unhealthy...and so on and so on. One thing that has NEVER changed is our ability to have fun together. This, without a doubt, has been our glue. Our last anniversary as a twosome...and Bosco of course!

To register or not to register...

It's funny...I had "issues" with signing up for a gift registry for the baby. We didn't "register" anywhere when we got married...Koreans don't do that...they just get money in lieu of gifts. But I agree...the whole idea of registering does make total sense. You get the things you want and need, and avoid getting duplicates and/or things you have no use for. BUT...it seems kinda funny doesn't it? How do you respond when you receive something from your registry? "OH, I LOVE IT!"...of course you love it, you PICKED it. Or "What a surprise!"...no it's not, you PICKED IT! Or "Thank you, you shouldn't have"...again you PICKED IT! It just seems a little weird. Anyway, Rob and I went to Toys R Us to register tonight. It was fun for the first 10 minutes. Then we both got super confused. Besides not knowing what is considered appropriate registry items to pick (can you pick things like diapers and baby wipes?), more importantly we didn't KNOW what we WANTED!!! You would think running around the store with the scanner-gun would be fun, but we just stood around lots, looking around, staring at everything wondering which highchair, which bouncy chair, which swing etc. we wanted. Then Rob asked "Shouldn't you know this stuff? Shouldn't you have researched which ones are better than the rest?" Ummm, no...I've been busy looking online at fun baby-stuff, like finding funky crib bedding and getting ideas about which colors to paint the nursery. We honestly stood there, getting more and more confused, more and more frusterated, more and more impatient and snappy at each other (maybe me more than him). Baby stuff is confusing...so many patterns, so many features, so many name brands, such BIG price differences. And it doesn't help when you don't know what you're having...having to pick everything that would be suitable for a boy or a girl. I am going to have to admit Rob's right, and start researching baby products...any hints and suggestions on what baby products are good, bad, can't live without, and/or a waste of money? I may have to amend my registry...

Happy Birthday Glen!!!

Happy Birthday to one of my favorite boys in the whole world...
I wish I was there to celebrate with you guys tonight...I'm sure the conversation will be fun, funny, and a little nasty...my favorite kinda night! Hope you get lots of presents, eat lots of yummy cake, and drink lots of fruity cocktails! As for calling me "playfully neurotic"...takes one to know one...that's why we get along so well! Miss you lots!

30 weeks...

new baby blanket I bought online from a website called "snugabugblankets.com"...i LOVE it. i didn't want frilly frou-frou baby stuff...and came across these blankets...popcorn chenille on one side, funky prints on the other...the one i bought is called "zen bubbles"...cute, eh? and by the way...they are all homemade...in canada.
baby mobile...after i put it together and wound it up...it started playing the "Rock a by Baby" lulleby, and my eyes started watering...pregnancy hormones at their best.

Belly update! I realized today that I haven't taken any pictures of my bare belly the entire pregnancy...so here it is! 30 weeks...ten more to go...

If it's not one thing...it's another...

Let me start by saying that I have had an easy pregnancy so far. When I hear and compare stories with other pregnant women, I do consider myself lucky. Morning sickness for me translated into just feeling nauseous for about a month...and only 2 weeks of that month was bad. Since then a few extra varicose veins has surfaced, but nothing crazy, my feet aren't swollen, no popped out belly button, no signs of stretch marks (yet)...etc, I am pretty much exactly the same as non-pregnant Joyce, except I have a buddah belly. BUT if it's not one thing...it's another. My first blood glucose test came back with elevated levels, so I had to go back for the DREADED second test last week. It was awful. I felt so sick from the mixture of drinking the nasty super-sweet orange soda and getting three blood test done in two hours, that I had to lie down in the clinic to keep myself from throwing up or passing out (and I took the rest of the day off from work). Yesterday I found out that I DON'T have gestational diabetes...my test came back good (whew!)...BUT...now the concern is that I LOST weight since my last doctor's appointment in August. This is the time in pregnancy where you are supposed to GAIN weight, NOT stay the same, and definitely NOT LOSE weight. It was only a pound, but still...it's freaking me out. My doctor wanted to know what I was doing differently. And no offence, but I think it was kinda HER fault! After thinking I may be at risk for gestational diabetes, I avoided sugar and carbs, as per her recommendation! It's kinda nerve-wracking carrying a baby inside you. A tiny little thing that seems so fragile...being so dependant on everything you do. If I want Starbucks, baby gets Starbucks whether he/she wants it or not (don't freak out, I get decaf...or at least 1/2 decaf once a day). If I want junk food, baby has to eat junk food...etc. I am just praying that this weight loss was a one time fluke and not a sign that something isn't right. The internet is both my best friend and worst enemy in this pregnancy...it has so much info...it "feeds" a paranoid, addictive personality like me, with too much detail on anything and everything pregnancy-related.

Happy Birthday Monkey!

Happy Birthday Edouard!!! I hope you ate lots of yummy cake and loved all your presents! Bosco will bring you a gift next time we come to Montreal, which I hope will be soon. Hope you had lots of fun celebrating your special day!

Love and miss you my little monkey...

mamas-to-be...reunite

Jessica, Sean, and little Peyton made a pitstop for a couple of hours in Ottawa, on their way home to Alberta from their annual trip to Maine. A very short but sweet visit!



Peyton being flirty...











The Jones'













Big Belly Mama's...

Thanks for visiting guys...I know it made for a LONG trip home...but it was super good seeing you guys! Fun talking preggo talk too!

Blogging Blahs

Nothing much to blog about lately...nothing really exciting happening...just my belly and boobs keep getting bigger...my nerves and anxiety levels keep getting higher...and I think I am finally realizing that high heels and pregnancy really don't go well together (my back seems to ache more after working a full day wearing heels). I wanted to add a picture of myself (@ 28 weeks), but I don't know how to set the "self timer" on the camera yet. I think I may have started "nesting". Or I'm just getting crazier. Up until last week I had not bought ONE thing for the baby. Not a thing. Then one single conversation with one of my regular clients at the bank started freaking me out. He asked how far along I was, so I told him. He then proceeded to tell me I was about as far along as his girlfriend was when she went into labour (totally unexpectedly). They didn't have anything prepared since they thought they had so much time left, so he had to go buy everything by himself while his son and girlfriend were in the hospital. Ahhhh, who tells a story like that to a pregnant woman? Especially one like ME?!? His preemie son is totally fine now (after a lengthy stay in the hospital), but...OH MY GOD! So needlesstosay I convinced Rob that we really needed to start preparing for the Little Bugger's arrival, and so we went out and bought the car seat/stroller, crib and change table (thanks Dom!), and have a play pen/bassinette on the way (thanks Audrey!). I have since woken up in the middle of the night (many times) thinking about the baby things I still have to buy. I printed off a "Baby Essential Checklist" and Rob freaked out when he saw it. It's long. It's crazy long. Kinda wish I knew what I was having now...the girly things are so cute, the boy things are so cute, but the "unisex" stuff is so boring! We had decided to wait to decorate the nursery room since Rob will still be in school until April (and it's his office that is going to be transformed into the baby room)...but I'm getting the itch to decorate NOW. The problem is there is nowhere else for him to study if I kick him out of the office. Office??? Nursery??? Office??? Nursery??? hmmmm...it's a toughie.

Our holiday in words...not pictures...

I give up...I tried posting the rest of our vacation pictures on this blog, and each and every attempt has been unsuccessful. I keep getting an "error on page" message, and then all the pictures are lost. I will get Rob to post them in "our photo album" later. Meanwhile, while our holiday still seems somewhat "recent"...here is a summary of our week in B.C.

Ten Things I learned on this holiday...

1. Husbands should not call their pregnant wives a "WHACK-JOB" in the middle of a crazy-hormonal-temper-tantrum...even if it's warrented (this turned a perfectly acceptable freak-out-session into something that may have caused me to be commited to the looney-bin if there were witnesses).

2. Off roading in a rental SUV, on a dirt road is ABSOLUTELY not a good idea for pregnant women...unless you like damaging the brain of your unborn child. It was fun for the first 10 minutes, then the remaining 45 minutes was Rob realizing the HUGE mistake our little "exploration" turned out to be...and so had to drive 2 miles an hour to try to lessen the crazy bumps as we made our way back on to the main road.

3. Giving two 3-year old girls their very first Barbie Doll keeps them quiet for HOURS.

4. Penticton DOES have mosquitos...I have 6 bites on one side of my face to prove it.

5. The "Sea to Sky" highway from Vancouver to Whistler is my favorite drive of all time. Cliff of a mountain on one side, ocean on the other...I've been on this road many times...and each and every time I still stare out the window in awe.

6. Pink stucco houses are nasty ugly.

7. Fat baby's toes and soft new born hair are the sweetest things ever...in one week I got to hold (and smell) three newborns...Maya, Jaia, and Ema. Yum.

8. Reflexology Rocks. Kaili got her husband Robyn to massage my feet for a super long time...and it seriously felt AMAZING (once I got past the embarrassment that someone was touching my un-pedicured feet).

9. Air Canada sucks. Apparently they have stopped giving out meals on their flights over a year ago (how the hell were we supposed to know this, when we haven't flown in TWO years, when we moved to Ottawa). The Air Canada agent failed to mention this when we booked our tickets. We only found out when we were onboard...listening to the announcement say "Complimentary meals will be served to our Executive Class flyers, while everyone else can purchase food from our A La Carte menu". Huh? What did they say? Considering it was 6:30 in the morning when we left for the airport, needless to say we didn't have time to eat breakfast. To make a long story short, you can only BUY these "meals" (aka Subway sandwiches and Harvey's breakfast sandwiches for $4 and $5) with CASH. We didn't have CASH on us, although we had 4 credit cards between the two of us. Rob remained surprisingly calm, explaining to the flight attendant that his 6 month pregnant wife was STARVING and we had no idea that AC didn't serve meals anymore, and we weren't carrying cash, and blah blah blah. You would think customer service would prevail and they would have either brought me one of the meals that everyone in first class was enjoying for free, or slip me a sandwich or something...but no...there was NOTHING they could "DO"...and so "only because you're pregnant...here's two white-dinner-roles". OH MY GOD! They served me two white dinner rolls. As you can see...I'm clearly not over this.

10. Living 3000 miles across the country from people we love, REALLY REALLY sucks. Although I was tired by the end of the week, and looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, in my own house, with my own dog to bug me ...I was sad to leave family and friends again.

Reunited Fellow Starbucks Addicts!!!
Much of our friendship includes frequent Starbucks runs...









Only in Vancouver can you take a boat as a taxi...fun, eh?








We took the Historical Train to Granville Island...the same one Jan broke years ago...okay okay...I had a small part in doing it...but ultimately if they ever dusted for finger prints, it would be Jan getting busted...I STILL laugh about this story...




We spent the day in Steveston...one of my favorite places in Vancouver...ate yummy Fish and Chips and watched (and peed our pants laughing) five synchronized kite-flyers. Synchronized. Five of them. Adults. Their feet running in unison. Their arms frantically moving...again in unison. It was somehow the geekiest, yet kinda cool thing I've ever seen.

It's funny how you miss people more when you see them again. You sort of get used to not seeing someone, but then are reminded how much you love them when you see them.

I am being called to watch some trash TV with my husband...i'll post the other pictures later...

I hate blogger

I just tried THREE times to post pictures of my vacation...and all THREE posts just vanished. I give up for now...I'm going to change into my PJ's, tie back my hair, and veg in front of the TV (Rockstar Supernova is on)! Blogger made me in a bad mood for real.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Quick quick post...i'm in a funky internet cafe in Pemberton, BC...Rob's getting a coffee, and we're about to go exploring around the area. The mountains are spectacular! Our visit so far has been AMAZING. I have LOVED seeing my old friends, LOVED seeing our old city, LOVED seeing the mountains and ocean. I will post pictures when I get back to Ottawa.

The purpose of this post is to wish my mother a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I hope you enjoy yourself today. I woke up thinking of you, and tried to call you, but no one answered. If I don't get a chance to talk to you in person, I want you to know that we are sending birthday hugs and kisses to you from here! I love you mom! And don't worry too much...I am remembering to take it easy once in a while...baby lets me know when he/she wants to rest.

And I've only gone psycho-hormonal-crazy at Rob ONCE this trip...which I think is totally reasonable.

Happy Birthday To my Oldest friend!

I know, I know...I used this picture before...I have to take more recent pictures of my friends. If I had a scanner I would have TONS of pictures of Nathalie to post...dating back to kindergarden. Seriously...pictures of us at elementary school events, highschool parties, vacationing in the Dominican Republic, pictures where we're all dressed up all hoochie-mama, and pictures where we're camping and look bummy...etc. She would probably kill me anyway, so maybe it's better I don't post those pictures! I love how I have a friend that has been a part of my life for so long. She remembers me spilling grape juice on her carpet when we were little, she knows my entire family...even having gone on vacation with us when I peed my pants because I was so scared of a cockroach, she's been with me when I drove down a oneway street downtown Montreal by accident, she's been with me when we got into bars using fake ID, she's been with me through really good times, and listened to me bitch about really bad times. I LOVE how she laughs SOOO easily at everything...like me. Happy Birthday to one yummy-mummy Nat!!! Hope you ate lots of cake!

Yay...Mountains again!

It's all booked. Our flights. Our car rental. Our hotel. Our itinerary. It wasn't too fun planning...the prices of EVERYTHING kept fluctuating from minute to minute, and I am not exaggerating...I called more than 12 hotels before finding one that 1. wasn't over $300.00 a night 2. completely sold out...booked solid (how can there be THAT many people staying in hotels in downtown Vancouver, even if it's a long weekend???). Everything is coming out to be more than we intially wanted to spend...BUT...i figure this is probably going to be our LAST holiday as a twosome-non-parents...so I think we can splurge a little bit. Our hotel is in the West End of Vancouver, blocks from the beach, funky gay district, and many cafes and restaurants...so fun! I can't wait to see everyone! Our week is jam-packed...two days in Vancouver to see friends, one day in Whistler/Pemberton enjoying beautiful BC just the two of us , two days in Mission to see Rob's family, and a few days in Penticton to see my sister/family!!! We've honestly missed BC (and the people we love there) tons since we've moved!

Who's Your Mama?

The picture isn't clear enough, but this is a T-shirt that Romy picked out when she went shopping for maternity clothes for me...it says "Who's Your Mama?"

This dress is another purchase from my generous sister...yes I know, I'm spoiled...comes with being the baby of the family!!!

Came upstairs from watching TV to find my little stinker puppy passed out on our bed...

We went to our prenatal class tonight...wrapped up the "birth and labour" part. It was WAY better than last week. Last week we watched a video on a real birth...very close-up shots of a baby being born. Rob and I left saying (I swear to God) that we were NEVER to MENTION what we saw EVER AGAIN!!! I'm sorry...but it wasn't the beautiful, miraculous event everyone talks about. It was nasty. It was scary. There is lots of crazy-insane stretching, blood and goop...and when the placenta comes out...I honestly had to look away. I know it's different when you're the one going through it...you just can't wait to meet your own baby...but Rob and I both don't want to see anything happening "down there". I am adament that I don't want any mirrors to watch my own "show". Kaili you're crazy for loving to watch labour videos. If it wasn't more risky, I think I would prefer to have a C-section. Go in...get knocked out...leave with a baby and non-stretched junk. However tonight I learned how to breathe to maximize relaxation and minimize pain, Rob learned how to massage me to help with aches and pains, and I learned how to "visualize" being on a beach instead of in the hospital giving birth. I had to bite my cheeks at a few parts to keep from laughing...it just seemed too flakey. But I promised myself (and Rob) that I will try to do this drug-free...so maybe the flakey-voodoo -hippie-namaste thing of imagining being in Cuba, while breathing in deeply through my nose, and out through my mouth, while Rob massages me, will be all I need. Any bets?

Happy Birthday Crazy Sister!

I'm really lucky to have the sisters that I do. We are all so different, but we have always gotten along amazingly. I would never have imagined that we would wind up in three separate cities, and have to rely on the telephone and emails to keep in touch...and although I sometimes really miss not being able to just hang out and share a coffee in person, or go shopping all together...despite the distances, we have still maintained our super close sisterly relationships. Yes I can blog about how nice Audrey is, how generous, kind and giving...blah blah blah...it's all true...but everybody already knows that stuff anyway. SOOOOO...did you know my super conservative sister also has the biggest potty-mouth when she's mad...really mad?!? She has also given the finger more than both me and Susan put together. Ha ha ha...she has a mean streak that most of you will never get to see. She also dances crazy when she's in a particularly good mood. Crazy-dancing. She hates bugs more than anybody I know...where just mentioning the Thanksgiving dinner we made together once, where we accidently boiled a catepillar/worm in the water with our broccoli and cauliflower to the point where it was fat and bloated STILL makes her freak out! Ha ha ha, I am revealing all her secrets...but these are the things that make me laugh, and I LOVE my sister like crazy! I wish you lived closer so I could share some birthday cake with you! I hope you get lots of sloppy kisses from your girls! Happy Birthday sister...I'll see you in a few weeks!

Sunny Summer Sunday...

We packed a small cooler of cherries and watermelon and headed out for a drive to Carleton Place for the afternoon. This small town is close to Rob's old cottage where he spent many a summer with his family.

Bosco HATES the water...HATES it. It's even more funny since he looks so much like a lab, which water should draw him like a magnet. Akiko's chocolate lab, Koa even has her own plastic-kiddie-pool in her backyard, and will just lie down in it! Bosco will hold in his pee for HOURS (the record has been 17 hours) when it's raining, and will jump or walk around puddles...heaven forbid his paws get wet. But with some cookies and encourgement he made it in the lake...up to his shoulders!



We went for a walk in the trails...short walk...because I started getting eaten alive by bugs...



A nice relaxing sunny summer sunday with my boys...

Canada Day Weekend!

I had these pictures in order...but Blogger sometimes has a mind of it's own on which ones should appear first...


Me at 20 weeks...I got LOTS of belly rubs this weekend...which both Raspberry and Me love. Cute story...Edouard hugged my belly and then asked me "It's not ready yet?". So Sweet! I told him baby still had to grow more before it's ready...and he said "But your belly is already big!"

Rob BBQ'ing yummy steak and veggies in our back yard. It was delicious! His wearing safety goggles because the lava rocks were exploding...

Me, Mom, and Sue taking a picture to make Audrey jealous enough to want to move closer to Montreal!!

Edouard is giving the peace sign to me and the Raspberry.

My little Bugger at 18 1/2 weeks appearing to suck his/her thumb.

As always, our Montreal visits are short and sweet. Nat and Caro, sorry I missed you this time...I have to get better at "planning" things. I can't wait to hold baby Olivia.

Pregnancy Perks

We went to Ikea last night...and once again the parking lot was packed. Rob made a comment about how no matter what day or what time we go to Ikea, it's always super busy. Anyway, after circling around, looking for parking, I remembered the "Expectant Mother" parking spaces...and sure enough...right in front of the store...was a free parking space for preggos like me!!! Fun! Just one of a few pregnancy perks I have noticed so far. People generally tend to be nicer...making it a point to hold open doors, let me board the bus first (although some people still push past me to ensure they get a seat first, can you believe it?), smile when they walk by, offer to pick up things that I've dropped, etc. etc. And best of all...I haven't vaccuumed in months...!!! Milking it while I can...

Terms of Endearment...

Sweetheart, Darling, Dear, Precious, Honey, Princess, Pumpkin...these are words I never use...and never want to be called...and don't even really like hearing other people using. Actually I don't like hearing young people use these "terms of endearment", people in their sixties and older are exempt from the ickiness of these words. I do sometimes call my husband "Baby", but for whatever reason this word doesn't make me cringe like the others do. That said...others seem to not appreciate the "terms of endearment" that I have chosen for the baby in my belly. The terms little Bugger, little Critter, little Stinker have not been well-received by most. Even when I say them proudly, smiling and rubbing my belly (so obviously showing happiness)...I get the raised eyebrows. It's not like I say "The little Critter...blah blah blah" with a scornful, scowl. I apparently am pushing people's buttons with my tight maternity clothes, obsessive-love for my dog, and now not using the typical, traditional terms of endearment one is supposed to use when addressing their loved ones. One of my regular clients (a psychiatrist who usually LOVES me), was shocked when I showed him my recent ultrasound picture and said "There's my little Bugger". "Bugger?? Don't call your child a Bugger!". The word "Critter" has gotten this same reaction with one of my co-workers...and even my sister! You say tomato, I say tomaaato...

P.S. The little Bugger is doing really good. The ultrasound showed him/her still dancing away in there...one moment the little Stinker looked like he/she was doing a yoga pose...stretching his/her back like a kitty...the little Critter is the perfect size, perfect measurements...due date is still November 19th...a Scorpio like his/her mama...