Category: Uncategorized

American Apparel Neon Red

Neon again! I thought this was the American Apparel Neon Coral I couldn’t stop thinking about, but it turns out the coral is basically a straight orange. In my mind coral is an orange-y pink, so this Neon Red is much closer. It is also LITERALLY the brightest colour on the face of the planet, and I feel like I can only wear neutral-coloured clothing with it. Luckily I already do!

All ready to run!

Next Saturday (June 9th) my sweet girl is participating in the Starbucks Run for Women (the 1k for girls under 12) which supports Plan Canada’s “Because I am a Girl” initiative (click that link for tons of information that makes my pregnant self* get all weepy). The money raised goes towards providing clean water and food, healthcare and education, and things like birth certificate registration (to help protect against trafficking) and microfinance loans to support small businesses run by women.

Basically it’s a good thing, and if you want to sponsor Sym’s run you can donate here. Your donation is fully tax-deductible and I know Sym would appreciate your support.

* lbr, I would get weepy about it even if I WASN’T pregnant

Mint Lime Popsicles

I had the idea for these popsicles the other week but I forgot about making them until the very last minute. I’d originally planned to make new mint-infused simple syrup but I didn’t have the time to start from scratch so I just tossed a half cup of plain simple syrup (made from organic cane sugar, ooh la la) that I already had into a small saucepan with a handful of mint leaves, brought it to a quick boil and then let it cool completely before straining the leaves out. For the lime portion I just used some Minute Maid frozen concentrate limeade, since I knew from previous experience that hand-juicing limes is an exercise in futility. ANYWAY. I mixed the half cup of mint syrup with one cup of limeade and poured it into my popsicle mold, then for funsies I added a single large mint leave to each one before freezing.

To be perfectly honest I was a little apprehensive about how these would turn out, by which I mean I thought they would be gross. When I was mintifying the syrup there was a weird burnt smell in my kitchen and I didn’t know whether I’d scorched the sugar or if there was something on the burner (a frequent occurrence around here). I was also unsure of my proportions. Would they have too much sugar? Not enough mint? Would they be too lime-y? The only thing I could do was hope and force Sym to try one first.

This is the best picture I’ve ever taken of Sym.

The verdict? THESE ARE SOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!! I couldn’t believe it, like I REALLY thought they’d be nasty but they were the perfect mix of cool minty sweetness with a hint of tart citrus flavour, while being the perfect shade of green. If I made them again I’d maybe use a scootch less sugar and maybe a tiny bit of fresh lime juice, but all in all I have no complaints!

In my post yesterday I said I was 18 weeks along but apparently idk how to count because really I’m 17 weeks.

It’s been really hard to keep this whole baby thing a secret, especially here on my blog because BASICALLY it’s all I’ve wanted to talk about. I’ve bought baby clothes and maternity clothes, started planning the nursery and other nesting-type apartment changes, bought toys and books and blankets, tested strollers, priced out cribs and changing tables, I mean it’s pretty much been all baby, all the time at my house since the second week of March. I’ve been taking some (photobooth) pictures along the way and now I can finally share them with you.

This picture is from mid-April, I was almost 11 weeks at this point and my belly just POPPED OUT, I couldn’t believe it! I know this is supposed to happen earlier after your first pregnancy but it still surprised me. Also at this point my only jeans were high-waisted skinny jeans so like… BYE, JEANS.

Out of all the times I’ve been pregnant before (twice) I’ve actually had the mildest morning sickness this time. With Sym I puked all day every day for nine months, and during my second pregnancy (which I terminated, in case you didn’t know) I was nauseous non-stop. This time I actually managed to mostly keep it together, like sometimes I’d throw up a little when I was brushing my teeth in the morning but let’s be real, I do that even when I’m not pregnant (gag reflex issues…) but I really only seriously vomited three times. But as these pictures from April 25th will show, those three times WERE THE WORST!

I don’t always throw up from morning sickness, but when I do I BURST ALL THE BLOOD VESSELS IN MY FACE. Thankfully the nausea seems to have passed now and I think technically the third time I was sick was like, 50/50 morning sickness and carsickness.

On April 27th I had my first ultrasound. This was my nuchal translucency scan, which is part of a three-part genetic test for Down syndrome, trisomy 18 and neural tube defects (the other two parts are blood tests, the second of which I just had on Monday). This was at twelve weeks so it was too early to determine the sex of the baby, but I think it looks like a girl, right? HERE’S HOPING. Unfortunately my next ultrasound isn’t until early July so I won’t find out until then.

The bump gets bigger! This picture is from May 16th when I was 15 weeks pregnant. You might be wondering how I could have kept it a secret from my daycare clients who I see every day, but I think these pictures from the 18th demonstrate it nicely. Now you see it…

… now you don’t!

I used a highly technical combination of dressing like a sad saggy slob, sucking it in, and rounding my shoulders while holding my breath and amazingly no one even guessed- not even the dad whose wife is also 17 weeks pregnant! I know, I’m like a magician.

So there you have it, my exciting journey through the first trimester (and part of the second). I have so much more stuff to share with you guys but I’m going to try to space it out, and Taylor has promised he’s going to take some real pictures of me with his fancy camera (he said he wanted to before but every time he was about to suggest it I’d throw up and my explode my face again, haha) so there’s that, too. Anyway thank you so much to everyone for all your comments and congratulations, I just love you girls so much, you keep me young.

June 1st, 17 weeks and 1 day.

I wrote this post way back when I first found out I was pregnant.

March 9th
I woke up early in the morning, well before my alarm. I’d been waking up early all week, even on Thursday after staying up late reading the night before.

I lay in bed petting the cat and trying to decide whether or not to get up. If I got up early I could walk the dog and still have time to wash & blowdry my hair before work. If I stayed in bed I could stay in bed for an extra hour. But if I got up early I could take a pregnancy test. But if I took a pregnancy test I might end up disappointed again.

Taylor and I started trying to conceive at the end of November, and every month I’d worked myself into a frenzy thinking my period was late and I was pregnant. Like, FOR SURE this time. In December I was late and I was so sure I was really and truly pregnant that I bought Taylor an extra Christmas present that would let him know. On Christmas morning I hid in the bathroom and took a test to see if I was, but it was negative so the present went into my desk drawer. I finally got my period a few days later, an entire week late.

Apparently my body had decided it was on a five-week cycle instead of a four-week one, because I didn’t get my period again until February 2nd, which meant it was due again on March 8th. I had some pms symptoms at the end of February and the beginning of March, but they felt off- some symptoms that usually stopped well before my actual period persisted and worsened, and other symptoms never showed up at all. Then there was the waking up early and the crazy, jittery energy I’d had all week. Something was up.

I decided to take the test. I mean, my period was technically only one day late but I had a couple tests in the house (they were on sale so I stocked up) so why not? I’d taken so many tests in the sixteen months since I’d gone of the pill that I didn’t bother looking at the instructions- a peestick is a peestick is a peestick, right? After doing my business I recapped the test and idly watched as the liquid travel up through the first little window and the lines appeared. Wait, what did they mean? Why didn’t I read the instructions???

I quickly unfolded to paper insert from the test box and found the little pictures that help you decipher your results. I was supposed to wait until a single line appeared in the second window to show that the test worked correctly, and the first window had the results- a minus meant not pregnant, and a plus meant pregnant. Even a faint plus meant pregnant. I didn’t have a faint plus. I had a dark plus. A very solid plus.

A plus.

Pregnant.

I immediately burst into tears. Every time I’d taken a test that turned out to be negative I’d cried in disappointment, but these were tears of joy. I’d been pregnant twice before, but neither time had I been trying and hoping and praying for it to happen. This was everything I wanted.

March 10th
When I found out I was pregnant my first instinct was to tell Taylor straight away. He was still at work, but I thought about calling, or just texting him a picture of the positive test, but instead I decided to wait to tell him. Our third wedding anniversary was on March 21, so if I could keep this secret for twelve days, I could give him the gift I’d bought back in December as an anniversary present. I was worried it might be tricky though- I’d already complained to him that I was ready to get my period and when he came home the first thing he asked me was if I’d gotten it yet! If I was going to keep it a surprise I’d have to fake having my period and think of plausible excuses for not having any weekend beers. I was determined to do it though.

First of all, though, I needed to confirm my test. On Saturday morning I invented a fake errand (buying envelopes) so I could go out and put my name on the list at the walk-in clinic. There was an hour wait, so I came home and worked on finishing & packing a couple of banners so I’d have a second (and real) errand to use as an excuse for going back to the clinic: shipping packages. I got back to the clinic ten minutes before the end of the hour wait, but as usual the hour wait was more like a two hour wait. Fortunately Taylor likes to spend his Saturdays playing videogames and has no concept of the passage of time while doing so.

When I finally got in to see the doctor he confirmed what I already knew: the test I took at the clinic gave not just a positive result, but a strong, solid positive result. I was walking on air the whole way home (and at the post office; I really did need to mail those banners!) and as soon as I came in all my resolve the keep it a secret until our anniversary crumbled.

I asked Taylor to pause his game and gave him the present I’d been hiding in my desk. He took it into the kitchen to open it, and after cutting off the ribbons, opening the box, unfolding the tissue paper and teasing me for my dollar store gift wrapping he pulled out a teeny little hockey jersey. Yes, I’m THAT Canadian.

He looked at me. “Is this for your dog?” he asked. I shook my head. He asked, “Is this for my dog?” knowing full well that his dog already has a hockey jersey. I shook my head again. “Are you… are you trying to tell me something?” I nodded. “What is it?” “I’m pregnant.”

I was worried he would be freaked out- this whole baby plan had been my idea and it took a lot of cajoling to convince him to try. There’s a big difference between saying “Let’s try to get pregnant” and “I’m pregnant now.” He told me he was actually less freaked out than he thought he would be, so that was good! I told him all the things I’d been holding in for the last day and we hugged and kissed and he said he was happy too.

Not long after Symphony came home from her friend’s house and I decided to tell her as well. If I kept it a secret Taylor and I wouldn’t be able to talk about it openly and anyway, I am CLEARLY terrible at keeping secrets. We’d previously discussed the possibility of my having a baby, but she was still a little flipped out when I first told her. We sat down (on the floor in the hallway, where I caught her after she tried to lock herself in the bathroom) and talked it out. Once she calmed down she only had three concerns:

1. She doesn’t want to share her room (we have a three bedroom apartment so that isn’t an issue).
2. She doesn’t want to change poopy diapers (we’ll see…).
3. She wants the baby to be a girl (I told her I’d do my best because that’s what I want too, but you don’t really get to choose).

With her fears allayed she jumped straight into hardcore planning mode, pulling out all our old Martha Stewart Kids magazines from the early 2000s to try to find any good baby things, and borrowing Taylor’s iPad so we could look at the baby stuff on the Ikea website while snuggled up in my bed. I can already tell she’s going to be a great older sister.

It’s time to tell everyone what I haven’t been saying since March 9th.

We’re pregnant!! 17 whole weeks. I was waiting to tell my child care clients so I couldn’t say anything before today, but they all know now so no more secrets!

Of course no photo opportunity in my house would be complete with out of bunch of weird-faced outtakes.

Thanks, family.

Just in time for both patriotism season AND for me to make my goal of making two non-custom glitter banners a month! Ruby glitter maple leaves for Canada Day, ruby, diamond and sapphire stars for Independence Day.

These banners will be up in the shop next week, as I’m feeling too tired to take proper pictures and write up descriptions today and will instead be spending my break on the couch with some blankets, some dogs and season 8 of The X-Files.

Georgie and Claire are very good friends. They share toys, like this round red squeaky.

(Georgie throws her toys at Claire and then fights her for them.)

They share a bed.

(By bed I mean my purse when I leave it on the floor.)

They are both beautiful ladies.

(Well…

… one of them is!)

My husband and I have similar taste in lots of things. We love a lot of the same movies and tv shows, we enjoy the same kind of vacations, and sometimes we inadvertently dress alike. One place where our tastes REALLY diverge though, is music. Oh sure, we both listen to some of the same things but it’s really evident in our workout playlists. I have a whole ipod with nothing on it but Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Ke$ha and Selena Gomez, and Taylor? When he’s working out he listens to METAL.

Of course we’re lazy these days so recently our workout playlists have become more like housework playlists, and nothing is more disturbing to me than coming back from a bathroom break to find Taylor dusting to the sounds of Mastodon. Maybe it’s just me though, maybe other people like working out to metal, so I asked him to come up with a list of his best metal songs to listen to while running on a treadmill- or running a vacuum.

image source

Beneath my bearded (Ed. WHAT BEARD YOU SHORN LIAR???), flannelled indie rock exterior beats the secret heart of a metalhead. Oh sure I can discuss merits of various Grizzly Bear albums or why Bon Iver is overrated but really I’m dying to talk about how FRICK’N AWESOME Brandon Small’s Galaktikon is. Below is a good sampling of what I’d be listening to while doing my 5K at the gym if I hadn’t totally fallen off the wagon.

Honourable Mentions because they’re not listed on RDIO
Mares of Thrace – Mandible
Brendon Small – Beastblade
* Not technically ‘metal’ but it meets my requirement of being excellent running music.

Please note that these are the opinions solely of my husband and I have like, NO IDEA what any of these songs even sound like.