2nd Time's Not Quite the Charm

I've only been pregnant for 3 months, but there are some interesting differences the second time around that I've noticed.

1. I'm not as excited to get into maternity clothes as I was the first time around. That's probably due to the fact that I had to get into them a whole lot sooner than before, and not for cute baby-belly reasons.

2. I'm also not excited about buying maternity clothes. I think this will probably be our last one, and I keep thinking about the money I'll spend on clothes I will only wear for half a year.

3. First time around, I was signing up left, right, and centre for prenatal yoga, prenatal massage, aquafit, buying every book, and surfing every baby website there was. This time around, after coming home from a job that is a lot busier and stressful than the job I had when I was pregnant with Cameron, making dinner for the family, and getting Cameron ready for bed, I am done for the night. I have no energy this time around.

4. At this point in my first pregnancy, we had bought our stroller system, pack & play, and had lists galore of items to buy. I don't want to look at baby clothes, but I have done some preliminary investigation into a sit 'n stand stroller. And there are no lists floating around my house.

5. I can't believe there are only 6 months left. This pregnancy is flying by. I should be as uber-anxious to get baby stuff done as I was the first time around, since we have to make our office into the baby's room.

And on the cute-stories-about-Cameron note, he is now at that wonderful stage where he's saying most of his own prayers, or at least what he wants to say 'thank you' for. The other night's prayer went something like this:

"Thank you for cars. Thank you for church. Thank you for bread and water. (then started the looking around the room for things to be thankful for) Thank you for blankies. Thank you for pillows. Thank you for toys. Thank you for Giraffe and Duck (stuffed animals)." Tonight at least he said "thank you for Mommy & Daddy". And there's me kneeling beside him, heart slowly melting.

I love that kid.

The Pregnant Post

Yes. I'm pregnant. We are taking the daring dip in the gene pool once more. I had my first midwife appointment today, and we were able to briefly hear the heartbeat before the little guy/gal moved away. I'm due around Nov. 27.

We will find out the sex of the baby when it's time (not for about another month and a half), because I thought to myself do I really want to drag a newborn and 3 year old shopping in the winter for girls clothing, just in case? I'm sort of leaning towards it being another boy, but Cameron is certain he's going to have a little sister. Her name at this point according to him is either Peach Yogurt, or Cici. Neither of those names have made the shortlist at this point.

It's Potty Time

Cameron is over 2 and a half years old now. He has shown some of those signs that apparently mean he's ready for potty training. So we've been having discussions about pull ups, underwear, and how diapers are for babies, not big kids. But what kind of a come back can I give when my kid tells me that "diapers are cool, Mom."?

So today we've decided to really start giving it a shot. This morning Cameron and I went to the dollar store to buy some stickers (fishes and cars) and Smarties. When we got home he asked for them, and I reminded him of the rules. 1 sticker for at least sitting on the potty, and 1 Smartie if he actually goes in the potty. He immediately said "I want to go pee in the potty". So up the stairs we marched, me somewhat skeptical. Lo and behold, he actually went pee in the potty!

After his nap we're going to make an aquarium for his fish stickers, and a road for his car stickers to hang on the wall behind his potty.

Anyone have any other tips on how to make this work?

How Canadian of us.

This past weekend we went to the Maple Syrup Festival at Bruce's Mill. Having grown up in Southern Alberta where we don't have maple trees, it was quite an interesting event. I had the idea I would be seeing a bunch of trees being tapped with buckets hanging underneath.

Apparently, maple syrup technology has come a long way. They tap into the trees and run lines out of it that connects to one large main line. The forest looked like a spider web of tubing running through it.

Plus, I found out maple syrup tastes a lot better when it's fresh. A whole lot better.

Tree being tapped.

If you look above Cameron, you can see some of the lines running through the forest.

Cameron was also interested in watching the fire they had going to demonstrate the way maple syrup was made by the Natives.




Cameron with his stick.

They also had a petting zoo, which Cameron liked watching, but was a little wary of the animals when they got too close.

And of course his absolute favourite....

PONY RIDES!!!

First go at the pony rides. He absolutely loved it. It was so cute. If I could keep a pony in our backyard for him to ride every day, I would.

He was not a happy camper getting off the pony when it was done.

So of course we had to have another ride before we left for the day.

Signs of Spring

Ah, Spring. The weather is finally warming up. I can tell because the snow has melted, birds are out, I don't need my duvet anymore.

And about 3 solicitors have come to our door within the last 5 days. Maybe the bitter winter cold that kept them away wasn't so bad after all.

Yes, Spring truly is on it's way.

My Mom Thinks I'm Cool.

I've come to a realization that many people probably already have known.

I'm a nerd.

And I owe it all to my husband who gradually brought out his nerdiness after we were married, and is now bringing the inner nerdiness out of me. Examples? Well, I had no idea until after we were married that my husband liked to play Dungeons and Dragons when he was younger. And, waiting at his parents house (again, after we were married) were stacks of comic books and graphic novels ready to find a new home in our blissful, newly wed apartment. I thought to myself upon this discovery, how could someone so hot be so nerdy?

And then he started watching this little show called Battlestar Galactica. Not the original 70's version with Lorne Greene, but the remake with better costumes and scarier Cylon's. When he first started watching it and asked if I wanted to watch it too, I snubbed my nose at it. Then I watched the first episode and was hooked. Now, I am so frakin excited for the series finally on Friday. We've even gotten a few of our other friends into the show. (Seriously, it's good. Stop reading this and go watch it right now.)

Then for his birthday last year, he asked for the entire series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which was on sale. Again, I looked at him and asked him if he was serious. He was. And that started my obsession with the Buffy series. We burned through 7 seasons of Buffy and 5 seasons of Angel in about 6 months.

Enter Ash's birthday in 2009. What does he want to do? Go see the movie "Watchmen". So what am I doing now? Reading the graphic novel.

I feel like that Simpson's episode when Bart has to get glasses, platform shoes, and hair gunk. He looks into Milhouse's glasses at his reflection, gasps and says "I'm a nerd!". Milhouse looks at his reflection in Bart's glasses and says "So am I!".

At least I can take comfort in the fact that the sci-fi stuff I like is all critically acclaimed. And that I'm not a Trekie. That's just crossing a certain line that you can never come back from.

Things You Don't Want to Hear Your Dentist Say.

Ash had a cavity filled at the dentist the other week. The dentist came in and started to swab his mouth with the freezing stuff.

Ash: Um, isn't the cavity on the other side of my mouth?

The dentist pauses, reaches for the chart and examines it for a few seconds. Then starts to swab the other side of his mouth.

Dentist: It's been a long day.