40 WEEKS!!!

It's finally here - my due date . . . now I just wish I had a baby to show for it!!!!

Last night turned out to be another one of those nights where I thought we might be on our way . . . it started off with a lot of pressure and discomfort followed by a few mild random contractions . . . . and then . . . . . NOTHING!!!! It's like she's fighting it!! I'm pleased she's so happy in there but enough is enough!!

So we continue to wait . . . I talk to Joel many times a day which I love - I don't usually get so much attention so I'm milking it for all I can while I can!! I have a feeling once our little babe gets here Mom might get overshadowed a bit ;-)

I've added my official 40 week picture (they were actually taken a few days earlier but close enough!). Marsha took Joel and I out to one of the parks here for some keepsake pictures and while Joel and I are never too crazy about getting pictures done - Marsha made it so painless and she has such a good eye - I think she made us look pretty good:) I've posted more of them below.

Stay tuned - hopefully the big news will be coming soon ;-)

Pre-Labor . . . ?

Here it is one day before our due date and Baby M has yet to make an appearance!!

I really was convinced that we were going to meet our little girl this weekend - there were multiple signs that I should soon be going into labor, including some irregular contractions that kept me awake most of Saturday night . . . however here I sit on Monday morning with no contractions at all and really the most comfortable I've been over the last few days - so it would seem that my little girl has changed her mind and decided to settle in for a few more days!!

I was pointedly reminded by my Dad that this will all happen in good time and that I need to practice patience . . . so I'm trying - it's just not that easy! In the meantime I will continue to enjoy this little bit of quiet time before our girlie gets here!

Below are some pictures from the shower Marsha so kindly put on for me a few weeks ago . . . . it was such a lovely afternoon to spend with the girls and as most of them are already Mom's (or expectant Mom's) I was very fortunate to recieve some very good advice and tips! Thanks so much to everyone for all the beautiful gifts for Baby Matthews and for coming along and making the day so special:)

The girls who came that afternoon - and Jen Gosse who was taking the pic:)

The beautiful cake!

Marsha made all sorts of delicious treats that we all very much enjoyed:)

Marsha also got creative and made some lovely favors:)

Thanks everyone for all the beautiful gifts - our little girl is so spoiled already!

Halloween Birthdays

Well Baby M sure has some people rooting for her to arrive today!! In our family there is a tradition of Auntie (Auntie Heather) and Niece (Keli) sharing a Halloween birthday and Auntie Keli would sure like Baby M to maintain that tradition!! So we'll see . . . . !! In the meantime all of us are sending big Happy Birthday wishes to Auntie Heather and Auntie Keli and Happy Halloween to everyone else:)

As far as when our little one might get here - we did see Dr. Fulton yesterday and he really didn't have anything all that exciting to share . . . apparently I'm just supposed to have patience (he clearly doesn't know who he's talking to)!! He did say however that if I make it to my next appointment (which will be next Thursday and I will be two days overdue by then) that we can discuss when I might like to be induced . . . apparently it's negotiable . . . I hope he has that afternoon free ;-)

Aside from the waiting game I am still enjoying a few days of R&R . . . Marsha and I played about 10 holes of golf yesterday afternoon and when I did beat her (by two measly lucky shots!!) I was accused of cheating as she determined it was two against one . . . and here I thought I was handicapped . . . !!! The people who work at the golf course have decided Baby M is going to be born ready to hit the links - and her Daddy couldn't be happier with that assessment!

Today I'm going to carve some pumpkins and then head into town to see little Brooke all dressed up in her Halloween costume and then be back here to see all the other little trick-or-treaters . . . we usually get quite a few by our place so it should be good fun.

Should have some of my last pregnancy pictures posted tomorrow or Sunday - Marsha (who is a superstar photographer) is taking JM and I out to the beach tomorrow with her camera so we get to capture this tummy of mine one last time:)

Happy Halloween!!!

Less than a week to go . . .

. . . I hope!!

We hit the 39 week mark yesterday - it's hard to believe that in approximately a week or so our lives will change dramatically and we'll be parents . . . as much as I'm ready to have this little one (I was ready weeks ago!!) it's all still a little daunting - I hope we're ready for all this:)

It's been nice to be off work as I've been able to catch up on some rest, reading and even have found some time to put a few meals in the fridge (and yes Kayt - I mean homemade dinners not frozen dinners from the supermarket!!). While I have been enjoying this relaxing time I hope I don't go much overdue as after a couple of weeks on my own I might start going a bit crazy! I might have to start hanging around the office to see if they'll let me do anything there if our little one decides to hang on for a while after my due date!

We found out that they will actually let us go a full two weeks overdue here before they would induce me - I originally thought it was only 10 days but they want to give me every chance to go on my own, which is nice I just hope it doesn't go that long. We are travelling home for Christmas not too terribly long after she is born so I'd like her to have as much time as possible 'out' before we take her on a plane.

That's about it from us - we're just waiting and waiting . . . . I have to say I've been enjoying the speed at which Joel now returns my calls!! I used to have to leave a message if I wanted him to call me back but now he seems to keep a very close eye on his missed calls and I know he'll call me back just as soon as he's back at his desk . . . hopefully soon one of those calls will be the one we're all waiting for!

Matthew Steven Moreno

Congratulations to John and Edna on the arrival of their beautiful baby boy - Matthew!!

Matthew was born on Saturday, October 25 at 5:16pm in the afternoon and weighed 7lbs, 8 ounces . . . and this little boy will always have a very special place in my heart as I was lucky enough to spend an pretty incredible day with Edna that ended with Matthew's entry into this world!!

Here are a couple pictures of this precious little one . . . and my story below:)

For those of you back home who don't know - the parents of this sweet boy are John who has recently joined our Bermuda office and his partner Edna who I have had the pleasure of getting to know through John.

This time of year always requires a significant travel commitment from John that takes him all over the world. So we knew that it was going to be a bit tight for John to make it back for the baby's arrival but as the weeks progressed and Edna continued to hang in there it was looking like John was going to be home in time for the birth as he was scheduled to arrive in Bermuda this Sunday . . . . however that all changed at about 2:30am on Saturday morning when Edna's water broke!!

I had left very strict instructions with Edna that should she go into labor while John was away that she should call me right away - any time of day (it's not like I sleep for too many hours in a row anyway these days!). She was very good and called me to let me know that her water had broken but because the contractions hadn't started yet she was going to drive herself to the hospital. She said she would call once she got there, but after waiting for about 15 minutes I knew I wasn't going back to sleep anyway so I made my way there to meet her.

Once she arrived at the hospital they told her that she was just in the very beginning stages of labor (1 cm dilated) but because her water had broke she had to be admitted. So Edna and I spent the next 10 hours or so chatting and walking around - including a few hours of leaving the maternity ward in which we got in some trouble for later on, but we had to do something to keep ourselves entertained and in the middle of the night on the tiny Bermuda maternity ward there wasn't much option but to break out and go exploring!! During this time we also met the doctor on call who just so happened to be my doctor and his not-so-comforting news for us was that things were only going to get worse before they got better! After about 10 hours of Edna's contractions being about 7 to 10 min apart (and I will add here that Edna was amazing through ALL of her contractions - I only hope to be as composed and focused as she was!) Doctor Fulton decided that it was time to interfere in order to get things moving along. He had told us that until her contractions became more like 2 or 3 min apart she wasn't going to progress . . . and given that her water had already broken we were on the clock.

So at approximately 1:30pm in the afternoon Edna was induced and once her drip kicked in things got very intense very quickly. At this point I learned that there is no point in trying to time contractions when one starts before the last one finishes! Here is where I began to have a whole new amount of respect for the Dad's who go through labor as a coach . . . you feel SO helpless when you see someone in so much pain . . . and to be honest I think I had it pretty easy as Edna was such a star and handled it all so amazing - however there was no doubt that these intense contractions were taking their toll on this poor girl. A couple times I would ask Edna to explain what it felt like and I knew she was in a lot of pain when a couple of the explanations where 'electric shock' and 'like someone is sitting on you' . . . it did not sound like fun at all.

Finally after about an hour of the fast and furious contractions, they were finally able to arrange for her to get an Epidural (I couldn't have been more relieved - I couldn't handle seeing her in that kind of pain) . . . and given that she had been at this for now over 12 hours and hadn't slept in a very long time - she was finally able to get some much needed rest.

This was when the nurse got very stern with me and sent me off to get a bit of rest as well. It was turning out to be quite a busy day on the maternity ward and this nurse was quite worried that I might decide it was my turn to go into labor and she wasn't ready for another patient!! So I did try and rest for a bit however my adrenaline was still going and sleep was not in the plan for me yet. After a very stern look from the nurse I told her that my husband was coming to get me and we were going to get a bite to eat and I promised I would try and lie down for a rest after that. I left her my phone number and told her to call me if there was any change at all - however she assured me that I had plenty of time before anything more happened.

By the time I left (and the nurse was telling me I had all this time) it was shortly after 4pm . . . at this point we knew John was going to be arriving in Bermuda around 6:30pm - so we were pretty confident that he was going to make it on time to see Edna and baby through the delivery which we knew he really didn't want to miss. However as usual these little ones decide on their own schedule!! Joel and I had just put in our order for dinner when the nurse called me and informed me that I better hurry up and get back there and this baby was coming now!! So we bolted out of the restaurant with a quick explanation that our friend was in labor (we later found out that other friends of ours were there and they though I was in labor!!) and I arrived at the hospital just minutes before the doctor did - just before 5pm.

As you know from the beginning of this story - Matthew was born at 5:16 so everything happened SO fast!! It took Edna about 4 pushes and this little guy was out. Now I don't think Edna and I are two people who get teary-eyed very easily . . . but when you see something as incredibly amazing as a little one being born there is no stopping the tears!! It was one of the most beautiful events to ever see and I feel so blessed to have been a part of it all. In her usual fashion Edna was just amazing - she actually looked peaceful as she was pushing through the last few minutes of him being born!!

He was such a good little boy right from the first minutes of his life - he gave his little cry to let us all know that he was doing great and then he really settled down and just started to take in all his surroundings! He loved most to stare at his Mommy and was such a little angel while the nurses got him all cleaned up and dressed for the first time.

Edna and Matthew were both very happy to see John arrive shortly after 7pm - and he couldn't have been happier to be there! We had talked many times with John over the course of the day (including a phone call from the plane in mid-flight!!) and he was very relieved to finally be there with Edna and his new little boy:)

So that signaled the end of a very long - incredibly extraordinary - day for me!! I was exhausted but also in such a state of awe over all that had happened. I don't think there are very many women who get to witness the miracle of a birth just a week or so before their own little one comes along!! I definitely have a whole new perspective on what goes on and while in some ways it's made me a bit more nervous (it's not an easy journey) it was really seeing the end result that has made me even more incredibly excited about what Joel and I will be going through sometime over the next couple weeks. It really is such a miracle to see these little ones make their entrance into this world and it will be a special memory for me that I will always cherish:)

So again - a HUGE congratulations to John, Edna and Matthew and thank you so much for letting me be a part of your day.

Catch-Up

Yikes - I see that October 8 was the last day I posted any news . . . here I am at the most exciting part of this pregnancy (the end is in sight!!) and I am most delinquent on the blogging!! I'm going to blame some of it on Marsha as I've postponed posting a blog because I need to get some pictures from her of the beautiful shower that she hosted for me - but that's still not a great excuse!

Anyway - I'm now officially on maternity leave (and in between my golf rounds!!) I promise to be blogging most days to make up for lost time!

However - the next post is of how I spent this past Saturday and it's an extra special posting due to an extraordinary day . . . the rest of the catching up will come later this week:)

36 Weeks

It's hard to be live we're down to a month to go!! As much as I'm ready not to be pregnant anymore in some ways it does feel like it was just yesterday that we found out we were expecting a little one . . . . I can only imagine how much faster time will go when she gets here!!

Things are going well here - I've been very lucky through my second and third trimester as I've had a very uncomplicated pregnancy - however the signs of late pregnancy are quickly setting in! Sleeping for more than 3-4 hours at a time is a thing of the past (although I must say I'm getting pretty good at getting to and from the washroom in the middle of the night without hardly opening my eyes!!), sitting at work is becoming more and more uncomfortable and generally I'm usually just a little more tired than I would like. But I suppose all of this is just my body's way of telling me to 'cool it' and just focus on letting our little one do all her final stages of prenatal growing!

Joel has really been a star (despite the fact that he still gets way too much grief from me in my over-tired state)!! He's so quick to help out in so many ways - I'm very lucky to have someone as understanding as him:)

Speaking of a good husband - Joel and I are enjoying our second anniversary today - and also our last one without any children! And just as I am in the middle of writing this blog I just had the most lovely bouquet of (pink!!!) flowers delivered to me at work . . . I do have such a good husband!!!

Other than that, nothing else too exciting going on with us - we just spend most of our days getting more and more excited about the day we'll meet "Baby M":)

Nursery Test Run

We were lucky enough this weekend to have a little guest stay with us!! Brooke had a sleep over (her first one without Mom & Dad!!) at our place which allowed us to test drive the nursery! While we do try and see Brooke as much as we can, we're still a long way from Mom and Dad and I really was expecting some kind of melt down at some point over the weekend . . . but no - in true "Brooke Fashion" she was a perfect angel all weekend and just so much fun for Joel and I to hang out with:) The only trouble is she makes this whole 'parenting' thing seem much easier than I think she should!!

Joel was amazing with her and played until he couldn't play any more (she could have gone forever)!!! Brooke just soaked it up and at one point when Joel left the room she got quite upset - it was the closest thing we saw to a meltdown all weekend!!

Here are a few pic's of all the fun we had with her . . . .

Helping JM with some work at the computer:)

Time for dinner!

A bit of playtime in the nursery

JM teaching Brooke some spinning tricks!

I wonder if Mommy lets her try to eat her toys . . . . ?!

Brooke teaching JM how to play drums on the washer.

Too early in the morning for pictures!!!

JM and Brooke at breakfast - Brooke giving her best Diva look!!

As for our babe she is still growing - and I know this because so is my tummy!! It is really leading the way now and I still feel like I'm being stretched to the max every day! Between the Braxton Hix contractions and her 'disco dancing' I feel like she's much more active than she should be - hopefully she will learn to sleep one day . . . !

I'm still feeling good for the most part - just a bit uncomfortable (depending on the day it's more like massively uncomfortable!!). Sitting through a whole day of work seems to take it's toll - but only 8 more full days of work left until I go to half days which I think will make a big difference.

The nesting around the house has kicked into full gear - last Saturday morning by 8am I had re-organized most of my kitchen cabinets, done laundry, baked muffins, and completely cleaned out any expired food/drink items out of my cupboards. It felt great to get some of that all cleaned out as I needed some additional room for baby stuff:) Still a few more things on the 'to-do' list before baby comes but we're making progress.

We had quite a week in our baby classes last week as we watched "THE VIDEO" - which showed more of babies being born (c-sections included) than I ever want to see - this was NOT the Baby Story version either!!! I just think that they are showing that video to the wrong crowd - we're already in this and there is nothing we can do about it . . . it's those high school kids who need to see those kind of 'real' graphics . . . I think it would work as a whole new form of birth control!!!

It was all a bit overwhelming and a bit scary knowing what is coming - but we just are staying focused on the end result and that gets us through those 'panic' moments and I know that will see us through the whole delivery (or at least that's my hope)!

One last thing - Joel, Baby M and I all are sending our wishes to Auntie Dorelle for a Happy Birthday ;-)

Asia Mahon

I have been waiting on pins and needles for Kayt & Stefan to update their blog - and now that they have done the official introductions of their new little girlie I can finally start bragging about our adorable little neice on our blog!

Joel and I are thrilled to welcome our newest little neice Asia Violet Christina Mahon!!! On Saturday September 20, 2008 at 9:59am Kayt and Stefan watched their beautiful little 8 pound babe come into this world!! We think she is just beautiful and can't get enough pictures of her - even though her Mom and Dad say that no picture yet has done her any justice!!

It's so hard to be so far from home right now - I want nothing more than to meet this beautiful little neice of ours however due to our own little one working her own schedule it will be until Christmas until these little girls get to meet :(

You can click on the link to the right to see more from the Mahon's on this sweet girl! I'm so proud of my sister (and her hubby) as by all accounts Asia wasn't in any hurry to enter this world (18 hours to even get close to delivering - yikes!!!) but when she was ready there was no stopping her and she came out with a flourish!!

I talked with Kayt and Stefan shortly after and they were both so wonderfully happy (and just a bit tired) - it has just made Joel and I even more excited for the day we get to meet our little one! And yes I'm very jealous of Kayt not being pregnant anymore . . . however I hear that bit of tiredness in her voice and it reminds me to treasure my sleep while I can ;-)

For those of you lucky enough to get to see her - be sure to give Asia some extra hugs and kisses from Auntie Kandis and Uncle Joel!

33 Weeks

Yikes - I have been SO bad the last couple of weeks at keeping up on my blog . . . my only (pathetic) excuse is that work has been insane and I've been at the computer so much that when I do get a couple of free minutes I just try to relax!

Anyway - the 32 week picture was really taken at 32 weeks it's just taken me this long to get around to uploading it! It's not my favorite one but it was done in a bit of a rush:)

So other than work - things with Baby M are going great! We've started our childbirth classes last week (we go for 4 more weeks) and on the weekend we went to an "Amazing Baby" class. It was more about the first year and both Joel and I really enjoyed the class . . . they brought in a few babies of different ages and I think what Joel and I took more than anything from this class was not to ever underestimate these tiny babes . . . it really is amazing how intelligent these little guys are from such a young age!

The whole class also had a good laugh at my expense as I won a prize for being the very first person to sign up for the class . . . the nurse teaching the class commented on how she was pretty sure that she knew I was pregnant before my husband did!!! But after that embarrassing moment I really didn't care as we won a year family pass to the Aquarium (Bermuda's version of a Zoo) - which I'm sure will be put to good use! So I can thank my dear friend Marsha for keeping me so organized:)

Let's see what else . . . the doctors appts are becoming a little more frequent now but all is still going really well. She has been head down for a long time now and our doctor doesn't think she'll be able to move much more now anyway - so hopefully she stays that way! There are definitely a few more discomforts as our little girlie really starts to put on the pounds!! My stomach feels like it's back on a stretching machine (daily!), this little girl acts like she's in a boxing ring and everything seems to take a bit more effort. I'm lucky enough that I'm not on my feet all day, however sitting at a computer all day also is beginning to take it's toll . . . but the end of the day my whole body has usually had enough! I start on half days in just over 3 weeks now and I just can't wait - I think that will be a nice balance between still keeping busy at work and having a little more R&R time:) However as these are my worst complaints - I do consider myself pretty lucky as things have gone pretty good. While her moving around can be a bit much at times it is pretty fun to now be able to see all this happening as we watch my tummy contort - the other day she really stuck her little foot right out and we could watch and feel this little lump move around!! The hiccups are her newest thing as well - she often gets a good bout of them just when I lay down to go to sleep!!

That's about it for now - next post to come much sooner this time!!

Oh yeah - and still no Baby Mahon as of yet but we're hopefully with every ring of the phone:)

Baby M's Nursery

The nursery is now complete . . . . well almost!! Most importantly we’re still waiting for the sweet little resident and as a more minor point I still have one wall left to decorate . . . but considering there are still walls in my house that have been left undecorated for a few years – I think I’m doing ok on Baby M’s room:)

I know I’ve said it a hundred times but it’s been so much fun working on her room . . . and while it’s ready a bit ahead of schedule it’s just such a nice room to spend any amount of time in just to relax, read or just contemplate this exciting journey ahead of us! So here are a few pictures of her room . . .

Thanks Kayt for the flower idea - I just love it!! Kayt also has these flowers in her nursery just in different colors and design . . . you could see the pictures of her beautiful nursery . . . if she would ever post them!!

This little girls closet is already brimming and she hasn't even arrived - she's been spoiled rotten with such a pretty little wardrobe!

We managed to keep our guest 'bed' in the nursery (in lieu of a rocker) so that means we still have room for friends and family to come and visit . . . and we promise to take Baby M with us if you come to stay . . . unless you're a Grandma - then we might recant that promise ;-)

Our cozy little corner that I'm sure we'll spend many hours cuddling, feeding, reading, sleeping . . . Nellie couldn't help being a part of the pictures:)

And thanks to Marsha - we have a great little temporary bed for Baby M for when she first comes home and her Daddy insists that she is sleeping right beside us . . . we'll see just how long that lasts . . . !!!

So other than playing in the nursery - we had a great long weekend here – we played some golf, visited with some friends and then took in some time at the spa (while JM decided to go for a rigorous workout I opted for a wonderful maternity massage)!! We were very excited this weekend to meet the newest addition to the Alderdice family!! Good friends of ours (Dave & Yvonne) had their second little baby just last weekend and it was so fun to meet little Ross who is currently weighing in at just under 6 pounds – it really is unbelievable just how small they start out!! They are just so precious – he just took my breath away and scared me to bits all at the same time . . . I can’t imagine being completely responsible for such a tiny baby!! We are so lucky to have all these friends (and family!) who are already such experts at this as I’m sure we’ll be looking to them at times when this little girl arrives :)

Hope everyone enjoys their short week! We’re all starting to get very excited to welcome Baby Mahon who is due to arrive in less than 4 weeks . . . . however by all accounts (including the Dr.’s) we shouldn’t have to wait that long!!

30 Weeks and . . . .

. . . I got a Hole-In-One!!

We had some excitement last night when Joel and I and a couple of friends of ours went out to play 9 holes at Riddell's Bay after work. On the third hole (Par 3) I had a tee shot of around 100 yards or so and I hit what I wasn't all that sure of to be a great shot, but as we watched it head towards the pin and then heard it hit the pin - Joel and I took off sprinting (ok he was sprinting and I was just trying to keep up!!) to see if maybe we had just heard it drop into the hole . . . and sure enough once we got up onto the green there was no ball to be seen until we peeked into the hole!! It made it a bit hard to concentrate on the rest of the round - but I still ended up with a 46 on the front 9 which is my best front 9 there to date - amazing what a "1" on your scorecard will do for your score!!

We were lucky to have Brian and Marie along with us - and Brian was able to capture the moment for us on his Blackberry:)

It was a great way for us to mark the 30th Week of being pregnant . . . this little girl sure has to get some of the credit:)

In other baby news . . . . we are about 95% done the nursery - I just have some finishing touches to add to the wall and I will have pictures of the finished product to post. Joel and I have enjoyed every moment of working on her room and we're quite pleased with the outcome so far. It's a cozy (i.e. small!) room but just the perfect little place to hang out and dream of our little princess:)


Hope everyone else is doing well and taking advantage of the last few days of summer!

28 Week Picture

Ok - it's more like a 29 week picture, but not that much is going to change in 1 week!

As you can tell from the picture Baby M is definitely growing - I'm really starting to get quite a tummy now!! Now everyone really knows I am pregnant - which is actually kind of nice. There was that stage where people seem to know you're pregnant but are hesitant to say anything in case they are wrong - but now it seems that anyone (all strangers included) is quite happy to comment on me being pregnant . . . for those of you who haven't been to Bermuda before people here are quite liberal with their comments!! For the most part it's all very nice though!

We just had another great weekend in Bermuda, as expected August has been so hot and humid but we were out on a boat with friends on Saturday which is such a nice break from the heat (as we spend a lot of time in the water)! On Sunday we went out for a round of golf which was very hot but taking a cart helps a little as well . . . and yes I'm still doing ok on the golf course!! I was still able to score under 100 (which is great for me!!) so I'm not ready to give it up quite yet:)

The nursery is really coming along - I just love spending time on pulling her room together, it really makes this all seem much more real and exciting!! We got the crib together on the weekend and we are very pleased with it . . . so now everything is pretty much there is just needs to be organized a little bit and then I'll put up some pictures! Joel and I actually did quite well putting the crib together and we were both so pleased with the end result:)

That's about it for our update for now - just over 11 weeks to go which means we'll be starting our baby classes (i.e. Lamaze) very soon. As much as I'm excited about this, it also means starting to think of the actual delivery which scares me to bits right now, but hopefully once we learn a little more about it - it might not seem so scary!

Hope all is well with everyone!!

Back in Bermuda

What a great couple of weeks Joel and I had while we were away!! I really did have intentions of updating our Blog while I was in Alberta but we got so busy having fun that it just didn’t happen – so now I have lots to share!!

First of all we did the Alaska Cruise with some of the Robertson’s and we just had a fabulous time!! I’m sure a few of the pounds I’ve recently put on cannot all be blamed on Baby M as we ate all the time while we were on the ship!! The food and entertainment were great and it was fun to have family around to share it all with. The weather wasn’t very good, however never so bad that it kept us from going out – it was just a bit drizzly and cool at times. It was just a perfect combination of relaxing and fun!! Below are a few pictures.

Joel and I in front of Hubbard Glacier.

Hubbard Glacier was just amazing!

On board a train ride in Skagway - we were looking down over 1000 feet at times!

Dad, MaryAnn, Joel and I ready for some kayaking where we saw a whole bunch of adorable Harbour Seals!

Then after we got back from Alaska we visited Mark & Jen (good friends that Joel grew up with in Winnipeg) in Vancouver for a couple days which was great fun – and then Joel headed back to Bermuda. We managed to find a great stroller for our little one in the bit of time we had in Vancouver and Joel was able to take this back with him which was great as I would have never had room for it by the time I was ready to come home.

I was then off to Alberta for a week to see the rest of my family which was also fantastic! I spent a lot of time with my sisters – Kayt and I did all sorts of baby running around which was loads of fun and Keli and Jana got to relish in the fact that they were getting smaller and smaller while Kayt and I got bigger and bigger!! We were also very excited that Jill was able to make it home for a few days as it was great to catch up with her and her post-wedding bliss :)

At the end of my week at home Kayt and I were spoiled with a joint baby shower put on by some very special members of the West family!! We had so much fun ohhing and ahhing over all the sweet girlie stuff that everyone was SO kind in bringing to the shower. It was so fun to start to imagine our little girls as part of our circle of family and friends!! Below are a few pictures of the shower . . . I don’t think I can ever adequately thank Auntie Martine, Auntie Gaylene, Michele and Keli for all the work they did in making it such a special day for Kayt and I :)

Put a few talented ladies together and you end up with some incredible decorations!

The lovely ladies who hosted our shower.

Great Gramie West, Gramie Kim and the girls:)

GG, Grama MaryAnn and the girls:)

Then later that day, after some seriously strategic packing, it was time to head home for Bermuda . . . and I’m already learning just how much more luggage you have when there is a baby in the picture!! Baby M came home to Bermuda with a lot more luggage than I did!! And that was after I had to leave some of her stuff behind at Grama’s and Papa’s . . . . she got some pretty cute outfits that she won’t be wearing until she is a bit older so some of that had to stay behind as there was no way we were getting it all home in one trip – not even born yet and spoiled rotten!!

Now it’s back to work until late October when I go on maternity leave. Joel and I had contemplated another little weekend get away before our babe gets here – but I really did not enjoy the flying on this trip (I was so happy this morning to see that my ankles had gone back to a normal size after all the flying yesterday) and we’ve been very fortunate to get in a lot of travel over this past year so I think we’ll just stay grounded here in Bermuda for a little while . . . however we are always happy to have anyone here who wants to fly this direction!!

Next up is 28 weeks!! I hope to have the updated picture up tomorrow or the next day:)

Bon Voyage!

We're finally off - our last official holiday (sans Baby M) is here!! We made the (very long) flight to Vancouver yesterday and are now just waiting to board the ship later today when we head off for Alaska . . . . I will definitely be posting some pictures when we get back.

As for the progress on the nursery - Joel was just a superstar painter and had the room done a couple days before we left which enabled us to get the carpets in as well before we left. So the shell of the room is done and the real fun stuff will start once we get home . . . it will be nice to have something to look forward to after our holiday.

We're off to look at strollers before the ship sails - so I have to keep this one short. Hope everyone in Bermuda has a great Cup Match holiday and that everyone else is getting ready for a great Aug long weekend!

Bermuda Sun

Although we (or I should say Joel) had big plans for painting the nursery this weekend, the sun was shining and all it took was a suggestion from our friends Paul and Mel that we go out boating with them and the paint brushes thrown aside for a day of Bermuda sun and beaches!!

We rented a little Boston Whaler and we were off in search of our private island and while the tide was very high earlier in the day after an hour or two we were enjoying a fair size beach all to ourselves. We had a fantastic day of swimming in the warmest clearest water and just soaking up the sunshine. As it turned out we had enough food for an army so I think we would have been quite happy to have been stranded for an extra few days in our little paradise . . . however by late afternoon we were all fairly cooked and ready for some shade! A few pic's below of our day.

Paul and Joel on our little boat.

The scenery from our beach!


Joel and Paul went for a little hike and captured Mel and I soaking up some sun.

A family with their dog stopped to cool down in the water closeby us - the dog stayed on this noodle while the family played around him - it was so cute!!

Needless to say the painting is still yet to be started - but as it turns out after a little test on the walls the paint we got is a bit more purple than I would like. I thought I had got a paint that was basically white with just a hint of violet however it turns out there is less white and more Barney than I care for!! So back to the paint store tomorrow to see if we can get it right! Now that we actually have the room ready to go and the paint here it's all I can do to keep Joel from throwing the paint on the walls regardless of the color . . . I think I better hide the paint can or else I could end up with the purple Barney color on my walls whether I like it or not!!

Hope everyone has a good week - we fly out on Friday this week but I hope to have a picture of our painted nursery posted before then!

24 Weeks

So here it is - the new picture and just one day late this time!

Things around here yesterday were fairly eventful as we had Tropical Storm / Hurricane Bertha rip through Bermuda. We were one of the lucky ones who kept their power on the whole time . . . we had a couple of flickers but that was the worst of it, which was good because going any length of time without the air conditioner on would be more than I could handle! While there was a lot of wind and rain and some flooding there was no significant damage and more importantly no one was hurt. The good thing is we really needed the rain as it's been so hot and dry here lately.

Other than that nothing too eventful here. I'm still feeling pretty good for the most part and most nights sleeping very well - so I'm happy about that.

We're soon hoping to get a start on the nursery - which means setting up the crib . . . the last time Joel and I tried to set something up together (a BBQ) let's just say that we had our moments!!! We might take shifts on the crib and hope for the best!!! I guess we'll just try and keep in mind who we're doing it for and maybe that will help us keep the swearing to a minimal ;-)

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer - we can't wait to make the trip home to see everyone . . . just 7 more days of work!!

Countdown to Holidays!!

First of all my apologies for slipping a bit on a recent update!! I check Christy's blog almost every day for a new post and yet I don't update mine nearly as often as I should . . . so I promise to try and do better but I'm also not going to bore you with totally mundane stuff . . . most of the time ;-)

Two weeks from today Joel and I will be headed for Vancouver!!!! We are SO excited for an upcoming REAL holiday. The short breaks we have taken have been wonderful but just not long enough . . . so as we now look forward to an Alaskan Cruise we couldn't be more excited! Neither of us have been on a cruise before so we're really looking forward to it! Then I get to head to Alberta for another week to see some family and friends (sadly I will be sans Joel - someone has to pay the bills right?!) but I just can't wait to catch up with everyone back home!

Baby M is doing great - I'm getting some real movements these days not just little pokes anymore! With the exception of about a couple weeks back - when I felt like she was stretching me out a bit more than I would have liked - this has really been a fantastic stage of pregnancy for me. I am feeling so great, am sleeping really well, and still not too big that I can't get out for good walks and other exercise. My new favorite activity is aqua aerobics . . . I love the weightlessness that the water gives me, it's such a relief to feel almost 'normal' for a bit in the a water . . . and the heat and humidity have been more intense than ever here so doing most things outside is almost unbearable (and it's still early summer!!) so the water is really the perfect solution. It's always in an outdoor pool as well, generally at one of the Fairmont Hotels here on the island so I really feel like I'm on vacation while I'm there! And an extra bonus is that I have a super star aqua aerobics instructor for a sister who is able to advise me on what I should and shouldn't be doing given that I'm pregnant . . . and she tells me in no uncertain terms either . . . right Keli?! ;-)

That's about it for now, I will post my next picture early next week . . . I can't beleive that another month has already flown by already!! Baby M will be here before we know it!

Growth Spurt

I had a doctor's appointment today which I was quite happy about as I've been having a fair amount of discomfort the last few days . . . I feel like my stomach has been put on a stretching machine and it's in overdrive . . . as it turns out that's exactly the problem!!!

First of all I weighed in and was mortified to learn that I had gained 10 pounds in just 4 weeks (I'm supposed to be gaining about one pound a week)!!!!! However this all made a bit more sense when the doctor took my measurements and I am measuring to be about 3 weeks ahead of what I am (I've gone from 18 to 25 in just 4 weeks). So the conclusion is that Baby M has just undergone a massive growth spurt!!! Which explains why my stomach is having such a tough time keeping up and why I'm so uncomfortable. I'm now really about where I should be on my weight so he wasn't concerned about my overall weight gain but he did say just to be careful . . . but then he also said that the baby is going to grow on her own schedule regardless of what I eat or how much I exercise . . . so I'm not sure how I'm supposed to control her weight gain - I think it's a bit early to try lecturing her!! Anyway - I'll just have to make sure that I keep my own weight in check and pray that Baby M slows down a bit!!

I go back in 3 weeks instead of 4 because we're leaving on holidays so hopefully by then we'll see a slow down!!

Otherwise everything is great . . . we went over all my ultrasound measurements and at that time she was measuring exactly what she should have been (just 3 weeks ago she was an angel)!! Her heartbeat is right where is should be and I am now really starting to feel her moving around . . . nothing that is keeping me up at this point just enough to be exciting!

That's our news for now - I hope everyone back home is enjoying their short week!

Our current babies . . .

Yesterday was another exciting step towards getting the nursery ready as our crib and change table arrived! I don't have any pictures to share just yet because everything is still boxed and wrapped up and will probably stay that way for a while as we are still going to paint the room and there is no point in setting up anything until the paint job is done. I am hoping I can convince Joel to do some painting while I am in Alberta . . . but I think I still have a bit of sweet-talking / bribery to do!

We have also been able to find the baby bedding we like here in Bermuda which we were very happy about as shipping some of those bulkier items gets a bit tough sometimes . . . there will be a lot of baby stuff I want to bring back with me from home so it's nice when I can find some things here in Bermuda.

In the meantime - while we wait for Baby M to arrive . . . we are getting pretty good practice babying Andy & Nellie!! Below are a couple of pictures of how we are putting some of our baby stuff to good use!!



This is Andy making good use of a baby blanket (and Grama's - don't worry we promise not to use this blanket for Baby M!!)

And this is Nellie making good use of the box that the change table came in. She is the little Queen of the fort that has currently taken over our living room!


With all the love and attention these two get now, we're not sure how thrilled they are going to be about our new addition . . . but we'll do our best to make sure everyone can happily co-exist!!

Happy Canada Day to everyone back home!!