29 weeks pregnant

11 weeks to go!!! crazy!

this is not the most flattering picture since its taken a little bit from below, but there's my huge pointed belly :D

i've been pretty tired lately. i had two weeks of great energy but it did not last. i'm very excited to meet our new little one, but i have lots i want to do before then. i'm hoping to get a little painting done this weekend to fix up our livingroom. we had some wiring done for our dryer back a long while ago, and there is a big patch that needs to be sanded and painted.

we are really enjoying our time with diedre and know it will be such a huge transition for her and for us, but i'm staying positive about it. she's a very helpful girl so i think she'll do well.

we are going to work at getting diedre used to staying at her grandparents house overnight so that she will feel comfortable going there when i go into labour. so this friday night derek and i are going to go to a free movie and diedre will have a sleep over. we will all sleep over at grandma & grandpa's but i told my mom, they wont even notice us cuz we'll just sleep in the next morning and leave them to do the morning routine :) hee hee or we might decide to come home and get diedre later in the day.

its good to have some options.

:D

an extra kid for a day

david came over early on sunday to spend the day with us (his parents were away on an anniversary weekend). i was also on schedule for the nursery care at church so i got to watch lots of kids!


david was reading the Trucks book to diedre. she crawled right up into the chair next to him.


having a little party before church

the kids did really well together. diedre did not nap until after david left and was in a foul mood when daddy woke her up for dinner. i guess she still needs her naps!

we tried to get david to nap by giving him a blanket and bear and movie, but diedre crawled up into the chair with him and he didnt like that so much. so we got her a blanket and bear too, but she doesnt have an attachment to them like he does, but she seemed to like to copy what he was doing.

18 months old!!! bbq

we've been meaning to get together with some friends for a bbq all summer. we were having a great family weekend and enjoying diedre's 18 month birthday on saturday. i checked my email by chance during her nap and realized we were invited to a bbq at 4pm! so i quickly prepared some food and we headed out.


there were mostly girls (diedre, brooklyn, ava & kristin, & cherith (not pictured)) and one boy (josh (not pictured) which is unusual for diedre, she is used to mostly boys around).


enjoying the kiddy pool


hanging out with daddy


so excited to play in the pool


biiig momma


just kidding, its only me...and a very large baby bump ;)


18 month birthday cake (well, i was craving cake and then we were invited to bbq so i baked a cake for diedre)


loving the cake


sharing the cake

only 12 weeks to go!!!

here i am 28 weeks (+ one day) pregnant. not long to go now!

bbq with the grandparents

going for a good walk to pick apples and blackberries for tonight's dessert


diedre is adversely affecting the progress of filling the bowl with blackberries...


grandma walks fast, so we had to take extreme measures to catch up


relaxing after the walk


eating her first ice cream cone


see, she does get messy sometimes!


the "fall down" part of ring around the rosey


time to play again!

cutie pie

all dressed up for church


now she's happy!


loving the potty/story time

shawn's 30th birthday party on aug 13

we had a great day with the gang, we ate constantly, lots of great food (crab, bruschetta, shrimp dip, steak bites, pop'n'chips, corn on the cob, salads, yummmm) and celebrated hetzy style. they are such awesome hosts and shawn was very particular about what foods would be served and also that since they were providing food, all poker participants would bring a $10 buy-in.


big texas holden game begins


its getting intense


the winner of $60 was Derek!


me & my girl


my shadow


pretty girl


kristin, eli and heather


diedre and david

computer crash

hi there. i don't know if anyones been missing us ;) but the computer crashed last week and i am waiting for it to be repaired (hopefully by thursday next week).

in the meantime, i have been trying to rummage up some work and well, the Lord provided! i have just completed my first draft of a job and sent it off for revisions and i have a "daycare" opportunity that will start in september. its for a friend who is a Teacher On Call so i will only work if she does and its Fridays only for September and October. She needs someone to daycare that day and i figure i can muster up the strength to do one day a week for probably not more than 8 weeks/times.

anyway, the baby is getting big, my belly is like a football (kind of pointy sometimes) and very heavy. diedre is doing awesome and i keep trying to get her to feel the baby kick but she just pokes me in the belly button instead--owwie!

i borrowed a computer from a friend to use for one week to get this computer work done. i'm so thankful for that too!

ciao

a few notable notes

diedre pooped on the potty last thursday night. she has not peed on it really yet, but once in awhile we let her run around diaperless to see how she does.

she is very aware of her body functions now and says "poo" whenever she has pooped in her diaper so i know when to change her--very helpful :) (although it sounds more like "pee" because somewhere along the line she stopped saying "oo" and started saying "ee", like "peek a bee" instead of "peek a boo").

diedre's language is developing really well. she says "up" which means "in, out, up, down, on, off, help" but we just say the correct word and she repeats it. she does use "down" appropriately when playing "ring around the rosey."

i'm really trying to get her out of the habit of going "mmmm" and leaning forward whenever she wants what you have, and to say the word instead, like "apple" or "food" or something other than "mmmm" because i know she can do it.

she also did all the actions to "the wheels on the bus" last week which was very exciting for me. its so cool to see things click for her. she is 17 months now, almost 18 (a year and a half--crazy!!!). she loves dancing (her third cousins in Ontario taught her to spin around and ballerina dance) and she is very helpful with cleaning and tidying up.

we think she's awesome :D

Trip to the Skagit

We drove to Ross lake with Andrew, Heather, Miles, Poppa, Diane, Richard & Bev for a few hours to celebrate Poppa turning 60.


it was soooo hot that day and the shade kept moving so we ended up picnic-ing in the parking lot!


our first camp setup (we moved it by the time we started to eat). uncle richard and aunt bev came too and made hotdogs and smokies for lunch.


poppa & diane


derek and diedre on a suspension bridge


the long shaky walk

Poppa turns 60!

You're 60! Poppa & Grandma Diane came over from the island for two days of birthday celebrations. Dinner at Diane's daughters and then a trip tomorrow to the Skagit, a special place where poppa spent time with his family.


uncle richard bought poppa a rocker now that he's an "old man"


diedre checks out miles' truck


kids playing nicely. miles did try to wrestle with diedre and since the last time he tried that, she is much sturdier and didn't cry at all this time. she is almost standing up for herself, but not quite, so heather had to intervene in the diedre smooshing matches :D


miles likes to lie down when he plays trucks


miles trying to blow out poppa's candles


diedre really enjoyed the ice cream cake (i normally don't like ice cream cake but this was from Baskin Robbins and it was made with REAL icecream (not like DQ, with ice milk)--sooo good!).


diedre finally warmed up to melinda (my stepsister who hosted the party)--playing several rounds of "ring around the rosey" helped

Grandpa Gagne's 50th birthday brunch

Grandpa Gagne's B.C. family


diedre dressed in her new outfit (its so cute, thanks Grammy & Grampa Salmon!)


opening cards


diedre really loves these toys lately


ready to go swimming


swimming with Grandma Jen


diedre with Grandpa & Grandma Gagne


drying off after swimming. diedre normally does not like towels or blankets on her but she really liked being cuddled up today.


diedre chilling with Grandpa on the rocking table/chairs set. she is starting to get a little bossy. she told me to sit down on the other side. then she told me to pick her up. then she told me to sit her down on my side and then for me to sit there too. she knows what she wants and isn't afraid to ask!


derek and andrew's pool antics...oh, they are such a bunch of boys!!! 30! HAH!