Busy, busy, busy

We seem to always be busy, but never get a whole lot done. This past weekend we did our annual trip to Ian's Evergreen Plantation to pick out and cut down our Christmas tree. I've been knitting as much as I can stand to to try and get Christmas gifts done(not sure I'll make it due to lack of energy by the afternoon). Still waiting on that elbow connector to show up to finish the fireplace, then it has to be inspected before we can start using it(hopefully it won't be too cold for the first couple of fires since we'll have to have the windows open to vent the smell).

What we've been up to

Kevin and I have both been busy for the past few weeks. Him with installing the fireplace insert(along with all the other work that comes with that like learning to install ceramic tiles) and me with knitting a pair of socks for him at my sock class, which is sadly, over now :(

We're just waiting on a special connector part to come in at Hubert Heating to finish installation on the insert(no that piece of sheet metal isn't going to stay there, it just makes moving the insert easier). Hopefully it'll be in by the end of this week(they'd said Tuesday, and it still isn't there) because it'd be nice to get it in, inspected and burning before it gets too much colder. Besides, we need to open the windows up for the first couple of burns to vent the smell I'm told will happen. Insert looks pretty good, eh?

It Fits!!!

Tried the sock on Kevin last night, and it fits! I was so worried that after I'd posted that I hadn't needed to use the safety line that I might've jinxed myself, but nope, fits just fine!

Made it!

I figured out the short-row(wrap and turn)heel that we were shown at sock class last night and got it to work perfectly the first time through, no need for the safety line I put in. Last night I practically started crying because I couldn't figure it out(and I blame that on hormones). Now that I've gone and said that, when I make Kevin try it on tonight, it probably won't fit. It has no holes, no gaps, and no picking up of stitches!! I love, love, love doing socks from the toe-up with the wrap and turn short row heel!

So close...

and yet so far. Our insert is not hooked up b/c the liner can't be connected to the insert without some kind of elbow adaptor. Kevin has picked up one to try from Hubert Heating and we'll see if it works. If it does, we'll probably be telling them to bill us, if not, well, we'll be looking around to see if we can find one that will.

Getting Close

Our fireplace project is nearing completion. We've got the tiles down, grouted and semi-cleaned. I think I may have to give them another wash just to get the last of the
"haze" off them. This afternoon Kevin's dad is coming to help him put the insert in the fireplace and finish up cutting/connecting the liner.

Finally Got the Handspun rinsed *pic added!

Finally got the time this afternoon to take the yarn off my spindle and set the twist. It's hanging to dry with a bit of weight on the bottom to take out a bit of the over-twist. Pics will be forthcoming.

First Toe-Up Socks

And I've got to say, I really like the look of them so far! I love the rounded toe shaping achieved by knitting them this way as opposed to top down where the toe looks pointy. This pair is for Kevin, I've gotta try it on his toe tonight to make sure it's gonna fit, though.

Who's Got the Biggest Leaf

besides the teacher? CALEIGH!!!! Her English JK teacher, at the request of the SK students, brought back the "beat the teacher" contest they had last year. Students were supposed to bring in the biggest Maple leaf they could find and compare it to the teachers. Caleigh's was the biggest! I took pictures of it with a 30cm ruler next to it for scale.

I'm Spinning(sorta)!

I just had my first spinning lesson down at Knit- Knackers Yarn WareHouse just off Bank Street and, if I do say so myself, it went pretty well. My teacher was fantastic, gave really clear and easy to follow instructions and encouragement. I really love the feel of spinning yarn, and will someday in the future work up to owning a spinning wheel, and I know where I'll buy it when I'm ready ;)

Quick Update

It's been a busy week, what with the snow storm Wednesday, trying to do a little more Christmas knitting, and getting the kids and pumpkins ready for Halloween. Caleigh wants to be Tinkerbell this year(she was supposed to be Tink last year, but changed her mind at the last minute), but apparently doesn't want to go Trick or Treating?? I think she may change her mind come tomorrow evening when she sees Aidan getting ready to go out(he's gonna be a little puppy). I do, however, have to get her some new tights because she took a tumble this morning at the end of her class field trip and tore the knee out of the ones she's got.

We're roasting the seeds from our 2 pumpkins this year, and hopefully the kids will like them, because at the moment, they aren't smelling too appetizing to me.

3rd Knitting Class

I have my 3rd class in the Sock Knitting Club tonight. Got all my homework done until I tried to "fix" it last night, and it started pulling apart on me and I had to redo the entire heel flap and pick up the stitches again, twice over.

Family Weekend

Thanksgiving weekend was a big family weekend. All of Kevin's siblings, their partners or spouses and children descended upon the small town of Derby Line, Vermont for the weekend. We arrived mid-late afternoon on Friday, took a drive on Saturday to nearby Barton so I could check out an lys called Handpaint Heaven(which was kinda hard to find since it's located inside the general store and the only thing advertising where it is is a tiny sign on the side of the building that I happened to spot as we were turning around to head back to the other side of the town. It was well worth the drive. Their yarn is gorgeous(got some sock yarn in their colourway Birches, and some Potluck bulky yarn in the colourway Water), and the people are so friendly. Poor Aidan didn't have a good morning though, as he fell and broke his two front teeth.

Sunday was Jay Peak day. We drove over to the mountain, took the tram ride up(which I almost skipped altogether b/c of my fear of heights), then hiked back down while Kevin's mom got things ready for Thanksgiving dinner that night.

The scenery during all of our driving was beautiful, except a little grey on the way home.

First Sock Class

Had my first sock class last night, and it was really fun! Being out of the house after supper, and without one or both of the kiddos was a really weird thing, but good. I'm gonna have to put off my Christmas knitting in favour of getting my homework finished. I'm gonna aim for having both socks knitted down to the start of the heel by next week like she asked for, but if I only get the one done, that'll have to be enough.

A really fun morning!

We went to a mini open house( organized by some members of a local group on Ravelry)at a local fibre and meat producing farm in the Pontiac area this morning. The owners of the farm are very friendly, wonderful people who told us about their operations, showed us around, and let the kids run mildly wild (climbing on the tractor and the Polaris) while trying to pet the horses and some of the sheep and goats. Caleigh discovered where eggs come from(bonus is we got to bring home 5 farm fresh-meaning still warm-eggs). I picked out some roving, but wasn't prepared enough, so I brought 1 home with me, and the rest have my name and # on them to be paid for/picked up very soon(probably next weekend).

It's Been A While

Life has been busy with Caleigh going to school now, so it's been a while since I've updated the blog. School seems to be going well for her with only a few issues of not following the rules with one of her teachers. Oh, and not being able to cut with scissors(which we didn't know was on the list of required skills).

We're slowly getting ready for putting in the fireplace insert(and our mondo mega huge delivery of wood next weekend). Kevin took the measurements yesterday, now all we have to do is transfer those to a drawing or two, make copies and get them in to the City so they can digest them and spit out a building permit.

I've decided that it's time I learned some new tricks. I've put in a request for a copy of a parenting book that I've heard about to see if any of the advice in there might help with my relationship with both Caleigh and Aidan. I hope that it does.

The other new trick that I'm teaching myself is to knit in the Continental style. I just started playing around with it last night, and it seems to be not too bad. Now, if I can just ease up on my tension while knitting this way, I'll be okay.

What a week!

We've been slowly settling in to our new routine with Caleigh going to school every day, Kevin being home, and fall in full swing. On his return trip, his original connection through Chicago got cancelled, and he didn't get home until about 1am Saturday morning, without his luggage-again. United Express is NOT all that popular with us, as this is about the 3rd trip they've misplaced his bags, usually getting them to him the next day, but this time it took almost a week! On the bright side, the bag was in one piece and had everything in it, including the cutest stuffed buffalo for Aidan, a South Dakota shirt for Caleigh with a pheasant on it, and some beautifully squishy soft, beautiful yarn for me. I'll have to get pics of the kiddos with their souvenirs and post them later, but for now, here's my yarn(that Kevin had to walk through a knitting group at the lys in Sioux Falls to get for me).

First Day of School!

And it didn't go over too well at the beginning, but from the sounds of things, once she got inside, she was fine. She was very upset that I was leaving her there, and really didn't want me to go, and I was crying by the time she finally went in the door with the teacher, but she seems happy as a little clam now(we went to Michaels -where I let her pick out some sock yarn for me to make socks for her with; then to Ikea for a hot dog lunch). The only pictures I have are the happy ones prior to the attempted separation (which is a good thing, believe you me).

On Our Own

Again. Kevin flew out to South Dakota today for a week. It's gonna either be a really long week, or a very short one. It's too early to tell.

Caleigh has her very first day of school on Wednesday morning. I can't believe that I have a school aged child :(

I'm hoping to get some knitting done for myself this week. I've brought the lace scarf that I put on hold out of hibernation and am taking some quiet time in the evenings to work on it.

It's Almost Done!!

The second pedi sock that is. What with everything going on around here(Kev being away so much, parties, getting Caleigh ready for school) knitting got put on hold for a bit, but I'm glad to report that I have only a quarter of an inch left on the sock, then I can bind off, get them washed and blocked, and then sent off to my friend so she can send them off to their intended recipient.

Busy End of Month

It's been a while since I've really had time to catch up on my blog. We had Aidan's party, then went to visit with my parents this past weekend after getting the car serviced when we discovered it was leaking something all over the driveway. Turns out it was the transmission fluid filter that had failed. The car acted up on the drive down and home on Saturday, so now it has to go back in to be checked out. Hopefully when the tech takes it out while hooked up to the diagnostic computer it acts up for them. I also hope that it isn't the transmission, or if it is, we can get it sorted out before Kevin goes away on Sunday. I'm worried that it'll conk out while he's away.

I'll be needing to make an appointment for Aidan to have his immunizations, but we still haven't gotten his replacement health card, even though we sent the application to renew it in back in July. If it's not one thing, it's another

Aidan's Party

We had Aidan's birthday party yesterday afternoon. We were worried it was going to rain, but the rain stayed away so we could be outside. It was a few hours of the kids running, yelling, screaming and generally having fun(although there were a couple of tantrums from Caleigh which weren't a lot of fun). I haven't uploaded the pics that Kevin took yet. Hopefully I'll get to that later today.

Daddy's Coming Home!

Today's the day! Kevin is on his way home! It's been a long 10 days without him here. The kids have been missing him something awful, and are super excited to go pick him up at the airport this afternoon.

Signed up for Knitting Classes

When I opened my email yesterday, there was a monthly update from an lys that I go to(rather rarely, b/c it's a dangerous place for me to go ;) ) listing their new sales, arrivals and classes. I've signed up for their 6wk sock knitting class!! I really want to learn how to properly knit socks, and the course is gonna cover a lot of different stuff, including fair isle techniques and knitting using 2 circular needles. Now we just have to co-ordinate Tuesday evenings for those 6wks.

Almost 2!!

I cannot believe that Aidan is almost 2 years old!! We're having his big party on Sunday since his actual birthday is on Wednesday. Hopefully they don't change the forecast too much more, since we want to have the party outside, but now they're calling for 30% chance of showers(maybe the showers will bypass us like they have in the past, or just happen in the evening after the party's over).

I got the mix and icing for his cake today(chocolate fudge and vanilla), got some of the appetizers, and just have to decide what kind of salad to make, and whether to do hot dogs and hamburgers or just one of those 2.

So Thoughtful

I received the most beautiful gift this morning from someone I've never met before. She's one of many others I've shared stories, laughs, and some tears with in a private online forum. When we lost Taylor she asked if she could send me something. Her thoughtfulness brought tears to my eyes. There truly are wonderful people in the world, and she's one of them.

Getting Behind

I've hardly done any knitting at all this past week. By the time I get the kids to bed in the evening, I'm pooped. I really have to get back into the knitting groove soon and get that second pedi sock finished.

One Week Down

Well, the first week has gone by rather quickly, and with minimal fuss. Kevin will be home by this time next Friday. Gotta think of some things for us to do during the next week.

Busy Week

It's been busy around here this week. On Monday, our chimney was demolished and then rebuilt(it looks awesome), on Tuesday Kevin went away for 10 days for work, yesterday mil came over to get her hair cut, and it was garbage day. Not sure what we're gonna do for the rest of the week, but I think we're just going to take it easy, maybe make another trip to the grocery store when we need something, but other than that, just try to relax.

Yard Sale Score!

We were headed out to the grocery store to pick up a quick snack, then off to the park with the kids when we came across a yard sale with quite a lot of kids toys. We missed out on a really cool LittleTykes train set(an older couple bought it for when the grandkids visit, I think), but got a huge Mega Bloks dump truck with a digging arm, a bunch more Mega Bloks, and the wheelchair for the Little People School Bus(along with another Sonya Lee) for $3. The cool part is that we got the School Bus at this same house earlier in the summer on the "Give Away Days" here in Ottawa. I got the dump truck cleaned up, but still have to give the Mega Bloks a good once over, probably in the tub, since some of them are pretty dirty. I think Aidan is almost in love with the truck :)

Halfway There!!

I finished the first pedicure sock today! At a size 5/6 it seems so small in comparison to my feet. I modified the pattern a teeny bit in that I didn't sew the hole for the big toe, b/c I thought that that might actually work out better(and b/c when I held it up to my own foot for comparison, I was concerned about putting it in the wrong spot)

All Clear for September

Got a call from my ob's office to let me know that I don't need to get poked anymore since my hcg levels are down to 3 as of last night's draw. Yahoo!!! She said that the doctor is advising that we wait until after my first regular period to start ttc again. I mentioned that, oddly enough, I was just finishing up my first one now. She wasn't sure what to say to that, but advised that we wait until after the next one, which should be September, and wished us luck.

Our Weekend

We had a busy weekend, even though it seems as though not a whole lot got done. I got up early on Saturday morning to get to the grocery store before my pedicure appointment so I would have enough time to walk to my appointment, and get my groceries done(along with finding a copy of Breaking Dawn for a good price). On my way back from my pedicure, I went to Carlingwood mall to poke around for a bit, and managed to find a sculpture to memorialize Taylor and Ashley.

We got to have a simple dinner with our neighbours' family on Sunday evening, which was really nice. The kids played together in our yard where all the toys are(under the watchful eye of Kevin), while the rest of us chatted.

Yesterday was tidy-up day around the house, and Kevin found the onesie I'd bought for Canada Day next year. It was a hard thing for me to see, knowing that the one it was intended for will never wear it.

Fish Sitting

Kevin called to check and see if it was okay if we fish sat for his friend's son's betta while they're away this weekend. We just have to find the right spot where it'll be safe from both curious kids and cats.

I will not be defeated!

I've now had to frog the pedi socks twice for mistakes that I can't figure out how to fix. Last night I decided to take the yarn I've already knitted with off the ball and put it aside and start completely fresh. I'm hoping that what they say is true, "third time's the charm", and I can get these successfully finished for my friend's mom.

Been Busy

Well, got the crown finished and off to it's owner for his birthday, and have put my lace scarf on the back burner to work on a set of pedicure socks for his grandma(it'll be another surprise)and they were going really well until I found out what I'd done wrong and was unable to fix without ripping it all out and starting over. But, at least I know what my mistake was and can avoid it this time around.

The kiddos are being their usual, crazy, but generally wonderful, selves. Enjoying summer, coming up on Aidan's second birthday in a few short weeks(I can't believe he'll be 2), and then shortly after that, Caleigh starts school!

The gifted yarn

decided it wanted to be made into a lace scarf for me. It's one of those projects that I need to work on when the kiddos aren't around, b/c I need to concentrate on it more than I can when they're up and playing.

Almost Finished

I've gotten back into the knitting habit these past couple of days, and am almost done the body of the crown I'm working on for my friend's son. I should be able to start working on the points this evening, having it ready to felt tomorrow. Then I'll be able to put it in the mail by Saturday(I hope).

Got a Wonderful Surprise in the Mail Today

I opened my mailbox today to a big brown envelope that had a skein of the most lovely silk/wool yarn. It's a squishy-soft beautiful olive-y green colour. Now I just have to decide what it wants to be knit into(hopefully something for me)

Yahoo!!

Got the official call cancelling the procedure just after 10 this morning. Now I'll be getting weekly blood draws to check the hcg levels and make sure they're going down like they should be. Hopefully, they'll be down to 0 already, or by next week at the latest.

Finally Some Good News!

The u/s this afternoon showed, according to the tech and the radiologist, no need for a d&c!!! My ob's nurse called later on to say that indeed, it appeared as though there was nothing there, but we need to wait for the a.m. to get the dr's approval for the cancellation. However, it sounded like a done deal, and the doc's approval was merely a formality.

The other good news is that Caleigh is not allergic to bee or wasp stings, it's just a really severe reaction that we can treat with benadryl, she has no need for the epi-pen.

There's a bit of Hope

When I went to sign the consent form for the d&c this morning, I found out it won't be my ob doing it :( , but I may not have to have it done after all!! I mentioned to his nurse how close I got to an appointment on Friday, and then what happened in regards to faxed req's w/o a previously booked appointment to go with them. She was not happy, and started making phone calls to see what she could get. She got me an appointment with the clinic that's within walking distance(long, but doable) from our house this afternoon at 1:45!!! Needless to say, I'm keeping fingers and toes crossed that it shows no retained products, especially since I've had no bleeding(even brown spotting) since Wednesday of last week.

Annual Summer Visit

We decided last night that if the weather was good today, we'd take the kids to Upper Canada Village for our annual visit(we've gone every summer since Caleigh was born). It was so much fun this year, Caleigh wanted to go into buildings, find out what was going on there, and soak everything in. I even got to go into buildings I haven't been in before b/c I was always out with the stroller, or it was too crowded. We saw them making cheese, bread, and wool blankets. The biggest treat was the piglets that were out running around, they were letting the kids pet them. A team of horses being hitched to a coach was a big treat(both kids insisted on watching until they were hitched and gone).

I got to watch a little bit of hand-spinning taking place and saw some of the colours of yarn that were achieved with different natural items from around the farm(onion skins, apple bark, walnut, etc). On the way out, I picked up 2 more skeins of natural colour wool(plus two approx 2oz size skeins)to try more Kool-Aid dying with. They also had some carded wool that I'm going to practise my spinning with.

Not Good

I guess I can't get a break these days. Trip to the ER, now it looks like I have to have a D&C. My ob's office called yesterday to drop the news on me, but when I asked if there was a chance that what was seen in the ER u/s could've been a clot or something else rather than retained products, I was told that was a very good question, and she'd see about getting me an u/s today. She called back, said no luck, but that she'd fax in req's to 4 places, and to call them today to see if there were any cancellation. Only 2 even bothered to take my name and # down, and one I got thisclose to an appointment, only to be told that since the dr faxed the req in without an actual appointment first, that it probably got tossed as a wrong #, which is their "policy" or whatever.

So, it looks like I'll be having a D&C on Tuesday, but when I go to sign the consent on Monday, I'll definitely be asking quite a few ?s and telling them about the "policy" on faxed req's from the one clinic.

Knitting Like Crazy

For me, that is! A friend asked if I could make a felted crown for her son for his birthday early next month, and I said sure. I've actually gotten a lot done in the last 24hrs on it(just cast on yesterday, and I've already got almost 40 rows done(which is huge for me).

Said Goodbye

We had our memorial/closure gathering yesterday evening. Both my parents and Kevin's parents were there, along with Jess(one of our close friends-not to mention she's my bil's gf ;)). It was low-key, tear-filled, but there was also a lot of laughter, provided mostly by the antics of King Aidan.

Taylor and Ashley are now at peace together, and we will remember them always.

King Aidan :)

I finally finished Aidan's crown yesterday morning, got it felted and dried. I had to stretch it just a bit on a mixing bowl because it felted just a tiny bit too much around. When he tried it on this morning, the fit still wasn't quite right, so I've got it stretching a bit more higher up on the cuff area of it.

Scary Night

Ended up at the ER for a few hours last night b/c I passed 2 large clots and soaked a pad in less than an hour. After my labs and an exam showed nothing outwardly wrong(and b/c we live so close), the doc let me go home around 2:30 in the morning, with the promise that I would stop in the radiology dept on the way out to book an u/s for the next day. Had that around 1:30 this afternoon, then had to go back to the ER and wait for the results. There went another 3+ hours. There appears to be a retained fragment(may or may not be). The ER doc said that they could have the on-call OB take care of it, if I'd like. I said I'd like to talk to my regular OB first, so I'm to call them first thing in the morning, and see if he wants to do something right away or just wait and see for a bit, since it's only been about 5 days since the miscarriage happened.

Pool Time!

It's finally getting consistently sunny and warm, so we set up the pool for the kiddos yesterday (after convincing Caleigh on Friday that I couldn't set up the pool by myself, and that they could play in the little pool until Daddy could set up the "big" pool on the weekend). While Kevin was getting the ground levelled a bit for the semi-permanent pool, the kids played in the little one for a while, then "helped" to fill up the other one.

More Progress

I've made it past the colour change in the crown and am almost 10 rows into it. I'm really enjoying the relaxation and distraction that the knitting is giving me. At this rate, I might actually get it finished by the end of this week or next, which I think would be a record for me.

Baby's Gone

We went for an u/s on the 2nd to firm up dates, only to be told that the baby had died shortly after the first u/s. I was absolutely numb, heartbroken, angry, scared, and a whole host of emotions that I can't even describe. As soon as we got to the car, I fell apart, yelling that it wasn't fair(at which point a woman crossing the parking area started staring at me).

The doctor's office was great, I spoke to them in the afternoon of the 2nd, asking about the prometrium, and was told to immediately stop taking it, and that also the tech had faxed the u/s report to the doc's office, and it was the first thing he would see in the morning(and that he would probably want to speak to me the next day).

Thursday morning, I went out for some air, exercise and a little retail therapy at Michaels(I bought some yarn, and an instruction booklet to learn to crochet-I'm gonna give that another go in the near future). The dr called me on my cell at Michaels to let me know that we all did everything we could to keep the baby, but it was a weak pregnancy(not a total explanation, but enough for now), and that he was going to prescribe me a med to induce the miscarriage. He also said that after the bleeding is done, I'm to call them to set up an u/s to make sure everything is gone, and bloodwork to monitor beta levels. Finally, he said that next time, we'd start aggressive progesterone therapy right away.

Kevin and I decided that I would wait until Friday night to start the rx, since he had to be at a meeting on Friday afternoon. 3hrs after taking the rx, things started. By 2:30am, the baby had come out, a perfectly formed 7wk old fetus. Kevin wanted to name the baby, and so we chose Taylor as his/her name. We'll be having a memorial of some sort very soon, and I will be looking for one or more charms to add to my bracelet for Taylor.

Not sure when we'll start trying again, or if. We're just taking it one moment at a time to try to get through this.

Canada Day

Had a really nice Canada Day up at Calypso with the family. The kids ran around, played with some water in the metal tub, "helped" Grandpa, and just had a good time. We saw some loons, a really big spider, and of course, lots of red and white!

Progress!

Ravelry has helped kick my butt into gear on my knitting! I've managed to get within 14 rows of finishing the cuff on Aidan's crown :) I'm positive I'll get it done before his birthday now, and maybe I'll even have a couple of the items done for Baby #3 before the fall too.

Finally Joined Ravelry!

I requested my invite a couple of days ago, and got the invite this morning(it went into my junk file). It is amazing how much info is there! It also has the potential to be a dangerous place for me ;)! Although, on a good note, it might actually motivate me to actually work on my knitting for a change.

More Blood work

Have I mentioned how much I dislike getting blood drawn? I really DON'T LIKE IT AT ALL!!! This one was a big one, 7 vials worth(5 big ones and 2 small ones). I think, though, that this is pretty much it. With the exception of the 2 draws for the IPS, and the one for the blood glucose test, but you never know, I may have blocked the rest from memory.

Epipen

Well, after talking with Kevin, some people I know online, and a neighbour, we decided to fill the rx for the epipen jr for Caleigh. I've also determined where the nearest hospital is from the cabin, and since we're going there tomorrow, we'll take a short side-trip to make sure we know the route to it from the cabin. I've also registered to receive reminders when the expiry date on the pen is coming up, and signed up to receive a free patient starter kit with a dvd, quick-guide card for usage, and a practise pen.

First Appointment

Got a call from my ob's office yesterday to schedule my first appointment(which is just with his nurse for paperwork), so that means they got the report from the u/s and that everything is good. The office administrator/nurse told me that the heart rate of the little peanut was 137, so really good! My next u/s is scheduled for the 2nd of July to double-check dates, then my first appointment with the ob is on the 7th.

Crap!

Kevin took the kidlets to their final playgroup of the summer(Caleigh's last one ever, as she starts JK in the fall), and today was a picnic at a local park. She and some of the other kids were running around the tennis court, having a great time, until Kevin heard Caleigh scream and start crying. Turns out she'd been stung by a wasp that was protecting a small nest it was building inside the post for the net on the tennis court, and then 2 other kids ended up getting stung as well. Unfortunately(and fortunately, too) we've found out she's allergic to wasp stings from the looks of things. She got stung on her pinkie finger, and her whole hand and part of her arm almost to her elbow was all red and HOT, and puffy. We're headed to the doctor's tomorrow to see what the next step is, but you can bet that we'll be carrying Benadryl with us whenever we go anywhere there might be wasps that she could run afoul of. At least it happened here, in the city and not at the cabin, on an extremity of her body, and not too serious to need to go to the hospital.

Father's Day, 2008

Kevin was given some money to take us all out to brunch with, but we decided to get some food at the grocery store and have a picnic in the park over by Centerpointe instead. That way, the kids would have lots to do and would have fun doing it instead of waiting for ages for a table and/or food to come. We stayed for quite a while until a thunderstorm got a little too close and started getting us a little wet. On the way home, we smelled smoke and were told by someone that a house had been struck by lightening from the storm that chased us out of the park(fortunately, no one was living in the house yet), which you can see in the background of the photo above.

Yay!

Had our first u/s this morning. There's a healthy looking little gestational sac, with a tiny, steadily fluttering heart, and it's measuring about 6wks5days, which is only off from my calender dates by a few days. The hunger that struck on Tuesday afternoon has stuck with me, and I'm taking that as a really good sign. Now we need to start figuring out the things that need to be bought/made before Dec/Jan. We're hoping that we can design and build a bunk-bed for Caleigh and Aidan to share that doesn't come too close to the ceiling fan in Caleigh's room.

Latest Numbers :(

The doctor's nurse called with the latest blood test #s and while my hcg #s are great, my progesterone #s are dropping, even with the supplementing. I'm to increase my dosage immediately, and after the u/s on Thursday, we'll see what's going on.

I must say that this does worry me, but after posting about it on a discussion forum I'm part of, I got some very wonderful(and needed) words of support, and info that I didn't have before, so I'm a little less worried. Now I just have to relax and stop worrying until there's something definite to worry about.

First Ultrasound

So, a week from today, we'll be getting our first peak at our Special Delivery, bright and early at 8:30 in the morning. All I'm hoping is that everything is as it should be, and to hear that little heartbeat, of course. My doc also wants me to get more blood work done to check both hcg and progesterone levels again(to see if the prometrium is helping) :( I was hoping to not have to get poked again until the prenatal screenings for genetic disorders.

Rain, rain go away

Come again another day. It looks like a lot of this week will be wet and dreary. I wanted to plant our veggies this week. Oh well, hopefully the weekend will be better. Maybe I'll get some laundry and knitting done this week(as long as I've got the energy for it).

Where did Monday go?

Today was not one of my better days. Woke up this morning feeling very queasy, and spent most of the day dozing on the couch, trying to feel better. I'm just worried whether I'll be able to sleep tonight or not. I woke up to the beginnings of a thunderstorm and seeing Kevin's dad's head going back down to the truck parked in the street. I didn't make it to the door in time to catch him, and ended up finding a Weed Hound waiting for us between the doors.


http://www.hound-dog.com/weed_hound.htm

Unexpected Sunshine

We've gotten a few hours of unexpected sunshine this afternoon, but since I was napping, I missed a couple of hours of it. I ended up getting the faux terra-cotta pot planted with some of the flowers the kids and I got earlier in the week. It's now out on the front walkway right at the bottom of the steps. I'm not going to get to the veggies in today, but that's okay, they'll hold until whenever I can get to them during the week.

Rainy Weekend

I had hoped to be planting our veggie garden this weekend, but Mother Nature is not co-operating in that department. It's supposed to rain pretty much all weekend and into the beginning of the week. Oh well, maybe I'll get lots of knitting done instead. I'm really behind on a project I started a while back for Aidan.

Planted a Splash of Colour

The kids and I went to Home Depot this morning to choose some flowers for the half-barrel planter we have on our back deck in the little corner where the two sets of stairs meet. Caleigh picked some purple petunias(that say they're blue?), I picked some pink geraniums, and another red flower that I can't remember the name of. I've got extras to plant in a faux terra-cotta pot that I want to put out either on the front porch or the walkway.

Bumbleberry Pie

That's what the wool I dyed yesterday reminds me of. I really didn't think I'd like it yesterday when it was wet, but once I saw it all dried and rewound, it really does look pretty good for my very first attempt.

Now I need to find some other colours(our Loblaws carries only 5 kinds, 4 of which are red) and get me some more un-dyed wool on our next trip to Upper Canada Village, or I could just finally learn how to hand-spin the fibre I have here :) I really do need to call and book my lesson.

Wool it was

I decided to dye the wool this afternoon. Didn't have time to do both. It's drying right now, and I have to say that I'm not quite sure about it. We'll see once it's dry. I used grape, cherry, strawberry-kiwi, and tropical punch, so a lot of reds.

What to do this afternoon?

I can't decide between painting our patio chairs so they look all nice and pretty again, or dyeing some wool. I might end up doing both if I have time. I just have to figure out which colours I want to use on the wool, and how to combine them.

Got Some Veggie Plants

We went this morning to the garden centre at the Loblaws and got a flat of sweet red pepper plants and a flat of tomato plants they call "Ultimate Pink" tomatoes for our veggie garden. Struck out on squash plants though(looking for spaghetti). While looking around, I found some really neat native woodland plants for sale. They had blue cohosh, wild geranium, may apple, and a number of others. I'm thinking about going back and picking up some of those along with some hostas and making a new garden area out where our grass is currently dying. I'll want to get some garden soil to improve the space for the new plants, and maybe some garden wall blocks to enclose the area since we have a few kids and a dog that like to take short cuts to the neighbours' house across our front lawn(not that I have a problem with that, but if I plant stuff, I don't want it getting totally trampled).

The results are in

Well, got my blood test results from the doctor's office. My hcg #s are good, but progesterone is a little low for my doc's liking, so I'll be supplementing with prometrium starting tonight. From my reading, it looks like he's playing the "better safe than sorry" card, which is perfectly fine by me. The nurse was surprised I've never taken it before, but I mentioned I'd never had my progesterone levels monitored before, so we didn't know they were low-ish.

Into the Woods

Had an okay afternoon at the il's cabin yesterday, except for the fact that I had to hide inside most of the time because of the mosquitoes and blackflies waiting for any opportunity to pick you up and carry you away. I got some nice shots of Kev and the kids(at least I think so) as they walked around a little bit, almost oblivious to the bugs(well, the kids were oblivious at least).

Ugg

Went this morning bright and early for the repeat hcg and progesterone draw, and my bad dream came true: they lost my requisition from Thursday and couldn't find me in the system. Fortunately, they took my word for it that I was supposed to have the draws repeated every 48hrs(I don't know anyone who hasn't had to have the hcg draw repeated at least once). I'm going to have to call the doctor's office again(I hope they don't think I'm making a pest of myself) on Monday and let them know what happened. I just hope that they get the results right and send them to the doctor's office properly.

Such a Wonderful Vet

We recently had to have our oldest cat euthanized(she had a very advanced and aggressive cancer in her jaw), our vet went above and beyond while caring for her(stayed late and only charged for supplies one evening). We received a beautiful remembrance card from them in the mail today, totally unexpected and so nice. Here's a picture of our Ashley that I took of her on her last day with us(I took her outside into the sunshine and fresh air):

Blood Work Day

Well, got another positive test(this time digital), so called the doctor's office to let them know, and they sent the requisition down to the lab in their building. This lab is open until 8pm Mon-Thurs and also has Saturday hours, so it makes it so much easier to get there without making Kevin miss work or having to haul the kids with me. For some reason, my doctor also asked them to do progesterone levels, so hopefully those are fine as well, but if they're not, we can do something about it.

How Much Fun Can You Have with a Punching Balloon?

Apparently quite a lot when you're 21mths old. Grandpa bought the kids punching balloons, and Aidan managed to keep everyone entertained for at least a half hour by throwing, kicking and rolling on the balloon.

We Survived!

Well, we didn't leave the house until almost noon on Saturday(like I thought), the drive was okay, a little wet, a little windy, then sunny. We had supper, met our new nephew(cutie pie!), and set up the tent(okay, Kevin did that part), and got everyone ready to go in for the night. It was noisy! For being in the middle of almost nowhere, it was extremely noisy. Geese nesting across the road, either wolves or coyotes howling away(people "howling" to get them howling more), fireworks being set off, oh, and something walked past the tent at one point after Kevin had taken Caleigh inside because she wouldn't settle down in the tent. Found out the next morning that it was probably the deer that my brother in law and his girlfriend saw as they were heading to their tent. Also got woken up before 5am by wild turkeys gobbling away somewhere close by.

The party was fun, lots of food and people we haven't seen in ages. We definitely didn't sleep in the tent Sunday night. It was so cold out at 4pm that you could see your breath in the air already, so we all crammed in to the "toy room" that has one 3/4 bed, space for a playpen and a 4yo on the floor.

Kevin took lots of pictures and some really cute videos of Aidan entertaining people by throwing and rolling on one of the big punching balloons that Grandpa had bought for each of the kids(except the baby, of course). I'll get some of the pics and videos upload tomorrow maybe. For now, I need to go get ready to get some real sleep in my own bed.

Getting Ready for the Weekend

This weekend we're going to the family farm just northeast of Toronto for a party to celebrate the 40th wedding anniversary of my husband's parents. We're supposed to be ''camping out'' in a tent on Saturday night after arriving at who knows when on Saturday. I'm not so sure that I want to be stuck in a tent with Caleigh and Aidan on what is, from the weather forecast, going to be a bit of a rainy, chilly night. On the bright side, we'll get to meet our newest nephew while we're there, and visit with my bil who just moved out to Vancouver not long before Christmas.

Special Delivery for January

I decided that today was the day to start a blog. We just found out this week that we're expecting #3 in January, 2009, and I want to record all the memories, feelings and funny things that happen over the course of the next 9 months(along with other stuff I find interesting).

This morning, I have had a bit of a scare as my bbt dropped well below what it's been for the last week. I also poas(after having a cup of coffee-silly me) and the line, while still there, was very faint. I'm a little worried that by sharing my news with some of my online friends I've jinxed it, or maybe the rx I'm taking(which the doc's office told me to continue taking) has done something. I'm going to be a nervous wreck and will most likely poas every morning until I can get the blood work done sometime next week(after cd32).