How do I make this work? We’ll try this!
Okay, for a moment it flashed with an embedded link.. but then it disappeared.
Bah. Okay, let’s post this and see what happens.
Drat!
Um, anyone know how I can post movies on here?
Try again… at least to include a link to the youtube spot.
We are in the new house. I’m so tired I can’t even think of the right adjective to put before tired - and I just made three spelling mistakes in this sentence alone. Please expect many typos. I should say, “We are in the new house!” because we are excited and this is amazing. But holy sweet baby jesus I’m wiped. And I can’t imagine how tired Jim must be because at the end of long days he is getting requests like “can you please run down stairs and bring me up a glass of water” or “can you run me a bath?” or “I can’t get out of bed, I need you to push/pull me out after removing my nest of pillows currently surrounding me.”
We’re at mom and dad’s right now to both plug in to their internet. Oh, and eat their food. It has been a madhouse and we have been saved at moments from starvation by my parents. Dad brought us lunch on moving day, they fed us that night, they sent us home with bread for toast the next morning (and soy milk), they brought us leftovers from grandma’s last night, and they’re feeding us again tonight. Oh, and lunch here yesterday. We keep trying to unpack kitchen boxes, but they end up being random things like breadmakers, martini shakers, and roasting pans. No plates yet.
And let me be clear here - Jim unpacks boxes. Something has happened to my feet where I can’t really walk much right now. They are swollen, cracking, and hurt like all get-out after a few hours. So we try to get our necessary running around done before I can’t get my shoes on again.
Yesterday we finished up at the rental. Nothing compares to the feeling of wiping that last crumb out of the bottom of the crisper and saying “yeah, well, good enough.” Not the best clean I’ve ever done for a move out, and the carpet cleaner was a total asshole, but as mom says it was still probably better than when most people move out. There is something really funny about being on my hands and knees wiping kitty hair out of the corner of the bathroom floor while 8 mos pregnant and thinking “I don’t know if I can get back up again” O_o
Dinner is ready (Thanks mom!) so I’ll update for now and hopefully pop back on in the next few days 
I’ve been marking papers since 7:30am. It is now 3:50pm. I’ve taken a few breaks (I’ve eaten twice, showered, and taken the laundry out of the washer), but other than that it has pretty much just been marking.
I would like my pretty pretty princess reward soon, please.
PLEASE??
We went to the house on Thursday (and I went again yesterday to measure the windows as we’ll need something to put over them for view blockage ie: blinds). It is amazing. Our paint choices are fecking awesome. The fireplace looks so cool. I will take the camera next week when I go back. AMAZING!
Okay, enough of me flitting about. I’m of to mark a few more papers and then I get a break to watch Lost Boys and sew diapers. Not exactly the combo my 16 year old original Lost Boy loving self would have envisioned 17 years in the future. Of course, mainly because 16yo me thought 28 was officially too old to have a baby.
First off, I am.
Happy that is.
Thank goodness as I’ve been a bit of a bummer lately.
Okay, so did I tell you all that I found a Vancouver based website that carries all the diapers I want to get (dream list) so the pressure is off for international ordering. I might be getting an inside line on some used via Annika, but if that doesn’t pan out I’m good with the online. Second awesome part is that I found a LOCAL STORE that has a whole bunch of what I want new for more money, but less worry. If I suddenly NEED something, it is there. It is next to the wonderful store that makes me dinner when Jim is busy with work or something like that. (Side note, best dinner place ever. They used to be caterers and now they make up wonderful dishes and freeze them and also have a selection of fresh options each day. Today I got for our dinner coconut curry chicken and marinaded veggies. YUM! They even sell rice or cornbread if you don’t want to do that part either.)
So yeah, the beeb store in town (not the place selling the death-trap strollers) has Bummis and Kushies. This includes the five pack of Kushies all in ones, 6 pack Kushies prefolds infant, Kushies diaper covers, Bummis Whisper wrap covers, Bamboozle (?) or something like that by Bummis, and other assorted goodies. Also I can register with them for any baby showers. They also carry awesome used beeb clothes for $1.99 a piece. Amazing onesies and and cute little outfits.
WHOO!
So we were in Vancouver for the past five days (hi Yonners!) and had a wonderful time. We wandered downtown, visited friends, ate mucho sushi, had Thai, Ethiopian, more sushi, went to Belly & Beyond where I bought another WONDERFUL pair of jeans with the full belly thing that comes up to my armpits. So comfy I think I might just keep wearing them - at least for big dinners like Christmas and Thanksgiving 
And two new to me tops that are super cute and funky.
Add to this a care package from Jill that arrived today with more maternity wear - and I think I’m going to make it through to June! Especially as Jill send some shorts and some t-shirts. Whew!
Thanks everyone, I’m feeling much better. I have found the past few days I wander around saying me and my beeby boy and rub my belly. I love rubbing my belly - this is the firmest it has ever been, I think!
In other news, I feel huge. Like, waddling huge. I can’t roll over because of my hip/back and I make very un-ladylike noises trying to get up from the couch. I get chalk on my belly in the classroom, I bump things with it, and it sticks out from my jackets. HA!
I’m going to need an advanced pulley system by seven months in order to get out of bed or off the couch. It will be a three ring circus, I tell ya!
So my belly has totally popped out more. Weird thing is, I’m not gaining any more weight lately. In total I’ve gained 9lbs, none this past week, but the past three days I’ve moved out of a number of pants. My jeans, my new black pants *sigh* - both no go any longer. All my pj bottoms hurt me, and yesterday my cute little low-rise panties informed me they were not going to be able to serve me any longer.
What the heck!!
(Of course, this is where Jim says “er, well you ARE pregnant…”)
Three of the nice transition tops I’ve been making due with also informed me today that they would no longer be comfy. And the worst part of it all is that stuff hurts to wear it. It rides up, it cuts, and it gives me tummy aches. So, I have boxes some stuff up and just moved it to the spare closet.
So mom and I went out today and The Bay (Canadian department store) had their Mat wear on for 50% off!! Yipee!!
I got a pair of mat jeans (real jeans! Not just blue polyester pants!) a cute top and the CUTEST dress ever! It is black with little white flowery things all over, silky smooth, comfy as all get-out, and was already discounted so it came to less than $20 with the 50% off! It has a real flowy feel to it and actually looks awesome with my new jeans under it too. You know that look, right? I’m wearing the dress tomorrow with my new tights, (new unders - thanks mom!), and my knee-high black boots. I looked at the Maternity panties at The Bay and they were so ugly (they didn’t have the lower mat panties, only the super-GRANNY ones. They made granny panties look like thongs. So we went to Pennington’s Plus Wear and got some 3x panties with little poodles and eiffle towers on them!)
I also bought a new pair of pjs in Plus Size which can also serve as lounge wear. I’m lounging right now. Grey drawstring pants with a HUGE t-shirt top. Beeb and I are so comfy right now!
I now have three pair of official maternity pants, so I hope that will get me through along with the maternity shorts my friend is sending me.
I had not realized how much work the clothing part of this would be [/naive]. But I hope this latest batch will round things out enough so I can get through fairly well from here. I have a pair of dress pants, jeans, black stretchy pants, seven maternity tops, unders, tights, and pjs. I don’t want to talk about needing to get a new bra. I’m not ready for that yet…
Now I’m just kinda settling in a little to the decisions we’ve made. I love my truck. LOVE! Got the free remote started installed today (I won it when I bought it by spinning the wheel - cheesy, yes. But cool to get a free starter regardless.) I’m excited to be moving down to the Okanagan, I’m freaked at making grown-up decisions, and I’m amazingly sad to be leaving my people at the Uni. I work with wonderful people. I have three days left. A whole crew is taking me out for lunch on friday.
I might cry just a teeny tiny bit.
I’m such a drama queen.
I gots me a new car. Jim doesn’t have to squish his head down when he is in this one. I am now, I believe, a grown up. But I still cried when I left my little green car behind. Oh - yep, I almost just cried again typing that. My little green car was the first new car I ever bought. I bought it all myself. I lurved my car but it wasn’t quite right any longer as it was kinda tiny and really low to the ground and it was starting to just not fit my life as much. It was my grad school car. I had it for 7 years and it was perfect. But yes, this is my new car. Whoo!
Today I’m getting to play with all my birthday gifts. As well, we went to the Farmer’s Market this morning and then walked over to the craft store most of my gifts had been bought from (Jim and Leone). As their gifts had put me over the $200 in purchases mark, I got my gift card from the store for $20 to spend in the store. Grandma and grandpa sent me some money for my birthday so I used that plus the $20 and got even MORE craft stuff!! Carmen also got me some new cutting tools so I’m cutting and stamping and using new paper and new punches (makes nifty corners) and new colours (ink) and and.. here are some pics of new stamps.
From Jim I got the leaf stamp, and at the store I saw the dragonfly stamp by the same company. I used some of the money from grandma and grandpa for the second stamp so I could make some really cool sets with the two images.
Leone got me this set of 18 mini flowers, vases, and leaves that I can mix and match. Each one is under and inch squared. SO CUTE. Jim got me a set of two (I can only find one pic) watercolour inspired flowers - the smaller image below.
I used some of the $20 credit towards this set of Japanese image stamps. Oh how I love these!
And I’ll post pictures of cards later this weekend (probably - but sometimes I get lazy and don’t take pictures). WHeee!!
Wow, there it is - class is done as of today. I keep having people exclaim how fast that went when I mention today’s my last day of teaching. I then give them the single unimpressed raised eyebrown in return. True - three weeks is super quick for a class to be done. But as the one teaching it and I’m sure as the ones taking it (let alone the ones at my home cooking me meals and rubbing my back and picking up the slack) - we shall say what an intensive three weeks it has been!
So papers are in, exam is written, and I have a stack of marking that will keep me busy for the next week. But no more prep and no more planning. Makes me both breath a sigh and get a little wistful. I love teaching. I loved my class. I’m alwasy a little sad when they end. But I’m SO looking forward to making cards this weekend!!! I got all these amazing stamps and papers and cutters and everything for my birthday. I will post any pictures!
xoxo
Birthday-girl
Okay, today has been… interesting. I’m sick. I had to teach this morning and work other job all afternoon. International movers call LAST NIGHT to say “we’ll be at the customs office at <some random wrong address> tomorrow at 8am, meet us there with international money order you just keep lying around your house for a few thousand dollars USD and here’s a blank-air spot where we’re probably saying our cell number.”
So, um, today has been interesting. Yes. Jim trying to explain where they need to go for Customs (we had already researched all this and I think we’re the only people in northern BC who knows the right place). There was the totally wrong place, the old place, and the new place as of last year. We knew the right one. At the airport - how random is that? And how FREAKEN FAR OUT OF TOWN!! I’m at work as I have to teach. Jim has no car to access. Airport is 20 min away.
Jim manages to catch airporter as it was right around the corner on it’s route. WHOOT! Nine bucks instead of 30. When he gets there the movers are kinda grumbly at Jim about, well, whatever. They are just kinda poopy and demanding and wanting him to have been there quicker (wha? we couldn’t have driven there quicker..).
They all go in to Customs and then they a got finger waggled at them by the customs dude (ha!) as they should have arranged things better - there is only one dude and if he was out or sick or if a flight had come in that could have meant waiting hours or even DAYS…. He tells them their company is not organized and this is not how they should do things. Not totally the moving dude’s fault, but a bit of a confirmation that the gong-show-ness is not from our end.
Then they have our wrong home address. That is taken care of. Then they won’t unload without full payment, I’m busy teaching enough of my class that they feel they got a class (our last week of classes), I’m using my lunch hour super early to run down to the bank and get the money order and run home, they’re threatening to charge us “waiting time” for at home and at the airport (WTF??) claiming they gave up 24 hours notice to get our side in order (not). I arrive to a pacing husband and a sister hearding kitties into the basement. Husband has phone the head office and made it clear how he feels about all this and the notion of a fee for waiting.
The movers? A dude and this little tiny lady. FOR REAL!
So they start taking stuff out and I hang for a minute to see if anything is going to explode. They are unloading all this stuff from other moves (huge truck) and we’re like - okay, if they couldn’t unload our stuff without payment (I dunno, fair enough) they certainly could have staged things a bit with the five other households between the end of the truck and our stuff….
I have to get to work. There is furniture all over the road and our lawn. I’m thinking “garage sale”, but have to get to work. I see this little old couple coming down the road who will probably try to buy something. Almost worth seeing what they want, but little old people at garage sales always just offer you way too little for things. I once had a lady once try to get me to drop the price on a little figuring. She kept pointing out it was chipped. I kept pointing out I was only charging twenty-five cents.
So yeah, Jim just called. The stuff is in the house. The movers are loading up the lawn furniture. The kitties are out of the basement and climbing everything. There was no demand for waiting fees so Jim’s call to head office paid off. Jim kept saying what a bummer of a birthday this had ended up being for me with the stress and the running around (let alone the sick and the working two jobs). But I’m just thinking, for the first time in all of this courtship, in the years and years of paperwork and everything, finally Jim and I have all our things together. We are totally living together, our stuff is together, we’re together.
Is a good birthday.
