from west to east

34 1/2 weeks!

38 days until I'm due! EEK! Is this the home stretch? I don't feel overly huge - not like I thought I'd feel at 35 weeks, but the weeks are passing and the days getting thinner and thinner. Sleep is also getting thinner, and for both of us. There are nights when I'll sleep like the dead, and then wake up to find that Steve was up for a few hours in the middle of the night; then, there are other nights where the roles are reversed, and Steve will sleep well and I'll be up. Could it be that both of our bodies are getting ready for bebe? I don't think I'm woken up by the jumping bean moving about in there, but hmmm... it's possible. And as far as Steve goes, I'm just hoping that he's subconsciously training himself to get up in the early hours for feedings and diaper changes. We shall see.

I started a blog on Monday and never finished it. Recap: Vancouver was amazing, and the only real mentionables are that ooh! I bought maternity jeans, we had some great dinners with my parents, a great evening with Rod and Colleen and family, saw friends, and went for some good walks, including one around the Lynn Canyon Suspension bridge and another at the Capilano fish hatchery. The trip to the hatchery was initiated by Steve, and my mom and I happily went along. The whole phenomenon of the trip these salmon make to their spawning grounds - the incredible journey - is so amazing; would we, as humans, survive as a race if we suddenly had to make an epic, self-powered voyage in order to propagate? It would definitely be a survival of the fittest, as it is for so many species. Maybe (or surely) people would train for the event, and run and cycle and row and go to the gym not with a regatta or marathon (or bathing suit) in mind but with the journey to the top of Mt Delivery in their sights. It's amazing what some species do: the penguins? Amazing. Turtles? Also amazing.

At the hatchery last Wednesday


What a journey... and they find their way back home! Incredible...

And moving on. We've been back since Friday, and had a great weekend with my 20 year-old cousin Duncan. He stayed with us on Saturday night, and we got out and about to a few places, including Sears, twice. (Woops. Another woops? He got to witness me buy a breast pump... thrilling! It was 50% off, so I couldn't say no.) On Saturday we did errands, cruised the Byward market, made pizzas for dinner, and watched hockey. Sunday, we made the most of a super beautiful day and checked out the Mackenzie King Estate in Gatineau Park. The grounds were beautiful - lots of golden leaves and fall colours - and we spent a few hours walking around and exploring the property. And then... Monday rolled around and Steve went back to work! The full-time training centre started, and he is one sore dude. The knee seems better, but he's taking things slowly SO... so far so good. I started volunteering at the Coaches Association of Canada on Tuesday, and will do that a few times a week until either a. I have the baby or b. the Petro-Canada Sport Leadership Conference comes and goes. The conference looks amazing - totally my cup 'o tea, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to volunteer and check out some of the goings-ons. I suppose that the chances that I'll go past my due date are pretty good, so, with week of leeway in between conference and due date, I may be fine.





We are getting closer and more set up as the weeks fly by. We have a change pad and a crib, a bassinet stand, and I made my first diaper purchase yesterday - ! There I was in the diaper aisle at a massive Loblaw's, probably looking completely overwhelmed by the number/variety of diapers stuffed into the shelves when a super sweet woman (about my age maybe) made some very helpful recommendations. Honestly, why do there have to be so many different kinds! Ugh! We are thinking we'll start with disposables, and might try a service run by a store out in Kanata that lets you try out a few different kinds of cloth diapers before making any purchases. Again, we shall see. We've been trying to be economical shoppers (we've had some luck with kijiji, and the same goes for some consignment stores) BUT... in my quest to find some cool art for room #2, I came across this amazing French company e-glue that makes the most creative wall decals... and I want! They are amazing. Some links, some pictures, and then I'm out of here...

Above and below from e-glue; there are so many other super cool decals... love!


On Etsy: Artwallproject, Simple Shapes; walnutz and design with a z have some neat ones too...