Whitehorse so far....

So far no baby! Or even signs of the baby other than my sore hips. Here are the highlights of the last few days:

- Hunter barfing all over the medivac suite where we stayed our first night. All my fault since for some reason I thought it would be fine to give him McDonalds french fries and some of my milkshake. Where is my brain??
- Got settled in our other suite at Ravensong B&B. It is awesome.
- Visiting blogger Stacie and Hunter going dogsledding!! Pictures will follow once Mac is fixed.
- Being made fun of at the Mac dealership/repair place for having a laptop full of bird seed. I will now be paying out the nose to have it cleaned. I am also buying a hard cover, a keyboard cover and a lap-pad for it. Bill for all of that so far? Over $400.
- Had an amazing manicure/pedicure with a friend at Lilliepie Lotions. Oh my good god was it ever great. Over two hours of being pampered.
- We have yet to go the pool and it is killing me. All weekend was a huge hockey tournament and it was just too busy to brave going up there.
- Met with our contractor to pick out some stuff for the house. He is going to head out there while we are here to get a whole bunch of stuff done for us. I can't wait to see what it looks like when we get home.
- I have a bit of a sore throat that is being aggravated by nasty heartburn.
- We had a tour of the maternity ward and it looks wonderful. I am ready to be up there already!!

So all is good in Whitehorse, minus my sore throat and being awake since 4:30 this morning. Hunter is doing fine and spends everyday pointing out the cars around town for us just in case we miss them. I am already missing the quiet of Faro so hopefully baby makes a nice early appearance.

Best Response Ever!!

In response to my baby poll, Heather the amazing Yukon mommy of twin girls, a gazillion dogs and a cat wrote this:

I'm thinking this child will have:
10 fingers
10 toes
two eyes
&
one killer sense of humor
;)

The rest is entirely up to you!

Cheers
& enjoy

I love that.

I think it just hit me.

I am going to have another kid.

It really just hit me today, and I started to stress out. Poor Hunter felt those vibes and was a raving lunatic all day. I am not stressed about being organized because I am the queen of organized. Nearly everything is packed, to-do lists are shrinking, house is looking decent, etc. I think I am stressed because I am going to return with two kids instead of one.

None of our lives will be the same. I am worried about Hunter. For nearly two years he has been the centre of our attention. Now that attention has to be shared. I feel sad for him and I feel a bit sad for me. I love my little boy time and now I have to share that time as well. Am I worried about Matt? Nope. Not at all. My husband is as cool as a cucumber. He always seems to stay sane when I am losing my head.

Well I guess this is where my husband would say, "suck it up princess and get over it", so I will! Now on to the funny stuff because I cannot stand to be mopey for longer than two paragraphs.

The boy, as I said before, was a raving lunatic all day. The funniest was when I got out of the shower. He plays in our room which connects to the main bathroom while I have my shower. When I got out I see him up on our bed with the white cat. Totally normal. I walk in and see he took the whole dish of kitty kibble up there with him and is trying to feed it to the cat. He has also taken the toilet plunger and has it on the cats butt! As soon as he looked at me he panicked and tossed the whole dish of kibble over the edge of the bed. Kibble everywhere! Crazy kid. I wonder what he was planning on doing with that toilet plunger...

Later in the afternoon he sees me packing up the suitcases/rubbermaids. He starts carrying around his favorite fleecy blanket which he calls Ah-nie (no clue what this means at all) as though he is worried that we won't bring it. He opens up the washing machine door and shoves it in. No worries, he puts stuff in there all the time. Then as I am in the kitchen I hear some beeping. I peek around the corner to see him hit the start button (you have to hit the same button twice to make it work) and there goes the fleecy for a bath!! He starts to panic when he sees the water hitting his fleecy through the window and tries to open the door. But it locks once it is on! Poor kid really loses it!! I could not stop laughing. So we sat in front of the washing machine and watched it go round and round together.

He started to get pissy in the evening and bit Matt on the leg!! I bet we will be seeing more of this kind of behaviour once the baby arrives. Please send me suggestions about how to manage a jealous sibling!!

Sledding!

Our son is a little adrenaline junkie! There is a little skidoo trail a few houses down and he loves going down it on his sled. No fear at all. And ignore my spelling on the title!! I have no brains right now.

Dreading Labour.

It is 3 in the morning and I am awake. It started with a pee break, then the cat trying to lick my armpit (our cat is damn odd), and now I am hungry and eating cereal. Lucky Charms taste great at 3am!

With only three weeks until my due date I am starting to think about the labour and delivery part. Blah. My last experience was horrible. Here is a quick summary of that:

Sunday 0300: water breaks at hotel. Husband is a 6 hour drive away at a wedding. I head to hospital.
Sunday 0800: husband arrives at hospital exhausted. I am bored because nothing has happened yet!
Sunday 2300'ish: I get induced. Being induced sucks.
Monday 0700: Inducing drugs were exponentially increased all morning and I make it to a whopping 3cm. It is hell. Doula that is hired to help me have a natural labour quietly whispers to me "sweetie, I think you should get the epidural".
Monday 0900: I face my horrible fear of a needle in my spine and get the drugs.
Monday 0930: I love drugs.
Monday 1600: For the love of God I am finally at 10cm. I get to push!
Monday 1643: I have a boy!
Monday 1645: I hemorrhage. Lots of people in scrubs come in to help. Uterus won't contract, I am filling up with blog clots. Doctor has to manually clean out the blog clots (at this point I am thanking the drugs gods that I do not have to feel this). Uterus is massaged from the outside by one doctor (it left wicked bruises) and inside by another doctor. Stitches are done for some internal and external tearing. I get lots of drugs to stop the bleeding..... sometime in here I pretty much pass out.
Monday 1830: I wake up! I have a baby boy! ummmm why have my drugs wore off? I don't want to feel this!
Tuesday 1100: Hospital is so full and husband is a nurse so we get punted back to our hotel.

For the gong show my labour was, I felt pretty good by the time we were back at the hotel. The parting advice from my labour doctor was the next time I walk into the hospital ready to pop out a kid I am to say, "hi, my name is Kara, I am a bleeder, give me an epidural", which I will have no problems saying this time around!! I do not want to feel the work they could possibly have to do to me again after the kid comes out. I am just praying that I don't have to be induced this time around.

The armpit licking evil cat is sitting here all cute and purring. I think she is trying to convince me to go back to bed. I have a massive to do list to finish before I head to Whitehorse on Friday so I guess I had better listen.

Baby Lottery!!

Alright, time to get your bets in! Of course there will be prizes (unknown as of now). But I doubt anything as good as the spiffy car I received after guessing the almost exact weight of Michael and Fawns gorgeous baby Halia.

So send in your your guess as to date, time, weight, and sex.

And here are the helpful hints:

- I am due April 15th
- Hunter arrived 8 days early
- Skeletor has not dropped yet
- I am positive I am carrying a boy, while Matt is dead sure that it is a girl


Good luck everyone!!

**anyone saying that I will be overdue will be receiving evil thoughts!

Can you recommend a spa?

Hey there Whitehorsians!

I want to treat myself to a manicure/pedicure when I hit Whitehorse. I don't know what to look for in a spa since I have only had my nails done once when I got married!

I had heard that Lilli Pie Lotions is a nice place to go. Any suggestions?

Baby Wrap Moccasins

I get a heap of hits from people looking for Baby Wrap Moccasins. Let me help you out!

There is a great little pattern at www.macpheeworkshop.com. Go under patterns, then click on other. Look for pattern #704.

Hope this helps you out!

Ice Worm Squirm

This afternoon Faro held a little winter festival that was a blast! While the turnout wasn't the best, the people that were there made it a lot of fun. We had been in Ross River for the morning visiting, so we missed the first hour and a half of the fun in Faro, but we still got to participate in some activities.

The fun began when Matt whipped a chunk of wood for this pudgy little dog to fetch. Well my hubby threw it into a fenced off ball diamond and the dog climbed the snow bank and went over the fence to get it. The snow on the other side was all powder and the dog was over its head digging in it. It was so funny to watch the dog!! So Matt had to rescue the dog before it was lost forever in the deep snow.

We roasted some hotdogs and I enjoyed some hot chocolate. The weather was beautiful at about -10 with a bit of wind and lots of sun.

Then Matt took part in the log sawing competition and won 1st place with 25 seconds to cut his chunk of log. Of course I was very proud of my nurse beating out both the RCMP and CO. Nice prize too! An oil/filter change worth $65 and a camping pillow.


Hunter spent the two hours just wondering around visiting with the kids. Here he is helping/hindering the building of a snow fort:


My outdoor loving boy:


The three and soon to be four of us!


The only activity I was sad that we missed was the dogsledding. By the time we were going to head over there, the dogs were tired and heading home.

What a wonderful Saturday!

First Day of Spring

And guess what it is doing here?

Yep, it is snowing.

Playgroup

Twice a week we head to the rec centre for playgroup. Funding was graciously provided by Recreation and Parks Association of the Yukon. Hunter loved the time to play with other kids and to have a large space to burn off energy while the weather was cold.

Yesterday was our final day until next fall, and lucky us it fell on St. Patrick's Day! We held a fun luncheon and invited family and other members of the community.

Trying on our hats!


The kids table:


The kids table filled with the most adorable kids ever!


The boy after devouring a cupcake! The icing went right up his nose of course.


Cupcake face and dad:

36 week tummy shots!

Today while we were at the rec centre for a St. Patricks lunch with the playgroup, Matt snapped a couple of pictures of my humongous tummy!

Here I am at 36 weeks!


Even a bit of white tummy to show:



And just for some comparison, here I am at 37 weeks with Hunter back in June of 2007. I think I am much bigger this around, even though I am almost the same weight in both of these pictures.

Five ways to tell a Northerner has lived in Nunavut

Okay, if you have lived in Nunavut or still are you have to go and give this a read!! Oh my gosh is it ever funny!!

Five ways to tell a Northerner has lived in Nunavut.

#5 is awesome. Whitehorse is like kindergarten for Northerners!

So I guess I am a Nunavut-weenie by most of this criteria!

I want it!!!

You know, my black shotgun just doesn't seem that spiffy compared to this one:



I think it would match my new green quad quite well!

Missing Work

Today for some reason I find myself missing my job. I was very challenged at my job in Kugluktuk and really did enjoy it, even with all of the problems.

Tonight I was looking at Masters programs available by correspondence. It sounds good for a minute or two, but then I shake my head and realize how much I wanted this. The opportunity to stay at home and be a hands on parent. We worked our butts off for four years so that we would be financially secure enough to become a one income family.

I think I just miss learning. Not that staying at home with a toddler isn't learning!! I am missing an academic challenge. I signed up for French classes in town and I am loving my one hour a week in the classroom. After that hour I crave more learning. Perhaps that is why I am liking sewing with fur and leather so much. I find it challenging to come up with patterns and figure out new techniques to make my final product have a more finished look to it.

In the future, I am sure I will continue with my career. Sometimes though I am not sure the extra money is worth it. Both parents on the go, trying to coordinate vacation time, trying to have quality family time, etc. Life just seems so simple with only one adult out of the house having a job. Who knows, maybe my career will be put on long term hold while we raise our kids. And so far my mitten/bootie making is giving me enough fun money that I am content.

Anyone else out there feel like this? I would love to hear any opinions on the topic!

Poo!!!

The boy did his first poo on the potty today! I never knew I could get so excited about seeing a big turd in the toilet.

:)

Just give me a catheter already!

I only have five weeks (or less!) to go with this pregnancy. Skeletor is trying out for the Olympic Soccer or Kickboxing team, not sure which one yet. My legs feel as though they are going to fall right out of the hip sockets. But the worst part has to be the peeing! I wake up ever hour to hour and a half to pee at night!! I am at the point I would love for my nurse-husband to give me a catheter just so I can sleep all night!!!!

Outside Smiles

My goofy boy giving smiles for the camera:


A super duper scrunched up face smile:


When did I become the owner of a little boy??


Helping Dad! Check out my awesome new stairs. Our contractor re-did the mess the last contractor did. These are great!


And look at my new windows!! Outside and inside trim will be done at a later date. I love my new windows!

The missing apple and more

About a month ago Hunter hid/lost/did who knows what with his the apple he was eating that day. He loves to take an entire apple and munch away at it all day. Yesterday the contractor moved around everything in our bedroom so they could install a new window and guess what I found!

Doesn't this look yummy:


Hunter loves the Lazy Susan cupboard. He hides toys and his snacks in it. Stealing food out of it is also a favorite pastime. Here he is loading up his dump truck with salad dressing and beans:


And after two weeks of sitting at a real chair at the table, he decided he wanted to be in his high chair for snack time. He also demanded that his puppy come to snack time with him. What a cute kid I have!

I am going to live forever!

Optimistic women live longer, study finds

Updated Fri. Mar. 6 2009 8:59 AM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Those who always seem to see the proverbial glass as half-full are more likely to outlive those who see it as half-empty.

U.S. researchers reported at the American Psychosomatic Society's annual meeting Thursday that they found a strong correlation between optimism and a person's risk for early death, cancer, and heart disease.


******

That is just part of the article. I am definitely going to live forever then. Maybe this article could encourage other women up here to think happier thoughts!!

Oh the joy of Timbits!!!

Today.... or would that be yesterday? I don't know, it is 3:30am and of course I am awake again. Blah!

Okay- so I guess yesterday then, our contractor arrived from Whitehorse to begin installing our windows. His other (better?) half turns out to be another blogger that I have of course read. She had read on my blog about my love for Timbits last week, so she made sure the contractor arrived with a big box of Timbits for me!

Thank you Karyn!! Northern Bloggers are seriously the best.

Win-Win

A good friend of ours is running a half marathon this spring to raise money for LLS. Here is what the LLS is all about:
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. Since its founding in 1949, LLS has invested more than $550.8 million for research specifically targeting blood cancers.

She has teamed up with her father, who is a children's entertainer, to fundraise. The deal is you go to his website and for every $10 you spend on a down loadable childrens album, $5 will go towards her fundraising. The kids music is great!! Very original stuff.

So please help out a good cause and enjoy the kids music!!

**********
Here is the email our friend sent around with all of the links:


Hey everyone,

If you're getting this message from me, I believe you have young kids at home and/or you are a teacher. My Dad has come up with a great way to help me raise some money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), which will help me meet my Team in Training (TNT) fund raising goal.

All you have to do is click on this link:

http://www.duncanwells.ca/fundraisers/LLS.htm

For $10, you can download one my father's albums of childrens music. $5 of that will go to my fund raising efforts.

For those of you who do not know, my father is an award winning children's entertainer! You can learn more about him and his music at http://www.duncanwells.ca

If you would prefer to just donate to the cause, you can do so by clicking the following link:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/tn/cmc09/slyle

As most of you know, I am training to run the Country Music 1/2 Marathon, and I will run to honor 3 special people. Jonnae Taylor, who lost her battle to leukemia in 2008, as well as 2 family members who are CURRENTLY battling lymphoma.

If I can raise another $200 in the next 3 days, I am eligible to win $250 towards my fund raising campaign!!

Thank you so much for your support,
Sarah :)

Completed Seal Mittens!

I finished off my first pair of seal mittens made from an actual pelt instead of recycling a coat. I agonized over the best way to cut the pelt as to waste as little as possible. Then I managed to sew the liners in upside down!! Arrgggg, I hate having no brain while pregnant. So tonight I took them out and stitched them in the right way. This pair is off to its new owner in Ontario tomorrow.

Of course my crappy picture taking abilities do not show off how pretty these turned out!

Mr. Trouble

The boy is hilarious. Last week I set down a little snack for him, bunny graham crackers and water. While I checked my email he disappeared. I thought he just went to his room to get a toy. Then I looked over and his snack was missing too. Hmmmmm.... So I gave a yelling asking where are you. He yelled back "cat!". Joy. The kitties hang out on our bed during the day and Hunter climbs up there no problem. So I thought I would go and investigate. I actually filmed a cute little video, but am having issues getting it to upload. I will keep trying though. Here are some pictures of what the boy did with his snack.

Oh! Hi mama! Me and da kittehs are having snack time togever. Dey weally weally wike cookies.


Freak (white cat): "Death to the boy. He is giving me cooties. Get him off me now!"
Tweak (grey cat): "I would have preferred tuna."
That is my finger pointing to the cookies the boy was feeding them. He was taking them one at a time and trying to feed them to each cat. He was also kind enough to offer his sippy cup of water to the kitties.


This kid sure does make me laugh!

Do you think the snow is gone yet?

That was the first thing I said to my husband this morning! Sadly, there is still a crap load of snow. So the spiffy new quads will be living the next couple of months in the trailer. We went out to inspect our new toys this morning. Hunter was in love!! Him and I went back inside after about twenty minutes outside since it was still -25 this morning. Matt stayed outside getting the trailer parked in the yard and unloading more stuff. Poor Hunter bawled his eyes out when we came inside! Between having to leave his new toys, and dad getting to stay outside without him, he was heartbroken. It took me about fifteen minutes to get him calmed down. I think I have a quad junkie on my hands.

Hunter and mommy sitting on daddy's new quad:


I touched it first- so it is mine! All Mine!!


Now behind Hunter is the picture above, you see my new stove box.... Only one problem. They sent Matt home with the wrong stove!! ARRGGGG!! We figured this out only after we take ours to the dump. So I called The Brick and I was pretty pissy. Turns out another stove will not arrive for a month!! Luckily (for them!) they are letting me keep this one for a month and then will pay to have A-1 deliver the new one to Faro and take back this one.

My awesome husband brought me back Timbits. I ate 18 of them last night!! Matt took two as his shipping and handling fee. They were delicious! I didn't even share with the boy. I am such a mean mom. Ah well, I can live with that.