Measuring Perfectly...

...you look fantastic... heartbeat right on... every thing's great... All words that I love hearing when coming from my doctor's lips! Baby is doing great. Kicking harder and harder everyday. Apparently baby still has a lot of room to flip flop in there. Got to check the heartbeat twice and it was 142 and then 147. Hmmm... what old wives tale can we come up with to determine the type of baby this is?? I go back and forth. At first I was sure it was a girl. Then I totally changed my mind and for a long time I thought that it was a boy. Now I'm back to thinking that it's a girl again. Christien thinks it's a girl. Cleo thinks that it's a boy. My dad said that he will make his prediction over Christmas. I wish there was some sort of sign... Next ultrasound is on Thursday and it's very tempting to find out. But we're going to wait. It's making it more fun. It's not like it really matters to us one way or the other. Right now we know that the baby is healthy and that's the best news I could possibly ask for. I want that surprise at the end of labour. Not knowing will help me to push past the pain to find out. It will make it even more exciting. I'm starting to have dreams about what the baby will look like. I cannot wait to meet this little one. See who it looks like. 2010 is going to be a crazy, wonderful year full of surprises and first. I cannot wait.

Bucket List

I created this list a few months ago when everyone was talking about bucket lists, and I revisited it the other day. It's not too bad. There are quite a few "big ticket" items on it, but when I think about it, they are really things that I'd like to do and see, so might as well have them down in print and see if that pushes me towards them.

1) Scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef
2) Plan a party or a wedding and get paid to do it
3) Have my own garden
4) Visit London
5) Get pregnant and experience a normal pregnancy, where I end up with a child at the end of 9 months.
6) Race a rally car
7) Take a photography class
8) Go to Vegas with Christien
9) Learn to play guitar
10) Visit Paris
11) Write a children’s book
12) Get a dog
13) Visit Spain
14) Go back to Greece for my 10th anniversary
15) Have a salt water fish tank
16) Complete a half triathlon
17) Get fit and stay that way
18) Own a boot camp franchise
19) Have a dream kitchen
20) Take a cooking course. In Bali
21) Visit Brazil (see the rain forest)
22) Learn sign language
23) Swim with the dolphins
24) Take a hot air balloon ride
25) Do the West Coast Trail
26) Whale watch in Tofino
27) Whale watch in St. John’s
28) Dolphin watch in Bali
29) Drive an environmentally friendly car
30) Mardi Gras in New Orleans
31) See the pyramids in Egypt
32) Visit Stonehenge in England
33) Visit Easter Island
34) Go on a backpacking trek to Thailand
35) Road trip to Seattle (Pike Place, baseball game, underground city)
36) Go to Montreal
37) Go on a trip with my friends and their spouses
38) Visit Italy
39) See Mars as the closest it will ever be to earth in my lifetime (August 27, 2009)
40) Build a habitat for humanity home
41) Volunteer at the children’s hospital
42) Grow a successful herb garden
43) Become financially literate
44) Go for walks every night
45) Watch the 10 greatest movies of all time
46) Start my own business
47) Go on a safari in Africa
48) See Madonna in concert (preferably in Vegas with my girlfriends)
49) Create a photography bucket list
50) Practice yoga more regularly
51) Go to the Kentucky Derby
52) Write in my journal everyday

Spruce Meadows Christmas Market

Middle of November is the perfect time to get into the Christmas spirit. Candice had wanted to go to the Spruce Meadows Christmas market for some time, and was able to cross this off her bucket list today. Jasmine, Amber and I joined her. It was a fun morning. Jasmine and I were the only ones who left with any purchases. The market was quite big, with three different pavillions to visit plus a few booths outside. I was hoping to find some ornaments for our parents and for our tree, but there was just too much to choose from. Here is my one, super cute, ornamental purchase.

He is going to look fantastic out front!

Christien's dad gave us tickets to Tuesday's hockey game. Third row, right behind the penalty box in club seats! Can't go wrong with that. It's too bad that I'll have to miss yoga to go, however, it'll be fun to go to a hockey game with Christien. We haven't been to one together in ages. I'm looking forward to it.

A Year's Worth of Books ~ Year Three

I love book club.

I am so happy and proud that we've been able to keep it going for the last 2 whole years. There have been a few stumbles where we've had to either cancel a meeting for the month, or move it further along in the month, but all in all it's been a huge success.

I love book club because I really enjoy reading. I find that I read way more often because I take the train to and from work. That gives me a total of 1 hour a day that I am just sitting there, with every opportunity to read. I like to read a bit before I go to bed as well. Helps me wind down at the end of the day. And in the summertime, I can read and read and read. Nothing like being at the beach with your chair right at the water's edge, soaking up the sun and a good book. I think that I made it through 2 or 3 when I was in Kelowna for a week last summer.

I love book club is because it gives me one day a month to reconnect with my girlfriends. Sometimes we'll see each other more then at the once a month book club meeting, but other times it's the only time that I'll see some of them. It's always a different night with these ladies. Sometimes we go out and chat, sometimes we get dinner made for us, sometimes we drink a lot of wine, sometimes we report more on what's going on with People magazine or on Lainey gossip. It's always a great time and full of laughs.

I love book club because over the last two years I have read so many different books. A lot of them books that I would have never picked up myself. Some I loved. Some, not so much. I am happy to say, that since its start, I have read every single book that has been on our book club list. From start to finish. I might not have made every meeting, but I've read all the books. I am proud of myself for sticking with it.

I love that book club has been a stepping stone to other friendships and other interests. People might think that a group of 8 different girls might make for a crazy club, however it's made our little group even closer. There are lots of different things that I'm introduced to because of these girls and for that I am thankful. I also really love that all of our husbands and boyfriends all get along. Bonus no matter how you look at it.

This year for book club we've done things a bit differently. The first year, Christine, Shannon and I sat down over lunch and picked out 12 books that we were going to read for book club. We then recruited some girls and it went from there. Last year we all got together and everyone had 2 picks that they threw in a hat and books were chosen that way. This year we picked the hosts for the 12 months of book club and that host is in charge of choosing 3 different books to present to the members, and from there we vote. This way, it'll be more of a group choice rather then having the responsibility fall all on one person's shoulders. This month, Christine graciously hosted and took us out for amazing Thai food and brought us back to her place for birthday cake for Jasmine. We've chosen to read:

I am really enjoying this book so far. It very much reminds me of The Thirteenth Tale. Kind of suspenseful. I'm curious about a lot of the stories that she is getting into. I don't know where it's going to go from here, but I'm really liking it. And so far I'd recommend it!!

100 Days

This time it's a countdown to baby Short. Wow. 100 days doesn't seem like a long time at all. As of tomorrow we'll be in the double digits for countdown days. Very exciting. Baby is moving and growing like crazy. Giving me pains all the time, but I know that they are good growing pains. Had a friend over the other day and she laughed when she was looking through the baby's dresser. We are ready. I guess with the though of Christien's birthday and Christmas in between now and when the baby is due, I know that I'll have a lot to do for those, that I might as well get done what I can while I have the time. Everyone seems to think that I'll be so bored and impatient waiting for the baby to come by being finished work on the 1st of February. However, in reality, I'm looking forward to just relaxing and taking time to get a few things done around the house. Laundry spread over a couple of days. Dinner on the table every night when Christien gets home from work. Maybe ever get to work on my honeymoon scrapbook that I've started by haven't looked at for months. I'd like to get our wedding pictures into a scrapbook too. So for all of you who are worrying that I'll drive myself crazy, don't fret. I'm very much looking forward to taking a bit of time for myself before the baby comes.

Yoga with a Friend

Started up another cycle of yoga last night, and was happy to have Christine to go with. I know yoga is supposed to be a practice that's all about you, and in the case of pre-natal, about you and your baby, but it's nice to have someone to go with all the same. I've been finding it beneficial but am still having a hard time with the late start time. So having Christine to go with is going to make it easier to bundle up and get out of the house for the 7:45 class. Small class yesterday, but still nice and relaxing.

November is going to be a quick month, I think. Already have this week, and next week mapped out. And plans booked for this weekend, the weekend of the 21st and the weekend of the 28th. So, basically, there goes November. Always nice to have a short week plopped in there somewhere too. I'll be needing it by next week. Planning on meeting new baby Victoria this weekend, having dinner with some friends I haven't seen in ages, seeing a cousin I haven't seen in about 20 years and meeting up with Bea, who it feels like I haven't seen in 20 years. Fun weekend followed by a short week brings me to the middle of November!

Mum and dad left for Cuba this week. Their first all inclusive. Pretty impressive for two people who have travelled their whole life to finally be experiencing an all inclusive in their 60's. They were turned onto it after Ty, Stacey, Christien and I all went all inclusive to Mexico last year. They were very excited and are going to have a great time. Nothing like 2 weeks on the beach! They get back on the 18th and are going to turn around and head to Calgary for a little pre-Christmas shopping and a visit. Will be nice to show off the nursery, or at least what we have done with the nursery.