PNE

Yesterday after my 39 week and 4 day appointment, Mom, Camia and I took our anual trip to the PNE. I was pretty sure - or at least not setting my hopes on that I could go to avoid setting myself up for disappointment -  that I would not make it to the PNE this year, and even though I would love nothing more than to not be pregnant right now I was hoping that Baby would first wait until after the 18th so I could get a pedicure. Then I wanted to wait until after the 21st so I could get my hair cut and coloured. Then I wanted to wait until after I went to the PNE. One thing I am refusing to do is play the waiting game. I refuse to sit at home and not make plans because 'what if I go into labour'. Then it will for sure take longer mentally, something I am not willing to deal with. It takes long enough already and to be fair, I have not even reached my due date yet. Now after those 3 things have been done, Baby can come any time now :).

We took off for the PNE at noon and after once again not really knowing where we were going, we found the sky train station at around quarter after 2. You'd think that since we do this every year we'd have a route memorized and know exactly where we had to go. So I am going to put it here on my blog so that next year I can refer back and think that we will have a route planned before we go...although the likelyhood of that happening makes me smile since I think deep down that even though it is here, written down, we still will not have a route planned. We keep saying that there is less adventure when you know where you are going ahead of time. After finding the sky train, we have to remember which station to get off at, and then which bus to catch to the PNE. And every year we don't remember. :) So here it is: Fraser Hwy takes us straight to Whalley, and after a right hand turn, you pretty much drive into the King George skytrain station, which is the beginning of the route. Get off at the 29 station and catch the #16 bus, whcih takes us pretty much to the front gates of the PNE. The busses and skytrain run until midnight, be sure to catch the #16 bus back to the 29 skytrain station and get off at King George to find the car back.

As per usual, Camia got a ride pass and we spent the majority of our time on the rides. And, since I am pregnant, I could not go on any of the rides, so Mom got to go on them with her, which was ok with me since I could take the opportunity to not walk and maybe put my feet up. And take pictures.

We started off on the skytrain

We  first caught the Superdog show.

 And then headed to the rides, where we spent the next 4 hours or so. It's amazing how quickly time flies when you're having fun.

 Even though it looks like someone might have coughed in her cereal, she did have a grand time on the rides! :)

 She braved the lines that looked so long - but weren't that long actually.

 She was a champ the whole time we were there.

She got to be the train operater and ring the bell, which made her day.

 The monstertrucks were probably one of her top favourites, it was bumpy and rough. Right up her alley.

 Love this picture of my Mom and Camia.

 After about a half second of convincing her that riding by herself was ok, she got on fearlessly and so independently while Mom and I watched from the sidelines. I remember from last year she got to go on some of the rides for the first time because she was tall enough and I felt all emotional because my baby was getting all growed up. *sniff*

 The slide was pretty fun for her

 And I love this picture too.

 This is another of her favourite rides - the motorcycles.

 She was allowed to have her face painted, and after some convincing, she picked these wings over spider man or some other ugly picture...not sure why she gravitated towards the scary pictures. She ended up loving this one. After waking up this morning, she was a little upset that it was almost gone. I am hoping that it comes out of her clothes. And her pillow.

 

 My Beauty. She was grand the whole time at the PNE, and when we got home at 11:30, she crashed almost the moment her head hit her pillow. Before she went to bed, one would never guess that she was exhausted since the whole way home she chatted about anything and everything and the whole time Ryan dressed her for bed she chatted about the fair. It was a good day. And I can't wait to do it again next year...this time with a wee 1 year old and a sweet 5 year old. Thanks Mom!

 

Lynden Fair 2012

For a family day in August, Ryan took a day off and we headed to the Northwest Washington Fair for an afternoon of fun. I thought I took more pictures, but as I look back, I see I didn't take that many. We decided to buy Camia a ride pass of 24 tickets, and once they were gone, that was it for rides. Since I wasn't allowed on any rides because I am pregnant, Ryan got to ride with her. Which I was ok with, becuase I got to take a few photos. She loved the merry-go-round and the bumper cars, I think she laughed the whole time while in the car with Ryan.

 

 

Camia got her face painted for fun

After the rides we checked out the animals in all the barns. She got to feed a calf, which she was thrilled with.

In an effort to cool down, we walked through the exebition barns for a while, where Camia found a display of Thomas, her current top toy.

It was a good day. It was warm, and tiring, but good to be together as a family.

Swimming

For the long weekend, we headed with friends to an outdoor swimming pool with the kiddos for some swimming and some sun. This is the pool where Camia discovered swimming with a life jacket, and gained so much more confidence in the water.

 

 While the women sat on the edge (my friend is also pregnant, due 4 weeks after me), the men played with the kids and had just as much fun as they did.

Beach

For the last couple weeks it has been hot outside, too hot to do anything productive, really....I am not complaining - or at least trying not to, anyways - since that won't help, but the only thing to do was head to the beach. We spent a good chunk of the last 2+ weeks at the beach, digging our toes in sand as well as our fingers

 and sometimes our whole bodies. Well, to be precise, her body, not mine. We swam...and even I did too. I am quite self-concious of my pregnant body and so have not worn my bathing suit at all this summer. For camping I borrowed a maternity bathing suit, but didn't wear it. With it being close to 40 degrees outside, I threw all feelings out the window, put on my suit and went swimming too. It felt so good to cool down my whole body instead of just my feet.  

 

Over the long weekend Camia discovered swimming with her life jacket. She had no fear. She went to the part of the lake where she could not touch and doggie paddled her way around.

 

My two children. 38 weeks along.

Sew Mamma Sew!

A couple of weeks ago I had to take it easy because I started having some really intense pain and contractions to the point where I almost called my midwife thinking I might be in labour. The contractions were shooting through my back, and after waiting a few hours, I decided that calling my midwife would be fruitless since I didn't really believe it was active labour. I decided that I had just pushed myself too hard and had too busy of a weekend. So, the following week I decided to take it easy and to distract myself from washing my floors and doing any other form housework, I decided to sew. I had a few projects that were sitting on my desk just waiting to be finished. Besides the cape from the previous post, I finished my quilt for Baby, and am quite pleased with the end result. I spent a little more than I usually do and bought a good quality minky fabric for the backing. It is super soft,

and Camia loves it too.

 

 In her imaginary play, Camia had a birthday party for her friends and requested a birthday cake. Even though baking a cake would have been faster, I thought making one would be better. This was she can have as many birthday parties as she wants, over and over again. Her only issue with this cake was that it only has 4 pieces. "I have more than 4 friends, Mom!".

 

 

I also finished my nursing cover, which is reversible able has pockets to house things like soothers and nursing pads.

 

I almost finished a play quilt for Baby, I just have to hand sew the binding on. For this quilt, I also used super soft backing, but instead of buying expensive fabric, I went to Costco and picked up a blanket for a fraction of the cost. Instead of using batting, I used two layers of this blanket to make it super soft and plush. I wanted it so that if baby rolls over, his/her head will not get hurt by having it bang on the floor.

The twisted fabric is so I can attach toys to the quilt and not have them either get swiped by bigger sister or have them get thrown off the quilt by a not-so-baby little person.

Camia has a little friend who has a lady bug apron and had been begging me to make her one as well. So, I borrowed the pattern and made Camia one of her own.

 

It felt great to get these projects off my desk and out of my WIP (work in progress) bins. One thing that might not be so nice is that Camia has figured out that if she wants something, I can probably sew it. Now she asks for me to sew her everything.

Super Hero

Camia has been pretending a few things these days. In order to encourage this type of play, I decided that it would be a good idea to grant her a wish for when she plays 'Superhero'. She asked for a superhero cape. So, for fun we headed to the fabric store in Bellingham and picked up some fabric to make a superhero cape. She picked out her favourite colours - pink and green - and I spent the evening turning it into a cape for her so she could play with it the next day.

 

In the morning after trying to play with it she told me she didn't like it. It was fair...it looked like this

It wasn't very comfortable. Online I went for a tutorial and some help. And, since my seam ripper and I are best buds, I spent some quality time with it and ripped that sucker apart. I made it into a cape. With a neckline. This is what it looks like now.

Much better. She can fly now.

And her, being the little diva that she is, picked out a blingy button to go with the bling that is on the cape. You can't see the bling, but the cape is made from pink chiffon with a layer of green tule-like fabric that has shiny gems all over it. You can actually see a bit of it in this photo. She was in her glory. Pink, green and bling. I don't think she could have been happier :)

Water Front Property

Here are some more photo's from my parents back yard. The water is now gone, and there is some damage from the water. Thankfully the extent of the damage is *only* a tree or two and dead grass (I remember being happy when we had water whiler growing up. It meant that while there was water we didn't have to mow, and when the water was gone, we still didn't need to mow because the grass was dead.).