Oh the tears!

In an effort to get Miss E to bed early so she'll wake early for daycare, I put her down at 7:30 last night...instead of 8. Well, it didn't quite work how I planned. You'd think having her sleep in would be a good thing. Not so much when I'm trying to head out the door at 10 to 7. This morning, I had to wake her at 20 to 7, having made her breakfast and packed it up so she could have it at daycare. Well, she cried at being woken up, and all through getting dressed. But the water works REALLY took off when the kitchen light was off and she realized she wouldn't bet getting in her high chair for breakfast. She plunked her but down in the doorway, clutching her blanky and cried. I felt TERRIBLE! But I knew she would be fine once she got to daycare and had her cereal. I tried to explain to her what we were doing but she didn't calm down till after we were in the van and on the way. When I set her up at daycare with her breakfast, all was right in her world. Which made mama real happy. :)

After that whole ordeal, I got my butt into Curves for my work out...half asleep I might add. It's my own damn fault. Hil lent me Season 1 of Grey's Anatomy and I stayed up late watching episodes 2-4. Man, it's good. And boy, do I ever love watching it on DVD. No commercials (yes, I realize it's my business) and you get to follow the story better than waiting a week for the next episode. Tonight I MAY be going out but if not, I think I'll continue watching and get 3 episodes in...maybe 2 so I won't be up so late. :) Anyway, we'll see.

Not much new at home. DH had school last night for his apprenticeship. He had 2 tests he studied for all day. He got 100% on the chapter test and 96% on the "big" test. DH was not what you'd call a great student in school. It's not that he's stupid, he's just lazy. But now that he's doing something that interests him, his marks are stellar!! Thursday night's his big induction night in the union. Thank goodness because he's been off work nearly 2 weeks. As a union member, he'll be able to bump someone to get back to work. Yeah, it sucks for that person but that's what the union is for...protection. It's not like he hasn't had his share of layoffs. He worked for 1 week in November of 05 and wasn't back to work again till mid January 06. Anyway, we're really excited. We need him back to work. We've got a mortgage to pay and daycare. Thank goodness for dear MIL whose helping out with groceries. Hopefully this will be the last rough patch for a while.

Well, I must be off. Just wanted to check in. Oh, one more thing. My folks may be visiting in February. So excited to see them and for them to see E. Should be really fun!!

~B

What a kid. ;)

Last night DH & I went to E's daycare for a Parent Meeting. They had a guest speaker (Liz) and showed video of the kids during their music class (on Tuesdays). Well, what a hoot! The footage was taken from last week when poor E was really sick and a bit lathargic (sp?). Still, you could tell she enjoyed the singing. There was 1 point when they passed a plush dog around to each child, they'd sing a song and then pass it to the next child. When E got it, she kept bouncing the doggie on her lap. All the parents laughed and said how sweet she was. ;) Made me and DH especially proud. And it was just precious to see all the kids...and the levels of learning. The music teacher did the same program in every room. You could see the progression of understanding and the older they got, the more the children participated. It was a beautiful sight.

Back to the guest speaker. Liz was very entertaining. She said she wasn't an expert but she didn't need to be. She ran a daycare for 23 years, before that raised 2 children, before that was a teacher, so I think she's well qualified. She shared with us her observations of why children behave the way they do. Kids don't bite to be mean, they're trying to get your attention. She said not to punish a toddler when they bite/hit/break things because they don't know any other way to communicate. She said you can tell them firmly that "we don't bite" but not to overreact. If you punish the child, they will only stew and wonder why they're in trouble, because they were just trying to be heard. Now when they're older and have those skills to communicate, then you can reason and ask why the child bites, and stress that "we don't bite." Anyway, it was all good food for thought. The big things I took away from our discussion is to offer choices, treat E the way I want to be treated, let her know there are consequences to her actions, and that music is very beneficial to kids. If you want to know more, I have 2 hand outs at home that I can share.

Well, that was my night. There's not much exciting going on today. Glamour Jesus is off to Montreal to see his future husband JT. :) JOSEPH: If Cameron shows up, go for the face. She won't dare stick around if you mess up her pretty face. But watch out, she probably use her Charlie's Angel's moves on ya!

~B

Living for the Weekends!

Man, I love weekends. Problem is, they're way to short. Gone before you know it! Friday night, we were supposed to go out but our plans were rescheduled and we stayed in. Good thing since E wasn't feeling well. God love her. I was/am skeptical about the puffer she's got. It opens her lungs to she can breath better, but doesn't help with any of the cold/cough symptoms. I hoped she'd get something that would help her cough up the junk in her chest. Anyway, despite my skepticism, she slept well all weekend. So, Friday night we rented a movie. But...I got into the sauce and passed out half way through Pirates of the Carribean 2. A barely remember DH dragging me to bed. So funny!

Saturday, MIL & I went to Geo Valentino's and got our hair done. Then to the grocery store to pick up a few things and back home. Spent some time with E before going over to Hil & Hayley's. Took them for groceries and went to their place for a girly night. Shay came over too. We gorged on some yummy food (healthy and not so much). :) Then we played Scene it! Very fun. And did facials (courtesy of Shay) and manicures (courtesy of moi). The oatmeal honey facial was delicious. The chocolate sugar scrub was really nice on the hands...but not very tasty. :) Didn't mean to have a late night but it was 2:30 before I shut my eyes. D!OH!

Sunday morning we went to mass. Deacon David Shortt performed the service. He baptised E. He was very surprised to see how big she's gotten. Sunday afternoon we had the Diagle/MacMullin/Laurie clan over for turkey dinner. Shay, hubby Mark, kids Phaedra and Deylin; sister Amber and daughter Mya; and mother Mel & hubby Reg. Add in our 4 and it was a very full house. But very fun and extremely delicious! We had turkey with all the trimmings, SFL cranberry sweet potato bake, no sugar apple crisp and blueberry crisp. Everyone had a very full belly, that's for certain. Love having get togethers like that. Makes for a very nice family day.

Well, off to do some work. Have a great day.
~B

UPDATE

So E's not in any serious danger with her chest cough. It's not in her lungs, no fever or ear infection. Just a runny, snotty nose, teary eyes and bad cough. The Dr. prescribed a puffer so that should be interesting. If I let her play with it and the "mask" thingy, hopefully she'll be cool with it. The Dr. asked if I was using a vaporizer (told her yes, it wasn't helping much and that it's messy). I asked her if I should use cool mist and she said no. Hopefully the puffers will do the trick and that'll be it.

For me, the Dr. prescibed a new nasal spray. The ones I was using stung and I didn't like how they made me feel. Maybe this one will help me feel better. She thinks my nasal problems are from allergy. I think I'll keep the allergy meds up too...just in case. BTW, thanks for your lovely praise today!!

Have a great wknd!
~B

Going Braless!

Not on purpose, mind you! I forgot to pack it in my gym bag. So I had to wear my sports bra. Which shows when wearing the shirt I was going to wear to work. So I'm sitting at my desk, with my gym shirt on and the sports bra unnoticably underneath. What a hoot!!! :) Only me. The ironic thing is I DID remember to pack my jewelry, but forgot the damn bra. Fortunately, DH is taking E in town for a doctor's appt and bringing the bra with him. Thank goodness the whole ordeal's not on camera. I'd be in a sitcom by now.

So, my big announcement for the day....drum roll please....I LOST 4.5 POUNDS!! FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 40 POUNDS IN 5 MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How proud am I of me today??? This is HUGE, or not so much. :) I'm just 8 pounds away from my high school grad weight. Now if we have a reunion, I won't be embarrassed. And when someone says "you haven't changed since high school", I'll know they mean it. :) I'm literally glowing today, so happy, on cloud 9, floating, high as a kite! I'm telling you, this feels great! I wish I could bottle and sell this feeling. If I could, I believe a lot more people would be more encouraged to lose. And that's an important part for me to remember. To keep this feeling in the forefront of my mind every minute of the day, so I'll stay on track.

I hear the weather's gonna be dicey tonight. Bunker down and stay warm. I'll let you know how E's appt. goes this afternoon.
TTFN!
~B

UPDATE

Got a doctor's appt for E TOMORROW, if you can imagine! DH's dropping me off in the a.m. at work and picking me up for the appt. I think I'll get her to check me out too. My sinus/cold is pissing me off! Anyway, I'll let you know the results.
~B

Movie Night - PAN'S LABYRINTH

Very violent, very mystical, very enjoyable! Subtitles (in case that sort of thing pisses you off). Beautifully shot, 2 wonderful stories intertwined. I was on the edge of my seat for most of it. The violence was the type that's disturbing, but you can't look away, they showed everything! The only disappointment was there wasn't enough of that fanciful side for me.
If you're into that sort of thing, I'd recommend it as a rental.

After the movie, the 4 of us went to the Fireside. I chose well, since weigh in is tonight. Shay & I split a yummy Mediteranian plate and the guys split nachos. :) My drink, however, will have to be on hold for another night. :( It wasn't too late of a night but E woke up around 2:30ish coughing. Gave her tylenol, which I know probably doesn't help, and a drink of water. Put her humitifier on after a 1/2 hour of coughing...had no choice! I think I'll do more net surfing to see if/when I should take her to the doctor. I feel like this has taken hold of her for too long. Although there's probably not much she can do really. And of course, I have no $$ on me for coffee...just adding to my misery! Fortunately, DH gets paid today so surely there'll be change left over for a cup a joe.

Well, must be off. One of the guys has been out all week and I'm sharing the load.
~B

Date Night

So, I'm happy to report that DH & I are DDing with Shay & Mark. We're all seeing Pan's Labyrinth tonight. And despite what you might thing, it's not about Peter Pan. :) It looks mystically wonderful and fanciful. Right up my alley. Everyone needs an escape once in a while.

On the homefront, sickness is still looming. E's coughing again and I really, REALLY don't want to use the vapourizer. The steam is causing a huge mess on her ceiling and walls. The water spots on the ceiling become yellow dots. On the walls, we have lovely Dragon Tales characters painted with craft paint. The steam is streak down the walls, mixing with the paint, and the colour is running a bit. Not enough to effect the look of the characters, but enough to see discoloured lines underneath each. So, I'd really like to avoid using the vapourizer again...but what else can I do for her???

I myself am not feeling 100% either. I have periods of sneezing that come and go. Same with runny nose. Now I'm feeling some sinus "pressure" ... not really painful like normal sinus cold. It's an odd feeling. Almost like an ache. Not sure. Anyway, I'm so tired of not being well. It seems like I'm getting better then something else creaps in. And it's hard to know if it's allergy or a cold. Grrr. I can't wait to see the allergist in March. Literally, I've been on & off with nasal problems since last February. It's not right!! But enough with my minor frustrations. It could always be worse.

DH's doing well at home. He's been fixing some things around the house which I appreciate greatly! And really, it's a nice break for him. He's only had 2 days off since last year. And it's looking good about the bump situation once he's in the union. If he's not back to work by then, he'd be off for 2 weeks. Of course, it wouldn't be mid July when all this was happening so he could enjoy the weather. :) Still, it's nice not to have to leave the house in this frost. Lucky duck!

Well, I best be off before I pee my pants. :) Always leaving things till the last minute.
~B

Really, I'm Awake!

Feeling a little tired today, can you tell?? **snoring** It felt like I was asleep driving into Curves this morning. I kept talking to myself. "Keep your peepers open girl, you're almost there!" That's what I get for my late night "partying," right Shay?? :) Shay & I scrapped last night. Not very late, but late enough for me with my 30 minute drive home. I swear, our next house will be in Dartmouth. You watch! Just wish it was sooner rather than later. And I hope by then Shay and her crew don't move! :) Anyway, I continued on the 2006 album. I'm at the end of May. Not bad I guess. Still lots to go. I really should make the effort to scrap more at home. And stamp too. I need to catch up on my cards.

Well, not much else new this morning. Made 2 appts. for hubby today. :) I figure if I don't book it, he won't get there. They're just too damn lazy to put the effort into it. Little does he know, I'm trying to keep him healthy for a long life full of honey-do lists, romantic chick flicks and of course the hot...meals...what did you think I was going to write????? HEHEHEHEHE!! Take care today. Laugh lots, and dress warm. Still really cold out there.

~B

So far, so good!

I had an interesting weekend. Overall, it was good but had some lower back trouble yesterday. Not sure quite what I did but if I stood up, it hurt from my lower back around to my lower abs. My guess is that at church, when I was keeping E entertained, I had hurt/pulled the area. She was trying to jump, so I was lifting her up to "jump" from a sitting position. By the end of the night, I was lying in bed with ice on my back. At bedtime it was no better so I took 2 Robax platinum. Man, they're great! I took it easy at Curves this morning too which has helped so far.

Well, for those who don't know, DH got laid off on Friday. So today he's home with his Honey-Do list (which he wrote out, not me) and hopes to get some of that done. Realistically, he'll probably "work out" his video game thumbs first. :) But hey, he's entitled to it. We're hoping he gets back to work later this week. In fact, there's a job in NB that he may get sent too. I hope so. Regardless, he will officially be in the union as of Feb 1st and may get to bump a non-union helper and get back to work. That's our understanding, he has to confirm it. In the meantime, I'm booking all his dr. appts. Well, I better be off!

TTFN!
~B

Where's the ark???

I hope when they start loading 2 by 2, I can get on!! We've moved from frigit cold and snow to a potential down pour. Just waiting to see the rain come in buckets. There'll be cats and dogs EVERYWHERE!!

So, down 1/2 pound, which is surprising since I'm PMSing. I'll take it, whatever it is. I'm getting really frustrated with myself. I had such conviction when I first started SFL. If it was sweet, I didn't eat it. If I had all my food for the day, I stopped right there. Now, I'm being slack and careless. I'm slowly coming around to make better "off program" choices but I'm not there 100%. It's totally pissing me off that I'm in the same place I was a month ago. I need to move forward and get this done. I'm going to print off a meal log and keep a better track of what I'm doing. Really, it's just making me more accountable. And right now, that's what I need to get back in the game. I want big results next week!

On the homefront, E is slowly coming around. Not coughing in the night, thank goodness. This morning she coughed a bit and it sounded aweful! I hope this passes soon. I am sick however. With a frigin' cold. Like you Mari, I'm SO tired of being sick, and tired. I woke up several times during the night to catch my runny nose. Then I woke up to pee. Man, I'd love to get a good night's rest. Just knock me out with some kind of drug and let me sleep it off. Sounds like heaven. The weekend looks fairly busy. Tonight we're meeting MIL's siblings for our "Christmas" gettogether. Tomorrow morning, I have E while DH & MIL go to an early Imax movie. Tomorrow night, I may be going to Kareoke with a gal from Curves. Sunday will be relaxing for sure.

Well, wear your rubbers today and keep your head covered...uh...you know what I mean. :)
~B

Yippee-keye-Thursday!

My favourite day of the week rolls around once again! So predictable, Thursday. :) Tonight is weigh in. I'm PMSing so that'll show on the scale. Overall I think my week was so-so. I truly need to be more dedicated to cutting out the extras. I eat well at all my meal times but manage to slip in extras here and there. As always, I'm a work in progress. Just have to keep on-keepin' on.

So last night we saw The Good German. The name best describes it...Good. The backdrop was beautifully shot, as were the characters. Lovely acting but the story left me feeling dumb that I didn't get it. The big secret that Kate Blanchet's character was hiding left me saying, "so what." Yeah, it was "bad" but I felt it didn't warrant such a huge build up. Anyway, I do recommend seeing it, on video, just for the pretty images.

Well, I must get going. Short & sweet today. Have a happy Thursday!!
~B

Deep freeze!!!

Well, this is round 2 for my post this morning. The Internet connection is on the fritz and I lost my first post. D!OH!

Anyway, hoooooleeee cow it's cold out today. I knew winter had to come some time but this is CRAZY!!! I could've stayed in bed today, easy, but duty calls. Speaking of which, I'm on the radio! My first Curves spot aired yesterday. They're on a 1/2 sponsorship schedule meaning they air this week Tues/Thurs and Mon/Wed/Fri next week. So listen to KOOL 96.5 FM at 8:20 tomorrow and you'll hear me. :) This spot will probably only air this week as the client wants something different for next week. I have to bring a recorder into Curves and ask the lovely ladies for comments for our next ad. Hopefully they won't mind helping me out. :)

So, yesterday was pretty uneventful and relaxing. Glad to take it easy with E for the day. I believe I do have a cold now. Not just allergy. But it's not too bad. E is slowly getting a bit better. She woke only once last night, and it was just a winge (sp?). I got up anyway, tucked her back in and she was already back to sleep. No coughing fits, thank goodness! Today I'm feeling a bit of a knot in my neck. I booked a chiro appt. next month but am considering going this week or next. I feel like I should wait a day to see if it works itself out. Hmmm...what to do. Maybe I'll wait on it till tomorrow.

Anyway, I better get movin'. Have a great day and bundle up wherever you are!! Don't want to hear you've been bitten by frosty. :)
~B

Snow day!

Howdy, y'all! Yes, a bit late this morning. I'm home with E. We're having a snow day. Actually, it's a combination. E is sick and the weather's supposed to turn very ugly so I decided not to take the chance to go into work.

So, yes, E is still sick. Cold and bad cough, especially when lying down. Which leads me to wonder what to do. I'm doing the usual...plenty of fluids, vapourizer with medicated ointment, etc. But the cough is keeping her (and us) up at night. Last night I took her out of her crib for a half hour, and that was after a half hour of her coughing...a full hour at night she/we are missing out on rest. So, I was considering looking into getting her some cough medicine. She's 4 months shy of 2 years old. However, I did some research online and I haven't seen anything positive about cough medicine. Apparently, there were several deaths reported from using c.m. on kids under 2. Then another article said c.m. was no more beneficial than using sugar water. So, what should I do?? Anyone have any success with it? And if not, any other suggestions?

When she does wake at night, I try giving her water. She doesn't want it, but I leave it in the crib anyway. I know milk isn't a good idea as it creates more mucus. So I avoid it during those wake ups but still give it an hour before bed. I have been giving her infant Tylenol but think I'll stop as she doesn't have a fever. I just wish there was some "pill" to help it go away. I suppose every mother wants that but unfortunately the only "cure" I've heard of is time. Well, I can't stay on too long. It's snack time (for both of us) and E is having a great deal of fun destroying Nana's computer area. Hope you're all having a great day. Stay safe!!!!!! And drive carefully!!!!

~B

Ah, the hell with it!

Some days you just wake up on the wrong foot. Everything seems to steer you in the direction of having a bad day. Trying to settle a sick girl for an hour in the middle of the night. Over slept. Eat breakfast out of the frying pan because your running late. Walking in DH's wet tracks. Forgot shoes to change into for work. Forgot make up so you don't look tired. That's how our morning looked but I'm not letting it weigh me down. DH rushed through his breakfast because he was kind enough to clear off the van. And so I have no make up on. Who cares. I have my (finally finished) desktop calendar with my darling (sick) baby's face staring back at me. And I'm not one of those dear souls who died in yesterday's accident. And I'm not so desperate (like a girl someone told me about today) that I feel I have "nothing to live for." Life is good. If you would be so kind to think and pray on this girl I "know" (by face, not name). She's 22, has a psychology degree, very sweet looking and attractive, and is dealing with depression.

My weekend was really great too. Friday we stayed in with E, watched movies and relaxed. Saturday, DH & I went for groceries and lunch. We had a quick visit from our friend Jason (from NB). Then we went home, spent the early evening with E before heading to Shay & Mark's. Had lots of fun working on my calendar while the guys played video games. We had some drinks and some yummy SFL guacamole and pita chips!! Slept over, got up early and headed home (to see my baby girl). E & I went for a walk to the store, just to get out. It was beautiful, cold, but no wind. Then we had lunch, played, napped and watched Talladega Nights...pretty funny. :) Dear MIL made a delicious roast chicken for supper and we all ate with gusto (esp. E). Then did chores, finished my calendar and went to bed.

So tonight we're in for some snow. Get your snow tires on and regardless, drive with caution!! Take care,
~B

Losing streak

So it's only 1.5 pounds but it's going in the right direction, DOWN BABY! So my total lost is 35. I was mixed up with my totals some where in there because I gained 5.5 pounds over the holidays, lost 1.5 so that leaves 4, right? Well 35+4 makes 39. But I thought I was only at 38.5. Or maybe my starting weight was .5 more than I thought. Whatever. I'm down and that's the best news of all. I'm writing a meal log this week to keep me more focused and on track. I want to drop that 4 pounds and get to 40! Where I'm sitting, I'm just 13 pounds away from my High School grad weight. Very exciting!!

Other than that, no much else is new. We're having a quiet night in tonight. Maybe watch a movie, just relax. No big weekend plans, other than getting groceries at some point. Well, I guess I'll keep it short today. TTFN and have a great weekend!
~B

Organization...and other boring stuff.

Shay's blogged about the resolution to organize. Sounds great to me! I went to work on my 2007 Desktop calendar (CM Picfolio)...and yes, I'm well aware we're nearly 1/2 way through January!!! Anyway, I couldn't find my mini calendar pages. It was a mad search and in the process I at least put my CM Christmas gifts in their spot. A 1/2 hour or so of searching, I finally found them. By then, I was frustrated and didn't want to bother getting started. Besides, I'm one of those need TV for down time. By the time I wrapped up, it was passed 9 and I'm usually in bed by 10. So watched some mindless telly and off to bed.

So today little Miss E woke up around 20 after 5...yes, 5:20!!! If it's a wimper, I can count on that she'll fall back asleep...but not today. I had the full blown "Mommy! Mama, mama, mama!" So up we are, dressed and reading for breakfast at 5:30! D!OH! Since I had all this wonderful time, I made her French Toast which she's very pleased with (because she can dip, dip, dip with maple syrup). Made DH & I egg white scramble and got us all off to work in plenty of time. Thanks to DH for warming up the van these cold mornings...and scraping yesterday. Not only did he do the van, MIL's car and his car, he did A.J.'s wife's car (A.J. is the elevator mechanic DH works with). What a guy, huh?? That's why I love him. All those sweet little things. Like warming my side of the bed and letting me warm my feet on his roastin' body. Boy, I'm really glad I blogged about him. It put me in a better mood. :)

Well, hope y'all look on the bright side today...especially in this frigid weather. Oh, did I mention the AIR CONDITIONING IS BLOWING LIKE CRAZY IN HERE!!!! We're all frozen! It's just not right!

~B

New Do!

Sorry SOO late to get this online. I JUST uploaded these TONIGHT! I know, really bad. Anyway, here's my new do. This picture is from our big night out to my work Christmas party. If you have trouble telling, my hair is cut short in the back and the sides are left long; little height in the crown and a lovely sweep of the bangs. My star hair stylist (Nicolle @ Geo Valentino's) dyed it brown with blonde highlights. It's a month later and I'm still lovin' it!!

~B

ENT Update

All is well! E's ears look great and she (hilariously) passed her hearing test with flying colours!
~B

Nothin' New

I'm racking my brain for something to chat about today...and I got nothin'. Well, not nothing I guess. E fell into a basket of books yesterday, face first, and has a big bruise on her cheek. But she doesn't seem to mind too much, except when Nana was kissing her cheek off...and hit the spot. Ooops! But she's a tough ol' doll! Today I'm taking her to the ENT for a follow up appointment and a hearing test. I'm sure she's hearing well...but already getting that selective hearing, especially when the TV's on. ;) Afterwards we're meeting Daddy for lunch.

Last night, it was so funny. E actually was crying for pancakes for supper. She calles them cay-cakes. She kept saying it over and over and since it wasn't breakfast, I didn't catch on for sometime. Anyway, she was really sooky when I said she was having bologna (which she loves). But just like anything, if you put it in front of her, she'll eat it. Plus, the ketchup makes it a game (dip, dip, dip). She cleaned her plate and ate 1/2 jar of prunes. After dinner, she watches a bit of TV before tubby time. I turned it on and immediately she said "Oh, Max & Ruby". I couldn't get over the recognition. Anyway, Max was eating Cheerios. Well she comes barrelling out to the kitchen looking for Cheerios too. She ate a 1/2 full dish of them!! Well, with mama's help. :)

Everyday I'm amazed by the little things she does. I told DH about E & I leaving daycare yesterday and she kept saying Noah (one of the boys...I swear she loves his name because it's so close to NO). Then she hear him crying and said "Noah crying". DH was amazed she's already starting to form sentences. Guess it must be the first time parent thing but this stage has been the coolest yet by far!

~B

ARGH...IT'S 6:30!!

In the long list of things I have to do every evening to prepare for the next day, I forgot to set the alarm. Woke up from a delectable sleep, you know, when you're all cosily wrapped in your duvet and feel thankful for the great sleep you had. But then you look at the alarm clock and read 6:31. You think, is that right? So you take a second look and re-evaluate what the numbers mean. Holy sh**!! We're late!!! What's surprising is that Little E was still asleep too! Usually she's our alarm, but not today. Fortunately, DH & I had enough presence of mind to get the heck up and out the door...with E in tow. Now that everyone's where they're supposed to be, the urgency is gone...and now I'm just left tired. However, I have not had my coffee yet, so that may help.

Last night was very uneventful. It rained buckets. We stayed in. Ate MIL's fab left over ribs and DH sauted peppers and shittake mushrooms with garlic and tarragon, and feta to top it off. I'm tellin' ya, truly amazing. One of our SFL recipes. And so worth all the veggie chopping. After the clean up, lunch and gym bag packing, we had hot chocolate and vegged. So, that's about it. Gotta get going. I'm visiting my Chiropractor this morning...hurray! SHAY: Hope your back is getting better!!!

TTFN!
~B

Romance & Relaxation!

Those were the top 2 things I did this weekend. MBF Shay & hubby Mark went out to dinner & a movie Friday night. Planned on going to The Fireside but ended up at Doraku for sushi....YUM!! Shay & I ate ourselves sick. Good thing DH didn't order much because he had 1/2 of mine and Shay's. :) My favourite thing on the menu is a salmon skin handroll (offered as maki but you can change it to a handroll). They grill the salmon skin and it gets crispy and carmelized. So deliscious!!! After our leisurely dinner, we headed down to Empire Park Lane and finally got to see The Holiday! I thought after all the self imposed hype, it would be a let down. But the movie definitely didn't disappoint! Some predictable moments, but not completely throughout. I'm so glad we finally saw it and that we got to share the evening with our bestest buds! :)

Saturday was great! Dear MIL let us sleep in (and on Sun too). We got some housework and done, lazed around and played with E. Around 3 I finally got enough gumption to go out and get Hilary & Hayley. Took them to the grocery store to get some stuff and then back to their place. They showed me some cute pictures of Sara (my former kitty, now adopted by Hil/Hil's dad). She's really thriving. Then the three of us went to Pennington's in Bayers Lake. I finally got another gym outfit (red shirt with white accents and navy pant with red/white side leg stripe) plus some undies. :) Then off to my place where dear MIL has prepared a scrumptious meal for all of us. After E went to bed, we watched Dick & Jane then I dropped the ladies off afterwards.

Sunday after sleep in, I made my "famous" blueberry pancakes for the gang. Tore down all the Christmas stuff, packed it up and put away. Watched Walk The Line with DH...AWESOME!! I really love Johnny Cash more than ever. And what a story about his life. Too cool. MIL made some saucy ribs for us for dinner. They were fab!! In the evening we just chilled. It was so nice to relax after the busy holiday season. Hope we're in for more fine weekends like this!
~B

Trying to look at the UPside.

Okay, so I'm up, which I knew. 3 pounds. So that's 5.5 pounds over a 3 week period. Erika (who I haven't introduced yet, she's my nutrition counsellor) said I should be able to get that off this week, if I stick to the plan. So far this week has been going well. Last night DH & I ate out which didn't go as well as planned. I can't help but get that mentality on weigh in night that I can slip off the wagon. I've done enough slipping the past 3 weeks. Need to be on track ALL THE TIME! So today I have a healthy lunch. Now, there is a lunch meeting in the boardroom, free food provided, but I'm going to stick with my SFL meal. In fact, I'll eat before hand so as not to be tempted (hard to be tempted when you're full). So, my brain is in check and I'm ready to press on.

Curves is going great! As I said, I went during the holidays in Sydney. Funny, there's a community which ever location you go. The 8 o'clock crowd is the same everyday. Just like at my location, Joe Howe. I really missed the 7:30 ladies while I was away. I know some by name, more by face, and someone always has a story, laugh or struggle to share. They are in all shapes and sizes and make you feel right at home. Thanks gals! You're a riot!!! Next week marks my 2nd month at Curves and also weight-in/measure time. I'm sure I'm down since my last weigh in as they check only once a month. Not sure about the inches. I lost over 7 inches my last check so I'm not expecting huge numbers this time. However, I do feel better in my clothes...and I can tell I'm getting muscles. No matter what the numbers say, I'm feeling great!

Well, tonight I'm going on a date with DH. :) Over the holidays we meant to go to The Holiday (very romantic). But we ended up taking DH's cousin to Eragon...no so romantic, but a good show. We're going to The Fireside for eats...healthy choices only!! Thank goodness for dear MIL. She's watching E for us. I tell ya, it's really handy having a live-in Nana. She's been with us just over a year and is such a tremendous help. She's over-do for her angel wings, let me tell ya. :) Anyway ducks, I'm off. Have a great weekend!!

~B

Facing the music...

...tonight is weigh in. I'm pretty sure it'll be bad...since Christmas was a train wreck! Still, I'm really proud of myself for getting back on track this week. Went to Curves everyday and am eating well. Plus, I got a great ego boost with some "new" clothes at Salvatory Armoni's (Salvation Army) . I must say, I'm smokin'! :) Bought these sleek, sexy dress pants (Shay - they're great "downtown" pants). (hehehe) AND, I got 3 blue tops. Today's feature is a lovely print with mixes of baby blue, white and black, with a wide black band collar (almost off the shoulder), and with 3/4 length sleeves (Reitman's Encore). The other 2 will be featured tomorrow and Monday (for my office fashion critics viewing pleasure). One is a solid baby blue top, also wide neck, with a smart off-to-the-side tie at the collar and 3/4 length sleeves (also Reitman's Encore). The other is more casual navy knit, long sleeves, round collar...comfy but cute (unfamiliar brand name).

So, last night E was quiet when I picked her up. Nice, but kind of strange. I'm used to her crying to leave at every pick up but she was strangely okay. At home, she was a dream. She even bathed well (which she hadn't been for a few nights). I'm not sure if her BM troubles were over or not. We'll see. She didn't eat much of a supper...only bread and apple sauce (which is also strange for her). I did get her to eat some cereal and milk before bed. This morning I had to wake her up (again, drat) but she was awesome. "Hi mommy!" SO CUTE!! Anyway, she ate cereal and milk and apple sauce and headed off the daycare happy. That is until she fell against the bookshelf there and hit her head (behind her right ear). Ouch!! I wouldn't be too concerned only for the tubes. But a few minutes later she stopped crying and was back playing. What a sin. Poor dolly! Well, that's all my news today. Hope you're back into the swing of things too!

~B

1 Do-over Day of Rest...PLEASE!

You know, there's a reason they make kids look so darn adorable...so you don't kill them when they keep you up at night. It's really hard to be mad because I know it's not her fault. E's...how shall I put this delicately...backed up. Okay, not that you wanted to know. Well she ate a whole jar of prunes last night and I'm not sure if it hurt or will help her. She woke up SEVERAL times just crying and uncomfortable. At 4:30 a.m., I tried getting her back to sleep. At 5 a.m., I took her in our bed. Finally at 5:30 a.m., I said the hell with it and got her up. She ate a yogourt (which I bought yesterday...and btw, the b.b. date is Dec 30!!) and not much else. I left her at daycare crying (which is unusual) with cheerios and milk. I just checked with her daycare and hallelluia, she had a BM. She's still crying so they'll give her a snack, check her temp and get back to me.

Anyway, so much for giving up coffee. ;) I just polished up a double header. But I have the water going too. Again, it's hard to get mad at a sick kid but man, I'm just as cranky and tired as she is...and like Mari talked about a few weeks ago, parents don't get the luxury of a nap during the day. Wouldn't that be sweet if we did??!! Just have a little room with cots, blankies and bears for us to cuddle. :) Guess it would look a little funny. But I bet productivity would go up. (hehehe) Well, I better get going. The coffee/water combo is making my blatter cranky. :) Hope you have a good day. And remember, coffee good...in some situations.

~B

Thank goodness THAT'S over!

Well, it's a pretty safe bet to say I came back from CB with CARGO!! I completely ate my way through the holidays. I'm so disappointed in myself. And people are quick to let me off the hook. 'But it's the holidays! It only comes once a year.' And so do birthdays, Easter, Thanksgiving and Halloween. So thanks for your kind words but really, I WAY over did it. I at least did 1 thing right. I went to Curves Wed-Fri last week. And I went back in this morning. MIL took her own car in so I wouldn't be prepetually late. :) However, I was a few minutes late because little E didn't want to wake up this morning. :)

So, Christmas recap! We had a wonderful Christmas in the Whitty household. Lets go back to Dec 22 (Fri). 2 parties, 1 night. DH, E & I went to Steve & Rhonda's (S used to work with DH). Rhonda was so sweet!! She had a homemade colouring book and cookie to decorate for each child. It was nice seeing E play with all the kiddies. Afterwards, we dropped E home with Nana and headed to Tom & Carol Anne's (friends through Shay & Mark). They have a lovely home, beautifully decorated for the holidays. We enjoyed some delish eats too! Thanks T&CA for letting us crash. ;)

Dec 23 (Sat) was very low key. I wrapped and finished my last project - mini picfolio wallets (from E) to Mama, Daddy, Nana, Granny & Poppy. They turned out really nice. It felt so great to finally be ready for the holidays (talk about leaving it to the last minute). Christmas Eve (Sun), DH, E & I went to mass. Came home, opened 1 present for E (jammies & tub toy from Granny & Poppy Hussey). Dad & E tested out her Elmo tubby toy while mom got the preparation for Santa. We left him the cookie E decorated at Steve & Rhonda's and a glass of Ole St. Nick. :) DH & I waited for MIL to come home to open anymore. DH got Homer lounge pants. I got hand and footprint molds to make with E!! Can't wait to use them...better do it soon because she's growing so fast. MIL opened her DVD of It's a Wonderful Life. We all watched it together. It was a great night.

Christmas Day (Mon) was WONDERFUL!!! Before I had my eyes opened, DH MADE ME get up to open this one very important present. MIL got us a CAMCORDER!!! Not sure if that's the technical term but it's a video recorder that records on DVD! So exciting. THANKS MIL!! DH had a wonderful time catching E play with her toys. She got lots of great stuff: picnic table, Little People palace, drum & instrument set, play dishes & food, clothes, books, and all kinds of surprises. I got jammies, scrapbooking stuff (yeah!), a workout outfit, a camera case for the camcorder and surprises. DH and MIL did well too. Can't remember all we got but we made out like bandits! After the gift opening, we had our traditional Wife Saver's Breakfast. Then we relaxed and tidied up till turkey dinner time! It was a very relaxing day.

Boxing Day (Tue) we were supposed to go to MIL's sister's but most of the relatives couldn't make it. So we decided to pack up and head to Sydney early!! Surprised Mom & Dad. :) It was really nice because they have a BD party every year so we got to visit with a lot of them without having to go out anywhere. The rest of the week we visited with DH's aunt & family. And of course my brother, SIL and nephew. New Year's was fun! God Bless MIL!! She babysat E & my nephew while we all partied at the Westmount Yacht Club. Brother Mike's plays in the band Tempted (country) and were fab!! I didn't get too toasted which was great because we drove back to Hlfx yesterday. So, we're back home, safe & sound and I'm back on track!

Well, hope you all had a wonderful holiday.
~B