Wedding of a Century...

Something most girls dream about, and have a vision in mind from the time they play dress up, their wedding day. I just finished watching the Royal Wedding and have to say, what an event. So much class was displayed from start to finish; timeless.
Kate's dress was gorgeous; simple, detailed elegance.

In my opinion, this was the closest thing to a fairy tale we will see. Prince meets girl; prince gets girl; prince marries girl; Duke and Duchess ride off in horse and carriage to their castle. A fairytale that for most of the world, will remain in Disney movies. But I think this is way it was oh so magical; and why 1/3 of the world tuned in to watch. Incredible.

I love weddings. They are so magical and romantic. I loved how they were still so playful with each other. Stealing words in the church. Wills stealing glances as his bride walked down the aisle. TWO KISSES!

The giddy feeling brings back feelings from my own wedding day. A day that flew by all too fast. One day in my life where I really did feel like I was a Princess.

I know there are a few MAJOR differences from the Royal Wedding to mine... One key point, I am sure Wills grandmother (the Queen) doesn't bust a move on the dance floor as well as my grandma!

Okay, I know there are many more comparisons...NOT, but wouldn't it be amazing to see past the ceremony and into the Lunch. What do Royals do. Do they "cut loose" like us "Commoners." I am sure their tea and sandwiches are much different then our wine and dinners...one thing i heard however, is that their brunch was a...gasp...buffet!

Okay, back to reality. The kids are waking, the wedding is over...and my dishes need washing. I can bet you one thing...Kate won't be washing a Royal dish in her life-time. (Do you think they receive fine china as a wedding gift?)

Happy Friday!

Thank You....

I wanted to say a quick thank you to all of you that have, are and do vote for me. Your support and kind words are amazing. I love writing and it is so great to hear the response from those that enjoy, relate, find laughs or tears...whatever it may be! I am so grateful for all of you out there that take the time to read.
It is just the days in the life of our family, but I suppose its the candid reality that ones can relate to best. I know I sure do.

Thank you!

xoxo

Little bits...

So yesterday's issue was no washing machine. Glad that is resolved and back up and running...but now the new problem of probably the same capacity, we cant use our dishwasher! A part is on order!! This "part" better not take too long. Me and dishes, not a fun thing. I guess you kind of get the point; me and housework on a daily basis are not a very compatible match. I have my days where i go full force into cleaning mode...and I am still waiting for that "nesting" thing to occur. Nesting is a term used in pregnancy when a woman decides to go full force at cleaning and organizing. Clearly far from that stage over here!

On another note, I had a Group Fitness evaluation today and it went AMAZINGLY! I had some awesome participants that scored a free class; and my nerves subsided and I just had fun! It was great. I am already feeling my butt and legs are seizing. I love when you kick your own butt in a workout. Hope the other ladies are as sore as I am! ;-)
Now that all is up and running there, I am looking to start a few weekly classes and possibly some outdoors pre and thru the summer. Stay tuned :-)

I am surprised I have been having such an efficient day. Kai didn't sleep the greatest last night and now has a little cold. Yesterday was a sure tell-tale sign that it was coming on as he was whining and acting out all day. That was one long day; followed by a night...i think bed might be calling early tonight... AFTER the hockey game of course!

GO CANUCKS GO!
Tonight is pasta night in our house... Why, because that is what I am craving. I had no idea what to make for dinner so headed to the grocery store and came out with caesar salad ingredients, baguette for garlic bread and all the items to made some spaghetti and meatballs... craving some pregnancy carbs... i think YES! Do not send a pregnant women to the grocery store when she is hungry... the outcome is too much food. But dinner will be good ;-)

I am creeping up to 12 weeks...wow how the time is flying. I will do a bump watch soon of the comparison through my 3 pregnancies at the same week. It is incredible how quickly the female body remembers what to do and how quickly you grow with the more pregnancies you have. Could you imagine what Michelle Duggar would have looked like at 12 weeks pregnant with her 19th child! Now that is crazy.

For me, there will not be 19 kids, THAT IS FOR SURE! To each their own.

For now, I am going to get my TWO kids up from their naps, have some playtime, clean up some toys, throw on a load of laundry and then make some dinner.

Enjoy the game!! I wonder if there will be any Carrie Underwood sightings ;-)

 

No Dryer Lint...

It seems as if, one at a time, our appliances are malfunctioning. The fridge was turning itself off the other week (and no it wasn't shorting a circuit or anything), the dishwasher sounds like its going to explode on the dry cycle, and now the washing machine barrel came loose... and I CANT DO LAUNDRY!

I know to some this may not pose as a huge issue, but if you have seen my past laundry blog, this is a HUGE issue here! On a good day i do two loads of laundry. Between sweating at the gym and kids peeing in their pants, laundry is a must do over here!
Thank goodness the appliance guy is coming tomorrow for the Dishwasher... he just earned himself an extended stay and a date with the washing machine. it is even a day I could be doing it as my car is in the shop and I am immobile; however, i would rather procrastinate time and sit here on the computer.

Once that's fixed, I need to find myself someone who actually enjoys folding it all!
Which makes me think of this book. It is quiet cute for those of you out there that haven't read it.
Sometimes the simplest acts are the most rewarding. ;-)

PS. Please click on my signature box and VOTE. Thank you!

Chocolate Overload...

Easter is over; The bunny is gone for another year; and yet the PILES of chocolate in our house remain. I think I might have to give it a clean out once the kids go down for their naps today. Find someone that LOVES chocolate excessively because it simply cannot ALL LIVE HERE! The kids have been so wired for the past three days straight...and then I think hit a detox this morning with sore tummies and feeling tired. The chocolate feasts for breakfast lasted two days, Easter Sunday and Monday...and now, its back to cottage cheese and toast!
We had a great weekend though! Filled with family and food. It was all over the top, but simply, perfect.
Now back to reality! Ryan took yesterdays off of work as he had to work Friday, so today is my Monday and since it is actually Tuesday, I am already behind! This is going to be one busy week.

I captured a few photos over the weekend, so here are a few to share.

Si's dress: "Walmart"!
Kai's shirt (part of a cute outfit...but because all he wears is sweatpants...the cute pants and vest came off and it became a shirt and sweats) "Janie and Jack"


And lastly, I know it was a long weekend, but thank you to those who took a quick second to click on my top mommy blog icon and voted for me! Keep doing it...it only gets me better rankings! Thank you so much!
And to the new comments and likes...slowly my little mommy life site is expanding whether on facebook or a personal follow. Thank you!
AND THE WINNER OF THE GIVEAWAY FROM THE WEEKEND...LIZ S.
Thank you for your loyal support, follow and fan referrals :-)
The draw matched the winner perfectly!
Congratulations!!
Stay tuned for more updates shortly and more giveaways in the coming weeks.

Happy Monday Tuesday!

PLEASE CLICK ON THE ICON BELOW TO VOTE FOR ME! THANK YOU!!

Good Friday...

Today is a holiday for most; for us, today started early with two visitors in our bed, and then Ryan having to go work this afternoon... So in all sense of the word, our holiday starts tomorrow... today in our house is a pretty normal Friday.

Normal in that, I was up and in the kitchen with the kids by 6:20am... this was obviously not by my choice! So, to head of the MAJOR morning sickness I have been experiencing today, I decided to distract myself. I made the kids there breakfast, turned on Elmo's World, and began to bake.

By 8:30 this morning, I had made Whole Wheat Blue/Raspberry Muffins, Carrot Cake Cupcakes, decorated them, cleaned the kitchen, got sick twice (the third one obviously had to be heard through all of our morning happenings!) and watched some of the movie "Ice Age" with the kids.

Even Jake our dog tried to score a treat!

The baking helped keep my mind off of my queezies for a while, but the feeling has returned and I am exhausted. Just put the kids down for a nap, started editing some photos for a client that I shot the other day...SUCH A FUN SHOOT...and decided I needed to write a quick blog. (Maybe if I ask her really nicely, I can include a photo or two from our shoot in the next post!?...please ;-))

I also wanted to share that...MY BLOG HAS BEEN ACCEPTED ONTO TOPMOMMYBLOGS.COM

Please vote for me! The more votes I get, the higher my rating becomes :-)

Just click on the side banner on the Top Mommy Blogs link!
Thank you in advance!!

So in honor of my new rankings on Top Mommy Blogs, as well as in honor of Easter, as well as in honor of my stomach growing and my close getting tight, I thought a giveaway would be a great idea as I haven't done one in a while!

I am keeping this one open through the weekend and will be drawing a winner Monday April 25, 2011!

Details:
To enter you must follow me and/or like me on facebook if you already have (or one you do) then
Refer someone to my facebook page and get them to say who sent them!
The person with the most referrals will scoop up this amazing giveaway!!

So now for the Giveaway:

1 boys Grey "Pollution Tee" size 6; pack of pee-pee teepees;
Belly Firm lotion(love this and the bump lotion too!!);
Robeez 6-12month shoes; Bad to the Bone Soother;
2 Easter Eggs (hello it is Easter!); AND
1 FREE PASS TO MY PRE/POST NATAL SCULPT CLASS
(the pass is for someone that can use it and that is obviously in my
area...more info to follow if it applies).

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!! Thank you, and PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE FOR ME ALSO!!

xo

Spring Cleaning...

Spring has sprung, although this weather definitely feels like we are still stuck in winter! Hail today...cold temperatures...I am just about ready for some heat and color on my skin!

One part of Spring that has sprung for me however is, Spring Cleaning!
I haven't quite gotten to the actual CLEANING part of spring; but I have been working through the organization of it all. New schedules, busy with lots of work and different avenues...kids, family...it feels like it is hard to take a breath some days! But I am not complaining!

For me it seems like things happen in waves. Things can be pretty quite in slow in life and work, and then suddenly, everything happens at once! I have a feeling I am not alone here!

But I am still ensuring that within all of the chaos and running around, that I am keeping balance and enjoying life.

"Balance is so important in our lives. In our busy world, we can give ourselves balance between thinking and feeling."- Yakov Smirnoff

I am starting a pre/post natal fitness class that I am really excited about and hope that some of you moms are interested in joining! It is honestly for all levels; I can push you as hard or as softly as you need to be pushed, and I guarantee you will have a great time! Let me know if you are interested and I will send you the info to pre-register! Classes starting May 10th!

I also cant believe I am already in my 10th week of pregnancy. Some how the weeks are just flying by! I hope they continue moving this way. I cant complain about too many things. The nausea only occurs first thing in my mornings, and I get a few migraines every now and then...but overall, it has been a great first trimester so far and I have had enough energy to enjoy my days and get in some great workouts! I taught my first spin class yesterday also! That was a blast!

Anyways, back to work. Have some time to get things done, while the kids are sleeping.

Here is the link for all that may be interested in Pre/Post Natal Sculpt

A Little Whine...

Lately our 18 month old has been pushing ALL the buttons. She has developed very quickly with her vocabulary and is really trying to talk up a storm. Some are still single words, and occasionally she will throw out a sentence. It is nice to know what she is wanting and/or asking for!
The one major thing we could do without however, is the whining. She is an AMAZING WHINER!! If she doesn't get what she wants, she whines. If Kai wont share, she whines. If she wants to eat, she whines. It feels as if some days, she is whining all day!!
Kai never really had this phase as badly as she does. When does it end and how can we get out of this stage! It makes for long and sometimes frustrating days.
I am trying to ignore her as best I can when she is whining for something, but that is proving all to NOT effective, as today, to get my attention, she then resorted to biting me! Not happening.

Any suggestions are WELCOMED!!

Our Little Angel ;-)

Diapers for Baby

Last week a friend from college was in town visiting. She is pregnant and due in July! Our little group of girls met up for a dinner/baby shower to honour her expanding belly and soon to be baby!

I decided to do something a little different as a gift...and so I made, a diaper cake!
It was my first one, and actually quite fun. What mom doesn't need diapers, right!?



she even got a free can of beans! :-)




Three tiers

It was a three tier diaper cake...i think it was 92 diapers! Decorated with bath toys, wash cloths, soothers and more. It was a fun task and a different kind of gift.

There are 5 of us from college that have stayed quite close, and there are a couple of us that are pregnant. This will be a fun year! Something totally new for me as I have never been pregnant at the same time as a friend...truth be told, most of my friends have not yet had kids....and the ones that have are new found friends, and amazing ones at that.

Hope you enjoy your cake Alison!



Time Flies...

Well, time flies really is a true statement in my life. At the end of this post you will see a paragraph I wrote to Kai on the 8th, yet hadn't had time to post yet. Here I am, on the 13th, finally getting around to getting fingers to keyboard!
Kai had an unbelievable birthday...and had a birthday party on the weekend that he is still on sugar high from! Filled with pinatas and bouncy castles, SHARK CAKE and more! He had a blast. I cant believe we now have a three year old in our house.

Here are a few photos from his special day.

                                                               moms homemade bday cake

Written April 8, 2011:
Where does time go these days! This week has pas at in a blink of an eye. These past three years of gone equally as quick!
Yesterday our little man turned 3! I cannot believe we have a three-year-old. Makes me feel old ;-)
Kai is such an amazing little boy. He is so full of love and cuddles, laughter and the occasional tear, joy, hope, wisdom and whit. He is very bright and quick on the uptake! I can't believe we have raised such a wonderful, unique and special person.
With the birthday of your child, it really brings reflection on yourself. Last night, Ryan and I sat reminiscing of the day our first born entered the world. From my water-breaking as Ryan was BBQ-ing us a nice meal, to the moment he entered our lives...we were never prepared for how this little person would change our lives. And in no way have we ever looked back or wished it any way.
Kai, you are the love and joy of my life. I love you with all my heart. You have taught me things I never knew I could learn from a child. How to love unconditionally, how to laugh through the hard times, that what really matters is time spent together making memories, the list is to long to write. You are an amazing little boy and I look forward to watching you grow and continue to learn from you. Happy 3rd Birthday!

AMAZING birthday cake!

"Nemo" Kai's birthday present

Cameras and memories...

It used to be that I would never leave home without a camera in my bag...and these days, at very least, my iphone to snap a few quick pictures of the kids; but today, venturing out for some play time with the kids, while Ryan enjoys a day on the slopes, I left CAMERA AND IPHONE at home...totally forgot them! And of course, today I was picturing all of these amazing photos I could have been capturing :-(
You know, those images you grab glimpses of and wish they were hanging on your wall. There were a few of those today. I will not let that happen again!  But we still had fun anyway :-)

Enjoy this beautiful Saturday...I know I am.

"It is essential to our well-being, and to our lives, that we play and enjoy life. Every single day do something that makes your heart sing." ~Marcia Wieder

Morning Sickness...

written March 23, 2011


I am still telling myself that this isn't what it is; that when I wake up feeling as if I had one too many glasses of wine last night, when the truth is I haven't had anything to drink since the day I got a positive on our test, that it has nothing to do with that thing that many pregnant women face...morning sickness.
Although I have only actually been sick a couple times, it is the lingering feeling of nausea and food aversions that are really becoming overwhelming and exhausting!
Other joyful things that have been occurring this week, slight weight gain but MAJOR bloating, fatigue, stretching ligaments (a sneeze means excruciating pain in the stomach!). I am 6weeks 3 days pregnant today and am counting the days...a week tomorrow and we have our follow up ultrasound! Yay! A reassurance (other than all of these lovely symptoms) that the baby is in there, growing strong, and a heartbeat is seen. I cant tell you how long these weeks have been till that day...almost there!
Ryan and I had an awesome date night last weekend! We started by going to dinner at the Keg. I am not a huge red meat eater, so for dinner I ordered Salmon. Bad idea...I honestly am unsure as to whether it was an aversion to fish that I currently have, or whether the fish was off...but I had one bite of that fishy-salmon and had to get them to take it away. I was so turned off by it I couldn't eat anything else while we were there...and so, I decided a White Spot burger at the Hockey Game was a much better option :-) Yep, I would probably guarantee that the fishy salmon was a case of pregnancy food aversion.

I cant wait to get out of this first trimester. This is the most awkward time for many reasons:
-the worry of miscarriage
-many uncomfortable symptoms
-body changes but not quite showing...really just feeling fat if you ask me
A link to a great article "All About The First Trimester." I love Fit Pregnancy!

I have heard that with the more kids you have, the faster you show. This is apparently because your body remembers the process and the muscles relax to it faster...i swear I have a little bump already. Crazy!
I have taken photos weekly through both my pregnancies, and have started to do so again in this one...maybe one day if I become brave enough, I will show you a comparison of the three.
Here is a link to some common happenings of pregnancy two and beyond.

Baby Development at 6 weeks

The Good, The Bad and The Untold...

written March 14, 2011

Well, I am going to be open and honest here...and if you don't want to hear it, don't read it. I use this as a bit of a journal to look back on; and I feel it is also important that moms to be out there know the whole truth ;-)

Pregnancy and Symptoms.
Of course there are many things that you are told or that you hear of through pregnancy but there are some that go untold. Not everyone gets the same symptoms, but for me, these are some I have experienced somewhere amidst my three pregnancies...
This list really could be PAGES long, but to begin, here are some of the joys:

1) Nausea
2) Puking
3) Sore Boobs
4) Growing Boobs
5) "Thickening" Waist
6) Dry Skin
7) Cramping
8) Acne Breakouts
9) Swelling / Water retention
10) Gas...yep its true
11) Constipation
12) Extreme tiredness
13) Middle of the night wakings and cant get back to sleep
14) Easily winded (literally even walking up a few stairs)

I think for now, those are the main ones...and its only 5 weeks! There is no such thing as the pregnancy glow in the first trimester!

For those of you that haven't read "Belly Laughs" by Jenny McCarthy...it is pretty funny and well written! She also has a "Baby Laughs" that is equally as good.

Staying Positive...

written March 12, 2011

Today I had an ultrasound to determine the babies due date based on size. I have never felt to low and discouraged. The tech measured the "gestational sac" and it measured 4weeks 6days...the same date as we initially thought; however, we couldn't see anything inside. Apparently this is normal for being at such an early stage because everything is still so small.
This is also why most Doctors don't send their patients till they are more like 7+weeks (another reason, among many, I am not a huge fan of my doc)... and so now, I re-scheduled...I go back when I will be closer to 8week. By then, if all is well, we will be able to see the baby and most likely hear the heartbeat!

God that is going to be a LONG wait...I hope, no, I KNOW, everything will be excellent!

Why is it that sometimes our minds go to the worst scenarios...I can't wait for this mind to be settled.

Here comes the bloat...

written March 10, 2011

Isn't this just the best part of pregnancy... the part where you know your pregnant, maybe a few family member and friends...but to the rest of the world, your clothes just look a little tight.  It is amazing how fast the female body changes during pregnancy. Instantly your system is exhausted, your breath gets taken away when you walk up a flight of stairs... and the pants...they just feel so damn uncomfortable!

So far, the mornings through mid day are my best hours. Sometimes I forget I am pregnant... it all just seems so surreal. But come 4:00 on, I start to feel like I am dragging my butt and the heartburn kicks in as well. Of all the symptoms possible, I am not complaining...I just hope they stay this "easy."

I had a hard pregnancy with Kai. I was ALWAYS tired; I even napped, which I never do! I was SO sick for the first 5 months with the occasional bought through till the end. I remember one trip to Seattle with my mom; she was treating me to a shopping spree of new maternity clothes. We had a great day together, until the car ride home; I was so nauseous and puked in a Ziploc bag...you will never look at Ziploc the same!

I was fortunate with Si, in the beginning. I did not have the luxury of naps while pregnant with her as Kai was around and still so young. When he slept, I got things organized. We were also in the midst of selling our condo and moving. Not the most optimal timing!  But unlike my first pregnancy, Si was harder towards the end. I had quite a lot of pre-labour cramping...she just wanted out! And by about 8 months...i was ready for her to be out too! She made her entry into the world 3 days early.

And so, number three. How are you going to treat me?
I am excited for the next 8 months (or 7.5 if you want to be nice ;-) ).