It is Boxing Day in Canada , and I am 36 years old today!

Age really must be a state of mind, because mentally I do not feel my age. Physically sometimes I feel much older. I still can't believe I am a mother. It is all so surreal. Sometimes I think it is just a dream. She is such a beautiful wonderful little girl. I am looking forward to seeing the person she will grow up to be. I have always been a late bloomer of sorts, and this is probably why I don't feel so old. It will be interesting to see what the next 4 years brings for Greg, and I...because we will be 40, I hope that we will be in that place we have dreamed of for so long.

In the meantime, I have to figure out where I want to go to dinner tonight. I am leaning towards fish. I just wished there was a place I could get great Southern fried Catfish. That would be fantastic!
Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

Merry Christmas!

This is our very first "live" tree. I was so excited that we could get one. The last place we lived wouldn't allow them. This is our 5th Christmas together, and Molly's first. I think our tree turned out cute, considering we don't have much in the way of decorations. I got the lights 50% off today, and we made the garland with construction paper. :)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

some pictures to share:
Christmas 2006

Hey Ya! Charlie Brown Style

This makes me laugh! :)

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

This was played at my mum in law's memorial service. It is such a lovely song.

More snow...

Well, we are getting dumped on again today. We had a reprive yesterday, but the snow has commenced, and we could have anywhere from 10-20 cm. These pictures were taken tonight, and you can see where I walked out in the snow on Monday...those prints are nearly covered. Molly and I have only ventured out just long enough to take her picture on Monday...however those didn't turn out too well. The weather is suppose to warm up tomorrow, and the snow turn to rain...so what a mess that will make! :/

Winter Wonderland...

Well it is currently about 18F/-8C here in Richmond, BC. It is pretty darn cold for here, and especially this time of year. It isn't going to get much warmer than that today. It isn't even December yet! It is suppose to be cold like this most of the week, and it is snowing just a little, even though we aren't suppose to get anymore until tomorrow. It will take a few days for this to thaw. We were already waterlogged from the heaviest rainfall on record for the month of November. What an odd month this has been, deaths in the family, weather freakishiness...what else is due to happen before December arrives in a couple of days?
Well, it is too cold to take Molly out, and I don't want to be out in the snow. So, I guess we will be stuck home for a while. Trouble is we have things to get before we make the trip up for Greg's mum's memorial on Saturday. Ho-hum! I guess it will all come together.

I like this song...

X-Box 360 has a new commercial out for the game Gears of War. The commercial features a song named Mad World sung by Gary Jules. It turns out that it was originally done by Tears for Fears back in the 80's. Ok, how come I have never heard of this song? I am a total 80's music junkie, and I didn't even know this song! It was also on the Donnie Darko soundtrack (very strange movie). Funny thing is when I first saw the commercial, I thought it was R.E.M.

We still have some snow off and on...

but here is what it looked liked this morning. :)

It is still SNOWING!!!!

I have been wanting it to stop all day, so we could take Molly out, and build a snowman. Her bunting isn't waterproof, so going out wasn't an option. We have about a foot or more now. Lots of snow for this time of year, especially in the Vancouver area.

Let it snow...

Well, we are having our first snow here in Richmond. It has been snowing in the mountains for a while now. It isn't sticking too bad so far. I went to the store to pick up some stuff, so if we go "snowed" in we would be ok. The bread , and milk weren't flying off the shelves like it would be in Alabama. :)

The people here can't drive, and add a weather variant, and they really can't drive. :(

The snow has been falling a couple of hours now, and we have about 4 inches on the ground...it is still falling. The forecast says 2-4 inches between now, and tomorrow night. I think we are going to get way more. Good thing I went to the store. :)

Being Thankful

Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S. I miss having Thanksgiving with my family. My extended family is spread far and wide, and there are so few of us it seems. I am Thankful for my husband, and my beautiful little girl. I am thankful for what remaining family I do have. I am thankful for my friends, and extended family.
Embrace your loved ones, for they are what you have, without them you have nothing. Embrace the ones you love, for you never know how long you have with them. Life is very short, so don't waste one minute.

Farewell to a wonderful lady

Greg's mum fell critically ill two weeks ago, and passed away yesterday. This came as a complete shock to the family, and only days since my papa passed away. Too much sadness for us to take.
We love you Mum, and are very sad you had to go. Please watch over us.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Greg, and I have been happily married 4 years as of yesterday. We didn't make any special plans this time. We both are sick with colds, along with Molly. We have had illness and death in the family. There is just too much going on. So we have postponed doing anything special for now. I pulled out our wedding photos last night...it seems so long ago, and yet it was only a short time ago. We now have a beautiful little girl to show for it. :)

I love you Papa

George John Vanderwerf
May 20, 1918- Nov. 13, 2006

Happy Halloween!!!!

BOOOOOO! :)

Fall is Here....

Well, it has been a while since I have posted. Greg, Molly, and I went to Quesnel for an extended Labour Day weekend. We had a nice time, and were sad to have to come back home.
We went for our prenatal class reunion back on the 12th of Sept. We had a really nice time. 9 out of the 12 couples were there with their babies.

Molly, and I have made some new friends from the group, and are becoming more active.
On Tuesdays we have been going to Baby Days, a 10 week series of various baby topics. On Thursdays we meet with some of the moms , and babies from our prenatal class. We have lots of fun. This week we have the gathering at our house. Molly and I started a stroller exercise class in Steveston too. It is a good workout. It is good that Molly is getting to the age where we can go out , and do things together, and with others.

She will be 4 months old in a couple of days. I have been doing some reading on introducing solids to her diet. I think we will try a little rice cereal with fruit mixed in sometime in the coming month or so. Maybe when we go for her 4 month immunizations we will talk to the doctor about it.

It has been cool, and crisp outside and it feels so nice. This is my favorite time of the year. I can't explain it, but there is something about the fall. I would love for it to be fall all year long. Greg says we could never grow anything, but that is what green houses are for. :)

I just always feel like going out, and going to a country fall festival or something.
Halloween will be here before we know it, so it's time to get a pumpkin. I think we will actually have trick or treaters this year.
Hope all is well in your world.
Cheers!
Jen

Vacation time is nearing...

Greg, and I have decided to take a little vacation over the Labour Day weekend...actually a couple of days before and after as well. We are heading up to Quesnel where are land is. This will be our first big trip with Molly, and I hope that it goes well. We are both looking forward to seeing our place, and enjoying the sights of the area around Quesnel. It is so nice up there, we just love it.
We have a few things to do this weekend. We are planning on taking Molly to Sears to get her portrait done. We tried a couple of weeks ago, but she was too tired and cranky by the time we were to be seen. We have an appointment this time. Greg is also getting a tattoo of Molly's handprint on his chest. I have thought about getting a tattoo for years, but never could go through with it, not to mention deciding on what to get. I told Greg he was my guinea pig for the pain factor. He was to tell me if I could handle it or not...then I remembered... a tattoo probably doesn't hurt near as bad as the back labour I endured when Molly was born. So I think I can handle a tattoo...so what to get?

We are having a backyard sale a week from Saturday, and so we have to get ready for that. So much to do!!!
Well, I hope you all have a great weekend!
Cheers!
Jen

Mommy & Molly

Last Friday , Greg watched Molly for a little bit while I went to get a hair cut. I decided to take the plunge, and wack it right off. It is easier to manage now. I was wearing it up alot when I was pregnant. Molly was starting to grab handfuls of it, so it was a good choice.
This picture was taken yesterday. I don't have but 3 pics of her and I together...and this is the best of the lot. I am just never made up these days, and I didn't want my picture taken.
Hope all is well in your world.

Mommy Time..

Well, I haven't been here in a few days, and Molly is taking a snooze. I thought I would take a moment to post a note. Things here are going good. I am still trying to learn how to balance house, and baby...but I am learning to let things go some, and spend lots of time with my girl.
We go for walks, and we spent a little time in the backyard yesterday. Last Friday we went to Baby and Me in the Park . It is a drop in group for moms, and babes. We learn rhymes, and songs to sing. It was a lot of fun, though Molly slept through most of it. She was the youngest in the group. She is now 7 weeks old, and growing like a weed. She changes so much everyday, it is amazing what she can do one day to the next.

I have started a page for her, and will be posting pictures , and updates there instead of here.
you can read it at Molly's Page.
Well, I better get back to it...she won't be asleep for long, and I have to take advantage of the time!!!
Hope all is well in your world.
Cheers!
Jen

Molly at Play

Molly is now 6 weeks 4 days old as of today. I can't believe how the the time has flown by, and she will be 2 months old on August 11th!
Here is a pic of her playing on her Fisher Price Link-A-Doos Play Garden. She doesn't know how to do much yet, but she seems to like the sounds, and lights. :)
She is such a smart little girl.

Soooo Sleepy mommy :)

Took this today while I was doing some paperwork at the table in the kitchen.
So flippin' cute she is. :)
Love my girl.

Making room for baby...

Well, to say the least becoming a mom has changed my life...for the better I am sure. I just haven't found our groove yet. Molly , and I are still taking lots of naps, and I don't manage to get showered too early. Our goal this week is to get her nursery back in order, as we still haven't put away the spare bed since my mom left. We have also gotten tons of new clothes that I have to sort through! Molly is already quite the fashion horse!

I was purusing through recipes so I could cook a decent dinner. We have been having quite a bit of take-out the last week. We finally did a bit of shopping, and restocked some of our pantry.

Molly is 5 weeks old now, and it is amazing how much she has changed in that time. She is quite the little girl. She already has both of us hooked, and wrapped around her little finger.

Time gets away so quickly these days...I better get going for now.
Hope all is well in your world.
Cheers!
Jen

Oi Vey! It's Friday????

I could have sworn it was only Thursday!!!! Where did I lose a day??? No wonder Greg looked at me funny when I told him it wasn't Friday. Ok, nobody told me my days would run together!!!
I am totally losing it! :)

Molly is 1 month old today!! I can't believe it. :)

Oh my!

Well, the last few days...really the last month has been nothing but one thing after the other around here. Greg has had problems with having a growth on his thyroid for several months now. It has been an ordeal just trying to get that taken care of. Well, finally they decided to schedule him for a partial thyroidectomy right after Molly was born! So, he had that done last Wednesday. Then, if things couldn't get any worse, he develops a post-op staph infection!!!!! So poor Greg has spent the better part of 5 days in some sort of medical facility. He had us all scared, because as you know staph is nothing to mess with. It turns out he didn't have the nastier of the strains. I won't go into all the run around we got before getting a resolution. Let me just say, I am not very pleased with some of the service we got from the Vancouver Healthcare System.

They had to drain all the infection out, and then had him on some serious i.v. antibiotics for a couple of days.
He is home now, and on oral antibiotics 3 times a day. It is so good to have him home now. He sure missed his girls. :)
So, we are hoping that the next week we will be back to some sort of normalcy.

It has been a crazy month, starting with the birth of our daughter by c-section, and then this with Greg. Luckily my mom was here when Greg was going through his ordeal. It was a huge help on top of her helping with Molly.

She left this morning, so now the real challenges can commence. :)

Molly will be a month old on the 11th of this month. It doesn't seem like it should be that long now, but time has flown by.

Well, I hope that in the coming weeks, I will have only good things to report.
I hope this finds you all well.
Cheers!
Jen

Our Baby Girl is 3 Weeks Old Today!

Well, today our baby girl is 3 weeks old! It is so hard to believe that it has been 3 weeks already.

Molly is now above 7lbs, and growing everyday. We are doing well...still quite sleep deprived as I am still recovering from surgery, as well as Greg. He had a partial thyroidectomy this past week, and has a bit of an infection. So it has been tough on both of us, aside from being new parents. We will get there though eventually :)

I hope that you all had a great weekend, and that this finds you well.

I'm still here...

I'm still around, but motherhood has me pretty busy & tired these days. Molly is growing by leaps, and bounds, and is such a joy. She is two weeks old now, and it is hard to believe. Things here are going good, though the breastfeeding has been a challenge for me. I hope that things are going to get better with that as time goes on.

Summer is definitely here now, and it has been quite warm the last couple of days. My mom is here, and she is having a time dealing with no air conditioning. I am used to it after nearly 4 years now, but you just make do the best you can with fans, and such. We could buy an air unit, but we have weird windows, and one wouldn't work for us.

Well, I don't have much else to report at the moment. I am hoping soon to start up a page for Molly, and be able to update family and friends that way as well.

I hope this finds you all well.
Take care,
Cheers!
Jen

pics of Molly can be viewed here

What an incredible week this has been!!!!

Well a week ago today, life as I currently knew it changed. I awoke on Saturday morning, and to my surprise discovered by chance that my water had broken. I promptly went to wake Greg to tell him... That was just the beginning of a 30+ hour journey that was 9 months in the making.

My contractions never got a pattern to them, and my labour was all in my back. This meant the baby was turned. The back labour was so severe, that even a whomping shot of demerol couldn't even do anything for me. So I had to wait until it was safe to give me an epidural in which I was allowed to use nitrous oxide to make me not care, but it was not going to relieve the pain. I was in agony so much I was screaming.

After some time , I was able to get an epidural in which I couldn't feel any pain, but I could still feel the pressure from the contractions. I was given an oxytocin drip to encourage my cervix to dilate...as it was I was only dilated about 1-2 cm upon giving me the epidural. So by 5 a.m. Sunday morning I had dialated to 6 cm in which I stayed , and never progressed further.

By 11a.m. on Sunday they had the staff obstetrician come in, and examine me. It appears our little one's head was turned in such a fashion, she was trying to come out ear first. Also that my pelvis appears to be very small. The doctor told me that she would have to be delivered by c- section. Greg, and I were only interested in our little girl being born healthy, and if that meant I had a c-section, then so be it.

So, at 3:04pm on Sunday, June 11th Molly Elizabeth was born into this world.
Molly weighed in at a 6 lbs 7oz, and measuring 18 inches. So a tiny little one...definately not the prime candidate for a c-section.
It was a relief to finally have her here. It has been a trying week, as I am trying to recoup from surgery, learn to breast feed, and adjust my life to having a baby in it. It is just a matter of us getting into our groove, but we will find it soon I think.

She is just precious, and an angel. Greg and I are both looking forward to growing with our little girl, and seeing what the world has in store for her.

Cheers!
Jen

Dew on the Kudzu

Good Morning!
Well, I thought I better write something more positive, as the last couple of posts were kind of rants :)

Last year, I had the pleasure of being contacted by the editor of a fabulous Southern E-Zine to submit some articles on the Southern way of life, especially since I now live in Canada.. I have done so a couple of times, and I enjoy reading her site. Since, I have been off work, I have been trying to participate more.

Anyhow, I just wanted to point you over to the Dew. So take a trip on over to the Dew, where you can sit on the front porch, put your feet up, and sip on a nice glass of iced tea! It is a wonderful page, and if you have anything of Southern interest to share, feel free to submit an article :)

Dew on the Kudzu

Cheers!
Jen

So Inconsiderate!!!!

Our landlady has these gardeners come in and cut the very small yard we have. They are in and out of here in like 15 minutes. They half ass do the job, and I have told her that they aren't very good in my opinion. They are suppose to be doing maintenance in the garden as well...not happening. Anyhow, because it is warm, I have windows open, and the back door open. Well, normally I don't mind the smell of a little gas, and fresh cut grass. I am sitting here, and I happen to look over, and see this man with his face covered spraying , what I believe to be weed killer all over the grass!! This is a first.

HELLO! I have windows open. They could have warned me before doing this. I smiled at the woman one day, and she just stared at me. I am not so sure they speak English... they never hang around long enough to find out.
I have a cat, and I am over 37 weeks pregnant...so I quickly shut the windows, but not before some of the smell got in. I am a little more than peeved about this. :(

Jen

ARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!

I just want to sleep, and Pico is being a shit. Damn persistant little brat. It just so happens he has figured out how to bodyslam the bedroom door until it opens, and he is unhappy with his choice of wet food. Hubby is sawing logs with his ear plugs in...unfortunately, I can still hear Pico with my plugs in.
*GUMBLE* *pouts* *mumbles something about stringing up the fuzzball* Sorry about the rant.
Good Night Everyone!!

Making do...

Well, our oven has been on the blink for about a week now. I have to call the landlady to get an update on when it will be fixed. I am unable to bake in it at the moment. I really wanted bisquits today for brunch, and so... I decided to make do with what we have, and I made a batch of biscuits, and baked them on our gas bbq. They actually turned out fairly well.

My mistake in this is, that Greg now knows that I can do this when we go camping!! So, he will expect homemade biscuits for breakfast when we go camping. Uh-oh, what have I done? ;)

Cheers!
Jen

Sleeping is becoming more of a challenge...

It doesn't seem to matter much anymore which position I am *trying* to sleep in...nothing is comfortable for more than a few minutes at a time. :( I only foresee this getting worse as my belly grows bigger. I am finally gotten to the stage, I am ready for baby to be out! I am just not so super psyched on how she is coming out! At least that is if I don't end up having to have a c-section which is not in the plans at the moment, but who knows what will happen when it comes times.

I am 37 weeks today, so not much longer.... *big sigh*

Have a great weekend!!
Cheers!
Jen

Adding some changes...

I haven't really taken the time to explore how to modify my new page until this evening. I have decided to stay with the old timey theme, and added some really nice photos that we have taken of wildlife in BC. I think it is a nice touch. I have also added some new links, and stuff. As time goes on, I will add more stuff. I hope you like the new page. :)
Cheers!
Jen

Another check-up day

I just got back from the doctor, and all is well. I did the usual routine. I am up 6 lbs from last week. I swear it is all baby, and placenta!! I am not eating any differently, and I was only gaining like 2 lbs a month in the beginning. My belly looks as though it has dropped some, but I am not ready yet. The doctor that looked at me today (my regular doc is on vacation until right before the baby is due) examined me today, and my cervix is still pretty thick...so not time yet. Though the possibility is always there for early delivery, but not likely. I go each week now to be checked until the baby is due. Only a little more than 3 weeks left!

I told Greg this morning, I am still in limbo about all of this. I know I am pregnant, but I don't think it has really quite hit home yet, that we are about to have a new life to take care of. I guess that will kick in soon enough. :)

I hope all is well in your world.
Cheers!
Jen

Memorial Day

Let us remember that today is not just about barbeques, and family get togethers. This is a day of rememberance in the U.S. ... a memorial to those that have died fighting to make this world a better place.

Check up day...

I went to the doctor today for my check up. Everything is as it should be. Baby is good, I am good. I had some labwork done on Tuesday to make sure I am getting all I need from my vitamins, and diet. That came back just fine. BP is good. Baby's heartbeat is great. Baby is moving quite a lot. She is a squirmy little one! :) She's growing, and so am I. They did a swabby thingy today to make sure I don't have any bacterial stuff going on down in the nether regions.
I am 36 weeks today. I could deliver anywhere from 37 weeks to 41 weeks. I don't think it will be this next week...but I think it will be sooner rather than later. Though, this lil one is anything like me...she will be stubborn. :)

Have a great weekend!
Jen

A new page, a new life...

I have been A Southern Girl Discovers the Great White North since December of 2002. I have discovered, and I have conquered... well, I am not sure about conquering, but I feel at home here. :)

This is a turning point in my life, and therefore warrants a new page.

May 19th was my last working day for at least a year due in fact that I am about to become a mommy for the first time.

One chapter of my life is ending, and another one is beginning, and fear of the unknown is always a scary thing. The last time I left a job (though that was permanent) I married, and moved to Canada. It will be a bit strange to me for a while, all the more in a few short weeks I will have a beautiful new life to take care of. :)

I am looking forward to shaping , and molding this new page, and I hope that you, my family and friends will enjoy sharing with me.

Cheers!
Jen