oh heart

Happy Monday Friends! Well fall sure came in with a gusto this year! The weekend was scattered with stormy weather which meant cozy moments on the couch watching Netflix and lighting lots and lots of candles.

I am feeling tons of baby movement today and pain - feeling incredibly uncomfortable. Friday is my last day of work before mat leave and due date is still set for October 25th. I need a break - I am beyond needing a break actually and really looking forward to the time off but I have a ton to do between now and Friday at 5:00 pm.

I will (hopefully) be blogging much more regularly once I am off of work. I have a ton of blog posts started but need to sit down at home and finish them up. Time is not my friend right now.

Will be back soon ... enjoy your week!

P.S. This made me smile yesterday. "The Little Mermaid" is by far my favourite Disney movie and "Heart of the City" is my favourite comic strip so put them together? Makes me happy :)

today's inspiration // happy hump day edition

today's inspiration

34 weeks

And ... we are in the home stretch! 6 more weeks to go and even though I am scared s*&%less of being a mom, I am super, duper excited to meet our baby girl and have my body back. 

• Feeling ... HUGE. Seriously. Every day I say, "I cannot believe I am going to get bigger." And yet, I continue to grow. Grateful for a healthy baby to date but wanting to throw up every time I bend over is getting pretty old, pretty fast.
• Eating ... Whatever the hell I want :)
• Wanting ... To have the nursery ready, my hospital bag packed and all my "stuff" in order before baby girl decides to start her process of coming into this world. I am a planner by nature so if I feel prepared, I will be able to handle things emotionally much better. I know me.
• Moving ... Baby girl does not stop moving. Super happy about that fact but sometimes, I think we could both use a few moments of calm :) Hiccups are in full effect on a regular basis. Pretty sure she likes apples because she tends to do somersaults when I eat an apple but then gets the hiccups. Quite funny to follow these patterns as they progress.
• Sleeping ... Fairly well but feeling super drained. All the time. And if I ever say that I am tired, someone will undoubtedly say, "Just you wait!" ANNOYING! I get it, I won't sleep much when I'm a mom but right now, today, in this moment, I am tired and that is the only moment I have. So let me just be here for now. 

That's where I am at today but if I have learned anything from this pregnancy process, tomorrow could bring an entirely new set of feelings, wants and needs. Enjoying the journey but ready for the next part of this adventure to begin!

baby girl's first teddy bear

Last night we went to dinner at White Spot to celebrate my step-dad's 66th birthday. Happy birthday big guy! My aunt and uncle joined us and it was so great to catch up with them. I am 34 weeks pregnant and my aunt hadn't seen me before last night. She was so cute - gushed about how good I looked, teared up. It was a very sweet moment in this very journey I have had so far.

My aunt and uncle surprised me with the first new "toy" gift for baby girl - "My First Teddy" by Gund. This teddy bear is large, pink, soft and perfect. I love it so I cannot see our little girl not loving it too. And it is extra special because when I was growing up, my mom and I collected Gund bears (we still have a handful that we can't seem to part with).

My First Teddy from amazon.ca

I recently washed up old "Cozy Bear" - a Gund bear that I got from my dad back in 1985. He passed away 10 years ago so this is a treasure for me. The poor bear doesn't look quite as good as this guy on eBay (which someone is trying to sell for $36.99 - wow) but I wanted to include him in the nursery so he is there and clean (whether my husband likes it or not - ha ha).

Cozy Bear for sale on eBay.com

The nursery is coming together and I am hoping to show some photos soon. My friend is throwing me a girlfriend only baby shower tomorrow so I am sure Sunday will be spent putting some new goodies (and treasures) away to await for baby girl's arrival.

recently // a book review

I just finished reading Surfacing by Natasha Jones and Jim McGregor. I actually work with Jim so I was super excited when he and his writing partner put the finishing touches on their first novel. I was one of the first to buy a book at their book launch and am proud to have my signed copy on my shelf.

I love Jim but even if I didn't, this book would be a great end-of-summer/hello-fall read. It is a page turner - you won't want to put it down. Buy your Kindle Edition here or your paperback copy here.

Help support two very talented artists and enjoy a special and thrilling read at the same time. Win/win!

Surfacing

Courtesy of Amazon.ca: Jeremy knows about the accident but when his mother, Debbie, finally reveals the truth, he has no idea that he will find his once strong firefighter father still unconscious in an extended care facility. The discovery that, after three years, his father suddenly begins regaining consciousness sets in motion a series of events that will rock many lives. The family ventures into the rundown Franklin Center, the final destination for all of its patients, where Jeremy's youthful optimism for his father's recovery triggers emotions long-buried in the nursing staff, the family and their friends. Drawing on energy from the spirit of a grandfather he can scarcely remember, Jeremy inspires his father's medical team to question their conventional medical approach to what is possible. While the family confronts the ramifications of Don’s return to consciousness they discover that more sinister forces are at work. Bent on the destruction of the family’s hope and fueled by maniacal jealousy, one staff member will do anything to sabotage the firefighter's valiant efforts to recover. Natasha Jones was born in Paraguay and educated in England. As a newspaper journalist, she has won numerous awards, including the Canadian Community Newspaper Association's Dulcie Wenger Memorial Trophy for feature writing, as well as journalism awards with the B.C. and Yukon Community Newspapers Association and The Vancouver Press Club Foundation. Jim McGregor is a thirty-six year veteran of the fire service, including Fire Chief for the City of Langley, British Columbia. His work has been published in articles, magazines and competitions. Jim has also co-authored successful poetry and children's books. He currently writes a weekly column for the Langley Times newspaper. Jim draws on his firefighting background for characters in the story. Both authors reside in Langley B.C.

Read any good books lately?

recently // dvd series

Since my husband and I moved in our first home 3 years ago, we have never subscribed to cable. We do have Netflix and it is definitely worth the $8 a month. We don't want to get into the habit of wasting time on TV and I love waiting for new arrivals from the library and going to pick them up. There is something so ... community about it all. There are a few series that we purchase (Sons of Anarchy is by far my favourite) and we are always a season behind everyone else but it is worth the wait for us.

We just finished watching the 5th season of True Blood. I love this show because it makes me laugh. And I could watch Jason Stackhouse. All. Day. Long. Plus, my husband and I have this weird obsession with all things - well, for lack of a better term - death related. And vampires, shifters and wearwolves just seem to fit the bill! Do you watch True Blood? Is it just me or is Bill Compton getting just a bit more than ridiculous? 

And last night we watched the 1st episode of the 7th season of Dexter. OMG. If we watch the 2nd episode tonight and the last scene of the 1st episode was all a dream, I am going to be super annoyed. If it wasn't a dream, this is gearing up to the best season ever! 

What's your favourite TV series?

We are also watching (randomly) on Netflix:

hello september!

image via

Wow. September. Where did you come from? I did not see you coming but I am so happy you are here. Fall is mine and my husband's most favourite time of the year. We got married on September 25th so that we could have the fall colours as part of our decor. Everyone asks me if I have had a horribly hot pregnant summer and my reply is always, "Not really. I hate the humid weather but I would much rather be pregnant in the summer than give birth in the summer." Baby Girl is due at the end of October - the time of year where I feel the most focused, balanced and alive. Life is good during the fall. And this year will be extra special. There is so much to be grateful for and so much to look forward to.

This September I plan to:

• Enjoy my baby shower with all my favourite girlfriends.
• Celebrate with my step-dad for his 66th birthday.
• Finish organizing the nursery.
• Complete our budget plan for when I go on maternity leave.
• Learn how to use our new camera. We went with this one. Any tips on the best way to use this camera would be greatly appreciated.
• Start my recipe/meal planning project for when I am off work.
• Put together the last details in my work binder that I will leave behind for the ladies in the office.

Lots to do and not enough time but I plan to start working smarter and not harder - when I focus on what is really important, I am always amazed at what I can accomplish. Life is good people!

PS: Read this article recently and it really helped me put things in perspective. With the fall calendar already filling up quickly, take the time to read this and get focused: Filling the Time Jar {5 Steps that will Change Your Life}.

today's inspiration

I have been feeling really "off" lately but I am not sure why I would be surprised - I am creating a human after all :) A massage last night and keeping focused on what really matters is keeping me grounded. What is inspiring you today?

halloween planning?

Baby Girl isn't due until October 25th and I know she will come in her own time, but it's a fact that most first babies are late. That being said, Halloween is mine and my husband's favourite holiday so no matter when she comes, she will be surrounded by all sorts of spooky goodness. I will wait until a bit closer to my due date but how cute is this Halloween costume? I am dying of cuteness overload. My husband says to just buy it but I am going to wait. Even though it's really hard to. 

Costume available here.

My niece and nephew are going to be Tinkerbell and Peter Pan for Halloween this year. I can't believe that we are already into September and parents have to buy costumes now or they will miss out. Do you know what your child is going to be for Halloween this year? Would love to see the photos friends!