Christmas Greetings!

I figured this is probably the only time I'm going to have to put in a Christmas update as the next fews days look to be rather busy. Tim is working for the day and then this evening we're heading to his parents place to open presents. Tomorrow morning we'll have our first Christmas together as a family with Reuben, and in the afternoon we'll be heading to Chatham to celebrate with my parents and siblings for a few days. Much to do...

Christmas this year seems different for some reason. I think that reason is called Reuben. There are so many times when I look at him and I can't believe that I have a son, and he is it. Yet every time I go to pick him up from his crib and he smiles at me, I love him a little more. I've discovered there is a bitter-sweetness to being a mother. You love them when they're small, and part of you wishes they would always be small, but another part of you is so excited to see them grow up, and you can't help wondering what they will be like when they're older. And you know that deep in your heart, some day you'll have to let them go.

Anyway, as a completely random aside, I'm currently on my third load of laundry, with at least one more yet to do. Strange how even though I now have my own washer and dryer I still put off doing it until the pile overflows the basket and I no longer have socks in my drawer. I'm a procrastinator at heart, what can I say? I always intend to get better at doing things in a timely fashion, (like Christmas shopping), but for some reason I'm always waiting till the last minute. Maybe someday I will learn, but I doubt it.

Here's some pics of Reuben to end off. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and the very best of New Year's.

Forgotten titles

So I forgot to put a title on my last post...go figure...apparently pregnancy brain doesn't go away once the baby shows up. I'm in trouble.

Well, Christmas is almost here, and I've finally today gotten around to starting my Christmas shopping. Good thing the mall is in walking distance so I can go during the day. Even then the stores are crowded...but then they've been crowded for the last month, so unless you do your Christmas shopping in October, you're going to have to deal with them sooner or later. I got about halfway done, so I'll have to head out again at some point. Maybe I'll find a 24 hour Walmart and head out after Reuben's night time feeding...haha...right like I feel like getting up at that time of day. I don't think so... So braving the crowds again it is. Joy to the world.

I have discovered one problem though. Our cat has decided that she enjoys chewing on the Christmas presents once they're wrapped and under the tree. If anyone has any advice on how to deter her from this, please let me know. Otherwise I think I will have to go out and purchase some anti-chew spray ASAP.

Reuben is continuing to grow. He has discovered his voice and will babble and coo at his toys randomly. He also giggles on occasion which is really cute to hear. He's starting to be able to push himself up when I lay him on his tummy, and we have a great toy that I put infront of him that he likes to look at. I'll see if I can get some pictures of it up here. He's gaining more control over his head as well, and will soon be able to sit up on his own. He currently has some difficulty coordinating the sitting up and the holding head up at the same time, so will often fall over if you try to leave him on his own...I stick with propping him up for now. :)

So here's the latest pics:

My brilliant plan to update more hasn't really happened. It's amazing how fast your days fill up with feeding a baby, changing a baby, and putting a baby to sleep. Then to try to keep the house clean and supper on the table at the same time, well, blogging ends up on the back burner. But my dear sister has requested an update with pictures, so here we are.

My parents have just left after spending last night and today. They brought my new washer and dryer and bookshelf with them. I was expecting the bookshelf, but not the washer and dryer. Can you believe I'm actually excited to do laundry tomorrow?! I don't even have to rustle up enough loonies to do my many loads! The new bookshelf looks great in our living room, and I especially like that the cd player is now also set up so I don't have to listen to music off of the computer anymore. It may be somewhat old-fashioned, but there's something kind of nice about being able to put a cd into the machine instead of having to pick out a playlist.

Reuben continues to do well. We went for his two month appointment at the doctor this week. He weighs 13lb 2oz and had his first immunizations. He was very brave and only cried for a little bit. He smiles all the time now and is even beginning to laugh for us on occasion. I am really beginning to enjoy being a mother now that we've got a regular routine down. I will be even more thrilled when he learns to sleep through the night, but one thing at a time. Frankly I would kill for a solid 8 hours of sleep at this point...eventually it will come...

Anyway, not much else for news...so here's some pictures:

Moved and settled in

I know it's been a while since I've updated, but in all fairness, I did just have a baby, and we moved to a new place at the beginning of November. Life is busy, that's all there is to it. We've settled in quite nicely to our new home. It's a townhouse style place this time, and we quite like having our own separate unit instead of being in an apartment. It really makes a place feel like your own when you have to pay your own utility bills. I've become obsessed with turning off lights... There are some little things that still need to be done, like hanging up curtains, buying blinds for the bedrooms, picking up a garbage pail and recycling bings for outside so our house won't constantly smell like refuse, those sorts of things. But in general all the essential boxes are unpacked, and the place is really starting to feel like home.

Reuben is growing like a weed. He is now 6 1/2 weeks old and weighs 10lbs 12oz. We had our final appointment with the midwives this week, so we are no longer under their care and have to deal with the family doc from now on...we'll have to see how that transition goes. Not having a whole lot of faith in the conventional health care system I'm not particularly looking forward to it, but oh well. I've really enjoyed having someone on call that I can contact 24-7. Anyway, here's some pics...sorry they're not more up to date, but they're still cute.

My little man

Reuben Michael has arrived!

I am pleased to announce that our son Reuben Michael was born on Monday Sept 24, 2007 at 1:32AM at St. Joseph's Hospital here in Hamilton. He weighed 8lbs 10oz and is doing very well. I am also doing very well, albeit sore from the delivery and tired from the lack of sleep that we are already experiencing as new parents. Learning to breastfeed is an interesting challenge as I'm sure all new mothers can relate to, but my midwife is happy with how things are going so far and have given me all sorts of tips on pain relief etc.

Anyway, I will try to post a picture when I get a chance, but my free time is severely limited these days.

Still waiting for baby...

Well, I'm now 5 days overdue, and baby still hasn't come. It's been teasing me this week with contractions that have been regular for a couple of hours and then go away. I just wish that we could know when it will come and when the time is actually here instead of all this guesswork. Friends and family have been very supportive, calling and emailing to see how things are going. Tim finds it funny because it's as if they aren't expecting us to call when it does happen, but I like it because it keeps me distracted.

Everything we've needed to do to prepare is done. I've got all my paperwork in for EI, now it's just a matter of waiting for them to put it through. Tim's big show for Artech (Heaven's Rehearsal) was last Saturday and went really well. It's just clean up time now for them so they're glad baby's waited.

Well, I'm off to do laundry and wash my kitchen floor. I've heard that being on your hands and knees can be a good place to get labour going, so here's hoping...

Just waiting...

Well, no baby yet. We have 4 days till the due date and I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable and ready for this baby to make its appearance. My days are filled with watching tv, taking naps, doing dishes, and other random activities as they come up. Tim is very happy to be eating regular meals for a change. I haven't even made Hamburger Helper once yet...although I'm sure it'll show up back on the menu at some point.

Otherwise there is really not a whole lot for news. It's been more of a chore than I realized getting my ROE from work. Apparently the lady who puts them together didn't get the memo that I'd actually left for my maternity leave, and if I hadn't called her the other day wouldn't have known to do it. (This after I left her a voicemail on my last day specifically asking her to call me about when I could pick it up...maybe she still hadn't checked her messages a week later??) Anyway, I should have it this afternoon, and maybe sometime soon I will make a trek down to the Service Canada office to drop it off.

well, I am going to head off...maybe I'll fold some socks...

Maternity leave has started

So as of yesterday I am officially on maternity leave. I filled out my application for EI benefits online today, just gotta wait for my ROE from work to bring in so they can process it all and ensure that Tim and I will still be able to pay our bills while I'm home caring for our little one...who isn't here quite yet. But soon. Only about 10 or 11 days (depending on how you number the days) till the due date, and I'm crossing my fingers that it might come a little earlier. I know, I know, first babies are always late...but that doesn't mean I can't hope. So far I'm doing well keeping myself amused at home. Yesterday I did some shopping with my sister for some last minute stuff I was still needing. Today I walked to the library and returned a book that I'd "lost"...read that: "never returned and is more than a year overdue". I know it's pathetic, but for some reason once I started working full time I didn't get many chances to go to the library anymore, so taking out one book just once ended up being dumb because I never went back.

Anyway, what with random shopping trips and afternoon walking excursions, I haven't even really had a chance to tackle my at home projects: laundry and cleaning. Ah, that can wait till tomorrow...eventually I'm sure it will all get done.

Mmm peaches...

Three weeks and counting till baby, assuming it's not early or late. I wouldn't mind early at this point, although preferably sometime after I finish work at the end of this week. It is getting rather more difficult to get comfortable sleeping at night, and the baby has a really annoying habit of being extremely active just as I'm trying to drift off. I think we have everything we need as far as baby gear goes. I do keep having brief moments of panic thinking that there's got to be something really important that we're forgetting about, not to mention the fact that I have absolutely no experience with babies. I try not to think about how much I really don't know when it comes to taking care of an infant.

Tim will be starting a new job next week for Artech Communications. He is really looking forward to being out of retail and focusing more on production work again. It'll mean some interesting lifestyle changes as far as work hours etc. While they sort of have a 9 to 5, Mon to Fri work week, a lot of shows are on the weekends, and Tim is already booked for quite a few of them. I'm assuming this means he'll get days of during the week, which will be an adjustment, but I'm sure will work out fine.

My last day of work is Friday. I can't express adequately in words how absolutely thankful I am to be finished with that place. The staffing issues/shortages and lack of organization are really starting to cause everyone to go bonkers, and I am thrilled to say it is no longer my problem to deal with. Frankly, my leaving is only adding to the problem, but I can't help it if people don't apply to work for the organization...

Anyhow, that's all for now. Perhaps I will get better at updating when I'm off and have nothing better to do all day...

Camping trips and reunions

So I figured an update was long overdue...not that there's a whole lot new and exciting to report. The baby continues to grow and take up my precious lung and stomach space. I've been hit with a not-so-wonderful summer cold that started in my face and moved into the remainder of my lung space, so you can imagine what kind of fun it is for me to breathe right now. Work is a drag as always, particularly now as people are going on vacation and we don't have casual coverage so I end up doing the job of two or more people quite frequently. I console myself with thoughts of the end being near - only five more weeks of work, seven more weeks till Baby (or so, depending on when it decides to show up).

We have big plans to go camping this weekend with my family, combined with a sort of reunion as we greet my long-lost sister who's been at school in Iowa since Christmas and decided to stay there to work for the summer and also decided to take five weeks to go to Chicoutimi, Quebec for a French immersion program...suffices to say we haven't seen her in quite a while and it will be good to spend some quality time together as a family.

anyway, that's about all there is to say, and my supper's getting cold, so I'll sign off for now...

Just remembering...

In memory of the little one we never knew, who would have been due today...

Messy kitchens on your birthday

So I figured that since today is my birthday, and I haven't posted in a really long time, I should take the effort to procrastinate from cleaning up my kitchen and update this thing. I'm even going to have a cup of tea to enhance the experience. Now if only our cd player was plugged in so I could have music at the same time, we'd be all set. Unfortunately, I haven't the faintest idea how to make that thing produce sound as Tim has it set up to work with our computer. Since convention it's been unplugged, and I'm clueless to putting it back together.

Life continues on. I grow larger by the week. For pictures join Facebook and if I know you, I'll let you see them. Otherwise find a way to see me in person. Baby becomes more and more active each day, some days more active than others. Tim gets a real kick out of being able to feel it too (get it..."kick"...sorry, that was lame...) The fun is when it decides to do somersaults on my bladder...note the sarcasm, it's really not fun at all. But anyway, with only three months left to go, the throwing up has finally stopped, the nausea is gone for the most part, and other than the uncomfortable feeling of having your stomach jammed up against your ribs, I'm finally to the point where I almost don't mind being pregnant. I say "almost" deliberately. I still don't find it a particularly enjoyable experience and can't relate at all to those women who go around saying they loved being pregnant, but it's not horrible for me anymore like it was at the beginning.

In other news, convention weekend has come and gone for another year. The weekend went really well this year, with only a few minor mishaps on both the sound and sponsorship fronts. Sponsorship-wise I had the fun of dealing with trying to find water coolers last minute...joy...but I found some, so it all worked out in the end. Sound-wise this year was probably one of the best we've had...fastest set up time so far, and only a few glitches with a new lighting system we hadn't used before. On a total convention front, probably one of the best praise teams we've had in a while, and I think the kids really had a good time.

anyway, I think I'll head off. I still haven't managed to get up the motivation to clean my kitchen, and somehow I really need to work on that as my family is coming down tonight, and we'll probably need some clean space to place games. *sigh* One of these days I'll learn not to leave my dishes dirty for so long...

Strange tendencies

Today in a strange twist of fate I found myself at work unable to turn off my brain, but relegated to menial tasks as simple as making charts. Generally I do not mind making charts; it can actually be a kind of relaxing chore compared to other things like filing, and it allows me the opportunity to think about things other than work...today for some reason, my mind came to a discovery about my job. I have learned that when one is stuck working at something for which they are highly overqualified, they develop certain anal tendencies about their work in order to keep themselves from going completely insane of boredom.

These anal tendencies can be anything from being particular about which way the letter stickers are laying in the sticker bucket, to developing an annoyance with people who don’t keep the tray-extender pulled out on the copier so that legal sheets fall on the floor when printed, to getting even more frustrated with people who do not seem to understand the concept of not taking the last copy of a form so that there is something left behind to make more copies from.

And I have decided upon reading back over these tendencies I admit to possessing, that it is most certainly high time for me to leave this job to pursue any vocation other than that of office assistant. My maternity leave in September can not possibly come soon enough for me, and after my leave is up, you can be well certain I will not be returning to this particular job. By golly I am bound and determined to find something else, anything else, and preferably something a little more in line with my qualifications.

Spring at last?

Well, I am sitting here in my kitchen enjoying what I dare hope may finally be spring arriving. I have the window in my screen door open...(the only window in my house that does)...the birds are chirping, the sun is shining in, and my cat is madly trying to move the little piece of cardboard that I put over the hole in the screen so that she couldn't get out. She is also whining pitifully and giving me mournful looks in the hopes that I might let her out into the backyard. I haven't yet decided who is going to win this battle.

Life moves on. My body is gradually changing shape and I'm starting to resemble a pregnant woman. I curse the fact that I have to go out and buy a new wardrobe that I'll only wear for a few months...the Dutch in me is cringing at the spending of money I have to do. I still haven't decided if I like being pregnant or not. I'm excited for this new baby that will be joining our family, but the actual pregnancy is turning out to be not so much a joy...even now that I'm into the second trimester. I am not quite as plagued by morning sickness, but even yet this week was forced to make a mad dash for the porceline goddess in the middle of the night...so random, and yet way too familiar of an action. I'm also tired of spending half of my morning at work waiting for my blood pressure to even out so that I don't fall over and faint when I stand up from my desk... Not to mention the constant comments on my growing bulge...perhaps I'm being overly sensitive and peevish, but I must admit to some annoyance that the only exciting thing about me seems to be my stomach.

Enough about that. Work continues on. We continue to adjust to all the changes that the re-alignment has brought about. Work loads are a constant battle, and workplace gossip seems to be increasing relative to the increasing workload. Maybe the coming of spring will help as people begin to take more walks to clear their heads. Tim and I have been doing a fair bit of work for Artech Communications formerly Hunter Productions. It helps to pay the bills, and slowly but surely I'm beginning to figure out half of what the techie talk means. It's sad when I start laughing at their jokes because I actually understand and agree that it's funny...

Well, I'm going to go now. Dishes and laundry are constantly calling my name, and I actually have some loonies to use in the washer for once. I long for the day when I don't have to pay for my laundry...

The big announcement...

So, I figured it was about time I made the big news public on the internet...we're having a baby! Yes that's right, I'm pregnant. Baby Wiersma is due September 16, 2007, so I'm about three months along right now. I've been sick as a dog, on medication, throwing up every morning the whole bit...not a whole lot of fun so far. But it's starting to go away, and I have high hopes that the second trimester will show me that pregnancy can be a good experience.

So for our friends who haven't heard yet, now you know. I'm sorry we weren't able to tell you in person...sometimes life gets busy and the people you think you'll see more often you don't. Weird how that is.

Other than that, not much else to say. Today is the first day of spring. Hurray! I look forward with much anticipation to the day when I can put my winter coat back into the closet and say, hello umbrella, bring on the rain! Yes, I'm weird. Chalk it up to pregnancy brain. I love having that for an excuse right now...phooey to you if you think it's a lame one. I'm gonna go now, before I say more dumb things...

Too much winter

So, it was obviously time for me to update again. And seeing as how I've gone and locked myself out of the house...(long story, but my sister has my keys and both she and Tim are working late tonight)...so I'm hanging out at Laura's house for now until Jon comes home from work and brings the keys I asked him to pick up from Tim. I'm a bonehead.

anyway, my boneheadedness has allowed me some spare time with which I figured might be a good time to get some blogging in, and after waiting for quite some time for my sister's unusually slow internet to get to the right page, I am here to type something...(maybe I'm spoiled by our internet at home, but I have not had to deal with such slowness since my days at Redeemer). Internet speed aside, I should be thankful I have access to this computer to even have something to fill my time with.

Life has been surprisingly busy lately. Many new and interesting things are happening to me lately, some of you know what they are, others of you are yet waiting to hear details, which hopefully I can pass on at some point in the near future...sooner rather than later. Tim and I did some work for Artech (a productions company we freelance for) this weekend at MissionFest Toronto. It was a long and draining weekend to say the least...crazy hours combined with moderately physical labour makes for some very exhausted people. But it was still a good time. It really helps that we get along great with the whole crew, and the work ends up being a lot of fun because of all the laughing we do.

Work continues on same as usual. We've slowly adjusted to the fact that we work for a completely new organization, and the procedural glitches that come along with such a change are gradually becoming less and less of something to stress over and more of a "oh well shit happens" kind of thing. Staffing shortages continue to be a problem, and it seems I'll be taking on a couple of evening shifts starting next week...not such a bad thing so that I can get convention work done in the mornings, and maybe just maybe catch up on that huge pile of dishes we can never seem to get through.

Speaking of convention, plans continue to move along as we get closer and closer to the date. We've got two months to go, and I'm slowly finalizing contracts with various universities and other organizations that are sponsoring us this year. There are days when I seriously think that if convention is ever going to go anywhere they're going to need to start having paid positions, especially for a job as huge as Sponsorship and Donations. Of course, getting charitable status first would be a huge help, but one step at a time I guess.

well, Jon is going to be here shortly with house keys, so I will sign off for now. Enjoy the update while it lasts, because knowing me it could be a while before I get around to this again...so long as I remember to get my keys from Laura soon. :)

Quick update...

So I figured I should update since I haven't in a while, and it looks like today has been an updating sort of day for other members of my family. I don't really have much to say, and my kitchen is freezing so I'm going to keep this short.

Work is same old same old. I think I'm finally over the cold I had for a couple of weeks there...not so much fun at all. I believe the drop in temperature may finally be killing off some of the many bugs that seem to be flying around. However, I still hate winter and even though it's still only January (almost February) I am longing for summer and already feeling cabin-feverish.

So really nothing major to report...but I figured I would post anyway, because I know some people actually do read my blog and like to see something new once in a while. I can relate. I like seeing new things on blogs that I read too.

Until next time...maybe when the kitchen isn't so cold...

Of concrete poles and singed fur

I determined that since the new year has come and gone, it was about time for me to update. Various things have occured since I last wrote, including and not limited to car crashes and further bouts of illness, as well as the usual round of family gatherings and turkeys for the holidays. Yes, you read that right. Car crashes. I had the unfortunate experience of being in my first car accident between Christmas and New Years. Double unfortunate, I was making a left turn and even though the other guy ran the red light, no witnesses bothered to stick around to prove it, and therefore according to the laws of insurance in Ontario, I am automatically at fault. Triple unfortunate, we didn't have collision in our policy, so we had to pay out of our pocket for a new car. *sigh* I try not to think about it too much.

Tim has the evening shift tonight, so I'm home alone catching up on blogs and trying to keep our cat from catching itself on fire on our gas stove. I'm not sure why, but she seems to think it's absolutely fascinating to watch pots of water start to boil. I don't think she quite understands the concept of open flames and fur not being a particularly brilliant combination.

This past weekend was a good one. My parents and sister Justine came down to visit so Laura and I could have a chance to see her again before she goes back to Dordt. Much fun was had playing Settlers of Catan and walking to pubs in Hess Village...there's a great story involving a concrete pole jumping out of no where into the middle of the sidewalk, but that's something you'll have to hear directly from the parties involved. ;)

Work continues to be hectic now that the official restructuring has taken place. I no longer work for the CCAC of Halton but the Mississauga Halton CCAC. They finally moved the printer off of my desk which is a decided improvement. But there are still many policies and procedures that need to be worked out, and the general stress level is rather high at this point.

anyway, I'm going to get back to my KD, maybe get some dishes and laundry done tonight, watch some tv...generally veg out...