in the end...

Blood is always thicker than water...

In this past year I've learnt alot. There are some people that will always be there and some will let you down horribly...
I've made some great friends and lost others. Such is life, right?

This year has been a year of rekindling connections with my family. Connections that I am SO thankful for. Their love and support means the world to me. It's unbiased, non judgemental and unconditional.

It is the true definition of LOVE. 

Family is Forever 

and I wouldn't have it any other way.

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38 weeks....

We did a lot of walking and running around today, so I was left really sore and exhausted!
So the hubby took care of dinner and ordered take out from our favorite BBQ joint, Loveys :)

Today I'm 38 weeks.... and SOOO ready to have this kid. My entire body feels like I've been hit my a Mac truck and I waddle everywhere. :S

Had an appointment with Dr.Lee today. My blood pressure is now under control. The increase in the dosage of my meds worked wonderfully. So that's a good thing :)

Now... back to laying down....

G'night blog land :)

This is why I love my family....

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

Every year without fail

Same house

Same bunch of rowdies + a few with the growing families

<3

Another successful Christmas Eve with the Celones family.

Lots of food,

lots of people,

LOTS of LOVE.

It's never about the presents,

especially now that we're older.

It's just about getting together,

eating,

catching up,

eating,

singing karaoke/ playing rock band,

eating,

playing with the kids,

eating,

and 

fun!

ps- Merry Christmas to all of you and your loved ones!

A baby update and baking binges!

I'm covered in powdered sugar but these little babies are totally worth it!

First baby update!

Big day today :) Appointment with Dr Lee and another fetal assessment!

Doctor's appointment was the usual, but my BP is up! I did have a very frustrating day today so I'm blaming it on that. She didn't seem too concerned but she did increase my meds and got me to do some blood work, just in case. I probably should be drinking more water to flush out the salt in me too, so I'm working on that. Oh and I tested negative for the Strep B bacteria, so that's good :) It's also been a bit harder to rest all the time with Christmas this weekend, but that will be over soon enough and things will settle into normalcy in no time. *fingers crossed*

Fetal assessment time!

Yup, this kid has some attitude. Today the first shot the tech had was his bum! Yup, he mooned us and then shortly after he chose to thrust his crotch in our faces. We warned the tech that he's a difficult kinda kid and that if she needed a series of pictures there's going be at least one that she's not going to get. So there's a few options here... he's going to an exhibitionist, a stripper or just an ass. Yup, he's ours. LOL But everything is going well, he's growing perfectly. He's wiggly, very active and  just under 7lbs right now, so right on track :)

Baking binges:

So I guess this is my nesting phase... I've done a few baking binges in the past few weeks. The honey to-do lists are getting longer and he's been such a good sport. Also, ever since I found that Bakergirl blog it's been baking all the time! She has the best recipes ever!

An advanced (and current) apology to my husband...

I'M SORRY!
OK.
I admit it.
I'm a horrible person right now and I probably will be for the next little bit.
:S
and my poor husband gets the brunt of it most of the time

I am cranky, sleep deprived, having a lot of pain and can barely walk sometimes. The other fun one is the raging hormones I have going on... I'm an absolute peach one second and then the next I'm ready to off the entire world! I have no patience for anything and I want to kill overly happy seasonal associates. (I've worked retail for 15 years+, I can pick you guys out blindfolded!) I'm a hot mess!

This little boy has dropped and is now sitting right on my pelvis. (head down, mind you so he is prepping to get out out!) Sometimes he likes to shift and it feels like hes gonna break through and split me in half! Or the other fun one is when he kicks/punches my bladder so I have to waddle-run to the bathroom and then all you get is a trickle..gah. Oh wait, I love it when I'm trying to sle ep and you wake me up with a swift hit to the ribs(like they're not sore enough already)! And on that sleep note, contrary to what baby may think, I LIKE sleep! I LOVE it, in fact. I remember earlier in this pregnancy all I could do was sleep and now I'm lucky if I can get  5 hour run at night. Oh the woes of pregnancy...  Fun, huh?

It's 5 days before Christmas and we have just a few more presents to go. Yesterday we got most of our shopping done. Needless to say, Christmas shopping sucks being this far along but I will tell you something... I'm insanely thankful that I'm not working! I think I've blocked that part of my brain. The crazy rushes, the rude customers (it's not my fault that you left your xmas shopping till right now and I dont have that super exclusive, hard to find size and style hidden in the back for you) the huge shipments, and insane workload. I've been too busy baking this bun!

So yes, I guess that was my rant.

Im looking forward to Thai food tonight with my cousins.
(Trying to do the spicy food thing to evict this baby from my loins.lol)

so I' ve come to a conclusion....

as promised, peanut butter pretzel truffles.

Baking/candy making has become my form of meditation.

Being this far along in the pregnancy, a lot of physical activity really doesn't do it for me. 

I get tired so easily and not to mention short of breath even trying to climb stairs!

And it's not like I'm eating it all... Everyone else is!

The picture taken above was without the dozen that the boys ate upstairs playing Catan

and you CAN'T eat a lot of these. They are ridiculously rich.

After one, I was done.

How do you get 3 guys to stop talking?

Feed them truffles. 

There's enough peanut butter in there to quiet them for a few minutes.

LOL

***UPDATE ON BABY***

 I guess I should tell you guys that I had another appointment with the lovely Dr.Lee.

She was VERY happy about the results from the fetal assessment.

She said that baby is a perfect size. Not too big and not too small. Just they way she likes it.
Good amount of fluid all around the baby and weighing in at the 50th percentile (about 6lbs)
Blood pressure is under control and Im doing well on the meds.

She likes the fact that the baby is very active and says I might not last till January.
*crosses fingers that she's right*
It might be a December baby!

-just a funny side note-

at the fetal assessment we all got a good giggle.

Apparently baby is a little difficult to photograph.
Every single tech has said the same thing.
Today,all he wanted to show us was
his legs and his crotch.

LOL

Well it's definitely a boy!
He was waving it like it was going out of style

and with that attitude, it definitely ours.

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Jelly filled doughnut muffins?!?

Yup, I said it. Jelly filled doughnut muffins.

now the only problem is to glaze or sprinkle with powered sugar!

Just delicious!

I owe it all to 

http://buddingbaketress.blogspot.com/p/recipe-archives.html

everything that Ive tried off her blog has been amazing!

Thank you!

With my sleep schedule being so outta whack with this little one moving and shaking at all hours of the night, I've taken up baking. Although I dont think anyone is complaining because lots of my neighbors and family have reaped the rewards of this new little hobby. 

LOL

Next up:

Peanut Butter pretzel truffles.

(of course off her site as well!)

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A must read...

http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/12/11/30-things-to-stop-doing-to-yourself/

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

son once said, “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”  Nothing could be closer to the truth.  But before you can begin this process of transformation you have to stop doing the things that have been holding you back.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.  If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you.  You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot.  Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth.  And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.
2. Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on.  No, it won’t be easy.  There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them.  We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems.  That’s not how we’re made.  In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall.  Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time.  This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.
3. Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself.  Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves.  
4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.  Yes, help others; but help yourself too.  If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
5. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you likeeveryone else.  Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you.  Don’t change so people will like you.  Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.
6. Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.
7. Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.  Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success.  You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.
8. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us.  We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past.  But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.  Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.
9. Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive.  But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.
10. Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either.  You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else.  
11. Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place.  Evaluate situations and take decisive action.  You cannot change what you refuse to confront.  Making progress involves risk.  Period!  You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.
12. Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises.  Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.
13. Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely.  It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company.  There’s no need to rush.  If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.
14. Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet.  Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you.  But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.
15. Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others doing better than you.  Concentrate on beating your own records every day.  Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.
16. Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own.  Ask yourself this:  “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”
17. Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you.  You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough.  But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past.  You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation.  So smile!  Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.
18. Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart.  You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate.  Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.”  It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.”  Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself!  And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too.  If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.
19. Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.
20. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway.  Just do what you know in your heart is right.
21. Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it.  If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.  Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
22. Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things.  The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.
23. Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.  
24. Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile.  Don’t take the easy way out.  Do something extraordinary.
25. Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while.  You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well.  You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears.  The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.
26. Stop blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life.  When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.
27. Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burn you out.  But making one person smile CAN change the world.  Maybe not the whole world, but their world.  So narrow your focus.
28. Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy.  One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time?  Three years?  Five years?”  If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.
29. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen.  Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story.  If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.
30. Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life.  Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs.  Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

Photo by: Rob Brucker

new obsession :oreo truffles

I made these today. It basically  oreo crushed up with butter cream icing and dipped in white chocolate. How could it be bad?

They already seem to be a hit, so im  adding it to the Christmas baking gifts ill be giving out:)

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that's him!!

So this is him. Our little baby Jacob.

We had our second fetal assessment today and everything went well :)
He's quite active and likes to have the sole of his foot right up against my uterus.

Jacob is measuring in the 50th percentile (still) and is right on track for everything.
He's just under 6 lbs and there's a good amount of fluid around him.

My blood pressure is doing well and everything seems great!
Appointment with Dr Lee tomorrow!

If you haven't seen this, you need to....

This is Zach Walhs and he was raised by 2 moms.

All he wants for this year is equality for his family.

His mothers were granted that this year in Iowa.

His main message is 

"Love makes a family"

and I agree.

35 Weeks and a fetal assessment!

I had my first fetal assessment today :)

They are monitoring me a bit more closely due to the fact that my blood pressure is elevated and it's getting so close! Ladies with hypertension have a chance for smaller babies and low birth weights...But not in our case!

Baby is doing just peachy :)
His head is down, he's measuring in the 50th percentile (right on track!), very active (actually surprised the tech with how much he moved) and sucking on his toes! He loves an audience. Anytime the spotlight is on him, I swear this kid moves to make sure people know hes there! Might be a inkling of what's to come. My mom told me that I was a kid that got into everything and Esther told me that Charlie was the same way. So I think I'll have my hands full with this one! Our tech was amazingly wonderful and even gave us free ultrasound pictures! We have one that is him hiding behind the placenta looking straight at us, a great shot of his foot and cute little side profile of his face and get this... it looks like a Celones Nose!!!


I do feel myself getting more tired as the days go on. I find myself sleeping alot but it's OK. It's what I need to do to keep this blood pressure down and this baby healthy, right? Oh and who doesn't like a nap in the middle of the day?  Heartburn has been my biggest woe lately, nothing a tall glass of milk wont fix though:) And that means lots of hair, or so I'm told!

Now its a fetal assessment and a visit with my obgyn every week until this baby comes! So I'll see baby again next Wednesday at 3pm!

My heart goes out to the Nguyens..

On Saturday I got a message from a friend letting me that his mother passed away. It was a stroke and very unexpected.

From what I know; She, her husband and 2 small children moved here in the early 80's with dreams of better futures for their children. They had one more boy here and raised them to the best of their abilities. The family lost their father early in life so she raised 3 children wonderfully for the most part on her own.  She was a stickler on education for her children and it has definitely paid off. All 3 of them are smart, well educated, successful and phenomenal people. I knew she was an amazing cook and I know that Michael was trying to learn all her recipes. I hope to one day sample the famous Nguyen Pho. Her boys spoke never spoke ill of her and praised her to no end. If her boys speak anything to her character, she must of had a heart of gold as well. I've had the pleasure of working with her 2 boys for the past few years and love them dearly. They both are caring, loving, hard working men that are constantly putting others in front of themselves. I know she would be proud of them and happy to see what kind of men that they have become. She is now looking down on them with their father, smiling.

I would have loved to be at the funeral today but in Vietnamese culture, it's bad luck for pregnant women to attend. It passes bad luck on to the child. So out of respect for the culture and the family, I stayed home. Of course I am with them in spirit and I hope they know that.

My heart, my love and my prayers go out to Anh, Michael and Chi.

Be strong and be there for each other. All of us are all here for you now and always will be.
<3

December!!!

Whoa... It's December already! Where has this year gone?!

This past Sunday was our baby shower and it was wonderful. Our only beef was it was it was the same time as the Grey Cup and the Bombers were in it!LOL Most people had the same idea and were sure to get out of the there by 6. (kick off was at 530)

We received tonnes of gifts and gift certificates! The outpouring of love from everyone was amazing and a bit overwhelming. We've spent this week putting together gifts, washing all the new clothing and bedding and recovering from a very busy weekend.

Saturday was our niece's birthday party out in Ste. Rita and we had a packed van. Abbie and all the kid were adorable as per the normal. Mike's niece and nephew were also out there. Petra is the tallest 3 year old Ive ever met and also one of the most well mannered. I especially liked it when she asked when she asked Jaclyn when she was going to give Rilee and brother or sister because she had one. Oh and Moose! Moose is Petra's baby brother Dane. Dane, also like Petra is big for his age.  Just a taller, thick kid but gentle and adorable. He was in love with Rilee and let her manhandle his face as they were playing on the floor. Awesome. Those are gonna be some tall kids.

After the baby shower on Sunday, we rushed home, unloaded the van (it took us 2 trips to get all the gifts out!) Put our feet up and watched the Bombers lose the Grey Cup. Oh well there's always next year, right?

I had my 34 week checkup today and all is well. Blood pressure is nicely in check and I'm scheduled for a fetal assessment next week. Dr. Lee says I'm progressing well and everything looks like its going to be a fairly easy delivery.

that's it for now... Im going to leave you with my song of the moment