Baby Billington's Bedroom

Well Chad & I tackled the baby's bedroom last week, painting it this lovely yellow. Well, ok I thought it was lovely on the colour swatch, it matched nicely with the boarder we got for the baby's room so I thought surely it would be great on the walls.

Lets just say that the first coat was horrific! I wanted to cry! The greyish colour underneath was coming through and Chad & I both realized just the extent of novices we really were at painting. I called Mom before the second coat went on, looking for moral support. Of course she gave it to us, telling us it would look much better with a second coat. Still we were skeptical. The second coat did look a lot better, but wow was it bright! it actually reminded me of a cool lemonade colour...and I still wondered if I would be able to bring the baby home to THAT! Poor poor baby. We thought maybe a few days would help it wear on us. Not so. Everytime we walked down the hallway it was like a slap in the face! Keeping in mind the rest of our house is done in earth tones you'll understand a bit of how crazy bright this was.

Well we decided to try to warm it up. I still wanted yellow, but not that cold bright yellow!-- yikes! So last night Chad & Doug (have I mentioned yet Doug is home from Europe? It is always great to have him around to help me tease Chad, he's here for a visit and to celebrate Savanna's 2nd birthday) tackled the baby's room with yellow colour #2. I was so thankful I didn't have to swallow fumes for hours this time around, and they had picked up another roller so things went a lot faster! The boys saved the day and Baby Billington is certainly indebted to them forever for not having to come home to THAT! It is still yellow, but much better. I'm so excited to get some furniture in there, and the boarder up! the Process begins! as much as I don't like process.

Someone asked me Sunday night what I thought of pregnancy, and as is characteristic of me, I decided to be candid about the situation. Pregnancy has it's cool moments for sure, but on the whole, I've got to say I don't really have much time for it. I mean all the aches and pains, the nauseousness, swelling, headaches and other unmentionables... but more than anything for me it is that cursed word "process". I'm kind of a jump in with both feet kind of girl, not too into waiting around for things to happen, or long transition times and guess what? Pregnancy is a LONG TRANSITION TIME! I'm sure in the end it's all going to seem totally worth it, I'm excited about getting to know Baby Billington, this little person who's bound to be so cool....I'm just impatient I guess. So the grand synopsis for me is generally that pregnancy means process, and for this Heidi-girl, process is hard to do well!

Here's a cute pic of the boys saving the day with the new paint job!

Kaitlyn's 2nd Birthday

Kids birthday's are just so much fun! Especially when they are your neice's. So Kaitlyn turned 2 last week. Hard to believe. She's so much fun, we were really looking forward to going down for her birthday party this past weekend.

Friday afternoon we drove down and picked ourselves up a Hungry Man's Supper (yes, Chad was so excited for his 1 pound of frozen food!), then I took a nap when we arrived in Elgin. Mom & Dad were later coming home so while Chad prepared for her sermon Sunday, I lazed around. When Mom & Dad arrived home, they had a Hummer with them. Dad was dreaming a bit I guess and wanted to see what it was like offroading. Chad had never been up to the top of the mountain to see the lights so we went for an Elgin icecream and then headed up to see the lights. It's actually really neat, you can see the Petticodiac lights, the Salisbury Big Stop lights and Moncton lights all from atop this mountain by the grave yard. Dad told us ghost stories of the area (heavily embellished by him) on the drive up and on the drive down (keep in mind it's close to midnight and pitch black on a country road) we saw this light down in the ditch/cliff thing. So Dad & Chad decide they need to go check it out and see if there is someone lying half dead down the ditch or something...no such luck (?). We went back home and Dad & Chad stayed out stargazing (how romantic- I saw a shooting star!) while I entertained Mom as she finished up Kaitlyn's poncho she was making her.

Ok so truth be told we stayed up until close to 2am while Mom finished it, but it was gorgeous, and if you know my Mom at all (and Chad informs me the apple doesn't fall far from the tree), late night projects symbolize so many special events and gifts of love throughout my lifetime!

Saturday morning arrived early enough after such a late night. We drove in town for Kaitlyn's party and she was anxious to show off her new "big girl bed". This was her major birthday gift and she loves having the room to move around, and of course the ability to crawl out of bed and poke Mom in the shoulder in the middle of the night!

She loved opening her gifts, although it became apparent that opening one gift and then moving on to the other to play later, just is a really strange concept, especially when you're 2!

My baby was kicking up a storm inside of me and every time April put her hand to my belly the baby would kick it so hard April's hand would jump! it was funny, I've never seen the baby react so much to someone's hand on my stomach! So April decided she should explain to Kaitlyn that Aunt Heidi had a baby in her belly. She took Kaitlyn's hand and put it on my belly hoping the baby would kick and Kaitlyn would feel it, but no luck. So April continues explaining about the baby in belly. Kaitlyn took the bottom of my shirt and tried to pull it up. I patted it back down and said I thought we'd keep my shirt down and then Kaitlyn started crying, great big aligator (however you spell that) tears. We couldn't figure what was upsetting her so much, she kept saying "Baby, Juicy, Baby Juicy". April & I kept staring at each other trying to figure out what was upsetting her so much, until Mom (with the most earnest look on her face) looks at me and says "Heidi, she wants you to give the baby a juicy! Now keep in mind my Mom would give Kaitlyn the moon if she could and you might be able to conjure up the look on her face as she said this to me. Just as serious I reply "But, but Mom...I can't give the baby a juicy", then and yes only then, does the hilariousness of the situation actually strike both of us (keep in mind we had very little sleep the night before) and we start laughing with absolutly no control, tears pouring down our faces. Poor Kaitlyn she didn't know what to make of it all.

All that said, Kaitlyn is now 2 and as cute and wonderful as always. We headed out for home after quite the feed at supper time finding it hard to believe that our little neice is now 2 years old. Wow, how these 2 years have flown by.

And Savanna is next! 2 comes for her in just a couple of days!

just another "ORDINAARY Heidi-day"

Yesturday I headed into the doctor's office to check out the swelling, blood pressure etc. issue from the weekend, that left me looking like Voldemort from Harry Potter with my red-slit eyes. There my doctor having gone over all my information said that it looked like some fluke sick thing over the weekend but he wanted to monitor my blood pressure and swelling for a few days to make sure nothing wonky was going down and they'd do a urine analysis. So ok, I guess that's fine, I just LOVE hanging out at emerge for days on end having funny tests run on me!

Well I thought I got started on the right foot today, until it came to breakfast (oh right that's not so far along is it?) Anyway, Chad was in a rush to get to Staff meeting and I had to go into Emerge for a blood pressure test etc. so he had made me some toast with peanut butter and LOADS of strawberry jam, for the road. I hope in the car, demon possesed eyes just a gleeming in my burnt orange shirt and slop, the whole thing right on my shirt, litterally the toast was clinging to my shirt. It was really quite disgusting. Chad contained himself as I quickly got changed and we headed in (he was only 4 minutes late, I thought that wasn't bad considering).

Then I went to Emerge, I wasn't exactly sure how it would work, I knew they told me to page my doctor who would come and take my blood pressure. So I did that, but they actually gave me the whole yellow band and everything treatment. Then I waited. My doctor arrived and checked my blood pressure and swelling which was great and told me my urine analaysis came back and the protein that had been showing was not a problem. Great! I think, off scott free! (well with the exception of the demon-eyes). Then he tells me the big old BUT. But they found sugar in my urine (or as I told Cherri today, urine in my pee--I really am loosing my mind) and he wanted to monitor this now. Even though I passed my sugar diabetes test 2 weeks ago, he thinks it's best we do it again and be sure. *sigh* I don't get it, what's the deal, lets just get over this hump and carry on people! Don't get me wrong I'm glad he's watching things, especially if there is trouble, it just seems like such a waste of time having these little problems, and it's hard not feeling like a looser, like you did something wrong...

So thats ok, I did a little work this morning, had lunch with Chad and then came home to do laundry and pack up for Willow Creek Conference and I'm left to face my peanut butter and jelly smeared burnt orange shirt, and I start gagging at the smell of it as I try to wash it out abit before I put it in the wash....and I can't help thinking to myself, is it not a bit of a freak of nature thing that I, ME, HEIDI DAWN CARSON BILLINGTON, and 7 months pregnant and going to be a Mom. I mean really, I know I'll love this baby to bits and do my darndist, but when it comes to general mothering skills, do I have what it takes? I mean I can't even keep the whites of my eyeballs white, and the sugar out of my pee, not to mention wash the peanut butter and jelly out of my shirt! What am I thinking! But thankfully you don't need a degree in peanut butter and jelly management to have a child, we'll just love him or her to death and pray he or she grows up smarter than us and can at least make fun of us a bit!

Vacation Camping Adventures

Well, as it is past time for bed, I have suddenly become inspired to blog about Chad & my vacation last week. Nearly last minute we decided to take one of Chad's weeks of offered vacation after all and go camping (saving the other 2 for 'baby time'). Ok, ok so I will NOW admit that camping at nearly 7 months pregnant might not be the most intelligent or informed decision, ahhh but how hindsight makes so much sense! But being Chad's "Adventure friend" as his Grammie B was introduced to me in our early dating days, it only made sense to embark on a "different", pregnant adventure.

Friday night we were supposed to head out to Elgin for a sleepover with my sister Angela, her husband Adam and my neice Kaitlyn at Mom & Dad's, and I had dreams of a campfire (we attempted one last vist but it wouldn't let up raining). We were all gathering there because Saturday was my sister April's housewarming party and they live near Elgin and it would be a chance to visit. But with the heat making me miserable, a full week, and a very busy work day Friday, and the prospect of packing up the car for a week of camping, by the time we got home I was unbearable and could do nothing but sit in a cold tub of water and cry away my heated misery. So we headed out Saturday morning instead, which as much as I wanted to go spend Friday night, was a much better plan for the ol' prego psychee.

Saturday we arrived and although it was hot and I was swelling despite my compression socks, we had a good time at April's housewarming. Angela & Adam headed up to Mom & Dad's to give Kaitlyn some supper before heading home to Moncton, but she fell asleep on the drive and they let her snooze, giving her a late supper and decided to spend the night instead of going home, which of course went over really well with all of us, we got our sleepover anyway! AND Dad put on a campfire for us (Kaitlyn's first) and we had a blast! (although I must admit that sitting for any length of time on a hard log bench by a raging fire on a warm night was not working so well with the pregnant lady. Anyway, I got my campfire in! Sleeping in aircondition, is a beautiful beautiful thing, ahhhhh how beautiful to pull a quilt up over this ol' pregnant body and enjoy the cool, artificial air.

Sunday we had a lazy start (or at least I did). Chad went to the Elgin country church for a riverside baptism service and he said it was great. We visited and played in the afternoon and then Mom & Dad, Chad & I headed out for a country gospel concert in Petticodiac. I haven't heard music like that in quite awhile and I enjoyed a lot of it. The baby did too, kicking up a storm. I think he/she likes music, which makes me very happy! We hadn't had supper, so after we went out to the BigStop in Salisbury for supper and some good 'talk time". We also ran into Chris O and the gang headed back from prison visitation.

Monday morning Chad & I got up after Mom & Dad got off to work, and I had a nice long bath (Mom & Dad have a massive tub and it felt so good to just float around in the water for awhile). Stealing a dozen cookies we headed in town for lunch and to pick up groceries. We ate at East Side Mario's, one of my favorite places, splitting a yummy dish. Groceries & Car packed up we headed for Ponderosa Pines in Hopewell for some camping. I was really excited, I love to camp, and Chad must have been too (it was so difficult to discern this though) as he was singing at the top of his lungs and making up songs about camping, pines and things all morning. We arrived late afternoon, took a good while deciding on our camping spot, set up and called it good for the day.

A couple things about camping in this particular area & pregnancy. I have NEVER seen horseflies like this before. The mornings were sooooo thick with mosquitos, only letting up in the afternoon for armies of horseflies (leaving massive welts everywhere imaginable, including my butt, how they got there I'm not sure) and hornits, letting up in the evening to welcome the mosquitos back until 10pm, when finally there was a bit of outside peace and we could have campfire! Also, althought the bathrooms are quite decent, for some reason they are located in the center of the campground closest to all the RV camping where they have there own bathrooms....leaving the tenters to the beautiful spots facing the bay, but with the worst managed outhouses I've seen. Couple this with the realization that in the heat of the day there is no where cool to go lay down when you're pregnant, and that if one does get down at any time to lay on the airmattress on the GROUND, getting up again is quite the workout and highly unrecommended if at all possible to avoid. I have been unable to make it through the night without at least one bathroom trip since I found out I was pregnant, but somehow in this instance, my body knew that is was just not feasable and it MUST wait until morning.

Tuesday we woke up bright and early, as only happens naturally when I'm camping. Chad cooked us a great FRIED breakfast and then we lazily went and got cleaned up for the day. I had the worse shower ever, Chad an amazing one that he tipped me off on for the next day (such a good man!).

For some reason we often to do the friend potatoes, balognee (however you spell that), eggs thing for camping breakfast but I think once a year is really enough for this. Due to perhaps a bit less planning than ususal we ended up with several days of this kind of breakfast, and as great as it was the first day, it was equally gut rentchingly gross the last. Better planning next time!
We headed in to Alma where we'd heard about this great little pizza place called Saprano's, the decor inside is really really cool, with wanted posters up, and all their employees dressed up cool, and the garlic fingers was really the best I've had, if you like garlic fingers you really want to go to Saprano's and try them. The dough is delich and the pizza was so pretty.

We got one with 3 different coloured peppers on it and it was obvious presentation mattered here. the serivice was also incredible here, I can see why their reputation is already hitting the high roads as the place to go for pizza!

Then we went for a walk and perused the giftshops, steering clear from the used bookshop, I so love those places it is a death trap for me!!! (Plug for the chicken barn in Maine! one of my most favorite places!) and then I had to take Chad to get a famous sticky bun as he'd never had one and it was always one of the highlights driving through Alma on the way to Fundy Park as kids.

It has been years and years since I've been in that bakery and had a sticky bun, and I was so excited to get my hands on one(well ok, Chad actually insisted it made more sense to buy 6-- always the bargain hunter). Then took the windy scenic drive back to camp. A nap found me exhausted and overheated so we called it a day.

Wednesday morning we woke up really early to go hit the low tides at Hopwell Rocks, Chad had never been there before. I must say I never remember it being that muddy. We had fun walking and climbing, but again I must admit that it is a lot harder to do when pregnant. As I was climbing over once bunch of rocks, one lady suggested I might not want to do that and go into premature labor. I'm sure I looked at least a bit rediculous, but did slow down sum realizing, falling as a pregnant lady wasn't so cool either. The hike back up the stairs and up the trail was a bit much and again with the overheating, sun etc. But we had fun! We had a picnic lunch and then went into the gift shop and information center, but I was whipped. Unable to find a spot in the shade to sit we called it a day and went for some icecream. When we arrived back at camp I was soooo hot, we pulled on the bathing suits and crawled in the pool where we lounged, cooling off, until it was cool enough outside to carry on. It was here I also became the expert horsefly killer and Chad through all caution to the wind and got himself severly burned. That night the mosquitos were especially bad so Chad & I sat in the car reading until 10pm when he could finally venture out to build us our last campfire. How I love campfire! It seems we have the best time, and the best conversations around the campfire. THe moon was so beautiful across the bay too, and what a view we had!

Thursday morning, as much fun as I had I was glad to pack 'er up for home, bed, and flushing washrooms just down the hall. We drove into Moncton for ribs at Montana's (one of Chad's favorites, and a newly found one for me) and then headed for home. We didn't do much Thursday night, I honestly was pooped.

Friday we got up and ran the roads for my pay check, visited Chad's Grampy B who turned 90 last weekend, and stopped off at Chad's Grammie B's as she had offered us her airconditioned car for our drive to Houlton for the baby's wall paper boarder. We were late on the road but had planned to have lunch in Houlton at our favorite little restuarant with Jukeboxes. Arriving near the boarder suddenly a storm came flying through, blackened sky, rain pellets and all the power and electricty GONE. We went in to get our money changed at the Border place, and there wasn't a lick of light, luckily they still changed our money for us but I couldn't go pee, the bathroom was pitch black, so I decided to wait for the restaurant on the other side. We sat in the line for at least 15 minutes watching lighting, thunder and heat lighting crash through the skies, rainings pouring so hard. It was quite the show.

When we arrived in Houlton, EVERYTHING was down, streetlights, all power, EVERYWHERE, and I needed to pee soooo bad, I was regretting not going in the dark back at the border. Surely, I thought, someone will let me pee, but I was wrong, finally we got one man to open up the door of his gas station to tell him I needed to pee desperately and was nearly 7 months pregnant, but he refused to let me saying there was no water to flush. I couldn't believe it!!! I was in such agony!!! I threatened to pee in the parking lot, and he seemed quite fine with that but there was no way he was going to let me pee in his store without water to flush. Finally we found a tourist place where they didn't care and a gas station later down the road where we could purchase some munchies for lunch. A short visit, we returned to Fredericton.

Chad had it in his head that this was the night to buy and airconditionar, (of course I was not complaining!) so we went from store to store pricing them, comparing the, and finally at 9pm coming home with one. I was whipped! We got the house in order for Mom & Dad, Nanny & Grampy to come up the next morning to help us lay flooring and hit the sack. Until at 1:30am I woke up not feeling well. I got out of bed and debated if I was going to be sick or not, I don't vomit very often so it seemed like it wasn't going to happen, but I had horrific heartburn so went hunting for some TUMS, which I absolutly detest, but I thought anything was better than that heartburn. As soon as I took the TUMS in my hand, I knew I had seconds to make it to the toilet bowl, and I vomitted like never before. I felt like someone was ripping my face apart, it was horrific! Finally at 2:30 it came to an end and I slipped back into bed.

Saturday morning I woke up to find that not only was I an absolutly swollen mess, face, hands, feet, when I vomitted I had broken the blood vessels in my eye balls, turning the whites bloody red--- soo sooo gross! (they tell me I'll ONLY look this way for about 2 weeks as they heal) So, looking demon possessed I invited my family into my house to help lay flooring. Dad, Grampy & Chad worked their tails off all day laying flooring and I must say it looks great! Mom, Nanny & I did a bit of shopping and a lot of talking (and Mom even got to feel the baby kicking) and had a good, but very long day. They headed back for Moncton around 11:30pm and Chad & I hit the sack.

So that is the long and interesting adventure vacation I took as a pregnant woman. I must say I can probably summarize the entire trip with this one phrase I gave Chad when he snuggled up to me in the tent one night, "you want snuggling, you get this pregnant woman a hotel!". Having said that, the camping was totally my idea, and we had a pile of fun, even if I wouldn't recommend tent camping and pregnancy together!