Purging...

So, we are in the throes of moving....

 I guess the only time I blog is when I should be doing something else, like pack up our gazillion boxes of things to be moved. This afternoon my parents took Elliotte which allowed Ben and I to spend a good chunk of time going through all of our things, it was wonderful. We filled two GIANT garbage bags of clothes to be donated and another couple bags of things to be thrown out. I'm really looking forward to seeing my new wardrobe when we get established in the new house. I LOVE getting rid of clutter not that you'd know it....but I really do. It feels so good when you get in that mood and just start tossing things in garbage bags left right and centre. It seems fitting that we should be going through this purging of our things because lately I've really been craving a purging in other areas as well. I've been feeling a draw to simpler living, essentially taking care of our bodies and our minds and getting rid of all the 'clutter' that gets in the way of getting us to the place that the Lord wants us to be.

 One of the areas that I'm realizing the importance of is physical health. I've been making an effort in the choice of foods that we eat but I have been majorly lacking in the exercise aspect. Ben has been saying for months now that after he gets home from work he would love to watch Elliotte while I go for a run. I've finally taken him up on it. I've only been running for a couple weeks now, but let me tell you, I LOVE IT. It feels so refreshing to get out in the crisp spring weather and I can't even express how amazing it is to have that half hour to myself to work with my body and do something hard, I'm hooked. 

Another area I've felt a draw to purge is our media consumption. After a long day a lot of the time Ben and I like to relax on the couch and watch something mindless on Netflix.  For a lot of my teenage years we didn't have a TV and I've always said that my kids won't watch any TV, so the fact that we watch it so much is starting to get me pretty disheartened. I'm sure if we don't make a change soon, then when Elliotte gets to the age where TV can distract her I will readily go to it as a babysitter. We haven't taken any steps in the media purging direction yet, soon I hope.

Anyways there are a few of my thoughts, I know they're quite scattered and possibly don't make much sense but I have to get back to packing so there you have it. I'm sure next time I check in we will be in our new home!   

Here is Elliotte camped out in what will be our new kitchen...

38 Weeks!

Well, still pregnant and very much ok with that! 

Size:

At this stage babies differ so much in size and all that but our little leek should be somewhere between 6lbs  9oz to 7lbs. He or she is also somewhere near 20inches long. Still putting on weight and developing that brain! 

Pregnancy Symptoms:

Still getting lots of practice contractions. We've been diligent to take a walk every day and boy does walking sure bring them on. Even though the Braxton Hicks are strong, I do realize that I could have upwards of 4 weeks of this left and that wouldn't really be all that bad, the more practice I get, the more ready my body will be for the real showdown! 

I think I'm also experiencing a little bit of pregnancy insomnia. I don't even like using that word because it sounds so serious, in actuality it just takes me a while to fall asleep. I'm used to being asleep BEFORE my head hits the pillow and for the last 3-4 days I lie awake for about an hour. I have no idea what causes this, I'm not uncomfortable or anything, perhaps it's my body prepping itself for being up all night long in a few short weeks. 

At my midwife appointment this week she said the baby is even more stuck down in place and that there was no 'wiggle room' which I guess is a good thing... It sure explains why every time I stand up I feel immense pressure...oh the joys of pregnancy! 

Life Happenings:

Life has been absolutely perfect lately! I love the summer weather. I love that Ben and I get the full weekend off together now! (probably the first time that this will be a regular occurrence since we DATED!) It's so nice having him home at 6ish every day. We have been taking advantage of all the free time knowing that it won't last long, so it's been date night for us almost every day, even if that's just watching a movie at home or taking Rose to the dog park.

I feel like I'm finally ready for this baby to come if he or she chooses to now. I have all the things ready for the birth and all the clothes washed and ready to go on a beautiful little body. I've collected the diapers that we're going to use and hopefully someone can show us how they work because I'm not creative enough to know how to transform a big rectangle of material into a diaper... Ahh all the learning that we're about to experience! 

Weekly Highlight:

One of these days my weekly highlight is going to be having a baby but for now it's not quite as interesting. This week it was going to the new Batman with Ben on Saturday. I was kinda dreading it because I knew it was 3 hours long and I always seem to end up feeling disappointed in movies that get so much hype, but it was actually good! We went to the noon showing which was nice in itself. We got up, had a little breakfast, parked on the other side of the bridge and made a little walk out of going to the theatre. Then after the three hours of decent entertainment we still had hours of sunlight left! Maybe I'm just so used to working Saturday but boy did this past Saturday just feel SOOO long and perfect! I can't wait for a full year of Saturdays spent with Ben and Rose and our little baby! 

Here is the 38 week bump! Still growing by the day!

A lovely picture of Ben on one of our beautiful Summer dates!

I painted my toenails pink and blue so that while I'm pushing I can look down and gather some extra strength knowing that in a few short minutes we'll know what this little baby is! 

Only a few of these updates left at the most! 

The See-Saw Effect!

So today's post is selfish and petty but I should be posting what's on my mind, petty or not. Right? Ben and I have been frequenting the gym for roughly 4 months now. It's been good. I know I've gotten stronger and the scale has slowly been creeping it's way down, but right now all I can focus on is how slowly changes are taking place. Sure I'll lose a pound one week, then low and behold the next week I'm up 2. I'm so tempted to just grab the scale and throw it off the balcony....The truth is it's not the scale I should be blaming, it's me... I will be soooo good for a week, eating breakfast, drinking water, giving it my all at the gym and taking my vitamins, then I'll have one bad day and all of a sudden my good habits go straight out the window and I'm back to doing everything half-assed. I'm getting quite sick of my see-saw ways... How do I stick to something? How do I stay motivated? These are the questions eating my brain...Sorry for being a butt today, I'm not quite as down on myself as I sound, I really do have hope! Today after my workout I was already looking forward to tomorrow's, and my friend Allison has joined too so now I have someone to work out with! I'll let you know how it all turns out, I feel a change coming on!!!

Mood Swing Friday

If I had a doc following me around today I'm pretty sure there would have been two conclusions made;

1. how creepy that would be and

2. that I am bipolar.

Let me explain.....

This morning I woke up with a smile on my face...well that's not quite true but by the time I'd had my cup of coffee I was about as close to smiling as one can be while doing ones make-up. I even annoyed the receptionist at work by saying 'good morning' in too cheerful of a way... My point is that I was in a really good mood. Anyways, this jolly attitude continued through my first 2 massages, however after my second massage I was informed that my next client had cancelled...last minute...boo! In about 3 seconds I went from very very happy to not quite as happy. I sat around during the next while, my mood slightly dampened, I wasn't too disappointed though, I sat and read my book. As the time approached for my next client I eagerly waited for his arrival, he's a regular and it's always an enjoyable time. However, the time for his treatment came and went with no sign of him. My mood once again took a tumble... To make a long story short...er This same thing happened with one more of my clients today. So out of my 7 clients booked I only ended up with 4. For all the readers out there please please please take note, it's really important to make it to your appointments and if you can't, call and cancel as soon as you know!

Anyways, now that I'm home and have had some time to chill I realize that if I let my mood be determined by others I'm never going to have a day without mood swings. My goal is to let that morning smile last all day and I encourage the rest of you to try that as well, life is good!

That is all!

Hello My Name Is Solveig Chamagne and....

I'M A REGISTERED MASSAGE THERAPIST... After two years of school I can now say that I'm fully and completely done. I finished my schooling in early December of 2010, however I totally froze during the practical portion of my board exams which granted me a VERY unwelcome "non-mastered" grade. I had never considered the possibility of not passing the test, I was sure I would be a Registered Therapist and raking in the dough by January 1st. I never thought that I could be waiting two months to rewrite the test.

So I failed, I had two months of what I called my "limbo" period and today I went back to redo the test. My stomach churned and I wasn't able to eat anything all morning. I was sure I would be the first to ever fail the board exams twice. I already had started thinking of a new career path, little did I know how much I would impress myself! I walked into the exam area and all my nerves melted away, I took a breath, said a quick prayer and began. The whole time I felt composed and answered with assurance and confidance. I knew when I left the room that I was a different person taking the test that day. About 25 minutes after I left the exam I got an email with my results- I PASSED! The first thing I did was stuff two pieces of eggs on toast down my mouth and laugh. Now I just have to drop about $400.00 to join the association and I can begin working!!!

As much as I whined and complained about my initial failure, I can now admit that the "non-mastered" experience was needed, in more ways than one! Not only did I just need a break from work (my schooling was condensed over two years so I basically got one week in the summer and one week in the winter off for two years), but also my ego needed a reality check, I went from thinking I was invincible to realizing that I am definitely not as awesome as I thought I was, yes I am capable of failure and studying is really not overrated...Most importantly I also needed that failure to truly validate for myself the profession that I have chosen, subconsciously I think I've always thought of massage as less therapeutic and more relaxing, but you REALLY have to know your stuff. I am truly proud of my accomplishments/profession because I realize that it wasn't just handed to me, I earned it!