Hallelujah!!!!

I finally finished our GST return! Whew! This is the first quarter I've been doing our books at work and it's been a bit stressful at times. I often feel like I'm flying by the seat of my pants, not quite sure exactly what I'm doing. But I got it done (one day before the deadline) and I'm SO glad and relieved.
Now to catch up on all the other work I've been neglecting while I madly tried to finish that. ;)
I think I might have 'reward' myself with a little something, like a mango smoothie from The Bean Scene. That will definitely help me get through the afternoon.

What to say, what to say...

I just haven't had a lot to say these past few days. I've been feeling pretty blah lately, not too sure why but I am. It's not the weather because it's been GORGEOUS out the past few days. I've been feeling okay too, besides the usual tiredness but that's just because I don't sleep well. Things are going okay in general. I have not been motivated AT ALL to work lately. I'm not sure what is up with that. I have a great job and a great boss but I just don't feel like working. I'd rather sleep in, scrapbook at home, go for a run, hang out with friends, ya know, stuff like that. But I'm at work.
I've really been feeling the baby move lately. It is getting so much stronger!!! It is so cool. We watched Ladder 49 (holy, tearjerker) on Saturday night and I could hardly focus on the movie because the baby was moving so much and I could really feel it. I think this little one was doing sommersaults or karate or something. It was SO cool. I LOVE feeling the baby move. It's been the same the past 2 nights as well - lots of big, strong movements.
I haven't scrapped in weeks now and I'm itching to do some. I went to a crop on Saturday and made 2 cards and a gift for a friend but no layouts. Maybe tonight. Jonathan's at a meeting and I have an idea for a layout so we'll see if I can get something together.
I'm still running although it's getting harder and the biggest reason why is because I have to go to the bathroom like CRAZY after about 20 minutes into my run. No joke, on Sunday I was ready to find a tree, I had to go so badly. Funny thing is that when I walk, I'm fine but the second I start running again, I feel like I'm going to explode. So I think I'm going to go for more runs and less time each week. I'm so glad I'm still able to go and that I'm still enjoying running (that is, up until the 20 minute mark).
Guess that's all for now...

A little get-to-know-me

I saw this on Mary's blog and thought it was fun so here you go...
1. FIRST NAME? Heather
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? I'm named after the wife of one of the pastors at my parents church.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Last night during an argument with Jonathan
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? not particularly and definitely not enough to use often in my scrapbooks.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Hmmm, there's not a lot of lunch meats that I can eat because a lot of them have gluten. I do enjoy roasted chicken breast though.
6. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? our first is on the way
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I think so.
8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? You're reading it! :) And I started a pregnancy one when we found our we were expecting.
9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Me?!?! Never! ;)
10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yep.
11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? I always thought I would love to try but now I'm not so sure if I would do it or not.
13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? I do but I prefer to wear slip-ons.
14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? I do but a year ago I never would have thought that.
15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? That's a tough question - I LOVE ice cream. I love maple walnut, pistachio almond, expresso flake, and sometimes I just love a dipped cone from DQ (although, I get it in a cup because I can't eat the cone).
16. SHOE SIZE? 8
17. RED OR PINK? Depends what it is...
18. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My acne (hello?!?!?! Puberty is OVER!) and I have a bit of a temper (did I just admit that?!?!).
19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? gosh, I don't know. Right now, I wish I had some time alone, so I suppose, myself.
20. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Leduc General Hospital in Leduc, AB
21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black yoga pants and my slippers - gotta love the relaxed work environment
22. WHAT IS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? an orange
23. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Dixie Chicks, Taking the Long Way (thanks for the recommendation, Mary)
24 IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? right now, I'm feeling kinda blue so maybe ocean blue.
25. FAVORITE SMELL? fresh cut grass
26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED WITH ON THE PHONE? Um, I'm at work but Jonathan just called.
27. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU MEET? their mouth - I watch people's mouths when they talk until I know them well enough to feel comfortable looking at their eyes - weird, I know.
28. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Nope.
29. FAVORITE DRINK? 1/2 sweet Hazelnut Latte
30. FAVORITE SPORT? definitely running
31. HAIR COLOR? brown
32. EYE COLOR? brown
33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? nope, wish I could but my eyes are SO dry and have too many allergies so I find them horribly uncomfortable
34. FAVORITE FOOD? sushi or thai
35. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? happy ending, not a fan of scary movies
36. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Cheaper By the Dozen 2
37. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? a lime green fleece sweater (will we ever get summer?)
38. SUMMER OR WINTER? definitely, without question, SUMMER!
39. HUGS OR KISSES? hugs
40. FAVORITE DESSERT? ice cream!!!
41. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? just started a Danielle Steele book (the House) that my mom gave me - I am not a big fan of hers but Mom said this was a good one so I'm trusting her - we'll see
42. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? don't have one
43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? the quiet of the mountains when we're hiking
44. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles
45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Europe
46. IF YOU COULD PICK ANY TWO PEOPLE TO HAVE DINNER WITH, WHO WOULD
THEY BE? Right now, I'd love to hang out with my Auntie Esther - miss her! And I would love to meet my friend, Melissa.

Feel free to play along! I'd love to read and learn about you!

Our Little One!

What an incredible experience it was to see a baby moving inside of me!!!! It was SO cool - watching the heart beat, seeing those little legs move up and down, watch the mouth move and then sucking its thumb, then watching this little one move it's hands and arms around and open and close its fingers and then point! It was totally amazing! I was in awe and I know Jonathan was too. It was almost surreal (that is until I remembered how badly I had to go to the bathroom!!!).
We are totally in love with this little one. We both can't wait to meet it and we've recently started talking lots to the baby. It still feels so weird some days to think we are going to be parents. Some days I honestly don't feel old enough yet! But I can't wait. I can't wait to hold this babe and kiss it and cuddle it and feed it and watch Jonathan be a daddy. And I know I'm gonna cry when I see the baby for the first time. I tear up just thinking about it. So many changes coming our way, so many new experiences and I know there will be lots of frustrations too but still, I can't wait.
For now though, we're savoring time together (like a date at the mall after the ultrasound yesterday), we're enjoying sleeping in and the peace and quiet, we're enjoying taking off for the weekend and coming home whenever we feel like it and I'm enjoying being pregnant, knowing that too soon it will be a distant memory.
Oh and I should add, we didn't find out what we are having. We want it to be a surprise!

Can you tell we're related?!?!

I just wish my other sister, Melinda would have been there to join us! I already have plans for a photo shoot with grandparents, my family and the baby when Melinda and Tyler are back in Canada.
Today's my ultrasound! I am SOOOO excited! I'll post an update tomorrow with all the details. Better start drinking some more water.

Today is my sister, Naomi's 25th birthday! I had the privilege of doing a photo shoot for her this weekend. She's 36 1/2 weeks pregnant now and looks absolutely stunning. Here are some of the photos I took!




And I had to share this one! It's probably the last photo we'll get with both of us expecting at the same time. It's not the best photo but I love the memory!

so exciting!

Look what I got for my birthday present!!!! Two weeks early even! Thank you SO much to my husband, parents and in-laws for this one!!! I am totally in love! It is a dream to shoot with! I had to play around last night with it and I am SO excited to use it for the photo shoot I'm doing of my sister this weekend.
The second I was in the car, I had to put it on and start shooting!!!! Am I impatient or what?!
One of the pots of herbs my mom gave us this spring. The other one was looking a little sad!
Part of last night's dinner! I seriously CRAVE Greek salad. I know, I know there are no onions or olives but this is the way I like it! YUM! I even used fresh herbs!
And then I finally asked DH to take a photo of me. Here I am, 18 weeks along, definitely growing, especially right after dinner!!! :)

Someone's having a party...

and that someone is the baby!!! I felt the baby move for the first time when we were in Radium last weekend but wanted to be sure that's what it was. I wasn't expecting to feel it so early but this week I've felt a lot more movement. This morning at church this babe was having a party! After the service, I said to Jonathan, "I think we're in trouble already. The baby was partying in church." I wonder if this is a sign of things to come - not being able to keep this one still in church! I guess we'll see.
Today was the most I've ever felt him/her move so far. It was absolutely amazing. I just wanted to start giggling but I managed to keep myself composed.
I got to spend a little bit of time with my mom on Thursday night. We met up in Red Deer and did a little bit of shopping. She spoiled me, again. She got me some really cute maternity clothes from Old Navy. Seriously, I am going to be more in style now that I'm pregnant than I was before. I rarely spend money on clothes because by the time I got shopping for sb supplies, my budget is spent. But with the clothes mom bought and the clothes I've gotten and will get from others, I am gonna be stylin'! ;)
Thanks for all the kind comments and advice you left on my last post. I'm doing much better now - especially because I'm starting to look pregnant. I still need to get a photo of me. I might have to put DH up to it this afternoon.
Oh and one other thing, we have decided not to find out the sex of the baby. We're going to wait and let it be a surprise.
It does seem though, that we have a boy and a girl name picked out now. I never thought we would agree on a boy's name but I think we've got it. The only thing we're still discussing is the spelling but we've got lots of time still. Now we just have to wait and see what my sister names hers. I don't think they will end up using one of the names we have picked out but you just never know. We're keeping them a secret. I think it's much more fun that way.

Baby Update

I'm trying hard to not turn my blog into baby city and I guess in doing so realized that I haven't really talked about baby much at all. Well, I guess there was that whole big moving fiasco last week that was a little bit of a distraction. ;)
I had another doctor's appointment on Tuesday. It went very well. I always kind of dread them. I mean, I definitely want to go and make sure baby is healthy and stuff but I've been struggling a lot with the whole weight issue. I know it's hard for some people to understand as I get a lot of comments but I've never really gained a lot of weight in my life before. All of a sudden, boom, my body is changing and I'm having a hard time. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE that there is a little one growing inside. I love that that is the reason why my belly is growing and I want it to grow because it means baby will be healthy. I am in no way starving myself or mad that my body is growing, it's just weird. I'm not used to having a belly. My butt and legs are starting to get a little flab and I don't like that so much. Before I started getting sick after getting pregnant, I ran a lot. I did a lot of exercises. I've always been super active and worked hard at keeping my body in shape. It's always been a priority of mine. But since the whole first trimester nausea/fatigue, I haven't been running as much. I'm still going 3 times a week and then walking at least 2 times a week but I can't go as far or fast as I used to because quite frankly, it's getting hard and I get so tired and out of breath when I do it. But I'm still keeping active and doing exercises and getting out there. I have to keep reminding myself of that.
Anyway, back to the doctor's appointment. I was kind of dreading hearing how much weight I'd gained. I was shocked when I stepped on the scale! I'm still not quick back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I lost some weight in the first trimester because I was sick and I've gained some of it back but not quite all of it. It was such good news for me. However, I am a bit confused at the disconnect between the number on the scale and the way my pants don't fit any more.
My doctor also did some measuring (never knew how that worked) and said my measurements were perfect and yes, as a matter of fact, I am bragging! LOL! I've never thought of my measurements as perfect before. Hehehe! That totally cracked me up. She also mentioned that I must be really active. That was another comment that made my day. I am active and she noticed.
And I got to hear the baby's heartbeat again. I love that sound. The doctor said it sounded great and was beating at the right rate.
I booked my ultrasound for June 20th ( I'll be 19 1/2 weeks then) so be prepared for a post on that soon. I can't wait for that. It's a little bit later than usual but I had a few dr's appointments cancelled so by the time I got my referral, that was the next available time. But that just means the baby will be a bit bigger then and hopefully we'll get to see more.
I'll have to take a photo this weekend of my belly and share it here. I'm starting to embrace it and feel comfortable in my own skin. However, I do have to say, that dang, I liked my body before I got pregnant. Why in the world was I always so upset with it before?!?! The joys of being a woman...
Thanks for 'listening'. If you have any questions, please let me know and I'll answer them. If you have any comments about coping with body changes, emotions, worries, please let me know that I'm not alone! ;)
Hugs!

A beautiful weekend

We had a fantastic time in Radium this past weekend, celebrating our 7th anniversary. I can't believe how quickly the years have flown by. We have had lots of ups and downs but I am so happy to say that we are more in love now than ever (and yes, I am a romantic, so is DH!).
This past weekend was so relaxing. It was perfect timing, with the move and all that stress, to get away and sleep lots and be outside, breathing fresh air and hiking. We both absolutely LOVE this area, especially north of Radium (which is actually where we stayed, in a small, very rustic bungalow in a small town called Brisco). The mountains, flowers, Columbia River, all the birds, the trees, everything, it is just so gorgeous there.
Here are some of my favorite photos from the weekend:
We had a hoot trying to get a good photo of the two of us together. I used the tripod but the lighting wasn't great and it was quite windy out so we ended up with more funny photos than good ones. Oh well, that's what memories are made of, right?!
Wild roses filled the ditches in the valley as we walked and drove. You could smell them as soon as you opened the car window. They were absolutely beautiful!!
When we went hiking on Saturday, we came upon a patch of glacier lilies lining the side of the path.
All of the photos I took in manual mode and I haven't done any editing (except for resizing). I played around a lot with the aperture this weekend - so cool to be learning more about my camera!

Of course...

now that all of my scrapbooking stuff is packed up for the next 6 weeks, I feel like scrapbooking!!!! DOH!

I'll post some photos later of our weekend away with a little update. I forgot my camera today so I can't do it now!

We moved!

Yep, that's right! We moved yesterday. We decided on Tuesday night to move, to be out of our place by June 1st. I was absolutely overwhelmed by how smoothly everything went and how much help we received. God provided in a miraculous way for us and I am so grateful.
One of the best decisions we have ever made - I am so glad we have moved on to something else. I feel like the hugest weight has been lifted from our shoulders.
We are living with friends for the next 6 weeks and then we will be moving into another basement suite. Our plans to buy have been put on hold for a little while but hopefully not too long.
I'll be without the internet for a little while at home but will check in from work when I can!
And I swear in the past 2 days my belly just popped again!
Jonathan and I are heading to Radium this weekend for a little celebration. It's our 7th anniversary on Monday. I am SO looking forward to relaxing and sleeping in and hiking and just being with my best friend.
During our move, there were so many times where I was overwhelmed by how much I love my husband. It was like falling in love all over again. Crazy that moving did that but I just saw again how diligent and hard working and godly he is and how much I love, love, love those things about him. I am so glad we are together and that our little one will have HIM for a daddy.