[talk: STUFF]

No baby today ... at least not yet *laughing*. Did you REALLY think it'd come today??? I didn't ... and honestly - there's too much to do around here to even THINK about going into labour.

The RAILING MEN are here. They are officially my favourite people - even though I've been mighty frustrated with them over the last 6 weeks ... BUT the railings are starting to take shape and look AMAZING *yay!!*. They're doing the upstairs first, so that Josiah doesn't decide to take a running leap off of the 2nd floor onto the couch in the family room. And he'd try - trust me *wink*!

This means that I may actually be able to post some RENO pics ... "befores" and "afters" ... I'm excited to see them, and I LIVE here *laughing*.

I've cut and pinned the curtains for Josiah's room ... hoping to hem them and put them up within the next hour ... I'm NOT a seamstress ... but I can hem with my machine.

And my hubby and I are going out for dinner tonight with P&S *holla!*. P was so helpful by providing a wheelchair for my hubby after his surgery. It's only been about 5 weeks that he HASN'T been using it ... so, we're taking them out to a fantastic restaurant for some grown up time - and I'm looking forward to a bucket full of laughs ... they're good for it *wink*!!

OH!! And my sis-in-law took my boys on a Starbucks date late this morning, and I've ALMOST finished editing all the pics of last week's wedding. I had taken 800 pics, and was able to scale them down to 250. I love editing pics - although time consuming ... it's like art to me.

Can't wait to show YOU them and put them on my site ...

I've got TOO MANY pics to sort through, with Tias' bday, the family reunion, Penticton pics - heck, I haven't even finished my Australia/New Zealand trip from May!! I'm sensing a panic attack coming soon ... *grin*. Well. Maybe.

Alright ... typing as fast as possible - and off to my sewing machine ...

Have a FANTASTIC day!!

[new baby: 36wks7days Dr. Appointment]

I've just come home after a trip to Walmart. Why? Oh, because it suddenly HIT me that I'm going to have a baby *blush* - and am not all that ready for it!I bought newborn diapers, Oval, Vitamin D drops and a few other things that I new have expired since I needed them for Josiah.

Then, I went and got myself a pair of pajamas for the hospital ... I wouldn't be caught DEAD wearing the t-shirt and shorts I've been wearing these last few weeks *blush*. So - they're now in the wash, getting a lovely dose of "clean" ...

I'll be starting to get my hospital bag ready ... mainly because my doctor told me today to be prepared for a quick delivery. That was said after I voiced my concerns about a long labour and having high expectations after Josiah's 3 hour-start-to-finish-delivery.

Now, OBVIOUSLY no one knows what I'm in for. When this baby comes or how long the delivery will be, is up to the Lord. Nothing I can do can change that ... but I'd rather be prepared JUST in case it is early and quick ...

I was NOT prepared for our first born at 36 weeks, and my hubby and friends actually went out and bought the rocking chair and everything else while I stayed at home, taking care of the new wee one. SO - don't want that to happen again ...

Anyway - I had thought the baby had "dropped", but apparently isn't QUITE there yet. It's head is down, and had dropped a bit, but isn't lodged in that way it will be ... "When you waddle, you'll know," my doctor said. Such a man *grin*.

Ok ... so off to sew some curtains, get the boys ready for a dinner at my folk's place before my dad heads off to Russia for a couple of weeks ... then, the stair railings come DOWN tonight *WHOOO HOOO!!!* and the new ones are being put up tomorrow.

Must run ... much to do!

[redhandedphotography: "Um...What Did You Say?"

A funny thing happens when you sit with new clients ... you sometimes learn more than you ever imagined. I have a new post on my redhanded photography blog that talks about this very thing *smile*.

I delivered my finished edited pics to them last night ... I love watching the slideshow with clients and hearing them comment about different photos - photos of moments that they didn't even know existed ...

And if you're interested in seeing pics from this wedding photoshoot, go to my http://www.redhandedphotography.com/ site and click "featured photoshoot". Look for this photo to click:

Enjoy!

[new baby: It's A .... ]

So many of you know what it's like when someone says, "SOOO - you have 2 boys, betchyour hopin' for a little girl!!"

I always smile, because the truth is - is that the majority of moms really don't care about gender. SURE - if I have 3 boys, I'm certain there'll be a day where I think that it would've been really great to have a daughter ...

But then, that brings me back to Shalom *smile*. See? It's a tricky one. My friends know I have a daughter in Heaven, but the dear lady in the supermarket doesn't ... "Oh sweetie - two boys - hopefully you'll have a little girl, right?" And I debate as to whether to smile and tell her that Jesus is watching over our little girl ... or whether to just play along - truth is, is she's right: I have 2 little boys. Plus, I'm always worried to make people feel awkward about the loss of our daughter ...

Or the other one sentence I get a lot of: "I thought you wanted 4 kids ...". There, again, I go back to Shalom. And maybe that's really weird for people ... but I consider her one of our "four". That whole experience was just so ... different. And because she was named, and buried with a proper grave marking ... it just makes her all the more one-of-the-four for me ... And had she survived - we probably would be on our 4th instead of our 3rd ...

SO ... *grin* - here's the truth: I'll be sad if I don't get to use our little girl's name that we've chosen. BUT I'll be equally sad if we don't get to use the boy's name either *laughing*. Having another boy would be SO convenient ... having a girl would be so special. Having a boy would complete our family to perfection ... but if we don't have a little girl, I'm sure there'll be things I'll be sad about as time goes by .... and I wonder if I'll mourn Shalom in a greater way if I never have the chance to put pigtails on my little girl ... maybe not?

BUT, whatever the case - we are DONE after this. No more. KAPUT.

And we'll have our four *smile*. Mattias, Shalom, Josiah and .... *drumroll* ... we shall see *wink*!!

[new baby: Ten Things I Won't Miss About Being Pregnant]

Man. I am so at the end of this journey ... every day brings me a day closer to meeting our new little one, and our lives being turned upside down yet again.

I'm not really one of those people who particularly enjoys being pregnant. Maybe it's because I'm only 5ft tall and I feel like my body is completely overtaken by the growing babe, but whatever the case - this is our last one and I'm trying to enjoy it. Now that the baby is bigger, there's less of the direct kicking and more of the rolling and stretching ... which I think feels pretty cool. That is, unless it's in a spot that makes me feel like my skin's going to split open *grin*.

We just got home from my-side's Family Reunion yesterday. We've been doing this every few years, and it's always full of great fun and memories ... I'll post more of that later. For today, I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off ... the lighting guy arrives today and I have my FINAL wedding to photograph today from 3pm - 8pm. Unfortunately, I think the baby dropped yesterday - so I'm asking the Lord for an extra dose of help today ... I'll post more on today's wedding later.

For now, here is a post I saved as a draft a few days ago. I hope it makes you smile *grin*. I started thinking about all the things I will not miss about being preggo ... here's my list:

10. food cravings - like vanilla frosties from Wendy's.
9. swollen gums, and the dreaded visit to the dentist during pregnancy where there's more blood than cleaning. Yuck.
8. loose joints that click and cause pins and needles to run down various parts of my body. This drives me mental and makes me feel like I'm about to have a stroke *smirk*.
7. panel pants that are supposed to feel comfortable, but actually make me feel claustrophobic and smothered.
6. long toenails because I can't reach them any more.
5. difficult attempts at shaving in the shower. There just isn't enough room to move.
4. heartburn that wakes me up every night despite my religious habits of taking Tums before I go to bed.
3. swollen feet and hands that make it painful to walk and impossible to make a fist. But I figure I'll be peeing a good 10lbs off of me after the baby's born *grin*.
2. speaking of peeing, I HATE peeing 3 times in the night ... and the massive effort it is to just heave myself out of bed.
1. having a back that hurts all the time, because of the front-heavy belly.

Is it worth it? Of course. But I would be lying if I didn't say that I was looking forward to getting on with it, getting my body back (I've been preggo 5 times in 5 years, and only had 3 months of having my body at a place I was happy with), and meeting this little gift God has given us.

I have 4 weeks left, according to my "dates". But if this baby comes like our first-born, this baby will arrive on Monday. Not good - Tias has his 5th birthday party on Tuesday ... I'll be posting on that later too *wink* ...

So ... after Tuesday - this baby can come. I don't care if the renos are done ... but that's another issue all together ...

If you haven't already - would love for you to vote on the sidebar ... boy or girl??