some quotes

After 10 days in BC, 3 days in Whistler, and 5 sessions with Mark Driscoll I think it's probably time I blog it up.
Here are some of my favourite quotes from the Driscollator himself:

"If you're thirsty, I'd tell you to go to the water fountain and not the toilet." In reference to NOT buying Brian McLaren and Rob Bell books that were piled high on the book tables outside the session room.

"Our goal is not to be innovative but to be faithful to the truth."

"I pray for global warming. I'm out there with aerosol cans just hoping the temperature will get up to 80 degrees. If I could just get me a hole in the Ozone layer."

"Idolatry is not a sin, it's the sin."

"I'm a charismatic with a seatbelt on."

Now on Facebook I'm somewhat (ok, I am) anti-group joining. I just don't join groups. I think I'm only a member of 1 group. I used to be a member of the group "Mark Driscoll is my homeboy" but I left it because I just don't "check in" with the groups I'm a part of.
But after hearing him speak again and even getting to go out for drinks and wings with him one night, I'm reconsidering joining the group.
Great guy. I really enjoyed getting to hear from him, both in the sessions and outside of them. Really funny, has a lot of practical wisdom and loves Jesus and his family more than anything else. I like that.

Week 27

midwife appointment #....?

I got to meet my other midwife today which was nice. She seems just as nice as the other one so that's super.
Also...I told her about the giant brownie incident and she said it's probably best that I re-do the screening test. She laughed when I told her about that. I guess that was a pretty dumb thing to do - eating a brownie right before I do a test that measures your sugar levels. :p
Anyway, Little Strickie was moving all over and I got to feel his leg! That was cool. We (Jamie and I) also got to hear him moving and his heart beating through the stethoscope which was really neat. I'm progressing at a normal rate and am in the 50th percentile...just a bit bigger actually. She said if I keep progressing at this rate I can expect a 7 pounder. Sweet! Keep it that way!
So everything is healthy and fine.
I got a lot of reading to do about all kinds of things like tests, and circumcision and different diseases and shots and blood samples that we can opt out of or go for with the baby.
And I'm fairly certain (90% I'd say) that we'll do a home birth.
So that's exciting!

Week 28

brownies and photography

Well it appears that my camera and I have been separated for a little while so last week's picture won't be posted for awhile and I'll probably take a picture with my little camera and post it in the next couple days so those who look forward to the belly updates may have to wait a little bit longer.
In other pregnancy news, I did a gestational diabetes screening test before I left for BC. When we got home yesterday there were 2 messages from my midwife (I forgot to tell her that we were going away for 10 days - oops). Basically she said my glucose levels were a bit high - the highest number within "normal" range is 7.8 and I registered at an 8. Now I do need to clarify with her (and my blogging audience) that I forgot about this screening test and ate a giant chocolate brownie about 10 minutes before I did the test. Oops. I'm pretty sure that factored into the final numbers. I'm also not sure if I was supposed to fast or something before hand. No one told me I was supposed to so I'll have to make sure I let my midwives know that tomorrow. I think.
I have an appointment with the midwife but I forget what time it's at - so I'll call tomorrow morning.
So more on that after tomorrow.

missing pictures

So I have taken my 27 week picture but I haven't had internet and now that I do have internet I don't have my camera to upload the picture.
So...it probably won't get on the blog until the weekend.
I'll post both week 27 and week 28 sometime this weekend.

little person

The other day while sitting in a session I looked down at my stomach only to see what can only be described as a wave of motion moving across my stomach. Then a little ... something (I would assume a limb of some sort) poked out slowly and then went back in again. It was so bizarre but really cool. Sometimes I forget there's a little person inside me. It's just "the belly" for the most part but he's certainly more active. Sometimes it feels as if my entire body jolts when he does big kicks or sudden movements. It's kinda weird and funny all at the same time.

found

I guess I should update this blog that my journal was indeed found and is being shipped back to me (it was found in Alberta at the wilderness camp we stayed at)! hooray! All my pregnancy thoughts, fears and queries will all be back in my hands. That's a nice surprise as I had given up hope at getting it back and I was also at peace with it. So thanks God for that blessing!

weddings

Weddings are great.
This weekend I got to celebrate with Ben and Jen and bunch of other wonderful people, as the new Jolliffe's got married. It was a beautiful ceremony and beautiful reception - the weather didn't exactly reflect the beauty of the rest of the day, but it was such a God-honouring and utterly lovely wedding.
It also was a blessing to be able to stay with some friends at their cottage which happened to be right around the corner from the reception.
So many blessings.
I love the summer.

Week 26 (cottage edition)

trolley car

I almost forgot about a highlight from the camping trip at Virginia Beach!
So they have these trolley cars that take you from your campsite to the beach or any of the nearby attractions.
So Jamie and I decide to take one down to the beach (you can't walk there, it's about a 20 minute trolley car ride and it's like 100 degrees) and we get on and our trolley car driver is hilarious. He sounds exactly like Tracey Morgan from SNL and keeps insisting he is the number 1 trolley car driver. He also keeps pointing out random, but "important" details like the speed limit and how you have to be careful that you don't get caught in the speed trap because "these cops is just looking to make money for the city". Then on our trolley car ride back we got Tracey Morgan again and laughed all the way back to our site.
Such a funny guy who clearly loved his job and made it enjoyable for the rest of us too.
I would imagine he's like that Guelph bus driver who lost his job - I was sad I never got to benefit from his bus rides.

yumm-o

I know it doesn't really do anything, but since I was in the US and since I happened to be at Bath & Body Works and since there was a big sale on, I picked up a tub of their cocoa butter stretch mark cream.
Oh baby...this stuff smells like pure chocolate. Who wouldn't want their giant belly to smell like chocolate - even if there ARE stretch marks (which I don't have ... yet).
I'm pleased.

baby movin'

This baby knows how to move.
In the words of Julia Roberts from "My Best Friend's Wedding";
I've got moves you've never seen!
Seriously, sometimes it feels like this guy is shadow boxing or running a marathon or pretending he's a pinball and bouncing off of me at warp speed.
I'll wake up in the morning and he's going nuts - just little jolts or tiny bounces...I can't imagine what it'll be like when he's bigger! Or going to bed and lying on my side the little guy is active to the nth degree.
Ridiculous.
But cool.

new look - again

Well, I had to change my template because silly blogger decided the graphics on my blog were taking up too much bandwidth and I didn't know how to change whatever they wanted into a thumbnail or something like that.
So here is the new look.
For now.

What was lost has been found.

They found my journal! I had left it at the wilderness camp (Blue Bronna) in the mountains in Alberta and they found it!!! Hooray! And my Bible! So they're (hopefully) going to mail it back to me and I'll get all the lost journal entries.
I had all but given up and was (for the most part) over it - but what a sweet surprise to get something back you never thought you would.
So that's exciting. We'll see how warped the two books are by the time I get them back. Yeesh.

So that and us being back from our vacation down South is pretty much all that is new. South Carolina was great. Virginia was great. I love camping and hope to do some more before the summer is through. Now we're home for 6 days before we take off again.
What a life.

camping + wifi

Well, this is definitely a new experience for me. Camping & the internet.
Jamie and I are at a KOA campsite right now in Virginia on our way home from South Carolina. I noticed that they had a sign saying they have free wifi. So weird! But I guess for us internet junkies it's a good thing.
But man is it hot here in Virginia. Driving up here with no a/c was not such a great idea. And I'm not entirely sure how much sleep I got since it never really cooled down at night. Oh well. It's all part of the experience.
Cool things about Virginia Beach KOA:
- free wifi
- quiet neighbours
- uber shady campsite
- glow bugs that come out around dusk and continue lighting up the forest all through the night
- all the Quebecers that surround us (this is more a point of interest than anything else)

Uncool things about Virginia Beach KOA:
- the Army Air Naval Base that is located almost around the corner and the screeching jets that fly by at least once an hour (thankfully not after...11ish?)
- the lack of firepit
- the ginormous June bugs that fly into my head sitting by the fire
- the heat (although I can't really blame the KOA for that)

Overall...a good place to be. I love camping so much.
I especially love making a good fire!
Oh and we haven't been to the beach yet, but we'll take a "trolley" down to the beach as soon as we're ready (hopefully soon).

Week 25

vacation plans - at least for 1 week

Well, we've figured out (finally) what to do with at least 1 week of our vacation time.
And looking back at a previous post...option number two won out!
We'll leave on Wednesday (yes I realize that is in less than 2 days) and stay until Monday morning - then we'll go camping in Virginia for 2 days! Hey wait - that means that option number 4 won out too!
Double whammy!
I'm excited. It does mean another road trip, but hey...might as well do 15 hours in a car while we're child-free.
AND I'm looking forward to seeing Steve & Rebecca. And hitting up the beaches. Myrtle Beach and Virginia Beach. And the outlet malls!
Oh shopping in the states.

Week 24