A few pictures of my dad's retirement party.

This is the school in Sherwood Park that he helped design.













They had the tables decorated in a golf theme, we were at table #1 of course!

It was great to see so many of the people that I knew from dad's days at Haythorne - they are a part of my childhood, as we got to know a lot of them while dad was at FRH. I babysat for the Draginda's, the Shields', the Allen's - and now all of those kids are grown up and in University.

(Makes me feel old...I'm sure they feel the same knowing that I'm about to make my dad a grandpa!)


One of dad's hangouts in the 'Park is Botticelli's, where Angela & Tony have dubbed dad and his crew, "The Soup Boys" The picture dad is holding is of Angela & Tony.

I have always been so proud of what my dad does, but after hearing the stories and praises, and thank you's from that evening, I'm even more proud of him. He's been a great friend, mentor and role model to many.

Most of all, he's been just that for me - thank you Dad, for what you do and who you are.

Love you like a bug - you're the best!

So, I realize I have not posted in a short while....ok it's been nearly forever.
But last night was a special occasion, my favorite father-in-law's retirement. I was privileged to be invited and attend; it was very well not odd, but surreal, yes surreal to be there and see how Brian interacted with people on a professional level. And more so how they reacted to his departure.
I'll keep this brief, I hate rambling on, especially when I am a bit tired and all..but anyway, I totally enjoyed seeing that many people come forward and mention the impact he's had on their lives. I know from the short time I have know him, that well he's definitely been a very warm hearted person.
I won't gush or go on about it, but I was definitely glad to be there, and I am positive that he deserved the accolades that were heaped upon him. And if I had had the fortune to interact with him on a professional level I would have joined right in.

Getting very tired...

Had my latest OB appointment today, and she says this is normal: at 32-33 weeks, mommies-to-be tend to get this way. Might have something to do with the lack of quality sleep. I have to get up a few time a night, and I can't turn over. Bryan isn't sleeping either, and he has reported that I've been really restless.

My brother asked how I was doing, and I emailed him back that the best way for him to tell would be to strap a basketball to his belly and then try to turn over in bed. It just doesn't work.

I have lost weight since my visit two weeks ago, but the doctor said I am fine and that she thinks things are going really well. Honestly, I really needed to hear that, because I was starting to wonder. Logically I know I am just fine, and that the baby is also fine, but the worrier in me has gotten in the way of logic. I guess it has to do with my appointment two weeks ago when she said she wanted me to go for another ultrasound because the baby was a bit big. Ever since then, I've been worried.

So I have a third ultrasound in a couple of weeks. At 36 weeks, I don't really know what it will tell them, or what they can do for me. I do hope that Peanut slows down and doesn't get too big.

On a different note, Dad's retirement party is tomorrow. No one will tell us anything about it, other than where to be and what time to be there. I'm sure there will be some surprises, perhaps some incriminating photos and some people from the past. I can remember going along to school functions when I was little, and I think the 5 or 6 year old version of myself made it in to a yearbook or two at Ellerslie. Bryan is expecting a 'roast'...I don't see that happening at the school part of the function, but the rest of the evening is taking place at a golf club...if there is any roasting to be done, that's the place it will happen.

More on that later...

Just when you think life is humming along, it throws something surprising your way. This is what I found on my desk this morning. It's a piggy bank, or rather a hippo bank. It was made by one of the guys that works in our hardware department. The card reads "Carrie, For you and your little one."

Here's the kicker: it was made by someone who can best be described as a 'grumpy old man'. A curmudgeon. One who could easily be imagined shaking his cane at the kids riding their bikes over his lawn. (The cane is real...)


 

June 11...Only 2 months to go.

I have so much to do, and not much time. Only 4 weeks of work left, which means 4 weeks of time on my own to rest, prepare and try not to have a complete breakdown considering the fact that I am soon to be someone's mother.

Today it occurred to me that I have absolutely no idea what I am doing. I am scared to death that I am not going to be able to take care of this little person, and that I won't know what to do. I'm sure that this is completely normal, and that every first time parent has this moment of panic before the big day arrives. At least that's what I've been telling myself all weekend.

My doctor is sending me for another ultrasound in a couple of weeks, because this little one is measuring a little ahead of schedule. This can mean a couple of things, one being that Peanut may arrive earlier than later. That's a good thing. It can also mean that this little one is not so little, and that the birth may be a fun one. Ultrasounds and measurements can also be off, so I'm trying not to stress about it. I was 6 lbs 13 oz, and Bryan was 8 lbs ? oz, and from what I've read, most babies fall within the average of Mom and Dad's birthweights. So a 7 lb-sh baby is just fine - hopefully that's what we get. I did remember that both previous ultrasounds showed Peanut about 4 days larger than average for the dates we had the ultrasounds. Now he/she is about 9 days larger. Hopefully it was just a growth spurt and my next appt is uneventful.

On a more positive note, I passed my diabetes screening, and my bloodwork came back perfect, so I am still as healthy as I was when we started the process. I guess that means the vitamins and my silly pineapple addiction have been a good thing for both of us!

I finally let Bryan take some pictures of me, belly and all. Like a lot of women, I HATE having my picture taken. So I volunteered and told him to take the pictures quickly before I changed my mind...

This is at the lake, on Sunday afternoon. 30 weeks and 2 days.

The next time we will be at the lake will be the July long weekend. After that, we are going to stay close to home and do what we can to make sure Peanut arrives safely, and on time (early I hope!!!)

Then back to the lake for the Labor Day weekend, for fireworks and fun...

So we are now 10 weeks away from Peanut's arrival.

I'm having mixed feelings about a lot of things right now.

Mostly I'm tired of work. I have 42 days of work left, and it can't end soon enough. This afternoon I was having a hard time dealing with selfish customers who believe the world will end if they don't get their carpet installed this week. Really, they all need to spend a day working in our environment, dealing with people who act like they do. I'm glad we are a bit isolated in the office, because the customers on the sales floor are even worse!

For example: The lovely gentleman who waited until the Monday of the May long weekend to buy a lawnmower - he began his conversation with "Does anyone work here?" and ended it with giving me the finger and stomping off. Turns out he had driven to 4 different Home Depot stores to find the mower he wanted, but didn't actually call ahead to any of them to see if they had what he wanted or if they could hold it for him. On the busiest day of the year. Which of course, was my fault...and all I did was ask him what he needed...I don't feel at all bad that my temper got the better of me and I returned his 'gesture' as he stomped off. Oops.

And the absurd... A customer came to our service desk yesterday to register a complaint with one of the girls. He was upset because he couldn't watch Mike Holmes from Holmes on Homes on TV "As much as he used to" and what were we going to do about it. While we sponsor his show, I don't think that Home Depot has a lot to do with how much airtime the show actually gets. Maybe his wife stole the remote and he was tired of watching reruns of Sex and the City. Here's hoping he gets Seasons 1&2 of Holmes on Homes on DVD for Father's Day.

This morning we were at the funeral service for Darcy's mom. One really can't say a funeral was nice, because they just aren't. It was hot, I was uncomfortable, and I felt awkward because I only knew Darcy and his wife Chris, and our friends Dave and Marnie. Darcy and Bryan have been friends for 26 years - that's a lot of history, a lot of memories and a lot of stories. It's strange being there to witness someone else's grief. There is no right thing to say, you don't know where to look or what to talk about. From what I remember of the last funeral I was at, my Grandma Carbol's, I know it doesn't matter what people say, just that they were there. So we were there for Darcy. By the end of the afternoon he was laughing and smiling, which is the Darcy I've gotten to know. In that respect, I'm glad we were there.

Bryan's been pretty introspective since he found out about Darcy's mom. I guess we're getting to the age when we start to lose parents...I forget that my parents are so much younger than most - they had us when they were in their early 20's. It makes you think about things. Especially when you are about to become a parent and realize that you are going to be someone's mom or dad. At least Bryan and I have discussed what we would want should either of us die. It's something I haven't really put any thought to until now, but with a baby on the way, one has to make plans for the best and for the worst to make sure everyone and everything is taken care of.

The first half of my day leads me to believe that the people I had to deal with in the second half all need a little perspective as to what is truly important in life.