Update

So 2009 started out a bit rough for me. I caught pneumonia and then it spread into septicemia and was in hospital for a week. 2 weeks later after finally coming off antibiotics I got an ear infection and was pretty much deaf in my left ear for a week and so more antibiotics! But on the good side I am all better now and I lost 5 pounds :)
School has been going well for me. I am in 9 courses and it is the last semester before I start my final ten month practicum. I was very lucky and got my first choice for the clinical placement, which was Lions Gate Hospital (this is where I was when I was sick).
Last week I had my reading break and made the long drive out to Calgary where I visited my cousin, his gf and dog (Napoleon) for a couple days. This dog was so cute but very mischievous. As soon as you weren't looking he would do something he shouldn't like eat your camera, laptop, clothes, shoes....anything he could find.
Next I ventured over to Lake Louise for a couple days to visit a friend that works at the ski resort. I managed to get in three great days of snowboarding. The weather thankfully warmed up to -5- -11 (better then the -30 the previous 4 days). I did however hurt my shoulder and need to go to physio for it. I dont think its anything to serious though.

I stayed in a hostel which was very nice. I managed to get a room to myself for 3 nights and on the fourth day i woke up to a guy moving in. Later that evening i went to get my jacket from the room and there he was sitting naked on the bed...very awkward. I also managed to get a stalker that same evening when I went to the bar. Thankfully I was with people and got the guy to leave me alone.
The drive was really nice although my windshield is pretty much destroyed. But the trip was lots of fun and a great break away from reality. Well that's it for now.....Bye!

Amanda's Baby Shower! (Not a surprise as per her request)

Hello ladies,

I hope this email finds you all well.

As most of your know Amanda is the proud mommy of a gorgeous baby girl named Calista. I am very excited to go to Prince George at the end of the month to see her and also to help co-organize a baby shower with Lonnie. You are all invited, should you be in the area and please RSVP to Natalie at nborys@shaw.ca or by phone at 403-809-4629. I am sure that Amanda would love to see you. The details are still being finalized, but the date is set for Sunday, March 29 at 2pm. Even if you can't come, there is a way for you to send us something for the gift that Lonnie and I are making! (No money needed, so please email Natalie for more details as it is a secret!!) Hope to see some of you there!

Nat

Clean Bill of Health

Okay so I have PCOS, Thyroiditis, and Pityriasis Rosea - but I'm healthy!!!!! (And no I'm not a hypochondriac)

Many of you know that I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) a few years ago. That's a huge reason why I originally started seeing a naturopathic doctor. So last fall my health seemed pretty good and Shane and I were thinking of trying to get pregnant so I thought I'd see a medical doctor again. MD didn't like what he saw with my thyroid test results and sent me to an endocrinologist who told me not to get pregnant until we know what's going on - and to quickly get off my naturopathic supplements. So I've spent the past few months getting off supplements that help even out my mood while trying to deal with the possibility of having some serious thyroid problem & the sadness that I wasn't able to get pregnant. I am just so thankful that I joined a new church earlier last fall & had so many people praying for me and encouraging me. Needless to say, it's been pretty stressful for me dealing with health issues, learning how to run a business & the stress of the business running in the red.

So moving into the new year - I went back to teaching full time & we had some more students enroll, making the business run in the black (so less stressful financially) but a huge drain on my time and making time management more stressful. And many of you know that time management isn't a strong point for me. Did I mention I've been dealing with all this while going off supplements that helped even out my mood? Thankfully my naturopathic doctor put me on some adrenal gland support so I've been doing better. A couple weeks ago I had all these little red spots appear all over me. It's pityriasis rosea - little dry spots, not contagious, and doctor's don't know what causes it (maybe a virus - and considering my stress & lower immunity from thyroid - a strong possibility). Apparently it will go away on its own in 6-8 weeks.

On Wednesday I met with my endocrinologist and he told me that I have thyroiditis. Basically what was going on with my thyroid was that it was quite high for a few months and is now a little low for a few months, and it will go away within 6 months. Again, doctor's don't know what causes it but will blame it on a virus that attacked my thyroid. My naturopathic doctor has a different theory (my previous, very bad naturopathic doctor put me on thyroid supplements when I didn't need it, then my thyroid got lazy thinking it didn't have to do anything, and it just took a while for it to do its job properly) He was taking me off my supplements much slower, so my thyroid would work on it own & wouldn't experience any crazy changes to my body/mood. And yes there is a more medical definition that he gave me that has to do with the interrelation between all my glands, but I like the layman's definition, it's at least understandable.

So what does all mean? That on Friday I got the go ahead from 3 doctor's to try to get pregnant! My PCOS is being treated/handled just fine naturally (no drugs required) and my other two crazy things will just go away. My endocrinologist's exact words "Get trying, good luck!"

Of course, I don't know yet if Shane and I will start trying right now or not as we still have LOTS to figure out with the business, buying a house, and the big one - I've decided to take a Montessori Infant/Toddler training. It's never been offered in Canada before and likely not going to be offered again. The trainer is being brought in from Mexico (don't worry, the course is in English). The course is this summer for 2 months, observations, projects, and a one week practicum during the year, and next summer for 2 months. A big investment time wise and financially but I am excited about the possibilities of what I can do with my training afterwards. Maybe run prenatal, Mommy & baby Montessori programs. Maybe run an infant/toddler daycare. Maybe have Montessori toddler classes. I don't know yet and will see what I feel passionate about after I finish the training. And then we'll see about future expansion for the preschool. So my question for all you mom's, at what age would you feel comfortable putting you baby in daycare for 2 months? (trying to fit in having a baby and do the course next summer)

And eventually I will post photos/stories of my amazing trip to Europe last summer. It's been a busy past few months! Also, I am excited that both my sister and my sister-in-law are going to be having babies this summer! More nieces/nephews! Isabelle is now 3.5 and loving her Montessori preschool in Calgary. Kyla is almost 2 and talking up a storm. Isabelle is convinced her next sibling will be another girl. James in Williams Lake is 1.5 and just the easy going little guy his parents are. As for Quito, she is wonderful! We are really enjoying her! We love taking her to Beagle Meetup once a month and love that she gets us out for walks/jogs everyday.

As usual, Natalie Is moving again!

Hello ladies,

I thought I would take a minute to update everyone on what's happening with me here in Calgary! So, in the usual Natalie fashion, we sold our house (and in this market that is truly a miracle!) and decided to buy a house double the size, for 30% less. How? Some of you are asking? Well, we moved out of our downtown home to a suburb about 30 minutes away. We needed more space since Corey and I both work from home and and need 2 home offices and hope to have kids in the near future. So, in 6 weeks we get the new house and will have an overlap of 6 weeks to move and unpack slowly for a change. I will post pics of the new house after we move in as it's just empty right now. Here are the pics of the front and back. It used to be a showhome, so there is now a garage door where the glass windows are on the left of the house. Use your imagination if you will!

In a personal sense, things with me and Corey are going very well. Still not engaged, although I am still holding my breath. I promise to update you shorty on that!

I am super excited to become an auntie when Amanda has her baby, and hope to be in PG around the end of March to see baby Frost and the rest of you. Until then, keep in touch and don't forget about me all alone here in Calgary. See you at the Victoria retreat. Take care! Natalie

Baby Ollie is here!

Oliver "Ollie" Ronald Watts was born by successful VBAC Dec 18th, at 2:29am, weighing 7lbs 10oz and 20 inches long. He has a full head of curly blonde hair and is absolutely ADORABLE!! :) But, I'm slightly biased ;)

Robyn dotes on her "baby bruhder Oyee" and wants to touch and hold him all the time, Curt is thrilled to have an "heir" (haha!) and they look so much alike, and I'm just in love with my little man! We're all doing great...and actually came home 12 hours after he was born, because we're all just more comfy resting up at home! Now onto figuring out life with two kids....

Merry Christmas!

Hi Ladies,

I just wanted to send off a Merry Christmas Blog Post...I loved Susan's idea! I hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas and that you are able to relax and have fun with your friends and family. We are heading to PG for Christmas this year. Both Matt's and my family will be in town so it will be very busy but it will be great to see everyone! I hope that you all have a very Happy New Year and that 2009 brings you happiness and everything wonderful that you deserve. We are doing well in Grande Prairie and are getting very excited for January, we are going to Hawaii for Matt's work (free trip...woohoo!) and we are going to have warm kid free week! I am loving being at home, Marshall and I have been baking and crafting like crazy to get ready for Christmas. We are really looking forward to Lainey's first Christmas! I put in a few pictures of the kids, Delainey in her x-mas shirt and Marshall mailing his santa letter and then some family ones we had done. I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season and I will hopefully see you all in 2009!

Love & Hugs

Your sister

Gina

Vancouver Chapter Xmas Potluck

This past weekend we had our annual Chapter potluck dinner. It was hosted by Carrie, and attended by Melanie, Catherine, Susan, Trish (and baby Taryn), Shannon, Michelle, Natalie D and myself.
Carrie's house was beautifully decorated for Christmas and she set a lovely table with her nice china and Christmas linens!
Of course the food was amazing, and everyone contributed a wonderful spread. We were all very impressed with the assortment of colourful veggies and yummy goodies. Ham, yams, spinach salad, butternut squash, pasta, rice salad, Cobbs buns - oh my!! it was a feast!!
And the meal would not be complete without the decadent tuxedo cake for dessert and of course Carrie's Xmas baking - mmmmmm, fudge, and rum balls!!!

T-Minus 3 weeks....

I





I can't believe the time has flown by so fast, but I am due in less than a month (and hopefully even sooner than that if I have anything to do about it!!).
Life with two kids....holy cow...life is about to change dramatically!

We do know we are having a little boy, and Robyn is super excited about her baby brother. She's fascinated by my midwife appnts and always wants to listen to "her baby" on the dopler. As soon as the midwife arrives, she's commanding me to lay down on the couch, "Lay down mommy, I listen baby heart!"


This is the first year that I will not be dodging crowds the week before Christmas, as I have everything bought AND wrapped and under the tree already - HAHA, I am so ready!!

Anyways, here are some maternity pictures we had taken a few weeks ago! I guess next post I'll be showing baby pics!! :)

Operation Christmas Child

Well I don't know about you but I had a lot of fun with this charity project! My husband and I filled two boxes, one for a boy and the other for girl both aged 10-14. My favourite part is trying to stuff all the things in the box! Thanks to Sarah and Nat. D. who got together and filled a box for a girl aged 2-4. Thanks to Shannon who filled a box for a boy aged 5-9. Thanks to Cheryl G. for spreading the word to co-workers. And thanks to Suzy who spread the word to family, friends, and co-workers - collecting 35 boxes!

Suzy was also able to hear a the story from a young lady who grew up in a war stricken country and at age 12 received a Christmas box from Operation Christmas Child. She talked about how it was the best gift she had ever received and how she slept with her box every night after she receive it. Shane and I spread the word to our church and collected 26 boxes. One lady told me a story of at her previous church, a woman was watching the promotional video for the shoe boxes and realized that when she was young growing up in Honduras, she had received a box and just watching the video made her recall how blessed and happy she was to receive a wonderful shoebox.

I think it's so touching to hear these stories and remember that, yes we do have fun putting these together, but how much they really mean to the children that receive them. Things they just wouldn't have otherwise. School supplies to continue their learning. Basic hygiene items to prevent disease. And a glimmer of hope and joy with toys and candies. I hope our holiday's can be just as blessed as these young children.

If you filled a box, please add on to this post to let us know that you participated in this charity event. Please don't feel that you're bragging and please don't be shy about it. We want to know that you participated and hope that you feel part of not only Operation Christmas Child, but the joint efforts of all your APB Alumnae Sisters.

Thank you again to all who participated!

You Can Call Me Mrs Grimmer!

Hello Sisters…

Well we are all moved in together. Basically the update is… I am married! On Aug 23rd Scott and I were married at St.Claire of Assisi Parish. I know most don’t believe it… but we had a quick Catholic Ceremony and were off to the reception for some good times, yummy food, dancing and celebration. The day was wonderful, the weather was amazing… not to hot, but super sunny! It was so great to have so many friends and family all join us to celebrate and enjoy our special day. I know that every Bride feels their wedding day was perfect, but I can honestly say I would not change one thing about the day if I had the chance.

After the wedding we spent a few days visiting with all our family, who had travelled from all over to come and be a part of our wedding. I love all weddings because they are also little family reunions for my family, and a great opportunity to laugh and talk about old memories, but also give us the chance to make new and exciting memories that are so important.

So the wedding was lovely… blah blah blah! Then it was off on our Honeymoon. Scott was in charge of planning the trip and it was a total surprise to me on our wedding day when he told me we were going to Hawaii for two weeks. It was a great trip because it seems like very other sunny holiday spot was experiencing hurricanes… YIKES! We landed in Honolulu and spent a few days there travelling around, sight seeing and being totally tourists. LOL. Then we got on a cruise ship and spent 7 nights cruising around visiting all the major Hawaiian Islands. I loved Maui… it was totally my favorite, super beautiful. Then we spent our last few days chilling on Waikiki Beach before we had to return home to reality.

Scott and I have finally moved in together and are now just settling in and enjoying being together and getting into a new life routine that includes being married. All is well, we honestly could not have asked for a better celebration. And we are so thankful that everything and everyone who participated was so wonderful. To answer the question that everyone asks after people get married is... No we are no having babies just yet, but yes that is in the plan for the future. Don’t worry I will keep you all posted.

Thank you to everyone who sent cards and gift… you are all so sweet and it is truly a blessing to have all you wonderful women in my life.

Gamma Chapter Event: Corn Maze

The skies cleared and we actually had a pretty nice day for our trip through the corn maze!
Carrie, Natalie D., Sandra, Thomas, Sarah (and Curt and Robyn) met at the Meadows Maze in Pitt Meadows and embarked on a corney adventure (haha!)

At first we let Robyn decide which wa we went, but after going in circles a few times...and then realizing we had numbered stations to find...we actually started thinking about which turns to take! Sandra proved to be a whiz at following confusing tiny maps! Note to others: Don't ever let Natalie be your navigator, if you take a trip with her! hahah, j/k Nat! ;)

After we completed one maze, we found our way to the petting zoo and were met with some very friendly barnyard creatures!

Carrie, Natalie, Sandra and Thomas went on the hayride - while Sarah and Curt watched their newly 2 year old daughter fly-away on the barrel ride...and then come back spattered in mud!

We all took turns going down the (lame-o) slide....needs to be steeper...you kind of get stuck in the middle!!

Then it was time to part ways...until our next adventure! :)

RUSH

So, as a change from everybody's baby pictures and wedding pictures, I thought I would give you an update on rush. Robyn is doing amazing! They had 26 people sign up, and at the moment 11 girls are pledging. WOW! All the returning members (there are only 7) are working their asses off, and it shows. The pledges are all really cool. I have been to 2 events, and hosted 1, and the Fantasia is in an hour. (everyone's favourite)

It was really exciting to have Danya come into town. I finally got to meet one of these people I'm always reading about and emailing! We had lots of fun, even if we did bother Lonnie. oops... :( I will try to post some pictures of some rush events inthe near future. (they are all on the camera not on the computer).

Initiations will be on Oct 5, no set time as of yet. If you want to go, please email the sorority account. (Robyn is sitting beside me telling me what to write)

Update on Baby

Hey Guys, 

So no pictures or amazing news but I thought I would send you an update as to how I am doing and baby as the past week has been quite long and hard and I just need an outlet since I'm not really able to go anywhere.

Wednesday I woke up to some very unexpected bleeding and was taken into the hospital but after an examination they confirmed the bleeding had stopped and I was okay to go home.  They scheduled me for another ultrasound to check on the baby and make sure everything was okay so I was expected to return to the hospital the next morning.  

Unfortunately on Thursday I woke up and went to the bathroom to find that it had started again so Chris rushed me back to the hospital.  Thankfully, everyone remembered me from the day before so I didn't have to go through all the questions again.    After they completed the ultrasound and exam they could only tell me that the baby is fine and not in distress but they don't know what is causing the bleeding or where it is coming from.    I was admitted for observation with the goal of 24 hrs with no bleeding.    

As of this morning they released me and I am able to go home but under the observation of my husband and parents.  No strenuous activities - so preparing for the baby if completely Chris's job now along with cooking for and waiting on me.

We didn't completely make it 24 hrs without bleeding starting again but the doctor said he could tell I was getting more anxious being there and that possibly being home would help me to relax and overall be better for babe.

So our goal at this time is to obviously not have anymore bleeding - but to make it to 38 weeks as which point if the bleeding has persisted they will schedule a c-section.   If I an make it past 38 weeks without bleeding the doctor will let me continue on as long as the baby and I are doing okay.

Overall, as I said the baby is good.  At this time we are focusing on me and getting my iron back up as they are concerned since I lost quite a bit of blood and they want the levels up again in the event I do bleed again. 

I know we always focus on the good of pregnancies and most of us don't talk about the bad but I thought there are quite a few moms in our group and maybe some of you can relate to what we have been dealing with and provide some advice.  I have really been at the end of my emotional string the last day or two with fear of it starting all over again.

I would appreciate any suggestions of how to entertain and distract yourself during something like this as it is the only thing on my mind and being limited to bed doesn't make it easy to keep myself busy.

First Picture of Baby Frost

Nathan & I went in for our first ultrasound on September 14th and I thought I'd scan in one of the pictures to share with you guys. This is such an exciting journey and this was the coolest thing I've ever seen... you moms in the group know what I'm talking about! As you can see there is one baby (I've had so many family members bugging me about twins) and Baby Frost (we're not finding out the sex) is doing wonderful so far.

We're having all our windows and most of our floors replaced in the next month then I can start planning the nursery... I think it'll be my favourite home reno project so far!

Amanda :)

Triumphant Return from Europe!

Well, it seems that I've a lot to catch up on as far as your blogs go. It looks as though everyone has been busy getting married and having kids, getting jobs, turning into grown-ups...

As for me, I have had the busiest year of my life, I think. I spent the majority of the past year working as many overtime shifts as humanly possible in order to save up enough money to go to Europe for 3 months with 3 of my friends this summer. We went, we saw, we conquered (well, ok, maybe I only conquered a wine bottle or two, but that's a start).

Everyone is always wanting to know the details about the trip, so here goes! We rented an excellent station wagon/minivan crossover from Peugeot, as a long-term vacation rental/lease. We were planning to drive everywhere, and camp instead of staying in hostels, to make our money stretch further, so we went out, bought the smallest tents I have ever seen, and some basic camping gear and set off!

We started off in Paris, which I adored. I love the city. If you've never been, I highly suggest springing for one of those week-long vacation packages. We drove through France, down through Spain and into Morocco, where we spent 9 days. I absolutely loved it in Morocco; once you get over the culture shock, (especially being a woman, everything was so alien) you realize how beautiful the country is, how exotic, and how friendly the people are. Probably my best time on the entire trip was in Morocco, when we went on an overnight camel trek into the Sahara. The desert was unbelievable. So vast, and empty. It really helped put my life into perspective, which was something I definitely needed, since I'd been suffering from a case of the 'Omg, I just graduated with a degree I can't use to get a job...what do I do now?' anxiety.

Leaving Morocco, we drove back through Spain, where we celebrated the Spanish triumph at the Soccer World Cup with the frenzied crowds in Barcelona. Driving back up the coast of Spain, we spent many days on the Mediterranean beaches, sunning, and relaxing. The beaches were so beautiful, the sea that clear blue, with pure white sand and sun umbrellas lining the busy shoreline as far as the eye could see...the kind of beaches you see in calendars, really.

Next, we made a beeline for Munich, via Andorra, France, Lichtenstein (yes, it IS a real place, although it's a micronation, and I got a speeding ticket there...I got a speeding ticket in a country that you can drive across in about 40 minutes. Now THAT'S a good dinner-party story!), Austria and Switzerland. We met some really friendly folks in Switzerland, who gave us a ton of free beer and let us party with them for the night. One of the guys had a 70 L keg and tap system. In the back of his van.

I think we spent about a total of 12 hours in Munich, since we were just there to catch a flight to Istanbul. We spent a week in Istanbul, saw all the important sights, went swimming in the Black Sea, and stepped foot in Asia (Istanbul is on both sides of the Bosphorus, which divides Europe and Asia). After Turkey, we drove down to Italy, where we'd rented an apartment in Tuscany for 4 days. We spent a ton of time in Italy, and it is possibly my new favorite country. I have never felt quite so relaxed as I did in Italy.


After Italy, we hit up Slovenia for a few days, before I took a train back to Paris, for my flight back to Canada. I was only there for a total of 9 weeks, as I erm...ran out of funds, and had to return for the start of the school year.

Went to NYC for a week, met someone...we're trying the long-distance thing at the moment, which seems to be going quite nicely, and that's about it.

I have a few pictures that I've posted here, but unfortunately, not as many as I wish I had, since my laptop with the pictures on it was stolen. Alas.

Back in Canada, I set about readying myself to start the CNC/UNBC Nursing program (which I'm busily working away at right this second). Now, I spend all my days reading textbooks and being a student all over again.