Best Co-Workers Ever!

My official last day of work is tomorrow and I am lucky enough to be done at noon instead of 4pm like usual. I either have the best boss in the world or they just can't wait to get rid of me...haha. Anyways, this afternoon they surprised me with a little get together with delicious cake, some gift cards to various places and a beautiful Hurley outfit for baby to wear! I did have a small piece of cake despite it being very glutenous because I just couldn't turn it down....it was deicious by the way!

I am very lucky to have worked with such amazing people. We've come along way in the last few years and I am leaving this place much happier then when I went on maternity leave with Finley. I know that I am going to miss everybody very much - my morning rant sessions with Josh, the random conversations that Mandy, Julia, Aliya and I seem to have, talking Flames with Rich & Tom, dissing the Stamps to Tom and him dissing the Riders back to me, talking babies with Prakash and well I could go on and on forever.

Thanks guys for everything! You are the best!!

Last Day of Daycare

Today is Finley's last day of daycare - at least full time. Even though I am working until noon tomorrow, my sister will be here so she wants to look after Finley. To say that Finley loves Ann & Alicia is an understatement and I know that the feeling is mutual. I am not sure who is going to be sadder when I pick her up tonight - them or Finley.

I found Ann & Alicia in just the nick of time as the first day home that I had lined up fell through in a very negative way. After that experience, I was a little apprehensive about the whole idea of day homes and day cares and what not, but as soon as I met Ann & Alicia, I knew Finley was in good hands. She always got smily and happy the minute the door opened and she saw them waiting for her with open arms. At the end of the day, she greets me with a smile and was always happy. She went from being a 11 month old who couldn't walk or talk to a babbling 21 month old who never stops. She has progressed so much and I know that they have had a huge impact on this and for that I am grateful.


This is Finley after her first full day of daycare....

And here she is on her last full day of daycare.....

Wow has she changed, sometimes I find it so hard to believe that she was a tiny little baby so dependant on us for everything. I am looking forward to spending more time with Finley once my mat leave begins, hopefully it will be a good experience for us all

And I wish everybody who is looking into daycare providers in their area are as lucky as we were in finding Ann & Alicia. After the recent stories in the media regarding child care providers, we were truly were blessed.

A Little Bit of Sunshine

A LITTLE BIT OF SUNSHINE

Author: unknown

She's a little bit of sunshine,
She's a smile to light your days,
She will steal your heart and
keep it with her warm endearing ways,
She's your precious little daughter,
With a sweetness from above
Who will fill your years with laughter
and your lives with lots of love

A Visit With Great Grandpa Emil & Great Grandma Annette

Over the weekend, we went to have dinner with Finley's Great Grandpa Emil & Great Grandma Annette who were visiting from Saskatoon. Emil is Greg's Grandpa on the Florizone side and also where he got his midde name from! They were in town for a dual wedding celebration for Annette's nieces. They were staying in a motorhome which was a totally new place for Finley to explore. And did she ever enjoy it!

Checking out the camera system that turns on when you go to signal or into reverse. It was a pretty sweet setup!

Finley wanting to help Great Grandma make supper for us.

Finley getting loads of attention from Great Grandma Annette!

Finley was more then enjoying all of the attention that she was getting. She is the first Great Grandchild for Great Grandpa Emil and he is very excited about number 2 to make her entrance as well. Annette said he keeps telling everybody that his second is coming soon! Finley is pretty lucky to have such great grandparents - and so many of them at that!!

We had a fabulous visit with them at the motorhome and the meal was beyond delicious. Seriously it was the best fried potatoes I have had in years!! We were all stuffed by the end! We were so happy to spend some time with them since we don't get to see them very often!

Thanks for the visit and dinner Emil & Annette!!

Silly Finley

Finley is a funny little girl to say the least. She loves wearing different shoes together - especially one sandal and one rubber boot. She loves this even more now that she has figured out how to put them on and take them off herself. She absolutely loves thongs but the 2 pair she had didn't have backs on them which made them very difficult to stay on. Thankfully we found a pair at the Children's Place for $1.50 that have backs and she has not taken them off since. I swear she'd wear them in the bath tub if I would let her. The downside to this is that I have only 2 pairs of sandals that have a match, we are missing matches to the majority of her sandals.

Lately, her new obsession is putting on clothes herself and it does not matter if she already has existing clothes on top. She will try to put them on. The photo below shows her with mismatched shoes, a dress and her attempt to put her shorts on as well. She managed to get the shorts on and with daddy's help a tshirt over the dress....unfortunately I couldn't find my camera to take a photo - it was classic and something she'd hate to have shown years from now!

You can see the clothes on the floor that she carried with her from her bedroom as well as her other shoes. I should really be happy that she's even willing to wear shoes since it wasn't that long ago she kicked them off every chance she got. It took 18 months but she does love her shoes!

Maternity Photos

Last weekend, my dear friend and the most amazing photographer took our maternity photos. Her name is Virginia and the name of her company is Sweet Ginger Photography. Her work is absolutely stunning and I am amazed every time I view her work. I feel so blessed that I am able to benefit from her extraordinary talents!

If you want to take a look at the work that she did for us, go to http://www.sweetgingerphotography.com then PROOFING > then type in florizone for the password.

The photos are deliteful and I have found myself looking at them over and over and over and I normally hate all photos that have me in them!

I can't wait until baby #2 comes along and see what she does with the newborn photos!

Let me know what y'all think and if you are in Calgary or area, I definitely recommend her!!

FInley's New Ride

When we first found out we were having Finley, we spent a ridiculous amount of time looking at strollers. Greg spent hours looking online, discussing with friends why they chose the stroller they did and then forced me to "test drive" every stroller at E-Children, both Kacz Kids here in Calgary plus Cravings in Saskatoon. Eventually it came down to the Phil and Ted Dual Stroller and the Bugaboo Cameleon. Even though deep down inside the Phil & Ted was much more practical, I was drawn to the Cameleon and the bright pink fabric that I was able to get it with (have no fear, we can change the fabric if we do have baby #3 and it's a boy). I loved everything about my stroller - it was light and easy to lift, it was fun and I could always have Finley facing me - unlike the majority of strollers out there.

When we found out we were having baby #2, we considered selling the Bugaboo and buying a Phil & Ted. We decided against it mostly because Finley rarely uses a stroller anymore as she is far too independent to be confined. So we bought a Bugaboo Board that attaches to the stroller that she could stand on when she needed to. The board finally arrived in the mail yesterday and we had her try it out:
Watching Daddy put the board on the stroller
Finley chose to sit on it instead of stand. This is not going to work because it could end up with her breaking her legs - which we definitely don't want!


Standing on the board. She seemed to quite enjoy riding on it in the house!

Taking Finley off the board so they could take it outside and test it out while they got the mail. While she seemed to like it, the real test will come once we have both her and baby #2 on it!

A Visit From Grandma Gail

This past weekend, Greg's mom and Finley's Grandma Gail came to visit us from Saskatoon. The weekend started off with dinner at our house with Uncle Brad also visiting. On Saturday, Finley went for a walk to the mailbox with daddy, Iggy and Grandma Gail, played in the backyard, took a trip to Ikea and had maternity photos done! We were very happy to have Grandma Gail with us for the maternity photos as Finley DID NOT co-operate at all and we never would've accomplished them without her! On Sunday, we did some playing outside before heading to Smitty's for brunch and seeing Grandma Gail off.

Here are some photos from the weekend!

Monday Morning Rambles

When I woke up this morning I was so happy about 2 things: it was cool and rainy (perfect for this very pregnant gal) and Stampede was over so taking the C-Train would return to it's normal effective and efficient means of getting to work! Unfortunately, the happiness did not last long because as soon we boarded the train, we heard a message saying that due to some track malfunction, the train would not be leaving until 725am. It was only 707am. I was seriously annoyed by this. The train was pretty much packed by the time we left and nobody was able to get on the train past Anderson which sucked for a lot of people trying to get to work this morning. I thank God that it was cool or I am sure I wouldn't have survived. In fact, by the time we got to Erlton I thought I was going to throw up which was not good. When I tried to get off at Victoria Park/Stampede Station, the stupid girl wouldn't move out of the way. I had to say Excuse Me 3x before she even acknowledged me and then she just looked at me. I was like Get out of my way, I need to get off and thankfully she did - after a little pushing from me of course! I got to my desk at 807am and am praying for a much nicer ride home tonight!

Today also marks working 10 hours!!! I had to work 10 hours last Monday and am forced to do it one more time! The only upside to working til 6 is that I got 4 hours of overtime which I am using Thursday to take the afternoon off so that I have a 3.5 day weekend! I am not sure what I am going to do for my last week of work that begins on the 26th - it will be my first 5 day work week since the beginning of June.......

On Saturday night we had our Maternity Photos done by the fabulous Virginia from Sweet Ginger Photography. We had wanted to get some photos of Finley but to say she did not co-operate would be an understatement. I can't wait to see the final product and for her to take our newborn photos as well. If you want to check out her site it is www.sweetgingerphotography.com. She is a great friend and an even more talented photographer! Will post the photos once she does a sneak a peek on her blog!

Potty training. Oh how I hate it. I have put Finley on the potty 4 of the last 5 days. The first day she sat on it but did nothing. The next morning she cried, we skipped Saturday and on Sunday she whined again when I put her on it, so I tried the toilet which she also did not like and then proceeded to pee all over the bath mat in her bathroom. This morning she just ran out of the bathroom. I think that this is going to be a long, painful process!

I finally gave in last week and decided to read the Twilight Series. I feel embarrassed for Bella when I read it, as she is so obsessive over Edward that I feel sorry for her as I read it. I remember obsessing over NKOTB as a kid but never over a boy in my class - especially in high school nor do I remember anybody else being that obsessed over any single person either. I am only about a 1/4 of the way through book 1 at the most. I will blog about it once I finish it.

That's about all for today, I may have more this week!!

Pre Natal Update

Yesterday I had a pre natal check up with Dr. Nkemdrin. It started off a little weird because instead of the usual lady checking my weight and blood pressure, it was a guy I had never seen before. 2 of the 3 regular girls were not there so I am thinking maybe he was just covering their vacation or something. He started off by complaining about how tired he was because he was at Stampede the night before. He then looked at me and asked if I was tired because I was at Stampede too. I obviously must look tired because I said no such thing of me being tired. I just shook my head no. Although, what I wanted to say was that I am indeed exhausted but it was due to the fact that it was hot out, I had been suffering from a migraine, my feet were swollen, I am nearly 34 months pregnant and I had a 20 month toddler at home who never quit. But I kept my inner Sue Sylvester inside of me.

My weight had stayed the same and my blood pressure was higher then last week but it's ok because outside of pregnancy I have dangerously low blood pressure. In fact, the only time my blood pressure is normal is during pregnancy. Weird, I know but I guess it's a good thing considering many people suffer from high blood pressure during my pregnancy. Dr. Nkemdrin said that the baby was no longer breach which was great but the bad part was that her head was now deep in my pelvis which would explain my need to pee every 2 minutes as well the intense pressure felt down there. It's all so weird because I never experienced any of this with Finley. She was surprised how low she was in me - hopefully she will stay in there until my scheduled csection because I don't know what I will do if she doesn't! She also said that Braxton Hicks are more common in secondary pregnancies and had asked if I had been getting any. I had no idea but I think that I haven't experienced them - yet.

Other than that, the baby's heartbeat was at 135 I think which is good and everything was great. I have one more bi-weekly appointment on the 28th and then weekly after that.

Stampede Now & Then

What a difference a year makes...Same Cowgirl hat but that's about it.....
Finley Stampede 2010 - 20 Months

Finley Stampede 2009 - 8 Months, One week

Yet Another Reason To Hate Supermodels....

Not only is Gisele Bundchen married to my favorite quarterback, it turns out she had her baby potty trained at 6 months. Really? Seriously?? Life just isn't fair sometimes....

Model mom Gisele Bündchen, husband Tom Brady and their adorable 7-month-old son Benjamin looked like one big happy family as they left a doctor's office in Santa Monica, Calif. on Monday (July 12).

The 29-year-old Brazilian beauty recently said that baby Benjamin was potty trained at six months! She said that he's on a schedule that includes breastfeeding in the morning and afternoon, promptly followed by a poop, making it easy for her to put him on the toilet and eliminate the use of a diaper. “Give it about five minutes, and bang,” the model mom admitted with a laugh.

33 Weeks Pregnant

The above photo is me at 33 weeks. It was taken yesterday morning right before leaving for a Stampede breakfast. I don't normally wear button up shirts like that - except during Stampede. My facial expression is worse then usual in this photo - Greg always manages to take the worst photos of me!

7 more weeks left! I am excited for this pregnancy to be over for many reasons: meeting baby, no longer being huge and pregnant, no more heartburn, being able to "sleep" on my stomach, not having to use the bathroom every 90 minutes regardless of how much fluid I have drank, no more aching back, and no baby trying to kick their way out of me!

Despite all of the above, this pregnancy is still leaps and bounds more enjoyable then Finley's. This baby is CRAZY active - way more so then Finley was. I swear she is gonna kick a hole in my belly and then somersault out. I swear she never sleeps in there. I am just happy that I am carrying her lower then Finley because Finley destroyed my ribs!

The heartburn disappeared for awhile but came back with a vengeance late Sunday and I have been suffering since. It doesn't matter what I eat or don't eat, when I eat it or the portion size. I just get it all the time. I really do feel sorry for those who suffer from this all the time. My mom and one of my Aunt's are on prescriptions for heartburn because they get it so bad ALL THE TIME. It's truly a terrible thing to have to suffer from on a daily basis!

Although I am happy that the weather was so nice last week, the heat was almost unbearable for me. Thankfully, I only had to work 2.5 days so most of it was spent in the comfort of my own home. I also must thank the city of Calgary for purchasing c-trains with air conditioning. You have no idea how wonderful it is to be pregnant and cramped in a ctrain but with air!!! I was pretty happy with the rain both Saturday and Sunday nights - it was much appreciated by this pregnant gal.

My body is also feeling like a furnace which is not good in the middle of summer. I am HOT all of the time. I have all the windows in the house open and sleep in tank tops and shorts with no blankets. Greg thinks I am crazy. If I (we) decide to have another baby it will definitely be better planned with a expected delivery month of April or May. I know I said this last time, but I mean it this time!!

Last week I met with a surgeon regarding my c-section and got my date booked. I am pretty excited for this day to come and am counting down weeks and days. Publicly I say 7 weeks left but realistically it is less then that! I have another pre-natal appt on Wednesday and am hoping that it goes well....will keep you posted on any changes or developements!

Happy Monday!

Hintherton's Stampede Breakfast

Stu and Lindsey hosted a "Hintherton Stampede Breakfast" this morning since Stu's parents were visiting from Ontario. It was held a few blocks away from us and it was nice to see people we don't get to see very often. There were 4 pregnant ladies (including myself) and 4 little girls in attendance. We're thinking next year may be a little crazy with 8 little munchkins running around! Finley was the youngest of the 4 and almost the tallest. Kiernan was almost 4 but maybe a half a head taller then Finley. I never realized how tall and stocky Finley was until this morning. Maybe stocky isn't the right word to use but she definitely isn't dainty like the other girls. It was kinda cute watching them - Finley wanted to hug and kiss the other girls as well as hold hands with them. It was pretty sweet!

Here are a few photos of Finley before we left for the breakfast and once we got home...Enjoy!

Trying on Mama's cowboy hat. I loved how her Uggs totally sealed the look for my lil cowgirl!

All tuckered out from all of the running around and playing with the other little girls. She definitely can't wait until next year!

Finley's Sweet New Sunglasses

A few weeks ago when we were in Edmonton for a few days, I found these super amazing sunglasses for Finley. They were 5 bucks at Old Navy in West Edmonton Mall. I absolutely love them and she is by far the most stylin 20 month kid around....

Finley Stampedin Y'all

This past Thursday was Sneak A Peak at the Stampede. Greg and I have traditionally gone on this day for a couple of reasons: it's half price and not as busy. We thought it would be better with Finley to go on a less then busy day at the Stampede and we were right!

Walking into the Stampede. She has a cowboy hat that she was wearing before we left but I forgot it at home. At least she had jeans on to make her look like a partial cowgirl!
Watching the magic of mini donuts being made...
Look at the icing sugar on her face from the mini donuts. She loves them as much as her daddy does. Good thing Stampede is only once a year!
Running around the grounds. She was mesmerized by EVERYTHING! Last year she slept through pretty much everything so it was all so new to her even though it was her second trip there!


In the Corral Art Gallery. They had fountains and waterfalls in there and she loved them! She seemed to love all the art too!
Watching the water run...ever since she finished her last swim lesson she's been obsessed with water which is a good thing!
This was Finley riding around on the foot rest. It happened by accident but she kept trying to get back to this position - people laughed when they saw her - probably because it looked completely ridiculous!
Finley coloring at the Service Canada area in the Corral. I use the term coloring loosely because she much prefers eating the crayon as opposed to actually coloring with them
In the agriculture building. Finley loved the miniature horses
Finley loved all the horses and cows and pigs and baby chicks! There may just be a lil farmer inside of my city girl after all...
Finley getting licked by the goat at the petting zoo

All in all we had a great time at the Stampede Thursday night. We ended up staying for nearly 4 hours. We were all pretty tuckered out towards the end. We had planned to go to the parade the next day but we were still so tired and Finley slept in. Maybe we will make it next year!

Until next year, Howdy Partners.....