Little Miss when we try to take her for a walk in the rain:

Calming before the storm(ing)

[caption id="attachment_1975" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Snuggles for siblings[/caption]

Our current "child" is needy, high energy and relatively spastic most times.  When it is just G and I at home she calms down and is the snuggle bug we know and love.  When we have visitors? She won't settle, wants to jump and leap and lick everyone and just get all the attention from all the new people.  It is so overwhelming both for us and for those coming for a visit. We have been making such a huge effort with her lately to calm that wild spirit and get her to just relax.  We want everyone else to get to enjoy her the way we do...a snuggley, tooting, snoring, sweetheart.  Not a wild eyed, jumpy, nibbly, excited tinkler.

 I feel bad because lately she has been hearing a lot of "down, no, off, NO" from us...and yes I realize she is a dog, but she sure has the puppy dog eye look down pat to make us feel bad after we reprimand her.  We both just want her to be a good girl, and not accidentally smother/jump on the baby once that big change happens.  Everyone tells us how quickly the pup becomes second fiddle once a baby arrives, and I can definitely see that happening...I am just hoping we are able to keep working with her over the next two months and tame some of that wild puppy spirit.  I tried explaining to her this morning that she will be spending a LOT of time in the newly fenced in yard if she doesn't simmer down, at least a little.  I am sure once Gus starts eating some real food, Brooklyn will realize that the baby is her meal ticket (or snack ticket I guess?!) but until then I just sense her getting annoyed that someone else has her parent's full attention.  (I guess I should say owners?  But it's hard not to think of her as our fur baby..maybe that is the problem hahaha)

Weekend Report---crafting with mama edition

Garret was away this weekend so I went to my Mum's and had a lovely weekend crafting, ice cream eating, napping, snuggling with my nephew, chasing Brooklyn, organizing, laughing, reflecting and hanging out.  Friday night my sister in law and nephew were there as well so we had some laughs, and girl time--was wonderful.

[gallery columns="1" type="square" ids="2038,2029,2031,2032,2033,2035,2034,2036"]

As always these weekends that I so look forward to fly by and my list of  what I hope to accomplish doesn't quite get crossed off.  I tend to forget I am a mere mortal and like everyone else only have X amount of hours in the day.  Aaaand like many other pregnant ladies I need to schedule "napping" somewhere in between crafting, movie watching and dog walking.

I do have a nice feeling of accomplishment from the weekend though, which I am hoping to use to push me through this week of things to do.  My Mum and I went through some of my old boxes of "stuff" at her place, as well as a box that was my Dad's.  My boxes were fun, we got to laugh at old pictures, weird things that I just HAD to keep once upon a time (and I could finally at age 33 be convinced to throw out)

 It is unsettling to try to take a step back and examine ones life based on the items that remain behind. As we were going through my father's things I couldn't help but wonder who will be the one going through my things one day when I am gone. There were so many random things that had obviously meant enough to the man to cart around with him for years and years, but held no meaning to me. Pictures of people I don't know, matches for restaurants I have never been to.  Memories that just don't belong to me.  I guess I felt a bit sad that there are those parts in his life I will never know anything about....and to be honest  it also gave me a creepy sense of my own mortality. I thought of one day, my children, or Garret, going through boxes wondering why I kept some of the things I did, a Radiohead concert ticket from '96, random childhood toys, my weird treasures that could only mean something to me.  It is just interesting to see the physical manifestation of what is left behind when you are gone.  Everyone has their own personal memories of you, but you will still have left a footprint, a mysterious paper trail of what once meant something to you.

Here is a picture of Brooklyn so I can end this on a more positive note:

[caption id="attachment_2041" align="aligncenter" width="388"] iStalker 2.0...still a-snoozing[/caption]

iStalker

My friend Harrison and his parents gave us a really cool shower gift.  This baby monitor from Apple...we set it up last night and it is really cool.  We were playing with it last night and decided it set it up in the kitchen today so we can see what Brooklyn does while we are at work.[gallery type="square" ids="2025,2023,2024"]

It is no wonder why she is all pumped up and raring to go when we get home! She spends the day in her bed.  This is definitely a fun piece of technology that is going to be really neat to have to spy on the baby..oh wait I mean keep an eye on the baby.

The Walshs

I love these 1.5 people more than anything in the world

Weekend Report--The baby shower edition

Gus Gus and I got crazy spoiled this weekend by all the ladies in my life.  Sunday was a beautiful day--the weather was just perfect and being surrounded by friends and family was just wonderful.  My day started off with coffee with G and Brooklyn...then on to my sister in law's who did my hair oh so pretty. She is amazing with hair and make up and while I have mastered a pony tail, sometimes you just wana look a bit snazzier....

My mother in law took honestly about 1,000 pictures which will take her a while to go through so in the meantime I am going to post some of the trusty iPhone photos that people have been sending me.  I will amend this to include a really cute one that is on Garret's phone that is taking him forever and ever to send to me. So...in the meantime, a glimpse of my sweet babe getting super duper spoiled by everyone.

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Belated Weekend Report--33rd Birthday Edition

[caption id="attachment_1984" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Birthday dinner at The Farmhouse in Barrie[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1985" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Went to a friends cottage for a few hours and tried to get Brooklyn to love swimming. #epicfail She was clinging to Garret and kept trying to climb up him whenever we put her in![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1986" align="aligncenter" width="388"] As per Walsh tradition we had to stop at Webers on the way home. Someone snuck a fry or two.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1987" align="aligncenter" width="388"] I said I didn't want one but I ended up eating half of G's anyway[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1988" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Birthday movie date at the Barrie Drive in. Garret, Gus, Brooklyn and I curled up in the back of the truck with a pile of pillows and blankets and watched Grownups 2 and Pacific Rim (I slept through most of the second one)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1989" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Miss B getting all pumped at the preview for Despicable me 2[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1990" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Best present of all...Garret and our friend Regan built us a fence[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1991" align="aligncenter" width="388"] A Fence, a Fence, my kingdom for a fence[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1992" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Birthday pressie---a really snazzy watch that I LOVE! Just have to get some links taken out so it fits on my bird like wrist[/caption]

How I'm feeling lately (Vol. 3)

[caption id="attachment_1980" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Granted I am wearing Birkenstocks not Givenchy, but the feeling is the same[/caption]

Image found here

[caption id="attachment_1981" align="aligncenter" width="388"] I feel like I could fall asleep anywhere at any time.[/caption]

Image from here

I think it has just been the heat the past few days but holy smokes I am just feeling all kinds of swollen and tired.  I had a doctors appointment mid day yesterday so took the day off work.  When I got home I hit the couch and forced Brooklyn to snuggle with me for a glorious nap.  I know that exercise is so important when pregnant, but the past few days it has consumed all of my energy just to remain standing and awake while necessary.   REALLY looking forward to the heat breaking later this week.  Again, extremely thankful for the bedroom air conditioner my Mum got us!

Birthday Poem (#outofthedoghouse)

My beloved is not so much a morning person.  So much so that G claims he cannot function much before 9am and he has had his coffee and a good hour or two to wake up.  (this bodes well for the insanity that will be our sleep schedule when the baby comes!)

This morning for instance....my birthday....was slightly, if just briefly, forgotten as he rushed about getting ready for work.  He clearly felt AWFUL when he realized he hadn't wished me happy birthday because by the time I got to work his facebook status had been updated to read:

Roses are red,
Violets are blue...
Today is your birthday,
No longer 32...

We fell in love,
Back when I turned 24...
After that night,
I'm surprised you didn't walkout the door!

Now we're both older,
And I love every day...
You're my beautiful wife,
With baby on the way!

Although our old life together,
May not exist much longer...
My love for our family,
Will only get stronger!

33 is just a number,
13 is too...
Except 13 are the years I waited
For the chance to fall in love with you!

Now almost 6 years have passed,
Since we met in the fall...
Who would have thought,
It would come from a phone call!

Happy birthday to the love of my life, and best friend...Julia Walsh xoxo

---I think his mostly gets him out of the doghouse, no?

A Boy and his Dog

When we got Brooklyn I really thought she would be our dog. Loving the two of us equally with her whole puppy heart.  This has not so much been the case. She is 100% a Daddy's girl. It doesn't matter that I am the one who walks her, and 9 times out of 10 feeds her, if she has her choice between me and G...she is ALL his.  I keep having this vision of Gus and Brooklyn all snuggled up with G and me all alone on the couch. Ha (clearly I have a flair for the dramatic)

This is a picture G sent me the other weekend when he and his girl were out running some errands.  She is just chilling and supervising from her fave perch--front seat of the truck.  Poor thing, I wonder if she knows what craziness is about to be upon her...someone else who will be requiring more of her Dad's attention.  At least the baby won't be riding shot gun in the car anytime soon.

How I'm feeling lately (Vol. 2)

[caption id="attachment_1971" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Gus vs Bladder[/caption]

The past week or so I have been spending an insane amount of time peeing.  (sorry for the TMI y'all)  When I look at the amount of liquid intake vs how often I have to go, the numbers just don't add up.  It would seem that Gus Gus has taken up residence chilling on top of my bladder.   I was joking around with G and told him I would find a picture to accurately highlight my feelings.  Gus is angry looking kid in the yellow, my bladder is the whiny one all arm-barred into submission.

Queen of the bathroom selfie

For no apparent reason, the only time I seem to remember to document my expanding belly is in the bathroom at work. Open stalls make a lovely backdrop for a photo, no?
We have done a few sporadically at home but by far I'm most consistent in the John. And so without further details:

9 months down

9 months down and we are:

• Preemptively catching up on our sleep. (well some of us more than others):

[caption id="attachment_1938" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Sleeping "beauts"[/caption]

• Panicking ok this is clearly  more me than G. He is remaining strangely, uncharacteristically calm


• Watching my stomach flip around as Gus moves and grooves


• Browsing online and in stores for the perfect adorable nursery items.  We aren't going overboard but man do I want to have a cute room all ready for Gus-so far we have a crib, my Mum is re purposing an old dresser for a change table and we have a hand me down glider....just need the cute decor stuff now


• Preparing Brooklyn for her role as a less spazzy big sister.  This is a job and a half with that crazy dog.


• Spending time together in the hammock, laughing, dreaming and swatting mosquitos


• Marveling at my ever expanding belly. Each day I wake up and it seems larger (aaand I still have three months of growth to go!)


• Putting our maternity leave budget into place. Eye opening to say the least


• Craving Ice cream like its my job.  Too bad (or too good) that Kawartha Dairy is just down the street from us.....


• Nesting. Plus side is our house is finally starting to be more organized. Just in time for an infant sized bomb to hit it.

Take you Dog to Work (Again)

Garret is heading to his Mom's right after work today and so instead of coming home to pick up Brooklyn he brought her with him to work.  I asked how it was going and got this in reply:

[caption id="attachment_1961" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Just chilling and helping my Dad review some specs...no big deal[/caption]

I wrote back to have him tell her if she misbehaved I would spank her bum when she got home on Sunday.

[caption id="attachment_1962" align="aligncenter" width="388"] She didn't like that too much[/caption]

As much as she can be a pain in the butt I am jealous that he gets to snuggle with her all day and I just get my usual cast of characters at lunchtime.  It was really cute to see her this morning when she realized instead of being left in the kitchen she was going with one of us somewhere.  After her bed and crate were taken out to the car she firmly planted herself in the door way with her whole body wagging...and pleased and punch settled herself into the truck for a ride with her Dad.  She makes us both insane but we can't live without her. (I guess yet another way she is prepping us for impending parenthood)

Fun construction!

This happened last night while I was making dinner:

How I'm feeling lately

Whenever I am in my closet vs my kitchen

Weekend Report--brief photo summary

[caption id="attachment_1946" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Decided to take "hanging out" to a primo level Fri night, snuggles with the fam in our hammock[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1947" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Trying a little too hard not to have 5 chins in my hammock pic[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1948" align="aligncenter" width="388"] G's side job Saturday afternoon. Just what every pregnant woman wants to see, her husband/baby daddy 65' above Young street. gulp[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1949" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Saturday night we had big plans for a fire or going out, but our friend Derek and I ended up watching a movie alone with two snoring Walsh characters as additional soundtrack[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1950" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Our girl letting her princess flag fly high. She won't pee outside in the rain. We kept carrying her to the end of the yard and she would high tail back for the door. G had to cover her with the umbrella to get her to do her business. High maintenance or what?![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1951" align="aligncenter" width="388"] and do they ever smell sweet. G went to the store to get garlic bread to have with dinner on Sunday night. He came home with Roses which was awesome, but forgot the garlic bread.[/caption]

Other items that I don't have pictures of.  An absolutely gorgeous Bee themed baby shower for my friend Erin, the locking of my keys in the truck in Shelburne and having to wait for C.A.A (sooooo fun), psycho nesting related cleaning while G and Derek were golfing on Sunday and 481 games of fetch with B.

Evening Stroll

Now that the weather has been so much nicer we are trying to get out and enjoy it.  Last night we threw Brooklyn in the car  and headed down to the water front for a nice long walk.  Many other fitness buffs and dog owners had the same idea, but it wasn't too crowded and we got to enjoy the lovely evening.

We thought that maybe she would be tired based on all her big yawns on the way home..but alas she was raring to go and kept bringing us every toy she owns for us to throw.  My new mantra has been "cant wait til the fence is finished" so we can let her tear around back there!

A friend showed us this video the other day which we both feel completely captures B on her walks. 

Father's (to be) Day

Father's day is coming this weekend and it has suddenly taken on a whole new meaning to me.  I am pretty gushy sentimental (as if you couldn't guess) so I wanted to do something fun/special for he who I am about to make a father.  All of my ideas involved a bunch of money which isn't so practical at the moment so instead I bought a gift that is sort of for G but mostly for the babe

[caption id="attachment_1925" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Starting Gus's love of reading as soon as possible[/caption]

There was a Father's Day section at Chapters where I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to pick out the perfect book. So obviously I ended up with two. A super cute animal one and then one about  building a dog house with Daddy.  I couldn't pass up either one.  I just thought G could read them to Gus when s/he arrives and I will just melt into a puddle of hormonal goo at how cute that would be.

I like the idea of starting some sort of Father's day tradition(s).    Letting him sleep in will likely be gift enough at that point!

Anyone have any fun/fond memories of things they did with their Dads when they were little?  One of my nicest memories is watching The A-Team with my Dad.  Fun and full or Mr. T,  but not necessarily what I  have in mind.

Weekend Report--the Ontario Road trip edition

This past weekend was amazing but not all that restful.  We (mostly Garret) did a lot of driving and had some great adventures.

Friday night I stayed downtown after work and went to see the NKOTB, Boys II Men and 98degrees concert.  My friends husband was given box seats which he generously bestowed upon us.  My Mum took me to see the New Kids in '91 or '92 and it was my first concert, and now 20 odd years later it was Gus's first concert too!  G is slightly worried I am skewing the babes musical taste, but really who doesn't love 90's music?

[caption id="attachment_1917" align="aligncenter" width="388"] The girls and Gus enjoying snazzy seats at the ACC. Anxiously awaiting our former teenage dreams hahaha[/caption]

Saturday morning my throat was sore and I think G was embarrassed on my behalf to hear that I was actually screaming my head off all night.  I am sorry but when Jordan Knight tells you to scream? you SCREAM with all you have.  Michelle and I drove back to Barrie and didnt get home until 1am (which for this pregnant chick is crazy late)

Saturday morning we were up early and drove up to North Bay to celebrate G's Grandma's birthday--I will have to upload pictures from the other camera.  It was a long trip, but definitely worth it to spend some time with family and eat a ton of baked goods.  We drove home Saturday night and just took it easy on the mega couch.

Sunday morning we headed off to Niagara with some friends for a prebooked Wag Jag night away.

[caption id="attachment_1918" align="aligncenter" width="388"] This was the only way we could figure out a "falls view" room. hahaha G is very creative.  We actually overlooked a gorgeous parking lot...oooh fancy[/caption]

We walked around for hours and took some pictures of the falls and had some relaxing time on a very loud (and grossly sticky) patio

[caption id="attachment_1919" align="aligncenter" width="388"] First family photo in Niagara[/caption]

I also made a valiant attempt to recreate a photo we took 6 years ago but kind of missed the mark:

[caption id="attachment_1920" align="aligncenter" width="310"] the top picture is from 2008 when Garret surprised me with a night away for my birthday. Side note: I am wearing the same sunglasses, and he is still crazy handsome. [/caption]

We got back to Barrie on Monday afternoon and did some house work (thrilling as it sounds)  G moved the bed out of our spare room and we moved the crib (gulp) up in it's place.  We haven't built it yet, but this gets the giant box out of our hallway so that is a start.

[caption id="attachment_1921" align="aligncenter" width="388"] One step closer to being a room ready for a baby.[/caption]

It seems that each day something happens to make us feel a little more ready or freaked out or "ermagerd this is actually happening"ish.   While we were watching a show before bed Gus was being particularly active and G finally got to feel a kick/jab (or "upper cross" if you ask him)  These things happen and then we look at each other and query if this really is happening? We are having a baby?! Then we laugh and make jokes about the babe and try to enjoy these last glimpses of what soon shall be 'what was'.