What is going on?

Well, I am still here. I am the hopeless sporadic blogger now as I am so busy with work and nesting....and growing! It's amazing how important home has become to me in the past couple months. I've reorganized closets and cupboards, cleaned the fridge (although it really needs it again!). We've sorted and purged all sorts of things and driven a carload of junk to the Salvation Army to make space for all things baby. A couple weekends ago we painted our soon to be nursery a honeydew green. It is pretty bright, but I think it looks fresh and happy now that I'm used to it.

And good news! I can knit again :) I've finally finished a little sweater which I started last October! Geez that was difficult. But I think I'm on a role and already have some patterns for stuffies I'd like to make.


I'm also working on another quilt, but that is all I can reveal about it for now since it is a gift for a certain someone and I'm not sure if she would happen to come across this posting...

Oh, and here is a (very blurry) peek at the emerging belly. And let me tell you, it is popping! This week marks my official entrance into the third trimester. It is the final stretch, only three more months until I meet the little boxer growing inside me. I am dying to meet him/her!

Visual DNA

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

I've been wanting to post this for awhile, and I finally have a few minutes this morning to get it up. Flossy-p, Love Squalor and Red Button Tree have started the trend and I just wanted to join in the fun! Hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend - I'll be posting an update on my current adventures very soon!

Quilting Doubts

So, in preparation for the new addition which is slow cooking in my belly, I've decided I must make a keepsake for him/her. A couple weeks ago, I went a little crazy in the quilting store down the street from us and picked up a collection of bright cheerful fabrics to get going on my a baby quilt. I figured these colours would all look so cute together and appeared to coordinate perfectly at the store. Well, here I am in the middle of fabric squares, realizing that the colours just don't jive all that well. I have spent several evenings putting patch next to patch trying to figure out how I am going to make this work, but I'm just not happy at all with any results. This quilt will be completed, the only problem is I don't know if I will actually want to keep it. At any rate, I will keep you posted and share the finished product once I get there.


You may be wondering why I am not knitting up a storm for this baby - considering I made this for my nephew and these cuties for friend's babies. I must share with you that since I've found myself pregnant, I cannot stomach knitting. Yes, this is very bizarre, but every time I sit down and try to knit a row, I get ultra nauseous - similar to how I'd feel if I were on a small boat in a torrential ocean storm. How can that be? Initially I thought it would pass after the 1st trimester, thinking that it was all related to morning sickness; but, I am now 5 months along and still I suffer from this horrible ailment. I am beginning to think this baby does not want me to knit - I'm not sure what he/she has against it, but it certainly is opinionated. We're definitely going to have a chat about that when we meet in July.

(**Please stop reading now if you are tired of my pregnancy babbles...)

In other pregnancy news, I am gaining weight at super scary speed and this baby is growing faster than I imagined. The doctor has assured me that this weight gain is pretty normal due to the size of our fetus; Cletus is going to be a big baby according the U/S measurements. Sounds like we can expect a whopping 8lb. baby. All things appear healthy, but I can't help but become overly self-conscious about all the fat that is being deposited on my body. I've always maintained my weight and this is the first time I've felt powerless about it. Poor Hubby is so tired of me complaining about my growing hips, butt and belly. I am working on my attitude to simply surrender my body to this little person growing inside me...but let me tell you, it is tough! I really had no idea it would be so difficult to let go of my body. Did any other moms out there struggle with this? I just know that I'm going to have a lot of work ahead of me after this baby comes if I want to get into my favourite jeans again. Bring on the challenge!

Illustration Friday - Gravity (late submission)

Yes, I know it has been far too long since a painting has been posted on my blog, so without further delay, here is my latest piece. It is a late entry to IF, so I won't post it on the site but I thought my few visitors would like to see it. I guess you could say it is my idea of Mary Poppins, but Hubby thinks it looks more like unhappy housewives trying to escape their mundane lives. Well, whatever works I suppose.

I have been experimenting with acrylics for quite sometime, and even attempted to paint this image with the medium. But I missed my watercolours so much that I abandoned the acrylics and slid back into my comfort zone. I will revisit the acrylics, but I probably won't show anything for sometime - not until I feel comfortable working with them and I am happy with some sort of outcome. Currently the results are quite muddy as I've completely forgotten how to work with paint on canvas.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy. I will try to be more consistent with my entries but I can't promise much more than a post a week right now. Other projects I am working on include a quilt for our growing baby and a super duper embroidery I am working on for a swap with Babelfish - but that one will remain a surprise until she receives it. Yipee!

Half way there!

As a proud mom to be, I just had to share my ultra sound photos with you all. We are nearly halfway through the pregnancy and doing very well. I wanted to thank all of you for your lovely comments of congratulations and well wishes to Hubby and myself. We appreciate every one!

Now, isn't this just the cutest pickle you've ever seen? Well, ok, except for the alien face shot. I do admit that is pretty scary. But the bitty foot and that perfect little nose brings a tear to my eye. I can't wait to meet this little person - but for now, I'm really enjoying my expanding belly and I'm amazed by my crazy new eating habits (I have become the bottomless pit!). I have to say that I'm really surprised by how pleased I feel with pregnancy so far. I know there are a lot of aches, pains and strange body changes ahead of me, but it is quite a miracle to know there is someone in there. I don't think I've felt this little guy or girl move yet, although when I'm working out, I can feel something going on. I'm still not clear if it is actual fetal movement or if I'm just sloshing everything around and it is causing extra gas...





And on the subject of guy vs. girl - I'm pretty chocked about the gender determination restrictions out here. I was 19 weeks to the day when I got this ultra sound done and just dying to know the sex of our baby. I was looking forward to this day for weeks! The first question to the technician was "could you please tell us the sex of our baby?" And his response was, "Sorry, no can do until 24 weeks." Arg. He said I could blame it on the cultural issues of this area which has affected all parents to be. It seems that certain couples have actually gone to the extreme of aborting a perfectly healthy baby after discovering the baby's sex to be inappropriate according to some crazy cultural guidelines. I just find this so outrageous and incredibly sad. I also heard that this is only a problem in the Vancouver area, and in most other parts of Canada, they will tell you the sex of the baby at anytime. Anyways, I suppose we will have to wait, and the important thing is to know the baby is healthy and growing. But I am tempted to make an appt for 3D ultrasound. I am seriously considering it since I just found out that my benefits will actually cover it.

Ok, enough on the baby update. In other Sally news, I am working on a painting right now so I should have it up by the weekend sometime. For my b-day last November I received a set of acrylics and a couple blank canvases, so lately I have been experimenting. I must admit, I find this medium quite challenging after working with watercolours and ink for the last while, but I'm determined to get something done with them. And as soon as I do, I'll be sure to share it with you. Wish me luck!

Embroidery Swap

Back in October, I signed up for Faun's embroidery swap - my first ever swap within the blogging community. And how exciting it was to see this surprise in the mail!


I got this hilarious embroidery from Fizzelstix (sorry about the poor quality picture - click on her name to link to better photos on her blog). The embroidery is entitled "spank the chicken" where a beaver appears to be about to swat the chicken with a whisk. I love her quirky sense of humour and she is a super talented illustrator. I've been eyeing her blog for quite some time now. You can also see a better photo of my embroidery at this link since she has obviously swapped with me.

And as an added bonus, Faun threw in a print of her illustration! I am so happy to have a piece of her art. I love her style and the print is such excellent quality. I must learn her printing secrets.

Both these items are perfect decor for the baby's room. I'm anxious to frame the print and hang it up. And I think I will make a special little pillow (perhaps to hang on the door knob?) with the embroidery. Love them both - thank you thank you to both these talented artists! I'll be sure to update you all on the items when they are in their proper spaces.

5 Things

I've been tagged by Flossy-p with a fun little game called "5 things" which means I must now share 5 things about myself that I haven't left on my blog. Well, what a great way to get my butt in gear and post something already. Thanks Flossy! It is no secret that I have been in a funk for quite awhile now and I just haven't wanted to post anything since I figured I'd be moaning and complaining the entire time and who the heck wants to read about that! Well, here is a nice format for me get back into the groove, it is also a fun way for me to make my BIG announcement, so please, read on!

1.) Ok, don't know how else to tell you, so here we go : I'm Pregnant! That's right folks, knocked up and getting ready to pop out a baby in mid July. I suppose that is the main reason for the uncreative rut I've been in lately. Between the fatigue and constant nausea, it was difficult to do more than eat, sleep, and pray that I wouldn't lose my lunch on the sky train. Even work was becoming unbearable! Also, if I have had any energy, I've been consumed with pregnancy books, references, and anything related to baby this and baby that...wow, never thought I'd get to this point in my life! But here I am, and holy cow, are we ever excited! (I'll be blogging more on this soon!)

2.) I grew up playing the violin and if my audition had been good enough to be accepted to Western, I would have majored in music. Currently my violin is in the closet, strings loosened, gathering dust. But I do miss playing and hope to one day revive it and join a string quartet. There is something truly magical about playing an instrument in a larger group!

3.) I secretly wish I could be a boxer. I'm not really one to spend the afternoon watching boxing matches on tv, but ever since I read Bryce Courtney's The Power of One about 5 years ago I have been quite interested in the life of a boxer. When The Contender reality show aired in 2004 (you know, the one with Stallone and Sugar Ray), I wouldn't miss a week - I was so caught up in the individual fighter's lives; the glory of the wins and the tragedy of the losses. And let's not forget about Million Dollar Baby, Clint Eastwood's finest achievement. After seeing that movie, I searched all over our neighbourhood to see if there were any boxing gyms where I could train...of course I totally chickened out and decided I'd live vicariously through Hillary Swank.

4.) I work as an artist in video games, but I have to admit that I absolutely can't stand video games...Yes, I know... What am I doing in this industry? I absolutely despise talking tech shoppe away from the office and I have a hard time explaining exactly what I do when someone asks. I suppose it's one of those careers where you wake up one day and ask yourself, how did I get here anyways? Especially when I had studied traditional animation and fine arts for 4 years. I'm not complaining, it is a great job and I love the people here. But I dream of a day where I can work from a small studio and create my own art and actually make a living from it.

5.) The last one..On the subject of jobs: The worst and toughest job I've ever had was working in a greenhouse during the hot humid Ontario summers to make money for school. Everyday for 4 months my best friend and I would leave our comfortable air conditioned homes to face the 100 degree Fahrenheit oven called a greenhouse. We'd cart around bedding plants and load them onto racks for shipping all over Ontario, Michigan and Ohio. The worst part of the job was that we'd arrive each morning with no clue when we'd leave. Early summer was so busy that we could end up working until 10pm or even midnight 7 days a week. And all this fun, for minimum wage and no over time pay. Good times! We were zombies and completely unaware of what day of the week it was. I did this for 3 summers and was so so happy to land my next job at a paint-your-own ceramics studio. It was less hours and crap pay, but I have never taken air conditioning for granted ever since. It sounds cliche, but I think every person needs a job like this to truly appreciate all the future careers/jobs they will have. I know I do!

Well, that's it folks. Now it's time for me to tag some others:

Babelfish from CrustStation (however, I think you've done this already...)
Julie from Little Cotton Rabbits
Hubby hubberson
Ken

..I'm not sure if anyone reads my blog anymore, but if you read this post, consider yourselves tagged as well. Have fun!