Baby's getting BIG

Holly and I went for another doctor's appointment today. Surprise,surprise, Holly is showing about a month ahead of schedule. The doctor wasn't concerned about her weight, since from the last appointment to this one, she's gained the right amount. Apparently baby had a bit of a growth spurt before the previous appointment, though. We may need to go for another ultrasound in a few weeks, just to check the size and get a better estimate of the due date.

Otherwise, everything is going according to plan. We picked up a nice crib last week, and have the baby's room pretty much organized now. Plus, our downstairs neighbor gave us a bag full of newborn clothes, so we should be set for the first week or so. ;) Holly and I have only bought 3 m.o. clothes, with the expectation that the little bugger will be not so little (my family has a history, shall we say).

Since it's been so long since I last posted, here's an update of some
other stuff.

I've been working on a proposal for a new building at Grant MacEwan. That's meant working long hours, but if we win it'll be worth it. I can't wait to share some of the stuff we're planning, but not until after the submission.

Before that started, we went to the San Juan Islands and Seattle for alittle break before we can't do that alone for a while. We stayed with Sarah (THANKS) in Vancouver, and hit The Locus for dinner (surprise). We had breakfast at a great place called Aurora Bistro. Nice vibe and fantastic food, even by Vancouver standards.

Next, we stayed on San Juan Island for three days, and LOVED IT. It's so
peaceful, and there's lots to see and do. We can't wait to go back. Seattle was a little less nice. To be fair, we were incredibly rushed, and didn't have time to do everything we wanted. We went to the Glass Museum in Tacoma, which was amazing -- especially the hot shop. Oddly, my favorite display was in the hallway to the washrooms, but whatever. We did the underground tour in Seattle, and that was really cool. Otherwise, all I can say about Seattle is that is smells like pee.
Probably not fair, but that was our experience. I still haven't put any pictures up online. When I do, I'll put a link here.

Deep thought for the day

Some people are like slinkies - Not really good for anything, but they
still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.

On another note, we've been home from our trip to the Broken States of
America for a little while. I'll post a better report when I have some
spare time.

Ultrasound

Holls and I went for the first ultrasound yesterday. I though the heartbeat was cool! The tech had Holly in the room for about half an hour before I was allowed in. Once I joined them, I saw my baby for the first time! The little bugger wouldn't stop moving, and it was hard to get a good image, but I saw hands, feet, head, spine, and... something else! If you want to know the sex, you'll have to ask me or Holly. If you want to know the name, too bad -- we aren't telling!

The image above is the ultrasound on the left, and an "enhanced" version on the right for anyone who can't quite make it out.



It's pretty amazing seeing your child like this. I didn't think it would affect me all that much, but it sure has. It's hard to think about other things now, and I can't wait for The Birthday. This is now "The Coolest Experience of My Life."

Camping 2005 Part 2

What an amazing weekend! Pembina River Campground is still the best
place around Edmonton to camp. We had the group campsite booked last
weekend, and were lucky enough to share it with a bunch of friends. The
weather was fantastic, so we spent half of Saturday lounging in the
river. The rest of the time, we lounged around the campfire, played
poker all night, and relaxed.

Pictures to follow, once I figure it out.

Camping 2005 Part 1

We had our first camping trip of the year this weekend. There we 13 of
us in two sites at Wild Willie's Something or Other, just outside of
Drayton Valley, AB. We were supposed to go to Pembina, but (big suprise)
it was full by Thursday night. Willie's was pretty nice, and cheaper
than most other developed campgrounds - $16 per night, includes
firewood. It's right on the North Saskatchewan River, so the scenery is
pretty good -- not quite breathtaking, but pretty good, just the same.

The 13 people included Holly and me, My parents, James and Jen, and
friend of the family (including a 3 month old). That's a lot of people
to pack into two sites, and it showed when my patience wore thin towards
the end of Sunday. Otherwise, it was a fantastic trip, with plenty of
good red wine, tons of food, and lot of time to relax.

Since today's Victoria day, I might as weel add this little story: There
was a bunch of canoists heading to Edmonton on the river to commemorate
the queen's visit. There were two groups: some of the paddlers were from
St. Johns School for Boys, and the rest were from some other group.
There must have been around 100 people watching them start out, and some
of them were in voyageur outfits.

When I get the photos off my camera, I'll post them.