Life in Millerville

The slip

2010-04-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

Well, it was bound to happen. Alex is a week away from his 3rd Birthday, and today he said something that really shouldn't come out of a 3 year old's mouth, but quite frequently comes from his 30 year old father's mouth.
Today we were at a fish store and Alex grabbed the magnetic algae scraper that was on one of the tanks. He pulled the outside piece off and the inside piece floated to the top. That's when he says it:

"Oh shit."

So, now what do I do? I can't really repremand him for saying something I say... unless I make a decided decission not to use that language. OK, done and done, right?

Well, here's the problem. I don't really see a problem with the word 'shit'. I mean, it happens, right? I have a choice here: give into social pressures and correct our language; or, do I continue to live and speak in the freedom that I have and feel. I'm sure my wife will have something to say about it... and Alex's grandparents... and our friends - I mean God forbid he pass this on to their kids!

All I could really do at the store is laugh to myself in amusement. Out of the mouths of babes!

Where's the time gone???!!!

2007-10-25T13:09:00.000-07:00

The kid's over 6 months old! He's such a blessing - I LOVE being a father! Many people are blaming Facebook for the downfall of blog updates... but, I don't use Facebook any more than I use Blogger. Life is so full right now - sorry I can't share more!

Houseboat!

2007-09-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

We just returned from houseboating on the Shuswap Lakes, which is surprisingly warm this time of year, and because it's September, you get the discount rates and nearly the entire lake to yourself! Alex was wonderful the whole trip, he barely fussed, mainly because there were 6 adults looking after him, giving him all their attention.

I would definitely do the Shuswap Lakes again in September, although maybe we'd do a cabin or something stationary, so we can avoid the whole "Where should we beach tonight?" and all sorts of other "where should we go today?" arguments. You just CAN'T leave the boat in one place, even if you have found a great little harbour because you're in a houseBOAT that must travel!

Here's a pic of Alex driving the boat:

Millerville Update

2007-07-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

The past couple of months have been a bit of a blur as we have adjusted to having Alex in our family and two job changes for Jason. He'll be starting at WEM as their new water maintenance man this week (checking chlorine levels, etc etc), in addition to getting back into the financial arena on a part time basis (vacation insurance, life insurance, RRSP, RESP, etc etc).

I've been busy reorganizing the house, renovating our little bathroom on the main floor and making sure that we all have clean clothes and food to eat. It's amazing how much there is to do, and sometimes how little time. I am also waiting for my transcripts to arrive at Athabasca University so that I can finish my BComm, Accounting major at home, which will make life easier, even though I prefer the classroom setting (12 courses left to go).

We've also been busy visiting with people, many of whom read this blog, as everyone wants to see Alex, and of course we love showing him off! He's smiling and giggling a bit now, we're trying to teach him how to sit on his own, even though he won't master that for a couple more months. He's still pretty wobbily. We got his professional photos done last week and I have to say that I am very impressed with the photographer we got. He had Alex smiling during the whole shoot and got 18 really good photos! We also had Alex weighed when he turned 3 months last Wednesday, he is now 14 and a half pounds, 22 and a half inches long. Quite chubby, no wrists. He's very cuddly!

Hanging with our Boy

2007-06-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

Our Growing Boy

2007-05-17T20:10:00.000-07:00

Alex is one month old tomorrow, and I thought it appropriate to post some close-ups of him for you all. He was 5 pounds, 9 ounces when he was born and is 9 pounds, 5 ounces now!

Here he is at two weeks, his first good mugshot taken by Gramma D.

And here is my personal favorite...I call it 'Alex the Jailbird'

He has arrived!

2007-04-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, April 18 at 5:12 am. we were blessed with the arrival of Alexander William Charles Miller. He arrived a little sooner than we were expecting, but the little guy (5lb 9oz) is doing great - and so is Mom!! He's eating well, and I'm sure he'll outgrow Dad in no time.

Cankles!

2007-04-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

One Big Water Balloon

2007-04-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

Got the official confirmation of my 'water balloon' feeling...I've gained 8 pounds in 10 days! I didn't even know that was possible! Thankfully the doctor is completely unconcerned, as my blood pressure is still good and I'm now going in for weekly checkups, but I have to say that I'm a little unnerved. AND I'M STILL THIRSTY!

Changes

2007-03-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

I no longer have any ankles. Quite surprising to look down and see leg, then foot with no little bone bump as usual. Explains why my body has felt like a bunch of connected water balloons lately...

The Final Countdown

2007-03-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

We had our final prenatal class the other day (hey...has anyone noticed that with a simple move of the letter 'a' in 'prenatal' you get 'parental'?). The highlight of the evening was definitely the birthing videos, up close and personal. Some of those kids just shot out like a cork out of a champagne bottle! After many MANY hours of labour, of course.

The most fascinating part of the watching the videos was Jason's face. I've NEVER seen his eyes bug out of his head so far, and he just kept saying "woah!" like it was the coolest thing ever. I really wasn't sure whether I should watch him or the video!

We both have talked about how these classes were the best $65 we could have spent to learn more about childbirth, postpartum, etc. The fee even included a book which is Canadian and quite good. No fearmongering, no opinions, just information.

Peanut is getting a little more squished now, kicking and moving quite regularly. I don't feel beat up quite yet, but have had to push feet, bum, whatever parts they are down and away from my ribs a few times.

Less than 8 weeks to go...

2007-03-10T10:58:00.000-08:00

Your baby now weighs approximately 3.75 pounds/ 1.7 kilograms and is about 17 inches / 42 centimetres long from head to toe.

This is the latest report from my www.babycentre.ca email announcement. I highly recommend any pregnant person to sign up for this service...it's quite good and I haven't been getting extra spam from them.

On the personal front, my feet hurt more quickly and my belly feels quite heavy near the end of the day, but Friday is my last workday and then we are renovating our bathroom! I have so many things to look forward to!

The baby's room is done, all I need to do now is stock it with diapers, creams, sleepers, etc. And I'm still searching for the perfect car seat, which has turned out to be such a search that Jason refuses to hear any more updates. In fact, I think he might have a heart attack if I ever choose something that I am actually happy with.

1st Prenatal Class

2007-02-16T07:11:00.000-08:00

So, last night was our first prenatal class. It wasn't bad. Most of us in the class are 1st-timers, with only 2 veteran mothers who's kids are 7 and older (I wonder if things have changed since the Millennium?). Our instructor encouraged us to be on the ball once we get to about week 38 - the kid could come at any time!! She wanted to encourage us not to be too worried, and get to the hospital too early - home is probably more comfortable for the initial stages of labor, anyway.
However, being the laid-back couple we are, I can see us leaving things a little last minute. Good thing we got that New Option on our car! I am fairly confident that our kid will enter this world with a professional at hand.

11 more weeks to go!!!

Third Trimester, here we come...

2007-02-02T17:41:00.000-08:00

Here's today's update:

Your baby now weighs nearly 2 pounds/ 875 grams and measures 14.5 inches/ 36.6 centimetres from heel to toe. Her eyes open and close, she sleeps and wakes at regular intervals and she may suck a finger or thumb.

Sweet dreams, little baby! Some experts believe that babies begin to dream by the 28th week. What do they dream about? No one knows for certain but the brain is active this week as well. The characteristic grooves on the brain's surface start to appear and more brain tissue develops.

There is also some blurb about the baby hiccuping, which I think I have felt a few times. It's kind of annoying, actually because I get hit in the same spot repeatedly. It's like someone knocking on your head, demanding that you name 10 chocolate bars...but when I do finish eating the 10 chocolate bars, the baby doesn't stop!

So Far Away, Yet So Close

2007-01-25T12:48:00.000-08:00

Time is a funny thing. On "Ponderings..." I may post again about how I've come to understand time, but one thing I think we can understand right now is that time is relative.

Some days, I think about our lives with this little bundle of joy and I think that the time can't come soon enough. I'm really looking forward to having this little sponge around, intent on learning everything!
Other days, I think that we are but a mere few months away from what will be undoubtedly the hardest time of our lives. The late nights and early mornings - a total lack of sleep! Oh boy, are we in for it!

It's a good thing we have clocks & calendars; otherwise, I'd go crazy!!

25 Weeks Down, 15 More to go...

2007-01-19T19:51:00.000-08:00

Here is the development report for this week:

Your baby is responsive to touch now. You can have fun with him by trying to tickle his foot when he kicks you or by lying on your back and rolling from side to side, to see how he reacts. His eyelids will open around now and his heart is beating so strongly, it may be heard with just a stethoscope. As your baby grows, you may feel some aches and pains as your body adjusts to accommodate him. Even your center of gravity changes along with your body shape.

I have recently begun to feel a little 'big'. I'm not big compared to what I will be, but until now all of the gained weight has been within my hips. The past couple of days I've started to feel like I'm being pulled forward a bit, so now I guess the belly will just keep growing.

Peanut's moving around a lot more now, and is getting stronger. Thankfully I'm not getting kicked in the ribs yet or anything like that, but I can see movement through my skin sometimes, I love it!

Peanut is big enough to be born!

2007-01-05T10:29:00.000-08:00

This is just crazy, but here's what the write up is on 23 weeks:

Your baby now weighs a little over one pound/ 500 grams and measures about 11.4 inches/ 29 centimetres from crown to heel. Her hearing is well established and she can make out a distorted version of your voice, the beating of your heart and your stomach rumblings. Loud noises often heard in utero, such as the barking of a dog next door or the roar of a vacuum cleaner, probably won't bother your child when she hears them outside the womb.

If your baby were to be born now, she would have a good chance of survival (about 85 per cent) with the right care. Advances in science and technology now mean that a 24-week-old baby can grow outside the womb if necessary.

That just blows my mind!

Happy New Year-mas!

2006-12-28T13:32:00.000-08:00

We hope you have all had some wonderful holidays, relaxing and eating. We are in Port Alberni this year for Christmas where it never goes below -3 and the sun occasionally shines.

Peanut got some presents this year, including an incredibly soft Alpaca wool teddy bear from Grandma Deb and Grandpa Lee. Then Aunt Ellen gave a really cute little yellow knitted toque, mittens, and booties set for him/her to come home in from the hospital. This kid is spoiled already!

We look forward to connecting with all of you in the new year!

Here's Peanut!

2006-12-13T16:36:00.000-08:00

We had our 2nd ultrasound yesterday - here's what our kid looks like!

I wonder if there's a family resemblance?

"Can we call you, Dadoo?"

2006-12-06T16:03:00.000-08:00

What am I going to do when my kid learns about Cartoon Saturday? Does it even exist, anymore? I remember the days of Bugs Bunny, Ninja Turtles, The Disney Afternoon (Mike Soble can do anything!), etc. When I do some channel surfing on Saturdays, I don't see anything that looks good. They had a good Spider Man cartoon for a while, and Transformers... I think it was called Beast Wars, or something like that; but, they don't seem to be around any more.
What's a dad to do? Should I just start searching the net to download all the great classics? Maybe they'll have good cartoons by the time my kid's 3 or 4... I dunno. Or, maybe I should raise my kid to not like TV - they can be some kind of nature nut, or super athlete, or something like that. Maybe I'll be rich by then, and can afford a retro cartoon channel - I think Teletoon used to have retro times, playing the classics... One can hope!

Week 18

2006-12-01T10:36:00.000-08:00

Here's what Peanut is doing this week:

Your baby is twice as big as he was last month, but he still weighs only about 225 grams. Meanwhile, most of the weight you've gained is from amniotic fluid, placenta and water retention. Although things may seem calm on the surface, your little one is kicking, flexing, reaching, rolling, and even sucking his thumb now. If you haven't felt him move yet, you will in the next few weeks. His hearing is now functioning and he will be listening to your heartbeat

So, I guess this means I have to watch my language? Don't want the kid's first words to be $#@?#$$#@$!!!

Car for Sale!

2006-11-24T10:36:00.000-08:00

We've decided to sell our Saturn. It's a '96 SL2, 4dr w. a spoiler. Black w. tan interior. Exterior and Interior are in great shape, just needs a bit of engine work. If you or anyone you know is handy with that sort of thing, you've got yourself a great car that'll last you a while.
Only 150,000km

We're looking for $1200, OBO.

Dad... When does it start?

2006-11-23T10:03:00.000-08:00

So, when do I start being a Dad? I see other people's blogs, and they've got pics of Dad & Kid, Dad & Mom & Kid, Dad & Grandparents & Kid, Dad putting together the furniture (then carefully putting kid in, praying that it doesn't collapse!)... Does "Dadding" have to wait 'til Peanut actually shows himself to the world?

Hmmm....

They say the kid can hear now. Maybe I should start telling it crude jokes while Mom is sleeping. Can you imagine Peanuts 1st words ending in the punchline, "Hey! I didn't say 12" pianist!" I'd just shake my head and say, "You are a 12" pianist," while Mom says, "WHAT??!!"

I need to get a set of headphones to put up to Mom's belly so that I make sure Peanut comes out with a good taste in music. The last thing I want to hear in 10-12 years is today's Top 40 at 100db. Let's get this kid lovin Clasic Rock right from the get-go! Sure, their friends will say, "You like Bon Jovi?! But, they're so ooollllddd!" but, it'll definitely make home-life a lot better. Just looking out for what's best for the family. :)

So, I guess I don't have to wait to start my Daddy duties - I just have to be creative! Yay, Dad!

Peanut is the size of an Avocado!

2006-11-17T10:20:00.000-08:00

this week's Babycentre update:

Your baby's about the size of an avocado now but in the next three weeks, he'll go through a tremendous growth spurt — doubling his weight and increasing his length. In the meantime, he'll be playing with his umbilical cord and practising breathing by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid through his lungs.

This is the first week that I can say for sure that I feel like I'm growing, not just bloating. It's really quite odd to feel things stretch, my hips aren't very stable right now. Maybe I'll start looking pregnant and not just fat soon!

Elven/Hobbit name generator

2006-11-06T13:53:00.000-08:00

Well, since we are calling our kid 'Peanut' for now, I decided to get some naming help from the generator:

Elven/Hobbit name generator

If it's a GIRL, we've got
Rosie-Posie Gamwich of the Bree Gamwiches (Hobbit) OR
Máraran Táralóm (Elven)

If it's a BOY,
Pimple Gamwich of the Bree Gamwiches (Hobbit) OR
Thranduil Táralóm (Elven)

Any votes?

New Car

2006-11-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

So, the Saturn completely crapped out - it looks like it needs a new engine. Other than that it's in great shape - body and interior look fabulous. We'll be giving it away - so if anyone knows of someone who needs a car, and can do some work it's all theirs. I was hoping to donate it to a church, but it doesn't look like they want it. Probably going to the Kidney Foundation.

So, we bought a new car with some pretty neat options: heated seats, traction control, stereo control on the stearing wheel... But, you know what my favorite option is?

Best Option

It's just so perfect for the time we're at in our lives - it's like they knew!

14 Weeks

2006-11-03T09:16:00.000-08:00

14 weeks officially today (out of 40, so 26 more to go). I still can't feel anything, no movement or official hard belly bump, it's just still bloaty and fatty. Lovin these expando-pants!

Here is the week's development summary:

Your baby is now growing his first hair. Whether it's jet black, cocoa brown, golden blonde or fiery red, curly or straight, will remain a secret until the day he's born. Crown to rump, your baby is around 3 and a half inches / 9 centimetres long and weighs one and a half ounces / 43 grams. The body is now growing faster than the head. About now, the fetus can grasp, squint, frown, and grimace. It may even be able to suck its thumb. Researchers believe these and other movements probably correspond to the development of impulses in the brain.

ISN'T THAT FASCINATING?!?!?

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Dad.....

2006-11-01T13:41:00.000-08:00

As much fun as Jenn's having, I'm kind of at a loss for what to do. I mean, my life isn't going to change much - I'm hoping to actually lose weight during this pregnancy process. I did just start a new career, and I hope to have that running quite solidly by the time little Peanut comes around. That's about all I can do, eh?

I'm quite enjoying how life is going. A year ago, I thought I was ready for all of this; but, I really wasn't. Now... well, I can't say that I'm 'ready', per se, but I definitely feel more confident. Yes, in 6 months, I'm going to be a Dad! Yessss!

14th Week

2006-10-31T09:51:00.000-08:00

This week Peanut is about 3 inches from head to bum and weighs the same as half a banana (1 ounce). Fingernails, toenails, fingers, toes, eyes, and even fingerprints are already formed. Peanut just has to get bigger!

My new Elasto-pants are wonderful, even though I don't really have anything showing yet. We've had troubles with dead batteries lately, so I'll be able to post some new photos soon!

Anticipation

2006-10-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's true - we're going to be parents! It's been quite the few months; for, a year ago we had some complications and ended up having a failed pregnancy. But, not this time! A week ago, we heard Peanut's heartbeat! I'm gonna be a Daddy!!

I'm still in a bit of a state of disbelief. Over the last few years, I've had this feeling that I was made to be a Dad; but, for the last few months, I haven't felt any real confirmation. I mean last year, I felt like this was it - I was ready! But, now... I dunno. It almost feels old-hat. I know that'll change once Peanut arrives!

This project (LiM) is Jenn's brainchild, but I'm the blogger in the family; so, it'll be interesting to see how it all folds out. Hopefully, you'll all have plenty to read from both of us.

Cheers!

Jason

Welcome to Millerville!

2006-10-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to share our new Peanut with all of you. I'll be sure to post photos of Peanut's development along the way, until we get to meet him/her around May 4, 2007!