Baby Paige has arrived!!!

I know it's been a long while since I posted, but just a quick note to say that Baby Paige Rose Irene Landry made her arrival on November 11, 2008 at the wee hour of 5:40 a.m.

It was a long labour (16.5 hours from induction), but she came out healthy, crying her head off, and a whopping 6.6 lbs!

She is beautiful, very gentle and has a wonderful personality. She only cries when she wants a clean diaper or something to eat...and is a great sleeper. We couldn't be more blessed.

Sheldon marvels at how small she is, and how "just darn cute!" she is. I just can't believe that the journey is finally over and she is now a part of this world, and I no longer get to call her just mine. I am sure one day I will accept the fact that I have to share her...but I am enjoying the quiet moments with her when I can sneak them in.

The kids LOVE her very much, and want to touch and play with her whenever they can. No jealousy there, though Kira does try to show off a bit more than usual. I know over time that that will work itself out though.

Anyways! Here is a link to Facebook pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=84931&l=487a0&id=548831489

And here is a link to Kodak Gallery pictures. Hopefully ONE of them will work for your viewing pleasure. If you can't access either, please email me and let me know.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=85856841714.94888319714.1226871505079&page=1

Sheldon goes back to work on Thursday (he took 10 days off for bonding and relaxation)..so when things settle back down I will be sure to check back in here regularly to keep everyone posted on how we are all adjusting.

Love, Ang

Okay, Okay, I know it's been forever!!!

Hi everyone,

First off I will start by apologizing for not keeping everyone updated through the blog. It's been a busy month or two - but the end is near and we are approaching Delivery Day rapidly, so I wanted to give everyone a quick little update. :D

Things have really improved in the baby growing department and it appears that Ms. Paige Landry will be born a nice good size (though we don't have a guestimate at this point). She has been growing like a weed (and so has my butt - but that's another story!) and is very active and is really wanting to make her appearance - we think sooner rather than later.

I am still having weekly monitoring done to check her heartrate and beating, and for the lasst month or so her skip has settled right now to where it's barely noticeable anymore. The doctor is very pleased to say the least.

We have been getting ultrasounds done every two weeks for the past two months to check her fluid, growth and blood flow and everything seems to be right on track. Though the doctor's say that the heparin medication has nothing to do with how baby is growing - I like to believe that it is making a difference in ensuring that she is getting all that she needs. The blood flow restriction in her umbilical cord is still there, but the doctor just wants to keep an eye on it until delivery....she is not overly concerned since baby is growing well.

We had a lovely baby shower at the beginning of October (has a month gone by already!) and Paige got lots of wonderful treats, including a new stroller, and lots of cute little outfits and socks and booties and bath stuff. Sheldon and I are truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and family that care so much for us, and for our newest little addition to the Landry clan.

Our bedroom is all set up for baby....bassinet, change pad, toys, diapers, rash cream, wipes, etc., etc. Such a tiny baby - so many things to think about!!!!!

Evan and Kira are doing great and settling in to school and impending Siblingdom very well. They have both been struggling and fighting through a stomach flu for the past 10 days or so...passing it back and forth to eachother. Thankfully neither Sheldon or I have caught it - and we are just hoping we can get it all under control before we bring Paige home. :D

So, all in alll we are doing great...I am trying to rest up as much as I can, and visit friends and family before we hunker down to reality of a new baby in the house.

My last day of work is this coming Wednesday - woohoo! Bittersweet, since my contract will be up and I will be officially unemployed!!! The first time I will be without a job in 15 years or so - eek!!! However, I am going to just enjoy the time off and be a mom for a while...I am looking forward to puttering around the house and staying at home and tending to the family. :D

Love and Hugs to all of you!

Baby Update

Like I mentioned last update, in mid-September baby’s measurements are up and she’s sitting in the 50th percentile and weighed about 3lbs, 13ozs. I also gained a whopping 4 lbs since my previous appt – doh!!!

This morning, my weight is down 3 lbs and my tummy is still measuring at 28 weeks – so no noticeable growth on the outside for the past 5 weeks. So my doctor has scheduled me for another ultrasound for next Tuesday to check on baby’s growth/fluid and blood flow and make sure that baby is growing properly and it’s just my tummy size that’s not cooperating. ;)

Baby has also dropped and quite low – it’s getting uncomfortable to sit up straight because my belly sits on my lap! Har har…at least my heartburn is starting to go away b/c baby is down so far. ;)

We checked the heartbeat and it is nice and strong, and the skip appears to have cleared itself up nicely. We didn’t hear one skip in the 30 seconds or so that we listened, so THAT is great news!! I am in for my regular weekly monitoring on Friday so we will get a clearer picture then of the heartbeat, but the doctor was pleased this morning.

The doctor has ordered me to start taking the twice a day heparin – possibly in preparation for an earlier than planned delivery – and out of caution I am sure…so we will be switching over to that this weekend.

So….not sure WHAT the next steps are. We will have to wait and see what the u/s results say and chat with the doctor next Thursday.

I am REALLY hoping that baby waits and cooperates at least until the end of the month – I really can’t afford to start EI until November….and I am not scheduled to go off of work until the end of October – but I guess babies wait for no one right? Har har

Can’t wait for the shower on Sunday! Oh…and our stroller came in this week – woohoo! We are picking it up on Saturday. Not sure where we are going to put it, but we will have it in hand. Can’t wait! Even the kids are excited. Har har

Love and Kisses,

Busy few days.....

Hey there everyone!

Well, we've had a busy, busy few days so lots to catch up on!

First off, I had another ultrasound yesterday to check for fluid and growth, etc. Baby is growing well (it's almost 4 lbs!!) and is about 16 inches or so right now. We got some great pictures, which I promise to get scanned in and post them for you to see. Babe still has it's feet up by its head, BUT| it is head down now so that is great, great news. Don't think that it will be flipping back before it's arrival.

The ultrasound was awesome - you could see the foot, and hands (with joints and everything!) and could see it moving around and playing with the umbilical cord. I am so used to the regular routine of this baby (it's most active between 8-9 am, 1-3 pm and 8-9 pm), but it is neat to see it when it's moving around on the ultrasound....what a miracle babies are!!!

Another piece of great news is that we found out the sex!!! I know I've sent around an announcement to some, but in case you didn't get it.......

We are having a GIRL!!!

We are all very excited and can't wait now to meet her! It is definitely going to be interesting to see what this little girl's personality is like. It's taking me a while to get it wrapped around my head that we are having another baby - never mind another daughter!

I had to remind Sheldon that he will have to walk two daughters down the aisle now (if we are so lucky) and told Evan that he will have to beat off boyfriends for two sisters now! har har...

Kira is totally thrilled that she is going to have a roommate, and of course I am immediately thinking about what to do with their room. :D Decorating will be SOOOOo much easier now!

That was our big event for the day yesterday!!!

Today we went to Baby's World with Sheldon's folks to look at strollers - and we picked up one that we SO thought we wouldn't get, but in the end we opted for it. :D Unfortunately the stroller that we wanted - the Valco Latitude - was on back order (it's apparently crazily popular since it came out a few months ago), so we took at look at the Bob Revolution and got that one instead. Suprisingly Sheldon wanted to get the one with pink in it!

Our main consideration for finally opting for the Bob stroller (other than it carries Grandpa Bob's name!!) is that it has big fat tires, which will come in VERY handy when the snow and slush hits up here on the hill. It's, of course, a jogging stroller, and since I do intend to do the SunRun in April - will help with training and being able to bring baby along with me.

http://www.bobgear.com/strollers/stroller.php?product_id=4

We got the pink and brown one, which is awesome because our car seat is also different shades of brown - so it will match!!! and since we are having both girls in one room - my first thought for decorating was also pink and chocolate. Talk about coordination! har har

I know I am going to get burned by my friends, after I have rattled on about how the Bob is too big, yadda, yadda, but honest to goodness it is a fabulous stroller and I can't wait to take it on the road! :D I only thank our lucky stars that we have the bigger vehicle now because there is no way that it would fit easily into our car trunk. The wheels do come off really easily, but what a pain it would be to try to shove it into a trunk. With the Outlander we can just chuck it into the back, without breaking my back! :D

So we now have the "big" stuff that we needed - the stroller and the car seat - both courtesy of our unbelievably generous grandparents, the bassinet and tons of diapers from a generous co-worker (thanks Carlee!!) and we are borrowing a swing and bouncy seat from a great friend of mine. We know that we, and Baby Paige, are very lucky indeed....and owe so much to the grandparents, and our wonderful friend, for giving us a helping hand with the baby equipment! Thank you, thank you!!!!!!

We are getting excited about the baby shower - and can't wait to see everyone all together and celebrate our little Peanut with everyone. I can't believe there is only 8 weeks left!!!!!!

Baby Update - September 16th

Hi there,

Just wanted to give everyone a quick baby update.

Good news!!!! Baby has finally flipped! The baby turned sometime over the last two or three days (and my back can attest to that!! – OUCH!)…but that’s great news..since it’s been hanging around sideways for the last 10 weeks or so.

Not so good news….. as you know I have been going for weekly fetal monitoring to keep track of baby’s heartbeat and general health. The skippy heartbeat is still there – but there is no regular pattern (which is good). The doctor thinks it will work itself all out when it’s born.

Last week, while I was in monitoring, I had an ultrasound to see how baby was growing and it turns out there is starting to be blood restriction between the placenta and baby. This may likely be caused by my Factor V Lieden *sigh*. The doctor would like to see a blood “flow” of about 2 pts, and the measurements for this little one is averaging 2.8. Not enormously high, but something the doctor wants to keep a good eye on. The baby is between the 10th and 25th percentile for growth – so a bit small, but still within the normal/acceptable range for growth at this age. Baby weighed in at 3 lbs, 8 ozs as of about 10 days ago or so which is bang on for weight – so go figure!

Suffice to say I am scheduled for another ultrasound for this Friday to check for growth, blood flow, and fluids. The doctor informed me that as long as the baby seems to be tolerating the blood flow restriction well, the flow doesn’t get worse, and baby continues to grow (even if only slowly), then we are going to keep a super close eye on things and see if we can get to full term with this little one.

If baby stops growing at any point from here on in, or seems to not be tolerating the blood restriction, or the restriction becomes worse, then we are going to have to induce and bring little one out ahead of schedule. There is nothing that I, or the doctor, can do at this point to reverse what is happening…..we just have to keep a close eye on it. Ultimately the doctor wants to get me to at least 36 weeks (which is only 5 weeks away!!!), but we will do whatever we need to do before then if it comes to that. The good news is that even if we have to induce early, there's an excellent chance I can avoid a c-section since I've delivered two babies the regular way before. I had a friend that recently delivered her baby at 33 weeks due to high blood pressure (and baby only weighed 3 lbs!!!), and the baby is doing absolutely fantastic…so that is a huge reassurance for me that even if this one decides to come early it will bounce back very quickly (much like Kira too).

Anyways, right now, baby seems happy and is quite active which we are all happy about. It has it’s wake and sleep cycles and likes ice cream (especially Tin Roof Sundae). :D It’s got super strong kicks and nudges and prefers me to sleep on my right side (I get some swift kicks to roll over if I am on my left side) and generally acts like Evan when I was pregnant with him. All good signs this one wants to stick around and “cook” for a while longer.

The kids are getting super excited, laugh at my belly almost every single day, and Kira gives it a goodbye kiss when she heads off to school. Evan just jokes that if it’s a boy Kira is going to be in trouble. Har har.

Anyhoo, that’s it for now. I’ll keep you all posted on baby’s progress and will be in touch if anything progresses. Positive thoughts for a big healthy baby!!!!

Hugs and Kisses,

Angela

September pictures....and update....

Hey there!

Here's a link to some of the latest pics of the kiddies. The first day of school went off without a hitch and we are slowly settling into the regular day to day routine of school, soccer practice and swimming practice. I think it's going to be a busy few months before baby arrives!!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=71820&l=a6680&id=548831489

As for baby....we got another ultrasound done yesterday and baby is now a whopping 3 lbs, and still breech *sigh*. I have another ultrasound in two weeks to check on its growth and fluid. This ultrasound revealed that the blood flow from the placenta to the baby is a little restricted, so they want to keep a good eye on it. Nothing to be too concerned about right now, but if it continues...well, I am not sure what the doctor will want to do.

In the meantime!!! Sheldon has changed his mind - AGAIN - and now DOES want to find out the sex of the baby. Honestly it does make shopping easier!!! :D The bonding comes either way - but it would be nice to know what this little one is...since we have been through so much together already!

Maybe I should do another poll? :D

Baby Update

Hello there!!

Another day another update. :D It`s been a few days and I don`t want to fall behind like I did last time!!

Things are going well and have settled down since I was discharged from the hospital last week. The heparin shots (ick!!!) are going well - Sheldon has been `sticking` me every night. I have had some nose bleeds, and called the doctor on Friday to chat about it. Things are improving and I do a follow up with my doctor on Thursday so we will chat more about it then.

I am now (did I mention - I can`t remember) getting weekly fetal monitoring because the baby seems to have developed a heart arrhythmia - a very distinct though not regular skipping heartbeat. It showed up when I was in the hospital and the doctor wants to keep an eye on it. There is tons of research and information about it on the internet which of course I have been reading up on like crazy!!.

My doctor did mention that the arrhythmia usually clears up on it`s own before the baby is born, or shortly after birth, so we are keeping a close eye on it. It is disturbing to hear the skippy heartbeat (especially when other mom`s who are in for monitoring - and their babies have nice strong, regular heartbeats), but this baby seems to be handling it well, and is growing well, so we will take it week by week and see if anything further develops or if it resolves itself. I will be chatting with the doctor during my regular visit this week - to find out if we are going to do another ultrasound to make sure baby is growing okay, and what, if anything, we will do if the baby doesn`t seem to be growing well.

To add to this lovely development the baby is up in a breech position right now - like seriously kiddo! There is still time for the baby to turn - which it likes to do on a semi-regular basis...but it will be nice for it to finally `flip` down and stay there so we know at least ONE thing will go right this pregnancy! har har

This baby loves to move around and loves to kick up a storm! har har....it particulary likes to stick it`s foot, or something!, into my hip bone...it just nestles it there all comfy like - such fun when I am trying to sit down! :P

All in all, feeling good - definitely growing the belly and I am curious to see how much I have gained since my last doctor`s visit (I haven`t been on a scale in 3 weeks!!!).

Getting anxious to meet this little one - especially since I have been in and out of the maternity ward so much in the last few weeks....all the little babies and the memories of Evan and Kira`s birth just flooding back to me. I can`t believe it`s really only 12 weeks away (God willing!).

On the non-baby front we went to the PNE on Friday night with the kids and Sheldon`s folks and had a great time. The kids LOVED going on all the rides and playing games. Evan is quite the dart thrower and managed to win a `large` bear. Kira went nuts and collected 6 little bears by playing the ducks and frog games. :P We didn`t get home until almost midnight and it took the kids pretty much all weekend to recover.

Sheldon and I are heading back on Wednesday night with our friends - a nice adult night out. Looking forward to it!!!

Ivett Gonda - TKD Champion in our eyes

After witnessing the travesty that was the TKD fight last night with Ivett Gonda - #3 TKD competitor in the world (who fights out of Port Moody), I HAD to write on the CBC board and leave her a message.

As you probably well know, our family are TKD junkies, with Sheldon and Evan competing in the sport. It's never been a gloomier day for the Landry household then after watching the fight last night that SHOULD have been won by Ivett. Unfortunately the judges didn't want her to face the next competitor and booted her out in the first round....sigh....

It was tough to explain to Evan, as he watched the fight, why "our girl" wasn't getting points....it's a sad day to explain to him that competitive TKD is very prejudiced. What is the motivation for him now?

My note to Ivett is below:

"We specifically came home from a night out so that we could watch your fight - and have had the pleasure to see you fight in person at events throughout the Lower Mainland.

To say that we were yelling at the television and the judges for the mockery that your match became is a complete understatement. I have never been so shocked at how a match is scored (and I've watched a lot of matches over the last few years).

You were plainly, and clearly, robbed of this fight. I have no idea why the judges and ref did not give you the points that you rightly deserved, other than to think that they know you a threat for medal contention and they didn't want you to go any farther than the first round. We all know that TKD judging is prejudiced to certain competitors, I am just sorry that the world had to see it for themselves in the Olympic venue, with you being the guinea pig.

It was sad to explain to my son, who has been doing TKD for 2 years out of Burnaby/Hastings, that a #3 competitor in the world didn't advance through the first round of fighting because the judges "didn't see" points being scored. It's a sad day for him to understand that no matter how well you fight, if the judges don't want you to win you won't.

You do not deserve this, and I am glad and happy that you and your Master, protested (though I also knew they wouldn't allow the appeal to go through).

We are very proud of you and all the hard work you have put in to your training and teaching. I only hope that this experience hasn't completley tainted your love of the sport and that you keep fighting - though I wouldn't be surprised at all to hear that you have hung your competitive belt.

It's a very sad day for TKD in Canada...a sad day indeed."

Oh..continuation...

I totally forgot! While I was on the ward last night there were a couple of new moms and babes (and a very uncomfortable labouring mom!!!).

I woke up a few times in the night to hear a newborn cry....SUCH a beautiful sound. The visit really made me want to see our baby! What an amazing miracle babies are - and I can't wait to meet this one (though if it could hold out for another 14 weeks until it's due date I would be super happy about that!).

Babies!!!!

Cramping, Monitoring, Deltaparin Oh My!

Hi there,

You guys are all probably wondering WHAT that title means. I'll try to be concise and quick. :D

I had a regular doctor appointment yesterday afternoon with my family doctor. At about 10 a.m. yesterday morning I started having a lot of Braxton-Hick type contractions and pressure/cramping. I decided to wait it out till I got to the doctor's office and mention it to him.

We chatted about the cramping (this is the third time its happened, and keeps up for more than an few minutes) and he sent me to St. Paul's to go and get checked out and put onto the monitors to make sure baby was happy and I wasn't contracting.

I got to the hospital, and got all hooked up and checked out (ick!). Baby was happy and active - yeah!, but I was still uncomfortable. We did blood work, and chatted about the Factor V Lieden, heparin, etc. and then I had to wait for test results to come back. The tests were coming back normal and/or negative (including one that checks to see if you are going to go into labour in the next week or so) but we were waiting for a blood test which shows whether there are any blood clots forming anywhere.

At about 9 o'clock last night I thought for sure that I would be coming home - was practically getting my pants on when the OB on call told me that she wanted to keep me for the night for monitoring and to check everything out again in the morning - doh! Quite unexpected to say the least!

Sometime through the night (and 18 zillion glasses of water later!) the cramping settled down - and I only woke up 3 times - woohoo!

We did another run through of the tests again this morning and I received a heparin shot (which I am now "officially" on until 6 weeks post partum). Sheldon came down to pick me up but the nurse wanted to do one more fetal check. Turns out the breakfast I had woke the baby up and boy oh boy is this one a kicker! har har...it reallllllyyyyy doesn't like the monitor and was kicking the paddle, and running away from it, so we kept losing the heartbeat (which just makes the test last that much longer - sigh). It was nice to hear it again though - and Sheldon got to hear how much the baby was moving around!!!

The heartbeat was sort of all over the place (b/w 130 and 155 bpm) and the nurse noticed a little skip that happens when the heartrate goes up. I have noticed it in the past, and it's not a consistent skip....a sort of flup every 10 beats, or 5 beats. We monitored it for a bit more and then the nurse went and asked the OB on call whether I should get some extra monitoring.

So...here's where it stands right now.

I am now on the heparin shots - one a day - to keep the blood nice and thin until 6 weeks after baby. Blah!

I am scheduled for an ultrasound for Monday morning at St. Paul's to check the baby's growth (yay! more pictures!) and to make sure my cervix isn't doing something funky (I know, too much information!).

After the ultrasound I am back to the Maternity ward for fetal monitoring - check how the heartbeat is doing, etc., and I guess to keep track of the little skip. I think that I will be receiving monitoring about once a week from here on out.

All in all, feeling really good and happy to be under watchful eyes at the hospital. The Assessment nurse remembered me from five years ago when I was there for Kira! har har...she looked at me and was like "you've been here before haven't you?". hee hee. Everyone at the hospital, the nurses and doctors, are all fabulous and make you feel really comfortable and confident that you are doing the right thing. I have no hesitation recommending the maternity ward at St. Paul's.

So all said and done, I am back at work tomorrow - and adjusting plans for the weekend so I can take it easy. I want to be able to make sure to get to the PNE this year with the kids, and get their back to school shopping done! :D

Hope everyone is having a great day and I promise to keep you posted about how things go on Monday and hopefully I will have new pictures to post (and no, we aren't going to find out the sex!). :P

Love and Hugs

Uh oh...boys names revisited...

As if the three choices we have aren't enough, we came across another boy's name this morning - sigh!

Dylan, or Dillon. Which means "faithful, loyal" in it's Irish Heritage and also has a nod to Wales (where part of my family comes from).

Liam, which is by far the front runner for us, means "strong protector".

So...Dylan Harold Landry....or Liam Harold Landry.

Maybe we are going to have to wait until we see the little one?

Ugh!!

What's in a Name?

Well, as anyone who has had a name (which is all of us!) and for those of us parents who have had to think long and hard about choosing the best name for our little peanut...this has to be one of the hardest things to decide on before the baby comes along.

You want to consider your heritage, pay respect to any family members that have come before. You need a name that you can yell in the playground and not have it sound like your sneezing or throwing up or gabbering to yourself..and you definitely need to find a name that won't turn into a curse when your child is on the school playground. Kids have amazing knacks for finding tease words to rhyme with a child's name (I know, I've been there!).

With Evan and Kira we had very little difficulty in finding their perfect name, and of course as soon as we were formally introduced to eachother (after countless hours of labour!!) the names suit them to a T.

So why, oh why, are we having difficult with choosing this LO's name?

We have finally decided on middle names (or have we really?!). For a boy it will be Harold - which is a nod to both of our families history. For a girl - Irene, which is a nod to the great grandmothers of the families (Irene is also one of my middle names).

Anyways...so we have the middle names....but the first names?

Since we are Team Green and won't know until the babe's birthday exactly WHAT it is going to be (and no I have NO inkling whatsoever one way or the other), we have to pick TWO names. *sigh*

So I have polled the names we have thought up and that we like (the polls are at the right side of the page). We're pretty set on Paige for a girl, but I do love the name Jane too....

Your thoughts and any other Irish/English suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

On a totally different note, things are going well - HORRIBLE heartburn but what can you do? :P I have a doctor's appointment this Wednesday..a Glucose test coming up (it checks for gestational diabetes) and another ultrasound next Monday. Crossing my fingers we get some more pictures that I can post!

Baby is moving around and grooving and generally appears to be having a grand time cooking away in my tummy. Can't wait to meet it!!

Alright, alright....options posted

I know, I know, strollers are EXPENSIVE!

This is why we only want to buy ONE!!! har har

I have posted websites for all the different strollers we are looking at for your viewing pleasure. Please chime in and let us know your thoughts on any of them - or if you find a terrific deal for a stroller somewhere let us know!

We aren't too keen on rejoining the Graco crowd (been there, done that)...and don't want an entire travel system (thanks to Grandpa and Grandma Dyer we have an infant seat already)...so we really just need the stroller.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Musings??????

Strollers, Strollers, everywhere!!

You would think that picking a stroller for a new baby wouldn't be so complicated - but for this little one (LO) that is coming, it's been quite a task.

First, we want a stroller that we can use until the kiddie outgrows one all together. We SO do not want to get a nice big fancy stroller and then buy some dinky Walmart $19 dollar special in six months (think we've gone down THAT road before?). :P

So Sheldon and I have been looking high and low, scouring the internet, visiting Babies R Us....alright...let's be honest. I'VE been surfing high and low on the internet - but this is "our" baby so I am giving Sheldon equal status here. har har

Anyhoo - I've fallen in love with the Peg Perego Pliko 3 - and really, if your at all interested in all things baby how can you not fall in love with this stroller? We checked it out at Babies R Us with Sheldon's folks and I LOVED it!!! I didn't like the pricetag so much though. *sigh*

We had our hearts set on a Chicco stroller - however, they don't sell them in Canada (yes, you heard me right!) and I am a little wary of spending $$ on something I might not like. Mah!

Then we ventured in to Baby's World in Coquitlam this morning and found the Valco Latitude stroller. It's a three wheeler - which I am generally not fond of, but this...this stroller is very different! It's smaller than your standard Bob Revolution stroller, is light, AND fits a car seat. It's big enough to feel that you aren't putting a newborn in an umbrella stroller, but it's small enough that when it's time, it won't feel that you are putting a toddler in a huge baby stroller (wow...did that make sense?).

Super like it and hoping that we will be able to afford it when the time comes. It is a bit pricey too - but...we shall see.

We have a "back up stroller" which is the Chicco from the US.

I guess we have time - but I am so wanting to get this last big ticket item out of the way. Mah!

Could I be nesting already? I did spend a hour organizing baby diapers and having a slight panic attack the other day. har har

Alright, New Month - new blogs!

I know I have been awful, awful, awful about posting, and for that I totally apologize!!

As pretty much all of you know, I am back in Vancouver, and the Landry family is expecting another little baby! I found out, quite to my shock and surprise, while I was working in the Caymans (on April 6th to be exact). Sheldon and the kids (and Jeff!) came and visited me in mid-April and we had a great, great holiday. I returned home to Vancouver at the end of May (actually 2 months today!!! Time is flying!).

So right now I am 24 1/2 weeks pregnant and things are going pretty smoothly. We are due in mid-November and I can't wait for this latest addition (and no we don't know the sex yet).

Anyhoo, here are some recent belly pictures (at 22 weeks).

and a recent ultrasound picture at 23 weeks.

A few weeks worth of wrap-up

Hey everyone!!!!!

I know I have been REALLY bad lately with not writing to let you know how things are going, and haven't posted on my blog, so tonight's the night. Pull up a chair, grab a drink and get ready for some reading. :D

First off, all in all, things are going very well. Work is great, and everyone is super nice and friendly and very helpful. Been keeping busy, and billing, like crazy every day. Definitely interesting to actually have to bill my time...but I don't have to worry about billing a certain amount of time every day - so that's good. My team partner is still out of the office, but I still have work left to do from my training time, so am able to keep the days full with new things every day. I've been doing company and fund incorporations and terminations and all the lovely stuff that goes with it. Fun! Definitely a new learning experience and an area of law I am so not familiar with, but it seems to be coming together well, and don't forsee any huge hurdles I am going to have to jump (I know, I am knocking on wood!).

Got myself all moved in to Treasure Island - it's been about 10 days now since I moved in, and it's going great. I am attaching some pics of the apartment for you guys to see. The ocean is about 75 feet down the walk way...with a nice little beach and some palms to lie under. Though I haven't spent nearly as much time out there as I have hoped.

Why? Well, the weather has been mildly disappointing the last week or so. It's been cloudy, with sun, and some showers off and on (more on THAT later). No real suntanning potential, but it is nice to go out and sit after work and watch the sunset. Of course the day that I actually took my camera to take pictures my camera batteries died!!!! grrrrrrr

I venture out and walk 7 Mile Beach a few times a week. Usually head out right after work and walk for an hour or so, up to the Ritz and back. The Ritz is about 1 1/2 miles or so up the beach...so a good walk before dinner..then it's home to veg out and chat with Sheldon and the kids on the webcam.

The weekend before last I headed out on a boat charter with my roommate and a bunch of her friends. SOOOO fun!!! I know I have posted some pics on Facebook and probably sent some area already - so I won't get too in to it...but it was great fun....had a "few" mimosas and beers and did some snorkelling and went to Stingray City and swam with the Stingrays. Let me tell you, THAT is an experience I won't soon forget. The captain of the boat had picked up a whole bunch of conch (which is really good btw) and was feeding it to the rays before we all went in the water at Stingray City. Of course all the rays were swimming around and it took me a while to actually get the nerve to get in the water with these incredible animals......they feel very soft, and some of them are HUGE - like 5-6 feet "wing" span. Takes some getting used to feeling them brush against your legs, etc. However, there was this one guy (Roger) who was so in to it, and the rays were surrounding him and some of them were up on his back. He just loved it.....definitely had more nerve then me. :D

All in all the day was a massive riot and I can't wait to find an excuse to do it again! Good time...good people...good beer...beautiful sunshine. THIS is what Cayman is all about. :D

Last weekend was the long weekend for Easter and everything was pretty much shut down for Friday and the Monday. My roommate headed to Jamaica with her friend for the weekend so I had the apartment to myself...and got to borrow her car...which was really nice. Did some serious napping...some time at the beach...and on Sunday went and visited Anna (Nona's daughter) and her kids out in South Sound - which is about 15 minute drive from here. We had a nice visit and the kids are really quite sweet (they are little animals when they are in Vancouver!). Of course the boys, Michael and Thomas, wanted to know when Evan and Kira were coming to visit. They thought that I had them with me! Oh I wish I did!

Anna and I took a drive around to the property that she and her hubby have bought - and also the property that Nona has bought. There are some cute houses in the South Sound/Prospect area, but I really think, to start, I want the family to move to the Snug Harbour/7 Mile Beach area that I was in when I first arrived on the Island. MUCH closer to everything (see...you can't take the city out of me that easily!).

Last Friday night went for dinner with a friend that Nicole and I met on the boat trip the weekend earlier. Him and Nicole seemed to have hit it off and are spending time together - very cute. Nicole is a great, great girl...very generous and open and happy all the time...couldn't have found a better roommate!

On Monday I went with some people from work to the Million Dollar Race..which is a yearly boat race they have on the Island. It's all speed boats and was very cool - except for the RAIN!!!!! We left the 7Mile Beach area on a boat called the Nina, which is an exact replica of the boat that Christopher Columbus used on his voyages to the "new world". Very neat...and what a way to go to see a fast boat race! We headed up to North Sound to an area called Kaibo (which is ...surprise...another bar!) and watched the race from the boat and then headed to the beach. Unfortunately that is when the rain clouds decided to break open and we all got SOAKED! What a way to spoil a really neat day!

I have experienced rain showers here...but they usually last 10-15 minutes or so...and then things clear up. Not last Monday - it rained for 6 hours straight!!! Of course as soon as we landed and were heading home it cleared up...go figure.

We also had some wicked winds this past week - they blow down from Florida and the waves we have been having have been incredible. We have been having 6-7 foot waves which is unheard of here. Some of the cruise ships had to be diverted to another part of the island to dock because the waves were too rocky and the wind was too strong.

It has FINALLY died down and we are back to cloudy, muggy, 1/2 sunny weather. I have heard that Vancouver has been having SNOW and hail, so I won't complain too bad. :P

This past week I have pretty much been keeping a low profile. Haven't been feeling 100%, but there is a bug/flu going around the office so I might just have a twitch of that. :(

However! This weekend is going to be full!...with some serious tanning and napping taking place too. :D

Tomorrow I am laying low and plan to sit and read a good book all day and then possibly head out with an acquaintance to go up to West Bay and do some horseback riding! Yay! I haven't been able to touch base with the girl for the past few days..but hopefully everything will work out. Promise to take lots of pictures!

Then Sunday Nicole and I are heading to the Humane Society to help walk the dogs. They have dog walking every Sunday and you can just go and show up and walk however many dogs you want for however long you want. The Humane Society is run strictly on donations, so every little bit counts. I am definitely missing animal interaction so thought that might be a cool thing to check out! I promise I won't come home with a dog. :D

The Sunday evening Nicole, Paul, Lucinda and I are heading out to a World Cup Qualifier soccer match! Cayman and Bermuda are playing and tickets are almost sold out and it's going be awesome! Cayman just needs a draw or win to go on to the next round, so there is actually a chance they could make it! Should be great fun, and I have never been to a soccer game - so whole new experience for me. Promise to take pics of that too!

So that's it...that's my last few weeks...some major downtime...some playing around and getting to know new people...and working my butt off! har har

The family and Jeff are coming out for a visit on April 18th for a week and Sheldon is lining up interviews and meetings like mad....he's been doing a great job getting organized. The tickets are bought, the passports are all ready....and we are just all counting down the days! I am starting to plan the activities for the week and am very excited that work is giving me the entire week off!!!! We are going to go on the pirate ship, and do Stingray, and Sunday Brunch and Rum Point...and lots of time at the pool and beach. It will be SOOOO good to be with the hubby and babies again...I have been missing them like crazy...sniff...

Okay...that's it for now - I have to go and eat or I will fade away to nothing! har har....uh huh..sure!!!

Love to you all!

Ang

Week Wrap Up - sorry it's took so long!!!

Hello!!!!

I’ve been getting complaints that I haven’t been writing near enough – so tonight’s the night! har har

I always do intend to write more often, but with having to drag the computer outside every night to the patio (because I can’t get wireless in the condo) it’s a bit of a pain you know????

You’ll all be happy to know that I am watching Hockey Night in Canada right now – yes!!! They have Hockey Night here on Saturdays! It’s only Toronto and Buffalo playing right now, but hey it’s hockey right?

So….week wrap up. Let’s see….

I just finished my first full week of work, and it’s going great!! I’m at my “training” desk right now, and have been receiving training from the head paralegal this week. We’ve done a company incorporation, a fund strike off, a company strike off and I’ve done some research for my partner. It is very different from what I am used to, but it’s a great challenge to learn this new part of the law, and I find that I really enjoy it. There is a lot of autonomy for the paralegals and the lawyers are quite happy to let you do your thing while they handle their thing. Gives you a huge boost of self-confidence to not have to double check everything with your lawyer. They know you are experienced and have the knowledge to do the little things…and some big things. For example, I’ve e-mailed a few clients sending documents…with no checking by the lawyer first (of course the paralegal checks it first right now). It’s totally liberating!!!!! The lawyers that I work for are all very nice, and the secretaries are great. I’ll be working for one partner and four (soon to be five) lawyers and there are three support secretaries. Everyone does what they are supposed to do and it just clicks along.

Alright, enough about work!!! Har har

Last Monday and Tuesday night I didn’t do much but hang around the house and chill. The weather was still a little off (sunny with clouds and windy and showery off and on). I met up with Nicole and Lucinda (who is from Nova Scotia! – small world!) on Wednesday evening and we headed to Aquabeach, which is a restaurant on West Bay Road – the main road that runs along 7 Mile Beach. They have an inside area, and also an outside area that has picnic tables and sand on the ground – so it feels like your on the beach! Very fun. They also have big screen TV’s around and loh and behold what did they have on? A Canucks game!!!! Woohoo! Of course we got our butts kicked…but ah it was nice to see the uniforms even for a little while. :D

Thursday night Nicole and I met right after work and headed to the beach for a pre-dinner walk. We started just up near the Public Beach (which is about ¾ of the way up the beach) and walked all the way down to almost Treasure Island – which is on the south end of the beach. Round trip was about 6 kms!!!! We just started walking and talking and next thing we knew the sun was going down and we had to huff it back up the beach before it got too dark! We had no idea that we walked for about an hour ½! Got to see the beautiful Cayman sunset and feel the surf between my toes. Not much that I can compare to that!!!

We stopped at the Marriott Courtyard for “a” beer and some dinner when we were done….one of her guy friends works behind the bar there. Next thing you know it’s four hours later, four beer down, pizza being delivered and we were still there! Met some great people including a former Army guy from the mid-west who was on his honeymoon. His poor new wife was up in the hotel room suffering from strep throat so we kept him company for a while and wished him well. Very nice fellow – best of luck to him! Finally dragged our butts home around midnight and then another day of work! Thank goodness for casual Fridays. Har har

I took it easy last night – since my tummy has been a little off the past week or so. Not sure if it’s the water or what…but every once in a while my tummy just gets upset. So laid low, fell asleep on the couch and then had a nice chat with Sheldon and the kids and Kaye & Bob who were over visiting the house. Nice to hook up with all of them.

Today I did some chores around the house, went and got some groceries and suntanned by the pool. It was beautiful out today – high of about 85 or so with just a few clouds. Ahhhhh….

Tomorrow off for a boat cruise with Nicole and some of her friends and co=workers. We are heading up to North Sound for some snorkeling and then hitting up Stingray City which I am super excited about! You actually get in the water and swim with the Stingrays!!!!! Then we are boating over to Rum Point for some lunch and lounging. A full day in the sun and surf planned and yes I plan to take massive amounts of pictures!

I move in to Treasure Island on Tuesday night and am very excited! Great little condo. Nicole is heading to Jamaica next Thursday for the Easter weekend so I will have the digs to myself, it will give me lots of time to unpack and get settled and get used to my new surroundings.

Sheldon, Jeff and the kids are going to be getting their plane tickets this weekend to come and visit in April – woohoo!!!!! They will be arriving on Friday the 18th (afternoon) and not leave until the following Saturday. I cannot WAIT!!!!!!!!! I am missing them so much….the webcam just isn’t the same. It will be great to grab Kira and Evan and wrap them in my arms and give them the biggest mommy hug and kiss ever! Hee hee

Alright…that’s it for now. I promise to report tomorrow or Monday on how the boat trip went tomorrow. More pictures to come!

Miss you all….really…come visit!!!!! Love and Kisses.

xoxox

Weekend Wrap Up

Hey there!

Alright, as promised I am blogging tonight (ahem!).

Just finished my first full day at the office and I already could work overtime! har har

Seriously though - did SO much today and there is so much to digest - it's great actually. No worries about not being busy!

But...this is a blog about my weekend...you don't want to hear boring work stuff! :P

Saturday I did absolutely nothing - and it was GREAT!!!!

I got up late...read in bed...made some breakfast (well, brunch really) and did some laundry. Tidied up around the house and then in the late afternoon I met up with Nicole - watched her play a game of Netball - and we just went back to her place (well, soon to be my place too) and she made some great pasta and we enjoyed a bottle of wine and just sitting on the patio and chatting. It was nice to just sit back and relax. We don't seem to run out of things to talk about which is great. She is going to be a great friend I can tell.

The apartment itself it totally awesome!!! It looks out right on to the pool (and swimup bar) and is on the 2nd floor (which is good because if there is a hurricane you won't get flooded and your roof won't fall in - hey! Not my words, but her's!) :D It's nice and open and airy and is clean and bright. Just what I like. yay!

We were hoping for a sunny Sunday so that we could just sit at the beach and suntan...but the weather isn't cooperating really well with us right now. Woke up yesterday and it was cloudy with sunny periods and wind! My goodness! Seems I might have brought some Vancouver weather down with me!

We hooked up and decided we wanted to go for a big walk so decided to hit the Mastic Trail

http://www.nationaltrust.org.ky/info/mastic.html

It's about 2 miles one way and takes about 2 hours to do. We thought - bah! We can do it faster than that. Yeah...well....no. hee hee. We walked through for just over an hour (with on and off showers, hot sun, humidity, MUD!) and then turned around. It was a great workout and it was really nice to wander through the brush...until we saw the snakes and things that randomly jumped out of the way in front of us. Eek!

We then headed over to Rum Point - which is on the East End of the Island and sat and enjoyed the view for a bit (pic on the main blog page). Got ourselves some mudslides which is a mixed drink with milk, rum, chocolate, etc. mmmmmm By this time the wind was really picking up and you could see the waves breaking on the reef a ways out. It's quite a popular place to go on Sunday because its away from town and they have a bar there, beach chairs, hammocks and water sports. Gorgeous views and you can walk out quite far (like 100 yards) and still the water is only up to your waist. Got a nice little sunburn before the rains came and we hightailed it out of there and started heading for home.

On the way we checked out all the great houses in the East End...it's quite rural compared to the Georgetown and 7 Mile Beach area...but very relaxing to be sure.

We stopped at a beach bar on the way, had a beer on the patio and watched the waves continue to roll in. Some locals were playing a rather aggressive game of Dominos...who knew it could be so competitive!

We headed back through town, only to realize that the main road that runs along the harbour had been closed down because the waves were so big they were washing over the harbour wall on to the road. Sand was everywhere! I would say the waves were at least 7-9 feet high!!!

We went back to Treasure Island and relaxed by the pool and enjoyed the 2 for 1 Rum Punch special that they have on Sundays and just people watched and enjoyed the sunset.

Whew! I didn't get home until about 9:30 or so and was just pooped!!!

So that's it! That was my weekend. hee hee. Pictures are posted on Flickr for those that want to check them out.

Tomorrow is work, work, work...and then a girl here is having a birthday party and I am heading out to have dinner and celebrate with her. Met her at the Work Social and she is super nice - so of course I want to wish her well!

I promise to keep sending updates - and some stories about the buses here and the lovely tourists! har har

Who knew that people think it's appropriate to wear a bikini top (with a muffin top to go along with it!) while wandering through town. har har

L, Ang

Week Wrapup

Finished my training today - woohoo! We actually finished early (cuz we rock!) and I headed over to my office this afternoon and started working...right away...on archiving corporate files - woohoo! har har

I found out where I am going to be sitting and met the members of my "team". Basically there are four teams made up of partners, associates, a paralegal (that would be me!) and legal secretaries. I am going to be training for another 2 weeks or so and then head over to my perm. spot and start the real work! har har....

I haven't met my "partner" yet, but I did meet the associates and secretaries and everyone seems really nice. So far so good! :D Apparently there is quite a bit of competition between the teams - and of course I've been told our team is the best! I have heard nothing but good words about the partner I will be working for - which is a HUGE sigh of relief. hee hee

Been keeping it on the down low this week pretty much. Went out with my roommate on Wednesday night for a few beers and a chat. She is SO nice...I am very lucky to have found her. I think that we will become fast and very good friends. She has a big heart and is really funny and laid back. Just what I was hoping for.

We went to this place called the Reef Resort right on 7MB. The restuarant/bar is literally right on the beach so you can sit there and have your beer and a bite to eat and watch the waves roll in. Doesn't get much better than that! (Well, except for Sheldon being with me!).

Nicole and I are getting together again tomorrow night and get a bite to eat and a few Red Stripes (which is a Jamaician beer) and get to know eachother some more and just take in the weekend.

The bars and restaurants, etc., have to close before midnight here on Saturday nights because Sunday is a rest day. No music and no liquor served on Sundays, everyone attends church and then goes to the beach and spends time with the family. No stores are open either - except for some of the tourist shops if there is a ship in town....otherwise the whole island pretty much locks down. It's kinda nice actually.

Another neat thing here is that you will hear everyone honking at eachother. It's not because people are getting made at eachother when driving but it's sort of a "hey" honk, or a "go ahead of me" honk. Though the driving can get crazy here, people are pretty considerate all around when it comes to the rules of the road. People will slow down to let you in, etc., etc. Definitely different from Vancouver - and the fact that everyone doesn't have a cellphone attached to their ear (though they do seem obsessed with text messaging). har har

I think that we are going to like it down here just fine as a family. It's small, it's a little Mexico, a little Canada all mixed in to one...I know that doesn't make very much sense but...it's like....they have this modern stuff - grocery stores, gas stations, etc., and then you will go to a restauarant and its plank floors and doors are all rickety, etc. There is a charm to that though. They don't fix everything right away...and everything doesn't have to be perfect and new all the time.

There is definitely no real competition between everyone though - you don't have to have the latest purse, or the latest jeans, etc. Everyone just sort of gets on with it and does there thing without thinking how they look and where they are seen, etc. At least not what I have experienced so far...and it's very refreshing.

Alright, enough about me. har har....I am going to run for now and grab a bowl of ice cream, a good book.

Hope everyone is doing well. Love you to bits and want you to come visit me soon!!!

Soon come Cayman!!!!

Love, Ang

Cruise Ships...Tourists...Traffic...OH MY!

Heyo,

Just getting dinner ready so I thought I would check in and say hi.

Everything is going well. I'm in training all week and it is going really well. The systems they have in place, their precedents, templates, document management, etc., is fabulous! Totally incredible and eye opening. The trainer is really good and I feel really comfortable with the way things are....whew!

I've already found my coffee shop - which is just a few doors down from my work. hee hee...didn't take long did it? You know how I need my coffee in the morning. :D Miracles of miracles I am actually eating breakfast at home (which I NEVER did back home). So I grab my coffee, sit and read the local paper and veg until it's time to go in to work.

There's lots of relaxing here.... good and bad in a way..since I am used to running around everywhere and battle traffic, etc., etc.

Got off of work at 4:30 and was walking in the door here at the condo at 4:45. What to do? Got changed really quickly and went down to the Beach Club and took an hour long walk on the beach. Didn't take any pictures...sorry. :D BUT as I was walking back there were these folks in the water fishing off the beach and they caught this HUGE fish. I mean...well, it was probably 4 pounds or so...but so close to the beach! They released it back..yay!

There were five ships in port today - five! SOOO many people wandering around. I ventured out at lunchtime to find a spot to sit and chill and it was chaos! Imagine Robson street on a Saturday. Now I know why the locals complain about the cruise shippers. Good for the economy and all I know but they are just running back and forth to shops and excursions...you think they would sit and relax and just enjoy. :D Mind you....I guess I would be one of them if I came here for just one day too.

Someone actually asked me for directions today! har har....George Town being as small as it is I could actually help them. I guess the work clothes sort of gave it away. :D

Anyhoo....gonna go grab some grub and watch some TV and then check out the stars - which are so beautiful here. The sun is just setting now and the crickets are starting up. Snug Harbour really is a nice quiet part of the Island.

Here are a few pics I took this morning of the ships coming in. Thursday we are supposed to get 8 ships in port. Eiya. Think I will take my lunch in to work that day. ;)

The fun continues...and dang it's hot!

Hey there everyone,

If you know of anyone that might be interested in the blog, feel free to send it on (ie., Trevor and Sherri). I have their e-mail somewhere.....um....

Little bit of an adventure today. I got my cellphone changed over to a Cayman number. Nice little drive around a round about about three times and a wrong turn and I was there! har har... The driving is getting better, and the roundabouts are fine, but dang there are a lot of cars on the road when ships are in town. I think there was a Royal Carib ship in town today.

I got my phone unlocked for $35CI and then got a new sim card and some pre-paid minutes. The cost to call back to Canada is only 35 cents per minute..which is MUCH better than the $3.00 I was paying per minute when I first arrived - ouch!

Came home and chatted with Sheldon and the kids for a bit on Skype. Great service, which will be even better once Sheldon figures out how to get the mic working on the laptop. Wished my bug, Evan, a very happy birthday. He is 8 today and I just can't believe it. How time flies. I remember being in labour with him, and carrying him in my tummy and now he is a grand 8 years old and he is such a beautiful, gentle, loving little guy. Sigh

I was outside this morning and was taking some pics of the canal and this HUGE iguana came by. I mean HUGE. One of the girls warned me there was an iguana that hung around but I had no idea it was that big!!!

A little later in the afternoon I came back outside and was getting some sun (I mean, really, I need some colour!) and the big guy came back. JoAnn and I gave him some banana....and he came as close as the palm trees right on the edge of my patio. He's a funny little thing...but kinda freaky! har har

I went down to 7 MB and met up with Anna and the kiddies for some splashing in the surf. Michael was having his year end party for his hockey league (roller hockey that is). My first real glimpse of 7 MB and it is is simply fabulous. I took a walk about a mile down to the Ritz, just to check it out, and there was a couple getting married under a gazebo. So romantic..though a bit like being in a fishbowl with people sitting in chairs nearby.

I just got home and am now watching Hockey Night in Canada! har har....Unfortunately it's not the Canucks, but Toronto and Washington. However, it is only 4 p.m. in the PST so maybe the Canucks will be on later? Don't know if I can stay up that late! har har

Tomorrow I am off to Treasure Island to meet up with my roommate Nicole and check out the new digs and have a little rum punch at the swimup bar. I still have to finish unpacking...but I have enough things out to wear for Monday that I think I will just chilax tonight and watch some TV and enjoy myself tomorrow.

Hope all of you are well. Miss everyone and happy to get to work to get my mind off of home.

Promise to try to send some sun your way!

Love, Ang

P.S. I'm posting some pics of the condo for your viewing pleasure. I am also getting things uploaded on Flickr so check out camelbakorbust there too.

Quick hello and update

Heya.

Just writing to say hi and that all continues to be well here in Cayman

Hot and sunny today...I would guess it's about 28 degrees or so...but the humidity is definitely high so it feels hotter than that.

Went to the new office this morning for a pension meeting and got to meet the HR lady (she's super nice) and see my temporary spot. No ocean view...but hey...I'll be too busy to notice anyways! Everyone seems really nice and met one of other paralegals (Kevin) today.

We have a work social tonight at a place called the Wharf which is right on the water. I am going to meet Kevin and JoAnn there and get introduced around, etc.

According to the HR lady there are two other people starting on Monday, though I don't think they are paralegals - I think they have their whole contingent of us now. I will be at a place called Anderson Square where they do the training and then I will be moving back to Queensgate House for training with the head paralegal. I like how they slowly get you started - since I don't know what I am doing! hee hee

Went to the bank today and opened a new account. I am going with Butterfield Bank because that is what the office uses and most of the people in the office. They also provide wireless $ transfers to any account through online banking (which Scotia doesn't offer). I pick up my bank card next week and then I will be all set!

Still haven't changed my phone over yet - I am dreading my cellphone bill for the first few days here. I have to get it unlocked (about $25 CI) and get a new sim card and then I will have a Cayman number! You can do prepaid plans here so you don't have to sign a contract, which is great and all incoming calls are free! I will be sure to send the number out when I get it.

Is everyone on Skype yet? I chatted with Sheldon and the kids last night and it worked really well - glad to see them.

Alright, I am off to shower and get in to some air conditioning! I'll write more tomorrow!

Love to all!

Pictures

Here is a link to my flickr pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24217222@N02/show/

In Cayman...safe and sound

Day 1 – Finding My Way

Okay....first day.

I got met by one of the girls at the law firm - her name is Jo Ann and she seems nice (though she's from Toronto - har har). We got the rental car right away and I followed her to the condo. To say that it is confusing to drive on the wrong side of the road is a bit of an understatement. I mean it's not THAT bad but I was like "drive on the left, drive on the left" the entire way to the condo.

I am in a 4 plex villa in the Canal section of Cayman...along 7 mb (as you can see from the pics). Super sweet! It's probably over 1000 square feet and I have the entire place to myself! Anna was here and had some groceries with her...so nice. Turns out my work also stocked my fridge and pantry for me so I don't have to do any shopping for at least a week.

Got to the condo around 3ish I guess and Anna and I visited for a bit and then she took off. Managed to get most of my stuff unpacked (including pictures which are now spread around everywhere). That's when I realized that I didn't have wireless access here (or at least I thought I didn't!).

I decided to go for a drive...he he...to the local grocery store (which is an IGA fyi). Did fine until I realized that I wanted to turn in to the driveway and I was going to wrong way! Some hand waves and sorry's later I managed to park and do some shopping. Prices are pretty comparable to Vancouver actually - and they have my hummous!!!! Yay!

I thought I would take a drive and see if I could find Treasure Island on the main road...drove by it twice before I realized that I wasn't going to find an easy way in there. However, I did end up driving almost all the way in to town before I found somewhere to turn around. Cruise ships were in yesterday and I was in rush hour and traffic was a dog. Everyone complains here about how bad traffic is. Turns out they've never been in Vancouver traffic before. har har!!!

Came back to the condo..made some chow, texted Sheldon a billion times and then totally passed out on the couch. I woke myself up at around 8:30 or so and then couldn't stay awake anymore so hit the sack.

It's so quiet here. I mean, it's quiet at home too...but this is like...quiet...it's strange being on my own, and having all this space to myself, and at the time having to internet.

Slept straight through to 7:30, got up...had something to eat...and called Sheldon when he was getting up. Chatted with the kiddies for a few seconds and then when I got off the phone, went back upstairs (the condo is 2 floors) and passed out for another 2 hours.

Finally got up and headed downtown to the bank and cellular store and found the internet cafe. Of course noone here knows where to unlock a phone, or if there is wireless throughout the island, etc., etc. Seem to get a lot of blank stares for really what seem like obvious questions. Anyhoo...wandered around downtown for a few minutes (and saw my office building!) and then headed out along West Bay Road and went to the public beach.

The weather is kinda cloudy and windy today...so the beach was pretty deserted....walked and took some pictures and sat for a smoke. Sure enough a guy comes up to me and asked for a light. Uh huh...we know where this is going. :D

Chatted me up for a few minutes...wanted to know what I was doing tonight, etc., etc. Asked if I was married (why yes I am!, with kids!) and whether I liked my husband (why actually yes I do!) and then went on his merry way. har har...nice guy who was very polite as I knocked him down a notch. :D

Now...I am sitting chilaxing. Got in touch with my future roommate and we are meeting for drinks tonight at a place called Coconut Joe's on the main strip. It has swings at the bar! Definitely looking forward to a beer - haven' t had one yet!!!

Anyhoo...that's it for now.

Arrived in Miami Safely!!

Well, it's morning anyways! It's 5:20 your time, so 8:20 my time, and I arrived in Miami about an hour ago. Laura was right, this airport is a dump! Not much to do....nowhere really too eat and somewhat confusing layout. Not the best first impression of Miami that's for sure. However, I am only here for another three hours and then on the next flight...so I am sure I can make due. :D

The flights were pretty uneventful, other than me falling asleep and then waking up every 20 minutes. I also managed to make my entire left arm fall asleep - which was fun! :D

Coming in to Miami we got to see some thunderheads which was neat...until we started to fly through them! eek!

Didn't get to see much of the city and water because it was still dark when we came in, but I plan to take lots of pics once we fly out to Cayman. It's cloudy, with sunny patches and some showers this morning. Can't guess what the temp is...but probably around 20 degrees or so? Warm and humid, but I am still in my sweatsuit so I am sure I will feel better once I get some sleep!!!! and change.

I am not sure of the internet situation on the Island, whether I will have it in my condo or not, but I will check in when I arrive and get settled in.

Can someone forward this message on to Andrea and send me her e-mail address? It isn't in our Webmail address book.

Thank you all for your warm wishes, and support, while we go on this adventure. I think it's going to be fun and I am feeling super positive...even though I can't hug my kids and Sheldoni. I know we made the right choice.

Love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!

12 more days!!! and a Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Well,

Just a quick update. I have been a little lazy with the packing the last few days....the suitcases are still sitting waiting for the last of the stuff to be shoved in.

We've been so busy the past few days...and it feels like we are just going to get busier as the day of departure draws closer.

Yesterday was a going away lunch at work. The staff got me a gift certificate to Lougheed Mall, so I get to go shopping next week and pick up last minute things before I fly out. Woohoo!

Last night my department went out for drinks, and then Laura, Leeanne, Stephanie and I headed over to the Yaletown BrewPub and visited and chatted well into the night. Didn't get home until about midnight, but it was so relaxing and fun to spend time with my girlfriends.

Today Sheldon and I are going to the Canucks game. yay! I was really hoping that we would get to go, and his boss had extra tickets and offered them to Sheldon. Fun! So we get to grab a bite to eat and hang out all night...just the two of us. Perfect Valentine's Day if you ask me. :D

The kiddies were full of love and affection this morning because of Valentine's Day.....I have two beautiful, amazing children. They are growing up to be such wonderful little human beings.....so kind, and gentle, and funny. It is wonderful to see them both smiling and laughing. We know we have a special family unit. God it's going to break my heart to leave them!

Tomorrow night is my 2nd going away party! A wonderful friend, Rose, is hosting a party at her house....and all the friends are coming. With Leeanne's wedding only just over a week away we are having a big celebration for her, and for me......(pst...I think it's going to be a long night). ;P

Saturday night Sheldon and I are having the entire family over for dinner. It will be good to see everyone and sit and relax and visit and enjoy eachothers company. Can't wait!

Sunday...whew! Sunday we are going to RELAX, and head to the mall for shopping!

So all in all, it's crazines...I can't believe I am moving...I can't believe we are making this HUGE step....but I feel so positive about it.

If I can just get past the thought of leaving my Sheldon and the kids and the kitties....all will be well.

Let the Packing Begin!!!

So last night....a night at home with the kiddies and I decided that all the stuff I have been piling on top of my suitcases should actually start getting INTO my suitcases. :P

Last weekend I went through my closet to start packing my summer type clothes (which I really don't need in 3 degree weather with a foot of snow on the ground) and threw them into one of my suitcases...last night I decided to tackle the other two suitcases that I am also taking with me.

Of course everything ended up coming out of my suitcases, some things are being left behind (like my yoga mat - Sheldon can bring that down in April) and other things were added (like our small stereo and Ipod docking station). I'm sitting there, with all my clothes, belts, shoes, pictures, quilt, sheets, towels, purses, surrounding me, and I am wondering....HOW am I going to get everything to fit in here?!?

I still haven't done laundry (hey, I DO have two more weeks!), but after all the resorting, and reorganizing, I still only have 1/2 of 1 suitcase with room still left in it. Somehow I have to manage to cram my laptop, the rest of my clothes and my pillow into that space. This is going to be interesting...and I really think that I am going to have to either (a) get another suitcase, or (b) realize that I am probably going to have to pay overweight and extra baggage fees for what I am bringing down.

I tried to lift up one suitcase, and suffice to say, I could barely move it! This doesn't bode well for when I arrive in Cayman and am trying lift the cases off the luggage carousel. I really, really hope they have luggage carts in Cayman - cuz I am going to need them! Whew...thank goodness my bags will be checked straight through.

Of course the other thing that has me nervous is that I am taking a little Dash 8 from Vancouver to Seattle, before connecting to a 757 for my flight down to Miami. Will Alaska Airlines let me take three overweight suitcases on the little Dash 8 (plus my carry on?).

I am going to have to call my travel agent and make sure she tells Alaska I am going to have overweight and excess baggage.

I refuse to do any more packing until next weekend...and I am sure I will be pulling everything out at least once or twice more before I go. I know it's silly to pack so early....but with the way my schedule is going between now and when I leave - I don't know when else I will have time!!!!!

How is....

it possible that time seemed to have dragged on forever while we were waiting for my permit, and now that I have it in hand, time is just flying by too fast!

Eek! 19 days go to. The butterflies are in full force and I am starting to go feel like I am seriously running out of time! Only six more days of work to go and then one week to prep for Leeanne's wedding and then I am out of here!

I thought I would post a few pictures of the apartment I will be moving in to. It is called Treasure Island and is right at the south end of 7 Mile Beach. We are on the 2nd floor, overlooking the main pool and beach. Woohoo! Through googling like crazy I have managed to find a few pics. Here they are!

How many more days to go?

It's amazing how time seems to be flying - and I have totally been bad about not posting...I promise to be better!!!

Well, a lot has happened since I last wrote, including having a wonderful Going Away party thrown for me by my wonderful, WONDERFUL friend Leeanne.

On Saturday, Jan 26th Leeanne invited me and Lee's maid of honour August out for dinner. As Laura is in town from Italy, she came along as well. :) We arrived at Lombardo's in downtown at around 7 p.m. to find about 12 friends there to meet us! Eek! It was a GREAT surprise, and a real treat to see everyone!!! My brother David came (holy smokes!!!) and my old, old friend Trina who I haven't seen for 17 years.

It was great to see everyone and we had a great dinner and lots of laughs. There were some wonderful cards and people pooled some US $ and Cayman $ (thanks Doug and Kat!) for me to take down with me. Gonna use that for some vodka...so I can toast all my friends as soon as I arrive on Island. :P

Lovely cards were given and sentiments shared, and it really hit home how wonderful all my friends are, and how much I really hate the thought of leaving them!!!

We ended up going back to Leeanne's house for some more wine and visiting and Sheldon and I didn't get home until about 3 in the morning. Fun, fun!!!!

Of course we are having ANOTHER going away party at Rose's house on February 15th (because Rose and Sean couldn't make it to dinner on the 26th). Looking forward to having some good dinner, and visiting and hugging all my wonderful friends. It is a "tri" party - Leeanne's upcoming wedding (on February 23rd), my going away (on February 26th) and a belated birthday party for Kat (February 1st). It's always a good time just sitting around and visiting...and I think the grandparents will be taking the kids overnight - so no worries about getting home at any logical hour. ;)

Last Friday night Trevor, Maureen, Harold and Trudi came over from Victoria and we all went out to dinner out by the airport. They were in town to fly out to their annual Peurto Vallarta holiday. It was lovely to see Trev and Maureen again, and good dinner and chatting by all. We got home late, and the kids were tired, but the dinner!!! Wow! We went to the Italian Kitchen on Bridgeport and No. 3 Road and it was great, and HUGE! Trevor and Maureen have promised to come and visit us - and being the travellers that they are I have no doubt we will see them in Cayman. I have promised that a bed will be waiting for them whenever they decide to come down.

This past Saturday we went over and visited Jeff and the doggies. It was a nice visit, relaxing night (besides the kids chasing after the dogs for hours on end). Hope that we will get to see Jeff again before I take off!

I am finishing work on February 15th. Yay! I will miss work, and my office, and my close co-workers. Everyone has been wonderful and so supportive of this move. I am looking forward to next week, which will be my last week in the office, and then I will have a week to get ready for Leeanne's wedding and finish packing.

As for the packing...and how that is going. :P I was going to "attempt" to only take two suitcases and a carry on, but have quickly thrown that out the window. he he. I have packed my shoes and purses (priorities right?!) and I packed most of my summer clothes this morning. That has filled up two of my three big cases....

I still have to pack...all my bathroom stuff (don't even GET me started!), my quilt, some sheets, all the clothes I am taking that I am still wearing (t-shirts, pants), laptop, stereo...and no..not the kitchen sink. ;P

I think I will be sitting on my suitcases to get them closed..should be interesting!

I can't believe that it is only 22 days before I leave....that means that Leeanne's wedding is only 19 days away! Eek! I have been quite remiss with the whole "working out" thing to get in to my bridesmaids dress....but I am heading to the gym tomorrow - I swear!!!!

gggrrrrr...I just tried to post an expanded post and it was deleted!!!!!!! Ugh!!!!!

Away we go!

So I finally took the plunge yesterday and finally booked my plane ticket! Eek!

My official "flight" date is Tuesday, February 26th, and I will be flying from Vancouver, through Seattle, to Miami and then on to Grand Cayman. It's going to take just about forever to get there, but get there I will! I will be taking a red-eye from Seattle to Miami - maybe I will be able to sleep, maybe I won't (probably won't). hee hee

I've been researching flights through every website you can think of, and finally decided to call our travel agent that the Law Society uses, because I had so many questions, and we got everything settled. The one way ticket was only $500CDN, but the bonus is that I will be able to have my bagged checked straight through to Cayman, so I won't have to pick them up anywhere and recheck them in. Yay! I do have a brutal layover in Miami (about 5 hours), but I am hoping that by then I will be so tired that I will just be able to find some seats and have a little snooze before my flight to Cayman. I always find the time change screws me up a bit, but it is only three hours so hopefully it won't affect me too bad this time out.

I've already chatted with my new work and Danielle, the paralegal I will be working with, will be picking me up at the airport in Cayman and will help me get sorted out and settled in to my temporary accommodations.

I did some sorting and packing this weekend and packed my large suitcase with my shoes and purses, and a few towels, and my suitcase is full! What the?!? har har.....who knew that purses and shoes take up so much room (I know, I have my priorities down pat huh?). hee hee

So the next few weeks I will be sorting through everything that I want to take, and what I will leave behind, at least for the short term. It's tough because I want to take all my pictures, and all the things that I hold close. Pictures of family and friends will be a top priority for sure!

We got some good news on Sheldon's side. He has been in touch with a few employment agencies in Cayman and he will be having a chat with one of them tomorrow morning. They deal exclusively with financial management recruitement and he has found a few jobs on their website that he will be perfect for. Crossing my fingers that there are good results! I really want them to come down soon!

Off to the dentist this morning with Kira, to make sure that everything is good on the dental front. I don't think that I have a dental plan when I get to the Caymans, so any work that needs to be done, needs to be done in the next few weeks (woohoo!). Can you tell I am thrilled? :P

Checking out flights...and checking some more...and more

I have started my search for airfare to get me to the Caymans....and I have to say it isn't such an easy task. I have been searching, and searching since I got word...well...since I accepted my position down "south" as I call it now. Of course, it has only been in the last few days that I have seriously started my search - and all I can say is that no matter which way I go, it's going to be a loooonnnngggg flight.

The great thing though (is there anything great about leaving your family and flying 14 hours away?) is that my work will pay for my airfare. I just have to send down an invoice and they will repay me either before I arrive, or when I first arrive (bonus!).

Besides that though, I have been posting on my favourite Travel website (Fodors.com) and have been looking at Travelocity.ca and Expedia.ca and Flightcenter.ca and another website consolidator called ITA Software. So far the best flight that I have found for the best price is a flight with Air Canada through LA, changing airlines to Delta and flying to Atlanta and then on to Grand Cayman. The entire trip takes about 15 hours (including time change? I am not sure yet...I haven't been able to figure that out!) but only costs about $425 CDN one way. Great price!

So...I am just weighing my options...hoping another flight opens up that might fly through Seattle instead (I have heard security at LAX is a nightmare - so I would LOVE to avoid that) and I think that I will be ready to book on Monday. And then that will be it! I will be on my way.

It is hard to believe that I will be booking a one way ticket (to paradise baby!)....it's hard to believe that after all the years of thinking, and of dreaming of working abroad, the dream is finally coming true\!!!

The thoughts that are running through my mind though - the thoughts of leaving family, of not seeing my sister for maybe a year?, of not seeing my nephews, and my dad, and my brother...of not spending Friday nights having wine with my girlfriends...this is what I am thinking about right now.

Why does having to pursue a dream have to be so hard?

39 Days To Go!

Just a quick hello to get this blog up and running. I'm feeling particulary inspired today as I am about to book my plane ticket (one way! eek!) and it feels that time is just flying by before I leave.

My anticipated departure for Grand Cayman is February 27th, and a long 14 hour flight (and I think 2 plane changes later) I will arrive in Grand Cayman on Thursday, February 28th.

My new work (Ogier) has kindly offered to pick me up from the airport and take me to my hotel, and/or apartment (I don't know which one yet) and there I will start my adventure.

Everyone that I have spoken to down in Cayman is really nice, really friendly, and really, really helpful (thank goodness!). Can't wait to see what the fuss is all about!

Alright, promise to write more tonight, about my flight plans and general planning, and how the Landry family is adjusting to this new adventure we are ALL about to undertake.

Pst...my new office building is the pink one on the center left hand side of the pic!!!