one more week...

...until Christmas! I'm so excited. Excited to be home and see family and friends and eat lots of food and have a wedding to name a few. We went to Candy Cane Lane last night, love the lights. We only walked one block and drove the rest, it was freezing. Maybe the ledge tonight since it should be a little nicer.

I have Christmas music playing and Alli is beside me dancing. Alli dancing is bouncing her legs and kinda doing a headbanging thing. What better way to dance to the Jackson 5 Christmas songs. I highly recommend Santa Claus is Coming to Town, that is the Michael Jackson to remember.

Alli is still obsessed with Dereks Golf stuff right now. Yesterday I was buckling her into her carseat and what do ya know, she had a golf ball in hand.



I have to venture out one more time to finish up some odds and ends shopping today and then I'm done! I have nothing wrapped yet, but that's a fun easy project for tonight. Along with sewing our names the stockings I made. I think maybe I'm putting it off because for some reason its weird that I have to MOM and DAD on them.

I tried to take a few pictures of Alli in her cute Christmas dress, it so wasn't happening. She started this new thing where she has to be in action while I take her picture. Which is fine, except for I wanted the pictures in front of the tree. She was running everywhere around the house smiling really well. This was the only decent one in front of the tree, but it wasn't part of the plan for me to be in the picture.



After I kept forcing her to stay in front of the tree this was the result. So maybe we'll try again later in front of grandma's tree.



We are heading out tomorrow night to Raymond, for like 2 weeks! Derek writes his last test tomorrow afternoon and we are off. I hope there is snow down there for Christmas, because there sure is more than enough here.

Here is our Christmas card this year. Derek won and we didn't take a new picture. Since he made the whole card in Photoshop he got the final say. I'm over it now anyway.



Well, I'm off, and I think before I go shopping I'll try making some of Rhonda's chocolate crinkle cookies. They sound really good. I have done zero Christmas baking for fear I would eat it all. I'm saving up to do some in Raymond. (saving up for some baking and eating that is) Can't wait to dip the chocolates.

time to embrace

It's into December now so my tree, my little little tree, is up now. We got this tree a few years ago when we had to stay up in Edmonton for Christmas because I had to work. I wasn't gonna be stuck up here on Christmas morning with no family and no tree and working. So, went to home depot and got a nice little one for our little apartment.
We put it up on Monday after Alli went to sleep, because sure maybe it would be fun for her to decorate, but really, so not worth the hassle of a 1 year old around with all that. The snow was falling outside, we had Christmas music playing while Monday night football was muted (hey, at least I got him to mute it right?) and it was fun fun. Time to embrace Christmas.

I decided come December I would embrace something else. Maybe you can tell in this picture, but it is a pretty forgiving angle. (thank you Derek) Surprise Surprise everybody, #2 on the way! I'm embracing my growing tummy. Mostly because I have no choice. The hoodies and baggy shirts aren't cutting it anymore. Second time around it really pops out in a hurry. I've been feeling good, the tired time is over and I can function without a nap now. I'm due around May 11th, so about 4 months now. We're getting excited and I think we might have to find out if it's a boy or girl this time, Alli really threw us off last time.



Thought I'd better put up some pictures of Alli. I got home from work right before she was going to bed, so I took a few really quick. I don't want to jinx it or anything but she hasn't really even tried to touch the tree. The first morning, she looked at it all excited and said ooooo, ooooo over and over pointing at it and I said no touching, and it actually worked. Not like her at all, maybe she is afraid of it for now.



And here's Alli trying her best to be Dereks caddie while he putts around the house. She chases the balls around, but mostly just goes for the one he is trying to putt.



Well, we go home in less than 2 weeks and yesterday I realized I hardly have any shopping done. I have most of the ideas, but now I better get out there. I still need shoes and ribbon for my bridesmaid dress and I have been looking and not finding in that department.

back to work i go

So I went back to work for my first 8 hour shift yesterday. I went in at 3 pm and Derek stayed home with Alli. It was pretty slow. They went easy on me for my first day. It kinda made the 8 hours drag by. And I was still a little achy in the feet and back at the end. It's weird how fast everything comes back. And really nothing has significantly changed. There is still all the work politics that I could get right back into, the complainers are still the complainers and the slackers are still the slackers...etc...etc...EXCEPT... there is one big difference...

They called us the posse, well we called ourselves that anyway.

Erin, Fatty 9 months pregnant, Sandra, and Tanis.




During the last year or so before I had Alli, there was a few of us that almost always worked together. It made work so much more fun. We got along so well (most of the time, haha) and I have some hilarious memories of night shifts and walks down whyte ave among MANY others. You get kinda crazy when you work a bunch of 12 hour night shifts in a row.

Here we are at Erin's going away party this summer.




But so sad to go back yesterday knowing 2 out of the group are long gone. Ever since Erin and Tanis started on the unit we bonded. Probably because finally I wasn't one of the youngest nurses and we could be immature together. Erin moved to BC and Tanis to Lloyminister and I really miss them. I'll still be working with Sandra I hope, but it just won't be the same as when the posse was altogether. I know you all read this and I really do miss you guys.

I know I still like being a nurse, but I like being a mom WAY more.
I hope I still like work enough to do it a little bit.

i'm rich!

hahaha!
That is a funny and so not true title. But I ask you, how much money have you saved in the last 4 or 5 years without even knowing it? Well, does it beat $32? I know, I know, that's a lot to take in all at once.

Last week I was gathering change and realized all our change spots were full. And about 90% pennies. We always use loonies and quarters for laundry, so none of those ever last. We counted them all up and put them in rolls. It actually only took about an hour. Guess we need a night on the town!



One more month until Christmas. I'm so excited. I love Christmas. Food, family and friends, what else do you need? We did our first round of shopping yesterday, just a quick one. I don't dread going out to the mall at all. Alli likes to get out she's so good at the mall, I think it's fun looking at decorations and all that. I just hate the driving. And right now, the roads are a skating rink, and it is so dang cold out you cannot even breathe, there's no end of it in sight either.

I'm very excited about next Friday. As I'm sure you all know, Alli has blocked tear ducts, she's had them from the start. I cannot stand it. I'm constantly wiping her eyes and digging out crustys morning noon and night. But next Friday, she gets the surgery done to fix it. I have been patiently waiting for this for a year really. I know its mean, they have to put her under and go down the ducts, but you don't understand, how worth it it will be. Alli cries everytime I come at her with a cloth, and they gross me out sometimes. I was going to take a picture of her eyes at their worst today and put it for a memory, but she was having a rough day, and went to bed early. So I found this one from last Christmas I think. Its not even bad. Iwent on a deleting frenzy last week and deleted hundreds of pictures, including every one that Alli had bad eyes. I really had very few pictures with her eyes like that because I'm so crazy about keeping them clean especially when the camera comes out. I'll probably keep checking her eyes for months after whenever we take pictures.



Well, my first shift, back to work on Tuesday. I hope I didn't forget everything. Also, I need another opinion from everybody. Derek made a cute Christmas card in Photoshop, but the picture is one from the summer of all of us. I think we need to take a new one, he thinks its just fine...Stay warm everybody.

a favorite

Alli has a favorite toy these days (not including phones and remotes and calculators etc.) She LOVES this bunny. I tried to force a really cute teddy bear on her to be the "favorite" but it wasn't happening. She reaches out for it every night for bed right before she opens her mouth for her soother. She doesn't want her soother at any other time during the day really, thank goodness. But recently when I get her out of her crib she grabs her bunny and carries it around for a while. She puts it in the toy stroller and pushes it around. Whenever I put her baby doll in the stroller, she takes it out immediately. I have no idea why. She puts all sorts of things into the stroller, but never the doll. But most of all Alli likes to be in the stroller and pushed around. She cracks up laughing and cries when I'm too tired and take her out.




I just had to put a picture of this in. Can anyone believe I have a child with a bit of curl to her hair? I have the thinest bone straight hair. But these curls don't lie. Clearly I married the right gene pool. However, her hair looks like this only every night after her bath, and then it's magically straight when it dries, sad. (Mom, you might now have any slacker babies that didn't walk until they were 13 months, but none of them had curly locks like this! hehe)



Whats everybodys opinion on gel in babies hair? Because I think I might be able to hang on to the curl with some gel. And I think I am willing to do the gel. Is it allowed here and there on a one year old?

Also, remember when my house was clean last week...Well I'm doing surprsingly good at keeping it clean. But we FINALLY got wireless and moved the computer out of Alli bedroom, YIPEE! (I'm so excited about it) And a few things just got piled up in Alli's room on the old desk with the shifting of things, and I never go into the room now, so I'll just pretend it's not there for a while longer.

phew, what a weekend

Phew as in, nice relaxing weekend pretty much a home.

Derek had a long weekend. And on Friday afternoon we thought it would be fun to go home for a surprise visit. We got ourselves all excited, and then I remembered some Sunday commitments I had. I tried and tried to get out of them, with no luck. So we were stuck up here for a freezing snowy weekend with no plans.
Saturday was a lazy day with this and that to do and then friends over for games.

Sunday, I led the relief society in a hymn in sacrament meeting and had my first Sunday teaching the Sunbeams. Six 3 and 4 year olds at the end of 3 hours of church, oh my. This will take some getting used to. Then we went over to some friends for a yummy Sunday dinner.

Monday was another snowy cold day. We wanted to do something fun, but then didn't really want to leave into the cold. So if you can believe it, Derek had a bright idea to clean out a few dreaded areas. So for about 4 hours we cleaned, cleaned and cleaned. It's crazy how many corners you can stash stuff in a little apartment. So after 4 bags of garbage, 1 bag of shoes and 2 bags of clothes, the closets and cupboards are organized, Alli's too small clothes are neatly boxed up, and even behind the stove and fridge is shiny just to give you an idea of how crazy we went. It's such a good feeling going to bed after a day like that, and a whole day later, it's still clean! (Next week I'll be thinking, Remember when it was so clean here?)

And today I had to go into my work at the hospital. I'm starting back casual next week and had to get some things taken care of. I'll be a working mom. haha (max of 8 hours a week I'm thinking, I don't want to overdo it)

Well, I've sure been slacking on the posts lately, no excuses really, just not much going on. The weather is too cold to be out for more than a few minutes. Alli has no snowpants yet, but when I get some, I'll see if she likes the snow. I take her for a 10 or 15 minute walk most days and she doesn't seem to mind the cold. So here are a few pictures here and there this past week or so.


The classic spaghetti for supper. Its a good thing Alli likes it so much since with my great cooking skills, we have something like this at least once a week. It's fun to let her go crazy and then throw her in the tub.



Here is a good one of her teeth. At least the front 2 are coming in now, so she doesn't have fangs.



And, Alli's FAVORITE toy these days. The Phone. She sits and smiles and laughs with it and pretends to talk. And if you take it away...TROUBLE. She freaks out, and she never really freaks out if you take anything else away. The funny thing is, when someone is actually on the other end, she is so quiet and hardly makes a peep.




Yes, Alli is wearing a bit of a Christmas shirt (so cute, gotta get lots of wear out of it), and yes since the first snowfall I have been playing Christmas music, and no Derek is not a fan of this quite so early.

if you made it through all my rambling, good for you. I am a little long winded at times I guess.

happy halloween

Here's lots of pictures because it's 2 days after



So is this the cutest trick or treater ever or what!



I saw this costume on the cover of Parents magazine back at the end of September when I got the issue and wanted it so bad. I went to 2 Childrens Place stores right away and what do ya know, nothing but cows for Alli. I went around to a few other stores a couple times and nothing was very exciting. I was just to crushed and didn't buy anything. So about 10 days ago I decided I better get something for her "first" halloween. (she was around for halloween last year, but we had only been home from the hospital for like a week, and I wasn't expecting to have even had her yet.) So I ventured back to children's place and at the end of the rack there was a glow. It was a glowing yellow costume. Only 1 left, size 0-6 months, I'm so glad Alli is below the 10th percentile! Then, to top it off, as I was buying it, it was half price! Does it get any better?

Well it was freezing cold out last night so we just drove to a few friends houses to show her off. But really, Alli wore the costume so good, she needed more than that. She never touched or pulled at the hat thing, or tried to take her feet off. So we went to the mall. Alli loved it. She was smiling at everyone and looking at all the costumes. There were tons of kids. And we got a little candy for ourselves too!

She's enjoying a sucker at the mall. No need to take off the wrapper, it's still a treat to her.




Alli and Derek eating their chocolate bars, once again, note her wrapper on.




We had so much fun, and I'm a little sad she doesn't get to wear the costume any more. Maybe I'll have to play dress up with her.

just a few pictures

Last weekend was great The wedding was beautiful, the bride the decorations the everything. So happy for Lyndsey and Dustin. But I failed this weekend with the camera, so I have a quick shot of Lyndsey with Jacklyn and me instead.



Here are the kiddies.

Jacklyns guy Luke is so cute. He is such a little man, and SUCH a good baby going out and about with the girls all weekend. Look at him, he's got a 30 year old lawyer wardrobe I tell ya, and I love it! This outfit is just the tip of the iceberg with all the sweater vests etc.



They were having a rough time posing, past their bedtimes and all wired. This one shows how they were really feeling I
think, kinda out of it.



Here's almost a good one of the both I guess. Alli wasn't really pulling out the smiles, more trying to run away in all the pictures.



I was sad I didn't get to see Whitney and Brittany's kids, but at least I did get to see them. I had so much fun hangin out with Jack, we spent lots of time together, just the 2 of us. I feel like its been forever since we had time like that. I guess that's what happens when she lives in Oregon and we only meet on busy occasions when we are in Raymond for something. We didn't do much, just same old chit chat for hours. But it was fun, like the old days. Me laughing at all Jacklyns jokes and her talking me into cutting and dyeing my hair, I love it.

Gotta go, but one more thing. Alli is walking. Well, if I stand her up and make her she can walk. But she never does on her own, she just sits down and cruises with the crawlers. Derek is really working on her. I know everyone says once she starts walking, you'll wish you never taught her, but frankly, she might as well walk. She crawls so fast and walks along anything she can hold onto, so I say why not. She is a year old and due for it.

pumpkins pictures!

Just a couple pictuers of Alli over thanksgiving with all the pumkins my dad grew. He grew 14 of them. They look so good. So good I had to bring 2 back with me to be carved soon. I got Alli's halloween costume yesterday, it's so dang cute I can't contain myself. I put it on her yesterday and she loved it. I hope she still loves it on halloween. I'm off to Raymond again for the weekend. Going down for my friend Lyndsey Hill's wedding. Thank goodness her sister lives up here and is coming down with me so I don't have to drive 5 hours with just Alli and me.







Ok, this is just kinda funny to me, I had to take a picture. Alli filled her pants for the 3rd time a day as usual, so I begged Derek to change it. This is what Alli turned out wearing when he was through with her. And I thought only moms played dress up with the kids!

last one

All the birthdays in the family are over for the year. Phew. We've had plenty of cake here and wherever we went over the past 2 weeks.

We had a party over the long weekend for Lucy and Alli turning one. Rhonda and her mom made the CUTEST cakes ever. (I even made cupcakes today and had the neighbors kids over to decorate and blow out candles for the FINAL party, no more, PLEASE) Honestly, the picture doesn't do the cake justice. Thank you 100 times Rhonda for probably the fanciest cake Alli will ever have for her birthday, unless we do a double again...



Lucy and Alli both got little walker toys so they will hurry up and walk!



Alli really enjoyed her first bite of cake as you can see. She ate her piece so fast and then tried to Lucy's.



(WARNING! a little bit of sentimental mom coming up)
I can't believe it has been a year. She was so little, and I was certain, I was having a boy. Right when she was born and the doctor said it's a girl, I thought they were all playing a joke on me. I really REALLY thought she would be a girl. Then the nurse asked what her name would be. I said I have no idea, I thought I would have was a boy. Looking back I have no idea why I thought that. (Now all I want is girls!) I couldn't be happier. Sure she makes me run crazy some days, but I wouldn't want it any other way. And what do you know, she is squirming around in her crib, so I better go before she wakes and makes me crazy! But here she is, one year ago. They grow up so fast...sigh...

so excited

for these two! My sister Brooke and Brett got engaged last Friday. Such a fun cute couple. They are getting married December 29th. Coming up quick, but the plans are in full swing. Brooke lives in Raymond, finishing her internship, and Brett is in Edmonton. Derek and I did that for 8 or 9 nine months (or longer seemed like forever at the time) when we were dating, not so fun.




Heading down to Raymond for the weekend again. Can't wait for Thanksgiving dinner. Derek has had a football game every long weekend since we've been married (also last year I was a day away from having Alli) so it will be fun to be home for once.

AND...we are having Alli's birthday party on Saturday with cousin Lucy. So pictures for sure next week!
Hope everyone has a fun weekend, and eats LOTS and LOTS!

happy happy

birthday! (to me)

"Birthday's are good for your health. Statistics say the more you have of them, the longer you live."

I think that is so funny. Had the big 25th birthday yesterday. I'm going to be spent on cake here pretty soon with Derek's last week, now mine and Alli's next week. Haha, sick of cake yeah right.

Everyone has been asking me what the surprise for Derek was. I got him a massage since he was a sick old man with aching bones and back. And I hate giving massages and am quite terrible at it too, so he wasn't getting one from me.

We got to go out for my birthday on Friday night. (baby free!) Just went out to dinner at a real mexican restaurant, I wish I could remember how to spell it. Sooo good. I love the mexican, and I'm not talking about the taco time kind.

So no pictures today. I really need to get out and take some fall pictures before it's over. We went to the pitch and putt in the river valley the other day and I sure was sad I didn't have my camera. It was beautiful, but it seems that fall is over really fast in Edmonton.

new baby

So between this and that I have not been posting lately. All these annoying things happening. Just for an example the past couple days our car battery kept dying, and to top it off this morning our license plate was stolen. Also, I've been making Alli cry it out in the middle of night when she wakes up. I really don't want to get into that. Maybe I need to make another good things list!
And looks like that picture won't go the right way, so tilt your head, because I like it, and its cute in my photo library the right way. I tried to fix it liek 10 times, so whatever. If it was any other week, this probably wouldn't happen.

Well, here is a good thing. The cute little thing up there belongs to my cousin Rashelle. She had a baby girl 2 weeks ago, Melia. So cute and fun to cuddle. (until I woke her up, oops!) She's got a good set of lungs on her, and since I woke her up, I got a cute soother picture. I could put up the cute crying pictures...





Alli was pretty excited about the whole set up and just might have thought Melia was a toy of some sort. This was before i decided to disturb the baby. Alli kept trying the bounce the chair (with the baby in it). She must have had some fond memories of long naps in that chair when she was little.

good things today

I was reading

Rhonda's

post from yesterday and decided to try my own list.

1. Alli is sick, now that is so not a good thing. Throwing up and huge explosions in the diaper. But she cuddles way more when she is sick. And I love a cuddle from the girl who never stops for a second.

2. Good thing is, I am not sick. I always get whatever is going around, and I didn't this time! Derek has what Alli has too. So sad for them, but at least I can take care of them. I never know what to do when Derek is sick since he gets sick like once every 3 years. He's not a whimp so I kinda do nothing.

3. I had supper made by 10 am. It was a church thing, so fast and easy, just the way I like it. Now i just have to warm it up.

4. Since I made supper somewhere else, my kitchen is still clean!

5. I have crisp clean sheets on my bed. I love climbing into bed at night after sheets wash day. When I was little I remember I used to wait and put my sheets in an hour before bed so it would toasty warm for me.

6. Its Dereks birthday on Saturday and I have a surprise for him. He doesn't even know. If any of you know me, when I'm excitied I have a bit of a hard time keeping it in, but not this time. He'll be so surprised I can't wait.

7. Costco didn't have the cookies I wanted today (the chocolate with white chocolate chips) so now I don't have a HUGE box of them that I would eat myself. I just might be craving them enough to make them myself. But me baking? What a good thing!

8. And of course Derek. He is just all around swell. Probably the nicest, most patient, non judgemental, non complaining, guy with no temper I know. (what a sentence) Just what a gal like me needs!


So there is my list today! Only have time to think up 8.
No pictures, because really, would you want any of us the past few days?

Gotta go warm up my supper!

So to all of you, think of something good and positive today and everyday.

oops

how could I forget this super cute picture of the 2!

ok, thats all.

3 grandkids!

I've been a little slow lately. With school starting, Alli breaking out with rashes and teeth, (therefore not sleeping like the princess she used to) going to phantom on the weekend with my mom and sisters (soooo good) and plus I have a car at home all day everyday. So there is fun to be had for Alli and me.

Here are some pictures of the big 3 grandkids on the Steed side. Lucy and Alli are 6 days apart, turn one in October and Alden is just about 4! Maybe the Baldry side puts us to shame for numbers, but just as cute.







These are from labor day weekend. (See I am slow) It was such a fun weekend. Great weather, went golfing twice, went waterskiing, ate way to much food and had fun with family to name a few things. Always nice to have people around all the time to play with Alli. I almost felt like a slacker mom on some days. But not so much that I can't wait until the next trip, hopefully at Thanksgiving! I tell ya, we used to go home maybe 4 times a year being so busy with football, school and work, now we make the time! Hopefully something exciting will happen this week so I can post again...let's not count on it though.

poor alli

Well, on Saturday afternoon a few spots started showing up on Alli's chest and stomach. I thought, a little weird, but whatever. She was still eating away as you see and smiling for the camera.



Went to bed Saturday night, not too worried. She woke up way to many times in the night, but in my delirious sleepy state I just put her soother in and that seemed enough. By 6 am I was spent (as was Derek, she seems to settle for him rather well lately in the night) I got up and fed her and changed her diaper. She was tugging away at her ears. Well, I would tug at mine too if they were swollen and hot and red. As I was changing her diaper in the dark, it was easy to see the red spots were more of red sploches at this point. But Alli fell right back to sleep as did I. So around 9 when she woke (I know I'm so lucky) and I got a good look at them, I was quite worried. We took her to a medicenter. When we got there they said we probably shouldn't wait out here with an unknown rash. We got put into a room and seen in about 15 min, not bad when there was a waiting room full of people. Dr. says some sort of allergic reaction, get some benydryl. So here she is happy as can be with big red ears and covered.







I guess she is allergic to strawberries. She has had them from a jar tons of times and has had fresh ones a few times, as recent as last Sunday. So I'm hoping it's a one time thing, but I think I'll wait a while before testing that theory. They got worse, but by yesterday evening, they were settling. Today she still is pretty covered, but it's on her back, arms and legs and still pretty bad on her face, but fading. And through it all, other than being fussy at night, she has been herself. Laughing and playing and crawling all around. So no complaints really.

10 grankids!

I said way back in July I was going to put up pictures of all the Baldry grankids. Well, here they are, all 10 of them. It wasn't hard at all to get 10 kids 5 and under to pose for pictures at all.
We are down in Raymond for the long weekend and I will have to put up pictuers of ALL 3 Steed grankids.



Here are all the boys.
Rueben, Carson, Brigham, and Logan



...and all the girls...
Caroline holding Ava, Claire holding Natalee, and Ella holding Alli.



I think these two are really excited about this one.
After all the pictures were done, Ella was just sitting there stuck with Alli, she didn't really know what she was supposed to do with this baby.