I’ve added some new photos of our new family addition. You can view them here.

Addison Leigh

born to proud parents Andy and Patricia and big sister Dawn

Monday, April 3 at 2:40pm

Addison and Auntie Amanda are both Monday's children! Monday's child is fair of face....  We're not sure how much she weighed yet or even the correct spelling of her name. I think it's a lovely name and I can't wait to meet the wee one!

Santa, laughter… what more could you want?

This weekend, the hubby and I are sneaking away for an anniversary kayaking adventure! I'm so very excited as I am not yet ready to lay my paddle down until next year!

On Oct. 1, hubby and I have signed up as volunteers for the Storm the Trent Event in Peterborough! We're both really looking forward to that! It's a running/hiking/cycling/paddling adventure race. We are hoping to enter the race next year!

"Two-day regatta attracts 4,000 participants from across Canada next month"

We're making the Tiny Pinatas from not martha. My sister is having 25-30 at the ceremony and dinner and 80-100 at the reception. I think 25-30 pinatas is sufficient. Her colours are blue and white (and silver I think), so this will make really pretty pinatas! I was also thinking of using some velum because it is translucent and would be so pretty! It's a little stiffer, but worth a shot.

For the reception, I'm making tiny guest soaps. I don't remember where I got the idea, but using the melt-and-pour soaps and a tin foil-lined baking sheet, you pour the soap onto the sheet and when it sets, you can cut it. I am going to cut it into little squares. You could use cookie cutters and get some really fun shapes. I could do triangles and have my sister make up tags with some celtic knots. I actually love this idea.

If anyone is interested in coming over for a day of crafting and helping me make these items, please email me. The more the merrier, I always say.

Well, I need a nap. I started back to work today and afterwards walked up Queen St. (Yes, I went to Romni Wools. Knitting post to follow later this evening.)

He is doing the Tour for Kids in August, the full 4 days! I am working on the Camp Quality Summer Comedy Splash! We are both working to raise money for kids with cancer. Part of the proceeds from his tour benefit Camp Quality too! 

Ross is accepting pledges for his tour on byte.org via paypal.

You can purchase tickets for my event by using the form available on the Camp Quality website here.

So like my cervix is like totally dilating, Dude. Dilating without the glory..... Sounds kinda like "always a bridesmaid, never a bride..."

So, I'm just sitting around, dilating and knitting.... I'm such a multi-tasker!  

Oh and Allyson? The party is on Saturday at our house! Hubby wants to paint on Sunday! Can someone get some pink flamingoes for our front yard? My friend next door and I think that would be appropriate for hubby's birthday!

Ok, so I go tomorrow morning instead! I'm booked for 11am. 1 more sleep.......

The old 'girl' is getting a facelift. Yesterday we spent the day scraping the old paint off the exterior of the house. Ross spent the day building "skirts" for the sides of the front porch. Very pretty. I hear painting begins today! Hooray! This is a huge job and right before my surgery! I can't wait to see the final result!

8 more days til I go  under the knife (and laser). How exciting.

My father had one wish for Father's Day: He wanted to make his three daughters breakfast on Father's Day. Guess what? We were all happy to oblige! The three of us sat and were served by our dad on Father's Day! Every Father's Day should be just like that! He made us scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, pancakes, fruit salad, juice, tea.... What more could a girl ask for?

You must know how much Ross and I love Big Sugar. For those that don't, we LOVE Big Sugar, who sadly is no more. A friend of ours, Mojah, was in the band and we loved going to the shows and screaming MO.....JAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! I made a t-shirt with puff paints that reads, "I LOVE MOJAH!" Mojah would blow me kisses from the stage and I felt like a full-fledged groupie. The lead singer, or "Front Man" as he likes to refer to himself, has gone off to create a new group with a slightly different vibe. The band is simply, Grady. Check them out! We're going to see them tonight! YAY!!!

My "job" is so much more than just a job. Patients come in and out of my life. Some go home, some move to nursing homes, some move into adapted apartments and sadly, some pass away. Of those that pass away, sometimes it is "unexpected" for us in our dept. While we do have a palliative unit and expect that these people may only be with us for a short amount of time, other seemingly "well" patients also pass on. It's when it's unexpected that it affects me the most.

The patients share their trials with me and their triumphs. We share many laughs and sometimes tears. Some ask that you hold their hand and just sit with them. They share their fears, their frustrations and their hopes and dreams with me. It is not easy to keep the balance between having this intimate relationship with a person and staying strictly professional. Some of the patients, don't have any family or only have 1 family member and yet don't see them.

Yesterday, I went to work to hear of another passing. This lovely person always had a funny story to share and made me laugh each time we were together. This person had many trials and yet these trials never kept this person down. This person always managed to have a positive outlook and kept "living" despite the obstacles to overcome. This person laughed with me, shared fears, hopes and dreams with me. My life is enriched for having known this strong, yet gentle soul. I will carry the lessons I have learned from our time together with me always. Thank you for sharing yourself with me.

What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.
- Albert Pike

At work, we're having a drumming circle for the patients.And we're making the drums! How fun! Of course I love that I get to do crafts at work for this . We're using embroidery hoops, podge, dowels, ice cream tubs (not sure where to get these yet - oh, maybe the guy around the corner from me!), beads, felt, fabric, bells, paints and more. Fun! I'll have to see if I can get some pictures of some finished projects!

I've also signed up to be on a Dragon Boat racing team! We're entering the 'Hospital Cup'. Mount Sinai has a team. William Osler has a team. So does St. Joe's and Hospital for Sick Kids. I've been wanting to do something like this for a long time. I'm very very excited! YAY! Now we need to come up with a name for our team!

In case  you were wondering, broil = flames. I bought some lovely lamb  chops, scalloped taters and asparagus for dinner. I was so excited. I read the instructions on the lamb. (big mistake!) I put the oven on Broil. Fire detector went off - house filled with smoke that burned the eyes and nose - I dealt with the detector and went to see what all the smoke was about. (the smoke had just started at this point and was building momentum as I crossed the kitchen to the stove. I peered through the glass and saw..... FLAMES! I did grab the fire extinguisher, but never needed it. I turned the oven off, opened all the doors, took the cats outside for some air and sat on the back step with a beer while the smoke cleared. Those were some really freakin' awesome lamb chops! Yummy. They actually turned out perfectly! I finally got to eat MEAT! RAWR!

I made fire. I had tasty lamb. Fun! Sorry about the title - I was watching the Simpson's and Bart went to a rap concert! lol Step off! ha ha ha Funny, the house smells like a restaurant (the kind with a grill).

Hello. I'd like to introduce  you to someone. Pamie (no that's not her real name! lol) is my best friend from high school! She recently found me via Google (who doesn't love Google, I ask  you?). Pamie and I have shared some of life's more hilarious moments...K, I'm already laughing just thinking about that damned fence! I've always been horrible at keeping in touch (as some of you are likely already aware...Sorry!) , but Pamie never gave up on me and for that I am very grateful. Pamie, Jamma and Al and Heather and I will have to have you here for a girl's weekend! We aren't exactly the partying bunch, but we do always seem to have fun just being together. So Pamie, thanks for never giving up on me and for being the bestest friend ever!

The tap in the basement bathroom has been dripping constantly for months. Over the last few days, the dripping has turned into a steady stream. I've decided to take the matter into my own hands. I'm off to the hardware store for a universal washer kit, an O-ring and some silicone grease! Oh, and no butt-crack is involved in the repair of this bathroom faucet. I promise!

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UPDATE:

Faucet is fixed. No more drippy drippy. Done! How awesome am I? ROOOOOOAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!

Well, let's see. I suppose you have to have watched SurvivorMan to get this post... He's on the OLN (Outdoor Life Network).

Day 6

I awoke very tired this morning as I woke up 3 times through the night. Not a very fitful sleep.

Morning: Did a little weeding and pulling out little tree-lings. No more trees! They are really sprouting up everywhere. Did dishes. Went to grocery store and bought a 12 kg pail of cat litter with my handy shopping tote. Changed both boxes. Pink loves me again. Brushed Pink. Put garbage and yard waste out (including about 10 bundles of twigs and branches).

Went to work. Walked to the subway station (20 minute walk) because there was nary a streetcar in site.

Tonight: Picked  up my newly hemmed pants and bought groceries. Mowed the lawn. A man across the street enjoyed watching me trying to start the mower. Ours is gas and it didn't feel like starting. My first few attempts with the pull cord, I'll admit were lame. Once I figured out the cord was longer, I started givin' 'er. I talked her (the mower) into starting for me. I very proudly mowed the small strip of grass in the front (since the lawn is mostly dirt still). I am Woman, hear me ROOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRR! Watered front yard and the garden. Watered my lovely potted herbs. Weeded. Cleaned up my grass from the sidewalk. Made dinner. And I managed to knit a dishcloth today too.

Tonight I really have to get some sleep if I want to survive the full 2 weeks. We don't want the husband to find me dehydrated and starved, face down in the garden with the local cats feeding on my bones.

Tomorrow I'll need energy for hunting for food and recipes to get me through the rest of the week.

Seriously though, I wasn't feeling well at all today. Headache and pain and my new drugs don't ease the pain even a tiny bit. Next week is going to be interesting. I'll do what I can now and rest when I can't. I'm off to bed!

Well, I posted a rant not that long ago... ok, a month ago. Today I saw the ob/gyn. I have two fibroids. Which I already know.  They are submucosal fibroids. One in particular is into my uterine cavity, which causes a variety or any number of problems such as heavy bleeding, possible infertility or inability to carry a fetus to term... You're getting the picture, right? The docs believe I also have endometriosis. Mom was like, "Hey, didn't a doctor suggest this to you years ago?"  If you read the signs and  symptoms, I have all of those mentioned. Yay me! It is a little daunting to discover that I have a chronic illness. Besides the migraines, I mean. It does give me some "relief" to know that there is a REASON for feeling so awful and that I'm far from being a "wimp". By the way, heavy bleeding is NOT normal. Nor is severe cramping, believe it or not.

On the upside, there are things we can do to improve my current state - bleeding, anemia, pain ... with that, there will always be risks. I spent a total of 2.5 hrs or so in the Dr's office today at WCH. They are pretty wonderful women doctors over there.

Here's your gyny lesson for the week...Keep in mind that my overall goal is to keep my uterus intact and to preserve fertility! (uh and decrease these symptoms)

sonohysterogram: sono (sonogram=ultrasound)("hysteria" is the word for womb - of all things!) This sounds like the transvaginal ultrasound with the super-friendly magic wand only you get a clearer picture of what's going on in there; size and shape of fibroids and whether they are changing the lining of the uterus (causing problems re:fertility), etc. I remember now that it involves injecting saline fluid into the uterus. Gee, that sounds like fun. This test will also help them to collect more information to assist the surgery on June 30. This is booked day 10 of your cycle as the cervix is a little softer, more pliable and a little more "open" which makes the procedure easier and more comfortable. Can't wait!

June 30, 10 am. Day surgery

1) hysterscopic myomectomy Read this too. Preservation of fertility is the reason I have opted for this surgery. The clock is hammering away, if you know what I mean. Men don't have to worry about this stuff. How unfair is that?

2) tubal dye test - injecting dye into my darling Fallopian tubes to check for scarring, blockages. They are not shivering with anticipation...

3) laparoscopy - to look for and remove any endometrial tissue. It's "burned off" with a laser. Neat! Problem with this is that they may not find it or find any, depending on where the tissue is attached and how much of it there is... it could be anywhere, really. I read a health article once that mentioned that endometrial tissue has been even found in the brain. Obviously this is rare - rarer than rare. But you get the point. A needle in a haystack comes to mind.

Because my blood count is low (anemia), I signed a form giving consent to a blood transfusion should by levels drop further while in surgery. That's scarier to me than the whole procedure itself. Having someone else's blood coursing through your veins? Creepy.

And all three lovely procedures will be done in one shot. Heavenly. 1 visit per customer.

Why have I posted all of this information that women just will not speak of and sometimes won't even discuss with their own doctor? And perhaps more importantly with their partner? Because it's important. Because you could be silently suffering. Because I believe that in sharing and imparting our knowledge gained from our own life experiences, we can help others to help themselves. Because I have lived with this for years and not done a thing about it. Because I need to come to terms with it all and I realize I'm going to have to ask for some support.

Perhaps better links than some listed above:

WHM: Fibroids

WHM: Endometriosis

Maybe "someone" (maybe my inner self or maybe the man upstairs or maybe the Universe) is sending me a message. Today I stopped and said, "I'm listening." I am. And I'm doing whatever I can to do something about it.

I also have a breast ultrasound and mammogram booked for September. After this year, I'll glow a lovely green and you can use me out in the garden to light dinner parties.