Because this is easier than actually thinking...

1. What time did you get up this morning?

I woke up at 08:00. I didn't actually get up until 10:00

2. How do you like your steak?

Medium, thanks. Cooked enough so the centre isn't cold and the rest of my food isn't floating in blood. Is that too much to ask?

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

Percy Jackson & The Olympians... with H in February. Yeah, I don't go to many movies.

4. What is your favorite TV show?

Friends or Star Trek

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

Fredericton.

6. What did you have for breakfast?

This is embarrassing... today I had some dark chocolate and coffee. I tend to eat poorly on the weekends that BB is away... In my defense, I *did* have a spinach and feta wrap for lunch though.

7. What is your favorite cuisine?

Indian

8. What foods do you dislike?

Asparagus. I tried. I really did. Oh, and shrimp because it makes me really ill. And mango and I aren't friends... I'm not a fan of the swollen lips and tongue.

9. Favorite Place to Eat?

Oh gosh... where to start? Chez Riz, McGinnis Landing, Cora's, Isaac's Way, Relish (hmmm... I'm noticing a downtown theme here.) Oh, and my own kitchen, of course - especially on Tuesday nights.

10. Favorite dressing?

I'm not sure if I have a favourite... I get tired of dressings easily.

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive?

One with four wheels and a hole chewed in the roof... (Love you, Horsie!)

12. What are your favorite clothes?

Hmmm... I love my grey hoodie, jeans, and cargo pants. But lately I've been loving any opportunity to dress up now that my work clothes are just sitting in my closet. Yes... I even dressed up to go to the orthodontist last week.

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?

Somewhere south and hot. I'm thinking a resort where I can lay on a beach and put my feet up while not worrying about a damn thing. Maybe I'd want adventure another time, but not this trip. I'm sooo going to do this soon. Okay, maybe the braces are going to slow down this goal, but it is going to happen! Oh yes, it is.

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?

Lately it's been 1/2 full.

15. Where would you want to retire?

Fredericton. It's my happy place.

16. Favorite time of day?

Depends on the day and my mood.

17. Where were you born?

Fredericton

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?

Flyball. :)

19. What does your last text say?

Ugh, this is a long one... "I am going to be about 5 min late there is an accident on brookside dr"

20. What does your second to last text say?

"Don't leave!" ...sent from across the room. :)

21. Your third to last text?

Seriously? This is getting old... "Hey cute stuff"

22. Bird watcher?

No, ornithology isn't my thing. I sometimes feel a bit out of place with S & N since they're both avid bird watchers.

23. Are you a morning person or a night person?

It depends on the day and the level of caffeine in my system.

24. Pets?

At this point, three dogs remain and one very sick kitty. It's been a rough year animal-wise. None of my pets live with me anymore though. :(

25. Any new and exciting news that you'd like to share?

I recently found out that The Trews and Big Sugar are playing at Harvest this September. Must. Get. Tickets.

26. What is your best childhood memory?

Ummm.... I'm not sure how to select the best. Maybe walks in the woods with my dad? Playing library or lotto booth (lol) with my brother?

27. Siblings?

One brother.

28. Are you a cat or dog person?

I like both, but I tend to favour dogs these days.

29. Are you married?

Technically, I guess so. Really? Nope. Actually, we should be signing the "official" separation agreement any day now.

30. Always wear your seat belt?

Always always always.

31. Been in a car accident?

One when I was a kid, and then I was the cause of a small one the first winter I was driving. Stupid ice and stupid sharp turn into my apartment's driveway.

32. Any pet peeves?

So many. Where to start?

33. Favorite pizza topping?

Can I pick two? Fresh mushrooms. Cheese. Lots of cheese.

34. Favorite Flower?

Lilacs

35. Favorite ice cream?

I have to pick just one flavour? I'll often get mint chip & fudge if I'm getting an ice cream cone from a store. At home I often buy heavenly hash. Lately I've been picking up frozen yogurt though... so much less fat. I've been digging on a nanaimo bar frozen yogurt recently. Mmmmmm... It's a weird yellow colour though.

36. Favorite fast food restaurant?

Arby's. BK. McD's. It's all so wrong.

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test?

Zero.

38. From whom did you get your last email?

Facebook notifying me that a friend/co-worker had sent me a message.

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?

Ricki's or Reitmans... or the Superstore. I love grocery shopping!

40. Do anything spontaneous lately?

No, lately my life is carefully planned. The person who brought spontaneity into my life is no longer around. (See? He wasn't all bad. I just didn't share much of the good stuff because I didn't want to jinx it. Guess it didn't matter in the end.)

41. Like your job?

Which one? The SAHM job I'm doing right now? It's not bad. I have my moments. I love being with my kids and am very fortunate to be able to take the entire year with them, but knowing that I'm the only one here for them most days wears me down easily.

42. Broccoli?

I like it lightly cooked. I typically don't enjoy it raw and Over cooked = disgusting

43. What was your favorite vacation?

Perhaps the summer after XH and I were married? We went to SJ and Moncton... I've never really gone on any "real" vacations.

44. Last person you went out to dinner with?

H and his kids. Oh wait, that was breakfast. That must count though, right? Because I can't remember who I last went out to "dinner" with. Most likely H though, but I'd be going back a while for that one. ...say McGinnis in February?

45. What are you listening to right now?

The hum of my Netbook and BG's breathing.

46. What is your favorite color?

Really, there isn't one. But for the sake of simplicity, I'll say black.

47. How many tattoos do you have?

One, comprised of multiple smaller parts. :) ...for now.

48. What are you wearing?

My chicks in love jammies.

49. What time did you finish this quiz?

22:28

50. Coffee Drinker?

Hells yeah.

Socks

Note to self: Next time you meet a guy (or anyone, for that matter!) for a walk, set your vanity aside and wear socks. Blisters on top of your blisters from earlier this week are NOT fun. But you're realizing that, aren't you? Silly girl.

I'm Finally Here

I'm wondering what today will bring...

One thing I do know - I think this is the time that everyone has been telling me about. I've finally reached the point where I don't feel like I HAVE to be with someone. It's been a long and very needy (almost) seven months. The time has actually gone by quick, but when I think of it in terms of the emotional roller-coaster I've been on, it seems long. So much has happened. So much has changed.

Right now I'm happy. I'm content. I'm okay.

Is it weird that I'm hoping that today brings nothing, just so I can avoid any more drama in my life?

Two nights of silliness in a row

1. What was the last thing you put in your mouth?

Water.

2. Where was your profile picture taken?

On my parents' couch. Not that you can tell from the picture.

3. Can you play Guitar Hero?

I've never tried. I'm guessing I wouldn't be very good at it, considering the fact that I've yet to learn about rhythym.

4. Name someone who made you laugh today?

Hmmm... today has been light on the laugher. Probably K & A when they were here tonight.

5. How late did you stay up last night and why?

I think I was settled in and asleep before 23:30. It's a regular time to be up until with BG, although tonight, it appears that she's down for the count a bit early.

6. If you could move somewhere else, would you?

In the winter it would be nice to be closer to town. But for the moment, I'm content here... I'm so lazy... the idea of moving is scary.

7. Ever been kissed under fireworks?

No. I'm not a huge fan of fireworks. Stupid people take their dogs there. When I see scared dogs at these things, it makes my heart break. They don't understand that they're *just* fireworks.

8. Which of your friends lives closest to you?

N. I can look out a couple of my windows and sort of see her place through the massive amount of trees.

9. Do you believe ex's can be friends?

I'm living proof.

10. How do you feel about Dr Pepper?

I used to like it as a kid. Then I started using Dr. Pepper lipsmackers. The next time I drank Dr. Pepper, I almost puked. It felt like I was drinking my lip gloss! *shudder* I haven't tried it since.

11. When was the last time you cried really hard?

Hmmm... May 8, maybe? I can't even remember now how hard I cried, or if it was just that the dull ache arrived that day... All of that drama is a bit of a blur now.

12. Who took your profile picture?

I did.

13. Who was the last person you took a picture of?

BB. He was snuggled up on the floor on the new quilt his grandmother made for him.

14. Was yesterday better than today?

No, today was fine. Went to the doctor... had more action than I've had in quite some time. Bought my father's bday present. Picked up some pics of the kids that I had printed and bought some frames to put them in. (One more step towards turning my house into a home.) Oh, and I mowed most of my lawn. It felt amazing. Freeing. It's been almost three years since I've done that. I would have liked to have finished it myself, but... two acres isn't small (on top of mowing around all of the woodshed debris that was left in the yard) and my sitter had to leave. And I had Dimitri's for supper. Mmmmm... AND K & A came over. Yeah, today was definitely better than yesterday.

15. Can you live a day without TV?

I live 99% of my days without TV. But don't take away my computer.

16. Are you upset about anything?

No, I'm surprisingly at peace right now.

17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it?

Hells yeah.

18. Are you a bad influence?

Nope. Not usually.

19. Night out or night in?

Night in. Not that I don't enjoy nights out with the right people.

20. What items could you not go without during the day?

Lip balm. A method of connecting to the Internet.

21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?

The last person I know of that was in the hospital was me. Prior to that, it was BB. Does staying with him in the hospital count as visiting?

22. What does the last text message in your inbox say?

No idea since my phone was fried the other night. I could look at my replacement phone's inbox and see what the last message N received was, but somehow that isn't the same.

23. How do you feel about your life right now?

More content than I've been in months. It will pass. Restlessness will return. And then the search will resume.

24. Do you hate anyone?

No. Hate eats at you. There are people I dislike. There are people I choose to not associate with. But I do not hate anyone.

25. If we were to look in your FaceBook inbox, what would we find?

Too many messages waiting for responses. The most recent was from a friend who sent me a link to an article on how to save a drowning cell phone. Unfortunately, her attempt at help arrived too late to save mine.

26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?

Yep. There's never been a time in my life when I would have failed. Goody goody.

27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before?

I call myself perfect every other day. ;o)

28. What song is stuck in your head?

Four Seconds by BNL (How fantastic is it that Tyler actually sings in this one?!)

29. Someone knocks on your window at 2:00 a.m., who do you want it to be?

Oh, I dare someone to knock on my window. Are they wearing stilts? Even if someone *were* to wear stilts to knock on my window, I have no idea who I'd want it to be. Perferrably someone not creepy, I guess.

30. Wanna have grandkids before you’re 50?

That's not my decision to make. But really, my kiddos would have to be awfully young to be dabbling at reproducing in order to give me grandkids before I'm 50... so probably not the best thing in the world.

31. Name something you have to do tomorrow.

Only one? Okay, wash diapers.

32. Do you think too much or too little?

Probably too much. I'm always replaying conversations over in my head... disecting, looking for hidden meanings, etc.

33. Do you smile a lot?

I do, yes. Even if it is still a bit asymmetrical. *Shakes fist at Bell's Palsy*

I needed something to do tonight...

Before BB's arrival, I used to do these silly Q&As on FB all the time. Now my life is more complicated, and there are so many family members on my friends list... they don't need to know all my personal junk!

Is there someone that you believe you will always be attracted to?

Patrick Stewart. :)

Does anything hurt on your body?

I have a blister on my foot that I'd be happier without. But it's not causing me a tremendous amount of pain. Just a mild annoyance.

Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with?

N

Would you forgive a cheater?

I have.

Do you wear your feelings all over your face?

I'm quite certain I do. And if my feelings aren't on my face then take a look at my sleeve and you'll find my heart.

Do you think you'll be married in 5 years?

I'm not certain what the future will hold for me. Perhaps, if the right person were to come along, and they want to be married to me, but I'd never push to go down that road again though.

Where did you last sleep besides your house?

The Hilton in SJ.

Who was the last person you cried in front of?

BB or BG... but that seems obvious since they're constantly with me. Aside from them, maybe H? Not certain.

Where were you at 2:02 this morning?

Asleep in my bed.

Who was the last person besides family that you saw in person?

N.

Honestly, what would you rather be doing right now?

I'm okay with what I'm doing (nursing BG)... waiting for sleep to arrive for the night.

Have you ever been called a bitch?

Oh gosh, yes.

What's your favorite movie?

My favourite since I was six years old has been National Lampoon's Vacation. I recently fell in love with The Shawshank Redemption after watching it with H.

Do you believe everyone has a soul mate?

No. Or at least not just one. I'm sure there's more than one "perfect person" out there for me. Otherwise, how could I possibly have hope of finding that one person in the whole world that is my soul mate? Not gonna happen if that's the case.

Have you ever kissed anyone who's name started with a L?

Not that I'm aware of... there were a few random make out sessions back in my Sweetwaters days though. (How many lifetimes ago was *that*?!)

Who was the last baby you held?

BG

Do you like your life?

I do actually. There are lots of days where I feel like I don't, but overall, I don't have a lot to complain about. I just seem to reach the end of my rope far too frequently at the moment.

Is there a guy that knows everything about you?

H knows just about everything. XH is pretty damn close to that.

What are you most excited about?

Braces in August, as long as my financial calculations work out... hopefully Excel and I will have a bit of quality time this weekend.

Do you like pancakes?

Yes! I make wonderful blueberry oatmeal pancakes. Mmmmm....

Have you told anybody you love them today?

BB and BG.

What are you doing for your next birthday?

I see it's on a Saturday, so most likely something with my family. I'm not sure how I'm feeling about that at the moment.

Do you fall for people easily?

When there is chemistry, I do. Indeed.

How often do you give high fives?

Several times a day. It amuses BB.

Do you like surprises?

Generally, in my world, surprises haven't been positive things.

When is the next time you'll see your closest friend?

I'm not certain who my closest friend even is... there are three of them at the moment... I'll see N anytime, no idea when I'll see T again, but I've been thinking we should try to make a trip to visit her next week sometime, and I'll see XH on Friday.

Are you better at math or art?

Math. Hands down.

What's the last thing you put in your mouth?

My toothbrush.

Do you believe ex's can be just friends?

I'm living proof. I'm the girl that becomes friends with all of her exes it seems.

What do the majority of people in your life call you?

By my name.

Have you ever, in any way, been betrayed by someone you trusted?

Over the past year, repeatedly.

Did you have a good day?

It wasn't the best, no.

Are you mean?

Some people probably think so. I'm honest, and I try to do the right thing.

Dark hair or light hair in the opposite sex?

I'm more likely to be attracted to someone with dark hair. But even better than that is grey hair. Mmmm....

When people say "I don't ever talk about anyone" do you believe it?

Impossible.

Would you ever become a vegetarian?

No. I don't eat a lot of meat, but I do enjoy my meat.

Do you currently have a hickey?

Hells no.

Have you ever had a boy best friend?

Yes.

Are you a morning person or a night?

I've become more of a morning person over the past few years. When I was young, it was all about the nights.

Did you date anyone this summer?

Summer hasn't started yet. But the horizon is looking bleak.

Do you hate being alone?

Hate is a strong word. Sometimes I like being alone.

Are you tanned?

I'm not trying to be, but I've noticed my arms, face, and chest getting darker recently, in spite of my sunblocking efforts.

How many cell phones have you had in your life?

I fried my second cell phone last night when it fell out of my back pocket and into the toilet. :( Boo.

When the tables turn

I'm not sure what's worse... being hurt or hurting someone. They're both incredibly shitty. Proud of myself for doing the right thing, but feeling like a jerkface.

BB's Favourite Song

This has been BB's favourite song for over a year now. Every time he goes near the computer he points at it and says, "Bog!" (well, it used to be "Ba!") demanding that I play this video for him. We even listen to this song during most diaper changes. Surprisingly, I'm not even remotely sick of it (or any of the other songs on this album!)

Sunday Night Randoms

I'm not sure if I've ever done a Sunday night randoms post before...

-XH gave BB a buzz cut last weekend. One week later and I'm still loving it.

-I bought a package of smoked salmon last Saturday night when I ran into town for a few groceries to take my mind off the *ahem* incident. I had intended to pick up some crackers and cream cheese to enjoy it with, but in my distractedness, I completely forgot. It's still sitting in my fridge. I'm hit with the smell of smoked fish every time I open the door.

-Speaking of the incident, I've seen his number on my phone a few times this week but I've been out each time he's called. Oh drat. hehe.

-At 01:25 this morning, I received a text out of the blue from H. I was still up, so I replied, then he asked if he could call. My phone rang before he even received my response. My assumption that he had gotten back together with the ex-girlfriend had been correct, but apparently it didn't work out. So hey, when you get the urge to talk to someone in the middle of the night, why not resort to your Plan B (aka cuddles)? Yeesh. Interesting thing though. When I received his text I started vibrating from head to toe, much the same way I did when I received the FB message earlier in the week. But once I started talking to him I just felt annoyed. Yes, I still care, how could I not? But what he's going through has changed him, and not for the better. I just kept hoping the conversation would soon be over so I could return to what I had been doing. Once again, my anger has gotten me over the hump.

-At 08:19 this morning, guess who called again. Yeah. Needed me to look something up online for him as he was on the road. At least he admitted that time that he was just calling because he needed something. I'm sure eventually I won't be annoyed with him when/if he calls, but at the moment I am.

-Apparently if my cell phone is on vibrate and I miss the call, it will vibrate off of my nightstand and on to the floor. Who knew?!

-I bought an "all natural" toothpaste recently and cracked it open today for the first time. Tonight as I was brushing my teeth, I read the package and it has SLS in it! Had I noticed that, I probably wouldn't have shelled out the extra money for it.

-Twenty more days until my current cell phone contract expires. I can't wait. Bring on the iPhone!

-Two more days until I have the consultation with the orthodontist. I'm keeping my fingers crossed they won't ask for my first born as payment.

-I've been staying up far too late recently, but it's been so damn much fun.

-I was singing The Itsy Bitsy Spider to BG today, and BB ran to the living room, reappeared a moment later, and thrust his Itsy Bitsy Spider book into my face. Ah, thank you dear, now I'll definitely be able to sing the correct words!

-BB was asking for something that sounded like "duct tape" at supper time tonight. I had no idea what he wanted and then he began pointing at the "treat" cupboard and saying it. I asked, "Are you saying chocolate?" Yep, that's what he wanted. He won't attempt to say his own name, but he can say chocolate. That's my boy!

-I'm happy.

Blah

I really dislike coming down off the happy cloud. I've spent so little time up there lately that it felt weird at first... but I had grown to like it. A lot. At the moment I feel like I'm sitting on the ground staring up at the cloud, wondering how the hell I managed to fall off. Stupid words.

Thanks for your concern... but I'm not biting.

One of my dogs passed away very unexpectedly on Tuesday. I had planned to write a post on him, but haven't gotten to it yet. At this point, I probably won't get to it, because if I don't do these things right away, I never do. To say it was all very shocking and upsetting is a definite understatement.

Anyway, on Tuesday, I changed my profile picture on Facebook to a picture of me and Puppy that was taken almost three years ago. Suddenly tonight, I received a message on FB from H asking me if I got a new dog. This was completely out of the blue, since I haven't heard from him in over two weeks. I don't understand how he even saw my picture unless he was searching for me, since I'm not on his friends list after the incident three weeks ago. Anyway, I replied and told him that no, it was an old picture and that Puppy had died this week. He replied back to send his condolences and acknowledge how I must be feeling. At that point, I was left wondering, "Do I reply to say thanks?" The polite side of me felt like I should, but my gut said, "Just leave it be." A moment later I noticed that his profile picture had changed... instead of being a picture of him and his ex (who I can only guess had become his girlfriend again after I was tossed aside... most likely the reason I was tossed aside) it was a picture of only him. Suddenly I had his words running through my head. "When guys find themselves alone, they go back to what they know. They go back to mama." Not sure if that's what might have been going on or not, but I wasn't biting. I sent a quick IM to XH for his advice (yeah, I know, I never thought I'd see the day that he would be giving me that sort of advice!) and he agreed that I should LEAVE IT. *snicker* And that's what I did. I made a choice and I feel good about it.

I don't think I want him in my life like that anymore. He's been in my thoughts less and less over the past couple of weeks. I'd be willing to be his friend but I've been wondering if perhaps he simply can't have a female friend. You know the type?

There *is* something better out there for me. Someone who doesn't crave (and create!) the drama. Someone that I don't always have to be on guard with. Someone who accepts me the way I am. Perhaps it's just around the corner? Maybe. Maybe not. Hopefully...

Eight more days!

I just realized that today is May 31! Eight more days until I see the orthodontist! I'm giddy with excitement. I never thought I'd see the day that I'd look forward to putting myself in this sort of pain. Not that I haven't wanted the end result, but finally taking charge and doing it feels so empowering. I need to do more things like this for myself. I'm looking forward to the new me, both inside and out. :)

Big Step

I just offered to share a recent post with someone who doesn't read the blog. It means this person will be able to read the blog if they choose to now. It's a bit of a scary big step... but I like this person, so perhaps letting them "in" won't be a bad thing? *gulp* I just need to remember that this is still my space... I'm not going to censor my thoughts or feelings... the same way I'm not sugar coating things just because I know XH is reading. I've only ever intentionally offered up my blog to one person before (Hi ML!) so this is pretty big.

Fooled

I set the alarm on my cell phone last night so I'd wake up in time to meet A for breakfast. I noticed that I already had an alarm set for 06:45 on my phone, so I activated that one. I had named it, "H 6:45". I vaguely recall him asking to me give him a wake-up call one morning because he had to pick up his boss or something like that. Anyway, this morning when the alarm went off, in my sleepiness I grabbed the phone and saw his name on the display. My first thought was, "HUH?" and then I thought that maybe he might need something (really, the only reason he's going to call me now would be if he needed something - desperately needed something. It's been almost two weeks since I last heard from him after all.) My next thought, keeping with the "he might need something" mindset was, "Should I call him?" Wowzas. Thank goodness at this point the not-enough-sleep wake-up fog cleared my head and I realized it was the name for the alarm displaying on my phone and NOT an attempt by him to contact me.

Thinking he was trying to reach me excited me for a brief moment. Then I remembered how bloody angry I am with him. But I still hate the fact that we're not talking. It's all so stupid and confusing.

This just dawned on me... the promise to never lie to me again was a lie.

Anyway, this city is so small, I'm guaranteed to run into him at some point. I hope I can handle it without having to run in the other direction and without becoming an awkward freak. I really do feel bad about the mess everything turned into. Not that the blame belongs to me. Not entirely anyway.

On the bright side, I don't think about him constantly anymore. I'm picking up the pieces and moving on.

Uncomfortable

OMG. I have a friend in SJ who is having women problems. A lifetime ago he was my rebound after J and I split up. We've kept in touch over the years via email and the occasional phone call but we haven't seen each other in seven years. He has called a few times recently to talk. I'm okay with that, I don't mind being a friendly ear. For some reason I have this need to help people when they're going through a difficult time. He called about an hour ago and said he was in the area and asked if he could pop by for a few minutes to say hi and get a hug. Of course I said yes. So he came out and we sat and talked about his current situation. As he's leaving he gives me a hug good bye. The next thing I know he's putting the moves on me! WTF?! Okay, you're separated from your wife who wants to get back with you, you have a girlfriend that you say you love but she doesn't want to be with you anymore, and you're putting the moves on ME? Thanks, but no thanks.

I Run Away

Out of the blue the other day I messaged someone in the pond. I had been looking at his profile the previous day and noticed that he had so much detail that the site cut him off mid sentence. I chuckled and moved on. Then the next day I noticed that he changed his headline to acknowledge what had happened. I went back to his profile to see what he had changed, and saw that the system cut him off yet again in mid sentence. Laughing to myself, I sent him a note to tell him that it had happened again. (Note: I typically don't initiate conversations with the fish. I let them come to me.) I liked his profile. He could actually communicate. His pictures make it hard to see what he looks like though. I like to confirm the potential for chemistry with pictures.

Anyway, online, we are getting on smashingly. We've exchanged dozens of emails over the past couple of days. The first day I was thrown off. Significantly. He was coming on a bit strong. My initial reaction was to run away. Very quickly. XH was here at the time and I was filling him in on the situation. I've recognized that the relationships that I want the most are the ones where I need to work a bit for it. If a guy shows too much interest, I jet. I can remember the times in the past when I had the same icky feeling... when my grade ten boyfriend gave me a cheesy, tacky, V-day gift, or even back in grade six when a boy I had a crush on liked me back and wanted to "go out" with me. At that point, even that felt like too much! Looking back, with XH, H, and even the one-offs before XH, in each case, the ones that I really wanted didn't throw themselves at me. They expressed interest, but not in an overwhelming sort of way. XH suggested that since I haven't had much luck with the ones that I need to work for, maybe I should give it a try when someone is more interested in me than I am in them. (Okay, I know those weren't your exact words, XH, but that was the gist, right?) Coincidentally, the guy seemed to recognize that he might have come on a bit strong, and I agreed. (Yay for me not just brushing it under the rug!)

Since then, it's been a non-stop email frenzy. Okay, so I don't email much during the day... a one liner here and there, but once my house is settled, I spend the rest of the evening playing catch-up. I don't know if he's the one I'm looking for. I was hoping to find someone active and outdoorsy. I don't think that's him. Maybe there is the potential for a good friend? But look what happened with the last "good friend" I made from the damn pond...

Not that I'm ruling out the possibility of something more, but I feel very cautious. I'm holding back. Not jumping in feet first. For now though, I am enjoying our conversations and getting to know one another a bit. That's the right way to do things, right??

BG's Story

Eight weeks ago tonight all this began! I'm finally just getting around to sharing the story! I've started this a few times, but have been unsuccessful in finishing it until now. Here is the story of BG.

On the evening of March 25th, I realized that time was running out, and that I needed to take a final baby bump picture before the baby actually arrived! So I set up the camera and managed to get a picture. Shortly after my photo shoot, H called and said he was coming over for a visit. It was a nice visit... we laughed and talked. It was the first time I had seen him in almost three weeks. After he left we talked online until about 1am. During that time, I uploaded my new baby bump pic to Facebook. After chatting with H, Melissa and I exchanged comments on my bump picture, and I told her that I didn't think that the baby would be coming for a while yet as I was far too comfortable to be ready to go into labour anytime soon! At around 01:30 I realized that I should go to bed, after all, my due date was March 27, and if I were to go into labour within the next couple of days, I might regret missing out on that chance for sleep! I noticed that my back was hurting a bit, but I chalked it up to laying in a bad position with the Netbook and the belly. (It wasn't not the first time I had done that!)

At 2:30 am I woke up not quite feeling right. Suddenly I was hit with what I thought might be a contraction, but I wasn't sure. (I was induced with BB, so I had no idea what to expect going into labour on my own!) When I was hit with another soon after, I started timing them as best I could by myself. 4 minutes apart. I told myself that it must be false labour, because there was no way I could possibly have gone into labour so quickly!

Shortly after 3:00 am, I started composing an email to XH to relay all the info regarding BB that I had been planning on passing on to him when he picked him up that night... just in case this was the real deal and I wouldn't be able to tell him what he needed to know.

By 3:30 am I decided that I should call A as the contractions were still 4 minutes apart and not showing any signs of letting up. She agreed that it probably wasn't the real deal and suggested I call her back in an hour or two if I wasn't able to get any sleep.

As the next hour progressed I tried to time my contractions, but it was difficult to time them while dealing with them. I tried to distract myself by swimming in the pond (OMG, yes, I was in labour and trying to find a new man!), and looking at the labour website A had sent to me earlier in the week. One of the items on the website was a checklist of what to take to the hospital with you. It included warm socks in case your feet get cold. I hadn't packed warm socks, but there was a basket of clean laundry on my bedroom floor that had warm socks in it. So I laid on my floor, pawing through the basket of laundry while suffering through contractions, trying to find a warm pair of socks. *shaking head* I obviously wasn't thinking right at this point. I was becoming more and more scared. All alone with a 22 month old, outside of the city, and no support. And once again I was wondering, "How did this become my life?"

By 4:30 am I realized that it most likely *was* the real deal as I was trying not to push and the contractions were 2 minutes apart, on top of a host of other symptoms I was experiencing that jived with what I read on the labour website. I called A again, and demanded that she and my brother head to my place immediately (about a 20 minute drive.) I then called XH to make arrangements for him to take BB earlier the next day than originally planned. Having to talk to him during all of this was murder. I had to deal with contractions while talking to him, and showing any signs of vulnerability to him was not something I wanted to do.

At around 05:00 help still had not arrived. I contemplated calling N to come over, but I knew that this wasn't something she would want to deal with (and really, we had made so many jokes about her having to deliver the baby, that it just seemed weird to actually suggest it might happen!) I even considered calling H just to have him talk me down and tell me that no, I still had lots of time, be calm, etc. Instead I called A again and demanded to know where she and my brother were. I wasn't very nice about it. (Turned out they weren't rushing as they thought they had lots of time... they took their dog out to pee, got dressed, didn't drive more than 10kph over the speed limit, etc.)

They arrived at 05:15. I was standing at the island in my kitchen holding on for dear life, bellowing through my contractions. The look on my brother's face told me that he knew we all had to move quickly. A asked me if I was nauseous (yes, I was nauseous and drenched in sweat) and then the realization hit her that this was the real deal. I managed to calmly explain to my brother which bags from my room needed to be loaded into the car, had him get me the garbage can from the bathroom to take with me in case I was sick in the car, directed him to find a pair of flip flops for me from my closet, had him grab my camera, etc. How I remained level headed to do this, I have no idea.... planning does seem to be how I react to a crisis though. Then we headed out to the car. The infant carrier seat caused the passenger seat to be pulled too far ahead for me to comfortably ride to the hospital, so I had to get back out of the car, remove the seat, let my brother know to move it into the house, and get back into the car. Once a bit of confusion over keys between my brother and A was cleared up we were finally on the road to the hospital.

I advised A to pass anyone that was in our way. Luckily at 05:30 that only meant passing a couple of cars. Even on the way to the hospital, I was still worried they would tell me that this wasn't the real thing and would send me home.... all the while trying not to push in the car!

A stopped at the ER doors and put me in a wheelchair and brought in my bags. She then ran into the ER to tell them what was happening. Then she went back out to park the car. While she was doing that, my water broke. (Next time you walk through the doors into the DECH ER, think of me!) She came back inside and again went into the ER asking for some help (you can't get up to Labour & Delivery after hours without someone from ER letting you through.) A couple of women sauntered over and looked at me through the glass, and eventually someone came out and started pushing my wheelchair. She didn't say a word to me, just gave the occasional order to A. The ride was awful... the ceramic tiles on the floor are SO bumpy when you're in a wheelchair!

We arrived in L&D at 05:50. One nurse checked for dilation and said that she could feel the baby's head, but that she would have another nurse confirm it. So the next nurse comes in, checks, says, "Yes, that's the baby's head. PUSH!" Eight minutes later at 05:58, BG was in my arms.

In all of the haste they didn't have time to try to drug me, catheterize me, or hook me up to their machines. One person did hold a fetal heart monitor to my stomach, but they didn't even bother trying to strap it on. They didn't have time to read my birth plan, but thankfully A knew what was there and was able to direct them after the baby arrived so that all of my post-delivery wishes were followed. (All of my labour & delivery wishes basically revolved around not wanting drugs or interventions, so it seemed that I automatically got my way on those ones!)

After it was all over with I couldn't believe I had just given birth. I felt fantastic. When BB was born I felt like I had been hit by a train afterwards. This had been the scariest 3.5 hours of my life (seriously, who wakes up an hour after they go to sleep with contractions 4 minutes apart?!) but I survived, and I'm happier it happened this way so I could have the birth go the way I wanted. When I started preparing for BG's arrival, I discovered that I had a lot of resentment towards the way my labour with BB happened. Now I feel that I can let go of that negativity because I've had the experience I had hoped for.

BG has been wonderful. She initially did nothing but sleep and eat. Then she went through a colicky phase during the evenings. That seems to have passed, but the evenings are still her cranky time, however, it is not unmanageable. She started smiling last week, and last Saturday she gave me her first ear to ear grin. Now I've discovered that I can often banish her crankies just by propping her up on my legs so that she's facing me, and then I smile at her. It usually gets a smile in return! BB is a fantastic big brother. He lavishes BG in hugs and kisses, and won't go down for a nap or go to bed at night without first giving her a kiss.

Clean Slate

Here we go again with a clean slate. I have answers at least. I don't necessarily like them, but it's not all about me.

This is me picking up the pieces and moving on.

Funny, by the end of the day today I felt like I was getting a much better handle on life. Then he called while I was getting BB ready for bed and hearing his voice on the machine threw me completely. However, I find that after talking to him, I haven't regressed. Nothing has changed. I don't feel more, maybe even a little less.

Here's to letting go.

You Don't Just Want to Break Me

This song played while I was on the treadmill last night. It hit close to home. During one of my minutes of walking, I grabbed my pen and scrawled the title (which is repeated a million times at the end of the song with varying degrees of pain and perhaps anger in Hawksley's voice) across my arm. I'm not sure what possessed me to do this, but it felt good. When it was time to start running again, I suddenly had far more energy, and spent my last block of running minutes going faster than I have since I started running.

you don't just want to break me (you want to tear me apart)

By Hawksley Workman

i feel like selling my things

i feel like being alone

can't tell if i'm more confused

after i hung up the phone

glad to hear you're feeling stronger

and that you're ready to grow

didn't know that i was in your way

thanks for saying it...

now i know

so this is how these things go

so this is how these things shake out in the end

see the winter settling in

it's going to be cold a while

in the winter everything's dead

deep and crisp and even

and this is how it feels to be left standing

to be the one who never did know

so this is how it feels to fade and pale

laid down like aching snow

you said that i had no courage

one day you'll see things different

you don't just want to break me

you want to tear me apart

Another one bites the dust

So, remember the guy from down the road that I mentioned a couple of posts ago? Well, things were going really well with him. He had a lot of potential. We both were looking for the same thing, he was definitely okay with my kids, and we had no problem chatting online, and we were planning on progressing to the telephone tonight.

However, last night we talked about what our "deal-breakers" are. Two of my big ones are smoking and drugs. He told me he occasionally smokes when he drinks, and that he smokes pot a time or two a year. At the time I just brushed it off, since he said he only does it occasionally, but it nagged at me. Today it really hit me - how I can I tell my kids that they shouldn't do those things when it's okay for him to do them? So tonight I told him that I couldn't get past those two things. I think he was a bit upset with me, especially since I hadn't met him before making that decision. But meeting him wouldn't have changed anything; it would have just made it harder if we did have chemistry.

I'm feeling proud of myself for addressing it, rather than letting it become an issue down the road; however, I'm feeling sad that this "opportunity" didn't work out. Add to it the mess with H, and I'm on the verge of depression. I had so many things I wanted to get out and do this weekend, and now I can't even remember what it was that I wanted to do. None of them feel like they matter. I'm really tiring of wallowing in self pity, but I'm not sure how to pull myself out of it. Today I've even been considering contacting my workplace's EAP provider. I feel like I need to talk about all the stuff with H to someone neutral who can be trusted not to tell anyone. I think I'm a bit messed up from it all to be honest. Why the hell do I still care about people after they hurt me? I did it with XH, and now again with H. Why can't I get angry, tell them to eff-off, and move on with my life? It seems like the worse you treat me, the more devoted to you I become. That's messed up. I'm not liking myself much tonight.

Push and Pull

Looking back to when H and I were dating in January, it's obvious that the push and pull was already going on then. He'd come over to my place more evenings than not, but then would disappear from my world completely for a couple of days. He would talk about things we would do together in the future, but then try to tell me that he was only my rebound. He took me away for the weekend and then broke up with me a few days later. And then in less than a week, we were talking again, and another week until we were back in bed. I remember that first night together again, he asked me after, "Can you be my friend without being my lover?" I said yes. I meant it. But so we continued on for another few weeks... we'd get together, every so often he'd disappear for a day or two, then poof, he'd be back again. I don't think he only came back for sex, since there were times we spent together without anything physical happening. And since I now know he was also getting it elsewhere during that time, I really believe it wasn't the sex he came back for. If anything, I think he was feeding off my feelings for him. It feels good to be around someone who loves, adores, and worships you.

Our last time together was the beginning of March... we bottled wine and then took a day trip to St. Andrews. Shortly after that my life went a bit crazy with BB being so sick, and then BG's arrival. His life also seemed to get busy... (I had a snide comment here, but removed it, since it isn't really useful, and it gives away more of his story than is useful in helping me tell mine.) We kept in touch during this time, but only saw one another once - the night before BG was born. We sat on the couch and talked and laughed. I realized that night that although I still cared and had feelings for him, they were starting to fade, and that I was definitely okay just being friends.

Another couple of weeks pass and suddenly his life comes crashing down around him. I'm sitting home alone all day with two little ones and oodles of time. Next thing I know, he pulls me close and I'm his go-to person again. We're constantly on the phone or he's here with me. We went to a charity event one evening, we spent a weekend away, I even met his kids and his ex. All of this happened with us just being friends. However, as I've mentioned before, we became incredibly close during this time, and I fell for him harder than ever. The weekend we went away, we were snuggled up in bed and he made two promises to me. He promised that I would always be a part of his life, somehow. He promised that he would never again lie to me or omit the truth. Both of these promises have been broken all ready. It's funny, there were two other promises that he made to me at other times during the past month. One was that he would be there for me the next time anything bad happened to either of my children (in reference to BB's illness in March and how he didn't come to the hospital at all when my other close friends, and even my boss, did) and that he would never not talk to me if we had an issue - we'd always talk it out. The former hasn't been tested yet, thankfully, but I assume that he won't be there for me. The latter has already been broken.

Over this past month he's shared a lot of information with me. Very private stuff. I have guarded this information with my life. It's made it difficult for me to talk with friends or family about what's been going on in my life, because I've been so careful not to share something that I shouldn't. Then suddenly last week, he started questioning my feelings for him. He thought that because my deep feelings weren't reciprocated that I would end up getting hurt. I refused to let him push me away and told him that I was aware of the risks, that I committed to be his friend through his ordeal, and that I would deal with those feelings and any fallout from them. After a few more conversations that evening and the next morning, I thought all was fine. We took a quick road trip so he could run an errand on Thursday night, and that night we stayed up fairly late talking on the phone having one of our usual heart-to-hearts. We made plans to go out for his birthday this week, and had talked about going away this weekend. Then last Saturday night he didn't answer when I called him at bedtime. I texted a while later to say goodnight. When I woke up after 02:00 to feed BG, I was really worried, because it wasn't like him to not check in by that point. So I called (we had previously told one another to call anytime, day or night, if we needed something. I needed to know he was okay, I felt justified in calling.) and there was no answer. So I sent another text telling him I was worried, and to check-in when he could. I was paranoid he was laying in a ditch somewhere. He finally called me after 07:00 Sunday morning, telling me he was feeling very vulnerable because I knew everything about him, and insinuated that I couldn't be trusted. HUH? Then somehow it turned into him needing to face his current issues head-on, on his own. Okay, that part makes sense to me. It was obvious to me that he couldn't be alone, and that was why he had formed this pseudo-relationship with me. But to not trust me??? That was the part that I can't cope with. Anyway, after a lot of talking that morning, I let him walk away. If space was what he needed, space he would have. I had promised him long ago that I'd do anything for him, and if giving him space was part of the anything, then I'd do it.

He checked in a few times between Monday and Wednesday, updating me on his situation. Only on his last call on Wednesday did he show any interest in my life. I didn't ask many questions when he called, because I didn't want him to think I was prying in order to share information with anyone. I didn't talk about my life, because I figure he probably has enough on his mind right now that my baby stories would be unimportant to him. Yesterday morning I sent him an email to wish him a happy birthday. He replied back and told me it was probably the nicest birthday email he had received. Then last night he deleted me as a friend on Facebook. HUH? I'm so growing tired of this push and pull game. So, I emailed him one last time to ask what it is that I've done to wrong him. I thought I was being a good friend to him, but he obviously feels otherwise. So what is it that I've done, besides allowing myself to become his doormat? Heck, it's more than just allowing myself to become his doormat, I chose to become his doormat. It didn't just happen. I made the conscious decision to do it. I still haven't received a response from him. I'm guessing I won't be hearing from him again. I'm left with so many questions and so much hurt over the entire thing. What happened that I don't know about? Can I ever trust anyone again? I'm feeling like I can't.

I think it's all about control with him. The constant push and pull. I've wondered if perhaps this most recent push was a way to really take control of the situation that we had found ourselves in... he had cut the ties, but not completely, so perhaps this was his way of severing them for good.

I know what you're probably thinking... "You're better off without him." Maybe I am. But I need answers. I need closure. What really angers me, is that if he came back with answers, and an apology, and wanted to be a part of my life again, I'd let him back in. Why do I do this to myself?

I can handle the idea of him not reciprocating my feelings, I can even handle the idea of him not wanting to be my friend... what I can't handle is him suddenly deciding that I can't be trusted, after being told so many times that he trusted me implicitly, and that he trusted me with his life. How does that change overnight? I suspect there's more to the story, and that's why I want answers.

Hopefully this will be my last post about H. I know I've been dwelling on things with him far too much over this past month. He became my world, second only to my children.

H, I'm so very very angry with you right now. You've managed to hurt me in a way that you have never before hurt me... and there has been a lot of hurt since January. You're right, I do grin and bear a lot of things with you, but it's been okay, because it kept you in my life. However, although I am angry and hurt, the things you told me will remain secrets. I do not seek revenge on people; that isn't who I am, and I will never be that person. I wish you every happiness life has to offer. I hope you figure out who you are, and that you become the person you want to be. xo

Hmmmm...

As the day went on, I started feeling angry about the way I've been treated. There's so much I want to say about it all, but I know that if H ever stumbled over this blog, he'd be ticked that he was even mentioned. So, I'll keep my mouth shut, just in case.

On a happy note, I'm up waaay too late tonight because I've been chatting online. With a boy. *gasp* And he lives right down the road! He doesn't meet my dream guy's physical criteria, but the rest is jiving so far. Since meeting H, this is the first time I've really wanted to meet someone right away! That has to be a good sign!

:) :) :)

Still Hurting

This song was playing yesterday and struck me as completely appropriate at the moment. *sigh*

Tegan and Sara - Call It Off from Ashley Brown on Vimeo.

"Call It Off" by Tegan & Sara

I won't regret saying this
This thing
That I'm saying
Is it better than
Keeping my mouth shut
That goes without saying
Call, break it off
Call, break my own heart
Maybe I would have been
Something you'd be good at
Maybe you would have been
Something I'd be good at
But now we'll never know
I won't be sad
But in case
I'll go there
Everyday,
To make myself feel bad
There's a chance
I'll start to wonder
If this was the thing to do
I won't be out long
But I still think it better if
You take your time
Coming over here
I think that's for the best
Call, break it off
Call, break my own heart
Maybe I would have been
Something you'd be good at
Maybe you would have been
Something I'd be good at
But now
We'll never know
I won't be sad
But in case
I'll go there
Everyday,
To make myself feel bad
There's a chance
I'll start to wonder
If this was the thing to do
I'll start to wonder
If this was the thing to do

Pulling it Together

So I gave myself two days to wallow in self pity. By last night I was feeling a bit better.

H managed to last 24 hrs + 8 minutes before calling yesterday. That call was followed by two more later in the day. All were fairly quick calls just updating me on the goings-on in his life. I'm glad he's still keeping me in the loop, but I feel myself letting go already. I still care about him, heck, I know I still love him... that doesn't turn off so quickly, but I think it's my self-preservation mechanism kicking in... I can't say for certain, but I don't think I'll put myself in the position to be hurt by him again. Prior to that first phone call, there was also an email, and last evening he sent me two texts, the first one I replied to, the second one I didn't bother. Not that there was really anything to reply to, but it's unusual for me NOT to be the last one to reply.

To distract myself, I've jumped back into that awful pond. I'm not sure how I'm feeling about it, but it's something to do. I don't understand why I can't be alone, but whatever, it's who I am, and come hell or high water, I will find someone. That being said, I refuse to settle.

I had offered to take H out later this week to celebrate his birthday. I'm not sure if he still wants to go out or not; however, if he decides that he doesn't, I think I might see if someone else wants to get together with me, since I already have a sitter lined up. I'm sure that of the few people I'm communicating with, at least one of them would be interested. I'm a bit nervous at the prospect, but I think this most recent incident with H was the kick in the pants I needed to let go of the dream I had of us being together. Or at the very least, to loosen my grip on it. I talk a good talk, but I'm sure if he showed up at my door tonight I'd be back to square one. I'm such a sucker for him.

Here I Am Again

I'm so incredibly beyond blue today. How can I be pseudo-dumped by my pseudo-boyfriend? My heart is broken. How many times will I let this happen to me? Why can't I be alone? Where is my strength that everyone else keeps telling me I have? I don't feel it.

What's so difficult about the whole thing is that there's no one I can talk to about it, because the details aren't mine to share. I understand where he is coming from with respect to needing to pull away from me, but I still feel the need to talk it out with someone. However, I respect and love him far too much to share his personal stuff with anyone. But without sharing the details with anyone, he sounds like an ass, and that's not the image I want to paint of him. Not at all.

I feel reckless and out of control today. Like I'm going to do something rash that I could possibly regret. Or maybe it's that I *want* to do something rash. I think I'm going to try reconnecting with a couple of old friends... see where that leads. I need something. Is it fair to them (or to me) to do this while I still love H? Nope. But whatever, I'm sick of worrying about how everyone else feels. Bloody sick of it. It gets me no where, but trampled into the ground.

Smitten

Ever try to convince yourself that you don't have feelings for someone, and then suddenly reality crashes down on you, and you realize that you're hopelessly in love with them? I'm trying to stay cool but it's so hard... I refuse to be his rebound, and I refuse to do anything casually. It's all or nothing, and he knows it now. I don't think I'll get the relationship I want anytime soon, but I'm now filled with hope for the future again. And hope is a very dangerous thing. One interesting thing is that since we became "just friends" I'm much more like myself around him, without worrying too much about what he thinks. He seems to like me more now than he did before.

Right now we're practically inseparable... Filled with hope and happiness tonight. xo

Thursday Night Randoms

- I'm annoyed that my car wasn't washed and vacuumed today when I took it in to have the winter tires taken off. My whole reason for going to this particular service centre was so that the car would get a bit of a cleaning while it was there.

- I'm happy that BG was a good girl while we waited for over two hours at the service centre today. She nursed for a few minutes when we first arrived, then passed out in my arms for the next two hours. When she woke up she nursed again, and then passed out again. I love how I can take her anywhere. I was never brave enough to do that with BB. He never once nursed in public... we were hermits for the entire year I was off work.

- People say the stupidest things. I was out with Handsome on the weekend and we had BG with us. An old lady commented that she looked "just like" him. It was good for a laugh anyway. In reality, the only person she looks "just like" is BB when he was her age.

- I haven't talked about this previously, but one of the dark clouds that has been hanging over my head for quite some time now has finally been removed and I feel like my overall outlook on life is much better as a result. XH changed his mind on not being able to be friends. When we split, I think the hardest thing to deal with was losing my best friend, even though we said we would continue to be friends. Then it became apparent to me that it wasn't going to be the case, and finally he came out and said it. Well, emailed it. Anyway, a few weeks ago he completely floored me by saying that he wanted to be my friend again. Now he comes over to visit with the kids, has dinner with us, gives me an opportunity to take a shower, etc. He has even done a few (much appreciated) things around here for me. I wasn't sure how he was truly going to be a part of BG's life with the way things had been... I'm relieved for her that this seems to be working.

- I just realized that I've officially been separated for five months now.

- Correspondence with TMG has become spotty. I'm definitely okay with that. We had started chatting on MSN, but I stopped logging in (and haven't logged in since) since it seemed that he was constantly bombarding me with offline messages. So we went back to email, which I preferred. However, my motivation to email him hasn't been high lately so it usually takes me days to finally reply to one of his messages. So now I think he's giving me a taste of my own medicine by not replying right away either. It's okay, I think I'd prefer to stop talking to him now anyway. He seems kind enough, but I've come across a few values that don't jive with mine (cheating, for example!) and, as Handsome pointed out the other day, even if I've made it clear that I won't meet him, even emailing with him is enabling him. The way I've been looking at it is, I don't blame XH's girlfriend for what he did, it was his doing... same thing here. TMG can choose whether to talk to me or not, I'm not the one doing something wrong in his marriage. However, even so, when it comes down to it, I don't feel good about being a female he's talking to online without his wife's knowledge. Our conversations aren't even of a nature that would cause anyone to even raise an eyebrow... they're very clean, and just about life in general, but even so, I'm not feeling like I'm doing the right thing here.

- Have you ever spent a period of time sleeping with someone, and then found out after the fact that they have no recollection of it? Yeah, me neither. But apparently it happens to some people. And that's all I'm saying about that one.

- BB is slowly settling into his life with a baby sister. He has good days and bad days. At the beginning of last week I was at the end of my rope. I felt like all I was saying was, "No, no, no, no, no, no." But this week I'm noticing a big difference. I think that he's getting a better understanding of what I expect from him, and I'm getting a better feel for what he is capable of. This means he is able to follow the rules a bit more, and I'm able to loosen up on the rules in some areas, since most of my rules are simply for his protection. I suppose all of this makes sense... for the past year he has been in someone else's care for most of his waking hours, so now we need to get to know one another. He needs to learn the expectations, and I need to learn his abilities.

- BB's affection for BG is sweet. I think he only does it because I praise him for it, but that's okay. It's a beginning. And it's far better than having him walk up to her and slug her!

- Before I met Handsome, I had been chatting with someone else from the pond. We had talked about meeting but it never worked out. Then I met Handsome and I dropped the first guy like a hot potato. After Handsome broke my heart (okay, I could have sugar coated that a bit, but I don't feel like it) and I went back into the pond, the first guy found me and we started chatting again. It was only occasional at first, but now we check in with each other at least a few times a day. He still wants to meet. I kind of want to, but at the same time, I'm not sure if it's smart. I know nothing is going to happen with Handsome, but I also know that I still have feelings for him. And even if Handsome felt anything toward me (which he doesn't, beyond friendship, of course) I'm quite certain I wouldn't pursue it anyway. I know too much now to feel like that would be wise of me. I think I would just be setting myself up to be hurt by him once again. And really, how many times can one person stand in the middle of the road waiting to be run down by a transport? Even now, I find out little things that make me say, "Ouch." The first guy and I said that we'd only be meeting as friends, but everyone knows that when two single people are meeting, even if they give that disclaimer, both are thinking of the other as a possibility. My dilemma is this - would it really be fair of me to meet this first guy, even just as "friends", while I know I still have feelings for Handsome? Perhaps meeting the first guy would help me get over Handsome. But does that fall under the category of using the first guy?

- Some people in the world are evil. They tell malicious lies and hide behind them to mask their own guilt. They do not care whose lives they wreck in the process. I can't imagine living in this fashion, but I'm watching it happen to a friend.

- Please don't call a diaper a "di-a-per". It drives me crazy.

- There are few things in this world that are cuter than BG's hair. It's thick and dark. Immediately after a bath it goes curly. And when it dries, it stands on end and is fluffy. And by the next morning it's suddenly oily again.

- One of the pluses of being single with a newborn (bet you didn't realize that there would be pluses to this situation!) is that she and I have the bed all to ourselves! I don't have to worry about waking someone who will need to be able to function at work the next day, I can position myself on whichever side of the bed I need to in order to simply pop a breast in her mouth the next time she wakes up, I don't have to live in paranoia of someone else rolling over onto her or kicking or punching her in their sleep.

- Sharing my bed with BG does have one downside though... I don't foresee any intimacy in my future for a very long time.

- Don't leave my kitchen sink stopper in the sink. That annoys me.

- I enjoy early morning telephone conversations with Handsome. Heck, I enjoy conversations anytime with him, but for the past almost two weeks, we've been calling each other every morning to check in... now it feels like my day hasn't started until the phone call has taken place.

- Handsome has become such a big part of my life again these past couple of weeks... I'm going to be left with a gaping hole in my life when he finds his next love interest and starts investing all of his time in her. Maybe I should meet that first guy in hopes of avoiding the gaping hole. But then I'm back to the question of whether or not that qualifies as using the first guy.

- BG has grown so much over the past four weeks. I remember her sleeping on my chest not too long ago and she was just a little ball of flesh. Now she's over 10 lbs (XH and I weighed her the other night) and is currently sleeping on my chest, stomach, and her little feet and legs are even spilling onto my lap. It amazes me when I think about how it is my body nourishing her and giving her everything she needs to grow. It makes me think that I really need to step up my healthy eating. I've been lazy lately and meal time seems to be the same time that all hell breaks loose with the two children.

- Sometimes having an incredible memory isn't a good thing. I remember details that other people don't. And then when they don't remember those details, it hurts, and I look creepy.

- Although I spend more than my fair share of time thinking about guy-stuff and matters of the heart, I do believe that having BG has helped me to refocus on being a mother again. Not to the extreme that I experienced with BB, but I'm in a much different place this time. There are few parallels between my life now and my life then. At this point though, I don't feel the desperate longing to be with someone. It would be nice, but I'll survive being alone for a while longer.

- I still need to do a post on the events of the crazy night that BG was born. I started one... it was really long, and I'm not sure how clear it was. It's such an emotional topic for me, and I hate to forget a detail. I think I need to redo it with less detail though... otherwise, it won't make sense to anyone other than myself.

- I need to try some new food. I don't remember the last time I tried something different. I'm in a rut. I also need to find some recipes that are relatively easy, but healthy and different. Everyone has been so generous in keeping my freezer filled with easy and quick meals, but I really need to start making a few things again. Getting groceries is proving to be a bit difficult. I take BG with me, since she goes everywhere with me, and there's only so much room in her stroller for groceries. Last time I hung some shopping bags off her stroller with my Mama Clip. I was able to get more, but it was awkward.

- Gah. Just spent the last hour and ten minutes on the phone with Handsome since my last random point. He makes me happy. "And on that note"... I'm going to end this.

Questions that make me say, "Ugh."

I've been asked three questions over the past three days that I've been unable to answer very well because I was put on the spot. Okay, not all three are actual questions, but all three should have had a decent response on my part, but instead I was so shocked that the question was asked (or the comment was made) that I couldn't really say anything meaningful or worthwhile... These are somewhat paraphrased because these conversations took place over the last few days and although I have a good memory, I don't always remember every little word. ;o)

1. "I know you still care about me. Is it difficult for you to spend so much time on the phone with me and with me?" "Ummmm... no, not at all. I'm happy to be have the opportunity to spend time with you again." "Cut the crap, cuddles. That's a canned response. How do you really feel?" Ugh.

2. "I know you'll do anything for me. You've proven it. Why is it that you'd do that for me?" "Because I care." Really, what more could I say to that one? Although I have come up with some additional responses since then, most go back to the one I gave. Ugh.

3. "Can I be direct with you?" "Always." "You still look at me with that dreamy look." "I do?" "Yes, you do." "I'm sorry, does that bother you?" Ugh.

I need a switch to turn these things off

Why can't I just be his friend? I was getting there. I was okay with it. And now that we're on the phone constantly again and spent the last two evenings together, I feel the old feelings resurfacing. Oh, and he's wonderful with BG. Maybe it's just that I'm feeling protective of him right now, and that's feeling like those other feelings?

How did I recognize that I was having these feelings? I felt sad going to bed last night without first having a late-night convo. And then I realized.

Am I going to act on these feelings? Nope. I know they're not reciprocated, and that's okay. And anyway, my head knows that going down that road again isn't smart. However, my head and my heart are often not connected these days... Maybe they never have been.

The sun, moon, and stars

There is another post I started almost a week ago that I haven't finished yet... I just can't seem to get the focus I need to finish it. However, I feel the need to write about this situation, so I'm jumping around a bit.

In the course of my friendship with Handsome, I've been finding out all sorts of little things that have made me raise an eyebrow. Things that don't add up with what he originally told me when we first started chatting online, or even things that he didn't tell me while we were seeing one another, that I feel he should have filled me in on. I wondered whether or not to confront him on these things, or if it would just make me seem crazy, since it's all in the past. I decided to sit on it, and if the opportunity arises, I would bring it up then. I find it amusing that I've gotten the truth more often as his friend than as more. At this point, I'm definitely okay with just being his friend and nothing more. I still care about him greatly, but am not hoping for more than friendship from him anymore.

I try not to talk about other people's "stuff" here. This isn't a gossip blog. ;o) But I will sometimes mention things in relation to how they affect me. Handsome is going through some major stuff right now. As his friend, I am going to do whatever I can to support him though this ordeal. To be honest, I have no way of knowing for certain whether he is innocent or not since I wasn't there to see what happened, but as his friend I have to believe what he is telling me and support him 100%, so that is what I am doing. And I do believe him. I was thinking about this last night, and decided that even if he told me that he wasn't innocent, I would still support him. I would be angry with him for being dishonest with me, but that would be confronted and dealt with. Not that I think that would happen. Just sayin'.

I sometimes go back and forth on the whole "things happen for a reason" mentality. Sometimes I think that is true; other times I think that no, that isn't the case, but that we do need to look for the silver lining in the things that happen. Today, I seem to be sitting in the "things happen for a reason" camp. I feel like he came into my life at a time when I needed a boost, and since that time he's helped me through many rough patches. I even give him credit for saving BB's life when he was so sick. I'm grateful for all of the kicks in the pants he's given me to make me take action. And now I feel like I've been put in his life to help support him through this. We had one of our typical mushy moments last night where we gush at one another. He had been out with someone he has been good friends with for many many years -- one of those friends that doesn't keep score, and is there for you no matter what happens. He told me that I'm in the same category as that other friend. I'm glad he sees that. Isn't it funny the way relationships change over time?

BG arrived two weeks ago today. The time has gone by so quickly, yet it feels like she's been here forever. The connection I feel to this little girl is amazing. Maybe it's the female bond? I never believed in that prior to now. I think part of it is the whole "I am woman hear me roar" thing I've had going on over the past several months as I become more strong and independent... it makes me want to instill those qualities into BG from the beginning.

But I digress. As usual.

My purpose of this post is to document my labour experience. It was exactly as I had hoped, but did not go according to plan! Are you ready? Here we go.

Thursday March 25 - I had some energy that evening, so I decided to get the house tidied up in case Handsome happened to decide to come over (we kept saying that we were going to get together but between him being sick, then BB being sick, and then me being sick, etc. it never happened, and I knew that this would be the last night until the following week that he would be able to drop in.) Also, I hadn't taken any baby bump pics since the night of my work Christmas party (posing for XH to take the pics was beyond awkward, so I hadn't gotten up the nerve to ask anyone else to take any more for me) and I knew that time was most likely running out, so I perched my camera on a stool that was perched on a chair and got a few baby bump shots. At 20:55 Handsome called and invited himself over. It was the first time I had seen him in three weeks, and it was clear that we were just friends now. But that was okay because I knew he was dating, and really, I'm not interested in being one of many. We had lots of laughs and a it was a great visit. It had been a while since I had last laughed that much... considering how bad the previous few weeks had been with BB being so sick, the laughter was much appreciated. Anyway, as he was leaving at 22:30, we hugged goodbye and he decided to try to pick me up to see how heavy I was. Pretty amusing, since I had only gained 27 lbs. (On a side note, I did nothing to assist him in his efforts to pick me up. If anything, I probably made it harder. At one point in time I probably would have had my legs wrapped around him if he had tried to do that.... Way to be strong, cuddles!) After he left, he did his usual calling me while on the road thing, and then I uploaded the bump pics to Facebook, and Handsome and I chatted on MSN until 01:00.

Friday, March 26 - After Handsome went to bed, I played around on the Internet for a while longer. Melissa and I exchanged comments on my bump picture, and I told her that I didn't think that the baby would be coming for a while yet as I was far too comfortable to be ready to go into labour anytime soon! At around 01:30 I realized that I should go to bed, afterall, if I were to go into labour within the next couple of days, I might regret missing out on that chance for sleep! I noticed that my back was hurting a bit, but I chalked it up to laying in a bad position with the Netbook and the belly. (It's not the first time I've done that!)

At 02:30, I woke up not feeling right. This had happened a few nights prior, and I used the washroom, then returned to bed in a different position and was fine. So I assumed the same thing would work again. But when I returned to bed I could tell that sleep wasn't going to happen the way it did the other time. Then I was suddenly hit with a wave of pain. I wondered if it might be a contraction (I was induced with Pitocin during my labour with BB, so I had no idea what to expect from a natural labour, and for the record, a natural labour was my goal. I'm not brave enough to do the home birth thing, but I did intend to be drug-free this time.) It passed after a minute and I breathed a sigh of relief. But then a few minutes later it happened again. I figured it must be Braxton Hicks, because it didn't make sense for real contractions to be happening so close together. After the third time I started trying to roughly time them... four minutes apart, lasting for almost a minute each. I went to the labour info website that my SIL/friend/labour support person had sent to me earlier in the week and it said that labour usually starts with contractions 30 minutes apart. I thought that it must be "fake" labour then and breathed a sigh of relief. However, by 3:30 it wasn't letting up. At this point I called my SIL to let her know what was going on. I played it down, since I didn't want to get everyone riled up over nothing and she said that if I wasn't able to sleep to call back in a couple of hours. I figured, "Hey, she's a nurse. She knows about this stuff." I was a bit disappointed that she wasn't jumping in the car to come to my place, but then again, it probably was just fake labour, right? As the next hour progressed I tried to time my contractions, but it was difficult to time them while dealing with them. I tried to distract myself by swimming in the pond (OMG, yes, I was in labour and trying to find a new man!), and looking at the labour website. One of the items on the website was a checklist of what to take to the hospital with you. It included warm socks in case your feet get cold. I hadn't packed warm socks, but there was a basket of clean laundry on my bedroom floor that had warm socks in it. So I laid on my floor, pawing through the basket of laundry while suffering through contractions, trying to find a warm pair of socks. *shaking head* I obviously wasn't thinking right at this point. I was becoming more and more scared. All alone with a 22 month old, outside of the city, and no support. And once again I was wondering, "How did this become my life?"

At close to 04:30 I went through the chart that outlined "real" labour vs. "fake" labour on the website... it seemed that I had all the "symptoms" of real labour. OMG. At 04:30 I called my SIL because the contractions were now two minutes apart and not pushing was becoming impossible. I think called XH to make arrangements for him to take BB earlier the next day than originally planned. Having to talk to him during all of this was murder. I had to deal with contractions while talking to him, and showing any signs of vulnerability to him was not something I wanted to do.

At around 05:00 help still had not arrived. I contemplated calling N to come over, but I knew that this wasn't something she would want to deal with (and really, we had made so many jokes about her having to deliver the baby, that it just seemed weird to actually suggest it might happen!) I even considered calling Handsome just to have him talk me down and tell me that no, I still had lots of time, be calm, etc. Instead I called my SIL again and demanded to know where she and my brother were. I wasn't very nice about it. (Turned out they weren't rushing as they thought they had lots of time... the took their dog out to pee, got dressed, didn't drive more than 10kph over the speed limit, etc.) They arrived at 05:15. I was standing at the island in my kitchen holding on for dear life, bellowing through my contractions. The look on my brother's face told me that he knew we all had to move quickly. My SIL asked me if I was nauseous (yes, I was nauseous and drenched in sweat) and then the realization hit her that this was the real deal. I managed to calmly explain to my brother which bags from my room needed to be loaded into the car, had him get me the garbage can from the bathroom to take with me in case I was sick in the car, directed him to find a pair of flip flops for me from my closet, had him grab my camera, etc. How I remained level headed to do this, I have no idea.... planning does seem to be how I react to a crisis though. Then we headed out to the car. The infant carrier seat caused the passenger seat to be pulled too far ahead for me to comfortably ride to the hospital, so I had to get back out of the car, remove the seat, let my brother know to move it into the house, and get back into the car. Once a bit of confusion over keys between my brother and SIL was cleared up we were finally on the road to the hospital.

I advised my SIL to pass anyone that was in our way. Luckily at 05:30 that only meant passing a couple of cars. Even on the way to the hospital, I was still worried they would tell me that this wasn't the real thing and would send me home.... all the while trying not to push in the car!

My SIL stopped at the ER doors and put my in a wheelchair and brought in my bags. She then ran into the ER to tell them what was happening. Then she went back out to park the car. While she was doing that, my water broke. (Next time you walk through the doors into the DECH ER, think of me!) She came back inside and again went into the ER asking for some help (you can't get up to Labour & Delivery after hours without someone from ER letting you through.) A couple of women sauntered over and looked at me through the glass, and eventually someone came out and started pushing my wheelchair. She didn't say a word to me, just gave the occasional order to my SIL. The ride was awful... the ceramic tiles on the floor are SO bumpy when you're in a wheelchair! We arrived in L&D at 05:50. One nurse checked for dilation and said that she could feel the baby's head, but that she would have another nurse confirm it. So the next nurse comes in, checks, says, "Yes, that's the baby's head. PUSH!" Eight minutes later at 05:58, BG was in my arms.

In all of the haste they didn't have time to try to drug me, catheterize me, or hook me up to their machines. One person did hold a fetal heart monitor to my stomach, but they didn't even bother trying to strap it on. They didn't have time to read my birth plan, but thankfully my SIL knew what was there and was able to direct them after the baby arrived so that all of my post-delivery wishes were followed. (All of my labour & delivery wishes basically revolved around not wanting drugs or interventions, so it seemed that I automatically got my way on those ones!)

After it was all over with I couldn't believe I had just given birth. I felt fantastic. When BB was born I felt like I had been hit by a train afterwards. It was the scariest 3.5 hours of my life (seriously, who wakes up an hour after they go to sleep with contractions 4 minutes apart?!) but I survived, and I'm happier it happened this way so I could have the birth go the way I wanted. When I started preparing for BG's arrival, I discovered that I had a lot of resentment towards the way my labour with BB happened. Now I feel that I can let go of that negativity because I've had the experience I had hoped for.

Rutted

I had so many things I had intended on accomplishing tonight with BB at XH's for the night. I was going to get on treadmill, shower, finally get my breast pump washed up, apply for my EI, bake a batch of muffins, etc. And now that it's just me and BG here, I feel exhausted. Physically, I'm more tired today than I have been since before BG was born. Emotionally, I'm spent. I feel guilty over not getting these things done tonight, especially since it's going to be a week before I have another "break" like this, but I think I need to just spend the evening doing what feels right. Maybe crying a little (yep, here come the tears), feeling a little sorry for myself, eating some ice cream, etc. Spend the evening in bed with BG and maybe catch up on some emails that I owe people. (My mother would tell me that I should be working on my thank-you cards. One more thing hanging over my head.) I've worked so hard since January to get myself out of the rut, that I feel so scared on nights like tonight when I feel myself slipping back into it. Maybe I should get BG dressed up and head into town or something... sure it's not accomplishing what I set out to do tonight, but maybe my mental health needs the trip out of the house? Ugh, but no, my face looks creepy, so no unnecessary trips to town for me. Be strong, cuddles.

One More to Add to the List

I've stopped asking "What next?" when thinking about all of the bad things that have happened to me over these past several months. It seems like it is only tempting fate. I've tried so very hard to keep a positive attitude, and keep that smile on my face, even if it means constantly laughing at myself and my situation. Now I can't even smile properly because I was diagnosed on Wednesday with Bell's Palsy! Over the day on Tuesday the right side of my face slowly stopped working, but I didn't clue in until Tuesday night when I could no longer blink or smile. It could take up to SIX MONTHS to correct itself! WTF?!

I have SO very much in my life that I am grateful for. So very very much! But come on! After all I've been through lately, at least let me have my vanity! I'm not feeling very reflective at the moment, just annoyed with it all. Hoping the silver lining jumps out at me soon!

18 Weeks

In the past 18 weeks, I have...

• lost my husband
• learned about compassion and betrayal
• discovered that I'm a much stronger person that I ever gave myself credit for
• bought a house
• learned that I can be independent and yet still ask, and rely on, others for help
• been reminded that my family will always be there for me regardless of how hard I try to push them away
• taken a lover and then somehow found the strength to let him go and simply be his friend
• learned that I can love again, and even trust again, in spite of the hurtful act that was committed against me by the person I believed I could trust more than anyone else in the world
• met my husband's mistress and was calm and friendly, for the sake of my children
• played nurse to my son while he suffered from pneumonia and dehydration
• fought for my son's health when the doctors at the hospital would not believe he really was a very sick little boy
• stayed with my son in the hospital for several days and many scary moments while he recovered from his illness
• spent four sweet days at home with BB after he was released from the hospital, doing nothing but colouring and drawing at the kitchen table
• given birth to an amazing baby girl who is currently curled up naked on my bare chest.

Life is good. Life is sweet. Life takes unexpected turns sometimes and I need to find a way to embrace them. I often need to remind myself of this, but I do believe it.

Mini Rant

Biting my tongue really hurts. It's quite painful. I tend to live out loud and feel like I've been squelching myself for the past several months.

Today I'm filled with fear, rage, and frustration and can't even say why. I'm soooo tired of censoring myself. It's not me.

So many things need to get settled (and quickly) so I can go back to being the me that I'm meant to be.

March Randoms

Here we are, well into March. Here's some of the randomness floating around my head tonight...

• BB has been sick since last Friday. I'm very grateful that he isn't one of those children that is sick all the time. I'm sure the fact that he eats quite healthy makes a big difference. The other night, in my desperate attempt to get him to eat something, anything, I tried giving him a popsicle, and he screamed, "Nooooooo!" as if I was attempting to poison him. Most kinds know that a popsicle is a treat. BB doesn't.

• I'm now 38 weeks + 3 days. Or so they say. But that does tie in with the fact that I felt like I conceived on July 4. It's amusing to watch the doctors try to predict what BG will weigh. I was told two weeks ago that she'll probably weigh about 8.5 lbs. Today I was told she would weigh 7-something. Really, does it matter? My doctor also told me that when I go in next week that they'll sweep my membranes. At my last appointment I asked that they NOT do this at 39 weeks. So again today I had to remind her. And I'm sure next week as well I'll have to go in with my thighs pressed firmly together to keep them out of me. Yeesh. Why rush it? She'll come out when she's ready. I'm not ready for her to arrive, there's still too much to do. And I've spent so much time just sitting here next to BB since last Friday that I'm definitely behind. But he deserves all of the love and attention I can give him.

• I had a dream last night about nursing. It made me feel a bit excited to get started again. I keep wondering if BB will want to start again. I'm hoping so. I think it will be a good way to make him not feel left out when the baby arrives. And he could use the extra goodness in his little body right now too.

• Things have slowed down on the Handsome front. I haven't even seen him since last weekend. He's taken someone else out a couple of times now. I suspect they're going to get together. It makes me sad. But I'm finding that when I'm not around him I feel annoyed by the whole situation. However, as soon as I see him, I turn to putty. And regardless of my annoyance I still care about him a lot. But at least I'm learning to let go. I really hope we'll still be friends though, even after he has found someone else.

• I'm still swimming in the pond. I can admit I'm quite superficial. A guy needs to be what I consider good-looking before I'm going to be willing to bother making the effort to meet him. I was chatting with one guy who didn't have a pic. We got along quite well, and eventually moved the conversation onto MSN. Then he finally sent a picture. Overweight and homely. It would be different if I was friends first with someone, then discovered a spark there... I'm sure looks would be less of a factor. But since it is online DATING, I need to be physically drawn to someone before considering anything further. There is a message in my inbox from him asking if he can take me out to dinner this weekend. How do I say, "I know we got along quite well while we were chatting, but you're just too darned fugly for me to want to stare at for an entire meal"?? I don't like being mean like that.

• Somehow while swimming I ended up chatting with some guy who is married. It seems odd that I even bothered replying to him, but I do recall his first message just being one wishing me luck with the baby and telling me that he could never be more than a friend (as I state that I'm looking for an LTR) so I probably just politely replied with a "Thanks, I appreciate that." sort of message. Anyway, I now chat with this guy (Handsome and I call him The Married Guy - TMG) more than anyone else on there. Weird. No, I have no intentions of meeting him (although Handsome seems to think that I'm going to meet him at some point) and I have no idea what he looks like (he holds his cards close to his chest, for good reason.) I don't want to become the other woman. And I don't agree with his reasons for being on the site, and I've made that clear to him. However, I am enjoying his conversation. He reminds me quite a bit of Handsome, but with fewer typos.

• I keep wondering how the baby is going to change my outlook on everything... on fishing, on Handsome, on TMG, etc. Will it take my focus off trying to find that missing piece for a while? Or will I just keep plugging away at it? I find it amusing that I'm full term and still considering going out on dates with people. I never would have dreamed in a million years that I'd be in this position. I hope that the rush of hormones after the baby is born will help me refocus on my duties of being a mother. Not that I've been neglecting them, but I don't feel like it's been my main focus either.

• BB is passed out next to me on the bed. He's so beautiful. He's been my reason for continuing on all of the times when everything has seemed too difficult to bear. A lot of weight on the shoulders of a 22 month old. Thankfully, he'll never know.

• Last Friday I survived the 10th anniversary of meeting XH. It was also our 6th wedding anniversary. It was not an easy day. I often live by the motto of no regrets, yet I kept wondering what would have happened if I had never invited him over to watch The Simpsons that night. But then I look at BB and I know that it wasn't a waste. There was a purpose to it. A reason for it.

• If you love someone, tell them. I was foolish enough to do it to Handsome after he ended things and he didn't run and hide (surprisingly.) I don't think love is something you should keep to yourself. There isn't enough of it in the world, it seems. xo