beach baby

On Saturday, Adam and I went out to Sandford and had a lovely walk on the beach on a very mild day for November. I've spent a lot of time on this beach in my life (especially when I was a kid) and there's always something new or different I notice about it. I loved how the red rock jumped right out from the surrounding rocks. I love how the cliffs (are they big enough to be called cliffs? How tall does a wall of earth have to be in order to be properly called a cliff?) slope down toward the water. And I love how things which have washed up change over time, like this whale bone (is it a head?) which is now bleached by the sun (but still smelly), very much unlike when we first saw it.

In other news, baby is about 1.5 inches long, and has wiggly fingers and toes. Very hard to imagine. It's the strangest thing to think that I'm carrying around a baby with me everywhere I go. I went for some standard blood work this morning, and the woman who drew my blood did a beautiful job - I didn't feel a thing. I've felt pretty good yesterday and today, so I hope the nausea and exhaustion are gone by the wayside. It will be 12 weeks on Saturday, which is the end of the first trimester (yay!) and generally when women start feeling better. Evidence I'm feeling better - the day we first knew I was pregnant (in September), I hosted a Home and Gift party. I got a bunch of lovely cooking and kitchen goodies and gadgets, and I hadn't made cookies or any kind of treat until tonight! Très unlike me. I used my lovely new baking stone, cookie spatula, and cooling racks in the process of making oatmeal raisin cookies. Mmmm. It's good to feel more like myself again!

And now for the real story...

Well, folks, I must be honest and admit the real reason why posts have been so infrequent of late. I'm pregnant, yipeeee! That also means that I've been exhausted and nauseous, so posting has taken a backseat to things like naps and ginger ale. I seem to be on the upswing now, so hopefully I'll be as good as new in a couple more weeks. The first appointment at the prenatal clinic was this morning, and everything was fine, so we're telling people right and left. :) Baby is about 1.2 inches long now!

Christmas is coming...

A photo I took back in October on a beautiful morning at Ellenwood Park. Just wanted to add some visual interest to the day.

I know, I know, it's not even Remembrance Day yet. But I am still excited for Christmas. Music in particular. Which I admit I retrieved from storage this morning, although I haven't listened to any yet. I'm travelling to Halifax tomorrow with a co-worker - I wonder what kind of looks she'll give me when I ask if she minds listening to Christmas music on the way!

In garden news, I planted some daffodils yesterday morning in the sun, and by the time I was finishing up it was snowing! Slight flurries, but snow. Kind of exciting. There have been more flurries this morning. Adam and I went for a walk and did some yard work; I cut some yew branches and put them in planters at the front and back doors to replace the summer ones, and pulled up some more annuals which have 'had the biscuit', as my mother would say. Things are settling down for a warm winter's nap.

Happy November

A quick post to let you all know that no, I haven't been eaten by Halloween ghouls or goblins, blown away in the insane wind last weekend or driven to the madhouse by my students. Things have simply been very busy.

A few garden notes which may interest you - geraniums, snapdragons, dahlias, and a few other flowers are still blooming! In November. Wild. We have a lot of yard work to do before winter, to get a couple beds ready for planting in the Spring, and to get the raspberry patch tidied up and a bit more manageable. I'm also planning on planting garlic and daffodil bulbs today after work, and pulling up some spent marigolds. I'm already excited for next season!