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By doriluthy, July 30, 2009 12:25 am

We’re having a full on heat wave here in Vancouver. Oh yes…

We got back from cool breezy oceanside Tofino on late on Sunday night, to walk in the door of our apartment and met with a wall of stuffy hot air. And that air has not moved at all. It is hanging out in the low 30’s here – 29′C right now! At 11:00 at night! Egads.

Not that I’m complaining, oh no! It’s glorious, summer at it’s best. Everything, everyone, it all slows down to a great snail pace in this heat. The sirens, noise and hubbub of the city all seem louder, and at moments I imagine I’m sitting in this apartment, SJP style, enduring a hot New York summer evening… Fans blowing and wet towels across my neck. I go on the patio every now and then to dip my feet in the cold bucket of water I have sitting out there.

Enough about the now and present! I have to tell you about that wonderful land to the West.

Tofino… Oh Tofino… We love each other, you see.

It turns out that I can sit for hours and hours, tucked under a rainbow coloured umbrella, watching the infinite waves roll in from the distant magical horizon. On the particularly windy days, when you sit and the sand blows a bit around your legs, and the smell of all things living and dead rise up from the ocean and that deep sea air is stuffed right up into your nose, into your memories- you just get into the groove of “never ending” (waves, water, air, sand…), or at least I managed to. Pretty hardcore, actually.

And I watched Dustin surf his heart out for 8 days in a row, no matter the weather, waves or time. He found his love, too:

We got up one morning to discover the low-low tide had momentarily revealed a whole mess of hidden mysteries. We scrambled up around rocks sticking our noses and eager interest into tide pools and cracks in the rocks. There were things I had never seen before, oh the mystery!

I stopped and looked at Dustin at one point, him stooped over a pile of starfish, shells and other creatures, and had one of those incredible moments of LOVE. It must be the air in Tofino, cause there he was, that curious, funny, sensitive husband of mine, and my heart was over-flowing… He, who is intrigued by the mysteries of the world as much as I am (’Dori! Come look at this!’). And he, who will be holding sweetly onto a mini-version of himself next year when we come to Tofino.

Can’t you just see it? A 6mth old version of him, with those mischevious blue eyes and ‘how could you ever be angry with me’ smile? I’m hooped.

Well, yes, and yes again- it was a good trip. Darn good, with lots of love. A big Tofino thanks to V & A who took us along on the journey and taught us the ways of comfort camping, oh we are fully converted.

So one more pic… This was the last lovely sunset we saw, perfect as usual. Sigh…

Ok, time to take this wiggly belly to bed.

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By doriluthy, July 14, 2009 12:41 pm

I’m sitting here doing some computer work, getting a couple show applications mailed off and some banking caught up… and deep in my belly there is a little Peanut doing back flips, causing my stomach to jiggle and me to giggle.

The babe has been pretty darn active in the past few days- pretty regular movement since my birthday. It’s been a treat as I understand this is the most active time (24-28 weeks) before the baby get’s too crammed in there to jump around quite so much. I guess I’m on a similar time-line, hey? Another month or two for me to still getting around pretty well?

So our summer adventure continues! We leave for Tofino on Sunday, but D-man and I also spent the past 5 days up in the Okanagan at a friend’s family cabin- basking in the heat of the dry climate, playing in the lake, lying around reading, eating VERY well, and enjoying the company of some good friends. It was a delightful trip. We seem to be tapping into the “go stay at someone’s house” vacation plan this summer, which means we’ve been able to afford to go away quit a bit in the past few weeks and get some serious quality time in. We keep telling each other how we want to get the most out of our last summer just the two of us.

Ah, just the two of us… not for much longer! 15(ish) weeks to go!!! One of the couples we went to the Okanagan with has two young kids and it was really great to have some baby-talks. One of the interesting things that the husband mentioned was that when their first was born, there was definitely a time of mourning the old life of just the two of them, and that feeling did last for a few weeks/months, remembering the time when it was just the two of them, and the fun and time that they had… but then he said that the feeling goes away after a while, and now he can’t even really remember the difference, cause life with the kids it is such a pleasure and life just is life.

I can understand that feeling in the same way that my single life is such a distant memory. Having been with D-man for over 10 years, life with him IS the way it is. I plan, I dream, I grow with him… But I do remember early in the relationship, before I really made my commitment to him, that little feeling of longing for the days of youth, days of single life… Now the memories of single life are just a joy to remember, instead of a wistful longing. I guess this is how that feeling fades with time, when life is just life with the new person in it.

Well, the only pics I managed to get in Summerland were photos of my belly. But I’m assuming from the requests that this is fine for many of you. And I’ll try to get D-man in a pic eventually.

So here’s me at a full 24 weeks- still waiting for my belly button to let loose. I think it’s tethered itself to my spine, refusing to become an ‘outie’. And the bambino seems to favour the position of lying sideways across my tummy, with feet over on the right side. That’s where I get the most kicks happening, especially when I’m lying down. And might explain why I seem to be carrying pretty low.

Oh, did I mention: Tofino on Sunday!!!!!! For an entire week!!!! (a little excited?)

Ciao!

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By doriluthy, July 7, 2009 10:47 pm

Hi! It’s my birthday today!

And as a present, the baby got the hiccups for the first time that I could feel. I started giggling once I realized what it was. At first I was wondering what the little jiggling in my belly was, and since I no longer have any organs in the vicinity, I realized it must be something else… like a baby? Whaaa?? But it was so obvious once I stopped working and just paid attention- oh so weird…

That’s the thing about being 23 weeks + 2 days pregnant. The baby is still small enough (about a foot long, about a pound heavy), and even though I can definitely feel the action happening in the belly, specific movement is hard for me to decipher. An elbow? Rolling around?

Anyway, enough about the Peanut.

I want to send a big huggy thank you to all the dear friends and family that checked in today to send birthday wishes- I don’t think I’ve had quite so many phone messages with people singing to me as I did on this birthday, my happy 31st. Makes a girl feel pretty darn special.

And also to celebrate on my birthday, I’ve been twittered today for the first time in my life! Thanks to sweet friend Wendy who captured the love between me and my first cake of the day (1 of 2, teehee), and then promptly posted the pic for all the world to see. (Hi people of the internet!)

Well, I’d say I’m off to bed, but with the sugar high from 2 pieces from 2 chocolate cakes all within the last hour and half- I think I’d better go run around the block… Or go scrub the bathroom… Or go whittle some small wooden animals as gifts for my unborn child…

Ciao.

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By doriluthy, July 3, 2009 12:13 am

It’s July 2nd today…

This date is not so significant in itself- it’s not my birthday (yet! the 7th); it’s not Canada day or US Independence Day. I didn’t get up to too much today, other than some cleaning and organizing and random things preparing for an exhibition I have coming up in September…Oh, and a quick show down on Granville Island as part of the Jazz Fest happening right now. But none of this is really that significant.

BUT, if you recall this post, the significance is that I have now completed month 5 of pregnancy, and am exactly 4 months from the due date of this little Peanut. And let me tell you- I’m getting out there. My belly is unmistakably pregnant. I’m tired, a lot. The baby is kicking, also a lot. A crib has arrived in our household, (thanks to a generous friend), but it’s kinda freaking me out to see it here already. Well, I guess this is why we get 9months to percolate to prepare for the change. But what is the intense, almost overwhelming feeling I’m experiencing? Oh right: Imminence.

And adding to the fun? I seem to have lost a significant portion of my functional brain cells out my ear somewhere in the last week. I think the ant infestation we are experiencing had something to do with it. I believe my brain cell crumbs have been carried off and are now being used to feed a growing colony of creative, silly, ant-lings… Much to the chagrin of their mothers, no doubt.

For now, me and D-man will continue to enjoy our last child-less summer, and watch in amazement as my belly continues it’s outward journey. Lots of travel and camping planned for this entire month- the highlight in July is a week in TOFINO!!! of surfing, sand, and camping with some of the greatest people on the planet. Gotta figure out the sleeping situation, as I’m not sure a thermarest will suffice. But really, I’m most looking forward to walking into the surf shop and seeing the look on the clerk’s face when I try to squeeze my meatball into a wetsuit.

Good times ahead.