First Bath at Home!

As you can probably tell from the pictures below, Brooke does not enjoy being naked and cold! lol I can't really say that I blame her...but she's too young to explain the need for personal hygene. The pictures also do not show that she peed on my leg during this fun bath experience. Don't worry tho Jeremy documented that in the baby book! hee hee.

First 5 Days

Day 1

Day 2
Day 3

Day 4
Day 5

Brooke Summer Lynn Remillard

Introducing Brooke Summer Lynn, the newest member of the Ward/Remillard family. Born March 26th at 1:40am. She weighed 6lbs 10 oz and was 20 inches long. After two days of contractions, I was relieved to have this little life in the outside world. She arrived with her eyes open and a good healthy cry!

She calmed down once she got dressed up in a sleeper that just hung off of her! And, of course the little toque!

Jeremy's a very proud daddy. I do not think I will ever forget the excitement in his voice when she arrived. We knew it was a girl, but he was so proud and so excited, it's definitely a moment in time I tried my hardest to obsorb as I never want to forget. He said "She's got her eyes open and she blinking, she's ready to see the world....look babe!" I didn't have the heart to tell him I couldn't see anything because of the position I was in.

Brooke and I quickly got on the phone to call Grammie and Grandpappy in New Brunswick to tell them the wonderful news that they had their first Granddaughter. Since the phones in Grandpappy's hospital room weren't turned on we had to call the nurses desk. I told the nurse who I was and that I would like them to have Debbie call me back. The nurse said "I'll do that first thing in the morning" I said..."I think now would be good" "You want me to wake her up?" the nurse asked. I said "yes please, she's a grandmother today and I'm sure she will want to know ASAP." Within a few mins my phone was ringing back and the exciting news that their first grandchild had been born was spread to New Brunswick!

Baby Room

Here is the baby room all completed and ready for her to arrive!

Thank heavens I don't have to say he/she anymore! lol

Tucker and Bunny

Tucker has this new obsession with taking every toy he owns outside. As per my pervious post about him getting dirty in the mud, you can maybe understand why I am refusing to allow the bunny to go outside with him. lol



Take note of the dogs eyes. At one point he's like, yeah, I'm going out side, I'll take Bunny with me. Then at the end his eyes are sad, like I'm making him say goodbye to his best friend. lol What a funny dog!

Tub Time

The weather here has been extremely warm, it was up to +23 one day in the sun! Since it's been so nice, the ground is thawing, the snow is melting, and that creates MUD! Tucker spent a good portion of the day outside, which was nice as it allowed me to do what I needed to do inside.

When it came time for him to come in his paws were very very muddy. Since I have this huge belly infront of me, I can't exactly bend over to wash his paws before him running through the house.

I came up with this "brilliant" idea tho. I'll fill the tub up and get him in it, then I can wash his paws and all will be good. I even put doggy shampoo in the tub and made it a bubble bath for him. (I know spoiled eh?!) After some convincing, Tucker got in the tub, because at first I don't think he realized it was for him. I started to wash his paws and the water quickly stated to turn brown. What a brilliant idea I thought to myself, so much easier then getting on my hands and knees to wash his paws. Then Tucker decided it was time to get out of the tub...before I had the towel down to catch the water. Wooosh! There's water now all over my bathroom floor! And then Tucker decides to get back into the tub. Splash, more water everywhere! lol I decide to block him to keep him in the tub, he decides to lay down in it! UGH! So he is now soaked, I'm soaked, the bathroom is now soaked, but he thinks this is the greatest time ever! lol I can see it in his eyes! He's loving every min of his tub time.

Eventually, I got the water wiped up in the bathroom and entry way and I got him somewhat dry and myself somewhat dry and I drained the tub (much to Tuckers disappointment). I didn't think to have the camera there with me while there was water in the tub, probably a good idea concidering there wasn't much that wasn't water logged! lol But I took these pictures afterwards. I thought you might enjoy them!

Baby Shower in a Box

Today, I woke up later then normal and I didn't feel like doing anything. I didn't even bother getting dressed, I was in my jammies all day! It sure is nice to have that option now!

I had just gotten up and let Tucker back in the house when....I looked out the front window and see a DHL truck. I thought "What is that all about?" Then I realized they were obviously going to deliver me something, and my front door has plastic on it to keep the drafts out. So I quickly started to get ready to go meet the guy. When I got to the gate he was there already and he had a HUGE box in his arms. I signed for it and then went into the house to see what was in it and who it was from. The first name I seen was Mary Chisholm and she is a girl I used to work with at UPS. I thought ohh awesome stuff from UPS girls!

Then I seen Fonda's name and I started bawling! I was so happy and excited I could hardly contain myself. So happy to get something from home. I was so excited I almost called Fonda right away, but then realized that there were probably instructions inside the box. I quickly (or rather not so, there was a lot of tape on that box!) ripped into the box to see what awaited me. There was a video tape. This made me cry even harder. Not only was I going to hear the voices of my friends back home, but I was going to get to see them as well!!!! I cried the whole way to the basement to get the video tape and the whole way back up and the whole time I was putting it together. I ignored the instructions and hit play on the video tape, I just wanted to see everyone so badly! I did stop the tape after a few seconds and followed the instructions. Which I have posted on this blog. I will add the other pictures after the baby is born, because well if I was to show any of the other pictures the gender would be given away!

I watched the video as my friends back home had a baby shower for me, I laughed with them, I opened gifts with them. I really enjoyed the video and the whole shower. They are way too much, and once again it reminds me that I have the best friends I could ever ask for, even tho they are miles and miles away, they can make me laugh, smile and cry!

Little Too Much Excitement!

Saturday night, Jeremy had trouble breathing again. We ended up taking him to emergency again at the hospital on Sunday Morning. Come to find out the infection from the pnemonia is still there. The dr gave him some meds and it seems to be clearing up pretty good. We were at the hospital for hours. We came home and I had to make cookies for the baby shower, I also, cooked us breakfast. At 11 when Shoppers opened we went to get his prescriptions filled. It was about noon when we got home and I went to have a small nap. Then at 1pm I got up and got ready to go to the baby shower. Left the baby shower at 5pm and went and picked up the CRIB!

I now have a crib...how exciting is that?! Now to finish painting that one wall and set up the room! That'll be on the agenda for this week. That way I have a few days to relax and wait for baby's arrival. My sleeping at night has gotten worse, I am up for a couple of hours each night.

Needless to say, I was a little tired yesterday, Jeremy and I both didn't sleep much the night before.

The Animals

It's been awhile since I have posted pictures of my animals. Sometimes just Tucker. I have had a request for pictures of the cats. So here are some pictures of my little girls and boy.

Here is my little Nellie. Isn't she adorable?!

I just realized that I can't put the picture of Wink on here because she's on the table and that's where some baby stuff is and it would give away the "is it a boy or is it a girl" thing that my family has been asked to be kept in the dark. I'll try to snap another one this week and add it in. Cuz you know I'm not doing anything! lol

How can you not think this guy is handsome?!

22 Days and Counting

Here I am with 22 days left to go! Can you believe the time has passed so quickly?! I can't believe I'm almost a Mom?! I sure hope I know what to do! lol

Ok looking at this picture now I think I look huge in here! I tried to get one with my hands on my belly, but it was blurry so I didn't bother. I don't think I have dropped yet!...but I will I'm sure...I can't wait!

Lost and Found

So, Friday night, Jeremy came home around 7pm, he and I met Tara and her mom at Boston Pizza. We had a great supper and great conversation and didn't make it home again until 9pm.

At that time Jeremy took Tucker for a walk. I laid on the couch and started reading my book. After a little bit my cell phone rang, when I answered it, it was Jeremy. A puppy had followed him and Tucker home. He asked me to bring Tucker into the house, then we fed the puppy and I fed Tucker.

Jeremy wanted to keep the puppy all night, I had wanted to kick it out last night. Tucker and the puppy got a long great, they had a great time playing in the yard chasing one another and what not.

I told Jeremy to get rid of the dog and he said, I kinda feel like I've given the puppy it's last meal if I send it back out tonight. I said fine she can stay the night and we'll put up posters tomorrow to see if we can find her owner. Jeremy was already planning on keeping the dog indefinitely but he agreed to the posters.

The puppy stayed the night and needless to say Jer and I did not get much sleep last night, neither did Tucker.

This morning the dog peed on the floor twice, I yelled at the dog and she didn't even stop peeing, she just ignored me. I was furious, I yelled to Jeremy the dog is going back! lol Then she peed on the floor a little later and Jeremy yelled at her and again she didn't even stop or look at him. That's when it was decided that the little black run away was no longer welcome in our house. We let the dog back out through the gate that she had arrived at and I haven't seen her since. I'm sure she had a family to go home to and they were probably waiting for her.

I told Jeremy today, he is not allowed to bring home any dogs on his walk with Tucker.

It's Begun!

So...I am officially 4 weeks away from due date! Kind of exciting, kind of scary, kind of making be a bit looney to think of everything that needs to be done in next 4 weeks!

I've completed my last day at work for 10 months. 10 months without working...wow...that's a long time, I know everyone says the time will go by quickly and then I won't want to go back to work at all. This will be the longest I will have gone without work since..umm....I was like not old enough to work! So not working is hard for me to imagine! lol

I boxed up all my stuff, trained my replacement, and on Friday at 430pm, I walked out the door, to return only after the baby has been born.

Showered with Kindness

Since I am so far away from home, I really thought I wouldn't be having any baby showers. I thought I would be really lucky to have the girls from work give me something, but I wasn't expecting all the wonderful acts of kindness I have received in the last week.

Last Sunday, Jeremy and I went to my cousins, Beulah, for supper. Beulah had asked that we arrive at 130 or 2, which I thought was kind of early for supper, but she said she had wanted to visit with us first for a bit before supper. Jeremy asked what time Beulah wanted us there and when I said 2pm he said ok, without any second thoughts. I thought that was kind of odd, as Jeremy isn't the most social person in the world and actually finds social situations a bit stressful and exhausting. But he didn't complain at all, he just said ok.

On Sunday we arrived at 2pm and went into Beulah's new house and had a look around. It's quite a bit bigger then the apartment they were living in at Christmas time. The house has some great painting done inside, as well as other things that make the house stand out from most of the ones going up now a days (where most everything is the same).

We got the tour of the upstairs and eventually we moved our way down stairs. They had decorated the apartment with streamers and balloons and there were baby presents everywhere. Not to mention there were tons of people there that I did not know! lol Beulah and Jen had planned a baby shower for me and Jeremy. Jeremy was shortly afterward banished to the upstairs...lol. We played some games, we measured my belly with string, we had to guess how many jelly beans were in a baby bottle, we did a word scramble game, played baby bingo, and of course were given beads and told that we would lose the beads if we said the word "baby". One of the girls was actually right on with my belly, and she was the skinniest one there! lol All she did was wrap the string around herself twice, makes me kind of sad to know that I am twice the size of her...but it's all baby right?! lol

I got a ton of great presents. I felt so spoiled and am ever greatful to the hospitality and the kindess of these mostly strangers. I would list everything I have gotten, but you know SOME people don't wanna know what the baby is yet, so I'll add pictures later and give a general list now.
Beulah - 3 sleepers, 5 onsies, and 2 blankets
Jessica and Kim (Kim is Beulah's daughter in law and Jessica is Kim's daughter, she's 5) - knit outfit and socks
Judy and Robyn (Judy lives with Beulah and Robyn is her daughter, 20 something) - 2 Onsies, diaper bag, change pad, wipe case, and $25 gift certificate to shoppers
Jill, Jason, and Gianna (Judy's other daughter is Jill and Gianna is her daughter and I'm guessing that Jason is Jill's husband) - 4 recieving blankets, hat, soap, teether, 2 bibs, 2 onsies, coffee toppers and additives, bubble bath, hand lotion, candy, baby hangers, and bouncy chair
Jen, Brenda, and Larisia (Jen is Beulah's daughter, Brenda is her daughter and Larisia is a friend of Brenda's) - Stuffed Eeyore, 5 receiving blankets, baby outfit
Louis and Destiny (Louis is Jen's mother in law and Destiny is her granddaughter) - Photo Album set (has My First holiday, my first birthday, my first vacation and my first year)
Susan (a good friend of Beulah's) - 2 candle bottles, snowsuit, 2 bibs, a onsie, a sleeper.

Quite the load of stuff if you ask me! lol I was pleasently surprised by the generosity of these almost complete strangers.

On Wednesday, I had another baby shower at lunch time at work. The girls worked hard on organizing and keeping it hush hush so that I wouldn't find out (but if you are my mom, you know I'm not easily surprised...lol) I did have an idea but not until Wednesday at about 11am. When things got a little hectic in the office and people started disappearing...lol

Again we played games and had a great time not to mention ate food! lol This party actually involved most of the office! I was quite surprised by that, I thought maybe my group of 4 people would be doing something, but never expected most of the office to be involved.

The gifts from this group was amazing as well. Again, for people I hardly know they certainly pulled together for me!

Rachelle - garbage bag of clothing she had found from her baby
Donna and Shannon - bowls, spoons, 2 outfits
Russell Farrow (the whole office) - Diapers, formula gift pack (has a soother and bottle and a bunch of other stuff), shoes, bath towel set, socks, face cloths, and a stuffed animal.
Tracy and Nicole - Calendar (to record baby firsts), basket, bib, seseme street bath mitt, safety plugs, spoons, teether, baby soap, oil, powder, vaseline, soothers, wipes and bath towel
Jennie - outfit
Sherri - winnie the pooh sun shade, baby on board sign
Betty - 2 bath towels
Jean - outfit
Teri - basket w/stuffed animal, pop tarts (inside joke with her and I), outfit, 2 onsies, socks, scrapbook stickers
Evelyn - Basket with face clothes and bath towels
Andrew - Nursery Rhyme books

You should see all this stuff, I have so much baby stuff now, I'm not sure what to do with it all! lol

Last night, Friday, Jeremy's aunt stopped by, her and Ralph just had a baby last May and she had quite the load of stuff for us as well. She gave us a car seat (I now have two), a swing, a bouncy chair (I now have 3..lol), a bath tub and an activity center for the baby to lay on the floor and play with.

I can't believe how much kindness has been shared out here, I think it's great that people pull together like this.

Jeremy and I have decided to try to give the baby stuff we aren't using, or when we are done using it, to someone (probably military) who moved here and has not much for family. I appreciate all that they have done for me here and I think that giving back to others in the same situation would be the best for the things we have received. So I told Jeremy to keep his ears open in a few months to see if he hears of anyone who could use the stuff.

On the other side of things, I'm pretty sure I do not need anymore wash cloths...lol I seem to have a ton of them and receiving blankets, but everyone keeps telling I will need lots of receiving blankets, but I really have like 15 or 20 of them, I think that's plenty! lol