New Years Eve

Well here we are the last day of 2011.  I have no resolutions for 2012 except to spend as much quality time with my husband and child(ren) while I still am able (before maternity leave ends and I have to go back to work).  I am still very pregnant and have yet to have any real signs that this baby has any intention of giving up residence inside my uterus.  With the deadline of an Estimated Due Date looming, I am still waiting to experience the beauties of natural childbirth.  So hopefully early in the new year we will be welcoming our new son or daughter into our lives. 
Laurence and I were joking about how in the last few years, we have not made it to midnight (at least not since Anomantia was born).  Maybe this year we will actually make it depending on how tired we are from the day of playing and hanging out with Anomantia and relaxing waiting for labour to start.  I finished packing my hospital bag yesterday and the baby's stuff is mostly ready, it is all washed, dried and folded sitting in laundry baskets waiting for the baby to grow into it.  Meanwhile, Laurence is busy painting his new office and getting it ready to move in, and once he moved into the office we will start the renovations on his old office to transition it into a bedroom for Anomantia and make her a new bedroom.  The plan is to have these rooms completed by the end of the spring. 
We are going to be keeping busy with the new baby, an active two year old and all the renovations.  So we wish you all the best as we usher in the new year and hope you all have a wonderful end to the year 2011.

Happy Holidays

To all our friends, family and anyone who happens upon this post,

We hope this holiday season finds you all in good health and happy.  We are enjoying our Christmas day as a family at home in Gurneyland this year.  This time last year we had thrown the idea of making the trek west to see our extended family for the holidays but with the pending birth of our second child, Laurence and I made the decision not to travel (plus I am way too pregnant to make a trip that long). 
This morning we woke up at a reasonable hour and opened the door to Anomantia's room so she would just come downstairs when she woke up.  She surfaced about fifteen minutes later.  The gift opening was entertaining as she has figured out how to peel back wrapping paper.  She really enjoyed all of her gifts, taking the time to inspect each one and show her grandma and Pabby who were on Skype with us during half of the opening (I love technology for that!).  After the gifts and eating half of her Pez refills, we made breakfast of waffles, bacon and Apple-Pork sausages (so yummy).  Anomantia ate lots and decided that today is a shirt-less day again.  So currently she is playing with her new toys and books wandering around the living room in her pants and diaper.  I was hoping to put a cute outfit on her and take some pictures today but that is not going to happen unless she decides on it herself.  For Christmas we got her a tablet (for kids age 4-9 a little out of her age category, but seeing as she is techno-savvy, we got it anyways) and she LOVES it... games and drawing applications and such, she has been playing with it since it was opened.
Tonight we are forgoing the turkey dinner because with our luck it would all be foiled by me going into labour (yes it is that close to baby time), so we are doing a blade steak roast instead which is almost impossible to wreck unless it is undercooked.  I am just really looking forward to everything this holiday season brings.
So with all that I will leave you with many best wishes for a very happy holiday season and all the very best health, wealth and happiness for 2012.

Love from The Gurney Family:
Carlee, Laurence and Anomantia (and soon to be announced baby)

photo bomb

 The three of us on Anomantia's 2nd Birthday.  December 16th 2011.

  At a party at the neighbours' house.

 Ready for Christmas Dinner #1 at the Lacombe Lodge.

December 20th, 2011

 Climbing to get at the Fruit Loops in the pantry

December 21st, 2011.

 Laurence telling Anomantia to be careful when standing in the pantry.

 Anomantia and I getting some ice cream for dessert after dinner in a super messy kitchen.  

I was in shock when I saw how big my baby bump really is... Yikes!

Another view of the belly.  

I am totally in awe at all the changes in Anomantia since last week.  She has been talking in sentences and repeating words that I didn't think she would be able to say.  Last night's word was ridiculous.  She is a ball of joy and I can't wait to see how she reacts to Christmas this year.

Farts

The other morning, we were all sitting at the breakfast table when I leaned forward to reach for something and let the biggest fart rip at the same time.  Anomantia was sitting next to me and looked at me and said "bad mum, POOP (pointing at my bum then signing poop)!"  Since I am very pregnant, my passing gas is a usual occurrence but this was an unusually loud fart that I let rip.  Laurence and I couldn't help but laugh at the fact that our now 2 year old can figure out that farts and poop are related.  It was so funny, I almost peed my pants and accidentally let another fart rip due to laughing so hard and again I get the finger pointed at my bum and Anomantia (now standing on her chair) excitedly yelling "BAD MUM! POOP!"  which just made me laugh even more. 

Tonight she was an angel at the Christmas dinner in Lacombe.  It was awesome, she was quiet during the presentations and played nicely with the 15-20 grandmas she had to entertain her.  After the dinner was over and we were getting ready to go, she took a wipe out of her diaper bag and wiped down almost every chair in the entire hall (40-ish seats) before putting her sweater on and saying goodbye to everyone.  I can't believe that she managed to sit still for as long as she did.  The cutest part of the night was after dessert, she licked her plate clean (literally).  I wasn't going to take it away from her as the presentations had begun and we needed her to keep relatively quiet but she was pretty much self entertained by her toys that I brought for her to play with in the lobby if need be.  She sat beside the table and played with her book and batmobile for a bit then lap hopped for a bit and wandered around for a bit too.  At the end of the evening almost everyone commented on how well behaved she was.  Now only to keep up the behaviour modification program we have been on by monitoring her food intake very closely to make sure that she is not over doing it with the sugar intake.  So far so good even with the holidays and her birthday in the mix, she has been adapting very well. 

Today

Happy 2nd Birthday to my girl.  Anomantia is the big T-W-O today.  I will post pictures later.  I just love her to bits.

FUNNY(caution empty bladder then read)

Late this morning, Laurence and I made lunch for all of us.  Anomantia had not had tuna fish yet, but we made tuna melts to try with her.  She sat at her seat oh so patiently waiting for her lunch, and when it arrived at the table, she poked at it until Laurence put salt and pepper on it.  Once it was how she liked it, she proceeded to lick all the salt off the sandwich.  Once all the salt was licked off the sandwich, she took one tiny bite.  Laurence and I were watching from the kitchen.  The next thing she did, I nearly peed myself laughing, she spat the bite out and climbed down from her chair and walked around the living room saying "Blech, blah, blech, blech, blah!"  It was so funny.  She then came into the kitchen looks at Laurence and then leans over the garbage can.  She walked over to me and said "It belongs in the garbage!"... that was when we both couldn't hold the laughter in anymore and I nearly peed my pants I was laughing so hard.  She cracks me up so much sometimes it is so hard to keep a straight face.  So in short Anomantia doesn't like tuna melts.  I made her a peanut butter and raspberry jelly sandwich instead, to which she replied "Yum, yum, yum!" and ate it all up. 

Funny Shit of the Day!

This morning Laurence was in the bathroom, when Anomantia bust in with her Fisher Price cell phone to her ear like she was talking to someone.  Laurence looked at her and said "Oh you got your phone!" She looked up at him and said "Shhhh!" with her finger up to her mouth she actually shushed him after barging into the bathroom on him.  It was hilarious. 

The other thing she started to say today is "TWO".  Yes, my girl will be two in a week, we have been working with her on the fact that when she is two, she will be a big sister and a big girl.  She is liking the idea thus far.  In other news this baby has started its decent and will hopefully hold on another three to four weeks before making his or her debut into the world.  We still do not know the gender but are really excited to meet this little one when it does arrive.