Without Further Adieu....

Intoducing.......Mr. Jaxon Briant!!!! My wonderful bundle of joy arrived at 3:12pm on Wednesday, April 11th...weighing in at at a mere 9lbs, 8oz and 19" in length, Jaxon was welcomed by a world of bright lights, busy people and a tearful mom and dad - elated by his safe appearance!
He was riding breech and coupled with his size, my OBGYN and I decided that it was in everyone's best interest to opt for an elective C-Section. And I couldn't have been happier with that decision. My recovery has been remarkable and aside from a ring of "flab" that seems to now "hang" around my mid-section - I wouldn't even think I just had a baby!!!! We are safely home and settling into a "routine". This regimen consists of: ~Eat~Sleep~Poop/Pee~Eat~Sleep~Poop/Pee~Eat~Sleep~Poop/Pee....ok, you get the picture!!! I have, overnight, learnt that dirty dishes will still be on the counter or in the sink two hours later, morning showers are not a necessity, but rather a luxury, and nothing is more important and rewarding than holding this little miracle in my arms every chance I get!!! And with that said, "the boss is calling" from his swing where he was sleeping a minute ago, but now appears to be ravaged with hunger..."Hold tight Jaxon...Mommy and her boobies are coming!!!" ~Mamacita Bootybella

Tired of Soliciting...

So yesterday afternoon, as I was attempting to "relax" before the bambino arrives, my doorbell rang once. After I hoisted my big belly up of the couch and waddled across the house, I was greeted by a stranger on my doorstep wanting to sign me up for a "free trial subscription" of the local newspaper. Ahhhhhh....no thanks. Return to couch.
Literally half an hour later, just as I was reacquainting myself with the cast of General Hospital, "ding dong" number two. Grunt, groan, shuffle, waddle, grab my breath....as I approach my front doorstep, another person I have never seen grace my front porch. And what could she possibly want from this 38 week prego? She, along with her small children and husband (standing off in the background) had been sent by the lord above to let me know there was room in their pews for big ol' me, and my hubby if I would like to bring him too - to Sunday's Pentecostal Service down the road. Ahhhhh...no thanks. Return to couch.
An hour or so later, just as I had wedged my ass comfortably into a "comfortable position" on the couch, propted all extremities higher than my belly so that swelling, tingling and numbness were to be kept to a minimum...I just began to drift off to sleep with The View ladies bickering in the background...knock, knock, knock, ding dong, ding dong! Oh for the love of %$#&*!!!!! Hoist, gasp for air, pretty much trip over the dog who is now running around ballistically because someone woke him up from his afternoon siesta, we both arrive at the door to our THIRD guest, who has come unannounced to my stoop! Any guesses on this one? Well it is election time in our end of the world so I am graced with the presence of some keener that has nothing else to do with their time than parade around neighbourhoods asking for "my guarantee" for a vote for their political party! Maybe if they "guarantee" that all their promises won't turn to lies the minute they are elected!!! Ahhh...no thanks!!! Skip the return to couch and head to office instead..... to produce this lovely sign that now adorns my front door....

Moral of this story....leave the pregnant woman ALONE!!!!!
And in case you were wondering if this works, I have had 4 others footsteps travel up my front porch, only to pause (reading my signage) and scamper off, leaving me to enjoy my last few days pre-mother-hood!!!

I'mmmmmm Back!!!!!! Double Take...

I know I have been M.I.A. for several months now, purely because I became self absorbed in what I have waited my whole being for!!! As you can tell by the photo below, we are expecting our little bundle of joy within the week! I have been busy shopping, decorating, reading, and educating myself over the past 9 months on how to be the most amazing parent! Now, I don't know that I will slam dunk that job, but I do have two parents that I think did a pretty good job when all was said and done, so following in their footsteps for the most part, should take me down a road of success?!

I really wanted to do a fun maternity photo shoot before the bambino arrived so a few weeks back we headed out to a local park to snap some photos. This is by far one of my ultimate favourites! What do you think? I love the way the photo turned out, however the anticipation of waiting for that melon to chill down, cut into it and devour it's flavours was getting the best of me. After all - it cost a whole $9.50 at this time of year....so imagine my utter disappointment when my hubby chopped it open to find out it had ZERO flavour and was white as a bunnies touché!!! What a freakin' let down!!! Oh well, teach me!

So I know some of you have faithfully followed my other blogs that I started, not for lack or organization! Clearly, 5 blogs are a tad too much to keep up with so moving forward, you will be pleased to know that EVERYTHING will be posted within "Bootybella Designs" Blog - this means you will find the following on this blog:
~ My witty thoughts on EVERYTHING (Careful what you wished for?!)...
~ My latest crafts & creations (Stamping, scraping and soon to be scribbles!)...
~ My favourite inspirations (And others that inspire)...
~ My most cherished and sharable recipes (Fun with food!)...
~ My suggestions on libations (AKA "What's in Mommy's Sippy Cup?")...
~ My Two Pennies on Products (A Bootybella Rating System)...
~ And anything else that "floats my boat"....
Are you ready to join this journey of "Mamahood" with me? I hope so because I would hate to think that no one is actually reading all this!!!! Bwahahahahahaha!!!!!

MWAH~
Soon to be "Mamacita Bootybella"

Speaking of Veggies...

It has been such a long time since I updated this blog....but for good reasoning....

Any thoughts?

Picklefest 2011....

I have been dying to make homemade dill pickles for years. A friend of mine makes wicked ones so I enlisted her help, as well as my new found friends, Tim & Dave from the Hutterite Colony just east of the city!!!! And voila!!!!
WE HAVE PICKLES!!!!!
Zee following is zee story of how zee cucumber becomes zee pickle...grab your popcorn, put your feet up and enjoy!!

FRIDAY NIGHT
After picking up my 40lbs of cucumbers from the Farmer's Market, 5 lbs of dill and 5 lbs of garlic, I return home to unload.
The evening is spent with help from my dahling hubby in the prep so we are reading to rock and roll first thing tomorrow morning!!!
Splish splash...Bootybella's cucs are takin' a bath...

Drying off on paper towels...

The freshly bathed and dried cucs settle in for the night in a garbage bag lined box...

My 40lbs of baby cucs juuuuuusssttt fit into our downstairs fridge, to stay crisp for the night before their big debut tomorrow morning!


SATURDAY MORNING...
One full dill head went into each sterilized mason jar...

A "minimum" of 3 cloves per jar...just for the bottom, of course we put more on the top!!!

The dill heads & garlic cloves patiently await the arrival of the cucs....

As far as the eye can see....

A sea of pickles....

Packed pickle jars awaiting dill & brine (oh yeah, and of course MORE GARLIC!)...

Fresh dill sprigs to top each jar...

Ingredients for the brine....

And just incase you wondered what "37"jars of pickles looked like....



And just because I hadn't had enough, why not pickle some spicy beans and a jar of peppers?????
Like the cucs, the beans started out in an icebath to be cleaned.....

Tipped all the beans....

In goes the dill, garlic and cayenne pepper & chilli peppers...all to help create that "KICK"!

And finally we will add the blanched beans, covering with a brine and sealing!

And I figured I would pickle a jar of peppers - something to give the guest that you want to leave your house!!! All I know is "I" am not eating any of these!

Fingers crossed that they all seal and I am gonna be in pickle and bean heaven for the next year....ummmmm...and apparently I will need an abundance! Wink wink, nod nod!!!

Stay tuned....
MWAH~

"Sexy Deck"...

Well, finally complete!!! We built this 3 tier deck 2 years ago and finally got around to staining it up! It was a long journey because it wouldn't quit raining in this country for more than a day!!! Now that is it done, maybe we can have that deck party we have been talking about having for the past 3 years!!!

Back corner of deck with garden planters...

My dahling hubby spent countless hours on his knees (he also had these sexy green foam knee pads that he wore while working) putting on the stain to our gorgeous deck!!! Sorry ladies, I didn't manage to snap a photo!! All his "sexiness" paid off cause now I got me a "SEXY DECK!"

We ordered too much rock for the front flower bed so just decided to incorporate it into the back yard....

Cherry Tomatoes...

Peas...

Yellow Beans...

These container gardens are perfect for the city gal that wishes she had the space to plant a garden of fresh produce! My amazing friend had these things in her pots, called "Plant Nanny's" and they are terracota spikes that go into the dirt. You then fill up an empty wine bottle (of course this would mean that you would have to drink the contents first, so be very careful!) and turn it upside down in the "Plant Nanny". As the plant is "thirsty" it will draw water from the bottle! Genius!!!!

And this concludes my backyard tour!! Off to soak up the rays on my "SEXY DECK"!
MWAH~

Ta-Da....The Finale!!!

Well.....the topsoil finally arrived and everything got cleaned up and put away, just in time for a nice fresh rain. That soil looks so nice and black I could hardly wait to get muckin' in it!!!

From the driveway...

This is what is looks like from the road driving up to our home....

So we also decided to pull up all the pea-gravel that we had down the other side of our home. We replaced it with a darker mulch and the "heaviest-dutiest-tarpiest" stuff to go on the ground under it!!! I don't want to see another clump of grass, thistle or anything growing on that side of my house other than these beautiful trembling Aspens that we staggered. I saw them staggered in someone else's yard months ago while driving around to get some ideas, and loved the "natural" look it gave, as opposed to planting them in one symmetrical line...

This is what is looks like from straight on....this will be stunning once they develop...

Dogwoods & Purple & White Hollyhock...sorry mom but I think it is beautiful! Haha!

Before I started digging holes all over the place, I carefully placed the plants in their pots where I thought I would put them. This was a good hour long process, since I am so bloody indecisive!!! Something else that I did was drew my flowerbed out on a sketchpad, building a key on a separate page. I drew circles with numbers in them on the sketch, then on the key you just have to match up the corresponding numbers to find out what plant is planted there!!! I thought I better come up with some kind of system, seeing as someone was bound to come over in the next 40 years and say "OMG - that is stunning - what is it?" Bwahahahaa!!!

What a find from Wally World of all places - this rock fountain pretty much blends into the front fascia rock of our home...AND, it was on sale!!!!

When I stopped for the day, this is what was left to look at...

More plants...that didn't get planted yet...

And finally, here is a shot of the Rock Fountain, the Dogwoods, my Guacamole Hosta, and some others...

So as I promised to post when this beautiful creation was completed, I am soooo excited to share these photos with you! Although this project will be an ongoing one, adding to the large empty space in the middle, and any spots here and there, I hope you are half as pleased with this creation as I!!! I would love to hear your suggestions of what I can fill my spaces in the bed with!
MWAH~