from the east end to the west end

By this time next week we will definitely have met our little son or daughter, as the Doc will induce labour on Friday if there is no action before then. Hmmm...not too keen on the inducing idea, but whatever. Although I am feeling very heavy (heavy isn't even the word...it is so hard to describe) at the moment, when we peered out from our balcony the city looked too deliciously beautiful to stay in. Mark and I decided to venture out early and once again spend a Saturday down Queen West area.
We enjoyed it so much last time and hadn't explored nearly enough. So many artsy shops... so little time!

On the way to the subway we admired our funny neighbourhood. You'll see the pictures above. There were parents all over the place, out making snowmen with their kids. They were full-on rolling around, getting wet, messy and cold. One mom was getting attacked by her children who were mercilessly throwing snowballs at her head and face. Well, I hope they were her children. She laughed it off. It was so cute to watch and got us both very excited to have the perfect excuse to play in the snow now- our kid! Yipeeeeee! Oh, let the baby come soOOOon!

Two Christmases ago, Mark gave me this gorgeous coffee table- type book about snow.
I love it. Here are some random facts from that book, Let It Snow!, that might help you sound clever when sharing them with friends as you are strolling along in the snow next time:
- No two snowflakes are alike, but they do fall in seven basic types: star, needle, hexagonal, dendrite, irregular, column and capped column
-A snowflake falls at a rate of about 3 miles an hr, about 6x slower than a raindrop.
- Little was known about these exquisite crystals until late 19th century when a farmer from Vermont named Bentley began investigating them. He was the first person to photograph snowflakes, and dedicated 50yrs to their study.
- The heaviest fall of snow was in Silver Lake, Colorado on 14th-15th Apr. 1921. 74 inches fell!
Now I must go keep myself busy so as to keep my racing mind off of waiting for the baby. Last night I watched Braveheart for the first time (I know, I know...what took me so long?!?!?!) and now look forward to being back in Stirling, Scotland where an enormous statue of William Wallace stands tall. I didn't fully appreciate it last time.
I don't really feel like another movie tonight. Maybe tonight we'll have an extra romantic dinner since it is still just the two of us...

Until next time, the soooo close almost-parents