Two Weeks

Sweet Gwennie,

It’s hard to believe you’ve been a part of our family for two weeks (technically 2.5 weeks, but I wanted to wait and write this once I got your stats from the midwife today). It seems like you’ve been with us forever because you just fit so well. Your birthday seems so long ago in some ways, yet in other ways, like it was just yesterday.

I can’t believe how much you’re changing in such a short time. You’re packing on the pounds. Erm, well, ounces. You weigh 9 pounds now, which I was very happy to hear at your appointment today. You are nursing like an absolute champ … it feels like we’ve been doing this for years. You are still sleeping wonderfully well. It’s too good to be true, in fact. When you are awake you are bright eyed and very alert. You are constantly trying to lift your head and look around. However, if you’re awake and not eating, you aren’t usually happy for very long. And girlfriend, do you have a temper or what! I quiver in fear when I think about your teenage years. When you’re nursing, you often get mad at me because my milk comes out too fast. The way you pop off my breast and let out a little shrieky scream makes me giggle. You typically have a very fussy time in the evening but we’re figuring out how to deal with that and I’m more than happy to push on if it continues to be followed by a great night of sleep.

Bless, you are just so sweet to me and I can’t get enough of you. You are snuggly and such a Momma’s girl. Tucked up and curled close to me is your very favourite place to me. And that is perfectly fine by me.

Life is busy. Your big sister keeps me on my toes all the time and we’re gearing up for the big move. But, sweet Gwennie, I am doing my very best to soak up every little bit of you and enjoy each moment. I know I will blink and you’ll be running around alongside Evalyn causing just as much trouble as she does. I will not wish the time away. I will not.

Slow down, small baby, slow down. I want to savour this.

I love you sweet girl,

Momma.

A Week of Gwen

I’m taking a break from the birth story (I’m sorry – I promise it will get done in the next couple of days) to write a bit of an update on how life with two under two is going so far. Because, if you can believe it, our sweet little Gwen is already seven days old.

And in seven short days, she has completely and utterly stolen my heart – changing me forever.

How can I not feel blessed?

The Babe

I could write “Dream Baby” here and nothing else and it would basically sum up our experience with Gwen so far. Seriously. She has been nothing but blissful. Knock on wood. She has made this transition so much easier for me (well, that and the excessive amount of help I’ve had – more on that later). She is eating and sleeping like a champ. From the very first feed, she latched well and started gulping and hasn’t stopped since. My milk came in in less than 48 hours which made her quite happy. Of course, there is the expected tenderness until my n*ps get used to all the action again, but overall, it is going so well. Within one day I felt as though Gwen and I were where it took Eva and I weeks to get to. I can already nurse side lying, in the dark and – get this – with a shirt on! Huge people. This is huge.

As far as sleep goes, her very first night was horrific. She slept no longer than 10 minutes at any given time. But apparently she was just sorting out some kinks because since then, she has slept a minimum of 5.5 hours every night and the past two nights, she even did NINE (YES NINE) hours. I know this is too good to be true and won’t last. I am not naive. But I’m afraid she will keep it up long enough to make me think it just might be the norm and then she’ll start laughing in my face. So, for now, I am just convincing myself it’s not the norm and enjoying the rest while I can get it.

My midwife came here for our one week postpartum check and she is doing great. She has zoomed past her birth weight and is now weighing 8lbs 7oz. She nurses often, very often, during the day. Usually every 1-2 hours, but she sometimes gives me one 3 hour break in the afternoon.

She’s been a busy bee in her first week. She’s been shopping twice already and has been to church. She’s met lots of friends and family and has been loved on by so many people. We are so blessed to have so many people who are just as head over heels in love with her as we are.

The Big Sis

I cannot even believe how well Evalyn has been adjusting so far. A friend and I were talking the other day and discussing how sometimes when we are concerned about how life changes will impact our children, it’s often us who have a more difficult time than they do. And that has certainly been the case so far.

The experience of watching my Baby Girl become the Big Sister when welcoming Gwen has been amazing. It deserves a post of it’s own, which I’m sure it will get very soon.

From the first minute she saw Gwennie at 7 hours old, she has been in love with her baby sister. She wants to “hold him”, “kiss him yittle bit” and so on (yes – Gwennie is a him apparently). At first she struggled with her name a little bit. She would flip between calling her Gwennie, Connor (her cousin) and Silas (who our baby would have been had he been a boy). It took a few days but she’s figured it out and now it’s all about “Baby Gwennie”.

She is very interested and protective. She hasn’t yet shown any jealousy when I have the baby or am nursing – she just always wants to be around and see what’s going on. She has had a few instances where she’s gotten upset over someone else other than Mommy holding Baby Gwennie – but we’re working on that.

She tells her a “secret: I yuh you” and calls her “honey girl”, “darling”, “pumpkin pie” and all of the other terms of endearment that she hears us call her. First thing every morning she wants to go see Baby Gwennie. She is just absolutely in love.

The Mama

I am doing great. Recovery has been a breeze this time. I hardly had any damage during birth, so that has obviously made things much easier. Add to that the fact that we have been getting amazing sleep, I have had non stop help and she is nursing so beautifully and I definitely do not feel like I gave birth one week ago.

The Dada

As was expected, Evan has fallen into his role of Daddy of two seamlessly. He wasn’t able to take much time off, but he has been home as often as possible and has been a huge help with Evalyn in the mornings and with Gwen in the evenings. He is absolutely smitten by his girls and I will always stand by my belief that my greatest gift in motherhood is watching the relationship develop between him and his daughters.

Everything Else

We have been very (VERY) lucky to have my mom here until today. She’s currently snuggling with Gwen for a few more minutes before she packs up to head home. I’m still in denial. Thankfully, Evan’s mom is on her way so we are getting ready to do the big old switch. I’m feeling very anxious about how I will deal with both of the girls on my own once she leaves, but I guess a few other women in the world have survived this, so will I.

The extra help has been monumental in my adjustment. I have basically had to do nothing for myself until now and I truly believe that it has helped ease Evalyn into her role as Big Sister so much. I’m just so glad she’s still been able to have fun and enjoy her usual activities despite the fact that Mama is tied up with a baby on her boob all day.

In some ways, Gwen has always been here. In other ways, it seems like just yesterday she joined our family. We are smitten with our little chunky monkey and she has already changed our lives.

It’s Not Always Easy

You’ve all seen a variety of Eva’s “Monkey Pictures”. You know? The ones that document her growth next to a giant monkey on a week to week basis? Well, now that she’s to the age where we start counting in months and not weeks, I have stopped posting the pictures weekly because I’m pretty sure no one will care to see Eva’s 32nd week photo.

But that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped taking them.

Not only do I like to take them to document her growth but I also want to showcase all of her cutest outfits, of course.

But I’m here to tell you that the process of getting all of these supah cute photos (as seen below) is not always easy.

Take yesterday for example.

We were all dressed up and ready to go out. Perfect time for a photo shoot.

But I was wrong. Evalyn had other plans.

Plans to play with her hands.

Plans to stick out her tongue.

Plans to hide from the camera.

And plans to be goofy.

No plans to smile.

No plans to cooperate.

So after what you can see was a ridiculous number of attempts, I finally gave up.

We’ll try again next time!

Eight Weeks

Say WHATT?

Whose kid is eight weeks old as of yesterday? Mine? It can’t be!

But, it’s true. Evalyn was born eight weeks ago yesterday. It feels like I blinked and two months has passed.

I am trying to document this month, but it is so hard. How do I capture the essence of her life in one post? I guess I will try…

Here’s how she’s looked this month:

She has changed so much!

Evalyn now weighs 11 lbs 4.5 ounces and is 22 3/4 inches long with a head circumference of 39 cm. She is in the 75th percentile on all her measurements.

I can’t believe she is so big. I saw a two week old baby in the midwife clinic earlier this week and I thought “My goodness, she’s so tiny”. I have already started to forget that Evalyn was that tiny. Why do our memories have to be so fleeting?

She is wearing mostly 3 month clothing. Some brands she is still squeezing into 0-3 and some she is in 3-6. Some of her 3 month Carter’s stuff is getting to be nearly too small, especially with the extra bulk that her cloth diapers add to her booty. My guess is she will be entirely out of 3 month by Christmas.

She started sleeping in her crib in her own room earlier this week (more on this to come later). She is sleeping decently at night (although not as good as she had been doing) and sometimes napping good during the day. She seems to like to nap when we’re out and about but when we’re at home, sleep is for the birds. We’re workin’ on it.

She is a pretty versatile sleeper and seems to be able to sleep wherever she is – whether it’s in her crib, swing, bouncy seat, car seat, or my bed. And we are very lucky that she has no trouble getting herself to sleep. We just have to swaddle her, give her the soosie and lay her down and she generally falls asleep within five minutes.

She goes to bed at 8pm (and so far, knock on wood, has had very little trouble going to bed). This week, I have started dream feeding her around 10-10:30 because I was sick of always going to bed at 8:30 since I never knew how long I’d get to sleep. After that, she usually sleeps until 1 or 2. Then, she sometimes wakes up again around 4 or 5 but I can often get her to go back to sleep by giving her her soother. She gets up somewhere between 7-8 in the morning. Of course, sometimes she has nights like last night but we won’t even go there. Up eight times? Seriously, Eva?

She usually has three naps a day but we’re learning that everyday is a different story. Right, Eva?

She is smiling like crazy – especially at her daddy – and is on the verge of laughing. I have a feeling it won’t be long until she gets herself giggling.

She loves to look around and discover new things every day. She is getting stronger and stronger each week. She has started noticing her toys and the puppy. She is able to entertain herself a little bit better each week – I even had a few evenings where she sat happily in her bouncy seat while I made dinner!

She has started this new thing where she likes to suck/lick the shoulder of the person holding her. She prefers to be held upright rather than cradled (always has) but has trouble keeping her soother in her mouth that way. And, since her soother is her BFF, she misses it when it’s not there so she compensates by using the shoulder of the person holding her. Let’s just say, none of my shirts will ever be the same.

She has certainly gotten around in her second month of life. She went to visit both sets of grandparents, went to Michigan and has been a few other places as well. She does very well traveling in the car, for which we are grateful, because we like to go places quite often.

She got her first shots this morning and I did not enjoy that at all. I would be happy if I never had to hear those screams again. If only I could make the Dr’s appointments Daddy’s job…

Bath time is still her favourite. She has a bath almost every night before bed. Sometimes in her baby bath tub and sometimes in the big tub with me. It’s so fun to watch her learn to kick and splash in the big tub.

I can only imagine the changes that I am going to see in her over the next month. It is a bittersweet feeling. I cannot wait to see how she changes and grows and learns while at the same time I want to freeze her right where she is and never let her grow up.

But, I can’t do that, so I will just try my best to soak up each and every spit up filled minute.

Six Weeks

Look at me! I am now six weeks old (actually I was six weeks old on Wednesday but my Mama was not on the ball enough to get this post ready).

I now weigh 10 pounds and 9 ounces and am 22.5 inches long (at least we think so).

I didn’t have an appointment this week but Mama was dying to know how much I weigh so she and Daddy got creative and measured me with a fruit scale from the barn.

I have changed so much in the past two weeks. I am starting to lose some of the hair on the front of my head (boo) but the hair in the back is just as thick and dark as ever. I don’t think Mom’s going to be able to put my hair in a ponytail by 2 months, though.

I can hold my head up really really well now. I am always looking around and discovering new things. I follow people with my eyes and I noticed my puppy dog for the first time today. I think she and I will be good friends.

When I’m not holding my head up and wobbling it all around, I love to curl up and cuddle. I am such a snuggle bug. Mommy and Daddy are very happy for this because they love to cuddle, too.

I don’t really love tummy time unless I am laying on someone’s chest. But Mommy makes me do it anyways.

I still love my bath more than anything else. I think would sit in the tub all day if Mom let me.

I recognize my Mommy and Daddy real well and almost always greet them with a big goofy grin. Daddy was away for a few days and as soon as he came back, I gave him a big smile.

Speaking of big goofy grins, I smile all.the.time. Sometimes, when I’m smiling, Mommy thinks I am trying to laugh. I coo and tell stories all the time now, too. I am such a happy girl!

I was sleeping really good for my Mom but then I decided to have two nights where I gave her a run for her money. I am pretty sure I’ll start sleeping better for her again soon (right????). I still nap great, though .. and Mommy appreciates that.

I nurse for about 5-10 minutes every 2.5-4 hours depending on my mood. I definitely know what I want and I will not eat until I’m ready. Sometimes Mom doesn’t know what I’m up to because I act like I’m hungry but then I won’t eat. I just like to keep her on her toes.

I am growing and changing every single day and I just know my Mommy and Daddy are loving every minute of it.

Four Weeks!

My girl is four weeks old and growing like a weed!

She now weighs 9 pounds 6 ounces! She has gained a full pound in the past two weeks and she's got round cheeks to prove it. The midwife saw her today and was very proud of how well she's doing.

She is still wearing newborn sized clothing but they are just about too small. She has started wearing some bigger clothes.

Eva's looks have started to change and we see a real mixture of me, the Dude, my Dad and my Mom in her.

Over the past month, Eva has been a busy girl.

She has gone to church (she has a 4/4 attendance record, woot woot), gone shopping a few times, eaten at The Butcher and Banker, Applebee's, Montana's, Wendy's and East Side Marios. She also insisted on getting a Cinnabon at the mall (good idea, girlfriend).

She has gone to a wedding.

She takes a pacifier and has started to learn how to take a bottle.

She lovesssssssssssss to eat but sometimes can't gulp fast enough.

She has started to spit up a bit more and just this morning puked all over her Daddy's face and it was dripping from his beard. Way too funny!

She has captured her Daddy's heart and her favorite place to be is right here...

She has met all of her aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents and great grandparents.

She went to Great Grandma K's house for coffee and cookies.

She has traveled to visit both sets of grandparents.

She is really starting to hold her head up and try to look around. When she is awake, she is super alert (as she has been since birth) and tends to stay awake for long stretches at a time.

She usually has a fussy time through the evening but now that she takes a paci, she is learning how to calm down.

She has started sleeping 4.5-6.5 hour stretches at night.

I am pretty sure that she is starting to smile. Like, for real smile, not just "I'm about to dump a load in my drawers smile".

She has started wearing her cloth diapers so she looks like a bubble butt most of the time. She graduated from newborn disposables to sizes 1s this past weekend.

This girl has changed our lives in one short month. We can already see her personality shining through and we cannot wait to see it develop more and more with each passing week. She's got a stubborn streak and sometimes lets her temper show, just like both her Mama and Daddy. She also likes to act like a drama queen sometimes. She makes this crazy noise that is somewhere between a cry and a whine when she doesn't like what's going on and she makes a big ol' production gagging on her paci when she doesn't want it.

We love you, Evalyn, and we can't wait to see what the next month has in store for us!

40 weeks ... or something

Before I start this week's update, I have a slight confession to make. I've been lying to you for the past 30 weeks or so. Somehow, somewhere along the line I started giving my weekly pregnancy updates on Thursdays, just like today.

But, um, I am not due today. I am due tomorrow. So, somehow, I got myself mixed up and was always one day ahead of schedule.

So, technically, I will not be 40 weeks until tomorrow but I thought I should stick to my Thursday updates so as to not get you all confused. Because, I know that would be confusing, right??

Anyway - here we are 40 weeks - minus one day :)

I am feeling good, albeit tired and very ready.

Since I first found out I was pregnant I predicted that the baby would be born on either September 14th or September 21st. Clearly, I was wrong about the 14th. So we shall see about the 21st! I would be happy to welcome the Monkey before the 21st, but if we have to wait until then, that's fine, too.

My midwife is confident that I am making some progress. She said the baby's head is "super, super low" (her words) and that my cervix is very short and thin. She said there is a little bit of dilation but assured me that I should not fixate on dilation at this point. She said many women walk around somewhere between a 1-4 for weeks without going into labor while others can be completely undilated and still have their baby's within a matter of hours. She said the baby's head lowering and the effacement are what really matter at this point, and both are looking good.

I cried in her office yesterday and the whole way home from my appointment. I'm not sure why. I expressed some of my concerns to her about fearing that I will be one of those women who never goes into labor on her own. She tried to reassure me that I likely will go into labor on my own and told me that she could tell by the way I walked up the stairs that I am going to go into labor. Um, what? I'm not entirely sure I understand the meaning of this statement, but hey, I'll trust her.

I am trying not to live my life constantly thinking "is today the day?" but, if you've ever had a baby, I'm sure you can understand that is nearly impossible. I do wake up every morning wondering if today is the day.

My body has been playing some tricks on me. I start getting crampy around 2-3 pm almost every day and it lasts until well into the evening but seems to settle down when I go to sleep. I asked my friend if she thought it would be a good idea for me to just stay awake forever so that it doesn't die down. She said no. I think I agree with her. I've also been battling the return of the morning sickness some days, so you know what that means, a few hours to a few weeks!

I am eager and ready but I know that Baby will come when Baby comes.

And, oh, for the record, the Little Monkey is a girl (I think).

39 Stinkin' Weeks

Here I am, entering what could very well be the last week of my pregnancy. But could also very well not be (just being realistic here). I was talking to my sister today about how I'm feeling and told her she just wouldn't understand because she has never been pregnant for this long before - both her babies were born at some point in her 38th week - he he he.

Overall, I am feeling fantastical. In fact, I am feeling much more comfortable, both physically and emotionally than I was last week. I think a lot of that has to do with the babe dropping. My ribs no longer feel bruised at all times. And, I have been sleeping fairly well with a significant reduction in the pain in my hands that I had been experiencing. Although I am still ready to be done being pregnant, I don't feel quiet as impatient and quite as "I AM SO DONE" as I was last week. I am definitely ready to meet my Little Monkey but I am more content now to accept that he/she will arrive when ready.

The only big complaint I have is that my stomach is bloody itchy. It is almost unbearable!! I have noticed the appearance of some new stretch marks under my belly over the past week and that is where the itch really is. My midwife took a look at it yesterday and said that it was starting to look really red and raw from my scratching. She recommended a lotion with menthol in it so we picked that up yesterday after my appointment and I have been slathering it on like crazy. It seems to be making me feel a bit better.

E was able to take the afternoon off yesterday to come to my midwife appointment with me which was so nice. He came to a number of my early pregnancy appointments but this was the first one he'd been to since my 15 week (aside from the 20 week ultrasound that is). I think he was glad to hear the baby's heartbeat again - it certainly sounds different now than it did at 15 weeks.

I was somewhat frustrated to see when I stood on the scale yesterday that it told me I had gained SIX (!!!) pounds since my appointment the Thursday before. That is, you know, A POUND PER DAY, taking my total weight gain to somewhere between 34-37 pounds! I am pretty sure that a lot of the new weight is fluid retention as I am feeling and looking a little more puffy these days and I was fairly careful with my intake over the past few weeks. I was a bit upset about the numbers after my appointment but the Dude kept reminding me that the number of pounds does not matter and what matters is that I am healthy and our baby is healthy. And he is so right. But, as a woman, I'm sure you understand, it's sometimes hard to accept.

Over the past weekend, I thought that perhaps something was maybe happening. I had quite a lot of cramping on Friday evening and Saturday but I haven't had much else take place again until this morning when I felt some more cramps. Nothing to get excited about, though. I have been walking, walking, walking trying to get this baby moving. The cooler weather has been a welcome relief because it makes it so much easier to get myself up and moving. I met up with a friend and her sweet sweet 5 month old who just so happens to have an amazing name (Lucy) and we went for a nice walk together and chatted about all things baby.

It was my plan (according to my sticky notes) to do some cleaning this afternoon but when I got home, I looked around and realized that the house is really not so bad at all. Plus, Nika (who stays outside all day every day) came in while I was eating lunch and snuggled up on the couch with me. I decided that I should take that as a divine message from God telling me that I should park my butt on the couch for the afternoon. Thankfully, the sticky notes are easy to edit. So, I am taking advice from many of you from yesterday's post and laying low this afternoon. I am snuggled up on the couch with Nika and a warm blanket, the patio door open, a fresh breeze blowing in and my new fall scented Pear candle burning watching Harry Potter. Sounds like a plan to me! There will be lots of time to vacuum ... later.

See you next week at 40 weeks ... maybe.

38 Weeks

Today is 38 weeks. I don't have a lot to update but things are going well. I just had a midwife appointment this morning. Looks like I've lost a few pounds but that is likely just due to fluctuations with swelling in the humidity. I haven't gained any more cm's because baby is definitely starting to drop. She said that the head is very well engaged which explains why it feels like there is a head in my crotch all the time - because there is.


Over the past month or so, my intuition has flipped entirely from thinking that this baby is definitely a boy to this baby is definitely a girl. A number of people close to me also are pretty sure it is a girl. I think I will be surprised if we get a boy Monkey. The Fabulous Dude still says he has no inkling either way. We shall see soon enough!


Sleeping has gotten so much better over the past week. I have even reduced my throne of pillows from like 75 to 3. Two for my head and one tucked under my tummy. I still sometimes prop my feet up on a few if they are feeling really sore or swollen (like after a night of canning 26 jars of salsa) but for the most part, the one under my tummy does the trick.


I am starting to wonder how many more of these weekly updates I will be writing. One more... ?Two more... ? Three more... ? Four more... ?

(Please, please, please not three or four more, mkay, kiddo?)

Dear Baby: Ready When You Are

Dear Baby,

We've passed the 37 week milestone! It's official - we are full-term, we've made it! As of today, we are eligible to labor at home when you decide to come (as long as you decide to come before 42 weeks - please decide to come before 42 weeks!).

I know that you will come when you are ready and well cooked but Mama and Daddy want you to know that we are ready when you are.

The clothes are ready to dress you.

The diapers and wipes are ready to clean you.

The blankets are ready to wrap you.

The bassinet is ready to hold you.

The chair is ready to rock you.

The slings are ready to wear you.

The stroller is ready to push you.

The car seat is ready to drive you.

Our family is ready to welcome you.

Our lips are ready to kiss you.

Our arms are ready to hold you.

And most importantly, our hearts are ready to love you.

Ready when you are!

Love,

Mama

37 Week Bump

I got in troubs from Shaina for not sharing a 37 week bump photo in today's post... so here you are.

The Bump at 37 Weeks

37 Weeks

Today marks 37 weeks. I had my appointment yesterday and we went over all of the procedures for paging when I go into labor. Crazy to think that I could go into labor at any time now. Although, I'm pretty sure I won't. I am almost convinced I will still be pregnant at Christmas or at least until Canadian Thanksgiving :)

This week, I found out that I test positive for GBS so I will require antibiotics through IV during labour. The midwife assures me it's no big deal and that the IV can be administered in about 10 minutes and then I will be able to remove it and have freedom to roam/change positions etc.

My belly is still measuring just right on at 37 cm and I have gained a total of 33 pounds at this point. Things are looking right on track. My BP is still good and the baby's heartbeat was right on 150 yesterday. She didn't do an internal exam (which I am quite happy about - I don't want to have false hopes if there is any progress because I know that it's possible to sit tight at 1-3 cm for weeks) but she could tell by external palpation that the baby's head is definitely still engaged and is a little lower than it was before. At least I know that he/she is making some kind of plan to come out. She also showed me how the baby is laying in my tummy which is exactly how I had guessed based on the movements I have been feeling.

I have been feeling a lot of pressure down low lately. At times, it literally feels like the baby is trying to claw its way out. When I talked to my midwife about this, her response was "You think it's bad now? Just wait". Ha, thanks.

She told me to go ahead and start experimenting with all of the, ahem, natural induction methods, that are out there. Without going into further detail, let's just say that the Fabulous Dude considers her his best friend after the advice she gave me yesterday.

I have discovered that I have a habit of sleeping with my hands folded up under my pillow at night. I have discovered this because the pain I was feeling in my feet through the night is gone, but the achiness in my hands is getting worse and worse. Obviously, sleeping with them squished under my head is no good for circulation, but try as I might, I cannot stop sleeping like this. I try so hard to keep them elevated on top of my pillow or stretched out to the side, but it never fails, I wake up with them under my pillow, feeling so sore and hardly able to open and close. The Dude said he's going to tie my hands up towards the ceiling at night :)

Other than that, sleep has been okay. I'm definitely awake anywhere from 2-5 times a night to use the lady's room but other than that, I feel comfortable and rested for the most part. I generally fall right back to sleep after going to the bathroom, and have only had a few nights where I've been laying awake for a long time.

I am starting to feel time slowwww downnnn. The days and weeks seem to be getting longer and I am having trouble thinking of ways to fill my time. Soon I will no longer have this problem, I know, but right now, 22 days seems like an eternity.

36 Weeks

Just one month to go!

Some people have said that they think I've started to drop and I kind of feel like I have, too. What do you think? Is it getting lower? It's certainly getting bigger - I can tell by the fact that my tank top is barely covering the bottom of my belly!

It's hard to believe that around this time next month, we'll be holding the Little Monkey in our arms!

I feel like I hit a wall this week. Any other preggos or new Mamas know what I'm talking about? For the past 2ish months I've constantly said, "I can't believe how fast this is going" and "I can't believe how close to the end I am". This week, however, those statements changed to statements like, "How am I going to do this for another month?" and "Will this ever end?" I realize that it will end and when it does, I will likely miss it ... but a month just seems so far away right now.

We went camping with the Dude's entire family last weekend and it was hot hot hot! It wasn't the most comfortable camping trip, or the most comfortable sleep, I've ever had but it was great to spend time with them. And I am proud to say that I did sleep in a tent and pee in a bucket outside my tent 5 times in one night at 35.5 weeks pregnant! I may or may not have sported my bikini on the beach and said bikini top may or may not have broken part way through the day, causing me to have to be very creative as to how to keep the girls covered. Anyhoo ... moving on ...

It has been a relief to have the weather ease up and be quite a lot cooler over the past few days. We've had the patio door open and it's glorious to feel fresh air coming in through the screen.

The Little Monkey has been super duper active the past few days as well. I don't know if it's just my imagination but he/she seems to react to hearing the Dude's voice quite a bit.

Sleep has been getting increasingly difficult but as I've said before, I have found myself a sweet set up that involves umpteen pillows and it keeps me pretty comfortable. The hand and foot pain has been getting worse through the night but it's bearable. I've also had some back pain over the past week or so. (Hm, maybe this is all an indication as to why I feel like I have hit a wall?)

I was talking to a friend the other day and in our conversation, I realized that, despite battling some nasty morning sickness for many.many weeks of the pregnancy (which was not a walk in the park) I am very blessed to have had, thus far, a relatively quiet, normal, easy, peaceful pregnancy. Aside from the morning sickness, one small scare early on (which I never blogged about because it happened while the Monkey was still a secret) and the stretch marks on my butt cheeks, there have been no complications or issues to speak of. I feel so blessed because I know that pregnancy can be really rotten for some women and can come with a host of difficulties. I feel so blessed to have had a pregnancy that I have been able to enjoy!

Wow ... next time I post a weekly update, I will be full term. How crazy is that?

Dear Baby at 34 Weeks

Dear Baby,

We are now at 34 weeks! We just have 6 short weeks to go until we'll welcome you into our family (that is if you decide to come on time!) As always, I cannot wait to see your precious face. You now weigh somewhere around 5 pounds and have made Mommy's tummy increase 14 inches around! We gained a lot of weight since our last appointment but that's okay - I know that you're healthy! Mommy hasn't been exercising as much as usual because of the heat so I'm hoping for a little break so I can get out for some good walks soon.

Baby, we've had a bit of a rough week. Mama has a sinus cold which has made things a little uncomfortable. Having a cold in the heat is the pits, especially when you're 34 weeks pregnant! Also, I had another little bout of morning sickness the other day which surprised me so much that it resulted in me throwing up on the kitchen floor. Hopefully that is the end of that!

You've started to get the hiccups every so often. The first time I noticed them was at church last Sunday morning. You had them for 10 minutes straight! Daddy and I were trying not to giggle as we felt and saw your little hiccups making my tummy bounce up and down. Speaking of giggling - I couldn't help but giggle the other day when you were playing with Daddy while we were laying in bed. I'm not sure if it was your hand, foot, elbow, knee or what ... but some part of you kept sticking out the side of my tummy. Daddy would poke and rub you and you would poke right back. You went back and forth like this for quite a while. Pretty soon I will get to see you and Daddy play together outside of my tummy. Do you even know how excited I am for that?

Your room is almost all set up ... we just have to arrange the last few pieces of furniture and get a few more things but soon enough it will be ready and waiting for you. Daddy has been working so hard!

You have been up in my ribs all the time and have been making me have some crazy cravings! The fish and chips craving seems to have toned down (thank goodness) but this past weekend I forced Nana C to make me lasagna (and ate way.too.much) and then I had a dream about butter tarts which made me have to go buy and eat four in one day! Hm, so maybe that's why I gained so much weight since my last appointment?

I went to see the midwife yesterday and she's a little bit concerned that you are not positioned the way you should be! She is sending me for an ultrasound on Monday to check it out. While I'm excited to get to see you on the ultrasound again, I am not very excited about the possibility of you being breech. She said it is very hard to tell because you are tight and compact in there and you positioned very deep inside my tummy but she thinks it's best to double check - and I agree. So, please baby, please, please, please, prove her wrong or else turn by then!

I hope you're feeling cozy in there. Let's enjoy these last few weeks before you make your way into my arms.

I love you, Sweet Babe,

Mama

33 Weeks

33 weeks down, 7 to go!

This week has been uneventful. The baby is moving around like crazy and jabbing me up and under the ribs all the time. I have been able to see what I think is an elbow jabbing out the left side quite often. I still find it so incredibly fascinating and jump at the chance to show anyone the alien movements. I know I'm going to miss this!

We've been busy plugging away at the baby's room. We weren't intending to paint because the current colour matches perfectly, but as we got looking at things, we realized that there are quite a few spots that need touch ups. We I was a bit worried because we didn't think we had any paint that was the same color as the paint in that room so I was very pleased when the Dude found a can last night that matches!

So, we he spent a few hours last night repairing some of the holes from old nails and shelves so that we'll be able to repaint one of the walls. Tomorrow my parents are coming with the furniture that has been painted, all of my goodies from the baby shower, and to help the Dude install the carpet! Soon, oh so soon, things will come together. I can't wait to do the nursery reveal!

I bought wooden letters for the baby's first initial to go on one of the walls so we got those painted as well. I told him now that I bought them (I bought two - one for the girl name and one for the boy) that there is no going back. Our names are set in stone now :)

There is not much to report this week - I'm feeling good most of the time, with the exception of the aches and pains that seem to come with the heat and/or rain. One thing I've noticed over the past week or so that is kind of annoying is that I am very rarely thirsty during the day but after supper I cannot guzzle enough water. This wouldn't be such a huge problem if I wasn't already getting up to pee 65 times a night! The added H20 intake after dinner tends to up that to about 78 times. I try to make myself down as much water as possible during the day, but it just doesn't happen.

My husband continues to astound me with his sensitivity and support. Have any of you seen Madagascar 2? If you have, you may remember the "Chunky" song that the Dude Hippo sings to the Girl Hippo? It goes something like this...

"Chunky. Chunky. Chunky. I like 'em big, I like 'em chunky chunky chunky. I like 'em big, I like 'em plumpy. I like 'em round with something, something."

I'm sure you're not surprised to discover that the Dude has been serenading me with this song on an almost daily basis. What a Sweetie Pie!

Next week I should have more to report as I have another midwife appointment on Wednesday and we'll be going over some birth plans and so on! It's my last appointment until I start seeing her every.single.week. Are you kidding me? Where has the time gone?

32 Weeks and the Rings are Gone

Today marks 32 weeks for this little (or should I say BIG mama). According to thebump.com, this is the last week of month SEVEN and the last week that baby is the size of a squash. Let me tell you, though ... I sure feel like the Little Monkey is bigger than a squash! As you can see in the photo below, the babe is surely taking up a great deal of room in there. My cami just barely covers the bottom of my belly and I have been noticing some of my maternity tops seeming smaller and smaller each time I wear them. You will currently most often find me sporting the Dude's apparel - shorts and a big t-shirt.

There were some significant happenings that occurred this week. For starters, I had to say goodbye to my beloved wedding rings. Sadness. They would still fit on if I tried really hard, but getting them on and off was getting very very difficult and I do not want to risk having to get them cut off. So, they are tucked away for safe keeping right now. In fact, I think I will find a way to make some good come out of not being able to wear them by taking them in to get re-plated. Then they will look shiny and perfect when I can wear them again. In the meantime, I plan on buying a cheapy ring to wear for the next few months - I do not want people thinking I'm an unwed teenage mother! Ha! My feet are also starting to look pretty swollen by the end of the day, but I haven't had any trouble getting shoes on or off yet, so hopefully that's the worst it will get. Hopefully. Ahem.

Over the past week, I had fun playing on kiddy slides and I had my first baby shower which you can read about here.

I've been having some trouble sleeping because I have to get up to pee 36 times every night and some nights, I've just been wide awake and restless. Apparently this is what some might call third trimester insomnia. Perhaps just preparation for what's coming my way.

I've had a burst of energy lately which has been wonderful as it's allowed me to accomplish some of my tasks. Earlier this week, I tackled the laundry room. I didn't do a before/after photo post, because, well, it still looks yucky because it's a yucky room, but it looks much cleaner and more organized than it was in the past. Someday, I hope to have a beautiful laundry room. Until then, I will settle for a washer and dryer that work.

I've been out picking and weeding in the garden almost every day and have been definitely enjoying our bounty. So far, we've had 3-4 completely homegrown meals. Love it! Watch for an update tomorrow.

I have also started into some freezer cooking so that I can be sure the Dude and I won't starve in the early postpartum days when cooking might not be my number one priority. I will likely dedicate a post or two to freezer cooking but so far I've made two dozen spinach and bacon twice baked potatoes, a pot of lentil rice soup, and three batches of beans and rice. I've got a number of other things on the list to make and I will hopefully be spending a few more days on it.

The Little Monkey makes sure I always know that he/she is in there - camping out in my rib cage. The movements are increasing in frequency every day but changing in the way they feel. Much more roly poly movements rather than jabbing, stabbing kicks and punches. The bum is usually sticking out just under my ribs and sometimes it makes the shape of my belly look super funny. I wish it was something I could capture on the camera, but I don't think I can.

I had my 32 week appointment yesterday. Of my three midwives, the one I saw yesterday is my favorite. Although I know I will receive excellent care no matter which of the three is on call the week I go into labour, I am secretly hoping that it's her. I really feel much more connected to her than to the others. I will have to find out their schedules for the weeks surrounding my due date and then have a little chat with the Monkey about when he/she can arrive :)

I have my 34 week appointment booked and then after that, I will start booking weekly appointments. I cannot believe how fast time flies. I know I say that every week, but it's true. My babe will be in my arms before I know it and I can hardly wait.

A 31 Week (Non)Update

I missed yesterday's weekly update because I was too busy celebrating Little H's second birthday (more about that to come once I get photos uploaded and some time to write about our awesome adventures). That's okay though, because I really don't have a whole lot to say in terms of a 31 week update. Since I'm still visiting with the fam, I decided to just write a quick bullet list of anything that stands out in my mind about this week....

• I think the Dude and I have finally come to an agreement about names for our child. I am 95% sure we are set on names for both a boy and girl. And no, I will not be sharing them on the blog until after the baby's arrival.
  
• I have been having leg cramps through the night pretty often. The kind where you wake up and wonder when you ran a marathon without noticing. I'm trying to up my calcium and potassium intake to offset them, so hopefully that will help.
• The Little Monkey is kicking and jabbing and poking around a ton in there. Almost anytime I am still I feel him moving around. And he gets the most active if I place an object on my tummy. It's like he tries to kick it off. I have also been seeing and feeling body parts jab out quite often. I think I am able to tell where the bum is most of the time.
  
• And finally ... I am finding it SO hard to believe that I am now in the single digit countdown of weeks! 9 weeks to go!

I will be back next week to catch you up on what else I've been up to this week (trust me, it's been exciting)!

Dear Baby at 30 Weeks

Dear Baby,

We are in the homestretch now! I can hardly believe that I will be seeing your precious face in ten weeks or so! You are so active inside my tummy right now - I can feel you jabbing me up in my ribs and punching my bladder all throughout the day. Our midwife is pretty sure that you are head down and have been for the past few weeks, so please stay that way, sweet babe!

Daddy gets to see your wiggle across my tummy quite often now. The other day, I was laying down with the phone resting on the top of my stomach and you were making it bounce around like crazy. But you are shy or stubborn - you always quiet down whenever someone other than daddy or I tries to catch a glimpse of you or feel you moving.

We have been battling some intense heat around here over the last week or so and your Mama has been having a rough time with it! I have been enjoying many cool showers, cold cloths, ice water, swims in Aunt Shelley's pool, and fans blowing on me. Thankfully, our bedroom cools down at night so I haven't been having any trouble sleeping (especially once I arrange my chariot of pillows all around my body). The heat has also been playing some whacky tricks on my hormones, I think. Your poor daddy has arrived home to a blubbering wife more than once this week. Thankfully, he is sweet and sensitive, and helps me cool down by rubbing a cold cloth on my feet and back and that always seems to help. He laughed at me the other day when he arrived home and I informed him that I had just cooked his dinner in my underwear. And no, I wasn't trying to be sexy.

It's hard to believe that you still have lots of growing to do because I wonder how it will be possible for you to find anymore room in there. You have now caused my tummy to increase 12 inches around since the time you were conceived. I have gained 23 pounds so far and, aside from the heat, my body is feeling good. I have started to notice some stretch love marks showing up on my legs and a few on my tummy. Although I wasn't pumped about them at first, I am trying to remember that they are just a part of this and that they will someday be a memento of the time you and I shared on this part of our journey together.

I am getting very excited to meet you, Baby. Daddy and I have been talking a lot about what your name will be - but we're still so undecided. Believe it or not, we just can't seem to agree! I have started clearing everything out of the spare room, so each day it becomes closer and closer to becoming your room. Soon evidence of your impending arrival will fill our home and I can't wait.

Hang tight in there Little Monkey. We'll see you soon.

I love you,

Mama

29 Weeks with Maternity Photos

Today marks 29 weeks! According to the bump, the baby is now the size of a squash and weighs between 2.5 and 3.8 pounds. I am now in the seventh month!

(source)

I don't have a lot to report this week except that I have now gone 8 days without taking any diclectin! Can I get a whoo hoo! In those 8 days, I have thrown up twice but it is so manageable compared to how sick I was getting before. I don't feel nauseous during the day and I actually feel like a normal human (minus the basketball sticking out of the front of me).

The baby's kicks are getting stronger and stronger and his movements are more and more visible from the outside of my tummy all the time. The little Monkey always quiets down whenever someone is trying to catch a glimpse of the movement or feel a kick though!

My belly is still growing, growing, growing. A whopping 13 inches since the beginning of this journey. I wonder just how big she's gonna get!

I haven't been sleeping so great over the past week or so and I'm not sure what the deal is with that. Some nights I find myself waking up and feeling like I am wide awake in the middle of the night.... perhaps just practice for what's to come.

This weekend when I was up north for my family reunion, I had a chance to get some maternity photos taken by my cousin's wife, Shannon. Let me tell you - this girl is talented! Although she is primarily located in Northern Ontario, she does travel to Southern Ontario quite often and would be a wise choice for family photos, maternity photos, wedding photos, newborn photos ... or any other type of photos you are interested in. Be sure to check out her website and blog and become a fan on facebook to see her work and contact her if you are interested in photos. Here are my photos:

What do y'all think? I am totally loving them!