Family

We dropped my Mom and Dad off at the airport this morning. I was so sad to say good-bye, but so grateful that we'd had such a good visit. I was doing okay at keeping it all together until it hit me that the next time I see my Mom, I'll be a mom. That sent me into hysterics....Sandy did a good job of reminding me that it would all be okay but I have to say that the further along I get in this pregnancy, the more I want my family and friends nearby. Thankfully, Heather decided to stay an extra day, so she helped me do some cleaning this morning and this afternoon, we went on a great walk around the airpark. Thank goodness for family. :)

Baby is doing well (it seems anyway!). I can feel lots of movement in the evenings but it is pretty stationary during the day. One night this past week, I was lying on the couch watching a movie and we could actually see my stomach move around as the baby flipped and flopped. They were big movements too....very noticeable.

I am still feeling great and am very thankful for that. Although, I am certainly starting to show more and more as the days go by. I am also getting varicose veins on the back of my legs (gross, I know!). So, I am trying to be more diligent about not crossing my legs when I sit down and doing other things to try and prevent more from showing up.

I am also starting to get more tired again. After a big walk, I need a little nap to keep going for the rest of the day!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Above is a picture of our beautiful Christmas tree --- definitely the nicest tree we've ever had!

We went to Gold River yesterday to visit Sandy's family for Christmas. Rob and Pam put on an incredible feast and we all had a great time catching up. That's what the holidays are all about: spending time with family and friends .... and eating lots of yummy food!

We are all set for Christmas here .... just waiting for Santa to come visit tonight! Really though, I feel like I've already received the best gift possible with having my Mom, Dad, and Heather here. Plus, with the gift of this baby growing healthy and strong ... I feel very blessed.

Speaking of the baby, I think it must have gone through a growth spurt this past week because my belly certainly has gotten much bigger! I am starting to feel more and more pregnant every day and I love it.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

Showing off our bellies!

A mini update

Sandy and Heather made it home fine on Friday. We had a great weekend with the five of us...lots of eating and drinking (only water for me!). On Saturday, we bundled up and trundled off through the woods to find the perfect Christmas tree. Heather found a beauty, so Sandy chopped it down and carried it back to the truck. We put the lights and decorations on the tree Saturday night and it looks so beautiful! (I'll have to post a picture)

Sandy and I both headed off to work today. I went to a high school and taught a bunch of kids who really didn't want to be there, so not the best day. Sandy spent his day in a dirty crawl space (welcome back to work!).

I am still feeling really good....definitely starting to get bigger too! The baby has been moving around a lot again. I feel lots of kicks around 9-10pm .... hmm .... hopefully, this baby isn't a night owl!

One complaint I do have is that I can't shake the sniffles! I caught a bad cold the first week of December and felt really horrible for 4-5 days. I have been feeling so much better lately, but my nose is still stuffed up! Not that these are the best kind of details, but I keep blowing my nose and still, it's stuffed up and I am sniffling. I hope this clears up soon!

That's all for now. I'm off to bed. :)

So Happy!

I picked my Mom and Dad up at the airport this morning! I could barely contain myself waiting for them to get off the plane (of course they were the last ones off!). As soon as I saw them, I started crying so hard....I was just so happy! It was kind of embarassing and my Mom thought something was wrong, but nope! I was just having a bit of an emotional breakdown! Wonder if I'll have a repeat performance when Heather and Sandy show up tomorrow afternoon?

"Nesting" .... or maybe just crazy!

I've heard about this phenomenon called "nesting" where pregnant women go all crazy and clean their homes from top to bottom. I think it normally happens just before birth as a way to get active plus get the house ready for it's newest member! I think this nesting urge can also happen throughout pregnancy...I sure hope so anyway! I've been going non-stop all week long moving furniture, sorting through junk, throwing stuff away, and cleaning, cleaning, cleaning!

I think I'm getting towards the end of what will be accomplished right now though. For two main reasons: reason 1 - I'm almost finished my "to-do list" and am running out of things to move around and clean AND reason 2 - my Mom and Dad arrive tomorrow for Christmas!!!! I am so excited to see them and can't wait until they get here.

Tonight I think I was feeling some braxton-hicks contractions. Joanne asked me if I'd noticed any since they can start around 16 weeks. I hadn't really noticed so I started paying closer attention. I'm not totally sure this is what is actually happening but my stomach gets really tight and hard for a few moments (well technically, it's actually my uterus but it's kind of weird to talk about it and actually say uterus!). It doesn't hurt or anything .... just feels a bit different.

The baby has been kind of quiet lately. I was worried that something was wrong but I asked my Mom and she said that it was probably just tired from all of the running around I've been doing! My favorite part of the day is when I sit down on the couch for a cup of tea before bed. This is usually the time that baby decides to move around and give out a few punches and kicks :)

Snow!

These pictures are from the first weekend in December. I didn't get a chance to post them before but I still wanted to show how crazy the weather was around here! We got over 2 feet of snow in 48 hours. It was so beautiful, but also made driving (and walking) a bit treacherous!

Ryder loved every minute of it (of course!). And, I was very grateful that Sandy was home for a visit....he got his exercise shovelling that weekend!

Where does it go???

TIME! It's going by so quickly...how is it already December 11th? Seriously, time is going by so fast for me right now. I remember at the beginning of this pregnancy that being 22 weeks seemed sooooo far away, but here I am today at 22 weeks and time is just zipping by.

I have been doing my best to try and take a moment each day to just sit and have a moment with the baby. I know it sounds kind of corny, but this is going by so quickly and I want to make sure that I enjoy every minute and cherish every moment. I'll never be pregnant with our first baby again!

And, what's even crazier is that 2 weeks from today, it will be CHRISTMAS!!!

Hello!!!

Here is our little baby at 20 weeks 6 days old....waving "Hello"!!!

My ultrasound on Monday went really well. I had a student sonographer who took her time making sure all of the details and measurements were correct. Then, the actual ultrasound tech had a look to double-check that everything looked good.

After they had done all of the anatomy measurements, they turned the screen so that we could see the baby.... SO COOL! It looks like an actual baby now! The tech showed us it's little feet kicking around, it's arms, (NO leg shot or between the leg shot, so no guesses on the sex...sorry! :), it's heart, brain, face, everything! It was really amazing.

She labelled the picture for me. "STO" stands for stomach and "FH" stands for fetal heart. The darker areas in the picture are fluid (aside from the shadow in the middle of the picture) and the bright white areas are the baby's bones. I love how the baby has it's little arm up in this picture....just hanging out saying "Hi".

Joanne called with the actual results of the scan on Tuesday. All of the measurements are right on track, the baby's brain looks good, and the amniotic fluid level is "perfect". I'm feeling extremely fortunate to have such a healthy pregnancy and baby.

The details

I had my midwife appointment with Joanne today. I love going to her office. It's in her house but there is a separate entrance and the office space is really warm and cozy. We had a really nice chat and caught up on all of the baby stuff....here are the details:

• So far, I am measuring right on track (with pretty much everything).
• I have gained 6 pounds since the start of the pregnancy. Joanne said that this number is "perfectly average" and I can expect to gain about a pound a week from here on. Guess I'll have to watch how many Christmas goodies I eat!
• She took my blood pressure (it was 90 over 60) which Joanne said is low, but okay. I told her that I've been getting really light-headed if I stand up too fast and she said that was happening because I have more blood volume now, but lower pressure so it takes a little longer for my blood to get where it's going. She reminded me to stand up slower!
• My heart and lungs both sounded fine. And, my eyesight still looks good (I guess it can change during pregnancy...who knew?)
• The baby's heartrate was 156 beats per minute and sounded nice and strong.

And, that was pretty much it! Joanne said that she didn't have any concerns with me or the baby, so that's good news. It was a great appointment: I left feeling happy. Now, I get to look foward to the big ultrasound this Monday!

Halfway

Today I am exactly halfway (20 weeks) through this pregnancy!

It's been such an awesome experience so far....I switch back and forth between looking forward to the end when we get to meet our baby and wanting time to slow down so I can enjoy this special time.

The baby is still moving around lots. I really like feeling the kicks and punches.

My tummy has popped out quite a bit this week. Today, one of my grade two students even asked if I was having a baby so it must be getting more noticeable!

I've got another midwife appointment tomorrow. I am looking forward to hearing the baby's heartbeat again. And, our big ultrasound is coming up on December 3rd. Time is going by so quickly....

Here's something that's kind of cool...

I've been reading in my baby books about how the baby is growing and what size it is now. One book I read said that the baby was 6.5 inches CRL and one book said that the baby is now 10.5 inches long....I was totally confused! I can understand a discrepancy between books of a half inch or maybe even an inch, but 4 inches difference.....no way!

So, I did some research and it turns out that the measurement of 6.5 inches is from the top of the baby's head to it's bum. And, the 10.5 inch measurement includes the baby's legs....totally makes sense! It's funny ..... I can remember writing a post about the how the baby was 4 inches long now and I was so amazed (back around week 12 maybe?) and now it's legs are 4 inches long!!!! I'm still amazed.

And a place to sit...

Our friend, Alysha, surprised me the other day with this gift: a fisher-price infant to toddler rocker. It looks very comfy! Hopefully, the baby will like to sit *quietly* in this little chair for long periods of time .... LOL! I can always hope. ;)

A place to sleep

A very generous and beautiful gift from Ken and RonaLee
~ our baby's first bed.

WOW

Last night I was lying on the couch watching a movie when I felt the baby kick. I put my hand on my tummy to see if I could feel it and there was this huge movement! So, I pulled back the blanket and had a look....I can see the baby moving around! My tummy would just kind of poke up a little bit in one spot. It was incredible! So, I called Sandy and told him all about it. He was sad that he wasn't here, happy that I could feel such big movements, and laughing because I was so excited about it! Then, I called my Mom and told her --- she was excited too. I hope this keeps up because it is so neat to see.

Baby Brain

There's this "condition" that they say pregnant women get: Baby Brain. I didn't quite get what it meant at first, but now I think I've got a pretty good understanding!

Basically, it means that you forget everything....whether it's an important detail or an extremely insignificant item. For example, I was trying to figure out Sandy's next set of dates for school. The operator at BCIT said there was a spot available in a course that will run from March to May of 2008. I thought this sounded perfect and started to register Sandy. After a few moments, I had to tell the operator those days wouldn't actually work after all. He (the operator) asked why....because I am having a baby in APRIL!!!! Trust me when I say, it's a little embarassing to have to say that you forgot that you are actually pregnant.

The other night at curling I was showing a rookie third on the opposition how to use the measuring stick to measure rocks for points. Well, partway through my explanation, I forgot what I was saying and had to look to my skip to finish! Also, an embarassing situation.

Not to mention the daily things....like forgetting that I already told someone a story and repeating it five times before they remind me that yes, I already told them this!!! (that really drives Sandy nuts :)

And, not only am I forgetting things, but I have also become an even bigger klutz than before (if that's posssible!). On Monday, we were taking Ryder for a walk and I managed to walk right into this huge tree branch that was hanging down....ended up with a big scratch on my forehead for that one!

Let's hope I make it through the next 5 months and give this baby it's own chance at life!

Thank You

We are incredibly lucky to have such an amazing family. On both sides, we have parents, siblings, grand-parents, cousins, aunts, and uncles who offer us an incredible amount of love and support. It makes our journey towards parenthood very special and enjoyable. We truly appreciate it. Thank You.

Namaste

Tonight I attended my second pre-natal yoga class (actually, my second yoga class ever!). The first class was a good introduction to what the seven-week session would be like, but I left feeling a bit unsure. I did enjoy it but thought the whole thing was a bit slow and honestly, I felt like giggling most of the time ... because of the breathing and poses and mainly because I was just being silly.

But tonight, I was in my yoga groove ;). I knew what to expect and was better prepared to breathe deeply and focus on "the babe" (instructor's term, not mine!). I was much better at the poses and at moving from pose to pose without looking totally awkward (probably still a bit goofy looking, but definitely better than the first week!)

One of my favorite parts of the 1.5 hour long class is the last 10 minutes. We do a pose that has a fancy yoga name, but I can only remember the laymen's term: "the corpse pose". Basically, we lay on our mats and stay very still and breathe....it feels heavenly after a long day.

At the end of the class, we say "Namaste".... I gather this is a similar term to "Aloha".... it covers hello, good-bye, thank you .... all the important things.

*Edited to Add: I just googled "namaste" to see if I was close in my very basic translation...not so much! Here is what it really means: "The God/Goddess within me acknowledges the God/Goddess within you." ....very yogic sounding!*

I think we know which hockey team this baby will be cheering for...

A gift from Grandma and Grandpa Watt (Pam and Rob)....so darn cute!!!!

It happened!!!!

After writing my last post, I went downstairs to watch tv and relax on the couch. I was just lying there when I felt it....the baby moving!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited!

I read in the baby books that I should feel the baby moving around this time and that it would feel like tiny hiccups or little kicks. I just could not imagine it...until I felt it happening!!! The movements were right where Joanne found the heartbeat at my last midwife appointment --- very low and on the right hand side of my tummy.

I think this is an official milestone: Sunday, November 4th, 2007 at 16 weeks 5 days pregnant, I felt the baby move for the first time. :)

A busy week.

Sunday night and I am finally getting a chance to update!

We've had a very busy week. I worked four out of five days this week. I know this isn't that big of a deal, but it just adds to the overall "busyness"!

I had curling on Tuesday night (we won - yay!). Wednesday was aerobics at 5pm and then Halloween. We carved our pumpkin and handed out candy to the kids. Thursday was my first night of pre-natal yoga (very relaxing). Friday night, we had a house full of people for a party. Saturday was spent running errands and helping Sandy pack. This morning I said good-bye to Sandy because he's off to Vancouver to attend BCIT for his first level of apprenticeship training. Then, I went for a big walk with a friend and afterwards, attended her baby shower. WHEW!

I am tired, but feeling great. Not much change in baby land. Still havn't felt any movements and am still really looking forward to it!

16 weeks today!

Wow! 16 weeks today. Above are some photos from the internet of what a 16 week old baby looks like....it's pretty incredible how they are starting to look more like actual babies and not little alien creatures anymore!

You know I love that site that tells you what is happening each week. So, here's what's going on this week:

Fat begins to form underneath skin, providing your baby with insulation for the
coming months.
Did you know that both baby and placenta are now about the
same size?
Your little one has reached 4.57 inches (11.6cm) and approximately 3.53 ounces (100gm).
His head and neck are held straighter now.
This is a week of "mights!" You might hear the tiny thumps of his
heartbeat with an external monitor now. The genitals are developed sufficiently
that an experienced sonographer might be able to determine if your baby is a boy
or a girl.
Her heart is pumping as much as 6 gallons of blood a day and
beats at a rate about double your heartrate.
If you could take a peek inside, you would witness your child's reflexes in action! (Sucking, swallowing and blinking are now evident.) She is probably even hiccuping even though you don't feel it yet!
Your baby has learned to breathe! This is apparent from the regular movements of his chest. Isn't it amazing that he is able to breathe "underwater," inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid? These actions help the lungs to develop and grow.

Some pretty cool things are happening!

First off, I havn't felt any thumps or taps yet. I've been focussing on lying still for a little bit after dinner to see if I can notice anything, but no luck yet. Hopefully, soon though!

Also, this is the time when an ultrasound could reveal whether the baby is a boy or a girl!!! I am absolutely dying to find out, but Sandy and I agreed that we would wait until the baby is born....how am I going to last that long??? (I am the one who unwraps Christmas presents and then re-wraps them because I can't stand the suspense!!! Although, the really strange thing is that I absolutely love surprises. I think that's why Sandy wants to wait so badly --- he knows this may be one of the moments in life when I'll have to wait and wait and wait and there's nothing I can do to find out and ruin the surprise!)

And, the last item that stood out to me is that the baby has learned to breathe...a skill that will prove very important! ;)

Fashion Show!

I love new clothes! Here I am "modelling" two of my new tops. The black and white one is a second-hand top that a friend in GR gave to me when we were there last weekend. She is nearing the end of her pregnancy and it doesn't fit anymore, which works for me because it fits me great right now!

The red top is from my Mom. Luckily (for me!), she was in the mall in Fort Mac the other day and came across a maternity clothing store....and they were having a SALE!!!! She found the first three tops during that trip; plus, a great black skirt that should fit the entire time and is very comfortable. Those items came in the mail yesterday and I absolutely loved them, so she went back today and found some more great deals (see the picture with the six tops). I think she found another skirt today too. And, she experienced her very own version of 'pay it forward' when a pregnant lady in the store gave her a coupon that she couldn't use for $50 off!!!!

Okay, even though it wasn't actually me doing the shopping, I still love the idea of finding a great deal. I know my Dad is laughing and saying, "Yes, look at how much money we saved!"

It's late and I'm tired...

Just like the title says, "It's late and I'm tired..."

Everything in our world continues to go well. Still not feeling pregnant at all! I think I may be starting to get a bit of a baby belly though. I'll have to take a picture and compare to an earlier photo to see if there is a noticeable change. If there is, I'll post them on here so you can see too!

At 15 weeks, here's what's happening with the babe:

Week Fifteen

You may begin to feel some fluttering movements as baby kicks,
flails, twists and turns (but don't panic if you don't yet). She can also grasp,
squint, frown, grimace and maybe suck her thumb!
Your baby's legs have grown longer than the arms and the body is now longer than the head.
And you'll be happy to note that he is moving those arms and legs often!
His skin is very thin -- so thin blood vessel are visible. It's covered by a fine, soft layer of hair called lanugo. Lanugo comes from a Latin word meaning "down." This hair is thought to help insulate your little boy.
The three tiny bones in his middle ear have begun to harden. The auditory centers in your baby's brain haven't developed yet, so she might not really understand what you say but her hearing capacity is in the process of developing.
Fingernails and toenails are growing.
Eyebrows are beginning to grow and even the hair his head is
sprouting. It will probably change color and texture after birth.
All this and your little one is an amazing 3.98 inches (10.1cm) long and may weigh 2.47 ounces.

Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof, woof......

Say that really fast and you'll know exactly what the baby's heartbeat sounds like right now!

I was supposed to have a midwife appointment today but ended up getting called into work. I called Joanne to let her know I wouldn't make my appointment and she surprised me by saying that she would meet me at our house after school!

We had our normal appointment chat about how I was feeling (great!) and if I had any questions (not really) and then she took my blood pressure. It was fine. Then, it was time for what I had been waiting for.... out came the doppler!

She put the little wand on my abdomen and started moving it around to find the baby. 15 minutes later and nothing....except my own heartbeat (apparently, I have a very strong pulse!). Finally, she moved the doppler way down low and that's when we heard it...."woof, woof, woof, woof, woof..." It was going super fast --- 156 beats per minute to be exact!

I was very grateful that Joanne kept looking for the baby and it was very reassuring to hear the heartbeat. She said it sounded strong and healthy, which is great news.

15 weeks tomorrow!!! Where is time going?

Feeling much calmer and happier.

Whew! I just re-read my last post. I had worked myself into quite a state. I think I just needed to stop thinking about everything so much and RELAX!

Sandy and I had a great weekend. We went to Gold River on Friday night to visit Sandy's brother and his girlfriend. And, Sandy's Mom was there too so we got to see everyone. The boys had a bit of a party with some friends downstairs (played pool and watched the hockey game) and the girls relaxed upstairs.

We got home around 5pm yesterday and I was promptly "kidnapped" by Alysha to go out for dinner and a girl's night! She even brought pizza for Sandy so he didn't have to worry about making dinner. It was an amazing thing for her to do and exactly what I needed. We started off with a few drinks (soft ciders for me :) and the girls all met here. I had lots of time to visit and chat and even managed to do my hair and get dressed up! We went out for dinner (I had an amazing pasta dish - it was sooooo good!). Then, we went to a different pub for more drinks (shirley temple for me), and then we went to the bar! That was so funny. Mostly we just sat in our chairs and chatted with each other and watched everyone else. I had a lot of fun...it felt so great just to be out doing something different and enjoying the company of our girlfriends. Alysha, if you are reading this, Thank You!

Today has been a relaxing day so far and I think it will stay that way. If I am feeling energetic later, I may start going through my clothes...there are a few items that just aren't fitting that well anymore!

Patience (or lack of it!)

When is this pregnancy going to feel real? I am ready for it to happen any day now! I still feel totally normal (aside from some occasional cramping, but it's not enough to make me say..."Oh, I'm pregnant!"). Most of my clothes are still fitting just fine...although, I must admit that I do look a bit "wider" from the side. But, other than that, nothing has changed. I think that in a couple of months, I'll look back at this post and laugh at myself for being so ridiculous. But, right now I want to feel something...anything!

Sorry, no update!

No midwife appointment today after all. My cell phone rang at 6:13am for a job at Vanier (high school here in Courtenay). I taught three classes of English and then the last class of the day was....rugby!!! Outside, in the pouring rain and blowing wind, with 35 grade 10 boys running around like crazy and me trying to remember the rules of the game from the teacher's notes and my quick read through a rugby rule book that I found in the classroom. It's probably not necessary for me to say that I was very happy when the final bell rang.

The teacher who I was in for left a message that he may not be in for the rest of the week...his wife went into labour last night! Pretty exciting, plus I may have the next three days of work covered...bonus for me!

"Officially" in the Second Trimester

If I count back from the due date calculated from the ultrasound, I am exactly 14 weeks tomorrow. This is very exciting for a couple of reasons.

Reason #1: 14 weeks!!! YAY! I am *just* a little bit more than a third of the way through.

Reason #2: I have a midwife appointment scheduled for tomorrow at 9am (will be changed if I get called in to work). If there isn't any work, then I should get to hear the baby's heartbeat again. I am really looking forward to it.

Reason #3: There seems to be a bit of controversy surrounding the actual start of the second trimester - some people say 12 weeks, some say 13 - some say that when you are 13 weeks pregnant, you are actually in your 14th week, so that counts (confusing!). Regardless, I figure at 14 weeks, we are "officially" in the second semester.

So, here's to the second semester! Let's hope it is as great as the first one. Aside from feeling a bit more tired than usual, I've been incredibly lucky and have been feeling great! Fingers crossed that it continues....

TGIF

Thank goodness it's Friday! I had a great week of work, but I am ready for the weekend. Tonight I plan on making a good dinner and then watching a movie...very exciting, I know!

After school today, I went to visit my friend Sonja, who had a baby boy 4 weeks ago. His name is Sam and he is very cute. I held him the whole time we sat and chatted and he was very quiet and content. However, on the drive home from her house, I noticed that my left arm was sore. I think it was from holding Sam --- he only weighs 7 pounds!

It looks like I may have to do some weightlifting in preparation for this baby of ours!

It's amazing the impact that three inches can have on your life...

Three inches --- that's exactly how big the baby is right now (that's about 8 cm for those of you who use that system!). It's incredible to think that the baby is that big already....maybe that's why my pants are starting to feel tight!

I found this neat website: http://www.pregnancy.org/pregnancy/fetaldevelopment1.php

You can click on the link for how far along you are (13 weeks for me) and it tells you how the baby is developing and shows some ultrasound pictures of other babies at this size. Here is what our 13 week 2 day old baby is doing right now:

Week Thirteen

Your infant is about 2.91 inches (7.4cm) and weighs around 0.81
ounce (23gm) - This is about the same weight as 4 quarters.

If you could peek in again you may spot your baby as he begins to practice inhaling and exhaling movements

Eyes and ears continue to move and develop

Baby's neck is getting longer, and the chin no longer is resting on his chest

Her hands are becoming more functional - Your baby may find it comforting to start
playing with her fist.

At this point all nourishment is received from the placenta

On your next doctor visit you should be able to hear heartbeat with
a Doppler by now - (Don't worry though if you can't, the heartbeat can be
confirmed through U/S). Your baby's heartbeat is much rapider than your own and
may remind you of the race towards birth that he is running

Isn't that amazing???

Good versus Evil

The good: Today I went to an hour long aerobics/conditioning class. It was an incredible workout and also a lot of fun! Two friends came with me so we had a good time giggling at ourselves trying to keep up with the "moves". Even with the silliness, I worked really hard and am already feeling some sore muscles. It hurts, but in a good way. I was conscious of the fact that I am pregnant and should be careful, but I managed to keep up pretty well and just went to a lower intensity when I was getting too hot or feeling "the burn" a little too much.

The evil: It's no secret that I love candy. I truly love it. When I was doing some grocery shopping at Thrifty's the other day, I came across this bulk section called "favour blasters" or something like that. There are a whole bunch of bins with a wide variety of candy: fuzzy peaches, watermelon slices, strawberries (hhmmm, they are all shaped like fruit...probably to give the false illusion that the sugar you are eating is actually good for you). Anyway, I bought some of these chewy candies and they are soooooooo delicious and also PURE EVIL!!! Like with the aerobics, I am conscious that I am pregnant and shouldn't eat a lot of junk --- bad for baby and bad for me, but they just taste so good!

What's that saying? "Everything in moderation...."

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you are all enjoying the long weekend and getting to spend time with family and friends. Last night Sandy and I ordered pizza and then had pumpkin pie for dessert....maybe not the best in terms of quality but it sure tasted good!

I had a bit of realization this morning. Next Thanksgiving, we'll be celebrating as a family of three instead of just the two of us (well, technically, if you include Ryder, we'll go from three to four, but you get what I mean!!!). It's pretty crazy to think that we are actually going to have a baby....it still seems surreal most of the time....I wonder when it will seem real? Maybe in the delivery room! ha, ha, ha!

Nursery decor

Okay, I know it may seem early to be talking about decorating the nursery, but I love these kinds of projects, so I've been thinking about it a lot!

My plan for the nursery is to do an outdoor garden theme. I'm hoping this is an idea that will be gender neutral and also soothing for a newborn....and me when I'm up at 3am feeding the baby :)

The first picture shows the different fabrics. The blue fabric is for the curtains that I will be making. The plaid fabric is the crib skirt. The green fabric has the same design has the blue fabric, but doesn't have a purpose quite yet.

The blue butterfly is from a garden shop in Victoria and already hangs from the ceiling in the spare room (soon to be nursery!). It is really pretty and will probably stay in the corner of the room .... it may end up over the crib .... depends on where the crib gets situated.

With a couple of nice pictures on the walls and a few stuffies in the shape of a ladybug or a caterpillar (actually, I think I still have a beanie baby caterpillar in a box downstairs), I think the room will be complete.

Any comments or suggestions?

Baby bedding

On Tuesday, I went for a haircut. I had a few minutes before my appointment so decided to look through the thrift shop that is near my hairdresser's (it was either that or check out the meat at the butcher shop that is on the other side!).

The thrift shop has a small baby section where I found this crib skirt. I had already (before even finding out we were pregnant!) purchased fabric that I want to use for the curtains in the baby's room and this crib skirt matches perfectly. It cost a whopping $1.49!!! So, I bought the crib skirt, brought it home and washed it twice (just to make sure :) . Today I was taking a closer look and the crib skirt is in great shape --- no rips, tears, or stains --- and it is brand name: Disney!

Next post I will show the other fabrics for the room....stay tuned!

For the golfer in training...

So cute! These little golf shoes/slippers are from Sandy's Mom for the baby. I understand she's had them for quite some time and was waiting to give them to us. I know the picture isn't that great and you can't really see how tiny they are, but trust me when I tell you that they are adorable! I can't wait to put them on the baby's little feet.

Would you (I) like some cheese with that whine?

I am soooooo tired! I felt like this back around weeks 6-8...totally exhausted. I was feeling great for the past month, but today I am feeling so worn out. And, here is the best part: I didn't even have to work today! I took Ryder for a big walk and ran a bunch of errands, but that's about it. I've got my first curling game of the season tonight, so time to act energetic and hope that my body catches on. :)

Tomorrow and Thursday, I've been requested for full days to teach in the Courtenay school district, which I love because it means less driving. Hopefully, I can stay awake until the end of the day though!

And the due date is....

APRIL 15th!!!

Joanne just called with the results of the ultrasound. She said everything looks great and then told me the due date: Tuesday, April 15th. That makes me 12 weeks tomorrow. Exciting!!!

Baby's First Picture!

Here it is! The baby's first picture. It's actually really hard to see anything other than a blob in this photo, but the rounded object on the right is the baby's head and the second rounded object is it's body. The little thing kind of floating behind the first rounded shape is an arm.

Hopefully, the next set of pictures are a little better! Although, I've been told that we were lucky to see as much as we did. It seems that (at early dating ultrasounds) most people can't make out anything at all. Thanks for looking!

There's a baby in there!!!

We had our first ultrasound on Tuesday afternoon and it was incredible! I had to drink 3 full glasses of water 2 hours beforehand and then hooooold it until after the scan...that part was not fun!

But, seeing the baby was really cool. The tech took his time taking all of the measurements and then let Sandy come into the room. The tech turned the screen towards us and we got our first glimpse at this tiny little baby. It still looks kind of strange though! It's head was as big as it's body and it still has a little tail bud, but we could see it's arms and legs waving around and it was very cute! The tech showed us where it's brain is developing and showed us where it's heart is located --- we could see it beating on the screen. The official measurement was 167 beats per minute! Sounds good to me. :)

I had to work all day yesterday (teaching Kindergarten...ahhhh!!!) but as soon as I have time I'll go up to the hospital and pick up the images from the scan. I think they come on a disc, so I should be able to post them online. Check back for baby's first picture!

Oh, and the tech didn't tell us an exact due date, but he did say that the baby looks to be about 11 - 12 weeks old. I think Joanne (the midwife) will call us with a date when she gets the results from the ultrasound.

Meeting the midwife

Today was my appointment with our midwife, Joanne. She is amazing and I am so glad that we have the opportunity to choose the type of care that we prefer. I will meet with her for an hour once a month until 32 weeks. Then, I'll go once every 2 weeks until 36 weeks when I'll see her every week. She will be with us throughout the whole labour and delivery. And, once the baby is born, she does home visits at 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, and 6 weeks old!!! Sounds pretty good to me. :)

I know my Mom has expressed concern over the fact that I don't have a MD so I am also looking into getting a family doctor who sees maternity patients and will be able to take care of both myself and the baby after our care with the midwife ends.

The appointment today was mostly for Joanne to take a family history and ask about any medical "issues" that I may have....thankfully, I am boring!!! and have nothing interesting at all, which will hopefully make this whole experience go smoothly. *fingers crossed*

Joanne used her doppler to try and find the baby's heartbeat but didn't have any luck. She said that she "felt really close to finding it," but it was probably still too early. However, she did hear my pulse with it, so good news: I'm alive! ;)

Sharing the news....

Hi!

Welcome to the official blog of "Baby Watt"!!!

Since so many of our family and friends live far away, we've decided to create this blog to help keep you all up to date with the happenings of our first pregnancy.

Baby Watt is unofficially due mid-April. This should be confirmed at our first ultrasound on September 25th.

We are very excited and look forward to sharing this with you all!

Sandy and Allison :)