Birthday weekend and halfway there! (20 weeks!)

Hello All!!

This past weekend was my birthday weekend - I turned 24 on Sunday. It was a spectacular birthday weekend. Saturday Eric and I worked on the crib for a little bit, we did a little bit of light shopping, bought cupcakes from Isobel's (which I have wanted for way too long) and went out with a group of friends to watch the Olympics and do some dancing, although no dancing was actually done. Also on Saturday my parents sent me an "Edible Arrangement" that had chocolate covered banana, apple, strawberries as well as some not chocolate covered pineapple, grapes, strawberries and cantaloupe. It was really really delicious:






Then on Sunday (my actual birthday) we took our crazy puppy Pabloe to the dog park with two friends and their dogs, opened presents - which I was really happy with my - a gorgeous purse from my mother-in-law; and a spa package for pretty much everything (pedicure, manicure, facial and massage) from Eric! And then we tied off a really great day with take out Thai food (my fave when I can't eat sushi) and cuddled and watched the hockey game... the very very disappointing hockey game. All in all a pretty low key weekend. But I must be getting old or something because it really was perfect.

Other exciting things from the week: Eric felt the baby move!! I wasn't sure how long it would take him to feel it because I have an anterior placenta, but lo and behold Eric felt it move! Also, I am now 20 weeks! So assuming I'm not super early, or super late, I have about 20 weeks left before Eric and I will have a third member to our family. It's pretty amazing!! It also means I've been trying to buckle down more on getting things ready. It hasn't been super successful, but I'm working on it!! The crib is on hold right now until Eric finishes a math course that he has been working on, so that will be resumed sometime in a month or two. I'm still trying to decide on a theme! I found a coordinated crib bedding set that I LOVE, but it isn't organic.. and I'm a little crazy and would like the bedding to be organic (avoid all of those chemicals and pesticides) Anyway, we'll see what I'm able to find! I'm open to any theme suggestions for the nursery!!

Well I am going to take off! Thanks for reading!!
Take care!

Ultrasounds!! (19+1)

Hey everyone!!

Today Eric and I went in for our morphology/18-20 week ultrasound. It was a pretty awesome experience and our sonographer was really great! She talked us through everything and explained everything she was doing and the baby parts to us. So far everything looks pretty bang on! We decided not to find out the sex, although we both made guesses (which we didn't tell her to confirm or not confirm.) My ONLY complaint about her is that she only gave us 2 pictures and last time I got 5!! I was a little bummed about that, but at least I know everything is okay and both pictures are stinking cute... I'll post them in the next blog because Eric is asleep already and I don't feel like fooling around with scanner. Anyway, everything is looking pretty good I'll probably drag Eric out "baby stuff" shopping this weekend as it's my Birthday and I'm allowed.

Oh that note, the crib is coming along nicely, a little slower than I hoped, but I can't complain because my wonderful husband is the one doing ALL of the work. I was a little worried about being around all the saw dust without a mask, and lo and behold we don't have any masks. Now it's been stained (with a stain that has No VOCs) but I still hate taking that chance. It is going to be stained a second time and then all assembled and then voila I'll more or less have a crib. The probably right now is that the room that will be the nursery is currently being used as a spare room, which I would like to leave it that way for a few weeks/months as we are still most likely having family out to visit over the next few months... BUT ALL I WANT TO DO IS EMPTY THAT ROOM AND START BABY-IZING IT. It's really ridiculous how much I want to decorate it. I still haven't come up with a theme, although I don't want the room to "theme-y" and need to change it in 2 years, realistically I hope we've moved in 2 years. I also don't want however we decorate the room to affect resale value of the house. Right now it's a nice colour and I plan to keep it that colour. I've thought about doing an animal theme, either safari or enchanted forest; nursery rhymes (this one is become my mom bought Eric and I a Jim Shore decoration for our baby quite awhile ago, before we were even starting to try, she saw it at worked and loved it and it is really stinking cute; polka dots and stripes, although I think this would be pretty boring, and; around the world theme - this is because I found this BEAUTIFUL rug that I love by Oopsy Daisy that is called "Our World" and it is gorgeous, and way out of my budget (for a rug) Eric more or less said I could have the rug or I could feed the baby - it was my decision. I'm going with feeding the baby. But really it is a gorgeous rug. So, if anyone has any suggestions I would gladly take them. Think gender neutral too! Any links are greatly appreciated.

Anyway, as the second trimester progresses so does my appetite and I am going to go eat something. Oh and everyone will be happy to know I've returned to prepregnancy weight (as I had lost a lot of weight before) and my jeans are starting to feel quite uncomfortable for extended periods of times. Yes people, I have a bump, one which I'll post a picture of with the ultrasound pictures maybe tomorrow!

Take care everyone,
Thanks for reading!!

To know or not to know... and dance baby dance (18+1)

Hello everyone!!

I wasn't expecting to post again so soon, I was thinking maybe once every couple of weeks but it just seems like I have so much to say about this pregnancy! Most recently what has been on my mind is if we should find out what sex the baby is. Our next (and final assuming everything is okay) ultrasound is on February 19th so that would be the "last" or "only" opportunity to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. This isn't entirely true, because although there aren't all that many perks of working at a hospital, you can find a few working Labour and Delivery while pregnant.. The joys of having dopplers and ultrasound available. So the other day while at work (I feel as though I should mention there were 8 nurses pregnant, well apparently there is 9th nurse who hasn't come out yet and I say were because one of our nurses delivered a beautiful baby boy so that leaves 7) 2 of us pregnant nurses were sitting beside one another talking about nursery decor and the themes, and what we have decided and so forth, so forth. And it came up that the nurses think she is having a boy and that I'm having a girl. And that's when it all started. I got REALLY REALLY curious as to what I was going to have. I mean uncontrollably, I NEED TO KNOW curious. But being a labour and delivery nurse, one of the most exciting parts of it is when the partner announces to the room (more specifically the mom because we're all looking down there) the sex of the baby, and it's a surprise and it's exciting and it just makes you feel good. So I'm torn. I really didn't think I wanted to know the sex of the baby. And really tomorrow I'll go back to not wanting to know yet. Everything we've bought so far is pretty gender neutral and we've got a short list of names for both a boy and a girl. But I want everyone's opinion to know or not to know? And please don't be offended if I choose to do the opposite of what you suggest. Realistically I probably wont find out, but I'm getting the tingling need to know...

Also on other baby related news... I felt him or her move!! Or at least I'm like 90% sure I felt movement. It wasn't like a super obvious thing, like from the malteser commercial when you can see the baby kick the little round chocolate. It was just like the baby decide to do the wave in my belly. And no, it wasn't gas. That feels different. I wasn't expecting to feel the baby move so early because one it's my first baby, sometimes it takes until 22 weeks to feel the baby move because you aren't exactly sure what you're feeling. Also, when my sister Jill, the sonographer looked at my ultrasound pictures she told me that I have an anterior placenta. Which means the placenta is in the front of the uterus, so I will not be able to mimic the Malteser commercial during the pregnancy (I'm heartbroken). Actually seeing the baby movement is unrealistic with an anterior placenta as the placenta works like a cushion. So like I said, I felt the baby move. Twice now, once the day before yesterday and once yesterday while Eric had his hand on my belly because he's a bit jealous he hasn't felt the baby move yet. So I could feel the baby move, but Eric couldn't.... Poor guy. He hasn't been to an ultrasound yet or felt the baby move, just recently he heard the heartbeat though which is good! And he'll be with next Friday!! When I have some new photos to share with the blogosphere! In the meantime the baby is hungry so I'm going to go feed it!

Take care everyone!
Thanks for reading!!

17 weeks down, 23 + to go...

I decided it was about time I started blogging if I was actually going to blog about this pregnancy, so please bare with me, as this is my first blog post and I may be really really boring (sorry.) My belly is finally starting to grow a bit (although as of 17 weeks I'm still wearing all the same clothing which is nice! The only thing that I really need is new bras, and I will NOT complain about that!). Actually, It's even starting to get a little uncomfortable to lay directly on my stomach, so I've started more of a side laying sleep. I think I'll adapt fine. For those who didn't know I was pregnant until I announced it on facebook at 15 weeks, I had consistent nausea and vomiting which kept me awake at night and resulted in a lot of really bad mornings and terrible over night shifts and painful in betweens! I could tell you all about my horror stories but it's a good 10 weeks of them... It would take a couple days straight of blogging to get everyone caught up.

Regardless, today I am 17 weeks plus 1 day. Like I said my belly is growing a bit and I have gained since the beginning of my pregnancy -3lbs. I haven't been experiencing any of the second trimester woes which I am extremely grateful for after my first trimester. I'm finally getting energy back and attempting to keep myself active. On that note, it's pretty hard to leave the house when I don't need to and it's minus 18 degrees Celsius out. I could really use some sunlight! So Eric and I are thinking about taking one last baby free trip to somewhere! We're not entirely sure where or when. We just want it to happen before the 24week mark. I wouldn't mind it happening sooner rather than later so we can go while I still fit into my cute summer/hot weather attire. We're also discussing getting a second dog. Eric thinks we should do one or the other not both.. I guess I'm feeling a little greedy and want to do both. Although if I really had to choose I would choose getting a second dog. As that's what I've wanted to do pretty much since Eric and I got married.

Pretty much since I found out I was pregnant I have had that crazy nesting urge you get. You know the one you get that involves going through every little box in the storage room and deciding what to keep and what not to keep or the cleaning and decorating and the rearranging. Well what has come along with my crazy nesting urge (and I doubt I'm alone) is the need to shop for all things baby related. I managed to put it off for most of the first trimester, as they say it's bad luck to buy anything in your first trimester and I think from being a nurse I'm a little superstitious (especially when it comes to birth plans and room 7- but really that's more common sense then superstition.) So now that I am in my second trimester it's almost like I have a green light that says "DO IT" and so the shopping has begun....

My mom has been absolutely amazing and has already purchased Eric and I the stroller, car seat and playard for the baby. A matter of fact it's sitting downstairs calling my name to be assembled... Eric's mom has been super excited as well and offered to buy the baby swing and high chair, and luckily for Eric and I, she managed to find the matching swing for the set that my mom bought us (which I've been eyeing since week 6.) Eric and I are still undecided as to what we want to do for the high chair. There are these really neat high chairs by Stokke called Tripp Trapp, but they seem overpriced for what they are, so Eric has been considering building it once he's done with the crib and dresser and bookshelf. This is what they look like:



They come in a lot of different colours and some more natural wood colours as well. Finally Eric and I have also started buying some bottles. Although I plan to exclusively breastfeed, I do intend to pump as well. So we purchased the BabyLife Weego Bottles for ourselves and they're just so colourful:

Anyway, I'm sure I've bored you enough with this first post. So I'm going to take off and do some shopping and baking and other homemaker activities that make me laugh to myself... Who would have thought I would be nesting at 23 years old?? I need to get myself back to University...

Take care all!
Thanks for reading!