3 month portraits:

Oops!

I guess I never mentioned this...

JB got a job!!! He had two interviews - one with the safety guy and the second with the big boss man. The day after the interview with the big boss, he got the job and started on Monday (Dec 10). He's driving a big truck delivering gas/diesel to rigs, farmers, plants, etc. He loves to drive, so he will enjoy this job. The pay isn't bad and he's home every night, on call every 4th weekend. It's really nice having my hubby home.

Logan is crying. Gotta go. (He doesn't like being ignored!)

Where has the year gone?

It seems that 2007 is very quickly coming to a close. I cannot belive how quickly the past year has gone by! I especially can't believe how quickly the past 11 weeks has gone by... someone told me that time flies even faster when you have children, and they are right!

Logan is doing good - growing like a weed! He's into Size 2 diapers now and is out-growing most of his 0-3 month clothing (which makes me sad - those little sleepers are so cute). He's awake so much now and so very alert. He doesn't like lying on his back (under toy bars, etc.) very long... he wants to be sitting up, looking at everything. I can't wait until I can put him in the exercauser and jolly jumper - probably another month or so before that can happen - I think he'll love it.

We went to my company's kids Christmas party (though I haven't received an invitation to the grown-up Christmas party, and that makes me a little sad) yesterday. It was fun to chat with people from work and a lot of fun just to watch all the older kids playing and having a ball. There was one of those air-bouncer castles and the older kids loved that. Then Santa came to hand out presents... Logan sat on his lap and didn't even cry (he didn't take his eyes off me the whole time). I'm trying to get my hands on the pictures of Logan from the party, so when I do I will post a couple here - especially the one of him on Santa's lap!

I think yesterday was a very big day for Logan... especially with all the noise and activity at the Christmas party. He barely slept all day and when we left the party and went to Gran's house he was very grumpy. We finally got home and he cuddled up and had a good long nap in my arms. Little grumpy man! I think between noon and 6:30pm he maybe napped for 30 minutes total... normally he'd get a couple hours spread out in that time.

On December 17th I have 3 month pictures booked for Logan. Hopefully he cooperates better than he did for our family pictures! Here's a question for you girls... do you want a copy of his 3 month picture? If so, I will mail your Christmas card after the 17th (thus meaning they won't likely make it for Christmas).

Family picture:

Poor Munchkin!

My poor little Munchkin wasn't feeling well today. At two of his feedings I think he threw-up half (or more) of what he ate... poor little guy! He did manage to keep his last bottle down, so whatever was ailing him seems to have been very short-lived (which is a good thing).

Because he spit-up/threw-up so much today, he absolutely reeked of sour milk... eeew! So, Logan had a bath tonight and now is sleeping all snuggled up in a soft blanket. My favorite part of bath time is snuggling afterwards... we always have a snuggle after baths.

Tomorrow is my cousin's baby shower. We finally get to meet Zachery... who I finally figured out is Logan's second cousin (thanks to this relationship chart... genealogy is very confusing!) and is 11 days younger than him. Last I talked to his Mom, our boys are about the same weight right now.

Last weekend I went to a Christmas craft and bake sale. While there, I ordered a blanket for Logan (the woman had to make it)... now I can't find her name or number... I really hope she calls me this weekend (she said it would take about a week), as I really want that blanket. Thankfully I haven't paid for it yet... to be paid upon pick-up. Grrr...

Feeling better

Last night I told JB how I was feeling - which, much to my amazement, made me feel better. Also, today I took a solo trip into town and did some shopping. I feel much better after that couple-hour break.

While in town I picked up our family pictures from Wal-Mart (not a fan overall of the Wal-Mart portrait studio, but I had to cancel my booking at Superstore when JB switched work schedules a while back) and they actually look okay. We are not the most photogenic family... mostly because I am overall not a photogenic person. Plus, Logan decided to wake up just as the session started and wouldn't stop crying! Out of the usual 7 shots that Wal-Mart does, we only took 2 and then we gave up! We got their package where you have to use the first shot, and then we used a second shot for our Christmas cards. My oh my... was that ever an adventure! I really hope Logan is happier for his 3 month pictures in December (which are booked at Superstore). I'll scan and post a picture later on.

JB has a job interview tomorrow morning for a job he only put a resume into last night! I have no doubts he'll get the job, so hopefully it pays enough for us to pay our bills. It wouldn't be a "career" type job, but it would give him some construction experience to put on his resume so that when all the builders start hiring in the spring again he can get a position as a 1st year carpentry apprentice somewhere.

Logan is such a little stinker sometimes (though a very cute one)! There are days when that boy will hardly sleep... thus meaning he's just cranky and wants to be held all day long. It makes it rather difficult to get anything accomplished those days... and they are usually the days when frustration levels peak for JB and sometimes me too.

Shrek the Halls is on TV tonight... hopefully it's funny... and hopefully it isn't on at the same time as Private Practice!


Edit: Well, there isn't a new episode (or any episode) of Private Practice on tonight, so there isn't any conflict in my Wednesday night TV viewing. Oh, and a quick side note... my Christmas shopping is 95% done! I have one last gift to get - the problem is that I have no idea what to get!

Edit

I'm a lot frustrated (but not just about the previous post) and there is definite tension in the house. *sigh*

Neat-o!

I received the neatest gift for Logan yesterday from one of JB's Aunts & Uncles... a Babywrapper towel! I've never seen anything like it before - the things some people think up! I'm going to make sure it's washed and ready for Logan's next bath time.

There is a baby shower for my cousin and her little boy (he was born October 3, so 11 days after Logan) on Saturday - should be a good time, as I don't get to see her often because they live in Saskatchewan... the shower is at another cousin's house. Hopefully I will get a picture of Zachery and Logan together and post it.

Still no job for JB. I'm a little frustrated with the job-hunting (or lack there of) situation. That's all I have to say about that.

2 month pictures:

No pants for me!

Practicing for the UFC in my sleep.

I am one stinkin' cute baby!

Growing like a weed!

Burger made a comment on my last post that Logan is getting big... well, you have no idea! :D

Today we went for his 2 month shots (poor little man) and while there he also got weighed and measured for his growth chart. Oh my! When he was last weighed (November 6th), he was 9 lbs 10 oz. He is now 12 lbs 2 oz! No wonder he's been feeling heavy these days...

The public health nurses chart Logan's height, weight, head circumference and combined weight-length on graphs that give percentiles (ie: you put 100 babies all the same age in a room and it's where your baby falls when compared to the others - 75th percentile means 75% of babies are smaller in whatever is being compared).

Logan's percentiles at birth:
- Length = 63rd
- Weight = 50th
- Head circ = 36th

Logan's 2 month percentiles:
- Length = 33rd
- Weight = 63rd
- Head circ = 73rd
- Weight:Length = 75th

So, my interpretation: our son is a little on the short side, a good weight, with a little bit of a big head. Overall... a good sized little boy... not too big, not too small!

2 month pictures will be posted later. I'm hoping to get some more before I download them off the camera once he wakes up and is (hopefully) feeling better.

2 months old & household turmoil:

First off... wow... I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since I last posted. Where the heck did the time go and what the heck am I doing with my time? Oi!

So, tomorrow marks Logan's two month birthday. And what are we doing to celebrate... we're taking him to be poked with needles! That's right... his first set of immunizations. I am so very glad JB will be home to go with me, as I don't like anything that makes my little man cry. I'll take some pictures sometime tomorrow (I think I'll wash a really cute outfit I bought for him and take the pics in that, if it fits) for his formal monthly pictures and then I'll post them on Facebook and put up one or two here.

Things are going pretty well with us. We are slowly getting used to things. Some days I am very productive and manage to get things done around the house. Other days, I get absolutely nothing done! I do manage to get out of the house a couple (three, four) times a week so I don't go nutty. Oh... I'm playing volleyball on Monday's now... very exciting! This past Monday was my first week playing. I have new glasses... I can finally see (I haven't been able to see clearly since early in my pregnancy)!

I am no longer breastfeeding (much to my dismay, as I had hoped to keep that up quite a bit longer than I did). I don't think my let-down was fast enough for Logan, as once his stomach got bigger he was very grumpy and not staying latched. Once I started supplementing with formula my milk supply diminished, as I wasn't pumping as often as I had been nursing. So, he is now 100% formula fed. But, he got breastmilk for the first 6 weeks of life, which they say is the most important part. And formula-fed babies turn out a-okay (I never received any breastmilk as a baby, since I was adopted). So, although I would have liked to breastfeed longer, Logan is doing really well now that he's on formula - gaining weight and much happier. Plus, I'll be honest, it is so much easier to go places and do running around with him on the bottle.

As for the turmoil... JB quit his job last week! He was sent away for a week and absolutely hated being away from Logan and I for that long (he was home for the entire first month of Logan's life and after that only went away for one night at a time). So, he's in the process of switching careers as he can't stay in the oilfield if he wants to be home more. He's attempting to get in with a company as a first year carpentry apprentice. Hopefully we will have news on this topic soon. Money will be tight for a couple years, but it will be well worth it to have a happy hubby who is actually home!

Daddy's lil ghoul:

Reflections on the past month... and 9 days!

Okay... I had intended to do this post a heck of a lot closer to Logan's one month birthday (Oct 22), but it just didn't happen. So, here I am (finally).

First off, there was something I forgot to mention in the post about Logan's birth - and that is the night after he was born. Logan got more sleep than I did! I had heard that for some women, the feeling after giving birth is best described as euphoric. Well, that would be how I would describe it. That night I could not fall asleep, though heaven knows I was utterly exhausted. I probably only got 2 hours sleep at most, dozing off here and there. The rest of the time was spent staring at my son in amazement. I am still shocked by the fact that something so amazing came out of me. At one point a nurse caught me simply staring at Logan and remarked, "You're in love, aren't you?" And yes, for the first time, I knew that love at first sight was indeed possible.

The first month as a new little family has been full of ups and downs. Most of the "downs" are usually linked to a severe lack of sleep. All-in-all, life is good right now.

We have experienced thrush - and that is not a fun experience, let me tell you! Both Logan and I just finished our medicines for that on Sunday. I'm really glad his medicine is all gone (mine was a cream), as it was really upsetting his poor little tummy. We went through a heck of a lot of gripe water during that week!

I had the flu Monday night/Tuesday, but so far Logan is fine (apparently babies receive antibodies in breast milk so they don't necessarily get sick when Mom does). Thank goodness James was home Monday night! When I fed Logan at 2am I was so shaky and weak from fever/chills that I was scared I would drop him if I tried to move him. So, I had to call for James who then took care of him until his next feeding, by which time my fever/chills had subsided enough that I knew I'd be okay to function when James was at work on Tuesday. I still had a bit of a fever all day (100.5 deg F) and felt really weak - Logan and I spent pretty much the whole day on the couch watching TV. By bedtime, my temperature was back to normal and today I'm feeling good - just a little tired. I am so happy that Logan didn't get sick at the same time as me!

Logan is a little fussy at times - he fights falling asleep almost all the time and he wants to be held almost constantly when he's tired/sleeping. If he wakes up during the day and I had put him in his swing, he gets mad. And let me tell you, this little man has a temper! His lungs will be well developed, that's for sure. The only reason I'm able to be typing this post is that I am finally making us of my Moby Wrap. We are attempting the cradle hold right now. I need to put the wrap on a little tighter next time I attempt this, but all-in-all it is working well. I have two hands free and Logan is happily napping.

Breastfeeding is going okay, other than the recent bout of thrush. Most days Logan has himself (I am demand feeding, not attempting to do scheduled feeding at this point) on a 3 to 4 hour schedule, which isn't too bad. Some night he'll sleep longer - 5 or 6 hours... which is really nice, but hasn't happened lately. However, I think he went through his "6 week growth spurt" a week early, as Sat/Sun/Mon he was feeding every 2 hours (thankfully at night he went his usually 3 to 4 hours). Apparently babies go through growth spurts around 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months - though each individual child can be off that schedule a little bit. He is very gassy (poor little guy). I'm avoiding dairy, though I caved and had some ice cream the other day, as apparently that is one of the biggest causes of gas in breastfed babies. I miss cheese! I hope he gets less gassy soon, I feel bad for him. I'm really hoping he didn't inherit his father's stomach - JB has a really finicky, easily upset stomach.

I can't believe Logan is over 5 weeks old already! The last month has been a blur. Some days I feel like I'm getting into a routine, but others I find myself overwhelmed. Life completely changes when you bring a little one into the world. I'm sure things will get more organized, but I think it will take a while yet. Perhaps by 3 months I'll feel like things are under control again.

I was going to dress Logan up for Halloween today - he was going to be a yellow M&M. However, due to my flu I never made it into town to pick up something I needed for his costume from my friend. So instead he is simply wearing his little diaper shirt that JK bought for him - it's black with a glow-in-the-dark ghost on it and it says "Daddy's lil ghoul." I'll take a picture of him in it sometime today and post it.

Well, that's it for now folks. Hopefully I can manage more than one post every 2 weeks from now on! I will definitely try my hardest...

Sleep deprivation

I still haven't gotten around to doing that "real" post (or my thank you cards for that matter)... yesterday was a pretty long day, and an even longer night. We opted to get our little guy circumcised and as such, he's not too happy. He's doing okay, just needs extra cuddling and his diaper changes take a little more care and attention right now.

So, no "real" post today, as I got very little sleep last night. Logan is napping right now and I really need to do the same.

20 days old already!

Firstly, we are alive and we are doing well (pretty well, anyways). I will post a real post, hopefully this weekend. I'm starting to feel like things are getting a little more "normal" around here - other than the headaches I've been having... likely partially due to changing eyesight from pregnancy (can't go to the optometrist for a couple weeks yet). Chat you later!

Logan loves his Daddy (picture was taken on Oct 7 - Thanksgiving dinner at Gran's house, that is my Mum's new designation!)...

Logan's Birth Story

Okay, Logan is now 11 days old and we are starting to get used to our new life as one little family. However, I am still suffering from a serious lack of sleep and am dehydrated most of the time (I am working on both of those), thus meaning I am getting a number of headaches (going to the chiropractor for my neck only perhaps on Friday). Anyways, as I'm not planning on doing much of anything today - it's JB's first day back at work, which means I was a little emotional last night - I thought I'd try and post Logan's birth story:

~ ~ ~

I ended up being induced because of my high blood pressure. When I was admitted to be induced, Jenn D. was my nurse! She got a kick out of being assigned to me and then seeing my birth plan where I asked for her if she was available (she was recommended by a co-worker and his wife). When she went off duty, Jenn looked at who was coming on-shift and picked out a nurse for me who works in much the same way as she does (and also works with midwives) - Jenny. I was so thankful that Jenn cared enough to do that for us... Jenny was amazing!

Before she left, Jenn D. predicted a "hard and fast" labor because of how quickly the inducing medicine affected me - normally it's left in for a full 12 hours, but it was taken out after only 7 hours (I told them to take it out despite the risk of slowing labor... and my doctor called and told them the same thing not more than 5 minutes later!). No one really believed Jenn, but it turned out she was right!

When Jenn D. went home (3pm), I was only 1-2 cm and after an hour in the tub - so 4pm - I had no change. I got out and tried to walk around and change positions, but it became very clear that I was much more comfortable in the tub, so back in I went. At this point, still just 1-2 cm, my contractions were about 45 sec long with just 45 - 60 seconds in between so I was getting no rest and that was making things quite hard. (Before they took the medicine out of me, I was having 30 - 45 second contractions with 30 - 45 seconds rest, so I guess it did technically *slow* labor.)

We had hoped to go medicine-free through labor, but I was also open to things as long as it was me that requested it and not the nurses that pushed it. I needed something because I was quickly running out of strength - physical and mental. So, I tried the laughing gas, but just could not use it effectively. Since I was barely dilated, an epidural was not an option yet. I had hoped to avoid narcotic drugs because of how they affect me, let alone the possible effects to baby. Jenny explained that because I was only 1-2 cm, by the time baby arrived the drugs would be worn off (still no one believed Jenn D!).

I needed something to help me get a little rest - so I ended up with a low (my doctor was reminded how drugs affect me) dose of Demoral combined with Gravol. When that kicked in, the contractions were still basically continuous but I would feel the peak of each one and I would be able to relax sooner and control my breathing better. James said I even managed to doze off between a few of them - I was sure I dozed for longer, but the longest break was only about 40 seconds by that time! That was a bizarre feeling.

Well, sometime around 6:30/6:40pm things started getting really intense. I asked for an epidural (again!). When checked (still in the tub!), I was still only 3 cm (my emotional low). But, after consulting via phone with my doctor they were going to give me one anyways as I needed to rest, even though they aren't normally given until 5cm I think due to the risk of stopping labor.

When Jenny went to go get an IV to put in me I started having the strongest feeling that I needed to push. This scared me so badly because I had just recently been checked and was only 3cm... JB went to find Jenny as I was really panicking myself. He kept talking to me (he was amazing through the whole thing) and telling me to talk or scream or whatever I wanted... because that meant I wasn't pushing. I heard a couple more nurses come in the room (including the charge nurse) and someone said that I really was acting like it was time to push so they decided I needed to come out of the tub ASAP!

My doctor was paged at 7:00pm as they were getting me out of the tub. They got me to the labor room where the anesthesiologist was waiting. He got an IV in me, but I was still insisting I needed to push so I believe it was him that suggested they check me once more before he gave me the epidural. I was checked and the nurse said "there's nothing there"... all of a sudden the room became a little more chaotic as they realized baby was coming with or without the doctor!

My doctor made it - after running every red light on the way to the hospital - and arrived in the labor room at 7:10pm. My waters were broken by him at 7:18-ish pm and Logan arrived at 7:20pm! Jenn D. was right... fast and furious! I went from 3 to 10cm in less than 20 minutes... that was scary! The doctor said the only thing keeping Logan in as long as he was is that my membranes didn't rupture (water didn't break) on their own (much to the delight of the nurses... you could feel the tension ease when my doctor arrived).

Oh - and though I had Logan much sooner than the nurses expected, I wasn't dopey at all during labor and he wasn't either... the Demoral had given me the break I needed but was worn off by the time I needed it to be.

~ ~ ~

So, that's my tale. Much to my surprise, I never cried once during labor. However, when I was watching JB with Logan during his first moments of life - while getting his check-up under the heat lamp, holding Daddy's finger - I did cry, but those are a different kind of tears. Before he had his check-up, I did get some bonding time with Logan - Jenny insisted on it (she was an amazing nurse). She also kept us in the labor room as long as possible so that we could have quiet bonding time before being moved to our permanent room (which is shared, no single rooms on the maternity ward unless it's a really slow day, which doesn't happen often in Red Deer anymore).

I did tear a little during labor and my doctor gave me an episiotimy to prevent the tearing from getting worse and to be able to control the direction of it. So... I'm on the mend and Logan is doing really well. He was just about back to his birth-weight when we had our public health nurse visit last week. If I'm on the south end of town this week I'll probably pop in to the health unit and weigh him.

~ ~ ~

So, the details:

Logan Tyler B. was born at 7:20pm on September 22, 2007. He weighed 7 lbs 14.5 oz and was 20" long.

I never really believed in love at first sight until I saw my little Baby Bee for the very first time. For an amazing picture of him, visit Ashley's blog (the amazing photographer that did my maternity session) - Logan had his photo session on Sunday!

Here's my amazing little guy (this is my favorite pic that we've taken so far)...

I will post... really...

I will post soon... things are just a little chaotic at the moment.

Well...

...this is it, folks... next time I post I should be a Mommy! I'm just finishing up some last minute organization tonight and then it's off to bed as I have a very early morning ahead of me. Lately, especially last night, I've been suffering from some serious insomnia and haven't been getting much sleep. With lack of sleep comes headaches. I would rather go into tomorrow feeling my best... but we shall see. I will post when I'm home again.

Productive day...

Today has been a fairly productive day... more-so than other days recently. It's not really by choice, but because I have no more days to get my house somewhat clean and organized. Nej will be here either late tonight or sometime tomorrow morning, and then it's off to the hospital very early (be there before 7:30am) Saturday morning and when we come home we will have Baby Bee with us... though he potentially won't arrive until sometime Sunday. Thus, today is my final day to try and get feeling somewhat good about the state of my house. Thus far... semi-satisfied. I'm finishing up the main floor and then I just have two tasks to get done - my bathroom and vacuum up all the cat fur (perhaps give them a brushing too).

My sister called me this morning just to see if there was a baby yet! She makes me laugh... I told her I would call her when he arrives. I feel kind of bad not telling my family that I'm going in to be induced on Saturday morning, but I don't want people showing up unannounced when I'm in labor... I want us (JB, myself, and Baby Bee) to have some quiet time before visitors start showing up as well. Thus, I can't tell my family specifically - JB's family would respect our wishes, but I can't guarantee that mine would. So, only a couple friends know the situation.

I am not sleeping well these days. Part of it is my belly - I seriously feel like I'm *squishing* Baby Bee. But, I asked my doctor and he said that I'm not. I still wake up and am very uncomfortable or have a really hard time getting back to sleep. The other part of my not sleeping well is getting to sleep in the first place... I'm a worrier - always have been, always will be. Sometimes I can't shut off my brain (which drives JB absolutely nuts because I worry about things that are beyond my control... which I know, but that doesn't stop me worrying). So, my brain has been working overtime these past few days. It's a good thing I have a strong, rock of a husband to keep me (mostly) grounded.

Well, I think I've rested long enough. JB's Mom is showing up in about an hour so we can go car shopping with her and I would like to get some more things done around the house... just in case Nej does show up tonight.

One last thought... here's what I look like the day before Baby Bee's *official* due date (really round, I know):

Pregnancy & My Little Sister

Well, perhaps my Dad was right... perhaps getting pregnant was a good thing for my sister... She has been a different person the past couple months. We went *years* barely talking, as she was engulfed in the wonderful drug scene and I had no desire to talk to an addict - if I could even reach her. Now she calls me "just to chat" or because she's bored... that would never happen before.

She's also found a new understanding and appreciation of money - she even paid us back for the $15 of gas we put in her car the day she started her job as a pizza-delivery girl (she wasn't sure how/when she was getting paid and gas is kind of essential for that job). JB and I gave her a gift card to Wal-Mart for her birthday (I figured that way she could either get some maternity clothes, food, or treat herself... her decision). Well, she called us last night to thank us for the wonderful present (I don't think she's ever received a gift card for a present and was very excited about it!) and to say how she's been feeling guilty because we always get her stuff, but she hasn't/can't get us anything. So I told her how much it means that she's been so very different these past few months and that's the best gift she could ever give us.

The poor girl though... she got the morning-sickness bug! In fact, she had to go to the doctor to get Diclectin as her throwing-up was affecting work - which she cannot afford to miss. Expensive stuff! She's feeling a lot better now that she's on it. I've known women who have taken it and their children are fine.

Hmmm... I should eat some breakfast and get ready to head into town. I have to go for my second NST this morning and then head up to my doctor's office. Before that I want to stop at Wal-Mart, as I need AAA batteries and I want the new Reba Duets CD... I don't buy CD's often, but I've recently re-fallen in love with Reba's music.

The pregnancy ticker lied!

"...done squirming around in here" my behind! I have never felt Baby Bee so active as I have in the past week - and especially today. Stretching and pushing... there is no more room! He is a strong little bee...

39 Weeks, 3 days... only days to go!

Oh, how much can change in a week! Anyways... I went to my prenatal appointment on the 13th (Thurs) and for the second week in a row my blood pressure was a little on the high side and, to make matters worse, I had protien in my *sample*. These two symptoms together can signal the onset of preeclampsia/toxemia/pregnancy induced hypertension (yes, three terms that mean the exact same thing... lovely). So, I got sent for a non-stress test (NST) at the hospital immediately following my appointment. Apparently my NST was picture-perfect and Baby Bee is very happy in his environment. I was very glad to hear this.

I had to go back to my doctor today for a follow-up appointment. Again, my blood pressure was higher than he would like so, as he had mused upon during my last appointment, he decided that he didn't want to risk and complications and thus I am being induced on Saturday! So, if the induction takes, I will be a Mommy sometime on Saturday (I don't want this piece of information posted on Facebook at this time). Before I am induced, I have to go for another NST Wednesday morning and then go see my doctor immediately afterwards. Then, Saturday I have to call the prenatal unit at 6:00am and show up at 7:30am. After that, it will be a waiting game... induction doesn't always take the first time, so Baby Bee may not arrive until Sunday. Either way, it's looking like his grand entrance into this world is less than a week away. My first thought when the induction was scheduled... man, do I ever have a lot to get done before then! The catch... I'm supposed to be on bed-rest. *sigh*

The good news... if this is the way Baby Bee arrives, then I will be able to visit with Nej with no problems. She will either be arriving on Thursday night or Friday morning (which means we can go see Resident Evil: Extinction Friday night) and leaving Saturday. As I will be gone early Saturday morning, she will likely head up to the "City of Champions" and do a little shopping before flying home. Now, if Baby Bee decides to arrive early... all bets are off! :D

Hmmm... Prison Break Season 3 premieres in an hour... I should go have a bath (I have a cold and am absolutely miserable as I can't take any drugs). Chat you girls (and guy?) later.

Non-pregnancy post:

I am very sad to say that one of my favorite authors has passed away after a battle with Amyloidosis. May he rest in peace:

James Oliver Rigney, Jr. - aka. Robert Jordan

[October 17, 1948 - September 16, 2007]

False labor pains... goody!

Yup, yesterday I was suffering from some false labor pains... now doesn't that sound like fun?! JB and I were napping (I asked him to snuggle with me while I napped and he slept more than I did!) but I woke up with some *interesting* pains - nothing too strong, but definitely not the normal "Baby Bee is pushing on my insides" type feelings. So, I went and had a bath... I figured I was in there for maybe 20 minutes, but nope - it was closer to 40 minutes! I felt like crap for most of the remainder of the day, but at least I didn't have anything more planned than lying on the couch watching UFC-75 Champion vs. Champion.

The car seat is installed! It's funny... they say there should be very little side-to-side movement - well, that sucker isn't going anywhere! In fact, if I need the base out of the van, JB will have to get it out for me - he definitely installed it tightly. I'm going to stop by St. John's Ambulance sometime this week to have it checked, as they do it for free, but I'm sure it is fine. I am glad that our set came with two bases, as I should be able to just leave that one base in the van until Baby Bee out-grows the car seat entirely.

Today I am in the process of organizing Baby Bee's room. I've done most of the laundry, but until today it was just added to a growing pile of things to be put away. I need to organize all the little ointments and lotions I've received and/or bought... things like that. This way, I will hopefully be able to find things when I actually need them - such as after he makes his entrance into the world (which, I suppose, I hope will be sooner rather than later).

A lot of people are asking - "do you want baby out yet?" Well, I'm undecided on the matter and I think that's because I'm a first-time-mom and have some anxiety relating to what life will be like after baby arrives. So, I will admit that life (especially sleeping and trying to get off the couch) will be much more comfortable when Baby Bee is "out", but I'm still not sure if I'm ready for that to happen... in fact, I'm not sure if I'll ever be 100% ready for that to happen. When Baby Bee makes his (or her) grand entrance into the world, we will figure out how things work then!

Thanks to you girls who gave me your opinions regarding my maternity photos - I placed my order. I'm very excited to have Baby Bee's newborn session as I squirreled away a little extra money so I can get some announcement cards made! :)

First work-day with no work!

Yup, today is my first work-day where I don't have to get up for work... in fact, I'd probably still be sleeping but my hubby sent me a text message that woke me up! It was time anyways... I suppose...

Well, after a very non-productive weekend I should probably attempt to get some stuff done around the house today. A few good things would be:

1. 1. Get the car seat installed
2. 2. Do a load of towels (I have one musty smelling towel that needs dealing with)
3. 3. Clean off the kitchen table
4. 4. Find my ROE from a previous employer

If I get those four things done today, I would be quite happy. In an attempt to ration my gas, I'm not planning on heading into the big City today as I have to go in on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday! (Wed = ultrasound & pedicure; Thurs = doc appt; Fri = Mom's Group)

Oh... and this is what JB and I have decided... I am not *allowed* to go into labor on the following days:

• - Today or tomorrow (4th/5th) - JB is out of town and said he'd be quite upset if I went into labor before his days off!
• - 6th - JB has a firearms course in the evening & I have my TOPS 25th Anniversary Open House.
• - 7th - I have a PartyLite show to go to in the evening!

So, the earliest I am *allowed* to go into labor is Sept 8th... though even that would be inconvenient, as it's UFC that night! LOL... aren't we silly. No worries - the hospital bag is packed an in the van. Speaking of the van... I have one more task on my to-do list for today: I have to call around and get prices/availability on remote starters for the van... nearly forgot!

Edit: Hmmm... this is the second time I've used either the bullets or bulleted numbers and once again they didn't show and I had to edit the post with my own numbers/bullets. It does put them in a nice list though.

Brinlee Rae K.

Born: August 20, 2007 (2 weeks early!)

Weight: 7 lbs, 13oz

First day of the next year...

...otherwise known as the first official day of my maternity leave! Yup, I am now unemployed for the next 52 weeks - my scheduled date of return to my job is Tuesday, September 2, 2008 (after the long weekend). So, what did I do to mark this momentous occasion? Here's a brief run-down of my day:

• - Crawled out of bed sometime around 10:30am (it's Saturday, I slept as long as I could!).
• - Applied for EI online, as there is a two-week waiting period so they recommend you do the application online first... discovered I need to find my ROE from my previous employer before my current employer's ROE arrives in the mail.
• - Made a printed list of what TV channels I currently have on the downstairs TV - we only have one digital receiver, so we get certain channels downstairs that we don't upstairs; decided which channels we currently subscribe to have to be replaces and with what.
• - Reconciled our banking - I had an extra $25.10 that was unaccounted for... math error somewhere that I didn't catch.
• - Watched 2 episodes of The Simpsons (re-runs of course).
• - Decided it was about time I used our BBQ all by myself for the first time - my parents gave us the BBQ around 2.5 years ago as a combination grad/house-warming present. This is the first time I've actually used it... I usually make JB BBQ for us.
• - Started my Stargate SG1 viewing marathon - I am watching the entire series in order from Season 1, Episode 1 through the end of Season 10... though I don't own Season 9 or 10 yet. I'm not sure how far I'll get with this before Baby Bee is born, but I have a full year to get through it all! Today's viewing (thus far) only consisted of the pilot episode (approx. 2 hrs long)... it was good - picked up where the cheesy 80's/90's movie left off but with much better graphics and actors.
• - Looked through my maternity photo gallery.
• - Did 1 load of dishes... and by that I mean I loaded the dishwasher - it's running now.
• - Made this list!

Yup... that's my day in a nutshell. It was pretty relaxing, though oddly productive. I'm off to have a nice, relaxing bath now before watching as many episodes of SG1 as I can before JB calls me to pick him up... I should get through 2 episodes, depending how long I soak for.

So, I am now on maternity leave. It was very odd to me to pack up/clean out my desk knowing that I wasn't starting a new job this coming week - I've always started either a new job or returned to school when leaving one place of employment... but not this time. Kind of odd... but nice.

I have pics of my friend's (BK & JK) new baby girl... Brinlee Rae. However, I haven't downloaded them onto the computer yet, so you'll have to wait! She's a cutie... and sleeps way more than a "normal" baby... I asked JK if I can have one like that?! ;)

My goal for tomorrow... get the car seat installed. Then when I'm in town this week I can stop by St. John's Ambulance and they will check to make sure it's installed properly, free of charge. Other events this week: ultrasound @ 10:30am Wednesday; pedicure @ 1:00pm Wednesday; prenatal doctor appointment @ 3:45pm Thursday; my TOPS chapter's 25th anniversary open house @ 6:30pm Thursday; baby shower for JK Friday am; sister-in-law's PJ-themed PartyLite show @ 7:00pm Friday. Hmmm... when I write it out like that, I'm looking at a pretty busy week. Other than those key events, I plan on napping a lot (sleeping in every day - except Wednesday) and hopefully getting *some* housework done.

Big hugs to C-Dub, as this is her final week as an unmarried lady! I cannot wait to see pics and hear all about the fabulous day! I'll be thinking about you...

Sneak Peak!

Ashley put a sneak peak of my maternity session up on her blog! I love it... can't wait to see the rest!

Stress = bad

Had a really stressful afternoon at work... and thus left early. I'm pretty sure my blood pressure spiked, as I felt like I was going to pass out (after I managed to stop crying... discretely of course). I really wish managers would find out the facts before unilaterally attempting to re-assign work. I'm sorry, but do you remember that this is the Monday of my last week of work... I'm not taking over anyone else's projects... I am finishing the ones I have. Frick.

36 weeks, 2 days... plus or minus!

Well, what to say today? I finally got a good night's sleep... and by good night's sleep I mean I was able to sleep in as long as I wanted today. The quality of my sleep hasn't increased any - I now sleep in 1.5 to 2.5 hour spurts. The plus side is that right now I either roll over to my other side or I go to the bathroom before switching sleeping-sides, and then I go back to sleep. After Baby Bee is born, I will actually have to be somewhat awake when it's feeding time. I really do not think that a person gets any good, REM sleep when waking up every 1.5 to 2.5 hours... hence the perpetual exhaustion that I am now experiencing in preparation for after Baby Bee makes an arrival into this world!

I had my professional maternity pictures done yesterday by Ashley Skjaveland. She was so much fun and obviously loves her job! It will be up to 2 weeks before the proofs are available (probably sooner) and then I will have 1 week to decide what I want to order - the proofs will be online, so depending how I feel about them I may get some of your opinions before placing my order. Ashley takes as much time as is needed with each individual client - I had heard this from the friends who recommended her. By the time she set-up, did the photo shoot, and cleaned up Ashley was here for 3-3.5 hours! I have to give her a call when Baby Bee arrives, as the session fee is for both a "Maternity" and an "Infant" session with her! Very excited for Baby Bee's session...

I only have 5 more days of work! I'm excited to be done - as it means I will be able to sleep more - but I'm also a little nervous... all I've known for the past 9 years is the kind of life I have now: I went straight from high school to university where we either were in school or had co-op with no breaks, then I went straight into working full-time. This is going to be a huge life change... not just the arrival of Baby Bee, but the absence from the "working world" for the next year. It worries me a little... I know I'll be able to keep myself busy with being a Mom, parenting/baby-play groups, getting in shape, etc... but what if I still go a little crazy with the complete change in life-style. I guess I'm most worried about the time between when I finish work and when Baby Bee arrives...

I have one last ultrasound on September 5, providing Baby Bee doesn't make a really early entrance. Other than that, just weekly doctor appointments - except for this week, as my doctor said that he doesn't need to see me until after the ultrasound. I'm all done with prenatal classes (yippee!) and have our bag(s) packed for the hospital - just need to add batteries and the camera.

Well, I'm leaking... I need to deal with that, as it's bugging me (just a fun perk to being pregnant - though I'm sure it will be worse when I'm breastfeeding)! Baby Bee has the hiccups again... go figure! :)

35 weeks, 2 days:

A whole two days since my last post... I thought I'd try not to wait an entire week this time! I had part 2 of my prenatal class yesterday - it was good, though I am glad to be done with all the prenatal classes. Yesterday's class covered breastfeeding (all morning!), planning your "birth day", and post-natal care/concerns.

I really hope that Baby Bee and I are both able to breastfeed and can do so successfully - they say that is the best nutrition for a newborn and the best head-start you can give your child. Now, one thing I do know is that if/when I am breastfeeding I will not whip out my boob with no regards of who is in the room with me! My sister-in-law has no shame... she just whips those things out without any warning... it's quite shocking! Not for me... I will be discrete and make sure all is covered up - unless it's just me in my home with my baby and hubby. I need to find a cute "breastfeeding cape" to pack in my diaper bag - I think I saw one at Babies R Us, though it may have been at a really cute store in town called Baby Pops.

The biggest thing about creating a birth plan... expect the unexpected and be flexible. I may envision my labor going one way, but stuff happens... I may not get what I want. The most important thing is that at the end we have a healthy Mom and a healthy Baby. As for the post-natal care/concerns... I realized that I really need to dig out the instruction book for the car seat and read it. There is a course at St. John's Ambulance that I may register for (depending on the cost) that is all about car seats and their proper use and installation.

~ ~ ~

Family update:

My dad called me yesterday while we were out at our prenatal class. Once home, and after working up the courage to do so, I called home (JB thought I was going to hang up the phone... apparently I seemed a little tense). Mum answered... she is in full denial mode. We made happy, idle chit-chat and actually talked for close to half an hour. Then I chatted with dad (how was work... looking forward to your trip... etc.) for 10 minutes. Mum and Dad left today for their trip to BC where they are looking to potentially buy a house and move. They'll be back in just over a week, at which time I'll go over for a BBQ (JB too, if he's home).

JB and I talked afterwards, and he suspects that Mum may realize she crossed a line this time - which is why she never called here since the trouble started. I don't know. What I do know is that a little space might do our family good... and where they are looking would be a really great place to visit, no matter what time of year... and it's not too far of a drive. They deserve a chance at a real and a happy retirement - if this is going to make them happy, I say good for them!

We talked about my baby sister a bit too... which is funny because she called me not more than 10 minutes after I got off the phone with Mum and Dad. She went for her first ultrasound on Friday and is around the 10 week mark (due-date = mid-March). If Mum doesn't move right away, then sis wants her to go with her to some prenatal classes. Other than that, it sounds as if little sis is doing okay - she has a roommate, got a better paying job than waitressing, and Mum & Dad found her a car (it would have come out of her inheritance, which is under Mum & Dad's control until she is clean for 2-years, signed off on by a doctor). So, things are going okay for her right now. Mum told the little sis that she can't baby her anymore because she is going to have her own baby and thus needs to stand on her own two feet. When the sis called me, she told me she was bored and asked if I'd go to Aqua Aerobics with her. It turns out I can't go this week, but I will go with her next Tuesday... though I'm going to try and get together with her this Wednesday as well.

Hmmm... I think that's enough babbling for now. I'm in the middle of doing laundry for the work-week (it's fun wearing the exact same clothes every week!) and then I think I'll finish packing my hospital bag(s). Chat you later...

Oops... has it been a week again?

Week 35 update:

So, last Saturday I had two big events - part 1 of my 2-part prenatal class and my baby shower. First, the class...

...The prenatal class was pretty good, though in combination with the shower it made for a really long day. The instructor used to be a nurse on the maternity ward for years and now teaches prenatal classes full time. I've talked to some people who think the class is a waste of time, but both JB and I got a lot out of it. The part I found most helpful was talking about positions during labor and breathing exercises, etc. We will be talking more about the subject at Part 2, but we did touch on birth-plans and how you really need to have an idea of your preferences (ie: drugs vs. no drugs) before you check-in to the hospital. I found a lot of the things she had to say were quite affirming and really made me think that maybe I can go through labor the way I want, and not feel pressured by the medical staff. Part 2 of this particular course is tomorrow - we will be covering breastfeeding, birth plans, and postpartum care and concerns.

Next, the shower...

...Two of my close friends out here organized a baby shower for me. I wanted to have my shower before the baby is born because there are too many unknowns when it comes to having one afterwards - what if I feel completely overwhelmed as a new mother for longer than expected, for example (you never know), and really do not want to deal with a large group of people. The shower went really well, I think! There were 12 - 15 people there (some friends, some of JB's family, and 3 of my cousins)... I think my family was feeling a little out-numbered {as a side note, I did discover that the news about my little sister has made it's way into the extended family}. We played a couple games - one was to pick out JB from a group of baby pictures (took me 6 tries with only 11 pictures on the wall!) and the other was a diaper game where 5 chocolate bars were ground up/melted and each put on a diaper... you then had to correctly identify the chocolate bars. My mother-in-law thought that was gross, but everyone else got a kick out of it! I was so overwhelmed by everyone's generosity. We got a whole bunch of stuff... in fact, I really need to do my thank-you cards (hopefully this weekend)! It was great (and I got to take home a Costco-sized bucket of cream puffs, as the girls forgot to put them out with the rest of the food!).

Okay, what next? Well, last night we went to our "Better Beginnings" class at the hospital. This prenatal class (3 hours long) is mandatory for everyone who is planning on giving birth at the hospital. The instructor worked as a maternity ward nurse at the hospital for years before "retiring" and now teaches this class 3 times per week. She is hilarious! At one point she was describing the awful pads that the hospital supplies for you to wear after baby is born and how you have to wear three of them... she had all the class (the men especially) laughing uncontrollably (she made JB cry!). But, she also really knows her stuff and I was very happy to find that nothing she said contradicted the prenatal class from Saturday. Part of this class was to complete all the paperwork for the hospital - this way, when in labor, you simply walk up to the maternity unit and do not have to fill out any paperwork (because that's not something you want to be doing while having contractions!) - and another part was a tour of the maternity unit. I really enjoyed the class up until the point when we went for the tour... then my emotions took over and I started to feel really overwhelmed. I seriously thought I was going to cry when we were in the "laboring room". But, then again, I am a bit emotional even without pregnancy hormones stacked on top of that!

Okay... what's next when it comes to this pregnancy... well, as mentioned earlier, tomorrow is Part 2 of the prenatal class, then on Thursday I go for my next prenatal appointment. Next Saturday (Aug 25) I'm getting professional pregnancy portraits done. And sometime during Week #37 (last week of August) I'm supposed to be going for another (more than likely last... though I thought that with the last one) ultrasound.

Well, I need to run. I have a meeting at 2pm and I have a bit of work to get done before. Then I might head home, as I have not been feeling well today... exhausted, achy, and a whole lot of being kicked from the inside!

Prenatal update...

Well, I had my prenatal visit yesterday (appointment #8 I think) and all is well in the world of Baby Bee. He is turned (head down) and apparently his head is quite low - my doctor said this is good for two reasons... 1) It means baby can fit when making his entrance into the world, and 2) It may signal that baby will make said entrance sooner rather than later.

The doctor answered a bunch of my questions about epidurals and although he's made it quite clear that he thinks there's no reason not to have an epidural, he also isn't pressuring me. I can make my decision when I go into labor and I can try to go medication-free first and then ask for one (as long as I don't wait too long)... it is up to me (and JB also said the decision is mine, though he sides with my doctor). So, I really don't know for sure what my plan will be. I do know that I do not want narcotic medications - these are the ones that have side-effects for Mom and make Baby dopey after birth. Perhaps I will learn more tomorrow at Part 1 (of 2) of my prenatal class.

The one thing I did learn yesterday (besides the fact that I've basically gained 30 lbs!!! Though I don't think I "look" like I've gained 30 lbs) is that Baby Bee is around/over 6lbs, which is big for this stage... thus Wednesday's ultrasound will not be my last. My doctor will schedule an ultrasound for Week 37 (approx. 3 weeks from now) to see how big Baby Bee is then. If he's looking to get "too big", then I may be induced early from what I understand.

I learned an important lesson today. Although I don't believe I'm "waddling" when I walk (apparently once baby turns and moves downward, pregnant ladies tend to waddle), I cannot walk near as quickly as I normally do. I was walking in the mall and I had to cut my pace to about 1/4 my normal speed... walking too quickly is very uncomfortable and also results in serious cramps. I don't know if it's because of how Baby Bee is positioned or what it is... but man, I'm going to be a slow-walker (not a spilly-talker) for the next little while.

Another pregnancy development... My sciatic pain is all but disappeared. JB thinks that getting the van has been the thing that's made the biggest difference where that is concerned - with the van I literally slide in and out of my seat without really changing height; with my car, I was plopping or falling down into it (landing hard sometimes) and then having to climb back out. I don't know if it's 100% due to the van, but I am so happy not to have that daily pain right now!

Tomorrow is a pregnancy-filled day! From 10am to 3:30pm I have Part 1 of my prenatal class (Part 2 is next Saturday). Then, my baby shower is at 7:00pm! I'm looking forward to the shower... I think it will be a smallish group, but it will be fun. I'm not sure what my friends who are organizing it are scheming... they have been keeping me in the dark! I do believe one of the games involves me blindfolded. :D

Well, enough rambling for now. I need to find my husband... I seem to have lost him and I was hoping to go to the movies tonight. Chat you all later...

33 weeks, 5 days:

I'm feeling mostly-okay this week. I fell victim to a heat rash on my belly which was quite annoying and extremely itchy for a while. Now the itch seems to be gone, but the little bumps are still present... hopefully they go away soon (I'm having professional pregnancy photos taken on either August 18 or 25, so they had better be gone by then!).

I am suffering from a bit of insomnia these days... which is making me really quite tired during the day (ie: now!). It seems that no matter how tired I am, I can't fall asleep until after midnight. On top of that, I suspect Baby Bee may have turned (head-down) as I'm feeling him in different part of me now - one not so good thing is that I think he enjoys giving me a swift kick to the stomach during the night because I've woken up a couple times now where I've gone from a deep sleep to nearly throwing up! Let me tell you... the first time that happened (which was the worst), it was not a pleasant surprise!

Hmmm... other than that, things are pretty good. I still don't have a *huge* belly, but wow... is it ever difficult to move in ways that I definitely took for granted before. Some simple actions are not so simple any more! I have an ultrasound today, so I will try to post later on tonight (if all else fails, I will post when I should be sleeping but am unable to fall asleep!).

I am feeling a little stressed at work this week - there are a lot of people on vacation in my one department, which means some extra work has landed on my desk (with short deadlines). I'm trying to wrap things up, not take on new projects. Bah!

The last thing I will mention is that I am sad for my friend JK. She went for an ultrasound yesterday (she's due on Sept 3) and her baby is breach. The specialist gave her three options and said she had to be back in on Friday with her decision - leave things as is, hope for the baby to turn, and undergo an emergency c-section if the baby doesn't turn; go to Edm or Cal to see a specialist who attempts to turn baby - only a 50% success rate; or schedule a c-section. I think she's going with the third option (schedule a c-section). My only concern is that her first daughter was born 3 weeks early... this c-section won't be scheduled until week 39 or 40 (baby is already over 7lbs, so is a good healthy size now)... what if this baby is early too - then she'll undergo the stress of the emergency c-section anyways. If her baby doesn't turn in time, things will be really hard for her after because you are basically not allowed to lift anything heavier than your newborn... her 2.5 year-old daughter will not understand why Mommy can't pick her up - she's already being a "terrible two" combined with the growing realization that she's not going to be an only child for much longer. Poor JK... this is going to be difficult unless that baby can manage to turn on time...


Edit: "About 4.75lbs" (see ticker above) my behind! According to today's ultrasound, Baby Bee is around the 6.00lbs mark. Here's what the doctor said: "That's a good size baby already, but you're a big girl - you can handle it." Oh my... there's still 6 weeks, plus or minus, for the little squirt to grow! Other news from the ultrasound - Baby Bee is head down (hip hip hooray!) and he is surrounded by lots of fluid, both of which are good things. The only thing that made me pause was the doctor asking the tech to measure the size of the chambers of Baby Bee's heart. But, there's no point stressing over it - I have a doctor appointment tomorrow afternoon, and I made sure to tell the ultrasound tech so that my results make it over there in time.

Blasted hormones!

Wow... am I ever in a cranky mood today! First off, I took the wrong way to work this morning (I'm attempting to conserve fuel consumption and am trying to see which of my two routes is actually longer, distance-wise). Then I got "voluntold" at my one department's weekly meeting (I'm part of two departments at work, which sometimes makes me feel like I'm being pulled apart... but overall I'm quite happy) that I have to work on a project that I didn't have on my to-do list until this morning - I am trying to keep organized and extra work at a minimum due to the fact that I only have 4 weeks & 1.5 days of work left (but who's counting). After that I was trying to track down answers to why our new mortgage payment hasn't come out yet, when it said it was coming out on August 1st. Then, after all those annoyances, I discovered that my expenses - which were submitted correctly and on time - will not be deposited tomorrow like they should be. (Okay, the only reason that last one annoys me is because I may be *slightly* hormonal right now and my morning was full of annoyances... but still!) Can I go home now?

~ ~ ~

Okey dokey... pregnancy update... Well, let's see - it is now Week 32, Day 6 of my pregnancy and I am into the home stretch (literally) now. My belly has been super-itchy the past few days and JB keeps bugging me that I'm growing new stretch-marks, which I think I am! I'm still not overly "huge", but that's okay. It is definitely a challenge to bend over if I need to pick up something I dropped, getting in/out of bed, and even rolling over in bed! JB gets to laugh at me quite often... but he's still a very supporting, loving husband - it's just in his nature to pick on me.

I might get professional maternity pictures done... I got info from a co-worker about a photographer who does amazing work - I'm just not sure if I'll be able to fit into her schedule. So far the one day she had an opening that she mentioned is one of the days my prenatal class is on and I can't reschedule that. This weekend I'm getting a manicure done to help my hands get a little nicer - if I do manage to get booked in with her, she recommends having "nice hands" as some of her shots involve close-ups. As she is an actual photographer, the prices are a little higher than going to Superstore or Wal-Mart, but I've seen her work and it is beautiful... I just don't know if I'll be beautiful in the maternity session - I'm sure Baby Bee will be gorgeous in the infant session.

I'm attempting to get my "hospital bag" packed and a "birth plan" created. However, both of those things make the idea of Baby Bee's arrival a little too *real*. I know that sounds dumb... stuff wise, we are ready for him to arrive... mentally, I am apparently not quite ready. In a little over 6 weeks (perhaps sooner, you never know) my life, and JB's too, will be changing forever. We've been preparing for this change - getting the necessary baby stuff, re-financing, getting the van, etc. - but it still seems "not quite real" to me. Packing that bag and actually sitting down and really thinking about labor makes the imminent change in our lives that much more concrete. I don't know how else to explain how I'm feeling.

I have one more (most likely the last) ultrasound scheduled for August 8th - my doctor likes to do a late-pregnancy one to make sure there's nothing wrong and get an idea of how big baby is compared to how big Mommy is. Besides that, I'm now on a 2-week schedule for prenatal appointments (next = August 9) until Week 36, after which appointments become weekly.

Hmmm... lunch is over... must quit chatting now!

Baby Gaga's Week 31 Cartoon:

*sigh*

Well, although it does not excuse in any way the mean, spiteful, and quite possibly unforgiveable things my mother said to me, I may have just found out why she was "set off" so easily.

*sigh*

My sister is two months pregnant.

The biggest baby-purchase:

Our new-to-us mini-van...
- 2000 Ford Windstar SEL Limited (ie: top model, fully loaded)
- Black exterior (looks kind of blue-ish in the pic)
- Tan, leather interior
- Lots of little features I'm discovering!

Situation update:

The current situation between me and my mother has gone from bad to worse than I could ever have imagined. She was not impressed that I talked to my Dad about the situation. The things she has said to me are more hateful and mean than I could have possibly thought up.

I feel like throwing up. I don't think I'll be staying at work for much longer, but I just thought I'd send a quick update.


Edit: I'm home now. I think I'll take a nap and then maybe head back into town later on to get my copy of HP#7 (I deserve something to make me happy today). Here's the latest from my Mum that has left me feeling nauseaus and more hurt than I thought I could ever feel:


"You are very disrespectful to your parents. And let me tell you this: What goes around, comes around and you will get yours when your family grows up and treats you the same way as you treat us. If you do not respect your parents, which you don't, then your children will not respect you. I sincerely hope that your children do not invite you to any of their weddings and act like spoiled brats when their parents extend a kind gesture in the form of a wedding dance.

You have a lot of emotional growing up to do. I would suggest that you find your biological mother and father and then perhaps you will stop blaming me for all your emotional hang ups. You began to disrespect me when you met [best friend] and her family and from that moment on you never stopped. Your respect level has remained at about 14 yrs old.

Don't bother Dad with your teenage level e-mails complaining about me. I thought you would be grown up enough to write something interesting when he's working in extreme conditions with a lot of stress related issues on a rig that doesn't want to drill because of inexperienced men and technology that is not well tested. But then I forgot--life is all about YOU isn't it?

Stuff it, [NB].
Mum"

World War 3: Mother vs. Daughter

So, I'm in a bit of a foul mood today, and have been since yesterday. But first, let's start with the positive...

I believe I had mentioned that we were in the process of re-financing our mortgage to consolidate high interest loans / credit cards and have everything on one payment. Well, that process is complete! My name is now on the mortgage and the land title (I wasn't before) and thus I officially own half our land and half our mortgage... I think one of those is a good thing. ;) All our loans are getting paid out - I'm mailing some of the more obscure ones today. And... drum roll please... we may be going vehicle shopping tomorrow! We've had our eye on a mini-van in Edmonton for a couple weeks now, but couldn't do anything until our finances got sorted out. Well, they are 95% sorted out and we don't want to lose that van, as it is exactly what we are looking for with a lot less mileage than we were expecting to be able to afford. It's a 2000 Ford Windstar SEL Limited - the "limited" is the key... that is the top of the line when it comes to Ford mini-vans and includes things like power doors, leather seats, etc. There are very few available in the province that fall into our price range. We knew we'd be getting an early 2000's model and were expecting 120,000 - 150,000 km's... this one only has 79,000 km's! I have all my fingers and toes crossed that JB can get the day off tomorrow and that the van is still on the lot.

Okay, that was a happy blurb. Now for the not-so-happy portion of my rant...

It seems I've managed to instigate WW3... mind you, it seems like it was only a matter of time before this happened. I don't remember if I ever told you girls (and guy if Matt is reading) about the *fun* I experienced with my Mum when planning our wedding reception. The long and short of that story is that my Mum hosted her wedding reception - JB and I were told that's how the reception was going to be run, and she didn't care what we did with his family (and we were told this in no uncertain terms). So, knowing that story, you may have some insight into what my mother is like... I love her, but some days she is very trying. Anyways, back to WW3...

Mum and I were having a nice little chat yesterday evening until I mentioned that she should keep the evening of August 11th open. "Why?" she asked, "Is that your baby shower?" When I said, yes, she proceeded to tell me that was not good because she only likes and has been to baby showers after the baby is born so that people can see the baby and pass the baby around. She also said, and I quote, "I know it's not something people like to think about, but what if something happens to baby?" to which I replied that I would return the gifts (I was getting pretty upset at this point). We finished our conversation, but she called back 5 minutes later to tell me that she would host a shower after baby is born and that all I would have to do is show up with baby... and that I should think about it.

This morning she sent me an email that I was expecting but at the bottom was tacked on, "I do hope you reconsider the date of your baby shower." At this point, I was quite upset as I am honestly tired of her trying to run events in my life without any consideration of what I might want or without any consideration of anyone else involved in the event besides herself. So, I probably shouldn't have emailed back due to the high emotions involved, but I did. Here's how the short sequence of emails went:

Me: "Seeing as how I know you will likely be as persistent with this as you were with our wedding reception, you can host a baby shower with [our] family members after Baby is born. I will leave the planning up to you, but I ask that you check with me about the date before-hand to see how I'm feeling. I will still be having a shower in August with my friends and JB's family."

Mum: "OK, forget it. Don't bother sending me an invitation. We will not be coming, and I will not be hosting a shower for you either. I've already given you a gift, so there's not point attending. You are very rude."

Me: "I apologize if I came across as rude but I know from experience that this will not get dropped until you get the shower to happen after the Baby is born. I do appreciate very much the fact that you were willing to host a shower at your house and take care of the planning. I just know from talking to other new mom's that things can be very overwhelming during the months after Baby arrives and that is perhaps the biggest reason that I had planned on having the shower before hand, as many people do. If you still would like to host a shower in late September/early October, that would be very nice and I will help however I can. However, if you don't want to host one, that is okay as well - it is entirely up to you. Again, I apologize if the tone of my email was not as friendly as it should have been - it was not intended to come across that way."

Mum: "I will not be hosting a shower for you regardless of the date. Do as you wish."

*sigh* And that's where things sit as of now. I'm still having the baby shower, as planned, on August 11th, but the guest list will be cut down and will be people that I want to be there (not my entire extended family). I am so tired of trying to constantly please my Mum, as there really is no winning there. I'm going to keep my distance and let her cool down. I emailed my Dad in Saudi to let him know what's going on and share my side of the story with him, so that he doesn't only get Mum's version.

I probably was rude in that first email, but quite honestly, I'm not entirely sad about this entire situation. Yes, dealing with my mother for the next while will be very stressful (she tends to hold grudges and bring up things you did years ago as ammo), but she cannot continue to think that she is going to run every major event in my life.

I don't want the shower after Baby Bee is born because I don't know how overwhelmed by everything I'll be feeling. I've talked with some recent new moms who had planned on having a shower after baby was born, only to change her mind because of all the turmoil and change that accompanies becoming a new mother. But, my Mum doesn't care what your reasons are if you don't have the same opinion she does. That is a lesson I learned many years ago.

I don't know what I expect you guys to say, I just needed to vent. The past day and a half has been very, very stressful. I think I'm going to bed now... I need a good night's sleep.

30 weeks, 2 days... less than 10 weeks to go!

Alrighty then... what shall I tell you? My last prenatal appointment went well - based on the heart rate, my doctor agrees with the 3D ultrasound in saying Baby Bee is a boy! But, we will still have two names picked out... just in case. I'm now on the two-week rotation for prenatal appointments until week 36, after which time the appointments become weekly. Around week 36 I may be going for another ultrasound to see how big Baby Bee's head is and whether or not he has turned (head-down).

I feel my sciatic pain every day, but the strength of that pain varies. Most days it is tolerable. Today is a little worse, as two days ago I twisted kind of funny when getting up from a chair and I knew then that I inflamed the pain. :'( But, oh well... that is my life right now.

This heat is killing me! I've been doing everything I can think of to cool off the house - it's a little better today after purchasing one very large fan for the main floor. JB also bought me a really nice air mattress (inflates and deflates itself) so that I can permanently move into the basement, as I cannot sleep upstairs in this weather. Yesterday I was trying to clean my bedroom and I'd work for 20 minutes and then go hide downstairs for 20 minutes... not very productive, and yet I still managed to over-exert myself and feel like crap today! This heat is not very nice to me this year.

Our finances are coming into order here this week and today I had a "bite" when it comes to selling my car - it wouldn't surprise me if the guy that called to see it calls back to buy it. I feel like things are coming together nicely - I'm even managing to get the house clean a little at a time! The next two months is filled with prenatal appointments, prenatal classes, and my baby shower (Aug 11)... the time will fly.

I can feel Baby Bee move more strongly now - feeling his hiccups is the funniest sensation! JB can definitely feel him moving (he puts his hand on my belly and can feel the kicks). Things are going well... I did wake up in the middle of the night not too long ago thinking I was going to "lose my lunch"... but I managed to contain it. Not pleasant! I still don't feel like I look as large as other women around the same due-date as myself (though heaven knows I've gained enough weight)... but who knows - perhaps I'll balloon in the next two months!

Sorry...

...but I'm annoyed at the whole world and over-heating (perhaps the two are linked). I'll post an update in a day or two. Perhaps tomorrow if I'm feeling better, seeing as how tomorrow is 30 weeks - seems like it should be a milestone somehow... it does signify the single digit weekly countdown. Anyways... chat you later.

New Template:

Well, I've found a new template and it is up and running (mostly). It will take a while to get links back, as this template is one of the "new blogger templates" and thus isn't edited the same as the old ones. The one thing I'm not sure about is whether I'll be able to put my ticker on the blog somewhere... although it would be a little more colorful than the template, I will try to get it attached.


Edit: Well, I got my ticker - and I customized it so that it matches this new template a little better. I'm one happy blogger right now! :)

Template

This template is temporary until I find a new baby-themed one I like. Stay tuned for futher developments...

Is it just me...

...or is my Blogger template screwed up?! I don't know what to do to fix it...

28 wks, 1 day: Prego-Pics!

Okay, I managed to get a couple half-decent pics (though in two of them I don't look as pregnant as in other - never to be posted - pics):

Too funny!

I was having a bath tonight (trying to relax my back muscles - I went for a massage in hopes of it helping my sciatic nerve issues) and watching my belly. Well, at one point, Baby Bee kicked or rolled so hard that I could see the left side of my belly shift! It was pretty funny to watch...

What the hell?!

I was checking everyone's blogs this morning, including my own as I check for comments, and my post from last night isn't showing. What the fricking hell?!

I'm not sure if I've posted it here or not... but, I've been suffering from some back pain. Not my usual pregnancy-back pain, but rather it seems I did something to my tailbone early last week and I'm still suffering. I've been to my chiropractor twice. I don't want to go to my doctor becasue he's already given me the strongest drugs he's willing to give for pregnancy back pain (Tylenol 3) and thus would want to take me off work for a few days (I've already done that and as such can't afford any more missed days this pay period). So, I'm suffering. It was feeling better last night, but now it's hurting again - I get pain shooting from my tailbone down my left butt-cheek and leg... especially when walking (when the left leg moves) or if I have to lift my left leg (think... putting lotion on my sunburnt shin). *sigh* So, here I am... a prego-cripple. :'(


Edit: Oh sure... now it shows once I put a new post up, thus making me look like I'm imagining things again... bah!

You'd think I'd learn...

...not to watch shows like TLC's "A Baby Story" when I'm 38 weeks pregnant! *sigh* And yet, nearly every time I'm home during the day because I'm not feeling well, I watch it. As if the notion of labor doesn't scare me enough at this point... I watch a show that features screaming women in horrible pain during labor. I'm a nut.

I looked at the ticker at the top of this blog... less than 90 days/3 months... I'm not ready for this. Supplies wise (diapers, wipes, etc.), Baby Bee could arrive today if he wanted; birth wise, I'm just feeling a little apprehensive at this point in time. I've been feeling this way for a little while now... I really wish I could turn my brain off!

My first experiment with my sewing machine was a little aggravating. The curtains for Baby Bee's room are done, but the stitching leaves a bit to be desired - it's as if the lower tension was too loose, but there is nowhere on my machine to adjust lower tension. We're thinking that how thin the material I used is could also have played a part. So, I got frustrated and made JB finish the last little part of the project. But, I haven't give up completely... my next little project is going to be a little blanket - not a huge blanket, more of a receiving blanket (because you can never have too many of those).

If that goes well, I'm going to try something a little more complicated - a baby sleep sack. I wanted to buy a Halo Sleep Sack, but I'm not putting anything on my credit card right now and there is no where in Alberta to buy them in-store. So, I bought some really cute (Winnie the Pooh, of course) fleece today and will try my hand at making one. If it goes well, I'll make one for my friend's baby-to-be as part of her gift.

I really need the cleaning-fairy to show up at my house. The "nesting syndrome" you hear about with pregnant women definitely hasn't hit me yet... it had better hit soon... my house is in some serious need of cleaning! I want to clean it, but I'm lazy and there are more fun things to do...

Oh... here's an interesting pregnancy perk... I'm leaking. Yup, you read that right... on occasion (and sometimes at in-opportune times *blush*) I'm leaking. I honestly thought that this only occurred after birth when you're breastfeeding. But, I've learned that when you're pregnant you leak a fluid called colostrum - which is to lubricate things and generally get you ready for breastfeeding. Thus far, not a huge inconvenience... just something else for JB to laugh at me about! ;) I have removed one of my bras from my wardrobe, as it isn't thick enough to absorb anything if I do happen to leak at work... I'm really, really trying to avoid that!

It's a boy...

... Tee hee... most likely anyways! The technician at the 3D ultrasound is very sure Baby Bee is a boy (and it looked pretty obvious on the pic she showed us), which agrees with the technician at ultrasound #2 (see the July 5 post). We will still have two sets of names picked out... but now I can buy cute little boy clothes! And, if they are wrong, we will have some gender-neutral clothes that I have already purchased.

I'll be honest... I was hoping for a girl a little bit. JB was wanting a little daughter, and I think that's largely because he sees how his best friend is with his daughter and JB really envies that. So, after ultrasound #2 I was feeling a little disappointed for a few days (which, as I've read, is normal for most people to have a preference one way or the other). But, now I'm very excited! I'm glad we found out what we're having so that both of us have/had time to deal with any feelings of disappointment and can now focus on our little Baby Bee and how much fun it will be to have a little boy... and how much fun JB will have teaching that little boy to pick on his Mommy! :p Although I was hoping for a little girl, I got thinking... my original "plans" for a family was to have two children - one boy, one girl - with the boy older (in my mind, the big brother will protect the little sister... I know that doesn't always happen, but that's my little fantasy)... so, my "family plan" is one step closer to coming true! :D

The 3D ultrasound was really neat - I liked it a lot. We didn't get the clearest images because Baby Bee was snuggled right up into my placenta... must have been comfy! Apparently you get better images if there is a gap between the placenta and the baby. But, we couldn't get him to move. Part way through the tech gave me a lolly pop (mmm... sugar) and got me to move around in hopes that Baby Bee would move. Nope... no luck. All that resulted in was being assaulted from the inside out! I'm not sure if he did or didn't like that lemon lolly pop, but man were there some violent kicks after that! One even knocked the tech's device off my belly and then I had a fit of giggles!

I think the web-hosting is just for a couple of our still pics, and not the video. I'll post a link when I have it (I still haven't emailed them what pics to post). Although it was expensive, I'm glad we went... especially since we got to find out, with a fair degree of certainty, that Baby Bee is a boy!

On another note, JB and I spent a couple hours at the bank yesterday morning. It seemed to go pretty well, seeing as how we both have pretty good salaries and we (well, JB anyways) have some investments. Now we are waiting to find out the market-value of our house... if it's high enough we will be able to do the re-financing that we want to do and get everything in on payment with one low interest rate. If we can get a little extra, we are going to build the fence (yes, our fence is falling apart... who doesn't use treated lumber these days!) and the gravel parking pad where, eventually, the garage will go. Although the meeting seemed to go well... I still hate dealing with finances!

My bladder woke me up this morning at 4:15am and I couldn't get back to sleep... hence the early morning post. On the up side... I now have no excuse not to go swimming this morning. I've been wanting to go swimming at least twice a week for quite a while now, but the only time I can fit it in is in the morning before work. So, getting into that routine has been difficult (this will be swim #1 this am)! Hopefully I'll be able to get into a routine... I need to get some exercise and swimming is really good when pregnant (I've been gaining a lot of weight and I'm worried I could exceed what my doctor hopes I'll gain).

Well... I should go get everything together and head off to the pool. Chat you all later...

My how time flies...

26 weeks... wow! I can't believe how time flies!

For C-Dub... I believe today is the last day of my second-trimester. As of tomorrow, I'm officially in the home-stretch (aka: third-trimester)! Tomorrow is the 3D ultrasound - I really hope Baby Bee cooperates and we get some good images; I also hope s/he lets us know if it's a boy or girl.

I've been a little (okay, not so little) ball of stress lately... I'll post on my other blog as to the reason. Because of the stress, my heartburn/acid reflux has been really nasty recently. Gross! I am feeling better today though. I want to go swimming 2 to 3 times per week, but the only times I can go would be before work... and I can't drag my butt out of bed in the mornings... bah humbug! I'm going to make another attempt at getting to the pool next week - I think if I were to get into some sort of routine, I wouldn't have as much trouble getting up to go swimming in the morning. But, getting into that routine is the problem.

Pregnancy-related events coming up for me include:
- 3D Ultrasound - June 16
- Prenatal Appointment #6 - July 10
- "Late" Prenatal Class (1 of 2) - July 28
- "Late" Prenatal Class (2 of 2) - August 11 (daytime)
- Friends & Family Baby Shower - August 11 (evening)
- "Better Beginnings" Class at the Hospital - August 16

Lots of stuff is coming up. I need to get on top of my baby registry before August or I'll hear about it from my cousins! I'm registering at Babies R Us, as I despise Wal-Mart registries. I'm not a big fan of registries, but I guess they are helpful to those who want to get you something (whether it be for a wedding, baby shower, etc.) and don't want to get a gift card but want you to like what you're getting... hmmm... I think I'm babbling!

JB and I are heading to the bank on Monday to look into a home-equity type loan to consolidate some bills at a lower interest. We need to get our finances organized before I stop working... but I really do not enjoy dealing with money, especially when I'm stressed, and especially because I feel so bad that I have my student line-of-credit that JB will basically be paying for as I don't plan on working full-time after Baby Bee is born. *sigh* Money makes the world go round, right?