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?

Update - 24 weeks, 4 days:

I guess I should post some kind of update, seeing as how I haven't actually written anything since May 10th! So, here goes...

Well, first of all, C-dub asked if my belly is getting in the way and if I'm having trouble bending. Thus far, my belly isn't really getting in the way - as I am a "larger" woman, I'm not showing as much as a smaller woman does. Thus, my belly isn't all that big... though it is definately bigger than it used to be. I got JB to take some pics, but I am not a "cute pregnant lady" so I'm not posting them. Perhaps I'll like the next set of pics better (when I have more of a preggo-belly) and will post them... but no promises. As for bending over... yes, that is more difficult! Apparently things got rearranged inside of me and bending over is definately more challenging than it used to be. Getting in and out of bed can also be interesting.

I went for my second ultrasound on May 31... seeing as how Baby Bee was squirming too much during the April 17th one and the technician couldn't measure everything. I will be seeing my doctor tomorrow, so I'll find out if everything is a-okay. The one thing I did learn is that apparently my right kidney isn't where it's supposed to be - it is lower and twisted. The technician and doctor (yes, the doctor on staff came in to take a look... he was a mean old man who has very poor bedside manner and is very rough with the ultrasound device... how would he like it if I poked and prodded him when his bladder was full?!) at the ultrasound didn't say much, so I will see what my regular doctor says tomorrow.

Baby Bee made the ultrasound technologist laugh, as s/he was folded in half and apparently had the hiccups! One thing I notice is that during ultrasounds I can feel things with the baby that normally I can't yet. I don't know if it's because you don't have anything better to do than to pay attention to your body for the hour or if it's because of the way the technician is pushing on things... either way... it's neat. I could feel the hiccups and that is a funny sensation! I don't think I'll be able to really feel something like that normally for a week or so, as that's what happened after the first ultrasound.

Now, in terms of whether Baby Bee is a boy or a girl... we don't know. I asked the ultrasound technician if they could tell and they said "I think it's a ... " (emphasis on the long, drawn-out, unsure "think"). However, partway through the ultrasound, the technician accidentally referred to the baby as the opposite gender. Thus, JB and I decided that we do not know if Baby Bee is a boy or a girl. And, we aren't telling people what the ultrasound technologist said. We will wait until our 3D ultrasound on June 16 and see what that shows.

Enough about the ultrasound! The other thing I will find out tomorrow is the results of my GDS test (gestational diabetes screen). That test wasn't nearly as bad as my friend had made it out to be - you have to drink this really sweet, slightly carbonated, orange drink within 5 minutes and then you have to sit in the lab for 1 hour before they take your blood. The drink wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting, but then again I have a really bad sweet tooth and my prego-friend cannot stand things that are too sweet right now.

So, things are going okay. I'm still tired all the time. Other than that, I get pretty bad back pain at times and headaches/migraines are a pretty regular occurance. But, I'm surviving and I know that there are women that go through a lot worse than I have thus far. So, we shall see...

Ultrasound Pics - May 31

Ultrasound Pics - April 17

Nursery pics:

Comments & My 'Free Fall' Writing Sample:

Firstly, contrary to what the little bar at the top of my blog says right now, Baby Bee does not keep me up or wake me up at night... yet! According to my doctor and the ultrasound tech, s/he sure does wiggle though!

In my earlier post I forgot to mention that my lower back / hip pain seems to be getting worse for the time being. It is still most painful when I'm lying down (ie: trying to sleep) and transitioning from being upright to lying down. However, today I was in moderate pain sitting at my desk. As this was the first time I've had pain while sitting/standing, I hope I just twisted wrong and that part will go away. I don't expect the lying down pain to go away any time soon. :'(

So, my writing sample... At the women's conference I attended a session on "Creative Journaling" and during that session we did a "free fall" writing exercise. We were given 7 minutes in which we had to write continuously about anything that came to mind. We had 30 seconds to muse and then start writing, but after that our pens basically did not leave the paper. There was music for a source of inspiration if needed. As I seem to have a one-track mind lately (focused on the pregnancy) inspiration wasn't required. Here's what I came up with...

~ ~ ~

Baby Bee. My little honeybee. So tiny and fragile. So full of hopes and dreams and untainted by the world around. I want the world that you see to be one filled with love and hope and joy and promise. I fear that when you open your beautiful eyes for the first time you will not see the love and beauty that I wish for you. I fear you will see a world filled with selfishness, hatred, pettiness, crime, war, fear, and death. You will be changed. You won't be the 'perfect' untouched being in my womb. You will be tainted by the world. Will you see past the hatred and the fear? Will the crime and war give you sleepless nights?

Or will you see the beauty that exists within nature and the hearts of your parents? In this dark world a rose still blooms. You are my rose. You are the beauty in my world. You help me see past the fear and hatred. Beyond the war and death. Beyond the ugliness to a world of such beauty and love that it brings tears to my eyes. I love you, Baby Bee and I hope you love me too.

Why I can't I feel you move within me yet? It is time, so they say. I thought I felt you once and I was so amazed that my very breath seemed to catch in my throat. But I have not felt you since. Perhaps you are there moving and I just cannot recognize that it is you. It is the rose that parts the clouds on a rainy day. It is my love. It is my Baby Bee. The world isn't all dark.

My favorite lullaby...

Return To Pooh Corner

by Kenny Loggins

~ ~ ~

Christopher Robin and I walked along

Under branches lit up by the moon

Posing our questions to Owl and Eeyore

As our days disappeared all too soon

But I've wandered much further today than I should

And I can't seem to find my way back to the Wood

~ ~ ~

So help me if you can

I've got to get back

To the House at Pooh Corner by one

You'd be surprised

There's so much to be done

Count all the bees in the hive

Chase all the clouds from the sky

Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh

~ ~ ~

Winnie the Pooh doesn't know what to do

Got a honey jar stuck on his nose

He came to me asking help and advice

And from here no one knows where he goes

So I sent him to ask of the Owl if he's there

How to loosen a jar from the nose of a bear

~ ~ ~

It's hard to explain how a few precious things

Seem to follow throughout all our lives

After all's said and done I was watching my son

Sleeping there with my bear by his side

So I tucked him in, I kissed him and as I was going

I swear that the old bear whispered "Boy welcome home"

~ ~ ~

Believe me if you can

I've finally come back

To the House at Pooh Corner by one

What do you know

There's so much to be done

Count all the bees in the hive

Chase all the clouds from the sky

Back to the days of Christopher Robin

Back to the ways of Christopher Robin

Back to the days of Pooh

I love my hubby!

Yup... my hubby put me in a super-happy mood yesterday... the best I've been in since I became pregnant. How did he manage such a feat, you might wonder? Well, wonder no more for I am about to share the news...

This weekend is both my birthday and Mother's Day. Well, I found something that I want to do that would mean more to me than any present possibly could... I want to go for a 3-D/4-D Ultrasound! There is a clinic called UC Baby that has offices across Canada, including Alberta. It is a bit pricy, but when I saw it I knew that I wanted to go. So, as my combined birthday and Mother's Day present, JB and I have an appointment booked for the "Complete 4-D Package" on June 16!!! I am so excited! A co-worker of mine and his wife just went to the same clinic we're going to and they are really happy with the service. Part of the package I'm getting has optional web-hosting for 2-months (no extra charge) so I will definately get that.

So... that is one more chance to try and find out what gender Baby Bee is. Another chance comes on May 31 when I have to go for a second routine ultrasound. Baby Bee was so active and non-cooperative during the first ultrasound that the technician couldn't get all the standard measurements and checks that they normall perform. So, we have to get another one to just make sure everything is in the right places! My doctor said not to worry, as it is just a routine thing... my baby is just too active! Goody!

I did a little bit of writing when I was at the Women's Conference last weekend and one piece was about/to our baby. Perhaps I'll track it down and post it sometime this weekend. One person in that particular class had suggested that it become my first scrapbook page if I do a baby scrapbook (which I more than likely will!).

20 weeks, 3 (or 5) days:

I am now technically past the half-way point in my pregnancy, as I am in the 21st week (20 weeks, 3 or 5 days). As a note, the discrepancy in the "days" when counting is the difference between the doctor's guess (due: Sept 21) and the ultrasound (due: Sept 18). However, I don't see it as being half-way through quite yet. For one, counting what week you're in begins at the day of your last "cycle", not at the date of conception (approximately 2 weeks difference). And then, you don't actually figure out that you're pregnant until after your next cycle is late. Thus, for at least a month of "being pregnant" you don't actually know that you're pregnant. So, I think week 24 is a more accurate description of the mid-way point of a woman's pregnancy. Plus, from what I've heard, the last month or so can really drag on once you get into that "uncomfortable stage" thereby making the last little bit feel a lot longer than the early stages of pregnancy! :D

I'm feeling pretty good these days. A little low on energy and sleep, but I think that's our body's way of preparing us for motherhood! I cannot sleep in for the life of me... my bladder wakes me up like clockwork (either around 7am or, if I'm lucky, 8am) - this morning that was a good thing, as I had set my alarm for 7:45am instead of 6:45am... my internal bladder-powered alarm woke me up at 7:05am! My pregnant friend ended up in the hospital yesterday because of a bad flu that is going around the city - both she and her 2-year old daughter were very ill. Thus, I will be staying away from that house for a few days! After being put on IV to re-hydrate her, she is doing much better today.

I'm not sure if I've been feeling the baby kick. I thought I was, but now I'm not so sure. I guess things should develop into more regular kicking of my insides over the next few weeks. I have my next prenatal appointment on Wednesday, so as long as the heartbeat is still strong and the baby is moving (the last doctor was laughing while trying to hear my baby's heartbeat due to so much "swimming" around) then I will feel at peace for now.

I was at a women's conference this past weekend and I discovered that there are certain yoga positions that do not agree with me right now - these include child's pose and anything that involves lying on my back on a hard floor! I'm not showing much, but bending over is definately becoming more challenging! The lying on my back thing affects me at home too (ie: when trying to watch TV in bed)... I have to prop my legs up, otherwise I have severe discomfort/pain in my lower back and hip areas. But, that's life right now!

I love our baby room! Perhaps tonight I'll take some pictures and post them on here. I just love sitting in there on my glider-rocker listening to music or reading.


Edit (1:55pm): Oops... the above post should read "20 days, 3 (or 6) days"! I can't count!

Good Monday to you all!

I was a bad, bad girl this weekend! I gave into a serious craving for sushi. According to literature, pregnant women are supposed to avoid all raw animal protein. However, I believe it is because there is a risk of the mother getting sick from improperly handled/prepared food and not a direct risk to the baby. Technically, a mom-to-be isn't supposed to eat under-cooked meat or soft egg yolks either. However, I still eat my steak medium-rare and I despise over-cooked eggs! This is not a craving I plan on succumbing to on a regular basis... but oh my did it ever taste delicious!

There is so much information out there on what you should and shouldn't do when you're pregnant... what you should and shouldn't eat... what you should and shouldn't drink... Way too much information! And, quite often, there is contradictory information. Thankfully my doctor has the mentality that "pregnancy is a condition, not a disease" and as such is pretty laid back and tells me when things I read are crap. He was quite adamant that there is to be no skydiving or bungee-jumping! :D

I went and got myself run-down last week which resulted in me picking up a nasty cold bug in the later portions of the week (ie: just in time for the weekend). I had back-to-back deadlines that caused a decent amount of stress as well as very early mornings at work. Once I finished them and the work-adrenalin stopped, the cold set in way too quickly. I left at lunch on Friday and crawled into bed. I spent a lot of time sleeping this past weekend and attempting any and all home remedies that we could think of! The best I came up with was Vicks Vapor Rub, Breathe Right Nasal Strips, and a Vaporizer (hot-water humidifier) complete with liquid Vicks to add to it. I can sort of breathe today, but I get really stuffed up at night still and have a hard time sleeping (last night was my best sleep in 3 nights). A hot shower in the morning gets me through a good portion of the day.

Although I was incredibly under-the-weather this weekend, I actually managed to get one big job done! I've been suffering from a lack of work-appropriate clothing lately, but was given a garbage bag full of maternity clothing a few months ago. So, this weekend... before going shopping... I cleared my closed and drawers of clothes I cannot wear anymore and hung up / put away all the maternity clothes I have at this point. I had stuff in there I didn't know about! Now, even though my closet is emptier, I know that I can wear everything in it. That makes me happy.

One final thought for this Monday... apparently I am now starting to "look pregnant"! This too makes me feel happy as I am no longer just looking like I'm retaining water or eating too many snacks. I've had a few different people (including my hubby) tell me that I'm beginning to look like a preggie! :D

The good, the bad, and the ugly!

The good: I had my ultrasound yesterday and all looked good. The tech had a hard time getting all the measurements required as Baby B. is very, very active and as such I was in the exam room for quite a while. Seeing the heartrate on the screen is really neat. Our due-date is pretty much dead on (doctor said Sept 21; ultrasound said Sept 18) and as such will not be altered. And Baby B. weighs approximately 8 oz. which is apparently normal for this stage (18 weeks). All looked good according to the tech and my doctor will have the results in a day or two (well before my next prenatal visit). However... JB and I had hoped to find out if Baby B. is a girl or boy but no such luck! S/he was basically folded in half (picture a tiny baby in the pike position) and as such the tech could not determine what sex our baby is. All in all a really good experience.

The bad: I scared myself something fierce today! I am utterly exhausted (due to back-to-back report deadlines at work) and was in a hurry after work to make it to an appointment. Add to the equation the fact that it's been snowing/raining all day, thus making things slippery, and what do you get? You get me falling, basically doing a faceplant, and landing square on my stomach. Thus, I was really worried. I went to the doctor's office and one of the on-duty doctors felt my stomach area, listened to Baby B.'s heartbeat, and checked my pulse and bloodpressure. After all my worrying (and tears) things are fine. The doctor just told me that if there is any bleeding to go to the hospital, but so far (4 hours later) nothing. When I was lying on the exam table and the doctor was listening to Baby B.'s heartbeat he kept laughing because Baby B. kept moving. Hearing the doctor's genuine, happy laugh made tears stream down my face... I couldn't stop it!

The ugly: My obsession with McDonalds. Ick! Well, I'm really only addicted/craving two items and they are probably two of the healthier things on the menu - grilled cheese sandwich and the chicken snack wrap. I don't know why McDonalds grilled cheese tastes so good, but it does! :D

~ ~ ~

C-Dub asked how my energy is. Well, right now it is in the negative. However, only part of that is from the pregnancy I think. I have back-to-back report deadlines that I am in the middle of right now and as such I haven't been getting nearly as much sleep as I seem to require. Just one more sleep-deprived night and day and then I think I get a little break!

One thing that I think I've decided is that I'm pretty sure I'm feeling the baby move. The feelings are getting to be too regular to be gas (which I haven't suffered from too much yet). My one friend described some of the feeling she had with her first as "tap-dancing on my hips/ribs". That describes pretty well what I've been feeling quite a bit of today! :)

Another product search:

Okay girls (and boy if Matthew is reading this)... I need your help again. This time I am looking for the Heart-to-Heart Prenatal Listening System from your local Toys R Us/Babies R Us. These are very hard to find, but I'm guessing there's a better chance of finding one in Ontario than my little city (there were three in stock here, but they pretty much sold the day they went on the shelves... and they are only getting three more in sometime in the next month). I did find it on that website Nej sent me to for the Dekor Diaper Refills, but it is quite a bit more than $29.99. So, if any of you find it I would absoloutely love it if you could buy it and mail it to me and I would then send a cheque your way when you let me know what it cost with shipping. :D

I've still been feeling pretty blue these days... the darn snow isn't helping! Plus, I've been having a little trouble with my back/hips which doesn't make life at a computer desk all that fun. Oh... speaking of the Dekor Diaper Refills... thanks to e-bay.ca and Nej... I am well stocked! By the time I need more refills perhaps they will be more convenient to find and if not, then I will order from Safety Superstore.

I left work early today due to my back/hips and headed over to my chiropractor (I think I'll be visiting him often over the next 6 months). The funny thing is... his wife is due in August! Then, since I was missing work anyways, I decided to head over to my doctor's office and go walk-in for my monthly prenatal visit (I picked a great day... no line-up!) rather than missing work again tomorrow. The visit was short and sweet. My blood pressure is still holding (135/85); I've gained a little bit of weight (2kg according to their scale... less according to my weekly TOPS weigh-ins); and I got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time!!! Oh my goodness... did that ever make my week! There actually is something in there... and it's growing! :D

Feeling blue...

I wish I "felt" pregnant. Other than missing that monthly joy, I don't really have anything telling me that I'm pregnant (if that makes any sense). I was lucky enough to be in the 25% of women that don't experience any morning sickness (nausea - yes, actual sickness - no)... had some heartburn, but that's gone for the time being. Thus, I just generally feel tired... probably feels like a minor case of mono right now.

I haven't heard the baby's heartbeat yet... I should at my doctor's appointment next week (Wednesday). If I don't... I will start to worry (my doctor told me not to worry at the last one when we didn't hear it, due to only being 11.5 weeks along at that time). I haven't felt the baby move, and more than likely won't until 18-20 weeks along. So, at this point in time, my pregnancy just doesn't seem *real*.

The only thing that is feeling *real* right now is the stress I'm feeling relating to the monetary aspect of bringing a child into this world! I was in tears last night over that topic. I feel like it's my fault that money is going to be tight when I'm not working... and it is largely my fault - I have a huge student loan that is now JB's burden. To me, that doesn't seem fair to him. Plus, my tax return this year is a lot lower than previous years... I really liked my tax returns when I was a student, or at least when I still had federal tax (education) credits to use up - this year I am using the last of my provincial tax credits which doesn't make a whole lot of difference on a tax return since Alberta's tax rate is so low and the personal limit is so high. But, I guess it's better than owing money.

So, I've been feeling very "normal" these past couple weeks - no nausea, no heartburn, and more energy (though still slightly tired) than before. Welcome to the second trimester! I even have a spring cleaning schedule for April in hopes of getting my house back being presentable... it is a disgusting mess right now, as I haven't had the energy to do anything since January. :)

Toys R' Us moved (within the same mall) and recently opened their new store in town... it is gorgeous! They opened a *huge* Babies R' Us section... probably 4 times bigger than previously existed. I love it! Now, if only I had money to spend there...

I need your guys' help...

I am trying really hard to find "Diaper Dekor Refills" - an example of the product can be found at the manufacturer's website. I am in need of just the normal (blue-top box) refills (not the Dekor + refills). If my normal blog-readers could please check their local Toys R' Us in Ontario, it would be greatly appreciated. Let me know if you find any. I'm a little miffed... I got outbid on ebay.ca for some at the last minute today - that's what I get for not going down at the bid ending time! And, I won't be home when my other bid closes tomorrow because I'll be at an "early prenatal class". :(

JB makes me smile... he's so excited for our ultrasound that he's counting down the days (yesterday was exactly 1 month to go). It took me a few seconds to figure out what was exactly a month away... something tells me he's pretty excited to be a dad!

I went and saw a couple I was friends with in high school last night - they had a beautiful baby boy on March 3rd. He's absolutely gorgeous... and so tiny! I still can't get over seeing the husband with his son... he and I have known each other since grade 7 and we even got together a couple times when I was living in Ontario. People change when that little bundle of joy enters their life.

Okay... this is it for tonight!

I just wanted to post one more thing... I've been searching high and low for this chart I had once upon a time dealing with weight gain through pregnancy. Well, I finally found it! Apparently, I'm on the low end of weight gain thus far, as I have only gained about a pound (or less) since I became pregnant. So, for your browsing enjoyment... here it is:
















Edit (7:57am): I was looking at this chart and realized something - my doctor advised me that a gain of 20 to 25 lbs over my entire pregnancy would be healthy (I had to get a number for TOPS). Thus, I should be at the low end of the scale for the entire time... it's because I'm not a "small" woman to begin with.

Happy news, sad news...

I found out some happy news and some sad news today:

Happy news... a couple of people I knew in junior high/high school (one of which I was pretty good friends from grade 7 onwards) had a baby boy on March 3rd. I'm so happy for them. They dated in high school... went their separate ways for a while... and found each other later on. It's kind of like mine and JB's story... except we didn't date in high school!

Sad news... there was a woman in TOPS with me who would have been around 9 weeks pregnant... but, sadly, she lost her baby. This is the second miscarriage she has endured. I feel so sad for her.

Little Scare...

...but not to worry, it was mostly just me...

Shortly after lunch yesterday I started to feel really hot in the head and generally not well. Thus, I went outside and got some fresh air (it's been getting to around +10 these days) after which I went to the pharmacy next door to check my blood pressure - it was 148/89! ("Optimal" is <120/80,>=140/90) Apparently it is more likely for a pregnant woman to have low blood pressure, than to have high blood pressure so even a "high normal" reading is not terribly good. So, after calling HealthLink I went to see my doctor. However, after sitting in the waiting room for an hour my blood pressure had returned to normal (go figure!). Anywhoo... I have to go back on Friday to check it again, as he wants to keep an eye on it.

Before leaving work to go to the doctor's office, I had a mini-meltdown (yup, I'm emotional to begin with and then add pregnancy hormones into the mix... bad combo). I feel awful for missing work and I find it hard to read my supervisor's emotions... he always seem laid back, happy, and easy-going... always. Well, after talking to another high-up in my department it seems he is always laid back, happy, and easy-going. But, I was still afraid that I was missing too much work... not to mention the financial aspect of missing work has been bugging me (I have no sick days or holidays at the moment). As it turns out, I am very lucky to be working where I am... they are more concerned about my health than missing work. I can come and go whenever. The one even mentioned working 4 days per week until I'm feeling a bit better, if I wanted. And, today, my supervisor assured me that they have been very happy with the work I've been doing since joining the company. So, needless to say, I am feeling much, much better today and hopefully all future work-related mini-meltdowns can be avoided.

Oh... the reason my doctor wants to keep monitoring my blood pressure is because apparently having high blood pressure before 20 weeks (I'm approx. 12 weeks) can lead to pregnancy induced hypertension (aka: toxemia, aka: preeclampsia).

Prenatal Appt #2

I had my second prenatal appointment today. It was pretty boring. The doctor tried, but unfortunately we could not hear the baby's heartbeat yet. He told us before we tried not to panic if we didn't hear it, as it can take as long as up to 14 weeks before the monitor can pick it up... and I'm only in my 12th week. I was really hoping we'd be able to hear it, as JB came to the appointment with me. My next appointment is April 4th.

I have my ultrasound booked... April 17 at 2pm (JB will be there!). That is pretty exciting.

On the potentially not-so-good side of things, my blood pressure jumped a huge amount from the last appointment to this one. If my bp jumps the same amount by the next appointment, I'm in trouble. Today it was 135/85. I asked my doctor what he considered to be "high blood pressure" and he said anything at 140/90 or higher. I'm not very far away from that mark. Mind you, this isn't completely unexpected... I just thought it wouldn't happen until later on. One of the few things I know about my birth mother is that she suffered from pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) and I had high blood pressure while on birth control (thus, I switched to the progestin-only-pill... or mini-pill). So, I was pretty sure at some point I'd end up with high blood pressure... but to be getting close to the "high" mark when I'm only in my 12th week worries me a little.