I actually got something done!

 

I was able to write four overdue thank you cards, make my own lunch and eat it today!

 

The sling is a wonderful thing. A very, very wonderful thing.



Here is our gal at one month old! She's a delight!

I'm a mom!

Just over a week ago, I gave birth to this beautiful little human being! It was an amazing birth - ALL NATURAL! (I puked up the gravol and tylenol I took during the second hour of early labour.) I went into early labour while at the movies. I'll have to see Appaloosa again, since some parts of the story are a bit of a blur for me. Ten short hours later our daughter was born! O.A.K. is a joy!

It's cold in cold cut land

Holy shit.

This is shocking.

Belly update

 

This picture is from two weeks ago. Apparently I am even bigger now at 39 weeks. Updated photo in a couple of days.

Anyway, we are still waiting for Baby to arrive. I'm starting to talk to her a bit, encouraging her to come, letting her know we are ready for her. Well, we are emotionally ready, but I am still doing quite a bit of organizing and purging in two of our rooms. We are trying to get the new office set up and make space for it to also be a guest room. My mom will come to help out after Baby arrives and I really want her to have a private place to sleep (ie. not the living room floor with an air mattress!).

Ok. Time for breakfast and then up to the office!

Is she coming soon?!

I wonder if Baby is coming...

I just put all the groceries away and with great enthusiasm started cleaning the kitchen. I am anticipating Hubby making his fabulous lasagna this afternoon! A clean kitchen is a must to begin that adventure.

Laundry has been started and I'll be tackling my many boxes in the so-called office next.

I've heard that mommas-to-be often get a burst of nesting energy just before labour... Is our baby on her way soon?!

First day of maternity leave

This wasn't actually taken this morning... earlier this week actually, but Hubby and I think it is pretty hilarious! I'm a big, plush, rolling mass of baby belly. It's great!

Today has been a good day, despite sleeping only about 4 hours last night. It started with some yummy treats at Pain Perdu and got even better when both of my hips adjusted at the chiropractor. How sweet that felt! My chiropractor is so excited and supportive of my pregnancy. She's committed to keeping my pelvis all loosey goosey for the big day. She rocks!

After some quickie house cleaning and left over Chinese take-out lunch, I headed off to Macklem's to buy our Zooper Waltz stroller before meeting my friend at Hoopla around the corner. Hoopla was nice. Roomy aisles for strollers, nursing and play area, door prizes and great vendors. I bought a pair of Lino Thai Pants that grow with baby from 4 - 18 months (maybe more if your kid is small). I also picked up a very lovely blue-grey silk remnant scarf for myself.

As I was dropping off my friend in the east end, Hubby called to say, 'The Monkey Doodlez have landed!'. I had called Baby on the Hip this morning to inquire about waterproof travel diaper sacs for getting our used cloth diapers home from excursions. They recommended the Monkey Doodlez sac since it has a zipper. They said they would call when their shipment arrived. How convenient that it came in while I was on that side of town! I zipped over there and scooped the sac, plus a couple more Apple Cheeks diaper covers, and the irresistible Baby Legs in Phinney and Marco.

First day of maternity leave turned into super-cool-baby-stuff day!

As an aside, check out the icing baby booties on this baby shower cake! These aren't made of that hard meringue. They are pure, soft, sweet icing! Thanks to Big Sis, friend, and Mom for a great shower last week, complete with old family friends from 20+ years ago. Some of the women who came have known me my entire life. It was a lovely afternoon.

Funny how Zen helps

After getting Zen about things, all plans for Wednesday changed! Midwife had to postpone and then cancel due to another family's baby arriving. Massage therapist very courteously called to say she had a bit of a cold and perhaps we should postpone to Saturday. So, Hubby and I both took off for work. I ended up having a super productive afternoon and finishing 90% of my paperwork! Thanks, Zen!

Today I am off work, but will stop in to pick up a few remaining personal items. I am scheduled to be there next week, but I'm wondering if Babe will be early, so I'm getting ready.

Well, plans for today: kitchen reno quote appointment this morning (don't get too excited, now... it's just a quote for future reference), then drop off Hubby at work. I shall do blissful solo errands (ie. Goodwill/Value Village hunt) for a few remaining birthing items. I need a throw away mattress cover, in case a leak all over our beautiful bed. And some other things...

Later 'gaters!

Got Zen

Midwife home visit is happening today! I'm looking forward to it, even though I know that she has to give us the 'serious talk' about circumstances that would likely lead to transfer of care to a physician. In the past two weeks I've had some doubting thoughts about being able to go into the deep relaxation of hypnobirthing (fueled by not practicing enough), but in the last few days I have given myself a check-up from the neck up and adjusted my attitude. I'm once again grooving with the positive birthing vibes.

I think a turning point for me happened on Sunday after a couple of days of running around trying to agree on some finishing details for a few projects in the house. I'd been feeling quite miserable after some *ahem* serious 'trying to agree' moments on Friday and realized that all this pressure to get things done before the Babe arrives is just not worth it. The stress was getting in the way of me enjoying these last couple of weeks with Hubby before Babe arrives. After all, her nursery is ready, our bedroom only needs a minor clean-up and we are good to go for bringing her home to at least have a place to lay her little head. Plus we scored a cool retro rocker off Craig's List for $50 on Saturday! So now I even have a place to breastfeed her upstairs!

On Sunday, I just slipped into a Zen place about the nesting, renovating, and finishing up my paperwork at the office. None of it really matters. It will be what it is and it doesn't mean her start in our family will be anything less than what it is meant to be - a joyful time.

So, today I look forward to our midwife and her new student coming to check us out in our home. I've already taken the banana muffins out of the freezer (made on Saturday). Post home-visit, I'm going for a pre-natal massage just around the corner. Lovely.

Post-script:

My folks have been off on a little road trip holiday in the States since last week. I can tell they are excited about the third grandchild's imminent arrival, as they've called us twice since they left. Our family never, ever calls each other while on holiday. Perhaps an email update here or there, but never, ever a phone call, let alone TWO phone calls.

Also, I rode my bike yesterday! While on my way to work, who should start to pass me but an old roommate. We peddled along together until the next traffic light. She told me she biked until she went into labour with her first baby! I can only hope!

Heavy Belly

This week I've noticed how heavy my belly is becoming. No matter what I am doing the baby belly has a certain heavy sensation. Sitting on the couch - heavy and full. Semi-sitting in bed - heavy. Laying in bed in any position - heavy and full. At work, in front of my desk - heavy. Waddling along to the bus or store - heavy. Waddling to the bathroom - very heavy and very full. My belly is getting so big and heavy I can hardly reach the keyboard of my laptop to write this! And forget about leaning forward to reach the laptop if it were on a table - ouch! More signs to me that Baby is getting ready to join us. I have an intuition that she will arrive before October 12.

In order to get organized for her arrival, I have written several lists. One list for errands and 'to-dos' for this weekend. This includes a lot of stuff for finishing projects around the house. Another list for items to get organized for labouring at home, going to the hospital, and the first week with baby at home. A third list of important things for Hubby and T (who is supporting us during labour) to know, plus reminders for Marvin and I such as calling the diaper service once Baby is here.

Wow! Describing my lists here makes me feel like a bit of a freak, but without those lists I couldn't remember anything I was supposed to buy or prepare. Major mush brain!

Update on sleep: This week my sleep has been almost normal! What's up with that?! This morning is the first time I've had to get out of bed early in over 5 days! A miracle!

pictures and a few words

Newborn size hat that I knitted for our Babe! I'm digging this knitting thing!




End of 34 weeks... big belly and feeling tired.




Beautiful cake that T made for a coed baby shower in August! It was amazing!




Opening gifts at the coed shower.

Awake again. This time with nesting fury.

I can't sleep. I get up for my first pee of the night and that's that. No more sleep for Mommy-to-be. Sigh. Sometimes my hypnobirthing relaxation recording helps. Not tonight. I have a couple of other tricks up my naked sleeve for encouraging more shut-eye, but I just didn't have the patience tonight. Thanks to my clenched up jaw, I realized quite quickly that I am preoccupied with nesting.

Well, it is more than nesting. I'm preoccupied with getting my freaking house back into a vague semblance of order. Every time a room gets tidied up, it gets cluttered up with crap from another room that is undergoing a 'transformation'. A couple of weeks ago the nursery had a crib and some hastily stored baby related items in it. Now it is a mess of coats from our hallway (recently painted), painters' equipment (don't ask me why they think this room is their personal storage unit), the vacuum cleaner (needed for the entire upper floor post-painting clean up job), washed and unfolded hand-me-down baby clothes (2 laundry bins full :) !!), our bathroom supplies and medicine cabinet (recently mudded, sanded, and painted), baby gifts, unhung blinds, unhung curtains, clothing from the master bedroom (where a closet was just installed), and goodness knows what else that I can't remember.

My head is spinning. I can't get the now unneeded dresser from the master bedroom into the nursery, where it is needed, until the crap gets sorted and taken out of the nursery. Can I take all of our coats back downstairs to our hallway hooks? Will they be a nuisance to our contractor who is still working on our main floor? Will they get covered in saw dust? Do I vacuum first, or sort coats first? Do any of the coats need to be laundered?

Oh! I forgot! I can't move the dresser out of the master bedroom, until I move our old, 'temporary' linen cupboard out of its path. I can't move the linen cupboard out of the way and into our old clothing closet (upper hallway closet) until I remove the box of toiletries out of the closet and vacuum out the closet. I can't bend down to move the box because my belly is too big and I can't nudge it with my feet because this motion makes my crotch scream at me. When you are pregnant you quickly learn how all of your joints, ligaments, muscles, and bones are connected and work together to help you do the simplest of tasks... or hinder you from doing the simplest of tasks.

And, I wish I could do some of these chores when I have the freakin' energy at 3am! But, this would disturb Hubby and neighbours. I did manage to tidy up the dining room table and half of the coffee table before writing this entry.

I can't do all the things I used to do in one day or one weekend anymore. Yesterday I managed to get to a yarn sale in the morning after doing the dishes. The sale took up the entire morning because I walk slowly now AND I was careful to pare down my yarn pickings before cashing out. I came home and did one load of laundry and ate some lunch (lovingly prepared by Hubby). The closet installers arrived, so I took a break and sat on the couch with some knitting. Post-closet installation, I sorted and transferred clothing from the upper hall closet into the new closet. By 3pm I was spent! Achy and tired. More couch sitting. Ate dinner (thanks, Hubby!). Made dessert. Ate dessert. Did dishes. Ate dessert again. Watched The Cole Miner's Daughter on TVO. Went to bed. Woke up at 2:30am, which brings us to the present.

33 weeks - the Edge draws near

Today I was in Home Depot looking at bathroom light options. I snapped a shot of one with my cell phone to send it to Hubby, something we've done a dozen times before. An employee, standing high up on a ladder, saw me take the photo and scolded me twice in an authoritarian voice in front of another customer. He said, 'No pictures in our store, Miss!' I couldn't believe how quickly this pushed me to an edge. I was about to tell him to go fuck himself very loudly, but somehow managed to walk away instead. I walked right out of that store and over to Rona. I fucking hate Home Depot! I almost demanded to speak to the manager, but I had a quick flash of me sailing right over the 'crazy pregnant lady' edge at the Customer Service counter and not being able to make it back to Sanity Land.

It was a close call.

This week I had some dramatic moments about the painters' work at our house. Hubby was concerned at how freaked out I became. We have now clarified that Hubby's only true option in these scenarios is to calmly and bravely put his arm around me and comfort me. It is unwise for him to do anything else. Hubby admitted to me later that he was scared to come close to me because I was so freaky standing there in the bathroom, blow drying my hair, crying about how I just wanted the baby's room to look a certain way. (The painters had been too enthusiastic with painting trim. They painted over the already painted trim in the baby's room. Needless to say, it was no longer the 'right' colour. They weren't even supposed to touch that room!)

A week or two ago

It is August 22 and this is my first entry of the month! Pregnancy sure is all consuming! I'm even getting a little bored talking about it! I can't imagine how everyone else feels listening to me.

Last Saturday night we went to the Square Foot Exhibit reception. It was lovely, although I was more excited about the works last year.



(Hubby in the red hat)




I last about an hour at the show before I had to find a place to sit down. We enjoyed this mango & something cheese cake at a place just south of the gallery. Rich & yummy!



And, yes, I am still riding my bike! I love it! It is SO much easier to ride than to walk. Here we are just about to cycle home:




About a week or two ago I discovered that washing the dishes has become uncomfortable due to my tummy squishing into the counter. Hubby says it isn't because of my pregnant tummy, but because of my shortness 'disability'. Ha ha. Anyway, here's a cute picture of my solution. (Thanks to good friend G for sewing this beautiful dress for me!)




A couple of weeks ago we had a few friends over for a BBQ. Of course we were rained out and had to settle for the living and dining room. Here is my wonderful little friend M showing off her super cool poncho just before going home! Mom, K, is in the background.



I have finished a lovely knitted baby hat, but the pictures I've taken suck. You'll have to wait for another day to see the cutesy hat. I will also have some wool booties finished this weekend to show off. Stay tuned!

Top Secret Knit Project Revealed!

You may recall that I've been re-learning knitting (ever so slowly) and even posted a picture of the beginnings of my repeat performance of the first project that was top secret.

The first project was a gift for my lovely friend J who is expecting her first babe in September. The gift has been safely delivered by my own personal cross country couriers (thanks S & I!) to BC and I can now post pictures without spoiling the surprise! I'm a bit shocked that I don't have pics of J's blanket (how could I have overlooked recording my first-again knit project?), but here is a shot of the repeat performance that I am making for my babe:



(Hi, Hubby!)

I must give credit to S from SnB at Knitomatic for giving me the idea for this design. I procured her yarn choice (Mission Falls 1824) and the stripe idea, but made it my own. Instead of uniform stripes I decided to do a spontaneous pattern of thin and fat bars and I chose different colours as well. I also decided against fringe.

The garter stitch without a set pattern for the striping makes this a perfect portable project. No pattern to check or rows to count. It's easy to pick up and put down as time and tingly pregnant hands allow. (J was just telling me on the phone this morning that she hasn't been able to pick up a crochet hook for some time due to the pregnancy hand ache! Sorrow!)

Here is a picture of J having her first crochet lesson last summer when she was in town:



Baby update: We just heard from the genetic counsellor that my DNA is negative for retinoblastoma (the childhood cancer that made me a 2D Girl at 14 months of age)! Yippee! This means my cancer was a wild card and I won't pass it on to our babe. I was 99.9% sure it wasn't hereditary, but the genetic counsellor explained things in a way that convinced us to get the testing done.

The results came back just a few weeks before I would have to begin extra ultrasounds to check Babe's eyes, as an early detection method. Less trips to the ultrasound lab at Mount Sinai is music to my ears. The folks at Mount Sinai are lovely, but the lab is super busy and often backed up. Have you ever been in a waiting room with a bunch of pregnant women who may be waiting for over an hour for their appointment?! It can get ugly.

Our hypnobirthing class starts in a couple of weeks. I haven't been practicing the relaxation every night. Probably something I should be a bit more dedicated to if I really want the hypnobirthing to work for me. I'm almost finished the book and will pass it on to Hubby by Monday night.

Do you remember my crochet/Xbox debate with Hubby? Well, this morning Hubby shyly (ie. asking permission voice) told me he has a chance to 'babysit' an Xbox unit for a week. He also has the week off from his writers' room. I was so dumb struck this morning that I couldn't respond. Talk about a rush of mixed emotions. There is so much to get done before Babe arrives. So much to do that I doubt we'll get it all done if we work non-stop for the next ten weeks. I wisely thought it best to keep my mouth shut until my brain had a chance to think things through.

This afternoon I shared my thoughts with Hubby: permission granted, with the understanding that he balance his week between writing, domestic stuff, and the addictive Xbox. I do not want to be known on the street as the crazy 7 month pregnant woman who threw the borrowed Xbox onto the driveway in the middle of a thunderstorm. Not to mention that we'd have to buy Hubby's friend another Xbox. (I am very, very sensitive to the idea of being some voracious nag who denies her Hubby most of the things that make his life fun and boy-like. I feel a one-week loaner Xbox is a decent compromise from the 'over-my-dead-body' statements of the past.) Fingers crossed that it will be a win-win compromise.

Rainy Sunday

So, we were up early today. That is normal for us. I'm always conscious of not making a lot of noise when we are up and around in the wee hours of the morning because we have a tenant in the basement and we live in a semi. So, I had to find something productive yet puttery to do to kill time until I can really make some domestic noise.

I finally cleaned up my email! Organized my folders. Saved or deleted messages. Even went through my 'sent' folder! Email nice and neat now!

So, plans for today include: sand and mud a few holes in a couple of the master bedroom walls; prime one wall and around the window; write some thank you cards; friend over for dinner.

Yesterday we saw Cabaret at Stratford! It rocked! We enjoyed a yummy dinner at Foster's Inn across the street from the Avon Theatre and then drove home. Good day trip!

I'm hoping to set up my Ravelry page this weekend. I am off work tomorrow, so perhaps I will get that done.

Baby update: she is moving A LOT! I tend to notice when she curls up in a specific area of my uterus. You can even see my belly bulged out where she's squished herself. I like to rub her when she squished up somewhere, because I can feel her body all hard and round where by belly is bulged out.

Tomorrow I have a midwife appointment. I'm taking the dreaded pregnancy diabetes test - yucky orange pop drink followed by a blood test.

Mmmmm... swimming

Outdoor pool.

Free of charge.

Easy biking distance from home.

Good water temp.

Weightlessness.

Beautiful sky.

Apres swim Italian gelato.

A very nice Sunday evening date with my hubby.

A Saturday morning

I woke up at 3am and haven't really slept since. Maybe a few winks around 6am, but was out of bed by 7 anyway.

I'm hoping to get my legs and bikini waxed this morning. I want to try out the outdoor pool in our neighbourhood tomorrow night. I have two maternity bathing suits that keep taunting me.

Other plans for today:

make brownies for girls' movie night at T's (started)
knitomatic trip (long overdue)
wrap some baby shower gifts for mailing to friends
laundry
girls' movie night!

Crafty Cottage Week & new support for the gals!

I just had a lovely crafty retreat week at a cottage in Minden. The bugs were hell, but it didn't matter since my friend and I went there to craft our hearts out.

Here are a few shots of what I accomplished:


Me starting on curtains for the nursery.



The finished product! I took ready-made panels on 50% sale at Fabricland, shortened them and jazzed them up with ribbon and cool tie-backs.



Shot of baby cardigan almost finished. I struggled to darn in the ends and sew it up enough to finish the edging. I've developed pregnancy related tingly/numb hands, so holding the darning needle was torture!



Encouraged by my quilting friend T I helped stitch and design the beginning stages of this quilt. It may take us another year to get together for some dedicate quilting time, but at least we've started it!

I also made progress on my top secret knit project and I was able to start the summer shrug. I think I will get the sleeves and edging done this weekend. I'll have to pass it off to someone to darn and sew for me. My numb little fingers just can't take it.


Hubby stayed with us for the first two days. At week's end we missed him so much we resurrected this sad baking potato in his image. It was T's inspired idea. I loved it!



25 week self portrait! Baby likes to hang out on the left side, down low. The midwife says her head is low right and her back, bum, and legs are low left. Otherwise known as oblique position.

I found out the hard way that I can no longer wear underwire bras. My belly has grown so much it reaches my boobs. The underwire rubs the skin on top of my belly raw. Ouch! I've since been fitted with a very comfortable bra at Secret's From Your Sister. Thank you Sista!

body pillow plans, yoga flop, belly & project updates

I think I need a body pillow. The multiple pillow arrangement I have been using is not quite cutting it. Plus I wake up Hubby every time I roll over and rearrange myself. I'll be trudging over to the ever crowded Dufferin Mall later today to check out what they have at Babies 'r Us. Sans Hubby. He loathes the Duff Mall, especially on weekends. Going solo is okay with me, as it will give me time to browse cutesy baby things on my own.

I'll also try to find a basket type thing to bungie to the back of my bike, as I am getting tired of lugging around bags on my body while I am riding. Yes, I am still riding when weather permits! So, in the last two weeks that hasn't been often. I did use the bike to jaunt over to my pre-natal yoga class yesterday.

That class was a flop. I've been once before.(I also try to catch a Monday night hatha yoga class that is easily adaptable for pregnant moi). I arrived yesterday all psyched for some preggo talk and good stretching, only to find that there is a substitute teacher. 'No problem', I think. I arrange my mat and make small talk with the sub. She asks me about my yoga experience and she tells me she does Kundalini yoga. Means nothing to me. She says it involves a lot of breath work.

No other students arrive. Hmmmm... great! A personalized class! We begin.

I realize almost immediately that this Kundalini thing might be too woo-woo for me. Extra chanting at the beginning and she tells me there will be a song at the end. A song! Uh-oh! I can't sing! And, excuse me, what happened to a little check-in talk about how my body feels and what I'd like to focus on in class?! No check-in. No pregnancy chit-chat and tips. I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this 'pre-natal' class with the 'non-natal' sub.

As the class progresses, I uncomfortably discover that Kundalini yoga is ALL about breathing and has very little to do with good stretching for pregnant bodies. Sub Teacher leads me in a few limited stretches that she does not adapt for my pregnant belly. I adapt them myself. We sit in a so-called Easy Position for most of the class. My left foot falls asleep and starts to ache at the ankle. My ass starts to hurt more than its usual pregnant stiff hurt. I eventually give up on 'easy position'. I tried not to hyperventilate with all the short, fast nostril breathing.

I almost lost it when we got to the block-a-nostril-and-breathe-quickly-through-the-other-nostril exercise. My allergy irritated sinuses did not cooperate. I imagine that Sub Teacher could sense my frustration because she then launched into the Patience Pose. Sit in 'easy position' with arms lifted straight out to the sides at shoulder height, palms up. Flex your middle finger up and down quickly. Breathe in and out synchronized with finger flexing. Do this for 3 minutes. Try not hyperventilate or faint. Be patient. Patience Pose will end eventually.

Be patient again while singing begins and goes on and on.

Look forward to Hatha Yoga on Monday night for a corrective experience.

Here's updated belly photos for week 23:




These don't look much different than week 15 or 18 pics, but in real life it sure looks bigger. My uterus has grown beyond my belly button already.

I am working on finishing up a couple of baby crochet projects, but no photos yet. I'm thinking of a summer cutesy dress for our Babe to wear next summer. I'm also going to start a summer shrug for myself. In a week I leave for a cottage with my sewing machine in tow - baby curtains will be made under the watchful eye of experienced sewing friend, T!

Here's a photo of the beginnings of my second knit project. (I still can't reveal a photo of the first completed top secret knit project, as it has not be delivered to my friend yet).

long awaited vacation report

View my SF vacation report here. Sorry for the delay!