Third Trimester! According to BabyCenter :)

I have decided to go ahead and celebrate being in my Third Trimester. Honestly a few weeks give or take, does it matter that much? I asked my doc what he figures and he said he considers Week 30 to be the final trimester but I was like hmmmm. lol A sane person would go by her doctors wisdom on the subject, but like I said, not a serious issue.


All I know is I have started to go for visits about every two weeks now and I'm feel great minus the unbelievable ache in my pelvis and a total drop off in energy. Honestly though I can't complain too much. I have a goal to stabilize my weight gain still. Last week was a gong show that way. With all the marking and course wrap up my butt was stuck on the couch and took that opportunity to grow. I managed to somehow gain about 4 pounds in one week! Well not this week! I realized this is a lofty goal with Christmas just days away, but the difference I think will be that I am more active when on holidays and I feel like I have the time to hop on my treadmill and walk it out a bit more. I tried going for a walk around the neighbourhood but found my self in an area that was covered in ice....sheets of ice that had been covered with a dusting of snow. I managed to get myself and Zeppelin back home without falling but all the correcting did a number on my core. Apparently that part of my body is a little taxed already.

No one told me about this pelvic pain either. When I get up now or am up and walking for too long it hurts something awful. I told Henry it honestly feels like someone kicked me right in the groin bone (I'm so technical :P) I did some reading yesterday to get a better idea of what I could do and someone recommended some stretching. I did that yesterday and I actually feel a good deal better. Still aches but I think the stretching was helpful for everything, my body needed a good stretch.

I did my Glucose Tolerance Test on Friday and got my results Monday. I passed with flying colors! I wasn't really worried though. I felt completely fine during and after the test, I actually enjoyed the chance to sit and ready without distraction. Trying to enjoy that while it lasts :) I was told this drink was so gross and syrupy but it tasted just like orange pop and I had no problem with that!

Also on Monday I had my Rh shot at the hospital. I am Rh Negative and since that is rare the standard and normal procedure is to get a shot that prevents my body from creating antibodies against Rh Positive blood. I got all jacked up about the info since this subject area was and still is my favorite part of Biology. If I had any idea what I could have done for a career in Genetics, I dunno, I think that would have been really interesting to me. Not sure I had the stellar marks in High School to do something like that. Don't get me wrong I was a good student, but just not top o' the class student. Anyways, I digress.

Life is good. Our baby girl is incredibly active and has a personality it seems already. I am amazed and in awe still at the idea of this tiny baby hanging out and that she will be here so soon. It's a beautiful thing that Henry and I are so incredibly excited about. We want to do the Nursery over the holidays and I am really excited about getting things in order and ready for her arrival. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and then Christmas! Honestly though, for the past few months, everyday has felt like Christmas to me when I get to wake up and feel those reassuring kicks and movements. God has blessed us and we are so very grateful for everything we have.

Merry Christmas!

Hokie Smokes!

I've pushed myself pretty hard this week to get what needs to get done before we wrap this course and go on Christmas Break, sweet sweet break! Anyways, I set a goal and finished last night which means I have fewer things on my plate today and less stress....which leaves me time to blog :)



We were up this morning at 4:30am. I kept thinking, 'I'm going to have to get used to this, I am going to have to get used to this.' Oh man. We drove my sister to the airport this morning which is the reason for such an early morning. Before that though we exchanged some of our gifts so she could be here when we opened them. I was super stoked about Season One and Two of Pushing Daisies! I have only caught a few episodes but the ones I did see I really enjoyed. I've been chattering about it since but I know very few people who have actually watched it. So yay! The timing is great as well as today is the last day before holidays.

I'm very much ready for a break and some time to fully allow myself to nest like I want too. Also I am really excited for time with family and friends and some time with Henry. My body is ready for some rest as well I think. Even though my job is unfortunately pretty sedentary, I find that sometimes it is harder to sit in one spot for a long period of time. I am hoping the warmer weather holds so I can get outside and move around. Otherwise I'll do some walking on the treadmill and watch Pushing Daisies :) Have to keep the weight gain stable! I found a new stretch mark....sigh....it's not a bit deal but I don't know any female that is stoked about finding something like that! I think moving around is going to help me feel better overall. Sitting has been tough on my back and my ribs due to the positioning. But at the same time, if I am on my feet for too long I get quite tired and sore. I am looking for a healthy balance of the two!

Well according to BabyCenter this is the last week of my Second Trimester. Kind of unbelievable! 90 days left. I'm impatient and at the same time I know that this whole thing is going to fly by so so fast! And there are so many things that we need to get ready before this little girl comes....so hence...the Hokie Smokes comment :)

Cold, Even with the Extra Padding!

Goodness it's cold out! Thank heavens my coat is still managing to fit. With a little coaxing, it works just fine! It's been a chilly one here in Western Canada that is for sure. I hear we are getting a break today and for the rest of the week. Can't wait! I've gone soft and I'm ready to feel warm again. I really hope it is a little warmer when we have to go to the hospital to deliver! lol I told Henry that when the time comes I want the car warmed up first....I just see me tensing up from the cold and I can't imagine that feeling too good. It's hard not really knowing what kind of weather to expect in March. It's always a wild card here! We almost bought an adorable winter snowsuit for our little girl. Then we realized that we don't even know if she will need one then and it certainly won't fit next year for winter. So we decided to pass and we will see what it looks like closer to the time.

Tomorrow we hit the 27 week mark! And according to one of the resources that is the Third Trimester. I know I promised I would ask my Doctor when it actually starts and well he asked at the end of the appointment, "Do you have any questions?" and I blanked out completely. lol I started laughing and said "Yes....I think three....but I can't remember any of them!" Oh well, pregnancy brain!

Well it's time for me to mark some more essays :) Better get to it!

26 Weeks....14 Days to Christmas!

We hit the 26 week mark this week! We are motoring through this thing it feels like. I really feel like my belly has grown quite a bit even in the past few weeks! I'm really digging the belly I have going right now, especially since I've been feeling her jamming in there so much more and I can see my belly moving a lot. Sometimes when she is kicking up a storm (or playing whack a mole as Henry said this morning :) I'll have a peak at my belly and just see it moving and shifting. It cracks me up.

I said I was going to try and find out when I actually hit the Third Trimester. Well after a lot of looking around, apparently no one can agree on when that time actually is, which make zero sense to me! I have a doctors appointment this morning so I'll be asking him. I figure he is somewhat in the know :)

The holidays are coming up really quickly and I couldn't be happier. I LOVE Christmas and this year I am really excited to just chill out and get the house ready for baby. I'm feeling ready to relax and have a little more time on my hands to exercise and get the things done that I want to....even if that means a nap!

Today as I mentioned I have a doctors appointment. I am getting my Glucose test done this morning. Not sure entirely what to expect but I heard that the 'Orange Drink' isn't overly tasty. Oh well, we will see how that goes.

Well that's all for now. Stay warm everyone!

Truckin' Along

This weekend was pretty intense weather wise! Here in Lethbridge we were completely dumped on with snow. It started on Friday afternoon and continued right through Saturday. The wind blew the snow all over the roads and created massive drifts all over. It was crazy! But on the flip side being stuck inside all off Saturday and Sunday Morning was kind of nice. Henry and I got to hang out, we watched Elf, played Mancala (which I only won once...), relaxed, and just had a chill day. It was wonderful as we have been hoping to have sometime quality time for a while.

Finally we were able to break free thanks to Henry's shovelling and someone's tractor trying to plow the roads in our area. We went to rescue mom from her Cabin Fever and we got a few groceries and finally picked up a tree! It was still frozen last night so we are going to decorate it after class tonight. Pretty excited! Dawn (Henry's sister) is here for the week so she is going to help. Not that we have much to put up but it's going to be fun to have some decoration up :) With all the snow and now a tree it sure it starting to feel Christmasy around here.

As for Pregnancy stuff, things are going really well. Our little girl is growing and she is very active. Last night I had some trouble staying asleep and I felt her kicking up a storm. For the most part it seemed she would sleep most of the night, but maybe I just never felt the kicks before. There go the dreams of a baby that loves to sleep at night ;) Not like I actually believed that one anyways. I'm feeling a lot of stretching in my belly which leads me to believe that she is growing a lot this week. That matches up with my BabyCenter.com emails :)

I'm starting to feel this Nesting thing kick in but it isn't strong enough apparently. I have a lot of things to wrap up with work before that can take over I think. I told Henry I would finish work on time today so I could actually vacuum like I wanted. Fingers crossed that I can make that one happen.

Finally, my goal is to find out on Wednesday find out for sure when the Third Trimester happens. I've read so many different answers. I don't understand why there isn't one set answer....oh well. This is my mission :)

25 Weeks and Only 23 Days to Christmas :)

25 weeks! It's been an eventful last week as far as the pregnancy goes. We were so thrilled to get a good report from the ultrasound, as well, finding out that we are having a little girl is incredible. It's made things much more real and put things on a different level. Unfortunately, every time I see a man holding a baby girl I get misty....hormones. As for hormones, I've been pretty proud of myself and my ability to maintain my sanity. I have forced Henry to say that I have been level headed and he has complied so far....that counts right :) Well the other day I had a....moment....for about ten minutes I was livid over nothing. I needed Zeppelin to go poo for me before I went into class and he was not cooperating in the pooping arena, so I was angry. And then after that I for some reason was super pissed about the Victoria Secret Fashion Show. It was on last night and I knew that Heidi Klum, whom I love, was modeling in the show a mere 5 WEEKS after giving birth. So I was all mad about the standards that were being set....yada yada yada....anyways...the ten minutes passed and I regained sanity. I apologized to Zeppelin, called my sister and apologized as well and then called Henry and asked if he could tell me that I was a good person.

Crisis averted :)

Little babes has been keeping very active and it sure looks like she is growing everyday. My belly is getting nice and round and slowly my feet are disappearing. She apparently loves to push her feet, head, hands, anything up into my diaphragm. It makes it incredibly hard to breath sometimes. Oh well :) The things I do for her....happily

Henry and I talked about what happens if the ultrasound is wrong. What a trip that would be! Obviously we would be just as happy but it would clearly be a surprise. We aren't buying everything pink for that reason, but it's not like we are going to be so cautious that we never get any gender specific items. My sister within five minutes of finding out she was getting a niece ran out to get a complete outfit that she had been eyeing. She already dressed better than me :)
I just thought that I should mention we have thought about that possibility.

The Big News!

I am so excited to share with everyone that we are have a Baby GIRL :) The news hit us like a wave!

We came in to get the Ultrasound results and while we were excited to hear the gender we were most anxious to hear that our baby was healthy and developing well. Our doctor came in and told us the news. I think he thought we were most excited to hear the gender since he kind of flew through the other results.

"Spine is good, Head shape is good, Lips are good. The rest of the body structure looks great. Heart and lungs are excellent.

And you better buy some pink stuff."

I was already misty from the relief of the first information and then BAM! Henry and I had apparently convinced ourselves that it was a boy. I don't know if there could have been a bigger surprise! We are so excited. No matter what we are over the moon but now knowing just makes it that much more real.

A little girl :) Amazing

A Week of Waiting

We are going to get our Ultrasound results on Friday morning. *sigh* so much of pregnancy is waiting! :) I know I am learning a lot from this experience....even just in that one area.

This time it is being able to wait to hear the results. The tech (for good reasons) was not allowed to say one word to us about what she was seeing. I understand completely but when all you want to hear is, congrats your baby looks completely healthy and it's a .... (oh ya we still back and forth on this one :) Henry and I were talking last night about our fears in regards to being parents, and very much wanting our child to be healthy. We are praying a lot about this and even more so, we are praying for peace, to be able to leave it all in God's hands, to know that whatever happens he is in control of the situation. I am continually comforted by the knowledge that as much as we love this child already, God loves them so much more. So, this means that no matter the results on Friday morning we are excited and looking forward to meeting this little one and sharing in their life.

I should mention that we have no reason to believe anything is wrong. We are just like any other new parents who want to know that everything is okay in there ;)

On to another subject related to Friday, we are still undecided in regards to finding out gender! I bet everyone is just dying for us to officially decide already! :) We are thinking about special ways to tell family if we do find out, which is really fun to imagine. We were laughing at the idea of doing the cake thing, where the color of the cake inside told you the gender, and doing that even if we didn't find out and having like a vanilla cake inside.....so mean!

Well we hit Six Months this week! Where has the time gone! I'll be sure to post something to commemorate that milestone, as well as let everyone know how the appointment goes as soon as I can.

23 Weeks .... One Pound

We have made it to the one pound mark! It's pretty exciting :) I can tell our baby is getting much bigger and stronger. Tigger was making his/her presence known this morning. I am sure starting to feel bigger, this belly of mine is growing really fast it seems. I love seeing that growth, but at the same time it makes me think about trying to maintain a healthy weight during this time. I don't feel like I have gained much weight outside of the boobs and belly as we say. However, the numbers have jumped up and I am at a place I have never been before. It's a little intimidating even though I know it is completely normal and necessary.

I had trouble getting back into my excerising this past week after sort of scary night. I was doing my WiiFit stepper and when I finished I sat down and was surprised by intense pain across my abdomen. I had a sense that I was okay but it's not really a feeling that I think any pregnant chick wants to feel this early. I think what happened was a may have pulled something without fully realizing it. It wasn't coming it waves, and it only happened when I moved outside of a slight ache when I was lying still. Henry ran a hot bath for me and I hung out in there for a while. It took the edge off and helped me feel better. The interesting thing was neither of us panicked, just talked about the situation and what we wanted to do. It reinforces what I already know about Henry as a partner during pregnancy, labor, and life. He is amazing. It was nice to see that I could continue to stay calm and just work through it. I have a personality that, while it may not seem like it, I tend to stay in control during a scary or tough situation until that situation is over. Then I break down. It's served me well. When Henry had his emergency surgery during our first year married, I stayed in control the entire time. When got home and we were settled and he was comforable, I went downstairs and cried. Hoping I can keep it together like that for myself and Henry when D day arrives!

Mom, Bailey, and I went to see Twilight: New Moon today. It was fun to get out with them. The movie wasn't too bad :) Still don't see what the big deal is about the guys in that movie but it was entertaining. Good times, have to take advantage of it while I can right!

Bailey set the date for the baby shower, kind of awesome. I am looking forward to what she plans. It's really going to be nice to have mom and Bailey here for it as well. Fun stuff.

Well I think I am going to step back into my trusty maternity sweats and try and do some excerise. Especially after indulging on some movie popcorn....and yes I did hear the report about how bad it is for you.....but it's not a regular thing for me and I'm pregnant ..... leave me alone ;)

Ultrasound.....After

Well I made it! I have never had to pee so bad in my life! But when we got in there she took a quick peak and said I needed to empty out a bit. Sweet relief! I was able to enjoy the process a little more since I wasn't worried about piddling all over myself. lol The things they don't tell you :)

Anyhoo....the lady was very nice, she said she would be taking a few pictures first and then she would walk us through what everything was. Henry could see most of what was going on, but due to the angle I really didn't see much for the first 15 minutes or so. Finally she turned the screen for me and showed us what we were looking at. She showed us a top down image, a little head, arms and fingers. This is the spot where a little excess fluid seeped out of my eyes. She held the view for a second and we saw just a tiny pointer finger, wiggling for us. When you see fingers it become real! We also saw legs and feet....which I have become very familiar with...looked like soccer legs to me.

She said that our little one is definitely as active as we thought. Apparently she had to take some time to look at my kidney's while Tigger decided to do some sort of backflip.

We are not sure if they will be able to see the gender (as if we know lol) but the legs were crossed while we were there. So we aren't sure where they look from, but it was knees to the chest, legs crossed. But that's okay :) Maybe we had a change of heart so that we wouldn't be disappointed when they couldn't find out.

So here we have the Littlest Duiker :) Pictures are kind of weird and the other two of the face look a little like skulls, so we will leave them off of here. Kind of weird and the rest are a little blurry. But there you have it....Tigger

Ultrasound....Before

Well I called the Radiology Center where I am getting the Ultrasound, just to confirm what I need to do before I go. Well I have to pee in a half an hour and then in the span of 15 minutes I need to down Three glasses of water and then hold it for an Hour and a Half. Insanity!

Anyways :) I am still incredibly excited. We are both looking forward to finally seeing our baby....as long as Tigger can hold still long enough! We are going to ask them to look for the gender, but we found out we won't get that information until we meet with our family doctor. We are now, after so much thought and back and forth, thinking we may not find out the gender. But the reason we will ask them to find out at the Ultrasound is so we have the option if we change our minds. It will just be in the file and if we are crazy to find out, we can go ahead and do that : ) so clever we are!

We were looking up the kinds of things they are looking for at these appointments and there is some really important information we can get from this test. They are going to measure the size of the head, check for downs, check the spine, look at the lungs and heart, and I think the length of the umbilical cord. Anyways, I am really excited. Feels like a big moment :)

I'll update everyone once we get back....yay!

22 Weeks, Tired, and Happy

Yesterday we hit the 22 week mark! Every week gets more and more exciting. Apparently next week we hit the One Pound mark, not sure why, but it seems like that is a big deal. Lots of changes are happening lately though. Henry was able to feel the baby for sure on Saturday, Tigger was kicking up a storm while we watched G.I Joe (I dunno everyone I'm starting to think we have a boy ;) That night it took him a little while to feel the kicks, he said he had to focus to notice them. Then early in the week, probably around Tuesday, I felt some really really strong kicks. I checked my belly and really low, I saw little bumps! Insanity! lol It's a little low for me to be able to show anyone right now....so sorry about that....but I am sure it won't be long until Tigger gets big enough to kick out my belly button.

Anyways, so since then, Henry has been feeling a TON of movement. It makes me sooo happy! This morning my tummy was touching his back just a little while we were listening to the radio and all of a sudden he said, "I felt that". I was so not thinking that he would have been able to feel any of that but I am honestly so excited. I think him feeling kicks as well, makes me almost happier than the first time I felt it myself.

So the day is nearly here, on Monday we get to go for our Ultrasound! yay! We can't wait :) We have decided to wait till the morning of to make the important choice to find out the gender. S much of us wants to know. The planner in me, REALLY wants to know. But we definitely see the reasons for not finding out. What gets to me, is when people suggest the birth of my child, my baby, seeing my child's face for the first time, will in some way, be less incredible. Ya.....not likely.
But we will let you all know how it goes and I promise to post the pictures we get from that day.
I'll also let you know how the bladder holds up! Apparently some sicko decided that I need to drink a ton of water before and I am not allowed to pee until after they push on my bladder with the wand. hahahaha...awesome ;)

Today I just have a routine prenatal check up. These are awesome since I get to hear the heartbeat, but I'm usually in and out pretty quickly. I'm taking mom with me since Henry can't make it as he is taking the time off for Monday. I took my sister last time and she really enjoyed getting to hear the heartbeat, so I thought she might like that as well :)

21 Weeks .... Carrots, Ducks, and Shots

21 weeks.....truckin along. This babe is really enjoying the space that they presently have and taking all advantages to practice their soccer skills. Gorgeous :) I am still trying to be patient and wait for Henry to be able to feel the kicks, but I think I am more anxious than he is. Or at least I am showing it more.

The Vegetable/Fruit comparison today is a Carrot! We are getting really close to the One Pound mark. Feels like that will be a big milestone. When you think about how we found out at 5 weeks and the wee one was the size of a PoppySeed! Really is amazing when you think about it. My favorite information from the weekly email today was the fact that our baby is growing eyebrows!! lol I think that is precious and hilarious. I think I am imagining our child focusing really hard on growing full and thick....anyways....lol the random thought for the day.

As for Ducks, Sunday we found a Cool Mist Humidifier finally. It is adorable, in the shape of a really cute duck shape. I was told to get one for the baby but that it would likely help with the continuous congestion that has accompanied the pregnancy. Henry is now blessed with a wife who cannot breath through her nose at night. Anyhoo, two nights with the humidifier and I wake up feeling better. So I have brought it down today to see if having it in the room will help during the day. Fingers crossed!


So Alberta has finally figured out what they are doing with the H1N1 shot. I think I will finally get to go stand in line (yay) on Friday. This decision as I have made I know I have discussed before. I would like to emphasize the fact that a huge amount of research, thought, discussion, and prayer has gone into this choice. It was not easy at all to make, Henry and I have learned that parenting is incredibly hard even before the little one makes their appearance. I know a number of parents would agree with me on this one. However, it has been difficult to continue watching the news, and to sometimes, hear the extremely hurtful things that people say about people who have come to this decision. I think what is frustrating for me, is when some individuals seem to make the issue black and white. I completely respect every ones choice in regards to the shot, the reality is that if I were not pregnant, I would likely not bother to get the vaccine at all. But it is not just us anymore, we are now a family of three.

That's my two cents :)

My final note: Edmonton neeeeeeds to win tomorrow! So if anyone from the team reads this blog (hahahaha) please know that a pregnant lady would greatly appreciate another 6 - 1 victory :)

Some Pictures of Week 20

So not much to say in this post, but I figured it was time to make sure we documented week 20!I always seem to look so stunned. Not sure why....not very photogenic after my three hour class. I'm sticking with that excuse :)


I adore my bump, but as I have mentioned before, pregnancy is doing a number on my skin and hair. I am just striving to get to a point where I will look something like Heidi Klum on a bad day during labor. Not to much to ask right?


And to wrap it up, this is what happened when I tried to pose and Henry laughed at me....so mean.

Well that's all folks. I'm off to eat Mac & Cheese with Hot Dogs. Don't judge :)

20 Weeks, 5 Months, Halfway...

I will begin by saying, baby is wanting some breakfast so this may be brief or potentially littered with random breakfast related words ;)

Anyways, today is a huge day! We are halfway through the pregnancy. Henry and I were reflecting last night on how fast this has all progressed. It seems like just a yesterday I was bullied into getting a pregnancy test by my cousin (by the way, thanks Eb!) and had the shock of my life. I had taken tests before, but when there was actually the possibility that we could be pregnant, I was in complete denial. Don't get me wrong, it's obviously not that I didn't hope with every fiber that I was, we both did not think it would happen so quickly! When I walked into the bathroom to check the results of what I fully expected to be negative, I stopped breathing. TWO Pink lines! My reaction was painfully cliched. I stepped back and grabbed on to the door as I ended up sliding to the floor. I started crying and Zeppelin was confused so he came to sit on my lap and licked my hand.

I realized I needed to prepare to tell Henry. I mustered everything I had to call him and tell him I wasn't feeling well without slipping about the news. I definitely didn't want to tell him over the phone. He said since I wasn't feeling well, he would bring home supper and we would just relax and watch a movie or something. Honestly, exactly how I envisioned the evening. He came home that evening and I had planted a box of Eggos in the freezer. Now the reason for this is he hates Eggos, but loves the movie Juno. I had told him a long time ago that I would want Eggos when we were pregnant due to the line "Your Eggo is Preggo homeskillet."

After we sat down for supper I asked if he would mind getting me a drink. He of course said yes and walked to the fridge. I told him that I had stored something in the freezer that I wanted to drink. (best I could do) When he looked in the freezer he stopped, turned and looked at me and said "are you serious" well naturally I lost it and he came over and we hugged and I tried to stop shaking. He was so excited and had the same smile on his face that he did when he asked me to marry him.

After we absorbed the news, well not absorbed but rather settled. We had some supper and watched Americas Got Talent, our guilty pleasure show from the summer. It was beautiful and perfect.

So to reflect on that moment to where we are now is surreal. We still haven't fully absorbed the entire reality yet and likely will not until the baby is here. But today is an exciting day :)

One of Those Days

So here is what I think happened. A small fairy came into our home and secretly and swiftly injected me with a large dose of hormones.

Why do I think this happened? Well because I lost all control and rationale thought yesterday.

I am feeling MUCH better now. Whatever it was has worn off now along with incredible family and friends to talk me out of it, I have recovered. I'll be honest, this is not something that is new to me. I fully expected days like that, however, they suck when it happens.

A fun element to yesterday! We picked up our new stroller. My sister and I went to get it and managed to pretty easily put it together. I love the color even more than I had thought I would. I really think it will work beautifully for a girl or boy, which was really important. Above we have a picture that documents the maiden voyage of the stroller. Zeppelin was very impressed with the ride and thought it was incredibly smooth.

Well tomorrow we hit a big milestone. We are officially halfway, 5 Months, or 20 Weeks. Whichever you like best. But overall it is incredible. My body sure feels like I am carrying a baby, while I still have blissfully avoided the bathroom trips at night, I am trying to come to terms with some of the blemishes, and some aches and pains in my joints. But again I will say, nothing has been more worth the minor discomfort. Even the increasing kick strength is a blessing for which I am incredibly grateful.

Meeting The Doctor

Just got back from the OBgyn meet and greet. Pretty awesome. We are feeling really encouraged right now. He seems like a really friendly and nice guy.

First things first though. I had to pee in a cup....which whatever. The receptionist asked if I thought I could pee. I replied, "Oh ya." Apparently a little premature, cause one of those things I am realizing about pregnancy peeing, sometimes you feel like argghh! I have to pee....and nothing comes out. This happened, so after I had boasted all about how well I could pee in that cup, I was less successful than I had hoped. Sad really.

Anyways, after that we sat for a little while and waited. We were called back, the nurse complimented me on my excellent blood pressure (at least I did something well!) and then we waited for just a minute longer. Our doctor came in and was right off the bat very friendly. He asked a few routine questions, wanted to know what we each did for work. I decided I should mention to him my history of Rheumatic Fever and Sydenhams Chorea. To my great surprise, he knew exactly what I was talking about. Sydenham's is a rare thing and not many doctors (in my experience) have seen a case before. Well he has, and actually diagnosed a lady just this year. Now this may seem trivial but to me, this is huge. I was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of God's ultimate direction and control. I know now that if this disease rears it's ugly head to me again during the pregnancy or after, I have a doctor that will be able to pick up on it quickly.

I also decided to ask about the H1N1 vaccine. A question I figured he had been asked a million times, but if I was going to ask anyone, it made sense to ask him. He said it was up to us, but in recent months he has had two woman one with regular flu one with H1N1 become extremely ill. He said you really only have to see one case like that to make a person think everyone should get vaccinated. He is getting it along with his wife and son, so I think I feel more resolve in my decision. I have asked a number of people a trust and respect in the medical field and I we are going to go ahead. I'll request the non - adjuvant form, but I think this is the right choice, for us. Praying we are right......being a parent is already hard!

Anyways, last part of our short appointment, the doppler. I love seeing that thing. Henry and I adore hearing our child's heartbeat. When we can hear it. He also, just like at the appointment last week, had a bit of trouble locking onto a heartbeat. He laughs and says he's moving a lot! I think there's a party in there! I think Tigger was an appropriate nickname for now....lots of bouncing going on :)

Finally, today and yesterday were a little tough. Last night I had what I can only describe as a boardline migrane. Not fun, but Henry took such wonderful care of me. We went to bed early, he rubbed my head and got me a cold cloth. Eventually, after the neighbours came home and their dog stopped barking, I was able to fall asleep. Today my knee has been acting up....a little bizzare, my knee doesn't normally do that to me. So while working today I had a scalding hot water bottle on it to give me some relief. Needless to say, I skipped my workout today, but I am praying it lightens up soon or goes away. Not trying to complain, just uncomfortable. But I suppose I should get used to that! Any suggestions are welcome however :)

19 Weeks ....

I have a headache and can't come up with a clever title :P Sorry about that!

Anyhoo, we are 19 weeks today! The halfway mark is right around the corner. Pretty exciting. The food comparison is a Large Heirloom Tomato, which I have found perplexing. In my head I thought that a Tomato was smaller than Bell Pepper. Whatever the size, this little munchkin is really starting to make their presence known.

Sleeping is still okay, I've had to stuff a pillow under my belly to give me enough relief to get to sleep but I can stay asleep. And by the grace of God I have not been up in the middle of the night to pee yet. Soooo grateful for this, I'll take it as long as I can! I think Henry will too, since I always wake him up when I get up in the night.

The growth that is happening is doing a number on my muscles. The Round Ligament pain is definitely there and my joints are getting a wee bit achy, which could be from pregnancy and added weight, but also would not be helped by the fact that I sit all day for my job. But Credenda is really excited about promoting healthy living for their staff. This means I have been able to get on track with my exercise which is exciting. It definitely feels good to stretch out and feel active when I can.

Also the kicks are getting so much stronger! I love it. Henry can't feel it quite yet, but soon I think based on how much stronger they feel. He is definitely excited for that :)

Finally, tomorrow we get to go for our Meet and Greet with our OBgyn. We are very excited. We have heard only great things about him so that automatically gives us a sense of confidence in him. We were actually told an incredible story by a friend who told us that our doctor saved her life! Ya I think I'll trusting this doctor :) As well, we have our ultrasound booked for mid November...I can't remember if I have mentioned that yet, but oh well :)

Member Number One of Our Soccer Team

So we finally have a new picture to share :) I'm at 18 and a 1/2 weeks and have a lovely belly to show for it.

I had another doctors appointment last week. I brought my sister along to hear the heartbeat. It was definitely a good one to come for. My doctor did the routine measuring, and blood pressure checks. Then my favorite part, the Doppler to listen to our babies heartbeat. This time he found it but it kept getting muffled. I didn't pay much attention to that at first, Bailey and I were more interested in the fact that the heartbeat was there. My doctor then asked if I could feel that. I asked what he meant, I said I could feel a little movement but nothing too different. He then told me every time the Doppler muffled our babe was kicking up a storm. He laughed as he struggled to keep the consistent rhythm, "this kid is kicking you like crazy".

"Well it's definitely Henry's kid" Great appointment. We were also suppose to go to meet our OBgyn, but that appointment was moved to this week. We also have the ultrasound scheduled for early November. That we are thrilled about. Henry is soooo excited about that, I am soooo excited for that as well. I cannot wait to see our baby :) We are a little back and forth about whether to find out the gender or not. We have talked a lot about this issue and it's just one of those things we need to figure out for ourselves. We kind of think it will be one of those things we decide on the day of, which we are okay with. I'll be sure to share that photo though as soon as we get that one.

I've been quite lucky so far with this pregnancy, no complications, outside of three months of brutal nausea it's been pretty good. I even have some how miraculously avoided the bathroom trips in the middle of the night. I'll hang on to that one as long as I can! But I can tell my baby is getting slowly bigger. I'm winded easily, and if I get up too fast I have a sharp pain apparently called 'Round Ligament Pain'. It comes from the ligaments stretching as the baby grows. However, I am enjoying every minute of this pregnancy and I'll happily take these experiences.

Bell Peppers and The Flu Shot

18 Weeks! Man alive, we are so close to that halfway point! I told Henry when we do hit 20 weeks we should go out and celebrate with a drink. Clearly I'm joking :) But it seems like a big milestone.
In my email today, I found out the baby is the length of a Bell Pepper (5 1/2 inches and 7 1/2 ounces) So small but seems huge compared to the Poppy Seed they were when we first found out.

I have definitely be feeling little flutters and bubble pops. It's really neat, doesn't feel that abnormal but it's knowing that our baby is kicking and squirming away that makes it unbelievable. We watched 18 and Counting last night after class. It was the new episode that had the birth of the Duggar grandbaby. First I was shocked that a family that doesn't show their belly during the on screen ultrasound would allow such a thing, and second I was moderately petrified about the whole labor thing lol. I'll be honest, the hormones gave me a minor panic attack over the weekend. We drove past the hospital on our way home from our friends and I completely melted. I went from laughing and joking to sobbing. Henry was surprised to say the least, but incredibly supportive. Well, within five minutes I was completely fine. Hurray for hormones, but clearly I'm a little nervous about the whole thing. But I don't think I need to worry too much yet ;)

Today I have to go get my Flu Shot. It took some time to figure out what I wanted to do in this area. It's a little tricky I think. You spend so much time monitoring everything that you ingest and then you go and get stuck with something that has heaven knows what in it. On the other hand, everyday you are hearing how at risk pregnant women are and you start to wonder. But after a lot of research and chatting with people I trust I have decided that this is the best choice. I just wish it didn't look like Christmas outside at the time.

In an unrelated note, the Oilers won their last game :) Makes this pregnant lady happy!

A Weekend of Thanksgiving

A belated Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Well we had a busy weekend filled with friends, family and food :) Saturday night was the Duiker Family Thanksgiving. My sister in law, her hubby and her pup were here for a the meal on Saturday. Henry's aunt and cousins were also there to celebrate with us. We had a great time and some awesome food.

Sunday we had a great service at The Gate. I've already talked about how much I love going there so I won't go on and on :) But it's been such a blessing in our lives and we were certainly Thankful for our church family this weekend.

Sunday we were also invited to a friends parents home for their Thanksgiving dinner. It was very sweet and we really enjoyed our time there. It was a lot of fun to catch up with our friends and their family, plus the food was crazy good. I think I have doubled in size just from all the food :)

I truly love Thanksgiving. I think it's so important to always be mindful of our blessing. Henry and I have so much to be thankful for. We have a beautiful home together, we have each other, we have an amazing family that loves and cares about us, we have incredible friends, we have food in our pantry, we have a baby on the way that we already love deeply, we have the means to provide for our baby.....I could go on but I am sure you get the point. We are very grateful and we try at every opportunity to share the blessings that we have.

Now on to something much more trivial :) I have been very inspired by a friends new workout plan. As well, my sister is doing an incredible job with her regime. And in turn I have realized that I have completely fallen off the wagon with my workouts. Obviously things have changed as a result of the pregnancy but I certainly understand the benefits of exercise during a pregnancy. I also know if I don't get back on this wagon, any attempts at workouts post pregnancy are going to be impossible. So, this is the week.....I have a treadmill and the WiiFit.....I have the means, I just need to take the first step and continue stepping :) I'll let you know how that goes!

Tomorrow I hit the 18 week mark. I'm really looking forward to the fruit/veg comparison. Look forward to an extra post tomorrow!

The Things They Don't Tell You

So I have reached the 17 week. Henry was shocked when I told him, it really is going by so quickly. So think that I'll be halfway by the end of the month is sort of crazy!

One of my dearest friends had warned me of a number of pregnancy symptoms that you don't always here about. She sent me a stocked pregnancy survival kit with a bunch of essentials like chocolate, candy, lip balm, the book 'Belly Laughs' by Jennie McCarthy (so funny by the way), and Preperation H with a note that says, I won't explain now but call me when you need it!

One thing she warned me about and I hoped I could get away from was the lack of a Pregnancy Glow. Sadly this has been my fate. I hear and see these women with amazing skin during the whole of their pregnancy, me however, have been struck with some kind of adult onset acne. It is awesome. It really could be worse, but its one of those things that can eat at your self esteem. On the other hand, I do have this belly bump that I am completely in love with.

I am excited about next week, I have my first appointment with my OBgyn. It's a meet and greet, since I won't see him again until around 30 weeks. I also see my family doctor in the morning, so it will be a long day :) But I am very much looking forward to it.

This weekend is Thanksgiving, which I love! I really love most holidays. I'm a bit of a sucker that way. We are getting together with Henry's family on Saturday. It's going to be a big get together for our family at least :) Looking forward to it!

Learning Patience

Well those in my family who know me well, know that I am not an extremely patient person. Not to say that I was one of those kids who deliberately searched for Christmas and Birthday presents before hand. I actually accidentally found a receipt from my Christmas present from Henry and I called him at work bawling! I was so devastated that I had ruined the surprise. So when I say I am not a patient person that's not the way that I mean it. What I mean is waiting for certain things are really tricky for me. I have yet to wait until the appropriate day to give Henry his presents and we have been together almost four years now.

I say all this because I think God is teaching me patient through this pregnancy. Whether I like it or not, this baby is coming 6 months from now and in their own time. As a parent this is what I want, any sooner wouldn't be healthy or in the plan. As Ashley, this is at times incredibly difficult. At the same time, as I have mentioned before, this whole experience is flying by. At the end of this month I am already at the halfway point! It's insanity!

What is the point of all this? I'm not entirely sure yet, but I am learning that somethings are worth waiting for. This is not the first time I have learned this lesson. I waited 21 years to meet my husband, it has been the greatest choice I have made. I think patience will be a virtue I am continually working on and learning, but in life I think a person needs to always be learning.

As for other things going on :) We bought a Baby Book and started filling out the things that we could. It was actually a lot of fun to do and then to look through what milestones we get to look forward to was exciting. We also found a pack n play play yard. We set it up once we got it home to see if we could figure it out. We did and it looks great. I stood there thinking, whoa.... :)

Oh on a sad note, the Oilers game I was so excited about ended tragically. We had finally tied it up and were just running the clock to either score a winning goal or get us to over time and .....sigh ..... the goalie came out to clear a puck and some Flame managed to chip it into the empty net. Not cool. However, it was just the first game and we get a rematch on Thursday.....I feel a cold coming on that will require me to cancel class......cough cough

Out of the whole thing, I realized why I really like Pat Quinn, what a classy classy guy. I'de also like to know what kind of gum he chews cause it clearly holds up (unless he switches them out....not that theres anything wrong with that :)

The Good Things

Last night we went to a Couple Night put on through The Gate. We had such a great time! We are really excited about the new friendships that we are creating. I felt bad however, my body shut down around 9:00pm and I must have seemed stand offish. The truth was that I was sleeping....with my eyes open :) Everyone was so nice and we really felt welcome. You know sometimes you can walk into a new group of people that all have long standing connections and you can feel like an outsider. Not here :) I got some great advice on baby stuff, which I am always happy to get! I got some amazing help on the Cloth Diaper front. I think we are sold on the BumGenius 3.0 system. They are a one size fits all format, which means we don't have to buy a butt load of the same in different sizes, which I imagine gets expensive. So thanks Kindra!

Tonight is the season opener for the Oilers! Can't wait! Over the years I have really started to enjoy hockey even more. I really started getting more into hockey in College. I would watch the games with my roommates John and Mitchell. They humored me and answered all my random questions. So when Henry and I started dating and I found out he was a huge Oilers fan I was stoked. I started watching even more and asking even more random questions. I realized the other day that all my opinions regarding the teams and players come directly from Henry, I don't have my own opinons but I feel very strongly about the ones Henry has. Just call me a sheep.....I'm totally fine with it. I have a great idea for a radio show. I think that people would gladly pay to hear what I have to say during the hockey games. Comments like, "Henry do you suppose Hockey Players wives are less attracted to them after the games on account of the nasty swass?". I've got lots of quality comments like that. This idea is money!

Anyways, I'm not a complete idiot I understand the rules and have most of the players names down, but I'm a blonde at heart and mind :)

So things are going well, I am hoping next week slows down a little for me. I am finally caught up on work stuff. Just in time to start on the other stuff I need to be overwhelmed by :P In reality, I am feeling very blessed today in so many ways. I am trying to take more time to reflect on my blessings and thank the one who has granted them to me.

I read Romans 5 the other morning and I felt encouraged by its words. Through the tough times God grants us strength and growth of character. Here's hoping :)

On the Edge of Week 16

There was a point in this pregnancy when the weeks couldn't fly by fast enough. When every piece of information you get tells you that you cannot be confident and comfortable in your pregnancy until you reach a magic number, you are very eager to enter the Second Trimester. I am thankful every day for each day my pregnancy continues without a hitch.

Now I am in awe of how quickly time is speeding by, and I have realized how quickly time goes by in general. I mentioned to Henry the other night, that the infant stage of our baby is not going to last long and I hope we can be present enough to enjoy it (or at least stay awake :)

My belly is growing and I am overjoyed! Henry said the most beautiful thing to me yesterday, I was walking to the kitchen to put some dishes away and he said, "You know you don't look pregnant from the back." Sometimes he knows exactly the right thing to say :) Whether it's true or not, it was incredibly sweet. And honestly, I am fully aware that I have more weight to gain, and if that means my baby is healthy, bring it on. (I'm sure I'll regret that one in a year!) But my little bump is wonderful, I cannot wait to start feeling the little movements.....oh gosh...I could cry thinking about it! But right now I could cry about anything. I looked at Zeppelin who was sleeping so perfectly last night and welled up lol

For my mom the fruit comparison this week is.................an Avacado!

And finally (can you tell I'm avoiding work a little :S) we are looking into Cloth Diapering pretty seriously. I've gotten some amazing advice from friends and I think I am getting a handle on the idea. This weekend I was trying to do some research and was totally overwhelmed by the options. But after chatting in the Nursery I got some great advice and a great lead on a brand that I think I'm really interested in trying out. So I will keep you updated on how this one goes :) Personally, I think it's worth it to avoid dumping a mountain of non biodegradable garbage in the dumps. I rather enjoy nature and would love it if our babes was able to enjoy it outside of books.

From Lemon to Apple

Well tomorrow is officially the start of 15 weeks...hey O!

I snuck a peak at the size comparison for 15 weeks and we have graduated from Lemon to the size of an Apple. It's surprising as my tummy looks like it's got something closer to a bushel of apples....well not really...but you see what I mean. My mom, ever delicate says I look like I just need to have a good toot and I'll go right back down. Nice.

My sister and I decided to start registering for stuff on babiesrus. She said it wasn't too early and I thought it would be fun to slowly start picking out stuff. I'm finding if I try and look at everything we need all at once I get a little overwhelmed. So the gradual method is awesome. Plus Henry and I decided to get one big ticket item a month, spread out the costs and so on. I think it'll be fun to start picking those things out.

We also are thinking about doing the nursery with a Dr. Seuss theme. Henry seemed excited about it, so I hope I have him sold on the idea. I found this website that has a gorgeous example.

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Dr-Seuss-Themed-Nurser/detail.esi?oid=499846&cObjId=760600

Today was a long one. Work is crazy, and the babes was doing a number on my stomach. I woke up and told Henry that he needed to speak with his child. He didn't see why already anytime the baby caused trouble it was suddenly his baby. I just figure the bad behavior comes from him :)

That is all I have for now. I assume this incredibly dull, but there you have it :)

A Change of Plans

For the very few number of people that followed our attempt at the p90x journey, the plans have changed.

I felt myself slowly falling off the wagon, I was so exhausted and the last time I was able to muster the energy to Kenpo, I thought I was going to pass out in the middle of the hour. I chalked it up to the end of my school year and the massive amount of marking and wrap up. I tried to supplement with my treadmill and that worked for quite sometime. Well after being over a week late and a phone call with my cousin (who told me if I didn't get a test she was going to come down and make me :) we found out we were expecting!


So, that means p90x is not a recommended exercise regiment for a pregnant lady. I figure as far as excuses go, this one is awesome! As well, as a result I thought I would start using this blog for documenting the pregnancy.

We are now at week 14, officially in the Second Trimester and so far for me, it's been true that you feel incredible compared to the all day sick and exhaustion that follows you for 3 months prior. Last Thursday we went for our second Prenatal exam and we finally got to hear the heartbeat.

I don't know if I will ever hear a more beautiful sound. I wish I had recorded it to put on my iPod and just listen to it over an over.

Well that's all for now :)