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 :)