Holidays and Overdue...

40 Weeks, on my last Due Date

I had three (ish) Due Dates for this pregnancy. The first was December 23rd which was supported by the ultrasounds, December 26th a random date that popped up at an appointment, and the last December 29th based on the LMP. The 29th is the date that is in my chart and that my Doctor is using for my care. I know not to put too much stock into Due Dates, especially since I had three this time around. However, I think that having a few made it a little confusing and challenging to figure out what my expectations could be. But at this point, all my Due Dates have passed and I am now in the two week countdown. Henry and I know we can handle another two weeks, we've done it before, but we admit we are excited and eager to have this part all wrapped up and finally start life as a family of four. At the same time, there is a strong possibility this will be our last pregnancy (as much as you can know these things at this stage) and I'm wanting to savour these last moments. I adore feeling the kicks and squirming, I love how at this stage you can watch your belly dance as baby wiggles and jockeys around in there. I'm also trying to take in the moments with Zoey as an 'only' child and spend some quality time with her since I know that my attention and energy will be spread a little thinner once Roo does arrive. It's a mix of emotions. So I'm trying to savour it all and be patient as we wait for potentially a few weeks longer, and at the same time be mentally prepared for the possibility that Roo could absolutely come anytime now. As Henry left for work this morning, I asked him, "In the unlikely event I go into labour today which phone do you want me to call?". Then we laughed since it's not really unlikely anymore. We just don't know what it's like to go into labour 'naturally' since it was kick started last time by breaking my water at the hospital. I would love to experience it a little more gradually this time, but as long as we all end up healthy in the end, I'm game.


As for holidays, Henry had a week off for Christmas again this year and has another week saved up for after Roo arrives. It's the first time off he's had in at least a year that we've been able to relax and spend together as a family. We were so grateful and blessed that our basement was complete and it allowed us to host our family and friends for meals and hockey games, as well we spent a lot of time with Zoey playing with toys and snuggling on the couch. The time was also used to run errands together and go on coffee dates as a couple and with Zoey. Zoey absolutely adored having Daddy around and completely smothered him with attention. She insisted on Daddy putting her to bed every night. I don't think she would have let him go the entire week if she had the chance. I decided to give Henry a bit of a break and took Zoey to Walmart myself to grab a couple things and as we pulled away from the house and she realized Daddy wasn't coming, she whimpered until she fell asleep. It means so much to all of us that Henry had that time with her and that their bond is so strong. When Henry left for work this morning, he asked for a hug and she was too upset with him to oblige. Having your child love you is a pretty okay problem to have.

Helping us with the instructions for Racko

Just terrible

Daddy helping with her boots before church

Making Daddy's hair smell like Green Apples

Just doing some light reading

Out for lunch and colouring with Daddy

So for now we wait and pray that all goes well, and if at all possible, things happen on their own. And until then, we'll savour the time in between together and even sleeping through the night! :)

A Merry Christmas, But No Christmas Baby...

39 Weeks

Zoey snuggled up on Christmas Evening

A change in expectations can really take the pressure off. I had my last check on Christmas Eve and for about a week we have all been waiting, thinking with the symptoms and constant Pre Labour I was having, that Roo could come any minute. I don't think there was anything wrong with that, but it sets you up for some pressure. I was wanting Roo to come while my Sister in Law was here for Christmas and early in Henry's Christmas holidays. After chatting with Henry early Christmas morning, we realized that we had put a lot of pressure on ourselves, and honestly, the one birth we've experience was 2 weeks after the Due Date. It's not to say that Roo couldn't surprise us and come this week, but the likely hood seems low at this stage. I reminded myself that I know how to go 2 weeks overdue and I'm really okay with that. Other than sore hips and rotating 3 outfits as my belly outgrows all my clothes, I can't complain too much. With this new perspective, we have a plan in place that ensures Henry has enough time off after Roo is born and until then we can relax and enjoy the family time that we have. I think the stress of the end of work and the unknown factor in planning for the Christmas Holidays was more than I had anticipated or expected. But we have some pretty incredible family and friends who are more than accommodating as we wait.

Setting up her own mini Christmas Tree

We had a great visit with Henry's sister and her husband, Henry's parents, and my Mom and sister. It was a fantastic Christmas and Zoey loved it all, and was completely exhausted by the excitement! She was, as usual, totally spoiled with thoughtful and generous gifts from family. She LOVED opening them this year, her little hands frantically searching for edges to tear. She was sweet enough to help open everyone's gifts this year. Henry and I decided this year to do a smaller Christmas (in regards to gifts) with me going on mat leave right away, etc we thought we would like to keep it more low key, which really has always been our goal. So we were excited to pick out a World Vision gift as a family and a few smaller things for each other. It was really nice doing things that way this year and I think regardless of our circumstances, that's how we want Christmas to look in our house with our children. Focuses on the reason for the season, Jesus.

So with a change in perspective in regards to Roo's arrival, I am far more relaxed and honestly expecting baby will come sometime in January and I am completely okay with that. My Christmas Eve appointment told me there was very little change despite the continuous Pre Labour contractions. But as I said before, I'm feeling pretty good, exhausted, but good. I know that once Roo is here, I'll feel exhausted in a whole different way.

We are so very appreciative of all the thoughts, prayers, and well wishes. Keep them coming and I'll be sure keep you posted!

38 Weeks....or 39...

37 Weeks

It depends on who you ask how far a long we are. My chart at the Dr's is going by the LMP, which apparently they almost always stick with regardless of Ultrasounds (I suppose for consistency). However, Henry and I, along with both Ultrasounds put the Due Date closer to the 23rd, which is right around the corner....um hello? Where did the last 9 months go?

I've been feeling pretty good lately, not much to complain about besides the typical aches and pains that come with the last days of pregnancy. I had another check up on Thursday and I was surprised when my Dr told me that all the cramping I've been having was actually doing something! My cervix is thinning which for me is something. I remember in the last month with Zoey, I was stuck at the same place for weeks. Since that appointment I've been having more contractions and a lot of pre labor symptoms. We're very curious what I'll find out at my Monday afternoon appointment. Who knows things could actually be happening. I suspect things could gear up a little after getting checked, but we are staying pretty relaxed either way. I did tell Henry yesterday though, that if Roo wants to stay put then the contractions can calm down anytime. It's a little exhausting after a few days.

Basement

I disappeared for a couple days as well last week after being hit with a ridiculous Cold/Flu. I hadn't felt that rough in a long time. My sweet husband stayed home from work on Friday to take care of Zoey for me since I could barely lift my head off the pillow. It took me nearly a solid week to fully recover. At it's worst point, I was so terrified that Roo was going to make his or her appearance while I was sick. You do whatever you have to, but the idea of going through labor and having a newborn in that state was intimidating. Thankfully, God heard my prayers and I was able to recoup and get the rest I needed. Just in time for Zoey to get a slightly lighter version of the Cold/Flu. It was an interesting week in the Duiker household.

While I was curled up in bed, Henry and his folks worked hard on our basement to finish it up, and I am thrilled to say that I am currently in our new basement with Henry and Zoey and loving it. Yesterday was the first day we were able to spend some family time in the new space together. It's taken up so much time and dedication and we are so incredibly thankful for those who made it possible.

I am unsure as to how life will be after Baby Roo arrives but isn't that always the way it goes. Sweet Zoey seems to senses something big is changing and her behaviour has reflected that unease. We know however, that with a great deal of patience from and towards each of us we will work through any challenges that will inevitably come our way. Henry and I are so excited for what is to come and can not wait to meet this new little person and learn about his or her personality. We look at Zoey and are amazed at who she is and are continuously falling more and more in love with her. Who wouldn't want to do that again! So we wait patiently and continue to pray that God will give us all we need to raise our 2 children.

36 Weeks and Prepping...

The end is in sight for this pregnancy and I'm faced with some mixed emotions. With the pain and discomfort that comes with this stage I'm excited to be winding down, and obviously, I am getting more and more butterflies about finally holding our precious Roo in our arms and kissing his or her sweet head. I get full blown weepy every time I see some sappy newborn moment on TV or really anywhere, but I remember feeling that way before Zoey was born too. At the same time, I'm fully aware that having Roo means a lot less sleep and the discomfort does not disappear immediately after baby is born. Between sore muscles, a bruised hoo ha, and nursing, there is more than enough discomfort to keep me hobbling for another week or two. At least I'm aware of it this time and I feel more mentally prepared. Regardless, it's going to be amazing.

It's been funny this time trying to figure out when Roo may arrive, with the visits the hospital and my Doctor asking me to finish work early, there is the sense of a potential early arrival. At the same time, Zoey was two weeks late and I fully expect that is a strong possibility this time as well. These pregnancy's have been quite different so it's hard to get a sense of what to expect. I feel like we are watching a Sand Timer and we can only see one half. We know that time is winding down as Full Term is already next week, but how much time is left? So our goal is to do our best to make sure we are ready to go as soon as possible and enjoy the end of this stage in our life with as much peace and enthusiasm as we can. Henry's incredible parents have been working non stop to help us finish the basement and there is so much amazing progress I cannot wait to share the finished product. The entertainment center is gorgeous, the flooring is perfect, and the paint colours and trim all all up. We hope to have some things moved down there this week so we can get Zoey's room set up and have the crib up and ready to go. All this necessary work and with the Christmas season in full swing we are trying our best to find the time to be together as a family. We counted weekends before our Due Date and were in shock! There are so many things we want to do together but really as long as we get moments where we can sit and talk, go for coffee a couple more times, and have days focused on Zoey it will all be fine. New baby or not, it always seems we are scrambling to fit everything into the day, week, or month and it's typically impossible. As long as you have the priorities straight, the less important things will fall to the side and Faith, Family, and Friends will win out.

Lots of Dr appointments so we have fun while we're there!

Finally, an update Zoey's sleeping progress. After a couple incredibly challenging nights and naps, I had a revelation. I was getting a little frustrated and assumed that my toddler was choosing not to go to sleep in order to be defiant and difficult. While in some cases it absolutely is a power struggle I looked at my daughter and realized in this situation, that was not what was happening. She was stressed and anxious. We had taken away the security blanket per say of falling asleep with us holding her hand away and said, "Now go to sleep or else". I thought about how to be a bit softer and understanding about that transition and since then things have gone really well. She needed to be reminded and assured that she was not alone and that Mommy or Daddy are right there, for the first while we standing by the door where she can see us and slowly we start to move a little farther, still popping in to watch her depending on how she's handling it. We read to her, tuck her in, pray with her, and kiss her head and as we get up she asks, "Door? Right here?" and we remind her that yes, we are right here. Isn't that really what we are always looking for? I know that in moments of fear and anxiety, my prayers are asking God to remind me that He's right here, and Henry and I are praying fervently that Zoey and Roo learn to lean on and feel that comfort always from our God who loves them even more than we ever could (which always seems surreal).

Sometimes there are even suckers!

I love that Zoey finds so much comfort with us, it assures me that we are doing something right for her. Yesterday she was having a rare moment with her nap time. She was completely catatonic about having to go to sleep and had worked herself up into a high level of anxiety. After nearly an hour of working with her Henry texted from work. I asked if he would mind Facetiming so he could talk to her (technology is pretty cool). So he called and she saw her Daddy and he talked to her for a few minutes. He asked her if she was okay and through hiccuped breathing she said, "Ya". He told her when he got home they would play and spend time time together and she seemed to be happy about that. Meanwhile, behind the phone, I was trying to keep myself together. Pregnancy hormones and really the shear preciousness of the moment was almost too much for me. After their chat Zoey asked for lunch and the chance for nap time was over so I called it and we had some peanut butter toast. She had a great rest of her day and went to sleep like a champ at bed time.

So that's really what's been going on in our house lately. We did get some amazing Family Pictures done by a wonderful friend and crazy talented photographer in Lethbridge. I would HIGHLY recommend Richelle Tucker at Limetree Photography (CLICK HERE) for any event or family photos you may be looking to have done. We only wish we had known her when we were married! I will share some more of the photos from our recent session once I have them all. Thanks again Richelle!

30 Weeks And Some New Hardware....

I was finally able to update my iPhone with my free upgrade! I loved the old one but it wasn't working as a, you know, phone lately. So I'm currently enjoying trying some new features and far superior pictures. I'm also testing out the Blogger app, which so far seems to be doing okay.

As far as Roo goes, I'm feeling bigger and bigger which is fine, but the beach all in my middle is making me a little slower lately. But the bigger the belly the better Roo is...for now! This little one is so active and I'm enjoying every jolt and kick....even the ones that are some how simultaneously in my ribs and hips.

Zoeys doing great and settling better once again into a sleep schedule. Our crazy week threw the poor girls sleep schedule way off. But some diligence on our part over the weekend helped greatly. Unfortunately after the long weekend, Zoey has been upset with Daddy for going back to work. It seems that three days into our week sees starting to forgive him, just in time for the weekend!

Life is so busy lately but we are making every effort to soak it all up.rhis pregnancy is flying by and Roo will be here before we know it. The basement is getting finished piece by piece, and Zoey is more amazing every day. Life is pretty amazing.

Final Days of Summer...

Some playtime with Mickey Mouse and Friends

Well Summer is officially over and Fall is here. I have to be honest, I love Fall, the colors and the mild weather suits me just fine. I do love Summer, but Fall has a special place in my heart. We enjoyed the last few hot days outside the last couple weekends the best we could. We've felt September has flown by with it's crazy schedule and projects. Last week we literally had something on the go every night minus Tuesday, normally we have a lot of the go, but it seemed far more intense than normal. However, everything we did have on our plate were things we were very excited about. We decided it was time to take a refresher on our First Aid with Baby Roo on the way we knew it needed to happen before his/her arrival. It was also spurred by Zoey's accidental burn this Summer. We knew how to handle that situation but it reminded us that serious injuries happen and we need to know what to do in order to stay calm. I have to say it was completely worth the two late evenings. As a bestie put it, "You never regret getting your First Aid".

We spent some time at Oma and Opa's as well and Zoey was able to help dig potatoes and run around the acreage.Their property is beautiful and any time we are there Zoey loves to run around and take in all the space and fresh air. I think she'll always treasure the moments where her Daddy runs in their yard with her kicking the soccer ball, and even more she'll love that we did that as a family.

Digging for Potatoes

Getting some help from Oma

Running at the Acreage

We were able to spend some time with friends as well which we always enjoy. One of the toughest parts of feeling so busy is making sure we manage a balance of time with our friends along with that quality family time. We adore our friends and feel so blessed to count them as part of our family, so it's tough when we feel like we haven't be able to manage time with each of them in a while. Honestly, a pretty okay problem to have....too many amazing friends! One of the get together's we were at recently, I was so lucky to hold their new baby and even give him a bottle! For a split second I thought, 'Jeepers will I remember what this feels like?' and boom it was like Zoey was a newborn still. I told Henry on the way home, it was so nice to have that reminder that the comfort level comes right back.

A hat for the Fall

I've been getting a little more uncomfortable at night time and I am thinking about getting a wedge for sleeping at night. I think my back and hips are taking a lot of the stress while I try and sleep and I find the pillow or body pillows are way too big and bulky. Last night after I got Zoey back into her bed (she had toddled out of bed at 2am) Roo was kicking up a storm. Typically, kicks don't keep me up, but last night baby was very awake and very squirmy. I decided not to suffer alone and pressed my belly against Henry's back. After a few minutes I heard a quiet chuckle, "Baby isn't interested in sleeping are they.". After an hour or so I was finally able to relax and drift back to sleep. While not sleeping is unpleasant, I'm still saying the kicks and squirms are my favorite part of pregnancy. Eventually, Baby Roo will kick and squirm and cry and will require more of me than lying in bed with my eyes closed. So I will soak it in, because I know I will miss it later on.

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!