Thursday, March 21, 2013

OB Appointment #2

Great news all around!

First of all, the doctor informed us of the results from my IPS... and we have 1 in 100 000 chance of having a baby with a chromosomal defect or neural tube defect.  Those are the best odds you can get.
Then, the second greatest news was that I only gained 2lbs in the past month! YAY!!!

He measured my belly and we heard the heart beat again and he said everything was on course.

I had a few questions answered and we were out the door in 20 minutes!

About the belly belt... he said that the discomfort I'm feeling is due to my uterus growing and bouncing while running; it's not going to change wearing a belt.  He said the belts are used generally in the third trimester when your lower abdominals are stretching and the belt can provide some relief from that sensation.  I just have to change my cardio.  Which is fine... the challenge is now starting after my three week hiatus.  I miss it, but I also love laying down after work.

So, this week Baby Bawss took over again and I fell asleep within 15 minutes of getting home, and slept right through my personal training session and continued to sleep for another 2 hours.  I slept from 3:45 to 7:00. Had a sandwich and talked to War a bit, and then back to bed at 9pm.  The baby is supposed to be the size of a small melon this week, so I guess s/he was hard at work growing.

Now my vacation week begins, however it's not all vacation.  Of course, I have a list of jobs I need to accomplish, plus I am starting to wallpaper the nursery closet.  If anyone wants to join me, I'll be happy to have the help.  Warren's in a hockey tournament this weekend, and Myles doesn't really help much.  Just sleeps and occasionally asks for food.

On Friday of next week, we are going to The Soo and I'm excited to share my belly with everyone there.  It is the only time we'll be in The Soo until after the baby is born.

As for other updates, most people at work predict we're having a boy. I still have no premonitions.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Nesting?

Last Saturday and this Saturday, I have spent the entire day going through places where we store things, and have completed a THOROUGH cleaning of these areas.  It is a great feeling to throw stuff out, donate and re-organize so you know where things belong.  I was quite excited to break out the label maker... I know... I'm a loser.
aaaaahhh... organized closet
Need to find a certain text, BAM! It's right there, labelled for you.

Last week I tackled the office, basement and attic (War's help for the attic, because it was mainly his stuff).  Yesterday was my makeup and scrapbooking area as well as the front closet.

Now we wait for the renos to finish in the nursery.  When my new closet is ready in the nursery, I can move my clothes (which are in different areas of the house currently) there and this will free up various spaces in the house.  I will also be moving my makeup into my vintage vanity that belonged to my grandmother.  I can't wait until everything has its place.

So what has to be done to get the room ready?  Well, we've had 2 quotes to have the original hardwood floors re-finished.  The first guy says, "ya, it's no problem, we'll replace the missing slats and it'll look great.  $1100 plus HST."  The second guy says, "I can refinish these floors, and they'll look great, but it's a short amount of time before they begin to split and crack and you'll have to wear shoes up here.  It's not good for kids because they can get slivers.  Trust me, we need the business, but I'd just be taking your money and you would be disappointed in the results.  I turn down these type of jobs, even for people flipping houses and doing quick renos, because I stand behind my work, and you will not want these floors." He highly recommended we just lay new floors overtop and we are excited to do this.  He can still fix our stair case to match the flooring that we choose for $300.

Warren and I started looking into flooring and by doing it ourselves (well Warren doing it) we are going to save a few hundred, with the stair project included.  I'm pretty excited for new, durable flooring.  We're looking into the Costco flooring.  Friends of ours have used it and War has installed it before.

So the floors can get started anytime.  Warren is done the mudding and sanding, so we just have to move the furniture out of the room and prep the floors.  I can't wait.  Of course, I already know what furniture we are putting in the nursery, and my job is to sand and paint these items.  If winter would move on already, I could work on this outside.  I'm off work next week, so I'm praying for nice weather  to get this accomplished.  I have a dresser, two cabinets and a vanity to paint.

When the floors are done, then we have to organize the closet.  This has been a challenge.  We have a small space, angled ceilings, access to an attic door and then all of my clothes AND shoes and future baby stuff to put in there.  Eeeeks.  We have to make the most of every centimetre of space.  Oh, and hardly spend any money on this project, too.  I cannot get rid of any shoes, that is out of the question before you even suggest it.

I'm hoping all of this will be done by mid April.  I will post pictures of the finished room. Once I have an assigned location for baby stuff and freed-up space in the remainder of the house, I can focus on baby items I need to purchase ahead of time.  I don't want to get any big items now, because there is no room and I will go crazy with the clutter.  Yes, I know the view towards clutter may be different when the baby comes, but I'm hoping to accumulate items as I need them.  Clutter and mess will always make me twitch, so I don't think it will ever get out of control.

In addition to the nursery renos, I have the itch to redo a few rooms in the house, much to Warren's dismay, but I intend to only be purchasing paint and vintage/used items and making them my own.  Pinterest is dangerous... enough said.  Plus I know that if I don't get these jobs done before the baby comes, they will never be done.  Look out, Kelly's back on her energetic, no-watching-TV, must-be-productive-all-the-time horse.  Giddy-up.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Breakfast with Girlfriends!

I had a great start to the day.  I went to my friend Kristy's house for breakfast and joined three other friends.  All of us are pregnant and went to high school together.  Tres fun.

Of course pregnancy dominated the conversation and it was great to hear all of the different perspectives and opinions.  I feel very lucky to have such great friends who are all an excellent resource.  It will be so much fun when we all have our babies this year.

We all guessed at when everyone's babies would be born, the gender and the weight and here are the guesses for me:

Laurie predicts I'm going to have a girl born on Aug. 8th weighing 8lbs 8oz.
Kristy predicts I'm going to have a girl born on Aug. 9th weighing 7lbs 6oz.
Frances predicts I'm going to have a girl born on Aug. 10th weighing 7lbs 2oz.
Jennifer predicts I'm going to have a boy born on Aug. 11th weighing 7lbs 8oz.

And my prediction (no gut feeling or anything, I just wrote the prediction as I did for the rest of the girls... totally at random!) is that I'm having a girl born on Aug. 2nd weighing 7lbs 2oz.  I want it earlier and lighter than the others!

We'll see what happens!

Here are some pictures from this morning of us all with our bumps.

Jennifer (due 3/22), Laurie (due 4/3), Kristy (due 4/7), Me (due (8/6) and Frances (due 8/30)

Jennifer (due 3/22), Laurie (due 4/3), Kristy (due 4/7), Me (due (8/6) and Frances (due 8/30)

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Big Changes This Week!

I've been reading that during your fifth month, your baby doubles in size. Apparently s/he grows to about 6"!!  See more details here!

On Monday, I really noticed that I "popped" as people say.  My weight is shifting around and I'm looking more pregnant than bloated.  The shape I'm taking is more comforting now, whereas before I was really struggling with the weight gain and not looking pregnant. I'm looking forward to the weather getting warmer outside so  I can wear more clothes in my closet, and well, also because my winter jackets do not fasten anymore.

The other change that happened this week is in my fitness.  Thursday's run required a few more breaks and caused a twinge of back pain.  We did a shorter route because we were late getting started.  Yesterday the weather was beautiful and I was looking forward to our run.  We did not even run a full kilometre, and I needed a break.  It was because those round ligament pains under my belly were worse than before.  And the back pain started almost immediately.  Now I have to clarify that these feelings were more like discomfort than pain, but I knew that if I kept running it would have led to pain.

So we walked all the way back to hospital, except ran past the mental illness residential facilities because all the smokers are outside and Bethany gets a little scared.... haha, ok I don't like the cat calls either from that population, thank you very much.

We return to the hospital and I am frustrated and disappointed.  I was hoping to continue running for at least another month, and then switch over to the hamster wheel at the gym.  Some active ladies at work suggested a support belt, which could possibly be covered by Green Shield if my doc writes a script, but I won't see him until Mar. 20!  Of course, the unfit people at work were like, "why are you even running anyway? That can't be good for you."  And so I bite my tongue because their smoking and lounging habits are far superior, and clearly have a good sense of what it's like to be fit and healthy.

I also tried Joe's bootcamp this week, and that was great.  It's not like the Axfit bootcamp which is a ton of plyos, so it was manageable.  Last night though, after I got home from the gym, I struggled to stay awake for Warren to come home (yes, his shift was done at 7:00pm) and then crashed by 8:00pm.  I still have days when I'm exhausted, but I think now I can attribute it to my busy schedule, and a bit of a growing baby.

I still feel the baby flutters, but again it all depends on my position.  I don't get them when I rest at night, as much of the reading tells me, it is still just when I'm squishing the baby.  I know it's a matter of weeks until I feel them at rest.

Does anyone know of a protein shake I can drink during pregnancy? I don't want any aspartame or artificial sweeteners or weird chemicals as part of the ingredient list, obviously.  Let me know if you've heard of anything fit for pregnancy.  I really miss them.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Updates at 18 weeks... ish

I'll be 18 weeks on Tuesday, and that's close enough.

As for some updates, there have been a few new developments over the past two weeks.  Firstly, we went to Burlington and Barrie last weekend and were able to share our exciting news with great friends.  We spent the weekend with Neil and Kathilee, and Andrew Kilmer joined us for Saturday and Sunday!  Saturday morning we all drove to Barrie to visit our friends, Mark and Kim, and meet their 6 week old, Adeline.  Kim shared her knowledge and advice of cloth diapers, and I'm convinced now for sure that I want to go this route.

After our great visit on Saturday, we went to Yorkdale Mall so I could find some fat.. er... mat clothes.  And I did.  Luckily H&M had a large maternity section and had great selection.  I finally found my skinny dark blue jeans and they were $40!  I also bought a pair of cords for $10.  I'm hoping I can be creative with my shirts and blazers so I won't have to buy too many tops.  So far, they all look to me like you are going for the balloon-look.  No thanks.  I'm hoping to have a cute baby belly and I can show it off.  Not tent it.

As for how I'm feeling, still great.  I really can't complain.  Although my first trimester has passed, I occasionally get the bad hunger pangs (I may or may not have had a full pasta lunch at 9:00am on Tuesday) and still tired some afternoons, which involve a lot of time on the couch.  The biggest changes I'm seeing are in my workouts.  When I run on my lunch, I'm slower, out of breath more quickly and need a few more breaks, if the red lights are not in my favour during our run.  Bethany is great though, and she takes a little rest with me.  At the gym, my workout partner is lifting heavier weights, and sadly I cannot.  Nor can I recover quickly between sets.  I'm out of breath with ANY exercise.  Can't wait until I get out of breath while eating.

My bump is significantly growing though, and looks more pregnancy than being bloated, so that's exciting.  As well, depending on my position, I can feel the baby working out (ha, it's definitely participating in some sport in there... like War and I won't produce a stellar athlete)!  It's usually a position though that squishes the baby, for example, if I'm sitting on a stool and leaning forward.  War thinks the baby's trying to tell me to stand up straight so it can move.  Whatever is happening, it's pretty cool to feel it.

As for a pic... brace yourself kids.... here is a sneak peek of my growth.


17 weeks and 4 days

Thursday, February 21, 2013

First OB Appointment!

What a great experience today!

We arrived early, got in right away and saw Dr. Jasey within minutes.  After our meeting with the doc, we had our next appointment booked and we were on our way.  The whole thing took 40 minutes!

And so now the details....

He said so far everything looks great from the ultrasound pics.  He said my bloodwork is all within normal limits too.
He confirmed the minor cramps I get in my lower right belly is ligamental pain, and the sharp pain in my left butt cheek when I'm lying down is from my pelvis shifting.
He said my uterus is now up to my belly button and my measurements are all good.
I can keep working out with the schedule I have, too.  I was worried about the weight gain (12lbs depending on the scale) and he is not.  He said though, I should limit carbs, have more veggies than fruit and always juice over water.  Done and done.  No more aerobic activity than 30min.... that for sure  can be done.
He also said we should book a prenatal class... any suggestions?

And for the fun part.... we heard the heart beat today!!! It was so exciting!  I didn't cry like most women say you do, but it was pretty cool to hear the rapid "swooshing."  Also, he changed my due date, and so now we are due on Rick Sr.'s birthday, August 6th.  So my weekly turn-over is on Tuesdays; today I am 16 weeks and 2 days and feeling great.

The next step is the second part of the IPS screening - it's just blood work (I'll go next week), then another appointment with Dr. Jasey on March 20th, then the anatomy ultrasound on March 26th. I have to pee in a cup every time I go to the OB.  Weird but whatever.

There was a sign up at the office talking about when you give birth, do you want a ward, semi or private.... so I'll definitely be calling Green Shield soon to see what I can get.  All I know about my birth plan so far, is that I want it done in a hospital.  But if I can get a private room, that's sweet!

So now I'm officially into my fifth month... I'll start reading about that.  The doc said there's nothing wrong with just staying current. I don't want to get too overwhelmed reading about what lies ahead, so I'm sticking with one week to one month at a time.

Until the next update, thanks for reading!

Monday, February 11, 2013

Top 10 questions I'm asked about pregnancy

Dont' get me wrong, I love talking about this new adventure, but I can definitely summarize what has been asked of me the most.  And I guess this is helpful info for some of the northern family...

10. How do you feel? 

Great.  I've been very fortunate so far.  My first trimester was dominated by fatigue and hunger.  Now, I'm settling and feel great.

9. When is your due date?

August 7th, 2013.

8. Are you finding out the gender?

No.  Of course, I'm a planner and I've always said I'd find out, but this is really important to Warren.  He doesn't ask for much and so, I can wait it out.

7. Are you sharing your baby names?

No.  We have some chosen (again... I'm a planner) and you'll have to wait until the baby is born!

6. How did your mom react?

See the "reveal" blog, and the videos.

5. Are you still working out?

Yes.  The first trimester was tough... but I still plan on being active throughout the pregnancy, and now that the fatigue has lifted, I plan to be a bit more active.

4. Any weird cravings?

Not right now, but in the first trimester I wanted anything with lots of flavour.  I was loving dips, spreads, cheeses, spices, etc.  I craved burgers and steaks, and actually fast food.  I didn't cave, but wow, that was the only time in my life (ok, maybe besides a few nights downtown) that I thought McDonald's would be delicious right now.

3. Any aversions?

Coffee.  It started 2 weeks before my first trimester finished.  I've kicked the habit, I guess.

2. Are you showing?

Hahaha... just kidding.  No one asks this because they can SEE that I am showing.  Everywhere.

1. How is Warren doing?

He is super excited.  And maybe the best husband ever.  He is so calm, patient, supportive and does whatever I ask.  He makes me delicious meals, cleans out the cat litter, and didn't say a thing when all I did was eat and sleep for a good 10 weeks.  He is my favourite.