28 Weeks! Officially in Third Trimester

Thought for the week: it would be nice if the nesting urge came earlier on in the pregnancy; say, before it became impossible to bend down.

Please pardon the death stare in this last photo... not sure what was going on there!

27 weeks

Not getting any smaller!

Babymoon

Now, I am not usually one to follow trends. And babymoons? Well, they are pretty trendy right now. However, in my defense, all trends aside, taking a little trip to pamper yourself before having a baby is definitely a treat. One that you should take advantage of if at all possible.

My office was closed between Christmas and New Years, and Justin and I had originally thought of driving to New York City to visit his family and see the city (I've never been). Unfortunately, during several Christmas shopping adventures to London, I realized that I'm no longer capable of walking around for a whole day without wanting to anesthetize my lower back, legs and feet. Also, the thought of a 10+ hour drive did not seem appealing. What did I really want? To be PAMPERED. And where can I be pampered? A SPA.

We decided (well... I decided... and Justin agreed) to head to Niagara-on-the-Lake to relax at the Prince of Wales Hotel and Spa for a couple days. The things I was most excited about were the indoor saltwater pool, the massages we booked, and the promise of Nintendo in the rooms. I didn't plan any outings or day trips, because I wanted us just to be lazy and not feel guilty about it.

We arrived Friday night, took a few moments to marvel at the lobby, the room, and the general overwhelmingness of the place, then walked down the street to have a late dinner at a little English pub called the Angel Inn. We were told it's the oldest operating inn in Canada, and that it is rumoured to be haunted. I definitely didn't see any ghosts, but the fish and chips were good!

When I went to try out the Nintendo in our room, I was pretty upset to discover that it wasn't Nintendo at all; it was these cheesy play-along-with-your-remote games like blackjack and tic tac toe! False advertising! (Note to Prince of Wales Hotel: "Nintendo" has not become a generic term like scotch tape, kleenex or jello have. Try "video games"). So instead we went for a swim in the glorious pool and hot tub (for Justin). It's true what they say ... swimming during pregnancy feels wonderful. I didn't realize just how nice it is to be weightless until I came out of the water and felt like I had put on a suit made of iron! After swimming, we ordered up a nice movie in our room, The Illusionist. Predictable, but good. Then, a fantastic sleep ... one of the best I've had since before I was pregnant.

Saturday morning started way too early with breakfast buffet at the hotel (for me, bacon and eggs, french toast, mango, berries, and pineapple .... for Justin, eggs benedict, eggs benedict and eggs benedict). We had to get up early because our massages were at nine and we had to eat first.

The massages were amazing ... we had a shared room, which was nice, and mine was a "pregnancy massage", which basically just means they give you these special cushions so you can lay on your stomach. It felt weird because I haven't done that in so long! But it was very comfortable. Justin was thisclose to snoring near the end of the hour! On to our pedicures ... also very relaxing, although I didn't get to use the vibrating feature on my chair because I'm pregnant. Ah well. We both have beautiful toes now.

I went for another swim before lunch, then we drove around trying to find somewhere to eat (the hotel restaurant is way too fancy ... we only had breakfast there because it was included with the room). We ended up at Alfredo's, a cute little pizza/panzerotti place. Justin's stromboli was the size of my head.

After lunch we both felt naps calling, and we slept for two solid hours. It was exactly what I wanted this trip to be like! We woke up and made plans to meet our friends, Bruce and Laura, in St. Catharines for dinner. They took us to a very fun Italian place called Lena Linguine's, and we pigged out on giant plates of pasta. Afterwards, we snuck them into our hotel and took them for a late night swim!

Saturday night was another fantastic sleep, and we woke up sad that we had to leave. One more amazing breakfast and then it was time to say goodbye.

We had such a good time just being away from everyday life and allowing ourselves to be selfish before we welcome a new, demanding little person into our home!

(For more photos, click on my Flickr link on the sidebar)

26 weeks

25 weeks

yes... I do have a towel on my head.

24 weeks

I don't really like this bottom photo. But I'm too lazy to take another one!

Today Justin and I SAW my belly move. It's the weirdest thing! But very cool.

23 weeks

Spot the Button!

where o where did my little belly button go.....

(that's a cat ear and whiskers at the side, in case you were wondering)

Note: my appendix scar (far left) seems to be doing okay so far. No pain, but it's a little pinkish-looking compared to its normal white.

22 weeks

Update: last Sunday, Justin felt the baby move for the first time!

21 weeks

20 weeks

Halfway!

So here I am at 20 weeks, and baby is half-brewed. I feel like I need to say something profound to mark this occasion, but all I can think of is the cliched "time has flown, but I feel like I've been pregnant forever." It's funny how a pre-set length of time does that to a person.

To sum up my pregnancy so far, I'd have to say that I really can't complain. Yes, I have a few aches and pains, and some small things get sacrificed, but I'm glad that I can truly enjoy being pregnant and don't have my head perma-stuck in a toilet or a face full of acne. I know some women look forward to pregnancy so much and then end up disappointed when it's not what they expected. I feel blessed that I am healthy and supported. I love seeing my belly grow and feeling little kicks.

Speaking of support, Justin has been wonderful. He wants the baby to be here now! Some people have asked whether I've had any freak-outs or panic yet about becoming a mother, and I have to honestly say no. But I credit this calmness to Justin, because he has never doubted our ability to do this, or let any of the fears take place of excitement (I know, weird huh?). His calmness is both surprising and comforting, and I hope it continues as we approach April! The only thing he worries about a little is how much pain I'll have to go through in labour. Aw. Well, at least it's a valid concern.

I feel that now I have to get a little more serious about making sure I have everything I'll need for when the baby comes. I want to get everything in order and good to go. Up until now I've just been getting a feel for what's out there and what I need (the trip to register was helpful for that). The things I'm most on the lookout for right now (things I didn't register for) are a good-height dresser (used is fine) to use as a change table, cloth diapers of all kinds (and everything that goes along with cloth diapering), curtains, and a sling carrier (got my eye on a cute one!). Once I get some of these things, I know I'll start feeling more prepared. I also have a wonderful load of stuff, including a crib, coming from my cousin (Hi Steph!). I just have to arrange to get it from Barrie to here.

Justin and I (and many others!) are still convinced that this baby is a girl, but we're not going to find out and we could be 100% wrong. Either way, this baby is going to be mostly comprised of milk, ham/pickle/summer sausage subs, milk, chocolate, milk, bacon, milk, grilled cheese sandwiches and cereal (with milk)! I don't think my cravings have been too strange so far, but I do want what I want when I want it, and it's usually very specific. The strangest craving I had in my head the other day (which I did not act on, by the way) was a simultaneous desire for chili and angel food cake! Do I get points for originality?

Thanks to everyone who checks back for updates and offers encouragement along the way. I love being able to share this crazy experience with you even though most of us are hours apart.

On to the next 20 (hopefully 18-19) weeks!

I like to move it move it...

This is a little late in making it on here, but a couple weeks ago I felt the the first little movements! I think it was between 17 and 18 weeks, and since then I feel them every day, mostly when I'm sitting.

They feel like bumps/mini-punches/thumps, and sometimes they surprise me so much that I laugh out loud! I love it because it's like a little "hello, I'm here" every now and then.

Still waiting for Justin to be able to feel them from the outside. He's pretty jealous ;)

Oh, and one interesting thing is that when the cats drape their purring bodies over my belly, I seem to get more kicks! They're communicating.

19 weeks

18 weeks

Not getting any smaller!

Collecting

Somebody stop me, I'm having way too much fun! (this is just a portion of the stash)

16 and 17 weeks

I haven't felt any movement yet....but should be any time now!

The Midwifery Option

Since I've gotten some questions about using a midwife, I thought I would address the most common questions/myths surrounding the choice I've made. All of the following information is paraphrased from this book (which is amazing and I highly recommend it):

1. To have a midwife, don't you have to choose a homebirth?
No. Midwives in Ontario can attend to you at birth in either a hospital or in your home. They do not pressure you into either decision. However, midwives are the only trained professional that can attend a homebirth.
2. Do women who choose midwives care about the experience more than the baby's safety?
The work of midwives has repeatedly shown to have a positive impact on the mother's physical and emotional health, as well as the baby's. Midwives are also present and focused with the labouring mother throughout the entire birth (not leaving to see other patients) so that they can pay attention and detect any problems early on.
3. Do women who choose midwives not understand the risks involved in birth?
Midwives offer a great deal of information to their clients so that they can make informed choices about everything from the birthplace to medical intervention.
4. Aren't midwives only for women who can handle pain or have easy labours? Don't they refuse to let you have drugs?
Births with a midwife are still painful! While midwives can't eliminate pain, they are fantastic at helping women manage it without medical intervention. Midwives can also arrange for pain relief to be provided if the client requests it, or if it will help a long labour progress.
5. I thought midwives were only for hippies. Will they make you sip herbal tea and chant?
Midwives do advocate for natural remedies and pain management, yet they are also informed about conventional medical approaches and leave it up to the client to follow her own philosophy.
6. Are midwives expensive?
In Ontario, midwifery is covered by our provincial health plan. When I chose my midwife instead of my doctor, the government pays the midwife instead of the doctor.
7. Can you still get tests with a midwife?
Midwives can order a wide range of tests, covering everything likely needed in pregnancy. If a non-routine test is needed, a midwife can arrange for a doctor to order the test.
8. Midwives are less experienced than doctors or nurses though, right?
Prenatal care, labour and delivery, and post-partum care are a midwife's specialty because they are her only area of practice. They are experts in "normal birth" (my own midwife has delivered over 1000 babies!)
9. Do midwives and doctors respect each other?
Some doctors still misunderstand or question the idea of midwifery as a profession, but many doctors are advocates of midwife care and routinely suggest it to their patients (some doctors are clients themselves). Many are colleagues who respect each other's skills.
10. "If I (my sister/my wife/etc.) had a midwife, the baby would have died."
This statement is tricky because it's very personal, but the bottom line is that midwives have skills that allow them to cover a variety of situations, and they also monitor how the birth is progressing so that they can transfer care to a physician if it looks like medical intervention may be needed. For a homebirth, midwives bring most of the equipment you would find at the hospital, including oxygen, drugs that will slow excessive bleeding, and resuscitation equipment for both mother and baby.
11. What if you need to have a c-section?
Canadian studies have shown that midwifery clients are less likely to have a c-section than those who choose a physician-assisted birth. To be fair, the midwives have the odds stacked in their favour because they do not specialize in high-risk clients. If, as the labour progresses, it becomes obvious that a c-section is required, the midwife will transfer care to a physician so that the mother and baby will get the care they need.
12. Do midwives really know how to deal with problems in pregnancy and birth?
Although their specialty is in normal birth, that doesn't mean they are unfamiliar with identifying complications. In Ontario, midwife training is regulated and the standards of care closely monitored. They know their own scope and when to transfer care to a physician.
13. What do you mean they offer post-partum care?
After the baby is born, the midwife will visit you in your home within 24 hours, and for many other days in the first 6 weeks to make sure everything is going well, including breastfeeding.

I'm really excited and comfortable with my decision, as is Justin. I feel supported and well cared for. Everybody has to make their own decisions about what kind of care they will choose, and for me this fits best with what I want and the options I'd like to have. If anyone has any more questions, please ask!

15 weeks

I'm past 16 weeks now...sorry for the delayed photos!

I'm becoming one of "those" women

So you know those pregnant ladies who walk around clutching their lower backs as if the weight of their big bellies is going to snap them in half? Yeah, i already feel that way!

My belly isn't huge or heavy yet at all, but the past few days I have been having some significant lower back pain that makes me a) feel really old, b) feel really ridiculous, and c) walk kinda funny.

Hate to imagine what I'll be like 5 months from now!

14 weeks 3 days...yikes!

I had to post mid-week because the growth is just happening so quickly! I could be the Thanksgiving turkey!

14 weeks

I went to the midwife on Thursday and got to hear the heartbeat! It was pretty amazing. Everything seems to be going well!

13 weeks - whoa! what happened?

Moo

All I drink is milk.
All day, every day.
I think I need to invest in a cow.

It's real!

Okay, so even though I knew I was pregnant (because the tests said so and because my body has been abducted by aliens), I think I always had this bizarre fear in the back of my mind that I would go for my first ultrasound and see only a blackened void of nothing. Irrational? Yes. But it's hard to grasp the reality of something you can't see, and you start to wonder if it's all in your mind. Thankfully, it is not. Behold! S.S. Morgan* in the flesh!


In case you see only a grey blob with no apparent resemblace to any form of human, you're looking at a side profile of the baby on its back; the head is on the left and the belly is on the right. If you look closely, you can see a tiny TINY little leg/knee/foot bending on the far right.

*S.S.Morgan is what we called the baby when it was around 5 weeks (the size of a Sesame Seed).

12 weeks

Faker!

Just....experimenting with a pillow. At least I know the maternity shirt will fit for awhile!

11 weeks

It looks almost pointy!

Yay for grandmas!

Here it is! Your first look at the room we're getting ready. Both grandmothers-in-waiting slaved all day to make it just how I wanted. I love it!

The dark brown wallpaper is on one wall only. The other three are the caramel colour.

More pictures to come once the empty room fills up!

10 weeks

Belly progress?

I think it's still just bloating!


4 weeks and 5 weeks
7 weeks and 8 weeks
8 weeks and 9 weeks

9 weeks

Apparently the baby is now the size of a strawberry! Although... strawberries do come in a wide variety of sizes. I'm thinking about an inch or so long.

The nausea seems to be hitting me less, but the tiredness has replaced it. Not so much of an "I want to sleep", more of an "if I move I might just fall over". Kinda feels like i've been running all day long and my body is mad at me.

I am now having a love affair with my couch.