Merry Christmas!

From my wonderful little family, have a Merry Christmas! We sure will, I know before the day is done that Hunter will have been spoiled with toys and cuddles from Grampa and Aunty and Uncle! He was so good when we got his picture taken, sitting so nice on Santa's lap. Too bad Santa thought he was a girl!!! But my little guy in his snowman fuzzies did a great job and took a great pic for his first visit to Santa. I know he'll do well out at Grampa's house for the night too!

Hunter - The first two months!

The last full moon of the year...

Tonight there is a full moon. The last one before the new year. The year began with a full moon and soooo very much has happened since then! I wrote that I had high hopes for this past year, and I feel as if everything I hoped for has come true. What a crazy 12 months!

We got the OK to try for a baby, and less than 4 weeks later found out we had one on the way.
We bought our first house after lots of delay and paperwork. Moved in and started fixing things up.
We traded in our old truck and sold the motorcycle in exchange for a smaller, cheaper on gas Jeep. Made a couple dozen trips to Winnipeg for so many doctor appointments.
We found out we were going to have a little boy and picked out the perfect name for him. We got to see him on close to a dozen different ultrasounds and watch as he grew from a little speck into a chubby-cheeked boy who liked to cover his face with his hands (sometimes feet).
We took our childbirth class when I was 38 weeks pregnant. My water broke when I was 38 weeks and 4 days pregnant - Yikes! Waited for things to start happening for over 12 hours. Got induced and finally got to meet our boy another 8 hours later!
Started an endless cycle of feeding, diaper changing, crying, soothing, getting up every 3 hours at night, and so on. Finally saw light at the end of the tunnel when he started sleeping 5 hours at a time and filling his diapers a little less frequently. Things feel easier now than they felt for the first 2 months or so.
Today we are supposed to have someone come over to start work on finishing our basement, a big project that I can't wait to begin.
We go to Winnipeg in 2 days where I find out whether I'm finished with blood thinners for good (exceptions for being pregnant again!), and I can take my final needle after a little over 300 self-administered shots.
My amazing little boy turns 3 months old on the 30th.
And finally, the year comes to an end and a new one begins. It night be hard to beat all that happened this year, but I'm going into the new one with my expectations just as high. So much to look forward to in the future!

The sweetest birthday present.

The sweetest birthday gift I have ever recieved I actually got 3 weeks before my birthday. And it was a little present that I kind of gave myself, with the help of J... My little Hunter is the best thing I could ask for anytime of the year! He's 3 weeks and a day old now and getting so much bigger than he was when he arrived. I am doing my best to enjoy him so small because he really does change and grow each day. He's lying beside me on the couch right now, part awake and part asleep, smiling at his mommy. I know I'll have a diaper to change and be up feeding him for a while yet tonight but for now I'm enjoying quietly looking at him. It is amazing to love someone so little who is truly a part of yourself. And when he laughs in his sleep, he's like a tiny baby owl, with his Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoo giggle. I love him!

Hunter is here!

Just a quick note to announce the arrival of baby Hunter! He arrived 9 days early on Sept. 30, weighing 7lbs 2oz and measuring 20.5" long! He's absolutely adorable, a very easy baby and the new love of our lives! I will tell the whole amazing story later, but for now this should suffice:

38 Weeks, 3 Days - Dreaming of Baby :)

Last night I dreamed that we had baby Hunter and brought him home all bundled up in his carseat. He was a pretty quiet little guy and looking around at his new home all bright eyed. He had light brown eyes, short fuzzy blond hair, no dimples (unfortunately!), and was a bit skinnier than I had expected. I mean he still had that new baby chunk but was on the skinnier side. He was a real cutie though! I wonder how accurate that will be compared to what he really looks like. Hopefully we will find out soon enough!

37 Weeks, 5 Days - Uncertain about the next two weeks...

Well J and I got to go in and see baby Hunter again today, he's doing just wonderful in my tummy tum tum... growing perfectly and getting bigger. He's estimated at exactly 7lbs now, and I don't think he will be too much more than 8lbs by his due date. 16 days until then! It's not him, but my body and blood that might cause him to have to come out early. My blood pressure is better than it has been, the last couple weeks in the 130's / high 80's. Today it was 122/81 and the Dr. was happy. So, that's been better under control lately, I'm still getting it checked every 3 days though. It's my darned thick blood that's the problem this week. Last week the count was high enough that I needed a phlebotomy. I hoped that I could go at least this week without needing another one. Nope, the counts are higher this week than they were last week so I need blood out again tomorrow. Last week's bruise is ALMOST healed, and now I'll have another to match. For me, I don't care how often I need to get this done, it's a pain but I can live with it. The problem is, my pregnancy doctor is concerned about my thick blood not supplying the placenta adaquately enough. So, next Thursday she's going to do a cervix check to see if it's 'favorable', I think she may want him out sometime next week if my counts don't drop by then. While I would really prefer for him to stay in as long as he wants (well, reasonably so, because I'm getting uncomfortable!), it looks like next week I will head to the city with my hospital bags all packed and ready just in case we end up staying and having him early. I had hoped to get out of being induced, and I still hope to not need to, but I really just hope that my blood counts will settle down and cooperate as we've only got a couple weeks left anyways! Maybe I'm fortunate that I'm only 16 days from the due date when this is all happening. He's doing great and practicing breathing, I know he would do well on the outside. I'm glad that no complications have popped up before now. I am a little disappointed that it's my body that is the problem, this stupid condition is interfering with my little boy's entrance into the world. I guess the only thing I can do until next week is hope things with my blood counts normalize a bit, and make sure I've got everything I need for the possible hospital stay ready just in case we meet Hunter sooner than expected!

37 Weeks and Full Term At Last!

It's unbelievable that there's only 21 days left until little man's due date! I can't wait!

Things are starting to slow down in some ways, and at the same time it's all moving soooo fast. I'm starting to feel more tired out now, less energetic (except times like today when I was too restless to sit down and spent the day cleaning, baking a strawberry pie, making delicious tacos for dinner, walking down to J's workplace to visit him with a free milkshake and otherwise keeping busy), and I started waddling in the last week or so too! Seems like there's so many little details to take care of before baby gets here and I've been slowly crossing each off the list. If he shows up sooner than expected we would be ready, but I would prefer him to wait it out a little longer first!

I feel like my whole body is full of squirming, solid baby at this point! At my last ultrasound two days ago they estimated his weight at 6lbs 12oz, and I'm feeling it for sure! The weeks are pretty busy with all the appointments in the city. Thursdays generally go like this: morning appointment in my pregnancy Dr's office with a resident where I get weighed, measured, etc (and 'checked' starting next week!); right afterwards we run to CancerCare to do my bloodwork and go over it with my nurse there, counts have been pretty great since changing my Fragmin dose to 7500mg last Monday; then back to the Women's hospital again for an ultrasound and see my pregnancy Dr before leaving there. She has been wanting me to have weekly u/s to keep an eye on the blood flow to the placenta and make sure the little guy is growing on track, which he has been all along so far. I like being able to see him every week now, he's getting so cute and chubby and I can't wait to see if the way I picture him looking is what he'll actually look like. I still say he's got his daddy's chin, hopefully the dimples, and he's got a full head of hair that I think will be blond. Not long now and I'll see him live and in color!!! We had an appointment last week as well with the high-risk anaesthetics team, that was interesting but I think it's more so they know what they're dealing with with my condition. I still don't want to have an epidural. The only time I'd agree to it is if I absolutely need a c-section and need that anaesthetic to be awake while they're doing it. Otherwise my plan is to hold out as long as possible with no meds, and if it becomes impossible to make it to the end without anything they do have other meds that are taken through IV and get out of the system a lot faster. Because I don't tend to handle drugs very well, I really prefer the stuff that doesn't last as long! Better for me and the baby I think.

In other news, well, there's not a lot of other news. Haven't gotten a call from the daycare for a few weeks which is fine because I took about 2 weeks getting over a miserable cold from the last time I worked there, and at this point I don't think I'd be very useful working with a couple dozen screaming kids. My last couple shifts were 4-5 hours and that was perfect, not too long for me to be exhausted. I don't think they'll call at this point though because they know I'm pretty close to having the baby. We were without a computer for a couple days because we apparantly got this awesome virus that deleted Windows entirely off the computer, rendering it totally useless and unable to start up at all. Took it in to get fixed and they replaced it with Windows 7, for a nice $250 pricetag... Arghhhh! Also, I got to enjoy an amazingly delicious donut with chocolate icing and rainbow sprinkles that made my whole week. We also had a very fun night a couple weeks ago that involved cramps, contractions, and rushing to the city through a horrendous thunderstorm, getting there at midnight and then getting home at 5:30 the next morning after finding out it was a false alarm. A long story that warrants another post on another day! Right now my delicious strawberry pie is calling my name!

33 Weeks! Baby boy is growing like a weed!

So we're down to 49 days til D-day! Hunter is doing GREAT, we got to see him on Thursday which was awesome (as usual) and watch him move and play in my tummy. I'm really going to miss feeling him move, but can't wait to see what he looks like and hold and kiss him! The ultrasound tech told us she could see hair on his head, so he appears to be NOT a baldie like I was! I wonder if it's blond, or brown... He's head down now so it was harder to see his face because he's in my pelvis. We got to watch him put his fist in his mouth and suck his thumb. His little cheeks moved as he sucked his tiny little thumb and he just looked so adorable! He's really gaining weight and filling out, J said he looks like he's got a little potbelly already! As of Thursday (32 weeks 5 days) his approximate weight was 4lbs, 12oz. So he's nearly 5lbs already, so much bigger than at the last u/s where he was only 1 1/3! He's right on track with how big he should be, actually 2-3 days bigger which is fine. I think he'll be between 7-8 when he comes out. J's afraid he'll be like 10!

I saw my blood Dr. as well and found out my blood thinner dose will be cut in half when I run out of my current dose, which will be the first week of September. Just a couple weeks until that happens. I can't believe it is nearly September! I'm going to Winnipeg every 2 weeks now and things are moving so fast. Anyways because a 'normal' pregnant woman at this point is usually anemic (or close to), and my iron levels are that of a normal healthy not-pregnant person, my Dr. wants to artificially bring those levels down below normal and make me a little bit anemic. So I'm going in for a phlebotomy every week until my numbers are low enough. Did the first of many yesterday and let me just say that if I have to do this every week my veins had better start cooperating better! It took 3 tries to get a good vein for the IV. The big needle in my elbow went smoothly as usual though. Just hope that yesterday's holes heal up before next Friday when I have the next one scheduled.

We're going to be pretty busy the next 7 weeks with appointments for phlebotomy, appointments for the baby, the childbirth class next month, and whatever else comes our way! Every week there's something to do and somewhere to go. Looking forward to our next appointment in Winnipeg where I find out about the hospital tour. 49 days and counting! I can't wait!

31 Weeks Today - From 9 months down to 9 weeks... Where did the time go so quickly?

It seems like October is coming so fast. It seems like we have so much left to do, so many little thinbgs we still need to get in order to be prepared for little Hunter's arrival. In reality I'm sure we're doing well and are probably a bit ahead of the game, but still... it seems like there's not much time left before he's here and we'll really find out if we have everything we need or what we might be forgetting!

The appointment on Thursday went really well. Drank up my tall glass of orange sugar water which didn't taste as bad as I'd expected, but on an empty stomach it felt really awful for the next half hour or so until it started leveling out in my system... Hunter liked it, and tried his hardest to distract Mommy throughout the appointment. We heard him punching the doppler while trying to find his heartbeat, must have been hard punches because they were pretty loud on the microphone! He must have decided during the long drive to wiggle out of my side and I feel a lot better now that his head isn't bulging out to the right of my stomach anymore. When my doctor came in she said things look great and my stomach is measuring right where it should be, but just to be sure his growth is on track she wants to see us for another ultrasound in 2 weeks. This will be our 5th one! I'm sure everything will be A-OK and am thrilled we get to see him again, I wasn't sure if we would be able to after the last one. I can't wait to see how much bigger he's gotten, and am curious about how much he weighs now... I can tell he's getting big now! When I stepped on the scale I was surprised to find out that since my last appt. 5 weeks ago I've gained 9lbs!!! Bringing the total to 17lbs so far. Hopefully it stays at a decently low amount in the next couple months because I was really hoping not to go over a 25lbs gain, but now I wouldn't be surprised if its between 25-30. Gotta keep up my motivation to stick with my bike riding because I've been slacking off with that lately... haha which might have something to do with the 9lbs in 5 weeks!

We also found out that my doctor doesn't want to induce me after all! She said that because she'd like to see as few interventions as possible, we'll just let him come on his own, and avoid a c-section at all costs. The fewer risks to me and the baby, the better. I love my doctor! I guess the only downside now is that we can't schedule J's days off, we'll just have to wait and see when Hunter decides he'd like his birthday. I hope he doesn't wait 13 days to come out on my birthday even though that would be pretty cool!

We also got our baby monitor (the motion detection one from Angelcare) and will be installing it and testing it out soon. J's mom got that for us, the last of the big items we need before Hunter is born. Now it's a short list of small things... fortunately we've got a couple months to gather up what we need!

I finally got a new updated belly shot. Last weekend (30 weeks) and you can really tell 'someone' has had a growth spurt! My belly has just exploded since the last picture I took, and you can really see where those 9lbs went to!

30 Weeks! Hunter will be here soon, and I can't wait!

Well the title pretty much sums it up! I can't wait until baby Hunter is here, and time is going fast and he'll be here before we know it!

I'm hoping that this Thursday we might get our induction date and then we'll know just how soon to expect him. But either way, he should be here in 8-10 weeks at the very most! Unbelievable! We better get a move on buying the last little bits of what we need for him, like the newborn size diapers, baby monitor, and enough little baby clothes to last through however often he spits up and poops... I can't wait!

Hunter's cousin-to-be is a...

GIRL!

Finally today J's younger brother and his wife went for their 3D ultrasound. They had told us that they weren't sure whether they wanted to find out the gender, and that if they did, they likely would keep it to themselves. Fortunately for me, they decided to spill th beans! So I just got off the phone and they're expecting a little girl! The first girl in the family. J's mom had just the 3 boys, and so far J's older brother had 4 boys and we're of course having a boy. So J's mom must be thrilled to finally be getting her first granddaughter! I know they had been 'hoping' for a boy first, to be the big brother and protector of any future siblings, and we had been 'hoping' for a girl first; funny how it ended up being the reverse. Well I'm super happy that we're getting a boy first, I think it will be easier, and I know they're thrilled to get a girl first! She told me a couple weeks ago that if this was a girl, she might not have any more just because this pregnancy has been hard on her. But I think she'll change her mind. After finding out she's got her little princess, I bet all the morning sickness and misery has been worth it!

As for me, Hunter is 29 weeks old today and getting big and strong! I can actually feel his little head pressed up against my right side. It makes my belly bulge a bit on that side, and can get pretty uncomfortable if I sit up or stand for too long. Apparantly he should be about 15 1/2 inches tall and weigh around 2 1/2 lbs already, and I'm feeling it. I can't imagine how huge I'll be in another 2 months. He has to gain like 5 more lbs before coming out and I will be gigantic. Hopefully on the 5th we will find out when to expect to have him out, I'm thinking either the last week of Sept or first week of Oct, which is only 9-10 weeks from now. Really feeling the time crunch now! Fortunately we don't have much to do in preparation for him, just need to pick up a few things like the baby monitor and miscellaneous things like thermometer, baby tylenol, burp cloths, etc. At least we've got the basics covered!

Now I can't wait to see the DVD of the 3D ultrasound this weekend, how exciting! And I will put up some new belly pics as well, it's gotten huge since the last ones I added over a month ago!

An awesome feature in our new house

So since moving in a few weeks ago we are still getting used to the differences this house has compared to the rental. The best one so far is that the washing machine & dryer in the basement are directly under the main floor bathroom, and so you can hear perfectly if you're in either area. I was downstairs doing some laundry a couple days ago and (thanks, little Hunter!) let out the biggest, loudest fart! I finished loading the dryer and came upstairs, and asked J if he had heard me. He said yeah, clear as anything, because I was just in the bathroom when I did it, right? Nope honey, I was in the basement and you were sitting in the living room and heard the grossest fart clear as day from all the way across the house. Awesome!... Well at least now I know that can happen. Haha!

27 weeks, 3 days - Busier every day!

So I now realize it's been about a month since my last update... Eeek! Things have been so busy lately the summer is slipping past really quickly! We are now comfortably moved into our new house... Yay! Actually there's more unpacking to be done but that will happen sooner or later. We kept pretty busy painting the bedroom, nursery, and living room, finished up cleaning before moving all our things and furniture in, and I am extremely pleased with how everything turned out. The nursery was the first thing we finished, and now has a Winnie the Pooh bouncer and swing just waiting for Hunter to try them out! We're keeping the baby stuff all in there for now, so I'm glad it is a big room!

Our bedroom was next and we did the walls in a chocolate-ice-cream brown which looks incredible, installed a nice ceiling fan instead of that awful fluorescent light, and our wardrobe and dresser fit nicely (thank goodness)! I was happy that the room is big enough to fit the King bed and still allow us to open the closet door no problem!

The living room looks cozy painted a pink-beige that really warms up the room. I have it set up so our couches square off the living room and I have room behind them for my bike and to do laundry. Bike has been doing well, and getting used. Laundry on the other hand... well it's clean, and why put it away when we'll just need to take it out to wear anyways!?! LOL, kidding. I do need to put those 2 baskets of clean laundry away sometime. Some of it is baby clothes; we need to pick up those small hangers for his closet so we can put them away too.

The bathroom, hallway, and kitchen are things we will work on later on. I'm just glad we were able to get the 3 main rooms done by the time we moved in. The basement looks a lot better now too since we took all of the old scrap wood out and cleaned it up down there, J's weight machine is set up and I can't wait to finish the basement with walls, ceiling, and floors eventually. It feels good to be done with renting and in our own place!

We had some difficulties with the mortgage in the last week of June, because it turns out the bank had it as a 35-year and we had signed and agreed on the 20-year. So it took a few days to sort all of that out, but thankfully June 30 we got everything signed off and finalized under the 20-year agreement and took posession the next day! I'm so happy to be out of the rental, which had actually flooded a couple weeks back because of massive rainfall and the landlord got to deal with that mess. We were already out of the basement and just finishing cleaning upstairs at that point. Done with that, and now it's just J, me, and the baby-to-be in our own little place!

We had gotten tons of rain the last few weeks, it was awful. I had the truck one day and went to pick J up from work in the rain and the streets were filling up fast. I turned down the street to the store and it turns out there was a good 6 inches of rain sitting in the entire street. I just shook my head... arggghhhh... and kept going. I was happy we don't have a car because that would never have made it down the street.

Anyways in other news, baby is doing great! He's getting bigger and I can feel and see it happen. I need to update my tummy pics... it's gotten much bigger from the last one I put up! He's kicking a lot more consistantly and a LOT stronger now, and he still likes to keep me up around 11:30pm while he kicks and plays. It's pretty constant now, I feel him at least a few times an hour, especially after eating or lying down, and J gets to feel him all the time. He saw my belly move from the kicking one night! I am happy that we haven't had to make a trip into the city for a couple weeks now for appointments. Making that drive every 2-3 weeks was getting tiring. My next appt. is August 5, which is still another 3 weeks away, and it will be nice to have a few weekends at home without having to go anywhere! I will be a day under 31 weeks then and get to enjoy the diabetes testing. I'm doing it later than usual, which is between 24-28 weeks. I am hoping to get an induction date at that appointment as well, so we know when to expect our little boy! I can't believe how fast the big day's coming, less than 3 months until we meet him! It seems like we have almost everything ready for his arrival, hopefully I'm not forgetting anything!

23 Weeks, 3 Days - It's been a busy month!

Well it's been a couple weeks since my last update. We have been super busy! Finally we found out we got the house, and the posession date is July 1. Fortunately we have the keys already so we've been going in and working on the bedrooms and living room, and cleaning up everywhere else. Things are looking great so far! We're done the nursery already, and just need to move stuff into our bedroom and the living room to finish those off. Here's my pictures so far...

So our little boy has his room all set up and waiting for him to get here! Still 3 1/2 - 4 months to go until he's here... Man does that seem fast!

Finally 2 weeks ago I started feeling him kicking. It wasn't much at first but has been getting stronger all the time. J can feel him when he kicks hard enough. A couple mornings ago I was woken up by the little guy's kicking and I snuggled up behind J and let the baby kick him a little bit, what a fun way to wake up! It's been pretty consistant the last few days, I feel a few kicks each hour, and it gets really crazy after supper, he's just in there kicking and punching away to his heart's content! He's even woken me up a few times each night, he kicks so hard. I think it's awesome!

We also had another ultrasound yesterday morning. 8:30am we got in and H was moving around, not kicking hard enough for me to feel it, but we could see his movements. He was playing with his face, and then pulling on his feet. We saw him wiggle his fingers and toes. He even managed to touch his foot to his forehead, pretty flexible! We got a picture of him yawning. He's looking so much bigger, and he's looking pretty cute! The ultrasound tech said he's got long legs, and weighs 600g, or 1lb 5oz. Right on track with what he should weigh. We couldn't get a measurement on how tall he is, because of his legs being folded up by his head! The tech also confirmed for us, he is most definitely a little boy! I am so happy and excited to meet him... these next few months will just fly by I'm sure!

The big yawn!Our cute little guy is smiling at us!

After the ultrasound, I got my bloodwork done and was expecting to have to get a phlebotomy this week sometime. So imagine my surprise when the nurse walks out and tells me, this pregnancy is doing great things for me, and my counts actually came down since last time! That was awesome news, I am not sure why my counts would come down when they normally go up until I get blood taken out, but apparantly I just need to do another blood test in 2 weeks to see where the #'s are at and I think I won't need blood out for another month yet. It's been 8 weeks so far, and by the time I get my next bloodwork done it will have been 10 weeks. That's wonderful! J said if pregnancy makes my blood counts easier to manage, we'll just have to keep me pregnant. What a goof. It's pretty awesome that I still don't need anything done though! Yay!

21 Weeks, 2 Days - Hunter likes cookies & cream ice cream!

It was such an unexpected and awesome feeling! I had some yummy cookies & cream ice cream with J while watching TV after supper, and about half an hour later, I felt something moving around in my tummy! I know it was Hunter, after ruling out anything else. He must have been giving some pretty strong kicks. I could feel it and got J to put his hand on my tummy but I'm not sure if he felt it or not. Tonight was the first time I've felt anything like that, and I am super excited! I am pretty sure Hunter tired himself out and fell asleep because I don't feel it anymore, but will be hoping to sometime tomorrow! Goodnight, my little man!

21 Weeks - More than Halfway There!

Yay! We've got 19 weeks (or less!) until we meet Hunter, and can't wait!

We went to another appt. yesterday morning, just a checkup to see how things are going, we actually didn't even see the Dr but just the nurse, and got to hear the little man's heartbeat again. He must have been moving and shaking in there because we heard quite a few thumps and bumps, and his heartrate was 150, up from last time (140). I still can't feel a thing and that kind of disappoints me, I'm just hoping to be able to feel him by my next appt in 2 1/2 weeks. I will be a little over 23 weeks then and really can't wait to feel him kicking. Most people would have been feeling him already for nearly a month, but I suppose like his daddy he's stubborn and wants to make me wait as long as possible. He was really trying to get away from the doppler yesterday, I think he knows when people are looking for him in there!

Anyways altogether everything went great, and I found out I've only gained 4lbs so far (!). I had guessed it would be between 5-10lbs, not only 4! But I suppose I've been riding my bike pretty consistantly and that keeps it down too. I've lost a little weight in my face and legs, and really you can see the only place I've gained it is the little bump on my tummy! It's a cute little bump too! So hopefully things stay this way and I don't gain too much before October and don't get too many stretch marks. Right now I do have 2 little marks, one on either side of my belly button, that start quite high up. I really hope it doesn't get too much worse than that! Who knows, I guess we'll see what happens. I know it might happen but I don't have to like that part of it. But I'm doing my best to stay healthy and in shape so at least I'm doing all I can to give the best to my little boy!

Anyways I'm also thinking about the coming summer months and the fact that I need 300 more hours to qualify for maternity leave. 300 hours in the next 4 months is doable, but I don't think I will get it all from the daycare. If my shifts don't pick up I plan to get a part time job at either Bargain Shop, Fields, or even Co-Op to make up the hours I need. One way or another I will make it work out. It would be great to have that year's worth of paychecks (even if they're small), to help out.

Well blah. Not much else new besides that. Looking forward to my next ultrasound appt. on June 14 to see Hunter, and hopefully reconfirm that he's a he, and when I talk to my Dr. afterwards I hope to schedule my diabetes test for 2 weeks later on the 28th. I will be in again that day anyways to see my hematologist so I hope to get it all done in one trip. I've been going to the city so much lately, every 2-3 weeks, and it's such a long drive that I hope they will work with me to do things on the same day when possible. Here's to hoping!

18 Weeks, 4 Days - We're Having a Boy!

That's right, we've got a little man on the way! Our ultrasound yesterday morning went great, the tech doing it was wonderful, and we found out we've got a little boy coming in October. I was really shocked because all along I was sure it was a girl! So many reasons why! At first the baby kept its legs pressed together so we couldn't see the goods. The tech took measurements and printed off some pictures for us which was awesome! We saw baby itching its chin, and move around kind of in a jerking motion which made me think it had hiccups. Then near the end of the assessment we took another peek and baby had spread its legs and we could see EVERYTHING! Most definitely a little boy! No doubt about it, the little legs make a V and that little dohickey in the center means we've got a boy!

We went out after the ultrasound and picked out our first little boy outfit.

I was really surprised to find out I've got a little boy in my belly, but I was truly thrilled. So happy I cried a little. I can't wait to meet my little man this fall! Actually we talked to my pregnancy Dr. before leaving the clinic, and she said everything looks perfect and right on track with where it should be, I'm seeing her on the 27th so just 2 weeks 2 days from now, and then getting another ultrasound June 14 to make sure things are still on track. Shortly after that I will have to do my glucose test to check for diabetes. Everything is going so fast and I am so thankful that I'm able to enjoy all of it!

My 18 week, 3 day baby belly with the tiny little newborn onesie held up to it! This little boy will have all the love in the world... :)

18 Weeks, 1 Day - Do Good Things Come In 3's?

No, I don't mean triplets... haha I know I'm lame. It has been a crazy week and next week only gets crazier!

First off yesterday I got a phonecall from my Hematologist with some very interesting news. He called to check in and see how I'm doing, how the shots are going, how baby is doing, etc. Then he gave me some awesome news! After baby is born in October, and my body has a chance to get back to normal 6-8 weeks later, he wants to take me completely off blood thinners! He thinks that my body (with the occasional phlebotomy) should be able to handle everything on its own. I was really not prepared to hear that because I am totally used to the idea that I would be on thinners for life. But this, I'm speechless. I really hope it works out the way he thinks it will, because if I don't need to take any more meds to stay healthy that is the best thing I could ask for. Now I'm sure there would be exceptions, like when J and I get pregnant with #2 I will likely need to take the thinner shots again because of normal blood thickening while pregnant. I am 100% OK with that. It seems so far away now, that in December I might be totally done with blood thinners and pills after 2 years of needing them.

That was the 1st good thing.

Next, we put an offer on a house yesterday! It is J's uncle's old house, that used to belong to J's great grandmother. It is smaller than the one we rent right now but still has everything we need, new windows, and the roof and siding are just a few years old. Furnace is 1 year old. Basement is not totally finished, but I like it anyways. The walls down there are concrete and we could easily drywall over them and put decent flooring down. He would put his weight equipment down there. The master bedroom looks big enough for our bedroom furniture which is hard to find around here, and the other bedroom will make a perfect nursery. If our offer gets approved by the bank we get posession June 1, but since J's aunt has the key we could start painting/moving in earlier than that. We should know the answer around Tuesday, and give them the down payment of $2700 on Friday. The mortgage would only be around $250-300/mo which would save us a couple hundred bucks from what we pay now in rent. I am very excited and am crossing my fingers that everything goes through. I hope to get good news when we get back from Winnipeg after Monday!

That was the 2nd good thing!

Last but absolutely not least, we leave tonight to go to Winnipeg. We will stay 2 nights and spend some time looking for the best fitting carseat for our stroller. Then Monday morning, we head to the hospital for our big anatomy ultrasound and will hopefully find out whether we're expecting a girl or a boy! I am getting more and more excited about it and just can't wait to find out. I have been feeling as though it is a girl this whole time, and dreaming about it. The other night I dreamed I just had this baby girl and was carrying her around, showing her off to everyone and telling them her name. It was really neat. On the other hand, I have had one dream that it was a boy and I do think it would be easier to have a boy. I don't mind, either way I will be thrilled! It is so exciting to know we're so close to finding out, just to think that this time 2 days from now we should know what we're having!

That is the 3rd good thing!

So I hope that good things do come in 3's. I will have an answer to all of these questions by next weekend, and will enjoy every second in the meantime knowing what I have to look forward to in December with getting off the meds!

16 Weeks 6 Days - Hope Baby Likes This Stroller as Much as I Do!

We finally got this shipped to us today!

After waiting for it to get through Customs for a week and a half, we picked it up this morning and J put it together on his lunch break! I LOVE this stroller! It's the Urban Advantage by gogobabyz, and it is perfect! It is sturdy, compact, turns on a dime, and best of all it is super cute. We liked the blue the best, regardless of whether we have a boy or girl. Compared to all of the strolers I tried out in stores, this one tops them all, which is awesome because I couldn't try this one before buying! The company's customer service is awesome, too. We were on the phone with the guy a few times because J's sis-in-law had ordered two of these, one for her and one for me, and they got theirs a week and a half ago, and ours never showed up! So we played phone tag with customer service for a few days until they tracked it down and it finally made its way to us. Not only were they great to deal with, but J called to ask about air-filled tires and how much $$ they would be to order, and the guy sent us out 2 sets totally free :) So we are thrilled to have nice tires on the way and so is sis-in-law about her free set!

We are now super excited to take the stroller to Winnipeg the weekend of May 9 so we can find out which infant car seat fits best onto it. It is so nice to have the big things on the way already, because baby will be here in a little over 5 months! May 10 is the next big day when we get our BIG ultrasound done to check the anatomy and hopefully find out if we've got a baby boy or sweet little girl! Just a week and a half away, can hardly wait!

15 Weeks - Little Baby Ninja!

Aimee came up with that one... Our baby is a ninja!

It might be a bit hard to tell but the little munchkin is lying with the head on the right, facing out, and the bigger round shape to the left is the body, with a foot along the top, doing some kind of funky ninja kick at the screen!

Our appointment yesterday went really well. The nurse tried to listen to the heartbeat on the doppler but wasn't having much luck because the little one was wiggling out of the way every time. We heard lots of little thumps and bumps that turned out to be the baby kicking and punching away in my belly! I didn't know that could even be heard... and it was funny because I can't feel it moving around in there, but it was pretty active and squirming all over the place! We got to see the little one on ultrasound to measure the heartbeat (140), and saw just how much bigger he or she has gotten since last time. It's a big difference! Baby is 15 weeks, and close to 4 inches long. J says it looks like a little alien right now! We saw the face, of course not totally developed yet but we saw the eyes and mouth, and the legs were curled up so a foot was up by the face! It was great and I just love getting to see the little one so often. We go back on May 10 for the big 18 week ultrasound, which will take longer and we should be able to find out the gender, as long as he or she cooperates! I can hardly wait, just 3 1/2 more weeks!

The long-awaited belly shots...

Sunday April 4, at 13 w 2 d
Sunday, April 11, at 14 w 2 d

More belly pics to come, bigger and better!!!

14 Weeks, 5 Days - Can't Wait for Tomorrow Morning!

Ack, I even had trouble getting to sleep last night over it! Tomorrow at 10:30am is another appt. with my awesome pregnancy doctor, and I can't wait to see the little one and see how much he/she has grown since 7 weeks ago! Maybe even get a 'guess' at the sex? It is still pretty early but a guess would be fun. I am feeling awesome and can't wait to get to the appt. tomorrow. Even if it means waiting in the waiting room an hour again and having to pee in a cup. Oh and also, we ordered our stroller last week and it should be arriving sometime today! If we're still at home that is, we will be leaving for the city in another hour or 2! So exciting!

We also ordered the crib and change table, the change table will be here this week and the crib will be another month. At least we did it with lots of time in advance! So things are starting to come together for us!

Also while we're in the city I will be taking advantage of the fact that there are ACTUAL maternity stors there. I am starting to outgrow most of my shirts and just 2 'mat' tops aren't cutting it anymore. Not even real mat shirts, just cute empire-style shirts that I had hoped would work. However since my belly has finally started to show these last couple weeks I find myself needing something more comfy! So I'm excited about that too!

Well I am sorry to make this short and sweet but I've gotta get working on lunch and packing stuff for tonight & tomorrow. Will be back soon with tomorrow's news and hopefully an adorable baby pic!

12 Weeks - Heard Baby's Heartbeat Today!

Today was a special day. Finally we are at that 12 week point where any worries can really be left behind and the next 28 weeks can be enjoyed. And believe me, they will be!

I did have a mixed day today, because I had to go in and get a phlebotomy done again, which I knew would happen because of how heavy and sluggish I've been feeling these last few days. It really did make me feel better, when we finally got it done! Went in at 2pm, right as 2 ambulances showed up and I got pushed back til sometime between 3-4. So I went and visited mom and went back at 3:30. Of course a nurse tells me, Well if you had been here 5 minutes ago we would have got you in but you weren't here so we went on to the next person. So I sat for another half hour and mom showed up and finally we got into the 'cast room' where they had just finished cutting off 2 casts from 2 different people, the room smelled like cast shavings and there were crumbs of it on the cot so that was a little gross. Anyways finally the nurse got in to see me and we started trying to get an IV going into my hand. After 2 failed attempts the Dr. was called in and he had to try twice before getting it in too! And finally they got the big needle into my inner elbow and we got started. They ran 250ml of saline into the vein in my hand first to hydrate me, the took the 500ml of blood out, then put another 125ml of saline in. I was glad they did it that way because I was not lightheaded or anything afterwards, I felt great! Did feel a bit like a pincushion though because of the 5 or 6 separate pokes I'd gotten.

And the best part of the 5 hour hospital visit was that the Dr. came in and squirted some cold gel on my belly and looked for the baby's heartbeat! It took a while and we weren't sure if we would find it, but after looking around my pelvis area and then going up a little higher to just below my belly button, he found it! We listened to mine and the baby's heartbeats going together, mine was slower and baby's was fast, and it was so neat to just hear it and know that our little one is doing well in there! Mom, J and I got to hear it and it was awesome. And after that long, long day in the hospital, Mom took us out for supper before we headed home. What a day!

11 Weeks, 3 Days - Looking Forward to Fitting my Mat Clothes!

First off, I still haven't taken any belly pictures, or one of my lovely bruise which is finally starting to fade. This week I have got to get on that, I will be 3 months and need to establish my 'starting point'! Dad took me shopping on the weekend for mat clothes however it was Sunday and not many places were open, and very very few sold any mat clothes to begin with. I did find two shirts and a pair of pants from Value Village that I really like and plan to put on tomorrow, when they are nice and clean and cozy! I haven't really 'popped' a belly just yet, but it is definitely beginning to show a little bit, especially after a meal or big glass of OJ! It is nice to feel it and think, that's my baby in there! I can't wait to see the little bug at the next ultrasound! Unfortunately, that has been pushed back two weeks. Instead of going in on April 1st, it will be the 15th. I will be almost 15 weeks then, and will probably be surprised at how big the little one has gotten since the last one! I'm disappointed to have to wait but still glad it's less than a month away.

In other news, I got my butt down to the Adult Ed center today to get a hand in starting my ECE course. It looks like I just have to send in my $50 application fee, my highschool transcript, and the form that has the name of the first 6-credit course entered, and hopefully by May I will have started down that road of getting that certification! Woo hoo! Fortunately I just take a single course at a time, pay for them as I go, and get 4-6 months to complete each one. I am hoping to finish 1 or 2 by the time baby gets here! After that, well I'm sure they will take me a little longer to complete! I am really looking forward to getting it all started though and can't wait to get that first course in the mail!

Anyways I can't think of much else, and had better get started making supper, it's almost 8pm and J's starving! Haha!

10 Weeks, 5 Days - Feeling Great But Moody!

I can't believe I haven't come on here in 2 weeks! Seems like sometimes time is dragging on so slowly it takes forever for the next week to arrive, and other times it has gone by so fast... And I have yet to put up any tummy pics! (Or take any for that matter!)

Yes, I have been pretty short-tempered lately. I was thinking of coming on here last night to leave a nice rant about the awful needle I had given myself earlier, but figured I was in too poor a mood to do it. It was a bad shot. I tried a spot on the right, a few inches to the side of my belly button, which is a little further away than I normally like to inject it. But it was a nice unpoked patch of skin, so I figured it should work fine. It hurt like heck the whole time but I ignored it and finished up. Then a bit later I was scrubbing up in the shower and looked down because I felt a bump where the needle had gone in, and what do I see? A massive, angry looking black-purple bruise that was swollen and puffy and about 3 inches all around! Ouch! So I'm going to keep giving my shots a little closer to the belly button now. I'll get a picture of my lovely bruise before it fades, the swelling has gone away but it still hurts to touch. I hope I don't get too many more of those...

On the good side of things I'm feeling even better than before, absolutely not sick or nauseus for about a week now, and had a nice lunch today with Mom, Gramma and my Aunty. We chatted about lots of things and I was pleased to find out they want to get me the crib from Sears I picked out! YaY! We will be placing the order sometime next month after the next appointment and ultrasound. I can't wait because by then I'll be out of the first trimester already, and hopefully start getting more of a baby belly! I haven't gained any weight yet but it has started popping out slightly. I will need to get some better fitting clothes soon!

Anyhow can't think of much else from the last couple weeks. Went and picked up God of War 3 today, which is pretty SWEET! Hence the reason I am up typing this at nearly 2am. So goodnight world! I will get those pics up before another 2 weeks passes me by!

8 Weeks, 5 Days - Our Little One Will Have a Little Cousin!

I am so excited about this! We have been talking with J's sister in law the last couple weeks, and found out they started 'trying' just a few weeks after we did. Of course being that she and I are just a couple months apart in age, live a few blocks apart, and get along like gold, I was really hoping it would happen as quickly for them as it did for us, and have been anxiously awaiting her taking the test! Now I don't know how she held off but she could have tested about a week or more ago, but wanted to wait til her mom was in town visiting. So today was the day and she finally phoned and told us what we had already suspected: She's expecting, too! She is a few weeks behind me and will likely have her baby at the end of October or beginning of November. Her first U/S is on Friday already, and hopefully she will get the date confirmed then! Either way, I am super excited to go through this with her, and our little baby will have a little cousin close in age to grow up with and love!!! I can't wait, and am getting more and more excited for all this by the day!

Adjusted Date - 8 Weeks Today!

So I finally got my long-awaited appointment yesterday morning! It was pretty basic, check in, wait an hour, finally they called my name, I got weighed, spent some time answering questions on J and my and our family medical history, got poked and prodded and stripped from the waist down (Oh joy!), and then sat on the table with a sheet on me and waited for the doctor to get in. She came in wheeling a monitor and it was time for the ultrasound! Now because of how early I am, it was not really possible to do a normal ultrasound, so I found out just how an internal ultrasound it done! I didn't care though, because right away the little baby showed up on the screen and we got to see it with the little heart beating, and it looked perfect! I was amazed at how clear the image was, it looked teriffic and exactly like the 8-week pics I've seen online before. It was just so incredible to see the little one there, just doing its thing inside my tummy with us all watching! I could see J's excitement just explode as he watched our little baby's heart beating strong and steady. It makes me so happy just to watch his face as he saw the baby for the first time. I know it probably didn't make a huge difference before just because I was the only one feeling any symptoms and he was kind of out of the loop, but yesterday he was right there with me experiencing seeing it for the very first time, and it was wonderful.

You can see the head on the right, it is on its back facing up and the head takes up most of what you can see of the baby! The feet are on the left kind of curled up. The image on the screen was much clearer, and the little heart was just beating away. The doctor measured the baby at 7 weeks, 6 days which was a day ahead of my calculations. So today instead of being 7w6d, I am 8w! We go back again on April 1 for another appointment and hopefully get another picture of our little baby!

Anyways after that most exciting part of the whole appointment, I had to pee in a cup and then we went home. I've been excitedly showing everyone who already knows we're expecting this picture, and we plan to really announce it to everyone else after the April 1st appointment. I can hardly wait! Great, another long wait! I think this one will just drag on and on for the next 5 weeks till I can see baby again!

7 Weeks - Getting Impatient!

Well I am getting super eager for my appointment on the 25th. I think this will be a looooonnnnnng 5 days... Fortunately it's the weekend, time should go by quickly tomorrow, we leave Wednesday night, and then it's smooth sailing till Thursday morning! Right?!? Arggghhh!!!

On another note, I had to get blood taken out again yesterday. Just 2 weeks after the last time. So we went in and got hooked up and just poking the needle in made a bloody mess on and under my arm. That was gross! It was coming out fast, so fast actually that the nurse went out for a few minutes but J called her back in her pretty much immediately after she left, because the bag was full to bursting already! So I got in and out of the hospital within a half hour, a new record. However that wasn't the end of my hospital visit yesterday. We went to pick up something to drink on the drive home, and in the store my head spun and I nearly passed out! J took me back to the hospital room and I laid down for another hour or so, waiting to feel better and for the Dr. to check me over before we went home. He came in munching on a burger for lunch that smelled super tasty, and asked me a couple questions before leaving to finish his lunch and then return to check my reflexes and ears/eyes etc. What a doctor! I am lucky to have him though, he really is the best around and the most comfortable doc to be around. Anyways he asked how far along I was, 6 weeks 6 days, and was disappointed we didn't get to hear the heartbeat while I was in anyways. He said, no matter how awful I was feeling, hearing the heartbeat would have made it all better! It's too bad that will have to wait til another time! Well, here's hoping we will either see or hear this little one next week!

I really hope I don't continue to need blood taken out so often, it's not fun to have the huge needle stuck into my arm again before it's healed from the last time. And I don't think me nearly passing out again can be good for the baby... after that happened, all I wanted to do was sleep and I had a terrible headache! Well, we will see what the next blood test says in 2 more weeks! Until then I know I'll be antsy until Thursday, after which I will probably figure out another day to become impatient for!

5 Weeks, 4 Days - I Made a New Best Friend!

So starting yesterday and getting worse today, I have officially made friends with the toilet. Not for morning sickness reasons, yet at least, but for pee breaks! I wasn't counting yesterday but was sure I went around 10-12 times all day long, and today I've been counting and it has been 6 times in the 6 hours since I got up! I have still been drinking the 2-3 litres of water I'm used to so I am sure it only gets worse from here on out. At least I can sleep through most of the night so far!

I suppose I made another new best friend today: The fridge! I have been very hungry lately! I had breakfast when I was hungry around 11am. A big bowl of Special K Vanilla with a yogurt poured overtop and some nice cold milk. Then J had his lunch break at 1pm, by which time I was hungry again. So I had 2 servings of mac&cheese, felt full, and now it is ten minutes past 2 and I am starving! I literally just finished lunch half an hour ago and I'm planning to raid the fridge again. Hopefully some yummy grapes and a nectarine will do... LOL! Also two nights ago I had my first mild craving: Beef jerky! I wanted some so bad but it was 10pm and no place was open to get some from. So I got it yesterday but the craving wasn't really there anymore. Ah well, I suppose I'll have to try to get my cravings sorted out by 7pm so we can get to the store to get my fix!

All else is going great, I'm getting used to the injections and I don't hesitate and just get the job done, and it doesn't hurt much anymore, not really even burning afterwards unless I move around too much. I still hope to get out of this without morning sickness, but it's pretty early so it could still sneak up on me! Still have slight stomach cramps but it's off and on rather than constantly. And the tiredness has let up a lot after having blood taken out last week. I still can't wait until my appointment on the 25th! Hopefully I'll get to see an ultrasound or hear the heartbeat or something!

5 Weeks Today!

So far, so good! I have to start adding some belly pics soon. Although I'm not starting to show yet, I want to have the 'before' pic along with all the big belly ones! No bruises so far from the shots. That's going better than I had expected. I just poke it in, its so small it doesn't hurt or anything, and slowly press the medicine in while counting to 20 or so. The only time it stings is after pulling the needle out and as the med sets in it burns for a few minutes. But that's not too bad as long as I don't move around too much.

I am looking forward to our first appointment on the 25th! Just under 3 weeks from now. I will be just under 8 weeks along! It is so strange how they figure that out. Today I'm considered 5 weeks, but actually the baby was only conceived about 3 weeks ago. They go by the day I got my last period (Jan 2) so it's 2 weeks tacked onto the beginning of it. Anyways nothing much else new, got a stupid head cold that I can't take much for, so I'm living off Halls, water and blowing my nose all the time. Hopefully everything keeps going as well as it has been!

4 Weeks, 3 Days - Already an Expensive Baby!

So, like the title says, we're just over a month in and already, little baby, you are getting pretty pricey!

Things are going very well. No morning sickness, no cravings, no anything really. Even the cramps and sore boobs are fading. I kind of liked having those because it helped let me know someone was growing in there. Now I've just got to go by my still absent period and sometimes an uncomfortable fullness in my tummy! So much for sleeping on my front. When I've tried to the last week or so it is either too uncomfortable so I turn over, or I actually fall asleep but later wake up on my back! Poor J, I must be tossing and turning all night and he tells me I've been snoring lots lately. At least I haven't been up to pee more than once a night (yet)!

I am switching to injectable blood thinners as of tonight. I will be on Fragmin, once a day til further notice. I am fine with needles so I don't think it will make a difference to inject it myself, we will see how the first one goes tonight.

The thing that hurts worse than the med itself is the cost of the med. Without coverage, it's $1200/month! That makes me feel more sick than the pregnancy so far! Of course, J has 'some' coverage from work. We pay the full cost upfront and get 80% back in 3-4 weeks. But seriously, who has fricking $1200 up front and the time to wait to get back $960, only to drop that plus an extra $240 for the next month again! And then continue doing it until September! Plus his plan has no 'cap' so we would always be paying that extra 20% for as long as I have to take it. This could really be fun. I am sending my application to Pharmacare today and a very nice gal there said she could process it in a day or two for me, but we'd still have to pay whatever the deductible is. I'm not sure how much that will be but I'm assuming that because we made quite a bit last year with J working pipelines, and the year before because we were both working fulltime jobs, it will be a couple thousand on its own. So again, where do we find that couple thousand to pay the damn deductible in the first place??? Well, we will probably get a small loan from the bank. I think that shouldn't be a problem because it's medical necessity. Still though, to go through all of this whwn I'm supposed to start the drugs TODAY, is pretty stressful. And of course, stress isn't good for a little 4 week 3 day old baby growing in my belly.

Well, one way or another, I'll be on that shot tonight. Can't risk letting anything happen to my little bug. Stay tough, little bug! I think you can see how badly Mommy and Daddy want you! Hang in there, it will get easier!

Another new adventure???

Ah yes, the day has come and gone where I was supposed to get my period. Yesterday in fact I should have gotten that visit. But I woke up yesterday and although I had stomach cramps all day long (which I've had for a week or more already, and can't figure out why), it still never came. Woke up today and still, it never came. So J and I figured we'd make a trip to the pharmacy and see if they sell pregnancy tests. They do, but even their 'cheapies' are nearly twice as much as they are in the city, an hour away! Oh well, we picked up 2 and went on our way.

Now I want to describe the last few weeks. It was great at our appointment on Jan 4 when we got the OK to get pregnant. So, we stopped preventing, but weren't particularly trying, either! I found a website that tracks your cycle and gives you the most likely days to conceive. My particular days were the 15,16, and 17th (a Friday, Sat. and Sun.). So we did some 'trying' before those dates, however didn't actually get the job done on those dates except one time on Friday the 15th at night. So... paid close attention to how I was feeling after that, trying to notice any changes that may indicate I was pregnant. Nothing. We didn't 'try' again till the 19&20th. And that's right around when I started getting stomach cramps. Every. Freaking. DAY.

So online I went to see what other women have felt as far as early symptoms go. Turns out cramping is a big one! Who knew? Then a few more days went by and my boobs were really sore and sensitive to everything, and I was picking fights with J for any little reason! Again, more symptoms. I still wanted to wait though until I was 'supposed to' get my period this weekend. So that has come and gone, and here we are. I wanted to wait til tomorrow morning to take the tests, because morning is the best time for it to be accurate. J, however, wanted to try one right away to see what would happen. So I tried one out. It is hard to explain that feeling of being super, super excited but scared at the same time! Finally the one minute was up and I took a peek.

You really can't mistake the 2 lines on them! And this is a cheapie, no-name brand too! So here's to my last day of sanity, let the craziness begin!

We made a few phone calls, J's mom was the first to find out and is pretty excited, although this won't be her first grandchild. My dad was the first on my side to find out and was really excited. We made his day, he said! Mom and my Aunty I could hear screaming in the background while on the phone with J. My sister was excited, then we called my Gramma and let her know too. For the most part though we want to keep it quiet, of course we're only a couple weeks in and have a long way to go what with starting the injections and everything else that goes along with this. I'm looking forward to all of it though. I want to enjoy everything I can.

Now I'm going to be pretty busy here, getting started with that ECE course soon and getting all my new prenatal appointments going, hopefully starting working fulltime in a couple months also, things will be pretty hectic. But I don't think I want it any other way! Look at the proud papa-to-be! (and try to ignore the goofy look on his face, he was doing an 'I'm the man!' kinda thing)

EEEEEK! I am sooooo excited about everything! The due date is apparantly Oct 9, and I am exactly 4 weeks along today (or 2 weeks, from the conception date). 36 weeks to go!

A new adventure?

So I finally got a call from the daycare just to come in for a half day yesterday. It's been a month since the last day I worked there so that was, well, at least better than nothing! Before I went home I went to the office and talked to Tracy (the daycare manager) about that full-time job she mentioned before Christmas. Wondering whether she still wanted to hire someone fulltime and if she was still considering me for it. From the sounds of it she wants to wait until the little guys in the baby room graduate onto the older kid floor (March), and can add the babies on the waiting list to the baby room. More income for the daycare = more funds for hiring another full time person! So I told her I am very interested in the position and when the time comes that I would love to take it!

The only thing is, I have to take the Early Childhood Education course to qualify for this full time job. So I found out more about the course and still need to find out some more, but so far I know that it's a 2-year course that I can take through distance ed and will cost something like $4500 plus book costs for those two years. Not a bad price and I could probably get a student loan and get it paid off quickly, say even $200/mo payments would pay off $2400 in the first year! So I am now waiting for a call from the school and hopefully will know all the details soon. What really helps make up my mind is that without this course I can't get the job I love so much, but with the course I will have a full time 40-hour-a-week job having fun where even when J and I have a kid I will be able to work and be nearby to our child! I think this is a teriffic idea. I know the timing may not be the best as we are actually trying right now to get pregnant, but I wouldn't be the first to have a baby while 'in college'. If you really count distance ed as 'in college'! Either way, I know I am a smart and focused person and would rock that course!

The Doll Palace

Up late and bored one night, I stumbled upon a magical website that lets you make your own paper 'dolls'. Being a total geek, of course I spent the next couple hours putting together little people in fun and fabulous combinations. Here is what I came up with:







I am not entirely sure if they will even show up in this format, but here's to trying! There are 3 here. The first, perhaps because I was the least tired and was contemplating the fact that that particular day was supposed to be the best day to concieve, represents to me someone like Persephone, the youthful goddess of spring and new life. Of course when TTC, it is nice to think I've got someone like that watching over me, making sure things will turn out OK!

I have high hopes for the future, for myself, J, and everyone else involved in our lives. I know this is only our first month of trying, and there are lots of obstacles on the road ahead, but I believe we do all that we can do and that will be good enough. If I am the best me I can possibly be, what more could be asked for?

As a side note, the year has been off to a good start, we are halfway through January and so far so good. I've been working out most nights for 45 minutes on the bike, and plan to bump it up to an hour soon. Also the soonest I can take a pregnancy test and expect an accurate result should be around Feb 1, so here's to getting through the first little bit! Actually to be honest, I would rather get preggers next month, just because I would love to have a baby around my own birthday, or a little Halloweenie! Of course though anytime would be fine with me!

Do you want to hear the good or the bad first?

I had my Hematologist visit yesterday and it went really well. J and I were finally given the go-ahead to start trying for a baby! I know having one will mean 9 months of taking blood thinner injections in the stomach and lots of un-pretty bruises because of that, but if that is what it takes, it is all going to be worth it. We hope to start trying tonight ;)

Anyways after that appointment I went to get 500ml of blood taken out because it was more convenient to do it there than wait a couple days and do it at home. It went smoothly as usual but maybe because I hadn't eaten in 5 or more hours or maybe because I had my period at the same time :o but after the needle was taken out and I sat there putting pressure on the spot, the room started to spin and a few seconds later I passed out right there! J was freaked out but he quickly called a nurse and laid my hospital chair down into a bed. I woke up within 5 to 10 seconds, feeling like I had woke up from a long nap, and confused about why I was lying down instead of sitting. The nurse stuck an IV in my arm just to rehydrate me and we had to stay an extra half hour or so, until I could walk around the ward without feeling dizzy. It was a strange feeling that I don't want to experience again. I knew I was passing out, and as soon as everything went black I had a few really, really fast dreams. It was weird... But fortunately J was right there, I was in the hospital already, and it didn't last long. He was pretty worried, it reminded him too much of some of the things that happened last year to me. But we got out and got some supper, and were on our way home shortly after that.

I tell J that to keep his mind off of me passing out, he should be thinking of us finally getting to have a baby like we have been wanting so much!

Here's to the best, happiest, healthiest 2010 possible!

Happy New Year!

We are about 40 minutes into the year 2010, and I just got inside from standing out in the shovelled walkway to the house looking up at a cold but incredibly bright full moon. You know how often a blue moon appears on New Year's Eve? About once every 19 years. So tonight is a special night, one to pay special attention and reflect on all that has happened in the last 12 months, and then close that chapter and begin a new one. Here's to all the hopes and dreams for the coming year, perhaps this rare moon in the skies will be a sign of wonderful things to come. As I sit here warming up from being outside enjoying the cold and quiet, I have a lot of thoughts running through my head about the year ahead. Some small idle wishes, some grand dreams for what life might bring this way next.

Here's to hoping that life will go on in all its beauty and bits of new knowledge and pleasure for everyone to enjoy to the absolute fullest!