Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Morning Sickness

In case you missed it buried in yesterday's post, I'm 30 weeks pregnant and my morning sickness is back. No fun. Apparently while its not common to get third trimester morning sickness, it's nothing to worry about. I just need to eat more and drink lots of ginger tea. I also think that heaps of ice cream is a suitable solution.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

This week baby girl is the size of...


I have now passed 30 weeks. I can't believe it. On my countdown the number of weeks is single digits and its so surreal. It could be less than 10 weeks before I am holding our baby girl in my arms. It amazes me that I've come this far, but it also amazes me there is still so much time to go! I can't really imagine getting much bigger... my darling boyfriend already likes to tell me I'm as big as a house ;) And my first trimester morning sickness seems to have returned with a vengeance!
Enough about me though - baby girl is now about the size of a head of lettuce. She is 18 inches and about 3.2 lbs. Her brain is working overtime and and connections are developing between individual nerve cells and she can now perceive information from all five senses.
She is VERY active now, and in addition to dancing around in my belly, she spends time making faces, hiccuping, swallowing and even sucking her thumb. I already think she's perfect. On Saturday we are going for a 3-D ultrasound and will actually get to see her moving around in there...I can't wait!

Friday, June 25, 2010

I actually love being pregnant

I have to say, I am really enjoying this pregnancy. I guess I never really thought too much about what it would be like to be pregnant, yet every day I'm surprised how much I enjoy it. It's not always comfortable, I want to cry sometimes when I can't find anything to wear, I'm exhausted, have a hemorrhoid and in this heat my ankles are starting to swell...but I still love it. I love when a stranger stops me on the street to say congratulations. I love when the person next to me on the subway chats with me about baby girl and is genuinely interested in her name, movements and due date. I love when Ron puts his hand on my belly and tells me how much he loves his girls (yup...he's going to melt when he meets her). I love feeling baby girl kick, even though it doesn't always feel good, because it reminds me she is there and doing well. I love when I can see my belly move and trying to guess what body part is poking through. I love talking to her, singing to her and the genuine connection I already have with her. And I love dreaming about what she'll look like, how she will act and how our lives are going to change when she arrives. I have 10 weeks to go, and I'm sure in a few weeks I'll be enjoying it all a little bit less, but right now I am soaking up every moment of this experience.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Dear reader...

I have a favor to ask. If you read my blog, and enjoy it at all, would you please vote for me on Top Baby Blogs? They have just re-set all votes to zero so this is a great opportunity for a new blogger like me to get a spot on their list. Top Baby Blogs is a great way to find other baby bloggers, and also to be found by people who might be interested in my experiences. Thank you so much for your vote, and incase I'm not already asking way to much, keep in mind you can actually vote once a day. :)

Vote For Us @ topbabyblogs.com!

The G8/G20 offers the opportunity to really make a difference

I happen to live and work in downtown Toronto, and it is impossible not to be completely aware of the G20 summit this weekend. The city is already shut down about 1 block from our apartment and during my 1.7km walk to work I now walk by police offers on every corner, am aware of snipers on the top of office buildings and have already passed through 2 protests this past week. This activity is sure to only magnify over the next few days. So what is this summit all about? Leaders from the G20 countries will be discussing issues related to the global economy and other urgent issues that are facing the world.

Two years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to the DR with a major Canadian non-profit organization to see the work they are doing in communities first hand. It changed my life. I met beautiful children who I will never forget and I vowed that I would always do what I could, even if it meant helping just one child.
What does that have to do with the G8 and G20 summit? I'm so glad you asked...

Even now, in 2010, more than 8 million infants and children die from preventable/treatable causes - that's 3 children every second. It is a staggering number, and in the developed world i believe that we could be doing more. Without getting too political, I want to share with you a simple way that you can make a difference. As we head into the G20 summit, Save the Children Canada, an international relief and development organization who's focus is on fighting for children's rights, is running their Every One Campaign. Their goal is to insure this issue is on the agenda during this weekends discussions and that governments from around the world come together with the purpose of giving every child a real chance at life.
In the year 2000, the world's countries agreed to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – one of which was to reduce the under-five mortality rate by two thirds by 2015. Save the Children's EVERY ONE campaign serves to remind the world's leaders to honour their commitment to achieve this goal. They are making progress, but as you can see from the statistic above there is still a lot to be done.

By doing something as simple as signing a petition, you can join the rattle cry and tell our world leaders that this issue is important. I thank you so much for taking the time to read this post, and for hopefully taking action. My baby girl is fortunate that she will be born in Canada, but other mother's around the globe will face much more uncertainty as they bring their children into the world. It is on their behalf, that I am taking action.

Below is a photo of me in the DR two years ago, and one amazing little girl I had the privilege of getting to know.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

This week baby girl is the size of...

It's hard to believe I am already half way through my 29th week - which means just a little over 10 weeks until baby girl's due date! The time is going by so fast, and week by week i am amazed by how quickly she is growing and developing. She is now about the size of a butternut squash - approximately 17 inches and just over 3lbs. And believe me - my stomach is keeping up with her rapid growth! You are all being very kind and telling me I look great, but I still feel like a house :) Oh, and apparently in the next 10 weeks she is going to triple in size!

Most of baby girls organs are fully formed and functioning well, although her lungs are still maturing. Her bone marrow has taken over production of the red blood cells and her brain is developing and grooves are forming to allow for an increased amount of brain tissue. I am completely in awe of this entire process. I know I've said it before, but every day I am amazed at this miracle and still have a hard time believing that there is a life growing inside me. Then she kicks (and usually hard) - and it all seems real again.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

MMVA's


Our office happens to be across the street from Much Music, so I headed out tonight to catch some of the hype from the safety of the third floor balcony. It was a lot of fun, and I especially enjoyed Katy Perry's California Girls. Can't wait to catch up with my own California girls next month!

Father's Day

I know our baby girl isn't due for another 11 weeks, but I wanted to celebrate Ron today and remind him of what a great father he is going to be. So this morning we went for an amazing brunch at Milestones overlooking Yonge Dundas square. It was such a beautiful day and it was great to get some time in together before he had to head into work. Happy Father's Day to all the dad's, and daddy-to-be's! (sorry for the bad photo - its from my i-phone. I'm going to start taking my camera with me everywhere).


Happy Father's Day Dad

A father listens with his heart,

Speaks with his hugs,

And teaches not by words...

But by example.

Thank you for your love, your support, your sacrifice, your encouragement, your time, your gentleness and the example that you set for us. I am so blessed to be able to call you my father. I love you dad. xo Happy Father's Day.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

I love strawberry season

I love Saturday mornings. I love waking up without the alarm clock. I love walking down the street to St Lawrence Market, and I especially love it during strawberry season. I couldn't resist buying a flat of strawberries today and I can't wait to do some baking with them over the weekend. What is your favourite thing to make with fresh, summer strawberries?


Friday, June 18, 2010

Registry - check

We finally did it. We set up our baby registry. It might seem small, but to us it felt like such a big step! It was more than a little overwhelming - there are so many products out there for new mom's and babies but we found a few items that other parent's have told us would really come in handy and managed to put together a 'wish list' for our little girl. It really was actually a lot of fun, and Ron loved playing with the scanning gun. But the best news of all? Its one thing crossed off the to-do list.


Perfect start to a weekend

This morning Ron walked me to work. And we had coffee together before I had to head into the office. I love when we get to do this. It is such a beautiful start to the weekend. Can't wait for work to be done for the day. Happy Friday!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The greatest sound I've ever heard

Yesterday morning I had another appointment with my midwife. I absolutely love going for checkups and hearing that baby girl is doing ok. Ron came a long with me to this appointment which was so special. Since he has been out of town for so long this was actually the first appointment that he was able to attend and it was wonderful to have him there. I know many people experience this much earlier in their pregnancies, but our doctor would never offer to let me hear the heartbeat, so I trusted everything was normal, but never had to chance to hear it for myself. Yesterday our midwife listened to the heartbeat through a Doppler and we were both able to hear the most wonderful sound I've ever heard. Her little heartbeat, strong and steady (and so fast!) and the swooshes of her moving around in my belly. I'll never forget that moment and I can't wait for my next appointment in two weeks time to hear it again. I am so grateful that this pregnancy is going so smoothly and cannot wait to meet our daughter in a few weeks time.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Go Lakers



28 Weeks and I can still squeeze in. At St Louis, cheering on the Lakers.

What are the must-haves?

I posted yesterday about feeling a little overwhelmed and unprepared. Well, to combat that, I headed off today to start my registry, something people have been asking me to do for weeks now. Unfortunately I left without having starting one. As I roamed the isles looking at the plethora of baby items I realized I was biting off a bit more than I could chew on a Sunday afternoon. How do you ever decide on one soother over another? I could have put almost every item in the store on my registry but then, how much of it will we actually use?

So I decided before I scanned everything in sight - I'd do a bit more research. What are the must-haves for the first three months? What could you not live with out? What didn't you have that you wish you had? I know its different for every mom and every baby, but any advice is appreciated.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

A little overwhelmed and a lot unprepared

I've been having a hard time sleeping the last few weeks...some if it is definitely because baby girl and I are already on different sleep cycles, but a lot of it is just anxiety. I'm not really worried about her birth, or even life after that. I know it won't be easy, and I know I'm in for some pretty big changes, but to be honest, I'm looking forward to all of that and I believe it will come together. Right now I'm just worried about being ready for her actual arrival. She is due in just 12 weeks, and there is so much to do in that time. We know we will be moving before she comes, but don't know where - and that is weighing heavy on me right now. We've given up our 550 square foot apartment in downtown Toronto and will either be moving a little more uptown, to another city, or possibly even another province. Ron has some jobs he is considering and we aren't quite sure where we are going to end up. Because of that uncertainty we haven't really been purchasing much beyond a few little outfits for baby girl and that has me feeling slightly unprepared. I have this desire to nest (or so I hear its called) but no where to do it. We also haven't signed up for any pre-natal classes since we aren't completely sure where we are going to be in a few weeks time. I am so ready to just be settled, to be finished with work, to get the nursery set up and ultimately to get ready to meet our baby girl.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Glucose test

Today I had my glucose test. It's a routine test that is done to screen for gestational diabetes, which some women get during pregnancy. I went into the lab this morning and had to drink a really, sugary orange drink. It apparently had 50 grams of glucose and I had to drink it in 5 minutes. I didn't mind it too much - it tasted kind of like an extra sweet glass of McDonalds orange soda. Then I had to sit and wait an hour - that's when the drink became less enjoyable. I really felt light headed and pretty nauseous - i think it was a LOT of sugar to take in first thing in the morning. After an hour they took my blood and I was on my way. For some reason I'm a little nervous about this test. I've been trying to eat really well, but I have such a sweet tooth! I see my midwife on Tuesday so she'll let me know, but I'm hoping for a pass!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Babies first gift!

We have been picking up little things for our baby girl the past few weeks, and Ron even surprised me one day with a special package addressed to our little girl. But yesterday she got her first gift that wasn't from her parents. My friend Steve and I met for coffee and he brought with him this thoughtful gift for baby girl. Thank you Steve - we love it, and know she will too!

Monday, June 7, 2010

This week baby girl is the size of...

As I've mentioned yesterday, this week I somehow crept into the third trimester. It still amazes me that I am two thirds of the way through this journey. Our baby girl is growing rapidly and now weights 2.5lb's and measures about 16 inches (approximately the size of a head of cauliflower). She has started blinking and coughing, and may even have started dreaming. The nerves in her ears have completely formed and she is aware of sound and even the rhythm of music. Her lungs have almost reached the point of maturity and her breathing is becoming more regular and consistent. My midwife tells me she is head down which is a great sign. Hopefully she stays that way until she is ready to enter the word.
Oh and she is moving - a LOT! Sleeping is getting more difficult as I am more aware of her movements and as they become much stronger inside me. Ron can feel her more regularly, and every once and a while I can actually see my belly move when she kicks. I continue to be amazed by this miraculous experience each and every day and am trying not to take a single moment for granted.

89 days??

It only just hit me that I have less than 100 days until our little girl is 'expected' to enter the world. Her due date is September 4th, which is just 89 days away. I cannot believe how fast time is going and how soon I will be meeting her. I cannot wait to hold her in my arms! Until then though, I have a LOT to get done in just 89 days...

Sunday, June 6, 2010

The cutest storage I've ever seen

Ron and I love to travel and one of the things we are most excited about is introducing our little girl to the amazing world we live in. We are excited to travel as a family and experience new places and cultures together. Since we want to introduce her to our passion from the moment she is born, I was delighted when I found these storage cases from Land of Nod. I fell in love with them and think they will make a great addition to her nursery.

The home stretch

I cannot believe it, but yesterday marked the first day of my third trimester. This pregnancy has been going by so quickly and I almost wish I could slow it down. I have been incredibly fortunate that this has been an easy pregnancy so far, and I know things are going to get more difficult over the next few weeks. Yet, I am excited to experience every change my body is still going to take. This little girl may be our only child and I don't want to take a moment of this experience for granted. I know she will come when she is ready, but her expected delivery date is less than 13 weeks away.

With that said, at 27 weeks I am larger than I ever thought possible! I can't believe that this belly still has almost 13 weeks to grow. Since I haven't posted one recently - here I am on the first day of my third trimester.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Goodbye belly button

Today is the last day of my second trimester and my belly button is officially gone. I'm not an outie just yet, but where there was once a cute, little belly button there is now just skin flush with the rest of my ever expanding belly. Good bye belly button - I hope to see you again in just a few short months.p

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Changing my care

I mentioned in a previous post that after reading the book Your Best Birth I decided I wanted to have more say in the birth of our little girl. I did some research and decided I want to speak with a mid-wife and see if that could be a good fit for me. Midwives specialize in normal pregnancy and childbirth and offer a very different experience than OB's. In addition to longer visits, a choice of birthplace and a say in your birth plan, midwives also provide 6 weeks of post-natal care. To be honest with you, the more I learned, the more convinced I was that this could be a great alternative for me.

Last night I met with Safire at Kensington Midwives and am THRILLED to be transferring my care to them. Kensington Midwives offers women-centered care and I felt so comfortable sitting with Safire and talking about this pregnancy. I feel very fortunate that they were able to take me on as a patient this late in my pregnancy and am looking forward to this experience even more than before. Now all that I have to do is break up with my OB...

Oh - and in case your wondering - baby girl is doing great! She is measuring well and for the FIRST time I was able to hear her heart beat. I feel so unbelievably blessed and am completely and utterly in love.