Puts a smile on my face :-)

 

A few days ago this closet was full of stuff.  Now the stuff is in Rubbermaid containers, ready for storage.  I love getting ready for baby!

Can this be called a pregnancy craving?

I simply HAD to have a McChicken when I was shopping at Wal Mart yesterday.  I haven't had one in years!  Normally I would order just about anything else on the menu.  I DEVOURED it!  In my car!!  I couldn't even wait to drive the 3 minutes home.

NASTY!

At 20 Weeks - Half Way!

Merry Christmas!

I'm off to my sister's in a few hours.  I'll be there until after we finish shopping on the 26th.  I'll be 20 weeks on Monday...HALF WAY!!  This would feel more real if I could feel regular movement.  I distinctly felt something last Weds. when I was at the Chiropracter, laying on the table.  But since then, I'm not sure I've felt anything.  It's frustrating, but I guess I need to be patient.

I hope you all have a really great holiday!!

At 19 Weeks

I'm having a...

GIRL!!!!

I CANNOT STOP SMILING!

I find out on Saturday!

The last day of school for the year is Friday.  Thank GOODNESS!  Then, to add even more excitement, I have my next ultrasound on Sat.  My sister is coming with me, which is nice, since I'm usually alone.  My friend, K, has also volunteered to come.  I can't believe I'm nearly half way through this pregnancy!  I feel so unprepared.

One of the other teachers today let me know that she overheard some students talking about my pregnancy.  How the hell did they find out so soon!!??  It turns out, some of them are 'Facebook friends' with a teacher who no longer works at my school.  So when she 'liked' my status about being preggers, it must have showed up in the kids' newsfeed or something.  Oh well, if I'm going to be open about my life on FB, it's to be expected.  But really, who the hell says 'yes' when students want to be FB friends???

Seeing duckies

At 18 weeks

Thanks to Tiara!

The lovely Tiara has given me my first blog award!  It's called the 'Cherry on Top' award.  I'm supposed to pass it along to five other bloggers, but I'm pretty sure it's made the rounds of the choice mom community, so I'll just enjoy it here.

Isn't it cute?

I'm behind

I haven't posted in a while, and now I'm behind on things I wanted to post.  First of all, my heart goes out to Paige.  We were only about 20 days apart, so I felt a special 'internet stranger' kinship with her.  Life is so unfair sometimes.  A few weeks ago some other choice mom bloggers received bad news as well.


I think I may need to distance myself from so much blog reading.  I know it's reality, but so much bad news really gets to me.  I'm so paranoid about this pregnancy.  Everything has just been too easy.

But then I think, "you can't live in fear, you need to enjoy this time and not worry so much.  There will be plenty to worry about as a mother!"

After waiting 17 weeks I finally told the admin at my school.  Then when I got home, I let the cat out of the bag on Facebook.  The response has been overwhelming!  Everyone is so happy!  It's truly amazing how fast news spreads.  My cousin's wife phoned my aunt right away, who phoned me for the story, who phoned my other aunt, who also phoned me right away.  So much LOVE!

One of my co-workers phoned and said, "your status says you're expecting.  Does that means, as in, 'expecting a package'???"  Um, no, I explained to her, didn't she see my profile picture?  I changed it to an ultrasound photo.  She was just so shocked that she didn't even notice the picture!  So cute!

Only one comment has asked about 'who the guy is'.  I love keeping people guessing!

At 17 Weeks

At 16 Weeks

At 15 Weeks

Email from my step-sister

"When I first got pregnant I had some spotting and I was so scared.  S was in town then so I told her, though not right away.  She took me to the hospital (K was out of town with the car). And after five hours of tests it turned out I had a urinary tract infection with no other symptoms.  What a relief that was.  But no one knew except K, S, and E. K and E weren't around, and S was going to be leaving soon, so I would have had to deal with it alone.  They had thought it was ectopic and had an ultrasound the day after all the tests, which was so amazing even though the guy was a total asshole.

He turned on the machine and said, "Well, there it is, alive and kicking." Then he turned on the sound and there was a heartbeat- which was a complete surprise since you usually can't hear it until 12 weeks.  He then said, "You're nine weeks." Then he threw a Kleenex at me and walked out of the room!  I thought I was only 3 so it was a bit shocking.  I had my period in the beginning of June but got pregnant the en-dish of May.  Crazy.

Anyways I am so excited for you.  K, since having T, tells everyone they HAVE TO have kids.  I know you've wanted to for a long time.  Just wait.  I used to think I love my friend's kids so much I would explode with love if I had my own, and I did.  It is the most rewarding, happiest thing you will ever do.  Totally worth all the discomfort and pain.  My mom was at T's birth (along with everyone else) and she said to me later, "You're nuts, as soon as they had mopped up all the blood and sewn your entire body back together, you said you couldn't wait to have more!" ...and I can't.  Well that's not true.  I want to give T at least a year of undivided attention.  Just always remember nine months of pregnancy and labor - no matter how hard (and it's not always hard) - is so worth the future you'll have with your child.  It goes so fast, in retrospect.

How are you feeling?  Any cravings yet?  That didn't hit me until the second trimester but I was ravenous for the whole time.  I'd get up in the middle of the night to eat.  "What to expect when you're expecting" is a really fun book to have.  I also recommend "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" by Ina May Gaskin.  She's a world renown midwife.  It might be too hippy dippy for you, but it has some really great points on how to stay strong and calm during labor, and it has birth stories too, which are always fun.  A good body pillow is a must.

O.K.  I'll leave you alone now.  I never really got how women went off about pregnancy and labor before, but now I do.  If you ever need anything, or just want to share news, or whatever I'm here.

Lots of love to you and your little one,
A"

Here's a picture of her little guy, T.

At 14 Weeks

I want you now

 

BUT, I'm too lazy to go out and get you.

At 13 Weeks

Oh, Mother!

So I gave my Mom her present, and she had it open before we'd even left the airport.  She looked at it, was silent, and then said, "So S is having another baby?  Or...wait... you're having a baby??!!"  S is my little sister who already has two kids.

My response??

"MOM, why would I wrap up an ultrasound photo of S's baby???!!!"

She felt kinda dumb for a split second and then said, " I KNEW it!  I KNEW you would do this!!!"

She's beyond thrilled!  She's already planning to take a month off in May to be with me for the birth and after.  Then I was talking about when I would return to work, and she offered to come out again to do a few weeks of free childcare to ease the transition.

THEN she said, "Well, you have to have two."

Wooooaaahhh!!!  Slow down there, partner!  I told her it would be impossible with the cost of daycare, but I was keeping two vials of 'babydaddy' on ice, just in case.

So now she's dieing to tell everyone, but I won't let her!  There is a certain hierarchy of people to be told.  It needs to go in order, so as not to piss people off. 

I did let her call my step-dad, and when she told him I have a feeling I know what his response was.  Probably something along the lines of 'a baby needs a father'.  When she hung up the phone, she didn't say what his reaction was, and I didn't ask.  If he doesn't approve, I really don't want to know!!

I'm starting my 13th week tomorrow!! 

Telling my Mom!!

My Mom arrives tonight at 10 pm.  I'm going to pick her up from the airport.  I was trying to think of some creative way to tell her - before I brought her home and she saw all the baby stuff - but I couldn't think of anything!  Anyway, this is what I ended up doing (I'll wrap it up and give it to her in the car):

 

She's going to be shocked!

First Trimester Screening

I went for my first trimester screening ultrasound on Weds. and everything turned out great!  Here are the results:

Estimated due date: May 16, 2011 (which means I am off by a couple of days).  I'll have to start posting my weekly images on Mondays, instead of Fridays.

Fetal heart rate: 160 bmp

Length: 5.5 cm

Head size: 19.6 mm

Risks:

Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) risk for a 32 year old is 1: 433.  My new risk is: 1: 8651.

Trisomy 18 (a congenital disorder) risk for a 32 year old is 1: 1012.  My new risk is 1:20236.

Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome) risk for a 32 year old is 1: 3186.  My new risk is 1: 63717.

It's such a relief!  Here are a few pictures:

What's in the cute little package?

At 12 Weeks

First Prenatal Appointment

I finally had my first 'normal' doctors appointment today.  Everything went well, except my blood pressure was a little high at 130.  I usually have really great blood pressure, so I think it's just the stress of school (report card time, been away a lot recently, lots of sub planning etc.), and the nearly 45 minute wait.  All I could think about during the wait was, "I'm going to be late for school!".  Soooo, I think that's why my pressure was up.

But of course, my doctor thinks differently.  I have to cut my salt intake and make a point of checking my pressure at those drug store BP monitoring stations.  If it remains at 130 I have to call her ASAP.

I.

Love.

Salt.

All the foods I've been craving are salty!  Grrrrrrrr

Ultrasound tomorrow!  Woooohoooo!

Baby's First Gift

Two onesies from my sister.

Don't you just love Sundays?

This week has been a blur.  I had my first prenatal appointment on Tuesday - or at least that's what I thought.  There was a miscommunication and my doctor's office thought I was coming in for my 'prenatal counseling' appointment.  Apparently, everyone has to have this counseling appointment first (which is only 15 minutes long).  But since I was a patient at the fertility clinic, I was way past the point of a counseling appointment.  Once my doctor heard how far along I was, she kinda freaked out and said I need to get in for my real first prenatal appointment ASAP.

Easier said than done!  Appointments with her are usually booked at least a month in advance.  She's so great though, she said that she would give up her lunch break to see me.  So my real first prenatal appointment is on Tuesday.  She also gave me the paperwork for my first trimester screening tests - which are scheduled for Weds.  I'm excited to see my little baby again!  Maybe this time it will actually look like a baby??

My doctor said that she usually discusses OB referrals at the second prenatal appointment.  Yes, that means she won't be delivering my baby.  SHIT!  Apparently, she used to 'catch babies' (she's from South Africa), but too many decided to come at night and her family asked her to stop.  I don't want some creepy OB as my doctor!  As I learned at the early pregnancy course, midwives view childbirth as a natural process, OBs view childbirth as a procedure with many possible medical complications, and family doctors are somewhere right in the middle.  I liked that 'right in the middle' option.  Getting a midwife in Calgary is virtually impossible; there are just soooo many people having babies these days.  I don't like the prospect of being on a waitlist to have a midwife.  I think I may still look into having a doula.

On Weds. I flew to San Fransisco for a conference on Character Education.  It was really great to get away!  I was with another teacher from my school (who knows I'm preggers), and an old friend who teaches at a high school (who does not know -yet).  I was kinda worried about what to say if she noticed I wasn't drinking, but it was fine, since she wasn't into drinking either.  She did make a comment about how often I pee!  We were sharing a bed (a double!  Who the hell puts double beds in $250 a night hotels???) and she said I woke her up each time I got out of bed to pee.  She's going to be so mad at me when I tell her!  She likes to know EVERYTHING!

We did a lot of walking, and I'm not normally a fast walker, but now that I'm preggers, I am SLOW!  They were constantly making fun of me!  I wanted to say, "I will be out of breath if I go any faster!", but I didn't.  I just ignored them and continued to walk at my own pace.

It was great to get home to my kitty babies!  Now I'm having a lovely, relaxed Sunday afternoon.  I'll go Trick or Treating with my nephews later today.  There's NO SNOW in Calgary!!  I think this is the first time since I moved here in 2006.

At 11 Weeks

Early Pregnancy Course

I went to an Early Pregnancy Course on Thurs. evening.  It is one of a series of free courses put on by the Calgary Health Region.  I walked in late and quickly took the seat closest to the door.  Then I looked around... everyone was there with their partner, including the lesbian couple.  For the first time since starting this journey, I felt really different.  It's not like anyone knew I was a Choice Mom, they could have thought I had an asshole for a partner, one who was too busy to attend the class.

Throughout the class I noticed everyone holding hands, giving each other tender little kisses, etc.  Blllleaaccchhh!!  It was enough to make me lose my dinner.

Or maybe I was just jealous?

The class was good - it was nice to see that the other women are having exactly the same issues as I am.  Most people were around 10-13 weeks, so I also made a mental note of how much everyone was showing.  I don't think I'm showing yet, I'm just fat!  One of the women already had a kid, so she was showing the most.  The others ranged from totally flat to obviously bulging.

The two most helpful things I learned that night are that's it perfectly OK to have baths, because you are not immersing your entire body, and the water gradually cools off.  The instructor also said I don't need to worry about dyeing my hair since the dye is only on for such a short time, no chemicals are going to make their way to my baby.

My sister and I started Christmas shopping last weekend.  I love the build-up to Christmas!  It's soooo much better than the actual day.  The Children's Place had some great sales on so I stocked up on $1.00 onesies, shirts, a dress, and tank tops.  Without even trying, almost everything is girlie.  I want a girl!  There is no denying it!

I'm leaning more and more towards finding out the sex...  I NEED to prepare myself if it's a boy!

At 10 Weeks

Control Issues?

I've just finished reading this book, and one of
things that stood out to me was when the author said that labor and delivery are full of lots of surprises and shocks.  Do I really want the sex of my baby to be one of them?  From the beginning I've said that I want to wait to find out, that "there are so few surprises in life", but now, now I'm thinking I REALLY want to know!

My sister found out with both her kids, and now she says she totally regrets it.  She wished she had something more exciting to tell people (during those first phone calls) than just the name they picked out.

I've looked at what's out there for unisex clothing and it really does suck!  I sort of have my heart set on a girl, so I think it would be pretty shitty to get my hopes up, only to have them dashed in the delivery room.  Of course, I'll love a boy just as much as a girl.

Waiting will mean letting go of the control that I almost always have over my life.  Finding out early will mean that more people can help me out with 'baby stuff'.  Let's face it, I'll need all the help I can get!

I don't know...maybe I'll just 'see' something on the ultrasound?

At 9 weeks

Oh, shit!

I've been very lucky with my pregnancy symptoms.  I've only felt nausous a few times.  I nearly puked about twice (but I think it was just heart burn), and my breasts are tender, but not painfully sore.

Shitting, however, has become an issue.  Two weeks ago, I was so constipated I thought I was going to explode.  I made an effort to eat more fibre and drink tonnes of fluid.  The result?  Well, now I have terrible gas ALL THE TIME.  I'm back to being very regular, but I'm so bloated and gassy that it's become an embarrassment!

My stomach seems HUGE already, and I know it's too early to show.  It's just bloated FAT!  The evenings are the worst.  It's times like this that I'm happy to live alone!

I think I'm going to be one of those women who gain wayyyy too much weight.

At 8 Weeks

At 7 Weeks

That little flutter!

I had an ultrasound this morning and everything looks good.  We were able to see the flutter of the heartbeat!  The rate was 131 beats per minute.  I'm just amazed that a 7mm baby can already have a heartbeat!

I think that (for me) a heartbeat equals a real baby.  I think.  There are still so many weeks until the end of my first trimester.  All this worry...what will I be like when I actually have a baby?!

I'm off to an early pregnancy nutrition workshop tonight.  I hope they can give me some interesting lunch ideas.  I hate making my lunch for school everyday.

Lovely Autumn Days in Calgary

I took my nephews to Bowness Park on Sat. for a few hours.  The weather in Calgary is PERFECT and the colours are amazing!

At 6 Weeks