introducing ...

averie grace

last thursday evening we welcomed our baby girl into the world, our family and our hearts.  after going six days past my due date, i would say that we were more than ready for her arrival, myself in particular.  then again, i think she was just waiting for us to get settled into our new house.  talk about just a little bit of change going on in our lives.  yeesh.  she made her appearance at 6:18 pm and we couldn't be happier.  i hope to post some more pictures and of course her birth story soon.  guess that will happen when it happens.  in the mean time we are getting to know our beautiful baby girl and spending our days as a family of four.

thirty-nine weeks bumpdate

okay.  i know i've said that i've been ready for baby girl to make her appearance for awhile now.  but now ... i'm really ready.  get out of me now!  i have been having contractions for almost two weeks now.  they start and then they stop.  they get stronger and then they fizzle out.  please body, just pick something and stick with it for longer than a few hours!!  this week has been super crazy week.  not only have we been on baby alert all week, we've been mad packing our home all week.  things are looking like we'll actually be ready to move on thursday.  now if we could just make sure that baby girl doesn't decide to arrive thursday night we'd be laughing.

how far along? thirty-nine weeks

total weight gain:    haven't moved from 171 in almost three weeks.  i've put on a total of thirty-eight pounds with this pregnancy.  i'm looking very forward to delivering and instantly losing about ten.  best weight loss feeling.  ever.

maternity clothes? absolutely, except for my yoga pants.  those are still non-maternity.

stretch marks?  zero!

sleep:   what is sleep?  i find i actually get a better rest when i go down for an afternoon nap than i do when i go to bed at night.  i had about four nights in a row where i woke up at 1:30 in the morning and was awake until about five.  

best moment this week:    midwife appointment on tuesday where my bp was totally normal and both baby girl and i were doing great.  how could that not be the best moment??

miss anything?:  i miss everything.  i'm already missing our "old" house, even though we still live here.  it doesn't feel like home anymore.  pictures are off the walls, rooms are packed up.  it's no longer "us".

movement:  after every contraction she goes nuts.  i guess i would too if i were being squeezed from every direction.  

food cravings:   no, i don't even really feel all that hungry these days.  trying to make sure that i'm eating healthy food instead of convenient food.  an apple is just as convenient as those cookies are.  

anything making your queasy or sick: nope

gender: a little lady

labour signs:  contractions that are all over the place.  cervix is totally soft and almost out of the way.  and i'm four cm dilated already.  midwife could also feel baby girl's head and was adamant that as soon as i have really strong contractions (no matter how far apart) i call and we head to the birth centre.

symptoms:  can't feel my fingers in my right hand at night, 'nuff said.

belly button in or out? in

wedding rings on or off?   depends on the day and if i'm leaving the house.  

happy or moody most of the time?  is this a trick question??  a little of both.  moody because i'm uncomfortable.  happy because i know that i'm at the end.  

looking forward to:   having this baby.  seeing her face.  moving into our new house and making it our new home.  we have a lot coming up to be thankful for and to be looking forward to.  even though i'm doing a lot of complaining these last few weeks (thanks for not noticing) i do realize just how lucky we are and am thankful for everything we have and everything that's coming ... still being pregnant included.  : )

thirty eight point five ~ the most pregnant i've ever been

well here we are.  the most pregnant i've ever been.  i have mixed feelings about this.  on one hand, i know that the longer baby girl stays put the more practice she gets and more prepared she'll be.  on the other, i am beyond finished with my pregnancy and am so anxious and ready to meet her.  i've been having contractions since tuesday last week!!  thursday afternoon they started getting stronger and stronger and stronger.  we thought it was time, even called our midwife to give her the heads up.  by 7:30 pm they had completely stopped!  not going to lie i felt a little defeated.  then at 3:30 friday morning they started up again and stopped an hour later.  it was the same story sunday night too.  i know that a lot of women experience this.  liam's labour was SO different.   it was just BAM contractions and here we go.  none of this "let's get prepared shall we" crap.  i apologize for the crankiness, as a result of "practice" contractions i have been lacking some much needed sleep.  fingers and toes crossed that all this practice pays off and we meet baby girl soon, when she's ready.

how far along? thirty-eight weeks and five days

total weight gain:   no movement up or down on the scale this week.  

maternity clothes? i have lived in my yoga pants and leggings all week.  they are currently the only thing comfortable.

stretch marks?  zero!

sleep:   it has been terrible this week.  i haven't been sleeping at night.  the most i get is about three to four hours.  i make a point of taking a nap during the day so i'm not completely sleep deprived.  now i remember what it's like to have a newborn.  guess my body is just preparing me for the late night feeds.

best moment this week:   seeing the tile work being done at our new house.  so many things are happening and we're almost at move in day.  

miss anything?:  i miss being not pregnant.  really at this point in my last pregnancy i had my little boy in my arms.  i feel done, my body feels done.  i forgot how draining growing another life is.  mentally, emotionally and physically.  it's time.  really ... it's time.

movement:   still quite a bit of movement, although i'm pretty sure that there is a lack of space.  hey baby girl, you can move more easily on the outside.  just sayin'.  

food cravings:   none.  in fact quite the opposite.  i find i'm just not that hungry anymore.  i'm also more careful about what and how much i eat.  when i went into labour with liam i was very nauseous and vomited a few times.   

anything making your queasy or sick: nope

gender: a little lady

labour signs:  a lot of pelvis pressure, braxton hicks, lower back pain, nausea.  all the signs that point to baby girl making her appearance soon.

symptoms:  i've been very swelly lately and as a result i've got some carpel tunnel developing.  i thought i was going to get away without this one.  i had it really bad with liam from about thirty-two weeks on, but no sign of it with baby girl ... until now.  i completely lose feeling in my right hand constantly. 

belly button in or out? in

wedding rings on or off?   hurray for rain and cool weather, but still no ring wearing this week.  way too swollen.

happy or moody most of the time? trying so hard to stay happy.  i've had bits of moodiness throughout the week, i blame this on lack of "good" sleep.  when i start to feel snippy i try and push myself to a more positive perspective.  sometimes it works, sometimes not.  meh, bad moods happen.

looking forward to:   meeting our little lady.  i'm ready, totally and completely ready to meet her.  i want to hold her in my arms, see her face and get to know her personality.  we are ready for her to join our family.  liam is more and more interested in his "baby sisser" and talks to her and rubs my belly.  he is going to be such a great big brother.  and of course moving into our new house next thursday!!  can't wait, but still have so much to do.

the final countdown ~ thirty seven weeks

okay baby girl, you are now fully cooked and can join our family on the outside any time.  and really i encourage you to join us.  any time now.  i had a midwife appointment on thursday and bp was back to being in its normal low range.  i was very very very glad to hear this news.  means that my body is still doing a-okay with baby girl inside.  she's already in the right position for delivery and they expect that won't change.  also, her head is quite low in my pelvis ... perhaps she will come early??  if she's not here by tuesday then i will be the most pregnant i've ever been.  liam was born at thirty-seven weeks and five days.  she might be ready to come out or she might stay warm and cozy where she is.  we'll just wait and see.

how far along? thirty-seven weeks

total weight gain:   we've hit a total weight gain of 38 lbs. for this pregnancy at this point.  i'm pretty happy about this.  however, i am counting down the days until i'm given the okay to start running again after baby girl arrives.

maternity clothes? even maternity pants are becoming uncomfortable at this point.  i fear that from here on out i will live in pajama pants and/or yoga pants.  no judging allowed.

stretch marks?  zero!

sleep:   off and on this week.  very hard to get comfortable.  a result of the heat wave we're having and the giant watermelon i have as a belly.  thankfully i can nap during the day when liam goes down.  this is what's been happening all week instead of packing.  meh.  it'll get done eventually.

best moment this week:   picking saskatoon berries last weekend and then making jam with rob's mom and liam this week.  he had a blast playing with the berries, stirring and "making coffee" for us.  what a guy.

miss anything?:  seeing my feet.  not being swollen.  being cool and not over heating.  

movement:   yup.  she seems to be slowing down, guess there's not much room left for her to have dance parties anymore.

food cravings:   nothing comes to mind anymore.  still eating a ton of fruit and freezies.  

anything making your queasy or sick: nope

gender: a little lady

labour signs: still a lot of braxton hicks.  baby girl feels a little lower on the body and as a result my lower back is killing me and i have to pee every five minutes.

symptoms:  swelling in my hands and feet by the end of the day.  other than that nothing new and exciting.

belly button in or out? in

wedding rings on or off?   there was limited ring wearing this week.  fingers were a little swollen due to the heat.  i am keeping my little sausage fingers crossed that the forecast doesn't change because things cool off significantly next week and we even have a few days of rain coming. 

happy or moody most of the time? tired ... but happy.  really at this point i can't see myself getting moody.  even if i am sleep deprived.  we get to meet our little girl any time now.  how could i not be happy about that?!?!

looking forward to:   meeting our little lady.  she is now officially full term and can come along at any point.  who knows, if she's anything like her brother we could be meeting her before a thirty-eight week post.

nine months of belly love

wow!  can't believe that i'm almost at the end of my second pregnancy.  i remember when we found out that we were pregnant again, and how far away august seemed.  now we're here and about to have a baby girl.  no longer am i out numbered.  : )  i also remember thinking how pregnant i looked at the beginning, i kinda' forgot that you get a whole lot bigger by the end.

being that this was the second time round, there were definitely a few things that i did differently.  first, i was a lot more active throughout this pregnancy.  of course most of that was because i was chasing liam around all the time.  but i also kept going to yoga.  what a difference it has made.  not only in my mental well being, but also in the hip and back pain department.  i feel like my body is better prepared physically this time.  and my mind ... depends on the day, but i'm mentally prepared for labour.  been there, done that.  again, we're hoping for medication and intervention free.

i also attempted to eat a lot healthier throughout this pregnancy.  i say attempted because really, some of those cravings for chocolate just had to be dealt with.  like my pregnancy with liam, i craved a ton of fruit.  any kind of fruit really, but cantaloupe and watermelon have been and continue to be top favourites.  yogurt and chocolate soy are also must haves in our house and something i go through very quickly.  

another thing i did differently, aside from being a lot better at documenting this pregnancy, was to try and keep a little bit of style.  when i was pregnant with liam i didn't really care all that much about what i put on.  it just didn't seem that important.  for some reason, this time it did.  i also found that i was able to use more of my non-pregnant clothes longer and in more creative ways.  i had fun dressing the belly.  but now that i'm nearing the end, i've pretty much given up style most days.  comfort is the rule.

baby girl is considered term on friday, thirty-seven weeks.  i'm both nervous and excited about adding another little bundle to our family.  nervous because we are having a girl (hey i remember what i was like) and excited because we are having a girl.  also nervous about how liam is going to react to his little sister and her domination of my time.  currently he seems pretty interested in babies these days.  every time we go to a midwife appointment he always wants to see the babies and says hi to them.  then he'll say "baby sisser" to my tummy.  last night he even said he loved baby sisser.  i died.

 so for the next couple weeks it'll be time to enjoy our family of three.  pack up our all our belongings.  and get as "prepared" as one could for the craziness ahead.  bring on the memories, chaos, and adventure.

thirty-six weeks bumpdate

four weeks.  only four weeks!!!  as much as i'm wishing and hoping that baby girl arrives earlier than four weeks, i have been totally freaking out that that she'll be here in four weeks (or sooner).   have had some mini panic attacks moments this week.  how are we going to do this whole two kid thing?  are we ready for this?  is liam ready for this?  how are we supposed to pack our house and move everything with a toddler and brand new baby?  are we crazy?!?!  this is what has been plaguing me at three in the morning, that and ridiculous heartburn.  my saving grace happens to be my partner in all this chaos.  rob is so busy with the house, work, me, liam, packing, and everything else.  and yet, he stays cool as a cucumber and tells me to take it easy.  rest.  relax.  it'll all get done and we'll be great.  panic moment over.  because of him i know it'll all work out, we'll be okay and no ... we're not crazy.  for the time being anyways.

how far along? thirty-six weeks

total weight gain:   hovering around 169/170 lbs.  haven't moved up or down in weight for about three weeks now. 

maternity clothes? yes, but only the most comfortable ones at this point.  the belly is too big to comfortably stay in jeans for an extended period of time.  only a few more weeks of this though. 

stretch marks?  zero!

sleep:  this week started off horribly.  waking up at two in the morning and not falling back asleep until four or five.  then magically on wednesday it all changed.  still got up to pee at two, but fell right back asleep until eight!!  and i was able to get an hour nap in everyday this week.  made a big difference in how i've been feeling.  

best moment this week:  monday for sure.  i had a pre-natal massage booked and it was glorious!  my hips and back haven't felt that good in weeks ... and they still feel fantastic.  i'm thinking that another one might be in order.  pamper myself now because it's going to be awhile until it'll happen again.  

miss anything?:  pretty much anything that is not pregnancy related.  i miss my old clothes, the fact that i used to be able to see my feet, cold beer or a glass of wine.  yup, this is me feeling sorry for myself.  just excuse it for the time being.  all will be well in about two to four weeks.  and we get a wicked prize at the end of this pregnancy thing.  : )

movement:   she's flip flopping from side to side.  she's also dropped quite a bit in the last week.  felt her head at my appointment on thursday.  very happy to see that she's already moved into position.  

food cravings: lots and lots of water these days.  i feel like i'm thirsty all the time.  it reminds me of what it was like when i was breast feeding liam.  

anything making your queasy or sick: nope

gender: a little lady

labour signs: all kinds of contractions these days.  morning, noon and night.  nothing in the form of a pattern, but they are strong and coming more frequent.  body is really getting ready for the big day.

symptoms:  braxton hicks and heartburn.  my bp was a little on the high side (for me) at my appointment.  normal bp has been 110{ish}/70's and thursday it was 130/82.  midwife said nothing to really be concerned about ... yet.  we'll just keep an eye on it.

belly button in or out? in

wedding rings on or off?   wearing both rings again.  weather has been much cooler this week and i did a happy dance because we had rain for two days.  

happy or moody most of the time? happy.  definitely happy.  there is so much to do between chasing liam, packing the house, getting ready for baby girl (as much as we can) and trying to enjoy the last little bit of our life as a family of three and in the house we brought liam home to.  i'm starting to get a little sappy about leaving our house, there are so many memories here.  but at the same time i'm super excited and happy to start making new memories as our family of four in our new home.

looking forward to:   getting more things done.  we have a list ... a gigantic list.  slowly but surely we are crossing things off and that feels great.