Nursery Inspiration

 

Happy Friday everyone and happy belated Thanksgiving to all of my friends who are south of the border! Today is a happy day, the last work day of November…seems crazy to think that the year is almost done.

Today marks 21 weeks of pregnancy for Ryan and I. Being over half way done makes my brain start thinking of nursery plans. I keep reminding Ryan that we really have to get on this project. It’s doubtful that much will get done before Christmas but we will be in our third trimester by the end January and we need to get on it.

Even though we really haven’t started anything on the nursery, does not mean that I have not started planning it in my head. The plans all started years ago when we were renovating our home. The tiny room right near our bedroom is bare and I did not want to touch it until it was time to decorate it as a nursery. It was just one room I wanted to save until the time came.

I inherited an antique kitchen cabinet years ago. It is kind of a bulky piece of furniture and I wasn’t sure what to do with it. After much thinking I decided it might make a good change table. There is a large flat service to change the baby on and lots of storage, which is very important considering this small room does not have a closet!

Kind of looks like this…

The next important piece is the crib. I have never been a fan of the large cribs that change into multiple size beds. I wanted something more traditional (to go with the cabinet), gender neutral and not too expensive. I decided on white because trying to match wood tones from the cabinet would be impossible! It was also important to me that I had access to underneath the crib. Again, the nursery is very small and has no closet so I wanted to be able to use underneath the crib for extra storage!

Example:

I love this crib from Target because it is all of the things we (ok, actually just me) want. Plus, the inexpensive price tag is very nice too! 

I mentioned before that I have a canvas print that I had to wait to arrive so that I can match the colors. Originally I thought I’d be painting the walls grey but after looking at the painting I realized a more teal/grey would go better.

Last on the important nursery furniture list is a glider. Since I am planning on breastfeeding, a comfy chair is pretty important. I’m not a huge fan of the traditional glider chairs. Instead, I wanted a glider that could possibly be used in the house after baby (ies) were grown. The only problem, the non-traditional chairs are SO expensive. Thankfully while looking at Target online I came across this beauty. The dark grey color is exactly what I am looking for and the style does not scream “nursery”. The best part, being from Target, it will not break the bank.

Since I have the basics covered, I am now just playing around with accessories and fillers. And here are some pictures I love that I am using as inspiration…

It is so fun now that we are farther along in the pregnancy to get to plan the nursery. It really is the last room in our house that needs to be finished. I have purposely waited years and put off doing anything with this space. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the day is here and I get to start envisioning how the room will come together. It has to be one of the most fun rooms to plan but also one of the most stressful. As the pregnancy gets further along and the nesting instinct kicks in, I feel as though it is “crunch time” and I just want to get it done! Ryan better pick up his paint brush soon!  

Happy Friday!

xo

Baby W–19 Weeks

 

* Each bumpdate is from the week before. I am currently 20 weeks and 5 days pregnant.

19 Weeks as of November 15, 2013

This Week:

So much for sleeping in…the nice weather this week has brought on at least another full week of work at the farm. So I am saying “so long” to my dream of starting work at 7 AM and I am sipping on my hot chocolate at my desk at 5 AM.

Baby This Week:

Baby is the size of a Mango (yum!). Baby is also designating specialized areas in the brain for smell, taste, hearing, vision and touch! At this point, baby could also be sprouting some hair on it’s head! Also, its teeth are established now beneath the gums and the permanent teeth are forming behind those!

Maternity Clothes:

Oh yes! In the outfit above, I am wearing a maternity long sleeve shirt. I have about 5 of these shirts in assorted colors! They are so comfy! I love them because they are nice and long and I am not constantly pulling them down to cover my stomach. I have the same shirts in black and green and they will be my new work shirts to wear underneath my office sweater!

My sister-in-law also brought over two huge garbage bags full of maternity clothes! I sorted through them at 19 weeks 5 days pregnant and found some great things. The best part was that I found some summer stuff that will work great for our trip to Jamaica this winter!

Stretch Marks/Weight:

Nothing new in the form of stretch marks. Still putting on my lotion everyday! While I doubt it will actually help NOT get stretch marks, it doesn’t hurt and it certainly helps with the itchiness.

I actually remembered to weigh myself this week…two weeks in a row! I am up 1 pound since last week. At –7 since the beginning of the pregnancy. 

Movement:

Yes!! It’s official, something is squirming in there! It doesn’t feel like anything too crazy yet and it happens so suddenly that I feel like half the time I miss it! But, there’s movement!

Food Cravings/Aversions:

Very good eating week! Ryan even complimented me on the fact that almost every night this week we had sat down for a proper supper. While I still prefer snacking to eating a big meal, at least I can eat. Supper’s are still pretty plain and I much prefer bland food.

Still hate tomatoes, I don’t see this changing till baby is here. But there are a lot of foods I can eat now and enjoy! Loving mashed potatoes with butter, fruit of any kind and cereal.

Symptoms:

Growing belly. In the afternoon the belly feels really big. But in the mornings, this little ball on my stomach sticks out from everything else.

With the growing belly (and boobs!) comes some itchiness! And this may be too much info for some people but I want to remember it…I hardly even recognize my own nipples now. They seem so different then 19 weeks ago. Weird, I know. This was definitely one symptom I was not expecting. 

Still feeling tired sometimes but I think that is more to do with my long work days. On the days that I can’t fit in a 15 minute power nap I feel nauseous at night.

What I Miss:

I miss having more then one pair of black work pants to wear.

Labour Signs:

Nope!

Gender:

Team green all the way!

The Mayans determined the sex of the baby by taking the mothers age at conception and the year of conception. If both are even or both are odd, it’s a girl. If one is even and one odd, it’s a boy.

I was 25 when I got pregnant and in 2013…so according to the Mayans, it should be a girl!

Belly Button In or Out:

In

Wedding Rings On or Off:

On and especially loose in cold weather.

What I’m Looking Forward To This Week:

I am looking forward to my doctor’s appointment at 19 weeks and 6 days. It will probably be just a quick appointment but I like the reassuring sound of the heart beat at every appointment!

Looking forward to more defined and frequent movements!

Daddy This Week:

Daddy is more rested this week which makes everyone more happy! We have some free nights at home which has been nice! Daddy also moved Tucker into his new sleeping spot, our bedroom. Tucker has to get use to sleeping somewhere else now that we have the nursery to get ready!

Wisdom:

It may feel weird and slightly confusing as to what is going on in your tummy, but it is the baby moving. You may think it is gas or even a muscle spasm. I’m no expert but I am pretty sure that those sudden feelings is the baby.

Best Moment Of The Week:

Being pretty confident in the fact that the baby is moving. These funny movements happen at least one a day.

Getting the first thing needed for babies nursery! A painting that I had put on canvas that will hang on the wall. I had to wait till it came in so that the paint would match with the art work. It turned out better then expected and now I feel ready to get started on Project Nursery!

Doctors appointment went great. As I expected it was quick but it’s nice to hear the heartbeat and hear that everything looks normal.

xo

Weekend of Celebrating!

 

Happy Monday everyone! I hope that your weekend passed by so slowly! Our internet sucks here. There is nothing more annoying then having a blog post already to publish only to realize that you can’t because the internet has gone down! AH! That is what happened to me on Friday (and probably will today too!). Life in a small town…

Either way, I want to write down and remember this past weekend! It was full of activity!

As I mentioned in my post on Friday, I am now 20 weeks pregnant…half way there! To a lot of preggers, that is a big milestone! Ryan and I left work early to run a couple of errands before picking up my parents at the airport. We decided (ok, it was me who decided because I had been craving cactus cut potatoes) to grab lunch at Boston Pizza! When the waitress asked for our drink orders I ordered my usual and Ryan got a beer. I told him to get the larger size as celebration for being 20 weeks! He liked that kind of celebration!  

Saturday morning Ryan had to work at 2 AM but then arrived home around 5 AM and slept. I woke up around 6 and while Ryan slept, I got to work on some things for the upcoming party that night! While I was working away in front of the TV, Tucker was snuggled in close to the fireplace with his lobster. It was the first time I had turned it on this fall/winter.

When Ryan finally woke up we got dressed and headed to the nearest town for some last minute party supplies and breakfast! We quickly headed back home and got to work on some last minute food prep. After the afternoon of resting, we were ready to party. Ryan is the best man in Luc and Lisa’s wedding for this coming January. There was a great group of people who braved the weather to head out to celebrate this couple and their upcoming nuptials.

The night literally flew by! It was great to visit with so many of our closest friends! It was only the last hour that really dragged on when there was hardly anyone left in the bar and I was ready to head home. After driving the bride and groom back home at the end of the night we were finally home and ready for bed by 3 AM…yikes! Let’s just say that it was not easy getting out of bed the next day! I actually felt hung over except I never (obviously) had even a sip of any alcohol.

I spent the morning relaxing and joined Ryan for lunch at my parents house. We headed home in the early afternoon and I felt as though I needed to be productive, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. 

So, Ryan and I hauled out all of our Christmas storage boxes! Slowly we puttered away and putting out garland, trees and a few smaller decorations. We still have both tree’s to actually decorate and a couple more boxes of stuff to set out but it was a good start!

That night I made some homemade soup and bread for supper. It had been a super chilly weekend and nothing warms the soul like homemade soup!

We cuddled in with our supper in front of the T.V for the Grey Cup (Canadians equivalent to Super Bowl) but then went to bed super early as we were both falling asleep on our chairs.

It was such a busy weekend with lots of running around and not a lot of sleep. I am sure it’s going to take us another good night’s sleep to catch up but so worth it as we had a blast all weekend long!

How was your weekend?

xo

Favourites As Of Lately…

 

Due to our internet being down all Friday long I was unable to publish this post. But, I want post it regardless to remember being 20 weeks as of Friday!

___________________________________________________________________________

Happy Friday everyone! Another work week is over and I am so thankful. I REALLY hope that my work days start later soon! For once, I kind of want winter to happen.

Sometimes it feels like the world around me is going a million miles a minute and I am just tagging along for the ride. Its like I blink and some big huge change in life has taken place. It’s not that I am not enjoying moments, I am. But sometimes when things happen so fast it’s hard to appreciate the little things. So, today I thought I would share with you some of my favourite things as of lately. I want to keep mental note of the things that make me happy lately.

I had a moment of Déjà vu this week when my brother brought me over 2 huge garbage bags full of maternity clothes. My sister-in-law asked him to bring it over to me to see if there was anything I could use. Of course this brought a big smile to my face but what made the memories flood my brain was thinking of my childhood. It was like Christmas morning when my cousins’ mom would bring big bags (like this) of clothes over to the house as hand-me-downs! I LOVED going through them and checking out all the new clothes! I always looked up to my older cousins and so I was honoured (and excited) to be wearing the “cool” clothes that were being passed down to me!

Of course I was able to find lots of stuff in the bags of maternity clothes! Some of the greatest finds were shorts and summer tops! I wasn’t sure what I was going to do for our Jamaica trip this winter (live in a bathing suit, maybe?) but now I have a great wardrobe to pack in my suitcase! The best part is that all these clothes are “new” to me so it is like going shopping! I spent all Wednesday night playing dress up like a little girl again!

This week Ryan and I have both been home at a decent hour every night. We are able to eat supper together and then have the night to ourselves. Our tired bodies could easily go to bed at 6:30-7 PM but we feel like complete losers when we do that. So, in order to stay awake and enjoy the time together we have been turning off the T.V and bringing out the playing cards. Ryan and I are pretty competitive and love to play cards and other board games. I have even been doing some baking in the evenings (2nd trimester…HEAVEN!) and while the stuff is cooking we’ll play at the kitchen island! Check out the homemade blueberry muffins in the background.

I was a little worried that the longer Ryan and I were together, the less time we would want to spend together. I guess I just figured when you get use to someone you don’t have to be around them as much. Luckily, this hasn’t been the case. I love that Ryan will GLADLY turn off any T.V show to spend time playing a game of cards with me. We just genuinely like to spend time together. It doesn’t have to be fancy at all. A simple uninterrupted night at home is just perfect.

Now that I am able to eat and somewhat cook more, I have been meal planning again. While I don’t do EVERY night because usually I can count on one nauseous night, I have been better at bringing together recipes again for suppers.

The other night we were having BBQ pork chops for supper and I decided to make some of my favourite potatoes that my mom use to make me. When I was little if my mom made these potatoes, I was guaranteed to eat. The best part? It is SO simple! Peeled and thinly sliced potatoes on a pan, put a little piece of butter or margarine on each slice and sprinkle with celery salt (I just use Caesar rimmer). Pop them in the 400 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes! So simple and yet so yummy! I can’t help but think of my mom when making them!

Finally, a super exciting milestone this morning has got me in a great mood. While this isn’t an “official” bump date, I can’t help but mention that today marks 20 weeks pregnant. Meaning, we are half way there! Woo Hoo! It’s a magical number that you wait to hit when you first find out you are pregnant. At the time, it feels SO far away! Then it has finally arrives and you feel like celebrating…which I just plan to do!  

Happy Friday!

xo

Baby W–18 Weeks

 

* Each bumpdate is from the week before. I am currently 19 weeks and 5 days pregnant.

18 weeks as of November 8, 2013

This Week:

Feeling very much like pre-pregnant Lindsay. Kind of weird because my midsection says otherwise! But I have a lot more energy, a better appetite and just feel very “normal”. Work is winding down for the season! I have also been feeling very much in the Christmas mood! As my iTunes was playing shuffled songs I DIDN’T forward over the Christmas ones!

Baby This Week:

Baby is the size of a sweet potato this week (YUM!) and its limbs should have lots of movement as the bones keep getting stronger. There is apparently lots of rolling, stretching and punching going on in there!

Maternity Clothes:

YES! I am still in my regular work shirts and sweaters but the sweater has to stay closed! The work shirt is rising higher and  making me look more like a Hillbilly! The work pants are still the greatest. The above outfit is mostly maternity. Maternity skinny jeans and maternity white long sleeve shirt and red loose sweater that is non-mat.

Stretch Marks/Weight:

Finally remembered to weigh myself this week! It’s so odd to be going through this time where I don’t need to obsess about weight and size. It’s a very freeing feeling!

I gained another 2 pounds since the last time I weighed-in during week 16. So at –8 pounds since the beginning of the pregnancy.

No new stretch marks and I am using my cream every day! I do find my belly getting itchy on occasion now though.

Movement:

I don’t know...at 18 weeks, 6 days I MAY have felt movement but it only happened once and could have been gas? I have no idea. Waiting for it to happen again so that I can confirm or deny the fact that it was Baby W moving!

Food Cravings/Aversions:

Had my first “I need this food NOW or ELSE” movement at exactly 18 weeks. I was dying for some plain chocolate ice cream. The kicker, it HAD to be plain chocolate with nothing else in it. Ryan said he would run to the local convenience store to see if they had any and said, “What if they don’t have any?”

I said, “Then drive to Shawville (30 minutes away).”

Lucky for him they had it at the local store. He also picked up a bag of Dill Pickle chips for a movie we were watching that night. So, I ate pickle chips and ice cream..Can you say typical preggo craving? Ha ha!

Went to Lonestar at 18 weeks 1 day and tried to eat the Salsa but got violently ill after one bite. *Stay away from the tomatoes Lindsay…*

Symptoms:

Big ol’ growing belly! As usual, the belly is a lot bigger in the afternoons then the mornings. Feeling very good though in every other way!

Been told 3 times this week that I am glowing! Talk about a nice feeling! And you know what, I kind of feel like I am glowing too! I am no longer sick and just feel on top of the world lately!

One of the best pregnancy symptoms as of lately is the awesome hair! Thank you hormones and extra vitamins for my luscious locks! My hair is shiny, getting thicker and growing so quickly! 

What I Miss:

Truthfully, nothing this week.

Labour Signs:

No

Gender:

Keeping things neutral still! I love to watch people’s reaction when they learn we aren’t going to find out the sex of the baby. It seems the younger generation people think it’s nuts not to know and the older generation thinks it is great.

Ryan has been calling baby “He” a lot lately by accident and I think he is leaning towards thinking it is a boy.

Belly Button In or Out:

Innie! Finally, at 18 weeks 1 day, I took out my belly button ring. It was kind of a sad moment as I felt like I was letting go of a piece of my youth. But, my belly button feels SO much better now without it!

Wedding Rings On or Off:

On!

What I’m Looking Forward To This Week:

Looking forward to putting up Christmas lights this week! It’s suppose to be a super warm this weekend and I want to put them up without freezing our bums off!

Also looking forward to supper with Ryan’s parents on Wednesday and supper with friends Amanda and Josh on Saturday.

Daddy This Week:

Alright baby, Mommy has to be honest here, Daddy has been a little bit of a pain in my butt this week. When Daddy is tired he gets extra grumpy or extra hyper. I don’t know if it’s the change of the weather but Daddy has been both. Not to mention Daddy has been really hogging the bed this week and ruining my sleep! Lucky for Daddy he got Mommy ice cream and that made the world better.

Wisdom:

Yoga is your friend. This momma LIVES for Monday’s which is Yoga night. Sometimes I have these aches and yoga usually makes them go away! Not to mention I feel so much stronger mentally after a great class! Love my awesome yoga instructor for adjusting some of the moves for me and bambino.

And, it might have seemed silly at the beginning to take pictures so early on but do it anyways! Sometimes you don’t feel like you have changed at all but when you compare the pictures it is so neat to see the difference!

8 weeks versus 18 weeks!

Best Moment Of The Week:

Being told that I am glowing 3 separate times! I have to say even with the bigger belly, I have never felt better about myself. I don’t know if it’s the mix of hormones or just accepting early on that this is my situation and I don’t need to obsess over every calorie that goes into my body (or how differently my body will look). I feel as though I am eating sensibly and I am truly feeling healthier then ever before.

Also, I have to say going to Ryan’s parents place for supper on Wednesday was AWESOME! I have a hard time cooking supper since the beginning of this pregnancy. Not only am I exhausted after a 12 hour work day but cooking food just kind of grosses me out right now. We had a delicious supper (and dessert!) with Bev and Eugene and I didn’t have to cook a thing. I think Ryan and I both left there that night so satisfied after the big meal.

xo 

Fun Weekend With Little Plans! Christmas On The Brain!

 

Happy Monday everyone! I am super sad to see the weekend over. Honestly, I was a little too hopeful that more things would get done! There is always next weekend, right?

The weekend started out great with a girls night right across the road from my house. My sister-in-law was hosting a Usborne Book party. It was great to chat with some girls and I am very pleased to say that I have officially started my Christmas shopping!

Saturday morning Ryan and I hit the road and grabbed breakfast at Tim Hortons! We had 4 partly used gift cards that we were happy to use up! We ended up not paying a cent for breakfast!

We quickly got his hockey shakes sharpened and then headed to grab some fresh groceries for the week!

After resting for a little bit and having lunch, we decided to hit the road again to head to Shawville for a hockey game. First, we decided to stop in and say “Hi” to the newest member of the family (Ryan’s side). Beautiful Sophie was born in October and is the sweetest thing! I got to have lots of cuddles and had a great visit with Mommy! 

It was hard handing Sophie back over but Ryan and I had to get to the rink to watch a very special guys hockey game! Brodee was a great little skater and the whole team was so fun to watch! They were so little and so cute skating up and down the ice! Brodee even scored a goal and we were so excited to be there to watch it! His huge smile after his goal was priceless!

We chatted with Brodee and his Mom Kerry for a while before heading back home to rest up for a fun evening ahead. Friends Amanda and Josh had invited us over for a supper and games night! They made sure that we also brought Tuck along so that their puppy Scooter had a play date! Tucker loves car rides but when we were driving through town he had to get right up to look out the window at all the cars and people! He was so nosey!

We had a delicious meal (and dessert!). I had even brought a little non-alcoholic champagne to enjoy! We settled in for a few rounds of domino’s, which I am happy to report that I WON! Woo hoo! It was so much fun sitting around laughing and playing Domino’s with two of our best friends.

Right before supper Amanda had brought out this large gift bag and handed it to me. I was a little confused as it wasn’t my birthday or Christmas time yet! When I opened the bag and reached in I could feel the softest material ever! Amanda and Josh had found this neutral plush and blanket set and bought it for Baby W! I was so excited and touched by their thoughtfulness! Baby W is already SO spoiled!

I especially loved the tag! It’s sometimes still not a reality that this is happening…That Ryan and I are having a baby! It’s like it’s a dream!

Sunday Ryan headed off to hockey and I headed to church. After church Jill and her Mom came over for coffee so that we could discuss a couple things involving church fundraisers! You may remember last year Ryan and I had our home on the Christmas House Tour. This is an amazing night where all of the proceeds go to our church. This year we have 5 new stops and I am pretty excited to actually be able to go house-to-house this year!

I settled in for the afternoon with a mountain of laundry that I wanted to get done. Luckily, on T.V there is a great movie station that has been playing non-stop Christmas movies on the weekends! During commercials I would get up and run around getting stuff done and then settle back into the couch until the next commercial! It was a great afternoon of relaxing but also getting things done (or at least whatever I could get done during the commercials!). I had hoped that we could get our Christmas lights hung up outside but it was a yucky rainy day! Here’s hoping we can get it done next weekend before snow flies!

How was your weekend?

xo

Keeping It Neutral!

 

Happy Friday everyone! It has suddenly turned from winter to spring here in this small town! +10 the last 2 days and more spring-like weather on the weekend! Welcome to Canada...

There’s a lot of questions people ask you when you are pregnant but by far the most popular is, “Do you know what you are having?”

It’s very common now for couples to find out the sex of their baby prior to delivery. And I see why people would want to know! It’s exciting to find out that gender of your baby so that you can focus on names, nursery colors and imagining life with a little boy or girl. But, there are still a few people that like the surprise and we are one of those couples.

When Ryan and I use to talk about having kids he was adamant on the fact that he would want to find out the sex of the baby. He explained that he just didn’t like the idea of a surprise and having to wait that long to find out. It was definitely something we didn’t agree on but went along our daily lives.

Then the day happened when it became a reality…we were going to be parents. We were going to be asked a lot in the coming weeks if we wanted to know the sex of the baby. We had to come to an agreement.

Thinking I had a big argument in front of me I planned out all of my rebuttal points but when I asked him if he still wanted to find out the sex of the baby he said, “no, not really. It really doesn’t matter”.   

I was shocked but very happy that we had come to an agreement so easily. I just love the idea of after all this time of carrying the baby and then through the marathon called labour, that the doctor finally says, ”It’s a…”. It’s like all the hard work had come down to that moment. That I might be able to give it just a little more effort in order to FINALLY know if we have a son or daughter.

I have loved to watch people’s reaction when they find out we are not going to find out the gender. There are some people that look at you like you are crazy and then there are the ones who are pleased about the surprise. I am also enjoying hearing what people’s guesses are and what their theory is. The things that people believe in are hilarious and no at all scientifically proven but I love to hear them all. 

I know that I am suppose to have this “mother’s instinct” as to what I am having. Truthfully though, I don’t know. I could probably come out with a far fetched guess with what I am feeling it is but that is all it would be. And, I am keeping that guess to myself. I don’t want to make the wrong prediction for fear of looking like I wanted one gender over the other. So for now, I am keeping everyone else’s predictions locked up in my brain for future reference. To see who’s wives tales were correct and which were not.

As of right now, Ryan and I hope to have at least another child. We will not find out the sex of any future children either. Being that we will not know the sex of the first baby everything we plan will be gender neutral. The nursery, clothes and other baby supplies will be good for either a boy or a girl. This will really come in handy with the next baby as everything will be ready even if they are of opposite sex.

My brother now has 3 children. We did not know the sex of any of those babies. Being that we work and live so close to one another I always knew when it was “time” and the baby would be arriving. As excited as I would be for the actual birth, what I was REALLY looking forward to was that phone call that would announce, “It’s a boy or girl”. It was like Christmas morning waiting for that moment!

Now I have my own “Christmas morning” feeling as the days get closer to d-day! I love this feeling of surprise and anticipation as we wait for Baby W. At times I talk to the baby saying, “Who are you little one? Mommy’s little girl or little boy?”

Now it’s your turn, tell me…If you don’t have a baby, would you find out the gender? And if you do (or are about to) did you find out or will you? And why or why not? What are your thoughts!

xo

Baby W–17 Weeks

 

* Each week is from the week before. I am currently 18 weeks, 5 days!

17 weeks as of November 1, 2013

This Week:

Elections are over! Sad to say that the outcome wasn’t as I had hoped. But, it really was a great experience and I am proud to have stood my ground on what I believe in for our community. My only hope is that our new council will realize that the concerns of 1 small community committee does not speak for “the people”. That there are many more members of this community who do not belong to this committee (or any committee for that matter) and their concerns matter too!

Baby This Week:

Baby W’s skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone. Babies lifeline, the placenta is getting thicker and stronger. Baby is now about 5 inches long and 5 ounces, about the size of an onion!

Maternity Clothes:

Yes! Still loving my maternity work pants! They are SO comfy. The above outfit was purchased during my birthday shopping spree from Ryan. The leggings are maternity and feel so much better then my regular ones I have been wearing. The full panel feels so much better then an elastic digging into my midsection. The white tank is maternity but doesn’t really fit the best (need a bigger belly!) but is nice and long! The shirt is non-maternity from old navy but gives some room for future growth. I foresee belts, like the one pictured above, will become a staple in my wardrobe.

Stretch Marks/Weight:

Actually, nothing new to report. I forgot to weigh myself this week. I am still applying cocoa  butter daily and nothing new in the stretch mark department.

Movement:

I really wish I had something to report in this category but unfortunately I haven’t felt a thing. I know it's still considered early but I was just hoping Baby W would be an early achiever! Ha ha! Can’t wait to feel the first flutters! 

Food Cravings/Aversions:

Still hating anything tomato related and certain meats but more so when I actually cook it myself. I love ice cold water, fruit cups, cereal and cheese!

Symptoms:

Wow..this was the first time I have looked at this category and had to think about what symptoms I have been feeling. What a difference from the first trimester! I guess the only big symptom as of lately is the expanding belly. It’s definitely getting harder and more pronounced.

I have been suffering from a cold for the majority of the week and although it always sucks to be sick, there seems to be something about being pregnant that makes it worse. Maybe it’s the fact that there is little you can take to relieve the symptoms.  

Oh and bursting into UGLY cry while driving down the road listening to “Don’t Take The Girl”. Sobbing my head off listening to this music brought on some funny looks for people who were passing by me in the fast lane.

What I Miss:

Nyquil? Really I think that is the only big thing. Oh AND I REALLY wanted a glass of wine this past weekend. After the long election day and disappointing results, my parents came over for a drink afterwards. While everyone else enjoyed a glass of wine, I sipped on water.

Labour Signs:

Nothing yet!

Gender:

Team green! I still have no mother’s instinct as to what I am having. I hate to guess because really that is all it would be! I have no strong feelings towards which gender it is. Someone came up to me this weekend and said I was having a girl because of how sick I was in the beginning. I think Ryan’s parents are leaning towards girl as well.

Belly Button In or Out:

Innie!

Wedding Rings On or Off:

On and especially loose with the colder weather we have been having lately.

What I’m Looking Forward To This Week:

I am looking forward to a somewhat quiet weekend ahead. Not too much is planned and I love the change of pace.

Daddy This Week:

Daddy was really great during elections which I had no doubt. Again, Mommy is so glad to have him support her in everything she does. Just so you know little one, never have any doubt that Daddy will be there for you in everything you do! No matter what it is, he will be there to support and cheer you on. Even if it something that he really doesn’t enjoy! It’s because Daddy loves you and wants nothing more then to make you happy.

Wisdom:

Being sick while pregnant kind of sucks. Also, I always knew that I couldn’t do all-nighters anymore but I learnt that fact even more on Sunday. After only 2 hours of sleep I attempted to go to work Monday morning. I went home for breakfast and fell asleep for 3 hours while still holding my cereal bowl. Woops.

Best Moment Of The Week:

Taking it easy. I spent the week going to bed super early in order to get fight this cold and catch up on some much needed sleep! Literally, bed every night at 7:30! With the added sleep and extra time at home I have also found myself puttering around cleaning house again. Pre-nesting? Maybe. Either way, it’s been nice to spend some much needed time at home with nothing planned.

Also, Ryan’s Mom (and dad) picked up an Elf On The Shelf for us this weekend! I always LOVED the idea of hiding the little elf every night! The best part is that we got it BEFORE Christmas so Ryan and I are going to practice! We are going to take turns hiding our Elf every night for the other person to find! I’m sure we’ll find some creative places!  

Linking up with Mama and Mou!

xo 

Weekend Recap!

 

Happy Monday everyone! I hope that your weekend was great! I know mine was! A relatively quiet weekend…a first for a long time!

The weekend started off with a change of plans! Originally, Ryan and I were going to have a visit with a new baby in the family and then join friends for supper. I got a text from Ryan later Friday afternoon saying that he would be home later then expected. So our night out of the house ended up being a quiet night at home. By the time Ryan got home, parked the truck and took a shower, it was time for a later supper and relaxing. We decided to rent a movie off the TV. Ryan picked White House Down which I was a little sceptical about. But, it ended up being a pretty good movie! We both enjoyed it (RARE!).

Saturday morning Ryan was up early to head out to hunt and I laid awake in bed until about 7. Finally, I got up and got ready for the day! The first stop of the day was a craft and bake sale being held in the Elementary School in town. I have a lot of fond memories in this tiny school since it was where I attended! I was able to score some yummy baked goods before heading home.

When I got home, Ryan was all ready and waiting for me at the door. We decided since this was a nice quiet weekend, we would do our November date! We knew that things would start to get busy at the end of the month leading into December! We ended up having a great date…but more on that another time!  

Just as we were leaving the city it had started snowing! We looked at each other and knew immediately what that meant! All year around our lives revolve around the weather but more so in the winter. Both of our phones started going off like crazy and when we got home Ryan had just enough time to change his clothes before hopping in a truck and heading back to the city for the night.

It was a quiet night for me at home alone. Ryan had to spend the night in the city watching the snow because it was cold enough to accumulate. I decided to catch up on some laundry and watch TV. I couldn’t believe it when I turned the channel to one of my favourite movie stations….they were playing Christmas movies all night!

Part of me was saying , “change the channel, it was too early for Christmas movies”. But, a bigger part of me is wrapped up in the excitement of Christmas this year! So, I watched a Christmas movie! I know some people would be shaking their heads and saying that it was too early. That I should have waited until after Remembrance Day. But, on a quiet Saturday night I was so content snuggled in at home watching this cheery Christmas flick.

Does it make it any better that it was a Hallmark Christmas movie that very little people have heard of?

Sunday morning it was off to church and then back to my parents for a visit before heading to the Cenotaph service in town. It was a cold and miserable day to be standing outside for the service but it is something I feel inclined to do every year. I have a couple of relatives that get wreaths laid in their honour for their service to the war and I always like to be there to watch in Remembrance of their sacrifice.

It was a quiet night at home that evening as Ryan was exhausted from his night shift at work in the snow. It was early bed for us both to start another (hopefully one of the last!) busy week at work!

How was your weekend?

xo 

Fall Blogger Swap Link Up

 

 

Hello again lovies! I hope everyone’s Friday is FLYING by!

I know, 2 posts in one day…what the heck? But it’s very important! Today I wanted to link up with K, Britt, Megan and Laura for the blogger fall swap they hosted!

Back in October I noticed that some of my favourite bloggers were hosting a Fall swap! I immediately went to try and sign up but unfortunately it was open to US residents only….bummer! 

Once the sign up time was over my good friend K from Down at Fraggle Rock sent me an email saying they were one person short! She asked if I would still be interested and if I was, she would be my partner!!

Well it took me all of about 3 seconds before I responded, “YES!!”

Not only was I so excited to be included in the Fall Blog Swap but I was able to send something to one of my dearest blogging buddies! K and I got to know each other when we were both planning our weddings! We stayed in close contact the whole time and even afterwards. She was and continues to be someone who I can openly talk to about any life concerns.

What’s even more special is now we are going through another huge life milestone together. We are both expecting our first babies and only about a month apart! It was fate that introduced us via this crazy blogging world but now I can seriously call her real life friend!

K sent me the sweetest package! I was SO excited to receive it in the mail and I was so touched by her awesome note!

Inside K included a super soft scarf (which I wore all last weekend!), a delicious smelling candle and an awesome tumbler (girl knows I am LOVING the water these days!)! But, my most favourite part of the package was what she included for Baby W! “I Love You Through and Through” is a sweet baby book that brought me to tears as I read it! I cannot wait to read it to Baby W and tell baby that it came from its future bestie/boyfriend!

Thank you so much K for the awesome package! You are so thoughtful and I have loved getting to know you!

xo

Year of Dates– October

 

OH HAPPY, HAPPY DAY! Happy Friday! It’s amazing how ones mood is instantly more happy on a Friday! I just look forward to the fact that I’ll get a couple extra hours of sleep over the next couple of days! Woo hoo!

Now that we are well into November (Ya, I don’t know how that happened either!) I figured I should update you all on how our year of dates is going. So far, we haven’t missed a month yet! Some dates had to be slightly altered but the point is that we took some time out every month to be with each other. No interruptions, just me and Ryan…one on one! This month was no different.

October was Ryan’s turn to plan. We had agreed that the months (March and October) were there were birthdays, we would spend a little bit more money and it would be our gift. My man really did a great job of planning something he knew I had always wanted to do. The only problem was that with elections, my birthday and thanksgiving all rolled into the month of October. Which meant Ryan’s date couldn’t happen 100% how he/we had wanted.

Forgot to take a picture of the date planned but it was to head down to the States for a weekend of shopping!

A weekend away to anywhere would have been wonderful this time of year. A break from the norm was just what we needed but it wasn’t possible. But, we still wanted to celebrate my birthday somehow and Ryan wanted to take me shopping. We decided a full day in the city (lunch included) was the new plan. The part that made the date so special for me was that I got to plan ALL of the stops! No complaints or suggestions from Ryan. Seems cruel but Ryan wanted it to be my day. He was very good at smiling and biting his tongue as I told him all my plans for our day!

I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted to shop for. Being that I was well into my second trimester during our shopping trip I knew it was safe to start looking at baby stuff. It was more for fun then to actually purchase anything. I also knew that my pants had a short shelf life. They were getting more and more tight by the day. I needed to make some new wardrobe purchases.

When it came to maternity clothes I knew I wanted to be just as frugal as my everyday life. In fact, maybe more. I knew that the clothes had a short time period in my life and I wouldn’t want to spend a fortune on these items. The other thing? In my field of work, I wear a uniform. All I needed was a black shirt and a black pair of pants and that would cover my Monday to Friday clothing options. But, I am occasionally out in public for Church and other events and I would like to look somewhat presentable.

I wanted to be able to use as much of my current wardrobe as possible. Being pregnant in the winter gave me lots of sweaters and cardigans that will work for the bump. But, I needed some stables to mix and match. I ran to the internet to get a few outfit inspirations.

This look did not make me list…

But, these ones did! I loved how these Momma’s-to-be used layering pieces from their current pre-baby closets!

Ok this girl is CLEARLY not pregnant but again, love the layers!

So, that’s what my plan was! A couple pairs of jeans/pants (2 pairs of jeans which I found at Value Village for $5 each!), some layering tanks/shirts and leggings! That was it. I am confident that I don’t need that much. I believe with a few basics and some open cardigans I can make it through this pregnancy without spending a small fortune!

With my list in hand, Ryan and I hit the road to Ottawa at 7 AM. We stopped for breakfast at McDonalds (because we are fancy like that) and then made our way over to our first stop, Target.

I had been to Target before in the States and was hoping our Canadian versions would be as good. I have to say I was very disappointed. Not very well stocked at all! I had hopes that their maternity section would be as good as the Targets in the U.S but unfortunately it was one small rack of t-shirts. 

Needless to say it was a quick trip to Target but we did see a crib there that we liked and will probably go back for at some point!

Our next stop was Old Navy. Thankfully most Old Navy’s in Canada now have a great selection of Maternity clothes! The one we visited in Ottawa was no different! I grabbed some great staples here and tried on a mountain of stuff! I came home with skinny jeans, 1 sweater, 2 tank tops and couple regular (aka non-maternity) blousy shirts from Old Navy!

All that trying on of clothes was starting to make me tried so I quickly told Ryan to make a stop at the local mall. He was so confused. This wasn’t on my list and he knows I am not one to detour from a plan! But, I knew of this great little salon that always has openings! Ryan realized immediately what was happening. Ryan got some time in to shop for a new hockey stick while I got a glorious pedicure!

After tragically dropping and breaking my good Canon camera, we stopped in to look and purchase a new one! Thankfully, that day Future Shop was having a GREAT sale on last years stock of camera’s and we got a great camera for almost half off!

My last stop was Thyme Maternity. I was a little hesitant for this store. While I knew their selection would be great, I also knew that I would get sticker shock at the prices. I have to admit I was very excited to walk into a store that I didn’t have to go searching for the maternity section! The selection was endless! But, as I had suspected the prices were high. I grabbed a few basics and headed to the change room. As I was trying things on I started feeling so happy and confident. I think it’s because I was no longer trying on clothes that I wasn’t sure would fit me. It was clothes that were now meant to fit my new body. And I have to admit, the price justified the quality! I purchased my black work pants, black leggings and 3 basic shirts there. We must have had luck on our side that morning because a sale had brought my total bill to 50% off! We saved so much money on these expensive basics. 

Shopping is hard work and I was SO ready for lunch by the end of this store. Being as it was MY day, I got to chose anywhere I wanted to eat. Ryan is a fairly picky eater and usually we end up at the same restaurant. BUT not on this date! I chose a family (and personal) favourite, Swiss Chalet!

I have great memories of eating at Swiss Chalet as a kid. It’s where my parents always took my brother and I for our birthdays. Just like when I was a kid, I ordered my Shirley Temple to drink and ribs for lunch! Ryan doesn’t like Swiss Chalet but he ate there happily because he knew how much I enjoy it! I left a very full and content preggers!

I was happy to be heading home early afternoon to spend some time with my new purchases! I have taken over one of the spare bedrooms as sort of my “maternity closet”.  

Ryan and I were both sad that we didn’t get to have our weekend away together. Other obligations and responsibilities had us staying close to home. Many people I spoke to were surprised that I was taking a whole Saturday off from campaigning before the big election. It was a great opportunity to knock on people’s door and see them. But I would answer those people very honestly and openly saying; my husband is (and always will be) more important. I love this community but my family (husband and child(ren) included) will always be what comes first in my life.

The month of October was very busy for us with work, elections and regular life. We hardly spent any time together and it was important for us to spend at least a few hours just being husband and wife. We had a great time just holding hands and chatting with the 2 hours of travel time we had to and from the city. We got to talk and dream about Baby W and all that is to happen in the next few months. It gave us both an opportunity to stop, stand back and reconnect. Sometimes life flies by you so quickly that it is hard to grasp on to what’s around you. October’s date was just what we needed!

Hope you have a great weekend!

xo