Maternity Pictures

 

Happy Friday everyone! It’s a busy place here at the Turf Farm today! Today is our annual client snowmobile trip! The office is just a buzz with sled fumes, Bailey’s for the coffee and men all excited to spend a day out on the trails! Being that my snowmobile suit doesn’t fit me this year, I am suck here working today but will luckily be meeting everyone for lunch!

As I had mentioned before, I had a wonderful weekend last weekend. Saturday started out by getting some maternity pictures taken by the wonderful Lena from Lena B Photography!

Truthfully, I didn’t think getting maternity pictures done was something I would be all that interested in doing. Sometimes you don’t feel your best. I mean your body has been taken over by this little human and looks completely different then it did months prior. You are are large and in charge.

Then something changed my mind. You see I know I have this huge belly but I don’t hate it. Do I LOVE being pregnant? Not really. But, I am also soaking up the moments before our family of two grows. It will never be just “Ryan and I” again. We don’t know for sure or not if we will have another baby of our own and so I thought it would be nice to capture some belly shots in case in never happens again. And the best part? We had so much fun getting out on the beautiful winter day giving the belly lots of rubs and action. At one point when we both had our hands on my belly and the baby was squirming like crazy. It was like baby was trying to be part of all the photo-shoot as well.

So, without further adieu here are some of the wonderful moments that were capturing by Lena!

Happy Friday!

xo

Baby W–32 Weeks

 

* Each bumpdate is from the week before. I am currently 33 weeks and 5 days pregnant!*

32 Weeks as of February 14, 2014

This Week:

8 weeks and counting! Feeling like I am coasting along to the finish line! Had an amazing baby shower this week and have had so much fun delicately looking at each and every baby item! I can spend so much of my time imagining life with a baby and using these items.

Ended up having to go for the “dreaded” glucose test this week so that my paperwork could be properly submitted. I have to say it wasn’t at all as horrible as some people say it is! I actually enjoyed it the drink! I was getting thirsty and it was nice and cold and refreshing!

Baby This Week:

Baby is probably feeling pretty cramped now as it is getting so much bigger! According to How To Be A Dad if your computer is 17” long then that is how long the baby is! The baby is gaining about 1/2 pound a week and tipping the scales right now at over 4 pounds!  The lanugo hair is starting to shed and the digestive system is all ready to go! Baby has fingernails and toenails now too!

Maternity Clothes:

Yes! I am sure I will want to burn my work pants and shirts when this pregnancy is over as they will be SO worn out! They are all I wear! Finding a workout shirt that my stomach doesn’t stick out of is becoming an issue. I just have to wear Ryan’s for now as I hate moving around and then constantly tugging my shirt down. Some of my old zip up sweaters I can’t even wear now because they look so funny. My bust has gotten so big that the sweater sticks awkwardly out and doesn’t cover the front at all. 

Stretch Marks/Weight:

I remembered to weight myself this week (please hold your applause...) up 3 pounds in the last 2 weeks which brings me to +11.

I am starting to get use to my new stretch marks. They aren’t as sore this week which is a plus but still super ugly. Oh well, part of life I guess!

Movement:

Ouch! I can see why sometimes people say that baby movements can hurt! I think baby is getting so big that the knees or heel is so much stronger! This little sucker is strong!

Food Cravings/Aversions:

Mmm…shower food! Got to love all the yummy snacks that were at my baby shower! Seriously, I’ve said it before but my girlfriends know good food!

Ryan was away all weekend and so it was just me for the weekend. One supper included cheese, crackers, sliced banana with peanut butter and a cookie. The rest of the week though I have been trying to cook an actual meal for supper so that Ryan and I can sit down at the table together. 9 times out of 10 he usually finishes my plate because I can’t eat the rest. Then, 2 hours later I am hungry again!

Been loving on fruit like crazy lately! Any fruit and all fruit! This week in particular I have been enjoying fresh pineapple for “dessert” after supper! The belly table is just an added bonus..”Look Mom, no hands!”

Symptoms:

Big belly and boobs! Sometimes I can’t help but check myself out in the mirror in the morning and imagine what my body looked like pre-baby. I kind of forget but I know that the big speed bump in front wasn’t there.

Heartburn has been a nuisance this week! Having to try to find relief at least 3 times a day.

My skin has also seemed to change to SUPER dry and flaky. I don’t know if that is pregnancy related or if the weather is affecting it.

I am still super thirsty all the time and find myself getting up in the middle of the night just to have a sip of water! Which makes me have to get up an hour later to pee…vicious cycle! 

What I Miss:

Shaving my legs without it feeling like I’m doing an advance Yoga class.

Labour Signs:

Not yet! Ryan and I only have one more birth class to attend next week! This week we were practicing for the “transition” stage which seriously freaks me out! It sounds intense and difficult. I just keep repeating this mantra to myself, “you can do it…don’t be scared…lots of people before you have given birth”!

Gender:

At my baby shower the hosts had every guest write down their gender guess, a name suggestion and advice for Ryan and I. I tallied up the total and there were 11 girl votes and 7 boy votes!

Belly Button In or Out:

Kind of in but pretty much non-existent.

Wedding Rings On or Off:

ON! However, by the end of a long work day, after supper and cleaning up I notice them feeling a bit more snug! Here’s hoping for 8 more weeks!

What I’m Looking Forward To This Week:

I didn’t know it but my baby shower! It was such a blast! There was something so comforting about being with my girlfriends enjoying that time before I have a little one. I was just trying to soak it all in and create lots of memories.

The rest of the week I got to enjoy looking at all the wonderful baby stuff that is now invading our home!

Daddy This Week:

Was gone all weekend but when he got back I was so excited to show him all the awesome baby stuff. I thought he’d be a little more excited but I think he was a little confused as to what some of the stuff was! Ha ha! Mommy gave him a crash coarse in what the items are used for…this snot sucker made him gag! Ha ha

Wisdom:

Point the scissors far away from you when removing packaging…ouch!

Best Moment Of The Week:

Every night this week I have settled down in front of the television and gone through baby items one by one. I have really enjoyed the slow pace of going through each item so that I can closely examine it and get it properly placed in it’s new home! Life is going to be so hectic after baby arrives that I have enjoyed the slow and meticulous flow of organizing the new baby items.

xo

Linking up today with Mama and Mou for Baby Talk!

Recap Of A Wonderful Weekend!

 

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! My heart feels so full as I really had a fantastic weekend! It was busy and this Momma Bear was asleep by 7 last night!

Friday night was pretty low key so I got to work on some baby laundry! What is it about little laundry that makes it feel like not a chore? I’m actually someone who doesn’t mind doing laundry but doing baby laundry is actually fun! I’m sure that will change but for now I am enjoying it!

Saturday morning I had trouble sleeping in because I was so excited for the morning! As I mentioned for Christmas my brother and sister-in-law got us a gift certificate for a photography session. We wanted to save it for when the baby came though. I never thought I’d be the kind of girl who wanted maternity pictures done. But, last minute I thought it might be nice to have a few pictures taken of Ryan and I to remember this time in our lives, pre-baby. Our lives are about to change in a big way and I want to soak in as much of this “family of 2” time as I can.

The fantastic Lena from Lena B Photography joined us on Saturday morning to take some of our shots! She was a great sport as we wanted to trek out to the bush via snowmobile to my Grandpa’s antique car where our engagement and wedding photos were taken! I cannot rave more about how wonderful Lena was! She was quick and organized and I love direction from the photographer in pictures! I cannot wait to show you the rest and I cannot wait for Baby W to be here and for Lena to capture another special moment in our lives! 

Ryan and I ordered our nursery glider through Target.com but they would not ship to Canada. So, we had it shipped right across the boarder and planned a quick trip to pick it up this weekend. We had decided to stay over night in Watertown and have a nice supper that night evening. What I didn’t know is that Ryan surprised me by booking the hotel room himself and booking an extra special room for me!

I literally jumped with joy when I walked into our hotel room and saw this big soaker tub! I have been complaining about not being able to take a nice relaxing bath because our bathtub is so shallow that it hardly even covers me any more!

We did some shopping around and purchased some items that are cheaper in the US then Canada and then went over to the Olive Garden for supper. After supper Ryan settled in with a movie and I spent the next hour in the jetted tub! It was heaven!

Sunday morning we were up with every other Canadian watching the gold medal Olympic game where Canada dominated over Sweden! Woo Hoo! Before we had to check out I spent another 40 minutes in the glorious tub!

Watching the game early on Sunday morning!

We grabbed a delicious breakfast before we headed home! We picked up the chair, had zero issues at the boarder and then finally settled into home in the early afternoon with some takeout pizza!

We (aka Ryan) set up the chair in the nursery and I am LOVING how it looks! Now that it is finally there I can start doing the last little bit nursery prep! It’s really starting to look ready and I can’t wait to show you all very soon!

As you can see it was a super productive weekend with lots of things done for Baby W! I am starting to see the end of that to-do list! Not to mention I feel so pampered after this weekend. Awesome maternity pics done, never had to cook once this weekend and 2 long soaks in a jetted tub…heaven!

How was your weekend?

xo

Tortilla Roll Ups

 

Good Friday morning to you all! Mini celebration that the weekend is almost here! It’s raining cats and dogs here and melting all of our snow! Can’t say that this girl is all that disappointed! I talked to you all about my surprise baby shower on Monday and I mentioned how amazing the food was, as usual! It made me think about a recipe I had for a potluck item that I occasionally bring!

This recipe is kind of a twist on another item that someone else would bring. It was basically the same ingredients but I am not a fan of the raw onions that were in the wraps so I put my own spin on them. Since then I have been making them for parties all the time and they also happen to be a favourite treat of Ryan’s!

Ingredients:

- 1 package of flour wraps

- 1 cup of sour cream

- 1 brick of cream cheese

- 1 tbsp of lemon juice

- 1 “cap full” of Epicure salsa mix

- Salsa for dipping (optional)

1. The first thing you do is soften the cream cheese! Not going to lie, 9 times out of 10 I forget to take out my cream chees to make sure it is soft. So, instead I just microwave it for about 30 seconds. I stir it until it is lukewarm and then add the sour cream and lemon juice. Mix these ingredients all together.

2. Add one cap full of the spice mix. Sometimes I add more and sometimes I add less. It all depends on who you are serving it to and how spicy you like it!

3. Add it to your mixture.

4. And stir until WELL combined! You do not want any chunks of spice mix and end up burning your mouth with one little piece! Hot!

5. I love my huge working space in my kitchen, it makes this step so much easier! On my clean counter top I lay out all of my tortilla wraps! I then spoon on a little bit of filling onto every tortilla, trying to make sure there is an even amount on each one!

6. Using the back of a clean spoon I begin spreading the filling mixture over the entire tortilla.

7. Starting at one end I tightly roll the tortilla containing the spicy filling mix! To help seal the end I just take a little bit of the filling mix and spread it on the outside seam.

8. I place all the rolled tortillas back in the original package and chill for at least a couple of hours. Usually it’s longer because one of the best things about this recipe is that you can make it the day/night before!

9. After the wraps are chilled, slice them into 1 inch rounds! Serve with salsa for dipping and enjoy this easy and yummy treat!

There you have it! A guaranteed crowd pleasing, chef easy and yummy appetizer!

Happy Friday!

xo 

Baby W–31 Weeks

 

*Each bumpdate is from the week before. I am currently 32 weeks and 5 days pregnant!*

31 weeks as of February 7, 2014

This Week:

9 weeks and counting! Wow! It’s hard to believe that it is the single digits. February is kind of flying by already and I want it to slow down just a wee bit so that I can accomplish more on my list!

Baby This Week:

Baby is the size of a pineapple this week! Excuse me, but does that seem REALLY big to anyone else? All 5 senses are in working order this week! Baby’s skin is also going from red to pink this week…much cuter!

Maternity Clothes:

OH yes! Pretty much 100% in maternity clothes for every day wear. I still find myself easily finding an outfit. Because in reality, I only wear a non-uniform outfit 1-2 times a week. Basically my outfits consist of jeans, maternity shirt and cardigan overtop (like the outfit above)! As usual for this time of year, I am looking forward to chucking out the socks and breaking out the flip flops! 

Stretch Marks/Weight:

Ok…I suck at weighing myself. Forgot to again this week. By the time I think of it the week is almost over!

Stretch marks have expanded. I am officially a part of the stretch mark club! The two small ones by my appendix scar have expanded into about 3 more squiggly lines! And I still have give-or-take 9 weeks to go so I know they are here to stay and will get worse! 

Movement:

Baby is always on the move still. It definitely favours my right side still! The moves are very deliberate! The freakiest is when it feels like the baby is doing a flip flop from one side over.  

Food Cravings/Aversions:

Craving of the week was definitely the sweets! Valentine cookies and beavertail, yum! Had a BIG lunch/supper at a restaurant this week and regretted it afterwards! 5 hours later I was lying in bed trying to will the food to digest! It seriously felt like the food was just sitting in my throat not moving! Yuck!

Smoothies are one of my most favourite meals! It’s fresh and light!

Symptoms:

I am still missing the second trimester but I keep reminding myself that it’s not for that much longer. You have to go through the tougher parts to get to the end. Actually in reality, I really shouldn’t complain TOO much. It seems that compared to some preggers, I have had a pretty smooth journey, even at this point! Besides feeling slow, sore and very large in the evenings, I feel good. I am able to still work through the day fairly easily. My skin is still great, I have no swelling and I just feel very normal. I have been very lucky. I have even been able to keep up with my exercise. Monday yoga (at home now), Thursdays Zumba and then walks in between! Hoping to make it to 36 weeks doing this because I do feel better after a little moving around...*life with a desk job* 

I did notice that this week I am beginning to have some trouble sleeping. It’s not so much insomnia, it’s just after laying on one side for a certain length of time that hip gets sore. Plus at this point it’s a production to turn over in bed and get settled again. 

What I Miss:

Feeling like I don’t look like Humpty Dumpy. Since I didn’t gain much weight anywhere else except my upper half, I feel as though my legs look like twigs (like in the picture above) compared to the rest of my body. Sometimes I wonder how my legs don’t give out!

Labour Signs:

No and I keep wondering when I will start feeling regular Braxton Hicks contractions. Went to the doctors this week for my 32 week appointment and he said baby is head down. 

Gender:

According to an old wives tale, dangling a wedding ring on a string over a pregnant woman’s belly is another way to tell the gender of the unborn child. If it swings in a strong circular motion, then the baby is to be a girl. If it moves back and forth like a pendulum, then it is a boy. Ryan and I tried this out the other night and it read girl!

Belly Button In or Out:

Still a little bit of an innie but not much!

Wedding Rings On or Off:

ON and counting down!

What I’m Looking Forward To This Week:

Doctor’s appointment…last monthly one! From here on out I will be going every 2 weeks!

Last tradeshow of the 2013-2014 season! No more having to stand on a concrete pad all day chatting with clients! My back is especially thankful!

Daddy This Week:

Daddy has been spending (and planning) a lot of time away from home. Mommy doesn’t mind as she keeps thinking he is just trying to squeeze in some last “alone” time before everything changes. Mommy just hopes that Daddy realizes soon how much life is about to change and settles down a little more around home. She is getting worried that reality hasn’t quite set in yet for Daddy. Don’t get me wrong little one, he is excited for you. But I think he just doesn’t realize what his life is going to look like after you arrive and it scares Mommy to think Daddy might go through some “life withdrawals”.

Wisdom:

Eat lightly or die.

Best Moment Of The Week:

9 weeks (give-or-take) to go!

Had a really great doctors appointment this week! Last monthly one! Belly is measuring exactly where it is suppose to, blood pressure is good, no protein in urine, not even a little swelling and to hear a strong heart beat was the icing on the cake! After inspecting the belly and checking where the heart beat was, Doctor confirmed that baby seems to have settled into the head-down position in preparation for birth!  I follow a “Canadian Mommies-To-Be” group of Facebook and reading their stories of problems later in their pregnancies is worrisome. I kind of went into this appointment expecting something to be wrong but was VERY relieved to hear that everything is perfect.

Linking up today with Mama and Mou for baby talk!

xo

A Weekend At The Movies…..Or Not!

 

Happy Monday friends! I hope everyone’s weekends crept by nice and slowly! I have to admit, mine didn’t! I thought that with Ryan being away for a boys sledding trip that my weekend would be filled with slow key plans. And it was, I just wasn’t in on a little surprise.

Friday night was very quiet. I settled in with some snack foods for supper (aka: bachelorette supper) and did a whole bunch of laundry while watching brainless television! It actually felt very good to have a quiet night at home. I was able to do 4 loads of laundry in the one night! I knew that I had plans on Saturday and I was glad to have that chore done!

Valentine Gerber’s from Ryan before he left!

It was early bed for this preggers (as usual) so I was up early to get ready for my trip to the city with Jilly. About a month ago we made plans for Valentines weekend to go to the city for a bite to eat and to see a movie! You see as I mentioned on Friday, Ryan is always away around Valentines so a girls day was perfect!

I slowly got ready on Saturday and lounged around. It was nice not having to rush or go anywhere all morning. I even took my weekly picture since I was in an outfit besides my work uniform. 32 weeks!

Jill arrived at my house and since we were going to a new(er) theatre I offered to drive. We were about 30 seconds down the road when Jill realized she forgot her wallet. Her house is only about 5 minutes away so I just turned in the opposite direction of the city so that she could grab it. Oddly enough, this wasn’t the first time someone had forgotten their wallet on me this week!

We were almost at her place when I saw all the cars, one being my sister-in-laws. I kind of went a little speechless and butterflies instantly came to my stomach. I didn’t know how to react but I instantly felt very nervous! ha ha!

When we got to the church basement I am sure I was either as red as a beet or as white as a ghost, but all the familiar girlfriends smiling back at me settled me down. It was such a surprise to see them all there and know that they had been all keeping this a secret from me! ha ha!

The afternoon FLEW by and I’ll share some more pictures in a future post! I had a great time visiting with everyone and snacking on the BEST food! The most shocking part was all the gifts! Baby W is already so spoiled and this Momma is feeling so much more prepared for its arrival! But again, more on that another time!

Stolen from friend/cousin Stacy’s Facebook! She made the delicious cake for the shower!

As you can imagine, the rest of my weekend was spent slowly going over all of the new items and setting it all up around the home! I am feeling so much more prepared now and the house is really starting to look like we are waiting on the arrival of a little one!

Not pictured with the rest of the gifts, our stroller and car seat!

I can’t thank everyone enough for the way my weekend turned out. I am so thankful for my girlfriends (and the family that was there too) and the time they took to organize the shower and then spend the Saturday morning/afternoon being there! It really meant a lot to me. You are a very sneaky bunch! Ha ha!

xo

Why Ryan Is My Valentine!

 

Happy Friday and Happy Valentines day lovebirds! I have to be honest, Valentines has never been a huge deal in my life. Do I recognize it? Sure! But I don’t see the need to get showered with love mementos this one day of the year! Or am I going to spend gobs of money doing the same! I also avoid any restaurants on Valentines day as well!! Crowded restaurant with a fancy V-day menu? No Thanks!

But I do feel like am I am pretty lucky. I have someone special to call my Valentine. Are we usually together for the 14th? No. But sometime within the weeks time of Valentines day, we have a nice dinner together just the two of us in Ladysmith (we’re fancy like that!). It got me thinking while Ryan helped me put my coat on…there are a lot of reasons why I love him…But not all of them are that conventional.

Sure there are the typical reasons, he’s smart, funny, handsome and great personality. But, what about those other things that make him special? The things that set him apart from any other man, the things that make me feel so lucky to call him mine!

- Like I mentioned above, the whole reason for this post is because when we were at supper this week he helped me on with my coat. This is not something new! He is an old fashioned gentleman through and through. When we first started dating I was sure this chivalrous act would end when the “honeymoon” phase was over. But it hasn’t! He always helps me with my coat, opens doors (including car) for me, and makes sure I am on the opposite side of the sidewalk from traffic. Makes me smile and I hope that if we have a son one day that he will teach him to do this as well.

- Want to know one of the small reasons that made me fall in love with Ryan? He NEVER leaves the toilet seat up! EVER! Living in a house with a father and brother who ALWAYS left the seat up, my butt got wet from falling through in the middle of the night on more then one occasion! I thought it was just something women dealt with. My mother would always nag at them for leaving it up and never replenishing the toilet paper. Early on in my relationship with Ryan I noticed he never left it up and always replaced the empty toilet paper. Since we weren’t together long I just assumed he was being nice but through the years I can count on one hand how many times he has forgotten to put the seat down. A man who always puts the seat down AND never leaves me with toilet paper? Ya, I struck gold in the “lifemate lottery”!

- I am ashamed to admit it but I have never shovelled my own walkway since living in my current home. Ryan always makes sure that it’s taken care of. But there was a time when I was living in a rental home by myself for a while. Ryan and I were newly dating at the time. I wasn’t working that winter and for part of it, he was driving down to Ottawa everyday for his job. It was 2008, one of the heaviest snow years we had seen in a while and like a good tenant, I shovelled my walkway. On more then one morning I would haul my unemployed butt out of bed anytime after 9 AM (tough life) and notice it had snowed the night before. I’d start to get ready to go out and shovel when all the sudden I would notice it was already cleared. Ryan would leave for the hour long drive to work even earlier so that he could stop by my house and have my walkway shovelled for me before I woke up. When I would see that it was cleaned for me I would instantly squeal with excitement and surprise! It was those mornings that I knew he was a keeper! Forget flowers…that my friends is romance!

- Another moment that stands out in my mind is when a “yet to be wed” Ryan and I were at my parents house playing a card game. Conversation came to children and Ryan always said he only wanted 1 kid (mostly joking). Dad was shocked and said “What if your one and only child is a girl?” Without even hesitating Ryan replied with, “So what? My daughter can do anything any boy can do if she wants!” I was BEAMING after that and my heart felt like it was going to explode! The thought of not having a son to hunt, play sports and bond with didn’t even faze Ryan. He is confident that if he had a daughter, she could do and be anything that any boy could!

There are many, MANY more small things like the ones I mentioned above. But, maybe I’ll just leave them for future Valentine days! Valentines is typically a day full of romance and special treats but I get spoiled 365 days of the year. Do I get chocolate and flowers all the time? No, and I wouldn’t trade any of the above special things for a million bouquet of flowers!

Ryan, thank you for making sure that I feel loved and special every day of the year! I love you! 

Happy Valentines day everyone!

xo

Baby W–30 Weeks

 

*Each bumpdate is from the week before. I am currently 31 weeks and 5 days pregnant!*

30 Weeks as of January 31, 2014

This Week:

30 weeks was another milestone I was waiting for. It’s the 10 week countdown! I feel as though the days are creeping by slowly right now. I am sure they will for the next 10 weeks as well. But, it’s 10 weeks (give or take) which seems SO soon!

Baby This Week:

Baby is the size of a cucumber meaning its length is about 15.2” to 16.7” and could weigh 3-3.8 pounds! Whoa baby! Baby should now be strong enough to grasp a finger and will just continue to get stronger till D-Day! As baby is getting bigger it will put increased pressure on my digestive system (Noooo…you don’t say?!).

 

Maternity Clothes:

With give-or-take 10 weeks lefts, I refuse to buy anything unless it is a necessity! I found one of my pre-pregnancy dresses that worked this weekend for a wedding reception which was a huge relief. I don’t wear a lot of dresses in the winter time so not to have to spend money on a new “one time use” one was great. The above outfit is my every day work outfit (alternating between green and black shirt). I am noticing that the shirts are certainly getting smaller but I am hoping they will do me for another 7 weeks (which is my last day of work!). After that, I’ll probably break out the muumuu!  

Stretch Marks/Weight:

Remembered to actually weight myself this week and I am up another 2 pounds so that’s +8 since the beginning of the pregnancy.

Had an interesting moment with my stretch marks this week. I had never noticed them before but this weekend the 2 on my stomach were aching and sore to the touch. I was sure that meant they were growing but so far they haven’t.

Movement:

Oh yes! Baby is moving like crazy but I find that there are squirms and then pokes! Not much in between. It’s like the baby is deliberately sticking certain body parts out trying to stretch as much as possible. Baby moves the most around 7 PM every day. 

Food Cravings/Aversions:

Chocolate pudding craving was back this week! Yum! Also had a random craving for All-Dressed chips this week because I saw someone else eating some.

Tried to eat some spare ribs this week and my tummy did not like them AT all!

Symptoms:

As I mentioned last week, honeymoon phase is over. Besides the bigger boobs and belly, heart burn has returned in full force! While I was easily able to make it go away in the second trimester, it likes to stick around more now. 

I have much more energy in the morning and move more freely. In the afternoons I feel slow, tired and big. Bed feels good at night time! 

What I Miss:

Not being so “noticeable” when I am out in public. People can’t help but stare at a big pregnant belly.  

Labour Signs:

No but we are practicing pain management techniques in preparation!

Gender:

Not too sure! Mom brought some photo albums to the office this week and this is her pregnant with my brother. Everyone was trying to analyze if our bellies are similar. I can’t tell.

Belly Button In or Out:

In and almost flat.

Wedding Rings On or Off:

On and hoping it stays that way! 10 weeks left! 

What I’m Looking Forward To This Week:

When I was about 20 weeks pregnant, I called our local CLSC to find out more information about their prenatal classes, as recommended by my doctor. They informed me that at that time there were not enough pregnant ladies to have the class.

I was super bummed out because I thought it would not only be good for me but I was hoping it would help Ryan as a first time daddy!

For my birthday this year, my brother and SIL gave me a gift card to a birthing coach they used for each of their kids. She is a certified Lamaze instructor and they said she helped them a lot to prepare for pain management during labour.

This week, Ryan and I had our first session with the birth coach and it was VERY helpful. While I had done a ton of research about the birth process (before and after) Ryan still didn’t have a lot of information. She went through so much information and Ryan was very good about taking it all in. I think he has a better idea about what to expect when D-Day comes and I have better trust in him being the person to help me during the labouring process.

Daddy This Week:

Daddy was so good this week at birthing class! He really took in all the information and was so supportive. I actually think he might have even found it kind of interesting! I thought some of the “gory” details might freak him out but he didn’t even flinch! I think it might have actually made him more excited about your debut! I think he is feeling confident in what he needs to do and Mommy is feeling better knowing that when she is in extreme pain, Daddy knows how to try to help her.  

Wisdom:

Try to not to be without access to heartburn relief! It is needed to be on hand at all times now!

Don’t stay up till 2 AM, you’ll be sorry the next day!

Best Moment Of The Week:

Oh I feel like there was lots this week!

Wearing (and fitting into) a non-maternity winter dress to wear to a wedding reception and rocking heels all night too!

Getting some baby things purchased including the glider that will be shipped very soon! It’s the final piece of “furniture” for the nursery and I can start assembling the little details that will make the room complete!

First birthing class has put me at ease about the whole labour and delivery process! I was even able to ask the “stupid” questions. But those questions were on my mind and I am glad to have an answer. It’s so nice having it be a private class!

Oh and actually hitting 30 weeks! The 10 weeks countdown begins! It’s amazing to look back on this pregnancy journey so far and see how baby and I have grown!

xo