Spring Has Sprung….Sort Of!

 

Yesterday marked the first day of spring and I couldn’t help but look out the window behind my desk and ask, “Really?”. Besides the frigid rain that is falling from the sky, it doesn’t feel like Spring. I think the fact that it felt so UNspring like yesterday, that it put me into a bit of a funky mood. By the afternoon I was done. Clocked out mentally and wanted to just go home and crawl under the covers. Of course, that didn’t happen. I faithfully sat at my desk until every last employee left. I wasn’t happy, but I did it.

Today is a new day. Today it still feels like winter but there is a difference between the two days. Today marks my last “official” day of work before the baby comes! I am SO looking forward to not getting up at 5 AM anymore and sitting at a desk for almost 12 hours a day. I just feel like my body is ready for a couple extra hours of sleep every day.

It has me thinking of our Spring baby’s arrival that is coming and what life will be like afterwards. Truthfully, I have no idea. Did you know that spring is my favourite season? I love the feel of a warm sun but cold breeze at the same time. I love watching my grass and garden get brighter and brighter as it comes back to life! But I can’t help but think what this Spring will entail.

Being that I have no clue what my days will be like post baby #firsttimeMommaproblems I thought I’d talk about things that I HOPE to see happen this Spring. It’s not so much a list of goals, but more so a list of things I am going to work towards.

Gardening…and actually getting something out of it this year! Truth be told, I had a garden last year. I have a garden every year. Getting out and working outside in my gardens is one of my most favourite things. It gives me such great satisfaction to grow something! Last year was a rough year. After my surgery, I couldn’t do much in my gardens from doctors orders. Then, I got pregnant and the morning sickness hit me like a freight train and all I wanted to do was crawl in a black hole. I had a garden last year and it sucked! In fact, the only thing that I actually “harvested” from my garden was tomatoes and when I went to can them, I got violently ill and haven’t been able to touch anything tomato related since.

This year, I’d like to actually get in the garden again and make it something that makes me proud. My cellar is seriously lacking in preserves! If we were living in the old days, we would have starved this winter!

Start meal planning again! Pregnancy taste buds are weird. I will try to make a meal plan and stick to it but a craving will take over my whole being until it is satisfied! Or, something may sound delicious at the beginning of the week and I can’t even swallow it the next. This has made meal planning hard at our house and it’s something I prided myself in before. It made our lives SO much easier and I can’t wait to get to that point again.

Spruce up the porch! Our home has a beautiful and big front porch! I love it but it’s a little tough to decorate. We got some beautiful rocking chairs for Christmas a few years ago, that I love but other then that, our porch sits kind of bare. It really is a shame because it’s a beautiful piece of extended living space! You are shaded under the porch and it’s my most favourite place to be during a thunderstorm! I want to make it more welcoming and more useful. The only problem, I don’t want to spend a lot of money! So, I’ve been searching on the beloved Pinterest to come up with some ideas. I’ve also been thinking of all the antiques that are still sitting on the farm that I could use! Here’s hoping I can make this space gorgeous and useful!

Have I ever mentioned my dream of having a wooden porch swing?? I LOVE them and have always wanted one of my own! I am hoping this Spring is the year!

Make my closet user friendly again! One of my very first home renovation projects was my walk-in closet. I still love it and it still remains one of my favourite renovation projects! That was well over 5 years ago and things have changed dramatically in my life since doing that closet. I’m now married and about to enter into Mommyhood! I have SO many clothes in my closet that I am hanging onto “just in case”. The college shirts that I would wear to the bar…Do I really need them? Do I really need 6 “going out” shirts? The pair of jeans I don’t even really like but I am hoping to fit into again “one day”? Should they really be taking up precious inventory? The bulky sweater that I got as a present in college that I don’t even like but feel bad getting rid of because it was gift. Should it really stay? It’s time to get real about my closet. It’s a project that I wanted to tackle when nesting but realized it would be better to wait until after baby and after my life gets somewhat back to normal. I need to be less emotional about my clothing. I mean, they are just things that cover my body! I need to think realistically about my life now and what I wear on a regular basis! And, stop filling up closet space with items that are “too cheap to pass up” and I never end up wearing! I want to walk into my closet and have fewer quality pieces that I can mix and match with. It was a lesson I learnt when pregnant. I can get away with a lot less clothes. Instead, I can be more creative with mixing and matching with quality pieces that I love to wear!

This one is kind of bad but…wash the house windows! Here’s a confession, it’s been over 3 years since I have washed the windows in the house. This is getting done!

Finally, the number one thing I want to see happen this spring…

BECOME A MOM and live in the moment. Too often I am distracted by everyday life to step back and enjoy the small things. This has to change and it is more important now then ever.

What are some of your goals this Spring?

Happy Friday!

xo

Baby W–35 Weeks

 

*Each bumpdate is from the week before. I am currently 36 weeks and 5 days pregnant!*

35 weeks as of March 7, 2014

This Week:

Has been busy! Every day and every evening there has been something going on! The lack of sleep has been inevitable this week but towards the end of the week I was so slow and looking forward to some rest!

Baby This Week:

The baby doesn’t have much room to move anymore and is getting to be about 5.25-5.5 pounds, or the size of a honeydew melon! The kidney’s are fully developed now and the liver can process waste products now. The basic physical development is now complete. So, for the next few weeks (till D-Day!) the only thing the baby has to really do is put on weight.

Maternity Clothes:

Wouldn’t have anything to wear without them! I did manage to wear some pre-pregnant pants this week to a function using the bellyband. It’s not as comfortable but for the sake of wearing it for an hour, it worked!

I am finding some of my trusty maternity shirts are looking a little short these days!

Stretch Marks/Weight:

Stretch marks on one side of my belly are there and seem to be getting longer. No other new developments about the other side of my belly and the lack of marks!

Did manage to weight myself! Put on 2 lbs since two weeks ago so a total of 14 pounds gained since the beginning of the pregnancy.

Movement:

Baby definitely doesn’t have a lot of room to move but it certainly gives a good try! The body parts are so large (and bones are hard) that anything that sticks out looks funny! The creepiest feeling is the movements down below! I can sometimes feel the hands (I think) way down below.  

Food Cravings/Aversions:

Snacking is key. There isn’t a lot of room in there! One of my favourite treats lately is a homemade milkshake I have been making. It’s a couple large scoops of chocolate frozen yogurt and milk all blended up using my Magic Bullet!

My breakfast for the last 3 weeks has been the exact same thing but I have been really enjoying it! Greek yogurt topped with some sort of fresh fruit and a muffin! Yum!

Water is still rocking my world right now! So thirsty all the time!

There really isn’t anything new that I don’t like, except the usual. I try to make supper for Ryan and I to enjoy together but I would much rather graze throughout the whole day rather then sit down for a meal.

Symptoms:

Big belly is the very first obvious symptom! There is NO question that I am pregnant. Ha ha!

1st trimester fatigue in the afternoons is a drag but inevitable at this point. Aching feet by the end of the day but not swollen, thank goodness! It’s so weird because you can feel SO tired and lazy but if a nesting idea (like cleaning and refolding the linen closet) gets into your mind you get a burst of energy and you can’t stop till it’s finished! Other times, if it’s a chore that you “have” to do like laundry, finishing it feels like a huge accomplishment because of the tiredness.

What I Miss:

Right now I miss a different season! Like most others around here, I am SO over winter!

I also missed my very last Zumba class this week! I was so exhausted that afternoon that I was having some regular contractions and decided not to go. I was glad to make it so far doing regular exercise but I miss it already!

Labour Signs:

Braxton Hicks (painless) contractions are common and I’ll get about 1 or 2 painful ones throughout the day. At my “36” week doctors appointment (at 35 weeks 6 days) he didn’t check my progress but said my belly has definitely dropped. He started talking natural induction things I could start like Evening Primrose Oil.  

Gender:

Still not sure! A friend from this small town asked me to show her my butt this week to determine the gender! She said that she thought I was having a boy because my belly is all out front like a basketball and my butt didn’t get bigger!

Belly Button In or Out:

On the weekend I noticed my belly button was kind of trying to stick out! It was weird and hasn’t happened again!

Wedding Rings On or Off:

On and hoping to make it till 37-38 weeks without having to take them off!

What I’m Looking Forward To This Week:

Oddly enough, I was looking forward to a dentist appointment I had this week. The last time I went I was only about 10 weeks pregnant and was very sick. When the hygienist was trying to clean my teeth I got a little sick. I remember booking this appointment thinking how close I would be to having a baby! It was surreal to be there at the appointment that was booked so long ago!

Looking forward to some “baby” related stops Ryan and I are making after we go to our dentist appointments! 

Daddy This Week:

It’s starting to hit Daddy hard this week. I think he may be going through some “Dad Nesting” of sort! His seems anxious to get the last little things that are needed before you get here. He also had a burst of energy this weekend and worked on some nursery projects!

Wisdom:

Pillows will become your best friend!

Best Moment Of The Week:

Dentist appointment!

Getting hospital snacks and a few other small things that are “needed” before baby’s arrival!

Doctors appointment is ALWAYS a highlight! Still hearing that heart beat is number 1! It is also reassuring to know this far into the pregnancy that I am doing well. No protein in urine, normal blood pressure, minimal swelling and basically being very normal! GBS tests results came back negative which I was excited to hear!

xo

Weekend In Green and A Birthday Shout Out!

 

Happy St.Patty’s Day everyone!! I hope you are all decked out in green! I LOVE St.Patty’s Day! Always have! My parents always made a big deal out of the day since our family still lives on the farm that our Irish ancestors settled on. Every year they would tell my brother and I the story of our heritage!

When I was only about 6-7 years old my elementary school best friend gave me this little leprechaun pin! I’ve kept it all these years and proudly wear it every March 17th! I love this pin and I’ve grown so attached to it being that I have had it for so many years!

The weekend started out with a nice quiet evening! I prepared some food for the weekend ahead and worked on some laundry! We also went to visit some friends for an hour in the next town over.

Usually I am someone who cannot sleep in! But I must be tired lately because it seems like I have no issues with staying in bed! I set my alarm for 8 AM on Saturday morning just in case! I figured I’d be up hours before it went off! I was shocked when I heard the alarm sound at 8 and I had to drag my butt out of bed!

When I was finally up and ready for the day, I was decked out in green with food prepared for the Irish Tea that the young ladies of our church organizes. All the food was looking SO yummy and our little church basement looked so festive!

We had a GREAT turn out! At one point there were hardly any seats left! After everything was was over the organizers and myself sat down for our own tea time! After our refreshments we got to work on cleaning everything up!

I was pretty quiet the rest of the afternoon and was in bed super early! Thankfully Ryan was in a lazy mood as well so he didn’t mind spending the afternoon/evening watching Netflix movies with me!

Sunday morning it was back in green and off to church!

I met Ryan back at home in the early afternoon and we decided to head to the local bar Gavan’s, for the rocking St.Patty’s Day party…it’s pretty legendary! 

There was an awesome crowd by the time we got there at 2:30! We enjoyed some live music, some step dancers and visiting with friends before this girl said she had enough!

We were so glad that we went though and said “hi” to some friends and neighbours! Our town may be very small but it is very spirited! That’s why people come from ALL over to enjoy the festivities in our small village! They know its always a guaranteed good time!

Today marks another special day then just St.Patty’s Day! 95 years ago today my Grandpa Hamilton was born! Legend has it that this little leprechaun was born with so much hair that the nurses tied a little green ribbon in it.

Unfortunately, my Grandpa isn’t here anymore to celebrate his birthday with us. But he helped guide me to the love of my life, Ryan. When I found out that Ryan also celebrated his birthday on St.Patty’s Day, I couldn’t help but feel like it was sign from up above.

Happy Birthday Ryan and Grandpa! Love you!

xo

Lent 2014

 

Happy Friday everyone! I hope your week has been wonderful. Not going to lie…this week was tough! Work all day and things to do every night. By the time yesterday rolled around I was physically spent! I started getting a few light contractions in the afternoon and decided to bow out of my last Zumba class. By the time Zumba would have started, I was already in bed! Good news is that I feel SO much better this morning and looking forward to the weekend ahead!

So, I am a little late in this Lent post. Some of you may have been wondering if I gave anything up this year. As you may recall, last year I gave up meat for lent. It was a tough challenge but one that I ended up really enjoying! I learnt to love a lot of different foods that I had never tried before! I also learnt that I really don’t need as much meat in my diet as I originally assumed!

This year I’m pregnant. And the thought of giving up a food item didn’t seem like a very good idea. Sometimes a craving can come into my mind and there is no stopping me until I get it! I didn’t want to torture myself for the last few weeks of this pregnancy. I racked my brain and finally come up with a plan.

I work on a farm where the majority of the employees are male. I have grown up on this farm and have loved every minute of it. A lot of the people who work here have seen me grow up. Being around so many men for such a long time has shaped who I am today. I am not afraid or intimidated in front of anyone, I normally don’t hold onto grudges and I have an awful POTTY MOUTH!

Yup. It’s true. This girl swears like a sailor! A curse word can come into my everyday dialogue without me even flinching in recognition of what I said. It’s a bad habit and one that I was fearful of for when I had my own children. I didn’t want to be the cause of my kids being the ones to teach their friends the “bad words”.

For Lent this year, I gave up cursing.

Now that I am over a week into Lent I have to be honest, it’s been a struggle. My brother has agreed to give up swearing for lent as well. To make us accountable for our actions, we now have a swear jar in the office. For every swear word we utter, we have to contribute $1 to the jar. So far, we have $11. 8 of those dollars has come from me.

The most challenging, yet rewarding thing is that I have to really think hard about what I am going to say. This helps me either find an alternative word or think about whether or not it even has to be spoken.

Don’t worry, at the beginning of Lent I announced that the one day that I will give in to swearing is on Labour and Delivery Day for Baby W!

Did you give anything up or make a different kind of promise for Lent this year?

Happy Friday!

xo

Baby W–34 Weeks

 

*Each bumpdate is from the week before. I am currently 35 weeks and 5 days pregnant!*

34 Weeks as of February 28, 2014

This Week:

This Momma is officially feeling OK and ready if Baby decided to arrive early. After a wonderful surprise shower on the weekend I feel like we have what we really “need” for a newborn. Are things exactly perfect? Washed and put away? No. But we have the essentials that are needed for a baby and that feels good!

Baby This Week:

The waxy protective coating, vernix, is becoming thicker this week as lanugo continues to shed and may be almost gone this week! Inside the womb, the baby’s lungs are continuing to mature and is starting to practice how to breath! The baby could be moving lower into the birth canal. Baby is around 5 lbs now, almost 18 inches long and about the size of a cantaloupe.

Maternity Clothes:

Getting through the last few weeks with what I have! Still wearing non-maternity tank tops underneath some low cut shirts! I am finding this week that I am kind of starting to hate pants or tight clothes. I SO look forward to the end of the day when I can throw on an extra large pair of super joggers and one of Ryan’s t-shirts!

Stretch Marks/Weight:

Ok…forgot to weigh myself this week but my appetite is slowly starting to decrease so I’ll be interested to see how that reflects next week. Baby will be steadily gaining weight now till the end!

Stretch marks are all over the right side of my belly and few around my belly button. It’s weird to see my right side of my belly so covered in stretch marks but none on my left. Not very balanced! ha ha!

Movement:

Not so much movement as before. I can tell baby is running out of room. I notice the movement most when I have had something to eat. It’s just a lot of stretching and small movements.

Food Cravings/Aversions:

Small meals are key!! After an awesome movie date and supper with friend Jilly, I proceeded to have one of the worst sleeps because I just felt SO full all night! I am drinking water like it’s my job!! I cannot get enough! Its this thirst I just can’t quench no matter how much water I drink! Which makes my visits to the bathroom much more frequent!

Seems weird but I am finding my aversions suddenly stronger this week! Tomatoes, certain types of pork and suddenly peanut butter! It’s like this week my taste buds have become more sensitive!

Symptoms:

Totally normal for this point in the pregnancy but lots of aches and pains. There’s a few hours in the morning that I feel SO great! Like I am not even pregnant! Then slowly as the day goes on I get more tired, slow and sore! My legs start to ache from the extra belly weight by the end of the day and I see some slight swelling in my toes by the evening. There is nothing more that I want to do in the evening then curl up in bed and sleep. Every chore that I do feels like a huge accomplishment! ha ha!

Other then that, I am thirsty all the time and it feels like I have a bowling ball pressing down in my pelvic bone. Somehow I have been lucky this whole pregnancy with zero back pain, which I am very thankful for!

What I Miss:

Sleeping on my belly!

Labour Signs:

I usually get 1 or 2 painful contractions a day now! I can also feel the baby is very low as the pelvic pressure is worse! I think the baby may have started to drop this week as I have had hardly any heartburn this week and my breathing seems a little better.

Gender:

It was interesting to hear from the ladies at my shower what some of their guesses are. Easily, girl is the front runner but as the pregnancy goes on I am hearing some people change their vote to boy! One in particular said that my bum looks like it is the same size as it was before I got pregnant so that is why they think it’s a boy! ha ha! 

Belly Button In or Out:

Flat and non-existent!

Wedding Rings On or Off:

On but definitely not loose anymore! They are the most tight in the morning but loosen up as the day goes on! So hoping to be able to keep them on for at least a couple of weeks! I plan on taking them off around 37-38 weeks and put them away somewhere safe. I don’t want to wear them to the hospital and it’s one of those last minute things I probably won’t think of while I am in labour!  So only 3-4 more weeks, hopefully!

What I’m Looking Forward To This Week:

Again, I didn’t know it but my surprise shower! It was such a wonderful time spent with family and friends! Sometimes its very emotional thinking about all the people who are there for you and our growing family!

Every day I check my countdown app to see how many days left till Baby W and how many days till my last day of work! This week specifically those numbers seemed SO small!

Daddy This Week:

Daddy this week has a man-cold! He has spent a couple of nights sleeping on the couch so that he doesn’t ruin Mommy’s sleep with this coughing. I actually can’t complain and I liked to be able to stretch out!

Wisdom:

Spend the money and get a pedicure! It feels amazing to a tired and very pregnant lady!

Best Moment Of The Week:

By far, my surprise shower! Realizing that we have everything we need for baby's arrival was awesome too! I feel slightly more relaxed! Ha ha! 

Actually got a pedicure this week! I can barely clip my own toe nails right now so to have someone else rub them and make them look pretty was awesome!

Movie date and supper with Jill! It has been TOO long since I saw a good chick flick! While watching the previews for soon-to-be released movies (my favourite part!), it was weird to think that we will have a baby by the time these movies are out!

xo

P.S

Happy 5th birthday to my wonderful niece Faith! Love you lots buddy! Ti-ti! xo

Getting As Much Accomplished As Possible!

 

Happy Monday everyone! I hope everyone’s weekend was wonderful! The poor kiddo’s around these parts are headed back to school after being off for a week for March Break! I always remember being so excited to get back to school! I hated being off!

It was daylight savings time around here this weekend which means the clocks got turned back 1 hour! I am feeling slightly hung over from the time change now! But, hopefully the time change means a change in weather! Just this week it was a beautiful sunny day while I was driving home from Ottawa! So, as I was sitting at a red light I rolled down the window and enjoyed the fresh air! It actually felt very spring like in that moment. Warm sun and cool breeze! It was heavenly!

This week I also got an awesome visit and lots of snuggles with this cutie! Sophie and her Mom stopped in to drop off a gift for Baby W and we spent over an hour just chatting! I can’t wait to introduce Soph to her cousin in less than a months time!

This weekend was kind of low key compared to ones past! But, it was nice because I had a mountain of stuff to tackle! Friday night Ryan and I grabbed groceries and went out for a quick bite to eat! After a long week, we both fell into bed early!

Ryan got the playpen/bassinet put together this weekend! Sometimes I forget it’s sitting there when I get out of bed and it scares me during one of my 5 nightly trips to the bathroom!

Saturday was all about getting things done! Saturday morning Ryan had to go to work unfortunately but it was an early shift so he was home by 9 AM! Then, it was time to nest! 6 loads of laundry, 1 nursery put together and 20 nesting projects done! It was a full day!

Please meet the inside of my linen closet…

I know by the look on Ryan’s face that the linen closet was not a “need to get done before the baby comes” project in his mind. But, it feels so nice and organized now and this Momma feels good about that!

The other good thing is the ALL the baby laundry is done! Every blanket, onsie and sleeper is clean and stored away in it’s new home! Ryan really liked this washcloth “puppet” and had too much fun scaring Tucker away with it!

Dad came over later Saturday morning and the boys did some finishing touches on the nursery! It is now 90% done! I can’t help but look inside EVERY TIME I walk by now! It has turned out better then I imagined it!

After a busy morning/afternoon of doing projects around home we decided with our free evening we would head to the city and do our March date! The March date is kind of special as it’s the last one before Baby comes! It is also Ryan’s birthday month and we wanted to be sure to celebrate early in case Baby makes an early arrival!

Sunday morning I headed to hockey with Ryan and then we rested that early afternoon! Church had been changed to the afternoon for a special Covenanting service for our minister Nancy. It was a beautiful service and then a wonderful time visiting in the church hall afterwards! 

I think Ryan and I were both pretty exhausted when we got home and settled in for a night on the couch and early bed! We are both right now on high alert for Baby W’s arrival and it’s hard to believe we are this close to meeting our little one! Another weekend crossed off the calendar and not many more to go before we become a family of 3!

How was your weekend?

xo

Year of Dates 2014–February

 

Happy Friday everyone! It’s actually a beautiful day around here although I know it isn’t going to last. Winter started really early around these parts and it is beginning to feel like the winter season is never going to end!

Ryan and I are soaking up the winter months as much as we can! We are trying to get as much in as possible before the spring brings an exciting new addition to our family! This includes our year of dates that we decided to do despite the change in our lives.

February was Ryan’s month to plan! I was anxious to see what he had organized for us this year!

It says, “February – Baby, baby, baby, it is the winter of love (what a goof! ha ha!)! What a beautiful way to spend a lovely day with you out in the fresh air! A sugary snack of beaver tails, and a nice stroll in confederation park to see the ice sculptures. Love you always, Your Hubby”

The date had me at “Beavertail”! One of my absolute favourite treats! While we usually skate the canal at least once a year, we rarely go to Confederation Park to view all the Winterlude activities! I was looking forward to what it all entailed!

On a chilly but sunny early February day, we headed to the city to begin our date! It had snowed a lot the day before so walking around the park wasn’t very pleasant and we had both wished we had worn better footwear! We learnt our lesson for next time! ha ha!

We arrived early in the day to beat the crowds but there were still lots of people around taking in some winter outdoor fun!

We got in line to get a close up view of some of the ice sculptures! It was amazing to see them up close and see all the details! Also proud to see how well some local Canadians had done in the competition!

In the children’s section they had this very colourful ice sculpture! What you do is grab a coloured square of ice, a volunteer puts some warm water on it and you stick it to the sculpture! Pretty neat concept!

Within the park they had all these stations set up representing different winter activities and shelters! These lumberjacks were showing off some old wooden toys!

There was also some maple taffy from a local sugar bush! Of course we had to get some of this yummy treat!

Our toes were getting pretty cold and we had seen all that was at Confederation Park so we decided to head back towards the car and grab some nice warm Beavertails!

Definitely the highlight of the date for me! 

We were both pretty chilled but grabbed dinner at a pub down in the market afterwards! It was nice to warm up and continue our date inside somewhere warm!

It’s amazing the things that are available so close to home. Winterlude is one of those things that people from all over the world come to partake in! For us, we kind of take it for granted because it is so close to home. Usually if we participate in Winterlude it is by skating on the canal! Being pregnant this year allowed us to get off the ice and view the sights and activities in Confederation Park that we normally miss!

It was a nice day out in the crisp winter air together being tourists in our own city! Usually I am one who likes to be bundled up warm inside, but Ryan’s date allowed us to enjoy the Canadian winter weather together! 

Happy Friday!

xo