Mad nesting...

Nesting: “an uncontrollable urge to clean one’s house, brought on by a desire to prepare a nest for the new baby, to tie up loose ends of old projects and to organize your world.”

                                                                                                                                       - Parenting Weekly

It has begun. So far today, (and its not even suppertime yet), I’ve rearranged the art on my walls (why this was necessary, I don’t know, there are surely more meaningful things I could be doing with all of this energy!), wiped down and sanitized every surface in my kitchen and bathroom, cleaned out my closet, organized the spare room, filed a bajillion bills, receipts and various paperwork, rearranged the books on my bookshelf (again - WHY?), did 2 loads of laundry and the dishes. I still plan on vacuuming and cleaning the floors, windows and coffee/side tables in the family room, cooking dinner and going to my husbands hockey game. And then I will sleep. Sleep until it goes out of style. 

This past week was not so productive. I taught all day Monday and a half day Tuesday, and then I got an awful flu/stomach bug which had me in bed (and hovered over the toilet) all day Wednesday, and part of Thursday. I had my OB appointment Thursday afternoon, by which time I was thankfully feeling better. Everything was fine - My blood pressure was a bit low (which it has been since I got pregnant, so nothing new there), my weight was only up a 1/2 lb (probably would have been higher had I not puked the entire day before) and my fundal measurement was spot on for 32 weeks. I was given a requisition for another ultrasound which will be on Dec 3rd, to check on the placental abruption. I asked my OB what would happen if it looked worse, and she said they would consider bed rest or early induction, so fingers crossed it’s gotten better, rather than worse. As much as I’d like to meet this little guy soon, I think he needs another few weeks of cooking! On Friday, I taught another half day and then Dan came home for the weekend, we had dinner and did some major vegging (the opposite of nesting - go figure!)

Tomorrow, we have our prenatal course from 9 a.m - 3 p.m, which I’m really looking forward to, and will report on next week!

Here is my outfit for today. Over night, we got our first dusting of snow! Lucy was VERY excited so we strapped on her boots and winter coat, and took her for a walk. Add that to my list of accomplishments for the day, LOL... And who says you can't wear red lipstick to walk the dog!?

Hat, Mitts & Scarf: Roxy

Coat: Guess

Top: Aritzia

Jeans: Seraphine Maternity

Boots: Joe Fresh

...and Lucy's coat is from Roots and her boots are from PetSmart :)

Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your weekend! (and if you got some of the “white stuff” like us, enjoy the snow!)

PHOTO BOMB!

One of my best friends since childhood, Jacqueline, took our maternity photos this past weekend! Here's a collection of some of my faves :)

*click to enlarge*

And I also used photos from our shoot for my Outfit of the Week for week 32!

Dress: Seraphine Maternity

Jacket: Costa Blanca

Scarf and Tights: not sure! 

Belt: Joe Fresh

Shoes: Primark

(and in case you were curious - Dan's shirt is from Galleries LaFayette (by Marco Serussi), jeans from Banana Republic, and jacket from Primark)

Scary stuff...

Last Wednesday, I had an ultrasound to check on the position of the placenta. On Thursday, I had my 30 week doctors appointment, to get the results. I was so relieved when my OB told me my placenta had moved up and away from the cervical opening!  After getting all excited, though, she proceeded to tell me I have an “Anechoic avascular area (4.9 x 2.0 x 5.1cm) along the inferior placental edge, which may be an area of focal abruption". Ok, so she didn’t actually say that, but that’s what the report says!

Here’s what it means in English for us “lay” people...

There’s an area (4.9 x 2.0 x 5.1cm) with no blood vessels/circulation, along the edge of the placenta. The placenta has partially separated from the uterine wall.

Sounds bad, right?! 

Well, I STUPIDLY got home and started googling away and I found out that “placental abruption”, as its called, happens because of trauma to the abdomen, smoking, cocaine use, blood clotting disorders, diabetes, high-blood pressure, being of “advanced maternal age”, or having a large number of past deliveries. Do I check any of these boxes? NOOOO! 

I also haven’t had ANY symptoms that would normally be markers of a placental abruption, so I'm taking that as a good sign. My OB told me not to worry, that often times these things can heal themselves. As a precaution, she’s scheduled another ultrasound at 34 weeks (so in about 2 weeks from now). She told me I need to report any cramping, abdominal pain or bleeding to her immediately, or go to Emerg (which I would anyways!). Placental abruption happens in about 1% of pregnancies, and as long as it doesn’t become severe, shouldn’t cause any harm to the baby or myself. (I really don’t want to think/type/talk about what would happen if it DOES become severe, so I’ll leave it at that). 

TIME FOR THE GOOD NEWS! My “condition” doesn’t seem to be effecting the little man’s growth or well-being in any way. He measured perfectly in all his percentiles (between 40 and 65 percent), and scored an 8/8 on his Biophysical Profile, during the ultrasound. That means his posture and muscle tone are great, he showed 3 or more distinct movements within 30 minutes (not surprised at all on that one!), he showed off his “practice breathing” for at least 30 seconds (it was so cute seeing him open and close his mouth), and there is the right amount of amniotic fluid surrounding him. Hooray! The ultrasound also put his weight estimate at 3lb 6oz for 30 weeks - right where it should be (and his huge head is already 12” in circumference!) My OB said he’ll put on about 1/2 a pound a week from now until 37 weeks, after which his gain will slow down a bit until he’s born. That means by 37 weeks, he should weigh almost 7 lbs). 

Check out my teeth!

Anyways, we need to continue with the “Go Placenta Go” cheers, and obviously thoughts and prayers are always appreciated. The placental abruption is pretty worrisome for me (and I ALWAYS worry more than I should), but I’m taking good care of myself and trying to “take ‘er easy”. Hopefully, it will heal itself, and the remainder of my pregnancy will be trouble-free! 

In other news, this past weekend, one of my best friends, Jacqueline, took maternity photos of Dan and I! (... there I go again with the excessive comma use, somebody help me!). We were lucky enough to have BEAUTIFUL weather, and we had so much fun getting our photos done together (The first time since our wedding nearly 3 years ago!) I hope to have a few to post within the next few days, which means Dan will finally be making his long-awaited (lol maybe not!?) blog appearance! 

I think that’s all for now. Hope everyone is having a great week :) 

OOTW: Week 31

I love a lazy Saturday! This morning, we went to our favourite breakfast place, Angels Diner, and I ordered chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream - scrumptious! (I seem to have gotten my sweet tooth back in the last few weeks). Dan is boring and ALWAYS orders bacon, eggs and toast. Don't mess with a classic, I guess! Afterwards, we went to the Real Canadian Superstore, so I could check out the new Joe Fresh baby clothes. I'm obsessed.

Anyways, here's todays casual outfit. (Don't mind my crazy face in the one pic - while taking photos, Dan mentioned my belly was looking bigger, and that was my reaction, LOL).

Jeans: Seraphine Maternity

Tank: Motherhood Maternity

Cardigan: Aritzia

Scarf: Le Chateau

Purse: Spring

Boots: Aldo

Down to single digit weeks now!

Pregnancy Journal for Week: 31

Size of Baby: 16" long and approximately 3.5 lbs. From this week on, he will continue to gain around ½ pound a week until shortly before birth.

What's baby up to?: Your baby's arms, legs and body continue to fill out -- and they are finally proportional in size to his head. Your baby's organs are continuing to mature and he is passing water from his bladder: good practice for the urinating he'll do after he's born. Soon you can wonder what your baby is wishing for -- brain scans have shown that fetuses have periods of dream sleep around month eight. 

At my ultrasound yesterday, I also found out that baby boy is already in the ideal position for birth -  “Left Occupit Anterior” - which means he’s positioned something like this:

His head is down (to the right of my pelvis), his back curves along my left side, his bum is up near my left ribs, and his legs and arms are all hangin’ out together on my right side! 

Total weight gain/loss: +24 lbs (my gain seems to be slowing down, which they say can happen in the 3rd trimester. I should try to gain at least another 6 lbs though, since my doctor recommended I gain at least 30 lbs total. Shouldn't be a problem with 9 more weeks to go! 

Pregnancy symptoms: Fatigue, backaches, Braxton Hicks contractions, occasional shortness of breath, occasional heartburn, frequent urination!

Maternity clothes?: Yep, pretty much everything. Still wearing my pre-preg pants with a “Belly Band” and non-maternity cardigans with mat tanks have become my "go-to teacher-wear". 

Stretch marks?: Nada! My mom didn’t get any with me or my brother, so I’m hoping I get lucky.

Sleep: about 9 hrs during the night, with the occasional afternoon nap! 

Best moment this past week: Seeing my little man again at my ultrasound on Wednesday (which was to check if the placenta had moved up enough for a vaginal delivery). He looked so squished in there! Much bigger and chubbier than he did at my 20 week scan. Keep growing little man! According to the ultrasound tech, he was opening and closing his mouth doing “practice breathing” and that’s what causes all the hiccups I’ve been feeling lately! He’s also still a boy - I asked to see his “parts” again, just to make sure! LOL. 

Miss Anything?: Being able to put my socks and shoes on without a struggle! 

Movement: Tons! I often feel his little bum protruding on my left side and his kicks on my right. Check out this video I posted last night of his crazy dance moves!

Food Cravings: Indian and Thai food, cranberry juice, milk, dark chocolate.

Exercise: Lots of dog walking! 

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nope!

Gender predictions: It’s a boy! 

Labor sigs: Nope

Belly Button in or out: Mostly out.

Wedding rings on or off: On! (I haven’t experienced any swelling at all...)

Happy or Moody: Happy! 

Looking forward to: So much! Two baby showers coming up at the end of the month, finishing the nursery decor (it’s so close to being complete! I cant wait to show you!), the stroller and bassinet arriving, the prenatal class we’re taking at the end of November, Dan’s graduation from police college (and his return HOME!), just over a month left of teaching, then CHRISTMAS! 

Age when you found out you were pregnant: 25 (I turned 26 the following week)

How far along were you when you found out?: like 10 days! But since they calculate it according to the first day of your last period, 3.5 weeks. Confusing! 

How far along were you when you felt baby kick for the first time?: I think about 18 or 19 weeks.

Do you have a name picked out?: Yes :)

When did you decide on a name, and who picked it?: We decided on it after we found out he was a boy, so in August. I found it online and mentioned it to Dan. It was one of the few names he actually liked, so that made it easy! 

What kind of birth plan are you considering?: A “Go With the Flow” plan! I’d like to see how things progress and make decisions as we go, so I’m not disappointed if things don’t happen the way I expected.

What pregnancy related books have you read/are you currently reading?: What to Expect When You're Expecting; The Pregnancy Bible; The Happiest Baby on the Block; What to Expect the First Years.

Any weird pregnancy dreams?: Nothing lately, but in the first trimester I had a dream I gave birth to a lobster in the toilet. So weird.

Who do you want in the delivery room with you?: Just Dan... and the doctor and nurses, of course! I want our immediate families to come in shortly after though, once baby and I are “all cleaned up”. 

Are you planning on breastfeeding?: Absolutely. It’s the most natural and healthy food for baby, so if it’s difficult at first, it’s something I will be really persistent about. 

Do you plan on having any more little ones?: Let’s see how things go with this one first! LOL. I think we’d like to have two kids. 

Baby products you'd like to try: There are so many things on my registry (and Christmas list!) that I can't wait to try. Here are a few...

The Baby Bullet

The "mamaRoo" by 4moms

"Grass drying rack" by Boon (lol just because it's cute!)

The "Change-it-up Clutch" by Petunia Picklebottom 

Kicking his way out!

So, I'll be doing my regular post tomorrow or Friday, but I took this video about 30 minutes ago, and I HAD to share it! Pretty sure he's trying to kick his way out of there! Crazy guy!

Enjoy:)

** Fast-forward to about 45 seconds for the craziest part! LOL.

Outfit of the Week: Week 30!

Here's my OOTW for week 30! Since Halloween is now over, it's time to get in the holiday spirit! I opted for red lips today and built my outfit around that!

Oh and I should mention my excitement about this black top from Seraphine Maternity (you may have noticed my slight obsession with this brand...) Anyways, it's a maternity AND nursing top! It's hard to tell since its black but the bust has a really flattering sweetheart neckline and a sort of 'criss-cross' thing going on which pulls down really easily for boob access, LOL.

Enjoy :)

Pants: Seven

Blazer: Zara

Top: Seraphine Maternity

Scarf: Winners 

Shoes: Walmart

Purse: Target 

Names, Names, Names! (and music)

Well, another week has come and gone and I hardly noticed the days passing. Is it actually November already? Life, please slow down! 

It was another busy one and between teaching, working hard on the “to-do” list, preparing for halloween, date night with Dan, and sleeping ALOT (this third trimester thing feels veryyyy familiar!), here we are nearing the end of another week and I’m still not quite sure where the time has gone. Week 30 is here people. 10 more to go until we're parents! It's just CRAAAAZY!

So, moving on... I’m putting together a bunch of songs to make two playlists for labour and delivery. We plan on bringing our i-pod dock in our hospital bag! The first playlist is made up of songs that relax me (to help me get through the contractions and the early stages of labour) and the second list PUMPS ME UP (for the actual delivery!) While making the lists, some of the song titles stood out to me as being particularly relevant to having a baby and becoming new parents (or are just funny when you relate them to the pain!) Here are a few...

From the “Relaxing” list...

Lost in the Moment (Big and Rich)

It Won’t be Like This for Long (Darius Rucker) - hopefully this is true for the pain!

You Found Me (The Fray)

Heartbeat (The Fray)

Look After You (The Fray)

Beautiful Life (James Morrison)

Precious Love (James Morrison)

This Boy (James Morrison)

You Make it Real (James Morrison)

Thank You (Johnny Reid) - This was also our “First Dance” at our wedding :)

Growing Up Beside You (Paolo Nutini)

Your All I Want (Lifehouse)

You Are the Best Thing (Ray Lamontagne)

For the First Time (The Script)

And from the “Pump Up” list...

Howlin’ for You (The Black Keys)

I Like How it Feels (Enrique Iglasias) - hahaha DOUBTFUL!

Good Feeling (Flo Rida) - (see above comment!)

Shake It Out (Florence + The Machine) - LOL, if only it were so easy...

When You Were Young (The Killers)

You Rock my World (Michael Jackson)

Little Lion Man (Mumford and Sons)

Give Me Everything (Pitbull ft. Ne-Yo) - as in, all the drugs you’ve got. Load me up!

We Found Love (Rihanna)

Without You (Usher)

Let Me Love You (Ne-yo)

So, that’s just a few of the songs on my list. Let me know if you have any other song suggestions! (Or if you think I’m crazy and won’t want to listen to anything but dead silence the entire agonizing time...)

I’ve been meaning to do a “name post” at some point but couldn’t think of what I wanted to talk about without giving away our name! Callie at “Through Clouded Glass” (a great blog I’ve been following since I started this one) wrote a really interesting post about how her and her hubby go about narrowing down the thousands of names out there, to a few final choices. Anyways, her post inspired me to write this one! 

We’ve had our little dudes name chosen since before we knew he was a little dude! It’s funny because we decided on his name very easily but we were having the HARDEST time agreeing on a girls name. I think that was a sign to stop worrying about it, since we wouldn’t end up needing one anyways!

Anyways, I thought it would be a cool idea to talk about some of the other names we threw around while we were deciding, to give you a glimpse into our naming “style”. 

Other boy names we considered, but aren’t using ... 

(Reasons they were vetoed are as follows... 1) Too popular - As a teacher, I have this thing about my kid being called Billy M or Bobby R at school because there are 4 other kids in his class with the same name. 2) Dan thought of a way for kids to tease him “Holden Peters”.... just, no. LOL, 3) The name reminded him of someone he isn’t fond 4) I just couldn’t get myself to the “I LOVE IT” stage.

Some girl names we like, and may use some day ...

Alright... let’s be honest here... Most of these girl names are my choices. Dan likes really boring, common girl names which really don’t do it for me! I think it has something to do with growing up a “Devon”. You may also notice all the girl names I like are quite “girly”. Although I like my name now, I didn’t enjoy having a so-called “boys name” as a child, and vowed to give my future daughter a name where there would be no confusion as to her gender!

For you fellow preggies out there, some of my favorite websites for baby naming are:

Nymbler

Nameberry 

Social Security Administration

Baby Center 

And finally, last week, I posted my main blog post mid-week and my OOTW on the weekend. I think I might continue to do it this way since its so hard to get photos taken of me throughout the week seeing as my “photographer” (Dan) is only home on weekends. Anyways, expect my outfit post on Saturday!