Overwhelmed (and that's an understatement!)

3.5 months left. That's it.

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I feel like there is so much to do, buy, learn, prepare and understand before this little person arrives and 3.5 months is NOTHING! I have a gazillion questions, thousands of dollars worth of "stuff" I need buy, and this overwhelming feeling that I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO BE A PARENT!? Is this normal or am I overreacting?

Sorry, I'm a bit of a crazy person. Now that that's out of my system, let me start off with some questions I came up with the other day. Maybe if I knew the answers to some of them I would feel a little less useless? Let's pretend that'll be the case. Ok? OK! If you have answers, suggestions, tips or recommendations, please respond to this post or email/FB me!

Devon's Possibly (Probably?) Stupid Questions Regarding the Remainder of her Pregnancy, Labour and Delivery:

1. I'll start with a "vain" question - So far I’ve been lucky enough not to have any stretch marks. What products do you recommend for preventing them and minimizing them if they do come?

2. Cold and flu season is upon us and being a teacher means I’m more susceptible to catching something. Can I safely take anything to prevent/treat symptoms? 

3. Did you or are you planning on signing up for childbirth classes? Did you find them useful?

4. I find myself worrying about every little ache and twinge. How can I distinguish what’s normal from what’s not?

5. When contractions start, when should I go to the hospital? I don’t want to go too early and be sent home, or too late and deliver in the car! LOL (but not really, that would suck!)

6. I could probably pack a whole suitcase to bring to the hospital. What do I really need?

7. Due to a “low lying placenta” I may need to have Cesarean. Any tips on recovering as quickly and as painlessly as possible, from a C-section?

8. If I’m able to give birth vaginally, when is the best time to ask for an epidural if I decide I want one?

9. I think I want only my husband to be in the room when I deliver. How soon after our baby’s born, can the rest of my family come in?

10. How soon after the birth, will I be instructed on breastfeeding?

11. How long do I have to stay in the hospital after giving birth? And after a C-section? 

12. And the most important question of all  - Soooo, what the $&!*# do I do now?!?!

Now that I've got the paranoid portion of this post out of the way, lets talk about something fun! CRAFTS!

I'm really not that crafty, which might be a bad thing considering I'm a teacher, but it is what it is! Anyways, I was Pinterest-ing on the weekend and came across a super cute idea for the nursery!

I went out and bought some wooden letters to spell the baby's name (actually, I think they're MDF but it doesn't matter), some "Mod Podge", and a variety of patterned scrapbook paper to match the nursery's colour scheme, and I got to work at the kitchen table!

Now, I won't show you the finished product because we're keeping the little man's name a secret until he's born, but I've linked to the blog I got the idea from! It was super easy and it turned out exactly how I imagined! Here are the papers I used :)

It was also my mom's birthday over the weekend, so Dan and I (and Lucy!) went to my parents house for dinner on Sunday. My mom surprised us by bringing up the tote's of baby clothes and blankets she had saved from when my brother and I were little!

Check out some of the cute homemade sweaters we took home with us! I can't believe my little brother, who is not so little anymore, used to wear these! So adorable! I can't wait to see how cute our little one looks in them. Perfect for our winter baby :)

Speaking of clothes, here's another Outfit of the Week post! The photos were taken in my parents pretty yard.

The top I'm wearing is from Seraphine (online shopping is my newest guilty pleasure and I ALWAYS find something I "need" on Seraphine's website. What I "need" is to stop spending!). The sweater is awesome because it's a maternity top to accommodate the growing bump, but it doubles as a nursing top with convenient boob access via the snaps on the shoulders! I got the purple, but it also comes in black and brown.

Top - Seraphine (purple breastfeeding sweater)

Jeans - H&M (non-maternity... I'm wearing a belly band!)

Boots - Aldo

Jewellery - The Bay

That's it for now! Thank you for reading :)

PS. Don't forget to respond to any or all of my questions, if you can help! Thanks! 

Horoscope and Birth Order - Any truth to it?

My sister-in-law and I went to a baby shower for her cousin, last night, and we got talking with a couple girls about horoscopes and birth order and whether or not we think there is any truth to the various theories regarding personality traits and character attributes. The conversation got me interested so, of course, I had to do some "googling"!

Here is what I found out about Capricorns and First-borns!

Capricorn males:

down to earth

practical 

ambitious 

self-driven

patient 

responsible

organized/studious

intelligent

goal-oriented

mature

ethical and usually follow the rules

values image and material security and savings

strategic/planner

gives practical advice

dependable and trustworthy

successful

natural leader

financially responsible

committed to his work

“loner” at heart 

craves affection and love 

sensitive

deep feelings about people and issues that are important to him

charming

witty

sarcastic 

shy

insecure about looks and appearance

Capricorn children:

teacher’s pet and mommy’s best little helper

rarely rude or out of control in his behaviour

craves respect 

enjoys school

doesn’t outwardly share emotions

warm, loving, loyal, and sensitive

asks permission 

can come across as arrogant

seeks approval from parents and authority figures

delightful sense of humor

creative imagination

will need reminders that its ok to play and have fun

tends to have self-esteem issues

mature compared to peers

diligent work ethic 

innate sense of right and wrong

needs reassurance that he is likeable and loveable

follows the rules as long as he understands why they exist

loyal to friends and family

smart and capable

worries about popularity and dating in teen years

First borns:

natural leaders

reliable

conscientious 

high-achiever

perfectionists 

don't like surprises

aggressive

places a lot of pressure on himself

people pleasers

craves parental attention

model children

strong need for approval from anyone in charge

prefers adult company

strong leader

follows the rules

organized

I find it very interesting that there seem to be several similarities between first-borns and Capricorn males. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if our little man fits the mould!

Sweater: Gap

Leggings: Seraphine

Purse: Roots

Necklace: Suzy Sheir

Boots: Zellers (surprised?!)

Of course, here's another Outfit of the Week post! Dan and I met for a casual dinner tonight in Woodstock (which is about half-way from our house and police college, where he'll be staying until the end of November). I forgot to get him to take some photos when he was home this weekend, but we managed to find a pretty field across the street from the restaurant to get some shots.

This week has been CHILLY! (I mean like 11 degrees Celsius, chilly) Totally NOT acceptable for September! Anyways, I had to bust out my fall clothes and some of my boots, from the basement to put this outfit together. The sweater is from the Gap (not maternity, just oversized) and the leggings are from Seraphine, my new favourite place to shop for maternity clothes. Let me tell you that these leggings are FREAKING AMAZING! There called Bamboo Leggings and they're made from this special bamboo material which is super soft, stretchy, and is meant to promote healthy circulation. Nice!

I'll leave you with another 'Pregnancy Journal' - this one for 24 weeks:

Size of baby: Approximately 1.3 lbs and 11.8 inches long! 

What's baby up to?: Though he still has little body fat and his skin is thin and fragile, your baby is now well-proportioned. His brain is growing rapidly, and he is starting to fill the space in your uterus. If you went into labour at this time, many obstetricians and midwives would make every effort to halt the progress of premature labour to enable your baby to continue maturing. 

Total weight gain/loss: 16 lbs 

Pregnancy symptoms: Some nausea (still) and I think I’ve begun to feel some “Braxton Hicks” contractions

Maternity clothes? Yep - pretty much everything I’m wearing is maternity now with the exception of a few flowy or stretchy tops, and some of my “fat” pants lol

Stretch marks? Nothing yet!

Sleep: 8-9 hours at night and the occasional mid-afternoon nap.

Best moment this past week: Just feeling TONS of movement which makes me feel more connected to my little guy :)

Miss Anything? Coffee (and being able to take cold medication... I’ve got something coming on, booo)

Movement: Tons! Pretty much every time I put my hands on my belly for at least 5 minutes I’ll feel something. I’ve also begun to SEE some of the stronger kicks, which is really bizarre! 

Food Cravings: Jalepeno Cheddar Doritos and mangos (not together!)

Anything making you queasy or sick:  the smell of garbage

Have you started to show yet: Yes - I think I “popped” this past week! 

Gender predictions: Predict no more -  IT’S A BOY! 

Labor sigs: Nope

Belly Button in or out: In-betweeny 

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody: Happy!

Looking forward to:  Painting the nursery this weekend and for the bedding to arrive! I ordered it off Etsy from a seller called ‘Modified Tot’, who makes beautiful custom crib bedding! 

Nursery Decor and Delicious Cravings!

It's been such a busy week! Between dropping my husband off at Police College, photographing a wedding and an engagement session, editing a bazillion photos, going out to eat (on multiple occasions!), hanging out with friends, and remembering to take a moment to relax, the past 7 days have flown by and here we are beginning week 23! Only 17 weeks left! Thinking about how fast the first 17 weeks came and went, it's a scary thought that I only have that many remaining in this pregnancy!

Luckily, I've been feeling fabulous lately! Still on the Diclectin to control my nausea, but thats really the only symptom thats persisted this week, so I can't complain.

Speaking of pregnancy symptoms, I had a mean craving for chocolate chip banana bread the other day, and finally got around to making it today! I've included the recipe and a few photos of the step-by-step deliciousness! This is the moistest, most chocolatey, and flavourful banana bread recipe I've tried, so I know you'll love it!

CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA LOAF

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

4 bananas

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

Heat oven to 350C

Combine and mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

Place batter in a greased bread pan (bottom only) or in muffin tins.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan. Complete cooling on a wire rack.

Serve & Enjoy! 

(I like to warm mine in the microwave for about 15 seconds, so the chocolate chips get all melty... nom nom nom!)

I had a million photos of nursery ideas/inspiration I wanted to post today, so instead of inundating you with random pictures, I made a little inspiration board for the baby's room! (Yes, today wasn't quite as busy as the past week!) I'll be ordering the bedding in the next few weeks, taping and painting the walls (hopefully this weekend), and shopping for art, accessories and other cute pieces to complete our little mans room! Knowing the rate that I work at though, it won't be completely done until the winter. Oh well - 4 months is plenty of time to make it just perfect!

Now for my outfit of the week posting! I went out for dinner last night (Indian, YUM!) with my two closest girlfriends, so we took a few snaps of my casual look for the bloggy! The striped top is non-maternity, but the skinny jeans are from Seraphine Maternity, and they're amaaaaaaazing! The perfect length, perfect colour, and they're super comfy! The elastic waistband is just the right thickness, so I can wear them after baby arrives as well :)

 Jeans: Seraphine Maternity

Top: Max Studio

Cardigan: H&M

Sandals: Birkenstock

Purse: Aldo

Until next week!

Ultrasound Results

Week 22 started out with a visit to my family doctor to get the results of the ultrasound and for the regular monthly pre-natal checkup. Everything with baby boy looks wonderful! She said his growth his right on track, his organs look developed, and his heartbeat is strong! She said the one thing of potential concern that the ultrasound tech found is that the placenta is "low lying" which means its too close to my cervix. She explained that the placenta always starts out low and moves up as the uterus grows but in some cases, it doesn't move up far enough or just moves up a little later on. The implication is that if it remains where it is, I'll have to have a cesarean as a normal vaginally delivery could be very dangerous to the baby. On the plus side though, she said in most cases it DOES move up to where it needs to be, before 40 weeks. She advised that I should limit my exercise (not that I'd been doing a ton anyways) and generally "take it easy" until they can do another ultrasound around 30 weeks to determine whether things are looking more promising. Lets all do the "GO PLACENTA GO" cheer and hope that it gets to where it should be in the next 8 weeks!

In other news, we bought a crib and change table a few weeks ago, and the crib arrived on Monday! Of course I HAD to set it up right away, and I'm proud to say I did it myself! Take a lil' looksie!

The only other item in the nursery at the moment is a massive shelving unit from Ikea that we had before, and some white storage baskets to keep things organized.

Baby boy's closet is starting to look more like his momma's, with more new duds arriving weekly! I went a bit crazy at Talize (a local 2nd hand store) the other day since everything was like $3 or $4 and in great condition! I think I'll be doing a lot more shopping at consignment/second hand shops, since baby clothes really only get used for a few months before they grow out of them!

Last but not least, the promised "Outfit of the Week" post for week 22! Dan and I went out for a nice dinner this past weekend to celebrate his new job, so I wore my new Animal Print Knotted Maternity Dress from Seraphine Maternity! Isn't it pretty? I really love the colour and the knot under the bust makes the ladies look lovely! :P My fabulous photographer (... Dan) forgot to get some full length shots, but it hits just a few inches above the knee which means I can wear it to work too! I think I'll definitely be getting a lot of wear out of this dress since its perfect for fall, winter and spring.

I think that's all for now! I'll post again next week :)

NEW CLOTHES!

Mommy and baby boy have some sweet new duds! I ordered a few items from Seraphine Maternity and I absolutely adore them! My favourite item this week has been my new Burgundy skinny jeans. They're the perfect shade for fall, super-duper comfy, surprisingly long enough (I'm 5'11) and perhaps best of all, they make the tush look cute! They have a narrow elastic waist band which means I can wear them throughout my pregnancy AND after baby is born! They're stylish and fun and I love the fact that I can still feel trendy and cute even as my waist expands on a daily basis! 

I decided I'm going to do a "Maternity Outfit of the Week" post each week so I remain motivated to dress myself acceptably (even when I feel like crap!), and so I remember to get a belly photo! I hope you enjoy the first one: Week 21!

Jeans: Seraphine 

Top: Old Navy

Necklace: Suzy Shier

Sandals: Gap

Since finding out the gender on Monday (and since I have some new clothes for myself!), I just had to go shopping for some baby boy clothes! I hit up H&M yesterday and bought some super cute outfits for our little man! I happened to have a gift card to the mall (that I got for my birthday in May) which MIRACULOUSLY had a remaining balance on it, so I got all of these clothes for only $12! SWEET! 

Look at the difference between 2-4 months and 9-12 months! 

For our little Rockstar! 

And who doesn't love the preppy look for little boys!?

Requisite hat and mitts for our January dude!

How far along? 20 weeks (August 27th 2012)

Size of baby: 10” from head to heel (about the size of a leek) and 10.5 oz.

What's baby up to?: Baby is gearing up for the next phase in his development—filling out. His organs are getting into their proper places. His kidneys are now in position with their familiar bean shape. His testes have reached their position. His brain continues to form and grow. His teeth are beginning to appear, and he can swallow. If you haven't been able to feel him move, chances are you'll be feeling him move more and more over the coming weeks. A whitish coat of a slick, fatty substance called vernix caseosa begins to cover your baby and protects the skin during its long immersion in amniotic fluid. It also eases delivery. The baby's swallowing more this week, good practice for the digestive system. After your baby takes in amniotic fluid, his body absorbs the water in the liquid and moves the rest into the large bowel. 

Total weight gain: 15 lbs 

Pregnancy symptoms: Lots of heartburn this week! Ugggh!

Maternity clothes? Yep - pretty much everything I’m wearing is maternity now with the exception of 2 pairs of shorts (which will probably get packed away soon as the weather cools down). I received my order from Seraphine Maternity (seraphinematernity.com) late last week so I’ve been rocking my new blue jeans and burgundy skinny jeans lately and can’t wait to wear some new fall pieces when schools starts up again! I’ll be the most stylist pregnant supply teacher you know!  

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: 8 hours and the occasional mid-afternoon nap. I bought a body pillow to try to prevent me from rolling onto my back (which isn’t advisable during pregnancy), and I totally love it! Dan laughed at my the other day as he was leaving for work because I was apparently holding onto this thing for dear life! Whatever - I better enjoy my sleep while I still can! 

Best moment this past week: Having our 20 week anatomy scan/ultrasound and learning that we’ll be welcoming a beautiful baby boy into the world come January! (I might also mention again that my gender prediction was right! Call it mothers intuition!)

Have you told family and friends: We shared the news of our sons arrival pretty much as soon as I wiped the blue ultrasound gel off my belly! 

Miss Anything? Caffeine and being able to ACTUALLY exercise (I’m still going to the gym but all I can do without getting a massive cramp is walk on the treadmill at a snails pace and lift some light weights)

Movement: Yes! Within the last week or 2 I’ve started feeling lots of movement and little kicks. They started at the sides of my belly but now I can feel them right in the center, mostly before I fall asleep at night.

Food Cravings:  Butter chicken! But we had it last night for dinner and it gave me wicked heartburn :( 

Anything making you queasy or sick:  My sense of smell has become stronger since being pregnant and garbage just takes me over the edge. I have to hold my breath when I open the cupboard under the sink. 

Have you started to show yet: Yep - I think I’m finally starting to look pregnant as opposed to chubby! 

Gender predictions: Predict no more -  IT’S A BOY! 

Labor sigs: No

Belly Button in or out: In-betweeny 

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody: Happy!

Looking forward to: Starting to decorate the nursery and being able to buy cute little man outfits! 

It's a ......

Today was the day! We finally had our 20 week anatomy scan and were able to find out the gender of our little one! The ultrasound took about an hour and was the longest hour of my life since I wanted her to wait until the end, when Dan was able to come in, to tell us the gender. 

Before I get to that (sorry!), here's a picture of our dog Lucy that we posted on  Facebook to have our friends and family guess the gender... 7 people guessed girl, 7 guessed boy! 

Ok, back to the ultrasound story! I actually asked the sonographer if she could show us the screen so I could guess myself. As soon as she scanned between the legs, I knew and I said "ohhhh I think I see a little something there!" She laughed and said "Yes, you definitely do!" 

Dan and I (and big sister Lucy!) are so thrilled to be welcoming our little man into the world in a few short months! Let the decorating and shopping begin! 

The results of the diagnostic part of the ultrasound will be sent to my doctor and I will get the low-down on everything at my next appointment with her, which is Friday. Fingers crossed that everything looks good! 

Here are the ultrasound photos that we got to take home! (and the sonographer was sure to point out that yes, our son DOES have 5 fingers on both hands but because of the angle of the shot, the pinky got cut off).

I'll be posting again later this week! Thanks for reading :)