The Waiting Game Commences

Here I am at 36 weeks, which was last week (May 30)

I feel like the look on my face says 'get this baby out of me!' Haha.

At last week's appointment the midwife confirmed that the baby had definitely dropped, and we discussed labour and delivery in more detail.  This past Sunday we had a practice run as I woke up at 2am with some contractions that stayed consistent for the next 24 hrs.  

At first we thought it was the real deal - the contractions got closer together and longer in length, but never increased in strength.  

After a few calls to the midwife, she confirmed that it was probably just pre-labour.  She said that some women experience this when the baby is settling into final position, and that it can last a few days.  At first we were very disappointed, but we know that Baby S will arrive in the Lord's perfect timing, so now we wait!

As of yesterday (June 6), I am now 37 weeks and full term!  

I had another appointment on Tuesday and the baby is fully engaged, meaning it could be any day now....or 4 weeks from now.  How encouraging! Haha

Baby's heart rate was 150 at this appointment and 'she' wasn't moving...so signs point to a female Baby S once again :).

Due to the contractions I've been having since Sunday I started my maternity leave a few days early.  I am so thankful I did - I have been SO tired this week and have spent most of my time sleeping.  I am finding that I have a hard time sleeping at night now, which I know is common for this stage of pregnancy.  I have a huge mat leave 'to-do' list but haven't had the energy to tackle it until today.  I know it is best for my body and the baby to rest as much as possible so I'm trying to remember that and get sleep now while I can - I know I will be wishing for it in a few weeks' time!

5 Weeks til Baby!

Here are a few updated pictures from the past couple of weeks!

32 Weeks

34 Weeks

Baby's 2nd Wedding, my dear friend Nicole from university got married April 28th, and Baby S became an honourary member of our Fab 5

This week I am officially 35 weeks pregnant!  Which means that Baby S' arrival could be in just a few weeks.  At my last midwife appointment Baby S threw us for another loop and clocked in a heart rate of 140...hmmm!

I am still measuring right where I should be, and this past week feel like the baby may have 'dropped'.  I have not felt as much pressure in my ribs and am more comfortable over the past several days.  Looking forward to my next appointment on Wednesday to see if I am right!

Mark and I have not been able to attend any prenatal classes due to our crazy schedules, but I have been reading alot, and Mark has been flying through the book "The Birth Partner" by Penny Simkin.  This book was written for husbands/coaches, etc. and he has found it super helpful and informative.  I'm so thankful that he is taking so much initiative to be knowledgeable so he can support me better.  What a blessing and comfort that is to me!

The nursery is finished and our crib has arrived in the store.  Once we get it transported home and set up I will post some pictures.  Other than that, we have our carseat, our stroller, and our hospital bags (mostly) packed.  

The countdown is on!

Florida Holiday

Back at beginning of April, my sister, Aunt Lisa, mom and I surprised my Nana for her 80th birthday.  She knew that my mom was coming for a visit, but had no idea that Britt, Aunt Lisa and I would walk through her back door 2 days later.  It was one of the best surprises I have ever been a part of - she was absolutely shocked, and I will never forget the look on her face! Here are some pics my mom snapped when we walked into the kitchen that morning:

We had such a great week of 'girl time' together and the weather was absolutely gorgeous - sunny and warm every single day.  We relaxed by the pool, went out to eat, and shopped almost every night.  We even made it to the beach for 2 days and braved the Spring Break crowds.  Oh, and guess who happened to be in town?!  Jerry Seinfeld!  My Nana loves Seinfeld, so the girls went to his comedy show one night.  It was so funny I literally could not breathe by the end of it!

Hanging by the pool, our daily routine!

Love this pic of Britt and I at Clearwater Beach

Waiting for Jerry

Lunch at one of Nana's favourite spots, Lavender & Lace Tea Room

But the best part was being able to spend so much time with my grandparents and to be with Nana for her actual birthday.  We had lunch at another tearoom in Bartow, did some shopping, and then had dinner at Red Lobster, one of her all-time favourite restaurants.

Stanford Inn - beautiful!

We sat on the porch and felt like we were on the set of The Notebook.  Love those old southern plantation homes!

Red Lobster dessert

And cake and presents at home - doesn't she look great for 80?!

I have been fortunate to travel to Florida often to visit Nana and Poppa, but this trip will always be special to me for a number of reasons.  I loved having girl time with my Nana, mom, sis and aunt.  I will always remember Baby S' first trip to Florida!  Loved catching up with my Poppa.  And I felt so honoured to be there for Nana's 80th birthday - I love and admire this woman of God sooo much and felt like I was truly able to treasure each moment with her.

4 generations represented in this photo!

Growing, Growing, Growing!

This week I am 32 weeks pregnant and officially 2 months from my due date!  We are getting so excited and have been busy accumulating necessary items and working on getting the nursery ready for baby.  I will have pics of that once it is finished (we are still painting).  Here are some updated pictures from the past couple of weeks.  I can't believe I still have 8 weeks of growing to do...not really sure where this baby is going to fit!

25 Weeks

27 Weeks

30 Weeks

Mark - 30 Weeks - HA!

I had an appointment with our midwives yesterday, and I am still measuring exactly where I should be, so my due date remains June 27th.  The heartbeat was a little slower at first yesterday (145), but then I started talking and it sped right up to 155!  Either this baby is trying to fool us, or it was sending me a message that there really is a little girl in there :).  I am feeling pretty well, aside from the nausea.  Cutting down on work has helped alot, as I'm finding myself so sore after an 8 hour shift on my feet.  I am so thankful for my manger's flexibility, and that I have been able to do so.  

I have some fun pictures from my trip to Florida and my very first baby shower that I will post soon!

Praising the Lord for bringing us and Baby S safely this far and anticipating the exciting times ahead!

A Long Time Coming....

This post will come as no surprise to almost everyone that reads this blog, but I felt like I needed to announce this to the blogging world, despite how 'old' the news is now!

Yeppers, we're having a baby!!!

(sorry, can't figure out how to rotate the above pic...)

This ultrasound picture is from my 13-week appointment, back in December.  We decided to tell our families and friends very soon after finding out our exciting news, partly because I was so sick that everyone was guessing anyways!  I have to say I am so, so thankful for the combination of Vitamin B and antihistamines that is Diclectin.  This drug has truly made things bearable for me throughout this pregnancy.  Without it, I was literally not able to function as I could not keep anything in my stomach, even water.  With Diclectin, I have still experienced nausea every day, but at least I can eat, work and go on with life!

I am now 26 weeks along!  Yes, I am this pregnant and haven't even blogged about it yet!  Lame, I know.  

Here are some pics of my growing baby bump!

13 Weeks

15 Weeks

18 Weeks

20 Weeks - halfway there and officially in maternity pants!

23 Weeks - pop!

 (I'm not quite as big as I look in this photo, and no, I'm not having twins!)

We have chosen to not find out the gender of the baby.  Mark always said he would want to know, and I never did.  Once I was actually pregnant, we completely swapped - he wanted the surprise, and I felt like I could easily be convinced to find out!  In the end we decided not to find out - I do feel like this is one of the last surprises left in life - we can know everything in this day and age, and I don't have to know this one.

That being said, I would guarantee you with 95% confidence that this baby is a girl.  I have had a strong 'feeling' since the very beginning, and I am so curious to know if I am right!  So far all of the old wives' tales are proving true if the baby is a girl - the heartbeat is consistently high, I am carrying wider as opposed to out and pointy, and the chinese string/gold test clearly said 'girl'.    

I can't wait to find out if my maternal instinct is right!

Despite the physical discomforts of pregnancy, it truly is an incredible time that I feel so privileged to be able to experience.  Especially now, as I feel our little one move and kick inside of me daily, I am blown away by the absolute miracle of life and God's creation.

I am learning that I can't necessarily do everything that I used to be able to do before pregnancy, and that I need to take care of myself, which in turn cares for this precious baby.  After a small recent complication, I have come face to face with this reality, and have had to cut down on work and remember to find a balance between busyness and rest.  

All in all, Mark and I are SO excited and thankful beyond words for this gift from the Lord, and we love that June 27th is approaching quickly!!

Upstairs Bathroom Before & After

Time for some more before & after pics!

Our upstairs bathroom re-do is one of my favourites in our home, because this room was such an eyesore beforehand!  All we did was paint and add a new mirror, new hardware, and a shower curtain, but it made such a difference.

The bathroom was pink, pink pink....pink paint, pink tile, pink countertop.  

Eww.

The pink tile even extends inside the shower.  Lucky us.

We would love to completely re-do this bathroom one day, with new tiles and a new vanity, but for now, what a difference a couple dollars can make!

It's amazing how much the patterned shower curtain distracts from the pink tiles and counter top.  They are no longer the first thing you notice when walking into the bathroom (yay!)

Next up...the basement!

More Before & After

And now for the upstairs of our home, or at least what we have worked on so far.  Our house is a 3-bedroom, 2-bath, and so far we have re-done our master bedroom and the upstairs bath.


Easter colours continued upstairs before we painted....the bedroom being a lovely yellow with dark yellow trim.  I couldn't wait to get this room updated!

Here's the before.....

And the after....

My mom taught me how to hang wallpaper, and it's really not too difficult!  A very inexpensive way to do a feature wall in any room.  This wallpaper was about $35 per roll at Lowes!

Our side tables were from the antique market and Moveline.  All they needed was a fresh coat of paint.  And the dresser below was another antique market find!  Just painted it black and changed out the hardware.  

And here is the view from the bedroom into the semi-ensuite bathroom. 

Are you beginning to get a sense of my grey paint obsession??   :)

Still more pics to come!