Online Baby Shower Gift!

This arrived in the mail today (well, it could have arrived much earlier  but we just finally checked the mail):

I'm part of a Facebook Group for expectant moms due in November 2011, and one of our members organized an online baby shower. We were each given the name of one member, plus their registry information, details about the baby and the rest of their family, etc. The limit was around $40.

I was SO EXCITED to open my package! I absolutely love everything and she made the incredibly cute Pug lover onesie. I cannot wait for our baby boy to wear it! I will have to take a picture of him with the pugs and send it to her.

29 Weeks

Wow, I can't believe I am 29 weeks! It's so close and so far at the same time.

We had our latest OB appointment on Friday, and everything is great. I don't have Gestational Diabetes (YAY!) and my blood pressure and weight gain is good. Baby has a strong heartbeat (145 bpm; I love that sound) and the only thing of slight concern is that my uterus is measuring about 32-33 weeks. I'm going for a growth ultrasound in a couple of weeks to check our little guy's size. He could be bigger than average (well he sure has chubby cheeks already so it's possible!), or, I could have more fluid than normal. My doctor also said it could just be the way I'm carrying him. So we'll see. I'm not too worried. I am however going to pay attention to cutting down on the carbs and sugar GD or not. If he is big, I don't want him packing on unnecessary weight.

Last night I had my first minor scare this pregnancy. I started to get really crampy and felt like I had pretty bad period cramps as well as some back cramping. I had been hot and sweaty all day, and was probably a bit on the dehydrated side, so I drank a ton of water and laid down. I tried to time the cramps and thankfully they were all over the place so not regular contractions. It was very uncomfortable but not exactly painful, and I fully planned on calling my MIL (L&D nurse at our hospital) if they progressed but thankfully they stopped after about 30-45 minutes. It did make me realize however, that I am totally unprepared for how bad labour is gonna hurt! I really really hope I get to be one of those lucky women who have a quick and easy labour when baby is full term and ready to come out. I can dream right??

3D Ultrasound - 26 Weeks & 29 Weeks

Well we went for round two of our 3D ultrasound tonight with both of our moms. Last time, our little guy was breech and nothing we tried would get him moving much. He just wanted to stay snuggled up to the placenta, lol. This time, he was head down! In fact, he just flipped last night which is very convenient. To guarantee some action, I drank Coke, ate Skittles, had more suckers (they were a better kind this time lol), and he was very very active. Plus he's a lot bigger, and those cute little cheeks were even chubbier! We were able to see his little boy parts in 3D too. There's no mistaking we are having a boy!! You can see the photos here, and there are some posted below as well.

Here are a few from the first round at 26 weeks:

And here are a few from today at 29 weeks:

I'm totally biased of course, but I think I'm having the cutest baby ever. We are so in love with him already. Hurry up November!!!

Nursery Preview

Ok, so I can't hold out any longer. I have to share pictures of our nursery as is, because I love it so much. I find any excuse I can to spend time in there. There are a few things left to do... my awesome mom is working on an owl painting and a plaque that says "Owl Always Love You" to hang above his crib and my fabulous mom-in-law is working on a growth chart to hang on the same wall as the closet. I still need to make the crib skirt and sew his crib blanket (matches the curtains), but that's about it I think. We also have these cool metallic dragonflies that will hang on the wall over his crib as well.

To show the transformation of the room, I had the foresight to take before pictures. Here is what it looked like before all the painting and decorating began:







And here is the transformation! Click on the pictures to see bigger versions.

Mom and I made the curtains out of specially ordered fabric from spoonflower.com with green broadcloth as the backing and top band. We found these awesome plastic grommets to use at the top. The owl pattern on the fabric is the basis for the theme and colours of the nursery.

The crib and dresser my mom bought us used of Kijiji when we found out we were pregnant after our first IVF. It just so happens it's the exact same as Elaine's crib, which was why I fell in love with it in the first place because I loved the crib she had for Matthew. The bookshelf, which looks like it matches, we found at IKEA for a steal (we decided not to use the ugly one you see in the before pictures). The lamp was another great find for only $14 at Jysk. The turtle is really cool because his shell lights up and projects stars on the ceiling. I bought him for "Nate" for Father's Day because he's interested in anything astronomy (though of course it's really for the baby, but it was just for fun). The rocking chair is very special to Nate and I; his maternal grandma gave it to his mom when he was born. Now he will get to sit in it and rock his own firstborn son. We added a cushion that matches the decor, and my mom crocheted the blanket hanging on the back. The light fixture we also found at IKEA, and it allowed us to move the light from right in front of the closet door (who installs a light right there??).




The cute little owl painting (on the same wall as the white bookshelf) my mom painted a few years ago. We found it when we were cleaning out the nursery closet to make room for baby and it goes with the room perfectly. The tree mural and dragonflies I painted on the wall, and Nate hung the shelves on the branches. The stuffed owl on the top of the tree is my favourite stuffie from when I was a kid. His name is Hooty, and I think he's the reason why I really wanted owls as the theme. The lime green owl below him I ordered off of Etsy (it's a piggy bank), and the pewter owl Elaine bought me when she was shopping for her own nursery for Holly and bought one for herself too (we both did an owl theme). The switch plate cover I made by decoupaging fabric over the original cover.

My very talented mama painted the owls on the closet door. She mimicked them after the ones on the fabric, but gave them her own special touch. I absolutely love how they turned out! I painted the dragonflies since I'm not nearly as talented in the painting department haha. We both made the felt owls hanging from the mobile, though mom got the fun task of trying to sew them together.

So that's the room! Nate, mom, and I are so incredibly happy with how it turned out. I can't wait to finish the last little bit. As soon as we do I'll post a couple of update pictures. Thanks for looking!

27 weeks! 13 left to go...

And holy moley have I been delinquent about updating. Here's the whole shebang from the last 4 weeks.

After my last post, we found out that we needed to go back yet AGAIN for anatomy ultrasound #4... Our OB said that nothing was wrong, it was just that they still weren't able to see everything they needed to. I'd never heard of 4 anatomy ultrasounds for one little baby and despite my doctor's reassurances, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit worried.

Anatomy ultrasound #4 was on Tuesday, August 9 at 10:45 am (at just over 25 weeks), and we went back to the same place as our previous one which was awesome. Thankfully our baby was much more cooperative! He kept his boy parts hidden until the end (he loves to cross those legs!) but a good side view showed his penis in all it's glory so I felt much better having a second visual confirmation. We had only seen his boy parts the once at 18 weeks, and everything we have for him so far is blue and very much for a little boy.

The most important thing though was that our little guy is healthy. The very sweet tech had no appointments for a while after ours, so she took a bunch of 3D shots of his face. It was so incredible to see his chubby little cheeks and features! He totally has my nose and Nate's lips. He was also sleeping with his hand tucked under his chin again and pouting... Just like I do! Here are pictures of the pictures (I will replace with the actual files next week):







We had our 26 week OBGYN appointment Friday, August 12, and it went great! No wait again as usual... We were actually 20 minutes early and prepared to wait, but no one was before us so they got us in right away. Bonus! We saw a really nice intern before our doctor came in to see how we were doing, and she was finally able to sign off on all of our baby's anatomy scans. Everything was completely normal which was a huge relief after our elevated Downs risk and the number of ultrasounds we had. Most of our little guy measured within the 50th percentile, though his head measured in the 85th. That kind of freaked me out a bit as I realized that head would be the first part of him coming out of me within the next few months haha! I think up until I heard that I was in denial that what goes in must come out! My belly was measuring right on as well, and his heartbeat was fantastic. I love hearing it on the doppler! No other issues to complain of, and my weight gain is good so far.

The next day, on Saturday, August 13, we had our "entertainment" 3D ultrasound at UC Baby. We brought my mom and Nate's mom with us. Despite a slurpee beforehand and the 6(!!!) suckers the tech made me eat (like as in chew, not suck on... If I ever see another sucker I will puke!) our little man was hunkered down for a nap in breech position cuddled up against my placenta. He did flash his boy parts right at the beginning, and at one point he had one of his feet up by his head which was so cute. Despite not shifting after I switched positions and jiggled my belly all over the place to get him to move, we still were able to watch him suck his thumb and fist, grab his toes and the umbilical cord, yawn and swallow and even open his eyes and blink at us! He also flexed his biceps at us several times which had us all cracking up. He's just soooo frigging cute and it was amazing to see his little features in so much detail. Mommy and Daddy's hearts absolutely melted, and both Grandma's were pretty smitten too. I'm so in love with him already! We got some great printed pics to tide us over but not the CD or DVD yet as they are going to have us back in 2 weeks free of charge for another attempt. I'm definitely not complaining... Can't wait to see him yet again! Afterwards, we all joined Nate's dad at Scicillian Pasta Kitchen for a celebratory supper. It was a great night, and we really enjoyed being able to share that special ultrasound with both of our moms.

On Monday, August 15th, I had part one of the gestational diabetes screen as well as some other standard lab tests. However, I didn't realize I needed a urine test as well, and for the first time this pregnancy I didn't have to pee. Totally Murphy's Law because since getting pregnant, I ALWAYS have to pee! It took me 20 minutes to squeeze enough into that damn cup and my little guy was not impressed with all the straining! That was probably the worst part of the whole experience for me. After I managed to give them that sample, they gave me The Dreaded Drink and I chugged that nasty orange concoction down super fast so I wouldn't taste it. BAD idea. I almost heaved it all up again. All I could think about while trying not to puke was what the lab tech said when she handed it to me: "Don't throw it up ok?" Right. Because I can help that. Bleh. Anyways, I kept it down somehow, but it wasn't carbonated like some ladies I know have had, and it tasted like cold, slightly watered down orange cough syrup. Then I just had to wait it out for an hour which wasn't so bad thanks to my iPhone. They definitely ought to have a couple of comfy padded seats designated for pregnant people and the elderly though. One hour in those chairs is torture!

The next day my OB's office called to tell me I failed round 1, which sucks. I wasn't terribly surprised... I have PCOS of course, and with that comes insulin resistance (at least it does for me). So I was booked to do the 2 hour version this past Friday at 27 weeks exactly. It wasn't as bad... this time I'd learned to drink smaller amounts at a time, like shooters, so I barely tasted it. I did need 3 blood draws (one before, one at 1 hour, one at 2 hours) but I'm used to needles so that part was easy. The worst was having to sit in that stupid uncomfy chair for 2 hours while feeling nauseous from The Dreaded Drink, and starving from fasting over 12 hours. All I could think about was McDonald's breakfast (bad I know!) which was exactly where I headed after I finished the test. I made it with 5 minutes to spare until they switched over to lunch. Whoo! I should find out tomorrow if I passed or not.

In other news, the nursery is almost done! I've debated posting pictures of the progress so far, but I'm going to be mean and make you all wait until everything is done. I may post pics before the painting my mom is working on is done though, as that could take a while yet. I love how it has turned out... It's so calming and cheerful, and I find any excuse I can to hang out in there and organize his closet and drawers. I have also discovered I have a shopping problem. I cannot stop buying for my little man when it comes to clothes. With showers coming up in October, I. Must. Resist.

I will be posting a ton of pictures and some video of the 3D ultrasound after part 2 on September 1st.

Here are some belly pics to tide you over:

26 Weeks





27 Weeks

23 weeks tomorrow!

I actually have a lot to update for once!

Last Friday was our 22 week OB appointment. I have only gained 13 lbs so far which I am really happy about, especially because it seems I am always hungry, and for the first trimester I was less nauseous if I ate. BP was perfect, no urine issues. Baby totally cooperated this time and they found his heart beat right away. In fact, due to his position, the Doppler was right on top of his heart and my OB could hear all of the valves functioning "just beautifully" as she put it. My uterus is measuring 24 instead of 22 weeks, but I was told that's normal and better than measuring too small.

Our u/s results were fantastic; no soft markers for Downs! He has a prominent nasal bone and all the bones in his pinkies plus his femur length was normal. However, our baby is a stubborn little dude, because they have not been able to get good views of his heart so we went back one more time on Wednesday.

This ultrasound was a way better experience. It was at another OB's office in the same building, and Nate was able to be in the room the entire time. We both watched our baby during the entire ultrasound on a big TV screen on the wall. The tech was super sweet and went over all the body parts she was measuring and answered any questions we had. It was so cool to watch our little guy for a whole hour! He curls his hands up under his chin when he sleeps like I do, and I totally think he has my nose and Nate's lips! I asked if she could confirm the gender, but he was sitting breech with his legs crossed so no further visual of his boy bits. He also kept putting his hands in front of his face when she switched to 3D so no good face shots to take home. But he's healthy (he showed us his heart which looks great!) and that's all that matters.

I reached another milestone the other day. TMI (too much information) warning for those who do not want to read about my boobs....

They started leaking colustrum!! I was a bit surprised and excited all at once, only because I was happy to know the plumbing up there works, haha!

In other exciting news, progress is being made on the nursery. My tree-shelf wall is almost done, and mom has gotten a lot done on the owl mural on the closet. Last week we bought a light fixture for his room and a bookshelf that matches the off-white colour of our crib and dresser/change table. I also found out this week that I have the same baby furniture as Elaine! Which is funny because when we bought it, I was looking for something similar to hers as I loved it back when Matty was born. Not only that, but she is doing an owl, birds, and butterfly theme for her little girl (due within the next 4 weeks), and we are doing an owl and dragonfly theme for our little boy. Great friends think alike! ;-) I can't wait for both of our babies to be here. It's so much fun to be pregnant at the same time as one of your very best friends.

Oh, and I've popped even more I think. I feel enormous. Here's my latest belly picture (taken yesterday):

21 Week Follow-up Ultrasound

So our baby boy is doing really good! Yesterday was the follow-up anatomy ultrasound since the first was a bit "early" and he was too small to get all the measurements they needed. He is measuring right on target, his heart rate is good, and thanks to the tummy probing he finally turned so that he is no longer beating up my cervix and bladder. I actually saw my belly jump very slightly from a couple good knees/elbows during the ultrasound so I think all the poking ticked him off!

Unfortunately the u/s was super short and the tech I had was a tight lipped cow. She barely grunted when I asked if he was cooperating, and I was starting to freak out that something was wrong because she said absolutely nothing the whole time! When she left to give the doctor the scans and to get mom and Nate, I felt baby like crazy (that's when I saw my tummy jump!) so thank god I had that reassurance. I had to drag it out of her that he was measuring perfectly and what his heart rate was (143 bpm). I asked if she was able to see his boy parts, and she said no, that this was a follow up so she didn't look. Hmph.

We plan on going for an elective 3D ultrasound in a few weeks, so I guess I can get a better look then! At least we were able to see him "looking" at us and sucking his thumb! Here is a picture from the ultrasound, but it's pretty crappy. It's of his face as he was looking at us. It looked so much cuter on the actual screen.



We will get our combined ultrasound results on Friday, but I'm feeling good about everything.

Last night was also pretty exciting because he was moving a ton since the ultrasound and had been giving me his hardest kicks/punches/nudges yet. So, while we were curled up on the couch watching "The Business of Being Born", Nate had his hand on my belly and felt him for the first time! I was worried that with my extra padding it would take a while for him to feel it, but after I saw my belly move today I began to wonder. I'm so happy he was able to experience that!