Elliotte's Birth Story

I don't exactly know how this is going to go, the entire day is quite a blur in my mind. There are large chunks of the day that I don't remember at all so I may end up getting some help from Ben in remembering bits and pieces.  

Elliotte's Birth Day

 I woke up at 4:30 AM on August 8th to a painful contraction. It's funny how for so many weeks I had been wondering if every tightening of my belly was 'the real thing' and when 'the real thing' finally hit I just knew. After the first contraction I waited and sure enough ten minutes later I felt another one. I knew at this point that sleep was the most important thing to get so I tried going back to sleep. It became clear to me when seven minutes later another contraction hit that sleep wasn't going to be happening. I thought if I had a bath maybe it would slow the contractions down so that I could sleep some more, however, getting in the tub didn't slow anything down and I started having contractions every five minutes. As soon as I got out of the bath I knew that I should eat something, although I had no appetite whatsoever. I jumped in the car and drove to Tim Hortons where I picked up a bagel. It was super inconvenient that we had no food in the house but I knew I needed some complex carbs so I went anyways. 

Once I got home contractions were consistently three to five minutes apart and lasting 45 seconds, walking around was the best way to cope at this point. I pretty much paced and breathed for the next hour. At six Ben woke up and came out of the bedroom to see me pacing the living room. I told him that I thought this was 'it' but that he should go to work since I figured I could use some alone time and promised to text when I needed him to come home. 

Here are a series of the texts that we sent back and forth during the short 2 hours that Ben was at work. It didn't take me long to realize that I didn't want to be alone.

 At one point the contractions slowed to about 6 minutes apart and I thought I should walk the dog. Luckily, the next contraction ended up being pretty intense and I decided against it. This was the beginning of an increase in intensity.

At 8:30AM I told Ben that he needed to come home because I was needing him. That 40 minute drive for him to come home felt like forever. At this point I was coping with contractions by sitting on the exercise ball and leaning on the couch. I was already moaning through the pains and I realized that I wouldn't be the silent, graceful labouring woman that I had hoped I would be....

When Ben got home from work I set him to work right away putting the birth pool together. Once the pool was set up I figured it was time to call the doula to let her know that we would hopefully be needing her within the next hours. I called her and said that we would most likely want her to come around 11AM. After calling the doula we called the midwife who said she would be over in an hour. She came at 10:30AM and checked me. She wouldn't tell me how dilated I was but she said I was 100% effaced so I knew that my body had done SOMETHING in the last 6 hours. After some investigating I got the midwife to say that I wasn't in active labour yet (according to dilation, although according to the frequency of my contractions I was) and she left saying to call her when things kicked up a notch. 

Here is the last smiling picture of me pregnant. This was taken at about 9:30AM while Ben was setting up the pool. 

The next few hours Ben and I spent alone, he talked me through contractions, practiced his Norwegian lessons...(he's taking an online Norwegian course) and even slept for a bit while I sat, walked or did whatever it took to cope with the contractions. At one point we actually watched a stand up comedian on Netflix, I can't say that I paid much attention. I do remember feeling like by this point the contractions were pretty intense and they were definitely close together (2-3 minutes apart), little did I know how intense they were going to get.

At about 2PM I said that it was time to call our doula. I thought I was coping well, but I knew that things had kicked it up a notch and Ben was definitely more comfortable having someone else there. She got there half an hour later and the instant she walked into our house she came over to me and began breathing with me. When she got there I realized how poorly I had actually been coping and it was so helpful having someone there to help Ben know what to do. Breathing was something that I really needed help with during labour and from the moment she got there until our Ellie was born she breathed through every contraction with me, 'in through the nose out through the mouth', I probably heard those words over 300 times during the course of the day. It was SO hard to breath in, but breathing out felt amazing. After only a few minutes of being with us our doula realized that I wasn't coping very well in my current position and suggested labouring in the bathroom. We got upstairs and I sat backwards on the toilet leaning on a pillow. This was actually an extremely comfortable position. I had shooting pains down the sides of my legs during every contraction and the only way that I could handle it was having our doula apply pressure to the sides of my legs while Ben would push on my low back which was aching like crazy, then in between contractions one of them would stroke my upper back while the other stuck a straw of water or a Booster Juice in my mouth and demand that I drink. By this point I had lost any concept of time. I remember even asking what time it was and our doula saying that time didn't matter, I'm grateful now for that because if I had been counting the hours I would have gotten really discouraged.

At one point I got in the bathtub. It felt AMAZING. I wouldn't say that the water decreased my contraction pain at all, but being able to float really helped the pain in the sides of my legs and my low back. Eventually while in the tub I said that I wanted to call the midwife. Ben or the doula must have called her because I definitely didn't. The midwife that showed up was not my regular midwife as my primary midwife was with another patient and would be showing up a little later. I LOVED this midwife though. She came into the bathroom, explained everything she was doing really well and made me feel instantly comfortable around her even though I didn't know her. I asked her to check me and she said that I was 5 centimetres, close to 6. At this point I also demanded that Ben tell me the time, so I know that this was at 5PM. Now looking back I'm surprised that I wasn't more discouraged that after 12 hours of labour I was only half way there, but I wasn't. I hardly even thought about how much was left to go, I was just so amazed that my body had worked so hard and had gotten to 5 centimetres on it's own! At one point in the bath tub I projectile vomited my booster juice all over, REALLY classy! After this cute little episode it was advised that I get out of the tub. I wasn't super interested in remaining steeped in my own vomit anyways. 

I got out of the tub and if I remember correctly the birth pool was filled but the water was too warm so I had to manage some contractions on dry land. This was AWFUL. My primary midwife showed up at this point and yet I don't remember much of her. She would come check the baby's heart rate every 15 minutes or so and otherwise was sitting writing who knows what. Finally the pool was ready and I got to climb in. Once again I had NO concept of time so I can't tell you what time I got in or what time I got out. In my mind I was only in the tub for about 10 minutes but Ben assures me that it was a couple hours at least. It was while I was in the pool that I entered transition....Now for people who are not well versed in labour and the natural progression of things I will fill you in. Transition is by far the hardest part of labour. It spans the time that your cervix opens from 7 centimetres to 10 centimetres. In my case I was blessed with contractions one on top of another all through transition, just as a contraction would start to ease up another one would come. I dry heaved and my whole body shook through every contraction which makes trying to breath mighty hard. I BEGGED for an epidural, a c-section, and to be driven to the hospital. Let me just interject how impressed I am with Ben, even though I was thrashing about, he stayed right there with me holding a cold cloth on my neck and forehead, telling me how proud he was of me, and all while I behaved like a wild beast! 

During this horrible, horrible point I was checked a couple times and it seemed like there was a bit of cervix that just wouldn't open. I was feeling quite a bit of pressure with each contraction (a sign that I was ready to push) but unless I was fully dilated Elliotte would not be able to pass through.The midwife suggested getting out of the tub to try some different positions to help finish the process. I hated her for making me get out, but oh well, it had to be done. Eventually the midwife suggested she try to help me stretch the rest of the way. Now I'm sorry if this is too graphic but oh well, no one is making you read this! So during a contraction she reaches up and tries to manually stretch the cervix, she had to do this 4 or 5 times (ouch) and eventually it worked and I was ready to push out my baby! 

Since we were planning a water birth I hobbled back over to the pool and got in. What happened next is a blur. The midwife was checking Elliotte's heart rate during every contraction and after only a couple contractions it was obvious that she wasn't doing well. I was told to get out of the tub right then and I was moved over to the couch.  After 25 minutes of pushing the one midwife told the other to call the ambulance, Elliotte's heart rate was still not doing as well after contractions as it should and they were anticipating that I would be pushing for a while still. On the next contraction I used every ounce of strength that I had left and on Wednesday, August 8th at 11:24PM out she came! She came out with her little fist up by her head which is why her heart rate kept dropping. I ended up with a tiny tear and 2 stitches which was not bad at all. 

Elliotte was the most beautiful thing that I've ever seen. For the first 10 minutes of her life we just stared at her in awe. We didn't even look to see whether we had a girl or a boy. After the most amazing shower in the whole world I joined my new family and climbed into bed where we spent the next few hours finding out all we could about our little Ellie. She was 7 pounds 1/2 ounce and 20 inches long, absolutely perfect.

Giving birth was the hardest thing that I've ever done but it was so worth it! I can't believe how intense the contractions were and how strong a woman's body is. I just can't believe that she's here! 

Moments after she was born.

Ben holding his daughter for the first time.

A new family!

She was so alert and just stared at us with her beautiful big eyes.

40 Weeks/Full Term!

I can't believe it! The due date is here, the day that has been spinning through my head for close to a year has finally arrived. Still no sign of a baby. Now the baby truly can come whenever he or she decides to, after today I'm considered 'over due' dundundunnnnn.... I think I've finally reached the point of feeling done and wanting this baby out more than in. 

Size:

Well our baby is now the size of a pumpkin...oh dear. Most babies born at this stage are somewhere between 5 lbs and 9 lbs, I'm assuming our baby is right in the middle there somewhere, I guess we'll see! The average length for a baby is 20 inches. All the cooking is done and now we just make sure the baby is still doing ok and wait...

Pregnancy Symptoms:

Night time has become my enemy. Last night I totalled 3 hours of sleep... It's the most bizarre thing, I lie in bed totally awake, I have NEVER had this problem before, I have no idea what it is but it's driving me slightly crazy. Maybe today I'll skip the nap and see if I can sleep from the sheer exhaustion. 

I'm getting slightly more crampy and my back is kinda getting sore but otherwise still feel great. I'm still trying to get in at least an hours long walk a day and I'm sure that's contributing to the back pain, but if it's going to prepare my body for labour then BRING IT ON. I also actually really enjoy walking, it always brings the Braxton hicks contractions on hardcore which makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something, who knows...

Oh and let's not forget peeing 200 times a day, I wish I was exaggerating....moving on...

I'll skip all the nasty specific little details of my midwife appointment (this IS the internet after all) but I will say that she said everything looks 'ready to go'. I still don't feel like labour is right around the corner or anything but it's good to know my body is getting ready even if I'm not....

Life Happenings:

Just waiting for the baby and doing everything that we normally do. Ben has been in denial that the baby can technically come anytime. Every time I've mentioned that "maybe this is it" (25000 times per day) he always says "nonsense, it's not even your due date yet". Now he can't say that anymore so maybe he'll have to believe me!

Every night I imagine that 'this will be the night', I don't know why I'm so set on going into labour in the middle of the night.... once again I suppose we'll just have to wait and see... 

I'm getting mighty sick of these updates, I'm looking forward to being able to actually update WITH PICTURES OF A BABY... it is what all this hullaballoo has been about!    

This week I went for a 'labour walk' with my cousin who was due a week and a half before me. She finished the walk off with a castor oil cocktail. Now if you're not aware castor oil has been known to naturally induce labour, however the side effects can be less than desirable, but when you're overdue and desperate I guess you take the good with the very very bad. Anyhoo, she took this cocktail and voila 4 hours later her water broke and 6 hours later her baby girl was born. I must admit that the thought of trying the concoction has entered my mind periodically since her successful experience... We'll see how desperate I'll get...

Weekly Highlight:

I don't know if I have highlights anymore. Every day is just 24 hours of wondering if the sensations I'm feeling are labour. I suppose my naps have been pretty dang good lately.

40 weeks! 

39 Weeks!

I can't believe how close this is all getting, only one more week till the due date and then only two more weeks tops after that! I really do think that We'll see the due date before the baby but only time will tell.

Size:

The average baby now weighs the same as a WATERMELON, about 7 lbs 8 oz... my midwife thinks our baby is a little smaller than that, I guess once again we'll see when this little one decides to come. The vernix (white goop that used to cover the baby's skin) has been shedding and may be all gone by the time the babe is born. In any way it isn't long until we meet this baby! 

Pregnancy Symptoms:

Well as time goes on this list gets longer I suppose. Still feeling lots of BH contractions. Waiting for the real ones can be tricky when you're constantly getting the fake ones.

 Just in the last week I've been waking up once or twice a night to go to the washroom, I feel super lucky that my sleep didn't seem to be disturbed until now and even now it's really totally bearable. I would make an AWFUL pregnant woman if I didn't get a decent sleep every night. 

I'm definitely feeling more pressure due to the pushing down of the baby. I walked to my midwife appointment this past week and for the next two days I felt like my back and hips were broken... 'they' say it's good to walk though, so I'm going to keep doing it. Speaking of midwife appointments, I only have a few more of those at the most too....ahhhh....

Life Happenings:

Boy am I enjoying maternity leave...well, I don't know if I'm technically on it yet considering the baby isn't here yet...but boy is it nice to have some time off. I'm trying to not feel guilty about relaxing since I know that that's what my body needs and that any day now I won't have the luxury and the really scary part begins! 

We're still picking up things here and there for the baby/birth, but I feel like we are prepared. I have our guest room packed to the brim with all the supplies we'll need. Hopefully when I go into labour Ben will be able to wade through it all and get everything set up properly in the case that I'm incapacitated, which, let's face it, I most likely will be. I'm pretty nervous about how I'll treat the poor guy when the big day arrives. I've watched all these birth videos where the couples almost look like they're enjoying the process and are so loving and kind to each other. This is how I've always wanted to be, I can pretty much guarantee you that won't be me...I'll be the irritable, mean woman screaming at everyone around her. I'll have to write apology letters to everyone afterwards for all the mean stuff I'm bound to say, I'm just sure of it! 

In other news....I now know why people love the weekends so much! It's soooo nice having two days off in a row with Ben. Every night after work he's pretty much a zombie who doesn't want to do anything but sleep and eat, and that's only if I happen to make something that looks appealing to him (not common). Because of this somewhat unfortunate happenstance, the weekend is now the best time in the world! We get to sleep in (well, Saturday at least) and then the WHOLE day is ours to do whatever we wish, plus we've been allowing ourselves to go on extra dates guilt free since we know that they're basically over indefinitely once this babe gets here. It's a really novel idea! This weekend we...slept in, went out for lunch with Ben's mom, washed the car, installed the car seat, did some window shopping for diaper bags, went out for supper with a friend, went to a movie with that same friend, got my teeth checked by my uncle (he IS a dentist so not so weird), went to church, relaxed, got groceries, hung our with some friends! It was a great weekend!

Weekly Highlight:

As painful as the aftermath ended up being, walking to my midwife appointment felt REALLY good. I just felt so proud of myself for getting off my lazy butt and actually doing it. I have yet to decide whether I'm going to walk to this weeks appointment (I have my doubts), but I really hope that I do. Maybe this time it will kick-start labour! 

Here is the 39 week belly.

38 Weeks!

Well, still pregnant and very much ok with that! 

Size:

At this stage babies differ so much in size and all that but our little leek should be somewhere between 6lbs  9oz to 7lbs. He or she is also somewhere near 20inches long. Still putting on weight and developing that brain! 

Pregnancy Symptoms:

Still getting lots of practice contractions. We've been diligent to take a walk every day and boy does walking sure bring them on. Even though the Braxton Hicks are strong, I do realize that I could have upwards of 4 weeks of this left and that wouldn't really be all that bad, the more practice I get, the more ready my body will be for the real showdown! 

I think I'm also experiencing a little bit of pregnancy insomnia. I don't even like using that word because it sounds so serious, in actuality it just takes me a while to fall asleep. I'm used to being asleep BEFORE my head hits the pillow and for the last 3-4 days I lie awake for about an hour. I have no idea what causes this, I'm not uncomfortable or anything, perhaps it's my body prepping itself for being up all night long in a few short weeks. 

At my midwife appointment this week she said the baby is even more stuck down in place and that there was no 'wiggle room' which I guess is a good thing... It sure explains why every time I stand up I feel immense pressure...oh the joys of pregnancy! 

Life Happenings:

Life has been absolutely perfect lately! I love the summer weather. I love that Ben and I get the full weekend off together now! (probably the first time that this will be a regular occurrence since we DATED!) It's so nice having him home at 6ish every day. We have been taking advantage of all the free time knowing that it won't last long, so it's been date night for us almost every day, even if that's just watching a movie at home or taking Rose to the dog park.

I feel like I'm finally ready for this baby to come if he or she chooses to now. I have all the things ready for the birth and all the clothes washed and ready to go on a beautiful little body. I've collected the diapers that we're going to use and hopefully someone can show us how they work because I'm not creative enough to know how to transform a big rectangle of material into a diaper... Ahh all the learning that we're about to experience! 

Weekly Highlight:

One of these days my weekly highlight is going to be having a baby but for now it's not quite as interesting. This week it was going to the new Batman with Ben on Saturday. I was kinda dreading it because I knew it was 3 hours long and I always seem to end up feeling disappointed in movies that get so much hype, but it was actually good! We went to the noon showing which was nice in itself. We got up, had a little breakfast, parked on the other side of the bridge and made a little walk out of going to the theatre. Then after the three hours of decent entertainment we still had hours of sunlight left! Maybe I'm just so used to working Saturday but boy did this past Saturday just feel SOOO long and perfect! I can't wait for a full year of Saturdays spent with Ben and Rose and our little baby! 

Here is the 38 week bump! Still growing by the day!

A lovely picture of Ben on one of our beautiful Summer dates!

I painted my toenails pink and blue so that while I'm pushing I can look down and gather some extra strength knowing that in a few short minutes we'll know what this little baby is! 

Only a few of these updates left at the most! 

37 Weeks, hello full term!

So I am officially the worst and missed last week! I don't know what got into me I just didn't finish the post, not to mention I didn't get a decent picture snapped. This week I am determined to post something even if it is a couple days late. So we have officially come to full term, 37 weeks! I can't believe we are at the 'any day' phase, although I am quite certain this baby will not be here any day...I'm thinking maybe another 4-5 weeks or so, at least I'm hoping so considering how unprepared I feel. 

Size:

Size at this point is so relative. Most likely the baby is over 6 lbs and around 20 inches long, about the length of a swiss chard. At this point our little baby's lungs should be ready for the outside world and any extra time that he or she stays inside is just bonus time for growing and fattening up.

Pregnancy Symptoms:

Wow have the practice contractions been coming on strong! Otherwise I'm feeling great, sleeping great and so on. At my midwife appointment last week the baby had dropped and seemed to be sitting in a pretty position for his or her impending trek into the world! It seems I've also developed a little bit of acid reflux when I lie down. Only roughly a month to go! 

Life Happenings:

I'm done work!!!! Saturday was my last day of work and it sure feels great to be done. I was quite touched, everyone brought my favourite snacks and we had a little mini going away party for me. I can't believe I won't be back to work for a whole year. 

My days are now filled with puttering around getting everything ready for the birth, catching up on cleaning and enjoying a nap if I feel like one. Oh, and Rose has been a lucky dog now that she's getting a nice little walk every day. I also try to spend a bit of every day doing some stretches and mini workouts with my exercise ball.

We now only have 4 more birth classes and I'm wondering if we will actually make it to all of them. 

Ben is finally done working both his jobs and is now just working the one. It is so nice to have him home at 6:00 every day! 

Weekly Highlight:

Leaving work after my last shift was probably the highlight of my month so far. Only a few more of these updates before I'll have pictures of our little baby to upload! 

35 Weeks!

So, I have had this ready since Sunday but had no belly picture. I still have no belly picture and since it's already Wednesday I'll just post the update and add a picture when there is one to add. 


Size:

Our honeydew melon is roughly 5lbs 4oz and measuring around 18 inches long. The kidneys are fully developed and the liver has already started processing waste products. All of the basic physical development are mostly complete, all that's left is putting on weight and maybe some maturation of the lungs! How cool!

Pregnancy Symptoms:

Well I made it July still wearing my rings! I know it's not important but it was a little goal I made for myself and I like to achieve my goals (even when I don't have any control over what's happening...)! 

Still feeling lots of movement. I know movement is supposed to start decreasing slightly in the upcoming weeks, but so far it's still pretty hardcore. There are times that I literally could grab onto what I'm assuming is a foot sticking out my side. I can't believe that there are only a few weeks left until this little baby will be wiggling around and kicking on the outside...crazy...

I still feel really great. I do think that the baby has dropped slightly because Ben seems to think that I now have a pronounced waddle and I do feel a bit like a duck when I'm walking around. Breathing has also become somewhat easier, so I'm sure the baby isn't pushing up on my diaphragm like he or she was in the past. 

Another notable change are these Braxton Hicks contractions. They used to come a few times a day and weren't very intense, now they seem to be pretty constant and can almost be considered painful at times. Hopefully this means that they are doing something and preparing my body for real labour which will most likely happen anytime between 2-7 weeks from now! (I'm hoping for closer to the 7 weeks) woohoo.

Life Happenings:

Only 2 more weeks of work. That's 8 shifts and 66 massages!!! I'm getting as close to counting down the seconds as someone can get without literally doing it. I just can't wait to be off work so that I can have an afternoon nap, it seems every day around 2PM I just NEED to lie down for a bit, I'm definitely looking forward to being able to have those naps in just a couple weeks!

We met with our doula today and it was pretty exciting just talking over all the things that are going to be happening. I feel so blessed to be able to have this amazing women join us in our adventure. I trust her whole heartedly and I know Ben feels good knowing that there's another set of hands that will be there to help out. I've known her my whole life and there is no one else I'd rather have join us (along with the medical professionals as well of course). 

Speaking of medical professionals, we now have weekly appointments with our midwife. It seems pretty crazy that there are only roughly 5 more appointments left! 

Our birth classes are going really well, every week we get more and more prepared and it's nice to get together with other people that are going through the same things that we are, not to mention it helps to see a bunch of pregnant women, I don't feel so huge and awkward when I'm around them. At our last class we watched an extremely graphic video of women giving birth squatting and I think it traumatized Ben a little...He was such a good sport though and managed to watch the whole thing without looking away, I was very proud. :)

Ben has been working like crazy lately. Usually 12 hours a day at least, he's still wrapping up his painting jobs as well as working more than full time plumbing, he's even going in on weekends. I can't wait to have him home at a decent hour and for him to not be so overworked. I am proud of how hard he works though!
I finally feel like we're getting things that we need, slowly and steadily.

Weekly Highlight:
This week was fairly uneventful. Last Monday I had a girls night with some friends which was really pleasant! A couple of the girls I don't get to see very often, and it was nice to spend an evening catching up. Good friends are so important and I feel lucky to have the ones that I do! 

34 weeks!

Size:

Our cantaloupe is now weighing about 4lbs 13oz and is still about 17inches long. I can't believe how much weight the little one is putting on every day. I can definitely feel that the room is getting squishier in there. At this point all my pregnancy apps recommended talking to the baby because he or she can hear really well now. I feel kind of bad, I haven't done that at all the poor little one isn't even going to know who I am after birth. I guess I should start talking! 

Pregnancy Symptoms:

Movement is still strong and I'm feeling it on more and more of a constant basis. I love feeling all the pushes and mini punches from inside me and I know that I'm really going to miss feeling all the movement once the baby is out. I think this week I may have had my first feelings of being ready to be done. I'm  still not feeling pain but I was just hit with the excitement of actually meeting the baby, and SOON! I can't believe that the birth is roughly only 6 weeks away.

 Ohhh I do have one symptom that is most definitely notable. I've developed some slight swelling. We had some really nice warm weather here the last couple days and I think my body is responding, my hands have gotten a bit on the puffy side and by night time my feet look just a little fat. It's not a concern at this stage, just normal pregnancy stuff and I still have my 'goal' of wearing my wedding ring till July at least so I just have to make it one more week! 

Sleeping is still fabulous with the slight exception that our room is so hot that I just lie on top of the covers, I don't know what I'm going to do when it gets even hotter as there is only a certain amount one can undress to... bring on the fans! 

Life Happenings:

I had another midwife appointment this week. This one was actually a home visit, it was really nice, I didn't even have to leave my house! At this appointment we talked a lot about procedures that we may or may not want done at the birth and it really struck me just how close we really are. I just can't believe that we're at 34 weeks! One more appointment and then we move to WEEKLY ones! Baby is still head down (WOOHOO) and my uterus is growing at EXACTLY the proper rate (YAY) so she was quite pleased. 

We have now attended 2 birth classes and I'm really liking all that we're learning. I really feel like this is helping us prepare for what's to come and there is so much more to learn in the weeks to come. Last week for about half an hour of the class I got to lie down with pillows and try to sleep while Ben massaged me- no complaints here! 

This past week I also started a prenatal yoga class. This is something that I've been interested in for about 4 months and just haven't taken the time to research a class to go to, so when another pregnant friend suggested I come with her to the class she's going to I decided to take her up on it. Wow does it feel good! I felt a little stiff the day after but man did those stretches just make me feel like I was the strongest woman in the world after! I also couldn't believe how well I've been sleeping since the first class. I wasn't even having problems before with sleep but I have been sleeping SOOO soundly since. 

This week I really kicked up my reading as well. I"m almost through this book and I have a couple more that I want to make sure I an get through in the next couple weeks. I've been blown away at how great Ina May's book is and although there is the odd thing that she says that I would disagree with, she is incredibly wise and has A LOT of experience to back up all that she says. 

So I am now at 3 weeks left of work! That's 99 massages and 12 shifts! At this point I'm just getting really excited to be done. I still enjoy going to work but the thought of having all day to get things done and to prepare is just exhilarating to me! There is one thing about my job that I'm going to miss though, and that is the air conditioning (our house does not have this luxury). If I can work up the courage to wear a bathing suit I may just end up living at the outdoor pools for the last month...

Weekly Highlight:

A friend from college came into town this weekend and called me up for a visit. It was SOOO nice to see her again since it had been at least 4 months. We sat outside and visited for 3 hours and although I now have a wicked burn, it was so worth it to catch up and visit. I love seeing old friends! 

The 34 week bump. Believe me it is growing by the day! 

And because I like to add one of my current baby, here's Rose on her way from the Vet, full of treats and happy! 

33 Weeks!

Size:

Our PINEAPPLE(!) is weighing about 4lbs 6oz and is roughly 17inches long!!! All of a sudden that feels really heavy and really long! You hear of babies being born that size... Developmentally the little one is still just growing and filling out, I'm pretty excited to see the chubby little guy or girl in roughly 7 weeks! eeeeek!!!

Pregnancy Symptoms:
Pretty much just growing and growing. The movements feel more and more like this babe is trying to stretch his or her way out not as much like kicks or punches anymore. I'm still really comfortable and not having much notable pain, something I am so thankful for! I really hope that this keeps up and that my being able to sleep keeps up too, it feels so great to have undisturbed sleep, I don't know how some women cope with life when they can't sleep but have to work and keep up with life.

Life Happenings:
 We started our childbirth education class last week and I'm pretty excited to see what we'll learn over the next 9 weeks. Ben is pretty excited too, I think he is ready to feel like he's prepared for what's going to happen in a very short time....I sure hope that I get to the point of feeling prepared as well...I suppose you can only prepare to a certain extent and then you just have to go with it.
Ben hurt his knee on Sunday playing basketball and has been confined to the couch. He has a chronic recurring knee problem that he really needs to go for surgery for. It's usually pretty ok but every once in a while he tweaks it and misses a day of work or so, it's the pits. I feel so badly for him. I had to help carry him into the house, probably not the best thing for 7 1/2 month pregnant girl to do. Hopefully he'll be feeling better sooner rather than later.
On a totally different note, only 4 more weeks of work, that's 132 massages and 16 shifts! I can't believe how quickly everything is going. It's going to be hard to say goodbye to my clients but I really am looking forward to a year off, especially since I hopefully get to spend that year with a precious little baby! My due date is less than 50 days away now. I'm still waiting for time to slow down, but it just doesn't seem to want to.

Weekly Highlight:
Spending father's day evening with my dad on Sunday was so great. I feel so blessed to have a man in my life like him. He is so wise, has more integrity than any man I know and took raising us kids VERY seriously! I love how he loves being outdoors, going for canoeing, camping and hiking trips, he stays active, and is an incredibly hard worker. I couldn't imagine how I would have turned out without his guiding me. I hope I get to spend many more father's days with him!

33 weeks.

The cake I made for my dad for father's day. It was a buttermilk, red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. I even had some...it was sooo worth it!

  

32 Weeks!

Size:

Our coconut is now weighing around 3 lbs 9 ounces and is roughly 16.5 inches in length. Can you believe that at this point our baby has started growing hair on their little head?! I'm curious to see how much he or she has at birth. Both Ben and I were pretty bald so I'm not banking on much. It is also interesting to note that if this little one is a boy his testicles have or are currently making their descent into the scrotum....neat fact... They also say that babies born at this point in pregnancy have a  really good chance of survival and usually grow up with minimal side effects from their early arrival. Of course I'd still be more comfortable with another 8 or so weeks of baking this little bun. Who knows what the future holds! 

Pregnancy Symptoms:

Still feeling fabulous! Breathing is getting a little more cumbersome, I'm looking forward to this little one dropping a little and relieving the pressure on my diaphragm.
I had another midwife appointment this week and everything looks great, baby is still head down, at this point the midwife said that it is possible but highly unlikely that the baby will flip. So it looks like the baby is set and ready to go. Only a few more appointments before this baby will be here!
Had another appointment with the dietitian again and everything is still going well. I feel so lucky that I've been able to control this through diet. I even allowed myself to cheat tonight when Ben and I were out on a date night and had ice cream and my sugars were still within the normal range!
Movement is still getting stronger and stronger. It's even slightly painful every once and a while, still the coolest feeling in the world!!!


Life Happenings:
Only 5 more weeks of work left! That's 20 shifts, 165 massages! I'm now starting to really really look forward to being off work. During this past week I got to the point where I just felt ready to be done.
Ben is one week into his new job and he is loving it! He has worked overtime every day so far but it's really nice that he has steady work, he actually appreciates the extra hours. I do hope overtime won't continue forever though, the poor guy will tire himself out. He's out the door by 6:30am and I'm lucky if he's home by 6:00pm.
We haven't had much time for much other than work lately. Ben has been pretty sore and calloused from all the new things that he has to do for work so we've been taking it easy and going to bed nice and early, I love it!

Weekly Highlight:
I have really enjoyed my morning routine that I blogged about here. It feels really good getting up and not feeling rushed.
Also the ice cream I had tonight was AMAZING!

Here is the 32 week belly!

This week I thought I'd show you a different view as well. As you can see it's slightly uneven. THe baby is mainly lying on the right side, it's definitely where I feel the majority of the movement.

31 Weeks!

So another week has flown by and we're at 31 weeks. I'm starting to think that the next 6-11 weeks aren't going to slow down as I've been anticipating. This morning as I type this update I'm sitting outside in the sun drinking my nettle tea. It doesn't seem to taste as bad in nice weather....Bring on the summer! 

Size:

Our baby is weighing in at about 3lb 5oz and 16in long. His or her weight would be roughly equivalent to 4 navel oranges....Apparently in the coming weeks he or she will be heading into a growth spurt and each day more and more weight is being packed onto that little frame. At this stage the eyes are actually able to dilate in response to light, how cool!? 

Pregnancy Symptoms:

Still quiet on the symptoms front. Belly is growing. Movement is pretty much the coolest feeling in the entire world, I'm quite certain that I'm going to miss all the little punches and kicks once I am no longer 'with child'. My breathing has definitely not gotten easier. Ben always thinks that I'm mad at him because I tend to breath really deeply and let out a loud sigh but really I'm just trying to get oxygen into my lungs, the only positions I'm able to breath comfortably is lying on my side or standing. One of these days I also want to count how many times a day I have to pee, it is pretty unbelievable, but at least not painful just a nuisance. Still not much pain, I had a little bit of low back pain by the end of my shift on Saturday, but nothing that doesn't go away after a nights sleep. I'm still feeling mighty blessed at how great I'm feeling! 

Life Happenings:

Life has been good and busy. I worked another full 40 hour week this week and I picked up another shift next week so I'll have one more week of almost full time before going down to 33 hours a week for the last 5 weeks. I'm finding that when I'm at work the days just fly by. Every day that I have off feels so nice and long. I'm getting excited to be off work and to have some time to relax and prepare for what's to come. Hopefully the baby waits till later than 37 weeks since that's when I'm working till and I sure could use at least a couple weeks of prep time. 

Ben is starting a brand new job TOMORROW. He is so excited and can't wait to get into something different. He will still be working evenings and weekends wrapping up some loose ends with his company but by the end of June he should be working a normal 9-5 Monday to Friday job and we are both so ready for it!

Did I mention that I'm loving the summer weather! Man I'm glad it's June!

Weekly Highlight:

Most definitely moving back home after spending a month living with my parents. It was great to be there and we really appreciated it since we didn't have access to our house for that whole time, but by the end of the month I was ready to move home. It's just nice having ALL of your clothes again, and having free range of my kitchen again. (Not that I didn't appreciate all the AMAZING meals my mom prepared for us). It's also nice to be able to have people over again. Last night we had a barbecue with some friends and the night before a poker night. We really enjoy hosting and it was nice to be able to again.

Here is the 31 week bump, growing by the day!

On a walk with my brother, sister-in-law, hubster and of course the dogs. It was the most beautiful day ever and if I hadn't have worn stupid shoes that gave me blisters it would have been absolutely perfect!

I thought I'd show an example of what my diet looks like these days. A plain bbq'd chicken breast, a spinach salad with oil and vinegar, and plain yogurt, a little added vanilla extract and blueberries and raspberries...yum!

30 Weeks!

Wow, 30 weeks always felt like the beginning of the end, I can't believe that we are finally here. 10 weeks left...well, between 7-12. I'm starting to get curious as to when I'll go into labour. I've read that Gestational Diabetes babies generally come early, I guess we'll have to wait and see...

Size:

Our cabbage is weighing in at about 3lb and is measuring roughly 15.75in from head to toe! This week the eyesight is developing although even at birth the little one's eyes will hardly be able to see right in front of his or her face. Otherwise, lots of weight being put on those little bones and hopefully some hair growing on that little head.

Pregnancy Symptoms:
Well I can still say that I have really no painful symptoms, however in the last week I have developed some serious breathlessness. This baby is so high up in my ribs I can barely breath. Whenever I have to sit I start to pant and there is absolutely no way that I can lay on my back for more than 10 seconds. That's really not so bad though.
I can't say that I have any other symptoms really... I still haven't woken up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, I'm sure that's just around the corner. I feel bad that I don't have more to put in these categories.

Life Happenings:
We had another midwife appointment last week, and the little babe is still head down. I'm starting to allow myself to think that he or she may actually stay that way!
On another note, I only have 28 shifts left at work! I can't believe how fast these last few weeks have gone. I'm expecting time to slow down in the coming weeks as I get more and more uncomfortable.
We haven't had too much excitement in the last few days since we got back from our trip just mainly doing things inside since the weather has been slightly ghastly! I look forward to spending as much time as possible outside as soon as the weather smartens up.

Weekly Highlight:
Saturday night Ben and I had a date night and went to a movie. It was just lovely to get out and even though the movie was pretty awful it was a great night out.

Once again I'm so incredibly sorry for the terrible quality of this weeks photo but it will have to do. This is me at 30 weeks!

Here is a more aesthetically pleasing picture. What you see here is 4 POUNDS of delicious strawberries! Since my diet is so highly limited I have to enjoy the few things that I'm allowed to, and luckily strawberries are pretty good for blood sugar!

29 Weeks!

As I'm writing this 29 week update I'm sitting in a cabin by a beautiful lake. We decided in April that we needed to get away for a few days at least one time before the baby is born, so I booked the time off and Saturday evening after work we headed out and drove the 4.5 hours to Elkwater Resort. My Aunt and Uncle own a cabin up here in Cypress Hills and they are always so willing to let us come here and enjoy what they have. So far our weekend has included, walks by the lake, great games of scrabble, excellent food, going for a stroll up to the quaint little store for ice cream (I was good and passed on the ice cream). Soaking in the hot tub (I also passed on that...), watching movies late at night, and most of all just relaxing! It's been a hoot and we still have a full day left, now on with the update!

Size:

Our little butternut squash is most likely about 2lb 10oz and over 15in! That is crazy big, however I know it's only about 1/3 the size he/she will be at term! The head is growing bigger and the bones are hardening.  At this point this little one is mainly putting on fat as well as developing those precious little lungs. 

Pregnancy Symptoms:

I still feel so lucky at how little discomfort I've experienced so far. This last week I did break down and visit the chiropractor, however it was due to a popped rib, nothing baby related and luckily an easy fix. My hips have started to feel a little 'creaky', especially after a long walk, but nothing bad AT ALL, I'm still waiting for the low back discomfort and the massive pressure of the baby pushing on 'stuff' while you walk. I did detect some swelling after our long walk in the heat yesterday, luckily it quickly went away once I sat down and cooled off so I'm not worried at all, I expect that to get worse before the end of this summer. Due to this Gestational Diabetes I have to monitor my weight much closer and I haven't gained any weight in the last 2 weeks so that's good too. I really don't want to obsess over the scale, but dealing with insulin issues you have a much higher chance for weight concerns and issues with the size of the baby so they like to monitor it quite closely (yuck). 

Life Happenings:

I guess I kind of already went over this at the beginning of the post, I'll think of something else... Other than the amazing opportunity to take it easy this week life has been pretty much the same, just the way we like it! However, Ben starts a new job in 2 weeks, which is very exciting for us. He is definitely done with being self employed, at least for this period of our lives. I only have 7 weeks left of work!!! I have a countdown on my phone and that's only 30 individual work days (I'm only working 4 day weeks now)! I'm actually not dying to be done work and if I can work past 37 weeks I'm going to try, I'm just anticipating my discomfort level once we're midway through July. 

Weekly Highlight:

Spending the weekend with Ben and Rose, I love the lake life.

Now for some pictures! 

29 week bump taken on the boardwalk by the beautiful lake.

My chubby little swollen fingers after our hike. I'm lucky the swelling went down or my ring may have been stuck on.

Ben concentrating on our scrabble match, he beat me by 3 points! Next game he's going down!

I just have to add this one too, Ben went to get a beer from the fridge and Rose jumped into his spot, I guess she wanted to play too.  

28 Weeks!

Well, we have officially entered the 3rd trimester and I'm kinda freaking out. This means that we've already ventured 2/3 of this pregnancy, and the end is near. I feel utterly and totally unprepared. I feel like every person that I come into contact with asks me if we have the nursery ready, if we've bought all the things we need, if we have names picked out etc...etc...etc. We have done NOTHING. I have no clothing for the little gaffer, there is no bedroom carefully painted and prepared we are nowhere near agreeing on a suitable name.  I wonder if it's normal to feel overwhelmed, I hope so. It's so unbelievable that in a few short months there will be an entirely new person in my life that will TOTALLY rely on me, 100%. That's a lot of pressure to perform and do things 'the right way'. I don't even know what the right way is...I also know that I have a tendency to over think things and to worry, I'm trying hard not to, but when you have a constant reminder punching you in the ribs it's easy to let your mind wonder to dark places... Ok, there was my moment of vulnerability, now moving on!

Size:

Now, despite all of my fretting, I'm still amazed and excited that our Chinese cabbage is roughly 2lb 3oz in weight and almost 15in in length. This little one is now sporting eyelashes and may be able to detect light through the womb! The brain is also doing some MAJOR maturing and billions of neurons are developing. Of course there's also a steady amount of fat being packed onto that tiny skeletal frame! 

Pregnancy Symptoms:

I feel like I've all of a sudden entered the high energy phase that's supposed to happen in the 2nd trimester. This last week I have had a TON of energy and have felt amazing! I think it may be due to my relatively drastic change in diet. I'm hypothesizing that maybe eating truckloads of carbs every day was what made me kind of sluggish, and now that my diet consists of mainly fruits, veggies and protein my system is actually responding well, I don't know. 

Last week I met with a dietitian regarding my gestational diabetes (GDM) and when she looked at my numbers she said I was doing well and that I am definitely able to control it through diet alone for now. YAY! I meet with her again this week and we'll see if she still feels that way. I have been quite rigid with myself diet wise, (excluding the ice cream I had yesterday) and I think if I continue to stand strong this little babe and I will be ok! 

Well the back pain that I complained of last week is TOTALLY gone! I'm pretty amazed actually. I think perhaps the baby shifted a little because my low back feels great. Under the right side of my ribcage I have a constant sensation of pressure and the fairly regular punch or kick, but those are still fun and not painful....yet. 

I had a midwife appointment last week and it looks like our little baby is head down. This didn't mean much to me because I know there are many more weeks in which the baby will most likely flip upside down and right side up. I'll be more excited if he or she is head down at 35/36 weeks! I also found out at my appointment that my iron levels went from low to high so it looks like Floradix worked it's magic.  I'm pretty sure I was only taking it for about a month and my numbers drastically improved, which is super excellent! 

Life Happenings:

I feel like this category is always boring and the same....Our life as of late doesn't consist of much other than work, eating, sleeping and spending time with friends and family, oh and walking the dog... This week was no different. I feel very blessed that my energy level is up, work is actually enjoyable to go to, which for a little while it wasn't. 

We had a great mother's day. We slept in, actually missed church, which was bad on our part but boy did it feel good at the time. We then had a lazy afternoon, enjoyed being outside, Ben played volleyball while I watched and also managed to burn half of my face. Later on we had a picnic in the park with Ben's mom and finished the night off by watching the Survivor Season Finale with some good friends. It was a really good day. It's so crazy to think that next mother's day I will actually be someone's mother. 

Weekly Highlight:

I honestly think my highlight has been the BEAUTIFUL weather that's all of a sudden made an appearance. It is such an amazing thing when the sun shines and the grass is green. I can't wait to soak up as much fresh air and sun as possible in the next few weeks before it becomes too unbearably hot...

 Life is good!

Here's a 28 week photo, not the most flattering, but you get the idea...everything is getting huge...

 I just had to add this one. My sister and I took lil' Rose to the dog park right in the heat of the afternoon and she was just hyperventilating like crazy when we got home. Too cute!

Another pic I just had to add. Ben just LOVES this dog like you wouldn't believe! Any time we're home those two are together, as I've said before, if Ben loves our child 1/4 as much as this dog that kid is going to have all the love he/she needs!

Since it's Mother's Day (week) I had to add a picture of the best mom I could ever have asked for. She was amazing at getting down and playing with us. She has always been a friend to me. I hope I can be half the mom she was for us!

27 Weeks!

Size:

Our cauliflower is just under 2 pounds and 14.5 inches long. His or her little brain is very active and they are on a schedule now, waking and sleeping at regular times. I've definitely noticed active times and quieter times as far as movement goes. I also feel like I've perhaps started feeling pushing into my ribs, I don't know if this is too early but it sure feels like the right side gets the odd little jab. I week away from the 3rd trimester!!!!

Pregnancy Symptoms:

Well, I got some bad news this week... I am positive for Gestational Diabetes. I don't even have to go for the 3 hour glucose test, the test was that conclusive. I've spent quite a few hours today researching diabetic diets and I've stumbled upon the Brewer Diet which is pretty intense but seems to have good results, I'll talk to my midwife on Wednesday as to whether I should follow it or not, but I am determined to control this darn diabetes with diet and exercise. I'm also DETERMINED to NOT be considered a high risk pregnancy which having uncontrolled or insulin dependant diabetes automatically makes you. If I have to give up all foods that I love for the next 3 months to attain that goal and to have a healthy baby, then I will. 

I'm also beginning to sense just a twinge of pain in my low back. I feel it quite specifically around both of my sacroiliac joints so I'm assuming its due to the stretching of the ligaments of these joints to allow for a baby to pop out a relatively small space (the pelvic outlet). I truly feel lucky that I have had as little pain as I have so far, I honestly have nothing to complain about. Ben did comment and say that I'm starting to slightly waddle so I guess even though I don't notice it, my belly is starting to effect my walk a little....It's all downhill from here!

Life Happenings:

I'm excited to say that my job is being significantly altered for my current condition. As of next week I will be going down to just 33 hours a week and I will no longer have any shifts longer than 9 hours. I even get 3 days off! I'm also not going to be working past 6PM anymore which I'm SOOO excited about.  

Life seems to be trucking along just swimmingly. I can't believe how fast time is flying by. I know that I'm always saying that I want it to slow down, but it doesn't seem to!

Weekly Highlight:
This may seem a bit lame, but since having this diabetes diagnosis I'm determined to get at least an hour long walk after supper every day, so Ben and I have been taking Rose to the dog park. It's so nice to see her running around having a blast with the other dogs, it's also so nice to be getting some fresh air. I'm also really encouraged since I've been checking my blood sugar levels 7 times a day now and it looks like I'm kind of figuring out what I can eat, so it looks like I'll be able to control it by diet and exercise alone! What a lame highlight....sorry folks.

I've been trying to drink Nettle tea that I got from the health food store, an additional attempt at raising my iron levels.

Here is Ben and the dogs on our BEAUTIFUL walk last night. I LOVE Saskatchewan spring!

Here's a belly picture for 27 weeks.

26 Weeks!

Size:

Our cucumber is measuring around 14 inches and almost 2 pounds!!! I sure have felt a pretty massive growth spurt in the last week or so. I haven't worked up the courage to actually weigh myself but boy is this belly starting to have some weight to it! I can't believe the countdown to this little one's due date is under 100 days! It doesn't mean much to me seeing as I have a feeling our due date is sure to come and go with no sign of any baby yet, but it's still crazy to think that the birth is at least close to 100 days away!

Pregnancy Symptoms:

Well there are quite a few of these creeping up here and there now. I have gotten a liquid iron supplement that tastes like you're drinking a frying pan and boy is it NASTY, but hopefully it will do the trick, I'm looking forward to seeing how my numbers improve after the next test! 

Blood pressure seems to be staying low, usually hovering around 100/60, so I'm not concerned there at all anymore. I've been taking it every morning and usually one other time during the day and it never changes much, I suppose that will be something to watch out for a little later on. 

Yesterday I did have a bit of a freaky incident, I was at work and all of a sudden I felt really strange. I broke into a cold sweat, I started seeing spots, I felt like I was about to throw up and I was extremely dizzy. I ended up actually excusing myself from the massage and going to lie down, after checking my blood sugar-sure enough it was low, I got some food in me and slowly but surely I started feeling better. I'm glad everything turned out fine but it gave Ben and I a bit of a scare. 

Friday I go for my blood glucose tolerance test where they check for gestational diabetes. I'm pretty concerned that I'll be within the diabetic range. I've been checking my blood sugars and they seem to be a little high in the mornings so we'll see how I do at the test. I may have to go on a pretty restrictive diet. 

Other than some minor discomfort due to gaining a gut I feel like I'm doing just peachy! Pregnancy is pretty amazing!  I'm getting pretty pumped to see how things change in the coming weeks! 

Life Happenings:

Well even though pregnancy is treating me fine, my tooth sure hasn't! After my 2nd root canal 2 Thursdays ago I developed an infection and was on antibiotics that seemed to take FOREVER to kick in. My tooth hurt like crazy and since I couldn't take much for the pain it was a pretty uncomfortable week. It's finally just now getting easier to chew and I would say the discomfort is relatively minor. 

On another note, we are registered and signed up for birth classes! We will be starting the class in June and it will run once a week for 12 weeks or until I give birth. Hopefully I give birth before the 12 weeks are up, seeing as that would put us well over 2 weeks past the due date. I'm really excited for Ben to become a little more immersed in birth related stuff. We are planning a pretty natural birth which takes a lot of preparing and learning how to deal with what we're going to be experiencing. I'm really looking forward to starting preparation for what is going to be a pretty intense experience for both of us I imagine. 

Weekly Highlight:

Well this isn't really a one time thing, but this week we've been living at my parents. It's been SOO nice having meals made and to not have to worry about anything house related. I get up and breakfast is ready for me! Not to mention we don't have to worry about getting groceries! We will be living here till the end of May so I'm certain it will get old after a while, but for now it's been REALLY nice. 

The stack of books that I'm reading though. A few of them I've read before but it's definitely not a bad idea to read them again, in my opinion. That top one is for Ben, I told him he had to read it cover to cover...I guess we'll see how that goes.

A pic of my 26 week belly. I know it's not a good one but it's the best I have at the moment. I'll have to take some better ones for 27 weeks!

24 Weeks

Size:

Our corn cob is measuring almost 12 inches and weighs in a little over a pound!!! It's crazy to think that if the baby was born now it is possible that the little one could survive, however I'd prefer if he or she could stay in there for at least another 16 weeks. 

Pregnancy Symptoms:

I am definitely starting to notice more symptoms as of late. I had blood work done a couple weeks ago and found out that my hemoglobin is low, which means that I'm anemic and need to supplement with iron. When the midwife called to tell me she mentioned that being anemic can cause extra exhaustion as well as difficulty breathing. I thought this was interesting considering just in the last couple weeks I've been super out of breath and tired. I thought my blood pressure was high, but at our appointment we found out that my blood pressure was actually in the healthy low end, 110/70. I'm actually really relieved that it was my iron and not my blood pressure as having low iron is not near as much of a concern as high blood pressure. 

Movement has also been pretty steady, I find the little one is most active while I'm working. Or late in the evening. I actually saw the baby move from the outside the other day, that was very exciting! Ben has yet to feel or see any movement but any day now I'm sure he will. 

We had a midwife appointment this week and it looks like my uterus is measuring 2 weeks big. I was assured that this doesn't mean that we're going to have a big baby or go into labour early, I'm thinking maybe the baby just had a little growth spurt, let's hope so!

Life Happenings:

Well,  even though pregnancy has not been overly exciting as of late, I have had some non-pregnancy related ailments. So at about 21 weeks, I was up all night with a toothache. I called my uncle as soon as I knew he would be up the following morning (he's a dentist in medicine hat). As soon as I described my symptoms he immediately knew that I needed a root canal ASAP. He was able to squeeze me in the following Monday so, 5:30 Monday morning Ben and I headed out to medicine hat for the dreaded root canal. As it turns out, I was an abnormal case and he was unable to complete the procedure. The last couple weeks have been quite painful as I've been waiting to see a specialist. Luckily, today is the day and in 2 hours I will be getting this tooth fixed for good! (hopefully)  

We have also made our first baby purchase! We have a stroller/carseat combo and a bassinet. I felt like it was way to early to start getting stuff but I guess the more we spread out the purchases the less it will be all at once. 

We have also gotten a new vehicle. We were in the market because our other two were not reliable for a baby. The car actually ended being the same one that we had a year ago, we just got it back, so it all worked out really well. 

Weekly Highlight:

I can honestly say that the highlight of my week, and what I've been looking forward to has been having today off of work to go get my tooth fixed! Isn't that ridiculous! I am a little annoyed that it's going to cost somewhere around $1500, but I just can't wait to be done with this dumb pain.

24 Week Bump

 Rose got put in the stroller box, she didn't like it much

 I'm so curious to see what this baby will look like. I'm the one on the left and Ben is the chubby one on the right, I hope the baby takes after him...hehe