38 Week Update

Well, it's official! Baby has reached what is considered to be full-term! He/she will be coming sometime in the next 3 to 4 weeks maximum! I've actually had mini heart attacks three times now, thinking I'm going into labour, but of course they were all false alarms! I can't have this baby yet, my mom is on a golfing trip!

Let's see some updated baby bump pictures, shall we?

July 1st (33 weeks) VS July 22nd (36 weeks)

And now today, August 4th at 38 weeks...

Here are also some regular clothed pictures, comparing July 22nd to August 4th.

Is it SHRINKING???

I've been going in for weekly checkups and the internal exams have begun, which is so much fun. Yesterday I was 2cm dilated and 50% effaced, but this doesn't mean a lot. I actually lost weight over the last week, so now I'm up 10lbs total, which is just insane. Don't worry though, my doctor says I'm measuring perfectly and that it's normal to lose weight in the last couple of weeks. Seriously though, how I'm losing weight I will never ever understand. I have been starving this week and eating like it's my job! Sometimes I get up in the middle of the night to have a snack and am famished again by morning. Baby must be working hard in there. If there's anything at all I can say I crave, it's fruit. This week in fact, I polished off a huge watermelon all by myself.. in two days! Does anyone have hidden messages into what this addiction to fruit means?

For a month or two it's been physically impossible to bend over. My body cannot move in the forward fold direction any longer. I mean, it makes sense, but I didn't realize this would happen! (It's not just me, right?). I'm also quite uncomfortable sitting down and find that I need to do so with perfect posture, like in the picture below. I've gone to see a few movies lately, which makes my body ache, but I must say, Harry Potter was so worth the sore back :)

Last week I realized my usual sleeping method was all wrong. I used to sleep on my side with my legs bent and stacked on each other, with a pillow between them. No, no, no. It's so much more comfortable to take a "runner's position" and put my top leg forward, bottom leg backward, and belly tilted onto the mattress a bit. So much better! I've been getting up at least four times a night to use the washroom, which is exhausting in itself, but I guess good practice for when Baby comes, right? And you know how everyone tells you to sleep now while you can? Well I can't. I go to bed later than ever, get up early, and often for an hour at 4am to read. What is wrong with me? I'm just not that tired!

Maybe all of that loss of sleep is catching up to me because earlier this week I absolutely hit a wall, energy wise. I spent the majority of Monday and Tuesday laying around with the beginnings of a cold, but I'm feeling much better today and my energy is back! Thank goodness because there's still so many things I want to do, like try out the new Chick-Fil-A restaurant downtown. I can't get it out of my mind!

Recently I've noticed that Baby is getting the hiccups! It's happened three times so far, fortunately once when M was home, so he got to feel them. Also, every time I think of Baby, I picture her as a girl. This started happening only a few weeks ago. Before then, I had no inkling of what the gender could be. I'm not sure why, but if it turns out to be a boy, I'll be quite surprised.

I've been preparing myself for natural birth by reading lots of books, including the Bradley Method, which talks about the birthing techniques of animals, and how using similar methods can create a stress-free, natural environment for humans. I've also been listening to the Hypnobabies soundtrack, which is a form of self-hypnosis, and sounds wacky, but may work with me because I can become zen really, really easily! It sounds funny, but it's true. One of the nurses told me I could be a professional meditator, whatever that means.

After spending a lot of time researching doulas, M and I finally chose one to work with through an organization called Birthways. I really want a doula for extra labour support and guidance. If I was still living in Canada I most certainly would have a midwife, but here, a doula will have to suffice. I'm sure I'll have a lot more to say about my experiences after the baby is born!

So, with two weeks til my due date, I'm ready, both physically and mentally, to have this baby. Over the last few months I have gone through many emotional states. To be completely honest the most common being.. oh lordy, why am I having a baby, I enjoy my freedom too much, I'm not ready for this, I don't want to be so tied down, etc. etc. Now my mindset has (mostly) changed to being excited for this next stage of life and finally finding out if this thing inside me is a boy or girl!

Mostly though, I am just content in the fact that I've had a wonderful pregnancy thus far! There are so many people who struggle with fertility issues and I'm feeling a whole lot of gratitude right now about how beautiful this process has been. The human body is so amazing!

Summer So Far...

I've been off work for a month and a half and I'm loving every minute of it! I feel like the last few months have been busier than ever and just this week, I'm feeling a bit more relaxed and that I actually have time to sit down to chill for a few minutes. What have I been up to, you ask?

Baby Related Things

Getting ready for a baby takes a lot of work! Organizing the nursery took up a lot of time, as did washing everything baby related - clothing, cloth diapers, sheets, etc.

I was a good wife and watched M install the car seat, which the inspector said he did perfectly!

I've also been reading a few books on natural birthing, taking childbirth classes, and researching doulas.

Tutoring

In the spring I took on a job with a tutoring company. I'm currently working with only one student until the baby comes, but it is nice to have a bit of extra income coming in.

Volunteering

One of my 36 in 365 goals is to volunteer once a month. Since I've had the free time, I've been volunteering a couple mornings a week at a local soup kitchen. I think it's time to slow this down a bit because standing for 2 1/2 hours is getting a tiring.

Exercising

I've been taking two or three prenatal yoga classes a week, which I absolutely love. I also try to walk at least an hour a day and have taken over dog-walking duties, which seriously, becomes such a chore in this heat and humidity. I feel so sorry for black dogs in the summer.

Nesting

I'm not sure if I'm nesting but I have been very busy cleaning the house and completing random things that have been on my to-do list for ages. Right now my list still has 15 things to finish up, but considering it probably started with 40, I'm not doing too badly!

Cooking

M and I have been trying to eat more "real" foods, so instead of buying things like granola bars (have you ever looked at the ingredients in those?), I've been making my own. We absolutely love Annie P's recipe for 5 minute granola bars. This recipe is so easy, although saying it takes 5 minutes is a bit misleading... I would say 15 minutes from start to finish is more like it!

Having Fun!

I know my life is about to change drastically, so I'm trying to enjoy the freedom while I still can! For example, last week after getting a prenatal massage I went to the Lunchbreak Music Series in Millenium Park and enjoyed a picnic lunch while watching a jazz band perform. This is something I've wanted to do for over a year now!

M's birthday was last weekend, so we went out with friends to celebrate and this pregnant lady stayed up till 5am! Wheeee!

For his birthday dessert, I made my peanut butter lovin' husband this pb pie with oreo crust and real whipped cream to top it. It was too sweet for my liking and I happily left it at our friend's apartment for others to finish off!

Chicago in the summer is all about weekend festivals. On any given weekend from June to September you can find a neighbourhood festival (or 5) going on. Last weekend near our 'hood was the Sheffield Garden Walk and the weekend before that was the Lincoln Park Arts & Music Fest. It's nice to stroll around on a Sunday afternoon and I must say Chicago is a pretty amazing place to be in the summertime.

As I mentioned before, things have finally slowed down this past week and I've had time to read! I've been knocking books off my reading list like crazy. I love finding books I can fly through and finish in a day or two. My recent faves have been Night Road by Kristin Hannah and The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers.

I've also been putting my Groupon addiction to good use and, while using up my vouchers, have become a frozen yogurt connoisseur. Forever Yogurt is the best I've found in the city so far - self serve with 14 flavours and 40 toppings to choose from is simply genius.

So there you have it.. I've been doing a lot of monotonous chores mixed in with a lot of fun activities, which means I've been having a great summer so far! What's up for next month? I think I shall have a baby!

What have you been doing lately?

33 Week Update

I should have written this post a few weeks ago but didn't have the chance, so even though it's now outdated, I figure better late than never! Time for belly comparisons!

June 10th (30 weeks)

June 17th (31 weeks) vs July 1st (33 weeks)

The picture below is also from July 1st, but this time while I'm wearing regular clothing rather than my cat burglar outfit:

It keeps growing and growing and growing! I didn't realize the belly growth that occurred over those three weeks until I compared the pictures just now! The human body is truly amazing.

At 32 weeks I finally received my first comment from a stranger about being pregnant! And guess where I was at the time? The beer store! I was helping my mom return a bunch of bottles and the cashier told me I shouldn't be carrying something so heavy. I almost jumped for joy even though the comment was completely unnecessary! Being pregnant does not make me an invalid and I'm pretty sure I can handle maneuvering ten pounds of beer bottles around :)

Baby's movements at this time were becoming rolls and turns, rather than kicks. I could lay on the couch and be content watching my belly flip flop around for hours. Other than Baby bumping into my ribs sometimes and the occasional bout of heartburn at night, I truly felt great. During weeks 31-32 I visited my parents at home and having access to their pool was wonderful. I'd often lay weightlessly on a pool raft on my belly! I haven't been able to lay that way for a long time!

The only bad thing about visiting my parents was that when I went back to Chicago and had my next doctor's appointment, I learned I had overindulged a bit much (it seems to be a common theme when I visit home) and gained a few pounds in a small amount of time, for a total of 12lbs overall. Which now when I think about it.. who gives a rat's a$$! I visited with family or friends almost every single night, ate really good food, and enjoyed myself immensely!

In the next few days I hope to post my 36 week update so if you think I had a belly back on July 1st, you should see it now!

Baby Nursery Complete!

Well, it took a month or two but I now I can cross a huge task off my to-do list - the nursery for Baby is done done da done! I wrote here about how our nursery isn't a traditional nursery per se, more of a shared room for guests and Baby, so keep that in mind when you look at the following pictures! There is no theme, but we tried to use browns and greens as our colour scheme.

Here's what it looks like from the door. Tight squeeze! We have barely enough room for the crib, bed, and chair with ottoman.

And here's a view of the room while standing at the windows. It's nice that we can close the closet doors and the clutter disappears!

Now for the details! There are two shelves in this room that I would love to tear down because they're ugly and in the most awkward spot ever. But, filled with old teddy bears and a few new gifts from our baby shower, they are much less hideous! I'm in love with the three soft blocks my sister-in-law made for us. She's so crafty.

One of the most difficult things when completing the room was deciding on window coverings. The blinds we currently have let in every bit of sunlight and I think it's really important that the room be dark so that the baby can sleep easily. We searched and searched for drapes but because of the way the windows are placed, they would have to be hung from the ceiling. Instead, M found what I think is the best alternative - blackout Redi Shades. These are temporary blinds made of what feels like construction paper that stick with adhesive to the top of your window. The downfall is that there is no cord to pull them up, they need to be pinned with clips. At $6 a piece, you really can't beat the price and they block out all of the light. Because our windows are so huge, the Redi Shades are technically a couple of inches too short, but seem to get stretched out nicely, which works perfectly for us!

Our crib is the DaVinci Emily 4 in 1 convertible and mattress is by Safety 1st, both gifted to us by M's parents. I love the espresso colour of the crib. The picture frame you see sitting inside of the crib is one of my favourite purchases. It's a Wish Tree from Stinkerpants, a blogger I follow who specializes in artwork, stationary, clothing for babies, and a ton of other cute things. I'm going to ask everyone who comes to visit the baby to write a wish in one of the leaves and then when it's full we'll hang it in the space above the crib!

My brother and sister-in-law gave us a First Year calendar where you can fill in milestones and daily events. This was a nice surprise because I used to be obsessed with Flavia calendars and greeting cards!

Since we don't have space for a dresser, we really needed an extra storage place to put random stuff in. We found this green over the door organizer at Crate and Barrel and while not exactly what I was looking for, it'll do!

The picture below shows the inside of the closet. What you see hanging are all of the baby clothes we have been gifted with from baby shower guests and my mom who found a few really nice gender neutral things for $1/each at some flea market. It's so difficult to find gender neutral clothing so I haven't bought anything myself yet. When it's time though, I'll definitely be hitting up sales because I cringe at the thought of spending so much money on clothing that will be worn for only a few months.

The white shelving units in the closet are filled with my junk but the metal shelving unit is where all of the folded clothes, blankets, towels, washcloths, etc. will be kept. You can see the newborn cloth diapers that I've bought in the top compartment, which come to think of, I've stayed away from discussing on this blog because people have big issues with using cloth that I don't want to get into.. yet.. until I can proudly exclaim from personal experience, how cloth diapering is the best thing since sliced bread :)

There is no room for a change table, so we will be using the end of the bed. My mom bought us the lime cooshee changer which I'm very excited to use since it has great reviews. This changing pad is quite expensive ($65) but one of the magical things about it is that it requires no pad or cover, which means less laundry! The material stays warm, it's made with anti-bacterial foam and can be cleaned with a baby wipe. It's also waterproof and can be used for sponge baths when the baby is small.

Doesn't poor Bama the dog look so sad? He has no idea what is about to come! He's actually not too sad, just enjoys sleeping with his head hanging off the bed. Bama used to be forbidden from coming into the guest room but since we don't want him to hate the baby, he's now invited into the room all the time. Don't worry (mom) I always put fresh sheets on the bed when guests come over.

When M and I were shopping on the weekend, I saw the frame below at Bed Bath and Beyond. I passed it up but went back yesterday because I thought it was too sweet, and with a printable coupon I found online, it was cheap! The little quote says "When they placed you into my arms, you slipped into my heart." Awww :)

And that is pretty much all there is to show! Now that the room is finished I can focus on other things like.. laundry! Oh joy.

The Flower Mix-Up

Last week I walked into my parents' house and saw a beautiful bouquet of flowers sitting on the table. I saw a happy birthday balloon attached to the vase and figured someone sent my mom a belated birthday gift. When my mom told me the flowers were for me I was so confused - my birthday is in December! I opened the card and saw the flowers were sent by my mother in law and sister in law, wishing me a happy baby shower. How thoughtful!

At first I thought maybe the happy birthday balloon was just an early birthday greeting for the baby - the shower was the next day, after all. That made a bit of sense, but why not just get a congratulations balloon or actual baby shower balloon?

Then I figured the flower shop must have just gotten confused, which after talking with my mother-in-law, found out that was exactly the case. The flower shop was actually really good about it - they called and told me they could either replace the balloon or bring me extra flowers for the mix-up. Given this choice, who would actually pick a replacement balloon?!

And that is how I ended up with two lovely bouquets of flowers and a good laugh! Thanks Nanny Marina and Aunt Samantha! It made my day :)

Baby Shower Time

This past Sunday I had my baby shower or "baby'que"! The weather was perfect for a backyard barbeque and pool party - clear blue skies and although it started off a little cool, the temperature heated up nicely throughout the day.
My party was at my parents' but hosted by my beautiful BFF and Aunt and I know my mom did a heck of a lot of work to help out too! I hardly saw my best friend all afternoon so I know she was pretty busy running around making sure everything was perfect!

Mostly everyone invited showed up - lots of family and friends! I think the last time my high school girlfriends were all together was July 2008 at my wedding (not including the night before the shower for a birthday party)!
We had all the fixings of a good BBQ - mini burgers and sausages, potato and pasta salad, deviled eggs, rancho beans, tutti fruitti, watermelon, lemonade to drink and of course cake for dessert!

The kids had a blast running around the yard, swimming, and going on frog hunts.

And, the sweetest way to end any party, especially because of the pregnant girl's sweet tooth? A candy buffet filled with tootsie pops, skittles, starbursts, hershey kisses, licorice, and Baby Ruth chocolate bars :)

It was a really lovely party and thanks to the guests' generosity, we are much more prepared for Baby's arrival!

Preparations

I've noticed a favourite question for people to to ask pregnant ladies is, "How's your nursery coming along?"

What do you mean, what nursery? I have to make a nursery? Hrmm.

M and I currently live in a two bedroom place, which is perfectly fine for the time being. We use the second bedroom as an office/guest room. Now with baby coming though, two bedrooms doesn't seem like enough! Two plus a den, like we had in Toronto would be perfect, 3 bedrooms would be even better, but what can ya do? I have no interest in moving, yet again. Our 100 year old apartment is quite large, but the space is not designed well - we have a huge living room, a massive kitchen, but the bedrooms are fairly small. So, our second bedroom is now becoming the baby/guest room and we've moved our desk to a spot in the living room.

But here's my secret - I have no interest in designing a nursery. What's wrong with me?! I see pictures of cute nurseries everywhere on the internet. My brother and sister-in-law have one of the most gorgeous nurseries I've ever seen. But personally, I have no motivation to make a beautiful nursery for our baby! Maybe if I owned a house and had a specific room for a nursery I'd paint and make it all cutesy, maybe not. My life calling is definitely not to be a decorator. I kinda feel bad about this, but not really, and definitely not enough to do anything about it.

And so, here is what our nursery currently looks like:

So lovely, right?!

Those first pictures were actually taken a month ago and some progress has been made since then. M's parents bought the crib and mattress for us and my talented husband put all of it together, so the room is coming along, slowly but surely!

Do you have any tips for making the baby/guest room a bit nicer, but requires little effort and moolah?!

30 1/2 Weeks Update

Two months and four days till baby's expected due date! Since my last update three weeks ago, there have been major, major changes with my belly. I'll let you see for yourself.

May 18th (26 weeks and 5 days) VS. June 10th (30 weeks)

Um.. yeah. I'd say I officially "popped" around 28-29 weeks. I really wish these bathrooms pictures weren't so terrible - dark and I'm in different positions each time, but well.. I take them around 6:30am and it's the best I can do!

Here are a couple more I took that same morning and you can see that I look different in each picture. The size of the bump totally depends on the angle you're looking at and what I'm wearing.

I still fit into most of my regular clothing, tops for sure. I haven't tried on non-maternity pants recently but I'd guess they be difficult to zip up. If I could give advice to someone, it would be this - wear maternity clothes as soon as possible! Even though I fit into my regular clothes they make me look frumpy. My maternity clothes are more fitted around the belly and accentuate the baby bump, which in turn makes me look pregnant rather than lumpy.

I still haven't gotten any comments from strangers, but I have noticed a lot of people staring at my belly and smiling as I pass them on the street.

I went for a checkup yesterday and the doctor said I'm measuring perfectly. I gained one pound which puts me up to 8.5 lbs of total weight gain. The doctor is very happy with this number and says it's completely healthy so please don't tell me to eat more (mom)! The baby's heart rate was between 144-148. She confirmed my suspicions of Braxton Hicks contractions, which are occurring a few times a day, mostly while I'm walking. All of a sudden my belly will get really tight and a bit sensitive to the touch. I didn't really think anything of it until the teacher at my prenatal class explained this is what Braxton Hicks might feel like! So there, at least I've learned one thing from attending prenatal classes!

The baby has definitely moved positions and makes my belly extremely lopsided sometimes. M and I had a laugh last night as we were going to bed - my belly looked completely deformed. So weird. The baby is still moving around a lot and ow, often kicks or pushes into my ribs. I'm sure that'll only get worse :)

Overall, I am feeling super and have an exciting few weeks ahead - summer vacation is beginning soon, I'm going home for a nice long visit where I can swim and relax in my parents' newly renovated pool, AND my baby shower is in a week and a half!

Boy or Girl?

Is it a boy or a girl? is the #1 question I get asked.

(picture source)

When I was only a few weeks pregnant I had a dream about a baby girl, so I thought for a while that must be what we're having. Now half the time I think it's a boy and the other half I have no flippin' clue. M thinks it's a girl. I'm not sure if he has reasons for this or it's just his sixth sense!

I keep seeing this survey all over the blogosphere and thought I'd join in. By answering the following questions, let's find out what the stars predict for the gender of our baby :)

Here we go...

Sleep Position
Pay attention to which way you lay down in bed tonight. If you prefer sleeping on your left side, you’ll have a boy. Right side? You're pregnant with a girl.

Right side, always = GIRL

Upset Stomach
Little girls aren’t always sweet. Extreme nausea means you are having a daughter.

No nausea, thank goodness = BOY

Soft or Dry Hands
If your hands are dry during pregnancy, you are having a boy; soft—expect a girl.

Hmmm, how does it work if my hands have always been and continue to be dry? = BOY

Food Cravings
Your favourite pregnancy foods may tell you what sex the baby is. If you’re craving citrus while pregnant, you’re having a girl.

Well I do enjoy a good orange quite often but I wouldn't say I crave them = BOY

Adult Acne
If altering hormones makes your skin break out, expect a girl.

Oh Lordy, my face has never been worse = GIRL

Graceful or Clumsy Pregnancy
If you feel as though you’re gliding through the day, you’ll have a girl. Stumbling? It’s a boy.

I definitely have the dropsies on a daily basis = BOY

Face Weight Gain
If your face gets fuller, it means you’re having a girl.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think it's stayed kinda the same = BOY

Sugar and Spice Food Cravings
Craving salt during pregnancy? Potato chips, pretzels, and popcorn means a boy is on the way. Need a little something sweet? Ice cream, chocolate, and candy means you’re having a girl.

Give me candy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner please = GIRL

Mood Changes
If you’re experiencing pregnant mood swings, expect a baby girl to arrive soon.

I don't think it's THAT bad, but my husband might say otherwise?! = GIRL

High or Low Pregnant Belly
If you’re carrying the baby low on your stomach, expect a boy. If it’s high, you’re having a girl.

Very low = BOY

Baby Weight
If you’re carrying the baby in front, it’s a boy. Is the baby weight spaced all around your middle? It’s a girl.

Um, I think it's just in front but it's hard to tell? = BOY

Pendulum Test
Dangle a chain with a charm over your palm. It swings back and forth: boy. In a circle: girl.

Circle = GIRL

Model Your Hands
“Show me your hands.” If you would hold your hands palms up, it’s a girl. Down? You’re having a boy.

Palms up = GIRL

Toddler Advice
Get baby advice from a nephew or from a friend’s little boy. If a toddler boy shows interest in your belly, you’ll have a girl. If he ignores you, it’s a boy.

They aren't really toddlers, but my nephews aren't very interested at all = BOY

Key to Pregnancy
If you pick up a key by the round end, you’re having a boy. If you pick it up by the long end? A girl.

Round end.. because it's bigger and easier, duh? = BOY

Even and Odd Numbers
If your age and year of conception are both even or odd, it’s girl. One even and one odd means a boy.

28 in 2010 = GIRL

Baby’s Heartbeat
If the baby’s heart beats more than 150 times per minute, you’re pregnant with a girl. Less than 150, it’s a boy.

Consistently higher than 150 = GIRL

Dream Meanings
If you dream about having a girl while pregnant, you will wind up having a boy and vice versa.

Oh my! (see first paragraph) = BOY

TOTAL GIRL: 8

TOTAL BOY: 10

Holy smokes, I guess we're having a boy!

An Exceptional Weekend

This weekend held the perfect balance of relaxation and productivity. Summer weather is definitely here and I'm loving spending as much time as possible outdoors. Gotta soak up the sun while it's here, right?

After work on Friday I headed downtown to Zed451 to meet up with M and some friends, one of them who was working the bar that night. He made me this super delicious strawberry kiwi minty drink that tasted like heaven on such a warm evening.

We sat up on the rooftop patio for a few hours chit chatting and catching up with our friends,

(why does my hand look so manly and ape-like?)

and eating fondue! Perfect meal for sharing.

Saturday was busy busy and included volunteering, a weekly to trip to the farmer's market, lots of frolicking outside, a road trip to the drive-in movie theatre, etc. etc. etc. Sunday's weather was more bearable so M and I took a long long walk through Lincoln Park, dodging goose turds the whole way :)

Something that's been on my to-do list for quite some time is to visit the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool which I see as a little hidden gem in this grand city of Chicago.

I loved it. So very peaceful and pretty. Definitely worth a walkabout.

And ta-da, look at my baby bump! It's massive, or as M so nicely puts it, I'm looking robust!

Perfect, perfect weekend. Can't wait for the next one!