merry christmas!

Feeling: Tired at times, since it's been so busy the last week. Christmas eve I went out for lunch with my mom and sister, in the evening Jeremy and I went to church with his parents then back to their place. On Christmas day we went to my parents' place for lunch, then to his parents' place in the evening. On the 27th we went to Lisa and Geoff's place for lunch and to celebrate my dad's birthday. On the 28th my mom hosted a baby shower for me!
Movement?: Last week my midwife was concerned that he's not head-down, since I'm measuring 3 weeks behind. But this week I'm measuring 36 weeks, and she could definitely tell the difference between his head and butt - I think he's starting to chunk out!
Cravings: Ice cream cake....
Wishing for: Another 2 days - I can't believe it's going to be January in 2 days!
Movies: no movies, spent my free time with the puzzle Jeremy got me for Christmas
Current Project: trying not to have too many projects right now, and enjoy the calm before the storm... easier said then done since we're putting the final touches on the nursery and getting all the home birth stuff gathered. We've got the tub and tens machine, and the midwife dropped off all the drugs and fluids we'll need.

At 38 weeks pregnant, only two more weeks (or plus two more, max) before your baby makes his appearance. Your little one isn't so little anymore — weighing in at close to seven pounds and hitting the height charts at the 21-inch mark (or less).

As you prepare (best you can) for baby's ETA, he is also getting ready, big time. Vernix and lanugo continue to shed from your baby's body into the amniotic fluid. Your baby's lungs continue to mature as more and more surfactant is secreted.

Here are just a few of the amazing photos Melissa took of me a few weeks back...

Bonnie

Feeling: Pretty good, considering people keep telling me it looks like I have a basketball in my belly. My left eyelid has been twitching for over a week, which is really annoying.
Movement?: He's been in the same position for weeks now - with his legs on my left. I'm still trying to get him to turn so he's facing in. I sit forward all the time, and a few weeks ago I replaced my office chair with the exercise ball. Also my chiropractor has tried a technique to get him to move - but he still won't budge.
Cravings: Tea and Christmas food
Wishing for: Another 10 days of baby hanging out in my belly. After January 1st he's free to make his debut whenever he'd like!
Movies: more Christmas movies... Rudolf, Miracle on 34th street, and A Christmas Carol
Current Project: keeping my eye on 2 puppies. We're fostering a guide dog puppy for 9 days while her owners are on vacation. Her name is Bonnie and she's a 4.5 month old goldendoodle. Addy and Bonnie love wresting in the living room, but hitting the Christmas tree makes a big mess.
Weight: down 1 pound, I have no idea how that happened with all the cookies I've been eating! So up 25 pounds in total.

With just three more weeks to go and at about six and a half pounds (though weight and height vary from fetus to fetus), your baby is doing just fine. You can expect weight gain to be about half an ounce per day. (Boys, though, are likely to be heavier at birth than girls) Since your little one is considered full-term at 37 weeks pregnant, if your baby was to leave the wet nest this week, he or she would likely thrive. That's because Mother Nature and you have done such a fine job.

So what's keeping your little one busy while waiting it out until D-day? Practice, practice, practice. Your baby is simulating breathing by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, sucking on his or her thumb, blinking, and pivoting from side to side. Here's an interesting fact: Your baby's head (which, by the way, is still growing) will, at birth, be the same size circumference as his or her hips, abdomen, and shoulders. And guess what's making an impression (literally) these days on those shoulders and hips: fat — causing little dimples in those cute elbows and knees, shoulders and hip, and creases and folds in the neck and wrists.

Logging all the vitamins I've been taking, so I can remember them for later:

Multivitamin: I've been taking New Chapter Organics Prenatal, but just discovered Thorne Prenatal - which is much more affordable.

Iron: Starting taking Floridex liquid when I found out I have low iron stores (third trimester).

Super DHA liquid (Genestra): was taking this even before pregnancy, since it's good for brain development.

Folid Acid + B12 (Genestra): was taking this before pregnancy til the end of second trimester.

Biotone EFA (Genestra): good for skin elasticity and maintaining hormonal balance - great for acne too. I started taking them around week 26, but wish I had started earlier.

AFA-Gen (Genestra): good for boosting immune system and helping with fatigue - taking during month 9, and first few months of breastfeeding.

Probiotics: started taking around week 26, hopefully helps prevent Strep B.

happy bday addy

Addy turned 1 year old on the weekend. She's such a good pup.

Feeling: Starting to feel ginormous. The midwife said that the baby has 'engaged' so now it feels like I've got a baseball in my pelvis.
Movement?: Not as many big movements anymore, but he still squiggles around all the time.
Cravings: Pineapple and anything home baked.... cookies, brownies, cake...
Wishing for: Looks like I got my wish for a white Christmas! There was a big storm last week, which was nice because it meant Jeremy got to stay home for the day.
Movies: more Christmas movies... Charlie Brown, Garfield, It's a Wonderful Life
Current Project: wrapping up all my projects at work so I can hand them off before I leave. We've got most of the Christmas shopping and wrapping done, just some baking left to do. We assembled the dresser to use as a change table in the baby's room - now we just need to add accents like art and curtains.

Your baby's skull isn't the only soft structure in his or her little body. Most of your baby's bones and cartilage are quite soft as well (they'll harden over the first few years of life). At 36 weeks pregnant, the skull bones are also not fused together yet so that the head can easily maneuver through the birth canal.

He is now about six pounds in weight and measures slightly more than 20 inches in length. Growth will experience a slowdown now, both so your baby will be able to fit the narrow passageway to the outside and also so he or she can store up all the energy needed for delivery.

By now, many of your baby's systems are pretty mature, at least in baby terms — and just about ready for life on the outside. Blood circulation, for instance, has been perfected and your baby's immune system has matured enough to protect him or her from infections outside the womb. Other systems, however, still need a few finishing touches. Once such notable example: digestion — which actually won't be fully mature until sometime after birth. Why's that? Inside his or her little gestational cocoon, your baby has relied on the umbilical cord for nutrition, meaning that the digestive system — though developed — hasn't been operational. So your baby will take the first year or two to bring that system up to speed.

week 35

Feeling: I'm getting so excited to meet this guy. We're now at the point where he'd be healthy if born now, but if he waits until week 37 we're good to go for the the home birth. We're hoping he holds out until January.
Movement?: Still lots. He gets hiccups at least once a day, and when he's moving around it looks like my whole belly is shifting.
Cravings: Christmas cookies
Wishing for: a white Christmas, we got a dusting of snow early this week and they are calling for a big storm on Wednesday
Movies: all kinds of Christmas movies... Elf, Christmas Vacation, and White Christmas
Current Project: Jeremy finished painting the nursery and installed the closet organizer. Now I'm adding baskets and all the clothes. Yesterday I decorated the tree - it's huge! 9 feet tall. Melissa took some maternity photos of me on the weekend, and I can't wait to see how they turned out.
Weight: up 26 pounds!

At about 20 inches and five and a half pounds, most of your baby's growth over the next month or so before you meet will be in weight (with a gain of anywhere from one pound to several), not height (baby's pretty much reached the in utero limit in that department). Accordingly, fat continues to accumulate at a rapid pace these days. Back in the middle of your pregnancy, your baby's weight was made up of only two percent fat; now at 35 weeks pregnant, that percentage has soared to closer to 15 percent (and will increase to 30 percent at term). Which means your baby's once skinny arms and legs are now quite plump…and irresistibly, squeezably soft.

I've spent a lot of time this week thinking about and praying for Laura. For those reading this blog, if possible, please say an extra prayer of strength and reassurance for Laura, Dan and baby.

Right now I'm: 34 weeks and 1 day pregnant. 6 weeks to go!
Feeling: It usually changes every hour or so - haha. Right now I'm feeling great after coming home from aquafit class, and after the great trip I had last week to Toronto. I got to see everyone at work, and spend some time catching up with Ev.
Movement?: His little foot / knee is always poking me in the left side! I think his back is on my right side, so I've been trying to get him to move to the left (which is suppose to be the best position); hopefully in the next few weeks.
Cravings: clementines again
Wishing for: snow... it's December already!
Movies: It's been forever since I've seen a movie. Instead, this weekend we went to Jared and Aleks' place for dinner and to meet their daughter Maya. On Saturday we also got to meet Hayes' new owner at his graduation ceremony. We're so proud of Hayes!
Current Project: buying baby stuff and Christmas gifts, and decorating the house. This week we ordered the stroller and bought the car seat. I'm also washing / organizing all the baby clothes Jay and Tammy generously gave us - we're set for the next year! This weekend Melissa is going to take some maternity photos of me, so hopefully I'll be able to post a new one next week :)

Your baby could be as tall as 20 inches right now and about five pounds. That's how tall your baby is at 34 weeks pregnant. Your baby's fingernails now reach the end of the fingertips and may even curl over the tip, making a manicure one of the first things you'll need to do for your little bundle.

week 32

I missed posting last week, work got really hectic. Hopefully it won't continue this week. On the weekend my mom, sister and I went on the 'Home for the Holidays' Christmas house tour, which is a tradition we've been doing for a while now. Can't wait to start decorating our house!

Feeling: My upper back and lower abs are starting to hurt - feels like everything in my body is starting to shift. At night my hips start to ache and I sometimes have to get up and stretch. Jeremy says I'm like one of those expanding tents... expanding out from both sides...
Movement?: He's really low, so luckily I don't feel big kicks in my ribs or lungs, but hiccups feel really funny. Sometimes we can see a knee or elbow poking out from one side.
Cravings: decaf soy lattes
Wishing for: Clothes that fit. Lately it feels like everything is either too small, or falling off. I'm running out of shirts that will cover my belly!
Movies: I didn't watch any movies or do any reading again this week... what have I been doing with my time?? I guess getting the nursery ready is taking up most of the time. Jeremy ripped out the shelves that were in the closet and installed a dimmer switch for the light. Now to pick out a paint colour.
Current Project: making a mobile for the baby's room. I'm sewing some birds that will sit on some tree branches (going to gather those today on my walk with Addy). Hopefully it will be done by next week so I can post some pics.

This week your baby weighs almost four pounds and could be up to 19 inches long. At 32 weeks pregnant, you're likely feeling tapping and squirming instead of your baby's signature rocking and rolling. That's because, while comfy, your baby is a bit tight for exercise space right now. Your baby has also probably settled into the head-down, bottoms-up position in your pelvis in prepartion for birth.

While your baby is still getting nourishment through the umbilical cord, but your baby's digestive system is all set and ready to go. And because your baby is accumulating more fat, his or her skin is finally turning opaque. Though weeks away from D-day, your baby's looking more and more like a newborn. In preparation for that big first date with you, your baby is sleeping like a baby — with sleep cycles of 20 to 40 minutes long.

christmas season!

yay! it's the beginning of november - which means I can start playing Christmas music (can you hear Jeremy groaning...) the decorations will be out soon. It's also week 30, which means we're already 3/4 of the way there. Only 10 weeks to go!

Feeling: I was starting to feel sluggish, and found out this week I have low iron. I've started taking an iron supplement (Floradix) and am feeling much better. And it's a better alternative to eating liver - ew.
Movement?: At the midwife appointment she told us he's already head down - I hope he stays that way! It's crazy now when he moves around, feels like an earthquake in my belly.
Cravings: clementines
Wishing for: a simple solution to my debate on getting the H1N1 vaccine. I'm in the high risk category, which means I can get the vaccine right now - but the line ups are very long. There are also 2 types of vaccines available to pregnant women: adjuvanted (which has extra ingredients) and unadjuvanted (which has more mercury).
Movies: hm, didn't watch any movies or read any books this week (last weekend we were at a Halloween party where I dressed up as a grape), but I've been going through my collection of magazines and clipping out the recipes I want to save.
Current Project: selling lots of stuff on kijiji as we clean out the basement and spare room.
Weight: up 21 pounds - oh my! I've never seen the scale so high...

At 30 weeks pregnant: your baby's height and weight haven't changed much in the past week, but the big news is your baby's brain gain. Until now, the surface of your baby's brain was smooth. Now, your fetus's brain is taking on those characteristic grooves and indentations. Those wrinkles allow for an increased amount of brain tissue. And your baby's bone marrow has taken over production of red blood cells.

project 'get ready for baby'

Feeling: I'm starting to get tired more often, I think I'll have to start slowing down soon! It's getting uncomfortable to sleep, I get aches if I lie on one side for too long.
Movement?: he seems to be more active this week, i'm pretty sure I can feel elbows and knees poking me in the bladder and stomach
Cravings: fresh apples, apple cider, anything apples!
Wishing for: an UPPAbaby stroller (oh, I found a pair of nice fall boots!)
Movies: watches 'Saw 6' with Rita
Current Project: project 'get ready for baby' is starting this week. my first task was to make a list (obviously!) - we also went shopping for a stroller and car seat, we're going to wait a bit still until we buy them.
Weight: at the last midwife appointment I was up 16 pounds

At 29 weeks pregnant, your baby is almost 17 inches tall now (nearly as tall as he will be at birth), and close to three pounds (a weight that will likely more than double — and may even come close to tripling — by delivery time). His wrinkled skin is smoothing out as more fat is deposited under the skin surface. This fat, called white fat, is different from the earlier brown fat that your developing fetus accumulated. Brown fat is necessary for body temperature regulation while white fat actually serves as an energy source.

Space in your baby's living quarters is now at a premium, so you'll be feeling jabs and pokes from elbows and knees mostly. But those kicks will be more vigorous than before (and also less erratic) because your baby is stronger and excitedly responding to all sorts of stimuli — movement, sounds, light, and food. The buds for permanent teeth are forming in his gums as well.

Congrats Lisa & Geoff!

Feeling: good overall, but I've been getting daily headaches for over 2 weeks, ouch
Movement?: he loves moving around in slow motion now, and we can feel him through my skin - still can't tell if it's his bum or head tho.
Cravings: wedding cake ;)
Wishing for: a new pair of fall boots, it's getting tough to bend over to put shoes on!
Movies: we've been catching up on the TV shows we missed while we were away. I love having a PVR!
Current Project: Lisa and Geoff's wedding was on October 17th, so we had a busy weekend full of printing seating charts, writing speeches, and eating lots of food.

At 28 weeks pregnant, brain wave activity measured in a developing fetus shows different sleep cycles, including the rapid eye movement phase, the stage when dreaming occurs. By now, your baby, who weighs in at about two and a half pounds and stands — or rather lies — at almost 16 inches (measured head to toe) has added blinking to his or her growing bag of tricks. Other impressive new talents being added to your baby's roster in the womb include coughing, more intense sucking, and, perhaps most important, better breathing.

barbados

Feeling: awesome - i'm in barbados!
Movement?: he's been moving around a tone since we've been here. I think he likes being in the water. It now feels more like he's slowly moving around and getting comfy. When Jeremy taps on my tummy he'll kick back in response.
Cravings: fresh fish! mango juice!
Wishing for: more time in paradise - already planning the next trip
Reading: "Time Traveler's Wife" - just finished it this morning
Current Project: relaxing in the sun, reading on the beach, swimming with the turtles, eating at yummy restaurants...

I missed posting last week since we were in Toronto (Jeremy was on course, I was in the office) and we were pretty busy. This week we've been relaxing in paradise. Our resort (The Crane) is gorgeous, and located on the south coast, so it has a lot of waves. So far we've been to Bert's Bar to watch a Sens game (and meet up with Eugene and Bert). Yesterday we went on a catamaran cruise and swam with the turtles and fish on the West coast. A few nights ago we went out to eat with a couple we met on the resort. And last week we went to Oistins for the fish fry.

...................

Your baby's eyes are beginning to open at 26 weeks pregnant. What this means is that your baby is able to see what's going on now. The iris, the colored part of the eye, still doesn't have much pigmentation (that'll fill in over the next month or two).

Your baby's brain-wave activity is kicking in at this stage in fetal development, which means your little one can not only hear noises but can now also respond to them. Not in so many words, of course, but with an increase in pulse rate or activity. And talking about activity, at your baby's current height and weight (about nine inches tall and two pounds), and at the rate he or she is growing, your baby will soon be feeling a little cramped in your uterus.

2 year anniversary!

Yesterday was our 2 year anniversary! We had a relaxing evening of Swiss Chalet and the season premier of House. Out big gift is our trip to Barbados starting next week.

Feeling: indigestion has been slowing me down in the afternoons, but I'm finding that exercising helps - good thing that dance practice and aquafit lessons start this week.
Movement?: he's located somewhere between my stomach and my intestines - and loves to kick and punch them a lot!
Cravings: chai lattes
Wishing for: still wishing for those maternity jeans, also adding 'comfortable bra' to the list!
Reading: "Hypnobirthing: The breakthrough natural approach to safer, easier, more comfortable birthing" - I'd been looking to learn some methods for drug-free pain management. It's interesting so far.
Current Project: packing for our trip to Toronto and Barbados - can't wait!

At 24 weeks pregnant, your baby weighs more than a pound and a half right now and sports a crown-to-rump length of about eight and a half inches (standard letter size!). That beautiful face (though still tiny) is almost fully formed. Babies at this stage of fetal development are gaining about six ounces each week — with much of that gain coming from fat, in addition to growing organs, bones, and muscle.

All kinds of sounds can be heard by your baby in your womb: from air exhaling from your lungs , those gastric gurgles produced by your stomach and intestines, your voice and your partner's (which your baby will be able to recognize at birth), and even very loud sounds such as honking horns, barking dogs, or a wailing fire truck.

week 23

Today I am: 23 weeks and 2 days pregnant

Feeling: pretty darn good. i've got lots of energy and the cooler fall weather is nice, addy and I have been going for a lot of walks
Movement?: he gets hiccups at least once a day, which are my least favorite movements - feels like all my muscles are twitching! soon the midwife will be able to tell us where his head and body are positioned
Cravings: tomatoes, fresh ones from my and jeremy's mom's gardens. sooooo yummy
Wishing for: a nice fitting, comfortable pair of maternity jeans - I can't find anything nice!
Movies: watched 'Pride and Glory' with Rita and Rob after they hosted us for our first dinner at their new house
Current Project: planning my sister's bridal shower for this weekend, it's going to have a tea party theme
Weight: up 11 pounds

eeek - this one is scary!
At eight inches and slightly over a pound, your baby is the size and shape of a small doll when you are 23 weeks pregnant. This week marks the beginning of some serious weight gain. Your baby's weight in the next four weeks alone should double.

You have probably heard your developing baby's heartbeat through a Doppler a number of times already (though you never get tired of hearing it), but by now you can also hear it through a standard stethoscope. Your baby's skin is reddish in color now because of the developing blood vessels underneath (remember, the skin is very thin still). It also hangs loosely from his or her little body at this point. That's because the skin grows faster than the fat develops during fetal growth.

sugar baby

Feeling: Rested and relaxed from a nice 4 day long weekend.
Movement?: Still lots of kicks, more often now. Usually after I eat, or if I sit down. He's still pretty low - just waiting to get that first kick in the ribs.
Cravings: plums - I ate half a box in 3 days
Wishing for: a designer rocking chair at an affordable price. I've been looking for a nice comfy rocker for the nursery, but everything is either ugly or extremely expensive!
Movies: watched 'Last House on the Left' with Rob and Rita on their new TV.
Current Project: nesting is setting in, over the weekend I cleaned the entire house - everything!

At 22 weeks pregnant, your baby has finally broken the one-pound mark. How heavy is that? Hold a one-pound box of sugar in your hand the next time you're in the grocery store. Is the box eight inches long? That's about the length your baby is too!

This week, he or she develops the sense of touch. In fact, your little one's grip is quite developed by now — and since there's nothing else to grab in utero, he or she may sometimes hold on tight to that umbilical cord (don't worry — it's tough enough to handle it). The sense of sight is also getting more developed. Your fetus can now perceive light and dark much better than before (even with those fused eyelids).

The eyelashes and eyebrows are well formed now — and even more hair is sprouting atop that cute little head. You'd be quite surprised, though, if you could see your little one up close and in color. Hair at this stage of fetal development has no pigment, so it's bright white.

banana baby

Feeling: Like I never get full. I wouldn't say I feel hungry all the time, but when I do start eating I can't seem to stop!
Movement?: Lots of movement; somersaults, twists and kicks
Cravings: still loving the hot sauce
Wishing for: the long weekend! 4 day weekend coming up, yahoo!
Movies: watched 'I Love You Man' with Jeremy
Current Project: helping Rita and Rob move into their new house - ok, it's more like I'm sitting on the couch watching everyone else help Rita and Rob move into their new house!

By 21 weeks pregnant, your baby swallows at least several ounces of amniotic fluid each day — not only for hydration and nutrition, but also to practice swallowing and digesting. The taste of the amniotic fluid differs from day to day depending on what you've eaten. Your developing baby still has a great deal of room in your womb. Until those uterine walls start closing in, however, there's plenty of space for twisting, turning, and even an occasional somersault.

cantaloupe

Feeling: I wasn't feeling great this week, had some tummy pains that kept me up at night (I kept Jeremy and the dogs up too), and have been tired from the lack of sleep.
Movement?: he's still squirming around in there. this week jeremy was able to feel some kicks - and we can sometimes sit and watch my belly jump as he moves around in there.
Cravings: anything hot! hot sauce on everything...
Wishing for: our trip to barbados. we booked it this week, now we just need to wait 5 weeks until the beginning of october... and I need to buy some new bathing suits ;)
Moveis: jeremy tricked me into watching 'Marley and Me' (I didn't want to watch it because I knew it was sad), I cried for about 25% of the movie.
Current Project: work work work, and lots of work
Measurement: I measured my belly this week and it's 31" around!

bouncing baby boy

Feeling: thrilled that we're having a boy! I always wanted a big brother, and I'll get to take him to hockey practice when he gets bigger.
Movement?: LOTS of movement from our little athlete. Anytime I sit down to relax, or early in the morning he's doing barrel rolls. During the ultrasound we could see him rolling around, kicking his legs, and punching with his arms - but I didn't feel anything. I can't imagine what he's doing in there when I can feel it!
Cravings: sugar - I ate a lot of gummy bears this week :-o
Wishing for: another vacation... i'm busy at work
Reading: catching up on my magazines, reading back issues of Real Simple.
Current Project: brainstorming ideas for the nursery
Weight: still only up 6 pounds. baby boy weighs 12oz!!!

From What to Expect: Six inches long this week and about eight ounces in weight, your baby is the size of a large mango. Arms and legs are finally in proportion, neurons are now connected between the brain and muscles, and cartilage throughout the body is turning to bone. All these upgrades combine to give your baby more control over limb movements. Which explains all that kicking, stretching, and bodysurfing (or rather bellysurfing) you've possibly started feeling by now.

baby belly

Just a quick post to upload an image of my baby belly for Laura to see :D
Will make a longer post with the full update and the big gender reveal soon!

moms need to bake

Nearing the end of our vacations, we decided to take a trip to Syracuse to see what kind of deals we could get. We didn't find any baby related items - but I did purchase a beautiful kitchenaid stand mixer (in grey). I've already used it once to bake lemon butter cookies. Moms need to bake lots of cookies right?

Feeling: super excited to find out if it's a boy or girl!!!
Movement?: I think the baby loves rolling around right now while there's still lots of room. She/he is a morning person - waking me up regularly at 4am
Cravings: mmm... I discovered a new Starbucks tea while on vacation: wild sweet orange. So good with a slice of lemon
Wishing for: fall - I don't know why i'm craving fall (cool weather, red leaves, sweaters, pumpkin pie...), maybe it's because it will mean that christmas is even closer :)
Reading: just finished 'Something Blue'
Current Project: getting back to work, lots of emails and projects to catch up on. thinking about taking another trip to Toronto soon too

From What to Expect: your baby is five and a half inches long and weighs about five ounces. The art of the yawn has been mastered by your baby. In fact, you might catch a glimpse of that adorable yawn if you're getting an ultrasound this month. You'll also catch a glimpse of all the fetal movement your baby's doing — twists, rolls, kicks, and punches. Your baby's is growing more acute, making your little one more conscious of sounds that come from inside your body (which means you could both be listening to each other hiccup — a skill that your baby has by now).

pink or blue?

hmmm... we only have to wait 2 more weeks until our next ultrasound - when we get to find out if we're having a boy or a girl (as long as the little bean cooperates!). I looked up some old wives tales and the results are inconclusive...

Boys are carried low. You are going to have a boy.
Sleeping in a bed with your pillow to the south indicates that you will be having a girl.
Your feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy. You are having a girl.
You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread. You are having a girl.
Dad-to-be hasn't been gaining weight along with Mom-to-be, so it will be a girl.
The maternal grandmother doesn't have gray hair (dyed or natural), so a girl will be born.
You didn't have morning sickness early in pregnancy, so it will be a boy.
You have a craving for salty or sour foods, which means that it is a boy.
Your nose hasn't changed during pregnancy, which indicates a girl.
You have been craving meats or cheeses, so it is a boy.
You have no desire for orange juice, so it's a boy.
You are having headaches, so it's a boy.

Feeling: excited to find out what colour we should paint the nursery! ...and if I should be buying dresses or baseball hats.
Movement?: i'm feeling kicks and somersaults whenever I sit down or rest, still waiting until they are strong enough so jeremy can feel them too.
Cravings: salami
Wishing for: more salami
Movies: watched 'Donnie Darko' with Rita and Rob
Current Project: small chores around the house while we're both on vacation

From What to Expect: Your baby is almost certainly listening up by now. In fact, loud noises — the dog barking, the doorbell ringing — will actually startle your baby (and also get him or her used to such noises; for instance, fetuses who regularly hear a dog barking will become babies who sleep right through Fido's outbursts). Your baby's eyes are making small side-to-side movements and can even perceive some light, though the eyelids are still sealed. Within the next week or so, the pads on your baby's fingertips and toes will become adorned with completely individual swirls and creases (aka fingerprints).

week 16

Last week went by in a bit of a blur since my grandfather passed away early in the week. At the end of the week we were in a small town called Killaloe for the wake and funeral. It was a sad time, but nice to see a lot of my mom's family again.

Feeling: pretty tired lately, I'm still trying to finish up some projects at work before it feels like I'm on vacation.
Movement?: it was definitely baby kicks and movement I was feeling, since I can now sometimes feel it on the outside with my hand. It kind of feels like small muscle twitches in my abs - I wonder what that baby is doing in there!
Cravings: lobster... had it twice this week - yum
Wishing for: more sunshine
Movies: watched 'The Watchmen' with Jeremy, feel asleep after about 20 minutes
Current Project: planning our short trip to the states to do some shopping

From What to Expect: Tiny bones are in place this week, making it likely that the baby can hear your voice when you're speaking. Baby's crown-to-rump measurement is between four and five inches in length, and weight is hovering around three ounces — with a face that has both eyebrows and eyelashes.

hayes has returned

This week Hayes came back for a visit. After breaking his toe in what sounds like a silly accident, he's back with us for 6-8 weeks as he heals. He's not too impressed with the cast he has to wear, or the fact he's not allowed to play with Addy. But he's been enjoying lazying around in the backyard watching Jeremy build the deck.

Today I am: 15 weeks and 2 days pregnant

Feeling: Excited for my 2 week vacation starting next week, and relaxed from my first pregnancy massage. ahhh
Movement?: I feel small flutters when I'm lying down and relaxing, could be baby moving around - or could just be gas.
Cravings: limes, is that strange?
Wishing for: summer weather - come on!
Reading: 'Something Blue' by Emily Giffin
Current Project: watching Jeremy build our deck ;)
Weight: Must be a lot - I can no longer do up most of my pants.

From What to Expect: he or she is as long as four and a half inches right now, the size of a naval orange. By now, the ears are positioned properly on the sides of the head and the eyes are moving from the side of the head to the front of the face.

second trimester

I made my first big baby purchase this week! I got a Svan bouncer. It's a very cool Swedish designed bouncer. I found it on kijiji it up for a great price. We'll see if the little one likes it, if he/she is anything like me she'll be super picky and won't like anything!

Today I am: 14 weeks and 2 days pregnant

Feeling: Like I'm back to my old self. I've got lots of energy again and don't get queasy if I don't eat.
Sick?: feeling great!
Cravings: Anything home baked. I made oatmeal cookies and chocolate cupcakes last week.
Wishing for: Some warm summer weather. It's been cold and rainy most of July, with only a few sunny / warm days thrown in.
Movies: Watched 'The Da Vinci Code' on TV. It reminded me of my (quick) trip to Paris with Laura. Robert Langdon was racing around the city, just like we did.
Current Project: Addicted to kijiji and finding baby deals online.
Weight: I caved and weighed myself. I've gained 6 lbs from my pre-preg weight, which means I lost 10 lbs of water weight - hourah!

happy canada day

Feeling: We were thrilled when we got to hear the baby's heartbeat this week at our midwife appointment. I also think I felt the baby move this week, but it's hard to tell...

Sick?: nah, I'm feeling good - other then the constant need to pee
Cravings: fresh strawberries
Wishing for: a trip to Barbados, even though the weather here is warm - just wish I was on a beach
Reading: 'The Joy of Pregnancy'
Movies: Watched 'Seven Pounds' with Jeremy, what a great movie
Current Project: The fence has been completed and we're now enjoying our backyard and planning out the deck
Weight: No thanks

From What to Expect: Your fetus is about three inches long and the size of a peach. Though your baby's head is about half the size of its body now, by the time your baby is ready to make his or her entrance into the world, the head will be only one-fourth as large as the body. Also developing this week: your baby's vocal chords.

plum

Today I am: 12 weeks pregnant

Feeling: Excited that I got to tell Laura and Evelyn the big news while I was in Toronto!
Sick?: Starting to feel dizzy if I move too quickly or stand for too long.
Cravings: Toast with jam, and plums
Wishing for: Summer vacation to start
Reading: 'Why I Need You,' a gift from Evelyn
Movies: Watched 'He's Just Not That Into You' with Evelyn
Current Project: Building our backyard fence. Well, Jeremy's doing most of the work, but I did some measuring and cutting.
Weight: Not sure, haven't been near a scale lately!

From What to Expect: The task of developing new bodily structures is nearing an end as most of your baby's systems are fully formed. Your little fetus weighs as much as half an ounce now, and the crown-to-rump length is about two and a half inches (the size of a large plum). The fetal digestive system is beginning to flex its digestive muscle. The pituitary gland at the base of the brain has started producing hormones. And the bone marrow is making white blood cells.

happy father's day!

From What to Expect: Slightly more than two inches long now and weighing about a third of an ounce, your fetus is growing by leaps and bounds. Hair follicles are forming, fingernail and toenail beds begin to develop this week and by next week, the nails themselves will start to grow. Your baby's body is straightening and his or her torso is lengthening. Other poses your baby can assume now: stretches, somersaults, and forward rolls.

Feeling: Happy that we got to tell both sets of grandparents about you! On Father's Day we surprised both Dad's with the news.
Sick?: only when I'm feeling hungry, which is more and more often.
Cravings: hot sauce, cheese, salt and vinegar chips
Wishing for: even more new clothes. my shirts aren't long enough to cover, so I've had to go clothes shopping.
Reading: still working on the short stories
Movies: watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button over the weekend
Current Project: traveling to Toronto this week to spend a few days at work and visit with Evelyn
Weight: up 11 pounds, so I think I lost some water weight

prune

From What to Expect: Your baby's growth is fast and furious. He or she is nearly an inch and a half long and the size of a prune, but not nearly as shriveled (even with all the time it spends in water). In fact, your baby is really taking a human shape now. Bones and cartilage are forming and teeth are forming under the gums.

Here is my weekly update:

Feeling: Excited that I've reached the quarter mark on the way to 40 weeks!

Sick?: same as the week before. I really only feel nauseous when my tummy is empty
Cravings: juicy fruit, like raspberries and plums
Wishing for: a baby bump, right now it just looks like I need to do some situps
Reading: Carol Shields short story collection. I've been slowly reading them for years, and have been fitting in a few each of the last few weekends.
Current Project: creating wedding invitations for my sister and for Rita
Weight: up 16 pounds. I need to keep off the scale since it's mostly water weight as my clothes still fit.