30 weeks!!

Happy Monday!!

I can't believe I'm already 30 weeks along...time has simply flown by. I had my last monthly check-up today (I start bi-weekly appts now) and baby is doing great! My bloodwork and trutal (sugar challenge) test were normal, and baby is growing according to schedule. He was a little kicker today, though; it took the nurse awhile to find his "resting heart rate" as he was so active. It was in the mid 160's for most of the time, but when he did settle down, it was mid 140's, which is good.

For me physically, my back and hips have been really bothering me.....the cartoon above is perfect, because perhaps without my back issues I could paint my toes, but no way it's happening for me in my current state!! I did find relief yesterday by going for a "swim" at my parent's place...I say "swim" b/c I can't really kick with my legs due to sciatic pain, but I can float along on my stomach and just use my arms to move around...it's amazing how buoyant you are with all that amniotic fluid in there! It's like having one of the pool noodles around your belly all the time;)

My Dr. says b/c of my back issues I definitely need to stop doing the long 13 hour shifts, and see how it goes with work....I really want to keep working as long as I can, but I don't want to be in agony!

I had a great time with Kerianne on Friday doing some moody/artistic preggo pics...it was a crazy stormy day, so the lighting was great for it! I can't wait to see them:) That's it for now...I'll be sure to post some pics once they are ready.

Have a super week!!
:)Sam

29 week update

It is currently the middle of the night....I find that at this point in my pregnancy I am exhausted later on in the day after being on my feet for awhile, but then I wake up a crazy amount of times throughout the night (usually b/c I need to pee, I've overheated, or need to change positions b/c of a numb hip). Sometimes when I wake up (like right now!) I can't get back to sleep...hence the 4 am post;-)

Overall, baby and I are doing well...I have been having a lot more back and SI joint pain which is tough considering I stand at work, but hopefully I'll be able to manage it. Last weekend I worked the long 13 hour shift on Saturday, which was crappy....I don't think my 6.5 month pregnant body is built for that!! I have my monthly doc appt Monday, so I'll see what he says...I'm trying to figure out how long I should reasonably stay working; I would like to work as long as possible, but I also don' t want to be in crazy pain, so we'll see.

Doug and I picked up our Phil & Ted's last Sunday!! Very exciting:) It seems pretty easy to open/close, and packs in the Jeep well. I can't wait for the nursery furniture to arrive, so I can really get going on that-hopefully it will arrive sooner than expected (which isn't until mid-Aug).

My sister Tiff and her daughter Maia are here in Halifax visiting from Victoria which has been amazing-I don't get to see them much since they live so far away. Maia is 3 1/2...what a fun age!! I can't believe how much she has changed since I last saw her at Christmas. My other sister Ange also came for a very quick visit in between horse shows, so last Monday we all got to spend the day together-thank goodness we finally got a nice summer day!! Here are a few pics:

So I'm going to attempt to go back to sleep now...wish me luck!!

:)Sam

It's Our Anniversary!/28 week update:)

Today is Doug and my 1 year wedding annivesary!! I can't believe how fast the year has gone by! We just got back into town after attending our friends Jill & Mike's wedding yesterday in Cape Breton, and we're just going to take it easy. No nice glass of bubbly for me, unfortunately...but I am thawing the top tier of our wedding cake to have tonight as dessert!! Yummy!!



My cold has gotten better, but I'm still not 100%...hopefully soon. I figured I'd just skip my 27 week update, and just get right to my 28th, which is today! So hard to believe I'm in my 3rd trimester already!!Baby is now over 2 pounds, and is almost 15 inches long! Been feeling good pregnancy-wise...my back gets quite sore by the end of the day, and I could fall asleep pretty much about any time of the day if given the chance, but overall I think most symptoms I'm having are normal. Baby is still kicking up a storm...he loved the band at Jill and Mike's wedding...it was the most active he's been!! I got up and danced a few songs which was fun, but my poor feet were getting a little swollen so I had to take it easy:)


In terms of nursery developments, we've picked the crib and dresser for baby's room, ordered the crib bedding, and we've decided on the Phil & Ted's stroller. It feels good to have those decisions made....now on to everything else!! Here are some recent bellly pics-this is at 27 weeks:




This was on the Sydney waterfront yesterday morning before the wedding (28 weeks)











And here are some pics from the wedding yesterday (Jill looked stunning!!!)








Have a great week!!
:)Sam

Feeling under the weather....and a bit overwhelmed by all the baby gear!

Hello!

So I've been feeling pretty crappy the last few days with a bad cold....it's the first I've had pregnant (which I should be happy about!) But it really does suck to not be able to take my normal concoction of cold remedies...I think I may have gotten a grand total of 2 hours of sleep last night...not fun. So, instead of sleeping, I decided to delve into the book "Baby Bargains". It seems really good in that it independently reviews products in all categories, but at the same time, I find it all a little overwhelming....there is so much to think about!!

Also, so much changes in baby gear land all the time....tough to make the big decisions like crib, stroller,etc. when each place I look (online customer reviews, this book, other books, other moms) recommend something different. Oh well, I guess it's just part of the process...and don't get me wrong-shopping for baby gear is fun!!! Speaking of fun, I'm currently working with a fabulous Etsy seller to make baby boy's crib bedding....here's a picture of the curtains and walls in his room:

They were already done when we moved into our house, as the previous owner won the home in a hospital lotto....it's great for us that the designer already made this bedroom a cute little boys' room! Now, it's all about coordinating things to these colors. I'm looking forward to seeing how his crib bedding turns out:) We tried to do a little crib and stroller scouting yesterday....of course we loved the gorgeous Pali cribs at The Royal Diperer, but we also found a really nice, quality "Gluckstein" brand crib at The Bay that we liked, that is much more affordable. In terms of strollers, I think I've settled on getting a Phil and Ted's, and getting the optional adapter so an infant carseat can attach to it for the first 4 months or so....I don't think getting a whole system first, and then getting a separate jogging stoller makes sense for us. I also love the optional second seat that the Phil and Teds offers...it can convert to a boucy seat now, and later on go in the stroller for a second child...brilliant!

That was pretty much our shopping experience....slowly, things will come together. If anyone has any suggestions for baby gear, or any ideas for baby boy's nursery, I'm all ears!!Hopefully I'll be feeling better for my 27 week update!!

Sam:)

26 week update

Hello! Happy Canada Day!!


This week has been pretty good thus far...I had my monthly baby appt on Monday, and everything was good. My blood pressure is quite low (88/66!) but they say it's fine as long as I'm feeling well. Baby is moving SO MUCH now...last night I thought he was practicing some crazy dance routine or something...woke me up almost every hour!! I love the movement, though-it's very reassuring that he doing well:)

Kerianne and I did make it out to the lupin field to do some pics on that eary misty morning....here is one she sent me (I'll post some more once they're ready:)





I'm excited to start planning baby boy's nursery....his room is painted red, yellow and white, so I need to match everything else to those colors. I'm thinking of going fairly neutral for crib bedding, wall art, etc-the walls are so bright, that I don't want it to look to busy...the curtains are also red, yellow, and white, plus have some black in them as well, so I am thinking of doing mostly back and white as accent colors...we'll see:) I think we've decided on the crib (a white Pali convertable from The Royal Diperer) and stroller (made by Phil & Teds)...if anyone has any feeddback on strollers, I'm all ears! It's hard to find one that's versatile in terms of being lightweight, able to travel on different terrain, and also able accomodate infant through toddler (the Phil and Ted's can accomodate a few brands of car seats, which is a plus).

I'd also love input on what are your favorite/must-have baby products!! There are so many gadgets and gizmos out there....any ideas are welcomed!!

:)Sam