Bump Update

Pip is continuing to grow as is my bump, I figured that I would post before all the Christmas dinners! Pip is now the size of a banana and quite happy. I'm still eating every three hours or so and trying to keep active but it is getting harder as is it getting colder and less friendly out for a leisurely stroll.

This morning Rob and I were up early and at the grocery store for 7:30 , did a power shop, then off to work for a couple of hours. After saying our Merry Christmases we then headed back downtown to the St. Lawrence market to finish off our shopping. What a zoo! It was fun though. I believe that we have everything we need for the next few get togethers over the holidays so tomorrow will be spent relaxing and enjoying the day together.

Merry Christmas to all and a very Happy New Year.

I can't wait for next Christmas :)

Oh, Now I Feel It

So I am now half way to D Day (delivery day) and was not really sure if I had been feeling Pip move yet. There were a couple of times about two or three weeks ago that were possible but not 100% sure.

Well, I'm sure now! For the past couple of days it has been a regular barrage of nudges, elbows, kicks and head butts. The head butts are the craziest as Pip moves from a side to side position to a front to back position producing a very lopsided and lumpy belly with either a bum or head poking out. That one feels the freakiest so far.

I had read that drinking juice encourages some dancing so last night I has a cranberry and coconut cocktail, (I made it so I can call it what ever I want) and sure enough the bumps and jiggles started.

Definitely my new party trick for the Christmas season!

3D Pip

Yesterday morning was quite exciting for us, we went for our anatomy ultrasound and got to take another peak at Pip who is 19 weeks along. The technician was great, as they have always been, and right away asked if we wanted to know the sex of the baby.

Rob and I agreed that this may be one of the few controlled surprises we may have and are going to wait until Pip arrives to find out.

After all the necessary measurements were taken Rob was brought into the room and we both got to see...

The technician right away say the baby has Rob's mouth and I agree, so cute. She was good to keep all the pictures from the waist up and we did see a few 2D shots which were amazing. We could see the heart beating, the ribs and spine and very cute little hands waiving hello.

What a fantastic day.

Bump Update

So look what the bump fairy left me last night, seriously! I woke up this morning feeling quite awkward and looked down to see this. It may explain why I have been so tired for the past few days.

The past week seems to have flown by, we went to a friends Christmas open house on Saturday and my how times have changed. House was still full of people but now was even fuller with tons of kids running around having a blast. Mind you the adults still ended up in the kitchen drinking and catching up with one another. It was quite the eye opener for us, realising that in a very short time we will be going to and hosting a lot more kid friendly get togethers. We may need to move the scotch collection to higher grounds.

We have our ultrasound this Wednesday and are really looking forward to it, another chance to see Pip. Stay tuned. alien pics to follow soon.

Oh Christmas Tree

So it was suggested last week that I may want to pick up a tree stand, you know, just in case! I tried to act cool about it but truth be told, the next day I walked up to Lee Valley first thing and found the most kick ass stand they had anticipating what was coming.

Needless to say Rob did not disappoint. He arrived home with a stunning Douglas Fir. All we needed to do was trim the bottom and place it in our stand, if only it was that easy. Turns out we only had a dull metal blade on our hand saw (oops, that was me from my drapery days) so the very simple cut was quite the effort. All I could do to help was ensure that Rob's beer was topped up. Once finished and raised we cut the strings and opened up our first live tree and stood back to admire.

Friday night was our night to trim the tree so we invited our neighbour Mtoki over for some Christmas cheer. Once the beers (and grapefruit pelligrino) were opened we naturally started on the lights. Well, seems like they did not want to cooperate and not a single strand light up. After some jiggling of the bulbs and shaking of the strands we realised that it was not going to happen, no problem! Motoki generously offered his set and ran off to get them for us. What a guy.

Lights up, decorations on and a mini scotch tasting (and more pelligrino) made for a very fun evening.

We are really looking forward to doing this all again next year with Pip and starting some great family traditions.

Bump Update

As it has been a while I figured that it was time for a bump update. As you can see I still have a Buddha belly going on but it's getting closer to a real bump. Pip is about the size of an avocado and I have purchased a couple new pairs of stretchy pants, still holding out on any real maternity clothing.

I now find that sitting down to put on my shoes is great, the seatbelt is always uncomfortable and I still need to catch my breath after a set of stairs. And this is only four months along!!
Don't get me wrong, I love every minute of it, it's just amazing how quickly my body has been changing and adapting to everything.

This really is not about me for the next while and I'm pretty cool with that.

We are Blessed

We are very fortunate to have such amazing and supportive family and friends. Over the past few weeks we have been getting a hold of people to share our exciting news and the response has been very touching.
I just wanted to say a very big thank you to everyone for your love and support, we are both very lucky to have you all in our lives.

The Rabbit is Dead

Yes, it's true. But you already knew that!

Friday Rob had changed his BBM personal message to "It's official...the rabbit is dead!". Not knowing what it meant I asked if we were having rabbit stew for dinner but with no reply I had forgotten about the message.That evening over dinner (not rabbit stew sadly) he brought it up and I genuinely had no idea what the meaning of it was.

So, wiki to the rescue.


The rabbit test was an early pregnancy test developed in 1927 by Bernhard Zondek andSelmar Aschheim. The original test actually used mice.^[1] The test consisted of injecting the tested woman's urine into a female rabbit, then examining the rabbit's ovaries a few days later, which would change in response to a hormone only secreted by pregnant women. The hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), is produced during pregnancy and indicates the presence of a fertilized egg; it can be found in a pregnant woman's urine and blood. The rabbit test became a widely used bioassay (animal-based test) to test for pregnancy. The term "rabbit test" was first recorded in 1949 but became a common phrase in the English language.

I love his wit and sense of humour and needless to say had a great laugh.

Coffee Date

As I had mentioned earlier, my aunt Margaret had come to visit for a bit of catch up. It was a beautiful day so we decided to go check out a new Italian grocer that has just opened up on King st called Alimento.

What a fantastic shop, to the right is a grocer with cheeses, cured meats, prepared foods to take home, dry goods and a bread selection that is all house made downstairs. After drooling through there for a bit we wandered over to the restaurant side. As we pulled up to the all white marble bar there was no chance to resist the sweets that were displayed, I grabbed a brioche filled with a delicate lemon cream and Margaret a beautiful apricot square. It was a perfect way to sit and enjoy each others company while indulging a bit!

After a good gab we wandered back home then said good bye. Thank you and I am looking forward to doing this again soon.

A craving worthy size jar of Nutella

Lemons

Manhandling lemons in the produce aisle

An update on Pip who is about the size of a lemon right now but not as weirdly shaped as the one in my hand. Still feeling great and eating well. Unfortunately running has taken a back seat as I become so winded so easily, trying to take regular brisk walks at least but really need to listen to my body. I just can't  go as hard as I used to.

My Aunt came to visit, we went for a walk and ended up in the grocery store during lunch hour trying to be inconspicuous. Don't think we pulled it off! An update of our coffee date to follow soon.

Wee Things

A package arrived in the mail the other day. It was a small package, soft and from my Mom. It was also the first gift for Pip so of course I cried, I'm was pretty leaky to begin with but now, oh dear! Don't get me wrong, it's not a full out bawl that starts up, usually a few tears of emotion and excitement. At least that's my version.

So I opened the package and pulled out these adorable felted booties. My heart melted and I can't stop looking at them thinking that in a few short months Pip will be filling those booties.

Hibernation

That time of the year has come and sadly it looks like my scooters will be put down for the winter. This always makes me a bit sad as I love the freedom of hopping on and zipping around town, but I am feeling a bit more sad this time around.

Pizza from our fave Italian restaurant

Most normal people do not need two scooters so we will definitely be selling one of them in the spring, it's just what to do with the second one. 

It's so much fun to ride and looks cool to boot but realistically I don't know how much riding I'll be doing next spring and summer.

I haven't even broken in the engine yet!

                 

I will really miss the gelato stops at the Distillery as well.

Pictures and Aliens

So we got our first image yesterday of Pip and it looks great. You can see the feet, hands, spine and almost the nose! The ultrasound went very well, all necessary measurements were taken and Pip is bigger than first expected, now measuring almost three inches. There was a lot of dancing around in there but finally settled down enough to get all the necessary information.

Rob was invited in once the tech had finished her job and we both got to see the wee one, it was pretty neat to say the least. She then offered if we wanted to see a 3D image so we said sure. To be honest, kinda creepy! It totally looked like an alien staring back at us so I think we will stick to the old school ultrasound.

Tonight we are meeting with my sis and brother and spilling the news to them. Looking forward to sharing the surprise and finally letting everyone else know what is going on.

More updates to follow, this was a quick one as I know that the parents were keen on seeing the scan!

On being Lazy

Some days I just have no interest in doing anything, cleaning, going out or even cooking. I'm just starting to feel less tired than I have been for the past few months but I have been fighting a cold and sleep is my only  plan for the day. After four days of some heavy sofa surfing and major sleep I am definitely feeling better but not enough energy to make up some food. This is where my lazy genius come in.

Spinach, apple, kiwi, melon, oatmeal, protein powder, yogurt and almond milk make for a very quick and low effort second breakfast. Yes, second breakfast.
It has a ton of much needed nutrients and vitamins and is quite filling.
As a side note, I am indeed making my smoothie in a bodum, our blender is having an issue at the moment and this is the only vessel that would work with the hand blender.

Now if this rain stops I would love to head over to the library to grab some more books.

Me and Food

I have always been a good eater and have always loved food, luckily I have not had any food aversions or sickness during my pregnancy which means I have been eating a lot. I would say that we were fairly healthy eaters before with the occasional indulgence here and there.

I have been doing much reading, thanks to our local library, and been doing my best to maximise my nutrient intake with everything I eat. It has been surprising how much I can restrain myself around a piece of chocolate now!

Turns out that sardines have a very high source of calcium as well as protein, iron and vitamin A, all nutrients that are important right now and I really enjoy them. Shouldn't be too much of a surprise as I am happy to nosh on a jar of pickled herring ever since I was a kid, I just never thought to try sardines.

Now I have usually just mashed them up with some lime juice, parsley and topped off with some avocado on a piece of toast but tried something different today. One can of sardines mixed with chives, shallot, green onions, lemon juice and cream cheese. Turns more into a pate type spread, which is great because that's on my list of no no foods. Rob picked me up some crisp breads to spread it on and topped it off with some avocado, so yummy. Seriously.

Flashbacks

Now the inches on my tape measure have not changed yet my body is definitely changing. I still fit into my jeans but they are really not all that comfortable so stretchy pants have become the norm. Sadly the first thing to really change is my bra selection. No more sexy lace Victoria Secrets numbers, I totally need comfort and some major support.

Figuring that the Bay had a pretty big selection I went there first and was happy to be assisted by a very helpful clerk. My biggest issues were no more under wire for better comfort and they had to look at least decent, oh, and I had been wearing the wrong size for a very long time. I needed bigger and trust me, I did not want any bigger.
We suddenly came upon the Wonderbra section that is all displayed in boxes in these white display units, the exact display units with the same boxed bras that I had encountered with my Mom during my first bra shopping experience.
I had a good chuckle remembering how embarrassed I was but how excited I was as well, getting my first bra. Well, the amount of fabric needed then would probably only amount to my straps now. Still, good memories.

Tea

As the weather begins to cool and fall settles in I enjoy a tea or two during the day. Chamomile before bed, a nice herbal mix later in the afternoon. Problem is, herbal teas are a very grey area when it comes to whether or not they are safe to drink. It all depends what book or source you read, everyone has a different opinion.

Now I have switched to a decaf latte in the mornings just fine, a bit of caffeine is allowed but I feel guilty so the switch is an easy one. As well, I don't usually need coffee to get going in the mornings, I just enjoy it and same goes for a tea.

So far I have been boiling up some fresh ginger and adding lemon and honey, mint tea is the only one that is universally agreed upon and today I have made up a cranberry juice (the unsweetened kind) with lemon, honey and hot water. Looks like these three will be on regular rotation for the winter.

Midwives

So, as soon as I found out I was pregnant I quickly called around for a Midwife. Thinking that because it was so early I would have no trouble at all, was I ever wrong!

I was now on three different waiting lists all of which told me that they would call me if anything opened up. Seriously! Wow. Who knew it was so difficult to get a Midwife. Obviously a bit disappointed but reminding myself that it is still very early on I did the next logical thing and called my family doctor to get the ball rolling and also to 100% confirm I was pregnant.

Jump ahead one month (just short by three days) and I get a call from Community Midwives asking if I was still looking, you bet! I am very happy with how everything has been progressing so far and everything seems to be falling into place nicely. We are meeting with our appointed Midwife Monday Oct 24 and hopefully everything goes well. We will both be able to ask questions and get as much info as possible to be sure that this is the route we want to take. I'm pretty confident that it is and the clinic we are going to was recommended by a friend who did her training there for a year. I also think that this may have helped our cause in getting a call back.

Brunch With the Parents

We brought you together today for a special announcement

Come May you are all going to be Grandparents! I'm pretty sure we surprised them all.

As you can see the news was very well received and shopping strategies are already being planned out.

Thank you for joining us today and being able to share with you this very special moment. We are very fortunate to have such wonderful, loving parents and are excited to be sharing this next chapter with you. 

Keeping Fit

Ever since I found out, I have been quite cautious about over exerting myself. Unfortunately it meant that I cut back way too much on my running this past month and have really noticed it. So this past weekend I got out twice for a very casual run and felt so much better for it. The weather was beautiful and I was doing something that makes me happy, nothing wrong with that.

I had noticed a few weeks ago that my heart rate was averaging higher than normal, about ten beats per min, and that I was getting winded quite quickly. After chatting with my super coach (Rob) it was decided that I will now be focusing on keeping my heart rate low and steady and to be sure to get out at least three days a week. No more hills, best times, just get out and enjoy. Funny thing was that once we decided that was the plan it was very easy to stick to it, even if it is waaayyy slower that normal.

As well, beginning on the treadmill downstairs in order to get used to it for the winter. Probably not a great idea to be running out in the cold and ice once I start to get lumpy.

Looking forward to keeping healthy and happy.

Ultrasounds and Lentils

Our appointment was for mid day and Rob came to pick me up from home so we could go together. We nervously, well more me than anything else, drove over and filled out the necessary paperwork. I have a feeling that there will be a lot of that.

Luckily it was just a five minute wait and I was brought in. Good new, baby nested where it was supposed to and it's about the size of a lentil. After all the measurements were taken the technician went to get Rob so we could both see the wee one and it's heart beat.

That was pretty cool, and a lot more reassuring than just peeing on a stick!

A couple of hours after the appointment my Dr.'s office called to say that they had received the results back from the ultrasound and were confirming that I was pregnant. It was sweet of them to call but pretty funny.

Reality Check

So reality is starting to kick in and I realise that there are things to be done.

After making a few phone calls we are now on three different waiting lists for a Midwife so fingers crossed. I had also made an appointment with my Dr. just to confirm (bloodwork) and talk about options. A week later we are in the Dr.'s office going over OB references and which hospital we want to go to. I give some blood and that's about it. Rob was great to come along and take it all in with me.

Due to my uncertainty of timing, she sent me for a dating ultrasound for next week. Pretty cool.

SURPRISE

The time has come, the inevitable is upon us and stretchy pants are in my future. 

And just to be sure that we didn't get a broken one, a different brand of test, a few days later. Not to sure if that means 2 -3 kids or 2 -3 weeks along.