And my story started...

My husband Tyler and I have been married two years this coming April. We got married in the Mayan Riviera on a beach and it was AWESOME! I've wanted children from the minute we said "I do" so Tyler bought me a puppy last year to shut me up for a while, ha ha. We finally decided to start 'trying' in June, and unfortunately for Tyler, who thought he was gonna get LOTS of practice, we pretty much got pregnant on our first shot (no pun intended). I'm due March 7th, 2008 and I don't think time could be going any slower right now!

Our dog Jessie is a female Norfolk terrier and is the most amazing, adorable dog in the whole world (I'm sure we all think that about our own dogs). We aren't even sure if she knows how to bark, lol. We are really worried about her reaction to the new addition to our family. She thinks she runs the house right now (ok...maybe she does) so I think she's gonna be in for quite a shock.

Dec 27/07

Today I am 30 weeks pregnant. I've been very lucky - no issues/complications/scares of any kind. The first three months were the worst of my life though...I was so naseaus that I couldn't eat, which in turn caused me to be extremely exhausted to the point where I couldn't even walk up a flight of stairs without taking a break in between. Thankfully that has passed and it's been a breeze since.

My husband and I want to wait until the the birth to find out the sex of our child so we have a healthy "it" right now. It is measuring 30cm's, and the heartbeat has continuously been between 135-145bpm. We have a midwife and so far, it's been great...alot of extra attention that I don't think you get to experience with a doctor. We had an appointment today and my protein level was +1 so I've been asked to go to a lab for a proper test...not too worried though as I was sick on Christmas eve (Tyler thinks I may have had food poisoning) which would explain the high protien...probably dehydrated. I did find out that I've been experiencing braxton hicks contractions for months now, and didn't know it, ha ha! I had one while my midwife was measuring me and she told me that was what they were...I was expecting them to be stronger and possibly painful, which they aren't (just kinda uncomfortable for about 10-15 seconds). I get them about 8-10 times a day.

I have already gained 30 pounds!!! My sister gained over 50 with her first child and she's back down to 125pounds (like my original weight) so hopefully I can lose the weight quickly. I've been using this pregnancy to satisfy my chocolate addiction, lol.

Jan 4/2008

I saw these listed on butterblocksmom's vip page and thought it was so cute, so I found it online at:
http://babiesonline.com/funfacts/

Here are mine:

Your Due Date Is Friday, March 07, 2008
Your conception date was most likely Friday, June 15, 2007
You are in Week 31 of your pregnancy
and your baby is 29 weeks old.
217 days down, 63 to go!

Fun Birthday Facts
Your baby's birthstone will be Aquamarine (Courage)
Your baby's Astrological Sign will be Pisces
Your baby's Flower is Daffodil or Jonquil (White or Light Blue)
Your baby will be born in the Chinese Year of The Rat
This time next year your baby will be 43 Weeks Old!
Your baby will start kindergarten in 2013, be old enough to drive a car in 2024, finish high school in 2026, and will graduate from college with the class of 2030, give or take a year. Can you imagine?

as if I want to even think about when my child will be driving, ha ha!

Jan 8/08

Thank god I have a flexible boss! I hurt my back last week (chriopractor says I've pinched my sacrum nerve, which is apparently common for pregnant women...?) and can barely get myself in and out of a chair/bed. My boss is letting me work from home at the moment - yes, she's a woman, ha ha. Anyway, yesterday I noticed my ankles looked a bit swollen and today they are even worse. I'm not too concerned but I'll definately show my midwife at our appointment next week. The braxton hicks contractions have also become more frequent (probably once about every 20 - 25 minutes)... I'll have to mention that to my midwife as well, although I've read that is pretty normal - I'm probably just paying more attention to them now that I know what they are.

Tyler and I start our prenatal classes tonight - I'm very excited about it (does that make me a loser? ha ha). We've also got a list of names we are trying to decide on:

Girls: Charlize (Charlie), Jaelynn (Jay), Jane, Kayla, Paige, and Sophia
Boys: Dax, Dylan, Ethan, Kyle, Logan, and Zachary (Zak).

My favourites for a girl are Charlie, Kayla, Paige (in that order) and for boys are Zak, Dax, and Kyle (in that order), HOWEVER my husband hates the name Kyle and isn't a big fan of Paige so I think they are both out... we aren't going to make any final decisions until the baby's born so we can see what we think suits him/her (as if you can know? lol).

Jan 11/08

The prenatal classes were alot of fun. There are two other couples (out of 9 couples) that have the exact same due date as us and we are all delivering at the same hospital. We watched a couple of videos and has some breakout sessions, which was fun. I must admit that during one of the videos, I was shocked about how the placenta looks when it comes out... ALOT bigger than I thought - I assumed it would be pretty deflated (so to speak) after the baby was out of it, but NOPE!!!! I also have to admit that it's starting to hit me that I'm about to experience a huge life changing event and I'm scared!

Next week we cover relaxation and breathing techniques. That should be funny watching the guys trying to be supportive, lol. I'm a bit worried about this class though because I've pinched a nerve in my back and we have to be on the floors with pillows - very uncomfortable for me right now...

I'm finding that for the last few days, I can't get comfortable/sleep well. My hips hurt and my belly is getting heavy. Heartburn is still really bad... even walking is getting hard - my feet kill!

Jan 19/08

So this last week has been excrutiating for me. I have seriously been peeing about 10 times an hour - it really sucks!!!! And then tonight my right breast leaked a small amount of colostrum twice! My ankles are swollen and my hands are swollen and stiff. And my groin muscles hurt when I walk (spreading for labour?). Complain complain complain, lol. I don't think I can wait another 6 or 7 weeks for my "it" to come out!!!! He/She is kicking the crap out of my ribs - it's funny but hurts at the same time.

Jan 28/08

Yesterday I had my babyshower and it was great! There were about 25 people there and I got a ton of amazing gifts - I think my registry was pretty much cleared off. We put all the crib bedding on today (even the bumper pad which is suppose to be a no no, lol). We also put together the mobile for the crib, which is a underwater themed one that has a remote control and also does a light show on the ceiling - - it's pretty cool! I actually got two car seats so I"m trying to decide if we are going to keep both (one for each car?) or just take one back and get something else - the one thing we still need is a playpen. My sister offered me hers, but she won't be officially finished with it for another 3 or 4 months so I'm trying to decide if I should just get my own (?). My friend Joanna called today to tell me she is expecting (5 weeks pregnant) - she's extremely excited... too bad she lives 2 hrs away! Another friend who is trying right now isn't, which is sad - they've been trying for a while and I think she's started to get really upset about it. I tried to tell her that 50% of couples don't get pregnant in their first 6 months of trying, but didn't help much.

I've been so tired lately. Most nights now I'm in bed asleep by 10pm at the latest. I try to keep my eyes open at my desk, and am now sometimes feeling nauseaus if I don't sleep when I'm tired. I don't think I'm going to make it to my last day of work if this keeps up. I'm exhausted!!!!

Feb 25/08

Well my last day of work was Friday and I can't believe I'm now off for a whole year - I'm soooo excited. I've been cleaning and doing laundry all day...nesting, lol. I also got the carseat base installed in the car. I have a midwife appointment tomorrow and have some things I want to discuss with her. I've experienced extremely strong and frequent Braxton Hicks since about 5 months, but in the last few weeks, they've become ALOT less frequent and aren't strong at all - infact, I barely notice them. Everyone else on this posting board has been saying the opposite, and all the ladies sound like they are ready to go anyday now (alot are being induced for one reason or another - I really don't want to be induced, but I'd love to start feeling like I could go anytime... I can't handle how uncomfortable I feel anymore and can't sleep because of it). Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely happy for everyone on this site, but I'd love to be in the same position.

One of my nipples has been leaking - very bizarre feeling, lol. I was actually standing with no bra/top on trying to decide what the heck I could fit in today and felt a few drops on my arm, ha ha. I hope this means breastfeeding won't be as tough for me as they've led me to believe. My mother-in-law is a la leche league leader and has put an enormous amount of pressure on me to breastfeed.... I'll leave it at that!

Mar 02/08

5 days to go... I've been feeling NO signs still! What the hell? My feet are swollen and swell more when I walk around, so I'm stuck sitting on the couch with crappy basic cable. I don't care what my hubby says, I'm upping our cable channels to get everything, lol. My last midwife appointment (Feb 26), I was measuring 41cm...yikes! I'm praying I'm not having a huge baby but my midwife said he/she feels large. I have another appointment on Tuesday and I'm getting an internal for the first time. I'm praying she tells me I'm almost fully effaced and starting to dialate. If I go late, I've got an induction scheduled for March 17th (St.Patty's day baby would be very cool!), which seems like a long way off. My god, TWO WEEKS???? I CANNOT WAIT THAT LONG! I'm so uncomfortable that I can't even do some things around the house that I was hopoing to get done before the baby comes, such as cleaning out the fridge, and organizing our closets/cupboards (yes, I guess that 'nesting' thing is in effect). Anyway, I will have to wait and see what happens on Tuesday at my appointment!

Mar 04/08

3 days to go... I had my midwife appointment this morning - my protein level was +1 so I have to do yet another urine test at a lab... what the hell is with this? I need to start drinking more water! Anyway, I'm now up to 176 pounds (holy crap) - I've gained ALOT of weight... thankfully everyone lies to me and says I'm all belly, lol. I'm hoping to be lucky like my sister and lose it all quickly. At this point, I'm extremely frustrated, bored, uncomfortable, and just plain sore! Still no labour signs (not even my plug or braxton hicks). I have an internal next Tuesday and she's going to do a stretch and sweep so I pray that works! I've been taking Evening Primrose Oil religiously... I think it's a load of crap but I'll try anything, lol. I'm also still extremely swollen - my hands/fingers, feet/ankles... and even my calves, knees and thighs. It's awful - I can feel the water jiggling on my feet when I walk. I'm so bored at home too but can't do all the things I was hoping for. I'm sorry to say this (if anyone from the US is reading) but I'm so thankful that I live in Canada - a year off with income from the Government is just wonderful! I couldn't imagine having to go back to work after 6 or 8 weeks (not exactly sure how quickly women from the states have to go back?).

Mar 09/08

2 days past due... Well, as frustrated as I am about still being pregnant, I've finally started to lose my mucus plug. Never thought I'd be so excited about slimy discharge, ha ha. I've been extremely swollen the last few days (calves, ankles, feet) that I've been avoiding walking around when possible as it hurts. I pray pray pray that I will go into labour over the next day or two. I have a midwife appointment on Tuesday and I'm getting my first internal since the start of this pregnancy - I'm so hoping she tells me that I'm almost fully effaced and dialating well. She's going to perform a stretch and sweep as well so hopefully that does the trick! Found this cool site today... I don't think I'll sign up because I wanted to create my own site but I can use some of the ideas from this site for my own. http://babychapters.com

Mar 11/08

* 11:00am - 4 days past due and I think I'm going to stop counting, lol. I had a midwife appointment this morning and she performed a stretch and sweep around 10am. OH MY GOD was it ever uncomfortable/awful. And the worst is that I'm only 1 or 2 cm's dilated and I need to efface more. When I woke up this morning, there was some stringy blood when I wiped so I was convinced it was my show and that I would be going anytime over the next day or so but according to my midwife, could be next week (ahhhhhh!). I've got an ultrasound scheduled for Friday and then after the ultrasound, my midwife wants me to come in for another stretch and sweep. My birthday is coming up (March 16) and I was really hoping to be home with the baby for it but at this rate my bday is going to come and go and all I'll be able to do is sit around complaining about swollen feet and sore knees!

*11:00pm - ok, so I've just started to experience some cramping and my lower back is really bothering me (like when you get your period) AND, I know I totally lost all my mucous plug... it was really gross actually - I wiped after a pee and it was a HUGE chunk of goey brown discharge! I hope the stretch&sweep is doing the trick. I'm going to try and sleep so I get some rest incase I do go into labour anytime soon... how awesome would that be!

Mar 12/08

Well... still here and no baby. My feet/legs have been really cold, and I've been having mild cramping & lower back pain since I got up this morning but nothing that makes me believe I could go into labour so I give up! This kid is gonna stay in here forever!!! On another note, I was able to submit my maternity/parental leave EI forms online today so I don't even have to go into a service office (my work faxes the ROE directly to the government on my behalf). Also renewed my plate stickers online - god I love the internet!!! Didn't even have to get off my ass. I've also packed up the car with the carseat, diaperbag, extra pillows/blanket for Tyler, and our hospital bag - - maybe a bit extreme but something less to worry about. AND, I'm so excited because we've settled on our boys name: Zachary, and we've narrowed our list of girls names to two: Peyton or Kayla. I really like both so we'll have to see (think it's a boy anyway so I'm not going to stress over it).