From Sushi To Eggs Benedict

Throughout pregnancy there’s a variety of foods you shouldn’t eat, and in my case a bunch I couldn’t have due to GD. I am still being careful with my sugars until I redo the diabetic testing, but those other foods I couldn’t have? I am hitting them one by one and enjoying every minute of them!

Honestly, I had NO pregnancy cravings, but I am having a ton of post-partum cravings now!

She's Here!

Our little princess made her way into the world this past Sunday, November 22nd! We are home now and I will write more, including her birth story, once we are settled in!

39 Weeks!

We are 39 weeks today and since a couple of people have asked I am posting a quick update on where things stand. May be a little TMI for some.

Re-Claiming My Uterus: Revisited

As I have written before, when “normal” couples TTC they go about it on their own without announcing each step to the world and usually a few months after they succeed they get to make their big announcement and surprise their family and friends with the news. We were almost able to replicate this once we were using frozen embryos, and it was nice to feel almost “normal” for once!

But now that we are nearing the end, we are somehow coming full circle and are right back where we started from regarding privacy issues.

Polyhydramnios And Neverland II

We had a visit to the birthing center yesterday! No, not a planned visit. And yes, everything is "fine" now... for the most part. I thought the wait times in obstetrics was bad, but this was just as awful or maybe even worse. Come to think of it, the first time I went there I was in and out within 30 minutes so I am not sure why this time took 5 long hours! Thankfully DH was with me because 1) he kept me company and 2) now he knows how my usual appointments feel!

Hopefully this happened because I was low on their list of priorities and they won't be so slow when I am actually giving birth!

Almost Time To Hibernate!

One more day of work.
One week of vacation.
And then maternity leave officially begins!

And what am I looking forward to most on my week off? Quiet time! Seriously, I just really need to hibernate for a bit. I am beyond exhausted and barely stay awake past 9pm these days, a little bit achy, and just really not up to socializing right now. I don’t even want to drive anymore because the steering wheel annoyingly rubs against my belly every time I turn a corner!

Unfortunately I won’t be able to hide out as much as I would have liked, but I am going to do my best whenever possible!

Thinking Like A Mom… For Myself!

Earlier on in this pregnancy a situation happened on Facebook with an acquaintance of mine which basically resulted in a simple picture sparking a nasty and public exchange between myself, my other friends defending me, and this acquaintance. It was beyond stupid and completely unnecessary! But, as it was happening, I remember thinking to myself 1) why do I have a so-called friend who repeatedly treats me this way and sparks these situations, and 2) what would I say to my child if they had a friend who acted the same way towards them?

That was when I realized that I needed to put a stop to this so-called-friendship, along with any other relationship that wouldn’t sit right with me for my own child. If it isn’t good enough for her, why should it be ok for me? Why am I settling for less?

Braxton Hicks & Useless Tidbits

So, I had my first “contraction” the other day… on the bus, alone, while DH was on a flight to Colorado for work! Not knowing what it was at first I had a mini panic attack, but after researching good old Google I discovered that it was simply a Braxton Hicks contraction! Phew! I guess my uterus just needed some practice… with the worst possible timing! But, then again, I guess poor timing is just a part of going into labor naturally too!

Maternity Leave Couldn’t Come Sooner

With maternity leave around the corner (12 working days!) it has really made me start to see things around the workplace in a different light. The way people interact, their true intentions, where their loyalties lie, people’s true colors, and… who I really can and cannot trust and rely on.

It is sad in some ways, but eye-opening too… especially after 14 years here!

She Is Fierce!

“And though she be but little, she is fierce!” 

William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream 

The above quote is currently hanging front and center in our little girls’ room. A couple of people have commented that it was a very nice quote, but how could I already know her personality? Well, to put it simply… I don’t. But, if her journey into this world says anything about her then I have a pretty good idea already!

Almost 33 Weeks!

Well, this week has certainly been interesting to say the least! Some seemingly paranoid phone calls to obstetrics and an emergency call back to go in to the birthing center immediately followed by a pretty long but awesome day of appointments today with very positive results.

30 Days!

Even though we still don't have a replacement lined up for my job... it is an awesome feeling to open your desktop calendar and finally see your last day of work in sight! 30 days!!!

What Am I Afraid Of?

Lately a number of people have asked me if I was afraid of giving birth, worried about the epidural or nervous about being a mom in general… and I have to say, I really am fine with everything. We have been trying for this for so long now that I just can’t wait to meet her and finally be a family; I don’t really have any of the usual “first-time-mom” fears.

I would say that I am more anxious about outside factors, after giving birth, than I am about the initial giving birth.

Prenatal Class Part II (and more…)

Prenatal classes are officially over now! We learned a lot more than I thought we would so I would still highly recommend these classes for anyone on the fence like I was. In fact, I am considering them as a baby shower gift for a couple of people right now!

Prenatal Class Part I

This past Sunday, DH and I attended our first prenatal class. We chose the intensive course split into 2 full days instead of 6-7 separate evenings as this is much easier on both our schedules! And yes, after hesitating about these classes for months and finally decided to do them, I was actually very happy with what we have learned so far!

The Home Stretch

Depending which source you refer to, your third trimester starts anywhere between 25-28 weeks which is quite a difference. I am half way through week 27 so we will just assume that this is it! And considering they plan to induce between 38-40 weeks, this means I only have 10-12 weeks left!

Life Begins At 36

Yesterday DH and I quietly celebrated my 36th birthday together… the last one with “just the two of us” and that couldn’t make me happier!

As we sat in The Keg eating dinner, I couldn’t help but think about how far we have come and how much things have changed since last year!

99...

Bottles of beer on the… nope;
Red balloons… that’s not it;
Problems but a b*… no, no no!

Days till our official due date! We are in the double digits now everybody!

Fetal Echo Done!

Just a quick update to let everyone know that I went for a routine (thanks to GD) fetal echocardiogram yesterday and baby's heart is perfect! Woohoo!

Also, since this scan was for baby I had to go to the Children's Hospital to have it done and I was impressed! I barely got through one page in my book before my name was called - on time - and I saw the doctor minutes after my scan was done. It was so fast I actually went back to work for a couple of hours!

Any chance the diabetic clinic could be on time tomorrow? *fingers crossed*

Stop Touching Me!

I have never had an overwhelming desire to reach out and feel someone’s baby bump any more than I would their usual belly; it just isn’t natural to me to do that. Ok so, yes, jokingly grabbing my SIL or BFF’s boobs is a thing that has happened many times over the years and is weirdly kind of natural (to us) but that’s different! And if either of them reached out for the bump I probably wouldn’t even mind because, well, just because!

Warning: unless your DNA is inside me, or you are my SIL/BFF, be advised that I do bite!