32 weeks and counting...

Oh my nerves...

During your first pregnancy, everything's so new to you and the time seems to fly by and you're just so excited about passing every week that you take weekly photos to "track your progress" that, btw, you will never look at again until you SHOULDN'T look at them (i.e. during your second pregnancy) because they make you want to crawl into a hole and hide for your third trimester.

During your second pregnancy... you're. over. it.

On the same visit to my girlfriend's the other day (who just had her second baby boy), first thing I said when she bent over to put the little guy in his bouncer was "oh my God, how much do you love being able to bend over again?" I cannot bend over. It hurts every part of me.

I can't breathe. It feels like I'm constantly doing a crunch (and I don't do crunches because I hate them). This baby is SO HIGH right now that I've convinced myself he/she is a vampire baby and will break all of my ribs in the next kick (if you're not teenager enough to have read Twilight, you have no idea what I'm talking about). Sometimes it's so uncomfortable I try to sit up straighter, only to realize, I'm as straight as possible!

I ate almost ONE piece of pizza for lunch today... one, thin crust piece of mushroom pizza (barely any cheese) and I couldn't finish it because there's no room in my stomach for food. Somehow, miraculously, however, at night this is not the case... go figure?!?!

I shaved my legs in the tub tonight. It was hell. I'm pretty sure I cut off oxygen supply to the baby for at least the full five minutes it took to shave the bottoms of two legs as it was literally as if I was lifting 100 lb barbells... you know how you hold your breath when you're lifting something really heavy, or when your doing any sort of really hard labour. That's how I shave my legs. It's hard labour.

I'm still itchy all over. My face seems to be getting better but then my eyebrow spot starting itching again today so I'm sure I'll look like death again tomorrow morning. My belly rash is mostly gone all but for one spot on my right side that refuses to depart and annoys the heck out of me. Recently, the skin on my upper arms, right above both elbows, started itching insanely but only in the middle of the night... this I love and is not annoying at all.

My pregnancy update for 32 weeks... first sentence... "no wonder you're starting to feel huge". Awesome. So, it's not just me.

I've convinced myself this baby is going to be a 10 pounder as the child seems to span from love-handle-to-love-handle. I literally feel a kick in my right love handle (which I never experienced with Jane, never so far over) and then feel the ricochet of it's bum or head or something in my left love handle. Which convinces me I'm going to have the child who never sleeps because, it literally seems like that's the case. I'm hopeful that the fact that I notice so much movement during the day means that the baby is right on the perfect schedule of sleeping during the night... ha ha ha. I'm joking. I'm not that stupid.

This is my favourite paragraph of this weeks pregnancy email:
It's hard enough to get to sleep when you're pregnant without worrying about whether you're disturbing your partner too. Follow our tips for a safe night's snooze. If you're concerned that sex in the final months will harm your baby, stop worrying. For most women, sex during pregnancy is fine right up until their waters break and may even help jump-start labour,if the baby's overdue. So go for it! 

Yes, b'y. (1) As if I care whether I'm waking Dan up or not. He's the lucky one who doesn't have to be fat, uncomfortable and gets to be same-old-same-old, least he can do is keep my grumpy arse company at 3 in the morning. (2) I'm not concerned about sex in the final months, because I've put myself on "pelvic rest". Have you heard of this? This might be the most important thing you read today... "pelvic rest". Apparently, if you have some sort of crappy pregnancy issue, your doc will put you on pelvic rest... which means you have a medical reason for not having sex. I've put myself on pelvic rest and am hopeful I can convince my doc to write me a note recommending pelvic rest for the first 6 months post-partum! :p ha ha ha. Feel free to let your partner know your doc has put you off on pelvic rest after your next docs appt. Your welcome. :) Although, I will force Dan to make woopy in the two weeks leading up to baby's due date. It worked last time! :)

Here's my 32 week pregnancy comparison from preggers numero uno to now... and, yes, I took the time just now to transpose the photos together to see if I was bigger or smaller in the belly this time vs. last. Here's the shocking news. I'm smaller. There are miracles! I should have taken a front on picture of my arse for both cases so I could compare those two things because I'm pretty sure I would not have the same pleasant result and I own that s*** happily.

I'm out of town tomorrow night for work so won't be able to complain... lucky you. :p xoxo

first o.b. visit

I LOVE my o.b.

Had my first appt yesterday with my obstetrician and it was fantastic. Had this pretty little medical student girl come in to do all my pre-checks and I'm pretty sure I drove her nuts and, for some reason, I wouldn't shut up. Like, I could hear myself talking and saying ridiculous things, and I just couldn't stop... poor girl. At least she got a good laugh. I continued this when the doc came in. They probably rolled their eyes at each other after they left and closed the room. Remember "six" from "Blossom". Yeah. She had nothing on me.

Anyways, the good news is I had not one problem on the "problem list" WOOT WOOT. Doc checked out my rash and said it's nothing to worry about. Phew. And, in all honesty, it appears to be disappearing. I think. Who knows. I've been "treating" it with Aveeno Baby Eczema cream that has colloidal oatmeal in it and (1) my skin has never been so soft (2) it's keeping my mind at ease about "preventing" stretch marks because it's so moisturizing and (3) my rash is not spreading and seems to be a little better. Fingers crossed it's done and gone soon.

My baby is, just like Jane, a mover and, there is no question (obviously...) that the child is mine. Already has an attitude... which further confirms, in my mind, there's a girl in there. Med student was trying to hear the heartbeat and, literally, not kidding - the child was punching back at her. I envision this little baby in there, getting poked, and like throwing up elbows saying "wtf! I'm sleeping bitch... get outta here". Totally and Jen baby in there. :p

I did get on the scale and gained 10 lbs since my last docs appt just over 5 weeks ago. For those of you who don't follow me on facebook I had a fantastic nurse who weighed me - I told her about my male GP who made me feel fat and she fessed up that she still had 35 of the 45 lbs she put on during her last pregnancy and her son was seven. She also gave me some great, medical, advice... apparently, it's important to put on extra junk in the trunk during pregnancy to balance out the weight in your belly, so that you don't fall over. DUH. THIS is the type of crap they need to be alerting people to in the news - NOT that Beyonce is supposedly the most beautiful woman in the world. Kill me now please. "I have never felt so beautiful since I gave birth"... Um. I hate you. I'm pretty sure I'd feel beautiful too if I had a clean eating chef and personal trainer who woke me up every morning and forced my fat-ass to exercise and eat healthy. In the real world, where we wake up exhausted (because we don't have nannies who tend to our newborn throughout the night), it's a little more difficult to pack in that salad and salmon for lunch... unless I can pour coffee and chocolate sauce on top. You know who the most beautiful person in the world is to me right now, Jessica Simpson... love that girl. She's gigantic and every one just assumes she's had the baby by now because she's been so big for so long and the girls like "yeah, stop calling me fat, I haven't had the baby yet and give me some more poptarts, tyvm". Here here sister.

So, next up for me is the delightful diabetes test. Gosh how I love chugging back that delicious flat, sugar-full, orange pop-wanna-be crap and sitting around for 2 hours so I have have my arm jabbed with a giaganta-needle.

AND, I get to see my ob/gyn now every two weeks - I've moved up to the two week appointment mark! WOOT WOOT!

Ok, I'm outtie. Still sick... have that stupid, annoying, symptom of not being able to open my eyes fully because they are burning so people are probably thinking I'm some crazy emotional pregnant woman who just cries all the time.

OH. I fell down today. That sucked. I had just been telling my step-ma (for those of you who don't know, I have like 14 sets of parents) how great my high-heel-wedge boots were and how comfortable they are and how safe because of the treads, and I'm carrying Jane into daycare and I roll my ankle and slow-mo-wiggle-wabble to the floor. Like not even ker-splat. Like wiggle-wabble-OH-No-TRIP-Up-maybe-not-nope-going-down-gone FALL! Thankfully, I caught myself (and Jane) with my knee and hand so neither one of us was hurt or in any danger. DOUBLE THANKFULLY, when I looked up and behind me (which was my first instinct after realizing we were both OK), there was NO ONE THERE. What are the chances that going into a huge office building at 8:30am, there would be no one behind me or in front of me. HALLELUJAH. This is when I re-affirm my believe in someone upstairs looking over me. I would have died. Big fatty falls with child in arms. You know people would have come running over to me and I would have wanted to DIE.

Also, here's an update for, again those of you who don't follow my facebook, of some of Jane's best quotes of the week... I love that kids says things without discretion. It makes me laugh so hard...

On Tuesday - Jane's sitting on my bed playing with the iPAD while I get dressed: "Mommy, you're really big." To which I respond, "Yes, Mommy is getting really big". To which she replies "And your pants are really high". Ha. Nutball.

Last night - Jane's having her pre-bed-poopy-on-the-potty that she saves, every night, for just before bed to get an extra ten minutes with me... "You have a lot of buttons on your shirt mommy"... "Yes, hunny, I do, don't I?" "Yeah... you're clothes is getting too small for you! You have to put it in the baby's room!" I laughed so hard.

Have a good weekend - sorry for the crappy blogging this week - had company in town and it's hard to say "hey, I know you flew like two days to get here but I have a blog to keep up... so... I'll talk to you in a few hours... you can watch tv or something while I ignore you." :)

not wishing my time away... mostly

I have a lot of friends who are having babies right now... and, by that, I mean now or in the next six months. It's all really the same (except when you're comparing waistlines, then weeks matter). :p

The excitement of hearing the news of a new arrival or reading updates on someones Facebook page is making me wish away my time... a little bit. It's not that I want the next three months to go by quickly. TRUST ME. This is baby number two. I KNOW how much I should appreciate this time - like, right this second - where I have time to myself, I'm not exhausted, my stomach is tight (ha ha ha, doesn't matter that the reason is a 2 lb baby with a 15 lb uterus :p It's the tightest my abs have ever been!). But, I am so excited for the waiting. The not knowing when it will happen. The chance that it might today. The over-reacting and reading too much into every little contraction. The anticipation.

For those of you who didn't follow me with pregnancy number one... I got grumpy. HA. Maybe, a little, teeny bit of an understatement. I swore I wouldn't get grumpy... I also swore I would never be one of those gross woman on TLC's Baby Story who makes labour sound like an intense orgasm but I failed that mission too (ask my neighbours who had to watch and listen to me pant and whine my way up and down the street while I yelled profanities at my husband). I was a week late, scheduled to be induced and SUPER not happy about it. Sure enough, in the way that it does sometimes, life gave me a slap on the ass and said... "oh, you want your natural labour do ya? Sure. Here it is bitch!". I went into labour the same day that I had a doctors appt where the doc basically said "your baby ain't coming out anytime soon, we're gonna have to induce you..." Well. That just wasn't going to work for me. I ate too much. I ate spicy food. I ate sweet food. I went for a "run" (RUN FOR YOUR LIVES... envision that scene from Jurassic Park where all you see is the pissed off Tyranosaurus in the rear view mirror - crap I was really hoping I could spell that right on my own - Tyranasaurus. Nope. Wait a second. There's no spelling suggestion. WTF? How is Tyrannosaurus AHHHH, there it is, two "n's". NM. I FORCED my husband to have sex with me. This sounds like insanity. Especially if you're a man - to force a man to have sex sounds like forcing a man to eat a Big Mac. But, having sex with a 41 week pregnant woman... it's really only for those with severely screwed up fetishes. And, come midnight, that same day (well, I guess it was "technically" the next day being that it was midnight but I don't subscribe to that line of thinking... if I haven't slept yet, it's still the same day) - anyways, there I was, awake. Alone. In the bath... thinking... hmm... this is different... is this labour???... no... I don't know... it doesn't hurt that bad... I'll wait and see. An hour later, I woke up Dan. An hour later, we woke up Mom. And, for those of you who haven't had your first child yet - everything they tell you about labour - like come to the hospital when your contractions are lasting one minute and four minutes apart or some crap... um. I hate to break it to you. That's BS. My contractions started that way. I actually thought "this ain't that bad... what's everyone bitching about". Um. Yeah. Like 12 hours later, life slapped my ass again and said "here it is bitch" and I all but crawled into L&D, screeching like a Kardashian who lost an earring.

But. The excitement. The anticipation (after they gave me my epidural). Was FANTASTIC! I can't wait for that feeling again. They say when you get married it sucks a little bit because you know you will never experience that excitement of falling in love again or starting a new relationship - actually, they, is me. But, most people get that. It's not a bad thing but it's a little crappy... unless, you're like me, and planning your next wedding with an 80's theme. It will be awesome. Groom to be determined... tee hee hee. Just kidding. No one but my hubby could put up with me. Seriously. Ok, back on track. They lie. The excitement of child birth is in the falling in love again - but so much more, times a bazillion bazillion bazillionth and more.

As much as I'm looking forward to that excitement, I'm also looking forward to the lead-up... I'm pretty much taking a month off work before I'm due. I've saved all my vacay time to use in July and, so, I'm stopping work the end of June and not due until the 26th. Woot woot. Now, this is where life will slap me in the ass and bring the baby on like 3 weeks early - which would be great, yes - but would also take away the valuable couch time I planned on coveting before baby number two's arrival.

Life is what's happening while you're planning it...

I've had a lot of friends get put off work early lately too - on the days when my back hurts, I'm exhausted and I'm sick of squeezing into uncomfortable work clothes, this seems like a blessing. Then, I realize, I'd go insane. So, please let this not be the case for me... everything seems to be going well so far, so fingers crossed. Normally, with your second pregnancy, you might have some indication of whether this might happen to you - based on your first pregnancy experience. But, I was put off work at 25 weeks with my first pregnancy because I was laid off... so it wasn't really an issue. I had no other kids. I had no car. I was basically on bed-rest! :p

I'm excited to see my ob/gyn on Thursday - partly hoping she'll put my mind at ease about this stupid rash - mostly because that step, the next step of being bumped to the ob/gyn stage - means I'm getting there! Oh, and FYI, if you want to feel good about yourself and SKINNY MINNY, pop by the PNC (prenatal care) department when you're only 26 weeks preggers. ha ha ha. It was like being a supermodel in a room full of normal people... don't bother telling me. I know I will regret that statement in 10 weeks, when I'm one of the giant woman who was waddling through the hallways. But, right now, I'm gonna enjoy it! :p The ONLY place a pregnant woman can feel small is in a room full of woman MORE pregnant than she is. It was fantastic.

Ok, I'm off to get my unnecessary pre-bedtime snack. Nighty night girlies!

Pregnancy Cravings?

People keep asking me if I have any pregnancy cravings... how common is this? Do you think pregnancy really gives you cravings or just permission? Maybe all your life you've been wanting to know what pickles dipped in ice cream tasted like but you hid your inner desires in fear of judgement, mockery and being shunned by society.

For me. I don't get cravings. I think partly because I eat everything and anything I should and shouldn't all the time. But, I do get pregnancy obsessive food thoughts... like, I'll smell something or someone will mention a food or I'll see something that triggers the thought of the food and then I CANNOT GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD until I eat it. Nothing will be substituted. Nothing will distract it.

Par exemple. We were over at my sisters house tonight for dinner, where I demolished a large garlic fingers alongside my sister (I think maybe some of the others got some, but it didn't seem like it... :p). So, Jane eats her token two garlic fingers, tells me shes "all done mommy" and heads off because, well, we're at someone else's house so all their toys (even though they are identical to the ones we have at home) are SUPER SPECIAL and DISTRACTING. A half hour later, she is leading me to my sisters cupboard where she points at the box of Honey Nut Cheerios because she wants a bowl. Enter: Obsessive Pregnancy Food Thought Disorder. After pigging out on enormous, and nutritionally void dough and cheese, I wrote the night off and told myself to look forward to a huge bowl of chips (or two) and some chocolate, when I got home. Because this is how I roll. If I eat one bad thing during the day, I write the entire day off and eat every bad thing I would ever want during that day so I can "start again" the next day... of course, the next day is always like a Thursday and WHO ON EARTH starts healthy eating on a THURSDAY?!?! That's insanity I tell you.

Anyways. Long story short. I'm at the grocery store a half hour ago. In the chip aisle. Staring at a wall of possibilities - of which I've granted myself all access. And. I can think of nothing but HONEY NUT CHEERIOS. Miss Vickies Jalapeno Chips - with all their greasy, spicy, crunchy goodness? Nope. Sweet and salty, high in fibre, good for my cholesterol, HONEY NUT CHEERIOS.

So, here I am, on my Friday night binge - stuffing my pregnancy-chubby-cheeks with Cheerios. If you want to call that a craving, go for it. I call it mind control. And, if you want to call it pregnancy related, go for it... but if affects me daily, hormones or not. :p I call it being a woman. Dan just said to me "you might want to breathe..." in reference to my stuffing - to which I responded "I'm eating CHEERIOS" as if that's an excuse to eat more faster...

Have a great weekend!

pityriasis rosea

If you're not medically inclined at all, you're probably thinking that I let Jane have at it with the keyboard...

Nope. Not the case. I've got a diagnosis on my ridiculous bikini line rash that has now spread up the sides of my belly... pityriasis rosea. Originally it had only given me itchy-crotch syndrome (not really my crotch but when you're itching your bikini line and inner thighs, it pretty much looks like your enjoying yourself inappropriately). The last few days though, it's spread up my sides and become quite itchy (see crappy picture I took with my cell phone right now to the left - obviously of my belly as I'm pretty sure I share enough of myself on the WWW, probably don't need pictures of my voo out there too). Out of concern, I dropped into the walk-in clinic today and saw a female physician who pretty much knew right away what it was. And, when I google images of it, looks like she's "spot" on... no pun intended.

Here's the good news. The doc told me there was basically no treatment and that it was "nothing to worry about".

Here's the bad news. I googled it and I'm not sure I have nothing to worry about. Apparently, it more commonly shows up during pregnancy, although the cause is unknown. A really small study was done (Oh, I love studies) and, if you get the rash in the first trimester, you're apparently at high risk for MC. Thankfully, I didn't get it then. I don't remember exactly when I did, however, but I think it was around week 18-20. Which, apparently, means (because it showed up between 15-20 weeks) that I could be at risk for decreased movement and premature delivery. Of course, like I said, this is all based on a study of like less than 40 woman. But, is it enough to have me a little freaked... a little. With all that said, I said to Dan the other night on our date night that I was a little worried because I hadn't been feeling as much movement as I had previously. Now, I fully admitted that I wasn't sure if it was because there was decreased movement OR if it was because I was paying less attention to it. Well, relief for now, because since I fessed up my fear out loud, I've been paying plenty attention and this baby moves like jagger.

Regardless, I'm looking forward to the hopeful peace of mind my ob/gyn can bring in two weeks... hopeful. :)

The stresses of pregnancy. I mean, normal day-to-day, you get a rash... if you've got kids, you likely ignore it because you don't have the time to take care of yourself, and you assume it will go away. Rash during pregnancy... you google the F outta it, find a bunch of scary crap and go see the doc as many times as reasonably possible before they send you to the mental hotel.

SO, why am I telling you this and why do you care?

(1) I'm telling you because maybe someone else out there has what I have and knows a better treatment for it then what the doctor suggested... which was nothing. Also, who else am I gonna share my yucky, weird and wacky, pregnancy-related skin issues with? Talking to my husband about pregnancy symptoms is as emotionally effective as talking to a tree stump - MEN JUST DON'T GET IT. PERIOD. They can fake it. But they don't get it. Dan doesn't get why I'm so tired all the time... um. I'M BUILDING AN ENTIRE PERSON INSIDE MY EFFIN BODY!!! YOU TRY IT!! We saw Jerry Seinfeld perform on date night this past weekend - his insights on parenthood and fatherhood were priceless. He basically said that women, despite having all parenthood duties fall on their laps, at least are blessed with instincts. Apparently, men don't have instincts. Poor guys. Yeah. Well. BOO HOO. If you don't have instincts then you should listen to me when I speak and do as I say! :p Yes, this is what I would call a random, hormone-induced, pregnancy rant. It's over now. You're welcome for that glimpse into your future if you've never been pregnant or PMS-ing before.
(2) You probably don't care. HA. But it's my blog and I'll whine if I want to.

Anyways, I'm going to go now after likely wasting the last 4 minutes of your time... mostly because it's a pain in the you-know-what to use the computer right now because I can't put the laptop on my lap because the added heat makes my pity rash itch like crazy. Not really the best condition for one who blogs and spends her other spare time designing invitations on the computer... WIN.

the ugly side of pregnancy

Warning. I'm tired. I'm cranky. I'm hot. And, as always, eating chocolate. So, nothing unusual.

Those not pregnant or of the species with a penis should run for their lives now.

I no longer wear a bra when I'm inside the house... what's the point. I used to think wearing a bra would prevent my boobs from sagging. I actually think I wore a bra to bed when I was pregnant the first time in hopes of preventing the inevitable. This is, unfortunately, a wive's tale your parents tell you when you're 14 and they think a bra is like a chastity belt. Boobs sag. Period. Whether you breast feed or not, they will end up tickling your belly button at some point in your life. Currently, I am wearing a sweatshirt and because I'm pregnant and have ridiculous hormones that make me hot as hades, I have the sweatshirt tucked into the underside of my saggy-ass boobs because it's getting hot under there and it's making me itchy.

I haven't shaved my legs in... I have no idea how long. Literally. When you're disgusted by your own leg hair, it's bad... most women think "it's not that bad" so when you look down and go "holy crap, that's nasty" it's BAD. I actually got a bath last night JUST to shave my legs and forgot to grab my razor, which was not within arms reach, so I gave up because standing up from the lying down position when pregnant is like running a 5K and is not worth it to shave your legs. PS - currently wearing short-shorts regardless of said leg hair. I only manage to shave my armpits because it's springtime and short-sleeved shirts don't hide armpit hair like you might think... just a warning. Don't reach for what's on the top shelf... or stretch. It ain't pretty for anyone nearby. Oh, and we might as well discuss the voo again. I had to show my voo to my mom the other day (she was a nurse so it's not weird) but on a brighter note, my hip/bikini line rash is still going strong, so I wanted my mom's assessment. I was actually embarrassed to show my mother my voo due to it's current condition. She told me I should start going to the spa for waxing since I can't take care of it myself. It's like on my last birthday when I asked her what wrinkle creams were THE BEST and, instead of telling me I didn't need them, she told me what I should buy. When your Mom isn't holding back the truth, it's (all together now) BAD.

One word. Saddlebags. Personally, I call them my "second a**". Not every pregnant women will get these - only the ones who eat when they're hungry or tired... so like 99.99999% of the time. The other 0.00001% of the time I'm peeing or sleeping.

Your welcome.

21 weeks pregnant

We had our ultrasound today! WOOT WOOT! When I booked it weeks ago it, March 15th seemed like FOREVER. And here we are. I have a feeling that's how the entire pregnancy will go... except the last few weeks of course when I'm impatient and being insane because I should be enjoying my last few weeks of "normalcy".

Anyways. We had probably the longest ultrasound in the history - went in at around 2:45pm and didn't finish until 4:45pm. But, those rooms, it's like the freakin' spa. It was all Dan and I could do not to fall asleep - the lighting is low, it's quiet, it's warm. Ahhhh. I could have stayed there all afternoon. We were, I will say, lucky enough to have a radiology resident do the majority of our ultrasound. She was super sweet and kept saying things like "look at that beautiful hand" and "that's gorgeous" and so on. So, we had some relief right off the bat. To see these sweet hands spread out and grabbing at her toes, sucking her thumb, posing with her hands behind her head... to cute. So, if you caught on there, I'm saying "her". Don't pull out your pink onesies yet folks....

Here's the thing. They won't tell you during the ultrasound what the sex is. I probably could have tried to ask but we all know when I get into these situations I go from outspoken, loud-mouthed, bi*** to quiet, people-pleasing, don't want to bother anyone, Jen. With all that said, because the resident was doing an incredibly thorough exam because she was wanting to learn and taking pictures of things that aren't "standard" just because she wants to improve and figure out how to identify things, we saw our babe's bum about a bazillion times... and, there was nothing resembling a penis there. At one point, I said to Dan "hunny, I don't want to burst your bubble, but there ain't no bones sticking out between though two femers (thigh bones)". So, by no means would I head to cosco to stock up on pink carters outfits, but I'm pretty darn sure we're not going to be getting rid of the two hundred tuperware bins full of Jane's old clothes in the basement. And, you know what, the more it sinks in, the more I realize how truly excited I would be to have another girl. I mean, we were fairly indifferent. Obviously, Dan's a man, so it's like a thing... they always think it's a boy and they always secretly want a boy. So, it's only now, that we come to the probable understanding that we're having another girl that I'm really putting any thought into it. And, I kind of love it. :)

We got a really good explanation of EVERYTHING, from head, to spine, to diaphragm, to heart, to stomach, to kidneys, legs, arms, fingers, toes... I've never seen so much and learned so much. And both the resident and sonographer, who joined us for the last half hour, only had things like "beautiful" and "gorgeous" to say. And, in truth, looking at the "photos" and from a fairly decent knowledge of biology and anatomy, things looked good. PLUS, we'd been told that if there were any serious concerns that the radiologist would join you to get a better look, whereas, we got the all clear to head after the photos were taken. PHEW! So far, so good.

Even with all the movement and having had a baby before, it's still completely unreal that there's a little growing bug in my belly. I will say, the second time around, the ultrasound was more special - if that makes any sense. Knowing that the little alien-looking creature in there was going to be another love-of-my-life like Jane, just gave me such peace. I could have stared at those images all day and all night. I can understand why crazy Tom Cruise (who I still secretly love due to Top Gun) bought Katie the ultrasound machine for home. I'd be hooked up to that baby all day long - pun intended. :p

We were told that the report would be at our docs by tomorrow afternoon, so I'll call the docs office tomorrow and ask if they can let me know when the reports come in - in case there's time for Dr. P to give me a shout at the end of the day with "the news". Otherwise, I suspect it'll be early next week before we can confidently say "it's a _____"!

Honestly, I told Dan... assuming it's a girl, we just saved a TON of money. Cause had I seen a little boner between those two thigh bones, I would already be on old navy buying as much blue stuff as I could find. :) Now, I get to do something I truly love almost as much as shopping, (Monica alert), organizing! I am excited to go through all Jane's old stuff - ah, the memories - and start finishing up the nursery that currently looks like the aftermath of a serious hurricane.

Okily dokes. I'm off to bed for the night. xoxo.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOMMY - the best there ever was! xoxoxoxo

20 weeks pregnant

Tonight, I took the time to dig out my pregnancy journal from when I was pregnant with Jane to see what I was feeling with pregnancy numero uno at this point...

Seems I was very excited that "baby was kicking all the time now!" as I took the time to write it out on a page that had no space for me to write anything... as if the exact date mattered. Ah, first time moms... :p tee hee hee. Apparently I was walking every morning to keep us healthy... I should be motivated by my previous self but I'm more annoyed by her trying to do everything "perfectly".

What I really wanted to know, in all honesty, was how much weight I had on at this point in the last pregnancy. I know. I know. You are probably annoyed, frustrated, bothered, etc. at how much I focus on the weight gain. And, truthfully, I considered saying "hey, last time I had 14 lbs on so I'm doing about the same" and just glossing over it but, you know what, that ain't me baby. I am who I am and I share it with you. And the weight gain is bothering the F out of me this time.

Last time, I had no idea what to expect, no idea what was in the future. THIS TIME, I know. I know what it feels like to see pictures of your self post-baby and hate how you look. I know what it feels like to buy size ___ pants and want to die because you can't believe you're that big still - I left the size out because, here's the thing, it's not about being the "perfect" size or being skinny or whatever. It's about being the right size for you.

I also know what it's like to get down to that right weight again. To wear clothes that you dreamed of wearing when you were pregnant and after. To get back into those jeans that are the ultimate achieved goal - I'm not talking about your pre-pregnancy jeans - I'm talking about the jeans, the jeans you've held on to through all the ups and downs because they are so fantastic but ONLY fit you when you're at your smallest. THOSE jeans... Basically, I know what it feels like to be proud of yourself and to feel sexy and attractive again. I also know how long it took me to get there and how bad it sucked along the way. So, yeah. I focus on the weight gain of pregnancy. And, yeah, it bothers the heck out of me. And, YEAH, I wish it didn't. And, YEAH, I know that I'm supposed to gain weight. And, YEAH, I know that I'm not over weight and all that other crap - I'm not writing about this so everyone will try to reassure me, anyone who knows me, knows I hate that crap. And, NO, I'm definitely not trying not to gain weight... in fact, I think I'm eating more this time because I am so stressed about the weight gain. I have the trifecta... I eat when I'm stressed. I eat when I'm tired. I eat when I'm bored.

I'm pretty sure I have an insanely fabulous metabolism, otherwise, I should literally be 500 lbs at this point. No joke. You can hate me for that, yes. Some times I wonder if I have a worm or something that eats all my calories. Some times, after a row of Oreos, I wish I had a worm that ate all my calories... :p

I think, most women who are pregnant with their second or have been will understand when I say that it's not that I am grouchy about the weight I'm putting on right now. I know that's healthy. I know that's necessary. It partly excites me because I know the baby is growing! What I'm dreading is 20 weeks from now... when I have to face what's happened in the mirror, and deal with the consequences. And, for those of you who don't have kids or haven't had kids yet, in case it ain't obvious... you aren't facing the consequences on fair ground. You're not looking at your chubby, saggy, self, full of energy and ready to hit the pavement. You're looking at the bags under your eyes, your frizzy hair, your pimply face. You're happily still wearing your maternity clothes that, at this point, make you feel like Kate Moss. You're happily devoting every minute of yourself to your sweet angel. You put it off. Some of you won't have to. Some of you will find the time, some of you will have the will power, some of you will have the weight gone in weeks. I have no idea how many of you out there are like me, though, and I'd venture to guess that it's more than we'd like to admit.

Do I think this is unhealthy? Do I think it's wrong for me to worry so much about it and think so much about the post-baby weight? Honestly, not really. I wish I didn't put so much value on it but I think that's life. I could go on and on about how it's WRONG that how we look affects so much of how we feel about ourselves but you know what, as true as that is, it ain't reality. Fact is, when I'm at a healthy weight, I feel happier. When I got back to my pre-pregnancy weight after Jane and then, yes I'm bragging, got back down to my wedding weight (it took 18 months and a lot of projects to keep me not bored), I felt like me again and it was awesome.

I hope there's understanding out there... if not, I guess you're all out there thinking "man, this chick is crazy" but you know what, the benefit of that is that you're probably feeling pretty fan-freakin-tastic about your own sanity right now so WOOT WOOT, it's a win-win. :p

With regards to the rest of the pregnancy, I mean there's not much else going on right now except the weight gain and maybe that's why it's such a focus. I guess, this week, I'm technically half way there. Which seems insane because the middle of the summer (I'm due end of July if you're just tuning in) seems like FOREVER away at this point.

I was snuggling with Jane this morning and thinking... man. I can't believe I'm going to have another "baby" like this. It's so hard to imagine loving another person so much. Maybe the extra few pounds we carry post babies is because our hearts have grown so much. AHHHH. I am so corny and annoying sometimes. :p Rarely. Ask Dan. It's rare.

Oh, I just remembered. Dan and I are having a date night tomorrow night - woot woot (thanks Shari - the best babysitter in the world)! We've decided, since we can't get away for a vacation pre-baby due to Dan's work schedule and having no money, that we'll have a date night every month until the baby comes. Tomorrow night is japanese... nummy, nummy.

Have a great weekend!

19 weeks pregnant

Almost... half ... way... there.... (read that as if I was crawling through the dessert, barely able to take another move, reaching for a mirage... cause that's how it feels sometimes).

BIG NEWS - I can no longer see my vagina or my feet! WOOT WOOT! :p

I have some more delightful news - I didn't get "in trouble" at my docs appointment yesterday! I know, roll your eyes now, why do I subject myself to such things and take it so to heart. Partially because I'm crazy, partially because I'm pregnant, mostly because I'm a female. I've got another 4 lbs on which was miraculous being that last time I checked the scale it was saying 6 lbs. Personally, I'm over it. I'm handing myself over to the Gods of food and enjoying it.

In typical weigh-in day style, I totally pigged out with Dan last night - chips, oreos, etc. My rationalization is always that I have another four weeks to deal with the consequences before I have to be herded onto the scale again.

Everything is going well so far. Blood pressure is good - this is the only test I always pass. You'll be happy to know my pee is good. :p AND, in passing, as the docs talking to himself going over my chart to see if there's anything he missed, he says "... your maternal serum was negative..." Um. Isn't this something you'd want to point out to a patient, instead of mentioning it by accident? I mean, it doesn't mean that everything is perfect but it, at least, is a good indicator that things are going well so far. You might want to let a momma know this, no?

I LOVED that when my doc was trying to find the baby's heart beat we could literally hear him/her bouncing around in there and basically he was chasing the baby around my belly. I love having big movers. Jane was a big mover and I just loved feeling her move all the time - it made me feel closer to her, (it's going to get corny now) but I felt like she was trying to communicate with me... like, "I like this sugar mom"! :p

I've been sleeping horribly lately... and, so, the exhaustion has not passed at all. Tossing and turning from midnight on basically. Getting up, getting the body pillow. Kicking the body pillow off because it's making me warm. It's like -5 outside at night (Celsius for my US friends) and, if I had it my way, I'd be sleeping with the window open - I am roasting at night. I wake Dan up every night to get him to move away from me because he's like a freakin' heater and, somehow, in a king size bed, he can still find a way to put his feet in my space and then get pissed at me for nudging them out of the way.

Seems like my face has decided to stick with me instead of peeling off and a lot of the red, itchy, peeling skin spots have healed which is pleasant. I've become content with the fact that Cindy Crawford (my perfectly placed pimple that's been around since mid-January) has just become a permanent resident on my face. It's no longer a pimple, just a bright red spot next to my lips.

Does this sound strange? People keep asking me if I have a "feeling" about what the sex of the baby will be... here's my "feeling". I feel like it's a boy, but I think we'll have a girl. Does that make any sense?? Everyone I know is having doubles - two boys, two girls, etc. So I think we'll probably have a girl. But, for some reason, even before I was pregnant, I felt like we were going to have a boy. Honestly, I'm just excited to meet this little person and see what he/she looks like and, eventually, what little personality will come out of there.

Anyways, I'm off to eat some more oreos being that I have 3 weeks and 6 days until my next "weigh-in".

PS - After my doc didn't pester me about the weight gain, I decided not to ask for the immediate ob/gyn referral - partly because it's so much easier and more convenient (location and time wise) for me to see him and partly because I didn't want to hurt his feelings. Amazing how I can be such a b.i.t.c.h. most of the time and sometimes I turn into a w.i.m.p. :p

18 weeks pregnant

This post got post-poned (I am so cool) to today due to Wednesday night's adventure.

I scheduled my 20 week ultrasound this week - March 14th! I'm nervous and excited and, of course, feeling like March 14th is as far away as cars that fly... For those of you from different areas, if you are considered a "normal" pregnancy, you only get one ultrasound here, at 20 weeks. Here's my issue/concern/problem with this... how do you know if I am having a normal pregnancy if you don't do an ultrasound until 20 weeks? I may not have bleeding, or cramps, or high blood pressure, or family history. But how does family history start? Don't get me going on this.

I have another scheduled doctors appointment next week. I'm dreading it for many reasons. One of which is the fact that at my last appointment, I'd put on 3.5 lbs and the doc tells me "it's a little more than we like to see" (I make a scrunched up, wiener face every time I say that cause it pisses me off). Um. Confession. At my last appointment, I was at 137.5lbs. I got on the scale a few days ago. 143lbs. Uh oh. Eeek. This is what's nuts about pregnancy. Within like a week I went from 139lbs to 143lbs. Like BAM! It may have something to do with the fact that I bought a 24 pack box of sour licorice straws a few weeks ago. Along with the cookies, chips, poptarts, etc. And, now I've written it all off. Thankfully, I've already recruited a friend for my post-baby weigh-in-wednesday program which is generally a failure but fun for you to read about. :p It's mostly me whining about how I'm trying to lose the post-baby weight... meanwhile, I'm sitting in front of the computer eating a king sized chocolate bar while I tell you how frustrating it is to eat healthy and exercise and not lose a pound. tee hee hee.

So, the other reason I'm dreading my docs appointment is that I'm going to request to be referred to an ob/gyn now vs. waiting until 32 weeks. As part of my job, I get to see ob/gyns all the time and they keep telling me to get referred now. Here's why I dread it. I have this weird intimidation, don't want to hurt your feelings, don't want to be a pain in the a** thing with my doctor. I'm worried he's going to ask me why. I'll tell him why. He won't think that's a good enough reason. And, then, as opposed to my normal fight-till-the-end strategy of life, I'll agree with him and not cause a fuss... even though I really want to go to an ob/gyn now! Why do I want to get referred to an ob/gyn so bad? A little bit because I want a female but also because of the above weight situation. I put on 38lbs with Jane. Yeah, there was probably 10 lbs there of Cadbury Fruit and Nut bars that didn't necessarily need (need is a relative term) to be there but, you know what, I was fine with that. I know he didn't do it on purpose, but my doc made me feel like I was a big fat failure sometimes. I can't stand that this time. It's already bothering me and, personally, I just don't think that's right. If I was gonna pack on 100 lbs, yeah, he has a right to say something and be concerned for me. But, give me a break dude. 38 lbs. I think I put on 20 lbs in first year of university and I was not "eating for two".

Recently I saw a friend post on facebook about the gestational diabetes test - and that gross orangey poppy drink they make you chug. One of my other friends said she opted out of this test. So, I'm like, you can opt out? Nope. She rebelled! :p She said, I'm not doing it. I don't have any signs. I don't have a history. Screw you! She is my hero. Part of me would like to go to my docs and say, you know what doc-ta, I ain't gettin on your ridiculously inaccurate scale with all my clothes on after I've had heavy oatmeal for breakfast, a tims double-double and haven't pooped in like 45 days (sorry, TMI). I know I won't put on an unhealthy amount of weight with this pregnancy and THEREFORE, I'm taking your weight tracking chart and telling you to SCREW IT. HA! How do you like dem apples? But, like I said, I have no balls with my doctor so instead I'll whimper next week when he starts giving me diet and exercise tips because I've put on like 10 lbs in four weeks or whatever the scale gets up to by next Wednesday.

Aside from my apparent issues with doctors and my weight, I feel good! :) I am feeling a little more movement this week which is fun.

Hard to believe I'm two weeks from half way there. The summer seems so far away... we'll get there.

Happy Friday!

17 weeks pregnant

This week, I skipped over the part about how the baby's supposed to be developing - not because it's not important but because, honestly, it's kinda boring. He or she is x inches and has bones or something now. Point is, baby is growing and hopefully, healthily. I am dying for my twenty week ultrasound for peace of mind.  


First time moms often start to feel their baby's movements around now. Many women report that the first sensations are fluttery or like butterflies in the stomach. Unfortunately, your partner won't be able to share in your excitement just yet -- real kicking doesn't usually start for a month or so. Finally felt the baby move this week! Yipee! Not a whole lot but a few days ago in the bathtub was the first time and then this afternoon he/she was boucin' up a storm in there. I hope this one's a mover! Jane was a real mover - I could sit and watch my belly make waves as she flipped around and I loved it. After she was born, I used to think I still felt her - it was probably just gas. 

As your body gently expands (is this really the best term they could come up with - expands? why didn't they say "as you body gently blows the eff up" or "as you body gently fattens until you feel like your pants are cutting off circulation to your upper body - which may be another reason for mommy brain - lack of oxygen to the brain..."), you may feel less than glamorous. Ya think? The more of these emails I get, the more I wonder if there's a male writing these weekly updates. Less than glamorous. Tell me like it really is. I feel like s***. I look at my reflection and get depressed. I am still looking up at my skinny jeans that I hid in the back of the closet (see here) and wanting to try them on. It's only that I literally was a genius and tucked them way the frig up there so I'd have to get a stool and I'm too fat and lazy to do that right now just so I can realize that in a mere 6 weeks, I went from slim to JIM (belushi).  Take some time to feel good about your changing body in the coming weeks. Yes. I plan to do that. In fact, I might ask for the day off from work tomorrow so I can take some time to realize that the fact that my body is EXPANDING is FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC and that, despite that it's wonderful that a baby is growing inside me, it's not so wonderful that my ass is EXPANDING and my face is decaying. Even if you don't feel attractive your partner probably still finds you a turn on -- some men find the roundness that pregnancy gives to women's figures very appealing. HA! Men find the roundness appealing. I've been with my husband for 8 years. Men don't find the roundness appealing... they aren't picky about whether its round, square or triangular as long as it's got boobs and a vagina. My husband currently thinks that the reason my boobs are huge is so he can pick them up and drop them just to watch them bounce.  It's no longer safe to have sex right up until 45 weeks after your water breaks, provided there is no medical reason that would keep you from ever having sex again, such as bleeding on any part of your body including hands, feet or nose. (I may have altered that sentence slightly so that Dan doesn't get any ridiculous ideas :p). Some women find that their libido increases during pregnancy (are these those same crazy women who need to read about extreme exercise while pregnant?) while others go off making love (go off making love to who? :p) -- it's quite normal either way. If finding a comfortable position is the problem then follow our tips. Yeah. that's the problem. 

You may also notice that the areola, the darkish area around your nipples, is getting larger as your breasts expand. It's a harmless side effect (again, a man is writing this crap... harmless? So my body's not only expanding but the one thing I had going for me in my gigantic boobs is now a write off as my boobs are now hideously unattractive as well.) of pregnancy but it may last as long as 12 months after the birth (doesn't matter anyways - see above re: the new sex guidelines :p). You may have noticed other skin changes such as the linea nigra and the mask of pregnancy; both of which will also fade after the baby is born. I don't even need to mention about other skin changes. My face is rotting and falling off my body. If there's a pregnancy mask, I'll buy it today tyvm. 

16 weeks pregnant

Finally, past the 15 week mark... it was the week that went on forever! WHY? WHY ON EARTH do I want to rush this pregnancy? I'm crazy! The other night, I'm getting ready for bed. Jane's asleep. I'm getting in the bath. Ahhhh... the end of the day. And it hits me. In 5 months, there will be NO END TO THE DAY! There will only be the beginning of the night! What was I thinking?!?! 


Here's what's apparently going on inside me this week... 


What's the baby up to?


Your baby is now about the size of an avocado (about 5 inches and weighing approximately 4 ounces / 100 grams). In the next three weeks he'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, doubling his weight and adding inches to his length. This is both awesome and scary.  I've been eating like a horse and shocked when I get on the scale that I'm not packing on the pounds... how much you wanna bet it catches up with me like NOW! :p tee hee hee. Although, I am looking forward to "looking" pregnant. Right now, I think people are probably not even looking twice at me and, if anything, are assuming I have that super sexy, leftover, mommy-belly that I didn't have pre-pregnancy but, trust me, I've pretty well come to terms with it that mommy-belly is in my post-two-babies future. I'll wear it with pride, I promise. :p Urgh... shut up. I said I'd wear it with pride, I didn't say I wouldn't go down fighting (and whining). 

In or out of the womb, babies are playful creatures. Yours may already have discovered his first toy -- the umbilical cord -- which he'll enjoy pulling and grabbing. Sometimes he may even clutch it so tight that less oxygen gets through, but don't worry -- he doesn't hold onto it long enough to harm himself. Oh fantastic... my baby's already getting mixed up in choking games. Next you're going to tell me he's popping prescription pills in there too...The circulatory system and urinary tract are in full working order, and he's inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid through his lungs. Ok, my mom calls it a "miracle"... but personally, the fact that a baby is created and grows inside you while breathing in fluid and playing games with his body parts is extremely strange, alien and a little creepy! Maybe "miracle" sounds better... 


Sometimes, when you move suddenly, you may a feel a slight pain in your sides. Ligaments on each side of your uterus and pelvic walls are stretching (among other things, like my ass) as your baby grows. It's normal to feel some pain, but if it continues for a few days or escalates, talk to your midwife. What is a midwife and why do they call them "mid-wives"? To me a mid-wife is what a 50 year old hideously unattractive american politician picks up on the internet and then denies until it comes out he's had two kids with her and has spent tax-payer money on her condo in downtown manhattan...


How my life is apparently changing...


You've probably gained at least 2.2kg/5 lb by now, maybe as much as 4.5 kg/10 lb. I'm pretty sure I've abused my scale into submission to the point that it now lies to me and avoids showing me the truth. Seriously. Cause I've been eating less than ideally since Sunday's superbowl stress and either one of two things is happening (1) my scale is lying or (2) my body is in shock and any moment is going to blow up by 500 lbs like that annoying blueberry chick in charlie and the chocolate factory. 

Many couples worry about what labour will be like and how they'll cope as new parents -- it's all perfectly normal. Try chatting with couples with children about how they felt at this stage and read up on what happens in labour. It may help to read some birth stories so you know what to expect and to visit ourBabyCenter Canada First time parents group to find out what their babies are up to now. Ah. No. It may help to pretend your oblivious and not learn ANYTHING about what's about to happen to your body. Because you can read all the crap you want to and NOTHING will prepare you for labour and there's no such thing as a "normal" labour AND, fact is, you're screwed anyways because the baby is very likely coming out of your vagina. What crazy person wants to watch the car crash before it crashes??? If I were to write this paragraph for babycentre.ca, I'd write... Now may be a good time to cease all conversations and contact with any of your friends who have had children. Try your hardest to avoid any prenatal classes or youtube videos that are intended to educate you on what labour is like and what your body will go through. The most important thing to remember in the labour room is NO!!! you do NOT want to see what's going on with a mirror. 

It's a good time to arrange a last minute vacation if you can spare the time and money. Travelling in the middle trimester is often recommended because you are usually over the early pregnancy feelings of nausea and fatigue and still not too far advanced for size or premature labour to be a problem. Don't talk to me. Any of you who have the spare money to go on a vacation right now, suck. I have not a bone in my body that is happy for you - they are all envious. :p In fact, I'd spare the debt to go on vacation right now but my husband sucks and can't take time off work until end of April. Yeah. Sounds dreamy.  Seven months pregnant. Spring/Summer. Florida. I'd be a swollen, fat, uncomfortable, rash-ridden, mess. "Jane, you and Daddy go walk for five hours around disney world, mommy's going to stay in the hotel room where it's air conditioned and her feet won't swell to size fourteen..." Best. Vacation. Ever... 

15 weeks pregnant

Here's my pregnancy update from babycentre.ca and my thoughts...


How my baby's hopefully growing...

Although you've probably gained between 5 and 10 pounds (Up 5lbs even so far but working hard on it, trust me), the fetus weighs in at around only 2.5 ounces / 70 grams - yes, but how much extra do my boobs weigh, where's the info on how much weight your boobs put on during pregnancy?  It measures nearly 4 inches / 11 centimetres long, crown to rump. Legs are growing longer than the arms now, fingernails are fully formed and all the joints and limbs can move. You may be able to find out the sex of your baby by ultrasound now, since the external genitals may be developed enough that the ultrasound technician can tell you if you're going to have a boy or a girl. Hopefully they'll be able to determine sex at my ultrasound in 5 weeks but no guarantees... I know Jane had a habit of crossing her legs (she's a true lady) every time the ultrasound was nearby.

If the idea of having a baby seems so remote, nothing makes it feel more real than feeling your baby move for the first time. Most moms-to-be discern movement (called quickening) between 16 and 20 weeks. If you've been pregnant before, you'll feel things earlier rather than later. WOOT WOOT, let's hope it's soon! You guys'll be some of the first to know! What you may first think is a rumbling stomach (a nice way to say GAS) may be your baby doing some back flips. Make note of when you first start feeling the baby and tell your doctor at your next visit. This middle stage of pregnancy is a good time to start exercising - have you ever seen this commercial about excuses for not working out? It's like someone lived inside mine and Dan's house for the last three years and recorded everything we ever said. SPOT ON. "I miss the cat..." 





How my life's apparently changing...

Around now you'll be offered an prenatal test to screen for birth defects. The multiple marker screening test, which measures levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) among other things, is usually performed between 15 and 20 weeks. I didn't do this test with Jane because the doc said I was young and wasn't "high risk" but I did opt to take the maternal serum screening this time and, you know what, I think I'm more stressed about it than I was in not taking it. My sis had an abnormality with her most recent babe's ultrasound and her MSS results were really the only indicator that she had nothing to worry about - so I'm hoping two things (1) all is well and (2) i have no reason to use my results to ease my worries about something else! ARGH, pregnancy is so nerve-wracking! 

Your immune system is slightly impaired when you’re pregnant so you may have noticed that you’ve had more coughs and colds than you normally would. DUDE, my kid is in daycare - I have the immunity of a shark (apparently sharks don't get sick often FYI). Although, they are annoying and tiring (no, what's annoying and tiring is when my HUSBAND is sick :p), these sniffles won’t harm your baby. Other infections that you may come across while you are pregnant such as Fifth disease, chicken pox or rubella can cause problems for your unborn baby depending on the stage of pregnancy when you catch it – but chances are you’ve already had these infections in your own childhood or had a vaccine so you will be immune anyway. Shingles won't harm to your baby but you should avoid other pregnant women. Avoid other pregnant women in general? :p 


Overall, I'm feeling good - less tired, morning sickness seems to be gone, etc. I no longer have to eat two breakfasts which is a nice and probably good for the hipline... I was going to say waistline but, lets face it, that's a write-off. We'll stick to trying to keep the arse on me from doubling in size. Still fitting into two pairs of pre-pregnancy pants which I think I've pointed out previously, are jeggings, and so this probably doesn't count due to extreme stretch capabilities. My first pregnancy pimple, who I've nicknamed Cindy Crawford due to it's location, is still kicking around... going on at least two weeks now. One of the delights of pregnancy is that the pimples you get stick around forever because your body is too busy doing other things to worry about nonsense. I am trying a new approach vs. my attack approach from last time - I'm leaving pimples untouched except to treat with antibiotic cream (polysporin) daily in hopes to avoid scarring which I didn't do too well last time. I'm well into my stretch-mark prevention routine - bio oil in the AM, cocoa butter post-bath in the evening - on both the belly, back, hips and boobs. Do I think it works? Probably not. But I was ridiculously and embarrassingly loyal to this routine with Jane and came out unmarked... so why not have a little faith in the system? I'm also doing daily facial scrubs with St. Ives Apricot Scrub in a hopeful and, likely, failing effort to avoid more Cindy Crawford occurrences. 


Trying to think if I have any cravings or things like that... I mean, there's nothing I'm craving regularly. BUT, typically, I do not each fish. I like fish but I'm super, super picky - like if it smells or tastes of anything fishy, I'm done. I've got salmon on our weekly dinner menu twice this week, so that's a change. Not sure if this is a craving or because I went on a team building thing with work where we did cooking lessons and we learned how to make this insanely good maple-soy salmon and now I'm pretty much addicted to it (want the recipe? let me know in the comments and I'll post). Granny Smith Apples. Normally don't eat many of these and now I'm probably eating two a day. Chocolate and candy, typical staples in my diet, are not really of interest. I'll eat 'um if they're around but, otherwise, can do without... especially candy.  But they've just been replaced by wanting chips. I was on a dried fruit loop kick that appears to have passed in the last week. Soup. I almost forgot soup. Pregnant women know simple things = good ideas because everything else = pepto. I've been eating M&Ms won ton soup for lunch almost every day. It's mild and filling and I could pretty much live off it right now. If I want to treat myself, I hit up a local resto for a bowl of Roasted Garlic and Tomato soup that is to die for. I found this recipe on Oprah.com that I may try next week and see if it compares... unlikely. 

pregnancy update?

I was planning on taking time on Thursdays to write about my "pregnancy update"... Thursdays is my transition day from week-to-week. So, as of today, I'm officially 14 weeks preggers. I think. I thought I was 15 weeks but my email update tells me 14 so who knows? I'm guessing the email is write and the crazy one with mommy brain is wrong.

Like I said. Supposed to write an update post but here's your pregnancy update. I'm tired. How does it feel to be 14 weeks pregnant - exhausting. I have energy up until 5:30pm, when I'm lucky. Sometimes it's 2:30pm and sometimes it's 8:30am. Then I'm basically counting down the hours until it's an acceptable time for me to call it a night, which is basically anytime after the clock hits 8pm.

I've dressed for the gym every morning this week. Instead of hitting the gym, I hit Tim Hortons for a coffee and head home to get dressed for work. Work I can do, happily. Going to the gym this week seems like committing to run a marathon in high heels and a full-fleece-onesie in July in the Amazon. Please tell me the Amazon isn't one of those places that has reverse seasons to us so that my exaggeration makes no sense. You know what I'm trying to say. Impossible.

I planned on finishing the last panel of curtains that I'm making myself (don't ask... I don't know why I get myself into these things) for the new baby's room. Whenever I get it all finished - ideally before July - I'll post a picture of the new nursery. Jane's room is looking pretty fancy too and I'll let you know some of the crazy but creative things I've done... I went on this used furniture, value village, kijiji, etc. kick over the summer where I was convinced I was going to become a furniture re-finisher for my side-career. Half the projects I had planned ended up going back to value village or meeting big mr. green truck who takes unwanted things to that big pile of stink.

Why is there nothing good on TV at 7pm? Why does TV only cater to the people who stay awake past 8pm? Why should I be subjected to an hour of Entertainment Tonight - US followed by Canada, where they basically talk about the exact same stories - only ET Canada talks about Ryan Gosling and Justin Beiber a little bit more that regular ET.

If I keep up, this post will be four pages long and I'll just keep ranted about the things that are making me grouchy right now. :p

Craving a bowl of dried fruit loops and a granny smith apple. Pregnancy is insane.