The Piglet's Room

Actually before I start, I think I should mention that we're calling the baby The Piglet not because we have some sort of obsession with Winnie the Pooh but because in the Chinese calendar it is the year of the Golden Pig, which signifies really good fortune. I would also like to point out that no, I'm not Chinese but we just thought that it was a neat thing to have a baby in this supposed good fortune year. Also, we wanted some name to call the baby so we wouldn't be calling him "the baby" all the time and not have to divulge the name that we picked for him. Well, sort of picked for him. We're actually in some last minute talks regarding his name and what we're actually going to name him versus what we're going to call him.

Okay, here's The Piglet's room so far:

Getting the spare room ready

Discovering the popcorn ceiling is falling off

Scraping the popcorn ceiling off

 

Smooth popcorn-free ceiling... yipee!

Painting. FYI: it's called Cayman Blue

 

Almost done.

New baseboards

Reinstalling the closet organizer.

 

McKenzie's old crib.

Sort of like puppy jail?

My Legs...My Neck...My Belly...

I was laying on the floor earlier because I have a sore neck and was trying to stretch it out and it felt good for awhile...until I tried to get up. I seriously thought I was trapped on the floor. And the sad part? This isn't the first time I've done this.

And oh, the pain in my legs. Gah. It's really just the right leg. The joint is uber sore and also the ankle area (or rather where my ankle used to be). It kept me awake last night.

And the Buddha Belly. Don't worry, it's not bad pains. It's just that when I lay on my side, The Piglet seems to naturally fall to that side so then when I try and change positions or get up, it's a production trying to shift The Piglet to the other side without having it feel like The Buddha Belly is getting ripped off my body.
Yeh, that's right, I'm a complainer. Haven't you met me before?
I'm tired. I'm uncomfortable. I'm still not fully ready. bah.

Again, my blood pressure readings were really high this morning. I had to sit and watch TV, not move too much and keep my legs elevated to get the bp down. The nurse called me back and it was okay but I did express my concern that all my readings seem to be getting higher and really the only way to get it down was to do absolutely nothing but sit and not really move. The bottom number is usually in the mid 90s now as opposed to the mid 80s. She did say that if it continues then I'll probably get induced the next time I have to go into the hospital. Yeh, hey, did I mention that I'm still not ready? I should probably get the rest of my birthing bag together. And we should probably put the car seat/stroller together. For that matter, we should probably figure out how to put the car seat in the truck. Although, we should probably vacuum the truck first. Oh my gosh, so many frickin' things to do still.

Week 37

Size = Extra Large! The Piglet has likely hit the 6 pound mark by now, and his length is approximately 21". The weight on my abdomen probably feels like twice that. The Piglet is practising his breathing, but he has increasingly less space to practise stretching and kicking. His intestines are also building up meconium, a greenish-black substance made of baby by-products such as dead cells, shed lanugo, and amniotic fluid. It'll become The Piglet's first bowel movement, hopefully after he is out of womb. His body fat has increased to about 8%. By birth, it'll be about 15%. The Piglet's testes will have descended into his scrotum. While The Piglet could be born at any time, the longer he stays in, the more time he has to develop the connections in his brain in the pleasant peace & quiet of the womb. At this point, he can do all the things a newborn can, with the exception of breathing air and pooping in a diaper. Just as I'm feeling stretched, The Piglet is being squeezed on all sides. Some of my antibodies are crossing the placenta, giving The Piglet's immune system some support for his first days in the world. The hormone relaxin s causing all of the smooth muscle in my body to unclench. I'll feel like I have loose "rag-doll" joints. Inside, the smooth muscle layer of my uterus is flattening & relaxing to accomodate my body's weight gain. I may have round ligament pains (sharp muscle cramps around the place where the bathing suit leg holes are) as these ligaments are softening and being pulled by the growing weight of The Piglet.
- excerpt from: Great expectations : your all-in-one resource for pregnancy & childbirth by Jones, Sandy

I had the nurse visit today. I asked her about the blood pressure during labour and she said they may advise me to have an epidural since it would decrease my bp. Hmm, interesting. I wasn't sure how I felt about the epidural, I was hoping that I could get by without it since you don't actually feel and would't feel the urge to push. I'm unsure about that whole procedure but really, I've never been in that situation so it's all guess work for me.

We went to Rosie & Jay's yesterday afternoon. Alana had a bunch of baby stuff to give to us! I haven't actually gone thru it since I was sitting down and I think it's actually all still sitting in the truck. But it looks like alot and apparently she doesn't want any of it returned!

Ollie stopped by last night to check on the counter/cupboard and now we'll have to coordinate a time to get the dishwasher installed. But first, we need to buy the dishwasher. Better get on that!

I can't wait until my family comes to visit!

It's Friday!!!

Yeah, Friday, like it matters to me what day of the week it is. I'm just lucky that I remember what day it is.

My blood pressure readings have been getting higher and the nurse seems to think that this is normal for this time. I don't know, this time as in getting closer to delivery? And since my bp gets high when I'm stressed, upset or exert myself; how high is it going to get when I'm giving birth? Am I going to have a stroke? I was thinking about this last night as I was falling asleep. I don't see my dr until the end of next week so maybe I'll ask the nurse tomorrow. (they are scheduled to visit me tomorrow)

Have I mentioned that I love, love LOVE to feel The Piglet moving? I mean, sure sometimes it's super uncomfortable or even painful but it's the coolest feeling in the world. And especially now, my Buddha belly moves, it's like ... I don't even know how to describe it. And last night, I'm pretty sure he kicked me in the ribs. Took my breath away. I've been trying to capture the movements on film but I can't seem to get it right. I think it's the angle. I'll get one of my sisters to help me next week.

I went to the lab yesterday and I swear to gosh I thought I was going to pass out. It was so fricking hot in there. Usually it's nice and cold and I was really looking forward to sitting and waiting in their a/c but gah, it was horrible. I was even thinking about going to sit at the mall because it was so hot out but I just didn't have the energy. Instead I came home, took my readings and took a nap. A long nap. I love napping.

Last Day of Work

Today would have been my last day of work if I hadn't been placed on bed-rest. Weird feeling actually.

I've been getting some high readings but have actually been feeling pretty good. Kind of anxious for the high numbers but I guess all-in-all I've been okay. I think Steven is getting more & more worried for me as the time goes by. I also think he's kind of excited that my mom is coming up, he's hoping the house will get cleaner. Cindy told me that my mom is packed up to come down. She won't be here until next Thursday night.

The nurse came by for a visit today and we did the fetal monitor. Learned something new, actually learned two things. First off, The Piglet has been hiccuping and what I thought were tiny movements were actually him hiccuping and then he thrashes about because he gets pretty irritated with the hiccups. It's sort of adorable. And then I learned that he had totally moved around again. He's still in the down position but if you thought I was lopsided before? Well, I'm totally off balance now. He's all tucked in on my right side. And no fricking wonder it hurts so much to lay on my left side. Actually I learned another thing. When he moves around there's actually ligaments, I guess down around the hip area/groin area that he's been hitting and causing me extreme pain. I was thinking perhaps it was a tiny bladder dance but I was wrong, I mean he's doing a bladder dance too but this ligament is a totally different kind of pain.

Yesterday we met Uncle Roy & Nancy for dinner at Joey Tomato. It was so wonderful to see family, makes me realize how much I miss my family. I mean talking to them is nice but seeing them is even better. So much has changed since I last saw my mom at Mother's Day.

You'll also be glad to know that yesterday we also purchased our car seat/stroller. So there. I was talking to Marilyn the other day about how I went out and got the nursing bra because I wanted to be prepared and she asked me about the car seat and of course at that point, we hadn't bought it yet. So I told her that yes indeed I wanted to be prepared for something just not EVERYTHING. But we think we're as ready as we're ever going to be. What else do we need? Just the baby. Oh, actually, we need to get the car seat/stroller out of the box and assembled and then actually learn to put it in the car. So I suppose, we're not actually ready yet.

I'm kind of excited. We're going to CATCH for dinner on Saturday night. Super yum.

The Sensitive Man and Other Things

So after my appointments today I went to the mall to pick up some stuff. We'll get into that later. I was in Zellers looking for maxi-pads (because apparently you need these after delivery... who knew!) and trying to make a selection and not get overwhelmed when this man, probably around my same age, came into the aisle. I'm not sure who among you have been down this feminine aisle but really, there's no mistaking it. Although, at the end there were depends undergarments as well, but I digress. Anyway, this man was looking at everything and picking things up and examining them. Then he approached me.

Man: Excuse me, but can you help me?

Me: Uh, I can try.

Man: My wife needs pads.

Me: Okay, do you know what kind?

Man: the everyday ones.

...now I don't know about you, but I immediately think two things... pantiliner and that this is the best husband ever....

Me: well, everyday? Okay, there's these ones and it depends on the size and shape and the uh, well, the uh, ummm, the amount that's coming out. (really, HOW exactly do you phrase that delicately?)

So I pick up a random small pack of unscented pantiliners.

Man: I know there's a shape to them.

Okay, really, I doubt if Steven has EVER examined any of my feminine products to even identify their shape. I'm pretty sure his eyes start to bleed and circus tunes start playing in his head if he's ever confronted with them.

Me: okay, there's all these ones. (and I point out the different shapes and lengths.) She didn't tell you which one to buy?

Man: No. She's at home with the baby.

Me: And it's everyday ones?

Man: Yes.

Me: Maybe you should just pick up a smaller box just in case it's the wrong one. Good luck.

Alright, first off I totally commend him for going to the store to buy these for his wife but most of all? I'm amazed that he had the balls to approach a complete stranger for help in picking it out!

So, I made a list. Those of you that know me well, know that I love making lists. I have a list for things that I need in the birthing room to help me. And I have another list of things that I need to buy to take to the birthing room. So I went to get Body Shop lip balm, Peppermint oil or spray and possibly something to wear while I'm there. Something comfortable and something I don't mind if it gets ruined. Because I have absolutely no frame of reference for what I require, I simply got a tshirt/shorts/pj pants combo. Nice & cheap and it looks totally comfortable. While I was out, I also looked at nursing bras. Again, having no experience with these things, I found them kind of ugly and intimidating. I mean, those clips, the material that comes down? GAH! But I know that you'll to know that I found one that fit comfortably (I'm not exactly sure what will happen if the girls get any bigger, how comfortable it might be) and that doesn't scare me.

And I finally know how to transfer my photos from my camera to my computer. Have to say, am loving my new phone. Just have to set up my vmail and I'm all set. So here's my Friday in pictures:

Unit 35A at the PLC

The fetal monitor

After the blood letting...

Lovely, aren't I?

My Lunch...

Poor, tired, Steven.

Happy Father's Day

He's going to be the best father ever.

And in Other News...

It's raining today...again. How depressing. I'm waiting for the nurse to call me so I can finish getting ready and meet Jen & Crystal for brunch. I'm pretty excited. Sad, I know but since I'm rarely out of the house and actually interacting with others, I'm fairly jazzed up!

I've been trying to put together my list of things that I need for when I go into labour. I mean, I should probably be prepared for something. I may pick up some things today while I'm out and then gradually over the next week or so pick up the rest. Don't worry, I'm allowed to be doing all these things, the doctor even said that she didn't want me cooped up in the house all the time but to get out and just ensure not to exert myself.

We asked Brenda to be our 2nd support person in the labour room. Not exactly sure how well that will be since a) she's going to be on vacation from Jun 30 - Jul 8 and b) she lives out of town. But I thought she would be the perfect candidate. She's been thru it before, she had some difficulties, she's quite easy-going and will be able to support both Steven & I. We did have some ground rules for her though! We'd like pictures but nothing below the waist. What is said in the birthing room STAYS in the birthing room. Not to take anything that is said personally because from what I gather, many things could be screamed out. However, all that being said, I'm not sure if she'll be around when they decide to induce me. I hope so, but we'll see.

Ah yes, and finally I was in the hospital yesterday. I actually have pictures to go with my story but I can't figure out how to get them from my phone to the computer so....

Anyway, part of the program is self-monitoring my blood pressure and if it is above a certain number then I need to wait 15 minutes and re-take it. So yesterday morning I got up nice & early because well, I just did. It's not something I normally do, I usually sleep until about 930a but yesterday I got up at 7am and I sat. (because you can't take your bp right away from the sleeping state). Then my first reading was 132/99. So I sat some more. And it was 136/103. So I sat some more. And it was 137/96. And again more sitting and waiting. And finally it was 140/98. Apparently at this point, they are more concerned with the bottom number, I can never remember what it's called. So following protocol, I called my nurse (who was actually supposed to come & see me yesterday) and she advised me to go directly to the PLC and get checked out, she would call ahead and let them know that I was on the way. Even though Steven is on nights, he was awake and watching TV with me so we got ready and off we went. I have to say this, just the previous night I had remarked that we should probably go online to do the PLC tour so we could see where the birthing centre is etc... Anyway, we went to the 3rd floor, and got a triage bed right away and they took my blood pressure, got hooked up to the fetal monitor, then I had blood taken and a urine sample. The doctor & nurse were always "right there". It was amazing, CHR definitely is doing something right with the maternity part of the health care system! They even sent up lunch for me. (not for poor Steven, who wouldn't actually leave me to get something to eat) Then I was sent for an ultrasound to check for any blood clots in my legs. We were there for about 5 hours and everything checked out fine. The doctor said the high blood pressure was just one of those things that could just happen. I need to watch what I do. No more of the "I'll just clean up this one thing" or "I'll just get this together". But otherwise, I'm doing okay. I have a regular dr. appt on Monday morning anyway, so we'll see what Dr. S says. And, no lectures, no "tell Steven" to do this or that... we know.... alright? Poor Steven is busting his ass working hard, then doing all this stuff around the house, constantly worrying about me because there's nothing that he can do to make me better.

Week 36

With one month to go, he weighs about 6 lbs and is fattening. His full length from crown to feet is about 20.5 inches. Has The Piglet's movement slowed down? If so, I shouldn't worry 5-10% of all mothers report that babies start to slow down as they grow larger and get more cramped for space. Still, I should be able to feel The Piglet move more than 10 x a day. What's happening to me physically? As people may have already pointed out that it looks like I could pop at any minute, they might just be right. The due date only suggests a time when The Piglet is likely to be born. In reality, I could go into labour anytime between now and 6 weeks from now. My belly button is becoming flattened or may even stick out like a wine cork. I may feel a lightening sensation on my ribs & organs as The Piglet descends into my pelvis. Breathing and eating will be easier, but I'll be running to the bathroom more often than ever, and the change in pressure may cause shooting pains in my groin and leg.

- excerpt from: Great expectations : your all-in-one resource for pregnancy & childbirth by Jones, Sandy

Angry

Don't call my house and try and guilt me into contributing to your charity. We donate money to certain charities every month, before I got pregnant I also donated my time. Why should I be made to feel bad because I choose our charitable contributions based on how they (the organization, disease, whatever...) affect us personally? Don't say I should still contribute to yours because then it takes away from the ones that we've chosen, the ones that I actually sat down and gave careful consideration to before putting them on my list. There are tons of charities that are deserving and yes, horrible horrible diseases that affect children; I realize all this. Don't talk over me or talk to me like I'm an idiot. I'm a responsible citizen who is well aware that it takes money to fund programs and to find a cure. But let me make my own informed decisions. Bullying someone to make a donation is no way to get money.

Twoonie Tuesday

So KFC has this Twoonie Tuesday promo, Steven & I were driving home from somewhere (I can't remember where) and we were hungry (this was awhile ago). This the only back story that you require:

Steven: let's go to KFC, they have that special
me: okay, I'm hungry. Let's just get something to eat.
Drive thru speaker: mumble, mumble, how can I help you?
Steven: we'll get the 2 of the twoonie specials
DTS: mumble, mumble, that's the twoonie Tuesday special
Steven: yes, we'll get two of those
DTS: That's the Twoonie Tuesday Special, sir. (note, it's not in the form of a question but a statement)
Steven: (getting angry) Yes. We'll HAVE 2 TWOONIE SPECIALS
DTS: That's the Twoonie Tuesday Special, sir.
Steven: YES....
DTS: Sir, it's Wednesday.
me: fuuuuuuuck....

mwahahahaha. We're such morons but to this day, we laugh every time we drive past KFC.

A little of this & that...

Had my ultrasound this morning. Steven's on nights so he came with me. The Piglet is doing well and apparently thriving, the little bastard that he is! The tech said that he was 6lb, 12 oz.. right on par if I was 37 weeks. So, it's a very good thing (I think) that I am getting induced early otherwise I would have this humongous big-headed baby. The tech was also saying that with hypertension, babies are usually smaller and don't "thrive" quite as well. Guess she never met us before! Steven says because it's his son and he will be stubborn and won't take any shit from anyone that I shouldn't be worried!

Yesterday was really very weird. Was out for a bit in the morning, early afternoon and by the time we came home I was feeling terrible. I was nauseous, light-headed, headachey, sweaty and just plain off. I took my blood pressure and it was pretty high so I laid down in the bedroom with the fan (and a worried dog in my face, poking me) on me to cool down. Then I spent the remainder of the day laying on the couch. I'm not sure what was going on. My blood pressure eventually came down but I still felt lousy until this morning.

I forgot to mention that on Saturday, Shawn came over and we locked him in the bedroom until he was done painting. Heh, you think I'm kidding, don't you? But yes, they finished painting the blue and it looks beautiful! Friends are awesome, don't ya think? And then yesterday, Steven hijacked Darrin and held him hostage to do the baseboards. Unfortunately the baby's room isn't straight angles, so it was a bit more difficult and we finally had to free Darrin. I will post some pictures of the baby's room once it's finished so you can see the progression.

And I am finally going to change the url of this blog sometime ths week, so if you can't find it one day, please email me and I'll give you the new one. I'm just a little uncomfortable with posting so much personal info. And yet, I don't have a problem with all the stuff that I have on Facebook, go figure!

Let's Do Lunch

 

Liz & Kelly took me out for lunch this afternoon. You really don't know how happy I was to leave the house and DO something. To have something to look forward to. To interact with someone other than the nurse or Steven. Anyway, it was great to see them and catch up. They bought me the sweetest baby basket. They put it together themselves.

 

And look at the cute overalls. Altogether now...awww!

I can't believe Liz is due in 2 weeks. We were joking that wouldn't it be funny if they were born on the same day? hahaha. But here are the obligatory belly pics. I'm so much bigger than her! And that we were wearing virtually the same outfit.

Belly to Belly shot:

Week 35

Okay, well technically I'm 34 weeks and 4 days. Apparently I've been using the wrong dates...again. I don't know why I can't remember this. Whatever, I've been using Saturday as the day to update and really with only a couple weeks left, why change now?
At more than 5lbs (he's probably more than 6lbs) and between 16-20", The Piglet is becoming more ready for birth with every passing hour. He's the size of a small roasting chicken. His nervous system and immune system are still maturing and he's adding the fat that he'll need to regulate his body temperature. But everything else, from his toenails to the hair on his head, is fully formed. If he were born now, he'd have more than a 99% chance of surviving. I'm just huge & my size is making me uncomfortable (ya think?). I'm carrying so much extra weight & fluid (oh my god the extra fluid) that simple things can be tiring. (like walking up or down the stairs to the bathroom).

- excerpt from: Great expectations : your all-in-one resource for pregnancy & childbirth by Jones, Sandy

Almost Done

The baby's room is almost done. Steven's been working so hard, it should be finished this weekend and possibly the furniture moved back in, depends on how long it will take for the carpet to dry after being cleaned. And the color is beautiful. Steven picked it out. He's got much better taste and more defined opinion of what he wants. He read that a bright color was much more stimulating for the baby so, we definitely have a bright blue but it's gorgeous. Now, we'll have to decide what color to paint the furniture but that will be after The Piglet is born.

Had my 2nd visit from the nurse today. It was the non-stress fetal monitor. I get that once/week. And this afternoon I will be visiting the lab for my usual blood/pee test. Yippee, jealous?

Steven went golfing today. He met Ed in Innisfail. He was supposed to go to Edmonton this weekend for multiple rounds of golf and drinking but since there was such a delay with the baby's room, he opted to just golf once and they decided to meet 1/2 way. Hopefully after The Piglet's room is done, we'll just need to get a couple more baby things and we'll be done. Well, caught up at least. And then my family will be here for a couple of days... and they will be put to work. Trust me... I have things planned for them and most of it is not that fun. Sorry guys.

And So Are the Days of....

I was talking to Steven today and I realized a very important thing. I've only been on maternity leave for 13 days. THIRTEEN DAYS. I am bored. It would very different if I was able to do alot of things but I must rest for at least 3 hours, 3 times per day (we're talking sitting with legs up or lying down on my left side). So if I do decide to do something, there's careful planning involved and I do less in other periods of the day. AND since I have a desktop computer, I can only be on it for short periods because then my legs and ankles start to hurt. I must sit funny or something in this chair.

I'm so lame. I need to find a hobby. I'm so bored, I need to find some friends who don't work during the day.

Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Whatcha Gonna Do, Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come for You....

Holy crap. NEVER park in front of our house.

Around 830pm, I was downstairs on the computer and Steven was in the living room watching TV. I heard this squeal and then the hugest, loudest bang ever. I knew there was an accident but I didn't know what.

The white car smoked thru the intersection, hit the maroon van that was parked in front of the house and when I got up there, the driver and the passenger were hauling ass up the road and down an alley. The neighbors jumped into their truck and chased them down. Steven called 911. I'm not sure how or who brought him back but the driver showed up and started talking on our phone to 911. He was saying that his brakes failed. BULLSHIT. He had to have been flying thru the intersection to cause that much damage. And another fellow was driving earlier and almost got hit by him and said easily this kid was doing 100 kms down that straight stretch in front of our house. I guess that fellow said to his wife that they were going to get into an accident and right after that they heard the loud crash.

I'm surprised no-one (besides the people in that white car) were injured. I mean, there's always someone walking around out in this neighborhood. I'm not sure who the passenger is because only the driver came back and I don't even know for sure if he is, but he says he is. I think the police are still in front of the house.

I took my blood pressure after we came in the house. 138/96. Apparently this is way too much excitement for me & The Piglet.

I wish I could send you the little movie I took.. Just like an episode of Cops.

So, yeh... this is what happens in my neighborhood when I'm at home. Nothing like livin' in the hood. AND I think the car may be stolen because it didn't actually have any plates on it.

Ghetto, much?

Look how close it is to our house, that's the railing on my front step.

Week 34

The Piglet weighs about 5lbs or more, about the size of a bag of sugar. He will continue to grow about 2 or more pounds in the next 6 weeks. Now that his brain has formed billions of neurons, it must accomplish the even more complex feat of hooking the neurons & synapses together. The Piglet's brain is forming trillions of connections, making it possible for him to learn in the womb. All of this brain development may be the reason that The Piglet sleeps frequently at this stage. His brain development is in no way complete at birth. In the first year after birth, a baby's brain triples in size & becomes 3/4 of its adult size.

I've been having the most difficult time sleeping at night. I get up every 2 hours (almost on schedule) to pee, then I need to re-adjust and get comfortable again. My shoulders are killing me from sleeping on my side, and I think back to early pregnancy when Marilyn told me all this was coming and while I believed her I didn't know how I wouldn't be able to sleep. Well, you just can't. It's too uncomfortable. I can't lean too far back or I'm on my back and it's hurting my stomach area. I can't lean too far forward or I'm on my stomach and it hurts my shoulder area. I have one pillow behind my back, a wedge pillow to support The Buddha, I have one pillow to put between my legs, I have a body pillow to support my front and I have two pillows under my head. Poor Steven, even with the queen size bed he's scooting off to the side. And yet he still says that he can't sleep that well unless I'm in bed with him. You'd think with all those pillows, it's like there is another complete person there! Oh, yeah... and I snore.. ALOT. Apparently even Riley was snorting and whining at me to shut up the other night.

I'm not sure why but I'm able to nap during the day without all this hassle. For example, I woke up really early this morning. Steven left for work around 600 am and I got up shortly afterward. I ate breakfast and started watching some "Seven Wonders of Canada" tv show. (fyi: pretty good) but I started getting sleepy around 8am so I went back to bed. Yeh, slept until the Nurse called me at 10am, gave her my numbers and fell back asleep until 1pm. Didn't get up to go to the bathroom once, didn't get up to re-adjust. What's up with that? But now I'm all disoriented because 1/2 the day is gone and I'm just getting started. Not that there's anything to actually "get started" on. The whole day is stretching in front of me and I don't really have that much to fill it. It's too hot to sit outside. I can't watch TV all day because that would be kind of pathetic. I don't want to read that much because that will just make me sleepy. I can't sit at the computer that long because I need to prop my feet up for longer periods of time to combat the swelling. Feel bad for me yet? I wish I had some really good oranges to eat.