New Look

I've wanted a new look for my blog recently, and although things might change a bit more once I stop being pregnant and start being responsible for another human, I figured I had more time now than I will in then.  I didn't have to guts to take the plunge and write "mother" or something crazy like that in my "about me" section, but that can come later.

I messed around with the new dynamic layouts that blogger provides, but they just didn't really seem to work the way I wanted them to.  I'll chill with this one for a while and maybe tweak it a bit.

Since I've finished working, I have done the following:

• Had last minute coffee dates
• Slept in (if you can call 7:30 sleeping in...)
• Made some granola
• Had a romantic dinner date
• Walked to the new gluten free bakery and bought some amazing bread
• Forgotten to go to a friend's house and then rushed to get there an hour late after she called to see if I was still coming
• Made some chocolate quinoa crepes
• Gotten acupuncture
• Panicked a little about the thought of potentially having a baby in the extremely near future

On the docket for today is trying to take a few pictures of me in "my condition" as keepsakes.  I'm not really into getting pro pics done in a studio, especially the seemingly intimate ones that people tend to get when they're pregnant. I don't think there's anything wrong with getting intimate pictures taken, pregnant or not, but I do find it weird that people show them to everyone.  I don't ever want to see a picture of a close friend or family member lying on a bed with a sheet hiding their privates, pregnant or not.  Sorry.  Little side rant there.  We will stick to fully clothed outside pictures in the nice fall colours.  Matt and I don't have the greatest history when it comes to taking pictures (we aren't good at taking pictures of each other... I think I may have alluded to that in my belly pics post) so I'm hoping today works out!

Any tips for my new blog design??

A weighty issue

I've never been one to know how much I weigh.  I can normally guess, give or take 5 pounds, but normally my indicators are how my clothes fit.  I've always had a little extra around the gut area, sometimes a little, sometimes a little more than a little, but I normally have a handle on what to do to get rid of it and it's never been awful.  (The exception being before I knew I had celiac... that was awful because I was working super hard to get rid of it and it just wouldn't go.)

But now, I have to weight myself all the time.  During my first and second trimesters, it was once a month, with the goal of seeing numbers rise, and if they didn't, I got scolded and asked to gain a little more weight.  At the start of my third trimester, I weighed myself every two weeks, and for the last month it's been every week.  I can honestly say I have never weighed myself every week before now.  The concept is just foreign to me, because I can honestly tell you I have never cared what the number on the scale was.  I know I'm getting bigger.  It's pretty freaking obvious.  Now, to be fair, it is a little startling to see numbers I never dreamed I would see on a scale, but I know that it's for a good cause, so I don't really mind.

Throughout my pregnancy, I have noticed a few things.  Let us look at a point form list, shall we?

• People call me tiny.  It's odd, since I weigh a lot more than I ever have and I have a huge belly.   I think the skinny jeans and the fact that I still continue to have no ass are contributing factors to that optical illusion. Tiny has never been a word people have used to describe me, except for that unfortunate time in high school when I had tonsillitis multiple times in two months and lost all sorts of weight. I really WANTED to eat, I just couldn't.
• My weight really differs from morning to afternoon.  When my appointments are in the morning, I will have gained a pound or stayed the same since the previous week's appointment.  When they are later in the day, I'll be up two or three pounds.  Can we tell I may be retaining a bit of water throughout the day?
• People flat out ask me "how much have you gained?"  I find that crazy.  In what situation would someone ask that question other than pregnancy??  Crazier?  I'll tell them. I won't tell them the names we have picked out for our baby, but I'll easily spill the number of pounds I'm up.
• Other people tell me about their or their wife's weight gain.  I really don't want or need to know how your wife has ballooned like a blimp, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't want you to share that with me either.  If your wife had gained 60 pounds and she wasn't pregnant, would you tell me then?  I doubt it.  Granted, I have asked people about their weight gain during pregnancy, so I am equally guilty of this odd behaviour.

I think the main reason for my reasonable weight gain is that I haven't given myself a free pass to eat whatever I want.  I know a lot of women do that during pregnancy, and that's fine, but I didn't want to be left with this enormous task of losing it all post baby.  By no means am I dieting, and I am giving myself many more liberties than I normally would, but I am still conscious of what I eat and when I eat it.  That being said, today might not be the best example of my healthy diet, since I've had three chocolate chip cookies (someone made them just for me; I HAD to eat them), two little brownies (I made those... no excuse) and some ice cream.  I'll just give today a pass and work on tomorrow. 

I also think genetics have had something to do with my weight gain.  My mum didn't gain much when she was pregnant with both my sister and me.  She also wasn't sick during her pregnancies, which is especially lucky, since she has an abnormal aversion to being sick, and she point blank said to me "good thing I wasn't sick when I was pregnant with your sister, because you probably wouldn't be here!"  I am thankful for her lack of nausea which in turn has allowed me to experience the same.  The fact alone that I haven't thrown up once made me a little nervous at first that I WOULD gain lots of weight, since I had a fine appetite and could eat until the cows came home, but luckily that wasn't the case.

All in all, this obligatory emphasis on weight has been a new experience for me, and I hope to go back to my old non-weighing no-number-knowing self after the baby is born.  I'm in the "safe zone" for pregnancy weight gain as it stands (and maybe today's treats gave me an extra pound or two for my weigh-in on Thursday) so I don't need to worry, and hopefully the baby will be healthy, and I can go back to not stepping on a scale aside from my annual physical soon.

Do you find pregnancy makes people a lot more open about their weight? 

Race envy

I'll be honest - I have some major race envy right now.

My sis ran a race last week and is running another tomorrow.

Caitlin raced a tri today and I think a tri tomorrow!

Meghann and company are racing a 70.3 tomorrow.

Kirst is running the harvest half tomorrow too.

I just want to race!  I know I have great reasons to not race, and I don't want to come off like a complainer, but man o man I can't wait to lace up my sneaks and get training!

I figured in order to keep my envy under control, I'd take a peek at a few races that I might like to do in the future.  I don't want to sign up or commit to anything at this point since I really have no idea what my body and life will be like after this little baby comes, but I figured it couldn't hurt to look.

On February 11, there's the hypothermic half.  That's an option.

In April, the Glencoe Icebreaker 10 km happens and then the Police Half comes about a week later, both of which I did this year, so those are both possibilities too.

I don't think I want to look at anything in 2011, though maybe a late 5 km could be an option.  Since I had to stop running what feels like years ago, I don't want to have any thoughts of grandeur thinking I can bust out a nice 10 km a month after delivery, but I could do something like the santa shuffle which I believe is a 5 km, if my body cooperates.

I hope everyone racing this weekend has a great time and does their best!  I know weather poses issues for lots, but remember that you just can't control it, so don't waste your time worrying about it!

Anyone else racing this weekend?  Anyone else feeling a little green with envy?

Well hello blogger traffic!

Today Meals and Miles linked to me and my page views went up by over 300%!  She referred to my 70.3 post and called it "inspiring"!  How nice!  I still can't read that race report without my eyes welling up a little... I just remember how freaking hard that day was, and how much I wanted to stop but couldn't because I am too stubborn.  Hopefully that theory will cross over to childbirth, though I don't really have the choice to give up!  It's crazy to think that last year I raced a 70.3 and this year I am a big ole pregnant lady!

So hi! to any new readers.  My name is Heather, I'm 27 years old, married almost one year, two weeks away from my first baby's due date, a celiac, a runner, triathlete, flight attendant turned temporary office worker and a healthy blog reader!  Welcome!

BUT, I actually have a race report to share today!

Last weekend, we (Matt, Kaitlin, Jordan and I) went out to Canmore for our third annual trip to the Canmore Rocky Mountain race.  My mum and I set out to walk our little hearts out for 5 km!  I will admit I haven't walked very far or very quickly in a while, so I wasn't 100% sure how I would feel (and I haven't run in what seems like forever since I got work from my midwife that I am not allowed to run).  My belly was tight and a little uncomfy by the end, but it was great to participate in the event and be in the mountains.

So this baby has officially run a 10 km, a half marathon, and walked a 5 km all before birth!  I wonder if it will be a runner or hate running. We will have to wait and see!  (Side note, both my sister and I HATED running until we participated in our first race together in 2007, so even if it hates running as a child, it might develop a liking to it someday!)  (Is that right? 2007?)

10 km!  Can't REALLY tell I'm pregnant.

I think this (the police half marathon) was the last time I could squeeze into my CW-X tights!

Here I am laughing that they announced our names as we were about to cross the finish line of the 5km

So there you have it!  My final pregnant race report, and now I can focus on having this baby, recovering, and getting back into running!

Wednesday tid bits

• I cleaned the dreadful mirror.
• I am making breakfast for supper, which is one of my favourite suppers.
• The baby's limbs are distinctly poking out of my belly a lot and often and it kind of hurts.
• I really am totally done with working; too bad I still have 13 days left.
• I'm going to Canmore this weekend to walk a 5 km race.  This will be the third year in a row that Matt, Kaitlin, Jordan and I have participated in the event.  This also means that I will have done every distance for this race; kind of cool.
• I can't believe that I only have four weeks left until this baby is due!

Do you have any Wednesday tid bits?

I'll leave you with a little photo from the west coast!

A little baby room update

My sis has requested some pictures of the baby's room since I've been working hard for the last little while.  I took out my big girl camera and took some real pictures, so here's the progress so far.

Crib, little shelf, and a "placeholder" chair.  (We have a different one in Kirst's basement that will hopefully live in that corner soon)

Curtains!  

Donkey!

My big ole belly in the extremely dirty mirror!

Easy hoop art inspired directly stolen from this blog

Crib, crib skirt and chalkboard accent wall

Mobile that will move from this spot

Dipes!

Duck towel!

Ok, enough cuteness and exclamation points.  So there is a mattress leaning against the wall in the corner by the window.  You can just ignore that.  We definitely need a few more things on the walls, but that will come.  Matt can't wait to get his hands on some chalk for the chalkboard wall.  I was hoping to get a big frame that we could put on the chalkboard wall to break it up a little.  What else?  There are more things, I'm sure, but I can't really remember them right now.

So there you have it!  Baby's room exactly 5 weeks before it's due to be born!

Anyone sick of baby business?

Too bad.  I have more!

First, I made the curtains! BUT, it's really hard to take a picture in front of a window, so I'll have to try again at night so that I can actually show them off.

Also, I had a really nice baby shower, where I got spoiled.  I was so thankful that people got me things I would need and have to buy anyway, like my awesome diapers, a changing pad, crib linens and more.  I also was so thankful to my friends and mum who worked hard to put it all on.

Now, I have a question for anyone who has had babies:  How many newborn sized clothes do I need?  I have heard they outgrow things so quickly, so anything I've gotten, I've chosen size 3-6 months.  While I was putting things away in the dresser, I realized that I only have one sleeper and one two piece PJ in newborn size.  This just doesn't seem like enough.  So what should I buy?  How much do I REALLY need?  I have a little sweater that a family member knit that can work as a "coming home from the hospital" jacket, as well as a sleep sac that can keep the little one warm in the car, but otherwise, I have jut the one sleeper and PJ.

Help??!!

Crib Skirt Success!

I made a crib skirt! Craft #2!  I just can't even believe it!

I followed this tutorial, courtesy of Young House Love, pretty much the best blog ever.

Here are the results:

And I didn't even sew!

It definitely isn't perfect.  But, it's made, and it looks pretty good, and that's good enough for me!  

Side note, my sister wrote the nicest post ever for my birthday today.  She's just the greatest.  Love you! 

Baby Project - DIY mobile

I am not too crafty.  I try to be, but usually my projects end up looking like a five year old did them.  I'm not really sure why I decided to then embark on a crafting mission for the baby's room, but that's what I did.

First, I decided to make a no sew crib skirt and some no sew curtains from Young House Love, but all I've actually done is purchase material and supplies.  More to come on that.

I then decided to make a hanging mobile for the room since most store bought ones I find either very expensive or very cheesy.  After google image searching "diy baby mobile" and looking through 15 pages of results, I decided to go with this one.  It even was already the colour I wanted.

This is the goal!

So I went to a craft store, bought some yellow card stock, clear thread (or fishing wire), a wooden needle point ring thing and some yellow ribbon.  Unlike the example on the website, where she used a wooden circle for the top and then painted it, I decided to use a ring and then wrap it with ribbon.  Here is the project, from start to pretty much finish.

1.  First, I traced the circles using a bunnykins egg cup and a pencil.

2.  Next, I cut them out using extremely heavy cutco scissors.  My fingers had indentations in them for a while.

3.  I cut a long piece of clear thread and tied a double knot on the bottom.

4.  Then I poked a hole in the centre of a cut circle with a safety pin.  (I didn't take a picture, but I actually erased all the rogue pencil lines from the circles after I cut them.  I have discovered that I am a terrible cutter.)

5.  I then thread the circle onto the thread.

6.  Then I tied another double knot a little bit higher than the first circle.  I got a little creative here and decided that every other string of circles would be longer, so for half of them, I tied the knots further apart, and for the other half I tied them closer together.

7.  I then poked another circle and thread it on to the thread. 

8.  Each thread got nine circles.

9.  As I finished each string of circles, I tied it around the wooden ring.  (I just wrapped it around and tied two knots.  It was kind of tough to do it on my own, but much easier when Matt held the ring up for me as I tied.)

10.  Yay I'm done with the circle strings!

Matt wanted to be on the blog.

11.  I gathered all the tops of the strings and tied them in a knot.  It was very difficult to get it level.

12.  I put a glob of Aleen's Tacky Glue (it's even the same stuff as they use on YHL!  It's as if we're best friends already!) on the inside of the ring and held my yellow ribbon there for a minute or so and then got to wrapping.  Here is where I realized a small mistake.  I DEFINITELY should have wrapped the ring with the ribbon before I tied nine strings around it.  Whenever I got to a string, I had to really maneuver around it and try to not mess up the wrapping or hanging integrity.  It was annoying.  Along the way I put a dab of glue here and there for good measure.

13.  Ta da!  I'm done!  (It ended up being much more level than that, which is explained in the notes.)

So there's the mobile!  Not too far from the goal really!  She has a much cleaner background so you can see it a lot better, but I did this in my messy living room so background clutter is what you get!

A few notes:

• I don't know exactly how I will hang it from the ceiling.  I will probably string another piece of clear thread under the knot of gathered threads so that I can choose the level I would like instead of just having to go with what I have to work with.  I think I have a little hook thing that I can screw into the ceiling.
• I actually ran out of ribbon about two centimetres too early.  Luckily, I had more ribbon.  Still, It was very annoying to need just a tiny piece to finish off the ring.
• While wrapping, I inadvertently moved all the strings around so after I was all done, I had to untie the big knot and re-level everything and then re-tie it.  I wasn't too thrilled with that.  Definitely wrap the ring first if you try this.
• I did this over two nights of trashy reality TV.  First, Big Brother, and second, Bachelor Pad.  Bachelor Pad?  Really?  I was ashamed but couldn't stop watching.  Vienna and Jake are both idiots.
• I can't believe that this actually worked.  Seriously.

So now, attach to ceiling, and also decide where exactly to put it.  I'm leaning towards over the change table instead of over the crib.  My sister pointed out that *if* it falls, it could be a major hazard over the crib.  I agree.  

Now hopefully the crib skirt goes as well.  Or better really.  The curtains?  I'm nervous.

7 links

I definitely had challenges with this post!  First, I started blogging when I was 20.  My "voice" has changed significantly since then.  I also was in university, drank a bunch, partied all the time, and thought I was pretty cool.  Now, I'm old, married, about to have a baby, and still think I'm pretty cool.  Most of my older posts make me cringe since I sound like such an idiot.  I think I'll stick to more recent posts for this!! (Except one).


So, without further explanation- my 7 links:

• Your most beautiful post

While my This Sucks post itself isn't beautiful, or even well written, it was definitely filled with emotion.  My sister got married and then moved across the country two days later.  I wasn't a flight attendant then, so flight benefits weren't in my vocabulary, and the thought of not seeing her for 10 months was awful.  To me it's beautiful because I love my sister so much that anytime anyone mentioned her or her wedding for the next week, I burst into tears.

• Your most popular post

My most popular by far was Ironman Calgary 70.3 Race Report.  I think it got a lot of traffic because of people googling the race, but I'll take it.  I was a hard one to write too.  My next most popular is about the Steve Nash Sports Club, which must be due to googling as well.

• Your most controversial post

My accent vlog post was quite controversial because Kristen and I couldn't agree on how to say syrup.  Also controversial because I hated my new haircut, and I had found out that I was pregnant only days before.

• Your most helpful post

I think my post on how to make delicious and not terrible for you gluten free granola is quite helpful.  When I make mine I always open this link for the recipe.

• A post whose success surprised you

The Bell Commercial post got a lot of hits... Must be the googling again!  I'm not a very popular blogger, so my hits come by accident!

• A post you feel didn’t get the attention it deserved

Selfishly, I'm surprised that my "I'm pregnant" post didn't have as much action.  I guess the world doesn't revolve around me after all!!!

• The post that you are most proud of

I think I'm most proud of my 0-100 post since I it documents me buying a condo, getting engaged and turning 25 in a very short time. (And winning 10$ in a lotto ticket.  Can't forget that). In reality, I think my 70.3 post is a little higher on the proud list but since I already used it, I'll go with my second choice.


That was really tough.  I can't elect anyone else to do it since I found it so difficult.  I hope you enjoyed it!

It's your birthday!

Well, not everyone's.  But Kristen's!!!

Happy birthday to the greatest sister anyone could ever ask for.

I only wish I got to see her every day!

Fit Abs 3000 in 35 challenge - update and more

It's day four of the abs challenge, and so far so good.  I've severely neglected my abs for a while and while this is proving a challenge, I've always been sort of "good" at abs stuff.  I normally can keep up well in classes or yoga when they throw in a few at the end, and I can normally hold planks for a while without too much practice.  That being said, I have never seen an actually defined "ab" on my stomach, and I have a feeling that this challenge will not finish with that result either!  I just hope to keep my muscles strong so I can have a strong delivery.

I've been in Toronto for the past few days, and we've had some action packed times already!

Day one, we arrived, and went downtown to meet some friends who were hanging out in a park.  We then headed to Fresh for supper.  I was happy with my meal, and also pleasantly surprised that the other 5 people liked theirs too, despite some of them not really being "healthy" eaters.

Day two, we were up pretty early and headed back downtown to watch the Jays game.  I squeezed in a quick coffee with another friend and his adorable puppy before the game and then I caught up with everyone else and we went to the Skydome Rogers Centre for some ball.

Way too cute

It was hot.  Like really hot.  I also was having some major discomfort in the baby area. These days I have felt like there just isn't enough room in me for the baby. I think it's growing pretty quickly and I'm not sure that my body is at the same speed.  When the baby turns, it hurts in the strangest way.  Anyway, I wasn't feeling super awesome, but once the sun went behind a cloud and the breeze picked up a little, I was much happier. The ball game itself was full of action.  Someone was arrested in the section beside us, another fan ran onto the field, and the pitcher got thrown out of the game after yelling at the umpire and throwing his coach out of the way (in order to yell more at the umpire).  It was pretty crazy.  After the game, we walked forever, stopped for some great and cheap sushi, and then walked forever again, finally got to the car and went home.  I was so flipping tired, I collapsed into bed.

Day three, we had a good old fashioned pool party, so we got some food, got some friends, and hung out on the deck and in the pool all day.  It was great.

Now, we head "up north" (wherever that is) to spend time at his parents cottage thing for the week.  I have no idea what we do there, but there will be water, so if it's too hot, I can just jump into the lake. 

One thing that I'm still not used to and not sure I ever will be is the attention I get from people because I'm pregnant.  Since I haven't seen any of these people since becoming pregnant, the attention is more prevalent than it is at home.  I don't really know how to deal with it and I'm sure I come off as snobby or distant.  I just get really uncomfortable when people coddle over me.  I'm trying not to be that way, but it's a little challenging.  I will continue to try so that I don't offend anyone, but it's not the easiest.  Oh well.

And I'm off!  Hoping to catch a little Tour de France before we leave!

Exercise Blahs

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I had to stop running.  Since then, I have done about 10 yoga poses and 40 crunches.  That's it.  I'm feeling completely un motivated to lace up my sneaks and go for a walk.  I want to run.  But I can't.

So, I need a plan.  A new, non running plan.  First, I am going to swim.  I must swim.  I will do that by going to the pool and swimming.  (There, that's a plan, right?)

Secondly, I will do at least 10 minutes of yoga every day.  I will do that by following a couple of different pre-natal podcasts.

Third, I will do a very modified version of the FitBlog AB challenge, 3000 in 35.  By no means am I going to have rock hard abs and a flat stomach, but stronger abs will help me deliver, and make me a little stronger for post baby, so I'm on board.  I'll listen well to my body and just push myself a little.  I checked it out and I know it's ok for me to do whilst knocked up.  We'll see how it goes!  Also, I just like to do whatever my big sister does.  That's what annoying little sisters are for!

So that's what I'm doing.  And I will try my best.  Help.



*I was totally going to put in a picture of a big ole belly beside that nice abs one, but after google image searching "pregnant belly", I am way too scarred so you can just imagine it.  Man there are some nasty bellies out there.  I really hope mine doesn't turn into one!

Finally

I have FINALLY found a dress to wear to an upcoming wedding.  I have probably tried on 30 dresses.  I'm not even kidding.  Today, at my second store of the day, I put this on, it wasn't too long/short/unflattering/revealing/hot/casual/dressy, so I bought it.  It happens to make my boobs look enormous, but otherwise it's the best I've found.  Thank god I can stop looking.  Now if only I could find a swimsuit.

Almost 6 months gone

That is insane.  I can NOT believe how the time has flown by.  I just can't believe it.

We saw our midwife this past week, and a few things have developed.

First, Matt has positive blood, while I have negative blood.  This means I have to get some kind of shot in order to not have my body attack any future babies to be.  I'm not really so knowledgable on the subject but I'll roll with it.

Second, my belly measured exactly the size it should be for how far along I am.  That's good, I guess? Not sure if it really matters.  I've also gained about 12 pounds so far.  I think that's alright.

Third, no more running.  I've had some pressure and pain in the under side of my belly when I've run, and she said "just stop".  I asked about the support belts, and she said "nope, stop."  Considering for most other issues, she has said "whatever feels good" or "you can try this or that" and has never been super firm on anything, I decided she meant business on this subject.  It's a bit of a bummer, but I can still walk vigorously and work out in the gym, just no high impact stuff.  I'll just have to figure it out.  The day after this verdict my cool new interactive road ID came in the mail (courtesy of my sis)!  I can't wait to use it... in months!  I'll wear it while I'm walking just for fun.

This past week was the first time I have felt any real negative pregnancy symptoms.  Sunday night I had the worst heartburn I've ever had.  I was up all night, sweating, and with acid reflux to the extreme.  I stayed home from work that day to recover and catch up on sleep, and felt fine that evening.  After I went in to work the following day, I started to feel really nauseous and funky in the stomach.  I went home (since I actually thought I was going to be sick, for the first time my whole pregnancy), and had a 3 hour nap, something I pretty much never do.  After the nap, I felt a lot better.  Over weeks 22-24, apparently the uterus moves around a bunch and it's common to have weird internal issues since all the organs have to shuffle.  I still have a lot of heartburn, but I've been taking a spoonful of apple cider vinegar every night before bed and I carry gaviscon with me in case I get anything in the day.  On Friday, I woke up with a wicked cramp.  I felt like it was my time of the month, but then I remembered that pregnant women don't have a time of the month, so I got a little worried.  I was quite uncomfortable during the drive to work, I just wanted to stop sitting.  Driving doesn't work so well in any position other than sitting, so it was a bit of an issue.  Luckily I had an event going on so I didn't have to spend my day at my desk.  When the cramp was still there after lunch, I decided to contact the midwives on their emergency pager, something that I hadn't done and was a little nervous about.  Was my issue and issue? Was it normal? I just didn't know.  After her asking me all sorts of questions and making me twist and turn and press here and there, she decided it wasn't an issue.  Because it wasn't coming and going, it wasn't a contraction. Because I could still feel the baby move, it wasn't a big sign of distress.  She gave me a few instructions and made sure I knew to call her back if it went away and came back, if it got a lot worse, or if my water broke (!!).  I'm glad I called her, since it really reassured me that it was most likely a normal pain.  She also stressed that I was right to call and that I shouldn't hesitate at all to call again.  It hurt for most of the next day as well, but it got better.

I think I'm getting to the part of pregnancy where I really FEEL it.  My back is sore, I feel pressure in my lower belly a lot, and the baby is moving around like crazy.  Sometimes I can see my belly move when it kicks.  I'm walking a little differently too.  So strange.  I'm getting a little closer to being able to picture myself with a baby, but not quite.  It still doesn't exactly seem real.  I know I've had such a great pregnancy up until now, and I can only hope things will stay the same.  I had a few blips this week, but still nothing major.

I've decided I need to start preparing myself for labour a little by reading some books.  I'm hoping to have a natural childbirth, but I know I need to learn some coping skills to get me through it.  I also think I might plan to wear my 70.3 shirt for the delivery (or the part of it when I can wear my own clothes... I don't know how long that is).  Since it's an enormous oversized cotton t-shirt that I wear to bed, it should work great for when I'm huge.  When I'm having a tough moment during labour, I can remember how much I suffered and overcame during my race and maybe I'll find some strength to overcome the pain.  Who knows.  I've borrowed a couple of books from the library and so far the first one is a whole lot of cheese and a few great tips.  It involves a lot of drawing, and I'm just not into it.  I'm glad I didn't take the class it was based on.  I think I would roll my eyes a lot.  I normally can jump in to hippy dippy things and embrace the cheese, but this one is a little much.  Hopefully the next will be a little more down to earth but still enough hippy dippy for me.

I took another iPhone picture... I don't think I'll ever get good at them.  In it you'll see my new iPhone 4 with my fancy dancy case.  I was so paranoid that I would drop it so I'm relieve to have a little more protection.  It also looks like I'm not wearing pants, but I am.

Almost 24 weeks!  6 months!

That's about it! For now anyway!

A little bit of bad luck

There has been a little bit of drama in the Brillington household these days.

First, a week ago on Sunday Matt dropped his iPhone on the sidewalk and shattered the screen.  After learning that both of us had to wait until October to get an upgrade, he decided that packing tape would do until then.  Surprisingly, despite the crazy shattering, the screen still works perfectly, so he was willing to suffer until the rumoured iPhone 5 comes out.

Matt's sad iPhone

The following Friday, I was at work working and event for work purposes and my iPhone got stolen.  It was in my pocket for 9 hours straight, and I took it out to use the washroom (so that I didn't shatter the screen like Matt did) and it got stolen.  Barf.  So I had to get a new phone.  I looked into buying a crappy phone, but I would have had to pay around $200.  Knowing that a) I would be livid every time I looked at it and b) I would just go spend the money and get an iPhone 5 when I was eligible in a few months, I decided to bite the bullet, pay to get an early upgrade and get an iPhone 4.  (I still saved significantly over buying it outright, but spent more than I wanted to.)  (Come to think of it, I didn't want to pay anything because I DIDN'T WANT TO BUY A NEW PHONE).

My new iPhone that I feel guilty for owning

So Matt has a crappy old thing that he can barely see and I have a shiny new iPhone that I have mixed emotions about.  I am happy I have a new phone, but I wish I didn't have to have it, and I wish Matt had a new phone too.  I'm also mad that someone else has my phone.  (And in case anyone was wondering, I have gone through ALL the steps I can to recover/find it, including calling it, believe it or not*)  My work is looking into it much deeper than I expected, so that's nice.  There's a chance we will be able to figure out who took it, in which case Matt can use it in the interim.  

Another little piece of drama?  Our roof is leaking.  Oh bother.  Luckily it's the condo building's fault, not ours, so we won't have to pay for any repairs.  We will have to get repairs, but at least our insurance premiums won't go up.

In other news, I'm feeling almost fit as a fiddle and I can feel the baby moving around like crazy these days!  

Taken two and a half weeks ago.  RIP old iPhone.

*This comment is in reference to a suggestion I got a day after it was stolen.  Why yes, believe it or not, I DID call it.

*And I'm saying it out of a place of love.

Unexpected Vacay

My sister wrote a great post for my grandfather recently, and you can find the whole story here.  I don't think I'd be able to say anything as well as she did so I'll leave it at that.  On Thursday my mum and I flew to Montreal to meet my sis and Jordan and the following day we drove down to Vermont.  As much as I don't really care for road trips, the drive down to Vermont is incredibly beautiful.  I was reminded the whole way that a lot of it is thanks to my Grampy who made a bill or law or something making it illegal to have billboards in the entire state of Vermont, so the lush green countryside always looks extra lush and green.

I learned a lot about him this trip, and I wasn't aware he had such an environmental focus.  He helped create the first ever "green-up day", which is a day where everyone picks up garbage and litter and leaves it in these green bags that get collected.  It happened that his funeral was on this year's green-up day, and my aunt, uncles and father had all participated in the first one many years ago.

I heard lots of stories that I had heard before, and when they were told, both around the kitchen table and at the funeral, I could hear them in my grandpas voice, who loved entertaining us with his tales from when he was younger.  I also got to read a letter he had written to my grandmother shortly after their first date.  He was working as a journalist at the time and he typed out a letter describing his weekend (washing his car,  telling her that he had a whole heap of fun and that she was real swell.  It was one of the sweetest things I had ever read.

One thing I think we all knew about my grandfather was that he loved my grandfather with all his heart.  He always wanted to make her happy, and it was clear that he just loved her to bits.  It's an inspiring thought to know that someone can love another person so much for so long.

Another nice thing about the weekend was getting to see my eastern family again, now the fourth year in a row.  I didn't figure I would get to see them again before the little bambino is born.  One of my uncles is a little grandbaby crazy I think, so he was very happy to know a little one is on the way, even if it isn't his own grandchild.  My cousins were all excited and it felt nice to know they are all there supporting us!  We took a family picture and I could just hear myself telling a little kid "that was before you were even born!"  Kind of a neat thought.

All in all, the unexpected trip to Vermont, even though it was to say goodbye to my Grampy, was very nice.  I could spend all day just sitting on my Aunt and Uncle's porch reading, listening to the wind chimes surrounded by green.  I'm glad to have gotten the chance to be there.

Office Life

Since I haven't ever worked in an office except for four months in university, these last few months have been interesting.

A few items to note:

• I'm lucky to work in such a beautiful building.  It's very light, there are lots of windows, every floor has a little kitchen, there is a Starbucks, a Sunterra Market and a gym in the building, and it's full of friendly people.
• There are ALWAYS treats.  It's either someone's birthday, some kind of campaign, someone went on a trip and brought back chocolate, or it's been easter.  Regardless, there is always something sweet around.  Luckily I can only eat about 30% of treats, otherwise my baby bump would be an all over fat fest.
• I don't like non apple computers.
• I need to pee a LOT.  I never would have noticed at home or on the plane, but since I have to lock my computer and get up from my desk to go, I feel like I go all the time.
• I'm lucky to have a pretty nice team of co-workers.  I haven't found office politics to be an issue.
• My butt hurts from sitting all day.
• I don't like having to dress nicely every day.  Actually, it's more that I don't have enough nice clothing that fits to dress nicely and not wear the same three outfits over and over.  Oye.
• The Jays wear a lot of make-up for men.  Oh wait, that's a noteworthy point from America's Next Top Model, not office life.
• I hate driving to and from work every day.  It's the worst.

And there you have it. My thoughts from the office after three months!  Is your office life like mine?

The joys of photographs

Lots of people post belly pictures on facebook when they're pregnant.  I'm not too sure that's exactly my style.  I generally don't post pictures of myself un-shirted at the best of times, so when I'm continuously getting fatter, it doesn't seem any more appealing.

BUT, I have decided to take belly pictures.  I feel like it's a way to remember the journey into motherhood. (I think that's the cheesiest sentence I've ever written.)  I'm also trying to keep a little journal that I will eventually give my child, just like my parents did, but I'm finding it a little tough.  I don't know what to call myself, and the one time I wrote "your mum", I felt like I was talking about my own mother, not me.  I also have a hard time knowing exactly what to write, and I don't want to be too cheesy like my dad was! (He's just so emotional!)  I just blather on like an idiot for a page or two and hope for the best, really.

Back to the belly pictures.  They are WAY harder to take than you might think.  First, taking them after a haircut you hate is terrible.  Exhibit A:

Bangs belly pic (5 weeks)

Taking them when there are two people laughing at you, and one of them is saying "stop sucking in!" isn't much fun either.  Exhibit B:

I'm NOT SUCKING IN! (10.5 weeks?)

Taking them yourself is pretty much impossible.  Exhibit C:  (ps: HELLO baby bump!  Nice of you to make an appearance!)

DIY belly Pic (13.5 weeks)

Having someone take one of you with you iPhone at a race seemed to work ok!  (And this was one day after the previous picture.  Maybe the all black had it's slimming effect on me!)  Exhibit D:  

Too bad I'm not facing the other way!  (13.5 weeks)

The next impossible thing is having your loved one take a picture after you've been crying over nothing.  (For example, why isn't there any more cereal?!?!?!??!.  It happens more often than I'd like to admit).  Also, telling him that he's terrible at taking pictures and then pretending to smile doesn't work well either.  Exhibit E:  

I think I'm thinking "kill me you now!  (14.5 weeks)

Then, taking one right after a workout really just isn't flattering, if you can call any picture where you pull up your shirt and stick out your belly flattering.  Also, can you believe this is three days after the first one?  I think I may have just eaten, but still, I feel like I'm growing every hour!!!!  Back to the pictures.  Exhibit F:

I need more concealer.  (15 weeks)

Common themes?  Pimples.  Oh god, the pimples.  Also, I hate taking belly pics.  Hopefully we can get this down to a science before the baby comes.  Otherwise, it will be an album of pictures I would like to burn.  Oh, and now I'm sharing them with the internet.

Oh, and I will definitely take an "after" picture of my tattoo.  I REALLLLLLLY hope it's still pretty leaves and not giant blob leaves.

Soooooo......

So lots has happened in my life recently.

I stopped liking Reece's Peanut Butter Cups or anything related to them, which is a tragedy.

My love for strawberry milkshakes has been rekindled.

My running pace has dropped like a hot potato.

And I'm pregnant.

Woah.

I'm pretty excited, scared, nervous, and all the other feelings that go along with having another human growing in you.  Speaking of feelings, there are lots of them, all the time.

Luckily I wasn't sick at all during the first three months, just very tired all the time.  I also drastically reduced my caffeine intake (from two a day to less than one a week), but since reaching the second trimester, I've allowed myself one small one a day or so.

I'm still running, but not quite as much as before.  I'm keeping under a certain heart rate (as directed by my doctor) so my pace is dictated by it.  I ran "the baby's first race" last Sunday and it was very hard to keep it casual and not "race".  We had fun, but it was a struggle to cross the finish line a good 11 minutes slower than I did last year at the same race.

Baby's first 10 km!

I'm also not flying anymore, instead I'm working in the office for a great team that puts on events.  Unfortunately, my job isn't as glamourous as event planning, and more about printing labels and stuffing envelopes.  BUT, I get to be safe and sound and get a good night's sleep in my own bed every night.  I'm thankful that I get to put my semi-risky job on hold and get to do other duties and still get paid!

What else?  I'm having a hard time finding maternity clothes that don't make me look like a doily.  I'm also consumed with the decision of whether to buy an infant car seat or a convertible car seat, don't ask me why.  I'm also avoiding thinking about transforming my second bedroom aka the place where we store EVERYTHING into a baby's room.  I can't even think of where to begin.

So that's that!