The Cramping is Creeping up MORE!!!

Well ladies......the cramping is getting MORE and MORE intense and way more frequent!!!

I am really in the home stretch now-my body is telling me. I've been feeling contractions a lot more recently-mainly in the evenings; however, I felt them quite strong this AM when I woke up.

Dennard keeps telling me "Time them Sweets!!! Time them!!!" lol

Last night I had to strongest of contractions to date. I was dropping home a lady from church after Sunday PM Bible Study and we were chatting in my car outside of her home. Roughly 15mins into our conversation WHAM!!!! I was hit with a very strong, longgggg contraction.

The pain was so intense, yet I didn't want to let on.  I politely kept my attention on her as normal as she continued talking; however, to keep my composure and focus the pain somewhere else, I dug my nails deep into my steering wheel. The stronger the pain got, the deeper my nails dug into the steering wheel. lol

It was quite intense! It lasted a good minute or so and soon passed-much to my relief!!

Tonight after work I experienced a few more contractions, but they were dull and tolerable. Later on this evening as I was doing some church book keeping in the living room and I was hit with another contraction, but this one was strong and even longer than yesterday. The intensity wasn't as bad, but the duration was much longer-roughly 2-3 minutes.

I just stopped what I was doing and waited for the pain to leave; however, Dennard, sitting across on the other side of the couch saw in my face that I was feeling pain and discomfort. He leaped off of the couch and began to rub my back :-) It was very sweet and much appreciated on my end. The pain was bearable; however, he wanted to come to my aid to help.

The prenatal classes really helped him understand what we as woman go through during this time and how the husband can be of assistance and support.

After rubbing my back for a few seconds he then demanded that I stand up so I could rest on him like we learned in prenatal class. It was so funny! lol I wasn't in labour; however, he was treating it as if I was. To humor him, I went along with it. lol   I just couldn't bare to tell him I would be ok....I just allowed him to do what he felt was best until the pain subsided. lol

Seeing him interact with me during these early stages gives me a small glimpse of what to expect come the 'real deal' in the hospital. If he is even half of what he has been to and for me when the time comes, I will be luckiest pregnant woman in the world :-)

Below is a picture I took Friday night after work. I love this picture. It's a picture of Dennard sitting in the backseat of our new car with all of our church equipment and baby seat packed in.  Dennard and I debated back and forth about any extra room in the backseat to fit an extra person. He was adamant someone could squeeze in the middle between the baby seat and the end of the piano . He jammed himself in like a sardine in a tight can. It was hilarious!!! Unfortunately, there was NO room- as I had thought! lol I couldn't resist but snap a shot of him stuck in the car. I laughed hysterically as he literally could not move or get out. It took me a few attempts to get a clear picture because I was laughing so hard I couldn't keep my hand still.

Here is a picture of my car seat. I LOVE it!!! :-) I picked it up from Babies R Us last Thursday when I started to feel the contractions increasing. I didn't want to take any chances of going into labour earlier than the 15th and not having anything to bring my baby home in. I have quite the story about how I was able to get this car seat, but I'll save it for another blog entry! lol Let's just say, God worked a miracle for me-literally!!!

Still hanging on!! 37 Weeks Pregnant

Hurray!! I made it through the weekend :-) I am 37 weeks!! Little Sweets is officially 'full term'.

Friday at work some of my coworkers and my boss were saying their good-byes to me- they thought I might go into labour this weekend due to all my cramping and coughing (lol). Glory to God and thanks be to the power of prayer, I am still hanging on!!! My goal date is June 30th. If I can at least make it to my baby shower, I am a happy camper :-) lol
At 37 weeks, Little Sweets weighs close to 6lbs, 20z and is roughly 19" in length. My mom thinks the baby will be 21" long when he/she is born. With Dennard and myself both being quite tall, our baby is bound to inherit our height.

Unfortunately, I am still fighting this nasty cold :-( My nose is forever congested and my chest cough has become more deep. I feel drainned most of the day as my cold is keeping me up during the night. Friday I went to bed with a splitting headache and last night (Saturday) I went to bed horribly congested with a dull headache.

I am praying this cold will soon pass as this is the most crucial time in my pregnancy when I need the most rest. I need to get as much sleep as possible to prepare for labour and sleepless nights feeding the baby.

Yesterday, I had my mom and two sisters over for brunch. Over croissants, hummus, naan chips, strawberries and sparkling non-alcoholic wine, we toasted Little Sweets and enjoyed the afternoon together. I showed them Little Sweets new room and all the precious things I have washed and put away for his/her soon arrival :-)
After brunch, Cheryl and I headed to Square One to do a little window shopping. Roughly 1/2 way into our shopping, my feet were BEYOND killing me. It got to the point where I couldn't even stand anymore. The pain was intense-as if someone had beaten my feet with a baseball bat!!!  Cheryl kindly offered to switch her shoes for mine in hopes that her cream sandals would be a bit more comfortable. Fortunately for me, they were far more comfortable; however, unfortunately for her, my black sparkle sandals didn't go so well with her cream and soft pink skirt. lol

We got quite the chuckle out of her new look! lol She was a trooper to sacrifice her fashion sense for me and for my comfort! lol 

During brunch in the AM, Jenn took some amazing pictures of Dennard, myself and Little Sweets with her new iPad. I absolutely LOVE the pictures she took. We did a few treatments to the pics to make them look professional. I have attached some of them below for you all to see.

Here is Daddy, myself and Little Sweets at 37 weeks:

3.5 weeks to go and sick with a cold :-(

I've spent the day today on my couch trying to nurse a nasty cold I caught at work this week :-(

I haven't been sick this entire pregnancy, aside from the bizarre flu type bug I had that put me in the hospital a few months ago.

I haven't had a cough, a sore throat , etc. I have done very well in keeping healthy and staying away from sicknesses......that is....until now!!!

My husband has been very cautious and considerate not to pick up any viruses and sicknesses from work to bring home to me throughout my pregnancy as well. He has been really great about that.

Unfortunately, with only 3.5 weeks (or less) to go, I caught a cold. My throat has been sore and scratchy and I have a chest cough. I was up most of the night last night tossing and turning because of hot flashes from having this cold and because of my sore and itchy throat. The cough came on around 5am this morning.

Since I can't take anything to dull the cough or sooth my throat, I've been stuck with only bed rest, orange juice, soup and tic tacs to help get me through.  And let me tell you...the tic tacs have done nothing to help with my throat. lol

I can't take Halls, Fisherman's Friend, etc. for my throat as they are all contain menthol, which is not safe for my little one.

I was up at 5:30am making chicken soup in hopes it would sooth my cough and throat. I wasn't able to get much sleep today as every time I layed down, I'd either get cramping or pain in my hip.

The coughing has caused a bit of concern for me as it has brought on more cramping. I am just praying I dont cough myself into early labour!!! My coworker coughed herself into early labour a month before her daughters due date two months ago :-S

In anycase, my sweetheart just came home from work now with a box of chocolate drumsticks for me and Little Sweets :-) He said "the baby and I deserved a treat". hee hee

Maybe these will help a bit :-)

Last Prenatal Class :-(

Well, it was a bittersweet farewell tonight :-( We had our last prenatal class.

I was hoping to get to class a bit early tonight so that I could chit chat with some of the couples before class started, but I ended up falling asleep on the couch after dinner and waking up in just enough time to get dress and race to class.

Dennard was meeting me at class tonight, so I didn't have anyone watching the clock for me.

In anycase, I got to class only 5mins late (fewfh) to find Dennard and one other couple in the class. lol Everyone was running a bit late tonight I guess.

Unfortunately, two couples didn't end up showing tonight, so we didn't have our regular full class.

Tonight the main focus of the class was bringing the baby home and baby care. Ie. How the baby will look after birth, how to properly secure the baby seat in the car, how to wash and care for the baby, what to look out for, etc.

Class ended 1/2 hour early; however, our instructor set up a few stations for us to practice diaper changing, bathing the baby, etc. Dennard and I ended up chatting with the other couples as oppose to trying out the various stations, lol; however, I believe that we will have plentttttty of hands on experience learning and doing what was set up at the stations once the baby arrives.

Before everyone left, I asked our instructor to take a picture of the group for my memory book and blog. Here is a picture of our class :-)  (minus two couples)

We became close with the couple in the yellow shirt and the couple in the purple dress. We shared a lot of laughs together over the last 7 weeks :-) I exchanged contact information with the girl in the yellow shirt; her name is Alicia. I found out tonight she is a photographer!! We are thinking about hiring her to do our baby pics once Little Sweets arrives. I saw a few of the pics she has taken of babies, couples, etc. and they were beautiful!!!! I told her she can come over one afternoon with her baby once he/she is born and we can exchange stories.

She is due July 25th-10 days after Little Sweets :-)

Anyhow, tonight was a sad night for me. As mentioned a few times in earlier posts, I have really enjoyed these classes.Now that these classes are over, it's just another reality that pregnancy is coming to a fast end. However, on the positive, it's just another reality that my precious one will soon be here!!!! Hurray!!!!

I will forever look back and remember these classes with fond memories. Memories and laughs Dennard and I will forever be able to reflect and look back on :-)

A special email from 'daddy'
Today I received a special email from 'daddy' at work today. It read "I can't wait to hold my beautiful child".  Daddy is just as excited and anxious to meet Little Sweets as I am. I have a feeling we will be fighting over who can hold the baby next, who will rock him/her to sleep, etc.!!!! LOL

Dennard without  question will be  a very hands on and involved dad. I just know that by seeing how he is with me and how he talks about the baby. He has already started banking time at work so that he can take off a week of work when the baby is born and a few days every month until Christmas to spend with me and the baby. He has even booked two weeks off at Christmas so we can spend some more time as a family. He said "I don't want to miss anything in our child's life and development. I want to be there to witness it too!!".

He is going to be an incredible daddy to Little Sweets!! xox

First Father's Day!! (36 Weeks Pregnant)

Happy Father's Day! Today I am 36 weeks pregnant :-)

At this stage, Little Sweets is gaining roughly 28g of weight everyday. He/she weighs roughly 6lbs (the size of a very large yellow melon) and is 18.5" in length.

At the end of this week the baby will be 'full term'- Hurray!!! A baby born before 37 weeks is considered 'premature', a baby born between 37 and 42 weeks is considered 'full term' and a baby born afer 42 weeks is considered 'post-term'.

Today was Dennard's first Father's Day. I was so excited for him!! In the AM before church I gave him a great big hug and kiss and wished him a Happy Father's Day on behalf of Little Sweets :-) With a shy face and a big ear to ear smile, he said "Thanks!!!". It was very cute!

He was also blessed by a bunch of Father's Day texts this AM from some of his friends and family-he really appreciated that!

We had a special Father's Day tribute for all the daddy's at church this morning. I called all the father's up to the front and read two beautiful Father's Day poems ("Walk a Little Slower Daddy" and "My Daddy is a Christian"). Before presenting each father with their gift, I read the scripture I had included with each gift (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

We had more daddy's than what we had known/expected, so we were short gifts :-S Dennard was sweet enough to forfit his gift to bless another one of the dads. I felt horrible that he didn't get a gift with the rest of the father's, but I had another gift from Little Sweets waiting for him at home :-)

I have included a picture of Dennard and the other father's in the church below:-)

(From left to right: James, Fred, Louie, Volton, Rochdelle & Dennard)

I was planning on taking Dennard out for a Father's Day brunch after the morning service, but there were two guys in the church who were open to fellowship, so I encouraged Dennard to hang out with them. We could always do our brunch another time :-)

This evening after Sunday PM Bible Study, back at our home, I presented Dennard with his first Father's Day gift- a picture frame that reads "I Love My Daddy".

Dennard may hate taking pictures, but he really appreciates and enjoys looking back on them. With that in mind, I thought a picture frame to hold a picture of him and the baby for his office desk would be a nice idea.

Here is a picture of the proud daddy of Little Sweets holding his first Father's Day gift!!!

(with a white dad and child in the frame!!! lol Too funny!!!) I cant wait to put a picture of Dennard and the baby in this frame!

Date Night :-)

Last night (Friday) Dennard and myself had a 'date night'. There wont be many opportunities for 'date night' over the next little while as any and all of our outings for the next few months will include a third person; our Little Sweets!! hee hee

In anycase, last night was just about the two of us :-) No baby talk, no financial talk, no 'to do' list talk, etc. It was a night about 'Dennard and Devin'. Church talk of course creeped in, as it always does, lol, but we didn`t get carried away.

It was a beautiful night. The weather was fantastic and the mood for romance was in the air!

Before dinner, Dennard spent some time outreaching as I treated myself to a manicure :-)

After meeting back at the house, we quickly changed our clothes and decided to go to the Mandarin for dinner.

After dinner we decided to pop by my dad`s house for a bit to see how his recovery was going since being released from the hospital the day prior.

What was suppose to be a quick in and out, turned out to be a 3 hour visit and the two of us falling asleep on my dad`s couch! lol

We were hoping to have a brief visit with my dad and then head back home for a nice walk around our neighbourhood; however, we got caught up in the hype of the tight rope walker over Niagara Falls live on the news.

Dennard was the first to fall asleep; however, I was soon to follow. My poor dad was left there watching the action alone! lol We stayed awake long enough to see the man walk to wire and land safely on the other side, but once the excitement was over, we both crashed!

My dad snuck a picture of the two of us sleeping which I will post once he sends it to me.  A cute picture for us to look back on :-)

The absolute exhaustion I felt dragging my feet to our car afterwards was a wake-up call to the exhaustion I will soon be facing when Little Sweets arrives. I couldn`t help but think about the extreme exhaustion I will feel some days with no hope for rest or sleep. I hope those days will be few and far between as I have been praying for a `good sleeper` with Little Sweets. lol

Here is a picture of me at 35 weeks outside of the Mandarin on our `date night`.

Today, Saturday June 16th, Dennard and myself had our maternity photos. We hired a photographer to come to the home and take maternity pictures of us. We had pictures taken inside the house and outside by our garden. She took 300 pictures of us in various poses and outfits. I am anxious to see how the pictures turned out; however, I will have two wait a week or two before we can view anything.

I have to give credit to Dennard for being such a sport and being so patient. He HATES getting pictures taken; however, he was a real trooper today. He smiled and did everything he was asked for the full two hours the photographer was there.

I will post some of the pictures from our session today once I can get my hands on them :-)

Ready for Launch!!! lol

This AM I had my regular OB appointment. I will be going every Friday now as oppose to every other Friday.

Tomorrow I will be 36 weeks!!!! 4 weeks left to go- OR LESS!!!

I see one of eight doctors each OB appointment;  today I had Dr.Corbey again. She walked in and said "Wow-you look great! How do you feel?". Enthusiastically I said "Fantastic!!!!!!  I have NO complaints!!!".

I have been feeling incredible; aside from the cramping on and off.

I layed down on the bed and she checked the size of my tummy and the baby's heart beat-all routine procedures. The heart beat was 160 today. Big jump from my last OB appointment two weeks ago when the heart beat was 144. I said "Wow! That's high isn't it?". She said "Nope- it's totally normal".

As she felt around my tummy and lower abdomen, a shocked look overcame her face as she said "Oh...the baby is VERY low!!! The baby's ready!!".  I smiled and said "Ohhh yes!!! I know!!! I've been feeling a ton of pressure and cramping".

I asked her if the lowness and cramping meant I would go early. She smiled and said "Well....I don't see you making it until your due date. You'll probably go early."

Excited, yet nervous at the same time (as I want this baby in my tummy for the full term) I said "How early is early?". She said "Ummm, it could technically be any time. You could go in three days, one week, two weeks or even up until full term. There really is no way of knowing."

My eyes literally popped out of my head.!! lol 3 DAYS?!?!? That's way too early!!! Even one week from now is still too early?!

I don't finish work until the 29th, my shower is on the 30th and the baby isn't suppose to come until a month from now (July 15th). Yikes!!!!

I can handle a week before my due date, but no earlier. There is a reason why God has it that a baby is to stay in his/her mommy's womb for 9 months- I do not want that to be cut short!

After feeling around my tummy a little more, Dr.Corbey said that the baby seems to be a really good size; not too big and not too small. She 'guesstimates' the birth weight to be 7lbs-5oz. It's funny that she said that as I guessed a 7lbs baby as well.  We will soon see :-)

Soooo, to sum up my OB appointment today, the baby is 'ready for launch'! lol

I called Dennard on my way back to the office and told him the exciting news. I said "Babe...you're going to have to stay by your phone a lot more now!!! The doctor said the baby could come anytime now-the baby is fully engaged!!". I explained the rest of what the doctor had told me and he started to laugh. He said "My heart just dropped like a bowling ball!!".

Through laughter, I asked him why his heart dropped. He said that it just became REAL that the baby is coming!!!!!!!!!! lol 

I called my mom, dad and sisters after. I like to update them on each OB appointment to let them know how Little Sweets is doing :-)

Cheryl started to explain to me the special moment when the baby is born and when he/she will look into my eyes. How they will know and become familiar with my scent and my face and know right away that I am his/her mommy. As she was explaining all of this to me, my eyes filled with a pool of tears. I began to play out everything she was saying in my head and picturing that wonderful moment when I see my child for the first time!!!

Funny Story
After making my rounds of calls on the way back to the office, I called Dennard one final time before going into work to ask him a question. The phone rang twice and he picked up without a 'hello' but a 'I am on my way!!!'. lol We both broke into a hysterics of laughter!!!!! I said "No, no babe...not yet!!!". lol He was joking, but it was still so funny!!!

I stopped off at the mall really quickly after my appointment and my phone accidentally dialed Dennard. When I saw it was calling him, I hung up immediately. Within seconds, I get a call on my phone with the caller ID 'Dennard'. I picked up and said it's ok sweets...my phone dialed you accidentally. I am alright!!". Reassured he said "ok!" an hung up. lol

Poor guy, I am sure that every time I call him between now and July 15th he'll be paranoid that the call is 'THE CALL!!!'- lol

My Support :-)

I had to write this in my blog to one day look back and reflect on because it was just too cute!!

Yesterday on my way to visit my dad in the hospital (he had minor surgery) I was on the phone with Dennard. I was experiencing, yet again, another bout of bad cramping.
(I had the worst cramping to date on Tuesday night after prenatal class. It lasted quite some time as was very strong)

Ever since Tuesday, I've experiencing cramping on and off throughout my day and evenings. They always seen to get more intense in the evenings for some reason though; not quite sure why?

Anyhow, I was talking to Dennard about the cramping and he said to me:

"Not to worry sweets! The cramping is completely normal. They are going to get worse closer to the baby's due date. Is it cramping you feel or contractions? Make sure you know the difference! You need to be making a mental note of the intensity of the pain and if it increases. If it starts to increase, make sure you start to time the cramps because it could be early contractions. If it is, then we need to time them and see how far apart they are....etc"

It was the absolute cutest thing to hear! I was smiling and giggling on the phone when he was talking. He sounded like a doctor with all his medical talk!!! lol
He heard me giggling and said "are you laughing at me?". I couldn't help but tell him how sweet I thought it was that he knew all of this!!! He laughed. I could hear him smiling grin to grin on the other end of the phone :-)

He said that the prenatal classes really helped him. He said "I learned A LOT in our prenatal classes! I would have never have known about the cramping/contraction thing and timing how far apart they are, or what labour really is or what I can do to help you when in labour. These classes really helped me. " That just melted my heart.

I am a softy to begin with, lol, but to hear him say that just melted my heart even more. He said to me over dinner last night too, out of the blue, just how much he enjoyed Tuesday's 'Daddy & Me' class.  Awwwwh!! :-)  hee hee  I think he's going to miss our classes just as much as me; however, he wont admit it! lol

Dennard has retained more in these classes than I ever thought or imagined he would. There are things he has caught in some of the classes that I missed :-O  lol 

He has been more than a support to me this entire pregnancy. I can't speak highly enough about him; really!!!  He has been so encouraging, supportive, loving, caring and sensitive. He has been more than I could have ever expected or wanted when I found out we were expecting!

I am so privileged to have him as the daddy of my precious little one!!!!! I don't know who's luckier; me to have him as my husband or my child to have him as their daddy :)

'Daddy & Me' Prenatal Class

Tonight was "daddy's night" at our prenatal class :-)

As oppose to learning about labour and delivery, breast feeding, postpartum, etc.(all mommy topics) tonight was all about the daddy's! I really enjoyed this night.

The class focused on three major topics in which daddy's play a huge part, and their role/signifigance in their child's life:
1. Security
2. Stimulation
3. ??? (baby brain....lol...i dont remember the third topic of discussion!!!lol I'll have to ask Dennard when he gets home)

We had a guest 'daddy' speaker in tonight who discussed what it meant to him to be a dad, some of the worries and challenges he faced, how he was able to be the dad he wanted to be to his two children, etc.

He was VERY long winded, lol, but a really nice, well informed and educated man.

He spoke to us for the first hour, we had a 10min break and then we were divided into two groups: mommy's inside the class room and daddy's outside.

The guest speaker took the daddy's outside to discuss some of their fears, concerns, wants, hopes, dreams, etc. of being a daddy. We were asked similar questions; however, our questions were catered more to 'what does the word DAD mean to you?'  'what about your parents do you admire and hope to do and pass down to your child'  'what are some of your concerns about being a parent'........

The daddy's were brought back in and we compared our questions and answers together as a group.

Dennard and I took separate cars tonight as he was planning on skipping out 15mins early to catch a basketball game he really wanted to see; however, he decided to stay until the end :-)

When I saw him walk back into the room with the other daddy's, I leaned over and asked him "what about your game? I thought you were going to skip out early?". He smiled and said "Nah...I am going to stay a bit longer". I chuckled and said "you liked the discussion out there and you want to see the comparison of our answers don't you?!!". He smiled and said "Ya!". lol It was really very cute.

He faithfully stayed until the end; however, he was getting restless come 9pm when the class was suppose to end b/c the guest speaker would not stop talking!! In fact, we were all getting restless and wanted to go home. I kept whispering to him "go sweets...skip out now!!"; however, he remained until the end.

There was one answer Dennard put on the board that I thought was beautiful. The question was "what about your parents do you admire and hope to do and pass down to your child?". He put "faithfulness and fidelity in the marriage".   I loved his answer!!! One thing Dennard really respects about his parents is that they have stuck it out and remained faithful to each other all these years.

In a world of broken families, one month marriages and people that deem marriage as another 'piece of paper' or something to be taken lightly, his parents commitment to each other spoke volumes to him growing up as a kid and even now in his early 30's. 

It's something that Dennard has expressed to me that is very important to him for us to live out and pass down to our children.

Sadly, next week is our last prenatal class :-( I am so bummed out about that!!! I am really going to miss these classes and seeing the regular faces each week. I plan on making all the mommy's a little care package and giving it to them at the end of class next week.  Nothing too big, but just a little gift to bless them and make them feel special.

I'll let you know next week what I decided to put in the care packages :-)

35 Weeks Pregnant! BIG Belly Woman now!!! lol

I am 35 weeks pregnant!!!!!! 5 more weeks to go!!! Time realllllllllly flys!!

I was talking to a girl at church today about how fast time flys.  She was saying that it felt like I JUST announced our pregnancy to the church yesterday; she too can't believe how fast my pregnancy has gone.

I am excited, yet sad at the same time at how fast time has gone by :-( I have really loved being pregnant and have loved having this bonding time with just me and the baby; however, I am anxious to see and hold my little one and know what gender they are, what their personality is like, who they look like, etc.

Little Sweets, now at 35 weeks, weighs 5lbs-4oz (about the same size as a honeydew melon) and measures 18" in length from head to toe. Soon, as the walls of my uterus and belly stretch thinner and lets more light in, the baby will begin to develop daily activity cycles. Crazy eh!!

Little Sweets kidneys are fully developed now and his/her liver can process waste. Basic physical development is now mostly complete. The baby's main job over the next few weeks is to put on more weight; weight for daddy and I to hold and squeeze and kiss :-)

Well ladies, I am officially a 'big belly woman' now-lol.  My tummy has doubled in size this last week! It's crazy!!
People have been telling me for weeks that my tummy will double in size in my last month, and boy were they right! I hardy recognize myself anymore! lol

I love my growing tummy though! Seeing my growing tummy means by baby is growing :-)

Last night I had a pretty rough sleep. I woke up several times in the night for no reason and just could not go back to sleep. I wasn't uncomfortable or too hot; I just couldn't sleep. At one point in the night Dennard woke up and said "You're not sleeping are you?". I don't know how he knew as I was lying very still, but he did. I said "Yes, I just cant seem to fall back to sleep?". He responded "I thought so!".

Funny how when you've been married to someone long enough (5 years this August), they tend to know you more than you think.

I was finally able to fall back to sleep around 6-7am; however, I had to be up at 7:45am for church :-S   Dennard was sweet enough to let me sleep in until 8:15am. He knew I didn't get much sleep and wanted me to get as much rest as possible.  I was so grateful for that extra 1/2hour of sleep!!

Today after morning service one of the girls in my church and myself went flower shopping for my garden. The heat was almost unbearable-30+ degrees! She pushed the cart for me as we discussed what flowers to pick up; however, come 10mins into flower shopping I started to feel sick to my stomach. I think it was a mixture of too much heat exposure and my baby telling me it was lunch time.

I couldn't check out and get into my air conditioned car fast enough. It took me half the car ride home from Etobicoke to Brampton to officially cool off.

Below is a picture of me and Little Sweets that Dennard took tonight before Bible Study in front of our home. I didn't realize how BIG my tummy looked until I saw this picture. I nearly feel off my chair!! LOL I said " Sweets....I look HUGE!!".

He responded "Your not huge, your belly is just big...and what do you expect- your pregnant!!!!". LOL



Cute storyAs you all know, I've been experiancing more consistant braxton hicks and cramping the last two weeks. In fact, I feel a bit of cramping right now as I write this entry and lots of baby shifting and movement.
In anycase, Saturday morning I mentioned to Dennard that I was having really bad cramping and back ache. He said "Oh...hold on...I know what to do!". He walked over, put his arms around me in a bear hug embrace, placed my head on his chest and started to rub my back. He said "See....I learned this in prenatal class". LOL It was so cute!!!

Ps. He has been totally infatuated by Rubi's little one Moriah latley. He'll bring her up in random conversations about how well behaved she is, how cute she is, how sweet her little face is, etc. It melts my heart seeing how much this little girl has won his heart and she doesn't even belong to him. lol I can't help but think how much more so his heart will be won to our Little Sweets :-)

What's YOUR Guess?

Ok ladies...it's time to vote :-)

I am in the last stretch of my pregnancy, so its time to run a poll of what each of you think Little Sweets is; boy or girl, and when you think the due date will be!!

My boss told me today that she is running a poll in my department to see when and what everyone thinks we are having! I thought it would be neat to do the same thing, but on my blog.

I am excited to see what all your votes are. So what's YOUR guess?

Don't be shy now....the more who reply, the more fun it will be to go back and see who was closest or right!

My expected due date is Sunday July 15th.

Good Luck and Happy Guessing :-)

"Enough is Enough"

Last night after work I came home, did a bit of house work (for 4hrs-I honestly love to clean so much I don't realize how fast time flys!)  made dinner, cleaned up dinner and was able to have some time in the night to kick back and relax with my hubby before bed :-)

I've been so busy the last week I haven't been able to keep up with my house work like I like to, so last night was a 'catch-up' night. Most of my readers know me quite well and know that cleaning for me is not a task or chore, but a joy and relaxation for me- as sick as that may sound to some! Cleaning is a way for me to unwind; I actually look forward to free evenings or weekend afternoons when I can clean. I get a lot of thinking and planning done in my head when I clean. I go into a 'zone'. lol

When my house is clean, I feel a sense of "ahhhh...I can relax and tackle the really dirty jobs in life!" lol
I feel I am more productive and motivated when my house is clean and organized.

Believe it or not, one of my first words as a child was "mess". lol
I have had a love for cleaning ever since I was very young (and have prayed that our child too will love to clean just as much and help mommy out with the house and church! hee hee)

Being pregnant, I still do just as much, if not more now, between balancing work, home life, church, my marriage, relationships/friendships, family, the baby, etc.  The only thing, if anything, that has tried to slow me down latley, it's my FEET!

Yup, you read right! You'd think it would be my back or being out of breath from carrying the extra weight or even feeling tired faster, but nope....it's my feet. They've been rebelling!!

As mentioned in a previous blog, my feet seem to hurt all day, every day now, but last night I pushed my feet to their limit!

It wasn't until I took my shower and climbed into bed last night that I realized how incredibly SORE my feet were. The pain hit me as soon as I lifted them off the floor into the bed.  I looked at them and they were red and swollen and SCREAMING to be tended too. They have never hurt so badly-ever!

Since I was on my feet all day and then on my feet for another 4hours cleaning, come the end of the evening my feet said "enough is enough" and checked out and put up a "closed" sign for the day. lol

Dennard tired to massage them for me, but the pain was so intense even the massage didn't help :-(  His hands were getting tired and sore and my feet were still in just as much pain.

The baby wasn't going for the massage either as he/she was kicking and punching up a storm every time Dennard  rubbed my foot. It came to the point where I said "Ok...this is not working! My feet are still in intense pain and now the baby's upset!!". LOL

At one point the baby pushed his/her foot really hard against the right side of my tummy as if to say "my foot next please" or "stop the madness...I can't rest with all the massaging!". lol

Long story short, I feel asleep with throbbing feet :-( They still hurt today, but it's manageable.

I'd pay big money right now for someone to just spend an hour massaging my feet and legs. If there is anyone out there who wants to volunteer, you have my cell number!!! LOL Just Kidding!

Prental Class #5- Postpartum Embarassment

This evening we had our fifth prenatal class. Sadly, just two more classes to go!! :-(

I have really enjoyed these classes. I can't say I've learned much in them as I seem to have learned much of what is taught by watching my sisters and friends with their babies; and asking lots of questions along the way :-)

I have however thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship with the other mommy and daddy couples and the whole 'experiance' of the prenatal classes overall. It has been a lot of fun; something I look forward to each week. I would highly recommend any new mommy and daddy take these classes.

Tonight we learned about breastfeeding and postpartum depression. The breastfeeding segment I found rather interesting; however, I wish the classes we more interactive. I have friends who had classes where they got to practice lamaze breathing, try out proper baby positions with a doll for breastfeeding, etc. In my class, we are more 'taught' on what to do as oppose to test and trial.

Anyhow, in these classes, if Dennard has a question, he is usually too shy to ask on his own.  He usually nudges me, whispers his question to me and then says 'ask that!'-lol. 

It's rather funny to watch us. We are always whispering and giggling; which I am sure can be a distraction and annoyance to some in the class at times :-S  lol

When it came to the teachings on postpartum depression before and after child birth, Dennard seemed to perk up! Dennard feels postpartum depression is somewhat in 'the mind' and 'emotions' of a woman and can be controlled-to some extent. He feels that many woman just use "postpartum" as an excuse for their own uncontrolled emotions and that doctors are so quick to label someone with a sickness or disorder before really looking into each case. He is right!
So, to try and see where our teacher stands and what she believes re: this depression,  he asked a billion questions! His hand was up in the air more than it was down-lol
To make a long story short, his questions more or less came across like he was enquiring on the depression because it's something "I" struggle with currently. LOL

With each question and comment, my face went more red. I looked at my teachers face to find a face of "understanding" and "sympathy ". I thought "Oh gosh....she and the rest of this class probably think I am suffering from pre-postpartum depression!!!".

A little embarrassed, I said out loud after Dennard's last comment "are there pills that can be given to help with postpartum?... I laughed and said "I don't have any of those symptoms for the depression just to let you know!".

The whole class broke out in laughter, including Dennard! He said "Oh...no,no...I am not asking for her...I am just asking in general!". The whole class was in a roar of laughter; including myself!

We had quite the laugh on the way to the car. This is a class I will not forget, nor will Dennard! lol 

Next weeks lesson is "Daddy and Me".  I am looking forward to it. It's all about how dad's can take care and bond with their baby's :-)

Fun Facts About my Pregnancy at 34 Weeks :-)

Not too much has changed since my first "Fun Facts" blog, but here are a few new facts to add to the list; now being 34 weeks pregnant :-)

1. I have officially developed a pregnancy belly line! This is the faint tan line that runs from below my chest bone, through my belly button to the bottom of my tummy. I started to notice this line very faintly a few weeks ago, but now it's very apparent! lol I've been reassured it will go away once the baby is born-fewfh!

2. I still crave fruit, fruit and more fruit!! My love for gala apples hasn't really changed; however, I can get by without an apple as long as I have a ton of other fruit in my day

3. The baby loves "Fruit Source" snacks. It's an all fruit/veggie bar that Dennard buys for me to eat on my way into work each morning. The baby loves to dance around when I eat one of these!

4. For the last month I have been craving sweets! It doesn't help that the girls in my Department have set up a little candy station by our desks loaded with gummy bears, sour worms, etc. We recently had to hide the candy in one of the girls desks b/c we were all tapping into the candy too much! lol I would treat myself to 2-3 worms a day- which is more sugar than Little Sweets is use to!

5. I still love milk, but don't crave it like I use to

6. My feet seem to always be sore now. From the second I step out of bed in the AM to when I lay down for bed at the end of the day. They aren't swollen, just sore. I find I am more comfortable in a small heel than in flats believe it or not. Unfortunately, I don't own many small heel shoes; I am a 3-4" heel girl!! lol The higher the better! All the shoes I own have the big heels.

7. I am up a few times a night turning myself over and over and over again due to numbness and pain in my hip or leg from laying on one side too long. I really miss sleeping on my back :-(

8. I am still just as active and as alert and alive as I've always been. I haven't really felt overly tired or exhausted. Yay me!!

9. I have thoroughly enjoyed not having to shave my legs everyday! lol Since being pregnant, my leg hair growth has been VERY slow :-) Whoo hoo!!! I can go days without having any trace of hair!

10. I suffered from really bad pregnancy acne in my 4th and 5th months; however, it has been getting better the further along in my pregnancy I get. HUGE relief! lol

11. I am still in love with Second Cup Italian Soda's (strawberry passion fruit to be specific). I still love strawberry daiquiris, but I don't crave them anymore

12. My nails take forever to grow; and when they do grow, they are weak

13. My hair has been growing very fast in my pregnancy :-) Was hoping it would be nice and long for my shower, but I don't think that will happen! lol I still have quite a few more inches to grow!

14. I get warm very easily. Dennard and I are always fighting over the temperature in the car when we drive together! lol

15. I officially have to 'squat down' when picking things up. I was able to bend over up until a month or two ago; now I can only squat. How lady like eh-NOT! lol

16. I can not bend over the sink like I use to when brushing my teeth or washing my face. I have to somewhat stand up straight and tilt my body over the sink b/c the top part of my tummy gets squished when I try to bend over (hee hee)

17. Over the last month, I have been choking every morning when brushing my teeth. It doesn't happen at night, just in the AM strangely enough. Its like my gag refluxes are super high in the AM.  Every morning when I brush and choke, Dennard yells out "NORMAN"-lol- because his dad chokes every time he brushes his teeth. It's quite funny!

18. I still have no food or smell sensitivities. There is one Bath and Body lotion and hand sanitizerI gave to my coworker b/c it gave me a headache and irritated me due to it's strong scent, but that's it. Unfortunately, my coworker ended up loving both scents and uses it at her desk regularly!!! UGH! Forget getting rid of the smells.. they still haunt me to this day b/c of her! Thanks Jodi!!! LOL (the lotion scent is 'Carried Away' and the sanitizer smell is 'Pumpkin Spice')

19. I am happy to say I still don't have one stretch mark :-) Woo hoo!!! Praise God for good genetics! My mom nor my sisters got stretch marks in their pregnancies.  I even had Dennard check my tummy the other day to see if I had stretch marks under my belly where I can't see! lol 

20. My appetite has increased. I dont have to force myself to eat like I use to; now I 'want' to eat

21. I still lotion my tummy with Victoria Secret Body Butter and sometimes Bath and Body works 'Orange Tangerine' lotion. Unfortunately the scent 'Orange Tangerine' has recently been discontinued :-(

22. I still LOVE to clean and clean just as much as I always have; however, I have had to pass a few jobs over to Dennard like toliet bowl and bath tub cleaning and kitty litter box duties. The chemicals to clean the toliet and tub are not good to be breathing in when pregnant and the kitty litter is very bad for pregnant mommy's

23. I get pregnancy congestion as soon as I lay down at night. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I struggle breathing! lol Dennard asked me the other day "Are you sick?". I said "Nope! Just pregnancy congestion". I've read up on it and it seems to very quite common with pregnant woman. Fortunatley, it goes away after a half hour or so after laying down :-)

Friday's Update

(Sorry...I never got to post this on Friday when I started it!)

Today I had my regular bi-weekly OB Appointment. The rain was horrible and I had to park far away from the building b/c there was no parking near the entrance. I got SOAKED! Even though I had an umbrella, my feet were drenched!

Dripping wet and quite chilly (I didn't have a sweater or jacket), I finally got into the building and to the floor my OB is on to find a line up outside of the doctors office. Every pregnant woman in the GTA seemed to have an appointment this AM-lol.

My doctor said the baby's head is still down and will probably remain down until I deliver. He felt around on my tummy and said the baby's bum was on my left side and the feet were on the right side; which would explain ALL the movement I feel on the right side most of the day. The baby has been more active then ever recently!

Last night Dennard laid his head on my tummy and got a 'kick', literally, out of the baby moving. lol He was able to feel all the baby's movement on his cheek which was pretty neat :-)

Alright ladies...are you ready for this....Dennard has 'officially' admitted to being able to FEEL and SEE the baby move!!! Hallelujah!!! lol I never thought I'd see the day....lol

Anyhow, after my appointment, I went back home to change my clothes before heading into work. I was wet and cold and needed a change of clothes badly. I was also feeling extremely tired, so I was anxious to get home and lay down for a few minutes. My 'few minutes' on the couch turned into an hour-lol. I was soooo tired; I could not get up enough energy to get myself up off the couch.

It wasn't until I looked at the clock and noticed that it was 12pm, that I realized 'I have to get up and go to work!!'. I was so tempted to call my boss and tell her I wasn't going to make it in, but I just couldn't bring myself to making the call; being too tired to come in didn't seem like a reasonable reason to miss work! lol

In anycase, the weekend was a busy one for me. I attended a Bridal Shower for my coworker on Saturday!!  She is Egyptian, so the shower was really neat!! The food, music, entertainment, etc.  Little Sweets got his/her first taste of Egyptian food- as did I :-) I have to say, the baby was quite active when the music was on!!! I think he/she is going to love music like mommy and daddy.

I was so exhausted by the time I got home, I made a quick snack and off to bed I went-9pm sharp! lol Some company I was for Dennard!! lol

I find I am starting to get tired earlier in the evenings now. Tiredness starts to kick in around 8:30pm.

Little Sweets has been getting A LOT of hiccups recently. Friday afternoon they lasted a good 20-25mins. My poor child :-( At first the feeling was really neat and exciting, now I just feel bad when I feel them having hiccups as they go on forever!

I am 'Blossoming'!
Today at work (Tuesday) a coworker saw me at the printer and said "Awwh, you're blossoming". I couldn't help but chuckle. I said to her "Is that a nice way of saying I am getting huge?!". LOL We got a laugh out of that.

I have indeed 'bloosomed' over the last week. My tummy is growing in size by the day it seems! I am having a hard time rolling over in the night which is quite funny! lol I feel like a whale trapped on a sandy beach! LOL

I read an article that suggested wearing silk jammies to bed as it would help me in moving around. I have to say, it has helped!  I wake up multiple times a night trying to flip myself over b/c my hip or my leg is achy or pinched. The silk jammies help me to 'slide' over :-)

33 Weeks Pregnant :-)

Woo hoo....I am 33 weeks pregnant and still going strong :-)

Little Sweets now weighs 4lbs, 6oz (about the same weight as a pineapple) and measures 17 inches from head to toe. The baby's skin is gradually becoming less red and wrinkled as fat builds up underneath. How cool eh! The baby's skull is still very soft and will remain soft until after birth; however, the rest of his/her bones are hardening.

I have a lot to catch you up on as I haven't been able to blog since last week.

We've been in Revival services since Monday; tonight is the last night. My hubby is preaching :-) Yippy!!! I always get excited and nervous for him when he preaches outside of our church. I don't know why....I just do. lol  I am like one of those proud mom's who sit in the stands on the edge of their seat as they cheer on their kids; however, I am a wife and I am cheering on my husband! lol 

Last night Little Sweets was extremely active during song. I was so into the worship service that I thought I might put myself into early labour-lol!  I was singing my heart out so much that I started to get strong braxton hicks and tightening in my tummy. I didn't want to stop worshipping, so I held my tummy with one hand and kept the other lifted high! lol Dennard looked over at one point and said "Do you need to sit down?". Hand still in the air, eyes closed tightley, I leaned over and said "nope-I am good!". lol 

Being a pioneer Pastor's Wife, I don't get to worship like I like to because I am behind a piano playing focusing on Dennard's signals and trying not to mess up, lol, so when I am not in our church, I can't help but enter into worship the way my heart wants to.

I've been getting braxton hicks for the past few days now; however, the past two days have been the strongest ever. I woke up at around 2am this morning with really sharp cramps in my front and lower back. I was quite nervous to be honest; I do not want this baby coming before his/her time! The cramping is all apart of the braxton hicks from what I understand; however, it still makes me rather nervous as cramping could also be the first signs of labour- YIKES!!!!!

Fortunately, the cramping stopped and I was able to fall back to sleep :-) Now, it wasn't a restful sleep by any stretch of the imagination. I was so worked up in my mind about the cramping that I had multiple dreams back to back about going into early labour. LOL

Funny Story
Ok, if you ever heard of 'Baby Brain' before, let me tell you...there is such a thing! lol
I am embarrassed to report that I had a bit of a 'Baby Brain' episode yesterday.

I was driving home from work and I remembered that I had a cheque in my wallet that I needed to deposit. Opening my wallet to grab the cheque to deposit, I was panicked to find no cheque there?! I had specifically remembered putting it in my wallet too!!! I thought "oh gosh...it probably fell out! If it fell out, someone could have deposited it!!". Still driving, I grabbed my cell phone and called my bank to report the lost cheque and have them cancel it so that it could not be deposited if found.

After being on the phone a good 15mins providing my account information and explaining what happened to the Bank Rep on the other end, he told me that he found record that my cheque had indeed been deposited. At this point my heart just sank! The cheque was quite a bit of money too :-S
I asked him to put a request in for investigation to see who and where the cheque was deposited. He polietley told me it would take a few days to investigate and to call him back on Monday.
Immediately I called Denanrd and told him what happened. Expecting him to sound just as concerned as I was, he calmly said "Devin....you gave me that cheque at the beginning of May to deposit into the account for you; remember?".

LOL- talk about embarrassing!! Still puzzled I said "Really? Are you absolutely sure?! I don't remember passing it off to you". He said "Yes Devin! I deposited it May 4th!". Needless to say, although it was embarrassing, I was quite releaved to know that it wasn't lost and deposited into someone else's account!!!!!!! LOL

So ladies....Baby Brain is really a real thing! Not just an 'excuse'; although some probably use it as an excuse from time to time! lol

Heat Wave!!!!

Last night I experienced the worst heat wave ever!

We've had our windows open the last few days/nights to let the cool breeze in, but last night there was no breeze and I was HOT, HOT, HOT!!!

I was downstairs writing my blog with my fan on, nice and cool; however, when I went upstairs to head to bed, the top floor was unbearably HOT!!!

I started off feeling very warm and then it turned into a serious heat wave! I felt like I was in Tuscon during the hottest day of the summer! lol I couldn't bare it!!  Dennard sat on the bed and laughed at me as I scrambled around the room looking for something to cool me down with. He obviously didn't feel the heat like I did. (hee hee)

I tried sitting in front of the fan, but it just wasn't cutting it; it was blowing nothing but warm air.  My feet had ballooned up from the heat and felt tight, hot and irritated at this point. Exhausting all efforts to cool down I said 'Forget it!! I am taking a COLD shower!!!' 

I jumped into the shower, for the second time last night, lol, and stood there for a good 10mins under the cold stream of water. When I got out, I immediately ran infront of the fan to stay cool. lol

My feet were still hot, swollen and bothered, so I got a hand towel, soaked it in cold water and wrapped my feet in it. I layed on the bed motionless as I tried to remain cool in front of the fan and keep the towel from slipping off my feet. I was quite the site to see I am sure! lol Dennard just laughed and said "you look so funny!!".

As funny as I may have looked, I am happy to report that I was able to fall asleep, nice and cool :-) lol

Tonight....the air conditioning is going on!!!! LOL

Slight Cramping

 As I sit here perched on my living room chair, laptop in hand, surrounded by freshly washed and folded receiving blankets (lol), my feet are lovingly being massaged by my sweetheart-ahhhhhh!!! I can totally get use to this!!!! lol

 My feet are absolutely killing me tonight!! It is 9:17pm and I am JUST sitting down for the first time.

I had to work late tonight (only 5 more weeks of work left to go-woo hoo!!) so by the time I left work (5:30pm) drove to Dollarama, picked up a few things, then drove to Walmart, picked up a few more things and then home to unpack everything, fold some laundry, cook dinner and clean-up, my feet had enough! They were screaming at me  'MASSAGE ME!!!! PLEASEEE!!!' lol

After dinner Dennard said to me "put your feet up, take the laptop, enjoy the breeze from the fan (which he brought down for me at dinner as I was having a rather uncomfortable hot flash-lol) and just relax! I am going to rub your feet!".

Those were the BEST words I have heard all day!  Music to my ears and salvation to my feet. (hee hee)

Last night I started to feel a bit of cramping on my right side for the first time. It was off an on for a good hour or so. I mentioned it to Dennard and he said "It's ok Sweets....it's completely normal. You're going to feel that more over the next few weeks". I couldn't help but smile; he's obviously been listening in prenatal class :-)

I haven't felt any cramping today, but I have been feeling a lot of jabbing from the baby on my right side. Sharp hard jabs and painful stretches...oh...and many of tiny hiccups!!!

It wasn't until Saturday that I realized the off and on pattern of 'bump...bump....bump...bump' were hiccups. I always wondered what the baby was doing in my tummy to be keeping up with such a rhythmic pattern?! I thought "could it be the heart beat?"-lol.

I happened to mention it to Rubi on Saturday as I felt another episode of the 'bump...bump...bump' occur. She placed her hand on my tummy and with a chuckle said "Devin...those are hiccups!!".
Boy did I feel stupid...lol...for some reason hiccups never crossed my mind! lol

Not sure if any other mommy got this during pregnancy, but I get random headaches every now and then. When they hit...they hit! Right in my temples, across my forehead and into my eyes. I have a dull one right now. It's bearable, but a bit annoying when it comes out of no-where.

I think I am done packing my hospital bag :-) I added the last few items to my bag tonight. I need a bigger bag though as the bag I was planning on using just doesn't seem big enough. Either I am 'way over prepared' or my bag is just too small. I'll go with my bag being just a bit too small. lol

Here is a list of what I have packed:

1. A black nursing tank top to wear after the baby is born (I don't want to sit in a hospital gown all day)
2. A pair of black comfy capris yoga pants
3. A travel bag stocked with deodorant, toothpaste, a new toothbrush for both Dennard and myself and face lotion (face wash will be thrown in the bag on the way to the hospital along with my make-up bag-lol)
4.  A few pairs of underwear (for me of course! lol)
5. Two pairs of socks (one pair of ankle socks, the other pair sport socks. Not quite sure how warm or cold the hospital will be in July so I packed two different kinds to be safe-lol)
6. A fleece robe
7. Breast feeding pads and the other type of 'lovely' pads we all love so much-NOT!!! lol
8. A stack of newborn diapers
8. Wipes
9. Diaper cream
10. Two white onesis and two sleepers (one pastel green with animals and the other a white terry cloth that says "I love mommy" across the front)
11. My boys 'going home' sleeper and matching pastel blue hat
12. My girls 'going home' sleeper and matching pastel pink hat
13. Two tennis balls inside of a stocking (my prenatal teacher told us about this idea. She said it's great for massaging during contractions)
14. Zip up sweater
15. Three receiving blankets

All that is really left to pack in my bag is my birth plan, body lotion, video camera and our laptop to listen to music and surf the net on to pass the time in case my labour is long.

Does anyone know if Credit Valley hospital has WiFi?

Other than those few items, I think I am set...I think! lol   Am I missing anything?

Here is a picture of my hospital bag :-) I just need to find a bag to pack Dennard's hospital items in

32 Weeks Pregnant :-)

Well.....I am officially 32 weeks pregnant. Can you believe it? The countdown has begun.....

Little Sweets now weighs 3.75lbs and is 17inches in length. Wow!! That's a long baby for such a tiny space!!! Our little one also has a full head of hair right now.

Daddy thinks Little Sweets will have A LOT of THICK hair. Time will soon tell :-)

What's your vote? Thick or thin hair? Curly or wavy? Black, brown or light brown/blonde? Brown or blue eyes?

It's exciting to think and guess what our bundle of joy will look like and who they will take after more. I've said in previous posts that I think the baby's personality will be more like daddy in the sense that he/she will be rather reserved, patient and somewhat quiet; HOWEVER, I do think they will take after my social and outgoing side!! hee hee

Here is my belly at 32 weeks:

The baby has been VERY active lately. Lots and lots of movement; however, the movement is more consistent now. Because the baby's head is down, I feel little foot or elbow jabs on the sides of my tummy all day. I love it!!! I can still feel the baby flipping and turning, but it more feels like the baby is flipping from side to side, rather than upside down, right side up, etc.

As for me personally, my energy level is back to normal again. I am not tired earlier in the evening like I was a few weeks ago. It's rather strange as I thought I'd be getting really uncomfortable and tired in these last few weeks; however, I still feel like the same me!

One thing that has changed though is the soreness in my feet and the slight swelling in my hands and feet on really hot days.

This past holiday Monday (Victoria Day) Dennard and I look a lovely early morning walk through the forest by our home. We went early so we could have the forest to ourselves before the dog walkers, joggers and bike riders made their way out.

With no make-up on, my hair pulled back in a pony tail and my light sweats on, we headed for our walk. A walk that turned into a solid hour and a half walk-lol. I felt fantastic- I could have walked for another hour and a half!! We walked and talked and laughed and reminisced stories. It was a wonderful morning-just the three of us :-)

Here is a picture of me and Little Sweets by a river in the forest during our walk:
(sorry for the poor lighting; it was a bright morning)

Come the end of our walk, I could feel what were my fingers, but felt like sausages!!! My fingers were so tight and swollen from the heat I could barely bend them. My feet weren't as bad fortunately. We were going to walk over to Second Cup to get a drink, but decided after all our walking and my swollen feet and hands, to drive over in our air conditioned instead! lol

Later that day we had a nice visit over at Kevin and Rubi's. It was precious to see Dennard interacting and holding Moriah. The smile and glow on his face was like something I had never seen; it was his 'daddy' side shinning through :-)

As much as he felt 'out of his realm' holding her, he looked like a true natural; except when he picked her up and supported her head like a newborn. We all died laughing!!! He is not quite yet comfortable holding babies and has not had many experiences with them, so he thought that even at 5 months, he had to support her head. It was the cutest thing!!! He's learning!! lol

Tuesday my sweetheart was a huge blessing. He wasn't feeling very well, so he stayed home from work. Saying our good-byes in the AM we discussed some of the craziness on both of our plates this week and went through our laundry list of To Do's.

When I got home from work, I found half of my To Do list accomplished for me!!!! Dennard had vacuumed the living room, all the couches and chairs, did the laundry, plucked the weeds from the yard, gathered the garbage, put my tupperware bin of winter clothes in storage, etc. I was blown away!!!

Scary Dream: I had a dream Monday night that I went into early labour!! I am praying it's not a prophetic dream!!! lol To be ready, I washed the baby's hospital sleepers and onesis tonight along with a few receiving blankets and packed a few extra items in my hospital bag for me that were recommended by my prenatal teacher. I honestly never thought to pack snacks for me?! lol I have a whole bag of snacks for Dennard....guess I'll be tapping into those!! lol

The Head is Officially Down!!!

This morning I had my third OB appointment. All looks great with Little Sweets!!! I will be seeing my doctor every other friday until I am 36 weeks. Once I am 36 weeks I will be seeing my OB every Friday.

Today in the waiting room Little Sweets and I were having some fun with each other :-) The baby would poke my belly and I would poke back. We did this back and forth for a good 5 mins. People in the waiting room must have thought I was crazy!! I would stare at my belly, wait for the poke, smile and giggle then poke back!! LOL

The doctor told me today that the head is officially down!!! Pretty crazy eh!
That would explain all the pressure I've been feeling lately. The baby is getting ready to make his/her big entrance into the world :-)

The heart beat today was 144. I asked the doctor if he thought I was having a boy or girl based on the heart beat and he laughed and said "well....144 is right in the middle, so I have no idea! If it was 150 I'd say girl, if it was 140 I'd say boy, but since it's right in the middle, I am not sure?!"

I was speaking to Jenn on my way back to the office and she said "Devin...Little Sweets is doing everything possible to keep his/her gender a secret eh-it's actually quite funny!!". In my last ultrasound the baby had his/her legs crossed so the technician couldn't see the gender and now the heart beat is right in the middle of being either a boy or a girl. Little Sweets must be just like mommy; one who loves surprises!!! He/she is doing a good job keeping daddy and I in suspense that's for sure! lol

I have some exciting news!! We think we finally found our boys name; PRAISE GOD!!! It only took 5 years of marriage and 8 months of pregnancy to pick one! LOL

Dennard actually picked the name. We were discussing spelling on Wednesday and decided on a spelling we both really liked.

We have been saying our girl's and boy's names around the house recently to get a feel of what they will sound like when we call or speak to our child. lol  It's acutally quite humorous to hear us calling these names as if the child is really there. We make ourselves laugh sometimes!!

I will post a new pic of my belly tonight when I get home. My blog is due for an updated belly shot :-)

An Emotional Prenatal Class

Last night Dennard and myself had our second prenatal class :-) Yay!!!!!

The night didn't start off so good though; lol. The air conditioning went in my car and I had to drive home in the smouldering heat from work. By the time I reached home, I was soaked right through and my feet and hands were swollen from the heat.

I opened the front door, balancing multiple bags in hand, and dropped everything on the floor and burst into tears. I said to Dennard "Never again am I driving in that car without a/c!!".  LOL
Fortunately after a nice long, cold shower, I was able to re-group myself and come back to being 'me' again. lol 

We were a bit late getting to prenatal class as Dennard forgot to take the 'Queen Street' exit. His mind is so programed to take us to church every time we are on the highway, lol, he was naturally driving us to church. lol

After getting off at the next exit and turning back around, we finally made it to class; 20mins late.
It was ok though as there were two other couples who walked in late after us :-) hee hee

We discussed good and bad foods to eat during pregnancy and certain things to avoid and stay away from. Most things I already knew, but it was still fun hearing peoples questions and answers.
The class ended with a 'birthing video' which was something I knew we'd watch at some point in time during these classes.

I've seen a few birthing videos to date; none have bothered me or scared me out of delivery; thank goodness-lol. I am surprisingly quite calm about the idea of the whole 'birthing experiance'. Many people have asked me if I am 'scared to death' with the thought of labour and delivery, but for some reason, I haven't felt any anxiety or worry over it. I guess I just see it as 'it's going to happen. how bad it will be, I don't know, so I am not going to think or worry about it!'. lol

Anyhow, as the video was playing, every couple in the room was glued to the screen. There were a few chuckles, laughs, wow's and  sounds of 'ughhh'  here and there, mainly from the men of course-lol.

There were a few parts in the video where I was fighting back tears. (I've cried through every birthing video I've seen-lol) To watch the amazing experience of birth unfold before my eyes stirs something up in my heart and moves me to tears every time. I don't see child birth as an 'ew' experience, but a beautiful one.  To think that one human being could bring another human being into this world is incredible!! And people claim there is no God....Ha!

Dennard leaned over a few times during the video and said "are you crying?".  Each time he asked, I just looked at him, teared eyed and smiled. He smiled right back and nudged his face against mine :-)

Come the end of the movie where the baby was born, the dad said on the video "I was so proud to be a daddy, but I was more proud to be the husband of Susan". At that point, the gentle stream of tears rolling down my cheeks turn into a river!!! LOL

And of course, just when the 'river was flowing', my instructor turned the lights back on. Dennard got a chuckle out of this as I tried to speedily fan my tears away with a flyer. lol

Hidden behind Dennard's shoulder, I peeked my head out to see if any of the other mother's were crying-NOPE!! It was just me!! lol  I was so embarrassed. One of the mother's connected her eyes with mine and I saw her mouth "Awhhhhh!!". Embarrassed, I flashed a smile and went back to hiding behind Dennard's shoulder. lol

After class was done, Dennard and I laughed the whole way to the car. I couldn't believe that I was the ONLY ONE who was moved by the video!!! lol 

Dennard held my hand in the car and said "Sweets...the reason why it touched you so much is because having a baby means a lot to you and because you have a deeper love and appreciation for the whole thing!".

What a guy eh!! Who could ask for a better, more sweeter husband :-) Sorry ladies....he's mine!!! hee hee

Ps. My feet are still a little swollen a bit from yesterday's drive home!!! lol The swelling isn't bad, it just feels a bit tight and uncomfortable. Just glad my feet dont look like 'Shreak's'-LOL

1st Mother's Day :-)

First off, Happy Mother's Day to all my mommy readers :-)
Today is my FIRST Mother's Day!!! What an honour and privileged it is to be crowned with the name "mother".

To some, they may feel I am not a 'mother' until I actually have the baby, but I strongly disagree. Many woman have children, but that doesn't make them a 'mother'. A mother is one who imparts love, faith, time, care and prayer into their child.. Although I am not able to physically express or do many of these things, I do express the above to my child in other ways-daily!

Yesterday, while picking up roses for the mother's in my church, I was warmly wished a "Happy Mother's Day" by the cashier checking me out. I felt really special being recongized by a complete stranger. I walked proudly out of the store, roses in hand, with a huge smile on my face :-)

I was richly blessed this morning by a storm of Mother's Day texts that flooded my phone from friends, coworkers and family from all over. It was a beautiful way to start my first Mother's Day!

We had a special Mother's Day dedication at our church this AM (another first for us; our first Mother's Day service). I bought a single long stem pink rose and a pink bottle of body spray for each of the mommies in my church.

After each being presented with our gifts, Dennard read a lovely poem called "More than a Mother" and the congregation cheered and clapped. Some of the mom's unfortunately didn't have their child(ren) there with them, so it was nice for them to be recognized publically for their dedication and service as a mother by others.

I was on my way to the kitchen after to count the offering when I heard Dennard say over the mic "my wife doesn't know I am doing this; however, I'd like to call her back here". I made my way back into the room where I was presented with a gorgeous bouquet of pink roses :-)

Dennard said "This is my wife's first Mother's Day and I want to recognize her!". Everyone cheered and clapped as I stood there moved by my sweethearts kind gesture, yet red as a tomatoe out of embarrassment! lol I am not one to get embarrassed easily, but for some reason today I was. I blew him a kiss and walked back to do offering.

This evening during prayer, Dennard laid his hands on me and our child and prayed a very heartfelt prayer that moved me to tears. He spoke beautiful words that ministered to my heart; words I will never forget!!!

After evening service he took me for a lovely walk around the neighbourhood and to Second Cup for an Italian Soda (One of my new cravings...lol. Its just flavoured carbonated water, but I LOVE it!!)

I felt like a princess today thanks to the love shared and expressed by my husband (the father of my child) and by family and friends.

Today has truly been a memorable and special Mother's Day!!

Here is a picture of me and the Mother's in our church
(I am having to wear flats now b/c my feet swell in heels :-S Booo!! )

This is a picture of me and the beautiful roses from my sweetheart :-)

(this picture was taken right before lunch when we got home; hense the missing belt and no lipstick-lol)

 

Dennard took this of me before Sunday PM Bible Study. He was so cute! He told me he wanted to get a picture of me outside in the sunlight as a special memory of my first Mother's Day :-)

 

 

 

 

31 Weeks Pregnant!

I am now 31 weeks pregnant-and still loving every week :-)
This week Little Sweets measures 16inches in length and 3lbs-5oz in weight. They say that the baby's size is close to four large oranges put together; however, the baby is currently entering into a growth spurt.

Little Sweets is beginning to plump up and can now move his/her head from side to side (which could very well be ALL the movement I've been feeling recently-lol)

10 more weeks to go-that's if Little Sweets comes right on time and not any earlier or later!

The crib and bassinet have officially been assembled-woo hoo!!!

Here is the picture of me and Little Sweets watching the furniture get assembled :-) lol

I have included some pictures of our crib set and bassinet at the end of this blog. I just love, love, love our crib set!!!! The bassinet will be in our room once the baby is born, but for now it's staying in the nursery.

How I am Feeling Now
Had a bit of a scare on Friday. I was feeling a lot of pressure and sharp pains very low in my abdomen, not to mention some cramping. Was praying it wasn't signs of preterm labour :-S Praise God it wasn't!!!!  I haven't felt any discomfort or pain since.

I have however been feeling more back pain when it's time for bed. More lower in my back now as oppose to higher up. Funny thing is, the only way to alleviate the pain is if Dennard sticks his knee  in my back!! lol Not the most comfortable position for him, but for me its heaven! lol

Last night I guess I was tossing and turning quite a bit. Dennard woke up and without saying a word, stuck his knee in the lower part of my back and I feel almost immediately back off to sleep-pain free. LOL

He's a true husband and daddy indeed-he knew exactly what I needed without me saying a word :-)

4 Mothers, One Family :-)

First off, there has been a TON of movement from Little Sweets the past two days. Right now as I write, I can physically feel my little one stretching and moving around. With every kick and jab, my hand automatically races to my tummy to feel Little Sweets.

I love to rub my tummy and tell Little Sweets 'it's ok sweetheart....'.  I find it hard finding a comfortable position myself, I can only imagine how much more so the baby in that crammed tummy of mine!

Everytime I feel any type of movement, I get just as excited as I did the first time I ever felt Little Sweets move. I could NEVER get sick of this incredible feeling!!

Yesterday for the first time I was actually able to feel a physical part of the baby on the outside of my tummy push through my right side; it felt like a tiny foot!

It was the most AMAZING feeling!!! I held the little bump between my two fingers and felt is slowly move away. I have felt jabs, kicks, punches and full on twists and turns, but I have never been able to actually 'hold' a part of my baby-until yesterday afternoon :-)

I am still up once a night due to 'nature calls'-lol, but it's not 5am each time anymore. It's actually anytime! Anytime between 1am and 6am. I am not complaining though; I know many woman who were up more than once a night!!!

It's almost as if Little Sweets sleeps when I sleep. In the middle of the night, the baby is still as ever. I don't feel any movement until the morning when I wake up for work. The second I open my eyes and stretch to get out of bed, the kicking and jabbing begins. It's like the baby is telling me 'I am awake now too mom!! Time to get the day started!!"- hee hee

I am starting to feel a little sore in my back and feet more recently. No swelling-thank goodness!!!
Sitting at a desk all day at work is really starting to cause discomfort for me. My 'backside' hurts from sitting so long, my shoulders tense up, by back tightens, etc.

I currently sit on stacks of pillows at work to give me more cushion and support, but nothing seems to help. My prenatal instructor suggested I get a yoga ball and sit on that at work. She said it will help tremendously, plus, it will get my body ready for labour!!! Two bonuses in one!!! lol

So, I am picking one up today! lol I told my boss already and she was in complete support. She said "Definatley Devin....I can only imagine how uncomfortable it must be sitting in a desk chair all day!".

I jokingly encouraged my coworkers to do the same so I don't look so silly sitting on a huge ball at my desk, and surprisingly, they agreed! lol They thought it would be a fun idea!!

Since we are the 'Marketing Department' we can get away with doing silly things!! lol It's just the nature of the title and position.

Anyhow, last night my sisters and myself took my mom out for Mother's Day dinner.
It was the first Mother's Day with all four of us being 'mommys'  :-) It was truly very special to me. We all gave each other gifts and cards and enjoyed an evening of reminiscing, story telling and laughter. I felt so honoured to be inducted into the 'mommy-club' with my family.

I wish I had a picture to upload of our evening together, but all four of us forgot to get a picture!! lol Oh well.....there is always next year :-)

Ps. I saw my shower invites for the first time last night!! I was moved to tears!!! My sisters and Rubi did an incrediable job!! They are the most gorgeous, classy shower invites I have ever seen! I am not into the typical baby shower themes of animals and alphabets, so this shower invite totally represnts me!