Happy New Year! - Holiday Recap

Hope everyone had a great holiday season, whether you celebrate, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Eid , Hanukkah or a combination of some or none.

We as usually had a hectic Christmas, filled with a lot of food, presents, love and loads of drama. How could it be the holidays without drama? Especially when you have my hubby's family together or my family together (luckily they weren't all together at the same time). That I really wouldn't be able to handle.

Don't you just love the holidays?!? & we still have tonight and tomorrow. I wish I could have a drink or two!

Sometimes I wish that we lived away from the fam like many of you. You don't know the peace and quite you have sometimes.

None the less, lets change the subject.

Sorry I haven't written an update in a while, like I said it has been super crazy.

I do have an update though!

I'm 2 cm dilated and am feeling what I call the funnies. Not that it feels funny, but it's hard to explain what I'm feeling to the hubby dubby, so we call it the funnies. I'm feeling more and more uncomfortable and a crazy pressure down below. The peanut is in position and has dropped significantly. Also the Dr. thinks I'll be seeing her at the hospital before my next appointment on Friday.

I'm also pleased to announce that the hospital bag is ready.

So as I said, Christmas was filled with many foods and sugar, it was crazy. Below are some pics of the nice Holiday cakes we usually have.

This is Bolo Rei (King's Cake) my mom and I make a bunch of them to wrap up and give to friends and family, so it was a nice afternoon on the 23rd that we spent together talking about the peanut and what we were dreaming of for him or her as well as me grilling her about what my sister and I were like when we were little. That's what the Christmas is about for me.

This cake is one of our Christmas Chocolate fixes. Mmmmm.. chocolate always makes things better.

So anyway. I promise to post more updates soon! In the mean time I need to get caught up with all of you.

All the best in 2008 for you and your family!

36 weeks and counting

Run for the hills...

Ok, so the peanut is "full term" now as the the Dr. says.
I'm feeling fully termed as well these days as I keep getting huger and huger (is that even a word?!)

We have everything pretty much set up for the arrival and just have some last minute stuff to gather - like my hospital bag.

Everyone keeps telling me that since its a first baby, I'll probably go over my due date, but for some reason I have a feeling this little one will be eager to get out a couple of days early.
What was some of your experiences? Were many of you overdue?

Also I've been meaning to ask, that nesting urge... will I know when it hits? I haven't really felt like turning the house upside down and cleaning every nook, but then again I'm a bit of a neat freak and cleaning and organizing is sort of second nature. So will I go all commando clean on the house and freak out on the hubby dubby about cleaning, etc?

I am feeling tired most of the time, though and have been trying to rest when I can. So I don't know when this nesting thing might hit, but I'll keep you posted.

I had promised to talk about the Prenatal class from a couple of weekend ago. It was really insightful and I think I actually learned quite a bit. We attending at Mt. Sinai and it was all day Saturday and Sunday.

Day 1 -
We talked about labour and pain management as well as drugs and coping mechanisms for labour and the different stages of labour. They advised us to stay home as long as possible, and we talked about what to do when different things begin to happen. I almost passed out when they went into detail of exactly what an epidural is. Seriously... I have a thing about needles that really freaks me out. I know.. to late to complain about that.

It was an interesting discussion with the other 9 or so couples and the Nurse we had. I really hope we get her when the time comes to be at the hospital. She was great in explaining things and was a calm soul so she would be great. We talked about a Douala and midwives as well and each shared our expectations as well as what may or may not include in our Birth plan. Speaking of which need to finish writing it.

The video's weren't too bad and hubby dubby didn't faint or freak out when he watched, so I'm glad that at least there may be a glimpse of hope that he'll be OK during the whole thing. - Hubby can't even hear a story about blood before he goes all white and can't listen anymore... so I was worried!

Day 2 -
We talked about Postpartum Depression and how to take care of your self first, as well as taking care of the baby, what essentials are the first things one will need when bringing the baby home, as well as a lengthy discussion on car seat safety and bathing the baby, etc.
It was quite eye opening about the depression stuff and made me really think about how we will cope and see everything through when the baby arrives. There are so many unknowns.
The afternoon as spent on talking about breast feeding and diapers and poo!

I guess I have a lot of learning to do, but I've had babies around me my whole life, so I don't think the diapers and poo and all that stuff will be too bad. I'm more worried about the labour, coping with the pain, breast feeding and the mood swings.

All the more to post on this blog!

December - wha??!?!

I know I did this last month, but now where did November go?

It's almost Christmas, todays the eve of Hanukkah and the peanut will be arriving soon! Ohmygod!

Lately I've just been going crazy busy and when I decided to take a week off to just relax I got the mother of all flu bugs and spent 5 days in bed. I got a nice little scare when my doc told me to go to triage if my fever went anywhere near 38 and I was already at 37.5. It all passed though and luckily the peanut didn't notice a thing.

I also started freaking out when the doc said I was "measuring small" (note I don't feel "small") and that I should go get an ultrasound to see if everything is ok. That led me to a couple of sleepless nights wondering if everything was ok and if the peanut was growing as supposed to and if just maybe things weren't as great and normal as I thought.

Up until then I was thinking I was having a nice and great pregancy and that maybe it was too good to be true that everything was smelling roses. But I was freaking out for nothing.

When we did the ultrasound the peanut was as happy as a clam and everything was measuring normal and they even said that the peanut was already at 4 pounds 6 ounces, so that even though I was measuring small, that at 33 weeks everything was going great and that we will have a healthy sized peanut in January. The sneaky peanut wouldn't stop moving! kept putting one hand or the other in front of its face and then squirming around. ( no wonder I feel tired). Also the peanut gets hiccups at least 3 times a day, which was cute watching on the ultrasound monitor - although the technician couldn't get a clear picture for me to take home with me.

So as I said things have been crazy busy, the nursery is completely set and all the clothes have been washed and put away, the car seat is ready to be installed and all I have to finish doing now is getting my hospital bag ready!

We've also managed to do most of the Christmas shopping and this past weekend attended our prenatal classes! wohoo.. I'll write another post on the classes- I found them really informative and cool.

The list is full of check marks!

The Christmas lights are up and the wreath on the door - I haven't put up the tree yet, but that takes all of 5 minutes as we don't have space for a real, big, nicely decorated tree and instead have one that is in a box with a stand and is already decorated.. I know cheater! When we have a new house with a lot more space I want the mother of all trees that I can decorate to the nines!

But now... seriously since Sunday I feel like all the energy has been zapped right out of me and I don't feel like doing anything! At about 9 pm I get tired and I even fell asleep on the couch while watching tv. It's crazy, I never fall asleep on the couch. The peanut like I said earlier won't stop moving and the braxton hicks contractions although not painfull are really irritating and sometimes uncomfortable. Feels like the peanut is trying to pop out of the top of my belly and there's a vice squeezing my belly at the same time! Great 6 more weeks of this to go!

I can't complain though, as long as the peanut is safe and ok in there, I'll settle for uncomfortable anytime of the day. This does mean that hubby dubby is being extra attentive and always asking if everything is ok or if I need anything. I'm trying not to milk it as he is super sweet and has this look of concern when I look like I'm completly drained.

I've also been catching up on my blog reading and its interesting what everyone is doing and all that is happening in your lives as well. Everyone is getting ready for the holidays and trying to keep warm. It's been really snowy and cold the last couple of days as well in T.O. so maybe that's why I feel tired as well.

This is a pic of the snow outside our back window last night! eek.