I think I spent all my nesting energy on preparing for Christmas. I took a couple days to make a bunch of meals for the freezer, clean out and organize the freezer, and fold my mountains of laundry...but that was almost a week ago and since then I've been spending my days perched on the couch. I can't seem to fall asleep before 2am (sometimes 5 or 6am), so it makes me really tired during the day. I look around and still see things I'd like to accomplish before the baby comes, but motivation is definitely lacking. I convince myself that the best way to prepare for the baby's arrival is to save up my energy for labor...which basically means watch t.v., browse the internet and eat all the leftover chocolate from Christmas.

One "productive" thing I have done is search for fabric samples online. Eva will be passing on her baby bedding in the next few months and graduating to a big girl bed, so I've been thinking about making her a quilt instead of buying a comforter set. I have absolutely fallen in love with the fabric samples I picked out and can't wait to get started making the quilt.

They are a mixture of Amy Butler, Alexander Henry, Joel Dewberry and Heather Bailey fabrics. I actually thought it wouldn't be that hard to make a quilt...I once cut up a bunch of jeans and "made" a jean quilt. But after I sewed all the squares together I gave it to my boyfriend's mom and she did the actual "quilting" by putting it all together. I figured it couldn't be that hard. I watched a bunch of "How To" video's on youtube and I realized I know absolutely nothing about quilting and that I may be in over my head...but I am so in love with the fabrics I can't imagine just buying her a bed-in-a-bag.

Maybe just to practice, I'll get some of these Paula Prass fabrics and make some smaller quilted items. How cute is that bird in the left corner?

Or maybe I'll just be a new mom adjusting to life with a toddler and a new baby and I'll be lucky if I get to take a shower. We'll see.

These days I feel like I'm lugging my fat, waddling whale-body through my day. This belly has gotten out of control and I feel like it's way bigger than when I was pregnant with Eva. The baby is nestling in nicely to my pelvic bone and I feel some days like it's going to crack and she's going to fall right through it. I've got 5.5 more weeks to go and I can hardly believe that this baby is dropping into our lives so soon. My body is so ready to NOT be pregnant anymore, yet my life isn't ready yet for sleep-deprived days, sore nipples, the cries of a demanding baby, and the loss of a full night's sleep. My husband and I are going to enjoy a weekend of freedom before this baby makes it's entrance and we are slipping off on a "Babymoon".

We are filling this weekend with travel, good friends, good food, and a night alone to enjoy a fancy dinner and our favorite bed and breakfast. We won't return to Eva until the next day after we've been fully rested, taken full advantage of the 2-person jacuzzi tub in our room and enjoyed some time alone together. I will miss my girl so much (it will be my first night away from her), but I'm looking forward to focusing on my wonderful husband. Life is about to get chaotic from the bustle of Christmas and impending baby, so I'm going to savor a weekend of peace.

I've been absent for awhile; teaching every day and coming home to take care of my baby and being almost 8 months pregnant is pretty tiring.

However I am not complaining.

I am LOVING teaching Kindergarten. I've been with the same kids all last week, all this week and I will probably continue to be with them right into December. Every day has been easy and smooth with all the help from the Kindergarten Aid who has been in this classroom with this teacher for 14 years...she kind of knows her way around like the back of her hand. It felt weird at first having her do all the leading of the morning calendar, songs, sign language and even some of the lessons....but in the end it has just made the transition easier. I've caught onto the routines since I've been there awhile now, so I'm feeling a lot more in control.

The job couldn't be more perfect for a pregnant woman. Being able to come home by noon and nap when my baby is napping is quite a nice luxury. My nap really doesn't do much to rejuvenate me though. It seems teaching all morning is all I have enough energy for in this pregnant body. I'm finding it a huge chore just to get supper on the table, but luckily I'm committed to my meal plans so I don't have the temptation to grab take out (that doesn't mean the thought doesn't go through my head!) The crappy thing is I was DOING SO WELL keeping my house clean with FlyLady! I was developing my routines one baby step at a time, I was getting my house in order and keeping on top of clutter and cleaning....and now its all falling apart. The only routine I have kept is Day 1: Keep Your Sink Shining. I figure if I can AT LEAST keep that routine going I can easily pick up where I left off when I've got more energy. I also realized how much I love walking into a clean kitchen every morning to get my coffee...it's such a nice way to start the day. I'm not daunted by the fact that when I get home I've not only got to do this, this and this, but I've also got last nights supper dishes to wash, a dishwasher to empty and the garbage to take out...because let's face it...getting up at 6:30am, hauling my pregnant butt around all morning and chasing after 5 year olds means I wouldn't actually come home and do all those things. Lying on the couch with some cookies and a daytime soap is much more appealing. So no matter how much strength I need to muster up to get it done, I make sure my kitchen is cleaned up before bed.

But that's about it.

...We're having another girl!!

Yesterday when I said I was waiting to torture my bladder I really wasn't kidding and I actually had a pretty wretched time. I've had problems before, where I don't drink enough water and then the tech gets mad at me because she has problems seeing what's happening in my uterus. I guess I got a little carried away this time, and only a 1/2 hour after drinking my water I felt like I was going to explode. I still had an hour to hold it, and it got so bad I was pacing and using every muscle in my stomach to hold the dam of pee inside my body. When I finally began to cry I was in so much pain, I decided it would probably be a good idea if I relieved myself a bit. Ha! You try stopping pee mid stream when you've drank 2 gallons of water! Anyways, I had momentary relief, but then pretty soon I was whining to my husband that we had to get to the appointment early so I could get rid of my pee as soon as possible. I cried again on the way to the appointment and it took every ounce of strength I had not to whizz all over the seat.

When I got to the clinic I asked "Is it supposed to hurt this bad?" She could see my agony and allowed me to relieve myself one full cup of pee. I felt SOO much better. I was worried I let too much go, when the radiologist tech said "Your bladder is DOUBLE the size it's supposed to be!"

Alright...might have overdone it a leeeeeetle bit.


But the good news is all's well in babyland! The radiologist said everything looked good: he saw both arms, legs, four chambers of the heart beating, 2 hemispheres of the brain, no spinal weirdness and no cleft palate. Phewf!! That is a relief. Since our radiologists are not allowed to tell you if it's a boy or girl (your doc has to), I asked him if he could tell the gender and if he could put it in the report. He searched for a couple seconds then said "Yep!" "What do you think it is?"

I really have no idea. Since we are 95% sure this is our last baby, Steve is really hoping for a boy...other than that, I have no clue.

He started to tell me that it's really early to tell, and even if he says its one gender or the other in the report he might be wrong...."Cuz you know, a boy's testes haven't dropped fully yet" I sat there thinking "What are you trying to tell me? That I'm having a boy?!" So I was pretty much convinced all of yesterday that he was sneakily telling me that this baby is a boy. Then my husband told me today he see's it from the other perspective...that he could have been trying to say it's a girl, but you may still get your boy because the testes haven't dropped yet.

Now I'm all confused! At least I only have to wait until tomorrow morning to see my doc and find out once and for all.


So what do you think? Boy or Girl?

I'm torturing my bladder today and getting my first ultrasound! I've been overly anxious for this ultrasound...finding out the sex, making sure everything is healthy and growing and in the right spot...

I really don't remember being this concerned when I went to my first ultrasound with Eva. All I cared about was finding out I was having a girl. This time, I really don't care if it's a boy or girl just hoping and praying it's healthy. I've had this weird nagging feeling in the back of my mind that something isn't right. I'm just being paranoid.

It may be the lack of weight gain. That's right, I'm 19 1/2 weeks pregnant (halfway!) and I haven't gained any weight. My belly is growing just fine as you can tell, but I can't seem to climb up the scale. The last two appointments I had, I lost a pound each time. They were explainable at the time (nasty stomach bug and an active summer), but the lack of poundage really makes me worry. I have never before stepped on a scale hoping that it's higher than the last time I stepped on it.

Although I know the radiologist can't tell me much during the ultrasound, I'll find out everything from my Doc on Thursday, but it will be really comforting just to see my little goob on that screen.

I've been a bit of a band-aid lately...doctors appointments and sickness galore. After Eva and my poo and puke explosion this weekend, Steve decided to jump on the sick train with us. This is sure a nasty stomach bug going around. I think we are all finally recovered and pooing normally (sorry :)

To top off all that, my tail bone started to really hurt on Monday. There is a big red painful lump on it and after much googling and wikipediaing every website pointed to "Pilonidal Cysts". It's this painful infected cyst that always ends up on the tail bone, and the doctors have to drain it and get rid of the pus and then they continually just come back and you have to do it all over again. Great. Luckily I saw my doctor today and that was her first thought as well, but upon further inspection there is a good chance it might just be a boil. That makes me sound like I'm 60 but I'm pumped that it might only be a boil. That means no incision to drain it and it might not be a recurring thing. Hooray! So as painful as it is to sit down, I've got a heating pad wrapped around my bum and I'm trying to draw out the infection without drugs or an incision. Am I really only 24?

On the upside, at the doctor's today we got to hear the baby's heartbeat! There was no problem at all in finding it today and the babe had a strong 165 bpm heartbeat. It was pretty exciting for Steve and I.

So there you have it...boils, cysts, and diarrhea. Bet you're glad you stopped by today ;)

I went for my second prenatal appointment on Monday, and since I am just days away from the 12 week mark, I figured for sure I'd be able to hear my baby's heartbeat AND get out of this first trimester.

But after my doctor searched for a good 10 minutes she still had not found the heartbeat. She assured us we shouldn't worry...apparently I have a uterus that tilts backwards which would make it difficult to find the heartbeat. After doing an internal she also determined that my uterus felt to be about the size of a 10 week fetus. What?! So just as I'm nearing the 12 week finish line, I'm set back a week and a half. Then why the heck is my bump so freakin' huge?! I haven't gained any weight yet...just a rounded protrusion that is much bigger than it should be.

My doc has scheduled me for an appointment again next week so we can try to hear the heartbeat again. Not being able to hear the heartbeat is making me so nervous...it was also nerve wracking to hear the fetus is smaller than we thought. Steve and I KNOW almost to the minute when we conceived, so it's weird that I wouldn't be as far along.

I know worrying won't do us any good, so I will stop now. Please pray for my baby.

The first trimester of pregnancy is never very fun. Just extreme exhaustion and nauseous stomach everyday that comes from growing a human inside you. Today I had my first upset tummy turned to holding my head over the toilet bowl...all because of changing my baby's poopy diaper this morning. Yep. It was that bad. It gagged me so bad, I am glad I was changing her on the floor, because once that diaper was off and I had swiped the poo off her bum I was booking it for the bathroom. I'll be 11 weeks on Friday which means I'm almost out of first trimester hell. When I was pregnant with Eva I felt fantastic in my second trimester. My energy was back, I had a cute bump that made me look pregnant and not fat, but I wasn't so big that my whole body hurt. It was great. I'm looking forward to crossing that 12 week finish line and feeling like a human again.

Last Friday Steve and I looked after our friends 5 month baby boy. It was our first taste of having TWO babies and let me tell you....CHAOS. Liam was with us for 3 hours, but for the last hour and a half he decided that maybe he'd just like to scream. I think he was hungry, but he's all about breastfeeding, so even though my friend had pumped he was DISGUSTED that I was giving him a bottle and screamed even harder. My friend had also brought a small amount of baby cereal, which he had just recently been introduced to, but between screaming and writhing his body to get out of our arms that wasn't working so well either. Somewhere in there Eva decided she was hungry too, and while Liam was screaming, she decided she get in on the screaming action as well. Steve and I were running around, each one of us trying to calm down a baby. Both of us snapped at each other "Help me!"

When Eva was sleeping and in bed and Liam was soothed and being rocked to sleep, Steve looked at me and said "I feel sorry for you...this is going to be your life everyday when the new baby comes along".

Thanks Steve.

.....I'M PREGNANT!

We are so excited that we have another little goob on the way! We've known for over a month, but we've miscarried before and it's not so fun when the whole world knows you are pregnant, yet nobody seems to get the memo that you are no longer so. I had people coming up to me for months afterwards asking how my pregnancy was going. Are you kidding me? Do you see an 8 month baby bump? I'm currently only 9.5 weeks, but since you show much sooner with your second, it's becoming increasingly hard to hide it. I had 3 people ask me this weekend if I was pregnant. Hey at least they aren't assuming that I'm just getting fat!

Look at that thing! No wonder I couldn't hide it anymore.

• Our babies will be 18 months apart which makes me so excited for them to become good friends, but scared for what that means when I have TWO babies around. TWO sets of poopy diapers, TWO crying babies, TWO snotty nosed kids to cart around....am I ready for this?
  

• I miscarried before Eva at 10 weeks, which makes me feel really nervous about sharing this news at 9.5 weeks. But with that pregnancy I wasn't sick at all, and hadn't noticed that the last weeks I didn't even have ANY symptoms (like sore boobs). With Eva I was nasty sick, puking my guts out every day. I have been fortunate enough to not be puking my guts out but in some weird way it would be reassuring to be doing so...then I would know this baby is fine. I do have some reassurance though because everyday I am slightly nauseous and insanely tired. No sore boobs, but I've googled it and apparently thats normal. Fingers crossed.
  

• Eva is such an amazing baby (barely cries, sleeps through the night, happy go-lucky all the time) that I'm terrified this baby will be the exact opposite. One thing that actually does make me not so nervous is Kelly at Filtering Life. She had an amazing first baby, and what do you know? Lightening did strike twice and her new baby is just as sweet and perfect. (She also had her babies 18 months apart, which is nice to read about her journeys).

• This baby was not exactly planned, but still completely wanted and loved. While it may not have been our timing, this baby is coming at a perfect time. I will be able to substitute teach in the fall and get a much better maternity leave this time around (yay for not being poor!) I will also be able to apply for full time positions for next fall, since this baby will be 8 months by then.

• I'm just so dang excited!
  

...(name that reference)

When I was pregnant I had an array of uncomfortable ailments as I'm sure ALL pregnant women can attest to. Gotta love those 'ol 'roids that plague the entire duration of pregnancy! (Just me? Oh...okay)

One of the worst was the ridiculous heartburn that I thought was going to burn a hole right through my esophagus. I had never had heartburn before, and the first time it decided to pay me a visit I thought "What's this strange burning sensation in my throat?" "Heartburn" my husband says. It was pretty mild, so my next thought was "If this is heartburn, what are people moaning about?"....little did I know that within a short month that mild heartburn going to take over my body for the next 2 months and rampage my throat and feel like I was a dragon that could breathe fire with one short puff. I was told my baby would have lots of hair since I was getting horrible heartburn EVERYDAY....but alas the old wives tales were wrong. She's 9 months old and still a baldy.

My husband never quite got used to all the things that were wrong with me "because of the pregnancy." I had run up a list of things like forgetfulness and terrible back aches, when my husband and I were brushing our teeth before bed and I spit out the toothpaste and it was all pink. My husband freaked out "What is wrong with you?!"...and before I could say "it's because of the pregnancy" he was saying it in unison with me while rolling his eyes. Shoulda known.

Probably one of the weirdest pregnancy ailments I got was hot feet. Like "my feet will incinerate themselves from the inside" hot feet. I mostly only got that sensation at night. I absolutely cannot sleep if my feet are hot. I used to sleep with the window open, my feet sticking out of the blankets and a fan blowing air directly onto them. Some nights if it was really bad I'd go down to the freezer, throw some ice cubes in a ziplock bag and place them on my feet. I remember being at a friends house in June and their apartment was really hot. I had a fan in my room, but it just wasn't cutting it. It was the wee hours of the morning and I desperately wanted sleep but needed to cool down my burning tootsies. At 2am I crept into my friends bathroom, ran a sink full of ice cold water and plunged my feet inside. It felt so good! I didn't bother to dry them off, thinking that with the fan blowing air on my wet feet it would make it even cooler. But my raging hot feet evaporated the water too quickly and soon I was back in their washroom plunging them into a sink full of cold water again.

Surprisingly, this is one of the strange pregnancy afflictions that decided to stick around after I had my baby. Even 9 months later, I still have to sleep with my feet sticking out of the blankets with the window open. In winter when it was too cold to open the window, I had my trusty ice packs that I slept with. My other post-pregnancy weirdness was 3 months after I had Eva and my hair started falling out in handfuls. I would run my fingers through my hair and have a handful of tresses as a souvenir. It was disgusting. A couple months ago it decided to grow back...so I had these cute little baby hairs along the front of my head and in my part. When those baby hairs started really growing, I now have these ridiculous short hairs that stick straight out of my head. It looks like I tried to give myself my own hair cut...but thought it would be cool if I cut it off at the scalp. Awesome. Luckily, I know I am not alone in this, since I saw another post-pregnant friend with same wily baby hairs sticking out of her head.

So my pregnant friends...got any crazy pregnancy symptoms? Any of you have weird things that stuck around after you had your baby?

So the not being able to sleep thing was not due to pregnancy, but rather the lack of husband. Turns out I don't sleep well without him....this is good, because the last 2 weeks he's been home, I have had amazing sleeps. Sleep is just a million times better with my man spooning me....this means I will be well-rested when baber comes. Speaking of baber coming...my due date is in two weeks, however, all the signs in my body tell me its coming sooner. I have been having braxton hicks contractions for the last month and a half, but since last Thursday they have been non-stop. In the last week, the baby has also dropped down into my pelvis...this is noticeable since I am carrying different, and have much more strain on my pelvic bone now. Two weeks ago, my doctor checked me and I was already 2 cm dilated. To top it all off, today I have had this burst of energy (otherwise known as the nesting instinct) and I haven't been able to stop "doing" stuff. We were finally able to set up the baby room last night, and I didn't like this little table that was in there, and wanted to put another one in, but it was all scratched up and stuff....so this morning I wake up and drag it out in the backyard and just start sanding it. I called Steve to rent me a belt sander....so I have been working on that all day, along with making a mental list of all the other things I want to get done. Of course, these seem to be big things that I feel like I just won't get done because the baby is coming soon. I feel ready for the baby mentally, but not prepared. I think that's why I want everything "done". I've been cleaning and folding laundry and sanding and....I think I need to stop...if the baby is coming soon, I'm going to tire myself out even before I get to labor!

Pregnancy has been an extremely weird and wonderful up and down rollercoaster. It involves the strangest symptoms, and just when you get rid of one symptom, another strange one develops. I'm down to the home stretch though...5 more weeks to go. I have been very lucky up till now, and not suffered from sleep deprivation like so many other prego's. Unfortunately I am hitting that phase. For a week straight, its a miracle if I fall asleep before 2 am, but a few times it was even 4 and 5 am (yes I watched the sun come up the other day)...it's getting really frustrating. And last night, miracle of all miracles, I fell asleep by 12:30am!!...but then I was up at the crack of dawn this morning 6am and couldn't fall back to sleep. I guess it's just my body getting me ready for the sleepless nights when the baby comes...Which by the way, since I'm up so late, I've discovered that I have a lil party animal growing inside me. She's quite active in the wee hours of the morning...which will make it fun in a few weeks...

I'm nearing the end of practicum...so far it has been a fairly easy workload. Now I have a portfolio to create, which is a big undertaking. I have enjoyed my week off for Easter break, and I have to say that, No, I did not work on my portfolio. I am finding it extremely hard to buckle down and do it. I've been working on it the last two days in small, tiny, increments. That seems to be all I can handle before I get distracted or bored.....
....I think I'm going to go check myspace....

I know it's only been about a week since I felt the baby's first kick, but everyday since then I have felt her squirming and kicking. Everyday her movements are getting stronger and stronger, and its starting to feel really weird. She's a squirmy baby!....

My ultrasound went really well...the baby has all it's limbs and is normal and growing and stuff. And the best part....it's a girl! Steve and I are so excited.

And in other exciting baby news...she finally kicked me! I've been waiting and waiting for it. I was getting annoyed because there's a couple other prego women in my church, and one girl was only 4 1/2 months and she was feeling movement. I'm almost 5 1/2 months and it finally came...It was a couple nights ago. I was all relaxed (Steve was being a good hubby and giving his wife a massage), when I thought I felt something weird. I told him to stop and I turned over onto my back. Steve got really excited and put his head on my tummy. Sure enough...she was squiggling around in there and we got to feel it together. She even gave one big kick and Steve got it in the side of the head! It was awesome. Now that I recognize her movements, I feel it all the time now...it kinda feels like bubbles popping.

The ultrasound and the kicking has made pregnancy so much more real. We visited some friends who just had a baby less than a week ago, and Steve and I got to hold their tiny baby girl. It made us both really impatient to meet our little girl. We are so excited, and anxiously looking forward to her arrival.

So I start a new blog and then never update it....smart move. But in my defense I have been really busy lately. Teaching has been wonderful, and I had a most relaxing week off because of Family Day and Teacher's Convention. Definitely did not accomplish anything, but that is to be expected especially from Procrastinator Kindra. I enjoyed relaxing thank you very much.

I'm also quickly growing a bump. I'm at 4 and 1/2 months and am experiencing all the joys and weirdness of being pregnant. For some reason your brains turn a bit to baby mush, and you become very forgetful...I have on more than one occasion shown up to work on the wrong day or missed a shift altogether. I also have been having weird dull aches deep in my belly, which I'm told is growing pains....my body stretching and growing and making way for baby. I have noticed an easing of my all-day morning sickness which is great.

Yep...so that is the latest update. Sorry its so belated.

Okay, so I've told some of you, emailed some of you, and some of you probably heard by word of mouth...the cat's out of the bag....I'm pregnant! I'm already 14 weeks and I'm definitely showing a bump (my regular pants are much too tight). It has been a bit of a rough go so far. I've been very sick with morning sickness (which is not aptly named I might add, since it lasts from morning until night). Because I am into the 4th month, I think it may be beginning to let up (well, fingers crossed at least). It's amazing I've made it through a month of my practicum with no mishaps (only one actually and I wasn't teaching at the time thankfully). It's tiring being pregnant, and I seem to come home after school and get about a 2-3 hour nap in, and yet I still sleep perfectly fine at night. Steve makes fun of me, because there are so many weird side effects to pregnancy that whenever I'm suffering from something he knows now to immediately attribute it to the pregnancy. In Steve's words "everything's wrong because you're pregnant!" It seems exaggerated but true. Just to give an example: I had a chronic stuffy nose that just wouldn't go away (2 months now), and just thought it was because it was winter and its dry. Reading through my pregnancy book I discover, OH! wow....it's because I'm pregnant! It won't go away, just get worse as the nine months go on. Not to mention forgetfullness, increased sense of smell, change in tastebuds....the list goes on. It's crazy how many weird side effects you get from pregnancy. Must be all those hormones.

Steve and I have a heard the baby's heartbeat and that was really exciting. It was like 160 beats per minute! (quite a healthy rate I might add). As awful as the side effects can be at times, pregnancy really is wonderful. It's crazy when I stop and think that there's a life growing inside of me....