It's Christmas Time, Well It Was...

It's hard to believe that Christmas has already come and gone.  Time just flies the older you get.  

We had an amazing Christmas.  We are very traditional this time of year.  On December 23 we go to my church's Christmas Eve service.  (They have 1 on the 23rd and 3 services on the 24th!)  I love their service, it's full of amazing music and this year they told the Christmas story through the eyes of Joseph, which was neat. 

On the 24th we go to my in-laws.  It's just the six of us plus a german shepherd and a cat and it's always very cozy and intimate.  My favourite part is that every year we watch Garfield's Christmas.  It's become a tradition that we can't miss out on! 

Then before we know it, Christmas morning is here!  Ryan and I start off by opening gifts from each other at our house.  

 Since my brother and sister still live at home, we then head down to my parents (who live about 30 seconds away) and continue on there.  It's just like Christmas morning growing up.  Except for it takes longer because we all try to make it last as long as possible.  One present at a time, and then closer we get to being done the slower we go.  We even stopped for breakfast in the middle of it.  

My mom goes a bit nuts at Christmas as you can see.  But we love it, we all love giving, and of course receiving isn't so bad either.  

 Oliver wasn't a fan of Christmas.  He didn't really understand what was going on and didn't want to be in the room for it.  So he took his new toy and hid under the kitchen table for most of the morning.

 This year on Christmas day we then went to my Grandma's on my mom's side for Christmas dinner.  They are what I would call the low key side of the family.  Because on Boxing Day we headed to the cottage for dinner with the gang below.

 There were 30 of us for Christmas dinner.  My grandma kept saying that it was very loud.  She was right.  But we wouldn't want it any other way.  We ate, we played the gift stealing game (I ended up with a Starbucks mug and a $20 Starbucks card!  Guess where mine and the babies first outing will be to!)  

 We stayed up for a few days and continued to eat and play games.  I had my first experience with Cards Against Humanity.  Some people thought you had to be drunk to play, well let me tell you that you don't.  But I was laughing so hard that my stomach hurt.  This is not a game for the easily offended.  Luckily I have an insanely inappropriate family and not much offends us!

So there's my Christmas in a nutshell.  6 days of crazy goodness.  See ya next year Christmas!

Bump Date: 31 Weeks

• Baby is the size of a pineapple!
• I have a midwife appointment on Monday already as we are up to biweekly appointments now
• Labour is freaking me out.  I was doing so well and now it scares me.  Everything is more real these days.
• Ryan and I discussed how we don't actually know how to change a diaper.  I know that we will figure it out, most people do.  I have changed diapers before but I'm actually not sure if I have changed a poopy diaper.
• This week was Christmas!  We had an awesome Christmas full of good times with family.  I noticed how Christmas really revolves around the little people and I'm excited to add to that tiny group next year.
• I'm still feeling so stiff all the time.  Why is that?  Maybe I need to increase my yoga!
• Now that Christmas is over it's time for me to focus on all things baby.  We're hoping to get the shelving up in the nursery this week, I want to finish decorating and start thinking about freezer meals. 

Bump Date: 30 Weeks

30 Weeks.  How did that happen?  Time is going so quickly now and I feel totally unprepared.  Baby has a nursery (that is incomplete) and that's about it.  I'm really hoping that once Christmas is over I have some time to focus on what still needs to be done.  But I doubt it.

• Baby is the size of a cucumber
• Less than 1 pound gained from my last appointment for a total of 18 lbs!  It's a Christmas miracle!  More likely I'm losing muscle.
• Exercise was basically non-existent this week.  I have been so busy with stuff on every night and it just didn't happen.  The next week probably won't have that much either since it's Christmas.  But I have to remember that so many people don't exercise at all during pregnant so I've done pretty well to this point.
• I hadn't realized that I was having Braxton Hicks until the midwife told me I was having one when she went to hear the babies heartbeat.  I don't really feel them so much but I can now tell when I'm having one from how hard my stomach gets.
• I miss not worrying about being stressed.  I've been super stressed at work and I know that it's not good for me or the baby, but that just makes me stress more.  It's a vicious cycle.
• I’m finally admitting that my belly is small.  It was really starting to get to me that everybody said I was so small.  But then this week I looked at other people’s 30 week pictures and they are so much more pregnant than me.  And I mean that in a good way.  But the midwife isn’t concerned and says I’m measuring fine.  
• I have now met both of my midwives.  For going with a midwife I sure have had a lot of different care!  I saw my family doctor until 12 weeks, then I started seeing my midwife who was pregnant til about 22 weeks at which point she went on mat leave.  I have seen each of my other midwives once.  Luckily they are both great and since appointments are becoming more frequent I will hopefully get a lot of face time with each of them.
• It's Christmas this week!  I'm so excited to enjoy our last Christmas of just the two of us and am ready to soak it all in.

Bump Date: 29 Weeks

• Baby is the size of a large butternut squash
• It is around 3 lbs but is within 3 inches of it's final birth length.  Sounds more like a string bean to me!
• Baby is kicking up a storm in there some days.  Other days it seems a bit lazier and I only get light kicks.
• I looked it up to see if there's a point where you should stop exercising in pregnancy, because I'm tired.  That was just wishful thinking though, as long as I'm able I can exercise until delivery.  I'm still physically able to do it, I'm just feeling lazy.
• I took Thursday off to go Christmas shopping in Toronto with my mom.  We drove into a snow storm to do it, but it was worth it.  I finished up my shopping plus got a bunch of stuff for the nursery at Ikea.  It was a very successful trip.  Although not a relaxing day off at all.  I was exhausted at the end of the day and was so sore from all of the walking and standing!
• My belly button is getting a bit flatter but I'm not sure that it will ever pop out.  That's ok with me.
• Feeling more and more anxious about birth and breastfeeding.  Labour just looks bad, I know I can do it, and everyone says it's so worth it and they would do it a hundred more times.  With breastfeeding everyone says it kills, I had to give my baby a bottle, it hurt for 6 weeks straight, yikes!
• We're in the third trimester.  Craziness!
• I miss being able to bend over and having a body that works properly and isn't sore all the time.  I have a massage next week (or this week since I'm a few days behind posting) so maybe that will help.
• It's almost Christmas!  Just a week and a bit left until our last quiet Christmas as a family of 2! 

Ways to Destress....At Christmas....When You're Pregnant

This time of year is amazing, but it can be super stressful as well.  As much fun as all of the parties and events are, it makes life extremely busy.  Add in to that having to shop and get all of the gifts that you need.  It can get stressful and so I personally need some ways to relax.

Number one on my list would be to enjoy a glass of wine when you get home from work.  Of course this is not what I am doing at the moment, but if I could, I would!  There's something about a nice glass of wine after a long day that is so relaxing!

Get a massage.  Ok so I'm super busy and the last thing that I need is to add another appointment to my plate, but yet I have a massage next Wednesday.  But I think that it will be worth it when it's done.  And my body hurts, so I really need it. 

Make time for crap TV.  I love junky TV.  The Real Housewives, Vanderpump Rules, whatever floats your boat.  They are ridiculous shows, but watching these mindless shows can be very relaxing.  

Be prepared.  If you have a lot of gifts to buy, being organized and prepared is key to being less stressed.  Make a list of who you need to buy for, what you have purchased and what you still need to get.  I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with the gift buying until I wrote everything out and realized that I was actually doing pretty well in the gift department.  I only have a few more small things to get, or I generally know what it is that I need to buy people.

For you preggos out there, sit back, relax and feel baby kicks.  Nothing is more calming than feeling that little guy or girl kick you in the stomach, funny enough.  (Except when I was trying to sleep in this morning because I have the day off and the baby decided I should be getting up!)

Don't book yourself too solid.  For me, as an introvert, I need some me time.  So if we have an event on a Saturday night, I don't make an effort to make plans on the Friday because I know it's too much for me.  I would rather sit in on the couch, with a hot chocolate, my husband and a Christmas movie.  
 
Enjoy the season, it only comes once a year!

Bump Date: 28 Weeks

• Baby is the size of a head of lettuce and weighs about 2 1/4 pounds
• This week the babies hair is growing.  But according to my heartburn that started weeks ago I'm pretty sure it's been growing for awhile!
• I miss being able to exercise hard and really push myself.  I feel like I could push myself more, but at the same time I don't want to push to hard.  
• Some of my maternity pants felt tight this week.  I don't like that.
• I was really tired this past week.  Especially last Sunday I could barely function and then got emotional, or hormonal or maybe I was just over tired.  I have no idea!  But I've also felt kind of off all week like I'm fighting off a flu or a cold.  'Tis the season I guess.  
• I thought maybe I had low iron, but since i had blood work last week for my glucose test they tested my hemoglobin as well.  Both tests came back fine!
• Baby kicks so much these days and I'm loving that the kicks are higher up in my belly. 
• This week I have my ultrasound to check whether my cervix is far enough away from the placenta.  At my 20 week ultrasound it was pretty close to where it needs to be so I'm pretty confident that it will be fine.
• This week we were at the bank and asked if we had any dependents.  Ryan said no.  And then said "Well just one in the belly."  I thought it was the funniest way to describe it!
• I watched a birth video this week.... like it showed everything.  I was scarred and I kind of wanted to never have to do that.  But I guess it's too late for that.  I thought the video would prepare me since I feel completely clueless, but now I'm just scared!
• It's crazy to look back at what I looked like at 8 weeks and 18 weeks and how much I've changed.  I look at what I looked like when I first got pregnant and it's hard to believe that my body looked like that.  I'm kind of used to this Buddha belly now.  

December

Three weeks from today is Christmas morning.  Isn't that crazy?  Where has the time gone?  Oh and four weeks from now we are in a whole new year.  

This past weekend we went to our local Santa Clause Parade.  We have a night parade and I absolutely love it.  It's so much fun to see all of the floats lit up with Christmas lights.  We met up with some friends there, who have a 6 year old and a 2 and a half year old.  The younger boy was so excited to see Santa.  He got up on his dad's shoulder and just kept looking for Santa.  Finally he saw him and just started yelling "Santa! Santa!" and waving.  I had forgotten the magic that is Christmas for children.  Kids fully believe that Santa Clause is real and that the one riding on a local float is the real deal!  And the look on his face when he saw Santa reminded me of that. 

For adults the magic is different.  Unfortunately I have come to the realization that there is no Santa Clause. Although some days I try really hard to believe it.  But for us it's the feeling that we get this season.  There's something about it that just makes me happy.  Giving to others, being with friends and family, and just the general joy that seems to be in the air.

The other night as I was driving home from work, it was snowing lightly.  The road was so pretty.  Then I had a baby start kicking me from inside, and I felt truly blessed.  There are so many things that I'm thankful for.  But this year, I'm mostly thankful for what I'm experiencing right now.  There are some days that are harder than others, but a year ago I was questioning whether I would ever get to experience pregnancy.  And I'm truly happy that it's something that happened for me.  What I went through to get to pregnancy is nothing compared to what some people are going through trying to start their family.  And that little kicking 2 pound ball of baby is a daily reminder that I have so much to be thankful for.

Bump Date: 27 Weeks

On Friday, I was 27 weeks and exactly 3 months from my due date.  Craziness!  I'm feeling totally unprepared.  I mean I have all of my nursery furniture, so baby has somewhere to live.  But this actual parenting thing, it's not going to be easy.  But then, is anyone ever really ready?

And this picture is what you get when you have a grumpy, tired, pregnant lady who barely did her hair but luckily put on a presentable outfit to go to church.  I hate it, but what can you do.

• Baby is the size of a rutabaga.  What's a rutabaga?
• Or to make it easier, baby is about 2 lbs.
• People are still saying I'm small.  I think they think they are complimenting me, but I don't really take it that way.  I think honestly that people forget what size they were at certain stages in pregnancy.  I would say I'm on the smaller side, but the midwife isn't concerned and my uterus is measuring pretty much exactly the right size.  
• Bending over is a bit uncomfortable these days.  That's probably not going to get easier any time soon!
• Ryan felt the baby for the second time ever this week, and the first time was weeks ago!  My belly also moved when it happened, which was pretty cool.
• I just lay on the couch with my shirt pulled halfway up waiting for my belly to move.  But it's like the baby knows what I'm doing and refuses to kick as soon as I start looking.
• I had my glucose test for gestational diabetes this week.  The drink wasn't bad, just like flat, warm, orange pop.  And it got the baby moving!  Then I had to sit at the lab for an hour and wait for the blood test, but I just brought my book at it went by pretty quick.  Hopefully I pass because I really don't want to do the two hour test!
• I'm feeling mentally exhausted.  Not sure if that relates to pregnancy.  I think it's a combo of the pregnancy, Christmas and just being generally stressed at work about getting everything done, training a new contract and going into our busy time of year.  I come home at the end of the day and just don't want to think about anything.
• Baby got the hiccups the other night.  It was a really weird feeling and I don't know how to describe it.  Actually it has them again right now.  It's much lighter than kicks, but it's rhythmic and constant for a few minutes, so it's kind of more uncomfortable.
• I hope to make my crib mobile this weekend.  It might be a pinterest fail, we will see.
• I just realized that my date calculator is calculating based on a February 27 due date (which is what my midwife says my due date is, but I'm still going with February 28 because I think I know better).  So really my week changes on Saturdays not Fridays.  Close enough.