Here we are. In a few short days we'll be entering the 36th week. My how time has flown by in these last few months. It seemed to take forever as I was counting the weeks in the early stages. Now, it seems they're coming fast and quick and I can't catch my breath.

There is so much to do...or at least it feels that way. I feel unorganized and scattered. I need to buckle down and get my act together and organize all the baby's clothes and figure out what goes where and where in the kitchen I can find "baby space"....we have a pretty little kitchen with minimal cupboard space, but I'll have to figure something out soon....baby will be here in a few weeks.

S and I have been very lucky and spoiled by our friends and family as I just had two baby showers. We got tons of stuff and this little guy is off to the best start possible.

Here is our most recent baby-bump picture that was taken this past Sunday.

The belly is definitely growing and growing. At barely 5ft tall, I'm impressed that I'm not falling over!

Six.

Six weeks to go.

How can that be?

My work-mates just put on a great baby shower for me and I couldn't feel more loved by them. It was wonderful to see how they all came together and took off 8 items from my registry! From my change-table pad to a nursing pillow to my diaper genie! It was all very lovely and gets us off to a great start.

I'm sure I've mentioned that there are 4 women in the office who are either preggo or just had a baby. 4 women in an office of 7. My poor boss. And I'm pretty sure we're all taking the full year off. Definitely some challenges, but for us ladies it's great that we will be able to connect and have playdates and get away and connect with each other. 2 of us, myself and another will be gone from Dec 2011 to Dec 2012 and the other two have different timelines, but all in all, there is about 4 or 5 months where we'll all be off at the same time!

Which brings me to gush about how we're given a full year. I know, some women can't take the full year, the government cheque just isn't enough to cover the expenses they'll have raising a family or living on their husband/partner's income just won't sustain. But for those who can manage - to be able to take a full year to full bond and raise your child is absolutely amazing. I think to our neighbours to the south and feel unbelievably sorry that they aren't offered this option. There is so many misconceptions about the universal healthcare system in Canada and how my American friends all think we're dying in Emergency rooms, when really that isn't the case. Yes - it isn't perfect. But neither is yours. But I truly wish you could benefit from paternal/maternity leave and benefits that we do.

Because I can't imagine anything better than being able to spend those first amazing months with your child.

Hello little turkey.....

Dear little guy,

It’s hard to believe we are already in week 33. The last doctor’s visit told us you were in the Frank Breech position. Now, I hate to be a nag – but you really need to turn yourself around. For now I’ll just gently try to use my soothing voice to politely ask you to turn. If at 37 weeks the doctor tells me you’re still being a pain-in the ass-down position, you will begin to hear the “not so nice mommy voice”.

And just ask daddy, nobody, nobody wants to hear that!

You’ve really started to get your groove on lately. Most mothers have told me babies slow down in the 30 week range, you seem to be bopping and bumping even more. Maybe you’re trying to get comfortable in there….but you certainly seem to be having yourself a party in there. You’ve kept me awake a number of nights these last few weeks and have been intent on keeping me as awake as possible. I’m just saying, I won’t forget this and when you’re 15 and want to sleep in, I’ll pull out this card and force you to rise with the sun!

All joking aside, it’s getting close to crunch time. Your father and I are getting anxious, nervous, excited as we anticipate your arrival. We both hope it’s a safe and healthy labour and delivery and that you’re lungs are strong enough for every first breath and first cry. Mother’s intuition tells me you won’t make it to your due date, but then again, mother’s intuition had me convinced I was carrying a girl….so we know that this mother clearly has her “off days”.  But with every off day, I hope to have countless "on" days.

Stay warm and safe in there and keep growing and gaining as much strength as you can, there are lots of people out here excited to meet you.

See you in less than two months!

Love,
Mom & Dad

No Fun Zone

We've officially entered the no-fun zone of pregnancy. (But, has it ever really been fun?) The heartburn has drastically increased, the discomfort in trying to sleep is taking it's toll on me and at the moment it feels like our little guy is on speed and I feel like a sick dog.

For the last week or so I've been fighting a nasty cold. And I mean nasty. The coughing is that kind that shakes the whole body and ends up hurting. The sinus congestion that never ends and the aching body that just won't go away. And a bonus to being pregnant is that our lovely doctors tell us that we can't take anything.

I know, I know - I can see my mom and dad shaking their heads and thinking "gee, we took cold medicine back when we were having babies and our kids turned out just fine!" Well times have changed, back then you didn't wear sunscreen and now you've seemed to come around to the notion that too much sun can cause cancer - so maybe you can realize that it's not that doctors are saying that you'll necessarily severely harm the baby, but that a drug free, medicine-free pregnancy helps to minimize such developmental problems and health problems that might have been more prevalent back in the day. It's not like I think a cold pill will cause my baby to look like the hunchback of Notre Dame, (but two cold pills a day for a week might not be the best option)  but I know that I'd rather feel a week or two of discomfort than increasing any risks to my baby. I know, I know....the older generation (yes, I said older) is rolling their eyes. Just think of what all the studies have shown us on nicotine, alcohol, post-partum depression, radiation for cancer, penicillin (oooh, that was a good one), vaccines for polio etc....- some times doctors get it right and you can't always just chose to listen to some advice and ignore the others because it's not what "you did". Because you all should have just had your babies in the back woods without a doctor or a hospital because gee, our ancestors did that and turned out just fine, so why would you go to a hospital in the first place....gosh, you must have been wrapped up in all that hog-wash hype from your day.

My next "issue" is insomnia. It has been horrendous. I was up until 3AM this morning. My son, or I should say my husband's son would not stop kicking, bouncing,  moving, shifting, dancing, posing, squatting, turning....I don't know what he was doing but it was annoying and kept me up. I couldn't get comfortable. At 2AM I got up to take a warm bath hoping the water would soothe the little pain-in-the-ass to sleep....but nope...he kept going. I'd also like to point out how my husband didn't move an inch as I got out of bed, went to our ensuite bathroom, ran the bath water, played some soft music, drained the tub, dried off, got back into bed. And he is supposed to hear a kid in the next room? He could sleep through an earthquake.

Maybe all that moving is turning the baby. He's currently bum-down and head up...so he has a few weeks to get in the right position because I won't be pushing a baby out feet first...!

And to think, I will only get bigger which means heartburn, insomnia, discomfort will only grow.

Pregnancy is officially not-fun.