PKS*

I will be the first to admit I'm not pro photographer. I am more familiar with how to use my DSLR now, but 99% of the captures I get are pure coincidence or luck. I will be the first to admit however that I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to photos of my child. My husband will be the 2nd to admit it as well. He and my poor daughter have endured many a photo "session" while I've tried to obtain "the" perfect capture of her. This has resulted in not only my child but my husband growing weary of my taking their photo, which means when I really want to take a good shot, neither is cooperative at all. hah

The 'coined' term that the pros use is PKS - Photographer's Kid Syndrome. My kid has definitely acquired it. When my photographer was here last week taking my pre-natal photos and I was complaining about Tasha's hate of my camera (she did really well at ignoring B back in July as well during our family session), she encouraged me to set my DSLR aside and just use my point and shoot for gtg's, bdays, special events etc. Not to get so wrapped up in finding that perfect capture, but instead to capture the moments and not care if there was blur or it was not composed perfectly etc.

So, this morning I tried my best to do this. I still spent probably an hour taking these photos, but I was not as persistant or frustrated when I did not get the 'perfect' capture. I can't deny though, that when her little sister shows up, I'll be happy to have an immobile subject again. hah

Anywho, here are some pics of her in her costume;







And this is how most of my captures of her look:

Wordless Wednesday a day late

The Cliff Notes

• H1N1 - we talked about this. She said it's highly recommended pregnant women get the vacination. I told her my wait and see approach and she was ok with that. She said she's been seen a lot of women in the triage that have been diagnosed with H1N1 and a few have been admitted to the ICU, but she was not pushy about my choice to wait and see. She said regardless, she was not recommending any of her pg patients get it now as the risk of waiting in line for 4-6hrs+ was greater in her opinion then not getting it right away.

• I've lost some weight. I was 62kg at my apt 2w ago and am now an even 60kg. I asked what I weighed when I first went in at 5w and was surprised to hear it was 50kg. I'm not complaining by any means, I'm just surprised I started out at around 110lbs. I thought I was more bc I was sure I'd ot lost any weight after my m/c.

• Baby is now head down! yay! About a week ago when I was snuggled up with Owen and it felt like she did a complete somersault. I guess I was right. :0)

• I mentioned my labour with Tasha, how active labour started around 2.30 and she was born at 7.46pm with 46m of pushing. Dr. E mentioned it was a bit fast for a first timer and that I may have a low threshold. It came up bc I mentioned a friend of my husband's. She went 9d overdue then last week from first contraction to last push it was only 4hrs and he said to me that he bet I was that fast this time. LOL he also thinks I'm going into labour early as well, so I'm taking my husband's medical opinions with a grain of salt. :P

• She did not do the GBS test like she said she would at the last visit, she said she would next time. She also mentioned she thought I might go into labour a bit early. Hence why she wants to do the test a bit earlier then normal.
  

Indulge Me.

• Reflux & Heartburn - you can go away anytime now. The heartburn is not as bad as it was, as in I'm not passing back and forth in tears waiting for the Zantac, milk, ginger ale, peppermint candy to take hold (yes it was bad enough that I tried all the recommended remedies at once hah). It's just a persistent annoyance, not enough to want me to take a Zantac, just enough to be a pain.

• Peeing myself when I cough/laugh to hard - Each time it happens I keep wondering if it's actually pee or if I'm leaking fluid, which then kind of grosses me out.

• Exhaustion - I'm always tired. I don't think there is a time when I'm not. No matter how much sleep I get, I'm still tired. The ironic/funny part of it, is that once she is born, I won't ge any more sleep for a while, even though I can sleep in whatever position. lol

• Equilibrium - I no longer have it and it sucks. I am very tipsy and a lot of times once I lay down on the sofa or get cozy with owen, he has to help me get back up again. I'm too bottom heavy. Squatting, kneeling, bending over, picking stuff up off the floor = not going to happen.

So nothing to crazy horrible, just a few little annoyances that I felt the need to get out.

Wild Imagination

In the past month or so Tasha's imagination has really taken a firm hold in her daily fun. She's doing a ton of really cute things right now that I thought I should document so I would not forget.

"Bun Bun" & Rae Search and Rescue - She will hide Rae, then run back to Bun bun and start freaking out saying "Where's Rae Bun Bun?? On no!! Where did he go!!" Her pleas of where he went to are so realistic that one day while in the kitchen I thought she was in real distress. I went upstairs to be told I had to find Rae!! lol. Found him in the bathroom, to which she jumped up and down with happiness and exclaimed "We found him Bun Bun we found him!". lol She plays this game daily in various ways, it's really cute.

"Super Bun Bun" - Kleenex, paper towel, stray fabric scraps, whatever she can find she puts on Bun Bun's shoulders and flies him around the room exclaiming "Super Bunny!! You are Super Bunny Bun Bun"

"Pirate Bun Bun" - This is a new one. I have this silver bracelet, thin band, and it clasps together at a heart. She discovered last night that the heart made a great patch and put it over Bun Bun's head and the heart over one eye and said "Arggh I'm a pirate". Owen and I cracked up laughing LOL

Finally, she will play hide and seek with Bun Bun and Rae. This is where she covers Bun Bun's eyes, keeps her eyes open, counts to 10 while Owen or myself "hide" Rae. She gets really frustrated if you re-hide Rae while one of us covers her eyes. :p

Head in the Sand.

When I was pregnant with Tasha, I was not overly involved in any parenting type message boards. I read WB, but was not a huge contributor to the community. So, I think due in part to not reading a million questions other pregnant women asked about pregnancy/labour and not doing any research myself, I really had no idea what to expect or what was going to happen.

I had no birth plan, did not ask for delayed cord clamping, did not think to bank the cord blood, immediate chest to chest and breastfed as soon as the baby was born...None of it. This time though, I've been on 3 boards for the entire pregancy so have been over-powered with information.

At the same time though, I've not really taken it to heart or read anymore then I did the first time. I've just taken on the attitude that everything went really well with my 1st pregnancy, things will go well this time. Hopefully. I think there is such a thing as being over-prepared. There are a few things this time I will want done differently but really not much.

It may sound silly but I'm keeping the blinders on until that first 'real' contraction and then will worry about it all then. heh

I think it's Done..

I think being the key word. I need to get a couple of Closetmaid Fabric Baskets for storage of her socks and such, but all the major stuff is done, with the final big purchase being made yesterday, at IKEA. I finally found my plain white heavy weight curtains. Of course they are a mile too long and I'll probably never hem them up, but I'm simply just happy to have found them. In hindsight I could have put the curtain rod up higher, giving the appearance of a much taller window then there really is, but it's not happening now.

My design inspiration came from two places for her room was a quilt set on Pottery Barn Kids called "Penelope" and the other inspiration was a photo I saw on Flickr that used this exact same wall scheme. I loved it, and while I imagine my room is smaller then what she had to work with, I figured the room would still get enough light and not be dark and dreary if I used light/white accents for the walls and the pale colour blocks would not make it seem so closed in, being such a dark rich brown.

I am very happy with the results! The only thing I'd change is I'd have a white crib and a white dresser vs the Cherry stained one. My husband however did not share my feelings on selling a perfectly good crib and buying new for what will probably be our last child. He also forbade me to paint it, so Cherry it stayed, as well as the change table. When I move her to a twin bed I'll be buying white then, which is really more practical then a new crib since she will be in it a lot longer.



I thought I could use the Penelope Quilt set I had bought last fall, but even though I never got to use it, it still held too many memories for me. So instead I ended up purchasing a new quilt from one of my favourite Etsy Sellers. She does beautiful work! (she also made the rag quilt for me that is drapped over the crib)

I've posted it before in a previous entry, but for her fitted crib sheets and Receiving Blankets, I used flannel fabric by Sandi Henderson and made them all to coordinate with the Rag Quilt that Heather did for me. :0)



My next "ohhh this is perfect for her room" were these Flowers by Umbra. Super easy to put up! Apparently an intern designed them and they liked them so much the put them in to production. :0)


Other artwork in her room are these various sized canvas photos that are part of the Penelope bedding set. Took me a while to find a layout I liked, but I finally got them hung.


Her closet organizer. I used an Extend-It one for N's closet and while it was cheap (under $100) it is not what I'd call super sturdy and bc of the dimensions of both their closets, I lose about 2'-3' of extra space I could be using to hang clothes. When you work retail and it's a kid's store, space is a premium when it comes to closets. :p Anywho, this one was more, but it fits and holds a ton of stuff. I also bought 2 rods that we drilled holes in the wide tower and the opposite wall to add more hanging space.


Annndd my final purchase the completed the room, my plain white curtains that I've been trying to find for months and months! I wanted a heavier weight to block out the sun in the summer and keep the cold a bit at bay in the winter. I had not "planned" on getting sheer ones as well, but they looked awesome together in the showroom so I splurged. :p They are about a mile too long and while each set included the 'easy' iron on hemming, I can't see myself doing it anytime soon. So for now I just have a lot of excess 'puddling' on the floor. heh


All I have left to buy are. I want 3 for her change table for socks and such. Then dare I say it after over a year in progress, her room will be complete. Just another 2 months of waiting for her to make her appearance to enjoy it. :0) I painted it the main brown colour when I found out I was pregnant last summer, I took a guess on the pink square, which I would have made Orange if we had a boy either then or were going to now.


Supplies/Where it all came from:
Paint: It's all Benjamin Moore - Main Wall Colour - Rockies Brown, Squares (Aprox. 2.2') - Lemon Drops, Pink Ruffle, Blue Marguerite, Wales Green.

Bedding: Rag Quilts - Hungry Caterpillar & one on draped over the crib - - Heather of A La Mode Fabric as well as the Toddler Quilt in her crib.

Fitted Sheets/Receiving Blankets - Made by me, fabric is flannel by Sandi Henderson - Vintage Cherries, Vintage Stripey, Vintage Breeze Dots, Big Blooms, Medallion Bloom. I bought some of it online and some at my local fabric store. It's been d/c'd (she has a new fabric palette out now) so it is a bit harder to still find.

Wall Art: White plastic wall flowers are by Umbra. I bought mine at local store called "Paper Roots" but you can find them online through Umbra, as well as a few other stores. I think Restoration Hardware carries them as well. They come in White, Fushia and Black. the Bird Canvases were part of the Penelope Quilt set lot I bought off of ebay. I've not seen them on Pottery Barn Kids in a while though, may be discountined.

Curtains & Curtain Rod: IKEA! The Heavier weight White ones that have a slight pattern on them are called Anita and the Sheer ones are called Alvine Rund. The rod is Lummig.

Random: Change pad - TRU, Crib/Change table - TRU before Tash was born. Closet Organizer is by Debbie Travis. We purchased it at Canadian Tire when it went on for 40% off a few weeks ago. For the Wide Tower, Narrow Tower and 2 wide shelf packs, it came in under $200. I also bought hanging rods by Rubbermaid while we were there. We had to drill holes in the Wide Tower and opposite wall, but it allowed for a lot more hanging room.

31w

I had my first doctor's appointment in almost 3w yesterday. Due to the lovely snow and crappy road conditions, it took me an hour and a half to get there. I did not have to worry about a wait though, since everyone else was late showing up for their AM apt as well, so my wait time was only about 5m.

Baby's heartbeat is a strong 155bpm, she was 1.3kg (a little over 3lbs) at the last u/s, and she's still breech. Dr. E thought she was at my last appointment, which was confirmed at my ultrasound. She's not worried yet, and neither am I. She said at 35w if she still felt breech she'd schedule an u/s for me and we'd discuss then my 'options'. I'm fine with my options, as long as it does not involve an epidural. :p

She also learned from my bloodwork a few weeks ago that I do indeed have low iron levels so wrote me a 'script for that. I'm also measuring 1w ahead, so I'm catching up, I think I was a big bigger then that a few weeks ago. Baby's weight is also in the 50 percentile. Oh and my weight is 62.5kg. heh This is the most I have ever weighed. I did not go over 130lbs when I was pg with Tash, but I think I started out at a lower weight then I did this time.

I actually think she may have turned/moved a bit in the last 24hrs because her strong movements have changed. So I'm not sure if she's changed from kicking with her feet and now is using her hands, or what. For now I'm not going to worry about it. I have no idea if Tash was breech at this point in that pregnancy. I find being High Risk and seeing an OB vs a Doctor at a Low Risk Clinic you tend to get info overload. Dr. E discusses everything with me and keeps me so in the loops that sometimes I feel I may have too much information.

Brandy of Fresh Sugar is coming by this weekend. This will be our 3rd visit from her this year. The first to be Boudoir Photos, then our Family Session and now Maternity. I'm excited to see her again, but nervous as well. No idea what I'm going to wear and a bit nervous that my house is not that nice. All her clients seem to have such "designer" homes.

I'm still debating on some nude ones. I did a couple when I was pregnant with Tasha, and was thinking I might do a couple this time. I asked Owen if he wanted to do some and he was 'if you want'. hah He's such a great help.

Wordless Wednesday

2.5 months to go...

and I'm starting to get anxious/excited. I'm wondering if it's because I've seen her so much due to the many ultrasounds, but I'm getting super excited to meet her. Two and a half months seems so far away!

And it's not in a "I don't think I can be pregnant a moment longer" kind of anxious/excited. So far, this pregnancy has went wonderfully. Some bad heartburn in the early weeks of T2, but other then that, no really bad aches/pains/morning sickness etc.

I've worked really hard on her room, bought her some lovely outfits, made a lot of things - receiving blankets, fitted crib sheets...that I'm just really excited I think to start using it. I'm also really curious about what she will look like, how Tasha will interact with her..how it will change our family dynamic. It's getting sooo close to her due date, I don't know where the time has gone. :0)

I'm not anxious for the sleep deprivation, Tash has slept through the night for a really long time, so adjusting to a couple hours here and there won't be fun, but meeting her and discovering her little personality is definitely worth it all. :0)

More Wall Art.

I feel a tiny bit guilty that I've been able to actually put stuff on jellybean's walls. Poor Tash has been in her room for almost 2 yrs now and all I've managed to get up is a wall decal. Next I need to find some white curtains and pick up a curtain rod. I'd also like to find a mobile (pin wheel or felt) to hang over the change table to give her something to look at when we change her. :0) I've seen some cute ones on Etsy and part of me is thinking I could easily make one as well. It just depends on my energy/motivation. hah

Once I get the curtain rod hung, curtains up, find a mobile and get her closet Rods up, her room should be complete and ready for her arrival. :0)

30 Weeks!

Good news — at this point your baby's lungs and digestive tract are nearly mature, meaning she'll do much better in the event of premature birth. Researchers also believe your baby can actually see now, in utero, but no one knows exactly how much she can make out. She's also becoming more cramped in your uterus and less able to move so freely, although when she does move, you're sure to notice it.

:0D

Wordless Wednesday

The final peice to the puzzle..

Almost 2 weeks ago, during a frustrating moment when Tasha was asking for a diaper because she had to poop, but telling me "no mommy no poop" and then proceded to poop in like two seconds after I put it on, I finally said "No more diapers at bedtime!"

It's been a long time since she potty trained (I think we started back in June? I'd have to check, maybe July?) and the accidents have been few. All that we had left was night training, which I had been avoiding. Anywho, I finally told Owen, it's time!

The first night was very unsuccessful. I went in that morning to a very very wet bed. Luckily, we had purchased a mattress protector some time ago. Night #2, we cut out liquids at around 6pm, woke her up at 11 to pee, which did not go over well, she just stared at Owen like "WTF?" and did not pee. She did though, wake up 4xs though throughout the night to pee. Each time she did, she came into our room and woke up one of us to take her back to bed.

Night 3 did not go as well. Her sheets were wet the following morning, then she had about a week? of dry mornings before one night I went to check on her before I went to bed and she was not only wet, but had pooped in her panties. :0( I changed her, her sheets and went to bed.

Soo since all this, she finally finally pooped on the potty for the first time since the first month of potty training. Which is what started the night training to begin with. I knew she could do it, it was just going to take a bit of encouragement.

Now it did not happen 'quickly'. She was prancing and I knew she had to poop but she wanted a diaper. I told her they were 'all gone, no more'. Then she asked for her potty frog, then the toilet and I'll admit there was crying involved (her not me, haha) but finally 45m later she pooped on the potty, jumped up and cheered through her tears and then asked to be wiped. hah

Since then she's pooped 2xs for owen (no accidents either) and then yesterday she woke up from her nap, pooped and then came and told us. Of course we did not believe her because she has such problems sitting and pooping, but when Owen went to check, she had. I'm hoping that it's a sign that she is 100% trained. :0)

3.9cm

I seem to have a crazy cervix. I went for ultrasound #7 on Friday and it's actually lengthened again. The last u/s it was 3.7cm and this time it was 3.9cm. :0) The good news is, at the end of all the tests/scans when I met with the doctor he said he did not see a need for another u/s (I was told I'd keep having them until 32w) and was going to fax the results to my doctor and let her decide. I realllyyy hope she's in agreement with him. I'm out of the 'real' danger zone (at 29w she has an 85% survival rate with a very low chance of complications/problems) and to be honest, I'm a bit tired of all the trans-vaginal ultrasounds and Owen having to take time off work for them all.

This time when I went in I had a student, and while I will be the first one to say that everyone has to learn on someone, this is the one time I would have preferred it not be me. At the last u/s she was soo defined, I got to see eyelids, hair on her head, her face looked so perfect...this time, because the radiologist was a student, it was taking her quite some time to get measurements and find things.

She did not give us the "baby tour" (Owen was out in the reception area with Tash last time) and I swear she used a whole bottle of gel on my belly. You can really tell the ones that have been doing it for a while when the are super neat with the gel and you do not end up with it from boob to vagina when they are done. :p All in all, I spent 1.5hrs on my back while she tried to get measurements and poked at the baby to try and get her to breath. In the end she brought in the tech who was 'watching' her and she checked things out and then they did the trans-vaginal. So in the end Owen did not get to really see anything. He was with me for the 12w one and I think he went in for one after the 18w (he did not go to that one), but baby just did not look the same.

I know he will get to see her plenty once she's born, I was just to amazed at how developed she's become over the past few weeks alone that I wanted him to see that too.

My back was killing me by the time they were done and then on top of that, because she would not take a breath whenever they checked, I then had to go into the consult room, have the heart monitor paddles put on and sit there for 20m while they watched her to make sure all was ok. I was told she is not breathing regularly, but should take a breath every 30m or so to help tone those muscles once she leaves the womb.

Hopefully this is the last one. I told Owen yesterday when we left that baby girl is probably going to go 2 weeks past due just to spite us all. :P

29w. :0)