Winter be Gone!

I don't know if I can take another month of winter!

I thought that this year being pregnant I might not feel the cold so much. Nope, that little internal heater I have heard about has not kicked in yet. The only times I feel really warm are when I am sitting in my car with the seat heater on high, the heater turned up to it's maximum and the fan going full blast in my face.

I hang out for summer every year. Friends over for BBQ's, days lounging on the beach, ice-cream, long holidays, summer dresses, you get the idea.

Most of all this year summer means that our baby will be in our arms! That thought is all at once terrifying, thrilling and utterly incomprehensible. I have ideas about what life will be like once baby is here, but I am sure they all pale in comparison to what it will really be like.

The Olympics

I love the Olympics. Not just a little bit, and my family can testify to this fact. It was only recently that I got rid of about 30 VCR tapes of Olympic (and Commonwealth games) gymnastics, and opening and closing ceremony footage.

Like I said, Love it!

Dave and I are going to sleep on the couch tonight so that in the morning we can simply turn the TV on and watch the opening ceremony live. At 5:30 am.

Yes, that's right, 5:30 AM!

We're committed here people.

In fact I have contemplated using up several days of sick leave over the next two weeks so I can get a really good fix of Olympic-y goodness.

I love watching the medal ceremonies. I cry right along with the athletes and their families. The sheer elation on their faces, the moment they realise they have won, a lifetime of sacrifice and unthinkable hard work finally recognised - it's the best!

No single athlete gets to the games all on their own. Their support team is just as vital as anything else they do in preparation. Their win, is their teams win, their medal is their parents medal. The parents who got up at the crack of dawn six days a week to drive them to the pool, the parents who changed jobs and moved the whole family to a different city or state to help their child achieve their dream.

So, I shall spend the next two weeks glued to the TV, inspired by the athletes, cheering on the Aussies, pretending I have dust in my eyes during the medal ceremonies and imagining myself to be ten years old again, dreaming that I might be an Olympic gymnast one day.

Lately

Since our Saturday morning even, we have kept things pretty quiet around here. Dave started a new (old!) job on Monday, so he's been settling in there, and I'm still getting back into the swing of things after the school holidays.

We have had some mould issues in our bathroom cabinet the last few winters, and this year I decided to really fix the problem. I spent a week de-moulding the cupboard walls and shelves, and have been giving it a new coat of paint. Hopefully we won't have the mould back next year!

Both Dave and I have been making the most of our cleared out front room, using the elliptical machine nearly every day - we're going to be so fit! Well, Dave might be, for some reason my belly doesn't seem to be getting any flatter?! ;)

My parents got back yesterday from six weeks in Alaska and Canada. They brought back this adorable moose for the baby.

Today I'm enjoying my day off, and about to go catch up with a friend. I should probably shower before I do that...

A Little Scare

Yesterday morning (Saturday) found us in at the hospital with our back-up midwife.

I had been really uncomfortable all day Friday, and the baby's movements seemed a lot quieter than normal. I spent several hours on Friday night trying to get baby to move, but none of the normal prodding and tricks seemed to have any effect. The last time I could recall feeling any movement was around 2pm that afternoon.

When I woke up Saturday morning I spent another hour trying to get the baby to move, squashing it, drinking cold juice, lying down, lots of things recommended to get the baby to move, still with no result.

Dave got on the phone to our midwife, and got through to our back up midwife, Karen, who reassured him that there was probably nothing to be too concerned about, but if we wanted to be sure that we could meet her at the hospital for a check up.

What followed was perhaps the longest hour of our lives. I don't think we have ever been so early for an appointment. We tried to kill some time by stopping to pick up coffee's (hot chocolate for me) on the way, but we were still sitting in the car at the hospital with almost half an hour to wait. Thank goodness for the invention of mobile phones with Facebook access, that kept us occupied for a few minutes.

Soon we were inside, where we were blessed beyond measure by Karen's calm reassurance and care for us. She gave us a listen to the baby's heartbeat for a good while, and was able to point out to us the different noises coming through the monitor that indicated baby moving.

She then went and got an ultrasound machine and an obstetrician to come and do another scan, and we were able to see the baby's heart beating and also it's movements. From the look of where they were holding the scanning wands over my womb, baby seems to have changed position a little, and I think that is what caused me to not feel much. We are guessing that baby is lying right behind the placenta, which is masking a lot of the movement.

We are so thankful that we live in a country where we can call our midwife at any time and meet her at the hospital, have multiple scans to check for the heartbeat and watch the baby move and drive home, comforted, without even paying a cent. We are so thankful for the staff's gentle care of us, for the lengths that they are willing to go to make sure that we are confident that the baby is ok.

We are so thankful for the baby's movements we have been able to feel late yesterday afternoon and today.

And we are so incredibly thankful that we have a God who walks with us through anything and is a strong rock during times of storm.

Thoughts On... Keeping Memories

One of the reasons I am so glad I started this blog is because it will be a record of our life, here on the internet for many years to come.

There are many moments of Dave's and my life here, memorialised for our children to see. There are of course many moments, probably most in fact, that aren't here, but there are so many that are.

I love that our baby will be able to see much of how I was feeling during my pregnancy. That all the plans and preparations, the emotions of this time are here for our little one to come and read all about.

Our adventures are on here, big and small. Our travels, and our everyday.

I don't do a great job of documenting the everyday and I often go for days without taking any photos.

I want to get better about that, and I am sure that once the baby is here the camera will never be far from reach.

I love that this space makes me stop and reflect at least a few times each week. That it is a space that I can come back to and have insight into that moment in time for me. It helps me to pause, to think, to process and remember moments before they are gone from memory.

Little snippets of life, caught on camera and in words for us to look back on a remember. Our memories.


(Linking up with Casey Wiegand)

24 Weeks

Baby's size: baby is approximately 30cm long and weighs around 600 grams

How far along: 24 weeks

Sleep: sleep has been a little restless the last couple of weeks. I wouldn't say I'm uncomfortable, but I am waking a few times each night. I also usually need to get up to pee once a night. 

Maternity clothing: no maternity clothing yet. I am crossing my fingers I can get away without having to buy any maternity clothing, especially because it's so expensive. I have bought a few tops that are a size or so bigger than I normally would, and hopefully as the weather warms up I can wear those with leggings, or layer with some dresses.

Food cravings: still no cravings. Just waiting for that one to kick in!

Food aversions: still the cooked vegetables and red meat, although I told Dave the other night that I want to go out for Mexican for my birthday next month for my favourite, shredded beef taquitos. We'll see how they go down and maybe after I'll add some meat back into my diet!

Symptoms: I have definitely noticed over the last few weeks that my stomach is being pushed up. If I eat too much I struggle to breathe comfortable after! This has been made a little difficult over the last 3 or 4 days as my appetite has increased!

Midwife's appointment: we had our appointment a couple of weeks ago, and it went great. Kerry was able to tell us more about my low lying placenta. I have what they call an anterior low-lying placenta, which means it's sitting low near my cervix and at the front. They like for it to be nice and high in the uterus away from the cervix, as if they sit too close to or covering the cervix it makes vaginal birth difficult and sometimes not possible. Thankfully, my placenta was about an inch and a half away from my cervix, and it should keep moving away and my uterus expands over the next few months. But the good side is that we get another scan at around the 34 week mark, just make sure it has shifted up. Praying that it does!!

Movement:  still not a lot, but that is due to the position of the placenta. Kerry was able to explain to us that because the placenta is sitting at the front, it is in between baby and me, and therefore is blocking me from being able to feel most of the baby's movement. There are a few times a day where baby must be especially active and I can really feel the movement, and also if baby is feeling squashed up in there, like if I lean something on my lower abdomen, it gets a little cranky and gives a few good kick to show it's displeasure!

Gender: it's a surprise. However, this week I have begun to doubt this decision. The closer we get to meeting our little one, the more I want to name him or her and connect with him in a new way. At least we get the extra scan. I can always change my mind and find out then!

Best moment of the week: Sunday morning Dave finally got too feel the baby kicking! Yay. I have been waiting for this for weeks now! He was lying on my stomach singing to the baby, and little one obviously didn't like being squashed down there because Dave got 10 or so good kicks to the head!! Baby not happy!

What I miss: nothing at all!

What I'm looking forward to: Meeting our baby!! I had a dream last night that we were bringing her (yes, in my dream it was a girl Dave! haha) home from the hospital! In my dream she had blue eyes and really dark hair - not sure where that came from! It made me really want to get stuck into getting the room all finished. I just can't wait to be holding him or her in my arms and looking into it's sweet little face, feeling it's fingers wrap around mine. 

The Countdown Begins!

Today was the first day back at work after the lovely three week, mid year break. It was also the first day of my countdown to maternity leave!

As of this morning I had 40 days of work left. Tonight, just 39! I'm a little excited.

And a little scared.

I finish up work about 6 weeks before my due date, meaning my last day of work is only 10 weeks away. Eek!

That means 10 Wednesday's off to get things done around the house, and try and get through my massive to-do list. I feel so unprepared!

But I'm also looking forward to the change in life that will be signified by then end of this school term.

A new role, a new little life to love and care for. Long nights, little sleep, less money but a new purpose, new eyes to see the world through.

So, the countdown to all that new, has begun.

Thoughts On... Becoming a Parent

One of the most profound things I have heard so far on this pregnancy journey was from my midwife at our first appointment.

She said to Dave and I that we were already parents. Parents who, for the past 14 weeks or so, had already been making parenting decisions for our little one.

We don't become parents the moment the crying babe is placed in our arms. We become parents from the moment of conception. The choices make with regards to the food I eat, the exercise I do, the environments I put myself in while pregnant are all parenting ones.

Dave and I make joint parenting decisions right from the word go on things like the type of maternal care we want, and the car seat, pram and cot we choose to purchase.

Whether we realise it or not, right from the moment we confirm we are having a baby, our choices become not just about us, they include out little ones too.

What an incredible joy, privilege and responsibility it is to know that we can be shaping and influencing our little one's future even while it is still in the womb.

linking up with casey wiegand

Nurseries

I can't think of too many things house related that are as fun to look up on the web as nurseries. Even before we were expecting I could spend hours looking up gorgeous rooms for the littlest family member. Since absolutely no progress has been made on our baby's room and therefore I have no photo's of our said room to share, I thought I would put up some pictures I have found on the interwebs!


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How fun are those rooms! Even though we can't paint, there are so many fun ideas that I can take away from different room designs and incorporate with my own ideas. I have several boards on Pinterest dedicated to ideas for baby Timberlake's room. I'm looking forward to getting my craft on, and making some gorgeous items for the room.

Probably should get started on clearing/cleaning it first....

Weekend Phone Captures

1. Afternoon rainbows for several days in a row at the end of last week.

2. Sunset along the waterfront

3. The sky at dusk

4. My weekend breakfast - every day!

5. Ballarat this morning, Lake Wendouree

6. The vintage high chair I won on eBay for $10! Picked in up in Ballarat.

Thoughts On...Machine Gun Preacher

I watched this movie this morning while eating breakfast. (It's based on a true story. The real Machine Gun Preacher's website is here.)

I have to say, it messed me up.

I spend far too much time worried about my first world problems. Like how annoying it is when I can't get a car park near the supermarket doors, or when the internet works too slowly for my liking.

I am incredibly blessed to have been born into not only the family that I have, but also the country that I live in. I live in a safe country. Most likely I will never be the victim of a crime. My child will have cheap and often free medical access anytime they might need it. My kids will go to school, always have food in their belly's and clothes on their bodies. I have a solid roof over my head, electricity and heating at the flick of a switch, clean water for drinking and washing by turning a faucet.

I am beyond blessed.

But all these blessings are not just for me to enjoy. I am not blessed so that I can simply go through life being comfortable and having all of my wants met. God has not given me much, just to hoard it all too myself.

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48b

While we are not all called to do such radical things as Sam Childers, we are called to do what we can. I have been given much, I know that God demands much of me. My much may not be packing up and leaving my home (or one day it might be!), but it might be small things, daily things, where I sacrifice so that someone else may be blessed.



An Embarrassing Room No More

I am very pleased to say that what was once one of two embarrassing rooms in my house is now not! Whoo!

I spent the entire first week of my holidays making the front spare room of our house go from this

To this

Look at all the space - and the floor. I haven't seen much of that floor in the last year!

It's now pretty and functional. I have set up my craft and sewing supplies in the cupboard, I've been working out every morning, and there is room in the cupboard for Dave's guitars and amps. We'll even be able to use it as a play room once baby is old enough!

And the pram in the corner, it was my dolls pram when I was a girl, and my Dad recently cleared out their garage and took it to the op shop. I was so devastated when I found out that he went back and salvaged it for me - from the dumpster! They had put my beloved pram in a dumpster?!! Sure, it needs a little TLC, but once I give it a clean up it will be good as new!

It feels so good to have this room all cleaned up. I am slowly making my way through the rest of my house, and the rest of my list of things to do before baby comes. It feels so good to be making my home cleaner and to be purging it of many unused and unwanted items. I am weirdly enjoying all this cleaning. I hope that feeling lasts, because the urge to clean doesn't come my way too often!

On a completely random note, happy 4th July to my American friends and visitors today!


Enjoying the fireworks from our balcony Destin Point, FL, July 4th 2011

22 Weeks

Baby's size: Roughly 27-28cm long and weighs about 430 grams

How far along: 22 weeks today

Sleep: I didn't sleep very well at all last week, but the last two nights I have slept really soundly.

Maternity clothing: I am still able to get away with wearing my normal clothing, although I did buy some cheap tops last weekend that I don't care about stretching. I don't want to stretch all my other clothes. Although that would be a good excuse to go shopping once the baby has arrived :)

Food cravings: I still haven't had anything like what I would call cravings. Maybe I'm expecting them to be really strong cravings, like the thought of a particular food will drive me crazy until I eat it. I'm not sure if they are normally that strong for other women, but I haven't experienced those sort of cravings yet.

Food aversions: Still off most cooked vegetables and red meat, although the idea of a nice beefy pasta is growing on me. I just don't think I could handle the smell of it cooking.

Symptoms: I am definitely feeling heavier these days. I went for a walk last Thursday and by the end of it I was shuffling my way up the street towards home. Man my belly felt heavy! I am also noticing that my stomach and lungs are starting to be pushed upwards. After eating a full meal it is noticeably harder to breathe and can take several hours to ease. This may be why I had so much trouble sleeping last week. I am definitly doing some portion control this week. Lots of smaller meals and snacks!

Midwife's appointment: Thursday! I'm looking forward to being able to talk to her about a few things. I found out last week from an obstatrician at the hospital that I have a low-lying placenta. Thankfully it isn't covering my cervix, but it is really close to it, so I am looking forward to talking about this with Kerry.

I was a little silly when I found out about the placenta - I googled. Don't google issues that arise when you're pregnant, it's not good. Hopefully Kerry can identify how much of an issue this might be in terms of having a natural birth.

To look at the bright side, we will get to have an extra ultrasound at around 34 weeks, so that will be another look at the baby that most people don't get to have. Usually the 20 scan is the last one.

Movement: Baby is a little more active these days. Unfortuantely not quite enough that Dave has been able to feel anything yet. Baby doesn't move around for long periods of time, just short little bursts, a few jabs here and there throughout the day. By the time I really notice baby is moving, it has stopped again, and so far it hasn't really been hard enough to feel from the outside anyway. I do wonder if perhaps the placenta placement is affecting how much I can feel the movement.

Gender: It's a surprise!

Best moment of the week: Getting one of our spare rooms cleared out, which means I can start to get stuck into doing the baby's room!

What I miss: Having a little more variety in my diet, but other than that, not much. Maybe being able to bend over easily. Putting on socks has gotten a little uncomfortable. I should get used to that, right?!

What I'm looking forward to: The first time Dave feels the baby move. I hope it's not too far off for him. He loves this little baby so much already that I can't wait for him to have that experience.