Bitten

We have officially been bitten by the nesting bug! Something I never thought would happen to me, I  could see it happening to Roland but I am not too fond of cleaning so I doubted it would happen. Today when we got home from running various errands Roland wouldn't let me go on the computer (he has a new, unhealthy I think, addiction to online games) so I just went into the mess that we called the babies room and started getting Josephs laundry ready to go. Oh boy does he ever have a lot of clothes already! Three loads to be exact, and I haven't even had one baby shower yet. His wardrobe is going to be bigger that mine and that is saying a lot. I'm pretty sure its already bigger than Rolands. So, since I had already started on the laundry and Roly Poly was done with his games (finally) he started tidying the babies room. We also rearranged our room so we could put the t.v my parents gave us to good use finally but it doesn't even work!  Oh well I guess thats just the way things go. 
Today, when we were running our various errands we went to London Drugs to look and see if they had any thank you cards, which by the way they didn't, I randomly decided to look at the cameras because I really want a new one and I fell absolutely in love with this one:

Isn't it beautiful? It is the Nikon COOLPIX 10.3MP Digital Camera (P100) - Black and I want it SO BAD! And Christmas is coming...but I want it before so we can take pictures of baby with it because I do not like my camera I have now at all so I have pretty much stopped taking pictures all together, and I am not a fan of that one little bit. 
Well I should probably get back to helping my hubby nest away!
Chels

Mom and Babe Update

Only 39 days to go! that is SO crazy. I am getting ridiculously nervous and so excited/impatient all at the same time. Last night we had our last prenatal class and it was really good. Our teacher taught us about breastfeeding which was really good because that is something I am super unsure about and really nervous for. We also learned about vaccinations and circumcision and normal things for a baby that most parents worry about such as cradle cap and so on. Here are a couple pictures of our class

  Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

I am really happy that we took this class I think we both learned a lot and I am way more prepared for this whole child-birth and new mom thing that we are about to experience. (39 DAYS aahhhh!!!) I am freaking out! I've started counting days by the way because it freaks me out less. Another reason I loved taking this class was because I didn't feel huge around a whole bunch of pregnant women and we got to compare stories and feelings which was really nice. Here is a picture of my  bump this week. I am shocked at how much it grows every week.

Now that I am getting closer to the end of my  pregnancy I am kind of sad, which is  something I never thought would happen considering I am not a huge fan of being pregnant. I am going to miss feeling him inside me in the protection of my womb. I am going to miss feeling him hiccup which is the coolest thing ever. I'm so shocked at the protected and loving feelings I have for him already. I love him so much.

Chels

A New Direction

Well, I'm at it again. Looking for a new job. A career. Something to put food on the table for my family and keep myself happy and fulfilled while doing it. I guess that it's better to do this now, as opposed to when our child is born, but I never thought I'd have to do this the month before our baby arrives. So I've been looking online and going to job fairs. I've been thinking about labour jobs that pay well and sales jobs with no guarantees. I've been looking at apprenticeships in the trades, and even looked into the Department of National Defense for these positions. I'd love to start my own personal training company, but I need to do the course first and don't have the money for it. Plus, is it recession proof? I'm at a point in my life where I can't just do what I want to do on a whim. I have obligations. I have responsibilities. So, with my experience in customer service and sales, I'm seeking employment in the same field, once again. Being in Victoria is very hard, in that aspect, as I have found several opportunities, but none with a salary of more than $12 per hour. I am not afraid of commission only positions, but Chelsea is not a fan. If I can't rely on the salary to cover our living expenses, then she is not secure in the fact that we will survive month to month. If we can cover our living expenses with the salary, we can rely on commission for getting ahead in life. But where do I find such a position in Victoria? Why are all the good paying positions in Victoria for the well-educated? I feel as though the options here are either for the upper class or for those that serve them. There is no in between. Perhaps we are destined for a new location for our new direction.

Roland

Belly Update

So, here's the huge belly!

We had our Dr. appointment today and everything is great. Joseph's head is down and he hasn't dropped yet.  I want him to drop so that I can breathe again! I'm so happy that we chose to go with my Dr. he is an amazing Dr. and hilarious. It will also be cool cause he delivered me! And has been my Dr. my whole life. I am so excited!!!

Chels

So impatient!

As you all know I spent Sunday in the hospital. The Doctors figure that I just have some sort of flu. Luckily I haven't been throwing up all day today so hopefully I am getting better! 
Something that this hospital visit made me is impatient for our baby to come! I am dying! I don't want him to come too early but I just want to see him SO bad! I cannot wait to hold him in my arms, to clothe and bathe and feed him. I also cannot wait to see Roland hold him for the first time. I am so surprised at the amount of love I feel for him already. As nervous as I am for the labor process I just want it to happen so that I can meet him!

What's Happening!?

Chelsea is in the hospital! She started throwing up last night, and it was worse than what I'd seen from the first trimester. So I looked online to see why this may be happening 2 months before baby is born. Never do that! The results were anything from pre eclampsia to some kidney problem that could mean the death of my wife and/or child! SCARY! Of course, it never mentions that it could simply be the food she ate, but let's just hope that's what it is for the sake of positivity. So I told her that it may be pre eclampsia and she should call the nurses hotline. No need for her to know more than that. So the hotline says to go to the hospital. Duh! I could have told you that after looking at the internet! So here we are. To start with, they attached her to some machines to check Lil Joe's heart rate and to see if she's having contractions. Considering this is only week 33, let's hope it's not contractions! She is having tightening in her stomach at regular intervals. However, they are not strong enough to be contractions. Second, some invasive swabbing ensues after some pretty personal questions. Do they really need to know when we last had sex? Needless to say, the swabbing has to be done again later because of the timing of our latest interaction. Tee hee hee! OOPS! I begin to wonder if that is why this is happening right now. So for the next few hours Chelsea sleeps, or at least tries to, and I shift uncomfortably on the chair that is designed to make the husband feel some, if not all, of the pain that a woman goes through with bearing a bundle of joy. Baby seems to be doing fine. Mom is sleeping peacefully. The parking meter is happily accepting the abundance of coins I am depositing in it. But still, no answers. I will wait patiently in the death chair for answers. Until then, I leave you with this. The good, the bad, and the ugly... Of internet diagnosis on an expectant fathers mind.

What to Do Now?

This week something we weren't expecting happened. Roland was let go from work (I don't know if he will be to happy with me writing about this but, one reason I wanted to start this blog was to let you know whats really happening in our lives.) He was let go for reasons that we don't need to write about. So,what to do now? The obvious answers like look for work are already being done. But, unfortunately there aren't a lot of good options so far. This wouldn't be so stressful if our baby wasn't due in less than two months...I am trying really hard to trust in our Heavenly Father because I know that this has happened for a reason and that we will get through this. I am having a really hard time with this and I cannot imagine how hard this is for my wonderful husband to handle. What can I do to help? I'm trying to be really supportive and helpful but I just feel useless. Usually in a situation like this it would be fine because I would have a job so we would have an income to rely on but I haven't been working since we found out we were pregnant because of how sick I was. So, all I can do I guess is be supportive and pray for him and our family.
Chels 

Oh the Symptom you Didn't Know About

Everyone knows there are an array of pregnancy symptoms. From early symptoms such as: nausea, breast tenderness, tiredness, food cravings and heightened sense of smell. To symptoms that come a little later on such as heartburn, bloating, constipation (grafic yes I know but, true) backache, water retention i.e swelling of feet, ankles, hands and face, hemorrhoids, hard time breathing and difficulty sleeping. But, I bet you didn't know, unless you were/are lucky enough to experience this wondrous symptom, carpal tunnel is also something you can get later on in pregnancy. And, boy did it ever hit me hard! 
Sometime last week I started waking up with tingling hands which was so bad it would wake me up. Then, further along in the week I started getting really bad pains in my hands. I've never experienced anything like this before so I thought it was just from the way I was sleeping. It had gotten so bad by Sunday that I  decided to go to the clinic. I told the Dr. what my symptoms were and I had barely started when he told me I have prengancy induced carpal tunnel. What? you can get carpal tunnel from pregnancy? He also told me that unfortunately I will just have to live with it because there isn't anything they can do while I'm pregnant. Oh Joy! So I have to live with this horrible pain in not only one but both of my hands. Luckily it goes away after pregnancy...in 89% of cases. So in all reality I could  be in the 11% that has it after pregnancy as well!
Mind you, besides the horrible morning sickness, I mean all day sickness,I had in the beginning and the fact that my hips like to hurt more than anything ever has before, my pregnancy has actually been a pretty easy one. I've only had heartburn like twice which I am super thankful for because those two times were bad enough!  
So, knowing full well all the things that can come along with pregnancy why do we still do it? Are we crazy? I mean there are amazing things too like feeling your little one move inside you for the first time, and seeing what amazing things your body can do. Oh and the best thing is the baby you get at the end of the nine months, thats pretty cool too. 
I should probably stop typing and rest my poor little hands
Chels

Two Months Until Dad-dom

The excitement hasn't waned! In fact, I'm more excited now than ever before to become a father... And the reality of it all is beginning to set in! Not that I didn't know he was coming, but unlike Chelsea, his physical presence hasn't been a reality to me, apart from a few beats of the heart and the ultrasounds. It seems unfair that mom gets to know the joys of the physical being of a child well before the father. Outstretched, Lil Joe's footprints can be seen rising out of his mothers stomach just below her sternum. His movements are brought to my attention by her yelps of enjoyment as he tickles her ribs with his toes... Strong legs! Perhaps he'll be a fast skater? Or a SYTYCD star? Only time will tell. The final two months are extremely exciting to me. I'm excited for the big day, and it could be any time, really. I think it'll be before the due date... Or maybe I just hope that! I'm pretty sure he'll be born October 12th. It'll make a nice birthday present, for sure. :D I'm not worried about sleepless nights or changing diapers, I welcome it. I can't WAIT for the opportunity to bond with my mini me! There are so many things I look forward to passing on and sharing with my son, and so many things we'll be able to learn together. I look forward even to the things that he'll be able to teach me about myself, as I'm sure he will. I wait patiently until that day...

Roland

Oh the Joys of Prenatal Classes

Roland and I had our first prenatal class on Thursday night. It was the longest three hours of my lie, and Rolands considering he fell asleep once! But, if I wasn't scared enough before of the delivery process I definitely am now. The first stage of labor can last up to 12 hours? excuse me what did you just say? 12 hours and it isn't even active labor! aahhh to put it lightly I was having a major freak out session in my head. We also got to see a nice little video of a crowning baby, I was totally grossed out I could barely even watch! I mean I am sure that this class will be extremely helpful, and that we will learn a lot. But, for the first class giving us all the gruesome details and showing us a video? Isn't that a little much?

There is some good news though. I found out that I am not huge for my dates contrary to popular belief by the women who decide its appropriate to comment on how huge I am. I am actually a little smaller then most which makes me feel less self conscious! Question: Why do most women feel they have the right to say things like "wow your so big!" or my personal favorites "are your sure there isn't two in there?" and "Your dates MUST be wrong, there is no way your ONLY seven months with the size of that belly." Like really? common now. Just because you had your children a million years ago and you don't remember how big you actually got doesn't mean you can say "Wow you look like your about to pop!" No, actually I do not look like I am about to pop, I look like I am a healthy seven months pregnant thank you very much! I really can not stand the fact that people just think they have the right to comment on the size of a pregnant woman, you would never comment on the size of a woman if she weren't pregnant. So, unless your commenting on how beautiful my belly is please keep those comments to yourself.

                                    This is me at 31 weeks so a half a week ago
Chels

Baby Update

We had our doctors appointment today, it was the first one I had to go to alone. The Dr. said everything looks good. I am measuring about two and a half weeks ahead of my due date which is making me really excited and nervous at the same time because three and a half weeks from now baby could come any time. When my projected due date is November 3rd three and a half weeks from now is a little early! But, I have been measuring big my whole pregnancy (at first they thought we were having twins, now THAT was scary!) So, I have been told throughout this whole seven months that I will probably be delivering early which was less nerve wracking when I was only five months pregnant! But all in all little Josephs heart rate was perfect and so was my blood pressure and weight gain. Yay for that because stepping on that scale scares the heck out of me!
I feel so blessed to be having this new little one. I cannot wait to be a mom. Even though I don't know all the right things to do, and changing diapers makes me a little sick. I am so excited to hold our little bundle of love in my arms for the first time and share with him all the love I already hold in my heart for him.
Chels