Frosting On My Nose and Cheeks, Eating Cupcakes At 32 Weeks!

Last week, Chris treated me to a wonderful surprise! Razzle Dazzle Cupcakes! YUM! I cannot believe I have not had them before...but now that I have tried them, I don't know if I can keep myself away! They are spectacular! The store is located in a little house that is tucked away, so it can be hard to find, but it sure is worth the look! As soon as you open the door, the delicious aroma of baking cupcakes waves over you, causing you to drool uncontrollably. The shop is decorated with adorable frilly aprons, cupcake related merchandise, and of course, a huge display of cupcakes. Everyday they feature at least 12 different varieties of cupcakes, and apparently, they have over 80 flavours on their menu that you can order from, with flavours ranging from your classic Red Velvet cake, to the currently off-limit flavour of Baileys Caramel Lindy Hop, which is a cake injected with a Bailey's version of dulce de leche, and caramel frosting.

We decided on 4 flavours for our first taste. Chris got the Chocolate Cha-Cha and the Banana Jive (which smelled like banana bread). I got the Strawberry Samba and the Red Velvet Paso Doblo (mmmm, cream cheese frosting...). They were incredibly moist and so flavourful! I also loved how there was the perfect amount of frosting, and the fact that after eating the cupcakes, you weren't overwhelmed with the urge to check your insulin levels. They are so light, that you almost could eat 2 in a sitting...almost.

At Razzle Dazzle Cupcakes, you can order full size cupcakes, petites (1/2 the size), cakes, and  wedding cakes. They all come so delectably decorated and you can tell they are made with love. They are baked fresh daily (even though they are truly just as moist the next day), and are the most scrumptious treat you'll ever eat! Baby Muppet agrees, at least that's how I interpreted the crazy belly dancing it was doing after I ate my cupcake. ;)

 http://www.razzledazzlecupcakes.ca/

Last week we finally got to go to our first prenatal class, and it was a lot of fun! I was really impressed with how attentive Chris was, and well, he really surprised me when he actually agreed to try on the pregnancy empathy belly! It was so funny watching him carry around all that extra weight, while trying to pick things up that I "accidentally" dropped on the floor. The empathy belly consists of a velcro band that goes across the upper ribs where your lungs are, that constrict your breathing, as well as a huge weighted belly filled with warm water (so you can overheat), weights that dig into your sides (like a baby's kicks), heavy boobs (because all men want to see what having breasts is like...haha), and a weight that pushes on your bladder (so they too can feel the urge to pee). I think it's a great idea, and helps your partner understand how even the simplest tasks can become difficult when you are carrying around all that extra weight. I have to admit, my favourite moment in class was when one of the men had to lay down on the floor wearing the empathy stomach and try rolling over, as if he was in bed. There was a lot of grunting and groaning. :) Another thing we learned was how to create a focal point while in labour. We were instructed to close our eyes while listening to the sounds of the ocean waves crashing on the shore, while the instructor helped us focus on our breathing and visualizations. I may have laughed and peeked at people a bit, as we were all seated around a table and it wasn't very private, but when I got home, I put on my own new age music and laid down in bed, doing my "yoga" breathing, and I admit, it was very relaxing. Next class is all about labour, so we'll see how that goes!

Another fun thing this past week was celebrating my favourite holiday of all time, Hallowe'en! I had plans to wear a more elaborate costume for Hallowe'en, but by the end of the day, I was already so exhausted and feeling a nasty cold coming on, that I decided to go as a pumpkin, as I felt that was very suitable considering the size of my stomach. I borrowed my dog Sawyer's costume from last year and went out with my husband who was dressed as the late Billy Mays. Despite the fact I had a kleenex up my nose the entire night, we had a lot of fun.

Chris (Billy), was being bombarded with people asking him to help them out with stains, due to many accidents with a batch of cupcakes that had a lot of food colouring in them, but sadly, he wasn't actually carrying around a bottle of OxiClean... It was actually a bottle of Fantastic covered with a homemade label on top. Too bad, as by the end of the night, Chris was covered in frosting himself. :) It was a great night, though Muppet was tired by the end of it, and probably confused as to why I was still up at 3 in the morning.

Sawyer dressed up as a horse being ridden by the Headless Horseman this Hallowe'en, a tribute to our honeymoon in Disney World on Hallowe'en, as we were able to see the Headless Horseman tear through Main Street USA during the Hallowe'en Parade. It was quite hilarious watching him spin and spin, trying to bite the pumpkin in the Horseman's hand. Poor dog. :)

At 32 Weeks, Muppet weighs the same as a Jicama, which is a sweet, edible root that looks like a turnip. Muppet is also around 17inches in length, taking up a lot of room in my uterus! Muppet has all it's nails, has real hair and it's skin is soft and plumping up. Muppet is definitely moving around lately, and not gently either! I am getting a lot of strong pushes and stretches even while I'm at work walking around (which is usually nap time for Muppet). I have also noticed an increase in hiccups, and sometimes those little hiccup sessions last for a good 15 minutes! I hope it doesn't annoy the baby, as I know how much I hate them. *Try this: If you see someone with hiccups, tell them you'll give them a dollar if they stop. Surprisingly it usually works... though I never have the dollar... ;)

I have really started packing on weight, and am really feeling it. I feel heavy all the time, which makes me want to sit down or sleep. I don't seem to have as much energy as I had such a short time ago. I'm sure it'll pick up again when I get closer to my due date, and start my frantic nesting and house cleaning. I'm now just struggling with wanting to get things done, but feeling to tired to do them. It's probably because I'm getting a cold now too, so we'll see how this week goes. :)

One night, while I was listening to music on my iPhone, I decided to put it on my belly so Muppet could hear it. Well, as soon as the music started, Muppet took off to the other side of my stomach! It was the wildest thing to see! My whole stomach shifted completely, like a big wave rolling by. I guess Muppet has it's Dad's taste in music. :)

My book choice this week is Chester by Melanie Watt. Chester is a book about a hilarious cat who duels with author and illustrator Melanie Watt for control over her book. He uses his fancy red marker to scratch out her illustrations and story, while rewriting it to suit his tastes. She initially sets out to write a story about a mouse living in a house, but Chester quickly pounces on the tale, sending the mouse packing and drawing himself living in the house. Every page is an amusing battle between the author and cat, making it a story children will want to read daily. I found it to be super adorable, and was so happy when two more Chester books were made. Melanie Watt is an author who has done amazingly well in such a short period of time. Her other popular books are the Scaredy Squirrel series and Have I Got A Book For You. They are wonderfully illustrated, quirky and just plain fun!

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28 Weeks...Later

My oh my! As of week 28, we hit the third trimester mark! We are now in the home stretch! Yay! I can't believe how quickly this pregnancy has flown by! When you hear that you have to grow this little baby for 9 whole months, it sounds like forever, but in reality, the time feels so short in comparison to all the work and preparation you have to do before your little one arrives.

Our week began with me having to go for my glucose tolerance test which checks to see if I'm likely to have gestational diabetes which happens to many pregnant women. I had totally forgotten about this test until I looked at my calendar and saw an upcoming prenatal checkup with my doctor. I then recalled that at this checkup we were to discuss the outcome of my glucose test...oops! I frantically called my doctor's nurse informing her of my "little" mistake and she told me she'd fax my paperwork to the clinic and for me to go and do the test the next morning. Now, this test isn't your everyday-blood-work kind of test. This test involved me drinking (quickly, I might add) a liquid loaded with sugar and then sitting in the waiting room for an hour as the sugar coursed through my veins. After the hour is over, you then go and have some blood taken to see how your system handled the sugar overload. Well, I am not usually a sugar person as I've said before...especially not at 9 in the morning. To make me drink a whole bottle of liquid that tasted like a combination of very fizzy orange pop and the old McDonald's orange drink in under 5 minutes is just cruel! I quickly became this gassy, dizzy and nauseated woman who couldn't focus on the small text in her book she had smartly remembered to bring for the long wait. Now Muppet on the other hand was doing cartwheels and jumping jacks because of the sugar rush. I swear, that baby is growing some very sweet milk teeth. I still haven't heard the results, but I hope I did okay, because if I failed, I have to do the next test which is 3 hours long... Boo!

The next day I went for my prenatal with my family doctor. I was feeling pretty good about going until the nurse asked me to step on the scale. I just about fell off when I saw how much I weighed! "Impossible!" I exclaimed. I had not been eating that much more than usual! Now, I knew my tummy had gotten pretty big as even pulling on my socks in the morning was a bit of a obstacle, but this was crazy! When my doctor saw my weight, she asked if I have noticed any swelling, but I'm a bit of a round girl, so I don't usually notice anything like that, so I said no. Later on, she decided to check my ankles and to my amazement, they were indeed quite swollen! She asked me to take off my rings and when I tried, they remained stuck to my fingers. I was super bloated!

Apparently, I am retaining fluid which is why I gained so much weight. That made me feel a little better...but now I feel like the Marshmallow Man. Another thing I need to watch is my iron intake, as I'm getting a little anemic which is common in the third trimester. It's a good thing I love Shreddies! (I prefer the square to the diamond shaped ones personally). ;) Oh, and for those keeping track, the baby's heart rate was 140.

The next day I got to go to another prenatal, but this time it was with my obstetrician at the hospital! We were very nervous to meet her, as I was scared our personalities would clash, but she quickly set that fear aside with her hilarious sarcasm and sassy attitude. She yawned at how boring I was (no history of broken bones or surgeries) and awarded me the DN Award- Disgustingly Normal Award. We also met a medical student who talked to us about my medical history and then did a little exam to see how bad my edema (swelling) was and to check out the position of the baby. Muppet is currently in the vertex position (head down, bum up) and is hanging on on the right side. It's fun to know where it is exactly now so we can comfort it with back rubs when it's tired and little pats on the butt when it's acting up. ;) Apparently it's also low which is why I've been getting so much pressure and pain in places I shall not name. I hope it doesn't think it's coming out early! At this appointment we got our birth plan to fill out (which I am so excited to go through with Chris) and Muppet's heart rate was 153. 

At 28 weeks, Muppet is the size of a chinese cabbage! Aw, I have my own little Cabbage Patch Baby! Maybe it will have my nose and look like a Cabbage Patch doll all it's life too! ;) Muppet is always busy do stretches and jabs (usually around my belly button) which have become quite intense at times. There are moments it can take my breath away as those little punches can really take you by surprise! I started using an app on my iPhone to record kicks and movement and that has been quite fun. I am supposed to do it in the morning and at night and get at least 10 movements in 2 hours. Well, Muppet often does 10 in the matter of seconds. Using the kick counter, I have also been able to record Muppet's hiccups which are happening quite frequently and are usually spaced 2 seconds apart from each other. They tickle too! :)

 I am really feeling the weight of the baby now and have started noticing how difficult it is to even do the simplest tasks, like getting out of bed or picking up something I dropped on the floor. Even sitting on my bed to do my makeup is a pain because I can't slouch over as there is this big "bump" in the way! :) I have also noticed that I am becoming tired really easily these days and sometimes have a difficult time breathing. The other day while I was sorting laundry, I became really dizzy and nauseated and felt I couldn't breathe. I began to gag which Chris heard upstairs. He started yelling my name, but I couldn't hear him or respond so when he finally found me, he was a little upset because he had been so concerned. I was alright of course, I think I just overexerted myself and maybe had a bit of an anxiety attack or something. I'm having a hard time remembering to rest, but like my doctor said, "If you are sitting, you might as well be lying down". I need to slow down and take it easy...but just try telling that to my brain! All it wants to do is clean, make food to freeze, work on the nursery and shop for baby things! How does one rest when the mind wants to nest?

I thought I'd add this bonus picture of Chris and Neko using my new Peanut Shell baby sling which is in the pattern 'Time For Tea'. Neko loves it to pieces and falls asleep in it while you carry her around the house. I think the baby likes it too because Neko purrs while she sleeps, which I imagine is very soothing to Muppet. :)




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