Well, I am really behind on my blog right now, as I have been super busy lately. This week I will post both week 34 and 35, but separately as they are both way too long to read through in a single reading. So here is week 34 in a nutshell! :)
The first thing that really kept my mind busy was the closing of my little family's favourite bakery and deli, Angelo's. It has been a staple to Londoners since 1957, and is often seen as an iconic London fixture, one for tourists to visit, and also for families to frequent for their regular shopping trips. Chris and I have been going ever since we moved to London, as it is only a 'hop, skip and a jump' away from our home, and needless to say, it was one of our favourite things about where we live. No matter if it was just us looking for lunch, or if we had special guests coming over for a visit, we knew Angelo's would always have something perfect in store for us. We also loved how they were starting to expand their business by bringing in fresh produce! We were so excited about being able to do some "one-stop shopping", as now we were able to get our breads, meats, dairy and fruits and veggies! Somedays we would just pop by to pick up some fresh buns (the curly ones were my favourite), or a nice soft pretzel, or if the baby had a sweet tooth hankering, I'd pick up some delicious chocolate cookies. When I heard they were closing all of the locations, my heart sank. I had never felt this kind of sadness associated with a store before, because to me Angelo's wasn't just a store. It was a place where all the locals gathered to take time to relax, chat, and just enjoy the aromas of dough baking in a warm oven. It really made you feel like you were a part of something bigger than just yourself, almost like you were family. When I went in during one of their last days, I started to cry as I checked out. I explained to the lady that I was hormonal due to being pregnant, but that I was so disappointed that I would never be able to share my love of Angelo's with my baby. She looked at me with swollen red eyes and reached out to touch my belly. She asked when I was due, and when I said December, she said she hoped they would be able to reopen, and if they did by the time the baby was born, to go and see her, and she'd make the baby a cake. I was so touched by her kindness, but sad because you could tell she'd been crying all day. So many people had tears in their eyes while they bought their last loaf of bread, or last batch of Grandma's Butter Tarts. I truly hope that Angelo's will be able to open again, as they really do have the whole city behind them. I would love to be able to share such a wonderful, historical and local experience with my child and show him/her that family can exist in all different forms.
The next unfortunate and stressful thing that happened was the return of my back pain, accompanied with one sided swelling of my right leg and foot. My mom was over and we were sitting on the floor playing with some puppies she is currently fostering. Normally I like sitting on the floor, as I find sitting cross legged to be way more comfortable then sitting in a chair. When I tried standing up, my back gave out and locked up on me. I could not get off the floor! Anytime I tried straightening it, it would seize and the pain would shoot through my body. Now, I am very familiar with back pain, as my dad has suffered with chronic back pain since I was born, and what I was experiencing was very much like his 'episodes'. The key is move slowly and on your own, without anyone helping you up, as only you can tell when it's going to flair up again. It took me a long while to move from the floor to the couch, and even longer to get from the couch to standing, but I was determined to get up because I had a prenatal class that evening that was to cover the birthing process (it seemed important at the time). ;) Luckily, it eased up enough that I could walk, but the pain lasted for a few days. Needless to say, I did not really join the group on the mats (our pretend hospital beds) at our prenatal class, instead I pretended to stay in the "car" which was actually the chairs in the room. I am very glad I got to go to that class through! I did visit my doctor, as I was quite concerned about the back pain and one sided swelling, and was told to watch for any chest pain or increased pain in the swollen areas. If I did notice anything, I was to go to the hospital, but luckily the back pain went away, though the swelling is still hanging around.
Another thing keeping me (and the pets) busy is squirrel watching. In our area, the squirrels are very numerous and love entertaining us with acrobatic shows. We all sit quietly on the floor by the back patio door and watch the squirrels quarrel over who gets first dibs on things left on our deck. There is this rather feisty squirrel who thinks he rules the roost and chases all the other squirrels away whenever they get too close. I am not going to lie, I really did sit on the floor for almost 2 hours with my dog and two cats watching the squirrels chatter and sprint around, fighting over cereal and apple slices.
Thankfully my squirrel watching has not been useless! Through my intense detective work, I have now been able to deduce who or what has been destroying our garbage, spreading it all over our deck and yard... The culprit? It is Mr. Chitter, our bossy little squirrel. He is so bold, he even came up to the garbage bags against the door and squeezed between them and the glass windows while my cats batted on the door. I love the nerve of this guy!
As of 34 weeks, Muppet weighs as much as a cantaloupe and is almost 18 inches long. His/her fat layers are continuing to pile on so when it's born, it will have the cute chubby skin that everyone loves to pinch. :) Muppet is continuing to move around a lot, and seems to be sure of it's footing now, as it's kicks really seem to be directed to certain places on purpose these days. Ya, I'm talking about my ribs and bladder. :)
My book choice for week 34 is 'Red is Best' by Kathy Stinson. This book was also one of my favourites growing up, and I feel it really is a perfect read right now because of the cold weather that is quickly approaching. This book is all about a young child named Kelly and her love of the colour red, and how everything is always better when it is red. I love how it deals with such a simple subject, but shows how parents and children can clash when we have to deal with everyone having their own ideas while managing the battle between imagination and common sense. Truly, you cannot reason with a child. :) I remember loving the simple illustrations, the easy storyline and the brilliant message of a child's logic in an adult's world, "I like red," Kelly says, "because red is best."
"My Mom doesn't understand about red.
I like my red stockings best.
My Mom says, 'Wear these. Your white stockings look good with that dress.'
But I can jump higher in my red stockings. I like my red stockings best."
29 Weeks has come and gone and man, what a week it was! We had a lot of ups and downs, but we survived it and going strong as ever! One of the exciting 'up' things that happened for us this week was the purchase of a new table and chair set for our kitchen! When we moved into our house, we went to Sears Outlet and got an amazing deal on a kitchen table set ($15 per chair!), and well, we were quite happy with it...until we got cats and had guests coming over. Very quickly, our chairs began to show wear and tear as they were cushioned in white fabric (not so stain friendly), and the seats themselves began to fall off the chairs, causing people to fall onto the floor. We became embarrassed about the state of our chairs and were reluctant to have guests over for fear of their disgust or of them suing us due to fractured tail bones. Another reason I wanted new chairs was because as I was growing larger, I was becoming more and more afraid of falling and not being able to get back up...and I don't have a life alert bracelet. :) We had looked many times in the past, but each time we found a set, it was out of stock and we'd have to wait a couple months. Well, Chris and I can be impulse shoppers and we don't like having to wait. Once we decide something, we want it then and there is no stopping us! Luckily, we found a super nice table set that was in stock (though they were two chairs short, so we got them to sell us the floor model ones). All in all, I am so happy with our table and chairs! We are going to stain my old highchair to match the colour of the wood so Muppet will fit right in! Now we have a cozy little eating nook and we have already entertained both sets of parents on two separate occasions! It looks like we can go back to hosting get-togethers now!
One of the down moments sadly came because of our new table and chair set. When we got the set home, Chris had no one to help him bring it in, so I stubbornly insisted that I assist him. It seems that carrying the chairs was fine, but bringing in the huge box that contained the table...well, that was just plain silly of me. I must have pulled something because later the next day I had a lot of pain in my lower abdomen. At first I thought they were just cramps, but as the evening wore on, the pain became worse and worse and I started to get really nervous. I laid down to do my 'kick counting' (10 kicks/hour or call your doctor) to ensure Muppet was still active, and though the baby took a little longer than usual, I was able to get my 10 kicks in 10 minutes. I got up and sat down to dinner with my parents, but even sitting seemed to hurt. When they left, Chris insisted I lay down on the couch for awhile to rest. That seemed to work for a little, until I had to get up off the couch. The pain was almost unbearable! I had to get Chris to help me up, and the best way was for me to roll onto the floor and then up onto my feet. All night long as I tossed and turned, the pain persisted, and I almost considered going to the hospital, but come morning, the pain had subsided into a dull, sore muscle ache, so I knew I was going to be fine. I really need to listen to my body and realize that I am not Superwoman. My body's function is primarily to care for this little person inside of me, and so all my super human strength is currently being used up for that. Moving furniture and lifting heavy things must be put on hold for now...or I can learn to ask for help.
Another 'up' moment was the day of the Multiple Births Canada sale, where a whole bunch of gently used items like clothing and toys were for sale. I went with my mother and we found tons of things! I spent about $75 and came home with a huge garbage bag full of newborn gender neutral clothing, socks, blankets, stuffies and more. Mom came home with a bag just as full, filled with bibs, hats, socks, and clothing too. It was a long night, and the place was packed with scrambling mothers and confused looking fathers, and I was quite sore and tired by the end of our shopping experience. I did meet the creator of my Bellysling though, and that was very neat! She was super sweet and so excited to hear that I loved my maternity belt. Truly, I don't know what I would do without it!
The next 'down' was that someone decided to break into our vehicle on Thanksgiving night and steal our gadgets from inside. Chris admits that he may have forgotten to lock the car (which he never forgets to do) because his arms were full with Sawyer, his laptop bag and he was a little tired because of all the turkey. Sawyer was not the best guard dog either that night, but that's probably because he was in a little turkey coma of his own. When people steal, it just makes me very sad, because you truly feel violated as your personal space is invaded, and also because things that you work really hard for, or receive as a special gift just becomes a dollar sign to a thief. The real worth of the item isn't important to them. I was particularly sad, as one of the items they stole was my iPod (Chris gave it to me as a gift) which I had loaded up with music for Muppet. I truly hope the thief enjoys listening to Raffi, Anne Murray and Sesame Street.
The next 'up' moment for us was going out to see 'Hey Rosetta!' in concert. I was a little concerned about the volume of the music and how that would affect Little Muppet's ears, especially after the opening act (who I am pretty sure is an elementary school teacher by day, crazy "music" performer by night). He was a little nuts. He was standing on tables singing, making shadow puppets on the screen behind him, handing out tamborines to the crowd, playing with a huge parachute and caressing the hockey players on the tv screen behind me. Needless to say, I wanted to go home and so did Muppet as my stomach was hurting and becoming really tense due to the loud thumping and screeching of the music. Luckily, 'Hey Rosetta!' quickly took to the stage, and though I was tired, I went up to join Chris watch the band as I know how much he loves them. They always seem to put on a good show. They are one of the few bands that Chris loves that I actually enjoy, and I'm glad we could share our mutual interest with Muppet. I'm pretty sure Muppet liked the experience as it danced around for a bit, then just kicked once and awhile to the beat of the music while Chris rocked me back and forth and I rubbed my belly. It was very cozy. :)
Enjoy "Red Heart" by Hey Rosetta! Muppet did! :)
Another 'up' was Thanksgiving here in Canada! We lucked out and had two Thanksgiving dinners, lovingly cooked by Muppet's Grandmothers and they were both delicious! At Chris' parent's house, we had dinner with his sister, her hubby, Lil' Edie and the hubby's parents who came all the way from Norway to meet Edie. Sadly, Chris' brother and fiancé were unable to come as they currently live far away in California. We missed them a lot this year. The "kids" played some games on the Wii, but Edie seemed to be having a bit of a rough night. Maybe it was all the excitement of meeting her Norwegian Grandparents.
Another person missing this Thanksgiving was my sister. She is currently going to school near Ottawa and wasn't able to come home either. We also missed her greatly, but we are so proud of how well she is doing in school. We are both very glad that everyone will be coming home for Christmas though, as they will all be here just in time to meet Muppet!
For Thanksgiving at my family's house, we went to the pumpkin patch to find ourselves the perfect pumpkins, then we went to visit my dad who was hard at work at his shop. He took a little break and we all had fun playing in the leaves, climbing trees (not me!), and just enjoying the fall sunshine. It was a beautiful day that really made you realize how much you truly have to be thankful for. I am just so thankful to have such loving families (near and far) that really care for us and support us. I know Muppet is especially thankful for stuffing and turkey... with some dill pickles and cranberries on the side...Yum!
As of week 29, Muppet is the size of a butternut squash! (Perfect for Thanksgiving!) Muppet is about 15 inches long and it's head is growing to make room for it's brain that is quickly developing more and more. Right now Muppet is absorbing lots of calcium, so I'm supposed to eat more dairy and cheese...ya right, as if I need another reason to eat cheese. ;)
Here is a quick clip on Muppet moving around in my tummy at 29 weeks. I like to watch it with the Jaws theme song playing in my head, as the movement reminds me of a shark swimming just below the surface of the water. Enjoy! :)
I currently am raking up on the spider vein count and my legs are getting super sore when I stand on them for long periods of time. Almost over night, I developed some around my ankle and now some are becoming varicose veins. After an 8 hour shift at work, my legs feel super bruised and I get very swollen. I guess I am one of those lucky pregnant women, eh? :)
One thing that is new to me is how swollen my feet and ankles have gotten! Over Thanksgiving they started looking like they were the ones eating all the food, not my tummy. Even with my feet propped up all day, the swelling remains. I can't fit into my shoes, heck, I can't even fit in my sandals! When I walk around, the skin feels like it's flopping...it's so gross. I really look like I should be riding around in Florida on my scooter with a turkey leg in my hand. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so I'm going to ask about it, as it really is uncomfortable and gross. Also, I think this is the last time I can paint my toe nails...It took me forever to do it, and multiple positions. Chris, tag! You're it! ;)
I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving, and even if you couldn't be with loved ones, at least be comforted with the knowledge that you were in their hearts and were never forgotten! <3
Our week began pretty busy, as we went into Toronto to go to the FanExpo and the Harry Potter Exhibition at the Ontario Science Centre. We started our morning a little slow, as we couldn't decide what "nerd-ery" to do first, Harry Potter, or SciFi fun. We decided to go to FanExpo first, as some friends were already there, but to our dismay, when we got there, the event had reached full capacity and they weren't letting anyone in until people started leaving. We paid our $15 for parking, because I still had hopes that the line would move, but after seeing how far the line went back, I admitted defeat and had a little cry. I'm so glad I wasn't all dressed up in some cosplay outfit, as that would have been the saddest sight to see. After talking with some friends, I felt better about not getting in, as it was apparently very packed and unorganized this year and I imagine Little Muppet would have started to get impatient standing in lines all day. To make our parking "worth" it, we went and had an ice tea across the street, and then headed back to the car so we could go to the Harry Potter Exhibit.
The Harry Potter Exhibition was held at the Ontario Science Centre, and neither Chris nor I (nor Muppet for that matter), had ever been there, so we were really excited! The exhibit started off with us being ushered into a room with the Sorting Hat who sorted some of the audience into their Hogwart's House. I sadly did not get to be sorted by the hat, as I felt I had to let the children in the audience go first... self sacrifice, I tell ya! ;) We then got to walk through the front doors of Hogwart's into the world of Harry Potter!
The exhibit was amazing! On display were tons of costumes, props, set pieces and more from the actual Harry Potter films! We got to walk through the Gryffindor dormitory which had the actual beds and clothing of the main characters in it, pull mandrakes from their pots which made them scream, sit on Hagrid's chair in his hut, toss a Quidditch ball through the hoop (while being reminded we had to use only one hand, as the other would be holding onto a broom), and see all the magical creatures like Buckbeak or Dobby. They had the graveyard set up with Dementors, the halls were covered with posters of Bellatrix Lestrange and other wanted Death Eaters, and there was even the costume worn by "He Who Cannot Be Named". I truly could not believe how much they had brought with them from the movie sets! Mostly though, I really wanted to pet the Monster Book of Monsters... It was so cute! :D
After the exhibit, we decided to tour the rest of the Centre and we had a blast! Chris was hilarious trying to steer his Moon Buggy, and I loved playing the steel drums. The Ontario Science Centre is a lot of fun, and I can definitely see us going back again, especially after the reaction I got from Little Muppet! As soon as we entered the Space section of the Centre, Muppet started to do intense kicks and punches. It truly is going to out-geek us in the future. We may have to start saving up for astronaut school soon...Maybe we'll be lucky and Muppet will marry a rich alien... ;)
Here is a little, slightly embarrassing, video of me attempting to play the steel drums. Enjoy! (Muppet, be warned...this is only one of the MANY times your parents will embarrass you! Please know we do it with love.)
In other news, we have a new addition to the family! Her name is Edie! She was born on September 1 and she is absolutely adorable! Chris and I are hoping she'll provide us with a little practice before our little one arrives, as well as show us a preview of what is to come. She is going to be a wonderful cousin for our Muppet and it will be so fun to see them grow up together! We are very happy for Chris' sister and her husband and know they are going to be great parents for this petite lady. I cannot wait to spoil her! :) Congrats you two!! To read more about Edie's start in the world, go to hunniebunniebabies.blogspot.com.
We recently went for our latest prenatal the other day and I talked to my doctor about some new fun symptoms I'm having. Ankle and leg swelling! Weee! I actually bought some support knee high stockings, and when I wear them to work with my back support belt I kind of feel like a hip granny. I can't believe the number this little monkey is doing on my body! My ankles were so swollen that they completely disappeared! That coupled with my back pain and horrific heartburn is really getting to be a bit too much. The doctor recommended I work less on my feet, so I'm going to have to talk to my boss. Like the doctor said, it'll only get worse from here!
We got to hear Muppet's heartbeat again which was super clear this time. The heartbeat was 160 (for those keeping track). Chris said it reminded him of the Popcorn song. For those not familiar with this song, watch the Muppet's version with the Swedish Chef!
As of week 24, Muppet is the size of an eggplant (which is also one of my favourite colours). I am also already a soccer mom, as my uterus is now about the size of a soccer ball! That is crazy, but I do love soccer...:) Muppet is taller than two juice boxes stacked on top of each other and as heavy as four of them! At 24 weeks, Muppet's lungs are getting ready for breathing their first lungful of air, and it's nostrils are starting to open so it can take little practice breaths with the amniotic fluid. So far, I have gained 9 pounds in this pregnancy, which I admit at first made me want to cry a little. But I know that I have to think of it as" growing baby" weight, not "too much pizza and chips" weight.
Little Muppet has begun kicking me up higher now, and I think it can hear the cats, because whenever they are laying on my stomach purring, Muppet kicks right at them! It's pretty darn cute! I'm curious to see how the pets will react to this little person being in their space. I think Nobi will love Muppet and we'll have to watch for accidental smothering, as Nobi is a cuddler...Neko on the other hand...well, she's very protective and quick to react, so we'll have to see what she does. I'm pretty sure Sawyer will just sit on the poor child, as he loves being a "lap" dog. Ah, family! :)
As of 34 weeks, Muppet weighs as much as a cantaloupe and is almost 18 inches long. His/her fat layers are continuing to pile on so when it's born, it will have the cute chubby skin that everyone loves to pinch. :) Muppet is continuing to move around a lot, and seems to be sure of it's footing now, as it's kicks really seem to be directed to certain places on purpose these days. Ya, I'm talking about my ribs and bladder. :) 
My book choice for week 34 is 'Red is Best' by Kathy Stinson. This book was also one of my favourites growing up, and I feel it really is a perfect read right now because of the cold weather that is quickly approaching. This book is all about a young child named Kelly and her love of the colour red, and how everything is always better when it is red. I love how it deals with such a simple subject, but shows how parents and children can clash when we have to deal with everyone having their own ideas while managing the battle between imagination and common sense. Truly, you cannot reason with a child. :) I remember loving the simple illustrations, the easy storyline and the brilliant message of a child's logic in an adult's world, "I like red," Kelly says, "because red is best." 
