Not Long Now

By the way I’m going on this blog (posting once a month), I’ll have a baby before the next post!   I am 37 weeks pregnant and my doctor said that I am allowed to have him any time now – since I’ve reached full-term status.  I have my next 3 doctor’s appointments set up, and if he doesn’t come before, I only have 2 weeks left at work.   Due date is August 10th, but I start my leave on the 3rd of August….I cannot wait!!!!  Everything is still going well, and I have a very active little boy inside me.  I am really starting to slow down and it’s getting hard to move around – especially at work, since I’m either standing all day or sitting in tiny plastic 2-year-old chairs, and the temperature has been in the 100s/40s for about 3 weeks now.  My feet sometimes get a little swollen, but thankfully don’t always stay that way.   I’m mostly packed for the hospital, and I even have a bag of snacks to take with us (for Chris mostly, and if he hasn’t finished them, for me after I’ve had the baby).  I still need to purchase some nursing tops etc to pack in my hospital bag and we still need to install the car seat.  The baby room is set up, thanks to Kay, Joy, Jackie, and Adrienne, and is absolutely beautiful.  I’m so happy it’s set up and so happy with how it turned out.  This past weekend we went out and bought some material to make curtains, and Kay and Joy will be working on them for me!  :)  Here are some photos of the room, minus our little boy’s name for those who are wanting to find out later!!!

Chris and baby are sharing a closet!! 

The room’s not completely finished – waiting for baby before making the bed, and still needing to hang some pictures up!

Work is actually a little better than before because I’m organising all my own activities for the kids and not waiting to see if the other teacher has prepared anything (she has not prepared anything for the kids to do since I’ve been there).  The kids now actually look forward to and enjoy being read to – and even ask me to read certain books!!  This is a huge improvement to when I first started – where I couldn’t even get them to sit and listen to any stories.

Chris and I have now been to the baby classes I signed us up for.  The birth class on Saturday 11th that went from 9-5 was long but worth it.  Chris actually found it helpful and told me that he was glad that we went.  His feelings toward the baby feeding class, on the other hand, were not as positive – but I made him go anyway so that I wouldn’t have to repeat all the information!!  I may be a  terrible wife, but I figured that we wouldn’t have to go to any more baby classes ever again!  :)

I keep telling my wonderful parents that I’d love to show them where we live now.  It really is a lovely place – great for walking, close to shops, nice pools to swim in, etc.  Here we are walking around our lake on the 19th July – Chris’s birthday – before going for a swim in one of our pools!!!   And me at 37 weeks!

The next post may just be a welcome baby post!!   I’m excited.

Life after ch-ch-ch-changes...

Here's where we're at: 33 weeks pregnant, 3 weeks since the change of address, and a month since changing jobs.

I believe that in my last post I said that I was ready to leave my old work. Boy was I wrong about that one. I hate that my old daycare is closing. I so wish it wasn't - mainly because it really was a nice place and doesn't deserve to be closed down, but also because it would have been so much easier for me at this particular pregnant time in my life. But I really need to stop myself from thinking about how nice things would be if it wasn't closing.
I don't want to go into too much detail about the new place, but one of the main things I need to say is that I was blessed with an amazing co-teacher at my old work. We worked so well together and everything went rather smoothly....we alternated weeks for lesson planning, and we each fully prepared for our lessons etc etc. We really helped each other to make things work. When leaving, I told her that I would probably not find anyone like her, but I didn't expect to be so right.
I also have to tell myself that I'm doing this for the baby. I decided to transfer to this work to keep my insurance, to be entitled to maternity leave (have to be somewhere for at least 12 months), to ensure a full time position and make things less complicated while on the work visa....etc etc. I will say that work is getting a little better and the kids are finally starting to listen to me, but it has been so hard and I've really not been having any fun. And I also have to keep telling myself that I really don't have much longer before I get to have a baby and be a stay-at-home mum for a couple of months at least. Oh and don't even get me started on being told I can only have 6 weeks off work for baby....when the FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) tells me I can have up to 12 weeks. Chris has read the entire Act and is confident that I can take 12 weeks if I want to. When I sat down with the HR person at my work and was told that I could have 6 weeks off and could come back earlier if I wanted, or if I needed more than 6 weeks I had to have a note from my doctor, I wanted to cry. 6-week-old babies are not very big....this makes me very sad. If there are any more problems, I think I'll have my work talk directly to Chris!! :) See! I told you not to get me started!!!

Now for something I like talking about! My pregnancy is still going really well. With that said, I'm actually a lot more achey than I was before, and sleep really is getting harder....but I'm still enjoying it. Sleeping on my side is actually painful at times!! I now have 3 pillows around me, and 4 sleeping bags under me for extra padding!! :) I get up at least 3 times during the night. I feel sorry for Chris as I'm constantly moving around to get comfortable or getting up, and have taken up way more than 1/2 of the bed!!
I love summer and it is definitely my favourite season....however, summer officially started on the 21st of June and the temperatures have since been in the 100s F/40s C. Now, working with kids from 8:30-5:30 everyday and only sitting about 2 of those hours, I'm definitely feeling the heat and am absolutely exhausted and sore at the end of each day. I have noticed some swelling in my ankles, but some days aren't so bad and it comes and goes. I try to drink as much water as I can and hope for the best! I always hear stories about women needing to remove their rings due to their hands swelling, but for some reason I didn't really believe that I would ever have to remove mine! However, I decided (maybe a little too late, since removal was slightly painful) to remove my wedding rings about 2 days ago! It is a strange feeling not wearing them, but definitely more comfortable during the day!
Even though we still need to set up the baby room, I can say that I have washed and sorted all things baby - clothes, blankets, etc. It's a great feeling having all that done, but I get the strangest feeling that this is only the beginning of something very big...and the next time I wash those clothes they won't be so nice before washing!! :)

We had the baby shower on Saturday, the 2oth of June, and it was absolutely beautiful! The ladies in my family (on this side of the world) did an amazing job. Everything was beach-themed and adorable! And I have some pretty great friends!! Thanks to all for the beautiful gifts!
Here are a few pics:

The blue punch

Chocolates made by Chris's grandmother. So delicious.

One of my diaper/nappy cakes!

My beautiful sisters-in-law

There doesn't seem to be too much rest in sight until the baby gets here (and after, of course!!). On top of working everyday and going to doctor's appointments, here's what's happening the next couple of weeks:

Saturday, 27th June: Michelle goes to a childcare training seminar from 8-3 to get required training hours for work.

Saturday, 4th July: Kay comes to help set up the baby room. I'm excited about this because it's been driving me a little crazy not having it set up!!! :) I'd like to feel a little more ready for baby!

Saturday, 11th July: Michelle enrolled her husband and herself in a birthing class! I actually think it goes from 9-5!!! Don't tell Chris. Only tell him that I was thinking of him when I chose the one day class, instead of the 4 week class.

Tuesday, 14th July: Michelle also enrolled her husband and herself in a baby feeding class! I think this is only 2 hours...hehe.

I also know that sometime in July I have to renew my CPR/first aid stuff with work (which is going to be interesting with a huge pregnant belly), and I have so many crafty, knitty, sewy projects I really want to do before the baby comes!!

As usual, a belly shot to end with:

Me on the 17th of June - 32 weeks pregnant

27th June 2009 - almost 34 weeks

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

I'm not sure if updating this blog once a month is going to be good enough....but it will have to do for now!

I left off last time at 25 weeks, and am now 29 weeks along with my baby boy. He is so much stronger than before, it's amazing. I am constantly wondering if this boy ever gets any rest! I can now simply sit and watch my belly move all over the place. And of course, Chris gets to feel the movements much more frequently now.

Since my last post, I've had 2 doctor's appointments. At the most recent appointment (20th May) I had my 28 week blood sugar test. I've not heard back from the doctor yet, so I'm hoping everything went well with that. I got to hear the heartbeat again, like all the other appointments, but this time it was so loud and strong! It really is amazing.

On the 14th May, the director at my work very kindly held a baby shower for me! Teachers and parents were invited to my classroom at 4pm for cake and punch. I was overwhelmed by the gifts that I received from both parents and other teachers. I have been extremely spoiled!










As most of you know, my work is closing on the 2nd of July. This means that 1oo-something kids have had to find other schools/daycares etc, and I don't know how many teachers have had to find other jobs. I pretty much had to decide what to do as soon as we found out the daycare was closing because I already knew I was pregnant and I needed insurance and to keep a full-time position to keep my work visa. I couldn't simply work up until we closed because then I'd have a baby but no job etc etc. So a couple of months ago I decided it best to simply transfer to the daycare down in Oklahoma City which is also run by the YMCA. Other than having a little extra travel, this seemed like the best option as nothing would have to change on my work visa, and I would be able to keep my insurance. They were also fine with the fact that by the time I would transfer down there, I'd only work a couple of months before having a baby.

When I met with the director downtown, she said that I would probably transfer sometime in June. She was great because she didn't want to take me away from my current job until my director was ready for me to leave, and she was willing to take me any time my director needed to let me go!

My last day at OPUBCO Child Development Centre was Friday, 22nd May, 2009. I had been there since April 2007 and I am happy and sad to be leaving. I'm OK with leaving now because we've had a couple of months to think about it and because things have been a little more difficult since we found out the daycare was closing (teachers needing to take their time off - which they'd lose if they don't take them before we close, not enough teachers when someone calls in sick, longer hours because our part-time afternoon teachers have left, combining classes and having 2s, 3s, and 4s in the one room, etc etc). I'm sad to go, but I'm ready. I start downtown this coming Tuesday, 26th May. It's nice because I get the long weekend in between the two jobs.

In other news, Chris and I will be moving from our house to an apartment. The owner of the house wasn't willing to negotiate a shorter lease (only offering 1 year lease), even though we've been here for a year and would like another 7 months or so. I'm not unhappy with the move because the apartments are very nice and we'll still have enough space for a little family. Most importantly, the apartments still have a pool! and they also have washer and dryer hook-ups inside, so we won't be sharing a laundry room with anybody else!! :) We'll be moving on the 6th of June.

It seems like a lot of big changes. Start new job on Tuesday, move the weekend after next, and get ready to have a baby. I really want the move to happen now so that I can start setting up the baby room! Oh and my doctor's appointment are now every 2 weeks, which means it's getting closer.

And, here are a couple of belly shots to end with!

13th May 2009 - 27 weeks

24th May 2009 - almost 29 weeks