31 Weeks Today!

Well, I don't know about you but I've never seen a 3.5 lb, 18'' long Barbie doll! :P

The Baby at 30 weeks ...

This is not our exact baby ... in case you didn't notice, it's a drawing! :P

Baby Stats

Baby #2 is now over 16 inches long and weighs around 3 pounds. We have less than 11 weeks to go until we meet him or her!! (Hopefully, anyway!) ;)

Christmas Gift Dilemma

Joe and I never know what to get his parents, brothers and sister for Christmas (or birthdays either, for that matter!). I find it really easy to shop for my sister and parents but his family is an enigma to me. Last year we got them tickets to a Giants hockey game and we all went together and while it went over alright, it was not the amazing gift we all want to give to our families at Christmastime, you know?

So, this year we are throwing around the idea of buying them a swimming pool. Joe thinks this is a good plan but I'm worried that giving one gift to 7 people (who will all definitely live at home for at least another 3 years) is kind of weird ... Plus, what if not everyone wants to have a pool? His sister and one brother would love it, I'm sure; but there are 4 kids, ranging in age from 19 to 25 and I don't know if this gift might be a little too young for them. And will his Mom like it as much as his Dad?!? Oh, the dilemma ...

Apparently they talked about getting a pool a few years ago but for some reason never got one. Hmmm ... what should we do? The pool would be similar to this one but it is a little bit better in that is has steel sides, not plastic.

(I realize no one knows them very well, and certainly not better than Joe and I, but any advice would be very much appreciated).

New Baby Cook!

Congratulations to one of my best friends, Cheryl, and her husband, Corey, on the birth of their first child, Devon Riley James Cook, on August 30 at 6:31 pm! The little guy weighed in at 5 lbs 15 oz and has A LOT of dark hair (under the hat). Cheryl and I have been best friends for 15 years and I could not be more excited for her! He is such a tiny little guy. :)

Baby Weight

I just found out that by this point in my pregnancy (beginning of the third trimester) I should have gained about 17-24 lbs. I am actually just back to the weight I was when we found out we were pregnant in March. (I lost a lot of weight in the first 4 months of pregnancy).

I know, you're not supposed to worry about gaining weight when you're pregnant as it's a natural occurrence and is necessary for the healthy growth and development of the fetus but I was overweight in March! I gained a whopping 50 lbs with Joshua and it did not entirely come off in those first 9 months following his birth (before I became pregnant with #2). So, to me, this lack of weight gain is a wonderful thing! (I am still at a more-than-healthy weight, believe me!)

In fact, my doctor told me at my last appointment that if I continue like this and have 3 more kids, I can be 110 lbs by the time we're done! (I realize that at almost 5'11'' that's just not possible ... but a girl can dream, can't she?!?) ;)

Another Hospital Visit

Grrr ... I was back in the hospital on Wednesday afternoon with another migraine headache. They kept me in maternity triage for 5 hours monitoring the baby and giving me pain medication, even though I told them that the baby was fine, it was just my head that hurt! :P

It has only been 3 weeks since my last migraine and already another one?!? (My second one ever). I hope this baby comes early (like, safely at 36 weeks) because I can't handle much more of this!

In better news, the baby seems to be healthy and growing quickly! (It is very active already -- similar to how Joshua was in utero -- where I can't even go a few hours without it waking me up with a good, solid kick!) ;)

Double Strollers

Does anyone have any advice on double strollers? Since Joshua and the new baby will be about 18 months apart I have been researching and pricing double strollers, but it seems they are not only very expensive but also come with mixed reviews.

We're leaning towards getting the Graco Duo-Glide Metropolitan stroller and car seat as there seem to be more good reviews than bad about this particular brand and model but I was wondering if anyone had any ideas or opinions on this matter?!?

Please help!!

What a Day

I spent the afternoon at my friend Cheryl's house, planning her baby shower, with my sister Stephanie, for this Saturday. They did the baking before I got there and then we planned the decorations and started on the party favours. After a few hours, Joshua was ready to come home so we left Cheryl's house and he quickly ran off down the street, after my sister. I finally caught him to put him in the car but he was fairly upset at being in captivity and kept whining incessantly. So, as I was belting Joshua into his car seat, I handed him my car keys to calm him down. They worked so well that I figured, why not let him hang onto them as I got in the front seat and then grab them once we were ready to take off. Unfortunately, I didn't notice that he had hit the keyless entry remote on the keys and all the doors were locked.

Thus started 30 minutes of Joshua and I crying in unison as he was trapped in the HOT car and I waited on the outside for the tow truck driver to arrive, feeling like the worst mother in the world. It was by far the fastest BCAA call I have ever experienced as they were there in no time and were very quick in getting the doors unlocked, however, I am still traumatized by the experience. Joshua seemed to be over it as soon as I put him in the bath and got him clean and dry. Now, though, I feel like a horrible and neglectful mother ... what kind of person locks their baby in the car?!? It is definitely time to get a spare key made up! (One that Joe doesn't take with him to work in Aldergrove).

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, HERE WE COME!

And we're almost off! :)

Our last girls' road trip starts tomorrow! Stephanie, Jen and I will leave Wednesday morning for 3 days in the USA. Thursday night we will atend the Tim McGraw and Faith Hill Soul II Soul 2 Tour at Key Arena in Seattle and, other than that, we will mainly sight-see and shop. :)

Jen moves to Manitoba in September to attend a Christian University so this is supposed to be our 'farewell tour'. :P

We started our roadtrips in 2001 with a trip to George, WA for a Tim McGraw concert at the Gorge, a week-long trip to the Merritt Mountain Music Festival, and a week camping in Osoyoos. 2002 brought the beginning of our annual trips (with Deanne) to stay at a hostel in Kelowna. Those trips ended when, in 2005, Jen made a trip of her own to Nicaragua to volunteer in an orphanage for the summer. Last year, Steph and I had to keep the tradition alive by taking a trip to stay in Osoyoos for a few days with 3 month old Joshua -- that was definitely different than our trips with the girls! ;)

So, this year will probably be our last for a while ... unless Jen can get away when she comes home in the summers and I can escape the growing family for a few days next year! *crosses fingers*

Yesterday

Yesterday was an interesting day.

Joe and I had plans for a dinner/football game date night but, once he finished work, it turned into a 'rush to the game and get there just as it started' kind of date. It was still very nice, though. The BC Lions won against the Edmonton Eskimos, 34-17. We then came home (where my parents and Steph had already put Joshua to bed in his own room ... I love this set-up!).

I was starting to get a small headache as we got home but that's a normal pregnancy thing for me so I just ignored it. Then, however, at about 2 am I awoke with the worst headache I have ever had and couldn't get comfortable, was too dizzy to walk and kept vomitting from the pain. I took countless pills of tylenol before I realized I couldn't keep them down long enough for them to work and so decided to call the BC Nurse's Help Line for assistance.

When I explained what was happening to the nurse on duty last night she demanded that I call 911 immediately. This completely freaked me out since she told me I couldn't even have Joe drive me to the hospital but needed to be taken by an ambulance on a stretcher. So, I called 911 and made the decision to have Joe drive me anyway mainly because I didn't want to get a bill for an ambulance ride when he was home and, thanks again to Steph and my parents living nearby, able to leave Joshua sleeping in order to take me to the hospital. The rest of my story is pretty disgusting from here on out so I will just say that my headache was a migraine (I have a complete new respect for people who suffer from migraines ... I always just thought they were really bad headaches), which caused almost constant vomitting and then the vomitting caused contractions. By early this morning I had been admitted to the maternity ward at MSA Hospital and repeatedly pumped full of copious amounts of Morphine, Gravol and another anti-nauseau medications that I can't pronounce. :P

I am now discharged and home with the lingering remains of a headache (as the Morphine is wearing off), getting ready to have some friends over for a barbecue. I probably should have cancelled and stayed in bed but then what kind of a friend would I be?!? ;)

The moral of my story ... don't ever get a migraine (as if you could help it)!!

Baby Updates

I had my first appointment with the Obstetrician today and had forgotten how annoying these appointments can be. *L* (Not the appointments themselves, just trying to get in to see a doctor who delivers several babies each week).

I set my alarm early so I could be up and at the office for my morning appointment and then got the call just as I was heading out the door that Dr. Shaw was at the hospital delivering a baby. So, my appointment was resceduled for a later time. (This was not actually that annoying and wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't already set my alarm and gotten ready!) ;)

The appointment went well. I had only gained 2 pounds instead of the 4 I thought and the doctor is happy with the baby's growth and development to date. She made a comment about the size of the baby already and told me if I wanted to have smaller babies I would definitely have to choose from a different gene pool, though. *L*

My due date has been changed to November 30 (based on the last ultrasound) which makes me really happy ... the end of November doesn't seem as far away as the beginning of December did! :P

My only concern is that the baby's heartbeat was irregular. Dr. Shaw couldn't even find it using the doppler (despite the fact I am over 23 weeks along) and had to use the ultrasound machine to locate it. When she finally found the heartbeat it was only at 60 bpm. The average baby's rate ranges from 120 to 170. When she poked the baby and made it move the heart rate rose to 150 bpm but she said we'll have to keep an eye on it. Dr. Shaw gave me a name for this developmental condition but I can't remember it and so can't even go on the internet and learn more about it. :(

Has anyone heard of this before? Any ideas? Apparently it can happen when the baby's nervous system is developing ...

Otherwise, things are going great. I will go for some blood tests in a few weeks to check for gestational diabetes and also to check my iron levels. They want to rule out anemia since I have been so run down and exhausted lately. (I have been anemic several times in the past but this exhaustion could also be a result of having a VERY active 14 month old boy at home!) ;)

That's what's happening in my pregnancy today ...

Fun with Friends

Joshua and I had so much fun yesterday hanging out with Klaudia and Nolan Sheepwash. We met them at the Walnut Grove Community Centre for a playgroup they hold there for children up to 6 years of age. Joshua was a little unsure at first but then started to really enjoy watching the other children and eating the snacks provided (they even provide Starbucks coffee and snacks for the Mama's ... plus, some to take home!). Nolan had no such worries and was playing by himself as soon as we opened the door to go in. :)

We then continued on to the swimming pool which they have in the same building. It was nice to take Joshua swimming again (especially since the Abbotsford pools are closed during the city strike). Joshua especially loved the swimming and grinned and giggled the whole 2 hours we were in there. My only complaint is that my little man in not at all afraid of the water! He has become a little daredevil and likes to walk off ledges and the edge of seats in the pool so that I have to run over and save him. He dropped off into the 4-plus foot deep water at least 15 times and then would sputter and giggle as I pulled him out. It was exhausting for me! Joe and I definitely have to start shopping for a life jacket for the boy. I've been able to find ones for under 30 lbs but Joshua is too heavy to fit them and I can't find the next size up anywhere. :(

We had such a good time that we've decided to make our Tuesday morning trips a routine (at least until Nick, Klaudia and Nolan move to Montreal at the end of the summer) :(

Baby Update

I saw my doctor this morning for the last time until after the baby arrives (I'll start seeing my obstetrician in 3 weeks). He says the baby looks great and my ultrasound confirms my due date of December 2. Also, I've only gained one pound in over 6 weeks and I was wearing way heavier clothes than last time. YAY!! This puts me at only 8 pounds more than this stage with Joshua, and I was a whopping 30 lbs heavier when I got pregnant with this second one than with him!! They say nursing is a great way to lose the weight after a baby but 9 months of nursing cannot compare to 5 months of being pregnant!! ;)

Also, when we had the ultrasound on Monday, Joe thinks he saw a penis. So, this could be another boy. We're going to wait until the birth to find out for sure though.

Things here are going great. Joshua was a perfect little boy at the appointment this morning. He just sat on his own chair and played with his little firetruck and ate mini marshmallows. I was very proud to be his Mama and got a lot of compliments of how well behaved my little man is! (If only they could see him at home when he doesn't get what he wants ... talk about ATTITUDE!)

Joe's arm is allowed to go to 20 degrees now so he's back at physio and doing his stretches again. His physiotherapist told him the arm only has a small window of time to stretch and then it's set forever so he's now worried that his doctor can't get him in until the end of August to check the bicep and allow him more range of motion. I don't blame him, though, he's supposed to be seen every 4-6 weeks by the surgeon and it'll be over 2 months by the time the doctor gets back from his vacation. Summer is not a good time for surgery or rehabilitation! (Steph is going through the same thing with the surgeon and her shoulder.)

This afternoon Joshua will get his 12 month immunizations. I completely forgot to book them around his birthday so luckily they could fit my almost 14 month old boy in this week! He's usually pretty good about it, if just a bit whiney, but we'll stay around the house today and tomorrow just to be sure.

That's all that is new in our world. The vacation was great but it's always nice to be home! :)

Change of Plans

We have been back from St. John the Forerunner Monastery in Goldendale, WA for a few days now. The trip down was long! We kept thinking we were almost there after we passed Seattle but we actually had another 4.5 hours to go. Joshua was a great little traveller and only whined a few times when he got bored but I was not so good at entertaining him in the hot car (yes, it was hot despite the air conditioner!). Plus, our car engine likes to get very hot on long trips. Joe thinks it's just the thermostat that needs replacing but by the time we got to Yakima it was red-lining on hot.

Our actual stay at the monastery was very nice. Joe's Mom gave us her room and slept in her car. I wasn't comfortable with taking it from her but with Joshua we didn't have much of a choice! I loved how laid-back the monastery was. It was nothing like St. Anthony's in Arizona (Mom explained that this is because the monks need a more strict monastery than the nuns do ... apparently men have a harder time with the monastic lifestyle). We got to the monastery at 630 pm on Thursday and left at 630 pm on Friday. It was definitely a long drive for just a 24 hour visit but I was getting sick by Friday evening and was worried it might get worse by Saturday. Plus, it was nice to drive home in the evening when Joshua would actually sleep in the car for a while. He would not go to sleep on the trip down there!

We were able to visit with Father Paisios only twice for a short while each because he was busy the first day and a half hearing (constant) confessions and then the Bishop arrived so he helped show him around. I am happy to report that Joe's uncle is not actually as intimidating as I first thought. When we travelled down to Arizona in December of 2003 it was to receive his blessing to get married and I think he seemed so intimidating just because I was worried he would say no! :P

The trip to Goldendale has sparked Joe, Steph and I to buy plane tickets to Edmonton for next week. *L* I am definitely not doing the equivalent of another 4 of those long car rides with Joshua, despite how good he actually was! So, we fly out on Thursday of this week and fly back into Abbotsford on the following Friday. It's a fairly expensive trip with the airfare and car rental once we land but it'll be nice to see that part of the family again.

Yesterday we attended Rylan's Baptism at my Grandmother's Lutheran church in Matsqui Village. It was a nice service and he looked so cute in his Baptismal outfit! Congratulations Rylan!! :)

Anyway, enough of the twenty page blogging. I hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine (and for your sakes, the air conditioning too!) ;)

Travel Plans

Well, the next two weeks sure filled up in a hurry. Joe and I decided this morning to go down to Goldendale, Washington tomorrow morning and stay for a few days. Joe's Uncle, Father Paisios, is visiting a monastery there, up from his monastery in Arizona. He has not yet met Joshua and I've only met Father Paisios once before so this should be a nice visit. I do, for some reason though, find him a little intimidating! We'll be staying at the monastery in a room to ourselves (which is weird since our last visit to Arizona found us segregated at worship and meal times, let alone bed times ... I'm just very happy for the constant help with Joshua!) Joe's Mom and Grandma will be heading down too so we will definitely have more than enough help with the little boy.

Thus, we will leave tomorrow morning after our home-cooked breakfast at Papa and Oma's house (YUM!) and drive the 4? 5? or 6? hours to Goldendale .... I honestly have no idea how long the drive will be. (Fun with the little moose, I'm sure).

We will be back by Monday and then leave for Edmonton on Wednesday (with Stephanie) to visit our sisters and brother and attend an anniversary party for Uncle Alan and Aunt Ruth. We'll be driving and probably spending a night in Valemount on the way there and probably on the way back too. I'm not looking forward to the many hours of car travel ahead of us! Joshua hasn't been on a long car ride since he was 3 months old and slept most of the way so we'll see how this goes ... I'll keep you posted! ;)

Not a lot is going on ...

Well, for once in a long while I am happy to report that life is fairly normal right now! :)

Joe, of course, is still off work due to his bicep tear and Joshua and I are fully accustomed to having his Daddy around to play with (Joshua) and help with the house (Mommy).

Mom and Rick are away for about 10 days so we're finding out what it's actually like to not have built in babysitters and while we are having a great time constantly hanging out with the boy, we're also realizing how much easier it is to do simple things like vacuuming when he's upstairs visiting his Grandpa and Grandma Styles.

Joe, Stephanie, Joshua and I are also planning a trip to Edmonton for the end of this month. We weren't sure if it was possible since Joe's off work and we haven't yet been approved for Medical EI but we've decided to just go and make it work when we get back (that might be a mistake, I know). Luckily, my sister Sherri and her husband are almost done building their dream home in Edmonton and it will be ready about a week before we land on their doorstep! :)

The little Parson fetus is growing as I'm now almost 17 weeks pregnant. This means he/she can hear sounds from outside the uterus and is a whopping 5'' long. I can't wait to look pregnant instead of just fat! :P

What a Week!

Wow, it has been one crazy week! It all started with our sick Joshua at the hospital on the weekend. Then, we had a birthday celebration as a family on Tuesday for the little man. He wasn't yet 100% so we spent the day at home and then went to Castle Fun Park in the evening. He just clung to Joe and I like a little monkey and would not go on any of the rides so we soon left and came home.

Wednesday, Joe had an appointment to have his splint removed at MSA Hospital with his surgeon. I was feeling so sick and throwing up almost constantly but my Mom dropped me off at the hospital so I could be with Joe while he waited. This, however, was not the best thought out idea as I just spent the whole time vomitting in the washroom (and accidentally hitting the call button ... that's an embarrasing story!) Thus, I finally left Joe with his surgeon and stumbled over to the Emergency Room to see if it was okay that I was getting so dehydrated. The next thing I knew I was committed for the night and being poked by about 10 different needles as I was so dehydrated they couldn't find my veins *shudder*. I spent Wednesday night in the ER and was moved to Pediatrics on Thursday to "get more sleep". They told me I was going home and then ended up keeping me for another night in a room with a snoring woman and 2 young girls on suicide watch. WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! The girls were properly medicated and restrained and went down for the night alright but the woman was so noisy that they finally had to move me to a room with a sick baby. It was so sad! Luckily, crying is not as annoying as snoring so I was able to get more sleep the second night.

Now, I'm home cleaning and preparing food for the 55 guests I invited over on Sunday for the barbecue, despite being told to stay in bed and consume only liquids for 2 more days. *EEK*

The good news in that I'm no longer contagious and the whole experience has made me realize how incredibly fortunate we are to be able to spend every night at home with our healthy families! :)

Updates

Well, my life has completely changed overnight. Joe had his surgery in Chilliwack yesterday (I didn't call you Amy, because I had forgotten your number at home and didn't really want to leave the hospital ... I was pretty worried!) We got there at 7am and Joe was prepped for surgery (IV, really nice hospital gowns, etc...) They told me the actual surgery would take about two and a half hours so I waited, and waited, and waited ... 5 hours later I was starting to freak out, standing at the nurse's station with no nurse in sight when he was wheeled around the corner. I almost cried! :P

The surgery went well but they did have to take some of his hamstring tendon to repair his bicep tendon. Dr. Wickham explained that Joe actually had no tendon left in his arm so they had to take a piece from his leg that's about as long as his upper arm *ouch*. There's about an 85% chance that the surgery was successful so we are definitely praying about it!

Joe is on Tylenol 3's and they are not working well enough to allow him to sleep or to even
move around the house. He can't walk and his arm is in a cast from his shoulder to his fingers ... it looks horrible! (It makes me wish they had thought to operate on his opposite arm and leg, so he could at least use a crutch!)

I am thus taking care of Joshua and Joe as well as this little baby in my belly that is making me really sick! I'm glad I can do this for my family but I'm just getting so burned out already. :(

Plus, Stephanie is having shoulder surgery as I type this ... we'll have another invalid around here very soon (like, by about 6pm)!

In response to Myn's last comment, we're hoping to be at church this Sunday, if all goes well for Joe over the next 2 days. We didn't go last week because I thought Joshua was getting a cold and didn't want to give it to all the new church babies. As it turns out, I think it may just be allergies (at less than a year, poor kid ... he has no hope!)

Now for some better news, this pregnancy seems to be going well. I feel huge already but I know I'll only get bigger over the next 6 months. I'm almost 11 weeks pregnant and can't wait for the nausea to go away! I've looked back and there's absolutely no way I'm further along than I thought (as my doctor suggested) because I had a pregnancy test at the doctor's the week before I think I got pregnant and it was negative, thus there must be another explanation for measuring so big (16 weeks according to fundal height).

I hope all is well for everyone! :)

My Life ...

I had a doctor's appointment today to have the normal early pregnancy tests run and Dr. Heffner thinks I'm measuring way too big. I'm positive of my dates but he feels I'm about 5 weeks more pregnant than I should be ... hmmm ...

That would make me 3 1/2 months along! YAY! (or pregnant with twins, which I DO NOT want! -- I don't want Joshua to be the ignored big brother of twins).

So, I get an ultrasound in 3 weeks. I'm very excited ... I LOVE ultrasounds (except for the whole drink so much water you think you'll explode and then they press on your bladder thing).

Also, Joe goes in for his bicep reconstruction surgery in 6 days. I am so worried for him. I know that I've had major surgery in the past but that was me, so I didn't have to wait in the waiting room worrying like I definitely will this time.

On May 11 I'll drive him into Chilliwack and wait, worrying, until they tell me he's woken up and everything went normal. Then it's 4 months of no-work and lots of physiotherapy for him. This is definitely going to put a strain on our finances!

We just found out that Stephanie's shoulder surgery has been bumped up so she'll be in for surgery with the same surgeon (Dr. Wickham) the day after Joe's surgery (May 12). Then we'll have 2 recuperating invalids in the house. :P

I jsut got my last 2 grades back for school and I got an A- and an A+. I'm not sure what dropped that first mark but I guess I should be happy, I will graduate on the Dean's List with a 3.74 GPA with my Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice in just over one month! :D

Anyway, that's my life for now ...