Readying for the baby

You know those moments when you’re sitting and trying to think of the last few days of your life, and place what happened on what day?  I am having one of those moments where when I try to think about it, the last several days just all blend together.  But there are significant highlights to mention.   The first, is the beautiful shower my Toronto girls gave me last week and was graciously hosted and gorgeously prepared by my friend Kathleen. It was an evening of cocktails, yummy food, hilarious stories of giving birth (the good, the bad, and the things that haunt my sleep), and wonderful and very useful gifts for our much anticipated arrival.  I am surrounded by wonderful women here in Toronto, and it’s reassuring that I have these incredible women to lean on for a question, or a walk, or a laugh and a cry, should I need it when our little one arrives.  Thank you ladies for a beautiful evening.

My mom was also here this weekend with one MAJOR goal... To get us ready to welcome our little guy.  With this seemingly “small” task, came with it a TO DO LIST as long as my arm. I am SO SO SO happy to tell you that we made it through all the major to dos and I can safely tell you that if this baby comes today, we’re ready.  (as ready as we’re ever going to be).   So what did we get up to??   Well, given when my mom arrived we hadn’t even been in our house for a week, there was the typical organizing and sorting and unpacking to help with.  We made so much progress on Friday night that it looked like a different place when the three of us finally sat down to eat some dinner at 9pm.   So in terms of the baby to dos, we spent the weekend making our way through the following; we bought and installed our car seat (can we talk about how weird it is to have a CAR SEAT in the back of your car for the first time knowing soon there is going to be A BABY, YOUR BABY in it?), we organized, wash and sorted all of the babies clothing, we packed a hospital bag for both me and the baby,  we washed and set up the bedding in the crib and in the basinet , we organized the change table and made sure I had all I needed, we hung pictures in the baby’s room, we shopped for any last necessities, AND we finished painting, staining and antiquing the highboy for the baby’s room! Hooray!!  Whew, what a relief!!  I wouldn’t have gotten 1/4 of that done without my mom’s help.  Thank you mom for being with us this weekend and putting so much love and energy into the final details we needed to feel ready. Knowing you have been here and have placed the baby’s things with such love makes me feel like you’re here all the time.

Sunday (father’s day) my dad arrived into Toronto to pick my mom up (bless his heart for driving all the way here on a Sunday, and father’s day no less).  He helped us sort our some furniture in the basement, make a trip to IKEA and Home Depot and also install a much needed handrail for the wall going up our stairs. Yeah!!

It’s really hard to believe we have only been here for a week. I am proud of the work we have done and have promised myself, Peter, my doctor and now my mom that I will TRY and relax now.  Peter and I need it. What isn’t done will eventually get done, but does not NEED to get done today, or tomorrow or before the weekend.  I will keep repeating it to myself until I believe it. After the last year, not making a mental to do list the moment I sit down is something I actually need to work on. You see, this is why having a baby might just be easy for me.   You can laugh. I know I am delusional.

So welcome to my official slowdown. Just in time for our official count down.  Two or so weeks away (cross your fingers that my blood pressure check today goes well).  We can’t wait to introduce our little man to all of you.

XO

And that’s all she wrote

So, I have officially been put on unofficial mat leave.  Irony at it’s best.  Six months into this pregnancy hearing the words “ you need to stop working” would have been like a dream.  But hearing them from my doctor’s mouth this morning you know what I did? I cried.  My blood pressure is too high. Consistently too high for a few weeks now. It needs to come down or I need to be INDUCED.

C-R-A-P.

Ok, so I hear you now, all of you, it’s officially time to slow this show down a bit.

So as my eyes well up, she tells me that all her other patients WANT to be off work, and she tells me, and I CRY about it. So what is my issue?   I don’t know. Let’s not start counting them ok. Maybe things that just don’t go as I have planned make me cry, or maybe it’s partly that I do feel good, and I am actually really enjoying work right now so it’s sad I have to go early, or maybe she scared me a bit.  Probably the latter.   I guess the last several weeks have caught up to me. Stress has a weird way of telling your body when enough is enough. At least in my experience. So, it’s time. Time to take a load off and put my feet up.  Right after I finish this print shoot I am at today.

In all seriousness, tomorrow AM I have a meeting with HR to talk about everything and also with my boss to sort out how to transition my work to my team in a way that doesn’t totally reek havoc for them in the shortest amount of time possible. I know, I am so important eh?  Not at all, we're just short staffed. So I guess the point is making the “official unofficial” actually official as soon as possible. Eeeeeek.  Next week is the G20 summit, so I will likely do it from my couch. Commuting in downtown Toronto next week is going to be terrible anyway.

So there you have it. I am in official wind down. Doctor’s orders.  Mom is coming down tomorrow for the weekend to help me sort out the baby stuff (thank god).

I heard chocolate and Oprah is good for high blood pressure.

Baby is now the size of a watermelon!!!!!!

Yeah, no guff. I happen to be wearing a lime green dress today and caught my side profile in a store window as a waddled by to get some lunch. WOW.  This baby may be the size of a watermelon, but I am the size of a whale. Today, a green whale.  Peter ran the bathtub for me the other night... bless his heart there was even bubble bath and lit candles. Anyway,  I don't what came over me but I started to sing baby beluga. I don't even know the words but it seemed appropriate. I am huge. There is no other way to describe how I look or feel but like a massive whale. 

Oh, and I don't mean for you to feel sorry for me. It's more of a warning for those of you who haven't seen me in a while. Prepare your facial expressions in advance. :)

So on a related note, my client's wife who is due the same week as me went into labour this morning and had her baby an hour ago.  It sort of hit home that this seriously could happen any day now.  We had better get a car seat and pack for the hospital.

PS. I put heels on this morning when I heard that she went into labour. It reduced my anxiety about it. Somewhere in my complicated brain it seems to make sense if I can still wear heels, I can't possibly be close to having a baby. 

We’re home

What a weekend... I am too exhausted to blog. But it's Monday, and I am way too exhausted to work, so blogging it is.  I am incredibly happy and relieved to tell you that we’re finally in our new home.  Saturday was moving day and for the most part, it went incredibly smooth. Our movers even arrived hours earlier than expected, so we were settled well before planned. Thank goodness for that.

True to our style these days, Sunday we actually had booked ourselves in a FULL DAY pre-natal class. You know, because moving isn’t enough to do in one weekend.  So Sunday morning Peter and I headed out with MASSIVE coffees in hand to join 6 other couples in an 8 hour interactive course on the tidal wave they call a “first born” that is about to hit our lives in a few short weeks.  All in all, I think it was worth the time and the money. It was a long but relaxing day for Peter and I, and it gave us the time to focus on important things like bringing a child into the world and our own personal health and well-being vs. our to do list.  It also made me realize and really appreciate that we’re a happy couple and that we have a really good relationship.  Not in comparison to others, but in ways in which we communicate with each other naturally.  I actually remembered feeling that way in our marriage prep course too.   Judging by the series of events we saw in those birthing videos (they made me cry), communicating will come in handy in the next few weeks. :)

We’re exhausted, we’re relieved, but perhaps most importantly we’re SO happy.  We’re in the house now, so this baby is more than welcome to make his entrance whenever he pleases.  Despite the 100 boxes left to unpack, the house already feels like home, so now we just wait for the final piece of the puzzle.

flutes of prosecco and a side cheese plate

So I have reached a point in my pregnancy where I have to go to the doctor every week for a wee chat and check up.  36 weeks and counting!! Today's visit was fairly uneventful with the exception of some surprise blood work and the ask to collect my urine for 24 hours this weekend and return it to the hospital on Monday.  Apparently my protein is rather high.  And I have to keep it in the fridge. Our new fridge. yuk. It's probably going to be the first thing in our new fridge, which actually makes it sort of funny. 
 Honestly, if I was a betting girl I would have told you they should be checking my sugar levels. It's all I crave these days. I would have a smoothie for every meal if I wouldn't feel like a terrible mother-to-be doing it.

Anyway, I am having a good friday otherwise. I am actually really really enjoying work right now.  I think leaving on such a positive note will make it easier to come back in 10 months, that's for sure. Oh, in case I didn't mention it... I am taking 10 months, and Peter is taking 2 months of parental leave. Unless the weather is unreasonably nice next May. Then I have saved the right to change my mind of course.

Anyway, tomorrow is moving day. Bleh.  I am trying to focus on what's to come so I don't get too stressed about the packing, the move and the unpacking I have ahead of me. So... thus the title and today's inspiration. Something to look forward to this summer with the girls.

Looking forward to updating you after the move. Have a great weekend.
xoxox

Blessed by loved ones

This weekend Peter and I and our +1 travelled home to Almonte for a weekend of family and friends. We had an extremely wonderful and FULL weekend of activity and were able to see a TON of loved ones. Given this was our last big trip before the baby arrives, we feel extremely fortunate we were able to spend it visiting with so many people.

Friday night was Adam & Kelly’s jack and jenny. Adam and Kelly are two of our favourite people (and musicians) and they are very much in love. Look at these faces.... 

Peter and I couldn’t be happier for them (Adam is the reason why Peter and I are together and they both sang me down the aisle and our first song at our own wedding). Their party was a huge success and a good indication of the main event that is to come this summer.  Their wedding is the weekend of August 14th and it will be our first big outing once the baby arrives! And (hopefully), the first big outing for our little guy and this mamma after child birth. It will undoubtedly be one of the summer highlights!!

On Saturday, my dear friends Jessica and Tracy arrived from Toronto for the weekend chez Raycroft. They came all the way just to help celebrate my baby shower with the rest of the Almonte crew on Sunday! We had a great lazy day of just meandering around Almonte, shopping at Blackbird and visiting with family and friends. On Saturday night Sarah and Chad joined us in Almonte for a visit (it’s been a while since we have had a quality one with them) and a hottub! Always so wonderful to see them and their yummy mango delicacies.

Sunday was the incredibly special shower that my sister and mom have been planning for me.  I am really blessed to have the women I do in my life. If any of you have met my sister, you know she is a wonder.  She loves the details, she loves a party, and she is an INCREDIBLE cook. This party was no exception, it was a baby-to-be masterpiece.  I know Stephanie  and my mom had help from many of my aunts (Patricia did the desserts) and lots of my mom’s sisters helped with set up and other details, but it was my mom and sister Stephanie who pulled out the show stoppers like this diaper cake, and this incredible spread of the most delicious food. Check this out... 

My dear friend Emily also did what she does best and got her craft on with the crowd. She had everyone at the shower stenciling personalized quilt squares that she is going to sew into a quilt for the baby! How wonderful!!! What a special idea that she cooked up with my sister. Something I know we are going to absolutely cherish.

We were blessed with so many wonderful gifts, some hand made and all that had a lot of love and thought put into them. Thank you so much for the wonderful shower for our baby to be.

And finally... Our trip home wouldn’t have been complete without a visit to see our favourite new parents and little man. After the shower we finally were able to find some quality time to spend with Josie, John and Baby Evan.  What a special little family. Josie and John are glowing, Evan is growing and so precious that you will want one just like him upon first glance.  We love you guys and can’t wait to spend more time together when we’re home with our new addition!

This week is MOVING WEEK! Hooray!  This family has a home and we will fill it with all the wonderful gifts and love you have given to us. Xoxoxo

Heads OR Tails?

It's official. After a bit of a coin flip (or body flip in this case), our little boy has finally chosen tails. He is coming out head first, and is definitively back in the bum up and head down position. Fantastic!  We had an ultra-sound today to confirm his position and to have the normal healthy baby checks. The doctor who studied our ultra-sound report told us that the baby is 5 1/2 pounds and is estimated to be about 7 1/2 pounds at birth (totally doable), presenting in the cephalic position (head down) and top to bottom appearing to be an extremely healthy baby. You know what he did then? He looked Peter straight in the eye and said "Well Done".  I had to laugh when Peter sheepishly looked over at me, and said "Good Job".   It was like being told that the cake I have been baking for 36 weeks is estimated to turn out just perfectly and being congratulated on the prep and baking work. Weird. And exciting. Very exciting.

You know what I feel like I have all of the sudden? Time. And while that might be a fool's gold because we all know this baby could come ANY day, it's given me some relief that we will be moved and settled before this show hits the road. Excellent! So we're happy... the house is 80% done and our baby is healthy, happy and head down once again. 

Love you all!

Don’t Blink Yet

  Is it Friday yet? And are these renos over yet? If not, wake me up when they are.

This trip home to Almonte could not have come at a better time. We need a break. Two people can only make so many trips and deal with so many sales people from Home Depot, IKEA and Future Shop in one week.  I am embarrassed to tell you how many car trips, website visits and phone calls we have made to these companies.  Way too many this week alone.  Way too many last night alone.  Our over the range microwave doesn’t fit. Surprise Surprise. And the wonderfully helpful sales guy from Future Shop who treated us like gold while we bought our appliances a month ago, was a total ass*ole about it yesterday.  Also not a surprise, he made me cry. I may feel fabulous (despite the swelling) but tears come pretty easily these days.  So  I called to see what options we had in terms of another microwave or a hood and he immediately told me it wasn’t his fault that I didn’t measure properly and because we bought a “package” we would owe all kinds of other money for the other pieces in the package if I returned the microwave.  I didn’t even MENTION returning the microwave. I am HEARTBROKEN that it doesn’t fit.  I just wanted help figuring out what to do.  WTF. Anyway, Peter brought it back last night out of principle of making his wife cry and walked out of there with a full return and no up charge on the other appliances.  All I will say, is sometimes tears and pregnancy are a powerful combination. 

What a Jerk.

And who knew that when you buy an IKEA kitchen as a PACKAGE they don’t give you the WALL brackets to install the WALL cabinets to the WALLS in said PACKAGE. Because “not everyone chooses to use our brackets, and no it’s not a common question from our kitchen specialists to ask if you’re going to need them. You should know”.  Well I didn’t know. So add two more trips to IKEA in one day to sort that out.  This is after we already drove there two times to pick up items they FORGOT to include in our PACKAGE.  You know small things like the LEGS for the cabinets.

And to be honest, I really can’t say anything bad about Home Depot. Well, except I hate their self serve check outs. They don’t work, and EVERYONE ends up needing help anyway and getting super frustrated in the process. Other than that, being open until MID-NIGHT has actually been helpful to us, and they matched the very expensive Farrow and Ball paint colour that I fell in love with for our kitchen to their much more budget friendly Behr brand and it’s an EXACT match. And it’s beautiful.

Whew. I needed to get that off my chest. Thanks. Renos aren’t fun, but you know what will be.... Cooking in my new home for my new family will be. Holding my baby and my husband in my new home will be, and inviting all you over to see the hard work and changes that have passed since we took possession of our home in early May will be.  And that my friends is the prize we have our eyes on.

Almost there.

So back to going home this weekend. Home. It’s funny I still call it that.  The truth is, in ways, Almonte is always going to be home.  You can have two homes right?  Sure you can.

So as we drive out of Toronto on Friday afternoon we’re leaving all of this behind us. Literally.  Because as of next week, we’re moving INTO our new home.  So as Peter likes to say... Now that I have vented for an ENTIRE blog post, it’s all PAST TENSE and time to move on.  MOVING on. :)

Can’t wait to see all of you this weekend.  It’s been too long since we have been home.

XOXO