Coming Soon...

Today we had our 31 week ultrasound of Sweet Pea. We are closer to 31 1/2 weeks and Sweet Pea is measuring a bit on the smaller size... closer to a 30 week baby. Everything else checks out fine... the water pocket on her brain seen at 19 weeks is gone, brain and heart appear normal. Heart rate was 134 bpm... also normal. Blood flow to the umbilical cord was good and amount of amniotic fluid was good. I may get a more full report at my doctors appointment next week but the tech was pretty good at explaining everything to us so I think that is about it. We didn't see any boy parts or girl parts for that matter but she did do a brief 3D ultrasound so that we could see Sweet Pea's face (above picture, you should be able to make out the eyes, nose and mouth). We also have a side profile of the face with nose and mouth touching her arm (below). The top picture is the best one and the easiest to make out but I thought I would post them both anyway.

I have been quite uncomfortable lately and not sleeping the greatest so seeing Sweet Pea today renewed my energy a bit. I enjoy feeling her move everyday and I actually feel her the "strongest" out of the 3... the tech thought that may be because my placenta is in the back so there is not much between baby and my belly. She actually manages to wake me up with her movements in the middle of the night. But seeing her today reminded me of the end result.... a new addition to our family.... coming soon!

31 Weeks

Next week begins our 8th month of pregnancy and Sweet Pea is really starting to get big. I read yesterday that he is almost 3 1/2 lbs and 18 inches tall... no wonder I am tired and uncomfortable! From this point on he gains about 1/2 lb a week.
Last week I had a dream that Sweet Pea was born here at home and he was a HE. Last night I dreamt again that we had a baby boy... this time we made it to the hospital. So I am not sure what I think but my subconscious seems to think that we have our 3rd son on the way.

www.babycenter.com

A much needed sunny day...

Today David and I were both very thankful for a beautiful sunny day. It would have been nice if it was a bit warmer but since it is January we will take what we can get. Actually it was cute when we would get a gust of cold wind he would hug my legs and say "cuddle mommy." Don't worry Grandma's... we had his ears covered. We did go for a walk the other day and will be doing that more often. Today we walked and then played in the backyard which we haven't done in a long time. It's been hard having him inside because he is starting to get bored and I am running out of energy. When David is bored he gets into so much trouble. When Jonathan gets home from work we are going to try moving the DVD player and hopefully the computer tower onto the top of the shelves.

The search continues for a house. We did put an offer on a place early this week but it didn't work out. Lots to consider. Before Jonathan and I started dating we each had plans for the future. When we got together those plans merged and expanded. We planned to wait 2 years before having children so that we could pay off his student loan, save up for a house, travel Europe May 2006, and have some alone time before the craziness began. We got married and "the plan" was under way. We went on our honeymoon and my period liked it so much she decided to take a permanent vacation. Okay, maybe not permanent but I didn't see her again until David was 11 months old. Plans change.

We never thought Jonathan would be working in the city. We certainly didn't expect our second son to leave us so soon. And now I am finding it very difficult to know what I want or to come up with a new plan from this point on. Life continues. Sweet Pea is getting ready to be born. And we have no idea where we might end up by the end of 2009. You can sum that up as my 1/4 life crisis if you think I might live to be 100.

A day in the life...

Yesterday was quite the day. Jonathan was home sick from work which NEVER happens and I spent the morning at the hospital making sure Sweet Pea wasn't getting ready to make an early appearance.
Jonathan is feeling better today and was able to go to work. And everything checked out for me at the hospital so I was able to continue with my auquafit class last night and life as usual. I wasn't really concerned but I had been having some pre-labour symptoms for 3 consecutive days which can also just be part of a normal pregnancy but I wanted to make sure I was doing everything I could do to keep Sweet Pea safe until she is more developed. As is she is almost 3 pounds so we are getting there.
Okay, today I say SHE because my HE (David) has been pushing buttons all day long and driving me crazy. I am ready to pack up our computer and DVD/VCR which would make blogging and checking my e-mail quite difficult. We are also using the internet a lot right now as we continue the search for our first home.
Sunday begins the 30th week of my pregnancy... my 106.5th week of being pregnant in the last 3 and a bit years... so if I am getting antsy a bit early you can try to imagine why. Usually when pregnant my day dreams consist of meeting and holding my precious new bundle of joy (and don't get me wrong... I am super excited for Sweet Pea's arrival) but I find lately my dreams consist more of fitting back into my blue jeans and staying that way for a while!

28 1/2 Weeks

This morning I went to the doctor for another pregnancy appointment. Everything continues to look great and we have an ultrasound scheduled for the end of the month. My next doctors appointment is the first week in February and then I start going every 2 weeks so time is going fast. Sweet Pea seems to be a real keener, he is already upside down... head low. The doctor says he will probably stay that way until birth. I speculated he was upside down from the movements I was feeling. Low feels more like arms then legs. I also went to the chiropractor but my back has not been as sore this time as it was last. I will probably go once more closer to when Sweet Pea arrives just so that everything is aligned for an easier birth. It is possible that the reason I ended up with a c-section with David was that my back was out and he could not move down properly so now I make sure as best I can that is not the case. Having done both I would definitely say that a natural birth is way easier to recover from then a c-section. Pre-Natal Aquafit starts back up again tonight after a 3 week break for Christmas. I will probably do another 6-7 weeks depending on how things continue to go. Especially with the sidewalks being covered in snow it is important for me to get some exercise, though it does look like we should see sidewalk soon. As we speak the pole shows one more vote for boy then girl which is why I've said "he" this post. The realestate agent at the showing we went to yesterday guessed that it is a boy as well. Not too much longer now before Sweet Pea arrives and we all find out. If you have not voted yet please do. I am posting an updated belly shot taken today as well.

Surprise Visit

Saturday night we got a surprise visit from my cousin Marie and her son Joseph. They were on the way to the Island and their flight to Nanaimo was cancelled because of the snow. Not a nice thing to have your flight cancelled but we were very glad that they could come spend the night with us. Originally we planned to visit while we were on the Island just after Christmas but with plans changing we didn't think we would get to see them so we were so thankful that we did. It was our first time meeting baby Joseph. Another first was David's first time holding a baby. Good training for when Sweet Pea arrives in March.

2 1/2 Years Old!

Yes, David is 2 1/2! The years are going by so quickly. Here are a few fun pictures of him playing in the cabinet last week. He has decided to make himself a little "house" in there. He loves making "houses." Even the last week he is talking more and more but that really took off in November. He says his name and will say the letters if you write them out on paper for him "D A V I D." Some of his latest words are "Kangaroo" and "Orange." He names many colour correctly... blue, green, red, pink, black, purple, yellow, orange and sometimes grey and brown. He has really enjoyed this Christmas "oh... PRESENTS!" and all the "treats" around. Chocolate is his favorite thing to eat whether it's chocolate cake, hot chocolate or the cheep chocolates from his advent calendar. He knows what he wants and has lately had us on the hunt for various toys he is missing and decides he needs. He will say "truck... where are you?" or "___ where are you?" And he has taken to sleeping with trucks and cars which can't be very comfortable but he insists... he even sometimes will cuddle with a book. This visit to the Island he said "Aunty" for the first time and calls all family by name whether it's "Oma, Opa, Nana, Papa, Gaddy (Grammy), Mommy, Daddy, Aunty, Jar (Jared), Gampa or Papa (Rob), Papa Brent or Gampa Brent, Gramma" etc... so cute!

What else can I say about our first born? He continues to be a delight as we continue to marvel at the new things he learns and comes up with everyday. Part of us will always wish he'd stay little but we look forward to watching him as he continues to grow. Love you David! Happy 1/2 Birthday!

27 weeks

Sweet Pea

Noah

David

What's so special about 27 weeks? Well for one it marks the beginning of the third and final trimester of pregnancy. Also it gives me a chance to compare belly shots from all 3 of my pregnancies because it just so happens we took 27 week pictures with David and Noah.

Sweet Pea now measures about 14 1/2 inches and weighs almost 2 lbs. The everlasting question remains... boy or girl?! Lately I have switched my thinking from girl to boy and Jonathan still insists "he" is a "she". We have added a survey to our blog so please let us know what your guess is. My next doctors appointment is at 28 1/2 weeks so I will likely give another update then but everything seems to be going well. If Sweet Pea is born at 37 weeks like Noah then we only have 10 more weeks to go. David was born in his 39th week so either way I am hoping and expecting to be a little bit early.

Trisomy Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QJF0Cs4f9s

Please click on this link if you would like to watch this video by NILMDTS featuring trisomy babies, including Noah about 1/2 way through.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas!

Noah's Stocking

I finished sewing Noah's Christmas stocking this evening and I put some of his things inside just to spend some time thinking about him. I'm glad we have some keepsakes... things to hold and touch that were his. Christmas is always a difficult time of year when you have lost a loved one. Though I don't have past Christmas memories with Noah I am sad that he isn't here to celebrate his first Christmas. Noah's name means "PEACE"... it is why we chose it for him and I've included the meaning of his name on his stocking because it fits so well for Christmas too. Wishing you were here Noah. We think of you and miss you all the time. David calls you "Oah" which is really cute. Your stocking will always be with the rest of our families because you will always be part of us. Love you.

Random December Pics

Here is the snowy backyard. I think this was actually before the latest snow arrived and I've heard there is more on the way tonight and tomorrow. It's definitely getting deep. David no longer enjoys playing in the snow. Partly because he doesn't like having his hands bound in mitts... he takes them off and then touches the snow which he doesn't like either because it is so cold. Jonathan and I have had a bit of fun trying to make him a snow fort which is in the above picture but it's camouflaged since everything is white.

Not sure which video game this is but it is one he gets to play at Canuck Place. This was taken at our Christmas dinner. Our grief support group for families who have lost children has been very helpful and we will continue to go when it starts back up in January. David likes going too and has really become fond of the lady who takes care of him while we are there.

Here are our ginger bread "men"... Daddy, David and Mommy. Made by Grammy... decorated by myself and David. David was actually more interested in eating the decorations but that didn't at all surprise me.

Santa and more Snow

Finally scanned the photo of David with Santa taken at the Canuck Place Christmas Party last weekend. He was so funny! As we were waiting for our turn I had to hold him by his pants to keep him from bugging in line. As soon as the boy in front of us was finished I let go and told David that it was his turn and he grabbed onto the door frame and froze. He didn't cry when he sat on Santa's lap but he refused to answer any of his questions. He still came out of the deal with a cool car so maybe he won't be so shy next time. I also added a few more pictures of David playing in the snow this morning.

Snow etc.

Here we are 25 weeks pregnant and all dressed up for Jonathan's work Christmas dinner/dance last night. It was a fun evening but we did leave at 11pm when we herd it was snowing. It took us an extra hour driving home because of the snow but it was a nice snowy drive with Christmas music.
This morning David and Daddy went outside to enjoy all the snow. David loved it so much he refused several times to come inside. Finally we bribed him with hot chocolate as we had to get going to our Neufeld Christmas lunch and he needed to warm up. Looking forward to playing more later this week?

And here is the war wounds of David from 4 days ago when he got into a fight with the dishwasher. I was most worried about his split lip but he is actually healing quite fast. It might not be completely gone for Christmas but I don't think it will leave much of a scar if any... of coarse only time will tell. So note to parents (and toddlers)... beware of dishwashers... they are meaner then they look.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

As of today Jonathan is more then half way to 50... we celebrated his 26th birthday all day long. I made breakfast sandwiches this morning and he opened some gifts. David made daddy a present this morning all by himself. (He pooped) and when Jonathan opened the diaper he started singing "Happy Birthday to you"... we both thought it was quite funny but maybe you had to be there. I surprised him with 1 hour massage at the spa (I got to go too... I needed to de-stress after the thought that Jonathan is getting old... j/k) then we came home and I helped Dad (Rob) make Jonathan a nice birthday dinner which we enjoyed with both sets of grandparents.
Last night I made the cake... chocolate turtle cheesecake. Good... but sticky and the pieces didn't come out nicely. Here is David "helping." I also made cupcakes for David so we have been busy!

Oh Christmas Tree

December 1st Jonathan and I went to Ikea to pick up our Christmas tree. We chose a very tall and full tree... there is always plenty of selection if you go early. December 2nd Jonathan and Dad (Rob) trimmed the tree and brought it inside. Later that evening we put the lights up and Angel on top. This morning We got around to decorating it. David put the first ornament on without any instruction but after one or two he decided it was easier to just lay them on top of the branches... still cute. Here are a few pictures of him decorating his first tree (we didn't get one last year).

Christmas Cookies

The other day Grandpa brought home some snow man cookies to bake with David.He waited... and waited... and waited.
Needless to say David's favorite part was when he finally got to taste one.

He said they were "delicious"... one of his newest words which he uses when he eats just about anything. He proclaims it with such enthusiasm... so cute!

David's Christmas Wish List

Updated December 15th,2008

Car road rug

Hot Wheels 48 Car Case

Play Cash Register

Roll of paper (to pain or colour on)

Large Colouring Book

Go Diego Go DVD's (he doesn't have any yet)

Backyardigans DVD's... he is only missing these 3 "Polka Palace Party", "Cave Party", and "Movers & Shakers"

Sleeping bag

Fun at the Park

Here is a slide show of David having fun at the park with Daddy. It was so cold that we had to go home after a while because David's little hands where frozen, but Mommy warmed them up with his first hot chocolate of the season.

Raclette

On Saturday we enjoyed our first raclette dinner of the season. We introduced our friends Tony and Christina to this traditional Swiss meal. It was our first time trying gruyere cheese and we quite enjoyed it. Natalie and David entertained each other for the most part so we were able to enjoy a nice adult sit down.

Sunday marked the beginning of my 22nd week of pregnancy. Sweet Pea weighs about 1lb and measures about 11 inches tall. I am really starting to notice a difference in how I am carrying this pregnancy... more to the sides and not as much out front. Between that, the added sickness in 1st trimester and the extra heart burn it is hard for me not to think that we are having a girl. BUT from talking to many mom's I know that a different pregnancy doesn't always indicate a different gender. Both Jonathan and myself would love another son as well as a daughter and we are committed to keeping it a surprise from everyone including ourselves. 5 more weeks until I start that final trimester. 4 weeks until Christmas!