38 Weeks...

Wow 38 weeks already. I definitely look like I am about to pop! I can't quite say I am ready though, but when will I ever be fully ready! There is a lot of unknown that comes with having a baby! What kind of baby will he be? Will he be a peaceful baby or a colicky baby? But there is no point in thinking about it too much! I am just trying to be half prepared for anything!

Even my hospital bag is only half ready! I pack better under pressure anyway! The nursery is slowly coming along... still more laundry to do and lots of organization! Plus we need to buy a crib mattress and change pad! I do love not working, so far! I didn't think I would, I am a person who loves schedules but if there isn't one, I get so lazy and lethargic! But my last three weeks have been packed!

I had a wonderful shower thrown for me last friday, it was lots of fun! I was amazed at all the wonderful gifts I got! I sat down afterward and wrote out all the things we need now and was shocked at how small the list is!

How far along? 38 Weeks
Total weight gain: 37 lbs
Maternity clothes? Well in this picture I am wearing a non maternity outfit... but that is a very rare thing!
Stretch marks? They are starting to spread... oh no!
Sleep: Off and on... last night was so great... but that may have been since Ben was away and I had the whole bed to myself!
Best moment this week: Baby kicking none stop for 30 minutes... which is very rare for him to do! I think either he missed Daddy or he is really getting tired of being so squished!
Miss Anything? Working out! With all this time off I would love to just go for a long run!
Movement: Lots! enough said!
Food cravings: Cheeseburgers
Anything making you queasy or sick: not really
Gender: BOY!!!!
Labor Signs: Pelvis pain and increased braxton hicks!
Belly Button in or out? In... I dunno if it will ever pop...
Wedding rings on or off? Off... i hate it
Happy or Moody most of the time: Tired... but happy
Looking forward to: Coming home with baby

36 Weeks... Oh How Time Flies!

This post is a couple days late but I am still recovering! 3 Weeks and 3 Days is a long long time to be away. Not to mention 8 days away from Ben! But I am finally home, and I am loving it. Nesting is amazing and tiring but going through all the baby clothes was so much fun. 

Christmas was busy, but oh so much fun. Lots of late nights and laughs. We started off our vacation having a big party with our friends. It was so good to re-connect with many of them we haven't seen in a few years. 

Then family Christmas' started, back and forth, back and forth. There were many times where I imagined Baby T crawling in among the wrapping and his cousins helping him open all his gifts. I know next Christmas will be so different and I cannot wait! 

The Abrahams Family, just missing the Stewarts:<

The Timmermans Family

Then once Christmas was all over..... it was time to get ready for Amy's Wedding! It was such a fun weekend but exhausting! We stayed in a gorgeous suite at The Red River Rock Casino & Resort in Richmond which was perfect. The entire bridal part got ready there and it was a blast!

The wedding was so much fun and the groomsmen were such gentlemen when it came to helping us girls in our high heels! Taking pictures was quite chilly but from the few pictures I have seen the Photographer (James Lissimore Photography) it was worth being cold!

By the time I fell into bed at 3am I was ready for my own bed!

Me and my best friend, Amy, the Beautiful Bride!

The gorgeous heels the entire Bridal Party wore! 

The Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Vancouver they got married in. 

You can't tell we are cold can you!?

How far along? 36 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 34 lbs
Maternity clothes? I can't even fit some of my early maternity clothes!
Stretch marks? They are growing a little bit, but thankfully only on my hips! 
Sleep: Lots of tossing and turning but even my bladder doesn't always wake me up!
Best moment this week: My belly moving with Baby T's hiccups!
Miss Anything? The ability to walk normally!
Movement: Lots of pushing, not much kicking... sometimes punching!
Food cravings: Ice cream
Anything making you queasy or sick: Chicken Noodle Soup:< but only cuz I was sick on New Years
Gender: BOY!!!!
Labor Signs: Only my pelvis moving!
Belly Button in or out? Still in... but its getting really close to popping!
Wedding rings on or off? Off:< I really miss them!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Tired... but happy
Looking forward to: Finishing getting the nursery ready!

32 Weeks

Wow time flies! 32 weeks already. Two more months and Baby T will be here!!  3 more days of work and I am officially on my way to being a Stay At Home Mom! oh dear! I wonder how I will handle it. I have always loved working and the routine of it!

How far along? 32 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 29 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes!
Stretch marks? A wee bit
Sleep: Not so good
Best moment this week: Baby T kicking Ben in the face:)
Miss Anything? Wine and coffee whenever i want it
Movement: All the time:)
Food cravings: Cheeseburger
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really
Gender: BOY!!!!
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Still an Inny
Wedding rings on or off? Off... had to take another ring off too!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Pretty good but moody still
Looking forward to: Christmas time and being with family!!

Wow things change in 20 weeks!

Christmas Cheer

As Christmas is fast approaching I am increasingly more tired. Christmas is usually my favorite time of year but this year it is taking a bit for me to love love love it! It doesn't help that every time I am in a store I see Baby's First Christmas ornaments, cards, onesies and all types of other Christmas clothes for babies. It makes me want Baby T here NOW! But I remind myself each time that next year will be amazing with our little guy who will be close to a year old and will enjoy a lot of the Christmas Festivities even if he doesn't understand them yet.

I did decorate for Christmas but it took me 4 days! It was quite nice though to slowly put things up. Last night as I was finishing putting decorations on the tree, I had kept the blinds up and something caught the corner of my eye. I look out the window and found two Bunnies (hares) staring at me on our front yard! It was so funny but weird! I tried to grab a camera but they had moved onto the next yard already.


This year we will be Home For Christmas. Which is very exciting but it is also going to be very tiring for this 33 week pregnant gal! Ben and I are not really doing gifts this year, we both want really expensive items real bad so we are getting those instead and not doing much else! Maybe stockings:)

And I got to pick up my Christmas Gift already! And I love it!!! I got a lens for my DSLR!! A Cannon EF 50mm f1.4 USM!! It is amazing! But it is going to take a bit to get used to! I just learned how to shoot fully in Manual mode which makes working with this lens so much better! All the pictures, except the Morocco pictures, were taken with my new lens!

Still learning my new lens! Our new ornament this year.

Decorating with fresh snow outside!

Love our little tree even if it looks tiny in our big living room!

One of my favorite pictures of Ben & I from 2 years ago!

Our stockings... The middle stocking is my stocking from childhood, thought Baby T should be represented:)

Our first Christmas party happened last weekend with our Care Group! It was a lot of fun. Great food (amazing turkey made my Maylee) and fun games :)

Hmmm delicious Appetizers!

Carla & baby Tripp

The Gamers :) Andrew, Steph, Andy & Maylee!

Our Group! Just missing Wilson & Trudy!!

Tonight we will be heading to another Christmas Party! It is Ben's work party... we will see how that goes... haha his co-workers are fun! We are going to a Moroccan Restaurant which is ironic as I was in Morroco December of 2004 & December 2005! I am excited to see how good this places tajine & cous cous are! Probably not as good as Monam cooking us tajine in the streets of Essouira!

My first trip to Africa, eating tajine & cous cous ... in Essouira December 2004

Monam making us tajine in the street! (December 2005)

What's left of the tajine! (December 2005)

Kadesha made us Cous Cous a couple days later for Julie & Chases birthdays!! (December 2005)

Going through these old pictures makes me miss these days but also makes me so happy that I am in Canada for Christmas and have a family of almost 3! Wow life changes so fast, I will never forget the memories of my three Christmas abroad! Many stories to tell Baby T one day!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

29 Weeks (plus a couple days)

Well the busy-ness is almost over! I had an amazing time at Amy's stagette this past weekend. Things turned out great!

Now back to the grind and the countdown is on until we head home for Christmas! Only 22 days! Which is crazy!

I am ALMOST done my Christmas shopping! A lil online shopping, one trip to the store and I am practically done! Although I guess it helps that Ben and I aren't really doing gifts this year, which is really hard for me! I love gifts. But we both want major things and so we are each getting our big purchases:):)

We are going to take a chance too and buy Cirque de Soliel tickets for a show that is here in April... which will be our 3 year anniversary... but we will have a 2 month old... haha big chance, we have no idea what life will be like then! Anyone want to be put on a list to buy the tickets if all else fails!?

How far along? 29 Weeks 2 Days
Total weight gain/loss: 26 lbs!! Thankfully it plateaued for a bit!
Maternity clothes? Yes!
Stretch marks? Not really
Sleep: Horrible!! Tossing and turning back and forth!
Best moment this week: This morning I was eating breakfast and put my hand on my belly and Baby T kept kicking it! I would move my hand away and he would be still... then I would put my hand back on and wam!
Miss Anything? Wine... wished I could have had a glass with the girls at the Stagette!
Movement: All the time:)
Food cravings: hmm icecream... but i havent given in yet!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Only certain people's perfume! Especially a Realtor in our office, she wears this musk and boy that is not good for me!
Gender: BOY!!!!
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Inny! Sometimes it goes crooked when Baby T pushes up against it!
Wedding rings on or off? OFF!!! I bought fake ones though...
Happy or Moody most of the time: Quite good! Even though I feel like i am not sleeping well... I stay awake all day!
Looking forward to: Being done work so I don't have to drive in the snow anymore!!

Sometime I Feel Pregnant...

... and sometimes I really don't!

But today... i definitely feel pregnant... everything is hurting... a head cold is coming on, work is extremely stressful as I am trying to get the office ready for my departure and that stress is making my body do weird things on top of the pregnancy weird things. Then I start freaking out that the baby is not moving and something is wrong since my body is so bizarre!

I have even started really stressing out about things while trying to fall asleep that really don't matter and when I get up in the morning, I have already forgotten!

And the memory thing! Man am I unorganized... bye bye photographic memory... i enjoyed you while you lasted!

I have so much to look forward to though! The days are ticking by... 12 more weeks!

25 Weeks

I cannot believe it has been 25 weeks already... it is crazy to watch the weeks count down too!! We are at 15 weeks left and if feels like just yesterday that we had FINALLY hit 15 weeks!

I know the next 3 months are going to be a whirlwind and I am super excited! Almost all of the weekends until mid january are booked... Edmonton Trip, Banff Trip, Amy's Stagette, then Christmas which is 3 weeks  of family & friend filled days! Then I am on maternity leave!!

Baby T is kicking a lot recently, it still feels so odd to me! Half the time I think I am having indigestion and the other half the time I feel like I am squishing him with the way I am sitting!!

How far along? 25 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 19lbs, oy!
Maternity clothes? Yes, but this is not a maternity shirt either...
Stretch marks? i think i am getting little ones around my belly button!
Sleep: Not great
Best moment this week: Baby T kicking Ben in the nose when he was trying to hear his heartbeat!
Miss Anything? Subway Cold Cut Trio Sandwich... my go to lunch when I am too tired to pack one!
Movement: So much in the last day:) He likes to be up between 3am - 7am!
Food cravings: chocolate a lot and spinach dip:)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!
Have you started to show yet: definitely
Gender: BOY!!!!
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Still in 
Wedding rings on or off? On but I am getting nervous!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Pretty good actually! I think my body has FINALLY gotten used to creating its own energy and not relying on coffee!
Looking forward to: the busy next few weeks!!

As much as I want time to speed by... I am enjoying this time to take in all I can of life without children... cuz once he is here, there is no going back! I know I am going to miss working at an office, I know its lame but I just love tedious office work! Being unemployed for three months when Ben and I got married was horrible!

I haven't started my nesting yet... Ben hasn't finished the crib yet... so the nursery is kinda a mess which makes it easy for me to stay away.... for now!!

Also if you are reading this, please send out a prayer to little Taylor. She is just finishing a massive surgery right now to remove a Neuroblastoma tumor. They got the tumor which is a huge blessing! She has been doing good but they are not even close to out of the woods with this cancer as they still need to do more chemo! Her mom 's blog is http://lifeinthehallhousehold.blogspot.ca/ and her facebook group for prayer is https://www.facebook.com/PrayingForTaylor

God Bless to you all!

Getting Ready for Baby

the questions is.... When should I start nesting??

I thought I would last till the last few months, but our crib arrived last week and now I am starting to itch to nest! At least for now none of the furniture is ready...

The nursery looks like this....

The dresser is mostly sanded and almost ready to be painted....

And the change table is completely disassembled!

I also have a box of baby clothes I want to wash and hang... but i have stopped myself from buying hangers yet! oy oy...

so what is the answer? Should I wait until I start my maternity leave in January to really nest, or can I start now!?

23 Weeks

Oh man, i hate being sick. Especially pregnant! I went to the doctor today and they put me on antibiotics since its been a week and not getting better at all! I am back to work though, I can't take anymore time off:< 

I am posting 23 weeks but please don't look at the picture too closely! I look horrible! Everyone at work keeps telling me how horrible I look! 

How far along? 23 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 15 lbs gained! It keeps jumping all over the place!
Maternity clothes? Yes, but this is not a maternity shirt!
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Since being sick, horrible!
Best moment this week: Booking Amy's Stagette!
Miss Anything? Wine, especially during thanksgiving!
Movement: So much! Its so awesome!
Food cravings: chocolate, and random other things!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really
Have you started to show yet: yes
Gender: BOY!!!!
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: With being sick, quite moody, but not bad!
Looking forward to:  not being sick and feeling baby move more!

Thanksgiving with the Timmermans

Today I am home sick, so I thought I would blog! My blog has been quiet for the past few weeks because Ben & I hosted the Timmermans Family for Thanksgiving! There were 7 adults & 3 kids all sleeping under one roof for 3 days. It was a blast! Andrea, my sister in law, and I did a lot of pre-planning which involved, Turkey dinner recipes, meals, where pillows and blankets would come from etc! Lots of planning! And it went without a hitch!

Everyone arrived Friday evening. Mom & Dad Timmermans drove with Mark, Ben's lil bro, from Abbotsford and Ryan & Andrea, Ben's older bro & wife, drove with their three kids, Rachel, Kyla & Levi, from Edmonton. On saturday we headed out to The Calgary Zoo! We have been there with Ryan and Andrea and the kids twice before but this year was going to be extra special... as the new Penguin Exhibit was finally open! It was soooo cool! Definitely worth just going to the zoo for that! Although the three 4 month old baby Tigers were also amazing! We even got to watch them feed! Unfortunately I was so tired by that time I didn't get one picture of the Tigers! haha

Sunday was the day we celebrated Thanksgiving! Andrea & I, mostly Andrea, did the turkey. It was the first time for both of us! And if I do say so myself, it turned out AMAZING! Not too bad for beginners! It was also special that Ben's cousin Nicole was able to join us as she is living not too far from Calgary right now! It was my first time hosting not only a celebration like Thanksgiving but also dinner for more than 6 people!! And I have to admit it went practically seamless! I could have never done the entire weekend without Andrea! and it was nice to be able to host Mom & Dad Timmermans as they host the entire family twice a year!

Hanging out with Dad & Grandma

At the Zoo! Kyla was SO PROUD she found the King Penguin!

The girls were in awe of the penguins and could have stayed in there all day!

This poor little penguin sat alone and never moved. He was so little!

Uncle's are the best for... Swinging!

Levi's "I just woke up and why do you have a camera in my face" look:)

Rachel showing of her insane Wii bowling skills! Out of 12 rounds she usually got 7-8 strikes! Always won!! I think Ryan beat her once!

Thanksgiving Dinner! So delicious!

Ben carving his first turkey! He did a great job!

After Andrea & I slaved over dinner we decided the boys could clean! After many sighs from Ryan & Mark, they conceded and started helping Ben! 

Kyla & Rachel being treated to Mani/Pedi's at the Timmermans Spa. 

Levi had already taken his first steps before coming to our house but everyone got to watch him take a full 4 steps at our house! He was so proud of himself!

The weekend was a huge success and we had so much fun!

Halfway...

Phew... halfway, when did that happen!!! 20 more weeks! I wish I could just sleep for the next 20 weeks and not do a thing. But I don't think that will happen!

So here goes nothing...

How far along? 20 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 15lbs gained! Oh dear!
Maternity clothes? Mostly, but trying very hard to wear as many of my own clothes as possible!
Stretch marks? I almost thought I saw some and freaked out! So I gave in and bought Bio Oil!
Sleep: The last few nights have been HORRIBLE!!! My arms keep falling asleep on me and waking me up!
Best moment this week: Getting KV Bijou jewelery from Ben:):)
Miss Anything? Wine, coffee, caffeine, working out (i feel way to gross)
Movement: not yet, I think i am too busy to notice!
Food cravings: hmmm i just eat whatever I can... i can't believe how much I can fit inside me now!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing particularly, more just feeling queasy gross in general!
Have you started to show yet: umm quite a bit!
Gender: BOY!!!!
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In, i dunno if it will ever be out! it goes way in there!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Been quite moody this week, poor Ben
Looking forward to:  Thanksgiving with the Family!!

I would love to write more... but I am truly exhausted and I really need to do laundry and make dinner... oy:<

Fall love

the biggest thing i have noticed about being pregnant is the tiredness. although when i really think about it, i used to rely on coffee daily to keep my energy up. so i am tired person anyway! i have finally been able to kick the coffee habit, yay! i have turned my attentions to a wee bit of black tea a day. perfect timing too with the fall leaves showing off their colors all over the city.

i absolutely love love love fall. i hated it until i was 18 and experienced my first fall in Scotland, then i fell head over heels in love with it. sipping black tea, munching digestive cookies (the chocolate asda ones of course) and trying to keep warm in the chilly stanely house. fall was the time we did our 100km hike in scotland as well. trekking through the scottish and english country side really gave me an appreciation for God's creation. i never liked paying attention to  nature but every since that season of life in scotland i am in constant awe of God's nature.  

Scotland near the beginning of our hike

Me looking very young, we are almost to the border of England! 

My favorite street... with Stanely House in the back ground!

moving to calgary has opened up my eyes even more... there is so much MORE color here. its amazing! last fall when i finally had a camera that was working i got these shots...

Memorial Drive NW... so beautiful

Love love love

Anyway that is enough of my fall love!
bye bye for next time

Baby T is a. . . .

That's right!!! We are having a boy!!! Ben and I had our 19 week ultrasound yesterday! We got to see everything! The babies heart, umbilical cord, bladder... etc. Everything looks good!! Which is such a blessing:) I was trying very hard not to get my hopes up about finding out what gender Baby T is but it was hard:) After a bit of measuring the heart and other things the technician asked if we wanted to know the gender!! We said "Yes!!" so she showed us Baby T's private parts... so exciting!!

Everyone I know is having a boy! Its so crazy!! But hey, it will be a sweet boys club!!

I would have loved to have a girl but really, I love that we will have a boy as the oldest!! I will miss not buying the dresses and doing a girls hair but that will hopefully come one day!!

For now I can get ready for rowdy:):) which I don't mind at all (maybe I will one day). Ben and I are very excited! We only found out yesterday and I have already gone to 3 stores for boy clothes... hehe

My Baby Stuff!!!

19 Week Love for Baby T

19 Weeks today too!! Almost halfway!! I wish it would go faster!!