12 WEEKS (LARGE PLUM): Jun 19-25

12 Weeks (LARGE PLUM):

I sort of feel like I'm pushing it out... If I flexed a little or tightened my core things wouldn't look so bumpy. For these photos I try to relax though. I think now that my "weeks" start on Sundays, we should try move to morning pictures. I guarantee my bump will be almost non-existent! It's very different from morning to night, after I've had all day to eat and drink! I can't wait until it's big and solid!

• That's right... not just ANY plum... a LARGE plum! Baby is 2.5 inches long now (crown to rump, so this does not include his/her little legs). 
• Baby is almost fully formed, and will take the next 28 weeks to mature.
• Baby's bone marrow has already started producing white blood cells!
• 11 weeks felt like a short one... because it was! Since my due date got moved up, my "new week" moved from Tuesdays to Sunday, cutting 11 weeks short by two days!
• A common symptom in this week is "dizzy spells". I have definitely noticed an increase in head-rushes every single time I stand up. This is due to my expanding circulatory system not having enough blood to fill it. This causes low blood pressure and light-headedness. I already have low blood pressure to begin with, so I have to be extra careful. 
• Nearing the end of first trimester and I can't wait for my energy to return! We had a busy weekend with Janine's wedding, so I'm feeling a little extra fatigued as I hit 12 weeks. I think I'm rounding the corner as the week goes on though! I went all day Monday without a nap! This is a big deal...
• I've been noticing my sense of smell is much more sensitive than it was pre-pregnancy. For example, my parents watched Sherlock one evening for us, and when we picked him up I stayed in the car and David brought him out to me. All I could smell was the fact that Mom & Dad had Pho for dinner! I was being greeted by our smelly pup, but all I could smell on him was Pho. 
• Maybe it was the wedding and the fatigue that went along with it, but I started this week out feeling a little extra emotional. I may have cried rather dramatically at the ending of Cool Runnings... I also may have started crying before the ending because I was thinking about it. Such a great story!
• Baby brain? There are things that come out of my mouth at times, and I just don't know where they come from. I frequently severely embarrass myself by either sounding rude, crude, crass, inappropriate, or just daft. Things sound okay in my head, and then I blurt them out, and it is not the same. Is this a symptom of baby brain? I wonder if I can't think of the words I intend to use, so something else comes out instead? Anyway, I apologize to anyone if I have unintentionally offended you! Haha I mean no harm!.
• Contemplating purchasing a Fetal Doppler. This would allow us to listen to baby's heartbeat at home. It could become a nightly ritual before we go to bed, or a weekly ritual on Sunday's when we enter new weeks. Since I can't feel the baby yet, and don't have many symptoms, I wonder if it will help it to feel more real, and help the bonding time with baby? 
• Starting to think about some of the big purchases that are coming up (stroller, new car, car seats, crib, etc). Thank goodness I've been saving for years to have a baby! Going to be an expensive life from hereon in!
• Many people have been commenting on my "baby bump", particularly when I was wearing a tight dress at Janine's wedding. I appreciate all the compliments on my "cute little round belly", however I'm still fairly convinced it's mostly pasta and bagels. Haha! At least my food baby is cute and round? I can't wait for the day I "pop" and my belly becomes a little more solid and I can feel confident that it is in fact baby belly and not carb belly. For now though, I'll take the compliments! Might as well rock this food baby! It's the only time in life people will comment positively on it!
• Is it possible to feel the baby move at this point? At 12 weeks & 4 days, I felt a strange feeling in my uterus. It was like a... poking... or almost scraping(?). Scraping doesn't feel like the right word, but it felt like a moving poking... I don't know. It definitely wasn't gas, but it also could have just been my uterus stretching. It was localized though, it didn't feel like other stretching cramps. I would describe it as a mini punching or pinching or rolling? It was like there was a fingertip inside my pelvis moving around like tickling almost...It only lasted 10 or 20 seconds or so, but I wonder... It's still pretty early to feel the baby move, but I suppose it's possible? I'll know for sure in some weeks when I really start feeling it!
  *Update, I felt it once or twice for a brief moment later on in the week as well*
• Someone told me I look "happy". I wonder if this could be my pregnancy glow, caused by increased blood volume, or if I was just smiley that day!
• I went bra shopping and bought two new bras. Not very exciting, until I tell you they were a bigger size than I've ever bought for myself! YAY! It's finally happening! Haha

Not to be outdone, here's our first born enjoying the photo-shoot from the sidelines! Love him!

Here's a little comparison of 6 weeks to 12 weeks of my "belly" I guess you can see the change here... My boobs and belly are definitely more "fatty" and round than before. It's hard to notice the progress when I see me every day. Also I look super tired in the second photo... but that was the day after the wedding so I was feeling a little haggard! Final disclaimer... second photo looks quite a bit larger, but I think it's a little closer up. I couldn't figure out the cropping in the internet program I used to put the two together (not that I tried very hard)!

Thankful Thursday - 48

Life has been smooth sailing lately for us for the most part, and there is lots to be thankful for!

1. Getting my energy back. As I round the corner towards second trimester, I have stopped taking multiple naps during the day (yay!). I forgot how productive it is possible to be, and how much time is left in the day after I get home from work! When I was suffering from the fatigue, I thought, "Surely I'm just being lazy. This is ridiculous." Now that I feel almost normal again I'm thinking that the fatigue was for real... I wasn't being lazy... that wasn't fun. I wouldn't choose that! It feels great to be able to come home and walk the dog instead of passing out on the couch for an hour. 

David surprised me with some of my favorite flowers the other day. Is this a "thank you for not making me do ALL the housework anymore and sleeping all the time?"

2. Oma meals and visits. This is definitely a repeat, but I will continue to be grateful for these times! Oma had us over for dinner this week and she made a crowd favorite! Meatballs with gravy, mashed potatoes, red cabbage (love), green beans, PICKLES, soup to start, and applesauce. Seriously. If this isn't the best home-cooked food ever I don't know what is! We definitely have to visit with Oma more often.

We're all ogling Oma's meatballs & gravy fresh from the oven. Salivating again thinking about it!

I ate a lot of food... Everyone was shocked (and maybe a little impressed?) at how much I packed into my stomach. I kept re-filling my plate before it was empty. Had to capitalize on the delicious food while I could!

3. Quirks. Sherlock... he is so tolerant. Putting up with all my torturous photos. Look at how cute he is though!

Prince Sherly. Looking super uncomfortable with having this paper crown on his head. Poor pup! Haha... Don't worry Sherlock, in 6 months you'll be WISHING I had time to torture you like this!

Janine's Wedding Festivities!

This past weekend was Janine & Neil's wedding and everything that went along with it! I was honored to be there and to witness the union. Everything was absolutely gorgeous/exquisite!

Here's a little photo summary of the events!

Thursday, June 16: Mendhi

Janine was getting her Bridal Henna done at the apartment they rented in Vancouver. She invited her mom, a couple friends, and myself to join. The other girls couldn't make it, so it was just Janine, Pam and I. Neil's parents also came by for a bit, so I got to meet them before the wedding too! I had never gotten henna done before, and I'm always eager to try something new so I was excited. Janine got it all over the fronts and backs of both hands, as well as the tops of her feet. It was beautifully done. The artist is clearly very talented! While we waited for our henna to dry we gingerly ate bagels, candy, and chatted the afternoon away! So so nice to catch up and hang out before the craziness of the wedding. It had been a LONG time. 

Isn't this incredible?!

Gorgeous bride-to-be

So much focus for the detail-work

View from their beautiful condo in Coal Harbour

I got a MUCH simpler pattern done on my hands!

View from the balcony. We were right close to the Harbor Air, so we could see float plans taking off and landing out the window.

After our henna was done, I texted my brother Jeff and it turns out he was in the area, so we met up at Tap & Barrell for a quick bite to eat before I drove home. No better way to skip rush-hour I'd say!

Friday, June 17: Sangeet

I took Friday (as well as Thursday) as vacation days from work, as I didn't really know what to expect for the wedding back when I had to book my vacation. Friday morning David and I were both off, and we knew his sister, Allana, was running in the Dog Agility Regionals in Langley. We zipped out there for a couple hours to watch her and some other friends run their dogs. News-flash, Allana & Fynn qualified for Nationals and they'll be going to Montreal to run with the country's best in August! Amazing!

After this, we were headed home and started getting ready for the Sangeet in the evening! Sangeet is like the pre-party for the wedding. It was another beautiful event with delicious food! I like the idea of having a gathering the night before the wedding, as we got to meet many of Janine & Neil's friends and then hang out again the next day! Janine talks about her close friends a lot, so it was nice to be able to put faces to names for those I hadn't met before. It was also nice to introduce myself and have people say, "Oh!! YOU'RE RENEE! I've heard so much about you!" Haha... okay! Awesome! :)

Getting our sun-burn on at agility. You can't tell here, but Sherlock was chattering and whining rather significantly out of excitement at this point.

My henna was looking good on day 2!

Shameless car selfie

Excited to get the party started! Michelle lent me some Indian clothes to wear to Sangeet and the wedding ceremony. This was a comfortable, and more casual outfit of pink and gold!

I almost died when I walked in and saw all the sparkles! I need those table-cloths in my life. I wanted to steal them and wear them the next day to the wedding. I NEED TO KNOW WHERE THEY COME FROM! I just want my whole house draped in sparkles. This is a new revelation for me... I never knew I was quite so excited by shiny things.

Beautiful dessert table put together by Une Petite Gaterie (Michelle & Monica's dessert table business)

My first ever non-alcoholic beer. I also had to go find the table with the most sparkly table-cloth to sit at...

Oh the food... I gotta say, I've been craving Indian food since I found out I was pregnant. This did NOT disappoint! It was all so delicious. I'm drooling again just thinking about it! Servers came around with appetizers while everyone socialized, and then dinner was served later in the evening. Janine and Neil know how to keep their guests happy! Open bar and constant food! 

It was (unfortunately) dark by the time we got the bride & groom for a photo op, but we were happy to have some photo evidence that we were there anyway! 

Janine looked stunning in her saree (is that spelled right? is that even the right word?... I'm so un-cultured...).

I suppose Neil looked alright too, but check out those colours on Janine's outfit! Gorgeous!

Aww... I miss the "Janee" days.

Saturday, June 18: Wedding Day!

It was an early start to get ready for the wedding day, and I zipped out to Michelle's so she could help me tie my saree in the morning before getting ready. We were off to the New West Quay for the ceremony to start at 10:30 or so. It was a very pleasant surprise to find there was a breakfast and coffee bar set up in the ceremony! Is this an Indian tradition? If so... it should become an EVERYONE tradition! This was especially welcome as the ceremony started late, but nobody seemed to notice. We were all happy socializing and munching away on the surprise goodies!

The wedding ceremony was a traditional Hindu ceremony, and it was quite the spectacle. I loved every second. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face! I'm sure some people who are used to these sorts of cultural events weren't so excited, but I couldn't get enough of the bright colours, sparkles, new traditions, and seeing how happy the bride & groom were/are!

Not to mention the fact that the groom rode to the ceremony down the docks at the quay on a HORSE! How cool is that?

After the ceremony, everyone went their separate ways until the cocktail hour at 7pm. There was time to kill, so we went out to lunch with Crystal, Kelly, Robin & Jordan at the Paddlewheeler Pub. From here we went back to their hotel room where Robin, Crystal and I huddled in the bed and I took a little power nap before getting dressed for the reception. 

The wedding reception was a more classic Canadian reception. It had cocktails, appetizers, Scotch bar, and Italian food! The bride wore a white wedding dress (obviously it was just perfect), there were speeches, first dances, and a special performance from a break-dancing group! How fun! I had originally intended on being rather intoxicated this evening, but as you all know my plans had to change! I was stone sober which was a first for me at a wedding! There's a first for everything right! 

I was more and more grateful as the evening went on that Janine and I could spend time together on the Thursday, as it was near impossible to get a second with her at the reception. There were many friends she (and Neil) hadn't seen in a long time, and it was just so fun seeing everyone have a blast dancing, drinking and visiting! I could go on and on about how wonderful this day was, but I figure you get the point. On to the pictures!

Just beautiful. I wish I could have gotten married with a set up like that!

Someone was smart (and kind) enough to print out programs for all the guests to be able to follow along with the ceremony and the traditions. I'm a dork, so I really enjoyed following step by step and actually understanding what was happening and what the meaning behind each symbol was. 

Naturally I got an aisle seat next to the most sparkly table runner ever.

Look at that handsome guy all dressed up!

Here comes the groom! His "side" of the room went outside to sing and dance him in, while the bride's guests watched (enthralled) from the window! It is a shame it was pouring rain, but everyone was great sports about it!

Check. Out. That. Dress! Janine looked (obviously) incredible as she was walked down the aisle by her brothers. My crappy iPhone pictures just don't do it justice!

They would rent a Rolls Royce!

Robin, Crystal and I decked out in our Indian outfits! I wish I could wear such beautiful clothing every day. I haven't felt so pretty in a long time! (Also... it was sparkly. I'm sensing a theme here)

Aaaaand a costume change into a "normal" dress for the reception!

I love the thought and attention put into all the details making everything look perfect.

My virgin vodka cran (AKA 7-up and cranberry juice with a lime)... Michelle & I wanted to feel like we were participating!

And in our regular clothes again! My dress is not very forgiving and you can totally see my bump. I'm convinced by this time of day it's chicken strips. bagels and pizza showing, but I got lots of comments from people who knew saying it looked cute... Might as well rock it!

A dream team photo with the bride!

All the work girls!

A less-than-flattering photo of me, but anyone standing next to Janine at this point is going to look like a slob! 

I love my J9, and was so happy to be a part of this day to celebrate Janine & Neil's wedding. They are a beautiful couple, and their love for each other is undeniable. 

11 WEEKS (LIME): Jun 12-18

11 Weeks (LIME):

I feel like my bump is at a stand-still. I haven't really gained any weight, but I guess all this extra food is going straight to my belly!

• Well... It turns out I'm a little farther along than I thought I was! I thought I was going to be 11 weeks on Tuesday, June 14. It would seem that occurred on Sunday, June 12! That means my due date got moved up... TO JANUARY 1ST! WHAT?! At least (as statistics show) most first babies come a little later than the due date... Keep baking in there little one! 
• My baby is already 2" long! That's doubled in the last two weeks!
• I had my physical (re)scheduled with my midwife for June 14, which is where we got the results from our ultrasound last week! It included a pap, a lesson on breast exams, and she went over all my blood work results as well. Everything looks great, and baby is super healthy and lively!
• We got to hear the heartbeat loud and clear this time. Baby didn't run off! He/she seems to be chilling on the left side of my uterus lately; at the ultrasound too! The heart rate was about 160 BPM, which is great according to Trang (our midwife). 
• I LOVE this midwife clinic... They are so calm and informative (Thank you Brent & Amy for recommending we check them out!). They even let David come into the room for the whole appointment (pap and all). If he wanted to, they would have let him see everything. They're all about educational opportunities. He opted to stay by my head for this one. Can't say I blame him... it's a little scary down there with all the tools! They warned me after the pap there is a risk of spotting, but it is nothing to worry about. (*Update - I did not bleed at all after my pap! One of the lucky ones perhaps?*)
  
  
  The waiting room/community-group room. This is where our prenatal classes will take place.
   
  
• My Weight: 122.8lb according to Clinic Scale. This means I've lost (slash haven't gained any) weight... All bloat I tell ya! I guess this baby's 1/3 oz. weight isn't adding to my poundage yet ;). 
• I have had never-ending hunger. I eat a full plate of food and still feel like my stomach is going to growl! This makes me surprised I haven't started packing on the pounds yet. I guess my body is working hard enough to burn the extra calories. 
• I've been super exhausted, but according to my What to Expect app, my body is working harder right now at rest than my non-pregnant body did on the run! I slept 8 hours one night, and took two 45 minute naps the next day, and got 10 hours of sleep the next night and was still tired! I also got exercise in there, so it's not lethargy. The below picture pretty much sums it up!

• Oh this is so sweet... My baby has the hiccups already! Or is capable of having them.
• The skin on my belly is starting to get dry. I keep using my coconut butter lotion/oil. My breasts are itchy at times (likely due to growing!) and I guess this will be the start of an itchy stomach as my skin starts to stretch as well. 
• I really noticed the veins starting to show on my stomach at 11 weeks 2 days before I got in the shower. If I pull my skin taught I can see it up the sides of my hips and onto the front of my stomach, creeping towards my belly-button. It's kind of gross and unattractive, but I'm proud of them! It will eventually turn into blue vein road-map belly and breasts. I think it's cool! (Although I always loved biology and thought the human body was pretty incredible anyway). 

Sherlock always has to get in on the photo-shoot action. Every time he follows us upstairs and hangs out while we take pictures. He is so photogenic... puts me to shame! Haha