Thankful Thursday - 52

This week I am grateful for:

1. Good food! My mom gave David and I some gift certificates for Famoso Italiano Pizzeria in Morgan Crossing. We used them up the other day, and were pleasantly surprised by the authentic Italian pizza!

2. Gorgeous weather. With the gorgeous weather comes lots of things! Afternoons spent on our patio, Sherlock rolling around in the mud, dinners with Oma, and Karen & Darcy invited us to utilize their pool/yard/BBQ while they were out one evening! Awesome way to spend our summer!

Sherlock was hot, so I sprayed him with the hose and he proceeded to turn around and roll in the dirt patch where we had JUST removed a plant from. Good one pup. 

3. An extra long weekend! We're heading up to Opa & Oma's cabin this afternoon to celebrate their 50th anniversary with the whole family! It's supposed to be 36 degrees today and we will be sleeping in a tent! Yikes!! 

The family on their actual anniversary date in May!

16 WEEKS (AVOCADO): Jul 17-23

16 Weeks (AVOCADO): 

Time to get another black tank top I think! This one is getting a LITTLE snug.

• The day I turned 16 weeks pregnant I was laying in bed and rolled over onto my side and felt a little nudge on the left side of my womb area. It could have been a gas bubble popping, but typically those don't happen in 1's! They say the first kicks can feel like a little nudge, or a bubble popping, which is why many people mistake it for gas. It was just one little bump and then nothing. It's like baby was readjusting after I turned over? I'm starting to think what I was feeling at 12 weeks was more-so just my organs moving around and my uterus growing, but who knows! In a few weeks I'll know for sure!! {*UPDATE as I wrote that at the beginning of the week* At 16 weeks, 6 days, David and I were sitting outside and I 100% felt baby moving in my left side. It was just a couple seconds, but I just put my hand on my belly and calmly said to Dave, "Oh! Baby!" and then it was over! Such a special feeling. I can't wait until it starts happening more frequently!!}
• Baby is now 4-5 inches long, and weighs in at 3-4 oz. 
• Baby has eyelashes already! David and I both have long eyelashes, so I bet our kids will too!
• Research says baby can officially hear my voice now! I try my best to keep things light :) They say if a song is sang/played for baby while it's in the womb, it will likely recognize that same song after it has been born! 
• I noticed the past couple days that my belly-button ring kept flipping upside down (like gem facing into belly-button instead of out). It's kind of uncomfortable when that happens, and I just figured I had to change rings. Then David and I were sitting on the couch, and I pulled my shirt up a little to check out the situation and I took out the ring and gasped! Since when is my belly-button so shallow?! I laughed about it for quite a while and showed David and my parents. It's not like... shallow shallow, but for me it definitely is! I have officially taken out my belly-button ring for the pregnancy. I'll put it in every week or two just to keep it open, but I will have to get used to this naked feeling now!
• I have noticed some nasal congestion, but nothing major. This is caused by the swelling of my mucus membranes in my sinuses due to increased blood flow. Just another beautiful side-effect of pregnancy...
• I haven't written about my nails lately, but they are still LONG AND STRONG! I am having so much fun with this!
• My breasts are sore again the last couple weeks.
• I can feel the top of my uterus (called the fundus) especially if I'm laying down. My uterus is roughly the size of a cantaloupe, and the top of it is about... 2-3" below my belly-button. This was confirmed at my midwife appointment that I have actually been feeling my uterus, and not some other organs or bloating. Haha!
• I had my midwife appointment on July 19 (16 weeks & 2 days). First thing I do is do my weigh-in. This confirmed that I have literally gained 0 lb since my first appointment. They went over my blood-work from previously, and Jan informed me that my iron and hemoglobin levels are very good, which means I must have a good diet! Nice to hear reassurance for that! (I have come to realize I need reassurance... a lot of it... in all things. Maybe words of affirmation should be higher on my love languages list!) Although I had to admit my diet since doing that blood-work has taken a hit... It's all cinnamon buns and cookies lately! Have to make sure I balance it out, and have some fruit to combat those sugar cravings instead of carbs and chocolate!
• At the appointment they also took my blood pressure, which read 96/60. This is pretty typical for me... low... It causes me to get more frequent head rushes than others, and feel light-headed. This is especially common in the first part of the 2nd trimester apparently. Nothing to worry about, just make sure I sit down when I get dizzy... duh!
• The best part about the midwife appointment (aside from the fact that David AND my mom were able to come) is that Jan let us hear the heart beat! It brings tears to my eyes every time! I meant  to record the sound this time, but totally forgot in the moment. Again... I need all the reassurance I can get! Baby's heart beat was found right away, and the rate was 152 BPM! Nice and strong and healthy. Next stop... gender ultrasound August 19!
• I still feel like I'm pretending. This isn't real. I feel like I stutter every time I tell someone I'm pregnant. I haven't quite figured out why this is yet. I feel like I'm living a dream? Someone else's life? Even when we get to hear the heart, or see it on an ultrasound, I feel like that's not all inside of me! We are BEYOND excited for this chapter, but it's hard for me to grasp the reality of it all. Does that make sense? It will come... Every week it's like "when this happens, then it'll feel real" or "after we hear heartbeat again then it'll feel real" or "once I feel movement it'll feel real" or "one more pregnancy test, that will confirm it's real" or "when I have to wear maternity pants the first time it will feel real". Right now my milestones are feeling frequent movement, and seeing baby on the ultrasound... THEN it will feel real! Haha. So bizarre.
  
  *For the record, maternity jeans were broken out on July 20... regular jeans just aren't cutting it anymore!*
• No nausea, however I still gag when I brush my teeth every single time. I also have a weird thing where I'll be enjoying my meal, and then as I get to the last couple bites, all of a sudden I can't swallow and I gag and very nearly vomit. When I say all of a sudden... I mean all of a sudden. And then once I get rid of the food (David usually runs over and takes it away) and have a sip of water, I am perfectly fine again. This most often happens for breakfast or lunch. 
• Whoa! These hormones I tell ya! In one day I had at least 4 separate melt-downs. One was because work got stressful (understandable), one was because I started thinking about baby (again... reasonable), one was because I was hot at home and then bumped my knee (hmmm...) and then the last one was at dog agility when Sherlock kept running off like a goof and not paying attention at the beginning of class (frustrating, but not normally meltdown worthy). How embarrassing! David couldn't even keep a straight face after the knee bonking one. 
• Craving this week: Apple juice. I had to send David out to the store to get me some apple juice. YUM! Nothing is better than a craving being satisfied :)

Wedding Fun!

July 16, 2016 is the day Christine & Taylor got married. Christine is David's cousin on his dad's side. Her and Taylor have been together for just over three and a half years and they got married on a perfect day last weekend. 

Their ceremony and reception were held at David's Uncle John & Aunty Janis' house/property in Abbotsford. What a perfect venue. Janis & John have the most amazing house, with acres of green all around. Absolutely stunning!

MANY of the aspects of the wedding were DIY and hand-made, which I love. It made everything have a personal touch and feel a little more special. 

The Kimber Family! 

{P.S. I went out to Winners with my mom before the wedding to find a dress, as some of my clothes don't fit so well anymore, and this was a great find! SO comfortable and soft, and stretchy and flow-y. And only $19.99! Steal! Also... this denim jacket... I've had it since Grade 12. Doesn't sound bad until you realize that was 7 years ago! Haha!}

The only obligatory selfie from the day... right as we got out of the car!

Like I said... house is stunning. This is their front driveway.

The reception tent was set up in the front yard

As you make your way towards the ceremony location in the back, you pass the gift table, guest book, and table assignments!

Daddy and I ;)

David's sister Allana, and her boyfriend Gabriel (lookin' sharp in his velour vest)

If it was a clearer day at that time, we would have an incredible view of Mt. Baker in the background of the ceremony. Unfortunately it was cloudy over there, but it did keep the temperature tolerable!

More DIY. These flower buckets lined the aisle. Everything about the wedding was so colourful and Pinterest-y. :)

Exchanging of the rings

The first kiss! (Framed by the father and mother of the bride)

David's sister Rachel was the maid of honor, and I gotta say, she looked beautiful!

Between the ceremony and reception, there were DIY games set up in the yard by the reception area, along with drinks and snacks. They know how to keep people happy! We played Scrabble, Ring-Toss, Ladder-Ball, Bocce... They also had Dominoes, Molkky(?) and Jenga!

Mmmm... Love IS sweet

Guests playing games, having drinks, and socializing while the bride and groom get their portrait photos done!

Super cute party favors! Test tubes of tea <3

The beautiful bride seemed like she was loving every second of the day!

Cheesecake, homemade pie and s'mores for dessert? Yes please!

Maid of Honor with her father! Sweet.

Flower toss!

Well... one of the three single cousins caught it!

Bright pink sunset to close off the evening. Just in time for camp-fires, s'mores, and dancing around the fountain!

Considering the wedding was all outdoors, and on such a big property, I'm amazed at all the details they (okay... Christine) focused on! It's all about the details.

This is where I spent the rest of my evening! Without my liquid courage I couldn't bring myself to bust my usual wedding moves. That's okay with me though! I enjoyed getting to know people and socializing around the fire!

Very very early stages of the dancing around the fountain. It continued well into the night, with more people joining and more rambunctious dancing!

Thank you Christine & Taylor for including us in your beautiful day! It truly was stunning and perfect. Wishing you all the best as you start this journey and make your new house a home! Also, enjoy your Honeymoon in the Mediterranean!! 

Thankful Thursday - 51

This week I am feeling COMPLETELY over-whelmed at work, but I still have to find things to be grateful for...

1. Puppies! The other day Mac brought some of the puppies from the litter at his house in to play. They were just tiny little fluff-balls! He brought three of the five over the course of the day. Nothing like puppy snuggles to speed up your work day on a Friday!

This guy was a trooper. His first time away from siblings and mommy, and trotted around the office like he owned the place! Nice to see that confidence. 

David was in the area after a shoot so even he got in on the action! holding a tiny black puppy in this photo.

This little fella was super sleepy and cuddly when we first got there, before becoming playful and running around!

2. Local places to walk. On Sunday, David and I took Sherlock out to Derby Reach for a walk and a swim. Let's be honest. Sherlock didn't care about playing with the other dogs in the off-leash. All he saw was water; he just wanted to swim! We threw the ball in the water for a bit, then set up the blanket in the field and played fetch for some bonus fun. I love that everything is so close, and if we try, we can always find somewhere special to take Sherlock (and ourselves). 

Action shot!

The beautiful... muddy Fraser River

3. Some Reassurance. I keep feeling like I'm pretending and this whole pregnancy thing isn't real! I had a midwife appointment this week and got to hear baby's little healthy heartbeat which was pretty special. Not enough though! Even after this I still find myself thinking it's all pretend, I'm going to wake up and it's all going to be a dream. I took the liberty of making a little side-by-side comparison of my belly photo from 7 weeks to 15 weeks. Staring at this for a good 15 minutes things started to feel a little more real... I noticed some of the changes in my body. No more denial that my body is changing! It's not just all the extra bagels and cinnamon buns I eat... There's a baby in there that's messing with my hormones and emotions and causing my body to grow all over! 

I guess it's official that my body is growing now eh! I've gone up a bra size, and am wearing maternity jeans from time to time now.

15 WEEKS (NAVEL ORANGE): Jul 10-16

15 Weeks (NAVEL ORANGE):

• I feel like things are progressing at a very high rate right now! It seems like not that long ago my uterus was the size of an orange! Now my baby is that size and that means my uterus is the size of a small melon!
• Baby is measuring at 4-4.5 inches or so and is looking more and more like a baby, and less like an alien! 
• Baby is practicing breathing, sucking, swallowing, moving around, and other reflexes that are required for after he/she comes into this world! Lots of time to practice still... (25 weeks left!)
• Baby is already peeing every 30 minutes or so. Just warming up I suppose! Getting those kidneys going!
• Apparently, even though baby's eyes are still fused shut, he/she can sense light. Websites say that if I were to shine a flashlight to my stomach, the baby would likely move away from the light. Interesting!
• Baby's taste buds are developed to the point that if they were able to consciously pay attention, they could distinguish different flavors! They recommend me trying lots of different foods starting around now, as apparently baby will have an easier time accepting new/different foods if their taste-buds are already primed (from the amniotic fluid). Huh!
• The three tiny bones in baby's ears are developing this week, which means baby can hear my voice now (or soon)! Well... he/she is hearing a lot of me talking to Sherlock, and laughing at Sherlock... At least they're happy noises! 
• It is estimated now that I will gain about 1 pound per week this trimester. Here we go!! I think our scale at home is a little unreliable, as sometimes it tells me I weigh exactly the same as I did before I got pregnant. I'll either weigh on someone else's scale, or just wait until my appointments at the midwife clinic. 
• They say some pregnant women can get darker patches of skin (particularly on their face and places that see the sun). I haven't noticed this much, and probably nobody else has noticed, but there is definitely a new freckle on my nose. I keep catching it out of my peripherals and thinking I have dirt on my nose or something! It's hard to get used to something new after I've lived with the same spots for 24 years! Haha. 
• My clothes seem to be fitting a little tighter this week. Even my leggings I wear for my weekly photos have started "digging into" my belly... That creates a minorly odd looking bump... A double-bump! I woke up on 15 weeks and 1 day with a bump! Normally I wake up with a flat stomach and look quite pregnant by the evening. Looks like there's no turning back now! Popping is officially beginning!
• Occasional "pregnancy pains". When you think pregnancy, you tend to forget about all the little aches and pains that go along with it. I've been getting little pangs and twinges around my abdomen, pelvis and nether regions the last couple weeks. I figured all round ligament pain. Did some research, and looks like it can just be called pregnancy pain! Lots going on in there! The uterus stretches, the baby grows, your organs are moving around, things are more sensitive... everything is changing! I never have bad pains. Just like a little twinge here and there. Noticeable, but nothing crippling or really to complain about. Just a reminder that there are things going on down there. 
• We were supposed to have a midwife appointment on Jul 13 (15 weeks + 3 days), so I took the afternoon off work. As I pulled into the parking lot before the appointment, I got a call from the clinic to reschedule my appointment. My midwife had some "sudden complication in her schedule" and she was no longer available today. I guess someone must have gone into labor... how dare they interfere with my appointment?!  {Haha!} I was disappointed because I was so excited to hear little baby's heartbeat and have some further peace of mind, but I guess now I have something to look forward to on Tuesday!
• I still find myself getting nervous! It's been 5 weeks since we heard the heartbeat, and 6 weeks since we saw our baby. I can't wait for reassurance this week. I find myself being concerned that I haven't gained weight, or that I feel like my belly hasn't grown since 12 weeks (which I'm sure it has...). I haven't had any adverse symptoms, so I'm sure everything is okay still... I'm just neurotic and anxious at the best of times!
• Our friend Amy is in her 3rd trimester, and we had dessert with her and Brent the other day. Near the start of the evening her baby got hiccups and she let me feel! Can't wait until I get to feel my little one have hiccups. I was giggling like an idiot. Thought it was so cool!