Possible complications

I went for my routine doctors visit where my doctor had finally received the report from my ultrasound. The baby appears to be healthy but there was a small problem that requires me to go in for a follow up ultrasound. It appears my placenta is laying too low in my uterus partially blocking my cervix. She said not to be alarmed as in most cases the further along you get in your pregnancy it tends to move upwards with the growth of your uterus. But if it is still laying low and obstructing the birth canal I may have to have the baby by cesarean.

So now we wait for the hospital to call us with our next ultrasound appointment to see what the scoop is. I could be scared or concerned about this, but I'm actually handling it pretty well. The way I see it, if your going to have to have a c-section it would be far better to be prepared for it well in advance then after 10 hours of failed labour, while your baby is going into distress. I'm sure all will be well, the chances of having Placenta previa (also known as low lying placenta) are pretty slim. Worst case scenario, I do have it and need to take my Mat leave a bit early as there is a risk for your placenta to tear from your uterus and cause hemorrhage.

On a more cheerful note, this coming Tuesday (only a few days now:)) Chris and I will be doing our 3d ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby, I will need to make a 45 minute CD of music to accompany the DVD of baby, I'm really hoping the baby will cooperate so I can get as many pictures as possible!!!. The receptionist said depending on the baby you can get anywhere from 20-100 images :). I'm hoping for at least 75!! that way baby can have an entire scrapbook dedicated to its fetal moments.

While in Halifax we are also hoping to pick up a used rocking chair we found online that I'm planning on reupholstering for the baby's room when we redecorate it!. Last but not least a trip to Babies-R-Us the next day to maybe buy one of the baby items still on our list~then the long drive home!. The dogs will be able to join us for some of the fun and will be staying at puppy daycare for a few hours while we run our errands. It should be a busy but fun weekend for the whole family.

The eye of the Tiger!!!

So in the mail today my sister was thoughtful enough to send me a Chinese new year card with best wishes for the year of the Tiger. It took me a few hours later to realise OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YEAH!!!! ~this will be the babies Chinese Zodiac, let us take a gander at what the world of Astrology predicts about my future offspring given the expected due date of May 11th.

Chinese Zodiac:

"Born leader" is the key word for the Tigers. They are always in the lead and are most likely the ones to cry out "Let's Go"! Noble and Fearless, Tigers are respected for their courage, even from those working against them.

Tiger people are daring fighters, they are capable of standing up to the better end for what they think is right. Although they could be selfish from time to time in the little things, they are capable of great generosity.

Tigers are unpredictable, always tense. and like to be in a hurry. Tiger people are difficult to resist, for they are magnetic characters and their natural air of authority confers a certain prestige on them.

They are tempestuous yet calm, warm-hearted yet fearsome, courageous in the face of danger yet yielding and soft in mysterious, unexpected places. Tigers are very confident, perhaps too confident sometimes.

Although they love adventures, and are addicted to excitement it is better not to challenge a Tiger's confidence. They likes being obeyed and not the other way around. Because Tigers are urgent people and always in a hurry to get things done right, they usually choose to operate alone. Tigers like to work, they are hard-working and dynamic. If you assign a task to a Tiger, the job will be undertaken and accomplished with enthusiasm and efficiency.

Tigers make money, but they are not directly interested in money. Still, the Tiger needs not worry about money: just when they fear the money is gone, more seems to show up. Tigers are sensitive, emotional. They are capable of great love, but they become too intense about it. They are also territorial and possessive, if you are a friend of a Tiger, they want you to take their side against the bad guys and because the Tiger is so adorable, you often do.

As lovers, Tigers are passionate and romantic, but the real challenge for the Tiger is to grasp the true meaning of moderation.

Regular Zodiac:

First things first! A Taurus child does what he likes to do and pushing him against his will gets you nowhere. Every time you try to make him do something he doesn't want to, he will adopt the same stance a bull has when it doesn't wants to move. Push him a little and you hear that loud grunting noise that further marks his displeasure. Apart from his stubborn attitude, a Taurean baby mostly has totally delightful personality traits. He always looks so chubby and so adorable and wants lots of affection. The more you hug him, the happier he will be.

In return, he will also give you lots of hugs and kisses. In fact, he is very affectionate as well as demonstrative in case of people he trusts. A Taurean boy is always his mum's favorite and a Taurean girl is always her daddy's dearest. The boy will be totally masculine, while the girl will be totally feminine. Some of the Taurus girls may turn out to be tomboys. However, they will still have all the charms of a female to call upon whenever they want. A Taurus child often comes across as more capable and proficient than the other children.

He is also much more emotionally secure than them, without showing even the slightest traces of impulsiveness. He may become a little hesitant and negative at times, but will be free from most of the usual growing up tantrums. A Taurus baby is quite calm, cheerful and will maintain his composure till he is pushed to the limits against his will. There is nothing unpredictable about his behavior. In fact, he is more mature than almost all the other children. He enjoys company, but will become uncomfortable if he is made the center of attention.

Vices like rudeness, attitude and insolence do not match with his characteristics profile. However, don't force anything on a Taurus child. He hates being bullied into something. Shouting or yelling will get you nowhere. Just show some genuine love and affection and he will easily follow what he was vigorously denying only few minutes back. Taurus children respond to common sense and logic. They want the straightforward and exact truth. Only practical and reasonable explanations can move them.

Soothing colors and sounds always have a positive effect on a Taurean child. He is also likely to be interested in creative arts - like painting. He will be very sincere in his studies, good at memorizing, have excellent concentration powers and be extremely hard working. He does not have a rebellious nature and will dutifully adhere to whatever you say, as long as your tone is sweet not scathing. A Taurus baby may take a little more time to learn the facts, but has a very sharp memory and will remember the details throughout his life.

If you have a May-born child, accept the fact that you cannot order him. It is the best to soften his heart by love. Pushing him will make him dig his heels in the ground and you will get nothing done. Both Taurus boys and Taurus girls are very dedicated to their loved ones and will go to any extent to help them. All they need is a cozy, comfortable home, where they are nurtured with love and care. Surround them with positive people and positive environment and they will help you in being contented and at peace with yourself one day!

Extra Extra read all about it......

This just in!!! doing everything for your child does not help them in the long run!!!. REALLY? who would have thought? oh no wait.....that's right! ~every other f*cking generation of parents pre-baby boomers.

hyper parents coddled kids

In related news.....spanking~ not such a bad thing after all??

spanks allot

things keep moving....

So this week is the last week of my second trimester, as of next Tuesday I'm officially in my third trimester. Baking babies isn't such a time consuming process after all, especially when it still seems like you have so much to buy/ do and prepare for. As you can see from the first picture I'm noticeably pregnant at this point, lots of people asking my due date. My only real complaint is I can't crouch for any length of time before my legs feel like they are going to fall off, and now when you get down on the floor its allot harder to get back up. The bump may not be large at this point but your stomach has no flexibility left, its like having a ball tied to your waist you can only bend forward so far.

Today we picked up our crib from the Sears outlet center, its a much heftier model than what is available locally, defiantly better than the thin cheap ones available at Zellers and Walmart. I have to doubt the safety of something if you give it a quick shake and the whole unit is swaying and rattling. This thing looks much more solid and its one of the 4-in-1 cribs so I can turn it into a toddler and double bed later with the rail expansion. We may just leave it as a crib though for potential future babies...should we decide we want them after number one.

Chris and I have done a bit of baby shopping this week, were trying not to get too much clothing until after the 3d ultrasound, just a few onesies and outfits that can be unisex. Although I found the cutest track suit that I decided we needed to get for the baby when we go to Crab fest this year! (seeing as crab fest is the only yearly tradition we currently have). Come on a smiling Pirate Lobster...how cute is that?. We have picked up some bottles, diaper covers, sleepers, baby toiletries a single package of newborn disposables as I hear babies have gross black tar poop on their first week or so and I don't want to ruin the cloth ones, seeing as the whole point is to be able to reuse them over and over.

I never thought a diaper of all things could be cute, but the newborn diapers are so tiny its pretty cute to think a whole little torso and bum will fit into them. Here is the diaper in comparison to a tissue. I think it may even be too small for Foxy my three lb Pomeranian.

The public health nurse phoned me and gave me some information on the prenatal course they were offering, we will go on March 9th and also pick up additional information on the hospital tours and the contact info for the lactation consultant. Maybe she can show me how to use my breast pump.....which I still need to buy. We did pick one up last week but we returned it the following day as the online reviews for it were crap. I think we may just have to suck it up (hahah pardon the pun) and get the Medela brand, which of course is in the top price range, but also has tons of good customer reviews online. I guess you gotta pay for quality.

I have had two dreams lately about the babies sex, one dream I was doing a series of urine color tests and the majority came back pink. Then last night I dreamed we were at our ultrasound and the baby was indeed a girl. So we will see if my dreams have any prophetic powers of determination or if my earlier gut feeling for a boy was correct. Only two more weeks until the puzzle is solved and I can start to gather either more Dragon paraphernalia or go to Winners and stock up on all the cute little 'Jackie Kennedy' 1950's style baby dresses. Oh that's right if were going girl were going hardcore!!!

The babies movement has been a bit more violent as of late, instead of getting a few gentle nudges I'm getting two and three punch combos, I swear I even felt a round house kick in there. I can see my stomach twitch and pop under the kicks now which is not as gross as I thought it would be, in fact its kind of cool. It shouldn't be too much longer until I can start to get some good video footage of the movements taking place. By the end of this month we should know if its a boy or girl and then we should be ready to start renovating the nursery for the baby. I'm very excited to have at least that one space completed before the baby arrives. Other than that not much new going on in the world of me and my "stinking baby" (which is our current nickname for the little bugger).

Diaper Sale!!!!

Its sad that this is the news that excites me these days. Seeing as I missed out on any and all of the good stuff at the Zellers baby sale this weekend (I'm talking 50% off cribs and play yards....boooooo) it feels like a minor victory in the get ready for baby battle. I was able to convince Chris to take me to the trendy (and only) baby boutique downtown today so we could talk to a sales lady about the differences in the different types of cloth diapers available. After a good long explanation (that lady knows her poop receptacles) I feel more confident that were on the right track. Without any pressure sales she casually mentioned the bamboo diapers that are usually priced at $18.00 a pop were on sale for $10.00 each with the purchase of 12 or more. She let me know the sale would last awhile but I decided what the hell lets pick up some of those bad boys. They are sooooooooooooooo soft, they are like little fuzzy baby duck colored He-Man undies!!!. Maybe next payday I will pick up another batch to ensure I have enough...I'm not sure what the average number of diaper changes is a day.... I guess to help my odds no Indian food while I'm giving the baby breast milk.

24 weeks along~whats new?

The past few weeks I have found I have acquired a bit of a sweet tooth the junk food has been calling to me in a big way. Still not a huge urge or craving for chocolate however. I have been collecting a few more baby items in the past few weeks, I have acquired a sweet baby swing and wooden bassinet. I went to the doctors about my weird rash which has healed although my skin still feels a bit itchy. She sent me for blood work to rule out anything serious, as I have yet to hear from her I'm pretty sure all went well. I'm getting pretty excited about doing my Uc baby ultrasound next month, it looks like the images give you a really great idea of what your baby looks like. So score!!!! Just like Christmas I get to peek early!!!.

Other than that pregnancy wise there is not much to report, the kicks are more frequent in the evenings and easier to notice. My bulge is noticeable but not massive, my mood seems pretty bright. The fatigue I have previously kicked off seems to be returning gradually I'm hoping its only related to the cold I have been fighting, I'm going to need my energy for a few more months yet.

the honeymoon is over....

So the pregnancy good times seem to be at an end.....my symptom free pregnancy has revolted against me~and hard!!!. I am the current sufferer of a rash that began about a week or so ago at my belly button and has spread its way ever so slowly up my stomach, then my breasts, then my chest, then my neck and now today a few days later it has begun on my arms and legs. When it settles down it is a mild benign pink hue to my skin when it acts up it is an army of tiny red dots with one mission....to drive me slowly mad with their constant itching!!!!. Other than calamine lotion and trying not to go all 'Hell Raiser' on my flesh with my own nails there are few options available to me.

The soonest I can get my next doctors appointment is on the 8th, so I think this Monday I may have to go sit in the walk in clinic for most likely 2-4 hours to get an official diagnosis. I can live with the itchy as long as I know its nothing that could potentially hurt the baby. After doing a bit of online research my official opinion is it may be "PUPPP" Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy. A skin rash common in about 1/150-300 pregnancies. Some of the common symptoms are a bit off such as it skipping the belly button (which for me it didn't) it also appears to be more common in multiple pregnancies, over weight women (not me). Interesting fact 70% of Puppp carriers deliver boys maybe this could prove my suspicions. I may be wrong but here is a picture I found online that looks pretty much like what I have.

The other pregnancy rashes described don't seem to fit the symptoms and look of what I have...stay tuned though to find out my diagnosis. Until then I'm going to paint my boobies up in pink calamine lotion like some primitive tribal woman and go hit the sac!