Pregnancy Stuff to Remember - Week 39

Wait... what?

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that this sweet little guy decided to make his appearance a month early.  It's quite a story... stay tuned for it.

Lucas Andre was born December 8, and after a 9 day stay in the NICU, he came home and has been a model baby ever since.

I had forgotten just how sweet baby snuggles could be, and I am so in love with this little brown-haired boy!

Pregnancy Stuff to Remember - 35 weeks

Size of baby: I'm not answering this anymore... it's stupid.

Total Weight Gain: About 17 now.  Feeling like humungo-preggo girl.

Maternity Clothes: Yup

Gender: Still a boy.

Movement: All the time.  The boy never stops.  Never.  Never ever.

Symptoms: Awful round ligament pain... There are times when I can't take more than 5 steps without being frozen in pain.  I've also been having some pretty intense contractions.

Sleep: All I can say is thank goodness for Tylenol of the PM variety.

What I miss: Definitely sleeping on my back. Being able to roll over during the night without having to wake up.  The wonderful bliss of the second trimester.

Cravings: Honeycrisp apples and mini babybel cheese.

Best Moments these last 4 weeks: Can you tell by reading that I'm not in such a happy place right now?  I've just hit that incredibly uncomfortable stage and I'm very aware I have 5 weeks left.  I know I'll miss being pregnant after he's born, so I know I just need to remember the good stuff.

What I am looking forward to: January 4th... the scheduled delivery day!

My Little Halloweenies

Oh yeah... I am THAT far behind.  These days my time is spent on getting up from a seated/lying down position, and trying to work up the energy to do it. Hopefully I'll find the time to do a 35 week update before this baby is a year old.  Le sigh.

I realize Halloween was about a million years ago, but since I use this blog to help me remember (pregnancy/being a mom is rapidly depleting my brain cells), I'm going to go ahead and rehash it anyway.

These were the original Halloween costumes... you know, before we knew we were going to be trick-or-treating on the surface of the sun (aka Dallas this fall).

Then these outfits were picked for their school Halloween parties.  And in regards to Mattias's costume, when I say "picked", I mean I ran to Target and bought the only outfit left in his size that was cool enough to wear in 80+ degree heat.

For actual trick-or-treating, Elise wanted to match Mattias, so she suited up in her Supergirl costume from last year.  While Mattias was not so into wearing his costume to school, he did warm up to it for the trick-or-treating part.  His favourite thing was to run down the sidewalk, one fist in the air while yelling, "HOOPERMAN!" (he can't pronounce the letter "s").

 At the end of the night, the kids got a pretty good haul.  I surreptitiously stole problematic candies out of their buckets (seriously, who gives a two year old Airheads?), as well as a reward or two for walking my 31-week pregnant butt through the neighbourhood. 

My favourite part of the night?  Watching Mattias as the realization set in that people were giving him CANDY and all he had to do was walk up to their door and say, "Twickertweat!", "Tankoo!" and "Happy Ween!"

Happy Ween indeed.

Today

This is my daughter, Elise.  She is 5 years old. She loves to play soccer.  Paint and draw.  Read.  She loves ballet and tap.  Making her little brother laugh. The colour pink.  Roller-coasters and waterslides.  She's a girly-girl with a tough side... the absolute best of both worlds. 

She makes me laugh.  Loves everyone she's ever met. Blows me away with how smart she is.  She has the innate ability to drive me bananas, but at the same time; I am so very proud the be her Mom.  And today, she makes me thankful.

Without today, Elise would not be alive.  If it wasn't for today, I would have had to say goodbye to my first-born over 4 years ago.  If today had never happened, this would be one of the last pictures I have of my daughter...

During a month that is supposed to be filled with thanks, I am most thankful for today, November 14.

Because on this day, in 1891, a baby boy was born in a small farm house in Ontario, Canada.   He would grow up and make an astonishing discovery that would save my daughter's life 117 years later.  Not just the life of my daughter, but countless others. 

Because in addition to everything I wrote about her above, Elise also has type 1 diabetes.  Her body NEEDS insulin to survive, but no longer produces it. 

It was nothing she did. Or didn't do.

Nothing she ate. Or didn't eat.

There is no cure. No special diet. No secret spice. There isn't a bark that grows on a tree that can be brewed into a tea.


But there is insulin.

Today, I don't have to watch my daughter literally starve to death because of a faulty pancreas.  And that is why I am thankful for today, the birthday of Dr. Fredrick Banting; inventor of insulin. 

He saved my daughter's life.

Pregnancy Stuff to Remember - Week 31

Size of baby: I'm not answering this anymore... it's stupid.Total Weight Gain: I was up by about 14 pounds, but lost 5 during a round of food poisoning.  Yuck.

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much yes all around now... I managed to find some cute maternity stuff on clearance while on a girls trip out to SF a few weeks ago.  Yay!


Gender: Still a boy.

Movement: 24/7, baby!  He loves to do a jig every night around the midnight hour.  Or is it a reel?  I could never tell the difference between the two...

Symptoms: Back pain and feeling like I'm going to fall on my face from being front-heavy.

Sleep: Hit or miss depending on if the baby using my uterus as a dance club and how much my back hurts.  I get by with a little help from Tylenol PM

What I miss: Definitely sleeping on my back. Being able to roll over during the night without having to wake up.

Cravings: When I was in SF I got to satisfy my strawberry-rhubarb pie craving.  Three times!

Best Moments these last 5 weeks: My D-Mamas trip to SF (first time away from the kids... ever!). While I was there, I was in a maternity shop and as I turned around this lady gasped and said, "you are just the cutest pregnant woman ever!"  It does wonders for the ego hearing stuff like that...

What I am looking forward to: Getting ready for the baby to come. Colder weather. Meeting our newest little man!

Nine more weeks!

Pregnancy Stuff to Remember - Week 25

Size of baby: Who knows what obscure fruit or veggie my baby is going up against this week... purple moon potato? Kiwano melon? 

Total Weight Gain: I think I'm up by 10 pounds... did a lot of good eating in SF.

Maternity Clothes: Pants... yes.  Shirts... I can get away with non-maternity.  Although they do make some cute maternity stuff, I just don't want to drop the cash on it.  Since I was biggest in the summer with my other two, I have no cold weather maternity stuff.

Gender: So. I had this cool idea... while in SF, I was going to go down to the beach and write "It's a..." in the sand, right where the waves were coming in.  I'd take a picture, then another one of the wave coming in and erasing it.  The next few pictures would show the wave receding and revealing the gender.  Which is...







BOY!

So my big idea never happened, but they way I painted it, you can picture it in your mind... right?

Movement: Yeah, this little guy takes after his brother.  I think we're going to have another soccer player on our hands!

Symptoms: Still cruising in second trimester bliss.  My only issue is that my back is KILLING me.

Sleep: Hit or miss depending on if the baby using my uterus as a dance club and how much my back hurts.

What I miss: Definitely sleeping on my back.

Cravings: Nothing really... I have been enjoying brie and pear sandwiched on ciabatta bread.  Soooo yummy!  I know, I'm not supposed to eat soft cheeses... blah, blah blah.

Best Moments this week month-and-a-bit: Definitely our trip to SF and seeing old friends.  It's so incredible how much has changed since we first met.  It was fun to see how big some of their kids have gotten, and I loved watching our kids play together.  Sweet memories!

What I am looking forward to: Getting ready for the baby to come.  Colder weather. Meeting our newest little man!

THIS guy...

... was born two years ago today.  To say I love him is like saying Texas can be a little warm in the summer.  In other words, a HUGE understatement.  There is something so adorable, so stinkin' edible about my little man.  He is both sweet and a whirling dervish of crazy at the same time and I wouldn't have him any other way.

Happy Birthday sweet, adorable, hilarious Mattias.  Thank you for making me laugh every day.

First day pics

This post will not have much in the way of words.  It has been a busy day... nay, week. But I would, for prosperity's sake like to post pictures of my children's first day of school.

Did you catch that? I said, children.  As in, Mattias too.

I thought it would be a cry-fest on his end, but the little man walked into his classroom as if he owned the place.  The rest of the day, he was in the best mood.  I think this learning thing is going to be good for him.

As for Elise, it was the first day of her last year of pre-school.  I will be very sad when her time is done at this amazing little school, but so thankful that she's had three years with them.

Well, I guess I had more to say than I thought. And now... pictures!

My 5 year old... how is that possible?

So cute

His backpack might be a little big...

Ready to rule the school

THIS girl...

... was born 5 years ago today.  She was and still is one of the most beautiful things (on the inside AND out) I have ever laid eyes on.

Happy Birthday sweet Elise!  We love you and you continue to amaze me every day.

Pregnancy Stuff to remember - Week 19

Size of baby: I googled this one... apparently my baby is the size of an heirloom tomato. Seriously... out of all the fruits/veggies they could have picked, their choice was this rather obscure one?

Total Weight Gain: If you go by my normal weight, I've gained 3 pounds.  Pre-pregnancy weight has me at minus 7.

Maternity Clothes: Yes, but mostly because normal clothes just feel so uncomfortable right now.  Maternity stuff is too big, but feels better.  So right now I'm walking around with my pants on the ground...

Gender: We know... but I'll do a reveal post one of these days soon.  Any guesses???

Movement: Yes.  And then some.  This is one very active baby!

Symptoms: Thankfully the nausea has passed.  I still don't really have an appetite which stinks.  I want to be excited about eating again!

Sleep: I'm still having no problem in that area, even without the anti-nausea meds.

What I miss: Not much... I enjoy this part of pregnancy.  I can tell that I'll have to stop sleeping on my back pretty soon though.

Cravings: Pepsi is the one huge craving right now.  I don't drink pop otherwise, but have craved Pepsi every pregnancy.  I wait until I'm in the second trimester, and then only allow myself one small can.  I also try to drink it every other day if I can hold off.  And I will only drink it with crushed ice and a straw.  Otherwise I don't want it.  Don't ask me...

Best Moments this week: No "best" moment, but the most interesting came this morning when I accidentally took one of my anti-nausea meds instead of my thyroid meds.  They look almost identical and the anti-nausea meds knock me out.  It's been 7 hours and I *just* have started feeling like I'm not going to fall over.

What I am looking forward to: Our trip to San Francisco next week!  Woo to the hoo, baaaaaaby!

23!

Dear Mattias,

I can't believe how long it has been since I've done one of these.  I want to document your crazy life, but you don't really leave a lot of time in the day to do it.  You are constantly on the move and I love it.

 You are still talking in your crazy, made-up language. I know that you can speak "properly", because every once in awhile you will pipe up with something like, "the purple ones", or "popcorn". But when we ask you to say anything, your reply is always, "nope!"

In fact, this is a conversation we recently had:

Me: Mattias, can you say Elise?

You: Nope!

Me: Say toast!

You: Nope!

Me: Can you say Mattias?

You: Nope!

Me: Can you say nope?

You (with a mischievous look in your eye): uh-huh

Comedic timing... you get it, even at such a young age.

My favourite word by far is your word for bananas, which is meomas.  Usually said with great glee.  In fact, whenever we go to Target, the first thing you do is run down the main aisle towards where the bananas are, yelling, "MEOMAS, MAMA... MEOMAS!"

You love babies and the mere sight of one will make you say, "awwwww, bebe!" You are particularly infatuated with the cartoon baby on your diaper cream tube and you like to give it kisses. This makes me happy as pretty soon there will be a real live baby joining the family, poised to usurp your position.  Get ready to be okay with that. 

One of my absolute favourite things about you is how much you love your sister.  It is so much fun to watch the two of you sitting at the breakfast table, each of you trying to make the other laugh the hardest. It is sweet to watch and music to your Mama's ears.

Your latest skill is putting your dishes in the sink.  You won't even let me clear your dishes because you are so proud of how you can carry them from the table to the sink.  There are some adults in this house that could learn from you.

I have loved watching you grow from a tiny baby into a silly, quirky, passionate and fun little boy who would wear mismatched pajamas all day if I would let him.  I love your sweet heart, and how you will immediately run over to comfort your sister if she's crying.  I love your enthusiasm for sports; whether it's watching the Rangers on TV ("Go ball go!"), or shouting "GOOOOAL" when practising a rather wicked forehand shot with your hockey stick.

I even love watching you pout when you don't get your way. The way your tiny lower lip curls out and how you stomp your feet, showing your displeasure with a rather emphatic "HMPH!"  As long as you don't do it to often.

And yes, I even love you when you do something crazy like swallow a battery and I have to rush you to the ER for surgery the day before I'M supposed to have surgery. All I can say is, you are lucky you are so cute.

I love you, little T, and I can't wait to see what the next year brings.

Love,
Your Mama

Pregnancy stuff to remember - 15 weeks

Since baby number three will probably get the short end of the stick in pretty much every other area, I decided to do one of these baby journal things... something I never did with either Elise or Mattias. 

No... I am not dropping some obscure gang sign. This is baby number three, yo.

Size of baby:  I have no idea... the size of an avocado? Some other fruit?  Does this make me a bad Mom that I don't know this stuff?

Total Weight Gain: Right now I'm at negative 12 pounds.  But that's about par for the course with me.  It's okay, since due to a wonky thyroid, I was about 10 pounds over my normal weight when I got pregnant.

Maternity Clothes: Bahahahaha!  I'm just thankful to be comfortably fitting back into my normal clothes.

Gender: To early yet... we may or may not find out.

Movement: I know they say it's too early, but I swear I feel some movement.  Judging by the bazillion ultrasounds I've had, this baby is a mover and a shaker.


Symptoms: nausea, barfing, more nausea and even more nausea!  I'm learning to be thankful for the barfies because it means everything is okay.  I've had a few complications with this pregnancy (including surgery), so indications that all is well is most welcome, even if it is on the form of puking.


Sleep: Thanks to my anti-nausea meds, I have no problems in that area!

What I miss: Having energy.  My poor kids think I'm the lamest Mom ever.  They may be right.

Cravings: Lettuce wraps, peaches, blueberries, and oven roasted tomatoes with garlic.  By far the weirdest craving ever. And yes, I've been making them.  In fact, today I ate almost a pound and a half of them... mighty tasty stuff, friends.

Best Moments this week: I had one day where I had energy and wasn't nauseous.  Of course I ruined it by worrying about it.


What I am looking forward to: Hopefully getting over feeling so sick all the time.  EATING!

With glowing hearts...

Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian peeps!

From your favourite Canucks hiding out south of the border.

I feel the hate welling up inside me... not unlike morning sickness

Texas, Texas, Texas.   You've really gone and done it this time.  Since I first moved here, your inhabitants have wanted me to like you.  They keep telling me that one day I won't be able to imagine living anywhere else.  That this really is the best place to live.

And just when I start to think you're sort of okay, you go and pull crap like this. Really Texas? Have you looked at your weather map lately?  That's a lot of days in a row with a one followed by two numbers.  It's so utterly craptastic I can barely sleep at night.

Never mind that your geography is about as appealing as roadkill.  Or the fact that there's not really a heck of a lot to do around here.  But now we have the "did-I-fall-asleep-and-wake-up-in-hell" time of year that is called summer, and it has arrived a heck of a lot earlier than it usually does.

And in the grand scheme of things, I'm not liking you very much right now Texas.  I think I would rather eat Mexican food while having my pap smear than endure another day of this suckitude. 

Because nobody in the history of ever thinks that 108 degrees is okay. And if they're saying that they're either lying or stupid. The latter because their brains have been melted from the exessive heat.

So smarten up Texas.  Drop that mercury by about 15 degrees and maybe I'll start liking you slightly more than my yearly visit to my OB/GYN.

Latest Video

Wait a minute Mr. Postman

There seems to be an alarming rate of illiteracy among the mail delivery people that service our neighbourhood. Like most moms, I have a note posted on my door. It reads, "please do not ring the bell or knock... Baby sleeping.

Perhaps it should read, "make any noise and I'll castrate you", for all the respect my little plea is getting these days. And yes, it should be noted the all the offenders are male. Because no self-respecting female would incur the wrath of a mother whose baby was awoken by their inability to follow instructions.

USPS, FedEx, UPS... All the biggies are hiring idiots that must have flunked out of kindergarten, because two days is a row, Mattias has been woken early by their stupidity. My adorable son usually takes a 3 hour nap in the afternoon. Which he needs, or else he turns into something decidedly... Less adorable.

It's actually not the bell itself that wakes him up, but our dog's reaction to the bell. She sounds the alarm like nobody's business, and while I appreciate that in most cases, this is not one of them.

I came very close to chasing the mailman down today to kick him in the... Errr, give him a piece of what is left of my mind, but he was already in his truck and starting to drive away. The thought of running after his truck crossed my mind, but this neighbourhood is just not ready for that kind of crazy.

The only non-offending company is a little rinky-dink delivery service that sometimes brings me my Amazon shipments. He never rings the bell. The first time he ever delivered a package, I was sitting in my front room and saw through the window that he actually took the time to read my note and follow the instructions. I figure if he can do it, why can't the rest of them?

When I was recounting the story to my next-door neighbour, and I told her the part about chasing after the mailman, she told me, "I would have liked to see that."

She might just get her wish, if the illiteraci keep it up.

Mattias-isms... the weird ones

When we decided that Fred would only speak to our kids in Portuguese, many people were concerned that it would delay our kids, language-wise.  The answer was a resounding "no", seeing how Elise said her first word at the age of 7 months and never looked back.  I mean, the girl spoke in complete sentences before she turned two.

She has not stopped talking since.

Now with Mattias, it's been different.  He also said his first word at the age of 7 months, but we noticed he was more than happy to just point at things and grunt.  We chalked this up to the fact that; a) he is a guy, and b) his big sister makes up for his apparent mute-ness.

But lately all that has changed and he now talks up a storm.  Except we have no idea what the crap he is saying because the little man has his own language and apparently I am the lone translator.  Here are a couple of his gems:

agua-wa - water

Poom - shoes

Glngh-glngh (very hard to write phonetically) - Elise (no, I don't know why)

Baba - iPad

Apoom - fork

Acune - music. 

Pa - truck

Begungh - bird

Gungh -  Any number of letter of the alphabet.  When I read books with either of these, he'll point to the letter or number and say, "Gungh!"  For every one.  The funny thing is when he watches Wheel of Fortune with Elise (she loves that show), he will actually yell out letters, "Ah!", "Ohh!", "Eeee!", "Mmmm!"  Then he claps for himself.

I love this boy!

Google is my friend

What do you do when the child-lock engages on your back door on the driver side and you are not able to close the door. And it's edging ever closer to bedtime and you have your two kids in the backseat?

You do your best with your limited knowledge and car keys.

And what do you do when you've exhausted all your knowledge and you still can't fix it?

You call your husband who is in Vegas.

And what do you do when your husband is unable to help you from the state of Nevada?

You go into the store and find the nearest warm-blooded male who looks like he might have a clue.

And what do you when he can't fix it, and visions of camping out in the parking lot start to look like a reality?

You call your husband back and ask him to google "how to fix a stuck child lock". Then rejoice and thank God for google and people who have enough time on their hands to post such quandaries to the world-wide-web-information-super-highway when he finds the answer and it works.

I love google.

Happy Easter in pictures

Egg hunting and looking cool doing it

She's pretty cool too...

And pose!



Mattias was a big fan of throwing eggs



A big fan

Make that a HUGE fan

We have about 10 more pictures like this

Easter cuties!

Super cool Easter cuties!

 

Love them





Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter too!