Author Archives: Shop Girl

Who knew a world could change so completely in six short weeks.

Granted, some of those short weeks had some incredibly long days, but when I look at my little Ruby I can’t believe she’s already been a part of our family for that long.

Shortly after she was born, everyone told me that things seem to take a corner by 6 weeks, and that things would get a little easier. They were right. Not that Ruby has been a difficult baby–it couldn’t be more opposite–but she does need my attention much of the time, and I happily give it to her.

(She’s simply too cute. I can’t say no.)

However, that being said, I am enjoying the little routine we are slipping into. Ruby now only wakes up once (maybe twice) a night to eat, then usually falls back asleep immediately after. She loves to nap in the morning and will usually sleep in her bassinet for an hour or two after we snuggle in my rocking chair.

The rest of our days are spent going for walks, watching hockey with dad, and she’s beginning to spend more and more time awake and alert… and she is now beginning to smile.

Be still my heart.

There is nothing cuter than when she smiles at you. I melt. She smiled at me once and I cried.

Yup. I’ve become that person.

Life is pretty good these days. We just had a wonderful visit with the Hubster’s parents who flew in to meet her for the first time. It was a busy few days, but it was so good to see them and Ruby definitely enjoyed spending time with her Grandma. We held her baby blessing on Sunday and a huge troop of family and friends came down to see and support her. The Hubster and I hosted a “little” lunch at our home afterward, and by the time everyone arrived we realized that we had 31 people in our little house. It was busy, but glorious. Ruby had all four of her grandparents there to spoil her, and they all took turns stealing her and hiding in various corners of my house to have a quiet snuggle.

(She is very snuggly. I love it.)

Things have settled a bit and I am loving our little home life. I finally feel like I’m beginning to get the hang of this whole motherhood thing, and I’m finding a bit of a balance between caring for Ruby and keeping my home in a socially acceptable state. My next goal is to reincorporate writing into that equation.

And date nights.

(Wanna babysit? She’s pretty cute…)

It’s a bit easier now that she’ll sleep on her own… right now she is curled up in her little blue bouncy chair next to me while I write. I can’t promise that it’ll be every day, but I am  hoping to ease back into a better writing schedule.

Once every 3 weeks just isn’t doing it for me.

But for now I see two very cute eyes looking at me and two very cute cheeks that need to be kissed.

How Far Along: 41 Weeks*
Size of Baby: A Mini Watermelon
Weight Gain: 27 pounds

Movement: She is definitely moving less now that she has less space, but all things considered she’s still very active. The coolest part is now I can feel exactly what’s moving inside me–I can tell when it’s a foot bumping out, or a hand sliding across my belly, and I can always tell where her little bum is positioned. haha

She still gets the hiccups, though it’s not nearly as often. She went from having them 2 – 3 times a day to having them once every 2- 3 days.

Cravings: Oh, I would have died for a pizza last night…

Food Aversions: Nothing this week.

Symptoms: I am… round. That’s my biggest symptom. haha! My belly hasn’t really grown much in the past few weeks, but it’s still large and makes my movements pretty awkward. I have a hard time shifting positions, especially if I’m trying to sit up after lying down.

I go to the bathroom. A lot. Depending on how much I drink in the evenings, I am usually up anywhere from 3 – 4 times a night. Thankfully I’m still sleeping really well and can pass right back out after I roll back into bed.

I hurt my foot this week, and that has been all kinds of not fun. I’ve basically been immobile for the last three days while I try to mend whatever damage I did to the arch of my foot. It’s definitely getting better, but the muscles underneath are still really tender to the touch. Fun!

Belly Button Watch: Still an inny!

Baby Prep: We are pretty much prepped at this point! Her clothes are washed, her crib and bassinet are ready, and her diaper bag is already in the car. The last touch we added this week was hanging a cute moon lamp on the wall above her crib so she won’t have to sleep in the dark. :)

Contraction Watch: Yes and no. I’ve had a few bouts of good contractions, but then they stop and I don’t feel anything. I get strong contractions when I’m out walking, or when I use my breast pump.

Things I’m Thinking About: You know, I expected the wee-bean to be late, but I never really thought much about being this late. It just goes to show that you can never ever predict these things…

I’m really glad that I opened up about my anxieties surrounding being induced on Tuesday. Most of the feedback I’ve since received has been really positive, and it’s made me feel worlds better about it. So, thank you. From the bottom of my heart. I’ve felt so calm about everything until now, I hated the idea of beginning labor with all these anxious thoughts people have put in my head.

That being said, I don’t really understand why so many women love to focus on the worst / hardest parts of childbirth and life with a newborn when talking about it with others. I have a whole post on this coming soon.

The wee-bean will be here (barring complications) in two sleeps. TWO SLEEPS.

…that also means that I’ll have a daughter in two sleeps.

And that I’ll be a mother in just two sleeps.

A mom. Me.

Holy crap.

Last night I mentioned that I was nervous about my impending induction date coming up on Tuesday, and I so appreciate all the love and support that has come forth from you lovelies. It’s reassuring to hear that induction wasn’t a horrible process for many of you… it really does alleviate some of the anxiety I have had.

There was also an outpouring of questions regarding why I was going to be induced if I was nervous about it. I probably should have explained better last night, but I was tired and more focused on the emotions behind what’s coming rather than the reasons for it.

First of all, my midwife is awesome and has let me make every single decision about this pregnancy every step of the way. She provides me with information, offers her opinion, then lets me decide how I want to proceed–even letting me mull things over for a few days if I need to before getting back to her.

Tuesday’s tentative induction date was a date that we talked about together. The week leading up to my due date, Olivia* and I discussed the reality that most first-time mothers pass their due dates and she wanted to have a plan in place in case that happened to me.

If you know anything about me, you’ll know that I like plans. I like schedules.

So, as you can’t always get in right away to see an OB for an induction at my hospital, she began talking to a few she knew and liked to see what my options were. After hearing back, she could only confirm a date with one OB–the others could only say that they would “try” and fit me in within a window of two – three days, which wasn’t firm enough for us.

So, Tuesday the 14th became our back-up plan.

When we first began discussing induction, Olivia let me know that she didn’t want to let me go much further than 10 days past my due date. I’ve been measuring a little under where I should be for the past several weeks, and I haven’t moved a centimeter in two weeks. So, when I was still a few days before my due date, 10 days after my due date seemed like a lifetime away.

But I liked having a plan in place.

I know that lots of people extend beyond 10 days past their due date–people I know have gone two weeks over–but another reason we picked a date before the two week mark was that induction does not always ensure immediate labor. Olivia wants to keep me within that two week window, so if I’m induced and it doesn’t work right away, we still have some time to play… the main goal being to avoid a c-section at all cost.

I also know there are other options to help speed up natural labor, and trust me, I’ve tried just about all of them. I’ve gone in three times to try a search and sweep with no success–my cervix has been closed each time. (Though there was noticeable progress at my last appointment. YAY)

So, for now I keep going and hope hope hope that things will progress on their own before Tuesday morning. I have a consult with the OB on Monday morning, as well as another ultrasound to make sure that my little wee-bean still has enough room in there and is getting everything she needs.

And, if she’s still not ready to make a move on her own, I’ll most likely check into the hospital bright and early Tuesday morning to get this show on the road.

So I would appreciate any good vibes you can send this way… hopefully we can will this little wee-bean out before Tuesday morning!

I haven’t felt terribly motivated to write this week.

The wee-bean’s due date was this past Sunday, though I had been fairly certain for some time that she would not be making her grand entrance into the world that day.

For the most part, I’ve been enjoying this quiet week with the Hubster. I’ve been sleeping in (all the way to 7am!), catching up on my favourite shows, and accomplishing all those tasks around the house that I’ve had rolling around in my mind. The wee-bean’s room is prepped and ready, her clothes are washed and organized, and her little library of books is neatly set out, ready for use.

I’ve also had a myriad of appointments all week long. They tend to watch you a little more closely once you’ve passed your due date, so I have been trekking back and forth to see my midwife, and I had an ultrasound today to make sure that she’s alright in there. All is well, but apparently my belly is just too dang comfortable. :)

It’s a bit funny: once you pass your due date it’s like everyone looks at you like a ticking time bomb. I feel like everyone is watching me waiting for me to either a) have this baby; or b) explode into a raving, anxious stress-case. At this point I’m not sure that either one will happen in the near future… haha! I’ve felt great all week, and still feel calm about my impending labor. While I would love for this wee-bean to arrive, I know she’ll come when she’s ready.

I just hope it’s before Tuesday.

My one niggling point of anxiety is that I’m nervous about being induced. My midwife doesn’t want to let me go more than 10 days past my due date, and has scheduled me for a tentative induction date on Tuesday. I’ve heard that labor and delivery is way more painful when it’s induced and I am not at all looking forward to any added discomfort. So, while I’m perfectly happy to let nature take its course and be calm about when she arrives, I’m just really, really, really hoping it happens over the weekend.

So, I’m testing out all the old tricks people have suggested–I’m eating pineapple, using my breast pump, eating spicy food and I was power walking two – three times a day…

…until I seriously injured my foot yesterday and now I can barely stand on it. I have absolutely no idea what caused it, but the muscles across the arch of my left foot are so, so sore and walking any type of distance is now out of the question. *sigh*

So now I feel like I have this big date looming over me, and I can feel the beginnings of anxious feelings creeping in as a result. While I was out walking I felt like I was at least doing something speed things along, and now I feel a bit like I’m back at a standstill. I’ve had to spend most of today with my feet up, as I’m sure labor / new mom duties will be slightly less stressful if I’m not also worried about a sore foot.

So, my little wee-bean… I’m so, so grateful that you gave me a few days to unwind after work ended, but we’re ready for you now and can’t wait to meet you. Come on out and play, okay? Okay.

Love,

Mom*