next day delivery, love it!

I ordered the lovely Skip Hop Pronto Changing Station from Amazon.ca yesterday and the UPS man rang my door today!
How fantastic is that?! - especially because I've been on a social world hiatus since Sadie was born (lol).
This online shopping bit could get a tad dangerous ...

Working on a post about my labour experience for the second time, the birth of our perfect little girl & the first few days of having two kids ... can you believe that I'm a bit busy nowadays?

Happy Long Weekend!

My only plans this weekend are to: go into labour & give birth to a baby.
Crossing my fingers that my plans pull through.


Thanks.

I've also been working on this, that's all.

You've Got Mail!

Cute, pretty, fabric bunting mail!

So excited to have this arrive today! I purchased it off Etsy (my slightly newest obsession).

The seller (Jennifer) was such a pleasure to deal with and came up with this custom order for me!

Beyond happy with how it turned out and how it's looking hanging on baby's very plain crib (for now).

Aren't cute crafty things the best things?

I'm packing my bags, I'm ready to go!

Well sort of.
Yesterday, I started a more serious process of packing my hospital bag. I can't begin to say how nervous this makes me and how crazy fast the past 38 weeks have flew by.

Regardless of how "prepared" I get, I know there will be something that I forget.
Right now the list is as follows:
-Oil of Olay Wet Cleansing Cloths (my absolute favourite for removing make-up and the day off my face)
-Q-tips
-Deodorant, his and hers
-Shampoo & Conditioner, in case I get a chance to actually shower post-labour
-Hair elastics and bobby pins
-Mouthwash
-Toothpaste
-$20 bucks, for snacks or drinks or whatever, I know - for a large double double from Tims post-labour, yes.
-Earth Mama Angela Baby Nipple butter, my cousin gave me this at my shower and I'm excited to try it! From what I can remember from the 1st time, my nipples were sore and chapped (TMI?)
-Blistex
-PADS
-Lansinoh Nursing pads (I swear by these)
-Robe and nightgown for post-labour that my mama bought for me, why she bought white - no idea.
-Medela Nursing Sleep Bra, comfy and underwireless
-Warm socks

Still need to add
-Toothbrushes
-Change of clothes for both Ryan and I
-Sleep clothes for Ryan, that's if he will sleep
-Baby's clothes! (hats, mitts, sleepers, onesies and blankets) Also a cute outfit for baby to go home in (was thinking of getting something blue and something pink and then just returning whatever we didn't need - but now that sounds like a lot of work, lol)
-Pacifiers
-Diapers
-Own pillow, for comfort's sake
-Simple snacks
-Still ensure about whether I want to bring my nursing pillow or not

& I'll leave it to that for our hospital bag (ekkk!)

Still lots to be done around here. Mom and Dad come by to deliver their gift for baby last night which means onces Ryan builds it, I can start nesting a bit more by laundering baby's clothes and putting them away. But baby's dresser is after Ryan builds Mom and Dad's (x2) birthday gift for Aiden. It's a sweltering 43 degrees here in Milton today & Ryan's enduring this heat to make Aiden happy. Ry is so smitten over A, hehehe. Ryan also has a tee time at 4pm. Wishing that Ry had more time off and more time with us, but he's staying productive and helpful. As am I, I've taken a stab at grilling on the BBQ for lunch today, ahhh!

Plus, I'm staying quite busy with some creative projects. Wish makes me very happy.

38 Weeks!

& 1 day.
Feeling a whole new level of heavy. I'm pretty much always hungry, but can't seem to eat as much as I desire cause there's no more room left! I'm anxious and beyond nervous for labour. I know I've done it before, but my goodness it's been 4 years! The pain that I endured has been longer forgotten! I'm most nervous for labour - and well, learning to breastfeed again.

I've started packing my hospital bag to be better prepared for the big day, but still feel like I'll forget something regardless. I also applied for EI today & considering that it's part of my job to teach / tell others how to apply, I'm hoping the process is painless and smooth for me.

I also worked on some creative projects today (something I hope to do a lot of while I'm on my mat leave). I'll share more details soon. I also purchased this off Etsy today - I am in love. Now if I could just find the perfect crib sheets.

& as per my latest tweet, my life has also resorted to laundry and well, more laundry. And it's only going to pile up even more, literally. Over the weekend I sorted through some of Aiden's old baby clothes and picked out all the yellows and greens. I'm waiting on Ma to get us baby's dresser, so I can start washing and folding all these itty bitty baby clothes into their homes. I'm catching sniffs of "baby" in our nursery and can't wait for that fresh baby scent when our babes arrives. We can't wait to meet you baby, we love you so much already! 

the roller coaster nights of pregnancy

So today, is a not so awesome day.

I haven't been sleeping the best, but really, I've just been dealing with is and for the most part - I make out ok. Last night was rough. On my drive home from my parents place (close to 8pm), not sure how to explain it, but I was feeling a sort of blurriness to my vision or at least the sensation of blurriness. All I knew what I need to move fast, get home, get our nighttime routine on override and sleep.

Luckily, Aiden was cooperating full force and we were in bed in no time. I was restless, tossed and tured with my eyes closed and a headache for probably an hour. Ryan rushed home (he's the best) and started playing doctor with me, googling my symptoms - trying to determine the cause / severity of my "illness". As he was doing this, I started to feel a tingly sensation moving from my fingers up my arms. I also felt the same tingly-ness on my togue. (slight deja-vu, I've felt this before - during one of my period dying-like episodes - went to the ER - to find out I was a-okay). Ryan totally wanted to head to the ER after this, but I was ... not ready for that, just yet. The thing about heading to the ER when it's not an emergency is that, well - you could be there for forever. And really, my pain wasn't severe and baby was alive and kicking (hard).

He cranked the AC up since he read somewhere that I could be dehydrated and the body temperature of pregnant women can be quite high (lol). He drove out to Shoppers to grab me some iron supplements since we know that I have low iron and want to avoid anaemia. I said I was hungry, so Ryan also asked me what I wanted (and of course, since I had a pass, I couldn't think of anything but a dan muffin) - a chocolate chip muffin it was. I ate the muffin, took an iron pill with a glass of milk and tried, once again to sleep. Ryan rubbed my belly until I fell asleep.

Decided to work from home today. The risk with driving my at least 1 hour commute was just too much. Side note: I'm trying to to let it stress me, but my plate at work is overfilled. It has been since I started, but I'm getting worn out thin - physically & emotionally. Must stay positive, must hang in there - this will be my mantra.

The most frusting bit is that the OB office didn't open until 9am. I called for 45 mins and each time I called it went to voicemail (is that even allowed?) & on Wednesdays our family doctor is open from 3-8pm (is that allowed? lol) so I wasn't able to get an appointment until 6:45 pm. But of course, better safe than sorry. Just want to make sure all is OK - it's easy to attribute me being fatigue and my exhaustion to my pregnancy, but you can never be so safe (esp. this late in the game!)

Aiden however, has been fantastic all day long. Can't get enough of this guy, honestly.
He fed himself lunch today, oh and he fed Teddy lunch too! Love!

We're in the Clear!

Remember this post ...

Well I had my OB appointment today & we've been cleared! My second glucose test results came back normal! I couldn't be happier. Thank you God, for watching over us and our baby.

My hemoglobin count was a little low, but I've always had low-iron. Even took iron supplements with I as pregs with Aiden. So I'll start loading up on iron enriched foods like spinach (yum!), almonds, pumkin seeds, cooked egg yolks (always been my fav) & scallops (my ultimate fav).

Still real happy about the results.

I (actually) remembered that today was McHappy day & because we haven't eaten out in ages - I thought it would be a nice treat to take A for dinner. Oh McHappy day in Milton was BUSY! (Probably because there's a total of 2 McDonald's locations in Milton). But to my surprise, this is what we found in A's happy meal ...

Those are some small fries! - a better serving size for a young lad & a yogurt?! Yay! I loved it for A.

Today was a good day.

& hoping the month of May just flies by.

Saturday

Nothing like having zero plans for the weekend (just the way I like it! - esp. these days).

We took a quick trip to Michael's this morning since I'm starting to work on the details for the baby shower that my mom and cousin insist that I have. I didn't know if it was poor etiquette to have a baby shower for your second baby, but what the heck - our family is the best! I'm so glad that found chalkboard paint in a small size bottle since I've only seen it sold in large pails at Home Depot. So I start this ...

My goal is to use these mini chalkboards for the baby shower as labels for the food! Hoping the paint works and adheres to the wooden planks. Next coat in one hour.

I also picked up this lovely block letter. I have a tendency to look for "Ps" and turn them upside down to make lower case "ds". Need to start filling our home with our touches. It's been 2 years for goodnes sake!

Last night, Aiden and I were all gung-ho about making some chocolate chip banana bread. After I finished sifting the flour ... I went to the fridge to beat the eggs and I was short an egg. Grrr. It kinda felt like when you pour a bowl of cereal for yourself only to realize that you're out of milk - whomp.

So after our taco lunch (all home-made, we haven't bought a meal all week - small win!), I finished the baking and added skor bits to our muffins. Yum.

Perfect kind of Saturday for me.

Finally In Its Place!

Yay! With much effort and the involvement of two families for help - this is finally in its place!
God bless Ryan's soul for surprising me with this fully built one day after work, but those gold wheels - they must go.

Now onto the next challenge ...
We can't seem to locate the mattress that we used for Aiden's crib. How do you misplace a mattress?

A Not So Good Day ...

One of the few things that saves my sanity during the work week is that I carpool with one of my best friends.

Tracy is awesome. I've known her for nearly 8 years now and well she's one of the few people in the world that I can take in high doses. She is caring, nurturing and thoughtful. She's a homebody at heart (just like me), disciplined and determined. I count myself blessed to have this friendship with her & count myself lucky to be part of her life.

Today was my day to drive.
Making fantastic timing along the 401, I suddenly felt weak, dizzy and well just faint.
"Tray, I think I'm going to pass out, maybe even throw up" ... I pull over on the shoulder.
Tray drives the rest of the way to the office (God bless her soul).
My mood swings up and down all day at work. I start to feel better, then I start to feel ... bleh. I just want to keep my eyes closed ... and well maybe lay down. I'm tired, weak.
What makes me nervous is that, our baby may be ready to come - but me, I'm well, I don't feel ready - yet.

Taking it slow tomorrow & working from home.

Ryan has the biggest heart. He has been ... the best husband. Accommodating, patient and kind. (& I'm sure I've tested his limits from time to time). Aiden is my heart. He's so caring when I'm not feeling up to par. "Mama, you feeling ok, Mama? Is baby ok?" (heart melts, instantly)


I'm going to keep a positive outlook. Positive vibes for the health of the baby.
Hoping these feelings pass, third trimester - here we go!

30 Weeks!

The next 10 weeks are going to fly by ... is it too late to say that I'm nervous? lol.

At 30 weeks ...
I'm feeling: big & well emotional (damn hormones). I'm tired again & anxious to start nesting.
I'm craving: nothing specific, but I'm hungry - always
I'm loving: Aiden's curiousity about my growing belly
I'm not looking forward to: labour
I'm most looking forward to: Aiden's first reaction meeting baby

7 weeks of work left.
SEVEN!

Let the countdown begin!

"Do you think baby will like this Mama?"

In great anticipation to be a big brother, Aiden has been asking me if he could buy baby a gift (how do I resist that!). So I took him to chapters today (because I promised if he was a patient boy at the doctor's office we would go).

A: Do you think baby will like this Mama?

C: I think baby will like whatever you get!

A: I like this one. It's so comfy.

C: Sure, what do you want to name the giraffe Aiden?

A: Ummm, Giraffe.

Sold!

That Damn Orange Pop

As mentioned earlier, I had the past 3 days off from work - which have been beyond glorious. It was like a snippet of what's ahead - my Maternity Leave, and I couldn't be more thrilled. The countdown begins, 7 weeks of work left! (which also means, 7 weeks to find and successfully train my replacement ... joy)

The text message that Ryan sent to me yesterday was in regards to something that's going on within my pregnancy. Until now, things have been "perfect" - nothing much to worry about, nothing to be startled about (kind of the way I like it). But of course, things are aren't what they seem - and we have to trust in God that things will always work out in the end. Maybe I'm overreacting ... maybe.

A few weeks ago, I took my Glucose Test, typically done during 24 - 28 weeks of pregnancy - where you drink a orange pop like drink (but not like orange pop - cause orange pop is kind of more delicious) and draw blood after an hour. This test / screening is to check for Gestational Diabetes - a high blood sugar condition that some women get during pregnancy. A week or so after taking the test our (family) doctor called me to book an appointment to discuss my glucose test. (insert nervous shake here, anything that the doctor won't tell you over the phone can't be the best news, right?). So I went for my appointent and apparently my results were high - high enough that I needed to go for further testing. My initial reaction was disbelief. Mainly because I truly felt as if I was "healthier" this pregnancy - not giving in to every single little sweet tooth craving, but eating well, normally. I was shocked. The thought of a "problem" with my baby or myself for that matter - erks me. You can say that I'm not the best person when it comes to crisis-type situations. I was sad. Just cause. I felt like I failed ...

I had my OB appointment yesterday and again, minus the whole glucose thing - all was "perfect". Baby's heart beat is strong (melts my heart every single time), my size is good and well, all was going "according to plan". I was going to take the suggested gestational diabetes test, part 2 - but my doctor failed to tell me I had to fast for 12 hours (a pregs lady fasting for 12 hours - stay outta my way!) I ended up going first thing this morning. They drew blood when I first arrived (to test my total blood count), I had to drink that orange pop drink (tastes even worse when it's the 1st thing you consume in the am) and they drew blood every hour - for 2 hours. & food and drink was not allowed - gah. So my dear buddy Aiden and I waited and waited (& I anxiously and starving-ly watched him have all sorts of snacks that we packed for him in his backpack). Hoping the results are ... OK. and that we're OK.

Thank God I have the best family. 
& that Ryan and A are always there to make sure that I'm the happiest (also because it's in their best interest to do so!, lol). We'll get through it together right? We always have, & we always will.

Mission Baby Crib - Fail ...

I've taken Mon-Wed off this week (mainly because I have days to take before May 1st, or they'll expire) but also for my sanity. 29 weeks and counting - I'm starting to feel more exhausted and my attention span / patience, well - it's pretty much little to none. Hence, the day off from work - lol.

We ventured off to Dear Born Baby, a baby specialized store in Thornhill to get our baby's crib - the crib that I must have. Only to be beyond disappointed to hear that it wasn't going to fit in our car ...
Oh & trust me, I got it from Ryan - he wasn't as mad (disappointment) in me that much because I'm with child (lol), but until normal circumstances - I would've been toast.

But as I mentioned, I have to have this crib. & it seems near impossible to find in the GTA. But I luckily in my google search for "Jenny Lind Toronto", I stumbled across a fellow Torontonian blogger Lindsay who spilled the link! Thank goodness! - & no shipping costs to incur - win! Yes, I paid for the crib anyway - since I knew, it would be (had to be) mine.
EDIT: my cousin who live 10 mins away from Dear Baby Born has graciously offered to pick our crib up!

I'm loving the simplicity of this crib & the fact that it didn't break the budget. Here's some photos of inspiration / the must-have crib in action:
1. Apartment Therapy
2. Hub Pages
3. Project Nursery
4. Design Pad
5. Lay Baby Lay
6. Aubrey & Lindsay

I feel in love with Lay Baby Lay's design a while before I was pregnant - didn't realize until now that it was the same crib! Loving all these inspirations - with 10 weeks to go, it's time to get cracking!

You Are Our Dream

Every moment that we get to spend with you, we realize just how lucky we are. Is it ever possible to feel like you love someone too much? Because A baby, we love you to the moon and back - really.
& I can't believe that in a few months time, you're going to be a big brother! You're going to be fantatstic at it. You already care so much for baby (well, only because you still think that baby is a girl ... you've firmly expressed how angry you would be if baby is a boy - ek!) We couldn't have asked for a more loving, curious, kind and gentle-hearted little boy. Stop growing up so fast.

Baby #2, don't get us wrong - we love you beyond words. You have already made us so happy. & like Daddy said when he found out you were on your way ... "we're like a real family now" :)

Oh Baby! - Nursery Inspiration

Ok. So, I just hit the 25 week mark, which means only 15 more weeks until baby #2 arrives!

(insert panic mode, right about ... now).

I had my second OB appointment this morning. I always wonder what's the point of making an appointment if they don't see you at your scheduled time? Over an hour in the waiting room for a 2 minute checkup. But to hear the words - "everything is perfect", definitely makes it worthwhile. Baby is a great size and baby's heart rate is super normal. Aiden finds so much joy in hearing the waves of sound.

With A, since we were still living with my parents - I didn't get to bask in the luxuries of prepping a nursery. I'm definitely excited for this, this time around. Luckily, I have found a slight addiction to Pinterest, so I've been able to get loads of inspiration for the space. This is what the space looks like, right now ...

Because we decided to keep the sex of our baby a surprise, yet again - we have to choose colours that aren't so gender specific. Here's the colour palette that I would like to work with:

Definitely loving grey and yellow as a colour combo. I will add touches of teal in some details, but who knows - if baby turns out to be a girl, I may have to add some pink tones in there!

Here are some images of inspiration:

1. house36

2. style-files.com

3. source unknown, image found on Pinterest

I've itching to start this project, bit by bit. Step one has to be a haul out of the current things living in the space. This my friends, is where my husband plays a part!

patiently waiting!

We're nearly there! Well (just a little over) halfway. But I have a feeling that the next few weeks are going to FLY by. To be honest, it hasn't really hit me that baby #2 is on the way - mainly because my first trimester this time around was ... needless to say, uncomfortable. I was truly just trying to get by, day-by-day. But now that that's all over with - I can enjoy the joys of being pregnant for the second time around. Aiden is in complete awe of the changes. "Ma, soon you'll be so big that you won't be able to fit inside our house!" - God, I hope that never becomes the case, lol.

This - I can't believe, was almost 4 years ago. Where does time go? To think, that when Aiden was born, we weren't even able to send my Mom (who wasn't able to be there for my labour because of a poorly planned business trip) a photo of him because our phones (Palm Treo) did not have text messaging photo capacity? But this time, if I wanted to - not only could I send a photo like the one above to my entire address book, but I could also tweet my entire labour for all my followers to "experience" or frequently update my status on facebook via my iPhone. I could also take a quick video of the first few moments and post it on vimeo - or right onto my blog or tumblr - or ... well, you get the point.

I can't wait to relive all the firsts. Especially being in our own home & with A along for the ride. In 17 weeks, we'll be a family of four.