Big News!

So... I haven't visited the blog in over 3 months... CRAZY, I know, and totally not like me, but I've had a very good excuse ... I'm pregnant with number 2 or as I like to say: The Sequel. This baby has been draining the life outta me for the last few months, or perhaps just the blogging life out of me.

Either way... while I love to write and rant, I just couldn't bring myself to spare a moment for the blog... and sadly enough I haven't even been reading any blogs lately. All things bloggy have just dropped out of my life. But... no more! While I can't promise to blog on a regular basis, I can promise to TRY to keep my little space of the blogosphere a little more interesting than the last little while.

For starters, I had my 20 week ultrasound yesterday and we found out some pretty exciting news. My first pregnancy we decided to do it the old fashion way and wait until the baby's arrival to find out it was Baby Boy. This time around... we did the opposite and utilized the fabulous technology to get to know the newest addition to our family a little bit earlier.

There were two choices.... BOY or GIRL, Baby Brother or Baby Sister for E....
After a lengthy ultrasound... we got the good news, E is going to have a...
Two boys for this family... and we are pretty excited! It's so weird knowing... because in my head I am already picking out the coordinating outfits they will wear to special events, and I am sure PC is thinking they will be close enough in age to play on the same sports teams! I think the bond of brothers is a special thing... and I am so happy it will be part of our family!

I have just under 5 months to finalize all the details for the arrival of: The Sequel - and I really can't wait. From moving E into a new room and picking out new things for this baby boy - its going to be a busy couple of months - yet a lot of excitement as we build towards December 6th.

I promise to keep you updated on all things baby, but also few pregnancy hormones stories. I don't anticipate flying tacos this time around - or anything too crazy, but ya never know when pregnancy takes over and my filter quits working... I've come close a few times this week!

At any rate.... thanks for checking back with me - and I am so happy to be able to share my exciting news with you!

Baby BOYS! Yay!

2008 A Year in Review

I did this last year... and I thought it worked well, so I am going to do it again (and probably every year).

It's the titles of a few posts from each month of the year.... that quickly sum up 2008 in a nutshell! If you only joined me half way through the year, this may be a good way to catch up on what you missed, and if you have been a faithful reader all along... this is just a quick refresher of what we've been through via this blog, during the past year.

So ... here we go, a quick look at 2008...:

January
-2008, The Year of Getting What I Want
-Mamma Mia
-Update from Sunny Punta Cana (Toubi & Vicki's Wedding)

February
-Rascal Flatts Concert
-Ba-hum-bug!(rant on Christmas lights)
-Déjà 20 ans! (Elizabeth Manley wins Olympic silver)

March
-The Big Storm
-T.O isn't such a bad place after all (trip to see good friends)
-It was a good Friday indeed! (Carrie Underwood concert)
-A picture is worth a thousand words! (Baby Coleman is on the way)

April
-Throwing Caution to the Wind (our decision to start a family)
-Random Grocery Store Sighting (spotted by one of my readers!)
-Baby Belly # 1 (first belly pic)
-Second Look at Baby Coleman (ultrasound #2)
-Grandparents are a gift! (remembering my grandparents)

May
-Prenatal Classes
-Baby Belly Update
-Back from the Big Apple (our trip to NYC)

June
-A trip to Yankee Stadium
-Snapshots from Halifax
-A new addition to the family (our new Escape)
-Here's a tip (find out the sex of the baby!)

July
-Belly Update #3
-And the rings come off!
-PC's Big 3-0 Party!
-Baby Coleman @ 30 weeks
-A letter to my first born
-King-Nelles Wedding, Evolution of Dance

August
-Nesting
-I thought breastfeeding was the cheaper option

September
-Belly Update 36 weeks
-Not working... weird (maternity leave begins)
-Presenting Baby Coleman's Bedroom Suite
-The last child free anniversary (PC & I celebrate our 3rd Ann.)
-Overdue: Day 1

October
-Our New Baby Boy!
-My Labour Story
-Happy Halloween (E's first)

November
-Things I have learned in a month (E is 1 month old)
-Phantom Crying
-Easy my ass!

December
-Household appliance meltdown
-2 months and counting
-Malls, strangers, and shopping with a baby!
-Christmas Traditions
-Merry Christmas

Well... there you have it! 2008 here and gone. It was an exciting year... there have been lots of highs this year ... a trip down south, finding out PC and I were having a baby, our trip to New York City, pregnancy in general but none as exciting as the arrival of my baby boy, and and being a new Mom... nothing will compare to 2008 for these reasons, but I am looking forward to 2009 and everything it has to offer!

Cheers to '09!

My Labour Story

Okay... so here it is, my account of labour and E's birth!

You may want to grab a coffee and a donut... its a bit of a long account!

E was born on Sunday, October 5th at 10:52PM, but it was a definite 24 to 36 hours of pain and agony excitement that I had to endure before he actually arrived.

A few days leading into the Saturday night, I had sporadic contractions (and mild in comparison of what was to come...), I knew something was happening but its funny how I really wasn't convinced it was anything major until I actually was at the hospital.

On Saturday afternoon I had made plans with some friends (shout out to Clapper & Boyder) to spend the afternoon shopping and the evening chilling out with them while PC was off to Winchester to referee hockey. I would say we were spending quality time together, but it was more like they were babysitting me, so PC could have some peace of mind while reffing.

As a precaution, when PC and I left our house on Saturday, I put my bag for the hospital in the car (just in case), but fully intended I would sleep in my own bed that night.

The afternoon was okay... I went shopping with the girls, to Pier 1, Home Sense, etc... and during our outing I was working through some contractions in the stores. We ended up going to Lonestar for dinner, and the contractions were still present (which sucked because it ruined my appetite for fajitas). By the time dinner was over and we were back at Clapper's house... I would say the contractions were pretty steady, to the point where the girls and I started timing them... every 12 minutes, every 10 minutes, every 8 minutes.

We spent the evening hanging up some stuff on the walls at Clapper's house. I was in the game every 6 minutes, then would feel a contraction coming on, take a time-out, and then resume my duties of holding the level or screwing in a screw, it was quite humorous ... looking back on it.

By about 11 pm... I was upstairs on the bed at Clapper's and really doing whatever I could mentally to get through each contraction. I think PC called somewhere around 11:30, and Clapper basically told him to 'get here' ... while Boyder and I talked about whether or not to go to the hospital.

I decided that when PC came to pick me up, we would stop at the hospital to see what they had to say... I thought it would be easier to stop in and be sent home, then to drive all the way home only to have to come back in a few hours if the labour intensified.

So... PC drove like a mad-man to get to Clapper's, picked me up about midnight-ish - and then drove like a mad-man to the hospital. The contractions were about every 4 or 5 minutes. To my surprise, the nurse at triage gave us a bed immediately and checked me out - no waiting whatsoever. She determined that my contractions were about every 3 to 4 minutes, and that I was 4cms dilated.

At that point, I think I let out a 'holy shit'! 4 cms... I was thinking I would be 1 cm, not 4. 4 is almost half way to 10, I was ALMOST half way to pushing. The nurse offered to give me a shot for the pain, and for a while I hesitated thinking I didn't need it as I was working through each contraction, but then she told me it might let me rest a bit, so I gladly took it and it helped with the pain and calmed me a bit too.

She checked me again in an hour and I was 4.5 cms ... she told me to get some rest if I could and at that point, I sent PC home to change (out of his dress clothes), make some phone calls, and retrieve the baby's bag that was still at the house. The OB on call that night saw us, and told us that I wasn't going to be sent home, they would admit me when I wanted to get the epidural.

PC left for home and returned, while I rested the entire time, still feeling the contractions but not really any pain. The nurse instructed us to walk the halls for an hour and then she would reassess me. We did so, but I was still 4.5 cms and the labour had slowed considerably.

By 8 am Sunday morning they gave us a room, but my contractions were back to being sporadic and not all that intense. I went in the tub for a few hours, laid on the bed, and walked the halls some more, but there were no real signs that the baby would be arriving anytime soon!

By 2 pm Sunday afternoon, they decided to break my water to speed things up, ... and WOW, did it ever! The contractions came back fast and furious, and double the pain. I went from being in a zen state of mind, to I WANT TO DIE, HOLY SHIT, GIVE ME A GUN. My in laws showed up around 3 pm and probably saw me in my finest form... but at that point it didn't matter - all I wanted was for SOMEONE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, GIVE ME AN EPIDURAL.

The nurse I had in the afternoon was not in favour of giving me the epidural, until I showed I was in active labour again - I don't know how she could tell that as she was NEVER in the room with me (although she was very nice). By 3:30 PM, my luck had changed as my good friend, Sophie Savage 9 (SS9), surprised me by coming in on her day off to work the evening shift so could be right by my side to delivery Baby Coleman. I was ecstatic to see her, although I am not sure my faced showed that emotion! She arrived on the scene and immediately step things into high gear, she arranged for the epidural at lightning speed and within an hour of her arrival, I was on cloud 9!

The epidural was a quick and painless process... it took about 5 minutes to administer, and another 5 to kick in. After that, it seemed like I was on a totally different planet, a much better one than the one I just came from!

It was kind of a blessing that my labour progressed (or didn't progress) the way it did, as it allowed my parents to make the 8 hour trip from the North... and arrive in enough time to share in the arrival of their first grandson.

After I received the epidural, things progressed rather nicely... I went from 4 cms, to 5cms, to 7cms, then to 10cms by 7pm. At 8pm, SS9 cleared the room of visitors... and PC and my Mom stayed behind as the pushing was about to begin.

I pushed for over 2 hours... in the beginning it was going really good, SS9, PC, and my Mom were very encouraging and when they told me they could see the head and that the baby had hair, I was thinking it wasn't going to be very long before I could meet the baby.

However... his head was turned and kept turning, he wouldn't keep his chin tucked in, so I pushed and pushed and pushed, and well everyone commented 'your doing good... good job', no progress was really being made. Just after 10PM, SS9 got the doctor to come in as she said the we would need some assistance to get the baby out. I was near exhaustion at that point and was really willing to do anything.

When the doctor arrived on the scene, she could see that the baby's head needed to be turned. When she started to explain to me what her best advice was, I thought I was heading for a c-section, but she wasn't thinking that at all. She said I could still deliver vaginally with the assistance of FORCEPS and an EPISIOTOMY.

I didn't have a strict birth plan going in, but in my head the last two things I wanted to happen where the use of forceps and to be cut. However, at that point... after 2 hours of pushing, I really just wanted the baby out... and the labour over with, so without much hesitation I agreed with the doctor, and all of the nodding heads in the room, and the doctor went to work.

I really don't remember feeling PAIN per say... but I do know that the doctor had to use some force, and the baby didn't come out easily. By the look on my Mom's face... it was not pretty what the doctor was doing. I could hear the forceps being used and between the tugging and pulling, I became pretty upset... thinking to myself: GOD, PLEASE HELP ME.

But after a few minutes of sheer terror, I heard a cry and before I knew it SS9 was laying Little E on my chest, while PC was announcing 'ITS A BOY Sars, A BABY BOY'!

I couldn't really process seeing him for the first time... I was still trying to get over what I just went through to bring him into the world... but once I got myself together, I looked at him, and looked at PC and my Mom and could see he was absolutely perfect. 10 fingers, 10 toes, and some outdoor plumbing. He had some bruising from the forceps, but aside from that... I thought he was pretty handsome!

The moments after the birth... are bit fuzzy. I do remember the doctor hammering on my stomach to deliver the placenta... and then it seemed to take her an awfully long time to stitch me up, but I will say she did an EXCELLENT job at that, as the after care at home has been relatively painless.

I can't say enough about my nurse SS9 - she is the BEST. If you have the pleasure of delivering at the Mont Fort Hospital in Ottawa, ask for Sophie! She went above and beyond the call of duty for me, and although her shift was done at 11:30 that night, she stayed with us until 1AM, ensuring that I got to breastfeed E, and that we were all safe and sound before she left. She really was fantastic... thanks Soph!

SS9 and Little E

I know a lot people say that once you see the baby, the pain and trauma of labour all go away... and while I will admit that seeing E for the first time was nothing short of amazing, I think it will be a very long time before I forget the last 5 minutes leading up to his birth.

Having said that... it is all very worth it but I think I will just enjoy him for a few years before we go planning to give him a sibling!!

Our New Baby Boy!

PC and I are pleased to welcome to the world...

Emery Charles Coleman

He was born on Sunday, October 5th, 2008 @ 10:52 PM, weighing 7lbs 9ozs, and measuring 20.5 inches.


Our world has been changed in so many ways, many of which leave me speechless... I will say that it was love at first sight for both PC and I - we think he is absoultely beautiful.


We just arrived home yesterday for the hospital and are still getting to know one another... but all is well at the Coleman household.



I hope to blog more soon, but right now lack of sleep and little E are preventing me from resuming my regular blogging duties.


For now... a few pictures of our new bundle of joy to tide you over.
Cheers!

Overdue: Day 4

Well, I am not quite as miserable as I thought I would be on Day 4.

I think it may because I am making progress... two nights ago, PC and I ventured out for a walk and it brought on some contractions... not super painful or anything, but enough for me to know that something was happening.

I went to the doctor yesterday who tells me that I am primed and ready to go into labour anytime, but that its not up to him, its up to the baby when that happens. He went as far as to schedule me for an induction on October 8th (next Wednesday), if Baby Coleman decides to stay put until then.

Last night, I went to bed, only to be woke up every hour on the hour with a lot of cramping. 12:15 am, 1:15 am, 2:15 am... this went on until 6:15 am... but now that I am up and at 'em, the pains are less intense but still occurring. I like to think this is a good sign, the baby is definitely doing its part to get ready, and so I am going to do mine, by trying to rest up as much as I can until he/she is ready to greet the world.

I sort of have peace of mind right now, knowing that if nothing happens this weekend... something will at least happen by next Wednesday, which has put me in good spirits. PC has hockey all weekend, and my favourite labour and delivery nurse, SS9, is off for 4 days, so it would be nice now if the baby held off until next week, but of course we will gladly take any action that comes our way.

That's all for now.
Hopefully my next post can be about the arrival of Baby Coleman... stay tuned!

Overdue: Day 1

So it begins... I am overdue.

Day 1 wasn't too damn eventful. I started the day out with a Timmies coffee, had some yogurt for breakfast, and then went into cleaning and tidying mode most of the day.

I talked to my parents for a bit... PC came home from work a bit early, and since then I have just been doing laundry and walking up and down the stairs as much as possible - good times!

I even got up the energy to make a batch of spaghetti sauce .. so at least supper will be good.

Last night... on my actual due date, PC took some pics of the belly, complete with a shot of my lovely stretch mark that appeared last week! I thought I would post them for your viewing pleasure!

Enjoy!

Baby Belly @ 40 weeks

Presenting... Baby Coleman's Bedroom Suite!

Well... its been a few months in the making... but Baby Coleman's gender neutral room is finally ready for its reveal.

I have to say this was a joint effort between PC and I... my ideas, but he had to carry out the majority of the work and installation. He painted the walls and assembled the furniture, while I wore the white hat and carried the bull horn!

I am very happy with how it turned out... and I hope Baby Coleman loves it just as much as I do!

Now... the moment you've all been waiting for:

Belly Update - 36 Weeks!

Well a few of you have been emailing me on the side and leaving some comments asking for a belly shot update.

I didn't get time to do the bare belly shot, but while at the cottage this weekend, my BFF (Kristy) took a few pics of me... and PC too, for your viewing pleasure.

This is the belly at exactly 36 weeks, less than 4 weeks to go now until my official due date - I can hardly believe it

I can also hardly believe that it is officially September... back in January, I never thought September would ever get here, and now that it has I have a feeling its going fly by!

Anyways... back to the photos that some of you have been long awaiting!
Enjoy!

As well... since the weather the cottage was soooo beautiful all weekend, I couldn't resist posting this one of the gorgeous sunset on the Georgian Bay.

A Letter To My First Born

Dear Baby Coleman,

It's hard to believe that you have been inside my belly for 30 weeks now. I remember the day that your dad and I found out we created you... what an overwhelming feeling that was to know that you were on your way.

Then came all of the testing and verifying that we weren't crazy, that you were in fact real, growing and developing at a rapid pace.

The first ultrasound we had of you at 11 weeks brought tears to my eyes, I almost didn't believe you were real until I saw that little heart of yours beating so fast.... that moment was really life changing for both your dad and I.

A few days after we saw you, we shared the news of your pending arrival with your grandparents, aunts and uncles, and our close friends - and our excitement and anticipation of your arrival grew enormously.

Then we saw you again at 17 weeks... and you had changed so dramatically... but you had a distinct face already: ears, nose, mouth, and your little feet - already leaving footprints on our hearts.

During the last 7 months I have really developed quite a bond with you... we seem to have a good relationship so far... you immediately alert me when I am doing something I shouldn't be... like trying to sleep on my stomach, or reaching for something on the top shelf - and I like that, as I often need to be kept in line.

Just the other day we saw you at another ultrasound, you have tripled in size since our last peak at you at 17 weeks. You seem to think its fun to keep your hands and feet in front of your face at all times but I guess that's because your starting to get a little cramped in your current living quarters.

Your dad and I keep trying to speculate whether you have indoor or outdoor plumbing... but we will have to wait a little while longer before we know for sure! Either way, we will love you and cherish you, because you are ours!

I have been doing a lot of reading lately on parenting, and being a mother, and caring for a newborn, and I have to admit - I have no clue what I am getting myself into! I am hoping your dad has some better insight in this parenting business or else you could be in store for one wild ride! I am confident that we'll get the hang of it, hopefully before your old enough and smart enough to figure out that we're making it up as we go along!

In the last little while I have made many comments that start with 'I don't want to be that parent who...' - I have a lot of expectations for myself, and I know that I won't ever be the perfect parent, but I am hoping that in some small way, I can be as good of mother to you, as your grandma has been to me.

We only have 10 short weeks before we actually meet each other in person, and I can't wait for that day. I hoping you won't surprise us with an early arrival, as I have quite the laundry list of things for your dad to do before you make your entrance! But, no matter when you decide to join us, we will be ready and waiting to bring you home and welcome you into our family.

With anticipation....
Love Mom
xoxo

Baby Coleman @ 30 wks

Today we had an ultrasound to check up on the baby and my previously low-lying placenta.

The good news is the placenta has moved far far away from my cervix, so the threat of a planned c-section no longer looms at this point, which was great news! The baby's head is also facing down now, so if I were to go into labour tomorrow this would be a good thing too!

In previous ultrasounds at 11 wks and 17 wks there was lots of room for the baby to move about - today's ultrasound showed just how cramped up the baby really is... hands and feet covering its face ... it was hard to get a good picture this time around, but the technician was able to snap one (see below), when the baby peaked at us for a brief moment.

Still no clues on the sex... we didn't see ANYTHING, the technician didn't go anywhere near the baby's privates, but PC and I are still thinking boy for some reason (however we did look at the Chinese gender calendar today, and according to the chart, it's a girl... so who knows!).

Here is Baby Coleman at 30 wks:

Belly Update #3

I have had a few requests lately for a belly pic update.... this one is especially for Darlene!

Here's the belly at 27 weeks... its growing by the day according to PC, and the scale too! I can't really complain... I am slowing down by the week, but I am trying to accept that this is what it is suppose to be like!

I still don't think I am overly HUGE for being just a few days shy of 7 months pregnant, but perhaps I will be eating my words in a month!

Anyways... for your viewing pleasure, check out the belly where Baby Coleman is currently living (rent free) and will be for the next few months!

Pregnant Lady Freak Out!

We interrupt your regular scheduled programing to bring you: Freak out from a Pregnant Lady!

Hooooooooooooooly shit - can you believe we are in July already?

Back in June, I was feeling a little moody, but not at all overwhelmed by the thought of having a baby in September. I actually felt that June dragged by a bit... the weather was nothing to write home about, and my social life wasn't all that active either! I keep saying to myself, 4 long months to go... lots of time!

But now.... July has arrived - and I have a feeling its going to whiz by... PC and I have plans every weekend of July from here on in... and then for us, July rolls nicely into the first two weeks of August, so by the time we get done our festivities, weddings, and holidays the baby's arrival will only be 6 short weeks away - and even less than that if the baby decides to pretend its not ours and arrive early!

This weekend I made major, and I mean MAJOR progress on OPERATION CLEAR OUT, of one of our spare rooms... the room that will be made into the nursery. I wasn't quite aware of how much stuff crap we have managed to accumulate in the last 3 years. This spare room has a spacious closet, and so whenever I didn't know where to put something, I would just causally throw it in the closet.... well now, I need this closet for all of the designer clothes the baby will own, and it turns out there are a lot things in there that needed to find a new home.

Luckily with my nesting skills I managed to find a new home for just about everything... and have narrowed down the crap to just 3 tubs that still need to find a home, but I am confident I can do that over the course of the week.

Then next phase is to get the crib bedding and accessories in, select paint, and then put PC to work on actually doing the painting... and then - well the list goes on and on and on and on.

Do I feel like 'WE' are anywhere close to being ready? NO.
Am I confident it 'WE' will get it all done before the baby arrives? YES.
Do I think I will have a few more freak outs before 'WE' get everything in place? DEFINITELY.

Let's hear from some of the experience prego couples out there... did you or your wife/girlfriend (for the men out there) have any major freak outs on the way while you were preparing for the arrival of your little one(s)?

Note to all who are brave enough to comment: this is where you strategically post things like 'don't worry Sara, it will all get done' or 'this is normal, you have nothing to worry about' or 'don't stress... I have full confidence in you that you will be prepared'!

Pregnancy Update

Well... I have been pretty much consuming the blog with my travels lately... and haven't done much chit-chat on the pregnancy, so I thought a little update on Baby Coleman might be appreciated by some of you.

Let's see.... where to begin:

• Well.. I am at the 25 week mark this week... seems crazy to think that I am already 6 months pregnant, it feels like yesterday that we were deciding when to tell our parents - and in 3 short (hot, humid, sweaty) months we will be greeting our little boy or girl!
• I am getting bigger (talk about a no brainer)... ! The funniest thing this morning was when a colleague said to me 'Wow, you have really popped!' and I replied 'Really? I think its just my pants today,' and she said 'No Sara, I am pretty sure its not your pants!' - I guess I am in denial a bit.
• I use to be able to put on a baggy sweatshirt and look like my 'old' self, but now the belly is starting to stick out even in the baggy sweats... there's no covering it up, no matter how hard I try!
• Last month I had some pretty good emotional 'episodes'. I say episodes, because I was acting only like someone out of a soap opera or tv-sitcom. Definitely some of my least proudest moments... and I am sure there were various points were PC wanted to just pack up and bail, and NO ONE would have blamed him, but I guess this is why I married him, as he is about the one and only person will stick me out of sheer love!!
• I watched the movie 'Knocked Up' on Sunday night... it was on the movie channel. The first time I saw this movie I thought it was funny, but watching it again - I cried I laughed so hard in some parts - especially when Ben (the boyfriend) is screaming at Alison (prego): 'You know what, I know this isn't you talking, it's your hormones, but I would just like to say, F#%CK YOU, HORMONES, YOU ARE A CRAZY BITCH, HORMONES--not Alison, HORMONES.' PC could so relate that part.... for sure!
• I am starting to think that I might be having a boy... I say this because during my little episodes, I had more rage than sobbing... so I am thinking its got to be some extra testosterone in my body. If it was a girl, I think I would be more likely to sob over a cute puppy on the dog food commercial! But of course, we still have no idea what it is - heartbeat is fairly high, which is a good indication for a girl, but mostly everything else in this pregnancy points to the signs for a boy - so I guess we'll see in 15 weeks!
• I have slowly realized that I can't do as much as I think I can do... my body just hates me for it later, so I am learning to slow down - slowly! I was out for a walk the other night and when I would get up to a good pace, I would get a cramp in my lower stomach, so I would have to slow it down. What use is going for a walk if you have to act like you're an 85 year-old lady with a walker - brutal!
• PC and I finally got our baby registry started... its amazing the amount of stuff Babies R Us makes you think you need for one small child - I mean seriously, if you listened to everything the sales people in that store told you, we would easily need to take out a second mortgage on the house! Luckily, we tried to narrow it down to the necessities... but still - it is quite overwhelming. PC had control over the scanning gun, so at first he was a little scan-happy with the thing, but I got him under control about 15 minutes in and we were able to agree on just about everything!

Overall... pregnancy is going well - I can and do complain about some things, but in general I am still loving the fact that there is a little human being in my belly, that kicks me just when I get comfortable, or wakes me up in the night to say hi - these are the fun things about being pregnant and I wouldn't change them for the world!

Baby Belly Update

So... it's been a few weeks since my last belly photo shoot! Here is the belly at 20 weeks. Slowly getting bigger and rounder. It's hard to believe I am at the half way mark already. Things are progressing nicely... baby is moving around more and more, and I am starting to get uncomfortable when sleeping in the same position for long periods of time. My bladder can't make it more than 2 hours max, which is far cry from my pre-pregnancy hold outs of 6 or 7 hours!

Overall the baby is doing well... I have a low-lying placenta, which could mean a number of things down the road, but at this stage, I have been told to take it easy and not to do anything too strenuous! Of course, I am not one of those people that has to be told those orders twice!

Being this size is actually not too bad, and I think I can say that this stage of pregnancy definitely agrees with me. If only I could hold this physique until the end!

Baby Belly @ 20 weeks

Second look at Baby Coleman!

Yesterday I had my second ultrasound... and I was thrilled to see Baby Coleman kicking and moving about. All seems to be well with him/her... he/she is developing well and is looking good for a mere 17 weeks. Right now... this baby weighs7 ounces, and measures13 cms (give or take a few as she/he was a bit curled up)! Baby Coleman's heart rate was strong at 150 bpm... and everything looked great for the 20 minutes of viewing pleasure I had with my little one.

I think I am slowly starting to feel the baby move, but can't be sure yet if its just my uterus playing tricks on me, or if in fact it is the baby. Each day gets more and more exciting and every day I learn something new about pregnancy!

Here are two pictures from yesterday's ultrasound... PC and I are going back and forth on what we think the sex might be, I am leaning towards a girl, he is fairly certain its a boy. Only 23 weeks until we will be able to settle this one... but just for kicks, what do you think: Boy or Girl?

Baby Belly #1

First of the baby belly pics... this one is at 17 weeks and counting! Slowly but surely there is a little someone in there and he/she is starting to make a visual presence, as you can see!

Throwing Caution to the Wind

Editor's Note: This is a post that I wrote several months ago just documenting some thoughts I had at the time about getting in the frame of mind of starting a family. I knew I wouldn't post it the day I wrote it, but now that we are expecting our first child, I thought it might be neat to share it.

Written October 3, 2007

This is a post I have been wanting to write for a while, one that I have been thinking about pretty regularly over the past few weeks, but yet one that I know I will not post for a while.

For the record, I am not pregnant, but I believe I am in that state of pre-pregnancy that I refer to as 'throwing caution to the wind'. As I like to say, we are now being 'cautiously uncautious'.

PC and I have actively stopped using any form of birth control (please Mom and Dad, stick with me here!), which means that we are somewhat comfortable with the fact that if I was to get pregnant we wouldn't be shocked or upset, but as I said, comfortable with the thought of becoming parents.

It's a time in my life that is exciting... mentally. I feel really content to think that, although scared of the thought of child birth, I want to be a Mom to a baby conceived out of love and commitment and all those sappy things that come along with a good marriage. The fact that I can nurture a baby in my own body is something that is exciting and many of my thoughts these days drift towards what our baby would be like - what type of parents we would be - what type of relationship we would have as parents.

My excitement is of course much different from PC's, because with this decision, his sex life just got a whole better - which is pretty much every man's dream. We are both excited, but I can see his excitement is different from mine.

It's scary to think that in my life I have reached this point of maturity where I actually think I can be a parent. Of course, I often second guess myself when I see a kid in our neighbourhood walk past the house with jet black hair, shaved up into a mohawk, leather coat with studs all over it, and a smoke hanging out of his mouth at the tender age of 15... all the while I am thinking: what is stopping my kid from turning out like that?

Parenting, and becoming parents isn't a cake walk, but beyond seeing those kids that you wonder: who are their parents? - I think we are ready for this challenge, and this is a type of excitement that exceeds any other in my lifetime.

It's scary to think of the heartache and misfortunes that are very possible with pregnancy, but I am from the belief system that says: everything that happens, happens for a reason. I believe the saying goes 'it's by taking chances that we learn to brave' - and I would hate to close off this option in my life for fear of the unknown. In this situation, if misfortunes arise, I know that PC and I will get through it together - because we are brave individuals, and together we are even stronger.

Yes... as we now actively throw caution to the wind - I am giddy, the wondering and the guessing of if/when I will become pregnant is a whole new chapter in my life - the first of very long book that I have yet to write, or a few thousands post that I have yet to compose.

I know today, no one will read this, but I really wanted to put my thoughts together in a post for me, just for me now, but hopefully for all of you later - to support the announcement of a baby on the way! Yay!

I need a t-shirt that says...

I am quickly finding out that when you tell people you are pregnant you get some standard questions... so I think I need a t-shirt that says:

1. I am feeling great - no morning sickness at all.

2. We aren't going to find out the sex.

3. My exact due date is September 29th.

4. Both sets of parents were very excited to hear the news.

I laugh because these are the answers to questions I always ask people when I hear they are expecting, but it doesn't register with me that they already been asked the same questions by 150 other people who also just found out!

I am not complaining though... all the warm wishes from friends and family has been overwhelming, we are super excited, and all of the emails, comments, and facebook messages are very sweet!

Now that the news is out in the open you can expect many posts to come on pregnancy, kids, and how clueless I am about the very big world of all things baby.

Stay tuned.... and thanks again for all of the nice comments!

A picture is worth a thousand words!

Baby Coleman is on the way... due to arrive September 29th, 2008!