Belly Pics

Pre-Pregnancy (maybe imagine a little extra winter weight)

8 Weeks-


12 Weeks


15 Weeks- I was going to do a photo every 4 weeks but I did this one early because I felt like there was a big change- notice my top button is undone
Belly measurement (at largest point)- 35.5"


18 weeks


20 Weeks


24 weeks


28 weeks




34 weeks






































37 weeks- widest part around= 42"

October Showers

More Random Pics

Simon did a henna design on my baby belly.


















Simon setting up the crib that finally arrived.
















































Hugo, testing out the car seat. Whadda ya think, Hugo?















Hugo reading up on what to expect.

The Name Game

What's in a name?
How far along? 34 weeks, 3 days



I'd say the most common question I get now, besides "when are you due?" is "so, have you picked out a name?" Ahhh a name. It is really not an easy thing picking out a name for your child. Now I believe that there is a lot to a name. I am not into numerology and have not consulted the cabilarian society about potential names but I do go so far as to think that your name does have a part in forming your personality and can lead people to an impression of you before they even know you. I also think that she, our baby, should inform us as to her name... meaning, we don't believe that you should just choose a name for your child and that is that.
We've always said that we will come up with a short list of names and when she is born we will look at her and see what suits her- and hope to goodness that one of the names we came up with will suit her. Well, recently I've come to wonder about that...is it possible that we have already found her name, that we have already been informed as to what her name is?

Someone said to me, when discussing this topic, that when you find the name you will "just know". I didn't argue with him but thought how can you just decide on someone's name before meeting them?
A little while back, Simon and I were driving in the car and discussing the names we had on our list. Did we still like them? What was our feeling of what a person with that name might be like?... Those sort of things. There were a couple of names that we revisited that we liked but both seemed not quite right. Then I said, taking the 2 names we had just been discussing and mashing them together (hey if "Glee" can do mash ups...), what about Blah Blah Blah?
We both went silent. Blah Blah Blah.
I got goosebumps, so did Simon and I swear to you (knowing how hokey this will sound I say anyway) I started to tear up...Simon too. We actually had a physical and emotional reaction to the name. Now I hope you are not thinking we are considering naming our baby girl Blah Blah Blah...seriously now. Days go by and we check in with each other about the name again...are we still "feeling" it? Yes from both of us. We contemplated...is it possible that this is her name? That we have found her name without even seeing her? How can you deny a reaction such as the one we had? So we are pretty sure that is her name...we will still see if it suits her when we meet her.

So what is the name, you ask? I'm not telling. We have sworn each other to secrecy.

That's a whole other topic. The protection of a name for a child not born yet. It's funny how possessive you can feel over a name. We have even been forbidden from friends of ours to name our baby, Such and Such. They're not even expecting and they told us that they have the name reserved. Now that's ridiculous. Just keep it to yourself if you don't want someone to "steal" it.
Anyway, our whole thought about our name is that we want her to be the first to hear it...it is her name after all.

Oh crap, now we have to come up with a middle name? Do people really need middle names?

Baby Booty

Accumulating accoutrements.

How far along? 31 weeks, 5 days

Wow! The time is passing quickly and our little girl will be joining us soon. Some people are starting to ask if there will be a baby shower and are we ready. The answer is yes and no respectively. Let's not even talk about being mentally ready. Anyway, as for a shower...there will be one before the birth- as I tell everybody...we need all the help as we can get!
I find this topic awkward but here goes.
So for those of you who are wishing to help us prepare for the arrival for our baby we have registered at the following places...


Sears- we loved that items could be purchased from anywhere and picked up locally.
Gift Cards to Sears would be awesome as well because once we have our essentials we would like finance a trip east to see our families around Christmas and show off our baby (with the help of Sears Travel).
http://www.giftregistry.sears.ca/gift/servlet/LookupServlet
registry #: 201119442519



Pebble Baby- A great Vancouver store that I worked at for a while and again items can be ordered online or by phone and picked up
http://www.pebblebaby.com
https://www.pebblebaby.com/index.php/adjgiftreg/index/view/code/5e69d19b5dcdd417732174d7cdcecb92/


Toots 'n Tots- Simon and I have decided to use cloth diapers and this is a great local business that we would love to support.
http://tootsntots.com/main/shop/registry-for-marie-west-simon-martel/

So there you have it folks!

Midwife Talks About...

Is anyone recording this?

How far along? 29 weeks, 4 days

There is a schedule of conversations that we have with our midwife depending on what visit we are at...it is their format and various topics are covered from vitamin supplements, likelihood of gestational diabetes testing, pre-natal classes etc. This particular visit was about sex. It went something like this. "We recommend that in your last trimester you have lots of sex. Especially after week 36."...sounds rough. The midwife suggested some positions for comfort and went on to explain more about the recommendation...if we needed justification.
"Not only does sex give the uterus practice contracting, if you orgasm, but there is a hormone present in ejaculate that induces labour."
Now I had just read this in "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" (I highly recommend) or I would be looking for the camera's.
Prostaglandins are the magic ingredient and it helps "soften and ripen the cervix". Also oxytocin is released by the woman following orgasm which contracts the uterus.
Pitocin (a synthetic form of Oxytocin) and forms of Prostaglandins are often used by hospitals to induce labour...why not choose the natural way? Sounds more fun.
Anyway, here is where it got interesting. "Frequent sex during the last weeks of pregnancy can help bring on labour naturally. The hormones from ejaculate are absorbed by the cervix but are even better absorbed by the stomach lining."

And I leave you with that.

Hormonal Hypersensitivity

Well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.


How far along? 27 weeks, 5 days



Today I had my first pregnancy meltdown. Last night was a rough night...it was hot and the neighbours kept waking us up with rowdy songs and something that sounded like wood chopping...wt??? Anyway, Simon worked late and had to be up for a fitting in the morning. Not only were our neighbours driving us nuts but apparently I was snoring...I know I was snoring because I kept waking myself up in my snoring fervour. I woke up at one point to find Simon with a pillow over his head in what I could only assume was an attempt to block out the neighbours wood chopping and my chainsawing. The night progressed with much tossing and turning on both our parts. Tossing and turning for me does not mean a simple shift to the other side...no...it means I have to sit up, roll over and re-adjust belly or leg support pillows followed by a flurry of activity from within the belly, in protest or delight from out little one I will not know, and this only after laying there for a moment to assess whether the move was actually worth it in the first place. I am incredibly sensitive about snoring...I dread doing it, or disturbing anyone with it and this is probably why I am so quick to wake up when I do it...usually.

One of the side effects of pregnancy, so I have read, is a stuffy nose. Great! That on top of my rhinitis (yes, it's a real thing) so I reckon that suck (ha ha...Freudian slip)-such a symptom would also increase snoring activity.
Anyway, our alarms were set for the same time and Simon was up and sitting on the bed before the alarm went off and I swear he sighed. Yes...sighed...that was the trigger. I said...if you had so much trouble sleeping because of my snoring, then why didn't you just go sleep in another room? That wasn't the end. No. I made us some oatmeal and while the oats stewed so did I.

I sat down on the couch to eat my oatmeal, Simon wasn't ready for his yet, and when he came in to join me he kissed me on the head and said good morning. REALLY! He has the nerve to be nice to me when I am so mad at him?!! and I told him so.
You know, I am mad at you. Do you think it's easy for ME? I know you had a hard time sleeping last night but try not being able to breathe all night, not being able to get comfortable because of your bulging belly, getting leg cramps AND having to get up to pee every 3 hours not just last night but EVERY night! At least if you can't sleep you can change something so you can. So rather than sighing and making me feel badly about keeping you up all night the least you could do is just sleep somewhere else instead of keep subjecting yourself to my torture and sighing about it- because you know-you can change something to make it easier on yourself.
Of course him having to get up to sleep in another room would probably make me feel badly too but that's beside the point. What's really the issue here? Simon, poor guy, just said "I'm sorry." and gave me my space. Geez, even as I write this I am getting all teary and stuff...stupid hormonal sensitivity. Anyway, that's what I did next...cried. Not a lot. Just a few tears that I couldn't help. Poor Simon. He was probably thinking this is what they warn you about. At least that would be what I was thinking, so, not only was I feeling badly for myself, I was feeling badly for him too. Damn it. Now he's not gonna know when it's safe to talk to me again. I guess I'll have to break the ice somehow.

After some time passed and I had time to formulate some semblance of a...well, I don't know if you could call it an apology...Simon came into the bathroom where I was brushing my teeth and put his arms around my belly and said again "i'm sorry"- oh...here come the tears again (not then- NOW as I write this). Anyway, I said I'm not saying that what I said isn't true, but I do acknowledge that I may have been projecting my insecurities onto you. It seemed to me that you were frustrated that you couldn't sleep because of me. I don't know if it's true or not but that is what I IMAGINED "I'm sorry that I made you feel badly", he said. You didn't make me feel badly, I made me feel badly. Sorry for the meltdown.

And that was that.