PJs latest photo shoot

Just thought I'd post the lastest photo of PJs from our ultrasound on Monday. It's not the clearest shot, but we were so thankful to get another look and see him enjoying himself in there! This is a still picture from when he was making little sucking motions with his mouth, which was the cutest thing ever.

We went for this second ultrasound so they could confirm exciting details about my placenta and cervix and such. (I don't think many men read this blog, so I'm probably ok to talk about lady parts!). ;-) All was looking as it should, which is good to know!

I haven't wanted to get the purely-for-fun 3D/4D ultrasound because I think it's a little creepy... I am totally pro-technology, but something about it seems eerie to me. I do love to see the promo shots online though for an idea at what PJs might be looking like at this stage - it's amazing the detail you can see!

Booties from Bonnie

Check out these awesome booties that Bonnie knit for PJs! Aren't they adorable?

I have it on good authority that they weren't too tricky, but I am still a little intimidated by knitting patterns. I'd love to knit something with structure like this (hats have been my most complicated effort to date). But then again, they're so adorable that there really is lots of incentive to try! Way to go Bonnie - thank you very much! I know PJs will love these.

Instructions for baby

Stumbled across some hilarious illustrated instructions for baby-raising. Good tips for one and all - especially those who hope to raise a well-adjusted person! Thought these would give others a much needed chuckle as well.

For more hilarious tips, keep reading...

Week 32!

We have arrived at week 32 - about 7-8 weeks left, if PJs decides to arrive "on time" that is! Yesterday we went for a second ultrasound and PJs was looking great. It's considerably more cramped in there - he had his feet and hands up around his face! And it was so adorable - we watched as his little mouth made sucking motions - he must be practicing! I'll post a photo asap - have to get to work to scan it in, and I'm working from home today.

My gestational diabetes is doing pretty well. I went for another appointment today and my numbers and food journal got the thumbs up. It is certainly a lot of work though, and I am exhausted! I can only do another 2 or so weeks at work and then thankfully I'll just be able to relax and focus on getting ready.

Speaking of getting ready - we FINALLY got rid of the last remaining boxes out of PJs room. That gave us the room we needed to rearrange the furniture (several times - Jamie got a good workout) and organize all the little clothes and such into drawers. It's looking so good in the room, and the energy in there feels really good. We have a lot more practical stuff to get and I need to do some fun stuff too - artsy details etc. Can't wait! Feels so good to have the room be a lot closer to being ready.

What PJs is up to this week:
During week 32 of pregnancy, your baby will be about 11.6 inches long from crown to rump and will weigh around 4 pounds. As your baby grows, there will be less room for him or her to move around. This means that his or her kicks and movements might be less frequent and less forceful.

All of your baby's five senses are also functional, including hearing. This means that your baby is becoming familiar with all sorts of noises within his surroundings, including your heartbeat and digestion. Your baby is also beginning to recognize your voice. By the time he is born, your child will be very familiar with your voice.

When it rains, it pours...

Jamie got me started a while ago watching that show Bringing Home Baby on TLC - the one where they follow two new parents home from the hospital with their baby to see how the first 48 hours unfolds. (Not to be confused with that other show, The First 48 which actually involves, you know, grisly crimes unrelated to diapering).

The episode that he watched originally featured a little boy who peed all over everything in these poor people's home - the furniture, the walls, himself and the parents. I am sure that PJs will pee on lots of stuff, including us, but I'd like to try and cut down on that a shade, if possible!

Pee-pee teepee's to the rescue! They are little cone-shaped fabric covers that you can stick over the trouble zone when diaper changing etc. Inside they're terrycloth for absorbency, and outside they have a selection of adorable fabric prints. They're also a Canadian invention!

I went to buy mine the other day at Chocolate Mousse on Robson (great store) but they were out of stock, so now I'm on to search them out this weekend. I hear they have them at Crocodile on 4th, and on the website you can find loads of retailers.

Baby sale at Old Navy

I hardly ever buy adult clothing at Old Navy - it wears out too quickly for grown-ups - but I noticed that they are having a baby & kids clothing sale on now. Since babies go through clothing like nobody's business (I've heard), seems like a good bet to me!

I found a bunch of great things for PJs the other day - I got pajamas, two sets of pants, some shorts, a 2-in-1 tee, two onesies and a toy for $40! Can't beat deals like that! It's so tempting to buy little things for our little guy!

I absolutely had to get some super discounted Valentines Day onesies - they were like $2 each and weren't really specific to the day. Who could possibly resist the thought of a baby wearing a shirt that says "stud muffin"?

Week 31!

I am slow with this week's update - the last couple of weeks have been pretty busy for me and PJs.

Around week 28 I had to go for my gestational diabetes 1-hour screening test and the results came back saying that my blood sugar was a little high. That meant that I had to take the three-hour test - which basically involves fasting for 10 hours, having blood taken, drinking an orange drink that contained 100ml of glucose and then getting three more blood samples taken on each hour. Not fun! Although Jamie and I had some good times in the waiting room watching all the oddly characters at the lab.

The results on the second test showed that my blood sugar was a little elevated, so they referred me on to a specialist. I saw her on Monday this week and then a dietitian today. There should be nothing to worry about - gestational diabetes is fairly common later in pregnancy and for the most part can be managed with healthy eating and exercise. Apparently my numbers are just elevated - not necessarily freak-out territory or anything! In most cases too it goes away entirely after the baby is born - that darned placenta (which is a gross word) is causing the troubles.

It's still pretty stressful though. Now I have my eating plan (the dietician reviewed my insanely-detailed food journal and recommended actually adding some carbs to my breakfast and lunch) and must do 30 minutes of exercise after breakfast and dinner. I also have to monitor my blood sugar, which involves pricking my finger and testing 7 times a day! They give you a machine, but I had to buy test strips and such. Good thing we have good health insurance! Now I have a healthy appreciation for the deep discounts that Wilfred Brimley (or whatever that oatmeal guy's name is) can get seniors on diabetes testing supplies - you know, those tv commercials?!

PJs, however, seems really not bothered by all this hub-bub for his Mama. He's wiggling like crazy and on all my doctor visits his heart beat and activity are great. He still likes cookies I'm sure, but he'll have to wait a while to have one of his own.

What PJs is up to this week:
Your baby's arms, legs and body continue to fill out -- and they are finally proportional in size to her head. He weighs about 3.3 pounds/1.5 kilograms and looks more like a newborn. He measures about 16 inches/ 41 centimetres from crown to toe.

You may notice your baby isn't moving around as much. Don't worry; he's just running out of space in your uterus. As long as you can feel him squirming, you'll know he's just fine. Believe it or not, he still has plenty of growing to do. You can expect him to gain at least two more pounds/900 grams before delivery.

Your baby's organs are continuing to mature and he is passing water from his bladder: good practice for the urinating he'll do after he's born. Soon you can wonder what your baby is wishing for -- brain scans have shown that fetuses have periods of dream sleep around month eight.

Decorating and online shopping

We're almost down to zero boxes (about 6 to go!) in PJs room and we're getting started on some decorating and practical-items-gathering, aside from just putting together the crib and stockpiling adorable onesies and stuff. We definitely have a lot of organizing to do, but sometimes the fun stuff is just... well, fun!

I think we're going for 'eclectic' - our stuff won't all match perfectly, but I think it will pull together in the end. We don't all have JLo's nursery budget! (Man, that reference will seem really out of date some day).

I have a few specific artsy ideas in mind that will liven up the room, and we just ordered some awesome Blik wall graphics too - the Alphabet Zoo set in Aruba (light blue). I can just picture these animals marching around the corner by the crib. There were a bunch of other ones I wanted too, but we tried to not get something that would be creepy to a baby! You can configure them any way you like, stick 'em on and they don't leave marks on the walls. This design was originally on a Threadless tee. They have a terrific selection if you have a bare wall that needs a little oomph.

I've also been looking for a good reason to buy these great night lights. I think the green & blue combo would go great in PJs room. I'm thisclose to ordering them online. I just love to get fun presents in the mail.

Yet again - apples of favour!

I really like fruit. All types of fruit really, with the exception of probably the embarrassingly-shaped banana. I'll eat them for their health value and all, but I'm definitely not a fan. Something about the texture I find off-putting.

Thought I'd share some good fruit news though -there's a new apple in town, and it's awesome!

The Aurora Golden Gala - it's sometimes a little hard to find, but it is so worth the search. It's a hybrid apple that was cultivated close to home here in Summerland, BC and I read that only six farms currently grow it. Tastes beautiful, crispy, sweet and has a little bit of soft pear flavour. We just discovered it about a month ago. Goes great in a salad or with a little cheese and a few rosemary raisin Raincoast Crisps. Jamie teases me about our fancy groceries from time to time, including the "apple that tastes like a pear".

Around Vancouver you can find them at Urban Fare and Whole Foods.

How to swaddle a baby

Last weekend we had a great time showing family all of the finds we came back from the States with, including lots of clothes and some receiving blankets. We're slowly building up a nice layette for PJs arrival, including gifts from Bonnie & Dave (thank you very much!) - lots of terrific onesies, pajamas and the cutest hat and socks. The socks say "I love Daddy." Isn't that the cutest thing ever?

When we were looking at the receiving blankets we tried to picture exactly how to swaddle a baby. It was hard to imagine without a baby on the blanket, although when I watched the video online it made perfect sense... Thought this article and video might prove helpful (and adorable!) to others out there too. Enjoy!

Week 30!

Ahh, round numbers are so nice! I've been looking forward to week 30 for at least five weeks now! It seems so much closer to the due date than week 29 did somehow...

At my doctor's appointment yesterday the doctor was able to tell me which way PJs is hanging out in the womb. We've been guessing, but by really manhandling me she was able to feel that he's upside down, with his head at the bottom, his back along my right side and his arms & legs over on the left. That corresponds to where we feel the different movements. I've brought back the nude lady health class picture to illustrate the general idea... Yahoo for everyone who was squeamished out by her last time! :-)

I still have to book our childbirth class at the hospital - I think I'll try to do that today! Rather than take the 6-week class where you go once per week on an evening, we are going to try to get in to the one-day intensive class that happens on a Saturday - that was the suggestion from a colleague of Jamie's who has a very large family.

What PJs is up to this week:
Your baby's lungs and digestive tract are almost fully developed. While your baby may soon slow up growing in length, (he measures about 15.7 inches / 40 centimetres from crown to toe by now) and is about 3 pounds. He will continue to gain weight until he's born.

This week your baby continues to open and shut his eyes. He can probably see what's going on in utero, distinguish light from dark and even track a light source. If you shine a light on your stomach, your baby may move his head to follow the light or even reach out to touch the moving glow. Some researchers think baring your stomach to light stimulates visual development. But don't expect 20/20 vision when your baby is born -- newborns can see a distance of only about 8 to 12 inches / 20 to 30 centimetres. (Children with normal vision don't reach 20/20 vision until about age 7 to 9.) To complete the picture, your baby now has eyebrows and eyelashes.

Strolling with PJs

We took a "productive" trip out to Baby's World yesterday to look at strollers. It was actually quite overwhelming - lots of options and it was nigh-on impossible to figure out how they were supposed to fold up and reconfigure without nearly constant supervision from the staff! They kept telling us that it takes people, on average, five trips to the store to pick a stroller!! I think people overthink this stuff too much sometimes... I think a scouting trip and a buying trip is about what we can handle!

We want a stroller that has a bassinet for PJs for the first six months or so, an interchangeable multi-position seat with good back support for when he can sit-up, and I'd like it not to be made of big hunks of plastic (trays and cupholders and such). And yes, I would like it to look pretty. :-) Add in the ability to fold it up to fit in our small trunk, as well as it being relatively easy to lift and you've got the idea.

I really like a Dutch stoller, the First Wheels Elite, but I'm having a hard time finding it locally. It was supposed to be at Baby's World, but they didn't have any in stock. I have yet to come across one in person, and I'm pretty close to giving up on it.

I did discover the pros of the Bugaboo Frog though, despite trying not to like it (because of the cost and the percieved "tool" factor). It was really well designed though, well made, handles great and is really sturdy feeling. When we compared it to all the other strollers it was pretty obvious why it's so popular - it's really awesome, as far as strollers go. It comes complete with the bassinet (which you can remove and use in the house as well), various rain & mosquito covers and a few other things. The only problem with it is how atrocious the cost is... I think we're close to getting over it though, and I'm trying to find the best (read - least expensive!) place to get one from in either black or navy.

Check out their website for a couple of pretty cool videos that show how it folds up, how you can take it all apart and how well it works in rough terrain...

By the way - the trip to Baby's World was worth it, if only because we got to sing "Baby's World, Baby's World, party time - excellent" (and some rock guitar sounds) in imitation of the Wayne's World theme song... :-)

Week 29!

PJs is continuing his antics in the womb and is especially active at night or whenever I get in a comfy relaxing position. Jamie and I love to feel him move - we put our hands on both sides of my bump and when he's active you can feel him squashing around and shifting positions. Sometimes you can feel the round smoothness of his head or bum or back. Other times you can feel him jut out something like an elbow or a foot. It's fun to speculate what's what! We suspect he's playing the trombone in there...

On the me-side, I do feel a bit of heartburn (well, all the time off and on) and I have a really sore back and trouble sleeping, but other than that (!) I feel great!

What PJs is up to this week:
The total length of your baby is around 16.7 inches and the baby weighs about 2.7 pounds and continues to grow every day.

When you are 29 weeks pregnant, your baby has also learned to use its brain to control primitive breathing. This means that if your baby is born now, he or she could probably breathe independently. He or she is also a lot better at controlling body temperature at this point in your pregnancy.

The baby is able to turn his head to find the source of a bright light, and is continuing to become more sensitive to sounds, tastes and smells. His fat layers are continuing to form and the head is in proportion to the rest of his body. His eyes can move in the sockets and the bones, while still soft and pliable, are fully developed. The baby is beginning to store iron, calcium and phosphorus.

PJs need not be naked anymore!

We just got back from a little weekend road trip down to Washington for a couple of days and a look at what America offers in terms of baby items - and deals! Our friends Mike & Mi ae, who are also due near the same time, came too and we had a great time.

We made a lot more stops than I'm used to making on the way to Seattle for food & bathrooms, including a stop for doughnuts at Krispy Kreme (for both). Jamie was exceptionally excited, apparently!

We started our shopping-a-palooza at the outlets and we found tons of great baby clothes there for PJs. We bought him a bunch of tiny little onesies, t-shirts and pajamas (PJs for PJs!). Our absolute favourite has to be this t-shirt featuring a rather cross-looking toad, resembling the Hypnotoad from Futurama.

I'm steering clear of puppies, cars and anything with a big name-brand cartoon character on it. Instead, we found lots of abstract graphics and stuff like sea creatures, reptiles, stripes, robots, monkeys and such. I'm so glad Jamie and I share a warped sense of humour, because it makes shopping for this kind of stuff a lot of fun.

We also hit up Target and got a Baby Bjorn carrier (for $50 less than at home!) and a few more clothing items and blankets. The fabulous designer line Dwell has designed a special low-cost line for the store, called Dwell Studio. We found some terrific kimono-style onesies that button all the way up the side and were only like $5, something called a union suit, blankets and the most adorable wearable blanket that zips up the front!

I would say we had a very productive shopping trip! We have made just the tiniest dint in our baby-needs iceberg, but at least PJs won't have to be naked!

I also got a cute pair of flats and a couple things to wear at the outlet mall - stretchy non-maternity clothes that fit now and yet make you feel human, shopping at a regular store. PJs likes his mother to have new shoes... :-)

Thankfully they were very nice to us at the border and we only ended up paying less than $20 for duty & taxes. I am not good at math, but even I could tell that they gave us a huge break, considering all together we had a trunkload of stuff...