I had a baby :)

Hello blog world,

it's been a while! Well as you can see from the title....I had a baby!!

On October 26th at 5:18 AM we welcomed our sweet little 5 lb 7 oz Bennett into the world.

He is adorable {isn't he?!?!} and we love him to bits. I have been pretty lucky so far with him. He hardly ever cries and sleeps right through the night with the exception of feedings. So far he seems to be favouring Ryan in the looks department. His eyes look brown {most days} and he has black hair. I am told this can change but I am pretty convinced he will be a mini version of Ryan haha. Anyways, I promise there will be more frequent blog posts. We are just so busy at the moment! Everything we have been looking forward to is finally here! We are off to BC for a funeral today {which is sad but it will be nice to introduce Bennett to Ryan's family} and then on Friday we take possession of our new house! Four weeks after that my family are arriving from England then it's my sisters wedding and Christmas! xxx

A weekend baby?

Well I will be 37 weeks this Saturday and my doc is still baffled as to why our little babe hasn't come yet. I suppose I don't mind that he hasn't come yet {as it was the goal to get him full term} but I reeaaally want to meet him! Plus I am shamefully tired of being preggo .

When I went back to my OB's office on Tuesday I had progressed in dilation but only 1/2 a cm. She has now decided that she want's us to come in to the hospital on Friday so she can do a membrane sweep. She said if it works, most women will go into labour after that within 48 hrs. So we might meet him this weekend or he could decide to be stubborn. Hopefully not the latter!

I will spend today tidying up and getting a few things done. Hopefully my next update will be of a sweet little babe. Fingers crossed! xxx

Getting ready...

Last night we FINALLY set up the baby's bassinet! It's now beside my bed waiting for a cute little squish face to sleep in it. The baby is full term 37 weeks in 5 days, so I am not feeling as guilty about wanting him to come now. It's baffling to me that I will have a full term babe! After all the obstacles I faced with both pregnancies, a pink chubby baby seemed like something we would never get to experience. Now he should be able to come home with me when I leave the hospital! How cute! I have another docs appt tomorrow and am hoping to see some progress! I'll update if it's anything interesting.

I also ordered him some Peter Rabbit name blocks off Etsy BUT I cannot post a picture on here of the ACTUAL blocks or I will give away his name. I think if you find out the gender of your baby before it's born, it's better to keep the name secret until the end. Then it's still a little surprise ;) Here is the shops picture on the listing for them....just so you can see how sweet they are!

Cute hey?! Just to clarify...his name is NOT Conner haha.

Well other then that we are still just getting ready for the house. I got all our official mortgage paper work together this morning and it felt very grown up! I am still slightly worried that something is going to happen as so far its all been pretty straight forward. We also went to see the house this weekend and its basically done! All the flooring went in which turned out quite nice for "standard/non upgrade stuff". Also, all the lights we chose were installed including the baby's little biplane light. It's so cute! So now its just appliances, sinks/toilets, some baseboard and a good clean!

I will try to keep posted over the next few weeks...they are exciting! Have a good one :) xxx

35 Weeks 4 days

Hiya! I thought I would do a little update to let everyone know how bump is doing. Well first of all, he is a still a bump. No sign of baby yet! They took out my cerclage at the hospital last Friday and I was told to expect a baby by Monday at the latest. Actually my doc said I would sneeze and he would come out {I WISH!! haha}. I was really excited as he is a good size now and if he is born soon it will clear Halloween Oct 31st, our birthday Nov 3rd and the house move Nov 14th. Of course, as it it always goes, when he is finally ALLOWED to come out...he doesn't. I think this is punishment for stopping him at 20 weeks and 26 weeks ;) I was booked back at the hospital on Sunday but they noted no changes from Friday.

I had another doctors appt yesterday and I am still 1 cm dilated {which I have been all weekend}. The top of the cervix is much more dilated though and his head is low. The OB is honestly amazed he is still holding on and even emailed a few doctors I have worked with over the pregnancy to let them know the "shocking" news. She is working the night shift tonight at the hospital, so told him to come then so she can deliver him :)

Anyways, I guess we will just see how long this little pumpkin holds on for. I honestly feel as if I will still be pregnant at Christmas but I know that he has to come in at least four weeks. So either way, its close!

How far along? 35 weeks 4 days

Total weight gain: 16 lbs

Maternity clothes? Nothing new considering I am told every other week he is on his way.

Stretch marks?  I think that one is developing on my tummy. Right now it looks like a little purple vein but i'm pretty sure it's the start of a stretch mark. Wah.

    Sleep: Good :)

Best moment this week: Getting my cerclage out!! First of all I have been dreading the procedure of removal and secondly, it was so painful by the end of it, I was worried it would rip through. That would have mean't no more babies...So I am glad it is gone now!

Miss anything? Not feeling uncomfortable when I eat. I get full soooo easily now! Having a baby of this size CONSTANTLY makes you feel as if you ate for a small village even when you have only touched a quarter of your plate. I guess there is not alot of room in there??

Food cravings: Not really

Anything making you queasy or sick? Onions and garlic

Gender: Little boy :)

Labour signs: Sadly, no.

Belly button in or out?  In!  

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy BUT very ready to meet this little thing. 

Looking forward to: Using the new stroller my parents got me with an actual baby...instead of pushing around the cats haha.

My new Peg Perego stroller. I just LOVE it....and so does Enzo. Thanks Mum and Dad!

35 weeks 4 days

35 weeks 4 days

Feeling Lazy

I have things to do today, actually lots of things to do today. They might be taking my cerclage out tomorrow at the hosipital which could mean a baby anytime. I also have an entire house to pack up and work to do for our accountants. Today is completely free but so far it's 2:00pm and all I have achieved
is a shower. Oh and lets not forget a good couple hours on the computer. Must. Get. Going. Hope everyone is having a much more productive day then me :) xxx

House Update

With our possession date drawing closer, I thought I would do a little update on the house! :) We have been really lucky with the time frame but I still feel like it has been foreeeeever! I guess an impatient person is not the best candidate to build a house ;) We purchased the house late May {I think} and bought what was supposed to be the "spec home". Basically it meant that it was due to be built regardless but with generic interior selections. We caught it just in time that we were able to get all of our own selections but with the shorter 5 month completion date. I feel bad for the peeps that purchased the weekend after us since we {Me & Ryan/ Carly & Nate} got the last two houses in Phase 1. They got Phase 2 and paid almost $30,000 more, with a smaller garden and a 10 month projected build. I suppose they will never know the difference but its good to know we have some instant equity! Plus I think 10 months of waiting would have killed me.

So now we are set to do our final walk through on Nov 7th and as long as everything is good, we take the keys Nov 14th. In the meantime the current rental house we have has not sold so it looks like we will have a smooth transition between the two. Plus the baby will arrive between now and then, so I am sure that this last month will just fly by.

Anyways, here are a few pictures of the house in progress. It's cool that they are starting to do the finishing work so we can see all of our selections come together. It's just not the same when you see them in little samples. I love our twin houses! xxx

 
 

    

 

Ryan and his little helper

When we adopted Enzo seven years ago, he was honestly the cutest kitten I had ever seen. Even my sis says that and she works at the shelter!!! We were satisfied with just him but the adoption counselor told us that the shelter had a discount if you got a second kitten. So Ryan decided it would be cute to get him a sister and chose this scraggly little black kitten (who I would have never even looked at if I am being honest). I love her now of course but at the time I was like "why her"? Even when we got her home she never really liked me. Ryan, on the other hand, is probably her most favourite person in the world and she turned out to be the first pet he EVER owned! It's really cute to see her with him because he is the one person who she is affectionate with. Anyone that knows her, knows she should be the definition of "cattitude". With Ryan however, she turns into a ball of cuteness. She runs up to him every night he gets home from work, sits with him while he works with his tools and follows him around the garden when he is outside. Anyways, you get the point, so here are a few pictures of Ryan with his Izzy xxx

This was tonight while Ryan was working on basement plans. She is his little helper :)

Overseeing his video game playing

Little baby Isabelle 7 years ago!!!

Baby Izzy 

32 weeks and 4 days!!

Well we made it to the 32 week goal! I had a scan yesterday and the little monkey weighs 3.5 lbs {he is in the 20th percentile}!! He has done really well and the OB is perfectly happy if he comes between now and his actual due date {Nov 16th}. If we make it, they are scheduling the cerclage removal at the Rocky view in roughly three - four weeks. Since I am already dilated {and have been since 20 weeks}, they are suspecting I would just go into labour immediately. However, this little fellow continues to surprise everyone, so we'll see!

They did recheck the growth of his stomach and everything looked normal again. The doc did note some shortening in my cervix {I think they said I'm down to 8mm} and were slightly concerned with the sensations I have been feeling from the cerclage. So after my appt was done they sent me to the Rocky view hospital for a check to see if the cerclage needed to come out sooner then expected. I know it's better safe then sorry but it was a really long day {I hate hospitals}! Everything looked good enough to stick to my OBGYN's original plan, so I was discharged after a few hours.

On the selfish side of things, I am SO READY to not be pregnant. This pregnancy has been so week to week that it has dragged like crazy. Add on the fact that I only had two months between my last pregnancy with Ada which was around 18 weeks long. So I honestly feel as if I have been pregnant for AGES!!

Anyways, we'll see what happens. Here is a picture of me today with my 32W 4D belly {dont mind the pyjama pants and messy hair}. :) Carly came to my scan yesterday but I didn't realize how little she would see now he is getting bigger. He was all squished and so the typical side shots with feet and arms just wasn't in the cards. Oh well! I suppose she will meet him soon anyways! xxx

How far along? 32 weeks 4 days

Total weight gain: 12 lbs

Maternity clothes? No new ones, just lots of tank tops and stealing Ryan's t shirts to wear around the house.

Stretch marks?  None yet...fingers crossed! I have developed a rash on my tummy though but I think it's from all the oil I lather onto it every morning and night. 

    Sleep: Still fine :)

Best moment this week: Getting to 32 weeks....that seemed impossible at 20 weeks when they were just willing me to get past 24! PLUS I must note that we hired a cleaner last week and it makes me so happy to have a clean house courtesy of someone else :)

Miss anything? Feeling balanced...I feel a little top/front heavy lately haha.

Food cravings: Anything sweet is usually what prevails in my food choices

Anything making you queasy or sick? Still onions and garlic...gross!

Gender: Little boy :)

Labour signs: Lots of pressure and cramping. 

Belly button in or out?  In!  

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy. Ryan was asked the other day by a recently new daddy if he was sick of the pregnancy up and downs. He was honest and said it really hasn't been one of "those" pregnancy's. I haven't had the typical hormonal melt downs {with the exception of a fight last week over tiles in the new house but I will attribute that to new house stress haha}. So here's hoping the last few weeks are happy! 

Looking forward to: FINALLY meeting this little thing and planning for his first Christmas!!

After my scan I went to Winners and picked him up a little snow suit for car travel this winter. How sweet is this?! It's so soft that when I showed Ryan after he got home from work, he asked why they can't make these for adults haha. 

Beatrix Potter Nursery

Although a kitten theme was obviously my first choice {as I know my little babe will TOTALLY be a cat lover like his Mum}, I decided to go with a classic Beatrix Potter theme for the baby's nursery. I started purchasing things around week 18 and it has become an addiction! I have even ordered the baby a Peter Rabbit teddy and mobile for his Christmas present this year {as you may be able to tell...I am just a little excited about it} :)

Here are a few finds/pressies that I have bought/received lately....

Left: Handmade nightlight off Etsy. Top Right: A little piggy bank from Aunty Carly. Bottom Right: Peter Rabbit and Tom Kitten nursery pillows off Etsy.

Top Left: Peter Rabbit print. Middle Left: Toile Beatix Potter fabric for curtain panels. Bottom Left: A book my Mum bought the baby. Right: Pottery Barn crib bumper which will go well with his classic white crib :)

Cuties

A sweet picture of Ryan trying to convince this little hedgehog to come out of hiding xxx

A little update :)

Hi all,

well as you can see from my tracker, I am 30 weeks and 5 days pregnant! I am started to get quite excited about this little squish face and how well everything seems to be going.

I had another scan this week and he is doing well. His tummy fell off the growth chart this week so they are bringing me back in for another scan in two weeks to see if it has picked up again. They told me not to be concerned yet but to wait and see what the results come back as. Worst case scenario is that the placenta isn't doing it's job properly in feeding him but they don't think that's the case as he has been on track up until this point. Otherwise he is healthy and active. Me and Ryan {I know...not proper English but I hate typing "Ryan and I"....it seems too proper} like to poke him at night when he is most active. He always kicks back in the exact spot you poke. Ryan thinks that the baby doesn't like it but I said it's probably good for his motor skills ;) I am still dilated but my stitches are really holding up! The specialists didn't think that they would for this long. They are happy if he is born any time between now and when they originally planned to take out the stitches {36-37 weeks}. What's so cool though is that the end goal is so close now.....they thought 28 weeks would be a push. I will be so happy if I make it to when they have to take out the stitches and get to take home my baby just like any normal pregnancy. We'll see though, even if he was born now, he is already facing a much shorter hospital stay then when they thought he was coming at 26 weeks.

So here is his scan pic from this week and the previous one from two weeks before that. I have so many side profile ones I asked for one of his face this time. Not many people are able to make it out. He is sideways {on the right} and other then his eyelids...you can really just see his skeleton.

Scan on August 26th, 2013

Scan on September 9, 2013. Can you make out his little face?!

Otherwise we are keeping busy. Our rental house is now up for sale, which actually is a pain in that we have to clean and vacate for all the showings. It was SO EMBARRASSING when the realtor was around taking pictures of the house. She had already noted her dislike for cats and then out of nowhere, Smithy arrives at the door with the biggest rodent in his mouth he has ever caught. Not only that...the rodents eyes were gouged out. Lovely. So before she saw, I tried to get outside to get if off him {yes imagine a pregnant girl chasing a naughty orange cat around the garden}. I managed to get him to drop it and quickly threw a flower pot over it. Of course my heart DROPPED when she asked to go outside to take pictures of the back garden. I ran out with her and stood by the pot so she wouldn't move it herself and get a fright. Luckily she didn't seem to notice me standing by the pot while kicking Smithy away from it {as of course he was still trying to get it}. Anyways, I am hoping this house won't have alot of showings and won't sell before our new house is finished! Otherwise, two adults, one baby and four cats will be looking for a place to stay. Any takers? ;) xxx

Great Gastby

We were shopping this weekend and I picked up the soundtrack for the new Great Gatsby film. I am IN LOVE with the song Lana del Ray contributed. She is AMAZING and was a perfect match for Leo DiCaprio's acting skills in the movie. Every time I listen to this song I see Leo's anguished face. As you can tell, I am quite a fan :) Baz Lutherman produced it {Moulin Rouge} and you can see his trademark work so evidently throughout the film. It's fantastic and worth a watch just for the theatrical value.

Anyways, take a listen to this little gem and go watch Leo's amazing acting skills!

P.S. Just on a side note....we went crib shopping this weekend! It was weird to actually be purchasing

furniture for this little bump but it was so fun. My Mother in law wanted to purchase the crib for baby, so transferred us some money for it. Thanks again Lynn! We went with a pretty classic looking white crib to match his nursery. It wont be here for 12 weeks but I will take a picture of it in his bedroom when we get into the new house. xxx

                            

It's time to clean the oven

Almost every night this week has resulted in a mini oven fire. Nothing unmanageable....just a big enough fire to pose a risk to dinner. Confession: I am a terrible one for cleaning ovens {I know that surprises you...especially considering the ever rotating dish pile in my sink}. I'm pretty sure in the almost three years we have lived here, I have averaged one clean a year. Even MORE embarrassingly....it's a self clean oven. Shame.

So after Friday nights fire, I have decided it is time to do a proper oven clean. I am even doing it the old fashioned way and NOT using the self clean! This is not because I am trying to attempt any type of extraordinary domestic achievement...it's because my current body temperature is waaaay to high to be turning on ovens for four hours. Thank you bump.

My Mum had told me about these handy bags they sell in England that you put the racks inside of overnight. When you wake up, all you have to do is rinse them and they are brought back to their previous glory. I looked everywhere but they don't sell them here yet. You can order them online but I think Ryan's heart will give out if I yell "Oh my God, it's on fire" one more time while melting plastic cook wear trying to smother it {smart I know...I am really bad at panicking}. So I have doused the entire thing in Easy Off Oven Cleaner and am currently waiting the two hours for it to magically clean my horrible oven.

To be honest, during the wait time, I have lost all interest in actually completing the job....so am hoping I can appeal to Ryan's better nature to finish it. Not that he doesn't work enough during the week ;)

Anyways, enough about my boring oven. I must quickly tell you about the new addiction I have developed to tarts {the kind you eat of course}. They are sold at the French bakery we go to every weekend for breakfast. A few weeks ago, they were seriously calling my name. I have never been a big pastry lover but I honestly couldn't stop looking at them while eating my breakfast. Anyways, I ordered the blueberry one and haven't looked back since. I am now on week four of pastry consumption. Every week I have ordered a different one to see what they all taste like. So far I have had blueberry, strawberry mango, blackberry and today I had plum. By the time I have finished my tart, I am ALREADY looking forward to the one I will try the following weekend. Don't worry though, my Mum said all the fruit on the top of the tart MUST mean it's low in calories ;)

Well I have better go sort out this oven {by that I mean watch Ryan sort out this oven}. Wish me luck!! xxx

New chairs

We went on a chair hunt this weekend for the new house. Currently we have two couches but our new living room is smaller, so we decided we need a couple chairs instead to go with only one couch.

Look at the beauties we found!!! A pair of cream Ralph Lauren Home club chairs. They were discontinued so were $1200 off the pair (how could I refuse?!). Even with the discount they are the most expensive chairs we have ever purchased but we are looking for long term furniture. Plus our current living room chair is the ever so reliable $150 Ikea Poang.....so that was pretty easy to beat price wise lol ;)

The only thing I am concerned about is the cream colour. We did get them scotch guarded and I will just have to remember no tea drinking/ no cats/ no food and no baby on on these chairs. Very practical ;) xxx

Scan

I had another scan yesterday at 28 weeks and 3 days. It was cute to see the little monkey {who is ALWAYS sucking his thumb}.

Everything is pretty much the same {which is a good thing!}, I am still dilated up to the cerclage but so far it has really held up to the pressure of the baby. The specialist even started talking about week 34, which just a few weeks ago they thought I would never see.

So we'll see how everything goes but I am getting really excited at the possibility of having an almost full term baby! I had prepared myself for the potential of a little babe with a lengthy hospital stay but maybe we will just defy all the OB's predictions :)

Baby Mele is now 2.5 lbs with little chubby cheeks. No hair to report as of yet so maybe he will be a blondie like me!

In other news, I FINALLY changed my name to Amy Mele. It was a really weird feeling and I wish I could have hyphenated. However, Willis-Mele doesn't go together very well.....especially when you put an S in front of Mele LOL. So Amy Mele it is but I do like the fact that out little family will all have the same surname :)

Anyways, I am off to the post office to mail a little parcel to my sisters in England. I will update if anything abnormal does happen but my Mum has given bump strict instructions not to come week 28 as she and my sister are away on holidays. Obviously bump has to listen to my Mum, so I don't think there will be any more baby updates this week ;) xxx

28 Week Update

I thought that it was about time I did a bump update. I am 28 Weeks! We made it to the first big goal!!! Good job little bump for hanging in there ;) I have had alot of appointments these last few weeks. Plus my doctor had me in hospital for steroid shots to further the little bumps lung development {in case he does come a little earlier than expected}. I also had a scan last week and he is still really healthy and on track for his age {almost 2 lbs!}. So below are some pictures of how the bump is looking and a little summary which I thought I would start doing to track the differences every few weeks :)

Last scan on August 12 {when bump was 26 weeks}

27 weeks and 5 days

How far along? 28 weeks

Total weight gain: 7lbs...ish   

Maternity clothes?  YES, they are amazing. I have two pairs of capri pants with the belly band. I don't know how I will give them up when I am not pregnant anymore...they are so comfortable!

Stretch marks?  None yet. I finished my Mama Mio tummy cream really quickly {$45 a bottle!} so have switched over to the more cost effective Bio Oil. I grease up every night before bed and it seems to making my skin alot more smooth in general. You can even use it on your face for moisture!

    Sleep: I am obviously not working very much and what I do try to do is from home {thanks husbie!}. So that being said, I manage to get alot of sleep! I like to sleep a little longer in the morning {8:30-9:00 AM} and prevent getting tired in the afternoon. I have also gotten over the guilt of Ryan's alarm ringing at 6:45 am every morning. I used to get up with him and see him off but now I barely utter goodbye haha.

Best moment this week: His movement! He is moving SO MUCH now and I love being reminded of him throughout the day. Ryan was playing the bag pipes the other night and he was literally doing flip flops in my belly. It's really cool.

Miss anything?  Not really, maybe just a more strict schedule and the ability to move around more!

Food cravings: None that are strong enough to think about. 

Anything making you queasy or sick?  Yes! Onions and garlic are HORRIBLE when pregnant. Ryan can't even have them as I can smell them for hours afterwards...even if he uses mouthwash. He know's by now it's not even worth the headache of eating them :)

Gender: Boy!

Labour signs: During my last ultrasound there was a small contraction noted while measuring my cervix. They didn't seem that concerned though.

Belly button in or out?  In!  

Wedding rings on or off: On {when I remember to put them on}.

Happy or moody most of the time: I'm happy to be pregnant and pretty lucky to be at home. So I would say happy :)

Looking forward to: The next goal of 32 weeks!

Pregnancy purchases

I was meaning to do a 27 week bump update but time got the best of me, so I thought I would wait until I am 28 weeks this Saturday {since it is so close now!}.

In the meantime I want to share some awesome things that I have bought/received lately.

First of all {which I am SO EXCITED ABOUT!} is the little package I got from my Mum a couple weeks ago. I was too busy to blog about it at the time but I am still buzzing off the arrival. I will let the pictures do the explaining.....

YES PEOPLE....ROYAL BABY CLOTHES. Well clothes that were released in celebration of the Royal babe. Anyways, they really are so soft and lovely and I cannot wait to put our little prince in them. I do get sad that my family is so far away sometimes but how else would my Mum get me all these cool things so easily?! She is my direct connection to the Royals haha. She also picked up some stuff in London the other day at Greenwich Market {yes she is that cool} but I haven't received it yet. Here are a couple pics she sent me....the royal wedding date baby grow is amazing LOL.

There is a Mummy one too but I can't find the picture.

The other day my Mother in Law surprised us with a box full of cute baby clothes as well. When I say cute, I mean cute as in Ralph Lauren baby rompers!!! Need I say more?! This little boy is going to be so well dressed :) He also got a winter coat from our Italian house guest which I think is so cute!

My baby purchase this week was actually nothing to do with the babe and more to do with his delivery. Being in hospital last pregnancy with Ada's delivery and this pregnancy for the cerclage surgery, I have come to the conclusion that I hate hospital gowns. There is nothing nice about them. I was getting my hospital bag ready the other night and thought there must be something I can wear instead. Say hello to the gownie :)

Although it is still a hospital gown, it is a much more modest one. The back actually does up with clips in MANY spots and it is a little longer then the ones they provide you at the hospital. It's also just a little brighter then their drab white ones. So needless to say, I am much more excited to wear my gownie then any hospital gown they have :) Well that is the latest for me and the bump. Next up is my 28 week update. Have a good Thursday! :) xxx

Sweet family

I have been MIA these past few weeks but am planning to do an update post tomorrow. In the meantime, let me leave you with these pictures of my sweet family. The first is a picture if my little sister Hannah in her school uniform. She looks SO CUTE and grown up. The next is a picture of my Grandad that my Mum sent me last Sunday. He is always so happy, I can't wait to see him again and show him little bump!!! xxx

Grandparents

In a card from my Mum for our first anniversary was two old pictures of both sets of Grandparents. It is so interesting to see how they looked when they were young. Sadly, only one of the four is still living {my Grandad Bill...the one sticking out his tongue} but little things like this remind me of how much I loved them :) xxx

My Dad's parents Grandad Fred and Granny Joyce 1952 

My Mum's parents Granny Mary and Grandad Bill {who is still cheeky to this day!} 1960

Saturday evening

This evening after dinner, I convinced Ryan to go for a drive to attempt getting some pictures of the baby ducks around our area. I have been meaning to do it for a while and was afraid that if I waited too much longer that they would be fully grown!

So here are some shots from this evening. Ducks in England flock to you when you feed them but these ducky's were a little shy. The shots weren't as close as I had hoped but they are still super cute! xxx