28 Week Picture

Ok - it's more like a 29 week picture, but not that much is going to change in 1 week!

As you can tell from the picture Baby M is definitely growing - I'm really starting to get quite a tummy now!! Now everyone really knows I am pregnant - which is actually kind of nice. There was that stage where people seem to know you're pregnant but are hesitant to say anything in case they are wrong - but now it seems that anyone (all strangers included) is quite happy to comment on me being pregnant . . . for those of you who haven't been to Bermuda before people here are quite liberal with their comments!! For the most part it's all very nice though!

We just had another great weekend in Bermuda, as expected August has been so hot and humid but we were out on a boat with friends on Saturday which is such a nice break from the heat (as we spend a lot of time in the water)! On Sunday we went out for a round of golf which was very hot but taking a cart helps a little as well . . . and yes I'm still doing ok on the golf course!! I was still able to score under 100 (which is great for me!!) so I'm not ready to give it up quite yet:)

The nursery is really coming along - I just love spending time on pulling her room together, it really makes this all seem much more real and exciting!! We got the crib together on the weekend and we are very pleased with it . . . so now everything is pretty much there is just needs to be organized a little bit and then I'll put up some pictures! Joel and I actually did quite well putting the crib together and we were both so pleased with the end result:)

That's about it for our update for now - just over 11 weeks to go which means we'll be starting our baby classes (i.e. Lamaze) very soon. As much as I'm excited about this, it also means starting to think of the actual delivery which scares me to bits right now, but hopefully once we learn a little more about it - it might not seem so scary!

Hope all is well with everyone!!

Back in Bermuda

What a great couple of weeks Joel and I had while we were away!! I really did have intentions of updating our Blog while I was in Alberta but we got so busy having fun that it just didn’t happen – so now I have lots to share!!

First of all we did the Alaska Cruise with some of the Robertson’s and we just had a fabulous time!! I’m sure a few of the pounds I’ve recently put on cannot all be blamed on Baby M as we ate all the time while we were on the ship!! The food and entertainment were great and it was fun to have family around to share it all with. The weather wasn’t very good, however never so bad that it kept us from going out – it was just a bit drizzly and cool at times. It was just a perfect combination of relaxing and fun!! Below are a few pictures.

Joel and I in front of Hubbard Glacier.

Hubbard Glacier was just amazing!

On board a train ride in Skagway - we were looking down over 1000 feet at times!

Dad, MaryAnn, Joel and I ready for some kayaking where we saw a whole bunch of adorable Harbour Seals!

Then after we got back from Alaska we visited Mark & Jen (good friends that Joel grew up with in Winnipeg) in Vancouver for a couple days which was great fun – and then Joel headed back to Bermuda. We managed to find a great stroller for our little one in the bit of time we had in Vancouver and Joel was able to take this back with him which was great as I would have never had room for it by the time I was ready to come home.

I was then off to Alberta for a week to see the rest of my family which was also fantastic! I spent a lot of time with my sisters – Kayt and I did all sorts of baby running around which was loads of fun and Keli and Jana got to relish in the fact that they were getting smaller and smaller while Kayt and I got bigger and bigger!! We were also very excited that Jill was able to make it home for a few days as it was great to catch up with her and her post-wedding bliss :)

At the end of my week at home Kayt and I were spoiled with a joint baby shower put on by some very special members of the West family!! We had so much fun ohhing and ahhing over all the sweet girlie stuff that everyone was SO kind in bringing to the shower. It was so fun to start to imagine our little girls as part of our circle of family and friends!! Below are a few pictures of the shower . . . I don’t think I can ever adequately thank Auntie Martine, Auntie Gaylene, Michele and Keli for all the work they did in making it such a special day for Kayt and I :)

Put a few talented ladies together and you end up with some incredible decorations!

The lovely ladies who hosted our shower.

Great Gramie West, Gramie Kim and the girls:)

GG, Grama MaryAnn and the girls:)

Then later that day, after some seriously strategic packing, it was time to head home for Bermuda . . . and I’m already learning just how much more luggage you have when there is a baby in the picture!! Baby M came home to Bermuda with a lot more luggage than I did!! And that was after I had to leave some of her stuff behind at Grama’s and Papa’s . . . . she got some pretty cute outfits that she won’t be wearing until she is a bit older so some of that had to stay behind as there was no way we were getting it all home in one trip – not even born yet and spoiled rotten!!

Now it’s back to work until late October when I go on maternity leave. Joel and I had contemplated another little weekend get away before our babe gets here – but I really did not enjoy the flying on this trip (I was so happy this morning to see that my ankles had gone back to a normal size after all the flying yesterday) and we’ve been very fortunate to get in a lot of travel over this past year so I think we’ll just stay grounded here in Bermuda for a little while . . . however we are always happy to have anyone here who wants to fly this direction!!

Next up is 28 weeks!! I hope to have the updated picture up tomorrow or the next day:)

Bon Voyage!

We're finally off - our last official holiday (sans Baby M) is here!! We made the (very long) flight to Vancouver yesterday and are now just waiting to board the ship later today when we head off for Alaska . . . . I will definitely be posting some pictures when we get back.

As for the progress on the nursery - Joel was just a superstar painter and had the room done a couple days before we left which enabled us to get the carpets in as well before we left. So the shell of the room is done and the real fun stuff will start once we get home . . . it will be nice to have something to look forward to after our holiday.

We're off to look at strollers before the ship sails - so I have to keep this one short. Hope everyone in Bermuda has a great Cup Match holiday and that everyone else is getting ready for a great Aug long weekend!

Bermuda Sun

Although we (or I should say Joel) had big plans for painting the nursery this weekend, the sun was shining and all it took was a suggestion from our friends Paul and Mel that we go out boating with them and the paint brushes thrown aside for a day of Bermuda sun and beaches!!

We rented a little Boston Whaler and we were off in search of our private island and while the tide was very high earlier in the day after an hour or two we were enjoying a fair size beach all to ourselves. We had a fantastic day of swimming in the warmest clearest water and just soaking up the sunshine. As it turned out we had enough food for an army so I think we would have been quite happy to have been stranded for an extra few days in our little paradise . . . however by late afternoon we were all fairly cooked and ready for some shade! A few pic's below of our day.

Paul and Joel on our little boat.

The scenery from our beach!


Joel and Paul went for a little hike and captured Mel and I soaking up some sun.

A family with their dog stopped to cool down in the water closeby us - the dog stayed on this noodle while the family played around him - it was so cute!!

Needless to say the painting is still yet to be started - but as it turns out after a little test on the walls the paint we got is a bit more purple than I would like. I thought I had got a paint that was basically white with just a hint of violet however it turns out there is less white and more Barney than I care for!! So back to the paint store tomorrow to see if we can get it right! Now that we actually have the room ready to go and the paint here it's all I can do to keep Joel from throwing the paint on the walls regardless of the color . . . I think I better hide the paint can or else I could end up with the purple Barney color on my walls whether I like it or not!!

Hope everyone has a good week - we fly out on Friday this week but I hope to have a picture of our painted nursery posted before then!

24 Weeks

So here it is - the new picture and just one day late this time!

Things around here yesterday were fairly eventful as we had Tropical Storm / Hurricane Bertha rip through Bermuda. We were one of the lucky ones who kept their power on the whole time . . . we had a couple of flickers but that was the worst of it, which was good because going any length of time without the air conditioner on would be more than I could handle! While there was a lot of wind and rain and some flooding there was no significant damage and more importantly no one was hurt. The good thing is we really needed the rain as it's been so hot and dry here lately.

Other than that nothing too eventful here. I'm still feeling pretty good for the most part and most nights sleeping very well - so I'm happy about that.

We're soon hoping to get a start on the nursery - which means setting up the crib . . . the last time Joel and I tried to set something up together (a BBQ) let's just say that we had our moments!!! We might take shifts on the crib and hope for the best!!! I guess we'll just try and keep in mind who we're doing it for and maybe that will help us keep the swearing to a minimal ;-)

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer - we can't wait to make the trip home to see everyone . . . just 7 more days of work!!

Countdown to Holidays!!

First of all my apologies for slipping a bit on a recent update!! I check Christy's blog almost every day for a new post and yet I don't update mine nearly as often as I should . . . so I promise to try and do better but I'm also not going to bore you with totally mundane stuff . . . most of the time ;-)

Two weeks from today Joel and I will be headed for Vancouver!!!! We are SO excited for an upcoming REAL holiday. The short breaks we have taken have been wonderful but just not long enough . . . so as we now look forward to an Alaskan Cruise we couldn't be more excited! Neither of us have been on a cruise before so we're really looking forward to it! Then I get to head to Alberta for another week to see some family and friends (sadly I will be sans Joel - someone has to pay the bills right?!) but I just can't wait to catch up with everyone back home!

Baby M is doing great - I'm getting some real movements these days not just little pokes anymore! With the exception of about a couple weeks back - when I felt like she was stretching me out a bit more than I would have liked - this has really been a fantastic stage of pregnancy for me. I am feeling so great, am sleeping really well, and still not too big that I can't get out for good walks and other exercise. My new favorite activity is aqua aerobics . . . I love the weightlessness that the water gives me, it's such a relief to feel almost 'normal' for a bit in the a water . . . and the heat and humidity have been more intense than ever here so doing most things outside is almost unbearable (and it's still early summer!!) so the water is really the perfect solution. It's always in an outdoor pool as well, generally at one of the Fairmont Hotels here on the island so I really feel like I'm on vacation while I'm there! And an extra bonus is that I have a super star aqua aerobics instructor for a sister who is able to advise me on what I should and shouldn't be doing given that I'm pregnant . . . and she tells me in no uncertain terms either . . . right Keli?! ;-)

That's about it for now, I will post my next picture early next week . . . I can't beleive that another month has already flown by already!! Baby M will be here before we know it!

Growth Spurt

I had a doctor's appointment today which I was quite happy about as I've been having a fair amount of discomfort the last few days . . . I feel like my stomach has been put on a stretching machine and it's in overdrive . . . as it turns out that's exactly the problem!!!

First of all I weighed in and was mortified to learn that I had gained 10 pounds in just 4 weeks (I'm supposed to be gaining about one pound a week)!!!!! However this all made a bit more sense when the doctor took my measurements and I am measuring to be about 3 weeks ahead of what I am (I've gone from 18 to 25 in just 4 weeks). So the conclusion is that Baby M has just undergone a massive growth spurt!!! Which explains why my stomach is having such a tough time keeping up and why I'm so uncomfortable. I'm now really about where I should be on my weight so he wasn't concerned about my overall weight gain but he did say just to be careful . . . but then he also said that the baby is going to grow on her own schedule regardless of what I eat or how much I exercise . . . so I'm not sure how I'm supposed to control her weight gain - I think it's a bit early to try lecturing her!! Anyway - I'll just have to make sure that I keep my own weight in check and pray that Baby M slows down a bit!!

I go back in 3 weeks instead of 4 because we're leaving on holidays so hopefully by then we'll see a slow down!!

Otherwise everything is great . . . we went over all my ultrasound measurements and at that time she was measuring exactly what she should have been (just 3 weeks ago she was an angel)!! Her heartbeat is right where is should be and I am now really starting to feel her moving around . . . nothing that is keeping me up at this point just enough to be exciting!

That's our news for now - I hope everyone back home is enjoying their short week!

Our current babies . . .

Yesterday was another exciting step towards getting the nursery ready as our crib and change table arrived! I don't have any pictures to share just yet because everything is still boxed and wrapped up and will probably stay that way for a while as we are still going to paint the room and there is no point in setting up anything until the paint job is done. I am hoping I can convince Joel to do some painting while I am in Alberta . . . but I think I still have a bit of sweet-talking / bribery to do!

We have also been able to find the baby bedding we like here in Bermuda which we were very happy about as shipping some of those bulkier items gets a bit tough sometimes . . . there will be a lot of baby stuff I want to bring back with me from home so it's nice when I can find some things here in Bermuda.

In the meantime - while we wait for Baby M to arrive . . . we are getting pretty good practice babying Andy & Nellie!! Below are a couple of pictures of how we are putting some of our baby stuff to good use!!



This is Andy making good use of a baby blanket (and Grama's - don't worry we promise not to use this blanket for Baby M!!)

And this is Nellie making good use of the box that the change table came in. She is the little Queen of the fort that has currently taken over our living room!


With all the love and attention these two get now, we're not sure how thrilled they are going to be about our new addition . . . but we'll do our best to make sure everyone can happily co-exist!!

Happy Canada Day to everyone back home!!

Celebrating!!!

Today was a very exciting day as I just found out my dear friend Christy had her little baby boy - Grady Peter Renton!!!! Congrats to the whole Renton family on your (early!!) arrival!

Although I haven't got the details yet I hear that relatively speaking the labour was not too terribly long - despite the fact it sounds like some moments we're a little longer than she might have liked (or maybe Christy is just telling me that as she knows I still have to go through it?!)!! Regardless the outcome was a health, beautiful little boy who I just can't wait to meet!!

This past two weeks have also been pretty big milestones for the Burkes and Slemko's as we all were celebrating the first birthdays of Jack and Brooke . . . I just can't believe that it's been a year since those two little angels were born!

I can't wait for Baby M to be here next year to celebrate with her little friends ;-)

Twenty and a half week picture!

I'm a little late on the picture - but still pretty close to the 20 week mark . . . and you will note I am not looking at the camera however this was really the best picture out of way too many that we took - taking the pictures is not very fun at all but I do enjoy seeing the progress so I'll suffer through:) My Baby Bump is definitely coming along and some days I feel like our little girl is going through growth spurts and just stretching my tummy to it's max! I still get little kicks and pokes every now and then but nothing too major. Joel still hasn't really felt her moving yet - but not for lack of trying - every time I say she is moving a bit he immediately has his hand on my tummy waiting to see if he can get in on the action!!

Today we just finished a great round of golf . . . some people are somewhat surprised that I'm still golfing but I'm currently golfing better than I ever have so I have no intentions of stopping anytime soon!! Not too long ago, I saw a girl on the course who must have been at least 8 months or more pregnant - so I figure there's no reason I can't keep it up for a while yet! And it's just great exercise and a good reason to get out:)

Tomorrow Joel and I are entered into a 'Couple's Race' . . . I run 5K and he runs 5 miles . . . I told him he is going to have to have the run of his life for us to be in the running as I don't anticipate a very fast time as I have to carry Baby M around!! It should be fun - we have lots of friends running in it and it's a for a good cause so we're looking forward to it . . . maybe next year we can be a little more competitive:)

Hope you all are having a great weekend!

A Fabulous Weeked

Joel and I have (finally) made it home from a weekend in Chicago where we were lucky enough to be able to attend my cousin's wedding! With the exception of all of our flights being delayed and getting home a day late - the weekend was spectacular!

It was so great to see the Paquette family and to get celebrate with Jill and Greg as they got married!! Jill was just a gorgeous bride and could not have been any happier and Greg was just beaming all day long . . . they had a lovely outdoor ceremony and exchanged some beautiful heartfelt vows. Their passion for each other and their faith was inspiring:) All the best to both of them as they have now started on their journey! Thanks Aunt Louene for the sending the picture of the 4 of us:

In between all that fun we did a bit of baby shopping / browsing . . . we went to a couple massive Babies R Us stores which was just great fun . . . I just wish I could have brought back an entire nursery set . . . and don't think I didn't give it a good try!!! In the end with all the flight problems we had it was for the best I didn't attempt to bring back massive pieces of furniture however it was sure tempting!

As Christy so correctly pointed out - I am due for a 20 week picture . . . as of yesterday we hit the halfway mark!! I didn't get the picture I needed yesterday as I was exhausted - however we have another wedding to attend this afternoon (our first Bermuda wedding!!!) so I will be sure to get my latest baby bump picture up tomorrow:)

Hope all you Dad's out there had a wonderful Fathers Day!!

Ultrasound Pictures

In a very uncharacteristic Bermuda manner - it turns out our ultrasound pictures were ready today rather than in a week as I posted below!! We had a little better look when we actually saw them on the ultrasound screen but you can still get a pretty good idea of what's going on in a few of them below . . . so here are the first few of our little girl:)

This one you can get a look at her pretty face . . . ok I realize the skull image isn't what most might consider 'pretty' - but at least it's a pretty shaped face!!!

I have no idea what is on the left side of this one, but on the right you can see her having a big yawn!

This was the best profile picture we could get - as you can see she's upside down! Her back is to my tummy.

She had her hands behind her head most of the time - just chillin'!

It's not really clear - but a couple pictures of her little feet and toes!

It was all pretty amazing to see - now I can't wait to see her in real pictures . . . but still a ways to go before then!!

Joel was so overwhelmed after learning about our little girl yesterday that when it came time to come home from work he completely forgot that he had taken the car into work and he took the ferry home!! It was a fairly honest mistake considering he had a lot on his mind . . . and they say the pregnant one is supposed to be the forgetful one - the two of us are going to be in trouble if this is a trend!!

So Much Excitement!!

JOEL AND I ARE HAVING A BABY GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh I can't tell you how good it feels to finally know this!!!! For those of you who are probably thinking that I twisted my dear husband's arm into finding out - for the record we really did decide together . . . we wouldn't have gone ahead with finding out if we weren't both completely in agreement:)

Anyway - our little girlie was just an angel for most of the ultrasound . . . the girl who was doing the ultrasound said she was very photogenic and was turning all the right ways when required . . . . except at the very end when we needed her to flip over she seemed to want to cozy in for a nap!! The technician even had me go walk around for a bit to try and get her to turn but to no avail . . . but regardless we got some great pictures and a CD made which we will receive in a week or so . . . I can then post some of our favorites:)

It really was the most incredible experience as those of you who have been through it before well know!! We saw all four chambers of the heart, her little hands and feet (all 10 fingers and toes!!) even her brain (and I'm pretty sure she's crazy smart)!!! We also saw some pretty big yawns which was really cute . . . with the exception of not turning over completely, she was moving around quite a bit - it was just so amazing to see. And the technician was able to get excellent confirmation on her sex (I really don't need to give all details!!) - but there is no doubt we're having a little girl which was nice as that's not always the case when they determine it's a girl:) Joel and I just couldn't contain ourselves when we found out what we were having - there was a lot of excitment in the room and even a few tears . . . it's all pretty amazing to us!

So I've spent most of the afternoon so far dreaming of Princess Parties and all the fun things we're going to experience with our little angel!! And I'm not the only one thinking of the years ahead . . . as we were walking back to our offices from the ultrasound I heard Joel take this great big deep breath - and when I asked him what was wrong he responded that he already has some pretty big concerns about the years to come . . . something about now he needs to think about getting a shotgun . . . yikes - boys beware, this Daddy is going to be a tough one to cross!!! I told him that we should probably enjoy these younger years while we can ;-)

Today has definitely been a day we'll never forget:)

A Twinge . . . ?!

Sooo much to share in this blog - some weeks I feel like I have nothing exciting to share and some are very eventful!!

Most exciting for me is that I'm pretty sure I felt some movement this morning . . . there was a little twinge/flutter feeling on one side of my tummy . . . it was a bit of a strange sensation as I wasn't 100% sure at first but it went on for a few minutes and felt different than anything else I've felt - so I'm pretty sure Baby M was making his/her presence physically known to me for the first time today:) It was at about 5 am this morning so JM wasn't quite so lucky to be in on this activity but there will be lots more to come for him to experience!

Then later this morning we went for our Dr. appt . . . where we got to hear the heartbeat again - and this will never get old for me!! Baby M's heart was going at about 140 bpm (same as little Dill this week Christy!) and is still just the greatest sound!! We also had our next ultrasound scheduled for next Tuesday - I JUST CAN'T WAIT to see this kid!!! The last 7 week ultrasound/smudge was great but to see a real babe in there is going to be amazing:) As for finding out the sex of our little one . . . the one thing I will say is that over the last few weeks there has been much less debate between JM and I . . . Joel is just as happy to find out and I am just as happy to wait . . . no matter what we decide it will not be a win/lose situation for either of us . . . and what we're most focused on anyway is just seeing a healthy babe!

I've gone for a few more blood tests (for Down's Syndrome and Spina Bifida) and everything has come back as minimal risk which is also wonderful news. The doctor also measured my tummy for the first time today as I expressed to him that I thought I was a little on the small side - however my measurement was 18 inches and I'm 18 weeks so I am right where I should be - I always come out of these doctor appointments so relieved!!

I was SO glad for all this excitement as I have recently been having a few moments of panic and anxiety as I wonder if I'm really ready for all of this. I think seeing my hubby carry on as 'normal' with his life (running marathons, having a drink now and then, going on boys trips etc) had me a bit freaked out as I was feeling like I still wanted to be able to do all of the things I did before I got pregnant (what I would do for a glass - or two! - on a Friday night after a long week!!). Anyway - I've decided that these feelings are normal and thanks to my ever-supportive gals who talked me off 'my ledge' I know it's going to be worth every minute!! And JM is also starting to realize that "Dad" may have to start easing up on a few activities as this is as much his doing as mine ;-) And really one little listen to that heartbeat goes a long way in wiping out all those doubts and anxieties!

Aside from all that I also had a dentist appointment this week and I'm pretty sure I got more parenting advice from the dentist and hygienist than I will ever get from my doctor!!! My dentist was quite stern with me on topics such as pumping breast milk so that Dad can have an active role in feeding . . . and how Dad is not just the 'poopy diaper changer' . . . and how just because Dad doesn't smell like sour milk doesn't mean that he shouldn't be as involved with the new babe as Mom is!!! It was pretty entertaining to hear all this coming from my dentist - who I don't really know all that well . . . he has 4 kids and apparently wasn't 'allowed' to be a very active Dad until the kids were older so I think he's on quite a mission now to protect other Dad's from his fate!!!

So that's been our exciting week - will hopefully have some ultrasound pictures to share after next Tuesday:)

Week 18

Joel and I are both now back in Bermuda from our holidays - mine in Ottawa and Joel's holiday in Ottawa and Myrtle Beach . . . . a little time apart is never a bad idea but it's always nice to get back home together.

While we're just getting back from a holiday we have a couple of exciting weeks coming up and then we are off to Chicago for my cousin's wedding! Before that happens however, we have another doctors appt - which means hearing the heartbeat again (Kristi I hope your noticing my improved spelling!)- and at that appointment we will be scheduling our next ultrasound for hopefully the following week. This will be our first real glimpse of Baby M so we're very excited!!

As you can see from the results of our poll the Yes' edged out the No's when it comes to your opinion's on whether or not we should find out the sex of Baby M - which I couldn't help but be happy about of course!! However for the sake of fairness Joel and I have put the poll results aside and talked this whole issue over a little more seriously . . . . . we have made a decision as to what we're going to do . . . . but we're going to hold out on sharing that decision with everyone until we have the ultrasound - that way if there are any last minute changes it won't be because of any outside influences!! Thanks everyone for your votes though ;-) We are also very anxious to see if the Mahon's will be finding out the sex of their little one . . . . I think I know my sister pretty good and my guess is that she won't be able to resist (which I just can't argue with!!) but I guess we'll see in a few days!! Whether we decide to find out sooner or later we all know that it will be wonderful surprise and blessing no matter when we find out and no matter the result!

I'm getting anxious to feel some movement - but I still have quite a small tummy and no action yet so I think I have a couple more weeks of waiting. One of my girlfriends here (Nancy) is just two weeks ahead of me and is talking about all sorts of activity with her little one - so I'm hoping I'll have similar reports soon!

More after our Dr. appt on Thursday:)

Ottawa

What a weekend we had away!! A big congratulations to Joel for running the Ottawa Marathon in an incredible time of 4hrs and 9min!! He really had an awesome run and his final time doesn't really tell the whole story as for most of the marathon he was on pace for something well under 4hrs . . . however 26 miles can take a pretty good round out of most people and JM's muscles had enough around mile 23 so most of the last 3 miles were a quick walk - which really makes his time all that more impressive:)

Baby M and I had a great time darting around the course cheering on JM as much as we could and even got to run for a little with him at the end! And given the excitment of the weekend I even was able to get a late entry into the 5KM race that was held the day before the marathon - so JM was able to cheer (us!) on!! It was just a fabulous weekend!

Of course we couldn't go away without a little shopping for the babe and Mommy-to-be:) Joel was a superstar not only at the marathon but at Thyme Maternity!! The women there were just in love with him by the end of our little shopping spree . . . I think it was mostly because Joel just wouldn't say no to anything I was interested in!! I think I should really be set now for next 5 months or so . . . at least I hope so . . . . I've never been much of shopper and I have to say I am a much bigger fan of baby shopping rather than maternity shopping!

Joel is now headed for Myrtle Beach for a few days of golf with some other Dad's and Dad's-to-be - should be a great few days of golfing for him which I'm sure he plans on taking full advantage of as it might be the last boys trip for a while ;-) And I am headed back to Bermuda to see my current little babies - Andy and Nellie . . . . I can hardly be apart from these two for too many days - I can see I'm going to have a few issues when Baby M comes along . . . . !

Hope you all had a great relaxing long weekend!

Week 16

We've reached another big week - time for a new picture!! As you can see, not much there yet but there are signs of a baby bump to come! I have to say - the most painful thing about this blog is taking the pictures . . . . I think my cats are much more photographic than I am!!

All has been going well - the biggest issue I (still!) have been having is growing out of my clothes. The last week or so has been as much of a growth spurt as I've experienced so far . . . it seems everyday there is something else I can no longer wear! We went golfing on the weekend and I had a bit of a meltdown (yet-again!!) then . . . and Joel was as helpful as he could have been when he presented me with a pile of his golf shorts . . . however wearing my husbands clothing is NOT the solution to my shortage of maternity clothing!!! Thank goodness for my dear friends here - Marsha bailed me out with some maternity clothes she still had!

The good news is we're off the island in a few days for a country that actually believes in maternity shops! At least this time around I have a very good idea of what I need, so that should help with the shopping.

I guess if my snug clothes are my biggest complaint I should probably be overjoyed!! I'm feeling great, am still going out for light runs and able to eat most foods - still have a few aversions (mostly to meat) but nothing too serious.

Be sure to keep your fingers crossed for Baby M's Dad as he takes on the Ottawa Marathon this coming weekend - he's worked really hard and no matter the result is already a superstar as far as we're concerned:)

Week 15

Hope all you Mom's out there had a wonderful Mothers Day - I spent Mother's Day appreciating my Mom and 2nd Mom more than ever as I look forward to being a Mom myself this time next year:)

So here we are at Week 15 and I have officially had my first wardrobe meltdown - ok in all honesty I had 2 consecutive meltdowns! Never in a million years would I have thought that I would actually shed tears and actually shout at my poor dear husband over what clothes I could (or couldn't!) wear!! The problem was that I just didn't want to admit that I needed to give up some form of my 'normal' clothes - which considering I'm pregnant is kind of a silly thought process in retrospect:) Let me tell you, the pregnancy hormones really showed an ugly side and as a result I ended up with most of my closet heaped on my bed - who knew I could get so crazy (and that's a rhetorical question by the way)! Anyway - I have now moved on to using the tummy sleeve (which I think is the same thing or something very similar to a bella band) and have even worn a couple of my smaller maternity shirts . . . once I conceded to that my sanity (and comfort) have returned! And I'm still able to wear a few pairs of jeans even without using the tummy sleeve, so all is not lost!!

Next week I'll post my next picture and you should be able to see the beginnings of my baby bump (finally)!! I just love watching Kayt's blog cause one thing I'm quite sure of is that I'll never catch up to her!! Kayt - is there really only one in there??!!

Now as far as Baby M goes - the wardrobe situation there is faring much better - here are a few of my favorite outfits that I've got so far:

Joel also brought home a few very sweet sleepers for the baby that Grama Phyllis was out shopping for (I just don't have pictures of them) . . . and I've also picked up some pink and blue adorable onsies that I'm sure will get put to great use!! I do love shopping for our little one - the clothes at this age are just too cute to resist!!

I've had a few people tell me that they've had trouble posting - if you choose the "Name/URL" option when you go to publish your post you should just be able to put your name in and post it. This blog will be the journal I one day share with Baby M - so feel free to add your comments!

Heatbeat!

Joel and I just got back from the Dr.'s office where we heard Baby M's heartbeat for the first time. No matter how many times I heard about how wonderful it was to hear - nothing could have prepared us for how awesome it was to hear that little heart beating like crazy!!! It really is one of the best sounds I've ever heard. I was trying so hard to let the doctor concentrate on what he was doing - but after a minute or so I completely lost my compsure and just started laughing . . . I was just so excited I couldn't keep in any longer!! Both Joel and I walked out of the office with huge grins on our faces and also a much more clear reality that this is REALLY happening!! Our doctor said that the baby's heartbeat was at about 150 beats per minute - which is right where it shoud be . . . and so far all my tests have come back as normal. So far so good!!!

Another 5 or 6 weeks until our next ultrasound - and before we have to decide if we're going to find out if we're having a boy or a girl!! Which by the way, the poll really doesn't seem to be helping considering we're at a deadlock - so I guess we're back to square one and we'll have to duke it out one way or another!

Nothing else to crazy to report - we're now looking forward to our trip to Ottawa in a few weeks where Joel will do the marathon . . . I can't wait to cheer him on after all his hard work he's put into the training over the last few months!

To all the lucky Mom's out there and Mom's-to-be hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day this weekend:)

Back in Bermuda:)

Baby M's Mom and Dad both were off on their own adventures this weekend and are happy to see each other again after a weekend apart.

Joel was off to Winterpeg (yes still a little chilly there as hard as that is to believe!) to celebrate a birthday and see some family and friends. From what I've heard so far Baby M's cousins Mae and Evan are walking around like crazy and are learning something new everyday!

I had a great weekend in Boston with Marsha - we managed to accomplish almost everything we set out do to which meant a very busy but fun weekend!! I came home with all sorts of great maternity clothes which I would have never found without Marsha's help, maternity shopping is really quite easy when you have your own personal shopper!! Now I just have to grow so I can fit into them!! It is a little depressing to come back from a weekend of shopping only to get up the first morning back to work and not get to wear anything new - however I'm sure I'll soon be getting a lot of wear out of those clothes!

I'm now just getting to the 14 week mark - and now that I'm feeling better and through the first trimester I'm not counting the days quite as closely as I was before which is good - but they also go by much quicker now! The debate continues as to whether or not we should find out the sex of Baby M - but I see that I finally have the poll on my side!!!! My new argument is that I need to find out if we're having a boy or a girl so that baby clothes shopping will be a little less costly - right now I'm buying both pink and blue which starts to add up in a hurry!!! Regardless of when we find out and what we find out we're having it will be very excting I'm sure:)