assume the position! - the day I tried it all.

 So, this is sort of how im feeling these days...

To be honest, i'm exhausted... every night consists of tossing and turning in my own bed, to moving to the couch, to maybe falling asleep for an hour...get up to pee... get up 10 minutes later to pee again after just  getting comfortable. sleep for about 45 minutes... wake up, check your phone, give up and have a bath (usually around 3). start watching netflix... make lunch for your husband and kiss him goodbye at about 7am...

And then assume "the position" for the rest of the day. 

Relaxing is hard to do right now. its hard to hear "get as much sleep as you can!"

I REALLY REALLY want to... 

trust me. 

So yesterday at 40.4 - I got up and decided to do something! EVERYTHING I could. 

I got up, got dressed. (sort of - things that fit are low in supply right now)

And I went for a long walk with my dog, Dodging puddles and ice patches all the way. 

When I got back I took a morning dose of "evening primrose oil" and a big cup of

"Red raspberry leaf tea"

Then I did about 10 sets of the stairs that go up to my condo... THAT was a battle. 

I had some action when all that was done, but then made the mistake of "assuming the position" for a little bit. When I got up, any action had stopped. 

My little Sister in law was kind enough to pick me up and on my request we went to the gym, where I walked another 30 minutes and bounced on a yoga ball. 

Then we went home - assumed the position... and watched TV for a bit (C'mon cut me some slack!)

Then in a final attempt that evening I went to a maternity spa near my house and got "induction acupuncture. 

I think it did SOMETHING - I mean, this lady was telling me some pretty convincing stories! I had needles in my neck and up and down my legs, hands and feet.

I expected that..

BUT

I forgot that they hooked the needles up to pulsing electricity and left you there! ha ha that was a bit intense... watching my foot twitch involuntarily for 45 minutes.

Babe was moving like crazy by the time I left and this lady had me SO convinced that something would happen that night..

I was extremely optimistic.

but buddy has other plans obviously.

I can honestly now say I have done everything -  short of caster oil (PASS)

So I give up. its easter. If this little guy wants to miss Easter breast milk dinner... then let him!

HUMPH. 

(Just kidding bud... love you)

xx - r

What about .NOW.

Well, 

Just got home from my 40 week + 3 days Dr. Appointment

Still 1 cm Dilated and thick. 

Awesome. 

Induction scheduled for next Tuesday... 

I got to my car and called my mom in tears. 

I feel a bit discouraged. 

I am enjoying the quiet time to myself to drink tea and blog...

But there is always something looming when your overdue... this constant 

"when when when when when?"

That makes relaxing seem silly. 

There are so many questions I have in my brain all the time!

Is he okay in there?

Isn't he cramped? (I think the answer is YES - every time he moves I cringe!)

did they get my due date wrong? maybe I shouldn't push it if he isn't really overdue!

I mean, they said he was 7 pounds 3.5 weeks ago... he should be big enough... right?

what if he's TOO BIG!

Is something wrong with me?

Am i going to regret wishing labor on myself? (probably)

Was that a contraction?

Better do my kick-count.

Is today the day? what about now?

now?

now?

NOW???

Sigh.

Questions. 

On the up-side... If nothing happens, I get a long weekend with my Husband off school... If he can handle my emotional roller coaster-self right now!

what about now?

NOW?

xx - r.  

Stretched To The Max And The Perfect Burger

My baby is now the size of a pumpkin - according to "What to Expect When Your Expecting"

and I am officially overdue.

I told myself a couple of weeks ago that I was prepared to be pregnant until I was 42 weeks, That I could just "Get my head around it"

I mean, im okay.

But its still a little disappointing.

each day my anxiety about getting stretch marks across my stomach gets greater. I know that sounds totally vain and believe me, I will be happy with any body that produces a baby. but its scary stuff!

I have been fairly diligent with these products:

Bio-Oil - incredibly greasy, but REALLY moisturizes

and Coconut Body Butter on top of that, just to seal it in and make me smell pretty.

I actually have no idea if either of these really work... my belly has stayed pretty small this pregnancy, due to the baby being on my backside... 

I have gotten some stretch marks on my hips though... a little disappointing, but nothing I haven't dealt with before... being a girl is really hard sometimes. I gained weight pretty rapidly when I was about 13 or 14 and hit puberty... these stretch marks are just "re-visitors" from that time. 

Total weight gain from this pregnancy will have been almost 50 pounds when all is said and done. 

I have NOT been careful. 

I spent most of the pregnancy (when I wasn't sick) searching for "the perfect burger"

No joke. 

I would make T take me to different places in town and try them out. 

after many...TOO MANY trials...

I ended up with 2 winners

One was downtown where I worked at a little place called "The Hat"

a little burger called "The Mad Hatter" - BBQ Chips - BBQ sauce and Havarti Cheese.

BBQ Chips on a burger? A serious winner. (The picture below isnt the one I had...unfortunately that one didnt last long enough to snap a picture of)

The second runner up I stumbled upon on my way home from work... my back was sore from sitting in traffic, so I stopped in to try the new "WHIPLASH WHOPPER" from BK

Now, I am NOT  a Burger King person... at all. 

But this rocked my world. 

SO....

That might explain a little better how I went from this... (10 weeks)

To this.... (40.1 weeks)

in 10 LONG months?

Eating for 2... hilarious. 

Do I regret it?

Nope.

Not yet anyways. 

XX - r

Boss vs The Baby

sometimes I wonder how my life will change in the next couple of weeks.

 I think about how it will affect this guy:

I have been SO short with him most of this pregnancy... constantly wondering if I can handle him AND a baby... Bossley is a bit of a "special" dog... anyone who used to follow my life remembers this?

When Mr Ceasar Milan came to Edmonton in 2010 Bossley was hand-picked as one of the "problem dogs" that he wanted to showcase on stage...

and he put on a good show.

I scammed Taylor into buying Bossley for me when we had only been dating a few weeks.

I remember reading in the newspaper add that he was a pure-bread "teddy bear pomeranian"

now let me show you a photo of what one of these pom's should look like...

and here is what my boss looked like when we picked him up...

Seems legit huh? 

According to the American Kennel Club - an adult teddy bear pom should be between 3-7 pounds.

uh... what?

within the first year our little bosser-man stopped looking like a tiny pomeranian and started looking like a BIG pomeranian...something..

Weighing in at 19 pounds. 

Oh well - Cant win em all!

and man did we like him. 

I have always had dogs... I love animals more than humans a lot of the time. 

boss went everywhere with us. he has been part of mine and T's story from the beginning.

he even helped T Propose to me. 

I kept Boss mostly at my parents farm in Calgary until we moved to Edmonton to work our butts off before the wedding.

That was a rough summer for Bossley, he went from a farm dog to a full time kennel dog...

well - not until after he ate several important things while we were at work... a few times. We almost gave him up a few times that summer.

but being so young Boss never complained and was always happy when we came home. there is no better feeling in this world than coming home to a dog that loves you SO MUCH.

As our lives and marriage progressed, all three of us grew up, including Bossley.

**cue "time of your life" soundtrack**

 Meeting our fish for the first time

 Christmas Haircut

Cousins!

Summer Haircut (Nice Tie!)

Boss has lots of friends... and loves cards!

Summer adventures. 

 Christmas outfits

This pooch is a huge part of our lives...

We are bringing something else huge into our lives in the next few days/weeks...

Can they share the attention?

Can i handle a high maintenance dog AND a baby?

This has been a hot topic with T - And the answer is: we dont know until we try. Boss is a member of our family and he deserves a shot with his little bro.

Now if I could just get him to stop eating the babies teething toys and stuffies...

I mean REALLY! he isnt even here yet!

sigh.

Love you Boss.


- r

Prep Work

My due date is Sunday.

This baby feels totally comfortable, with his feet in my ribs and his elbows in my bladder...

I however feel totally uncomfortable, with my hips and back aching and my false contractions only stopping when I'm in the bath (our water bill has sky-rocketed!)

So... Me and Baby Campbell?

We're at a bit of a standoff.

yesterday consisted of mostly prep work. Since I went off work last Monday I have been in full blown cleaning mode. There is something about leaving a 40h work week and going home to sit around and wait for something... I know there are other things I could do outside the home... But I'm a bit of a home body, and the fact that my hips feel like they are going to break apart make me not want to go far. So to fill that working void, I have been cleaning, organizing and as of yesterday... Cooking!

I had a great Edmonton-based baby shower last weekend.

Mustache?

The decorations were amazing

We played that poopy-diaper game I have always wanted to play!

ALMOST ALL of my sisters ventured down (except Kiersten and Liam because one is a basketball star and one is a busy mamma of 3! - BUT thats what the Calgary shower is for!)

Lots of other people who are very important to me ventured out to come!

My sisters are amazing. seriously. I couldn't ask for better people in my life. through all of my struggles and "moments" they are amazing.

Oh, and they got me this amazing baby monitor!!

it even has a 2 way speaker system for when this punk gets a little older and I have to tell him to "GET BACK INTO BED!"



Because Of the snow today. Baby-Boss and I are laying low and trying to catch up on the sleep that my RLS and sciatic nerve pain are not allowing me to get!

Baby - Come soon!

XX


-r

Here We Go Again!

Fresh Blog

New Beginnings

Bring on Baby Campbell!


-r