Bathroom Bliss

This time around I'm going to forgo the hallmark-esk post and write about something I'm totally stoked about. You might recall that my upstairs bathroom was in need of a complete overhaul and although we (and by we I mean Paul) had gutted it awhile ago, this project was put on the back burner. If you need a refresher you can check it out here. Well...we've finally gotten back to it, yippy!

 We changed the layout and with that came some major replumbing and updating. Our home is 60+ years old so Paul and my father-in-law took the opportunity to replace the vent stack and some plumbing under the kitchen sink.

With that completed the new toilette was installed.

Simple dual flush

 The next step for us was buying the bathtub. We decided on a BainUltra and it came in two weeks ago.

Arrival of THE BainUltra

 It's a "drop-in" style tub so Paul had to build the box for it first.

Daddy teaching Pauly

Pauly helping daddy

Bain Frame

The tub is still sitting in our living room but I can hardly wait for my first Bain experience. You can count on reading about it but don't hold your breath. There's still so much left to do.

34 Weeks

Holy Shit! I'm 34 weeks into my pregnancy and time is not standing still. My lil' bean will soon be here and there's still so much to do. But not to worry...I'm not stressed out and it's unbelievable sometimes. I know some women would have everything done by now and I have practically nothing. Oh well. This lil' guy will have what he needs. Food, clean diapers, two loving parents and a place to lay his head when he needs to sleep. Anything other than that will just be extra. Nice extras, but I think we'll be OK for now. As for what's been happening this week, Paul & I met with Jody. We reviewed my revised birth plan and went through the breathing techniques, positions for labour, and initial breastfeeding holds. There's a lot of information to absorb so I've got to make some time to review all of this before my lil' bean decides to show up.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. I had to go to bed early on Friday so I could be in Guelph for my birthing class. We had to do the 7 hour classes because we work afternoons and couldn't make the evening classes. It was a long day and to top it off, I didn't learn anything new. We covered things like the growth of the baby, nutrition, the anatomy of the placenta and things that could go wrong during pregnancy. And although I new all about this stuff, there's one thing that this class did teach me. Keep your feet up when you sit!

For the last couple weeks I've experienced swelling in my feet, but nothing like Saturday. We had breaks every couple of hours and an hour for lunch but nothing helped. By the end of the day my feet were twice their normal size and I could barley keep my shoes on. I did nothing else that night in hopes that my feet would deflate, but no such luck. It wasn't until Sunday morning that they started looking like my normal tootsies. I got up and went to church but by the time I got back, poof...they were swollen again. And on goes the cycle. I get up with normal feet, and by the end of the day they look like potatoes. Tater toes is what I call them, but it's just plain ugly. Kankles do not look good on me!

On the bathroom front, I think we've picked out a bathtub. We've decided to take it one feature at a time and since the tub is going to be the big ticket item, we're working on that first. It's nothing too fancy, but does have two features that I'm not going to give up, even if we decide on a different model. It's deep enough so the water will come up to your shoulders, and it's got air jets for a therapeutic massage. We haven't bought it yet, and we'll probably look around some more but we really like this one.

Well, my lil' bean is now weighing in at 4.75 pounds and is 18 inches long. His weight is comparable to a cantaloupe. His central nervous system and his lungs continue to mature while his skin is filling out nicely. He is developing his own immunity to fight infections and his skeleton is hardening. If he were to be born now, there would only be a short stay in the NICU and he would most likely develop as well as a full term baby. But lets hope my lil' bean isn't done baking just yet. Only 6 more weeks to go.

33 Weeks

So this week was not too entertaining. I suppose I'll start with my visit to the midwife. I saw Cindy again and had some great conversations with her. We went through the GBS screening and she left me with a handout so I could make a decision on wether or not to have the test done. My vitals are good and the best news is that my fundal height is normal, measuring 33 weeks. She took some blood to test for anemia. I don't think there will be a problem since I'm not showing any signs of it. I should have results when I go back in 2 weeks.

I'm getting really close to having the room for the new office empty. There's a few items that Paul needs to put in the shed so I can finish with it. Then after that I'll be able to start emptying the baby room. I know it's getting down to the wire but what can I say? The lil' bean's not sleeping in his own room for the first little while so I've been procrastinating.

And while I've been pacing myself, Paul's been super busy with the upstairs bathroom. It was original to the house and I can happily say it no longer exists. All the fixtures are gone and the guest room closet is now part of the bathroom. We still need to change the plumbing and electrical and then we can start putting it back together. There's a lot of work still left to be done but Paul's been working on it every night and we've got my father-in-law's help almost every weekend. It just sucks having to go downstairs in the middle of the night to use the toilette!

Paul & I went shopping over the weekend and something unusual happened. He came home with a bunch of stuff and I came home with nothing. And the oddest thing about it is that he bought a pair of running shoes. I know that doesn't sound too unusual but Paul hasn't owned a pair of running shoes in years. I've tried to tell him that they are good to have around but he's never listened...until now. He even brought his dress shoes when we went camping last year. But anyways, he is now the proud owner of sneaks with skulls on them.

And since one good turn doesn't always deserve another, I'm sad to say that my car was violated over the weekend. When my father-in-law showed up Sunday morning he was surprised to find my driver side door open. I'm sure I had accidentally left the car unlocked and someone had gone through my stuff overnight. Luckily, this isn't the first time my car has been broken into and I know better than to leave valuables in there. So whoever thought they'd find something was dead wrong. There was nothing missing and nothing broken. The best outcome for the situation. And then life goes on.

This week my lil' bean weighs about as much as a pineapple, a little over 4 pounds, and is just over 19 inches long. He can listen, feel and see and is still gaining fat. He isn't changing much except for his size and will soon be in my arms. Only 7 more weeks to go.

32 Weeks

At 32 weeks, I'm feeling great. I look at myself in the mirror and see how big I am, but I don't feel it. Don't get me wrong, I am having a hard time tying my shoes, getting out of bed and just bending over in general, but it doesn't bother me. Not much anyways. There are times when I wish I could squeeze into a normal pair of jeans (elastic waistbands only go so far) but then I remember why I can't and I feel much better. I think back to when being pregnant seemed like a dream and there wasn't any sign of my lil' bean and I don't know how I coped. Whereas now, I can feel him move every time he decides to turn his head, or stretch his arms, and even when he hiccups. It's a feeling I never would give up. Well...I'd give it up to be able to hold him, which of course is undeniable in the end. So 8 more weeks and I'll be holding this little guy. Wow. It doesn't scare me but I know I'm going to miss being pregnant. There's something so special about carrying this lil' bean around that makes me want to stop time. Maybe it's knowing that as long as he's in his watery home, he's going to be as safe as he can ever be. That right now the outside world has no effect on him except through me, an you know that I wouldn't do anything to harm him. When I feel him squirm around it makes me happy in a way that nothing ever did, and I can only imagine (for now) what it's going to feel like holding such a special person. A person that I've never met but loved right from the start.

As for other news, the closet is done and being used so it's on to the bathroom. Paul & his dad have started ripping apart the upstairs bathroom and I can only hope it won't take too long to finish. It's being completely gutted and we're changing the layout so the plumbing and electrical are being updated. We're also knocking out the closet and making it part of the bathroom so it'll be a bit bigger than it was, yay!

And It's a good thing that I'm not helping with the bathroom in any way because I'm getting clumsier. I never was graceful but now that I'm carrying almost 30 pounds in front, I can't seem to keep hold of anything or judge distance. I bump into things a lot more and I'm dropping everything. It's not fair! And the cruelest part of it all... it's hard to bend over and pick up the stuff I'm always dropping.

Anyways, I've gotten one step closer to delivery but preregistering at my pre birth clinic appointment. It was nothing special, just filling out the hospital paperwork in advance, and with that came some more resourceful information. Where to find support groups, nutrition info and activities to do with your children etc.

Paul & I also went to see Clash of the Titans in 3D. What a waste of money. I enjoyed the movie itself but the 3D was pretty useless and lame. I suggest watching it in 2D instead. I think the whole 3D experience is really overrated. Of the movies I've seen, most don't even have a lot of that "coming at you" effect.
At 32 weeks, my lil' bean now weighs about 4 pounds which is close to the weight of a jicama. His length should be close to 19 inches and growing. His head is now proportionate to the rest of his body and his skull is made up of 6 bones joined together by a flexible material called sutures. This will allow his head to mould and fit through the birth canal. All of his 5 senses are functioning when he is awake, which should usually be about 10% of the time but it seems more like 20 or 30%. He's a mover and a shaker! And of course there's the pound a week I'll be gaining until my lil' bean decides it's time for mom & dad to meet him. He will only use half of that but it will make up a third of his total birth weight. Only 8 more weeks to go.

29 Weeks

It's been 4 weeks since I last saw my midwife and from now on, I'll be seeing her every two weeks. At this weeks appointment we reviewed wether or not I wanted to have the gestational diabetes test. She went through the problems that may occur if it goes undetected and also made a note of mentioning that I didn't fall into any of the categories that put me at risk except for being over 25 years old. I also found out that Hamilton doesn't even recognize it as a proper screening test and doesn't test pregnant women. I told her I would think about it and she gave me a sheet to read so I could make the right decision for myself. After reading the info and thinking about it over the weekend, I think I'm going to have it done. Being aware of having gestational diabetes would prevent a lot of problems that could arise if it went untreated.

The visit continued with the usual blood pressure check, fundal height, external palpation and fetal heartbeat. My blood pressure is still nice & low. This along with lack of swelling and a good BMI keeps me in the clear for preeclampsia. My fundal height is measuring one week ahead, as before. Not a big deal as long as the measurement stays consistent. When the midwife checked the position of my lil' bean she had good news to share with us. He is now head down, but of course this could change in the next 11 weeks. She pointed out the head, spine, hands and feet. I of course had my suspisions that he had been in this position for a while now. It seems that all the movement I feel has been concentrated to one side of my belly. And now that she has confirmed the fact that he is head down, I can confidently say that he loves this spot. He hasn't really moved from this position and that's OK with me. The last thing I want is a breech baby.

Oh...I almost forgot. Paul & I also got an excellent surprise the same morning I had to see the midwife. It was about 9am when I heard Kane walking around, and it sounded like he had stuck his nose in the bathroom garbage, which he's not supposed to do. That's what really made me pay attention to him. He then walked into the office and didn't walk out. He likes to hide under my desk when he's scared so my first guess was that he had pulled some garbage out of the bathroom and was chewing on it in the office. I waited a few minutes to see if he would come out, but he didn't. I then got up and sure enough, he was hiding in the office. That's when I smelled it. A little confused and still half asleep I first thought he had farted, and I headed for the bathroom to see what he had done in there. Half way down the hallway I stopped dead in my tracks. It wasn't a fart I smelled. Right in front of the bathroom door was this puddle of mud, only it wasn't mud. I walked a little further and noticed another "mud puddle" in front of the toilet and on the wall tiles. My jaw dropped. As I peered around the corner and into the kitchen I couldn't believe what I was seeing. There was "mud puddles" everywhere. Kane had been lying in his bed and for some reason felt the need to have explosive diarrhea in the living room, kitchen, bathroom and hallway. It was all over the floor, rug, tablecloth, toilet & walls. I almost cried. I was about to start cleaning it up but I knew I couldn't do it by myself. I had to wake up Paul. He wasn't a happy camper. We started with paper towel and picked up as much of it as we could. I took the rug and tablecloth and put it in the washer. Then I got out the mop and washed the floors while Paul cleaned the doors, walls & toilette. I let the dogs out after that and opened all the windows. Our clothes went into the hamper and then we both needed a good shower. It took the two of us about an hour to clean up that mess. And as much as I wanted to go back to bed, it was off to the midwife's for our appointment. The house still stunk when we got back but at least Kane hadn't had another episode. I never want to experience that again.

And now that you've had a good laugh, at my expense, I can continue with other, more enjoyable happenings. Over the weekend Paul & I picked up the rest of the stuff for the closet. It's coming along nicely and I can hardly wait to see it done. I'll finally have all the storage space I need and hopefully things will be a little more organized in the house. Here's a few pics of the progress.

So all the framing, drywall and mudding is done. The doors have been hung and the trim added. Next weekends adgenda...the inside. I know we'll be busy with Easter, but Paul will surely squeeze in some time for it.

And on to my lil' bean. This week he weighs 2 1/2 pounds, about the same as a butternut squash, and is 15 inches long. His bones are fully developed but will stay malleable in order to get through the birth canal. His lungs are maturing along with his muscles and of course he is still gaining fat. His head is also getting bigger to accommodate his brain. Only 11 more weeks to grow!

21 Weeks

I am now on a downhill slope, and good thing it's not a steep one. I predict the next 19 weeks (which sounds long) will go by quickly and be full of "to do" lists. Between Paul & I, we have absolutely nothing ready. Oh, except for being registered at the hospital! But now that Paul's 30th birthday party has come and gone, we can start concentrating on getting the house and ourselves ready for our lil' bean.

We've trashed an old couch, the old bar that was left here and an old coffee table so far this week. And now that that's out of the way, we can go out this weekend to pick up materials for the downstairs closet. After that's been built, I can start putting away some of the odds & ends that have been lurking in awkward spots since we demolished the upstairs closet.

There will be more renovations that need to be done before baby but I won't get into that right now. What's really on my mind is my anatomy ultrasound later this week. I can't wait to see my lil' bean again and hopefully find out if I'm having a boy or girl. And I'll finally get to see all the movement I've been feeling, which has become stronger & more frequent!

Most of the guys at work are also offering their help a little more than they used to. It's nothing too big but they offer to take my garbage out for me, or help me carry supplies back to my room. It's nothing I can't handle at this point but they seem to really want to help so every once in a while I let them.

What I wish someone could help me with is this acid reflux. It doesn't happen every day but at least 3 or 4 times a week. I'm hoping it won't get any worse but who knows. As my lil' bean gets bigger, everything will migrate up and I think I'll be running for the Tums more and more. But I guess it doesn't hurt to hope for the best. And then there's the itchy skin. Winter always does a number to my skin but my growing belly is making it worse. I find myself using lotion everyday, sometimes twice a day. And if I don't...it feels like someone is jabbing me with needles all over. Not a good feeling but the lotion is doing a good job of keeping the needles at bay. I can't wait for some warmer weather. Even though this winter hasn't been too bad so far, the shorter it is, the better!

As the time passes, I find myself thinking about birthing classes and what kind of experience I'd like to have during delivery. At first I thought about a specialized birthing class like Hypnobirthing or the Bradley method but the more I think about it, the more I realize that it's not for me. It's not that I think I can't do it, but I know how I like to procrastinate and all that extra time I'll need to put into a class like Hypnobirthing won't work to my benefit. After talking to Paul about it, and of course he's leaving it up to me, I've decided on a doula and a general information birthing class. I think it'll be the best way for me to reach my goal of an unmedicated delivery. After all, I don't do my own taxes, or fix my own car. I leave that up to the pros. And to me, a doula would be worth her weight in gold. She'll know exactly what to do when the time comes so that I can concentrate on my breathing and staying relaxed. And an extra person around to encourage me can't hurt!

And of course there's my lil' bean, who this week has grown to be the size of a carrot. His/her permanent teeth are still developing and the fat that my lil' bean will need at birth has started to form in places like the chest and neck. He/she will take the next few months to build up enough fat to keep him/her warm. He/she is still practicing swallowing and will continue until birth. As for now, my lil' bean seams to be having fun jumping around and I don't mind it at all.