Remembering D-day...

I know it sounds terribly cliche, but it truly is hard to believe that 1 year ago today, marked D-day for our little one. This time last year, I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to hold our sweet Callie.

(Well, at that point, I didn't even know 'she' was a 'she.')

All I could think about was how hot it was (totally different than this June!) and how enormous my ankles were. I remember questioning whether my feet would ever actually look normal again :)

My last prego picture, taken @ 38 weeks.

3 weeks before

Callie made her appearance...

But 'she' was indeed a 'she' (just as my Mom had predicted) and now, we're getting ready for her 1st birthday! Seriously!? I just can't wrap my head around it...

My dear friend Janelle designed Callie's birthday invitations. Aren't they sweet!? If you like what you see, check out Janelle's website Upsie Daisy Creations!

Quick update on D-day...

Well, today is the baby's due date and obviously, I'm still very much pregnant considering I'm sitting at my computer writing this.  But with the countless questions and inquiries I've been getting, I thought I'd just give you a brief update, and hope that this will be the last I have to give before the big event. :)

I woke up this morning at around 4:00am with fairly intense contractions.  They lasted til about 6:00am but were very sporadic and inconsistent so I was pretty certain that I wasn't actually in labour.  Plus, everything stopped shortly after 6am and didn't start up again.  But I still felt quite optimistic because I had a doctor's appt. set for 11:40am and was going to have another membrane sweep.  At my last appt., my doctor found that I wasn't dilated yet but that my cervix was very soft and he was able to sweep about 1cm.  I figured with this morning's "false labour," and the "burst of energy" I got a few days ago (the final "nesting" period, so I'm told) that surely, this membrane sweep would do the trick.  Either that, or my doctor would find that I was already dilated at least a bit.  Alas, this was not the case.  I had already prepared myself for "bad news," but had still really hoped that he'd find I had progressed.  Unfortunately, I still hadn't dilated at all.  He said that the baby had moved down a bit more and was definitely engaged, and my cervix was again, very soft and easy to sweep (he was able to do 1cm again), but that was it.  

So... if nothing happens in the next few days, I have an appt. set for Thursday in which he'll do another sweep, and if that doesn't do it, my induction has been set for Monday, June 29.  All I can do is pray that I don't go to induction--- for two reasons.  A) I would just really prefer to go into labour naturally, and B) Craig & Jen fly in that day and I really didn't want to be in hospital when they arrive.  So if you think of it, please send up a prayer that baby would join us sooner than Monday :)  And even better... tonight would be a great night to go into labour, as my doctor is on for labour/delivery at the hospital tomorrow and I would love to have him there to 'do the honours' :)

PS:  Sarah S. ... if you're reading this, I did try the stairs and will continue to do it.  I walked up and down our main flight of stairs 20 times the other night ('til my legs felt like jello and I was ready to puke!)  And that was after we had already gone for a long walk around the neighbourhood.  I went for another LONG walk at the river with my parents tonight and will climb our stairs 'til I'm blue in the face, if that's what it takes :)  At least its a healthy way of trying to bring on this baby! 

Our newest addition...

... unfortunately, I'm not talking about our baby.  Sorry... didn't mean to get anyone's hopes up :)  

Jon and I finally got a new camera this week!  Our other one (which we've had for over 5 years now) has been on the fritz for a while and has been completely unpredictable.  I'm never quite sure how the pictures will turn out, regardless of how clear they may look on the camera's screen.  And for the most part, they always seem to be blurry and out of focus.  A camera wasn't exactly something we had been planning on investing in any time soon, but with babe's due date quickly approaching, we wanted to be sure that we'd get some good shots of him/her when we welcome them into the world.  So, we started doing some research and finally decided on the Canon SX110 IS.  We've been watching the flyers and checking the stores for sales, and finally, we found it for a great price at FutureShop on Thursday night.  We haven't really had a chance to play around with it much yet, but are very impressed with the little we have seen so far.

One of the biggest reasons we rushed out to hunt for the camera on Thursday night, was due to the fact that things seemed to be progressing in the way of labour.  I use the word "seemed" quite strongly because unfortunately, things came to a halt fairly soon after that.  But none the less, we thought that "little kicker" may be joining us sooner than we had expected, and figured we'd better get the camera before it was too late :)

I had my weekly doctor's appt. on Tuesday.  They told me a while back, that they would start sweeping my membranes at the 38 week mark, in hopes of preventing induction.  The idea of having things start naturally sounded great to me, and of course, the thought of not having to go overdue seemed perfect as well.  So Tuesday's appt. marked the first attempt.  To my disappointment (even though it wasn't that surprising), the doctor wasn't quite able to do the sweep, as my cervix was still hard and tough to reach.  He and the nurse tried to encourage me that "things change very quickly" and I shouldn't lose hope.  They'd try again next week.

So off I went, a bit discouraged, but trying to tell myself that it wouldn't be much longer.  Well... by the next day, I started to feel "different."  I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I knew that I was feeling somewhat out of the ordinary.  And sure enough, I lost my "plug" later that afternoon.  Then, throughout the night, and into the afternoon on Thursday, I felt incredibly crampy and uncomfortable.  After talking to my friend's mom (who is a maternity nurse), it became clear that I most likely had lost my mucus plug and could very well go into labour at any point.  Or.... it could still be a matter of weeks :(  But, none the less, Tuesday's exam had obviously progressed things to some degree, and that was encouraging.  

So as soon as Jon got home from work on Thursday, it was quickly decided that we'd grab something to eat at the mall and do a lot of walking, in hopes of starting labour.  Plus, get the camera while we were at it ;)  But... much to my dismay, all cramping & mild contracting completely stopped by the time evening hit and I had a strong feeling that there wasn't going to be any action that night. 

Turns out, I was right.  So... we went for a LONG walk at the river trail last night, hoping that maybe, JUST MAYBE, it would be enough to get things going.  Jon and I both agreed that having the baby on the weekend would be fantastic because then he wouldn't have to miss as much work during the week.  But, we all know that these things are out of our hands :)  

I did have some mild contractions while we were walking, and a few in the middle of the night, but again... no real action.

So... I guess Jr. isn't quite ready to make his/her appearance just yet.  I know I'm still a week away from my due date, but my brother & sister-in-law arrive for a visit from SK, on June 29 and it would be SO nice to be somewhat "on the road to recovery" before they get here.  I only get to see them once a year so I'd really like to be able to enjoy our time with them, and think it would be so much easier to do so, if I'm not just getting out of the hospital when they arrive.  But again, I realize that its all in God's hands and His timing will be just right, even if its not my timing.  

My doctor will be sweeping my membranes every week now (or as many times a week) as is necessary to avoid going overdue so hopefully, this Tuesday's appt. will be successful.  If not, I guess we'll just keep waiting, as patiently as is humanly possible at this point, and going for more river walks :)  I'll be sure to keep you all posted... 

Pregnancy photo shoot...

Here I am at 38 weeks. 

And just when I thought I couldn't get any bigger... :)

We got our pregnancy pictures back from Roxanna late last week.  We're absolutely thrilled with how they turned out.  Click on the link below if you want to check them out...

Jon & Bonnie's Pregnancy Photo Shoot

Sunny days & a sweaty countdown...

Its hard to believe that I'm already half way through my first week of mat leave.  The weather has been the ultimate reward--- +30 degrees everyday.  I heard today is supposed to hit +33 or +34.  And its only June 3.  We could be in for a very hot summer if this keeps up.  Yesterday's heat made me extremely grateful for the fact that I won't have to be pregnant through the hottest part of the summer.  If this is June, and I'm already perma-sweating, then I can't imagine how brutal July & August might be!  Thank goodness I only have another couple of weeks to go :)

Only 19 days til "D-day."  Wow.  I'm not sure its even sunk in that I will be holding a baby in my arms so soon.  I mean, we've been preparing for months and counting down the days, but its still so hard to imagine what that day will be like.  Plus, the reality that I still have to get through the labour part is a little daunting.  Ok... so its a lot daunting :)  But thankfully the excitement that continues to build as we get closer and closer, helps that part feel a bit less intimidating.  Maybe that's naive.  Or maybe its just positive thinking.  Either way, I'm eagerly anticipating the moment when labour is a distant memory, and cuddling our little one becomes a part of every day life.  I truly can't wait!

The finished product...

Well, the nursery is pretty much finished. All I have left to do is hang some picture frames above the crib, once we actually have some photos of our little Esau Jr.  Other than that, I think we're good to go!

... Pre-crib sleeping arrangements ...

Our playpen came with a detachable bassinet so we'll be able to have the baby sleep in our room for the first few weeks.  

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By the way, I just tallied up the Baby Poll guesses and so far there are:

16 for GIRL

&

14 for BOY

If you haven't guessed yet and would like to, add your comment on today's post and I'll add it to the "poll spreadsheet." :)  Prize will go to the closest 'over-all' guess!  

36 weeks...

9 months pregnant and waiting anxiously...

On and on...

Is it just me or does life literally seem to pass by more and more quickly, the older we get? I feel like its a little out of control to be honest. How can it possibly be May 21 already!?! And if its May 21, then that makes tomorrow the 22nd. And that means that our due date is ONE MONTH AWAY!! Sheesh. Where has the time gone?

The one bonus to nearing the end of May is that our weather is getting better and better. Sunshine, blue skies and mid to high 20 temperatures are becoming the norm and are, obviously, more than welcomed. I checked the forecast yesterday and it said that by Monday, we're supposed to be up to 30+ celcius. Yes please! :)

On a different note... I've been feeling extra thankful for my husband lately. Not only has he been super supportive through this pregnancy, but he's so willing to step up to the plate in the areas that I'm less able to now. Last night, he informed me that I was to mark this Saturday on our calendar as "loose ends day." I am not allowed to schedule anything else for that day. He said he plans to clean the house from TOP to BOTTOM--- "nothing will go untouched," were his exact words. :) He then plans to work on the basement a bit more, get any other baby room projects completed and anything else I may have in mind. What a good man. I just love him to bits and can't help but smile at his continually growing excitement for the baby's arrival. I'm SO blessed! (side note: the nursery is almost completed, so I'll post pictures next week.)

We finish up our last prenatal class tonight and both Jon & I are very ready to be finished. Its not that it hasn't been beneficial, but its a 2 hour class, every Thursday evening and it will be nice to have our evenings less busy. Tonight's class is all about post-partum and then the last half of the class will be our hospital visit. I would usually be quite excited about the maternity ward visit, but having spent a few days there earlier in this pregnancy, its nothing new to me :) None the less, it will be good to go through the registration info. and meet some of the staff.

I'm really looking forward to next Tuesday evening. We're having some pregnancy photos taken by a woman from our church. You can check her out at http://www.roxannajphotography.com/. I'll be sure to post some pictures once we get them back.

Sorry this isn't a very exciting post. I don't have any pictures to share. We were at our friends, Kevin & Ashley's, wedding this last weekend and I'm quickly realizing how badly we need to invest in a new camera. Almost all of my pictures were blurry and out of focus so I don't even have any to add to this post. But I'll definitely try to come up with some nursery & pregnancy photos for the next one.

Blast ball & Birthdays...

Our nephew Konrad is playing on a "blast ball" team this spring, so Jon and I joined the family at Sardis Park on Saturday morning to see him in action. It was pretty cute watching all the kids stand distracted in the field and then dog-pile when the ball was finally hit in their direction.

Getting ready to hit a home run...

After the game, we all headed back to Erich & Naomi's for Calvin's 1st birthday party.  Its so hard to believe that a whole year has already passed since we went to meet him in the hospital for the first time.  I know its awfully cliche, but kids really do grow up too fast :)  He's become such a little boy and is always quick to offer a smile and outstretched arms.  We love his easy-going spirit and the distinct personality he has.  We feel so blessed to have the niece & nephews we have. 

I don't think Calvin really understood the business of having a birthday and had most of his gifts opened by his very eager brother and sister... :)

As you can see here, eating the gift wrap was far more interesting to the birthday boy...

Seeing as Calvin's birthday is in the spring, Naomi had the great idea of doing a "worms & dirt" cake, and took it one step further with her creativity by making the layered dessert in a bucket.  It was so cute & SO tasty :)

Getting a taste of cake for the first time.  He was a little hesitant at first, but as soon as he realized how good it was, he didn't hold back...

Mozart in the making...

Happy Birthday Calvin! 

We love you so much and can't wait to see you continue to grow over the next year!

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And to finish off the post, here's a belly shot at 34 weeks.  

Not much longer now...

Thank-you to everyone who has entered their guess in the baby poll.  If you want to put your guess in and haven't had a chance to yet, be sure to go to the comments on the last post and let us know what you think.  

What do YOU think?

With less than 50 days until "D-Day", I thought it might be fun to get a baby poll going.

So... if you read this blog and would like to throw out your guesses for our "little kicker," then please drop me a comment with the following:

Boy or Girl

Date of arrival

Weight

(Here's a reminder of what baby looked like at 18 weeks)

And if a prize is more incentive for joining in, consider that part covered. Not sure what it will be yet but I'll send a prize to whoever is closest with their guess.

Have fun! I look forward to reading your comments!

(Oh, and I should remind those of you that are unsure, my due date is set for 

June 22.)

Time for an update... (*revised)

The weeks continue to fly by and blogging always seems to take the back seat.  Part of that is because I never seem to take pictures anymore, and posts are always more interesting with pictures.  But part of it is also because I feel like a bit of a broken record with how "typical" things in life are right now.  Nonetheless, some of you are probably wondering how things are going so here's a brief little update on us.

In the way of my pregnancy, things are going well.  We started prenatal classes this last Thursday and will continue to go every Thursday night, from 7-9:00pm, for the the next 4 weeks.  To be totally honest, neither Jon or I were all that excited about starting the class, but after the first week, it proved that it will be worthwhile, and not as boring as we had feared it might be.  Plus, we have a pretty interesting group of people in the class and are sure to be somewhat 'entertained' for the next few weeks :)

This Monday afternoon will be our last "viewing" of baby until we actually meet him/her in real life (which seems CRAAAZY to me--- where has the time gone!?).  We go for our 32 week ultrasound and are hoping for a much more peaceful experience than last time.  I've been thinking a lot about how different "little kicker" will look this time, compared to their size at 18 weeks.  We're definitely looking forward to Monday's appointment.

   

The nursery hasn't changed all that much in the last few weeks/months, since we got the crib set up.  My energy level has deteriorated quite a bit lately and even though I've had ideas rolling around inside of my head, I haven't really put many of them into practice yet.  I'm told that I will get a "burst of energy" near the end, so I'm hoping that my motivation will kick in soon and I can put the finishing touches on the room.  I picked up a few small canvases that I plan to paint to match the bedding, and got some floating shelves too.  We'll see how the completed project turns out.

We finally purchased our stroller/car seat a few weeks ago.  Its been sitting in our dining/living room, and I must admit, I've considered "borrowing" our nephew Calvin for an afternoon, just to have an excuse to try it out.  It seems to tempt me, every time I look at it :)  Guess I'll be using it soon enough.

  

As for work, the countdown is on!  I have to work a full week at the beginning of May but then I'm back to my Wed.-Fri. schedule until I start mat leave.  That means I officially have another 17 working days left!  The end is in sight.

The only other big event as of late, has been a change in Jon.  He's taken on the look of half man, half chipmunk :)  Yesterday was surgery day, as he had all 4 of his wisdom teeth removed at the specialist's.  They put him under for the surgery so thankfully, he didn't have to worry about a thing during the procedure.  But it will definitely be a few more days before he's feeling good again.  I've spent the weekend nursing him back to health and I must say, he's been a real trooper through this.  Its been easy to care for him and his appreciation for all the milkshakes, medicine rounds, and sympathy, has really made me smile.  I had all 4 of mine removed shortly after moving to Chilliwack 5 years ago, so I can definitely relate to the pain he's in.  Hopefully he'll be back to his old self soon!

Well, that's all for now.  I'll be sure to post pictures of the baby after Monday's ultrasound and possibly an 8 month belly shot too, for those of you that care to see them.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend and all the sunshine we've been getting (at least for all of you BC'ers)! 

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Tuesday, April 28--

32 weeks

Well... sorry to report but we didn't get any pictures of the bambino at yesterday's ultrasound appointment.  There's a whole lot of baby in there and not a lot of extra space so it was tough for them to get any actual "take home shots."  We did get to see some good views of the baby though and I was thrilled to see that he/she still has the same cute little turned up nose!  It was crazy to see how huge the baby was this time compared to 18 weeks, and even scarier to think of how much bigger he/she will get in the next 8 or so weeks :)  

They didn't let us know anything in regards to my placenta (which was the whole reason for the ultrasound) so I guess we'll wait to hear from our doctor.  My next prenatal appt. is on May 12 so I assume that unless there was any bad/concerning news from the u/s, we probably won't hear anything until then.  So for now, I'll just assume that no news, is good news :)  

Easter and week #30...

It was another busy, but good Easter weekend.  We had a beautiful & reflective service at church on Good Friday, spent the afternoon helping my parents with some reno's at their new place (...more on that later) and ended the day with dessert and games at my Mom & Dad's place.  Saturday was our day to get some stuff done around the house and then we headed out to Jon's parents' farm for the annual Easter egg hunt and a family dinner.  Its always a ton of fun watching the kids' excitement as they run around the yard, searching for their Easter treats.  While we were at the farm, we got Naomi & Susanne to take a few pictures of us, before the little one arrives.  Here are a few of my favorites...

Jon found an old pitch fork near the barn and insisted that we pose like "the famous old couple."  Some of you may know what I mean by that, based on the picture below... :)  

And a few good shots too...

(Doesn't it look like I have a basketball under my shirt!?  I don't realize how "round" I'm actually looking these days, until I see pictures of myself.  Sheesh!)

Anyway... Sunday was the big Esau gathering at Grandma & Grandpa's.  We ate a huge meal and though I did help myself to "seconds," AND dessert, I will confess that I was still hungry at the end of it all :)  I'm hoping my appetite will start to slow down now that I'm nearing the end.  I mean, surely I'm going to run out of room sooner or later.  Right??

And last but not least, an official 30 week pregnancy picture for those of you who have been curious about my recent growth.  I feel like the belly expansion has slowed down a bit, but I know in reality, I'm still growing daily :)
 The only other exciting news I have is that we are going to get to see U2 again in concert.  They're coming to Vancouver in October and Naomi managed to get tickets for all of us siblings.  So we're going to have a "couples night out" this fall and are all VERY excited about it.  Jon and I got to see them in 2005 when they were here for their "Vertigo" tour.  I never thought we'd get to see them again so soon!  Dare I say it, but we can't wait for fall to arrive!  :)

Irresistable cuteness...

I just came across a link on my friend Janelle's blog, for a really great little Etsy shop online. Everything is handmade and incredibly cute! This particular shop sells baby items and after seeing how adorable her items are, I just HAD to order a few things.

I got two girl items and one boy item-- I figure, if we can't use one or the other, they'll make great gifts for other friends that are expecting babies. Either that, or I'll just put them away for our next one :)

Here are the things I purchased. Aren't they adorable!?

If you want to check it out for yourself, go to the link below. Or check out Ashley's blog for ideas on how to make your own creative items.

Make it and Love it

Nursery progress...

The crib finally arrived last weekend so we were able to start on the nursery preparations. Jon got the crib together in no time and we're now well on our way to being ready for this babe to arrive... at least in the way of accommodations :)

Here's a little "sneak peek" at where our munchkin will be sleeping in a couple of months...

All done and ready for bedding...

Putting the finishing touches on it...

Now we just need a little one to snuggle up in these cute blankets! Though I am very willing to wait until June for that :)

I went for another prenatal appointment yesterday and got the great news that I do not have gestational diabetes! Thank goodness :) I passed the glucose test with flying colours and as for everything else in the way of weight gain, blood pressure, tummy measurement and other health levels, I'm right where I'm supposed to be. The other good news I got, after re-reviewing my old ultrasound results, is that my placenta was never actually fully covering the cervix (as we had feared) but was just slightly posterior & low-lying. Therefore, they don't think there should be any reason why it wouldn't have moved up to where it needs to be in these last few months. I'm still scheduled to go for my 32 week ultrasound on April 27, just to ensure that that is indeed the case, but it was so relieving to hear that a "planned c-section" may not be in order after all. Hallelujah!

Random tidbits...

We spent Sunday evening at Jon's parents' place with the rest of the family. Naomi had the kids in their matching jammies, so we figured it was a great time for a little photo shoot. Here they are in their striped-cuteness...

As I mentioned in my last post, we managed to find a great recliner for the nursery. The only downside to it was the colour. So I started the hunt for a slipcover. Well what do you know... they actually make fitted slipcovers, specifically for recliners! Who knew!? The only thing is that they're not too cheap. The best price I found was at Zellers for $80 but it had been previously used, and returned. $80 seemed like a bit much considering we only paid $45 for the chair, and I didn't particularly want a "reject" slipcover, so I continued looking. And what do you know, I found the perfect cover at Wal-mart in Abbotsford, for only $50.

I raced home to see if it would fit and sure enough... we now have a chair that looks brand new!

Here's a "BEFORE" shot of the recliner, with only the slipcover arms on it. As you can see, the previous red material wasn't exactly conducive to the rest of the nursery colour scheme...

And here are the "AFTER" shots. I couldn't be more happy with it...

I'm now 26 weeks pregnant and continue to marvel at how time seems to be flying by. I realized last night that if I am able to make it to my originally planned "last day of work," then I have less than 2 1/2 months left to go. Crazy!... and wonderful, all at the same time :) And, if I take it one step further in the countdown, and start the actual day count that I have left, its only another 31 days of work!! (That is, if I continue to work only 3 days a week, which is very feasibly the case). When I look at it that way, I start to feel like life is literally in fast-forward.
Its pretty exciting to think that we will be meeting this baby sooner than later. As the pregnancy has progressed, and baby has begun its very active stage, I feel more and more connected to him/her. I swear we have THE most hyperactive child known to man, and my mom has even started lovingly referring to them as "the kicker." :) I actually even feel a little self-conscious when I'm out in public because its virtually impossible to hide the baby's movements at times.

Yesterday I was sitting in the BioMed Lab, waiting to have my glucose test done, and had rested my book on my tummy as I was reading. Sure enough, the book started to move. It soon got to the point where I couldn't even keep it resting there, because it was getting hard to keep my eyes focused on the page, due to so much movement. I looked around to make sure no one had seen it. I didn't want anyone thinking I was that nervous about having my blood taken and thought that I was really jittery :)

The best part about having the baby SO active is that Jon has been able to experience it a lot. We often sit on the couch in the evenings and just stare at my shirt as it moves rapidly, or Jon will rest his hand on my tummy-- his face lighting up every time he gets a swift kick in the hand. Its a very special time and I'm thrilled that it makes things feel more 'real' for him too.