Just a Smidge

Moving!!

2010-07-15T10:45:00.002-04:00

Two blogs is just too many for this now very busy Mama so please join us over at Gingham Skies to see more of this adorable face in the future!!

No Longer Just a Smidge

2010-07-15T10:42:00.001-04:00

No Longer Just a Smidge

I've been absent for a good reason...

We went from giving 'Smidge' kisses like this:

To giving our baby boy kisses like this:Our little man was born on June 24th at 1:49 a.m. Our son (I LOVE saying that) weighed 7 lbs 15 oz and was 19 inches long on his birthday. We have fallen head over heels hard and fast. I knew being a mom would be incredible but I had no idea just how incredible "incredible" could be.

As you can see our Rockstar was born with a ridiculous amount of black hair! It hangs over his shirt collar and so far it's staying put and not thinning too much. He's our little werewolf: born on a full moon with a full head of hair and a little patch of fuzz above his bum which sort of looks like a tiny tail. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to read that one day.

In a few hours it will be three weeks since our son entered our lives but it seems like he has been part of our family forever. Mike is the most amazing dad and seeing him doting on our boy makes me love him in a whole new way.

Our boy smiled on his birthday and it wasn't because of gas, it's just one of his sweet expressions. Smiles and his "O" face were the most common expressions for the first week but now he has a whole array of faces that amuse us. He loves kisses, being outside and bath time but doesn't particularly like having his face washed. Being cuddled, carried and swinging in his swing are all good times while laying in his stroller's bassinet is pretty much torture (he obviously has no idea what it took to find that stupid bassinet!! Here's hoping it becomes less of a torture device in the next couple weeks).

Our birth story is a positive one so I'll definitely share it with you in the not so distant future - I think more women need to tell their happy, positive labour stories since women tend to scare the hell out of first time pregnant mamas by telling them their horror stories or by focusing on all the negative parts of their not so terrible experiences.

Welcome to the world Baby Boy: Mommy and Daddy love you more than you could ever fathom.

Shoe Monster

2010-06-15T17:48:00.000-04:00

Daddy loves shoes and it looks like our little man is going to be competing with with him to see who can own the most pairs. The little bum has yet to arrive and his collection is larger than mine!

I started planning and cutting bits out to make a hanging shoe organizer for the wee man a few months back and let me tell you this was the most frustrating sewing project I've taken on yet. Sewing with this plastic was a royal pain in the butt - my teflon foot worked wonders but the plastic kept sticking to itself and to the plastic casing of my machine: frustrating!!

Frustration aside I'm SUPER happy with the finished project! I love the map print fabric I found at a local fabric store: our little boy is going to stomp all over the world with his sweet little feet.

Now I'm off to make a baby blanket, hopefully I can finish it before the big arrival!

Belly Pics: 37 Weeks!!

2010-06-13T13:42:00.001-04:00

We had belly shots taken a couple weeks ago: I was almost 37 weeks on the day of the shoot. Lorie from Emilly Grayce Photography did a FANTASTIC job, she came to our home and made us completely comfortable during the session. It was fun working with Lorie, we can't wait to see the rest of the photos and look forward to having her take our wee man's newborn photos after he arrives.

Here are a few of the shots she has shared with us so far.

I'll share some more pics once we get our paws on them but if you want to check out a few more pop over HERE.

Feelin' the Love!

2010-05-23T16:16:00.000-04:00

Isn't this the most beautiful baby shower cake you've ever seen?! It looks like something from Martha Stewart magazine but it's not... it was the gorgeous cake (which matched the invites) at my baby shower yesterday afternoon! Another day of spoilage, this one thanks to my awesome sis-in-law Joanne and my mom-in-law Bridie!

The ladies hosted High Tea with cucumber sandwiches and cheese sandwiches; homemade scones with cream, butter and jam (recipe coming soon); fruit and all sorts of yummy cookies. Of course there was the fabulous cake and adorable cupcakes (with booties on top) as well! Auntie Phil brought the beautiful teacups pictures above.

Thanks to everyone for spoiling our little man! At this rate we really are going to have to move into a bigger house.

Sneak Peek!

2010-05-15T22:27:00.003-04:00

The nursery is coming together! Actually it's 98% complete. We took a trip to Ikea last weekend to pick up some shelves and stuff to spice things up in the babe's room and it was a super successful trip. I think the rabbit driving the carrot hook is hilarious - how freaking cute are the little coats hanging from it?! The funky blue shelves match some dressers that we have tucked away for the future "big boy room" so they'll come in handy down the road as well. We were just about out of Ikea when I spotted the two plant pots you see in the first shot; they match the colours in our decal PERFECTLY so I had to buy them. I have no luck keeping plants alive so I bought two that apparently don't need much water; hopefully I manage to keep them alive until the baby sees them... otherwise I'm slamming some fake plants in there.

We've ordered two prints from Etsy (no, not the baby animals) that I'll show you once we have them hanging on the wall. I also made an awesome (I'm so humble, aren't I?) valence for the window which I'll show you once I'm able to get a decent shot of it.

The books on the table next to the turtle lamp are itching to be read; I've picked them up and put them back down at least 20 times now. I know, I know: read to the baby while he's tucked away inside! Yes I could do that but I want to save them for reading while nursing. I was excited to find these at a used book store in town, the owner of the shop said that the red books by Thornton Burgess were his absolute favourite when he was a kid. He has a clear memory of taking a box full of books by Burgess to school for show and tell in grade 3. Who knows, maybe they'll end up being favs of our little guy too. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for more of these gems.

Oh! And I made myself a nursing cover (hooter hider) with boning in it so that I can look down and see the wee man while he eats his million meals a day (here's hoping nursing works out for us) while hiding the ladies from onlookers because well you know people can't get enough of a nursing mother's boobs. hehe. Kidding. The cover is for my comfort, not the comfort of the general public. Like the fabric choice? Me too!

5 weeks and 5 days to go until our due date!!! YIPPEEE!

Spoiled!

2010-05-15T22:18:00.003-04:00

Today was AWESOME! My amazingly fantabulous girlfriend Jessy threw me a baby shower. A pile of my favourite ladies and a few sweet little men (under the age of one) + lots of yummy treats including a chocolate peanut butter ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins (this was just the best surprise EVER) + no cheesy games = a perfect shower!!

Thanks, Jess! And thanks ladies for all of the wonderful presents! We were definitely showered with goodies. Sooooo many sweet little outfits and toys and books and... well, just SO many awesome bits!

Two more showers to go... where in the world are we going to put all of this stuff?!

For Moi!

2010-05-09T00:17:00.003-04:00

I bought this grey fabric almost two years ago with the plan to make something fabulous with it. Mission accomplished.

I love love LOVE our new diaper bag! The inside is lined with a thin blue vinyl which can be wiped out easily in case of spills - there are five elasticized pockets in there too. Two large pockets are found on the front (see the bottom left photo) and another two are on the outer sides of the bag; finally there is a zippered pocket on the back of the bag that is large enough for a cell phone and a wallet. The strap is adjustable so that it will work for me and Mike too. I think I'll make a travel change pad in grey and blue to match, and maybe some burp cloths too.

I've admired bits made with the reverse applique technique (cutting a hole in your exterior fabric and stitching a pretty fabric in behind to peek through) for ages now but I owe a special thanks to Smidgebox for inspiring the circle on the exterior of my bag - I love her peek-a-boo circles! Check out her blog and definitely check out her shop!

Notice my toes in the bottom right pic? My mom and I went for pedis last weekend and it was a BLISSFUL experience. I purposely included my toes in this pic so that I could admire them since it's a little difficult to do so these days without feeling like I'm going to topple over.

Nesting is in full effect. I can't wait to show you what we've done with the nursery!

Week 32

2010-04-27T17:20:00.004-04:00

image credit: Leo Reynolds

Less than 8 weeks to go until D day!! I swear time is speeding up rather than slowing down. I've handed in the letter from my OB to HR stating that I'm due on June 18th.. I'm not sure how long I'll work, I have sick days available so I'll wait and see how I feel closer to the big day.

I saw Dr. Potts (my OB) today and he's pleased with everything. I'm measuring 'exactly where I should be', I gained another 1.5 lbs since I saw him two weeks ago which was good news considering I've been having some tummy troubles (apparently coffee and dairy products are no longer my friends - thankfully he thinks it's just a temporary thing). The only thing that made him go hmmmm was the baby's position.

There was a resident doctor in to see me before Dr. Potts and I asked him if he could tell me how the wee man is lying. He poked and prodded and looked confused before telling me that it seemed like he was lying sideways but that he wasn't entirely sure because that doesn't usually happen with first pregnancies. After we finished he went out to debrief Dr. Potts and I heard Dr. P tell him that it was unlikely that the baby would be laying sideways considering this is my first pregnancy and it would be VERY UNUSUAL if he was. He then came in to check on me and asked me to lay down again so he could try to determine where the baby is. Sure enough, the little bum is spread out across my belly instead of pointing down (or up for that matter).

No worries though, he has lots of time to flip still and Dr. P is fairly confident he will. If he doesn't by 37 weeks he'll send me for an ultrasound to determine whether a C-section needs to be scheduled. I'm crossing my fingers for summersaults, there are certainly worse things than C-sections but I'd rather avoid the whole surgery thang if at all possible.

What else is new? I'm drinking lots of fluids, trying to get out for regular walks (not trying hard enough though) and haven't started swimming yet. I really DO want to, I just haven't gotten around to it. I think I need to pick a day and time and schedule in my swim, otherwise it's just not going to happen.

I've been sewing baby bits which is fun! Finally made a few giant receiving blankets that I'm sure will come in handy this summer: a double sided one and a single sided one. I had hoped the single sided might work well for swaddling but I think it might be too big.

This past weekend we had a few big events to attend (an 80th birthday party for my Grandma and a baby shower for my cousin's little girl) and the Ninja pulled his shy guy routine at both events. It's funny, he flips, kicks and 'surfaces' (pushes up against my skin) for Mike and I all the time but when I'm in a loud place and lots of people touch my belly he tends to get shy and hide. I don't mind though, I like that he saves his shows for his Mom and Dad.

30 weeks!!

2010-04-11T21:34:00.005-04:00

The countdown is on now!! 10 weeks until the estimate date of arrival: YIPPEEEE!!!

It's official: I can't see my feet. Or maybe it has been official for awhile but I've just finally noticed.

I've had this belly ramp effect happening since the beginning and thought it would round out as time went on... apparently I thought wrong. It's kind of like I have an extra bump. I also thought I would gain a booty during pregnancy and that has yet to happen. I'm not complaining, just commenting!

We started our prenatal class this week and watched our first birth video - thankfully it wasn't as horrible as I imagined it would be and Mike said the same thing. Some people seem really surprised when I say I haven't seen a birthing video and I say WHY THE HELL WOULD I WANT TO WATCH A BIRTHING VIDEO JUST FOR KICKS?! Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

There are just two other couples in our class; both are total hippies and seem very sweet. Awkward moment: my lack of ability to hide my true feelings shone through when one of the girls decided to share with us how her friend who lives in the States BBQed part of her placenta "like a steak", made a smoothie out of a chunk of it and then buried the rest under a tree. What the hell?! Needless to say my mouth dropped open, I said something along the lines of "OH MY GOD" (I think it was out loud but it might have been a scream in my head) and then stared at her in utter horror. The second couple kept glancing at each other and smiling and I'm not sure whether they were trying not to laugh at my look of disgust or the story. The girl telling the story then assured us that she was NOT planning on BBQing her placenta. I managed to shut my mouth and stared at the instructor until I regained my composure - I was afraid to look at Mike for fear of bursting into uncontrollable giggles which would have been a) RUDE and b) very immature which of course I am not. hehe. When the baby arrives one of my rules is no dropping in without calling first so if you break the rule and show up without calling I'm liable to insist you stay for lunch... and guess what, I'll be BBQing something special.

I've been spending loads of time researching cloth diapers and I'm excited to have made a decision on how we're going to start this crazy adventure. There are SO many cloth diaper options available and it's all a little overwhelming; we really want to give this a go and I know things are going to be INSANE for the first couple months so we're going to use disposable for the first week or two and then we'll go with Bear Bottoms (a cloth diaper service in our area) for a month (thanks to a gift from my Mom & Dad - THANKS MOM AND DAD). While we're using the diaper service (they use fitted cloth diapers) we'll try out a few other styles/brands and figure out what is going to work best for us.

My hope is that Indian Prefolds from Green Mountain Diapers will work for us but of course we won't know until we try. Indian Prefolds are similar to the old skool cloth diapers but they are quilted to absorb more liquid and come in different sizes so you don't end up with a lot bulk. I've read loads of good reviews about these prefolds so fingers crossed!! I'll place an order for these in a couple weeks.

I spent hours this weekend researching diaper covers and have placed an order for three through Homestead Children's etsy shop; we'll need covers while using the diaper service so even if the prefolds don't work out for us and if we decide to go with All In Ones these covers will be put to good use and then we can sell them. I also found an AWESOME tutorial for cloth diaper covers with gussets that I'm going to try to work with in the not so distant future. If I can make my own covers that would be fabulous!

This post might have some of you yawning: sorry!! I could go on and on and on about cloth diapers because I've been reading about them FOREVER but I'll stop now because I have a baby ramming me in the ribs making it VERY difficult to type and it's time for bed anyways. Good night, everyone!

2010-04-07T22:32:00.003-04:00

The nesting instinct is creeping in and when I'm not curled up in a ball on the couch I'm trying to get some things in order for our little guy. This weekend I finally made use of one of the bib patterns I've had bookmarked FOREVER. Chickpea Studio's pattern is perfect for tiny people and it's free so if you're looking for a pattern check it out.

Here are the bibs I whipped up for our guy, they were a SUPER easy and SUPER quick project.
The girlie bib is part of a shower gift.

The other little bit I made for Smidge is this change pad thanks to Homemade by Jill's easy to follow tutorial. I made some changes which I explain in more detail over at Gingham Skies if you're interested.

I'm looking forward to creating a few other things this weekend. Sewing for baby is the best kind of sewing.

A Bump Update!

2010-03-30T18:59:00.007-04:00

What's new with me and the Bump? Hmmm...

Well my ridiculous chocolate peanut butter cravings (they were OUT OF CONTROL) have been curbed thanks to an absolutely fabulous package that arrived on our doorstep last Thursday.

Jenny & Mike sent enough chocolate peanut butter to last the average person a couple weeks (a few items were missing by the time I snapped this photo - couldn't resist) but I am not the average person and the stash lasted until tonight which means it lasted SIX days which I think is rather impressive length of time for a pregnant chocolate peanut butter monster. NO I did NOT eat all of it by myself, I shared with Mike and the baby ate more than the two of us put together. Greedy, greedy baby! Thanks again Jenny & Mike!! xox

Of course this package doesn't really help with the 'being healthy while pregnant' goal I'm trying to focus on during these final few months but neither did the french fries I ate today. You may remember me talking about my french fry cravings during the first 4 months, I've been REALLY good for the last couple months and only have them once a week now... I was going to try to skip them this week and then some very inconsiderate office manager brought McDonald's fries into the room next to the space where I was teaching this morning. R.U.D.E. Obviously I couldn't sit there smelling Mickey D's fries and not stop at the golden arches on my way to the next school. Obviously.

So how are my Body During Baby goals going this week? Let's see...
* prenatal yoga - I really didn't like yoga when I tried it a few years ago but I signed up for pre-natal yoga when my doctor suggested that it might help with all the pelvis discomfort I was experiencing. I am SO glad I listened to her. The class I'm taking is through Blue Skies Yoga in Kitchener. The studio is BEAUTIFUL, the teacher is AMAZING and the yoga is FABULOUS. I love being in a class surrounded my beautiful bellies attached to glowing mamas. I have every intention of continuing with this once the baby is here and we have settled into some sort of routine. There are mommy & baby classes offered at this same studio, as well as baby massage and more. I thought I would dread my Thursday night classes but instead I find myself counting down the days until my next class.
* drink more water - I have made a conscious effort to drink more water but I know I can do better
* fruits and veggies - check! More fresh fruit in the house this week.
* swim once a week - coming soon
* walk for 20 minutes - an hour walk last night and another hour tonight
* rest & relax - thoroughly enjoying my bath and have my feet propped up as I type

I'm feeling good this week, last week was a rough one being back at work after a week off. I was moving s-l-o-w. Sleeping isn't as great as it was; I tossed and turned most of last night but I suppose it's my body's way of preparing itself for NEVER SLEEPING AGAIN as so many people like to remind me.

We had our first appointment with our OB yesterday. After a two hour wait we found out that Smidge is right on target size wise, I'm measuring at 28" which is exactly where I should be at 28 weeks. I start to going to my OB every two weeks now which is CRAZY!! I'm in the homestretch with only 11 weeks and 4 days to go until my due date. Eeek!

We also found out at the appointment that I am RH negative, in other words my blood type is O negative. What does this mean and why should I care? Well only about 10% of the population has RH negative blood and Mike isn't one of them, if he was then the baby would also be a negative blood type which would be fabulous but he's not so our baby will most likely be RH positive like his daddy and positive and negative blood don't like each other. Holy run-on-sentence. If something happens that my blood mixes with Smidge's potentially positive blood my body will think the positive blood is an invader and will attack it. The doctor told us this isn't really a concern for Smidge since it's not likely our blood will mix but I need to get a shot that will mask his blood (trick my body into thinking his blood is positive if they do mix) just in case they do - during the third trimester there is a risk of slight risk of placental tearing so it's better to be safe than sorry (HELL YEAH). If left untreated (if I don't get the shot) this RH negative thing is likely to be an issue in the future when I get pregnant again because during Smidge's birth his bits of his blood will definitely mix with mine. In a future pregnancy if something causes the baby's blood to mix with mine (say a minor tear in a blood vessel) my body will remember that the positive blood is foreign and will attack it, in turn attacking the baby. In other words I have a higher risk of miscarriage. The OB said that left untreated each subsequent pregnancy would be at greater risk since the memory becomes stronger each time. THANKFULLY there is a solution to this potential problem: a shot of RhoGAM now and then another after Smidge arrives. These shots will keep Smidge safe and my future babe(s) safe too!

That was terribly long winded and hopefully it makes sense to you. I went to the hospital today for a blood test to confirm my blood type and will find out tomorrow if I definitely need the RhoGAM but it's not likely the first test was wrong so I'm sure I'll be poked again in the next couple days. I should add that I'm not worried about anything, I'm just happy this has been caught and is being dealt with.

And that my friends is my weekly update. Hope I didn't bore you!!

Body DURING Baby Challenge

2010-03-21T11:43:00.001-04:00

One of the new-to-me blogs I've found semi-recently is Mama Notes. I was originally drawn to the blog thanks to some fabulous giveaways but there's so much more to it than freebies! Samantha is the creator of this fabulous find and not only does she write great blurbs about her personal experiences, she also shares guest posts and poses questions relating to parenting advice and product reviews to her readers. Mama Notes is a great resource for soon-to-be, new and experienced parents.

Last year Samantha created a challenge for moms who were looking for motivation and support to get in shape following the birth of their babes; it was called the Body After Baby challenge. Samantha recently found out that she is pregnant with her second child and due in October, lucky for us because her pregnancy means a new challenge for pregnant mamas: the Body During Baby Challenge!! If you're pregnant you might want to join the challenge, pop over here to find out more and let Samantha know you're joining.

I'm due June 18th so I only have three months to go but considering I've just started *insert Olivia Newton John in leg warmers here* getting physical after a six month puddle-on-the-couch stage I've decided to join the challenge!

So here is my intro post for all the lovely mamas who are taking part in the challenge. My name is Jaime and my amazing husband's name is Mike. I'm a 32 year old teacher who lives 45 minutes south of Toronto, Ontario. I'm 27 weeks preggers with baby number one. We're having a boy YAY and we're super crazy excited about it! I'm feeling fabulous and have been most of my pregnancy, of course there have been aches and pains but I guess that just comes with the territory.

My goals for the last few months of this pregnancy are:
* continue going to prenatal yoga classes right up until the end (I started my classes two weeks ago but I'll talk more about this on Monday when I post my weekly update)
* like Samantha I need to drink more water - I've been pretty good about staying hydrated but could definitely do better
* eat more fruits and veggies and less chocolate peanut butter (Gawd, I can't believe the amount of chocolate peanut butter I've consumed in the last few months - the baby made me do it)
* swim once a week
* walk for 20 minutes on days I'm not swimming or taking part in yoga
* rest & relax when I need/want to - I'm a person who tends to GO GO GO and I have been VERY good about slowing down but need to keep at it. This week I've been on holidays thanks to March Break and I've treated myself to soaks in the tub with a good book in hand almost daily - I want to keep this up!

I think that's all for now. I have quite a few goals but they are all totally achievable!

Thanks to Samantha for creating this challenge and HELLO to all of the moms-to-be taking part, I'm looking forward to reading your updates!

Mama Notes: For Pregnant Mamas: Body DURING Baby

Daddy's First Baby Buys

2010-03-19T23:11:00.004-04:00

Dear Smidge,

Your Daddy discovered the wonderful world of online baby shopping last night. I'm afraid. VERY afraid. Your daddy has a slight sneaker addiction (we really should be part owners of Nike) and he was hunting online for shoes for you last night. I think we might have to buy a bigger house so that you and daddy can have your own room just to house sneakers. Fifteen years from now when you want a ridiculously expensive pair of sneakers and Dad is saying NO you can print off this post and stick it under your dad's nose to remind him that he told Mom his son would have the SICKEST shoes ever. Granted he didn't say ALWAYS but he did say EVER.

Daddy did find some sweet duds for you last night in the shop Lowleepop and we can't wait to see you sportin' your new gear this summer!

The only difference is that the green onesie in the set Daddy ordered will have headphones like the white onesie instead of the stereo.

The second thing on your daddy's shopping list is this freaking awesome baby beanie!

We're waiting to hear whether they ship to Canada but assuming I Heart Baby does then you'll have one of these super sweet skull beanies for when you first join us on the outside and another to wear in the fall. ADORABLE!

Oh little man, you are going to be one stylish little dude and Daddy is going to spend a small fortune to make sure of it.

Love you baby boy,
Mommy & Daddy too xoxo

Welcome to the Third Trimester!

2010-03-14T15:12:00.003-04:00

It's a big week! We've hit the third trimester: 26 weeks, Baby!!

I can't believe our little man will be making his way to the outer world in appx 3 months! Time flies!

Skin Volcano

2010-03-10T20:06:00.006-05:00

Our little man is kicking up a storm these days. He rarely kicks on demand for me but as soon as Mike asks him to he usually does and last night it just took Mike laying his hand on my tummy for the kicks to start. Mike would remove his hand and I would put mine on my belly and the kicks would stop, I'd move my hand and Mike would take over and then keeeeee-yaw the kicks would start again.

Mike's super cute and while rubbing my belly he gives Smidge soccer tips to help him with his kicks; "Come on kiddo: inside kick, outside kick!" We figure our child is going to be a a superstar in whatever he decides to do so if soccer is one of his hobbies he'll definitely have a head start on all of the other kids whose parents weren't on the ball enough to coach them while they were in the womb!! Now, if he decides to sing then I might hesitate to take credit for his 'in the womb' vocal lessons. We are fairly certain our child will be walking around singing things like "Rub in the belllllllly buuuuuuuutterrrrrrrrrr" to the tune of whatever tickles his fancy on that particular day since Mike and I sing made up lyrics to various tunes on a regular basis. You might say we are vocally challenged.

Anyways back to the kicking. The baby kicks so hard my belly jumps and I've tried to record it but the end result is always the same: 3 minutes of what appears to be a one eyed Jabba the Hutt rising and falling. Trust me when I say it's not a pretty sight, and this is coming from a woman who can't stop gazing at her belly. Eventually I'm sure my belly will look like a pretty version of the ground rising in the movie Tremors and then I will definitely record it but until then I'm holding off on the video attempts since watching it freaks me out.

Speaking of freaking people out, I learned this evening that when I push on my belly in a certain way I can flip my belly button inside out! From the look of horror on Mike's face when it first happened it is quite obvious that he doesn't think my new trick is as cool as I do. Basically I can now turn my belly button into a skin volcano. A SKIN VOLCANO PEOPLE, how cool is that? Another great reason to get pregnant: create a person AND turn your belly button into a skin volcano.

Smidge's Big Buddy

2010-03-10T19:45:00.008-05:00

I forgot to post the fabulous news over here at Just a Smidge! Last Wednesday March 3rd Jessy and Colin welcomed their little man into the world!! Isn't he adorable?!

Reid was born at 7:58 am (or was it 7:59?) a day before the planned C section. Mommy and baby are both happy and healthy and of course is Daddy is too. Actually Daddy is being super cute and "happy" doesn't quite describe the feelings that are oozing out of him.

The second time I held Reid I sat on a rocking chair with him passed out on my chest Smidge proceeded to karate kick his new buddy not once but twice. I'm imagining they were meant to be high fives rather than drop kicks, or else, down the road 'referee' might be another title Jess and I.

Mega huge congrats to Jessy & Colin for making such a beautiful baby boy. Mike and I are thrilled to have Reid on the outside to cuddle and kiss and gaze at in wonder. Miracles really do exist and babies are proof!

Groovy Tree

2010-02-28T22:07:00.002-05:00

The walls are painted and the FANTABULOUS decal we purchased through Bubba & Doodle is up! The colours are more vibrant than they look in this photo but you get the idea:

Yes, each of those cubes is a single decal and yes it took us a little over 2 hours to lay out the design and then get it up on the wall but believe it or not it didn't seem like 2 hours and we actually had fun doing it! We used the photo on Bubba & Doodle's etsy site as a guide which saved us a lot of time and frustration. Jennifer (owner of the shop) was awesome and super patient with me and my 8.9999 million questions. We were excited about the decal before it was on the wall and agree that it looks even better than we had hoped it would.

There's Mike resting in our new glider/recliner in the shade of our cube tree. Now the decal hunt continues... we want another one for the wall behind Smidge's crib - no danger of it crashing down on him while he sleeps. Stay tuned!

Update: Week 23

2010-02-24T17:06:00.007-05:00

UPDATE: Jess is going in for her C-section on March 4th!! Whoops, I was jumping the gun by saying March 2nd, wishful thinking on my part. :)

I haven't been keeping up on my blogging or writing in my baby journal (sorry Smidge!) so here I am with a quick update.

I've been feeling good the last few days, my back isn't quite as sore as it was previously thanks to a fantabulous new bed and the pillow nest I put together before curling up to sleep at night. I'm pretty sleepy by the end of my work day but I suppose that's to be expected considering I have a little man inside my belly cave sucking up as much energy as he possibly can so that he can grow big and strong.

And yes our little ninja is definitely getting stronger, his kicks have more oomph and are happening more frequently. The other night I was laying in bed after a session of serious karate chops and I decided to lay the cold remote control on my tummy, Smidge hoofed the remote almost instantly and caused it to teeter totter wildly. I can't help but smile and/or let out a little "oh" every time I feel Smidge moving, it's like he's nudging me to remind me that he's in there. I love feeling him wiggling and it's even better when he kicks hard enough for Mike to feel him too. It blows me away at how in love I am with the little man in my belly and it scares me a little to think that this love will be expanded by a zillion when I lay eyes on him.

I had mentioned Jessy and her awful back pain a few posts back and there is now an end in sight for her: March 4th at 2pm Baby Mac will be entering the world via a planned C-section. I CANNOT wait to meet him! Thankfully Jess has found a way to sleep somewhat comfortably so she's getting more than 5 minute chunks of sleep now. Granted she still only passes out for a few hours at a time but like she said, it will make getting up a million times with the baby easier for her since she's had lots of practice.

We had Mike snap a pic of us on the weekend after my birthday dinner, figured we better get a shot of the boys in our bellies before Jess deflates!

I'm 23 weeks and Jess is 38 weeks in this shot. It's funny, I remember when Jess and Colin called to tell us they were pregnant and it doesn't seem like it was that long ago... now it's only a week until their son will be cuddled in their arms! Oh yes and he'll be cuddled in mine too.

On Saturday Mike and I bought paint for the nursery!! The decals we ordered (which I am SUPER excited about) arrived last week and silly me hadn't read the part where it says "Apply ASAP after receiving" until after I had ordered them. Oops. I was assured that we would be safe to wait a few weeks if need be but we decided to go ahead and paint sooner than later.

I'm going to save pictures of the finished produce until we have the decals up but here is a sneak peek of Daddy covering up the hideous paint that was on the walls in the nursery. Yep, he painted with the broken foot and all. I suggested that he let me take care of the rolling (edging was my job) and he said "No, I'm painting my baby's room." Such a good daddy!

I will tell you that we chose a beautiful pale blue for the walls and we are crazy happy with the result - I was a bit worried that it was too light when we first started painting but once it dried it ended up being the exact colour I had imagined Smidge's room to be.

I promise to post more soon!

Celebrate the BOY

2010-02-15T19:48:00.002-05:00

Mike has been patiently listening (or at least pretending to listen) to me whine about how few tutorials there are for cute boy bits and then TA DA, I pop over to one of my fav blogs MADE and found a little piece of boy heaven. A month devoted to celebrating BOYS!

Thank you MADE for giving me hope and for saving my man from the sad sounds of a disgruntled wife.

Shield Your Girls

2010-02-13T17:58:00.004-05:00

I made my first hooter hider/nursing cover and I'm really happy with the results. Two small D rings are attached at the top so that the length of the neck strap can be adjusted.

A piece of boning has been sewn into the neck so that like the original Bebe au Lait hooter hiders I can look down and see Smidge while he fills his belly (assuming breast feeding works out for us). I really hope breastfeeding is in my future but the idea of whipping out the girls in public to feed my little man is not something I'm entirely comfortable with.

This was such an easy project I think I'll make more and sell them in the shop!

Our Boy at 22 Weeks

2010-02-12T19:07:00.002-05:00

Our little guy is kicking up a storm. He's definitely part ninja.

Quickly expanding
Nearly too big for my winter coat!

Dying to meet the little wiggler.

Prezzies for Smidgie

2010-02-09T16:49:00.006-05:00

I thought I had posted this already but a quick look through the blog showed that clearly I thought wrong!

On the evening of the big reveal we made a stop at Smidge's Granny and Grandad's house to tell them the news and my fabulous mother-in-law pulled out these adorable handcrafted bits just moments after being told she has a new grandson on the way. Of course she was well prepared and had tiny bows ready to attach had Smidge been a girl.

Yes our baby will be wearing cashmere hats and booties come fall... and there's a beautiful tiny sweater to go with the blue set, I'll share once the buttons have been added.

On the weekend my girlfriend Jess gave us a tiny pair of Robeez for Smidge to enjoy. Everyone knows that Robeez are the best baby slippers: the little nuts can't kick them off. I love these little funky monsters!

Can't wait to see them on Smidge's mini feet.

Today a colleague and friend handed me a congratulations gift. I knew we would end up with some of these adorable Pee Pee Teepees eventually. These kill me, so funny and cute!
How well will the teepees actually work? I'm guessing there's a good chance they'll only do the trick if we have lightening fast reflexes but I'm willing to be peed on in order to test my theory.

Smidge is one lucky little man, lots of fabulous gifts and he's not even on the outside yet!

Trust Me, I Would SLEEP If I Could

2010-02-07T09:41:00.008-05:00

I'm tired and yes I know that in a few months I'm going to be more tired than I ever thought imaginable so please don't tell me I don't know what tired is yet. p.s. I'm a bit cranky.

I am now at the stage where I can't get comfortable at night, I'm hoping our crappy old bed has something to do with that because the books keep telling me that this is my "feel like you did before you were pregnant" phase. We have a new bed coming this week and if it actually allows me to sleep I have every intention of spending next weekend curled up in it.

During the day I feel pretty good, I'm slowing down a bit and feeling some new aches hello hips, yes I know you're there, there's no need to scream for attention but nothing to complain about. Sleep is my friend from appx 10pm until 330 and then I get up to pee. After that it's flip from side to side time: great fun. I didn't realize how much I slept on my back until now, I wake up at least five times a night with the realization that I'm laying on my back. Onto my side I go and then I wake up shortly after that due to sore hips, flip: wake up on my back, flip: sore shoulder, flip: sore hips, flip: you get the picture. Between 730 and 830am I hit the wide awake but crazy tired and uncomfortable point. The nights that I do get decent sleep (every three nights or so) I have weird vivid dreams and wake up feeling better than the morning before but still exhausted since I spent the entire night watching bizarre movies in my mind. I think this is my body's way of preparing me for the sleepless nights with Smidge... too bad it's decided to start my training so soon.

I'm not bitching or fishing for sympathy and really this doesn't make me like pregnancy any less I truly to love being pregnant, I'm just recording my experiences. Of course the fabulous advice that I continue to hear a few times a week - yes it's the dreaded "SLEEP" advice - is even harder to swallow when I am trying to sleep and CAN'T! I am a good girl though and continue to smile and nod when I hear it, I have yet to stomp on the persons foot or punch them in the gut (that just happens in my head). Okay maybe I am bitching a little.

I'm savoring what sleep I am getting knowing that it could be a whole lot worse. My friend Jess has 4 weeks to go and she can't sleep for longer than 5 minutes at a time (that's not an exaggeration) thanks to a back that is causing her horrible pain; I think she should carry a tazer with her to use on anyone who talks to her about how tired she is going to be when the baby comes. She couldn't be any more tired than she is now, five minutes sleep people: FIVE minutes. I'll be her sleepguard and will happily take care of the tazing if she wants.

Thankfully recent conversations with my many (relatively) new mom friends have decreased the sleep fear that some well-meaning people have put into my head. Some of the recent words of wisdom that have been passed my way include:

Keeping the baby in your room next to you often means breastfeeding while sleeping and whether you should technically do it or not it works really well. I'll add the disclaimer since I know there will be people shaking their heads and/or rolling their eyes: this works well for SOME people. Our new king size bed arrives this week - lots of room for all three of us. No I'm not planning on running the attachment parenting route but if getting some sleep means having the baby in bed with us for part of the night then move over Mike!

A LaZBoy in the baby's room is lifesaver: our new LaZboy style recliner glider arrives this week. Seriously.

Sleep when the baby sleeps actually does work for many people! Woot woot! I was told by three different new moms that as long as you're willing to give up having a clean house this is totally doable and a complete lifesaver. I'm hoping to breastfeed and since my understanding is that new babies spend most of their time sleeping and eating I'll be trying to mimic the babe's schedule. Considering I'm not starting off with an overly clean house I think this is definitely one thing I can sacrifice.

Set ground rules, have a GO AWAY (in nicer words) sign for the front door and don't answer the phone unless you want to. Three things which I have every intention of doing.

Please cross your fingers and toes for me: a new bed this week might mean lots of sleep!
If you have any suggestions for getting sleep when the baby arrives I'm willing to listen: leave me a comment but don't take it personally if I hear your advice but don't follow it. :)

Smidge on the Move

2010-02-03T19:40:00.009-05:00

I'm feeling Smidge move more and more, he loves the sound of Daddy's voice and seems to like driving in the car. Mike has felt him twice now, once tonight. I wish I had had a camera the first time he felt belly movement, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. It won't be long now before we'll be feeling him on the outside more often.

After months of research and "test driving/folding/clicking/wrestling" we've decided on a travel system for our wee man. We're going with the oh so fabulous Baby Jogger City Elite. This puppy is super awesome. My favourite part is the fact that to fold it all you have to do is grab a strap and lift: perfecto!

There are a pile of other perks: magnetic closures on the peek-a-boo windows found on the shade so we don't have to worry about waking Smidge up with the awful sound of velcro, a hand operated brake, a shade that's longer than most, a cushy seat that lays back nearly flat for our tiny peanut when snoozing and just three wheels which make it uber easy to maneuver. We're going with the green:

A car seat adapter is an optional accessory that we are adding to the mix so that we can use a snap and go car seat when shopping while Smidge is small enough to fit in one. Another accessory is the bassinet/pram seen below. The car seat is great while running errands but it's not ideal for lengthy walks so we are looking at getting the bassinet so that a) Smidge can face us while we are walking and b) he can lay out flat. Of course the bonus is that we can use the bassinet in the house and when visiting friends and family. Right now the pram only comes in a couple colours but as of February 20th (oddly enough my birthday) it's going to be available in all of the colours the Elite comes in soooo we're going to stick with green to match the stroller. The pram also comes with a car seat adapator so we won't have to buy that separately assuming we do get the bassinet.

The car seat we've decided to go with is the Graco SnugRide 35 in the Lemongrass design. The SnugRide 35 is a rear facing snap&go that Smidge can ride in until he is reaches 35 lbs or 32 inches long. I love the Lemongrass design - it will look super cute with the green stroller.

We have seen each of the components apart but I can't wait to see them altogether... with our baby boy sitting in them!!

20 Weeks

2010-01-30T17:08:00.002-05:00

A boy!! A son!! OUR son! We're so excited!

The Big Reveal!

2010-01-30T14:33:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was the big day: the 20 week ultrasound! We were super excited when we headed to the lab. I thought I might explode, literally and figuratively, I wonder if it was a man who designed ultrasound machines in such a way that a litre of water must be drank an hour before a pregnant woman has her bladder squashed?

The technician was absolutely fabulous! I wish every pregnant woman could have our technician, she was as excited as we were and made the experience that much better thanks to her bubbly personality. She took the time to show us all of Smidge's bits: fingers and toes, bum, spine, elbows and shoulders, brain, nose and eyes - we even saw the lenses of the eyes glowing. Seeing Smidge's feet was really cool - we could clearly see the heel and toes! Here's a shot although we saw them clearer than this:

At the beginning of the ultrasound Smidge was laying like this:

By the time we were half way through Smidge was breech:

Smidge definitely put on a show for us, flipping and waving and kicking and wiggling. I felt more movement from the time I woke up until the time I went to bed yesterday than I have on any other day - Smidge must have known it was an important day. The ultrasound was an amazing experience; one we will never forget!

Rather than have the technician tell us whether Smidge was a boy or a girl we asked her to write it down on a piece of paper for us and to tuck it into a little trinket box we brought. Our plan was to take the box out for an early anniversary dinner to open it together.

She loved the idea (thanks to Kelly for suggesting it) and obliged. When we left the lab we were giddy with excitement and of course, Murphy's law, we hit every red light and were stuck behind the slowest drivers on the road. We went to Wildcraft for a 4 o'clock dinner - seriously, did you think we could wait?!

We managed to hold off until our drinks were on the table and our meals were ordered and then we opened the box

And found out that Smidge is a...

Yes the pointy bit right in the middle of the picture is our little man's goods: he showed off his bits for camera just like we asked! Good boy!!

We couldn't be any happier than we are right now! Geesh it seems like I've used that line a 100 times in the last 5 months but each time it's true. Needless to say Mike was thrilled to find out we are having a son. It's crazy to say that: our son. Since I was a little girl I have always dreamed of having a son first, a big brother to look out for a future little sister or brother if we are blessed with more than one child. Of course we would have been equally as thrilled if Smidge was a girl. Now it's time to get planning, we have rooms to decorate, names to choose and a shopping list to pull together. Let the games begin!!

Baby Brain

2010-01-25T16:19:00.004-05:00

Dear Smidge,

Mommy appreciates the fact that we need to share my goods in order for you to grow big and strong but could you please ease up on the brain draining? It was a VERY long day filled with one DUH moment after another.

Mommy wants you to be a smarty pants but I'd also like to keep my job and if I continue to write requests like "Please send keays to me as soon as possible" instead of "Please send Barney's SEA package to me as soon as possible." I might be looking for a new one. The reply to the keays email went a little something like this: "I am waiting on a copy of the most recent report card from Barney's teacher. Once I receive it I will let you know so that you can pick up the package. Who or what is a 'keays'?"

More of today's moments may lead to the end of compliments like the one my boss passed my way today: "Do you really need to take time off to have your kid? Can't you swaddle it and strap it to your back in September so that you can return to work? I need you." I suggested she should remember this comment and that she should still "need" me in a year so that I can return to this same position.

Smidge, Mommy loves you and Daddy does too. Keep sucking up all the nutrients you need but you can ease up on the gas production; Daddy doesn't believe you're the root of the problem but you and I know the truth.

Wiggle away little nut!

Love always,
Mommy xoxox

Sweet Prints

2010-01-23T19:04:00.003-05:00

Loving the adorable fabrics used by ittikid designs

So many sweet choices!

DJ Smidge

2010-01-21T20:14:00.003-05:00

Mike had a crappy day yesterday so yesterday when I was at Walmart picking up some little goodies for a certain someone's (Jessy) baby shower and I spotted these little gems I couldn't leave the store without them. I knew instantly that these would bring a smile to Mike's face and I was soooooooooooo right.

Yes our child (boy or girl) is already being exposed to a plethora of musical selections and there's no doubt daddy will have him/her working the turntables as soon as they're old enough to steady a needle.

A future DJ indeed!

First Baby Gift

2010-01-21T20:09:00.002-05:00

My girlfriend Kim gave us our first baby related gift before Christmas and I absolutely love it! I've snapped a picture because an explanation won't do it justice.

This beautiful little frame sums up how we're feeling while we anxiously await Smidge's arrival. Thank you for the beautiful gift, Kim!

Incredible Photos

2010-01-19T19:04:00.002-05:00

Absolutely phenomenal images of babies in their mama's womb. Let me make this clear: these are not photos of Smidge. I don't want to confuse anyone.

Amazing, aren't they?!

There are more amazing shots to be found at This Blog Rules (and it does) so be sure to pop over and check them out.

Smidge, what are you?!

2010-01-14T06:32:00.000-05:00

Photo credit: Julianol

I had another dream about Smidge last week that I forgot to write down. My dreams are so vivid I actually remember them weeks later now which is unusual for me but I'm chalking it up to pregnancy: one of the weird and wonderful things that comes along with growing a person in my belly.

The dream took place at the King & University Ultrasound place. It started off with Mike and I walking into the room where the ultrasound happens, as we walked in the technician turned around and snapped at Mike telling him he had to wait outside until she called him in. Mike left and I was turning back towards the technician when I spotted my friend Lori standing off to the side, she stepped over to stand beside me and the tech said nothing. There was another woman and a little girl in the corner of the room watching us, and I felt like I recognized them from the waiting room but I wasn't entirely sure.

Anyways the technician started pressing buttons on the ultrasound machine while I stood in front of the door and pictures started popping up on the screen. There were five photos on the screen one below the other and each photo was a different angled ultrasound shot of a tiny... penis! Hehe Yes, another boy dream. Lori and I looked at each other and said at the same time "It's a penis!". What the?! I dunno, I'm just telling you what happened.

The technician then left the room and brought Mike in, Lori left and the woman and child stayed tucked away in the corner of the room. It was just at this point in the dream that I actually laid down on the table and went through the typical procedure. Mike and I watched the baby moving around in my belly and then again those penis shots appeared.

Bizarre but true!! Now that I'm writing the dream down I am really curious about the woman and child in the corner... maybe Smidge is actually a girl and the little girl in the corner was a grown up version of Smidge watching a future ultrasound of a little brother?! Hmmmm... who knows!

Photo credit: Mattack

I'm sure my new wonderings have a lot to do with the fact that I had a dream about a girl baby last night for the first time. It was a terribly long and bizarre dream that ended with me on a hospital bed. I had been in the hospital for a few days and next to me was the sweetest little baby girl. Mike was sitting next to us grinning. The impression I got was that this was our new baby but she was awfully big for an infant and was laying on her belly creeping along the mattress with her head held high. Now I know Smidge is going to be a very advanced BRILLIANT child but creeping and holding his/her head up at a few days old? Anyways the funny part of the dream was that my cousin Connie came in (in a hospital bed too) and asked what we named her. I told her that we hadn't chosen a name yet because we wouldn't know whether Smidge was a boy or a girl until the 29th. Ooooookay.

A boy or a girl? That is THE question. I was very sure we were having a boy but now I'm starting to waiver... probably because I don't want to be wrong.

There are sewing machines shaking and knitting needles itching to start click clacking away... just two more weeks until we find out!! I can't wait! Remember to cast a vote over on the right hand side of the screen.

Carrier Covers

2010-01-10T16:32:00.004-05:00

Cara and I took a trip to The Baby Depot on Friday, I wanted the opinion of a fantabulous shopper/friend who has recently been through the mommy-of-an-infant stage.

One of the things we looked at and spent some time discussing was baby carriers. Cara highly recommended the Baby Bjorn for baby's first three months - she found that it was one of the few carriers that allowed her to carry Rosie upright when she was eensie weensie. Once the Roser started packing on the pounds the Bjorn didn't provide enough back support so Cara moved on to the Ergo which has a padded strap that locks around your hips; the strap on the hips allows your hips to support some of your baby's weight rather than all of it falling to the middle of your back. There was a carrier similar to the Ergo at The Baby Depot but I want to hold off on spending a good chunk of change on a carrier until the baby is here - want the little nut to test drive it before I leave the store.

A Baby Bjorn will definitely be in our not so distant future, Cara recommended checking Kijiji or Ebay for a carrier since they're over a hundred bucks in the stores and a quick peek at Kijiji proved that she is one smart cookie: there are a pile of them being sold in my area for $15-50 bucks.

Of course I'll give the used Bjorn a good wash when we eventually purchase a used one but I think I might also make a custom cover for it because Lucky Kitty posted the link to a FAB tutorial that looks super easy!

I'm going to start sewing for baby VERY soon! There are so many fun things waiting for me to make them.

Baby Pottery

2010-01-10T10:37:00.004-05:00

Check out this stunning pottery set for wee ones. It's gorgeous isn't it?! Well lucky Smidge, it was made by Auntie Cara for baby Smidge.

I love the colours; the blend happens down the sides of the plate and bowl as well. They are the perfect size for tiny people.

I watched Cara's beautiful daughter Rosie eat from a similar set the other day and couldn't help but wonder what our little peanut will look like when they are approaching their second birthday. *sigh*

Belly Chronicles - 17 weeks and counting!

2010-01-09T20:53:00.001-05:00

This is definitely my new fav photo. :)

Quickly expanding!

Jungle Fever

2010-01-09T20:12:00.005-05:00

A few of my recent finds... so many fun options for baby's room!

I'm a big fan of alphabet prints in a child's room and I think I've found the most beautiful set ever! JHill Design has created a stunning set of Animal Alphabet prints, each print is 9 x 9 and you have the option of purchasing the prints with or without a frame.

Here are a few of my favs

I can't get enough of the vivid colours and eyecatching patterns

A beautiful addition to any nursery whether it's the entire alphabet or just one letter!

This moose makes me laugh
Little Billy by Olli & Lime found on Design Public

And this monkey is adorable... would be perfect for my monkey Neve if it was pink and had glitter all over it.

Marcel the Monkey from Design Public

Thumper

2010-01-05T22:09:00.004-05:00

photo credit: Bob Fornal

Yesterday was a day of mixed emotions but all good when it comes to baby Smidge! Mike found out in the morning that his broken foot will remain as is unless he has surgery - unfortunately surgery will leave him with metal plates in his food and the foot fused to the joint which means he'll be able to move it up and down but not side to side. The good news is that with the help of physiotherapy he'll be able to walk and possibly, hopefully, run after Smidge. The bad news is his competitive soccer days are very likely over. I know things could be much worse but that doesn't make his disappointment dissipate.

Thankfully our day ended on a fabulous note when we went to Dr. Baxter for a prenatal appointment. I've gained about 7 lbs since our first visit 3 months ago which my doctor was happy with and the first round of test results from our early screening came back clear! My hemoglobin is normal but on the low end of the scale which might explain the light headed moments I experience over the holidays, she told me not to go any more than three hours without eating and to let her know if the spells return. Three hours?! Holy smokes, I don't think I go longer than one.

We heard Smidge's heart beat again and it was beating loud and strong! Of course I couldn't stop a couple tears from sneaking out... what an awesome feeling it is listening to our baby. The final bit of excitement yesterday was booking our 20 week ultrasound, assuming Smidge cooperates, on January 29th we'll find out whether we have a he or a she coming our way! Super exciting!

Be sure to vote on whether you think Smidge is a boy or a girl! There's a little poll on the right sidebar. :)

Baby's First Book

2010-01-05T17:21:00.002-05:00

I was in Chapters today looking for books for a few little nuts I know and what did I spy on the shelf?

Yes it's a little board book titled Smidge, can you believe that? Obviously I had to buy it. I have a tonne of kids books but this is the first I have bought specifically for our baby and I think it's the perfect choice. Oddly enough our tiny Smidge probably looks a little like the monster on the front of the book right now - the awesomely fabulous BabyCenter.ca told me Smidge is about the size of an avocado right now and the Smidge on the cover looks like he would be about that size

I'll change the words on the final page of the story when I read it because I think the ending is booooring but I love the fact that there are words like "shmorgeous", "hyper-fizzy" and "mega-funky" found all on one fabulous page! The little oinker Smidge eats a tonne of yummy candy and turns a plethora of colours in the 10 pages, I love the simple yet colourful illustrations.

The book is written by Beth Soshan and illustrated by Jenny Arthur - check it out at Amazon.ca if you're interested in seeing more of the book.

New Beginnings

2010-01-01T20:22:00.004-05:00

2010 is going to be the best year of our lives: Smidge will be joining us on the outside, how could it get any better than that?

For those of you wondering what the hell is going on in the picture above: we had an 80s themed New Years Eve party at our home last night and mullet Mike aka Big Daddy was giving Smidge a New Years smooch. Good times were had by all and needless to say there were a lot of laughs!

Five of my favourite girls spent the evening with us along with their amazing men plus a few fab singles and there was a whole lot of belly loving going on.

Happy New Year to our growing baby and to all of you!! Wishing you nothing but happiness in 2010!

Mommy's First Purchases

2009-12-30T22:25:00.003-05:00

I lied. I said I wasn't going to buy anything for Smidge until we find out whether Smidge is a boy or a girl and then I went into Tadpole (an awesome children's boutique uptown) and just HAD to buy a couple little bits for my Smidgie.

Sophie is the one baby toy that I have found myself setting back on the shelf time and time again for the past 4 years. I knew we wanted babies and knew that we would have a son or daughter one day no matter what it took but I also knew that buying baby goodies years before the babe is born is a dangerous path for a bargain hunter like myself.

I have now given myself permission to buy: uh oh.

Sophie is now tucked away safe and sound for baby Smidge. Isn't she sweet?

And this freaking adorable baby kimono in blue is waiting for Smidge to model it. Super cute huh? Mike's first question was "Is this for a girl or a boy?", when I told him "either" he just raised his eyebrows. hehe

I love baby stuff.

Dreams of Boys and Girls

2009-12-29T13:30:00.002-05:00

Smidge's Grandad has had two dreams in the last two months about a little girl. The latest one (Christmas night) involved him and Mike walking along a path with a little one. They came to a stream and started crossing but then realized the little girl couldn't make it across. Mike dove under the water and stretched across so that his hands touched one side of the shore and his toes the other: the little girl then walked across Mike's body and landed safely on the other side of the creek. Strange but lovely!

My mom had a dream recently where she was frantically looking for baby boy clothes in a store.

Last night I had a dream in which the doctor completed an ultrasound to tell us what we were having but then couldn't figure it out! Argh! Looks like we'll have to wait and see!

The ring on a chain has changed its mind AGAIN now saying we're having a girl rather than a boy - silly thing can't make up it's mind OR it's very clever and has decided that guessing boy once and then girl means it will be right either way.

Let us know what you think Smidge is by answering the poll found on the sidebar to the right of the screen.

Merry Christmas Smidge!

2009-12-29T00:49:00.004-05:00

Smidge was spoiled this Christmas and the little peanut isn't even on the outside yet! Mike and I are trying to restrain ourselves by waiting until we find out whether Smidge is a boy or girl before we start buying baby things but our family and friends have started shopping already. A beautiful "Sneak Peek" frame for Smidge's first photo (the ultra sounds looks perfect in it), tiny furry crocs, an adorable teddy bear with a rattle inside, a beautiful pale green baby bootie ornament, the softest tiny teddy bear blankie, teething toys and more! I can already tell that this poor child will not be loved at all. Ha! Thanks to all the gift givers for the lovely bits, Smidge is going to LOVE them!

It just about melted my heart when our niece handed me a Christmas gift bag and said "This is for baby Smidge." Something tells me our little one's nickname is going to stick.

I gave Smige all the chocolate he/she could handle for Christmas, wasn't that generous of me? Mike gave Smige lots of belly cuddles with hints that mommy feeling flutters would be a fabulous gift in return... it didn't happen on Christmas day but it did yesterday and again today!! Flutters in my belly: hooray!

Sew Tweet

2009-12-27T12:06:00.003-05:00

I am in looooove with these little birdies and have every intention of making a bunch for Smidge's room, I think I'll make a mobile with them.

I found this awesome tutorial here at a new for me shop/blog Spool.

For Better and Worse

2009-12-27T11:29:00.007-05:00

photo credit: max 0

I thought a lot of advice was thrown at us while we were in wedding planning mode, wedding planning has nothing on becoming new parents. I know everyone means well and this post is not meant to be directed at anyone in particular, I'm sure anyone who is a parent or pregnant (whether you've given the advice or not post-birth) has had these "words of wisdom" tossed at you during the long wait to meet your babe face to face.

I think the most ridiculous (but well meant) piece of advice we continuously receive (I swear it's on a daily basis) revolves around sleep. Having a baby means getting up a million times in the night and feeling like a zombie 99% of the day?! Well if I had known that...

photo credit: team dalog

Some of the lines we have heard a million times in the last few weeks and are sure to hear a trillion more before June arrives:

"Sleep now because once the baby's here..."
"Hope you're getting lots of rest."
"My baby never slept."
"I haven't slept in 8 years."
"We were like the walking dead once our baby was born."
"Oh you won't be getting much sleep once you hit the third trimester so get in what you can now."
And the one I've heard so many times now I find myself biting my tongue in order to not finish the sentence for the well-meaning person: "Enjoy your sleep while you can."

photo credit: max's pics

I am beginning to think it might be a good idea for Mike and I to make t-shirts that say "We are getting lots of sleep but thanks for your concern." Think this might ward off the dreaded sleep advice? I doubt it, we would just hear something along the lines of: "HA! You think you're getting lots of sleep but you have no idea what it's going to be like when the baby arrives."

The best words I have heard have come from my two moms, not direct quotes but the general thoughts: 'Listen to what people have to say, take what you want and let the rest slip in one ear and out the other', 'Your instincts will guide you, do what feels right' and 'You'll be fine!'

I do appreciate the advice so keep passing it along but don't take it personally if you mention getting sleep and I roll my eyes.

Bigger...

2009-12-18T17:32:00.004-05:00

Self-explanatory!

I've popped again! We're now taking photos bi-weekly instead of weekly so the next pictures you'll see I'll be four months along. Woo hoo!

Smidge Made Me!

2009-12-16T21:26:00.004-05:00

Dear Smidge,

Daddy thinks my loss of self control today was your way of telling me that you love chocolate as much as your mommy and daddy do... I think that I like when he blames my piggy moments on you.

I bought a lovely box of chocolates to give to my colleague as a Christmas/thank you gift and the box was sitting in a bag on the back seat of my car this morning. I came out of my second school around 11am and remembered the box was there. Without hesitation I snatched the bag off the seat, pulled out the box, attempted to tear off the plastic (failed), turned off the car, used my keys to gouge the plastic cover, ripped off the plastic, tore off the lid, and inhaled three delicious chocolate caramel pecans yummies in approximately ten seconds. It was after the third one slid down into my tummy that a tiny guilty voice whispered in my ear. I shushed the voice and tucked the chocolates back into the bag.

Yum!

I'm thrilled that you love chocolate as much as Daddy and I do and I've heard your message loud and clear. That being said, Little Nut please don't encourage me to rip into anymore Christmas gifts this year.

♥ Mommy xox

Sweet Designs

2009-12-15T22:37:00.009-05:00

So we've flip flopped back to the idea of using the middle room as the nursery. This means we'll have a little less room to play with but that's okay, the baby is just a teeny tiny person!

We found a zillion and one decals that we like... lots of fab choices on Etsy and elsewhere. Here are a few we have added to our pile of possibilities! Keep in mind the colours may not be our first choice, it's the designs we like.

I just looooove the first two by Bubba and Doodle

And these designs by Wall Decors are awesome

Both of us think this design is stellar!

How cute is he?
I can totally picture this over a crib

And this one by Byrdiekids is super cute and comes in a bunch of colours

And two other very cool designs by Boodalee

Oh so many options! Hunting for goodies to decorate the babe's room is soooooo fun.

Cat in the Hat

2009-12-11T19:43:00.004-05:00

wall decal from Pottery Barn Kids

Dr. Seuss is one of my all time fav authors and was definitely my number one when I was wee. I clearly remember flipping through the little library of Dr. Seuss books that my parents had put together for John and I, those books were definitely well loved. The collection is one I want for our son or daughter; I have a few Dr. Seuss books of my own and will continue to build the collection for our kids as time goes on.

Mike and I both love this Cat in the Hat wall decal and it's quite likely we'll incorporate it into our nursery design if we can make it fit, I don't want a Dr. Seuss themed nursery by any means but a little touch would be fab. Then again it would work well in a playroom too so if we don't work it into the nursery maybe we'll keep it in mind for the future play digs.

Thumpity Thump Thump

2009-12-10T22:03:00.005-05:00

photo credit: aussiegall

Tuesday was a spectacular day! We went to my doctor's office for my monthly check-up and we heard our baby's heartbeat for the first time. What an incredible experience! Once again the tears slid down my cheeks, the sound was like tasting a little slice of heaven.

Mike was super sweet, he had the biggest grin on his face. Dr. Baxter explained that the baby's heart is beating super quick, between 120 and 160 bpm at this point in time. As soon as the doctor left Mike said: "Our baby's heart beat is somewhere between house and jungle." Always the musician. Now he's hunting for a used doppler on kijiji so that we can listen to Smidge's heartbeat whenever we want and so that he can record it to use in his music - a true beat to add to the beat.

In less than a week we've seen the teeny tiny baby on the ultrasound and heard the heartbeat, now I'm looking forward to feeling the little monkey wiggling around inside my tummy! I love being preggers, so many fabulous things to experience and always more to look forward to.

Thanks Blogger!

2009-12-07T20:15:00.002-05:00

Comments have been returned to their rightful home. Thanks to the folks at blogger for listening to our whining and fixing the issue!

You Are PERFECT!

2009-12-04T16:43:00.006-05:00

We saw arms and legs , a tiny nose, mouth, brain and heartbeat! What an absolutely amazing experience! At first glance we definitely think Smidge has Mike's nose, very cute. The heartbeat was what threw me over the edge and caused the tears to really start flowing, Mike was all choked up at that point too.

Seeing Smidge in my belly certainly makes the whole experience feel more real. THERE IS A BABY IN MY TUMMY!!! Yippppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

A Letter to Smidge

2009-12-03T15:39:00.005-05:00

Dear Smidge,

Mommy and Daddy are counting the hours until we see you on the screen at our ultrasound appointment tomorrow! The appointment is at 3pm and Daddy keeps joking that maybe we will be surprised and see not one Smidge but two. Oh boy.

Daddy has been warned that Mommy will quite likely pass out cold if his prediction is correct, not that I wouldn't be thrilled to have two little bundles of joy to take care of at once, it might just take a little bit to wrap my head around that sort of fabulous news.

Very excited and a little nervous to see your wiggling body and beating heart tomorrow!

Are you one or are you two?! We will soon find out and no matter what the outcome we love you and are counting the days until we can cover your sweet cheeks in kisses.

Lots of love,
Mommy & Daddy too

Comment Snatcher

2009-12-02T21:02:00.004-05:00

Blogger is being a bit weird. You might notice that you are unable to post a comment OR that you cannot view the comments that are said to exist. I have no clue what's happening or why it's happening but apparently I'm not alone, there are loads of bloggers experiencing the same issues and blogger is trying to sort things out. Hopefully the existing comments which are currently invisible will return once the glitch is sorted out. I certainly hope so anyways.

Please don't let this stop you from commenting! Some of you aren't having any trouble at all and I am able to read the comments because they are emailed to my account.

Stylish Baby Pads

2009-11-30T15:28:00.005-05:00

There's not a whole lot I can do to prepare for Smidge right now but planning the nursery is one thing that I can start on! Of course we don't know whether there's a boy or a girl in my tummy so I'm going to start gathering pics of both girlie and boyish nurseries that make me go awww!

I'm really hoping to keep the baby room fairly minimal, I don't want shelves crammed full of stuff and walls overwhelmed with artwork. I know that down the road when Smidge gets big we won't be able to avoid the toy explosions but while the babe is tiny I'm going to try to keep their room clutter free. Feel free to laugh, I know I have the Dougherty clutter gene but REALLY I want to try to improve and a baby's room is the perfect place to start!

I adore Etsy and there are tonnes of amazing artists showcasing their good there so I think it's likely we'll purchase a few pieces of art there for Smidge; I can't wait to stumble across the perfect pieces for our babe. And then of course there are so many fabulous wall decals available in fun kiddie designs - oh the choices!

I've been admiring emboridery hoop fabric swatch art for ages now and had thought before that a little person's room would be the perfect place to hang them! Check out little Norah's room below, what a fabulous way to prettify a wall and so easy to do - the best part is this is a simple DIY art project that you can change whenever you find a new fabric you adore. For fabric junkies like me it's a great excuse to buy new designs.

Baby P's room is another fabulous nursery I spotted while perusing ohdeedoh.

I've known for years that I would want white and light coloured or natural wood for my baby furniture; good choice considering my fab sis Joanne passed along her boy's light wood crib and change table! We also have an Ikea dresser in our room that is white with natural wood edging that should go perfectly.

I'm thinking the boxy bookshelf seen above (not sure where this one is from but they have the same style at Ikea) will quite likely be an addition to our nursery. A large bookcase is an absolute must since everyone who knows me well knows how much I love books and kid's books are at the top of my list of favourite things. Oh yes that's one thing I started shopping for years ago: books books and more books! Please note: books don't count as clutter. hehe

Welcome!!

2009-11-29T19:34:00.007-05:00

photo credit: fofurasfelinas

Hi there! Just wanted to say hello to all of you who have stopped by to check out our little blog.

This weekend was fun! It was Mike's birthday weekend and we made the most of it by sharing our news with a bunch of friends and family members. There are still a few phone calls to be made before we blurt our happiness all over the web (aka Facebook and public blogland) and I appreciate everyone keeping the goods more or less on the down-low until then.

People's reactions to baby news is the best! Telling our parents was obviously our favourite sharing moment but there were a pile of others that I wish I could have video taped or at least snagged sound bytes from: Joanne freaking out, Cara's scream followed by Rosie's crying after Cara read the note I held up to my camera when her Skype volume wasn't working, Grandma's "Woopee!", Tanya's confused face followed by the odd yelp and look of pure shocked bliss, Granny Kerr's giggles, Aunt Nancy's screech... and so many more.

If just the thought of a new baby can spread so much glee I can't wait to see what happens when Smidge pops out to meet all of the people who are already in love with the little nut.

11 Weeks Pregnant!

2009-11-28T13:00:00.002-05:00

Jessy and I didn't make it to the pool to swim last weekend so she hasn't seen me in two weeks. When I slipped off my clothes and stood chatting with her in my swimsuit she turned to look at me and her mouth dropped open: "Oh my God! You didn't look like that when I saw you last!"
I have definitely popped, I swear my boobs grew an additional size this week and my tummy is definitely bigger than it was last week.

When you compare these pics to last weeks I think you can tell there's a bit of a bigger bulge but the fact that my boobs have grown make it a little difficult to tell that the tummy has grown. Mike sweetly pointed out that my belly is bigger than my boobs now.

I love being pregnant!

10 Weeks Pregnant!

2009-11-28T12:56:00.002-05:00

Mike decided weekly shots would be better than monthly and who am I to argue with a man who wants pictures of his wife and baby?! :)

Here I am with my tiny belly that has begun to protrude.

Funny how when you're pregnant you want to stand in such a way that shows off every bump while normally the goal is to hide those bulges.

Crazy!

Loving Every Moment

2009-11-28T12:43:00.004-05:00

I am 11 weeks pregnant now! Tonight is the night we are more or less "going public", we are telling our close friends who don't know yet while mom and dad share the news with the Dougherty clan at the annual siblings Christmas party. They are going to call me before they tell the family so that I can tell Grandma that she is not just expecting one GreatGrandbaby in the new year (my cousin Kris and Shannon's little nut) but two! This will make 13 great-grandbabies for her assuming I'm counting right. Tomorrow we will make some more calls and in another week we'll really spread the news. We go for our first ultra-sound on Friday which we are super excited about! I can't wait to see Smidge!

I'm feeling really really good. Still experiencing a little nausea but just in the morning, I'm a little less tired than I was before and my appetite has increased big time. I'm definitely showing now but still haven't had a significant weight gain, maybe a pound or two but I'm still in my regular 5 pound zone - albeit the higher end of that zone.

I don't remember ever feeling this healthy, then again Jessy had a good point last night when we were comparing feelings of pregnancy fabulousness: no drinking, eating well and lots of sleep might have a little something to do with the healthy feelings we are experiencing. Ha!

I felt Jessy's baby boy kick last night, such a cool feeling! I can't wait to feel Smidge moving around in my tummy.

Mike has starting taking weekly photos of me and Smidge so I think I'll begin posting them here rather than emailing them to my girls. Every Saturday a couple shots will be posted and if you click on the link to the Belly Chronicles you'll see all of the photos in a row making it easier to compare.

I'm off to go shopping for a new shirt to wear out tonight, one in which I can proudly display my tiny protruding tummy. xoxo

mushi*mushi by Barbara Berrada

2009-10-17T23:21:00.003-04:00

mushi*mushi has adorable*adorable designs:

Find these and many more sweet bits here.

"Hooter Hiders" Extraordinaire

2009-10-17T22:56:00.006-04:00

Cara Nina used a Bebe au Lait Nursing Cover while breastfeeding little Rosie and it was the prettiest, coolest baby hideaway I've ever seen. Rather than simply tossing a baby blanket over the munchkin and awkwardly trying to hide your breasts you can toss on the "hooter hider" and still make eye contact with your peanut while feeding. The fact that you'll look stylish in the process is just an additional reason why these covers are worth buying.

These are my three favourite designs (in no particular order) and I will definitely be purchasing one before Smidge arrives! Not badly priced either: $35 US with free delivery. Considering it can be a daily use item (depending on how comfortable you are breastfeeding in front of others) I don't think that's too bad at all!

Marmot

Yoko

Papillon

These magnetic bibs are uber cool too - hmmm this is something I could probably make.

And I can't resist posting this picture... I'm sure the reason why will be obvious.

Could this baby be any cuter?!

Just a Smidge

2009-10-16T20:20:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it happened so quickly but it did! I'M PREGNANT!! Mike and I are super excited and truly couldn't be any happier. Only three months have gone by since we officially started trying, lucky us!!

We're calling our little appleseed Smidge right now because saying "it" just sounds wrong, he/she sounds like we are having a hermaphrodite (not that that would be a horrible terrible thing), and because the baby is so tiny right now that it's "just a Smidge".

Smidge is due on June 18th 2010 so this blog will remain secret until mid-December at the earliest - then again maybe it won't go public at all. I'm more excited than nervous at this point in time, little thoughts of 'what if something goes wrong' enter my mind every now and then but I'm tring to keep the thoughts at bay so that I don't stress unnecessarily. So far so good so why worry?!

Dreaming of a Nut

2009-08-05T15:01:00.007-04:00

Well the time has come.... Mike and I have decided that the years of selfish self-indulgence should come to an end. We're super excited to have come to the decision that now is the time to start trying to make a baby. The goal post came out in the spring and we played it semi-safe for a few more months but now it's official: baby making trials have begun.

We are convinced that it won't take us long to get pregnant, and I hope that our positive thinking helps make our dream a reality. I refuse to read baby books or baby-making info sites because I know they'll just scare me: I don't need a million sites telling me what I should or shouldn't be doing, instead I'll rely on my doctor as well as my super duper fabulous friend Jessy who is 2 months into her pregnancy to share the important bits with me.

We want a baby so bad we can taste it but posting a million and one baby bits over at Gingham Skies when we're not even pregnant makes me feel as if I'm a) jumping the gun and b) jinxing us. So here I am creating a semi-secret blog that I'll release to the world, maybe, once I'm pregnant and past the three month point.

On this particular day, at this particular time this blog is a way for me to keep track of the billion sweet baby goodies I find online and a place for me to air my baby craving thoughts - Mike is thrilled at the idea of being a dad but I think he's likely getting a little tired of me talking about possible baby this and possible baby that.

I have lots of new babies in my world thanks to friends and family and there are more on the way so I can justify looking at baby paraphernalia even though I'm not preggo! At least I don't think I've got a nut in the oven...