Any day now...

Well, I'm 39 weeks today and anxiously awaiting the arrival of this baby. I'm not feeling too bad, but it seems that life is just on hold as we wait for the little one to make it's appearance. I've been trying to keep busy, but days still seem to drag a little bit. I've been tired again the last week or so, but I'm sure it's nothing to what I'll feel in the weeks after baby arrives. We are just SO excited to meet our little one...we talk about it constantly and dream of who this little person inside of me is. We have the room all ready now and I"ll post some pictures of that. The crib is supposed to come in this Saturday. This Saturday is also my very good friend Hannah's wedding. I've been excited for this wedding for years (literally...it's been a long time coming!) and I really hope I don't have to miss it.

36 weeks:

38 weeks:

I suck at this.

I haven't blogged in 2 months...I"m really no good at this. I kept up at first because it was my way of "talking" to people when I couldn't actually tell people I was pregnant. Now, people are always asking how I'm feeling, etc. etc. so I don't feel like I have to update on here.

We have had a wonderful, but extremely busy summer. We helped out with VBS, spent a week in Halifax with 12 youth on a missions trip, and finally had a week of holidays a couple of weeks ago. We went up to a cottage on an island on Woods Bay and had an incredible week. Since we've been back we've been busy trying to finish up doing stuff around the house so we're ready for the baby. However, I'm realizing that I probably won't ever feel 100% ready. I had this list of stuff I wanted to get done around the house before the wee one makes it's arrival, but of course the list is never-ending...part of living in a house and not a part of being ready for baby I"m realizing. We got our basement done after having it flood in the winter, so that's a huge load off. The baby's room is just about finished...we're just waiting for our crib to come in the mail and I still have to buy a curtain rod and some knobs for the dresser. Other than that, I'm doing things as I can (and as the nesting urge promts), but trying not to stress about it .

Andrew is busy with work trying to be all ready for youth and small groups kick off in September so that when baby does come he can take a week off. Because they've changed my due date a couple of times we're thinking that we could have our little arrival any time in the next 2 weeks to a month. I'm pushing for 2 weeks, but trying to be realistic too.

I'm getting so excited to meet this little one!! Jeff & Linds have been nice enough to lend us the basinnette that Lindsay's uncle made for them and Jeff dropped it off for us yesterday. It's set up in our room and making me even more excited. Last night I had a dream that I had the baby..it seems everytime I wake up every night (and that's fairly often), all I can think about is when am I going to go into labor. It feels a bit like life is just on hold, waiting for when this baby decides to make his or her appearance. It's both exciting and overwhelming.

Not sure if I'll get another post in before baby comes...wouldn't necessarily count on it, but who knows. Below are some pictures of what we've been up to this summer....

The ever-expanding belly

Update

I'm realizing I'm not great at the whole blog thing, BUT I'm trying because I know some people actually read this and feel like I'm ripping them off by slacking so much.

Things continue to go well as far as the pregnancy goes. I really can't complain at all. I've had a few bad back days, and some nausea lately, but other than that it's all going pretty smoothly. I think I've had it pretty good...I'm really just loving being pregnant these days. I'm sure as the summer gets warmer that might change, but right now I'm just enjoying feeling a baby move inside of me and knowing the time is getting closer to when I'll meet him or her!

We had our first prenatal class this week and we're looking forward to learning more about what this whole baby thing entails. Though, to be completely honest, sometimes I think I would rather go into labor totally ignorant than petrified. We'll see...

I had my first shower a few weeks ago too! My co-workers threw me a surprise shower and it was a lot of fun. I got lots of cute stuff and it all makes me even more excited to decorate the room and bring the baby home!

We haven't done much to the room at all. Andrew & my Dad worked on it a bit and found that there's some rotten wall because the windows were installed very poorly, so they're trying to figure out how much they have to replace of the drywall and all that. We have the color picked out though and I have a dresser that I'm going to repaint (not true...they won't let me paint...Dad or Andrew will probably do it). Andrew also had a window seat built for the baby's room as my birthday gift. I've always wanted a window seat and it looks awesome in the nook in the baby's room. I'm excited about getting that painted too and buying some cushions and stuff for it...and eventually sitting on it and cuddling with my little one :)

Life has been pretty busy on the whole...though I'm sure things will only continue that way after September. Andrew has had tons of stuff to plan for youth and I've been working on exams and report card and all that fun stuff that teaching entails. We're also planning for a missions trip we're taking some youth on to Halifax in July. We're really looking forward to it and things are starting to fall into place, so that's exciting. Other than that, our summer has already been booking up with VBS, family events, etc. We're going up to a cottage for a week in August with my family, so we're really excited about that too. It's a beautiful cottage on an island and I plan on doing a lot of reading, beaching and floating. Can't wait!

Anyways, that's all for now. Marking is calling my name!

Meet our Baby!

Growing and growing!

I know, I haven't posted in ages. I"ve had people bugging me about it and just haven't had the time to sit down and write.

Lots has happened since my last post. We had our ultra sound, which was such an incredible experience! Saw the baby moving around and clenching it's fist and all that jazz. They've set my due date back AGAIN, so they're saying September 3rd. I say it'll just come out when it's done cooking!

I feel like I'm getting bigger by the day! Andrew keeps telling me it's what's supposed to happen, and I know that, but I'm just not used to it yet.

The baby has been moving around like crazy lately. Andrew felt it for the first time a few weeks ago and then actually saw a kick last night. It's pretty cool. Though, something is currently pressing on my rib and that's not the greatest feeling. From talking to veterans, I'll need to get used to it though.

I really can't complain at all though. I have had such a smooth pregnancy so far. I've been pretty blessed! I'm at week 25 as of today which means I'm well over half way. It's crazy to think about that! I'm really looking forward to school being done in a month and getting a bit of time to have to time think and get ready for this baby to come into our lives!

Here are some pictures for all those who are dying to see this belly of mine.

This is at 23 weeks:

Here's yesterday, at 25 weeks:

Here goes nothin'

I've been hesitating to post pictures of me and my belly online...just because I don't want the whole world to see. However, I've had some requests from people who don't live close and figure it's safe on the blog because it's only open to people who've been invited.

Here is a picture of me at 16 weeks and then 18 weeks, which is what I'm at now.

I feel like I'm growing every day. Though that may be an exaggeration, I'm certainly getting bigger quickly! It takes getting used to having a belly. Of course, Andrew is loving it!

Telling Grandpa & Grandma

Way back in January, this is how we told my parents we were pregnant. They were over at our place and I told Dad I had a question about painting the spare room and asked them to come upstairs. We had painted this on the wall and when my Mom walked in she read it and just kind of looked at it in a very confused sort of way. She looked at me, looked at the wall, then back at me and finally clicked in. Dad heard her excited congratulations before he even got in the room to read the wall. It was priceless :) I took this picture and kept forgetting to post it.

Carson Jeffery

Carson Jeffery was born on Thursday, April 9 at 7:54 pm. I'm very excited to share my birthday with our precious nephew!

Back to Reality.

Today was my first day back to work in two weeks....5:30am came quickly! I had a great March Break though and felt refreshed and energized at the end of it. Mom, Rach & I had a blast in NYC on my first weekend off. We saw Chicago on Broadway, did lots of walking and tourist "stuff" and just has some fun girl time. Then last week Andrew & I spent some much needed time hanging out and having couple time. We went to Playdium and out for dinner one night, picked the color for the baby's room, and just chilled. It was wonderful :)

I'm four months pregnant now and today we had our second midwife appointment. Nothing too new except that this baby is definately growing! I feel like I grow every day (though I hope that's an exaggeration). I definately have a bump now and it's getting difficult to where some of my clothes. I bought a couple of maternity outfits at Macy's while we were in New York, but they're for summer. I just want winter to be over because a lot of my spring/summer stuff is looser-fitting style anyways.

In other baby news, we are still waiting for baby Turner to arrive. Lindsay isn't due until April 11th, but considering she had Kara 3 months early and had some complications earlier on in this pregnancy, we definately thought she would have had this one by now. She's getting rather anxious, and I'd sure like to meet this little one too :) Maybe on my birthday (though I know Linds would hate to hear me say that I hope she holds off that long).

Baby Date

This morning Andrew & I had a "baby date"...we sat and looked at my stomach (and poked and prodded it) for a good half hour. Corny some might say, but it was a good time. Andrew's sweet and likes to talk to the baby already. I'm feeling so lucky to have a hubby is so interested and excited.

Apparently the baby is about the size of a large naval orange right now. Today when I was in Sobeys I walked by the oranges and couldn't help but smile. My belly is growing, though Andrew wishes deserately that it would grow much quicker. He can't wait for me to be a "real preggo" as he calls it. He just wants me to be fat...as I'm realizing many other people are eagerly anticipating as well. Jerks.

This Friday my mom, Rachel and I are heading to NYC for a few days and I'm extremely excited about it. We're staying right in Manhattan, within walking distance to Times Square, Central Park, and the like. It should be an absolute blast!

One month later.

Wow, haven't posted in ages. Life has been so busy! I'm now 12.5 weeks and the news has been out for awhile. Our parents were all very excited and we've had awesome support from everyone we've told. One of my favorite "telling" stories was when we told Jeff & Lindsay. I took Kara in the other room and played with her for awhile and tried to teach her to say, "I'm going to have a cousin." Then we went in the other room and she whispered it so quietly, but she still did a stellar job. It was pretty adorable.

My gr. 7's are also very excited and ask me about the baby often, as do the youth group. It's neat to have so many interested people.

We had our first mid-wife appt. this week and it went really well. Our mid-wife was awesome and we're really happy with deciding to go this route. The highlight was hearing the baby's heartbeat! Our mid-wife first prepped us for if we couldn't hear it, saying it wouldn't necessarily mean something bad, etc. Then she explained that she may not be able to find it right away and that we shouldn't panic. Then she put the thing on my stomach and we heard it loud and clear right away! It was incredible! It's beating at about 160 bpm right now. It was just an amazing thing to hear and really made this baby real to me. So exciting!

I've been feeling much better and haven't had nearly as much nausea over the last two weeks, so I think I'm on the upswing. *Fingers crossed*

I know I need to keep this up to date more, not just for people who will be reading it, but for my own memories of this time in our lives.

Can we keep a secret?

So, we found out we were pregnant at only 2 weeks!! Which makes us a few weeks earlier than we had originally been told. I'm now just over 8 weeks along, so my due date is approx. September 15. It's starting to kill Andrew not being able to tell people and we're really struggling with when the right time is. I want to share the news so badly, yet I know that it would be extremely difficult if something were to happen to the baby and we had to face everyone knowing. I was searching online looking for "the answer" and realizing that it's really just what is right for us.

We're heading to Simcoe this weekend for Andrew's great-grandma's birthday party, so we're trying to decide whether we should tell this weekend. No decisions made yet.

I was out with my Redeemer girls last night and the subject of babies ALWAYS comes up when we're out, so that was tough. Andrew told me he half expected me to come home and tell him that I'd caved and told them...but I didn't!

We were up late last night talking about names...so many to choose from! It's fun and exciting though...and definately not something we're stressed about. There are just so many things to think about and learn and look forward to.

We went to a midwifery information session last week in Guelph and were really impressed, so we've decided to take that route. They offer a lot of choice and work a lot out of relationship, which I think will be a really good experience. They are so open to questions and are all about educating the parents and giving them the choice. My first appt. is at the beginning of March and we're really excited about it.

I think that's about all that's new for now.

Sick and Tired.

I can't believe how much I can sleep these days. It's absolutely ridiculous. I've been falling asleep between 8:30 and 9 most nights (mind you, I'm getting up at 5:20 during the week). This weekend I've napped A LOT. Andrew read something for fathers-to-be that said, "Right now when you wife is lying on the couch, she is doing as much work as you do when you work out at the gym." So, that made me feel a bit better. It's just hard to explain and accept when there's no outward changes yet.

I've been extremely nauseous over the last week too. It lasts all day and nothing will help to settle it. I'm very much looking forward to being done the first trimester. However, that may not be as soon as I had thought. I was sent for a second ultra sound this week because they think they got the due date wrong. I'll find out early this week what my real due date actually is.

That's all for now. It's strange writing when I know no one (except maybe Andrew) is reading this yet. Looking forward to sharing our news with people.

Pineapple?!

I've been feeling pretty well over the last week, but definately am aware that there's something going on in my body. Most mornings I feel really nauseous, but I've yet to get sick, so I really can't complain.

I had my first craving tonight. It's a wierd feeling. I was at youth group and Andrew was giving his talk and all the sudden all I could think about was pineapple. Pineapple of all things! So bizarre. So, we went to Sobey's right after youth and bought a bunch of good, sweet fruit. It could definately be worse...I'm glad I"m not craving ice cream or anything...yet.

That's about all, except that I'm dying to tell people....it's so hard keeping this to myself! I go for my first ultra sound on Saturday so I'm excited about that and I think they'll be able to tell me how far along I probably am and then I'll know better how long it will be until I can start telling people. It's exciting to think about.

That's all for now! I'm exhausted....all the time. I need to sleep now.

Our little pizza pop

This past Monday I did a pregnancy test and got a positive result! I was both ecstatic and terrified. I was starting teaching full time on Tuesday so I really didn't have much time to let it all sink in.

Andrew came home for lunch and I just couldn't wait to tell him. Whenever we talk about having a baby he always mentions that it has to "cook" in my stomach. So, I told him I'd had a crazy morning (which I had) and to top of it all off that there was a funky smell coming from the oven (which there wasn't.) I asked him to check it out and went upstairs for a minute. Standing at the top of the stairs, this is what how it all played out....

Andrew: "Is this a pizza pop?"

.................

Andrew: "Laura, where's this bun from?" (yelling up the stairs)

Me: "pardon?"

Andrew: "There's a little bun in the oven."

Me: "Say that again..."

Andrew: ........

I came down the stairs and the look on his face was absoloutely priceless! SO wonderful! I can't believe I have a teeny tiny little baby in me. Apparently it's the size of a bb pellet right now....crazy.

I've been so busy teaching over the last few days that it definately hasn't sunk in yet, but we are so excited for this little pizza pop of ours!