Pregnancy Update and the Last Few Weeks

Well, today marks 16 weeks and 1 day of pregnancy! It's definitely flying by now. From about 5-10 weeks, I felt as though time was actually standing still, and since then, I'm not quite sure where the time has gone!

I'm really enjoying being pregnant for a second time. I find it so interesting to compare my pregnancies, and I just feel so much more prepared this time around. My pregnancies have been completely different in some regards, and in others, exactly the same. Those of you who have known me through both (or have heard the horror stories;) know that in general, I don't do pregnancy well. In that way, it's been very similar. I get EXTREME morning sickness when I'm pregnant (it's actually a specific condition that occurs in 1% of pregnancies, and I'm lucky enough to be in that 1%. And while that's a ridiculously low percentage, if you think about how many women are pregnant around the world each year, that's A LOT of women dealing with it!) Anyways, where it's been different, is that with Kallie, I had no idea what was coming, and so landed in the hospital for a week and was on heavy medications to control it, whereas at the very first sign of illness this time, I got on Diclectin (a prescription medication specifically for nausea in pregnancy) and it's made all the difference. With Kallie, I went on it, but it was too little too late. This time, at 6 weeks I was on the maximum dosage (triple the amount of the regular dose) and while I was still throwing up a couple times a day and dealing with constant nausea, it wasn't nearly as bad as before (but you can imagine what would have happened if I wasn't on the medication!). I also seem to be in the lucky 20% for whom morning sickness lasts the whole pregnancy, but with Kallie I was only throwing up once a day into my 8th month, so the Diclectin managed it very well. And already, I'm not throwing up every day (but when I missed ONE dose of diclectin...the next day was awful!) so I'm very hopeful that in the next couple of months I might be able to wean myself off of the diclectin! I'm very thankful for it, but one of the side effects is fatigue/tiredness, and on top of just being pregnant, it's a little difficult to deal with!

Ok, sorry for the whining...I have definitely been feeling sorry for myself lately, I'm just ready to stop feeling nauseous and tired ALL THE TIME!!! I'm a wimp, what can I say?;) BUT, and this is a big BUT, I have friends and different people I know who have been struggling with conception and miscarriage, and I don't ever want to take my pregnancy, and this baby, for granted. We got pregnant very easily, and so far, other than sickness, I've had a great pregnancy. No worries, no stress, we heard a strong heartbeat at 14 weeks, and are so excited for an ultrasound in about another 4 weeks. I feel so incredibly blessed to be expecting this sweet little one, and it frustrates me that I can sometimes become so focused on what I'm NOT enjoying, that I forget that it all points to this little miracle inside of me.

Another way this pregnancy is so different, are the circumstances. With Kallie, Lyndon and I were living apart (Wpg and Thunder Bay for work reasons) and so Lyndon was really left out. This time, obviously, that's not the case, and we're completely overjoyed about it! Lyndon didn't even get to hear Kallie's heartbeat in utero, so listening to the heartbeat all together as a family was so special:) I'm also showing WAAAAAAAAAY sooner this time around, which is fun:) And the other major difference is that I have a midwife instead of a doctor/OB. That's one of the differences I'm most excited about:) I LOVE my midwives, and midwifery care! I didn't have the best experience with my doctors, but even if I had, I am just so impressed with how all-encompassing midwifery care is, and am even looking forward to labour with a midwife (I know I'll be eating those words come December;).

The picture was taken today, so basically at 16 weeks. Honestly, with Kallie I wasn't showing this much at 7 months! I really do love having a pregnant looking belly already:)

The past two weekends, we've been really lucky to have two wonderful guests come stay with us:) First, my friend Kelly (who I went to high school with in Wpg), spent the weekend. We had a great time, relaxing, visiting, going to the Farmer's Market (and eating AMAZING caramel apples;), and just spending time together. Kallie was pretty attached by the time Kelly left, and was asking for her all week! It's such a blessing to have great friends, who you're completely comfortable around and don't need to impress! My house hasn't been in the greatest of shape these past few weeks, but Kelly didn't care at all...and I appreciated it so much:) Reaching that level where your friends really know you, flaws and all, and love you anways, is so great:) We miss you Kelly! (And I didn't take a single picture, brutal!!!)

Then, this past weekend, my sister came to visit. She got here around 1am Friday morning and left really early today. It was so wonderful having her here. Kallie LOVES LOVES LOVES her auntie Dana, she wanted to do EVERYTHING with her while she was here, and was very sad to have no auntie around this morning! I'm trying to convince Dana to move here...we have such a small family (Lyndon is an only child) and I would love to have my sister (and my kids' auntie) around all the time!


While D was here, we went down to Grand Marais, a beautiful little lakeside town in Minnesota, about an hour and a half away. There was a wooden boat festival happening all weekend, and we went down for Saturday. We met our friends Andrea and Robbie, and their two children down there, and had an INCREDIBLE day together!!! The weather was absolutely perfect, there was tons to do, great food, and the kids had a total blast! On our way home, I just kept saying to Lyndon how incredibly blessed we were:) I felt like I'd had a complete vacation in just that one day. We had great visiting with our friends, Dana and I got great 'tans' (aka---burned to a CRISP! Us Whitburn girls don't do so well in the sun;), and I just felt like I was bursting with happiness. We live in such a beautiful part of the country, have amazing family, and awesome friends. A beautiful little girl and another munchkin on the way! We are so truly blessed!


Cool Dana trying to show her incredibly un-cool older sister how to do the 'kissy face pose'. I think I need some more practice:)


Very Proud Kayak Owners:)

The absolute highlight of Lyndon's weekend (and perhaps all of 2009 so far;) was the tandem kayak that he and Robbie bid on at the auction...and WON! For a whopping $80 (so only 40 each) they became proud co-owners of their baby! There were all different donated items and boats being auctioned off, and everything was going for incredibly cheap. The guys were THRILLED with their purchase...Lyndon was so excited, he even told the border guard all about it:) It was pretty cute:) Guys from our church are actually planning a kayak trip for the end of July, so the boys are pretty pumped that they don't have to rent a kayak now:) They were so excited about it, that Robbie left it strapped to the top of their car so they could show it off at church on Sunday...so hilarious:)



After church on Sunday, Lyndon's dad came over (his mom was working) for a Father's Day BBQ. Unfortunately for Lyndon, he's the cook/bbq-er extraordinaire, and so HE made us an incredible lunch:) Dana and I did all the clean-up at least;) We had a great visit with his dad, enjoyed delicious food, and beautiful weather. We spent the rest of the day relaxing together and hanging out, as Dana was heading home the next morning. Lyndon got a boat motor (and half a kayak!) for Father's Day, so he's pretty pumped:)! But I assured him that next Sunday he could COMPLETELY have the day off and I would wait on him hand and foot! He deserves at least one day a year like that;p

We have such amazing dads, we love you and are so thankful for you! We can't imagine our lives without you:) And I'm so happy to be married to such an amazing dad, Kallie is so blessed to have such a loving, fun, encouraging, involved, wonderful, (could keep going...:) dad!

So, it was a great week, with friends and family, and now back to reality. BUT, next week is the start of 'summer holidays', and b/c I have teachers' children in my daycare, I kind of get a break too. I'll still be doing daycare through the summer, but at a much smaller capacity. I'm looking forward to being able to take the kids to the park, and on different outings throughout the weeks. And the second week of July I have a big trip planned (completely solo...sans husband or child!), which I will fill you in on later!

Hope you're all enjoying beautiful summer days!

Weekend Trip

Our entertainment on the road


First night in the hotel, snuggling with daddy:)






For the May Long Weekend, the three of us packed up and headed to Duluth, MN, which is about 4 hours from here. It's a very beautiful city, and even though it doesn't have a huge population, the city has done an awesome job making it a great place for tourists to go. There are wonderful restaurants, great shopping, a beautiful waterfront, and a really fun downtown with lots to do!

This was the first time the 3 of us have gone on our own little 'vacation', that wasn't to visit family. We stayed in a hotel for three nights, ate out everyday, relaxed, shopped and just had so much fun! I was feeling pretty crummy for most of the trip, but I assured Lyndon that I'd much rather feel sick and be out doing stuff, than stuck in the house all weekend!

The highlight of my weekend, was seeing my friend Laura and her family! Laura and I went to Middle School and High School together overseas (and she was a bridesmaid in my wedding), and we hadn't seen each other in FOUR YEARS!!! She's had two beautiful children since then, Charlotte and Liam, and it was just SO great catching up and meeting each other's kids! We spent all of Saturday night out, just the two of us, and had a total blast! We talked for 5 hours:) Saturday morning, our families met up at the Aquarium in Duluth, it's an Aquarium with animals and fish that are found in the Great Lakes. It was a really fun morning, the kids had a blast, and Lyndon was in his glory:) He LOVES fishing, nature, water...it was great:)
Kallie and Charlotte having fun with the water.

Laura and her sweet girl Charlotte



Kallie was fascinated by this snake.
Some other highlights from the trip were:
1. Going to the zoo on Monday morning before we left. Not so exciting for adults, but Kallie loved it!
2. We went to Fitger's, which is a brewery in Duluth, that has a hotel and restaurant as well. We had a really great lunch of Pub food, and Lyndon got to try a couple of really different beers (REALLY in his glory;)

3. Lyndon went on a tour of the mansion in Duluth Sunday afternoon, it's HUGE and OLD (he'd be able to give much more detail, he'll shake his head reading this;) and he really enjoyed it. He loves history and architecture so it was perfect.4. Kallie and I came back to the hotel each day and had a lovely nap in the afternoon, while Lyndon did things Kallie (ahem, I) would have whined about;) (such as tool/fishing shopping) It was so nice to snuggle and rest:)
5. SHOPPING!!! I got all of Kallie's summer wardrobe (for such a low cost!), some maternity clothes for myself, great earrings, and Lyndon and I both got shoes. As always, Lyndon did not buy enough for himself (the shoes were it), he has such a hard time spending money on himself! We're working on it:)
6. Caribou Coffe...sigh, how I miss you! A lovely coffee shop (chain), that makes an amazing pomegranate-mango smoothie...I had 1-2 a day:)!


'Look Mom, no hands!'

Kallie with her friend the seal. This guy kept swimming straight towards her, then headed straight up the glass, flipped, swam away, and came back to do it again. It was so funny and cute, he did it at least 30 times, and Kallie was just thrilled:)

All in all, it was a great trip to just relax and spend time together, with absolutely no interruptions or work:) The trip felt like the perfect length of time, I didn't feel like it was rushing by, but we were ready to go home come Monday afternoon:) We've decided to try and make a point of doing something like that every 6 months or so, as we just felt so refreshed when we got home! Hopefully we can make it happen!

One tired little girl, ready to head home:)