Oh My Belly!

There seem to be days where I can literally feel it growing. It's like...well...like a lot of stretching, some pressure on my organs and stomach and typically leads me to feeling pretty crappy for the duration of the day. Well, today is one of those days.

I woke up feeling like I was getting a cold - stuffy nose (thanks to the increased blood flow and mucus production), scratchy throat, flip-floppy stomach. After downing some Shreddies to make me feel less nauseous, I got my butt out of bed and got ready for work.

Wowzah! I looked in the mirror and thought "hey...it didn't look like this yesterday!" I looked down and could actually see my belly before my boobs, which for those of you who know me...that's a pretty big deal with these honkers! Even C commented on my basketball this morning, which looks even more pronounced in my maternity shirt and given that I've lost so much weight in my hips, thighs and butt (woohoo!)

Baby boy is getting so big, and during the day usually sits down in my lower abdomen. At night, he scoots up into my rib cage to play the drums or practice his field goal kicks. For the next few weeks, his growth should slow a little and he'll be about the size of a papaya until about Valentine's Day. He's getting into a good sleep cycle, however sleeps during the day and is most active when I'm trying to get to sleep at night. He'll be reacting to outside noises more and more, which means Daddy better brush up on his character voices for story time!

While you can't see the full basketball effect in my profile picture this week, it certainly is sitting higher than ever before and I'm sure that by next week at this time...will be like a little beach ball!

Saturday Morning Hockey

*yawn* Saturday morning was certainly an early one as I trucked down to Woodstock to watch T play goalie for the first time ever.

The alarm sounded at 6am and I finally rolled my butt out of bed at around 6:20, got ready and hit the dusty trail to make it to Woodstock by 7:45. It got me thinking...am I really cut out to be the mom of a little boy?!

T did very well, even though his team didn't "win" and he came off the ice rather frustrated that he wasn't able to stop every goal. His Grandma, Grandpa, Godmama's boyfriend and I all reminded him that practice makes perfect...but he quickly said that he'd rather score the goals than stop them. He's such a cutie.

The early morning definitely got me rethinking this whole hockey mom thing. I mean, yes absolutely I would love for him to play hockey and whatnot...but maybe that will be a bonding activity for Daddy! Haha...I really enjoy my sleeping in - even if it's only for an extra 20 minutes! Maybe Daddy can take him to hockey, and I can prepare a special breakfast for when the boys come home!

Thank goodness we still have 6 years until we get to that point! I know C would love for him to get involved with golf, and that he has aspirations of Bug making it to the NFL as a kicker (so that he's least likely to get hurt of course). I mentioned that I'd like him to take drumming lessons, and C isn't so sure about all of the noise that will create!

Plus, he says that guitarists are the ones that get all the chicks! Oh the hopes and dreams we have for our kids!

Presents from Mommy!

I think it's setting in...we're having a BOY! I guess after months and months of thinking that Bug was a girl, we were a little unprepared for the news of our son. It's setting in now, and we're both thrilled!

Last night, we went shopping at Babies R' Us to celebrate and checkout all of the new gear collections that are on the market for this season. There so much to choose from, and while we're keeping gear gender neutral (just in case we have any more kids...), looking for boys clothes and toys was alot of fun. From sneakers and socks to onesies and blankets, everything is just so handsome! There was a super cute golf themed section of clothing, which would be perfect for Bug when he goes golfing with Daddy!

Alas, C wouldn't allow me to buy anything other than a book so we settled on the New Treasury of Curious George.

Our next stop was Chapters, of course for books, but I wanted to check out their baby section for keepsakes and whatnot as well. Nothing to write home about, however I did look at the Robeez display. Everything was for girls! Oh well, "mental note to go on their website later" I thought. We ended up taking home the Mr. Men collection, Mortimer and Green Eggs and Ham.

I couldn't wait to get onto the Robeez site today to check out their boy selections. Oh my! The sales! The selections! Everything is just so cute, how could I not buy these


They saw "Rookie" on the right foot with the baseball and bat, and "League" on the left with a baseball glove!


Then, I stumbled across these and knew that our sons life would not be complete without them


And of course, with getting two pairs...the shipping was free! Mommy loves you Bug, and your feet are going to be super cute at all times!

The Wait is Over!!

No more waiting to listen to the voicemail!! Woohoo!!

We listened to it last night at 5pm, and I have never heard more beautiful words in my life!

It looks like you'll be buying blue, you're having a BOY!

It was like music to our ears, and while we were both incredibly shocked, I was so overcome by the anticipation and whatnot that I immediately started crying...and couldn't stop for about 45 minutes or so.

Everyone is very excited, and it was very cute last night for C to say goodnight to his son.

I think the best part of telling people last night was telling Bug's Godmama. She was so excited and put her son, T, on the phone. He's excited to have a little friend, and thinks we should name him Indiana Jones. Oh my! The things that kids say!

Tonight we're off for a little celebration date at Babies R' Us. I'd like to find some cute "boy" things for our maternity pictures at the end of March. We're going to borrow T's hockey skates for the day, and surely C will want a little football thrown in there somehow. We've already got tonnes of elephants to work with, but I want to see what else we can find. Maybe a little train? Some cars? Or a loader in honour of Poppa? We shall see! Either way, lots of fun will be had by two very proud and excited parents this evening at Babies R' Us!

Here's the 20week bump!

Week 21...

As I sit and wait for the call from our doctor's office, which I will let promptly go to voicemail so that C and I can hear the news together, I'm a little astounded that we're getting into week 21.

If you had of asked me 5 months ago if I thought that we would be happily pregnant with a healthy baby on January 19, 2010...I would have told you that you were crazy. I would have told you that there was no way my body was going to cooperate with the whole pregnancy thing. I would have told you that it's insane to think that me...the little ball of stress that I tend to be...would do well with being pregnant.

Well, 5 months later...we very clearly are very pregnant with a rather big baby! For you loyal readers who know how difficult it's been for us, I needn't remind you of the grossness I've experienced in these 5 short months.

I can only imagine what the next 4-5 months hold for us. I'm pretty convinced that this baby will be born early....I simply think it's going to run out of room! It's already the length of a large carrot/banana and is practising its ninja ways on a daily basis. It has eyebrows and their eyelids are present now as well.

I think the next milestone for me, aside from listening to the all important voicemail from our doctor, will be when my belly pops. It's going to happen any day now. I tried to poke around my belly button at lunchtime today, and...well...it's barely even there! My belly is getting itchy, so the skin is stretching...giving me lovely battle-scars...so...any day now!!

www.icantstopbuyingbabystuff.com

As I'm sure it is for most new Mom's and Mom-to-be's, I just can't seem to resist baby gear! Be it pj's for me with elephants on them because they will match with the nursery or lullaby CD's or whatever other interesting and trendy gear I find at Babies R' Us. Really...did I need pj's that would match the nursery...of course! C on the other hand....doesn't seem to think so!

I sent him a text message a couple of weeks ago when I was excited about the Beatles lullaby's and all he responded with was www.icantstopbuyingbabystuff.com It just made me giggle because it's so true! Every time I see a book, for example, that my parents used to read to me when I was little or anything Montreal Canadiens...I just have to pick it up! Of course we'll need all of those things in the future!!

C's friends were over, as per usual, to watch football yesterday and told me that they were reading one of our books and remembering their childhoods. I thought it was really cute, and told them that anytime they want to give the baby a gift, please please give books! There will be no shortage of books at the Szem household, and they will always be welcome, and displayed proudly on the top of Bug's dresser.

The story of choice yesterday?



We've yet to read it to Bug, as we were concentrating on Curious George, but perhaps it will be the story for this evening.

For now, my mind is set on getting the call from our doctor's office with the results of our ultrasound on Friday. I called them this morning and let them know that we would like to know, and at C's request, I'll let that return call go to voicemail so that we can hear the results together. It's been nearly 2.5 hours since I called...and the anticipation is mounting!

Team....Baby?

Yes folks...it's true. Team Baby...

*sigh* We had really hoped to find out today, however the ultrasound technician that we had said that she wouldn't be able to tell us and that the radiologist would have to read the results from all of the pictures and would send said results to our doctor. She said that we would have to ask our doctor for the results, if we wanted to know the gender.

A little disappointing, but the appointment itself went very well. Bug has grown...alot, and his/her feet are up in my rib cage right now, head pointing down. He/she was squirming the entire time, kicking when the Tech would move the wand to a new spot - apparently Bug doesn't like being poked and prodded!

My favourite moment, was when she got a good profile and was explaining the different features and whatnot. I started commenting on everything, and Bug turned his/her little face up toward me, and waved!! It was so cute - I wish we had of gotten a video of it!

So...the wait continues! Stay tuned!