34 Weeks

Can't believe I'm at 8 1/2 months already.  In a lot of ways, time has really flown by - and yet, both Trey and I can't wait for Squish to hurry up and get here.  I've got 3 weeks until full term, and 6 weeks to our due date.  We still don't know of course whether it will be a scheduled C-section or not, but much of the confusion should be clarified this week.  My next appointment is on Monday and, provided baby has yet to flip, an ultrasound will be scheduled for mid-to-late week this week.  I am fairly certain I still feel the head up at the top of my bump, but our fingers are crossed.

Size of baby:  Squish is the size of a butternut squash.  Approximately 18" long and a little over 5 lbs now!  

Weight gain:  Hello, Christmas was just here... I'm sure I'm up a little more.  In fact, this past week was the first week I've really started to feel like a blimp.  I'll get weighed in on Monday. 

Maternity clothes:  Yes, same.  Nothing new.  I wear PJs a lot around the house.  I think I will remove this category until something interesting happens in this department.

Development / Movement:  Curious baby is listening to conversations and can even enjoy music and singing (good thing that piano has arrived)!  Babies can recognize songs heard in the womb and will be soothed by the same ones after birth.  How cool is that?  Squishy "should" now be upside-down and possibly descending into my pelvis.  I'm told I may feel a little relief from the pressure on my lungs, but I don't feel that just yet.  Baby is still way up there!

Baby G moves like crazy all the time and I love it.  Last night Trey and I were watching the jabs, turns and kicks from the outside - which is always so neat to see.

Sleep:  Sleep is... interesting.  At this point, I should be starting to feel fatigued, and I'm definitely getting back to that point.  I often wake up for a pee break around 4 or 5 am and somehow I'm wide awake and can't fall back to sleep.  This morning was a prime example.  I stayed in bed from 5 to 6 but couldn't fall back asleep and eventually just got up.  I had a long nap yesterday and another one today, mid-morning.  Most nights I get a half-decent sleep, but it is definitely interrupted by bathroom breaks and discomfort.

What I miss:  Workouts.   I can hardly walk, never mind go to the gym.  I'm in so much pain all of the time.  Definitely missing my 'usual self'.  NOT missing wine this week, believe it or not!  I had a couple of sips with Christmas dinner (been waiting for that the entire pregnancy) - and it tasted too strong for me.  Hubby thinks it would be hilarious if pregnancy completely turned me off of wine.  I highly doubt it, but I certainly don't feel like having any lately!

Best moment this week:  Christmas with the family!  They just left yesterday and I miss them already.  I think they should have stayed a day or two longer.  Their original flight was cancelled, so we missed an entire day of visits and holiday activities.  Even though not everything went as planned (first, flight was cancelled so we missed the Stanley Park Christmas train and they didn't get in until 11pm Sunday night; second, Stacey got a 24+ hour flu and was bed-ridden for 2 days, so we missed the candlelight service on Christmas Eve at church and instead watched Christmas movies curled up on the couch), it was such a special, festive, lovely week.  

All of my 3 months of prepping ahead helped SO much, and everyone pitched in for the last-minute touches both on the 23rd for our party, and for Christmas dinner, so there really was no stress at all.  Our Christmas party was so nice - all of our nearest and dearest Vancouver "family" came by for food, drinks, and good company.  We played the white elephant game, which is always fun.  We did a little bit of singing by the piano (haha) and I have to say the night was pretty special.

Christmas morning, we spent 2 hours having our morning coffees/teas and opening gifts, and it was so nice to have a totally quiet, no rushing kind of day.  I made waffles for breakfast (which we had at around 2pm) and then we went on a family hike with the dogs, which was really nice... and tough on this preggo lady!  The whole week was really very relaxing.  We all slept in every day, took naps when we felt like, ate like fatsos, and generally just enjoyed every moment.  Can't believe it is over already, but once again - it is a step closer to meeting our little Squishy baby!

Looking forward to:  My doctor's appointment on Monday.  That's the biggest thing.  Also happy to have Trey home this weekend with no plans whatsoever, so we're going to relax and enjoy his last couple of days off before he heads back to work.

Cravings:  I'm currently eating about 4 clementines.  Fruit, oranges, and sometimes chocolate.

Symptoms:  Round ligament pain is keeping me from doing much moving of any kind.  Weird sleep patterns.  Shortness of breath when I sit a certain way or take a flight of stairs.  Terrible swelling in my feet and hands (yeah, it only gets worse).  Have to pee every 5 minutes.  The heartburn hasn't hit me all week (knock on wood), so that's a good update!  I also don't have any stretch marks (yet... again, knock on wood and cross your fingers - almost there!).

I've had a great pregnancy overall, but I am not a fan of this third trimester, that's for sure!

With only a few weeks to go, I'm glad we are so prepared.  Baby's nursery is ready, clothes are washed, hospital bags packed (including Trey's overnight bag and a huge snack-pack of non-perishable nuts, dried fruits, granola bars, juice boxes, etc).  My doctor's appointments are now weekly as we get closer and closer to the due date... and baby Squish is pretty much the only thing on my mind!

Now that the holidays are over, it is time for me to really put my feet up.  I have been so go, go, go for the last... oh, my whole life... and I promised Trey I would take it easy after Christmas.  I definitely feel like I need it, and am happy not to have much at all planned for January.  I don't think there is much more nesting I could possibly do, so I'll focus on keeping my feet up and getting some sleep while I still can.

Have a great week, everyone!  I'll try to post an update after my doctor's appointment (or ultrasound), whichever yields more exciting/urgent news.

33 Weeks

Size of baby:  Squish is the size of a durian.  The durian, in southeast Asia, is regarded as the "king of fruits".  It can grow as large as 12" long and 6" in diameter, which means this isn't really an accurate fruit comparison, since the baby is now up to 18" long.  Baby also weighs  between 4 and nearly 6 lbs!  I haven't been able to find a better fruit for you.  This is the one that my app gave me this week.  Them's the breaks.

Weight gain:  I'm up just over 2 lbs in the last 2 weeks.  Not bad.

Maternity clothes:  Ok, I'm about ready for my regular clothes.  Can't say I'm not comfy in the stuff I've been wearing, but I'm dying for a nice, fitted dress, a pair of heels, a blouse... basically anything that I can't wear right now.  

Development / Movement:  I'm told that baby can grow up to a full inch this very week!  Baby can now keep his/her eyes open while awake, and is starting to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing.  Bones are continuing to harden and baby's brain is continuing to develop.

As for position?  I had a doctor's appointment Thursday morning and found out that baby is still very solidly in breech position.  Its head is right up top in the very middle and it has settled its bum and legs into my pelvis.  The doctor doesn't seem entirely optimistic that Squishy will turn, but we're giving baby a little more time.  Doc says baby needs to be in the right position by 35 weeks. 

My OB has bumped up my next appointment to 10 days away (rather than 14).  If baby is still breech at that point, he'll order an ultrasound in the following couple of days to confirm the position.  The next option is an ECV (external cephalic version) which is done by applying pressure to your abdomen and manually manipulating the baby into a head-down position.  After 35 weeks, this isn't possible because there won't be enough room in there.  Apparently it only has a 20-30% success rate in first-time moms, but it can potentially give me the option of delivering naturally, so I think if there's a chance, we'll likely do that.

The major risks are that my water could break, placenta could pull away from the uterine wall, and a few other complications that would require immediate emergency delivery, so it has to be done in a hospital in case any of those things happen.  Apparently the risk of anything of those major complications is only about 3%, but Trey and I will get more info from him at my next appointment.

Of course it is still early and we are still hoping that Squish does a headstand in the next 10 days.  Send happy, flip-worthy thoughts our way!

Sleep:  Sleep is about the same.  I have good nights and not-so-good nights, but lately no terrible nights.  I usually get up around 4am because of some discomfort or a bathroom break, and then I'm up again around 6 or 7 and up for the day.  I'm a little sleepier lately, which could just be 3rd trimester tiredness, or because of the not-perfect sleeps I'm getting.  Still getting the odd charlie horse in my calves, but not as badly as in previous weeks.

What I miss: My stretchy, healthy, mobile, fit body!  I find it hard to move around, hard to stand for too long, tough to get out of bed, tough to get off the couch, etc... and I'm really frustrated by this immobility!  My ligament pain is so constant and so bad that Trey now has to help me put my shoes on and take them off.  When I lift a knee more than a few inches, I get shooting pains through my lower abdomen.  Definitely missing feeling "normal" this week.

Best moment this week:  I had a nice lunch date with Trey early in the week on Tuesday downtown, which was nice.  We haven't done that in a while.  That afternoon, Anita and I went to Costco together to get lots of what we'll need for Christmas parties, etc.  I had a pedicure and a facial this week, and our piano was tuned one more time to make sure it has adjusted to the environment (and it sounds fantastic).  I got tons done as well this week.  All of my cooking, shopping, wrapping, homemade gifts, etc. is totally complete!  We also went to Anita and Jeff's "Christmas cheer" get-t0gether/open house Friday night, which was really fun - and Trey and I had a casual date night at Burgoo last night.  This morning we met Christie for a pre-Christmas brunch, and Ryan and Victoria stopped by our place just a little bit ago to drop off a little gift before they head out of town for the holidays (gorgeous Christmas tree ornaments)!

Looking forward to:  My family arrives tonight!!!  Their original flight (due to arrive at 1:20pm) was completely cancelled, so they are now forced to spend the day in the airport waiting for their new 7pm flight, but at least they are still getting here today (around 10pm). We will be missing our dinner reservations at Fishworks tonight as well as the Stanley Park Bright Nights Christmas train, but as long as they get here, it will be ok!!

Cravings:  Surprise, surprise - still oranges.  It is pretty much the only thing I have been craving for weeks now.  

Symptoms:  Hope you're not bored by this, but my symptoms are the same.  Terrible ligament pain in my very low abdomen which is pretty consistent, depending on how much I'm on my feet and which way I move.  Heartburn has slowed down lots (hooray!), but I still get it here and there.  I watch baby move from the outside of my belly so often - THAT is really cool to see.  I'm short of breath and finding that Squish is pressed up high into my lungs (and also pressing on my bladder), so it is tough to get comfortable in a seated position.   Oh, lastly - I feel like a blimp.  It is like I woke up and got fat.  Really I suppose when you gain 20-30 lbs you're bound to feel that way, but I don't like it!

I suppose this is my last post before Christmas, so happy holidays and a very Merry Christmas to you all!  I hope you are spending it with your family and friends and that you have a wonderful week!

Lots of love,
Mama & Squish!

PS: (that last part on the chalkboard "U/S in 10 days" means "ultrasound in 10 days")

32 Weeks and Maternity Shoot Sneak Peek

Size of baby:  A squash.  Not sure what kind of squash, but not as big as a butternut, because that one is coming in a few weeks.  My tummy feels so hard and tight these days - it is like baby is just busting to get out!  Squishy is now close to 17" long and weighs between 3 and 4 lbs!

Weight gain:  Getting weighed this week.  I would guess another 2-3 lbs in the last 2 weeks?  

Maternity clothes:  As you can tell from my photos, my leggings/lulus with tank, sweater/cardigan uniform is still in full effect.  Purchased some new (actually pretty cute) nursing bras to pack in my hospital bag... yeah, we still haven't packed the hospital bag.  It is on the list for TONIGHT.  If we don't get to it soon, I swear it will bite us in the ass and the baby will come when we aren't ready.

Development / Movement:  The biggest update of the week is that Squish is supposed to be in head-down position, preparing for birth.  Of course, that still hasn't happened to my knowledge, but I see the doctor on Thursday and he will be able to tell me if the magical flip has taken place.  I think I feel the head still up and to the right, but I'm not certain.  Fingers crossed that baby moves soon.  If the little one hasn't moved by Thursday, the doctor will be ordering another ultrasound to confirm the position before we "discuss options" (I hate that term).

Sleep:  Sleep is so-so.  Some nights I sleep well, but most nights there is some interruption or another - whether it is pain, discomfort, the realization that I'm on my back and need to move, the need for a washroom break, etc.  Yesterday I slept until 9 am but a couple of days ago was up at 6:30, so it depends on the day.

What I miss:  Skinny feet and hands.  I got a pedicure yesterday and even the aesthetician said "woah, your feet are so swollen!".  I also miss wearing my wedding rings.  I haven't been able to wear them for many months now.  

Best moment this week:  I am a little behind in posting this one so I have to think of moments from last week... Our maternity photo shoot went really well.  We were given a "sneak peek" of three images (see below), but won't get the rest for another two weeks or so.  We shot with Jamie Lauren (http://www.jamielauren.ca) who is SO talented and was so much fun to spend a few hours with!  I also met a new design client, thanks to Stu.  Lastly, on Saturday we had our infant and child first aid/CPR certification course.  It was more fun than we expected and we aced the test (yes, I scored 100%, which I was kind of excited about) haha.

Looking forward to:  Of course... my family arrives next Sunday!  That's the biggest thing I have to look forward to.  I've been prepping for Christmas literally for months, so I am so excited to finally enjoy their company and put my feet up!  Also looking forward to:  dinner tomorrow evening with Ryan and Victoria, a little Christmas gathering at Anita and Jeff's on Friday, and our Christmas party on the 23rd.

Cravings:  You guessed it - oranges.  I know that's boring.  Someone asked me in the grocery store the other day what I crave and when I told her she didn't seem too impressed.  She said "oh, that's too healthy."  haha!  but I still can't get enough. 

Symptoms:  A little less round ligament pain than last week and a little more immobility.  Hands and feet are more swollen than ever (I actually have 'man hands' - fun).  Feeling better that last week, though - that was a tough one.

I should add a category called "Strange and funny things people do/say to me in public places", because it seems that the bigger you get, the more weird things strangers do.  I was in the check out line at Wal Mart yesterday (picking up those sexy maternity bras) and two little girls (who were ahead of me in line), came up to talk to me.  The older one was maybe 4 or 5, the younger one around 3.  The older girl said "Hi.  Is that a baby in there?" and when I said "Yes it is!", her younger sister said "I want to see it, please" and pulled my shirt up in the store.  I quickly grabbed it and pulled it down, but the mother (is it just me or is this so dumb?) laughed at her daughter, never telling her that it was rude/inappropriate to do that.  This would have been fine if it ended here, but the little girl now realized she had done something funny so she tried to pull my shirt up about 6 more times, the mother laughing the entire time and not telling her to stop.  People are so clueless. 

Alright, time to get going - I have a lunch date with my handsome husband and I need to get ready!

Holiday Treats #2

This little mama-to-be has been baking/cooking up a storm in preparation of Christmas.  Each day that goes by I get bigger and more uncomfortable, so the less we have to do on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, the better!

I just made my Mom's famous chocolate "spiders" and thought I'd share this recipe.  They're a bit retro and a lot delicious.  They're always one of those things that are long gone by the end of the night.  Another salty-sweet treat for you!

Bonus... these only took me about 10-15 minutes to make and were oh-so-simple.  No baking involved!

Here you go:

Ingredients
6 squares (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup butterscotch chips
2 cups chow mein noodles
1 cup salted peanuts
1 cup mini marshmallows

Directions
Melt all of the chocolate in a double-boiler over hot water
Mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl
Pour the melted chocolate over the noodle/marshmallow/peanut mix
Stir well to coat
Spoon small clumps onto waxed paper and cool
Keep chilled

Enjoy!

Holiday Treats

Well, Mama & Squish have been prepping for Christmas!  I thought I'd share this recipe with you since I'm in the midst of my holiday baking/cooking prep and I was blown away by this one.

I made this sweet, salty, and spicy nut mix last night and they are to die for!  They are mostly sweet (almost like beer nuts, but way better).  I wouldn't add more salt to them, but if you wanted a bit more kick, I'd up the "generous pinch" of cayenne to maybe a teaspoon.

The recipe makes 1 lb of nuts.  I made 2 and I'm glad I did, because they are going to go FAST.  2 lbs of nuts fills about 6 regular-sized mason jars.  Make sure you don't go overboard on the water that you mix with the egg whites (don't eyeball it).  I used a little too much water in one batch and they turned out slightly stickier than the other (although still totally edible)!

Another bonus?  They took me about 5 minute to prep and only 30 minutes to bake.  Couldn't be simpler.

Here is the recipe:

1/3 cup dark-brown sugar
2/3 cup white granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Generous pinch of cayenne pepper (could be substituted with 1/4 teaspoon of hot smoked paprika) - add more if you like it spicier
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pound mixed nuts (I used walnut, pecans, almonds and cashews - leave the cheap peanuts out of this one!)
1 egg white, room temperature
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix sugars, salt, cayenne, and cinnamon, making sure there are no lumps; set aside. Beat egg white and water until frothy but not stiff. Add nuts and stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle nuts with sugar mixture, and toss until evenly coated. Spread sugared nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet fitted with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven, and separate nuts as they cool. When completely cool, pour the nuts into a bowl, breaking up any that stick together.

Enjoy!

31 Weeks

Well, here we are - only 6 weeks away from "full term"!  This week has been a tough week for me - probably the worst one of the whole pregnancy.  I've been really feeling the symptoms and have been incredibly uncomfortable and in pain most of the week.  We also got some scary news at the doctor's office (nothing to worry about just yet, but it was the first time my appointment wasn't 100% perfect).  Normally the doctor says "you're so healthy!  Perfect heart rate, perfect blood pressure, baby is the perfect size!".  This week he said all of that, but there was a "but we may need to discuss options"... I'll elaborate in the "development/movement" section.  

This week was also way crazier/busier than I anticipated.  I definitely have now finished up my design project, though - and I don't have any appointments or meetings or anything like that next week so I am relegating myself to the couch and the kitchen for some relaxing mixed with Christmas baking/cooking.  I definitely overdid it on my body the past two weeks and need to keep that in mind. 

Ok, here goes the survey of the week!

Size of baby:  A pineapple!  This one feels like a huge piece of fruit!  I remember when Squish was as tiny as a raspberry so we are very excited that baby is this big now.  Somewhere between 15 - 17" long and between 2.5 to almost 4 lbs!

Weight gain:  I'm up 3 pounds in the last 2 weeks.

Maternity clothes:  I finally got one of my maternity dresses hemmed for our maternity shoot tomorrow (that should be fun), so now I have something new to wear for the holidays.  It is a black lace, v-back dress from Asos.  

Development / Movement:  Squish is going through major brain, nerve and eye development now.... getting smarter and smarter!  All five of his/her senses are now in working order.  Squishy's brain can now partially control body temperature and of course, the little peanut is still plumping up with fat.  They say that baby is now crowding my lungs and I sure can feel that.  I find myself short of breath quite often.  As for movement - it just gets better and better.  I feel kicks, jabs, and slow arm/leg movements that I can see, straight across the belly!  The other night when I was eating my oranges in bed, the bowl nearly got knocked off of my bump from Squishy's punches and kicks.  There is one small issue with development/movement this week... baby is breech (head up).  The doctor says that there is a good chance Squish will flip around into the right position, but we'll have to "talk about options" if that has not happened by my next appointment (about 10 days from now).  It has been 2 days since my doctor's visit and I can still feel the head up top, but let's all keep our fingers crossed.  Trey often talks to my belly and says "flip around, Squish!  Listen to your parents!  Follow the sound of my voice" (hahaha).

Sleep:  I had another dream that Baby G was a girl.  She had dark hair (wha?) and clear blue eyes... but the coolest part was I could picture all of the little details of her face and she looked like an exact half-and-half of Trey and I.  Strange how you get these vivid dreams during pregnancy.  I am not sleeping great, however.  I get charlie horses in the middle of the night in my calves (OW!), and my round ligament pains are so severe that they wake me up nearly screaming every once in a while.  Feels like someone is stabbing me.  Not fun.

What I miss:  Sleeping on my back and tummy.  I don't sleep terribly on my side (most of the time), but I do miss the other sleeping options!  

Best moment this week:  Well, Whistler last weekend as a big hit.   I also got to babysit both Linden and Austin this week.  I got my hair done on Tuesday and am looking more blonde again, which I like.  I also finished all of my Christmas shopping!  One trip with Diana and another short one on my own and I'm totally done!  It was good to finish up my design project, after a few last-minute complications, too.  I finished all of our Christmas cards and mailed them out, and have even wrapped most of the Christmas gifts.  Last night we had a "Christmas dinner" with Ryan, Victoria, Robin and Kim at Joey Bentall.  They are all going back to Ontario this year for the holidays and we wanted to see them all before they left.  That was really fun, as usual.  Lots of laughs.  Happy that next week is a slow week, though - we only have one weekend left before my family arrives!

If I have to pick a "BEST" moment, it would be the arrival of my new piano yesterday!!!  What a good feeling to be able to play again - and any time I want!  I was actually surprised at how many of my university pieces I could still play without TOO many issues, but I do need to practise! 

Looking forward to:  Dinner tonight at Renee and Stu's place.  Renee is cooking for us, which is so nice!  We also get to bring all three dogs (we are dog-sitting Anita and Jeff's dog, Rufuss for a few days).  Tomorrow I'm looking forward to our maternity photo shoot, too.  It will be really nice to have this stage in our lives documented and they'll be nice to look back on when baby is a little older.  Lastly, looking forward to baking and cooking next week (and relaxing) as we prepare for our Christmas party and my family's arrival!

Cravings:  Oranges, oranges, oranges!  Can't get enough.  I think I have upped my intake from 3 a day to maybe 3 navel and 4 mandarine, now that the little Christmas oranges are in season!  Trey says that Squish is going to have an orange addiction, thanks to me.  I think that's better than a junk food problem!

Symptoms:  Round ligament pain.  Immobility.  Joint pain.  Swollen feet.  Sounds terrible.  I'm kinda grumpy this week.  I feel healthy and energetic and generally really good besides all of the body discomfort.  

Hope you all have a great week and are enjoying the holiday season - it is cold here in Vancouver, but we have been blessed with a VERY dry fall/winter!  

xo

30 Weeks

Size of baby:  A cucumber!  Keep in mind, this is a length measurement, not a comparison of shape.  A cucumber seems like an oddly skinny baby, but what this means is that baby is measuring just under 17" long.  Really, Squish is getting more and more plump by the day!  He/she now weighs somewhere between 2.5 and 3.8lbs.

Weight gain:  I don't get weighed again until later this week.  Feeling close to the same size, but that bump keeps on growing!  I know the dramatic weight gain of the second trimester has slowed down considerably.

Maternity clothes:  Haven't purchased anything new.  I am glad I bought the basics early on, because I'm wearing maternity tanks under just about every outfit I can manage to come up with.  One thing I need?  Flats.  I bought a pair early on but my feet are so swollen that they don't fit at ALL.  

Nursery:  Hope you all liked the photos I posted last week.  I have now picked up all of the essentials we need for our hospital bag and diaper bag.  Though we'll need tons more diapers/wipes and all of that, the nursery is officially fully-stocked for the first few days of baby's arrival, should Squishy decide to grace us with his/her presence early.  This week I'll be packing up the hospital bag, as per the doctor's direction ("just in case").  After all, even though pregnancy due dates are calculated at 40 weeks, baby is considered "full term" at 37 weeks, and could come even earlier than that. 

Development / Movement:   Baby's skin continues to smooth out as the fat deposits build up.  Squishy's brain is continuing to form.  Even though baby is under 5 lbs, he/she is already strong enough to grasp a finger (heart melting!!).  Squish is constantly moving, which I love.  Sometimes it is an elbow jab behind my belly button, and other times it is a slow turn or flip around, which feels totally different.  I can't get enough of feeling baby move.

Sleep:  Sleep is still fairly good, but I do wake up several times a night to flip over from one side to the other (slowly and awkwardly), to go to the bathroom, or because of ligament pain.  Yep, those intense stabbing pains are only coming more often.  Poor Trey keeps thinking I am going into sudden labour in the middle of the night.  It is incredibly painful and happens more often than I would like.

What I miss:  As Christmas approaches, I'm missing wine again - sad that I can't have mulled wine, for example... but I have to say, all of the "missing" was harder in the beginning.  I'm used to all of the food and drink limitations now.

Best moment this week:  What a week.  It was so lovely to see Melanie and Ashlyn last Saturday in Nanaimo.  Our weekend getaway was pretty relaxing and the dogs really enjoyed themselves!  On the way back from our trip, we picked out our Christmas tree and pre-lit it (leaving it at the nursery to be flocked).  We enjoyed that.  This past week was a busy one, though.  I have to say I definitely overdid it.  I was finishing up a design project that took a ton of running around, picking up heavy items, and also took lots of my time.  I was also baking and decorating cookies for Christmas (which I vacuum seal and freeze - lifesaver!).  

On Tuesday I had to drive out to Surrey to pick up our flocked tree.  Trey couldn't help because the place was only open 9-5, so that was another big job.  In the meantime, our dishwasher is still broken - don't get me started.  Basically I spent the whole week on my feet, doing a ton of bending/lifting, and not resting at all.  By the time Thursday hit and I had a morning with Linden, I was wiped.  Thankfully I just got to snuggle with baby that morning and I ended up napping the entire afternoon.  Friday and Saturday my body still felt like I had run a marathon.  My hips and back have been achy, I've had to ice my knees and my feet, and my body has just given out.  I suppose at 7 1/2 months pregnant I should probably listen to everyone who is telling me to "slow down".  

Anyway, we headed up to Whistler Friday with Anita and Jeff and it was a very relaxing weekend getaway.  I will post some photos later.  We had a nice dinner Friday night.  The boys went snowboarding Saturday while Anita, Linden and I had brunch and walked the village.  Later on Saturday, we took Linden to meet Santa at Jeff's work kids' party, followed by appies in the lobby bar, then off Anita and Jeff went to the party, while Trey and I babysat the little guy.  Sunday morning the Ashtons treated us to an amazing brunch buffet at the Fairmont before we headed home.  All-in-all, a great weekend with great friends.

Looking forward to:  Today I met with my design client to drop everything off at her place and then I'm taking a big break for a while.  I'll still be working, but not sourcing and picking up furniture and other heavy items for clients.  This week should be quieter.  Lots of Christmas prep, but nothing too demanding.  A little baking, some crafts, etc.  I have a hair appointment on Tuesday (in preparation for our maternity photos next weekend), a doctor's appointment on Thursday, a little babysitting of both Austin and Linden, but again I can spend a lot more time OFF my feet, which will be good.  Wednesday night we have our prenatal class!  

Cravings:  Nothing new - mostly fruit.  Apple cider, too.  Still chocolate once in a while, but not as much as before.

Symptoms:   I think I've outlined them already.  Aches and pains!  Ligament pain has to be the worst thing - it is so severe sometimes that it takes my breath away.  Heartburn still comes and goes.  Nothing else too weird!