False labour + new stairs + bebe's room

Hi friends!

The cool, crisp weather yesterday in Toronto gave Labour Day that new start, back to school feel -- a perfect time to have our baby!

Joe and I had a few friends over in the afternoon and when they left our plan was to relax, make pizza for dinner and watch out favourite show, Coronation Street (now an hour on the CBC so we can catch up with Brits).  I tried to take a bit of a nap before dinner and started to feel crampy, so I laid in bed, looking out my bedroom window at the trees, trying to determine if my cramps were actual contractions. They seemed to come and go, but I didn't want to get too excited and try to time them.   I was uncomfortable, but I wouldn't call them painful.  I have felt this type of crampy-ness at night, but this time they felt different. 

I'll keep this short, because as the post title states, I didn't actually go into labour. But as the evening wore on, I grew increasingly uncomfortable, but we still didn't try to time my contractions.  I wasn't even sure they were contractions, but they were getting more uncomfortable and my belly had started tightening.  

I took a warm bath, with lot of bubbles and listened to Broadcast (I just learned that the singer, Trish Keenan, died of swine flu). Of course, my contractions eased up after the bath.  I was able to sleep wonderfully, but woke to a few contractions, but this morning, NADA!  

MY RAD DAD

As promised, here are the photos of the new staircase my dad designed and built for us.  The only thing missing is the wood cap that will sit on top of the handrail.

(The drywall surrounding the opening to the second floor still needs to be finished too)

Here are some photos of the bebe's room.

 (I am so sick of called her bebe. We've picked out a name we're 99% certain of but are waiting for the big reveal)

Again, another Fred/Dad creation: He built the crib and nappy change station, originally for my nephews, and now it's been handed to us. The design is the same as this Oeuf crib. 

 The embroidered piece on the wall was embroidered by my mom and the frame was made by my dad using old barn board. This piece hung in my room when I was a child.

Bye for now!   I'm going to go take a nap. I'm crossing my fingers that I'll go into labour tonight!  

Bebe Still in Belly + New Stairs

Hi friends!

So it's labour day and I'm still hanging out with the baby in my belly! I'm 39 weeks + 2 days.  I've been feeling lots of signs and I know I'll go into labour soon, but unfortunately, I don't think I'll be in labour on Labour Day. Joe and I have spent the weekend cleaning up and stocking our fridge so we're ready for the big pusssssh.  She's squirming in there, quickly running out of room.  Whenever I lay down my whole belly starts to morph and she readjusts to a more comfortable position.

The set of stairs that my dad designed and built for us is almost finished and installed.  He came over to install the railing on the second floor yesterday.  Joe is up on the ladder cleaning the construction dust off the stairs as I write this.  I'll take proper photos when it's all cleaned up and post them in the next fews days.

bye for now.

Waiting Game, pressies, geometric mobile and big-eyed kids

Hello friends!

I'm still floating on a cloud in la-la land, out of it.  It's hot today in Toronto... I'm sweating, drinking big classes of ice water, roaming my house, doing random house-work-type things - laundry, dusting, washing cushion covers, washing the floors... I am a zombie-crazy-cleaning-mama-in-waiting lady.  

I've been having on-and-off menstrual-like cramps for days. I had an appointment with my wonderful midwife yesterday and she said my cervix has thinned but not dilated.  The cramps are due to my cervix working on thinning out.  The baby is also between 7 and 9 pounds. She grew a lot last week.  No wonder I've been so out of it.  My official due-date is September 11, 9 days away, but both my midwife and my midwife sister-in-law predicted I'd go sooner than that. THIS ANTICIPATION IS DRIVING ME NUTS!  My brain is mush and my body has been taken over completely.  

I'm feeling anti-social because I just don't feel like myself, but I also feel squirrelly and a bit lonely.  AH!  So many people have been checking up on me and I'm so thankful. There was a staff meeting at the school I work at yesterday and a couple work friends mentioned they missed me, which is very sweet.  I almost can't believe I won't be working for a whole year.  My mat leave started yesterday! I don't necessarily miss the students I taught last year (I teach an alternative school program for teenage ladies who are pregnant or have babies), but I would love to know how they're doing. A couple students I had last year are returning to the program this year, so I'll see them in a month or so when I stop by to show off the bebe, but a few students graduated and I'd love to find out how they are. 

My friend Jennifer (who is the lovely woman behind Castlemusic. I created this animation for her song "heaven" a few years ago) stopped by a few times in the past week or so and brought me presents!  

Cinnamon-honey, fresh flowers and an INCREDIBLE gigantic cinnamon bun from Dufferin Grove market!

This lovely soft scarf, perfect for breastfeeding coverage.

Some bad-ass hand-me-downs.  THANKS JENNIFER!! xo

I finally bought that geometric mobile I mentioned in an earlier post. It took about half-an-hour to put together, but it was totally worth it.  I love it.  I hope the bebe will love it too.

Today I dug out some of my vintage big-eyed kid art. I have a big collection that I gathered from thrift stores in my hoarding high school days. I'm trying to decide which ones to hang in the bebe's room.  I keep thinking, am I already trying to make her into a mini-me? 

(I just noticed my baby bump in this photo)

BYE FOR NOW!