38 weeks today. What a week it has been. Last Sunday my best friend Chantal through me the loveliest little Winnie the pooh themed baby shower. It was fun to celebrate with a few close friends, Coles granny and my mother in law. Chantal did such an amazing job.  She even had as sign on the door when I walked over that said ” 100 acre wood” she made place cards,  punch labels, wine labels,  and little cards for all the food. She made “piglet punch” and these adorable little peanut butter sandwiches shaped as teddy bears. She had honey gramham cracker teddy bears , veggie platters, cheese platters, bread bowls, so much food! she made a banner and hung balloons. She even made little honey pots for all the guest to take home with honey in them! She painted sunflower pots as honey pots for pens and cards for the games, and a note for baby!

I was so touched. I never got a baby shower with madelyn and it really hurt my feelings. I never thought id have the experiance again. I am so grateful and appreciative.  I am still waiting on the photos from her camera but here are a quick few I snapped on my phone.

I am so blessed to have such an amazing friend as her. I am aunty to both her girls and she is to mine. I did daycare for both her girls for 2 years and she lives across the street. She means the world to me!

 

Oh and cant forget my beautiful cake!

Other than that the week flew by and here we are into August already!

I have been very sick with a chest infection. I am on a inhaler and feel like my lungs are full of fluid. I have been having terrible coughing fits and tore all the muscles in my belly so it really hurts to breathe or cough and I have to splint my tummy when I cough.  Its been about 2 weeks with that now. Madelyn has it to an it has of course induced her asthma. On top of it i have been having cramps all week. I am not to sure if they are braxton hicks cause I never experienced those with Madelyn. Everything with her just sort of happen at once.

We had a really rough week with very little sleep due to the coughing fits. The would wake her up all hours of the night and then id have to lie on the floor beside her bed and help her resettle. some nights i was in there for hours. Getting up and down off the floor to try to go back to my room to sleep before she woke up again. We ended up canceling a few of my appointments this week due to lack of sleep and pain and coughing so i missed my chrio appt.  I didn’t even have the energy to drive my blood dot to the lab on Thursday.  I did end up going out Friday to get a few things done before baby comes.

I had a few last minute purchases to make, took madelyn for a hair cut, took my suv in to be serviced.  We have been making great progress trying to get as much done as we can before baby. I have had a list of repairs and house hold stuff for cole to work on for weeks now and its winding down.  Today he finally washed all the outside windows as they where driving me nuts.  We still need to wash the carpers and furniture, fix the baby gate at the top of the stairs, take copper to the vet for his vaccines, install door stops behind the bedroom doors so they dont keep bashing the walls and a few other things. But we have checked off all the major stuff.  The nursery is done, we have everything we need. The car seats are installed, we had to change madelyn to forward facing now to fit in the infant seat. She has been rear facing because she was still within the requirements.  All the clothes have been sorted and put away. My just in case hospital bag is packed. My home birth kit is complete. We even have the pool now. I have made “padsicles” Prepped my post partum care supplies , and stocked up on my essential oils.

We got the fish tanks cleaned. The yard work is done.  The house is repainted all the holes have been patched and cole has done many repairs around the house. I need to remember to wash all our bedding this weekend.

My levels are stable. My latest was 2.5 mg /dl after being increased to 2150 mg phe /43 grams protein. I have tried some new foods this week and have a couple more on my list to try before baby.  Yesterday I made my first ever nachos! I used the cambrooke burger mix, onions, garlic, dayia cheese both mozzarella and cheddar. Topped with tomatoes, avocado and sour cream. I used tostitos restaurant style chips and omg was it ever amazing!

Here is a pic :

 

Today I had a butter croissant and some mini donuts as well as some caramel pop corn. I filled the croissant with sauteed apples in honey, cinnamon and sugar.

 

Left on my list is a bagel with cream cheese . a wrap of some sort, maybe a donut from Tim Hortons and a creamsical ice cream cone at DQ

Oh i almost forgot! Since I was so late posting my 37 week update and only got around to publishing it last night I havent updated on our anniversary celebrations!

Cole and I celebrated 14 years together on July 24th. We had a date night and his cousin baby sat madelyn. It was our first date night in a year. We went to this place called ” Bliss float center” where you float! In water! In these cabins. I was so nervous because I am claustrophobic, you do it alone and completely naked!  You float in 10 inches of water that has over 1000 lbs of Epson Salts and its room temperature water. It is essentially a tank.  Much like sensory deprivation. There is no sounds and they turn out all the lights and you just float.  It is suppose to be really good for weightlessness, healing, pain, pregnancy , discomfort and relaxation.  The sessions are 90 mins long. I did find I got to warm near the end and I choose to keep a soft dim green light on as the darkness got to my anxiety. But you know what? I did relax and it was great on my hips and back. I switched between floating on my back to floating on my belly . Cole loved it and plans to go back again. To learn more about ” floating ” follow this link :

http://www.blissfloatcentre.ca/about_float_therapy/

 

After that we went to dinner together at Original Joes. I cannot remember the name of the meal I choose but WOW! it was so good. It was a summer rice bowl with kale/cabbage salad, asparagus, cauliflower, a root vegetable, avocado and rice. It was all tied together wonderfully with this surprisingly good orange ginger sauce.  It was for sure something I could never eat with my regular PKU diet so i am glad I got to enjoy it.  Here is a pic, is int it beautiful?

After dinner cole took me to get my very first DQ blizzard! I got an oreo blizzard and it was mouth watering!

 

I havent done any yoga, walking or swimming since June. I keep saying I will but then I dont because i’m either to exhausted or to swollen or just to damn uncomfortable. really  hoping that not keeping up with physical activity wont bite me in the ass come labour time.

Luckily I have only gained 14 lbs this pregnancy even though I feel massive.

I got a little gift made for madelyn from her baby sister when she arrives.  I ordered them custom t-shirts and some special dolls from my favorite online baby store ” Threading the love ” Based in my home town of Vancouver island.

The dolls will have the girls names on them and here are the proofs for the shirts.

 

We still dont have a name picked out for baby. Waiting untill we meet her. But I wanted to do something special to include madelyn .

 

Yesterday my midwife came to my house for my home visit and delivered the home birthing pool with liner.  She showed me how to set it up and we went over where to set it up and where she would need space for supplies and such. She checked my blood pressure, re did the GB test, listen to baby and checked her position. Everything went well.  I see her again on Wednesday. We may decide to do a stretch and sweep then as she is actually going out of province the whole week of my due date and that just set my anxiety through the roof. I cannot imagine doing this with out her. She is amazing we have a great bond and established trust. she also delivered madelyn. I dont want anyone else.  She will be gone Aug 11-19th and my due date is the 17th. So i am really hoping this baby girl decides to come this coming week  – not this weekend as its BC day long weekend. Before my midwife leaves otherwise she better stay put an go a couple days over due. However I cannot imagine going over due or another 2 weeks like this. Specially with the cramps i have been experiencing.  I am so done. I am so ready. I just want to get birth over with , meet this baby and begin our new lives as a family of 4. Even though I am still having terrible anxiety about the pain of labour and birth. As well as healing and post partum and juggling 2 kids. But im done. My body is done. My feet and legs are so puffy cole has had to put my compression stockings on for me many times this week

Im ready. so lets do this!

Anyone want to guess a birth date and weight? Im hoping between Aug 6th and 10th and maybe 7 lbs? Comment on my fb page or below to leave your guess!