We’ve been back from Africa for about 3 1/2 months now, and I (Jason) have gotten fully back into my work in the IT department at Power to Change. I try to send out an update about what’s going on in the ministry and how I’m involved with it (along with some personal updates) every few months. For family and friends who are interested, here’s the latest fall update.
I seem to remember having a lightbulb idea of what I wanted to write about on here, but now have completey lost my brain again…it’s really becoming a losing battle. Placenta – 10, Brain -1. In fact, without scaring fellow nurses too terribly out there, I made a ridiculous medication error the other day and I can’t explain it except to say that I think my placenta took all my blood from my brain and I was left with a few cells to do my work. I walked clear into a different patients room, not really remembering that my patient was supposed to be a man, and gave a random woman patient my man’s medication. What was I thinking? I have never made such a blatant error but I figure my life is over as I once knew it. Is this what motherhood will be like? Forgetting things mid-sentence, walking one direction then realizing I should be walking the other, having blank-out moments when I am not really sure what is going on….yikes. Someone reassure me I’ll get my brain back post-child!!!
So I’m 6 months today. I have to say I’m enjoying this time more than any other so far in pregnancy. Feeling baby kicking away, getting winded walking a few feet too fast, starting to buy baby ‘stuff.’ I’m getting excited now that some of the major hurdles are over…or so I think! I guess I’ll only get bigger and bigger from here! I like that people can actually TELL now that I’m pregnant. Although now people are asking to touch my belly, at first I was appalled! How weird of a question is that! But then I realized, ‘oh yeah, it IS cool to touch a pregnant woman’s belly.’ Hard to get used to though! Now ahead is just trying to pick out names. I basically have to stop running names past people. I’m tired of seeing people’s reactions to names I like. I figure they’re pretty normal names but then…I guess we all have our opinions. I guess the name will stay a secret until the end! (especially since we haven’t a clue what to call him!) I’m willing to take suggestions though…
Painting the living room Grey Mare
Shannon and Andrea painting the dining room
We re-painted a bunch of doors too, with Heavenly Cream
The finished product (at least one side of the room...)
Had a super weird moment today…I looked down at my belly only to find that ‘pop’ my belly button looked super strange. I know it may look normal to some people, but truly, it has suddenly poked out more than normal. It even feels funny! Jason noticed it right away too. My body is definitely not feeling like my own anymore! Especially when lying in bed and all of a sudden it starts visibly moving from the outside. Crazy! I love that I can feel baby move more and more though.
For the longest time I was unsure if I was feeling the baby move or not. It felt like little flutters that I was pretty certain was not my bowels or liver or anything else…but I wasn’t quite sure. Well, over the last week or so (week 20/21) I am now CERTAIN that I’m feeling the baby move. This time there are more definite ‘kick-like’ sensations I’ve been feeling. The other day I was busy all day but then sat down to rest and all of a sudden I felt the ‘thud’ in my belly, I was like “was that baby?” but then two seconds later, in the exact same spot, was the same thud feeling. Now I notice it a lot more. I especially notice it when I really have to pee but haven’t made it to the bathroom yet, and baby either thinks a new trampoline has appeared or decides things are getting too crowded in there with my bladder in the way and starts stomping away on it. It’s the weirdest sensation- baby river dance on my bladder! Sometimes too it makes me laugh out loud feeling the baby kick…it feels funny! And then, two nights ago, I was lying in bed and the thuds started coming on a certain side of my belly so I told J to put his hand there…not sure if he could feel it or not…and he could! The baby just kept kicking the same spot or head butting or whatever and jason felt it all! How special! I wonder what baby’s patterns are for sleeping/moving because I feel baby move pretty erratically- mainly when I’ve stopped and am resting or sitting. Interesting. I love feeling the baby move though because it reminds me he/she is still there and flexing his/her little muscles!
On Aug 29th, Shannon and I moved into the first place we’ve ever owned. It’s a townhouse in Walnut Grove, a nice little community at the north end of Langley, BC. We’re really excited to finally be homeowners (other than the big mortgage part), and to be settled in one place for a while. For one thing, we’ve lived in 5 places since we’ve been married, with the longest being almost 1.5 years in a tiny cave-like basement in New Westminster. So, it would be nice to not move for a while! For another thing, we’ve had lots of our stuff in storage for the last 10 months (since before we left for Africa), so unpacking was a bit like Christmas, as we re-discovered things we’d forgotten we had.
Here are a few pictures of the new place:
Nice open living room and dining room, that you enter into from the front door (at left, out of the picture)
The kitchen is at the back of the main floor, with a skylight on top to let lots of light in
This nook is attached to the kitchen (you can see the counter). Most people probably use it as a dining room, but Shannon had the brilliant idea to make it a rec room. That will also make it more functional when baby comes along, as they can be playing close by while Shannon is in the kitchen. To the right is a sliding glass door out to our small patio.
All the bedrooms are up on the second floor. Here is the master bedroom, with a nice large south facing window (I wonder how hot it will get in the summer?)
Here is the room that will become the babys room. Its a nice shade of hurt-your-eyes orange right now.
The 3rd bedroom has a wrap-around desk installed into the wall, which will make a great office and place for Shannons scrapbooking and craft work.
We actually have 3 bathrooms in this house! A small one on the main floor, an ensuite, and a main 2nd floor bathroom.
We realized we have quite a bit of garage stuff, but have never had a garage before. So, this will be nice! Shannon was also very happy to finally get a deep freeze, and is busily packing it full of frozen berries, pie crusts, meat, etc
Well, we had our 20 week ultrasound today. I was really, really relieved to see that everything is going well and baby is healthy. Praise God for all your prayers. I was really becoming a basket case of worry over the last while and struggling with just giving up my concerns to God. I dunno, but I was just anxious all the time that something was wrong. OH man, is this what parenthood is going to be like?! AHHH. We did find out too that baby is growing too well in fact, bigger than average…I’m going to be huge before I know it! Baby weighs 12 ounces and just think how much bigger he/she will have to get over the next months. Yikes! We did find out what sex the baby is too, but for now it will be our little secret. We’ll tell a bit later maybe once we get used to the idea ourselves! Here’s a picture of our little cutie with his/her little turned up nose. CUTE! And I guess I haven’t felt kicks as much because the placenta is at the front of the uterus cushioning baby from the outside world. That explains it! Either that or baby is nice and calm like his/her father (sure hope so!)
Went with a crazy fun bunch of people to hike the stawamus chief in squamish today. PHEW. Up up and up. Did I mention that it’s UP? I wondered, as I got to the trailhead and looked UP the big boulder we had to start the hike with, “hmmmm should I be doing this while almost 5 months pregnant?” So I huffed and puffed, stopped a lot, and did ‘pulse checks’ with the gang and made it up to the beautiful top. However, down was the true feat…aching knees, shaking legs….but what a gorgeous, good day.
So 18 weeks and counting. Had a wonderful visit with family in Ontario, however, most family kept saying “you’re so small!” I have to say, anxiety has been abounding. This part of pregnancy is a bit nerve wrecking. At least in first trimester the nausea was a “good sign” that things were okay. Now, having not felt the baby move yet and because I’m not showing much and have cramps now and again…I’ve been a bit of a worry wart. I was so relieved to hear the baby’s heartbeat at my midwife appointment today that I actually started crying. Sigh. I guess motherhood is going to be emotional isn’t it?
On a lighter note… the baby is the size of a…
Mango!! 6.0 in, 8.5
OR
For the y chromosome… a softball
I realize I haven’t posted new pictures of my belly bump. However, it’s more like a blueberry bump. (covered in bright purple bruises). I should keep track of changes in my body with pictures, but it’s surprising how that takes a back burner with moving, traveling etc etc.
coming soon however…
