Pregnancy with 30 days left!

OK so yesterday was 30 days and counting but I didn't get around to blogging and it sounds like more of a milestone then 29 days so whatever.

I am not going to pretend that my pregnancy has been horrible- It's been ok. Im not going to tell you that I like being pregnant -I don't. But, I am having some mixed emotions now that I am so close to the end.

Here are some Pro's and Con's to pregnancy that I have discovered.

CON. Lack of bladder control. Before I was pregnant, I determined my bathroom breaks. I could hold it if there were unfavorable bathroom conditions. Now I pee constantly!! And because we did a lot of driving this summer I have used some of the sketchiest restrooms ever. Normally I make Matt stand close by for fear it may be the next murder scene. Sketchy bathrooms really freak me out!!



Side note, everyone told me this problem only gets worse as time goes on... FALSE I am 4 weeks away from my due date and have been peeing every 20 mins ever since I found out I was pregnant.

PRO. It is socially expectable for me to be snacking ALL THE TIME. I have decided that my normal eating routine was pretty close to a pregnant woman anyway, but now I can embrace it. It's ok to open up a loud granola bar rapper in the middle of church and believe me I do.

CON. Exercising is tough work! At the beginning I had visions of being a totally fit pregnant woman. Slowly I discovered that my body was not cooperating. If any of you have pushed your body its safe to say that the things that might make you stop running would be your lungs- to catch your breath or your heart- to slow it down. I am used to these sensations. I am not used to my hips aching or my back KILLING after a simple walk.

PRO. People tell you that you look great even though you have gained 20 pounds and counting.

CON. You gain 20 pounds and counting.

PRO.  Your husband paints your toes when you can't reach them for extended periods of time. This could be a con too I guess but Matt does a great job.

                                                                    What a sweetie

CON. I used to wake up dreaming of dinner and what to make. Now I hate making dinner and can never think of what I would like. As a result multi grain cheerios have been either breakfast, lunch or dinner. Thank you multigrain cheerios for getting me through my entire pregnancy. I don't think I will ever eat you again but it's been great.

PRO. I have not really experienced any crazy food cravings except that one time I NEEDED chinese food which is so out of character, yuk!  Basically if you're pregnant and say you feel like any type of food and your husband will go out and get it. Even during commercials when ice cream sounds like a good idea.

CON. Lack of stomach muscles, ok ZERO stomach muscles. Sometimes I get stuck when trying to get out of bed. If you have ever seen a turtle on its back trying to get over it's a pretty accurate visual of me.

PRO. Second table for second dinner.

CON. Your cloths stop fitting. I have had the worse luck with maternity cloths and I hate them all. Who wants to spend a lot of money on cloths that make you look like a tent. As a result I have very limited wardrobe

PRO. When you cry in the fitting room just looking at yourself in maternity wear you can leave and look at cute baby cloths. Everything is adorable in miniature and it cheers you right up.

CON. Your feet swell up when you stand for long periods of time and flip flops are the only shoe of choice/comfort/necessity. Also my fingers have begun to swell and I can no longer wear my wedding ring- sad.

PRO. You get to make all sorts of fun crafts for the baby. Here are some onesies that I have decorated.

This picture was before I hand stitched all around them but you get the idea.  I'm not done making them either! They are so cute and addictive to make. 

even though I just stated a PRO I will end on another one. You get to be apart of bringing a little person into this world. Its a miracle in so many ways and although I am very uncomfortable and don't want to do this again for a LONG time, It's pretty amazing.  I can't wait for the biggest PRO yet, our little boy. 

So here I am. 36 weeks along, 4 weeks left to go, 8 months passed, 1 million boxes of multigrain cheerios consumed.

The Joys Of The DMV

While living in Utah I never actually had a state drivers license.... Shh. Immigrating to another country is just swell and totally convenient... but sometimes certain paperwork takes FOREVER to receive! So when I FINALLY had what I needed (Social Security number and Permanent Resident card) I confidently walked into the DMV.

What a calm non stressful environment that DMV is. In fact if you have some free time just go.

No matter where you are there will never be a line...

Well... at least once inside you are always met by people who sincerely care. They always work quickly and effectively to help you through any problems or concerns...

 Right.. well at least they are open at convenient hours and even if you work full time there are still plenty of options.

OK the DMV sucks. Its never a good experience and I basically hate going!

It was a lovely dedicated DMV worker that politely informed me what I had to do to obtain a Utah Drivers license.  I would first have to take the written test and follow that up with the road skills driving test. I am a foreigner from the strange and unpredictable land of canada after all... Pfft  I didn't need to take a drivers skill test! Let me tell you the strange and complex differences between driving in Canada and the USA. Kilometers per hour vs miles per hour, what a doosey! On top of that my speedometer is electronic so with one push of a button I don't even need to do the math.
I left telling my self that Utah was stupid and that what ever state we would end up moving to for school would accommodate my situation much better. 

So with my feathers ruffled I walked into the Oregon DMV and stated my purpose. Here I was also informed of the mandatory tests. I explained the kilometers vs miles argument to plee my case and she said, "oh yeah, man I just never remember which states we wave the drivers test from..... what state are you from in Canada?" I told her I was from the province of British Columbia. After what seemed like forever she informed me that I was in the wrong DMV and would need to go to another location and take the written test. She could not guarantee that I wouldn't have to complete the road test as well. 

So after reviewing the state driving knowledge handbook and reminiscing of my sweet sixteen years, I drove to the correct DMV. I took the written test only, after again pleading my case, and I left feeling as though I had won. For anyone who cares the drivers test is waved for anyone from Canada (selected provinces) and Germany. This knowledge will NOT be remembered by the worker and they need to search for it in the computer and act surprised. 

Of corse my license got sent to the wrong address and I had to call the "help line" and get it mailed to the correct address.... But now 27 days later (2 days before my temporary card expires) I have my Oregon drivers license. It's pretty ugly and plain compared to British Columbia's. Just saying. 

Memories of Music Past...

I have never participated in illicit drug use or felt the high from gambling an amazing hand of poker. I HAVE however felt my heart beat rapidly increase and a frenzy take over while purchasing new songs on Itunes. Almost unconsciously I become fixated on the computer screen. I just have to find the newest songs and unknown artists. During these moments I am convinced I could block out any sound or explosion. Sadly, I have taken a break from this addiction as "extra cash" has become a laughable phrase and Law School student loans have become a reality.
Pandora at home and radio in the car, although less thrilling, have become my cover up fix. So when It came to finding a new station to listen to in Eugene I was on top of the task. Quickly disappointed, we  found only two radio stations that I reluctantly programmed. The first is a mix of the top 100 and the other is a station devoted to the 70's 80's and 90's....I know. If anyone in Eugene is reading this please inform me otherwise.
It was on a night of frustration flipping between the two that I rediscovered a funny fact. Although Matt and I are the same age, we have a VERY different music past and memories. I was greatly influenced by my older sister and mother into dace music. My mother, an aerobics instructor, had to create the perfect mixed tapes to get everyone pumped  (could there have been a better job in the late 80's/ early 90's!) The leg warmers and scrunchies alone have inspired millions of halloween costumes.


Naturally the car rides I became accustomed to were filled with Phil Colins, Gloria Estefan, Ace of Base, Michael Jackson, Madonna, and many other finger snapping tracks. I remember these car rides fondly and when the songs come on now I turn it up and think of my mother. Matthew usually looks at me as though I am suffering from a seizure. So when "I love the night life" came on and I could sing all the words.... well ....

Its safe to say that Matt exploded in laughter as I simultaneously NAILED the vocals. We have been singing it to each other ever since.

It was always a party in mom's car, what can I say. She was and is always up for a dance party. I can even remember an Ace a Base concert on the front lawn. I love my mother. She has continued to love the latest hits-this is just another constant in life. My father (until recently) was a "caught in the past" music rememberer and lover. Don't get me wrong there are some amazing rock songs of the past but I never understood how he didn't get board of them. What really threw me for a loop was when my parents came to visit us in Provo and he was listening to the Black Eyed Peas. Nothing really prepares you for something like that. Do you know how many arguments I had with my father while driving with him, begging to listen to "cool" music. Now my mother is singling along to Rihanna and my dad is asking me if I have herd this song yet.

 As an extra music treat, here is a great song to listen to. I haven't been able to get this out of my head for WEEKS! Enjoy.

You Can Never Be Too Prepared.... Right?

For those of you who know me well, you know that I really like to have things in order and prepared so It looks like I know what I'm doing. As soon as we found out we were pregnant I purchased, "Your Pregnancy Week-by-Week" and "Googled" about everything there is to know about pregnancy. Waiting to find out the sex of the baby was just not an option- how was I to properly nest or prepare mentally?
Now that I am actually looking pregnant and strangers say, "when are you do?" or "congratulations" I didn't feel silly walking into the library and renting some books on what to with a new born. I didn't want to look like an idiot to the Pediatrician or other mothers. As a result, books about pregnancy, delivery, and how to get your baby on a sleeping schedule are pretty much the only things I read now. Matt has even joined in on my obsession...

The more I learn I realize that every baby is different. Sadly even though  I have a well formulated plan It may not work. BUT I can still plan the essentials. Firstly, I didn't want the nurse to call child protective services when she saw me try to operate an infant car seat while leaving the hospital. Have you ever tried to use one of those? or the stroller for that matter... Its harder then you think. Thankfully the "Chicco" company must have planned for the unintelligent to use their product and all the important handles and buttons are orange. Genius!

Tonight we had a little practice run. 

Thanks to Jared and Cat for the Build-A-Bear gift certificate... He makes a lovely stunt double.

After reading all the instructions carefully and feeling a little more confident about being a parent we moved on to a few more essentials. 

                                                      The Baby Bjorn

I wish I could tell you that I knew what a "Baby Bjorn" was when my sister- in- law Kourtney told me she had one for me... I quickly googled

And I thought fanny packs were cool in the 80's. Just look at the ease and style the Bjorn adds to a previously ordinary look . Matt is always so handsomely fashion forward. 

OK now some of you might laugh at me for this one but I have NEVER actually changed a baby BOY'S diaper. I have changed them when they were a little bigger but never an infant. This was one of my major concerns about having a baby boy- being peed on while changing the little dudes diaper. Matthew being a champ has changed a little boys diaper and he coached me through it. 

Now we took on the task of mastering the "swaddle." Apparently this is the key to a happy sleeping baby, its basically guaranteed in all of the baby sleeping literature.  We call it the baby burrito.

Just look at that technique would you. I'll be happy to boast and tell you that I didn't even watch the DVD- Step by Step Swaddle - that came with one of the books to pull this off. Thats 100% intuition. 

And just like that he will sleep in his crib all night long due to the perfect swaddle. 

Canada V S America What's The Difference?

I always love telling Americans I am Canadian because I know exactly what they are going to say."Canadian eh?" or "Its SO cold there!" I have only ever been astonished once, when a lady asked me if they had universities in Canada... she then proceeded to ask if I had sleigh dogs. I didn't know what to say but wish I had said this:

I am sure there are many actual important differences between these two neighboring countries but I would like to focus on the non important and more comical.

1.  People in America wear shoes in their home. This is so weird to me and I can't get over it. Why would you want dirty shoes on your carpet? In canada it would be rude to do so. However, this is nice in the fall when you are wearing boots over your jeans and you don't need to fuss to get them on or off but I strongly believe American's are missing out on the usage of slippers- the indoor shoe. 

2. There is no poutine (POOH-TEEN) in America and people will look at you weird if you ask for gravy on your fries.  I ask you, who wouldn't want cheese curds over their fries slowly melting due to hot delicious gravy?

Americans hardly use ketchup either! Its all about the fry sauce (a mixture of mayo, ketchup and sugar) that I have refused to try based on principle.

3. In describing a situation where someone was angry and chose to lift their middle finger up at you while keeping the others down, be careful . In America it is NOT ok to say they "fingered you." Instead, you have to say they "flipped you off" or "gave you the bird" .... I learned that the hard way.  

4. Maple syrup in America has over 10 ingredients, the first being corn syrup. In Canada it reads, pure maple syrup. What's worse? A husband who says that he can tell the difference but likes them both. For that reason we have two different kinds of syrup in our home, real and corn. He is not allowed to eat mine until he admits it is one million times better. 

5. Mexican food. Canada has horrible mexican food! In fact I thought I hated it, turns out I just hate taco bell. 

6. Sports are a big deal here. I am not just talking about the NHL "Hockey Night In Canada." There are news crews at high-school football and basketball games. College football is bigger then the NFL and you can watch all of the games online while claiming you are studying....

"WHAT? NO! it didn't even hit the ground" is not legal jargon. Haha

7. Intimidation and pride are huge in the States. Probably my two favorite road signs, haha 

 

as apposed to a sign you might find in Canada 

8. If you are looking for "homo" milk in America you have to say "whole" milk. However, nobody in Canada thinks twice about the word "Homo" in big letters on the side of a milk container and what it might conjure up in the minds of Americans.

 I should label this post as part one as I am bound to think of other funny differences, but for now I will end on homo milk. 

Pizookie

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the heavenly experience of a Pizookie (pizza sized cookie) served  BJ's Restaurant, I am sorry.



After realizing that the restaurant is not only located in California we were thrilled to see one about 15 mins from our new home here in Eugene . Yes Eugene!  We promptly went with some friends and left satisfied and extremely full after ordering the famous pizookie for desert.

After about a week we remembered the pizookie fondly and decided to try out our own baking skills.

We just used our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, cooked on the lighter side and added ice cream. SO simple but so delicious. 

Moral of this posting... If you see a BJ's restaurant GO. If you want a fantastic simple desert PIZOOKIE.

Camping...

OK, I know that I may offend some avid campers out there by this posting but if you really are an avid camper... we must not be that close...
While Matt and I were dating I made sure to inform him of my camping experience and enthusiasm. Zero. I can thank my wonderful mother for this and I echo her idea of camping as a hotel with a beach view. Or a lovely cabin, all the amenities included, close by to a little quaint town. However I do see the charm in some of the traditional camping activities. Cooking dinner over a fire, boating, games, smores, hiking, kayaking, all great.  It's mostly the sleeping out doors and the lack of personal hygiene that loose me.
I stand by Jim Gaffigan.

After we got married I knew that Matt had some "tender childhood memories" of camping and I thought  maybe I could give this whole tent thing a try. So, like an idiot, I suggested we go camping. It was last year Labour Day weekend and I thought It might be fun to spend our last bit of summer together before he started school. That week we asked people at work, and really anyone we knew, where the ideal place to camp would be. We set our goal destination to "Mirror Lake" and began rounding up camp gear, which we obviously didn't own. Matt got us a tent from our friends Trevin and Allison and I insisted in taking our pillow top air mattress. We also bought a few of the essentials; fire wood, fire starter, flashlight, bug spray etc.

Friday afterwork we set out on our adventure and drove the 2 hour drive up the mountains to Mirror Lake. It was along this very windy road that I started seeing other camp sites with a large wooden sign out front that read, "Camp Ground Full."

Camp Ground Full ?! I was astonished!  There were enough crazy people who intentionally spent there last bit of summer subjecting themselves, to what I could only imagine as my future day and a half,  to fill up over 5 other campsites.  It was then that I also learned people not only PAY for this experience, they RESERVE. After passing a few more "Camp Site Full" signs we saw a sign for Mirror Lake. This sign also informed us that it was full but we decided to take a look and see if it was really telling the truth. We found one vacant spot and tried to find the camp ranger to see if we could take it. Obviously someone had come to there senses and decided against there camping "vacation."
The camp ranger was very nice and told us that we could wait until 7 or 8 and if no one was there we could just set up camp. We waited until 8 and now one showed. We unloaded our tent and air mattress. For the recored "4 man tent" actually means 4 infants or 4 midgets. It does not fit 1 pillow top air mattress without sticking out the sides. It also does not fit the mattress at all if you blow it up outside the tent and then try to fit it in.

Obviously not us but similar measurement challenges.

Determined to stay on the positive side of things I began to make dinner. Dinner was in the fire, Matt and I were playing games and then we had company. No, not the folks I had borrowed the air pump from earlier to blow up the mattress after ours ran out of battery power, the family that actually reserved this location. GREAT.
We explained our story and they told us how they had been late leaving work and that they had reserved this camp spot the previous year. I began to get our dinner out of the fire and the wife looked at me and exclaimed, "Oh, you even had dinner cooking? Well I don't see why you can't just camp here too, Its a big enough lot." After discussing this possibility Matt set out to find some level land to place our tent.  By this time it was quite dark and what may have looked flat was actually a 90 degree angle.
Our night went surprisingly well, we shared our smores and all talked around the fire as if it was intended to be that way.
Finally It became too late for us to be up and we all decided it was bed time. Matt and I walked down the cliff to were our tent was now perched. With our air mattress extending up the side of the tent and the angle pushing us further downward it was impossible to stretch out all 5"11 of me and 6"3 of Matt. Like a champ Matt fell asleep within a few mins and I remained awake. I then remembered another reason why I hated camping. I was FREEZING. I woke Matt up just to make him aware of my situation- still awake and cold- he pulled me a little tighter and comforted me and then within a few more mins he was asleep. I woke him up an hour or two later-still awake and cold. By this time he had gotten increasingly uncomfortable from not being able to stretch out the length of his body. This time we stayed up and talked, laughing at the whole situation. We decided that we weren't going to sleep anymore and that if we acted quick we could pack up the tent and leave before the other family even knew it. We were packed up and ready to go by 6am.
Determined to enjoy something from our excursion we explored the camp ground, got some pictures and ate breakfast by a waterfall.
I slept most of the way home.

Mirror Lake: I came, I couldn't sleep, I left.

Baby Vickery

Getting ready for "Baby" has been swell. I am anxiously awaiting little baby feet to fill the tiny shoes,

little baby arms and legs to fit into these onesies 

and a little baby bottom to use all these diapers.

It all got that much more real when I came home with little baby bedding. I suppose it is called nesting..

All this anxious anticipating has lead me to wonder all about our little guy. I think its pretty normal to wonder what your baby will look like. Who's eyes, nose, smile, he will inherit. What his personality will be like and if he will play all the sports his father and grandfather are dreaming of but I don't know if its normal to turn to the internet for answers.

Parent 1

Your Baby

Parent 2

So this is what Morphsters thinks our little dude will look like... Brown eyes?...I question the accuracy but it is pretty fun non the less.  

Personally I think he will look more like this...

Whatever he looks like we are getting pretty excited, and on my end, impatient to meet him.