Forgetfulness + hormones + puppy = disaster

Last night Chewy ran off on me. I was chatting away to the neighbor as he sat out the front waiting for me to take him to the park. I had forgotten to put the leash on him and he must have just thought, "Bugger you Mum, I can get there myself!"

He ran off so quickly I was in shock, as he never runs away from the front of the house. I left my keys on the letterbox and bolted after him. It didn't even occur to me that running at my size was not a good idea. I ran like I'd been running at the gym for months. Never mind the fact I am about 7kgs heavier or that my boobs are double the size of my head and that maternity bras have about as much support as a couple of freezer bags. Not to mention that fact it's probably not great for my baby to feel like she is in a washing machine or for my heart rate to skyrocket!

I can only imagine how this looked from an outsiders point of view. Humongous and clearly demented pregnant woman seen running after puppy whilst crying and calling out to him with the promise of treats. Hmmmm... lucky for me (but not for him) a young man saw me running down the street trying to bribe Chewy back into my control and failing dismally. After Chewy bolted across the road this guy called him over and Chewy ran up to him with glee and licked his face.

It was all too much for my highly charged hormones. I gratefully thanked the guy and my neighbour who had also turned up in his car to help me. I marched Chewy home in a huff telling him how angry and disappointed I was in him. I then shut him behind his puppy gate, sat in the loungeroom and cried and ate chocolate for 30 minutes while I composed myself.

Those good old hormones strike again...

Bouncing belly aerobics

I am now about 25-26 weeks, depending on which due date I feel like going by. So our baby is about 22cm from head to bum. And while my belly is getting quite massive I am still amazed that our baby is curled up in there and still growing fast!

The frequency and power of her kicks are increasing by the day. We are now starting to see my belly bounce after a good hard boot, usually while I am relaxing on the couch or trying to sleep. I think I will soon be able to rest Chewy's ball on my tummy and have bub kick it to him all by herself. Well it saves me having to exert any energy right?

Brett keeps saying, when can we do the Malteasers add? You know the one where the pregnant chick puts a Malteaser on her belly and when the baby kicks it bounces up into the air. Well I think that time is upon us hunny! So you better get a super size packet Burnsy, because you know how our little bub LOVES chocolate.

Cankles anyone?

With pregnancy comes all sorts of weird and wonderful side effects. From the most acute sense of smell and random cravings to a hairy belly and uncomfortable indigestion. But my least favourite is the propensity for my ankles to swell into cankles on hot days and when I spend too much time on my feet!

Last night we frocked up to go to Brett's work Christmas party. It was a black tie affair in a swish function centre overlooking Darling Harbour. So after the angst of finding something to wear (thanks Em) I spent an hour or so dolling myself up, threw on Em's 'save the day' frock and managed to squeeze my feet into a pair of hot peep toe pumps. Quite a mean feat (get it???) after a long day at work!

However my feet are just not used to big heels at this stage of my pregnancy, I pretty much live in ballet slipper, open toe sandals and flip flops. So after an hour or so my feet started to swell and spill over the sides of my shoes. How very attractive! Luckily it was a formal sit down affair and the only time I had to show my feet was on the 20 or so occasions throughout the dinner that I had to get up to go to the bathroom.

You would think this warrants a foot massage or rub from Brett, but he somehow always manages to get out of it!! Wish me luck, I am about to go ask for one now!!

22 weeks

We saw our little girl today. Although she didn't stay very still, so there was not much to see except legs kicking and arms waving. But the important thing is she is very healthy and doing everything she should be.

Been a bit lazy lately. Not much writing as too busy eating. I try to keep it healthy with lots of fruit, salads, rye bread, nuts etc. But then there's the chocolates, mince pies, chips etc that come my way and last only a matter of seconds. The OB says my weight gain is average but I am not sure if he realises just how much food I am putting away! Thank goodness for Chewy, if he didn't need to be walked every day I'd probably be too busy eating to exercise!

Gotta run, it's late! Now pass me another mince pie please Brett....nom nom nom

The cat's out of the bag! It's a ......

After what has felt like a very long, long wait our little baby peanut finally got past all the shyness and modesty. Bubby has decided to stop hiding behind the umbilical cord and finally reveal the true identity at the 20 week scan last week. Yay!!

We now know we are having a little girl!! She is healthy, has everything in tact and is just the right size. I have been feeling lots of movement so we know she is an active little girl, unlike her father who at times prefers to laze on the couch with minimal movement for hours on end!

We are thrilled and have both felt all along that we were having a girl. I had not bought anything as I would always lean towards pretty dresses, so I went out this week and bought a cute little white onsie and a pink 'I love Daddy" bib to celebrate. Lucky for our credit card I was too tired to really hit the shops!

Like my Mum says, there is just something special about little girls.

HORMONES

Pregnancy can certainly be one big roller coaster ride! From amazing highs where I am overwhelmed with happiness to sudden and unexplained floods of tears, not to mention the extreme shits at nothing in particular.

Last week was Halloween and the goths were out in force, celebrating and getting into the spirit of things! Driving down Enmore Road I spotted 2 beautiful horses and a medieval carriage. I squealed with excitement to Brett, "OMG look at those stunning horses, hunny I wish I had a horse". I just love horses, they are so majestic and they remind me of being a carefree teenager. Seeing them amongst the craziness of Newtown on a Saturday afternoon really made my day.

Then suddenly I burst into uncontrollable tears. I blubbered for a minute while my clueless husband tried to ascertain what the hell was wrong with me. A moment after seeing the horses I realised the cart was carrying a coffin. "OMG someone died" I wailed. Then, "and I have hormones I can't control". I think at that point Brett was ready to drive the car onto the railway line or get in the coffin himself...

Brett tried to explain it was Halloween and that it was all part of the festival but the hormones had taken hold. And the worst thing was I could see how irrational these emotions were, but I was powerless to control it. Seriously, there is nothing worse than crying uncontrollably and laughing at your idiocy at exactly the same time. It just results in hiccups and almost weeing your pants.

Today has been totally different again, I have had the shits at everyone and everything all day. I snapped at my staff, a colleague, an account manager, the IT dude, my boss, my dog and finished off my day by snapping my husband. I also left a very curt note on the windscreen of a car that blocked our driveway. I have no reason to be angry, because I have everything I ever wanted and more! Fortunately the anger is rare, if only the tears were as rare.

Time for a relaxing hot shower and a cup of chamomile tea. But not before I have another rant and leave an additional note for the idiot who is still blocking our driveway!!! Grrrrr!

Meet the peanut

So here is our little peanut! Once again we were unable to find out what flavour our peanut is. The umbilical cord was between the legs obscuring the view, Mum says maybe we are not meant to know.

But most importantly we were assured our baby is healthy, growing at the right rate and has a strong heart beat. Length from head to bum is almost 14cm now and weighs approx 250 grams. The books tell me the other 2.5kgs I have gained are placenta, uterus etc however some of that has definitely gone to my butt!

The scan also confirmed yet again what a wriggler our baby is!! Peanut did not want to stay still for one second throughout the scan, which is why the last few scans have been a bit blurry! So I guess Brett will have to put up with another fidget in the family. :)

19 weeks down!

We saw our baby yesterday, so amazing to see the little one waving and swimming around!! All that activity explains the many flutters I feel these days. Will post pics asap if they scan in ok!

Back to work

After a few months as a lady of leisure, I finally returned to work on Monday starting a 4 month contract with Dick Smith. Initially I was dreading going back to work, the thought of being stuck in an office all day, staring at a computer and attending countless meetings. The routine of corporate life was no longer very appealing.

Believe it or not, I have really enjoyed it! Working with nice people and having a gritty project and new team certainly helps. Plus it's close to home, good money and has some really interesting challenges for me to tackle! However there was one major hurdle I had to overcome, and it wasn't the fact my corporate wardrobe no longer fits me, the extreme exhaustion or that it took 3 days for my laptop to arrive, it was leaving our puppy Chewy at home all day by himself.

I suffered separation anxiety like I have never experienced before. All day Sunday I kept asking Brett if it was safe to leave him outside on his own, "is 23c going to be too hot for him?" On Monday morning I felt a stab in my heart as I cuddled him and left him with a bone in the backyard. Brushing dog hair off my dress I dragged my heels as I walked out the door. I sent a couple of sms to Brett, looking for reassurance our pup would be ok. In the end Brett actually came home early, probably more for my sake than for Chewy!

It really got me thinking about all the Mums who juggle work and children, and the guilt they feel at leaving their kids. If I am this bad with our dog how will I be when I return to work a year or so after our baby is born? Gosh...not sure I am ready to deal with that just yet!

What to wear?

It's not like I haven't asked myself this question before, I have sooo many clothes in my wardrobe but have always faced the daily challenge of "What will I wear today?" only to try on 7 different outfits and then go with the first one or a variation of it.

But now there's a new challenge to throw into the mix. What fits me? What will make me look and feel good rather than make me look like I have just swallowed a sack of potatoes whole?

At 17 weeks my belly is still not big enough to wear proper maternity clothes, yet I have grown out of most of my own clothes. So I am at the in between stage of not quite looking pregnant and more like I have been indulging in too many cakes and take away meals.

However, unlike my pre-pregnancy days I now prefer to stick my belly out, it makes me feel like I look pregnant. Actually it's quite nice letting it all hang out rather than looking like I am sucking on a lemon because I'm concentrating on sucking in my tummy muscles.

Tonight we are going out for our anniversary dinner, my first big night out in a while. It's 9am and I am about to wade through my wardrobe to see if any of my dresses will work or if I need to hit the shops. Wish me luck!!

Craving of the week!

I cannot get enough oranges and orange juice. Actually, I am right into all orange foods at the moment especially roasted pumpkin and carrot, but oranges are my must have and must have now obsession.

I sent Brett out for OJ the other night and was devastated when he came back with Spring Valley orange juice concentrate. "It's all they had honey." I held back my tears (bloody hormones) as I took a couple of sips, nope it's not the same and it just won't do!

Don't get me wrong, I was grateful Brett had walked down to the corner store late at night, but next time I'll be sending him straight to the supermarket for real juice or enough oranges to squeeze a glass of that liquid gold. Luckily (for Brett) I remembered we had oranges in the fruit bowl. I chopped them up into little wedges and devoured them in about 30 seconds. It hit the spot!

Mmmmm, off to get my nightly orange fix now.

Craving of the week!

Since I became pregnant I cannot get enough toast. It was the only cure for my relentless nausea.

Finally the morning sickness has pretty much passed. However my cravings for toast continue but the toppings are really the key! I can't have just peanut butter or vegemite, it needs to be an interesting and tasty combination. Favourites have included banana + peanut butter, jam + cheese, banana + honey + peanut butter and many more.

This week the winner is vegemite + cheese + baked beans. Yummy!

We have a wriggler!

I think I felt bubby move last night, but then again it could have been my tummy demanding more food. There are so many strange sensations and feelings now that I can't keep track. I am generally very in tune with my body anyways, so all these new sensations are new and exciting however a little overwhelming sometimes.

After the suspect movement I lay on the couch willing bubby to move again so I could be sure, but of course nothing happened. Then when I switched my attention back to the appalling Hey Hey It's Saturday Reunion (don't get me started on this!) Brett was watching, it happened again.

You know in retrospect I think our baby was willing Daddy to turn the TV over. I so hope this child does not grow up with it's father's tv viewing habits.

15 weeks down!

All is well with our peanut following our OB appointment yesterday and we got to see the little one on the big big screen which is always a thrill. However he/she is no longer a peanut and now looks like a real life baby. OMG I am carrying a real life baby!!

Our OB Stephen went through all the usual questions about how I'm feeling etc and I filled him in on my unlucky run-in with a dodgy sausage roll and the horrific aftermath of that! We also discussed the swine flu vaccination, which I am still undecided on and then it was time to see the babe.

Before the scan Stephen asked us if we wanted to know the sex. Of course I immediately shrieked "YES, tell me now???" I could not contain my excitement. Then I remembered I was there with my husband so I asked Brett, have you decided yet? He ummed and ahhed and said sure why not, I might as well find out. Stephen suggested he shouldn't find out if he wasn't sure but Brett said go ahead.

He firstly checked the heart beat and measurements which were all perfect and on track according to my due date! Stephen asked if I'd felt movement. Not yet, just a bit of gas and some stretching pains as the baby grows. I apparently have a real fidget in my belly, the babe did not sit still for the whole scan!

So after a few waves and kicks from our very active baby, Stephen poked and prodded my expanding tummy to find the right position to reveal the sex. Only to discover it was not clear... BUGGER! I now have to wait for the 19 week scan and Brett gets another 4 weeks to umm and ahh over whether to find out or not. Fate he says...poor Burnsy really doesn't like being caught off guard.

I'd post a picture but they are all a bit fuzzy I'm afraid. The 3D pictures make our baby look like the chiko baby lollies I used to love as a kid. So I will wait for the 19 week scan at the hospital to post the fancy pants scan that cost us an arm and a leg. Oh the wonders of the digital age!!

Off to the OB today

Can't wait to see our little baby up on the big screen!!

Honey what do 2 blue lines mean?

The week after I controversially left my job, was the week Brett and I painted and began moving into our new home. It was a pretty big week for us being our first home. There was so much happening at once it was all a bit exciting, stressful and full on to say the least.

So the increasing waves of nausea and realisation I was one week LATE and the subsequent + pregnancy test result came as a bit of a shock. Actually I was gobsmacked! Do miracles happen to non religious people like me?

Initial shock aside, we were thrilled! I felt nauseous and tired 95% of the time but focused on the amazing miracle that was growing inside me.

We decided to tell only our parents and wait for the 12 week mark to tell the world. I got through the first trimester by eating myself silly to stave off nausea, taking afternoon naps and kept busy with long neglected personal admin, sorted out our new house and made a few half baked attempts to find a job.

I am now 14 weeks and entering the 2nd trimester, I am soooo excited and feeling on top of the world. Brett and I can't wait to meet our little baby in March next year!