36 weeks pregnant!

Monday May 25th,
Well 24 recipes (aprox 50-60 meals),2 minor burns and zero cuts later we are done the cook off. Adam was a pro assistant taking battle orders like I never could without decking someone.
Lessons learned:
-Yes you can have too much shredded meats and southwestern food
-No matter how hot it is in the kitchen frying in a bikini top is a poor, poor idea.
-Pancakes cook fast, really fast
- food processors are the best applicance EVER!
-If you come and go from the house smelling like meat and don't aknowlege Lily, she will remember and will make you pay.
Kudos to the people upstairs for letting us have a freezer shelf and letting us take over the kitchen.

Tuesday May 26th,
I woke up last night with a sore throat so I am sitting on my butt watching baby shows on TLC. 6 more sleeps till we are to term (37 weeks)- meaning we are safe for a homebirth! Stay inside Junebug until Monday.

Friday May 29th,
3 more sleeps until in the clear. Today I bought some of the home birth medical supplies and tomorrow we are buying our birthing pool. We are splurging on a 20$ special from Canadian Tire :o) instead of the 150$ official birthing pool. All we are losing is the handles for the 2nd stage of labour for pushing. Our Doula prenal class instructor says that she has never actually seen a woman want to push in the pool but it is very valuable for natural birth during the transition period when contractions are the most intense. Knowing this I won't rule out anywhere for pushing but the toilet has been mentioned many times as a great place to push (until the very end of course)

Tomorrow we will finish up our just in case hospital bags and will blow up the pool to check it out for water depth.

Saturday May 30th,
GRRR pool I bought today is not 21" deep as advertised - more like 17" on a good day once we tested it- we will need to return it.

Sunday May 31st,
YAY strangers to the rescue. Never underestimate the kindness of strangers. A lady is lending us her fancy professional birthing pool that she never used as she had a c-section before she could use it. We will return the fishey pool from Crappy Tire. We are picking it up tonight and I'll take a picture once we blow it up!

Also more pics to come of today`s great adventure- Diane did our belly cast today and it turned out amazing. Next I need to let it completely dry a few days, I will cut the edges, replaster to smooth it out, sand it, then paint and varnish. It will be a good early labour project for me!

As for me I have not been sleeping more than an hour at a time and last night I got only a couple hours in total which has left me switching between delusional, delerium (in a good way), exhaustion,weepiness and general bitchness. Can't wait to get sleep when the baby comes- LOL!

...Well here is the belly caste. Adam's hand is the lower one, mine is the upper. It was really hard (and painful) to stay still for over an hour standing but it was worth it.



Adam practicing using the o'shit.... I mean pushing handles in the birthing pool


I could totally handle a pool perminantly in the kitchen

35 weeks pregnant!

Tuesday May 19th,
Midwife appointment today- more later.
Uh.....appointment is on thursday- more later

Wednesday May 20th
O-M-G I have been pregnant for 247 days argggggggg. Having random contractions (1 or 2 a night. So much to do before the baby comes but so ready for an eviction. I must be patient though- next week or later will be much healthier for Junebug to be born.

Friday May 21st
I went to the midwife yesterday with Diane. Baby is in perfect position although hasn't fully droppped despite what I had thought. Home birth is sounding more and more likely as long as I make it to 37 weeks with no complications (June 1st). My BP is still the same as last appointment which is a little high for me but not terrible in the scheme of things. I guess the 1 cm dilation is just that. as there is no indication of impending labour at this time. I did do the protien pee test and I was one colour above trace but the midwife didn't seem concerned this week as there is certainly quite a few more steps before I get to the scary blue end of the stick. This week was very informative at the MW's we discussed a lot about birth and that the number 1 reason for being transfered from home to hospital is failure to progress and the importance of rest in early labour to help prevent that. I also learned that if I am 1 of 4 that tests positive for strep b I can have my first IV at the hospital and then return home and continue treatment there during labour-yay! I am so glad the hospital is so close so that I can be at home. I have been spoiled by Ethan 's birth in Vancouver Women's Hospital which had the most amazing facilities- it was like a hotel. The hospital here in Victoria is awful. The corner shower is so small I can`t imagine a pregnant woman fitting in there and the delivery rooms are so tiny you can just walk around the bed- it is super claustriphobic there. I will happily be there if needed to for medical reasons but hope that home is where I can remain.

As you may already know Diane is acting as my doula and it has been so much fun going to birthing class with Adam and Diane. I think the other couples think I am a surrogate or we are a polygamous couple! LOL I just think 2 perspectives are better than one and Diane will support Adam and I during birth.

Saturday May 23rd
In another moment of self discovery Adam and I have decided to embrace the "Atkins diet Lifestyle and Culture." Tonight's dinner will be beef roast with chicken on the side. Please call us before our scheduled heartattack induction on Sunday.

Actually this is just a portion of the million ingredients required for Monday's cookoff. The menu is as follows:


Bob's Red Mill Easy Banana Bread
Gluten-Free Pancakes
The "who Needs Clif Bars?" Bar
Southwestern Corn Spaghetti Style Pasta
Macaroni Chili - Oamc
Citrus Marinated Pork Chops (oamc)
Pulled Pork (Crock Pot)
Carnitas a La Whole Foods
Western Casserole (Oamc)
Crock Pot Beef for Burritos
Easy Shepherds Pie
Gluten Free Meatloaf to Die For
Beef Roast
Baked Ribe Eye Steaks With Mushrooms
Slow Cooker Arroz Con Pollo (Chicken With Rice)
Kristi's Chicken Noodle Casserole
Crock Pot -Saucy Italian Chicken Thighs
Ginger Pork and Rice Noodles
Caribbean Chicken With Rice
Chicken Verde
Gluten-Free Pizza Crust
Grilled Rosemary Garlic Pork Chops
Porcupine Meatballs in Crock Pot!
Salsa Di Pomodoro
Apple Cinnamon Muffins

OMAC- not a cult, not a club but ONCE A MONTH COOKING! Basically you make and freeze entrees for the month. Because it is just Adam and I it will last us a couple months once the baby is born and our help has gone home. YAY swine flu! Pork is so so so cheap, due to public perception. Sadly Mad-cow and bird-flu is on the down turn so all of our amazing savings were eaten up by chicken and beef. The theory is whenever you have amazing deals on meat you do mini recipe sessions with that type of meat. Restocking the frezer. Another idea is when you do a real cook a couple times a week you do a triple batch and freezer the other portions to restock. We will try it and see how it goes it may just be too good to be true.

34 weeks pregnant!

Happy mother's day all
Adam and I did a prenantal photo shoot today before the baby drops anymore(it is heading south) and I get anymore stretchmarks (first ones on hips arrived yesterday).

I know some of these will be a little racy but let me say undergarments were involved. Adam did an amazing job with our point and shoot but compression I have to use to shrink the photos for the blog has definitely taken its toll on the quality of the photos.
















Friday May 15th,
TMI WARNING!!!! DO NOT LOOK AT IF GROSSED OUT EASILY- YES THAT MEANS YOU GUYS!
Well yesterday was a little unsettling. The last couple of days I have been having major Braxton Hicks (painless) contractions and yesterday some contractions that actually started to hurt a bit (not intensly nor organized). In the afternoon I wasn't sure if I sprang a leak or peed myself when sneezing and when I checked I realize a)sneezing sucks and b)I've started to dilate. Well you can go 3 or 4 weeks when you are just starting to dilate but the reality of it all shoke me up a bit. Diane Adam and I went to prenatal that night. When I went to the washroom I was spotting old blood. Again nothing to panic about but I decided to sleep it off last night and this morning no spotting and I feel much better. If it escalates in any way before my appointment on Tuesday I will call the midwife but as of right now nothing to be alarmed about. I just thought you should know, I'm having a baby at some point soon and by soon I mean between now and July.

Yesterday was my last day at work and this morning I got up bright and early to apply for maternity benefits. I am not sure why but I feel a little guilty not working- Oh well I am sure I will get over it when I am holding my screaming baby. My baby care class got cancelled due to "lack of interest". I am horrified! I am way way more concerned about care after the birth than before or during labour! nWhat are people thinking. I guess I am going to need to google it ;o)

33 weeks pregnant

Monday May 4th,

Well the wrapping paper has been recycled, the dishes washed (not by me), and the baby shower is over.
Diane did an awesome job and she couldn't go wrong with the holy trinity- carrot cake, pina colada, and Morton potato salad.
We had a nice mix of useful gifts we asked for, super cute gifts, and gifts we didn't know we needed but I am really really glad someone was smart enough to buy for us.

Our favorite thing was that Diane had everyone bring an inscribed book for Junebug instead of a card. What amazing hopes and dreams will be passed on from our loved ones to our little one.