Merry Christmas

Our Christmas vacation went by so fast. I feel like we never stopped, and still didn't get to do things that I thought we would have time to do. It has just been 'go go go'. We had a fun time though and got to see family, friends and eat lots of good food. The day after we got back, we met up with my roommate from graduate school 'Louise', at the Metro Centre -  its one of the biggest malls in Europe and its about 20 minutes from my home in England. We had brunch before she headed to see her family for the holidays, and then Jesse and I shopped (ALOT - as in 7 hours). Can you say exhausted? The next day we unfortunately went to a funeral, to pay respect to a great man. I hadn't seen my best friend Vanessa in many years and her dad had passed away. It was a beautiful but heart breaking service.

After the initial hectic couple of days we settled into a routine of waking, walking the 3 dogs for an hour plus in the surrounding countryside and then hanging out with friends and family. I got to see my undergraduate roommates, Emma and Joanne. If you remember from a previous post, I mentioned they are both pregnant too. If I had been thinking I would have taken photos (I know, I know - photographer and no pictures). Seriously I took NO photos this vacation. Too busy and more importantly, it rained, EVERY DAY.................. makes it pretty difficult to get out and take pics. Not saying we couldn't have done stuff inside, but outside it better.

My sister Natasha and my mum had a family baby shower for me, it was really fun. My cousins were there. A couple of Natashas friends, that I have also adopted as my friends ;), and my other sister Andre. We had a good time ate more good food and played some really fun games (thank you Marise - you need to become a party planner, speccializing in Baby Showers).

I essentially had 3 days of opening pressies - baby shower on the 23rd, birthday on the 24th and christmas on the 25th!!! How fun?!?! Time flies though - there are some iphone pics from the baby shower, but thats it. My plans of getting my cousins newborn, my sisters, Linzi etc etc didn't happen
:(.

We are packed and ready to fly out on the 28th. I am coming back with a horrible cold and sore throat - wish us luck with the travels.

Happy New Year to everyone - next post willl be 2013. Lots to look forward to.

Home for the Holidays

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE

Short post today - we are travelling home to England for the Holidays :)................ So Excited!!

We left Houghton last night around 6.30-7pm. We thought we were going to leave around 3 but Jesse ended up working in surgery till around 6pm. It was ok though - I had ALOT to do yesterday. I did exams for students in the morning AND I got them graded and turned in! Which is great because I thought I was going to have to grade them in the car. Then I went home - packed up the dogs and took them to the Kennel. I don't normally mind, but yesterday I was super emotional about it. Blue has been really glued to me over the past few weeks, like he doesn't want to let me out of his sight, so it was hard to leave him at the Kennel - although once we got there - he was happy and acting all crazy, and then Barley was acting like he didn't want me to leave him. I am confident that they have fun there though - they get to stay together and its really quite a nice kennel. I guess that must be the pregnancy hormones making an appearance ;)

After that I made a quick trip to the Dentist.................. my teeth were hurting and reacting to hot and cold food and drinks :(. I was worried I was getting an abscess or something. The dentist reassured me that is was pregnancy related issues and that happens to some people (hmmmm - I seem to be hearing that ALOT). So he sent me on my way with sensodyne toothpaste.................... its still a little sensitive today, but not like yesterday.

I packed up the car, checked us in for the flight - I must have got on there early because I got the seats I was tempted to pay an extra $42 for (per person) the day before! Can you believe airlines are doing this now. You pay to get on a flight and then then try to coerce you into more money to get the seat you want. Anyway - we got the seats we wanted and I didn't cave in and pay the extra - I just need to remember to be online waiting for the flight to open up for our return travel.

I am excited for Christmas, I think it is going to be super busy, but fun and I am going to get to see two of my really good friends and family!

Here is a picture of the ever swelling stomach. We have lots of movements everyday - seems to be very active right after swimming and showering. Hoping this is signs of a super water baby.

Happy Holidays Everyone :)
Much love Louisa and Jesse

Week 21 bringing you Holiday Cheer and a Little bit of Color

I think this is the fastest pregnancy ever!! People keep telling me that it last forever, but honestly its going by so quickly. Maybe ask me again in a few weeks if I still feel the same :)

So I have been absolutely inundated with emails and texts this week asking me the gender of the baby :). I know I delayed the posting, but seriously I have been so busy and I didn't really have a good week last week with the blacking out and all that. I didn't feel like doing much. I did send my mum some cupcakes with the appropriate frosting color. Over the top - maybe - but who knows if I will ever get to do this again - and so yes, I am going to have fun with it and enjoy it :).

Then at the weekend I had a little gender reveal party with our close friends here. It was such a fun night, we made pizza (or Shannon did - she is just too good at deciding the toppings for Pizza :). And then we had cupcakes, which I made - I have some pictures that I need to upload. It was a really nice night, and special. I am happy that we got to share it with our friends here. I wish I could have done something for everyone I know, but its impossible and super expensive. On Thursday though, Jesse and I had our Winter photos taken by Sarah Bird Photography. I did a little reveal by wearing a ribbon with my clothes that gives away the gender. I love the photos and I am so glad we have them, they will always be special to us.

We are expecting a girl :). We have obviously known for a few weeks now because of the blood test. I think its so cool that blood tests can detect baby DNA. They say it is 100% accurate, but I have to admit when I went for the anatomy ultrasound last week, I did get nervous when I asked the technician to confirm it. Although I think at that point the technician and I were just hoping I would stay conscious long enough the get through the ultrasound. I think this color looks so cute with the grey sweater too.

You can see the bump a little better in the picture. Some days I think I am so big, and others I am like - where did it go. I know that it is slowly moving its way up. Swimming is more comfortable (yes I am still swimming, even after the little scare). I am not swimming any backstroke though ;)!! To be honest, I think the baby likes swimming, it moves around alot when I am in the pool :). Hoping this is a positive sign.

I am not going to lie - she has to like swimming, given the genes she is getting from Jesse and I right?!?!

The next few pictures are some of my favorites too :) - I love this one - because first of all, doesn't my husband look super hot in it?!!!! You can't see his face properly, but there is just something about this picture. I can't wait to put these up around our home!






There's that Train again. Every time I go to this place, I always think about my Grandad Raisbeck. Even Jesse does whenever we see a cool looking train, and he never even got to meet him :). I really love this picture - I also love the Train. When I was growing up, my Grandad Raisbeck had this train collection that I think I was mildly obsessed with. It was seriously the best thing ever. Once a year he would build the whole collection, and I got to be a part of that. It would take up a whole room. I loved watching the trains whizzing around when he was finished with it. It was AMAZING and I think that is where I got my train obsession from.  I think about it all the time and I am hoping that I get to do that with my children one day! AND - that they love trains as much I do :).

Finally - I like this picture just because its wintry and cosy and loving. We are leaving for England in just a few days now (well 7 to be exact) and I am so excited to see everyone at home! This is going to be the best Christmas EVER!

There is so much to do before, work work work, pack, Christmas parties - isn't it ironic that the best time of the year is always the busiest and most chaotic.

Happy Holidays everyone - stay posted as we continue this fun fun journey :).

The Half Way Point

Warning: this is a long one :)

I reach the 20 week milestone tomorrow (Tuesday December 4^th). Time is going by so quickly. I am updating the blog today, because this week is insanely busy and I want to get a post in before I get overwhelmed with things to do. Which means gender reveal won’t be for another week…………….. I know, I know it’s not fair – I said I was revealing the baby’s gender at 20 weeks – but I haven’t had time to figure out a fun reveal post. So you will just have to wait just a little while longer ;)………….. Patience is a virtue....right?!!!  I’ll keep that poll running for another few days J - so if you haven’t voted yet, go to the previous post and cast your vote.

Things I am doing

Exercise: swimming, swimming, swimming, I seriously thought I would be running all the way through – but I guess my body had other plans! Thank goodness for swimming is all I can say – although I am beginning to remember the toll it has on my shoulders when I swim every day L. Then today I had a slight mishap in the pool but managed to save myself in time…………… which is a good thing, because the poor lifeguard didn’t have a clue what to do. I was half way through my workout when I started to feel weird, so I stopped to see if that would make me feel better, but I started to feel really heavy and hot. I got myself out of the pool and my vision was really blurry. I managed to get myself in a seated position and then asked the lifeguard to get me some water! The problem at this pool is there is only one lifeguard and she had to leave me to go and get water, by the time she got back that blurry vision had turned to complete blackness. I have never passed out or blacked out before, so I was really scared, thankfully I recognized the symptoms and managed to keep doing yoga breathing. I didn’t fully pass out because I could still hear the faint sound of water in the background, but  I was in complete blackness. It was quite scary ! Lesson learned………………. Take something to drink and eat during swimming I guess – although I did not feel dehydrated or hungry before I started.

 Baby Moving: yes, yes, yes – it feels like little flutters – nothing that I can see – but each day those flutters get stronger and go on for longer! I am thinking if baby thinks it’s getting cramped in their already then we both have a long way to go!

 Food – I LOVE IT – and I EAT ALL THE TIME!!!!!

 Things I am surprised at:  that I am 20 weeks already – oh my goodness – can you believe it? I am already half way – in 20 weeks (if everything goes as planned by the doctors – we will be holding our little baby in our arms). EEK!!!!!

 Am I/Are we ready?:  Oh how many times will I get asked this question, it just make me laugh every time. One day I will answer – why yes, I am ready, I am ready for something I have never experienced before, and the possible and highly likely sleepless nights and worry etc etc etc –haha,  is anyone ever ready – I doubt it, yet people survive.

 What annoys me : everything, most of the time for no reason – if you were to ask Jesse this question he would probably answer ‘me’………………. He doesn’t really – he just happens to be around when I am annoyed ;).

 What makes me happy – my two good friends (besties from Undergraduate are pregnant. Emma is 21 weeks and Joanne is 15 weeks. It was so exciting I got in touch with our other roommate Nicola – she has the most gorgeous little girl to ask if she was too, she said to watch that space – eek. Emma and Joanne both have toddler boys right now and they are fabulous friends and equally fabulous mums J. I am going to get to see them at Christmas and I CAN’T wait!

Friends I know that are expecting right now

Liz : you all know this already because she is the most awesome person and friend ever……… there isn’t a day goes by when we don’t talk (several times a day). I love her to bits and I can’t wait to find out what she is having J

Sandy:  graduate school friend, we started grad school at the same time and finished at the same time. We have always been good friends and we always manage to see each other at least once a year. She is expecting TWINS in March……….. oh how exciting, I can’t wait to meet them. A boy and a girl, how perfect!

Emma: my roommate from undergrad. I feel like we have been friends forever and we have been through A LOT together! She is expecting her second baby due in April.

Joanne: my other roommate from undergrad. Same as what I said about Emma, its so great when we get together because it’s just how it should be, like we have never been apart.

Kelly: one of my old swimmer friend (yes yes less of the old I know), she is expecting her fourth in March! Wow 4……….I can’t even imagine! Well sort of because I am one of 4, but still!

Linzi: This is one of my sisters ( Natasha) best friends, I shot her wedding in the summer, she is the sweetest girl. She has an adorable little boy named Max and he is going to be a big brother in April.

Meredith: she is the Wife of ones of Jesse’s cousins ‘Kyle’, she is absolutely fantastic and I am so excited that she is expecting in June!

Doherty: this makes me smile. Doherty is one of my old swimmers from IU (yup, I claim some of those swimmers, especially the ones I coached for 4 years). I went through A LOT with those guys, and I am still in contact with most of them. Doherty is due in May.

Kate Middleton (Duchess of Cambridge) - a Royal baby is due in 2013 too......... thats lucky and so exciting for my home country :)

Finally although not still technically pregnant – my cousin had a beautiful baby girl last week – her name in Anya………. How beautiful!

 That’s a whole lot of babies!

Am I wearing Maternity Clothes : absolutely……….. I put it off for a while, but now I am for sure showing and I finally succumbed to them. But now I am wearing them, I have no idea why I waited so long – they are the most comfortable clothes EVER . I still fit my regular jeans (on good days)         

Am I Sleeping?: better than it has been since week 6 – I am now able to sleep 3 hours without waking up to pee! I never thought this was EVER going to happen to me again………….. so right now I am thinking this is nothing short of a miracle ;)

Excitement for the week – hearing the hearing beat and knowing the anatomy scan is just around the corner. Andi, Shannon and Christine and I also had our girls weekend in Appleton. We go to hang out, shop till we drop (literally) and eat good food. It always fun, and I hope it continues to be an annual tradition! I wish I wasn’t so superstitious because it would have been fun to baby shop with them, but I refuse to do it till I am past 20 weeks.

 I will post picture updates in the next post.