Solving the Case of the False Period

As you know, I'm pregnant.

And as you may also know this pregnancy snuck up on me and I didn't realize I was pregnant until I had reached the halfway point. When I took my pregnancy test at home I consulted my period tracker which calculated me to be around 6 weeks along at the time. But I didn't trust that date because I was sure I'd started feeling movement already. So when I saw my family doctor I asked to get booked in for an ultrasound first before seeing the OB.

At the ultrasound the tech informed me that I was right and I was much further along than my last period led me to believe. At her guess, she figured I was around 23 weeks along. Upon that discovery it was a relief to know that I wasn't so out of touch with my own body that I had completely missed my baby's movements. Just enough out of touch to totally miss the fact that I was pregnant for 4 months. 

But this still left me with one thing I didn't understand: Why did I have a period in January???

If you read the post before this one, you'll know that I had a massive period in January. It only lasted 24 hours, but was a very heavy flow. So much so that had I known I was pregnant, I would have thought I'd lost the baby. Knowing what I know now, I think it's a tender mercy that I didn't know I was pregnant at the time otherwise that would have been a very distressing day for me. 

So. What happened? The only theory I could come up with was that maybe I was pregnant with twins and I'd lost one. As I've talked with other ladies about it, that seemed to be the only explanation anyone could come up with. 

Well. It turns out that this little baby is a miracle baby. When I saw the doctor today she had my ultrasound report in hand and on it they made a note that they'd found something called a hypoechoic area on the placenta measuring 8 x 7.7 cm large. My doctor told me that it was a hematoma and it was a result of the bleeding I'd experienced in January. 

Figure 1. Doctor's explanation

So, what she told me is this: the placenta had stared to pull away from my uterine wall (see fig.1) which is why I'd experienced all that bleeding in January. But for some reason, only part of it pulled away and the placenta closed itself up and somehow my baby managed to stay. And when we checked on baby's heartbeat it was good and strong! And I've been feeling lots of movement from her, so as far as we can tell she is perfectly healthy.

The doctor showed me the approximate size of the hematoma which is about the diameter of a lemon, and isn't small either. She guesses the area was much larger when it happened but has since reduced in size. We've scheduled another ultrasound 8 weeks from now to check on that spot again to make sure it's still getting smaller. 

In the meantime I've been told to take things easy, meaning gentle exercises only. So no rugby for me, I guess! Just walking, swimming and prenatal pilates it is!

The time I didn't know I was pregnant for four months

Oh man, let me tell you about the month I have had!

All within a matter of weeks I found out I was pregnant, my maternity leave ended and I went back to work, Joe switched from his shop position back to the field, AND just yesterday I learned that not only am I pregnant, but I'm already over halfway through my pregnancy!

There have been lots of overwhelming emotions with all these changes and there were times when I just did not know if I would come out on top. Going back to work hasn't been too bad. I love what I do and it's been nice to get back into it again. The hardest part is leaving Baden at daycare. He's still getting used to it so he cries when I leave. Joe's never had to drop the kids off at daycare, how come it's always moms dealing with the hard stuff?? So far I've had it easy with Joe's return to the field. My mom came up to visit the day he left and she just went back home yesterday, so I had her for a week. We'll see how I do flying solo this next week. It's been a while, so I'm pretty rusty at it, but I think we'll be okay. I hope we'll be okay...

And now, my pregnancy. I'll admit, I never thought I'd be one of those girls who didn't know she was pregnant. But I am sure glad it's not one of those reality TV worthy moments where I pull into the ER in excruciating pain only to deliver a baby I had no idea was coming. Thankfully we caught it in time.

So I had my ultrasound today and the tech guessed that I'm around 23 weeks along. With the help of a handy dandy date calculator I learned that I've been pregnant since October. OCTOBER. I was pregnant at Halloween! For Astrid's birthday! Christmas! New Years! Valentine's Day! All these holidays have gone by and I had. No. Clue.

In January I was mad at myself for overeating during Christmas because I was starting to get pudgy. Baden was coming up on 9 months old and I still hadn't lost the baby weight. My cardio was horrendous and the only reason I had some decent strength left was because my baby is such a chunk. Cue the gym motivation. I had a membership, and that included childcare, so I better use it, dang it! I was doing good until I started experiencing some pelvic pain that I'd had when I was pregnant with Baden. I figured it was because I had started working out again, so I made a physio appointment to get it dealt with and thought nothing more of it. Looking back, I probably started experiencing those old pregnancy pains because I'm pregnant again, duh!

In February I was really gassy. Like, I'd eat a meal and within an hour my stomach was churning and I was producing some really foul smells. And then I started feeling these gas bubbles in my lower abdomen throughout the day. Just more gas I guess... After about a week of those bubbles I started to wonder if those were baby movements. They sure seemed awfully familiar... But I'd had a period in January! Even if I were pregnant it'd be far too early to feel the baby move! It would just be a blob of cells at this point! Still, another week went by and these little bubbles were becoming more frequent. And stronger? Oh crap, could I really be pregnant? By the end of February I'd started to become really stressed out by it.

As March began, and I'd started to gear up to go back to work on the 12th, we received word that Joe would be returning to the field on the 14th. Halliburton had been promising to send him back since January but nothing had come of it so we were starting to believe he'd go the whole year in the shop. Working the shop position had been really nice because it allowed Joe to be home every night and he had every other weekend off. The only downside was that it came with a pay cut and once we adjusted our spending habits, our savings still continued to go down so we needed him to go back to the field to start earning more money again. So once we learned that it was indeed happening that he would be going back to the field, the reality set in that I hadn't had to take care of the two kids completely on my own yet. After Baden was born, Joe had been there consistently to help with the evening routine. What was I going to do when it was just me for two weeks straight without a break?? I knew how exhausting it could be with just one child and I really started to worry about how it would be with two. And then there was that nagging feeling in the back of my mind telling me that, to top it off, I might be pregnant too.

One night I expressed my concerns to Joseph. I wrote down all the things I was stressing about. Including my pregnancy worries. I showed Joe my list and we talked through them one by one. When he got to my pregnancy concern he laughed it off. "This one is so easy to resolve! Just go buy a pregnancy test to put your mind at ease. There's no way you're pregnant, so stop worrying about it" The next day I went out and bought a pack of 2 pregnancy tests. I needed to resolve this once and for all. Every pregnancy test you buy always recommends you test your morning pee to be sure you get the highest concentration of pregnancy hormone. So the next morning, on March the 5th I collected my urine sample and stuck the pregnancy test in it. I always cover my pregnancy tests with a piece of toilet paper and wait the two or three minutes the instructions tell you to wait because #rules. So when I uncovered that little stick and saw those two pink lines I gasped and put my face in my hands because maybe if I couldn't see it, it wasn't real. I peeked, and they were still there. Dang. I took the second test and stuck that in the cup too. This time I watched as those little pink lines showed up again. Dang it! Dang freaking nab it! That didn't put my mind at ease at all! What the heck!

I texted a friend for support and told her to call me ASAP. Which she did. Friend, if you're reading, thank you. I'm glad to have someone nearby that I can vent to. And I'm glad I had someone to be sympathetic and supportive and to help me feel like it wasn't the end of the world to be pregnant way sooner than I wanted to be. I hoped I'd be able to get together with my friend so we could talk in person. We made a tentative plan to meet up at the library. But it didn't work out. But it was okay. I actually found two more of my friends there and I told both of them right away. It felt good to tell people who were excited for me, because it helped me feel a little less un-excited about the whole thing. I know without a doubt that I was in the right place at the right time that day. Thank you friends, for making plans to go to the library that day! And thank you for being sympathetic while also being excited for me.

I saw my family doctor the next day to get a referral to see the baby doctor. I also requested an ultrasound since I'd been feeling movements, but it seemed too early for that if I was as far along as my last period suggested. He didn't seem concerned, but ordered the ultrasound anyway.

The two weeks leading up to my ultrasound were agony! If I were 8 weeks along, I should not be showing like this. But maybe because I'd only recently had Baden, that's why I was getting bigger sooner. Not only that, but I could swear I was feeling definite kicks at this point, and the rhythmic thump, thump, thump of hiccups occasionally. What was going on?? I definitely had a period back in January. Like, a full-on, all systems go, purge the uterus, kind of period. Except, it was unlike any period I'd ever had. The bleeding only lasted 24 hours, but it was a flood. I filled a pad in a matter of hours. It was insane! But it wasn't painful, so that was good. Still, if I had known I was pregnant at that point I would have thought I'd lost the baby, so how could there be anything still there in March?

There were two things I knew:
1. I had a period in January. No question. Which meant I was 8 weeks pregnant.
2. I was definitely feeling something in my stomach that I shouldn't be feeling at 8 weeks along.
These two things were so conflicting! It confused me and made me think I was going crazy for thinking I could possibly be further along than what my period tracker said I could be.

Finally, the day of my ultrasound came. I filled my bladder as instructed and gingerly walked into the clinic. The wait wasn't long and soon I was in a room with my stomach exposed. The tech asked when my last period was. And I told her, January 18th. I also told her that I'd been feeling movement, so I suspected I was further along than 8 weeks. She gooped me up and put the wand on my stomach.
"Yup, you're further than 8 weeks. How far along do you think you are?"
I told her I figured I wasn't in my first trimester anymore. Maybe 15 weeks? 16?
"It looks to me like you're around 23 weeks along."
I'd say I was surprised, but really, I was relieved. I wasn't going crazy! I was in tune with my body after all! You know, except the part where I totally didn't clue in that I was pregnant for four months. But hey, once that baby started moving, I'd felt it, and recognised it. I had denied it at first, but I knew.

Now my dating ultrasound had just turned into an anatomy scan. I asked the technician if she could have a look at the sex for me and she said she would. She went to work gathering the measurements she needed. I stayed quiet to let her do her job. Every once in a while I'd look at the screen and ask about what I was seeing.

Finally, she turned the screen toward me and showed the side profile of my baby. That was a real baby in there! Sneaky little thing!
The tech showed me the baby's spine and the baby's heart.
I saw a hand and a foot.
I saw the the little tiny radius and ulna of the baby's forearm. (I have a thing for little tiny skeletons, don't judge me)
And then we worked our way down and I had a hard time seeing what I was supposed to, but the technician told me it looked like my baby was a girl.
Astrid will be so pleased! A couple weeks ago when I asked her if she'd like to have another sibling, she told me yes, but she wanted a sister and not a brother. When I told her that we couldn't really choose if it were a boy or girl, she shrugged and said that she'll just have a toy instead then.

As soon as I got out, I called Joe and told him the news. He never would have guessed that we only have half a pregnancy left before we meet this baby. I sent a couple more texts and then I went home. I shared our news on social media, and now here we are. 2 weeks ago, I found out I was pregnant. Yesterday I found out I was having a girl and that girl is coming in 5 months or less. I don't know if want another child after this, but it would sure be nice if I could only have a half pregnancy again like this one. We already almost there! We thought we'd have a baby in the fall, but it turns out this will be a summer baby. Wahoo!

Confessions of a Pregnant Girl - Final chapter???

*Note: I don't know why I didn't post this when I wrote it. Was going through my drafts and found this one unpublished, but finished! Let's blame the baby brain.

Well, it's down to the final stretch. (literally!!)

I hit 37 weeks this weekend and that means the little Bean is a full term baby. It can come any day without causing too much stress. Other than the standard, "holy crap you just pooped out a human, now what?" stress. omg, can someone pleeeaaaase make me a card that says that? Cassandra. I vote you.

Overall, I feel like pregnancy has been kind to me. Although I feel big, by everyone else's standards I am quite small. I can still squat down with relative ease. I've learned how to pee in a cup without getting it on my hands. My energy levels are pretty normal. And I've only had fat ankles once after a car ride home from Edmonton (knock on wood!).

To be honest, when I first found out I was pregnant, I think I was filled mostly with dread. Yes, Joe and I were trying to conceive a child, but I still wasn't quite ready to give up my life as I knew it. So when I saw the little blue lines that told me I was pregnant, I was scared to move on into the next big phase of my life that would last 18+ years. But as the baby has grown, so has my excitement to meet the little one. I can say I'm not dreading it any more. I do worry that I'll be overwhelmed and scared and exhausted, but I know that with God on my side, I can do this. We can do this.

Along with turning 37 weeks this weekend, I also went to my prenatal course which was basically all about what to expect when you're in labour and what to do with a newborn. While I was there I learned a fact that blew my mind. Did you know that when babies are born their stomachs are the size of a marble?? I had no idea their stomachs were so small. And then I realized something: My boobs have grown nearly twice their size in order to feed a tummy the size of a MARBLE!!?? How is that fair! And apparently my milk hasn't even come in so that means they're going to get EVEN BIGGER!! To feed a MARBLE!!! In what world does that make sense?? How on earth were my previously sized boobs not large enough to hold enough milk to fill a marble-sized stomach? Gah. Life is unfair.

Following through

I almost forgot!

In my last post I promised to post a picture of my Halloween costume that I wore for the party this past weekend. So here it is:

I went as Buddha. 

I knew I wanted to incorporate my pregnant belly into my costume seeing as I may not have it for another Halloween depending on when I get pregnant with my future babies. So I thought of a lot of different round things before I settled on this one. 

Here's the breakdown of my costume:

- red chinese silk robe (already had this, found at Catholic Charities years ago)

- flowy brown maternity capris (inherited from sister-in-law)

- nude coloured t-shirt (this was the only thing I had to buy! Value Village for 5$)

- gold silky sash (bought at Catholic Charities a while ago as a scarf)

- beady necklace (from Reitmans)

- big wooden hoopy earrrings (gift from a friend so I have no idea where they're from)

A few of my other ideas were a disco ball, the death star from star wars, and an M&M. I think I made the right decision. What do you think??

Confessions of a Pregnant Girl, part III

I am quite overdue for an update!

• I hit the 33 week mark today. For those who don't speak in weeks, that's about 7 and a half months. 
• I am definitely showing, but strangers still don't ask or touch unless I say something. I am getting more and more uncomfortable as I fight for space with my tiny human. While it's scary to think I have so little time left, I can't wait for it to be over so I can have my body back. 
• I found my first stretch marks a little over a month ago. At first there were just a few faint pink marks under my belly, but they are multiplying in number and getting darker. Oi. I'm sure they'll get even better by the end. 
• I used to think baby brain wasn't a real thing and that it was just an excuse for pregnant women to be airheads, but OH MY GOSH. It is real and it is awful. I feel so stupid sometimes! The other day, Joe needed the car for work, so he gave me a ride. On the way there I realized (or at least I thought I realized) I forgot to grab my phone on the way out. So I put the number for the clinic in Joe's phone in case he needed to get a hold of me. Then, the next morning I remembered I still needed to find my phone, so I called it. And where did I find it? In my work bag!! I had it with me all along!! I've been forgetful in the past, but it's so bad these days that every single time I go into another room to do something, I have to stop and think to remember what it was I went in there for. 
• I'm going to a Halloween party tonight and I am so excited for my costume. It's something I can only pull off because I'm pregnant so I'm pretty stoked about it. For the sake of keeping it a surprise, I'll post a picture of my costume tomorrow, but trust me, it's pretty stinking clever. 
• I have mastered the art of peeing in a cup and I must say, it makes my doctor visits so much smoother. Except my last one. I went in to collect my sample and I totally forgot to do it. I just did my business and got out. So I chugged my water bottle and had to collect it 10 minutes later. The nurse wasn't even mad because apparently, it happens all the time. Pregnant ladies are pathetic! Gah! Stupid baby brain... 
• Living in a city where people are just barely starting to get to know me has been nice while being pregnant. I've had like, zero people fondle my belly since I've started showing. But last weekend I went home for Thanksgiving and hands were everywhere! Obviously my family all wanted to cop a feel, but then there was church where all the ladies who raised me wanted to feel too. It wasn't too bad actually. It was fun to have my little sister feel when the baby was moving because I don't think she's ever gotten to feel a baby move while it's still inside. 
• Speaking of feeling the baby move - at my last doctor's appointment she told me I needed to start counting kicks and that I should feel baby move at least 10 times in an hour. That has not been a problem for this child at all! Sometimes I can get 10 kicks in 5 minutes! This is definitely a squrimer. It's still pretty funny when I'm trying to get Joseph to feel or see it move because he always looks away at the wrong moment. Last night he poked my belly and told baby to "Move!" and for some reason, he immediately looked away right after he poked it and baby made a big movement the second his eyes were off. When he turned back to look, he poked again and could feel that baby had shifted positions, but he'd totally missed it happening. 

24

Yesterday was the 24th anniversary of the day I escaped my mother's womb.

Yes, I am 24 now.

It doesn't seem too different from 23. Especially since I spent most of my 23rd year thinking I was 24 anyway.

Seriously, I'm pretty sure almost every time someone asked how old I was, "24" always wanted to be my first response. Then I would correct myself and say, "oh wait, no, I'm 23"

My day yesterday was pretty good. Joe had to get up at 6 for work, so he got me up about 10 minutes later so he could give me my present. Apparently his gift wasn't to let me sleep in, but he got me some awesome books instead.

One book is called "642 Things to Write" which will be quite useful in getting me to get back to blogging about more than being pregnant (not that I've done a ton of that anyway!). And the other is a Q&A journal where everyday it asks you a question and you have a few lines to answer that question. What Joe didn't realize was that this was a couples journal where we both get to answer the question. He's not big into journalling so this shall be an interesting experience, ha. I made him answer yesterday's question at the breakfast table since it was such an appropriate question for how I've been feeling lately. The question was, "Do you feel at home in your body?"

Now, had you asked me that question 7 months ago I would have said, "yes! I love my body!". But these days it's difficult to say you're at home in your body when you have to battle with a tiny human for control of your bladder. Or when picking up an object off the ground requires a wide, awkward squat instead of a simple bennnd and snap! 

Sorry, I've gotten off track. This post isn't about being pregnant, it's about my birthday.

My day at work was good. My co-workers gave me an ice cream cake and a card and this cake is the most delicious ice cream cake I have ever had the pleasure of eating. I don't normally like ice cream cakes because they usually come from Dairy Queen and have way too much vanilla ice cream and not enough chocolate ice cream and cookie stuff. But this ice cream cake is awesome. It's made of two layers of actual cake lovingly sandwiching a middle layer of ice cream. The ice cream to cake ratio is perfect! Plus the cake part is chocolate so that's great.

After work Joe and I went to a new restaurant in town called The Sawmill. Just a heads up, if you plan on going to the Sawmill for your birthday to get a free birthday dessert, this is not the place to go. It's a nice restaurant, but it was definitely not worth the price. Joe's plate cost 30 bucks and he was still hungry after finishing it. I couldn't finish my meal, but even though I didn't really have a lot left, I couldn't justify not packing it up because we were going to be paying so much for it anyway. As for the free dessert, you have to have a loyalty card to get one and even if we had opted to get one that night, we still couldn't have gotten a free dessert. I thought it was pretty stingy of them. I ended up getting dessert anyway just because I had saved room for it by not stuffing myself with the last remaining bites of my entrée so, dangit, I was going to have dessert! I opted for one of the cheaper dessert items since it wasn't going to be free and it was delicious. I had the lemon tart with cream and fresh berries on the side.

Even though the Sawmill was disappointing, I got to go to dinner with my favourite guy and I didn't have to make my own meal or wash my dishes at the end of the night, so I was happy.

Confessions of a Pregnant Girl, Part II

So far being in the second trimester has been exciting and frustrating all together.

• What's been the most exciting is that I definitely know I've been feeling baby move. I mentioned in the last confession that I thought I might have felt the baby move, but now I definitely know that those little gas bubbles were indeed baby. The movements have been getting more and more distinct and I even notice them while I'm at work too. Which is nice but it can be so distracting... How am I supposed to concentrate at work when I have a small alien tickling me from the inside???
• At work, with a client, explaining an exercise to them
• Me: "So yeah all you do is you move this way -" *punch* 
• "uh huh, just like that. And then you -" *punch, punch* 
• "yeah, you've got it!" *wiggle, wiggle, punch*
• Recently, I've discovered that baby's movements are now strong enough to be felt from the outside too! I was sitting on the couch and I felt like some of the punches were really strong so I placed my hand on my tummy and sure enough, I could feel the movements under my hand! I was so sad Joe couldn't be there, but I texted him right away to tell him. At least by the time he gets home I'm sure the movements will have gotten stronger so he should have no problem feeling them! 
• Something that is both frustrating and exciting is the fact that I am finally starting to show! Sort of. I am 23 weeks along today (or 5 months for those of you who don't measure time in weeks) and it only really shows when I let my stomach muscles totally relax. Otherwise, when I've got my core engaged, it just looks like I'm starting to get fat. 

"Psst, is that girl pregnant or is she just getting fat?"

"Aw what a cute pregnant girl! And the faces she makes are totally adorable! She will have a cute child."

• I have finally made the switch to maternity pants at work, thanks to my sister-in-law and OH MY LANTA WHAT WAS I WAITING FOR! They are so comfortable. I really like the ones that have the super stretchy tummies just cause they feel more secure and don't emphasize the fact that I have a billion layers going on around my stomach in the summertime. Now that I have a good variety of pants for work, now I just need to collect a few more maternity tops and I should be set!
• I think I would like to check out some prenatal yoga classes soon. I've been able to find out about a class the happens here in GP so now I just need to make a commitment to go. This will be my first time venturing into a fitness group outside of school that doesn't involve rugby people, so wish me luck! If I had a pregnant friend to bring along that would be great (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, to a certain pregnant girl who moved back south just before I found out I was pregnant!)
• Okay, this one's a bit of a rant but... One thing that annoys me about being pregnant is how everyone who knows I'm pregnant wants to treat me like I'm made of glass, or they think I need to be extra careful while I'm doing things. Like the other day when I was standing on a stool to fix the dryer vent a co-worker said, "Be careful! If anyone here needs to avoid falling it's you!" And then another time when another co-worker was struggling to move a big heavy box into another room, I just stepped in and pushed it as I've been taught to push anything in rugby and she was all worried that I might hurt myself. I just don't understand how my body can all of a sudden become this frail, delicate thing when all my life it has been strong and reliable! I just wish people would trust that I know my body and I know how to listen to it when it needs a break. As I've been playing touch rugby with a group of people from church, I have definitely noticed that I can't cut and run like I used to (not that I was much of a runner before), but I don't push it! I take breaks when I need to and I stop when I've had enough. My biggest pet peeve is when someone doesn't think I can do something just because I'm a girl and I feel like a lot of people underestimate my abilities just because I'm pregnant! I'm carrying a child, not a disease. I'm not dying. Calm down, everyone.  **DISCLAIMER: I am in no way saying that pregnant girls should ignore restrictions placed on them and go out and push their bodies to the max. I am saying you should listen to your body and do only what feels comfortable. Pregnancy is no time to be trying to break any world records**

Confessions of a Pregnant Girl, Part 1

I'm not gonna lie, being pregnant isn't as exciting as I thought it would be. I'm supposed to be getting all amped up for the little person I'll be bringing into the world soon, but it's hard to get excited when you hardly feel like anything's happening. Mind you, that may change once I actually start to show and the whole world can see I'm pregnant too, so that's why this is "part 1" of my pregnancy confessions...

• I don't think I've ever had to pee in a cup more in my entire life than I have since I've been pregnant. And I'm pretty sure all ladies can agree with the fact that peeing in a cup SUCKS. For some reason you can never figure out where the pee is coming from and so you inevitably pee on your hand every. single. time. And then there's the walk of shame as you carry your sample out to the collection site in the warm cup. Speaking of pee, I may as well get the rest of my bodily functions out there too...
• Holy gas, Batman! Not only do I get gas more frequently, but it is deadlier than it has ever been before. There have been a couple days where I just end up crop dusting my entire workplace and make the patients and therapists gag. My mother would be so proud.
• This is gross, but I have dry skin all over my stomach and boobs! It's so bad that when I take my shirt off at the end of the day, I have a small shower of flakes fall out. So attractive. 
• At 16 weeks, I have reached the point where my belly makes it uncomfortable to crouch for long periods of time (which I do a lot at work). It's made my work pants start to feel a little snug in the waist, but I can still wear my jeans. Sort of. As long as I go without a belt I'm fine because as soon as I sit down it will dig into my tummy. Unfortunately, my pants can't stay up on their own, so I just end up looking like a slob when I try to wear something fancier than yoga pants or sweats. 
• I have had several moments where I've thought I felt the baby move. But then I realize it's just gas. There has been one instance that was different from the others though! So I wrote it down in my journal saying "If a kicking baby feels like a muscle twitch deep in my lower abdomen, then I think I felt the baby move. If that is not what a kicking baby feels like, then disregard this note."
• Pregnant girls have to drink so much water! At my first prenatal appointment my doctor pointed out that I needed to be drinking more water. So for the next month I was hydrating like crazy. And on the day of my second appointment I made sure I drank lots. But she still told me that my urine sample said I'm not drinking enough! I feel like I'm going to need to carry around a camelback water bottle just to meet the doctor's orders. 
• Normally, I hate putting additional sauce on anything I eat. Joseph does this all the time - he'll douse his plate with ranch or siracha or BBQ sauce and it always makes me so mad because it's like he doesn't like my cooking. But lately, I've been adding ketchup or BBQ sauce to everything. Not that there was any question, but I think this proves that I am definitely carrying his child. 
• I have discovered a couple perks to being pregnant and that is that I'm able to get Joe to do a few more of the little things for me. Like if we're watching a movie and I want a drink, but I left my cup on the kitchen counter, he'll go get it for me. Even when I'm closer. Sometimes when we're both in bed and I realize I left my phone in the living room, he'll go get that for me too. I'll have to be careful as I test how far he's willing to go though so I don't lose his co-operation before I get the midnight munchies for 7-11 potato wedges during a snow storm. That will be the big test if he makes it that far... 

Pregnancy FAQs

Since I started telling people about the little human I'm growing, I've noticed there are some popular questions that everyone loves to ask a pregnant girl. So to save myself a little trouble, here are my answers before you even ask!

1. When did you find out?

- April Fool's Day of all days. For the past week or two something in my body didn't feel quite right. I don't think I felt like there was anything wrong, I just felt different. So on April 1st I summoned up my courage, dug out the pregnancy test a friend had given me when I got married, and peed on a stick that would change my life. It was a bad idea to take the test before work, because after that I could barely concentrate on what I was supposed to be doing but instead on the fact that "Holy crap I'm pregnant!" and  "I can't be though, that test is expired so it's probably wrong, don't freak out." and then "But what if I am?? Holy crap!"

2. When are you due?/How far along are you?

- December 6th. An almost Christmas baby - joy. As of now I am sitting at 15 weeks pregnant.

3. Are you going to find out the sex?

- No. And I can't tell you how satisfying it is to frustrate so many people by making them wait to find out what my baby is going to be. I'm almost tempted to find out what it is and then not tell anyone, just to spite them all, mwahahaha.

4. How have you been feeling?

- Physically, I thankfully haven't been feeling too bad! In the first month or two, I was suuuper tired all the time. Sometimes I went to bed as early as 9 pm! As I've entered the second trimester, I've perked up a little, but I still do enjoy my beauty sleep. I haven't been all that sick. The worst I would get is a little nausea whenever I got hungry and it only got worse the hungrier I got. I just had to learn to bring snacks with me to work and anywhere else I go.

- Emotionally, it's been interesting. It's not that I've been extra sensitive, but I did have trouble coming to terms with the fact that my life as I know it is ending. All of a sudden my body isn't just my body any more, there's another occupant now and to realize that everything I put into my body is going to affect it somehow is really exhausting. Every time I eat I question myself if it's something good for the baby and it is so annoying when I'm used to eating whatever I want! Thank goodness I don't drink or smoke because that would just be more to give up for the sake of making a healthy baby. And that's just how pregnancy is affecting me now! Thinking about life down the road with baby brings a lot of questions and worries to mind that I won't even get into.

Hey!

Has it only been a month since I last posted? I thought it'd been longer so now I don't feel so bad.

Many excitements have been happening in my world lately. My lil brother is now a missionary and currently working hard in St John, New Brunswick. Joe and I went to Hawaii and had a marvellous time (which I plan to write a separate post for). After our Hawaii trip, before we went back to GP, we spent 4 days at home with the family for my convocation! I finally graduated from the U of L and it was a lovely day.

Here's me and the pronghorn!

Here's me and my mama!

Here's me and Joe!

Aaand here's me dealing with the lovely wind.

And if all that's not exciting enough, there's one more thing...

On April 1st, I found out that I am pregnant.

Ho-ly crap. 

Don't worry, more on that later...