Update On The Last Week

 Well, it's been a couple of days. I accidently stepped on my little Acer notebook earlier in the week, cracked the screen. We decided it would be easier and cheaper just to put some protection on Erik's computer (we never used it for the internet before, so it had no anti-virus protection on it) and to transfer all of my files and pictures to an external hard drive. So, that was being taken care of at Staples for the last few days. I did a quick post on the Chocolate-filled Raspberries when I got the computer back, but I am just now finding the time to update on the rest of my life.

This is how my week has gone:

Mum was up for a couple of days! Yay! Things are always really busy when Mum is around. Sometimes it's nice, because I never really do anything when she isn't here. I don't drive, so I can't get out. I like being able to get out of the house and actually get things done and be productive. However, sometimes it is just exhausting and kind of hectic. After a couple of days both Mum and I are beat, I think.

The main reason for Mum coming up to Petawawa this time was to take me to my prenatal check-up on Thursday morning, as I wasn't sure Erik would be available to take me. The appointment went pretty well, although a bit more eventful than most of my appointments have been. I had gained almost four pounds since my last appointment a month ago. Under normal circumstances that would be exactly where I want to be. However, most of that weight was gained over the week leading up to my appointment. For the first three weeks I had gained maybe a pound at the most, then the week before I put on a lot of water weight due to not so great choices in food (at least I am assuming it was water weight due to the fact that it was gained quickly and lost just as quickly). So, my guess is that my weight gain was more accurately around two pounds.

Anyway, continuing with the appointment. I got the results from my blood work back. I am not diabetic! Yay! Great news! Thyroid levels are stable! More great news! I'm border-line anemic... Not so great news. My iron levels were still in normal range, but on the low end. Dr. Yacoub isn't too concerned as long as I am taking my prenatals every day, which I am.

Then came the questions portion of our appointment. I went in to the appointment with two things that I wanted to talk about. One, was my slow weight gain. Over this entire pregnancy so far I have gained maybe ten pounds. Maybe. According to most charts I should have gained about 20 pounds by this point. Twice as much as I actually have. My belly is growing every week (in fact, at this appointment I was measuring two weeks ahead at 31 weeks), so baby is growing really well. I didn't get to talk to him about this, but it wasn't my main concern, so that wasn't a big deal. The second thing that I had wanted to talk about and what we did end up talking about for most of the appointment was some pelvic pain that I have been having for the last month or so. I wasn't too concerned about this as I had done some research and decided that I probably had pelvic girdle pain, something that is fairly common in pregnancy. I did want to get Dr. Yacoub's opinion, though, and also talk to him about what I should do about dance (that will come later). Well, as soon as I mentioned it, he became very serious. He is usually so relaxed and good-natured that it kind of caught me off guard and immediately had me panicking. He wanted to rule out pre-term contractions, so he examined my stomach and once he was satisfied it was not contractions and just muscle pain he was very easy-going again. However, he did say that it was time to stop dancing (more on that later).

So, after that the appointment carried on normally. He measured my belly (as I said above, I was measured at 31 weeks at my 29 week appointment), listened to the baby's heartbeat (about 145-150 bpm) then got out his little ultrasound machine and checked the baby. Well, baby is breech. I was so excited because at my appointment at 25 weeks baby had already flipped to a head down position and we were pretty sure he would stay there. Nope. We were wrong. This baby is very active and decided it would be fun to psych mommy out and flip again. Already such a trouble maker. I know I shouldn't be too concerned as he has plenty of time to flip around again, but when I saw that he was breech my heart kind of dropped and I won't lie, I started panicking and worrying that I am going to have to have a c-section or something (the absolute last way I want to deliver this baby). But, he does have a lot of time left and I'm trying not to worry until I absolutely have to.

Now, a little more about this pelvic pain and dance. As I said, the pelvic pain has been plaguing me for the past month or so and has gradually been getting worse. Usually it is the worst when I have been lying down for a while and then move to turn over or to get up or when I have been active. It can range from a dull kind of discomfort to extreme pain that will make me double over or put me in tears. However, once I am in a comfortable position again it quickly goes away. Dancing these past few weeks has become incredibly difficult and painful. I thought that I might be able to get away with just scaling back and letting my assistants take over most of the active work. That was a bust. First, when you are working with young children it is near impossible to let one person do all the work. You need at least three people to keep them all in line. Also, you can't just walk through the steps, because they mimic what you do. If you walk through the steps, they walk through the steps. If you do them full out, they will do them full out. It is also a problem when you are in the middle of choreography and trying to teach the kids what to do. You can't do that from a stationary position. Even when I could stand and let one of my assitants take over while I supervised, standing on that hard ground for so long was killing my back. I had hoped that I would be able to continue dancing until mid-April. That is not going to happen. I tried my best to make it work, but after Dr. Yacoub told me no more dancing, I don't really have  a choice anymore. So, after February (I have one week left) I will be passing off my classes and will no longer be dancing.

I am incredibly sad about it. I was so dead set on continuing until two weeks before I was due. I figured I would have to slow down a little towards the end, but I didn't expect to have to stop all together just yet. I was in pretty good shape and my body was used to dancing often. I thought that I would be able to last. But, things happen that we don't expect and I have to think about me and the baby first.

I do feel like I have let people down. I am feeling kind of unreliable and guilty. I said I would keep going until the end and I feel like I am going back on my word. Some things you just can't control, though. I have to keep telling myself that.

Anyway, the rest of the week was filled with running around, getting things done and shopping. We did a lot of shopping this week. I got lots of yarn for my knitting and crochet projects! I am incredibly excited to start the bear I am making for my little boy. (That is next weeks project). Oh, and buttons! I love buttons and I got a whole bunch! I also got some more baby clothes from Value Village. I swear this kid already has way more clothes than he really needs. He will probably never wear them all. Erik and I finally bought the mattress and change table pad, too. Now that we have all of the big things, I can finally start concentrating on actually decorating the nursery.

My cloth diapers. So excited for these!

Baby's play mat, not set up yet, but you get the idea

A few of the outfits we bought. I also got a couple pairs of jeans.

Buttons!

On top of what we bought, Mum brought me all kinds of goodies from Trenton. She brought me the cloth diapers we got, which I am super excited about! They are so cute and I just love the colours! Also, a baby play mat and a fuzzy stroller cover/blanket thing. She also brought me a food chopper (will make things a lot easier and quicker). I get spoiled.

Oh, and I just wanted to say that even though my hubby was in the field for Valentine's Day, he came home with flowers and chocolate. :) <3 Good man! Love you, Erik!