29 Weeks

Threads, flour, horizontal stripes, and an unflattering pose. Welcome to 29 weeks pregnant in my house.

29 weeks is the most nervous part of pregnancy for me. At 29 weeks one of my bridesmaids had to leave our wedding and delivered her baby that night. Then she spent 5 weeks in the hospital herself while baby was there 2 months. It all worked out and everyone is healthy now.

At 29 weeks in my pregnancy with The Monster I went into preterm labour. A weekend in the hospital then 9 weeks of bedrest followed. House arrest, really. It all worked out and everyone is healthy now.

So when I hit 29 weeks I can't help but feel nervous and antsy. I watch my body for any sign of disagreement with the pregnancy. Of course, seeing as I rather dislike being pregnant the whole thing feels like a disagreement. In this case, every cramp seems like a major contraction, every slowdown in kicks is a concern, and I take my blood pressure too many times. Paranoid much?

This week I'm distracting myself with sewing, baking, and ignoring my messy house. Evidence of all things in this self portrait above.

29 weeks.

2012

A new year. Blah, blah, blah about resolutions, reflections, and new beginnings. For me, the new year simply means a new calendar. One for the wall from Michelle Engel Bencsko and my favourite Moleskine. A good black pen and a sacred spot on the sideboard and I'm off the races. Well, in actuality I'm just closer to hopefully not forgetting something.

The last 10 days have been good for me. Both Hubby and I actually took a break. I was on the computer and sewing machine very little.We had loads of time to chat after we collapsed every night from the exhaustion of three little kids and Christmas (we had my nephew with us this year). We spent a lot of time talking about what we wanted to do with the time we will have in the coming months. So, yes, there was some reflection and resolutions.

I prefer to think of them as goals. Or maybe stretch targets. Or optimism slightly more realistic than fitting into my regular jeans by May.

...Balance promoting Sunday Morning Quilts with the pregnancy and birth of our third baby. All while staying sane.

...Find the sweet spot between motherhood and work on another major project.

...Finish a handwork project.

...At least two baby quilts, one for the dragon in my belly and one for my sister's peanut.

...Make bacon at home in order to keep up to the consumption of bacon and maple syrup of the girls.

...Survive our basement reno, hopefully without the ridiculously giant TV my husband wants.

And do it all with a smile, a laugh, a hug, and hopefully a little bit of style.

Happy Holidays 2011

Christmas at Heritage Park. My husband telling the girls that reindeer fly by eating the kids on the naughty list. Our first, and probably last, trip to the ballet. Making Pyrohy with Baba. More and more baking. Tree chopping in the mountains, complete with trees way too tall for the house and the indulgence of a tree in the girls' room. Santa and other pretty things.

Bringing the holidays to our home and family little bits at a time.

Happy Holidays everyone! We'll see you in the New Year.

Round

Egg meets up with a gaggle of sperm in the dark hallway of my fallopian tube and one brave sperm steps forward with a, "Hey, how you doin'?" And about three seconds late my uterus doubles in size.

This belly of mine is round and full of flutters and kicks these days. The Monster says it looks like I ate 39 hotdogs and 50 apples. It's okay, my ass balances it out.

But those 39 hotdogs and 50 apples make it extraordinarily hard to baste a quilt on my living room floor. Alone, just me and my belly. It took me an hour longer than usual for this lap size quilt. And Hubby isn't even home to help.