The most expensive sex ever or property virgins no longer...

I know that this is going to come as a surprise to many of you but we have bought a 3 bedroom bungalow in Calgary.  I know that it’s not in Canmore but sadly, houses are too expensive here for us and we didn’t want to move into a condo with our new baby.  We get possession of the house on March 16^th and will be moving for April 1^st.  Our baby is due May 12^th so things are going to be totally chaotic over the next 10 weeks but c’est la vie.  Apparently there is a phenomenon called “nesting” that happens when you are pregnant.  It usually involves the distinctive urge to clean, tidy, and organize during pregnancy.  In our case, it seems to have caused us to buy a house! 

http://abmls.mlxchange.com/Pub/EmailView.asp?r=770615213&s=ALB&t=ALB

 Scott will keep his job at Baymag and will join the other Calgary car-poolers.  I will keep working in Banff until I go off on mat leave.  After my leave is finished, I will transfer to a position in Calgary.  I will be working for the same employer but will end up in a different job. 

It’s been difficult for us to decide where to buy a home but we feel that Calgary is the best compromise for us and our newly expanding family.  While we are sad to be leaving Canmore, we are very excited about this new chapter in our lives.  The house needs a fair amount of work but is totally liveable for the time being.  It has decent views of the mountains and is in a fantastic location in Montgomery.  We are still close to the end of the city and plan to return to Canmore often to visit all of our wonderful friends here. 

P.S. Please don’t feel bad if you didn’t know about this ahead of time.  We made this decision over the past month and spoke to very few people about it.  Honestly, it was nothing personal.  

A sad day

So, the decision was made yesterday.  The Banff hospital has decided to close labour and delivery services for the next three months.  Sadly, this is just the time period in which our baby is supposed to be born (about 10 1/2 weeks from now).  I'm not exactly sure what is going to happen for us.  I believe that our doctor will end up travelling to Canmore to deliver all her maternity patients but at this point, I'm not sure.  I remain hopeful that things will change by my due date but I'm not sure if that hope is realistic.  I know that this isn't the end of the world, I just feel more comfortable with the nurses in Banff, I like the labour and delivery room better in Banff, and I like the atmosphere better in Banff.  I know that I probably wouldn't even be aware of this if I didn't work in both hospitals but I do so I am aware of it.  I feel pretty deflated about this situation.  

Nurse shortage threatens Banff baby ward

Michelle Lang, Calgary Herald

Published: Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Expectant mothers in Banff may have to travel to Canmore to give birth after health officials said Tuesday a shortage of nurses could force them to temporarily suspend deliveries at the hospital.

Staff at the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital are holding meetings in a bid to find a solution to the nursing problem, but if they're not successful, the obstetrics program will likely be put on hold for at least three months.

Physicians in Banff said they are upset about the prospect of the hospital suspending deliveries, arguing Canmore's hospital is already crowded and transferring their patients to the facility will only make the situation worse.

The Banff hospital handles about 120 births a year.

"It's a huge loss to the community," said Dr. Jane Fowke, a family doctor in Banff who has 12 patients who are due in March.

"Obstetrics should be at the forefront. It's a basic service."

Officials with Alberta Health Services, the superboard that oversees the delivery of medical care in the province, said staff are working hard to avoid suspending the services.

"That decision hasn't been made yet," said Mark Kastner, a superboard spokesman.

"They are looking at options like getting staff from other jurisdictions."

For women who were planning on delivering their babies at the Banff hospital, the possibility they may have to go elsewhere at the last minute has been stressful.

Aysun Demirkoparan, who is having her first child in six weeks, called the situation "inexcusable" and said the hospital should have made the problem public sooner.

"I'm absolutely devastated, to be honest," said Demirkoparan, who learned about the situation on Tuesday. "My whole birthing option has to be reconsidered."

Earlier this month, the Banff hospital called an emergency meeting with Fowke and the other local family doctor who handles obstetrics to tell them about the situation.

The physicians were told the hospital is facing a staffing crisis for nurses in obstetrics, a specialty area of nursing.

Alberta Health Services said some nurses have given notice that they are leaving, and the Banff hospital has four vacant registered nursing positions -- a substantial number for the small facility.

Fowke said she is lobbying Banff town council and the provincial government to keep the program running, fearing the temporary suspension of service could become permanent.

Health officials have held discussions in recent years about having Banff and Canmore share an obstetrics program. The towns are 25 kilometres apart.

But Alberta Health Services said any suspension of the services at the Banff hospital would be temporary.

"At this time, there's no intention of eliminating obstetric services from Banff," said Kastner.

"The Labour & Delivery program at the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital is in jeopardy of being cancelled. The hospital management is using the 'staffing situation' as justification for canceling a program they no longer wish to continue. By signing this petition, you show your support for this integral program and the need to keep Labour and Delivery in Banff. This petition will be send to the administrators of Banff Mineral Springs Hospital, The Town of Banff, Convenenant Health Authority and Alberta Health and Wellness."

If you want to sign the above petition, you may sign it in CANMORE at SilverSpoon or in BANFF at 344B (back half) Muskrat Street. Please watch for more info on how to show your support.  

PLEASE FORWARD TO YOUR CONTACTS with in interest in this issue.

If you want to contact your MLA and Healthminister about the issue see their contacts below.

The Honourable Janis Tarchuk, Minister of Children’s Services
Constituency Office for the MLA for Banff-Cochrane and
P.O. Box 790
4th Floor, 229 Bear Street
Banff, AB
Canada T1L 1A8
Phone: (403) 760-8281
Toll-Free: 1-866-760-8281
Fax: (403) 760-5009
banff.cochrane@assembly.ab.ca

e-mail for Hon. Ronald Liepert , Minister for Health and Wellness:
 calgary.west@assembly.ab.ca

29 week doctor's visit

I saw my doctor yesterday for my monthly check-up.  I had been looking forward to this visit because I wanted her to show me where the baby was sitting.  She said that the baby was lying with his/her back on the left side of my belly with the head down and the bum up near my ribs. She was very happy with this positioning as she said that it is the optimal position for delivery. However, the baby can move at anytime and it is quite likely that s/he will flip back and forth in my belly.  She showed me how to feel for the head, the back, and the bum - I certainly could feel the back and the bum but I'm not so sure that I could feel the head.  I showed Scott last night - it was neat to be able to better know what was happening in my belly.  

The doctor was pleased with the progression of my pregnancy and had no concerns about anything. She warned me that the office visits will start to increase and told me that we would soon start talking about labour and delivery (eek!).  One really frustrating development with the Banff hospital - it sounds like they may cancel labour and delivery services, effective March 1st. This means that I would need to deliver in Canmore or Calgary.  The hospital states that this is because of a lack of labour and delivery nurses but is only a temporary situation.  There was an emergency meeting yesterday about the situation but I'm not sure of the outcome.  I can only hope that it will be resolved by May.  It would be fine to deliver in Canmore but I had chosen Banff for a number of reasons and I'm pretty disappointed to have to change hospitals. However, I remain hopeful that things will work out in my favour.  

Weekly whinings

The compliant of the week is related to my varicose veins.  I had a couple prior to be pregnant but they have gotten much worse since getting knocked up.  My doctor had prescribed compression stockings and I did buy them.  However, they were not very comfortable and I stopped wearing them shortly after I bought them.  Over this past week, the bugling veins are causing all sorts of discomfort and I have returned to the compression stockings.  My leg (it really is only one leg) throbs, is heavy, and is generally uncomfortable.  I've started putting my feet up as often as possible and I've even started putting on the stockings while I'm still in bed, all in an effort to minimize the discomfort.  Oh the joys!

The things you do for love

I miss red wine.  My friends who already have kids told me that I wouldn't because I would be so excited about being pregnant, but the fact of the matter is that I do miss it.  I don't really miss coffee but I sure miss the wine.  We didn't even drink wine that often (well, maybe a couple of times a week) but unlike tea instead of coffee, there is no pregnant lady red wine substitute.  Only a few more weeks to go before I go back to hitting the sauce.  Yeah!

Advantages of the belly

This week (for the first time since I've become pregnant) I received outward gesture of kindness.  I was at the National Homelessness Conference in Calgary and twice was offered chairs by people who were sitting in them.  I felt a bit guilty taking those chairs but to be honest, my feet and back were both quite sore and it felt really nice to be able to sit down.  I think that the world would be a much better place if we treated each other the way that people treat pregnant women - I love the compassion that people show me and I feel like people go out of their way to be nice to me.  People are genuinely curious about how I am feeling and they are forever asking me about this.  So, if I can suggest anything to each of you who are reading this - be extra nice to the person at your local coffee shop or sitting next to you on the bus.  It feels really good to be on the receiving end of all this kindness and I think that we can all do better to spread that same type of good karma around.  

(I'll get off my soap box now)

Love is...

Love is holding my hand so that I don’t slip on the ice when we are walking.  It is the trips that you make to get ice cream when I’m craving something sweet.  But most importantly, it is the gratitude that you show me for carrying our unborn child.   

The big question

People are always asking me all sorts of questions about being pregnant and becoming a mother. What are you having?  How are you feeling?  Are you scared?  Are you excited?  Are you ready?

While all these questions are important, the biggest question (at least in my mind!) is whether or not I'll be able to ride this summer.  Mountain biking has become a huge part of my life and I'm keen to get back out riding.  It will partly depend on when the baby is born - if s/he comes early, it will be easier to get out.  If s/he comes late, I might not get out until late June, early July. Regardless, it is going to be challenging (having a newborn and trying to get out of the house will be the least of my challenges) given how out of shape I am now compared to last winter.  

We do plan to go on a couple of week-long mountain biking holidays this summer.  I may not be able to ride much but I certainly plan to come along for the trips.  I've had a few people who have laughed at my plans to return to riding so early and to go on a road trip with a baby - I might be crazy and I might totally have to change our plans but I am determined to continue to be able to do the things in my life that are really important to me, even when I am a mother.  

Seven month update

Well, I am now 28 weeks pregnant and officially in the third trimester.  As you can see, the belly continues to grow (go figure!) but happily, it seems like it has dropped down a bit which has greatly diminished the pressure on my ribs.  I haven't had burning rib pain for a few weeks - partly because of this shift and partly because my heartburn is under control.  I continue to take Zantec most days but I usually only need to take one per day.  My waist currently measures about 39 inches, which is about 10 inches bigger than my usual waist size.  It is quite interesting to see the difference in my belly size from the morning to the night.  The belly is much smaller (almost a full inch) in the morning than in the evening.  I'm not exactly sure why this happens but it seems like it's a well-known phenomena for pregnant folks.  

I am currently in a comfortable period with my pregnant body.  I have times where I really feel out of sorts in my pregnant self but things have been ok for the past few weeks.  I think that the belly goes through little growth spurts which causes things to shift and move around - these shifts and movements make me feel uncomfortable and awkward but after a week or so, my body seems to get used to its new position and I have less discomfort.  This has happened all throughout my pregnancy but I keep forgetting that it will get better when I'm in one of those uncomfortable phases.  

The baby's movements have changed quite a bit over the past two weeks. We have had a very active child since about 17 weeks but those movements are now different.  It's a bit hard to describe but I can tell that the baby has less space to move around and therefore, the movements are less jerky and more purposeful.  They occur less often but are more powerful. The weirdest thing is that I can now feel the baby through my stomach skin.  This is a little freaky and kinda 'Alien'ish but it is pretty cool to feel the human growing inside.  I still can't tell which part of the baby's body I am feeling because it just feels hard to the touch but it is pretty neat.  I can also feel and see (more distinctly) the baby's feet or hands when they are pushing against my stomach.  I am supposed to be able to feel the baby when s/he hiccups but it's hard to tell when that is happening. The belly makes lots of different movements so I'm sure that some of those movements are hiccups but they don't feel significantly different than some of the other movements that I have been feeling all along.  

The only real annoyance as of late is the fact that I am getting quite short of breath these days. I find it challenging to walk and talk at the same time and walking up a set of stairs does leave me breathless.  I've read the reasons for this - basically the lungs have been pushed aside and can't expand as much along with pressure on the diaphragm and increased blood volume. There are other things happening to cause this shortness of breath but I don't remember what they are.  

We have stalled in getting ready for the baby's room.  We had been busy researching cloth diapers (I have already bought 25 used diapers from a friend), cribs, etc. but lately, we haven't been looking into any of that stuff. There are still a few major things that we need and lots of minor things to buy but I'm going to look at that again in another month or so.  

I am a little freaked out that there is only 11 more weeks until the baby arrives. It seems so far away but so close, all at the same time.  I can't believe that we are about to bring a child into the world and I'm totally scared about the massive changes that the baby will bring to our lives. However, I am super excited and can't wait to meet our child.  I'm sure that the next 11 weeks will bring more apprehension and excitement - this pregnancy journey certainly is an interesting one.  

P.S.  A number of people have asked us about baby gifts and a baby shower.  I think that I have decided to have a shower before the baby is born but the date is to be determined.  I will likely create a personalized 'baby registry' list because there are a number of items that we need but they are from a variety of stores.  I'll keep everyone posted on this as time goes on.  

P.S.S. Thanks for all the nice comments on this shirt.  I totally love this it!  I borrowed it from my friend Nikki and it's one of my favorite maternity shirts.  

Funny nightmares

While I haven't really had any dreams about having a baby (well, there was a couple of those types of dreams but they were very vague and totally non-gender specific), I do feel like I'm dreaming way more than normal.  My maternity book says that pregnancy doesn't actually bring about more dreaming, it's just that you wake up more often (say, when you have to shift your huge belly over to the other side of your body...) and are better able to remember the dreams.  Last night, I had the funniest nightmare ever!  I've had the previous 3 1/2 days days off work due to the Family Day holiday - a fact that played a big role in my dream.  I dreamt that I had come back to work today and the staff that I share my office with had totally rearranged everything - moved all my books, put the phone on the "wrong" side of the desk, got rid of the desk, mixed up all my resources etc. etc. etc.  I completely lost it in the dream, only to be told "well, you are going on mat leave soon so we figured that we would just switch things around now".  I was laughing at myself in the dream both because I was being such a spaz to the person who moved my office around and because I realized the true extent of my OCD when it comes to the organization of my office.  I am not a neat person (as anyone who has been to my house can attest) but I am obsessed with having my office 'just so'.  I guess that I'm working through these issues and the thought of leaving work for a year.  I know that I will fall madly in love with my child but I do wonder what it will be like to be off work.  I very much define myself as a social worker and I receive a great deal of fulfillment from helping people and striving to be good at my job.  It's weird to think that this will change but I can see that it could be possible that work will become less important in my life once I become a mother.  

Good intentions

Before I got pregnant, I was pretty darn active.  I was downhill mountain biking 2-4 times per week and was attending 2 bootcamp classes per week.  I felt like I was in decent shape and was happy with my fitness level.  When I got pregnant, I vowed that I wouldn't become one of those lazy pregnant women. Then, the reality of the first trimester set in.  I was so tired that I had two naps at work and a nap as soon as I got home from work.  I was so tired that I couldn't make dinner or get off the couch (unless you count getting off the couch to go upstairs to bed but I don't think that counts).  There wasn't a chance that I could have done any exercise and I quickly fell out of the habit. I've tried to get back into working out at various points in my pregnancy but I've lost all my exercise buddies (I do best when I have someone to work out with).  The other challenge is that I find most activities to be quite uncomfortable.  Exercise causes cramps (also known as Braxton-hicks but i'm in denial about using that word because it implies contractions and I'm scared of labour...) and side stitches.  Scott has been very patient and is happy to come along with me on slow and steady walks.  He knows that we have to stop often in order to wait with me while the cramps go away.  Swimming feels pretty good but my belly is very heavy and it makes my legs sink.  Even doing daily activities (like walking up the stairs in our house) causes me to be short of breath.  I don't have much ab strength left so I'm challenged to get out of bed or off the couch.  

It's going to be quite a road back to getting in shape and I've already made plans around that. We already have a jogging stroller and I plan to return to running as soon as I feel ready after the baby is born.  Outdoor bootcamp will be happening in the summer and I hope to attend those classes on a weekly basis.  Depending on when the baby arrives (and how labour goes), I hope to get back on my bike by June.  I know that it will be more challenging to exercise with a newborn but here's hoping!

Something new

I'm always rubbing my belly or poking into my stomach - partly because I want to get the baby moving (or sometimes I want it to stop moving!) and partly because I'm trying to figure out what is going on in there.  I've never been able to feel anything until tonight.  For the first time, I was able to feel a part of the baby.  I have NO idea which part of the baby I was feeling but it kinda felt like the head (or a bum or a shoulder...).  It was rock hard and felt much different than my stomach normally feels.  It moved away after a few minutes but not before Scott got a chance to feel it.  It came back again after about 30 minutes and it still felt like the same hard head, bum, or shoulder.  My next doctor's appointment is in two weeks - I'm looking forward to learning more about how to figure out what is where in this belly of mine.  

I'm not one of "those" women

As you may be able to tell from some of my posts, I'm not one of those women who loves being pregnant.  Some women speak about this being the best time of their life - they feel like they are glowing, the most beautiful ever, blah, blah, blah...To be honest, I find pregnancy a bit annoying. My body feels uncomfortable, it does weird things all the time (most of which are not fit for posting on a public blog), I miss my waist, I miss being able to exercise, and I don't like the little pains that come with being pregnant.  I feel round and huge.  

Don't get me wrong, I am SO grateful for being able to get pregnant and for being able to carry a child.  I am ecstatic about becoming a parent and I very much look forward to meeting my child. And, in the essence of fairness, I actually do love being able to feel the baby move.  It is super cool to feel the baby's daily pokes, kicks, twists, and turns.  I just don't find the rest of it any fun.  You can't bend over, sitting is becoming awkward (probably due to the fact that I can feel my pelvis shifting apart), walking causes cramps, I can barely tie my shoes, etc. etc. etc.  

All this and I still have three more months of pregnancy to go...

Is it us or is it them?

A number of my girlfriends in Canmore had babies over the past couple of years.  I found myself getting frustrated because they only talked about their kids and usually weren't available to do anything "fun".  They mostly just spent time with other moms and/or their kids and hubbies. Now that Scott and I are pregnant, I find that things are starting to change within our other group of friends.  Things had already changed significantly over the past few years with some of the guys getting girlfriends (I was the only girl around for miles for many years!) with even a few guys getting married. We are the first ones out of this group of friends to have a baby and I feel that we are starting to drift apart.  I can't help but want to talk about the baby and all things baby-related but I know that this can be annoying.  As I have said before, having a child occupies the majority of my mental space and I feel very drawn towards just staying home and hanging out with Scott.  I know that this need is only going to increase once our child is actually born.  I know that we signed up for this change in our life and I'm really excited about this next stage but I find myself grieving the loss of the stage we were just in.  I have no interest in continuing to live a child-free life (even if my 20's were really really fun!) but I do feel a bit sad to be leaving that time of my life behind.  

What the heck is going on in there?

At this point in my pregnancy, I don't really have a sense of where the baby is sitting.  My doctor tells me that she should be able to tell by my next doctor's visit (in two weeks).  I often feel my stomach to see if I can feel anything but I just can't.  I guess that I will have to be patient...On the other hand, the one thing that I can constantly feel is the baby's movements.  I am carrying an incredibly active baby - it moves alot!  The movements started out small; at 17 weeks I could feel small little boots to my belly.  Now, the baby is punching, kicking, turning around, rolling over - basically, it feels like the kid is always auditioning for Riverdance.  I can now (sometimes) see the movements from the outside. My belly wiggles and jiggles (and not because it looks like a bowl full of jelly...) at various times in the day.  I often find myself putting my hand to my stomach - partly to feel what's going on in there (feeling the movements in the best part of being pregnant) but partly to try to calm the baby down when s/he's going crazy in there.  The location of the movements leads to me think that the baby is lying transversely in my belly, with its face towards the front of my body.  

Things to be thankful for

I am very thankful to the makers of Zantec.  One, for making a product that is so darn effective at getting rid of heartburn and two, for making it safe enough for pregnant women to take.  As I have mentioned before, I've been experiencing quite a lot of heartburn for the past 6 weeks.  If it were just regular heartburn, I could easily deal with that.  However, it has kept me awake at night, it has made me throw up, and it causes the burning rib pain (well, at least that's still the theory of the doctor but who really knows what's going in there...).  I started with Tums, moved onto Maalox and finally turned to Zantec (thanks to the advice of a co-worker who just had a baby) to deal with the indigestion and upset stomach.  At first, I needed to take two per day to manage the heartburn.  Now, I normally only have to take one per day, and I have gone a few days without taking any. I'm pretty darn happy that this annoying side effect of pregnancy is now under control!

Nightly strolls

The good news is that Scott and I have been walking almost every night over the past few weeks or so (it helps that the weather has been super warm lately which has caused much of the ice to melt). The dog loves the regular walks and Scott and I get a good chance to talk about the upcoming changes in our life. We usually go out for about an hour - walking does cause some cramps for me but I'm taking it slow and stop to rest as needed.  

Now for the bad news - the destination of these trips is almost always Dairy Queen...I've (re)developed my love for ice cream and the baby seems to have daily cravings for Blizzards.  Since I love my unborn child dearly, who am I to deny these requests?