42 weeks & 1 week

Here I am at 42 weeks pregnant on the left. And me and 1 week old Blaise on the right.
*please note that I have not yet learned to maintain proper posture since having the baby. Hello arched back and slumped shoulders! It's a weird feeling not to have that little guy inside me anymore!*

We are slowly adjusting but I think the slow-paced lifestyle that we live here in Uganda has been a very positive thing. That and Jamie is on paternity leave for a month {so thankful!}.
My parents arrive in less than 2 weeks and they'll be staying for a month {again - SO thankful!}.
This is likely my last post on this blog and you can find any other baby-related posts on my main blog, Strickly Speaking.
Thanks for following along with me on this journey of being pregnant here in Uganda! Blaise's birth story will be posted on my main blog {tomorrow!} so make sure to check that out.

forty two

Dear B,

I guess I've made a pretty comfy space for you, eh? At least, I hope you're comfortable. One of us should be.
We are really, really excited to meet you, but at this point it's hard to believe that you're actually going to join us and make us a family of 5!
We aren't a perfect family. We yell. And fight. And sometimes we're loud and rude. But your oldest brother, Noah? He's incredibly helpful. He'll teach you how to build amazing things out of Lego and give you lots of really big pushes on the swing when you're big enough. He's also really ticklish so I'm just giving you a heads up when the wrestling matches begin with him.
And your other big brother Jude? He's funny. And silly. And he's the one who's been telling you lots of stories while you've been cooking inside of me.
Both of your brothers are great cuddlers and will give you lots of hugs and kisses and are so incredibly excited to meet you and show you all of the new toys you have!
Your Daddy is the best man I have ever known. He loves Jesus. And sports. And he'll teach you all the Manchester United anthems as well as every and any sports statistic you're interested in hearing about. I can't think of a better role model for you to aspire to be like.
And me? Well, I'm your Mama. I've been wishing and hoping and praying for you for a long time. Even before I knew you were inside of me. I have a feeling you are to be the last child I'll have grown inside my belly and so while this waiting and waiting and waiting for you has at times been really frustrating, I've also tried to savour every kick and punch and flip-flop that you've made inside of me. Because you have been moving a lot and I know I'll miss these feelings that only I get to experience with you once you make your appearance in this big, wide world.
I will cuddle and kiss you and breathe you in and sing you sweet songs. I will rock you and nurse you in the middle of the night. I will pray sweet blessings over you as well as warrior prayers.

However and whenever you come, I'm trusting God to protect you and bring you to us in the exact time and way He has planned.
Above all, I want you to know that you are loved. Not just by us, but by Jesus. I will do everything I can to share with you how much He loves you and what a joy it is to know Him and live your life following after Him.
I love you, baby B.
Please come soon!

with a heart that continues to grow with love for you,
Mama

41 weeks

one gorgeous week overdue.
I admit. I went through many phases this week. acceptance. grouchiness. anger. frustration. desperation.
I've walked up and down our gigantic hill in our compound a bunch of times. I ate bowls of pineapple. I've paced and swayed and had lovely hot showers and crawled around on my hands and knees. I've done the "needful" with jamie.

if you don't like words like "mucus" and "blood" stop reading now. you've been warned.

I was getting a bit discouraged because unlike my other two pregnancies, I hadn't lost my mucus plug yet or lost much mucus at all. with noah I lost my mucus plug 4 days before he was born. with jude I think it was 2 days. to me, it's been somewhat of a "sign" that things are happening. so to not see it is discouraging.
this morning I've lost a bit of mucus which is a good thing. hopefully things will pick up.

right now there's a student meeting/retreat going on in our living room today; I can hear the clapping and singing and laughter and it makes me smile. baby B may not show up today, but if he does, he'll have a warm reception, that's for sure.

my latest plan that will likely not come to fruition;
if I am still pregnant on Monday, I will go to the hospital a couple hours early, get my ultrasound scan done and then meet with my doctor for my appointment with him at 11:30. as long as all is well with me and baby B I am going to push for the doctor to give me a stretch and sweep, since I've completed my full dosage of antibiotics {as he was concerned that I was GBS+ and didn't want to possibly push any bacteria further up and infect baby B}. I'm also going to push that I am not induced by any drugs until at least 42 weeks, as long as baby is okay. and depending on which dates he is going by, this could be either next Saturday (the 15th) or as late as the following Wednesday (the 19th!) depending on which dates my doctor is going by.

But let's all hope and pray that I announce the arrival of baby B before Monday at 11:30!

forty weeks

Here we are. Forty weeks. I decided to see if this shirt would fit me. Hooray for another shirt to add to my repertoire. And not a moment too late.

The last few days have been better in terms of how I've been feeling physically. Which is good. But no signs that baby B is coming any time soon, unfortunately. {specifically I'm talking the loss of a mucus plug, but that's only because I lost it both times before I went into labour with Noah and Jude, but I guess every labour is different.}
I had a bit of cramping/contractions off and on this past week, but nothing regular or frequent.

I really just want to have this baby by the end of next week so that I don't have to get my blood pressure taken {doctor's orders/recommendations}. I know it will be high. I can feel my heart racing right now and I'm sitting down. I haven't had any caffeine and I've been making sure I'm resting throughout the day, but I know it'll only be resolved once this baby is born. So come on, baby! Come already!

In the meantime, we're all stuck in this holding pattern of w a i t i n g for something - anything - to happen. I tossed and turned last night and dreamed that I gave birth to baby B at home and it was wonderful and lovely and he was just chilling on the bed after the birth and Noah wanted to hold him and it was perfect.

Then in the morning Jamie got up with the boys and I fell back to sleep until 9:15.

So here's to hoping this is my last weekly bump pic and the next picture I post is of baby B in my arms.

ps. baby B is now apparently the size of a jackfruit. which I find completely ironic as jackfruit is aplenty here in Uganda. If you've never tried it, I liken it to tasting similar to an apple, yet having a consistency of...lychee or something weird. I'm not particularly a fan, but I agree. baby B is definitely the size of a jackfruit right now. Those things are massive!

THIRTY NINE

sorry about the white on white. makes it hard to tell how big the "bump" is. but holy moley! 39 weeks! how did i get here!?

also I'm trying to get creative with my outfits. my t-shirt options are limited as I don't really want to be showing off "under belly" or be constantly pulling down my shirt. so I've been rotating through about 4 or 5 shirts.
my scarf I purchased in Spain and I love it. It's often cool enough in the morning for trousers and a scarf, although this morning went straight to shorts (or short-pants as they're often called here) as I usually end up changing into shorts or a skirt by mid-day anyway.

I've been feeling lots of movement still! a few twinges earlier this week, but nothing since. my legs and feet feel heavy by the end of the days but thankfully no noticeable swelling - hooray! this is my first pregnancy that neither my feet nor my hands have swollen. absolutely amazing.
sleep has been a bit harder to come by, but once I'm asleep, I'm usually good until the morning.
I've been feeling quite a bit more tired during the later afternoon/evening but then often toss and turn once I go to bed. I must be still clocking about 6ish hours of sleep, though. which is more than I will be in a week or so.
I'm feeling fine with waiting until Mr. Uganda arrives on his own - although I am seeing my doctor on Tuesday and may inquire into a stretch and sweep as I had multiple (2.5!) s&s with Jude and that seemed to help things along.
I haven't lost my mucous plug (sorry if that's TMI) yet so I'm taking that as a sign that this baby is hanging in there 'til at least my due date. Jamie keeps hoping he'll arrive earlier. I feel confident that he won't. but whatevs.
I've been following a handful of bloggers who are also pregnant (or were pregnant) and due right around this time and it's been fun and exciting reading their birth stories (the ones who have had their babies recently) and making me excited for what's to come!
not much else is new other than I'm glad Nick is here so that if Jamie and I need to go to the hospital, we've got someone here to watch the boys. and Lisa arrives tomorrow morning so that's two people to help with the boys (which at this point is probably the thing I'm most anxious/concerned about) while I deliver at the hospital.
everything is coming together.

will update after my Tuesday appointment with more details of how that all goes.

38 weeks

Well I may or may not be experiencing a sugar high/coma due to inhaling two glazed donut muffins that I made this morning. Whoo, someone's got the shakes.

Anyway, so I'm 38 weeks! My bags are packed. I've got some fun ideas to make up small little "fun" bags for both the boys to either enjoy at the hospital {if we're stuck there for awhile. Please Lord, no.} or at home before or after we get back.
Nick arrives on Monday morning and then we'll have our built-in person to watch the boys when we need to go to the hospital. I'll breathe a sigh of relief when he does arrive.

What else? I'm actually feeling quite well. Not feeling too impatient although in the evenings I'm feeling pretty tired {I looked at the clock at 8:45pm last night because I felt so tired and wondered what time it was! I did end up going to be around 9:30ish.}. I wake up to pee lots at night but usually can fall right back to sleep.

I'm happy to wait until this baby shows up on his own time. Not feeling so grumpy and expecting that he'll come early like I felt with Jude {which made being even more overdue than Noah exceptionally more of a letdown.}. Just content to wait - a bit because I'm slightly nervous of the labour/birth in a hospital and would rather just skip over that part and meet baby B already.
But it's good.

Oh I texted Dr. B again {yes. I have his cell phone number and he told me to text him for the lab results.} and haven't yet heard back about the GBS or the iron levels {correction on last time's post. apparently my hemoglobin levels were low but he hadn't heard back about my iron? I don't really know the difference, but whatever.}, so I'll just wait and see and maybe I'll hear back sometime this weekend.

No weight gain lately. Still hovering around the 16lb mark as total weight gain. Hoping for a regular sized baby this time around. No behemoths, please.

Okay, I should eat a piece of cheese or something to combat these sugar shakes!

thirtySEVEN

full-term! I can't hardly believe it! it feels so good to get to full-term. it's like i've really done it. i'm pregnant and having my baby in africa. crazy. but oh-so-good.

I've got heartburn {so thankful for the super sized package of TUMs my mother-in-law brought over for me} and this little guy moves SO MUCH {like he was keeping me awake with his crazy antics!}. i don't remember the other two moving so much and so late in the pregnancy, but really? i'm not complaining. it's reassuring that he's there and okay and very much an active, healthy little guy. and that is a good thing.

I love this sundress. I bought another just like it from the craft market a few months ago. you really can't go wrong with a dress for less than $10! and so.stinkin.comfy.

and the earrings are my newest purchase made by the young ladies of an organization here called Girl Child supporting young girls who are at risk for abuse and prostitution.

I have my first appointment with Dr. Busingye on Tuesday and will probably do the GBS test/swab then as well as getting more blood work done to see how my iron levels are. here's hoping that I don't test positive for GBS this time around, but even if I do, I'll be in the hospital regardless so getting the antibiotics are less of an issue than they were when I was planning on a home birth for Jude. still, I'd like to avoid an IV if at all possible. that was probably my least favourite part of Jude's birth!

my weight gain is about 16lbs so far so I'm quite pleased. here's hoping it'll come off pretty easily {although I'm not counting on it with me being older and it being my third baby, but ya never know!}.

off to MishMash's farmer's market again to buy another baby present and peruse the produce selection.

**pelvic pain has lessened. I have to be careful about my movements and ease into things, but it's not excruciating at this point. just uncomfortable. which is mostly to be expected.

***the fruit at 37 weeks is called a winter melon - apparently.

thirty six

Thirty six weeks today!
A bit of heart burn. Feeling big. A bit more discomfort during sleeping, but my crappy foam mattress is working in my favour as it molds to my body and is more comfortable on my side. Lots of movement still from Baby B.
The boys are liking reading this book that Jamie's Nana & Grandpa sent over. It's cute and talks about some of the more common questions kids ask during pregnancy. At the end there's a page which shows the development of the baby and Noah really likes looking at this page.
It's our last day with Jamie's family before they head off tonight. It's been a combination of busy and relaxed and it's been great to have them here. I'm sure the boys will miss them as much as they'll miss the boys when they leave.
My belly is getting so big that I really only vary between a few shirts now as most show off the "under belly" that's really not at all that attractive.
We're heading out for some last minute errands like buying illegal DVDs and for Jamie and I to get some passport pictures to accompany the renewal of our International Drivers Permits that we'll send back with his parents.
It's crazy-town in here right now!

{1 week 'til I'm full-term. 4 weeks 'til my due date. At least 4 weeks until Baby B arrives! Hopefully no more than 5.}

35 weeks

Whew. I'm feeling it. Last night I noticed the swelling has begun. It's just minor but it's there. I can feel it and only just barely see it. So here we go. Putting the feet up. Making extra sure to drink lots of water.

Yesterday at the craft market I was sitting in the shade with Noah & Jude and another little {white} boy came up to us and started playing with the boys. Instant friendship. Eventually I got talking to his dad and found out that this family of 2 boys and a baby girl live in Gulu. The mother just had a home birth a week ago with a midwife and had a fantastic experience! I was so encouraged {and a wee bit jealous} to hear about it! I was also encouraged to hear that while they were in Kampala, she was receiving care from Dr. Busingye - the same doctor I will have. The father had nothing but good things to say about him which was so reassuring and such a sweet blessing to my heart. {thank you, Jesus!}

I got a new pair of earrings at the urging of my friend Kelly who was also at the craft market but you can't see them in the above picture, so I made Jamie take a picture so I could show them off to you.

Lovely mint green. I love 'em.

Right now there's another party next door so we can count on blasting loud music with some sweet bass until at least 11pm tonight. Good times!

Well, we're off with Jamie's family to MishMash at yet another attempt for me to buy tortilla chips and bagels. Still no luck.
Tomorrow is Jude's birthday party and I'll be making the cake later on today and possibly some of the other food that I can prep ahead of time.
Baby B is a butternut squash! Can't wait to meet this little guy.

34 weeks!

amazing. 34 weeks already! 3 weeks until I'm full-term. at least 6 weeks until baby B comes. {at least. probably 7ish. this is what I tell myself so I can be fully prepared for another overdue baby.}

I got a free baby changing pad the other day from another mom here in Kampala. I love the interwebs. Connecting people. Gettin' free stuff. She also gave me a few baby clothes and some swaddles. Hurrah for free stuff!

on Tuesday my in-laws arrive and we're all really excited! we've been trying to make the most of "just us" family time. today we're going to MishMash again to see if my bagel and tortilla ladies are there. crossing my fingers, but not getting my hopes up. we'll see. this is africa. :)

*also check out how big baby B is! the size of durian fruit! this seems random to me, but I like it. :)

thirtyTHREE

So I splurged a bit and bought this dress at MishMash last weekend. I love it. I've been looking for a dress similar to this and it's ridiculously comfy. So after looking at it last Saturday, I went back on Sunday and tried it on. I loved it. And I hope I'll be able to wear it post-baby as well!

Lots of movement but still not any weight gain since last week. I'm hoping this means a smaller baby than at least Jude {9lbs12oz!}.

I cannot believe I'm 33 weeks pregnant! That means only about 6 or 7 weeks left {I'm giving myself a week overdue and hoping that he won't go any later than that.}! That's crazy.

This morning we got a money transfer from Jamie's grandparents with birthday money for Jude's birthday and Baby B's. I think with B's money we'll buy some sort of comfy chair to put in our room for me to nurse him in. As long as it's comfy, I don't mind if it rocks or not. 


So this week I'm hoping we'll get the "party house" painted and some furniture moved around as well as setting up the house for guests. And last night I couldn't sleep as I was thinking about a bajillion things so I made a list of {among other things} things I'd like to get for the party house {ie. garbage bins, night tables, book shelf of some sort, maybe some sort of pretty decor to hang up, etc.}. And with Jamie home tomorrow {hurrah!} we really only have a week together before his family arrives and after they leave we'll likely have a week or two to get things ready for when Nick & Lisa arrive back in country. 
Before we know it, the wee babe will be here, my brother and his girlfriend will be visiting and then my parents will be here for a month!

Time is just a-flyin' by!

32 weeks

My sweet and talented friend Beth took some maternity shots for me on Thursday. They all turned out oh-so-lovely. Except for the little black dot that is not on my lens, but actually inside my camera and appears on every.single.picture {and which we lovingly referred to as the "traveling mole" when it appeared on my face}, I love them all!
I figured I would use one for my bump pic this week.

I'm feeling pretty good. I have braxton hicks many times a week now and lots and lots of movement which is quite good although can be quite sudden and jumpy.

I got a ton of baby clothes from my sweet friend Aletha last weekend {on Canada Day} and sorted through them all into sizes. I'm dying to start rearranging the room and I may start rearranging furniture after Beth leaves. And by "I", I mean probably James taking a part the bunk beds at the very least and moving them up into the "party house". I'll probably use my nesting energy to clean up and clean out the "party house" for when Jamie's family arrives - on the 24th! So soon!

Only 8 more days until Jamie returns from the Philippines, but it seems like he's have a really good time there. Wish I could be there with him...perhaps Jamie and I will have to have an overnight getaway when his family is here. Maybe?

We're about to head out in a bit to MishMash even though it's a cool, cloudy day. I need to get me some bagels, tortilla chips and possibly an avocado or two to make some guacamole.

*oh and an assortment of the pictures that Beth took can be found here.

**so I weighed myself today hesitantly. still only at 11lbs gained! hoorah! but perhaps now is the time i should lay off the brownies and reece's pb cups, eh?

thirty ONE

o canada!
breaking out my patriotic side with this shirt. i finally gave in and bought some maternity clothes. this shirt is not "maternity" but it's long. so it works.
there are some strawberry cupcakes sitting on my counter awaiting slatherings of icing and hungry bellies. tomorrow. i will likely eat at least two.
tuesday i have my next midwife appointment. i think i'll run through my birth plan with her to see if and what i need to change if they are things that are just not applicable. we'll see.
and it may be my last appointment with michele. i'm not sure but i'll find out on tuesday morning.
and now? i will sleep. and hope that jude does not wake up for the third night in a row with a tantrum because he doesn't want to be in his bed any more and that he wants to eat. um, no. we do not each at 3am. just because you chose not to eat your dinner, does not mean you get to make the rest of us pay the consequences.
that's all.
{31 weeks! crazy!}

30

I'm thirty years old. I'm thirty weeks pregnant. With my third child.
Pretty cool.
Thought I'd do one of these nifty little pregnancy questionnaires. In case you care.


How far along? 30 weeks
Total weight gain: 10ish lbs.
Maternity clothes? Am I wearing them? Some. Mostly my regular clothes because I'm too cheap to buy anything new here. I am itching to find a couple more sundresses, though. That may be in the works this week.
Stretch marks? Probably. If the past has taught me anything, I find them after I give birth. Nothing major, though.
Sleep: Surprisingly good. Last night was a dreamy sleep except for the ridiculous birds on our roof this morning that sounded like animals in our attic. My kids of course slept in 'til 7:40 and the birds woke me up at 7am.
Best moment of the week: I'm not sure if it was the best of the whole week, but the other night I lay on the couch watching a movie and "holding" my belly. Mr. B was kicking and moving and it was a sweet thought to think that in less than 3 months I'll be holding him in my arms. Outside my belly.
Miss anything? My stretchy maternity brown culotte pants.
Movement: So.Much.Movement. Sometimes it feels like he's doing an Irish Jig inside of me. Sometimes I wonder if this is normal. Such spazzy movements.
Food cravings: Sugar. Peanut butter & chocolate.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Only when I eat 6 homemade "timbits" in a row.
Gender prediction: I'm no gypsy, but I'm pretty sure the ultrasound revealed Mr. B in all his glory. {boy.}
Labor signs: Starting to get a lot more Braxton Hicks. Achy joints.
Symptoms: Heartburn has arrived. Slight shortness of breath these days.
Belly button in or out? Out/flat
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time? Mostly content. I do have two little boys running around here wreaking havoc. It's good. We're cool. I cope with humour.
Looking forward to: Nesting! Organizing our bedroom and setting up the baby furniture in our room.

That's it for the most part. My next midwife appointment is July 3rd I think.
30 weeks! I feel like once I hit the 30's I'm on the home stretch. Still at least 10 more weeks, but still. Crazy!
Also? I adore these earrings. I've never seen anything like them since I bought them at the craft market back in November.

twenty9

Good gracious I feel large and ungainly.
This morning I told Jamie that I have nothing to wear. Which is a lie. I just have nothing that feels comfortable. I'm big. And I still have at least 11 more weeks to go.
Sob.
No, it's not all bad. I just have some days where I wake up and I feel huge. And achy. And tired.
We're headed out to MishMash and I'm going to treat myself to some delicious cinnamon raisin bagels.
Maybe I'll weigh myself first because "hello rolls of fat on my back."

**weight gain so far is 10lbs**

26 weeks

After eating something that didn't sit right I haven't really felt like eating for the past day. I lay in bed for the last part of yesterday afternoon and all night feeling my stomach clench and unclench. I thought I was better but then it started again today.
Hopefully it's nothing serious and will pass on its own.
Just resting and looking forward to swimming in Jinja tomorrow until Wednesday.
My stomach looks weird because of the capris waistband pressing into my belly. Awesome.

25 weeks

So I got a big surprise last night. A surprise baby shower! We had been planning for a girls spa night in for all the students on project here. It was a success - and just as it was all wrapping up, I was pulled into another room by Kelley to talk to me about something only to walk back out to the living room and all the girls were standing there with that gorgeous sign you see in the picture above with a bunch of gifts for me and le bebe. So sweet! I feel so blessed by these awesome girls.

So I'm 25 weeks and according to the fruit picture on the side bar I'm 6 months pregnant now and I'm carrying an eggplant baby! So cute.

I have another midwife appointment on Tuesday so I'll probably do a mid-week update this week as well!

24 weeks

This morning it was wet and rainy and cold and I wore jeans and a 3/4 sleeve shirt {is that what they're called?}. Then the sun came out and the shorts went on and the hair went up. 

Not much baby action to report on here. I feel him moving lots and lots and I'm just trying to get enough sleep and drink enough water and I've just come to accept that this baby will likely be another big baby. I just make 'em big. 

I bought a pair of black tights today to go underneath dresses & skirts that are a bit on the short side. They'll mostly be worn on cooler rainy days. 

And yesterday I pulled out all of the clothes my friend Irene gave {back} to me. It was cute going through all the tiny clothes that Noah and Jude both wore. 

I might acquire a baby swing depending on the swing and the price through a friend of a friend in the next few days. We'll see.

Other than that...not much else to report. Still growing. Still feeling pretty good. Can't wait to meet this little guy. 

23 weeks

So I missed last week. Sorry about that. It's been zany with all the Canadian staff & students arriving last week. But so good. I love having a full house! {As well as the ability to shut off our side of the house and go to bed when I feel tired while still allowing people to chill and have fun in our house.}

And apparently it's growth-spurt city around here! Holy moley I feel so big and my belly feels tight and a bit uncomfortable.

The whole team {Jamie, the staff and the students} left the house today before 8am so this picture had to be on a timer and then the lighting didn't turn out so hence the fancy edit. {I love PicMonkey!}

Anyway, clearly I am stalling the inevitable - working out.
The boys have their drinks, they're watching Toy Story, my workout mat and weights are out and ready to go...and I'm sitting here blogging a bump update.

I also just weighed myself although I was feeling a bit hesitant because of the growth spurt and all, but it seems I've only gained just under 4lbs. I have no idea how that's possible, but I'm not complaining.

I've been drinking a cup of coffee every day which is mostly unusual for me {I like coffee, but I'm not at the "have-to-have-my-cup-of-joe-before-you-talk-to-me" point yet}, but these days it's needed. This morning I didn't want to brew a whole pot {as it's only me, sometimes Jamie and Hannah - one of our staff - who drink it} so I made up a cup of Starbucks Via from my lovely friend Bekki who sent some over in a care package with the students. So delicious. Thanks, Bekki!

So that's that.
The wee babe is moving LOTS these days. Usually it was just in the afternoon/evening/nighttime, but lately it's been all throughout the day. Love it!

21 weeks

21 weeks on the 21st!
I feel about twice as big as this picture makes me look.

I've been having some really wild {and unpleasant} dreams lately. Mostly just vivid, but last night I had two dreams about my boys either being mistreated or trying to get to them. And I went absolutely nuts on someone when I found out they had hurt Jude. Like, physically violent. I woke up and cried. It was intense.

I've been trying to exercise regularly, it usually ends up being 3-4 times a week although I try for 5. Usually just a good 30 minutes on the bike {although my belly is getting in the way of my knees moving back and forth now} or 30 minutes of my prenatal pilates. Today I managed 10 minutes on the bike before giving up.
Sigh.

But on the upside I've only gained about 2 lbs so far. This is a good thing as I started this pregnancy about 10lbs heavier than I started with at least Noah's pregnancy, possibly Jude's as well {I can't remember}.