20 Weeks!

On Tuesday I hit the halfway mark! I've been continuing to feel pretty good, but my only complaint is some upper back stiffness and soreness that leaves me tossing and turning after about 5am. Luckily it goes away nearly as soon as I get up and get going for the day. I really can't complain! I've been doing a prenatal yoga class once a week, which has been fantastic, and that has helped quite a bit.




My bump continues to grow! One of my patient's carers asked me if I was about 6 months pregnant the other day, and my father-in-law asked if I was sure it wasn't twins this past weekend! Yet, other people tell me I'm still looking quite 'neat', which is apparently an Irish term for small while pregnant. Another phrase that I've learned here is 'pregnant on' instead of 'pregnant with' when referring to a past pregnancy. One of my 80-something patients also told me to have a good 'period of confinement'!

Not only are there some different terms for pregnancy, but a lot of the items are called different things, which can be a little confusing at times for me. Here are some of them:
Nappy= diaper
Cot= crib
Pram/pushchair/buggy= stroller
Soother= pacifier
Babygrow= onesie

We've been continuing to slowly accumulate more baby gear, and I've been scouring Craig's List-type websites to find deals on used items. On Tuesday night we picked up a great glider rocking chair, and Wednesday I picked up the stroller. We saved over €400 buying it gently used!



I'm super excited about it. The bassinet comes off and can be used for the baby to sleep in-handy for travelling. Then, it converts into a seat when the baby is older. The car seat (which we'll buy new) can attach onto the frame when the bassinet is removed. We've been practicing wheeling it around the house and folding and unfolding it!

Tomorrow we're off to a Pregnancy and Baby Fair here in Dublin, so hopefully we'll get some more good deals and information!

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17 Weeks!

Well, I think I've expanded a bit since last week! In fact, when Paul came home from work today, he asked, "Where did that come from?!?"



Our prenatal class last week was good. Most of the information I had read before, but it was nice to hear it in a different format. It was also nice to see other mothers-to-be who are at similar stages of pregnancy. Tomorrow evening I'm starting a prenatal yoga class- really looking forward to it!

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hopefully it will fit next year!


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16 Weeks

16 weeks today!  My phone apps tell me baby is now the size of an avocado.  I had a check-up last week, and all is looking good.  Baby is measuring right on target, and all my vitals are good.  I must have jinxed myself after the last post though- that very night I had a lot of back pain trying to sleep, didn't get much sleep at all that night, and started getting sick as soon as I started trying to get up and get ready for work the next morning.  Luckily it only lasted a day.  I've gotten myself a body pillow now and am able to sleep much more comfortably.  No more sickness either- quite the opposite- I'm hungry all the time!

We're slowly starting to accumulate baby gear.  In addition to all the clothes, blankets, Boppy pillow, and Moby wrap carrier I brought back from America, I've found a lot of good deals on a Craig's List-type website called Gumtree.  I've gotten a Swing and Bounce (swing with seat that detaches to be a vibrating/bouncing seat), a Pack and Play, a highchair, a Moses basket with stand, and a baby bath.  A co-worker has let me borrow her sterilizer, and a store here has had their baby sale, so I picked up a baby monitor and some bottles at a great price.  Our guest room is rather full at the moment until Paul gets the office cleared out!  I've been investigating travel systems to no end and have even begun having dreams about them.  It's the item we'll be spending the most amount of money on, so I want to get it right!  So many decisions!

Tomorrow morning we have our first prenatal class.  It's an early pregnancy class taught by a midwife.  We'll do a set of further classes for 5 weeks- one evening a week - in June/July.  I'll also have 3 afternoons of a physiotherapist led class- one in April and 2 in June.  It's all becoming a lot more real now!  My next doctor appointment won't be until April 24, and that will include an in-depth ultrasound to look at all the baby's systems.

1st belly photo- 16 weeks

Since St. Patrick's Day is a Saturday this year, we get Monday off, so we're going to head to Louisburgh for the long weekend.  We'll take in the little parade they have every year, in which "The Yanks" (the College of St. Scholastica students) usually make an appearance.  Other than that, it will probably be a pretty quiet celebration on my part!

Baby Sammin!

Back on December 23, Paul and I got the most wonderful Christmas gift- we found out I'm pregnant!  Baby is due around August 28th.  We decided to keep it to ourselves for awhile until I was further along in the pregnancy, and it was so hard to stay quiet, especially over the holidays!

At 6 weeks, in early January, I had an early scan, "just to be sure everything was where it was supposed to be".  At 10 weeks, the day before I flew to MN, I had my first full doctor's appointment and another scan- in 4 weeks things had gone from a ball with a movement that was the heartbeat to something recognizable as a baby!

The timing was great, as I was able to tell all my family and friends in MN the good news in person.  Margo and I had an elaborate plan to tell my mom at the airport via Freya, but unfortunately my flight was really early, and the glitter on Freya's t-shirt didn't dry in time.  She wore it later on though!

We're not going to find out the gender of the baby, so I stocked up on lots of yellow and green baby clothes- everything is so much cheaper in the States, so I took advantage of the shopping opportunity.  I also received wonderful gifts and hand-me-downs from friends and family.  Here's what the haul looked like when I got back to Ireland!

A couple of days after I got back to Ireland, at 13 weeks, I had a first trimester screening (a bit late because of being away in MN).  Baby was stubborn and kept his or her back turned the whole time, but the results were all very good.

I've been very lucky to be feeling pretty good- a couple instances of queasiness, but nothing too bad.  I was extremely tired at first, but am feeling much more energized now and have started doing a lot more walking.  I think the worst thing so far was getting a bad cold and cough while I was in MN and not really being able to take anything for it.  I will never take cough syrup for granted again!

I have promised friends and family back in MN that I will be better at keeping this updated during the pregnancy and especially after baby arrives- so stay tuned!

Minnesota Trip

Back on the 3rd of February I flew to MN for just over two weeks for my niece, Freya's baptism.  I had a wonderful time visiting friends and family and was able to spend a few days just hanging out at Margo and Justin's house taking care of Freya while they were at work.  It was fantastic to spend some quality time with my beautiful niece!  

Valentine's Day!

Second outfit of the day on Valentine's Day

All clean!

Kisses from Auntie

I got to be there for Freya's first solid food- sweet potatoes.  She loved them!  She would try to grab Margo's hand and guide the spoon to her mouth!

Freya's baptism- her godmothers are her two aunts- Justin's sister, Heidi, and me

I got this for baby shortly after Margo found out she was pregnant.  It finally fits!  And, check out those leg warmers!

2011 Wrap-Up

During November and December we:

-Hosted Thanksgiving dinner for 7 of our friends, complete with sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie squares.  It was fun to bring a taste of America to the Emerald Isle!

-I also spent a lot of time in the kitchen baking Christmas cookies.  Christmas goodies here tend to be of the fruit cake and mince pie variety, which I'm not a huge fan of, so I made my own favorites!

-Spent a weekend in Cork in early December as our Christmas gifts to each other.  We had a lovely weekend, checking out the famous English Market and also the Christmas Market, relaxing in the jacuzzi, and eating some great food.

-Took in the Christmas Market at the Docklands in Dublin again this year.  It didn't have quite the atmosphere as last year, as there wasn't any snow, but we still enjoyed drinking cider, listening to music, and browsing the stalls.

-Enjoyed Afternoon Tea at the Westin Hotel in Dublin on a December Sunday afternoon, then strolled along Grafton street, taking in the Christmas lights and displays in the shop windows

-Spent Christmas in Louisburgh with Paul's family.  We relaxed and ate way too much!

 Bubbles checking out her gifts before we left Dublin

 Paul carving the turkey

 Bridget, Marie, Brian, PJ & Paul

Brian & Marie, PJ & Bridget, Paul & Me