12 Weeks Pregnant

11 Weeks

We have lived up at Simon Fraser University for a year now. I can't believe how quickly time has passed and already the great memories we have made in Vancouver. The only negative, really, was our apartment - and not the layout or size, but its location within the building. North facing, facing the undergrad housing, bright bright lights that stayed on all night long and no yard. Ugh. We finally found another apartment on the other side, with a fenced yard and a nice view. We even have a huge Maple tree within the yard. We just moved in and it feels so great! Its amazing how much better life is with abit of sunshine streaming through your windows and some peace and quiet from the loud undergrads! As for our house on the Island, we have found some suitable renters who will remain in our house for the next two years (could be longer!!). I would be lying if I said I wasn't feeling nostalgic for our Island paradise! I think that now that I am pregnant, I am much more sensitive to my surroundings and a part of me really does miss the true nature and feelings of clean living that is impossible to feel in the city.

I will miss this view outside my bedroom door.....

Jordan is back in regular classes and Jonas is going to my old daycare up here at SFU - funny isn't it? I was about his age when I was here in the 70's. I am working as a Doula and am looking forward to attending as many births as possible before baby #2 comes along.

Its been difficult lately because of my fatigue, which comes in waves. Some days are fine and others are like I have this huge hangover and my body feels like lead. I am not feeling as nauseous but still have some food aversions. Those are slowly going away as well. There has been no weight gain yet, but I am beginning to feel my uterus expand above my pubic bone. As well, I can feel the little flutters of the fetus doing flips inside of me.

Jonas will sometimes put his hand on my belly and say that he can feel the baby. He gets very excited about a baby growing inside of me and I always tell him about when he was growing inside of me. I think he thinks its all pretty cool - I have no idea how much he truly understands since he is only 30 months old, but he understands enough to bring it up on his own sometimes.

I often wonder how he will react to the new baby and the shift in family dynamics once baby is born. Although its still so early in the pregnancy I am making conscious little changes with Jonas, such as not carrying him around so much and also letting him know that I am tired alot and need to rest more often. I am also making him wait while I finish tasks - rather than going to him so quickly when he has a need that must be met. I am hoping he will learn just a small amount of patience over these next few months so that he is more understanding when I am attending to the new baby first. Well, we will see how it all pans out.

8 Weeks And THE Wonderful Things That Accompany Pregnancy

I love that I have my old pregnancy blog to reread and compare to my current pregnancy. Its seems as though, so far, many things are similar.

Starting about 2 weeks ago, I became really, really tired....and with a 30 month old boy running around its not like the first time around where I just focused on myself and relaxed. Actually, as far as timing of this pregnancy, it has worked out better than I had imagined. With Jordan off from school for the past two weeks and for another 2 two weeks, I am able to get time to myself and get extra sleep as needed, so overall, I feel good.

Just like the last time around, I am having a few food aversions and a funny relationship with food. Last time it was distinctly meat and fish for several months. This time its been coffee (I only have a cup each morning but for the past month its been totally avoided as the thought of it made my stomach turn). And also the thought of making heavy dishes like Indian food or just big dinners totally turns my stomach. I am fine in the light breakfast and lunch arena where I make simple and straightforward meals - but beyond that yuck. Funny how its all unfolding just like the last pregnancy and this time around I am always contemplating why why why does the body go through all these changes - its so much more the physical, isn't it!

Other first trimester changes include, unfortunately, restless leg again and peeing all night long. My dreams are incredibly vivid. My breasts are a little tender, which I am more aware of this time around because I am still nursing Jonas at nap time and bed time. I am not looking forward to my breasts getting big again since they had returned to a nice smaller size this past year.

But that doesn't really matter does it? Afterall, I am growing a baby, who, by now has grown more than 10,000 times its original size since conception. This little wonder now has

little arm and leg buds and is about 1/3 INCH long!

Blessed!

Two separate tests with positive results.

What a wonderful reunion with Jordan after spending two weeks apart. He has finnished up his research for the summer and I am home from the Island.

Now we can bask in the sun together and start thinking of names. Oh and call the parents ;-)

Made on Quadra Island??

Summer travel, work, studies....family, friends. Waiting waiting for my cycle to be late. It couldn't be this easy, could it?

A Little Voice.....

After spending a few years living and building our home on Quadra Island, the island of my husbands childhood, we decided to start our family. My first blog documents my first pregnancy, ending in a beautiful and fulfilling homebirth at my mother in laws house.

My second blog is written for my son, recording his first year of life and my transition into motherhood. 

With this transition, I moved away from my filmmaking work and delved deeply into everything perinatal which manifested into my becoming a Doula. I love being a mother at home but I also like to get out into the community and connect with pregnant and new mothers in such a way that I can assist with their own transitions into their new roles. And I know that in time I will pick up another camera and record what I have discovered along the way of empowering and supporting women in their childbearing years.

So with this fulfilled life I was not so sure I would have another child. My son is 2 and we are on a longish temporary hiatus in the city where my husband is in graduate school and I am working abit and building on my Doula skills. Life is great and full of joy so why would I ever want to disrupt it? 

And yet I feel so deeply the winds of change. A new adventure unfolds as I feel a gentle nudge from something higher than myself. I feel the warmth and joy of knowing that I am opening myself to this strong yet soft whisper of life unfolding. And my husband has felt this stirring as well. Its as if a little soul out there has chosen us and is waiting for us to accept its bright light into our family and our life....