Days are numbered

My work has been asking me for when I think my last day is going to be. I have been putting off the decision because right now I feel great, but in 4 weeks from now am I going to feel the same? I am currently half way through my 30th week. After the first 4 days of work back from spring break I can tell you I'm already exhausted.

Half way through my work day I was working with one little lad who was just as tired as I was and at one point we both plopped ourselves on the bean bag chairs and took a little breather. Than I realized what we were doing and I decided to take us both outside to get some fresh air and spruce up our energy levels. When I came home after working only a 6 hour day I had a 2 hour nap. I couldn't keep my eyes open for the life of me. So actually yesterday I gave my work my notice that my last day will be April 27. I thought since I'm already getting to the point where I grunt when standing up from the floor, and my slowing speed, in the next 4 1/2 weeks I'm going to just get slower, more tired and it's just a good idea to take some rest before baby comes, cause once kiwi makes his/her debut there will be no rest for a while. So after this week of work I only have 4 weeks left. Can you believe that?! So crazy and the month of May is going to fly by, we have so much planned for that time. Kiwi's going to be here before we know it! Ahhh!!

The nursery is still in the process of being painted so I can not share those pictures yet. Our cousin who is doing the painting is going to finish after she's done school which is in just over a week. I am really happy with it so far! It's really cute!

Kiwi is moving a lot now. I have the stomach wave quite often throughout the day. I find it funny that kiwi kicks whenever a kid leans up against me while sitting on the floor at work. Or when I was holding my friends baby kiwi started kicking like crazy. I don't know if kiwi knows what's going on, or what but it's just a humorous coincidence. This past week is when I had to upgrade to actual maternity pants. My regular pants no longer fit without a belly band. I also bought some new actual maternity pants and they are super comfy! I think I should go back and buy another pair because they are awesome. However, I don't want to load up on clothes that I am only going to wear for the next two months, that just seems silly to me (I'm cheap/frugal).

This isn't much of an update...my brain is scattered and I'm losing focus from being so tired today. Sorry if my thoughts are all over the place and it's hard to follow anything I'm really trying to say.

Well, it's 9pm...time for bed.

Until next time

Michelle & kiwi

The day has been marked

Yesterday marked Friday. B came home from his long "3 day trip" that ended up being more like 5 days because someone had a brain fart when planning his return trip home. It also marked the day the electricians came over and finished up the remaining electrical work in our unfinished basement. It also marked the day when I went for a wonderful massage, I'll tell a funny little story about the massage itself in a minute. It also marked the day when I had my first stranger danger touch my stomach. I've always said that if I had a stranger touch my stomach (without asking) I would rub their stomach as well and pretend that this is normal. However, I was so shocked that it was actually happening that I forgot my plan. I kicked myself later but I will be more prepared for the next time. Maybe even intercept their hand and shake it before they reach my belly. I don't mind people touching my stomach, but have the decency to ask first, otherwise it's just creepy!

While I was enjoying my massage kiwi was kicking up a storm. Than at one point she was trying to work out a knot that was in my mid back (that has just started to form itself) and while she was pressing on that part baby was pushing on my lungs knocking the breath out of me since it was pressure coming from both sides. The relaxing massage now became a battle of being able to breath. That 2 minutes was not very comfortable but it was soon over and my back is feeling so much more relaxed! Totally worth it!

After I picked up B from the airport we stopped and got some ice cream and came home. We both didn't finish our ice cream and put it in the freezer for later (I don't know why I just added that detail of our day but there you have it) and then I soon after decided to lay down for a rest. Well, it turned out to be for the night. When I woke up this morning I had slept for over 12 hours. I don't know why I was so tired. Maybe sympathy sleepiness since B had pulled an almost all nighter the night before.

Today (Saturday) my friend and I went to a baby fair. She has a 8 1/2 month year old and she really wanted to go to the fair for the "sleep through the night" presentation. When we first arrived I was a wee bit over stimulated. There were many booths set up and people at each booth pining for your attention. However, it was so hard to even concentrate on what you were looking at because there were 10 other booths that were just as interesting. When I finally controlled my brain and settled into being able to focus it was really fun. There were booths on pretty much everything. My favourite part though, my friends baby screaming with delight at the photo shoot centre. She is so cute!

This evening we went out for dinner to celebrate B's father's birthday. It was so nice to be with his family and spend time with them and our nephew. He's so funny and cute. Seriously I don't think the kid can get any cuter! After dinner we went back to B's parents' house and had some pumpkin pie, which was delicious!! (I'm not usually a pumpkin pie fan but this was really yummy!! ) I love how my taste buds are no longer mine and I'm finding joy in some things I don't normally enjoy and sadly don't like some of my favourites, but that's easing up :)

Well, I think that's all there is for now.

Until next time,

Michelle and Kiwi

Grumble

Oh, this just happened. A status update from one of my friends on facebook went like this:

To those who don't have children yet I offer sage advice: don't take for granted peeing alone, having a date night, sleeping in, going to the movies or quiet evenings :)

Than a bunch of mommy's shot back with a bunch of other "complaints" if you will. I couldn't stand by and not say something. I find this to be so incredibly insensitive, maybe not insensitive but ignorant that such things could be said without any thought to those it may hurt. So my response to her status and the 21 other comments from mommies was this:

and those who do have kids never take for granted that you were able to have them, people who struggle with infertility would give anything to have those issues!!

I guess it came at a bad time too because after my "outing" I was almost in 2 car accidents all because of one moron's stupid driving. That put me in a very moody mood, I think it's safe to say. So to come home and see that really put me in a sour mood. I think it's bed time.

Procrastination at its best

Yesterday marked the first day of painting the animals in the nursery. I am excited for the final product so I can post pictures for you to enjoy. However I will not post pictures until it's complete. The suspense is building I can tell. Just know it's going to be really cute! Also it's going to take a while, at least a couple of weeks. B's cousin is doing the painting and since she's finishing up her semester we are working around her schedule of when she can paint. I'm so thrilled that she's willing to do it!

I have yet to put that blanket together. I don't know why I'm procrastinating from it. It's going to be enjoyable. I think it's cause I've never made a blanket before and I don't have a pattern. I'm just going with my gut on how to do it. So strange.

I detailed the car today and for my reward I think I'm going to go and get some new born onesies so our little kiwi won't be naked when we bring him/her home.

I am also procrastinating from going out. Yesterday I went out to run a couple of errands and I wish I hadn't. People everywhere I went were grumpy and I came home grumpy. So I'm kind of hesitant on going out today. However, I know I need to get out or I will go stir crazy.

I am excited about tomorrow. I am going for a massage. I have been getting some lower back pain and hip pain lately so I'm hoping a massage will help work it out.

Well, that's about all there is for now. I can't believe spring break is almost over. Only 5 more work weeks when I get back until maternity leave. Can you believe it? Time is going way too fast!

Till later

Michelle and Kiwi

Spring cleaning continues

I am in the middle of cleaning windows and blinds and needed to sit down and rest. I only have 3 windows left and I really just want to get them done. But I am listening to my body and it told me to rest for a few minutes. I'm still surprised at how quickly I'm getting tired. I use to be an energizer bunny...not any more I guess. It's super windy here today. So much so that it knocked a tree over onto a car (not on our street, but downtown in an industrial area). Crazy! I feel bad for the owner of that car, that can't be a great way to start the day.

My birds are so stinkin' hilarious! As soon as Inigo goes for a fly around blue bird follows. Only that blue birds wings are clipped from being in the store, so he goes to fly and slowly flutters to the ground. It's sad really but really funny at the same time. They really like each other and have started chirping a lot! Earlier today Inigo kept running up to blue bird, lifted his one foot, put it on blue birds back and pushed. He did this about 3 times. Such an older brother already.

Also baby started kicking a lot when the birds were getting really loud. I don't know if the two are related but I'm hoping that baby is getting use to the sounds of the house so when he/she makes their debut it won't be too shocking.

Tomorrow marks the day that we will paint the animals in the nursery. They are all drawn now and Cameron did an amazing job! It is very impressive! All the furniture is set up and ready to go and now I just have to start getting things for the baby. You know like diapers and clothes. I have a few outfits but I realized they are all 3-6 months or older. So it's not really going to work for when baby first arrives. haha. We're going to have a naked baby! Did I also mention on here that we already have our stroller and car seat? It was so weird when we first brought it home because both B and I just stared at it like it was an alien. We have no idea who let us grow up. And now that the nursery is put together it's really weird. I am really liking it though. Crazy to think that in 8 -11 weeks baby could be here. I know baby could also be late and I'm prepared for that, I think I'm more prepared for baby to be late than early. The thought of having baby early scares me. At the same time I hope baby is not too late because I have family going to be in town from very far away and would love them to meet kiwi, but their time here in town is limited so I'm really praying that baby will be here before they have to go.

The blinds are all done! You didn't even notice that I left did you?! Ha! I'm just that good. Those were probably the most satisfactory feeling blinds to clean because they were the dirtiest and so there was immediate rewards in seeing them clean! I love that feeling! So weird. I'm just rambling now.

B's out of town for work until tomorrow night at mid-night. I miss him. He sent me a photo yesterday of his left over sushi and claimed it to be the best sushi he's ever had. *grumble*. I have already made it clear that my first meal after delivery will be sushi. I've researched that it's ok to have sushi when breastfeeding (but to not over indulge in tuna), it's just not safe while pregnant. Which is ok, I just miss it.

Well, that's all there is to report for today

Michelle and kiwi signing out!

Inigo has a brother, blue bird

So I got Inigo a brother yesterday. His current name is blue bird while we figure out what we actually want to name him. We are going to give it a few days to see what his personality plays out to be. Right now the poor little guy is a little overwhelmed. Inigo has taken to him though. At first he was very dominate, going to the extreme of standing on blue birds back and fluffing himself up to appear larger than he is. Now he likes to go right up to him nuzzle his beak and then literally run away across the perch. It's actually hilarious to watch. Blue bird just slowly inches away. I think it was the right decision though because they seem like they will get along just fine once the initial shock of each other is complete. I love how they sit on the very top perch looking at each other with really quiet chirps. They are so cute!!

I also stopped at fabricland and found the material I've had my eye on for a long while on sale. 75% off so of course I bought it. I was so excited! I bought some yellow and some green to make a baby blanket. I will post photos of the finished product once it's done. I'm hoping maybe by the end of the weekend or by the end of spring break for sure. It's super soft fabric. One side is going to be yellow the other side green, so get this, it will reversible. I'm so pumped! Can you tell?!

Let's see, what else is there to report? I think that's about it for today my friends! Here is a 28 week picture for your viewing pleasure. I think I'm getting huge already! I find myself winded by the time I get to the top of the stairs and last night marked the first night I couldn't find a comfortable position in our bed so I went and made myself a pillow fortress in the guest room and found my way into a dreamaphoric state. It was blissful!

Until next time,

Michelle

Happy Friday Everyone!

I found it! I am so very excited! The onesie that I've been looking for, I found in a second hand baby store (we have 2 of those stores here in K-town). It was only 5 dollars and I'm so pumped. I am going to be using this outfit for the birth announcement photo that we have planned. I can't divulged too much info because when the picture is actually taken I will take a picture of the picture and post it on here. Just know that it's going to be cute!

Today as I was looking at all the cute outfits I was wondering if it's going to be a girl or a boy. I have felt so far that it's going to be a girl, however last night I had a very vivid dream that I gave birth to a baby boy and he was super cute. I was in love just in my dream. I can't even imagine what it's going to be like for reals when it actually is reality and not a dream.

I think Kiwi must be getting annoyed with me because during the day I poke him/her a lot to feel some movement just to ease my own mind. Poor kid.

Today I am going to go and get Inigo a friend. I have decided that he needs a friend because yesterday he started showing signs of loneliness and boredom. He was seeking a playmate out of his swing. It was actually really funny to watch as well as sad. He would attack his swing and then let it swing and hit him in the head and then when it would swing back a second time he would attack it again. I think he needs a friend. So that's what I'm going to do today.

Well until next time,

Michelle

the BBB and spring cleaning

Last night we had the BBB B's birthday Bash (his second one cause we went out for dinner when we were in Calgary). This party was pretty low key as it was ice cream cake. I totally misjudged how much one cake would feed our group (of 12 people) and bought two cakes under B's direction. Well, we didn't even finish off the first cake so now I have another birthday cake in the freezer as well as 2 pieces from the first. We will have no issues filling my ice cream cravings for the next 3 months. I would say, this is perfect for the next birthday that comes along, except that on the cake it says, "Happy Birthday Brenton". Um...that's not going to work for anyone else...unless their name is also Brenton.

Now today I am procrastinating from doing the spring cleaning duties I have set up for myself. At first I had "windows and blinds" as my cleaning duty for the day but since it's such a gloomy day I did not feel very inspired to clean them so I decided to trade it with baseboard day. But again I find myself not really inspired to do it. Probably cause yesterday was such a productive day that I find myself being really lazy today. I did walk around with the drywall guy and try to answer any of his questions (which I suck at because I really have no clue).

Kiwi did not wake me up last night. I think I also only had 2 washroom breaks through the night. So crazy. I must have been tired. I also slept in past 9:30. That's just crazy talk yo! At first when I woke up I thought something must be wrong because there was no dance party at 5:30. However, as soon I was awake for 5 minutes kiwi started to kick and squirm and my worries were put to rest.

On Tuesday my doctor did my regular belly check and said everything looks good. She also told me that if I hadn't felt baby move in a while to have a sugary snack or soda and wait for 15-20 minutes. I think my doctor is so funny! Such funny advice from a doctor I thought. But it does work, I can tell you this from after eating ice cream cake last night!

Well, I guess that's all there is to report for now. Until later

Michelle

Leg cramps and Sugar highs

Last night I gave B a scare. I was in a deep wonderful sleep when all of a sudden I was woken up with the most severe cramp in my right calf muscle. I didn't think I was going to be able to move it ever again (I know a mere bit melodramatic) and I screamed in pain. B thought I was in pre-mature labour or something bad was happening. When he woke up and asked me and I told him that it was a cramp he gave me some very helpful advice that worked relieve the pain. I ended up waking up two more times with this stupid cramp(B figures it was caused by driving so much yesterday, who knew to stretch before and after driving - guess that's one of my new habits I will get into). When I woke up for the morning my calf muscle wasn't cramped but it still really hurt. It was very tight.

We got ready for the day and headed downtown. I dropped B off to pick up our other car that we had lent to some friends and I headed to the blood clinic. I had my glucose test today. They make you drink this orange drink (that tastes like flat orange crush) in 5 minutes and then you have to sit for an hour and then they take your blood to test it to see if you have gestational diabetes. I will find out the results either later today or tomorrow. While I sat there I got the jitters. It's like drinking soda on an empty stomach, you get tummy rot and the jitters and a sugar high. Kiwi also got a sugar high and danced around in my stomach for quite sometime. Finally the wait was over and they took my blood and I was free to go.

I went and did a little shopping. I should window shopping since I didn't buy anything. It was actually fun. (I hate shopping but this was fun cause it was baby shopping.) I was looking for a specific onesie and I never did find it. Than I talked to my lil' sis and I went over to visit her a while. Than I washed the car and did a couple of other errands and then finally got home at about 3 o'clock. I couldn't believe how much of my day was gone. C - to - the - razy!

I have officially started spring break and I am super excited because this is when we had agreed that I could start going baby crazy! As in getting the nursery put together!! I am super psyched! I will post photos of it once it's complete, but until then I will not give anything away. Beside, between now and the finished product it may change a bit so I don't want to set it up one way and deliver it in another way. But all I can say is I'm super duper excited.

Our Hawaii trip really marked the moment where I allowed myself to get really excited. Before than I was still reserved and nervous and cautious. I didn't (and still don't) want to be insensitive to others who are struggling. Knowing this I also don't want my over-sensitiveness to overshadow the joy and excitement that Kiwi is bringing to our lives.

Well until next time

Michelle

Update: I received an email from my doctors office that I passed the sugar test and do not have gestational diabetes - ice cream anyone?!

Whirlwind trip and bump photos

This past weekend was fun, even though most of it is a blur! As soon as work was over on Friday we headed to Golden. Between Revelstoke and Golden was heavy rain, that turned to heavy snow and then to rain again. It was white knuckle driving for a bit. We stayed in Golden for the night at the Ramada hotel with B's parents (a 2 bedroom suite room). The next day, Saturday, we woke up a little late -it was an hour ahead already and we were still on BC time so we were an hour later than we expected to be. No biggie cause there was no time limit, we didn't need to be anywhere until 5:30.When we got there we visited with a couple of friends of ours (we were staying with them after all so it's only customary to actually visit with them right?). They introduced us to a game called Carasonne and it was awesome! A new game that is definitely on our list. Than we got ourselves together and headed to a restaurant to celebrate B's birthday.The following day we went to church to watch our niece be dedicated at church. During the service Kiwi started playing a little game and I have to admit it was very distracting from the sermon. Kiwi would stretch out his/her hand or foot (I could see it - it was very small, but from the angel I couldn't make out which one it was). It would stretch out and then pull back and then punch/kick really fast. Than he/she would stretch it out nice and slow again and then pull back and fast action! He/she did this 4 or 5 times. It was really funny. It felt really weird too. This was the second day kiwi had practiced stretching, but the first time that this little game occurred.

After we had a great lunch at B's brother and wife's home we headed back to K-town. The roads were great at first. And then once we passed Banff the snow started (I was driving). It wasn't so bad. By the time we got 40km outside of Lake Louise it was white out conditions and I was driving between 30-40km per hour. I stayed behind a semi because I figured if this person is a professional driver I will follow them. Once B and I traded positions he didn't have to deal with the white out conditions anymore, it had cleared up. However, there was such severe fog that it was just as bad. It was a terrible drive. But thankfully we made it home safe and sound.

Here are some baby bump pictures of me at week 26/27. The final picture may be a bit awkward since I'm in a bathing suit, but whatever that's what my body looks like right now.

Babymoon 2012

Hawaii was awesome!! I'm going to break it down into days and what we did on those days because it's just easier for my memory that way.

Thursday - we arrived at 10pm and went for dinner at our hotel's restaurant. Than we went for a quick walk across the street and walked down the pier. Than went back to our room and called it a night.

(This is the view from our room)

Friday - we hopped on a tour bus (which we had a groupon for because my husband is so smart and signed up for groupon - honolulu before we left and got some awesome deals on some of the activities we were going to do). We went for a tour around the island than hopped off the bus and got on our boat for Whale watching. On our tour we saw about 8 or 9 whales. It was incredible! I really enjoyed the calmness of the boat and kiwi was super hyper during the entire trip. He/she really loves or really hates boats! Afterwards we went back to our hotel for a nap and then went for dinner and a walk. For dessert we had some incredible ice cream from a place called Cold Stone Creamery - this is where you create your own amazing ice cream sundae! This day I had their mudslide which was coffee ice cream with fudge, peanut butter, and roasted almonds (I also asked for one gummy bear).

(The whales spouting out water)

Saturday - We hopped on our tour bus (it was a 3 day pass) and headed out to Pearl Harbour. It was very interesting and very somber. I made a couple of inappropriate comments to B and he just shook his head at me. It rained while we were there but it was still very warm. I didn't mind the overcast and rain because the day before I had burnt my forehead (forgot to reapply sunscreen to it-not so smart when you're on a boat). After a long afternoon of learning we headed back to town and ate at the Old Spaghetti factory. We had a table that overlooked the ocean. B and I sat on the same side of the table so we could both look out at it. Although the inside was just as intriguing with all the wood work that was done.

Sunday - We woke up early and got on our shuttle that took us out to the airport. We weren't getting on a plane though, we were getting on a helicopter. We went for a 50 minute helicopter ride of a tour of the entire island. It was AWESOME! We saw whales from above, as well as a waterfall that can only be seen by air. Not to mention the rest of the island that was incredibly beautiful. I told B that I expected a rose at the end of the trip because I felt like I was on a bachelor type date. We were seated according to weight and B and I lucked out by being placed up front with the pilot which was super awesome because the glass went all the way down to our feet so we had a full view of everything. Seriously such an adrenaline rush. My only advice to anyone thinking of going on a helicopter ride is to wear a shirt with a collar (the harness digs into your neck otherwise) oh and to wear dark clothes so your pictures don't reflect you in the glass. Than we headed to the Stadium and walked around the largest outdoor flea markets. It was really neat to see the different things that they make there. It did start to get repetitive though. We than went back to our hotel and had a nap(Ok, I had a nap every single day so I'm going to start leaving that out of my daily reflections - I'm growing a human and we were doing a lot of walking I tired faster than I expected). We went for dinner to an amazing place called DK's that over looked the ocean and had the most amazing steak!

Monday - We got up early to catch our shuttle to the boat dock. Once we were there I used a washroom that had two stalls but no doors. I was in there at the same time as a couple of teenagers who squealed with fear of having to pee without a door. Since there were 3 of us and only 2 stalls we worked it out that one person would stand guard and the other two would do their thing and then we would switch. I have to say that was a first for me. I'm glad I went though cause the boat we were on didn't have a washroom. We headed out to turtle's cove but before we got there we had 2 dolphins swim by our boat (they were gone by the time we got our camera out) and then we stopped the boat to observe a whale that was maybe 20-30 feet away. It was just grazing at the surface letting out a spout of water now and then. Than we finished our adventure out to turtle's cove. Once we were there (our boat was the only one there since it was only 9am) B and I were the first ones off the boat. I went to one part of the ocean and saw 14 sea turtles hanging out at the bottom. (It was only 15 feet deep). But because there were so many people splashing about the turtles weren't coming up. I looked over for B and saw him in another part so I headed to hang out by him. Sure enough there were 3 sea turtles over there. We were very still, just hovering and one of the sea turtles came straight up. I had to back myself up a bit so that he didn't run into me (it's illegal to touch them). If I had reached my arm out I could have touched him he was just that close! It was amazing! Eventually a wave came and some water went down my air tube. I choked and with that comes the gag reflex and let's just say I fed the fish. Weirdly b had the same experience so we decided to head back to the boat to take a little break. When we got there they said the tour was over so we were now the lastones on the boat. It was such a fun experience. We stopped and grabbed some lunch. When I woke from my nap it was late and we went for dinner and another walk.

Tuesday - We called this relaxing day and headed to the beach across the street and went snorkeling off the shore. It was really quite surprising at how much there was to see under the water there. I wasn't expecting to see anything cool but there were a lot of different types of colourful fish and coral and it was really neat. We stayed out there for a few hours and then headed back to our hotel to get ready for a luau. It was amazing! The trip out there the tour guide kept referring to himself as Dwayne Johnson or The Rock. Little did he know he had a Rock fan on the bus so once the bus stopped and we got off I asked him if he could smell what the rock was cooking. Than later when we got back on the bus I asked him if it was the Jabroni bus. I think I'm hilarious! He did too. Before the luau began they had some neat activities you could participate in or just watch. Hula dancing lessons, get a temporary tattoo, Watch a guy climb the coconut tree and send flowers down from the top, More Hula dancing lessons, watching how they catch fish, many different mini shows. Than the luau began, they pulled the pig out of the ground and had a little ceremony and then we headed to our tables and had dinner and watched the main show. It was really neat! I really enjoyed it.

Wednesday - super relax do basically nothing day. The only thing we did was go for a walk all the way down the strip and window shopped. I tried on a lot of dresses and was torn between a couple. The one lady at the store was really bartering with me on price. I wasn't even meaning for her to come down in price, I was really just torn between the dress at her store and one I tried on at another store. So while I was debating it in my mind she kept hounding me and while I wasn't budging on making a rash decision her price kept lowering. Kind of funny. I ended up walking away without both dresses and decided to sleep on it.

Thursday - We woke up early and headed towards the city bus stop. We headed up to Panoma Bay which is known for good snorkeling. We saw our bus approach and then it kept going. It didn't even stop it was so full. So we talked to some locals and they recommended taking a different bus and transferring to the other bus. We decided to listen to them. When we got to our second stop 2 ladies asked us if we'd be interested in sharing a cab the rest of the way since it's taken them 2 days to attempt to get there. So we agreed. We got there in good time and watched the video that tells you to not touch the coral. We headed down to the beach and went snorkeling. It was so fun. A little shallow in some parts so it made it tricky to not touch the coral in some parts. A couple of times I had to put my hands down to push myself over it so my tummy didn't scrape on it. I apologized to the fishes for touching their habitat. We came in for some snacks and I people watched. There was one girl that caught my attention. She had on a very frilly swimsuit and instead of going into the water to swim she just walked, occasionally she'd bend over and put her face in the water and look around. She was just really funny to watch, I don't think she understood how to actually snorkel. This entertained me for quite some time. Than we went for a walk down the beach and saw a sea turtle in the shallow water right off shore and a sea lion laying on the beach. Than we headed back to our things and got our snorkel gear and went for another round. It was so much fun, yet scary at the same time. Scary in that if you got into one of the coral pockets the current would throw you around and it took all your power to not hit the coral. We headed back to our hotel and chose to try the city bus again (big mistake!!) We ended up having to stand for the entire 45 minute ride. When we got off the bus I cried. (I know I'm such a whiner) My feet had swollen, my back really hurt and my energy was gone. We went back to the hotel where I had a shower and then a nap. When I woke up I felt better about the world and we headed out. We went for a walk and I found that dress (the one where the lady had been bring down her price) at another store for 5 dollars cheaper than the ladies lowest price. And not only that but when we asked the shop owner of the price of this dress she dropped it to another $5 off. So we got it for 10 dollars cheaper than the ladies final price. Score! I won't be able to wear it until after baby is born because it sits a little funny in my tummy area, just the style of cut. I was happy with that. Than we went to a restaurant called Dukes for our final dinner. It was yummy! After dinner we walked along the beach in the sand and then headed back to the main strip and walked along looking at all there was to see (did a lot of people watching).

(Check out the baby bump) (oh and I was touching the coral because the current was throwing me around)

(pretty sunset)

Friday - After we had breakfast (which was included with our hotel) we packed and then headed downstairs and checked in our luggage so we could go for a final walk. Our hotel gave us a coupon for a free tote bag that changes colour in the sun. So we went to claim it. While we were there I found a baby onesie for kiwi (this trip is to celebrate him/her after all he/she should get something out of it right?) Than we picked up an ice cream from the Cold Stone Creamery. This time it was chocolate ice cream with fudge, strawberries and gummy bears. So yummerific! We wanted to go for more of a walk but our time had run out and we had to go back and catch our shuttle back to the airport. What a sad ride. I didn't want to leave.

Saturday - back at home. I woke up so confused on where I was. I didn't understand why I couldn't see diamond head crater or the ocean. Such a sad moment when reality hits. 5 loads of laundry and a grocery shop later I was settled back into real life.

Over all it was an amazing trip! Kiwi loves being on a boat or any mode of transportation. Any time there was significant movement Kiwi would kick. Oh and on Friday(Mar2) Kiwi moved in a fashion that made my stomach do the wave. It was crazy creepy!! This trip was the turning point for me. I have allowed myself to now be really excited about our pregnancy! Before this trip I was still guarded and weary of being too excited but now I am ready to shout it out. Not on facebook yet....I don't want people asking for baby bump photos or hounding me about "is it here yet" when the date gets closer so I'm still opting to only mention it on here as far as the internet goes. I also thought I must have gained 10 pounds with all the rich amazing food we took in. When I weighed myself I was shocked to find out I had only gained 1 pound. I guess all that walking helped.

Until next time,

Michelle