31 (so I'm a bit late!)

Yes, this is my Week 31 pic. Don't get all stressed about it not being a profile shot. We tried those, and they were pretty rubbish. Below is another Week 31 pic (actually, this was taken Week 30 and 6 days. If you're fastidious about that sort of thing). There is a belly there, quite a big one, but my jumper happens to have sequins on it which are reflecting the sun so you can't see it very well. Still, its as much of a profile photo as I can manage. 

What can I really say? I had an uneventful appointment with my doctor. Ha, that was a lie. I had an uneventful appointment with one of the 11 doctors at the hospital OB dept. She was nice enough, told me that everything was fine and that there was nothing to be concerned about. I did get weighed, the result of which I will not be divulging on this public forum any longer. Onto more pleasant things. 

I spend a couple of weeks with my friend Sarah from the UK. She helped me repaint (yes, that's 3 times folks) the nursery, and while my brother's girlfriend helped paint trim, Sarah redid all the borders on the ceiling. The room can now officially have furniture in it. Which is handy, since we have a chair and a dresser already! But....no crib. Its on order. And I have full confidence that it will arrive on time! Actually, I have very little confidence that it will arrive on time, because I have a sneaking suspicion that this baby will not be sticking around for 40weeks. What an odd thing to think - I can't explain why, perhaps it's just wishful thinking, but I just feel like he's going to be here sooner than Dec. 22nd. 

We are starting to prepare for Baby OH's arrival. 

The name: Not resolved (and truth be told, I might be wavering anyhow)

The nursery: Painted, that's enough right?? 

The timing: James' graduation on November 29th, 2.5hrs drive away.

The to-do list: Is growing. This is probably a good thing to help us be prepared. 

The shower: Complete and successful. 

The pram: Purchased and LOVELY.

The car seat: In a box. 

The prenatal classes: I'm working on it. I refuse to attend prenatal classes on my own. It would make me heartsick. They also cost money. What a joke! There are some online options that I'm looking into though. 

Our timing is a bit strained. With James away, 4 family birthdays in 6 weeks, James' graduation and then Christmas, I am trying to avoid pressure and stress by dealing with as much as I can now. We've given ourselves until November 30th to purchase and wrap all the Christmas prezzies and purchase the tree and ornaments. We've started planning the menu and just need to talk to the family about the plan for Christmas eve. Its going to be such a hectic but such a rich and exciting time for our family. Blessings abound! (I've started saying this a lot recently. It sounds so old-fashioned, but it just fits.)

Baby Shower Time!

As I hit 30 weeks, the day for my baby shower finally arrived. 

 After much frustration, I gambled on a spot downtown near the University of Toronto. DT Bistro & Patisserie. For those of you who know me, "gambling" is not something I would normally do. Throwing a baby shower at a venue that you have not previously attended in person, is most assuredly not advisable. But my options had run out and I could only hope that the chef's bio and his obvious passion for his place would be represented in the food. And did it ever! The desserts and pastries were unbelievably fantastic. The savoury portion was made up of miniatures including spring rolls, pumpkin and thai coconut cream soup, roast pork with apple and chutney bites and a mushroom strudel. Be still my heart. Food, glorious food.

The decor was sophisticated (hello tone-on-tone fabric wallpaper, Tiffany-blue leather upholstered chairs and modern lighting) and totally suited my taste. Despite various arrival times, everyone seemed at ease and the afternoon advanced with an atmosphere that was completely relaxed. We had adult conversation that touched on babies and motherhood, but mostly focused on work and other things. This was exactly as I hoped it would be. I was so pleased to have a dear friend from England, some old friends and work friends and my family present. Yes we arrived late, and yes, my milk jug had to be replaced, and yes, our server did forget to replace our flatware, but, it was a perfect afternoon as far as I was concerned.

What a blessing to be surrounded by people who care about you. And to be able to eat magnificent cake. At the same time. It could almost be dubbed "blissful".