Valentine's Day with my Sweeties

I love holidays.  To me, it is fun to get out some special decorations, make cards and do a little baking.  Of course I love to spoil my kids with little treats too.  I usually start preparing them for a holiday by getting out any books we have about the upcoming holiday.  This is the teacher in me.  I have my books categorized by holidays, and I bring them out at that time of the year so they are special and not just another book on the shelf.  We have been reading about and talking about Valentine's Day for the past few weeks.

I came to find out, here in the U.K., Valentine's Day is only celebrated by spouses and significant others.  Children really do not celebrate Valentine's Day.  In fact, I could not find one valentine card for a child or a grandparent.  They do not make the small valentines that kids exchange at school.  They do not decorate tissue boxes to collect their valentines.  There were no conversation hearts.  The stores had a very small section that included mainly just chocolates and sweets for adults.  What a difference from the store aisles in the states with valentine stickers, stuffed animals, books, and candy galore for KIDS!

So we got out construction paper, scissors, glue, heart stickers and markers.  It was fun making valentines with the kids!  I love watching their creative minds at work.  They had a reason for each little mark they made or heart they glued.  Here are some of the sweet valentines they made for our family...   

Amelia helped me bake some heart-shaped cookies.  She loved putting on the sprinkles (which ended up everywhere in the kitchen, but that's what the Dyson is for.)

I kept some of the cookies plain so we could decorate them over the next few days.  What a treat!  The kids loved putting on M&M's and sprinkles!

Here are some pictures of our Valentine's Days in the past.  Wow, time goes SO quickly!

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

Eric and I really do not do much for each other anymore on Valentine's Day.  He has been SUCH a big help to me over the past few weeks.  He has shown his love through countless house projects, grocery shopping, and giving the kids a bath for me to have a little break in the evenings.  I probably do not need any chocolate at this point anyway.  Just more weight for me to lose after the baby is born!

Hope you all enjoyed Valentine's Day with all of the sweeties in your lives!

Snow Much Fun!

The kids were thrilled that we got about 2 inches of snow last weekend!  Can you tell we lived in South Carolina the past two years?  Dylan just could not wait to get out in it.  As it was falling Saturday evening, he rode his scooter around and made tracks in the snow. 

When we woke up Sunday morning, the light blanket of snow was so enticing to them.  Amelia did not feel well Saturday evening, but she seemed fine Sunday morning.  I bundled up both of the kids, and they went out to play in the snow with Daddy.  It was such a delight to see the joy in their eyes playing in the snow.  The best part was, I did not have to go out in the cold.  I just watched from the windows as I took videos and pictures.  It was a very wet snow.  They enjoyed making a snowman on our back patio. 

Then, they had a little snowball fight with Daddy.  They eventually threw snowballs at me in the window.  Of course I pretended it hurt when it hit the window.  It is amazing how Amelia complains of the cold just walking across a parking lot into a store, but she was fine playing in the snow for over an hour.  I think Eric had fun too!  And I KNOW Dylan had a blast!

Unfortunately, Amelia's fever returned Sunday evening.  Then I felt like a bad mom for having sent her to play out in the snow that morning.  I was hoping it was just a little cold or minor virus.  She woke up late Sunday night coughing and saying she was itching all over.  When I took off her p.j.'s, she was covered in a rash on her arms and legs.  Here is what it looked like.

There is nothing worse than having a sick child, especially when you do not know exactly what to do to comfort them.  Of course this brought me to tears, which is pretty easy to do these days.  After washing her off, applying hydrocortisone cream and giving her Benadryl, she was able to settle down and get back to sleep about an hour later.  The rash was gone Monday morning.  I learned (thanks to my uncle, Dr. Reed) that hives like this can come from a virus.  Thankfully the rash did not return, but this poor kiddo fought her fever for 5 more days.  I took her to the G.P. (because you don't see a pediatrician here unless you have a major medical issue), and the doctor said it looked like it was just a virus.  She gave me a prescription in case it wasn't better in 48 hours, which it wasn't, so we filled it.  Finally, one week later, she is fever free.  The one nice thing about free health care is there was no copay for the doctor's visit or the prescription.

See, I thought she was feeling better this day, but nope...the fever returned!

Aunt Michelle & Uncle Ron...I love my outfit and boots from you!!!

So I was pretty much stuck at home with a sick little one all week.  Every time I thought she was feeling better, her fever would return.  I did get to enjoy a nap each afternoon as she rested on the "sick" couch.  I was just praying that no one else in our house would get the virus.  Well, Dylan ended up starting a fever on Friday.  I had to pick him up from school that morning.  His fever only lasted about 24 hours. It was fierce, and he was quite uncomfortable, but thankfully it didn't last long. 

We got a little more snow overnight on Thursday.  Amelia and I made a quick 5-minute "baby snowman" after dropping off Dylan at school.  It was not that I couldn't last in the cold longer.  It was the squatting down to make the snowman that was hard for me. :)

Dylan enjoys playing with his cars every day!  He likes to line them up for races.  Here he is before school one morning with one of his favorite cars, Max Schnell.

I am 36 weeks along now.  I feel good for the most part, but more wiped out than ever.  The baby's room is ready (other than I want to make new curtains), and the baby's bags are packed for the hospital.  My bags are partially packed.  See, I have to bring everything...clothes to give birth in, towels, washcloths, sanitary napkins, nappies (diapers), blankets, drinks, snacks, etc.  I am almost prepared.  The car seat is in the car between Dylan and Amelia.  They are thrilled to be able to sit by the baby!  

My appointment with a midwife this week was interesting.  She opened to a blank page in my "notes" (file), and said, "Ok, what is your birth plan?"  Ummm...was she talking about medication, breathing, who is cutting the cord?  She walked me through what most women here do during labor.  We talked about everything from a TENS machine (which gives electronic pulses on your lower back to reduce pain) to using water to be more comfortable.  I told her I just hope to make it there and not have this baby at home since Amelia was so fast!  She told me what to do if it happens too fast and we can't drive anywhere.  Eric was a bit freaked out to hear how to deliver a baby at home, but we will pray that won't need to happen.  Midwives do not check for dilation or effacement until you are past your due date, so I will have to be in tune with my body and be ready to go at any time.  I go back again at 38 weeks.  

Both kids are off school this coming week.  It is half term here.  Their school calendar includes many more breaks than what we are used to.  That must be why they attend school from September 1st through July 20th.  I am hoping it warms up here so we can get out of the house a little.  I am looking forward to just having fun with Dylan and Amelia this week.  It will be nice to spend this time together before the baby arrives.

Hugs and love to all of our family and friends!  Happy Valentine's Day! xxxxxxxx

Driving Miss Daisy

Almost everyone has asked me, "How is it driving on the other side of the road?"  Let me tell you, I was terrified at first.  Not only to be on the opposite side, but also to deal with all of the roundabouts.  They rarely stop here, so you just have to jump in and GO!  My first week driving, I kept telling myself, "Stay on the left, stay on the left."  I must say that you are not really on the "other" side of the road that often.  Most streets are so narrow, and you can park on either side of the street in either direction, so you end up driving in the middle of the road more than anything.  You learn to yield to other drivers and take turns going through the small openings.

I must note that I was using very careful driving while taking these pictures.  I came to a complete stop to capture these photos, and a few of them were from the passenger seat.  I promise I was not driving while shooting photos!

Here is one of the streets in town.  See how they park right on the street, in both directions.  The double yellow lines mean no parking on that side.

Most of my driving is pretty close to home.  I take neighborhood streets to drive Dylan to and from school each day.  People park right up on the curbs, so there is a lot of back and forth as you are squeezing through the streets.  The streets twist and turn quite a bit too.  Oh, and they have several speed bumps and areas where it goes into one lane to keep the speed down.  My friends Kristi and Apryl would not want to ride through neighborhoods for very long! 

A typical drive through the neighborhood with vehicles parked on the curb

One of the areas that goes to one lane and the oncoming traffic yields

See, people park right before and after these one-lane sections, making it really easy to get through at times. 

In our neighborhood (or neighbourhood as they spell it)

There are not many stoplights around other than in town.  The interesting thing about the stoplights is that they turn yellow before a green light.  They still turn yellow before a red, as ours do in the United States, but also before a green.  Everyone goes as soon as they see it change from red to yellow.  I caught it here in Bristol while Eric was driving.

The red and yellow light together...that means GO!

Just a street shot of downtown Bristol.  Double decker buses all over.

Driving into "downtown" Chippenham under the train tracks

This was the road that led to the bed and breakfast.  If someone comes from the other direction, you pull up onto the side as much as possible.  No shoulders here.

We are sharing one vehicle here in England, which has mostly been mine so far.  Eric has been walking and riding his bike to work.  I hope that once spring rolls around and the baby is here, I can walk Dylan to and from school as well.  We ordered a 7-passenger, automatic (which is rare) Ford vehicle back in October.  It took quite a while for it to get approval through all of the right people at Eric's work.  It is expected to be ready in early March.  Nothing seems to move too quickly over here.  We have a new rental vehicle now that is much better for our family.  I don't hit my head on this one! 

Dylan about to hit Amelia in front of the new rental vehicle :)

I think one of the most difficult things about driving a larger vehicle like this here in England is the parking spaces.  They make all parking spaces for tiny, compact cars.  I have impressed myself with how well I have manuvered this vehicle to get in and out of tight spaces.  It is kind of like the houses here...right on top of each other.  I just prefer a little more space.

Huge parking spaces...if you drive a miniature car.

At least I am learning how to get around town.  Thankfully, I have my GPS to guide me.  Just like most things, driving is different here, but I am adjusting.  I am taking things day by day and learning as I go. 

You Say Tomato, I Say Tomahto

We thought the people in South Carolina had a strong accent.  That sweet southern draw seems like nothing compared to what we have here.  The British not only sound different due to the accent, but they also use English words in different ways than we do.  Yes, we both speak “English”, but American English is different in many ways.  We just passed our one month mark, and I will say, I have learned a lot about British English in the past 5 weeks. 

For the most part, I can easily understand what others are saying.  I will admit, I occasionally have to ask them to repeat what they say.  One of the first weeks we were here, we went to McDonald’s for dinner.  When we went up to the counter to ask what kinds of ice cream they had for dessert, the lady looked right at Dylan and told him the “flavours” and toppings.  He looked up at me with those big brown eyes like, “What did that lady just say to me?”  Sometimes the accent alone makes it too hard to understand. 

Dylan has come a long way in just a few weeks.  We have always known he is a fast learner, but he has astounded us with how quickly he is picking up on the British accent!  (Sorry, Uncle Mike…nothing I can do to help this.)  He is surrounded by it from 9am-3pm every day at school.  He does not really pronounce the words like they do yet, but his intonations have changed.  His voice goes up at the end of each statement.  I will have to put up a video sometime so you can hear him.  We just laugh. 

I do not hear the accent as often since I am at home.  I have met a few other mums that I chat with before and after school.  I am learning the basics of casual conversations.  It is a learning process though.  When one of the mums walked up to me and said, “Are you alright?” I thought I must look like something was wrong.  Maybe my mascara was running.  Maybe the bags under my eyes looked extra heavy.  But I came to find out, that is how they say, “How are you?”  I have definitely been an observer, taking it all in and listening each day.  Here are some of the words and sayings I have learned so far…

British English                                                American English

hi-a                                                                 Hi or hello

cheers                                                             thank you/goodbye

cheerio                                                            goodbye

bits and bops                                                    all of your belongings-bag,coat, etc.

fortnight                                                           two weeks

trolley                                                              cart

boot                                                                 trunk of a car

buggy or pushchair                                     stroller

hob                                                                  stove

wellies                                                              rain boots

motorway                                                         highway

biscuit                                                               cookie

jacket potato                                                    baked potato

lemonade                                                          Sprite or carbonated citrus drink

plasters                                                             bandaids

jab                                                                      shot

come over for tea                                            come over to play/eat

go out for tea                                                   go out for dinner

anti-clockwise                                                 counter-clockwise

tick the box                                                      check the box

toilet                                                                 restroom

sledging                                                            sledding

Amelia has only been in preschool for one week, so she has not picked up on the accent yet.  She does keep saying, “Things are sure different here in Angland (as she says it).”  She did tell me that instead of saying “good job”, her teachers say, “well done”.  She also learned to say “tidy up” instead of “clean up”.  Amelia did surprisingly well this first week at preschool.  It helps that it is only 2 ½ hours.  She hung onto my leg for about 10 minutes, and then she was ready for me to leave.  She went on the laptop on Wednesday and printed out 2 pictures.  On Friday, she received a certificate for doing an excellent job on work for her folder.  I hope she continues to enjoy it.  Oh, and it’s FREE!  There is a preschool grant that allows every child up to 15 hours free each week!  Dylan’s school is free as well.  That is a nice little portion of the budget I don’t have to worry about anymore.

We are connected to the Internet at home, and I would say we are just about settled.  The baby’s room is all set.  Everything is washed and ready…some pink and some blue.  I am 35 weeks, so I am working on packing my bags for my big 6 hour stay. J  I will post some new pictures of the house in the next week.  A big thank you to those of you who keep checking in by posting on Facebook, sending e-mails, mailing letters and calling.  I feel the love!  

Amelia under the rain cover on a morning with snow flurries.

Amelia enjoying her special treat after doing a great job on her first morning at preschool!

We love making brownies...or at least we love licking the bowl!

   

  

I Don't Think We're in Kansas Anymore...

We are definitely not in Kansas, or Missouri or even South Carolina.  Things are just slightly different enough here to make everything a bit of an adjustment for us.  Between the driving, the food, their accent and the house, it makes some things a challenge.  We spent the last week learning the quirks of the new house and getting settled.  Most of the boxes are unpacked, and we are finding places to put most things.  I will admit, we ended up packing up a few things and putting them in the garage due to the lack of storage space in the house. 

I wish I could say I am loving it here, but I’m just not to that point yet.  I hope I will be someday.  This week has been a challenge simply due to the fact that things are everywhere in the house, and if you know me, you know I like to be organized and keep a clean house.  I go from one pile to another, and I just don’t have a place for everything yet.  Eric thinks I am crazy for having several bins of “craft materials”, but hey, I like to be crafty, and you never know when you are going to need a glue gun, staple gun, acrylic paints, canvases, etc.  Of course I have a good deal of sewing supplies here as well.  I brought my sewing machine and my embroidery machine.  I haven’t seen any children wearing shirts with monograms or appliques, but most kids here wear their uniforms all week.  Maybe my kids will start a little fad here. 

Our house is slowly becoming a home, I think.  We did hang a few pictures on the random nails the owners left in the walls.  So it is starting to LOOK like our house, but it just doesn’t FEEL like our house yet.  There are so many things I miss about our previous homes…

·         Outlets in the bathrooms

·         Bathroom sinks with ONE faucet where hot and cold water mix

·         Showers that were big enough to turn around in

·         Toilets that flushed the first time

·         Towel racks!!!!

·         Light switches instead of pull-string lights

·         Clocks that show 12 hours at a time…I still have to think when I see: 21:50

·         A garbage disposal in the kitchen sink

·         Prongs on the top rack of the dishwasher so every plastic cup and container does not flip over and fill with yucky water

·         Large oven with temperature in Farenheight

·         Milk in gallon-size containers…quarts and liters don’t last long in this house

·         A garage with a garage door opener instead of a roll-up door

·         Blinds on the windows instead of curtains that let the neighbors see it all

·         Closets in every room, bathroom and hallway

I know.  I am starting to sound like a West County snob.  Some of you reading this are probably saying, "You kids have it so easy these days.  When we were young, we had to warm our water for baths on the stove, share a phone line with the neighbors, and walk to school uphill both ways."  Sorry.  It's just hard to adjust when I have had all of these conveniences in the past.  There are some positives about our new house too!

·         The mail comes through a slot on the front door…convenient!

·         Eric can walk to work in just 11 minutes!

·         Dylan’s school is a 4 minute drive.  We’ll start walking in the spring when I am not waddling along 9 months prego.

·         It only takes 2 minutes to sweep the kitchen floor.

·         Vacuuming the entire house takes very little time.

·         We no longer need monitors for the kids since our rooms are so close.  We can literally hear Amelia snoring.

·         I only have one shower and one bath to clean.

Dylan continues to love school!  He has made several friends, and he is already invited to a birthday party.  He is Mr. Social!  He hardly says goodbye to me in the mornings because he is so excited to see his friends.  He talks about his friends in South Carolina too.  He wrote a note to one friend, and he wants to write more.  He brought his class picture from South Carolina for Show and Tell this past week.  I was worried about all day school Monday through Friday being too much for him, but he has done really well.  It has taken a little toll on him though.  He’s been quite tired and crabby in the evenings, and he had a little cold last week. 

Amelia will be starting a preschool next week.  She will attend on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:15-11:45.  She seemed to really like it there both times we visited.  The teachers were so sweet and welcoming to her.  They are putting out the dollhouse and dress up just for her on Monday.  I have a feeling she will be clinging to my legs on Monday, but we are going to give it a try. 

I met a few mums at drop-off and pick up time.  They have all been very sweet and helpful to me.  One mum moved from America about 10 years ago, but she is married to an English man, and you would never know she was from America.  She has a strong English accent.  She did, however, invite me to get together with some other American mums over the weekend.  I was not able to make it this time, but I hope to go in the future.  Some people have been asking, “What do the other moms look like?  I mean, do they dress like us?”  I’ll get into fashion on another blog entry, but basically, yes they look like “us”.  Most of them wear leggings or jeans with boots, and they have up-to-date hairstyles and clothing.  Nothing too trendy, but pretty stylish if you ask me.  Put it this way, I don’t feel like I stick out here.  Well, I don’t stick out until I speak.  Then, I feel like everyone turns around to hear my accent.  In general, people have been friendly. 

Sorry this is such a long post.  I'm trying to update for the past week.  We will be getting Internet at the end of this week, so then I can update the blog more often.  Here are a few pictures from this past week...

Dylan on his new big boy bike that Santa snuck in the moving truck.

Feeding the ducks at the pond just around the corner from our house last Sunday.

Feeding the ducks is so fun!

Dylan and Daddy on our walk last Sunday.  Yes, I was a bit slow pushing Amelia in the stroller.

 Miss Amelia was ready for a rainy day.

34 weeks!

Moving Weekend!

We were thrilled to hear our shipping container arrived at the London port and cleared customs mid-week.  The big question had been, "When will your stuff arrive?".  We were told it could take up to 40 days.  It worked well to spend the first 10 days in St. Louis celebrating the holidays.  That took our minds off of the wait.  After spending a week and a half in the bed and breakfast, we were anxious to get settled in our new house.

Back in South Carolina, we had a moving company pack everything for us.  We actually had two moving companies and two trucks.  There was a shipping container for England and a moving truck with items to store in St. Louis.  I did my best to go through each room in the house and pull out things that were not necessary to bring to England.  Thankfully, my Grandmother in St. Louis has a large basement and is willing to let us use it for free storage!  I figured we could survive two years without things like china, appetizer plates, a card table and chairs, certain decorations, 12 purses and all of the kids' outgrown clothes.  Then it made me wonder, do I really NEED to keep these things since I won't use them for the next two years?  I did make several trips to Goodwill with donations before we moved, but there are some things I wanted to keep.  We also had to store most items that plug in since their outlets here are different.  A few things will work with an adapter.  We will have to purchase a new vacuum, toaster, blender, mixer, lamps, hair dryer and television just to mention a few. 

The shipping container at our house in South Carolina

We considered renting a house here that was furnished, but we didn't find one that fit our needs in the right location.  So we brought most of our furniture, all of the kids' toys and of course several of Eric's tools and things for the garage.  I truly thought we had cut back and brought just the minimum.  Ha!  When the shipping container arrived, it hardly fit on the street (which is not a big surprise here).  When the three men started unloading, they began making comments like, "You must have had a big house before this."  All was going well until they attempted to bring the box springs for the queen and full-size beds upstairs.  Our staircase turns after two steps, and there was no way those two box springs were going to make the turn and fit up the stairs.  The mattresses made it because they could squeeze and bend.  We were just laughing that we may have to set up our bedroom in the family room instead.  Eric considered cutting the box springs to make them fold in half.  He even went into work to borrow two saws.  It turns out, ours really will not bend even if we cut the wood due to the metal pieces.  No big deal.  We searched online and found that box springs are rare around here.  So we ordered new beds for Amelia and us.  It works out well because these will have 4 drawers for storage under them and no headboards.  The other nice thing is that our mattresses will fit in them!

There were 3 men unloading.  Boy did they work hard!

Totally blocked the neighbors driveway...nice way to meet, apologizing.  She was very nice.

We are No. 6!  I'm hoping I won't hit this sign as I back out since it's right at the edge of the driveway.

Eric "ticked" (checked) off each box as they unpacked.  Amelia and I stayed in the warm, cozy house.

Amelia was SO good all day.  She helped me unpack in the kitchen, and then she played with whatever we opened.  Dylan was at school until 3:00.  He was thrilled when he got home!

Who needs a kitchen table when you have boxes?

Lesson learned: we have too much stuff!  Our kids have entirely too many toys.  We own way too many mixing and serving bowls in the kitchen.  And, yes, I have too many coats and pairs of shoes.  Will it all fit in the new house?  It should all work out once we get a few wardrobes and some shelves delivered.  The one hall closet upstairs and one downstairs just isn't enough space for the vacuum, coats, extra linens, suitcases, etc. so we'll be storing quite a few things in the garage.  Eric also took down 4 doors in the house to make more space in the rooms.  There were doors into the kitchen, utility room, family room and office.  He stored those in the top rafters of the garage.  So we are getting there, but we still have a lot of boxes sitting around.  The packing paper has taken over at times. 

The playroom getting unpacked

I am slowly getting organized.  It is going to take us a little while to rid the house of boxes and packing paper, but I am trying not to overdo it.  We also do not have Internet at the new house yet, so I'll try to update the blog when I can.  Thanks again for all of your well wishes!   

Meeting the Midwife

I cannot tell you how many people were surprised to hear I was going to give birth here in England.  Sure, I could have stayed in the U. S., but we are a family and we made this decision as a family.  Both Dylan and Amelia were born in different states, so why not have this baby in a different country?  Women give birth here every day.  I know it will be different, but it will make for an interesting story for baby number 3!

As I mentioned in a previous post, the National Health care System (NHS) is free in the U.K.  Their process (pronounced with a long o), is to have midwives cover the care and delivery for pregnant women as well as the initial newborn checks for the babies.  I was told I will most likely not see a medical doctor unless there is a concern.  Although I have been under the care of a medical doctor for both other pregnancies and the majority of this pregnancy, I am open to the idea of using a midwife.  I am still planning to give birth in a hospital, but under the care of a midwife. 

Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork!  That's what we spent most of the 90 minute appointment doing.  I did expect some paperwork as a new patient, but their system is so different.  They fill out SO many forms by hand, and you end up writing the same information over and over on the various pages.  I had my medical records from my previous doctor, and you would have thought they were in another language.  First of all, they write the date as: DAY-MONTH-YEAR.  So the midwife kept confusing dates, and she thought that I had been pregnant since last February instead of reading 6-2-11 as June.  Now I love being pregnant, but that's just way too long for any woman!  Then, she had to convert my weight into STONES.  I learned that 1 stone equals 14 pounds.  So if you are 125lbs., that would be 8st 13lbs.  She kept adding pages to my file using double-sided tape.  I just thought maybe a hole puncher or 3-ring binder might be easier.  After documenting everything, she handed this huge file over to me.  She called it my "notes".  They do not keep any files there at the office, other than a few things in the computer.  It is the patient's responsibility to bring the notes to each appointment.  I feel like in the U.S., you have to get special permission and fill out at least one form to even get a copy of your medical records, almost as if they are secret information.

I have already been informed that when you have a baby at a hospital here, you have to bring EVERYTHING you will need, including supplies for yourself and the baby.  They gave me a list which includes items such as: something comfortable to wear during and after "labour" (I guess they don't use hospital gowns), sanitary towels, nappies (diapers), wipes, onesies, blankets, diaper creams, etc.  I was sure spoiled in the U.S. when we walked out of the hospital with all of the above plus more!  Maybe that is what you get with free health care.  When I asked how long I would stay at the hospital after giving birth, she laughed and said, "You'll be lucky if you are there for 6 hours."  What?  "If you give birth at the birthing centre, you might be able to stay up to 24 hours."  I am not a fan of extended stays in the hospital, but that seems like they are kicking you out the door!  My midwife will come to our house for a visit the first few days to check the baby and me.  The midwife will actually perform all of the newborn checks since they only use pediatricians for medical concerns. 

So here is the situation about where to give birth.  You have a choice between your home, a birthing centre, or a hospital.  I love the idea of being natural at home, but I wasn't sure how a 5-year old and 3-year old would react to all of that.  The birthing centre is very close to our house, but they do not give any medications there and would have to transport me to a hospital if any medical concerns arose.  Now, I had both Dylan and Amelia without any medication only because they were both so fast.  Amelia was born 19 minutes after we arrived at the hospital!  I just feel better going the hospital route this time.  There are so many "What ifs...", and it gives me peace of mind to be there at the hospital.  If this little one happens to be too fast, we can go straight to the birthing centre.  It sounds like either way, I will be back home before I know it.  Thankfully my parents will be here for 2 weeks, and we are praying the baby is born during that time!  I will certainly need their help!    

This next "bit" (another word they love to use here) of information may be too much for any male readers, but I know so many mothers or pregnant ladies who might find this interesting, or comical, or just gross.  When she asked me to leave a urine sample, she handed me a container that is similar in size to a prescription bottle you get from Walgreen's but skinnier.  Lovely.  Then, after she checked the urine, she handed it back to me, told me to dump it in the toilet, clean it out, and bring in a new sample for my next appointment!  Seriously?!  I should not be surprised with free health care and a very "green" environment here.

Anyway, the baby is doing well.  The heartbeat sounds strong, and he/she is moving around all of the time. I love watching my belly move around as I sit in bed at night.  I am measuring a little on the small side, but I am feeling quite big these days.  I am anxious to get settled into our new house this weekend because this little one will be here before we know it!