116 days to go?!

Cliff and I have been doing a lot of chatting about how we want our last birth experience to go. We know it will be fast, we know we will have a baby at the end. We don't know what we are having. We have two wonderful names picked out, and we have a Godparent in mind for our sixth baby.

And, with each baby that has been born into our family, we have done different things as far as the labour/delivery is concerned.

For baby 1 aka Cameron we had my sisters in the delivery room.

For baby 2 aka Claire we had my sisters in the delivery room.

For baby 3 aka Carly (our last baby ;D) we had my sisters, my MIL, my parents, my friend Kim, and Cliff's cousin who was 16 at the time (good birth control!)

For baby 4 aka Catrina we had had my sisters in the room.

For baby 5 aka Caroline (our last baby ;D) we had my friend Lisa who has 5 kids and is expecting her sixth baby, 5 days after me, and my friend Louise who will not be having kids. My sisters missed the birth as Caroline came out too fast! They came after for a visit!

For baby 6 aka...as if I would spill the beans on the names...seriously you all will have to wait!! We have decided to just have each other. Meaning Cliff and I together. This is our LAST baby! And we want it to be a memory we have of just the three of us at that moment. We will video it though. Cliff will take photos after baby is out.

We have also decided that I will call out the sex of the baby, and Cliff will cut the cord. We will only have our parents to visit aka the grandparents/aunts and uncles at the hospital depending on the time of birth. If it is a weird time, say in the middle of the night. They will be waiting until the morning and or when we go home. We will be sure to call you all with info about our new baby! We are so excited.

As for other visitors, we will be home for the first week as a family without any visitors. We want the kids to see their sibling first and that is very important to us. Because we don't stay long in the hospital (usually under 24 hours) we will want the kids to see the baby first. I will use the first week to rest up, bond and get my breastfeeding going. Cliff will only be home for one week after baby is born, so we need that family time together. Visitors will be able to see the baby on the next available weekend, and we will not be allowing pop over visits during the week. Visits will need to be made via phone and on a weekend preferably when Cliff is home to help out!

Baby will be born during a very busy time, and we want to be relaxed as possible before Christmas. I would not expect to be attending many family functions at that time. Depending on how sleep-deprived we feel. We will play it by ear. But I am sure in the new year, baby will be a socialite just like all the other kids!

23 weeks 2 days

Here I am this evening, and I look at this belly and I don't think I am as big as I have been in the past. My face looks normal, and I certainly don't look bloated. I look like more belly than anything (well so far anyways!) I still have many weeks to go.

What does babycenter.com have to say about week 23?

Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. He may be able to feel your movements now, so put on some tunes and dance around the house. No matter what race your baby is, he looks red now due to blood vessels showing through his transparent skin. His true skin tone will develop over the course of his first year. Blood vessels in your baby's lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing, but complete lung development will take many more months. The lungs are the last organ to fully develop.

As for symptoms, this weekend I thought I was going to be sick in the morning. That was gross! But it passed with lots of spitting excess spit into the sink! Yuck. Then the wave passed. I was feeling really tired this weekend, and my lovely hubby gave me this whole weekend to sleep in until almost 9 am which was very helpful! This morning I FINALLY woke up feeling refreshed and "normal." I have noticed that my ankles get more swollen towards the end of a long day, but they still go down in the morning (for now I guess) and I am just enjoying this pregnancy as much as I can. I know this is my last one. FOR SURE. No more babies. It is the right choice for our family. And hey, what is it that everybody relates to me like I am Mrs. Duggar who just gave birth to her 17th baby!, or is it because we are all "C" names just like the kids in that family all have "J" names? Just because I have a larger family does not make me a MEGA family. Have you seen her hair? lol.

In all seriousness, I would say I really admire that family. But, I certainly don't want to go there! I don't think that is the right lifestyle for me at all. Or for our family. But, they certainly do a great job with their family. I say don't knock it, until you walk in their shoes! Who am I to judge? Certainly not me. They are one amazing family! As my doctor says he really thought our family is rather small if you look at the overall picture of them vs our family. He is right about that. It is all in the way one looks at things I guess.

The really neat thing about our family of soon to be eight, is that our family will officially be the largest family in his practice of this "generation" of baby makers lol. I said to my doc that our family should get our family photo right up on the main wall of the office. He agreed. His other large family is one of 7 kids, but the first born is already having kids, so they are a lot older.

We have FINALLY found two names, and a Godparent for this baby. But, we have not asked that special person yet. And, the special person will also share a name with the baby too. We are very excited to ask this special person in our lives. Soon, very soon.

Well, Cliff still says it is a boy, and I still think it is a girl. We will find out in a few months! All of the kids who can speak are saying boy too. I hope they are all not disappointed. I will be happy either way. To me, all signs point to girl for me!

4 months to go...

Today is August 1st, and my due date is December 1st! So really, I we have about 3+ months to go. Time is flying by! Today, I got to hold a beautiful little girl Ava (almost 4 months old) in my arms, and she was sleeping on my shoulder. It felt so good to hold her.

I cannot believe that will be me in a few short months! Life is good! I just keep wondering about who is in here!?!

Nifty Nimbler Names!

I found this really fun and interesting baby name site called Nymbler! It is so modern, and much more fun than a baby book! I would give it a try!



Here are the names that were generated for us for a girl when I plugged in:

Catherine, Cameron, Claire, Carly, Catrina and Caroline (you can plug in six names at a time!)


Here are the top 5 girls names that I like from that long list:

Clementine

Cordelia

Cara

Cora

Claudia



Here are the names that were generated for us for a boy when I plugged in:

Clifford, Cameron, Claire, Carly, Catrina and Caroline (you can plug in six names at a time!)


Here are the top 5 boy names that I like from that long list:

Callahan

Corbin

Clayton

Curtis

Cadel (that is for you Mom, as I know you want us to name a son that if it is indeed another boy! - and funny that he was 2nd place in the tour de france, and this would be our second born son!




(our chosen names may or may not be in that list - You will all find out soon enough anyways! - We are not spilling the beans lol)

Week 22 of Pregnancy

Hello, Catherine! Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches and almost 1 pound. Her skin will continue to appear wrinkled until she gains enough weight to fill it out. Your baby's eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks some pigment. Your baby's lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. You won't actually see her first tooth until she's around 4 to 7 months old, unless she's one of the rare babies who are born with teeth.
______

I think I have found the perfect name for our baby!

Cranberry!

What do you think? I think it is perfect! Cranberry Apple for a Girl and Cranberry Soda for a Boy! Most likely this baby will be born right around the American Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Well, maybe not. We are kidding, but at the time it was quite funny. I was eating a favourite sandwich from our local Starbucks. The turkey pesto with cranberry bread. Yummy! My MIL thinks we are calling the baby if it is a boy Cranbrook! Not. We have two lovely names all ready to go! Now, we just need a baby!

I am feeling pretty good! The baby is moving all about. Usually moving when I hit the sheets at night. And in the morning. This baby loves to be "played" with. Meaning, when baby is moving I can rub in the same spot and the baby seems to play right back which is really exciting. Cliff thinks he felt the baby moving last night too, which is exciting.

Not much to report, but hard to believe that I am getting so close to the third trimester.

Doctors visit today - 21st week

I had my prenatal appt. I am 21 3/7th along. Baby is doing well, and the doppler read a heart rate of 156 bpm. So nice and high and healthy. Baby was kicking at the doppler, which was making me laugh and then in turn making the doppler bounce on my stomach.

I also did my registration at the hospital. Things are rolling along. My doc can't wait to see what we are having. We know one thing for sure...it's a baby!

Oh, and I gained another six pounds bringing my grand total up to 14 pounds.

21 Week and 1 Day Belly Photo

This was taken tonight...my latest belly photo!

A change from three weeks ago that is for sure!