"What Are You Having?"

Lyndze - We've reached week 30!  Chick is 75% cooked and everyone is asking "What are you having?"  Insert Tyler's smart-ass comment here --->  <----  ("A baby, I hope!").  We don't know if it's a girl or a boy and this makes shopping for Chick so much more interesting!  We went to pick up some Indian take-out at our favourite place and the woman there insisted that it's a boy.  "I'm 95% right!" she said, "You know how I can tell?  You don't look pregnant from behind, you're carrying in the front.  Girls make a wider carry."  Then we went to pick up some furniture from a Used Victoria find and the woman there said, "You're having a girl! It's because you're carrying high.  Boys hang lower while girls are up in your ribs!"

All I could say was, "We'll see!" won't we?

While Tyler paints the apartment as quickly as he can (alone, most of the time), I have been on the look out for furniture for our new nest.  I've had my eye on this chair for quite a while (since June) and yes, we finally went ahead and bought it!  It's a nursing chair the reclines and glides and it is small enough for some smaller parents in a small-ish living room.  I am just so excited to put the room together and then enjoy rocking Chick to sleep in this chair!

There will be lots of progress over the next couple weeks as we finally move into our new place and start nesting.  It's all coming together now and there is only 10 weeks to go!  But who's counting?

Newborn Babies, Mums and Dads - Our "Birthing from Within" Class

Lyndze -
Over two weekends in September we attended a course called "Birthing from Within."  With so many classes to choose from, we asked for advice from our midwives, and they suggested this class.  Since I live more in my head, and birth is more of a physical experience, I was really looking for a class that could bridge the gap and give us the information we needed for natural childbirth.

The classroom was a yoga studio in Fernwood - nice lighting, comfy seating, a small circle of like-minded couples, and a really smart, empathetic, kind and experienced teacher who has been a doula, midwife, and maternity nurse.  Our baby was due the latest in the year, but the other due dates only ranged from October 9th to November 20th.

Tyler -
It was really neat to meet the group of mums and dads to-be.  They were all asking many of the same questions that Lyndze and I had been asking each other over the past 27 + weeks.  There was a lot of conversation about what labor is like in reality versus how it is often portrayed in movies and TV shows and we talked about the evolution or pre-natal classes and how they have changed.  We also worked on some new massage techniques which was actually really fun. I like giving massages but since Lyndze got herself knocked-up its the quality of my massage that has gone down hill - she's sore in different parts of her back - so these new ideas are a much needed welcome.    

Lyndze - After the course we are feeling less freaked out and pretty excited for December!  I am feeling pretty anxious to nest at the new apartment though.  Since we are having a home-birth, I want feel at home in the new place.  This seems challenging to me but we're going to have to make it work!

As for Chick - lots of movement these days!  As soon as we get a new camera I will be sure to post a video of the movement that we see from the outside.

Third Trimester Here We Come - Can you believe it's been 27 weeks already?

Tyler + Lyndze -- 

So I guess we will begin with that famous blogger line - "Sorry we have not written in so long."  Things over on the west coast have been mighty busy for us.  We have recently procured a new apartment.  We are going to live right in downtown Victoria and are very very excited about the move in.  Not only is it a great location and really nice apartment but it also used to be our friend Hilary's apartment so we were able to snatch it up without having to do any of that 'headache-y' house hunting business.  It is a job that we both hate doing so it was a definite bonus to get to skip that process AND be able to have an honest opinion from the previous inhabitant.   

The apartment is bright and sunny and a stones throw away from Beacon Hill Park and only a short walk from  the ocean.  We are really excited and counting our blessing to have found such a neat little place.  But you can start counting your blessing too because it is a two bedroom so when you get all  "Lyndze, Tyler and Chick sick" (it is a very serious condition with only one known cure)  you can come out and visit and crash with us!

Now I am sure at this point you are all reading this and going "ya ya ya...I am glad y'all are happy but lets get to what we are here for...Chick."  Well at least humour us and pretend you are still interested in our lives!  

Chick is doing just fantastic.  We have been reading to Chick at night.  A combination of  The Communist Manifesto and other revolutionary writings as well as Dr. Seuss and some others.  It is really fun to do because any time we begin to read out loud Chick starts moving and kicking and getting all active.  We think it is a good sign... like s/he is excited.  We think Chick can tell when we are speaking to him/her versus just chatting to each other.

Chick is also starting to get much bigger now.  The kicks and movements are totally different from what they used to be.  At times when you feel Chick it will just feel like Chick is pushing his/her entire head out at you.  It is totally crazy.  Or we will will just be sitting and talking and look down and we will  be able to see the outline of Chick moving around and getting comfortable in the belly.  Very exciting stuff.  If we get a new camera soon perhaps we can post some videos of what we can see!

So with all of that I guess all there is to say is that life out West is treating us great.  Labour Day weekend came and marked the end of summer and so in true Vancouver Island style the rain started coming down on Sunday and the mist has settled in here at camp and looks like it is determined to stay until May.  It is incredibly beautiful this time of year and the camp and is extra quiet. It is always our favorite time and as excited as we are for our new apartment in the city it is hard to imagine that we are moving away from this place for a year and a half.   We keep saying that after some time in the city we will be dying to come back out and visit and we are excited to be able to bring Chick with us.

That's all for now.  The baby belly has grown quite a bit and as soon as we can get our hands on a camera we will be sure to post some more pics.

We are sending our love  (and our baby shower thank you cards too).

Lyndze + Tyler