Some Thoughts on the Eve of the 2012 Apocalypse

So, I woke up this morning and I was all "Dude...it's almost the apocalypse. I wonder when the world will end? Is it at midnight? But midnight in which timezone?! I am so confused!!" I knew the answer would not change my plans for the day, which consisted of staying in my pyjamas and dreading going to the grocery store so that I could make something for dinner and eventually feel guilty enough to tidy the house. But I was still curious. So I did what any logical person would do and asked Facebook. 
Well, I was pointed to a few videos from Mayan elders on YouTube, and also to one crazy video of some guy saying that Gagnam Style is the harbinger of the anti-Christ (I do concede the point that the song is beyond catchy though...maybe he does have something there). Needless to say I learned nothing from that one. BUT, the other videos (well, the first 2 minutes of them anyway...I didn't have the patience to watch ALL of them. I mean, time is precious on Apocalypse Eve) told me that the Mayans don't even believe it's the apocalypse tomorrow. 
You read that right. They don't even believe it. They are getting all this flack for saying that the world is going to end on December 21, 2012 and they are all like "Dude. We never said that." It is the end of their time-cycle but there have been 3 other ones before this, and the world still exists. They think it will just be the beginning of a new time-cycle. So basically, a time for celebration.* 
*Please note that I am not a Mayan scholar and all of my interpretation comes from the reading the Wikipedia article on 2012 theories and watching the first 2 minutes of YouTube videos.
Basically, all this hullabaloo over the apocalypse was started by some anthropologist when he interpreted their writings and he was all "OMG! The end of the world! It's happening December 21, 2012!!". One crazy dude made this theory and then a bunch of other crazy people expanded on it, and now it's all Apocalypse-mania up in here. So when the world doesn't end tomorrow, everyone is going to blame the Mayans and say they were crazy. And I feel bad for them because they are getting a bad rap because of this one crazy white dude. But really HE should be getting all the blame (unless of course the world DOES end, in which case we should be saying how smart he is instead of how crazy, but we won't be here anymore, so I guess he doesn't get his day in the sun). 
So there you have it. The Apocalypse in a nutshell. I bet you feel very relieved right now. And if the world doesn't end tomorrow, don't blame the Mayans. Blame the crazy dude. 

Weird Things That Happen in the Third Trimester

It seems I now find myself in the third trimester. How did that happen so quick?!

My 28 week belly

Yes, this is my second time around the ol' pregnancy block, so you would think I would be pretty used to it by now, especially since my first experience is so fresh in my mind. Nope. There are still some things that totally weird me out. Here they are: 
When your tummy growls and you realize that it's now under your ribs  Dude. It's so strange. I know logically that now that this big baby is displacing my organs that they have to go somewhere and the logical place is up. But it is so weird to feel your tummy rumbling all up in your lungs business. It's like they are best buds now. It's just bizarre to not have things where they are usually supposed to be. 
When the baby kicks out his leg and then slides it to the other side of your belly and it's like a scene from 'Alien' This goes in the 'unsettling' category. Most things about babies are cute. This particular trick is not cute, it's just freaky. There is something about seeing your belly move completely on it's own that is very creepy; it's proof that there is a living thing growing inside of you. Other things that grow inside you besides babies? Parasitic alien life forms. Maybe it's because that movie always scared the pants off of me as a kid, but I just can't shake that image every time baby goes all kung-fu. Which brings me to my next item...
The acrobatics and gymnastics that occur in-utero It is pretty clear to me that I must be giving birth to an octopus. There is no other rational explanation for the amount of crazy movement going on in there. I mean honestly, how can such a tiny little thing cause so much of a ruckus?! Just when I think that the one lump must be a butt and the movement I feel on that one side must be a leg...BAM! I get a crazy kick on the other side. Unless this baby can do the splits, the only logical conclusion is that he has 8 limbs. That, or he has a very strict Tai Chi and yoga schedule he sticks to. 
When you are pretty sure that climbing that one flight of stairs is equal to climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro It is amazing that one little flight of stairs leaves me huffing and puffing like I just ran a marathon. I blame this one on decreased lung capacity due to the aforementioned organ squishing and the extra weight of the baby. Definitely not on MY extra weight or complete lack of physical fitness. Definitely not...
That in 3 months that inside-baby is going to be an outside-baby Yeah, this one never ceases to be weird. That little thing growing all snug-as-a-bug in there is going to be a crying, squirmy little human. It seems like 9 months is a long time, but honestly when you are in the home stretch, it feels like no time at all to prepare for your new little babe. It's exciting and intimidating and strange all at once. 

Maternity Fashion: Staying Warm

I have been trying to write this post for foreverrrrrr...but I don't have the skill of taking self-portraits on our DSLR (just can't ever seem to get them in crisp focus...I suck). And that means I need to wait for Hubby to help. But since we live in the Great White North and it's winter, that means it is dark before he gets home from work. That leaves only the weekends for photo shoots. So basically, they never get done. 
Well, imagine my excitement when my parents offered to take Peanut for the weekend and give us a night, child-free (well, outside-child free...we still had the inside-child ;) ) in the mountains. WOOHOO! This also meant we could get these amazing shots out in the mountains for this post. It would be awesome and gorgeous, and gee am I so glad we never found the time to do them before! 
Best laid plans.  The weekend was a picture-perfect winter getaway. The town of Banff is so cute and quaint and it just so happened to be their Christmas parade of lights that evening, so we got to see the town all lit up and festive. We drank candy cane hot chocolates (with marshmallows!) and wandered down the street looking at all the shops hand in hand. Really, it was perfect. Even the weather was festive: snowy but slightly warm. We had just finished a cold spell, so it was a nice change. 

Peanut ready for his sleepover at Grandma and Grandpas, delicious hot chocolate, and the beautiful (hidden) mountains of Banff. 

BUT, that also meant the weather was just about the worst weather for photo-taking ever. It was cloudy and foggy due to the weather change, and the snow was coming down pretty heavy, but not in nice fluffy flakes that look gorgeous in photos. If this had been our first visit to the mountains I would have been sorely disappointed as we basically didn't see any mountains at all through the gloom. Lucky for us we only live an hour and a half away, so it was great for us...but horrible for photos. 
So, please imagine the following photos in much better light, and imagine those blurry snow patches to be big, fluffy flakes of awesomeness. Thanks a ton. ;)
Anywho...I will tell you now of a pregnant woman's dilemma. It is this: I want to be warm, without feeling like a whale, and without spending $400. This should be something easily accomplished, but oh my friends, it is NOT. I truly would love to own a fabulous maternity coat, but it's just not in the budget. What is in the budget are those chain maternity store offerings: wool coats or puffy jackets. Neither of these will do in the chilly weeks when we have freezing temperatures. There is a reason those puffy jackets are so affordable: they skimp out on the insulation. Enter a genius product from Boob, and a bit of creative thinking! 

Boob Ready-Flex Fleece Nursing Hoodie: c/o Posh Mommy
Jeans: Old Navy Maternity
Hat: HauteTots from Posh Mommy

This pregnancy I am trying not to spend too much money on maternity clothing. If I do spend the money, I want a quality product that will last me as long as possible, which means most of the clothing I have been buying doubles as nursing wear as well. My solution for keeping the chillys out is to layer. This Boob fleece hoodie is perfect! It's a nursing hoodie, so there is a flap that sits under the bust and you can lift that up for easy nursing access. It also has little zipped flaps on either side of the torso to accommodate this growing belly of mine...which means I can wear it throughout my entire pregnancy and well after without having to change sizes. Perfect. Basically I just toss the fleece on when it's nice and temperate (like our Banff weekend) and when it gets insanely cold, I layer it under one of the not-so-warm maternity coats and voila! Snug as a bug in a rug (and comfy). Plus, since this babe is coming by the end of February it will be perfect for nursing on the go. I absolutely hated getting all undressed to nurse. What a pain. This way I don't have to struggle with taking off sweaters. Woot! 

I love how long the back is, so it covers my (growing!) bum when I sit down. Plus, it keeps it warm and toasty. ;)

Here you can see the nursing flap. Discreet and practical. It also has those little hand warmer thingys. I love those.

Boob is (an ingenious) Swedish company, which means for those of us in North America the shipping and the duty usually makes it difficult to order from them. But, there is a local (in Calgary) shop that carries their line, offers free shipping within Canada, and has a ton of other gorgeous, stylish and practical maternity and nursing wear and accessories: Posh Mommy. If you are interested in the Boob fleece, check it out here: Boob Fleece . It also comes in a gorgeous red. Warning to pregnant and nursing women: if you click through to this shop, you will have a very difficult time restraining yourself from purchasing pretty much everything they carry. You have been warned! ;) 
Please Note: I was given the product featured in this post so that I could write an informed review. In this case it was provided by Posh Mommy. But, all opinions (as always!) are my own!