Why I starved my cats for 12 hours for nothing (and more good stuff)

It's Friday and it couldn't have arrived fast enough! Thankfully next week will only be a 4 day week as we have Long Friday (pitkäperjantai) off from work. It will also be a 4 day weekend as we also have the Monday after Easter (2. pääsiäispäivä) free from work, which means another short week the following week.

Seeing that Easter is near, it means spring is on it's way and snow is melting. And now that the snow is melting, I need to switch to summer tires on my car again. But, my summer tires are so old and one of them won't even old air pressure, I need new ones. So, I called my FIL today and asked if he'd help me again get new tires. He said it wouldn't be a problem as he needs some for himself and one of his daughters. This means that Mr Siili and I will most likely be going to his parents house for Easter weekend so I can change the tires. Yes, that's right, I will be changing the tires! The men will just make sure the tires are on tight.

As I mentioned a couple of times earlier this week, Rusty has been acting a bit old. He is 12 years old/young after all, but I'm not ready for him to be old-old. Just to ease my mind, I decided I should take him and Mansi to the vet to have a check up. During the call to make the appointment, I explained the symptoms and age of Rusty to the vet andshe suggested some blood tests to check if everything was ok. In order to get the best results, the cats shouldn't eat for some time beforehand. So, I took their food away at midnight and our appointment was at 10:45 am today. Rusty woke up every couple of hours, went to check if his food was back and then came back to the bedroom to whine let me know that his food still wasn't there. Then I would pick him up and he's sleep for another while before repeating the process again, all night long. Needless to say, between my getting up to go pee and his alerting me to the food situation (or lack thereof), I didn't sleep too well.

I got the cats to the vet and Mansi has a bit of plaque, but other than that she checked out just fine. She was complimented on her beautiful and shiny coat. Rusty also has a bit of plaque and some pink-er gums, but no action is needed just yet and we can just watch it for now. They asked me about his pee and poo habits along with his water intake, etc. I told them that I hadn't seen any change in any of that lately. It's just that he's been acting a bit 'old'. The vets mentioned dementia and that's what has stuck in my mind most. So, because he doesn't seem to be having any of the major indicators of something wrong, I decided not to get his blood tested. Yeah, I know! I tortured my cats for almost 12 hours all for nothing!

I did get them some more fibre-rich food, and we'll see if that has any effect on them. But mainly we'll just continue to watch Rusty and see how he is. There is a product (I'll have to look at the brochure when I get home) that the vets suggested we give to Rusty in order to help with fighting dementia. But as I said, we'll wait and see a bit longer on how things play out. I just really want my cats to be ok. Rusty truly is my baby and a mamma's boy!

To make this day even better, I got some great news from work. Starting next month, there will be an increase in pay for everyone, which stemmed from the union strike and resulting negotiations last year. I personally will also be getting a small merit raise, based on my skills, performance during the last year, etc. There will also be a "one time bonus" for people. (Not quite sure if it is some people or all.) And!! April is the month when bonuses are given out based on last year's targets and profitability of the company. There couldn't be better timing for all of this! This will definitely make things nicer when thinking about buying some Paxlet stuff and also for our new house we'll be moving into soon.

And now, 20 minutes left at work, so I had probably get a couple of things wrapped up so I can go home and enjoy the kitties' and Mr Siili's company.

19 weeks

Thank you ladies for your comments and concern about Rusty. He's back to his normal, old self. I'm just going to chalk the other night up to a scary-hormonal experience and Rusty still being very groggy and sleepy. He happily begged and meowed for his treats last night and tonight. I love my cats so much and really can't imagine life without them.

Rusty being his normal self, scarfing down his evening treats.

Total Weight Loss/Gain: I'm up 4kg (8,8lbs) total now and the most I've ever weighed in my life.

Maternity Clothes: I still haven't found any maternity pants that I would be happy shelling out 30-50€ for. I really need to get my behind in gear and see about 2nd hand ones via the FB group I'm a member of because pants are becoming more of an issue every day.

What's the belly look like?: No stretch marks yet. While my tummy is definitely growing, it's not big enough yet, in my opinion, to warrant stretch marks. At some point in the future, I am sure.

Sleep: Sleeping has gotten a bit more difficult lately. I seem to have a harder time getting comfortable or not having my body become sore from being in one position too long. Although, I do still sleep well enough, I just notice it is different than before.

Movement: I think I felt Paxlet move for the first time yesterday and again this morning. I was sitting at work (around 10:45am) when I felt little flutters on the right hand side of my abdomen. It wasn't really a gassy feeling or butterflies, but more like when you put your hand in the water and wiggle your fingers and they make those fluttery-waves, that's what it felt like. But each time I thought I felt something and then stopped what I was doing to "listen" and feel, nothing would happen. I'll keep waiting, at some point it has to be definite of what I am feeling.

Cravings/Aversions: I still maintain that I don't really have any cravings or aversions, but I've been thinking a bit lately that maybe I have pickles for a craving. Now, I regularly love pickles, especially my dill pickles and pickle juice. But for quite some time, I've been thinking much more about pickles and wanting them, especially every time I see them in the back of my fridge.

Gender: I still don't have a clue. We'll most likely find out next week if we're having a boy or girl (as if there could be anything else?), but I'm not sure if I'll tell anyone for a while. But, really, who knows what I'll do.

Symptoms: My tummy is definitely more...achy and I find myself rubbing it all the time. Not just because it is there, although that is part of the reason, but because it is sore, which to me means it is growing. Yay! But I really think I need to look into more supportive belly bands or make some bigger/taller ones on my own. I know this achy and sore feeling is only going to get more pronounced.

What I miss: Nothing much. I'm well and truly content with this pregnancy. If I sat and thought longer, I'm sure I could find little things that I miss, but nothing that wouldn't be easily solved by actually getting my act together and doing it.

What I look forward to: We have our 20 week ultrasound next week and that means real Paxlet pictures! I will also be halfway through this thing called pregnancy. Wowzers!

Moods: I was quite stressed at the end of the last work week, but things are better (for now) this week. I've had a couple of hormonal melt downs, but all in all, I think I am quite chipper. Mr Siili says I have been a bit more moody than normal, but he didn't really have much in the way of examples or cases to share with me.

Milestones: Paxlet is the size of a mango! I LOVE mangos!!!
My pump is definitely showing more. At 18w1d, someone from work actually noticed I was pregnant by looking at my tummy! And then a few days later my former team leader was walking by the kitchenette door as I was getting my lunch ready and I saw her stop and come back. She just had to tell me that my bump was definitely visible now! *big grin*
As I said above, I think I've felt Paxlet move. I think I'll wait until I feel the movements a few more days or times before I'm really sure. But when my tummy has been the absence of  feelings, this seems like it might be it. I've been waiting to feel Paxlet move for weeks already. I know I started waiting way too early, especially for a first time pregnancy, but I couldn't help it.

Medical concerns: Not really a concern, but more of a thought/habit. I still, to this day, check the TP each time I go pee... Not that I really expect to see anything, but I just can't/don't stop checking.

Sex?: I'm still waiting for the crazy sex hormones to kick in. I wonder if they ever will...

How's Daddy?: I've asked Mr Siili what he thinks about the pregnancy and what not and he doesn't have much to say. I tried asking him if seeing Paxlet again during next week's ultrasound will help, but again he didn't have much to say. That's just the way Mr Siili is. I personally think it will take him feeling Paxlet move and maybe not even until Paxlet is born for him to really come to terms with this. At times, I do wish that Mr Siili

Misc: I have bought some baby stuff in the past, before I was pregnant and even before we were TTC, but since being pregnant, I haven't really bought much. This is in part because I just can't stand shopping and partly because I'm waiting until we move before I really start trying to nest and partly because I just haven't... The very few things I have bought are 2 cloth diapers and 4 inserts (cheap, brand new and 2nd hand) and a used crib from a co-worker. We've had given to us a travel bed (it's at the in-laws, where it will most likely stay) and I've been told a car seat is being held for us from SIL (their youngest is now 1.5 years old). And just today, my former team leader brought me 4 pieces of green clothes that she was going to sell, to see if I want them. They are so cute and just my color!

This week's bump pictures can be seen in the Paxlet Pictures tab.

18 weeks
17 weeks
16 weeks
15 weeks
14 weeks
13 weeks
12 weeks
11 weeks
10 weeks
9 weeks
8 weeks
7 weeks

Mamma's berry pie

At 10:30 this evening, I realized with shock that I hadn't given our cats their evening treats (a couple of teaspoons of wet food). Normally Rusty, our 12 year old boy, is reminding us starting around 6:30 that treat time is coming up soon. But not this evening. For some reason my coming home at 7pm and doing dishes seems to have thrown him off and he just slept. So, I let him know it was treat time, like I do every night: Rusty, treat time! And he me-eowed vigorously and loudly, albeit a bit groggily from still being half asleep. He followed me into the kitchen and let me know he was there waiting. But when I put the food down he just sniffed it and sort of stared at it. Mansi on the other hand scarfed her food down. Normally, Rusty eats his first and tries to eat what is left of Mansi's too. Not this night. He sort of licked the food, looked at it some more and walked off. I sat there on the floor crying because my cat is getting old and I don't want him to die. He can't die until after the baby is born. We already lost his brother almost two years ago. I lost my mom almost a year ago. I'm tired of losing people I love.

This last weekend Mr Siili and I did absolutely nothing. Well, almost nothing. We spent the weekend catching up on tons and tons of TV shows (Lost Girl, New Girl, Dexter, Unforgettable and probably more I'm forgetting). We didn't go food shopping on Friday, nor Saturday nor Sunday. We munched what food we could find in the house on Friday evening and Saturday. Sunday we went to a very late brunch (more like a late lunch) at the Crazy Reindeer restaurant. We did wash one load of laundry. I did fill the sink full of dishes with hot soapy water and then left it there the rest of the day so we ended up draining before we went to bed. Mr Siili did make me laugh!
Last Wednesday I sent Mr Siili a text message:
Where are you at? I think I forgot my keys at home. (And I proceeded to sit outside our door for about 30 minutes waiting for Mr Siili to come home from work and let me in.)

Then on Saturday afternoon, Mr Siili must have noticed my message, because this is the reply I got:
I am home, watching tv with the old lady.

Two hours later:
Fine, don't answer. (We were still sitting right-next-to-each-other, watching tv a couple of hours later.)

Then, I got a bit bored with one of the shows we were watching and I played with my phone a bit and this is the message I got:
How is the quality time with the hubby?

The first two recipes that where shared with me when I came to Finland, were Potato bread (perunarieska) and Mamma's berry pie (Mamman marjapiirakka in Finnish). I still make them to this day and will continue to do so. Both of these recipes are easy to make and more than delicious!! A couple of weeks ago I made a twist on the Mamma's berry pie and it was so good that I wanted to make it again, but I've been so lazy after that that it took me until this evening to make it again. Here's the basic recipe, with my changes and comments at the bottom.

Mamma's berry pie (Mamman marjapiirakka)
Dough:
3/4 cup butter (or margarine)
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour (can be half and half of what ever combo you like, we sometimes use graham)
1 tsp baking powder

Mix all the ingredients together, spread on the bottom and sides of a pie pan.


Filling:
1 cup sour cream (or non flavored yogurt)
1/4 cup sugar (more or less, depending on your taste and the berries/fruit you use)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla sugar (or extract)
2 1/4 cup berries (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, rhubarb*, etc)

Put the berries on top of the dough crust and pour the filling on top of everything. Bake at 400F for 30-40 minutes.
(*With the rhubarb, put it in the mix a little bit before pouring onto the crust.)


My notes: We love rhubarb! And sometimes adding strawberry!
This last two times, I've made it with apple, but I've switched up the dough and made a cheesecake crust instead of the traditional one. And because we don't have graham crackers here and I don't like digestive cookies, (crispy) oat cookies will do, but what I found I really like are Bastogne cookies by Lu (crispy cinnamon cookies - although, the generic brand works well too). I think the apple cooked better when I shredded it instead of thin slices, but no matter how you chop your apple, it is very yummy!

Friday Fun!

Edited: This was closed on April 6th and the winner announced.

On a fun note. I've been thinking of having a giveaway lately. I was thinking I'd do it once I reached 59 followers (just some random number that popped into my head), which I have reached and surpassed. But when it all comes down to it, I just really want to have a giveaway. So, here's the announcement for my giveaway:

Anyone from anywhere around the world is eligible to sign-up for this giveaway. I'm not exactly sure what the prize will be yet, but most likely it'll be a key chain/phone charm or a bookmark or something else I come up with. I'll announce the winner in about a week's time.
To enter, all you have to do is ... tell me something. (And leave me some what to contact you.) Tell me something I might not have already known, about a book you love, your favorite food/dessert to make or bake, if you're crafty and what you like to make. Really, just tell me something!

It's Friday evening and I'm exhausted! (Especially after re-capping this week. Kudos to anyone who survived the reading of it.) And now it is time for me to crawl into bed.

Stressful week at work

Oh boy, oh boy, am I glad it is Friday! This week has just been, very long. The stress of work finally got to me and I didn't handle it too well.

First, a happy note about work. Earlier this week, one of the ladies on our floor was in the kitchenette area at the same time as me. She looked over at me and my tummy and exclaimed that "You're pregnant!". I was so tickled that someone I hadn't told could look and see by my tummy that I am pregnant. (Sure, someone else could have told her, but that didn't cross my mind at that point.)

As I mentioned earlier this week, I had a very long day at work on Tuesday. 10 hours and 15 minutes long, to be exact. I had gone in early in hopes of leaving early, but because of a malfunction in the software we use and other issues beyond our control, the team in Shanghai were not able to finish their tasks, which left it on our team to do it. And because the issues were something more than what anyone else in our local team has knowledge of, it was left to me to handle. I was not happy about it.

Wednesday was better at work, in that I only needed to stay got sucked into work and forgot the time and stayed an hour extra. All week, I've hardly had time to do my own stuff, not to mention help with some other stuff. In addition to our daily tasks, everyone in our department is supposed to be working on this clean-up project. Our team had a meeting about this project on Thursday and our team leader was a bit harsh/firm about us getting this project worked on. Everyone should find at least 30 minutes a day to work on it, etc. I completely understand the need for this project and its importance and the hardship or ease with which it will have on us later this summer (or rather those who will still be at work late August and September). But as I've said, I have barely had time to keep up with my daily stuff.

After the meeting I talked to my team leader and told her about the heavy load of my work, plus the project and also the pleas for help coming from other units (that were transferred to Shanghai). I asked her which part of my job should I focus on and come first. I got my answer that my immediate tasks should come first.

The stress of work this week, the meeting about the clean-up project and feeling torn about the work I was doing just got to me. I was left feeling quite incompetent about my inability to get everything done (without staying hours and hours each day), which I know is so untrue. I'm good at what I do and I take pride in it. But it was just too much. I started getting teary and hot at my desk. Can we say hormones here? I just couldn't help myself, so I went to the bathroom and had a cry.

After work I stopped by 2 shops to see if I could find some phone protection covers for Mr Siili's new work phone. Again, either the shops didn't have the right size or finally the one shop I have found that had the correct size wanted double the price. Next I went to 2 clothes stores. The first had maternity clothes, I just didn't like any of them and I was NOT going to pay 30-40€ for them. The second shop doesn't even sell maternity clothes?! WTF!? By this point I was just fed up, my foot was sore, I was tired and grumpy.

After I got off the bus and was walking home, about a minute away, I got a call from Mr Siili. He sounded a bit upset that he couldn't find the charger for his phone. I told him I didn't know where it was, but that I'd help him look as soon as I got home. He was stressed and pissy and basically upset at the universe when I got in the door and I got the brunt of it. He grumped at me, I grumped back, we yelled at each other and I cried. His phone charge ended up being right exactly where he'd originally set it down tossed it. We didn't really talk much the rest of the evening, although Mr Siili did come rub my shoulders and try to talk to me at one point. I wasn't yet in a forgiving mood.

Today at work I was a tiny bit stressed in the morning, but also a very relieved that I was actually able to get my daily tasks done AND answer all of my emails from the week. I also talked to my big boss about my stress and not so good feelings of this week. She told me she understood and said my focus should be opposite of what my team leader said, as we want to minimize any further complaints from this area. I felt much better after this talk. (Mr Siili says when the big boss talks to my team leader it is going to reflect badly on me and make me look whiney. *sad face*) I even managed to solve a pain in the rear case!! And I left work only 31 minutes later than I had planed. The work week ended on a much brighter note. Still having the sun shining outside when I left didn't hurt either.

18 weeks

Update: Paxlet pictures are now updated.

Today is a great day, although work has been on blah, but I'll get into that at the end of this post. The reason today is great is that March ICLW starts today and so does Spring! Today is the first day this year where the day is longer than night. Up north in Finland where we have looong dark winters, this is an important milestone each year. It means spring is on it's way (if the snow will just stop coming down), the sun is shining more and it is actually warm when it shines! It was a balmy 6C (42,8F) and sunny outside at lunch today. Still needed to wear my earmuffs and gloves though.

And now for this week's update. I still can't believe I'm at 18 weeks (or 4,5 months!) and going into the 19th week.

Total Weight Loss/Gain: I'm up a kilo, so that's 3 total so far this journey.

Maternity Clothes: I'm loving my belly bands and I think only 1, or two at most, pair of paints can be worn without a button and zipper undone. I'm really looking forward to spring so I can wear some lighter and stretchier clothes. I should go check out some maternity pants (I know I've been saying that for some time now...) I'm also concerned that I might need a new-new maternity bra. I'm thinking the one I bought is maybe (already) a bit too small. Ugh!

Stretch marks: Nope, none yet.

Sleep: I sleep quite well, even after getting up and going pee often. hehehe. I have noticed that my neck is a bit more stiff than usual when I wake up. I think part of that has to do with not flipping from side to side as much during the night.
I can't remember if I've mentioned this before or not, but I have a "bean bag" that you can toss in the microwave/freezer that I have been laying out under my belly when I sleep. It is just enough support that my belly doesn't feel tired already in the morning.

Movement: Nothing yet. My stomach and everything in that area is quiet!! No butterflies, no bubbles, no whooshes or other possible Paxlet movements yet. If there does happen to be movement, I definitely know it is gas or my stomach digesting.

Cravings/Aversions: The only time I seem to "crave" something is if I see it (for ex. on TV) or a group of us are talking about it. Sort of like last Saturdy when I wanted pizza (I can almost always eat pizza) and then seeing the green popsicle on Dexter, which led me to wanting one myself.

Gender: I don't really have a feeling either way.

Symptoms: I've been definitely getting more round ligament twinges and pains. I'm even getting minute, yet sharp pains right in the pubic area. Those are uncomfortable. My tummy feels heavy quite often, especially as the day wears on. And I feel like I am waddling already, to an extent.

What I miss: Absolutely nothing. I truly am loving this, even when I'm "complaining" a little!

What I look forward to: Two more weeks until our 20 week scan when we'll get to see Paxlet again and maybe even find out the gender. I'd so love to feel Paxlet move.

Moods: I think this last week has been great! I've been quite cheerful (spring coming doesn't hurt this) and feeling quite energized and perky.

Milestones: Paxlet is the size of a sweet potato!
My tummy is definitely showing more and more, although I think if you didn't know I was pregnant you might not be 100% sure if I was pregnant or just fat.

Misc: I know I've talked about the need to pee a lot! But I guess that is my biggest symptom or issue with pregnancy. And it's more of an annoyance than anything else. But do you realize how much time a pregnant women spends in the bathroom just going pee? A lot!! I was joking with my co-worker today that we should just move our desks into the bathroom as it'd save us some time. Haha

And my gripe that I mentioned at the beginning of this post: work. I've been pretty good about staying stress-free and just going with the flow so far most of this year. But lately, it's just been so crazy and hectic that I'm just not as happy. For example, yesterday, I went into work just after 8am in the hopes of leaving at 4pm. Well, before our meeting at 2pm our SAP program crapped out on us. Our meeting lasted until just after 4pm, which when I got back to my desk I found out some of the work in Shanghai wasn't done, partly due to SAP crapping out on us. This isn't my week to stay late (until 6pm), but the issues from Shanghai were a bit more complicated than normal, so I stayed to do it. And stay I did! I didn't leave the office until 7:30pm!!! The issues really were more complicated and long winded, even for me who is an expert on this issue. On any other day it would have been fine to stay later, but I had really hoped to leave the office early. It just made me pissy! Not to mention I still didn't get everything done and continued it this morning. And to make matters worse (or rather me more grumpy), our time-keeper-machine only calculated me for 2hrs 45 min extra and not 3hrs! I am fighting those 15 minutes, I deserve them. And then again today, I still had my own stuff to do plus more stuff from Shanghai, so I didn't really get much of anything done (or so it felt like). And again I left later than I wanted, but still earlier than 7:30pm. Tomorrow I am only working my 8 hours and leaving when they are over no matter what is or isn't done!

Paxlet pictures aren't yet taken for this week, but I'll have Mr Siili take them before I go to bed and update  soon.

17 weeks
16 weeks
15 weeks
14 weeks
13 weeks
12 weeks
11 weeks
10 weeks
9 weeks
8 weeks
7 weeks

Growing pangs - mini update

Yesterday I posted about some "growing pangs" I had during the weekend. Thankfully they have all but gone away and I'm only left with an occasional twinge and just a sore and heavy abdomen. Nothing I can't handle. But I do let Mr Siili know now and then about the discomfort in hopes of getting some sympathy hugs. Hehe

I did call my neuvola nurse this morning and explained what was going on during the weekend. She said that these pains are very normal for this stage in the pregnancy. My uterus and pelvis should be expanding and moving a bit to make room for Paxlet. So long as there is no blood to go with these pains, then there shouldn't be any worry for me or Paxlet.

Growing pangs

This weekend was one of the first really scary, for me, moments so far in this pregnancy. Friday after work we had a combined birthday and going away evening for 2 co-worker friends. We had snacks and drinks, then we played pool and then to dinner. I had a huge bacon BBQ burger with fries. I knew this meal was going to make me feel bloated and uncomfortable, but I really wanted to eat this. It was so yummy and worth it and I knew that when I woke up in the morning the bloatedness and discomfort would be gone.

During the night I was woken up several times by Mr Siili snoring (he's been feeling a bit under the weather), Rusty whining, Mr Siili growling and grumbling at said whiny cat and my having to go pee. About the time that I woke up the first time, I had some sharp shooting pains in my lower left abdomen area. I wasn't too concerned at this time as I was quite sure it was just pregnancy growing pains (uterus and ligaments stretching). These pains continued throughout the night. I may have even woken up because of the pain, but I can't really be sure as the above mentioned things woke me up quite often too.

When I woke Saturday morning, I still hurt! It was a pretty constant pain, still mostly on the left lower side. The constant pain wasn't so bad, but the sharp pangs and twinges that shot through the area were enough to double me over at times. Also, emptying my bladder seemed to make the pain worse (but this pain definitely wasn't the same as a UTI or other stomach/bladder issues I've had in the past). Some of the most intense pain was during the times I emptied my bladder! Getting up or sitting down was challenging also, as it would cause twinges and discomfort. The pangs of pain did start extending to the middle of my lower abdomen, too. If I sat hunched in a ball-ish position in one of our chairs (watching TV shows) the pain was a bit better. Thankfully Mr Siili and I had plenty of things to watch.

Around 4pm we started getting hungry and I decided I really wanted pizza and green double sticked popsicles. (Thanks to see the popsicles on a Dexter episode and it giving reminders of my childhood.) I convinced Mr Siili to go get pizza with me, by car. I think the bit of walking, to the car and inside the mall, helped with the pangs of pain some. The rest of the evening wasn't so bad, but I would still get the occasional twinge and sharp shooting pain. I did call my friend, R, and talked to her a bit. She suggested I call the ER and/or possibly the Labor & Delivery department, before going in there in person, if that is what I was going to do. I decided that if the pains continued through Saturday night, I'd see about going to the ER on Sunday morning.

I did manage to sleep quite well Saturday night and no pains that I can remember. Bathroom trips weren't so bad and I only felt heaviness in my tummy, which seems to be normal for me with a growing Paxlet inside my body. And so far today, Sunday, I've had maybe one pang of pain and it is now just after 6pm.

I was and am quite sure the pains were just ligament pains from all the stretching, growing and expanding going on in my body. But since this was the first time I felt this much of anything for such a long time, I admit, I was sort of scared for a while. I did use the heart beat monitor just as I was going to bed. I found Paxlet's heart beat immediately, it was reassuring.

Anyone else have this sort of experience?
I am so glad I'm not hurting at the moment and I hope the pains don't come back for some time (or at all).

17 weeks

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Still holding out around the +2kg mark. I eat normally and quite healthy, plus my fair share of sweets (now that the mini-aversion has gone away).

Maternity Clothes: I'm still wearing all of my regular clothes, but a couple of pants have now been put in the "I can't wear any more drawer". But my biggest find this week is: Maternity Belly Bands!! Oh, my, gosh! My tummy feels so much better at the end of the day now that I've been using them. Even after a long walk this last weekend I didn't get the normal belly ache and bruised feeling. Relief! I've made my own using a combination of these two great blog posts from DIY maternity:
How to sew a belly band
How to make a no sew belly band
They are super easy to make! Although cutting mine from regular t-shirts, I have found that they aren't nearly as long/tall as if I would have measured out some material as in the first link. I'll need some longer ones at some point, but I didn't go wrong with getting 3 t-shirts for a euro each for my first time playing around with belly bands. I will definitely be making more!

Sleep: I think I've been sleeping quite well. Even if I haven't had as much sleep during the last two nights (I went to bed way too late) I've been feeling quite good and chipper.

Cravings/Aversions: Still nothing that I would call a craving or aversion to anything food wise and I still think it would be fun to have a craving.

Symptoms: This week's symptom is the very strange dreams/nightmares I've been having. My dreams/nightmares are usually very vivid and strange as strange can be, but lately it seems I've been getting much more of them. Dexter still causes me police/killing/murder dreams on occasion if I watch a particularly gruesome episode too close to bed time. I've also had work-stress dreams that just didn't make sense, sort of. A co-worker/friend was driving my car and side-swiped a guardrail going onto a bridge. And one of the more recent ones that I remember was about vampires (I'm reading the Anita Blake series that has vamps, werewolves, tigers, lions, oh my!).

I've also started being very itchy, especially on my breasts! I know during the winter my skin gets quite dry, which is why I always lather myself with lotion after a shower, but lately...it just seems I can't stop itching sometimes. And being that boob-skin is sensitive and thin, I'm scratching very carefully, if at all. Normally I just try putting more lotion on, it usually helps.

And I'm still peeing like a race horse. *grin*

What I miss: Nothing that I can think of, really. I am so loving this pregnancy and I am so grateful that this has been so easy so far.

What I look forward to: Now that I've got a definitely bump (I'm loving it!), I can't wait for it to pop a bit more. I would also love to feel some movement. Next doctor's appointment with ultrasound isn't for another 3 weeks and at that point I'll be at the halfway mark. WOW!

Moods: Quite happy with only a few sadness bits thrown in. In the recent Dexter episodes we've been watching, Rita is pregnant. And the moodiness and witchiness she exhibits is just insane! I look over at Mr Siili and tell him "I'm not like that at all! You've got it easy." Hahah

Milestones: Paxlet is the size of a onion!

Medical concerns: Allergy season is coming up and I learned at my last doctor's appointment that my regular allergy meds are a no-no, so she wrote me a new prescription. I really should get the prescription filled and start taking the meds as it has been said in the news that pollen will be blowing in from the southern (warmer and already blooming) European countries within the next couple of weeks. Also, this year's birch pollen is expected to be quite bad. My worst enemy. But, I've also heard that being pregnant can change hormones and maybe I won't be as badly effected this year. I guess we'll just have to see.

Sex?: Same as usual...

Misc: As I was walking from the kitchen to the living room the other day I had this sudden and over whelming: OMG! I'm pregnant! I still find this whole thing a wonder and amazing.

Several girl friends and I will be getting together this coming Sunday. It's going to be a great time! I'm always left feeling recharged and rejuvenated.

I made brownies this evening. Nom! Nom! Nom!

This week's bump picture (and an updated week 16 bump at a better angle) can be seen in the Paxlet Pictures tab.

16 weeks
15 weeks
14 weeks
13 weeks
12 weeks
11 weeks
10 weeks
9 weeks
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7 weeks

Happy Birthday, Mom!

My mom would have been 54 years old today, but instead it has been almost 9 months since she left her mortal coil. I'm having a hard time today and really missing her something fierce. I decked myself out today in things she had knitted in hopes of trying to feel a bit closer to her. I'm not sure if it helped any, but I did feel physically warmer.



"I thought I'd found a reason to live
Just like before when I was a child
Only to find that dreams made of sand
Would just fall apart and slip through my hands
But the spirit of life keeps us strong
And the spirit of life is the will to carry on
Adversity what have I done to you
To cause this reclusive silence
That has come between me and you
And the spirit of life oh-ho remains in light
And the spirit of life oh-ho remains inside
I never thought it would be quite like this
Living outside of mutual bliss
But as long as the veins in our arms still stand up
The spirit of life will keep living on..."

Happy Thursday

Happy International Women's Day!

Our neuvola appointment this morning went well. After introducing Mr Siili and a few questions we got down to business. My blood pressure was a bit low, but as that is normal for me, the nurse wasn't concerned. As per their scales, I've only gained 1,1kg (~2lbs). Then we were shown to the doctor's room.

The neuvola doctor started by going over basic background info and health. My asthma meds are ok, but she wrote me a new/different prescription for allergy meds for the spring. Then it was up on the exam table. No ultrasound this time, but that doesn't mean my lady bits were left alone! The doctor checked my lady bits externally and internally. Everything looked just fine. Then we officially heard Paxlet's heartbeat for the first time! (I heard it once before with the fetal monitor at home.)

Work was as busy as ever. So much going on right now, I never run out of stuff to do. Time is the problem. I will get to miss some of the excitement by going on maternity leave. I like the idea of that. Hehe. I managed to get a few things caught up, but more emails just keep burying me. Oh, well, I'm not stressing about it.

Once I left work (an hour later than I had planned), I went to look for screen protectors for Mr Siili's phone. I didn't find them, but I did end up buying a bra. My first maternity clothing purchase. It took forever trying to find one that fit and was comfortable. But it was really needed.
Now, it's time to finish writing this, on my phone, in bed and actually go to sleep. I'm exhausted!

16 weeks

This last week I realized that 16 weeks is 4 months! I'm four months pregnant. OMGoodness! And I have to say, I'm totally loving being pregnant. I realize how fortunate I am that 1) I am pregnant and 2) I haven't really had many really negative pregnancy symptoms (so far). Things are progressing like they should and this is just such a wonderful journey. I hope it continues in the same vein and I can't wait to see what happens.

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Didn't weigh myself the last couple of days, but I think I'm still around the +2kg marker.

Maternity Clothes: As I've said for the last few weeks, I really need to get a more comfortable bra and some pants soon. I just can't be bothered to go to the shops... Someone want to shop for me?

Sleep: I sleep quite well, but I'm finding that my back is a bit more achy in the morning.

Cravings/Aversions: None, but I wish I had some sort of funny craving. Pickles and ice cream anyone?

Gender: I guess it is possible to find out the gender at 16 weeks and since we have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, it could happen. But, I'm still not sure if Mr Siili and I are going to find out or not. I'm still on the fence about it and if I understand Mr Siili correctly, his view point is "the technology is there, why not use it?". So, I guess we'll see what happens.
I personally don't have a feeling either way or a wish of one over the other. Knowing Mr Siili and myself, either gender is going to be unique. Hahaha

Symptoms: This past week I've started getting more sharp shooting pains in my lower abdomen. They don't last too long and most of them aren't too painful, although a few of them do stop me in my tracks, but most are the sort that I am just made sure I know they are there.
I've also started feeling 'heavy' in the belly, especially towards the end of the day. Sometimes it is an uncomfortable feeling, but mostly it makes me smile and lets me know that my belly is growing. I think I need to find some Belly Bands (or the equivalent) soon.
I feel like I am waddling a bit already. Hahah

What I miss: As usual, not having to pee so much.

What I look forward to: I have a neuvola doctor's appointment tomorrow. (It was supposed to be at 12 weeks, but the doctor was sick and so was I, then there were no appointments available for the next week or so, as these can only take place on Thursday, and then there was a week of winter holiday, so it happens this week.) I hope I'll be able to officially hear Paxlet's heartbeat at this appointment.
I'm still waiting to feel movement and for my tummy to show more.

Moods: Mostly normal and chipper, today I've had a bit of general sadness, but it'll go away when I sleep tonight.

Milestones: Paxlet is the size of an avocado!

Medical concerns: None.

Sex?: Life as normal and still hoping my libido will pick up (if not for me, at least for Mr Siili).

Misc: This past week I've found myself gravitating towards mirrors more often. Normally, I'm a make my hair nice in the morning type of gal and then forget about it the rest of the day. And that part of me is still the same, but I can't stop checking to see what my belly looks like. (How vain is that?!) About halfway between my desk and the break room is a full length mirror and I catch myself several times a day standing sideways in front of it checking to see how much my belly shows and if the clothes I'm wearing show it off or hide it. I do the same thing in the bathroom just after washing my hands. I even find myself doing it a bit at home, but at home I just more rub my belly and look at it more. This is just too funny, but I'm totally enjoying it.

Last week Jesica at Just Smile and Blog noticed that her bump seemed to disappear from week 15 to week 16. She said when she Googled it, she found that others had this same occurrence. (I'll take her word for it, because I can't be bothered to Google.) I did discuss this with a co-worker and didn't remember this during her pregnancy. After some discussion, we came to the conclusion that maybe the baby's position had change, thus the appearance of bump decrease. Or maybe the woman's body has changed a bit during this week (pelvic/hips widened a bit?) which would displace the bump in a different direction instead of out and front.
I told her I'd check my bump picture this week and see if I noticed the same, but I don't think my bump has gone anywhere. What do you think? Is my bump still there? Bigger? Smaller? The same?

This week's bump picture can be seen in the Paxlet Pictures tab.

15 weeks
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7 weeks

Happy 12th Birthday, Rusty!

My lovely boy, Rusty, is 12 years old today.

We got him and his brother, ^^Kantti^^, when they were almost 4 months old. They immediately took over our bed and hearts. ^^Kantti^^ was only with us for 10 years, we still miss him dearly.

^^Kantti^^ (L) & Rusty (R)

These days, Rusty's companion is little Miss Mansi. We adopted her a few months after ^^Kantti^^ died. From the start, she's only wanted to be friends with Rusty. She loves kitty-piles and wants to be in any lap that Rusty is in. He's still not sure about that. Little sisters can be such a pain!!

Rusty wasn't such a snuggly-putty in the beginning. It took him some time to figure out that humans are great cushions (so long as they don't wiggle too much) and offer lots of pets and chin scratches. Mr Siili is a great cushion, he doesn't wiggle much.

But most of all, Rusty is a mama's boy! I might wiggle more often, but I am the one he would generally prefer to lay on. He talks to me and tells me all about his day when I come home from a long day at work. He let's me know when it's time to go to bed and doesn't like it when I don't get there fast enough.

Rusty being a mama's boy.

May we have many more healthy and happy years with you, Rusty!

Spirals and a bump

Spiral is what Mr Siili calls American Idol. He says he likes the sound of Spiral better than AI. I just laugh and now that I know what he's talking about, I call it Spiral too.

Finally this week, at 15 weeks, I have admitted to myself and I'm ready to admit to others that I actually have a bit of a bump. Up until this week, whenever someone would ask me if I was showing, I'd tell them "maybe a little bit, but only I notice it and it most just looks like I'm chubby". Not any more! I have a bit of a bump and I'm loving it! I can't wait for it to get bigger.

Went to the doctor for my cough

Like the title says, I went to the work doctor today to ask about my cough. I explained that I've had the cough since the beginning of the flu (almost 3 weeks now), it's quite painful and sometimes I cough so much and hard that I almost puke. It's not in my lungs, just my throat. Sometimes I can even cough junk up. (Yay for me, gross!) I haven't taken anything for it, because well, I'm pregnant and taking meds for stuff just don't occur to me very often. I did up my asthma meds during the worst of the flu, which is what I've been told to do. In all fairness though, as of yesterday, I do think the cough is sort of getting better. The coughing bouts are less and not nearly as harsh (most of the time).

The doctor said that there is nothing on the Finnish market that he can prescribe for me. There used to be something that could be prescribed in almost all cases, but it was pulled from the shelves and he doesn't know why. *shrug* Basically he said that I just need to wait it out and eventually I'll get fully better. He agreed with my upping my asthma meds and also recommended inhaling some steam (see, sauna is good!).

I was also able to get a referral to the chiropractor for 4 times. Aaaah, relief! (So long as I get a referral from the doctor for the chiro, my work's sickness fund will reimburse me for 80% of it! Double relief!) I believe that sitting and laying around for the entire week of my flu has helped my back to act up. Now that I'm feeling much better, I'm hoping to get back into walking more. (Just in time for the snows to be melting and icing up. Lovely!) I should also stretch a bit more.. I did a few stretches when I got home this evening and I noticed a marked difference already.

It's going to be another long day at work tomorrow. It's month end and a lot of the units I look after are closing in the afternoon, so I should get some beauty sleep so I can last the whole day.

15 weeks

Happy Leap Day!
I read today that this day can also be called Sadie Hawkins Day! And I thought that was only a dance event in high school (junior high too?) where the girls asked the guys to the dance. I actually went to this dance and asked my best friend's cousin, a guy I had crushed on for ages, Jerimiah (was a bull frog. hehehe) aka Jerry.

In Finland this day is called karkauspäivä ("runaway day"). Yle news' website had this to say about today:

In many countries, leap day has traditionally been a day when women may seize the initiative -- and propose marriage. Finnish custom has its own adaptation of leap day marriage proposals -- should the man turn down the woman's proposal, custom dictates he must buy his suitor cloth for sewing a skirt.

Today started out with lots of sun and not to cold temps. Just one of those days that you feel glad to be alive. I don't know if it was still sunny when the sun set, because I was still at work, busy. Even though it was a busy day at work (lots to do after being off work for two weeks), it's been a decent day. I don't really have an explanation why today has been such a chipper day, but it just has been. I think part of it has to do with the fact that I am15 weeks. It's not any exceptional milestone, but it's pretty cool nonetheless!

What I saw while waiting for the bus this morning.

Total Weight Loss/Gain: +1,5kg (start 66kg) / 148,5lbs (start 145lbs)

Maternity Clothes: I really need to get myself in gear and get a maternity bra or two, the one I've been wearing is getting a bit tight and uncomfortable.

Sleep: Still slightly more tired than normal, but nothing too bad. I've tried putting a pillow between my knees at night, but I think it is doing more harm then helping and it just seems to get in the way when I need to roll onto the other side.

Cravings/Aversions: I'm able to eat more sweets lately without feeling so 'ugh'. Not sure that is such a good thing, but I'm not eating tons of sweets. LOL. I have found myself wanting some steak or real meat (no hamburger please!).

Symptoms: Going pee all the time!
Today I've been having what I assume are ligament pains in my lower abdomen. Sharp pangs, mostly on the right, but also on the left. Thankfully nothing too painful, but they are felt. Other than that, I'm feeling quite good.
Achy back. I've always had a 'bad back', so I haven't put much thought into it, but lately my low low back has been bugging me. The sciatic nerve area just seems to be a bit pinched and I can't seem to make the discomfort go away. I'm sure this will only get worse as time goes on and I'm less and less able to relieve my back pressure on my own. I think a chiro appointment is in the making.
The bloating that I've had the last couple of weeks seems to be mostly gone. Either that or I've learned how to eat much smaller portions, more often, quite well. In any case, I'm very pleased to not be so uncomfortable.

What I miss: Not going pee all the time. LOL

What I look forward to: Still can't wait for my pump to really pop out and to feel Paxlet moving.

Moods: Feeling pretty good.

Milestones: 15 weeks!! Paxlet is the size of a navel orange! I'm pretty sure I heard Paxlet's heartbeat on Monday. I haven't tried listening again, yet.

Medical concerns: I'm still coughing quite a bit and even Mr Siili has said something about it. So, if he's a bit concerned, then I figured I should at least have it checked out. I'm quite sure the doctor will just tell me it is going to take time to heal fully from the horrible flu I had, but to make Mr Siili feel better and maybe find something I can do to make the coughing less aggressive, I'm going to the doctor tomorrow.

Sex?: Twice in one week! That's a record for us since I've gotten pregnant. Haha! I still think it would be nice to have a higher sex drive, but we'll see what happens.

Misc: A co-worker gave me an impromptu talking to/lesson about how I should be drinking lots of milk (blech) and was concerned about the (mostly green) tea I was drinking. I've discussed this all with my neuvola nurse and I'm trying to eat more cheese, yogurt and eat a bit more cereals, because I don't drink milk as such. Also, I've asked about my tea consumption. I drink mostly green teas and some black teas, but even then I'm mostly just flavoring my hot water with tea. One tea bag lasts me several big mugs of tea.

This week's bump picture can be seen in the Paxlet Pictures tab.

14 weeks
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12 weeks
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9 weeks
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7 weeks