I put my back out on Saturday night, the second time this pregnancy. The first time my uterus shifted and the baby temporarily sat on a nerve. On Saturday, after organizing our livingroom for the Christmas tree, I unthinkingly bent over ‘one last time’ and didn’t bend my knees. Immediate spasm. Really bad.
I’ve strained my low back before, but never as bad as this. The last time that came close was in high school, and before that my original low back injury at age 11 when I took a bad fall.
I was hoping that I’d feel better after sleeping. No such luck. Somehow I managed to sleep through the night in obscure positions, struggling every few hours to get up and pee (thanks pregnancy). By morning, I was spasming constantly. The mornings have been the worst, after the strain of sleeping on my side or back all night.
That morning, in tears, I decided I needed help. I wasn’t going to make it through the weekend without some pain management. We spent 3 hours in the hospital, me pacing most of that time to avoid sitting, before I was given narcotics. A hard choice to make when pregnant. The dose was small, but it was enough to take the edge off.
I had to take the narcotic twice on Sunday and once on Monday morning and Tuesday morning again, recovering still from all the massage and chiropractic treatments I had on Monday. It was hard not to be able to pick up or sit with my son. To not be able to even put on my own socks.
Today I was able to drive and mostly take care of Aiden, though Ianiv worked at home to help me get Aiden in and out of the car and his crib. I managed my pain with Tylenol and ice only. Hopefully another week and I will feel better.
Aiden didn’t love not being able to play with me or be carried, but he’s had lots of love. And books. Here is how he spent most of his time with grandmas, who had to ditch work to help me:
This past weekend, I went with Nicola to the Modern Mama brunch held at the Brock House for Pregnancy Awareness Month. I didn’t attend any pregnancy events with my first pregnancy, so it was all new to me, in a way. It’s different being pregnant with people you know, that’s for sure!
Check out our complimentary portrait – I also won a newborn photoshoot with the same photographer.
Modern Mama hosts events for to-be or new families on topics ranging from fashion to parenting. For example, they are just about to host an event on sleep featuring the same sleep consultant we used with Aiden.
Despite the fact that I’m not a new mama, and this is not my first pregnancy, I did manage to learn some new things from the set of speakers that were on hand for the brunch. I learned, for example, that belly support after birth does have a more-than-just-aesthetic purpose (thx FitnessDoula). Go figure!
Disclosure: I was invited to the Modern Mama event but was not asked to write a post. I also have a continued working relationship with the sleep consultant featured in their next event.
Today was an intense day of Doctor visits for us. It all started this morning with our first trip to the Emergency Room at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver.
Yesterday, Aiden fell and developed a limp after. I didn’t see the fall, but usually falls are just a normal part of his day. In this case, he did immediately complain about one of his toes hurting, though nothing was touch sensitive. The limp didn’t go away by the end of the day, or by this morning. He couldn’t comfortably wear some of his shoes.
So, off to the hospital we went. I opted for the hospital over the clinic just in case we needed X-Rays, and heard Children’s was better diagnostically speaking. Thankfully it was not busy and we were able to see the doctor right away. Aiden watched tv for about 5 minutes before his first examination – lots of bending and prodding and whatnot. It was a bit difficult to get him to walk around willingly, but he seemed to get into it once I put a video on the iPhone for him to hold.
After two doctors, no skeletal injuries could be found. The best guess was a ligament or muscle injury that should heal on its own. If not, we’re back to the hospital this weekend. For now, we’re just using Advil. At least Mommy has some peace of mind watching her little baby walk around with a limp (ugh, the heartstrings!).
As if a morning of doctors wasn’t enough, it was my turn this afternoon to see the midwife for my 16 week appointment. Everything was quick and Aiden was very happy to hear the baby’s heartbeat. He still wants to “see” the baby, but he’ll have to wait for the ultrasound for that!
That’s right, we are having another baby! Ianiv & I are excited to share that Aiden will become a big brother in a few months! May 14th is our due date for “Baby #2″, putting me at 12 weeks pregnant now. We’ve had our first ultrasound already and baby is doing just great!
I’ve been able to feel the baby moving since about 10.5 weeks, which is just crazy. The lime-sized baby in there is sure making itself known! I know, second pregnancies are different, but it’s still a surprise to feel baby moving! We plan to find out the gender of the baby, as we did with Aiden.
We are both excited and nervous to be expanding our family. I have had a lot more sickness and fatigue with this baby than with Aiden (pretty much not existent with him), so hopefully that explains why I seem to have been offline so much of the time the last… well, 3 months! :)
I am now at the stage in my life where I have to throw/attend/be-the-guest-of-honour-at baby showers. Part of the baby shower tradition is the playing of (usually cheesy) baby-themed games. For those of you in the midst of planning a shower, here is a list I’ve compiled of all the baby shower games I have ever played with instructions and an entertainment-level rating.
The Rating System:
♥ This game is boring, overplayed and/or just plain gross.
♥♥ This game is worth playing though it may be a bit challenging to organize.
♥♥♥ This game is easy to organize and pretty fun to play.
DON’T SAY “BABY” (♥)
This game has many variations popular at various types of showers. In the case of the baby shower, guests are all given a diaper pin or similar object and forbidden from saying certain “taboo” words (e.g. baby, diaper). If someone overhears you saying one of the taboo words, they get to steal your diaper pin and any of the diaper pins you have collected so far. The winner is the person with the most diaper pins at the end of the shower.
This game is overplayed, and most guests don’t seem to enjoy it. I’ve actually had people walk right up to me, say “baby” and willingly hand over their diaper pin because they find it so ridiculous.
BABY POOL (♥♥♥)
Guests contribute a predetermined amount of money to the pot in and guess any number of things about the baby. Popular options include birth date and time, weight, length and gender of the baby (if not already known). The person who is the closest to being right wins the money. Alternatively, if a large amount of money is contributed, a portion of the pot could be given to the new parents to buy essentials or put into an RESP for the baby while the remainder is given to the winner.
Super easy to organize. Even the most unenthusiastic shower guest is usually willing to play.
BABY PHOTO GALLERY(♥♥)
The main drawback of this game is that it requires some serious pre-planning to work well. Essentially, guests submit a baby photo before the party and they are each marked with a number and displayed on a wall. Throughout the party, guests are asked to examine the photos and guess who`s who.
This game is especially fun for co-ed showers and for showers where the majority of the guests know each other well. It is also one of the only games I know of that doubles as decorations.
PIN THE DIAPER/BIB/BOTTLE ON THE BABY (♥)
This is just the baby shower version of pin the tail on the donkey. A cartoon image of a baby is hung on the wall. Guests are blindfolded and must try to attach some baby related item to the correct part of the baby (e.g. place a bottle near the baby’s mouth). The person who gets closest to the correct area wins.
This game isn’t much fun as chances are most of your guests have played some incarnation of it before.
BLINDFOLDED TASTE TEST (♥♥)
There are a couple of variations on this game. In one version, shower guests or the father-to-be are blindfolded and fed some of mom-to-be’s strangest pregnancy cravings. They then have to guess what they are. The person who guesses the most correctly wins a prize. Alternatively, volunteers are blindfolded while the mom-to-be or other guests feed them samples of baby food and they have to guess the flavour.
This game gets mixed reviews, especially if baby food is involved. Usually the people doing the feeding have a good laugh while the blindfolded taste testers are unimpressed with this game. I find it works best at co-ed showers with the women feeding their significant others. This game is not recommended if anyone on the guest list has food allergies.
BELLY MEASUREMENTS (♥♥)
This game is easy to organize. All you need is a measuring tape, a pair of scissors and a spool of string or ribbon. Guests then cut a length of string that they feel is equivalent to the circumference of mom’s belly. The different lengths are then measured against the real thing, and the person who comes closest wins. This game is not recommended if you are hosting the party for a mom-to-be who is self-conscious about the size of her belly.
INVENT A CELEBRITY BABY NAME (♥♥♥)
This game is super easy to organize and usually results in some good laughs. Guests are given pens and scraps of paper on which to create the most outlandish celebrity baby name they can think of. Mom-to-be then reads them aloud and determines the winner based on which name she finds most amusing. It is a good idea to have some samples of some of the bizarre names real celebrities have given to their babies.
FAMOUS BABIES QUIZ (♥♥♥)
Test guests’ baby name trivia knowledge by compiling a list of questions about famous babies and their parents. Can they name all of the Jackson family? Do they know which two celebs are parents to Apple and Moses? Who are the parents of Pebbles and Bam Bam? The quiz can be as short or as long as you like. Several versions are available online or you can make your own. It is recommended that you set a time limit to complete it. Guests can compete for a prize or the game can be a fun icebreaker.
MOM/DAD-TO-BE QUIZ (♥♥)
Before the shower, send out a questionnaire to the grandparents-to-be asking for details about the guest(s) of honour. You stick to a baby-theme and ask questions about first words, favourite toys, etc. Then handout the same set of questions to the guests at the shower and see how many they can get right. It is often interesting to see how many the mom/dad-to-be get right (or wrong). Again, guests can compete for prizes or the game can simply be used as an icebreaker.
ADVICE FOR THE NEW PARENTS (♥)
People love passing on free advice to new parents and this “game” gives them the opportunity to do just that. Guests may write helpful tips and words of encouragement into a keepsake book, on recipe cards or even on little note cards hung like ornaments from a decorative tree. The guest-of-honour may the read them aloud as part of the party or simply take them home to read later.
While this game often produces some useful and some amusing pieces of advice, it is a bit cliche and some party guests may find it boring. Guests without children of their own may feel put on the spot. Reading out all the advice is not recommended if a large number of guests have contributed.
BABY GEAR OLYMPICS (♥♥)
This game is quite fun if the people organizing the shower have children of their own and have some essential baby gear handy. A large room or outdoor space is recommended. Set up various stations as an obstacle course (e.g. setting up a portable crib, collapsing a stroller, changing a diaper, getting a baby in and out of a baby carrier). Divide into teams (boys vs. girls is fun if it’s a co-ed shower) and give each team a doll to take with them to each station. The team whose members each complete all of the tasks first is the winner.
MYSTERY BABY ESSENTIALS (♥♥♥)
Purchase a series of small must-have baby items (e.g. baby nail clippers, diaper cream, booties) and seal them inside brown lunch bags with numbers on the front. Guests pass each bag around and try to guess its contents. They can shake, squeeze and sniff the bags, but can’t look inside. They record their guesses on a piece of paper. After everyone has had a chance to guess, the bags are opened and the person with the most correct guesses is the winner. The mom-to-be gets to keep the contents of the bags, so this game can also double as a baby gift from one of the hosts.
POOPY DIAPERS (♥)
Buy a variety of chocolate bars. Break off a piece of each bar and place the pieces inside different disposable diapers. You may want to use a hair dryer to help you melt the bars to get a more realistic baby poop effect. Guests will then sniff and examine the diapers and try to guess the type of candy bar that was used.
This game is an excellent game to play if you are on a diet because it will seriously impact your ability to each chocolate ever again. If the mom-to-be and most of her family and friends really enjoy toilet humour, then this game may go over well, but in my personal experience, most people find it pretty disgusting.
BABY PORTRAITS (♥♥♥)
Give every guest a pen and a paper plate. They must place the paper plate on top of their head and, without looking, draw a picture of what they think the baby will look like. The honoured guest chooses the winner.
This game is super easy to throw together and usually results in a lot of laughs, so it is a great game to kick things off.
NAME THAT NURSERY RHYME (♥♥♥)
Guests can play this individually by writing their answers on a sheet of paper or they can play in teams as a trivia game. The host reads out a portion of a famous nursery rhyme or children’s song and guests have to either finish the line or give the title. You can also give a short synopsis of a fairy tale or other children’s book and have guests guess which one it is. Many versions of this game are available online, but it is also easy to make your own.
This game is a good alternative to a celebrity baby names trivia game if many generations will be at the same shower. Grandma may not be able to name all of Brangelina’s brood, but she is probably as familiar with Humpty Dumpty as everyone else.
