My Pregnancy

My pregnancy was fairly easy with no problems or complications. I'm not going to lie and tell you it was beautiful and magical, because let's face it, there is nothing beautiful about being swollen, sore, fat and moody. Of course I loved feeling my baby move and grow inside me, but I never could understand those people who said they loved being pregnant. Love is a strong word, people... So here's my pregnancy in a nutshell:

Total weight gain: 30lbs. Ok fine, 35lbs.
Stretch marks? None!
Food cravings? Since I've craved chocolate since the day I discovered it, I guess I can't consider it a pregnancy craving. I never craved anything in particular. I remember being super thirsty all the time though.
Pregnancy symptoms? I was so lucky to not have any morning sickness. In fact, I don't recall feeling nauseous even once. I was extremely exhausted in my first trimester and towards the very end of my third trimester. I had pretty severe rib and back pain from weeks 20-30.
How did we announce our pregnancy? With this photo taken in Tofino when I was about 12 weeks!

Did we find out the gender? Yes. At 20 weeks, we did a 3D ultrasound to find out that she was a she!
What did I like most about being pregnant? Special treatment from my husband and having a valid excuse for not participating in corporate dodgeball tournaments.
What did I dislike most about being pregnant? Not being able to drink wine and run (not at the same time, although I wouldn't be opposed to trying it..)
Best pregnancy advice: Eat healthy and stay active. I exercised regularly until 2 weeks before my due date. Working out kept me feeling energetic and helped with back pain, rib pain and swelling! It also made it super easy to get back into my exercise routine post pregnancy! Oh, and don't try on your wedding dress when you're 17 weeks pregnant.

Here are some photos of my growing belly!

First, a pre-pregnacy photo and my motivation to get my butt in gear to lose the last of my baby weight. Taken on our honeymoon in Maui last November.

 28 weeks

33 weeks

38 weeks

On my due date!

Welcome!

I must admit, last night I lay awake for hours trying to think of how I would start off my very first blog... feeling a little pressure here! Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Claire Erdem. I was born and raised in beautiful British Columbia, and currently live, work and play in Victoria. I have been married for over a year to my wonderful husband, Emreh. We recently embarked on the most amazing journey of our lives - parenthood! We welcomed our daughter, Ava Marie Erdem, on August 28, 2012. I am on maternity leave until August 2013 from the best job ever; Community Recreation Coordinator at a local recreation centre. 

My husband Emreh (isn't he cute), Ava and me at our friends wedding this past September. Ava was only 2 weeks old!

Why did I start this blog? First and foremost, I wanted to document Ava's early years so that in the future, she and I can look back at all of our memories together. I also figured it would be a great way to share her milestones with friends and family near and far! I like to look at this blog as an 'electronic scrapbook', because lets face it, I am SO not the 'traditional-scrapbooking/journal-writing' kind of girl (although I kind of wish I was...). I also wanted to share my experiences as a new mom with other new moms and moms to be. During my pregnancy, I found myself researching all things baby ALL THE TIME. I found the best advice and most useful information on peoples personal blogs. It was so helpful to read peoples reviews and suggestions on maternity and baby products, and SO encouraging to read about peoples struggles and triumphs in their journeys through motherhood (they've made me realize that I'm not the only one having troubles and making mistakes, like clipping my baby's skin while trying to cut her nails for the first time... yep, I did that, but I'M NOT ALONE!). I hope to be able to provide useful feedback on the products that we use and love (and don't love), and share my stories (both good and bad). Lastly, I love to write! At work, I do a lot of creative writing and I've really missed it since being on maternity leave. I'll be honest, my intellectual capacity isn't being challenged much these days. Sandra Boynton books are cute and everything, but I'm actually starting to forget how to form full sentences; needless to say, I figured blogging would be a good outlet for me. I will leave you with a few pictures of sweet baby girl. Enjoy!

1.5 weeks old. Can you believe the hair?!

4 weeks old. How precious is she?