Baby's First Christmas

Presley's first Christmas has been so amazing! Such a joyous time. She loves being around people, spending time with family and ripping presents open (and then playing with the wrapping). too funny! She also met a few Santa's and really enjoyed their company.

The first she met at the Eaton Centre for the "official" photograph...


and then we ran into another while doing some last minute shopping and they got along famously...

This has been the most special-est Holiday of all. We feel so incredibly blessed to have this little one in our lives. She makes everyday feel like Christmas.


Happy Holidays!!
Wishing everyone much peace, love and happiness - always.

Five Months!

Presley turned five months on November 1st. I'm trying to take it all in as slowly as humanly possible and savour every sweet minute moment. She is an absolute pleasure. She's so bright and smiley and curious and affectionate, all while being drooly, sticky and stubborn. I can't get enough and I can't imagine spending my days any other way.

Presley's 1st Halloween

We seem to have fallen into a daily routine. We start the day by rolling around in bed and playing with a bunch of toys and books. Then we'll hit the tea-time exersaucer so mama can have her cereal and baby can mumble at her recipe book, tea pot, and flowers. Eventually it'll be time for Presley's snack and a mid-morning nap. And later, if we're feeling adventurous, we'll freshen up, pack a bag and head out the door. Luckily the weather's been nice the past few days and we've been able to enjoy the fresh air. When dad gets home it's time for some groovy guitar tunes, quality tummy time and a ride on the jumperoo...

muchos babies por favor

Last week's mommy & baby group was huge! The biggest get together so far. Eleven freakin babies and their mommies shared a splendid Wednesday afternoon gurgling, snackin' and chatting it up. We put the babies down in a circle and started snapping pix. They were alright for the most part. Some were startled from getting slugged by neigbouring flailing baby arms, but otherwise all was good. At one point they all fell asleep. It was like some strange cosmic communal nap time. no one complained. as you can see from my pic, Presley was my only focus. hmmm wonder why....

look at me! look at me!

Every week is slightly different. I missed last week. the moms named the starbucks closest to the ROM as a meeting place before hitting the museum. But they never made it out of the coffee shop - it was just too dang cozy. A tall coffee frap and a slice of the banana loaf woulda kept me there as well!

I love this pic of these two pals:

coochie coochie coo!

Not only have these cuties known each other prenatal, they're only 16 days apart. Presley being the older and pushier of the two and Ben beating her in weight by a few pounds. We're hoping that these two will stay pals long after they can say, "I knew you when we wore the same type of diapers!"

We've had a few doctor's appointments in the past few weeks. At week 18 we went to sick kids' genetics clinic to talk cleft palate. They wanted to ask Jay and I about our family history and it seems that cleft/lip palates can be associated with various syndromes, heart conditions and learning issues and they wanted to assess and examine Presley to make sure that she was clear of all. And she was all clear. The cleft palate is being treated as an isolated case and we still don't know where it came (or didn't come) from. At week 19 she had her last visit with her pediatrician. Yes, last. He told us that he didn't want to see our girl anymore because she's just too dang healthy and he only sees sick kids! How's that for a clean bill o' health!? This pediatrician examined her at birth and was the first to find the cleft palate and even though Presley was going to be treated by our family doctor, he still wanted to keep an eye on her for a few months. Since all is fine and dandy he says that he would like to wait and see her again in a year. At the end of the same week we took Presley to our family doc for the dreaded 4month vaccines. Poor girl. She took it as well as could be expected (she screamed and screamed and screamed some more). We took her home, gave her some cherry flavoured tylenol and she slept like a dream.

20 weeks and currently weighing in at 14lbs 2 oz, with a length of 68cm and a head circumference of 43cm our baby continues to rock our world....

NOTE: Please try to ignore my ridiculous munchkin voice and instead embrace that beautiful baby smile!

Four Months

Presley turned four months yesterday. Time is just flying by! We celebrated by spending the afternoon with the mommies and babies group over at Adriana's. The regular fellas, Ben and Alejandro (both 3 and 1/2 months), were there and we got to meet two new girls, Hanna (8 weeks) and River (six weeks). Presley's the oldest and the mama's have been watching her development to see what to expect with their little ones. She's doing so well. She's sitting up on her own (with a little support) and sucking on her fists like there's no tomorrow! And when she's on her back she can roll from side to side and she loves to grab her feet and nibble on her wee toes. She's also quite the chatterbox and gurgler. I love it when it sounds like she's talking under water. I call her The Mermaid. Here she is with some of her pals:

Ben, Hanna, Presley, River, Alejandro

Sunday was Presley's baptism. And it was wonderful! There were six other babies being baptized. Father Paul was very entertaining and he kept things rolling along and very interesting and interactive. He did get Presley's name wrong at first, he called her Paisley. Michelle, who was sitting behind me, leaned over and said "I guess he didn't read her article in yesterday's paper." Lol! We had many friends and lotsa family there to help us celebrate. We all headed over to Spirits for pictures and hugs and snacks afterwards. We are truly blessed to have such awesome people in our lives.

Here's Presley with her Godmother (my sista) Kelly:

La Madrina

and here she is with her Godfather (my cousin) Robert:

El Padrino

and here she is with one of her favourite presents from that day:

Tea Time!

The exer-saucer has got to be one of the greatest inventions ever! She absolutely loves it! Not only is she stimulating her brain and exercising her little body, she's letting her mama post on her blog!

Lover Her Tender, Love Her True

Presley Mary Grace is in today's paper! She's on the cover of the Toronto Star's Living section. Laura, Aziz's mom, from the mommy and baby group let us know that they were looking for babies with interesting and unusual names. We figured being named after The King qualified, so we got in contact with the writer and there you go! Here's the photo that they ran and here's the article. Too cool!

Baby's First Press Clipping

Baby Wednesdays

Not only were the Baby & Me Fitness classes great for my health, they also introduced me to some fabulous ladies. And now that we've all popped our buns, we've decided to hold weekly meetings on Wednesdays. Our first meeting was last week at Sarah & Baby Will's and it was a grand affair. Sarah has a beautiful home in the beaches with enough baby stuff to keep all the wee ones happy. It was here that I discovered that Presley likes the bouncy chair.

"you're getting veeeerryy sleeeepy"

It was great to see all of the ladies and hear the various birth stories - everything from natural home births to a ruptured uterus that ended in an emergency to c-section. It was wonderful to get together and share info and ask questions in a non-judgemental environment. We munched on yummy sandwiches, crackers n' dip, cookies, muffins and even imbibed in a couple of glasses of white wine. Now, that's how mommies should spend an afternoon!

The Baby Gang

Yesterday we met just behind the Spadina House and although the trek up the Baldwin Steps wearing Presley was exhausting, we were still glad that we ventured out into the great sunny outdoors.

My little Rockstar

Our friend, Shelley, designer extraordinaire and hot mama, sent Presley an awesome package of HissyFit originals including this adorable hat. Don't she look rockin at 14 weeks?!

Baby Bath Time

Presley just turned 12 weeks on Sunday. Hard to believe that 3 months have just flown by. It's amazing to watch her evolve. Everyday there's something new. She loves to bring herself to sitting and pull herself up to standing (with our assistance, of course!). She drools with excitement every time. Actually, she just drools all of the time, regardless. And she spends much quality time with her dangly toys, yammering on about baby stuff I suppose. And a lot of the time it sounds as though she's giving them a good what for! She's a very happy baby with very little fussing. And she loves her bath time...

At least Wonder Woman has my back.

That's where we first heard her giggle. Yes, she seems a little serious here. Perhaps she didn't appreciate the camera being brought into her private bath time. Maybe we should have asked her first? We were afraid of being rejected and we just had to. Everyone should have cute baby bath time pix, no? Funny thing is, as soon as the pictures were taken she would smile. Always the way, isn't it.

Just ducky, really!

Presley's great, fine, awesome and growing like it's going outta style! Jay gets better and better everyday with all of his daddy duties. Father and daughter are such great pals. And me? I'm doing alright I guess. A little impatient with my "getting back to normal body" but realizing that it takes time. It took 9 months to put on the weight, it's gotta take some time to take it off. And let's not get into the c-section crap! I'm hoping to find the time to get in some good workouts real soon. If only I could stay awake long enough! Other than that, no complaints really. People say that the love one feels for their own child is like no other. I have never felt love like this before.

Sleepy

Catching some ZZZZs with Tata's Pink Blanket

Thanks to Cristina for this cute little onsie. I must admit, I was afraid to put it on her. Would it keep us up all day and night? Nope. Even tough babies gotta sleep sometime! And she's one helluva tough baby and (thank God) a wonderful sleeper. Yes, she's up every 3 hours or so - like most babies, but she does get some good hours in where I try to join her (or occasionally sneak on to the computer, shhh you'll wake the baby).

Presley just turned 9 weeks and on August 1st had her first set of shots. Ugh! Poor thing. She took it as well as could be expected and like her mom, loves her tylenol. She's weighing in at 11lbs and stretching out at 60cm.

Six Weeks Later

Presley is amazing. Every single moment we spend with her is incredible. Yes, even when she's screaming her head off at us for no apparent reason but to clear her little lungs out. Her first few days on earth were spent in the NICU attached to I.V's and heart monitors and surrounded by premmies and other special need newborns. For five days she was pricked and prodded and she was a tough little girl through it all. We're wondering what types of piercings and tattoos this early childhood trauma will warrant later in life. Yikes! Entering the world at 9 lbs 11 ounces she was the biggest baby in the nursery. She came to be known as The Big Girl and she was adored by everyone. Here are a few of her favourite nurses...

Nurse Carol

Carol was awesome. We spent most of our days with her learning to feed, burp and sterilize. Carol also had the pleasure of taking us through our first diaper change, as well as the patience to deal with our parade of guests. Tough as nails and sweet as pie.

Nurse Sabia

The evenings/wee hours of the morning were spent with Sabia, who coached us through Presley's first bath and witnessed my first pump of colostrum. Wonderful sense of humour and wise beyond her years.

Looking back now it still seems like a surreal dream. The support from the staff at St. Mike's was fantastic. We could not have done it without them. Obviously.

Life with Presley is magnificent! She's the cutest, smartest and most smiley-est baby ever! See for yourself....

5 days

An Offer You Can't Refuse

2 weeks
Sitting Pretty

3 weeks
Ready For My CloseUp

4 weeks

The Cherub

5 weeks
Baby in the Hood

6 weeks
Shits & Giggles

Our Little Girl

She's finally here! And well worth the wait! and what a wait it was!

Friday May 30th - The ultrasound turns out to be not as perfect as planned. With baby's movement decreased and the amniotic fluid low, we are advised to head over to the hospital for the dreaded induction. We arrive at St. Mike's at about 7:00pm. They perform another ultrasound and confirm that the amnio fluid is low. My blood pressure has gone up and they start to suspect preeclampsia (although my blood pressure has been perfect throughout my entire pregnancy - go figure!). With so much working against us, by 8pm they slip me some cervidil to jump start labour.

Saturday May 31st - By 9:30am - no progress. The docs give me another 12 hours to see if it kicks in. I spend the day walking, bouncing on the birthing ball, knitting, listening to music and breathing through quite a bit of cramping. By 9:30pm - still no progress. They bring in the foley catheter. Extremely unpleasant. Movement becomes a little more difficult, but I do my best to stay upright and positive. Six hours later - still no progress. They bring in the big guns - oxytocin. Movement becomes almost non-existant.

Sunday June 1st - At 11am (40 hours later, with contractions coming at two minutes apart and lasting about a minute long - still no progress) I'm in the O.R. leaning over for a spinal tap. At 11:57am, just in time for lunch, Presley Mary Grace arrives via caesarean section.

Although Presley is a big, healthy girl she was born with a cleft palatte. The only difficulty that causes for now is feeding. Since she has no suction she cannot breastfeed and must nurse from a special nipple. I'm pumping as much breast milk as I can and we're all mastering the Haberman. We've met with the cleft palatte team at Sick Kids Hospital and she will need surgery somewhere between 9 and 12 months.

Although our birth plan was shredded and thrown out the window our main concern was Presley's safety and health. Our new mantra will have to be "Shit happens. Deal with it and move on". I have a bit of healing to do and Jay and I may never sleep again, but we're okay with it all. Our little girl is so incredible, we have been truly blessed.

The Waiting Game

Frustrating day! So I treated myself to a manicure and a massage and then Jay and I took ourselves to the pool for some aquatic squatting and then to refuel with some curry chicken thai!

Frustrated 'cause doc won't extend the induction date. She wants us to call the hospital on Saturday to see what's available. She has chosen the least invasive induction method (prostaglandin gel) that she can think of and she's quite taken aback at how we really really don't want to be induced. She claims that 90-some% of her patients WANT to be induced. Although I understand where she's coming from - she's concerned for my age and the baby's size, bla bla bla, I still think that we should be the ones that make the final call. The baby's fine, my placenta is fine, the anmio fluid is fine, my blood pressure is fine. Look...

Baby Loves Placenta
- May 28

We have an ANOTHER ultrasound appointment on Friday and if the results are perfect (as they always have been) - we hope to figure out how to reschedule the induction on our own since we won't be seeing the doc after the ultrasound unless some thing's wrong. But hey, we've still got tonight and all of tomorrow to hope for (fingers crossed!!) And, on the plus side -- the cervix is softening. Could it be that the homeopathics my naturopath prescribed are kicking in!? Hope so! Or perhaps baby's just waiting until we see Sex and the City before she makes her grand appearance!

Post Date Post

So here's the deal-eo. I'm forty weeks and 8 days into the pregnancy and baby is just way too snug and cozy and would prefer to stay in her womb a little while longer. Who could blame her and who am I to argue? Our family doc, on the other hand, feels that baby's getting bigger everyday and that I may be too small to carry the labour through. And so doc is starting to talk (cue scary music) "induction". Initially it was scheduled for this coming Thursday, but with such a positive ultrasound result yesterday we were able to negotiate a few more days and it has been moved to the 31st. We have another ultrasound on Wednesday, a doc appointment on Thursday and yet another ultrasound on Friday. Sheesh!

We've been taking a stab at as many natural induction methods as possible. And I feel kinda guilty attempting all of these natural approaches knowing that she's perfectly fine and healthy. Why can't we all just leave her alone? But we've gotta try everything that we can before they squirt me up with some miracle gel or attach us to any sort of dreadful IV. Today I went to see my naturopath who pricked me acupuncture-style and recommended some homeopathic remedies to try and get things started. We're keeping our fingers tightly crossed!

Just a few things...

Here we are, three days past our estimated due date and feeling super fine. Well, maybe a little tired and heavy, but fine all the same. Lately it's been all about lists -- things to take to the hospital, things to get done before baby comes home and let's not even get into the birth plan. I may only have a coupla days or perhaps even hours before our wee one arrives and I've been thinkin about ...

things I will miss (in no particular order)
• this big huge belly bump o'love - watching it grow, watching it move, feeling the twists, kicks and tumbles.
• hearing, "wow, you look GREAT!"
• Jay singing The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota into my belly
• strangers smiling at me for what I thought was no apparent reason. (I quickly learned it wasn't me they were smiling at but at the miracle of life. ) still, nice all the same.
• using the baby excuse - ie oh, can i have the last cookie (piece of cake, chocolate, etc)? it's not for me, it's for the baby. *wink*
• my high-carb diet of pasta, pizza, ice cream and burgers

things I will NOT miss (again, in no particular order)
• sore back and swollen hands, knees & (k)ankles
• hearing, "wow, you are HUGE!"
• horror birth stories
• people looking at me all bug-eyed, like this huge belly and me come from planet Preggula
• the hardship that is getting up -- out of bed, out of chairs, sofas, etc.
• Jay's scruffy two day old stubble rubbing up against my sensitive skin while he sings The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota into my belly

Due Date, Schmoo Date

Well, our due date came and went and here we are calm, cool and very EXCITED!!! So what's a groovy couple to do on their due date weekend? How 'bout a little bit of this and a little bit of that...

• shop till you almost, uh, drop! last chance to get a few things before baby takes over. and Jay finally convinced me that we really need a small flat screen TV for our bedroom, especially since we'll be spending so much time in there cocooning as a brand new family. Oh well, so much for feng shui!

• go for a dip! we're lucky enough to have a salt water pool at our gym. Floating in the water made me feel as though I had lost 1,000 lbs! My back, knees and swollen hands and feet can't stop thanking me.

• take in a flick! once baby comes, it'll be tough to sneak her into the cineplex. So we decided to treat ourselves to one more movie -- The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian. For Azlan!

• slip in some siesta! We're squeezing in as much nap time as possible. Not only is it good for baby prep, but it's a cozy way to spend a rainy long weekend.

• make a little love! Since sex can induce labour by releasing a hormone called oxytocin, which causes the uterus to contract and semen contains a substance known as prostaglandins, which will help soften the cervix - why the heck not!? And hey, it's not like we need to worry about getting pregnant!

• cast a belly! From previous posts you can see how attached I've become to the baby bump. And although I'm sure that I won't miss it for long once it's gone, we still had to make a ...uh... little memento. Besides, it's been quite a while since I've been "plastered"!

Full-bodied mama

Zen and the Art Maaaaaa

Yoga has played a considerable role in this pregnancy. Twice a week for the past four months I've been hauling my bump out to Baby & Me Fitness classes after work to hangout with a buncha belly mamas to breathe, stretch and omm my little heart out.

Breathing in possibility...

Not only has the practice been terrific for my body, mind and soul, but the half hour talks pre-class have been chock full of incredible information and inspiration. We've explored some marvelous topics: hypno-birthing, breastfeeding, baby wearing, baby & mama care, cotton diapers vs disposables, doulas and postpartum depression - just to name a few. oh and my all-time fave --> comfort measures (aka pain management)! And through it all I formed some new friendships and hopefully soon we'll be taking our wee ones for walks through the park and perhaps indulging in a gelato or two.

...breathing out expectation.

The first class I attended ended with a special ritual for the mom-about-to-birth. Well, this week was my turn. It was so comforting to be surrounded by all of these wonderful women, babies in bellies, sending me the most incredible vibes. Yes, it may all sound a little bit granola to some, but it really was truly delicious.

Sandi's Angels

I met with the third doctor today, Dr. McMillan. She looked like a cross between Farrah Fawcett and a blonde Virgin Mary. I swear that there was a halo surrounding her when she floated into the room to greet me. She was so incredibly nice and extremely supportive. We looked over the birth plan and she congratulated us for taking such control and educating ourselves so well. *blush* We talked about how things don't always go as planned and I assured her that my main concern is not to be in complete control but only to remain as calm and relaxed as possible. Her staff was so taken aback that I wanted to meet with her. They couldn't wrap their heads around the fact that yes, I wasn't a patient, but any day now I could be, considering that she's on call for the days that I might go into labour. Dr. McMillan on the other hand understood completely that the reason I was making my "rounds" to meet with the team of three was so that once birth day arrives we'd all be on the same page. And during all of the telephone tag, Dr. M even called me back herself to chat over the phone. I have faith in the team and I believe that any intervention or deviation from The Plan will only be in our best interest. Wouldn't it be great if all three showed up? Just like Charlie's Angels!

Happy Mother's Day

I celebrated my first mother's day today. How strange is that?! Yes, technically I'm not really a mom yet. But my parents beg to differ and so does my sista, 'cause they all blessed me with gifts! My folks gave me some yummy body lotion and a delicious chocolate candle and my sista brought me a gorgeous Dalia plant. Oh, and we all chowed down on this delicious cake....

I have always loved Mother's Day. Although we should honour our mamas everyday it's nice to have one day out of the year that is specifically for them. I love my mom. And I'm going to love motherhood. What an awesome club to belong to!

Sista, Mami, Abuela Dinora and Me - mama-to-be!

Week 38!!!

Only 12 days to go! That is insane. Surreal. Unbelievable. Here's a look at what is up...

On the baby front - she's head down, dropped and ready to pop! At the last ultrasound the technician said, "you have a fat baby!" They estimate that she's weighing approximately 7lbs and could get up to 8lbs come labour day. yikes! Although she's running out of room in the womb, she's still moving around quite a bit. Usually during Dancing with the Stars or after snacks have been consumed and of course late late at night when I'm trying to sleep. We are so excited to meet our little girl. the anticipation is maddening!

On the mama front - Some days I just like to stare out the window and think about nothing at all. and other days I can't stop thinking about all of the things that we still need to do before baby arrives. I feel very full (of baby that is!) and swollen (my kankles are killing me) and my knees and pelvis can't wait for the weight to go down. I've always been self-conscience about my weight so I thought that I'd have a hard time coping with the girth, but the clothes shopping has kept me consoled. I realize that the weight will not disappear once baby arrives, that what took 9 months to put on will likely take 9 months to take off, but I'm ok with that. I feel ready for labour (as much as anyone can be, I guess). I'm looking forward to it. I'm up for the challenge. I'm ready to meet our baby.

On the papa front - I can't speak for Jay but I can tell you that he's been so awesome (as always). He takes such good care of me/us with all of the delicious meals and excellent foot rubs and control of the housework. I could not do this without him. There is no way. And I know that if he could, he'd be the one carrying this baby. I'm not sure how prepped he is for the actual labour/birth. I know that he's not comfortable with seeing me in pain (and never will be), but he knows that I'm a trooper and I know that he's a tough guy. So all should be cool.

On the labour/birth front we're sorta kinda prepared. We've read as much as possible, taken our prenatal classes and spent time with our doula. We've met with Dr. Shep and gone over our birth plan. In a perfect world it would just be our family doc that attends but she works with a team of docs and depending on the schedule she may not be the one who ends up at the hospital. With us planning a natural birth and wanting to remain as cool, calm and collected as possible we thought it would be best to meet the other two docs now instead of when I'm 8cm dilated. Dr. Jiwa was wonderful and very supportive of our "wishes" and Dr. MacMillan I will meet on Monday, but we've spoken over the phone and she sounds fabulous as well.

On the family/friends front - everyone has been so absolutely amazing. The support and generosity has been astounding. we are completely blown away. We've been honoured with three showers, each one just as grand as the one before. We feel truly blessed to be surrounded by so much love.

We realize that we can read as much as we want and research until our eyes fall out and still not be prepared for what's to come. What we do know is that together we can do just about anything we set our minds too. People have been having baby's for how many years now? We're just another happy couple excited to extend our family and to introduce the world to our baby girl! Bring it on!

Happy Birthday to Me!

3 more weeks to go!

A very late post....

This is a super old entry (about 2-3 weeks old!) that I neglected to post. oops! But in my defense, I have been super-über sick with a cold that turned viral and eventually stole my voice and sucked me dry of all energy. I promise to have a new and exciting post by the end of this week. For now, let me attempt to entertain with this.....

Yeehaw!! We had the last class of our 6 week prenatal course. What a waste of freakin money that was! If anyone is birthing at St. Mike's in Toronto, save your 75 bucks and put it towards a childbirth education class and/or a doula. Sheesh! The instructor was way into her sixties with a thick accent. She was very set in her medical/clinical ways and had no room for questions or curiosity. The videos (yes, video - no DVDs) that they showed were mostly from the early to late eighties! Yes, the info was a bit dated, but boy were the hairdos and outfits entertaining! The best section of the course was the tour. Which was saved for the last class. Perhaps for fear that - God forbid - we may have more questions. The tour was slap dash, but at least we got to see a birthing room and got a good feel for what to expect. And the ward was nice and calm - no screaming moms, no wailing babies. And so The Education of the Flo-Ho's continues....

A few months back we hired Kim Fernandez, to be our doula. And boy are we glad that we did. If all we had was the hospital's prenatal class to go by, we'd both be basket cases. We've had our first meeting with Kim and she's armed us with excellent reading material and calmed us with her various experiences. Here's a selection from her library...

HypnoBirthing

Isn't that one of the cutest babies ever? Next to Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, Hypnobirthing is definitely one of my faves. It has a slightly different philosophy than Ina May's book but it is empowering and extremely educational nonetheless. I brought the idea up with our doc and she was quite interested. She wasn't thrilled with the idea of "breathing" the baby out versus "pushing", but she was very open to the "natural-ness" of it all regardless.

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth

This one was recommended by my SIL as well. It's very informative, but it seems to have a bit of a bitter tone. Or perhaps I just get exasperated with all of the unnecessary interventions that a lot of women end up experiencing. Enlightening all the same and since it's an American perspective, I have to keep an open mind and remind myself that things just ain't quite like that here in the Great White North.

Hey! Who's Having This Baby Anyway?

I love the cover on this one. And the design is fun and approachable and has less of a text booky feel. Besides advocating natural birth it also has homeopathic suggestions and a very pleasant outlook. Speaking of text books....

The Birth Partner

This is the one Jay's reading. He's roughin' his way through it and trying really had to get into it, but text books don't gel well with his artist brain. But, of course, I really really appreciate all of his effort.

Doula meeting numero deux is set for tomorrow evening. We'll be practicing comfort measures - pain management and relaxation techniques. As well as discussing common hospital interventions and how to avoid them! And we'll be going over our much anticipated birth plan. Bring it!

32 weeks

We had, what we hope will be, our last ultrasound today. And everything is fine fine fine. It's official - we're having a girl! (mami, you can continue knitting in pink.) When we had an ultrasound back at week 19 the technician was pretty sure that we were having a girl, but it was still a little early to say fer sure, fer sure. But this time there was no doubt about it. And we got a perfect score on all counts --> heartbeat: good; amniotic fluid volume: good; fetal movement: good; respiratory movement: good; presentation: cephalic (aka head down, ready to go!).

Super Girl

It was so good to see her again. She raised her fist in a power-to-the-people kinda way and she scratched her head just like her papa always does. More than ever we've been completely distracted by the bump and it's movements. It really is trippy. At Easter dinner, the whole family just sat in silence (a rare occurrence in the Flores household) to watch the kicks, twists and turns and at work yesterday a few of the ladies surrounded me to watch the floor show, Baby Bump Does Macarena. It is such a strange sensation and so very hard to explain, but it always makes me smile when I feel it. And for Jay it's all brand new, every time. I wonder what she must think when she hears us oohing and ahhing at her every move. If she's anything like her ma and pa, she's loving every minute of it!

The Perfect Guide

I was surfing around the net and found a few funnies. This one I liked especially...

The oppression continues, but only ever so slightly. Or maybe it just doesn't bother me as much anymore. I've been reading this most awesome book, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and it really is amazing.

Not only is it helping me understand why women have such "unpleasant" attitudes towards labour & birth, but it's helping me prepare myself for what's to come and how to deal with it. Not only is this book filled with positive natural birth stories, it also deals with everything from what happens during the various stages of labour to pregnancy and prenatal care. Some of my favourite sections so far (besides the birth stories): The Powerful Mind/Body Connection, Orgasmic Birth and Respecting Our Bodies.

The more I read, the more I'm drawn to a natural labour. Most people think I'm nuts and react with "ya right, wait till the pain kicks in". I've gone through two miscarriages. Both were extremely painful. For the first one, I was being treated by an OB and when they couldn't detect a fetal heart beat at my 12 week ultrasound I was told that I had a miscarriage and that I would bleed a bit in order to pass the sac, etc. What I wasn't told was that I would bleed so much and go through so much pain that I would end up in the hospital emergency room for hours, where I would eventually be told by a doctor that I was having a miscarriage. Duh! But what's with all of the pain, I wanted to know. Well, I was told, in order for everything to pass I would need to go through contractions for the cervix to dilate enough for my body to expel what it needed to expel. The second time, similar situation. But this time I was with a midwife and I knew what to expect. Although it was painful, at least I knew that I wasn't going to die.

I wish that I knew then what I know now, perhaps I wouldn't have suffered so much. I would have been able to let it pass instead of fighting it. I'm not saying that the contractions and dilation that occurred during those miscarriages will match what's to come during labour, but at least I've had a little taste. And now, armed with some knowledge (thanks Ina May!) and surrounded by people who love and care for me and encourage me every step of the way, I feel that this is something that I may be able to conquer after all.

And just as an excercise, I keep a ruler & tape measure close by as a reminder of what 10cm really looks like. And it ain't so bad....yikes!

week 28 and feelin GR8!

We had our 28 week doctor's appointment today and all is tip top. Baby's heartbeat is a-rockin, my blood pressure is right on and my ever expanding girth is exceptionally spacious. I had to drink some funky carbonated cocktail so they could prick me for a glucose tolerance blood test that screens for gestational diabetes. Having had to fast since the night before, i was extremely parched and had no problems chugging it all down. I'll have the results in the next few days. The test is routine for all preggos, I'm not too concerned.

Since Baby's hearing is well established by this point and studies indicate that the unborn prefer classical music, we're thinking of piping in some Pink Floyd through headphones....

That's classic, right? I actually enjoy classical music. I find it very soothing. Jay on the other hand finds it unnerving. Perhaps all of those Looney Tunes episodes he watched during his childhood have taken a toll on his rock n' roll brain. So to give Baby a broad range of options, we'll feed her a tasty eclectic mix of all things music. From Salsa to Sondheim; Elvis to Easy Way Out; Bach to the Beatles -- Baby will be bouncing in the womb!

Shhhh the baby can here you...

Why is telling pregnant women gory horror labour/birth/breastfeeding stories a national pastime? I am so sick and freakin tired of hearing about everybody's sister, mother, grandmother, aunt's c-section, episiotomy back labour, bleeding nipples, etc!! The next time it happens, I'm just gonna put my fingers in my ears and sing la la la la la la la until they walk away. During the first few months I would just smile and nod and shake my head. Now, many months later I'll blame it on the hormones and just say, "Only positive birth stories, please. The baby is listening". Some will stop and laugh, yet others will continue, assuring me that theirs was a special case and that it will be different for me. Yes, of course it will be different for me. I'm not you. I'm not them. I'm me. Through all of that crap I've only heard one positive story (and I think she was lying). She told me that for each of her three daughters, she only laboured for one hour. Is that even possible? Regardless, it was a nice change from all of the other nasty tales. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy hearing the odd birth story every now and then. Some days I'm really curious, some days not so much. And of course I realize that sometimes complications can't be helped. Fine. But why is it that people need to share such negative information? Could it be that they feel robbed that they weren't given the chance to experience a wonderful labour/birth? Do they feel that they failed somehow because once they got to the hospital their labour could not progress? Or maybe they get some sort of sicko pleasure out of watching pregnant woman squirm? Weren't women built to do this? We wouldn't all be here otherwise right? Yes, it's scary, yes it's painful, bla bla bla. I just don't want to hear it anymore....

So I've stopped listening. I will educate myself as much as possible, whether it be through my doula, my yoga teacher, my books, my positive-thinking supportive friends, my own intuition. I realize that things don't always go as planned, but I can keep an open mind, I can indulge in positive thoughts and wishes, I can empty my mind of expectations and fill it with empowering possibilities.

And I can always throw on a pair of headphones and maybe one of these t-shirts:

Snoogle Me!

I have a new best friend. It's soft and cuddly and takes such good care of me. I am oh-so glad that we got together. I believe that everyone should have one - pregnant or not!

The Snoogle Total Body Pillow! Seriously, one of the greatest inventions of all time! They even have smaller sizes for kids. How awesome is that!? I feel like I'm being cradled all night long. Or depending on the position, continuously spooned. And when breakfast-in-bed comes a-knockin', I can just double it up and prop myself up against it. Be sure to click on the additional positions so you can get a good overall feel for the cozy Snoogle experience.

On the prego-health front, we had a doc appointment on Monday. As always, I was concerned about my weight and swelling ankles. But doc says that all is great. I'm gaining weight at a very normal rate, my blood pressure is perfect, my ankles could be worse and the baby's heartbeat is a-rockin away! Only 102 days to go!

24 weeks - Make My Day

Only 107 days to go! And boy oh boy is this belly ever expanding. I've just started my seventh month, what the heck will it look like by the 9th!?!? Remember this cute little bump.....

16 weeks

well, it's turned into this gorgeous lump-o-baby! I've been giving it a daily slathering of belly butter and so far -- not a stretch mark in sight. My vanity is most grateful...

24 weeks

I remember thinking to myself, "how do women do it!? how can they carry all of that weight!?". And the answer is -- you get used to it! It's awkward and uncomfortable but manageable. I absolutely love it! And so does Jay. He'll come home from work and go straight for the belly. I have to remind him every now and then, "yo, babe, I'm up here!"

On another note, I've been "awareded"! Thanks Joyce!

Now I'm supposed to “Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times.”

My Make My Day Ten:

• Easy Way Out
• It's the Hormones
• Not An Artist
• My Sensitive Girl Hole
• I'm Not Bad...
• Purl This
• Unplumbedshallows...
• And She Knits Too
• My So-called Anonymous Life
• KoKopalooza

Baby Kicks and Aqua Bellies

Jay's been waiting and waiting and waiting to feel the baby kick. He'll sit next to me on the couch with his hand on my belly, like he's waiting for a sign. He'll sing and talk and try to coax a kick, but nothing. Until this morning! Papa Jay felt his first kick! He claims that it was a flying backwards scissor kick that made contact with his palm. A move she learned in the cervix, back when she was semen first class. I have a feeling that it was just a poke. And Jay has a vivid imagination. I'm so glad that Jay is finally able to share in the fascinating world of the moving-growing-inside-the-belly-baby. Kicks, pokes, tumbles and all!



On the exercise front -- I took an aqua bellies class last night and it was quite the experience! Most of the time I thought I was gonna drown! I learned quickly to stay as close as possible to the shallow end, but with 14 preggos jumping up and down, creating waves and currents against my 5 feet nada frame I thought I might get pulled under at any moment. I kept one eye on the instructor and the other on the lifeguard at all times! Maybe next time (if there is a next time) I should strap on some sort of floating device to keep me from going under. Don't get me wrong, the class was excellent. And I'm so glad that I gave it a try. We used flutter boards to work our butts and noodles for our abs and these Styrofoam weight things to work our upper bodies - a very thorough workout. But it just wasn't for me. I like floating around and relaxing in the water or cooling off at the beach on a hot day, but I'm no mermaid. I'll embrace my granola side and stick with the yoga. A true A-blood type-Taurus, I need my head relaxing in the clouds and my feet firmly planted on the ground.

Workin' It!

Week 23 - Workin it! The bump just keeps expanding like some sorta crazy human water balloon! Except that it's not jiggly. It's hard and taut and oh-so-strange. I thought that tummy rubs from others would drive me nuts, but I'm actually not minding it so much. As long as they don't try to lift my shirt. Yes, someone tried. I threatened to grab her breasts if she tried it again. Sheesh! But I understand, it really is such a curious and fascinating "thing" I can see why people just want to reach out and touch and rub and talk to it. Jay will just grab it and start singing to it and Katie-Oh insists on speaking to the bump in an Irish accent, just to be sure that the baby will know that it's her when they finally do meet.

The body's expansion has me worried about weight gain. Although our doc has reassured me that I'm gaining at a very normal rate, being 5 feet nada has me a bit concerned. The yoga has been great and yesterday I braved the gym where I hit the elliptical and then the pool. Very nice. And tonight I will give this one another go....



Prenatal Fitness Fix with Erin O’Brien is great. She starts off the DVD with her side profile and a Hitchcock imitation. Ah the belly jokes! She's 7 months pregnant so it's amazing to watch her go. She's so energetic and motivational and conscientious. She stops for water breaks, constantly reminds you to breathe and even takes a pee break half way through. too hilarious! There's also a partner workout section where her husband acts as the nautilus machine for weight training. Jay and I have yet to go there.

I feel that, not only am I carrying around another little human that I am completely responsible for (thanks to Jay for all of the delicious and healthy meals) but I'm also training for a marathon aka LABOUR (!!). I intend on being fully prepared!

A Special Note

Jay and I received the most wonderful note today....

from Cousin Ben

We must admit, our nephew Ben was not thrilled with the prospect of us having a girl. Ben had guessed Boy and was pretty adamant about it. But we have recently learned that regardless of the baby's lack of testosterone he is still glad that there will be a brand new cousin for him to play with. Thanks Ben, we're glad too!