Oh Baby!

Presley Rocks - 10 months

2009-04-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a while! Here's how our baby girl is doing....

Presley, as always, is amazing. She's just over ten months old and the biggest twentysome pound bundle of joy imaginable! She's such a happy little girl, an awesome person to be around. She's a great friend and a wonderful daughter. And she loves to rock....

foolin' around on April 1st

Presley also loves...
• people... especially kids. she loses her mind with excitement if she spots one nearby.
• family... looks forward to visits with Los Tatos, Nanny & Papa and her favourite sitters - 2nd Mother & CuzKass.
• music... claps and waves her arms in the air, partying like she just don't care.
• food... (finally) eating solids. well, they're more like liquids, but we use a spoon!
• drinks... digs drinking from a cup. messy, but starting to get a hang of it.
• books... can't get enough of anything "peek-a-boo" or fun flip flaps.
• laughter... mimics anyone who laughs. it's very contagious.
• signing...milk, yum yum, sleepy, hair and book. everyday there's a new one. and some she's teaching us!
• talking... mama is her first word (!). mama can mean many, many things.
• crawling... like a hunchback - using one knee, one foot. very original!
• walking... cruising around, knocking down as much as possible. Beware Babyzilla!
• bath time... woo hooo!! splash splash splash! bring on the bubbles!
• mirrors... stands and points and smiles. She loves the girl in the mirror.
• DVD players & remote controls & cell phones... opens and closes and opens and closes the DVD player and takes the disc out. very delicately.
• gnawing & drooling... on just about anything she can get her hands on (ie remote controls & cell phones.).
• cats... even mean ones who try and scratch her eyes out.
• hugs... for/from mama and daddy and various stuffed stuffs.

Presley is not fond of...
• sleeping... unless she's very very very tired.
• no... she does not like hearing that word.
• socks... bare feet have better tread.
• blankets... she kicks them off as soon as she can.
• strollers... she can only stay in one for so long. she prefers being carried in daddy's Ergo.
• broccoli... gives her the gas. not good.

A lot of folks have been asking about her cleft palate. Surgery is scheduled for June 12. In a very strange way, we're looking forward to it. We want her to be able to drink and eat and speak without any difficulties. Her last batch of appointments at Sick Kids went very well. The dentist told us that the cleft does not go into her gum line and should not affect her teeth. Presley was quite impressed by the tooth brush and stickers she got to take home. The audiologist confirmed that she does have congestion (fluid) in her ears. The Ear, Nose & Throat Doc let us know that if the congestion continues at the time of surgery, tubes can be put in to clear the fluid. The occupational therapist gave us some tips on drinking and feeding and we were able to take home the "Pediatric Arm Immobilizers" that Presley will have to wear post surgery to protect herself from herself. (they're a hot shade of pink!) We've added them to her toys and goof around with them daily so hopefully it won't be such a shock when she has to actually wear them for longer periods. Thanks to everyone for all of the support and curiosity. It's good to know that we are not alone.

splish splash Presley's takin' a bath!

makin' mad maraca music!

Baby's First Christmas

2008-12-26T13:05:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-04T21:21:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-02T06:37:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-11T19:37:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-27T05:29:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-08T04:03:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-05-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-14T21:29:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2008-05-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

3 more weeks to go!

A very late post....

2008-04-21T13:44:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-05T14:08:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-02-25T10:00:00.001-08:00

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...

2008-02-21T14:47:00.001-08:00

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!

2008-02-06T09:28:00.001-08:00

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

2008-01-30T21:08:00.001-08:00

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

2008-01-23T11:19:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-01-21T12:09:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-12T16:48:00.001-08:00

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!

Maaaaaaa

2008-01-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

We went to our first Baby & Me yoga bellies class on Wednesday. Karen the instructor/child birth education/doula/hypnotherapist lead a wonderful prenatal yoga practice. It felt awesome and I'm sure baby enjoyed all of the movement and breathing. I loved being surrounded by all of these strong women and there bellies of various sizes. And I kept thinking how amazing it was that for each woman there, there was a little human growing inside. At the end of the class, just after meditation (my favourite part) we formed a circle around, Kelly, one of the mom's to be who was at 41(!!!) weeks and we did our final chant of 3 ma's (one for the ma's to be; one for the baby in the belly that may be a ma one day and one for all of the ma's that came before us) and then we each sent Kelly a wish. I have a feeling we all wished her the same thing - that her labour come soon, that it be quick and without complications and that mom & baby stay healthy. Namaste.

I bow to you

Thanks for playing!

2008-01-07T13:27:00.001-08:00

Thanks for playing the guess-the-baby game. What a buncha good sports. It was great to watch people guess. Some wouldn't think twice and just blurt it right out, others would make me stand up and check me out from different angles while rubbing the belly and some would get so stressed out it looked as though their heads might explode. We don't have a set tally. Although I think there were more boy guesses than girl. I will not keep you in suspense and longer.....

Love Me Tender

Now, would you like to guess the name!? lol! We're at week 21 and feeling great. Although yesterday I was so exhausted I felt as though I was back in the first trimester. We had a doc appointment this morning and we went over the results of week 19's ultrasound and all is fine. We learned that the baby is currently head down and that the placenta is in front, so baby may have to really jail house rock it in order for papa to feel the kicks.

Guess!

2008-01-02T08:26:00.000-08:00

What an awesome holiday! We had a very merry x-mas and an awesome new year's eve spent with family. On Christmas Eve we had our 3rd ultrasound at 19 weeks. We were blessed with the most amazing technician ever. She was so friendly and easy going. She even typed "merry x-mas!" on the ultrasound pic she gave us. The session was quite lengthy. Lotsa measuring of limbs and skull and torso. She had quite a time getting to all of the info with the baby being so active. And her murmurs of "excellent" and "perfect" made me want to lay there all day, staring at our bustling baby. We got a fist and a high five and a flip flop or two. And we also got this...

Ten Little Piggies

Hanging ten! Look at those little feet! Don't you just want to nibble on those tiny toes?! When we first walked in, she asked us if we wanted to know the sex of the baby. We had tossed around the idea of having the technician throw the "answer" into a sealed envelope that we could open at Christmas dinner with my family later that evening. But then we kinda wanted to see it "live". So we asked her to let us know, we wanted to "see". We were thrilled. We would have been thrilled no matter what. We still took a sealed envelope to my parents place for dinner that night and we had our 12 year old niece Kassidy do the honours. We passed around the ultrasound pics and let everyone have a look as she took a poll. And once the numbers were in, she ripped open the envelope for the big reveal....

Baby Flores-Holz

It was such a fun way to get the family involved. Everyone was into it. Everyone had their own old wives tale way of determining the sex. Everyone was very happy with the outcome. Care to hazard a guess? So far there have been 13 guesses for a girl and 12 for a boy. What say you?

Just a laff

2007-12-19T10:32:00.000-08:00

The Belly

2007-12-17T10:31:00.000-08:00

Week 18 and feelin' fine! We got our test results back for the maternal serum screening and to quote nurse Barb, "everything is perfect". We're still having our bi-weekly doppler shows. We thought that the sessions would get shorter now that we've become more accustomed with locating the heart beat, but lately we've been finding mine first and then the baby's will kick in and harmonize. We'll hear both together and then we'll get a quick baby beat solo. It is one of the most amazing sounds ever! I haven't been feeling any real baby movement yet. I get a flutter every now and then but nothing really pronounced, like a good kick! Soon, I'm sure.

I was having a bit of a time with the whole pregnant body image thing. When people would say, "wow, you're really starting to show", I'd hear - "jeeze you're getting fat". And if they'd say "you're not really showing yet", I'd hear - "are you sure that you're pregnant?" Perhaps I was experiencing some sort of the-grass-is-always-greener kinda syndrome. Or something similar. Like, if you have curly hair, you want it to be straight. I am a woman after all! And a pregnant one to boot!

Here's an example of the kinda crap I get to hear. At work, we we're all placing an order for lunch. I choose the small chicken noodle. Buddy* next to me says something like, "you better order the small. you're really starting to pack it on". I say, "I must really get you that list of things NOT to say to a pregnant woman**. As a matter of fact, Bill* has it right now. Maybe you can get it from him". Bill would be the guy who growls "prrrreggggo" every time I walk by. Buddy got the hint and a few minutes later he came around to apologize. Whatever. And then there's the waiter at the local pub, "wow, you sure are gaining weight fast!" "Well, I am almost at 18 weeks now." "Really? Didn't you tell me that you were at 12 weeks?" "uh, ya...that was about 6 weeks ago." Duh!

Please don't get me wrong. I'm more than proud of my ever expanding belly. Just ask Jay! I'm dancing around holding my bump and telling him to look at it and talk to it and sing to it and touch it. There's someone growing inside, isn't that just freaky!!!?

I've always thought that photos of pregnant bellies were kinda , well, strange. I will admit to having perused sites where women post their preggo bumps. I HAD to compare. And it looks as though I measure up! But recently I've actually had some requests from people wanting to see what it looks like, so here you go...

18 weeks

* names have been changed to protect the stoopid.

**why do we say pregnant "woman"? is there such a thing as a pregnant man? or are people just afraid that others might think that they're referring to the pregnant cat or dog or cow or sheep? In Spanish there's just one word for it - embarazada. Which, of course, can be easily confused with avergonzado (embarrassed). So it would be an easy mistake for a person learning Spanish to make: "Pablo esta embarazado". Paul is pregnant!? How embarrassing!

Growing Pains

2007-12-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

Every now and then I'll get a little "stitch" down in the lower abdominal area. Sometimes on the right side, sometimes on the left. If I get up too quickly, if I laugh, cough, sneeze something in there pulls and it really effen hurts! On Sunday evening it really started to burn, across the entire area. I was fine if I was sitting or standing still, but by Monday I could hardly walk. Great. Luckily we had a doc appointment that morning. "Nothing to worry about", she said. "Growing pains". It seems that there are ligaments that support the uterus. The round ligaments. As the uterus expands in size and weight, the ligaments supporting it stretch, becoming longer and thinner. Ouch! The next day got a little better and now, Wednesday, all is pretty much back to normal. Phew! But as my mother put it, "Eso no es nada!" Translation: "You ain't seen nuthin yet!" Thanks Mom.

Our doc appointment marked the beginning of week 16. She checked all my vitals and had a listen to the baby's heartbeat and let us know that all is good. We were given some prenatal classes info and sent for a Maternal Serum Screening. Yeehaw! More waiting....As before, with the NT Screening, we feel super confident that all will be fine. We're looking forward to week 19 when we go for our next ultrasound. It will be Christmas Eve. If the baby allows us a peek, we will be able to tell if it's a dude or a doll.

Any bets?

Baby Beignets

2007-11-30T10:22:00.001-08:00

and they just keep a-comin'....yesterday my über groovy boss took me and some of my favourite ladies out for a celebratory-bun-in-oven lunch. I had never been to George. What a fabulous restaurant. The artichoke soup and duck cannelloni were divine! Not to mention....dessert!

mmmm...chocolate filled baby beignets

These delectable chocolate beignets covered in cinnamon sugar came courtesy of George. Kim had brought me a little prezzie (some Body Shop butter for my belly and yummy lip gloss). I'm thinking that the gift bag triggered the waiter to ask, "Special occasion? Someone's birthday?" "Well kinda. Some time in May." It took everything out of me not to lick that congratulatory chocolate right off that plate! Thanks Michael and Kim and Jodi and Jillian, from me and the bump. xo

Angel of Love

2007-11-26T13:54:00.000-08:00

The well wishes, congratulations and prayers just keep coming. And we love and very much appreciate it! My sister-in-law, Lori, gave me a very special gift. It's a small medal of Saint Gerard Majella, Patron Saint of Expectant Mothers. I carry it everywhere I go, it's pinned to the inside of my wallet. It looks something like this:

and on the flip side is Mary holding baby Jesus.

I had never heard of St. Gerard. Guess I'm a lapsed Catholic. Lori, on the other hand, is very committed and keeps us all safe in her prayers. Although Jay and I have been baptized and gone through both communion and confirmation, we did not get married in the Catholic church. What will this mean for Baby Flores-Holz? We've never really talked about it, perhaps we should. For now it's good to know that we have Saint Gerard (and hopefully all of the angels and saints) watching over us. Oh, and Lori Flores too - of course!

Baby's First Track

2007-11-22T11:45:00.000-08:00

We rented a doppler. We researched and researched and ran it by our doc. Everyone gave us the thumbs up. The only drawback that we were advise of was that not finding the heartbeat or not knowing what to listen for could cause us stress. We have had no trouble finding the heartbeat. Listening to it is like hearing the growing baby say "¡hola!". The doppler came as a kit, with the gel and an instructional CD all in a pretty velvet bag. I love it. We took it to my parents' place over the weekend for Show & Tell. A moment I will never forget -- lying on my parents' bed, surrounded by loved ones, listening to the newest family member's heart beat away. I don't think we've ever been that quiet! Jay, being the musician/armchair sound technician, set up our mini studio at home in order to lay down baby's first track. You can click play on the recording in the side bar and have a listen for yourself.

thumpedythumpthumpthump!

Everything is Fine

2007-11-16T09:24:00.000-08:00

We got our test results back from the nuchal translucency screening and we rocked the report! My doctor's nurse left a message on my cell and I can't stop listening to it! "we got the report back and it is fine...it puts you below a 15yr old, which is basically negative....everything is fine." Yabba dabba doooo!!!

With that news under my ever expanding belt I've been able to start telling some more folks at work and last night I was able to freak out a table of knitters. We had just come from a new knit shop launch and we were cozying up in a booth at a nearby restaurant when the girls pulled out their loot bags and started talking about swapping the balls of yarn they were given. I suggested that they all keep what they had so that they could knit booties for the baby I'll be having in May. For the most part they thought that I was just messing with them, but once they realized that I was more than serious they were full of congrats and support. Phew!

It's getting easier and easier to say it out loud. Fun, even! Here are a few of my favorite ways of spreading the news so far:

• telling my mom, at her birthday party, that we had one more birthday present for her.
• telling Jay's parents that we had a great picture to show them and then presenting them with the shot of the 7 week ultrasound.
• Jodi asking me "what you knittin?" and me responding with "a maternity sweater".
• after declining a glass of wine and refusing the caesar salad made with raw eggs, Jillian asks "whut's up?", I respond "bun in oven."
• telling Kathryn that I need to talk to her about maternity leave.
• telling the knitters to save their yarn for baby booties.

a few memorable reactions:
• my mom bouncing up and down like a little girl while my grandma puts her hands in prayer and gazes up to the heavens in thanks.
• Jay's mom gasping and tearing up at the shot of the ultrasound.
• Bonnie hugging me over and over and over again.
• Kathryn jumping up and down while trying not to make a sound.
• All of the knitters faces as they registered the information.

I must keep adding to these lists. The support and excitement has been amazing. The non-stop hugs and words of encouragement are helping to keep me calm and at ease. Just like nurse Barb said, "Everything is fine."

(not) Coming Out

2007-11-12T12:34:00.001-08:00

We've hit week 13 (aka the first week of the 2nd trimester). wooo!! But we're still hiding safely in the closet. I'm kinda shy about the whole thing. I'm just not sure how to tell people. And part of me doesn't want the extra attention. Hard to believe, I know, but true. Slowly but surely I've been telling some of the folks at work. Quietly. One at a time. And, of course, making them promise to keep the secret safe. My knitter pals don't know yet and after last week's sobriety at the monthly Drunken Knitters Night, I have a feeling that they're starting to get suspicious. We're still waiting to hear back regarding the results from the nuchal translucency tests. And even though deep down inside I know that all is good and progressing accordingly, I'll still blame the lack of information for keeping the babe in the bag. And I also know that any day now I'll have to just bite the bullet and throw on this sweet little number...

Testing, testing, 1...2...3...

2007-11-05T13:03:00.000-08:00

12 weeks and a day...

Bubba

What an amazing sight! It moved. It did a little dance and then it seemed to settle in for a nap. It was probably full from the delicious EggMcJay breakfast we had brought to us in bed this morning and it just wanted to sleep it off. We went in for the Nuchal Translucency screening and according to our techie, everything looks "normal". Fetal extremities - good; fetal movement; good; nuchal translucency measure: 1.6mm - good. After the Dancing Fetal Show I was sent for some blood letting. Only one vial! Thank the good Lord! In a weeks time, we'll have the results, which we're sure will be "low risk". We've never made it this far before and we have every intention of making it all the way to the finish line! A low risk result will keep us away from the dreaded Amnio. Not that I fear needles all that much, it's the risk of miscarriage that has us completely freaked out.

All nerves and freakyness aside, we are ecstatic! This is definitely one of the happiest days that Jay and I have shared so far in this journey that is Our Sweet Life Together. What I'm loving about this pregnancy, besides the fact that I'm carrying our baby, is that Jay and I are getting closer and closer every day. How much more close can ya get!? He is just such an awesome person. Who else can make me laugh through nausea and senseless tears? or bring me soda water in the middle of the night? or have the patience to wait by the fitting room while I try on yet another maternity top even though it's just not in the budget? Who else can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan and never never never let me forget he's my man! I *heart* Jay!!!

Pre-Maternity Leave

2007-11-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

I was thinkin' what a wonderful world this would be if once you reached week 6 you were sent home to relax and deal with the barfiness and the dizzyness and the shear exhaustion. Then you could return to work during your 2nd trimester, stay until 2 weeks before your due date and then go off on maternity leave for a year. With full benefits and pay, of course! A gal can dream, can't she?

I've been feeling a little better lately. Meaning the nauseous moments are farther apart. Woo! But the tiredness seems to be hanging on. I'm ok though. I'm looking forward to the day when I can say (out loud), "I'm really not this fat, I'm pregnant!" I realize that I should not be gaining all that much during the first trimester, but when the only thing you can stomach is pasta marinated in butter, french fries, ice cream and popsicles, the calories are bound to catch up to ya!

My wardrobe is shrinking. I just want to put everything in a box and shop shop shop. I had to give in and get a pair of those maternity jeans and they ain't all that bad. They kinda feel like they're gonna fall right off, but I guess that I just need to grow into them a little more. Week 11 may be a bit early for the maternity wardrobe but I just couldn't help myself. And why buy regular clothes when you're just gonna grow out of them in a few months. Any excuse to shop! I've been lucky though, Old Navy and The Bay have some awesome deals. Good for the ol' budget!

Jay and I are counting down the minutes to Monday's 12 week ultrasound. If all goes well (and it will) we can celebrate with a new t-shirt that announces "baby on board" or something just as cheezy. Spreading the word across my chest!

Drinking for Two

2007-10-30T11:34:00.001-07:00

I met Dee & Deb for dinner last night (of course, I had to run home for a nap before going, but i made it!). Traditionally, Dee and I take turns bringing our own bottle of vino and pay for corkage. We're finicky that way. Well this time, Dee didn't have time to drop by the liquor store and I feigned forgetful. When I got to the restaurant Dee started to give me the skinny on the wine situation. I didn't have the heart to let her go on so I told her that I would not be drinking any this evening. She knew instantly - you're preggers!! Am I that transparent? Am I that notorious for getting my drink on? Or was I just such a lush in my pre-preggers days that as soon as I decline a drink everyone knows? Even Jay joked as I left to go out, "Don't drink too much tonight". Dang! And today I woke up feeling just as I always do after a night out with them gals, nauseous, exhausted and looking forward to my lunch time nap in the park.

Heartbeat

2007-10-29T10:05:00.000-07:00

11 weeks and a day.
I got the most wonderful surprise today.
I had a doctor's appointment this morning. I thought it was just gonna be the regular lady check up stuff, but to my amazement the Doc pulled out this thingy machine (a Doppler) and said, "it's still a bit early, but lets see if we can hear the heartbeat." She made me promise that I wouldn't freak out if she didn't find anything. At 7 weeks we got to see the heartbeat flicker during the ultrasound, but this time I got hear it. It was awesome! The only sad part was that Jay wasn't there to share the moment. With it being a regular checkup I didn't anticipate anything baby related, so there was no point in him missing a morning of work. We're up for our next ultrasound on Monday and he'll be there for that (and probably for all other appointments from now on!). Can't freakin wait!
When I got to work I ran into Bonnie in the hallway. This was the perfect opportunity to share the news. I was beaming from the heartbeat, it just seemed like the perfect time. She musta hugged me a billion times!

Not feeling social

2007-10-22T13:45:00.001-07:00

I miss my friends. The way that I'm feeling these days makes it very very hard to socialize. I don't have any energy and I feel plain old lousey. Smells that I used to love before make me wanna puke. No more popcorn, coffee, butter chicken, fish, salad...oh the list goes on. when people start heating their lunches at work I have to leave the office and lie on a bench in the park like some little hobo.

I miss knitting. Before the all-the-time-sickness hit, I'd be knitting everywhere all of the time, but lately I have no desire. It almost makes me dizzy. Very very sad. I hope this passes soon! My gals at the weekly stitch n bitch are gonna start to wonder if I've abandoned them forever.

I'm sure that everyone will understand once the news comes out. I'm looking forward to sharing it with the world!!!

Happy Anniversary

2007-10-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our third anniversary this week. Jay's parents treated us to a wonderful stay at the Radisson Hotel in Kingston for the long weekend and lent us their car to boot! We waded in the pool and took a walk through the outdoor market. We had a delicious dinner and ordered a movie to our room. And just plain relaxed.
Monday we headed to Oshawa to return the car and spend some time with the folks. Tuesday we lazed around the apartment and convinced each other not to do any laundry. Wednesday my ma and pa came downtown and took us for a yummy lunch at the pub across the street and then Jay accompanied me to my foot doctor appointment (I need orthotics!!) followed by voting and then a grand meal at Il Fornello.

Jay is the greatest partner in the whole wide world. And he's going to make one heckuvan awesome dad.

Telling the 'rents

2007-10-05T13:33:00.000-07:00

We headed out to Oshawa to stay at Jay's parents' place before heading out to Deb & Tony's wedding in Kingston. We brought the ultrasound pic to show them. After Dad had opened his belated b-day gifts, Jay told them that we had recently taken an awesome photo and that we wanted to share it with them. They were blown away! Happy tears and warm hugs.

week 7 - the peanut

2007-10-01T17:47:00.000-07:00

We got up bright and early to make it to the ultrasound appointment and it was well worth it! nausea and all. At first she checked me abdominally and the screen was blank. well not blank exactly, but the sac looked empty. I was worried. What's going on!? and then the big wand came out and the transvaginal began. it's so frustrating not knowing what you're looking at or what they're looking for. little did i know that they were checking out my ovaries and uterus and making sure all was good. once they got what they needed they let us finally see it. and there "it" was, in all its glory...

Inside the black there is a peanut and inside that peanut there is a white dot. that white dot flickered. that white dot is a heartbeat. we were overwhelmed. as soon as the technicians left i just started to ball. even jay was tearing up. having had two miscarriages, we never had the chance to see a heartbeat. this was truly a miracle. we are truly blessed.

then off to see docta shep with the results. "all is good", she told us. "come back at week 11 and we'll do a full physical"and she sent me off to pee in a cup and get vials and vials of blood sucked out of my arm.

what an awesome day!

Feeling the love

2007-09-24T13:21:00.000-07:00

Could I possibly be any more tired or feel any more nauseous? ugh! Don't get me wrong, I am totally thrilled about the situation, I just wish that i had a bit more energy and that i didn't feel like puking all of the time. Jay's amazing, always making sure that i'm doing alright. bringing me ice cream and freezie pops and rubbing my feet. ahh love.

Jen is just to S-M-R-T!

2007-09-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

Sometimes me ain't so smart. S-M-R-T! I updated my facebook profile this morning to Sandi is nauseous with anticipation. It took Jen all of 5 minutes to send me a message, "what are u anticipating?". Being 9 months pregnant, she's quicker than most when it comes to these types of cryptic messages. I changed my profile immediately and gave Jen a call to share the news. She was ecstatic! And so am I.

Docta Shep

2007-09-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

I had made an appointment with my doc to talk to her about some foot pain I'd been experiencing with my left foot. Aching bunion, bla bla bla. So of course I took this opportunity to tell her that I was pregnant. She was more than happy to hear it. She tells me that I'm at about 5 weeks in.
The reason I started seeing Dr. Shepherd was because I had gone through two misscarrages (one in March 03 and one Oct. 04) and I wanted a family doctor. I was tired of the walk-in clinics and nobody really caring. I saw a few before I decided that Docta Shep was the one. Her office isn't in the greatest part of town and it houses an HIV & Mental Health Clinic which can make for some scary waiting time. But there was something about her that was very genuine. She looks at you when you talk, you can see her processing the information and she has a great sense of humour. Meaning, she gets mine. Knowing my pregnancy track record, the Doc schedules me for an ultrasound at 7 weeks. Can't freakin wait!

Telling Ma

2007-09-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

We're celebrating my mom's 67th b-day today. Sista has graciously offered to throw a bbq in her honour. Before heading out there I decide that another pee-on-a-stick test is in order. All of a sudden my breasts aren't as tender as they were yesterday. something must be wrong. I can't tell mom that we're expecting when maybe we're not expecting anymore. yes, i make a lot of sense. i am completely rational. ya right. in seconds the stick tells me - postitive. was there any doubt?

We head out to the west end. I am exhausted. I try to nap on the train. Before the bbq gets underway we get mom to open some presents. I've knit her a cozy vest. She loves it. I tell her that we have one more present for her and she gets all exited, like a little kid. Almost like she knows what's coming. We tell them, mom, abuela, the kids. My mom and gran start thanking God and hugging us and just freaking out in general. Kassidy can't believe it. She has a million 12-year old questions. And I have a lot of time to answer them all!

Telling Sista

2007-09-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

I called Sista last night and gave her the news. I didn't want to do it over email the next day. I wanted to hear her voice. She was very happy. and told me not to worry. KO texted wanting to know how I was doing. I called her and shared the news. Another happy friend and supporter. Although they both confessed that they would miss me in the party world. I also decided to tell M2 when I got to work. She was thrilled. She gave me a big hug and told me to take care. Great to know that the ladies got my back.

I met Kell & Nuala for dinner tonight. I told them that I wouldn't be drinking or smoking. They knew right away. More happiness, well wishes and support. And my bill was the cheapest it's ever been! Something's gotta be said for staying dry.

I just spent months trying to loose 10lbs and succeeded. I even have a WW ribbon on the fridge to prove it! now what??

oh who cares! a baby is coming! a baby is coming!

Pee on a Stick

2007-09-13T18:26:00.000-07:00

I'm about 5 days late. I'm hardly ever late and I've got a girl's night out tomorrow and I know that we will be drinking way to much wine and perhaps get stoopid enough to smoke cigarettes. I have the regular pms symptoms - cramps and tender breast, but i wanna be sure that all is cool. I confide in Sista and KO at work. I tell them that I'm going for the test. I head to Shopper's to pick up a double pack pregnancy test. I wait for Jay to get home. I pee on a stick. I cover the pee stick thingy with the instruction, I call Jay in, we wait. Minutes pass, we lift off the paper and there it is - positive. Positively positive. We smile, we hug, we congratulate each other. We promise not to worry. It's my mom's birthday today, this has to be a good sign.

The song Jay sings to Baby

2007-05-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota - Weird Al Yankovic