Saturday, May 15, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Love.
Kale Michael Ellery Krahl.
7lbs. 8 oz.
20 inches
Born at home, in the birth pool.
We are so in love.
Monday, May 3, 2010
39 weeks and a Cinnamon Bun
Yesterday Kris and I went to Toronto to buy a second-hand co-sleeper. We originally bought a bassinet for our room, but realized that Tickey will grow out of that way too fast and we're not keen on moving him/her to the crib for a few months. The more we have read about co-sleeping, and attachment parenting in general, the more supportive we are of this particular style of parenting. So we found a second-hand co-sleeper in Toronto and went and bought it. It was our final big (forseable) baby purchase. The only thing left is Kris's baby carrier which he got fitted for on Saturday. We're waiting for the local baby boutique to get new styles in and then using a gift certificate that was a gift from my co-workers. It's a good thing that the big purchases are out of the way too, because the old bank account is feeling the strain!
While in Toronto we hooked up with our friends Steve and Emily for lunch and it was nice enough to sit on the patio and enjoy the weather. I felt like we were on vacation! Just sitting in a different city with good friends and eating good food. I love afternoons like that. I can't wait until Tickey can join us on the outside for these kind of days.
Last night I started getting restless and feeling like we are running out of room in our place. The problem is mostly with books. Kris and I have far too many books and have far too many problems letting them go. We have 10 cumulative years of post-secondary text books and while I highly doubt I'll ever need to consult a textbook on microeconomics in the developing world, I just can't bring myself to toss it. So we have rubbermaid upon rubbermaid bin of books, along with floor to ceiling book shelves filled to the brim. But last night we kicked into high gear and started doing some organzing and managed to throw away a few garbage bags full of "stuff."
This morning I had my 39 weeks appointment with the midwife who said things are moving along very well. Tickey finally decided to roll over and is now in prime position to make his/her entrance. My blood pressure is perfect - something the midwife attributed to the fact that I was finished work. I'm now measuring perfectly on track and she estimates that the little one will probably be around 8 lbs.
Now I just have to pass away the hours at home. It was nice to take a walk downtown today after my appointment and do a bit of window shopping. I stopped in the local grocer for a cinnamon bun and felt perfectly guiltless since I have apparently lost weight in the last week. This afternoon my neighbour stopped by and she reported having seen our cat in her yard during his great escape. We chatted about work for a little bit, but more about the yard and what was on the agenda for city council that night. It's been a nice day. Relaxing. I think this might be what people meant when they told me to take time for myself.....
While in Toronto we hooked up with our friends Steve and Emily for lunch and it was nice enough to sit on the patio and enjoy the weather. I felt like we were on vacation! Just sitting in a different city with good friends and eating good food. I love afternoons like that. I can't wait until Tickey can join us on the outside for these kind of days.
Last night I started getting restless and feeling like we are running out of room in our place. The problem is mostly with books. Kris and I have far too many books and have far too many problems letting them go. We have 10 cumulative years of post-secondary text books and while I highly doubt I'll ever need to consult a textbook on microeconomics in the developing world, I just can't bring myself to toss it. So we have rubbermaid upon rubbermaid bin of books, along with floor to ceiling book shelves filled to the brim. But last night we kicked into high gear and started doing some organzing and managed to throw away a few garbage bags full of "stuff."
This morning I had my 39 weeks appointment with the midwife who said things are moving along very well. Tickey finally decided to roll over and is now in prime position to make his/her entrance. My blood pressure is perfect - something the midwife attributed to the fact that I was finished work. I'm now measuring perfectly on track and she estimates that the little one will probably be around 8 lbs.
Now I just have to pass away the hours at home. It was nice to take a walk downtown today after my appointment and do a bit of window shopping. I stopped in the local grocer for a cinnamon bun and felt perfectly guiltless since I have apparently lost weight in the last week. This afternoon my neighbour stopped by and she reported having seen our cat in her yard during his great escape. We chatted about work for a little bit, but more about the yard and what was on the agenda for city council that night. It's been a nice day. Relaxing. I think this might be what people meant when they told me to take time for myself.....
Saturday, May 1, 2010
The Great Escape
My original plan was to work until I could work no more (aka - went into labour), but I was slowly convinced by experienced mom's that I should take some time off before the baby arrives. I eventually decided to stop working the week before the baby was due - partly due to the advice of others, but even more because I was tired of struggling to get into dress pants in the mornings. I had two weeks of overlap with my replacement and while a couple of weeks ago I was terrified of leaving my job to someone else, I was more than happy to pass the buck on Friday and walk away. I love my job, but it's busy and stressful and the kind of job that makes you wake up in the middle of night to jot down a to do list.
So now I'm done work and I won't be back for at least 7 months. Everyone has been telling me to relax and take some time for myself. I actually have zero idea how to do this since I can't remember the last time I had anything that resembled a vacation or time off. During my Master's I did my field research in the summer and then started working full-time before I finished my degree. I didn't take any vacation time this past year from work because I've been saving it up for baby's arrival. So here I am - almost 39 weeks pregnant with no idea when baby will arrive and I have nothing but free time. I love when people tell me to sleep as much as possible now because I won't get any later. I think this is so bizarre, especially when women who have been pregnant tell me this. How can they forget the impossibility of sleep when you're 9 months pregnant? I wake at least once an hour for a trip to the bathroom. I wake when I need to roll over. I wake when Tickey decides to throw a dance party in my belly. And yes, all of this makes me very tired and about once a week I down a gravol so I can at least get a three hour stretch of deep sleep.
Last night I managed to fall asleep reading with all the lights on while Kris was in the shower. When he came to bed I asked him where the cat was and he said he must be under a bed. I thought that was strange since he only sleeps under the bed during the day, but I ignored my mothering instincts and fell back asleep. Later in the night when I woke up for a drink and a pee I gave a quick look around for the cat again, but didn't see him. I knew that neither Kris nor I had been outside since the last time I saw him, so I brushed off the idea that he'd somehow slipped out. It was funny though - because earlier that day I thought of how insane it would be if something happened to the cat and the stress of it caused me to go into labour. I have no idea why I thought this. Our cat has escaped once in his life and he made it about four feet from the door before I cowered in a corner until we scooped him up and brought him back inside. And while he loves to watch the birds and squirrels and the eight hundred neighbourhood cats, he's never expressed much interest in returning to the great outdoors. So how insane was it when at 3am, Kris's own mama bear instincts kicked in because he jumped out of bed and ran to the bedroom window. "Kris?....Kris? What is it? What's wrong?" He wasn't even totally awake because the sound of my voice startled him but he told me later that he was trying to figure out how to tell me without freaking me out. That's when he said "the screen fell out of the window - it's wide open." And then we went into team mode. I jumped out of bed and we both threw some clothes on. Kris ran to the kitchen to grab two bags of kitten snacks and I yelled "are you doing front or back?" as he raced out the front door and I flew out the back. Kris figured that he was half way to Mexico by then so he headed down the street. I figured he was closer and noted that two of the most ancient neighbourhood cats seemed to be guarding our house - one out front and the other at the side (we live on a corner lot). I followed one of them who led me straight to our cat, who was casually sitting in the driveway like he owned it. I hollered down the street for Kris (to the sheer delight of our neighbours, I'm sure) and he came running. We managed to scoop up our cat and get him inside with relatively little difficulties and when all three of us were standing there staring at each other in the kitchen at 3am like, "what just happened???" - that's when I knew that Kris and I are going to rock this whole parenting thing.
We've both got mother bear instincts and we work together like a well oiled machine.
So now I'm done work and I won't be back for at least 7 months. Everyone has been telling me to relax and take some time for myself. I actually have zero idea how to do this since I can't remember the last time I had anything that resembled a vacation or time off. During my Master's I did my field research in the summer and then started working full-time before I finished my degree. I didn't take any vacation time this past year from work because I've been saving it up for baby's arrival. So here I am - almost 39 weeks pregnant with no idea when baby will arrive and I have nothing but free time. I love when people tell me to sleep as much as possible now because I won't get any later. I think this is so bizarre, especially when women who have been pregnant tell me this. How can they forget the impossibility of sleep when you're 9 months pregnant? I wake at least once an hour for a trip to the bathroom. I wake when I need to roll over. I wake when Tickey decides to throw a dance party in my belly. And yes, all of this makes me very tired and about once a week I down a gravol so I can at least get a three hour stretch of deep sleep.
Last night I managed to fall asleep reading with all the lights on while Kris was in the shower. When he came to bed I asked him where the cat was and he said he must be under a bed. I thought that was strange since he only sleeps under the bed during the day, but I ignored my mothering instincts and fell back asleep. Later in the night when I woke up for a drink and a pee I gave a quick look around for the cat again, but didn't see him. I knew that neither Kris nor I had been outside since the last time I saw him, so I brushed off the idea that he'd somehow slipped out. It was funny though - because earlier that day I thought of how insane it would be if something happened to the cat and the stress of it caused me to go into labour. I have no idea why I thought this. Our cat has escaped once in his life and he made it about four feet from the door before I cowered in a corner until we scooped him up and brought him back inside. And while he loves to watch the birds and squirrels and the eight hundred neighbourhood cats, he's never expressed much interest in returning to the great outdoors. So how insane was it when at 3am, Kris's own mama bear instincts kicked in because he jumped out of bed and ran to the bedroom window. "Kris?....Kris? What is it? What's wrong?" He wasn't even totally awake because the sound of my voice startled him but he told me later that he was trying to figure out how to tell me without freaking me out. That's when he said "the screen fell out of the window - it's wide open." And then we went into team mode. I jumped out of bed and we both threw some clothes on. Kris ran to the kitchen to grab two bags of kitten snacks and I yelled "are you doing front or back?" as he raced out the front door and I flew out the back. Kris figured that he was half way to Mexico by then so he headed down the street. I figured he was closer and noted that two of the most ancient neighbourhood cats seemed to be guarding our house - one out front and the other at the side (we live on a corner lot). I followed one of them who led me straight to our cat, who was casually sitting in the driveway like he owned it. I hollered down the street for Kris (to the sheer delight of our neighbours, I'm sure) and he came running. We managed to scoop up our cat and get him inside with relatively little difficulties and when all three of us were standing there staring at each other in the kitchen at 3am like, "what just happened???" - that's when I knew that Kris and I are going to rock this whole parenting thing.
We've both got mother bear instincts and we work together like a well oiled machine.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Yup, still preggo! I had my weekly midwife appointment yesterday and when I asked her to predict the size she told me "well...it's definitely not a small baby." Oh, awesome. I think the panic in my eyes made her shift to a quick recovery of "but don't worry, it's not HUGE either." Hmmmm.... It doesn't seem as though baby is in the posterior position anymore, so apparently all the crawling around on my hands and knees did something. Tickey's back is now facing my side so still not the prime position, but he/she will get there. Despite the fact that I still continue to gain weight, it seems as though my belly size is actually decreasing. This probably just means that Tickey is slowing heading down, but the midwife told me that we might do an ultrasound next week "just in case." "Just in case" what? She wasn't really willing to go there. She assurred me there is no need to worry, but she obviously doesn't know my additction to google.... I refrained the google search to find out what exactly "just in case" could mean for about four hours and then I let loose. Thankfully google has not confirmed reason to worry. The truth is that baby is probably just heading down or has rolled itself into a nice little ball of baby. Considering I feel as though there is not have half a centimetre in there for Tickey to grow, I think it could be a combination of the two.
Today is the day that Kris's mom figured I would go into labour. She's into numerology and somehow determined that today is the day (I think she's also relating it to the full moon). Let's hope it is NOT today though since the city will be cleaning out the water pipes tonight and I will have no water from 8pm to 6am. It might be difficult to have a water birth without the water.....
In other, more amazing and fantastic news, many of my very good friends became engaged in the past couple weeks! I'm soooooooooooooo excited for Steve and Emily and Krysten and Jonathan!!!!!!!!!! To top it all off - my very awesome friend Lisa came to visit me last night and asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding this September!!! How amazing is that??? I'm totally excited! I will only have four months to slim down into a bridesmaid dress, but at least it gives me something to work for. Kris and I are supposed to attend another wedding of two of his very good friends on June 5th, but I have a feeling that I will not fancy attending a wedding with a one month old....
Today is the day that Kris's mom figured I would go into labour. She's into numerology and somehow determined that today is the day (I think she's also relating it to the full moon). Let's hope it is NOT today though since the city will be cleaning out the water pipes tonight and I will have no water from 8pm to 6am. It might be difficult to have a water birth without the water.....
In other, more amazing and fantastic news, many of my very good friends became engaged in the past couple weeks! I'm soooooooooooooo excited for Steve and Emily and Krysten and Jonathan!!!!!!!!!! To top it all off - my very awesome friend Lisa came to visit me last night and asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding this September!!! How amazing is that??? I'm totally excited! I will only have four months to slim down into a bridesmaid dress, but at least it gives me something to work for. Kris and I are supposed to attend another wedding of two of his very good friends on June 5th, but I have a feeling that I will not fancy attending a wedding with a one month old....
Friday, April 23, 2010
I am officially ridiculous...
In case you're all the edge of your seats wondering what I decided....
Shrinking & Drying
Every time I call someone the first thing out of their mouth is "are you having your baby/did you have your baby?" So I'll start this post by letting you know - I have not had my baby and I'm not in labour. In fact, I can almost guarantee that when labour starts, I won't be blogging or making phone calls.
Instead of having a baby, I've just started washing baby clothes. This meant pulling all the 0-3 month and newborn sized clothes out of the closet, off the hangers and cutting the tags off before loading them into the wash machine. What this experience proved is that I have far too many 0-3 month and newborn sized clothing. Especially when I've heard that it rarely ever lasts until the baby reaches 3 months and a lot of the newborn sized clothing is only up to 10 lbs. - some of it even goes up to 8 lbs. Let's all cross our fingers that Tickey is not 10 lbs. upon arrival, but it's entirely possible that he/she will be more than 8 lbs. and never get to wear some of the outfits. Add this to my inability to dry clothes without shrinking them and Tickey could be growing out of everything by the first month. The solution I've used in the past for Kris and I to avoid shrinking is to hang EVERYTHING to dry. However, I think it's a little unreasonable to start doing this for a baby who will likely require a load of laundry a day. I'm not sure why I think anyone would be interested in how I dry clothes, but I continue to type nonetheless.....
In other news, have I mentioned that I have six pinched nerves in my back and a posterior baby??? But hey - I don't worry about these small facts. Instead I stress about how to properly dry baby clothes.
Instead of having a baby, I've just started washing baby clothes. This meant pulling all the 0-3 month and newborn sized clothes out of the closet, off the hangers and cutting the tags off before loading them into the wash machine. What this experience proved is that I have far too many 0-3 month and newborn sized clothing. Especially when I've heard that it rarely ever lasts until the baby reaches 3 months and a lot of the newborn sized clothing is only up to 10 lbs. - some of it even goes up to 8 lbs. Let's all cross our fingers that Tickey is not 10 lbs. upon arrival, but it's entirely possible that he/she will be more than 8 lbs. and never get to wear some of the outfits. Add this to my inability to dry clothes without shrinking them and Tickey could be growing out of everything by the first month. The solution I've used in the past for Kris and I to avoid shrinking is to hang EVERYTHING to dry. However, I think it's a little unreasonable to start doing this for a baby who will likely require a load of laundry a day. I'm not sure why I think anyone would be interested in how I dry clothes, but I continue to type nonetheless.....
In other news, have I mentioned that I have six pinched nerves in my back and a posterior baby??? But hey - I don't worry about these small facts. Instead I stress about how to properly dry baby clothes.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Turning Tickey
Like the new picture? Our very talented friend Shelley Lohnes took some maternity shots for Kris and I a couple weeks ago and we couldn't be happier with how they turned out. Eventually I'll get them posted, but for now you can check a few out on Shelley's blog: http://www.shelleyjeanphotography.com/blog/?p=239
On Sunday I officially became full-term. This means that even though our due date is still three weeks away, Tickey could make his great debut at any point and would be healthy enough to fully adjust to the outside world without any medical assistance. However, let's cross our fingers that Tickey stays cozy for a couple more weeks since she/he's currently hanging out in the womb in the posterior position. In other words, if Tickey decided to come out now she/he'd be looking up, instead of down and this makes labour more challenging. Most posterior babies will turn in labour (sometimes with the assistance of the midwife or doctor), but I'd just as rather she/he be in the best position before labour starts.
Anyway, more updates to follow, but for now I'm going to work on my "turn Tickey" exercises....
On Sunday I officially became full-term. This means that even though our due date is still three weeks away, Tickey could make his great debut at any point and would be healthy enough to fully adjust to the outside world without any medical assistance. However, let's cross our fingers that Tickey stays cozy for a couple more weeks since she/he's currently hanging out in the womb in the posterior position. In other words, if Tickey decided to come out now she/he'd be looking up, instead of down and this makes labour more challenging. Most posterior babies will turn in labour (sometimes with the assistance of the midwife or doctor), but I'd just as rather she/he be in the best position before labour starts.
Anyway, more updates to follow, but for now I'm going to work on my "turn Tickey" exercises....
Monday, April 12, 2010
36 weeks and the Pelvis
On the surface, Kris and I seem as though we're super prepared for the arrival of Tickey. The nursery is looking AMAZING, we set up the baby swing in the living room this weekend, we've got the baby essentials, etc., etc. Yet for some reason when the midwife told me today that Tickey's head has started to come down into my pelvis, I immediately thought of 46548 things that we still need to do. When she told me that we should make sure that all our supplies for the home birth are ready "just in case," I thought of another 5483 things. For example, I haven't pre-washed a single baby clothing item. We don't have the emergency phone numbers posted by our phone. I haven't even finished writing my thank you cards for the shower I had weeks ago. I should probably get a haircut..... These are just a sample of the thoughts that raced through my mind in one short second when the words "baby" and "pelvis" were mentioned in the same sentence.
Today the midwife made a home visit to make sure that we are all set up for the homebirth (we're not). Of course I thought the appointment was tomorrow and was planning to spend this evening putting together everything we need. Twenty minutes before work this morning I noticed on the calendar that the appointment was actually TODAY. This sent me directly in a mad cleaning spur before leaving for work and then I spent the better part of the day trying to thinking of creative excuses for why I didn't have all the supplies together (I ended up telling the pathetic truth). The appointment went fine (although I could sense her disappointment in my inability to get my act together). Tickey is strong and making his or her way downwards towards his or her great debut. I continue to measure a week ahead, meaning Tickey could be here before his or her scheduled May 9th appearance.
In the meantime, I grow more and more uncomfortable every day. I have a pain in my back that stretches all the way down my left side and into my leg which makes even the slightest movement hurt. I scheduled an appointment with a chiropractor for Wednesday to make sure there aren't any major issues and to see if he might be able to do something to help out. Mentally, I feel good. My work replacement started last week and while it is a bit stressful and time consuming to try to train someone and still get your job done, I know that this process means I'm closer to being finished work and onto maternity leave. My last day is April 30th and so I hope that Tickey will give me at least a few days to relax at home and change my mindset from work to focusing on my new family.
Today the midwife made a home visit to make sure that we are all set up for the homebirth (we're not). Of course I thought the appointment was tomorrow and was planning to spend this evening putting together everything we need. Twenty minutes before work this morning I noticed on the calendar that the appointment was actually TODAY. This sent me directly in a mad cleaning spur before leaving for work and then I spent the better part of the day trying to thinking of creative excuses for why I didn't have all the supplies together (I ended up telling the pathetic truth). The appointment went fine (although I could sense her disappointment in my inability to get my act together). Tickey is strong and making his or her way downwards towards his or her great debut. I continue to measure a week ahead, meaning Tickey could be here before his or her scheduled May 9th appearance.
In the meantime, I grow more and more uncomfortable every day. I have a pain in my back that stretches all the way down my left side and into my leg which makes even the slightest movement hurt. I scheduled an appointment with a chiropractor for Wednesday to make sure there aren't any major issues and to see if he might be able to do something to help out. Mentally, I feel good. My work replacement started last week and while it is a bit stressful and time consuming to try to train someone and still get your job done, I know that this process means I'm closer to being finished work and onto maternity leave. My last day is April 30th and so I hope that Tickey will give me at least a few days to relax at home and change my mindset from work to focusing on my new family.
Monday, April 5, 2010
The Ceiling Fan Story
I shared this story last night at Easter dinner and had everyone laughing hystarically at me...
Before I was pregnant, I was always cold. I grew up with a mother who was constantly telling me to "put a sweater on" while I tried to convince her that it was inhumane to keep the furnace set to 17. Eventually I moved into my own place and started to pay utilities and have learned to "put a sweater on." Nevertheless, I tend to get The Big Chill in the late October/early November and don't thaw out until the snow melts and the tulips start to rise. The Big Chill is a perpetual state of cold that no amount of sweaters can overcome. The only cure is a hot bath, a hot tub or a hot heating pad. Anyway, I'm totally getting off track.....
This past winter I didn't come down with The Big Chill. In fact, pregnancy has caused me to experience the exact opposite. I wake up with night sweats, I've had to sleep in the spare room so I don't cause Kris to overheat and I've barely put a sweater on, even on the chilliest of days.
Now...to the actual story....
The temperature on Friday was so nice that we opened all the windows and let the warm, fresh Spring air in. When it was time for bed, my summer brain kicked in and I told Kris to turn on the ceiling fan.
That's right - WE HAVE A CEILING FAN!
In the entire past 8 months it did not occur to me once to turn on the ceiling fan. NOT ONCE.
Apparently my brain can only think of ceiling fans and the effects they have when it is hot OUTSIDE, rather than INSIDE.
This is what happens to your brain when you become pregnant. Little smart pieces of your brain just cease to exist.........and you sweat.
Before I was pregnant, I was always cold. I grew up with a mother who was constantly telling me to "put a sweater on" while I tried to convince her that it was inhumane to keep the furnace set to 17. Eventually I moved into my own place and started to pay utilities and have learned to "put a sweater on." Nevertheless, I tend to get The Big Chill in the late October/early November and don't thaw out until the snow melts and the tulips start to rise. The Big Chill is a perpetual state of cold that no amount of sweaters can overcome. The only cure is a hot bath, a hot tub or a hot heating pad. Anyway, I'm totally getting off track.....
This past winter I didn't come down with The Big Chill. In fact, pregnancy has caused me to experience the exact opposite. I wake up with night sweats, I've had to sleep in the spare room so I don't cause Kris to overheat and I've barely put a sweater on, even on the chilliest of days.
Now...to the actual story....
The temperature on Friday was so nice that we opened all the windows and let the warm, fresh Spring air in. When it was time for bed, my summer brain kicked in and I told Kris to turn on the ceiling fan.
That's right - WE HAVE A CEILING FAN!
In the entire past 8 months it did not occur to me once to turn on the ceiling fan. NOT ONCE.
Apparently my brain can only think of ceiling fans and the effects they have when it is hot OUTSIDE, rather than INSIDE.
This is what happens to your brain when you become pregnant. Little smart pieces of your brain just cease to exist.........and you sweat.
Reliving a Weekend of Soon-to-be Parents
Thanks to Jesus, Kris and I both had Friday, Saturday and Sunday off together. This is definitely a rare occurance and I thought it would be a good opportunity to recount what a weekend is like for us in the weeks leading up to baby's arrival. This is likely not an exciting post for most, but maybe one day down the road Tickey will be amused at reading how his/her parents nearly lost their sanity before he/she was even born.
Friday
So Friday is a special day for those who love Jesus and for reasons that make very little sense to me, almost everything closes and people are forced to deal with their dirty garages and spring cleaning because there's just nothing else to do. Being 8 months pregnant, I get out of a lot of chores, which you'd think would be awesome but is actually incredibly boring. So while Kris tinkered around in, errr...I mean, cleaned the garage, I put myself to use by putting together a book sling for the nursery and figuring out our menu plan for the week. The weather was absolutely amazing, so we wandered down to the Hasty Market so Kris could get his daily energy drink and my daily Vitamin water (note - don't judge us, there are worse things to be addicted to). I honestly don't know where the rest of the day went....my memory gets foggy pretty quickly these days.
Saturday
Saturday is an example of how well Kris and I work as a team. While I will forever be the long-term planner out of the two of us, Kris is a champion short-term planner and when we start the day with a list, we can seriously push a week's worth of tasks into a day. We started out at the grocery store by 9am, along with a ridiculous number of other people who thought they would get a head start on the day. By 10am we were home, put the groceries away, and lured our cat into his carrier for his annual vet visit. Driving to the vet, Beckham cried with such distress that Tickey started banging on my belly. To me this is a sign that Beckham and Tickey will be awesome siblings that will always take care of one another. We blew through the vet appointment in 9 minutes and after dropping Beckham off at home, we made a trip to the Waste Resource Innovation Centre. This is what they call the dump in Guelph. However, upon arriving at the WRIC, I realized that it is exactly that - an innovation centre. That place is run with an iron fist of organized precision. After that, we went to the library, let Kris's parents dog out (they were away for the day) and headed out to Burlington. We had to go to Burlington to return something to Ikea and while we were there, I convinced Kris to go to a baby boutique and the mall (they have an awesome mall in Burlington). Add a trip to Michael's craft store and Burlington was done by 5pm. On the way home we made a detour to Kitchener to pick up some baby clothes hangers at Babies R' Us and were home by 7:30pm. What a day. Kris promptly fell asleep at 8:30pm.
Sunday
Again, everything was closed, so we were forced to clean and make food for the week and pull out our patio furniture. We also managed to hang the mobile, book sling and pick up a diaper bag in Milton that I had found on Kijiji. All of this before Easter dinner with Kris's family at 4:30pm. For the second night in a row, Kris was in bed before 9pm and I was right there with him.
It was a really long weekend with lots of running around. The great part is that we are 95% finished the nursery and it looks amazing. Kris and I would both take turns sneaking in over the course of the weekend and just sitting in there, thinking about how awesome our lives are. It is already a room of great happiness and everyone's favourite room in the house (including Beckham's). Once we get the last few items in there, I'll post some pictures so everyone else can enjoy :)
Friday
So Friday is a special day for those who love Jesus and for reasons that make very little sense to me, almost everything closes and people are forced to deal with their dirty garages and spring cleaning because there's just nothing else to do. Being 8 months pregnant, I get out of a lot of chores, which you'd think would be awesome but is actually incredibly boring. So while Kris tinkered around in, errr...I mean, cleaned the garage, I put myself to use by putting together a book sling for the nursery and figuring out our menu plan for the week. The weather was absolutely amazing, so we wandered down to the Hasty Market so Kris could get his daily energy drink and my daily Vitamin water (note - don't judge us, there are worse things to be addicted to). I honestly don't know where the rest of the day went....my memory gets foggy pretty quickly these days.
Saturday
Saturday is an example of how well Kris and I work as a team. While I will forever be the long-term planner out of the two of us, Kris is a champion short-term planner and when we start the day with a list, we can seriously push a week's worth of tasks into a day. We started out at the grocery store by 9am, along with a ridiculous number of other people who thought they would get a head start on the day. By 10am we were home, put the groceries away, and lured our cat into his carrier for his annual vet visit. Driving to the vet, Beckham cried with such distress that Tickey started banging on my belly. To me this is a sign that Beckham and Tickey will be awesome siblings that will always take care of one another. We blew through the vet appointment in 9 minutes and after dropping Beckham off at home, we made a trip to the Waste Resource Innovation Centre. This is what they call the dump in Guelph. However, upon arriving at the WRIC, I realized that it is exactly that - an innovation centre. That place is run with an iron fist of organized precision. After that, we went to the library, let Kris's parents dog out (they were away for the day) and headed out to Burlington. We had to go to Burlington to return something to Ikea and while we were there, I convinced Kris to go to a baby boutique and the mall (they have an awesome mall in Burlington). Add a trip to Michael's craft store and Burlington was done by 5pm. On the way home we made a detour to Kitchener to pick up some baby clothes hangers at Babies R' Us and were home by 7:30pm. What a day. Kris promptly fell asleep at 8:30pm.
Sunday
Again, everything was closed, so we were forced to clean and make food for the week and pull out our patio furniture. We also managed to hang the mobile, book sling and pick up a diaper bag in Milton that I had found on Kijiji. All of this before Easter dinner with Kris's family at 4:30pm. For the second night in a row, Kris was in bed before 9pm and I was right there with him.
It was a really long weekend with lots of running around. The great part is that we are 95% finished the nursery and it looks amazing. Kris and I would both take turns sneaking in over the course of the weekend and just sitting in there, thinking about how awesome our lives are. It is already a room of great happiness and everyone's favourite room in the house (including Beckham's). Once we get the last few items in there, I'll post some pictures so everyone else can enjoy :)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
An amazing natural waterbirth
I absolutely have to share this video. It is so incredibly beautiful.
Theo's Birth video from hailey bartholomew on Vimeo.
Theo's Birth video from hailey bartholomew on Vimeo.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
A non-baby related post: Henry Rollins
Back in the days when the Janal Fonda (Janelle) and I lived together, our Sunday morning ritual consisted of rolling out of bed at some ungodly hour of the morning (I have never been able to sleep in) and planting ourselves in front of the Family Channel for hours. Clearly there are better things on in the morning than Lizzie Maguire, but something about the Family Channel ritual helped ease our Sunday morning hangovers. Years later, I still turn on the Family Channel on weekend mornings, despite the fact that the Disney corporation goes against everything I believe in. So here I am - Saturday morning, Kris has gone to work for the day, and I'm watching Disney in my ratty robe that barely gets around my belly, reflecting on a most amazing night.
Last night I went to see Henry Rollins' spoken word tour. I first went to one of his shows in 2000 - I found the ticket stub in an old box last month. I have gone just about every year since. On the way there we drove by Ontario Place and Niki mentioned that it was one of those places you go thinking it's going to be amazing and then you're disappointed. I replied that this is something that happens to me just about everywhere I go. Everyone laughed, but it's true. I have no idea why I am so hard to impress, but I went to Machu Picchu and I was just sort of "eh, this is ok." Anyway, my point of telling you all this is not for you to think I'm spoiled and ignorant, but to let you know that when I see Henry Rollins, I freak out. I become impressed and then I take that ten levels higher to some new world of impression that I heart and mind rarely visit. It's the result of a few factors - (1) He's 49 years old with a full head of gray hair and still makes my heart skip a beat. (2) He tells stories about travelling to places I will never, ever go and they are AWESOME. (3) He tells stories about growing up with Ian MacKaye. (4) he is SMART...so, so, so SMART. Yet the absolute best part about Henry Rollins is the way he talks. He's articulate and talks fast and I will forever be IMPRESSED by people who can combine these attributes. He talked for three full hours last night, never even stopping to take a drink of water. He didn't flub or trip over words, he didn't say anything that made me cringe internally (people make me do this all.the.time), he made opinions and told stories that were smart and funny and endearing.
And guess what? Tickey loved it.
Thanks to my dedicated clicking of the "buy now" button that started 10 full minutes before tickets went on sale, we were front row and centre (a long way from buying scalper tickets in the rain in 2000). Tickey rolled and kicked his way through the performance, responding to the thunderous laughter and applause from the audience and clearly loving the show. I warned Kris that if this happened, I would be incredibly inclined to name our baby Henry if it is a boy (I will restrain myself - our names are picked, there's no turning back).
I hope that Henry Rollins continues to do spoken word tours for many years to come (which I highly suspect he will) so that one day I can bring Tickey outside of the womb. Still, I think going to a Henry Rollins spoken word show at 8 months gestation counts for being the coolest kid ever.
Last night I went to see Henry Rollins' spoken word tour. I first went to one of his shows in 2000 - I found the ticket stub in an old box last month. I have gone just about every year since. On the way there we drove by Ontario Place and Niki mentioned that it was one of those places you go thinking it's going to be amazing and then you're disappointed. I replied that this is something that happens to me just about everywhere I go. Everyone laughed, but it's true. I have no idea why I am so hard to impress, but I went to Machu Picchu and I was just sort of "eh, this is ok." Anyway, my point of telling you all this is not for you to think I'm spoiled and ignorant, but to let you know that when I see Henry Rollins, I freak out. I become impressed and then I take that ten levels higher to some new world of impression that I heart and mind rarely visit. It's the result of a few factors - (1) He's 49 years old with a full head of gray hair and still makes my heart skip a beat. (2) He tells stories about travelling to places I will never, ever go and they are AWESOME. (3) He tells stories about growing up with Ian MacKaye. (4) he is SMART...so, so, so SMART. Yet the absolute best part about Henry Rollins is the way he talks. He's articulate and talks fast and I will forever be IMPRESSED by people who can combine these attributes. He talked for three full hours last night, never even stopping to take a drink of water. He didn't flub or trip over words, he didn't say anything that made me cringe internally (people make me do this all.the.time), he made opinions and told stories that were smart and funny and endearing.
And guess what? Tickey loved it.
Thanks to my dedicated clicking of the "buy now" button that started 10 full minutes before tickets went on sale, we were front row and centre (a long way from buying scalper tickets in the rain in 2000). Tickey rolled and kicked his way through the performance, responding to the thunderous laughter and applause from the audience and clearly loving the show. I warned Kris that if this happened, I would be incredibly inclined to name our baby Henry if it is a boy (I will restrain myself - our names are picked, there's no turning back).
I hope that Henry Rollins continues to do spoken word tours for many years to come (which I highly suspect he will) so that one day I can bring Tickey outside of the womb. Still, I think going to a Henry Rollins spoken word show at 8 months gestation counts for being the coolest kid ever.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
The Busiest Bee
As time ticks by it's as though people are finally starting to realize that I will only be at my job for another 5 weeks. This has caused a sense of last minute panic as my work finds a replacement and all the committees I sit on starting asking for as much possible to be done before I leave. I'm not innocent either - I should have started preparing for my departure from work sooner, but it's hard to find the time. Now my days are jam packed at work. Gone are the days of leisurely lunches with Lexy and extended coffee breaks used to catch up on celebrity blogs. Now it's just go, go, go.
The weekends don't offer much time for relaxation either. Kris gets home Thursday night and by then I already have a long list of to-do's for around the house as we simultaneously attempt to keep up some kind of social life balanced with couple time. Last weekend we spent a good chunk of the weekend putting together the nursery (which we've been taking pictures of as things progress - so watch out for that slideshow!), including a full Saturday of looking for blinds that wouldn't cause us to take out a major loan (we ended up with the cheap ones). This weekend we've got a trip to Toronto for Henry Rollins, a photo shoot for some maternity photo's (eek!), and our last appointment with our Doula. Plus the usual laundry, grocery shopping, dinner with Kris's parents, and preparing Kris's meals for the week. Typing that was exhausting, nevermind actually doing it.
What's good about staying busy is that I don't have time to twiddle my thumbs and get anxious about Tickey's arrival. Not anxious in the "I'm nervous about shooting a baby out of me" sort of way, but the "when will this baby ever get here" kind of way. I do spend a few minutes every night sitting in the nursery, anticipating all the changes that lay ahead for us and how excited I am to start this new phase of my life. I imagine the screaming, the poopy diapers, the smiles, the nights spent in the rocker and I can't wait for it all.
The weekends don't offer much time for relaxation either. Kris gets home Thursday night and by then I already have a long list of to-do's for around the house as we simultaneously attempt to keep up some kind of social life balanced with couple time. Last weekend we spent a good chunk of the weekend putting together the nursery (which we've been taking pictures of as things progress - so watch out for that slideshow!), including a full Saturday of looking for blinds that wouldn't cause us to take out a major loan (we ended up with the cheap ones). This weekend we've got a trip to Toronto for Henry Rollins, a photo shoot for some maternity photo's (eek!), and our last appointment with our Doula. Plus the usual laundry, grocery shopping, dinner with Kris's parents, and preparing Kris's meals for the week. Typing that was exhausting, nevermind actually doing it.
What's good about staying busy is that I don't have time to twiddle my thumbs and get anxious about Tickey's arrival. Not anxious in the "I'm nervous about shooting a baby out of me" sort of way, but the "when will this baby ever get here" kind of way. I do spend a few minutes every night sitting in the nursery, anticipating all the changes that lay ahead for us and how excited I am to start this new phase of my life. I imagine the screaming, the poopy diapers, the smiles, the nights spent in the rocker and I can't wait for it all.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
pregnancy killed the mircowave
Yesterday was my 32 week appointment with the midwife. That's right - I'm just eight short weeks away from birthing the world's smartest, cutest and most charming baby you'll ever meet. I already know that Tickey has these characteristics because Kris and I are both smart, cute and charming (and apparently very confident!).
The midwife and I chatted quite a bit yesterday about what could happen if I were to go into early labour or if I was late. The reason that I asked her about this is because friends of ours told us over the weekend how their neighbours went into labour at 33 weeks and my friend Lexy is currently over a week past her due date. Most people have their predictions about my due date (which is officially May 9th), and some of them guess early and some guess late. I've read that most women go past their due date for their first pregnancy, but I continue to hear more and more of women who went early. I don't want either to happen to me, obviously, but wanted to talk to the midwife about it so I was at least prepared. Turns out that if I go before 37 weeks I would have to go to Hamilton to deliver and if I go too late, I would have to be induced (aka - my WORST nightmare) and would deliver at the Guelph hospital.
Thankfully I will give birth on May 3rd or 5th and won't have to go anywhere (there's that confidence!).
In other news, yesterday I had to give a presentation in Waterloo for a group of students going on a trip to Peru (where I did my feild research) and figured I would stop by Babies R Us on the way home since there isn't one in Guelph. I spent a long time wandering the aisles and staring at other people's babies before I noticed the sun was starting to set and headed back home. I had totally forgotten about the time change and so was shocked when I noticed that it was 8pm. My poor hungry cat. I came flying in the door and threw some leftovers in the microwave, racing to get myself to the couch for the new episode of gossip girl. I hit start on the microwave and - NOTHING. Tried again. Nothing. Called Kris, thinking that I must be having the ultimate pregnancy brain moment and ask him how to heat something in the microwave. Still nothing. It's broken.
This morning I start thinking about getting a new microwave for work when I realize - I can't buy a new microwave, I can't carry it! Ok, so I could ask someone who works at Canadian Tire to carry it to my car, but then how would I get it inside?? Thankfully I called a friend who is willing to come to CT with me and then go home and carry it into my house for me. I'm sharing this story because it's an example of how you start losing some of your independence as your pregnancy progresses. This is an example I can live with. However, I'm getting dangerously close to not being able to take a bath when I'm alone because I need help getting out. This is an example I can't live with, but since Kris is away Monday - Thursday, I have to live with. It's either that or train my cat to lift me out....
The midwife and I chatted quite a bit yesterday about what could happen if I were to go into early labour or if I was late. The reason that I asked her about this is because friends of ours told us over the weekend how their neighbours went into labour at 33 weeks and my friend Lexy is currently over a week past her due date. Most people have their predictions about my due date (which is officially May 9th), and some of them guess early and some guess late. I've read that most women go past their due date for their first pregnancy, but I continue to hear more and more of women who went early. I don't want either to happen to me, obviously, but wanted to talk to the midwife about it so I was at least prepared. Turns out that if I go before 37 weeks I would have to go to Hamilton to deliver and if I go too late, I would have to be induced (aka - my WORST nightmare) and would deliver at the Guelph hospital.
Thankfully I will give birth on May 3rd or 5th and won't have to go anywhere (there's that confidence!).
In other news, yesterday I had to give a presentation in Waterloo for a group of students going on a trip to Peru (where I did my feild research) and figured I would stop by Babies R Us on the way home since there isn't one in Guelph. I spent a long time wandering the aisles and staring at other people's babies before I noticed the sun was starting to set and headed back home. I had totally forgotten about the time change and so was shocked when I noticed that it was 8pm. My poor hungry cat. I came flying in the door and threw some leftovers in the microwave, racing to get myself to the couch for the new episode of gossip girl. I hit start on the microwave and - NOTHING. Tried again. Nothing. Called Kris, thinking that I must be having the ultimate pregnancy brain moment and ask him how to heat something in the microwave. Still nothing. It's broken.
This morning I start thinking about getting a new microwave for work when I realize - I can't buy a new microwave, I can't carry it! Ok, so I could ask someone who works at Canadian Tire to carry it to my car, but then how would I get it inside?? Thankfully I called a friend who is willing to come to CT with me and then go home and carry it into my house for me. I'm sharing this story because it's an example of how you start losing some of your independence as your pregnancy progresses. This is an example I can live with. However, I'm getting dangerously close to not being able to take a bath when I'm alone because I need help getting out. This is an example I can't live with, but since Kris is away Monday - Thursday, I have to live with. It's either that or train my cat to lift me out....
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Books, books and more books
My bedside table used to be piled high with a mix of pop culture classics and fashion magazines. Now it looks more like this:
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
"the class for people who do not have the internet"
I really intended to update this blog more, but I have been distracted by work lately. Yesterday was the release of the strategic plan for the poverty task force I coordinate and we had an event to mark the occasion at City Hall. Thankfully, it all went really well and the press from it has been great (one of the major goals). For those interested in my non-pregnancy related life events, you can read about it here and here. The only thing that would have made it any better is being able to come home and celebrate with a glass (or two) of wine. Instead, after the high wore off, I had to deal with aching feet and sore hips all night. Apparently standing in heels all afternoon when you're 7 months pregnant is not a good idea.
Now - onto the exciting baby stuff! We are now 30 weeks pregnant, meaning Tickey will be making a grand entrance in only 2 more months! Kris has been working on painting the nursery over the past couple of weekends and it should be finished this weekend so we can start organizing things. Right now everything we have for the baby is piled into the closet and making me feel a bit crazy.
I had an appointment with the midwife yesterday, who I now see every two weeks. The baby is measuring right on track, my weight gain is good, the baby's heartbeat is strong and baby is head down - all good news.
Last Saturday Kris and I had our first of two pre-natal classes. After about an hour, Kris renamed the class "the class for people who do not have the internet" since it seemed like none of the other participants had ever done a google search or picked up a book about pregnancy. Most were completely clueless about the stages of birth, benefits of breastfeeding, etc. Apparently everything they had learned about labour and delivery came from terrible movies. Kris and I were so bored that we couldn't have been any happier when the fire alarm went off and we all got to leave 15 minutes early. Being bored was one issue, but the bigger issue was how frustrated we both were by the teacher's failure to explain the different options available. Everything was geared toward those who were planning a standard hospital birth with an epidural. There was no mention of how an epidural causes labour to be longer, can cause long-term back pain for mothers, restricts the mothers movement during delivery, increases the need for forceps, and much, much more. This isn't to say that I'm entirely against the use of an epidural, but I don't think that women should decide to get one without being fully informed. There were a million other similar examples I could use that would demonstrate why we were so frustrated, but we have a midwife and a doula and have the support and information we need to make the right decisions for us so we're happy with that.
We have one more day of classes this coming Saturday and I'm hoping that we might learn something....anything!
Now - onto the exciting baby stuff! We are now 30 weeks pregnant, meaning Tickey will be making a grand entrance in only 2 more months! Kris has been working on painting the nursery over the past couple of weekends and it should be finished this weekend so we can start organizing things. Right now everything we have for the baby is piled into the closet and making me feel a bit crazy.
I had an appointment with the midwife yesterday, who I now see every two weeks. The baby is measuring right on track, my weight gain is good, the baby's heartbeat is strong and baby is head down - all good news.
Last Saturday Kris and I had our first of two pre-natal classes. After about an hour, Kris renamed the class "the class for people who do not have the internet" since it seemed like none of the other participants had ever done a google search or picked up a book about pregnancy. Most were completely clueless about the stages of birth, benefits of breastfeeding, etc. Apparently everything they had learned about labour and delivery came from terrible movies. Kris and I were so bored that we couldn't have been any happier when the fire alarm went off and we all got to leave 15 minutes early. Being bored was one issue, but the bigger issue was how frustrated we both were by the teacher's failure to explain the different options available. Everything was geared toward those who were planning a standard hospital birth with an epidural. There was no mention of how an epidural causes labour to be longer, can cause long-term back pain for mothers, restricts the mothers movement during delivery, increases the need for forceps, and much, much more. This isn't to say that I'm entirely against the use of an epidural, but I don't think that women should decide to get one without being fully informed. There were a million other similar examples I could use that would demonstrate why we were so frustrated, but we have a midwife and a doula and have the support and information we need to make the right decisions for us so we're happy with that.
We have one more day of classes this coming Saturday and I'm hoping that we might learn something....anything!
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