Wow...it's quiet in the house and I have a few minutes to myself before the booby monster wakes up!
Susan's 9 days old already and I can't imagine her not being around. I'm sure Jillian could though! She's a very peaceful baby, crying when she's hungry or when we give her a bath. She's also quite strong. She was able to lift her head from the first day-my chiropractor was amazed. Still has to learn some head control, because she can look like a chicken that's pecking for food..it's hilarious!
I find myself very protective of her as well. I think it's mostly because Jillian doesn't realize her strength yet, and sees her as a doll. If I'm holding Susan and Jillian wants to give me a hug, Susan is merely a handhold/foothold to reach me!
Michael and I are still trying to get over how much they look alike. When we talk, we say sentences like, "Can you please pick up... ...Susan?" lol
Time's up!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Yes, I know that I should be sleeping right now, but this is the first time that I have free to update everyone.
So, you may have noticed that I changed the title of my blog!
Susan Idania Dawn was born on January 21st at 7:19am.
Susan-After Michael's mom
Idania-duh!
Dawn-After my mom
Her birth story is funny...I may get graphic, so if you get queasy, you might want to skip it.
As some of you may know, I decided to stay at my mom's house since it's a 10-15 drive from the hospital, as opposed to our house, which is over 45 minutes to the nearest hospital that I can give birth at. The last time I gave birth, my contractions started at 1am, and I gave birth just over 3 hours later. So we didn't want to take a chance and deliver on the side of the road!
I woke up at 6:30am and went to pick Jillian up out of her playpen to get her some breakfast. Immediately, I felt my water break and handed her off to my mom to double check. Sure enough, I hadn't peed myself (phew!). I went back to my mom and told her that I needed to get to the hospital *now*. I called Michael's co-workers and asked them to get him to get to the hospital ASAP since he had already left 45 minutes earlier and didn't have a cell phone on him. (Yes, we are technologically impaired). I also called my sister in law Tanya to stay with me at the hospital until Michael showed up, since my mom needed to watch Jillian.
Anyway, I hadn't relayed the urgency to mom; even though my contractions had started, she didn't realize because I wasn't moaning or yelling-and I didn't tell her! I really didn't want to freak Jillian out, so I was trying to stay calm and get her ready. We get in the car at 7am and leave.
Did I mention that there is a bus strike in Ottawa? Grrr. Anyway, there was more traffic on the road as usual, and my mom was at the wheel, obeying the speeding limits, signalling, etc. As we approach the turnoff for the hospital, I am breathing heavier and tell her to "get out the lead foot" because I can feel the baby's head in the birth canal!!!
Mom stayed calm and pulled a couple of cool manouevers-I didn't know she had that in her! We pulled into the hospital and I followed another pregnant woman with her red suitcase. I was going through another contraction and realized I didn't have enough time, so I interrupted and started speaking loudly to the admissions person (maybe yelling?) "I'M SORRY, BUT MY BABY IS COMING OUT ***RIGHT NOW***"!!!". He immediately pointed me in the right direction and I waddled down the hall as fast as I could, with my ammniotic fluid gushing down my legs. I do remember saying/shouting, "My baby is coming!". I was immediately flanked by 2-3 nurses and one of them was following me with a wheelchair, asking me to sit down. I immediately thought that this was like a relay race in the Olympics and I was Usain Bolt...I am *not* going to slow down!!! She did manage to get me in and we were whisked to the delivery room.
Once inside, I managed to take my pants down during another contraction and jumped on the bed while the poor nurse was trying to get me to get a gown on. I immediately asked when I could push and the nurse said that as soon as the doctor got her gloves on, I could go for it. She told me that I only had to push once (yah, I've heard that line before!), but I got ready for the next contraction. When it came, I pushed, and she was out!
So the timeline:
6:30-water breaks
7:00-leave for hospital
7:15-arrive at hospital
7:19-Susan arrives
I found out afterwards that I didn't set the land record at the hospital; one other woman had delivered in the hallway on the way to the delivery room a few months earlier.
By the time Tanya and my mom came in, they were very surprised, but were happy that they were able to hold her and were the first people to hear Susan's name! Michael showed up at 9am (rush hour traffic and OC Transpo strike-grr!), and came in my room, thinking I was still in labour. He was shocked to see Tanya holding Susan but was thrilled to hold her for the first time.
Gotta go! Feeding time! Pics to follow *soon*!
So, you may have noticed that I changed the title of my blog!
Susan Idania Dawn was born on January 21st at 7:19am.
Susan-After Michael's mom
Idania-duh!
Dawn-After my mom
Her birth story is funny...I may get graphic, so if you get queasy, you might want to skip it.
As some of you may know, I decided to stay at my mom's house since it's a 10-15 drive from the hospital, as opposed to our house, which is over 45 minutes to the nearest hospital that I can give birth at. The last time I gave birth, my contractions started at 1am, and I gave birth just over 3 hours later. So we didn't want to take a chance and deliver on the side of the road!
I woke up at 6:30am and went to pick Jillian up out of her playpen to get her some breakfast. Immediately, I felt my water break and handed her off to my mom to double check. Sure enough, I hadn't peed myself (phew!). I went back to my mom and told her that I needed to get to the hospital *now*. I called Michael's co-workers and asked them to get him to get to the hospital ASAP since he had already left 45 minutes earlier and didn't have a cell phone on him. (Yes, we are technologically impaired). I also called my sister in law Tanya to stay with me at the hospital until Michael showed up, since my mom needed to watch Jillian.
Anyway, I hadn't relayed the urgency to mom; even though my contractions had started, she didn't realize because I wasn't moaning or yelling-and I didn't tell her! I really didn't want to freak Jillian out, so I was trying to stay calm and get her ready. We get in the car at 7am and leave.
Did I mention that there is a bus strike in Ottawa? Grrr. Anyway, there was more traffic on the road as usual, and my mom was at the wheel, obeying the speeding limits, signalling, etc. As we approach the turnoff for the hospital, I am breathing heavier and tell her to "get out the lead foot" because I can feel the baby's head in the birth canal!!!
Mom stayed calm and pulled a couple of cool manouevers-I didn't know she had that in her! We pulled into the hospital and I followed another pregnant woman with her red suitcase. I was going through another contraction and realized I didn't have enough time, so I interrupted and started speaking loudly to the admissions person (maybe yelling?) "I'M SORRY, BUT MY BABY IS COMING OUT ***RIGHT NOW***"!!!". He immediately pointed me in the right direction and I waddled down the hall as fast as I could, with my ammniotic fluid gushing down my legs. I do remember saying/shouting, "My baby is coming!". I was immediately flanked by 2-3 nurses and one of them was following me with a wheelchair, asking me to sit down. I immediately thought that this was like a relay race in the Olympics and I was Usain Bolt...I am *not* going to slow down!!! She did manage to get me in and we were whisked to the delivery room.
Once inside, I managed to take my pants down during another contraction and jumped on the bed while the poor nurse was trying to get me to get a gown on. I immediately asked when I could push and the nurse said that as soon as the doctor got her gloves on, I could go for it. She told me that I only had to push once (yah, I've heard that line before!), but I got ready for the next contraction. When it came, I pushed, and she was out!
So the timeline:
6:30-water breaks
7:00-leave for hospital
7:15-arrive at hospital
7:19-Susan arrives
I found out afterwards that I didn't set the land record at the hospital; one other woman had delivered in the hallway on the way to the delivery room a few months earlier.
By the time Tanya and my mom came in, they were very surprised, but were happy that they were able to hold her and were the first people to hear Susan's name! Michael showed up at 9am (rush hour traffic and OC Transpo strike-grr!), and came in my room, thinking I was still in labour. He was shocked to see Tanya holding Susan but was thrilled to hold her for the first time.
Gotta go! Feeding time! Pics to follow *soon*!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Confession time...
Back in 1996, I bought about 7 or 8 balls of yarn, with the intention of making a sweater.
Fast forward to Nov 2008. I am unpacking and find a neglected 1/5th completed sweater that must be made for size XXL. I decide once and for all that I will make a blanket for Jillian, and I will actually finish it.
I kept this quiet, only telling a few people in case I fail spectacularly. Apart from taking a break over Christmas, I knit and knit, and knit some more. Nothing fancy, just the knit stitch, it requires no thinking, just breathing.
Today, I managed to finish my last row. Apart from running out of wool TEN STITCHES before the end, I managed to Macgyver it, and finish the blanket!
My name is Idania, and I am a knitter!
(and if you don't know who Macgyver is, I'm not telling you!)
Ok Baby Riley, I finished the blanket. You can come out now! Or you can come out on Monday. I have plans this weekend. Or Tuesday works too because that's when Obama gets inaugurated. How easy would that be to remember that historic event?
I'm nesting like mad. All her clothes are ready to go. (She's seriously going to be a diva; I have onesies and pajamas up the ying-yang!) The diapers are lined up waiting to be pooped and peed in. The blankets are prepped. Her bag(and mine), (and Jillian's), are packed and ready to go at a moment's notice. The car is (mostly!) gassed up. I have the "Baby --- is here!" email prepped so I just have to fill in the details and send out. I have re-labeled and re-organized my magazines, movies, and bank statements. Her photo albums are ready to be scrapbooked and written on. My feet have been pedicured (since I haven't been able to reach them for the past month without undergoing serious cramps!). Boxes have been moved upstairs. Boxes have been moved downstairs.
I could go on and on, but frankly, I'm scaring myself! I think the waiting is driving me nuts, and I need to do something so I feel in control. The next thing you know, I'm going to want to pull out the stove and fridge so I can clean that out. (Don't worry, I wouldn't pull it out myself!). Although giving the fridge a good scrubbing sounds like a really, really good idea right now, although I don't think that pulling all the food out at 11:30pm is a good idea. At least it's cold enough outside for the food...hmmm....
Theory:
Sleeping on the bed = 1 hour of uninterrupted sleep = Sluggish and slow
Sleeping reclined on the couch = 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep = Hyper, over-achieving nesting queen
OK baby, please come on Monday(or Tuesday!). That would make you 38 weeks, which is fine. It's okay to be a bit early. Your sister was! My friend Shelley gave birth yesterday and I can't wait to meet him!
*yawn* Time to recharge those batteries for tomorrow!
Back in 1996, I bought about 7 or 8 balls of yarn, with the intention of making a sweater.
Fast forward to Nov 2008. I am unpacking and find a neglected 1/5th completed sweater that must be made for size XXL. I decide once and for all that I will make a blanket for Jillian, and I will actually finish it.
I kept this quiet, only telling a few people in case I fail spectacularly. Apart from taking a break over Christmas, I knit and knit, and knit some more. Nothing fancy, just the knit stitch, it requires no thinking, just breathing.
Today, I managed to finish my last row. Apart from running out of wool TEN STITCHES before the end, I managed to Macgyver it, and finish the blanket!
My name is Idania, and I am a knitter!
(and if you don't know who Macgyver is, I'm not telling you!)
Ok Baby Riley, I finished the blanket. You can come out now! Or you can come out on Monday. I have plans this weekend. Or Tuesday works too because that's when Obama gets inaugurated. How easy would that be to remember that historic event?
I'm nesting like mad. All her clothes are ready to go. (She's seriously going to be a diva; I have onesies and pajamas up the ying-yang!) The diapers are lined up waiting to be pooped and peed in. The blankets are prepped. Her bag(and mine), (and Jillian's), are packed and ready to go at a moment's notice. The car is (mostly!) gassed up. I have the "Baby --- is here!" email prepped so I just have to fill in the details and send out. I have re-labeled and re-organized my magazines, movies, and bank statements. Her photo albums are ready to be scrapbooked and written on. My feet have been pedicured (since I haven't been able to reach them for the past month without undergoing serious cramps!). Boxes have been moved upstairs. Boxes have been moved downstairs.
I could go on and on, but frankly, I'm scaring myself! I think the waiting is driving me nuts, and I need to do something so I feel in control. The next thing you know, I'm going to want to pull out the stove and fridge so I can clean that out. (Don't worry, I wouldn't pull it out myself!). Although giving the fridge a good scrubbing sounds like a really, really good idea right now, although I don't think that pulling all the food out at 11:30pm is a good idea. At least it's cold enough outside for the food...hmmm....
Theory:
Sleeping on the bed = 1 hour of uninterrupted sleep = Sluggish and slow
Sleeping reclined on the couch = 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep = Hyper, over-achieving nesting queen
OK baby, please come on Monday(or Tuesday!). That would make you 38 weeks, which is fine. It's okay to be a bit early. Your sister was! My friend Shelley gave birth yesterday and I can't wait to meet him!
*yawn* Time to recharge those batteries for tomorrow!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Dear Baby:
Please do not poke my cervix unless you mean it...did you get issued a walking stick when you were conceived? It hurts. Thank you for turning upside down last week, though. I like that you are in the 'ready' position.
Dear Large Intestine:
I love that I'm pooping a lot right now because it means that I'm getting closer, but can I have less gas please? I yelled at my husband the other night, but it was actually me and I forgot I let one fly!
Dear Hips:
Please stop hurting NOW. I'm really sick of it and it's not funny anymore.
Dear Wedding rings:
I have neglected you, but once I stop having sausage fingers, I will put you back on!
Dear Stretch Marks:
I don't like you, I will never like you. Period.
Dear Braxton-Hicks:
I don't like you either. I don't need practice contractions, thank you very much!
Dear Feet:
I have neglected you, and once I can reach you again, I will make you feel better.
Sincerely,
Me
Please do not poke my cervix unless you mean it...did you get issued a walking stick when you were conceived? It hurts. Thank you for turning upside down last week, though. I like that you are in the 'ready' position.
Dear Large Intestine:
I love that I'm pooping a lot right now because it means that I'm getting closer, but can I have less gas please? I yelled at my husband the other night, but it was actually me and I forgot I let one fly!
Dear Hips:
Please stop hurting NOW. I'm really sick of it and it's not funny anymore.
Dear Wedding rings:
I have neglected you, but once I stop having sausage fingers, I will put you back on!
Dear Stretch Marks:
I don't like you, I will never like you. Period.
Dear Braxton-Hicks:
I don't like you either. I don't need practice contractions, thank you very much!
Dear Feet:
I have neglected you, and once I can reach you again, I will make you feel better.
Sincerely,
Me
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Boy oh boy...
3 weeks and 1 day left to go. My friend Shelley has 1 day left to go.
I think it's pretty cool that we're having babies so close again; the last time we delivered 2 weeks apart; we found out within a week of each other that we were pregnant, which was great! We were able to ask each other questions, to find out if we were going through something 'normal' or not.
This time around, we're not as panicky as before; but I think it has to do more with being focused on chasing our toddlers around! I know that I'm looking forward to having the baby out, but not necessarily the delivery part.
(pause for hugs)
Hmm, I can see why I don't blog more often. But I love getting my hugs from Jillian!
Today was fun-Michael was giving her a bath and practicing the word 'purple'.
(she likes to hum words for some reason; does it have to do with all my singing when pregnant with her?)
Anyway, she finally turned to him and said, "pur-pur"!
(pause for brief cuddle)
Later on, he was asking her, "Do you want to come out of the tub? Yes or No"
Clear as day, she said, "No".
He was so impressed, he let her play in the tub even longer-she earned it.
For those of you that don't know, Jillian's taking her sweet time with speaking. She had been spending the last 8 months in a full-time French environment when I was back at work. The doctor said that it will take a while for her to sort out the words and start speaking. I know her hearing is fine, as well as her ability to pronounce consonants. I guess patience is not my strong suit!
I'm sure that the day will come when she is talking my ear off that I will miss these quiet days! In the meantime, she gets her point across when she wants something...she loves to drag us to whatever she wants us to do for her, like pulling us to the fridge when she wants a drink, or the highchair when she's hungry.
As for Baby Riley, everything is going well. She's now head-down, and I swear she turned last week Sunday. I was feeling very stretched(like when you have Christmas dinner and you've had waaaay too much turkey!) and when I tried to figure which end was her bum, and which was her head, it was in a totally whacky place! At least she did this now instead of later. I guess she finally realized that she was running out of room (and time!) at Casa Mama! I met my OB, and she's *fantastic*! Easygoing, and not scary like the other doctor I met. I guess what I like most is that our delivery philosophy is very similar and laid-back.
Her only concern was me delivering so fast! I reported back to Michael that if delivery is eminent, then we'd have to call 911 for an ambulance and *he* might have to deliver. His reaction was not too surprising: he turned pale and looked a little sick! Then he swore up and down that he could reach the closest hospital in 10 minutes (it's more like 20-25 if I do the driving!). So it's not a problem for him to commute from Ottawa to work now if it means that he doesn't have to do any catching!
I was looking at pictures of Jillian as a newborn and it's amazing how much she's changed, and a little bit scary because we're going to do it all over again! I also wonder about the dynamic and what Jillian's reaction will be. At least she's interested in babies; she has a fascination with people the same size as her or smaller! I'm just grateful that Michael is able to take time off of work to spend time with us.
We got her to sit in the newborn carseat to compare, and holy cow! She did seem comfortable in it(like a kiddie La-Z-Boy), and Michael couldn't stop laughing.
In any case, the baby stuff is ready to go, and my bags are (mostly) packed. I don't feel ready yet to deliver, but I'm getting grumpier, a sure sign that it's getting closer at least!
3 weeks and 1 day left to go. My friend Shelley has 1 day left to go.
I think it's pretty cool that we're having babies so close again; the last time we delivered 2 weeks apart; we found out within a week of each other that we were pregnant, which was great! We were able to ask each other questions, to find out if we were going through something 'normal' or not.
This time around, we're not as panicky as before; but I think it has to do more with being focused on chasing our toddlers around! I know that I'm looking forward to having the baby out, but not necessarily the delivery part.
(pause for hugs)
Hmm, I can see why I don't blog more often. But I love getting my hugs from Jillian!
Today was fun-Michael was giving her a bath and practicing the word 'purple'.
(she likes to hum words for some reason; does it have to do with all my singing when pregnant with her?)
Anyway, she finally turned to him and said, "pur-pur"!
(pause for brief cuddle)
Later on, he was asking her, "Do you want to come out of the tub? Yes or No"
Clear as day, she said, "No".
He was so impressed, he let her play in the tub even longer-she earned it.
For those of you that don't know, Jillian's taking her sweet time with speaking. She had been spending the last 8 months in a full-time French environment when I was back at work. The doctor said that it will take a while for her to sort out the words and start speaking. I know her hearing is fine, as well as her ability to pronounce consonants. I guess patience is not my strong suit!
I'm sure that the day will come when she is talking my ear off that I will miss these quiet days! In the meantime, she gets her point across when she wants something...she loves to drag us to whatever she wants us to do for her, like pulling us to the fridge when she wants a drink, or the highchair when she's hungry.
As for Baby Riley, everything is going well. She's now head-down, and I swear she turned last week Sunday. I was feeling very stretched(like when you have Christmas dinner and you've had waaaay too much turkey!) and when I tried to figure which end was her bum, and which was her head, it was in a totally whacky place! At least she did this now instead of later. I guess she finally realized that she was running out of room (and time!) at Casa Mama! I met my OB, and she's *fantastic*! Easygoing, and not scary like the other doctor I met. I guess what I like most is that our delivery philosophy is very similar and laid-back.
Her only concern was me delivering so fast! I reported back to Michael that if delivery is eminent, then we'd have to call 911 for an ambulance and *he* might have to deliver. His reaction was not too surprising: he turned pale and looked a little sick! Then he swore up and down that he could reach the closest hospital in 10 minutes (it's more like 20-25 if I do the driving!). So it's not a problem for him to commute from Ottawa to work now if it means that he doesn't have to do any catching!
I was looking at pictures of Jillian as a newborn and it's amazing how much she's changed, and a little bit scary because we're going to do it all over again! I also wonder about the dynamic and what Jillian's reaction will be. At least she's interested in babies; she has a fascination with people the same size as her or smaller! I'm just grateful that Michael is able to take time off of work to spend time with us.
We got her to sit in the newborn carseat to compare, and holy cow! She did seem comfortable in it(like a kiddie La-Z-Boy), and Michael couldn't stop laughing.
In any case, the baby stuff is ready to go, and my bags are (mostly) packed. I don't feel ready yet to deliver, but I'm getting grumpier, a sure sign that it's getting closer at least!
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