Well, the departure date for Jillian and myself will be April 25th; so after making the family and friend rounds, I will probably make my next post in early May. Should also have a ton more pictures!

Just wanted to keep you updated!

Someone loves her Daddy!

This is a real smile; Michael managed to make her smile 4 times in a row! I can't believe the progress that she's making! As of tomorrow, she'll be 7 weeks old.

Michael's last day of class is tomorrow, then exams on Monday, then ALL DONE!

Happy birthday Mom!

Cute milestone (early!) this morning; Jillian was lying on me, and was able to raise her head and look at me in the eye for a while! It was an insane hour in the morning, but worth it! She's also starting to bat at the toys in her bouncy chair and her coordination is getting better. She especially likes looking at the orange kitty on her chair; she could look at it for ages on end! She also unofficially weighs 11.5 pounds: I weighed myself, then her, then calculated the difference.

Today also marks the last week in Windsor for the family. Michael's wrapping up his last classes and a few exams and then he'll be done! We're looking forward to going, but we've met some really great, down to earth people here. Windsor has a small town feeling, but you can still get to the 'city' (and some great shopping) across the river. If Windsor and Ottawa were a lot closer, I think that we would have stayed here. A 9 hour minimum drive is just too much for us though.

*sniff* Saying goodbye sucks.

On a lighter note, I am really getting to know late night TV. The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson is really funny- better than Letterman, but I think some of it has to do with his Scottish accent! Also managed to watch "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights". Patrick Swayze also makes an appearance as a dance instructor, but he has a smaller role than the last one. It was decent enough to watch at 3am!

New Pictures!

I added another 23 pictures to my yahoo account.

http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/utic2003iriley/my_photos

Pick Jillian at the bottom.

Miss Cranky-Pants

Why can I get sleeping pics and hungry/gassy/tired pics, but no smiley ones? I think that picture was taken the night she fell asleep after 3am...long night, but she slept for 6 hours straight!

Anyway, she is lying on me right now and is content (baby definition: fed, dry diaper and sleeping). I'm a little sad because she officially outgrew her newborn sleeper. When we first put it on her 6 weeks ago, she was *swimming* in it. Michael was shocked that she could out grow something that fast. I think he said, "We'd better have at least 3 kids to make this cost-effective!" (Slow down, mister!). So, I'm officially thanking the people that said, "Don't buy newborn things! She'll grow out of it!".

Packing is going...slowly! In fact, I should be doing that instead of hanging out on the computer.

I found a new addiction: www.facebook.com . If you are prepared to go on there for hours at a time, then go ahead. Otherwise, enter at your own risk! The first night I signed up, I was up till 5:30am!

Yes, it's currently 2:42am...

I was waiting for Miss Jillian to wake up to feed her, but she's fast asleep...

I want her asleep, she stays awake...
I try to keep her awake when she eats, and she falls asleep...
I try to put her in her crib when she sleeps, and she wakes up...
I put her on the couch with the lights and TV on, and she stays asleep...

AHHHH!

But she's so darn *cute* when she's sleeping!

Betcha $5 that once I lie down, she'll wake up and want some food!

Michael has classes this week, so he's able to help out more... woo hoo! We're starting to pack up to move back to Ottawa...how painful! Yeah, I'm just delaying the inevitable packing(April). And unpacking(In May). And repacking (In August). And re-unpacking(In September). I am making a pledge *not* to move for at least 2 years once we have found our place in September. It's funny how much you can accumulate, especially when you try to get in back into the packing boxes!

Do you think that I can get away with borrowing my mom's clothes this summer and only wearing sandals? Hmmm...

I get to relive pregnancy again through my friends; 2 are due in June, 1 around September/October, and 1 special person in December!!! Hee hee! It's absolutely *raining* babies this year!

Jillian is growing in leaps and bounds and is starting to make sounds like "ah!". She was grabbing my hair yesterday, and is getting better at lifting her head up, but if I'm not careful, her head will drop against my ribcage, and she'll get *mad*. She's still not crazy about lying on her tummy, but she is enjoying her baths more and more each time. Tonight, she was splashing the water with her arms and legs and trying to suck on the washcloth when we were washing her face!

Our friends Mat & Shannon came by yesterday and they brought Thai food...thank you so much, you two! Jillian was very well behaved to the point that Michael thought that Shannon would leave with Jillian if we gave her the chance! ;) Jillian seems to be a social person at this point in time, as she's very calm during her alert periods and loves looking at new people. Sometimes I feel that if I blink, then I'll miss something new with her.

In any case, time to get some sleep! Is it 3am already?

Have a great week everyone!

Jillian and her Grandpa

Happy Monday!!

Has it really been a month already? My mom says that she can tell that Jillian's gotten bigger in the last 10 days. She's got these cute little dimples on the back of her knuckles on her hands and I swear that even her fingers have gotten bigger! Her tear ducts are starting to work a bit too, so when she cries, she has these teeny tiny tears which can really break your heart!

I ended up taking a lot of pictures this weekend as both my parents came over; so when I get some free time, I'll be able to post some more up. Speaking of which, Jillian spent very little time lying down this weekend! Between my parents and Michael, all I ended up doing was feeding her, and giving her to the closest person when I was finished. It was funny watching my dad and Michael trying to hold her the most; when one was holding her, the other one was dancing around, waiting for his chance to swoop in and take her next. It was really hilarious.

Her eyes are open more and more, so it's great seeing her make that contact with you. Michael fed her yesterday and he loved the fact that she was totally focused on him while she was eating. The only thing that she doesn't seem to like right now is 'tummy time'. I'll put her on her tummy, and she'll be fine for about ...oh... 1 minute, then she'll start to yell at me to pick her up or turn her over! I swear that if her arms were as strong as her legs, she'd be crawling already!!!

By the way Jen, I did read your blog! When is your next update?

I love Jen because she will say *exactly* what is on her mind and get away with it!

Us, 2 years ago...

Why the trip down memory lane? Our 2 friends showed us pictures of their trip to Borocay, in the Philippines. (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borocay if you feel like learning something new today).

They're pregnant too, and she's due in October, so this is their last hurrah, as Michael would like to say. In any case, Michael was a *wee* bit jealous as our traveling days are over for the time being. Plus, he wanted to do some more travelling when we left Taiwan, but I wanted to return to Canada ASAP. Anyway, this picture is a nice reminder that we did do our roaming and adventuring before having Jillian. Of course, I doubt that we would cart our kids to the top of that same summit and stand on the edge the way that we did that day! I still see a lot of travelling in our future, especially if Michael has anything to do with it!

Daddy doesn't taste like milk!

Went to the doctor's office today and Jillian's gaining weight well.

Birthweight Thursday March 1st: 6 pounds, 15 ounces

Last week Tuesday March 20th: 7 pounds, 15 ounces

This week Tuesday March 27th: 8 pounds, 15 ounces

I kid you not; she doesn't like whole numbers! Of course, I could have upped the last one if I went to the doctor's with a 'full' diaper...

Mom's been a huge help this week; today, she bathed Jillian by herself in the bathroom.

Usually, Michael and I need to bring the tub to the coffee table, and he holds her while I bathe her. Mom did it in the baby tub in the bathtub by herself, and Jillian was so relaxed, until it was time to get out! Mom followed up with a massage, some baby exercises, then I fed her till she fell asleep...and she's still asleep in her crib! AMAZING!!!

Speaking of zzz's, time for me to catch some!

my sweet jillian
why oh why
do you love
to sleep during the day
and not at night
unless i hold you
and type with one hand?

i am forever grateful
that you do not cry
unless you are hungry
(knock on wood)

thank goodness you are so cute
or you would not get away with this!!!

and its 2:26am!!!

My chub-chub...I love her cheeks!

I had a nurse come and visit the apartment today to get some more baby information and to check on Jillian's weight...

She's at 7 pounds, 15 ounces, so she's bypassed her birthweight, which means she's chowing down like she should!

Also, she'll be meeting her Abuela (spanish for Grandmother) for the first time today! I'm so excited!

I think being prego for 9 months is a good idea, as it gives you time to get used to having a baby:

Stage 1: Holy cow! We're having a baby!
Stage 2: It's the size of a chickpea?
Stage 3: My pants don't fit anymore and I just look fat.
Stage 4: It's kicking me!
Stage 5: Get off my bladder NOW!!!
Stage 6: You mean it has to come out of me somehow???
Stage 7: SHOPPING!!! It's so cute! Let's buy it!
Stage 8: Get out already!
Stage 9: OMG...time to go to the hospital.
Stage 10: Oh, the PAIN! AHHH! Where the heck is the Morphine/baseball bat to knock me out???

(Jillian and her 'bunny' guard)

Jillian is 2 weeks old today!

We've gone through:

-over 100 diapers (yah, it's true!)
-too many wipes to count!
-14 nights of interrupted sleep
-many many phone calls to our family and friends
-1 set of batteries for our camera
-5 lullabies that we sing over and over
-6 story books that Michael reads daily to Jillian
-9 baths
-1 poop incident that we will not discuss

We've also experienced:

-10 cute fingers
-10 adorable toes
-1 full head of hair
-many cute smiles (no, it's not gas!)
-her crazy noises that sounds like an old man grunting
-seeing her get all chubby (I go nuts when I see her tummy, I swear!)

So, yes, I could go on and on about how much we love her!!! We will be putting on some pictures up shortly...I just want to make sure that I don't put duplicate pictures up!

Super news! My friend Shelley is in labour right now! Wish her a good delivery!!!

Woo hoo!

My engagement ring fits again!!! No luck on my wedding band yet; there's no way it can go over my knuckle, but then again, I haven't been able to wear it for a couple of months now. Patience...

If you have time to spare/waste:

http://2004.channel955.com/mojo_main.html

A Detroit radio station that I listen to in the mornings; they're a pretty hilarous bunch of people. Their latest giveaway was Justin Timberlake tickets, but the listeners had to work for it... ewww! If you're brave enough, click on the link and look at the pictures!

(Michael is playing a game with Jillian.)

What a great weekend!

Michael finished his placement on Friday, and has been a huge help now that he's here all week. Not only has he been making all our meals, he's also done the grocery shopping, cleaned up, and taken Jillian for a walk on Saturday and Sunday so I can have a break, and for him to have some one-on-one time with her.

Jillian's been eating like a champ and still sleeping lots! She's started growing into a lot of the clothes that we've received, which makes me a little sad, because I don't want her to grow up! I'm so wacky, huh?

Her bellybutton fell off on Saturday. I didn't have the "Sex and the City" reaction where Miranda freaks out. I was happy about that because it was starting to smell funky!

I've managed to catch up on the congratulatory e-mails; of course there's still a ton in my inbox that I haven't gotten around to yet!

Hope everyone enjoys their workweek! Please send out a labour vibe to my friend Shelley; her due date is tomorrow but she hasn't gone into labour yet!!! Hurry up and give Jillian a playmate!!!

Has it really been 8 days since Jillian was born?

I found out that she likes:
-sleeping
-eating

And she doesn't like:
-when I change her diaper
-when she gets a bath
-when I wait too long to feed her (anything over a 5 minute wait)

It's amazing how quickly someone becomes the centre of your world. We've got a good routine down this week:

-8am- Michael leaves for his placement. Jillian's usually finished eating at this point, so she (sometimes me too) goes to sleep.
-she wakes up, cries, I change her and feed her
-she goes back to sleep
-she wakes up, cries, I change her and feed her
-she goes back to sleep
-she wakes up, cries, I change her and feed her
-she goes back to sleep
-she wakes up, cries, I change her and feed her
-she goes back to sleep
-4pm- Michael returns and plays with Jillian for a bit
-she wakes up, cries, I change her and feed her
-she goes back to sleep
-she wakes up, cries, I change her and feed her
-she goes back to sleep
-she wakes up, cries, I change her and feed her
-she goes back to sleep
-11pm- Michael goes to sleep
-she wakes up, cries, I change her and feed her
-she goes back to sleep
-she wakes up, cries, I change her and feed her
-she goes back to sleep
-Aaaand that takes us back to 8am!!

Now March break has started!!! I'm excited because Michael's going to be home for the next 9 days, plus the weather promises to be superb this week, so we can go outside instead of being cooped up in the house.

I took Jillian to her first doctor's appointment; I didn't like the doctor very much as he's the kind of doctor that double-books his appointments and in very much in a rush to get things done quickly without getting to know his patients or to explain 'why' he's doing something. I'll try to bring Michael to the next appointment, as I'm a non-confrontational type of person.

Here's my birth story. I tried not to be too gory or graphic. I also apologize in advance for my grammatical errors...it's 4am and I've only dozed on and off tonight.

Enjoy!

Feb 28th-Go to my OB appointment and told I'm 3cm dialated.

March 1st:

1am- Wake up to go to the bathroom, but there was a new ache that I was experiencing. I also felt a little trickle when I sat up. I waited another 20 minutes to be sure, to make sure that I was having real contractions.

1:20- Wake up Michael. He was a bit out of it when I told him that we had to go to the hospital. He asks if he has time to take a shower and I say yes, as the pain is manageable.

1:40- We leave for the hospital, which is less than 15 minutes away. We hadn't been there before, but it was easy to find the entrance. The contractions were getting steadily stronger at this point, so when Michael drove into the parking lot, I got out immediately and walked to the entrance; I just couldn't sit in the car anymore. I had never registered there before, so we took maybe 10-15 minutes to get all of our personal information.

2am-ish- we went to Prenatal Triage to see if this was the 'real deal'. I was checked and found to be 5cm dialated, but my water hadn't broken yet. They decided to send me to the delivery room after monitoring the baby's heartbeat and my contractions for a while.

(This is where I start to lose track of time...)

The hospital was really crowded in the regular delivery room, so I was in the high-risk delivery room. ( I was told this later). I was hooked up to monitors, but because I was really uncomfortable on my back, I was lying on my side. Turns out that it made it harder to tell how much stronger my contractions were getting. I told the nurses that I didn't want an epidural, because I was nervous about anything getting near my spinal cord!

3:30- I wuss out because the contractions were getting too unbearable and ask for the epidural. I don't remember the exact pain, but I do remember hanging onto the side railings and shaking it back and forth like I wanted to break it off! The nurse came over at that point and walked me through the contractions while Michael applied counter-pressure to my hip bone to relieve the pain.

3:40- I was told that the anesthesiologist will arrive at 4am, and the epidural will kick in at about 4:20am. When I'm guided through the contractions at this point, I'm asked to think about my happy place. I look at the epidural medicine and imagine it relieving my pain!!!

3:50- The nurse advises me that I will feel like I want to have a bowel movement when the baby is ready to come out. She also checks and tells me that I'm 9cm dialated. She starts to move faster now, getting things ready that the doctor will need for the delivery.

3:55-This time, I feel the baby move down and I start shouting, "I have to poo! I have to poo!". The nurse tells me to wait for the doctor to show up, but the contractions don't let up, so I start shrieking, "The baby's coming! The baby's coming!" My body starts to push automatically.

4:00-The doctor, 3 nurses(I think) and the anesthesiologist magically appear out of nowhere. The anesthesiologist immediately apologises for not getting there sooner and I forgave him. I am moved onto my back and start screaming. The nurses tell me to shut up and put my energy into pushing. It would have been funny if I wasn't in so much pain. I decide to listen to them and immediately the contraction-feeling goes away. It felt so nice! At that point I was a good girl and followed their directions. When the baby started to crown, I was asked if I wanted to feel its head. I remember saying/shouting "No", because all I wanted to do was to get-it-out-right-now.
4:07am - After maybe 4-5 more contractions, the baby came out and I found out I had a girl!

I thought that it was appropriate to change the title now!

Stats:

March 1st, 2007, 4:07am

6 pounds, 15 ounces

18 inches long

Gorgeous girl! (But of course, I am extremely biased!)

Things are going very well for the 3 of us; Michael and I are absolutely head over heels in love with her.

Here is a link to where I will be posting pictures of her:

http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/utic2003iriley/album?.dir=a78cre2&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/utic2003iriley/my_photos

I will add to this as time goes on...of course!

Anyway, I will post the birth story shortly(when I'm awake enough!)

Take care, and thanks to everyone for the good wishes!

(zzzzz....)

Idania

Hey hey!

Came back from the doctor's, and Michael was able to come with me this time. Usually he hasn't because of his school schedule.

Heartrate 140-150

and....

I'm 3cm dialated! In other words, when I'm 10cm, I'll be ready to push the baby out! The doctor said that I could go anytime, but some women are like this for another couple of weeks, so we just have to be patient a bit longer! We were completely shocked and couldn't stop grinning at each other. Just can't wait to see Baby Riley!

Anyway, our bags are packed and at the door; now we just need to install the carseat and we should be all set to go. Now that the buzz has worn off, I'm feeling a bit pooped. I suppose I'll keep puttering around and cleaning up till I fall asleep tonight.

We have a Formal with Michael's class this Friday, and my work is hosting a shower for me this weekend...Michael insists that the baby stay in until those events are over...hah! As if I have control over the main event!

Not too much longer!

Signs you should go on maternity leave...
1) You leave the car keys on the passenger seat overnight with the door unlocked.
2) You are almost late for work because you are looking in the house for these *#&$@ keys.
3) You drive into the parking lot and almost hit your coworkers' car (as in 2-3 inches to spare). The lot was icy, but still!!!
4) Unholy gas...I pity the fool that has an appointment with me today!
5) You remind people of the penguins from 'Happy Feet' because of your exceptional waddling skills.
6) You forget *everything*!!!
7) You have a collection of random stuff by your feet because:
a) You're clumsy and drop stuff.
b) There's no way you're going to be able to stand up after you bend over to pick them up!
8) Sleep deprivation is making you have fantasies about your pillow.
9) Your coworkers who are parents already laugh at your pain because they've been through it already, so no sympathy there!
10) You take the time to come up with a top 10 list! Happy Monday!

Wow! I have never been to my doctor's office in the afternoon, and I have never seen so many pregnant women in one spot! It almost seemed like a joke:
"What do you get when you have 4 pregnant women.....?"

I think that this was my fastest appointment yet! Next week, Michael gets to come, and he's pretty excited, because he hasn't been in a while.

Heart rate was 150 beats/minute (again!). That makes it about 3 months in a row. Make your guesses now!

Ok, here's a picture from 15 weeks and 34 weeks just to compare how far along I've come. It's the same shirt, by the way!

Well, today was the courthouse date where I had to testify against the fraudster that was trying to open the account with fake ID.

To my surprise, unlike TV;
-the courthouse was on the 3rd floor of a regular office building (no big set of steps leading to a columned building)
-the walls were green instead of oak paneling,
-the courthouse officials were going through cases at a fast clip,
-there were cops everywhere, and
-the 'bad guy' wasn't there.

I met with the officer that I gave my statement to, and I watched a few of the proceedings before it was our turn to testify. The police officer went up first and started being questioned by the prosecution, but the prosecutor stopped and requested that I leave so I wouldn't be influenced by the officer's testimony. I got up and waited outside(with an extra waddle in my step!). I was called in a few minutes later, thinking that I would read my statement like a few of the officers did, but the prosecutor asked me some questions that I had to answer from memory. Luckily, I had been reviewing this in my mind for several days(weeks!).

I did have to place the bible and "swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God". There was no giggling or smiling on my part...I was a bit nervous and 20-30 people were watching me! I think that I was up there for 5-10 minutes.

When I was talking to the officer after I left the courtroom, I asked him why the bad guy wasn't there. He explained that the criminal trial already happened, and this trial had to do with the fake ID part. So, it wasn't as dramatic as I thought it would be, but I'm relieved at the same time!

All I can say is that I watch way too much 'Law & Order', and other crime TV shows!

Hey everyone,

Well, the last doctor's appointment was a repeat of the last one. Very routine.

Thursday, Michael and I were caught off guard. He went to play volleyball as usual with his classmates, and we went to the Honest Lawyer afterwards to eat dinner. Just as we were settled in, I noticed that there were balloons where we were seated, but couldn't figure out why. Then Brent wanted to make an announcement...I knew that he was with his girlfriend Kristen for a while, and I thought that he was proposing, but ... They had thrown us a surprise baby shower! We received some clothes, books and chair...it was so sweet that they thought of us!

The best part is that we get 22 babysitters! However, no one has signed up so far to take care of the baby the night before their final exams!

This past weekend, we went out with Mat and Shannon to the Detroit Art Gallery. I was pleasantly surprised...I found it better than the National Art Gallery in Ottawa because there were just the right amount of art. It was nice to go with them, because they know Art way better than we do, and can explain things in a way we understand. Afterwards, we went to Greektown for dinner. There was a fabulous pastry shop and like little kids, we ate dessert first, then went to dinner.

I swear that we were served by a bored Mikhail Baryshnikov(the Russian ballet dancer) look-alike, but it was great to have Greek food again.

Sunday, we packed the baby's and my bag for the hospital. Yikes! It's blowing my mind that there's 3.5 weeks to go (give or take 2 weeks!!!)

Anyway, I'm going to bed early. I'm feeling like a beached whale lately and I'm moving around like one. Hope everyone has a restful night!

Middle of February already??? Well, now there's 4.5 weeks to go, and some days it's flying by; other times (like in the middle of the night), it feels like I've always been pregnant.

I've learned a few things this week:
-Diapers are *really* expensive!!! We picked up some that were on sale this week and we were astonished that one of those packs will only last 1 week.
-Babies have their own special laundry detergent.
-Baby gear is reallly cute and designed so parents will spend a lot of money on them!
-Baby gear tends to need a bunch of batteries
-The bigger pregnant women get, the more anxious they are to get the baby out. I'm not as scared of labour as I used to be; I think it's the sleep deprivation I'm going through because I'm getting very uncomfortable.

We assembled our bouncy chair on the weekend (thanks Shell!). It's all set to go and I'm looking forward to using it.

Michael is bugging me to pack my labour bag and baby bag. Essentially, it's the odds and ends that I will use for myself and the baby when we go to the hospital. (I'll spare the boring details) The hospital route is mapped out if we need to go in the middle of the night or during the day.

My memory is *awful* right now! I changed a password at work, and forgot it 4 minutes later! I got it reset, but I felt awfully dumb! Now I'm getting my co-workers to double check a lot of my work just in case I mess something up. Only 3 weeks and 4 days to go for work...I'll make it, because I'm too stubborn to leave early!

Another doctor's appointment tomorrow...for those who still want to guess the sex, the heartrate was still around 150. It's actually pretty consistent.

Have a good Valentine's day!

Football is finally over...yipee!

Michael went for a 'guys weekend' and got to watch the game without me complaining about how boring I find football. What I do know about the Superbowl is that 1 team won, and 1 team lost.

Enough of being a smart-aleck. In Windsor, the temperature is -27C with the windchill. Everyone is *freaking* out because they're not used to this weather. Even the news is talking about hypothermia and ways that you can protect yourself. I only watched it because I thought that it was hilarious and that this is normal for Ottawa (well, maybe not this year). It's like watching about a heatwave that's only 27C.

I like being tough, and I particularly like having 'the belly' to keep me warm. It's like my own portable stove. I still had the fan on last night because I thought that my bedroom was too warm.

My belly is getting bigger, if that's possible. I 'play' with the baby now my rubbing my belly in one spot till I feel it move, then I move my hand to another place. Eating is being more of a challenge, as there's less room. Even drinking water can make me feel stuffed!

There's a Hawaii theme at work on Thursday...think I can get away with wearing a bikini? (Just kidding!!!) I have 5 more weeks of work to go and I'm getting excited! I'm glad that I work with nice people, otherwise I'd want to leave a lot earlier!