For several years now, Hubby has participated in the CN Cycle for CHEO (the Children's Hospital for Eastern Ontario). The fundraiser is in support of the hospital and all it does for our community's sick and injured children.
I can't tell you what a relief it is simply knowing that a hospital and staff dedicated to our children's health and wellbeing is so close to home. The doctors and nurses at CHEO were exceptional when B had to make numerous trips there over the holidays. I can't express just how touched I was by the stocking that the nurses gave B on Christmas Day. The stocking (filled with crayons, bubbles, stickers, candy, jewelry-making kit and a puppy dog handpuppet!) was just a physical representation of how much the people who work there care about their patients. It truly made my little girl's day! And, although we have been fortunate enough not to have needed CHEO's excellent services many times in our two and a half years of parenthood, we know that not all families are quite so lucky.
Anyways, this weekend, Hubby will once again be cycling around the city (70 km) in support of this great cause. And, in an added twist this year, he has decided to match whatever he receives in sponsorship with his own donations. Call it Baby Fever or what-have-you, but I think Hubby has been inspired by the appearance of our little cherub to give more than usual!
That said, I'm using this blog to blatantly elicit some last-minute donations from my readers. (Might as well soak my Hubby for all he's got, while helping out a great cause! ;) If you would like to donate to the CN Cycle for CHEO fundraiser (rest assured that 100% of donations goes directly to CHEO and donations over $10 will be accompanied by a tax receipt), please feel free to visit my husband's page.
Thank you for your support!!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
It begins anew
Today is my first day home alone with two-week old Avery. Sadly, pressing filescalled Hubby back to work a week early, so he started back today. He wasn't happy about it. The sun is shining and he thought he still had a week left to get all he wanted to do accomplished. And, secretly, although he may not admit to it, I think he misses his girls. He had been looking forward to his paternity leave for some time. For him, it was a much-needed vacation. Now, a vacation interrupted. He'll take the remainder of his paternity leave some time down the line, but it's not the same.
As for Brooke--she is in her last week of daycare. She wasn't too happy about it either. She has always loved daycare, but since Avery was born, she hasn't been thrilled about going there. I think she's caught on to the fact that Mommy, Daddy and Baby Sister were all at home, and felt that she was missing out on whatever fun we were having while she was gone. We kept her out of daycare last Friday for that reason. Hubby knew it would be his last day of vacay for awhile, and we wanted to make it a special day for her. (So, we took her to the mall. I know, I know! A two-year-old at the mall? Well, we got her her first haircut, she visited the fountain and wishing well, rode a mechanical horse, ate french fries at the food court, enjoyed a lollipop, rode the elevators and escalators and--in short--had a ball!)
As of Monday, she will be home with me, too. Originally, I wanted to keep B in daycare a few days a week, as it would give me some more time to focus solely on Avery, as well as the freedom to get some non-toddler-friendly activities (like grocery shopping!) done. I even thought about how nice it would be to take a mom-and-baby swim class. But, part-time daycare does not appear to be an option available to us at this time, so Brooke will be home with me for the next year.
I worry that she will be bored with me. She loves daycare--the social interactions with the other kids, the trips to the park, the songs, the crafts, the games in the driveway, the mini-parties for every holiday and every child's birthday. I wonder if she will miss the other kids and the constant fun that comes with daycare. I'm not certain if Avery and I can hold a candle to all of that, but we'll try!
As for today, I return to the life of a stay-at-home Mommy. I forgot what it was like to grab a quick shower while the little one is napping, to make medical appointments and fill out newborn paperwork, to hang up countless tiny sleepers on the clothesline, to pick up strewn toys, souces and receiving blankets, to pause only long enough to make a sandwich, so that I can enjoy it while watching her sweet sleeping face. I gotta tell you, it might not sound like it, but frankly, I look forward to a year of this.
Awww...Avie is waking up. Duty calls.
P.S. I am now back to my pre-pregnancy weight (no, I'm not gonna reveal what that is!)--which means that I have dropped the 28 pounds I put on for Avery. Hopefully, I can keep this up! ;)
As for Brooke--she is in her last week of daycare. She wasn't too happy about it either. She has always loved daycare, but since Avery was born, she hasn't been thrilled about going there. I think she's caught on to the fact that Mommy, Daddy and Baby Sister were all at home, and felt that she was missing out on whatever fun we were having while she was gone. We kept her out of daycare last Friday for that reason. Hubby knew it would be his last day of vacay for awhile, and we wanted to make it a special day for her. (So, we took her to the mall. I know, I know! A two-year-old at the mall? Well, we got her her first haircut, she visited the fountain and wishing well, rode a mechanical horse, ate french fries at the food court, enjoyed a lollipop, rode the elevators and escalators and--in short--had a ball!)
As of Monday, she will be home with me, too. Originally, I wanted to keep B in daycare a few days a week, as it would give me some more time to focus solely on Avery, as well as the freedom to get some non-toddler-friendly activities (like grocery shopping!) done. I even thought about how nice it would be to take a mom-and-baby swim class. But, part-time daycare does not appear to be an option available to us at this time, so Brooke will be home with me for the next year.
I worry that she will be bored with me. She loves daycare--the social interactions with the other kids, the trips to the park, the songs, the crafts, the games in the driveway, the mini-parties for every holiday and every child's birthday. I wonder if she will miss the other kids and the constant fun that comes with daycare. I'm not certain if Avery and I can hold a candle to all of that, but we'll try!
As for today, I return to the life of a stay-at-home Mommy. I forgot what it was like to grab a quick shower while the little one is napping, to make medical appointments and fill out newborn paperwork, to hang up countless tiny sleepers on the clothesline, to pick up strewn toys, souces and receiving blankets, to pause only long enough to make a sandwich, so that I can enjoy it while watching her sweet sleeping face. I gotta tell you, it might not sound like it, but frankly, I look forward to a year of this.
Awww...Avie is waking up. Duty calls.
P.S. I am now back to my pre-pregnancy weight (no, I'm not gonna reveal what that is!)--which means that I have dropped the 28 pounds I put on for Avery. Hopefully, I can keep this up! ;)
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Welcome to the world, Buttercup!
Simply put, our lives have become blissful. Not to say that our lives were not fortunate, beautiful and pleasant before--but Avery's quiet and content presence seems to have happily filled the space we had reserved for her in our little family. She is 11 days old and pure delight. I am truly blessed. We all are. Welcome home, sweet baby girl!
Avery Breeze Spring (yes, we know how granola the name is--perhaps Hubby and I are treehuggers at heart?) made her appearance as quietly and simply as she has done all things so far. The delivery was easy enough--not nearly as dramatic and exhausting as B's was--because the epidural worked (well, mostly!) this time around. In fact, it worked so well, that it left me with an epidural headache that would not recede five days later, so back to the hospital I went for an epidural blood patch. Two epidurals in five days = good times. (And a guaranteed backache!) More about the delivery in a subsequent post....
Our lovely little girl looks very much like her mischievous big sis--only she was born with reddish hair and an angel's kiss on her forehead. I am in awe that she was inside me for so long and that we knew each other without ever really knowing one another. And, frankly, I still cannot believe that Hubby and I could create such a beautiful little being. It seemed like we lucked out with B, but here we are again with another gorgeous little girl. We are all in love with the little buttercup! And, already, she is proving to be another very easygoing baby.
I hate to make other parents' jealous, but the truth is I had a very easy time with Brooke when she was a baby--she started sleeping through the night at three weeks and was just such a happy little girl! I was never sleep-deprived. I never had to deal with a colicky child. She never got ill. She rarely cried or fussed or puked. Beyond the first two, her teeth never seemed to bother her. She transitioned from bottles and souces and big girl beds without any problems. I never worried that she was not eating enough or wasn't developing properly.
From the horror stories I read about to the trying times friends and acquaintances relayed to me, I knew I was super lucky to have had such an easy baby, and I often thought that Fate would screw me with the second child. A hellion child would be my comeuppence for having dangled my easy child (figuratively speaking--not in the Michael Jackson way) in front of mothers with sleep-refusing, illness-infused, allergy-ridden babies!
But, here she is and A is nothing but pure sweetness. And, I hate to say it (but really, I don't mind at all and am gloating as only a new mother can!), but at 11 days, my little Avie has already pulled two 6-hour nighttime stretchs in a row!! If this isn't a fluke--and she keeps it up--she will have topped her own sister in sheer easiness. Love it!
And, love you, Avie. The world is a brighter place with you in it. I consider myself beyond fortunate to be one of your guides in discovering it....
Avery Breeze Spring (yes, we know how granola the name is--perhaps Hubby and I are treehuggers at heart?) made her appearance as quietly and simply as she has done all things so far. The delivery was easy enough--not nearly as dramatic and exhausting as B's was--because the epidural worked (well, mostly!) this time around. In fact, it worked so well, that it left me with an epidural headache that would not recede five days later, so back to the hospital I went for an epidural blood patch. Two epidurals in five days = good times. (And a guaranteed backache!) More about the delivery in a subsequent post....Our lovely little girl looks very much like her mischievous big sis--only she was born with reddish hair and an angel's kiss on her forehead. I am in awe that she was inside me for so long and that we knew each other without ever really knowing one another. And, frankly, I still cannot believe that Hubby and I could create such a beautiful little being. It seemed like we lucked out with B, but here we are again with another gorgeous little girl. We are all in love with the little buttercup! And, already, she is proving to be another very easygoing baby.
I hate to make other parents' jealous, but the truth is I had a very easy time with Brooke when she was a baby--she started sleeping through the night at three weeks and was just such a happy little girl! I was never sleep-deprived. I never had to deal with a colicky child. She never got ill. She rarely cried or fussed or puked. Beyond the first two, her teeth never seemed to bother her. She transitioned from bottles and souces and big girl beds without any problems. I never worried that she was not eating enough or wasn't developing properly.
From the horror stories I read about to the trying times friends and acquaintances relayed to me, I knew I was super lucky to have had such an easy baby, and I often thought that Fate would screw me with the second child. A hellion child would be my comeuppence for having dangled my easy child (figuratively speaking--not in the Michael Jackson way) in front of mothers with sleep-refusing, illness-infused, allergy-ridden babies!
But, here she is and A is nothing but pure sweetness. And, I hate to say it (but really, I don't mind at all and am gloating as only a new mother can!), but at 11 days, my little Avie has already pulled two 6-hour nighttime stretchs in a row!! If this isn't a fluke--and she keeps it up--she will have topped her own sister in sheer easiness. Love it!
And, love you, Avie. The world is a brighter place with you in it. I consider myself beyond fortunate to be one of your guides in discovering it....
Friday, April 9, 2010
T minus 20 hours
So, I am now at 40 weeks + 1 day and still no baby. It was decided at my weekly doctor's appointment on Wednesday that if I did not go into labour by the weekend, that I would be scheduled for an induction on Saturday morning (confirming what a few of my medical team have told me regarding induction around 40 weeks for moms with gestational diabetes). Right now, it's Friday, 1:00 p.m. and I'm feeling no different than any other day. Guess it looks like I will be induced tomorrow. One way or the other, we should have a newborn baby by week's end.
As much as I realize that inductions usually make the whole labour thing last longer (and I was really aiming for a nice, short delivery this time--oh well), I am happy and relieved to know that I will meet my daughter sometime this weekend. Plus, the likelihood of an induction means that I can prepare for my stint in the hospital in advance. Hubby can finish work on a Friday, knowing full well that he will not be in on Monday. I can let my daycare worker know in advance that B will not be in early next week. I can do laundry, clean house, charge batteries and pack bags. I can make plans.
And--just as it was with B--once this news was processed by Hubby, he suddenly got very excited about the baby's arrival. That is not to say that he wasn't thrilled beforehand, but just that there wasn't much he could do throughout the pregnancy (besides paint the nursery and assemble furniture!). With an actual timeline and list of things to do in hand, I think he feels much better prepared and involved in the process. He's always been good at working out logistics, so making plans is right up his alley. He's getting excited just thinking about the little person we are all about to meet--will she be as easy a baby as B was? Who will she look more like? Will she be well over our guestimated 9 pounds? Will she projectile puke all over him like B did on her first day at home? (I am sooooo glad that I have the actual action shots of that mess!)
That said, there will be no new postings for the next few days. When I do post again, I should have some new photos and stories to share of our brand new bébé. Can't wait! Wish me luck.
As much as I realize that inductions usually make the whole labour thing last longer (and I was really aiming for a nice, short delivery this time--oh well), I am happy and relieved to know that I will meet my daughter sometime this weekend. Plus, the likelihood of an induction means that I can prepare for my stint in the hospital in advance. Hubby can finish work on a Friday, knowing full well that he will not be in on Monday. I can let my daycare worker know in advance that B will not be in early next week. I can do laundry, clean house, charge batteries and pack bags. I can make plans.
And--just as it was with B--once this news was processed by Hubby, he suddenly got very excited about the baby's arrival. That is not to say that he wasn't thrilled beforehand, but just that there wasn't much he could do throughout the pregnancy (besides paint the nursery and assemble furniture!). With an actual timeline and list of things to do in hand, I think he feels much better prepared and involved in the process. He's always been good at working out logistics, so making plans is right up his alley. He's getting excited just thinking about the little person we are all about to meet--will she be as easy a baby as B was? Who will she look more like? Will she be well over our guestimated 9 pounds? Will she projectile puke all over him like B did on her first day at home? (I am sooooo glad that I have the actual action shots of that mess!)
That said, there will be no new postings for the next few days. When I do post again, I should have some new photos and stories to share of our brand new bébé. Can't wait! Wish me luck.
Monday, April 5, 2010
For shame
So, I decided to put this little blog together as a way of chronicling my sojourn into motherhood (for the second time), while sharing my photos with family and friends. So far, I have failed to provide much in the way of photos. I meant to put up pics from Shammy's maternity shoot, some of my own (thanks to my brother, Rich!) and a collection of wonderful pics of B. So far---zilch. My bad.
Meanwhile, my sister-in-law Brenna, puts me to shame. As a team designer for a scrapbooking store in the quaint village of Carleton Place (called Scraptease, check it out if you are passing through! Lots of scrapbooking goodies for both budding and expert scrappers....), Bren has her own rightful blog--Scrapsmith, of which I am a devoted follower.
Scrapbooking is a hobby that she, Jax and I share, but Bren's devotion to it truly amazes me. Not only is she wonderfully talented (she has even had some of her pages published on other scrapbooking sites)--but she is highly prolific in her postings. She creates beautiful pages almost effortlessly--and so quickly, that I barely have time to tune into the blog without noticing another two or three additions to the gallery. (She was posting photos and blurbs within hours of her recent return from Cuba, while I am still downloading photos from January.)
It seems like ages since I last sat down to scrapbook. I love to do it, as I find it is a wonderful way of chronicling important and not-so-important moments in our lives and the lives of our families. It's a way of capturing memories, experiencing traditions and passing on little-known information to future generations. I know it's a cliché, but scrapbooking combines my love of writing and my love of photography--and just seems like a natural extension of those creative outlets.
I hope to have some more time to pick up the hobby again when #2 arrives and is settled into a routine. I always leave Bren's blog inspired and with good intentions, but then B will pee her pants or bring sand into the house and I lose sight of my intentions. Still, I love to tune in every other day to see just what new page Brenna has created.
In fact, after I had settled B on the bed with 54 uninterrupted minutes of Toopy and Binoo and a bowl of cinnamon apple cheerios this morning, I went to check in on my fave blogs. Brenna's latest posting nearly had me in tears.
It was of me. A page created from one of the maternity photos my brother had taken just a few weeks ago. It's gorgeous! Not only is "Patience" so visually appealing, but it reminds me of that virtue I so often forget. I need to be patient for just a few days more. Her page gave me a much-needed boost of energy. Thanks, Bren! oxoxo
If you'd like to check out Brenna's amazing work (and feel free to drop her a line, she loves to get comments!) or to order one of her custom-designed albums or cards, go to Scrapsmith. Well worth the visit!
Meanwhile, my sister-in-law Brenna, puts me to shame. As a team designer for a scrapbooking store in the quaint village of Carleton Place (called Scraptease, check it out if you are passing through! Lots of scrapbooking goodies for both budding and expert scrappers....), Bren has her own rightful blog--Scrapsmith, of which I am a devoted follower.
Scrapbooking is a hobby that she, Jax and I share, but Bren's devotion to it truly amazes me. Not only is she wonderfully talented (she has even had some of her pages published on other scrapbooking sites)--but she is highly prolific in her postings. She creates beautiful pages almost effortlessly--and so quickly, that I barely have time to tune into the blog without noticing another two or three additions to the gallery. (She was posting photos and blurbs within hours of her recent return from Cuba, while I am still downloading photos from January.)
It seems like ages since I last sat down to scrapbook. I love to do it, as I find it is a wonderful way of chronicling important and not-so-important moments in our lives and the lives of our families. It's a way of capturing memories, experiencing traditions and passing on little-known information to future generations. I know it's a cliché, but scrapbooking combines my love of writing and my love of photography--and just seems like a natural extension of those creative outlets.
I hope to have some more time to pick up the hobby again when #2 arrives and is settled into a routine. I always leave Bren's blog inspired and with good intentions, but then B will pee her pants or bring sand into the house and I lose sight of my intentions. Still, I love to tune in every other day to see just what new page Brenna has created.
In fact, after I had settled B on the bed with 54 uninterrupted minutes of Toopy and Binoo and a bowl of cinnamon apple cheerios this morning, I went to check in on my fave blogs. Brenna's latest posting nearly had me in tears.
It was of me. A page created from one of the maternity photos my brother had taken just a few weeks ago. It's gorgeous! Not only is "Patience" so visually appealing, but it reminds me of that virtue I so often forget. I need to be patient for just a few days more. Her page gave me a much-needed boost of energy. Thanks, Bren! oxoxo
If you'd like to check out Brenna's amazing work (and feel free to drop her a line, she loves to get comments!) or to order one of her custom-designed albums or cards, go to Scrapsmith. Well worth the visit!
Detoxing from Easter
Day 30 (I think?) and still no bébé. Would have been nice to have her over the holiday weekend, just so Hubby wouldn't have had to go back to work today. Ah well. Hopefully, sometime this week. Here's hoping my readers had an enjoyable and relaxing Easter weekend.We couldn`t have been more surprised or pleased with the record-breaking temperatures. Really reminded us of the Easters of our childhood. (Particularly, my fifth year, when Dad had the ingenius thought to hide my big chocolate bunny under an overturned wheelbarrow. I looked high and low all over the backyard for that bunny and by the time I found it, it was a gooey, melted mess. Jax's and Rich's bunnies were A-OK, but neither of them were willing to share with me. This is only one of the many examples from my childhood in which the middle child (ie: Me) gets the shaft. Thanks Dad. 'Preciate it.)
Anyhoo, Good Friday was spent at my sister`s while Hubby and Dave (my brother-in-law) finished the siding. The weather was so co-operative and beautiful that after Easter eggs were dyed and painted, we ended up bbqing some lunch (first burgers of the season!) and spending the entire afternoon outside. The kids were thrilled to be running around, going up and down on the Grants' mega playground slide, blowing endless streams of bubbles, digging in the garden, and enjoying cantaloupe smiles and ice water under the hot April sun. Dylan and I got a little sunburned. Grace got scraped while ballet dancing on the lawn. Brooke avoided a nap (but crashed just before dinner). The house finally got finished (and looks fantastic). Overall, everyone had a great day.
Same deal on Saturday. A gorgeous day filled with playing in the sandbox, feeding the birds, buying B some much-needed sandals (that flash red and green when she runs, and which she says helps her to run faster. I very much doubt it, but she was too delighted by the sandals for me to pass up the $12 price tag.), and preparing for Easter morning.
Easter Sunday passed without much incident. Brooke woke us up (I had just fallen asleep after having been awake since 4:15 a.m.) to the announcement that the cat was bothering her, then decided that she wanted "treats" as she had spotted the egg trail leading from her bedroom door to the living room. She went to work on her Easter egg hunt, while we filmed her. Then, we quickly got her dressed in her new Easter dress ("not a princess dress, Mommy. A queen dress!") before trying to scramble ourselves together in order to get out of the door in time. Pregnant woman, potty-training two-year-old, Blackberry-addicted husband and restless dog make for a combination that just screams "we're gonna be late!"
We really had no time to indulge in pre-brunch photos, but I couldn't resist yanking the camera out of the bag by the door to snap a few pics of this before we headed out. While I was putting on some much-needed mascara, Brooke was having an "Easter tea party in Baby Sister's room." (Could my kid BE cuter?!?!)
Another warm and sunny day (so sunny, in fact, that B's first chocolate Dora (she received two!) was disfigured by the heat. Dora #1 now has a giant bullethole in her stomach and a version of
melted lockjaw around her mouth. None of these deformities will matter much when I break up the chocolate and stick it in the freezer, but there you go....I imagine this is what my bunny would have looked like if it hadn`t been so well-hidden under the wheelbarrow so many years ago. I might have found it sooner and saved the bunny from its fate if an adult had had the foresight enough to think that maybe, just maybe, a five-year-old would not think to look under a giant metal garden contraption for her Easter treat--much less have the ability to lift it off of said treat. Thanks again, Dad....). Anyways, we made it to mass with not a moment to spare (luckily, Dad and Louise had saved the preggo a seat). We then had a wonderful crepe-and-omelette filled brunch with them and my sibs afterwards, and a delicious ham-and-chocolate-fondue dinner at the in-laws later that day.And by the end of the day, B had become an expert egg-hunter, having had three separate egg hunts resulting in a mound of treats, playdoh, bubbles, hair elastics, books, craft kits and colouring book treasures.
Today, she is detoxing on my bed from all the chocolatey and maple syrupy goodness she consumed yesterday (which was a challenge for my gestational diabetes butt, lemme tell ya), while she watches the Easter Toopy and Binoo video the Bunny brought for her. Luckily, she seems to have forgotten all about the candy, gummis, foil-covered chocolates and marshmallowy green peeps waiting for her in the hallway. I haven't, but I am doing my best to steer well-enough away. Trust.
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