Originally published October 25, 2006 on www.tracykm.blogspot.com
Megan walked! For the past couple days, she's been able to take a shuffle step, but today, she put together about 6 little shuffle steps to go from point A to point B (the tub of markers). I was trying to take her sleepers off, and they were still around her feet--she looked like a prisoner in ankle irons, shuffling along :)
I told Rob last night she'd be walking by the end of the week and he didn't believe me!
I must transfer all the Christmas footage from the video camera to tape tonight! LOL. So all my kids have walked before they turned a year old. But Megan's the only one who hasn't yet visited the ER, LOL. Some nights I've wanted to, and if she was my first I probably would have, but I know there's no point. She's still so tiny looking. She's the oldest at 'Story Time', most are 3-4 months old--and most are as big as her. And because they're shorter, they actually are chubbier than her! And some of their heads look gigantic too, but Megan's proved she's got some smarts :) She knows how to slide open the baby gate and sneak upstairs. I'm not sure those are the smarts I want her to have, but oh well, LOL.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Sleeping Beauties
Originally published October 23, 2006 on tracykm.blogspot.com
Meggie is on the verge of walking. She can get up and down from a squat, lets go of whatever she's holding on to, and does a shuffle step, once....
And she is becoming a Daddy's girl finally :) I went out twice on the weekend, and came home to these images.
And this from someone who says I'm going to spoil her by holding her while she falls asleep! (I cannot get Blogger to put them in the middle. Ugh).
Huey got sent to the office! He spat milk in the face of his friend. Had no reason why he did it. He's really behind on 'sight words' and breaking up words to sound out more than the first sound. He doesn't even remember 'an' from one page to the next, even though the entire sentence is repeated ("Is this an insect?").
And Miss Lucy....ever since she started school, she's been one grumpy gal. At first, it was cause she was sick, but it's still going on. Attitude! Oh man, what a little screamer/whiner/complainer now. I think part of it is a continual lack of sleep. I feel the same way :) Or it could be cause she's about to turn 4, and she's going through a developmental phase that sometimes happens in the months before a birthday. Still so little, but wanting to be a big girl.
We went to a family farm business to go pumpkin picking. Lots of fun, but shocker at the cash register: $29 for 3 pumpkins of assorted sizes and one small gourd! Photos at a later date...it still takes forever to download the photos!
Meggie is on the verge of walking. She can get up and down from a squat, lets go of whatever she's holding on to, and does a shuffle step, once....
And she is becoming a Daddy's girl finally :) I went out twice on the weekend, and came home to these images.
And this from someone who says I'm going to spoil her by holding her while she falls asleep! (I cannot get Blogger to put them in the middle. Ugh).
Huey got sent to the office! He spat milk in the face of his friend. Had no reason why he did it. He's really behind on 'sight words' and breaking up words to sound out more than the first sound. He doesn't even remember 'an' from one page to the next, even though the entire sentence is repeated ("Is this an insect?").
And Miss Lucy....ever since she started school, she's been one grumpy gal. At first, it was cause she was sick, but it's still going on. Attitude! Oh man, what a little screamer/whiner/complainer now. I think part of it is a continual lack of sleep. I feel the same way :) Or it could be cause she's about to turn 4, and she's going through a developmental phase that sometimes happens in the months before a birthday. Still so little, but wanting to be a big girl.
We went to a family farm business to go pumpkin picking. Lots of fun, but shocker at the cash register: $29 for 3 pumpkins of assorted sizes and one small gourd! Photos at a later date...it still takes forever to download the photos!
Random Questions
This was first published on my tracykm.blogspot.com page on October 18 2006. Some answers have changed over the past 7 years, look for the italics....
1. FIRST NAME? Tracy
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Don't think so, although there is an old Audrey Hepburn (?) movie with a character named Tracy. Maybe Mom can answer, LOL. I was going to be Gertrude Mildred.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Some have complained that I am not emotional, but I think I'm overly emotional at time. Last time I cried...probably pretty recent.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? It's okay. Pretty basic and textbook.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Mediterranean spiced roast turkey/chicken.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Gosh, I hope so.
7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? I used to be a really big journaler, until it was used against me and totally shook my world upside down. Well, the journal didn't actually do it, but what I had put in it did. I started keeping journals for the kids....but they are SO out of date. I tend to write the fun stuff in emails/forums already, I don't feel like taking the time to handwrite it again into a journal.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? I think so.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? If I could do it in slow motion. I'd parachute too if it were slow motion.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Multi--Grain or Apple Cinnamon Cheerios. But I rarely buy them, instead I have PC Bran Flakes with 1 TSBP of slivered almonds and 1 TBSP of dried cranberries or fresh fruit. This has totally changed! I don't eat cereal since going low carb/high fat. I sometimes have an oatmeal/flaxseed mix.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Shoes that tie up?. Do I have any?
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Not as strong as I'd like, but babywearing an almost 18lb baby 2 miles, 4 times a week has got to have had an impact. Oh, boy, do I miss babywearing. Definitely not strong anymore!
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? I like Breyer's or Kawartha Dairy ice cream. Anything with things in it and a multitude of flavours. Gold Medal Ribbon, Bear Claw, White Thunder, Praline Pecan. Although I'm a chocoholic, I don't like plain chocolate ice cream.
14. SHOE SIZE? 8 1/2
15. RED OR PINK? Depends on what it is :) I actually like both.
16. LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOU? My belly, and my shyness.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? The friends I had in high school before I dated the Ex who thought he should be the only friend I needed.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? I have the need to read every email that comes in the various Yahoo groups I'm in. I'm getting better at deleting without reading emails about Passap machines, ribbers, cloth diapers, etc....please DON'T send this back to me, LOL!
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Jeans, dark; lilac t-shirt (had been wearing a ratty souvenir sweatshirt from 1995, but, well, I sweated (see question #12).
20. LAST THING YOU ATE? The lemon filling from the danish I put in Huey's lunch that he didn't eat.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Lucy tell the neighbour boy she got a sticker on her shirt, LOL.
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Periwinkle. Or aquamarine. The ones that can't be described with one word...is it blue, or is it green? LOL.
23. FAVORITE SMELL? Lilacs, lavender, and roses.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My MIL.
25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Hair or butt.
26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON I saw this somewhere but don't remember, then I stole it from Sandra. I've only met her twice, but she seems pretty fun :)
27. FAVORITE DRINK? Sweet ice tea. Sweet coffee. Flavoured coffee with whip cream on top.
28. FAVORITE SPORT? Knitting. I used to watch a ton of figure skating...back when they were my age. Now they just make me feel old.
29. EYE COLOR? Green
30. HAT SIZE? Small.
31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Glasses. I wore contacts for a while, but not now. I would really love to have laser correction, but I'm squeamish and too frugal.
32. FAVORITE FOOD? Nothing exotic. Fresh, flavourful, but not fancy-schmancy.
33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? I laugh at scary movies, but do get freaked out by 'pyschological thrillers'. Hate sappy movies....but I'll watch them when Rob's not home, LOL.
35. SUMMER OR WINTER? BOTH! And fall. I love the time from Labour Day to Thanksgiving. I used to LOVE really hot days....before the need for Humidex readings came about.
36. HUGS OR KISSES? Depends on who's offering :)
37. FAVORITE DESSERT? Tiramisu, fresh fruit crisp, vanilla ice cream with peaches and melba sauce made from my Mom's raspberries. Any Ontario fruit (although I prefer prepared 'dessert'). Caramel sauce over apple slices. Caramel sauce on my finger.
38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Sandra already did it, so that leaves Lucky, CatBookMom, Clarissa, or Z. I think that's most of my readers, LOL.
39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? No idea!
40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Huggles can Juggle. Franklin wants a Pet.
41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE Pad? Don't have one. It's just the desk. I'm frugal and I hate choices.
42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? I don't remember exactly. I was waiting for 'Renovate My Wardrobe'....oh, "X-Weighted" was on first. Watched Oprah that I had taped.
43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Windchimes with low sounds, not the twinkly ones.
44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Beatles
45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Bahamas, or Alberta?
6. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? Special? As in no one else can do it? Ummmm...family reads this, LOL. But I'm a good flute player and have made pastry better than my mom's---with her special recipe.
47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Suburb of Toronto.
48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I stole it from Sandra.
That wasn't too bad :)
1. FIRST NAME? Tracy
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Don't think so, although there is an old Audrey Hepburn (?) movie with a character named Tracy. Maybe Mom can answer, LOL. I was going to be Gertrude Mildred.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Some have complained that I am not emotional, but I think I'm overly emotional at time. Last time I cried...probably pretty recent.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? It's okay. Pretty basic and textbook.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Mediterranean spiced roast turkey/chicken.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Gosh, I hope so.
7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? I used to be a really big journaler, until it was used against me and totally shook my world upside down. Well, the journal didn't actually do it, but what I had put in it did. I started keeping journals for the kids....but they are SO out of date. I tend to write the fun stuff in emails/forums already, I don't feel like taking the time to handwrite it again into a journal.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? I think so.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? If I could do it in slow motion. I'd parachute too if it were slow motion.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Multi--Grain or Apple Cinnamon Cheerios. But I rarely buy them, instead I have PC Bran Flakes with 1 TSBP of slivered almonds and 1 TBSP of dried cranberries or fresh fruit. This has totally changed! I don't eat cereal since going low carb/high fat. I sometimes have an oatmeal/flaxseed mix.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Shoes that tie up?. Do I have any?
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Not as strong as I'd like, but babywearing an almost 18lb baby 2 miles, 4 times a week has got to have had an impact. Oh, boy, do I miss babywearing. Definitely not strong anymore!
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? I like Breyer's or Kawartha Dairy ice cream. Anything with things in it and a multitude of flavours. Gold Medal Ribbon, Bear Claw, White Thunder, Praline Pecan. Although I'm a chocoholic, I don't like plain chocolate ice cream.
14. SHOE SIZE? 8 1/2
15. RED OR PINK? Depends on what it is :) I actually like both.
16. LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOU? My belly, and my shyness.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? The friends I had in high school before I dated the Ex who thought he should be the only friend I needed.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? I have the need to read every email that comes in the various Yahoo groups I'm in. I'm getting better at deleting without reading emails about Passap machines, ribbers, cloth diapers, etc....please DON'T send this back to me, LOL!
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Jeans, dark; lilac t-shirt (had been wearing a ratty souvenir sweatshirt from 1995, but, well, I sweated (see question #12).
20. LAST THING YOU ATE? The lemon filling from the danish I put in Huey's lunch that he didn't eat.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Lucy tell the neighbour boy she got a sticker on her shirt, LOL.
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Periwinkle. Or aquamarine. The ones that can't be described with one word...is it blue, or is it green? LOL.
23. FAVORITE SMELL? Lilacs, lavender, and roses.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My MIL.
25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Hair or butt.
26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON I saw this somewhere but don't remember, then I stole it from Sandra. I've only met her twice, but she seems pretty fun :)
27. FAVORITE DRINK? Sweet ice tea. Sweet coffee. Flavoured coffee with whip cream on top.
28. FAVORITE SPORT? Knitting. I used to watch a ton of figure skating...back when they were my age. Now they just make me feel old.
29. EYE COLOR? Green
30. HAT SIZE? Small.
31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Glasses. I wore contacts for a while, but not now. I would really love to have laser correction, but I'm squeamish and too frugal.
32. FAVORITE FOOD? Nothing exotic. Fresh, flavourful, but not fancy-schmancy.
33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? I laugh at scary movies, but do get freaked out by 'pyschological thrillers'. Hate sappy movies....but I'll watch them when Rob's not home, LOL.
35. SUMMER OR WINTER? BOTH! And fall. I love the time from Labour Day to Thanksgiving. I used to LOVE really hot days....before the need for Humidex readings came about.
36. HUGS OR KISSES? Depends on who's offering :)
37. FAVORITE DESSERT? Tiramisu, fresh fruit crisp, vanilla ice cream with peaches and melba sauce made from my Mom's raspberries. Any Ontario fruit (although I prefer prepared 'dessert'). Caramel sauce over apple slices. Caramel sauce on my finger.
38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Sandra already did it, so that leaves Lucky, CatBookMom, Clarissa, or Z. I think that's most of my readers, LOL.
39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? No idea!
40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Huggles can Juggle. Franklin wants a Pet.
41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE Pad? Don't have one. It's just the desk. I'm frugal and I hate choices.
42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? I don't remember exactly. I was waiting for 'Renovate My Wardrobe'....oh, "X-Weighted" was on first. Watched Oprah that I had taped.
43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Windchimes with low sounds, not the twinkly ones.
44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Beatles
45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Bahamas, or Alberta?
6. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? Special? As in no one else can do it? Ummmm...family reads this, LOL. But I'm a good flute player and have made pastry better than my mom's---with her special recipe.
47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Suburb of Toronto.
48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I stole it from Sandra.
That wasn't too bad :)
Rrrrooooaaaarrr!
Originally posted on tracykm.blogspot.com on September 25, 2006!
Is she not the cutest thing?!
Grrrr....living life on the wild side!
Megan, 10 months old!!
Is she not the cutest thing?!
Grrrr....living life on the wild side!
Megan, 10 months old!!
Wacky Wednesday
Little Mikey was coughing into his sleeve. "I'm sick" he tells me. "Yes, a lot of kids are sick right now, so am I" I replied.
"I threw up while getting dressed this morning, but it was just on the edge of the carpet so that was okay" Mikey tells me.
"And you came to school?" I asked.
"Yes, it's a school day so of course I came!"
And THAT is why I've been eating jello and chicken broth for the past week!
"I threw up while getting dressed this morning, but it was just on the edge of the carpet so that was okay" Mikey tells me.
"And you came to school?" I asked.
"Yes, it's a school day so of course I came!"
And THAT is why I've been eating jello and chicken broth for the past week!
Monday, November 18, 2013
Megan's Birth(day)
I got pregnant at the end of February 2005, and I emailed Rob saying "You have 35 weeks to buy a new truck". LOL. By week 5 I was terribly nauseous and that lasted until week 14. I even gave up coffee! Then I was terribly sick for two weeks with a sinus infection (this also happened at the same time that I was pregnant with Lucy). Then my arthritis flared up. And stayed flared up until delivery. It was a very painful pregnancy. My family doctor said "Take an Advil". I said "That doesn't work". She said "Take two". I finally got Tylenol with codeine, but that didn't help either. I had the same OB as with Lucy, Dr. C. and he just kept saying "Take it easy". Then he started to add "Don't do so much". That got me concerned, but I don't have anyone here to take over what I couldn't do, and Rob wouldn't, so I trudged on.
By around 24 weeks, I looked quite big--even though I had started at my lowest pre-pregnancy weight ever. I started having extreme heartburn/reflux again, and around week 36 finally got a prescription which worked wonders. The baby wasn't a very active baby, and if I went to the hospital every time Dr. C said "If you don't feel anything in 4 hours..." I'd be there almost every day (I don't think I ever bothered to go). But every night at 10pm when I got into bed, baby would wake up and have hiccups!
By the end of my pregnancy I was actually a little on the small side and people would be surprised that I had only weeks to go. My blood pressure had been so low this time that it was surprising to be smaller--high blood pressure is linked to smaller babies. I had one late ultrasound though that said I was within one week of EDD for size and was supposed to have another one but never did. I was just in so much pain that I actually wanted to get it done with.
At around 38 weeks I told Dr. C. that although I disagree with 'inductions of convenience' or before the EDD, I just couldn't take much more. Luckily my blood pressure was starting to go up and I had actually lost weight so that was reason enough to schedule an induction.
Rob and I went to the hospital early (8am, LOL) on Thursday November 17. He drove through the downtown instead of the by-pass, and went so slowly I was getting mad--we were late! I got put in a room and Dr. C came to do the induction (Cervadil again). He said I was already 2cm. I wasn't surprised--I had been having pains that felt like they were in my cervix, but weren't 'being kicked' pains. I had to stay in bed with the monitors for a while. The nurse was getting frustrated because baby was not active. She made me drink lots of water and juice but baby stayed calm. Finally I got to get up and walked around knitting. The head nurse was also a knitter and she went and found me a gown that has a pocket on the front, to hold the yarn :) I do have a picture, but it's not digital. The weather was a lot like today...blizzard one minute, sunny the next, but it was very cold. I had never wanted to be stuck in the hospital for labours, but there I was.
Not much was happening again. Around 2:30 it started to pick up and I started to have to focus a little. But no pain. They checked me and said I was 4cm. They knew about the quickness of Lucy's birth and were hoping I'd deliver before shift ended at 4. At 3, I was feeling the same way, so they said I could use the Jacuzzi. I had wanted to use it before, but it never happened. Oh, it was so nice! I have a picture of me in it too, but not digital. Apparently I stayed in it for an hour :) The contractions pretty much went away. Occasionally I could feel some 'tightening' but no pain. My arthritis had made me very concerned about dealing with the traditional (well, traditional in the sense of 'modern' medicine) delivery positions, but I was actually feeling quite good that day, and the tub certainly helped.
At 4pm they said I had to get out because Dr. C wanted to check me.
He said I was still only 4-5cm, and they were concerned because baby's heartrate was not variating with the contractions. He said he was going to break my water and put a scalp monitor on. I didn't want my water broken at only 4-5cm--like they did with Huey's birth because I knew it would make it a lot more difficult to cope (I wouldn't say 'painful'. You create what you fear.). But we went ahead. He seemed to take forever, and was NOT very gentle!
Dr. C stood up and said he was going to the ER for an emergency and would be back soon. The nurses said 'absolutely not; you are not leaving this ward, she's going quick'. That was the last coherent thing I remembered.
I was suddenly so overwhelmed with contractions that I thought I was going crazy. They did hurt and I was mad I was stuck in the bed which was so uncomfortable, not conducive for good labour but yet, I couldn't move. I really wish I had had a doula, or a labour nurse who would have stuck their face in mine and kept me together.
Rob kept asking if I was okay! Dude! Not! With Huey, he had been in such a bad position, that I never felt the contractions in the front, I only ever felt like someone was kicking me in the butt with steel toe boots. I don't recall transition at all with him. With Lucy, we were alone, and I thought I was just going into active labour. This time, I didn't know what the H*ll was going on.At 4:15 they gave me a shot of Demerol. This relaxed me between contractions but then I was unprepared for the onset of the contraction. I wanted up, but couldn't even open my eyes. If they had gotten me up/out of bed right after my water had been broken, I would have been better able to deal with it and focus, but the nurses were too busy chatting, and really, it all happened so fast, I don't think anyone really knew it was going to go like that.
At 4:30 I felt the urge to push, but they had me hold off for a few more minutes. I was a little uncomfortable in the position but I knew there was no other option there. I remember thinking that no one was helping me with the pushing. I had said I didn't want a cheering squad counting down from 10 with each contraction, but I really felt like I wasn't doing it 'right'. In the past, I had thought that women who scream during pushing were just not 'focused', but here's what happened with me.
The Demerol made me loopy and spaced out. Then SMACK a contraction. Took a few moments to clue in and focus. At the end of the contraction, that focused energy has to go somewhere. Hence, the end of contraction yell. There still wasn't "pain" but a whole heck of a lot of pressure, LOL. I remember putting my hand down there to apply some counterpressure, but was pushed out of the way.Megan Anne popped out at 4:47pm. She was only 6lb 9oz. So tiny!!
Once again, immediate relief and recovery! But I was so shocked she was a girl! I kept saying it over and over again "It's a girl? I had a girl?" Sometimes now, I'm still surprised, LOL. Especially since in the early days, she looked exactly like Huey!
The doctor said I needed an IV and I said no, why now? But he insisted. The nurse couldn't get it in and he took over, putting it in my right hand. I couldn't bend my hand to eat dinner! The next day though I had a huge bruise on my left hand that took awhile to disappear.
When Rob phoned home, apparently Huey was not too thrilled to hear it was a girl. But when Grandma and Grandad brought him (and Lucy) to the hospital...the look of absolute adoration on his face was priceless. He was smitten! I think he was mostly happy to know that it wasn't another 'Lucy' to wreck his stuff, that this little bundle was not at all what he thought a 'new baby' was going to be :)
It was fairly quiet at the hospital, but I was surprised at the treatment I got (or, rather, didn't' get) by the nurses. With the other births, I had been told to ask for help before getting out of bed the first time. So, by the time the IV bag was empty, I needed to go to the bathroom. The nurse seemed ticked off--she asked if I was dizzy or lightheaded, and I said no. She asked "So why do you need help?" Ummm...because the IV is empty, and I was told previously to ask for help. The other times, the nurses were great helping with the post-baby ....maternal accessories, LOL. This time, she pretty much just turned on the light!
I don't remember with which baby it was (Lucy or Megan), but I was holding her in the rocking chair, in the dark, with the door open. Just relaxing. This one nurse comes in, flips on the lights, and says "What are you doing in the dark? She could choke and turn blue and you wouldn't notice!". Ummmm...like, if I were asleep I would notice?
Megan was very sleepy, probably because of the Demerol so close to her birth. I didn't know what to do, LOL. I tried waking her up after two hours to feed, but she wouldn't. One nurse came in and said, just let her sleep. Going up to 4 hours once, would be fine. But I couldn't sleep because I figured she'd be up soon, LOL. Other nurses came in and were mad I hadn't filled out the 'eaten/pee/poop' sheet in enough detail. I had written 'about 5 minutes' for the nursing. She wanted to know exactly how long Megan had nursed. Exactly how wet was the diaper. The other nurses were like...you've done it before, just do what you need to.
After the nurse left to go sign in and hang up her coat, someone from finance/billing, came and pulled Rob to the door to discuss something about the insurance not covering the room. I was freaking, being left alone, and Rob was like "Do you not hear what's going on in here? My wife's about to give birth. Go away". LOL.
My family doctor came in the morning and checked her out. Dr. C. came around lunch and said I could go home at 5pm--it had to be 24 hours after birth. It was so cold!Because she was so calm/placid/sleepy I woke her every two hours to nurse. I never got too engorged (no pain this time) but man, did I leak :) The day after I got home though, all my pelvic joints were hurting. We went to IKEA and Megan had her first outing in her pouch. It was so nice, except for all the pain I was suddenly in. It's likely that the endorphins released during labour masked my arthritis pain and allowed my joints to be more flexible and moved too much. The pain I was having was different than the pregnancy arthritis pain, but I hadn't had it after Lucy's birth. It took awhile to feel 'back together'.
On the Monday after her birth we went to the family doctor's for a weigh in and she was actually up in weight. On Tuesday we went to the breastfeeding clinic and the nurses there noted she was quite jaundiced--which the doctor had said she wasn't. But there is a difference between 'breastmilk jaundice' and 'regular' jaundice. It took awhile for her yellowness to disappear.
Megan stayed very calm and non-responsive for a while. That's not to say she didn't cry! She just didn't respond to things like the stove buzzer, the dog barking, or dropped pot lids. We were concerned about her hearing, even though she had passed the tests. She loved her pouch, spending a lot of each day in it. Around 3 weeks she started with the reflux. Around 8 weeks, she 'woke up' and by 12 weeks was the typical newborn. She put on weight really well at the beginning, but by 5 months had slowed down. I never really did a 'naked baby' photo shoot because I kept waiting for her to get all chubby and round.
She weighed in just before her first birthday at 18lb 14 oz. Around 6 months the LC predicted 18lb at a year! The reflux had not totally gone away yet; it got really bad after starting solids, and gradually had become 'silent reflux' (or what adults call GERD--there's not much spit up, but it still happens). She had a really hard time adjusting to the new house, having a very early case of separation anxiety. She got two teeth around then, and about 2 months later, got 6 teeth in two weeks. On Tuesday I noticed the very start of her upper molars poking through. She's still breastfeeding, and thank god because she did not tolerate the milk trial!
But with the reflux also comes frequent feedings and night wakings.By 6 months we also noticed that her 'speech' was not hitting milestones, so by eight months she already had a visit with the Wee Talk program!
At 8 months she learned to crawl, and was up the stairs a week later. She started walking at 11 1/2 months. She was quietly persistent, more likely to give up than get frustrated but that all changed over the years. She wasn't a giggly baby, but she loved Huey. At a year she still didn't blow raspberries or wave bye bye, but could sign for milk...at least, I think she was signing for milk. Maybe she was waving bye-bye, LOL.
At thirteen months, she finally made her first self-initiated, sign. She went into the kitchen at my aunt's house, and there were about six dogs. She looked in amazement, and signed "more" LOL!
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(this entry was originally written for her first birthday, so I've left it in, it's interesting to see what I was hoping for the next year!)
What does the next year hold? Hopefully more speech development. It'd be nice if one out of the three doesn't need speech therapy! We've never had a trip to the ER, so I expect that at some point, LOL. And hopefully she will start sleeping through the night as her reflux diminishes more :)
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Happy Birthday Lucy!
From this:
to this:
in eleven short years!
My baby is eleven today. I know she's not 'the baby' but she's still my baby!
What follows is the story of Lucy's birth, as I think that how we are born in some ways is a predictor of who we become. If you're looking for knitting content today...I did knit a bit on a pink baby sweater while I was in the hospital :)
I got pregnant on Valentine's Day, 2002. My family doctor was on leave (he had a rare form of lung cancer and later died, at the much too young age of 34) and his replacement--although young, and nice--did not deliver babies. She referred me to the other doctor in the clinic that did babies, but he felt I would be better treated by an obstetrician. I have high blood pressure, controlled by medication.
My original family doctor had no issue with it, and it actually was not an issue, but there's a doctor shortage here so they can certainly pick and choose. There were two OB/GYNs in town at the time. One was a brash, out-spoken Indian woman who had treated me in the hospital during my miscarriage. Although she got my treatment moving, I wasn't keen on how she talked to the nurses in front of me, especially since it was regarding me ("Put the sides up! She's lost a lot of blood, doesn't have an IV yet? She's going to pass out, roll off the bed and sue the hospital!"). So I thought I'd check out the other doctor (the woman doctor also later died, having been murdered in India when she went back to care for her ailing father). 
Dr. C. is a very quiet, reserved, short, guy, also Indian. We live in a town of 26 000, and it is very white. Both OB/GYNs were Indian. Later, we get another woman OB/GYN who is also Indian, but also another man who is African. Sort of odd, in some ways, but hey, when you are so short of family doctors that 13 are needed just for those who don't have a family doctor, any doctor who comes to town is a sort of celebrity.
During my appointments, Dr. C. rarely said anything. How are you doing, and take it easy were the two most common lines. He wasn't ...unfriendly ....he just had nothing to say, LOL. Around week 20 I pulled some groin/ab muscles when Huey took off down the street. I was in such pain during the night, I was sure I had ruptured the placenta, and if I turned on the light there'd be a pool of blood. There wasn't, and I went to my regular appointment the next day, still in pain. Dr. C's response to the story--"Don't do that again." LOL. It was an uneventful pregnancy, some arthritis pain (didn't know that's what it was at the time). I had one trip to the hospital when I hadn't felt movement for awhile. The ER people couldn't decide if t
heir Doppler thingy was working or not, so they sent me to the OB ward. The nurse there decided after having me on the monitors for a while (which showed a lot of movement that I never felt) that the placenta was in the front (near where I had the muscle pull) and she had moved behind it, so I didn't feel the kicking.
I never discussed my birth wishes with Dr C, but my 'plan' was in my file at the hospital. At my last appointment, he wanted to book me for an induction. I said not until after my due date. We discussed it a bit (the hypertension and all that), and I agreed that I would go for an induction any time after my due date. The first date I could be booked was Nov 11 or 12, my due date was Nov 6, so I was fine with that.
I woke up Nov. 6 with a major headache, nausea, dizziness...all signs of pre-eclampsia, a big risk for me. My internist and Dr. C were both not in their offices, and at this point, I had no family doctor. I was advised to go to the hospital to get checked out. Well, I knew that if I went, I wouldn't be coming home without a baby, LOL.
Rob came home from work early, and we went for our last family ride in the pick up :) There were no other signs of pre-eclampsia, but Dr C said he'd induce me in the morning just to be safe. It was, after all, past my due date!
I was pleased to find out he wouldn't use Pitocin, and used Cervadil (a 'tampon' used to soften the cervix). I put up with the required bed rest time, then I was up and about. I had had much worse contractions in the weeks prior. A couple hours later, he asked if I was having any 'twinges'. I laughed! I had wanted to avoid negative language, but to hear this little Indian doc call them 'twinges' and 'rushes' caught me off guard. Before lunch, he asked if I was having any 'tightening'. LOL. Not much was happening, and after lunch he checked me and I was 4cm. I was surprised! I called Rob and told him to come back.
The nurse said it was time for another stint on the monitors, but then went next door to do a delivery. I got bored of waiting, so at 3, we took a stroll down to the breastfeeding clinic. I was having real contractions now, not regular, and not painful (no negative language!). I was chatting in the clinic, and at about 3:15, I felt a pop. I thought my water must have broken, but no.
However, the contractions suddenly took off! It took 15 minutes to make it back down the hall to my room! At about 3:40, a nurse walking down the hall, getting ready to go on shift at 4, heard 'the birthing sounds' and came in to check on me. She asked if I wanted an epidural (obviously she hadn't read my birth plan). I said maybe, if I have to do much more of this (thinking that I was just entering active labour and was still only 4cm--don't forget, this was my second baby!). She went to put away her coat, look at my chart to see if I could get an epidural or something else, and came back to check me to see if I could get the epidural yet. LOL.
I was completely dialated!! Talk about shock!! Dr. C was called, they gave me laughing gas, and at 4, the doc came in. He wanted to wait a few more minutes before I started to push. At 4:15 my water broke, and at 4:18 (don't quote me on that) Lucy Raylene was born! She was 7lb 10 oz, and had Daddy wrapped around her finger instantly. He wouldn't let me hold her!
In retrospect, it was good that I was already in the hospital, because if I had been at home, I probably wouldn't have called Rob until 3:15, maybe 2:30.
Would he have made it home, and then to the hospital? The recovery was so easy compared to the highly medicalized birth of Huey. Besides all the side effects and complications of epidurals that no one tells you (did you know that drugs used in child birth are not approved by the FDA for use with infants/fetus?), there is a recovery period just from the epidural. With a non-medicalized birth, the recovery is instant, as soon as the placenta is out, life goes on! It was incredible. Not painful at all, I think because of my attitude, and my preparedness. After all, I'm the gal the dentist knows to give extra freezing to, automatically, LOL. Anyhow, this is about Lucy, not about epidurals :)
If it weren't for Lucy, we might never have gotten the Sensory Integration Dysfunction diagnosis for Huey. She is funny, sensitive, very clever, and a joy to know. There's no one else just like her, and that's fine with us!
What follows is the story of Lucy's birth, as I think that how we are born in some ways is a predictor of who we become. If you're looking for knitting content today...I did knit a bit on a pink baby sweater while I was in the hospital :)
I got pregnant on Valentine's Day, 2002. My family doctor was on leave (he had a rare form of lung cancer and later died, at the much too young age of 34) and his replacement--although young, and nice--did not deliver babies. She referred me to the other doctor in the clinic that did babies, but he felt I would be better treated by an obstetrician. I have high blood pressure, controlled by medication.
My original family doctor had no issue with it, and it actually was not an issue, but there's a doctor shortage here so they can certainly pick and choose. There were two OB/GYNs in town at the time. One was a brash, out-spoken Indian woman who had treated me in the hospital during my miscarriage. Although she got my treatment moving, I wasn't keen on how she talked to the nurses in front of me, especially since it was regarding me ("Put the sides up! She's lost a lot of blood, doesn't have an IV yet? She's going to pass out, roll off the bed and sue the hospital!"). So I thought I'd check out the other doctor (the woman doctor also later died, having been murdered in India when she went back to care for her ailing father). 
Dr. C. is a very quiet, reserved, short, guy, also Indian. We live in a town of 26 000, and it is very white. Both OB/GYNs were Indian. Later, we get another woman OB/GYN who is also Indian, but also another man who is African. Sort of odd, in some ways, but hey, when you are so short of family doctors that 13 are needed just for those who don't have a family doctor, any doctor who comes to town is a sort of celebrity.
During my appointments, Dr. C. rarely said anything. How are you doing, and take it easy were the two most common lines. He wasn't ...unfriendly ....he just had nothing to say, LOL. Around week 20 I pulled some groin/ab muscles when Huey took off down the street. I was in such pain during the night, I was sure I had ruptured the placenta, and if I turned on the light there'd be a pool of blood. There wasn't, and I went to my regular appointment the next day, still in pain. Dr. C's response to the story--"Don't do that again." LOL. It was an uneventful pregnancy, some arthritis pain (didn't know that's what it was at the time). I had one trip to the hospital when I hadn't felt movement for awhile. The ER people couldn't decide if t
heir Doppler thingy was working or not, so they sent me to the OB ward. The nurse there decided after having me on the monitors for a while (which showed a lot of movement that I never felt) that the placenta was in the front (near where I had the muscle pull) and she had moved behind it, so I didn't feel the kicking.I never discussed my birth wishes with Dr C, but my 'plan' was in my file at the hospital. At my last appointment, he wanted to book me for an induction. I said not until after my due date. We discussed it a bit (the hypertension and all that), and I agreed that I would go for an induction any time after my due date. The first date I could be booked was Nov 11 or 12, my due date was Nov 6, so I was fine with that.
I woke up Nov. 6 with a major headache, nausea, dizziness...all signs of pre-eclampsia, a big risk for me. My internist and Dr. C were both not in their offices, and at this point, I had no family doctor. I was advised to go to the hospital to get checked out. Well, I knew that if I went, I wouldn't be coming home without a baby, LOL.
Rob came home from work early, and we went for our last family ride in the pick up :) There were no other signs of pre-eclampsia, but Dr C said he'd induce me in the morning just to be safe. It was, after all, past my due date!I was pleased to find out he wouldn't use Pitocin, and used Cervadil (a 'tampon' used to soften the cervix). I put up with the required bed rest time, then I was up and about. I had had much worse contractions in the weeks prior. A couple hours later, he asked if I was having any 'twinges'. I laughed! I had wanted to avoid negative language, but to hear this little Indian doc call them 'twinges' and 'rushes' caught me off guard. Before lunch, he asked if I was having any 'tightening'. LOL. Not much was happening, and after lunch he checked me and I was 4cm. I was surprised! I called Rob and told him to come back.
The nurse said it was time for another stint on the monitors, but then went next door to do a delivery. I got bored of waiting, so at 3, we took a stroll down to the breastfeeding clinic. I was having real contractions now, not regular, and not painful (no negative language!). I was chatting in the clinic, and at about 3:15, I felt a pop. I thought my water must have broken, but no.
However, the contractions suddenly took off! It took 15 minutes to make it back down the hall to my room! At about 3:40, a nurse walking down the hall, getting ready to go on shift at 4, heard 'the birthing sounds' and came in to check on me. She asked if I wanted an epidural (obviously she hadn't read my birth plan). I said maybe, if I have to do much more of this (thinking that I was just entering active labour and was still only 4cm--don't forget, this was my second baby!). She went to put away her coat, look at my chart to see if I could get an epidural or something else, and came back to check me to see if I could get the epidural yet. LOL.
I was completely dialated!! Talk about shock!! Dr. C was called, they gave me laughing gas, and at 4, the doc came in. He wanted to wait a few more minutes before I started to push. At 4:15 my water broke, and at 4:18 (don't quote me on that) Lucy Raylene was born! She was 7lb 10 oz, and had Daddy wrapped around her finger instantly. He wouldn't let me hold her!
If it weren't for Lucy, we might never have gotten the Sensory Integration Dysfunction diagnosis for Huey. She is funny, sensitive, very clever, and a joy to know. There's no one else just like her, and that's fine with us!
Friday, November 1, 2013
Halloween Thoughts
I have heard that some schools are not allowing costumes on Halloween, and instead are doing a black and orange spirit day, to try to be more inclusive.
I'm not sure about this. On one hand, I'm of the "You moved to Canada by choice, you need to join with us, not demand we change to suit you"; on the other hand, I do want to be inclusive and mindful of the unique differences that make up our country.
Yesterday was Halloween, and our school does allow costumes (no masks, no weapons, etc). It was our first indoor lunch recess, and the kids were all on the carpet watching Spongebob Square Pants Halloween videos. One by one, they were called off to get their costume on. At the end, there was one boy without a costume. There is about 16-18 kids in the class.
This boy is in JK, and his brother is in SK, in the other classroom. I know the family is Muslim, and the mother wears a full hijab (head, most of face covered, and body covered in dark robe). The boys speak with an accent and are often hard to understand. The boy asked me if there would be Halloween tomorrow again. He looked sad when I said no. Once all the kids were in their costumes, he started to cry. Luckily, the teacher had returned, and had a few extra costumes (apparently it also happened the day before in the other classroom). He picked one out and was happy. I'm not sure if his brother had a costume.
Would a "black and orange day" made a difference? Last week was "Pajama Day" and these boys did not wear their pajamas, so I'm inclined to believe they wouldn't have worn black and orange. He was one child, out of 18. Should those other 18 (many who are also first or second generation Canadians), miss out on a North American tradition because of 1 child out of 18? Yes, some schools have higher numbers than this (and in the French Immersion program at this school--which starts in grade 1--there are a LOT of minority children), but many schools are still pretty much mixed, or around this number. Even at a school where, say, 10 of the 18 are Muslim, or Hindu, etc, is it necessary to tailor everything to those 10? Didn't they come here to become Canadian, to leave their problems in their old country? I can see hanging on to your cultural differences that are a strong part of your heritage/religion, but what about adding in the new traditions of your new country? This one child felt very left out by not participating in the sacred Canadian tradition of dual weather costumer selection (inside the school and the crazy weather in the evening). It could have easily been avoided, and he would have come home feeling even more Canadian.
Would a "black and orange day" make him feel Canadian? I don't think so.
I'm not sure about this. On one hand, I'm of the "You moved to Canada by choice, you need to join with us, not demand we change to suit you"; on the other hand, I do want to be inclusive and mindful of the unique differences that make up our country.
Yesterday was Halloween, and our school does allow costumes (no masks, no weapons, etc). It was our first indoor lunch recess, and the kids were all on the carpet watching Spongebob Square Pants Halloween videos. One by one, they were called off to get their costume on. At the end, there was one boy without a costume. There is about 16-18 kids in the class.
This boy is in JK, and his brother is in SK, in the other classroom. I know the family is Muslim, and the mother wears a full hijab (head, most of face covered, and body covered in dark robe). The boys speak with an accent and are often hard to understand. The boy asked me if there would be Halloween tomorrow again. He looked sad when I said no. Once all the kids were in their costumes, he started to cry. Luckily, the teacher had returned, and had a few extra costumes (apparently it also happened the day before in the other classroom). He picked one out and was happy. I'm not sure if his brother had a costume.
Would a "black and orange day" made a difference? Last week was "Pajama Day" and these boys did not wear their pajamas, so I'm inclined to believe they wouldn't have worn black and orange. He was one child, out of 18. Should those other 18 (many who are also first or second generation Canadians), miss out on a North American tradition because of 1 child out of 18? Yes, some schools have higher numbers than this (and in the French Immersion program at this school--which starts in grade 1--there are a LOT of minority children), but many schools are still pretty much mixed, or around this number. Even at a school where, say, 10 of the 18 are Muslim, or Hindu, etc, is it necessary to tailor everything to those 10? Didn't they come here to become Canadian, to leave their problems in their old country? I can see hanging on to your cultural differences that are a strong part of your heritage/religion, but what about adding in the new traditions of your new country? This one child felt very left out by not participating in the sacred Canadian tradition of dual weather costumer selection (inside the school and the crazy weather in the evening). It could have easily been avoided, and he would have come home feeling even more Canadian.
Would a "black and orange day" make him feel Canadian? I don't think so.
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