www.babyq2013.blogspot.ca
I'll start posting soon!
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
New Blog!
I've decided to start a separate blog for Quintin and our new chapter of our family life.....
www.babyq2013.blogspot.ca
I'll start posting soon!
www.babyq2013.blogspot.ca
I'll start posting soon!
Saturday, 3 August 2013
Welcome to the World Quintin Roy Dufour :)
On Sunday, July 28, 2013, at 10:11pm our family of three became at family of four....
I had a rough two weeks of on again and off again labour (also known as "fake" labour or "prodromal" labour). Nothing is more of a let down than thinking "this is it" and then it just stops suddenly.
Saturday, the night before I had him, I was having some major "fake labour" going on. I didn't get excited because I figured it would stop, and sure enough it did. I had a few contractions that woke me up every hour through the night but shook it off as being fake. We went visiting in the morning, and then came home to put Ethan down for a nap.
I wasn't feeling great so I took a nap too - or tried to at least. Every minute that passed I felt more and more sick to my stomach and just decided that I couldn't handle this "fake labour" anymore. I took a shower and went on my hands and knees and wouldn't you know.... my water broke!! The only issue was that it wasn't just amniotic fluid but dark red blood - a sure sign of placenta issues (later to be found to be a partial placental abruption).
We paged the Midwife and she met us at the hospital. She did an internal check and said I was a good 4 cm dilated. So we headed to the birthing suite. From the time my water broke to the time we got to the hospital and set up in the room it had been an hour and this is when my contractions started to pick up. My plan was for an unmedicated birth so I was breathing the best I could through every contraction up to the "peak" and then tried to relax until the next one came. They came faster and faster and harder and stronger, but I stuck to it and I breathed while being coached by Ryan.
It came to a point where it was starting to become unbearable and I wanted some sort of relief. Out came the Nitrous Oxide and even though the pain was still there I was able to relax and breathe again through each contraction. And with the gas, it never crosses the placenta to the baby (bonus!). At this point she checked me again (it was about 2 hours since contractions started) and I was 8 cm - I was in transition! Oh boy was I ever! I kept begging for relief so we tried different positions but hands and knees, leaning over a bean bag were the best for me.
My Midwife kept asking me to tell her when I felt change...she must know the signs because every time she asked, I felt it. She looked at me skeptical a couple times but she decided to check me and I was past 8cm. She asked again if things changed about 20 minutes later and again I said yes... sure enough it was time for my body to push. I had no control over this and could not stop my body from doing this.
As I was pushing, Quinn's heartbeat was dipping down to 80/90 BPM. This baby wanted and needed to come out as soon as possible. We had to consult with the OB on call, so he came and assisted with the birth. If you know me, you know my hips are small, which results in a pelvis that doesn't open much, which in turn, does not allow my babies to descent into the birth canal as they should! So out came the vacuum to assist Quinn down. I was pushing for about half hour to get him to crown and finally, with assistance he did. And then a few more pushes and he was born.
He was born with Shoulder Dystocia but luckily no complications came out of it except for some soft tissue injury and muscle tightness which lifted the shoulder blade spine out a bit. (Chiropractic care is treating this). I also lost a lot of blood from the abruption of my placenta but nothing that required a blood transfusion.
Quintin Roy Dufour was born into this world at 10:11pm weighing 8lb 11oz and 20.5" long. I had a 4 hour labour/delivery and had my planned unmedicated birth experience. And I am so happy that I stuck with it because recovery is absolutely amazing. I had a "skid mark" tear which did not require stitches and was able to walk around one hour (probably earlier) after the delivery. I felt like a million bucks after delivery and even the next day was full of energy. Post Partum healing and emotions, for the most part have been great and I can still chase my 1.5 year old Ethan around (if need be), although I have still been trying to rest as much as possible.
Breastfeeding is going great - my mature milk came in 2 days after delivery and he is one little piggy when it comes to milk. Since I stayed an extra night in the hospital (due to observation for his shoulder and the fact that I had Group B Strep and wasn't in labour long enough to administer the proper dosage of antibiotics to him - he is fine though), I nursed around the clock - and I really mean it - like every 2 hours on the dot), so that most definitely helped my mature milk come in fast!! Breastfeeding for a year before with Ethan also contributed as well. His latch was perfect from the get go and I am so thankful that we have not run into any issues. That was a major "fear" of mine because of the trouble I had with Ethan, but no, not with Quinn. He's a natural born nurser :D
I haven't decided yet if I'm going to change blog sites but if I do I will be sure to post a link. I'll update soon with how the first week has been.
I had a rough two weeks of on again and off again labour (also known as "fake" labour or "prodromal" labour). Nothing is more of a let down than thinking "this is it" and then it just stops suddenly.
Saturday, the night before I had him, I was having some major "fake labour" going on. I didn't get excited because I figured it would stop, and sure enough it did. I had a few contractions that woke me up every hour through the night but shook it off as being fake. We went visiting in the morning, and then came home to put Ethan down for a nap.
I wasn't feeling great so I took a nap too - or tried to at least. Every minute that passed I felt more and more sick to my stomach and just decided that I couldn't handle this "fake labour" anymore. I took a shower and went on my hands and knees and wouldn't you know.... my water broke!! The only issue was that it wasn't just amniotic fluid but dark red blood - a sure sign of placenta issues (later to be found to be a partial placental abruption).
We paged the Midwife and she met us at the hospital. She did an internal check and said I was a good 4 cm dilated. So we headed to the birthing suite. From the time my water broke to the time we got to the hospital and set up in the room it had been an hour and this is when my contractions started to pick up. My plan was for an unmedicated birth so I was breathing the best I could through every contraction up to the "peak" and then tried to relax until the next one came. They came faster and faster and harder and stronger, but I stuck to it and I breathed while being coached by Ryan.
It came to a point where it was starting to become unbearable and I wanted some sort of relief. Out came the Nitrous Oxide and even though the pain was still there I was able to relax and breathe again through each contraction. And with the gas, it never crosses the placenta to the baby (bonus!). At this point she checked me again (it was about 2 hours since contractions started) and I was 8 cm - I was in transition! Oh boy was I ever! I kept begging for relief so we tried different positions but hands and knees, leaning over a bean bag were the best for me.
My Midwife kept asking me to tell her when I felt change...she must know the signs because every time she asked, I felt it. She looked at me skeptical a couple times but she decided to check me and I was past 8cm. She asked again if things changed about 20 minutes later and again I said yes... sure enough it was time for my body to push. I had no control over this and could not stop my body from doing this.
As I was pushing, Quinn's heartbeat was dipping down to 80/90 BPM. This baby wanted and needed to come out as soon as possible. We had to consult with the OB on call, so he came and assisted with the birth. If you know me, you know my hips are small, which results in a pelvis that doesn't open much, which in turn, does not allow my babies to descent into the birth canal as they should! So out came the vacuum to assist Quinn down. I was pushing for about half hour to get him to crown and finally, with assistance he did. And then a few more pushes and he was born.
He was born with Shoulder Dystocia but luckily no complications came out of it except for some soft tissue injury and muscle tightness which lifted the shoulder blade spine out a bit. (Chiropractic care is treating this). I also lost a lot of blood from the abruption of my placenta but nothing that required a blood transfusion.
Quintin Roy Dufour was born into this world at 10:11pm weighing 8lb 11oz and 20.5" long. I had a 4 hour labour/delivery and had my planned unmedicated birth experience. And I am so happy that I stuck with it because recovery is absolutely amazing. I had a "skid mark" tear which did not require stitches and was able to walk around one hour (probably earlier) after the delivery. I felt like a million bucks after delivery and even the next day was full of energy. Post Partum healing and emotions, for the most part have been great and I can still chase my 1.5 year old Ethan around (if need be), although I have still been trying to rest as much as possible.
Breastfeeding is going great - my mature milk came in 2 days after delivery and he is one little piggy when it comes to milk. Since I stayed an extra night in the hospital (due to observation for his shoulder and the fact that I had Group B Strep and wasn't in labour long enough to administer the proper dosage of antibiotics to him - he is fine though), I nursed around the clock - and I really mean it - like every 2 hours on the dot), so that most definitely helped my mature milk come in fast!! Breastfeeding for a year before with Ethan also contributed as well. His latch was perfect from the get go and I am so thankful that we have not run into any issues. That was a major "fear" of mine because of the trouble I had with Ethan, but no, not with Quinn. He's a natural born nurser :D
I haven't decided yet if I'm going to change blog sites but if I do I will be sure to post a link. I'll update soon with how the first week has been.
Monday, 29 April 2013
New Stuff for Baby Q!
We basically have all that we need for when Quintin makes his grand arrival, but there are a few things that I wanted to buy / needed - just from my experience with Ethan.
We were graciously lended and/or given some big ticket items from some great friends. These include a bassinet, a swing and a Jumparoo. Why do you ask? Well the bassinet - these are just stupid expensive and why not share and borrow! They only use it for a few weeks. The swing, well, if you knew Ethan, you know that he was held for THREE MONTHS STRAIGHT! So I would not dare buy another one lol. We have the stupid Mamaroo that Q will probably hate as well.... The last thing that was given to us was the Jumparoo. Ethan LOVED it (we didn't have one, just used everybody elses when we went to their houses) and we no longer have the Exersaucer, so this will do both !
Now onto the purchases: I'll explain what it is, what it's used for and why (most are self explanatory!)
MEDELA FREESTYLE - I wanted a new pump and one that would get the job done quickly and easily. Considering Ethan is going to still be under 2 years old, I need something that is small and portable and hands free. It was definitely an investment but will be well worth it and well needed.
MEDELA CALMA NIPPLE - I have the bottles that come with the pump (plus the ones from my other pump), but I wanted to try this nipple because apparently it's an easy transition from breast to bottle as it mimics the way the milk comes out. I found this brand new, sealed on Kijiji for half the price of what it sells for in stores. If it works out well, I'll keep scoping out Kijiji for more unused nipples :)
NURSING PILLOW - THE MOMBO - I didn't specifically want this pillow, I just wanted whatever was on sale and I saw this one and thought it was cute. I don't nurse with these bulky pillows, I find it difficult. A good ol' pillow works for me. I do however like the nursing pillows to support baby or lay baby down, and this one has a vibrating mechanism that you insert inside the pillow. Ethan loved his pillow (Oh, why did I get rid of it - who knows, I have no idea...because even if I never used it for him it's great for newborn photography!).
NEWBORN CLOTH DIAPERS & INSERTS - Since we couldn't use our Grovia diapers with Ethan until he was 3 months old, and even then they were big on him, I decided to buy newborn cloth diapers. I found 6 covers on Kijiji (that explains the pink one!). They are Bummis Super Bright covers and the inserts I purchased off online - a natural cotton prefold. (Sorry I don't know the brand).
PAMPERS SENSITIVE DISPOSABLE DIAPERS - I like to use disposables during the night, and I always had success with Ethan using Pampers. Ethan has never had a diaper rash, and we still use disposable at night with him so I have faith in Pampers!!
LANSINOH BREAST PADS - These are my favorite. I have tried so many and these are discrete and don't show through your bra.
NUBY FUN LINKS - I've learned after having Ethan that these are good for EVERYTHING. Attaching toys to the car seat, chew toys, purse hangers for the stroller.... everything I tell ya, everything.
GUMDROP PACIFIERS - I only bought one pack of these because who knows if Baby Q will even like a paci. Ethan uses the Avent Soothies and personally they are my favorite, but I saw these and they are very similar to the Soothie except they are not circular, which will differentiate the two and when it drops it won't roll under the crib every time! Ideally it would be nice to get Ethan out of a soother, but I don't think that's happening for awhile. We reserve it for bedtime and naps only, so it's a start!
SOFT BLANKET - sorry no name brand. I found it at Winners and it is similar to the one Ethan has - it's great for winter time and just for cuddling.
BURP CLOTH - CARTER'S - I picked these up at Target and I like the contour of them better than a receiving blanket. I bought some receiving blankets as well, but I really like these for "burping the baby" :)
RECEIVING BLANKETS - CARTER'S - I bought these from Target as well. They say receiving blankets, but they are a lot thicker than a receiving blanket would be - so I am just going to use it as a light weight blanket.
CRIB - We got the same crib as Ethans, on Kijiji, for 1/3 of the price. I don't have a photo of the crib (well I do but I don't feel like going through digital albums to find one!).
RUMBLE SEAT FOR UPPA BABY - We have an Uppa Baby Stroller and there is an attachment to turn it into a double stroller, which is called a Rumble Seat. We haven't ordered it yet, but when we plan our next trip to the states, we will put one on order with Buy Buy Baby. (The link is to the blog but you can see how it acts on the stroller).
So that is it, so far. Of course I got some new clothes as well for the summer months, since Ethan was a Winter baby, but most of the clothes, I have more than enough from Ethan to use in the months to come!
I'll do a post on Baby Essentials (in my opinion of course) in the near future!
Thursday, 25 April 2013
Not too much to report....
I don't have much to report. So I guess I'll just update on my pregnancy. Sorry no photos.... no need for those :)
I am now 25 weeks along (I look like I'm 35 weeks along).
I am loving both of my midwives and happy to leave my OB. (I have 2 midwives because I am going to deliver sometime in the summer and they take a lot of vacations so I will get whichever is on call that week). They are both fantastic and wonderful, they listen to me and we chat about pregnancy, food, kids, work, etc. I swear they are like a friend to me.
My sugars are great. They are cooperating. I still have some time to go but I got some good advice from my midwives so I am going to go on a bit of a "low carb" diet - meaning no processed crap, breads, pasta (well sometimes), etc. My focus is going to be on vegetables, fruit, protein (meat, tofu), and nuts and seeds for my snacks.
Baby Q (Quintin if you don't know already), is doing great. He is getting into his wake/sleep patterns. He is awake from 9:30pm - 10:30pm. Then he thankfully sleeps when I sleep. He is awake at 5:30/6:00am for about 15 minutes, and then randomly during the day. He's kicking up a storm and makes me cough sometimes. You can really see him kicking too. Funny story: I was at an appointment yesterday and the midwife was listening to his heartbeat. Well he kept moving away from the doppler, so she actually pinned him down in my belly. I couldn't stop laughing! She mapped him out where he was laying and it was exactly where I felt he was - I thought that was pretty cool.
New items bought: I really don't need much for this little guy, but I did buy a few things that I needed. I will do a separate post once everything is organized and set and once I take photos of everything, but he has his summer wardrobe and oh my goodness is it ever cute. Lots of creepers from Carters, a couple outfits and lots of sleepers. A lot was from Ethan (sleepers and onesies), but I did get a few things that he needs to keep cool in the summer months.
I seem to still have some bursts of energy. I hope it lasts another few weeks at least. Ryan and I are going to Chicago for 3 days to get away and have a mini vacation. We are taking the train so I hope it goes well! We got a great deal on a 5* hotel through Hotwire.com and a nice discount on the train tickets as well. Now it's just everything else that we have to worry about!
Pregnancy Stats Overview:
Weeks: 25
Weight Gain: 18 lbs
Sugars: Good
Cravings: Salty foods
Aversions: Stirfry (weird I know)
Energy Levels: Moderate
Bedtime: 11pm
I'm posting this to see how much it changes over the weeks!
I am now 25 weeks along (I look like I'm 35 weeks along).
I am loving both of my midwives and happy to leave my OB. (I have 2 midwives because I am going to deliver sometime in the summer and they take a lot of vacations so I will get whichever is on call that week). They are both fantastic and wonderful, they listen to me and we chat about pregnancy, food, kids, work, etc. I swear they are like a friend to me.
My sugars are great. They are cooperating. I still have some time to go but I got some good advice from my midwives so I am going to go on a bit of a "low carb" diet - meaning no processed crap, breads, pasta (well sometimes), etc. My focus is going to be on vegetables, fruit, protein (meat, tofu), and nuts and seeds for my snacks.
Baby Q (Quintin if you don't know already), is doing great. He is getting into his wake/sleep patterns. He is awake from 9:30pm - 10:30pm. Then he thankfully sleeps when I sleep. He is awake at 5:30/6:00am for about 15 minutes, and then randomly during the day. He's kicking up a storm and makes me cough sometimes. You can really see him kicking too. Funny story: I was at an appointment yesterday and the midwife was listening to his heartbeat. Well he kept moving away from the doppler, so she actually pinned him down in my belly. I couldn't stop laughing! She mapped him out where he was laying and it was exactly where I felt he was - I thought that was pretty cool.
New items bought: I really don't need much for this little guy, but I did buy a few things that I needed. I will do a separate post once everything is organized and set and once I take photos of everything, but he has his summer wardrobe and oh my goodness is it ever cute. Lots of creepers from Carters, a couple outfits and lots of sleepers. A lot was from Ethan (sleepers and onesies), but I did get a few things that he needs to keep cool in the summer months.
I seem to still have some bursts of energy. I hope it lasts another few weeks at least. Ryan and I are going to Chicago for 3 days to get away and have a mini vacation. We are taking the train so I hope it goes well! We got a great deal on a 5* hotel through Hotwire.com and a nice discount on the train tickets as well. Now it's just everything else that we have to worry about!
Pregnancy Stats Overview:
Weeks: 25
Weight Gain: 18 lbs
Sugars: Good
Cravings: Salty foods
Aversions: Stirfry (weird I know)
Energy Levels: Moderate
Bedtime: 11pm
I'm posting this to see how much it changes over the weeks!
Wednesday, 10 April 2013
There's a party in my belly
Not really too much to report other than a SUPER ACTIVE baby Q right now. He does not stop kicking and stretching and hiccupping! Ethan was the same way but I don't remember him being this crazy this early. I don't mind really, but sometimes it really hurts! It's physically noticeable to see him moving now because my belly moves with his kicks. I am happy that he is head down - been that way for a couple weeks now. At my 20 week scan he was "breech" and although I am very well aware that they flip constantly, it was still in the back of my mind that he may stay that way. Well he seems to like it head down now - how do I know he's down? Well the constant kicks in the ribs!
I have started very early this time with Braxton Hicks contractions as well - not painful, but most definitely uncomfortable. I'd like to believe that this means Baby Q will come early as well.... but I think that's just a personal hope :)
I am continuing to round out, but again, I don't feel as large as I was with Ethan. I have gained about 10 lbs so far and I am in my 23rd week.... I think that's pretty good. I know, I know, why am I worrying about my weight right! Well, I kinda have to because I am REALLY trying to prevent insulin injections with my mild case of diabetes. I do not want a "high risk" pregnancy and as long as I control with diet and exercise, I am not considered high risk.
We are on full throttle organization and getting the house complete before Baby Q comes. There really isn't too much left to do, just 3 major things. I have decided to make the bedding for new baby as well. I found a PERFECT fabric for it and it is on it's way! You can see the beautiful fabric HERE. The company is Monaluna and it's the Fox Hollow print. It's a bundle of 10 1/2 yard fabrics! It's organic as well and made in her barn! So with it, I am making the baby quilt and the bed skirt, plus some newborn bibs, maybe a baby shirt and just other random things. I am very excited!
I went though all of Ethan 0-3 month clothing and oh my word he has the CUTEST selection! I must have been way too tired to notice lol. I am lucky that I don't really have to get anything other than a few summer rompers for him because the rest will fit him perfectly. I thought I would have to buy 6-12 month clothing as well (as Ethan was in summer clothes by then, and Q will be in winter cothes) but for some reason I have a lot that will be good for him too!
We still have to buy a crib mattress and that is pretty much all we need. We are still trying to figure out sleeping situations for the first few months until he goes into Ethans bed. At first I joked that Q could sleep in the hallway in a bassinet outside our room- but then I started to think that it's probably a good idea after a couple weeks so he doesn't constantly smell my milk and wake up ;). Plus Ethan can slowly get used to his cries as well..... We will see.... I still have 4 months to think about it :D
That's all I've got for you! Sorry no pictures again, I will have to work on that a bit better. Ethan is so active that I barely have time to think about grabbing the camera! And now his nap is over and it's time to play all over again!
I have started very early this time with Braxton Hicks contractions as well - not painful, but most definitely uncomfortable. I'd like to believe that this means Baby Q will come early as well.... but I think that's just a personal hope :)
I am continuing to round out, but again, I don't feel as large as I was with Ethan. I have gained about 10 lbs so far and I am in my 23rd week.... I think that's pretty good. I know, I know, why am I worrying about my weight right! Well, I kinda have to because I am REALLY trying to prevent insulin injections with my mild case of diabetes. I do not want a "high risk" pregnancy and as long as I control with diet and exercise, I am not considered high risk.
We are on full throttle organization and getting the house complete before Baby Q comes. There really isn't too much left to do, just 3 major things. I have decided to make the bedding for new baby as well. I found a PERFECT fabric for it and it is on it's way! You can see the beautiful fabric HERE. The company is Monaluna and it's the Fox Hollow print. It's a bundle of 10 1/2 yard fabrics! It's organic as well and made in her barn! So with it, I am making the baby quilt and the bed skirt, plus some newborn bibs, maybe a baby shirt and just other random things. I am very excited!
I went though all of Ethan 0-3 month clothing and oh my word he has the CUTEST selection! I must have been way too tired to notice lol. I am lucky that I don't really have to get anything other than a few summer rompers for him because the rest will fit him perfectly. I thought I would have to buy 6-12 month clothing as well (as Ethan was in summer clothes by then, and Q will be in winter cothes) but for some reason I have a lot that will be good for him too!
We still have to buy a crib mattress and that is pretty much all we need. We are still trying to figure out sleeping situations for the first few months until he goes into Ethans bed. At first I joked that Q could sleep in the hallway in a bassinet outside our room- but then I started to think that it's probably a good idea after a couple weeks so he doesn't constantly smell my milk and wake up ;). Plus Ethan can slowly get used to his cries as well..... We will see.... I still have 4 months to think about it :D
That's all I've got for you! Sorry no pictures again, I will have to work on that a bit better. Ethan is so active that I barely have time to think about grabbing the camera! And now his nap is over and it's time to play all over again!
Thursday, 28 March 2013
From OB to Midwife...
I am so excited. I finally found a Midwife that is wonderful and that would take me even though I have Gestational Diabetes (controlled by diet & exercise, which means I am not high risk!!). Her name is Poppy and she is wonderful! I will actually have two midwives, but she is my main one.
So what are the differences between OB's and Midwife visits? A lot.... but first here are the similarities...
They both do the following:
Check your urine (except at the Midwives, you check your own in the privacy of the bathroom and report back if your urine is clear from a reading on the stick).
Check for blood pressure
Measure belly, listen to babies heart beat, fell the abdomen.
Ask if you have any questions
Refer you for tests/ultrasounds/etc...
What are the differences
Generally at an OB's office, you wait....and wait. Luckily at mine, I never had to wait more than 10-15 minutes. When you go to your midwife appointment...they are waiting for you.
OB visits are about 5-7 minutes long. Midwives take about half hour to 45 minutes. They go through the basics, and then they take the time to know you and who your family is.
At the OB, they are very vague with any results or issues you may have. Midwives go through in detail what's going on.
OB's weigh you at every visit.....Midwives don't :)
You are not allowed to bring children to your OB appointments (at least not at mine). Midwives have an entire play area with toys in the waiting room AND in the rooms for kids to play with. She even let my son play with her stethoscope and measuring tape.
There are many more differences, too many to go through really, but you get the point.
At Delivery and Emergency Situations:
The midwives are on call 24/7. You will never go to the hospital without meeting your midwife there. They take care of ALL your needs. They can be paged at any time of the day or night (but obviously expect you to use your own judgement as to if it's very necessary for them to be paged at 3am or not!).
With an OB, you go to OB Triage and they will assess you there and whichever doctor is on call will check you out and decide from there what needs to be done.
At delivery, again, you would page your midwife when you are in active labour (or call the office if you are in early labour if it's business hours). They will guide you on the phone, or meet you wherever you are. Once you are in active labour, she is with you until 1-2 hours post birth. Her and another midwife are the only two that are present with you for the entire birth...this means it's not a revolving door of different people.
OB's are on a rotation and take turns being on-call for the month. This means you are not guaranteed your doctor at delivery (luckily I had mine with Ethan) and you can see 2 different doctors at your birth. (Like I did! The first one caused a lot of problems and my OB helped me out afterwards). Nurses are also on rotation, so you will more than likely have different nurses through your delivery.
With an OB you are allowed 2 people in the room with you. With a Midwife, you can have a party of people in there if you want :) (No, that would not be my choice!)
After Delivery:
The Midwife takes care of mom an baby 6 weeks post birth. She comes to your house and when it's possible, you will go to the office for checkups.
With an OB, 24 hours after you are discharged from the hospital, you need to go to the Newborn Clinic at the hospital for the baby to be weighed. You have to also make doctors appointments for your newborn one week after being discharged. It's a lot of hassle with a newborn and being sore to have to lug around to different appointments.
So am I happy about switching over to Midwifery care - you better believe it!
The fact that I do have GD and I control only by diet and exercise, as above mentioned, I am not considered high risk. If, god forbid, I go on insulin, I will then be referred back to an OB and it would be shared care with a midwife. This would mean that I would be seeing both OB and Midwife (but mostly Midwife). At delivery, an OB would be present to help deliver but the Midwife is in the room with me the entire time and post delivery.
It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and the anxiety I had with the thought of this next birth has vanished! So although these next 4 months may fly by, I am pretty sure it will be an awesome experience from now until delivery and beyond!
So what are the differences between OB's and Midwife visits? A lot.... but first here are the similarities...
They both do the following:
Check your urine (except at the Midwives, you check your own in the privacy of the bathroom and report back if your urine is clear from a reading on the stick).
Check for blood pressure
Measure belly, listen to babies heart beat, fell the abdomen.
Ask if you have any questions
Refer you for tests/ultrasounds/etc...
What are the differences
Generally at an OB's office, you wait....and wait. Luckily at mine, I never had to wait more than 10-15 minutes. When you go to your midwife appointment...they are waiting for you.
OB visits are about 5-7 minutes long. Midwives take about half hour to 45 minutes. They go through the basics, and then they take the time to know you and who your family is.
At the OB, they are very vague with any results or issues you may have. Midwives go through in detail what's going on.
OB's weigh you at every visit.....Midwives don't :)
You are not allowed to bring children to your OB appointments (at least not at mine). Midwives have an entire play area with toys in the waiting room AND in the rooms for kids to play with. She even let my son play with her stethoscope and measuring tape.
There are many more differences, too many to go through really, but you get the point.
At Delivery and Emergency Situations:
The midwives are on call 24/7. You will never go to the hospital without meeting your midwife there. They take care of ALL your needs. They can be paged at any time of the day or night (but obviously expect you to use your own judgement as to if it's very necessary for them to be paged at 3am or not!).
With an OB, you go to OB Triage and they will assess you there and whichever doctor is on call will check you out and decide from there what needs to be done.
At delivery, again, you would page your midwife when you are in active labour (or call the office if you are in early labour if it's business hours). They will guide you on the phone, or meet you wherever you are. Once you are in active labour, she is with you until 1-2 hours post birth. Her and another midwife are the only two that are present with you for the entire birth...this means it's not a revolving door of different people.
OB's are on a rotation and take turns being on-call for the month. This means you are not guaranteed your doctor at delivery (luckily I had mine with Ethan) and you can see 2 different doctors at your birth. (Like I did! The first one caused a lot of problems and my OB helped me out afterwards). Nurses are also on rotation, so you will more than likely have different nurses through your delivery.
With an OB you are allowed 2 people in the room with you. With a Midwife, you can have a party of people in there if you want :) (No, that would not be my choice!)
After Delivery:
The Midwife takes care of mom an baby 6 weeks post birth. She comes to your house and when it's possible, you will go to the office for checkups.
With an OB, 24 hours after you are discharged from the hospital, you need to go to the Newborn Clinic at the hospital for the baby to be weighed. You have to also make doctors appointments for your newborn one week after being discharged. It's a lot of hassle with a newborn and being sore to have to lug around to different appointments.
So am I happy about switching over to Midwifery care - you better believe it!
The fact that I do have GD and I control only by diet and exercise, as above mentioned, I am not considered high risk. If, god forbid, I go on insulin, I will then be referred back to an OB and it would be shared care with a midwife. This would mean that I would be seeing both OB and Midwife (but mostly Midwife). At delivery, an OB would be present to help deliver but the Midwife is in the room with me the entire time and post delivery.
It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and the anxiety I had with the thought of this next birth has vanished! So although these next 4 months may fly by, I am pretty sure it will be an awesome experience from now until delivery and beyond!
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Sick Baby :( and energy burst for me!
Ethan is sick, poor thing. He is still very active during the day but there are moments where he definitely needs to rest - and I suck all of those cuddles up! The worst is at bedtime when he is sleeping and wakes up with his coughing fits - poor thing. I know I can't really give him anything, but I did give him Tylenol and Advil for his fever and a sample from Aleva Naturals Breathe Easy Chest Rub. He woke up and couldn't breathe so I rubbed some on his back and he seemed to fall back asleep and has been asleep for over an hour. I'm using a warm mist humidifier as well with Eucalyptus Oil in it. Thankfully I am not working any day shifts this week!
As for me, I have such a huge burst of energy. I mean, I cleaned the floors tonight..... I used my steam cleaner, but still....that takes a lot of effort! AND I'm doing laundry lol. Ryan usually does the laundry, but since he is on afternoons I have to do the dirty work ;) I have also been on a cooking/baking spree. The lovely second trimester..... better get this all in now before the third starts!!
As for me, I have such a huge burst of energy. I mean, I cleaned the floors tonight..... I used my steam cleaner, but still....that takes a lot of effort! AND I'm doing laundry lol. Ryan usually does the laundry, but since he is on afternoons I have to do the dirty work ;) I have also been on a cooking/baking spree. The lovely second trimester..... better get this all in now before the third starts!!
Monday, 4 March 2013
Gestational Diabetes
So I have been diagnosed again with Gestational Diabetes (GD). They did a test at 13 weeks and it came back that my sugars were elevated....is it full blown GD, no, but it's there, and it's lingering and I am doing everything I can to control it with diet! So far it's been good.
We try to live a mostly gluten free lifestyle and it seems to be helping. I follow my diet that's been given to me by the dietitian - maybe not 100%, but pretty darn close. My sugars are always good, and if I eat something that really, I just shouldn't be eating regardless of having GD or not, my sugars are a bit high - a bit meaning my sugar should read under 7 and it's at 7.2.
My last appointment was cancelled so I haven't seen the Endocrinologist for about a month. I see him tomorrow and he can go through my readings. I think it was more of a learning process doing it on my own. For example...
I know I have to eat something before bed in order for sugars to be where he wants them to be (under 5).
I know if I choose rice over breads my sugars are levelled.
I know for my "first breakfast" I cannot eat any carb whatsoever. If I do this then my sugars are pretty much level for the rest of my day.
It's crappy, but at the same time it keeps me in check. At my last appointment I only gained 1/2 a pound. So in 18 weeks, I have gained 5 lbs. I am on an exercise program created by my trainer so it's helping me to lose weight while I gain baby. Since I'm a bit overweight, and I have GD, weight loss is not looked upon as being bad. And it will keep the sugars in check.
With my last pregnancy I was put on insulin and hooked up to all sorts of IV's during labour. Since I am planning a natural birth (again!) , the less I am hooked up to the better! And the better controlled it is, the less chance for intervention and induction.
Since I don't have photos that relate to GD, here is a pic of Ethan :)
We try to live a mostly gluten free lifestyle and it seems to be helping. I follow my diet that's been given to me by the dietitian - maybe not 100%, but pretty darn close. My sugars are always good, and if I eat something that really, I just shouldn't be eating regardless of having GD or not, my sugars are a bit high - a bit meaning my sugar should read under 7 and it's at 7.2.
My last appointment was cancelled so I haven't seen the Endocrinologist for about a month. I see him tomorrow and he can go through my readings. I think it was more of a learning process doing it on my own. For example...
I know I have to eat something before bed in order for sugars to be where he wants them to be (under 5).
I know if I choose rice over breads my sugars are levelled.
I know for my "first breakfast" I cannot eat any carb whatsoever. If I do this then my sugars are pretty much level for the rest of my day.
It's crappy, but at the same time it keeps me in check. At my last appointment I only gained 1/2 a pound. So in 18 weeks, I have gained 5 lbs. I am on an exercise program created by my trainer so it's helping me to lose weight while I gain baby. Since I'm a bit overweight, and I have GD, weight loss is not looked upon as being bad. And it will keep the sugars in check.
With my last pregnancy I was put on insulin and hooked up to all sorts of IV's during labour. Since I am planning a natural birth (again!) , the less I am hooked up to the better! And the better controlled it is, the less chance for intervention and induction.
Since I don't have photos that relate to GD, here is a pic of Ethan :)
 |
| Sorry Guys - Can't get a NORMAL photo of him, so I guess these are the new norm! |
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
It's time to EAT
Now that Ethan is no longer a baby (sniff), I thought I'd update on what he is eating now. Basically he eats what we eat. We eat healthy and whole (mostly) and so does he.
As you may or may not know, we started "Baby Led Weaning" when he was about 6-7 months old. We reserved "pureed" foods for foods that are meant to be pureed (apple sauces, yogurt, mashed potatoes, etc). And at the Grandma's houses when we weren't there ;)
I did fall into the "baby foods" trap - mum mums, breakfast bars, cookies. And yes, he still gets some of those, but not very often. Honestly he mostly just plays with them or carries them around the house for 20 minutes until the dogs find it.
BREAKFAST
This used to be his smallest meal, but now it has expanded. For example, this morning he had Chia Bread, toasted with an organic superfruit jam spread, bananas, peaches and manadarin oranges. And half a yogurt.
SNACK
This is usually a small snack since he gets 8oz of homomilk before his nap. He has a few animal cookies and apple slices.
LUNCH
Lunch is still "kid food" but nothing canned or boxed. He has grilled cheese sandwiches, peanut butter sandwiches, leftovers from dinner the night before, etc....
SNACK
Usually this will be cheese (gouda, cheddar) and some grapes or apples and goldfish crackers (nope we can't get rid of the "ish" because he just loves them....oh well, afterall he is a kid still!)
DINNER
Dinner is always what we eat - we just no longer cook with salt or heavy seasonings that contain salt and hot spice (however he does like a little heat in his meals!). Last night I made rice pasta linguini with a homemade sundried tomato and garlic sauce (we dehydrate the tomatoes in the summer and freeze them to enjoy during the winter). He loves this and eats 2 servings usually.... I also made a tomato and cucumber salad to go on the side.
BEFORE BED SNACK
He always has yogurt before bed. He enjoys it and it fills his tummy so he can get a decent sleep. Especially since we are reducing the milk and adding yogurt to his diet. Trust me though, he still drinks a lot of milk - about 2 - 2.5 cups a day.
I was also doing the "Fruit Pouches" because they are SO EASY for on the go and for a quick fruit fix, but then I read THIS DISGUSTING POST on jarred baby food - granted they are not in "jars" but the mixture of food is still in them, so I chucked whatever else I had in the house (Since they are expensive I only bought a couple a week).
Instead, I bought these cute pouches from SQUISHY SNACK PAK's that are reusable, and my thought was to make fruit/veggie smoothies for him. I have been on the hunt for these for a little while (about 4 months) but they are always so expensive and shipping is atrocious. Well after that article, I decided that I didn't care and shelled out the $30 for 6 pouches. Now I just have to wait for them to arrive at my door step and we will be on our way to making fresh smoothies!
So that's our day regarding food - he eats a lot - and I mean a lot. It feels as though everything I do revolves around food! Whatever makes him happy :)
As you may or may not know, we started "Baby Led Weaning" when he was about 6-7 months old. We reserved "pureed" foods for foods that are meant to be pureed (apple sauces, yogurt, mashed potatoes, etc). And at the Grandma's houses when we weren't there ;)
I did fall into the "baby foods" trap - mum mums, breakfast bars, cookies. And yes, he still gets some of those, but not very often. Honestly he mostly just plays with them or carries them around the house for 20 minutes until the dogs find it.
BREAKFAST
This used to be his smallest meal, but now it has expanded. For example, this morning he had Chia Bread, toasted with an organic superfruit jam spread, bananas, peaches and manadarin oranges. And half a yogurt.
SNACK
This is usually a small snack since he gets 8oz of homomilk before his nap. He has a few animal cookies and apple slices.
LUNCH
Lunch is still "kid food" but nothing canned or boxed. He has grilled cheese sandwiches, peanut butter sandwiches, leftovers from dinner the night before, etc....
 |
| Do you notice how he NEVER looks at the camera anymore when he is eating? I think he's getting to know to turn away haha. |
SNACK
Usually this will be cheese (gouda, cheddar) and some grapes or apples and goldfish crackers (nope we can't get rid of the "ish" because he just loves them....oh well, afterall he is a kid still!)
DINNER
Dinner is always what we eat - we just no longer cook with salt or heavy seasonings that contain salt and hot spice (however he does like a little heat in his meals!). Last night I made rice pasta linguini with a homemade sundried tomato and garlic sauce (we dehydrate the tomatoes in the summer and freeze them to enjoy during the winter). He loves this and eats 2 servings usually.... I also made a tomato and cucumber salad to go on the side.
 |
| Sorry not the best picture - it was one that I sent to Ryan since he was working :) You get the idea |
BEFORE BED SNACK
He always has yogurt before bed. He enjoys it and it fills his tummy so he can get a decent sleep. Especially since we are reducing the milk and adding yogurt to his diet. Trust me though, he still drinks a lot of milk - about 2 - 2.5 cups a day.
I was also doing the "Fruit Pouches" because they are SO EASY for on the go and for a quick fruit fix, but then I read THIS DISGUSTING POST on jarred baby food - granted they are not in "jars" but the mixture of food is still in them, so I chucked whatever else I had in the house (Since they are expensive I only bought a couple a week).
He still has a bottle of milk before bed (we are reeeeeallly trying to eliminate the "bottle" but he won't drink anything but water out of a sippy cup). I'm getting him in the habit of brushing his teeth after the bottle (rather than before), it's not his favorite, but I try to make it as "fun" as possible - singing songs, reading books etc..... so far it's been okay....but not great!
Instead, I bought these cute pouches from SQUISHY SNACK PAK's that are reusable, and my thought was to make fruit/veggie smoothies for him. I have been on the hunt for these for a little while (about 4 months) but they are always so expensive and shipping is atrocious. Well after that article, I decided that I didn't care and shelled out the $30 for 6 pouches. Now I just have to wait for them to arrive at my door step and we will be on our way to making fresh smoothies!
So that's our day regarding food - he eats a lot - and I mean a lot. It feels as though everything I do revolves around food! Whatever makes him happy :)
Where has the time gone?
Sorry it's been awhile... A loooong while since I have posted but things have been crazy around here!
Ethan is definitely a handful.... In a good way of course. He is very busy and is always doing something. Luckily when I have to do something, like prepare dinner, he is good with playing independently for a good 20 minutes.
Sleep is getting better too. He still naps once a day for 1.5 hours. He's now mostly sleeping through the night. We learned last night that snacks before bed are important! He woke at 6am crying for milk, whereas the rest of the week he didn't wake until 8:30 for breakfast. He's almost 15 months old so we are getting there!
**update** that was short lived, we are back to one bottle in the early a.m. (between 5:30 and 6:30). It's ok - especially since he will go back to sleep until 9am !
I've gone back to work... It's part time and hours are decent so I did not find the transition to be too bad. It gets hard when I work more than 2 days in a row on both Ethan and I. But I only have 5 more months to go because we are expecting our second baby at the beginning of August!
Because of this wonderful surprise we now have to rename the blog yet again.....I just have to think of something creative :) any suggestions???
I'm planning to update more regularly again.... making time to do so. Things are finally settling back down and I foresee that I will have more time to blog - at least 2-3 times a week (let's hope!)
Here is how Ethan now smiles for the camera - as soon as I pull out the Nikon this is what he does! (iPhone still gets cute faces).
Honestly, he really is a cute toddler!
Ethan is definitely a handful.... In a good way of course. He is very busy and is always doing something. Luckily when I have to do something, like prepare dinner, he is good with playing independently for a good 20 minutes.
Sleep is getting better too. He still naps once a day for 1.5 hours. He's now mostly sleeping through the night. We learned last night that snacks before bed are important! He woke at 6am crying for milk, whereas the rest of the week he didn't wake until 8:30 for breakfast. He's almost 15 months old so we are getting there!
**update** that was short lived, we are back to one bottle in the early a.m. (between 5:30 and 6:30). It's ok - especially since he will go back to sleep until 9am !
I've gone back to work... It's part time and hours are decent so I did not find the transition to be too bad. It gets hard when I work more than 2 days in a row on both Ethan and I. But I only have 5 more months to go because we are expecting our second baby at the beginning of August!
Because of this wonderful surprise we now have to rename the blog yet again.....I just have to think of something creative :) any suggestions???
I'm planning to update more regularly again.... making time to do so. Things are finally settling back down and I foresee that I will have more time to blog - at least 2-3 times a week (let's hope!)
Here is how Ethan now smiles for the camera - as soon as I pull out the Nikon this is what he does! (iPhone still gets cute faces).
Monday, 3 December 2012
Happy First Birthday Ethan!
Our little boy is officially 1 today (well...at 4:26pm he will be!) What a fun, but fast year that went by I tell ya!
We had his birthday party yesterday and it was a success. He did fantastic and did not freak out or cry at all! He got some fun toys and cute clothes and, I'm sure, and overwhelming feeling of love from everybody that came to celebrate! And to finish it off he slept from 8pm - 6am. How wonderful is that?!??!! He must have been super wiped!
Over this past year, I am amazed at how much he has learned. By one year, he:
Who am I kidding.... he has learned so much it would take an entire day to write everything out!
Happy Birthday Ethan - we love you and can't wait to watch you grow into the little man you are meant to be :)
We had his birthday party yesterday and it was a success. He did fantastic and did not freak out or cry at all! He got some fun toys and cute clothes and, I'm sure, and overwhelming feeling of love from everybody that came to celebrate! And to finish it off he slept from 8pm - 6am. How wonderful is that?!??!! He must have been super wiped!
Over this past year, I am amazed at how much he has learned. By one year, he:
- Learned to walk by 10 months
- Started to communicate with us by 8 months (sign language, pointing, words)
- Figures out toys that even I don't know how to use!
- Waves "bye"
- Answers a phone (it may be backwards and he may use anything - even remote controls) but regardless, he knows how to answer :)
Who am I kidding.... he has learned so much it would take an entire day to write everything out!
Happy Birthday Ethan - we love you and can't wait to watch you grow into the little man you are meant to be :)
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
They Change So Fast!
It has been 3 weeks since my last post and Ethan has changed so much. I am amazed at how fast he grows and changes and learns in such a short period of time.
He is full force with the sign language right now. Whatever I show him he picks up within a day or two.
At eating time, he signs when he is "all done" by clapping his hands and bringing them outward like he is swooshing his plate away. And I know he knows what it means because when I offer more food (if I am spoon feeding him) he refuses.
Now that he is walking (and trying to run now), he had his first major accident. He got his first fat lip and let me tell you, there was blood everywhere! Here he is showing me his boo boo.
Talking about boo boo's when he hurts himself, he cries and points to where it hurts. As sad as it is that he hurts himself on a regular basis, I think it's so cute that he points ;) It definitely helps me out to know where he hurt himself so I can make it better! We are lucky though, because he only cries for about 15 - 20 seconds and then he is ready to move on. I couldn't even tell you when he was upset for more than that long on any account.
We have adopted an "Elf on the Shelf". Her name is Claudine and she will officially be joining us on December 1st. of course Ethan is too young to understand what she is about, but I'm sure he will have fun "spotting" her on a daily basis until Christmas :) (Really, I am more excited about it than he probably ever will be! But it will be fun and it will be a cute tradition for us to start!) If you are interested in Elf on the Shelf, you can click HERE and read all about it!
His birthday party is in less than two weeks, and I think it's all pretty much organized. We will be having a few photoshoots next week with him - His Cake Smash, 1 year photos (done on the same day) and then his Christmas photoshoot as well. I'm pretty excited for them.
He is full force with the sign language right now. Whatever I show him he picks up within a day or two.
At eating time, he signs when he is "all done" by clapping his hands and bringing them outward like he is swooshing his plate away. And I know he knows what it means because when I offer more food (if I am spoon feeding him) he refuses.
Talking about boo boo's when he hurts himself, he cries and points to where it hurts. As sad as it is that he hurts himself on a regular basis, I think it's so cute that he points ;) It definitely helps me out to know where he hurt himself so I can make it better! We are lucky though, because he only cries for about 15 - 20 seconds and then he is ready to move on. I couldn't even tell you when he was upset for more than that long on any account.
We have adopted an "Elf on the Shelf". Her name is Claudine and she will officially be joining us on December 1st. of course Ethan is too young to understand what she is about, but I'm sure he will have fun "spotting" her on a daily basis until Christmas :) (Really, I am more excited about it than he probably ever will be! But it will be fun and it will be a cute tradition for us to start!) If you are interested in Elf on the Shelf, you can click HERE and read all about it!
His birthday party is in less than two weeks, and I think it's all pretty much organized. We will be having a few photoshoots next week with him - His Cake Smash, 1 year photos (done on the same day) and then his Christmas photoshoot as well. I'm pretty excited for them.
Thursday, 1 November 2012
11 Months
Ethan will be 11 months in just a couple days....I cannot believe my little boy is going to be less than a month away from being ONE YEAR OLD! He is going to be a toddler!
There has been SO MUCH going on this last month, I don't even know if I will be able to write it all down! I will do my best to write what I can.
WALKING
As of today, Ethan is officially walking. He can walk all around the house. If he loses balance, he doesn't fall on his bum, he just bends over, gets his stance and picks right back up. It is bitter sweet. It's nice that now we will be able to go play outside, and he can explore, but I am constantly watching and worrying that he's going to smack into something lol. I guess in a few weeks it will be better since he will only get better at it.
NURSING
He is weaning. Instead of 8 times a day, we are down to 3 or 4. And even those 3-4 times are getting shorter and shorter. I do not feel sad that he is weaning. It is time. We will definitely make it one year of breastfeeding, probably a bit longer. When I go back to work, I would rather it not be a shock to his system that I am not around at his disposal...
I have incorporated homo milk (half homo, half breastmilk) in his night time bottle....oh yeah, we give him a bottle before bed now instead of nursing because when I go back to work he will not be able to be nursed to sleep....and that's just a bad habit anyway! Why homo milk do you ask? Well, I tried to give him some formula (silly mama) and he took about half a swig and threw the bottle down. 'Nuff said". I do not have enough stock in my freezer to last us a month, so I mix half and half. For one bottle a day, I'm ok with him having homo milk. He's a great eater, he still nurses, and he's doing well.
PERSONALITY
He most definitely has a personality now. He is sweet and loving, and so very talkative. Baby talk of course. He loves giving hugs and kisses, and he's really starting to just hang out and chill with me a few times a day.
He also does not like when he doesn't get what he wants, and proceeds to throw a bit of a tantrum. It is SO HARD not to react, but I just ignore his behaviour and offer something else he can play with. They do not last long, but they last long enough for me to question "What the BLEEP am I going to do" lol.
NIGHT TIME SLEEPING
Well this one is not on my favorite list, but we are getting better. He is still waking at around 3:30 or 4am, and then again at 7am. We got rid of the 12;30 wake up, but we really need to work on these other two. I think this will be the worst to wean him from - not so much the 7am one (because it's done for selfish reasons so I can get an extra hour or so of sleep - so I nurse him) but the 3:30 one has to go. Although the last couple nights it's been later and he nurses about half the amount that he usually does - so maybe, just maybe he will be weaning! (Oh do I hope so!)
GROWTH
He is still in the 50 percentile. He's a bitty baby. He's still wearing 9 month clothing lol. 12 months is waaaay too big on him. He is eating a lot more now, so maybe he will pack on some pounds and height :D
EATING
This kid eats everything....we share our dinner altogether every night. It is wonderful. A typical day is like this:
Breakfast: Fruit puree and cheerios (this is all I can get in him in the morning - he's just like his dad - doesn't care to eat one bit in the morning). So I just do the baby food puree because at this point, I am not whipping out the blender when it's easier to just open a jar - oh the crunchy mama I am lol - at least they are organic!
Lunch: crackers, cheese, fruit - all cut in cubes. I have done this for lunch for a long time. He just loves it. Sometimes we change it up and have leftovers from the night before, but mostly this is what he will eat.
Dinner: Whatever we have. He eats lentil loaf, chicken, soup, etc..... whatever we eat he eats. This definitely forces me to cook healthy and salt free....and that's ok!
Snacks: Baby cookie, fruit, cheese, breastmilk,netc.... we are not picky about this. Usually whatever I snack on he will have a bite.
We are starting to let him eat from a (plastic) bowl. He does very well - eats from it and leaves it on the tray. But when he is done eating, he will play with the bowl, look at me and tip it - so I know the queues and remove it when he starts lol. Next will be a spoon.... I'm just not ready for the mess yet! He will take the spoon if I preload it and put it on his highchair tray - and gets it in his mouth 90% of the time.
He drinks from a straw now. It's neat to see him learn all these new ways of drinking. His main drink in the sippy is water, but sometimes I will put milk in it and he is not a fan. But he's getting used to it :D
PLAY
He is bored of his toys. Now he plays with boxes, toys that are too old for him, paper, etc.... you get the point. He is more interested in walking and exploring, learning how to open and close doors and drawers and helping me with laundry (aka throwing the clothes all over the floor).
He enjoys the early year centres, but right now I'm paranoid about sickness - I know croup is going around and I don't want to have him deal with that if he doesn't have to. So in a few weeks we will resume.
His birthday is coming up soon, and so I am in high gear for planning. It's pretty much all sorted out, just have to mail the invites tomorrow and wait for the responses. We are pretty sure most people that are invited will be attending. It should be fun, I'm excited to see his face when we bring the cake out! I will be sure to post photos (that will probably be my next post lol)
Enjoy the photos and learning what's new with our little (big) boy. Here he is in his Halloween Costume. A cute little skeleton!
There has been SO MUCH going on this last month, I don't even know if I will be able to write it all down! I will do my best to write what I can.
WALKING
As of today, Ethan is officially walking. He can walk all around the house. If he loses balance, he doesn't fall on his bum, he just bends over, gets his stance and picks right back up. It is bitter sweet. It's nice that now we will be able to go play outside, and he can explore, but I am constantly watching and worrying that he's going to smack into something lol. I guess in a few weeks it will be better since he will only get better at it.
NURSING
He is weaning. Instead of 8 times a day, we are down to 3 or 4. And even those 3-4 times are getting shorter and shorter. I do not feel sad that he is weaning. It is time. We will definitely make it one year of breastfeeding, probably a bit longer. When I go back to work, I would rather it not be a shock to his system that I am not around at his disposal...
I have incorporated homo milk (half homo, half breastmilk) in his night time bottle....oh yeah, we give him a bottle before bed now instead of nursing because when I go back to work he will not be able to be nursed to sleep....and that's just a bad habit anyway! Why homo milk do you ask? Well, I tried to give him some formula (silly mama) and he took about half a swig and threw the bottle down. 'Nuff said". I do not have enough stock in my freezer to last us a month, so I mix half and half. For one bottle a day, I'm ok with him having homo milk. He's a great eater, he still nurses, and he's doing well.
PERSONALITY
He most definitely has a personality now. He is sweet and loving, and so very talkative. Baby talk of course. He loves giving hugs and kisses, and he's really starting to just hang out and chill with me a few times a day.
He also does not like when he doesn't get what he wants, and proceeds to throw a bit of a tantrum. It is SO HARD not to react, but I just ignore his behaviour and offer something else he can play with. They do not last long, but they last long enough for me to question "What the BLEEP am I going to do" lol.
NIGHT TIME SLEEPING
Well this one is not on my favorite list, but we are getting better. He is still waking at around 3:30 or 4am, and then again at 7am. We got rid of the 12;30 wake up, but we really need to work on these other two. I think this will be the worst to wean him from - not so much the 7am one (because it's done for selfish reasons so I can get an extra hour or so of sleep - so I nurse him) but the 3:30 one has to go. Although the last couple nights it's been later and he nurses about half the amount that he usually does - so maybe, just maybe he will be weaning! (Oh do I hope so!)
He is still in the 50 percentile. He's a bitty baby. He's still wearing 9 month clothing lol. 12 months is waaaay too big on him. He is eating a lot more now, so maybe he will pack on some pounds and height :D
EATING
This kid eats everything....we share our dinner altogether every night. It is wonderful. A typical day is like this:
Breakfast: Fruit puree and cheerios (this is all I can get in him in the morning - he's just like his dad - doesn't care to eat one bit in the morning). So I just do the baby food puree because at this point, I am not whipping out the blender when it's easier to just open a jar - oh the crunchy mama I am lol - at least they are organic!
Lunch: crackers, cheese, fruit - all cut in cubes. I have done this for lunch for a long time. He just loves it. Sometimes we change it up and have leftovers from the night before, but mostly this is what he will eat.
Dinner: Whatever we have. He eats lentil loaf, chicken, soup, etc..... whatever we eat he eats. This definitely forces me to cook healthy and salt free....and that's ok!
Snacks: Baby cookie, fruit, cheese, breastmilk,netc.... we are not picky about this. Usually whatever I snack on he will have a bite.
We are starting to let him eat from a (plastic) bowl. He does very well - eats from it and leaves it on the tray. But when he is done eating, he will play with the bowl, look at me and tip it - so I know the queues and remove it when he starts lol. Next will be a spoon.... I'm just not ready for the mess yet! He will take the spoon if I preload it and put it on his highchair tray - and gets it in his mouth 90% of the time.
He drinks from a straw now. It's neat to see him learn all these new ways of drinking. His main drink in the sippy is water, but sometimes I will put milk in it and he is not a fan. But he's getting used to it :D
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| Sorry no eating photos - so here is one in the kitchen ;0) |
PLAY
He is bored of his toys. Now he plays with boxes, toys that are too old for him, paper, etc.... you get the point. He is more interested in walking and exploring, learning how to open and close doors and drawers and helping me with laundry (aka throwing the clothes all over the floor).
He enjoys the early year centres, but right now I'm paranoid about sickness - I know croup is going around and I don't want to have him deal with that if he doesn't have to. So in a few weeks we will resume.
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| He likes to climb in the box - that's his form of play. Then throws the toys everywhere! |
His birthday is coming up soon, and so I am in high gear for planning. It's pretty much all sorted out, just have to mail the invites tomorrow and wait for the responses. We are pretty sure most people that are invited will be attending. It should be fun, I'm excited to see his face when we bring the cake out! I will be sure to post photos (that will probably be my next post lol)
Enjoy the photos and learning what's new with our little (big) boy. Here he is in his Halloween Costume. A cute little skeleton!
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
10 Months
Wow it's been awhile since I have blogged. There has been SO MUCH going on that I am so busy during the day I don't have time to blog, and by the time night rolls around, I am so exhausted (from house duties way after Ethan goes to bed) that I don't have time to blog! Tonight I have time though....
Let's start off with me - I WENT OUT TONIGHT AFTER ETHAN WENT TO BED! Sure, I was only gone for an hour and a half but wow was it a magical hour and a half! I met a friend for coffee. She texted me saying she didn't want to go home yet (has a baby too) and asked if I wanted to meet. I said sure and she thought I was joking...nope. So 9pm, I headed out to meet her for coffee (well tea actually!) It was great.
Ok back to little Ethan. He amazes me in soooo many ways. When he was younger, I of course loved to hang out with him, but he was so demanding that I looked forward to his nap times. When he woke, I would kinda slump and then go get him. NOW, when he goes for a nap, I have my routine down pat, get it done, have time for myself (because he sleeps 2.5 hours on most days now!) and when he's up, I am excited :D He is SO MUCH FUN. He is learning to walk - he uses a walker or walks on furniture, but crawling is very scarce these days. He only crawls to someplace he can walk along lol.
He is very interactive now. He plays with me. We throw a ball back and forth, he climbs all over me, he crawls towards me then lays down with his back towards me so I can tickle him and he lets out the biggest belly laughs ever!
He says a few "words" if you want to call it that. In our eyes, he is talking and communicates with words and sign language. What does he say you ask? He says" Mama, Dada, Doggie, Hi, Ya. He signs "More", "Milk", "Doggie". We are working on "eat", "poop" and "hi". Tomorrow we start Baby Signing at the Library so maybe we can learn some more!
We also joined "Mother Goose" but it's at 1pm and it is smack dab in the middle of his nap and that boy needs his sleep, so I don't think it's going to work out for us! I am also planning to take him to the Early Years Centre more often now because he is at a good age where he can interact with the kids now and get involved. Plus I can get out and talk to other moms too.
When I'm in the kitchen, which is a lot, he is always there. Of course, if it's unsafe for him to hang out with me in there, he goes in his playpen for a minute or two (ie, taking something out of the oven). He sorts my pantry out - all over the floor ;) He's trying to figure out the door locks on the cabinets....soon enough he will be handing them back to me!
We are done with purees. If he does get a puree, he sucks it out of the pouch. I'm done making them though. He pretty much just eats what we are having for that meal. Todays menu went like this:
BREAKFAST - Oatmeal mixed with prunes (ok so he gets purees, but this boy needs his prunes!)
LUNCH - roasted chicken, potatoes, carrots, cottage cheese
SNACK - grapes and a baby cookie
DINNER - chicken and kale casserole
It's fantastic and he eats pretty much all that I give him. I'd say he eats at least a 1/4 cup of food a day. On top of that, he still nurses 5-6 times per day. Yeah, we are working on getting it down, especially throughout the night, but that warrants a completely different post!
I have been lacking very badly on photos these days......I did manage to take a few yesterday but I did not manage to put them on the computer. Sorry - there will be some to come, I promise. He is quite darling these days :)
My days are FULL now. We are up by 8:30 (the latest). I breastfeed him, and then we get changed and go downstairs to play for a bit. Then we have breakfast, and then play some more.
He goes down for a nap around 11:30 and sleeps these days for 2.5 hours. Sometimes it's less, but the average is 2.5. This means he takes only one nap a day.....arrgh! At least he sleeps right!
After his nap we are up again and I make lunch. We sit and eat and then we do errands afterwards. We are usually home by 4 and then I prep dinner, play, eat, play some more, let him run around naked for 20 minutes, give him his bath, then bed.
He is still waking during the night at least 2 times. It's exhausting and I'm ready for him to be done, but unfortunately, he is not ready to be done, so we must stick it out a bit longer! I think when Ryan is on afternoons, we will try to wean him from night feedings. Two weeks away......please pray for us!
It's time for me to hit the sack before my night shift starts, but here is a photo of Ethan that I took yesterday of him walking. Don't you just LOVE that puffy diaper bum! :)
Let's start off with me - I WENT OUT TONIGHT AFTER ETHAN WENT TO BED! Sure, I was only gone for an hour and a half but wow was it a magical hour and a half! I met a friend for coffee. She texted me saying she didn't want to go home yet (has a baby too) and asked if I wanted to meet. I said sure and she thought I was joking...nope. So 9pm, I headed out to meet her for coffee (well tea actually!) It was great.
Ok back to little Ethan. He amazes me in soooo many ways. When he was younger, I of course loved to hang out with him, but he was so demanding that I looked forward to his nap times. When he woke, I would kinda slump and then go get him. NOW, when he goes for a nap, I have my routine down pat, get it done, have time for myself (because he sleeps 2.5 hours on most days now!) and when he's up, I am excited :D He is SO MUCH FUN. He is learning to walk - he uses a walker or walks on furniture, but crawling is very scarce these days. He only crawls to someplace he can walk along lol.
He is very interactive now. He plays with me. We throw a ball back and forth, he climbs all over me, he crawls towards me then lays down with his back towards me so I can tickle him and he lets out the biggest belly laughs ever!
He says a few "words" if you want to call it that. In our eyes, he is talking and communicates with words and sign language. What does he say you ask? He says" Mama, Dada, Doggie, Hi, Ya. He signs "More", "Milk", "Doggie". We are working on "eat", "poop" and "hi". Tomorrow we start Baby Signing at the Library so maybe we can learn some more!
We also joined "Mother Goose" but it's at 1pm and it is smack dab in the middle of his nap and that boy needs his sleep, so I don't think it's going to work out for us! I am also planning to take him to the Early Years Centre more often now because he is at a good age where he can interact with the kids now and get involved. Plus I can get out and talk to other moms too.
When I'm in the kitchen, which is a lot, he is always there. Of course, if it's unsafe for him to hang out with me in there, he goes in his playpen for a minute or two (ie, taking something out of the oven). He sorts my pantry out - all over the floor ;) He's trying to figure out the door locks on the cabinets....soon enough he will be handing them back to me!
We are done with purees. If he does get a puree, he sucks it out of the pouch. I'm done making them though. He pretty much just eats what we are having for that meal. Todays menu went like this:
BREAKFAST - Oatmeal mixed with prunes (ok so he gets purees, but this boy needs his prunes!)
LUNCH - roasted chicken, potatoes, carrots, cottage cheese
SNACK - grapes and a baby cookie
DINNER - chicken and kale casserole
It's fantastic and he eats pretty much all that I give him. I'd say he eats at least a 1/4 cup of food a day. On top of that, he still nurses 5-6 times per day. Yeah, we are working on getting it down, especially throughout the night, but that warrants a completely different post!
I have been lacking very badly on photos these days......I did manage to take a few yesterday but I did not manage to put them on the computer. Sorry - there will be some to come, I promise. He is quite darling these days :)
My days are FULL now. We are up by 8:30 (the latest). I breastfeed him, and then we get changed and go downstairs to play for a bit. Then we have breakfast, and then play some more.
He goes down for a nap around 11:30 and sleeps these days for 2.5 hours. Sometimes it's less, but the average is 2.5. This means he takes only one nap a day.....arrgh! At least he sleeps right!
After his nap we are up again and I make lunch. We sit and eat and then we do errands afterwards. We are usually home by 4 and then I prep dinner, play, eat, play some more, let him run around naked for 20 minutes, give him his bath, then bed.
He is still waking during the night at least 2 times. It's exhausting and I'm ready for him to be done, but unfortunately, he is not ready to be done, so we must stick it out a bit longer! I think when Ryan is on afternoons, we will try to wean him from night feedings. Two weeks away......please pray for us!
It's time for me to hit the sack before my night shift starts, but here is a photo of Ethan that I took yesterday of him walking. Don't you just LOVE that puffy diaper bum! :)
Monday, 17 September 2012
We made it!
Ethan has finally overcome his cold. He still has a bit of a booger face but he is better! That was a rough 5 days - poor kid. I got a touch of it but I seemed to have fought it off in a day (thank god!).
Since it's been a while, I thought I'd update on the new things that Ethan is doing!
1. He walks along furniture
2. He thinks EVERYTHING is a car and drags it around the house.... when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING! His Pack 'n' Play (yeah, seriously), the dining room chairs, and every single toy. He just makes me laugh!
3. He is throwing things now. I gave him a little box of empty raisins and we were throwing it back and forth to each other - priceless.
4. He mimics the tones that we make. I always say "hiiii" to him in a funny way and he now does it back.
5. He is refusing his second nap, and taking his first nap later. I assume he is trying to do one nap during the day (hopefully he takes a long nap soon).
6. Stopped peeing when naked (LOL). I know this is a funny one, but it's true. We always give him naked time before his bath for about 20 minutes, and he has not peed in about 2 months. I consider this a personal victory :0D .
7. He's a pro at eating finger foods. It's nice that I can give him what we are eating at dinner (as long as it's suitable for a baby).
I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones that come to mind. He's so awesome - I could just "eat him up" lol. (Yep that one is for you dad).
Since it's been a while, I thought I'd update on the new things that Ethan is doing!
1. He walks along furniture
2. He thinks EVERYTHING is a car and drags it around the house.... when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING! His Pack 'n' Play (yeah, seriously), the dining room chairs, and every single toy. He just makes me laugh!
3. He is throwing things now. I gave him a little box of empty raisins and we were throwing it back and forth to each other - priceless.
4. He mimics the tones that we make. I always say "hiiii" to him in a funny way and he now does it back.
5. He is refusing his second nap, and taking his first nap later. I assume he is trying to do one nap during the day (hopefully he takes a long nap soon).
6. Stopped peeing when naked (LOL). I know this is a funny one, but it's true. We always give him naked time before his bath for about 20 minutes, and he has not peed in about 2 months. I consider this a personal victory :0D .
7. He's a pro at eating finger foods. It's nice that I can give him what we are eating at dinner (as long as it's suitable for a baby).
I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones that come to mind. He's so awesome - I could just "eat him up" lol. (Yep that one is for you dad).
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| On Grandparent's Day - this is his "Dr. Evil" look :) |
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| His usual self - eating whatever he can get his cute little lips on. |
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| Playing with anything that is NOT a toy! |
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| Hiding from mom in his "fort" |
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| Sad "sickie" face :( |
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Sick Baby :(
Ethan has gotten his second cold in his short little life :( The first was at 4 months old and 5 months later, he has his second. This one seems a bit better than the first time. He is still a pretty happy baby but both of us did not get our much needed sleep last night. He was up till about 11. He did go down at his normal time but only slept an hour, so he is now taking a well deserved nap. I just hope he gets a good quality nap in. I am running the vaporizer with some vicks in it, and he cleared up pretty good.
No pictures today - I don't think you want to see a booger face baby :) Thankfully he is letting me wipe under his nose now - only when absolutely needed of course!
Poor bug - I hope he gets better very very soon!
No pictures today - I don't think you want to see a booger face baby :) Thankfully he is letting me wipe under his nose now - only when absolutely needed of course!
Poor bug - I hope he gets better very very soon!
Sunday, 26 August 2012
Our First Overnight Trip
We decided to go to London this past Thursday and see how Ethan did with an overnight trip. I'm happy to say it went well. He pretty much stayed on schedule. We went to London to visit Uncle Matt & Aunt Krista and we all had a good time!
Ethan slept in his Pack & Play. I bought a mattress pad for specifically for the Pack & Play and a cute sheet to go overtop of it (sorry no photos).
Since Ethan always gets a bath and we didn't really have an option to give him a bath, we decided to put him in the sink :)
The next day we went to the Covent Garden Market and fell in love. It is such an amazing market (at least compared to what we have here!) and we got some good finds.
Ethan also enjoyed the sight seeing! He enjoyed it so much he pretty much passed out the entire way home!
And on the way home, I bought myself a yummy (aquired taste) Kombocha tea - yummmmm-o!
Ethan slept in his Pack & Play. I bought a mattress pad for specifically for the Pack & Play and a cute sheet to go overtop of it (sorry no photos).
Since Ethan always gets a bath and we didn't really have an option to give him a bath, we decided to put him in the sink :)
The next day we went to the Covent Garden Market and fell in love. It is such an amazing market (at least compared to what we have here!) and we got some good finds.
Ethan also enjoyed the sight seeing! He enjoyed it so much he pretty much passed out the entire way home!
And on the way home, I bought myself a yummy (aquired taste) Kombocha tea - yummmmm-o!
Our next trip will be to Toronto where we will stay more than one night. Now that we know he will do fine, we are more confident in the visit - just have to work on the car ride as a simple 1.5 hour trip to London is like hell on fire!
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