File it under strange or lucky?

Due to the work being done at Baba's I've been gathering the rest of my stuff to take home with me. Yesterday I brought home the little cabinet that my dad made a few years back. I had been trying to figure out the best place for it and decided the kitchen could use some spiffing up. I moved the cork board. There were two screws in the wall already. On a whim I tried the cabinet on them and ta-da!!! I couldn't believe it! Guess it was meant to be.

Almost Five Weeks

Little D is doing well in his own bedroom at night. Yesterday he practically demanded to have a nap in his own bed. He kept crying and nothing would soothe him until Daddy finally put him down in his bed. Three cheers for Daddy!

I am amazed at how fast time is going by and how fast he is growing. Although I am looking forward to getting to know Little D as he learns to talk and walk I know I will miss him in this baby stage (I guess that’s how people end up with siblings).

I have been sorting through his clothes every other week, putting aside all the little outfits that don’t fit him anymore. I am stunned by how small some of those onsies are. He used to fit into that not too long ago.

I am currently working on getting a cute picture of D's big feet. This is the cutiest so far...still working on it!

The Chandler

Are you familiar with the Friends episode when Chandler and Monica are trying to get their engagement picture taken and Chandler keeps making weird faces for the camera. Well my mom is normally like that. As soon as a camera comes close to her she freezes up and then ends up hating all pictures taken or her.

I have found a cure for her. A grandson!

One Month Old

Time is flying. Our little guy is now one month old.
It is one of those situations where time goes by fast and slow at the same time. The fact that our little guy is growing so fast is amazing. At 2am when he doesn’t want to sleep, the clock seems to stand still as I try to convince him that mommy needs some shut eye.

Just the other day we had dinner at my mother-in-laws and she commented that he “doesn’t have that infant look anymore. He looks like a baby now.” That’s because he got his mommy’s big head. (A lot of the hats I have for him do not fit and he hasn’t even worn them yet!)

Last night was the first night that Baby slept in his own room. I resisted my urge to go to him every time he made a noise. For the most part I think things went well.

Hubby and I are starting to sound like those parents I used to make fun of. I find myself (half joking mind you) saying that our baby is advancing faster than other babies. He could practically lift his own head right from birth! Okay, maybe not that fast, but his neck muscles are pretty strong for only four weeks.

His coos and gurgles make me fall in love with him over and over again. Oh and that killer smile (or IS it gas?) has my heart skipping a beat.
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About a week ago we received a bill from the hospital. I was confused. We don’t have insurance, just OHIP. I asked to be on a ward because that is covered. I know I was put in a semi-private room, however I figured I was there because I had heard the nurses say that the maternity ward was really busy.

So anyway, the bill was for $420. Not exactly chump change – especially for new parents. So hubby called and the person in billing said that I had signed for it and that was that. He tried to argue that IF I did sign for it, I had just gotten out of surgery and was still drugged up. Nothing they could do about it.

My gung-ho Mother-in-law heard about this and decided to investigate further on our behalf. MIL got them to fax her a copy of this form I supposedly signed. HA! Not my signature!! Someone messed up big time. I am relieved because the thought of taking a hospital to court didn’t sound so easy to me. I thank God for my mother-in-law.

I do wonder if they will be able to get payment from the person that did sign the form?!

New Banner

I finally got my new banner finished and posted. Trying to catch up on lots of stuff while recovering from the c-section and this stubborn cold.
Hoping to write more soon.


My little elf!

Numb, Scared and Ripped Apart

I remember telling several medical personnel that I have a right pelvic kidney. It works, it’s just in the wrong place. The Doctor said this would not effect the procedure.

So I was rolled into the operating room. The anaesthesiologist explained my options. I just said yes. I was scared.

I began to panic when it felt like the operation was starting and hubby wasn’t with me. Finally he was holding my hand. I felt pressure and tugging. It felt like the baby was suctioned in my belly. I could almost hear an audible “pop” as they pulled him out. I remember thinking “Nothing else has gone according to the plan. He’s going to end up being a girl and I have nothing for her to wear.”

Then he was out. The doctor confirmed that I had a little boy. Hubby told me to look behind him. The nurses were cleaning him up. “He looks like me!” I said.

(I am the baby in the black and white and my little boy is in colour)


As they removed the placenta I swear I could feel them moving my kidney. I became vocal about it – like these doctors don’t know what they are doing.

Hubby was able to hold the baby. As they finished with me, hubby and baby were carted away to a recovery room. I soon followed. Nurse Paula was with me again as the drugs wore off. I shook like crazy and was upset I couldn’t hold my baby. Hubby brought him over to me. Then I was carted off to my room where I remained from Friday to Sunday.

I hated being in the hospital and asked to be sent home a day early. I was originally supposed to be discharged on Monday.

This precious little creature is so worth it!

Mother Load

Hubby finally reappeared as the nurse prepared for baby’s arrival. He had driven an hour to pick up my mom and an hour back to the hospital. And though I was mad that he left me for so long I was so happy my mom was with me.

Eventually, I was told to push. I couldn’t feel my contractions so I really relied on hubby to tell me when they started (he could see the monitor). I had a hard time pushing in the right spot but eventually everyone could see the top of the baby’s head crowning. Yep! He was right there! But more pushing did nothing. Part of my cervix was holding him back and he was “sunny side up” as the nurse explained it. The doctor was called in to assess the situation. I was exhausted.

At first the vacuum was suggested for delivery. I was agreeing to anything. Lying in wait for 24 hours I just wanted it to be over. Then the dreaded words came. Baby’s heart rate had dropped and I should have a c-section. I was brave at first. “So much for a birth plan.” Everyone laughed. I joked with the nurse (nurse Paula is an amazing lady!). I apologized for ruining her vaginal delivery record. Then we all became quiet, waiting for O.R. to be prepped. I began to cry. Nurse Paula encouraged my tears. “It’s alright to cry.” But I tried to be brave.

Is this Baby Ever Gonna Come?

Hubby stayed with me at the hospital over night on a pull-out chair/bed. I kept waking up, noting that nothing was happening. I thought, “Damn this epidural is great! I don’t feel a thing.” I slept as advised to save my strength for labour.

By morning hubby was really restless. He needed to get out and though I can’t blame him I did feel abandoned. He told me he was going home to check the cats and eat. He’d be back in an hour.

I was 8 cm dilated and it was taking about 2 hours per cm at this point.

While hubby was gone, things started to progress and the nurse said we could try pushing soon. I was upset – hubby wasn’t back yet and he was taking longer than he said he would. I started thinking he was home enjoying himself – loving wife forgotten about. Or worse, he’d been in an accident and our baby would be fatherless. I started to cry.

And the birth plan went flying out the window

The nurses were given my birth plan upon my admission. I was aware that a birth plan could not be written in stone. Anything can happen (or in my case nothing could happen) and we'd have to go to plan B (the unplanned). So despite not wanting induction I was given some pills to start contraction and told to walk the hospital corridors. I did begin to experience some contractions. More like menstrual cramps, which were nothing compared to the cramps I had as a teenager. Is this it? Screw the epidural!

Back to the room for more monitoring. Baby still good. Dilation starting slowly, but no regularity to contractions. What the Hell!

Eventually Oxytocin was administered through my IV. (I've always been creeped out by IVs sticking out of people arms or hands. I hadn't ever had one myself until this point in my life. I had to distract myself from it. Always afraid I'm gonna rip it out by accident.)

It did look like the oxytocin was working. Contractions started to pick up. It's all kind of fuzzy but I was sent to a delivery room and continued to be monitored. The nurse suggested that I walk to get things moving. As soon as I stood up I got a doozy of a contraction and wanted my drugs now. Looking back I wish I hadn't started the drugs so soon. But I was scared and tired.

That night I was given my epidural. And so began my lying in bed for who knows how long!?

So It Began...

I left you all with the exciting announcement that my water broke at 2am October 22nd.

The night before as we watched Heroes on DVD the baby was kicking like crazy. I mean it looked like I was about to pop out an alien right through my stomach. Feet and hands pushing out all over the place I knew something was up.

Once my water broke and I woke up hubby with the exciting news, I called the hospital and was told to stay home and wait for contractions which should start by morning. I tried to go back to sleep after hubby and I changed the wet bedding. (My water really broke, not just a trickle.)

I was too excited to sleep so I paced the house hoping to encourage contractions. I googled like a mad woman, wondering where these darned contractions were! They were very mild and irregular. I did finally go back to bed and made sure the baby was still kicking.

At about 9:30 that morning I was in the shower and a small blood clot came out and I was alarmed. I called the hospital again and they told me to come in. Turns out it was just my mucus plug - perfectly normal. I was put on the fetal monitor for a bit, still no real contraction. I was sent home and instructed to go for a walk. Come back around 2pm.

Hubby and I went to the squirrel park, excited and nervous. I kept saying that too bad baby didn't wait a day. The 23rd is hubby's birthday. I was experiencing some contractions, but still nothing significant.

At 2pm we went back to the hospital despite the lack of contractions. I was beginning to wonder what the hell was going on. I had read that once the water broke it was important to monitor the baby by 12 or 24 hours in case of infection. The triage nurses did wonder why I came in when nothing was happening. I've never done this before - Give me a break!

To be continued...