I cannot believe that I have yet to mention in my previous posts how much I love all things Christmas! I love decorations. Christmas trees. Giving presents. Getting presents :P. All the yummy treats. Family visits. Turkey dinner. Busy shopping malls. The only thing I do not like is the dreaded wrapping. I despise it. Nothing gets me in a more bah humbug mood then seeing the mountain of gifts I have to wrap. I'm not good at it. They always come out looking like a toddler did it. So, I either always put the gifts in pretty bags or pay Rockstar Daughter a small fee for each present she wraps. In the past, I've gotten away with paying her a quarter for each gift, but I'm thinking this year she is going to take me for everything I have. She is quite the little negotiator.
When I was little Christmas was always such a fun time. My mom, dad, sister and I would go visiting family and then cap the night off with dancing and loud music. We had so much fun. To be honest, most of my Christmas memories do not revolve around gifts or parties, but always involve those fun nights spent with our little family in the living room of our house, watching Christmas specials on TV, making home movies, laughing about inside jokes, dancing in the middle of the room, looking out the window at all the lights on our neighbours homes, and just the general silliness that still to this day exists between us all, which now includes our hubbies and children.
These memories are the types that I want my girls to remember years from now, not who got what under the tree. I hope they look back at the past the way that I do and are lucky enough to be able to say that all the memories are happy, joyful ones, no matter how simple. The simplest things in life are most likely to be worth the most.
Cheers to the beginning of another wonderful Christmas Season
XO
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Labour of Love
"How was it?"
"Did you have medication?"
"How long?"
"Was it really painful?"
"What does it feel like?"
Just some of the questions that I have been asked since giving birth to our Angel 6 weeks ago. 6 weeks. Crazy.
So, I was thinking, why not just blog about my labour experience this time around? Everyone (mostly women) like to hear about other women's labours and compare them to their own, right?
I'll start from the beginning.
At about 10:30pm on Monday, October 4th, Hubby and I were laying in bed watching TV when I got a pain. Now, for the previous 4-5 weeks I was having Braxton Hicks Contractions, so it wasn't out of the ordinary, but let me tell you.....I can't believe I actually thought those measly little practice contractions were the real deal because man oh man did I know it was for real this time around! The pains started out at 1 hour apart, then progressed to 30 minutes, then 10 minutes and so on until 6 am when they were 5 minutes apart. We promptly called Ma H to get ready because we knew we would be picking her up to accompany us to the hospital and also my lovely Sissy who would come and be with Rockstar Daughter for the duration of my labour. At 7:30am we headed to the hospital.
I was placed on the monitors and had all my vitals checked. After about 2 hours of monitoring they told me to go walk around the hospital for an hour. So, that's exactly what we did. We walked (and stood still during my contractions which would cause me to brace myself against whatever was closest at the moment) and walked.
After returning back to the Labour and Delivery Unit we were monitored for another little bit and then we were told we should head home until the contractions became at the most 3 minutes apart or whenever I could no longer handle the pain. At this point I was only 2 cm dilated. We arrived at home close to 1 pm and after a warm bath and lots of contractions we finally headed back in at 4 pm. I was admitted right away.
From 4 pm on is mostly a blur of excitement in my mind. I quickly progressed to 7 cm and then it seemed like forever to get to 10 but we made it by 9 pm.
I opted to NOT receive an epidural even though I was told on more then one occasion that I would be crazy not to have one, and to be fair, I said the exact same thing to my own Sister as she came in to visit us directly after the birth. It was a personal choice. I was not trying to prove how tough I was (Although I think this should DEFINITELY squash anyone who has the opinion that I am in fact not tough! :P), I chose not to because it wasn't for me and to be honest, I still feel the same. There is something super unnatural to me about having half your body numb and paralyzed. BUT that is only my opinion and in no way do I look down on anyone who has chose the opposite!
I did have two shots of Fentanyl. It is a fast acting drug which is out of your system within 20 minutes. By the time I asked for any relief I was 8 cm and I believe in too much pain to actually feel the effects of the drug. I remember questioning the nurse, sure that she was putting me on, that nothing was injected into my I.V.
I was doing great with breathing through and concentrating on the outcome. I stress WAS. By the time I was 10 cm, I was in a very large amount of pain and begging them to let me push. The little monster on her way out was taking her sweet time though and I had to wait an excruciating 15 minutes AFTER I was fully dilated to push. Once I was ready to push it was very quick. Our Angel made it out in a whopping 6 minutes, which bet my time of 7 minutes of pushing with Rockstar Daughter. It happened so quick that the nurse had to yell to my Doctor to get in there because she was coming so quick.
After that it was a flurry of excitement which included the pain ending and someone telling me it was a girl! I was so happy! I cried and cried and cried. I really wanted another girl, although there was NO way I would have said that out loud while pregnant. Don't get my wrong, I would love a son just as much and I really think I would be a great mother to a little boy but I just had such a wonderful experience with my first daughter and she is still such a joy that was all I had to compare it to, so why wouldn't I want another girl?
Our Angel was perfect.
A few other things I would like to point out:
There is NO way that I could have managed as well as I did without my Hubby and my mom. He really gave me the strength to make it through all the contractions and the pushing. She was my rock and knew exactly what to do and what to say.
The nurses know what they are talking about. They are experts.
You can give birth 20 times and still be shocked at the overwhelming feeling of love once your baby is screaming for your attention.
She sure was worth it.
"Did you have medication?"
"How long?"
"Was it really painful?"
"What does it feel like?"
Just some of the questions that I have been asked since giving birth to our Angel 6 weeks ago. 6 weeks. Crazy.
So, I was thinking, why not just blog about my labour experience this time around? Everyone (mostly women) like to hear about other women's labours and compare them to their own, right?
I'll start from the beginning.
At about 10:30pm on Monday, October 4th, Hubby and I were laying in bed watching TV when I got a pain. Now, for the previous 4-5 weeks I was having Braxton Hicks Contractions, so it wasn't out of the ordinary, but let me tell you.....I can't believe I actually thought those measly little practice contractions were the real deal because man oh man did I know it was for real this time around! The pains started out at 1 hour apart, then progressed to 30 minutes, then 10 minutes and so on until 6 am when they were 5 minutes apart. We promptly called Ma H to get ready because we knew we would be picking her up to accompany us to the hospital and also my lovely Sissy who would come and be with Rockstar Daughter for the duration of my labour. At 7:30am we headed to the hospital.
I was placed on the monitors and had all my vitals checked. After about 2 hours of monitoring they told me to go walk around the hospital for an hour. So, that's exactly what we did. We walked (and stood still during my contractions which would cause me to brace myself against whatever was closest at the moment) and walked.
After returning back to the Labour and Delivery Unit we were monitored for another little bit and then we were told we should head home until the contractions became at the most 3 minutes apart or whenever I could no longer handle the pain. At this point I was only 2 cm dilated. We arrived at home close to 1 pm and after a warm bath and lots of contractions we finally headed back in at 4 pm. I was admitted right away.
From 4 pm on is mostly a blur of excitement in my mind. I quickly progressed to 7 cm and then it seemed like forever to get to 10 but we made it by 9 pm.
I opted to NOT receive an epidural even though I was told on more then one occasion that I would be crazy not to have one, and to be fair, I said the exact same thing to my own Sister as she came in to visit us directly after the birth. It was a personal choice. I was not trying to prove how tough I was (Although I think this should DEFINITELY squash anyone who has the opinion that I am in fact not tough! :P), I chose not to because it wasn't for me and to be honest, I still feel the same. There is something super unnatural to me about having half your body numb and paralyzed. BUT that is only my opinion and in no way do I look down on anyone who has chose the opposite!
I did have two shots of Fentanyl. It is a fast acting drug which is out of your system within 20 minutes. By the time I asked for any relief I was 8 cm and I believe in too much pain to actually feel the effects of the drug. I remember questioning the nurse, sure that she was putting me on, that nothing was injected into my I.V.
I was doing great with breathing through and concentrating on the outcome. I stress WAS. By the time I was 10 cm, I was in a very large amount of pain and begging them to let me push. The little monster on her way out was taking her sweet time though and I had to wait an excruciating 15 minutes AFTER I was fully dilated to push. Once I was ready to push it was very quick. Our Angel made it out in a whopping 6 minutes, which bet my time of 7 minutes of pushing with Rockstar Daughter. It happened so quick that the nurse had to yell to my Doctor to get in there because she was coming so quick.
After that it was a flurry of excitement which included the pain ending and someone telling me it was a girl! I was so happy! I cried and cried and cried. I really wanted another girl, although there was NO way I would have said that out loud while pregnant. Don't get my wrong, I would love a son just as much and I really think I would be a great mother to a little boy but I just had such a wonderful experience with my first daughter and she is still such a joy that was all I had to compare it to, so why wouldn't I want another girl?
Our Angel was perfect.
A few other things I would like to point out:
There is NO way that I could have managed as well as I did without my Hubby and my mom. He really gave me the strength to make it through all the contractions and the pushing. She was my rock and knew exactly what to do and what to say.
The nurses know what they are talking about. They are experts.
You can give birth 20 times and still be shocked at the overwhelming feeling of love once your baby is screaming for your attention.
She sure was worth it.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Ooooooo Babies I Love Your Way......
My one wish for everyone who I care about is for them to feel the kind of love I have for New Baby and Rockstar Daughter. It is something that only a mom can feel. The love I have for them would get me through anything that I otherwise wouldn't make it through. They are so special to me and I hope one day they have a daughter of their own so that they can understand it can't be put into words. I was pleasantly surpised to find myself and our older girl become closer and form a new bond. This new bond was brought on by our new little one. We are always comparing her to Rockstar Daughter when she was a little baby and having her finally be with us is bringing back so many memories I have of Rockstar Daughter way back then. I've been so lucky and blessed to be able to call these two beautiful girls mine.
XO
XO
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Baby Update
Time sure does fly when your having fun! It's hard to believe that our Angel is almost 3 weeks old already (18 days to be exact!). She has been a source of constant joy here in our Happy Little Home. Hubby and I are always reminding ourselves how lucky we are to have our two beauitful, healthy girls here with us. Rockstar Daughter has been my rock so far, and I know she will continue on doing what she is doing! She loves her little sister so very much, and it's already obvious how much her little sister loves her back! It makes my heart skip a beat when I think of them. You wouldn't believe how comfortable she is holding, changing, feeding, snuggling and talking to her baby sister. I'm so proud of her, I know that when I was an 11 year old girl, there was no way I would've been so confident around babies as she is. This trait will surely be a great asset to her later on in life. :)
As for our newest Angel, she has already surpassed her birth weight and is doing wonderful! She is already holding her head up by herself and really enjoys "Tummy Time", which was something I was not looking forward to myself. She is also doing marvelous with breastfeeding. I'm thankful I am able to provide this for her, because I know of more then a few friends who tried but for one reason or another could not continue. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones who could!
Even though this was my second pregnancy and second child, nothing can prepare you for the intense labour and delivery and also the pure joy and happiness you feel after. Nothing compares to giving birth and being a parent. Our little family feels so complete now. We are so blessed with our girls and each other.
:)
As for our newest Angel, she has already surpassed her birth weight and is doing wonderful! She is already holding her head up by herself and really enjoys "Tummy Time", which was something I was not looking forward to myself. She is also doing marvelous with breastfeeding. I'm thankful I am able to provide this for her, because I know of more then a few friends who tried but for one reason or another could not continue. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones who could!
Even though this was my second pregnancy and second child, nothing can prepare you for the intense labour and delivery and also the pure joy and happiness you feel after. Nothing compares to giving birth and being a parent. Our little family feels so complete now. We are so blessed with our girls and each other.
:)
Thursday, October 14, 2010
She Has Arrived......
I am so happy to finally say that our baby girl is here!
Our Angel was born on October 5th, at 9:16pm. She weighed in at 7lbs and 2 oz. She is absolutely beautiful and perfect and we all are so happy. Our little family is complete.
The labour was long, but tolerable, well, up until the very end ;)
I managed with very minimal intervention, which is something that I really wanted to accomplish. She came out screaming, and has a clean bill of health!
Thank you to everyone for all your love and support!
Keep checking back for more updates about our Happy Little Family :)
XO
Our Angel was born on October 5th, at 9:16pm. She weighed in at 7lbs and 2 oz. She is absolutely beautiful and perfect and we all are so happy. Our little family is complete.
The labour was long, but tolerable, well, up until the very end ;)
I managed with very minimal intervention, which is something that I really wanted to accomplish. She came out screaming, and has a clean bill of health!
Thank you to everyone for all your love and support!
Keep checking back for more updates about our Happy Little Family :)
XO
Friday, October 1, 2010
"Patience is bitter, but it's fruit is sweet"
How true!
I've never been a patient person, even at my best. When I get something in my head, I want it done yesterday. Every time I start a sentence with "I have a good idea...." I automatically see Hubby's eyes gloss over and his shoulders slump, while I'm sure, thinking to himself...."now what is she going to have me do!" :)
I can't help it, I just don't like waiting! So, while these last nine months have been blissful for all the right reasons, they have also been LONG and tedious because I want to meet, hold, kiss, cuddle, take pictures of, spoil, talk to face to face, decide who she/he looks like, introduce, and most importantly love this little baby in person.
I am currently 6 days overdue as of today, and we have an induction date set for October 7th just in case, although Dr. M thinks he will see us in the hospital over the weekend (fingers crossed)! Everything is ready for little Gummy Bear here at home, all we have to do it wait. That awful "W" word again......yuck.
I would love to have the baby any time now, I mean, ANYTIME, but if we had him/her tomorrow it would be very special because Gummy would share a birthday with one of the most beautiful little girls in the world. She will be a year old tomorrow! Said baby girl "M" will be Gummy's cousin, 3rd to be exact, and she is very special to all of us. We are very much looking forward to Gummy having a cousin close to her age to play with and grow up with, get in trouble alongside, having sleepovers, and just generally becoming good friends. Family is so important, and we know Baby Girl M will continue to be an integral part of all of our lives, especially Gummy's.
Happy Birthday Baby Girl M - We love you!
So, that's all she wrote, we will continue to wait, and plan, and wait, and talk about him/her, and wait, and be excited, and wait for this already loved little one.
Thank you all for all the love and well wishes, we appreciate each and every phone call, email and good thought you send our way and feel very fortunate to be surrounded by all this positivity.
XO
I've never been a patient person, even at my best. When I get something in my head, I want it done yesterday. Every time I start a sentence with "I have a good idea...." I automatically see Hubby's eyes gloss over and his shoulders slump, while I'm sure, thinking to himself...."now what is she going to have me do!" :)
I can't help it, I just don't like waiting! So, while these last nine months have been blissful for all the right reasons, they have also been LONG and tedious because I want to meet, hold, kiss, cuddle, take pictures of, spoil, talk to face to face, decide who she/he looks like, introduce, and most importantly love this little baby in person.
I am currently 6 days overdue as of today, and we have an induction date set for October 7th just in case, although Dr. M thinks he will see us in the hospital over the weekend (fingers crossed)! Everything is ready for little Gummy Bear here at home, all we have to do it wait. That awful "W" word again......yuck.
I would love to have the baby any time now, I mean, ANYTIME, but if we had him/her tomorrow it would be very special because Gummy would share a birthday with one of the most beautiful little girls in the world. She will be a year old tomorrow! Said baby girl "M" will be Gummy's cousin, 3rd to be exact, and she is very special to all of us. We are very much looking forward to Gummy having a cousin close to her age to play with and grow up with, get in trouble alongside, having sleepovers, and just generally becoming good friends. Family is so important, and we know Baby Girl M will continue to be an integral part of all of our lives, especially Gummy's.
Happy Birthday Baby Girl M - We love you!
So, that's all she wrote, we will continue to wait, and plan, and wait, and talk about him/her, and wait, and be excited, and wait for this already loved little one.
Thank you all for all the love and well wishes, we appreciate each and every phone call, email and good thought you send our way and feel very fortunate to be surrounded by all this positivity.
XO
Friday, September 17, 2010
39 Weeks (Almost)
How far along? 38 Weeks and 6 days
How big is baby?: Between 6-8 pounds and 19-20 inches long! Gummy is pretty much at his/her birth size!
Maternity clothes?: Well, seeing as how I spent the majority of the pregnancy decked out in summer clothes, skirts, shorts etc, I actually had to buy a pair of pants yesterday! Killed me to spend money so close to the big day, but they were needed!
Stretch marks?: Nope
Sleep?: The last three nights I have had pretty good sleeps, but up until then, it hasn't been fun. I just feel so big and uncomfortable while laying down in bed because I always slept on my belly. Can't do that anymore, duh, and I'm still not used to laying on my side!
Best moment this week?: Finding out Gummy is no longer a breech baby!!! YAY! He/she just took their time getting into position, that's all!
Food cravings: The only real "craving" I have is ice cubes. Lots and lots of ice cubes! I go through many cups of ice a day! I love the crunch.
Gender: Still waiting to find out if Gummy is a boy or girl!!!
Belly button in or out?: In
Movement?: Oh yes, this baby is very active, although the last few days he/she has been slowing down a tad. Up until the baby turned, the movement was becoming painful, but now I can enjoy it again, nothing painful about it.
What I miss?: Sleeping on my belly.
What I'm looking forward to: Getting some pre-natal pictures taken with Hubby and Rockstar Daughter this weekend by my super talented photography wiz of a sister!
Milestones: Only a week left!
How big is baby?: Between 6-8 pounds and 19-20 inches long! Gummy is pretty much at his/her birth size!
Maternity clothes?: Well, seeing as how I spent the majority of the pregnancy decked out in summer clothes, skirts, shorts etc, I actually had to buy a pair of pants yesterday! Killed me to spend money so close to the big day, but they were needed!
Stretch marks?: Nope
Sleep?: The last three nights I have had pretty good sleeps, but up until then, it hasn't been fun. I just feel so big and uncomfortable while laying down in bed because I always slept on my belly. Can't do that anymore, duh, and I'm still not used to laying on my side!
Best moment this week?: Finding out Gummy is no longer a breech baby!!! YAY! He/she just took their time getting into position, that's all!
Food cravings: The only real "craving" I have is ice cubes. Lots and lots of ice cubes! I go through many cups of ice a day! I love the crunch.
Gender: Still waiting to find out if Gummy is a boy or girl!!!
Belly button in or out?: In
Movement?: Oh yes, this baby is very active, although the last few days he/she has been slowing down a tad. Up until the baby turned, the movement was becoming painful, but now I can enjoy it again, nothing painful about it.
What I miss?: Sleeping on my belly.
What I'm looking forward to: Getting some pre-natal pictures taken with Hubby and Rockstar Daughter this weekend by my super talented photography wiz of a sister!
Milestones: Only a week left!
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