Birth: 8lbs 12 oz, 21.5" long
6 months: 15lbs 12 oz 27" long
12 months: 19lbs 11 oz, 31.75" long
24 months: 27.75lbs, 35.5" long
3 years: 31lbs, 38.5" long
4 years: 35lbs, 43" long
5 years: 40.8lbs, 45" long
6 years: 43.5lbs, 47.2" long
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Oh How He's Grown!
I absolulely love looking back on things and seeing how much Sebastian has grown. So for fun I wanted to record Seb's weight and height measurements since the day he was born (even though the information can be found on the blog!), seeing that he just came back from having his Annual on Friday. He has consistently been lower on the chart for weight (closer to the 50tlh percentile now) and higher for height (between the 90th and 95th percentile). Regardless, he's our boy and it's so much fun watching him grow!
6 months: 15lbs 12 oz 27" long
4 years: 35lbs, 43" long
5 years: 40.8lbs, 45" long
6 years: 43.5lbs, 47.2" long
6 months: 15lbs 12 oz 27" long4 years: 35lbs, 43" long
5 years: 40.8lbs, 45" long
6 years: 43.5lbs, 47.2" long
Friday, September 21, 2012
The conversations we have.....
Seb: Daniel said if two boys get married they'll go to jail
Me: That's not true.
Seb: I know
Me: Why do you think he said that?
Seb: Cause he's just jealous I'm marrying Manraj and not him
*Oh how I love our boy!
Me: That's not true.
Seb: I know
Me: Why do you think he said that?
Seb: Cause he's just jealous I'm marrying Manraj and not him
*Oh how I love our boy!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Six years ago....
Six years ago yesterday....
It was Monday September 18, 2006. I awoke and was looking forward to not having to go into work as I was using up some vacation days before my maternity leave started. I had plans to do the laundry and then I was going to go to the grocery store to buy a number of items to start preparing casseroles and lasagna to have ready for when the baby came. The following day, Tues Sept 19th, would mark one week until my due date. I was really tired because a few days before that, on the Friday, my in-laws had come to town and we had walked all over downtown Toronto. When I had awoken on Saturday I was so sore but I just chalked it up to all the walking I had done on my poor swollen ankles the day before. On Sunday things weren't feeling much better so we just took it easy. Even though I had all these grand plans to get all these meals prepared and to do laundry I was surprised by how painful it was to carry the load of laundry down to the basement. I wasn't too sure how I would manage grocery shopping at that point and made the executive decision that it would have to wait until Jamie got home so that he could help me carry the groceries! I sent Jamie an email telling him that I wasn't feeling quite "right" and that we'd have to do groceries later.
The rest of the day was a blur. I'm not sure what I did. I probably rearranged the nursery again or just spent time sitting in the nursery envisioning having my baby in my arms. I know I napped at some point later in the afternoon and when I woke up I felt even worse and a little crampy. We were in the midst of making plans to go out for dinner with our friends Jon and Marion for the following night and I remember sending Jon an email telling him to call tomorrow before meeting us at the restaurant in case I was too busy having a baby!
When I awoke from my nap it was close to 5 p.m. and the labour cramps had started. They weren't necessarily bad, but they were different than what I had ever experienced, and they were regular - occurring every 5 minutes. As the Midwives told us not to call them until the contractions were consistent for one hour, lasting for one minute 4 minutes apart I just sat there waiting for Jamie to come home.
By the time Jamie came home I told him what was happening and we sat down to eat dinner. The contractions weren't intense at this point but they were definitely noticable. I ate some dinner and recall timing the contractions. They were lasting for about 10 seconds and occuring regularly every 5 minutes. At this point, they weren't too bad at all, however, I can't recall the remainder of the night until about 10 p.m. I'm sure I watched TV or went through my hospital again for the umpteenth time to make sure I had everything!
By 10 p.m. the contractions were much more intense and the pain was all in my back. I asked Jamie to push into my back and put as much pressure as he could on it, but he stopped short when I told him that he would have to stand on my back! I remember being on all fours on my bed rocking back and forth to attempt to "ride out" the contractions and recall feeling a "pop" - my water broke! At this point we called the Midwives who asked why we hadn't called earlier! When I explained that we weren't at the 4-1-1- yet they laughed and said I took them too literal (who me?!?!). We talked on the phone for a bit and I was surprised when Sara, our Midwife said, "Well, you can still talk to me so you have a ways to go still. Take a couple of gravol, get some sleep and give me a call in the morning". Say what?!?! You mean there would be a point when I couldn't talk because the pain would be so bad?? I immediately told Jamie to go to sleep and get some rest as I knew I wouldn't be getting any and as he couldn't really help me anyways I wanted one of us to at least have a good nights sleep. I also wanted to be alone with my labour. I remember going into the nursery and sitting on the chair backwards and leaning over the top of the chair, moaning/yelling into a pillow so that our neighbours, whose home was attached, wouldn't hear me.
At midnight I woke Jamie back up. The pain was intense and I wanted to find out when the Midwives would be coming over. Again Sara did the "talk" trick and told me I should be fine for a bit and to call them back in a few hours. So at 3 a.m. we called them back and were told that Sara and Christie would be on their way over to check in on my progress. They were at the house before 3:30 a.m. I was so scared when they went to check me that I was only going to be 1 cm dilated and that I had gone through so much pain for so long with such little progress but I was pleasantly surprised when they said I was already almost 5 cm! Woo hoo! Half way there! Christie then asked to (too much information alert) see evidence of my water breaking. I had been told a "trick" of wearing Depends undergarments by another mom friend of mine so when my water had broken earlier everything had been contained in one of these (and please, stop picturing me in a diaper!) as opposed to all over the floor. Christie picked it up and looked at it closely and I could see her and Sara pass a knowing glance between one another. I asked what was wrong and it was explained to me that the colour of my water wasn't as clear as it should have been and that it looked like there was meconium in it. Christie said we needed to get to the hospital right away. I asked if I had time for a quick shower and was told I did, however, it was cut short by Christie telling me we had to go. I got out a little grumpily as the hot water cascading on my belly during contractions was nothing short of bliss - it felt amazing and I was looking forward to hopping right into the jacuzzi tub when we got to the hospital!
Getting to the hospital was a bit of an adventure. We literally live two minutes from the hospital and there are two routes you can go. One has speed bumps and the other doesn't. Guess which one my dear husband chose to take? Speed bumps! For every bump I groaned/moaned/yelled into a pillow. He tried to take them slow but no matter how slow he went, as I would then tell him to hurry up, it hurt. So take note to everyone who has yet to and/or who are going to be having a baby and ensure you don't take the speed bump route!
When we got to the hospital it was explained to me that due to the meconium a scalp clip would need to be put on the baby's head to monitor his breathing and heartrate. I was introduced to a very nice doctor who was over 6' and who had the largest hands I have ever seen! He quickly put on the scalp clip and I was informed that due to the meconium when the baby was born there was a chance that the baby would have to be whisked away to the nursery if the baby didn't come out crying/screaming. I remember telling Jamie that he was to follow the baby no matter what happened to me and that the baby was more important and he was not to leave the baby's side no matter what the circumstance.
The contractions were still steady at this point and lasting for 10 secs. As they hit I would count "1 Mississippi, two Missisippi..." to see them through. At this point I asked about the jacuzzi tub and was informed that due to the scalp clip I was not getting anywhere near water. I asked if I could get up and walk around and Sara pointed to this big machine that the clip was attached to. I was trapped! It was at the moment that I realized I was bed bound and all the plans I had for managing my labour by having a bath, walking, bouncing on a ball etc., were not going to work. I took one look at Sara and as if she was reading my mind she stated that the anesthesiologist was down the hall and was about to go into a surgery. Would I like an epidural before they leave as it's not known when they would be available again? I don't even think I said yes, perhaps I nodded, I'm not too sure, but the next thing I know the anesthesiologist was in the room and I was ready. I was actually a little worried about Jamie at this point. Jamie does not do needles. And seeing that he was holding me still to ensure that anesthesiologist actually got the correct spot I was so scared he was going to jump and cause the needle to hit the wrong nerve. Nothing like putting faith in the man you love! Twenty minutes after that, I was in heaven. Despite wanting to go as long as I could without an epidural as soon as I knew I was bed bound and that I had back labour, which I've heard is much more painful than "regular" labour (as if there is such a thing as "regular" labour!) I welcomed the relief! By 6 a.m. I was sitting cozily in the bed chatting up a storm and anxiously waiting to meet my little one!
Around 8:30 a.m. I think my in-laws arrived. Jamie had called our parents to let them know we were at the hospital at some point between 6 and 8:30, but when asked he can't recall calling them stating that the whole day was a blur! We chatted for quite some time and then they left for a bit to go to the Farmer's Market across the street.
By this time things had slowed down and I wasn't progressing very quickly (no thanks to the epidural I'm sure!). Because of this I had to be given medicine to speed things up, at which point, we had to do a transfer of care as the Midwives cannot administer this medication. What this meant was that a doctor, one whom I have never met before, was now going to be responsible for my care and the delivery of our baby. I wasn't very happy with this decision but was relieved when I found out that this did not mean that Sara and Christie would be leaving me... they would still be there with me by my side! I also for some strange reason developed a fever at some point during the day. And due to this I was informed that they would have to do some testing on the baby shortly after birth to ensure I hadn't passed on an infection of any sort. I was also informed that due to the meconium there would also be a pediatrician in the room during delivery in case the baby needed to be whisked down to the nursery (basically in case the baby needed to be resuscitated, which they didn't say, but I knew).
The rest of the afternoon was quite long. I remember being told to get some rest, and I have no idea how they thought I could rest! I was wired! I was finally meeting my little baby! The little one who I talked and sang to daily, the little one who's bum or head (we never knew which) I would rub and the little one I had dreamed of for so long! I was so anxious to finally be able to hold my baby there was no way I was going to miss a thing by sleeping!
At one point in the afternoon, around 4 p.m., this one nurse came in holding a mirror and various other apparatus and I asked her what thye were for and I remember her saying, "They're for you dear. You're going to be pushing soon". I don't think it was until this point that the panic started to kick in and I realized exactly what I was about to go through in order to have my baby in my arms!
Shortly after 4 p.m. I was told it was time to push. I recall Christie telling me at one point that my family were all anxious to meet our baby and I remember questioning her on this because for all I knew it was just Jamie's parents who were at the hospital. Christie turned to me and told me that my mother, sister and niece and nephew were there and that my father, brother-in-law and brother would be arriving a little later. This was such a bittersweet moment for me... I didn't realize they had planned on being there! It was a wonderful surprise to know they had made the effort to be there on such an important day!
As I was told it was time to push I was surprised that I didn't feel the "urge" to push, so it felt very strange to me to be pushing when my body wasn't telling me too. While taking a breather during pushing Jamie, who dutifully listened while attending our prenatal classes, would offer me sips of Gatorade. It got to the point that as soon as I stopped there would be the Gatorade in my face. I'm not sure how it didn't end up all over the floor but I eventually told him thanks but no thanks and to literally get it out of my face! The poor guy! All he was trying to do was be a good husband and help! But I'm proud to say I didn't yell, I didn't swear and there were no "crazy women in labour" moments that you see in the movies!
I didn't say much during actual labour. I remember pushing and hoping that I was doing it correctly. The nurse asked me if I wanted to watch in the mirror and I declined and as things continued I remember only two things I said during the whole process. One was "Get your hands out of me" (seriously, why didn't anyone tell me I would have so many hands in me?!?!) and two as I experienced what I call the "ring of fire", I stated "Get the baby out of me now!".
And at 5:14 p.m. I heard the world's most wonderful cry. The pediatrician, who had been standing in the doorway, quietly slipped away. The baby, who's gender I did not know at the time, was placed on my chest. I took one look at him and the first words I said to my son were, "I knew you were a boy!" It was the most wonderful experience of my life. The baby, now named Sebastian, had his eyes open and was lifting his head to my voice. It was almost as if to look me in the eye to confirm that we just did this together. Jamie was standing by my side, with one arm gently on Sebastian's back and the other hand cutting the umbilical chord. It truly was one of the most magical moments of my life.
I don't think it was until closer to 7 p.m. that we had family waiting to hear our joyous news! There had been so much happening between complications with myself and testing for Sebastian to make sure he didn't have an infection that we forgot they were there! Most of it was a blur but I remember Christie going to weigh Sebastian and me telling her I wanted to guess his weight. Due to my job I was used to looking at babies so I took one look at our baby, stated 8lbs 12 ounces and lo and behold! I was right! I just gave birth to an almost 9 lb baby!
Shortly after 7 p.m. the whole family came in to meet the newest member! My nephew Jeremy was so happy to have a boy cousin that he kept exclaiming how he just knew I was having a boy! Everyone stayed for a little while and then slowly trinkled out. I'm not too sure what the time was at this point. Sebastian was swaddled and lying in a cot, Jamie was in the pull out chair and I was in the bed.
At some point during the night Sebastian awoke and began to cry. Jamie attempted to soothe him and a nurse came down to the room asking what was the matter? Jamie said, "Nothing is the matter, he's just crying" and the Nurse replied, "Dear, that's not a cry. That's a scream." And alas, our passionate little boy continued to scream for the first 3 months of his life (or at least, that's our joke!)! The nurse, while in our room and after Sebastian had nursed, gave Sebastian a warm bath, swaddled him tight and placed him beside me in my bed. It was the best sleep I have ever had.
We stayed in the hospital for one more night, much longer than we had anticipated, but it was nice. Jon and Marion came to meet Sebastian and the nursing staff were wonderful. When we left on the Wednesday night it was so cold compared to how warm it was when we first went to the hospital! It was such a strange feeling going home with Sebastian without having any help! It all felt so complicated with the pee and poo charts, the nursing, the diapering etc., that I was so thankful to see the Midwives the next day when they came to check in on us. They were such a wonderful source of support.
The few days after birth were a blur. The Midwives would come daily to check in on us and I just remember remaining in bed with our little bundle and cudding between the nursings and changing. And if someone were to ask me if I would do it all again, I would. In a heart beat. Everything we went through was worth it and I can't believe it was already six years ago today that our lives changed so much for the better and we met the love of our lives. It has been an amazing adventure and I can't wait for what is yet to come.
It was Monday September 18, 2006. I awoke and was looking forward to not having to go into work as I was using up some vacation days before my maternity leave started. I had plans to do the laundry and then I was going to go to the grocery store to buy a number of items to start preparing casseroles and lasagna to have ready for when the baby came. The following day, Tues Sept 19th, would mark one week until my due date. I was really tired because a few days before that, on the Friday, my in-laws had come to town and we had walked all over downtown Toronto. When I had awoken on Saturday I was so sore but I just chalked it up to all the walking I had done on my poor swollen ankles the day before. On Sunday things weren't feeling much better so we just took it easy. Even though I had all these grand plans to get all these meals prepared and to do laundry I was surprised by how painful it was to carry the load of laundry down to the basement. I wasn't too sure how I would manage grocery shopping at that point and made the executive decision that it would have to wait until Jamie got home so that he could help me carry the groceries! I sent Jamie an email telling him that I wasn't feeling quite "right" and that we'd have to do groceries later.
The rest of the day was a blur. I'm not sure what I did. I probably rearranged the nursery again or just spent time sitting in the nursery envisioning having my baby in my arms. I know I napped at some point later in the afternoon and when I woke up I felt even worse and a little crampy. We were in the midst of making plans to go out for dinner with our friends Jon and Marion for the following night and I remember sending Jon an email telling him to call tomorrow before meeting us at the restaurant in case I was too busy having a baby!
When I awoke from my nap it was close to 5 p.m. and the labour cramps had started. They weren't necessarily bad, but they were different than what I had ever experienced, and they were regular - occurring every 5 minutes. As the Midwives told us not to call them until the contractions were consistent for one hour, lasting for one minute 4 minutes apart I just sat there waiting for Jamie to come home.
By the time Jamie came home I told him what was happening and we sat down to eat dinner. The contractions weren't intense at this point but they were definitely noticable. I ate some dinner and recall timing the contractions. They were lasting for about 10 seconds and occuring regularly every 5 minutes. At this point, they weren't too bad at all, however, I can't recall the remainder of the night until about 10 p.m. I'm sure I watched TV or went through my hospital again for the umpteenth time to make sure I had everything!
By 10 p.m. the contractions were much more intense and the pain was all in my back. I asked Jamie to push into my back and put as much pressure as he could on it, but he stopped short when I told him that he would have to stand on my back! I remember being on all fours on my bed rocking back and forth to attempt to "ride out" the contractions and recall feeling a "pop" - my water broke! At this point we called the Midwives who asked why we hadn't called earlier! When I explained that we weren't at the 4-1-1- yet they laughed and said I took them too literal (who me?!?!). We talked on the phone for a bit and I was surprised when Sara, our Midwife said, "Well, you can still talk to me so you have a ways to go still. Take a couple of gravol, get some sleep and give me a call in the morning". Say what?!?! You mean there would be a point when I couldn't talk because the pain would be so bad?? I immediately told Jamie to go to sleep and get some rest as I knew I wouldn't be getting any and as he couldn't really help me anyways I wanted one of us to at least have a good nights sleep. I also wanted to be alone with my labour. I remember going into the nursery and sitting on the chair backwards and leaning over the top of the chair, moaning/yelling into a pillow so that our neighbours, whose home was attached, wouldn't hear me.
At midnight I woke Jamie back up. The pain was intense and I wanted to find out when the Midwives would be coming over. Again Sara did the "talk" trick and told me I should be fine for a bit and to call them back in a few hours. So at 3 a.m. we called them back and were told that Sara and Christie would be on their way over to check in on my progress. They were at the house before 3:30 a.m. I was so scared when they went to check me that I was only going to be 1 cm dilated and that I had gone through so much pain for so long with such little progress but I was pleasantly surprised when they said I was already almost 5 cm! Woo hoo! Half way there! Christie then asked to (too much information alert) see evidence of my water breaking. I had been told a "trick" of wearing Depends undergarments by another mom friend of mine so when my water had broken earlier everything had been contained in one of these (and please, stop picturing me in a diaper!) as opposed to all over the floor. Christie picked it up and looked at it closely and I could see her and Sara pass a knowing glance between one another. I asked what was wrong and it was explained to me that the colour of my water wasn't as clear as it should have been and that it looked like there was meconium in it. Christie said we needed to get to the hospital right away. I asked if I had time for a quick shower and was told I did, however, it was cut short by Christie telling me we had to go. I got out a little grumpily as the hot water cascading on my belly during contractions was nothing short of bliss - it felt amazing and I was looking forward to hopping right into the jacuzzi tub when we got to the hospital!
Getting to the hospital was a bit of an adventure. We literally live two minutes from the hospital and there are two routes you can go. One has speed bumps and the other doesn't. Guess which one my dear husband chose to take? Speed bumps! For every bump I groaned/moaned/yelled into a pillow. He tried to take them slow but no matter how slow he went, as I would then tell him to hurry up, it hurt. So take note to everyone who has yet to and/or who are going to be having a baby and ensure you don't take the speed bump route!
When we got to the hospital it was explained to me that due to the meconium a scalp clip would need to be put on the baby's head to monitor his breathing and heartrate. I was introduced to a very nice doctor who was over 6' and who had the largest hands I have ever seen! He quickly put on the scalp clip and I was informed that due to the meconium when the baby was born there was a chance that the baby would have to be whisked away to the nursery if the baby didn't come out crying/screaming. I remember telling Jamie that he was to follow the baby no matter what happened to me and that the baby was more important and he was not to leave the baby's side no matter what the circumstance.
The contractions were still steady at this point and lasting for 10 secs. As they hit I would count "1 Mississippi, two Missisippi..." to see them through. At this point I asked about the jacuzzi tub and was informed that due to the scalp clip I was not getting anywhere near water. I asked if I could get up and walk around and Sara pointed to this big machine that the clip was attached to. I was trapped! It was at the moment that I realized I was bed bound and all the plans I had for managing my labour by having a bath, walking, bouncing on a ball etc., were not going to work. I took one look at Sara and as if she was reading my mind she stated that the anesthesiologist was down the hall and was about to go into a surgery. Would I like an epidural before they leave as it's not known when they would be available again? I don't even think I said yes, perhaps I nodded, I'm not too sure, but the next thing I know the anesthesiologist was in the room and I was ready. I was actually a little worried about Jamie at this point. Jamie does not do needles. And seeing that he was holding me still to ensure that anesthesiologist actually got the correct spot I was so scared he was going to jump and cause the needle to hit the wrong nerve. Nothing like putting faith in the man you love! Twenty minutes after that, I was in heaven. Despite wanting to go as long as I could without an epidural as soon as I knew I was bed bound and that I had back labour, which I've heard is much more painful than "regular" labour (as if there is such a thing as "regular" labour!) I welcomed the relief! By 6 a.m. I was sitting cozily in the bed chatting up a storm and anxiously waiting to meet my little one!
Around 8:30 a.m. I think my in-laws arrived. Jamie had called our parents to let them know we were at the hospital at some point between 6 and 8:30, but when asked he can't recall calling them stating that the whole day was a blur! We chatted for quite some time and then they left for a bit to go to the Farmer's Market across the street.
By this time things had slowed down and I wasn't progressing very quickly (no thanks to the epidural I'm sure!). Because of this I had to be given medicine to speed things up, at which point, we had to do a transfer of care as the Midwives cannot administer this medication. What this meant was that a doctor, one whom I have never met before, was now going to be responsible for my care and the delivery of our baby. I wasn't very happy with this decision but was relieved when I found out that this did not mean that Sara and Christie would be leaving me... they would still be there with me by my side! I also for some strange reason developed a fever at some point during the day. And due to this I was informed that they would have to do some testing on the baby shortly after birth to ensure I hadn't passed on an infection of any sort. I was also informed that due to the meconium there would also be a pediatrician in the room during delivery in case the baby needed to be whisked down to the nursery (basically in case the baby needed to be resuscitated, which they didn't say, but I knew).
The rest of the afternoon was quite long. I remember being told to get some rest, and I have no idea how they thought I could rest! I was wired! I was finally meeting my little baby! The little one who I talked and sang to daily, the little one who's bum or head (we never knew which) I would rub and the little one I had dreamed of for so long! I was so anxious to finally be able to hold my baby there was no way I was going to miss a thing by sleeping!
At one point in the afternoon, around 4 p.m., this one nurse came in holding a mirror and various other apparatus and I asked her what thye were for and I remember her saying, "They're for you dear. You're going to be pushing soon". I don't think it was until this point that the panic started to kick in and I realized exactly what I was about to go through in order to have my baby in my arms!
Shortly after 4 p.m. I was told it was time to push. I recall Christie telling me at one point that my family were all anxious to meet our baby and I remember questioning her on this because for all I knew it was just Jamie's parents who were at the hospital. Christie turned to me and told me that my mother, sister and niece and nephew were there and that my father, brother-in-law and brother would be arriving a little later. This was such a bittersweet moment for me... I didn't realize they had planned on being there! It was a wonderful surprise to know they had made the effort to be there on such an important day!
As I was told it was time to push I was surprised that I didn't feel the "urge" to push, so it felt very strange to me to be pushing when my body wasn't telling me too. While taking a breather during pushing Jamie, who dutifully listened while attending our prenatal classes, would offer me sips of Gatorade. It got to the point that as soon as I stopped there would be the Gatorade in my face. I'm not sure how it didn't end up all over the floor but I eventually told him thanks but no thanks and to literally get it out of my face! The poor guy! All he was trying to do was be a good husband and help! But I'm proud to say I didn't yell, I didn't swear and there were no "crazy women in labour" moments that you see in the movies!
I didn't say much during actual labour. I remember pushing and hoping that I was doing it correctly. The nurse asked me if I wanted to watch in the mirror and I declined and as things continued I remember only two things I said during the whole process. One was "Get your hands out of me" (seriously, why didn't anyone tell me I would have so many hands in me?!?!) and two as I experienced what I call the "ring of fire", I stated "Get the baby out of me now!".
And at 5:14 p.m. I heard the world's most wonderful cry. The pediatrician, who had been standing in the doorway, quietly slipped away. The baby, who's gender I did not know at the time, was placed on my chest. I took one look at him and the first words I said to my son were, "I knew you were a boy!" It was the most wonderful experience of my life. The baby, now named Sebastian, had his eyes open and was lifting his head to my voice. It was almost as if to look me in the eye to confirm that we just did this together. Jamie was standing by my side, with one arm gently on Sebastian's back and the other hand cutting the umbilical chord. It truly was one of the most magical moments of my life.
I don't think it was until closer to 7 p.m. that we had family waiting to hear our joyous news! There had been so much happening between complications with myself and testing for Sebastian to make sure he didn't have an infection that we forgot they were there! Most of it was a blur but I remember Christie going to weigh Sebastian and me telling her I wanted to guess his weight. Due to my job I was used to looking at babies so I took one look at our baby, stated 8lbs 12 ounces and lo and behold! I was right! I just gave birth to an almost 9 lb baby!
Shortly after 7 p.m. the whole family came in to meet the newest member! My nephew Jeremy was so happy to have a boy cousin that he kept exclaiming how he just knew I was having a boy! Everyone stayed for a little while and then slowly trinkled out. I'm not too sure what the time was at this point. Sebastian was swaddled and lying in a cot, Jamie was in the pull out chair and I was in the bed.
At some point during the night Sebastian awoke and began to cry. Jamie attempted to soothe him and a nurse came down to the room asking what was the matter? Jamie said, "Nothing is the matter, he's just crying" and the Nurse replied, "Dear, that's not a cry. That's a scream." And alas, our passionate little boy continued to scream for the first 3 months of his life (or at least, that's our joke!)! The nurse, while in our room and after Sebastian had nursed, gave Sebastian a warm bath, swaddled him tight and placed him beside me in my bed. It was the best sleep I have ever had.
We stayed in the hospital for one more night, much longer than we had anticipated, but it was nice. Jon and Marion came to meet Sebastian and the nursing staff were wonderful. When we left on the Wednesday night it was so cold compared to how warm it was when we first went to the hospital! It was such a strange feeling going home with Sebastian without having any help! It all felt so complicated with the pee and poo charts, the nursing, the diapering etc., that I was so thankful to see the Midwives the next day when they came to check in on us. They were such a wonderful source of support.
The few days after birth were a blur. The Midwives would come daily to check in on us and I just remember remaining in bed with our little bundle and cudding between the nursings and changing. And if someone were to ask me if I would do it all again, I would. In a heart beat. Everything we went through was worth it and I can't believe it was already six years ago today that our lives changed so much for the better and we met the love of our lives. It has been an amazing adventure and I can't wait for what is yet to come.
On the Night You Were Born....
On the Night You Were Born
“On the night you were born, The moon smiled with such wonder That the stars peeked in to see you
And the night wind whispered, “Life will never be the same.”
Because there had never been anyone like you…ever in the world.
So enchanted with you were the wind and the rain That they whispered the sound of your wonderful name.
It sailed through the farmland High on the breeze… Over the ocean… And through the trees…
Until everyone heard it And everyone knew Of the one and only ever you.
Not once had there been such eyes, Such a nose, Such silly, wiggly, wonderful toes.
When the polar bears heard, They danced until dawn. From faraway places, The geese flew home.
The moon stayed up until Morning next day. And none of the ladybugs flew away.
So whenever you doubt just how special you are And you wonder who loves you, how much and how far,
Listen for geese honking high in the sky. (They’re singing a song to remember you by.)
Or notice the bears asleep at the zoo. (It’s because they’ve been dancing all night for you!)
Or drift off to sleep to the sound of the wind. (Listen closely…it’s whispering your name again!)
If the moon stays up until morning one day, Or a ladybug lands and decides to stay,
Or a little bird sits at your window awhile, It’s because they’re all hoping to see you smile…
For never before in story or rhyme (not even once upon a time) Has the world ever known a you, my friend,
And it never will, not ever again… Heaven blew every trumpet And played every horn
On the wonderful, marvelous Night you were born.”
by Nancy Tillman
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Birthday Party
Today Seb has his birthday party with his friends. There were 10 kids in total and we found the perfect venue in which the kids are all secluded in one room, there are no other families/kids present, and the craft, cake and pizza and clean up are all included in the very reasonable price - the local YMCA!
Anyways I think I'm, like every year, in a bit of shock that Sebastian is turning one year older on the 19th. I miss my little baby. The little baby that would stand at the front door and make noise so that the store keeper across the street would start waving to him from across the way, or the baby that would stand at the front door and say "bus" as it would stop across the street. The little one who would run around the house saying "cheese" because mommy always had her camera out or the little giggles I would get whenever I would begin to sing, "Ain't it great to be crazy".
Now I have a little boy that can sit at the table and do art work for hours, drawing picture after picture of superheroes, spaceships, animals, dragons and anything that suits his fancy at that very moment. Now I have a little boy that sits down and reads and who can sit so contently and play on his own, be it building amazing lego structures or interacting with his toys. Now I have a little boy who finds the subtle humour in things, who gets such a great gutteral laugh at physical humour and who enjoys just being in the moment and appreciating the little things.
It's been an amazing six years..........
Anyways I think I'm, like every year, in a bit of shock that Sebastian is turning one year older on the 19th. I miss my little baby. The little baby that would stand at the front door and make noise so that the store keeper across the street would start waving to him from across the way, or the baby that would stand at the front door and say "bus" as it would stop across the street. The little one who would run around the house saying "cheese" because mommy always had her camera out or the little giggles I would get whenever I would begin to sing, "Ain't it great to be crazy".
Now I have a little boy that can sit at the table and do art work for hours, drawing picture after picture of superheroes, spaceships, animals, dragons and anything that suits his fancy at that very moment. Now I have a little boy that sits down and reads and who can sit so contently and play on his own, be it building amazing lego structures or interacting with his toys. Now I have a little boy who finds the subtle humour in things, who gets such a great gutteral laugh at physical humour and who enjoys just being in the moment and appreciating the little things.
It's been an amazing six years..........
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| Making "goo" |
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| The "gang" |
Saturday, September 8, 2012
The Wheels on the Bus....
Well the S-man survived his first week of school. Can't quite say we survived the bus, but well, that's the story I'm about to tell....
The bus arrives at 8:14 a.m. very close to our home. The first day of school we made it out to the bus in plenty of time and Sebastian was the only student at the stop. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we waved good-bye as they drove away and then hopped in our car and met Sebastian at the school.
The first day the bus arrived prior to any of the teacher's being out on yard duty. He was walked to the area that the children congregate by a teacher who had just been arriving to school and then we met up with him. I didn't think too much about it at the time, seeing that it was the first day of school, but I was worried that Sebastian arrived to the school 25 minutes before the bell and that there were hardly any kids there. As such, he stuck by our side, which was fine as it was the first day.
That night he took the bus home, which was over 10 minutes late (talk about a worried mama!), and complained when he got off the bus that he didn't know anyone on the bus. We reassured Sebastian that as time went on he would know the kids on the bus but he wasn't convinced.
On Wednesday we caught the bus again and this time there were a couple of more children at our stop. By the time we arrived at the school to meet up with him he was standing by the bus with two of the bus helpers that take his bus on the verge of tears. Again, no teachers were out on duty.
When I arrived home I called the bus company and voiced my concern about the lack of supervision and the safety concerns I had with this situation. As it was only the second day of the new school day I understood that there were kinks to work out but I wasn't exactly happy with the situation.
Sebastian didn't take the bus home as he went to the sitter's. Jamie went to the school to ensure Sebastian could find her after school and by the time Jamie arrived Sebastian was already standing with Amanda (it helps that one of the girls from his class goes to Amanda's too after school!) so any concerns we had about Sebastian meeting up with his babysitter were alleviated.
On Thursday we missed the bus as it came early. Sebastian let out a big "yippee" when he realized we missed it. As such we drove him to school and I noted that his bus was there before 8:20 a.m. (teachers come out at 8:25 to supervise) but the bus just sat there with the students on the bus waiting and the children did not exit until a teacher came out to greet them.
That evening the bus was 5 minutes late and Sebastian got off the bus stating that his day was "Awesome!" One of the neighbourhood kids was on the bus and Sebastian said he was so happy as he sat with this other child. Sebastian and this other child played at our house until dinner time.
On Friday we got out to the bus stop before 8:10 a.m. but then nature called so we missed the bus, that again, came early. We arrived at the school a little later that morning but I did notice that the kids from his bus were already there in the play area and the teacher's were just beginning to trickle out of the school.
When I got home I called the bus company again, suggesting the bus pick the kids up 10 minutes later to alleviate the concerns of the lack of supervision but was advised that the bus driver had children he had to get to another school so this was not feasible and the other bus that runs on our street (that comes 10 minutes later in the mornings and 10 minutes earlier in the afternoon) was full.
So with that said, it looks like we'll be putting Seb on the bus in the mornings and driving to school to ensure he is supervised. As well, as Sebastian does not know a lot of the children on the playground he often just stands there until his friends arrive approx. 5 minutes before the bell, leaving Seb standing around doing nothing for 20 minutes.
*Sigh*
Anyways, we will see how long this will keep up. We have already discussed that I will continue to put Seb on the bus and meet him at the school for at least the next two weeks. If we are continually seeing that there is no supervision and he is not comfortable waiting the 20 minutes by himself doing nothing then I will drive him to school, which isn't an issue seeing that I'm up already and our mornings will then not be too rushed as we'll have an extra 15 minutes and come winter, he won't be having to spend so much time outside in the cold (And no, we're not coddling him. We know our son and the tough love approach does not work. Instead it creates an insecure child who feels he can't trust his parents to be there for him, so please don't even go there/judge). There are no concerns with taking the bus home, so we will continue with that and we are hoping that with the first week of school done then perhaps more kids will be starting to take the bus which will slow down the bus getting to the school.
So if it wasn't for this bus dilemma the first week would have been excellent! Sebastian is slowly adjusting to having to attend 5 days/week but he's doing well and he just loves the art time that they've been having. I'm sure we'll hit more resistance as time goes on, but we'll deal with it then. In the meantime we hope that those wheels on the bus will keep on turning and everything will work out.
The first day the bus arrived prior to any of the teacher's being out on yard duty. He was walked to the area that the children congregate by a teacher who had just been arriving to school and then we met up with him. I didn't think too much about it at the time, seeing that it was the first day of school, but I was worried that Sebastian arrived to the school 25 minutes before the bell and that there were hardly any kids there. As such, he stuck by our side, which was fine as it was the first day.
That night he took the bus home, which was over 10 minutes late (talk about a worried mama!), and complained when he got off the bus that he didn't know anyone on the bus. We reassured Sebastian that as time went on he would know the kids on the bus but he wasn't convinced.
On Wednesday we caught the bus again and this time there were a couple of more children at our stop. By the time we arrived at the school to meet up with him he was standing by the bus with two of the bus helpers that take his bus on the verge of tears. Again, no teachers were out on duty.
When I arrived home I called the bus company and voiced my concern about the lack of supervision and the safety concerns I had with this situation. As it was only the second day of the new school day I understood that there were kinks to work out but I wasn't exactly happy with the situation.
Sebastian didn't take the bus home as he went to the sitter's. Jamie went to the school to ensure Sebastian could find her after school and by the time Jamie arrived Sebastian was already standing with Amanda (it helps that one of the girls from his class goes to Amanda's too after school!) so any concerns we had about Sebastian meeting up with his babysitter were alleviated.
On Thursday we missed the bus as it came early. Sebastian let out a big "yippee" when he realized we missed it. As such we drove him to school and I noted that his bus was there before 8:20 a.m. (teachers come out at 8:25 to supervise) but the bus just sat there with the students on the bus waiting and the children did not exit until a teacher came out to greet them.
That evening the bus was 5 minutes late and Sebastian got off the bus stating that his day was "Awesome!" One of the neighbourhood kids was on the bus and Sebastian said he was so happy as he sat with this other child. Sebastian and this other child played at our house until dinner time.
On Friday we got out to the bus stop before 8:10 a.m. but then nature called so we missed the bus, that again, came early. We arrived at the school a little later that morning but I did notice that the kids from his bus were already there in the play area and the teacher's were just beginning to trickle out of the school.
When I got home I called the bus company again, suggesting the bus pick the kids up 10 minutes later to alleviate the concerns of the lack of supervision but was advised that the bus driver had children he had to get to another school so this was not feasible and the other bus that runs on our street (that comes 10 minutes later in the mornings and 10 minutes earlier in the afternoon) was full.
So with that said, it looks like we'll be putting Seb on the bus in the mornings and driving to school to ensure he is supervised. As well, as Sebastian does not know a lot of the children on the playground he often just stands there until his friends arrive approx. 5 minutes before the bell, leaving Seb standing around doing nothing for 20 minutes.
*Sigh*
Anyways, we will see how long this will keep up. We have already discussed that I will continue to put Seb on the bus and meet him at the school for at least the next two weeks. If we are continually seeing that there is no supervision and he is not comfortable waiting the 20 minutes by himself doing nothing then I will drive him to school, which isn't an issue seeing that I'm up already and our mornings will then not be too rushed as we'll have an extra 15 minutes and come winter, he won't be having to spend so much time outside in the cold (And no, we're not coddling him. We know our son and the tough love approach does not work. Instead it creates an insecure child who feels he can't trust his parents to be there for him, so please don't even go there/judge). There are no concerns with taking the bus home, so we will continue with that and we are hoping that with the first week of school done then perhaps more kids will be starting to take the bus which will slow down the bus getting to the school.
So if it wasn't for this bus dilemma the first week would have been excellent! Sebastian is slowly adjusting to having to attend 5 days/week but he's doing well and he just loves the art time that they've been having. I'm sure we'll hit more resistance as time goes on, but we'll deal with it then. In the meantime we hope that those wheels on the bus will keep on turning and everything will work out.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Grade One
Well we did it. We started Grade One today!
This morning's routine worked like a breeze. Seb was ready to meet the bus 10 minutes early and was the only kid getting on the bus at the stop (I'm sure there will be a lot more tomorrow). He had drawn the bus driver a picture and presented it to him and then sat beside another little boy at the very front of the bus, which was pretty empty. We waved as he drove away and he did look apprehensive but he did it!
When we got to the school the bus had already arrived and Seb was being lead to the Grade One meeting area. Luckily he saw us when he did because the tears were just about to start brimming. We stood around for quite some time waiting for the teachers to have the kids line up so that they could read out their names, but they never did. Instead we had to go up to each individual teacher to find out whether or not Sebastian was in their class and even when we did find out who his teacher was going to be, we had no idea where to go. So instead, we just stood there and spoke with some of our friends and waited for the teacher to form a line, at which point Sebastian joined in and away he went.
And luckily his teacher also has a foot injury and is fine with Sebastian wearing his sandals inside and out.
Whew! The getting there is done! Now I'm just crossing my fingers and toes that when I go out to meet the bus this afternoon my little pumpkin is on it!!
This morning's routine worked like a breeze. Seb was ready to meet the bus 10 minutes early and was the only kid getting on the bus at the stop (I'm sure there will be a lot more tomorrow). He had drawn the bus driver a picture and presented it to him and then sat beside another little boy at the very front of the bus, which was pretty empty. We waved as he drove away and he did look apprehensive but he did it!
When we got to the school the bus had already arrived and Seb was being lead to the Grade One meeting area. Luckily he saw us when he did because the tears were just about to start brimming. We stood around for quite some time waiting for the teachers to have the kids line up so that they could read out their names, but they never did. Instead we had to go up to each individual teacher to find out whether or not Sebastian was in their class and even when we did find out who his teacher was going to be, we had no idea where to go. So instead, we just stood there and spoke with some of our friends and waited for the teacher to form a line, at which point Sebastian joined in and away he went.
And luckily his teacher also has a foot injury and is fine with Sebastian wearing his sandals inside and out.
Whew! The getting there is done! Now I'm just crossing my fingers and toes that when I go out to meet the bus this afternoon my little pumpkin is on it!!
Monday, September 3, 2012
The Winds of Change
Tomorrow my little baby is starting grade one.
I am reminded what it felt like the first time I had to drop him off at daycare when I returned to work part-time shortly after his 1st birthday. I am reminded of how nervous I was the first day I brought him to kindergarten and I worried if he ate his lunch, did he make some friends, did he cry, did he go pee, did he have fun....
I am nervous because he is taking the bus for the first time. Is he going to know where to go? Is he going to get on the right bus at the end of the school day? Is he going to be okay?
Sebastian is super excited to start Grade One and I am so happy that he is happy but this marks such a milestone for us. For the past 6 years I have managed to remain at home with him over 90% of the time. I've been able to be here for every little milestone. I have played countless games, I have danced many dances and I have played many roles. I have watched Sebastian drawings change from lines scribbled on a page, to stick figures, to people with heads, necks, torso's, arms and legs. I have watched Sebastian learn to throw a ball, kick and catch. I have watched him develop a sense of humour and have watched him grow from the tiniest little soul to a little boy with the most wonderful soul.
Words cannot even express the gratitude I have for being able to have had this time with him. I know Sebastian is going to absolutely love Grade One and I know that he'll love the bus and he won't get lost. And I know come tomorrow those 'little apron strings' are going to be loosened just a tad bit more.
I hope come tomorrow when he sees my tears he will recognize them as tears of how proud I am of him. I'm really going to miss my little sidekick but there are new adventures ahead and I can't wait to be that mommy waiting for their child at the bus stop. Tomorrow we are starting a new chapter in our lives and as hard as it is going to be for me to accept this change I know that Sebastian is up for the challenge.
Happy first day of Grade One Sebastian!
I am reminded what it felt like the first time I had to drop him off at daycare when I returned to work part-time shortly after his 1st birthday. I am reminded of how nervous I was the first day I brought him to kindergarten and I worried if he ate his lunch, did he make some friends, did he cry, did he go pee, did he have fun....
I am nervous because he is taking the bus for the first time. Is he going to know where to go? Is he going to get on the right bus at the end of the school day? Is he going to be okay?
Sebastian is super excited to start Grade One and I am so happy that he is happy but this marks such a milestone for us. For the past 6 years I have managed to remain at home with him over 90% of the time. I've been able to be here for every little milestone. I have played countless games, I have danced many dances and I have played many roles. I have watched Sebastian drawings change from lines scribbled on a page, to stick figures, to people with heads, necks, torso's, arms and legs. I have watched Sebastian learn to throw a ball, kick and catch. I have watched him develop a sense of humour and have watched him grow from the tiniest little soul to a little boy with the most wonderful soul.
Words cannot even express the gratitude I have for being able to have had this time with him. I know Sebastian is going to absolutely love Grade One and I know that he'll love the bus and he won't get lost. And I know come tomorrow those 'little apron strings' are going to be loosened just a tad bit more.
I hope come tomorrow when he sees my tears he will recognize them as tears of how proud I am of him. I'm really going to miss my little sidekick but there are new adventures ahead and I can't wait to be that mommy waiting for their child at the bus stop. Tomorrow we are starting a new chapter in our lives and as hard as it is going to be for me to accept this change I know that Sebastian is up for the challenge.
Happy first day of Grade One Sebastian!
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