This morning I write in my pajamas from the warm shade of my Dad-in-law’s deck overlooking the calm waters of Shuswap Lake. The cigarette boat drivers are probably still sleeping and hung over from last night’s drinking escapades, so the waters are still quiet. Chad just pointed out a humming bird not more than 4 feet away from us, and last night, we spent much of sunset watching each star make an appearance, pointing out constellations, satellites and shooting stars. I could get used to this.
It’s hard to think about going back to work on Tuesday with all that has been going on with my Dad-in-law’s health, Ben’s growth into more independence at daycare, and overall, suddenly just missing my family that I haven’t seen in years. Feels like times were a lot simpler when I was a kid. I’ve started to realize even more how much my parents did in the background now that I’m a mom…makes me wish I could take back all those (single child) temper tantrums I threw, and am secretly hoping Ben won’t put me through some of the ordeals I put my folks through.
Back from our first family vacation in Playa del Carmen, and Ben was an absolute champ! He loved all the stimulation - From regular strolls on 5th Avenue, to all the attention given by the locals, we loved watching him giggle and interact with everyone (maybe he picked up some Spanish?)! Even more so, it was like he grew so much in the past week alone and suddenly instead of a baby, we have a little boy on our hands - He is able to sit on his own (graduating from the Bumbo/bouncy chair to a high chair) and stand up by leaning on something. He wants to reach for everything (resulting in a mommy wearing a vanilla soy latte on one occasion) and has definitely learnt the advantage of his opposing thumb to nimbly handle objects. After some convincing, he loved being in the water and I can’t wait to take him for his first swimming lesson in a couple of weeks.
The introduction of solids in his diet is going well and he readily opens his mouth for approaching food. He managed to grab a slice of lime one day and for some reason, really enjoyed sucking on it! Maybe it’s because Mexican limes are sweeter or it soothed his 2 new teeth? I’m sure there is something in a rule book about having your baby’s first food be citrus, but there hasn’t seemed to be any reaction to it since (phew!). Unfortunately, the work of getting him used to his potty has become a distant memory and I’ll give it a try again once things have settled down back home.
It really is amazing that once you think your baby has learnt everything they can for their age, you’ll blink and suddenly there is something new! Here is a video from this morning of Ben in his high chair, handling a mandarin and almost understanding what I was saying:
…Almost a whole different kid from a video taken just 3 months ago!
Ben has always been such a chatterbox, but we’ve noticed a definite addition to his vocabulary. Previously, he’d repeat mostly vowels - ‘aa’, ‘oo’ etc. and the random ‘wa wa’. These past couple of weeks, he has been adding and repeating more consonants - ‘b’, ‘r’, ‘l’ and ‘m’. I’m sure this is just me projecting, but it occassionaly seems like when he has had enough of his crib and wants me to get him, he’ll say ‘mmma-mmmma-mmmma-mmmma’.
Ever notice that the older you get, it becomes more of a birthday celebration ‘week’ rather than day? Chad and I decided it was because we prefer to hang out in smaller groups and be able to visit with everyone as opposed to trying to talk over a noise in a crowded place.
So Chad’s birthday celebration weekend started on Friday with having Sharon, Trav and Nora over to satiate (and celebrate Trav’s birthday) a Bombay Behl craving. This is definitely our favourite Indian restaurant, hands down. It’s way too hard to isolate a favourite dish, but the best part is definitely the left overs, which always tastes better the next day!
*Cooking tip* Chad and I have been mixing up all the left over sauce (no matter what the dish) and using it as a salad dressing (really good mixed up with a leafy salad)!
The next night (Saturday), my folks had us over for bday celebration #2 -My Dad makes the BEST curry crab ever, and he always makes it as a treat for our special occasions! He mixes coconut milk with curry powder and ginger, lets it warm up in a wok, and cooks the crab right in the shell in the sauce. Combined with soft white rice (like any good Chinese family would), it’s a little messy on the hands but SO hard to stop eating!
And tonight (Sunday) was our last night of stuffing our faces. We decided to hit up a place downtown called Chambar as our favourite ‘Special Occasion’ restaurant (La Regalade) was closed this evening. A little chi-chi and trendy, but not bad.
Happy Birthday, Chad! Timbit and Ben love you to bits!
My cousin gave birth to her triplets this week! Two boys (Noah Michael 2.2kg 44cm, Evan James 1.74kg 41cm) and a girl (Kayla Sophia 1.74kg 44cm) at 34 weeks gestation, they (including mom) are doing well.
This week has been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for me. I also attended a service for one of my mentors at school who finally lost her 11 year battle with cancer. I hadn’t attended any of the services for my Aunty Sophie (Grandmum to the triplets) or any of my uncles who had passed away over the past 5 years, so this was the first time I had been in that situation. I was an emotional wreck at the service because it felt like I was saying goodbye to everyone again.
With all the excitement of the babies, but with the sadness of missing my family, I managed to back our car up into a concrete flower pot (3 weeks after we just had it fixed from someone backing up into us in the mall parking lot). Sigh.
Happy New Year, everyone! I’m convinced that time really does fly faster as you get older. Our little Ben is already 4 months old!
Being in the 95th percentile, he’s outgrown all the clothes we had lined up for him already! The milestones are coming at such a fast pace, I can barely keep up - Holding his head up high, sitting on his own (with some teetering), grabbing things (to put in his mouth, of course) and making eye contact. He’s learnt to giggle (infectiously) with intent at tickles and games we play with him. My favourite part of the day is greeting him in his bed in the mornings - there is always a smile big enough to melt your heart as he looks up at you
Ben has also started trying to mimic the things we say by watching our mouths. His first and most consistent ‘word’ is ‘oooowww’, and you won’t believe when he says it - always after Sparky howls at the sirens passing by. So there you have it - our dog taught our first born his first word
As our parents had never done this when we were kids, Chad and I had decided that we wouldn’t force any sleep times on Ben (for now anyway!), but rather allow him to follow his own rhythms around some routine things we do. Wonderfully (though not consistently), Ben has managed to follow our schedules with his sleep time! For e.g. Ben manages to be asleep around the times that Chad and I work out/shower in the mornings, make dinner in the evenings, and after bathtime at night around 9.30pm.
Because of Chad’s love of music and this article I found out of the University of California, we’ve been educating Ben with our music collection. We’ve also managed to find a sleep-favourite - Over Christmas with all the commotion and excitement, Ben will often fall asleep after a feed and some Norah Jones!
I guess, actually, now that I think about it, we’ve probably just learnt to follow his patterns! Nevertheless, it makes for 4 (including Sparky) happy campers around the house.
I can’t believe our little Benji is already 4 weeks old, and how much he has grown and developed! He’s already holding his head up for longer during tummy time and about to outgrow his second set/size of sleepers and onesies. I love seeing him make eye contact with the occasional smile when he sees your face (and it’s not always gas) or hears our voices.
Wednesday Aug 26 - Ben is now 8 days post-due. Dr. W discusses the possibility of inducing labour with Chad and myself in 2 days’ time. She sends us to BC Women’s Hospital that same afternoon for a non-stress test (fetal and contraction monitoring) and ultrasound to see if the amniotic fluid volume is still acceptable. Ben is still looking as healthy as ever. My cervix at each internal examination prior to this exam had remained the same (about 1cm dilated), but still is quite high and not ’stretchy’.
Friday Aug 28 8.30am - Chad and I receive a call from the induction nurse at the hospital around 7.30am asking us to come in between 8 and 9am. We’re lucky this day because we are the only ones on the list so far (i.e. no other priority inductions snuck in before us). After having breakfast and a shower, we arrive at the labour ward where our nurse hooks me up to the fetal/contraction monitoring equipment in a bed and touches base with Dr. W. on the phone. Dr. W. asks our nurse to do another internal exam which still shows no change to my cervix. Dr. W. decides to go with Cervidil - a 12-hour release hormone that is inserted to ripen my cervix. After 1 hour more of monitoring, we are sent home and asked to return in 12 hours. Throughout the day, I feel what I now realize were contractions, but nothing that follows a pattern or increases in intensity. Later that evening, we return to the hospital.
9.30pm - Dr. W. meets us at the hospital and reevaluates my cervix. Strangely upon our arrival as I’m walking towards the ward, I feel an increasing intensity and regularity in my contractions. The nurse hooks me up to the monitor again and Dr. W. comes in to assess the situation. While my cervix has begun to become more elastic, it’s still not ready. She decides to repeat the Cervidil and we are monitored for another hour before being sent home and asked to return in another 12 hours. By this time, my contractions have slowed in intensity and timing.
Saturday Aug 29 - Throughout the early morning, my contractions vary, but I’m still able to sleep. My water however, appears to break (although, I’m not entirely sure at this time as it was not as much fluid as I expected), and my Cervidil insert falls out when I go to the bathroom! I call Dr. W. who reassures me that all is fine based on my signs and that she will meet me at the hospital again around 7.am.
When we do finally meet again at the hospital, she repeats my internal exam and feels that my cervix is ready (though not fully dilated) and decides to admit me. I am put on a drip of Oxytocin (which is increased in dosage every 15 minutes) to help start my contractions. For much of the day, I manage fine with the contractions, until about 4pm when they really intensify and are coming every minute. I wonder if the rumours I had heard about induction causing stronger contractions are really true, and I’m trying almost everything position I can to cope, but without any relief! By about 8pm (4 hours later), I cave in and decide to ask for the epidural, which really helped with the pain and allowed me (and Chad) to get in an hour of sleep. By the time I wake up, Dr. W. has come in to check on me and I am fully dilated and ready to go!
Sunday Aug 30, 2009 2.11am - After 3 hours of pushing (apparently average for first time mom), Benjamin Logan is born weighing a healthy 8 lb 1 oz! I cannot say enough wonderful about our family doctor, Dr. W., the nurses who helped with us through entire induction/labour process and who helped us through the first days on the maternity ward, and the follow-up by the community nurse. I know there are many people who find things to complain about in our medical system, but our health authority has really done a great job putting this system in place.
Three-and-a-half weeks later, I’ve finally found a little time to write about the events leading up to Ben’s birth! Motherhood has certainly been a adjustment, but I’m slowly finding a system to spend time with him and still make little accomplishments throughout the day. I can even say that I’m looking forward to having another little one already =) Benjamin is the sweetest and most adorable little boy, and even though he is still a little guy, every day he changes a little by opening his eyes more and becoming more vocal. I’m really looking forward to spending time with you, Ben, and I’m going to give you as many cuddles and kisses as I can before you decide that you’re too cool for it =)
Refresh your blog site - life is going to change in the next week, so why not let your online diary reflect the same?
Make batches of plum jam and plum pies (see previous post). Harvest the hazelnuts from your 3 hazelnut trees that you’re always blaming the squirrels for ransacking each year before you get a chance. Give your herbs and veggies the TLC they barely get each year (come to think of it, the basil and tomatoes did taste sweeter this year).
Bake the easiest thing around: Banana + _______ (insert any fruit) loaf! We did have to cut ourselves off after the third one though for the sake of our sugar levels and the fact that I haven’t been able to work out for 2 months now.
Learn to cook with the objective of making it flavourful as opposed to not burning it (jury is still out on this one).
Clean the house (although I refuse to clean it for a third time, darnit!).
Take on a weekly DP Photo Challenge - this one is tough though since balance is an issue, and quite frankly, your pregnant body likes to swing around your centre of gravity rather than stay firmly on it.
Put together that baby mobile you’ve been working on for the past 5 months (picture to follow).
Get the all-time high score in Bejeweled and Dr. Mario (the poor circulation in your legs will thank you for this one…not!).
Five days post-due and no pregnant-body changes really noted. I’m trying my darnest to keep positive, and Chad and I are relishing the free time together to do all the things we say we never have time for, but it’s hard not to feel somewhat disappointed after all this build-up and the due date comes and goes (even though I know he will be here soon). I confess - I’ve asked Chad to screen phonecalls because I don’t think I could handle another “He’s not here yet?” statement/email from a well-wishing, excited family-member/friend - sorry everyone! I read somewhere that only 5% of babies actualy arrive on their due date, and of the 95% who don’t, just 3 out of 10 arrive before the due date while 7 out 10 come after it! A little reassuring.
They say that the nesting instinct gets intensely stronger before the baby is born, which is true to some extent. I personally think it’s more the fact that I have to find something to do to fill the day. In fact, this post could have alternatively been titled Log Report of a Post-due Pregnant Lady who has been on Leave for 3 Weeks Now =)
