Bath time is a family affair around here! both boys wanted to help give Grayson his first bath at home. Owen and Noah did a good job helping bathe Grayson, but I think they expected it to be playtime like their bath usually is. Giving Grayson a bath has been on our "to do" list since monday and we finally got around to it today. That seems to be the way things are going lately and we are happy if we get anything accomplished these days. A very demanding feeding schedule, and trying to keep Owen and Noah entertained as much as possible is not leaving much time for anything else.






We have gotten out of the house a few times this week - if even for short walks around the block and to take the kids to the park. Today we ventured out on our first real "outing" since bringing Grayson home. We actually took the kids to the movies if! Gavin took Owen and Noah to see The Smurfs and Grayson and I went to see the Stars and Strollers movie The Help. We had a great time and I was a little worried about how Grayson would do while we were out and how I'd manage feeding him etc. but it worked out pretty well.

There's no photo of Grayson and I prior to our movie as were running late - but here is a pic of the other boys just before their movie:) apparently Noah loved the movie (no surprise) but Owen got a little bored half way through the movie.

My Lil' Cutie

Oh my this boy is sweet! he his so content and hardly ever cries :) luckily for us he gives us lots of cues as to when he's hungry or tired so we can tend to his needs prior to any big crying session. Grayson likes to nurse every 2 1/2 hours - 3 hours for a total of 8-10 feeds a day (usually 8), I realized today that nursing him is a full time job as he usually takes almost an hour each feed. The past couple of nights I've had to set the alarm to make sure I fed him on schedule, he needs to be woken up to feed at least every three hours. So far so good! keep it up baby :) There have been a few times at night that after a feed he is still wide awake, he seems to have his days and nights mixed up a little. We are getting some sleep though, and for that I am very grateful!

Here are some pictures of our newest little cutie!








When we left the hospital Grayson's weight had dropped to 6lbs 14oz, but at his baby wellness checkup on tuesday he was back up to 7lbs 2oz!

On Saturday while we were at the hospital spending some quality time with Grayson, Papa took Owen and Noah to a family get together. Tirza sent us some great photos of the boys and I wanted to share a few of them.



I'm thinking this decorative bike is a plant stand or something, but my creative boy found another use for it :)


I think this is the only photo of Kian and Noah together where both kiddies are looking at the camera and smiling!

Grayson's Birth Story

On wednesday morning I took the kids to the zoo and hoped that contractions would start with walking around so much. In the afternoon my O.B told me I was almost 4cm dilated and that I would likely be in labour within the next 24 hours. I started to have some mild contractions late in the afternoon and I thought that maybe things would continue. Catherine was nice enough to invite us to her house for dinner :) and the kids got to play together one last time before we decided that I should take some time off of work and have this baby already! After dinner baby grayson was feeling the need for some ice cream so we headed out for dessert with Catherine and Hannah. We had my mom come up late wednesday just incase things continued, I was worried about having to phone someone in the middle of the night to come and watch the boys. The contractions slowed down and stopped just before midnight, but I had big plans to take many walks the next day and get things moving again!

having dinner at Catherine and Hannah's - our last family pic of the four of us :)


On Thursday Jim and Meggie came up to help with the boys. They took them to a local splash pad and took us all out for lunch. I tried eating some spicy food for lunch and contractions got fairly strong, I started to think that maybe thursday would be the day and that I might have to call Gavin home from work. Contractions would come and go and they would get stronger after taking walks but again they stopped in the evening.

Friday morning I woke up at 4:30 with contractions that were regular and coming about every 10 minutes. I also had some bleeding and knew that friday would be the day! I liked that things were starting up in the morning which gave me time to eat, shower and call Jim to come and care for the boys later that day. By 8am contractions were every 7 minutes, and getting stronger. By 9am they were coming about every 5 minutes and by 10:30am decided to get checked at the hospital. My regular O.B was working that day and when he checked me I was 5 cm dilated. My O.B was eager to break my water and get things moving fast but the nurse on duty wouldn't let him. There were no labour rooms ready and she was worried things would move too fast and not be very safe. Looking back on everything I am so thankful she stepped in and stopped him from breaking my water!

I walked the hall for two hours and every few steps had intense contractions. We were to be back at 1pm in triage to be monitored and at that point my O.B was going to check me again. We finally got a room around 2pm and my nurse still didn't want the O.B to break my water until after I had an epidural. The anesthesiologist was busy in the operating room and I had to wait for the epidural. I really felt I needed on at 2pm and contractions felt much stronger and closer together that when I'd received the epidural with Noah. I tried to use the gas to take the edge off but that only made me feel sick. I was convinced they'd check me and tell me it was too late for an epidural and I was starting to get anxious. Luckily, at 4:30 the anesthesiologist arrived and administered the epidural, I felt immediate relief!

At 6:30 I was 10cm dilated and ready to push. I was able to "labour down" while the nurse prepared the room and I started to push at 7:10pm. After the second push the head was crowning and I was told to not push until the doctor got there! not an easy thing to do as I could feel the pressure- it was a really strange sensation. The doctor arrived -third push and the head was out. I screamed when I felt the head come out, it didn't hurt but it shocked me. Again I couldn't push because Grayson had the cord wrapped around his neck twice and it was really tight. The doctor cut the cord and i could push one last push to deliver the shoulders. I could feel what was happening but couldn't feel any pain. Grayson was born at 7:16pm, only 6 minutes after I started pushing. The experience was great besides my fear of not getting an epidural, and healing this time has been much faster.



post epidural - sweet relief. I couldn't stop shaking, but at least the pain was gone :)


First look at our baby boy!


Gavin cutting the cord





Welcome to the family Grayson! We love you so much!

We're Home!

We're all home together! I'm so happy about that :) I missed the boys so much and they were very excited to have us home this afternoon. We were discharged at 12pm, we had to wait to get the lab results and discharge order from the Doctor. Here are a few pics until I can write more later! I'll try and update more after the boys (at least some of them) go to bed.

Today?

Contractions have picked up in frequency and intensity. They are about 5-7 minutes apart and lasting about 45-50 seconds. Starting to get to the anxious stage and hoping to meet the little baby by evening and hopefully with lots of time to enjoy the epidural. Contractions aren't too bad yet - but definitely getting stronger.

39 Weeks

I had an O.B appointment yesterday afternoon and was almost 4cm dilated already! I was told that active labour will kick in quick when it starts up and that things should move along fairly quickly. They suspected that I'd be in labour within 24 hours but so far I'm still at home. I had some cramping that increased in strength last night but then subsided and I've had some stronger contractions this afternoon. I'm hoping it will keep up and we get to meet this little baby later tonight! It sounds like it should be soon - so we'll see when he feels like making his appearance.

I went for a walk this morning and had some spicy food for lunch. During lunch i felt some strong contractions but they have eased off a little. Hopefully after one more good walk he'll be ready and then it's baby time! Gavin ended up going to work today but wasn't sure if he should. I've got my mom here just incase things happen fast and Jim and Meggie came by and are helping with the boys. The help is much appreciated! It's much easier to focus on labour without having to worry about the boys too.

39 Week belly pic - possibly the last one? I booked my 40 week O.B appointment but they don't expect to see me at it.

38 Weeks

During the past week I've had some signs that labour may be near. Increased feeling of nausea, more trips to the bathroom, pelvic pressure, and overall not feeling well. Yesterday I took the kids to an indoor play place and was quite uncomfortable while there, my hips and groin were aching and I was getting cramps whenever I walked around. Then during the day the cramps continued and intensified and I was starting to think the baby was really wanting to come today. At 10 pm things tapered off and I thought I should go to bed and try and get some rest. I was able to sleep from 10pm - 4am but then woke up with very uncomfortable contractions. The contractions lasted from 4am - 7am but have since stopped. The baby is still really active today and I'm feeling ready for delivery :) hoping it happens soon and the false labour/ pre - labour turns into the real thing soon! It's been a very frustrating couple of days.

Tomorrow I have an O.B appointment and an ultrasound to check the size of the baby. Hopefully they are able to let me know if things are progressing. Fingers crossed that the next time contractions start they don't stop!

update: I had my ultrasound this afternoon and everything is great with the baby! baby is 6 pounds now - expected to be about 6 and a half at birth (same as Noah). He scored an 8/8 on respirations, movement, tone etc. The ultrasound tech was getting frustrated with him because he wouldn't stop moving and she had a hard time getting the measurements. I asked about the cord insertion and was told the cord was "eccentric" meaning not in the "fattiest, most common spot on the placenta" more off to the side. It could mean he hasn't been getting enough nutrients but based on his size and score he his doing fine. My O.B thought I had experienced prodromal labour on tuesday and that it wasn't necessarily a bad thing as it does help soften and dilate the cervix but just doesn't produce a baby in the end. It's not quite 'false labour' but not 'real labour' either. I'm only 1cm dilated and cervix is soft based on a check today. I'm hoping that things start up again soon and we get to meet him soon!

37 Weeks

YAY! we made it full term! based on some crazy contractions early on I wasn't sure we'd make it this far :) I'm feeling great and still love being pregnant. I've had some cramping the last couple of days but nothing seems to be coming from it. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the baby doesn't decide to arrive on Owen's birthday (the 31st) but I know that we don't really have control over when this one arrives.

I've started to pack my hospital bag and have just a few last minute things to add to the bag when it's time. We've also finally decided on a name!

I have an O.B appointment tomorrow and will update with weight etc then.

update: only measuring 33 weeks now. I have an ultrasound scheduled for next thursday just before my next O.B appointment. I'm not surprised that they want to send me for an ultrasound as the same thing happened around the same time with Noah. However, based on my last ultrasound there is a cord insertion issue? I knew the placenta had been low but moved out of the way, this is the first I've heard about the cord. In any case they are checking to see if the baby is getting enough nutrients etc. and to see if there is any other reason for small growth. The O.B mentioned that it could just be that the baby has really dropped low and throwing the measuring off but they want to be safe and check, which I'm thankful for :) I feel as though the baby has really dropped recently so I'm choosing not to worry too much about having a small baby, plus he's still very active so I think he must be getting enough nutrients to have that kind of energy :)

Owen's 4th Birthday Party

We celebrated Owen's 4th birthday this past Sunday just after the Baptism. It was easiest to get everyone together on the one day, summer is such a busy time! We missed having Jeff, Theresa and the kids but hopefully we will be able to see them before too long.

Owen was really excited about his birthday he went to bed telling us that the next day would be an "exciting day" heh. He woke up at 5:45 am and wanted to get up because the sun was coming up and that meant it was his birthday party day! Usually he wakes up between 7:30 and 8 on weekends, so he was obviously too excited to sleep any longer.

We had a great day and Owen really enjoyed spending time with family, opening presents and of course eating cake!

For months Owen had been asking for a construction site cake. He had even been viewing some on-line and deciding what details he wanted on his cake. I made a smaller cake than had originally planned so some details didn't make the final cut, but I think the cake turned out just the way he wanted. The day I baked the cake it fell apart when I removed it from the pan, luckily construction sites don't need to be neat and tidy :)



Enjoying a ride on his new bike.








I'm so glad my boy enjoyed his day!

Baptism

It was long overdue but the boys were finally baptized this past weekend! Of course I was worried that Noah wouldn't behave but he was perfect - I knew Owen would be fine and didn't worry about him as much :) The front pew of the church was reserved for our family and I was worried the boys wouldn't behave during the Mass (usually we end up in the crying room at one point during the church service) but once again they surprised us all and sat quietly the entire time. I was so proud of my boys :) I think they looked so cute in their matching khaki pants, white polo shirts and new sandals. I wasn't sure what to dress them in as any other baptism I've been to has been for babies, and they usually are dressed in white christening gowns etc.

Some pictures of the Baptism
Owen went first and he did a great job!




Noah tried to keep his head up a bit but he also did great :) afterwards he said "that water's cold" :) so cute.




With Catholic Godparents Aunt Maegan and Uncle Bill.

36 Weeks

The countdown ticker says 27 days *gulp* I'm starting to get a bit nervous now. I've been feeling anxious about some of the things I want to get done before the baby comes but I hope that after this busy weekend I'll feel more prepared. I've packed the baby's hospital bag and have everything I need for my bag, I just need to get it all put together.

I had an O.B appointment yesterday and everything was good. I'm measuring at 34 weeks and had no weight gain but so far there hasn't been any mention of concern. Next week I start my weekly appointments and will have a different O.B while my regular one is on holidays. I'm hoping that the other O.B isn't concerned about the size of the baby and send me for non stress tests etc.

This past week I feel as though the baby is dropping - more trips to the bathroom and feeling movement really low etc. I've read that second babies usually drop later in pregnancy, so maybe I'm wrong. My hips have been aching at night and I feel like I am constantly waking up to change positions and get comfortable. I can't even count how many times I wake up during the night - I think they say this happens to prepare yourself for a newborn :) but I could really use a few more weeks of sleep before the newborn nights start!

Here is my 36 week Belly Pic:

Camping

We invited some family to join us on our camping trip this year and I think the trip was a huge success! The kids entertained each other freeing up a bit of time for the adults and having the extra eyes, ears and hands around to help with the little kids is always a bonus!

We had a great adjoining site and the kids could run back and forth and there was plenty of space for all of our tents and eating area etc. This year we were close to a rowdy group of people and didn't get much sleep the first night. The second night when the group started getting loud again we made a phone call to the park office and a park ranger came by and put a stop to the noise :) yes - we were those people. Seriously though - they were loud and we all needed sleep, especially the kids.

Usually we try and take a hike along the trail in the woods but this year we never even made it to the trail. Noah started whining not long into the walk and wanted to be carried and with the hot weather and getting close to lunch time we decided to forget the walk and head back to the camp site. The kids were more eager to go to the beach anyways so I don't think anyone missed the walk.

Below are some pictures from our weekend, Owen loved swimming and eating marshmallows and Noah could have played in the sand and dirt all day. There were a few times I thought he couldn't get any dirtier and he proved me wrong each time.


















What great fun we had spending time with family and I'm sure the kids will remember the special time they spent with their cousins!

34 Weeks

34 Weeks! This week I'm taking advantage of having some time off (hannah is on vacation) and crossing some things off of my ""To Do" list! some things are baby related and some things aren't but it sure feels great to be getting things done :) I've made a list of things to pack in my hospital bag and plan on getting that organized next week. I'm not sure if it's 'nesting' or just the realization that this week is the only time off I have before the baby comes, but I have a sudden interest in cleaning. I've been cleaning out the closets, plus we steam cleaned the carpets last weekend and I'm bothering Gavin to pressure wash the house and clean the windows :)

I had an O.B appointment today and everything continues to be good. I've been feeling great, although getting more tired by late afternoon. I'm up another 2lbs (total is 24lbs so far) and am measuring at 33 weeks (1 week behind). I booked my next appointment two weeks from now and then I start my weekly appointments! Yikes! Not long until baby comes now! 41 days and counting :)

Canada Day Weekend

I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend with their family! we had planned on taking advantage of the long weekend to get some work done around the house, but woke up on friday morning and decided to take the kids to the zoo instead! The rest of the weekend was spent doing work that was long overdue (by about a year if I'm honest) like clean the carpets but we did manage to squeeze in some family fun as well.

We packed a picnic lunch and our bathing suits and we were off to spend the day at the splash pad at the zoo. The rest of the city must have had the same idea as the place was packed! I didn't get any pictures of the splash pad fun because Gavin was afraid the camera would get wet :( but the boys had a blast! even Noah got more wet than usual and it was hot enough that I even went in the water :) The boys wore their new ankle bands without any fuss, and I'm so glad to have them! they are bands that are embossed with My Mommy and my cell number in case one of the kids get lost.Thanks Catherine for ordering them for us! hopefully we will never need them but they certainly make me feel better about taking the boys to busy places, especially since Noah has been wanting to walk more than be in the stroller. I ordered some daycare ones as well so we will have them on our outings :)

A Birds of Prey show was starting just after we finished at the splash pad so we decided we would sit and watch the show instead of walking around the zoo in the crazy heat. I was definitely feeling the heat on friday and my hands and feet were so swollen even though I tried to stay as hydrated as possible and sit when I could.

This bird freaked me out a little. We sat in the front row and he got a little too close at times.








The boys loved the show and loved seeing the owls the most, not surprising as Owen knows many facts pertaining to owls because of a couple of books he often wants us to read to him. We had to laugh when he would point out the seagulls flying overhead and thought they were in the bird show too :)