Bathroom Bliss

This time around I'm going to forgo the hallmark-esk post and write about something I'm totally stoked about. You might recall that my upstairs bathroom was in need of a complete overhaul and although we (and by we I mean Paul) had gutted it awhile ago, this project was put on the back burner. If you need a refresher you can check it out here. Well...we've finally gotten back to it, yippy!

 We changed the layout and with that came some major replumbing and updating. Our home is 60+ years old so Paul and my father-in-law took the opportunity to replace the vent stack and some plumbing under the kitchen sink.

With that completed the new toilette was installed.

Simple dual flush

 The next step for us was buying the bathtub. We decided on a BainUltra and it came in two weeks ago.

Arrival of THE BainUltra

 It's a "drop-in" style tub so Paul had to build the box for it first.

Daddy teaching Pauly

Pauly helping daddy

Bain Frame

The tub is still sitting in our living room but I can hardly wait for my first Bain experience. You can count on reading about it but don't hold your breath. There's still so much left to do.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Thursday was my mom's 60th birthday. We kept it low key as per her wishes and only celebrated with pizza, cake and coffee. She had a wonderful time with her daughters and grand kids but...my sister and I decided that a ladies night was also in order. So today we went out to dinner and left the kids with their fathers (except Riley since I'm exclusively breast feeding). We all gathered together afterwards including aunts and cousins but, it has been a while since we've done the mother-daughters thing.

Years ago, spending quality time with my mom was not something I thought I'd look forward to. We didn't have the best relationship and our views on life were very different. Now that I'm older, wiser and have children of my own, it's something I cherish and very much appreciate. I love seeing her happy and right now her grand kids put the biggest smile on her face. It's priceless to see her eyes light up when all five kids are together at her house, playing and causing a ruckus.

I wouldn't be fooling anyone if I said my life was perfect. But when you have a mother who looks past your mistakes, forgives your stubbornness, and is always willing to put her life on hold in order to make yours a little easier, those rough patches don't seem so bad anymore. I'm lucky to have such a wonderful role model and I hope that one day my children will think of me in the same way.

I love you mom and happy birthday.

Joys of Motherhood

As many mom's know, there's so much joy in raising children. The dynamic between children and their parents vary depending on wether you're the father or mother. Things like how attached children are to a specific parent and what kind of caregiver you are varies during a child's life. On those extremely chaotic days I sometimes find myself thinking about fatherhood and how much easier it seems to be at the other end of the spectrum. I wouldn't want to change places permanently but, is the grass really greener on the other side? I can't answer that question but here are some things I would never give up in order to find out.

1. I will always know each of my children nine months longer than anyone. During this time I will experience their first kicks and hiccups. I will know when they are restless and when they are resting. And until they are born, they will be safe within me.

2. Only I can birth my children. Fathers are very much involved but let's face it, a mother does all the hard work. And even though labour and delivery is no walk in the park, when you are the first to hold a child you've been growing for so long, it's worth every agonizing moment.

3. Hormones. Oxytocin is a powerful thing. It can reek havoc with your emotions but in the end, it's responsible for that feeling of pure unconditional love.

4. Knowing exactly what my children need. It took a little practice but over time I have come to know the personalities of my children. I know when it's time to eat, nap or just cuddle with mommy.

And finally...
5. The bond created between a newborn and mom is definitely not worth giving up. I sometimes watch as my husband struggles to calm and sooth Riley and I realize how important it is for me to be there for her. When she seems unconsolable in the arms of someone, and all it takes is mommy's arms and a short lullaby to calm her I know I couldn't want anything else out of life. Don't get me wrong, when she is fed, changed and doesn't need a nap, she is very happy spending time with dad and I love watching them together but, motherhood is the absolute joy of life.

So I'll end this post with one of my favourtite quotes:

“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.
She never existed before.
The woman existed, but the mother, never.
A mother is something absolutely new.”
-Bhagwan Rajneesh

The Disappearing Act

Here is the long awaited post.
I'll try to keep it short but, that seems almost impossible considering this will be a birth story.

Lets's get down to it then...I'm now a mother of 2. A rambunctious boy, and an adorable little girl. Her name is Riley and she was born exactly on her due date of September 22, 2011.

It all started the day before Riley was born. I went to see the midwives for my 40 week appointment and was glad to find out that I was 1cm dilated. I felt good and went about my day which consisted mostly of cleaning and picking up after Pauly. I had been dealing with fatigue for a few weeks so it was no surprise that I was tiring quickly. As the day went on things started to change. I wasn't feeling as well and there was a persistent pain in my lower back. I started to think that maybe I was in early labour but, because I wasn't sure I kept this thought to myself. I struggled to finish dinner and was relieved when we all sat down to eat. The back ache subsided a little but I still wasn't feeling well. Soon after I put Pauly to bed and then sat infront of the boob tube to relax.

A few hours later Paul started getting ready for work and I was sure to ask if he had his charged cell phone with him. He did, so at 10pm he left. I decided that I should probably see if there was a pattern to the pain I was feeling and after an hour of monitoring I was sure I was in early labour. The pain was coming every 15-20 minutes and lasting 30 seconds. I then started to mentally prepare for the back labour I thought I would once again experience but, was happy when I started feeling the contractions under my belly.

The advantage of knowing what's coming is that you tend to be a little calmer and can make better decisions about what to do next. My plan was to sleep through early labour and hopefully Paul would be home before I needed his help. So at midnight I went to bed and tried to get some rest. I wasn't too bothered by the contractions and managed to sleep in 1 hour intervals until 5am. At this point I couldn't get comfortable in bed so I decided to get up and time my contractions again. They were now coming every 10 minutes and lasting for 45 seconds. I wrestled with the thought of calling Paul and came to the conclusion that he needed to come home. Even though I was still able to move and talk through the pain it would be 40 minutes before Paul got home and he still had to set up the dining/living room for our water birth. When I spoke to Paul he sounded excited and a little anxious about what was going on. After our conversation I went and sat on the birthing ball to try and relieve some of the pain but it didn't do any good. I just couldn't find a comfortable position. The contractions were now getting stronger but not closer together. I walked the house and tried different things but the only way I seemed to get relief was by slouching in the corner of the couch and breathing through the pain. I realized I should probably call the midwives too in order to give them time to get here. I had been hoping that Basak was going to be on call and was so happy when she called me back to say her and Adriana would be on their way in about 10 minutes.

When Paul got home he informed me that his mom was on her way to pick up Pauly and our dog. Before he started packing Pauly's overnight bag I had him attach a TENS unit to my back. I was a little skeptical about wether it would work for me but I was pleasantly surprised to feel that it took some of the edge off the contractions. As Paul went to work I concentrated on breathing through the pain and relaxing in between.

My mother-in-law showed up a short time later and asked how things were going. I wanted to tell her all about what was happening and how I felt but, I couldn't speak through the contractions any more and was forced to keep my answers short. She finished gathering things for Pauly and let me kiss him goodbye before leaving. I had really wanted him to stay but because he was still so young I knew it would be best if he wasn't home with us. After they left I told Paul that he needed to call our doula Jody. The contractions were getting stronger and closer together. He made the necessary call and continued to quickly prepare the birth pool.

At this point I was still on the couch breathing through the contractions and waiting for my team to show up. At 7:45am Basak and Jody arrived with Adriana following a short time later. The midwives began setting up all their gear and Jody came to my side to see how I'm doing. Because it was still early and Paul figured he had a long morning ahead of him, he decided to make some coffee. Although I didn't feel like having any, the aroma was somehow comforting and just the fact that he was able to do it was a little surreal.

Once the midwives were ready, Adriana offered to check me and I eagerly agreed. I wanted to know exactly where I stood and I wasn't disappointed. After 3 hours of painful labour, I was 6cm dilated and completely effaced. At this point I got the OK from the midwives to get into the pool and I absolutely loved it. The water combined with vocal toning really did help me get through the contractions. I had my eyes closed and was so focused on relaxing my body and resting between contractions that I can't tell you what was going on around me. I know someone was rubbing my shoulders and arms (I later found out it was Paul) and I could hear Jody guiding and encouraging me.

Then suddenly I had a few strong contractions, one on top of the other and there was no time to think. I started pushing. Basak got ready, my water broke and Adriana ran outside to get Paul because he was "making the phone calls". By the time he came back in Adriana was sternly telling me to stop pushing because things were going too fast. I tried not to push but with the next contraction my body didn't give me a choice. Riley's head was born. A few seconds later the midwives told me to stand up because Riley's shoulders were stuck. A few more seconds later and she was in my arms safe and sound. I sat back in the tub to keep her warm and waited for her to cry. It didn't take long for Riley to announce her arrival and Paul was able to cut the cord soon after.

Basak was concerned that there might still be fluid in Riley's lungs because things happened very quickly so she took Riley to the table to examine her. A short while later I was lying in bed with Riley in my arms again. I couldn't believe that I had been blessed with another little angel who was perfect in every way.




So I'm sure this new journey will have lots of sleepless nights, dirty diapers, and moments of pure chaos but, I'll also have twice the love, twice the affection and twice the amount of memories to cherish.

33 Weeks Pt. 2

Whew... I am tired. I'm in the home stretch now and I really understand what it means to be DONE being pregnant. Let me start by saying my baby dropped at the end of last week and stayed that way until Tuesday of this week. It was so unbearably uncomfortable that all I wanted to do was lie down and sleep it away. Unfortunately there was work and my sister-in-law's birthday. Work was a little more difficult to manoeuvre but the birthday party was great because Paul looked after our son while I sat for most of it. But as of now, baby has decided it's much more comfy being out of my pelvis and I am truly grateful!

As for other events, the three of us went to my in-laws trailer a couple of weekends ago. It was nice to get away for a weekend and I'm looking foreword to doing it again before the new baby arrives. I don't know if that will be possible because Paul and I still have most of the nursery to finish. And of course the more I think about how much time is left in my pregnancy, the more excited I get. I see Pauly walking around on his own and playing with his cousins and it makes me realize how much he's grown in the last 13 months. It makes me miss the quiet times we used to have together when he was only a few weeks old. At night I used to take him from the bassinet to feed him and as he nursed I'd fall asleep with him in my arms. It was never for too long but seeing him asleep in my arms made me want to squeeze him. And since Pauly is sleeping through the night, I know I'll have the chance to do it all again. At least for the first little while. I'm not exactly sure how Pauly is going to adjust to a younger sibling but I think he'll do fine considering he loves other kids.

I also saw the midwife last week and everything is looking good. She gave me my charts to carry around in case anything happens and I've got to go to the nearest hospital. But of course it's all precautions. I am really hoping not to go into labour before 37 weeks as I have officially decided to have a home water birth. I've still got some supplies to gather but it's nothing major. The biggest item will be the birthing pool which I rented form Meredith Ballaban. I get to pick it up two weeks before my due date. The decision to have a home birth is really sitting well with everyone too. The midwives and our doula Jody are very excited. Even Paul is looking foreword to the experience.

This week my lil' bean is weighing in at a little over 4 pounds, about as much as a pineapple, and is just over 19 inches long. He/she can listen, feel, see and is still gaining fat. There isn't much change except for his/her size and before I know it there'll be a newborn in my arms.