Introducing Isaac Matteo!

He is here!!! Isaac was born on July 8 at 4:22am. Labour started at around 7am on July 7. After 18 hours of labouring (most of it at home) I couldn't stand the pain anymore and got the epidural. Isaac was posterior, he never truly dropped and his heart rate started to drop, he was getting exhausted and stressed, and so was I. After a few more hours of trying to see if he'd drop we all decided it was getting too scary and he was not coping well. So he arrived into the world via a c-section. I am still dealing with it all, and once I have more time I'll post the long version of his birth story. But for now, I am happy to report we are doing well. I am so very grateful and feel very blessed to be holding my baby boy! Maddie is an amazing big sister. She is so helpful and loving with him...I am so proud of her. I know the next few months will be a time of adjustment, with many ups and downs, but I am really looking forward to it because I know they aren't little for very long.

Happy Due Day to Me!

Well my due date has come and gone. I am experiencing a roller coaster of emotions. I swing from sheer desperation, wanting this baby out, freaking out that something might go wrong...to complete peace and acceptance that I could still be pregnant for many a days to come. Right now, I am in a moment of acceptance, but come morning I will probably again be wondering why the heck I have not yet gone into labour! I feel like a time bomb, without a timer, just ticking away. Well I know one thing for sure. One way or another this baby is coming out soon...it really is just a matter of time. The hard part is the waiting and the uncertainty of the whole thing. I have my next prenatal on Tuesday. If I'm still pregnant of course! Here's to hoping that something happens before then!

The summer fun begins!

These were taken last month at the HRM Parent party. I should have posted them sooner, but oh well. We had lots of fun. Cute little Maddie, as usual, decided to go against the grain and get her arm painted instead of her face! She also asked for an elephant (kind of caught the lady of guard, but she did a good job!). I love watching my kiddo enjoying the moment...having so much fun!

Comforting words...

As a gift from my mommy, I was given the book "Zen Meditations on Being Pregnant" by Roni Jay. A while back I read through the whole thing and really found it peacefully comforting...such truth to her inspiring words. Well, now that I am at this point in my pregnancy, I am really absorbing her words about waiting patiently...

"Enduring the waiting...
In the Artic, the long winter seems to last almost forever before spring finally arrives. In arid tropical regions, the dry season drags by for most of the year until the rains finally come. Waiting for the birth, especially if it is late, can seem similar. We grow heavier and more uncomfortable, we are anxious to see our baby and to begin our new life with it, and everything just seems to stand still. We can only try to enjoy our last few days or weeks of free time, knowing that however far off it seems, the spring will come at last." -Roni Jay

"Patience...
As a pebble on the beach is slowly worn down by the sea, it sits patiently, and each day it is minutely smoother than it was yesterday. Our pregnancy might seem to last for ever, but each day is different. Each day the child within is being gradually shaped, like the pebble. If we wish the pregnancy over with, we wish away all those precious moments of our baby's life. However far ahead the pregnancy stretches, never after today will we be exactly twenty weeks pregnant with this child, or thirty-three weeks, or whatever it is. If we are patient, like the pebble on the beach, we will enjoy each day for itself and the moment of birth will still arrive when it is ready." -Roni Jay

Ah...I've also been thinking...pregnancy really does teach a woman a lot, especially about motherhood. It makes you realize that you have to accept things you cannot change, to let go and go with the flow. It prepares you for the sleep deprivation and tiredness you will feel in those early weeks and months. It makes you realize what it's like to share and give your body to another living creature. And also it gently demands the patience you will need for motherhood...

So all in all, the waiting to hold and meet my baby is a good thing...

The "almost 40 weeks" update...

All I have time and energy to say is that yep, I'm still pregnant. However, the braxton hicks of previous weeks have kicked it up a notch and are a wee bit more intense, but nothing resembling "real" labour yet. I did have an episode of prelabour or false labour (whatever you want to call it) on Sunday, but, much to my dismay, things dwindled away. Today was my prenatal and KC was successful at bringing my posterior cervix forward (who knew that could happen!?), so now whenever I get a contraction I REALLY feel his head in action! I am really hoping this means things will start to progress to the next level. I am so ready to have this baby!

Happy Father's Day!

Even though I am grateful and feel very lucky every day to have such a wonderful husband and father of our lovely daughter, today I want to especially thank him and celebrate this special day...

Thank you Ken, for being so supportive, loving and fun! For working so hard to provide for us. For being so helpful and involved. For everything you do and will do to keep us safe, happy and healthy...

Maddie and I (and Isaac too of course!) love you so much and we're so happy we have you taking care of us! Happy Father's Day!

Presenting the 37 week belly...

Last Sunday was a beautiful sunny day, so we decided to do our own photo shoot, it was lots of fun. I feel so weird, being this far along and to have such a wonderfully big belly. I'm happy I got some pictures to remember this time...