Welcome Claire Aimee

She's here!

Claire Aimee kept us up all of Monday night. We went to the hospital at 12:30 to find that, although I was 4 cm dilated, I wasn't having consistent enough contractions to stay. This turned out to be an okay thing because, I was able to manage 3 more hours of sleep in my own bed. By 7:30, we were back at the hospital with very consistent contractions.
I was happy that my Birth Plan (read EPIDURAL) went smoothly and then, we waited a few more hours. Claire only made me push for 20 minutes and she was out. 7 lbs 5 oz, 51 cm long on Nov. 16th at 10:59 am.
I was so blessed with such a smooth and positive delivery. My nurses were amazing (I had two very lovely students wait on me hand and foot). My doctor is also amazing and she showed up on her day off to catch Claire. The new L+D unit as well as Mother/Baby are fabulous!
We arrived at home last night and have been very content to snuggle our babies on this very cold and stormy November day.

3

I'm a little overdue but, feeling swell. :)

We're currently savoring our last few days as a family of 3. 18 1/2 months old is bliss. We love Simon's belly laughs, babbles and constant desire for interaction. If he could have dream day, we'd read all morning, eat raisin toast and Nutella for breakfast and lunch, play with all four of his grandparents until nap time, party in his crib, zonk out and then wake up to play balloons with his baby-sitter and his favorite 2 girls. (We could do without the frustrating tantrums but, they're part and parcel of where he's at in life).

Today, he learned to scratch. He LOVES to "tickle" other people. He loves putting on his dress-up hats and watching Sesame Street. He loves to cuddle. He also loves to learn animal noises. He's finally added pig grunting to bahhing, mooing, meowing, panting (dog), hoohooing and roaring. He's mastered the stairs and has the most adorable version of a jump that I've ever seen.

Don't get me wrong, we're pumped for Schmoo 2. We're just enjoying where we're at too. When people call to "wonder how I'm doing" as an overdue lady, I smile to myself. Simon was 5 days overdue and I was pretty anxious. He came... he's fine. I have no doubts that this little one will show up in his or her own time. Until then, I'm going to bask in being the mommy of just one before the busy days of a newborn are here and all I write about is sleep exhaustion. :)

Due Date

Waking up on the wedding day sportin' his 4th hair cut.

Our little family.

My handsome men!
On Simon's due date, I was sad and lonely. My friend Nancy took me for tea and cheered me up.
Today, I was thrilled that Schmoo 2 decided not to make his/her appearance today (or yesterday).
I LOVED celebrating at Jared and Jeanette's wedding. They had the most perfect day. Both were beautiful and I'm so happy for them.
Today, I was able to go to a family brunch and play with Simon.
I'm going to do a little house cleaning and then, I'll take a nap.

Schmoo 2, we are NOW as ready as we will ever be for you. We don't mind waiting... do things on your own terms but, we want you to know that you can come whenever you want now!

Close

Every night, when I go to bed, I try to coax a promise from Baby that he or she will be late so that I can celebrate this weekend with my fabulous brother-in-law and his almost bride.
The wedding is Sunday and I think we're going to be tied up with wedding-y things until Monday afternoon. I'm absolutely thrilled for Jared and Jeanette so, I hope I "hang in" there until everything is done.
Simon gets to wear a suit (a gift from his Great-Grandma) and I'd hate to miss that as well. (Due to his incredibly difficult feet that we can never find shoes for, he'll also be sporting his super snazzy Tigger runners with the suit. Classy!)
I haven't swelled up too badly so, I think I can actually wear dress shoes instead of Crocs.
Trevor will be in a tux and I will be sitting pretty close to the front so, I anticipate making eyes at him through most of the ceremony. Simon will be at home napping so that he will be pleasant at the reception instead of a basket-case.
I love Trevor's family. It'll be fun to see and visit with all his cousins, aunts and uncles. I'm looking forward to that as well.
Therefore Baby, please, please, please, give your Momma a little bit of time to celebrate Uncle Jared's BIG day. After that, it'll be all about you, little Schmoo!

C'est l'Halloween

(Hey Frenchy friends of mine... do you remember that song? I think of it every Halloween. After tons of searching, I still can't locate a copy.)

Simon went out and about trick-or-treating as Tigger this year. We went both Saturday and Sunday nights and went to a whopping 7 houses. He enjoyed putting treats in his bag and he love the suppers with both sets of grandparents. He liked being Tigger but, he refused to wear the pants that came with the costume. Ah well...

I pinned this lovely sign to my belly for dress-up day at school. A little lazy, yes but, I do think I was clever. Also, check out my stellar artwork. :) I was a Goth the day before. It was such a rushed day filled with appts and temper tantrums that I missed out on a picture. Let's just say that I was spectacular. :)

Simon has been chattin' up a storm lately. I have no idea what he's babbling about but, he's fun to listen to. He's got a pile of words and animal noises that he loves to say. He's also gaining confidence walking. I predict independent locomotion by Christmas.

I have 2 days left of work and a pile of marking. Silly students don't seem to understand that pretty soon, it'll be impossible for me to mark their already late assignments. Gasp... a real, honest-to-goodness deadline! Shocking but, reality. :) It's good for them.

I'm tired but, I'm already looking forward to a total Jill-day on Thursday for pampering, relaxing, nesting and laundry. I may even sleep in. :)

I'm still grinning ear to ear for my crazy and fun work friend Jana who just got her referral for her Chinese adoption. Check out her exciting journey here Sooo excited that she'll be a mommy soon!

A little nutty

When I found out I was pregnant, I did a mad scramble to figure out how many days I needed in order to still qualify for mat. leave. Going back 60% as planned was out of the question. Instead, I subbed for 20 days in the spring and started back full-time in August.
I HAVE to work until Nov. 1st. People keep bugging me to "quit" soon. Money doesn't grow in trees, folks! I was originally going to work until Nov. 5 but now, my last day is the 3rd. I'm a bit of a geek and I want to finish my units with my kids and have all my report card marks entered. That should all be done by Wednesday.
Thursday, I plan to pamper myself, nest, wash teeny-tiny sleepers and some of Simon's little baby clothes, pack our bags and nap. (I know it sounds like a lot but, I can be pretty efficient.) The weekend will be all about the wedding and then the baby can come.
Trevor laughs at me and reminds me that babies don't always operate on my schedule. Here's hoping.

(This post has nothing to do with Simon but, aren't these pictures Andrea took of him adorable?)

Something Old... Something New...

Did I mention my brother-in-law is getting married in 2 weeks?
He's getting married on Nov. 7th.
My official due date is Nov. 8th.
Hmmmm... we're praying that the baby comes late. (How often do mothers pray that way?)

Because it's a family wedding, everyone's involved. Even my side of the family is going. All the ladies are getting swanky new dresses. I will be 40 weeks pregnant.
Have you ever tried to find a swanky maternity dress in this town? For a woman in all her poofy glory? (This is not a cute, glowing, 6 month pregnant lady we're talking about... this is at the end, at the "I feel like an elephant" stage).
It's impossible.
I've toyed with the idea of online shopping but, my own body-image issues make me doubt and re-guess my size all the time... regardless of what I measure. That and I'm still a little skeptical about online shopping (I'm just a girl of the 20th century, I guess).
Today, I went to one of the two major maternity stores in town to check out their Christmas collection.
Blech!


For Shiya's wedding, she had us wear these gorgeous 7-in-1 black dresses. I tried it on today and it fits well. It's not something new :( but, it fits and it's classy. Look out wedding goers, there will be a poofy pregnant sister-in-law attending. Give her chocolate, keep her little boy happy and tell her that her "dress crocs" look awesome so that she doesn't get upset and have her water break all over the aisle.

Top 5

I have about 3 weeks to go until Schmoo 2.0 makes his or her appearance. I'm not the largest pregnant lady around however, I am getting to that very uncomfortable and awkward stage. These are my Top 5 Things That are Complicated for a Very Pregnant Lady.

5. Getting into my car.
I sit close to the steering wheel but, I've had to re-adjust to make room.
Seatbelts are also a funny situation. Every time I buckle up, I imagine the lap
belt covering this teeny-tiny face.

4. Shaving my legs.
Where did they go?

3. Toe nail clipping and polishing?
I think I did this 3 weeks ago. I tried again last night and failed.
I think it's time for a pedicure!

2. Cuddling with Simon.
Slowly, this little one has been pushing him away. I think it's nature's way of
preparing him to share. (He does rest his little arm on my belly when we read
stories - that's pretty cute.)

1. Any form of dressing.
I laugh hysterically at myself most mornings as I attempt to put on my socks,
slip into pants or find a shirt that covers all my belly (even maternity shirts
are getting a little short). The funniest is the strange balancing act I have
to do while putting on my undies.

This is a very short time in my life. Most of these situations make me giggle!

Poofy

The end is in sight, folks. It scares me spitless! (Just 3 1/2 weeks left until ETA).
I know I'm getting close to the end of my pregnancy because of all the signs. I'm starting to swell. My face is a little fuller, my legs are a little achy and my feet are now content to be clad in my "dress crocs" (they sort of look like Mary-Janes). My back is more tender, my level of tiredness has increased significantly and I'm finding it hard to bend, stand up, sleep and pick up Simon. I see my doctor every week. Baby is consistent in growing 2 cm every week. I'm now measuring 32 cm (should be 36 but, I carry my babies small). I'm sure I'll continue to "bloom" a little while longer.
My job was posted at work. Eeeek!

Today was a long day after Meet the Teacher Night. I watched too many grade 9 Social Ancient Civilization presentations. Some were good... I barely had a lunch hour and I had a long Dr's appt after school. Thankfully, Simon's baby-sitter could stay late. Somehow, my friend Laurie miraculously knew I was having an awful day. She invited Simon and I over for supper. It was so nice to be fed and looked after.

Trevor's away on a business trip and this has been an exceptionally busy week for me. I miss him and our tag-team approach to life.
I think I need a weekend. I also think I should unplug and go to bed early.

A break and a sneak peek

I had an ultrasound scheduled for the morning. Simon and Trevor came with me. This will (hopefully) be our last chance to see Schmoo 2.0 before his or her arrival.
We waited in the waiting room for an hour... with a one-year old. He was a very, very good one-year old. His meltdown came when his Mommy climbed onto a table, bared her belly and let a stranger touch her. He was over-the-top mellow dramatic. I'd like to think it was out of concern for me. The hospital next month might be interesting because Mommy will be spend a lot of time in bed.

I called in sick for the afternoon. I still have that rotten fall cold and I can't seem to shake my cough. I slept through most of Simon's nap. I hope that helps my immune system fight it's way to normalcy again.

It's good to sleep. I'd forgotten that every pregnant lady should nap every other day if possible. Do you think my periods 5 and 6 classes would notice if I snooze through their lessons every day?

Schmoo 2.0 is head down and weighing in at a whopping 5 lbs 5 oz. He or she is kicking a squirming up a storm. Estimated date of arrival is now November 11th which would be a delightful day for a B-day.

Team Work

My sweet man did something very noble today. He stayed home with Simon. Both Simon, our babysitter and our little friends that share our babysitter are all sick. I'm saving sick leave in case anything happens with Schmoo 2.0 and I need to be done a tad early.
Trevor stayed and played Mr. Mom all day.
Tomorrow is his EDO and he'll be grocery shopping, supper making, bathroom cleaning and doing laundry duty. On days like this, I just come home and play while he finishes supper and then cleans up. Then I put my not-yet-swollen feet up in my Lazy-Boy while he gives Simon his bath and puts him to bed.
Am I bragging? Heck yes!
My husband ROCKS!
I am one spoiled pregnant lady.
Am I super grateful! You bet!
I have an amazing man who takes our family and household duties seriously.
I thank God every day that I married him.

On a sad note, Trevor and I are getting our fall cold too. Blech!

2/10

Week #2 is done. Just 8 more to go and then, I'm a double Momma.

I love my job. I have a great staff. I met all my students and they are pretty awesome. I love teaching subjects I'm passionate about. Soon, my grade 9s will be figuring out just what they believe about the origin of the world and defending their ideas. In Psych 20, I taught about trepanning and phrenology... fabulous!

On the flip side, I miss my little man. He's a little trooper. He loves his baby-sitter and the two girls he hangs out with. It's nice to be at work and know that he's having a good time with his friends. That doesn't stop me from missing him all day long. It's hard not to just smother him with kisses and hugs as soon as I walk in the door.

Lastly, I'm exhausted. I miss my 2-3 hours of "nap time" every afternoon. I'm looking forward to napping this weekend. My big belly is starting to get unwieldy. I'm also noticing that I'm getting more and more tuckered out and uncomfortable. It's all part of the process but, I'm starting to look forward to this little Schmoo on the outside.

16 months + 30 weeks

Welcome to 16 months, Mr. Simon! (Notice my lovely lack of lap for story time.)





I'm at 30 weeks. That means just 10 weeks until Schmoo 2.0 (or more... or less, babies are funny that way). Hard to believe he or she will be here that quickly!

Jam face and a sad countdown

I think I just mentioned Simon's passionate love of his Tigger. This morning, he refused to part with the wee stripped beastie and so, Tigger is now covered in jam. Blech! (Fortunately, we have multiple Tiggers so, when jam-face Tigger is taking a bath, Simon still has 2 other Tiggers to keep him busy.)

I'm getting kind of sad thinking about my upcoming return to work. I've really enjoyed my extended mat. leave and summer break. I feel reality looming on the horizon and this stirs up all sorts of anxiety and sadness. Most of the time, I push those feelings down, put on my rosy-coloured glasses and live in the present. With just 10 days of bliss left, that is getting harder and harder to do. Sigh...

How in the world do those American girls go back to work after just 6 weeks? (I could barely function after 6 weeks let alone work. My goodness, letting me loose in a grocery store was scary enough, I'd hate to imagine trying to educate children in my sleep deprived state.) Why can't I move to Sweden where Trevor and I would still have 8 months left of our parental leaves?

Ah well, 10 weeks of teaching and then, I'm off on maternity leave again... because I'll have another BABY! YIKES!

20 Weeks

(Every time I hear the above song by the Weepies, I think of parenthood. I thought I'd share.)
Updated belly shot (post nasty cold sore) and less pondering to come later.

Half way there!
Don't get me wrong,
we're excited.
Only this time,
it's like being strapped into a roller coaster.
We know that it'll be crazy ride
full of ups and downs
and stomach lurching moments when
the whole world is
up-side-down.
All we can do
grin at each other in that
nervous kind of way
and hold on
tight to one another's hand.
This ride's only just
begun.

rain

It's been a busy week. I can't complain. All is well in my little world.

Simon is insatiable. He eats and eats and eats. He outgrew 2 pairs of adorable slippers while I had my back turned. He points at everything and says "euh". He's in this stage where he can't communicate and can't move anywhere on his own. His frustration level has led to more then a few meltdowns. He'll have his break through eventually... until then, it's "euh"...

I have one more day of subbing booked. It actually was a lot of fun to go back to my school and reacquaint myself with the kids without having all the prep, extra-curr and marking pressure. Our baby-sitter is pretty amazing. I'll be sad to see her go.

It's been birthday week around here. I turned 31, Trevor turned 30 and my adorable niece is now 1. I'd like to say that I feel wiser and more mature now that I'm "getting on in age" but, I think I won't notice that I transitioned to my 30s until I'm transitioning to my 40s and missing them.

All it does in this province is rain. It's crazy how much water has fallen in the past month. I'm hoping for some sunshine for next week. I'm starting to feel like I've got a bit of cabin fever.

Schmoo 2.0 is on the move. My placenta is facing out so, I don't feel as many little kicks and flutters as I'd like but, I know that he or she is squirming around. I also have a bump. I'm getting to be at the cute stage of pregnancy where, I can just barely start wearing maternity clothes or squeeze into my jeans. I'm also still pretty agile and able to carry Simon wherever his little heart desires. Finally, the nausea's gone. Every now and then, it creeps back but, at least it's not all day, every day anymore.

Better ask Jesus

While riding back to the school with the ILP (Special Needs) students after a grueling :) session of Laughter Yoga, my seat partner had a few questions about my life.

B - Miss, Miss, who looks after your baby son when you're at school with me.
Me - He has a great baby-sitter who looks after him.
B - Oh, that's good. Are you going to have another baby someday.
Me - Actually, I have a baby in my tummy right now.
B - Really?
Me - Yep. This baby's coming in November.
B - So you have a baby at home and a baby in your tummy? Two babies?
Me - Yep.
B - HOW MANY BABIES DO YOU NEED, LADY?
Me - Um...
B = That's a lot of babies. Babies are a lot of work!!!
Me - We might have 3 someday.
B - Oh dear. You better ask Jesus about that. That's a lot of babies.


It's true, Mr. B. That's a lot of babies. Thanks for the reminder!

(Mr. B. also told me that it hurts lots and lots when the hospital cuts the baby out of my tummy. I could have explained the whole childbirth process to him but... I didn't. Today, he was worried because I ate a chocolate bar at lunch. Babies are too little for chocolate so, I shouldn't have any. Sigh...)

You make me sick

Dear Schmoo 2.0,
You're 16 weeks today. I can feel you most nights when I sit in the Lazy-Boy and relax. I first felt you while eating Sweet and Sour Pork in grade 12 Food Studies. I'm sure that you are growing. I'm starting to have a little pooch belly and my back is unhappy. I bought some pretty nice maternity clothes so that I'll be cute during the summer.
Your brother has no idea you're coming. I think you may startle him a bit. Today, I was able to hold some adorable little girls and he was a green, jealous monster. I guess we have some work to do with him.
I threw up again this morning. What's up with that, Little One? Why do you make your Momma sick? I was hoping that this would be done by now.
I'm sorry, I shouldn't complain. I know you're worth it.
Looking forward to seeing you (ultrasound) in 4 weeks,
Love Momma

Making Me Work for It

We found out about Schmoo 2.0's arrival at the end of March. We were absolutely thrilled!
However, it did throw a wrench into my work plans. I had applied (and received) a personal leave to end off the school year. I had also asked for (and received) permission to reduce my teaching contract to just 60%. All of a sudden, this didn't add up to the 600 hours I need for a second mat. leave.
I spent a few days SCRAMBLING! (I felt a little sheepish changing all my plans.)
Fortunately, I have a fabulous school board and HR Consultant. We worked it out that, instead of coming back to work full time this spring, I would only have to come back full-time in the fall. In order to make up for the hours I was short, I agreed to sub for 17 days.
Today was my 6th day subbing. (It was grand... I need to blog about subbing someday because it's a pretty wild and wacky world!)

Schmoo 2.0 is also a demanding little beast. With Simon, I was uber tired my first trimester but, never sick. With this kidlet, I'm a nauseous and tired mess. I don't throw up so, there's no real relief there... just this unending sense that my stomach hates me.
I crave bizarre, unhealthy, greasy food. I've been to MacDonald's twice in one weekend. (The last time I was at MacDonald's was in Europe... so I could have the McBeer and that was 10 years ago.)
I'm hoping that now I'm in my 2nd trimester, things should ease up a bit. It's yet to have happened.

(The picture of Simon is a little random but, pretty darned cute if you ask me.)

Chubster

Glorious, glorious chub!
Bring on the dimples and the fat rings
Give me more baby belly and a few more rolls.
Keep it up, my boy!