Pictures

One of the common questions people ask when they see Isabelle is who we think she looks like. Here is a chance to turn the tables. Below I have posted a picture of Bryan as an infant, myself as an infant and our sweet Isabelle, who is also giving this some thought. What do you think?

By the way I hope you enjoy these treasures from the past! ;)

Plans Change

A house of company throughout the day, supper with Craig, Katherine, and Karis that evening was how Sunday, August 7th played out. The behind the scenes story was that my body was giving me signs of preparing for labour. I of course down played them thinking that if they are not like the book describes then it is probably worth being down played. By noon on Monday it seemed like a good time to call my OB's office and see what they thought... basically I was feeling like I should be wearing a diaper so really started to wonder if in fact my water had broken. Again as it was not as the book described I kept thinking that Seven was probably just belly flopping on my bladder and surely everything was intact and wanting to stay that way for a while longer.

The nurse at my OB's office suggested I head to the hospital to get checked out in the birthing unit triage just to be safe. I showed up at 1:20pm just in time to watch soap operas which were airing on the television in the waiting room as well as in real life in the waiting room. The tirage was quite busy so it was almost an hour and a half before the nurse had a bed available for me. Luckily I had my blackberry to keep myself busy and connected to the outside world, including postponing my lunch plans with Jenna, my friend from Huntsville, as I was pretty sure I'd be in and out in time to meet her at the mall and change those lunch plans to supper plans.

The nurse confirmed around 2pm that it wasn't my water that had broken, but before I could catch up with Jenna, the nurse wanted for me to see the Dr. Almost five and a half hours later the Dr confirmed that my water had in fact broken and I better call my husband as I would be leaving the hospital with a baby. Yeah, I was shocked. I may have actually cried as I was starving and so convinced that I had spent the day in the triage making a big deal out of nothing - exactly what I did not want to do.

It took a little while to convince Bryan that I was not joking and was being serious about how he needed to change his plans and come south from camp to the hospital, all while I devoured a sub in the food court.

Bryan arrived at the hospital around 10pm (thanks to help from our friend Amber) just as contractions began. I was spared the horrors of back labour so with Bryan's support I was able to focus and breathe through the contractions without much trouble. After a couple of hours of this fun the doors between life in the womb and life in the world were still quite shut. An epidural and a drip of pitocin to help induce labour was how the first few hours of Tuesday began. Seven had sets of heart decelerations that worried the Dr and nurse so we were monitored closely and I was prepped for a c-section. By 4:30am the decelerations had ceased and Seven seemed pretty content to work things out on his or her own terms and timing.

The Dr poped by for a last look at the print out of Seven's heart rate compared to my contractions and nicely said that I might have the baby before she finished her twenty-four hour shift at 8am. I thought that it was nice of her to say that but was quite convinced that we were in for a long day. Yada, yada, yada we discovered that Seven was a girl named Isabelle at 7:12am. Between the nursing staff change at 7am and the Dr being sound asleep as her shift was coming to a close, it was Bryan and a panicked nurse just starting her day that delivered the baby.

Plans change and we are certainly all right with that especially when it meant we could meet our daughter Isabelle Karen Marie... all six pounds and one ounce of her nineteen inch frame. Love grew that morning as did our family, and we have a feeling that is only the beginning of our plans changing.

Full Term-Areno

Today we are thirty-seven weeks into this pregnancy adventure so I thought I should celebrate with a post and picture. I saw our Obstetrician, Dr Causey on Tuesday and she played the mean doctor trick of telling me I could go into labour any time now. Of course she meant it honestly, kindly wanting us to realize that the baby is where it needs to be for this to happen. So we will see if Seven is the kind of person that gets to meetings overly early but then is patient to hang out and wait. Or is Seven eager and excited to get out and about? Time will tell. For now I am apparently walking like a penguin and enjoying four days at camp. We've been blessed by many and have the essentials we need for when the little one arrives. So in some ways we are ready and in some ways a bit more time would be good too.  Either way we are pretty aware that we will not be deciding the timing.

The pic was taken by a great photographer friend with my lame-o blackberry camera, thus the poor quality. But it gives you the basic idea of what you'd see if we were hanging out today.

Two Trips to Kemptville

The Canada Day long weekend and two weekends later, I got to spend time with my parents at their place near Kemptville. They were both fantastic visits filled with surreal moments of my parents getting to feel the baby kick, being pregnant at my parent's house on my thirty-first birthday, having the baby kick up a storm as I swam around their pool, and being surrounded by amazing women from different parts of my life connected to the Ottawa Valley.

Here are some pictures of belly growth from those weekends. The purple dress pic is me before the baby shower,  and the swimsuit pic are both from the first weekend at 33.5 weeks. The other two pics are from the  second weekend at 35.5 weeks. There is one of my in a dress after the garden tour with my Mum. The second is taken by me with all of those in mind who keep telling me how tiny I am - it is all in the eye of the beholder... this is how I see it. :)

Enjoy!

The First One

Back on June 18th a group of ladies from Muskoka Woods gathered together to throw the first baby shower for us. A small group of women came together and really reminded me how much of a loving community we have around us. It is funny how in times of struggle we can feel so alone... but I we are not alone at all. Two tangible reminders they sent me away with is an album with advice and sayings from each who were there, as well as a quilt that everyone put at least a few stitches in. Some days I seem so determined to not reach out or ask for help in fear of how those requests or leaning will be received. How silly!

The second shower thrown for us in Kemptville had such a similar feeling - a smaller group of women gathering together letting us know how excited they are for us. It is impossible to leave a party like that and not feel so loved!

We are so very thankful to every person who was involved in the planing, purchasing, and prayer. I know not everyone who wanted to attend could make the showers... please know how much we appreciate you too! :)

I have just acquired a few pictures from the first shower so will post those below. Bryan has said throughout this pregnancy that my highs are higher and my lows are lower. The showers definitely brought me into high emotions - have you ever seen ANYONE this excited about a farm puzzle and bibs? :)

Into the Eighth Month

This past Thursday we hit the thirty-two week or eighth month mark. Crazy business. Last week I had a few days where I felt quite overwhelmed for this upcoming journey of being a parent. Perhaps nine months is a bit long for me to mentally maul over what is to be. I am trying to focus my thoughts more on the present again. And the present has many good things to be thankful for that is for sure. We do not have the need we did before for a c-section so are back to planing on a natural birth. My liver and kidney function are back to normal now that my gallbladder is being managed. And the second diabetes test confirmed that I do not have gestational diabetes. Seven continue to poke, kick, and flip back and forth in rapid succession at times, which even when it is shocking or a little painful makes my heart overflow. Yes many things to be thankful for.

Speaking of focusing on the present, here is a picture from today just before we left for church. Enjoy!

The Adventure Continues...

In the last post I mentioned that I almost did not join Bryan for our vacation to North Carolina. I was having painful attacks that started at the end of April. By the end of May not only did we still not know what was happening, but the attacks were getting longer and closer together. The baby was moving so much during this time which helped me not worry about Seven. Much thanks to my family Doctor who joined in on this journey to help figure out that the attacks were not just heartburn but my gall bladder. Apparently some stones and sludge in my gall bladder to be more specific. Yeah sludge... gross eh?! A low fat diet has made a world of difference which is such a blessing. On Sunday it will be two weeks since the last attack and I certainly hope this streak continues.

Due to the attacks I lost weight but all measurements continue to show that Seven is thriving. Another answer to our prayers! I actually just had another ultrasound today so will stick the picture below that I took of the screen. Not the greatest picture and to be honest kind of looks like a blob to me, but the ribs and spine are pretty obvious. Seven is already in position which makes me feel hopeful that this baby doesn't want to be in there longer then it needs to be. :) But of course at 31 weeks tomorrow I do hope Seven's content for another nine weeks.

Until next time...