Our First Post Partum Week!

September 1st

• my initial post partum hours (!) was marked by a lot of bleeding. I was given 2 IM oxytocin shots and was dripping and gushing blood. Given 1L of NS with Oxytocin and an in/out catheter...same mess. Besides the sting of a catheter insertion, the 2nd worst part was the pressure applied to your abdomen in a massage like fashion to help the uterus contract. totally hated that, but was necessary to assess bogginess of uterus/bladder relationship. Although my vitals were stable, the midwife called an OB who then did a manual evacuation of about 600cc of clots from me (which honestly was painless and felt pretty good to get out of me), a shot of Ergot, and another 1L of NS with Oxytocin. I also got a new best friend- an indwelling catheter which was super uncomfortable to get in, but loved it and requested it to stay the night for extra comfort. We got food and feasted with my family, Mikkel co slept with me all night and fed like a champ, and I didnt have to get up once (thank you foley!). 

^^ Kuya Max! (big brother's whether related or not, are called Kuya in tagalog ^^

September 2nd

• so hungry, and the hospital food was so good (seriously!). Midwife came to visit and she said that the baby was coming out so fast that she had to ease the delivery to protect my tissues. yikes! Sadly, my foley had to come out too and thankfully I had no voiding issues afterwards. Even though i basically stayed in bed for 24 hours (minus 5 minutes for a quick shower), being at the hospital makes you feel so oily and disgusting, i wanted to go home.  It was a no issue discharge and my family came to visit us at home. Felt so good to be back in my own surroundings! Since Max missed me ten-fold in the last 24 hours, he requested that we sleep together for the night. So Max on double bed with me, baby on floor in bassinet. Shitty sleep night because it was so crowded in the room and I was anxious that Max would have a crappy sleep from the noise and be a total grumpy toddler in the am. Luckily, he's slept pretty deep and he was a happy loving big bro by wake up time. I think our feeding schedule was about every 2 hours at this time. Eventually I co-slept with her and there were 3 of us sleeping on a half twin-half double bed, crowded but I managed to sleep and not wake up grumpy either. My pain was also 0 despite of it all. 

 

^^ discharged! ^^

September 3rd

• midwife Andrea came to visit to give as a req for a serum bilirubin. I had the option of staying another night at the hospital, but HELL no was that going to happen. We spent a good part of the day back at the hospital lab waiting room- they recommend just going to the hospital as outpatient sites courier the bloodwork and could lead to false results. Highlight of the day was the sandwiches and soup at Beyond Cafe next-door to the hospital, delicious! Today also marks the day Max, baby, and I moved in to the master bedroom with the king sized bed. Gene moved into Max's room willingly because he needs sleep or he'll be a pain in the ass for all if he doesn't (too true). The three of us on the king was the best idea ever- we had an amazing night. Max slept thoroughly, I had lots of space, I had washroom access, and there was room for Mikkel to co sleep comfortably with us on the bed without me being scared of her falling off of the bed. we had every 2 hour feed wake ups with matching poops. My bleeding was comparable to a day 5 period. the sleep i was getting was enough, and I had no pain.

September 4

• my milk came in overnight, need I say more? 

^^ accurate!! ^^

September 5

• midwife came in today and gave us another bilirubin req for the baby. her levels weren't high enough for the bili lights but still needed follow up. Funny enough on this day, there were 6 other september 1st newborn babies at the lab at the same time! the change in weather as a contributing factor perhaps? it was hilarious to hear 3 babies crying at the same time and mamma's leaking or tingling at the same time ha! highlight of the day was that we got to order some Kadoya and eat it at home...it'll be about another year until i can go back. so, so, so good...! my midwife texted me later on to tell us that her numbers were dropping and no further bloodwork was needed, yay! 

^^ can you guess which one is Max and which is Mikkel? taken approximately same age! ^^

September 6

• the initial latch of each feed are so sharp and painful, and goes away as the suckling starts. am i doing something wrong or is this something my nipples need to get used to again? ouch! our schedules are feed then poop/pee, sleep for 2 hours, feed and poop/pee throughout the day. was it like this with Max? for some reason I'm finding his care more difficult back then compared to this little one

September 7

• current schedule is feed one breast approx 15 mins, tummy time, feed other breast, explosive mustard coloured poop, pee, then sleep for 2 hours. my breasts engorgement are the 2nd worst part of this time next to the sting felt on each of her latches. she's also choking a lot from my right breast, my let down must be pretty strong...i think this was the same experience with Max.  she really despises the pacifier, she gives a genuine look of disgust whenever i attempt to put it in her mouth...unlike Max who just LOVES it and should have had one since day 1! little girl is so milk drunk after each feed that she just falls asleep within 15 minutes. 

September 8

• my little girl is 1 week old today! yay! i had a lot of mom guilt with the mom-Max-baby relationship changes prior to her birth but I'm happy to say that Max has been such a loving, caring, and non-jealous brother. He genuinely is excited about her, cares for her, and just wakes up wanting to kiss her and hug her. phew! I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship <3! my husband is away working for a few days thus the kids (!!) and I are home alone. I took us all on our first long walk with Max on foot and Mikkel on the carrier...she likes the Ergo thank goodness, my body however did not like the added strain and my bleeding not only increased, so did my general muscular aches. work in progress.

September 9

• breasts are softer, and she's now 3700g (just over 8 lbs!). Super breastmilk!

This is the new normal xoxo

My Little Mikkel Jens' Birth Story!

at 38 weeks, I advised my midwife that I wanted a stretch and sweep to get the process going with this pregnancy. A little selfish i know, but I was increasingly becoming more uncomfortable with my left hip at night, the insomnia, the urinary frequency, and shortness of breath. Furthermore, Gene was going to start the fishing season again (we would be alone for 3 days at a time), my dad was going back to work, and we had a wedding to go to! Let's get the show started- date was booked for September 1st at 0900!

The August 31st-September 1st sleep was non existent because of my anxiety in anticipation of the sweep. At 0430am, I was woken up by a different type of cramping that was not the usual braxton hick that i often felt from my head to my bowels. Of course I didnt think THIS IS IT right away, but the 'period cramps' came to mind and I knew that something more was happening. So i got up, paced around the house, and started using my contractions app to get some sort of data on what was going on. I woke up husband to tell him around 530am and that I was about to page the midwife at 0600.

My contractions were getting more intense at the 6am mark, my midwife said to call her back when I couldn't function through them. At this hour I was still able to get dressed, get my parents on standby, put makeup on (yeah i know), and analyze the happenings of the day while curling over the side of the couch every now and then. My parents picked up Max close to 7am and I paged my midwife that things were moving along quickly. I asked her to come over and check me so we weren't going to be turned away from the hospital, but by 720am, it didnt take much for Gene to convince me (knowing my stubbornness) that it was time to go to the hospital especially as rush hour was then and now...we met the midwife there after a brief phone call. Thankfully, we had no traffic issues getting to the hospital, and was officially admitted at around 0745am. Had to tell Gene to fck off every now and then for trying to rush me to the unit; walking with active contractions and saying hi to people that recognized me in between ha (!). We had the most amazing room 11 on the maternity unit, and once I laid down on the bed, I was 4cm dilated and being told that "[you] aren't going anywhere today!"

The only position I was comfortable with was lying on my left side and I stayed there during the entire labor process. I don't know why, but I was more conscious of the pain this time around. No drugs, no gas, just stubborn debilitating PAIN. I can't remember all of what I was saying but I remember swearing a lot, trying to breathe things out, closing my eyes 98% of the time, having a pleasant staff nurse who kept smiling at me as she got the room ready, telling myself I was so tired and that i just need a little more time. Honestly I was also a little annoyed at the time because my midwife was just there waiting, sitting, being TOO CALM, while I was totally at my most vulnerable. In hindsight, really...what was she going to do? Speed up the baby's arrival? how? pull the baby out? tell me to push when my body wasn't ready? in reality, she was waiting as my body was changing, and after it all, she told me she knew things were progressing fast as she listened to the sounds of my voice and visual symptoms. I was also finding it strange that I remained on my left side the entire time, like this isn't what i pictured in my head and couldn't fathom birthing this way, but alas it was the only position my body would let me take on. Andrea (my midwife) said she'd lift up my leg the entire time, to which I was completely in disbelief as how a baby was going to come out that way.

my water broke as she encouraged me to let it go, and to let my body push when it was ready. i remember loudly saying, there's water coming out!!  and as she scurried along to deal with the acuity of the situation, i got even more anxious when I couldn't visualize her or feel her energy. I remember saying Andrea, where are you? I need to see you! many times. her presence was truly a comforting factor. There's no doubt when your body tells you that it was time to push! Mentally though, you have to let it go and just do it. I remember telling Gene not to breathe in my face as it was really bothering me (lol), I remember telling him that I was going to rip his shirt off or rip it in general, I remember telling myself that I just needed some time to rest in-between contractions and trying to will the baby to give me just a few more minutes (which she did enough to suffice). I remember some slight burning in my perineum and my midwife telling me to breathe it out and keep my legs and bum soft as she cranked my knee to my chest (still lying on my left side),  and I remember someone pressing down on my perineum, an EXPLODING/BURSTING/ERUPTING sensation, and baby out and crying!! Skin to skin right away....first degree tear, 2 stitches, 5 pushes, and 5 hours later (labor and delivery)....we have our baby girl!!

^^ September 1 at 0942am ^^

^^ baby Mikkel Jens (like Miguel, but with a K)! 7lbs 7oz! ^^

post partum updates to follow!

I'm 33! Happy Birthday to ME!

my day started out just as planned, sleeping in until 930am with no major plans for the day. the weather was awesome (cool, rainy, TORNADO LIKE WINDS), and Max woke up in a good mood jumping around giving me kisses and telling me happy birthday (to which I also reminded him that it was his beloved Michael Jackson's birthday too!), +1 mamma points there! Most importantly, I was not in any form of labor and this baby has allowed me to have a day that is mine. It was my 'goal' to keep this baby in until after my birthday, and now the universe has aligned and I can finally relax and hopefully give birth some time soon.

Max and I made THESE COOKIES yesterday. I would say they were just a little too sweet. my personal preference would be to drop the sugar to 3/4cup for both white and brown. However, when it comes to toddler abilities to make this recipe with a responsible adult, easy peasy! I let him touch and taste a bunch of ingredients and once it was all said and done, he was so proud of himself for his gift! love these moments while I have a one and only. On a side note, i was blessed enough not to lose power in my neighbourhood from the 2015 #BCStorm (see some pics of the storm's aftermath HERE). My family though, living 10 minutes away did and are expected to regain power by 8pm tonight. No internet, no hot showers, no cooking; blessing in disguise (?) vs. apocalyptic. Gene has taken Max to FREE (!) PNE and i've got the whole house to myself. I feel the urge to do chores or go out and take the time for myself, but alas i've come to terms with resting in peace, blogging, online shopping, and food in a slow cooker so I don't have to deal with anything that requires close monitoring. 

I spent the rest of yesterday taking pics with Max, as above! He then ran around naked all day impressing me with his urine-only potty trained self (including putting the lid up, aiming, shaking it off, and sometimes flushing). I'm not sure how much nudity is appropriate or too much? but Max, if possible, would run around naked all day around the house without complaints. My family and I ate at Las Margaritas on 4th for dinner. That restaurant is our Mexico, away from Mexico - which really makes no sense because Mexican resorts don't really serve that tex-mex type of food more than once a week (lots of theme nights). The food is never disappointing at Las Margaritas, can't wait to go back. 

Cake, cookies, tea, gifts...that's all she wrote.

I'm 33 years old! 

================================ >

38 Week update

• becoming increasingly hypersensitive to my symptoms. is this a BH contraction or a real contraction? is this twinge in my uterine area a sign of labor or just a twinge? is this wetness I feel mild bladder leakage or sweat or my water breaking and trickling down my leg? Is that my mucous plug? is that blood? y'know...normal thoughts lol
• it's taking me about 2 hours to get back to sleep every night, when i wake up around 130am chronically to go use the washroom. How is this going to work when the baby comes anyways? oh i know, NO SLEEP. i'm contemplating on becoming a coffee drinker as a new lifestyle, I don't have any idea idea where to start with this as my husband only drink instant coffee
• some of my pre-37th week clothes are no longer fitting. Some clothes already have holes and need to get rid of them. And of course, there are clothes I just can't wait to get rid of
• i bought a play yard to use as a crib because I'm not even sure if this kid will waste crib-money like Max did (and want to co sleep). Also, id like to child to eventually sleep in the same bed and room as Max by the time I go back to work so I don't know what I would use a crib for on a long term basis anyways (watch my luck though, I probably will have an out of the ordinary child that wants to sleep by themselves!)
• speaking of the 2 kids sleeping together, my cat is so annoying And really him waking one or the other up if they aren't in the same room is enough for me to blow a gasket. so keeping both kids contained in one room is i think a good idea. I also hate it when he sleeps on their sleeping furniture and I'm currently using a cosleeper bed and a bassinet as toy storage so he doesn't make himself comfortable in the freshly washed baby-ready furniture. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the giant playpen. my cat drives me nuts
• my hospital bag is packed and ready to be put in the car!
• we got this for Max's big brother gift from his sister. he's obsessed with these Monster Jam cars and i've had to put up with a lot of tantrums in public spaces (like tantrums that can last a whole f*cking HOUR) because I WONT buy them for him unless it was his birthday/Christmas- y'know standard fare rules and regulations that this guy needs to understand (!!). But having a new sister and something to ease the change like this is ok with me

• Max's overnight bag for my parents' house is packed- of course for their sanity (because he's never slept over night anywhere without us), his iPad and charger are a must. I have a sticky notes in multiple places to remind me to pack it on D-day. If this L&D is anything like last time, the higher level of thinking must still be done by me...the person in labor with a human coming out of their crevice...instead of husband who just cannot
• tried on some non-birkenstock shoes for a wedding this September and NO SHOES FIT in my regular 7-7.5. do I need to buy new shoes now or what? normally id be cheering for a shopping opportunity, but today I'm just dreading this. After speaking with some other mom's I think there is more of a likelihood that my shoe size will no longer by a 7 and I may have to lose some of my beloved shoes altogether (cue in tears for my Frye's)
• started talking to Max about not being able to sleep with him at night once the baby comes. I'm pretty stressed out about because I have such a good sleep (well despite my current insomnia) when I'm with him, and y'know it's a special time between us as we tell stories, laugh, and cuddle at night. just a reality change we have to adapt to. mommy guilt right there
• stocking up on fall friendly nursing shirts. I'm really loving the button up style shirts with my new nursing bra(s)! can't wait to wear them

• "healthy baby healthy mom" according to my midwife! my Stretch and sweep is scheduled for September 1st at 0900am! which means i could have the baby that very day/night!!

Countdown! 35, 36, and 37th week!! We MADE IT!

• my bloodwork has been great! iron is good, despite me feeling super tired all the time
• I need to go to the washroom all the time, and I need a raised toilet seat at home. my arms are getting a workout from helping hoist my heavy body up from the toilet
• I've gained about 17-19 pounds so far
• my new shoe size is 8.5-9! i was trying on shoes and my usual size 7 don't fit, even with slip ons! i think I'm just getting way too comfortable with my birkenstocks too...may even be time to resole them so they last into a hopefully Indian Summer. Birks in the rain are terrible
• 35 week midwife appt went well, she did have a hard time discerning where the head was as I had two hard sites 1) pelvis and 2) upper central abdomen. it also didn't help that I FELL DOWN hard on the ground! just to be on the safe side, I got a 35 week ultrasound and it's conformed that baby IS head down, but currently sunny side up...which I don't really want and now am determined to do a lot of cat poses to rectify this
• new stretch marks in my upper abdominal area, I've been terrible with the coconut oil, so now going to start back on it again
• lots of movement, big big slithering organs churning movements
• so easily physically tired
• easily short of breath, need to do some pursed lip breathing on activity ...i barely am able to last 5 hours as it is! 
• Max is napping on his own, yay! I just need to tell him that I have to do some 'cleaning' and that he can sleep with all the monster trucks he wants and 2 pacifiers...it's been awesome! i can get stuff done, the kid gets sleep, and I can focus on the baby in due time
• short of breath as I have a conversation with people
• hardest part of waking up is the shift of weight from lying on my left side, to sitting up, then standing up. thanks gravity! 
• some Braxton Hicks are more frequent, sometimes feels like my upper back is opening up from the vertebrae, a 'blooming' like feeling. Other times I feel it down my left side, inguinal area which was kind of scary the first time in happened. I wonder if baby is dropping?!?!
• 4 more shifts left of work!!!
• group B streptococcus NEGATIVE!
• whoa, silver dollars! ( o ) ( o ) if you know what I mean
• my legs seem puffy, and thick ...but not pitting edema
• my abdomen is randomly itchy....which means....stretch marks!! yay....not.
• 37 weeks!!!! 
• at 37 weeks, anyone and everyone says I'm huge. the most polite version was "wow, you've really Sprouted!"
• i have trouble lifting my leg so that my ankle sits on my thigh...not sure what the position is called. it's cross-legged but not. hard to put on non-slip on shoes too
• i got some eyelash extensions put it, and sitting supine on that table for 90 minutes was torture
• bought a nursing bralette from Thyme per my sister's recommendation. I didn't buy one with the first and worse a shitty camisole from costco with built bra for #1, so I'm excited to use this bra! 

• my frequent swimming escapades and use of q-tips has plugged up my left ear, and every time i burp or yawn, there's pressure pain
• slight hint of green in banana's cause me heartburn
• I'm really loving Little Cesar's CRAZY BREAD!! drool drool drool
• work has been SO BUSY. i love my coworkers though for looking out for me, adjusting my assignment, and even advising me to not come to work because it's just THAT busy
• some of my braxton hick's include some major nerve discomfort shooting down from my groin to left mid thigh, is this normal?!?!

• my fingers are swollen, my feet are swollen
• I've been having really crappy sleeps at night! maybe I'm not tired enough? once i wake up to void, it's about 1.5hours to get back to sleep. lately I've been waking up sometime between 12am-130am not needing to void, but some random atypical anxiety related to hypersensitivity to labour symptoms. i want to be aware of labor symptoms so I'm ready, but also anxious because I'm not ready for this baby mentally until after august 31st
• short.of.breath with any activity
• i think i'm waddling now
• my joints are stiffer and my left hip is really bothering me at night night. my alternative positions are so limited!
• my friend's sister is was due sept 6 and went into natural labor on Aug 23rd = anxiety
• I've officially set up the co-sleeping bassinet for the bedroom and living room for this baby
• ive also packed my hospital bag
• im savouring every moment i can co-sleep with Max at night
• speaking of Max, he's decided to be potty trained for urine and has had no accidents! however, he doesn't want to give up the diaper because he wants to poop in it still and absolutely refuses to poop in the potty or big toilet
• so far I've only gained 23-25lbs! big difference from Max where I gained about 40lbs!
• my maternity button up shirts are starting to not fit and buttons are popping open 
• currently upping the ante on my fibre intake because 1) prenatals are terrible on the bowels and 2) who really wants to strain for a movement after giving birth?? I don't even want to think about it! 

^^ 7 to 37 weeks!! ^^

^^ front view! ^^

Countdown!!!
And just for fun, here are my poor quality belly pics from my pregnancy with Max! click here

Countdown! Weeks 32, 33, 34

• this baby really prefers my right side. there is often a bum? a shoulder? a knee? a head? sticking out of my side. and WOW the movements are intense, almost painful and I'm trying not to picture my organs shifting. hopefully these movements don't lead to any health related problems for me
• at work, I need a raised toilet seat. I can't get up comfortably from these standard thrones
• i got some sort of food poisoning or stomach bug on July 13. the amount of 'stuff' that came out of me was unreal and continuous
• the happy hormones might be malfunctioning at this time, because my husband has been the source of my negative mood for a few days now
• are Max and the baby going to share rooms?
• bunk beds? same bed? trundle beds? 
• midwife appt has the baby showing as reactively healthy. my BP is 108 systolic, when she was palpating my belly, baby's heart rate went up to 170 and down to 140 when relaxed. she also has me thinking about what to do with Max when i'm in labor (hopefully fast). at this point i'm planning to just make it to the hospital, and I'm prepared to labor and deliver by myself with husband taking Max out for a walk or something. However, Gene wants to cut the cord and i want someone taking bedside pictures like before, so I haven't fully figured out the logistics of that plan yet. I suppose I can drop off Max to my parents? but that all depends on time of day and of course, Max will be super worried about me and Gene that it could be a night of heck for my parents (if it were to happen in the middle of the night) and I don't want Max to be worried- the midwife mentioned that the little ones are more worried about us than we are of ourselves, so true
• the midwife showed me how to palpate for the babies head in my pelvis....WEIRD feeling the outline of baby's head!!!
• my thighs and some parts of my legs have increased cellulite, WHY??!! With the amount of walking I do, uncool
• my Braxton hick's contractions are more different with this little one than with Max. I feel increased pressure between my temples that radiates to my brain. sometimes the contractions also go south and I feel like I need to have a bowel movement as well

^^ 34 weeks! ^^

• at 34 weeks, the baby movements are so much more intense.enough to shake my body sometimes when im sitting still. i read it's due to decreased amniotic fluid in relation to the baby...cool but uncomfortable at times. I know what it feels like to be "kicked" in the ribs, right greater than left
• heat wave is back and Max is not spooning me, which really means his arm is resting around my neck most of the time while he sleeps. since his arm, is so short, it actually feels like someone is choking me lol
• i seem to be waking up around the 0130-0400 time range lately to void, I wonder if this is a sign of when labor may start for round 2??!!
• once I do get up to void, baby also wakes up and it takes me an exasperating 1-1.5hours to get back to sleep!
• Occ. Health is hounding me at work re: sick hours, i've put in place some midwife approved limitations on my work ...i mean it's NOT worth it (ego vs. pre-term labor), im not sure im going to last the remaining shifts I have left. walking to the skytrain from work is already uncomfortable as it is. 1) pelvic floor discomfort because of the bouncing as I walk, 2) shortness of breath, 3) general lack of speed- which stresses me out because i dont want to miss my transfers
• it's hot again, and my pool is THE PLACE TO BE!
• NESTING!

^^ not much of a line nigra. lots of stretch marks (old ones though) ^^

Maxwell 3.5!

Where is the time going?
How am I already nearing the birth of #2 and forever changing the life of my first love?

Max 101:

Weight-
Height- 38.5" approx
Hand- a righty
Fav color- blue

Clothes: shirts 3T (4T is still baggy), bottoms 3T on average
Shoe size: 11
Diapers: pampers baby dry #6

Sleep: nap time 3-5pm usually (but sometimes 2:30-430pm) 6 days a week. Longest times are usually on stroller. As for night sleep, lights off at 930pm (and i'm out like a light). I think he falls asleep around 10:20pm and wake up time usually between 8:30-9am. he always wakes up happy. still a co- sleeper! however at my parents house, he requests to sleep alone in his own room, does so for a couple of hours, and then awake fresh...why so different at home!? bah

Soothers: definitely needs it as his crutch to get to sleep, but not necessarily to stay asleep. It falls out of his mouth at night, and if he wakes, I can hear and feel him look for it...then back to sleep once it's in his mouth. Then it falls out again. Definitely in his mouth while napping in the stroller. While at home, he looks for it and he either has it on and off while watching TV or playing on the iPad...or has lost it somewhere around the house (many many times) and I have to look for it (annoying). Whenever we're out though, no soothers (which he still calls "babies") until sleeping time. Article about pacifiers at this age HERE

Potty training: he's pooped in the potty x 1. he's voided in the potty and the big toilet multiple times, he's voided in bushes, at the beach, rocks etc ...he just doesn't want to do it consistently.

Favorite TV shows: Toopy and Binoo on Treehouse, Blaze and the Monster Machines via YouTube, as well as Paw Patrol via Youtube. He is not allowed to watch youtube videos while i'm off work. i'm pretty irked that my husband uses it as a baby sitter to get some downtown in the evening. but WHATEVER, look the other way....

Favorite apps: Toca Band (very cute, i like the little characters and sounds they make. you can create your own band and 'play' the individual instrument), and Monster Jam.

Favorite activities: throwing rocks at the ocean at New Brighton, biking, digging deep holes in the sand, picking fruit off of the local/public gardens, wandering around empty land and throwing rocks and climbing up hills, playgrounds and pools (it is summer after all!), watching his shows on youtube which consists of Paw Patrol, Blaze and Monster Machines, kids song videos, and various videos of people opening up Kinder Eggs and people playing with toys (weird)

Favorite foods: "rocket popsicles" which are torpedo shaped popsicles in red/white/blue, green apples, red apples, bananas, strawberries, oranges, hot dogs, curry pho, lipton chicken noodle soup, strawberry kefir, various cereals mixed together, gummy candies, toast with butter, bacon, plain pancakes, any type of fries. He however eats whatever we eat for dinner with no problem. If I want him to eat MORE, then I feed him...which is basically 90% of the time

Favorite toys: whatever is in the house. we downsized a lot and he never noticed. we got some Lego pieces which is kinda fun, but the novelty is wearing off fast because it's messy. Monster trucks, play dough on/off, construction vehicles are still popular

Favorite books:  whatever he grabs from the shelf, which could really be anything or the same thing every night. I have to admit that books aren't a big part of our day until bed time

on his sister:  Max has been aware to be gentle with me and only is serious about getting picked up when he's officially of the rails and is having a meltdown- then and there he needs lots of TLC, hugs hugs hugs and comforting and i've been able to get away with him straddled and just holding me. We have one big brother book, and we read it every now and then. Funny enough some of the scenarios and toys in the book are similar to what exists in his own world so he easily relates. My coworker advised me that it's really helpful for him to have be a participant in the care of the new baby, and be assigned a 'job.' What he's actually going to do I don't know, and believe me, I'm very flexible about it...but i think starting off with getting a me a diaper for his sister is easy enough. He uses her name freely, and is reminded of it often. He speaks gently about her, and how he is open to possibly shorting some toys and teaching her how to play with them (however, his iPad is currently out of the question lol). my biggest concern is our sleeping arrangement, so i'm trying to savour what he and I have now, and remind him how unavailable I most likely will be for the first while when she arrives. that I can't sleep with him, but daddy will, and his sister won't be sad. Of course, he replies with, "but mamma i'll be sad because I want to sleep with you (torture me, why don't you!? awwww. clearly a work in progress). We remind him that he's going to be the big brother and that he has a role in protecting his sister, and of course, last but not least...she really loves him and can't wait to meet him! I have way more research to do.

on tantrums: i would say he's at the more sensitive time of his life since he was a baby. so many stupid reasons why he would escalate to full blown end of the world tears lately (ie. he wants an apple whole not cut, he's too hot to sleep at night, he wants to be picked up by me but not hugged at the same time..wtf?). sometimes i can just catch myself and what I'm saying that would put him over the edge, other times when I'm exasperated and put my foot in my mouth, I literally see the situation spiral down...down...down...and I'm in for about 30 minutes of invested time consoling him. the biggest lesson I've learned during those moments are to not bother talking to him because I won't get anywhere, just be there and hug and cuddle and wait. When he's ready and settled (again about 30 minutes!), then he's able to tell him what led to his meltdown, we talk about, and i get to remind him to use his words rather than random pointing, screeching, escalating, temper tantrum behaviour. All is well afterwards...phew!

• Max makes me laugh all the time, his actions and words are just so funny. Mamma, I'm going to go mountain biking when i'm older, when I have hair on my bum (lol!!!)
• he is a happy boy 95% of the time
• he's got excellent physical skills and very agile, his athletic abilities come from my husband
• I love that he knows the words to his emotions (so many words, always a work in progress of course)
• he reacts to my "look" of disapproval, which I give when he's doing something I don't agree with. When he sees my "look" he knows it's not right. Then he asks, "is mommy happy?" 
• when he cries, he looks for me and reaches out for a hug and hold. he keeps saying "mamma hug, mamma hug" repeatedly until he feels better, and then he asks himself "why is Max crying?" and at this time he is so much more reasonable and easier to talk to and teach right from wrong...this pertains to anything he does
• he can be shy in social situations for the first 30mins-1 hour then he relaxes and is very personable
• i always get compliments on his behaviour at adult parties and get togethers 
• he randomly says, "mommy I love you." even if we're just doing nothing...on a bus...waiting for our stop to come along. this boy really really loves me
• if he knows he did something wrong, he looks at me and says, "mommy I just love you," and tries to distract me from a naughty behaviour
• he calls us 'mommy'  or "mamma" and 'daddy' 
• he's very exothermic, he's hard to sleep beside in the summer because he radiates so much heat. he sweats a lot while he sleeps...he gets this from my husband
• even though i have plenty of cool bandaids, he doesn't really like bandaids on his scrapes
• he needs "privacy" when he needs to have a poop. which means that he needs to be in another room (at home only), or we need to be relatively far away from him (like 10 ft), or feel that he's "hiding" and we can't stare at him when he's trying to poop (or at least make him feel like we're waiting for him with added pressure). when he's done, he'll call or tell us.
• he can't stand washing his hair or getting his hair wet
• if he really loves something, he wants to sleep with it
• got food poisoning in early July and he wanted me ONLY. very clingy after that and since, also his whiny voice has been used quite often (aiya!)
• first canker sore! apparently he got it by biting down on one of his monster truck's wheels
• able to separate himself from toys, and actively donate items he feels he no longer wants
• theres a battle to brush his teeth every night ranging from mild to harsh
• he's been really good at back talking lately, sometimes his responses are just so logical that he can't be fooled by us 

Preschool in September!! 

How To Teach a Toddler to Swim!

welcome summer 2015 and associated heatwave discomfort!

some pics below of our swimming session with Max, and some tips we are finding helpful for age appropriate 'lessons,' check it out!

• let the toddler get comfortable, at their own pace. it really helps if there is a wading area leading into depth or even stairs to maneuver. let them get their feet wet, cool down their body temp and relax their nerves. water can be pretty scary! please don't throw your child in the water in an attempt to teach through trauma surviving the plunge!

^^ shallow end to...^^

^^ smiling at chest deep!! ^^

• be an example of how the body can safely move in water, how buoyant the body can be when relaxed! make those splashes fun and huge, kids love how it looks and want to naturally imitate

^^ but be careful, kids also can't stand getting splashed in the face! hey dad, watch where you're going!! ^^

• patience, patience, patience! practice, practice, practice!

• and when it's time to stop and take a break, listen. there will be plenty of other opportunities in the summer to work on getting the basics down

• add some fun and games to the lessons! who knew that this bannister was the perfect height for a pretend fireman sliding down a fire pole?!

• an unpressured child will want to return to the waters over and over again '(vs. a traumatized child who will want nothing to do with the water- even worse, for the rest of the summer!). swimming is a survival skill!

in the end, Max is nowhere near knowing how to swim. my husband though is a fantastic and patient teacher and i love how he's able to build a foundation for Max to not only be comfortable in the water but wanting to go to the water. maybe he'll be able to dunk his head in the water by the end of 2015? or hey maybe even jump into our arms from the deck? whatever the turnout will be, we had fun (and cooled off) in the process.

happy summer to you!

A Bike Rider In the Family!

^^ next time ill catch this on video! ^^

Last summer my husband bought a brand new bike for Max at a local garage sale for pennies! Way too big in 2014, but this year Max's legs are just long enough to make full revolutions. A lot of 'practicing' and getting used to the concept of pedalling was done in our condo hallway (especially during the winter). To our surprise, it only took 3 days of teaching this week, once he was able to reach the pedals (along with a snazzy new helmet that Max himself chose and nice weather), to learn to ride a bike! as for me, I learned to ride (a bike with training wheels) at 8 years old. Im super impressed that this little big guy can already do laps around the track, turns, skids, pumping breaks, hop on and hop off at 3.5 y/o...what! by the end of the summer, I bet he'll be faster than our abilities to run (kinda scared about that!).

^^ no tears full fledged fall off the bike ^^

^^ first comes a yellow bell, then...a basket and streamers ^^

Three year's old is seriously getting better and better, I keep saying this about every age but this year has been my favourite thus far. This will be another summer to remember!