Nov 29, 2014

Sorel Sista

Mommy Matching Madness

Having a daughter is something that I could only hope for and dream about.  I was continually tested when Mom and Dad brought boy after boy after boy home from the hospital when all I wanted was a sister.  So I feel really lucky to finally have an abundance of estrogen floating around our house; hence, I feel completely validated to live out my Mommy Daughter matching fantasies as long as Scarlet is young enough to have no clue what’s going on allow it.

Here's a cute 'matching' combo for the winter months.  I love doing exact colours with Scar, but it's also fun to do matching brands.

 Mommy's and dots



In the end - Scarlet didn't actually love getting all bundled up but I can't blame her - she's definitely our daughter in that she prefers sand and surf vs. snow.



First time ever walking in the snow - she didn't love it.


Not totally impressed.

But hey, we're doing it in style right?  Haha!

Kate
XOXO






Nov 26, 2014

Busy Busy Girl

Caution - the biggest understatement of the century



The four of us went out for lunch a few days ago just to get out of the house for a few hours (and by out for lunch I mean going to Mucho Burrito and stuffing our faces with delicious mexican cuisine).  

But, just to give you an idea of how BUSY this little lady is, I tried to get a shot of Scarlet in her new jacket and cute new shoes (picked out by Daddy) and the following pics are literally the best that I could do.  This is on a high speed athletic setting on my camera!  It’s actually meant to take fast moving action shots and blur is all I get.  





Haha.  This is my new reality.

Have a great day friends!
Kate 

XOXO

Nov 24, 2014

Post Partum Weekly Update

TWO WEEKS POST-PARTUM

How are you feeling?
Pretty good.  Not great, but good.  I’m still paranoid about random stuff happening like an infection on one of the layers of my insides or having one of them split open if I move in a weird way.  It’s not fun imagining negative things going on inside your body.  I’m eager to finish ‘recovering’.  But, happily  - the multitude of tests and exams that have been issued have all been coming back negative.  We’re just working on managing the hypertension/eclampsia and that too is coming down.  Very positive. 

Sleep?
Thankfully we’re getting some.  Will wakes twice in the night (which is hard but totally doable since I was waking about four or five times in the pregnancy to go to the washroom).  He’s up once at around 1:30 am and the other at around 4:30am.  It takes him about an hour total to feed because we fool around with various holds and with his hands being in his face or trying to burp him, so it can be a little red eye-ish.  He’s just so tiny it can be hard to get him to latch when he’s sleepy or to hold him properly.  I’m not sleeping on my stomach yet (major tears here) because my incision is still just too new, but come week 6, I’m all tummy time!

Nutrition?
Sad to say my appetite hasn’t quite come back.  I’m one of those girls that when something bad or scary happens I lose my appetite.  I’m literally forcing stuff down just to keep milk production up.  It’s so weird knowing I should be eating but not being hungry.  My appetite will come back though - with a vengeance!  Haha.

Any weight loss?
This week I lost 5 pounds for a total of 13 pounds putting me at 130.

Best moment this week?
Getting the info that Will had gained back his birthweight before the allotted 10 days and taking him off of the supplement (formula top-up).  We were STRONGLY encouraged to give him formula as well as the breast for the first few days of his life.  He had super low blood sugar levels and this just helped regulate that until my milk came in.  The colostrum that he received was helping, but he still needed a touch more for the docs and nurses to feel like he was in the safe zone.  It KILLED me giving formula to him because I didn't feel like I was enough and i was also told hospitals push formula - but deep down I didn’t want to be stubborn and put him in danger.  It was for the best.  I’m just happy we don’t have to do it anymore.

How is Scarlet coping?
Really well!  I can finally nurse in front of her and she doesn’t mind or freak out.  Occasionally if Will cries or fusses she copies him and looks to us for attention.  It’s hilarious.

Baby Will?
Is SOOO sweet!  My only issue are his diapers.  Boys are about a gazillion times harder to clean than girls!!!  There are so many nooks and crannies that you have to dig around but be extremely careful not to go too hard and I’ve been peed on almost every single time I’ve changed him!  I laugh and then I look at all of the wasted diapers and feel guilty about the environment.  It’s true - babies are so bad for the environment.  

His weight?
Last time he was weighed (on Friday) he was 6pds 4oz!  WOO HOO!  Still not even close to Scarlet’s birth weight and he’s two weeks old.  But still.  Wow.

His disposition?
Calm cool and collected almost all the time - exactly like his Daddy.  When he cries it sounds like a squeak, just like a little mouse.  

What are you looking forward to?
Christmas
Picking up Scarly properly
Getting more and more adjusted to our new normal



Fourth Trimester Rulebook: I will do my best to implement these rules for the next three months.

1. I will be kind to myself, my mental well-being, my body and my heart.

2. I will do my best to let go of the cleanliness of our house.

3. I will ask for help and ask often.

4. I will do my best to sleep or rest when the baby sleeps.

5. I will resist the urge to feel guilty when I am not with Scarlet and Nate.  I will value and cherish my time with sweet baby William. 


6. I will not workout or be physical ;) for at least 6 weeks

Nov 17, 2014

Meet our Son!!!






Stats

This is our sweet William Locke Weiland!  We call him Will, Wills and Willyo (Scarlet’s version).  He was born on Nov.10th 2014 at 11:15 am via C-section at 5pds 13oz and 18 /4 inches

We decided on the name after deliberating between two options - one classic traditional and one trendy edgy.  But after seeing him and reflecting on all that he has already been through we thought that the meaning behind the name was perfect.  

William:
Strong-willed warrior and resolute guardian.

Locke:
Is actually Nate’s Mother’s Maiden last name.


Pre - Birth and Delivery 

As many of you know, this pregnancy has had issues from around 20 weeks when the placenta slowly started to separate from the uterus wall.  I was immediately put on bed rest and instructed to be on my back for a minimum of 4 weeks after I noticed some suspicious bleeding.  It sounded awesome at first but when reality set in and I had my hands full with a toddler who at the time was just starting to run, I noticed life on ‘bed rest’ was near impossible.  I did the best I could and worked hard to take it easy.  

I wanted to be able to birth this boy and take him to at least 24 weeks where he is considered ‘viable’ by medical standards.  To make it to 38 weeks was a miracle for our family.  But then came the next challenge - the doctors discovered that he was breech and after hearing about the risks of a breech vaginal delivery I refused to take a chance and tried everything to get him to flip around in the remaining weeks that we had.  We did acupuncture, moxibustion, evening exercises with an exercise ball, we even agreed to an External Version also known as an ECV which also did not work.  But as it turns out post delivery docs discovered that the cord was wrapped around his neck in the womb.  It is a true blessing and a joy that he didn’t turn in the womb as harm to him may have been immense.  Pinching of the cord and strangulation are major risks of ECVs and would have caused major trauma to him, or me.  I’m so glad he stayed put.

So c-section it was.  I was somewhat ok with this - obviously I had fears but you hear about all of these celebs doing it and that the incision is only a little slit that you can hide with your bikini bottoms once healed.  But my experience has been quite different.   Although we got to choose the date and I was mentally prepared to deliver this way, we have had about a million and one struggles as a result of what occurred Nov.10th

Birth Story

Nate and I arrived at the hospital early Monday morning.  I was prepped with an IV (after around eight attempts and five different nurses trying to get this thing into my arm - I have rolling veins) so the anesthesiologist was paged.  He did the IV in one shot.  I was then told that I would receive an epidural for the ECV attempt.  I was terrified since I laboured and delivered Scarlet au natural.  I did NOT want needles going into my spine but told myself I needed to be brave to safely deliver our son. So after getting it I realized I was only numb on one side of my body because I had a spinal block.  The epidural only took on the right side. 

I could see it in the anesthesologists eyes.  He wasn’t happy.  My spine was inhibiting the drugs to get to the left.  He wanted it to be redone.  So, attempt number two the epidural makes it’s way to my left.  I then have the ECV where docs are manually pushing and massaging my stomach on the outside in an attempt to flip him on the inside.  It was a failed attempt because of the cord.  Off to the operating room for a C-section and a spinal because the doc didn’t trust the epidural for the abdominal surgery.

We get there and I have the spinal - a much more intense ‘numb’ than the epidural.  I can feel my blood pressure getting higher and I’m not relaxed at all.  Needle after needle after needle in my spine was just terrifying;.  To make things worse, Nate is not with me during these procedures.  Who knows why but he was asked to wait outside the operating room until the surgery was going to happen.  He changed into some scrubs (which might I mention were extremely sexy and really the only positive thing about being in the operating room) and it was time to get started. 

 I’m laying on my back, totally numb from my breasts down to my toes.  Feeling good, feeling somewhat relaxed.  I can hear my heart rate beeping on the machine in the background and the doctors begin the surgery.  I’m feeling calm and notice I’m starting to get tired and the heart rate beeping is getting slower and slower.  I don’t really remember much of the next few minutes but all of a sudden the doctors start talking loudly and I can see that Nate’s face is watching the machine behind me.  All of a sudden, it feels like there are cold snakes and spiders crawling up my back and neck and spine all the way up to my brain and I feel this wicked horrible explosion in my head - like the worst headache I have ever experienced times a billion.  Like, way wayyyyyyy worse than giving birth naturally.  I thought I was dying it hurt so badly.  I heard this woman screamed out loud ‘my head!  MY HEAD!!!’ at top volume and then I realized: 

Oh My Gosh - that’s MY voice…

My blood pressure had spiked through the roof.  It was out of control and there wasn’t anything the anesthesiologist could do about it because Will was still attached to me.  

But once he was out, I was given a pain medicine cocktail which got me relaxed and eventually get me sleepy enough to drift away.  I don’t remember the next few hours very well.

Day two at the hospital was fine until more symptomatic findings started to present themselves in me.  Blood Pressure wasn’t dropping well and the docs suspected that I may have suffered post pregnancy hypertension during the c-section.

Day four we were set to go home and then had another surprise.  I had a bit of a dizzy spell and the nurse took my vitals and wammo.  I was on major monitoring because of the blood pressure number.  A doc came in with an anesthesiologist and said that they wanted to do a number of tests to rule out a brain bleed that may have occurred during the operation.

BRAIN BLEED?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!

Like, as in a possible Aneurysm?

yup.

Ok.  oh dear sweet Lord my saviour and one that I rely on completely, what is going on?!

There were questions as to whether or not I should even have the CT scan because of a dye that had to be injected into me which would affect nursing for the next 24 hours.  I could decline and risk having a stroke or worse a blood clot in my brain forcing a seizure. Or I could accept and risk not being able to nurse my underweight newborn babe for a day which to him is like 3 months.  

We chose to go ahead with the scan and I pumped and dumped for the first few times following the test and then fed Will before the 24 hours was completely up.  

The test came back negative.  Thank goodness.  We’re sent home with major rules and regulations but at least we get to leave.

Day five we end up back in emergency.  I’ve had another spell and the public health nurse that was looking at Will took my vitals.  We were rushed to the hospital.  I was examined almost immediately by an emerg doc who listened to the story and took my blood.  Turns out he discovered high liver enzymes which suggested gall bladder stones.
  
???

After an extremely detailed ultrasound of my torso, it was ruled out that I did not in fact have gall stones, but next came the kidneys surprise.  The question on the docs mind was were there any proteins in them that might be affecting my head and my abdominal pain.  So after waiting 12 hours in the ER with a newborn - nope nothing found there.  So we were discharged and have more appointments booked all week long with Obs, gynos, you name it.  

It has been a total roller coaster nightmare and the worst of it is, I feel like I am missing some of the precious early weeks that Will has as a baby, but on a positive note, the time that we are at home and away from doc appointments and the hospital I value even more.  I’m so grateful to be here at home when I am and so eager to be here to stay.  If and when we have another child, I will hope and pray from the get go that I can have a vaginal natural delivery because this ‘celeb’ c-section option that we were stuck with couldn’t have been more challenging.  But Will was born to be brave and I need to take a cue from him.  





The gorgeous view from our room

Moving forward

Now that we’re finally home for good (fingers crossed) we have really been leaning on our parents for support.  They have been incredible.  Doing everything from spending and entire week with Scarly here at the house including the nights (thank you so much Mom) to grocery shopping and cooking a roast dinner for us (Rob, Chris - we love you) to kicking the soccer ball around the living room while I scarf down a meal (thanks Dad).  We are working with daily struggles and challenges.  For example, contrary to Scarlet, William is so little that his sucking and nursing off of me has been a difficulty.  But we’re working hard to make things happen and we’re doing our best.  

I’m also really trying hard to:



It’s always such a struggle for the girl and her type A personality.  I’m working on that too.

I’ll be doing a weekly postpartum follow up because I thought it would fun to continue with a few updates after having baby - almost like a fourth trimester check-in.  Here is a revised version of the pregnancy update questions.  I also am implementing a FOURTH TRIMESTER RULE BOOK for myself that I will do my best to abide by and remind myself of daily.  Hope you enjoy!

ONE WEEK POST-PARTUM

How are you feeling?
Very vulnerable.  The c-section didn’t go according to plan - my mental state is still a bit off.

Sleep?
Fear and anxiety have been keeping me up - not the baby.  I need to let go of what happened.

Nutrition?
Back onto the healthy eating for the most part.  Nate’s parents and my parents have been angels and bring or make food often.  It’s so great.

Any weight loss?
This week I lost 8 pounds (baby, fluid, placenta, etc) putting me at 135.

Best moment this week?
Meeting Will and coming home.

How is Scarlet coping?
She is doing so well.  She was with my Mom for most of the week and my Mom said she had a few cries and asked for ‘Mommy’ but other than that had been her regular self.  When she sees me holding Will, she occasionally cries and we can’t even have her in the same room when I’m nursing or she looses it.  Granted, it is only week one and we’ve really only been here at home for a day or two - I need to give her lot’s of time.

Baby Will?
Is a little sweetheart.  He is very small and unfortunately has had some difficulty breastfeeding (very different to Scar so this was new to me).  We made the choice to supplement with formula on day one.  His sugars were low and he needed to have his heel pricked and poked every three hours after a feed.  This was torture for all of us.  He’s finally getting better boob feeds in with the football position.  Not my favourite but I’ll do anything to get him to swallow the breast milk.  His jaundice has plateaued so we’re happy about that.  Things are looking good.

His weight?
He’s had the typical newborn weight loss putting him at 5pds 4oz

His disposition?
Lovely!  

What are you looking forward to?
Right now?  Just getting back to some pain free walking, cuddles with my kids and major love from Nate.


Fourth Trimester Rulebook: I will do my best to implement these rules for the next three months.

1. I will be kind to myself, my mental well-being, my body and my heart.

2. I will do my best to let go of the cleanliness of our house.

3. I will ask for help and ask often.

4. I will do my best to sleep or rest when the baby sleeps.

5. I will resist the urge to feel guilty when I am not with Scarlet and Nate.  I will value and cherish my time with sweet baby William. 

6. I will not workout or be physical ;) for at least 6 weeks


Love and hugs to you all

Kate
XOXO




Nov 7, 2014

Baby Boy's Nursery Reveal!

How could we NOT do a Nautical theme?  Living on a sailboat with my husband for a year has definitely influenced my design taste and now that we're expecting our first son, it was inevitable...


That amazing stencil in the background was done by Nate ;)


 Full pictures and descriptions are in the 'Home' section.  These decorations took a little bit of time to complete (especially the stencil) but besides a few pictures that still need to be hung, it's almost 100% complete. 

ENJOY!!!
Kate 
XOXO

Nov 5, 2014

38 weeks pregnant

Weekly Pregnancy Update

How far along are you?
38 weeks and this will be the final weekly update.
 YAY!  We have a date chosen.  Baby will arrive either naturally (fingers crossed) if doctor’s can gently flip him over (they talked Nate and I into at least trying the ECV) and if his heart rate drops too much, I’ll have a section within minutes so either way I’ll be praying that I’ll be coming home with a healthy baby this week!

How are you feeling?
All over the map.  I now know it’s possible to feel at least twenty different emotions within five seconds because it’s happened almost daily.

Any weight gain? 
2 pounds this week for a total of 28 pounds keeping me at 143.  Best news is that baby boy is currently weighing in at 5 pds 4oz so he’s on a healthy side right now and that makes us happy.

New symptoms?
Pressure.  Oh boy - since he’s Frank Breech (feet are up in his face and he’s butt first) all I feel is this hard pressure constantly.  I always hated it when pregnant woman ‘waddled’ in movies because I thought it was so fake but now, I totally get it.  Your body just wants to do it!  I never waddled with Scarlet so this is just so foreign to me.  I try not to do it in public, but it’s hard!  haha.

General mood?
Is…
hmmmmm.
Tense.
I think I will be the happiest woman on the planet once I have given birth to this boy.  Just the fear of the unknown (mostly about what delivery it’s going to be) is so scary for me.  I’ve been praying A LOT lately.  Also, leaving Scarlet for a few days just completely upsets me to the point that I squeeze her so tightly when I hug her I think I’m hurting her.  I also kiss her more than she likes right now (haha) but I don’t care, I need to get them in if I’m going to be away from her for a few days.

Gender?
BOY!

What foods are you craving?
Not much.  Not a huge appetite this week, but I had lot’s of Halloween chocolate just to get my few final pregnancy ‘fixes’ in.

  Do you miss anything?
Not being pregnant!  Haha.  No but seriously, it’s so nice to know when this boy is coming, it makes the final days easier.

Sleep?  
Has been both good and very disturbed.  My mind will not shut off sometimes and then other nights I’m so exhausted that I crash and just power sleep all night long.

Working out?
Nothing this week.

Best moment this week?
 DATE NIGHT!  Parents babysat for Nate and I and we got in the BEST evening just the two of us.  (Dinner for two).  So needed, so necessary, so awesome.  It will probably be the last one for a long time though ;)

What are you excited about?
Obviously meeting my son.  Also, having this chapter of my life (2nd pregnancy) coming to a close.  Grateful to have experienced it yet again, beyond excited to close the cover.

Kate
XOXO

Nov 2, 2014

Halloween!

We really got into the spirit this year and boy was it fun.  Scarlet didn’t really have a clue about what was going on and reluctantly put on the 101 Dalmatians costume just long enough so that we could snap a few pics and be done with it, but I LOVED getting into the spooky theme and scaring the little kids that came to the door.  It’s was just so much fun!   
Probably the only shot Scarlet actually said: 'Cheese!' and she's still looking away at the t.v

 Here are a few shots of our night.  We didn’t end up going out to get any candy for Scarlet, but she hasn’t tried any in her entire lifetime, so I know she didn't know what was missing in the evening.  We’ll definitely take her out next year (and I already have ideas about what I want to do - especially with our baby boy who will be about a year old at that time…YIKES). 






Nate and I were getting into the characters, Scarlet, not so much...

 

But want to hear the scariest part about it all?!  

This halloween morning, Nate and I went to the hospital to choose a date  
 FOR BABY NUMBER TWO!!!  
I’m going to keep you friends guessing and not give it away.  I just feel like I already share so much about our lives that it will be nice to surprise everyone with the date when it actually happens.  Hint: It is NOT far away ;) and correlates chronologically with all of the other family member’s birthday numbers which is really amazing and wild all at the same time.  So, if you know mine, Nate's and Scarlet's date, you can probably figure out baby boys date too.  It's awesome!


Hope Everyone had a safe and enjoyable Halloween!!! 

Kate 
XOXO

Nov 1, 2014

One of the ten perks of being pregnant...


This sign, unfortunately, is on my list for top ten perks of being pregnant.  I say unfortunately because as much as I love being able to park twenty feet away as opposed to thirty feet away from the Home Depot loading zone, this is a pregnant woman’s reality.  We have to find pleasure in a Home Depot parking sign.  Mmm hmmm.  

But I'm going to keep this post positive.  Understand that I am grateful in every way for the little boy my body has created by turning quesadillas and perrier into human life and one day...one fine day, I'll be able to look back and say, yup, there were a few great things about being preggers.

Here are ten that I could think of today:

#10. The 'Mothers New and To Be' signs

To Home Depot, Southcentre, Chinook Centre and any other box store that exists with these signs - they really do make you happier at 9 months.  Less waddle = good for all.

#9.  The 'I'm pregnant and I can get out of anything free' card

Feeling lazy?  Use the card.  Feeling tired?  Use the card.  Feeling like you don't want to cook and need to order pizza again?  Use the card.  Btw, there is no card, you just have to utter the words and/or give the look to the appropriate person.  It works really well when you're visually large and hesitate when you get up from sitting.

Speaking of pizza...

#8.  Eating without guilt, well, without AS MUCH guilt as usual.

This should probably be number one on the list, but it's slightly backwards because in the moment, you're telling yourself this is great and it's for the health of the baby and it's ok cause I'm pregnant, but then you're done and you realize that it's just going to be that much harder and perhaps a little longer to take it off when baby makes his/her debut.  So... that's why I demoted this perk to #8

#7.  Hormones are on fire so Mrs. McTake-Me-Now is in the house.

Well - at least they were for me during both pregnancies.  I'm bigger which psychologically doesn't make sense that I'm more 'eager' but the hubby doesn't care and wishes I was this 'eager' all the time.  NUFF SAID!

#6.  You get wayyyy more smiles from strangers.

I don't know what it is about a pregnant woman, but people just love to smile at them.  Sometimes I think they're saying in their head's; 'You're really big, but that's ok cause you have a little human growing inside of you, so it's actually cute'.  Or maybe they're laughing at you and thinking 'You moron, you have no idea what's in front of you'.  Either way, it's nice that they smile.

#5.  People help you with stuff

The door is held open, you get asked twice if you need help taking groceries out, you sometimes even get to jump the line in a long cue (especially if you're holding a toddler in your arms - this one is a guaranteed line jump).  It's just nice when you get a little break here and there.  I think this needs to continue even after the mommies have given birth.  All the help Moms can get is HUGE.

#4. Brain power excuses

Similar to the 'Get out of anything free' card but better.  This is 75% of the time a very legitimate symptom of pregnancy - baby brain.  But honestly the other 25% may not be, but can be blamed on it.  So it's like a freebie 100% of the time you're pregnant.  

#3.  You get told how great you look.

Or the opposite if someone is trying to be funny (but we won't get into that...if you're curious, it's about seven or eight posts back).  But in general, people are usually really kind and sweet and some will lie straight to your face but after a while you begin to believe that lie and you really do think that DANG, I'M LOOKING GOOOOOOD!  It's just nice.

#2.  Maternity clothes shopping

Only a true shopoholic (me) would be excited to go out and buy clothes five sizes too large for her current frame, but hey, I guess that's why this is number two.

and the #1 perk of being pregnant according to me is...

DRUM ROLL PLEEEEEEEASE!!!

#1. You get the sweetest, precious, cutest, most beautiful child on the face of the planet in your arms.

I know all moms and dads think and believe that their child is the sweetest most beautiful creation and I believe that it is true!  Every parent has that moment where they think Gerber Baby is going to call their house and ask them to submit their child's photo to the company and generate millions of 'oooooos' and 'ahhhhhhs' from strangers around the globe.  ;)  But let's face it, probably not going to happen, but for those two parents, or one in some cases (I need to shout it out to all the single parents out there #heroes), I think that the little life brought into the world is obviously the number one reason for being pregnant.  

sigh...

Now, I'd love to write up a post accounting for all the negative and annoying and horrific parts about being pregnant but I'm choosing to focus on the happy positive in these last few weeks because before I know it, I'll be holding my special little guy super tight in my arms without a thought about the last ten months.  WHOOO HOOOOO!!!  

Have a beautiful day!

Kate
XOXO