We have a HUGE garden! I cannot take any credit. it is all my wonderful husbands doing. We are growing things I never imagined growing in a home garden and I am so excited to dig in to all the home grown fresh veggies.
our garden is on steroids. Everyone who sees it cannot believe it. I will post again soon with pictures. We have been eating spinach for a while now and are now on to the lettuce. We also now have cabbage ready to go and broccoli.
The point of this post is to share a recipe i found today and loved. With 9 heads of broccoli ready to be eaten now, I needed to find a way to consume it fast. I like broccoli but cooked broccoli not so much. I wondered can you BBQ broccoli and now I know YES.
Grilled Broccoli
6 cups of fresh broccoli spears
Combine 2 TBSP of Olive Oil
2.5 TBSP of Lemon Juice
Salt
Pepper
Drizzle the mixture over the broccoli and toss to coat. let sit for minimum of 30 minutes.
Put 1 cup (or less, whatever you desire) of Parmesan cheese in a zip lock and toss a few spears in at a time to cover.
Grill the broccoli over indirect heat (top rack, grilling basket) for about 10 minutes or to taste, flipping once.
We ate an entire head of broccoli at supper. Anna asked for more!!
It is from Allrecipes.com.
Friday, June 22, 2012
I'm Pregnant!
Just Kidding! but that got your attention didn't it. In reality those are two words that haunt me!
So the big question is how do we prevent that from happening! Seems cut and dry doesn't it. Don't want more kids, get a permanent fix...him of course. But is it that simple!
I am 99.9% sure I do not want more kids. With each child the quality of my parenting has decreased significantly and the last thing I want to do is be Octomom. but right now, in this moment of baby bliss, I cannot believe I will not have another newborn! I say this of course because as we all know my kids pop out like a jack in the box and because my new baby girl is what every new mom could want; my sleepless nights lasted only a few weeks, she nurses like a pro (14 lbs to prove it), she is easy going and cute as a button.
Logically I know that is not a reason to have another baby but sometimes emotions beat out logic. What if when all my kids are in school I want another one? Do I want to permanently close that door? I always thought yes for sure but permanent is so...well...permanent! So what are the options?
An IUD. hmmm decision is no. What I didn't know before consulting my OB is that an IUD does not prevent pregnancy. The egg gets fertilized but the IUD makes your uterus inhospitably so it cannot implant, essentially aborting it. Now I am pro-choice for the right reasons and for many people this is OK but it seems weird to me to think I could be getting pregnant over and over again and killing it off.
So option B. The Pill or any other hormone method. hmmm... bad news there for me. I am already an emotional wreck add on hormone changes and steer clear.
So that leaves the each time option and this doesn't help the problem where emotions beat out logic. One emotional evening and we say Hello to Guy JR. (and I already have one mini-Guy, I cannot handle two)
So what to do. Did anyone else have this kind of a battle deciding on making a permanent fix? if so, offer me some advice because I think about it daily. I want to move forward, I want to clear out the baby stuff, I want to be able to go to Disney world and not rush home for naps, I want to stop changing diapers but I also want to rock another newborn.
Unfortunately with Alexa being baby number 3 and having a toddler boy who just turned 2 and gets into EVERYTHING, I don't get too many baby snuggles. She gets into bed with me in the morning and I am in heaven being snuggled next to her and then they break through the door and ruin our moment. She is so easygoing that I almost take advantage of it. I think i need to schedule some Alexa time into our day and sneak away to another room with her for snuggles.
Maybe if i squeeze in more snuggles I won't be mourning the baby stage and I will look back at this post some day and wonder what was I thinking!
So the big question is how do we prevent that from happening! Seems cut and dry doesn't it. Don't want more kids, get a permanent fix...him of course. But is it that simple!
I am 99.9% sure I do not want more kids. With each child the quality of my parenting has decreased significantly and the last thing I want to do is be Octomom. but right now, in this moment of baby bliss, I cannot believe I will not have another newborn! I say this of course because as we all know my kids pop out like a jack in the box and because my new baby girl is what every new mom could want; my sleepless nights lasted only a few weeks, she nurses like a pro (14 lbs to prove it), she is easy going and cute as a button.
Logically I know that is not a reason to have another baby but sometimes emotions beat out logic. What if when all my kids are in school I want another one? Do I want to permanently close that door? I always thought yes for sure but permanent is so...well...permanent! So what are the options?
An IUD. hmmm decision is no. What I didn't know before consulting my OB is that an IUD does not prevent pregnancy. The egg gets fertilized but the IUD makes your uterus inhospitably so it cannot implant, essentially aborting it. Now I am pro-choice for the right reasons and for many people this is OK but it seems weird to me to think I could be getting pregnant over and over again and killing it off.
So option B. The Pill or any other hormone method. hmmm... bad news there for me. I am already an emotional wreck add on hormone changes and steer clear.
So that leaves the each time option and this doesn't help the problem where emotions beat out logic. One emotional evening and we say Hello to Guy JR. (and I already have one mini-Guy, I cannot handle two)
So what to do. Did anyone else have this kind of a battle deciding on making a permanent fix? if so, offer me some advice because I think about it daily. I want to move forward, I want to clear out the baby stuff, I want to be able to go to Disney world and not rush home for naps, I want to stop changing diapers but I also want to rock another newborn.
Unfortunately with Alexa being baby number 3 and having a toddler boy who just turned 2 and gets into EVERYTHING, I don't get too many baby snuggles. She gets into bed with me in the morning and I am in heaven being snuggled next to her and then they break through the door and ruin our moment. She is so easygoing that I almost take advantage of it. I think i need to schedule some Alexa time into our day and sneak away to another room with her for snuggles.
Maybe if i squeeze in more snuggles I won't be mourning the baby stage and I will look back at this post some day and wonder what was I thinking!
Monday, May 7, 2012
My New Reality
Being on mat leave with my first baby was essentially a vacation... but I didn't know it! we snuggled in front of the tv for hours on end, slept as much as we wanted, We went shopping with friends, I kept a clean house, made dinner every day, baked regularily and my playdates actually reflected the old tostitoes commercial.
Being on Mat leave with my second baby and a toddler was much more work. My house was messy, any tv I watched was from treehouse, I went to the mall just to check out the pet shop and toy store, dinner was often not made and my playdates catered to the toddler not the baby. I basically looked back at my first mat leave and realized what a cake walk it was.
I have now completed week one of mat leave with my third baby and a toddler and a preschooler and now looking back I realize that my second mat leave was also a pretty easy year.
So let me tell you about my new reality...
Baby 3 was born on April 15th. the toddler and preschooler were in daycare until April 30th. I used these first 15 days to catch up on sleep, get breastfeeding under control and bond with my new babe. I dreaded May 1. Not because I didn't want to spent time with my other 2 kids but because I was scared of how I was going to do it.
Day one was a challenge. After we got up, the older 2 wanted to eat breakfast and of course the sound of the word breakfast woke up the baby who also decided it was time to eat. While I fed the baby, I watched the other 2 fight and beg for food. When we finally made it downstairs well after 9am and got fed, I had to get use to having a house that was constantly being messed by a toddler and a preschooler playing rather than a house that was only occupied for 4ish hours a day. We needed some groceries but I was too scared (and still am) to take all three to the store. The weather was not play-outside-for-hours nice so we all stayed cooped up inside getting use to the new routine. Needless to say by the end of the day I had demonstrated several mean mommy moments and was both angry with the kids and myself for all of our lack of patience.
Getting use to this new reality has not been easy.
my toddler boy is headstrong and determined. trying to teach him what he can and cannot do has proven to be my biggest challange. I am learning that he cries a lot because he wants what he wants and he wanted it 5 minutes ago. I guess this is what is called the terrible two's? I am getting use to the crying and he is starting to do it much less because I have decided that I will take the crying if it teaches him what I will put up with and what I won't. For example. He wants to come down stairs and then when I go up to get him he changes his mind and on this goes for several trips up the stairs. Well, too bad, you wanted to come down so I am bringing you down and you can cry it out. He also has aspirations of being a stunt man. He likes to stand on the counter stools, walk down stairs properly and unassisteed and start physical fights with his big sister. I will be surprised if we make it through the next year without stitches. Last week, I was so frustrated with him. He was my "problem child"! but after one night lying in bed thinking about it I realized he is just a toddler and a boy! I am not use to what he has to offer me and if I work with him instead of against him then I think we will both be okay. And he is stinkin' cute which outweighs all the grey hairs he will give me.
My preschooler misses her friends and her daycare environment. She is so use to the routine and the constant stimulation that I am learning I need to have something planned for her everyday. She also no longer naps therefore requiring extra stimulation when I would rather be having me time. I am, however, enjoying my time with her because in September its off to Kindergarten (tear tear)
And then there is the baby. My sweet baby girl who is totally a thrid child. She has had phones and rubber boots dropped on her head. She has been cut off from a feed so I could lift the toddler into the swing and she is basically a fixture in the room while I cater to the needs of the other two. But she is my baby,my last baby and she is growing way too fast. I cherish our evening snuggles and midnight feeds because it is so rare for us to have any special time. I think it is safe to say she will always be my baby.
So there it is. I would never tell someone that there situation is something it is not but if you are home with baby number one and plan on having baby number two and possibly baby number three, enjoy it because you will never have a mat leave like this one again.
Stay tuned for what this next year has to offer. I am sure I will share stories of success, injury, stress, and drama. And I cannot wait!
Being on Mat leave with my second baby and a toddler was much more work. My house was messy, any tv I watched was from treehouse, I went to the mall just to check out the pet shop and toy store, dinner was often not made and my playdates catered to the toddler not the baby. I basically looked back at my first mat leave and realized what a cake walk it was.
I have now completed week one of mat leave with my third baby and a toddler and a preschooler and now looking back I realize that my second mat leave was also a pretty easy year.
So let me tell you about my new reality...
Baby 3 was born on April 15th. the toddler and preschooler were in daycare until April 30th. I used these first 15 days to catch up on sleep, get breastfeeding under control and bond with my new babe. I dreaded May 1. Not because I didn't want to spent time with my other 2 kids but because I was scared of how I was going to do it.
Day one was a challenge. After we got up, the older 2 wanted to eat breakfast and of course the sound of the word breakfast woke up the baby who also decided it was time to eat. While I fed the baby, I watched the other 2 fight and beg for food. When we finally made it downstairs well after 9am and got fed, I had to get use to having a house that was constantly being messed by a toddler and a preschooler playing rather than a house that was only occupied for 4ish hours a day. We needed some groceries but I was too scared (and still am) to take all three to the store. The weather was not play-outside-for-hours nice so we all stayed cooped up inside getting use to the new routine. Needless to say by the end of the day I had demonstrated several mean mommy moments and was both angry with the kids and myself for all of our lack of patience.
Getting use to this new reality has not been easy.
my toddler boy is headstrong and determined. trying to teach him what he can and cannot do has proven to be my biggest challange. I am learning that he cries a lot because he wants what he wants and he wanted it 5 minutes ago. I guess this is what is called the terrible two's? I am getting use to the crying and he is starting to do it much less because I have decided that I will take the crying if it teaches him what I will put up with and what I won't. For example. He wants to come down stairs and then when I go up to get him he changes his mind and on this goes for several trips up the stairs. Well, too bad, you wanted to come down so I am bringing you down and you can cry it out. He also has aspirations of being a stunt man. He likes to stand on the counter stools, walk down stairs properly and unassisteed and start physical fights with his big sister. I will be surprised if we make it through the next year without stitches. Last week, I was so frustrated with him. He was my "problem child"! but after one night lying in bed thinking about it I realized he is just a toddler and a boy! I am not use to what he has to offer me and if I work with him instead of against him then I think we will both be okay. And he is stinkin' cute which outweighs all the grey hairs he will give me.
My preschooler misses her friends and her daycare environment. She is so use to the routine and the constant stimulation that I am learning I need to have something planned for her everyday. She also no longer naps therefore requiring extra stimulation when I would rather be having me time. I am, however, enjoying my time with her because in September its off to Kindergarten (tear tear)
And then there is the baby. My sweet baby girl who is totally a thrid child. She has had phones and rubber boots dropped on her head. She has been cut off from a feed so I could lift the toddler into the swing and she is basically a fixture in the room while I cater to the needs of the other two. But she is my baby,my last baby and she is growing way too fast. I cherish our evening snuggles and midnight feeds because it is so rare for us to have any special time. I think it is safe to say she will always be my baby.
So there it is. I would never tell someone that there situation is something it is not but if you are home with baby number one and plan on having baby number two and possibly baby number three, enjoy it because you will never have a mat leave like this one again.
Stay tuned for what this next year has to offer. I am sure I will share stories of success, injury, stress, and drama. And I cannot wait!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Things don't always go as planned...
3rd pregnancy! 3rd labour and delivery! 3rd baby! 3rd times a charm. right?
When I had Anna I had no idea what to expect from the experience. I youtubed some deliveries and went flush watching the crowning. In the moment I lasted a whole 30 minutes of pain before opting for an epidural and had a very controlled and pain free delivery. What did I want to do different next time? I wanted to see my baby being born! Mirror, camera, video, I didn't care but I wanted to see it!
When I was pregnant with Max I planned to ask for a mirror or have Guy video it. But things don't always go as planned and with no warning I started having contractions a minute apart and we flew to the hospital to deliver not long after. No time to think about a mirror or camera. I got an epidural which ended up being ineffective given how fast I delivered.
So fast forward to April 14th, 2012. I planned this time. I invited my mom to witness the blessed event. Her Job was to take pictures of the whole thing (yes, that too) and to coach me through 3 hours of no epidural (I did it before and I survived)! I planned and I was prepared to correct my regrets from delivery 1 and 2. 3rd time was going to be a charm!
But things don't always go as planned...
When I had Anna I had no idea what to expect from the experience. I youtubed some deliveries and went flush watching the crowning. In the moment I lasted a whole 30 minutes of pain before opting for an epidural and had a very controlled and pain free delivery. What did I want to do different next time? I wanted to see my baby being born! Mirror, camera, video, I didn't care but I wanted to see it!
When I was pregnant with Max I planned to ask for a mirror or have Guy video it. But things don't always go as planned and with no warning I started having contractions a minute apart and we flew to the hospital to deliver not long after. No time to think about a mirror or camera. I got an epidural which ended up being ineffective given how fast I delivered.
So fast forward to April 14th, 2012. I planned this time. I invited my mom to witness the blessed event. Her Job was to take pictures of the whole thing (yes, that too) and to coach me through 3 hours of no epidural (I did it before and I survived)! I planned and I was prepared to correct my regrets from delivery 1 and 2. 3rd time was going to be a charm!
But things don't always go as planned...
I had a doctor’s appointment on Thursday April 12th and he told me I was 3cm dilated and 2 cm thick. I would meet my little girl sooner rather than later. Friday morning I had some blood (A good thing) and by afternoon I lost my mucus plug. I was having sporadic contractions, anywhere between 30 minutes and 10 minutes. I went to bed at 8pm Friday night because I thought for sure this was it. But everything stopped. Saturday was much and the same so when Saturday night rolled around we watched the game instead of heading to bed early for another false alarm.
However, during the start of the 3rd period (Go Sens Go) I felt like my water broke. The contractions and pain got stronger and more frequent so we decided we should head to the hospital. Afterall, Max came very fast. We picked up my mom and were on our way. We arrived at the hospital right after Neil scored the game winning goal. We were put in Triage and the fun began.
The nurse and resident doctor on call took all my info (yes my last labour was very quick, yes my water has broken on its own both times, yes I am having contractions about 6 minutes apart but honestly I am not watching the clock). Then I was checked and it was determined that my water had not broken and I was still only 2cm dilated (apparently my doctor has bigger fingers). Here is where I start to cry. I am in pain and all this time nothing has changed. We told her about 3 times I was afraid of being sent home yet The doctors decision is I can go home or walk the halls of the empty hospital in the middle of the night to “Start labour” but she was going to wait for the other doctor to finish a C-Section to get the final word. They kept telling me that 3rd babies are unpredictable and that just because the second was fast the third might not be. We waited in triage for another 45 minutes all the while the contractions got stronger and more frequent. When she came back to say that yes that was the final decision I was in tears and needed something for the pain. This however, did not set off any alarm bells to anyone and they still were not admitting me so they gave me a drug and sent me on my way. The idea of walking the halls was painful to me so we opted to call a dear family friend who lived in Ottawa to go there and rest. We left and the nurse said as I was leaving, I always feel bad sending people away (YOU BETTER). Driving the 15 minutes the contractions were 4-5 minutes apart and I was discouraged and upset. I walked into Liz’s house and went straight to bed.
I watched the clock from 1:40 to 2am. The contractions were 4 minutes apart and growing more and more painful. I decided to go watch TV to take my mind off the pain and so that Guy could get some sleep. I made the personal decision that when they got 1-2 minutes apart I would go back to the hospital because I was 1-2 minutes apart with Max for 3.5 hours and I was really afraid of being sent home again.
The contractions got so painful but I kept telling myself mind over matter, I can do it. They went to 3 minutes apart within 10 minutes and then I had what felt like a 3 minute contraction but would likely have been 3 right on top of eachother. At this point I cried out in pain for my mom. Liz came downstairs and then ran and got my mom. They then went back to 3 minutes apart and I even was able to joke about something I saw on the TV.
My mom said we needed to go back to the hospital but the next contraction came with an intense amount of pressure in my crotch and bum and to describe the sensation best it was like when you blow a bubble of gum and then in pops. It was like a bubble was being blown out my vajaja and then it popped. My water had broken…with a vengeance. I screamed at my mom to take my pants off because the baby was coming. (to set the scene here, my mom is in a satin robe and now wearing a head lamp and Guy is still in bed while I am half off the couch in a very awkward position with my legs wide open for all to see). She yelled to Liz to call 911 and get towels for the baby right as Guy was walking downstairs. His reaction was no, you keep the baby in there and we call an ambulance to take us the hospital but he quickly realized that was not in my control. What I hoped was in my control though was my bodily functions because I clearly remember thinking I didn’t want to poop on Liz’s couch :) Immediately after that contraction I was pushing with one hand gripping the couch and the other being held by Liz while Guy watched and grew more and more pale. I pushed her entire tiny body out in one long push.
Little Alexa was a bit dopey from the drug and we didn’t have anything to suction her mouth so she didn’t cry. This was frightening to all of us but the paramedics arrived about 5 minutes after her dramatic arrival and my extremely pale mom could walk away and collect herself while they confirmed that she was in perfect condition.
funny fact from the experience was that they cut the cord very long and my placenta was still inside so I had to walk to the ambulance with the cord hanging to my knees and swinging around hitting my legs. Talk about gross!
Guy, Alexa and I took our first ambulance ride with Hans and Andrew (our great paramedics)
and when we arrived back at the hospital it was like a scene from Greys Anatomy (all it was missing was the music int he background and the flashbacks to how we got there) with everyone behind the desk at Labour and Delivery staring at us wondering what the Heck happened. What happened was, they dropped the ball and all I can say is thank god my mom was there. She joked that we invited her in case I gave birth on the highway. She had no idea it could actually become a reality.
My lovely paramedics called 911 dispatch to get time of birth since they were on the phone when I delivered her and I delivered my placenta in the hospital.
Little Alexa was a bit dopey from the drug and we didn’t have anything to suction her mouth so she didn’t cry. This was frightening to all of us but the paramedics arrived about 5 minutes after her dramatic arrival and my extremely pale mom could walk away and collect herself while they confirmed that she was in perfect condition.
funny fact from the experience was that they cut the cord very long and my placenta was still inside so I had to walk to the ambulance with the cord hanging to my knees and swinging around hitting my legs. Talk about gross!
Guy, Alexa and I took our first ambulance ride with Hans and Andrew (our great paramedics)
and when we arrived back at the hospital it was like a scene from Greys Anatomy (all it was missing was the music int he background and the flashbacks to how we got there) with everyone behind the desk at Labour and Delivery staring at us wondering what the Heck happened. What happened was, they dropped the ball and all I can say is thank god my mom was there. She joked that we invited her in case I gave birth on the highway. She had no idea it could actually become a reality.
My lovely paramedics called 911 dispatch to get time of birth since they were on the phone when I delivered her and I delivered my placenta in the hospital.
So my lesson is when in Triage stand up for yourself because I didn't! I have nothing against home birth but it needs the proper tools and skills and preparation.
On the plus side, I was able to do it without the epidural and I am completely, 100%, punch me in the crotch and I’ll be fine, damage free!
Thank you Mom, Liz, Hans, Andrew, Guy, and of course little Alexa for making it a night I won’t forget!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Back to Life...Back to Reality!
I survived one week back to work...but just barely!
Last weekend I was all geared up to head back. I spent the weekend tidying up around the house and preparing some freezer meals, doing laundry and loving on my kids! Of course though nothing in a parents life happens as expected and right before work was to start Max stopped sleeping through the night. its like he knew something was up and wanted to tell me how much he disagreed with this change. So week one (and 2 days) I have worked my full days on very little sleep. Nothing like jumping right into the deep end of the pool! As well, my replacement has been gone now for over a month so I had no honeymoon period it was right to the grind picking up everything that has been on hold for a month.
I was very lucky to have a dear friend take on the challange of watching Max for me. I say Challenge as she is a parent herself to 3 girls ranging in age from 4 to 11 months. All last week he cried at drop off and made things a little difficult for everyone but otherwise seemed to adjust well. While I feel very lucky to have a friend watching Max and I know he is safe and loved, it has the downfall of me worrying everyday that he is making things difficult for her and worrying that she will resent me for "ruining" her days. If he was going to a daycare in which I had no connection I wouldn't care if he pooped on them 5 times a day or demanded attention but I think it is human nature to care when you are friends with the person who's life is being affected. Now as as side note, she has told me numerous times that it is fine, she is Ok but it is definately my human nature to care.
So here I sit at my lovely desk while my kids go about their days without me. Max broke my heart this morning as he just looked so sad driving to Kate's house. I know he is being loved but I think he just wants to be loved all day by me. It is a big change for everyone but I know we will survive!
Ok. Lunch is ending, back at er!
Last weekend I was all geared up to head back. I spent the weekend tidying up around the house and preparing some freezer meals, doing laundry and loving on my kids! Of course though nothing in a parents life happens as expected and right before work was to start Max stopped sleeping through the night. its like he knew something was up and wanted to tell me how much he disagreed with this change. So week one (and 2 days) I have worked my full days on very little sleep. Nothing like jumping right into the deep end of the pool! As well, my replacement has been gone now for over a month so I had no honeymoon period it was right to the grind picking up everything that has been on hold for a month.
I was very lucky to have a dear friend take on the challange of watching Max for me. I say Challenge as she is a parent herself to 3 girls ranging in age from 4 to 11 months. All last week he cried at drop off and made things a little difficult for everyone but otherwise seemed to adjust well. While I feel very lucky to have a friend watching Max and I know he is safe and loved, it has the downfall of me worrying everyday that he is making things difficult for her and worrying that she will resent me for "ruining" her days. If he was going to a daycare in which I had no connection I wouldn't care if he pooped on them 5 times a day or demanded attention but I think it is human nature to care when you are friends with the person who's life is being affected. Now as as side note, she has told me numerous times that it is fine, she is Ok but it is definately my human nature to care.
So here I sit at my lovely desk while my kids go about their days without me. Max broke my heart this morning as he just looked so sad driving to Kate's house. I know he is being loved but I think he just wants to be loved all day by me. It is a big change for everyone but I know we will survive!
Ok. Lunch is ending, back at er!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
I Survived!
One year later with only a few fights and meltdowns, numerous diapers and a ridiculous amount of feedings and one fever and we survived. Today Max turns ONE!!
To Celebrate this wonderful occasion I want to take a trip down memory lane. Where were we one year ago yesterday and today.
On Sunday June 6th, 2010 we had Grandmaman, Chantale, Noah, Zach, Grandma, and Grandpa over for dinner. I had been feeling very yucky all weekend; tired and sick. Just before dinner was to start I spent some time lying on the couch with my feet up. When dinner was ready I went to the table and grandma told me I looked really flushed. She then put her hand on my big belly and said she felt a contraction. I never went into proper labour with Annabelle so I didn’t really know what to expect. When Grandma told me I was having a contraction I then started counting them and timing the time between. The so-called contractions were tiny, didn’t hurt, and were not consistent so I thought it was a false alarm.
After everyone left (except Grandmaman as she was staying with us) I decided to go to bed just in case it was the real thing. When I was in bed, I had a very distinct “pain” in my belly. Daddy came to bed and I decided to go downstairs and wait it out while watching TV. At this point it still didn’t feel like much as the pains stopped when I was walking around. Daddy and Grandmaman came downstairs and insisted that I should go stay at grandma’s house because she lived close to the hospital. I reluctantly agreed and when I got up from the chair I had a lot of pain. While I was packing my bags (and making the bed, hehe) I decided that the pain was strong enough that I needed to go straight to the hospital instead of grandma’s house.
When we got in the car it was clear that the pains I was having were definitely contractions. They were 2 minutes apart and very painful. We had a 40 minute drive to the hospital and Daddy was very nervous that he was going to have to deliver you on the side of the highway so he was driving mighty fast. Every contraction I screamed in pain and daddy drove faster so I had to try and be quiet. It was now after 11pm and luckily there wasn’t any traffic. If any cars got in our way, Daddy flashed his lights at them to get out of the way. When we got to the hospital, daddy dropped me off at the door and went to park the car. As I sat in a wheelchair at the door, people saw me and were very concerned that I was not ok but I was fine, just very much in labour!
Daddy wheeled my chair up to labour and delivery and we checked in. I had a hard time talking as my contractions were now a minute apart and daddy was very flustered. We went into the triage room and the nurse checked me to discover that I was only 4 cm dilated and my water had not broken…until 2 minutes after that when it did. They immediately moved me into the delivery room where we met our nurse for the night, Anita.
Anita was great. I was in a lot of pain and really wanted an epidural. While we were waiting, I was given laughing gas to take off the edge and while it didn’t make the pain go away it gave me a sense of humour. I was able to joke and laugh between the painful contractions. However, it was also yucky and made me very sick. When the woman came to give me the epidural, Anita wanted to check to see if I had dilated anymore first. I was afraid she would tell me it was too late for the epidural so I wouldn’t let her check me until after. She reluctantly agreed and after the epidural she checked and I was 8 cm. (As I thought, she wouldn’t have given me the epidural had we known this). After I got the epidural, the contractions were still very strong and painful. The pain changed into a throbbing pain in my crotch that wasn’t going away every 2 minutes like the pain from the contractions. Anita checked and I was ready to give birth to you. She said I could wait for the epidural to kick in but the quickest way to end the pain was just get you out! So with that I pushed for what I remember to be maybe 5 minutes or 2 pushes and you were born at 1:22am (about an hour and a half from arriving at the hospital and 3.5 from my first contraction). You cried a beautiful cry and so began our amazing journey together on June 7th, 2010.
To celebrate that wonderful day we had an wonderful birthday BBQ with our friends and family. However, Given that Max has been sleeping well he needed to remind me of who he is and how he is special. So a day before his party he got his first fever and was sick with vomitting and diarreha for the next 3 days. then the night before his actual first birthday he was up from about 2am to 6am.
Regardless, he is cute as a button and I am totally in love.
To Celebrate this wonderful occasion I want to take a trip down memory lane. Where were we one year ago yesterday and today.
On Sunday June 6th, 2010 we had Grandmaman, Chantale, Noah, Zach, Grandma, and Grandpa over for dinner. I had been feeling very yucky all weekend; tired and sick. Just before dinner was to start I spent some time lying on the couch with my feet up. When dinner was ready I went to the table and grandma told me I looked really flushed. She then put her hand on my big belly and said she felt a contraction. I never went into proper labour with Annabelle so I didn’t really know what to expect. When Grandma told me I was having a contraction I then started counting them and timing the time between. The so-called contractions were tiny, didn’t hurt, and were not consistent so I thought it was a false alarm.
After everyone left (except Grandmaman as she was staying with us) I decided to go to bed just in case it was the real thing. When I was in bed, I had a very distinct “pain” in my belly. Daddy came to bed and I decided to go downstairs and wait it out while watching TV. At this point it still didn’t feel like much as the pains stopped when I was walking around. Daddy and Grandmaman came downstairs and insisted that I should go stay at grandma’s house because she lived close to the hospital. I reluctantly agreed and when I got up from the chair I had a lot of pain. While I was packing my bags (and making the bed, hehe) I decided that the pain was strong enough that I needed to go straight to the hospital instead of grandma’s house.
When we got in the car it was clear that the pains I was having were definitely contractions. They were 2 minutes apart and very painful. We had a 40 minute drive to the hospital and Daddy was very nervous that he was going to have to deliver you on the side of the highway so he was driving mighty fast. Every contraction I screamed in pain and daddy drove faster so I had to try and be quiet. It was now after 11pm and luckily there wasn’t any traffic. If any cars got in our way, Daddy flashed his lights at them to get out of the way. When we got to the hospital, daddy dropped me off at the door and went to park the car. As I sat in a wheelchair at the door, people saw me and were very concerned that I was not ok but I was fine, just very much in labour!
Daddy wheeled my chair up to labour and delivery and we checked in. I had a hard time talking as my contractions were now a minute apart and daddy was very flustered. We went into the triage room and the nurse checked me to discover that I was only 4 cm dilated and my water had not broken…until 2 minutes after that when it did. They immediately moved me into the delivery room where we met our nurse for the night, Anita.
Anita was great. I was in a lot of pain and really wanted an epidural. While we were waiting, I was given laughing gas to take off the edge and while it didn’t make the pain go away it gave me a sense of humour. I was able to joke and laugh between the painful contractions. However, it was also yucky and made me very sick. When the woman came to give me the epidural, Anita wanted to check to see if I had dilated anymore first. I was afraid she would tell me it was too late for the epidural so I wouldn’t let her check me until after. She reluctantly agreed and after the epidural she checked and I was 8 cm. (As I thought, she wouldn’t have given me the epidural had we known this). After I got the epidural, the contractions were still very strong and painful. The pain changed into a throbbing pain in my crotch that wasn’t going away every 2 minutes like the pain from the contractions. Anita checked and I was ready to give birth to you. She said I could wait for the epidural to kick in but the quickest way to end the pain was just get you out! So with that I pushed for what I remember to be maybe 5 minutes or 2 pushes and you were born at 1:22am (about an hour and a half from arriving at the hospital and 3.5 from my first contraction). You cried a beautiful cry and so began our amazing journey together on June 7th, 2010.
To celebrate that wonderful day we had an wonderful birthday BBQ with our friends and family. However, Given that Max has been sleeping well he needed to remind me of who he is and how he is special. So a day before his party he got his first fever and was sick with vomitting and diarreha for the next 3 days. then the night before his actual first birthday he was up from about 2am to 6am.
Regardless, he is cute as a button and I am totally in love.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Whats for Dinner?
I have never been a big cookbook girl. I have many and I have flipped through them and made the occasional casserole but I generally found the food either to forgein, or I didn't have half the very large amount of ingredients.
Until now...
Right after Max was born my mother in law introduced me to Clean Eating when she gave me the Eat Clean Diet Cookbook, by Tosca Reno. Having just had Max, healthy eating was just what I needed but I had no idea that this cookbook would shape the way my family ate from that point on. We break out this cookbook at least once a week and have even memorized some recipes.
So what is clean eating? Clean eating is basically eating without using processed, packaged food. If you ever watch Dr. Oz, you may have heard him say that you should shop the perimeter of a grocery store. The perimeter is where you find, fresh vegetables, grains, meats, and dairy. Now don't get me wrong, we still eat some processed and packaged food but this way of cooking our meals has taught us ways to prepare dinners without pre-made sauces, spice mixtures, etc.
Now I have tried some recipes that I won't make again (the homemade mac and cheese - not good) and the downfall to this eating is the initial need to purchase some ingredients that you likely don't already have but then you have them and they last for a long time.
But let me give you a taste for yourself. The next time you make a stir fry make your own sauce:
Chicken Szechuanese (sauce)
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp potatoe flour or quinoa flour (i use regular flour)
3 tsp soy-sauce
3 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp organic honey
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
Mix together in a small bowl and when your stirfry is almost cooked, add the sauce and let simmer for a few minutes so the sauce soaks into the meat.
I have recently added Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbook to my collection and once again, not disappointed.
If you want to make a lifestyle change, try this out. I think you'll like it.
Until now...
Right after Max was born my mother in law introduced me to Clean Eating when she gave me the Eat Clean Diet Cookbook, by Tosca Reno. Having just had Max, healthy eating was just what I needed but I had no idea that this cookbook would shape the way my family ate from that point on. We break out this cookbook at least once a week and have even memorized some recipes.
So what is clean eating? Clean eating is basically eating without using processed, packaged food. If you ever watch Dr. Oz, you may have heard him say that you should shop the perimeter of a grocery store. The perimeter is where you find, fresh vegetables, grains, meats, and dairy. Now don't get me wrong, we still eat some processed and packaged food but this way of cooking our meals has taught us ways to prepare dinners without pre-made sauces, spice mixtures, etc.
Now I have tried some recipes that I won't make again (the homemade mac and cheese - not good) and the downfall to this eating is the initial need to purchase some ingredients that you likely don't already have but then you have them and they last for a long time.
But let me give you a taste for yourself. The next time you make a stir fry make your own sauce:
Chicken Szechuanese (sauce)
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp potatoe flour or quinoa flour (i use regular flour)
3 tsp soy-sauce
3 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp organic honey
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
Mix together in a small bowl and when your stirfry is almost cooked, add the sauce and let simmer for a few minutes so the sauce soaks into the meat.
I have recently added Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbook to my collection and once again, not disappointed.
If you want to make a lifestyle change, try this out. I think you'll like it.
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