I am so upset... my poor mom!
This morning, we were figuring out what we could do to stop my uncle from badgering Oma, and we thought it would be best for Oma to write him a letter expressing her wishes since when she talks to him in person, she gets all confused and forgets what she wanted to say. So, we sat down this afternoon and drafted a letter together and we edited it many times until Oma said it was exactly what she wanted to say. Then we read it to her 3 times so she was sure it was what she wanted. The basis of it was that my uncle was not welcome on her property until he accepts Oma's wishes (that I am to manager her fiances) and apologizes to my mom for the allegations he made towards her. We have not yet sent the letter since we want someone impartial to this to witness it and talk to Oma when mom is out of the room to read her the letter and make sure it is what she wanted to say and ask her whether she is being forced.
Oma also told me several times this afternoon how he is not welcome at her house right now and even said she's not sure she can ever forgive him. She told my mom that she will do whatever it takes to protect her.
My uncle dropped by this afternoon and my mom told him that Oma said he is not welcome on the property. My uncle turned to Oma and said "did you say that"? And Oma's response was "of course not; you are welcome here anytime". My mom said she wrote a letter just an hour ago stating that he is not welcome and my uncle turned to Oma and asked "is that true?" and Oma said "Of course not, I didn't write a letter". My uncle laughed in my mom's face and said it must have been her that wrote the letter. So, Oma completely forgot everything from this afternoon and took my uncle's side.
Now my mom looks like a complete liar! She feels completely betrayed that Oma could say this morning that she will do anything to protect her and then only hours later, she throws her under the bus and takes my uncle's side. My uncle said in writing that he will spend every dime he has taking my mom through a bitter and expensive law suit.
So, now we have no idea what will happen. We don't really have a leg to stand on if Oma tells one thing to my mom and then the complete opposite to my uncle. We don't know how far he will take this. My mom is scared to go home in case he calls the police claiming elder abuse.
I think we are going to hold off on sending the letter since that will only make him even more mad and then he will definitely take legal action. We want to lay low until the new will is all signed and that's done. Mom sent Oma's lawyer a copy of my uncle's nasty email tonight saying that Oma is asking for his advice on how to proceed to make sure she is protected.
What an absolute nightmare!!!! I feel absolutely sick.
Baby Age Ticker
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
It never ends
Yesterday, my aunt and uncle took Oma out for lunch. Of course, my mom and I both thought that they just wanted to get her alone to talk about money instead of actually just wanting to spend time with her. Oma was going to tell them that I was looking after her fiances and they don't need to worry about it, but I think they got her all confused again. When my aunt came to drop her off, mom, Julie, and I were in the pool and she came out there to talk to us. The conversation started pleasant, until my aunt brought up the bills. I said I have them and I am looking after it. She was not happy and I got the impression that she thought I was being sneaky by keeping the bills at my house. I bought a file box last week and made labels with my label maker for each of her expenses so I can keep everything organized. I have no idea why she is upset with that, when she was looking after things, she took the bills to her house! The bottom line is, they won't accept that I am now looking after it. She said that Oma told them that she didn't want me looking after her finances, and when I asked Oma about that later, she said there is no way she would have said that, and that she does indeed want me to look after it. So, I think they just got her so confused that she didn't even know what she was saying.
So, my aunt started screaming at my mom. Good thing we were in the pool, so she couldn't get in our faces to yell at close range. She certainly tried to get as close as she could to my mom by coming right to the edge of the pool and croching down to yell at my mom as close as she could. My aunt said that my uncle is mad that "the kids" are taking advantage of Oma. My mom said "what kids?" My aunt meant my mom, my brothers, and me. WHAT?!?! They think we are taking advantage of Oma? Oma keeps saying "what would I do without you?" We are the ones who look after her 99% of the time! My mom looks after her full time! We spend every day with her and my mom takes care of her meds, invites her over for almost all her meals, drives her to do errands, does her laundry, cleans her house, etc, etc, etc! I can't believe they think we are taking advantage of Oma! Well, my aunt stormed off all mad. I'm not sure what they will try now... My guess is they will try to take legal action against us. They are going to be LIVID when they find out they no longer have Power of Attorney! What a mess!
The problem is my uncle is a bully. When my mom told my aunt that she didn't want to meet with my uncle because he's a bully, her response was "Well the same could be said about you!" You all know my mom and she is ANYTHING but a bully!!! The first time in her entire life she is standing up to him to protect Oma and she gets called a bully. Since my uncle is such a bully, he gets Oma all rattled and confused so then she'll say anything to keep the peace. I think perhaps she needs to write him a letter explaining that she does indeed want me to look after her finances and that he needs to respect that and stay out of it. But that he is welcome to visit her for fun. He won't accept that, he says he has a legal responsibility to manage her assets. HUH? Even if he was still co-PoA, that only takes effect when she is no longer capable of making decisions. Which he thinks is now, but she is perfectly capable of still making decisions!
It is so sad. All he cares about is money. He is so worried that Oma is spending all her money and there won't be anything left for his inheritance. Our attitude is that Oma has worked hard her whole life, if she wants to spend her money, she can!
And if this wasn't enough drama for yesterday, Carlos found out that his (former) friends' wedding was on the weekend. I have never seen him so upset. He is so hurt that he was excluded and doesn't even know why. His friends are complete jerks and he doesn't deserve this; he is the nicest guy in the world!!!
So, my aunt started screaming at my mom. Good thing we were in the pool, so she couldn't get in our faces to yell at close range. She certainly tried to get as close as she could to my mom by coming right to the edge of the pool and croching down to yell at my mom as close as she could. My aunt said that my uncle is mad that "the kids" are taking advantage of Oma. My mom said "what kids?" My aunt meant my mom, my brothers, and me. WHAT?!?! They think we are taking advantage of Oma? Oma keeps saying "what would I do without you?" We are the ones who look after her 99% of the time! My mom looks after her full time! We spend every day with her and my mom takes care of her meds, invites her over for almost all her meals, drives her to do errands, does her laundry, cleans her house, etc, etc, etc! I can't believe they think we are taking advantage of Oma! Well, my aunt stormed off all mad. I'm not sure what they will try now... My guess is they will try to take legal action against us. They are going to be LIVID when they find out they no longer have Power of Attorney! What a mess!
The problem is my uncle is a bully. When my mom told my aunt that she didn't want to meet with my uncle because he's a bully, her response was "Well the same could be said about you!" You all know my mom and she is ANYTHING but a bully!!! The first time in her entire life she is standing up to him to protect Oma and she gets called a bully. Since my uncle is such a bully, he gets Oma all rattled and confused so then she'll say anything to keep the peace. I think perhaps she needs to write him a letter explaining that she does indeed want me to look after her finances and that he needs to respect that and stay out of it. But that he is welcome to visit her for fun. He won't accept that, he says he has a legal responsibility to manage her assets. HUH? Even if he was still co-PoA, that only takes effect when she is no longer capable of making decisions. Which he thinks is now, but she is perfectly capable of still making decisions!
It is so sad. All he cares about is money. He is so worried that Oma is spending all her money and there won't be anything left for his inheritance. Our attitude is that Oma has worked hard her whole life, if she wants to spend her money, she can!
And if this wasn't enough drama for yesterday, Carlos found out that his (former) friends' wedding was on the weekend. I have never seen him so upset. He is so hurt that he was excluded and doesn't even know why. His friends are complete jerks and he doesn't deserve this; he is the nicest guy in the world!!!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Finally, some summer weather!
The pool still isn't too warm, but I was tired of waiting, so I went swimming yesterday and the day before. It was actually quite nice once I got used to the temperature. Mom bought a little kiddie pool for Julie. The first time, she cried only being in up to her ankles, but yesterday, she was actually enjoying it. She actually sat down in the water and the water was up to her waist, so that's improvement!
The situation with my aunt and uncle is still ongoing. As of the weekend, Oma asked me to look after her finances instead of them (my aunt expressed on Friday that she didn't want to do it anymore, so that was the perfect opportunity for me to step in). Well, I sent them a very nice email thanking her for all her help, but that I will be taking it over. Well, my uncle sends back a 5 page email thanking me for my offer to help and saying how he has a legal responsibility to make sure Oma's assets are being properly managed. He doesn't know that he no longer is co-PoA or executor of the Will, but regardless, even if he still was, he has no right to take over - Oma is still capable of making decisions! She just can't handle the stress of day to day banking and making sure her bills are paid. But my uncle wants to have control and tell her what she can and can't spend her money on and says that we all have to pay her back for gifts she has given us - the nerve!!!
So, yesterday, we went to the bank and I now have online access to all Oma's accounts, so I can see when her bills are paid (almost all of them are on automatic payment) and when her income gets deposited. So, now I can look after it for her. I sent my aunt and uncle a nice email thanking them for all the info they have provided me in the last couple of days and that I will take care of it from now on, as per Oma's request. I wonder how they will respond to that one!!! I hope we don't have to go as far as telling them they don't have co-PoA, because then they will make Oma's life a living hell. Perhaps they will back off, but I doubt it! And my aunt can still see all the bank transactions since it is actually a joint account with her, so hopefully being able to check to make sure all the bills are paid will be enough for them. What a nightmare!
The insurance is all taken care of, we went to the office on Tuesday and were in and out in 20 minutes, so I have NO IDEA why that wasn't done 2 months ago!!! The fact that my aunt and uncle left Oma's house, my parents' house, and the cottage go completely uninsured for 2 months without telling anyone is completely ridiculous!!! That's why Oma wants to "fire" them from looking after the bills. That and the fact that they never keep her informed. They only see her a handful of times a year, and she really needs a more hands on approach. Someone who can tell her on a near daily basis if she has money or not.
What a mess! I hope we can get the changes to the Will made by the end of this month, and then we can finally put this all behind us! Of course, until my uncle finds out, then it will be WW3!! We don't want to deliberately hide things from him, but if we don't, he will badger Oma and guilt her into leaving everything to him. Sigh, family drama!
The situation with my aunt and uncle is still ongoing. As of the weekend, Oma asked me to look after her finances instead of them (my aunt expressed on Friday that she didn't want to do it anymore, so that was the perfect opportunity for me to step in). Well, I sent them a very nice email thanking her for all her help, but that I will be taking it over. Well, my uncle sends back a 5 page email thanking me for my offer to help and saying how he has a legal responsibility to make sure Oma's assets are being properly managed. He doesn't know that he no longer is co-PoA or executor of the Will, but regardless, even if he still was, he has no right to take over - Oma is still capable of making decisions! She just can't handle the stress of day to day banking and making sure her bills are paid. But my uncle wants to have control and tell her what she can and can't spend her money on and says that we all have to pay her back for gifts she has given us - the nerve!!!
So, yesterday, we went to the bank and I now have online access to all Oma's accounts, so I can see when her bills are paid (almost all of them are on automatic payment) and when her income gets deposited. So, now I can look after it for her. I sent my aunt and uncle a nice email thanking them for all the info they have provided me in the last couple of days and that I will take care of it from now on, as per Oma's request. I wonder how they will respond to that one!!! I hope we don't have to go as far as telling them they don't have co-PoA, because then they will make Oma's life a living hell. Perhaps they will back off, but I doubt it! And my aunt can still see all the bank transactions since it is actually a joint account with her, so hopefully being able to check to make sure all the bills are paid will be enough for them. What a nightmare!
The insurance is all taken care of, we went to the office on Tuesday and were in and out in 20 minutes, so I have NO IDEA why that wasn't done 2 months ago!!! The fact that my aunt and uncle left Oma's house, my parents' house, and the cottage go completely uninsured for 2 months without telling anyone is completely ridiculous!!! That's why Oma wants to "fire" them from looking after the bills. That and the fact that they never keep her informed. They only see her a handful of times a year, and she really needs a more hands on approach. Someone who can tell her on a near daily basis if she has money or not.
What a mess! I hope we can get the changes to the Will made by the end of this month, and then we can finally put this all behind us! Of course, until my uncle finds out, then it will be WW3!! We don't want to deliberately hide things from him, but if we don't, he will badger Oma and guilt her into leaving everything to him. Sigh, family drama!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Oh the drama!
The situation with my aunt and uncle is still going. On Friday, I stopped in to see Oma and my aunt was there. At first, our conversation went well, but then she brought up Oma's finances. She said she didn't want to look after it anymore, and I do understand that she feels caught in the middle. She wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise, just went on this big speech about how our entire family is jealous of them because they have lots of money and assets and that's why there is tension between our families. WHAT?!?! She couldn't be further off the mark! She also accused me of trying to keep things from her and asked me if someone had called me to let me know she was there and I came running to protect Oma... huh?
She also said something about the house and the cottage not being insured right now. And my uncle called Oma this morning to tell her to go to her insurance company. Ummm, she doesn't drive... how is she supposed to get there? My mom called the insurance company and they said Oma's policies have been cancelled since they haven't been paid since June and they have been talking to my aunt as the contact person on the account! WHAT! For the last 2 months, both the cottage and house have not been insured. My aunt and uncle came by in mid-June to look after the bills, and when they left, they said everything was up to date and paid. Now we find out they were lying and the insurance has been cancelled?!?!?! That not only puts Oma at risk, but also my mom's house since they are all under the same policy! And my aunt and uncle didn't even think to tell anyone this?!?! My mom and Oma are livid, but this gives us the perfect opportunity to tell my aunt that she is no longer going to handle Oma's financial affairs. She told me she didn't want to do this anymore when I saw her on Friday anyway, so this is the perfect time to tell them I will be taking this over. So, mom, Oma, and I have an appointment tomorrow morning to set up a new insurance policy.
And if my aunt and uncle get all offended, we'll have to tell them that my mom has sole power of attorney and they need to butt out.
In related news, Oma had her capacity assessment done on Saturday and she passed with flying colours. This test was to see whether she has the mental capacity to make decisions and understand the ramifications of her decisions (i.e. changing her Will). So, now she can finally have the changes to her Will made and we can put this all behind us for now... here's hoping, anyways!
She also said something about the house and the cottage not being insured right now. And my uncle called Oma this morning to tell her to go to her insurance company. Ummm, she doesn't drive... how is she supposed to get there? My mom called the insurance company and they said Oma's policies have been cancelled since they haven't been paid since June and they have been talking to my aunt as the contact person on the account! WHAT! For the last 2 months, both the cottage and house have not been insured. My aunt and uncle came by in mid-June to look after the bills, and when they left, they said everything was up to date and paid. Now we find out they were lying and the insurance has been cancelled?!?!?! That not only puts Oma at risk, but also my mom's house since they are all under the same policy! And my aunt and uncle didn't even think to tell anyone this?!?! My mom and Oma are livid, but this gives us the perfect opportunity to tell my aunt that she is no longer going to handle Oma's financial affairs. She told me she didn't want to do this anymore when I saw her on Friday anyway, so this is the perfect time to tell them I will be taking this over. So, mom, Oma, and I have an appointment tomorrow morning to set up a new insurance policy.
And if my aunt and uncle get all offended, we'll have to tell them that my mom has sole power of attorney and they need to butt out.
In related news, Oma had her capacity assessment done on Saturday and she passed with flying colours. This test was to see whether she has the mental capacity to make decisions and understand the ramifications of her decisions (i.e. changing her Will). So, now she can finally have the changes to her Will made and we can put this all behind us for now... here's hoping, anyways!
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Great cottage weekend
I had a great time at the cottage with Carlos and Julie. It was too bad that lj and nej didn't end up coming, but I'm glad we have rescheduled for a few weeks from now.
That was the first time we've been to the cottage just the 3 of us and it was so nice to have a little vacation. It was so quiet and peaceful! I enjoyed every moment! Until we were about halfway home and I realized I forgot to turn off the pump and hot water tank. So, we had to turn around and go back. We spent a little extra time at the cottage that way ;)
I am struggling with something and I'm not really sure how to handle it. Oma wants to see Julie all the time. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she cares. I just think the second we walk out the door, she has forgotten that we have visited and is desperate for another visit. We went to visit yesterday after getting home from the cottage even though we were both tired. Well, a half hour after getting home from visiting her, she calls to ask if we could come back for another visit! I really wanted to have today at home to just get caught up on laundry and spend some time with just Julie, and Oma has already called saying she misses Julie and asking for us to come for a visit. Am I crazy for wanting a break from Oma? I realized this weekend that my maternity leave is more than half over, and I have spent almost all of my time either looking after Julie or trying to make Oma happy. Am I being selfish for wanting some time alone with my daughter? I don't want to sound ungrateful, I am happy that mom and Oma live so close and want to spend time with us, I just don't like being made to feel guilty if I don't want to visit every single day! So, I'm going to have to start saying no some of the time, but I know what's going to happen if I do that... she will start crying and begging. I will still visit of course, I just can't do every day anymore. Any advice on how I can get the point across that I want time alone with my daughter without hurting any feelings?
That was the first time we've been to the cottage just the 3 of us and it was so nice to have a little vacation. It was so quiet and peaceful! I enjoyed every moment! Until we were about halfway home and I realized I forgot to turn off the pump and hot water tank. So, we had to turn around and go back. We spent a little extra time at the cottage that way ;)
I am struggling with something and I'm not really sure how to handle it. Oma wants to see Julie all the time. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she cares. I just think the second we walk out the door, she has forgotten that we have visited and is desperate for another visit. We went to visit yesterday after getting home from the cottage even though we were both tired. Well, a half hour after getting home from visiting her, she calls to ask if we could come back for another visit! I really wanted to have today at home to just get caught up on laundry and spend some time with just Julie, and Oma has already called saying she misses Julie and asking for us to come for a visit. Am I crazy for wanting a break from Oma? I realized this weekend that my maternity leave is more than half over, and I have spent almost all of my time either looking after Julie or trying to make Oma happy. Am I being selfish for wanting some time alone with my daughter? I don't want to sound ungrateful, I am happy that mom and Oma live so close and want to spend time with us, I just don't like being made to feel guilty if I don't want to visit every single day! So, I'm going to have to start saying no some of the time, but I know what's going to happen if I do that... she will start crying and begging. I will still visit of course, I just can't do every day anymore. Any advice on how I can get the point across that I want time alone with my daughter without hurting any feelings?
Monday, July 27, 2009
Quebec was awesome!
I had a great time in Quebec City with Julie, my mom, and Oma. We took the train and were completely oblivious to the impending strike until Carlos told me on Wednesday evening. Luckily, we were coming home on Thursday and the train we were on was set to finish its run by 11:30pm, so we missed the strike by a half hour!
We did lots of great things: a horse and carriage ride of the city, a bus tour, lots of walking and exploring, etc. We stayed in the Chateau Frontenac, which was gorgeous! Our room was very close to the pool, so we took Julie for her very first swim! She was a little scared at first, but then she started to enjoy it. We had lots of amazing food and had a great time. What an amazing city; sometime soon I want to go back with Carlos since he has never been there.
On the weekend, I didn't do much of anything. I am having a Creative Memories card making workshop this evening, so I am spending today getting ready for that.
We did lots of great things: a horse and carriage ride of the city, a bus tour, lots of walking and exploring, etc. We stayed in the Chateau Frontenac, which was gorgeous! Our room was very close to the pool, so we took Julie for her very first swim! She was a little scared at first, but then she started to enjoy it. We had lots of amazing food and had a great time. What an amazing city; sometime soon I want to go back with Carlos since he has never been there.
On the weekend, I didn't do much of anything. I am having a Creative Memories card making workshop this evening, so I am spending today getting ready for that.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Some hot action last night!
I was awoken last night by several firemen. Too bad they were working on extinguishing a fire across the street! I woke up at about 3:45am this morning to many flashing lights and lots of noise outside. Carlos opened the blinds to look out and the building directly across the street from our house was on fire. We could see the flames coming out of the windows. It is a large building that has been completely renovated this past year and converted to 7 condo units. Luckily, nobody has moved in yet since they are still being renovated. So, naturally, Carlos and I were glued to the window for over an hour while they put out the fire. Okay, I was checking out the firemen... of all the times to be married! :) There are still cop cars out there since they are investigating the cause of the fire. I think that building is cursed or something since there was an attempted murder there a couple years back.
I spent a couple days at the cottage this week, which was fabulous! Now I'm getting ready for the trip to Quebec City; we leave bright and early Monday morning.
I spent a couple days at the cottage this week, which was fabulous! Now I'm getting ready for the trip to Quebec City; we leave bright and early Monday morning.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Lots to talk about
I can't believe Julie is 5 months old already!!! We did her measurements again and she now weighs 15 pounds, 10 ounces and is 70 cm (27.5 in) long! Wow! We definitely need to buy the next size of carseat for her soon since the one we have now is only until 29 inches or 22 pounds, whichever they reach first. And Julie will reach the length restriction long before the weight restriction! We are planning to take a trip to Babies R Us sometime in the next 2 weeks, so hopefully we find a nice one then.
We had a wonderful visit with Niki, James, and Logan. The weather was nice, so we spent some time hanging out at the local zoo. They just completely renovated the whole play area at the zoo, and it is amazing. I am going to have to take Julie there lots when she is old enough. I am so thankful to have the zoo only 5 minutes away and best of all, it is free of charge! Logan is SUCH a cutie; can't wait to see him again!
I am really furious at some of Carlos' friends. Here is the short version of what happened. Every year for the last 6 years, his friends have a big party in Orangeville. Carlos has been every year. This year, 3 friends in the group have new babies, so Carlos made a comment while chatting with one of the friends online that this year will be different with lots of babies around. She didn't say much, but Carlos then realized that photos had been uploaded from this years' party which had already taken place. We thought it was still to come and that the invites had not been sent out yet. He was really upset and asked his friend "where was my invitation?" to which she didn't say anything, just went offline. Carlos is really hurt since these are his friends that he grew up with and has known since elementary school. And he has been to this party EVERY year and this year he didn't even get an invite.. he just saw pics online of them all having fun and he is the only one in the group not invited. Makes me just furious! I can't believe they would do this to him! He is the nicest guy!!!!
To make it even worse, a couple in the group are engaged (have been for awhile), and she had a bachelorette party recently and pics were online. So, the friend that excluded Carlos from the big party was at this bachelorette party. The kicker is the bachelorette party was in Peterborough! So, they were literally blocks from our house and they didn't contact us to come for a visit to meet Julie. That is so hurtful that this friend came all the way from Orangeville and didn't even ask to come over. And she knew Carlos was hurt from being excluded from the big party. What a bitch! The other thing is, if this girl was having a bachelorette party, chances are they have finally set a wedding date and the wedding is really close. Well, we didn't get an invitation. If we are not invited to their wedding, Carlos will be SO CRUSHED; that is 100 times worse than not being invited to that party. This is their wedding and Carlos was very influential in their relationship; he says they wouldn't be together if it wasn't for him since I guess he helped them through some rough times. So, if he is excluded from that too, he will be so hurt. I feel so badly for him; his friends are being real jerks.
On to happy things, I am going on a "4 generations" trip to Quebec City! Oma REALLY wanted to go with Julie, so mom and I are tagging along too ;) We are going on the train and staying in the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac! I am excited!!! We are going on July 20 - 23; should be fun!!!
We had a wonderful visit with Niki, James, and Logan. The weather was nice, so we spent some time hanging out at the local zoo. They just completely renovated the whole play area at the zoo, and it is amazing. I am going to have to take Julie there lots when she is old enough. I am so thankful to have the zoo only 5 minutes away and best of all, it is free of charge! Logan is SUCH a cutie; can't wait to see him again!
I am really furious at some of Carlos' friends. Here is the short version of what happened. Every year for the last 6 years, his friends have a big party in Orangeville. Carlos has been every year. This year, 3 friends in the group have new babies, so Carlos made a comment while chatting with one of the friends online that this year will be different with lots of babies around. She didn't say much, but Carlos then realized that photos had been uploaded from this years' party which had already taken place. We thought it was still to come and that the invites had not been sent out yet. He was really upset and asked his friend "where was my invitation?" to which she didn't say anything, just went offline. Carlos is really hurt since these are his friends that he grew up with and has known since elementary school. And he has been to this party EVERY year and this year he didn't even get an invite.. he just saw pics online of them all having fun and he is the only one in the group not invited. Makes me just furious! I can't believe they would do this to him! He is the nicest guy!!!!
To make it even worse, a couple in the group are engaged (have been for awhile), and she had a bachelorette party recently and pics were online. So, the friend that excluded Carlos from the big party was at this bachelorette party. The kicker is the bachelorette party was in Peterborough! So, they were literally blocks from our house and they didn't contact us to come for a visit to meet Julie. That is so hurtful that this friend came all the way from Orangeville and didn't even ask to come over. And she knew Carlos was hurt from being excluded from the big party. What a bitch! The other thing is, if this girl was having a bachelorette party, chances are they have finally set a wedding date and the wedding is really close. Well, we didn't get an invitation. If we are not invited to their wedding, Carlos will be SO CRUSHED; that is 100 times worse than not being invited to that party. This is their wedding and Carlos was very influential in their relationship; he says they wouldn't be together if it wasn't for him since I guess he helped them through some rough times. So, if he is excluded from that too, he will be so hurt. I feel so badly for him; his friends are being real jerks.
On to happy things, I am going on a "4 generations" trip to Quebec City! Oma REALLY wanted to go with Julie, so mom and I are tagging along too ;) We are going on the train and staying in the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac! I am excited!!! We are going on July 20 - 23; should be fun!!!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Hangin in the Heat
Yesterday, we went to the cottage for the day and boy, was it hot! There wasn't much of a breeze either, so we pretty much planted ourselves in front of the fans. It was warm, but we still had fun.
Question: is anybody going to the UW homecoming in September? Our class has a reunion, so I was just curous whether anyone was going. I am considering it, but I obviously don't want to go if nobody else is!
Julie had another check up with the doctor yesterday. She now weighs 15 pounds, is 68 cm (27") long, and her head circumference is 43 cm. She is above the 95th percentile for length for her age! The doctor said she is right on track to be a 6'2" adult - wow! Within the next 6 weeks, I can start giving her some baby cereal. It is not recommended to start this before 6 months, but my doctor seems to think we can start anytime now. I think I'll wait until the 6 month mark to be safe... unless Julie shows signs before then that she is ready.
Question: is anybody going to the UW homecoming in September? Our class has a reunion, so I was just curous whether anyone was going. I am considering it, but I obviously don't want to go if nobody else is!
Julie had another check up with the doctor yesterday. She now weighs 15 pounds, is 68 cm (27") long, and her head circumference is 43 cm. She is above the 95th percentile for length for her age! The doctor said she is right on track to be a 6'2" adult - wow! Within the next 6 weeks, I can start giving her some baby cereal. It is not recommended to start this before 6 months, but my doctor seems to think we can start anytime now. I think I'll wait until the 6 month mark to be safe... unless Julie shows signs before then that she is ready.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The Sunshine State
I have never been to Florida (except for a layover in the Miami Airport, but I don't count that). This December, we are travelling to Florida for a family vacation. My parents are paying for the house rental as a Christmas present for the family. Score! We are leaving on Boxing Day, will arrive late on the 27th and stay until Jan 3rd, arriving home late on the 4th. My brother Al won't be able to come (he doesn't have any vacation time remaining), but it looks like Thom and his gf can come. So, it will be me, Carlos, Julie, Oma, my mom, my dad, Thom, and Thom's gf. It will be fun! The house we have rented is in Rotonda, which is on the Gulf Coast about 1.5 hours south of Tampa. We thought renting a house would be good because it's WAY cheaper than renting a few hotel rooms and this way we'll have our own pool, hot tub, etc. and we can cook all our own meals to save money too... hopefully we can find a seafood market nearby to buy fresh seafood everyday!
We'll have to make a day trip to Busch Gardens, and the Everglades another day. We are also going to try to make it to Kennedy Space Center on either the way down or the way home.
For any of you who have been to Florida, do you have any recommendations on must-sees?
We'll have to make a day trip to Busch Gardens, and the Everglades another day. We are also going to try to make it to Kennedy Space Center on either the way down or the way home.
For any of you who have been to Florida, do you have any recommendations on must-sees?
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
I passed
My boating exam that is! You are allowed to get 9 wrong and still pass, and I only got 2 wrong... and 1 of them I didn't agree with the right answer, but what can you do ;) Everyone who drives a boat needs a license by September, so I am glad that it's out of the way now.
Yesterday, while I was writing my boating exam, my mom called to tell me that my aunt and uncle showed up to talk to Oma. So, I headed straight over there after my exam to see what was up. Mom was babysitting Julie, so she stayed out of it until I got there. Turns out, my aunt and uncle were just concerned about Oma's spending habits. My aunt keeps track of Oma's finances and has online access to her account and Oma has taken out over $2,000 in cash in the last 3 weeks and we have no idea where it has gone. And of course, Oma doesn't have a clue either. As a result, Oma doesn't have enough money to pay her bills this month. What a mess. Oma always says she doesn't like my aunt to be able to see her account statements, but on the other hand, she obviously does need help. It's quite sad. I think we're going to have to take away Oma's bank card and give her an allowance of sorts. Oma does not like the idea of that, she was in tears yesterday over the whole thing.
The good news is that my mom and uncle were in the same room together and they were civil. I think it helped that Julie was there because nobody wanted to yell in front of her, so that was good. The renting of the cottage didn't come up, but that's probably better because they were able to have a reasonable conversation and I think if they started talking about that, it would have turned into a screaming match again. Last I heard, my uncle told Oma that he was going to see if he could find another cottage for them to rent since he knows lots of people at the lake. That would solve the whole issue. So, I guess he finally saw the light and realized that it is still Oma's cottage. So, problem solved... for now anyways.
Tomorrow, the ladies (Oma, my mom, Julie, and me) are headed to the cottage until Sunday. The men will join us for the weekend. Should be good times! Carlos' first father's day is on Sunday, so that is special. We may go to visit Carlos' parents on Sunday afternoon too, so that will be nice.
Yesterday, while I was writing my boating exam, my mom called to tell me that my aunt and uncle showed up to talk to Oma. So, I headed straight over there after my exam to see what was up. Mom was babysitting Julie, so she stayed out of it until I got there. Turns out, my aunt and uncle were just concerned about Oma's spending habits. My aunt keeps track of Oma's finances and has online access to her account and Oma has taken out over $2,000 in cash in the last 3 weeks and we have no idea where it has gone. And of course, Oma doesn't have a clue either. As a result, Oma doesn't have enough money to pay her bills this month. What a mess. Oma always says she doesn't like my aunt to be able to see her account statements, but on the other hand, she obviously does need help. It's quite sad. I think we're going to have to take away Oma's bank card and give her an allowance of sorts. Oma does not like the idea of that, she was in tears yesterday over the whole thing.
The good news is that my mom and uncle were in the same room together and they were civil. I think it helped that Julie was there because nobody wanted to yell in front of her, so that was good. The renting of the cottage didn't come up, but that's probably better because they were able to have a reasonable conversation and I think if they started talking about that, it would have turned into a screaming match again. Last I heard, my uncle told Oma that he was going to see if he could find another cottage for them to rent since he knows lots of people at the lake. That would solve the whole issue. So, I guess he finally saw the light and realized that it is still Oma's cottage. So, problem solved... for now anyways.
Tomorrow, the ladies (Oma, my mom, Julie, and me) are headed to the cottage until Sunday. The men will join us for the weekend. Should be good times! Carlos' first father's day is on Sunday, so that is special. We may go to visit Carlos' parents on Sunday afternoon too, so that will be nice.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The wheels are in motion
The appointment with the lawyer today went very well. This type of thing is quite common, which is pretty sad. The lawyer is working under the assumption that my uncle will dispute this when it all comes out and says my uncle has 2 possible grounds for dispute: 1) that Oma has been diagnosed with dementia, so she didn't know what she was doing and 2) that my mom provided "undue" influence to try to get Oma to change her will. So, to protect Oma and her wishes, the lawyer wants to make sure that both of those claims could be proved false. Oma will need to get a capacity assessment done asap to determine whether she is still able to make decisions. She has been seeing a gerontologist, so mom called her office this afternoon and they may have enough info from the tests they have done thus far to provide a capacity assessment. Otherwise, Oma will need further testing... we will find this out by early next week.
As for the possible claim that my mom had undue influence, for Oma's next appointment with the lawyer, one of Oma's friends whom she trusts is going to take her so that my mom is completely not involved and it will just be Oma and the lawyer in the room and the lawyer will ask her all sorts of questions to make sure this is what she wants and that she has not been threatened in any way to make these changes.
We suspect he will take legal action to dispute the will when the time comes, which is why we are doing everything to make sure that won't go anywhere.
So, hopefully in a couple weeks, this will all be resolved and we can put this behind us for now and enjoy the summer at the cottage. We are not going to tell my uncle about the changes to the will at this point because he will be furious and lay a huge guilt trip on Oma and badger her until she gives in and basically make whatever time she has left a living hell. Which is totally what we don't want. We want to make this time of her life as happy and as care-free as possible.
In the meantime, I think Oma will have to write a letter to the renters and let them know that no matter what my uncle says, the cottage is only available for the 1 week, as we indicated earlier. That was our compromise... Oma didn't want to rent it at all this summer, but she does feel badly for them and that they are being told 2 different things and were looking forward to the holiday. So, we have offered them 1 week as a good will gesture, but that's it. The fact that my uncle keeps calling them after Oma talked to them and tells them not to listen what Oma says is not right.
As for the possible claim that my mom had undue influence, for Oma's next appointment with the lawyer, one of Oma's friends whom she trusts is going to take her so that my mom is completely not involved and it will just be Oma and the lawyer in the room and the lawyer will ask her all sorts of questions to make sure this is what she wants and that she has not been threatened in any way to make these changes.
We suspect he will take legal action to dispute the will when the time comes, which is why we are doing everything to make sure that won't go anywhere.
So, hopefully in a couple weeks, this will all be resolved and we can put this behind us for now and enjoy the summer at the cottage. We are not going to tell my uncle about the changes to the will at this point because he will be furious and lay a huge guilt trip on Oma and badger her until she gives in and basically make whatever time she has left a living hell. Which is totally what we don't want. We want to make this time of her life as happy and as care-free as possible.
In the meantime, I think Oma will have to write a letter to the renters and let them know that no matter what my uncle says, the cottage is only available for the 1 week, as we indicated earlier. That was our compromise... Oma didn't want to rent it at all this summer, but she does feel badly for them and that they are being told 2 different things and were looking forward to the holiday. So, we have offered them 1 week as a good will gesture, but that's it. The fact that my uncle keeps calling them after Oma talked to them and tells them not to listen what Oma says is not right.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
WW3 has begun
This whole situation between my uncle and mom/Oma has completely blown up. Yesterday, my uncle sent my mom a nasty email basically saying the renting of the cottage is a done deal and forbidding her from changing it. He said he is taking control of the cottage. He said a bunch of hurtful things. For the last week, my aunt and uncle have been trying to get a hold of my mom because they want to get together and chat. Well, mom was able to put them off for awhile because of the wedding, but they got sick of waiting and sent the nasty email instead. They said it's a done deal and they are drawing the line in the sand. So, by saying they want to chat about this, they mean they want to convince my mom that they are right. They are not interested in compromising at all.
Oma is really hurt that my uncle is taking control of the cottage because SHE IS STILL ALIVE and he has no right to do that. So, Oma called the potential renters... there was no answer, but she left a message saying that we are offering them 1 week, as discussed over a week ago. That was our compromise.
Then, Oma called my uncle and told him that we have offered them a week and that's all we can do because she wants to go up there. His response was that they can have all 3 weeks and she can come to his cottage if she wants... okay, what about the other 9 of us? He doesn't care. My uncle got Oma all confused and she told him she is very upset about this and that she doesn't want to rent the cottage since she wants to go there. But, he doesn't care. He cares more about the renters than he does his own mother and sister.
So, my mom called my uncle. Well, she started off talking to my aunt my mom told her that she had given up an $8,000 teaching contract for July so that she could take Oma to the cottage because she really wanted to be there. My aunt said too bad; it was too late to change the renters' vacation plans. What we would like to know is why on earth they would only tell us about this after it was too late to change it?!? My mom called the renters within 24 hours of realizing there was a problem and they were disappointed, but very understanding. Then my uncle called them the next day and told them not to listen to my mom or Oma, that they could have it for the full 3 weeks... that was 10 days ago now. It makes me so upset that they arranged this all in MARCH and didn't tell my mom until the end of May. Sure, they may have told Oma, but she forgets 5 minutes later. They needed to tell my mom, who is Oma's caregiver and has the cottage calendar. What a mess. One of the things my aunt said is if we don't give in, this will affect the relationship between our families. It already has! We only see them 2 or 3 times a year anyways, no big loss.
After talking to my aunt for a couple minutes, my uncle came on the phone with both barrels blazing and was screaming at my mom. I could hear his side of the conversation too because he was screaming so loud. His exact words were "it's my cottage so I'm taking control of it". My mom kept saying "Oma is still alive, it's her cottage; it's not your cottage". That screaming went on for a few minutes, until my mom finally said "you're choosing the renters over us, there's nothing more to say" and hung up.
What a nightmare. I had to stay at my mom's house until after midnight last night to try to calm her down. I am really worried about her health. She has been so upset over this for 2 weeks now with chest pains and problems breathing. I don't know what to do.
Luckily, Oma, mom, and I are going to see Oma's lawyer on Thursday. That appointment can't come soon enough! Since my uncle won't listen to my mom or Oma, I think a letter needs to be sent to him from the lawyer telling him that he has no authority over the cottage and to butt out!
The bottom line of this whole situation is Oma wants to go to the cottage with mom, me, and Julie since this is the first summer where we are all free. So, we have been planning that for months. My uncle says it's his cottage since he will be getting it anyway when Oma passes, so he is taking control of it now. Well, little does he know Oma is changing her Will so that he won't be getting the cottage! That will be another war when he finds that out!
Oma is really hurt that my uncle is taking control of the cottage because SHE IS STILL ALIVE and he has no right to do that. So, Oma called the potential renters... there was no answer, but she left a message saying that we are offering them 1 week, as discussed over a week ago. That was our compromise.
Then, Oma called my uncle and told him that we have offered them a week and that's all we can do because she wants to go up there. His response was that they can have all 3 weeks and she can come to his cottage if she wants... okay, what about the other 9 of us? He doesn't care. My uncle got Oma all confused and she told him she is very upset about this and that she doesn't want to rent the cottage since she wants to go there. But, he doesn't care. He cares more about the renters than he does his own mother and sister.
So, my mom called my uncle. Well, she started off talking to my aunt my mom told her that she had given up an $8,000 teaching contract for July so that she could take Oma to the cottage because she really wanted to be there. My aunt said too bad; it was too late to change the renters' vacation plans. What we would like to know is why on earth they would only tell us about this after it was too late to change it?!? My mom called the renters within 24 hours of realizing there was a problem and they were disappointed, but very understanding. Then my uncle called them the next day and told them not to listen to my mom or Oma, that they could have it for the full 3 weeks... that was 10 days ago now. It makes me so upset that they arranged this all in MARCH and didn't tell my mom until the end of May. Sure, they may have told Oma, but she forgets 5 minutes later. They needed to tell my mom, who is Oma's caregiver and has the cottage calendar. What a mess. One of the things my aunt said is if we don't give in, this will affect the relationship between our families. It already has! We only see them 2 or 3 times a year anyways, no big loss.
After talking to my aunt for a couple minutes, my uncle came on the phone with both barrels blazing and was screaming at my mom. I could hear his side of the conversation too because he was screaming so loud. His exact words were "it's my cottage so I'm taking control of it". My mom kept saying "Oma is still alive, it's her cottage; it's not your cottage". That screaming went on for a few minutes, until my mom finally said "you're choosing the renters over us, there's nothing more to say" and hung up.
What a nightmare. I had to stay at my mom's house until after midnight last night to try to calm her down. I am really worried about her health. She has been so upset over this for 2 weeks now with chest pains and problems breathing. I don't know what to do.
Luckily, Oma, mom, and I are going to see Oma's lawyer on Thursday. That appointment can't come soon enough! Since my uncle won't listen to my mom or Oma, I think a letter needs to be sent to him from the lawyer telling him that he has no authority over the cottage and to butt out!
The bottom line of this whole situation is Oma wants to go to the cottage with mom, me, and Julie since this is the first summer where we are all free. So, we have been planning that for months. My uncle says it's his cottage since he will be getting it anyway when Oma passes, so he is taking control of it now. Well, little does he know Oma is changing her Will so that he won't be getting the cottage! That will be another war when he finds that out!
Monday, June 08, 2009
Whirlwind weekend!
I had an incredibly busy weekend... but it was a good one! Friday night, I went to the rehearsal for my brother's wedding (I was doing a reading). The rehearsal dinner was then at my parents' house, so that went until 9pm or so. My brother left a message at 4:30pm the day before the wedding asking if the programs were done and printed. We had them done a week prior and emailed it to them for final approval and nowhere along the line did they ask US to print them because if they had, I would have had them all ready to take to the church at the rehearsal. That's typical for my brother though, so we printed them at my parents' house after dinner and had the wedding party fold them, so it worked out fine.
The wedding was beautiful. My brother and his now wife are so obviously in love, it is so cute to see. The wedding was in a tiny old church, and the ceremony was beautiful. And I did an amazing job on my reading, if I do say so myself ;) At the rehearsal, the sound person realized they didn't have a mic for me, and I said "I don't need one, I know how to project my voice"... haha!
After the ceremony, we went for pictures and then headed to the reception. The reception was in a tent on the bride's uncle's farm, so that was nice. Until the sun went down and the mosquitoes were out and it was FREEZING! So, we just had to dance up a storm to keep warm :) We left around 10pm to get Julie home and it was pretty much just the wedding party left at that point anyway. I think a lot of people left as soon as the dance started since it was so cold. I guess in hindsight, they should have ordered heaters for the tent! All in all, it was a beautiful wedding and they are now happily on their honeymoon in Punta Cana for a week.
Yesterday was my mom's Creative Memories Open House. She had invited 36 people, but only 6 could come. But, that's okay. It was very successful and my mom got $70 in free product for being the host, as well as a host gift and host pack, she we were both thrilled with the result. The products really do sell themselves, it's just getting people to come out... that's the hard part! A lot of people said they would have liked to come, so I'm sure if we have another party in a couple months, we can get some more people to come out then.
I'm so glad I have no plans for today. I need a day to just veg after the busy weekend!
The wedding was beautiful. My brother and his now wife are so obviously in love, it is so cute to see. The wedding was in a tiny old church, and the ceremony was beautiful. And I did an amazing job on my reading, if I do say so myself ;) At the rehearsal, the sound person realized they didn't have a mic for me, and I said "I don't need one, I know how to project my voice"... haha!
After the ceremony, we went for pictures and then headed to the reception. The reception was in a tent on the bride's uncle's farm, so that was nice. Until the sun went down and the mosquitoes were out and it was FREEZING! So, we just had to dance up a storm to keep warm :) We left around 10pm to get Julie home and it was pretty much just the wedding party left at that point anyway. I think a lot of people left as soon as the dance started since it was so cold. I guess in hindsight, they should have ordered heaters for the tent! All in all, it was a beautiful wedding and they are now happily on their honeymoon in Punta Cana for a week.
Yesterday was my mom's Creative Memories Open House. She had invited 36 people, but only 6 could come. But, that's okay. It was very successful and my mom got $70 in free product for being the host, as well as a host gift and host pack, she we were both thrilled with the result. The products really do sell themselves, it's just getting people to come out... that's the hard part! A lot of people said they would have liked to come, so I'm sure if we have another party in a couple months, we can get some more people to come out then.
I'm so glad I have no plans for today. I need a day to just veg after the busy weekend!
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Did somebody order some drama?
There has been a lot of family drama in the last week. And the timing of it couldn’t be more poor since my brother’s wedding is in 3 days.
The short version is this: Oma has dementia, so her short term memory is completely gone. So, she is constantly repeating the same things over and over and can’t remember things from 5 minutes ago. My uncle knows this, but apparently, he and Oma had a conversation sometime in the winter and Oma agreed to rent the cottage this summer. Then she completely forgot about that conversation and then at Easter, we were discussing the cottage plans with her and she decided based on that discussion that she would not rent the cottage this summer since I am on mat leave and mom didn’t take on a teaching load in the summer, so she has from mid-June until September off. So, Oma, mom, Julie, and I were planning to spend a good portion of the summer there and come back into town every few days.
Last Friday, my uncle sent my mom and email to let her know he has rented the cottage for 3 weeks this summer. He never even checked with us and we are furious. Oma doesn’t want to rent the cottage since she wants to be there and IT’S HER COTTAGE! My uncle is laying this huge guilt trip on her saying that she promised and she can’t go back on her word now since it will ruin his relationship with the potential renters (they are friends of his). He doesn’t care that we were all planning to be there; he said in the email that he is getting the cottage as per Oma’s will, so he has decided to take control of it now. How hurtful! She is still alive!
This is a huge mess. We have talked to Oma to find out what she wants and she does like the potential renters and doesn’t want to ruin their summer plans, so we have found them a week where we were not planning to be up there and have offered that to them instead and told them we were very sorry that it was double-booked. They were disappointed, but totally understood and said Oma doesn’t need this kind of stress. Well, my uncle found out we talked to them and he called them and told them to forget what mom and Oma said, and that they could in fact have it for the entire 3 weeks. The nerve! I should also mention that he has his own cottage. The right thing to do would be for him to rent them his cottage for the other 2 weeks, but he wouldn’t do that since that would inconvenience him.
He calls Oma and gets her all upset and badgers her until she gives in. And them my mom has to spend a few hours calming her down. He is not respecting her and treating her in a kind and loving way, which is really upsetting. He only lives 20 minutes from Oma and he only sees her 3 or 4 times a year. My mom is Oma’s caregiver full time (since their houses are attached), which is what Oma needs because otherwise, she would need to be in a home. Looking after Oma is pretty much a full-time job these days and my mom has cheerfully taken that on. Oma is no longer able to cook her own meals and mom also has to administer her medication since that is too much for Oma to handle on her own.
So much for the short version! I just can’t believe he would basically act like Oma has already passed away and decide to take control of the cottage because he thinks he’ll be getting it when she passes away. She can leave her assets to whomever she wants! And inheritance is a privilege, not a right! I think this is actually a blessing in disguise since now Oma is re-thinking her will. Because all she wants is for her grandchildren to all be able to enjoy the cottage. What a mess. As if we all need this stress the week of my brother’s wedding!
The short version is this: Oma has dementia, so her short term memory is completely gone. So, she is constantly repeating the same things over and over and can’t remember things from 5 minutes ago. My uncle knows this, but apparently, he and Oma had a conversation sometime in the winter and Oma agreed to rent the cottage this summer. Then she completely forgot about that conversation and then at Easter, we were discussing the cottage plans with her and she decided based on that discussion that she would not rent the cottage this summer since I am on mat leave and mom didn’t take on a teaching load in the summer, so she has from mid-June until September off. So, Oma, mom, Julie, and I were planning to spend a good portion of the summer there and come back into town every few days.
Last Friday, my uncle sent my mom and email to let her know he has rented the cottage for 3 weeks this summer. He never even checked with us and we are furious. Oma doesn’t want to rent the cottage since she wants to be there and IT’S HER COTTAGE! My uncle is laying this huge guilt trip on her saying that she promised and she can’t go back on her word now since it will ruin his relationship with the potential renters (they are friends of his). He doesn’t care that we were all planning to be there; he said in the email that he is getting the cottage as per Oma’s will, so he has decided to take control of it now. How hurtful! She is still alive!
This is a huge mess. We have talked to Oma to find out what she wants and she does like the potential renters and doesn’t want to ruin their summer plans, so we have found them a week where we were not planning to be up there and have offered that to them instead and told them we were very sorry that it was double-booked. They were disappointed, but totally understood and said Oma doesn’t need this kind of stress. Well, my uncle found out we talked to them and he called them and told them to forget what mom and Oma said, and that they could in fact have it for the entire 3 weeks. The nerve! I should also mention that he has his own cottage. The right thing to do would be for him to rent them his cottage for the other 2 weeks, but he wouldn’t do that since that would inconvenience him.
He calls Oma and gets her all upset and badgers her until she gives in. And them my mom has to spend a few hours calming her down. He is not respecting her and treating her in a kind and loving way, which is really upsetting. He only lives 20 minutes from Oma and he only sees her 3 or 4 times a year. My mom is Oma’s caregiver full time (since their houses are attached), which is what Oma needs because otherwise, she would need to be in a home. Looking after Oma is pretty much a full-time job these days and my mom has cheerfully taken that on. Oma is no longer able to cook her own meals and mom also has to administer her medication since that is too much for Oma to handle on her own.
So much for the short version! I just can’t believe he would basically act like Oma has already passed away and decide to take control of the cottage because he thinks he’ll be getting it when she passes away. She can leave her assets to whomever she wants! And inheritance is a privilege, not a right! I think this is actually a blessing in disguise since now Oma is re-thinking her will. Because all she wants is for her grandchildren to all be able to enjoy the cottage. What a mess. As if we all need this stress the week of my brother’s wedding!
Monday, June 01, 2009
Busy busy
I have been super busy lately! My brother is getting married in 5 days; wow! I am also having my first Creative Memories event on Sunday, so I am busy getting ready for that. I have been making cards since I want to give one to everyone who attends as a free gift and then people can see all the great things they can do; it's not just scrapbooking. In hindsight, we probably shouldn't have chosen the day after my brother's wedding for this, but it's at my mom's house, and she thought it would be a good day since her house will still be clean from the rehearsal dinner she is hosting on Friday evening. I can't believe the wedding is so close! So much to do before then!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Gorgeous weekend!
The weather yesterday was beautiful, so Carlos and I took Julie on 2 walks. It was so nice to get out in the warm weather and smell all the lilacs - my favourite smell! I picked some and brought them home so now my kitchen smells like lilacs too!
I installed the Creative Memories photo software (Memory Manager 3.0) and it is absolutely amazing! I would highly recommend it to anyone who has photos on their computer. It is a great way to keep them all organized and you can do pretty much all the same editing as you can in photo shop! I am so impressed with this software!
Julie has been a little cranky in the last few days, which it totally not like her... I think she may be having another growth spurt and I think also her gums are bothering her... poor girl!
It was one year ago today that we found out we were expecting - wow, a lot has happened in the last year!
I installed the Creative Memories photo software (Memory Manager 3.0) and it is absolutely amazing! I would highly recommend it to anyone who has photos on their computer. It is a great way to keep them all organized and you can do pretty much all the same editing as you can in photo shop! I am so impressed with this software!
Julie has been a little cranky in the last few days, which it totally not like her... I think she may be having another growth spurt and I think also her gums are bothering her... poor girl!
It was one year ago today that we found out we were expecting - wow, a lot has happened in the last year!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Just call me Jennifer!
Carlos' work has an internal newsletter type thing and he got the latest issue yesterday, which has Julie's birth announcement in it. It congratulated Carlos and his wife JENNIFER on their new arrival, Julie Erika. HAHAHA! The last birth announcement was for Carlos' coworker Andy and his wife Jennifer, so I'm thinking someone copied and pasted that one and forgot to change Jennifer's name to mine! So now, of course, Carlos has been calling me Jennifer.
Today is supposed to be a high of 26 degrees - yay! I'll have to make the most of it and take Julie for a walk this afternoon!
Today is supposed to be a high of 26 degrees - yay! I'll have to make the most of it and take Julie for a walk this afternoon!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Good loooong weekend!
I had a good long weekend with my hubby and baby. Carlos had Thursday and Friday of last week off, so we had 5 days together - it was great! We did lots of errands and got a lot accomplished. We were planning to go to the cottage from Saturday until yesterday, but Saturday was rainy and gross, and Sunday was really cold. So, we ended up going just for the day yesterday. It was beautiful and I can't wait to go out there lots this summer!
I am really excited about Creative Memories. I hope I can be successful at it and at least meet the quota. I guess we'll see! My mom is having an open house for me on June 7th, so I'm hoping that people place orders and book get togethers at that event.
My sister-in-law-to-be asked me to do a reading at the wedding. Yay! I'm so glad they included me. Can't believe it's less than 3 weeks until my brothers wedding - WOW!
I am really excited about Creative Memories. I hope I can be successful at it and at least meet the quota. I guess we'll see! My mom is having an open house for me on June 7th, so I'm hoping that people place orders and book get togethers at that event.
My sister-in-law-to-be asked me to do a reading at the wedding. Yay! I'm so glad they included me. Can't believe it's less than 3 weeks until my brothers wedding - WOW!
Monday, May 11, 2009
I am now a CM consultant!
I'm excited! My website is here
I haven't done much with the website yet, but it is up and running! So, check it out if you're interested. If you would prefer a paper catalogue, let me know, and I will mail one to you when I receive them next week. You can place any orders through my website and have them shipped directly to you. One thing to note: for orders less than $100, they will charge you $8 in shipping (orders greater than $100 are charged 7%). As to not discourage anyone from placing a small order, I have decided to reimburse anyone who places a less than $100 by mailing a cheque for the difference between that and the 7%.
I had a wonderful mother's day. Carlos brought me breakfast in bed! And he bought me 2 planter boxes for on the back deck; I can't wait to put some flowers in them!
I haven't done much with the website yet, but it is up and running! So, check it out if you're interested. If you would prefer a paper catalogue, let me know, and I will mail one to you when I receive them next week. You can place any orders through my website and have them shipped directly to you. One thing to note: for orders less than $100, they will charge you $8 in shipping (orders greater than $100 are charged 7%). As to not discourage anyone from placing a small order, I have decided to reimburse anyone who places a less than $100 by mailing a cheque for the difference between that and the 7%.
I had a wonderful mother's day. Carlos brought me breakfast in bed! And he bought me 2 planter boxes for on the back deck; I can't wait to put some flowers in them!
Friday, May 08, 2009
More thoughts
I woke up with a splitting headache and feeling nauseous this morning - fun. I can't complain though, I have been the picture of health in the last year or so - not even so much as a cold. So, a little headache here and there is to be expected I guess.
Last night, I had a meeting with my mom's friend who is a Creative Memories consultant. So, I got a bunch of information and got to see all her product that she has at her house. I was blown away with how nice some of the stuff is. They have stuff for every level of scrapbooking: albums that you do from scratch, albums where all paper and embellishments are included so all you add is photos, but you place stickers and things, and they even have albums where all you do is slide in photos. So, there really is something for everyone. And the catalogue really doesn't do them justice; they are spectacular in real life! They even have digital scrapbooking where you create an album on your computer and then order prints of your album which come as a hardcover bound book.
So, I will think it over for a few days and make my decision as to whether I want to try my hand at being a consultant. I'm leaning towards yes since there really is no risk. If I try it out and find the quota too hard to meet, then I can just order whatever I want for myself at my discount and then leave. No big deal.
Oh, Julie calls.
Last night, I had a meeting with my mom's friend who is a Creative Memories consultant. So, I got a bunch of information and got to see all her product that she has at her house. I was blown away with how nice some of the stuff is. They have stuff for every level of scrapbooking: albums that you do from scratch, albums where all paper and embellishments are included so all you add is photos, but you place stickers and things, and they even have albums where all you do is slide in photos. So, there really is something for everyone. And the catalogue really doesn't do them justice; they are spectacular in real life! They even have digital scrapbooking where you create an album on your computer and then order prints of your album which come as a hardcover bound book.
So, I will think it over for a few days and make my decision as to whether I want to try my hand at being a consultant. I'm leaning towards yes since there really is no risk. If I try it out and find the quota too hard to meet, then I can just order whatever I want for myself at my discount and then leave. No big deal.
Oh, Julie calls.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
My bro is a home-owner!
My brother is working hard on the renos at his new house. I went to see his house when he got the keys on Friday and is it ever nice! The house is a cozy 3 bedrooms bungalow(one of the bedrooms is really small though, so it's more suited to use as an office) and their yard is amazing! It's HUGE! And they have a 2-tiered deck out back, which is awesome. I'm so happy for them! And the wedding is one month tomorrow - wow!
We took Julie to the zoo in town here for the first time on Saturday. And she slept the entire time! We had a little picnic lunch and then wandered around to look at all the animals - the squirrel monkeys and meerkats are my favourites!
I don't have much on this week, which is nice. On Thursday evening, I am going to meet with my mom's friend who is a Creative Memories consultant. I have a list of questions for her and I will decide whether I want to sign up to be a consultant. I can always try it out and if I find the quota too hard to meet, then I can just buy whatever I want to for myself at the discount and then let it go. I'll see what I think after my meeting on Thursday, but I think I would like to give it a try.
The only thing I'm not sure about is how that would affect my EI payments. Being a CM consultant would mean I was self-employed for that, so I would only declare my income at tax time. But for EI, if you make any money, you have to report it on a bi-weekly basis. Initially, I wouldn't make any money at CM since I would need to purchase the starter kit and some other supplies to make as demos, which would be business expenses. So, it would be a few months before I broke even. With EI, you can make 40% of your EI benefit without it affecting your payments, so I could make $180/week and still get the full benefits from EI. And I would make much less than that with CM. I'm just not sure how I would report income to EI when I'm not getting a paycheck or anything... hmmm... Guess I'll have to figure that out.
We took Julie to the zoo in town here for the first time on Saturday. And she slept the entire time! We had a little picnic lunch and then wandered around to look at all the animals - the squirrel monkeys and meerkats are my favourites!
I don't have much on this week, which is nice. On Thursday evening, I am going to meet with my mom's friend who is a Creative Memories consultant. I have a list of questions for her and I will decide whether I want to sign up to be a consultant. I can always try it out and if I find the quota too hard to meet, then I can just buy whatever I want to for myself at the discount and then let it go. I'll see what I think after my meeting on Thursday, but I think I would like to give it a try.
The only thing I'm not sure about is how that would affect my EI payments. Being a CM consultant would mean I was self-employed for that, so I would only declare my income at tax time. But for EI, if you make any money, you have to report it on a bi-weekly basis. Initially, I wouldn't make any money at CM since I would need to purchase the starter kit and some other supplies to make as demos, which would be business expenses. So, it would be a few months before I broke even. With EI, you can make 40% of your EI benefit without it affecting your payments, so I could make $180/week and still get the full benefits from EI. And I would make much less than that with CM. I'm just not sure how I would report income to EI when I'm not getting a paycheck or anything... hmmm... Guess I'll have to figure that out.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Big Day
So today is the day my brother gets the house. Hopefully. I guess there was some sort of snag with the land, there was a part of it that was illegally severed or something, which may set things back. But the lawyers are working hard to make sure it closes today as it was supposed to. So hopefully they get the keys today like they want! Al has already packed up most of his stuff and is eager to move in! Hard to believe, my little bro moving out... and getting married in 5 weeks!
I am still considering signing up to sell Creative Memories. The quota is actually $600 every 3 months. I want to find out what happens if you don't meet that. Because I could always try it out and see. At the very least, I could get the stuff I want at a discount. I know my mom has a bunch of stuff she wants to order, and she has offered to have an open house type thing at her house and invite a bunch of people so I can show people the stuff. And my soon-to-be-sister-in-law has said that she will have a workshop/party after the wedding. So, I'm sure I would meet the quota for the first 3 months right there.
So I haven't made my final decision yet, my mom is getting some more info tonight from her friend that is a current consultant. The nice thing is, there are only 4 CM consultants in my town, so it is a relatively untapped market. And I don't even have to stick to my town, people can order from the website and have things shipped directly to them, which is a nice feature (I will have my very own website within the general CM one). I just figure I have so many friends in the getting married and having babies mode, now is the time most people want to preserve their memories and create lovely albums to keep forever! And the CM albums really are MUCH nicer than anything at Michaels. They are a bit pricey, but I think the quality is unmatched. And they have both traditional and digital scrapbooking items, which is good so there is something for everybody. And I have heard that their photo editing software is amazing (my mom says it is better than photo shop, but I want to try it for myself).
So I am excited to get more information about this. I am not really thinking of it as a part time job, but more of a hobby where I can get stuff at a discount and learn new things, and if I make some money at it, then great.
I am still considering signing up to sell Creative Memories. The quota is actually $600 every 3 months. I want to find out what happens if you don't meet that. Because I could always try it out and see. At the very least, I could get the stuff I want at a discount. I know my mom has a bunch of stuff she wants to order, and she has offered to have an open house type thing at her house and invite a bunch of people so I can show people the stuff. And my soon-to-be-sister-in-law has said that she will have a workshop/party after the wedding. So, I'm sure I would meet the quota for the first 3 months right there.
So I haven't made my final decision yet, my mom is getting some more info tonight from her friend that is a current consultant. The nice thing is, there are only 4 CM consultants in my town, so it is a relatively untapped market. And I don't even have to stick to my town, people can order from the website and have things shipped directly to them, which is a nice feature (I will have my very own website within the general CM one). I just figure I have so many friends in the getting married and having babies mode, now is the time most people want to preserve their memories and create lovely albums to keep forever! And the CM albums really are MUCH nicer than anything at Michaels. They are a bit pricey, but I think the quality is unmatched. And they have both traditional and digital scrapbooking items, which is good so there is something for everybody. And I have heard that their photo editing software is amazing (my mom says it is better than photo shop, but I want to try it for myself).
So I am excited to get more information about this. I am not really thinking of it as a part time job, but more of a hobby where I can get stuff at a discount and learn new things, and if I make some money at it, then great.
Monday, April 27, 2009
An update on many things
Saturday was the bridal shower for my sister-to-be. I took Julie and she wore a dress for the first time ever. She wore the dress that lj bought for her and it looked adorable! I took a picture, but it was with my mom's camera, so she has the pic, I don't have it yet. Julie look adorable :)
Not much else happening around here. Our eaves work is being finished up right now, so they will be done before lunch today. I want my dad to come have a look at the work tonight and then if he says everything is okay, I will pay the invoice tomorrow. Home ownership is expensive! But that work was long overdue. We also have to get our chimney repaired, but I am hoping we can wait until the fall or even next year for that. And our shingles are almost 20 years old... it never ends! But that was to be expected, our house is almost 100 years old.
Operation declutter is going well. I am still working on the office. I moved all my scrapbooking stuff to the main floor, which will be much better. I bought a cheap $90 pantry at Wal-mart and we put it together yesterday to house all my scrapbooking stuff and that opens up some space in my office so I can actually put some office stuff away.
Oma is doing better. They have her on 2 new meds to help prevent further strokes, so that's good. She seems to be back to her old self. I'm wondering if this latest stroke will make her memory even worse, but I guess only time will tell on that one.
Tomorrow, I am going out for dinner with the girls from work, so that will be fun. I do miss the people I work with. Don't really miss work yet, but definitely the people. I'm starting to think about what I'm going to do when I have to go back to work. Since I have 8.5 months before I have to go back, I am considering all sorts of possibilities. I know I will have to go back, I just hope I can do some sort of part time schedule and maybe even work a couple days a week from home and only be in the office 1-2 days a week. That's my ideal situation. My mom has the type of job where she only has to be at the university for maybe 10 hours a week, so she is open to babysit a lot, which is great.
I am even considering other types of jobs too. I guess they would be in addition to my regular job since I don't want to give that up completely. My mom thinks I should sell Creative Memories (scrapbooking items), but I think there is a minimum sales requirement you have to meet each quarter, which I don't want. I do love their products, but I don't want any pressure. I sold Avon while I was in highschool. Didn't make a whole lot of money at it, but it was fun. I also didn't put in a lot of effort though, so maybe I could make more money at it if I put in more effort. Although in these tough economic times, I'm sure people aren't wanting to buy as much. I'm just thinking of the endless possibilities at this point. The 'top-up' from my company ends in July, at which point I will only be getting the maternity benefits from the government, so I guess I'll wait and see how we deal with the reduced income.
Not much else happening around here. Our eaves work is being finished up right now, so they will be done before lunch today. I want my dad to come have a look at the work tonight and then if he says everything is okay, I will pay the invoice tomorrow. Home ownership is expensive! But that work was long overdue. We also have to get our chimney repaired, but I am hoping we can wait until the fall or even next year for that. And our shingles are almost 20 years old... it never ends! But that was to be expected, our house is almost 100 years old.
Operation declutter is going well. I am still working on the office. I moved all my scrapbooking stuff to the main floor, which will be much better. I bought a cheap $90 pantry at Wal-mart and we put it together yesterday to house all my scrapbooking stuff and that opens up some space in my office so I can actually put some office stuff away.
Oma is doing better. They have her on 2 new meds to help prevent further strokes, so that's good. She seems to be back to her old self. I'm wondering if this latest stroke will make her memory even worse, but I guess only time will tell on that one.
Tomorrow, I am going out for dinner with the girls from work, so that will be fun. I do miss the people I work with. Don't really miss work yet, but definitely the people. I'm starting to think about what I'm going to do when I have to go back to work. Since I have 8.5 months before I have to go back, I am considering all sorts of possibilities. I know I will have to go back, I just hope I can do some sort of part time schedule and maybe even work a couple days a week from home and only be in the office 1-2 days a week. That's my ideal situation. My mom has the type of job where she only has to be at the university for maybe 10 hours a week, so she is open to babysit a lot, which is great.
I am even considering other types of jobs too. I guess they would be in addition to my regular job since I don't want to give that up completely. My mom thinks I should sell Creative Memories (scrapbooking items), but I think there is a minimum sales requirement you have to meet each quarter, which I don't want. I do love their products, but I don't want any pressure. I sold Avon while I was in highschool. Didn't make a whole lot of money at it, but it was fun. I also didn't put in a lot of effort though, so maybe I could make more money at it if I put in more effort. Although in these tough economic times, I'm sure people aren't wanting to buy as much. I'm just thinking of the endless possibilities at this point. The 'top-up' from my company ends in July, at which point I will only be getting the maternity benefits from the government, so I guess I'll wait and see how we deal with the reduced income.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Oma is okay
I just phoned the hospital to get an update and Oma is doing okay. Her symptoms have resolved, so they will likely be sending her home this evening. It was a very mild stroke, so they didn't need to do any treatment other than just watch her since for the first 24 hours, she is at a greater risk for more severe strokes. So, as of this afternoon, we can relax a bit.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Poor Oma
My mom just called to let me know she had to take Oma to the hospital... I guess she had another mini-stroke (she's had 2 or 3 in the last 5 years or so). They are waiting for some test results and will keep me posted. I hope she's okay!
Drowning in Papers
I decided to try to work through some of the mess that is my office and it's a huge job! I am in a ruthless cleaning up mood, so I figured I should take advantage of it. I can't believe all the crap I have kept! I really want to get my house a little more organized, so this is a start at least.
The company we hired is starting on our eaves/soffit/fascia today, so it may be done by the end of the week - yay! Our plan for this year is to get the outside of the house fixed up. New eaves/soffit/fascia is happening now, and then later on this spring we want to repaint the window sills, garage, and roof over the back deck. I think Carlos is planning to take a couple days off in May so we can get this done. We also really need to get our chimney repaired, but that will have to wait until either the fall or next year since this work on the eaves is quite expensive. Owning an older home is a lot of work! But, I think the work this year will make a huge difference on the outside.
The company we hired is starting on our eaves/soffit/fascia today, so it may be done by the end of the week - yay! Our plan for this year is to get the outside of the house fixed up. New eaves/soffit/fascia is happening now, and then later on this spring we want to repaint the window sills, garage, and roof over the back deck. I think Carlos is planning to take a couple days off in May so we can get this done. We also really need to get our chimney repaired, but that will have to wait until either the fall or next year since this work on the eaves is quite expensive. Owning an older home is a lot of work! But, I think the work this year will make a huge difference on the outside.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Good news and bad news
I'll start with the bad news... we think there is something wrong with Gino (one of our cats). I was out all day yesterday, but when I got home, he was favouring one leg and obviously in pain. I don't think it's a problem with the leg, but maybe his hip from the way he was walking. So, I'm going to check on him this morning, and if he's still limping around, I'll have to take him to the vet today to have him checked out. I hope it's nothing serious! Poor guy...
And the good news - we're having a new fridge and stove delivered today! We bought the set on the weekend since we found a really great deal - both for $999! No more beige and brown 'wood' trim appliances from the early 80's! So we should notice a difference on our electricity bill! They are "stainless look", so they are not actually stainless steal, but look like it. Actually this is better than stainless since it doesn't have that smudgy look that is so hard to keep clean. The stove is self cleaning which I really wanted and it also has the smooth cooktop, which is awesome! We got the very last set (they are selling them all off since they don't make that colour anymore). There is also a matching dishwasher, but we decided not to get that right now. They had lots of the dishwashers left, so we could always get it a few months down the road if we want to. We have gotten by this far without a dishwasher, so we'll wait on that one. And even if we don't get the matching one, a black one would look good since there is also quite a bit of black on the fridge and stove.
And even more good news - for the last 3 nights, Julie has slept for 9 hours! YAY!
EDIT 9:39am
Gino seems to be a bit better this morning. Still limping, but not as bad. So, we're going to keep an eye on him today and see if he gets better. If not, we'll take him to the vet tomorrow to get checked.
Our new fridge and stove arrived at 8:15am this morning - they look great! The funny thing is, we used our tax refund to pay for them and last year, we used our tax refund to pay for our washer and dryer! And both years, we bought our new appliances on the Saturday of the Easter long weekend. I found that funny.
And the good news - we're having a new fridge and stove delivered today! We bought the set on the weekend since we found a really great deal - both for $999! No more beige and brown 'wood' trim appliances from the early 80's! So we should notice a difference on our electricity bill! They are "stainless look", so they are not actually stainless steal, but look like it. Actually this is better than stainless since it doesn't have that smudgy look that is so hard to keep clean. The stove is self cleaning which I really wanted and it also has the smooth cooktop, which is awesome! We got the very last set (they are selling them all off since they don't make that colour anymore). There is also a matching dishwasher, but we decided not to get that right now. They had lots of the dishwashers left, so we could always get it a few months down the road if we want to. We have gotten by this far without a dishwasher, so we'll wait on that one. And even if we don't get the matching one, a black one would look good since there is also quite a bit of black on the fridge and stove.
And even more good news - for the last 3 nights, Julie has slept for 9 hours! YAY!
EDIT 9:39am
Gino seems to be a bit better this morning. Still limping, but not as bad. So, we're going to keep an eye on him today and see if he gets better. If not, we'll take him to the vet tomorrow to get checked.
Our new fridge and stove arrived at 8:15am this morning - they look great! The funny thing is, we used our tax refund to pay for them and last year, we used our tax refund to pay for our washer and dryer! And both years, we bought our new appliances on the Saturday of the Easter long weekend. I found that funny.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Happy Birthday to my hubby!
Today is my hubby's 31st birthday! I have booked my mom to babysit Julie so that Carlos and I can go out on a date. I can't wait! I'm going to get all dressed up for a night out with my man ;)
Julie is amazing! The last 2 nights, she has slept for 8 hours - wow! I couldn't ask for a better baby! :)
I went to the bank yesterday and set up an RESP for Julie. For any babies born after 2004, the government contributes at least 20% of how much you contribute (could be up to 40% based on your income). So, that is too good of a deal to pass up on! A minimum 20% return on your investment plus whatever return you get on the money invested (ours is invested in a specific mutual fund called the "Target 2025 fund" which means for the first several years is it invested in mostly equity (high risk, but high potential for return) and then as it matures, it slowly decreases the portion of equity and increases the portion of guaranteed funds so that by close to the time you need the money, it is invested very low risk. Right now we are just starting with a low monthly amount, but we can always increase it when we have more money. And if we have any more children, we can add them to the same plan too.
Today I am making phone calls to try to get some estimates to have our soffit, fascia, and eaves replaced on our house. It will be an expensive thing to have done, but it is long overdue and we figured now would be the time to do it with the new "2009 Home Reno Tax Credit". We are also flirting with the idea of upgrading our kitchen... but again, an expensive job. We will definitely price things out though.
Julie is amazing! The last 2 nights, she has slept for 8 hours - wow! I couldn't ask for a better baby! :)
I went to the bank yesterday and set up an RESP for Julie. For any babies born after 2004, the government contributes at least 20% of how much you contribute (could be up to 40% based on your income). So, that is too good of a deal to pass up on! A minimum 20% return on your investment plus whatever return you get on the money invested (ours is invested in a specific mutual fund called the "Target 2025 fund" which means for the first several years is it invested in mostly equity (high risk, but high potential for return) and then as it matures, it slowly decreases the portion of equity and increases the portion of guaranteed funds so that by close to the time you need the money, it is invested very low risk. Right now we are just starting with a low monthly amount, but we can always increase it when we have more money. And if we have any more children, we can add them to the same plan too.
Today I am making phone calls to try to get some estimates to have our soffit, fascia, and eaves replaced on our house. It will be an expensive thing to have done, but it is long overdue and we figured now would be the time to do it with the new "2009 Home Reno Tax Credit". We are also flirting with the idea of upgrading our kitchen... but again, an expensive job. We will definitely price things out though.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Busy girls!
Mom and I finished the wedding invitations for my brothers wedding yesterday. They look amazing! For some reason, my brothers fiance who is usually incredibly organized, is being a somewhat disorganized bride, which really surprised me. Good thing she has me to get things in order! I really think I should be a wedding planner in my next career, I really enjoy it. I guess the only downside would be working with bridezillas ;)
Last night we had a little birthday party for my mom, whose birthday is today. So that was nice. We gave her a little engraved photo frame with this photo in it:
I took my mom out for lunch yesterday in honour of her birthday (since she is fully booked for today), and that was the first time I went to a restaurant with Julie. She was an angel! She slept for most of it and when she was awake, she was happy in grandmas arms. Not a peep out of her the whole time!
Other good news: for the second night in a row, Julie slept for 7.5 hours - awesome! I really couldn't ask for a better baby! She's so happy and smiley 99% of the time she's awake, and she's such a great sleeper!
Last night we had a little birthday party for my mom, whose birthday is today. So that was nice. We gave her a little engraved photo frame with this photo in it:
I took my mom out for lunch yesterday in honour of her birthday (since she is fully booked for today), and that was the first time I went to a restaurant with Julie. She was an angel! She slept for most of it and when she was awake, she was happy in grandmas arms. Not a peep out of her the whole time!
Other good news: for the second night in a row, Julie slept for 7.5 hours - awesome! I really couldn't ask for a better baby! She's so happy and smiley 99% of the time she's awake, and she's such a great sleeper!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Julie = jumbo jet!
Today's appointment went very well. Julie now weighs 11 pounds, 5 ounces! So she gained 18 ounces since her last appointment 2 weeks ago. Little piglet! Carlos calls her a jumbo jet since her initials are JET and she is growing like a weed!
They also did her measurements and she is now 61 cm long (vs 51cm at birth), head circumference is 38 cm (vs 33.5 cm at birth), and chest circumference is 40.5 cm (vs 34 cm at birth). So, she is growing well! The midwife gave her a good look over and said she looks great and she has no concerns at all. She even took her footprints and put them on a certificate for us. She gave me a big hug when we left and encouraged me to drop in whenever I liked; they would love to see me and Julie again.
So, we are now officially discharged from the midwives care. They were absolutely amazing and we will definitely use them again! I cannot say enough good things about them; I am so glad we decided to use them!
They also did her measurements and she is now 61 cm long (vs 51cm at birth), head circumference is 38 cm (vs 33.5 cm at birth), and chest circumference is 40.5 cm (vs 34 cm at birth). So, she is growing well! The midwife gave her a good look over and said she looks great and she has no concerns at all. She even took her footprints and put them on a certificate for us. She gave me a big hug when we left and encouraged me to drop in whenever I liked; they would love to see me and Julie again.
So, we are now officially discharged from the midwives care. They were absolutely amazing and we will definitely use them again! I cannot say enough good things about them; I am so glad we decided to use them!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Love the new ride!
We picked up the new car last night when Carlos was done work. Since my mom was happily babysitting, we decided to go out for dinner to celebrate. That was the first time we've been to a restaurant since Julie was born, so it was nice to get out just the 2 of us.
Our car is awesome! Lots of power! It has about 10 hp more than Zeke, so it can really move!!! And I love the tinted windows, it was worth the extra $200. And we also got roof racks which I don't think were supposed to come on the car we paid for, so that was a free bonus! I drove the car home from dinner and we took a bit of a detour so I could spend some more time driving the car.
We ordered a second base for Julie's carseat, so that will be nice to have. That way, we have one in each vehicle, so it will be easy to trade back and forth since I want to drive the new car sometimes too ;)
Oh, and I am already about 1/3 of the way through "Twilight"... it's good so far!
Our car is awesome! Lots of power! It has about 10 hp more than Zeke, so it can really move!!! And I love the tinted windows, it was worth the extra $200. And we also got roof racks which I don't think were supposed to come on the car we paid for, so that was a free bonus! I drove the car home from dinner and we took a bit of a detour so I could spend some more time driving the car.
We ordered a second base for Julie's carseat, so that will be nice to have. That way, we have one in each vehicle, so it will be easy to trade back and forth since I want to drive the new car sometimes too ;)
Oh, and I am already about 1/3 of the way through "Twilight"... it's good so far!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
YAY!
We just got the call that our car is in! They will do the rust and fabric protection tomorrow and we get to pick it up tomorrow evening! YAY!!!!
Twilight has arrived!
My Twilight books arrived this morning, so I am excited to start reading them. Are they ever long! That's good though, should keep me entertained for awhile ;)
Looks like we won't be getting the car until Thursday now. The AWD models have been selling like hotcakes and there were 3 available in Ontario going into Saturday, 2 sold on Saturday, so we got the very last one. And it's coming from the Niagara region, so it will take a little longer to get here. The only thing is it has tinted windows, which they are charging an extra $200 for. We tried to get them to throw that in for free, but no luck. Oh well. Tinted windows might be a nice thing to have in case I have to nurse Julie in the car or something. So, I think it's a good thing. And $200 is only an extra $5 per month, so no biggie. Funny that we got the very last silver AWD one in Ontario! All other colours were sold out except white. And we didn't want white. Guess lots of people took advantage of the 0% financing deal!
We should find out today whether we are approved for the financing loan, so then it will be all official - yay!
Looks like we won't be getting the car until Thursday now. The AWD models have been selling like hotcakes and there were 3 available in Ontario going into Saturday, 2 sold on Saturday, so we got the very last one. And it's coming from the Niagara region, so it will take a little longer to get here. The only thing is it has tinted windows, which they are charging an extra $200 for. We tried to get them to throw that in for free, but no luck. Oh well. Tinted windows might be a nice thing to have in case I have to nurse Julie in the car or something. So, I think it's a good thing. And $200 is only an extra $5 per month, so no biggie. Funny that we got the very last silver AWD one in Ontario! All other colours were sold out except white. And we didn't want white. Guess lots of people took advantage of the 0% financing deal!
We should find out today whether we are approved for the financing loan, so then it will be all official - yay!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
We fell in love...
...with the Matrix! We went to Toyota yesterday and had a look at both the 2009 Matrix and the 2009 Corolla. We test drove them both, and I definitely liked the Matrix better; it has an all wheel drive option and I just like the look of it better. Since we will be keeping it for a long time (we tend to drive our cars forever until something happens like the engine threatens to fall out), I really wanted to get a good car that will last us a long time and I really wanted all wheel drive. I absolutely love Zeke and I have never once gotten stuck or lost control while driving him and I have had him for almost 8 years. So, AWD was important to me, especially now that we have Julie. I honestly could not think of another car besides the Matrix that I like that has an AWD option.
We both drove it and I absolutely love it! Once we went back into the dealership and crunched all the numbers, we said we would have to go for lunch and think about it, and they offered that we could take the Matrix with us when we went. So, we took it back to my parents house to show them. I wanted my brothers' opinions since they are both car guys. They both think it is a really good car.
Since the 0% financing deal was only on 2009 models (since they are selling them off to get ready for the 2010), there is only a finite number of them in Ontario since they are no longer making the 2009 model. So, if we wanted to get the 0% financing (which is only on until March 31), we decided to get one yesterday so that we would be sure to get one. The AWD ones are really popular and they are running out quickly. They only had 3 colours left in Ontario: one dark grey (which would be extra money to get since it was hours away), silver, and white. So, we thought about it for while, and we decided to get a silver one. The one we test drove was silver and it tooks awesome. And we figured silver won't show scratches as easily as something darker.
We were able to get a $700 discount through Carlos' connections, which was awesome! And they offered us $1000 trade in value for the 98 Corolla, so we were very happy with that; we thought we would be lucky to get $500 considering all the problems it has.
Here are the deets: 2009 Toyota Matrix XR AWD, Silver, 2.4L 4 cyl engine, 158 hp, automatic (the AWD only availabe in Automatic), 17" Alloy wheels (yay!), and all the bells and whistles like AC, cruise, power windows, doorlocks, and mirrors, keyless entry, heated mirrors, CD/MP3 player, 6 speakers, input jack for ipod (which I think is awesome), audio controls in the steering wheel, outside temperature gauge (sweet; I've never had that before), the rear seats and front passenger seat fold down flat which is handy if we have something large to fit in, etc.
We are very excited! We get to pick it up on Wednesday likely. Which gives us a couple days to figure out insurance. Carlos and I have been meaning to get on the same car insurance policy for awhile, so this is the perfect time. We'll get quotes from both of our current companies and go with whatever is cheaper. Carlos deals with a broker, so they should be able to get us a good price.
We both drove it and I absolutely love it! Once we went back into the dealership and crunched all the numbers, we said we would have to go for lunch and think about it, and they offered that we could take the Matrix with us when we went. So, we took it back to my parents house to show them. I wanted my brothers' opinions since they are both car guys. They both think it is a really good car.
Since the 0% financing deal was only on 2009 models (since they are selling them off to get ready for the 2010), there is only a finite number of them in Ontario since they are no longer making the 2009 model. So, if we wanted to get the 0% financing (which is only on until March 31), we decided to get one yesterday so that we would be sure to get one. The AWD ones are really popular and they are running out quickly. They only had 3 colours left in Ontario: one dark grey (which would be extra money to get since it was hours away), silver, and white. So, we thought about it for while, and we decided to get a silver one. The one we test drove was silver and it tooks awesome. And we figured silver won't show scratches as easily as something darker.
We were able to get a $700 discount through Carlos' connections, which was awesome! And they offered us $1000 trade in value for the 98 Corolla, so we were very happy with that; we thought we would be lucky to get $500 considering all the problems it has.
Here are the deets: 2009 Toyota Matrix XR AWD, Silver, 2.4L 4 cyl engine, 158 hp, automatic (the AWD only availabe in Automatic), 17" Alloy wheels (yay!), and all the bells and whistles like AC, cruise, power windows, doorlocks, and mirrors, keyless entry, heated mirrors, CD/MP3 player, 6 speakers, input jack for ipod (which I think is awesome), audio controls in the steering wheel, outside temperature gauge (sweet; I've never had that before), the rear seats and front passenger seat fold down flat which is handy if we have something large to fit in, etc.
We are very excited! We get to pick it up on Wednesday likely. Which gives us a couple days to figure out insurance. Carlos and I have been meaning to get on the same car insurance policy for awhile, so this is the perfect time. We'll get quotes from both of our current companies and go with whatever is cheaper. Carlos deals with a broker, so they should be able to get us a good price.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Lost in the matrix...
The Toyota Matrix has caught our attention. We are going to go to Toyota on Saturday to check them out. For the month of March, Toyota has a 0% financing on the 2009 Matrix (and a few other cars). I think many dealerships are doing this actually because of the recession we are in. But, for people in the market for car... you can't beat 0% financing! So, in addition to looking at used cars, we will also check out a new one for comparison.
Carlos' workplace does the ads for Toyota, so we have some connections... Hopefully we can use those connections to get a good deal if we decide to go that route ;)
I have my mom lined up to babysit on Saturday so we can spend the day car shopping and going to a few places in town... should be fun!
Carlos' workplace does the ads for Toyota, so we have some connections... Hopefully we can use those connections to get a good deal if we decide to go that route ;)
I have my mom lined up to babysit on Saturday so we can spend the day car shopping and going to a few places in town... should be fun!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The search begins...
Carlos took his car to the shop yesterday since it has been having some issues. Well, turns out the engine mount is completely rotten, so basically the engine could fall out of the car at any time. Yikes! They can't say how long it would be before this happens, could be tomorrow or could be several months. But it is a safety issue, so I think we should drive that car as little as possible. Since the car is 11 years old, I don't think it's worth putting a lot of money in it at this point. So, we're going to begin the search for a new vehicle. The good thing is I'm on mat leave right now, so we can get by with only 1 vehicle for awhile. So, we're going to use my car primarily for now and then only use Carlos' car on days when we both need a vehicle. That way, we can prolong the life of his car while we look for a new one.
So, now we're trying to think about what would be best. Do we get a used car that we could get for a good price that would do us for a few years? Or should we spend a little more money and get something larger like a minivan in planning for the future? My car Zeke really isn't the best for putting a carseat in. It's a bit of a pain actually since there isn't a lot of room in the backseat, so whenever I put the carseat back there, I have to move the front passenger seat all the way forward to make space. It would be much easier in a minivan and it would be nice to have a vehicle with more space. Minivans are expensive though, so we would definitely be looking at getting a used one. The good thing is we have time now. So, we can look at vans and cars and see what good deals we can find.
So, now we're trying to think about what would be best. Do we get a used car that we could get for a good price that would do us for a few years? Or should we spend a little more money and get something larger like a minivan in planning for the future? My car Zeke really isn't the best for putting a carseat in. It's a bit of a pain actually since there isn't a lot of room in the backseat, so whenever I put the carseat back there, I have to move the front passenger seat all the way forward to make space. It would be much easier in a minivan and it would be nice to have a vehicle with more space. Minivans are expensive though, so we would definitely be looking at getting a used one. The good thing is we have time now. So, we can look at vans and cars and see what good deals we can find.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Julie is a piglet!
The appointment with the midwife this morning went very well. Julie had her hearing test, and everything is normal. Her weight today was 10 lbs, 3 oz, so she gained 20 oz in the last 2 weeks - wow! I guess she's eating well, which is great since I can't tell how much she's eating since she's exclusively breastfed. Our next appointment is on the 27th and that will be our last one with the midwives, we will be discharged from their care. They have been absolutely amazing and we will definitely use them again for any future children we may have.
I did ask her about vaccinations and she already had a brochure in the info packet she was planning to give me at today's appointment, so it was already a topic for discussion at today's appointment, hows that for timing?!? Basically, it is outside the scope of their practice and they are not supposed to give opinions about it. It is recommended by Health Canada to follow the vaccination schedule, but it is not mandatory. Parents need to make the decision for themselves. It is illegal for a child to be suspended from school, etc. because they are not vaccinated. Parents just need to provide a letter indicating the child is not vaccinated.
She did say that vaccines for children in Canada no longer contain mercury. The midwife said to do some research and make sure to get recent and Canadian information. We need to weigh the risks of Julie getting a disease that she could have been vaccinated for against the risks of the vaccine itself and make our decision based on that. She did say that MOST people get their children vaccinated and stick to the recommended schedule. Another option would be to delay the schedule a bit and have her first vaccine later than 2 months.
I will do some research and Carlos and I will make the decision once we feel we have the information we need.
I did ask her about vaccinations and she already had a brochure in the info packet she was planning to give me at today's appointment, so it was already a topic for discussion at today's appointment, hows that for timing?!? Basically, it is outside the scope of their practice and they are not supposed to give opinions about it. It is recommended by Health Canada to follow the vaccination schedule, but it is not mandatory. Parents need to make the decision for themselves. It is illegal for a child to be suspended from school, etc. because they are not vaccinated. Parents just need to provide a letter indicating the child is not vaccinated.
She did say that vaccines for children in Canada no longer contain mercury. The midwife said to do some research and make sure to get recent and Canadian information. We need to weigh the risks of Julie getting a disease that she could have been vaccinated for against the risks of the vaccine itself and make our decision based on that. She did say that MOST people get their children vaccinated and stick to the recommended schedule. Another option would be to delay the schedule a bit and have her first vaccine later than 2 months.
I will do some research and Carlos and I will make the decision once we feel we have the information we need.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Vaccine debate
We have to decide soon whether we want Julie to be vaccinated as the first round of vaccines starts at 2 months of age. I am really on the fence on this one since there is so much info out there about why vaccines are unsafe, unnecessary, can cause illnesses and damage, and may be linked to autism and learning and developmental disabilities.
But, I would hate to choose not to get Julie vaccinated and then have her get one of the illnesses she would have been protected against. I guess I have to do some research and figure this out soon!
Any thoughts on this issue?
But, I would hate to choose not to get Julie vaccinated and then have her get one of the illnesses she would have been protected against. I guess I have to do some research and figure this out soon!
Any thoughts on this issue?
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Happy birthday Smoke
My mom and sister-in-law-to-be hosted a baby shower for baby Julie on Saturday - was it ever nice! I was overwhelmed with everyone's generosity; Julie got so many amazing and adorable things! Lots of cute outfits that I can't wait to put her in ;)
Today is Smokey's 3rd birthday! I can't believe it's been almost 2 years since we almost lost him to Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. Poor little guy! That's behind us though, he has been doing great since then! We have found that since we've had Julie, Smokey has become a lot more affectionate. I guess he's not getting as much attention, so he decides he better come to us ;) One annoying thing is I think he has figured out that when I'm nursing, I can't get up to discipline him, so he uses that time to be a total trouble maker and climb on thing he shouldn't, scratch things he shouldn't, etc... sometimes I feel it's like having a toddler to look after while I am trying to look after a newborn too! But I still love him anyway ;)
Today is Smokey's 3rd birthday! I can't believe it's been almost 2 years since we almost lost him to Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. Poor little guy! That's behind us though, he has been doing great since then! We have found that since we've had Julie, Smokey has become a lot more affectionate. I guess he's not getting as much attention, so he decides he better come to us ;) One annoying thing is I think he has figured out that when I'm nursing, I can't get up to discipline him, so he uses that time to be a total trouble maker and climb on thing he shouldn't, scratch things he shouldn't, etc... sometimes I feel it's like having a toddler to look after while I am trying to look after a newborn too! But I still love him anyway ;)
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Wedding Invitation Making Extravaganza
Yesterday, mom and I helped my brother's fiance make her wedding invitations. We didn't get them done, but we certainly made good progress! It was fun to focus my attention on something other than my adorable baby ;) My brother's wedding is coming up in 3 months... coming up quickly! They just recently bought a house, which is exciting. Closing date of May 1st, which gives them a month before the wedding to paint and fix things up before they move in.
This week has been a good one. Julie is a little angel! I just love looking at all her little facial expressions - she is smiling now, which is amazing to see!
This week has been a good one. Julie is a little angel! I just love looking at all her little facial expressions - she is smiling now, which is amazing to see!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Morning out and about
Julie and I had a good morning of being out and about. I had to take her to the midwife clinic since they needed to take another blood sample from Julie for a routine test. They had to repeat it since the first time they tried, they didn't get enough blood. While we were at the clinic, they weighed Julie and she now weighs 8 lbs, 15 oz, so she is gaining weight well and is a healthy girl :)
When we were done at the clinic, I took Julie into Carlos' workplace so she could meet his coworkers, so that was fun. Everyone keeps saying how beautiful she is, and of course I agree :)
We don't have much planned for this weekend, although we are planning to take Julie on her first trip to Costco... hopefully she likes it ;)
When we were done at the clinic, I took Julie into Carlos' workplace so she could meet his coworkers, so that was fun. Everyone keeps saying how beautiful she is, and of course I agree :)
We don't have much planned for this weekend, although we are planning to take Julie on her first trip to Costco... hopefully she likes it ;)
Monday, February 23, 2009
Julie is amazing!
Julie is now 16 days old and I am falling more and more in love with her every day (if that's possible)!!! She is such an amazing girl! I just love to sit and look at her explore the world. She's already changed so much since she was born. She is a lot more alert now and opens her eyes really wide to take in the world around her.
She seems to be a pretty content baby. She doesn't cry too much, just when she needs something. Although, on Saturday we had a pretty rough day. She cried off and on all afternoon and evening. It took me awhile to catch on that she was just hungry all the time - I think she was going through her first growth spurt; I was feeding her pretty much every hour! The first growth spurt usually happens at about 2 weeks, so she was right on... our little 'textbook' baby ;)
We are at the end of our home visits with the midwife now. We now take Julie to their clinic on March 6th and then again at 6 weeks and then we will be discharged from their care. They have been absolutely wonderful! I am so glad we decided to go with midwives instead of a doctor - the level of care we received has been phenomenal! They came to visit us pretty much every day for the first week and then a couple times the second week. The support I received with breastfeeding made all the difference; I'm sure I would have given up if I hadn't had their help. Breastfeeding was very difficult in the beginning, but we have the hang of it now ;) And I am so thankful that I can page the midwives whenever I have a concern. They have been amazing and I highly recommend midwives to anyone having a baby!
This afternoon, Julie and I are planning to go to my office for a little visit so my coworkers can meet her. I am looking forward to the outing!
She seems to be a pretty content baby. She doesn't cry too much, just when she needs something. Although, on Saturday we had a pretty rough day. She cried off and on all afternoon and evening. It took me awhile to catch on that she was just hungry all the time - I think she was going through her first growth spurt; I was feeding her pretty much every hour! The first growth spurt usually happens at about 2 weeks, so she was right on... our little 'textbook' baby ;)
We are at the end of our home visits with the midwife now. We now take Julie to their clinic on March 6th and then again at 6 weeks and then we will be discharged from their care. They have been absolutely wonderful! I am so glad we decided to go with midwives instead of a doctor - the level of care we received has been phenomenal! They came to visit us pretty much every day for the first week and then a couple times the second week. The support I received with breastfeeding made all the difference; I'm sure I would have given up if I hadn't had their help. Breastfeeding was very difficult in the beginning, but we have the hang of it now ;) And I am so thankful that I can page the midwives whenever I have a concern. They have been amazing and I highly recommend midwives to anyone having a baby!
This afternoon, Julie and I are planning to go to my office for a little visit so my coworkers can meet her. I am looking forward to the outing!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Julie Erika’s Birth Story
It started on Thursday, February 5th. During the afternoon, I started feeling crampy and started bleeding a little bit (which is one sign that labour is imminent). So, I started thinking that I would be going into labour soon and was very excited!
Friday morning, I had an appointment with my midwife, where she checked me and my cervix was 2 cm dilated and 50 to 75% effaced (thinned out). So, it was looking like I was right with my prediction that I would have the baby on the weekend! So, I went home very excited.
I had cramps all afternoon and around 4pm I started thinking they were getting worse than just cramps and were the start of contractions. I timed a couple of them and they were about 20 minutes apart at this point and only 30 to 45 seconds long.
The contractions kept getting a little more intense and longer and closer together throughout the evening. At about 8:30pm, my mom showed up (her and Carlos were my 2 support people). By about 9pm, they were 5 minutes apart and lasting about a minute. This is the point we called our midwife. We first paged our primary midwife (the student), but she was off call for the weekend since she was sick. So, we paged our other primary midwife, but she was going off call in 5 minutes for the weekend. CRAP! I started crying at this point since neither of the 2 midwives we really liked would be present at the birth. We were stuck with the 2 we didn’t like as much. Now, in the end, I didn’t care about this, but at this moment, I was quite upset. It actually turned out that the midwives we had were WONDERFUL; I can’t say enough good things about them.
The midwife showed up at our house around 10pm to check my progress. I was 4 cm dilated at this point and officially in active labour – yay! The contractions were getting more intense, I could no longer talk through them. Carlos was wonderful. We would walk around the house and every time I had a contraction, we would “slow dance” and he would rub my back. I had a nice bath at home sometime around midnight, which felt awesome.
The midwife checked my progress again around 1:30am and I was at 6cm. She said at this point we could go to the hospital, or we could wait a little longer. She had already called ahead to the hospital to see how busy they were. Turns out it was a busy night because they only had 1 labour and delivery room left! So, my midwife asked the hospital to hold the room for us and we headed to the hospital. The midwife went a few minutes ahead of us so she had all the paperwork done by the time we got there. She took care of everything, which was amazing.
So by the time I got to the room, it was around 2am. I laboured in the room for quite awhile trying all sorts of positions. Everyone was so impressed with me that I would be cheerful and smiling in between contractions. I sat in the shower for awhile which felt great. At around 4am the second midwife showed up (there are 2 present for the pushing stage) and they checked me again and I was 7cm dilated and they broke my water at this point. At around 7am, I was 8cm dilated and was getting very uncomfortable, so I laboured in the tub for a couple of hours. This was the most intense part of the labour (this is what they call “transition” and is from 8 to 10cm). I was so glad to be in the tub at this point since it made it a lot more bearable. There were a few contractions that I thought I couldn’t do it anymore, but there was never a point where I seriously considered drugs. I just took it one contraction at a time. Carlos, my mom, and the midwives were amazing support!
At around 9am, I got out of the tub and was checked again. I only had a small rim of cervix left, so it was almost time to start pushing! We sent my mom to the waiting room at this point, since I wanted it to just be Carlos and me for the actual birth. I started pushing shortly after this point and they brought in a mirror so I could see the progress. I pushed until 11:30am with some progress, but it seemed that baby was stuck in the birth canal. She would make a TINY bit of progress with each contraction, but not much. After 2 hours of pushing with no baby, the midwives are required to consult with the OB on call. The baby was also showing signs of distress at this point, so it became apparent that they had to help get baby out; they couldn’t just let me keep pushing considering how slow the progress was. I was absolutely exhausted at this point, so I was glad for the help.
The OB came in at about 11:45am and watched me push for one contraction. Since I didn’t have an epidural, he didn’t want to use forceps. So, he decided a vacuum would be best, although I think most people have pain meds for that too! It was so close to the end, I certainly didn’t want any meds at this point. It was too late anyways, they really wanted to get baby out. It only took 2 or 3 contractions with the vacuum before she was born. I did need a small episiotomy, which makes sense since she is such a big girl! The OB was amazing; he said that he didn’t even need to tug very hard; I did most of the work.
Baby’s head was out at 12:04pm and entire baby born at 12:05pm. Turns out she was in the birth canal off-centre, which totally explains why I couldn’t push her out on my own – she wasn’t coming down straight, her head was tilted to one side. It was such an amazing moment when she was born – the most special moment in my entire life. And I was so glad to have the mirror there so I could actually watch her being born – what a miracle!!!
As soon as she was born, they put her on my chest. The funny part was they didn’t tell us whether she was a boy or girl – I had to ask! After about 10 seconds of holding her, I asked the nurse “Is it a boy of girl” and she said “I didn’t even check!” but then responded with the words I was waiting 9 months to hear “It’s a girl!” All along I was hoping for a girl. I would have been happy with a boy, but I really wanted a girl. Carlos and I both shed a few tears at this point; just totally and completely in love with our new daughter.
They took her away to do some checking and measurements on her and it turns out they weren’t completely satisfied with the way she was crying (it was more like grunting). So, after about 20 minutes or so, they decided to take her to the special care nursery to be put on oxygen and monitoring. She ended up being on oxygen for about 12 hours, which was really hard. All sorts of family started showing up, and baby wasn’t in the room with me! Carlos had to take them one at a time to the nursery to see Julie. This was not the way I wanted it. I wanted to get started on breastfeeding right after the birth, but I couldn’t. I HATED not having her in the room with me that first night. I had to get up every 3 hours and walk to the nursery to try to feed her. This was hard, but luckily, she was fine by the morning and we got to take her home.
Here are her stats at birth:
Name: Julie Erika T. (Julie just because we like the name and Erika is after my grandmother).
Date and Time of birth: February 7, 2009 at 12:05pm
Weight: 8 pounds, 11.4 oz
Length: 51 cm (20 inches)
Head circumference: 33.5 cm
Chest circumference: 34 cm
Friday morning, I had an appointment with my midwife, where she checked me and my cervix was 2 cm dilated and 50 to 75% effaced (thinned out). So, it was looking like I was right with my prediction that I would have the baby on the weekend! So, I went home very excited.
I had cramps all afternoon and around 4pm I started thinking they were getting worse than just cramps and were the start of contractions. I timed a couple of them and they were about 20 minutes apart at this point and only 30 to 45 seconds long.
The contractions kept getting a little more intense and longer and closer together throughout the evening. At about 8:30pm, my mom showed up (her and Carlos were my 2 support people). By about 9pm, they were 5 minutes apart and lasting about a minute. This is the point we called our midwife. We first paged our primary midwife (the student), but she was off call for the weekend since she was sick. So, we paged our other primary midwife, but she was going off call in 5 minutes for the weekend. CRAP! I started crying at this point since neither of the 2 midwives we really liked would be present at the birth. We were stuck with the 2 we didn’t like as much. Now, in the end, I didn’t care about this, but at this moment, I was quite upset. It actually turned out that the midwives we had were WONDERFUL; I can’t say enough good things about them.
The midwife showed up at our house around 10pm to check my progress. I was 4 cm dilated at this point and officially in active labour – yay! The contractions were getting more intense, I could no longer talk through them. Carlos was wonderful. We would walk around the house and every time I had a contraction, we would “slow dance” and he would rub my back. I had a nice bath at home sometime around midnight, which felt awesome.
The midwife checked my progress again around 1:30am and I was at 6cm. She said at this point we could go to the hospital, or we could wait a little longer. She had already called ahead to the hospital to see how busy they were. Turns out it was a busy night because they only had 1 labour and delivery room left! So, my midwife asked the hospital to hold the room for us and we headed to the hospital. The midwife went a few minutes ahead of us so she had all the paperwork done by the time we got there. She took care of everything, which was amazing.
So by the time I got to the room, it was around 2am. I laboured in the room for quite awhile trying all sorts of positions. Everyone was so impressed with me that I would be cheerful and smiling in between contractions. I sat in the shower for awhile which felt great. At around 4am the second midwife showed up (there are 2 present for the pushing stage) and they checked me again and I was 7cm dilated and they broke my water at this point. At around 7am, I was 8cm dilated and was getting very uncomfortable, so I laboured in the tub for a couple of hours. This was the most intense part of the labour (this is what they call “transition” and is from 8 to 10cm). I was so glad to be in the tub at this point since it made it a lot more bearable. There were a few contractions that I thought I couldn’t do it anymore, but there was never a point where I seriously considered drugs. I just took it one contraction at a time. Carlos, my mom, and the midwives were amazing support!
At around 9am, I got out of the tub and was checked again. I only had a small rim of cervix left, so it was almost time to start pushing! We sent my mom to the waiting room at this point, since I wanted it to just be Carlos and me for the actual birth. I started pushing shortly after this point and they brought in a mirror so I could see the progress. I pushed until 11:30am with some progress, but it seemed that baby was stuck in the birth canal. She would make a TINY bit of progress with each contraction, but not much. After 2 hours of pushing with no baby, the midwives are required to consult with the OB on call. The baby was also showing signs of distress at this point, so it became apparent that they had to help get baby out; they couldn’t just let me keep pushing considering how slow the progress was. I was absolutely exhausted at this point, so I was glad for the help.
The OB came in at about 11:45am and watched me push for one contraction. Since I didn’t have an epidural, he didn’t want to use forceps. So, he decided a vacuum would be best, although I think most people have pain meds for that too! It was so close to the end, I certainly didn’t want any meds at this point. It was too late anyways, they really wanted to get baby out. It only took 2 or 3 contractions with the vacuum before she was born. I did need a small episiotomy, which makes sense since she is such a big girl! The OB was amazing; he said that he didn’t even need to tug very hard; I did most of the work.
Baby’s head was out at 12:04pm and entire baby born at 12:05pm. Turns out she was in the birth canal off-centre, which totally explains why I couldn’t push her out on my own – she wasn’t coming down straight, her head was tilted to one side. It was such an amazing moment when she was born – the most special moment in my entire life. And I was so glad to have the mirror there so I could actually watch her being born – what a miracle!!!
As soon as she was born, they put her on my chest. The funny part was they didn’t tell us whether she was a boy or girl – I had to ask! After about 10 seconds of holding her, I asked the nurse “Is it a boy of girl” and she said “I didn’t even check!” but then responded with the words I was waiting 9 months to hear “It’s a girl!” All along I was hoping for a girl. I would have been happy with a boy, but I really wanted a girl. Carlos and I both shed a few tears at this point; just totally and completely in love with our new daughter.
They took her away to do some checking and measurements on her and it turns out they weren’t completely satisfied with the way she was crying (it was more like grunting). So, after about 20 minutes or so, they decided to take her to the special care nursery to be put on oxygen and monitoring. She ended up being on oxygen for about 12 hours, which was really hard. All sorts of family started showing up, and baby wasn’t in the room with me! Carlos had to take them one at a time to the nursery to see Julie. This was not the way I wanted it. I wanted to get started on breastfeeding right after the birth, but I couldn’t. I HATED not having her in the room with me that first night. I had to get up every 3 hours and walk to the nursery to try to feed her. This was hard, but luckily, she was fine by the morning and we got to take her home.
Here are her stats at birth:
Name: Julie Erika T. (Julie just because we like the name and Erika is after my grandmother).
Date and Time of birth: February 7, 2009 at 12:05pm
Weight: 8 pounds, 11.4 oz
Length: 51 cm (20 inches)
Head circumference: 33.5 cm
Chest circumference: 34 cm
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Julie Erika is here!
The last week has been a complete whirlwind! I will post a more detailed birth story in the coming days, but here is the readers digest version.
- Friday afternoon around 4pm, started having contractions.
- She was born at 12:05pm on Saturday. So, total labour was 20 hours.
- In the end, she was delivered with the help of a vacuum extractor since she was not making much progress down the birth canal and she was starting to show signs of distress. So, a doctor came and did the assisted delivery, but he said that I did most of the work, he only needed to help a little.
- I did need a small episiotomy, but everything is healing up nicely.
And, I did this all with no drugs of any kind. I think that gives me the right to brag ;)
Details: Julie Erika T., born 12:05pm, weighing 8 lbs, 11.4 oz, 20 inches long. She is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen in my life!!!! Completely love at first sight!
Because she was delivered by vacuum, she has a cranial hematoma on her head, which is nothing to be concerned about, she just looks a little funny. It will go away in 2-3 months, which is a long time to wait!
We were having a bit of a rough start breastfeeding since my milk didn't come in until yesterday. So, she was severaly dehydrated. She had lost almost an entire pound! Luckily, we caught this early. The dehydration in combination with the hematoma caused some severe jaundace and we had to take her back to the hospital on Tuesday evening where she underwent phototherapy. They put her under special lights to clear the jaundace. Apparently jaundace is very common, but her case was quite severe. But, they caught it in time and she is just great now. She went off the lights at 8pm last night and we were able to bing her home around 11am this morning.
I hated having to take her back to the hospital, but at least we had a private room and Carlos and I were able to stay right in the room with her (they brought in 2 cots for us). So, that was amazing... I literally did not leave the room except for a half hour yesterday morning to go to the caf to get some breakfast. Other than that, Carlos went down and brought me food.
It was really scary to have to take her back to the hospital. Especially when I was watching them try to put in an IV, they tried many times and all over her body before they finally got one in. That was too hard for me to watch, so the midwife took me out of the room and calmed me down a bit. But, she is doing great now, so I am VERY relieved.
- Friday afternoon around 4pm, started having contractions.
- She was born at 12:05pm on Saturday. So, total labour was 20 hours.
- In the end, she was delivered with the help of a vacuum extractor since she was not making much progress down the birth canal and she was starting to show signs of distress. So, a doctor came and did the assisted delivery, but he said that I did most of the work, he only needed to help a little.
- I did need a small episiotomy, but everything is healing up nicely.
And, I did this all with no drugs of any kind. I think that gives me the right to brag ;)
Details: Julie Erika T., born 12:05pm, weighing 8 lbs, 11.4 oz, 20 inches long. She is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen in my life!!!! Completely love at first sight!
Because she was delivered by vacuum, she has a cranial hematoma on her head, which is nothing to be concerned about, she just looks a little funny. It will go away in 2-3 months, which is a long time to wait!
We were having a bit of a rough start breastfeeding since my milk didn't come in until yesterday. So, she was severaly dehydrated. She had lost almost an entire pound! Luckily, we caught this early. The dehydration in combination with the hematoma caused some severe jaundace and we had to take her back to the hospital on Tuesday evening where she underwent phototherapy. They put her under special lights to clear the jaundace. Apparently jaundace is very common, but her case was quite severe. But, they caught it in time and she is just great now. She went off the lights at 8pm last night and we were able to bing her home around 11am this morning.
I hated having to take her back to the hospital, but at least we had a private room and Carlos and I were able to stay right in the room with her (they brought in 2 cots for us). So, that was amazing... I literally did not leave the room except for a half hour yesterday morning to go to the caf to get some breakfast. Other than that, Carlos went down and brought me food.
It was really scary to have to take her back to the hospital. Especially when I was watching them try to put in an IV, they tried many times and all over her body before they finally got one in. That was too hard for me to watch, so the midwife took me out of the room and calmed me down a bit. But, she is doing great now, so I am VERY relieved.
Friday, February 06, 2009
Things are starting to happen!
I have a feeling baby will be arriving within the next few days! I have been feeling very "crampy" for the last day or so, which is a sign that labour could start soon. I had an appointment with the midwife this morning, and she checked to see if my cervix has been opening. I am currently 1.5 to 2 cm dilated and about 50 to 75% effaced (thinned out). And baby's head is at -1 station, which means only 1 cm above a certain point in my pelvic bones, so that is a great position to be in just before labour. So, all signs point to going into labour within a few days! Although she couldn't say for sure since some women are dilated for weeks before labour.
So now we just wait. If I don't go into labour on my own over the next several days, here is the plan:
- Monday, 12noon - Non Stress Test at the hospital
- Wednesday - specialized ultrasound at the hospital
- Thursday 8am - induction
It was our choice whether we would want the induction on Thursday or wait until the following week (they don't do them over the weekend and she recommends staying away from Fridays since the OB on call on Fridays doesn't like midwives and doesn't allow them to be as involved). Thursdays the OB that we saw for one of our ultrasounds is on call, and he is much more receptive of midwives, and will still let them be very involved. So, that made the choice easy since we of course would still want our midwives involved! So, induction on Thursday the 12th unless I have the baby before then, which all signs point to that I will have the baby within a few days - exciting!
So, it was a very positive appointment and she seemed very encouraging that it's looking like I will go into labour on my own in the next few days. But, of course, she can't say for sure. But who knows! Very exciting!!!!!!
So now we just wait. If I don't go into labour on my own over the next several days, here is the plan:
- Monday, 12noon - Non Stress Test at the hospital
- Wednesday - specialized ultrasound at the hospital
- Thursday 8am - induction
It was our choice whether we would want the induction on Thursday or wait until the following week (they don't do them over the weekend and she recommends staying away from Fridays since the OB on call on Fridays doesn't like midwives and doesn't allow them to be as involved). Thursdays the OB that we saw for one of our ultrasounds is on call, and he is much more receptive of midwives, and will still let them be very involved. So, that made the choice easy since we of course would still want our midwives involved! So, induction on Thursday the 12th unless I have the baby before then, which all signs point to that I will have the baby within a few days - exciting!
So, it was a very positive appointment and she seemed very encouraging that it's looking like I will go into labour on my own in the next few days. But, of course, she can't say for sure. But who knows! Very exciting!!!!!!
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Special Day Today
Today marks exactly 3 years that Carlos and I have been together. I am so thankful to have him; he really is the best man I could ever ask for.
We were both hoping baby would arrive today since it is a special day for Carlos and I, but no sign of baby yet. I keep telling myself that baby will come when good and ready, so I just have to keep being patient. So, I spend my days relaxing, catching up on some reading, and watching some good daytime TLC (mostly Baby Story these days!). Yesterday, I went out for lunch with mom and Oma and then hung out at my parents house for the afternoon, so that was a nice outing to keep me distracted for awhile.
We were both hoping baby would arrive today since it is a special day for Carlos and I, but no sign of baby yet. I keep telling myself that baby will come when good and ready, so I just have to keep being patient. So, I spend my days relaxing, catching up on some reading, and watching some good daytime TLC (mostly Baby Story these days!). Yesterday, I went out for lunch with mom and Oma and then hung out at my parents house for the afternoon, so that was a nice outing to keep me distracted for awhile.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Due date is finally here
The due date I have been counting down to for months and months has finally arrived! No sign of baby arriving yet though, so it could still be awhile. Could be only a matter of hours before something happens or a couple weeks. I'm trying hard to be patient, but it's difficult. Especially since we have been getting a phone call from my mother-in-law almost every day for the last 2 weeks asking if the baby is here yet. We keep telling her we'll call her when something happens... it's getting quite frustrating that she keeps calling to ask. I just let Carlos field all the phone calls since I think it would just stress me out at this point. I know she's just excited, but it's not like I can do anything to speed this along! We all just have to wait until baby is ready and of course we're going to call her the minute there is any news. Sheesh! I guess I was bound to complain about my mother-in-law eventually ;)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Another good appointment
I just got back from another appointment with the midwife. Everything is good, baby is in a good position, so now it's just a waiting game. We did discuss the protocols for what happens if I go overdue, so it was good to know about that. Of course, I'm hoping this baby comes sooner rather than later! My next appointment is on February 6th, unless I have the baby before then, of course.
Here's a cute picture of Smokey taking a nap yesterday in the bassinette that my aunt and godmother bought when I was a baby - I love how he's using a stuffed bear as a pillow! He thinks all this great stuff we've been bringing home lately is for him. Poor guy doesn't know what's coming!
Here's a cute picture of Smokey taking a nap yesterday in the bassinette that my aunt and godmother bought when I was a baby - I love how he's using a stuffed bear as a pillow! He thinks all this great stuff we've been bringing home lately is for him. Poor guy doesn't know what's coming!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Just waiting... patiently ;)
I've been having some nice, relaxing days at home. Haven't done much in the way of housework, but oh well. I have been keeping up with washing the dishes, so at least that's something. And I did clean out some of the fridge, I just haven't gotten around to cleaning the rest.
Still no sign of baby making the big entrance into the world. Tomorrow is the day my massage therapist predicted I'd give birth, so who knows. I have a feeling it will be next week, not this week. Given how "textbook" this pregnancy has been, I wouldn't be surprised if I give birth close to my due date or a few days after.
I'm trying my best to be patient!
Still no sign of baby making the big entrance into the world. Tomorrow is the day my massage therapist predicted I'd give birth, so who knows. I have a feeling it will be next week, not this week. Given how "textbook" this pregnancy has been, I wouldn't be surprised if I give birth close to my due date or a few days after.
I'm trying my best to be patient!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Another appointment gone well
I just got back from an appointment with the midwife. Everything is going well. Baby's heartbeat is strong at 128 bpm, my blood pressure was still great at 104/78. She did note that the baby's head is quite low in my pelvis, which is has been for about a month now, I think. Which explains why I have to pee every 5 minutes it seems!
Our next appointment is on Thursday the 29th (as long as we don't have the baby before then!).
I can't believe we're only 10 days away from the due date! "They" say that for a first baby, it is most common to give birth 4 or 5 days after your due date, but who knows. It really could happen at any time now. I haven't gotten up in the middle of the night to scrub floors or to do any other crazy cleaning though, which I have heard is a sign that labour is coming. All this waiting and anticipation is quite exciting!
My brother and his fiance left for Florida today. They get back on Feb 1st, so who knows, they may come back and have a new niece or nephew!
Our next appointment is on Thursday the 29th (as long as we don't have the baby before then!).
I can't believe we're only 10 days away from the due date! "They" say that for a first baby, it is most common to give birth 4 or 5 days after your due date, but who knows. It really could happen at any time now. I haven't gotten up in the middle of the night to scrub floors or to do any other crazy cleaning though, which I have heard is a sign that labour is coming. All this waiting and anticipation is quite exciting!
My brother and his fiance left for Florida today. They get back on Feb 1st, so who knows, they may come back and have a new niece or nephew!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Enjoying some lazy days
The last couple of days have been very relaxing. Yesterday, I went into work for a party for one of my coworkers, so that was nice. After that, I came home and had a nap in the afternoon.
This morning, I spent some time with a friend and then had another afternoon nap. I'm heading out in a bit to meet the girls from work for dinner and then we're going to see Paul Blart: Mall Cop, which looks really funny!
I am also happy to report that the carseat is in and we are satisfied with the little amount of movement now. And my hospital bags are packed!
This morning, I spent some time with a friend and then had another afternoon nap. I'm heading out in a bit to meet the girls from work for dinner and then we're going to see Paul Blart: Mall Cop, which looks really funny!
I am also happy to report that the carseat is in and we are satisfied with the little amount of movement now. And my hospital bags are packed!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Well, that's all folks
My last day of work yesterday went quite well. I only had to pass off one task that I didn't have time to get to, so that wasn't bad. I got all the major stuff done that I needed to and cleaned out my office. What a strange feeling. I am really looking forward to the next stage in my life, it was just very surreal to walk out of there for a year. Sure, I'll be back to visit lots, but won't have to go to work for a whole year!
In fact, I am going back to the office on Monday for lunch since it is one of my coworkers 40th birthday and we're giving him a surprise lunch. And then on Tuesday evening, I am going out for dinner and a movie with the girls at work, so on my first 2 days of mat leave, I will be seeing my coworkers, so that's neat.
My wonderful hubby took me out for dinner last night to celebrate this next phase in our lives. Probably one of our last opportunities to go out on a date before we become parents!
And of course, as soon as we got home from dinner, I completed and submitted my application for EI online, so that I can start getting my payments as soon as possible. My employer was able to submit my Record of Employment electronically, so now it's just a matter of waiting for Service Canada to approve my application. Hopefully it won't take too long; probably a couple weeks I would guess.
Tomorrow, we are planning to get some final baby related tasks done. We're going to give the car seat another go. We've talked to some recent parents, and they seemed to be in the same situation as us. The way the bases are installed, they are only belted in close to the back of the vehicle seat using the seat belt, so the whole front edge where the baby's head would be is free to move up and down. I guess they are designed on purpose that way to have some movement in that direction. We can basically take the whole seat and tip it up. As long as it is secure where the belt is fastened, we're good. Hopefully we can get it nice and tight tomorrow. And if we are still unsure, I will take it somewhere next week to have it checked.
My other tasks for the next couple of days is to get the hospital bags packed (one for me, one for baby). I have been slowly gathering things, but I need to make sure everything is in there and it's all ready to go.
Our neighbour was selling a highchair she had used for her granddaughter who has since outgrown it, so we went over this afternoon to have a look at it. Fisher Price, 2 years old, great condition. She paid $120 for it, and will sell it to us for $50. I checked the reviews for this one online and it seems like a great highchair, so we decided to take it. Score! She is going to wash it and bring it over next week.
In fact, I am going back to the office on Monday for lunch since it is one of my coworkers 40th birthday and we're giving him a surprise lunch. And then on Tuesday evening, I am going out for dinner and a movie with the girls at work, so on my first 2 days of mat leave, I will be seeing my coworkers, so that's neat.
My wonderful hubby took me out for dinner last night to celebrate this next phase in our lives. Probably one of our last opportunities to go out on a date before we become parents!
And of course, as soon as we got home from dinner, I completed and submitted my application for EI online, so that I can start getting my payments as soon as possible. My employer was able to submit my Record of Employment electronically, so now it's just a matter of waiting for Service Canada to approve my application. Hopefully it won't take too long; probably a couple weeks I would guess.
Tomorrow, we are planning to get some final baby related tasks done. We're going to give the car seat another go. We've talked to some recent parents, and they seemed to be in the same situation as us. The way the bases are installed, they are only belted in close to the back of the vehicle seat using the seat belt, so the whole front edge where the baby's head would be is free to move up and down. I guess they are designed on purpose that way to have some movement in that direction. We can basically take the whole seat and tip it up. As long as it is secure where the belt is fastened, we're good. Hopefully we can get it nice and tight tomorrow. And if we are still unsure, I will take it somewhere next week to have it checked.
My other tasks for the next couple of days is to get the hospital bags packed (one for me, one for baby). I have been slowly gathering things, but I need to make sure everything is in there and it's all ready to go.
Our neighbour was selling a highchair she had used for her granddaughter who has since outgrown it, so we went over this afternoon to have a look at it. Fisher Price, 2 years old, great condition. She paid $120 for it, and will sell it to us for $50. I checked the reviews for this one online and it seems like a great highchair, so we decided to take it. Score! She is going to wash it and bring it over next week.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
It’s the final countdown…
Only 3 days of work left including today! I really can’t believe it! I know my back will certainly appreciate not having to sit at a desk all day! I hope I have a little time on mat leave before the baby comes, but not too much… about a week or so would be nice ;)
I am in the midst of trying to get all my outstanding tasks completed this week. It’s looking promising that I’ll be able to get it all done, so that’s good. I had a meeting yesterday with a couple co-workers who will be taking over my projects just to give them an update on the current status of each project so there will be a smooth transition. And today I have a meeting with our office administrator to discuss my upcoming leave and make sure I have all the paperwork I need to fill out. Exciting stuff!
Well, I guess I should hop to it since I have a lot to get done in the next 3 days!
I am in the midst of trying to get all my outstanding tasks completed this week. It’s looking promising that I’ll be able to get it all done, so that’s good. I had a meeting yesterday with a couple co-workers who will be taking over my projects just to give them an update on the current status of each project so there will be a smooth transition. And today I have a meeting with our office administrator to discuss my upcoming leave and make sure I have all the paperwork I need to fill out. Exciting stuff!
Well, I guess I should hop to it since I have a lot to get done in the next 3 days!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Land of confusion…
Carlos and I tried to install the infant carseat yesterday… you’d think it would be simple – not so! I read the manual for both the carseat and my vehicle, and it really seemed like it was going to be simple. Well, after an hour, we gave up. It’s in there, it just has way more ‘give’ than it should. We tried it in the middle seat, side seat, with the base, without the base, and all configurations have more movement than you’re supposed to have. I just don’t see how this is supposed to be secure when you only put the seatbelt close to the back of the seat, so the whole front section is free to move about. We have another appointment with the midwife later this morning, so I will ask her if there are any resources in town where we can go for help. And thanks for the suggestion Mrs. JB, we do have a St. Johns Ambulance office in town, so they will be the first place I call for help, unless my midwife has other suggestions.
I can’t believe I’m at 37 weeks now – holy smokes! Baby is officially considered full term now, so baby could be born at any point in the next 5 weeks. I think it is more common for first time moms to deliver close to their due date or after, so it will likely still be at least a couple weeks before baby is born, but it is exciting to know that it could happen anytime now!
And this is my last week of work, so I know I will be busy trying to tie up loose ends before I am on mat leave.
EDIT 12:01pm
The appointment today went well. As usual, baby is right on track and heartbeat is strong. I was negative for Group B Strep, which is great. One less thing to worry about on the big day. As for the carseat dilemma, she suggested a few places to contact. I also remembered that we received some info on carseat safety at the prenatal health fair in town we went to back in September, so I will dig that info out since I'm sure there is a "where to go for help" section. If not, I will make some calls to places in town. Someone will help us I'm sure since we can't be the first set of to-be parents that want to make sure they get this right!
I can’t believe I’m at 37 weeks now – holy smokes! Baby is officially considered full term now, so baby could be born at any point in the next 5 weeks. I think it is more common for first time moms to deliver close to their due date or after, so it will likely still be at least a couple weeks before baby is born, but it is exciting to know that it could happen anytime now!
And this is my last week of work, so I know I will be busy trying to tie up loose ends before I am on mat leave.
EDIT 12:01pm
The appointment today went well. As usual, baby is right on track and heartbeat is strong. I was negative for Group B Strep, which is great. One less thing to worry about on the big day. As for the carseat dilemma, she suggested a few places to contact. I also remembered that we received some info on carseat safety at the prenatal health fair in town we went to back in September, so I will dig that info out since I'm sure there is a "where to go for help" section. If not, I will make some calls to places in town. Someone will help us I'm sure since we can't be the first set of to-be parents that want to make sure they get this right!
Friday, January 09, 2009
How’s this for crazy
On my drive into work this morning, I saw a guy running and he was wearing running shorts and a long-sleeve T-shirt… and it’s -20 with the windchill today! I thought that was absolutely nuts!
The countdown is at 6 days left of work including today. I really can’t wait to be done. This is a big change for me. After working here for almost 5 years, my longest break so far was the 3 weeks I took off surrounding my wedding. Multiply that by 17 and you get to how long my break will be now – 52 weeks. That is assuming I decide to take the full 52 weeks… it’s sort of a wait and see thing. I really won’t know how I feel until I get there, so we’re leaving my “return to work” date open-ended and I’ll see how I feel in the Fall. But, as far as my employer is concerned right now, I am planning to take the full 52 weeks.
I’m wondering how my transition from engineer to full time mommy is going to go… will I miss the intellectual stimulation? I know I will definitely miss the people I work with; they are absolutely wonderful. I don’t think I’ll miss the spending 40 hours a week at my desk though ;) And there is this project that I have been working on since I started this job, I definitely won’t miss that. Although it does feel really strange to pass it off to someone else since it has been my project for almost 5 years. It has caused me lots of frustration and made me want to scream and pull my hair out lately though, so perhaps it’s a good thing it can be someone else’s problem for awhile ;)
I’m really looking forward to seeing nej and lj tomorrow!
The countdown is at 6 days left of work including today. I really can’t wait to be done. This is a big change for me. After working here for almost 5 years, my longest break so far was the 3 weeks I took off surrounding my wedding. Multiply that by 17 and you get to how long my break will be now – 52 weeks. That is assuming I decide to take the full 52 weeks… it’s sort of a wait and see thing. I really won’t know how I feel until I get there, so we’re leaving my “return to work” date open-ended and I’ll see how I feel in the Fall. But, as far as my employer is concerned right now, I am planning to take the full 52 weeks.
I’m wondering how my transition from engineer to full time mommy is going to go… will I miss the intellectual stimulation? I know I will definitely miss the people I work with; they are absolutely wonderful. I don’t think I’ll miss the spending 40 hours a week at my desk though ;) And there is this project that I have been working on since I started this job, I definitely won’t miss that. Although it does feel really strange to pass it off to someone else since it has been my project for almost 5 years. It has caused me lots of frustration and made me want to scream and pull my hair out lately though, so perhaps it’s a good thing it can be someone else’s problem for awhile ;)
I’m really looking forward to seeing nej and lj tomorrow!
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Home visit went well
At the home visit, we basically discussed the difference between early labour and active labour, when to page the midwife, stages of labour, any wishes we have for the labour, hospital stay, etc. They also checked the baby's position, heartbeat, height of the top of the uterus, my blood pressure, etc. and everything is great. I also was tested for Group B Strep, so I should get those results by the end of this week. They test all pregnant women for that late in pregnancy since about 30% of women have that bacteria in their bodies (no harm to mom), but it can be passed to the baby during the birth, which can be harmful to the baby. If it does come back positive, that just means I would need a dose of anti-biotics every 4 hours during the active phase of labour.
So, our next appointment is next Monday as our appointments are now weekly until the baby is born. And as of midnight on Sunday, baby is considered full term (37 weeks). I can’t believe it’s getting so close!!! Although, baby could be born at any point between now and 42 weeks, so it could be as late as mid-February… I hope it will be sooner than that though!
So, our next appointment is next Monday as our appointments are now weekly until the baby is born. And as of midnight on Sunday, baby is considered full term (37 weeks). I can’t believe it’s getting so close!!! Although, baby could be born at any point between now and 42 weeks, so it could be as late as mid-February… I hope it will be sooner than that though!
Monday, January 05, 2009
Happy New Year
Here we are at 2009. I didn't really make any new years resolutions this year, but I am really looking forward to this year since I'm going to be a mommy! So, I'm sure much of my year will be spent looking after baby and watching baby learn and grow.
The rest of my holidays were pretty good. We got quite a bit of de-cluttering done around the house, which was great. Still more to do, but we made a really good dent.
So now it’s back to work. Today is a short day in the office for me though since I am leaving at 10am to go home. We have our midwife coming at 10:45am for our home visit. Since I’ll already be at home, I will work from home for the afternoon, so that will be nice.
I’m at 36 weeks along now, so we’re on the home stretch – literally! Baby is getting so big now that the kicks are getting so strong that sometimes it feels like baby is going to kick its way through my belly! My belly is getting really big now, which is making finding a comfortable position to sleep in difficult. But, only a few weeks to go until we finally get to meet our little one!!!
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