Weeble Garage

We have many people to thank for all the support we’ve received over the past few months. I’m going to attempt to thank everyone in one post.

The biggest thankyou has to go to Jen’s Mum Elisabeth who has done everything she can to help us through our pregnancy and birth. She helped organise our surprise shower, she was here with us when Jen was going into labour, she was with us at the hospital throughout the birth and afterwards. She fetched and carried for us and made us delicious sandwiches. Thank you Grandma!

Elisabeth didn’t organise our shower alone, she had the cunning help of our good friend Cara, who has also helped us in many ways. She’s gone shopping for us, helped us buy Xmas trees and helped us out with hospital visits. Thanks Cara (and Tyler of course).

Throughout the pregnancy, during the delivery and since we’ve had Aidan, we probably would’ve been nervous wrecks if it hadn’t been for the calming affect of the DoulaDudes. Sharon and Sarah have been incredible, teaching us about pregnancy and delivery, helping us through the worrisome delivery and being there whenever we needed someone to call for expert advice. They sooth Jen’s nerves and calm her worries. They potentially saved our baby’s life by the speed with which they responded to the fetal monitor alarm. We recommend them to any future parents. Thank you DoulaDudes!

Next up is Grandpa Richard and Auntie Nina who both cooked up a storm while we were in hospital so we came home to a fridge and freezer full of delicious food. So far we’ve had cookies, flax bread, beef stew, chicken curry and jammy squares. Thanks Richard and Nina!

During the last 3 months of the pregnancy we paid regular visits to the G.A.R.E clinic at LaSalle hospital for checkups. The staff there were amazingly caring and supportive. We especially have to thank our doctor, Dr Lalande and our favourite nurses, Lise, Natalie and Josee.

When we finally got admitted to LaSalle for the delivery, we were again treated incredibly well by the nursing staff. Special thanks go to nurses Sylvie, France, Genevieve, Margolene , Je Lee, Graczena and Suzanne. We also have to thank Dr Fortin and resident Alex for looking after Jen so well in the operating room.

Finally, a big thank you goes out to everyone who has sent us gifts, cards and well wishes; we feel very loved.

P.S. Cara and Tyler just came over with more food for our freezer, so thanks again you guys!

Doctor’s appointment week 40 plus one day:

BP: good
Urine: good
Weeble ready to come out: computer says….noooooooo.
Next appointment: December 7 and will involve an ultrasound to check fluid levels and guesstimate the size of the boy.

Induction may be discussed.

Happy due date to me!

But…nothing, I got nothing.

No signs of the Weeble emerging.

According to one of the internet sites I read I am now in my 10th month. 10th! Bah!

Appointment today:

BP: good
Urine: good
Effacement: 50%
Dilation: none

I don’t think the Weeble is in any hurry to get out. I’m thinking maybe December 4th.

Any other guesses?

Yeah, seriously.

Less than a month to Jen’s due date and the weeble seems to be going stir crazy. Last night he tried to kick Jen’s dinner plate out of her hands. There’s a party in her belly and everyone’s invited!

Jen stops working in less than two weeks, and I stop working when she starts contracting. Sadly I only stop for a month, but Jen gets a whole year off. She deserves it though after carrying around a sack of potatoes for months.

We still don’t have all the stuff we need for routine maintenance of a miniature human so we’ll probably be going on a spending spree in the next couple of weeks, before Jen is completely unable to move.

The baby’s bag is packed. Mummy’s bag is packed. Dad’s sleeping bag is ready. The car is fuelled and the winter tyres are going on next week. The birth plan is done. I think we’re almost ready!

Yesterday I hit the big 35/35. That is 35 weeks with 35 days left to go. This is what I look like. I can’t wait to be able to tie my own shoes again.

35 weeks

As soon-to-be-parents, we have a lot of studying to do. We’ve read many pregnancy books, we’ve been online, we’ve talked to other parents, but we need classes too!

We hired a pair of doulas (I call them the DoulaDudes) to help us on the big day. A doula is not quite a midwife, more of a delivery coach who has lots of experience in the birthing process and can act as our “advocate” when doctors are making decisions around us. The DoulaDudes are giving us private lessons beforehand at their apartment. The first one was all about labour and delivery, complete with a pretend baby and a pretend pelvis. The second one which happens in November will be about childcare, because apparently these things don’t come with instruction manuals.

But wait, there’s more! Our local health clinic also offers a bunch of pre-natal classes very (very) cheaply. So far we’ve attended:

• Birth and Delivery 1
• Birth and Delivery 2
• Childcare - the most informative so far

These are group classes so we are getting to know a few other expectant parents too. We still have “Coping Strategies” and “Breast Feeding” to attend this week and next week.

I have a feeling that however much we read and learn, we will never be fully prepared for what is to come, but the more prepared we are, hopefully the smoother the whole on-the-job learning experience will be.

Yesterday Mark took me to my 32 week appointment. My blood pressure had been up at home for four days in a row, so they did a bit of monitoring and took some blood. My blood pressure was perfect in the hospital, there was no protein in my urine and the blood tests came back fine. In spite of everything being fine, I now have to go every Wednesday morning for more careful monitoring - pleh. Better safe than sorry I guess.

We also had a quick ultrasound to verify that the baby is growing well and to find out approximately how big he is at this point. The doctor was pleased because the Weeble is a good size - he weighs approximately 4 lbs 7 ounces and is on track for being about 8.5 lbs at birth. So, not a tiny baby, but not frighteningly large either.

Jen is currently using five pillows in bed. Two to rest her head on, one to rest her book on, one to put between her knees, and one to put her feet on. The five pillows plus the large bulge caused by the weeble mean that I have about five inches of bed space.

Turning over in bed is a whole new adventure for Jen too. Her muscles don’t seem to work the same way, and that coupled with having to re-adjust five pillows, avoid kicking me and avoid squishing the baby mean that a simple change in position takes several minutes and results in Jen gasping for breath.

Isn’t pregnancy fun?

I didn’t do these right from the beginning, but here’s what was happening between week 26 and week 30. At week 30 it was time to cover up.

26 weeks, 4 days

28 weeks, 3 days

30 weeks, 0 days

On September 13 at 28 weeks and 5 days I had a 3D ultrasound. It was amazing to get a much more realistic peek at the Weeble.

We also learned that the Weeble is slightly obsessed with his hands and feet.

Back at the start of 2005 we started trying for a baby. One day in March, Jen’s fertility chart did the right thing, and she sent me down to the pharmacy for a pregnancy test. When I returned she disappeared into the bathroom for five minutes then emerged holding a white stick, shaking and with a completely bizarre expression on her face. The test was positive.

After taking a couple more home tests, then getting tested by the doctor, Jen still didn’t believe it, but the pregnancy continued. Jen had no symptoms and had to remind herself daily that she was pregnant. She invested in several pregnancy books and devoured them all. I read them too, paying particular attention to the ‘Daddy Tips’.

We nicknamed our unborn child the Weeble.

An amniocentesis told us we were having a boy, and a healthy one in all likelihood. During the second ultrasound we saw evidence of boyness. We started telling family and close friends.

Jen is now six months pregnant, inflating nicely, getting out of breath easily but still generally enjoying the whole pregnancy experience. She’s been feeling the baby kicking for a month or so, and I felt him for the first time about two weeks ago.