Mother's Touch

A THANK YOU TO THE READERS!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia Morgan) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 02:26:00 +0000

Rhys really enjoying his introduction to rice cereal

Tonight I wasn’t feeling great and have just been hanging out in front of the TV or my computer to keep myself occupied… really, I should be in bed because there’s nothing worse than taking care of a baby when you’re ill! Rhys is almost six months old now and he is SO energetic. I find it exhausting to keep him occupied and happy all day long. And now that we’ve started solid foods, I feel like all I do all day is feed him weather it’s solids or breastfeeding. No one really tells you starting solids means doubling up your feeding efforts! I had no idea you had to keep up the same amount of breastfeeding and/or formula.

Anyhow, procrastinating my bedtime and puttering around wasting precious energy, I went to the Mother’s Touch blog to ‘look around’ and discovered all the comments posted to previous posts by the readers – some as far back as July and August! I had no idea the comments were there until tonight! I’ve often wondered “Who reads this blog other than my friends and family?”

The readers’ comments have truly touched me and it makes me feel really warm and fuzzy that I was able to inspire and reach out to other women. (Honestly, I almost cried!!) Thank you for taking the time to read our thoughts and feelings. I wish everyone the best with their babies!!!

Hugs to all,
Ginny

POSTPARTUM STUFF NO ONE TELLS YOU ABOUT

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia Morgan) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 01:31:00 +0000

OK, I started this blog posting about 10 weeks ago when Rhys was 10 weeks old. I can’t believe how time has flown by… below in italics is my original posting with new commentary thereafter:

It’s mommy Ginny again and Rhys is now 10 weeks old. At just over two months, he is 90th percentile in both height and weight growth. He’s grown 9 cm since birth and has gained over five pounds from his discharge weight. He’s already into 3-6 months clothing! Every day, I am amazed at how fast they grow and develop. He’s just started to smile and laugh silently; I can’t wait for the day his giggles make noise. For now, I’ll take the all over body smiles he beams at us when he’s happy.

The Sixth Week Shock… Otherwise known as the postpartum six week following up with your OB… I had a caesarean section so not sure if this applies to women who had natural births. When I was called into the room, they gave me a gown and said I can undress from the bottom down. I looked at the nurse with utter confusion thinking to myself, “WHY? The baby is no longer inside me!” But just a polite “Why?” came out and she said they needed to do a pap test. Inside my head I screamed, “ARE YOU SHI**ING ME!?!!?!?” I thought the six week follow-up was to see how the baby was doing, not how my parts were doing! Well, upon the words “pap test”, without saying a word, my husband immediately turned around and wheeled the baby with him back into the waiting room. Like most women, I hate these tests and even more so, hate being surprised with one.

Then my OB comes into the room with a chirpy, warm “Hi, how are you doing?” her first question after that was “Have you had intercourse yet?” To which I responded a very surprised and disgusted “NO WAY! Are you kidding me!? It was only last week I started touching my incision site!” I can see she tried her hardest not to laugh. Then I wondered, how many women say yes?

So, in the 13 weeks since the traumatic sixth week follow-up, I’ve started to poll other new mommies on how long it took them to have sex again. It took us a very long time and from my point of view, it was more to get it over with than anything (I’m sure my husband has different thoughts on this subject). I’ve heard 3.5 months, 5.5 months, etc, and one of my friends asked me “Do what?” when I asked her “How long did it take you to do it again?” We had a good laugh because obviously ‘doing it’ didn’t even register in her vocabulary anymore. Then I realized, the average for vaginal births is 4 to 6 weeks and c-sections is 6 to 8 weeks. That’s AVERAGE, which means there are women who do it really early after birth to bring the average up! That’s just crazy!

Other stuff no one tells you about… if I listed everything this blog would be pages and pages long. But not wanting to bore everyone to death, I’ll just list a few:

- Babies sleep the most in the first two or three weeks. You feel like hell and like you’re going to die from sleep deprivation but in hindsight, he slept so much and I had so much more free time. The older they get, the less free time you have. I wished I knew that before he was born!

- We’ve just started sleep training Rhys now that he’s 4.5 months and we’ve resorted to the ‘cry it out method’ (the book we’re referencing is Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child). ‘Cry it out’ should be renamed to ‘breaking mommy’s heart’. It’s so difficult to listen to them helplessly cry but we’re really trying to stick to it and hopefully bedtime bliss won’t be too far away.

- Do not put your baby in a light coloured outfit if he hasn’t pooped in over 24 hours! One afternoon after Rhys didn’t poop the day before (he normally poops 5-6 times a day, with two huge morning poops), I had him in an off-white sleeper… well, that sleeper was no longer white by the time he was done! There was poop everywhere! I had it on my pants, on my shirt, it covered his back! I can’t believe so much explosive poop can come out of such a tiny human being!

- Babies go through the teething process months before teeth actually appear! Rhys started having teething symptoms at three months and has been a chewing drooling machine since.

- The first time your baby laughs out loud at a tickle or a kiss or a peek-a-boo or just by looking at him, it completely melts your heart. The first time Rhys laughed out loud when I was kissing his belly brought tears to my eyes.

- Whoever you were as a person before your baby arrived does not matter as much; you are now ‘your baby’s mother’. It’s been a difficult adjustment for me (and I’m still adjusting). I joined a mommy group and it wasn’t until our fifth meeting that we all found out what we did for work before our babies were born.

- Stretch marks don’t necessary show up while you’re pregnant but ‘magically’ appear when you start shrinking back down to your pre-pregnancy size! I thought I escaped stretch marks because I didn’t have any when I was huge and 45 pounds bigger than I started. Then one day, at that point I’d lost about 30 pounds, I noticed it looked like Freddy Krueger attached my butt! Stretch marks galore made an unwelcomed appearance all over my butt and outer thighs! Oh well, they’re my ‘baby trophy’ marks I guess.

Well, I’ve probably bored you all to death by now and I need to do some errands now that Rhys is sleeping (after 1.5 hours of crying tonight!) Life as a mommy has been much more rewarding and fun once we graduated from ‘The first three months’. But babies really are time and energy wasters… who knows how long it will take me to write my next blog posting, if I ever get around to another one!

Rhys and I at a corporate luncheon in
December 2010. He looks like a nerdy economist!

Jack - The First Month

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea Van Wieringen) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:27:00 +0000

Today my son Jack is one month old! How time flies!

The past month has been filled with trials, tribulations, happiness and sleep deprivation.

I’ve learned that going from one kid to two is a MAJOR adjustment. It’s actually pretty insane – perhaps that’s because Grace is still pretty young and requires a lot of attention and supervision. For instance – I could be sitting on the couch breastfeeding Jack and my little Gracie is wandering the house. Anyone with a toddler knows that an unsupervised 21 month old wandering the house = trouble. So poor Jack gets ripped off the boob because his older sister is either stuffing the toilet full of toilet paper, banging away on our computer, or calling some far off country on my cell phone. Lovely.

I’ve also had the pleasure of taking both kids out by myself. This entailed getting both of them out the door and in the car – by myself (key words here being “by myself”). This was not an easy task and caused me extreme stress.

Apart from being a curious little girl, Gracie is in love with her little brother. She asks where he is as soon as she wakes up and wants to hold and kiss him all the time. I am thankful for this. However, she is still adjusting to having to share mommy and daddy’s attention with the new sheriff in town. The frequency of tantrums has definitely increased – to say the least. This could be due to the fact that she is entering the “terrible two” phase but I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s her way of getting attention when she wants it. It seems to be slowly getting better and I pray that it is because dealing with a toddler who has thrown herself on the ground and is screaming is not my cup of tea when I’m running on limited sleep.

Speaking of limited sleep – WOAH!!! I forgot how crappy the sleeping situation actually is with a newborn. Getting up a couple of times in the night to feed a baby is not what I call fun. Like I’ve said before though – I know this phase is only temporary and knowing that is getting me through this.

I’ve just realized that I’ve been a bit of a Debbie Downer myself here (and if you’ve read my previous blogs, you’ll know that I am not a fan of Debbie Downers). So let me get to the good stuff:

Jack is a great baby. Right from day one, he has known that night = sleep. He only wakes up in the night to feed and goes right back to sleep after. He also only cries if he’s hungry. I can’t imagine having a baby with colic, and am thankful that Jack is in the clear.

I am so happy that Jack is finally here. Everyday I am amazed at how much I love my children. Even though Jack is making me a little bit sleep deprived, it really is all worth it. And although two kids is a ton of work, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I am so happy that Grace and Jack have each other – someone to play with, grow up with, and share childhood memories with.

Introducing My Son! He's Here!

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea Van Wieringen) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 17:15:00 +0000

I am proud to introduce to you Jack Eric Van Allen!

My little man is finally here. I am so happy. No more big pregnant belly!

Jack was born at 10:44am on September 28th weighing in at 7lbs 13oz.

Let me start by telling you about my delivery and Sunnybrook experience. So the c-section was scheduled for 8am. Obviously I was WAY too excited to get much sleep the night before. So least to say, I was very tired when the alarm went off at 4:30am. We were told to be there for 6am, so I wanted plenty of time to make sure I had everything for the hospital.

We arrive and are told that my c-section will be delayed. This was because the water broke of the woman who was scheduled to have her c-section after me. I was sooooo disappointed that I had to wait! Seeing that I lack patience you can just imagine how I felt. The nerve of this women going ahead and breaking her water!!! (Obviously I am just kidding….kinda)

Turns out we only had to wait a couple of hours. I strolled into the operating room at around 10am sat on the table and got my spinal tap. Ouch! I don’t remember it hurting that bad before, but I survived. So the c-section starts and when I glance up at the nice scene of clouds, treetops, and blue sky spanning the ceiling, I realize that it actually has a mirror effect because it is so glossy. Say what?!?!? That’s right – I was able to watch the whole surgery via the “mirror” on the ceiling. I’m sure this will be very off-putting for some women, but I was actually quite interested to see what was happening.

I actually watched my Doctor pull little Jack from my belly. How neat is that? I also got to see my uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. When my Doctor was sewing me up, she gave me a little biology lesson: “See Andrea, this is your uterus, these are your fallopian tubes, etc., etc.”

The following two days were spent getting to know our new son at Sunnybrook. The nurses and staff were fantastic; as was the room we were in. We were discharged on September 30th.

So here I am at home again with a tiny newborn. I forgot how much newborn babies sleep! It’s great! I also forgot that extreme tired feeling of waking a baby up every three hours during the night to feed. I know this stage doesn’t last forever, and knowing that is getting me through this period.

My plan is to exclusively breastfeed Jack for at least a few months. This is kinda new to me, because my Daughter was supplemented right from the start because she had lost too much weight in the hospital – this in turn made it very easy for me to throw in the towel on the whole breastfeeding business with her.

It’s amazing how stressful breastfeeding can be at the start. You have no idea how much your baby is getting. I found I was wondering all the time if Jack is getting enough to eat. It really stressed me out – enough to do something about it because I had the can of formula out and ready to go!

My solution was an amazing Breastfeeding Counsellor. She makes home visits, which is what I was looking for. She was so fantastic. She was at my home for almost two hours and really gave me the confidence I need to get this job done! She weighed Jack before and after a feeding and I’ve since learned that he is getting plenty to eat and therefore gained some peace of mind. If anyone out there is in need of such a service, I highly recommend her. Her name is Maria Lameiro and she can be reached at mariacecilia@doulanatur.com or 647-214-1516.

I have so much more to tell you about – i.e. how my little Gracie is adjusting to being a big sister, which is another whole blog in itself. So I will save that for the next entry. In the meantime, I’ve included a great photo that shows the amazement on Gracie’s face of this tiny human known as her little brother Jack.

Ginny's first month as a mommy…

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia Morgan) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 22:10:00 +0000

Rhys turned one month old on October 3rd … how time flies! On one hand, the past month has been excruciatingly long and painful due to lack of sleep and exhaustion. On the other hand, I can’t believe a month has already passed and I’m already 1/12th of the way through my maternity leave.

I now have new admiration for the billions of women who have had children, especially those who have had twins (or more!) and the single mothers of this world. My experiences are not unique or new to motherhood but they are new and unique to my life… here are a few notables ones.

In awe of the female anatomy… In the past month, I have weighed (in pounds) in the 150’s, 140’s, 130’s and finally broke through the 120’s. I never appreciated the wonders of a women’s body and the changes it goes through before and after childbirth until I experienced it. The 40 pound I gained over nine months was gradual and less noticeable, it just kind of creeps up on you. However, I’m finding the rate of recovery to my original size amazing. Hands down, breastfeeding is the greatest weight loss program ever! I have not yet started exercising and am trying to eat as healthy and balanced as possible. I still have another 15 pounds to lose… probably the most difficult 15 of the 40!

The Twin Geysers… as mentioned in previous blogs, my boobs grew from an A/B cup to a D cup while I was pregnant… now that my milk has come in and I am breastfeeding a ferocious eater around the clock, they clock in at an E cup! I cannot believe how huge they are and as my body sheds the pregnancy weight, they look ridiculous! My husband doesn’t find them attractive at all and I don’t blame him… my previously tiny perky cute breasts have become these huge veiny milk sacs that leak all over the place! And I don’t mean dribble, dribble leaking; I’m talking full on spraying my baby in the face with breast milk as I try to get him to latch! I fear the day I stop breastfeeding and they start to shrink back down to their original size… they’re going to look so ugly!

To cut or not to cut?… my husband and I did not find out the sex of our baby before he was born but we debated the circumcision decision in preparation of having a boy. Then arrived our adorable son… and the 14 day window to decide to circumcise or not. We had asked close male relatives and friends what they’ve done/would do, and minus religious and medical reasons, the universal answer was “because my dad is/isn’t”. Well, my husband is circumcised so we decided to go ahead with the procedure because neither one of us are familiar with caring for or cleaning foreskin. …it was a horribly emotional experience FOR ME! I was so upset I was putting my five day old baby through such pain for aesthetics. I was on the brink of tears while talking to the doctor beforehand, cried in the waiting room, and it took every ounce of me to keep my tears at bay afterwards while listening how to care for “the site” over the following week. However, he didn’t seem to really notice or be any crankier, it healed within five days and overall I think the process ‘hurt’ me more than it hurt him. Now he has a perfect little circumcised baby penis and no memory of the ordeal.

September 17 - my sleeping beauty

The many facets of Rhys… It is namazing how different my baby looks to me depending on my mood… or his mood! There’s the purple-faced monster that cries at the top of his lungs like someone is torturing him when he is hungry, unhappy or being changed, the cuddly playful monkey who’s in a quiet alert once or twice a day taking in everything around him, and the cutest and most loving baby in the world no matter what he’s doing when I’m well rested and not in C Section recovery pain. Then there’s the little monster that’s not so cute no matter what he does when I’m feeling overwhelmed with exhaustion and sleep deprivation. I feel horrible admitting this but I’m sure I’m not alone.

Adjusting to motherhood… The very first full day I was left alone with Rhys he was 26 days old and I cried, more than once. I found it overwhelming and emotional to be left alone for 12 hours, to have no one to hand the baby off so I can shower or eat or just have a little break. Rhys seemed extra fussy and clingy that day and he wouldn’t let me put him down. Each time I tried he would cry frantically. That day, I gained new appreciation for the support of family members and a new respect for single mothers who do this alone all day, every day.

It has taken me two days to compile this posting, it takes twice as long to type when you’re holding a baby in one arm or only have minutes between fussy times. I now realize time is no longer mine, Rhys’ time has become my time… only for now at least, I hope! I now also understand why parents are always late, it’s their babies schedules not theirs! There always seems to be a full poopy diaper or a hungry baby minutes before you want to leave.

I am still in my four to six week C Section recovery period but am feeling better each day. Every time I see my scar, I cannot believe the tiny little human I am holding was pulled out of there. The miracle of life is truly an amazing experience, but one I’m not sure I want to repeat ever again…

The Time Has Come!

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea Van Wieringen) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 17:35:00 +0000

Well here I am on the eve of the birth of my second child.

Tomorrow is the big day. C-section is scheduled for 8am tomorrow morning. We have to be at Sunnybrook at 6am. It’s so early, but really – do I expect to sleep tonight?? No! Insomnia has already kicked in full force. Last night I woke up at 2:30am for one of many washroom trips and found I couldn’t fall back to sleep because of the anticipation of tomorrow. So there I was doing laundry and reading way before the crack of dawn this morning.

I think I have everything ready to go. Bassinet is out and waiting for that warm little body, all the tiny little clothes are washed, and I’ve boiled all bottles, nipples, pacifiers, etc. that I may have to use.

My little Gracie is now at her Grandparents awaiting the arrival of her little brother. She’s 21 months old now and I don’t think she has a clue what is about to happen. I am so excited for her to meet her brother. I’m actually just as excited for that moment as I am about the birth.

Knowing that I’ll finally meet my new little man in a matter of hours is truly overwhelming. This is way better than that feeling you get on Christmas Eve as a kid. I’ve already gotten a sneak peek of his little face at my 35 week ultrasound and I’ve included the photo here for you. Looks like he’s going to have some chubby cheeks and a lot of hair. I’m sure those cheeks are a result of my pecan tart cravings – which never subsided!

Well – I’ll end this posting here because I am too scatter-brained right now to keep going…..and I can’t stop thinking of ice cream so I need to go get some!

Thank you for sharing this journey with me and reading my posts. I look forward to updating you on the birth of my little boy….very soon!

Welcoming Rhys Sebastian Minh Morgan

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia Morgan) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 01:01:00 +0000

Day 4

Well folks, I didn’t make it to my due date of September 19th nor did I make it to the new Sunnybrook facility. I had a caesarean section on Friday, September 3rd at Women’s College Hospital and Rhys Sebastian Minh Morgan was born at 6:06 pm weighing in at a hefty 8 pounds 8 ounces. Unfortunately I was also unable to attend the Sunnybrook grand opening on Sept 2nd – which I was really looking forward to and told all my family and friends about!

A few notables since September 3rd 6:06 pm…

Day 5

My PUPPs rash did not go away with delivery! The only cure for PUPPs is supposed to be delivery but as my unfortunate luck would have it, it didn’t go away and has gotten worse! I am at my wits end with this all over body rash. I am allowing myself the pleasure of scratching because I’m also in recovery pain… seriously, how much should a girl suffer? However, it now looks like I’ve been beaten up because the scratching has caused bruising in areas. Perhaps I’m ultra sensitive to bruising due to the surgery, being in a postpartum period or just plain crappy bad luck? Whatever it is, it sucks! For those of you who are also suffering from this terrible medical mystery, I have found at Kiehl’s a Centella Recovery Skin-Slave that really helps… warning, not cheap (because I slather it on all day) at $59 for a 75 ml tube, but right now I’d pay gold coins for anything that will make this rash go away! My GP said it’s probably just my hormones screaming through my skin and it should hopefully go away in two to four weeks…. Two to four weeks too long in my books!

Day 6

Another thing the books don’t tell you… how much the afterpain contractions hurt if you’ve had a C Section without going into natural labour. I felt like such a wimp for two days when the afterpain contractions hurt so bad I would whine or make heavy breathing noises. Compared to natural labour contractions, I’m sure they’re nothing but I had nothing to compare them too and didn’t enjoy them much at all.

It has taken me two days to write this short little post… I am so confused in this sleepless daze as to where the time goes? I have planned in my head a blog entry entitled “My first week as a mommy” but it’s just finding time to write it that I’m struggling with. It’s amazing how great a two hours stretch of sleep feels since Rhys’ arrival. I never knew I could survive on such little sleep until now…

Is it Sunnybrook's New Maternity Ward or a 5-Star Hotel?

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea Van Wieringen) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:02:00 +0000

Hi Everyone – Andrea here once again!

Here I am enjoying my first official week of maternity leave! It’s finally here! This change of events is actually bittersweet – It’s great because I no longer have to get up every morning, perform my daily morning routine, and haul my a$% to work. Rather, I can wake up, saunter around, and wear the same clothes as I did yesterday without anyone noticing (a repeat offender as some like to call it). Sweet.

On the other hand – this maternity leave business shocks me into the reality that my baby will be here in a little less than three weeks! Say what??? You mean nine months have basically come and gone?!?! I have so much left to do! I have to clean the house like a mad women, wash all the babies clothes, etc., etc….this is what they call the nesting phase isn’t it? So let me put on yesterday’s clothes and start organizing this place – I hardly have any time left!

Ok – now that I’ve gotten that off my chest (my VERY large chest I might add), I can get to my point of this blog entry – the new maternity facility opening up this Sunday (September 12th) at Sunnybrook.

I was honored with the privilege of viewing this amazing facility on September 2nd at the welcome ceremony for the Women & Babies program at the Bayview Campus. Not only that – I was able to share in the ribbon cutting of the new facility with Deb Matthews, Minister of Health & Long Term Care and Kathleen Wynne, MPP of Don Valley West. Truly – what an honor!

If I could sum up the new facility in one word it would be – Amazing!

Upon first entering the maternity ward, I immediately notice the spaciousness and all of the natural light that flows in through the windows. The walls are painted calming colours, while all of the furniture is welcoming and comfortable.

The triage room (where you go when first in labour to check in) is fantastic. There are separate little rooms (unlike Women’s College where the beds are separated only by a curtain) and lots of space. There is also a dimly lit room for reading/relaxing that has a working fireplace (not real – but very cool) adorning the wall. If I went into labour (which lucky for me, my scheduled c-section will hopefully rule that out) this is the place I would want to be….and I probably wouldn’t want to leave.

But wait – it gets better. The private rooms (and I think they are all mostly private) are unbelievable! They are huge!!!!! I really can’t even tell you how big they are! These rooms are nicely decorated and feature flat screen televisions, a wall of huge windows, and a massive washroom – some of which feature Jacuzzi tubs -meant for labouring and water birth.

Upon seeing these rooms, my husband thought he had checked into a five-star hotel….I think he was on the verge of ordering room service. He really believes that while we’re in the hospital after the birth, he is going to sit back, put his feet up, and turn on the flat screen after soaking in the Jacuzzi tub. (Please. Who does he think is going to be changing the diapers?)

I was also very anxious to see the operating rooms because I know I’ll be there in just a few weeks. When I laid eyes on one of them I was truly blown away. There is a bright scene spanning the ceiling that depicts a blue sky, white clouds, and treetops (See photo below). This is what I’ll be looking at while my c-section is taking place. How amazing is that???

I briefly saw the NICU and was very impressed. I only hope that I won’t have to see that NICU for this birth. However, if such care is needed; Sunnybrook is definitely the place I want to be.

Seeing the new facility at Sunnybrook really makes me excited to have this baby. I think that the environment in which you give birth is so important to the whole birth experience. The new maternity ward at Sunnybrook promises a positive experience in terms of facility, and the great staff there is just going to top it off.

So other than that exciting news, I really don’t have much to report in terms of my pregnancy. I’m in week 36 now and my belly is massive. My back and hip pains have miraculously subsided though so that is great. However, I am still plagued with severe heartburn…but if that’s all I’ve got to complain about, I’m not doing too bad.

A Husband's Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea Van Wieringen) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:28:00 +0000

Hi Everyone…..Andrea here.

I am officially in the home stretch I guess. I can now see the light at the end of this pregnancy tunnel. Here I am in week 35 and absolutely shocked that I will meet my baby boy in only a matter of weeks. I cannot wait. Who is this little person that keeps me up at night with his kicks and stretches? Will he have a lot of hair? Will he look like his Daddy? Will he cry a lot? How much will he weigh? Finally – I will have answers to all these things that every soon-to-be parent wonders about.

So I was going to write about my complaints with this pregnancy and how I can’t wait for this kid to come out already. However, after reading how Ginny has PUPPP’s, I think I’m going to keep my mouth shut, because really….my sore back and hips do not compare to an extremely itchy rash on my body. I consider myself lucky that I’ve gotten off so easy.

On that note, I had to think long and hard about an interesting topic to write about. It dawned on me while sitting beside my husband Chris, that maybe getting “a husband’s perspective” on this whole knocked-up business could be enlightening for the blog readers…and also for myself. So I whipped out the pen and paper and began to “interview” my husband on pregnancy. So without further adieu, here is what he has to say on the matter:

A Husband’s Perspective

Q: How does it feel to be on the brink of having your second child?

A: I am totally excited. Can hardly wait. It’ll be fun to have a baby around again. From our first experience, there are a lot of things and moments we’ll know to capitalize on and really cherish because we now know how fast they grow up.

Q: Do you ever wish you could be the one that’s pregnant and get to experience childbirth?

A: No. It’s just not in a man’s mindset to do that. But I do wonder how you feel having a little miniature human floating around in your belly. (Note from Andrea: “Floating around in your belly”….hahahahaha…..only a man would say that…the last time I checked, a belly and uterus were two different body parts…no? Bless his heart).

Q: Is it strange seeing me with a big belly?

A: I get a totally different perspective of what a woman is and what she’s capable of doing. I realize how truly difficult being pregnant can be and at the same time how amazing it is. I hear you complain a lot about the hardships like a sore back and then I hear you talk about the great things in the same breath like the baby moving, the baby being able to hear my voice, etc.

Q: Do you find me attractive with a big belly?

A: Yes I do. I am just as attracted to you physically and emotionally. (Note from Andrea: I wonder if he would have the same answer if a non-biased third party was asking the question and not his very pregnant wife? Good answer Chris. You are a smart man.)

Q: What things have you enjoyed so far about our pregnancies?

A:

1. When you told me you were pregnant
2. Finding out the gender of our children early on in the pregnancy
3. Watching you change from my girlfriend, to my wife, and ultimately a mother
4. Watching you take an active interest in being pregnant. I admire the way you research and read about it.

Q: What things have you not enjoyed about our pregnancies?

A:

1. You hogging the bathroom and the bed
2. You wearing my underwear (Note from Andrea on this: Yes, it’s true, I wear his boxer shorts as pj’s sometimes because they are so comfy. Don't worry - I only wear the clean ones).
3. Your unpredictable mix of emotions.

Q: What is it like watching the birth of your baby?

A: Out of the top five things you’ll ever experience in life, it’s got to be #1. It’s the most emotional, most endearing, most human experience you’ll ever witness.

Q: What’s the hardest thing about having a newborn baby?

A: Realizing the daunting responsibility that you now own. You don’t know what responsibility is until you have a child.

Q: What is your take on driving a mini-van?

A: Why do they have to make them so ugly? I’d rather drive my parent’s 1972 station wagon that had wood paneling and chrome bumpers.

Q: What advice can you give first time Dad’s-to-be?

A: You can either be right or you can be happy when it comes to the heated and emotional debates you are guaranteed to have. Choose the later. (Note from Andrea: Please. Mother’s know best. That’s the way it’s always been. We can’t help that we’re right all of the time.)

So there you have it. That is what my husband Chris has to say. My plan now is teach him the difference between a belly and a uterus and their respective purposes.

So my last day of work is this Thursday! Yay! I’ll have three glorious weeks to relax before my son makes his debut. Don’t get me wrong – I actually have a long list of things I need to get done before September 28th (the big day), but it’ll be nice not working, you know?

On any note, I am so excited to finally get to meet my son. A new person to love. What beats that?

I’ll leave you with this great quote I came across:

“Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” – Elizabeth Stone

Ginny’s itching to give birth…

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia Morgan) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:07:00 +0000

Literally, I am itching to give birth, specifically between 12 midnight and 6 am each night. What I thought was a heat rash on my belly and thighs is actually a rare pregnancy related rash called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy, or better known as PUPP. Unfortunately the only cure for this terrible prenatal rash is birth. The itching and formation of new itch bumps occur mostly at night and I have been sleep deprived due to the itching and scratching. At 37 weeks, birth can’t come soon enough for me!

PUPP usually happens to 1 in 150 to 250 women during their first pregnancies, appearing in the third trimester around the 35 week mark (mine appeared at 32 weeks). It starts off on the belly and can spread to the hands and feet. They say most women who get PUPPs give birth to boys (I’ll have to wait to see if I fit this statistic as well). Those who suffer from severe cases are sometimes induced to provide relief from the rash. The itch has been compared to chicken pox or poison ivy. Scratching from one area to another also spreads the rash, so I am always washing my hands after applying cream or a scratch attack.

My PUPPs has spread to my hands, feet, back, butt, legs and arms. My husband no longer cuddles me because having him touch me aggravates the itch (unless it’s to help me put on cream in places I can’t see or reach anymore). I was taking Benadryl to help me sleep at night and to reduce the itch but it wasn’t working well. My OB has since subscribed me sleeping pills and so far I’ve gotten five hours of solid sleep without waking up to scratch. Baking soda cold baths and ice packs temporarily soothe the itch. I have a steroid topical cream and a soothing moisturizing methanol cream (both by prescription) but the relief is only temporary (I’m talking 10-15 minutes temporary!)

I am not a morning person, nor am I a person that can survive happily with limited sleep. Having a baby and being awake at all hours was a concern for me. I feel like this rash that keeps me sleep deprived is nature’s evil way of helping me adjust to life with baby. I felt like an itchy zombie most days when I only got 45 minutes of sleep between itch attacks.

Also, on Wednesday, Aug 11 my OB had put me on medical leave effective Monday, Aug 16, which gave me 2.5 days to finish up loose ends at work. This was two weeks earlier than my intended last day of Aug 31. The combination of elevated stress, sleep deprivation, severe carpal tunnel, PUPP rash, and hemmies was enough for her to decide I need to stay home and relax. I’ve worked all my life and have been busy with work, outings, hobbies, etc. The thought of staying home to relax almost stressed me out! It took days of adjustment and I find myself bored silly most days. I can’t cook or bake because I can no longer reach and I can’t sew or make jewellery because of my carpal tunnel. So far I have watched five Harry Potter movies and a lot of mindless television. The less I have to do the less I get done, or the less motivation I have to do anything.

So add together all the issues I’ve had with this pregnancy plus the boredom and sense of cabin fever… I am SO ready for this baby to make its debut! Even just so that I’ll have someone to hang out with during the days! My alternative title for this blog posting was “Pregnancy sucks!”

…only 3.5 weeks more to go… must keep positive…

The Woes of Pregnancy and other Facts

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea Van Wieringen) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:27:00 +0000

Hi there….It’s me – Big Mama. Oops! I mean Andrea. My husband now refers to me as Big Mama all of the time, so I guess I’m starting to believe that is my actual name. It’s pretty believable actually once you get a look at me.

I’m now in my 33rd week and feeling pretty large. I’m also feeling like this pregnancy is starting to get the better of me. Things have gone a bit downhill in the last three weeks.

Gone are the days when I can walk around and climb stairs pain-free. Instead, I now have severe lower back and hip pain. I have a pretty high threshold for pain, so I know it’s bad when I actually feel like crying because the pain is so intense.

Moreover, I am the lucky recipient of melasma, otherwise known as “the mask of pregnancy”. The skin on my forward and cheeks have become very riddled with dark brown spots and blotches (I totally sound hot huh?). This skin condition has also been compared to resembling a raccoon. Nice eh? Thankfully I have a tan that hides this hideousness (at least a little bit); however, I’m a little worried what I’m going to look like once this tan fades. Apparently, “the mask” can fade a few months after birth….let’s just hope that it does, because I don’t think I’ll be cool with looking like a raccoon for the rest of my life. On the bright side, I can dress little Gracie up as a raccoon for Halloween this year and we’ll have matching costumes – how cute would that be??

So I’m happy to report that all of the hot weather we’ve been having hasn’t really been bothering me. I’m sure it helped that I was fortunate enough to be up north in cottage country on our recent vacation. Whenever the heat was too much, I just jumped in the lake. However, doing this made me realize that I’ve been lied to. Have you ever heard that women are more buoyant when pregnant? I’ve heard that a lot! Well let me tell you right now that it’s a total myth. It took all the energy I had to keep my head above water – I was an anchor sinking to the bottom! Needless to say, the good ol’ “pool noodle” came in very handy. The only difference though is that I had to jam six noodles under me to stay afloat rather than the usual two. I am dreading my next “weigh-in” at the doctor’s office.

Not only did I learn that pregnant women do not float, but I also learned that I am not the prettiest sight in a bikini. Firstly, my huge guns hardly fit into my XL size bikini top and my belly is starting to drop so low that it pulls down my bikini bottoms. Luckily, our neighbours are far enough away that my r-rated bathing suit probably didn’t offend them too much. I opted to purchase a larger size regular bikini over a maternity bathing suit because quite frankly, the maternity bathing suits I have seen are absolutely hideous – especially when you consider the cheapest one I have seen is $80.

So now that the end of this pregnancy is finally in sight, I am mentally preparing myself for the “baby blues”. Going into my first pregnancy, I had no idea what this was…because it was never mentioned to me. Eighty percent of women experience this after giving birth apparently. It’s caused by a drastic shift in hormonal levels and I think I could have coped a little bit better if only I had known what was happening to me. On that note, let me shed some light on this “baby blues” business for all soon-to-be first time mothers. Here’s what you can expect if you get the “baby blues”, and you probably will to some degree:

Two to three days after giving birth you will cry uncontrollably. The crying fits will likely happen multiple times throughout the day and last a couple of days. There will be absolutely no reason why you are crying – you just will. This in turn will make you think you’re going crazy, and your husband will likely start to wonder too…but rest assured, this is normal…it’s just the good ol’ baby blues. It’s so confusing when this is happening because you expect to be floating on a cloud of happiness after welcoming your first born into the world. This “baby blues” business will only last a few days. I think it’s when it gets to be weeks and months that post-partum depression becomes a concern so stay on the look-out for that.

Well folks…I just visited a farmers market and have a pecan tart waiting for me. This is very important business that I must attend to. Please note that this will be the second pecan tart for me today…but it’s very easy to justify eating two of these tarts because I’m not a selfish person, and the baby should have a tart too right? Of course he should.

Pregnancy is SO unsexy….

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia Morgan) — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 01:50:00 +0000

Hi it’s Ginny again… So the purpose of this blog is for us to share our real life experiences right? Well, here goes some very real but personal details I’ve been experiencing lately. I’m now 33 weeks into my pregnancy and 40 pounds heavier! Before I got pregnant, I used to think it must be so sexy and womanly to carry a baby…. Yeah perhaps during months five and six in the second trimester, before and after that are just hellish. Anyhow, even if I make one person laugh or one pregnant person appreciate this sharing, it’ll be worth the embarrassment. But then a girlfriend recently said, ‘funny how nothing's embarrassing anymore once you've been through pregnancy and child birth.’

The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man…

I didn’t think it was possible but I have swelled even further since my last posting. One morning this week I woke up with my hands and feet so fat I couldn’t make a fist. It was painful and I now have carpal tunnel in both hands and my feet hardly fit into my rubber flip flops. I feel like I look like the Marshmallow Man from GhostBusters! Soaking your feet in cold water and ice packs really do help.

Grooming, or lack thereof…

So as with most pregnant women, I haven’t seen my bits in weeks or months! It’s very hard to groom it when you can’t see it! My husband thinks it’s funny and doesn’t help me when I ask, so I have to beg and nag. The last time I went for a bikini wax, which was way back during week 20, I ended on the aestheticians table in fetal position practically begging her to stop. She kept saying, ‘but I’m not done and you’re lopsided!’, I said I didn’t care it hurt WAY too much to continue. I was actually in tears, and I wasn’t doing anything crazy like a Brazilian, just a normal bikini cleanup. With the increased blood flow to the region due to pregnancy, waxing is SO much more painful and bleedy. Yuck.

Carrying low…

Since week mid-twenties… can’t recall exactly which week… I have been carrying quite low. So low that I can no longer close my legs when I sit down, which wasn't such a good thing since all my skirts were knee length. My purse or laptop bag was always strategically placed between my legs on the subway. I had to go find some maxi dresses (aka more stylish moo-moo’s) in a hurry! But that’s not the bad part… a rash has developed where my thighs and belly rub together when I sit. I know, nice hey? It’s probably a combination of this heat and humidity, the chafing my skin is not used to and the non-breathable material a couple of my dresses are made of. So add to the cellulite a nice rash and you’re feeling sexy. But wait, that’s not all…

This is the real icing on the cake…

Hemmies…

Hemmies is an endearing name I’ve made up this week for something really gross and embarrassing that I kept reading about in the prenatal books, usually associated with constipation which I have not suffered from (probably the ONLY pregnancy symptom I’ve escaped!). So how I found out about my hemmy… it’s been SO hot in Toronto I sleep naked, which most people do anyways. Except two nights ago I was moving around on the bed and my husband said, “What’s that hanging out of your ass?” I laughed and figured he was joking. He said he wasn’t kidding and there was really something sticking out. I still didn’t believe him. I didn’t feel anything strange or unusual and figured he was just trying to freak me out. He went and got a big mirror so I can see my own behind and I screamed, “OMG! IT'S A HEMMY!!!!” …a hemorrhoid! Yup there it was - a small, pink round thing sticking out of my butt hole! I had no idea it was there, it didn’t bother me and I didn’t feel it. A buddy of ours recently told us how he got hemorrhoids doing some heavy lifting but he felt a “pop” and wondered what happened. He was also in pain and found it very uncomfortable to sit. I didn’t experience a pop, nor do I have pain or discomfort but just knowing it’s there makes me feel icky. The baby books said you can get them from increased pressure from the baby, and with my baby so low, that’s probably how I got it. (I attempted to find an appropriate image for this section but no go! It was gross what Google Images came up with and I’m not prepared to post that part of my anatomy!)

So fat swollen extremities, cellulite brought on by pregnancy, chafing heat rashes, and hemmies… yeah, I totally feel like a smoking sexy beast right now! Someone shoot me next time I think of having a baby over the summer months!

Oh yeah, and two other lovely prenatal words to leave you with… perennial massage. This topic does not appear in the baby books until month eight or nine and is highly recommend for first time pregnancies to prevent tearing during birth. (For those who have no clue, it’s done ‘from the inside out’). It is also recommended your partner help you… well duh!, a partner is mandatory because you can’t reach the required parts anymore unless you’re built like an orangutan with super long arms! Anyhow, it was weird, awkward and absolutely nothing sexy about it. I internet researched it the day after and so many other women said they either couldn’t reach themselves, it wasn’t worth it or totally strange no matter how open minded you are. Another non-sexy item no one tells you about to add to the growing list as I close in on my due date of September 19th.

Third Trimester Trials...

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia Morgan) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:55:00 +0000

Hi everyone, it’s Ginny. I can’t believe it’s been 1.5 months since I last blogged. Time is flying by faster than I want it to! I’m now in my 32nd week… that’s less than 8 more weeks of freedom!

Shortly after my last blog, I was really into reading Harry Potter #6 and #7. It was a goal of mine to finish all the Harry Potter books before the baby comes but I got so into them, I did little else. I even stayed up way later than I should have on weekdays to read, only to suffer the next day while at work. Now I’m in Harry Potter withdrawal. I can’t wait to read the books to my kid when they get older.

A few weeks ago, in my second trimester, I was feeling great. I was doing so much and working long hours again. I managed to finish a classic Winnie the Pooh quilt/play mat for our baby to be. I was working, cooking, cleaning, reading, crafting… life was great and going by very quickly. I lost track of time and what week or trimester I was in.

This is the front of the quilt. The back of the quilt is all Winnie the Pooh fabric you see running across the front in bands. I hope baby will love it!

Then suddenly out of nowhere, I was hit with this incredible exhaustion one night. I thought it was the gross Toronto heat and humidity that was wearing me out. (I’m originally from Vancouver where humidity is non-existent!) I swear, the first day it was 40+ degrees I swelled like a balloon! I figured I’d sleep it off and get back to my busy life again.

Day after day I patiently waited for the exhaustion to lift trying to sleep it off. A few days in, I realized it wasn’t going away. I was now in my third trimester and the third trimester tiredness must have hit. I read about it in my baby books figuring it’d come on gradually and that I’d be able to ‘fit it into my life’. NOPE, it hit me like a tonne of bricks. Sucks because there’s so much I still want to do before the baby arrives.

To make matters worse, as of the past two weeks, I can’t sleep at night. I either lie awake thinking of all the stuff I want to get done or I’m up every freaking hour to go pee! People and books say it’s my body getting me ready for the baby’s arrival and all the sleepless nights ahead of me. HELLO!? Isn’t this the time I should be storing up on sleep?!? Shouldn’t nature allow you to store up your sleep a-la-hibernation-style BEFORE those sleepless nights arrive? It’s really not fair.

Speaking of books, let’s talk about all the pregnancy symptoms we all suffer that books just don’t tell you about in detail. I have both of the more popular excepting tomb-of-a-book and both have only dedicated one paragraph (if that!) on prenatal gas! Yup, farting. I have polled other expecting mothers and all have agreed pregnancy makes you fart a lot but no one ever talks about it! These books don’t do justice to this on this potentially humiliating, uncomfortable, but very natural subject. Some nights I think it’s a good thing I don’t have the energy to go out because my gas is so bad I wouldn’t want to go out anyways! So far, no expecting women or mother has disagreed with me when asked.

And as Andrea mentioned… the middle of the night leg cramps! Holy cow, painful! I would wake up in the middle of the night screaming. The books don’t tell you how bad it is! I told my husband it’s like someone jabbing you with a knife in the calf while you’re sleeping! I would have lined the whole bed with soap had I known! Thank goodness, they’ve gone away in my third trimester, good riddance!

What I am starting to appreciate and somewhat enjoying about my third trimester is playing with the baby in my belly. My baby positioned itself head down about a month ago and has stayed there since (below I further describe that weird experience). I now often see little knees and feet rolling around or jetting out of my belly, top right corner. I either grab them or push them back in. I said 'somewhat enjoying' because sometimes it hurts like hell when it kicks into my ribs or stretches its arms straight down! It’s kind of creepy but also amazing to think there’s a tiny little human inside of me. A good friend just told me that someone told her ‘a child will never love their mother the way a mother loves the child’. She also told me to enjoy and appreciate having the baby inside of me because one day I will miss it.

So about a month ago my baby readjusted itself from lying left to right to head down. My tummy was really hard and cramped all day and evening. I woke up the next morning and realized I had more elbow room! I went from wide to narrow and I looked skinner from behind as well. Then I turned to the side in the mirror and my belly looked huge sticking out in front of me.

The best pregnancy tip I could give someone would be to go for prenatal RMT massages. Find someone that specializes in prenatal care and you’ll be in bliss! I go to Cindy McNeely on Dupont between Spadina and Bathurst and she’s amazing. I would highly recommend it for every expectant mom. I often threaten to steal her RMT pillows and wedges because they fully support you, it’s so comfortable and relaxing. I still haven’t been able to duplicate the same comfort and support at home with normal pillows. Coming towards the end of my prenatal massage sessions makes me sad!

Well, with less than eight weeks left I know I definitely won’t be missing the back ache, the sweating and overheating, the tiredness (but I guess different tiredness comes on), the headaches and the feeling of heaviness with every step I take on my swollen and sore feet and ankles (which I often refer to as elephant feet). I told my husband, if I can help it, this is the last baby I carry through the summer! Next time, it'll be a spring or winter baby when all this extra body heat will help keep me warm vs. make me suffer! I'm SO done being pregnant but at the same time trying to savour the last few remaining weeks. It's such a love-hate experience, its amazing millions and millions of women keep putting themselves through it over and over again...

Tarts, Wonder Soap, and Minivans

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea Van Wieringen) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:33:00 +0000

Hi Everyone….Andrea here.

Well I am now in my 28th week of pregnancy. I am still feeling pretty good. Although, I’ve recently started feeling like my belly is starting to get on the big side (lets not even talk about my boobs!). Walking up long flights of stairs is now a little taxing, shaving my legs is harder than it used to be, and getting in and out of the car is a little more difficult….you get the drift.
So I had an appointment with my OB in the fourth week of June. Like every appointment, I stand on the scale as soon as I get there and tell the secretary my new weight.

Well, this particular time, the secretary didn’t seem to believe me when I told her what I currently weighed. She asked me “Are you sure?” In my head I was thinking “Weird. I must have lost weight. Why would she be in such disbelief?” I look at the scale again and proudly say “Yes, I am sure….Why?” She responds with “Because you’ve gained 10lbs”. What the?!?!?!?! That’s right folks; I gained 10lbs in one month!!!! Ooopsie!

Either this is going to be a super-sized baby, or my chocolate and pecan tart cravings are really getting the better of me. Honestly – I have become so obsessed with pecan tarts that I have actually succumbed to “googling” places in Toronto that have the best pecan tarts. Obviously, my little search isn’t doing me much good. But hey, if I look on the bright side – I have found a place that sells unbelievable tarts.

In my last blog entry I wrote about how I was plagued by those very painful Charley horses at night. Well – I am happy to report that much has changed. Most nights now, I don’t have any and the nights that I do, they are not as intense. This is all thanks to a little bar of soap that I put under the sheets with me in bed. No – I am not crazy (at least not yet!). This solution is an old-wives tale. A bar of soap under the sheets = no more Charley horses. Can you believe that one??? I know – it’s totally laughable, but I was having such a bad time that I would have tried anything at all. I have researched this old technique, and surprisingly, it seems to work for most people who have tried it. Strange but true. I give credit to a very wise Aunt for telling me about this.

With a little under three months to go before my son makes his big debut into this world, I already have quite the collection of clothes for him. Shopping for baby clothes has definitely become one of my favorite pastimes. I live and work near a Baby Gap so every time I walk by it (which is at least once a week) I am forced to check it out.

However, I have to say that I always bypass the regularly priced clothes (which in my books are way too expensive) and head straight for the sale rack. It’s amazing the deals to be had there. A couple of weeks ago they had a 40% off sale on the sale items! I bought this kid a few pairs of jeans for $10 each! Deal! I walked out of there with a huge paper bag full to the brim with amazingly priced super-cute clothes sized anywhere from newborn to two years.

With this being baby #2, I have noticed that everyone and their brother asks Chris and I if we will be having anymore kids after this one. I was never asked that with Grace because people just assumed we would at least have two. I guess people are now curious if we are crazy enough to throw another one into the mix. Well let me answer this question once and for all for everybody – I have no idea if we will have another one. We’ll decide that after we see how we handle two little balls of energy in our life.

Plus – we’ll also have to see if there is a car available on the market that will hold three kids plus all the stuff that we’ll need to cart around for these three kids. I know a minivan will do the trick….but that is just not going to happen – EVER. I have made that promise to myself and thankfully Chris is on board with this. This promise was made at the age of 16 when I obtained my license and only had the option of driving my parents Lumina van around. Embarrassing! When you are desperately trying to look cool (even though you’re not!), a minivan doesn’t cut it.

(For all those mini-van drivers out there - just for the record, I know how handy these family-fun filled vans can be. I also know that they probably make your life easier, as they would mine...but I just can’t do it.)

So unless something blog-worthy happens in the next couple of weeks that I think you may want to hear about, I won’t be posting again until late August. Chris, Gracie, Number 2, and myself are hitting the road and escaping the city for some cottage life up north. I will blissfully be far away from a computer or cable TV. With all of that time on my hands, I’m sure it’s going to hit me that this baby is going to be here lickety-split! When I return from my vacation, Number 2 will be making an appearance in a little over a month. It feels like I just got pregnant yesterday. Where has all the time gone??

A Tribute

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea Van Wieringen) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:58:00 +0000

Well, here I am in my 24th week of pregnancy…already! I am still feeling pretty good. I’m not at the stage yet where my belly is gigantic, so day-to-day life is still manageable.

I cannot believe how fast this pregnancy is going by. Compared to last time, this one is whipping by at mach-10 speed. I have a feeling it’s because I have a very active 18 month old girl to contend with. My little Gracie is keeping me busy enough that I seriously forget that I’m pregnant sometimes. However, I can always count on her to graciously remind me by poking my now very noticeable huge boobs and saying “boobie” (the newest addition to her vocabulary) or giving my growing belly a nice hard “love tap” and saying “baby”. Here is a picture of my little rascal along with the belly and myself.

So I have a new symptom to report: Charley horses…..they started a couple of weeks ago. I wake up in the night to find that one of my calf muscles is completely locked up in searing pain. They are so bad that I cannot move my foot at all while they are happening. They are so painful! I remember I had them with Grace near the end of my pregnancy, but don’t recall them being this bad. These are not regular Charley horses; rather, they are like Charley bucking broncos or something! I find it so odd that these are an actual symptom of pregnancy. But really….there are so many odd things that happen to your body during pregnancy that I’m starting to get used to these strange happenings.

So I’ll be taking a year off to be home and look after my new little man and then will be welcoming going back to work next year. From experience, I can surely tell you that going to work is far easier than being at home with a baby (not as rewarding though!). It’s really like being on vacation. During this maternity leave, my little Gracie will continue going to her fantastic babysitters….for her sake and mine. I can’t imagine how bored she would be if she suddenly found herself at home with me and a newborn baby everyday rather than playing with her friends and going to her classes at the YMCA. Also – I can’t imagine how busy I would be with a toddler running around and a newborn wanting to be fed every couple of hours. In other words – I would surely lose my mind and likely have to be committed.

Knowing this makes me think of my mom and my mother-in-law. It makes me want to pay them a little tribute…so here I go:

They have super powers. I am sure of it. Both women stayed home and raised three and four kids respectively (all of which were approximately 18 months apart) without the help of nannies…..and they are both still sane….AND all of their children are sane (at least I think)! But wait for this one……they both used cloth diapers! Not the kind that we throw in a Diaper Genie and never see again….oh no…they scrubbed and washed them! Gross!

They surely did not get the credit they deserve. They took it upon themselves (with a little help from our Dads of course) to raise their children with minimal help everyday…all day! They created happy childhood memories and shaped their children into who they are today….and they did this all while keeping their house clean and cooking healthy meals for their family….while hardly ever getting a “Thanks” and never getting paid for what they do. That is incredible.

You are both amazing women. I am sure that neither of you have heard this enough in your life.

So Mom – Thank you for being so great at what you do. Thank you also for raising me to become the person I am today and being such a great role model. I only hope I will be as great a mother as you are.

To my Mother-in Law, Pam – Thank you for raising Chris to be the man he is today. He is such a great father and husband and you played a big part in this. You did a phenomenal job.

Ok – I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy hormones or what, but I am sitting here tearing up as I write this…so I must stop here. Perhaps in my next blog entry, I can talk about how sappy and emotional this pregnancy is making me.

On that note, I will leave you with this quote I came across that is true beyond words:

“It is when I had my first child that I understood how much my mother loved me.” – Author Unknown

The Realities of the Miracle of Life…

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia Morgan) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 03:51:00 +0000

I have been wanting to blog about these thoughts for a while but it’s taken a long time because it brings tears to my eyes…

The Saturday morning mid-January when I found out I was pregnant, I must admit, I did not take the news as well as I had daydreamed I would. I had daydreamt that when I found out I was pregnant, I would jump for joy and scream with excitement, running to tell my husband the exciting news we would happily hug and kiss.

The reality was when the ‘pee wand’ turned very pink very fast with more than one line, I felt like I couldn’t breathe and that the walls were closing in on me. I totally panicked; I wasn’t ready. My husband and I were living by the mantra ‘whatever happens happens’ but I just didn’t expect ‘whatever’ to happen so fast. When I composed myself I went downstairs to tell my husband, tears broke as I said the words aloud and I couldn’t stop crying. Poor guy was so confused, he asked me, “Aren’t you supposed to be happy?” to which I gave him a slobbering, “Yeah I guess so.” I can tell he was very happy but too confused at my reaction to show more excitement.

It took WEEKS for me to get used to the idea that I was pregnant, even through morning sickness I was somewhat in denial that my life is going to forever change. Even when I told family and friends, a part of me felt dread and I wasn’t as excited as everyone else seemed to be for us.

During my 9th week, I woke up in the middle of the night because I felt an incredible ‘energy of light’ radiating from my pelvis area. If I could see the light, it would have shined up onto the ceiling. It was very spiritual and something I’ve never experienced before, I assume it was the baby’s doing. Then during week 17 or 18, I felt my baby flutter for the first time. At first I thought it was a gas bubble on the move but it happened two or three times in the same area so I again assumed it was the baby. Still, I hadn’t felt particularly connected to my growing belly yet.

Then during my 18th week, a friend told me she’s just found out she’s pregnant after two years of trying and two miscarriages, each one a year apart. I was so excited for her, I felt more excited for her than for myself. She was also the first one to guess I was pregnant at nine weeks before we even told our immediate families. We’ll call her Friend #1.

During my 20th week, Friend #1 now in her 8th week, was concerned of spotting. I told her not to worry, all the baby books said it’s normal. The next day the spotting got worse; she panicked and went to her OB for an emergency check-up. They did an ultrasound and she saw ‘the little peanut’ with a really strong heartbeat. She was even told the baby was most likely safe because the heartbeat was so strong. She was so excited she told everyone that night.

The next evening, another good friend, Friend #2, told me she just found out she’s pregnant after years of trying. Again, I felt more excitement for her than I still felt for myself. Late that same evening, I got a text from Friend #1. She’d been in the hospital all day and night; she had a bad miscarriage. I was overwhelmed by sadness and emotions; it was the first time in my pregnancy hormones totally took over.

I cried for a very long time and didn’t sleep a wink all night. It was also the night I realized how lucky I was to have the baby growing inside of me. It was the night I really fell in love with my baby for the first time and the thought of losing him or her overwhelmed me with such sadness and fear.

During week 21, Friend #1 and I were in New York at a conference. We snuck off to a corner by ourselves overwhelmed by general baby talk. I was amazed at how well she was doing both physically and emotionally; it had only been days since her loss. Then she asked me at what point in my pregnancy did I connect with my baby. It was so hard to say aloud to her, I even thought about lying, but my eyes welled up with tears and I started to softly cry. I said it was the night she told me she had her miscarriage.

I’ve also known someone who miscarried at 12 weeks and was very physically ill from the experience. Having a difficult time to conceive embryos or having a difficult time hanging onto fetus’ is a reality for most women and a topic that is not readily talked about. Perhaps it’s just too difficult and the pain is too private. When I think about the women in my life who’ve gone through this, I now feel guilt and shame for being selfish and denying the fact I was blessed with life versus immediately loving my baby.

Now at 26 weeks, I can’t wait to meet the little munchkin inside of me. To hold and kiss him or her and to tell him or her how much I love them and how lucky I am to have them.

The Verdict Is In!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea Van Wieringen) — Tue, 25 May 2010 16:15:00 +0000

I had a doctor’s appointment this morning and all seems to be in good order. I’ve gained about 20 lbs so far and this isn’t so bad in my books. I had already gained 30 lbs with Grace at this point.

The biggest revelation at this appointment was obviously the gender of this baby!
I finally know! It’s like Christmas has arrived! It’s a boy!

My little Gracie is going to be the big sister to a boy! My husband and I are thrilled. I saw a very proud smile creep across his lips when he found out the news.

My son is going to be born at the new maternity ward at Sunnybrook on September 28th. I am so excited!

So here I am in my 21st week and my belly is really starting to grow….and this is great. However, my boobs and butt have also jumped on the bandwagon and are growing right along with it! Aren’t they kind? They are making sure my belly doesn’t feel left out.

My boobs are seriously out of control. It’s like they are secretly taking steroids or something. If this rate of growth keeps up throughout the whole pregnancy, I am really going to be in trouble. My balance will be so thrown off that I’ll have to learn to walk again. Although, maybe my growing bum will be able to counter-balance this weight…so we’re good after all.

New symptoms: I’ve become increasingly light-headed these past few weeks. When I’ve been sitting for awhile and get up I have to stand still for a moment or I risk falling over. It’s so bad that I sometimes wonder if that bottle of water I just drank wasn’t actually a 26er of vodka. Also, heartburn has become a big part of my life. I am now dependent on Tums and if I don’t have a bottle near me I start getting the shakes. If it’s true what they say about heartburn, meaning a lot of hair on the baby – this kid is going to come out looking like Cousin Itt.

So I can’t help but wonder how my little Gracie is going to take to being a big sister. She’s 16 months now, so still way too young to even grasp the concept that mommy has a baby in her belly. I’m hoping she’ll be too young when the baby arrives to even get jealous.

Hopefully she’ll think she has a new doll to play with. Although, I’ll have to teach her that this doll can’t have its eyes poked out and it can’t be thrown across the room. A few days ago she used my belly has a stepping stool (she did this to give me a hug…so it was kinda cute). I tried to explain to her that she probably shouldn’t do that because there is a baby in there. I could see in her eyes that she was thinking “Mommy…I have no clue what you are saying…so stop with the gibberish and let’s play!”

I am being assured by a lot of second-time moms that those first few weeks after baby arrives are a little easier the second time around. This is because I already know the level of extreme fatigue I am going to experience…and I already know that this is not going to last forever. So when I’m up at 3:30am (after not even going to bed yet) feeding the baby, I won’t wonder this time if anyone else in the entire world is feeling my pain.

I will know that every new mom out there is doing the exact same thing I am. We will be getting through the day in a complete haze, wondering if it is in fact possible to use toothpicks to keep our eyelids open. We will all be wondering when the last time we ate was, because we really can’t remember.

We will be amazed at the amount of freakin’ diapers we will change in one day. We will wonder if a night will ever come again when we will actually sleep. Most of all though, we will all be amazed and in complete wonderment at this tiny baby who we will love so much the instant we see it. We will be amazed by how much our baby makes the extreme fatigue and exhaustion totally worth it in every way.

Here’s to sleepless nights………

Boob issues and great shopping success…

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia Morgan) — Tue, 18 May 2010 21:01:00 +0000

Boobie Issues... As mentioned in “Meet our Mommy Bloggers," I thought the most exciting thing about being pregnant was finally growing boobs.

For a while at the beginning I was more excited about the boobs than the baby!

I felt like puberty had finally come for me – I’ve been waiting over 20 years for this! As you can conclude, I was quite small pre-pregnancy.

But holy pregnancy, I can’t believe the rate my boobs have grown and I’ve had to buy five new bras in as many months. Yesterday, again, my boobs kept popping out of my bra all afternoon while at work. I was proudly in a 34D that has felt tight lately but everything I wear lately leaves snug marks so didn’t think too much of it.

I even broke the elastic on my under the belly maternity jeans. I’m quickly outgrowing my first set of maternity clothes and need to hit the stores again this weekend. At 22 weeks, I’ve gained about 22-24 pounds! I’m thinking I should trade in the chocolate ice cream and Doritos for celery sticks...

So, I’m in the fitting rooms at The Bay, frustrated after pulling on and off nine different shaped and styled bras in what I thought was my size (34D). My violated boobs were red and sore from being squished and pulled, so I succumbed to losing the bra battle and finally go ask to be measured. The nice lady thoroughly measured me and said I was now a 36D!

I asked her if she was sure. She said "Yes, positive!!" I still didn't believe her, just 20 weeks ago I was a 32B/34A! She told me to wait in the change room and she came back with a few 36D's with no wires (apparently she said underwire is bad when you're this pregnant??? Something about milk ducts growing?)

So let’s talk about these 36D's she brought me... These are the bras I used to walk past on my way to the small-tit section and think 'my butt would fit in that!'... Well, my pre-pregnancy butt at least! Anyhow, nothing pretty about these huge bras with thick straps and a lot of 'boob material.'

I reluctantly put it on still not believing I'd ever fit and the lady was still there to help me... Besides the embarrassment of being totally topless in front of a stranger with her hands all over me...

The bra felt like total bliss! If my boobs could sing, they would have sung hallelujah!

I really was a 36D! I couldn't believe it! I have been so comfortable today I can’t believe I’d been suffering for weeks in a too-small push up bra.

I used to dream about having huge boobs but now that my boobs have a life of their own, I understand why girls with big boobs wished they had smaller boobs.

But sadly, I also know my nice big-pregnancy boobs will one day shrink and become small-post-pregnancy boobs… I’m thinking I should take photos of them in their glory for those future sad droopy small days…

Shopping Success in the USA... So my recent business trip to NY was a great success for unisex baby clothing. A dinner meeting got cancelled and I headed straight to the Babies R Us in Times Square like a women on a mission! I found a great line of clothing in the US called Carters that had such cute stuff for a reasonable price, plus the store was having a huge sale.

This cute ducky set was one of the many outfits I purchased!

I also discovered chocolate covered gummy bears in their candy section… I had to brush my teeth that evening to stop eating them. They are so delicious, I can’t believe I didn’t invent them myself.

Unfortunately I didn’t get time to shop for maternity clothes but if the baby clothes were any indication, the selection in the US is way better than it is in Canada!

First time frustrations… Useful or gimmicky? Boy or girl? Fashion or comfort?

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia Morgan) — Sat, 01 May 2010 21:07:00 +0000

A great blog has two components – great photos/illustrations and great commentary/discussions. I’ve got two perfect topics for this.

As first time parents, we meander through baby stores, catalogues and websites inundated and confused with so much stuff for babies and for parents. My husband and I were both born in the mid-to-late 70’s when much of the stuff available today did not exist.

It’s really hard to know what we’ll really need, what's completely gimmicky and what is just useless crap?

Which items should we spend more money on for better quality? And are the more expensive items really better quality? I ask myself this as I flip through Bugaboo catalogues for strollers, Stokke for highchairs, and Pottery Barn for cribs.

Oh and I drool through the Restoration Hardware baby catalogue for absolutely frivolous items, but they’re just so darn cute! And this gigantic sock monkey from Teatro Verde in Yorkville for a whopping $2,400!

I’ve hit hump-week… I’m currently 20 weeks and the countdown begins! We’ve been busy trying to finish up house projects and probably won’t tackle baby furniture for another few weeks. However, I have my 20 week OB visit and ultrasound on Tuesday and we can’t decide on finding out the sex.

We’re both 50/50 but would want to know for the convenience. For the first trimester, I was adamant about not finding out but as I stroll through baby clothing stores I’m finding it very difficult to find unisex clothing for newborns.

Everything is so pink and blue and if it’s yellow it’s got flowers or green with planes and trains. The most suitable thing I liked was a package of two organic cotton cream colour onesies with an embroidered teddy bear for $35! Sorry but I couldn’t fork over the money for them. Do I have to give up my fantasy of a delivery room “It’s a boy/girl” because I’m too cheap to buy overpriced unisex onesies?

My husband and I just returned from a very relaxing holiday in Negril, Jamaica. I’ve heard a few different terms for this – babycation, babymoon – whatever made up term people call it, I call it our last crack at freedom on the beach alone!

Here’s a photo of me on the beach in the crystal clear water. At 20 weeks, I’ve gained almost 20 pounds… 6 pounds from this all-inclusive week! I guess I now know why croissants, eggs and bacon for breakfast every morning, desserts at every lunch and dinner, and many virgin piña coladas per day isn’t recommended in my baby books!

I’ve been asked a few times if I’m having twins… technically so because I have fibroids that have grown most likely due to the pregnancy. The largest one is the size of a baseball and for a while it was larger than the baby but I think the baby has caught up now. Perhaps the baby will use them as punching bags or cuddle pillows!

Also another pregnancy bane of mine… maternity clothing! I’m a petite person at 5 ft. 2 in. and was about 110 pounds pre-pregnancy. I am struggling to find suitable maternity clothes that fit. I may be pregnant but I’m still petite! If there are any designer out there reading this – please email me I have ideas!

Everything in the mainstream stores is huge and not very fashionable. I have a business trip to NY next week and have half a day free to go shopping… I’m hoping to have better luck in the US than in Canada. If the maternity clothes shopping is a bust, then I’m hoping to run into some cheap white/cream coloured onesies!

P.S. We met a couple in Jamaica from Texas that gave us the greatest idea – throw a taco and hot dog party and have your guests guess the baby’s sex! They served tacos and hot dogs, and people wore ‘taco’ or ‘hot dog’ stickers to identify their guess for a girl or a boy. Then they opened an envelope from their OB revealing the baby’s sex during the party. Too cute!

A Big Sigh of Relief and my Dealings with Debbie Downers

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea Van Wieringen) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:32:00 +0000

Hi Again! It's me – Andrea. I'm now in my 17th week and here is my pregnancy update for you:

I am so happy to start off by telling you that my OB found the heartbeat at my last appointment! Yes! It reassured me beyond belief and the sound actually brought tears to my eyes. It was nice not going into cardiac arrest again, ya know?

Also at this appointment I learned that I have gained 10 lbs so far. This sounds like a lot if you go by what all those pregnancy books tell you – that 20 to 30 lbs is the total normal weight gain for pregnant women. Please!!
Most women I know who have been pregnant gained at least 40 lbs. I gained 50 lbs when I was pregnant with Grace. I mean... sure, I ate a chocolate bar everyday and sure, I stuffed my face every chance I could get, but what pregnant woman in her right mind only eats salads for lunch and carrot sticks for snacks? As if.

This time around I will also eat what my body is telling me it needs – lots of pizza, Kraft dinner, and of course the odd handful of candy.

I am still feeling fantastic. I may look pregnant, but I definitely don’t feel it. Things are really starting to look up. I no longer have to go bed at 8:00pm – I now have enough energy to last until at least 10:00pm and this really makes me feel like a party animal.

I think my husband, Chris really likes this too. I think he considered me a bit of a “wet rag” going to bed at the same time as our 16-month-old...but he’s a man…and since a man will never understand what it’s like to be pregnant, I forgive him.

I am dying to find out the sex of this baby. I don’t know how much longer I can take the suspense.
I have my next ultrasound booked for the end of May (May 17th to be exact), so really, I only have another month to go...but seeing how I lack patience (I was born that way, so it’s really not my fault...I thank my Mom and Dad for this), waiting a whole month to find out this very important information is next to impossible.

A lot of people have asked me if I have a preference – I do not. Another little girl would be nice because I have so many cute girl clothes that I would love to use again, but a boy would be nice too because then I’d have one of each.

Last time, I told myself repeatedly that I was having a boy. I did this to prepare myself mentally because I secretly wanted a girl.

With this being my second child, I am finding that I am being told a lot (by other mothers with more than one child) that I am really in for it. As in, any free time that I have now with one kid is really out the door with two.

These mothers are telling me that I don’t know what busy is until I have two kids running around.

Okay – please tell me, has anyone ever believed that having two kids was going to be a cake walk? Is that even possible after seeing how much work just one is?? Why would anyone want to be a Debbie Downer about this??

Having a baby and raising a child is an unbelievable thing – no matter if it’s your first, second, or 25th (okay…maybe I take that one back). I don’t believe that it’s necessary to tell pregnant women how much work they have in store for them.

If there’s anything I’ve learned about being a mom – it’s the only job that is truly rewarding...and if you ask me – that is worth a little hard work…and even being pooped on. So please, if your name is Debbie Downer, go rain on someone else’s parade.

Tidbits about me, first prenancy first trimester adjustments

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia Morgan) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:57:00 +0000

Hi everyone, my name is Virginia Morgan, but my Vancouver and London, England family and friends call me Ginny and my Toronto friends and coworkers call me Virginia or V...

I now pretty much answer to anything that starts with a "V" or a "G!"

I'm 33, living in mid-town Toronto and currently 18-weeks pregnant. My husband is Tony and this is our first baby.

A little about me…I am the oldest of three and grew up in Fraser Heights (Surrey), B.C.. My husband (also from Vancouver, and also from a family of three) and I lived in London, England from 2004-2006, got married in 2007, and moved to Toronto early 2009.

Unfortunately, all our families and close friends are back in Vancouver which might be a bit ‘painful’ with the baby experience (no free babysitters!). This baby is also the first grandchild for both families – our mothers are very excited.

I love hobbies. I sew quilts and sock monkeys, make jewellery and greeting cards, paint figurines and have attempted canvas. I’ve made tumbled marble coasters and etched glass; I love to cook and bake, and read Harry Potter!

Needless to say, I’ll miss all these things when the baby arrives. I'm trying to do as much as I can before my due date.

For work, I'm an investor relations manager for a mining company downtown, and last year I travelled extensively for work. This year I won’t be travelling as much with my 'condition.'

My last big trip was to Cape Town, South Africa, when I was 8-weeks pregnant and it was terrible. My boss didn't know I was pregnant yet and there were at least three days I was pure green with morning sickness or unable to keep food in.

The 21 total hours of flying time was uncomfortable and thankfully I didn't need a barf bag because I knocked myself out with Gravol!

There is nothing more terrible than awful economy plane food when you feel like you're going to die or only able to keep down green apples, green grapes, mangos, cheese, lobster, prawns and crab.

Thankfully that phase of my pregnancy only lasted three weeks because the seafood was getting expensive!

I was really jealous to read Andrea’s morning sickness went away at week 11.

I didn’t shake morning sickness until week 15 1/2, and I didn’t discover Diclectin until my first OB appoint at week 12. I wished I knew about Diclectin five weeks earlier!

At week 10 we returned to Vancouver for the Olympics, but it felt like I spent most of the time in bed or camped in front of the TV.

I’m happily in my second trimester now and finally enjoying pregnancy. I have more energy, I can eat more foods, finally look pregnant not just oddly thick in the middle, and feeling the baby move sometimes makes it more real… alien-like but real.

Next week we’re off to Jamaica for a beach holiday… our last holiday alone as a couple. I wanted to lie on a beautiful warm beach and do absolutely nothing while my future responsibilities are still inside of me… rather than on the outside screaming and crying!

With all the travels I do, my OB recommended I buy these medial flight socks to prevent veins and swelling but holy-expensive! They were $140 but happily they really do work and I would highly recommend them to other mommies-to-be.

Thanks for reading my first mommy-to-be posting and I’ll try not to be so lengthy next time!

I’m really excited the new Sunnybrook wing is opening up before my due date as we live right around the corner and it sounds like it will be an amazing facility… if only my baby can hang on for the last nine days of its term… or at least until September 12th! Fingers crossed!

Cheers,
Ginny

A Little About Me, First Trimester Hurdles, and First Appointment Scare

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea Van Wieringen) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:34:00 +0000

First off, let me tell you a little about myself so you know who you are dealing with here. My name is Andrea Van Wieringen. I am 30-years-old and live and work in Toronto. I am happily married to Chris and have a beautiful 15-month-old daughter named Grace. I work in the commercial real estate field.

Okay...now let me tell you what you really should know about me: I grew up in a microscopic town (I really shouldn’t even call it a “town”) called Pontypool in the Kawartha Lakes where I had to sit on a bus for an hour to get to school, where field parties were where it was at, and the closest grocery store was a 25 minute drive away.

I was the middle child, and my parents would agree that I lived up to the idea that middle children can be “trouble." Let’s just say that I wasn’t an angel during my teenage years.

I eat endless amounts of candy and really believe that I could eat pizza everyday without ever getting sick of it. I am an avid reader...I mean borderline obsessed.

And oh yeah!...I am pregnant with my second child…hence, spilling all of my guts to you in this blog…now let’s get down to it:

I am currently in my 15th week of pregnancy and feeling great! Finally! There was a month there where I really felt like the walking dead. I felt so horrible. Luckily, the morning sickness magically disappeared the second I hit 11 weeks.

Then there was the fatigue.

Whoa!!! It really is horrible having to put every ounce of energy you have into staying awake!

Fortunately, I didn’t get fired from my job for disturbing my colleagues with loud snores or anything of that nature – and I am happy to report that the fatigue disappeared. Yay!

I had my first appointment with my OB the end of March. Here’s what happened: I could barely sleep the night before because I was so excited to hear my baby’s heartbeat. It’s just such a reassuring sound you know? Peace of mind.

Anyways, there I am at my appointment lying on the table while my OB searches for the heartbeat for like two hours (ok...maybe I’m exaggerating...it was more like two minutes...but it sure seemed like two hours!) and finds NOTHING!

As if this is happening to me! All I could think was that there must be something wrong, like a miscarriage! Upon seeing my distress, my OB sent me for an ultrasound immediately following this whole charade.

Well, what do you know? There, on the screen is my baby, and he/she is doing just fine, hanging out in my uterus like it’s a Club Med resort...and look at that…the heart is beating!

Okay, let this be a lesson. Your OB may not be able to find the heartbeat at 12 weeks, and if that is the case, do not have a heart attack. Everything is probably fine.

This pregnancy is different from my last in that I am going into it knowing I will be having a c-section. This brings me great relief. I feel this way because I am beyond terrified at the thought of pushing a baby out of me.

Have you heard of or seen the show "A Baby Story,"on TLC? Well I think I've watched one too many episodes of women horrifically screaming while giving birth that it really and truly traumatized me.

I was so intent on this c-section business that I even asked my OB to do one regardless. However, I was lucky enough to have my daughter remain in the breech position throughout my whole pregnancy, and therefore the need for my previous c-section.

I wonder if I somehow “willed” her into staying like that or perhaps she was just an extremely cooperative baby in the womb?? Who knows. I can tell you though that c-sections are wonderful...or at least mine was...thanks in part to the wonderful staff at Sunnybrook.

My next appointment with my OB is in a week, and I can’t wait. Hopefully this time there will be no issue finding the heartbeat. Please cross your fingers for me.

Meet our mommy bloggers

noreply@blogger.com (Marie Sanderson) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 17:20:00 +0000

Mommy #1: Virginia Morgan

Due Date at Sunnybrook: September 19, 2010
Partner: Tony Morgan

Best thing so far about being pregnant? Boobs! I finally have boobs! :) On a more serious note: working from home more often and more ice cream!

Worst thing so far about being pregnant? Morning sickness, food aversions especially ground beef - I LOVE food and spaghetti and meatballs!

Pregnancy Cravings: Bologna and processed cheese sandwiches (which I haven't eaten), lots of apple pie, anything I see on TV that's not ground beef!

Mommy #2: Andrea Van Wieringen

Due Date at Sunnybrook: October 11, 2010
Partner: Chris Van Allen

Best thing about being pregnant so far: It's a tie between three things I'd have to say - the anticipation about meeting my new baby in September/October, knowing that my little girl is going to have a sibling and the guilt-free eating.

The worst thing so far about being pregnant: Tie between two things: the morning sickness/extreme fatigue experienced earlier and that in-between stage where I don't look pregnant, but rather look like I've ate one too many ice cream sandwiches.

Pregnancy cravings: Kraft Dinner, pizza and candy

Welcome to Mother's Touch!

noreply@blogger.com (Marie Sanderson) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:11:00 +0000

Ready, set, go...

You've taken the pregnancy test (maybe several if you were anything like me - who gets tired of seeing those "+" signs and double lines and, hey, it's good to be sure!), confirmed with your doctor and have been given the all important "due date".

Now what?

The months to come are some of the most exciting, anxious and surprising you'll ever experience, all culminating with a very small new addition to your family. We've found a couple of women who share something in common: they're pregnant, due in Fall 2010* at Sunnybrook and have agreed to blog about their pregnancy journey.

* On September 12, 2010, Sunnybrook's obstetrical program, aka the "Women & Babies Program", will move from downtown Toronto at 76 Grenville Street to a fabulous new home at 2075 Bayview Avenue!

Congratulations to Virginia and Andrea and happy blogging!