We Call This One 'Twisting the Nap Away'

As I type this Eilish is upstairs napping. I'll be sure to bring the camera up when I check on her!

Christmas Card Outtakes

Why oh why did I think that a 'homemade picture' would be better than a professional one?

Owen's hand has never looked better!

The shoot was a real nail-biter.

Oooooh...stop taking my picture!

You'll have to wait and see which one we finally went with. In the meantime here's a picture to melt your heart this cold November day.

More Adventures in Sleeping Starring Eilish Connell

Replace the baby bottle with a beer bottle, and the soother with a vendor dog and you pretty much have me after a night at Sammy's back in the day.

The Late Show With Eilish Connell

Sometimes when we put Eilish down for a nap or a night's sleep, she will sit up at the end of her crib and giggle and 'talk' for a few minutes before she falls asleep. I like to think of it as her own little talk show where the guests are her mobile friends and her 2 soothers, (one for sucking and one for tapping against the one in her mouth - where did we get this kid?) and at the end of the show she bids them good night and settles in for a little snoozy.

Today when Owen put her down for her afternoon nap he heard the usual talky/giggly sounds over the monitor and when he finally heard silence he went upstairs to check on her. This is what he found:

Must of been one hell of a show!

Tuesday November 6, 2007 - 7:45pm

Jen - You know what would be good for dessert? Those 2 Bite Brownies warmed up with ice cream on top.

Owen - Why? Did we just break up with our boyfriend?

I swear, one of these days my eyes are going to roll right out of my head.

Clothes Horse

Eilish now wears size 12-18 month pants which boggles the mind seeing as she's 2 weeks short of 8 months old. Girlfriend has long legs no doubt inherited from some long lost Connell relative who worked in fields of Galway in her Tall Girl britches.

Every month or so I go through her clothing to pack away what no longer fits and truth be told I find it a little sad to pack away all her threads because they are proof our little baby is growing up.

There's her 'Spring Chicken' shirt given to her by Owen's co-workers, her 'I Won't Remember Any of This' shirt which was Owen's favorite, her Rolling Stones & Ramones shirts because that's the way she rolls and my personal favorite, her Roots track suit. I bought it at the Roots Outlet on Orfus Road for her to wear in Buchans for Come Home Year. Turns out she had to wear it a couple weeks earlier in Newfoundland and I remember her rolling around Nanny Lane's living room floor. There wasn't a lot of joy in that July visit but Eilish, in that track suit in her grandparents hometown made me smile.

Clothes may not make the girl and Lord knows Eilish would be content to roll around the floor naked as a jay bird but damn do I love dressing her! Speaking of birds, here's some pics of our little chicken on her first Halloween.

Her Boyfriend's Back and There's Gonna Be Trouble

Judes asked why I don't blog anymore and I guess I just don't have much to say these days other than: Eilish, Eilish, Eilish, Owen, Eilish, Eilish, Eilish.


At her doctor's appointment last week E weighed 19 pounds and measured in at an astonishing 28 1/2 inches.


Here are some shots of her and her BF Michael who was trying to get fresh.

Time to Baby Proof

Pictures

I've added a password to my flickr pictures. To see them:

- click on Photos
- select 'Sign In'
- User Name: eilish.connell@yahoo.com Password: roselane
- Select 'Photos from your Contacts'

Scenes from a Mall

To Lori - sorry I sounded so crazed when I called you, but it was a really good sale. Almost makes a girl forget she's on the pogey! Almost.

To Emma - sorry that I bought your birthday present (see above) instead of taking you shopping as promised but man are you going to love what I bought you.

To the Coach store - Would it kill you to put the prices on things? I know I can't afford it, you know I can't afford it, but how about showing me how much I can't afford it?

To the lady getting on the elevator - I know our stroller is blue and Eilish doesn't have a lot of hair but do you really think I'd dress a boy in a pink and grey striped shirt? And the stripes were thick! And her socks were pink! And she looks like a girl!

To the woman getting off the elevator - sorry I stared and continued to stare as you walked away with your stroller with one, two...TRIPLET boys. Holy shit lady. My heart, mind and uterus go out to you.

To the Asian man Eilish smiled at - she loves Asians. She's your biggest fan!

To Patty the Platypus - sorry we lost you. I didn't notice until we got to the car that you were no longer in Eilish's lap. Enjoy your new life.

To Eilish - don't throw things out of your stroller without telling Mommy first. Also? Kisses!

To Barley Cereal, Carrots & Apple sauce- sorry that Eilish hates you with a passion that burns like the sun.

To Rice Cereal & Pears - thank you for being a food Eilish likes.

Dear Eilish

I had fully intended to write you a letter celebrating every month of your life so far but someday when you have a 6 month old baby you'll understand how time can get away from you. I've been thinking a lot about what the past 6 months have been like for your Dad and I fear that I can't adequately describe what a difference you've made in our life but I'll try:

Eating - Last week we introduced cereal into your diet. First week rice cereal (tasted like paste to me), this week barley cereal (again - paste) and you love, love, love it. At first you just kinda chewed on the spoon but this week you make little 'mmm' noises when you eat. You now have 5 bottles of formula and two meals of cereal a day. Next week you start on veggies, and we'll be sure to document it although I don't know how I'm going to hide my dislike for peas on Monday!

Sleeping - You've been sleeping through the night for the past few months and believe me when I tell you that I fully appreciate how lucky we are that you are such a good sleeper. A typical day (sleep-wise) goes like this:
- 8am - awake and hungry
- 9am - 11am - snoozin' on the couch with Mama.
- Between 1pm & 3pm you usually nap for about 20-40 minutes
- Bath and bedtime between 7pm & 8pm
You've taken to sleeping on your stomach these days and I've stopped fighting you on that....until we walk in your room and find you face down in the mattress. I apologize for waking you up sometimes when I move your head but holy cow, you are freaking Mommy & Daddy out!!

Playing - You can sit up on your own basically unassisted and with that you've started playing with your toys in a whole other way. While everything you pick up still goes straight into your mouth, there are a few toys that you actually play with. You love your office and have lost interest in your gym. Anytime on the floor is spent rolling over trying to eat the floor of your gym. Time to baby proof!

Clothing - When you look back over your baby pictures I want you to know why I dress you like I do. I've decided that if it would look silly on me than it would look silly on you that's why you cruise around town in camouflage pants and pink Cons. See also the chicken costume Nanny bought you - I would totally wear that!

Personality - You are the funniest person your Daddy and I have ever met. You are not quick to laugh but when you do it comes out like laugh bullets: 'ha, hahahaha'. You save your biggest and brightest smiles for us. There are times when your Daddy walks into the room and I think you are going to explode with happiness. You will not smile at strangers unless they are Asian and I hope one day you can explain that to me.

I do not remember life without you Eilish. As a wise woman once said, 'you are the tomatoes on my rice'.

Love The Mama

Eilish Eats Cereal!

Check out the photographic evidence.

Mr. & Mrs. Connell

Happy Anniversary to my darling husband who summed up the day like this:



'Wow, 2 years.....and they said it wouldn't last.'



Yeah, we've been married 3 years.



Happy Anniversary.

And now for a non-baby post...

This past week Owen was working like a mofo as one of his co-workers was on vacation. Eilish and I killed a lot of time in several malls across the GTA and I made a few observations I'd like to share with you all:

- There are a lot of strollers at a mall on a Wednesday afternoon.

- I am no longer American Eagle's target demographic. The large is SO NOT large and while in the change room I heard a bunch of girls talk about what they were going to wear on the first Friday of school - it being casual and all that. So yeah, me in the wheelchair change room with the babes and three 16 year olds sharing one change room picking out what to wear on dress down day. Au revior American Eagle!

- There is a difference between $50 jeans and $200 jeans. I was killing time while Eilish was sleeping and wandered into one of those stores that carry high end cloths. I couldn't resist trying on a pair of jeans. They were like butter. The softest denim you could find. The perfect rise, the perfect seat, the perfect everything. I however am on the pogey and did not buy them. But I wanted to - I really, really did. Sigh. I shall dream of them tonight.

- If it's shit, it's shit - even if it is 50% off with a Polo horse on it.

- Your toddler wouldn't scream so much if you didn't have him ON A LEASH!

- H&M sells the cutest baby clothes. For all you who think I don't dress Eilish 'girlie' enough, I can't wait until you see the skull and crossbones shirt I have my eye on!

- Nine West remains the happiest place on earth

New pics of the puddin' swimming at the Dawson's under 'Photos'.

Brute

Pronunciation: 'brüt
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French brut rough, from Latin brutus brutish, literally, heavy; akin to Latin gravis heavy
1 : of or relating to beasts
2 : INANIMATE
3 : characteristic of an animal in quality, action, or instinct: as a : CRUEL, SAVAGE b : not working by reason
4 : purely physical
5 : unrelievedly harsh

OK - so this definition of 'brute' doesn't really do what I want it to do which is describe to you how giant Eilish is. Perhaps measurements from today's doctor's appointment will be more helpful:

Weight - 17 pounds (up from 15.05 last month)
Length - 27.5 inches (up from 26.5 last month)

All the kid eats is formula but she is growing like a weed. Dr. Star says that it will all even out and her growth won't continue in this manner. Good thing too, I was beginning to picture having to shop at the Big & Tall store for clothes for my 7 foot 1 year old!

New pictures (of Eilish looking very serious - the kid won't smile when I put the camera in her face!) under 'Photos'.

Eilish Found Her Toes

Photographic evidence under 'Photos'. This kid will kill at parties!

Eilish's Nicknames

Puddin'
Puddin' Face
Dollie
Angel
Angel Face
Beauty
Peanut
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
Peanut Buster Parfait
Peanut Brittle
Boobs
Boobies
Boobs O'Shea
Boobs McGillicuddy
Pepsi Cola
Savage
Savage Beast
Diva
Dictator
Love O' My Life
Judy Blue Eyes
Baldy McBalderson

...believe it or not, Owen calls her Eilish...amateur!

Big Girls Don't Cry

Eilish had her 4 month doctor's appointment this morning complete with 2 needles and a weigh in. She is currently 15.05 pounds and measures in at an astonishing 26+ inches. Our girlie, she is a brute.

Needle number went in with nary a flinch while the second one caused her to cry out in a 'why are you letting her do this to me?!' kinda way. As soon as Owen scooped her up, the tears stopped and she cuddled right into him. That kid knows how to work a room.

Her appetite was a bit off today probably because of the inoculations but other than that, Eilish is a trooper...a trooper with some new toys, check out the pics.

New Pictures

From Eilish's Baptism and our trip to Buchans.

Ran out of space on Flickr for the month...

...no new photos will be added until July!

Like it's 1999

Eilish has decided that at 3 months she would prefer to be sound asleep before I put her in her crib. No more of this sleeping from 7:30pm to 7am for her...oh no, she'd like to kick it old school and party until 9pm and cry out every hour after only to smile up at me when I check on her like, 'come on Ma, don't be so square, let's par-tay!'.

Tomorrow Judes & Donnie K. are taking Eilish for her first ever sleep over. Details to follow unless I've been hospitalized for the crying jags.

Check out the new (non-baptism - anyone wanna send me any?) pictures!

Battle of the Mommy's Part 1 (At the Doctor's Office)

Her hair - newly trimmed, highlighted and blown straight.
My hair - hasn't been trimmed since Christ was a cowboy, the grey's are taking over, I haven't used a hair dryer in weeks and it was in a top knot as Eilish had spit up formula in it this morning.

Her toes - pedicured with hot pink polish
My toes - mangled (there is no better word to describe the mess my feet are in. I almost lost a nail in a stroller accident late last week)

Her outfit - trendy yoga capri's and top combo
My outfit - shorts, stained Stones t-shirt with - you guessed it - spit up on it as well as some Ice Cap drops from earlier in the day

Her legs - tanned and hairless
My legs - paley-pale, unless hairy is now a color

Her complexion - perfection
My complexion- blotchy

Her kid - 1 month old Rory
My kid - 3 month old Eilish

And that's where this competition goes to me because Eilish is hella cute and very well behaved and little Rory....um....not so much.

Eilish's Stats at 3 Months:
13 pounds 14 ounces
25 inches long

Check out some new pics...

Tummy Time Evidence

Check out the photos...

Currently Accepting Diaper Donations

Riddle me this...why, after almost 12 weeks of motherhood does it still take me at least 3 diapers and 15 wipes to change a poopy diaper? Let me break it down:

As soon as I smell pee or poop coming from Eilish's diaper I change her. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, I change her right away. I can't think of anything worse then her having a diaper rash because of Mama's laziness. The trouble is, I've got one hell of a nose (Donnie K. keep your nose jokes to yourself) and always smell the poo before Eilish is finished um...finishing. For instance, this afternoon:

1. I smell the poo, Owen smells the poo. There is poo.
2. I remove the dirty diaper and start with the wipes while putting a clean diaper underneath.
3. Eilish starts pooing again.
4. I loosely close diaper #2 and give Eilish some privacy to finish (she was in the playpen).
5. When I think she's finished, that is when she stops with the very serious poo face, I remove diaper #2 and start with the wipes while putting on diaper #3...and she starts pooping again so I loosely close diaper #3 and wait again, again, again for her to finish, wipe her again, again, again and that my friends is how you use 3 diapers and no less than 15 wipes to change the diaper of the person in the house with the smallest bum (Lucy the Cat included).

Being a good mother is really going to mess with our bank account.

A Post By Any Other Name...

I feel like I should post something as I haven't in awhile but nothing much is happening on this end other than 'ALL EILISH ALL THE TIME!'. We spend the beginning of our weeks with Daddy and the end of our weeks visiting every mall in the city or visiting. This week we visited Teranet where Eilish charmed the pants off everyone, even the grumpy Slink who couldn't resist her baby blues, The Coon family where Eilish and Michael made eyes at each other and The Adams family where baby Sam flirted with Eilish and Mom alike, putting his hands down the back of my pants and touching Eilish's feet - not at the same time although that would have been pretty funny. Today we went to Sherway where Eilish purchased her first pair of Converse and some girly shoes but I can tell the Cons are her favorite.

We have an evening routine, Eilish and I, those nights Daddy works, where we hit the gym, have a bath/bottle/song and then Eilish hits the sheets while I try to enjoy the 10 hours away from her all the while missing her very much! She is quite the sleeper our young girl something she definitely inherited from her Mama's Mama. So that's what we've been up to, life as usual and sweet.

I want to wish Joanne P. a very safe trip to Newfoundland this coming Monday. Joanne, has anyone told you that you rock? Because you do. The Stampede will surely miss you this summer!

How Eilish Says 'I Love You'

Bedtime - 8:30 pm
Awake Time - 7:00 am

K-town

Being in Kitchener with Eilish is like being torn between two lovers (feeling like a fool). Saturday through Thursday I love being at home with my little fam, laughing with Owen over the silly things Eilish does, making sure that Lucy doesn't mistaken Eilish for a giant cat treat. But, Thursdays and Fridays are a little tougher given that Owen is either working or sleeping. Those 2 days can get a little lonely when I'm not hooking up with my make shift Mommy Group. Having only Eilish to talk to can get a little frustrating given that for as cute as she is, she isn't much of a conversationalist. So lately, we've been coming to Kitchener to let the fam drool over the puddin' (tm Uncle Joel). And oh what fawning they do. Aunt Paula swears she hasn't seen a more behaved baby and everyone else thinks she's the cutest thing going. And she is.

While in Kitchener I get to do things I don't usually get to do at home when Owen's working/sleeping, like go to the bathroom without having to bring Eilish with me which is a treat for both of us! There are a lot of helping hands eager to feed and cuddle with my little girl while I do things like go to Tim Horton's or pass out on the floor from exhaustion (that happened today).

I'm hoping that this Global Warming thing really kicks in this winter so Eilish and I can continue our bi-weekly trips to K-town where it doesn't matter if I haven't showered, because nobody's looking at me!

The Needle and the Damage Done

Eilish is a whopping 9 weeks tomorrow (or 2 months yesterday - not sure when I should stop counting in weeks - if you know please leave a comment) and we celebrated by going Dr. Star and letting her jam 2 needles into my baby girl's chubby yummy thighs. More on that later. As of today, Eilish weighs 12 pounds 3 ounces, is just under 24 inches long and her head measures something that I forgot to write down but it's a good measurement, her head is growing nicely.

So the needles. We knew they were coming, it was the reason for the appointment and Owen and I decided (I had decided) that I would not be anywhere near the doctor, the baby or the needles when the time came. First the doctor answered all my "are you sure I'm not killing the baby" questions (one thing I have to start doing is making Eilish "go left". She tends to favour turning her head to the right so during tummy time which she hates I've got to start getting her to "go left" which is hilarious and necessary to ensure I don't raise a lopsided baby!) and got ready to inject my precious baby girl with horrible, horrible serum that was going to protect her in the long run but break my heart in the short run. I faced the door, Owen held the baby but didn't look directly at her (he didn't want her to associate his face with needles) and Eilish cried and cried and cried. Y'all it was freaking horrible and we have to go back in 8 weeks to do it all again.

She was a little fussy tonight but we didn't want to rush to give her Tylenol which was a good thing because it turned out the fussiness was due to excessive tiredness. I'm not against giving her medication if she's in pain or had a fever but only as a last resort. The last resort tonight was a little bottle and a little bed and hell, isn't that what everyone wants?

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to my ma, my aunts and my Nan. Today was my first ever Mother's Day and Eilish celebrated by taking a big ol' poop.

New pictures under 'Photos" for Nan Kennedy who is surely missing her little dolly.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday (one day late) to Judes & Joanie. Check out the pictures of the festivities! A special hello to Terri Power who likes to see new pictures of Eilish - these ones are for you Terri!

Postpartum

Yesterday I cried. Not exactly a new development, I have been averaging an emotional breakdown every couple weeks, but yesterday was different. These were tears of happiness. Eilish was cuddling into me as she is wont to do after eating and Mona Lisa & Madhatters by Elton John was playing on the radio. The song has nothing to with mothering per se but it is a very pretty song and Eilish is a very pretty baby - thus the tears - the happy tears.

I've come to the realization that I definitely suffered (suffer?) from postpartum depression in the weeks after Eilish's birth. It feels ridiculous to have the baby blues seeing as I've wanted a baby as long as I can remember and Eilish is for all accounts a pretty cool kid. She cries when hungry, when gassy or when she has a loaded diaper. She is averaging 2 feedings a night about every 5 hours so I have been getting more sleep but when you feel a wave of sadness come on, those things don't matter.

While we were out for a walk on Sunday we stumbled upon a library where I skimmed Brooke Shields book about postpartum depression. Brookey ended up going on meds and had visions of her baby hitting the wall and I certainly didn't feel that bad but I did see myself in some of the feelings she was having. I didn't want to hurt Eilish or myself but there were days where I just wanted to leave and let Owen (and his new wife!) raise Eilish. I'm very used to my independence so having a little one rely on me 24/7 is hard to get used to. Although I'm not breast feeding and anyone can feed Eilish I constantly feel like it's all on me. When Owen's feeding her I'm doing other Eilish related things - laundry, cleaning bottles etc. Lori said that this feeling doesn't ever go away. Eilish will be relying on me for the rest of her life (just as I still rely on Judes & Donnie K.) and the thought is a little daunting!

The biggest stress of motherhood was the feedings. Was she getting enough? Was she getting too much? How much spit up is OK and how much is me overfeeding her? Gripe water: to use or not to use. We've made the switch to powder formula and she's a different kid! The burps come easier, the spit up has been cut in half. I wonder if part of it is psycho somatic on my part. Is Eilish changing or am I getting more comfortable with her? A little of both maybe. We've had to use Gripe water twice since she's been on the planet and although I'm not sure it works, it sure does make her smell like she's been doing Zambuca shots with frat boys all night!

Eilish is the stuff that dreams are made of. The smiles are coming a little more frequently and the coos are in full affect. I know that she loves me and I want her to know that even though Mama cries, these days they are tears of sheer joy of what Daddy and I have made.

Besides, look at this face. Couldn't you muster up some tears of joy for this face?

New Eilish Pictures

It's been a rough week for the (extended) Lane family. Wanna feel a little better? Check out my cute kid!

Date Night

Last night while my parents were here, Owen and I went out for dinner. It was the first time we had been alone together since Eilish (AKA The Savage, AKA The Dictator) was born. On the way to the restaurant I started to talk to Owen about baby stuff but stopped myself - this was Date Night - I shouldn't be talking about the baby, so Owen talked about basketball or hockey or something and I sat in silence making a mental list of Eilish related items to talk to him about once we got home. I was absolutely giddy by the time we got to the restaurant and didn't care about the 20 minute wait. I told Owen that we could be eating Tostitos in the car for all I care, so happy was I to be out.

While waiting for our table I had half a pint of Rickard's Red at the bar and was half drunk by the time we sat down. We looked at the menu, looked at each other and spent the rest of the dinner talking about Eilish and how cute she is and how she reminds us of each other when she yawns or stretches.

Speaking of Eilish, she smiled at me TWICE this morning. Ma & Pa were here to witness and confirm the smile and I have to say it was the greatest smile ever smiled by anyone who's smiles. Hopefully in the next couple weeks she starts to smile more and we'll catch in on camera.

She Ain't Heavy, She's Eilish's Mother

I had my postpartum physical today with my family doctor. All is well with my lady parts but the big news is the weight loss. Since my last appointment with Dr. Pervy, a week before Eilish was born, I've lost 33 pounds. The remaining weight has distributed itself around my mid-section and won't go away unless I start doing sit ups (so says the doc) and since most days I find it hard to fit in a shower, this belly will be with me for awhile. But if you're interested, here's how to lose 33 pounds in 6 weeks:

- Have a baby

- Don't eat

- Don't sleep

- Take hour long walks with your baby because stroller + baby = sleeping baby

- Live in a house with 2 sets of stairs and run up and down said stairs 100 times a day looking for things to make the baby stop crying

This weight loss regime costs less than Weight Watchers and if you don't mind crying everyday it might be the one for you!

Nap, nap, napper

For the first time in 5+ weeks I napped today when Eilish napped. I'm sure I'll pay for this later but damn, that was one good nap!

Doctor, Doctor

Today Eilish had a doctor's appointment and her paediatrician confirmed what we all knew - the girl likes to eat! She is now 10 pounds 6 ounces and measures in at 23 inches. Her next appointment is in 3 weeks and she'll be getting her first shots which means Daddy is going to that appointment. It's traumatic enough for me when she gets weighed (cold room + naked Eilish = tears) let alone getting a needle! She is in the 90-95th percentile with her weight, height and head measurement. If someone could explain to me what the heck that means, I'd appreciate it. Does it really mean anything other than give me something to brag about?

I also visited my own doctor today who confirmed that I never have to see Dr. Pervy again. My doc checked my incision (looks good) and will be doing my physical next week to confirm that all my lady parts are back in working order. Bye-bye Dr. Pervy - don't let the door hit you on the way out.

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Funny Thing Eilish Does #1 - Usually when I'm holding her, she looks right at me and makes my heart hurt with her cuteness. When she's pooping she won't make eye contact with me and makes her eyes all shifty like she owes me money.

Eilish and the Jets

I don't know very many nursery rhymes and the ones I do know I can usually only recite the first verse. The radio is on 24/7 at our house tuned into Q107 because it's the only station that comes in on the main floor and also because I'm a bit of a redneck. I've been singing to Eilish usually putting her name in many classic rock songs. For instance:
- Eilish and the Jets
- Purple Eilish (scuse me while I kiss this girl!)
- Cinnamon Eilish
- Stairway to Eilish
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Yesterday for the first time (but definitely not the last) at Paul & Diana's housewarming Eilish got the better of me. Regular readers of this blog have been lead to believe that all she does is cry and fuss and keep me sleep deprived. Well, she was a perfect angel yesterday from the time we left Eighth street to when we returned. In fact for the past 2 nights she has slept for more than 6 hours straight. I have to actually wake her up to feed her and then she sleeps for another 3 hours. Must be the Lane in her.

I've also written how being a mother is the hardest thing I've ever done. This is still true but I worry that I haven't adequately written or talked about how Eilish is the best thing I've ever done. When I tell family members not to rush into having children or say things like if she wasn't so cute I'd throw myself off the roof, I'm half kidding. Yes I second guess myself, yes I have judged other Mommy's and worry how I compare, but every time she looks in my eyes, or holds my finger when I'm feeding her it becomes crystal clear that Eilish is the best thing that has ever happened to Owen and I.

Then again, it might be the 6 hours sleep talking.

Lest Ye Be Judged

Pre-pregnancy - I don't believe those women who say they 'tried' to breastfeed and it didn't work. They obviously didn't try hard enough.
Post-pregnancy - I lasted 2 weeks pumping my breast milk after Eilish wouldn't latch on.

Pre-pregnancy - My baby will never have a soother.
Post-pregnancy - I lasted 3 days at home before hauling ass to Shoppers for a soother.

Pre-pregnancy - I will never give my baby Gripe Water. I should be able to help her alleviate her gas.
Post-pregnancy - Eilish had her first taste of Gripe Water yesterday.

I should have called this post 'Why I'm An Asshole'.

Random Thoughts from the Brink of Exhaustion

Last night, for the second time in 4 weeks I dreamt about feeding Eilish while 'sleeping' (it's not sleeping, it's cat napping) in between feedings. Then, when she wakes up to actually be fed I'm can't believe it because, 'hey, didn't I just feed you' - only to realize it was a dream - and I couldn't believe I had to do it again.

Speaking of feedings. I've fed that kid every 3-4 hours for the past 4 weeks which begs the question: Will she ever be full?

On Monday night Eilish spent her first night in her crib. I didn't sleep any longer but I definitely slept better not having her in our bedroom and if that makes me a bad Mama then so be it. She looked so small in the big crip in her jammies and sleep sack and I must have checked her 20 times and had the monitor on maximum. I can't believe someday she'll outgrow that crib.

Eilish cried pretty much all morning today - on and off from 7:30 to noon. This is new, it's never happened before, and I think it's gas related. Towards the end of her breakdown Owen came downstairs (he's back to work tonight so he slept in this morning- wouldn't want anyone to think he wasn't helping), took her from me, walked around, sang a song and made it all better. Sometimes a girl needs her Daddy even though her Mommy had been doing everything short of standing on her head to soothe her.

Eilish is about 5 minutes away to outgrowing 0-3 month baby clothes and I can fit into my pre-maternity jeans again. Funny to be watching her gain weight while trying to lose her birth weight from my body while living on a steady diet of toast and Cadbury Mini Eggs.

New Pictures Added

...from our (almost) week in K-town. Thanks to all our visitors and to Nanny, Poppy & Uncle Joel who sure know how to make a couple of girls from the Lakeshore feel loved.

If Eilish Could Speak

She would tell you:

When the air hits your moon, it's a perfect time to pee - all over your parent's bed because at 4am your mother is too lazy to bring you to your room to change you.

Just because you look uncomfortable doesn't mean you are - so your mother should stop picking at you.

After almost three weeks on the planet it's obvious that your mother is terrified of you - that you're not eating enough, that you're eating too much, that you're too quiet, that you'll never stop crying. You scare the shit out of her.

You'll never have any brothers and sisters because for as long as you sleep in your parent's room your Dad will be sleeping in the bunk bed room because Daddy says sleeping with you is like sleeping on the highway.

That she's happy she's in Kitchener this week - the more people fawning over her the better.

The Thing About the Cabbage

So, the cabbage in my bra - Donnie K., you might wanna skip this one.

I have a new found respect for women who successfully breast feed. I tried everything to get Eilish to latch on in the hospital including having about 5 nurses and a lactation specialist (how the hell do you get that title anyway?) fondle my fun pillows in an attempt to get the prettiest girl to latch on. Eilish just wasn't having it. They sent me home with an industrial breast pump and I proceeded to pump my breasts every 3 hours and bottle feed Eilish my good stuff. I continued to try to get her to latch on at home but as soon as she started crying my nipples did what can best be compared to a groundhog in a hole and spring wasn't coming if you know what I mean...hell, I don't even know what I mean but the point is Eilish wasn't latching.

The pumping/bottle feeding thing was going OK until Tuesday where my left breast pretty much gave up. No milk. Nada. No matter how often I pumped I just couldn't get anything. By Wednesday morning I was pumping 20 ml. at a time from the right breast and feeding it to my starving 9 pound 2 ounce baby. My supply just couldn't keep up with Eilish's demand. And then there was the crying.

My crying.

Daily.

To the point where Owen wasn't sure if he should go to work on Wednesday night.

I felt like I was doing Eilish a disservice. First I couldn't get her to latch on and now I couldn't even pump enough to keep her satisfied. Luckily we had a doctor's appointment with Eilish's pediatrician on Wednesday morning and after some more of my crying Dr. Starr, the antithesis of Dr. Pervy, assured me that formula fed babies thrive and recommended a formula for me to give her. We're 24 hours into the formula meals and things are going OK - Eilish is still getting used to it and is needing to burp more often which she is treating like the biggest injustice in her young life but she's eating and peeing and pooping so it's all good.

So, the cabbage in my bra.

When your mind decides to stop breast feeding or in our case bottle breast feeding your boobs take a little longer to get the message. So my boobs are fully engorged and because I'm not pumping the milk out it frigging hurts - like someone is stabbing me repeatedly in the chest. Judes recommended binding my boobs like Nan Kennedy did for her all those years ago, which I did yesterday and I've read that cold compresses work which I tried today but the number one relief I've gotten has come from cabbage. Good, old fashioned make me some oo-ka-lacki (how do you spell that?!) cabbage. You put cabbage in your bra and not only does it draw out the milk it also makes your milk dry up faster. The downside, which you can probably guess is the smell. Your boobs are little pressure cookers and when I first got a whiff I wondered who the hell had farted. Alas, the smell was my knockers.

And that is the thing about the cabbage.

Eilish - A Birth Story - Part 3 - Recovery

I guess I should explain where Eilish's name came from. Owen has loved the name Eilish since I met him. All those years ago he watched a documentary about conjoined twins in Ireland and one of them was named Eilish - pronounced Eye-lish, like eyelash. Since I've had baby fever pretty much since I met him I've known about - but not really liked - the name. During my pregnancy we spent a lot of time on the Baby Names of Ireland website which I've mentioned in many a post. When it came to the name Eilish, Frank McCourt pronounced it another way:
Ay-lish. I still wasn't over the moon for the name but definitely preferred the Ay to the Eye. Kennedy was a front-runner all along for obvious reasons but as my due date drew closer I started having reservations about it. Wouldn't people call her Ken? Kenny?

When she was delivered and Owen brought her over to me I asked her "is your name Kennedy?" and she cried. Then I asked, "is your name Eilish?" and I swear to god she cooed. Looking back it may have been all the meds but we named her Eilish Kennedy, pronounced
Ay-lish and have accepted the fact that she will have to spell and explain her unique name to everyone she meets. Then again, she'll be the only Eilish now won't she? Eilish is also derived from the name Elizabeth which is my middle name so it all came together in the end.

So back to the delivery....

The first person I saw as they wheeled me out of the OR with Eilish in my arms was Dr. Pervy who commented, "so, I guess you could do my job eh?". I have no idea what I said to him but he's lucky that Owen was so caught up in the baby or he would have flattened him. All those days in labour, all those sleepless nights for nothing. Had he done his job properly I could have scheduled my c-section and not gone through 3 days of hell. Dr. Pervy is an asshole.

Now, the second person I saw as they wheeled me out of the OR was Judes and...well, let's just say I've never heard her cry like that before. It was a great moment.

The rest of Eilish's birthday is a bit of a blur. I know I was in recovery for awhile before moving to what would be my room for most of my stay at Mt. Sinai. My roommate was a woman who spoke little English and had twin girls weighing 4.5 pounds each - so Eilish was the size of both of them! There were a lot of people from Social Services coming in and out of our room to talk to her so I guess she was having a rough time of it. Yet another reason I am blessed.

That first night was tough because I couldn't get out of bed so every time the baby cried I had to yell to Owen in the daddy's lounge or buzz for a nurse. Eilish and I didn't do much more than sleep that first night and her doctor - Dr. Starr came to visit and confirm what I already knew - that Eilish was perfect. We were in the hospital 3 nights with Judes & Donnie K. with me during the day and Owen with me at night and many visitors in between.

So there you have it finally, how Eilish came into the world. I want to thank everyone who came to visit us, both in the hospital and at home and for bringing her the beautiful presents. We're still adjusting to life at home but everyday is getting better and I'll try to keep posting when I can because you're all probably dying to know why I have cabbage in my bra.

Eilish - A Birth Story - Part 2

When we last left our hero (that would be me) she had just been offered an epidural. Contrary to popular belief, getting the epidural was virtually painless compared to the contractions I was having. Mom and Owen stayed in the room while I got the needle and it pretty much kicked in right away. My feet started getting tingly and that feeling traveled all the way up to my waist. Life was good.

I was told I'd have another 13 hours or so to go before the baby arrived and was advised to get some sleep. I sent Owen and Mom home to make some phone calls and settled in to relax before the big event. At 7:30 there was a nursing shift change and I was assigned the most wonderful nurses, Judith and a student nurse Kim. They were angels and I liked knowing that chances were they would be in the delivery room with us. Around 8, Judith told me that she was going to recommend that I be prescribed some medication to get my contractions coming a little stronger as they had spaced out after the epidural - we just had to wait for a Dr. to OK the call. Before administering the meds another doctor and her student (did I mention Mt. Sinai is a teaching hospital?) came in to check me and break my water as that sometimes moves things along. And that is where the shit hit the fan.

Once my water was broken the doctor checked me again, called for an ultra sound machine and determined the Eilish's bum was where her head should have been - Eilish was breach. "Jennifer, your baby is breach. You're going to have to have a c-section, probably within the next half an hour.". I was speechless. Actually, that's a lie - I had lots to say about how I knew throughout my whole pregnancy that what I was feeling under my ribs was way too hard to be a bum. I had asked Dr. Pervy at every visit if what I was feeling was the head and he assured me that it wasn't.

Every.

Visit.

I called Mom and Owen who were stuck on the Gardiner (it was 9am!) on their way back to me at the hospital and filled them in on the situation. I'm told that Owen broke numerous traffic laws to get back to me and when they did I was waiting to go into surgery. Mom wasn't able to be in the operating room and was relegated to a waiting room and Owen had to wait in the hall while I was prepped for surgery. They topped up the epidural and I immediately got a bad case of the shivers. They brought some warm blankets to put on my arms and head so when Owen was allowed in all he could see was my face. He sat down beside me and told me he was proud of me while my teeth chattered. I didn't feel them open me up but I did feel some pressure as they removed the baby and all the stuff that comes with a baby.

Eilish didn't cry when she came out but when they announced "It's a Girl" I screeched. As they cleaned her up I kept yelling out instructions to Owen: check her toes, check her fingers, is she cute? etc. When I got affirmative answers from him I stopped crying until they weighed her. We all gasped when the nurse said 9 pounds.

Owen wasn't allowed to leave the operating room and come back so I sent a nurse out to tell Judes that it was a girl and she was 9 pounds. We were another hour or so in the operating room while they 'cleaned me up' - I shudder to think what that meant.

Coming soon Eilish - A Birth Story - Part 3 - Recovery

Eilish - A Birth Story - Part 1

When I last updated before Eilish was born, it was Tuesday, her due date and I was having contractions. Let me give you a run-down on what really happened.

Monday March 12, 2007 - Owen's First Vacation Day
I had been having little contractions since Sunday so Owen and I went to walk around the mall to help me 'move things along'. Owen ended up buying a pair of 'expectant father' shoes which would come in handy just 2 days later. As the day progressed the contractions kept getting worse so I called Judes at 10pm and told her she better come to the big city because she might be a grandmother that night. Judes and Donnie K. arrived just after midnight.

Tuesday March 13, 2007 - Not a Good Day
Mom, Owen and I headed to Mount Sinai where I was only 1-2 centimeters dilated and was sent home around 5am. I went to see Dr. Pervy on Tuesday also, at 11am where he confirmed that although I was having contractions that were the ABSOLUTE WORST PAIN I HAVE EVER FELT IN MY LIFE I was still only 1-2 centimeters dilated. He went so far as to say these type of contractions could go on for weeks. I spent the better part of Tuesday night in and out of the bathtub (seriously I had like a bath an hour) and crying to Owen that I could not believe that I wasn't in labour and that the pain was way too much for me to handle. Fast forward to 4am on...

Wednesday March 14, 2007 - Best Day Ever
I woke Mom and Owen and told them that I had to go back to the hospital and beg them not to send me home. I spent the ride to the hospital in the fetal position in the back seat whimpering like an animal. The doctor in triage confirmed that I was 3 centimeters dilated and that I would not be sent home. Then the clouds opened and the heavens sang because he offered me the glorious epidural.

Coming soon Eilish - A Birth Story - Part 2 - Where everything happened the complete opposite of how it was supposed to happen.

Pictures

Instead of sending them via email I'm going to keep adding pictures of Eilish to my Flickr account. It's much easier to do it this way plus everyone gets to see what everyone else is seeing.

Thanks to everyone who visited and called to check in on The Connell's. Things are getting better everyday.

Eilish Kennedy Connell

Born: Wednesday March 14, 2007 12:10 pm
Weight: 9 pounds
Length: 21 inches
Looks Like: Her Dad

Follow this link http://www.flickr.com/photos/tworedlines/or the Flickr link on the toolbar to take a look at our new addition as well as some post-epidural pictures of Ma Con who delivered via c-section as Eilish decided she'd like to meet us bum first.

Due Date

Long story short...

Contractions: Yes
Every half hour or so, lasting around 30 seconds, and they are no fun. I've been having them since yesterday evening but they aren't doing what they are supposed to yet because....
Centimeters Dilated: 2
3 people have confirmed it and those of you who know how they check that sort of thing, a moment of silence please.
Number of Judes in the House: 1
Ma arrived last night.

I'm off to take a much needed nap since I've only been sleeping in between contractions and visits to the doctor.

More updates to come if needed - I'm hoping the next update y'all get will be the baby is here and we've finally agreed on a name (well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad!).

Maternity Leave - Day 1

I am officially finished my vacation for 2007 and am on to maternity leave without a baby to...maternity? Today also marks the start of Owen's vacation so now we both get to sit around and try to coax Junior out. We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow to see how things are going so I'll update again then.

Keep those baby dreams coming, I love to hear them!

Dear Junior (AKA 39 Weeks)

Dear Junior,

According to my weekly updates you currently weigh over 7 pounds and measure in at 20 inches. Read that sentence again. You are 7 pounds and 20 inches. Don't you think it's time we came to an agreement? Say, you'll come out soon (like this weekend perhaps) and I'll stop doing whatever it is I'm doing that's keeping you in there this long in the first place.

Is it the bad TV? Do you think that adding Dawson's Creek to the PVR list was too much? You're like, jeez Ma you're 32 years old isn't the Pacey-Dawson-Joey love triangle a little juvenile? You probably thought I hit rock bottom TV wise when Party of Five entered our daily watching schedule. Little did you know just how bad my taste in television really was.

Maybe it's not the TV - maybe you really like what I've been eating and figure, hey why leave now, she might eat another dozen Rice Krispie squares tomorrow - let's wait and find out! Well, if you arrive this weekend I promise that once you're old enough to ingest all that marshmallowy goodness I'll make them whenever you want. Day or night. I know, I know, how can I promise something that won't really kick in until you're at least 3 but Mama's got a great memory and at this point I am desperate. I haven't seen my bikini line in like 5 months.

Maybe it's not the TV or the food, maybe it's the cold weather we've been having. Maybe you don't like the cold - I totally get that. Well, on Saturday it's supposed to be +5 - wouldn't that be a nice day to make your appearance? No ice storms, no -21 degree weather.

Maybe it's not the TV, the food or the weather. Perhaps it's because today was your Poppy Kennedy's birthday and tomorrow is your Uncle Kevin's birthday. You might want a day of your own. Again, I suggest Saturday. You'll have a day all to yourself! You'll still be a Pisces and as far as the Connell-Kennedy's go, you won't have to share your day with anyone else. It's all yours baby!

Finally, if it's not the TV, food, weather OR your desire to have a day to yourself, the only thing I can figure is that you're mad at me for all the dancing I've done over the past few days. I am telling you Junior, it's really not my fault. Justin Timberlake brought SexyBack for goodness sakes! Even though your father believes sexy really hadn't gone anywhere, there is no denying that that is one hell of a catchy tune! Take it to the bridge!

Junior, I've loved you since the moment the sticks showed two red lines and a plus sign. I'm just really, really, really anxious to meet you and think that this weekend would be a great time for us to be formally introduced. I'll be the one crying, your Dad will be the one passed out on the floor and the lady alternatively crying and tending to Daddy will be your Nanny (don't let her talk you into calling her Grammy).

So go ahead, make my day.

Love Mama

The Real Reason Junior Hasn't Arrived Yet

Baby Connell had to wait for his or her coming home sweater set from Nan & Pop Lane to arrive!

Braxton Hicks

Braxton Hicks contractions/false labour are named for a fancy English doctor (John Braxton Hicks circa 1842) and give you all the pain of regular transactions without the joy of a baby at the end. Judes, Donnie K. and Owen were witness to said contractions all day yesterday where I thought for sure Junior was a comin'. The transactions came every hour or so, making my stomach really hard and they took my breath away. They were like menstrual cramps times 10 (which Doctor Pervy had warned) but didn't get worse as they progressed or come at more frequent intervals so we knew it wasn't the real deal.

Every time someone when to get a beer (Owen & Donnie K.) or a cocktail (Judes) it was always preceded with a direct question to me, "are you having this baby tonight?". Owen said go ahead and go into labour since he'd gotten some sleep, Donnie K. said hold off going into labour since he'd already changed into his comfy clothes and Judes...well, Judes would look at me over her glass of rye and ginger from time to time and mouth the words "are you OK?". Was I OK? I have no idea. I can tell you that I was scared, a little nervous and kind of excited at the prospect of having the baby yesterday and woke up this morning pain free and a little disappointed that I didn't get to meet Junior yet.

All the preparations have been made: bags are packed, phone numbers have been collected and I was given a small taste of things to come.

Holy shit, I'm going to be a mother.

38 Weeks

Baby Connell weighs between 6 and 7 1/2 pounds, is between 19 and 20 inches long and is taking this whole 40 weeks of pregnancy quite literally, Mama Connell has pretty much accepted that she will never be comfortable again and has taken to sleeping on the couch and Papa Connell just wants Baby Connell to hold out for one more week until he's on vacation making Papa Connell no friend to Mama Connell.

I have nothing else to add this week. I'm big, I'm uncomfortable and I complain all day long to whoever will listen to me. Owen's been getting the brunt of my complaints and is quite serious when he asks if there is anything he can do to help and I love him for that.

I am (weather permitting) having some visitors today and tomorrow who can witness my glowing personality first hand and gaze upon the glory that is my stretch marks. Talk about birth control! One glance at my belly and y'all will be celibate!

For the Last Time

This is a Grammy:

This is a Nanny:

Dr.'s Appointment

Today I had my weekly appointment with Dr. Pervy. Today is officially 38 weeks and I was half hoping he'd do an internal exam to let me know where I'm at (this is how badly I want things to happen - I'm wishing on internal exams. My, how the mighty have fallen). Anyway, turns out Dr. Pervy is some sort of hippy dippy brotha who believes in nature taking it's course. Translation - no internal for me until I hit 40 weeks.

I'm going to post a picture this week so y'all can tell me if you think I've 'dropped'. If I can't get the doctor to diagnose when Junior's coming, I might as well let ya'll have a crack at it!

37 Weeks

Baby Connell is considered full term this week, weighing over 6 pounds and measuring in at 19 inches, Mama Connell got all domestic and has been sending Papa Connell off to work with lunch and making him breakfast when he comes home in the morning, Papa Connell appreciates Mama Connell's transformation into June Cleaver and has never once complained that the only way she knows to cook an egg is by scrambling it.

This was my first full week off work and to be honest it felt like a long weekend. I didn't do much other than laundry and a bit of cleaning and have spent the days that Owen is sleeping (Thursday & Friday) wandering around various malls trying to keep 'active'. I put active in quotations because I don't know if my waddle-walk classifies as active movement.

On Tuesday I held Lee Ann's brand new baby boy Michael while Junior kicked beneath him. Michael is a little prince and rewarded my kisses by farting his ass off. Speaking of farting, every time I think I'm having labour pains it turns out I just have gas. Looks like I've come to the part in my blogging career where nothing is off-limits and until Junior arrives y'all will no doubt be getting updates on my various bodily functions.

Judes is finally feeling better this week after having bodily function issues of her own and has her bag packed for when Junior arrives. She also had some advice for me today to speed up Junior's arrival and let's just say her advice pretty much guarantees that Junior will be an only child.

I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday where Dr. Pervy will tell me that everything is fine and I should just go home and wait until Junior's ready to arrive.

Anybody want to cast their predictions? Am I going to go early, late or right on time (March 13)?

It's A Good Thing I'm Cute

Yesterday at my weekly doctor's appointment:

Dr Pervy: Everything looks good, nice strong heart beat, the head's where it should be. Do you have any questions?

Jen: Uh, yeah. How will I know I'm having contractions?

Dr Pervy (leaning in and looking me straight in the eyes): Oh, you'll know.

Maternity Leave - Day 1

To be accurate, I am currently on vacation. The only difference between this and previous vacations is that previous vacations usually ended with a tan and this one will end with a baby. Maternity leave doesn't officially start until March 12 - whether Junior's here or not. Call it whatever you want but today was the first day of a brand new life for me.

I started the day at 11:30 this morning. I had gone to bed Sunday night just after 1 a.m. and woke up at least 3 times that I can remember to go to the bathroom. I made the mistake of telling Owen that I felt dizzy the previous night when I got up suddenly to empty my bladder, so last night every time I woke up to pee, he woke up to tell me to be careful. The dizziness is something new in my pregnancy but now I know why they tell pregnant women not to ride bicycles - your balance is way off. Occasionally in the bath when I make a sudden movement I see stars which is better than seeing birdies I guess but both make me feel like I'm in a Loony Toons cartoon.

This weekend Owen and I were discussing the stages of labour and I told him that it's hard for me to wrap my head around what contractions are going to feel like. Even with all I've read about them I have a feeling it is hard to accurately describe to someone how contractions feel unless you've experienced them yourself. How do you describe pain? I've broken a bone and sprained my ankle but it would be hard for me to tell someone how the pain felt. Owen summed it up for me when he said, "well, I've never been shot but I know that it would hurt".

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning and am in my 37th week of pregnancy. To be honest, I'm ready for this baby to come. Owen, being again my voice of reason said to leave the baby alone. Just because I'm always in a hurry, Junior doesn't have to be. Let the baby stay a little longer in my belly and grow a little more before making his or her debut.

Being in a hurry to get things done doesn't sound like me does it, Andrea & The Duhart?

36 Weeks

Baby Connell weighs almost 6 pounds and is a little less than 19 inches, and that's all that matters today MY LAST DAY OF WORK! As a reminder as of Monday morning I won't have access to email so please keep in touch by using jennifer.connell@rogers.com.


As for the belly picture, Paula took it last night after Survivor Thursday and confirmed what I suspected last week - that sir, is a stretch mark. If you look at the belly picture on Flickr I actually point it out for you. I guess I can't complain, getting this far without one. My stomach finally waved the white flag and surrendered to Junior.


I plan to update my blog while I'm off to keep everyone up to date on what's shaking at Casa Connell. I half jokingly told Owen that the moment my water breaks, I'll be online telling everyone. So keep reading, this is where it starts getting good.

Moo

Do you know what happens when you go to the doctor 2 weeks ago and they tell you you've lost 3 pounds? You get cocky. Do you know what happens when you get cocky? You eat an entire chocolate cake. Do you know what happens when you eat an entire chocolate cake and go back to the doctor for your bi-weekly check-up? YOU GAIN 7 POUNDS!!!!! Dr. Pervy wasn't worried about the weight gain seeing as I've only gained 14 pounds since I've been seeing him, but holy shit - that's .5 pounds a day everyday for the last 14 days.

This doctor's appointment was very enlightening and not only for the weight gain update. For the last week or so I've been feeling something hard in my belly and deduced that it was the baby's head. When I asked Dr. Pervy about it he filled me in on a little secret - what I am feeling is the baby's butt! The head is down around my pelvis - where it should be. So yeah, not only am I a big ol' heifer, I'm also a little slow. Today's appointment also included a swab that I had to do to myself and if you want any details about it, you'll have to email me because I have maybe 3 male readers of this blog and there are some things they just don't need to know!

Last night Owen and I had our hospital tour so when the big day comes we're not wandering around Mount Sinai with our knees pressed together (me, not Owen). The tour was very informative, my only complaint is the tour guide/nurse decision to use the term 'vag' as in ,'if you have a caesarean or vag delivery'. I am far from a prude and have been known to throw many an f-bomb but there was something about the word 'vag' that made my skin crawl.

We saw admitting (1st floor), delivery (7th floor) and recovery (10th floor). We learned about how many mother's choose to have an epidural (89%), how many anesthesiologist are on duty (3 during the day, 2 at night) and how long a woman would generally have to wait to get an epidural (maximum time - 30 minutes). Once in recovery, we are allowed 2 visitors at a time and Owen is not considered a visitor - he can stay 24/7. The tour guide/nurse said that first time moms who are nursing usually stay at the hospital 2 nights for a vaginal birth and 3 to 4 nights for a c-section.

All in all, I'd definitely recommend the hospital tour. It was nice to take a look at where we'll be in 4 short weeks....holy cow....4 weeks....pass the chocolate cake.

THIS IS NOT OUR BABY - Michael James Coon

My friend Lee Ann had her baby on Thursday morning. Michael James was two weeks early and weighed in at 6lbs 10oz. Congrats to Lee Ann & Jamie!

35 Weeks

Baby Connell weighs over 5 pounds and is just over 18 inches long, Mama Connell can't remember the last time she was comfortable and Papa Connell has eBay fever and is selling his precious hockey cards online.

Next week is my last week of work so you can imagine how productive I've been the last couple days. I've trained my replacement, run my reports and am cruising through next week with a series of lunch dates.

So 5 more weeks until Junior makes an appearance. I'm going to go on record to say that I think I'll deliver earlier than my due date, mostly because pregnancy has worn out it's welcome and I'm dying to meet the little one who's been kicking the crap out of me the last few months. Owen's calling for March 11 whereas I think it could be earlier than that. I have an ultra sound coming up so we'll see if Junior's made his or her decent into my pelvis (shudder).

Owen and I have the hospital tour on Monday after work and I have my bi-weekly appointment with Dr. Pervy on Tuesday.

I hope to have a new picture to post next Friday. I'll make Owen zoom in on what I think might be a stretch mark on my belly. As soon as Aunt Maureen and Lori commented about how good I looked and where were the stretch marks ol' stretchy appeared. I showed Paula the mark during Survivor Thursday last night and she's not convinced it even is one. If I get through this pregnancy mark-free I'll have to chalk it up to good genes and my nightly application of Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Butter for Stretched Skin.

Remember when all I talked about was new shoes? Yeah, I miss those days too.

When Baby Books Are Your Friend

I've noticed lately that Junior hasn't been moving as much as he/she usually does. There are still the occasional kicks but nothing like I experienced a month ago. After consulting the book that I had long ago put away, I learned that there was a very logical explanation for the lack of movement: Junior's getting too big for his/her britches.

Because Junior is growing so fast these last couple of weeks, there isn't as much room in my uterus as their used to be. According to the book, my uterus is 15 times its original volume and since Junior is pushing about 5+ pounds this week (update tomorrow), no wonder he/she isn't doing somersaults anymore.

So my advice to anyone planning on starting a family - avoid the baby books until you're at least 25 weeks along. Anything before that is bad news, anything after can be helpful - which is not to say that I'm reading the Labor & Delivery chapter. The less I know about that, the better off I'll be.

Living Like Rock Stars

Evening of Monday February 5, 2007

5:00 pm- Arrive home from work.

5:15 pm - Go to Post Office to pick up a free gift from Nestle. I don't remember requesting a free gift from Nestle but I do love getting mail so everyone wins.

5:30 - 6:00 pm - Discuss possible baby names, (Owen liked 2 of the 3 girls names I presented. Unfortunately the one he didn't like was the one I really liked [Avery]. And the beat goes on.) and listen to Simon & Garfunkle. Explain to Owen why the song 'America' makes me cry.

6:00 - 6:30 pm - Eat Dinner.

6:30 - 7:00 pm - Watch Everybody Loves Raymond. Decide I don't really like Everybody Loves Raymond.

7:00 - 7:30 pm - WHEEL! OF! FORTUNE! Did you know that Vanna's from Charleston South Carolina?

7:30 pm - Skip Jeopardy (Teen Tournament - boo!) I have a bath and join Owen in bed. He leaves after half an hour to sleep in the bunk bed room because I am snoring like a trucker. Riddle me this: How can I be snoring when I haven't fallen asleep yet?!

Moral of the Story: There are residents at Mom's work who rock harder than we do.

Nursery Pictures

Before and after pictures of the nursery are available by following this link http://www.flickr.com/photos/tworedlines/sets/72157594517797689/ or selecting 'Photos' under 'Links' and selecting 'Nursery'.

Thanks to Judes & Donnie K. for all their help this weekend.

Funniest part? Owen announcing that he had a very important board meeting....while holding a board.

Maybe you had to be there.

34 Weeks

Baby Connell weighs about 4 3/4 pounds and is probably almost 18 inches long, Mama Connell is slowly getting over her cold, and Papa Connell is looking forward to the new season of Rent a Goalie because the Esposito brothers will be at his work.

On Thursday I met Dr. Star who will be Junior’s doctor. I am head over heels in love with this woman. Her enthusiasm over our unborn child was infectious and she made it seem that she had been waiting for the Connell’s her whole life. Compared to my 2-minute visits with Dr. Pervy, this woman was a godsend. Dr. Star will visit Junior and I in the hospital and give the thumbs up for Junior to come home. I am so looking forward to her taking care of our baby I can’t even tell you.

This weekend is a big one at Casa Connell – we will be getting the nursery ready (I’ll be posting before and after pics next week). Owen and Dad will be painting and putting the furniture together while Judes and I visit the Price Club and purchase a year’s supply of diapers and wipes. You may not know this about me (this isn’t the lead up to a joke – some of you might actually be surprised) but I really, really, really like being organized. The day Owen brought home a filing cabinet was a banner day at our house. I filed and alphabetized 6 years of paper work and can at a moment’s notice, present you with out tax information from 2001. Need more proof of my organizational skills?

- Junior’s clothing is organized by size. Drawer 1 houses 0-3 months, Drawer 2 houses 3-6 months and Drawer 3 holds an assortment of clothing from 6 – 12 months. Anything bigger than that is hanging in the closet.

- I have a folder called “Junior” in which I’ve filed all pertinent paper work including: birth certificate information, passport applications, daycare information and any other paper work obtained throughout my pregnancy and that is of course filed in the filing cabinet.

- Junior’s diaper bag is packed and I have outfits and travelling wear that cover any type of weather the day might bring. Inside the diaper bag is a checklist for the diaper bag so when the time comes I’ll already know I have everything. Once I finish my own hospital bag a similar checklist will go in it to ensure I don’t show up without my granny panties.

- I have baskets of various sizes to help organize the nursery. Baskets for diapers, baskets for face cloths, baskets for….baskets.

Forget being organized. I have OCD and need help.

Memories

I have no recollection of Nan & Pop Kennedy visiting Kitchener (or going to Bingeman Park) but here is photographic evidence that they did. This picture had to have been taken in 1979 or 1980 given how small Joel is (check out Donnie K's goatee!). The woman beside Judes is my Aunt Claudine and the little girl beside me is my cousin Jodi.

When I showed Owen this picture he told me he had the same outfit when he was a kid and commented that I looked like a boy. Maybe there's something to this pink is for girls, blue is for boys thing.

Monday January 29, 2007 2am

Let me set the scene. I'm in the bathroom for the 5th time that night and Owen is on his way to bed (night shift worker that he is, he rarely comes to bed with me):

Jen: Lover?
Owen: Yeah?
Jen: Can you bring me a bottle of water and a granola bar?
Owen: Bottle of water and granola bar?
Jen: Yeah.
Owen: (back down the stairs for the goods, back up the stairs where he meets me outside the bathroom door) Here you go ___ (insert nickname that I can't tell you about because frankly, you wouldn't understand AND I made him promise a) not to call me it in public and b) never, ever tell anyone that he calls me this).

So, now we're back in bed:

Jen: I cannot believe I have to get up and go to work (I've had a cold the past couple days).
Owen: Just close your eyes and get a few good hours in.
Jen: Before my bladder woke me I was having a dream about Jim on The Office.
Owen: The Office?
Jen: Yeah, the TV show.
Owen: The tall guy?
Jen: Yeah.
Owen: Well, I'm going to have a dream about Heidi Klum.
Jen: Mine wasn't a sex dream.
Owen: Well, mine's gonna be!

After some silence:

Jen: I can't get comfortable, Junior keeps kicking me.
Owen: Come on, you love it. They're gonna be a soccer star.
Jen: Every time Junior kicks me , I'm going to kick you.
Owen: And here I brought you breakfast in bed.

And so I snuggled into him, the boy I've known for 16+ years, the man I married 2+ years ago and the father to the baby that was kicking the shit out of me. And life was good.

____________________________________________________________________

I had a doctor's appointment this morning. Although Junior is growing wonderfully, I've lost 3 pounds since my last visit 2 weeks ago. I told Dr. Pervy that it's ironic that before I was pregnant, I couldn't lose 3 pounds in two weeks if I tried. I've had a cold the past couple days so that accounts for the weight loss but I was a little concerned that I haven't gained any weight in the last month or so and trust me, I've been eating! The thing is, I've been eating healthier now than I ever have! Maybe my body is shocked at the sheer amount of good stuff it's receiving! Dr. Pervy assured me that the baby was fine, was a good size etc. so we'll see what happens next on my next appointment on February 13. Either way, I see a lot of trips to Dairy Queen in Owen's future!

33 Weeks

I don't think you're ready for this belly...





Baby Connell weighs a little over 4 pounds and measures in at 17 inches, Mama Connell has entered the ‘uncomfortable’ stage of her pregnancy and Papa Connell’s dinner choices have been at the mercy of Mama Connell’s ever-raging appetite.

33 weeks. 7 more to go if Baby goes full term. Sometimes it feels like I’ve been pregnant forever and other times I wish I had a few more months to let it all sink in. I’ve been concentrating on my last day of work (21 days as of today) and not so much on the pending delivery. I feel like there is still so much to do. According to the weekly pregnancy emails I get from babycenter.com I should have my bags packed for the hospital. My bag and baby's bag. Lee Ann gave me a list of items to pack that her doctor gave to her (Dr. Pervy is a slacker).

For Mom:
- Comfortable clothing/track suit (check)
- 2 –3 nightgowns - in case one gets…um…’stuff’ on it (check)
- Bath robe and slippers (I think I’m going to skip this one. I’ll bring my birks or something in case I do any walking around but I’m not bringing 2-3 sets of pyjamas AND a robe. (check)
- 4-5 pairs of underwear – not thongs – well, duh (check)
- Toiletries (check)
- 20 overnight maxi pads (oh Lordy – after 8+ months of not having a period I’m really not looking forward to this part)
- A favourite pillow - exactly how long do they think I’m staying?
- Snacks – who is doing the snacking? Owen & Judes?!
- Clothes for going home - should be something that fit me when I was 6 months pregnant (check)

For Baby:
- 20 diapers (check)
- Wipes (check)
- Cotton knitted hat (check)
- Vaseline (check)
- Clothes for going home – well, I’ve got what Nan sent so I still need something for Junior to wear under that. Andrea said it’s good luck for a baby to come home in yellow. Maybe I’ll use one of the shower gifts for this one.
- Car seat (check) - We bought the stroller/car seat the weekend of my shower and Judes & Donnie K are delivering it next Saturday. I’m going to practice putting a doll in the car seat to figure out how it works. Something tells me the day Junior comes home isn’t the best time to figure out a car seat!

I’ve added a few things to the list including our camera, phone numbers, smelling salts for Owen and my own epidural in case they run out by the time I get there.

He Loves Me*

5 Words:

Late.

Night.

Ice.

Cream.

Run.

* or alternatively, he's afraid of me.

Eating & Sleeping - The Most Boring Post Ever

Last night Owen and I went to Jack Astor's for dinner. I had been craving their chicken bow tie pasta all day long and it didn't take much to convince Owen to abandon our original dinner plans, which was a stir-fry. Given the speed with which I ate the pasta it is safe to say that I've entered the "all eating, all the time" phase of my pregnancy. Once the pasta arrived, I politely offered Owen some and once he declined - well, let's just say it was a good thing he kept his hands away from my knife in fork. The same thing happened last time we ordered pizza. Owen can usually bank on me leaving him a few slices of my side of the pizza but not this time. He was working on his second slice and I had finished my half – crust included.

The reason for the increased grazing is not only that Junior is growing rapidly but also because I’m starting to feel the nausea again that I experienced during my first trimester. The only thing that makes me feel better is shovelling food into my mouth. I’m halfway through my lunch today and it’s only 10:30!

One of the more positive things that are happening these days is my ability to sleep. A lot of mother’s at work have been telling me how uncomfortable they were when they were at 33 weeks pregnant. I (knock wood) have absolutely no problems sleeping. In fact I’m sleeping better now than I ever have probably because I’m so tired by the time I hit the sheets. This morning I even got up before the alarm went off which is unheard of at Casa Connell. Even Owen said, “Where are you going? The alarm didn’t go off!” So, yeah – Employee of the Month over here.

All the eating and sleeping is why I haven't been posting as often as I'd like to. When your life revolves around your kitchen and your bedroom you tend to lose your blogging touch!

Coming up this week - Belly pictures! I promise!

32 Weeks

Baby Connell is almost 4 pounds and measures in at 17 inches, Mama Connell went to the doctor this week and while she hadn't gained any weight since her last visit, Dr. Pervy said she was the "perfect size" for 32 weeks, and Papa Connell has come down with some sort of Guinness induced 24 hour flu.

This week Owen removed all of the clutter from what is going to be the nursery. The clutter was mostly things from his dad's house; old pictures etc. Amongst those old pictures we came across 6 of Owen as a baby. Being the youngest of 5 children pretty much guarantees you won't get very much camera time but the pictures are adorable and show that Owen was a pretty chubby baby. Grandma Connell can't remember exactly how big Owen was when he was born so I'm beginning to worry that Junior is going to be some sort of behemoth!

Judes & Donnie K are coming out the first weekend of February to help us get the nursery ready. Dad & Owen going to paint, put together the crib and change table and hang some pictures and Judes and I are going to shop for the few remaining items we need for Junior's arrival. I'll be sure to take lots of before and after pictures.

Last night Owen had a mini panic attack after he picked me up at the Go Station, worrying about what we need to do before the baby comes. I told him everything was under control other than the fact that if Junior's a girl she will be nameless. Thus started Battle of the Names Part Infinity. And that's a story for another day.

I owe you guys a belly picture so I'll get Owen to take one this weekend.

31 Weeks

Baby Connell measures about 16 inches long, weighs a little over 3 pounds and is headed for a growth spurt, Mama Connell noticed that the baby had the hiccups Wednesday night and wondered what could possibly so funny in utero, and Papa Connell said that Mama Connell should not be blaming Baby Connell for her messed up sleeping habit which frankly is b.s. If I can’t blame Junior, who can I blame?

This week I found a paediatrician for Junior, which was a load off my mind. My own female doctor does not treat infants and Dr. Pervy’s relationship with me ends pretty much when Junior makes his debut. Junior’s doctor is Dr. Star, which is an awesome name. I meet her February 1 and then the next time I see her will be at the hospital when Junior arrives. I’m looking forward to meeting a doctor who for once won’t be poking and prodding at me. Next on the baby to do list is call day cares. I’m not kidding. You have to call while you’re still pregnant as the majority of day cares have waiting lists. The good news is with Owen’s work schedule we’ll only need day care part time – Wednesday afternoon, all day Thursday and Friday once I go back to work. It is hard to still be at work, counting down the days until I’m off work, only to organize what will happen to the child I haven’t even had yet once I come back to work. Try to wrap your head around that one. It ain’t easy.

I have a doctor’s appointment this coming Tuesday as part of my bi-weekly visits to Dr. Pervy. I’ve said it before and have been wrong but this time I know I’ve gained weight since my last visit 2 weeks ago. My maternity tops are starting to ride up while my maternity bottoms are heading south. On the walk to Union Station yesterday I felt a slight breeze and realized that one inch of my glowing white (and somewhat hairy – thank you hormones!) belly was showing. I’m also running out of Owen’s t-shirts to wear and might be sporting some of his hockey jerseys for the last 9 weeks (holy shit!) of my pregnancy.

Looking forward to seeing everyone this Sunday at my shower. I can’t thank everyone enough for all the support I’ve received on my journey so far. I am blessed.

Scenes from the 501

On Thursday and Friday mornings, I take the TTC to work as Owen has the car at his work. I take the 501 Norville Park streetcar down Lakeshore/Queensway/Queen St. to Yonge and then I walk down Yonge to Adelaide to get to my building. Taking the streetcar automatically puts me in a bad mood. The GO train is a much more civilised form of travel and 40+ minutes on the streetcar seems like an eternity compared to 16 minutes on the GO. There was no shortage of things to piss me off this morning on the 501:

- To the missus standing in front of me. OK, so you don't have a seat. Is it really neccessary for you to lean your big ol' gut into me everytime someone tries to get by you?

- Oh, and 'lady'? How could you possibly smell like salami at 8:15 in the morning?

- To the dude in the front seat by the driver - do you really have to spit your chewed apple out on the floor of the streetcar?

- To anyone with a beverage. When you are finished with said beverage, please do not put the bottle on the floor so it rolls up and down the streetcar everytime we hit a bump in the road. There are garbage cans all over this city - use them.

- To the mother with the stroller - it's rush hour. Do not huff and puff because a) no one helped you on the street car, b) no one gave up their seat for you, c) there is nowhere to park your giant stroller while your 2 year old kid screams its head off. (Readers, I am aware that in 2 short months I will have a stroller. If I have to take the TTC anywhere it will be after 10 am and before 3 pm. This is not my first rodeo.)

- To the yuppie (TM Suz) talking on his cell phone LOUDLY, I get it, you are VERY important.

- To the mentally ill woman mumbling to herself 3 seats over. You did not bother me, you just make me sad. I hope someone is taking care of you.

- To the woman sitting behind me. You touched the back of my head no less than 3 times this morning. I have no idea what you were doing back there but keep your hands to yourself.

Kisses, JC

A Day in the Life of My Stomach

I am so very hungry today. Here's a list of what I've consumed - be sure to check in for updates if you're into this type of thing which obviously I am!

5:30 am - 2 Blueberry Eggos, 2 glasses of apple juice, 1 bottle of water (yes 5:30 am - I went to bed at 7:30 last night)
9:30 am - 1 bowl of cereal, 1 bottle of water
10:00 am - 1 Wild Cherry Life Saver
10:25 am - 1 apple, 1 bottle of water
11:00 am - 4 oreo cookies
11:01 am - 1 bottle of water, 1 Wild Cherry Life Saver
12 - 1 pm - 1 Lean Cuisine, 1 orange, 1 yogurt, 1 pudding, 1 bottle of water (it's now 1:19 pm and I swear I could eat a large pizza all by myself)
3:30 pm - 1 Boston Cream donut, 1 Pepsi, 3 Wild Cherry Life Savers (so much for Judes comment!)
6:30 pm - 1 tuna sandwich, 1 handful of Doritos, 1 handful of peanut M&Ms, 1 bottle of water (the day started out so well and kinda tapered off when I got home - we'll blame it on Junior!)

30 Weeks

Baby Connell is more than 15 inches long and weighs almost 3 pounds, Mama Connell was “sick” on Friday and Papa Connell can’t believe this baby is coming in less than 10 weeks.

Not much new to report this week. I got my maternity leave approved so the countdown to February 16 is on! I think I mentioned in a previous post that this is my 10-year anniversary at work so I received an email with a catalogue of things I could order as a gift for all of my hard work (hardly working). After much discussion with Owen (who’s holding out for the 15 year catalogue which includes golf clubs) I went ahead and ordered the Bushnell microscope. The other choices were jewellery that wasn’t really my style and a cutlery set which we don’t need as we received one from the Fredericks’ for our wedding. So a telescope it is – all the better to spy on the neighbours!

This weekend is chock full of baby showers. Lee Ann’s shower is Saturday and mine is on Sunday. I’m so excited and can’t believe the people who are coming to Judes’ to celebrate Junior’s arrival. Baby Connell is so loved already and they aren’t even here yet!

I’m going to follow Andrea’s lead and open a Flickr account to post pictures starting next week with the shower shots. It’s easier than sending emails and this way everyone can view them whenever they want. Stay tuned!