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!

Just For Fun

We conceived in June when I was 31. According to this it's a girl!

The Weight

I had a doctor's appointment this morning. I'm up 3 pounds which isn't too bad considering the all Turtle diet I was on over Christmas. That brings my weight gain up to 10 pounds since I've been seeing Dr. Pervy (plus whatever I gained in the first 3 months which was probably another 3 pounds) which is "good". I had been worried that I hadn't gained enough weight considering that I've only got 10 weeks to go which is hilarious considering I spent the better part of my pre-pregnancy time beating myself up over being over weight. The doctor felt and measured my belly and then we listened to the heart beat which is officially the best part of being pregnant. Junior can move around all he/she wants but it's not until that I hear the heartbeat that it all seems real. That woosh, woosh is worth all the indigestion, the itchy belly and the fact that I haven't seen my bikini line in months.

I also had a lab appointment today to see if I had developed diabetes while pregnancy. You go to the lab and they give you this orange fizzy stuff to drink (which wasn't too bad, I was thirsty and it was cold) and then you go back an hour later and they take blood. Mt. Sinai officially has more of my blood then I do. The lab staff and they are always very friendly and gentle considering that they stick people with needles all the live long day.

Starting today I see the doctor every two weeks until closer to my due date when I go every week. I'm sure Dr. Pervy will see a change in me the more time we spend together. No more Ms. Nice Girl who has no questions and no problems with her pregnancy. As time goes by and the visits get more frequent, he'll be hit with the hard stuff like a sworn affidavit that he fully supports my birth plan - that is to be blitzed out of my mind on epidural from the moment I step foot in the hospital.

Battle of the Baby Names Part 6 - Where My Head Explodes

The Scene:
Basement at Casa Connell
Owen watching the Leafs
Jen looking for baby girl names on babynetwork.com

Jen: Sine, Sinead, Siobhab, Sorcha, onto the T's: Talulla, Tara, Tierney....
Owen: Talulla?
Jen: (laughing) Yeah, Talulla.
Owen: That's a pretty name.
Jen: Talulla? You like Talulla?
Owen: It's pretty. Very feminine.
Jen: TAA-LUUUU-LAHHH? You like Talulla?
Owen: Yeah.
Jen: Talulla Connell. Of all the names I've given you, Talulla's the winner?
Owen: I'm just saying I like the name.
Jen: (Abort mission! Think Jen, think. How are you getting out of Talulla?!) Well, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore named one of their daughters Talulla.
Owen: Oh. Well forget that then. It's still pretty though.
Jen: They named another one of their daughters Scout. Now, Scout I like.
Owen: Scout Connell? In your dreams Kennedy.

After that exchange we came down to the heart of the matter. Papa Connell likes feminine names for girls and doesn't like using last names as first names. Mama Connell likes using last names for first names and likes less feminine names for girls.

Readers, do not be surprised that this baby, if it is a girl, remains nameless until she can pick her own damn name.

29 Weeks

Baby Connell weighs 2 1/2 pounds and measures in at 15 inches head to heel, Mama Connell's maternity clothes fit a whole lot differently than they did when they were bought in October and Papa Connell is feeling the affects of the holiday work schedule he created.

I wish I had more to say this week but I've been at work and it's been pretty slow. I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday so there will be a lot more to report.

Happy New Year!

Ode to Baby Gap

Socks and blankets and onesies oh my!
Why do you have so many cute things for me to buy?
30% off and just for today?
Now there’s no way I could just walk away!
Here’s all my cash courtesy of Ma Con,
In ten measly minutes, my money’s all gone.

Seriously, how cute is this?


1. Yes, it's green and blue but I think it's cute for a girl.
2. Yes, that's my work chair and desk but it's the holidays and they expect you to take pictures of clothing you've bought for your unborn child during the holidays.
3. Judes likes frequent updates so this one's for her.

28 Weeks

Baby Connell weighs a little over 2 pounds and measures 14.8 inches head to heel; Mama Connell only has to work until noon today and Papa Connell moans in his sleep.

Merry Christmas to you and yours from my 7 month belly (picture taken at work on - dress down day - again!).

The Princess and the Pee

At 5:30 this morning, everyone in the Connell house was up. I woke up to pee, Owen woke up because I did, Lucy woke up because Owen did and Junior woke up because 5:30 is prime kicking-Mama's-bladder time. It takes me so long to get back to sleep that this morning I threatened to just pee the bed. The only time I don't have to pee is when I'm actually peeing. It takes me four tries in the morning to empty my bladder. Owen can't believe the number of times I go to the bathroom in one given night. Michelle at work said she had to stop drinking at 4pm everyday just to get some sleep at night. I'd try that but I'm so thirsty all the time, especially when I wake up. I am not doing well with the interrupted sleep patterns and have the dark circles under my eyes to prove it.

I've peed on the Go Train, at the Go Train station, at Union Station, in every bathroom at the Eaton Center, every floor at work, every stall on my own floor and have gotten quite chummy with the cleaning staff of my building since I'm in the bathroom so often that when they come in to clean every hour they see my (fake) smiling face. I no longer have stage fright when it comes to peeing in public. I could pee in front of the Queen these days.

All of this no sleep and no modesty must be preparing me for life with a newborn.

Happy Birthday Owen!

Mr. Connell does not like birthdays. In fact, think about how much I love birthdays - he feels the exact opposite about them. Our running joke is that his ideal birthday would be to lock himself in our bedroom and listen to 'The Logical Song' over and over and over again - then again, it's not exactly a joke when he's actually done it!

Because he doesn't like birthdays it is near impossible to snap a picture of him with his cake that doesn't have obscene hand gestures or my brother crouched behind the birthday boy with his tongue sticking out. So, here's a picture of the birthday cake Judes made for him.

Happy Birthday baby.

Sign #4 Owen's Forgotten I'm Pregnant

Owen: "You're crying?! That's not a sad song! She's a heroin addict!"
Jen: "Yeah, but someone loved her!"

Song in Question: Running to Stand Still by U2

27 Weeks

Baby Connell is still around 2 pounds and measures 14.4 inches, Mama Connell is officially in her third trimester and had a dream last night that we had a baby girl - her name was Stevie and she was born with 7 teeth and Papa Connell is prefacing everything he does with ‘this better not show up in your blog!’.

It should come as no surprise that being pregnant is way different than not being pregnant. Everyday things I’ve been doing for 32 years have changed in a way I could not have imagined. For instance:

Not Pregnant: Huh, I have to go to the bathroom. There must be one at the other end of the mall – I’ll get there after The Gap.
Pregnant: I have to go to the bathroom RIGHT NOW. I know I just went 2 stores ago but I need to try out every bathroom in Sherway Gardens.
Lesson Learned: When out in public be aware of where the bathrooms are and how long it will take you to get to said bathroom. Cleanliness is key but in a pinch you can go anywhere.

Not Pregnant: Little People, Big World is a great show. I can’t believe they have Little People conferences. What a wonderful world.
Pregnant: Wow, they are at the Little People conference. Who is that? Little Zack? He’s 13? (sob) 2 feet tall? (sob) Father being shipped off to Iraq? (sob)
Lesson Learned: Keep boxes of Kleenex readily available in various rooms of your home.

Not Pregnant: This is really good pizza, I think I’ll have another slice.
Pregnant: This is really good pizza, I’m so glad I ordered it when Owen was at work so I could eat the whole thing and destroy the box so he doesn’t know I didn’t save him any.
Lesson Learned: The baby loves pepperoni.

Not Pregnant: Wow, co-worker’s wife had his baby? That’s sweet. A big baby? Toddler size? That’s funny. Good for them.
Pregnant: How big was the baby? 10 pounds? (cross legs) 10 POUNDS 12 OUNCES? (uncross legs, place head between knees and breathe)
Lesson Learned: Do not ask a question if you don't want to know the answer.

Not Pregnant: It’s warm in our bedroom. I think I’ll only use a sheet. Oh, look how cute Owen is when he’s sleeping.
Pregnant: It’s too f-ing hot in here. Get these damn blankets off me. It’s so dry, I’m so thirsty, it’s like a desert. What is that noise? Is Owen snoring? Is he trying to keep me up all night? I’m gonna kick him. Dude is like a furnace. No wonder I’m so warm. What is the matter with him? Doesn’t he know I’m dying over here? ‘Oh, you’re awake? Couldn’t sleep? No, I didn’t kick you. Now that you're up, could you go get me a glass of water?’
Lesson Learned: Pregnancy is the reason God created spare bedrooms.

O Christmas Tree

This weekend in Kitchener, Joel and I helped Mom and Dad put up their Christmas tree. I'm always surprised at the number of ornaments Mom and Dad have accumulated over 35 years of marriage. There are the sentimental ornaments: Nan Kennedy's bell, my yellow snowman from Brownies and the giant bulb Joel made in grade school made out of sequins and push pins. There are ornaments they have had since the were married, and ornaments that have just become part of the Kennedy Christmas experience over the years.

Last night Owen and I put up our own Christmas tree. It is a lot smaller than the one at Casa Kennedy and we haven't amassed such a vast ornament collection as Judes & Donnie K. have -yet - but again there are sentimental favorites: Owen's ornaments from his childhood, a Piglet ornament we bought together as part of a private joke and of course the obligatory Toronto Maple Leaf's bulb. We listened to the Ramones sing, "Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)" and talked about how next Christmas will be different and how we'll have ornaments on our tree that our kid(s) will remember when they're in their 30's.

26 Weeks

Baby Connell weighs a little under 2 pounds and measures about 14 inches head to heel, Mama Connell’s hair isn’t as nice today as it was yesterday, and Papa Connell was woken up by our redneck neighbour playing redneck music.

Battle of the Baby Names Part 5

Jen: So I found another girl's name I like. It's Gaelic and...
Owen: Gaelic? Well that's different.
Jen: It's Gaelic in origin.
Owen: Oh. Yeah, I was thinking that was kinda weird, you wanting to name the baby Gaelic. It is kinda nice though.
Jen: Yeah (eye roll) uh, right. So anyway it's spelt A-I-L-B-E.
Owen: So, Abigail?
Jen: No, Ailbe, pronounced Al-bee.
Owen: Allllbeeee?
Jen: Yeah, Ailbe. Good, right? I really like it. Ailbe Connell.
Owen: Sounds like the name of a dog food.
Jen: Dog food? How does it sound like a dog food?
Owen: Ailbe...Alpo...dog food.

This is what I'm dealing with people.

Things...

That Are Awesome:
- reruns of Entourage on City TV
- Apple juice
- being told you are 'the cutest pregnant woman ever!' by a co-worker
- hearing from old friends
- SexyBack
- bringing my lunch to work everday for two weeks
- 19 days until Christmas
- not having your period for 6 months
- the Boney M Christmas album
- Lobello lip balm


That Suck:
- waking up every three hours to pee
- cold sores
- brown sweater, brown pants, brown socks, brown shoes (I look like a giant turd today)
- indegestion
- no parking spaces at the Go Station
- shipping and handling
- thinking you're done Christmas shopping only to turn the page over and realized you forgot someone
- sleeping on your side and not on your stomach
- biting your nails
- your husband refusing to see a doctor when after 3 weeks his knee hasn't gotten any better

Happy Birthday Joel!

29 years ago today Angus Joel Kennedy was born. I’m told I chose the name Joel after a little boy I used to play with and since remembering our childhood is Joel’s department, I’ll have to go along with that. I don’t remember anything about Joel as a newborn but I’m told he was a ‘very good baby’ and based on photographic evidence he was also a way cuter than I was - all big eyes and smiles.

Some things never change.

Happy Birthday Jo-Jo!

25 Weeks

Baby Connell is 13.5 inches long and 1.5 pounds, Mama Connell has had a foot sticking in her spleen for most of this week and Papa Connell is trying to pretend his knee is well enough to play soccer on Sunday.

I had a doctor’s appointment this morning, up 3 pounds – that’s 7 in total for those of you keeping track. Dr. Pervy was sick so Dr. Bernstein saw me instead. He measured my belly with a nifty tape measure and told me that the baby was growing well. His exact words were: ‘no shortage of baby in there!’ so that’s good. I think. I recorded the heartbeat for the bear The Duhart is making for me and it is super fast. That means girl, right? My next visit is January 3 when I am 30 weeks. After that appointment, I will be seeing the doctor every 2 weeks as opposed to every 4.

At 25 weeks, Owen’s nephew Ronan was born. Let me let that sink in for a moment. 25 weeks into her pregnancy, Owen’s sister Carmel gave birth to baby boy Ronan, weighing 1 pound 10 ounces. He is classified as a micro preemie. From what I understand, during her pregnancy, Carmel had a fibroid growing in her uterus. As the baby got bigger, so did the fibroid until at 25 weeks when the fibroid punctured the placenta and induced labour. Ronan was born 5 years ago and I remember the months following his birth being very traumatic, not only for Richard and Carmel but for the extended Connell/Beattie family. Owen would get calls from his parents updating him on Ronan’s status based on the weekly calls Carmel made from Vancouver where they moved while Ronan was in ICU. Never did Owen think Ronan wouldn’t make it. ‘He’s part Connell! Of course he’ll be OK!’. Many a prayer was said from Ronan - from his relatives in Ireland to my relatives in Buchans. Carmel believes that it was these prayers that saved Ronan’s life. Owen and I visited Ronan and his family this past summer and cannot believe the little man he’s grown in to. He wears glasses, hearing aids, has a feeding tube, loves to pinch cheeks and boobs (which I found out day 2 of our vacation), calls me Auntie Jenny and breaks my heart. Ronan is a miracle.

Throughout my pregnancy, I waited to pass 25 weeks. I knew anything that happened after 25 weeks but before 40 weeks would be more difficult than a full term pregnancy, but in the back of my mind I knew that if I made it at least this far, Owen and I would be blessed with a little Ronan of our own.

Mai Moon

After reading Andrea's post yesterday about Britney needing to buy panties (seriously, what is up with Mrs. Federline? You've had 2 children! Put a lid on it!), I got to thinking about body parts and what you should teach your children to call them.

There are people who think that children should call their 'privates' by their proper biological name, my husband being one of them. I on the other hand, cannot think of anything more creepy than a 3 year old boy referring to his penis, unless it's a 3 year old girl referring to her vagina. I was raised properly and came to embrace words such as: moon, cookeroonie, keenies, dickie bird etc. and grew into a (mostly) well adjusted adult - until Judes started working with a woman named 'Mai Moon' and then all maturity and decorum went out the window.

I've heard many a funny word to describe human genitalia including but not limited to: bobo's, Mary's (both Paulie Grogan originals) chow-chows, cheeseburgers etc. and when I hear those words I can't help but think all is well in the world. Who needs to use clinical terms outside of an actual clinic?

Call me old fashioned, call me an irresponsible parent-to-be, but please call it a va-jay-jay!

I Can Totally Relate

Thanks to Andrea for the link to this site.

24 Weeks

Baby Connell is growing rapidly, gaining about a pound since last week and is still about a foot long, Mama Connell gets freaked out when Baby Connell moves like crazy one day, and then barely moves the next day and Papa Connell misses Mama Connell when she’s in the tub.

Here is my giant belly at 24 weeks (a.k.a 6 months). Just when you think you can’t get any bigger, you do and will continue to grow every week for the next 16. No stretch marks (yet) but from what I’ve heard they sometimes appear after the babies arrived. Good times.

‘When the baby comes.’ A lot of the conversations at our house these days start with those 4 words:

When the baby comes – we should probably listen to Classical music in the car.
When the baby comes – Lucy’s days are numbered.
When the baby comes – we’re going to have to move that: couch, chair, bed, table etc.
When the baby comes – do you think we should have chips and dip for dinner?
When the baby comes – spending $100 on boots might not be such a good idea.

They say closer to your due date, your nesting instinct kicks in and if ‘they’ are right in a few weeks I’ll be cleaning like crazy and bugging Owen to clean out Junior’s room so we (he) can paint and gets things ready for the kid.

I’ve picked a few things up along my pregnancy journey, mostly cute sleepers I’ve come across while Christmas shopping. Yesterday, I bought what is by far my favourite thing – a book. But not just any book, ‘The Monster at the End of this Book – starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover’. I barely remember anything from my childhood but I remember this book. It’s not overly educational – it based around Grover being afraid of the monster at the end of the book when in the end (spoiler alert) it’s him. Owen and I do a lot of talking about what the baby will be like and I hope that he or she will have a great sense of humour and appreciate the truly silly things in life such as Grover being afraid of a monster at the end of a book. Because damn, that’s good reading!

The Blind Leading the Blind

On Sunday, Judes and I went to Toys R Us to register for Junior's baby shower. Everything was fine up until we were given the pricing gun and sent on our way into the aisles and aisles of baby accessories. A lot of things have changed since Ma had a young one and I of course, don't know my ass from my elbow when it comes to picking strollers, playpens (now known as play yards - I guess you aren't supposed to 'pen' your child) and bathtubs. There were a lot of exchanges that went: 'what the hell is this?' and, 'Jesus, Jennifer I have no idea!'.

I've gotten some advice along the way from new mom's - buy this, don't buy that, but when it comes down to it, who knows what I'll use and what I won't. Neither Susana nor Joanne used a change table for their respective young ones but other mom's swear by them. Prince Eric didn't even like the fancy bathtub he had so Poppa Joe & Darlene had to buy him an old fashioned one.

I am getting the impression that this whole parenthood thing is trial and error. Sometimes the tub works and other times you're washing Junior in a salad bowl!

23 Weeks

Baby Connell is more than 11 inches long (another inch and Baby will be longer than my ruler!) and weighs just over 1 pound, Mama Connell tried to kill the family with some questionable pork and Papa Connell is afraid that Mama Connell is smooshing the baby’s face when she pokes around on her belly trying to locate Junior’s head.

Nothing new on the pregnancy front. I don’t have another doctor’s appointment until December 1st; soon thereafter I will have bi-weekly appointments as opposed to monthly. I’ve been feeling really good and sometimes forget that I’m pregnant – and I mean that in the best possible way – until Junior starts doing reno’s (trademark Lee Anne) in my belly. I have further developed my sweet tooth and spent the better part of this morning chewing on Starbursts. No wonder Junior’s building an addition in there!

Owen and I had another baby name conversation this week and I have to say, we are getting nowhere as far as girls’ names. I think it’s because we would both be shocked if Junior ended up being a boy.

The thing with Owen is, I can’t put anything past him. Dude knows me. So, if I suggest a name that I love, like Rory (which has been firmly vetoed by him) he rolls his eyes and makes a comment about naming the baby Lorelai instead and about going downstairs to watch the 6 seasons of Gilmore Girls I have on DVD. I think Rory is the cutest name going and can picture a curly haired girl in striped tights dancing around the living room. Owen said that with that scenario, we could name the kid Bertha and it’d still be cute. So Bertha Connell it is.

My last post made a couple people 'sniff' and left Judes speechless as far as leaving a comment so I just wanted to let everyone know things at the Connell house are going very well. Grandma Connell is out of the hospital and on the mend and Owen is back to his old self, that is making me pee my pants with laughter on a daily basis.

Kisses

What I'm Listening To: Jungle Love by The Time (downloaded for Andrea's boyfriend Jason Mewes)

When Mama's Happy, Everybody's Happy

In any relationship whether it be boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife, parent/child, friend/friend it's important to figure out early in the relationship how each other handles stress. For instance, when Owen is stressed, he shuts down and goes to bed. I on the other hand, rant, rave, kick, scream and cry (and wow, pregnancy is making me more of a lunatic than I usually am!).

I am capable of keeping myself up all night stressing about various things while Owen sleeps beside me - not soundly however. Owen has what I like to call "the terrors" (best said with a Newfoundland accent) and will moan and move around in his sleep when there is something on his mind.

To live with someone who handles stressful situations so unlike me has been an adjustment. It is safe to say that I inherited my father's stress management skills while Joel adopted Judes' (side note: now that Judes has Internet access she will call me on any shit I say about her so I am treading lightly. Hi Judes! Love You!) method which I usually sum up in the phrase "Joel & Mom are so laid back they should move to California." That is not to say that they don't appreciate stress or take it any less seriously than Donnie K. and I do, it's to say that sometimes the best medicine for stress is a good nights sleep.

Owen has been stressed lately and it's taken a toll on both of us. Where I want him to sit down and talk about it, he needs to decompress and think about it before he invites me in to the stressful situation because he knows that the delivery of the stress will dictate how I handle it - if that makes any sense. The bottom line is that Owen wants nothing more than my happiness and I have to learn to respect that he handles worries in a different way than I do because god knows what would happen if we were both as emotional as me.

There is nothing better in my life than when things are jiving between us. I can't believe that anyone has as much fun or as many laughs as we do. The last few weeks have been hard but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

22 Weeks

Baby Connell is 10.9 inches and almost 1 pound, Mama Connell has the day off today and Papa Connell felt the baby move for the first time this week.

The right thing to do on my day off would be to clean a little and rest up for the Peterson/Grogan girls arrival and the shopping weekend ahead. The wrong thing to do and what I've been doing all morning is watching back-to-back episodes of A Baby Story. So far I've watched a home birth, a c-section and the birth of twins and have gone through half a box of kleenex. The home birth itself seemed to be OK but the mother ended up in an ambulance anyway after delivery because she was bleeding a lot more than they had anticipated. The c-section mommy went into surgery with a kicky scrunchie and bright red lipstick and was "really into pain management" (a woman after my own heart) and I can't remember much of the twin birth mostly because I was still crying from the previous episodes!

The baby has been moving around like crazy this week mostly when I'm seated at my desk at work or in the car. I can't keep my hands off my belly and love to feel the "hey you!" tap of Baby Connell. On Tuesday night Owen and I were watching the Rick Mercer report and Owen was talking to my belly basically making fun of my love of Rick Mercer - has to be the accent. Anyway, when Owen stopped talking the baby started moving. I quickly grabbed Owen's hand and placed it on my belly and.....nothing. He kept his hand there for a good 5 minutes before the baby started kicking again - Owen couldn't believe that's what he was feeling. It was a nice way to spend an evening.

According to the baby books, at this point Junior can hear our voices so we're trying to cut down on the cursing and I'm trying to remove the words "dude" and "man" from my vocabulary. From the amount of singing Owen and I do in the car, Junior is no doubt getting familiar with our voices and our odd taste in car music. On Monday night, he/she was witness to such classics as "Total Eclipse of the Heart", "The Rose" and plenty of Rush. None of this classical stuff for our little redneck - we'd rather Junior learn the guitar solo from "Fly by Night".

How I'm Feeling: A vacation day is always a good day.

Things That Made Me Laugh Today - Parental Discretion Advised

• 'Magical' - what Owen said today when I asked him how he was. He wasn't having a good morning
• 'Oh, shut up' - what my English accented manager says to herself after sneezing 3 times in a row
• 'Getting on my tits' - what Judy (not to be confused with Judes) says when describing somebody getting on her nerves
• 'Kit-kat club' - what the same Judy refers to lesbians as
• 'Let the money ruin me' - I made myself laugh with this one. I bought a quick pick today for the big 649 draw and informed my lunch companions that if I won the lottery I'd become like Oprah - completly unable to deal with common folk
• 'They are the Newfies of the United States' - me again (I was on a roll today) describing the Kentucky couple from the Amazing Race, offending: Americans, Kentuckians, Newfoundlanders and myself!

Sign #3 Owen's Forgotten I'm Pregnant

After his sister gave me a pair of maternity pants: "Are you sure you'll wear those? They're so big!" Wait until he has to help me in and out of bed! Then he'll see how big I can get.

Dream a Little Dream of Me

I had a dream last night that I gave birth to a baby girl. Can't tell you what we named her because it's one of the names we have picked out but she was 7lbs 7oz., had green eyes and was very fair.

21 Weeks

Baby Connell is three quarters of a pound and 10 ½ inches long, Mama Connell is coming to the realization that she has to wear foundation to work everyday because holy cow does she look blotchy without it and Papa Connell? Well he’s been working 7 days a week these days and comes home to a crying and/or bitchy wife so pray for the old soul will ya?

It should come as no surprise that I am fully decked out in maternity clothes these days. I basically started showing at 3 months and have been wearing maternity pants since September. My birthday brought forth many Old Navy gift certificates that I spent basically on every maternity item they had to offer. I also enjoy The Bay Queen Street’s selection of clothes and haven’t had much luck at your typical maternity clothes stores like Motherhood & Thyme.

Although there are cons to having to wear maternity clothes – their pricey, not very stylish, boring colors etc. there are some pros:

• In this age of low-rise pants, it’s nice to wear something that comes right up over your belly button and ends 2 inches from your bra.
• No zippers! Maternity pants have elastic waists and panels to help you get them on and off.
• As someone who used to spend a lot of time pulling her shirt down over her belly it’s nice to have a longer top that gives the allusion of the waste I’m slowly losing.

I’ve signed up for many newsletters throughout my pregnancy and get the occasional email from Baby Center & Huggies. This week the subject was how to write your birth plan. I originally thought my birth plan could be summed up by the word “epidural” but it turns out there are way worse things to concern myself with like….um….shaving?!? and….enemas?! So needless to say, I’ve unsubscribed from these newsletters and will put my head back in the sand choosing to believe that by the time I have to give birth there will be a new, painless, hairy, enema free way to do it. To quote Aerosmith, “Dream On”.

February 20, 2007 - March 28, 2008

If all goes well with Junior and he/she comes around his/her due date, February 20, 2007 - March 28, 2008 will be my maternity leave. Do you know how many days that is? Alot. More than a 365!

I am aware that my maternity leave will be hard work and that leaving Junior to come back to work in 2008 will be unbearable but for now let's relish in the fact that after 10 years working full time I will have 13 months off.

Relish, relish, relish.

Cry Baby

Owen came home from work Saturday morning to find me crying on the sofa. Nothing in particular was wrong, I just hadn’t had a good night sleep and was feeling kinda down. I’ve accepted that my hormones are completely out of whack – but it’s taking Owen a little longer to get there. Imagine working a very long night and coming home to your loving wife who you really hadn’t seen since Wednesday only to find her having a good cry for herself. How would you react? Well, Owen reacted by (of course) making me laugh by stating, ‘If anyone’s going to cry in this house, it’ll be me!’ Straight to heaven to that guy for putting up with Hormone Harriet the past 5+ months (plus our entire marriage, dating – basically since he met me!).

Today I had a doctor’s appointment and I’ve channelled all my apprehension for Dr. Pervy into love for his nurse. She’s the one who weighs me (up 2 pounds) and tells me it’s ‘good’, talks to me about my test results – also good, calls me honey, darling and refers to the bathroom as the loo even though she has no trace of a UK accent. So, having her at the beginning of my visit butters me up for Dr. Pervy who spends a total of 30 seconds with me, feeling my belly and listening to Junior’s heartbeat which frankly, I could listen to all day.

Throughout this pregnancy there’s been a lot of discussion about what we’re having. So far, only 3 people (Emma & Lori Dawson, Owen’s friend Tony) in our life think it’s a boy – the rest of ya’ll look at me and to quote Joanne P. think pink. Owen and I both think it’s a girl although we have no scientific proof of that fact. I just have a feeling while Owen figures staying up all night for a living has prepared him for having a daughter.

What I'm Listening To: Girls and Boys by Blur - how's that for irony?

20 Weeks - Halfway there!

Baby Connell is no longer growing according to the vegetable family and should be about 10 ounces and 6 ½ inches long head to toe, Mama Connell is enjoying wearing tops that fit her after
her birthday shopping spree and Papa Connell doesn’t think Uggs are as ugly as Crocs.

Owen took the above picture this morning when he got home from work to celebrate 20 weeks (5 months but not really) of Junior’s life on this planet. Although I look like a tank, for all the complaining I did at the beginning of my pregnancy, the truth is I’ve been really lucky. Lucky to have gotten pregnant as easily as we did, lucky that all the ultrasounds, blood work, doctor’s appointments are coming back ‘normal’. I still have 20 more weeks to go but have such a positive outlook on the remainder of this pregnancy. Someone remind me of this post after I give birth.

On the way to work this morning I heard the song ‘My Sharona’ and it got me to thinking that if you choose to name your child after a song or choose a name that is shared with a song you better make sure you like the song because I guarantee your child will have it sung to him/her their whole lives. In the case of ‘My Sharona’ you might want to think twice because I doubt you want your daughter associated with a song that has a line like: ‘I always get it up from the touch of the younger kind…my, my, my, my, my whoo! My Sharona’. You could go with Michelle (The Beatles, Guns N Roses), Mandy (Barry Manilow), Melissa (Allman Brothers), Jessie’s Girl (Rick Springfield) and Jolene (Dolly Parton) but again anyone who meets your new addition will invariably have those songs running through their heads. Given the stalemate Owen and I have come to regarding possible baby names, don’t be surprised if you meet Junior and find your self humming ‘Jack & Diane’.

Coming up next week: I have a doctor’s appointment this coming Monday and the ‘spine finding’ ultrasound this coming Tuesday.

You Say It's Your Birthday...

...it's (was) my birthday too yeah.

So, the big 3-2. Not much different than the big 3-1 to be honest. I had a wonderful extended birthday weekend in K-town which was filled with many, many loved one's and kisses from Eric. Who could ask for anything more?

Thanks to everyone for their gifts, cards, pictures and well wishes - you sure know how to make a girl feel loved.

19 Weeks

Baby Connell is the size of a small zucchini, Mama Connell saved $700 on auto insurance and Papa Connell thinks the ultrasound technician slipped and told us the sex of our baby.

So yeah, the ultrasound.

Our technician Alex was a low talker of Polish decent, which made most of our conversation go like this:

Alex: This is the mumble, mumble.
Jen: The what?
Alex: The mumble, mumble.
Jen: Oh. Right.

Body parts we saw for sure: the diaphragm, heart, right foot, left foot, spine (more on that later), and both hands.

Towards the end of the ultrasound it was apparent that Alex could not find the shot of the spine he was looking for and from the pressure he applied to the ultrasound….mouse?….wand? it was growing more evident to Owen and I that Alex was getting a little frustrated. I swear my belly feels bruised!

Finally he advised that I empty my bladder and move around a little to get the baby to change positions. So, I emptied my bladder walked briskly around the hallway and even jumped up and down for good measure. But Junior just wasn’t in the mood to show us his/her spine. I laid on my left side, my right side, even my stomach and…nada. Alex finally called a senior tech in to try his hand at getting Baby Connell to move positions but Carlos had no luck either. They told me to come back in 2 weeks as the doctor couldn’t report on the spine without actually seeing the spine– which seems reasonable to me.

Our actual report, which they gave us at the end of the ultrasound, had a lovely row of “normals” next to all Baby Connell’s organs with the exception of the spine which stated that due to the fetal position they couldn’t comment. So back again in 2 weeks to see Junior’s spine. I really don’t mind going at all – one of my favourite things about this pregnancy has been the ultrasounds – I love looking at Junior all nestled in my womb – just chillin’ giving the occasional high-five.

As far as Owen’s belief that Alex slipped and told us the sex, during the ultrasound Alex kept referring to the baby as “baby”. Owen says once while trying to get baby to move Alex referred to it as well….either he or she. I’m not telling and I didn’t hear what Owen heard so we’ll all have to wait 21 (!) more weeks to see if Alex really did spill the beans. Admit it - you're dying to know!

What I'm Listening To: 54-40

Junior Connell

Owen and I had our 19 week anatomical ultrasound today and everything was normal, normal, normal. I have to go back in 2 weeks to get a better picture of the spine because Junior had enough poking for one day and decided not to move at the very end so the technician couldn't get a clear shot of the spine. We tried everything: peeing, jumping, running in spot but Junior's a little stubborn - wonder where he/she gets that from?

Missing: 1 Mommy Gene

There is not a creative bone in my body – let’s get that out of the way up front.

During my pregnancy I’ve been paying attention to a lot of other Mom’s to see how they get things done. On top of the regular day-to-day Mom stuff like keeping your kids alive and your home from burning down, did you know that mothers do things like:

• Scrapbook
• Host Candle/Tupperware/Mary Kay/Pampered Chef parties
• Decorate their homes for: Easter, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas
• Go to: Pumpkin Patches, Applie Orchards, Wiggles shows

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing any of the above things and I tend to get a little envious of the people who can do those, it is safe to say that I don’t think I’m going to be that type of Mommy.

First of all – see the first line. I am not creative. This statement isn’t being made in the hopes that you’ll leave comments saying that I am creative because the jig is up – I’m just not. While I enjoy looking at scrapbooks and attending the above parties if there is hooch being served, I don’t see myself actively participating in any of those things. Second, I think I have a little bit of adult ADD – I start things (a quilt, painting, photo albums, blog postings) and never follow them through. Thirdly, I come by it honestly – Judes wasn’t that type of mother either. In her case, she probably didn’t have a choice. Mom went back to work soon after Joel went to school full time and there was a time where Dad worked 3 shifts and Mom worked straight 3-11 – not really conducive to decorating Easter trees.

Before you lose faith in my mommy abilities, there are some things working in my favour:

• I’m a good cook and not a bad baker – when I have time to and want to be
• I can throw together an ensemle
• I have pretty good taste in music (even if Owen doesn’t agree that Junior loves Duran Duran and moved around tons yesterday during Girls on Film)
• We currently live in a city where there is lots to do. While I don’t see a lot of Wiggles concerts in my future, we’ll be sure to bring our kid to other shows. Mel has wonderful memories of her dad bringing her to Cyndi Lauper shows and I think that’s awesome
• I have a lot of creative family members who’ll ensure that our baby will go through his or her life experiecing different things (even if those things include snooping for Christmas gifts, opening them and then re-sealing them - which is the height of my creativity as a child).

What I'm Listening To: My manager typing beside me. I forgot my headphones today.

18 Weeks

Baby Connell is the size of a large sweet potato, Mama Connell has been applying Body Shop Cocoa Butter to her belly nightly to ward off the stretch marks and since Nan & Pop Kennedy visited, Papa Connell lost the battle of the nursery bedding.

Mama Connell - 1
Papa Connell - 0

This is the bedding that we (Judes and I) love. We're hoping to buy it after Christmas before Owen can come up with anymore brilliant bedding ideas!



Other than the bedding battle victory, not much to report this pregnancy week. We have another ultrasound this coming Tuesday so there will be a new picture of Junior to post. Apparently over the next 3 weeks the baby will double in size which is incredible. This ultrasound is anatomical and it's to make sure that the baby is growing in all the right places. It will also firm up my due date. Owen's still hoping for St. Patty's Day while I think March 8th would be nice as it is both our father's birthday's. Then again, maybe Junior will want a day all to him/herself.

What I'm Listening To: You Wouldn't Like Me - Tegan & Sara (thanks Joanne P.!)

Snooze

To say I'm not a morning person may be the understatment of the year. I like to joke that I come from a long line of sleepers. From Nan Lane, to Judes and Joanie, to Andrea and myself it is safe to say that we Lane girls enjoy a nice snooze. It is my understanding that cousin Jill also likes her beauty rest while cousin Lori is a bonified morning person and from all accounts always was - even before Ryan & Emma came on the scene. There are aunts who use apparatis to obtain a perfect night's rest and one could surmise that said aunts spent the majority of their adult lives pretty damn tired - so awesome is their new oxygenated sleeps.

I would love to say that Judes was such a non-morning person that I went to afternoon kindergarten but that is not the case. However, I do like to think that once Laura Kerr picked me up to walk me to school that Judes went back to bed. I remember being sick as a child and having Donnie K. be the one to check on me. While Judes is good under pressure she is not so good when awoken from a deep sleep. While visiting this weekend Judes told me that Donnie K. was a great help to her when Joel and I were babies - he'd help her with the night feedings. Between you and me (and until Judes reads this, buys a computer and posts a comment to defend herself) I believe that the reason Donnie K. was so "helpful" was because Judes just wouldn't wake up to feed us!

In college my roomates Susana and Weird Robin would often have breakfast together before class. As I stumbled out of my basement bedroom and walked by them they knew better than to engage me in some early morning chit chat. Susana liked to joke that they were lucky if I gave them a wave before heading up to the shower. She also went on to say that in her family not saying good morning when first seeing your family members was paramount to a slap in the face. The Kennedy's however - I don't think we spoke until after 11am. And that's the way we liked it. I have a recurring nightmare that I never really graduated college. In the dream there is a computer course that I never completed because it was Wednesday mornings at 8 or 9am. I honestly don't remember having ever attended that class but I must have graduated because I have the diploma to prove it.

In college, I could blame the late 'Tom Collins' nights on my need for sleep but when you're 31 (almost 32) and going to bed at 8:30pm there is no logical reason why getting to work at 9am should be such a problem. Yet it is. Owen believes that I just don't care about work because if I did I would never be late. He has never been late - unless I've done something to sabatoge his perfect attendance like take the car to work, even showing up on time the day of the great Toronto blackout. Judes, my sleep mentor has also never been late for work and she starts and an ungodly 6am. True, she goes to bed around 7:30pm but nonetheless she shows up everyday to do a job more physically demanding than anyone I know.

In less than 5 months I am going to be a mother and it is my understanding that while newborns sleep a lot, new mothers do not. In the baby books it suggests that new moms should sleep when their babies sleep but from talking to other mother's I get the impression that that rarely happens.

Long story short, the title of this post should have been "When is it appropriate to give your baby Tylenol PM's?"

What I'm Listening To: The washing machine.

17 Weeks

Baby Connell is the size of a large onion, Mama Connell is starting to lose faith in the weekly updates because last week Junior was the size of an avocado and isn’t an avocado bigger than even the largest onion? - and Papa Connell is a very good brother.

There are certain things that Owen is never going to understand – why he can’t use my salon shampoo, why I smile when watching television like the sitcom stars are my friends, how I can eat a peanut butter sandwich sans milk and why things cost what they cost. Case in point, I was telling him how expensive baby bedding was (especially the bedding I like) and he asked why we needed bedding for the crib.

And it went a little something like this:

Jen: So, you need a fitted sheet…
Owen: We already have fitted sheets.
Jen: You can’t put a queen size fitted sheet on a crib mattress. This is not the ghetto. You need a comforter…
Owen: I just brought you a brand new comforter from work. You said you loved it!
Jen: I really like the Nate Berkus (side note: Judes cannot believe he’s gay because he’s so handsome) QUEEN SIZE Comforter you brought home but it’s way too big.
Owen: (Silence)
Jen: And bumper pads.
Owen: What do you need bumper pads for?
Jen: Um, so Junior doesn’t roll into the wooden crib and suffer a concussion.
Owen: And you need special pads for that? Can’t you just put some foam around it and duct tape it?
Jen: (Red faced, hands drawn into a fist thinking that even crack whores get to buy bedding for their babies) No.
Owen: I’m sure your dad can put something together for the crib. I mean how long does the kid sleep in a crib anyway?
Jen: (Walking Away)
Owen: (Calling out to me) Yeah, I’m gonna ask Donnie K. if he can rig something up for the crib. Ha - I’m no rube.

Speaking of Owen, I recently showed him this blog and he’s threatened legal action if I’ve slandered him in any way. He’s thinking of writing his own blog called, “I don’t know why my wife doesn’t like me”.

What I'm Listening To: Sheena is a Punk Rocker - The Ramones ("She's a punk punk, punk rocker, punk punk punk rocker, punk punk rocker, punk punk punk rocker.")

Houston, we have movement!

I was just leaving the lunchroom when I felt the baby move for the first time. I had thought I was feeling it all along but given what just happened, the previous feelings may have been gas!

It's like that feeling when you're on a rollercoaster and you're coming down a big hill. Took my breath away.

Wow.

That whoosh, whoosh?

Today I heard the baby's heartbeat. This was my second doctor's appointment with Dr. H AKA Dr. Pervy (for doing a pap test on my first visit) and it lasted all of 3 minutes. I hopped up on the table, he put the dopplar thing on my stomach and said, "that whoosh, whoosh? That's the hearbeat". Owen wasn't with me so I didn't cry but I did have a good nervous laugh because that hearbeat is attached to the baby that I am going to have to give birth too and raise and oh my god what the hell have we gotten ourselves into?!?!?!.

I also found out that I had gained 2 pounds since my last visit which is, according to the nurse, "good". My next appointment with Dr. Pervy is October 30 and I'm set for an anatomical ultrasound on October 17. According to Dr. Pervy, if we wanted to know the sex, this was the ultrasound to ask for it. Officially we don't want to know the sex but unofficially it wouldn't take much to change my mind about that. I know Owen's not going to cave and is quite willing to go through the next 24 weeks not knowing what we're having. As time goes on, I'm getting more and more curious so we'll see how things go on October 17. Maybe Papa Connell will have a momentary lapse of reason and want to know the sex.

Yeah, right.

What I'm Listening To: Nothing. I'm waiting for Owen to call from work so I can do my "whoosh, whoosh" impression