Victoria/Vancouver

The past two weekends our little family travelled to Victoria and Vancouver.  Thankfully the rain held off and we were able to enjoy our time together.

Victoria

After work on Friday, we drove down to Victoria.  We always forget about K's car sickness until it's too late.  Poor girl threw up minutes away from our hotel.  Fortunately, because of all the other times, we had stopped putting the fabric part of the carseat back on, so it was easy clean up. 

We got dinner at Noodle Box and ate at one of the duck ponds at Beacon Hill and waited for the movie to start.  Every August Victoria does free movies in the park and Cole and I have really missed them since moving to Nanaimo.  Cole did a test run with K last month at a movie in the park in Nanaimo and it went really well so we decided to see one in Victoria.  They were playing the Iron Giant and we had some of Cole's family in Victoria join us.  We brought our super comfy zero gravity chairs and K snuggled with Cole and B snuggled with me and we ate snacks and watched the movie.  K was quiet but not completely still the whole time.  She ended up rolling around on the blanket after a while. I managed to keep B quiet through the entire movie.  All in all, a successful outting.

We got a room with 2 queen sized beds, and because B is still so young, I slept with her in one bed and K slept with Cole in the other.  Next year B will be old enough we can put both kids in the same bed.  Graciously, both kids didn't wake up till sometime after 7.  We had a lazy morning in the hotel room, eating breakfast and watching tv. 

We then headed back to Beacon Hill Park for the petting zoo and more ducks.  K said all the animals were "cows".  She loved petting and brushing the goats.  Cole taught her to "hunt" ducks and we managed to keep her from falling into the pond.  We ended our morning with icecream at the drive in.

While K napped in the car, we found the new Tacofino truck downtown.  It's bare bones compared to the one in Tofino but it still sells their delicious burritos.  Then we were off to Oak Bay Marina where K got to feed the harbour seals.  So much fun watching her reactions.  We also watched another group feed the seals, and lose their sunglasses to the ocean.

Our afternoon was spent at the beach in Oak Bay.  This was probably my favourite part of the trip.  K got to play at the playground and run around the beach.  Cole and I (and B) lounged in our beach chairs and tried not to fall asleep. 






Then we moved to the big green space and put out a blanket for the kids and Cole and I threw the football around killing time before dinner.We went to Red Robins with Cole's dad and 2 of his brothers and 1 of his sisters and his grandma.  B had a giant poop explosion in Grandpa's armsand the kids slept all the way home. Will definitely do it again next year.




Vancouver

Our one and only trip to the mainland this summer.  We managed to get on the ferry on both sides without reservations.  It was also B's first time on the ferry and she did great.  After she was fed, she played happily on her blanket while K ran around the play room.  On the ferry to Vancouver the good play room with the slide was closed so all the parents and children on a very full 7:30pm ferry were stuck in the lame play room that had the dumb boat.  Everyone was tired and antsy.  Both our girls did really well condsidering.

Saturday was spent at the zoo.  Apparently K is still not old enough to really care.  She thought a couple animals were cool and she enjoyed watching the lions being fed but really, the best part of her day was dancing in the air conditioned car with grandpa while I nursed B in the parking lot. 

Cole and I were able to go out on a date that night.  We saw The Butler and had dinner at Earls.  Cole's steak had to be sent back for being overdone so he got his meal free.  Kind of love it when that happens.  Also got a free dessert.  The server asked us if we had any big plans that night (it was only 8:30pm) but we said we were going home to our kids.  It felt super late to us and we were exhausted.  Funny how your night ends at 8:30 when you have kids when our night had barely started at the time when we were single. 

On Sunday we had a family dinner at my grandparents' house.  My grandpa's brother and sister and their spouces were up visiting from the states.  It was nice to see everyone and show off our new baby.  Thankfully we made the 7:30pm ferry- we thought we'd be on the 9:30.  K loves visiting her grandparents and aunts. 

Beneath the Terrible Twos

So much of my life right now revolves around my newest daughter but the first born is making sure I don't forget her existence.  Dealing with a newborn the second time around feels like a piece of cake, so K has made sure I feel sufficiently challenged all day long.  Seriously, this terrible twos thing is no joke and I feel completely out of my element.  So I am going to take a minute and record the wonderful things about her.  This is the last month of her life as a one year old and she is a seriously cool kid and I love watching her personality develop.
 

One of the weird quirks K has that makes me laugh every time is her whispering.  Whenever she's mad, or sometimes just at random moments, K looks super serious, stares me straight in the eye and whispers the most negative phrases she knows: "shush", "butt", "no show" (show refers to TV), etc.  It just kills me.  It's the worst when I'm being serious with her, or she's in trouble and whispers all creepy at me.

I love it when she gets bored (usually when I'm dealing with the baby) and she just lays out on the floor and gets very still.  It's a quiet action, but a seriously dramatic one for K.  She generally never stops moving but every so often now she just lays splayed out on the floor like she just can't handle life anymore. 

She loves to help with the grown up chores- unloading the dishwasher is her favourite.  I'm always amazed at how much information these little people can hold.  She knows where everything goes.  There are these little plastic bowls that Cole often puts with the tupperware when I like it put with K's other dishes.  The other day, K was unloading the dishwasher with me and she almost put the bowl in the tupperware drawer like her dad but then stopped herself and gave it to me to put up in the cupboard where it was supposed to go.  I was impressed she caught her mistake when her fully grown father didn't.

K loves to pretend to talk on the phone and she always fake laughs while doing it.  Whoever she's talking to is always funny I guess. 

She is learning the actions to a few different songs like "Popcorn Popping", "Wheels on the Bus" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and has gotten really good at them.  She asks to sing them every night before bed and remember where all the actions go in the songs. 

She loves to smell things, like her strawberry shampoo.  She smells it every time we use it and she goes "mmmmm".  She also smells weirder things, like her bathing suit the day after we've been to the pool and it still smells like chlorine.

Whenever we say bedtime prayers, she always makes us fold the arms of all the animals she keeps on her bed.  At the end of prayer, instead of saying "amen" she says "pray". 

I love her little sentences that aren't proper yet.  Whenever she finds out we are going somewhere she gets very excited and says, "I go, I shoes!"  Shoes are her life.  Not looking forward to that when she gets older.  She did not get that from me. 

It's the little things that get me through her bad attitude, rebellion, disobedience, whining, screaming and jealousy of her little sister.  She really is a great kid. 

Blessing Day

B had her baby blessing at church on Sunday.  We had family from Victoria and Vancouver travel for it- it was really nice.  My mom, dad and one of my sisters came on Friday night and my other two sister and my brother-in-law joined us on Saturday.  So we had a full house (and bathroom) this weekend.  I made lunch for everyone for Sunday so I was prepping all day Saturday with my mom.  Usually I enjoy even a whole day of food prep but it was tainted a bit for me this time just because there was so much extra noise, it was hard to relax. But we all survived and that's pretty good.

End of a long day of prepping on Sat

Grandpa and B on Sat

Cole and I experimented with doing pulled pork the proper way- on the charcoal grill.  It turned out fabulously.  I took some direction from an Emerille Lagasee recipe and I would do it again.  I used a nice spice rub on the pork and Cole let it go low and slow all afternoon, occasionally basting with a mopping sauce.  We noticed the pork reached its temperature a little too quickly (6 hrs instead of the 12 we were aiming for).  So next time we do it, he will wrap it up sooner- like at 145 degrees so it can keep cooking longer.  It should be around 195 to pull easily.  But it is a great group, do ahead meal because Saturday we pulled the pork, put it in bbq sauce and on Sunday morning I just threw it in the crockpot to warm up.  The smokiness from the bbq and the kick from the spice rub were amazing.  I also did a bunch of cold make ahead salads: a potato salad (with a vinaigrette instead of a mayo based dressing), a chicken casear pasta salad, a thai cashew quinoa salad, and a Mediterranean rice salad.  I also made some salsa to serve along some chips.  My mom and grandma brought a selection of squares and fruit for dessert.  It was all delicious and only fed us with leftovers for one day so we judged the amount pretty decently and I don't have a whole lot of experience making food for 18 people so I was pretty happy how it worked out..  For future reference, 9 lbs of pork shoulder fed 18 people the first day, 4 people the second day and 1 person the next. 

K loved all the commotion during the weekend and playing with all her family.  B wasn't used to all the extra stimulation and would have preferred to just hang out with me alone.  She is way more cut out to be the first born than second born.  K was never bothered by noise or crowds.  Funny how that works out sometimes.

K with 2 of her aunts

But all in all, it was a nice weekend.  Cole gave a beautiful blessing, B looked sweet in her little white dress and we really appreciated everyone who travelled to be with us.

Sweet smiles of B in her blessing dress

my lovely first born

Family picture before church on Sunday

lunch- my dad, my grandparents, my aunt

lunch-my uncles, my aunt

Grandma JR

Murray and Elaine

my mom and dad (my mom was a huuge help this weekend
being my sous chef and dishwasher)

[also attended but not in the pictures I have on my camera: Jacqueline and Justin Greenwood, Grandpa Wight and Raechelle. Honourable mention to Claudia who missed the ferry by 2 mins.  And a kick in the butt to Carter who was left sleeping on the floor in Victoria.]

Canada Day 2013

We braved Parksville Beach on Canada Day with a 22 month old and 3 week old and a momma who was still in the middle of her C-section recovery.  Because we went after nap time, we had to park far away and carry all of our stuff, which was quite a feat with me carrying B in a wrap and holding K's hand.  Cole had to haul most of it since I'm still not supposed to be carrying anything heavier than B (although I did, but payed for it the next day).  We took a picnic dinner and let K play the night away in the splash park and playground.  She also made a sandcastle with daddy while waiting for the fireworks.  We got her into her PJs and she cuddled with Cole while ooh-ing and aah-ing at the lights in the sky. 

B did really well considering she wasn't even a month old, this was her first big outing and we were gone for like 7 hours and I'm not exclusively breastfeeding.  Thankfully B doesn't spit out cool/cold bottles like K did as an infant. 

    

Here's a video of K conquering another climbing challenge at the playground: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bydna0OjNlI&feature=youtu.be

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Co-Sleeper

Beyond the sleep I lost with regular feedings when K was a baby, I also lost sleep when she refused to sleep anywhere else but our bed.  I could never fully sleep with an infant in my bed.  This time around I knew I had to do something about that.  It wasn't realistic (for me) to think B would never sleep in our bed, so I had to find something that worked better.  With 2 kids, I knew I needed all the sleep possible.  Before she was born, I was perusing the classifieds and found a co-sleeper.  I bought it for $20 and hoped this would be the answer.

First night home with B, which I have already written about, was made monumentally easier with this co-sleeper.  Also, B sleeps in longer in the morning and during nap time than K so I have been able to leave B on my bed without having to worry so much.  My sleep at night is far superior to the sleep I got with K.  I can roll away from B and not worry about her being smothered or falling off or getting rolled on.  Our lovely king sized bed fits me, Cole and B's co-sleeper without any of us having to touch the other- just the way we like to sleep...well Cole and I anyways.  I highly recommend it.  I love that B gets to be close to me like she wants but also gets to practise falling asleep on her own. 

 

Hooray for Sleep!

love my chubby cheeked girl

We Can Do Hard Things

The second baby is a much less stressful experience.  I felt more confident, more prepared, more sane. Unfortunately, I had to use my experience to deal with some really hard things in the first month of B's life.  But we can do hard things.  Thankfully, we don't always have to do them alone.  With a lot of prayer, grit and a husband and good friends to help, I survived.

When we got home from the hospital, I was prepared for the awful night ahead.  Anyone who has had abdominal surgery knows getting up out of bed is murder the first week.  And a C-section means a baby and that means a night full of getting up to feed and change diapers.  But I had done it before so I was mentally prepped.  What I wasn't prepared for was the flu that hit Cole that night.  Fever, coughing, vomiting- you name it.  My heart dropped.  I didn't think it was a good idea to have Cole in the same room as us that night so he slept in his office and I spent my first night home alone with B getting up out of bed by myself.  My dear friend Rachel, who had already had K for a whole day and night took her back the next day so I could rest since Cole couldn't come near B.  She also brought me dinner two nights in a row. 

The next hard things came about through breastfeeding.  I don't know why it is that me and breastfeeding have such a tumultuous relationship.  With K, I endured months of pain and depression, and with B I dealt with a clogged duct, mastitis and thrush all within a matter of weeks.  My friend Tanya took K for an entire day during the mastitis and dropped off probiotic supplements during the thrush. 

I am grateful that these hard things came the second time.  I think they may have killed me the first time.  We can do hard things.  But if people offer help, don't do the hard things alone. 

Birth Story for "B"

On Thursday, June 6, I was at a "Pregnancy Sucks" party where I received a phone call from the hospital informing me that my C-section was scheduled for that Saturday and I was to come in for pre-admittance on Friday.  I had gone as overdue as they would let me hoping a V-Bac would occur but no real labour started on its own and induction isn't allowed for moms who have had a previous C-section. 

Saturday morning, around 5:30am, Cole and I left the house (my mom was in town to watch K), took a last pregnancy photo and walked to the hospital.  It would have been more impressive if the hospital was further away than a 10 minute walk.  Normally there are labour pains to prepare your mind for your impending child, so walking in pain free and being told you will meet your baby in a couple hours felt incredibly strange.  I was prepped for surgery and thankfully got the first slot since the OR was booked solid that day.  I got to experience all the things I was in too much pain to notice with K during that C-section prep.  I had more time to feel apprehensive and was much more aware of everything happening around me.  The spinal tap was a breeze this time since I wasn't 10cm dilated being asked to sit still and lean forward. 

My anaesthesiologist and nurses provided small talk while they set me up for the surgery in the OR.  I experienced a whole host of what I'm told are normal reactions to the anaesthetic, which I don't remember from K's birth, but perhaps 30 hrs of labour has made my memory on those kind of details hazy.  Cole entered the room with my doctor and surgeon and before I knew it I was hearing that the baby would be out in a minute and I hadn't even realized they had started cutting me open.  They lifted up the baby for Cole to see and he announced it was a girl.  I felt an overwhelming warmth and joy and a calming impression that this wasn't random.  They brought her over to the place where they clean her up and Cole cut (or for the purposes of a C-section, shortened) the umbilical cord and she was held up for me to see.  She looked so much like K at that point.  She weighed in at 8lbs 2oz, 20 inches long.  Everyone commented on how big she was but she seemed tiny to me because K was 9lbs 8oz, 21.5 inches long. 

They let me hold her while I was on the table being sewn back up, which I didn't experience with K- not sure why.  But it was so nice to start the bonding then- it also helped distract me from what was still taking place in the surgery and made it feel more like a birth experience for me.  She was so alert and constantly had her hands up to her mouth sucking.  She didn't really cry.  We were surprised to see her blue eyes and reddish hair. 

When we went back to my hospital room, the horrific process of recovering from a C-section started.  I don't want to spend time recording those lovely details because it's the worst part.  I much preferred being attended to by the nurses who had experienced it themselves- the drugs were more on time and the empathy was real. 

Things I will record for memory: my surgeon informing us that it was a blessing I didn't go into labour.  My uterine wall was dangerously thin and probably would have ruptured had labour started on its own.  He says pregnancy should continue to not be a problem but labour can never be an option now.  Early C-sections will always have to be scheduled.  But he said he's had patients where he's performed 7 C-sections, so he doesn't feel the need at this time to put a cap on how many kids we have.  Now I'm not saying by any means that I want to have 7- but it's nice to know we get to pick the amount, not my surgeon.  I loved my surgeon this time around.  The one I had with K I didn't even meet till my post partum check up.  I even had an infection from the long labour last time and ended up back in the hospital for a couple days- didn't see her then either.  But the surgeon I had this time talked to me outside the OR, in the OR, and in my hospital room 3 different times.  He also made sure I had enough pain meds.  He was awesome.  Awesome.  I also had one really great nurse, Andrea I think her name was, who helped a lot with breastfeeding.  B was really great and latched on right after the birth but we needed some help with holds so that she had more nutritive sucking. 

One awful side effect of a C-section is the liquid diet they put you on.  I almost lost the will to live last time on it.  This time, since I knew I was having a C-section, I made some homemade soup on Friday for Cole to bring me.  It was a broccoli cheddar soup with lots of veggies and I made sure to puree it so it would be liquid.  I got permission to eat it from my nurse and enjoyed it for the next two days.  I will remember that for next time. 

Something I definitely want to remember is K and B meeting for the first time.  K was so excited and sat very still to be able to hold her.  She was so enamoured and very gentle and didn't want her taken away.

I'm grateful for my mom being able to come for the whole weekend and watch K so Cole could stay with me the whole time.  I'm grateful for those who came to visit in the hospital.  I'm grateful for the nice note sent up with my tray from a friend who works in the hospital.  I'm grateful for having the experience and confidence to not let doctors or nurses scare me this time.  Mostly I have had great experiences with them, but occasionally, the things they say can scare you as a new mom.  Not so much this time. 

B is much more a momma's girl than K ever was.  She is very forth coming with her emotions and not very patient.  If she is hungry, I have less than a second to get her milk before she melts down- she's proving to be quite dramatic.  She has a very lusty cry- thankfully, she only really uses it when hungry.  She is a very happy baby and even smiles already.  She is a decent sleeper.  She does not love the swing like K did.  She likes to cuddle and be held, especially by me.  It means there are not many opportunities to put her down to get things done or play with K right now.  But I know that won't be forever.  She takes a soother.  She eats more than I knew newborns could eat.  She "talks" a lot- especially in her sleep and when she has hiccups.  She holds her head up very well and loves looking around.  She tries desperately to move forward when she is on the ground at tummy time.  She loves to have her fists up at her face, especially when eating or sleeping.  She has very fair colouring.  For the first couple weeks she often looked crosseyed when trying to focus- I thought it was hilarious.  Thankfully, her two longest sleeping stretches are at nap time (K's nap time) and the first part of the night when Cole and I go to sleep.  She happily switches from bottle to breastfeeding.  She loves sleeping in the co-sleeper.  She's a pro at bath time.  Hasn't cried once yet.  K is awesome in water but started off screaming at bath time.  That didn't last long but B has always been super relaxed in the bath- even at the hospital. 

For every other major stage in my life I have felt too young or unprepared or scared.  This was my first experience where (even though I was still nervous) I felt more sure of myself.  I felt ready and capable and adult.  I thought I had been changing diapers and doing laundry for the past two years but it turns out I was growing up.  Parenting is really just your best educated guess applied to many different situations, but this time around I knew that.  I also knew I had the ability to keep a child alive, and happy...well mostly happy.  This time around I was already a mom.