Sunday, April 30, 2006

They say it's your birthday - it's my birthday too.

Multitasking at its finest.It's amazing how much can change in a year. Last year on my birthday, Scott and I had a double 30th birthday party and we partied pretty hard. As you may recall, I regailed you with stories of waking up to my dining room wall covered in vodka and drunken baking. This year I am just happy that Max decided to have his wakeful period in the evening and he decided to go back to sleep after his 4am feeding. Hey, sleep is a beautiful thing.

Yesterday was a busy day for us. Stephanie, Shane and Charlotte came to visit and they showered us with gifts and food. Shane also shares his birthday with Scott and Max so there is an extra special bond there. Stephanie was one of my main supports throughout my pregnancy (in fact she was one of the first people we told) so it was wonderful getting to introduce Max. Scott and I are not sure what we have done to deserve such wonderful friends, but we sure do appreciate them. After Stephanie and Shane's visit, our friends Dave and Jenn stopped by - with more food and gifts! I think the fact that I have not had to cook for the past week is what has kept me sane. Dave proceeded to clean up after dinner and he and Jenn both took turns when Max started getting fussy (it was time for him to have his dinner).
Mine, all mine!As you can see, Max is eating like a champ. He is already back up to 7 pounds 6 ounces after dropping down to 7 pounds after being born. Breastfeeding is pretty neat, though I am a bit tender right now. It's totally worth it though to have that time with him. He makes this little milk-drunk face when I burp him that breaks my heart a bit every time. I don't know how it is possible, but I fall in love more each day. It's like there was this whole battery of emotions I didn't have access to until I became a mom. I feel a depth of love for him that is overwhelming and all encompassing. Crazy stuff.
Maxin', relaxin', chill-axin'.Okay, I'd better get a move on - the little guy is still asleep, but his next feeding is very soon. I've been asked to post about some of the physical changes my body has gone through with this pregnancy and giving birth - I'll make sure to post about that this week (though from the breastfeeding picture above I'm sure you can see that one of the changes is in your breasts). My bestfriend Jennifer told me I looked like a "saucy German waitress" when my milk came in. She certainly wasn't far off!

Friday, April 28, 2006

4a.m. and it's time to party.

Max and Mom on the quilt Aunt Jennifer made.Max really does share more in common than just his birthday with his dad - they both seem to think that prime time is in the middle of the night. I swear, this child sleeps all day, and then at 3:30am those little eyes open up wide and he looks at me like, okay mom, let's hang out until say 6:30am, and then when I hear the birds singing and people getting up to go to work, then I'll go back to sleep. Anyway, it's all good, we can't complain. I'm sitting here at the computer, Max is sitting next to me, bright eyed and bushy tailed and I couldn't be happier. I can't believe that he is already 5 days old! This week has been a blur.

Maxin' and relaxin.What I will say is that all those people who said "enjoy the last little while before your baby comes, once you have him you have him for good" were totally wrong. I am much happier now that he is here. Being pregnant, especially at the end was really awful. Having him here with us, out of my belly, is heaven on earth. What is funny is that all along, Scott said, "he is going to be born on my birthday". When I woke up on Sunday morning at 5:55am with my first contraction, it took me a moment to clue in that I was actually in labour. I got up, took a shower and washed my hair - no way I was going to have a baby with my dirty hair. I woke Scott up at 7am and told him "it's time" and he quickly got up and put the wheels in motion. He has been doing awesome as a dad - I knew he would. Max wasn't too interested in breastfeeding the first few days, so I was pumping my breast milk and having Scott bottle feed Max. It made my heart melt a bit to see Scott holding our baby and feeding him. Fatherhood becomes him. Max is now officially "on the boob" which is a relief as I was getting pretty tired having to pump every 3 hours, then sterilize the pump and bottles, grab an hour or so of sleep before we started the process all over again. I think we are still running on endorphins, so it will be interesting to see how we do once we come down from this high. Okay, enough of the rambling...time to see if I can get this beautiful boy to sleep.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

2.5 days old and counting.

Proud MamaI'm typing this post with one hand because I'm holding Max. Just like when he was in the womb, it appears that he is a little night owl. We are all doing great - Max is the sweetest thing ever and we fall more in love with him each day. If you have emailed/called and not heard back from us please don't be offended - we really appreciate your kind words and will be in touch shortly. Until then, we hope you enjoy the latest photos.




Look at that face!

Monday, April 24, 2006

Welcome to the world, baby boy.

Birthday boys.Good news - Maxwell Hunter was born on Sunday evening. He decided that the best way to celebrate his dad's birthday was to share it with him, so April 23rd will be a very full day in our household forever more. The labour and delivery went very smoothly. I went into labour at 6am, got an epidural around noon, and started pushing at 5:30pm. Max was out by 5:46pm. Goodness! 7 pounds 10 ounces and 20 inches long.

Maxwell Hunter - the star of the showThe day was actually amazing. We called Jennifer at 7am to tell her that "it was time" and miracle of miracles, she made it from Ottawa to the hospital by 10am. She and Scott were awesome support and they spent the day helping me manage the pain until I got my drugs, and took care of me the whole way. Max is a very sweet baby and we are all looking forward to getting to know him! He is perfect in every way and I can't believe that after 39 weeks and 5 days, he is finally here.

Thursday, April 20, 2006

39 Weeks: It's just me an Angelina left.

Angelina in Africa.Seems like everyone has gone and had their babies...Gweneth had Moses, Katie and Brooke popped out their little girls this week, so it really is just me and Angelina left. Le Sigh. It appears that this little guy is waiting to make sure that he will be a Taurus (like we didn't already know he would be a stubborn one).

I'm glad I'm home and off work because I am incredibly exhausted. So much for this whole nesting thing. I toss and turn all night - the little guy seems to think my internal organs are throw cushions. The lack of sleep during normal sleeping hours means I need at least one nap during the day. I can't wait until I can lay on my stomach again. Or when simply rolling over in bed won't be a monumental task. The phone calls have started with everyone wondering a) how am I doing and b) have I had this baby yet? Forgive me if I don't answer the phone and/or call you back, and to answer your questions a) how do you think I'm doing? I'm still pregnant and b) we'll let you know when it happens.

Scott's birthday is Sunday and my birthday is next Sunday. Neither of us are feeling incredibly inspired to celebrate, plus it's also hard to nail down any plans when we could become parents at any moment. I think I may have commited to making him a cake if the baby has still not introduced himself by Sunday. Guess we'll see about that.

Sunday, April 16, 2006

The Reciprocal Game.

Jennifer and me in her lovely kitchen in Ottawa.I'm not usually down with these types of things, but I saw it on Jennifer's blog and because it really is all about me, I couldn't resisit. So, If you comment...

1. I'll respond with something random I like about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll name something we should do together.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me (or just me).
5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. I'll leave you a quote that is somehow appropriate to you.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal so you can do the same for other people

Jennifer's response to me was:

Kat:

1. You're unapologetically in charge of your life and very good at so many things. I don't have any other friends who can competantly dismantle (and re-mantle) a toilet!

2. You've Got a Friend by Carol King

3. Sit in your backyard, pass your baby from lap to lap, drink beer (it's good for breast feeding, isn't it? ;), and watch the sun go down.

4. Good news! He moved the milk!

5. I remember us at age 9 getting our hair cut at the same time in a salon near the Hasty Market. I was jealous because yours was feathered.

6. "Some others I've seen, might never be mean, might never be cross, or try to be boss, but they wouldn't do."

7. When you finally get a dog, what kind of dog will you get?

So as Jennifer says, don't be shy. Comment and I'll tell you things about yourself.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

American Idol: Queen For a Day (and I'm not talking about Seacrest).

This is a great songbook for American Idol to use. Vocally challenging, strong melodies, what's not to like? Well, most of these songs are pretty long, so they were tough to fit into the short format. Otherwise, I enjoyed the show. I still think that this is a pretty weak top 8, but maybe I am just waxing poetic about past seasons. Just seems that we have seen stronger singers than we are seeing this year.

On with it:

Bucky Covington: Fat Bottomed Girls
Good song selection for Bucky. He makes everything sound like CCR though. The song kind of plodded along for me and it felt like he was just concentrating on getting the lyrics right. Also, I don't really believe that he likes fat bottomed girls.

Ace Young: We Will Rock You
They shouldn't let Ace talk too much...his brain really is an empty vessel. Lol - Ace trying to get Queen to play his crappy arrangement of We Will Rock You. Hah. I didn't hate the way he started but the backgrounds of "We will, we will rock you" were so weak that they didn't support the energy he was trying to convey. Bad choice on trying to change the melody, and I don't think the song ever really peaked.

Kellie Pickler: Bohemian Rhapsody
Wow - that's ballz picking this song. Nice boots! A bit pitchy to start, but once she started singing in her chest voice she sounded surprisingly good - she even added some grit that helped her rock out. The short arrangement was horrible though and the song didn't really make sense the way it played out. Like Ace, they should limit her talking time. Ouch - not a lot going on upstairs.

Chris Daughtry: Innuendo
I'm not surprised that Queen liked him. Interesting that they never performed this song live. He really was in his element singing this song. Pitch was on, he definitely rocked out. I think he would do much better singing in front of a band where he can interact with them, versus being by himself on stage. This guy has such a powerful voice, he is always going to blow everyone away in the rock category. I agree with Simon that it would have been nice to hear him sing one of their more well known songs.

Katharine McPhee: Who Wants to Live Forever
Ugh. Do we really need to hear the Disney version of this song? Poor Freddy, he's probably spinning in his grave. Now that we all know what Katharine's tonsils look like, we can sleep easy. She belongs in the Miss America pageant, not on American Idol. Also, who is doing her makeup? Linda Ronstadt's stylist?

Elliot Yamin: Somebody to Love
Gawd he is cheesy. I felt like he was about to spontaneously break into "Camptown Races". I felt zero soul in this rendition. I am really trying to find something to like about him, but I just can't. The short arrangement didn't help him either, but I just can't get over how much I dislike him. Maybe we knew eachother in a past life and he was mean to me?

Taylor Hicks: Crazy Little Thing Called Love
What a relief that he didn't sing We Are the Champions. The song he picked was a much better fit for him. I didn't mind his version of it, as long as I looked away from the tv. I can't handle his antics. But his vocal was one of the better ones of the night (can you believe I just said that?).

Paris Bennett: The Show Must Go On
Of course Queen liked Paris - she is one of the only finalists that can actually sing. She owned this song, she owned the stage, unapologetically. It was nice to see her break away from the R&B, and to see her do it so successfully. I hope America is smart enough to keep her on the show.

Worst Performances: Ace, Elliot, Katharine
Best Performances: Paris, Chris, Taylor

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

38 weeks: Still no baby.

From Jennifer: Hang in there!I was going to post about how uncomfortable I am, how I'm not sleeping, I am completely emotional and hormonal and how I can't wait to have this baby already, but I got a bit of perspective tonight. One of my coworkers who was due at the end of July had her baby 3.5 months early today - he is less than 2 pounds. Sounds like he is okay, but he will be spending at least the next couple of months in the hospital. So, while I still hope to have this little boy sooner rather than later, I am very thankful that he will be fully baked when he arrives. If we could all send some strong healthy baby vibes to Amber's little boy Adam, that would be wonderful.

I am also very thankful for my bestfriend Jennifer who sent me these beautiful flowers today (the card says "Hang in there!"). On a day where I didn't think I would even have the energy to get dressed, she managed to put a smile on my face and helped me get motivated to go for a walk (I hear that helps get things moving at this point...). I have been remiss in not posting about her new book - truth me told I am still reading it so I wanted to finish it before I posted. This is her first of many I am sure and I am super proud of her.

I am taping American Idol tonight (who can resist a night of Queen?). I'll watch it tomorrow and post my review before the results show.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

37 weeks: Nursery complete (almost).

View from the doorway.I vetoed American Idol when I found out they were doing a night of country. I can't imagine why I would need to sit through an hour of mediocre renditions of mediocre songs. And Kenny Rogers? Don't get me started…he's no Johnny Cash is all I'll say on the matter. So, no review this week. Besides, from the lack of comments I'm thinking people just don't give a shit about American Idol this year and I can't really blame them.

Good news on the nursery front - it is almost done. The only things left are to put a couple of pictures up and install the drawer on the crib once Storkcraft sends me the screws that were missing from my order. As you may recall, Scott and I went back and forth on how to decorate the room. I didn't want anything that screamed BOY-MUST HAVE LOCOMOTIVES TO EXPRESS EARLY MASCULINITY and Scott didn't want anything that he perceived as wimpy (ix-nay on the amb-lay). Because I mean, gawd forbid we introduce anything soft and wooly to our little boy, right? When I found the monkey bedding online, I figured I had a winner and I guessed right. Scott approved so the order was placed. The only problem with ordering stuff online, sight unseen is you really don't know exactly what you are getting. I am pleased to say that the bedding is awesome - much nicer than anything I had pictured!
Glider and dresser with ikea Frog (ribbit).My mom also sewed a matching window valance for the room (thanks mom!) and I completely stole Daymented's carpet idea. And I ordered the exact same glider that our friends Jen and Brad put in their little girl Maya's nursery. What can I say, all of my creativity is going towards making this baby, I got nothing left. I have 3 weeks less a day to go until the little guy's due date. He has already dropped, so my bladder is non-existent, my hips feel like they are being wrenched apart and I am really ready to not be pregnant anymore. I think these last few weeks will be the toughest weeks of all, but at least the beginning my next adventure is in sight.