Finally!

A month late but I finally made it! Here are some photos of Halloween and I know a certain someone has been waiting ever so patiently for these! So very sorry. I have endlessly been tying up loose ends these past couple of day and I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. As of Dec 11th I am hoping to find myself caught up, organized and ready to go and see all of our family on the Island!

Playing Catch Up

Here are some photos from early Oct up at SFU. It was so warm and beautiful that we spent many days going for walks, bike riding and playing in the yard. Its hard to believe that 6 weeks later we are walking around in snow! I cannot believe how fast the Fall has flown by. Thanksgiving on Quadra Island with the entire family and then Halloween on campus. Life is truly great but there is not alot of room for any down time which isn't too healthy! The kids have taken turns getting really sick. Last weekend it was Jonas and now it is Karina. At the moment I am feeling very frustrated with the many things pressing on me and not having the ability to get anything done. It is 4 PM and I am still in pajamas with a sick child and trying desperately to 'catch up' on a week of unanswered emails and a million other things. Perhaps we are too ambitious to have so much going on in our lives. But then again maybe another day I will feel on top of the world again for this is truly a very tough moment. Baby crying and must get back to her....more pictures another time.

looking at photos of when Jonas was 6 months...




taking a break while on our downtown adventure

the infamous BOB stroller is packed full and carrying both kids

Vancouver

Monday Morning....

These days, I enjoy my Monday mornings. Its when we all get back to a steady rhythm and schedule that allows me my room and space to return emails, play with Karina, plan meals and even do a little school work. Its just Karina and I so its usually fairly mellow. Not so relaxing if I actually have stuff to accomplish because it always seems that if I have high expectations of accomplishment for the day then Karina seems to become more of a handful and everything gets hectic. I know that if I come into the day with an open mind with what I will be able to 'get done', then I am always happy with the outcome - even if its just a blog and a healthy dinner and of course a happy baby!

By Friday, I am happy for the weekend and for all of us to be together. On Sat we went on a fun but exhausting (I have a bad cold) urban trek. We took the skytrain from SFU to downtown and walked over to Gastown where we checked out the trains, old steam clock and met a friend for lunch. Then we walked over to a newly revamped park along the water where we could see the trains, ocean, port yard with cranes and a new playground and Jonas was in heaven. We spent a couple of hours there with Pete - a childhood friend of Jordan's. We then wondered around dowtown some more and then found a little street cafe where we had strong coffees, Jonas had treats and Karina had a sleep. We then hopped back on the skytrain and then met some other friends at a park in Yaletown. Of course Jonas was thrilled with another great playground to run around in. We met Dane and Roxanne's baby Liam and visited until it began to get late and then once again we were on the skytrain and headed home at 7pm. I'm glad we didn't take our car downtown because we would have not been able to be as spontaneous and of course public tranist always ads a sense of adventure for Jonas. Its so quick and easy from our home on Burnaby Mountain and its also freeing to not have to always rely on the car.

We stayed home Sunday and Uncle Soren came up for a visit. It was nice to catch up and watch him play with Jonas - of course Jonas was so happy when Soren helped him build a marble tower. We are so excited that Soren's film, 'Play With Fire', will be having showings throughout Canada this Fall/Winter. He has worked for several years on this film and it is finally making its way to the public. Having written, directed, filmed and edited the entire film himself, I am especially proud of him for sticking through until the end. I enjoyed most of the work I did when I was involved in film, but I never had the passion that Soren has for it. I could see picking up the camera again for documentary work but that is all - I do not have the incredible creativity that Soren has in storytelling.

I have taken such delight lately in sitting back and observing Jonas as he is growing into a young boy. The other day I wondered if his stubborness and strong will are actually a part of his personality and not just a preschooler thing. I know that most kids his age seem to really want most things to go their way, but he seems especially so this past year. Maybe its just a real part of his personality. As well, he is incredibly social and senstive to those around him. He loves to hug his friends and is quite empathetic if anyone is sad or upset. He is so friendly and loving to everyone around him and is never shy to walk up to a new little friend and introduce himself. As a baby he was so easygoing and loved heing with and around people. Although he loves going to playgrounds and taking the skytrain and Science World, Jonas really just loves to walk around in the forest or anywhere natural. His imagination has blossomed and I love the stories he comes up with and the way he organizes his play. He is forever working on building railways, houses, hospitals, cities, roads, mechanic shops etc... Once I heard him talk about having a baby - that was just after Karina wa born. The only negative that I hope turns into a postive is Jonas's waking up crankiness. He always wakes up from a nap cranky. The more you say or try to do, the worse it gets until he is in tears. It is always best to just leave him alone to work it out. Until recently it was the same for morning wakeup - but I seem to have found a way to start mornings with some real happiness. Basically when he calls for us in the morning and I go to him, I will say 'Goodmorning! You have lots of work to do today - the trains are waiting for you to get them on the tracks' - or I will say 'the road crew is beginning work - you had better check make sure everything is running smoothly' and you know what? Jonas happily jumps out of bed and spends a few minutes reorganizing some of the scenes happening around his room and then he is good to go and joins us soonafter for breakfast and normal, happy conversation.

The Boys of LRH

This is where Jonas loves to go everyday - just outside of our yard. It is so funny to watch all the kids climbing - their continuous shouts 'look at me mom, look at me dad, LOOK AT HOW HIGH I AM!!!'.

Building Blocks and Garden Harvest...

YES, those are carrots and Jonas LOVED eating them. Better luck next year.

Parenthood

A Good Day...

Occasionally, Karina will wake up too early. We like to stay in bed until 7AM. Sometimes Karina will start stirring at 5AM. Too early, too painful for any of us. ugh. Jonas will normally start to wake up at some point between 7 and 8. That is a little easier.

Today, we all slept in until sometime after 7AM. It was nice. Karina had some rice cereal while Jonas built a road and some buildings with his blocks. Jordan and I enjoyed some coffee together. Jonas got dressed on his own without too much trouble and we were all out the door by 9:30AM. Karina watched as Jonas and I worked in the garden. We went for a walk and stood in line at the Tim Hortons on campus (for 15 minutes) for 2 Timbits, which Jonas shyly paid for. While in line, Karina sucked on my chin and fell asleep as her brother waited very patiently for his turn to order. We then wondered around abit more and then decided to swing by the childcare centre to visit his old school group. They were headed out for a walk, so we walked with them until we reached our building and then we decided to head home for lunch. It was 12:30 and before lunch was ready, Jonas fell asleep on the couch and Karina went down for a nap as well. How awesome was this?? So, of course I laid down and slept as well!!! All of us asleep at the same time for an hour!!! It felt great. We woke up, ate and headed back out and walked to the other side of campus to check out the Farmers Market and for some playing in the park. Karina sat in the swing for the first time and absolutely loved watching her brother swinging right next to her. Totally entertained.

It was a simple and smooth day - which is nice when I have both kids to myself! Jonas's new friend from Mongolia came over to play after dinner and then we all had a bath and the kids went to bed.

Karina is sitting fairly well on her own now and is also scooting around more and more each day. She does not like unfamiliar faces getting too close to her and she is very picky about who can hold her. She really only likes mom or dad holding on to her and seems to fuss fairly quickly when in others arms. Teething is a nightly irritation for her and a cold cloth or homeopathic remedies will sometimes work; other times its straight to the tylenol. When I wear Karina forward facing in the Bjorn, she will grab at everything so I can no longer do dishes with her in that position. She also lunges for our food whenever she gets the chance. She is getting lots of samples and tastes and can handle chunks of cooked apple, brocolli, pieces of rice and anything else off our plate that seems edible for a toothless babe. She loves food and has already started to feed herself using her fingers and is always trying with her spoon. The four of us went swimming on the weekend and it was Karina's first time. She loved it and splashed and kicked and watched her brother. Of course she was exhausted afterwards.

Jordan is back in classes and is also continuing to work on his research. He has quite the heavy load but still puts everything away when we are all together in the evenings. I make dinner, he plays with the kids and we all spend the evening together. We are exhausted at the end of the day but are happy to have an hour or so to ourselves before we go to bed.

It is beautiful at SFU right now and there are many new friendly faces. I am focused on getting us all settled into this new season - there is much more going on and the balance is even tougher to keep sustained but its workable and everything is already beginning to settle. I have an online course starting soon and next week I will begin abit of Doula work for Vancouver Coastal Health. I am excited to start meeting with the young moms again and will bring Karina along with me during the Childbirth Education classes. Jonas and I are also taking a yoga class together - he loves doing yoga moves!

Sweet Pictures....

Grandma Janet and Karina at Emilie and Nico's Victoria wedding

Our 5 Month Old Baby Girl

Have I mentioned that it feels as if Karina has always been with us? How could we have ever considered stopping at just one child? Of course, life is much more hectic with a second child but it is so completely worth having another personality within our family. Jonas has flourished and has never in any way shown any emotion towards Karina aside from pure happiness in having a sister.

I would say that both Karina and Jonas are very similar in that they are/were calm as babies. Not much crying. Very content. Jonas both demanded and invited more social interaction with myself and others. Karina is more cautious in her interactions with others aside from Jordan or I. I think that Jonas enjoyed interacting so much because we had such quiet surroundings when he was a baby - just him and I and Jordan in our big roomy Island house. He always wanted to know where I was in the house and would become fussy if I went upstairs or down the the basement. He didn't like being alone. But then, what baby or child does? Karina, on the other hand, is always watching and very observant in our little apartment. There is always lots going on and the space is small. She knows I am always just a few feet away - whether I am in the kitchen or another room, I am always almost within arms reach. This, I think, makes her feel secure and comfortable and therefor she goes ahead and plays on her own or listens and watches all of the activity. She loves to watch Jonas play and interact with us and his friends. She will often cry and become upset if he cries.

Karina will nap 3 or 4 times a day now for about 30-45 minutes if left alone and perhaps 1 - 1.5 hours if I join her. She feeds at least every 3 hours each night, which I rarely notice since she sleeps right next to me. I actually feel rested enough to function quite well throughout the day and often, surprisingly get alot accomplished. (alot is relative).

Karina started solids much earlier than Jonas. I started her very gradually just before she was 4 months. I went with intuition and shared some smoothy with her one day. She became very excited and wanted more so I started her on rice cereal which she happily took with no tongue thrust reflex whatsoever. I was quite surprised. I got the big no no from the public health nurse because most recent studies have shown that babies should not have solids until 6 months. But that is just an average for when babies are ready and of course each baby is different. Aside from any recent research, I believe that following our own intuition as well as following the baby's lead is most important. I often feel that we place too much trust in what others dictate based on this or that study and not enough on our own instinct. Anyway. She has been very happy with food and now eats twice a day with nursing as she wants. SO far she has had yams, carrots, peas, spaghetti squash and apple. She is incredibly involved and so very messy. She likes to try to feed herself now and loves to move the food into her mouth on her own. Its very sweet.

Aside from her food, Karina loves to be in the sling, the bjorn and just recently the ergo carrier. She also loves sitting in the BOB Stroller with her brother at the front. She is much better travelling in the car now and rarely cries, thank goodness.

When not being carried, Karina loves to be on her stomach. Much more than Jonas ever did. She loves to roll around and scoot and check out her toys. She can also sit on her own very briefly and for extended periods if helped. She doesn't like the BUMBO seat like Jonas did, but she like her rocker chair (which Jonas liked as well).

We have a crib set up in the bedroom she will eventually share with Jonas. She loves to play in it when I am cleaning or playing with Jonas. I can imagine she will be as excited as Jonas is to eventually share a room!

Its hard to believe that 5 months have passed since Karina was born. It has gone by so fast and when I think back to when she was inside me, I could never have imagined how beautifully our life would continue to unfold with our little baby girl! How so very smooth the transition has been... I feel very fortunate and am forever thankful to have Karina and Jonas in my life. By having them I have learned so much about myself and life in general. This experience has been, at times, difficult, yet overall the most fulfilling chapter of my life so far...

Our Island Vacation!

Jord and I headed out for a wedding reception (kids stayed home!) Sort of a DATE!!

Wonderful evening!!


Strathcona Park, Vancouver Island


Saratoga Beach


UBC Agricultural Land - Camping in the Comox Valley after Woodlot AGM


Karina chilling while we set up camp....


Beautiful Island!!




Cousin Livia - Jonas loves to hang out with her!


Grandpa Ken and Grandpa Jerry in Drew Harbour on Quadra Island


Jordan and Soren on Mom and Dad's boat -

4 Months

After spending a whirlwind 3 weeks vacation on the Islands, we are back and easily settled into our little routine and life. After visiting with family and friends we were all fairly exhausted yet it only took a couple days back at home before we were rejuvenated and ready to get back into a much needed routine. Jonas was very easy to get back into regular bedtimes and school/social life, but Karina seems to be a whole new and forever changing person!

Karina is very similar to Jonas as a baby in that she does not cry much nor does she fuss. I consider both Karina and Jonas very easy babies but as time goes on I can see more differences. I am enjoying these differences immensely and am having such a wonderful time getting to know our beautiful little girl. As a baby, Jonas was very content and very easy to pacify if he was upset. Being outside or breastfeeding was all that was ever needed to make Jonas a happy baby. Jonas really liked being around people and hated to play alone. He is very social and not at all shy. Karina, on the other hand is quite mellow but when she is mad, she can be a little more difficult to settle. She will not take the breast nor will going outside calm her. The only thing that I can do for her is take her into a quiet place/ dark room and hold her. She eventually settles on her own. There doesn't seem to be any specific thing for me to do that will calm her - all I can do is provide the environment for her to relax in and she does the rest. Both Jonas and Karina really only get upset is when overstimulated and tired/hungry. Karina has also mastered rolling from back to front and front to back. She is now almost beginning to scoot forward a little. She can almost sit and will often balance herself with an arm if she begins to fall over or else she just flops over. She also likes to stand on her feet with all of her weight, leaning on my arm or other object.



Karina is often not too happy to be held by other people but sometimes she will warm up to someone new who is holding her. She seems to like to be on her own and spend a lot of time observing everything around her. Karina will spend lots of time rolling around on the floor or sitting in her chair keeping herself occupied. Of course I realize that part of this self sufficiency is due to nature and also due to nurture. I am often running around doing one thing or another and cannot always be at her side. She accepts this easily most of the time and will have no problems letting me know otherwise.

I was never into baby swings, exersaucers, jolly jumpers etc for Jonas - although I borrowed all of those items and owned an exersaucer, Jonas was never really into any of them. Since then I have heard from a physiotherapist friend that these devices actually slow down an infants development if used for more than a few minutes each day. In the end I am sure that it doesn't matter either way, but I have not had any need/desire to place Karina in any of these devices. Having a tiny apartment makes it easier to not have these devices as well. Less crap laying around! The idea of kids watching movies in cars while on road trips is totally foreign to me - I am a little old fashioned in that I like Jonas to check out the scenery, listen to music, sing or have conversation with us while driving. A new activity while in the car for Jonas is listening to stories on CD. He is STOKED on listening to CARS at the moment - I don't mind at all because I look back at him and his eyes are faraway and I can tell he is imagining each scene as the story is told and I only wish I could see what the story looks like in his minds eye.




And before I fall asleep I must share one final and interesting development over the past two days. Based on strong intuition and some developmental 'cues' - I fed Karina her first food! It is abit early, but I felt that Karina was ready. While pregnant I imagined that I would wait until she was at least 6 months but I have had this nagging feeling at the back of my mind that she is ready and she seems very interested in food. SO I mixed some freshly pumped milk with some brown rice cereal and tried it out. I was not entirely surprised when Karina squealed with joy and kicked her feet excitedly after I fed her her first spoonful. I only allowed her about 3 teaspoons at her first meal. Some of the clues she has given me that she is ready is that she is almost sitting on her own, she is very interested in my food and tried to grab at it, she does not push the food out of her mouth and she opens her mouth really wide when she sees the spoon coming toward her. She has never done this with the breast, Never a big open mouth like many babies out there. Funny and unique girl, my Karina! This is significant for everyone because it means that others can now participate in feeding her, my milk supply may change (so soon??) and her poops will go from pleasant smelling to stinky real poops.

And this is my life and excitement at the moment and I wouldn't trade it for the world! Its all going by too quickly but by continuing to write in this blog, I have a record of this short time in my life with my little darlings! My mind is so fuzzy half the time and my writing is not at all my best but I will continue otherwise I may not remember these days as clearly as I would like!

Karina - 3 Months

These past 12 weeks have really flown by. But, really, there is no other way that time flows when you have a baby. A baby and a 3 year old. Lots of energy. Actually, Karina feels very easy next to her big brother. Thank goodness Jordan is around on the non daycare days; Jonas just has so much energy to burn. Long walks in the forest and sports and sand/dirt play are his all day staples when not in daycare. Naps are hard to come by for Jonas when he is at home and he will only fall asleep if we are in the car which is not very often.


Karina is also full of energy these days. She sleeps so well through the night with feedings every 3 hours, but never a full awakening. She sleeps well in her side bed next to us, but eventually I get lazy and she ends up sleeping with us after one of her feeds during the night. Daytime, Karina is a light napper and will fall asleep easily while in the Bjorn but will not stay asleep on her own unless I am snuggled with her. I only nap with her every other day because I find that I am not needing the extra sleep. My energy has been quite good since Karina was born. Some days tougher, but generally my energy is quite good. Karina naps between 3-5 times a day and this is anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours. She is very content to watch me in the kitchen or outside in the garden. She spends long periods on her tummy or in her chairs, looking around. When she gets a little grumpy I put her back in the Bjorn and she is content once again. At the moment, life is very simple.




Simple is good and I am thoroughly enjoying the moment. I try to get out for at least an hour of exercise 5 days a week. I am trying new recipes and making many healthy meals - our smoothies are the best ever and we have gotten super creative! I am eating a larger variety of green smoothies and also some chocolate ones lately as well.

It has felt so refreshing to start back at Bikrams Yoga again. I wish I could go more, but once a week is better than non and at this point I will take what I can get. I have tried playing squash with Jordan which was fun and again I can't wait to play again. Aside from that I have been jogging and swimming and going on lots of walks with Karina.

Living on campus is so convenient and lots of fun. Although our actual apartment building is a complete dump, our apartment is average and we have a nice yard. We are south facing so we get lots of sun, yet some shade from a giant Maple tree. We have some privacy but we do overlook the Whitecaps soccer field which is fine! Actually, all the sports facilities surrounding us are world class; its great to have so many healthy and active people all over the place. We have also made some really great friends and the overall feeling is that we all feel quite supported by one another and there is always someone close by to help in any situation. (birth, babysitting etc)

Its hard to find the time to collect my thoughts and sit down to write this blog. I often think of different things I would like to write about but when I have the chance to sit down for long enough, I forget what I want to write about and then I am too tired! Being a mom to a baby is exhausting and chaotic with a 3 year old running around. The other day it took several minutes for me to try to communicate one thought to Jordan and it was just such an insane moment with Karina in my arms and Jonas running around - I had to laugh at myself. And to top it off, I wonder if Jordan even registered what I was saying. Life at the moment can be rather crazy, but as long as I live in the moment, keep things simple and remember that this will all pass much too quickly, then I think I will pull through just fine (with Jordan and Jonas and Karina!)

Little Darlings

Aside from flying off the couch, Jonas also likes fitting in small spaces and building forts throughout the house


Karina is already pinning Jonas down!


I love these moments.....

10 Weeks

The 3 month growth spurt is probably upon us. Although Karina is 10 weeks I am very certain she is having a growth spurt. With the continual feeding last night and all day today I was actually able to peal myself out of bed by noon in order to eat and get dressed. I was actually up at 6AM this morning, which is very early in this house. No one usually gets out of bed until 7:30 - but today I got out of bed after a big Karina feed because I knew she would want me back in bed for another feed and perhaps her dad could keep her asleep a little longer with his presence next to her. I was back in bed by 9AM where I snuggled and fed Karina and drifted in and out of sleep. I swear my nipple was in her mouth the whole time...

So I had an hour to myself where I sipped coffee and blogged. It was quite nice to sit back in a quiet house and enjoy the time to myself. After having used a bodem for our coffee for years and breaking two in the month that Karina was born, we invested in a nice coffee machine. Each night I pregrind and preset the machine to 7AM, so that when Jordan rolls out of bed when Jonas wakes up, he is greeted with some nice coffee - its like a little 'I love you for getting up with Jonas' coffee. Mind you, I am usually up within half an hour of Jordan and Jonas getting out of bed.

As I type this, Karina has slept in the Baby Bjorn for the past hour. She has now woken up and is trying to have a conversation with me. I love that she is more awake and aware now. She loves, as Jonas did, babbling and smiling at me as we have a 'conversation'. So sweet. I am loving my time with my little baby girl. She will grow up too fast and I already know that.

Anxiety

Although it wasn't mandatory, I encouraged Jordan to attend a Community Forest conference over the weekend. I arranged to have my parents come over from the Island for the weekend so that I could have some help. I know that as my hormones settle and I become more used to life with two small children, I will become better adapted. I knew I would be fine on my own, but I also knew that I would be better off with a little help.

I have a certain anxiety when I am alone with both kids for several hours - mainly around bedtime. Jordan had a ball tournament one weekend which was fine because I would go out for walks with Jonas and Karina and it was quite easy. But when its bedtime and you have a crying baby and a very tired and cranky 3 year old its a tough juggle struggle. Every time I have Karina almost asleep, Jonas will make a noise or ask if I am ready to put him to bed. I have only been through this a few times but I must say I felt anxiety. I almost feel better simply admitting to this weakness in myself because I know it will pass with time.

Of course its good to work hard and be the best you can be, but I also believe it is healthy to admit ones weaknesses and shortcomings. We are humans, not superheros. I am not supermom and never will be.

As anyone who has read ethnopediatrician, Meredith Small's book, 'Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent', will see that we are one of the few cultures around the world where a mother and usually a father will single handedly raise their children. Alone. This way of child rearing has never really been a practice that I instinctively felt was entirely healthy for anyone involved. Could this be a contributing factor to the overwhelming amount of Post Partum Depression in our culture. I think it is a major one. Maybe it contributes to the isolation people will feel at different times in their lives. With so much importance and expectation placed on that of the 'family', especially in this culture, you are bound to be disappointed! We are a culture who has many, many definitions of family, which, in all honesty I am often confused about. It seems as if each person has their own definition of what a family looks like. Whether its the nuclear family or ones spiritual/church family, I think it all needs to be incorporated into a larger picture of family. Community perhaps? SSince this is still a blog written firstly for my children as a record, according to mom, of their early life with us - perhaps I will eventually write another post dedicated to our picture of family!

I read Our Babies Ourselves when Jonas was a baby. I enjoyed how it gave such a wide overview of infant care practices across the world and then presented in a clear and concise manner. Small notes that what may seem to be "normal" baby care for one culture seems quite strange, even shocking or disturbing, for another.It is not a parenting book, really, but it does give affirmation for making instinctual parenting choices. It is a great book for anyone who is interested in infant care in other cultures. It is also a good book for parents needing encouragement that what they are doing is best for their baby even when society says it's not (especially for issues such as co-sleeping and baby wearing.)

My Little Girl

We seem to have settled into our little life as a family of 4. Karina is almost 9 weeks and is a very sweet and normal little babe. She eats, plays, sleeps and then does it all over again and of course in any order she sees fit. Life with child 2 is much smoother than with the first. I know what to expect and that is simply you never know how each day with a little baby will go. Maybe we will nurse all day and lay around and then eat Bunny noodles for dinner. Or maybe Karina will sleep abit more and I will be able to get lots accomplished. I take each day as it comes. Karina will typically nurse throughout the night but these nights are not so bad because I am so accustomed to them after already having been through one nursling already. I don't expect Karina to sleep through the night, though she occassionally sleeps for 4 hours straight without a nurse session. She will also sleep in the side cradle for the first part of the night and then come into bed with us. I find that I sleep much better once she is with us because she is nice and close and I feel more in tune with her. This is just how it has worked out for us. I was like this with Jonas as well. This time, however, I am making more of an effort to start the night with Karina in her own bed because she will probably move out of our bed to be with her brother sooner than her brother left our bed (at 18 months).

The only big difference between Karina and Jonas so far is that Jonas always fell asleep breastfeeding whereas Karina often does not and likes to sleep when she is ready - and on her own. With Jonas I could convince him through breastfeeding to fall asleep quickly or to go back to sleep if he woke up after a short 20 minute nap.

This time around I am also much more conscious of my body and much more driven to take good care of it. I am eating well and exercising lots with special focus on my back. I felt much weaker postpartum this time around and I knew that in order to function optimally and carry Karina around for hours a day in the sling and bjorn, I would have to strengthen my core. I need to carry her in order to get anything done and I can't be sore.

Karina smiles lots now, she laughs and babbles and has taken an interest in Mr Lion which was Jonas's first 'toy' as well.



Jonas is, as always, a ton of fun with the exception of typical 3 year old naughtiness!
Recently he said to Jordan when asked if he wanted to go to The Aquarium or Science World - 'I want to go to Science World so that I can play with things, not just look at things'. Science World has been his fave for the past 8 months.

Karina Isabel - 8 Weeks

3 Weeks Postpartum

For this baby, my parents were the first to come to help out and meet the new family member. Jordan's mom and dad were the first to meet and greet Jonas 3 years ago.

So, of course, West coast style, my parents had to wait until the day after Karina was born due to high winds and ferry cancellations. Funny how things work out because we found it nice to have that first partial day to ourselves to unpack and settle back at home. We weren't discharged from the hospital until later in the afternoon after Karina's birth. It was nice, though, because I got the chance to rest and take a few showers without worrying about cleaning up after myself.

We settled in at home and my parents arrived as we were waking up the next morning!! It was a nice surprise to have them there so early and they brought some snacks and chocolate (Easter weekend!!!) and some presents for Karina and Jonas. It was very festive and I was feeling great. I did not have much pain after the birth - just an achy back and some strong after pains around my belly and lower gut area (the uterus shrinking very quickly!).

Karina slept ALOT those first few days and I swear my parents only saw her awake a handful of times. She only really nursed every 3-5 hours, but I was not concerned as she was filling up her diapers with gusto and a postpartum Midwife appointment confirmed her weight gain.

My parents entertained Jonas and took him out and about. They made us some meals and hung out as we rested and recuperated. Our very thoughtful friends had us over for a turkey dinner and we got some great little pink sleepers etc - Thanks to the Fabien's and Ruff's! We felt very well taken care of!

My parents left after the long weekend and the next day I became so engorged! My milk had come in already but now it was coming full force and Karina could not drink it all! She was still sleeping all the time and only feeding every 3 or so hours. My nipples were beginning to get sore and I organized myself so that I was pumping a little and using ice packs and cabbage leaves. I was very diligent but I was in alot of pain and couldn't believe this was happening to second time mom! I nursed Jonas for 2.5 years and I thought there would not be any problems breastfeeding a second time. I was wrong. It was like starting all over again. teaching Karina how to latch and trying to figure out why my nipples were so sore and why Karina was making a clicking sound at each suck. I also began nursing on one breast only for 5 hours because I was overflowing! It was a really difficult 3 or 4 days and I needed to take alot of Tylenol and ibuprofen. I had abit of relief and healed slowly.

A week after Karina was born, Jordan's mom came over from the Island to help out. Having taken the week off, Jordan needed to finnish off a paper and prepare for a presentation for the following week. Janet stayed for the week and made our dinners, cleaned the house, shopped and took care of Jonas on the days he was not in school. I was feeling quite tired that week and I was still dealing with sore breasts. The timing couldn't have been better and she helped us out tremendously and all of the support we have collectively received has helped us get off on the right foot - well rested and healthy and school work successfully completed. Jordan has taken a week off and then he will get back to his thesis and also hopefully line up more research money for his PhD.

Aside from difficulties with soreness, mothering a second time has been really easy. Barely an adjustment. Jordan is totally confident and often puts Karina to sleep. Jonas has welcomed his little sister beautifully and loves to talk with her and watch her diapers being changed - he calls her milk poos 'flat poos' and really gets a kick out of her 'blowouts'. She has had all of her baths with her brother and one of us and she is very mellow and observant and seems to enjoy being with everyone while bathing.

Karina is a little more alert these days, but still prefers sleeping to anything else. Jonas liked nursing more than anything else. He fed every two hours whereas Karina can go for 4 hours without a feed. She is also able to settle easily without a huge need for sucking. Totally opposite of Jonas so this is all very new for us. Many times now, in the evening, after an alert period, she will nurse and then I will lay her beside me in our bed and we look at each other, side by side and I slowly close my eyes, blinking sometimes and watching her and she copies me until she is actually asleep! She begins to close her eyes when she thinks that I am sleeping - but if I open them abruptly then she wakes up fully.

2 Weeks Postpartum

getting used to the Bjorn again

Karina's Birth

After meeting up with my Midwife two Thursdays ago, I decided to do some Easter shopping on my way home. After some chocolate purchases I decided to pick out a little baby girl Easter sleeper. I thought, well, since I don't have a single item of baby girl clothing and since this would be a wonderful weekend to birth a baby, I might as well be prepared in case I actually have a girl. Just in case. Purchase justified, I headed home.

Wondered around the house for abit, deciding against doing any dishes and decided instead to have a nap beside Jordan as he worked away on his computer. I awoke from light sleep with the feeling that I had peed myself and quickly went to the bathroom. With all the baby pressure on my bladder I couldn't be sure what had happened. I was definitely leaking. I called Jordy and told her and she laughed and said, you know that's what women say when their water has broken, that they think its just pee. I still wasn't sure. But when I continued leaking I figured something was up and told Jordan. I told him that he needed to finnish up his work and wrap it up for the weekend because my water had probably broken and a baby might be coming this weekend!

About an hour later it was 5pm and I asked Jordan to do the dishes (I still hadn't done them and they had piled up that day) because my contractions had started and I needed to focus on getting some last minute stuff together. So far the contractions had only just started and they were 6-7 minutes apart at 30-45 seconds long. I called my Midwife to let her know that things had begun to move and that I was beginning labour. Jordan picked up Jonas from school and we all hung out together on the couch and decided to stay at home until my contractions became more uncomfortable. Jordan picked up a couple of rib dinners and we all ate dinner and I told Jonas that the baby had decided that it was ready to come and that soon we would be heading to Soren and Andrea's house so that we could be close to the hospital.

I kept busy between contractions because I felt really restless - so I packed a bag for Jonas and straightened out my room and we slowly made our way to the car. I think we made it to Soren's place by 9pm. I was quite relaxed and for each contraction I just leaned against the ball or the wall and tried to relax my body as much as possible during the contraction. Not always possible during the entire 45 seconds but definitely for part of them. I decided to retreat into the bedroom for abit because I was beginning to feel a little distracted by Jonas, Jordan and Soren. I got on the phone with my sister and chatted for awhile. For each contraction I needed to put the phone down and focus. Soon the time came when I was no longer comfortable talking on the phone and my contractions were beginning to feel much more intense. I hadn't been doing much timing - I was going more on intuition for this labour. I said goodbye to Ashleigh and went and had a contraction in the bathroom. At this point they were getting big and I needed Jordan now. I figured we could be together in the bathroom for abit and he could massage me and maybe I would even have a shower. Soren played with Jonas and Jordan joined me. But within a couple of contractions Jordan figured it was time to call the Midwife and start moving along to the hospital. I was a little shocked that everything had moved so quickly but agreed to make the call. I was beginning to shake and my legs were beginning to bend alot during each contraction. Candace was already at the hospital so she asked us to meet her there. WIthin a few minutes we were in admitting at Women's Hospital and if you can believe it, all the beds were full. The usual hospital policy is to go through admitting where a nurse or your Midwife will check you dilation - they do not want women in early labour using up the beds in labour and delivery. It was fairly obvious that I was in deep labour and I was even squatting a little so after checking my blood pressure, Candace convinced whoever is in charge to let me through. I was in a completely different world but knew enough about what was going on around me to kind of laugh (in my mind) and think 'is this for freaking real?? what a crazy thing to be in such labour and have to go through admitting - I felt sorry for all those first time mothers in admitting and not officially dilated enough to get a bed!' ugh. I can see how this situation could close up your cervix and slow your labour for many women - especially those who have a random nurse checking them and their doctor is nowhere to be seen. At least it is more comfortable with your midwife whom you know and have a trusting relationship with!

Luckily we were assigned to one of the nicer labour and delivery rooms and Candace wheeled me away and what I remember is how nice the wind felt on my face - we were moving fast. Everything from this point on moved at lightning speed, as I was told later. Karina was born an hour after we arrived at the hospital!

Being in my own world, I completely fell into myself. Its so hard to explain but its the most amazing state to be in. I was just body and spirit. There was no fear, I felt completely safe. I felt joy. I let my body do what it needed to move that baby down and out.

I was 5 cms dilated and that was the first and only time Candace checked me. Jordan was right at my side as contractions came closer together and Jordy (my friend and Doula) arrived minutes after we were settled. I think she got me some water as I knew I was a little dehydrated. I was also given an IV in case I needed oxytocin if I were to have another bleed like I did after Jonas was born.

Soon I had a huge puke that seems to happen to many women in transition (the last few cms of dilation are usually the most intense part of labour). After the huge puke, I remember Candace saying - I bet she's fully dilated after that! Well, soon after I felt the urge to push and 15 minutes later Karina was born! I went from pushing sideways on the bed to being on all fours because the heart rate had been lost (I think) and there was the need to quickly find it again. So out my baby came and she was swiftly brought to me between my legs where I looked down, moved the umbilical cord out of the way and declared that it was a girl! What an amazing moment! I turned around and held her to my belly and watched her in awe. She watched me and all was good. The umbilical cord was left unclamped as I had requested and we just stayed in the moment. A while later my placenta had not delivered and I had a bleed which was quickly brought under control with an IV of oxytocin. The OB came to coax the placenta out and all was good. Jordy took many many photos (thanks girl!), Jordan held Karina and snuggled her into his bare chest and much later we had her weighed and checked. She was perfect and had her first meal a couple of hours after birth.

1 Week