Guinness & Windows XP

Well Marianne & I discussed it and decided we'd skip the whole "teaching your kids to read" stage. I mean how important is literacy anymore these days anyway!? Instead, we figured its most important for Sophie to learn Windows XP, Email, and how to use the Internet as this is pretty much the only tool one needs in life these days isn't it???!

Diaper Champ!

After being in the house for pretty much 6 days, Dad really needed to get out of the house today (mom is ready soon too), and used the excuse to goto Babies R Us to get a couple quick items. Getting on the 401, driving fast, and turning up the music loud was fantastic. Nobody's driven to Babies R Us that fast before! Yeah...!

Number one on the list, which has come with high recommendations...

DIAPER CHAMP!!

Yeah... enough said...??

Now since I'm writing this, you can tell we're already deep in right? Immersed? Proud parents? Obsessed? Like those "other people"...? Well it is pretty exciting. I never though I'd get excited about owning a Baby Carrier, Diaper Champ, or have "Baby on Board" signs in my car rear window!

Milk

Back to the pediatrician today. Sophie is:

• back up over her birthweight; check, good job Marianne & Sophie, don't stop what you're doing.
• Infant Jaundice is very minor/low. Nothing necessary, maybe buy some Vitamin D drops and give her one drop per day.

Sophie brings up the odd burp of milk after feeding now and then. I keep telling her not to worry about it and that if I drank that much milk, 100% of the time, I'd be puking milk all over the place!

Sophie went by Dad's office today (Mom needed some cash) and we introduced her to the branch. Her commentary on the markets/economy is as follows:

• Sees the price of baby food remaining stable throughout economic downturn
• Is not worried about Canadian housing prices especially since she expects to stay put in her current digs for a long while
• Thinks openning up an RESP and investing in allocations towards more cash, gold, gov't bonds is most appropriate
• Recommends and sees growth in Stroller Manufacturing sector

Days at Home

Our initial days at home have gone pretty well so far. Feeding, sleeping, diapering is pretty much the routine, and when not doing anything else, just sitting around looking at her provides a lot of "shock & awe".

Marianne is doing realtively well. Mon. and Tues. were really sunny days, so they were bright which helped. Tuesday night Sophie stayed up much of the night wanting to feed off and on constantly. Marianne was up all night. So Wednesday has not been a great day. The lack of sleep has worn in on Marianne and on me too a bit. Sophie likes to sleep like a zombie all day long in the daylight, and then likes to be awake starting at 1am. She's got that reversed I keep telling her! She just sticks her tongue out at me, maybe shrugs her eyebrows at me, and that's about it, then closes her eyes in dismissal.

Marianne's mom and dad have been great coming over with tons of food to drop off, some gifts too, and just to hang out with their first and only granddaughter. My mom & dad have also been over to drop food, some flowers, and to hold her. This all helps so much, as under little sleep doing simple things gets harder. Thank you grandparents!!

Going Home

On Sunday Feb. 22nd, the sun shone her rosy fingers into our room where Sophie, Marianne, and Chris slept for a full 5 hours. Sophie not yet one full day old, shared her first post natal day with Allan G's 65th birthday. The three of us would have loved to attend your birthday party at which I'm told glasses were raised and toasts given to little Sophie and her "Grandad". Happy Birthday Dad, and looking forward to sharing many more birthday's with you and Sophie together!

Marianne on her feet, Dad changing diapers, and Sophie doing some initial feedings, both Marianne & I felt immeditely like we must be superstar parents... ;) As the day came to a close the hospital staff got us closer and closer to hand us discharge papers and turn us out into the world on our own. I have to say, the warmth and sauna like character of the hospital room where refreshments, food, help, and encouragement all seemed like a good place to stay for an extra day or two...but by 4.30pm, we were on our way.

Sophie got strapped in her fancy new carseat, both parents dressed again and we were all ready for the car ride home. Here is some picture & video documentation...

Day 1 at St. Joe's

On Saturday February 21st, 2009 at 2:17pm EST, Sophie Ella was born at St. Joseph's Hospital in Etobicoke, ON.

She weighted in at 6pounds, 7oz, (that's 2915 grams) and measured approx. 52 cm in length.

Labour was long for our first time mom Marianne. After starting at home at 6am Friday, Marianne laboured through contractions till 4am the next day with me (Chris) and eventually accompanied by her Doula (Kim). After 17 hours just the two of us, Kim's arrival at our house allowed me to take a break. It got frustrating not knowing how I could best help Marianne through her contractions. By 1am I needed a break and tried to pass out for a couple hours. At 4am when I woke up, Kim & Marianne told me we were ready to goto the hospital!

After being admitted it took even more time for Marianne to become fully dialated. Marianne was a superstar, but had to throw in the towel, ring the bell, tag out and get the miracle drugs at the 30 hour labour mark. It was EPIDURAL time!! Yes!! I was SO relieved. I was out while she received the epidural but when I came back into her room (after her getting this wonder drug), she was sitting in bed, chatting to her doula, having a full conversation about something. VERY good..... (As you can see below, I also could have used an Epidural but didn't get one.)

It was still 4 more hours until Marianne was fully ready to push, and then the worst was over.

Marianne pushed Sophie out in record time for a first time mom, in just under 30 minutes. WOW.

The next day in our post natal recovery room, the St. Joe's staff were all incredibly nice, accomodating, and helpful to all three of us, our new family. They showed us how to bathe her, helped Marianne back onto her feet, got Daddy going on changing a few diapers, and waking up Sophie for some of her first feedings.