One of the best things about having a baby is being able to attend Mommy Matinees at a local theatre. What is that, you say? Mommy Matinees are movies shown for mothers AND their babies in the middle of the day and conveniently timed around naptime. Oh, and the theatre also serves pizza (ahem and alcohol) that you can eat WHILE WATCHING THE MOVIE.

Now anyone can attend these movie sessions but you need to be prepared to listen to babies crying. This is a full tolerance movie experience. And believe me when I say that it’s surprisingly easy to block out the sound of other kids crying when seeing a movie in an actual movie theatre is a rare event.

The only downside to the Mommy Matinee is that there is only one theatre which means only one choice of movie each week. The upside to this is that I get to see some good movies that I probably would have never chosen to see on my own. This movie for example, was a pleasant surprise and I highly recommend it.

The downside is that sometimes the movie is HORRIBLE but you watch it anyway, just for that two hours of escape. This week I escaped to a VERY BAD place. It certainly doesn’t bode well when the guy selling you the ticket warns you that it is a terrible movie before you even walk through the door. I think my response was “oh well, at least I’m out of the house”.

The movie this week was THE HAPPENING by M Knight Shyamalan. This is the same guy who wrote and directed The Sixth Sense, one of my all time favourite movies, which makes this one sting just a little bit more.

The Happening was awful! From the very first scene I remember thinking to myself about how awful the acting was (sorry Mark Wahlberg, but I guess you didn’t have much to work with). The writing was also terrible and don’t even get me started on the storyline. Basically it was an excuse for the writer/director to creatively think of a hundred different ways that a person can kill themselves. It’s a little gory in parts and definitely disturbing but not enough to carry a movie. The message (how urban sprawl is killing the environment) is not subtly shared – in fact it’s as subtle as someone beating you over the head with a mallet. And just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, the sound boom peeked down from the top of the screen. More than once!

OK, rant over. Consider this your community service announcement for the day.

Sunday – Time to pack up and go home. But not before some more fun.

Climbing Trees and growling like a lion.

Eating chocolate bananas. A throwback to my childhood camping days. I suppose this is the Aussie version of s’mores (and SO much better).

To make these, simply cut a slit in a banana. Do not cut the whole way through the banana, just enough to make an opening where you can insert little pieces of chocolate (in this case Trader Joe’s belgiun chocolate bars – yum!). Wrap the banana in foil and then put it on some coals in the fire. (It’s important to put the banana on coals. If you put it in the flames the chocolate will burn). Leave it for about 7 or 8 minutes and then take it out and open up the foil. The chocolate should have melted and the banana will be all mushy so you can mix it together. It should look something like this.

Eat it up with a spoon and enjoy! These were a huge hit with the adults and the kids and is set to become a new camping tradition.

One last visit to the beach and time to make sand candles with Deek (sounds like a children’s TV show). To make these we dug a hole in the sand, hung a wick in the hole – tied to a stick to hold it in place, and then filled it with hot wax (which Deek melted over a portable stove). Then we waited for the wax to cool and dug the candle out of the sand. I think we may have a candle lighting ceremony tonight. 🙂 Some challenges to consider when doing this with toddlers: don’t dig the holes too early before the wax has melted because the temptation to fill in the hole is VERY strong. Create a protective barrier of parents around the hot wax holes to prevent any wax-related injuries.

And most importantly…Keep the kids occupied while the wax cools…

…By hitting them with a large ball. They LOVE it!

And then running around with them on your back. But not sure I would recommend doing this when you are 6 months pregnant (Chris – I am talking to you!).

And just sitting around enjoying the sunshine while the freezing cold wind whips at your face. The dog’s name is Foster. He is so beautiful and gentle that it almost made me want to get a dog. Almost.

Then we headed back to camp for the final cleanup before heading home.

Other Observations from the day.

• When you dream about someone offering you a breathmint then it’s definitely time for some attention to personal hygiene.
• Don’t sweat it when someone spills coffee all over your clothes on the very last day of camping. It may actually make you smell better.
• Cleaning up is never fun.
• You WILL take half the beach home with you no matter how much you try to shake the sand off everything.
• Nothing feels as good as a shower and sleeping in a tent makes you truly appreciate your own bed.

I feel like I was away for a month instead of just a few days (and the laundry pile supports that). As hard as it is camping with two small children (especially at bedtime), it was worth just a few days to get away from it all, spend some quality time with family and good friends and come back to the city feeling a little refreshed.

Saturday – Cloudy and VERY cold. Most of the day was spent doing fun things that every kid should have a chance to do.

Flying kites for example.

Proof that Samuel was there. He spent most of the time bundled up in the baby carrier to keep him warm and being handed around amongst the adults. Here he is with my friend Danielle.

Back to the beach after lunch and the sun was out (yay!) although the strong wind meant we still had to bundle up against the elements.

Riding bikes on the beach. Fun for a little while.

Until someone has to carry the bikes home…

Sand Angels

We forced Thomas to put on Kei’s jacket to keep warm. It lasted about 10 minutes before he decided it was restricting his ability to climb and run.

Back at camp and we toasted marshmallows. May not have been the best idea right before bedtime. Some very wound up kids had trouble going to sleep. And then there’s the clean up…

But what’s a camping trip without toasted marshmallows?

Another late night. Kei spent a couple of hours trying to get Thomas to sleep while I sat by the fire and handed Samuel around for others to hold and enjoyed some adult conversation. I may have had the better end of that deal.

Other Observations from the day

• Keeping sand out of a tent when camping near the beach is a futile effort – don’t even try.
• When you add peanut butter to a meal it is bound to be a hit with toddlers. Our friends Christine and Deek cooked dinner and I have never seen Thomas eat so much real food so fast. It even included brocolli. I must get that recipe.
• Bring more than one package of baby wipes (our supplies were seriously diminishing at this point after three blowouts – thanks Samuel).
• It’s amazing how much warmth an eight week old can provide when you cuddle up with them in your sleeping bag in the middle of the night. Samuel saved me.

Caution: Photo heavy post. This is just part 1. I will post parts 2 and 3 over the next couple of days.

Some people are so comfortable camping that they wouldn’t think twice about packing up a toddler and an eight week old baby – and all the stuff that goes with them – and heading out for a weekend of roughing it. We are not those people. Thankfully we made the decision to go before I had the baby and before we had a chance to really think about what we were doing. Crazy? Perhaps. Glad we went? Definitely.

We weren’t completely roughing it. We were car camping (complete with portable crib) at the Oregon Coast. There were bathrooms a short walk through the park, but you had to pay for the showers (we didn’t – all weekend). That’s roughing it enough for me.

We were camping with four other families, three of whom we met during our prenatal class with Thomas and the other during a Baby and Me group soon after he was born. So we all have toddlers around the same age. That’s five almost three year olds. A lot of kids to keep track of but thankfully the adults still outnumber the kids.

Here is our weekend in photos. I took about 300 photos but have somehow managed to extract the highlights. I haven’t had a chance to do any editing to the pics so these are all straight out of the camera.

Friday – we set up camp and headed down to the beach as the sun was setting. So beautiful.

I love sillouettes.

And sunsets.

Deek (aka King of the Kids) plots an attack on the other parents.

Kei was able to outrun them – barely.

Love this photo. The joy on his face says it all.

There is a lot of driftwood along this part of the beach. Not sure exactly where it comes from (BEFORE the ocean, that is). If you know, let me know. People have even built wind breaks out of the driftwood which was a welcome escape from the biting cold.

After heading back to camp six very tired kids hit the sack at around 10pm, with their parents not far behind.

Other observations from the day:

• The Fred Meyer store in Tillamook smells like cows. Not a faint odor – a smell that punches you in the face as you drive into the parking lot. What a great way to overcome the problem of shopping when you’re hungry. Definitely killed my appetite.
• The Oregon coast is at least 20 degrees colder than the city. Next time I will pack accordingly and not waste any precious space to pack a bathing suit. What was I thinking? Also a good idea to remmber to bring long pants for your child. This will also avoid an emergency stop at the aforementioned smelly cow store.

Check back tomorrow for highlights from day 2.

Click here to read part 1
Click here to read part 2

It’s time to finish the story of Samuel’s birth and begin the story of his life. I can’t believe how quickly my memory is fading already so it’s important I jot this down while I can.

I can’t believe I have finally seen my baby. All those months of wondering what he will look like and worrying about whether he will be healthy are over and he is finally here.

The period of time after I met Samuel in the operating room is a blur. I know they stitched me up and made sure everything was OK with the baby but I don’t know how long it took. All I knew is that it was over and I still had no feeling in my body below my chest. I also knew that I now had to face my second biggest fear (after the risk of Down’s Syndrome) – nursing.

Thomas was a terrible nurser. His birth was a little traumatic and I think that may have played a part. He was also very small. Basically he just didn’t want to latch on and I spent three months after his birth trying everything to get him to nurse properly. He eventually got it but only after many marathon nursing/pumping sessions, lots of tears and boatload of patience. Getting Thomas to nurse successfully was a great achievement and I am so proud of myself for seeing it through, but I wasn’t sure if I had it in me to go through it all again. 

They wheeled me back to my room and the first thing I noticed was that I was wide awake and didn’t feel pumped full of drugs like I had with Thomas. I’m not sure if it was because I had a full night’s sleep the night before or if it was because they changed the way they administered drugs (directly to my belly instead of through my whole body). All I knew is that I could sit up properly and actually hold my baby to nurse. They brought Samuel to me and after about 2 minutes of trying he latched right on.  I nearly cried with excitement. It was the best feeling in the world. He really hasn’t stopped nursing since and we have been spared many of the worries that we had with Thomas.

The hospital where I delivered likes to move you, as soon as possible, from the big cushy delivery room to a teeny tiny little post-delivery room. It’s a good thing I didn’t have much family around because those rooms can get very small with more than two people. This was to be my home for the next five days as I got to know my new little boy.

There was a lot of pain from the c-section but I was up and moving (slowly) the first night. I don;t remember it being as painful as it was with Thomas and there are a few reason for this. First of all it’s amazing how much they have improved pain medication in less that three years. I didn’t feel pumped full of drugs yet my pain was controlled. The other thing that was different was the whole birth experience. It was planned this way which meant no labour, a good night’s sleep before the birth and very little stress. The one thing I wasn’t expecting was the pain as my uterus contracted. Friends had told me about it but I wasn’t prepared for the aching that hit me – especially while I was nursing. Apparently it gets worse with every child, which makes me think about these women who have 6 or 7 or 8 children. Masochists.

It’s very difficult for me to feel like an invalid and be dependent on people. I felt guilty everytime I called for a nurse to help me except when it came to the baby. I knew enough the second time around to truly take advantage of the nursery, especially at night when I was on my own. I would send Samuel to the nursery at around 9pm and then they would bring him back for feedings. They would also change his diaper so I didn’t actually have to change him until 4 days after delivery. Don’t worry – I have more than made up for it since.

It took me a little while to bond with Samuel. I had identified myself as Thomas’ mother for almost three years and now I was the mother of two. And Samuel looked so much like Thomas that it was almost as if I were reliving his birth all over again. In fact it took me a few days to stop calling Samuel by Thomas’ name just out of habit.

But sometime during that week in the hospital, in the middle of the night when it was just the two of us, we developed a connection and he really became my son. And now I can’t imagine what life was like without him. Every day he shows me more and more of his personality – including his first smile at three weeks! He’s been with us for less than two months but I feel like our family was incomplete before he arrived.

Of course people have now started asking me if we plan to have any more children. Maybe try for a girl. I have decided that we won’t decide for a couple of years but I have left my options open. I do know, however, that wanting a little girl cannot be the reason that we have another child. It has to be because we want to add to our family – boy or girl. I just don’t need that kind of pressure (although apparently Kei is ultimately the deciding factor). Right now I am content with just the four of us and honestly couldn’t conceive the added craziness that another child would add to our hectic lives.

Right now I am happy watching my two little boys grow, all the while trying not to blink so I don’t miss a second.

Our renovation project is done! The final construction worker leaves today, the scaffolding is gone and the basement is free of building equipment. It has taken over 4 months but we are finally able to move upstairs…almost.

We decided to do the painting ourselves to save money so we have A LOT of painting to do. The trim is the worst part but I think we’ll just do the bare minimum and then worry about the rest after we’ve moved up. I just have to do the trim around the windows before they come to install our new blinds on Friday (so exciting!). A quick coat of paint on the bedrooms and we’ll be moving. Spreading out. Stretching our legs. Phew!

I can’t believe we’re there. It’s a little surreal but I will be so happy to have us each in our new bedrooms and get the playroom back. I am tired of having toys all over the house.

I haven’t taken a photo of the finished outside of the house yet but I have this quick before, during and after of the inside to commemorate this important day. Without the paint of course.

BEFORE  – two bedrooms, one toilet, one tiny closet. No insluation and old windows that won’t open.

DURING – no walls, lots of dust.

AFTER – 3 bedrooms, 3 closets (one walk in), two extra windows and ALL of them open easily (can you say cross ventilation?), insulation and a FULL bathroom.

I am giddy with happiness. The space is so beautiful and even on these hot summer days, it has stayed relatively cool upstairs. And those are our original fir wood floors after being cleaned up and re-laid. Aren’t they gorgeous?

Now… back to the painting, and the yardwork and the cleaning and the… It will never end.

OK – I get it now. I understand the obsession with the Twilight series of books. At first the subject matter  didn’t sound at all appealing (a vampire love story aimed at a teen audience… huh?) and I was a little burned by my experience with Harry Potter. I saw the movies first so the books just weren’t that interesting for me. Much better the other way around when you can see the images in your head come to life on screen. Lesson learned – always read the book first. 

I can honestly say that I am now well and truly obsessed. I have finished books 1 and 2 and am now well into the third. I just love getting caught up in some good reading. I even find myself finishing a chapter in the middle of the night while I am feeding Samuel. It’s the only thing that can keep me awake – although sometimes I find my imagination getting away from me while I try to get back to sleep. 3am shadows can be a little creepy when you’re reading about vampires.

The best part? I “discovered” these books just as the fourth and final book is about to be published. This suits me perfectly because I just hate waiting for sequels and I should have some great reading on the plane to Australia.

The movie is out later this year as well. Apparently it was filmed in Oregon but since I have been living under a rock I was not aware of this until recently.

The most inspiring part? The books were written by a mother the same age as me. She had a dream and then just went for it. Of course when I sauid to Kei that I could write a book and become a multi millionare like Stephanie Meyer he brought me back to earth with a thud. Apparently you need time, patience and the ability to write to make it happen. I just think you need the passion and a good story. I guess until I get those two things I’ll have to make do with a career in Internal Communications.

Click here to read Part 1.

So where was I?

Oh yes – I was just walking to the operating room and getting ready to meet my baby. Walking to the operating room was weird. I mean, how many times do you see people in movies and on TV walking calmly to a room where they are about to be given loads of drugs and then cut open? No, the trip usually involves a guerny and tearful farewells and best wishes from loved ones. Not for me. I had to walk in my hospital gown (witch thankfully are a little less revealing than they used to be so at least my butt was covered) pulling my own IV drip.

When I reached the operating room it looked strangley familiar. I have a strong feeling it may have been the very same room where I delivered Thomas but I suppose all of the rooms look alike and I WAS under the influence of drugs and in labour with Thomas over two years ago so my recollection could be hazy. But wouldn’t it be cool if i was the same room? Let’s pretend it was. 🙂

Now for the moment I had been dreading – the spinal injection. A very important part of the process to ensure I feel no pain, but scary nonetheless. It was a little painful but once that medication kicked in I was feeling a lot better – for a few moments at least. 

In my last post I talked about how the anesthesiologist mentioned that I may feel a little dizzy and that this would be a normal reaction as the medication kicked in. Well I don’t bother medical professionals when something is normal. I am not the sort of person who will go to the doctor for a cold or a stomach bug. I prefer not to bother people when I am suffering a “normal” illness. I figure it will pass. So when I started feeling a little dizzy I just kept laying there like everything was normal. I answered questions and included myself in the conversation and continued to do so even when the room started spinning, the voices started to get further and further away and the nausea kicked in. I even began contemplating the logistics of throwing up when I could barely move my head (How can I best miss my hospital gown so I don’t smelllike puke when the baby arrives).

After what felt like an eternity, my slowing heart rate must have given them a clue because FINALLY someone asked if I was feeling OK and I had the opportunity to tell them (albeit carefully so as not to disturb my quesy stomach) that I was a little nauseous. “Oh we can fix that!” was the reply. Really? Then why didn’t you tell me that while you explained the process? Why did you tell me it was normal to feel this way? Sure enough, a little something added to my IV and I was back to reality again in time to see Kei joining me in the room.

I’ll skip the gory details of the delivery only to say that they cut me open, pulled out the kid and there was a lot of blood. Kei has it all on video if you ever have the need to see it. I’ve seen it and can look past the gore to the miracle of birth but those with weaker stomachs may not be able to do the same. The feeling of a c-section is a little difficult to explain. There’s no pain, just waiting and a lot of tugging at your mid section. There’s also a feeling of helplessness that I’m sure doesn’t exist when you are actually “working” through labour. Of course my mind wandered occasionally to the fact that I was naked from the waist down and that about 5 people were gathered around my nether regions, but I didn’t dwell on it (much).

After about 10 minutes (I guess) I heard the screams of my baby boy as he was lifted out. They showed him to me over the curtain and I remember thinking two things 1. that he looked just like his brother and 2. he had enormous purple testicles (apparently this is normal). Once I had got past these two details I started worrying. Tests during my early stages of pregnancy had come back with a 1:100 chance that my baby would have Downs Syndrome. This was the moment of truth. Thankfully my fears were unfounded and I cursed the 20 weeks where I had this little statistic in the back of mind for no good reason. He was perfect!

Kei went with the baby while they performed tests and again I waited until I was finally able to see him again. They brought the scale over to my line of sight and I was able to see him as they weighed him for the first time. Holy Cow! 8 pounds 1 ounce! It may not seem that heavy but after you have had a 6 pound 8 ounce baby you are just not as prepared for such a healthy size.

As I expected all along he was beautiful, with a head of dark hair and gorgeous dark brown eyes. They even let me hold him for a little while as they stitched me up and I can only describe that moment as surreal. Suddenly I was the mother of two boys and all the waiting had ended. He was here and my life was again going to be different from this moment forward.

Coming soon: Part 3: THE BIRTH EXPERIENCE – AFTER… the finale. I really meet my little boy and I tackle the fear of breastfeeding failure and bonding with this latest addition to my family.

OK, so it’s time to really show off the baby. Samuel and I held a mini photo shoot in the light of the morning sun coming through our temporary bedroom window. It was 6:30am and for some reason I was feeling in a photography mood – and Samuel was awake – so I made the most of the opportunity. Here are the results.

I present… Samuel from every angle.

I may be a little biased, but I think he’s the cutest thing ever (tied with his brother, of course).

In the Grocery Store

Thomas: I have a good idea!
Mum: Really? What is it?
Thomas: Let’s buy me something!

In the car
Referring to some ice cream cones we saw in the store the day before. They had a picture of Buzz and Woody from Toy Story on them. Thomas calls them Woody and Buzz popsicals.

Mum: How about we make something for Nan and Grandpa to send in a package to Australia. Maybe you could draw a picture for them when we get home.
Thomas: I have a good idea! 
Mum: What’s your idea?
Thomas: We could give the Woody and Buzz popsicals to Nan as a present and then we could share them.

By the way, the Toy Story thing is a little out of control. Thomas acts out scenes from the film with his BUzz and Woody dolls – word for word. He can also spot a marketed product in the grocery store from 50 meters. Sadly it seems Fred Meyer has stopped stocking the Toy Story string cheese. I anticipate many frustrating grocery store visits in our future.

And here’s a quick picture of our little manipulator in his Aussie hat.