Family is Love

Welcome to our blog! A place to share in our journey as we walk through love, life, and parenthood...

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas...


The Advents calendar has 8 open doors, there are 16 more days until Christmas...Sebastian's 1st Christmas, our 1st Christmas as a family of three. Amazing!

We had snow a couple of weeks prior to Thanksgiving, but not since. I'm hoping for a white Christmas as it always makes me feel more festive. We shall see...
Christmas eve we have dinner planned at Aunt Rhonda's house with Char's side of the family and Christmas day we are having our first Holiday gathering at our home...most of my family will be joining us.

The next few weeks leading up to the big weekend (Christmas day falls on a Sunday this year) will be filled with friend's Holiday parties, work sponsored Christmas gatherings, cookie baking, and lots of family time. FUN! Sebastian only cares for the lights and shiny ornaments and I am afraid will be sorely disappointed come New Year when the decor all comes down until next year. HA!

I am reminded daily that for me the best gift of the season is still the gift of my family...specifically that beautiful boy that Char and I welcomed into this world over 8 months ago.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

I'm thankful for...


I am thankful for my amazing little family. It was a good Thanksgiving, spent with those we love.
My Mum had the house too warm and was wearing sandals even though it is less than 30 degrees outside (everyone else wore a sweater and spent a lot of time sweating), my Dad was the only male present (aside from Sebastian and Levi, my sisters dog), Char brought all the ingredients for bloody mary's and tried to be photogenic (hehehe), my brother Kevin stayed in Seattle with Traci and Faye (bummer but we'll see them tomorrow), and my sister Lisa was her usual unusual self. :-)

I can't believe Christmas will be here so soon...
I did get the Christmas decor out and put up our tree yesterday (the day after Thanksgiving). Sebastian loves all the lights and shiny ornaments! Speaking of the little man...he is 8 months old today. Which just brings me to the frightening realization that in 4 months we will have a 1 year old son. WOW! Time truly is flying...I miss his tiny baby self already...tomorrow I will miss him as he is today. Every moment spent mothering this beautiful boy is the best gift EVER!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Fall into Winter


A couple of weeks ago I was sitting in a pile of leaves that had fallen from the trees and turned all those beautiful fall colors taking pictures of Sebastian in our front yard...
I know I am biased but he really is beautiful, isn't he?! HA!
Well this morning we woke to a beautiful winter wonderland...and it hasn't stopped snowing since. I love snow! This year makes it even more magical somehow as I am watching our son see everything for the first time...
Char and I had a bet going in regards to the snow...she swore Sebastian would walk before it came, I knew the snow would hit first. I won. Though it was likely close as I am certain his walking days aren't far off...by 9 months for sure. He is just an active little guy...hence his new nickname, Wild Man Jack.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

A long time coming...


I haven't taken the time to blog here since our beautiful son Sebastian Jack was born on March 26th, 2011. He came into this world with a BANG and it has been go, go, go ever since...
We checked into the Hospital on a Friday evening for our scheduled induction. Nothing went as planned from that point forward... The short version: After 26hrs of labor and several hours of pushing he got stuck and wouldn't budge no matter how hard I pushed. Char did such a good job coaching me, holding my leg, kissing my face, telling me how much she loved me...I'll never forget her face when the nurse told her to put her hand on his head and feel him as he was decending the birth canal. AMAZING! Unfortunately in the end, that vaginal birth that I'd spent years wishing for wasn't to be...though we came as close as can be. When he got stuck after I'd been pushing for a couple of hours I remember that scared sort of frantic feeling in the room...nurses and doctors rushing in and out discussing the next steps, the anesthesiologist checking in on me once again since my epidural had been ineffective and had worn off during the pushing (not nice!)
Ultimately, the next step meant an emergency c-section to save both baby Sebastian and me. They moved FAST and before I knew it I was being prepped in the OR of Labor and Delivery for the c-section. I was scared but so out of it after almost 30hrs of labor. Char was far more scared than I as I'd come to discover later.
The c-section itself was not without complication...during the pushing I'd torn both a portion of my uterus and my bladder, both had to be repaired. What should have been a simple 1hr surgery quickly became a 2 and a half hour ordeal.
To my disappointment I don't have much recollection of my first sighting of our son when they pulled him from my battered body, but I do know Char took him into her arms and they headed off to the nursery together and spent a couple of hours just the two of them getting acquainted. I actually think that worked out perfectly...I'd carried him for 9 months and had all the time in the world to get to know him, but first was Mama Char's turn to make that connection with her son, our son.

Fast forward almost 8 months and here we are...in fact, I hear the little guy waking from his afternoon nap on the baby monitor now. My post will end here for now as I need to go check on him and cuddle his sweet face (and likely change a big PEE diaper!) HA!

I shall leave you with a few more photos that go along with our birth story...


Wednesday, January 12, 2011

A Wednesday...

Hi little son of ours!

Your Mommies are very proud of you. Thank you for growing like a good little boy and staying healthy. We got to see you on the ultrasound machine again today, at 29 weeks you are incredible and such a big boy. Of course you had to be difficult and face Mommy's back everytime we wanted to catch a glimpse of your beautiful face, but that's okay, you wouldn't be our son if it was any different!

Dr. S. at the Maternal and Fetal Medicine clinic at the Hospital said that you now weight 2 lbs 7 oz and are just over 14in long. Your Mom's love you so much and we just can't wait to see you in just a couple of months.

Love,
Mommy & Mama

Thursday, January 6, 2011