My Experience With Milk Donation and A Big Fat Pregnancy Update.

SO 

First things first. 

A few months ago, we Switched Easy to a high calorie formula.

Along with some other reasons, I felt that it was something else to try, to increase his weight gain. 

This left me with LOTS of Breast Milk in my freezer..

1,038 oz to be exact.  

I contacted my local Milk donation bank, to see what I could do…

I was stopped mid-process and advised that they couldn't not take my milk, as I took the prescription domperidome to help with milk production. I was told that is has shown to sometimes lower blood sugar in premature babies, and most of the babies they worked with, were preemies. 

Understandable. 

I knew that this medication wasn't dangerous, I had been feeding it to my baby almost his whole life, and the woman who declined my application to donate at the Co-Op agreed, it is a safe medication, just not ideal for preemies. 

I was a mess for a few days thinking I would literally have to dump gallons of milk down my sink. 

When I came across the HM4HB site. 

"Human milk for human babies" has a chapter in just about every province and city. It is essentially a gateway for women who need milk and want to donate milk, to get together. I gathered my blood work and advised the site that I was a healthy donor who had taken Dom. 

Within one week, I delivered my milk to the mother of an older baby not too far away. 

I was thrilled to help someone AND not feel like I was wasting 7 months of torture service. 

In other news

This little buddy got its picture taken yesterday!

Measuring at 12 weeks 4 days - it has 2 arms and 2 legs and apparently likes to have its hand on its face!

It only seemed appropriate to take a picture of this little guy,  too.

All in all I'm feeling pretty good. 

Nausea comes and goes but is a reassuring sign that this guy is growing. 

I am an emotional pregnant lady. 

I was last time, and I am this time. 

commercials make me cry. 

If I see a stranger cry, I cry.

Its incredible!

oh, 

And I am also HUGE. 

I gained about 10 pounds the month we got pregnant, Its always been a thing for me, (*GIRL STUFF WARNING*) when I cycle, I gain about 10 pounds, then when I get my period, I lose it all. Super frustrating. especially when your period never comes.

ha ha so I started this pregnancy about 10 pounds above my regular post baby weight, and since then I have put on about 2 pounds believe it or not. I have had a few people comment on how I already look like I did when I was 6 months pregnant last time. 

Gee. Thanks.

But seriously, I pride myself on loving pregnancy. every barf,  every pound. I tried to work out once in the beginning, like I had before I got pregnant and The next day I was spotting and had to go in for an emergency ultrasound. everything was good, but I decided that me and my "irritable cervix" will just have to keep our thunder thighs at a minimum by playing with Easy and doing lots of walking.

It doesn't mean I don't want to be healthy or that I won't complain at all… But I want to enjoy every second of this pregnancy. You really don't know if its your last. It sounds silly, but be real… it happens. I bet in about 6 months I'm going to be crying every day like I was last time because he/she won't GET OUT! -  But from the moment I birthed Easy, I missed having him in my tummy. I wanted to be pregnant again within a few weeks (HA). I'm glad its worked out the way it has. 

Me and my busy boy are enjoying every second we have one-on-one. 

xx - r

Big Easy is going to be a BIG BROTHER!

On Christmas Morning

We all woke up to a happy baby Easton

I pulled out a gift and told T to help Easy open it before the excitement of the day began

We chatted for a few minutes while Easy tugged at the paper

Eventually, T helped him pull the paper apart. 

It was a shirt! all folded up. 

He told easton how lucky he was, A new shirt for Christmas!

as he unfolded the shirt

he froze 

Looked at me with saucer eyes…

And broke into happy tears. 

We got

The BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER.

Now, 10 weeks and one healthy ultrasound later

We are expecting a new brother or sister for Big Brother Easy!

Right now the due date is September 4th.

I really didn't believe that you show faster with your second… 

but after all the early bloating subsided

Im left with this! 

How fun! I'm pretty sure I didn't get this big until I was almost 6 months last time!

Also, in other good news, 

I was REALLY sick… from the second I hit 5 weeks. I got on the meds and prepared for the 24 week haul of morning sickness I had with Easy… Even my meds didn't help last time 

But sometime this week, I really stopped being nauseous! 

Im not putting my money down on it all being over yet… but Im SO HAPPY to be feeling good. I was starting to feel bad for Easy plopped into his high chair with cheerios outside of the bathroom every morning. 

I honestly can't WAIT for this little baby.

And I can't wait to share the whole experience with anyone who cares to read about it!

xx - r

Would you trade it?

I hope that my son, 

As a grown man

still likes taking selfies with me. 

As he gets bigger, I want him to walk and run and play...

But never get too far away from me. 

Every day this 10 month old looks more and more like a little boy and not a baby. he's growing up and 

I.CANT.STOP.IT. 

When my emotions were running high right after I delivered Easy

I would sit in my rocking chair, holding him and watching him sleep

and I would cry.

I would run his entire life through my mind. 

There is so much that could go wrong. 

the world is such an awful place.

full of anger and hate and mental illness and sadness and tears and bad breakups and addiction and terminal illness and so many things that I just can't control. 

And in 18 (or 30) years…

I'm going to have to watch him go out on his own and face all those things. 

Just like my parents did.  

Sometimes, even now, I can't even bear the thought and I get overwhelmed by the idea that I knowingly brought an innocent thing into this angry world. 

But I try to turn it around. 

I try to remember that the world does have all of those awful things

But it also has 

friends

adventures

concerts

firsts

forevers

good times

L.O.V.E.

And most importantly…

We have EACH OTHER. 

and we have him. 

Sure. Life can be hard sometimes. 

harder than most people really think they can handle. 

but for all the bad out there… 

would you ever trade it for all the good?

xx- r

Things Busy Kids Do.

I have been a little

Under the weather. 

So has T

So has Easy. 

Its been pretty germy and sucky around our house lately to be honest. 

BUT

Things have still been happening.

This kid is BUSY.

so I put him to work ;)

you know, sweeping

Laundry

But of course we make time to 

just hang out 

Go find fun things to play with

EAT.

This kid has really been figuring out solids since he got his front teeth (were at 6 now!) - he loves veggie straws from Costco and toast with peanut butter. an he also wants a bite of whatever I'm eating… usually lucky charms ;)

and of course…

We always make lots of time to cuddle. 

I would also like to Officially state that Easy has taken his first steps!

At 9 (almost 10) months old he's cruising!

Right now he only likes to walk between furniture and mommy and daddy, but he's hilarious and always so proud when he does it. 

 Here is a little video I caught yesterday.

He also loves to dance. 

Video to follow.

I recognize that this isn't a very exciting post. buuuut, it seemed like it was about time to blog SOMETHING now that my kid is sleeping like a human again and not some sort of nocturnal animal.  

xx - r 

Stay at home mom.

I think initially I was a little bit intimidated by the term "stay at home mom"

I feel like there is a stigma attached to it. like I am required to automatically attend every community meeting, mommy group, and know all the best playgrounds in my community. 

It was so intimidating, that I spend a lot of the first few months of Easy's life alone. In my house. Counting down the days until I go back to work.

"Stay at home mom" was not for me.

It was never that I wasn't invited out, of course I was always extended gracious invites by other moms to activities… But I couldn't get my mind away from the stigma… Do I want to be "that" stay at home mom? It didn't hurt that I am a little awkward, and not really great at making new friends.

 I was stuck in the concept that had worked for me for many years in the office… just work hard by yourself and you will succeed. you have to work. And work has to be hard and challenging to be rewarding.

As the weather turned, I started feeling a need to get out… do more things. Working by myself was making me crazy… and wasn't socializing my son.

but what kind of things could I do?

I got a random email from a mom that lives near me with a son just over 1. She invited me to the pool with her son.

We had a blast. 

Him and Easy get along famously!

We now frequent the pool and go at least once or twice a week. 

I have a great friendship.

Im opening up. 

Costco dates and going to the local theme park just to go on the free baby rides. 

Being a mom that is with your child 24-7 around the clock every day ever is work. Hard work. 

But it isn't the same kind of hard as working at 12 hour day at the office. 

for me, it is so much more rewarding. 

I am embracing my gift of being a stay at home mom. 

It really is a gift

 I'm now struggling with the idea of going back to work. 

My son enjoys swimming and stroller rides and even just hanging in the carrier off of my stomach while I read the labels on cans at the grocery store. 

The last 9 months has been the best of my life. 

Being a stay at home mom is a blessing.

And I feel selfish for ever taking advantage of it. I know there are lots of moms who cannot afford to even take the one year maternity leave that we receive in Canada.  

SO…

I guess what I'm saying is

If you get that gift

Get out. 

Do things with your children that they may not remember when they get older… 

but you always will. 

xx - r

The "Better Late Than Never" Christmas Recap.

well, I put my blogging pants away for the whole month of December. I even left my camera at home for the 3 weeks we were gone! (I instantly regretted it) but I really enjoyed spending time with my little family over Christmas. so enjoy some iPhone photos and a few by my amazingly talented sister in law, as I recap Christmas!

T finished his exams and we headed to Red Deer to see grandma Campbell and the rest of the Campbell clan. everyone was there and it was great!

Easy got very spoiled by his G and G Campbell! and all his aunts and uncles, he's a popular kid!

^^^I thought this was appropriate - Click HERE to check out more by this Calgary Photographer.vvv

While We were there - My other super talented sister in law did my make up and we went out and did a little photo shoot. 

Now, I am not easy to make look beautiful (stroke my ego here) but I think my makeup is amazing! Click HERE to check out this make up artist who also does lash extensions in Calgary! 

It was a fun-filled weekend!

Then we continued south to Calgary to spend Christmas with my parents and some of my family that was around to celebrate. Its hard when families are big and start getting older… Its hard to get everyone together you know? But we all know we love each other, and we see each other whenever possible. 

Easy was spoiled AGAIN by G and G Craig (Starting to worry at this point about how we will get all this stuff home!)

After the best Christmas ever we headed to sunny AZ!!

At the airport with pop

He was a champ on the plane. 

We may have tried giving him a little something to help him sleep… but found out that it actually had the opposite effect on him. can you say WIRED??

Once we got there and got all settled in, we spent all our time in the sun/pool/eating! 

Going to a hockey game and the Fiesta Bowl!

He spent most of our time in AZ trying to cut his front teeth… and then we found out the hard way that he has some allergies to some food we gave him there...so he was little miserable at night. 

but on the way home he was so beat, he slept the whole way!

Now we are home and settling in. 

T is back in school and its business as usual. 

I'll get a bit better at this blogging business, I promise. 

January always feels like a squeaky clean fresh start…

Don't you think?

xx - r