(Chris here)

So, after much to-do, baby Brayden entered the world this afternoon @ 2:34pm. He weighed in at an impressive 8 pounds, 5 ounces – which explains Mom’s oblong shaped, gravity-defying belly!

As you know from previous posts, we had a section scheduled for the 23rd – but turns out Brayden was ready this morning, sending Mom into early labor Some of those contractions were doozies! At least, that’s what the machine said… I’m just a bystander in this whole process.

Brayden is sure a lot quieter than Justin was – he can screech a bit, but nothing like Justin. He’s also been sleeping quite well already – perhaps this bodes well for the year to come????

Mom is recovering well; quite tender from the surgery, and by the time I get back there in the morning likely quite bored as well. We’ll bring her the portable DVD player and spend the day down there – this is a big change to her otherwise structured routine!

All in all, a great day!!!

Crystal, Chris, Justin, and Brayden!

I’m starting to think that maybe I should do more in the way of baby preparations than simply counting down the days (it’s been two years since I cared for a newborn, and the body does tend to forgive and forget) but to this point I’ve basically taken a “been there done that” approach. From what I do recall, keeping baby fed is what it’s all about in the beginning anyway, so why sweat all the other details?

My surgery is scheduled for the 23rd, but my doctor figures baby will come early — that’s the best news I’ve had in weeks, but he might just be trying to make me feel better about the fact that I’m the size of a duplex. I’ve had some trouble sleeping lately (not least because Chris is sick and can’t seem to stop snoring) but I finally got some good rest when I moved out to the couch at 4 a.m. last night. Maybe I’ll just camp out there for the next 12 days. My parents arrive this weekend and I’m looking forward to having some live-in child care so I can just relax.

The end is near…

Now that April is here, we’ve officially entered Baby Month. There are 22 days to go, so we’re into the final stretch, which is good because I just cannot stretch any more. My waist is now a staggering (in every sense of the word) 42 inches, which Chris has kindly calculated as 70 percent of my height. A stat like that really warms the heart, I must say. About the only shirts that fit me these days belong to Chris, so it’s probably a good thing that we’re not still working in the same office.

Justin is learning a few new skills (like climbing up on the playground to go down the slide by himself) from sheer necessity; I physically can’t help him the way Chris would, so he’s finding his own way. It bothers me that I can’t do those kinds of things cause it reinforces the idea that Dad is the fun one while Mom’s a bore — and that’s only going to get worse while Mom’s recovering from childbirth. C’est la vie, I guess.

We opted not to find out whether we’re having a boy or a girl, which means it’s fun to guess. My doctor, who doesn’t know for sure any more than I do but who has a pretty good track record with these kinds of things, thinks it’s another boy. Of course, this is the same doctor who told me (with a straight face) that I would sleep better after the birth cause I won’t be getting up in the night to go to the bathroom (who raised his kids?!?) So maybe we should take his opinions with a grain of salt.

Nevertheless, I also happen to think it’s a boy (a big boy — I’m already 41 inches around, which is two inches more than I ever was with Justin). Chris is clinging to his hopes for a girl, but he’ll be happy either way. When it comes right down to it, the fact that we’ve managed to create two little people just blows me away.

Why does the ninth month of pregnancy seem to take four years to get through? My c-section is scheduled for 34 days from today and as far as I’m concerned it can’t come soon enough. I’m tired of being so off-balance that standing is a problem. I’m tired of having only two outifts I can wear comfortably. I’m tired of baby kicking me in the ribs and dancing on my bladder. Enough already!

Our baby is officially two years old today! We gave him a little table for his room he can use for coloring — we weren’t sure how he would take to it, since he usually stands at a table in front of the window to color, but the new table seems to be a hit. He also got spoiled at Grandma and Grandpa Lee’s house this morning, naturally: ice cream, presents, and a giant Elmo balloon…who could ask for more?

He had his two-year checkup yesterday and really wasn’t fond of the doctor, but I suppose it could have been worse. Apparently he’s 35.5 inches tall (does this mean he’ll be 5′11″ as an adult?) and weighs about 28 pounds, so he’s still tall and thin.

And thus we enter the terrible two’s…

It seems spring has sprung in the Okanagan, and I love it. The snow is pretty much gone, temperatures have been way above zero and the sun has even come out a few times. We had Justin out playing in the backyard today for the first time in months — the little guy had a blast kicking the soccer ball around. I always feel so alive in weather like this!

All is well with baby, according to my ultrasound today. We kind of figured as much but it was nice to get confirmation. The little one weighs almost four pounds at this point, which apparently is right on target but which seems like a lot to me. This was the first time I’ve ever had a 3D ultrasound — check out the cute pictures in the Pregnancy Pics photo gallery.

The doctors tell me I need to rest as much as possible, which is easy for them to say (they don’t spend their days chasing an almost-two-year-old!) So I’m doing my best to take it easy, but I’m not sure how I’m going to keep Justin occupied if we can’t go for walks and such. We’re looking into getting a cleaning service once a week, so that should help a bit, and of course I have an amazing husband who is somehow managing to work a full-time job, build up his consulting business on the side, play with Justin AND pick up some of the tasks I normally do around the house. I don’t say it often enough, so here it is: kudos to Chris!

There are 10 weeks to go until baby’s birth — I hope I can last that long. I’m already 38 inches around (I was 39 at full term with Justin — remember, I’m only 60 inches tall) and I don’t know how I’ll manage to stay upright if this keeps up. For better or worse, every extra ounce I put on in pregnancy ends up right in front, so my balance is pretty skewed. But the belly just keeps growing…

Now that I’m officially into my third trimester, I’ve been wondering how much this next baby is going to rock our world. Two of the major adjustments (becoming parents, staying home all day to look after a child) have already been made, so maybe it won’t be as big a shock this time around. Of course, this time around we’ll have TWO kids to feed and entertain, so that certainly adds to the challenge.

We don’t know if this one is a boy or a girl, but I have reservations either way. If it’s a boy, I’m afraid I’ll expect him to be just like his older brother, which really isn’t fair. If it’s a girl it’ll obviously be a whole new ball game, but if she turns out to be a real girly-girl, I won’t know how to deal with that. Nothing to do but wait and see, I guess.