We had the baby on Father’s Day!

Locke Maynard Saunders was born after an induced labour (due to my BP getting way too high for comfort) and total “real” labour of 1hr 5m and one push delivery at 1:53pm on June 15th. He weighed 8lbs, 3oz and was 21″ long. It was by far my BEST labour and delivery experience, my recovery was something that blew my mind how good it was and I was actually discharged and able to come home in under 24 hours. That’s NEVER happened before. I also had no postpartum hemorrhage at ALL and all in all was easily the best experience. And it was also the first time we’ve had a baby delivered by our actual OB instead of rushing in and getting whoever was there on call.

He spent 48 hours in the NICU because of the fast labour. He had trouble getting all the mucous out, which is something that happened to Max and Sophia as well because of the fast labour/one push delivery. He wasn’t “sick” but he had to stay until it cleared out and they were sure that he hadn’t aspirated anything and that his chest was clear. He actually came home at just over 48 hours old which is as fast as he’d have come home in the regular nursery so he got one-on-one care AND was still home basically at the same time. It just freaked us out though because this was the third baby in a row that had a NICU stay. Max was only for 6 hours, but Sophia was there a week. So it was worrisome but something we’d done before.

And the poor boy didn’t even have a name until literally as we were filling out the birth certificate paperwork when he was discharged! LOL We came down to two names we read in a baby name book the night before and just basically picked one. But it suits him! Maynard is after Andrew’s grandfather as all our kids have “family” middle names. So all our boys carry Andrew’s grandfathers’ names It’s sweet!

Everyone is gaga over him, the kids adore him, and he’s a VERY good baby. Yeah, he’s got fussy times etc but he’s really sweet and very even tempered. Now if he’d sleep more than 2 hours at a time, we’d be set.

Posted on July 4th, 2008 by Cher
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So I’ve thought of a million things to write, but when I go to sit down and write them, the motivation flees my brain. It’s bothering me, but I’m chalking it up to a combination of mommy-brain/preggo-brain but that’s not helping. Hey, I haven’t forgotten a doctor’s appointment or doula meeting yet, so that’s something, right? Just forgetting and neglecting everything else…LOL UGH!

But, hey, only 60 days to go until baby day, so that’s light at the end of the tunnel. I have to say, this pregnancy has actually flown by faster unlike the others, but I’ve also been SO miserable the entire time so you’d think it would drag. But these last 60 days will probably drag since we’re 100% ready for him…and I really have nothing baby-related left to do other than actually HAVE the baby.

Posted on April 14th, 2008 by Cher
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Since I last posted anything, but I haven’t been in the mood to write anything. We’re in what seems to be endless winter and it’s actually sort of depressing! LOL We’ve had 16 or 17 storms (big storms even) since New Years Day…so many in fact, I can’t remember what number we’re up to. We were averaging 1 1/2 storms per week and I don’t think it’s gotten better. We’ve got 8 1/2 FEET of accumulated snow. LOL So yeah, just not in the mood at all.

As well, I’m having a really hard time dealing with being pregnant. I love the baby parts of it, but the physical strain is so much worse this time around. I really hate the physically pregnant part. And I have a hamstring issue that can’t be dealt with properly until post-baby so you can imagine what that’s like on top of the “this is #5″ pregnancy relaxin hormones. LOL I’m *fun* (not!).

On a very happy note however We’re totally and completely, with the exception of diapers, formula, a nightlight and a new car…oh and a name…ready for HIM. And yes, for once we got to find out here in town if he was a he or a she BEFORE he/she arrived. Sophia doesn’t count because we didn’t find out here. They changed the policy here a couple of months ago so we were able to find out about a month ago that we’re having another little boy. We’ve got more bedding, clothes, socks, hats, bibs and so on than we know what to do with, all the furniture and important stuff and I think even buying what we “wanted” to instead of what was cheaper (which we didn’t have to do this time) we spent a third of what we spent preparing for the other kids?  Even with getting custom bedding made which should arrive this week!! We’re going to start setting his room up in the next couple of weeks since I can still function physically and I’ve had no “complications” yet. So I’m excited. We have less than 100 days to go too since I’ll be induced (hopefully he stays in long enough and doesn’t pull a Sophia) around 38 weeks so that’s only 13 weeks from now..sheesh, that’s only 91 days!!

It seems longer because he’ll be born a week before SUMMER officially starts, and we have about 4ft of snow on the ground and it’s hard to believe that in 91 days it’s supposed to be warm enough to have a “summer” baby. LMAO. Gotta love Canadian winters!!

So that’s what’s been going on here. Busy and snowed in basically since January. I hope a thaw comes this decade

Posted on March 6th, 2008 by Cher
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Today Azura’s best friend was coming over. Azura came up and asked if she could vacuum her room before Tess arrived. I laughed and said of course. She asks in case Andrew’s working (her room is next to his) or sleeping. So she did her room. Then she came up and asked if I cared if she did the downstairs rooms too (the boys’ room and the toy room and halls). I said sure, thanks! She did that. Then brought the vacuum back up and then said since it’s already out, I’ll just vacuum the living room, kitchen and stairs. I said THANKS!! I really appreciate it (and I truly do, I am SO not in a vacuuming mood lately)

Then I noticed she actually had picked up all the toys downstairs and cleaned the entire stairwell (straightened the boots and shoes and put away all the socks and mitts etc).

She told me the boys had pitched in too with the toy pick up and was there anything else I needed her to do before Tess arrived.

I thought that was pretty cool of an almost-13 year old girl…..since NONE of it was required and ALL of it was appreciated and she didn’t do it for any reason than to be sweet and kind.

Posted on January 13th, 2008 by Cher
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I’m actually really patient with the kids and other people (though not always with other people….other people can really irritate me) but I’m not a patient person when I’m waiting for something for ME. I’m 16 weeks pregnant today, which is SO close to halfway through and I just want it to be June already. I don’t want to wait longer! And I have a long wait still in reality. I’ve set an arbitrary date of starting to buy things at the end of March, but that seems SOOOOO far away and it’s killing me not to pick up SOMETHING Anything…a baby hat, or socks, or a diaper bag. And really, I could I suppose, there’s not one reason to wait until the end of March to get anything, though we are having a private 3D ultrasound to find out the gender at the end of March so maybe that’s why I have to wait in my mind? But I am SOOOO impatient to get started. We have nothing baby-related (the only downside of a surprise baby!) so it’s not like I’m just being frivolous.

But it’s annoying me to be honest. I’d love to be one of these laid-back people who just waits the 6 months contently. I AM content, but I want it to go FASTER!!LOL

Posted on January 3rd, 2008 by Cher
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