Kitchen Table Centerpiece

This is how we keep everyone happy at meal times. Nothing like a baby for a centerpiece.

I am so, so tired. The hardest thing about a newborn is having a 3 year old. Oh, and non stop rain. Oh, and a baby that doesn't want to be put down between 6-11pm. Momma Bear needs a nap or maybe just a husband that can breastfeed.

Three Weeks and Gary's Accident

Here is a picture showing what it's really like around here. I have a feeling Nya is going to be one tough girl!

Do you notice the bandaid by Gary's eye? He was on a bike trip on Saltspring Island this weekend with his outdoor leadership class. I always worry about him on these trips but for this trip I wasn't worried because I was just thinking about my own survival with the kiddos. Anyway, Gary got hit by a car. Yup, going down hill, the car turned right in front of him and Gary hit the car and went over it. He's doing okay but has a pretty sore shoulder and I'm sure could've used stitches by his eye. I'm thankful he's okay as it could've been so much worse. Also, I'm glad it wasn't a student that got hit as Gary can assess his own injuries quite well and he just seems more durable.

Miss Nya is now 3 weeks old! Her umbilical cord just came off today. I think that it's because it was such a huge cord that may be why it took so long. She is my most laid back and easy going baby. This doesn't mean she's super easy, but ya, I cannot complain at all. It's just tough getting her down at night to sleep but for her naps and through the middle of the night, she's great. She is so easily consoled by being held and is wonderful in the car and on walks. One thing I really noticed is that her body is so relaxed. Both of the boys would have so much gas pain (and Koen had reflux) that they would often be very rigid with pain...so nice to see that she is feeling good.

Last night she went to sleep at 8pm for the first time. I wish that was the new normal but oh well, as long as Gary is around, we take turns trying to get her down. Unlike her brothers, she can't just feed and feed to sleep as her belly is smaller and she just gets a tummy ache and spits up a lot of her milk.

She loves getting to know her family members and really enjoys looking at everyone. Kai loves spending time with her. He'll just lay beside her while she `punches' him. He tries to see if she'll hold objects. He has staring contests with her. It's cute:) I feel a bit bad that she doesn't get held as much because she just is so easy going!

Unattractive twin picture:)

From this weeks sister play date. Just 3 more weeks and Maria should have her baby with ours! As much as you might think it's chaotic, it's really not. The big kids play outside and then inside there's just a lot of breastfeeding and diaper changing going on:) We're going to be doing a full family photo session once all the babies are born, should be fun!

Hope you had a good weekend. I'm thankful that Gary is safe and sound. Maybe he just wanted some attention on this blog:)

Love, Louise

Cuteness

Isn't this pink sweater so cute?!

I took all three kids to church on my own this morning. High 5 to me:)

Ms. Nya is entering the baby acne stage.

Okay, all I really wanted to show you was the sweater. And yes, I know I'm ridiculous.

Love, Louise

Team Purple

I have to say that my favourite part about having a girl so far is dressing her. I LOVE all the cute clothes. Unfortunately, almost all of my newborn and 0-3 month stuff is meant for warm weather. I have maybe 2 long sleeved onesies for her. So for now, we wait on the warm weather so she can wear the adorable clothes that are in her dresser:)

{Who loves purple? I do!! Don't look at my hair. Can't be sure I combed it after my shower this morning.}

This morning I went to a few garage sales and got the boys some good things (Koen some Cars 2 cars and Kai some clothes). Gary held down the fort and got Nya to take a bottle AND got her down for a nap! Yahoo! I just need Gary to keep giving her a couple ounces of breast milk in a bottle every other day so that she continues to take the bottle when need be (weddings/football etc).

Then, we walked as a family to Extra Foods. I am walking at about 70% of my normal speed (basically Koen's speed) but I can still go the distance:) I feel very, very good physically and cannot wait for the 6 week mark to start running again! I'm planning on doing the `Couch to 5km' training which isn't what I normally do but thought I would try it. I think Gary is looking forward to getting a little more active again too (he generally starts running a lot more in the summer).

The boys are doing well but I've noticed that they are really wanting to be close to me a lot more. Also, Koen is being much more physical than normal and I totally understand as we aren't super active during the day. Talking about being active, our trampoline was a fabulous investment!! It was less than $200 and it has provided oodles and oodles of entertainment for the boys. They only like to go on it together and their favourite thing to do is play hockey on it (with their mini sticks).

Kai had his Sports Day at school and I've never seen him so happy as when he came home yesterday. His team won which may have had something to do with it. He even lost his voice from cheering so much. Mr. Kai loves a little competition:) Not sure where he gets that from...

All right, time for a cup of tea on another cold day. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Love, Louise

Bedtime

If you didn't see the newborn photos of Nya, you can see them here.

I'm headed to bed as last night I was irresponsible and stayed up until 11pm and then of course she was up from 12-2:30am which made my night ridiculously exhausting. I think I got 4 hours which wouldn't be bad but I don't nap during the day. She would stop crying if I held her but I didn't trust myself to sleep with her in my arms.

I've had a great time getting out of the house again. A couple of play dates, taking the kids to visit their grandparents, midwife visit etc. Nya is now 8lbs 11oz so she has almost gained a pound already. I on the other hand have lost just 20 out of 40lbs so have a long ways to go. It's tough when all you can do is walk. I know it's just been two weeks, but wow, my belly is going down a billion times slower than the last two times. Oh well. As long as it does eventually!

{The boys love taking turns holding her and I am obsessed with pink. I didn't realize how much I was living in a sea of blue for the last 5 years:)}

I had planned on having her in our room for 1-2 months but after last night, I don't think so. She grunts like a weight lifter after each feed and it drives me bonkers. Also, she will scream off and on which is digestion related. Got Biogaia drops today, hopefully they help. So tonight, she is in her crib.

Gary starts his holidays in 3 weeks and that will be awesome. I mean, he can't really do anything to help in the night time but at least he can keep the two big kids occupied during the day.

Okay, I better be responsible and go to bed. At 9pm. Who goes to bed at 9pm? Crazy. Bon nuit.

Love, Louise

PS Super cute...last night Kai was reading me some books (oh my goodness, he can read! Who knew? He even read the word `telescopes') and he read one to Nya too. He would read a page and then show her the pictures afterwards for about 5 seconds/page so she could really `see' it. I was really trying not to laugh. They do love her so much.

Our Weekend

We had a good weekend. Let's be honest, when Gary is home, it's a billion times easier! The days were long this past week when I had the three kids, the rain was out in full force (no trampoline time) and I was unable to drive (can't drive for 2 weeks post C-section). This week will be MUCH better. I already took all three kids to the park today and it felt so good!

I feel so good physically. I just can't lift anything heavier than 10lbs (or vacuum) and I'm trying to be really, really good with this. I can walk really well though and have been going out each day.

Koen is starting to be a bit more work. One day he just stuck beside me all day talking and talking and talking. So exhausting. He likes to make a mess. He likes to sneak food. He likes to bug Kai. Maybe that's just what 3 year olds are like. Right before Nya was born he started peeing his pants. Crazy that after a year he decided to start doing that. Well, we started giving him m+m's for going on the toilet again and haven't had an accident since Nya has been home. We have since phased out the m+m's. Phew. He loves his baby sister. He'll just look at her and say, `She's so beautiful!'. Kai says he wants more babies in our house so he's loving it too.

Kai got to participate in the school's ball hockey tournament this weekend and he was in heaven. He was the youngest but I'm glad they let him in. He also scored once which he was pretty pumped about. I love seeing/hearing about something that he loves so much. He gets to go to soccer camp at our church this summer too which he is sooooo looking forward to.

{Next year we'll put a team together with his buddies and get Gary to coach or something.}

Nya is still a pretty easy baby! She is easily calmed and only cries when she has to poop. Unfortunately, she poops a lot. Like, 3 times in 1.5 hours this morning. My favourite part is that when I feed her at night (usually takes about 15 minutes), I can change her and put her right back down to sleep. So nice. I hope this never changes!! She is generally up every 2-4 hours in the night but as long as she goes back to sleep, I don't mind. I took her for a walk in the bjorn today and she loved it, she fell asleep right away. If she is up for more than an hour at a time she gets too overstimulated and can't sleep. Then, I just feed her a bit more and generally that calms her down enough.

{An outtake from photos...Kai would love to be able to breastfeed Nya and is frequently lifting up his shirt around her.}

Yesterday we went to church and to Costco and it felt so good to be normal! It seems like we suddenly have so many kids when we are out:) So far, this adjustment has been (dare I say it?), pretty easy. Nya wore her first dress to church and I said to Gary, `Don't you think her outfit is so cute?!' and he replied, `Uh, no?'. He's going to have to learn a better response to that one.

Saturday we took some newborn photos. It was mostly Gary and I taking turns with Nya. So, so tiring but I really don't want to miss a moment:) Looking forward to finishing editing them but here's a few.

{Look, Gary being soft and sweet:) He does have that side, folks!}

My blood pressure has come down so thank you for your prayers! Now, just to get my thyroid tested this week to make sure it is behaving so far.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Love, Louise

Hi, I'm Nya!

Hi, I'm Nya! I'm still being pretty nice to my mommy. I settle down pretty easily after a feed, as long as I'm swaddled nice and tight AND as long as mommy hasn't spent too much time talking to me. Sometimes she can't help it, I think it's the combo of my eyes and dimples.

I'm a bit of a monkey between 9-11pm or so, and then I feed a few times throughout the night. Last night I did two 2 hour sleeps and one 4 hour one. Daddy just lays there snoring away like an animal that snores very loudly. It drives mommy crazy.

Mommy still hasn't put me in real people clothes! I've just been wearing newborn pj's. I spit up a lot so I go through a lot of them. I know that in a month or so, I will be sporting some pretty sweet clothes!

I still have my umbilical cord. Also, I'm a poop machine like my brothers and have about 6 poopy diapers a day. That's the only time I cry and I like to be held during that time (with my back being patted). Yesterday I weighed 8lbs 1oz so I'm gaining weight at a great speed.

Mommy is looking forward to driving next week so we can get out and have some fun with my brothers. My brothers are really sweet to me. They love to hold me, help me get changed, and hold my hand. Koen still refers to me as Nya Carla (after Carla Veloso from Cars 2).

My mommy's blood pressure and heart rate have been getting higher so the midwives are monitoring her. She doesn't know if it's from regular physiological changes post partum or if it's thyroid related. She's going for a thyroid test next week. If you could pray for my mommy's blood pressure and heart rate, I'd really appreciate it!

This is how I spend a lot of my day...swinging away, swaddled tightly.

I have to say that I am very loved. My mommy said that she feels so happy to be able to have a mother daughter relationship again. She says it has brought her so much healing from the loss of my oma. Mommy also hopes I'm a little bit better behaved than she was as a teenager, but, one day at a time!

Hope you are all doing well, I am!

Love, Nya

7 Year Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday we celebrated our 7 year wedding anniversary. Well, not sure we really `celebrated' it as I pretty much went to bed after dinner:) I did get up again as our little girl likes to be up in the evening until about 11pm so that keeps us busy/tired. However, last night after some good cluster feeding, she then slept in two 4 hour periods. Awesome.

The first day with 3 kids went okay. My sister Maria came in the morning for an hour so I could get my shower in. She also started the laundry for me, thanks Maria! There were quite a few visitors throughout the day which totally exhausted me. Not trying to be mean, just saying, social interactions are a bit tiring right now:) One visitor was the midwife...Nya is back up to her birth weight already and doing well!

I am happy to say that my swelling/water retention has gone down. Wow. After a C-section, you retain tons of water from the IV's etc. I came home from the hospital weighing just 5lbs less than going in. My ankles returned today and finally the pounds are coming off.

I realized that I hadn't posted any pictures of Gary with his little girl! So, here are a few. Gary says he doesn't love the newborn stage but he sure is good with kids of all ages. He really is. I am so thankful for him and I think we are such a great team!

I wish I could just freeze time right now because I'm not ready for her to start getting bigger. When I look at my niece and nephew who are 4 months old, they look humongous!

I think we'll try to do a newborn session of sorts with her before she gets too big. It's a bit too tiring to think about but I know I will appreciate it later:)

And, I know `they' say that newborns don't smile, it's just gas. However, this little girl smiles A LOT! I love it. She must be gassy then:) Have I mentioned that just like her momma and her brothers, she has a gorgeous dimple?

She def. looks like her big brothers when they were babies!

Seven years and three beautiful, healthy kids. Awesome. Thankful!

Love, Louise

PS Thank you to `Veggie Tales' for giving me time to blog:)

Family of Five

We had a good weekend! I have just been resting up while Gary manages the big boys. I feel really good recovery wise and I'm a little nervous for tomorrow...my first day with all three kids on my own. My goal is to have a shower:) We went for a walk to the mailbox on Friday and I think that might have been too much for me. However, today we went to church and that was super do-able.

As per with the boys, I'm dealing with some lovely engorgement going on which may be too much info but seriously, so painful and frustrating. Oh well, ample breast milk so I shouldn't complain! When the midwife checked her on day 4 she was 7lbs 10oz so almost back up to birth weight. She is spitting up a lot but I think she's just dealing with all that I'm giving her:)

{She looks like a skinny baby Koen here:)}

Talking about breastfeeding, Kai is very fascinated and asks a lot of questions. He likes to help with the burping. Koen has now started specifying that he would like cow's milk to drink:) So far, she is still a super baby just eating every three hours and going back down to sleep pretty easily. I feel the most rested this time around, that's for sure!

And now Koen wants my attention so here are some pictures of the boys loving their little sister...

{She loved bath time!}

Arms and heart are full. Love it.

Love, Louise

PS Someone is celebrating their anniversary tomorrow!! Not sure how we'll celebrate but we sure have a lot to be thankful for.

Nya's Birth

I want to write this out before I forget it in a haze of newborn-ness. There are some photos of surgery, fallopian tubes and all that jazz...be warned! It's just mostly about the C-section with some photos:)

On May 22nd, we had a booked C-section for the birth of our little girl. Her due date was May 28th and that was the closest date I could get to it. We were scheduled to be at the hospital at 6:15am. I had so many different emotions as the date approached. I just wanted her out so that I knew she was safe in my arms. I wanted her to stay in me so that she could grow as much as she could. I wanted to stay pregnant because she is our last biological child. I wanted her to be on the outside because the Braxton Hicks contractions were very, very strong for the last two months and very uncomfortable.

That morning, at 5am, the rest of my mucus plug came out and to me it sort of signified that she likely would have been born soon. We had brought the boys to Gary's parents house the night before and so it was easy getting to the hospital on time.

We arrived at 6am and the nurse got me into a gown, got my IV in and prepped me for surgery. I was quite emotional and I don't know if I was having contractions or just really nervous but I made a LOT of trips to that bathroom.

The surgery this time was a little different as we could actually walk to the OR on the maternity ward. If you are having a C-section, there is definitely a benefit to having it on the ward. Baby was able to stay in the operating room for a good 20 minutes after she was born and I could watch her being checked over, hold her, be with Gary etc.

Compression stockings were also new this time. One of the worst things about a C-section is being attached to so many tubes for 24 hours (IV, catheter, compression thingys).

Gary got suited up and we walked down the hall to `the room'.

I talked to the OB, Dr. A (who actually did Kai and Koen's sections as well). I like her a lot as she is very informative, understanding and efficient. We went over any last minute questions I had and I also talked with the anesthetist. I was in the OR at about 7:45am.

The second I walked into the room, I started crying. I tried to pull myself together but I was overwhelmed. Soon I would meet the daughter I had waited for. Soon she would be coming out by C-section. Could I have pushed her out? Would she be okay? Would I?

As soon as I was frozen (which happened so, so quickly), they got to work. I think because everything happened so quickly, I didn't have time to mentally prepare for each step. Gary came and sat beside me and rubbed my forehead. I was overwhelmed. I also was feeling nauseated which has happened each time I've had a C-section. I let the anesthetist know and he took care of that with medications.

Suddenly she was out! Gary got a bunch of pictures but I'll spare you the bloody ones:) We were allowed to photograph as much as we wanted which I appreciated. All the doctors and nurses were pretty fascinated by the amount of Whartons' Jelly on her umbilical cord (the white part). It was also wrapped around her neck.

She screamed and screamed which I took as a good sign. I could see her the whole time which was awesome. I was shaking a lot so they got me some warm blankets and the adrenaline had my teeth chattering like crazy. I was overwhelmed with happiness. As soon as I saw her, I realized she was small. Like, way smaller than the boys. I turned to the midwife and said, `I could've gotten her out'. I let myself grieve that for a few minutes and then celebrated the fact that I would have a smaller baby that would just stay little and cute longer:) I have since talked to the OB and midwives and am totally okay with her birth. She does have a bigger head (37cm) so it could've been tricky for me. We did the best we could with all the information that we had.

I was having my fallopian tubes removed. Not just cut, removed. The reason they do that is to decrease the chance of ovarian cancer. So, to do this, they actually had to take my uterus out of my body once the uterus was sutured. I had asked before hand to see the fallopian tubes because I had never seen ones in a human before:) The removed the end closest to the ovaries and pretty much 2/3's of it. The picture below shows her dangling one of my fallopian tubes above my head. I got to see both:) It kind of looked like a fat worm.

Having my uterus put back in my body was painful. It felt like someone punching me in a giant bruise. The anesthetist pumped me full of fentanol when I complained of pain and immediately I thought I would pass out. I went to la la land and I think I told him that I loved him. I think the way I coped with the surgery was just letting everyone know how I was feeling the whole time and needing to know what was going on.

Nya Greta Chapman was born at 8:30am. She was just 7lb 14oz (my boys were both about 9.5-10lbs each!) and 21.5" long. By 9:30am I was in recovery and Gary was holding Nya in our room, skin to skin. I was back up to the room at 10:30am and after a quick wipe down by the nurses, I got to feed my baby!!

Both of the boys had low blood sugar levels when they were born but she was totally fine. So nice to be able to feed her before she got a bottle of formula. So nice that she didn't need her heel pricked over and over and over.

At 1pm, the boys came to meet their baby sister. I was still feeling nauseated and actually vomited that afternoon. Yuck. I lay in bed the whole day with the automated compression leggings on which were new this time. Sort of feels like an itchy, sweaty, non stop massage on your legs.

The boys were hesitant to touch her but were excited that baby sister was here! Koen was adamant that her name was Carla (from Cars 2). He still is:)

I sort of can't believe that I am the mother of 3! The first night I did not sleep well (probably just 3 hours) because I was on a high and also, she had a lot of mucus that she kept gagging on. We finally put her on her side and that helped to get it out.

Nya continued to feed and sleep well, so awesome!

I was exhausted from the surgery and just rested and rested. That night they got me up for my first walk to the bathroom. The second day was the worst but still not as bad as my previous sections. We were able to get discharged early and head home after 48 hours. I feel pretty good now (just dealing with the usual engorgement issues) but am glad I won't have another C-section again. Surgery of any kind just sucks.

I am very much in love with baby Nya. She is a sweet mix of Kai, Koen and herself:) She has really long fingers, a lovely long tongue, and a cute little cry. Her head is so, so soft and kissable. Nothing in the world feels better than having a newborn sleeping on your chest. I've missed it so much.

Last night, we slept quite well at home as I was just up every three hours to feed her and she would go back to sleep. She is sleeping in a bassinet in our room and I'm sleeping in a recliner in our room (for now). Gary is being superdad and taking care of everything. I think he's a little excited to have a little princess in his life:)

Also to those who were wondering...her original name for the whole pregnancy was going to be Mckinley. However, a week before, we changed it to Nya. I love it and as soon as we saw her, we knew she was Nya.

So, that's how we met our little Nya. Time to go snuggle her some more:)

Love,

Louise

PS Thank you to all those who prayed for our health (and particularly respiratory wise). I just had one good cough in the OR and we were both all good!