Well, as much as I LOVE a good party, I am happy that that is over! LMAO I am one tired mamma and I am thanking my lucky stars right now that today is a holiday! We vegetated for most of the morning, went to the park for a bit and ended the day at the pool!
Sydney's birthday was a smashing success (at least I think so! LOL). Sydney was the sweetest little birthday girl and she was very good the entire day. As soon as she saw me come out with the cupcake and candle, she started screaming, "HAPPY DAY!" and when she opened her present, she named everything with a squeal as she opened it, "book....yaaaaayyyyy", "pants...yaaaayyyy". After each gift was opened, she went and hugged the gift givers and, at the very end, gave a nice "tank oooo". It is such a far cry from last year when I opened all of the gifts myself and she had no idea about anything.
Well, the doctor's visit went really well. We only waited about a 1/2 hour to get in to see the doctor and Sydney was busy charming everyone in the waiting room so, the time passed quickly. It is amazing to me how social she is....I love it. Another woman came in with her daughter who was probably 1 year older than Sydney and she was so shy and sat on her mom's lap the entire time. Sydney kept trying to get her to come and play and she wanted NOTHING to do with it! HA
We got the measurements taken first....my little peanut:
And then the doctor checked everything which was fine, fine and fine. When she tried to get a look in Syd's mouth, she clamped down and kept looking at me out of the corner of her eye! LMAO She wasn't scared or anything...she just didn't feel like being compliant (yes, that is my child) but, a quick tickle and her mouth was WIDE open! LOL The doctor was happy with her nutrition based on our conversation and, was even surprised at her "odd" likes that include spinach, liverwurst, salad, etc. etc. She was also VERY pleased with her language development and was shocked that she could count to 10 and pretty much recite the ABC song as well as having a good handle on three word sentences such as "I do it", etc. (I didn't mention the other choice 3 word sentences such as "mommy, I farted" as I felt there really wasn't a need to share that.) The only concern from the entire appointment was with the inside arches in her feet as I had asked about it and the doctor said it appeared that she had a slight pronation so, she wrote me a script to take to the shoe store to get some orthopedic shoes. I would rather get this taken care of now as it will be much easier to correct at this age. I really am glad that our doctor is so proactive on things like this because some have the "wait and see" attitude which to me is silly. I will probably also make an appointment with an orthopedic doctor since it cannot hurt to see a specialist to get some more information and a second opinion.
I cannot believe how quickly the time has gone. It seems like just yesterday, I was staring adoringly at our new sweet smelling little bundle of pink and, now here I sit 2 years later with a fiesty little peanut in my lap trying to touch the buttons after repeatedly being told no! LOL But, all in all, I am so very proud and happy about how she is turning out. I could not have asked for a child with a sweeter, happier temperment (when she ISN'T being a Diva). She is growing by leaps and bounds each and every day and I am in total awe. She has been speaking in "toddler" sentances for some time now and, is very polite with her thank yous, bless yous, and, "are you ok" (when she falls down HA) etc. Please is still a work in process but, I am sure it will come. She has her doctor's appointment this Wedneday so, I will be sure to post with stats.
Well, I am off to go have some family birthday cuddles. Lucky Pat got cancelled off work this morning as his partner called in sick and they were unable to find a replacement so, he gets to spend Syd's birthday with her (and get paid for it! HA HA) So, I will leave you with:
Syd's Birth Announcement loving posted by Aunt Sandra: It is my pleasure and honour to announce that Suzanne and Patrick Quinn are the proud parents of Miss Sydney Jordan Quinn born on Saturday, June 25, 2005 at 2:20pm in Markham-Stouffville Hospital. She weighs 6lbs 9oz and measures 51 cm in length.
With visions of shopping dancing around in Miss Sydney's head, she had her hand up by her ear contemplating all the shopping she would do. Of course, this didn't help the natural childbirth plans Suzie had, and so the decision was made that Sydney would have to arrive by c-section. Sue is doing fine, although she is somewhat sore and groggy from the c-section and the drugs. Pat expects that she will be allowed to come Monday or Tuesday depending on how her recovery is going. Both parents are happy and healthy, although tired, and can I just say that little Miss Sydney has a set of lungs on her? As Pat was relaying the birth story, Miss Sydney was crying and making use of her lungs in the background, and she sounds absolutely adorable! From what I could make out, she was listing off the things she wants to buy with the $350 she won from Sears for being born today! So the waiting is over, a happy, healthy little Miss Sydney has joined our world and a tired but happy Patrick and Sue have months of happy but sleepless nights ahead as the love affair with the daughter begins.
Congratulations Pat and Sue from me and Tony and all your family and friends, and welcome Miss Sydney, we've been anxiously awaiting your arrival and so glad you're finally here!
Syd's Birth Story and Pictures On June 23rd I had my weekly midwife appointment after having what I thought were irregular contractions for the last 3 days. However, according to an internal exam, I was not in labour and although I was fully effaced (my cervix had thinned completely), I had not dilated at all. The next morning I had my weekly non stress test and biophysical profile ultrasound that my mom drove me to since Pat was working at noon. The test was started shortly after 9AM and after 30 minutes of testing; the nurse could not pass me as although Syd’s heartbeat was steady at around 155, we weren’t seeing it rise significantly (to at least 165) with her movements. So, I was instructed to go for my ultrasound at 10:30 and then take the results over to labour and delivery for further monitoring. The nurse suggested I eat something on my way over as I could very well be induced in the afternoon. There was a HUGE delay in diagnostic imaging and I did not get in for my ultrasound until 11:15 or so. The ultrasound was great but my fluid levels were still low (same level as last week so no decrease). The tech gave me my report and I was OFF to labour and delivery. After my non-stress test, I had called Pat with an update and let him know that although he didn’t have to rush right over, it was possible that they would get the ball rolling that day.
They were expecting me at L & D and once I arrived, they put me in a room and hooked me up to the monitors to see if there had been a change from the morning's non stress test. They called my midwife at this point so she could make her way in for a consultation. The nurse came back 40 minutes later and advised that my midwife was on her way. They were going to unhook me from the machines for now but that the consensus was that they were going to induce!! I called Pat, who was 45 minutes into starting his class, and gave him the thumbs up to leave work and make his way to the hospital. The instructor that he was teaching with told him to just leave and that he would take care of packing up his stuff and putting it away at the end of the day. So, Pat was able to go to the condo to pick up our bags and make it to the hospital in less than an hour.
Our midwife arrived shortly thereafter and explained our options to us. We agreed that the induction was the way to go and that we wanted to get the show on the road! So, the drugs were ordered and the drip was introduced at approximately 4PM. Unfortunately, because I was being induced, I had to remain on the monitors at all times so my thoughts of walking and showering through labour went out the window as I was stuck in bed. The fetal heart monitor was being a pain because of the baby’s position so my midwife decided to break my water and use an internal fetal monitor, which was basically an electrode that they attached to the top of the babies head and provides a more accurate, and up to the second monitoring. The doctor arrived for a consult and they did their thing. [TMI warning]It is amazing how quickly a women in labour loses all of her modesty but when you have somebody come in and say “Hi, my name is Dr. X, can I get you to pull your ankles up to your bum and spread your legs.” modesty completely goes out the window! [/TMI warning]
The contractions started at about 5PM and I was amazed at how intense they were! Pat’s poor fingers took quite a beating from being SQUEEZED to the extreme. My coach and wonderful husband did a fantastic job in keeping me focused and breathing through the contractions. However, an hour and half into them and not being able to get up and about to get my mind off of it, I asked my midwife to arrange for the epidural. I think if I had been mobile during my labour, it would have been much easier but, being stuck in bed, I had nothing to do but sit and wait for the next contraction.
My god arrived about 15 minutes later and I call him a god because all I felt was a small prick like a bee sting and then a cold sensation. I got back into bed and 5 minutes later, I felt NO pain! I could still feel the contractions in terms of tightening but they had no bite! Life was gooooood! At this point, I got some much-needed sleep and woke just in time for the changing of the guards. My midwife who was with me from the start was calling in a back-up as she had been up the prior night for a birth and needed a few hours sleep as she had a family wedding the following day. The midwife that arrived was not my primary or secondary midwife so I had yet to meet her. She was taking the shift through the night, as my secondary midwife was unable to arrive until morning. At this point, I started being able to feel the contractions again but only on the left hand side. Not wanting to ask for a top up, I suffered through the rest of the night feeling each one and having to breath through it. By morning, I was exhausted and this is when I started to fall apart a bit. I remember crying to my husband that I just could not go on any longer and that I was exhausted and didn’t understand why I wasn’t progressing faster (at this point I think I was about 7cm dilated which had not changed since I was checked the last time. I begged my midwife to find out about getting the anesthesiologist in to give me a top up and some relief from the pain. Thankfully, he was only minutes away and the good man arrived and took away all of the pain! LOL My secondary midwife arrived and was able to deal with a much happier and rational lady since I was again no longer feeling the pain of the contractions. I slept again and hoped to wake up to some good news at my next check and was happy to find out that I was 9-10 cm dilated.
After another few hours, I was starting to feel the pain of contractions again but this time, it was only that of minor cramping and nothing as severe as what I had dealt with the night before. My midwife checked me again and we were disappointed to find that although I was 10cm dilated, I had a small lip on one side that would not dilate further. My midwife called for an OB consult and at this point, it was decided that the best course of action would be a c-section as Syd was in a bad position and it was unlikely that she would move further into the birth canal.
Things moved quickly at this point and I was taken into the ER within 5 minutes from when the decision was made. Basically, they would take me in, prepare me, start the incision and then once they were down to the uterus, Pat would be brought in so he would be present for the birth. However, things do not always go as planned. They brought me into the ER and started the prep. My epidural was almost worn off so the anesthesiologist started the spinal. After about 5 minutes, I could still feel pain and not just pressure. Now, as I found out later, the doctor had already started and had made the incision through the skin. We think that the tube for the epi had come out slightly so, the spinal froze the outer layers but did not freeze the inside. So, at one point, I started actually feeling the doctor cutting me and freaked out a bit. The pain made me jump a few times on the table and I just kept telling them that I felt everything! At this point, the anesthesiologist bent over and said to me “You will feel some pressure and that is normal. You just need to think of something else and get through this!” If I could have moved at this point, I probably would have punched him out! LMAO I finally had to speak up and begged the doctor to stop because it was not pressure but actual pain that I was feeling and I could not take it anymore.
I was then given the mask for the general anesthesia and I took deep breaths as at that point as all I wanted to do was drift off and be blissfully pain free. It felt like FOREVER before I went under and the next thing I remember is waking up to Patrick being brought into the room with our daughter. I was still groggy and could not really keep my eyes open for very long but I remember that she was crying when he brought her in and then he put her on my chest and the minute I said “Hello baby!” she stopped crying. I don’t remember seeing her at this point but I knew she was ok and that was the important thing.
Sydney was born at 2:16PM on June 25th weighing in at 6lbs, 9oz and I still feel sad that I missed the first 2 hours of her life. Her apgars were 8 and 9 and she had no complications or problems. Once I was settled into my room and more “aware” of my surroundings, I got to hold my daughter for the first time and fell in love instantly. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on and I am still in awe that Patrick and I were able to create something so perfect. It certainly tops the list of our achievements in life.
Well, it was another BUSY weekend at our house. Saturday, we got our Easter pictures done at Loblaws so, we were up at 7am to get showered and ready to head to the hairdresser for our 9:30am appointment. We didn't want to wear our picture clothes so, we had to pack up the car with everything we needed since we were not coming back before our sitting appointment at 12:40. I always try to plan picture day around my hair cut so, I don't have to stress over styling my hair for the pictures! LOL After leaving the salon, we did a bit of shopping since we had some time to kill before picking up the boys so, we hit Best Buy and Future shop since we were in the market for a much needed new computer. We got the boys at 11:30 and headed straight to Loblaws as we still needed to get dressed and ready for our pictures. The pictures were as quick and painless as they could be. Sydney was not very happy about having to sit still and there were tears at the start but, the photographer was great and managed to get loads of smiles out of her. We got the Deluxe package so, we ended up with 5 poses: a family shot, Pat and the boys, Sydney and the boys, and two cute singles of just Sydney.
( Read more... )
We had a busy but great weekend. We had Sean and Dallas this weekend so, we took all of the kids to Wizard World on Saturday and they had SOOO much fun. Sydney had her face painted for the first time and she LOVED it. When it got to her turn, I told the artist to do something simple and quick since I wasn't sure how long she would sit still but, in hindsight, I could have had her whole face done and she wouldn't have minded a bit. I think she liked the feeling of the brush on her skin because she sat perfectly still while the artist painted a heart, star and then added some sparkles to her nose.
Hey everyone!! Yes, I have been a SEVERE journal slacker. I was laughing my butt off when I logged in and saw the most recent heading of "Walking...OFFICIALLY!" Yesh, now it is more like running, jumping, climbing, playing soccer...LMAO
So, before I get into any more, I will start with a RECENT pic to refresh everyone's memory:
Well, Sydney took the leap yesterday and decided it was time to start walking (and well!). As I had mentioned, she had been taking 5-6 steps for the last few months but, was just not brave enough to do this more than just from one person (or inanimate object) to another. Well, yesterday she took the leap and ventured out into wide open spaces and has not looked back. I sat on the couch yesterday and watched her walk in circles around the living room floor. LOL And, much to my suprize, when I went to go to the laundry room and pull the clothes out of the dryer, I turned around to find her standing behind me (solo). She spent the entire day yesterday walking EVERYWHERE she could think of....from the living room, down the hallway, into the laundry room, to the kitchen, to the bathroom and everywhere in between.
I managed to catch some video for everyone...I used my cell phone so, you mostly see a blurr but, I guess it is better than nothing.
Yes, I have again become a journal slacker. I really do try to carve in some time in my day to update but, there is always something that is more pressing (laundry, cleaning, playing with Syd etc. etc.) and I find when I get home from a long day at work on the phones and on the computer, those are the last two devices I want to touch! LOL And, with Pat's new job, he is now home every weekend so, we have been making up for lost time and keeping ourselves busy on the weekends.
In exciting news, Sydney is FINALLY walking! LOL She started taking her first steps at the end of October but, has just recently gained the confidence to venture out more than a few steps at a time. She still prefers crawling as her main way of getting around (probably because it is much faster) but, she is always happy and excited to walk around as well. I tried to get a video of the walking but alas, it turned out way too dark so, I will keep trying and hopefully have something to post soon. I did manage to snap a picture just as she was standing up from her chair to take off...
In other exciting news, Pat and I FINALLY bit the bullet and got Syd's ears pierced and OMG, I cannot believe how much older she looks. We have been contemplating doing it for oh about the last 8 months or so but, we always managed to talk ourselves out of it! LOL But, I knew we were getting close to the point where if we didn't get it done, we would want to wait till she was old enough to ask for it herself so, we did it on the weekend.
She did REALLY well and I think cried more because of the sound that the gun made. After the first ear was done, she cried for about 30 seconds and then didn't put up a fuss when the second was done and again only cried for about 30 seconds. So far, she has also been really good about letting me turn them and put the antiseptic on.
For those that are wondering about the crooked bangs...that would be Baba Paca's doing! LOL She normally trims Sydney's bangs really well but, I guess she had gotten into the spiked egg nog before doing it this time. LOL
I am at work so, I will have to cut the update a bit short but, I will leave you with some random pics:
Syd loves to talk on the phone...
Getting ready to head out for a day of fun with mommy and daddy..
Just wanted to pop on with a quick update and to say Happy Thanksgiving to all still reading my journal (which is probably pretty sparse since I have been SOOO horrible at updating!)
We have been busy here getting into our new routine. Work is going well and Sydney seems to be dealing with the adjustment really well. She IS a bit clingier than usual on the weekends but, I guess that was to be expected.
Syd had her 15 month check up last week and she weighed in at 19lbs (5th percentile) and was 2' 6.5" (70th percentile) and the doctor is really happy with her progress. She got all of her 15 month shots and her chicken pox vaccine and handled them like a trooper!! She has been drinking milk like crazy for the last few months (24oz per day) and is eating REALLY well. She also has a mouth FULL of teeth with all 4 of her 1 year molars in. She may be working on her canine teeth right now but, she has been a bit tight mouthed of late so, I haven't gotten any good looks.
(don't mind the Baby's First Christmas bib...I have SOO many X-mas bibs from last year it would be silly not to use them! LOL)
Sydney likes to comb her own hair:
and EAT her brush as well:
She likes to use wipes to wipe the table, her face, the carpet, etc. etc.
She gets into everything and anything she can,
She still LOVES to splash around in the tub:
and still has a fascination with the camera:
In other exciting news, Pat received a job offer from a private ambulance service and will be starting with them at the end of the month. He is really excited about getting back to a job that he LOVES.
Well, it is late here and I REALLY should be getting to bed since I have to work in the morning.
I cannot believe that it has been OVER a month since I last blogged...I am sooo ashamed! LOL
This is going to be brief (and pictureless) since it is 12:15am and I want to go to bed soon! :) We have been CRAZY busy here and I have had so little time for anything computer related...I am feeling SOOO out of touch.
First exciting news of this entry is that I HAVE A JOB and start on Thursday. Most of my free time in the last month has been spent job hunting (which is a full time job in itself it seems) but, all of my hard work has finally paid off since I was offered a job as a Project Coordinator with Nienkamper which is a high end furniture manufacturer. The biggest perk about this job (for me at least) is that it is literally 10-15 minutes from our house so, I have pretty nominal commuting time (YAY).
As for Sydney...she is wonderful. She is growing and changing sooo much each and every day and I am amazed at the thing she is learning and doing. She is now this little person that understand me (even if she doesn't always listen) and has this fiercely independent/persistent/strong willed little personality. But, she also still has her sweet little disposition. I constantly get comments from strangers about how happy/well behaved/sweet she is and it makes my heart sing with pride every time. She just popped her 11th tooth yesterday (bottom left molar) so, her mouth is just full of little teefers. She is still not independently walking yet but, I think it will be soon. She is quite a cautious little tot and she can stand on her own but, as soon as she realizes it, she drops down to the floor. LOL She is cruising like a madwoman and gets everywhere with her combination of crawling, cruising, and climbing. She is still talking up a blue streak as well with her current favorite words being "NO" (complete with the finger shake) and "stop dat" LOL I have not done an official word count but, just off the top of my head I would say she is probably up over 15 words/small phrases now. I have tons more to tell about but, I will be sure to do a better update when I am no sooo tired! LMAO
As for Pat, he is doing well as well. He JUST finished his training for his new position but, he may actually be leaving the company to get back into the private ambulance field again since he received an all clear from his doctor. He has been working doing some special events for his previous employer and they are always asking when/if he will be coming back so, he gave them a call this afternoon. I am sooo happy for him because he really LOVED working as an EMT and I know that he has missed it so much. The other pluses to him going back would be a) no night shifts b) no weekends (or very very very few if he does their First Aid/CPR training as well) and c) more money (which is always nice). With all of this, we should hopefully be out of the condo and into a house by spring and then we can get the ball rolling on baby #2! ;)
And, last, but certainly not least, Pat and I will be celebrating our 2 year wedding anniversary on Monday (Sept 25th). I cannot how quickly time flies!!! Pat is working Monday night but, the plan is to exchange our cards/gifts on Monday morning and then go out for a nice dinner maybe Friday night or something and then from Sept 26th - Oct 2nd, we will both be in a bit of a funk as we think back with longing to our honeymoon. LOL
Well, I am probably getting less and less coherent as I type this so, I am going to sign off now and go to bed.
So, before I get onto the picture posting, I have a funny story about this week and my new little CLIMBER!!! That's right...I have a climber.
So, this is how yesterday morning went:
Sydney was in the living room while I was getting her breakfast ready. I came out with her cereal and her fruit and felt the sudden urge to pee so, I put the bowl of cereal and the plate of fruit on the arm of the couch and ran to the bathroom. While I was in the bathroom, I hear some grunting and groaning...no worries..I figured Sydney was probably just pooping. I finish with my pee, wash my hands and head back out to the living room to get breakfast under way and THIS is what I find:
She got up onto the couch and helped herself to some melon!!! I guess hunger is a great motivator!! When I first saw her, the panic set in and I started thinking about all of the "what ifs" but, then the pride just totally took over and I was beaming from ear to ear.
Since then, she has climb onto the couch a million times, climbed onto the coffee table, climbed up an entire flight of stairs at my mom's house AND, climbed up onto the foot stool that I WAS using to block her in the living room!!!!
Thank GOD I was diligent in teaching her to climb DOWN from the couch before she learned to climb onto it!!!! But, I pretty much have to re-check my baby proofing again since she is now able to get to sooo many more places!!!!!
Another cute story that I have to share.... Pretty much every morning since she started sleeping through the night, I have walked into her room in the morning and said, "Hi baby...." Well, the roles have reversed and I guess I am now the "baby" because any time she sees me she greets me with, "Hi baby" or "Hi babe". LOL It is the most ADORABLE thing AND, I love that it is my thing because she doesn't greet anyone else this way.
Pat is giving Syd her before bed bottle right now so, before I do ANYTHING else, I am sitting down to whack out a quick update and then will follow up with a more detailed one! LOL
We are alive and kicking still but have just been SUPER busy. Pat has been waging the battle of the kidney stones and I have been waging the battle of finding a job AND dealing with the many trials and tribulations of a one year old. Some of those trials and tribulations included the very painful process of popping her first one year molar which she FINALLY did today!! YAY Sydney for the tooth and YAY mommy for not totally losing her sanity through the process....a sanity which was VERY tested over the last few weeks! LMAO
Pat received the all clear on the kidney stones this week (YAY) so, he is stone free for now. However, in his battle with the kidney stones he managed to also get constipated (from the drugs we thing) to the point that he was soo backed up everything he ate was being thrown back up. He also developed an infection in his "peeps" that he is on antibiotics for. Have I ever mentioned that my husband never does anything on a small scale? In the entire time we have been together, he has been sick a grand total of 4 times and 3 of those were DOOZIES.
As I also said, I have been looking for work. I received a bit of a shocker from EI last month when my maternity benefits STOPPED being paid and when I called I was told that they had ended (8 weeks earlier than I was originally told when I started my leave). After several phone calls and several weeks without any income from me, I finally got everything cleared up and they deposited 4 weeks worth of EI payments into our account today. (Thank goodness for small miracles). So, hopefully I will be able to land a full-time job before the end of the month (which shouldn't be a problem since I have been sending my resume out like CRAZY)!
On the Sydney front...she is wonderful (more so now that her tooth made an appearance). She is growing so much each and every day. She is pulling up and cruising along the furniture, her toys, etc. etc. I can see her confidence growing rapidly each day. On the vocab front, she is a superstar! LOL She is definitely a talker vs. a walker as she already has over 10 single words in her repetoire and has even started using word combos such as what's this (wats dis), what's that (wats dat), stop that (stop dat), night light (nie lie) and the ever popular "uh oh" and "oh no". She has also become quite the little dancer and will bust her move any time she hears any sort of beat. She is also becoming quite the little swimmer and unfortunately, she has ZERO fear of the water (just like her mamma when she was young). We have been taking her down to the pool quite often and she loves to kick and splash and gets both her hands and her feet going when we float her on her back. I do float her on her front as well and she likes to swim that way but, I don't do it as often since she also likes to dunk her face in the water! (EEK!)
Well, that is all I have for my quick update. I just mainly wanted to log in and let everyone know that we ARE still alive. I promise to get on tonight or tomorrow and update some more as well as post some pics and a video! :)
I have been procrastinating updating my journal lately because there is SOOO much to journal about! LOL
Syd and I are feeling MUCH better now and the bug has passed! We started back on homo milk a few weeks back and so far, we are not having any problems (except for some firmer poops which is totally normal). Still no walking to report but, she has started to lift up on all fours:
Hey everyone..long time no update! I have been busy dealing with mounds and mounds (well, I guess it would be more like puddles and puddles) of poop.
Syd is doing much better. We have not seen a fever since Monday night and her poops are slowly getting firmer. We had a follow up with her family doctor yesterday and, she is fairly certain that it is a viral infection that we are dealing with. I did mention to her that the ER doc thought it may have been a reaction to the milk but, she is fairly certain that it wasn't the cause since Lactose Intolerance doesn't ever come with a fever. However, she did suggest that we stick with the Lactose Free formula till her system gets back to normal because with any type of gastro type infection there is normally a temporary Lactose Intolerance problem (which is why they tell you to stay away from dairy when you have diarrhea).
Right now, I am in the throws of dealing with Markham Stoufville hospital regarding getting her lab results (from the stool sample that they took). My head is about ready to explode from the run around!! The lab results FINALLY came back this morning however, they were unable to give me the results over the phone. The lady that I spoke with said they would fax the results to our family doctor and we could call them to get them. Well, this was at 9:30 this morning and since then, I have called my family doctor a few times to find that nothing was faxed. I called MSH back to follow up and was informed (by somebody different that answered the phone) that they couldn't fax the results to our doctor without a signed release form that needed to be faxed to their Health Records department!!!! (WHAT?!?!) As per them, "since we made no mention of a family doctor when we were in, there is no family doctor of record on file" Not once were we asked for family doctor information when we brought her in on Monday and, I had assumed that since we had brought her in to MSH before when she was little, that they had the information! So, I guess as a mom, it is my responsibility to make sure that everyone is doing there job correctly...even if it is 1:20 in the morning and I am exhausted from having to deal with a sick baby. Grrr, grrrr, grrr!!!
So, thankfully, Pat is only working till 3pm today and can head over to the doctor's office on his way home to sign the release. However, I am betting that we will not be seeing any results until Monday!!! Is it sooo wrong that I JUST want to know what is/was wrong with my child??
Well, I am off to get some housework done but, before I go...I will leave you all with some pictures (as compensation for having to listen to the rantings of a tired mommy!):
Sorry I haven't blogged in a bit but, Sydney and I have been a bit under the weather. It started with diarrhea and then last night for Sydney, it moved into fever territory. She woke from her usual all night slumber at about 11:30 crying. As soon as I walked in her room, I could SMELL the poop so, I brought her into our room to change her. Since she has been pooping loose stools all day (probably about 6 poops in total by this time), she had quite the diaper rash so, as soon as I took off her diaper and started to wipe, she started SCREAMING and grabbing at her "parts". I had noticed when I picked her up earlier that she was warm so, once I was done getting her diaper changed, I checked her temp. The ear thermometer gave a reading of 101.9 and the under-pit thermometer didn't get to finish since I could only get Syd to sit still for so long and it took FOREVER (think I need a better one!) but, when it fell out, it was at 38.7 so, we gave her some Tempra. At about 12:30, we checked again and it hadn't gotten much better so, we were off to the ER.
We only waited about an hour and a half which was pretty great considering the amount of people in the waiting room. It's funny because we actually got quite a few dirty looks when we were called in before most of the people waiting. Hello...it is an EMERGENCY room, not a doctors office where they see people on a first come first serve basis.
We waited another 45 minutes in the room for the doctor and Syd managed to sleep for about 10 minutes! LOL She did have a poop while we were waiting...it was still soft but, there wasn't much so, I guess she just had nothing left in her. They did take the stool to send it to the lab but, the results won't be back for 48 hours!!! Basically, the doctor said it was most likely a viral infection since I was also having the poo problems but, since she just started on milk from a Lactose Free formula, she didn't want to rule out Lactose Intolerance. Her fever had finally come down so, they sent us home and advised that we keep her off of milk for the next few days and then take her in to see her doctor for follow up. We also got a few sterile containers for some more poop collection to take to the doctor.
By the time we got home and got Syd into bed (which took a bit of work since she wanted cuddles) it was 4:15 and we crawled exhaustedly into bed by 4:30. Thankfully, she needed to make up for some of her lost sleep so, she just woke up about 15 minutes ago. I have been up since about 9:30 calling the ER since, I wasn't in the best frame of mind last night and didn't think to ask the doc WHAT we should be giving her instead of the milk! LOL I don't know if I should give her the LF formula again...water...pedialyte...juice. Of course, the doctor was off by the time I called and the person that answered the phone just said I would have to follow up with her doc to get that answer. I called the doc and she doesn't have any appointments available until Thursday. The receptionist basically said I should give her whatever she will drink but, it would have been nice if she would have actually checked with the doc!!! Grrrrrr.
Well, I am off to see if Syd will have some breakfast!
Well, I officially have a one year old now so, hopefully my life will settle a bit...at least till she starts walking! LMAO
I have been so busy over the last few weeks with her birthday party (a nice intimate gathering for her and 40 of her closest family and friends! LOL) that I have had ZERO computer time.
We had Sydney's party on Saturday and it was great. She was an absolute doll even though she didn't pass out for a nap till about 5pm. The party was at 1pm but we spent the morning in the party room getting the food prepared, the tables layed out etc. etc. Syd crawled around the whole time and made a royal mess of herself! LOL Thankfully, I hadn't put on her party outfit so, it was as easy as a wipedown and re-dress right before the party started.
At this time last year, I was tired, I was sore, and all I wanted to do was get some sleep! Here we are one year later and I again find myself sooo tired, so sore and in need of SERIOUS sleep! LOL Last year, the cause was being in the full throws of labour. This year, the cause was planning and executing Sydney's first birthday party for her and 40 of our closest friends and family! :) Last year, the thing that kept me going through it all was the thought of holding our sweet baby girl in my arms and showering her with all of my love and affection. This year, the things that keep me up at midnight is the drive to get her birth story posted before I fall into a deep slumber and the vision of my sweet but not so little girl cozy in her bed with visions of birthday cake and icing dancing in her head! :)
I had always known I would love being a mommy but, I never dreamed how rewarding every moment would be. It is what keeps me sane through the rough days and what makes me treasure in my heart the wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.
Sydney's Birth Announcement (that was so loving posted by Aunt Sandra):
It is my pleasure and honour to announce that Suzanne and Patrick Quinn are the proud parents of Miss Sydney Jordan Quinn born on Saturday, June 25, 2005 at 2:20pm in Markham-Stouffville Hospital. She weighs 6lbs 9oz and measures 51 cm in length.
With visions of shopping dancing around in Miss Sydney's head, she had her hand up by her ear contemplating all the shopping she would do. Of course, this didn't help the natural childbirth plans Suzie had, and so the decision was made that Sydney would have to arrive by c-section.
Sue is doing fine, although she is somewhat sore and groggy from the c-section and the drugs. Pat expects that she will be allowed to come Monday or Tuesday depending on how her recovery is going. Both parents are happy and healthy, although tired, and can I just say that little Miss Sydney has a set of lungs on her? As Pat was relaying the birth story, Miss Sydney was crying and making use of her lungs in the background, and she sounds absolutely adorable!
From what I could make out, she was listing off the things she wants to buy with the $350 she won from Sears for being born today!
So the waiting is over, a happy, healthy little Miss Sydney has joined our world and a tired but happy Patrick and Sue have months of happy but sleepless nights ahead as the love affair with the daughter begins.
Congratulations Pat and Sue from me and Tony and all your family and friends, and welcome Miss Sydney, we've been anxiously awaiting your arrival and so glad you're finally here!
Sydney's Birth Story:
On June 23rd I had my weekly midwife appointment after having what I thought were irregular contractions for the last 3 days. However, according to an internal exam, I was not in labour and although I was fully effaced (my cervix had thinned completely), I had not dilated at all. The next morning I had my weekly non stress test and biophysical profile ultrasound that my mom drove me to since Pat was working at noon. The test was started shortly after 9AM and after 30 minutes of testing; the nurse could not pass me as although Syd’s heartbeat was steady at around 155, we weren’t seeing it rise significantly (to at least 165) with her movements. So, I was instructed to go for my ultrasound at 10:30 and then take the results over to labour and delivery for further monitoring. The nurse suggested I eat something on my way over as I could very well be induced in the afternoon. There was a HUGE delay in diagnostic imaging and I did not get in for my ultrasound until 11:15 or so. The ultrasound was great but my fluid levels were still low (same level as last week so no decrease). The tech gave me my report and I was OFF to labour and delivery. After my non-stress test, I had called Pat with an update and let him know that although he didn’t have to rush right over, it was possible that they would get the ball rolling that day.
They were expecting me at L & D and once I arrived, they put me in a room and hooked me up to the monitors to see if there had been a change from the morning's non stress test. They called my midwife at this point so she could make her way in for a consultation. The nurse came back 40 minutes later and advised that my midwife was on her way. They were going to unhook me from the machines for now but that the consensus was that they were going to induce!! I called Pat, who was 45 minutes into starting his class, and gave him the thumbs up to leave work and make his way to the hospital. The instructor that he was teaching with told him to just leave and that he would take care of packing up his stuff and putting it away at the end of the day. So, Pat was able to go to the condo to pick up our bags and make it to the hospital in less than an hour.
Our midwife arrived shortly thereafter and explained our options to us. We agreed that the induction was the way to go and that we wanted to get the show on the road! So, the drugs were ordered and the drip was introduced at approximately 4PM. Unfortunately, because I was being induced, I had to remain on the monitors at all times so my thoughts of walking and showering through labour went out the window as I was stuck in bed. The fetal heart monitor was being a pain because of the baby’s position so my midwife decided to break my water and use an internal fetal monitor, which was basically an electrode that they attached to the top of the babies head and provides a more accurate, and up to the second monitoring. The doctor arrived for a consult and they did their thing. [TMI warning]It is amazing how quickly a women in labour loses all of her modesty but when you have somebody come in and say “Hi, my name is Dr. X, can I get you to pull your ankles up to your bum and spread your legs.” modesty completely goes out the window! [/TMI warning]
The contractions started at about 5PM and I was amazed at how intense they were! Pat’s poor fingers took quite a beating from being SQUEEZED to the extreme. My coach and wonderful husband did a fantastic job in keeping me focused and breathing through the contractions. However, an hour and half into them and not being able to get up and about to get my mind off of it, I asked my midwife to arrange for the epidural. I think if I had been mobile during my labour, it would have been much easier but, being stuck in bed, I had nothing to do but sit and wait for the next contraction.
My god arrived about 15 minutes later and I call him a god because all I felt was a small prick like a bee sting and then a cold sensation. I got back into bed and 5 minutes later, I felt NO pain! I could still feel the contractions in terms of tightening but they had no bite! Life was gooooood! At this point, I got some much-needed sleep and woke just in time for the changing of the guards. My midwife who was with me from the start was calling in a back-up as she had been up the prior night for a birth and needed a few hours sleep as she had a family wedding the following day. The midwife that arrived was not my primary or secondary midwife so I had yet to meet her. She was taking the shift through the night, as my secondary midwife was unable to arrive until morning. At this point, I started being able to feel the contractions again but only on the left hand side. Not wanting to ask for a top up, I suffered through the rest of the night feeling each one and having to breath through it. By morning, I was exhausted and this is when I started to fall apart a bit. I remember crying to my husband that I just could not go on any longer and that I was exhausted and didn’t understand why I wasn’t progressing faster (at this point I think I was about 7cm dilated which had not changed since I was checked the last time. I begged my midwife to find out about getting the anesthesiologist in to give me a top up and some relief from the pain. Thankfully, he was only minutes away and the good man arrived and took away all of the pain! LOL My secondary midwife arrived and was able to deal with a much happier and rational lady since I was again no longer feeling the pain of the contractions. I slept again and hoped to wake up to some good news at my next check and was happy to find out that I was 9-10 cm dilated.
After another few hours, I was starting to feel the pain of contractions again but this time, it was only that of minor cramping and nothing as severe as what I had dealt with the night before. My midwife checked me again and we were disappointed to find that although I was 10cm dilated, I had a small lip on one side that would not dilate further. My midwife called for an OB consult and at this point, it was decided that the best course of action would be a c-section as Syd was in a bad position and it was unlikely that she would move further into the birth canal.
Things moved quickly at this point and I was taken into the ER within 5 minutes from when the decision was made. Basically, they would take me in, prepare me, start the incision and then once they were down to the uterus, Pat would be brought in so he would be present for the birth. However, things do not always go as planned. They brought me into the ER and started the prep. My epidural was almost worn off so the anesthesiologist started the spinal. After about 5 minutes, I could still feel pain and not just pressure. Now, as I found out later, the doctor had already started and had made the incision through the skin. We think that the tube for the epi had come out slightly so, the spinal froze the outer layers but did not freeze the inside. So, at one point, I started actually feeling the doctor cutting me and freaked out a bit. The pain made me jump a few times on the table and I just kept telling them that I felt everything! At this point, the anesthesiologist bent over and said to me “You will feel some pressure and that is normal. You just need to think of something else and get through this!” If I could have moved at this point, I probably would have punched him out! LMAO I finally had to speak up and begged the doctor to stop because it was not pressure but actual pain that I was feeling and I could not take it anymore.
I was then given the mask for the general anesthesia and I took deep breaths as at that point as all I wanted to do was drift off and be blissfully pain free. It felt like FOREVER before I went under and the next thing I remember is waking up to Patrick being brought into the room with our daughter. I was still groggy and could not really keep my eyes open for very long but I remember that she was crying when he brought her in and then he put her on my chest and the minute I said “Hello baby!” she stopped crying. I don’t remember seeing her at this point but I knew she was ok and that was the important thing.
Sydney was born at 2:16PM on June 25th weighing in at 6lbs, 9oz and I still feel sad that I missed the first 2 hours of her life. Her apgars were 8 and 9 and she had no complications or problems. Once I was settled into my room and more “aware” of my surroundings, I got to hold my daughter for the first time and fell in love instantly. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on and I am still in awe that Patrick and I were able to create something so perfect. It certainly tops the list of our achievements in life.
Coming tomorrow: Sydney's First Birthday Party
Happy Birthday my sweet angel. I love you with all of my heart.
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
mommy_q's journal
happy
tired
busy