A new discovery!

Grady has just discovered that he has hands! It's funny because it happened virtually overnight. Yesterday he paid no attention to the fact that he has hands and fingers at the end of his arms and today he had his finger in his mouth and he was sucking on his fist!!!

"Showering" the Baby!

On the weekend, Heather and Alysha hosted a baby shower for Grady and me. It was wonderful to have so many people together to celebrate Grady's arrival. We had lots of yummy food and Grady received many wonderful gifts ... everyone was so generous! We are incredibly lucky to have such amazing friends and family. Thanks gals!

At least the model is cute!

With the play-offs on right now, we are watching a lot of hockey these days! I gave this little onesie to Sandy as a Christmas gift this past year knowing that it would fit the baby at play-off time. Unfortunately, the Canucks did not have a stellar season and missed making the play-offs by a couple of points. Even though Grady can't sit with Sandy and help "cheer" for his team, he still looks very cute modelling his outfit!!!

Meeting his Grandpa

My Mom and Dad flew in today! This was the trip they had scheduled a couple of months ago knowing that Grady's due date was April 15th ... thinking that the baby would be brand-new since everyone was sure he'd be late! (Grady will be three weeks old tomorrow).

I was very excited to go to the airport to pick them up. Here are the first photos of Grady meeting his Grandpa ... it was a very special moment. Of course, my Dad made sure he had both feet planted firmly on the ground and he held onto him tight ... just in case Grady decided to wake up and jump out of his arms! ;)

Sounds of my life

Even though Grady can't communicate through words (yet!), he already makes all kinds of noise. When he is waking up and wants to eat, he makes this little grunting sound. When he is content after a feed, sometimes it sounds like he is purring. When he sneezes, he sounds like Donald Duck. And, when he is awake and "talking", he makes these noises that sound like a baby goat!

Then there are the noises that come from the other end ... I don't need to tell you what they sound like!!!

Big news!

Tonight Sandy took Grady upstairs to change his diaper and when he came back down, he said that Grady had big news to tell me ... he lost his umbilical cord! It had been looking kind of like it was ready to come off for a couple of days and I guess it just fell off this evening. (Thank goodness ... that little thing was kind of gross looking!)

Also, Joanne weighed Grady at his two week appointment yesterday and he weighs 9 pounds 8 ounces now!!! She was amazed at how fast he is growing ... I'm not ... the kid eats A LOT!!!

Funny faces!

Bad hair day

Grady only has a little bit of hair and it's mostly at the back of his head. When he wakes up from a nap, his hair is all messed up! It's very cute.

Also, my baby has ear hair! You can see it better in the second picture ... it is on the outside of his ear around the edge ... poor little guy! Hopefully, it disappears before he starts school because that would definitely be a source of much teasing!

There's nothing cuter than a sleeping baby

Grady sound asleep at 13 days old.

When you have a new baby, the new topics of conversation seem to be poop and sleep. I'll spare you the poop details ... other than to say that there is a lot of it!

As for sleeping, Grady is pretty good at it and already seems to have a bit of a routine (which I am sure will change often!). But for now, we usually get up for the day around 9am. He is awake for about an hour until 10-10:30am. For the rest of the day, Grady eats every two hours and spends the rest of the time sleeping. I try to keep him awake for longer periods of time so that he'll sleep more at night, but that doesn't always work out (usually because I want to have a nap!)

Our evening routine includes a feeding before bed (about 10pm), one around 2am, and then one around 5am. I don't mind waking up to feed and change Grady ... that part doesn't bother me at all. It's when he wants to stay awake and "chat" that I get tired. Like last night when he was awake from 2 am until 4am ... two hours ... two looooong hours!

Scrumptious!

Joanne stopped by today for a brief check-up since she was in the area (she'll be back on Monday for Grady's full two week appointment). While she was here, she weighed Grady ... he weighs 9 pounds now!!! What a little porker :) When she was handing him back to me, she said, "Oh, he is just scrumptious!" What a perfect way to describe my sweet little boy.

New photos

The first picture was taken on Monday at 8 days old. The second picture was taken today at 11 days old. He's already getting so much bigger!

Ryder and Grady

It's no secret that Ryder is a pretty spoiled pup! He gets 2-3 walks daily, lots of treats, special attention (Sandy plays football with him almost every evening and I pet him lots during the day), and Ryder goes to a doggy daycare when we are going to be gone from the house for more than 4 hours.

So, it shouldn't have come as a big shock to us that he may not *love* the baby ... who swooped in and stole all of the attention! Ryder spent the first few days that Grady was home kind of pouting. He spent lots of time on his dog bed or underneath a chair in the living room where he likes to hide ... with his ears flat down looking very sad. We tried to give him the same amount of time and energy and our family members who were visiting did too, but I guess it just wasn't the same.

Well, I am happy to report that Ryder has started to recover from the trauma that was caused in his life! He has been much happier these past couple of days and has even shown some interest in Grady. He likes to sniff his diaper (gross, but makes sense ;) and Ryder even gave Grady a little kiss on the ear. So, I think we are making progress. And, hopefully one day, they will be best buddies.

Baby's Due Date

Today was Grady's due date. The day we had marked on our calendar ... the day we told everyone when they asked when he was due ... the day we had in our minds for welcoming our new baby.

I'm sure that over the next couple of years, the importance of April 15th will fade and we will mainly remember his birthday. But right now, today seems very special. I am so happy and feel so fortunate to have a son (I have a son ... crazy!!!) who I love so much. He amazes me every single moment of each day.

And, he is such a good baby! He hardly ever cries --- unless he is hungry and I am taking too long to feed him. But, even then, it is only for a few moments. He is sleeping really well ... in 2-3 hour stretches during the day and 3-4 hour stretches during the night. He has a "perfect latch" and feeds often, which means that he also goes to the bathroom often! I am constantly reminding myself to enjoy him because he is going to grow up so fast ... already time is flying by!

Bath time

Grady had his first bath at the hospital before we were discharged. The nurse showed us how to wash him properly and where to start (with his face) and where to end (you can figure that out!).

I was feeling a bit nervous about washing him at home, so had put off giving him a bath until my Mom arrived. We gave him his first bath at home on Friday night and since then it has been part of our nightly routine. It is a nice relaxing time and he really seems to enjoy it.

When we put him in the tub, he stretches out as long as he can and opens his arms up wide. Then, he starts kicking his legs in and out, in and out and kind of flaps his arms up and down. He looks like a little frog and it is very cute!

One week ago

One week ago today our lives changed forever: we became parents to a perfect baby boy, Grady. We love him so much ... it's amazing.

The first picture was taken at 38 weeks, 5 days --- the day Grady was born. The next three pictures were taken today --- at one week old. He is lying on a special quilt made just for him by my Mom. I'm going to use it as the backdrop when I take his monthly photo (to show how much he has grown).

Already, he is changing and growing up. He opens his eyes for longer periods of time and looks around. He looks towards me if someone else is holding him and I am talking. His little neck muscles are getting stronger daily - he can already lift his head up for short periods of time.

I had a visit from a friend today who is expecting her first baby in 6 weeks. Seeing her rub her tummy made me a bit nostalgic for when Grady was still inside me and kicking and moving around. I do miss being pregnant, but having him here with us is so wonderful that I can't imagine our lives without him.

A very special introduction ...

Today was a very special day because Grady's Grandma came to visit! My Mom flew in this morning and is staying until Tuesday. My parents have booked plane tickets to come and visit a week after Grady's due date because we were all sure that he would be late! Since he was born a week early, he would have been almost three weeks old when they come to visit. And, that was just too long for his Grandma to wait!!!

So, Grandma Liz arrived today and has been spoiling Grady with love and hugs ever since. We are so happy that she is here and has met her grandson!

Highlights from our day

Grady:

Joanne came today to check up on how we are all doing. She weighed Grady ... and then she weighed him again. She said, "That can't be right!" He weighs 8 pounds 5 ounces now!!! She was amazed that he had gained back all of the weight he lost and was actually 2 ounces more than his birth weight. I didn't think it was that big of a deal until Joanne said that usually, it takes about three weeks for babies to get back to their birth weight! I guess all that feeding is paying off.

Me:

I felt so much better today. I think I am starting to heal because getting around was a lot easier and not nearly as painful. I even left the house today for some fresh air. We took Grady on his first picnic! It was a sunny day so we packed a lunch and went to a local park for some fresh air. It felt so great to be outside (I've never been cooped up in the house for four days straight before .... and hope to never again!) I was so happy to be outside that I convinced Sandy to come with me for a short walk around the block this evening. He didn't think I should go because Joanne said "no activity" for ten days, but I took it really easy. It is just so enjoyable to be up and moving around and feeling a little more human.

Physically, I am feeling much better. Emotionally, I am still doing really well. I havn't had that breakdown that Joanne warned us about, but today I was feeding Grady and just watching him. He is so amazing. I can't even express how much I love him. I got a little sad thinking about all the bad stuff that is out there in the world (watching the news is not a good idea right now) and how he is going to grow up one day and have to deal with it. I just want to protect him from everything and always keep him happy and safe.

Sandy:

Today was Sandy's last day off. It's been so great having him at home with us for the past four days. I know I will always treasure the moments that we have had together as a family.

Funny moment from today: Sandy has been doing the majority of the diaper changes. One time today when he was changing Grady, I was upstairs chatting with him. He put Grady on the change pad and unbuttoned his sleeper and took off his diaper ... Grady peed all over the changed pad and himself ... Sandy completely took off all of his clothes and started again ... he got a clean diaper on him and was starting to get him dressed when Grady pooped in his brand new clean diaper!!! We (I) chuckled about that while Sandy took that diaper off, cleaned him up, and then started to get him dressed again. He was almost finished when I noticed that he hadn't even put a diaper back on him ... just buttoned up his undershirt and pulled down his sleeper, so he unbuttoned everything and started right from the beginning ... again!!!

Photos

Day 2 ... summary of the last 48 hours!

Grady is now 2 days old!

It's been such a whirlwind since we came home on Sunday night. It's only been two days, but already it feels like a lifetime (and I mean that in a good way :)

Our first night home was great. It felt so good to come home after being in the hospital. Even though we were only there for 4 hours, I was still happy to leave. Hospitals kind of freak me out and I didn't want to have to spend any extra time there. Plus, I was feeling pretty good and Grady was doing well, so there wasn't much reason for us to stay.

When we got home, Heather and RonaLee were here and had cooked up some food for a snack --- that was very much appreciated since I hadn't really eaten since 6am on Sunday morning. We ate some food, visited a bit, and then headed off to bed. Grady slept soundly through the whole night (except when he woke up to feed) but Sandy and I barely slept at all! We both kept waking up to check on him. If he spit up, it was a major event with us both waking up, cleaning him, picking him up, and making sure he was okay! I think we all drifted off around 4am and slept straight through until 7am, which felt great.

Yesterday is a bit of blur now. I know that Joanne and Maneesha (our midwives) came by to check on us. I just have to take a moment to say once again how amazing their care has been. They were absolutely incredible throughout the whole pregnancy, labour and delivery, and their after-care has been wonderful. When they were here, they watched Grady feed (his latch is great - yay!), removed the clamp that was on his umbilical cord, checked my stitches, and just made sure that we were all feeling okay in general.

I spent the rest of the day feeding Grady and sleeping. We had some close friends come by and visit in the afternoon. It was lovely to see them (and they brought food :)

Last night wasn't much better sleep-wise for me because Grady wanted to eat every hour. So, I spent most of the night awake with him. Sandy got up around 4am and took him for a couple of hours. There is nothing sweeter than watching your baby sleep on your husband's chest ... very cute.

This morning, I had a nap from 8am-10:30am ... I definitely needed it after not sleeping all night. Grady was in good hands and I absolutely passed out. I woke up feeling like I had been hit by a truck, but after a hot shower and some breakfast, I felt better.

Joanne and Maneesha came by around 11am. They weighed Grady and checked him out. Today he weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces (he's lost 5 ounces since birth) but that's normal since it takes a few days for the mom's milk to come in. It was a nice, relaxed visit with them today and we had a chance to express our gratitude to them for all their amazing work. They were kind enough to say that it had been a pleasure to help birth our baby ... it was a nice moment.

Heather left this afternoon to go back to Vancouver and prepare for her exams. She took exceptional care of everyone: me, Grady, Ryder, and Sandy, and we are so thankful for all of her hard work as well. I am sure that she is absolutely exhausted!

Right now, Sandy is lying on the couch with Grady sleeping on his chest (a position he seems to really enjoy). Ryder is asleep on his dog bed. I am taking a moment to update the blog and send out some emails. Life is good.

Joanne mentioned today that typically Day 3 post-partum is a really tough one for new Moms ... lots of hormonal changes and emotions can run high. I feel so happy and content right now, but am prepared (some-what!) for the crash that may come. My plan is to just take it one day at a time, one moment at a time. I want to treasure them all .... already time is flying by and Grady seems to grow and change by the minute. He is so precious and I love him so much.

Welcome to this world Baby Watt!

Baby Watt is here!

Grady John Watt arrived today at 3:40pm after a short, (intense!) labour. He weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces at birth and was 21.5 inches long.

My water broke this morning at 5am. I managed to stay in bed and try to relax until about 6am. Ryder and I went for a walk at 9am. When we got home, my friend Alysha, was here to keep me company since Sandy had an "important" golf match this morning! Contractions were about 20 minutes apart until 11am when they really picked up in intensity and came about 5-7 minutes apart. They were painful but I was managing.

Thank goodness Sandy decided to come home from golfing about this time! (He'd been calling to check in every four holes). The midwives arrived shortly after Sandy and checked me. I was 3cm dilated and things seemed to be progressing well. I spent the next 3 hours alternating between leaning on the counter in the bathroom, sitting on the toilet, and standing in the shower. It was just Sandy and I in the bathroom, but the midwives would come in every 30 minutes and check the baby's heartbeat. I can definitely say that this time period was very intense. I was trying to focus and breath deeply but there were a few times when I totally lost it and just started screaming from the pain. Sandy and the midwives would calm me down and we'd start all over again with the next contraction. :)

They checked me again at 3pm and I was 8 cm dilated! Thank goodness because if they had said that I was any less, I definitely would have wanted to just give up. It turned into a bit of mad dash to get to the hospital. I actually started pushing on the front lawn as I was getting into the car! I wasn't trying to but I just couldn't help it! Sandy set a land speed record getting us there with the midwives right behind us in their car.

I pushed the in the hospital parking lot, in the elevator, and then we finally made it to our room. I immediately ripped off all my clothes (I was so hot!) and started to get to work pushing. I started in a squatting position, then was on all fours, then on my side, then I found my "groove" on my back kind of half sitting up.

Pushing actually felt pretty good in an extremely painful kind of way! Sandy was amazing at encouraging me and stayed right with me the whole time. When I talked to my Mom this morning, she told me that when she was having me, she didn't want to push properly because it hurt so much and it took a lot longer. I did not want this to take a long time, so I was pushing with everything I had and 40 minutes later, little Grady was born!

They put him on my chest right away .... what an amazing feeling! They had Sandy look and he said, "It's a boy!". We cried and hugged and just stared at him with awe and I'm know that we both fell in love right away.

Sandy took Grady out to meet the crew in the waiting room while I had a few stitches and just relaxed. We spent 3 hours in the hospital getting cleaned up and practicing breastfeeding. They discharged us at 7:30pm and we are home now. Heather and RonaLee are here - they have made a ton of food to freeze and cleaned up the house for us - what a blessing!

We feel incredibly fortunate to have our little baby here with us. We will keep you all updated as things happen around here. Lots of love to our amazing family and friends who have been such a great support.

Love Allison, Sandy, Ryder, and Grady Watt

Mixed Emotions

I know I am in the minority when I say that I have loved every minute of being pregnant! There have definitely been some times when I was uncomfortable and not feeling so great, but overall, it has been an amazing experience. I feel so fortunate to have this little life growing inside of me. I was lying in the bathtub last night and I could see the baby's foot/knee(?) poking out and it totally hit me all at once, I love this baby so much. Even though I've never met it, I already (finally!) feel this incredible love for my child that everyone has been telling me about.

The "mixed emotions" are the fact that I am a little sad that it's not going to be just Sandy, Ryder, and me anymore. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it's scary to think that everything is going to change. I had a mini meltdown the other night and through tears, explained this to Sandy. He said, "Yes, it is going to change ... it's going to be so much better."

Home visit

Yesterday Joanne came to our house for my appointment. Don't worry ... we are still having the baby at the hospital! It was just more convenient to meet here because she was going to be in the area. Plus, it was a bonus for me because I didn't have to drive out to her place.

Our visit was pretty uneventful. My blood pressure was good, no more weight gain, fundal height was 38.5 cm. Baby's heart rate was strong at 140 beats per minute.

Joanne did mention that the baby's head is very, very low. In fact, she said it was pretty much as far down as it was going to get without actually being born! I was pretty excited to hear that because although I don't feel any different, things are obviously starting to happen!

Finally!

I think we may have finally decided on a boy name and a girl name! Thank goodness because I was starting to get worried that we would be calling this baby, well "baby", for the first couple weeks of his/her life.

We have some very specific criteria that needs to be met regarding names. I want a name that is easy to pronounce and spell (that's the teacher in me!). But, I didn't want it to be a name that five other kids in the kindergarten class shared (like Ethan ... a nice name, but also a very popular one). The name must have two syllables - one syllable names sound funny with our last name. Sandy's main issue is that the name is "cool" enough and isn't easy to twist into a terrible nickname.

So, with all that in mind, we began the name hunt! For a while, we liked the name Breanna, but then I taught at Vanier one day. In the three English classes that I taught, there were eight Breanna's ... all spelled differently! So, that name was crossed off the short list. We liked the name Andrew, but soon realized it would be shortened to Andy .... doesn't sound so bad, right? Well, imagine "Sandy" introducing his son, "Andy" ... a little too matchy-matchy, I think! I liked the name Carter, but then all I could think of was calling the little boy "Carter the Farter"!!! (very mature, I know :) We went through this situation with many, many names and various reasons they wouldn't work.

But, like I said, I think we have finally found one name for each sex that we can both live with. Of course, I am not going to share them with you quite yet! When we were trying out other names, I would ask friends and family what they thought and they would tell me!!! I truly appreciated their honesty, but it has taken us so long and so many names to find these ones that we like, that I don't actually want to know if someone doesn't like it. When the baby is here, I think it will be a lot tougher for someone to actually say, "Oh, I don't like his/her name".

I will share this information with you though. Both our girl name and our boy name are of Gaelic origin; they were both popular around 1910, so they seem unique without being too "out there"; they are shorter names, but have two syllables; and they both have really nice meanings.

(Middle names were decided on long ago. If the baby is a girl, her middle name will be Elizabeth and if the baby is a boy, his middle name will be John.)

38 weeks!

Week Thirty-Eight

If he is the "average baby," he weights 6.8 pounds (3083gm)and is 19.6 inches (49.8cm) long.

Have you noticed she hiccups a lot? Because there is no air around her, those breathing exercises cause amniotic fluid to get into her windpipe. The result? Hiccups!

Your child's intestines are accumulating lots of meconium. Meconium takes on the role of being your baby's first bowel movement -- removing the waste that has accumulated.

He may have a full head of hair now -- an inch or more long! Don't be surprised if it's an unexpected color. Some blond couples have dark haired babies; some dark haired couples have red-haired babies; some couples have babies with only peach fuzz! It may just persuade you to take a closer look at your family tree!

Circumference of head and abdomen are about the same size for your baby. No wonder it's so hard to get a t-shirt over a newborn's head!

I have noticed that the baby gets the hiccups a lot more lately ... guess we are right on track!