Month 6: Dec 11 - Jan 11

Dec 11 - Our family went to a photographer to mark Grant's half-birthday and to get holiday pictures done.

Dec 13 - At our 6-month well-baby check-up, Grant weighs 6380g (14 lbs, 1 oz), is 65.5 cm (26") tall and has a head circumference of 42 cm (16.5").  Dr. Rezvani lets us know that Grant is doing great and can start solids now.

Dec 14 - Grant reaches for his first food, a Rice Krisipie Square from his Daddy.
Dec 17 - First day of solids.  Grant's dinner consists of roast chicken, sweet potato and broccoli.  He seems to like the chicken best.
Dec 18 - Grant has a Farley's biscuit for breakfast and a dinner of steak, baked potato and zucchini.  He really liked the potato and steak but had little interest in the zucchini.  He managed to swallow a bit of potato.
Dec 19 - Avocado was on the menu this day.  Grant seemed to like it but was frustrated at how slippery it was.  He did swallow some of the avocado.  He had his first successful nap in his sleep sack - 3rd nap of the day and it lasted 1:42.  He was put to bed in his sleep sack but it did not go well.
Jan 4 - After rolling further and further onto his side, Grant finally rolls all the way over from his back to his tummy.
Jan 7 - Grant has spontaneously decided to try blowing raspberries.

Around week 25, Grant started having trouble sleeping at night and began waking less than an hour after going to bed and needed assistance to get back to sleep again.  By week 26 and into week 27 he is screaming in protest about going to bed and even for naps.  Perhaps he is overtired?  He doesn't seem to be teething or sick or hitting a developmental milestone and his mommy and daddy are frustrated because they can't help him.  Grant's first Christmas was a very busy and exciting time for him.  He was spoiled by everyone!  Being diligent about naps, he managed to be a fairly happy little guy.  He was unable to get to sleep due to the ruckus on Christmas Eve but aside from that he napped and slept well enough while away from home.  Grant tasted many different foods at Poppa Levack's on Christmas Eve and he did exceptionally well with Christmas Dinner at Grandma Morrow's - destroying a large piece of prime rib, some boiled carrots and potatoes.  We began sleep learning when we returned home which was not pleasant but very necessary.  After a week he is almost sleeping entirely through the night but naps are a bit slower to follow and are hit and miss without the swaddle and soother.  In his activity centre, he has learned that pushing the buttons will make the music play and finds this highly entertaining.  He squeals when he is excited.  He is also learning to blow raspberries and after a couple of days of mostly spitting, he has figured out how to make his lips vibrate.

Month 5: Nov 11 - Dec 11

Nov 11 - Grant successfully finds his thumb for sucking during his afternoon nap.
Nov 13 - We took Grant swimming for the first time.  He seemed to enjoy the water and was amazed by all the sights and sounds at the community centre.  He was a little upset at being dunked, but was ok with it once he knew his parents were there to keep him safe.
Nov 16 - Grant was able to stand by himself while leaning against the furniture for a few seconds.  He rolled from tummy to back again; both to the left and to the right.
Nov 22 - Mommy took Grant to meet Santa.  He was a very well-behaved little reindeer and gave us a big smile for the picture.
Nov 25 - We met Grant's Cousin Arthur for the first time and marveled at how little he weighed compared to our big boy.
Dec 3 - Opened up Grant's Christmas present early... a Baby Einstein Discovery Centre.  He seems most interested by the purple discs and the spinning bird.
Dec 6 - Went to see Santa again with Grant's baby friends.  Grant discovers that he can reach out and touch the baby in the mirror.
Dec 10 - Mommy and daddy leave Grant with a babysitter (Aunt Kate) for the first time so they can attend a Christmas party.

Grant is getting more adept at reaching out and grabbing hanging toys.  He can sit unassisted for a few moments before tipping over.  He still does not enjoy tummy time but can lift his head and chest up high when in the right mood to do so.  He is fascinated at watching his parents eat.  He is able to nap for an hour or more with the right conditions and we are practicing allowing him to nap this way at least once or twice a day.  He is still waking up at least 3 times a night however and generally sleeps for only 3-4 hours at a time starting at 7PM until 7AM.  He has caught on to the game of peek-a-boo and will laugh when he sees his mommy or daddy.  He also laughs when raspberried on the belly or chin, and when mommy or daddy make funny voices.  He has mastered jumping in his Jolly Jumper and prefers to listen to music while he moves.  Toward the end of the month he started making clicking noises with his tongue for fun.  He makes these noises while watching mommy and daddy eat and is fascinated by seeing us chew or drink.  He is practicing for when he gets to eat food too.

Month 4: Oct 11- Nov 11

Oct 15 - Grant's first trip to the LCBO with mommy and her friend Karen.

Oct 22 - Grant and his baby friends take a field trip to the pumpkin patch.

Oct 26 - Grant slept 7 hours in a row, then proceeded to nap for 1:15 in his crib for his morning nap and also napped in his Pack 'n Play twice more.

Oct 27 - He rolled from tummy to back for the first time!

Oct 28 - Grant slept 8.5 hours straight - a new record - then another 3 before waking for the day.  Mommy brought him to the MW clinic where he weighed 12 lbs 5 oz in a clean diaper.

Oct 29 - Trick or Treated down Navy St in Oakville in his Halloween outfit with the Tiny Tots on Parade.
Oct 31 - Grant's first Halloween.  We received 2 trick-or-treaters shortly after 6 PM and by 6:30, Grant was falling asleep in my arms.  He was out like a light for the rest of the visitors and we stopped giving out candy after about 60 visitors at 7:45 PM
Nov 1 - His first time in the Jolly Jumper.  Grant was unsure what to do and would just stand there and spin around.
Nov 2 - Grant's second day in the Jolly Jumper and he has discovered it is lots of fun.  He likes to kick and dance to the Pajama Time song.
Nov 5 - Grant's cousin Arthur is born.
Nov 6 - Only a year ago we found out we were pregnant with our special little baby.
Nov 8 - Grant weighs 12 lbs 13 oz and is 24.5" long.
Nov 10 - Mommy misses the bottom stair while holding Grant.  He didn't feel a thing, but mommy sprained her ankle.  Today is also the first day Grant's left eye has not been leaky - no more blocked tear duct!  Grant has a big laugh when hearing funny sounds that mommy and daddy make.

This month Grant is much more aware of his surroundings.  He can see across the room and will check to make sure his parents are nearby.  He is smiling and chatting more and is still very active.  He is falling into more of a routine and is fairly predictable about taking a nap around 9-10 AM, 2 or so hours after waking up for the day.  Grant is sitting up assisted more and likes to stand in his rock and bounce seat.  He is able to spend several minutes sitting by himself in the bumbo chair.  When on his back he likes to turn almost onto his side, looking for things above his head.  This month he rolled for the first time, from tummy to back, and repeated this 4 more times so that mommy could get it on video to show daddy, but stopped rolling after that.  The same week he started rolling was the week he began taking his morning nap in his crib each day.  He is still very drooly and likes to put his hands (and anything that gets in the way) into his mouth.  This month he began taking baby Zantac for his reflux and only a few days later he began figuring out how to hold it in his mouth and then dribble it out because it tastes bad.  Grant still turns his head from side to side during the night and he is causing quite a bald patch on the back of his head.  Since the beginning of the month we have really noticed all the tiny hairs left on his mattress.  Sometimes at night he wakes and practices skills he's been learning, such as "chatting" and "dancing with his legs".  Grant also likes to smile and sometimes even laugh at unexpected sounds and loves hearing words like Ma Ma or Da Da.  The last night of this month, Grant began travelling around his crib at night again from all the wiggling (practice rolling onto his side?).  Grant's doctor says that he is growing well and even ahead of schedule with his development, according to corrected age.

Month 3: Sept 11 - Oct 11

Sept 15 - Grant is 10 lbs 10 oz, but seems to have reflux.

Sept 18 - Grant discovers his own hand for the first time.

Sept 21 - Visited daddy's school.

Sept 25 - Grant catches his first cold.

Oct 1 - Grant slept for 7 hours straight for the first time.
Oct 7 - We met some other mommies and babies at the movies.  Grant was fascinated by the big screen.
Oct 8 - Grant weighs 11 lbs 9 oz and is 23" long.  He got his second set of vaccinations before we headed to Sarnia and London for Thanksgiving.
Oct 11 - Mommy and Grant spend a week in London with his grandparents while daddy and Roz stay home.

The beginning of the month found Grant crying a lot.  Almost everything upset him.  Grant is very interested in mobiles this month.  He laughs and watches the toys spin.  He is able to hold his head up for tummy time for a few minutes at a time.  He has started chatting and will have baby conversations with himself and with others.  Grant is drooling lots and has started putting his hands in his mouth.  He has also started holding things in his hands if you place them near.  By the end of the month, after his cold, he began smiling more and is in a great mood each morning when he first wakes.

Month 2: Aug 11 - Sept 11

August 16 - Second attempt at getting a passport photo was a success.
August 24 - Mommy goes to the gym for the first time in over 6 months and survives.  Great Grandpa Frank passes away around 10:30 that night.
August 26 - Mommy and daddy mark their 4th anniversary.
Sept 2 - Daddy goes back to work, leaving mommy and Grant alone for the first time all day.
Sept 5 - In Sarnia for Aunt Nicole's baby shower, Grant meets more of his relatives for the first time.
Sept 8 - At his 3-month check up, Grant weighs 10 lbs 4 oz and is 22" long.


Early this month Grant's belly button retreated back into his tummy.  Grant is getting very good at holding his own head up when being held against our chests.  He kicks on his playmat and laughs at the music and lights.  Grant is now big enough to wear cloth diapers and looks so cute.  His face is becoming more expressive and he give us small smiles sometimes.  He is not as keen on sleeping in his bouncy chair or swing anymore but loves to sleep in daddy's arms.

Month 1: July 11 - Aug 11

July 17 - First trip back to the hospital since Grant was born.  Went to do a check in at the Lactation Clinic.  Grant is eating like a champ, taking in ~4 oz in under 10 minutes.  We are starting to get the hang of things in the BF department.
July 18 - Did a newborn photo session with Little Moments Portrait Photography to mark Grant's actual due date.
July 22 - Last visit with our midwife Jennifer.  Grant weighs 7 lbs 0.5 oz.
July 23 - Grant sleeps 5 hours in a row for the first time!
July 24 - Hosted an open-house for everyone to meet Grant.
July 25 - Mommy ventured out to a movie and lunch with her friends, missing Grant all the while.
August 7 - Grant met his Great Grandparents for the first time.
August 11 - Took Grant for his 2 month check-up and vaccinations.  He weighs 8 lbs 11 oz and is 21.5" long.

At 2 weeks old, corrected age, Grant finally fits into newborn sleepers.  He has begun wiggling out of his swaddling blankets.  Grant naps a lot during the day in small increments.  By the end of this month he has started to drool noticeably more.  Daddy and Grant watch tv and nap each morning on the couch.

Grant's birth story

Short Version:

Thursday June 10, 2010 - 
3:00 PM water breaks at work when I was 34 weeks 4 days PG
4:15 PM arrive at L&D
5:45 PM assessed to be 2 cm dilated
8:20 PM had epidural inserted at 5 cm dilated
10:00 PM 9 cm dilated and feeling of pressure
11:15 PM started pushing

Friday June 11, 2010- 
12:01 AM Grant Michael was born 18" long and 4 lbs 11.5 oz by spontaneous vaginal birth. No induction, no episiotomy, no vacuum or forcep assisted delivery.

Very Long Version:

My birth story really began at Week 32. Since I had a low-lying placenta at my anatomy ultrasound, I was sent for another at the beginning of the week. It was done at the hospital because the results would be available faster than if I went to a regular ultrasound clinic. The tech told me that judging by his measurements he was estimated to weigh almost 4 lbs. The next day at a routine prenatal check-up my MW found my blood pressure was reading high. My diastolic pressure was over 90 which is what they consider to be concerning. She checked it again and decided to send me to the hospital to meet with the MW on-call there for a repeat. When I got to the hospital I didn’t even bother to pay for parking (first 15 mins are free) because I figured a blood pressure check on one of their machines would be very quick. Little did I know, I was about to be hooked up to an external fetal monitor, subjected to a series of blood pressure checks, a urine test and blood tests for the next 2.5 hours.

Luckily, the result of all this testing determined there was no protein in my urine and my liver enzymes were normal so the only troubling thing was a consistently high blood pressure. Unluckily, developing Gestational Hypertension made me a high risk pregnancy out of the scope of my MW’s practice and my care had to be transferred to an OB/GYN for remainder of my pregnancy. I was put on labetalol to control my blood pressure, but I felt disappointed and defeated now that things were seemingly out of my control. I had a good talk with my MW afterwards and she reassured me that she would still be attending my birth and conducting my post partum check-ups. She said that my blood pressures were not really so high that they would be dangerous and I didn’t have any other signs of pre-ecclampsia. Some women’s blood pressure shoots up towards the end of pregnancy. What was concerning was that my blood pressure went up so early. In hindsight, I guess I was near the end of my pregnancy after all! Still… to be on heart medication when my entire pregnancy up until this point was so perfectly uneventful, really had me down.

The following week (Week 33), out of desperation I went back to my chiropractor to see if an adjustment might help. He relieved some of my back and hip aches and put me on Omega-3s and probiotics to prepare my body for birth. I had my first follow-up appointment with the OB/GYN. My blood pressures were normal on the medication yet the OB suggested that I may want to consider finishing work and offered me a note if I wanted it. Being totally stubborn and somewhat in denial, I turned down the note and decided to wait another week to see how my body was feeling. She said next week we would check the status of my blood pressure again and also do a GBS swab, all very routine. A few new things happened in Week 33: I discovered that if I squeezed my nipple the random burning pain I was getting would feel better but that I would also excrete my first colostrum (weird!), the baby was noticeably more active which I attributed to the chiropractic adjustments increasing blood flow to him, exerting myself physically too much like walking quickly would cause strong false contractions, my appetite was touch and go though I was able to eat normal portion sizes again, and I actually vomited up my breakfast one day which was odd for me having had no morning sickness all pregnancy. At the end of Week 33 my in-laws threw me a baby shower in Sarnia where we got some much needed baby gear, like an infant carseat and a breastfeeding pillow. Again, in hindsight, these were necessities for the very near future.

Week 34 found me feeling large, uncomfortable and easily irritated (mostly at work-related things). No position was good for sleeping and I was still alternating between being hungry and having no appetite at all. The baby was still very active in my belly and I had put on a little more weight which made me happy, considering at this point I was only 13 lbs up from my pre-pregnancy weight. On Wednesday (34 weeks and 3 days) I ate half a piece of toast and promptly threw it up. That evening I couldn’t think of anything I wanted to eat for dinner. We drove around to several different fast-food places, rejecting everything from roast chicken, ribs, subs, pitas and finally out of lack of inspiration decided to just throw in the towel and have McDonalds. For no discernable reason I passed on my usual Jr. Chicken and had a Big Mac Meal. It didn’t agree with me at all. A couple of hours later I had some cramping and diarrhea, which didn’t surprise me considering the junk food I had for dinner. I didn’t consider at all that my body was evacuating.

The next day I went to work as usual. I didn’t feel any different at all. I was having a semi-good appetite day so my coworkers and I decided to get shawarma take-out. I had had a lot to drink that day because I was really thirsty and as usual that meant my squished bladder had me in the bathroom every 10 minutes or so. Like usual I had contractions off and on throughout the day, with the last one I remember being shortly after 2:30 PM… no big deal since I had been averaging 1-2 major contractions a day since Week 29 (I remember because they started on my birthday). Just before 3 PM I returned to my desk from a pee break. I got up and walked 2 cubicles over to ask my coworker a question. As I was talking to her I felt a gush like I had just peed myself. I stopped mid-sentence and told her I wasn’t sure but I think my water just broke! I rushed to the washroom and sat down just in time for the next gush. Looking into the toilet I saw a bit of mucus that I guess was my bloody show but nothing that looked like meconium (thank goodness). Suddenly a couple of my coworkers came in to check on me. The water kept leaking out of me while I explained that my water definitely broke. One of my coworkers said she’d grab some stuff for me and take me to the hospital. She came back with her arms full of stuff – garbage bags, a whole roll of paper towel, my purse & jacket, her shawl to wrap around my waist, her purse and her BBerry. I wasn’t feeling any contractions but was still leaking through my pants in little gushes. I wrapped her shawl around me and we quickly went back to my desk for a couple more things before leaving.

I paged my MW from the parking lot to explain what happened. She said that I should call Labour & Delivery to let them know and head to the hospital immediately. The hospital would alert my OB and my MW would join us later on for the birth. Since I was still feeling ok, my coworker drove me home in my car (luckily she was able to drive standard) to pick up the carseat and my half-packed hospital bag. On the way there I phoned my husband at work to let him know. At first he thought I was joking but then quickly realized I wouldn’t bother him at work for a joke. He was sure that they would tell me to go on bedrest at the hospital and send me home. I kept trying to explain to him that no, since my water broke, THIS IS IT. There’s no stopping labour now. At home I changed into PJ bottoms, quickly finished packing my bag, grabbed the camera and carseat and off to the hospital we went. My coworker and I laughed and joked along the way about how crazy it was to have my water break at work so unexpectedly, especially since we were just talking at lunch about how I should probably get cracking on my birth plan.

At the hospital around 4 PM I was taken to the assessment room where they hooked me up to the external fetal monitor and we waited. My husband met us there. The nurse swabbed me for amniotic fluid but at first she couldn’t get a clear reading. By the time my OB arrived around 5:45 PM I was 2 cm dilated and she confirmed the fluid was my bag of waters. Since I was only 2 cm and barely feeling cramps, we decided that my husband should go home to feed the dog and grab himself a bite to eat since we were probably in for a late night.

My coworker stayed with me and we chatted to pass the time. The cramps got increasingly uncomfortable and I was having difficulty lying on my side during them. I was transferred to a birthing suite and hooked up to an IV there since I was “GBS unknown”. I actually had an appointment with my OB for the following week to have my GBS swab done. Unfortunately being on an IV meant that I had to labour lying down which I was hoping I could avoid. Around 7 PM I was really having trouble talking through my contractions and my coworker suggested that she text my husband to hurry back. I kept saying that there is no point worrying him since I knew he wasn’t taking his time at home and would get there as soon as he could. At 7:15 PM she finally convinced me that she should text him, which I later found out was because she overheard the nurses saying that they were going to call my MW to the hospital now (when I was admitted they said they would not call the MW until I was getting nearer to the end).

This is the text message he received on his way to the hospital:
“Mike. This is Candice and Jen. Things are moving faster than expected. Baby is coming sooner than thought.”

Talk about burning rubber getting to the hospital after that!

Once he arrived I felt much better to have him near. My coworker wished us luck and she left us at the hospital. The contractions by that point were very intense and since the anesthesiologist was just up the hall my nurse suggested that if I wanted an epidural, now would be a good time. It didn’t take much convincing – I requested the epidural and the following 30 minutes waiting seemed like the longest 30 minutes ever. Finally the anesthesiologist came to my room but it took a while to insert the catheter since my back muscles were so tight. At 8:20 PM the epidural kicked in and it was like heaven. By 8:40 PM I was assessed again and was at 5 cm dilated. My midwife had arrived but was sent home again. I was told to try napping but I was too excited to really fall asleep. The nurse told me to signal for her if I needed anything – there were a few women in labour at that moment and it was a total gamble as to who would be the first to give birth that night. We joked that I’d try to get the baby born by 10:30 to make things easier for them.

At 10:00 PM I started feeling a very strange pressure down below. I paged the nurse and she that I was 9 cm dilated and would call my MW back to the hospital. Things began happening very quickly after that. Carts of gear were wheeled into my room. People I didn’t know started arriving and suiting up for the big event. Aside from my husband, my midwife was the only person I recognized in the room. At 11:15 PM she and the nurse worked together to get me pushing with each contraction… a difficult feat at first since I couldn’t feel any of the contractions. Once I knew what to look for I pushed as hard as I could while holding my breath and pulling back on my legs just like they described. It was so exciting to see if this was going to be a Thursday or Friday baby as we were so close to either or. Pushing was very tiring and I felt like I was getting nowhere. Finally just when I thought I was too exhausted to continue, out came our baby boy, Grant Michael at 12:01 AM, Friday June 11th, 2010. He was 18” long and weighed 4 lbs 11.5 oz.

I remember someone saying that his umbilical cord was very short so they clamped him down below, and shortly after I delivered my placenta (which I didn’t feel at all). He let out a loud wail and I immediately felt relieved that he was able to breathe. The respiratory therapist, pediatrician and nurses assessed him then the RT held him up to show me while the OB on-call stitched up my one tear (a 2nd, almost 3rd degree tear). It was amazing to see this red angry little baby screaming his lungs out and incredible to think that he came out of my tummy.

He was taken immediately after that to the Special Care Nursery. My husband and I got a moment to reflect on the night’s events and the baby we had created before I was helped into a wheelchair and wheeled to my recovery room. Once my epidural wore off enough for me to feel my feet and Grant had his IV put in, we were able to visit him in the Special Care Nursery around 2 AM. He was sleeping like a precious angel.

The next 10 days were a total gong show including a roommate from hell, getting transferred to another room, calling everyone to announce our surprise, cancelling my baby shower, having trouble controlling my blood pressure, getting discharged from the hospital the following Monday without our baby, and numerous trips to the hospital to visit our little boy in the nursery. The nurses let us do as much hands on work as possible such as bathing him, taking his temperature, changing his diaper and feeding him my pumped breastmilk through an NG tube. He had to spend 3 days off and on under the UV lights for jaundice. Eventually we worked up to bottle feeding and then to breastfeeding. On the 10th day after getting back up to his birth weight plus 48 hours of well-tolerated oral feeds he was ready to come home and we’ve been a family ever since.