PNE

We went to the PNE (Pacific National Exhibition for those not in the know)

Its a huge fair in Vancouver with rides, food, animals, shows...more rides.

We went with my Mom, Dad, brother and his girlfriend.  We had an awesome time!  The weather was perfect and we went on a weekday so it wasn't crazy busy.  Henry, David and I shared a corn-dog (OMG amazing), poutine (good), ribs (disappointing) and a pepperoni pizza (ok), and of course the classic mini donuts which were as amazing as ever.
We went and saw cows, pigs, bunnies and baby ducks.  We also walked through the horse stables to see all the beautiful horses.  Henry was looking longingly at the horses when a trainer opened up the pen door and invited him in to pet the horse.  There were also pony rides available, but at $6 we thought it was a bit steep.  Maybe next year.

Quick nursing break in the animal barn

Henry explaining something very important to Grannie

Our "baby bus"

The adults (minus my mom and myself) went through the touring Game of Thrones exhibit.  David said it was pretty good and that there was a cool 4D experience type thing where you get shot with an arrow and fall to your death.  While some people were busy being killed, me, my mom and the boys found a little playground to play in.  Henry did some art work and watched a fun little kids show on the stage.

Henry did his first ever rides.  He rode on a little railway, did the tea cups ride and went for a spin on the carousel.  He really seemed to enjoy all the rides and even tolerated us spinning the tea cup pretty hard.  He was always the smallest person on the rides and I was impressed at how well he handled himself.

And Hunter and Kira on the log ride 

It was a very long, very fun day. The boys were pooped by the time we got home. 

Henry's is 18months

Henry has been changing and growing so quickly I can barely keep up.

This will be his 18 month testimonial so we can have a time stamped record of his achievements and general excellence :)

weight 26.5lbs
height 2'8"

WORDS

Dog panting noise

Squirrel repeated kissing noises

Mom mama

Dad dada/ daddyyyyyyy

Baby bay-beee

Crayons/colouring too-go (we are confused by this one also)

Down down

Up down

More -

No -

No Way -

Truck -  

Birthday

Car - cA-ar

Apple- A.A.A.- pleeee (imagine a sneeze sounding like the word apple)

Hose- pshhhhhhht

Ice cream/ freezie- puts his index finger in his mouth and pulls it out while sucking on it

Hi-

Bye bye-

Goldfish crackers- issshhh

I'm thirsty- swallows and goes, aaahhh

More- M-oa
Binkie - TeTe
Cookie - ToTee

He can also wave good bye and blow kisses

Henry is OBSESSED with hoses and trucks. It is all he talks about. He wants to spray the hose and look at/ listen for/ talk about trucks all day every every day. 

Henry is a walking pro, and he can run at a pretty good speed and is a passionate dancer. He can go up stairs unassisted (but not down). He can jump, both feet leave the ground simultaneously (he worked on this skill diligently). 

He is very energetic and busy. Always wanting to help and loves when someone is working on a project. He helps with screw-driving, moving heavy objects, organizing and un-organizing. 

He's squeals and laughs when any small appliance whirrs into life. 

He never likes to be left behind or left out, always wants to be in the centre of the action. 

He is curious but I wouldn't say he is a dare devil. He is a little bit cautious and generally a fairly laid back guy. For example he loves the garbage trucks at a distance, but when they are right there, banging and screeching infront of him he asks to be picked up. He still wants to watch, but he gets a bit nervous.

Im sure there are a million other things I should write down here but I want to get this posted before Henry is 19 months...because I feel like that would kind of defeat the purpose.

Shots.... X2

So Benjamin is 2 months old and Henry is 18 months. we celebrated by getting both the boys immunized (woohoo). 

They have both been down with an aweful fever ever since (4 days ago) and each have violently thrown up once. 

As a wise woman once said "boys who puke together"...... "create a lot of laundry for their mother". Or something like that. 

Anyway. We drugged them up, hunkered down and rode out the sweaty, puky, whining misery. 

We seem to be through the worst of it, but both of them are still looking a bit groggy and flushed. 

We go though a lot of Infant Tylenol :/

2 under 2

Phew.  Appologies for my absence but I have been home with 2 babies under 2 years old....its a bit busy.  I am so incredibly greatful that David is home, otherwise I don't think I would still be functioning at this point.

The boys are doing great.  Henry is back up to full health and being as sweet as ever with his new baby brother.
Benjamin is so incredibly fussy he is driving me crazy.  He never.stopps.crying.  whats up with that?  but other than that he is a great little guy. 

---------------

^^^ I wrote that a month ago and never got back to finish the post. So I'll have another stab at it.....

Ben is totally healthy, his hearing checked out totally fine- no further testing required. This was a great relief to David and myself. He's still a bit fussy but he is certainly mellowing. Between about 6 and 8 weeks old we really got into a good groove with breastfeeding and his sleeping and general fussiness seem to have settled a bit which is awesome. 

Benjamin rocking his hearing test @2 weeks old 

Henry is being an AMAZING big brother. Nothing but love and kisses for Benjamin. Henry absolutely adores the baby and is constantly asking for him and wanting to hold him. The adoration seems to be mutual as Henry gets more smiles and giggles from Benjamin than anyone else. It warms my Mommy heart to see so much love between my boys and I'm so greatful that we seem to have dodged any jealousy or acting out on Henry's end. 

que obligatory baby photo dump

This is how fussy Benjamin insists on being held :/

Eating dinner in constant motion while holding a baby...it's a mom thing

snuggles

helping with grocery shopping 

Daddy and his boys. Henry is goofing around and thought it was hilarious to only peek at me (I have about 20 pics just like this....this was the best, that's saying something)

Henry holding his baby just like Mommy does (on the breastfeeding pillow)

bros chillin'

Oh and we had an awesome Block Party on our street. Tons of kids, food and sunshine. It was super fun to meet all the neighbours (finally!) 

We also did an impromptu trip to Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island. My oldest and bestest friend was in town visiting his mom there and she graciously invited myself and my hell raising clan to tag along (we are not exactly quiet houseguests). We took over her beautiful home for 3 days and had a great holiday. Catching up with old friends, looking at crabs on the beach and just generally being lazy in the sunshine. 

So that's just a taste of the hundreds of  photos I have taken but I will just stop there. 

As of today Benjamin is 8 weeks old and Henry is 18months :)

And now you are caught up. 

Along came a baby

Baby Benjamin has arrived. 

Saturday June 7 2014 @ 6:15am weighing 8lbs14oz. 

I had a c section with Henry so I was able to choose between a repeat section, and a Vaginal Birth After Cesarian (VBAC). A VBAC is slightly higher risk that just a normal vaginal birth because the old incision is a potential weak spot on the uterus and therefore you are at increased risk of the uterus opening during contractions. My babies are pretty close together...so my risk went up by a few percent since the incision may not be completely healed up. You may google uterine rupture if you like but it's gross and carries a scary high fatality risk to the baby....so just trust me that it's a bad thing. But then CSections also really suck. 

I decided to not decide. Meaning I wouldn't book a section, I would wait for baby to decide to come and I would give a VBAC a try...but reserved the right to call for a csection at any time if David and I decided. 

So Benjamin didn't come. At 5 days over I drank some rancid witches brew my Midwife whipped up to get things moving. And get moving they did. First I moved towards the toilet, then Benjamin moved towards the exit. But he moved slow....real slow. 

8:00am drink witches brew

8:30-11:00 feel like crap

11:00 contractions start. and stop. and start. and stop. 

2;00 drink more witches brew

3:00 it's on like Donkey Kong

3:00-8:00pm call midwife a million times. Finally she tells me to come into the hospital

9:00 3cm and admired into the hospital (woohoo!!!)

contraction.laughing gas.contraction.laughing gas. 

12:00 3cm...... (devastated)

Call for an epidural cus this sucks. And decide to proceed with csection. 

I am informed the maternity ward is at capacity, they are turning mothers away and I am in the line. 

For 3hours!!!! I am left to labour without my epidural. I'm not relaxing in my lazy boy waiting fir the anisthesiologist. I am in ridiculous labour. I dont know how many canisters of nitrous oxide they pumped into me that evening but it was a lot. And it was exhausting. 

3am epidural. Crank that baby up and slip into a paraplegic coma. David and I (and my poor suffering midwife) took a much needed nap. 

At 6am David suited up and we rolled to the OR. 

6:15 Benjamin arrives

6:30-10am I lay crieing paralysed in the recovery room without my baby (I hate c sections). 

Finally the nurse takes pity and calls for David to be sent down...which was nice, but I wanted my baby. 

Apparently I have a problem with the epidural as both times it took forever for the numbness to subside.  And instead of creeping down my body, it creeps upto about my chin, then makes it's way down. And takes forever. 

But Benjamin is here and he is beautiful and healthy and I am recovering well.

We requested the State funded "ward" accommodation as we didn't want to pay extra for private but due to overcrowding we were put in some sort of VIP suite. We had a beautiful view of the Fraser River and PortMann Bridge and the helicopter pad was right outside our window so we watched all the poor souls being helicoptered in and out at all hours. It provided some excitement which was nice. 

And here he is the man we have all been waiting for. 

Ok you get it....he's freakin adorable. 

David and Benjamin napping

And a helicopter :)

Benjamin was born with low blood sugar so they pumped him full of formula and did some tests and he bounced back easily, he also has a few scary episodes of turning absolutely purple....like an eggplant. They did some blood tests and deemed it "thick blood" and promised that with some feedings under his belt his circulation would improve. And he failed his hearing test...twice. This was, and continues to be very upsetting for me. We are taking him in next week for further testing. 

Born on Saturday- home on Tuesday :)

Pre baby photo dump

Pre baby goings on have been a lot of David and Henry time as I grumble and groan about feeling like garbage. 

As anyone who knows me (or just Facebook stalks me) knows I have become passionate about baby wearing. Specifically the shopping side of it :). I decided to get into baby wearing as a way of managing two kids under two. The thought being that I can hold Benjamin while still having my hands free for Henry and chores. I joined a Facebook "vancouver baby wearing" type group and got sucked down a dark rabbit hole of buying, selling and swapping baby wraps. And we're not talking your sisters Baby Bjorn here, we're talking high end woven wraps that, like art, often sell for more after retail. It's a whole underworld of mothers hoarding baby bonus cheques and spending them on rare and precious handwoven wraps, much sought limited edition prints and rare and illusive fiber blends (linen, hemp, cotton tri-blend whaaaa?!?). 

I'm totally hooked. 

I think this may have had something to do with potent pregnancy hormones making me crazy, the sheer fear of having a second baby (I am convinced baby wearing is my salvation), and the fact that I got a little bit of birthday money that I was allowed to spend without getting purchases authorized by David. 

Lets just say David's got some surprises coming in the mail. 

Now I'm not into the $1000+ handwoven rare stuff but i did probably spend more than a sane, non-hormonal Sarah would have...no matter, it just gives me an excuse to get back on the Swaps and resell them :)

Soooo since I was 9 months pregnant David and Henry got to be Guinnea pigs for my wraps. This is my beautiful, and most expensive and prized wrap. It's a Didymos Petrol Hemp  Indio (a cotton/ hemp blend). And it's totally gorgeous. 

And here's me dorking out and practicing my ring sling skills with MrBunbun (Henry was not cooperating). I'm selling this sling cus I don't like it (a NatiBaby "swallows" linen blend- too thick for a newborn I think. So out it goes)

We received potentially devastating news (or so my hormonal pregnant brain tells me) that we were misinformed and David May in fact NOT qualify for paternity leave. I will not get into the nitty gritty of our financial situation (especially after my wrapping shpeal) but this is devastating. That was what we were going to live off of for David's first year of school. We have no.other.income.... and two kids. This paternity money was so integral to our plan that I went to the Service Canada EI office before I was pregnant to make sure David was eligible for paternity leave....they said he was...so we got pregnant.  Now they say he's probably not...and I'm one week away from my due date. shit

I cried, David quietly fretted, I got pissed off, David quietly fretted, I stormed around declaring that they simply could not do this to us (I lean towards the dramatic during pregnancy), David quietly fretted and I cried some more...and now we are done. What's done is done. 

And here is a picture to illustrate our financial distress :) just kidding, I just think my boys look tres trailer trash in this pic. 

aaand Henry enjoying some warm weather fun. 

the one where I complain about a sick grumpy Henry

Henry is sick again.

If a very confusing and unclear way. 

It allllll started a couple months ago when Henry dropped a laptop on his toe (don't judge me). He got a bit of a bruise and cut on his big toe but after a few tears he got over it and I didn't think much of it. 

Fast forward a couple weeks and it's infected (don't judge me....is beach/ swimming/ barefoot season) 

We went to the dr who prescribed a quick course or oral antibiotics. 

After about 4 doses of this new antibiotic Henry was up with an INSANE fever, a splotchy red torso and vomiting. I called 811 (our nurse hotline) an they said that vomiting and fever was listed as a possible side effect of the meds and I should take him to a Dr ASAP. We did a walk-in clinic the next morning and the woman said the toe was less concerning than the possible reaction so we should stop the antibiotics.

Done.....not done

2 days later Henry is still crazy feverish and misserable. BACK to the walk in clinic to the same Dr who looks in his ears and throat and declares he has strep throat (and probably NOT an adverse reaction the the meds). Henry is prescribed more (but different) antibiotics for the strep and she does a quick throat swab. 

The next day we go see our GP (who is completely amazing and I love) just to follow up because I feel like we have been bouncing all over the place. 

She agrees that it was def not a reaction the the antibiotics (and implies that whoever told is that is a dum-dum) but reveals that Henry's throat swab came back negative for strep. 

BLARGH!!!!

She says it could be a false negative (these things happen) or it might be mono (sore throat and puss filled sores in throat are symptoms also).  

So we are assuming it's strep mostly because the test for mono is a blood draw (ick) and even if it is mono there isn't much that can be done. 

3/4 of the way through the antibiotics and the fever is gone but Henry is still a pretty grumpy baby. I'm starting to worry it isn't strep :(

In case you have forgotten I am due....like tomorrow!

Henry...bless his sick little heart....has been a total pain in the butt for like 2 weeks.  REFUSES to sleep in his bed.  David or I have been having to nap and goto bed with him at night if we have any hope of him sleeping.  He is tossing and turning, taking short naps, is SO grumpy and whiney.  I know hes sick and probably feels like garbage so I try to cut him slack but it has been going on for SO long.

I really need my sweet boy to be back to his sweet ways by the time this baby arrives.


sick snuggles :(

aaaaaand then he noticed the camera and mustered a smile.

spray parks and fish!

As I have mentioned...I LOVE summertime with my baby (well my Henry baby....not sure about this other guy, will have I wait and see).

David has stopped driving to edmonton so he's around a lot - this combined with the beautiful weather means we have been doing a ton of awesome activities. 

Did you know that you can not walk by a spray park without going in to play?

I didn't realize this until my 15 month old told me. 

We have had 2 unplanned spray park stops in as many days. 

Queens Park in New West

And then at Lumbermans Arch in Stanley Park

We went to Queens Park on Friday because we heard there was a free petting zoo 

Henry thought the animals were ok...the water park and play ground were way more interesting

On Saturday (Happy 29th Birthday to me) I saw that a woman had posted on Facebook that she had a couple free passes to the Vancouver Aquarium that expired that day....like in a few hours. For those not in the know the Aquarium is awesome....but it's $25 per adult. So I had come to terms with the fact that we would NOT be taking our kids to the aquarium anytime soon. So FREE tickets was a very appealing prospect. So appealing that we all jumped in a hot car and drove an hour to the aquarium only to do a quick 45min zip around.

It was totally worth it

Henry and a beluga 

Henry and I with some Jellyfish

Henry and David at the shark tank (aquariums are dark and very hard to take a decent picture in)

The aquarium was busy and rushed but we took a stroll and splashed in the water park after so it made the whole sweaty 2 hours in a car worth it. 

And hopefully Henry had a good time because we probably won't go again until we stumble upon another free pass. 

A super busy, super hot but super fun few summer days. And perhaps our last hurrah before baby Benjamin joins us.