Oliver's debut....

As you saw in my previous post - Oliver William Brown was born on Tuesday October 9 at 1:13 p.m. After a three day hospital stay and a few days at home adjusting to life with three kids, I've finally found some time to update the blog and download the pictures from the camera. 

So far life with three has been interesting. Our initial homecoming on Friday was a little overwhelming but everyone seemed to come out the other end unharmed! Jacob was a little unsure about what was happening after we first walked in and quickly realized that the baby he met at the hospital wasn't actually staying there - when he figured this out his face got a very serious look on it and he walked to the kitchen, hid behind the counter and started to cry. It was hard for me to see him react this way so I joined him with a few tears - ahh pregnancy hormones are a beautiful thing! Jacob has since come around and loves helping feed, hold and change Oliver. Charlotte was quite intrigued right from the start and really loves her "baby Oliber".

We have made it through the first full weekend as a family of five and although at times I question how we'll ever have enough hands to keep it all together I can't imagine not having Oliver in our lives. He is (so far) a calm and content little man who just rolls with what's thrown at him! We had him at the doctor's today, he now weighs 7 lbs 6 oz and is doing very well according to our pediatrician! 

It really is amazing to think how much has happened in the past week - especially since this time last Monday he was still inside me. 

Oliver William Brown born October 9 at Sunnybrook Hospital 

Tipping the scales at 7 lbs 2 oz
(nearly twice what his brother and sister weighed combined)

Mommy feeding Oliver for the first time 

Jacob and Charlotte with their new "babies" from Oliver

Jacob already up to trouble with his little brother
Hmmm...wonder what will happen to him if I push this button ;)

Our nanny Claire meeting Oliver for the first time 

Grammy (my mom) meeting Oliver for the first time 

Grandpa (my dad) and Grams (Sandy, my stepmom) meeting Oliver for the first time 

Oliver...squish face Brown 

Proud Grandpa admiring his newest grandson

Looking a bit like an old man in this shot 

Proud Aunt Jal

Our first "mommy and daddy" shot with Oliver
(thanks Jal)

Grams sharing a laugh with Oliver

Yes....I think he's a keeper!  

Grandpa sharing a moment of Oliver's ear

All dressed up and ready to bust out of Sunnybrook

Mommy and Oliver getting ready to leave the hospital

All smiles for surviving my c-section and getting the green light to leave! 

Daddy happy he no longer has to visit us in the hospital

The sign waiting for Oliver and I at home - thanks Claire, Charlotte and Jacob 

Oliver's first "bald head wash"

He's not so sure about being naked / the bath just yet

Introducing Oliver William Brown

On Tuesday October 9 at 1:13 p.m. Oliver William Brown arrived via c-section weighing 7 lbs 2 oz. So far he is a calm and content little man. We are still at Sunnybrook and are likely heading home tomorrow. 

Oliver has had an eventful few days - he's met his big sister Charlotte, big brother Jacob, our nanny Claire, Grammy, Grandpa, Grams, Aunt Jal, and mommy and daddy's friends Lindsay, Laura and Amanda. It has been very fun introducing him to everyone and we look forward to being able to share Oliver with more people once we're home and settled. 

Our life as we've known it up until now is about to change....but for the better. We can't wait to bring you home Oliver and show you just how crazy and fun your family and our friends are! 

Pregnancy is a lot of things but one thing it's not....is ROUTINE!

I realize every pregnancy is and should be different yet I'm still amazed at how different both mine have been. With Charlotte and Jacob I bled off and on the first 16 weeks, with this one I was nauseous all day every day for 16 weeks. With Charlotte and Jacob I had multiple ultrasounds, with this one I've had more than one would get with a single pregnancy but not as many as I got with C and J. With Charlotte and Jacob I was admitted to the high risk unit for six days, with this pregnancy I have had a relatively smooth ride from week to week. With Charlotte and Jacob I delivered at 32 weeks 5 days gestation, 8 weeks before they were supposed to arrive, via a natural birth (with an epidural of course), with this one I will be heading to the operating room on Tuesday October 9 (at 38 weeks one day gestation) for a c-section because the baby is breech. Everything about this pregnancy including the way "Little B" is going to come into the world has been different.

It is hard to imagine that in less than 48 hours from now we're going to welcome a new little person into our family. Our man on man defence will suddenly change to zone and we'll be outnumbered by little people! We had the kids at the park earlier today and I couldn't help but sit and watch them move from one activity to the next and wonder how we were going to manage with three. I've always been a great multi-tasker but this new journey will be a true test. Thank goodness for our great families, friends and nanny Claire who will help make this transition as easy as possible - especially during my c-section recovery. 

It seems fitting that we get to celebrate Thanksgiving right before we welcome "Little B" into our lives - I'm thankful for all we have and look forward to this next chapter in our lives. I'm even thankful for how different both my pregnancies have been and I will look back with many fond memories of both - especially since this is the last time I'm going to be pregnant! 

32 weeks and....5 days

To most pregnant women 32 weeks and 5 days is an inconsequential marker in their journey to motherhood. It's just another day of being pregnant. However to me 32 weeks and 5 days is significant because it's when I delivered Charlotte and Jacob.

Today marks 32 weeks and 5 days gestation in this pregnancy. I can't help but think back to this point with C and J and remember just how tiny and vulnerable they were. They had arrived at 12:04 and 12:08 a.m. (at 32 weeks and 5 days) and by this point were resting comfortably in the NICU at Sunnybrook. I would remain in hospital one more day and then be discharged to start a month long journey of visiting the kids at Sunnybrook and then at St. Michael's Hospital until we took them home on January 28,2011.

So far today "Little B" is showing no interest in making his/her appearance. I do have an appointment with my OB later this afternoon but I don't get the sense the situation is going to change much between now and then!

So I can count my blessings and know that everyday from here on in is a bonus for "Little B"....time that C and J didn't have to continue to grow and gain weight inside me. As much as I'm ready for my belly to be gone I know that every new day from this point on means one less day in a NICU.

For those of you curious to know what's happening with "Little B" visit this link: http://www.babycenter.ca/stages/0132/

Jacob's 1st haircut

We took Jacob for his first haircut this past weekend. As hard as it was for me to watch that first lock of hair be snipped from his head it was very exciting to watch him sit there and be transformed from "fluffy baby head" to "big boy haircut". 

He had his first cut at Crazy Cuts on Mt. Pleasant. They were great with him. He got to sit in the Thomas the tank chair and watched Franklin the turtle on TV (Treehouse) while he was getting his cut. He did very well - not one tear was shed. The lady that cut his hair put a cape on him to protect him from getting hair all over himself and then she went to work. He was thrilled to be in the fun "choo-choo" seat and just held the steering wheel the whole time. It was all done within 10 minutes. 

In honour of his first cut they gave us a certificate with his first lock of hair attached, his name,  a picture and the date he had his cut done. It is a very fun keep sake!! 

Although Charlotte would have loved to have had her haircut we've decided to let hers grow for longer before her first lock comes off. Doyle took her to Mastermind while Jacob was in the chair so she wouldn't go crazy that he was doing something she wasn't. Ahhhh the beauty of twins! 

Here are some pictures from Jacob's haircut adventure:

The sign behind the front desk

A view of the salon (Jacob loved the Thomas aka "choo-choo" chair)

Pre haircut - testing the "choo-choo" out

The official "first snip" 

I love his face in this picture "what the heck are you doing to me"

So patient as she cuts his hair

He has not let go of the steering wheel since I put him in the chair! 

Loving the "choo-choo" chair!

Jacob's 1st haircut certificate! 

A lot of this and a lot of that....

It really is amazing how TRUE the saying "time flies when you're having fun" is. Prior to my earlier post today it had been June 11 since my last post (I know I know I've been saying I'm going to be a better blogger in many of my previous posts - but this time I mean it). 

A lot has happend in our house over the past two months so much so I don't know where to begin! The kids are now 19.5 months old and full of tons of energy and lots of new words, my belly continues to expand as I enter the last nine weeks of my pregnancy, we recently enjoyed a lovely two week vacation at Sandy Lake and Lake Muskoka the last week of July and first week of August and we are starting to turn our thoughts to preparing our house for "Little B's" arrival in October. 

CHARLOTTE AND JACOB 18 / 19 MONTH UPDATE

A little soccer at NTCI (Aunt Jal would be proud)

Loving their breakfast

• Words: Jacob loves to imitate what we say. It's a bit like having a parrot in the house. We now have to be extra careful of the words we use because of this! While we were driving in Peterborough the last week of July Doyle made a comment about being able to go faster in the car if "this dodjo" wasn't in the way on his bike. All of a sudden from the back seat we heard Jacob say "dodjo"! Needless to say that word was repeated quite a few times over the course of our vacation ;) Other frequently used words include: 
• "B" for "Little B" (Jacob)
• Peas for please (Jacob and Charlotte)
• Hat (Jacob and Charlotte)
• Shoe (Jacob)
• Ad Thai for Pad Thai (Jacob)
• Baby (Jacob)
• Sweep (Jacob)
• Bubble (Jacob)
• Beep beep (Jacob)
• Hot (Charlotte and Jacob)
• Wee (Charlotte)
• No (Charlotte and Jacob)
• Ball (Jacob)
• Cat (Charlotte)
• Kick (Charlotte and Jacob)
• Opo for open (Jacob)
• Mil for milk (Jacob)
• Cup (Jacob)
• Boo for blueberry (Jacob)
• Mo (Charlotte and Jacob)
• Me (Jacob)
• Walk...run...walk...climb: The kids love being on their feet. No more crawling in this house. They go from walking to running to climbing to walking in a matter of minutes. 
• Continue to have a vast understanding of what we say: Although they might not always communicate by words when we ask them to do something they clearly understand what we're telling them. It's amazing to watch the progress they've made over the past 19.5 months. I'm still in awe of all they have learned and are able to do while still seeming so small!
• More teeth: Both kids are progressing well with their teeth. Charlotte has her first molars and is starting to sprout her eye teeth. Jacob's molars are starting to cut through but haven't made their full appearance just yet. His eye teeth are still hiding! 
• Continue their love of solid food: We introduced them to vanilla ice cream while we were at the cottage and boy did they love it! I've never seen something disappear so quickly from their bowls as I did when we put the ice cream in front of them. Other favs include watermelon, sausage, BBQ sauce, pad thai, cheerios and milk, and turkey and ham slices - in addition to all the other solid food we've introduced
• Barney: Both kids enjoy watching Barney on Treehouse. They will actually sit there for over 10 minutes fixated on the screen - they especially like the singing parts! 
• Activities outside the house: Summer program in the park (aka camp) on Tuesday's and Thursday's, walks in the neighbourhood with Claire, play dates with Wes, Jayden and Ethan, fun in the splash pad, turtle pool and Michael and Jessica's pool

Jacob and Charlotte love their watermelon

Charlotte: "Don't worry Grammy I'll mow your lawn for you" 

One reason to never leave Charlotte and Jacob unattended ;)

A boy and his sand box and fire truck...pure bliss! 

Mmmmm corn on the cob

Olympic diaper boxing - it's a new event

Splash pad fun....brrr it's cold

"LITTLE B"

We are eagerly awaiting "Little B's" arrival. I still can't believe we're at 30 weeks already. I'm down to my last eight weeks of work which is also incredibly hard to believe. Although "Little B" continues to progress as he/she should be for this stage of pregnancy we did learn during our 21 week ultrasound that he/she has club feet (which means its feet will be turned in when its born) and they will need to be treated after Little B arrives. We have met with the pediatric team at Sunnybrook and have a prenatal consultation at the club foot clinic at Sick Kids next week to learn more about the clinic and how they will work with us after the baby is born. It's amazing that these things can be detected via ultrasound and helpful because it has enabled us to better educate ourselves about what lies ahead. We feel very fortunate about the care and support available to us and we look forward to sharing our journey with you. 

SUM...SUM...SUMMERTIME

We spent a great two weeks away from the city at dad and Sandy's cottage on Sandy Lake in Buckhorn and the Huyer's cottage on Lake Muskoka in Torrence the last week of July and first week of August. We started our adventure in Buckorn and the kids loved hanging with Grandpa and Gramz, playing in the lake, sand box, swinging in the hammock, visiting the public beach, seeing the animals at the Peterborough zoo and walking along the road in front of the cottage. On August 3 we left Buckhorn and headed to Torrence for the 5 annual Muskoka Rocks 10k weekend at the Huyers. Once again it was a weekend filled with great friends, good food and many laughs. We packed up on August 7 and headed back to Buckhorn for the remainder of our holiday - which was unfortunately cut short by a power outage on Thursday August 9 which forced us to head back to the city to finish the last three days of our vacation at home. We'd like to thank dad and Sandy and the Huyers for letting us enjoy their cottages for our vacation. 

Hanging with Grandpa on the deck at Sandy Lake

View from the cottage

Another view from the cottage

Charlotte loving her new rooster friend 

Loving the Peterborough zoo / donkey

Jacob's new fav thing....watering the flowers

Hammock time at the Huyers

Hey Taryn...how do you like my I mean your hat?!

LET THE NESTING BEGIN
The past few days I've found myself thinking about all the stuff we need to do before "Little B" arrives - starting with organizing the middle room (which is currently our office) and getting it ready to be turned into a bedroom. We have found a crib (thanks to our friends Neil and Geraldine) that matches the bookshelf and club chair which are staying in the room and have all the clothes (boys and girls) neatly folded in large plastic boxes waiting to be placed in a dresser (once we find one). Other than organizing / setting up the room we don't have too much else to do - thanks to the fact that we have strollers, toys etc from Charlotte and Jacob. Let the organizing begin!

So...as you can see we have been busy since my last post. I look forward to sharing our news more frequently from here on in. Too much happens to let two months past without an update! Plus I keep getting gentle reminders from certain people (names to be withheld) about the fact that the blog hasn't been updated in a while :0.....this post is for you and everyone else who has missed "the Brown Family Buzz"! 

TURN BABY....TURN

Yesterday I visited my OB for my 30 week check up. I can't believe I'm 30 weeks along already. In many respects time seems to have flown by but in others it feels like it's never going to end.

I'm ready for the pregnancy to be over but not sure I'm quite ready for three kids just yet. I learned yesterday that "Little B" is breech. It's still early so he/she has lots of time to turn, turn, turn but the sooner he/she turns the more comfortable I'll be. Right now I am finding it extra hard to breathe and bend over thanks to "Little B's" head being wedged under my left rib / lung. Jacob was in the same spot when he was inside and ended up being born feet first. But since there is no "baby A" inside this time to clear the way for "baby B"...Little B needs to turn. My next appointment is Aug 29 so here's hoping things turn in the right direction by then.