There's No Place Like Home

We're home! We returned from our trip on Sat Aug 21st and what a wonderful time we had. I can't thank Vincent and Sylvie enough for their amazing hospitality. As usual, we were spoiled rotten and extremely well fed during our two week stay :)

But as fun as it is to travel, it's also good to come home. Brandon was a star - again - on the plane and only needed a couple of days to adjust back to Calgary time. He's such a good traveller and I'm so very proud of him.

So now we're trying to settle back into our old routine. Brandon is napping and feeding as per usual and once again we're busy going to play group, going for walks and keeping the house in order. I signed us up for music lessons starting in September and I'm pretty excited about that.

I've also started the hunt for good child care come November and it's not going nearly as easily as I thought it would. I do have a couple of potentials that Brandon and I will meet next week.

Something new for me is that I started working part-time at a baby store. My friend owns the store and she put call out for some staffing help. At first I agreed to do it to give her hand but I've discovered that I love working there. I love meeting new babies and chatting with the parents. I only work Friday nights and Saturdays and so far I find it a good mix of getting out of the house and stretching my brain muscles. Let's face it, it's been a while ;) Brandon gets to spend some quality time with Daddy and I think that's good for all three of us.

And since I haven't picked up the camera in a week, here's a few more pictures from our fabulous holiday.

Road Tripping

Jamie, Brandon and I have been in New Brunswick for 11 days now. It's been fun and it's been busy! Apart from visiting with family, we've also hit the road to visit friends in Fredericton and Charlottetown (both friends have beautiful new baby girls!) It's been great to catch up and spend time with those we just don't get to see very often. As I get older, I start to appreciate these visits more and more.

But it's not all about visiting friends and family. Brandon's been doing some really fun stuff too. Yesterday was his first day at the beach! He loved it :) It was a perfect day and not too busy. The water was warm and Brandon put his feet in the sand for the first time (he even sampled some of it and found it not to his liking). He spent a good 20 minutes in the water before we pulled him out to dry off and relax with his bottle. It was a great day that I will always remember:)

Another memorable event was Brandon's first Acadian Day - August 15th. In the morning Vincent, Sylvie, Nicholas, Jamie, Brandon and I all piled into the van and headed to Pays de la Sagouine for a wonderful buffet brunch. The Acadians were there in full force and it was lots of fun. Brandon proudly wore his hat and "Vive l'Acadie" t-shirt to celebrate his heritage. Later that day we returned to Memramcook to enjoy an Acadian festival and we even participated in the Tintamare - a walk to celebrate the Acadian culture. It was a first for the three of us and a special day for all.

We still have four more days of vacation so who knows what other fun we'll get to but whatever it is, I'll post about it :)

Little Fact

As of today, Brandon has been out of the womb as long as he was in it - 39 weeks + 1 day. I don't know about anyone else but I find that kind of interesting :)

9 Months Old Today!

Brandon is nine months old today and I'm posting all the way from beautiful Saint Ignace, New Brunswick! Much like our trip to Victoria, Brandon has proven himself to be a star traveler. He was wonderful on our 7 hour journey here and he's been a super sleeper and eater ever since. He's visiting with all of his grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles and cousins. He's going to parties and hanging out with friends. All in all I'd say he's having a good time :)

I had Brandon weighed a couple of weeks ago. He's a healthy 19.11 lbs and 28 inches. He still loves anything to do with water and cats. He also loves eating and playing with his toys. I'm sure this won't come as a surprise to anyone but he still hates getting his PJ's put on.

Right now he's busy trying to crawl but so far, he only goes backwards. He got two teeth about a week ago - right in the front and every day I think he gets more hair!

I've got to keep this post short as I have lots of visiting to do. Here's a few photos of our happy little traveller.

Putting it in Perspective

I have a confession to make. For the past 8 1/2 months I've hated my c-section scar. To be truthful, it's not the scar I hate but more the visible reminder of what I missed with regards to Brandon's birth.

When it was announced that Brandon was in a breech position at 36 weeks and the only way he could be delivered was via c-section, I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. I had been preparing for his birth my whole pregnancy. I had come to terms with labour and the pain it would bring. I felt ready. I had my doula, I had done my reading and I had gone to childbirth classes. I looked forward to holding him after delivery and getting that first family photo where mom looks exhausted and dad looks overwhelmed. It wasn't to be though. My baby arrived without contractions, without pushing and without me saying to Jamie "Honey, it's time".

Some people tell me I'm lucky. They tell me labour is no picnic and they aptly point out that my baby arrived in the world safe and sound. Of course I'm happy Brandon was delivered safely and my feelings regarding the c-section have no baring on that. For the past 8 1/2 months though, my c-section scar somehow made me feel like less of a mother. Almost like I studied all year for an exam but based on a technicality, I never wrote the final and passed my course anyways. I feel like I missed out on something defining, something monumental, something I can never get back.

Of all the play group moms I know, half of them had c-setions (isn't that crazy?) And even though it's a huge thing we have in common, we rarely discuss our scars or our c-section experiences.

I've often wondered about my scar. Is it larger than most scars? Is it healing normally? Does the colour it has become exist in a crayon box somewhere? By chance I came upon a website called "The Shape of a Mother". The site is dedicated to showing what a mother's body looks like. It's a forum for letting moms share their experiences and feelings about pregnancy, birth and motherhood. Last night I was browsing the site when one story captured my attention. The young mother had to have an emergency c-section. Her baby was in distress. As soon as her little girl was born, she was rushed to the NICU. It was determined that her baby had suffered multiple strokes while in labour. The little baby never left the NICU. Her mother stayed by her side for 29 days before she gave up her battle. The young mother wrote of the wonderful time they had together - short as it was. She described how blessed she was to hold her baby, dress her and sing her to sleep. She was there when her baby took her last breath and she wrote about how she looks forward to meeting her little girl in heaven some day. She also wrote about how hard it was to see her c-section scar. A daily reminder that she had had a baby yet there is no baby in her arms.

This story broke my heart and suddenly put everything into perspective. I feel like I see things clearly now. I hold my baby every day. I laugh with him, play with him, feed him and put him to sleep. I am the luckiest woman in the world. I now see my scar as a blessing. A means to an end where I couldn't be any happier or dream of anything more wonderful than Brandon.