Tick Tock

So, here we are still apparently in the depths of winter. I honestly thought that an April 4 due date meant more or less a "spring baby" but I'm guessing not - at least not this year. More snow on the way! And more snow after that! This baby will be coming home to metres high snowbanks, the likes of which I probably haven't seen since my Thunder Bay childhood.

After two days of staying home dealing with Kieran's breathing issues, I'm glad to get to back to work. Seriously, I can tell you right here, right now that I'm going to struggle with an entire year off and two babies to care for. We plan on keeping Kieran at daycare for two days a week at least...he really enjoys it and it will give me and break during the week. But being at home with a toddler is, to me at least, no picnic. And a toddler and a newborn, who naps twice a day...I can't really imagine. It will be fine when the weather is nice, but during the cold and winter? Gaack. Guess I'm going to have to develop an actual routine to keep Kieran occupied. How parental.

We'll see how it goes. Maybe I'll love it. I know I'll enjoy not having to get up and rush to get out the door. And when Kieran is sick...it will be nice to NOT have to send a guilty message into work that I won't be in "again."

For at least a year....or less.

Slight Change of Plans

So, we were all set tonight to go to our new hospital for the "36-week pregnant" hospital tour. Neither Eric nor I were especially looking forward to it, as we went through it last time at our old hospital, and we now know that 90 percent of it is pretty much pointless. But the 10 percent that is helpful, ie. "where do I check in when I'm in labour" is pretty indispensable. 

We were all set to go....

Until about 30 seconds after I left the office that is...when my cell phone rang and it was my daycare provider in an absolute panic because Kieran is non-stop coughing so hard that he is gagging and she wants us to come get him NOW. This coughing we have seen now a couple of times, as it appears that our boy is pre-disposed to asthma type breathing issues whenever he gets a cold. A few weeks ago we went through this, and after a traumatic trip to the walk in clinic where Kieran was put on a breathing machine, we walked out with an inhaler and a tentative diagnosis of "he's too young to say its asthma, but....". That episode subsided, but here we are a few weeks later, with another cold and more non-stop coughing. 

This morning, he woke up with the same gagging cough, and I decided to stay home with him, and off we went back to the walk in clinic. I made Eric come with me in case Kieran wound up on the breathing machine again, which as I discovered last time is definitely a two-person job. But no machine...this time were given a second inhaler and the same diagnosis of probable asthma. But he seemed fine by this time, so we dropped him off at daycare anyway and I decided to go into work after all. 

After getting the call from daycare though I worried the entire drive home because I've seen how scary it is when it's clear he is having trouble breathing. But we actually got there in record time (thank God the snow hadn't yet started to fall). We get him home and give him his inhaler, and he is screaming as usual and then as I'm giving him the last puff, he all of sudden stops breathing. Now, let me tell you, there is a WORLD of difference between "having trouble breathing" and actually NOT breathing. As it turns out, I had seen the former, not the latter. Kieran was obviously panicking, flailing around, his face was beat red but no air is getting anywhere. Eric was holding him and jumps up and starts slapping his back to get him to breathe. I'm just standing there helpless. And then he finally managed to take a breath and is coughing and gagging and crying and I think I'm going to faint.

So, yeah, we went to the hospital all right, just not for the tour. 

Thankfully, the hospital offers a Kids Clinic, which is basically a walk-in clinic staffed only by pediatricians, with all the benefits of going to emergency  such as immediate X-Rays etc. It also is similar in ridiculous wait times, but I think it's worth it. We got more or less the same diagnosis as before, but this being an actual pediatrician, he was more versed in treating "probable asthma" in babies and gave us more tips and pointers on managing any future attacks and changed up the prescriptions were we given this morning.

So, yeah, we were there for 3 hours, came out of the hospital to the dreaded snowstorm and now Kieran is sleeping peacefully in his crib. Breathing like an angel. Poor baby. 

On a side note: the area where we were waiting also one of entry ways to get to Labour and Delivery (I know this, because we were at the same hospital where Kieran was born and I learned it on that valuable tour). During our three hour wait,  a Chinese couple comes in. The woman is hugely pregnant, seems like she's in labour, but is obviously unable to walk. The husband asks someone to get him a wheelchair and as they are putting her into it, Eric notices she is bleeding profusely and as they rush past us, I can see the woman is barely conscious.  I'm no expert, but I know that bleeding like this is not good at any time in pregnancy - no matter how far along you are. I cannot get this woman out of my mind. I hope she, and her baby, are OK. 

Thank God, this day is over. 

It's Monday...so Relaaaax

Am I the only person feeling, completely drained lately? I know that the weather is a big, big part of it. So, is being 8 months pregnant. So is having both a sick husband and baby for the entire weekend.

Last week was a complete write off...work was hectic, Eric was sick, RRSP deadline totally snuck up on us (related note: I'm soooo tired of stupid banks), frigid temperatures followed by yet more snow, and I was looking so forward to the weekend. But Kieran woke up with a raging fever on Saturday so all of our plans were shot. Instead, since I was now stuck indoors, I decided to embark on a laundry extravaganza. I washed just about everything - and I mean everything. Pillows, duvets, stuffed animals...I think I did about 15 loads of laundry (sorry, environment). All I could think was we have a new baby coming and everything seemed so.....germy. All the sorting, folding, bed re-making, and putting everything neatly away is, as I have discovered, very tiring. But at the end of it all, the house is clean and at least a little more ready to welcome a baby (not that the baby really has anywhere to sleep, and if its a girl, anything to wear that isn't blue or covered in rocket ships).

I'm not going to dwell on the weather...except to say, I totally wiped out at the bottom of the stairs after dropping Kieran off a daycare this morning. I knew it was only a matter of time before my 8-month pregnant self fell on the ice. I'm only surprised that it wasn't in our own driveway, which apparently has a personality akin to a comic book super-villian, continually covering itself in innocuous looking, yet deadly, black ice, no matter how much we salt it. Anyway, my knee and hand broke the fall, so I didn't feel the need to rush off the hospital or anything. I did almost rip a hole in the knee of one of my last three pair of maternity pants though, and with one month to go, I REFUSE to buy anything else. I would rather show up to work with holes in my knees than spend another $60 on maternity pants. Seriously.

Anyway, hopefully, I will soon have happier things to blog about, because I feel like a real downer lately. Tomorrow, we go for a tour of the hospital (since I'm not going to the same one I was at for Kieran). And its supposed to get up to 7 degrees today. There IS light at the end of the this long, pregnant, icy tunnel.

Its been soooo busy lately that I cannot believe how longs its been since I updated this blog. It's not so much that I haven't had anything to say, as I can almost always find something to rant about, but since I normally update this while I'm at work (sssshhhhh), work hasn't allowed me the usual downtime. In fact, right now, I have way too many things to do and there is no way I should be wasting time blogging, but I plan on keeping it short.

They handed me a pamphlet today at the doctor that is essentially "what to do when you go into labour." Its not like I'd FORGOTTEN there was a hideous labour process at the end of this, but to see it in black and white really hits home. 5 more weeks and I plan to work 4 of them.

Although, its been so busy at work and I have so much work to do still at home just to get ready for another child that I'm wondering if I'm cutting it too close.

Take yesterday, which was a Sunday. I decided to go watch Eric's band play the night before...which turned into a ridiculously late night out, but it will most likely be the last gig I get to see for a good long time. Got home at 3:30...Kieran is up at 6:20 (Eric got up with him - I cannot lie...but we trade off a few hours later.) And even though I'm still exhausted with piles of laundry and housework still in front of me - I hadn't been grocery shopping in 2 weeks. So, the second Kieran is down for a nap, I fly off to the grocery store, where seconds after I step in the door my cell phone starts to ring with some totally irate woman calling from Jerusalem who is angry at several things...mainly that I haven't received any of her emails (like that is my fault) and the fact that I have to charge her $2000 extra due to the fact that I never received any of her emails and thusly didn't get some key information in time. So, I'm trying to calm her down, while also trying to read my grocery list and price compare chicken parts. I've had 5 hours of sleep, am 8 months pregnant, have to be at my 3-year-old nieces birthday party in a few short hours and am looking ahead to a brutal work week. And this woman is doing some serious international ranting on my cell phone. Argh. I finally got off the phone with her, but the damage was done...her distraction cost me a $200 grocery store bill, which I don't think has EVER happened. Gag.

Anyway, like I say....I could keep going, but I have too much to do. Maybe later...

Chivalry is Dead.

So, I had my bi-weekly OB appointment today. Man, there are a lot of pregnant women out there. 

I switched OBs from last time because although I liked my doctor, her practice was ridiculously disorganized. I mean,consistently three hours behind disorganized. It got to the point that an OB appointment meant pretty much an entire half day off work, every time. Once, my appointment was at 3:15 and I finally saw her for my three minute check up at 6:3o pm. To compound the problem, she had a tiny waiting room with 7 chairs and no standing space. And what used to drive me absolutely CRAZY was pregnant women who would bring their husband and/or their mother, who would invariably park themselves in some valuable chair real estate and then not move. More than once, I was left standing, while these husbands sat oblivious in their chairs, their wives looking meekly on. 

My new hospital/practice is quite a bit better. The waiting room has about 35 chairs, and typically, they aren't running too far behind. Not to say they are like the German train system, but compared to my last experience, I can't really complain. Until today. My appointment was for 9:30 and when I walked in, I knew I was in for the long haul. When I opened the door, I was met by this waft of thick, hot air. People were standing, there was even  a line up to check -in that was 5 people deep.

By the time I had proceeded through check in, there was a open chair, which I immediately snagged. And then I had a chance to look around....at least 40 people packed the room. 5 women had husbands with them, and several had children. One had two kids (one who was school age, even) and her mother.  All the husbands, save one, were sitting. 

Did I mention it was hot? A room packed full of pregos, in huge winter coats and boots, feeling twice as uncomfortable as usual.  I, thankfully, had brought a magazine (a Macleans issue from November, no less) that I burrowed into. After about 45 minutes of waiting, I happened to look up and noticed three women without chairs. Thankfully, the receptionist did stand up and announce that any fathers who had seats should give theirs up to a pregnant woman who was standing. 

I cannot, still CANNOT believe that such an announcement had to be made. In an OB waiting room, no less. 

Seriously, I think it's absolutely unforgivable. And, should I have had reason to bring Eric to an appointment, there is no chance I would sit quietly knowing that he was taking up a seat while a fellow- pregnant woman was standing. None. Zero. Possibly even if he had a broken leg I may shame him into standing. 

When the receptionist made the announcement, the man sitting across from me, had the nerve to sigh loudly. In his sigh, I could actually hear that he had been expecting the announcement but had  had no intention of moving until it was actually requested. He didn't even seem particularly embarassed by being told, when I think he should have been mortified. 

It just makes me think sadly about our society today. Everyone is so wrapped up in themselves. I want my son to grow up to be gentleman. Sure, maybe the days of opening car doors for the ladies are long gone...I'm not going to pretend to mourn the loss of pointless and sort of goofy acts of faux-chivalry. I don't think most women want to be treated like a delicate flower on a daily basis. But pregnant women in OB waiting rooms? It seems so, so....BASIC. 

The Week from Hell...

What a week THIS is shaping up to be!

We'll start off with Sunday, where we had planned to take Kieran out with his toboggan to play in the snow. Only, when I stepped outside that morning, I knew that we wouldn't be going anywhere. The temperatures were beyond frigid, and the wind was ridiculous, so we remained more or less housebound for the day.

As compensation, I offered to make pancakes for breakfast. We'd had a pancake breakfast earlier in the week at my office, and Eric had been sort of whiny about wanting some. I know this may sound odd, but I have never made pancakes. (They just aren't typically appealing to me and they are also usually the last breakfast item I would order in a restaurant.) But, hey, I thought I'd give it a whirl. Yeah, from now on pancakes are off the menu. In 2 minutes flat the house was thick with smoke and I had about 7 charred discs on my hands. I threw a bunch out and tried again and got a few that were edible, but overall breakfast was not a success. Kieran would barely touch them.

My next move was to hand-scrub the floors of the entire house. Although I mop the floor regularly, there really is no substitute for getting right down to floor level to see exactly what is lurking there. So, there I was 7.5 months pregnant on my hands and knees for almost two hours cleaning every inch of my floors...which of course, I swear it took Kieran mere minutes guck right up again.

As we move into Monday morning, things really start to pick up. We're off to a late start, which isn't really unusual, but as I'm wrestling Kieran into his snow gear, I can hear Eric repeatedly slamming the door to the van. He comes inside and says that the driver side door will absolutely NOT close. Although it opened no problem, it would not catch again to close - even a little bit. In the week we've owned this van, this is already the second problem we've had with the driver door. The day after we got it, for whatever reason when we unlocked the doors with the keyless entry the drivers side would not open and I had to manually open it from inside to let Eric in. Sort of a weirdo glitch, but not really a huge deal. Anyway, now this...

So, since we can't leave it in the driveway with the door open all day, we decided to swing by the Kia dealership to see if they can do something. I put Kieran into our other car and he immediately starts to wail: "Cold! Cold! Cold" I don't blame him, as the car was a freezing iceblock. We drive to the dealership, Eric awkwardly holding the van door closed the whole way. At Kia, the guy apparently looks at Eric like he's an idiot and tells him that "....the door is frozen!" Okaaaaaaayyy...its not like we are surprised by the fact, but we both grew up in Thunder Bay for crying out loud and neither of us had ever had a car freeze itself open and knowing that's all it was didn't fix out our dilemma. I could drive it to work and park it underground for the day but I'm not exactly going to do a hour commute while trying to hold a door shut. So, anyway, in the parking lot of Kia, Eric somehow manages to manually unfreeze the latch himself. Thanks a frigging LOT Kia. Dicks.

But no, we're not done yet...through all the chaos I sort of realize that I'm feeling really queasy. I have been easing off my anti-nausea pills lately and instead of the prescribed four, have been able to get myself down to one. And on the weekend I had cut the last pill out entirely to no adverse effects. Do you see where this is going?

Yeah, we're already over an hour late for work (only halfway through the commute) and I start throwing up. Only this time, we aren't prepared with my usual stockpile of plastic bags...all we have is a paper bag, which lasted about 30 seconds before everything had soaked through the bag and all over me. We pull over at a store, Eric runs inside to buy wet wipes and I try to clean myself up. Although i was tempted to turn around and go home, Eric needed to get to the office and since I hadn't actually hit my clothes, just my coat (dry clean only! my only maternity coat!), we continued on.

It was crazy busy day at work, and although I technically shouldn't have left at 4:30 to carpool with Eric, I absolutely could not take the train home with a jacket that smelled like vomit, so I made Eric wait for a bit so he could drive me home. Turns out that our daycare provider had dinner reservations and when we called to say we were running late, she was not impressed. So, top speed, we get out to Mississauga, I'm feeling sick again and barely refrained from another barf-fest and finally got home. Needless to say, I'm back on the pills again.

Now today, its another freakin' blizzard. God, can this week just END already?

Snow, Cold, Misery. Begin Rant.

So, we're in the midst of a snowstorm right now, a pretty major one at that, as its been snowing steadily since the middle of last night.

But here's the thing....

....I really wish the rest of small town/small city Canada would just STOP with the ridiculing of Toronto and our poor response to snow. Every time we have a major storm, or even not so major, the city advises residents to stay home and flights, transit etc gets cancelled. Fine. Then it takes about 1 hour before we hear the rest of Canada weigh in on how pathetic Toronto is and have to hear irritating yokels from the rest of Canada say stuff like "WE call this winter, what does Toronto call it? Har Har Har."

You know, I want just ONE of those people to live, work and DRIVE in this city for one snowy winter and then say the same thing.

First, no other city has to contend with 3 million people trying to get where they need to go. Three million people. That is hundreds of thousands of cars on the few highways and major arteries that come in and out of the city. Hundreds of thousands of people trying on public transit, which is subject to its own delays. Lots of these people DIDN'T grow up in the Far North as I did, instead they grew up in places like India and Barbados where snow doesn't factor into their lives and is part of their DNA. So, treacherous roads are made worse by not only ridiculous volume, but also by drivers who are not properly trained to deal with it. On a good day, one accident can back up a busy highway for hours...its not LIKE Thunder Bay or elsewhere where you can zip around an accident and keep going the 10 minutes until your at your house. Once an accident has slowed you down, it can take a half hour to even get to somewhere where you can exit the highway. You and a hundred thousand other people trying to get to the same detour. Try it sometime. Its pure joy. Especially when, say, you have to pick your son up a daycare in 5 minutes and you're still an hour away.

I'm sure everyone remembers the fateful year that the city had to call in the army to dig us out of the snow. Toronto will never live it down. Oddly Torontians are not especially embarassed by this fact. Why? Because is WAS a disaster. I lived downtown at time, and when I saw those army trucks pull up and the men with shovels jump off I wept with joy. As they loaded tons upon tons of snow into the waiting trucks, I wanted to bake them cookies.

Here's what the rest of Canada doesn't GET....in addition to being a huge city, Toronto is an OLD city. That means that houses in a good portion of the city are close together and often don't have driveways and if they do, it's frequently front lawns that have been paved. And the big old houses are often now apartments which means there are tenants who own cars who need to park on already overcrowded city streets.

Without a front lawn or boulevard and cars parked everywhere, there are very few places to put the snow. Those few places consequently have towering snowbanks that get so tall and narrow its impossible to put more snow on them and are so big that drivers cannot see around them without pulling into oncoming traffic. People who have to park on the street have to dig out their cars with nowhere to put the snow so we wind up with little snowbanks in front of and behind the cars or worse, thrown back on the street. The snowbanks means less street parking available third, but the number of cars has obviously remained the same. Consequently cars have to park at odd angles and jut out into traffic or park in illegal zones. And the reason for this isn't a blatant disregard for bylaws or mere Torontian self-centredness. We're just trying to get on with our lives. Plows can't clear the streets properly because there are so many parked cars with nowhere to move to. I know because I WAS one of those cars.

People get frustrated and drive too fast. People get scared and drive too slow. Buses and trains are packed and hot. People are cranky. But we still have to work, which is often no where even close to where we live. We still have to buy groceries and go the doctor. We still have to work in hospitals and banks and, even, like myself, keep TV stations on the air, so the rest of Canada has stuff to watch on their TVs when they get home at night.

So, rest of Canada, can you just lay off? Winter in this city has ZERO upside for those who live here. We're hours from ski-hills and ice-fishing and other outdoor pursuits that make winter more bearable. And our roads are 100 times more crowded and dangerous as yours. So yes, we are advised to stay home from work and school is cancelled. I'm all for it.

I just can do without the snide remarks. Okay?